American Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has increased pressure on Pakistan over its perceived backing for the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Category: Int’l relations
McDonald’s to close 169 outlets in India
New Delhi, Aug 22 (AP/UNB)- McDonald’s India has announced it will close nearly 170 McDonald’s outlets in northern and eastern India after the American fast food giant decided to terminate a franchise agreement with its Indian partner.
World divided on Trump’s new policy on Afhghanistan
Politicians from across the world have reacted to US President Donald Trump’s new strategy for the war in Afghanistan. Trump on Monday committed the United States to an open-ended conflict in Afghanistan and signalled he would send more troops there.…
McDonalds to close 169 outlets in India
McDonald’s India has announced it will close nearly 170 McDonald’s outlets in northern and eastern India after the American fast food giant decided to terminate a franchise agreement with its Indian partner. McDonald’s said its partner Connaught Plaza Restaurants violated…
‘Facebook, twitter, social media in BD under surveillance’
Dhaka, August 22 – Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said the intelligence agencies are closely monitoring facebook, twitter, cyber games, WhatsApp and other social media to control all sorts of cyber based militant activities.
NKorea issues fiery rhetoric over US-SKorea drills
Seoul, Aug 22 (AP/UNB) — North Korea’s military on Tuesday greeted the start of annual U.S.-South Korean military drills with its standard fiery threats, vowing “merciless retaliation” for exercises Pyongyang claims are an invasion rehearsal.
BD govt ratifies deal on Int’l solar alliance
The Cabinet on Monday ratified an agreement under which Bangladesh became a member of 121 solar-resource-rich nations for research, low-cost financing and rapid deployment of clean energy. The decision was taken at a regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held…
CEC working to bring AL back to power – alleges BNP
Dhaka, Aug 20 – BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday alleged that Chief Election Commissioner(CEC) KM Nurul Huda’s recent statements demonstrate that he has taken a secret oath to the Prime Minister to help Awami League…
Trumps to skip Kennedy honours to avoid ‘distraction
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are to skip an art awards ceremony to allow those taking part “to celebrate without political distraction”, the White House says.
England embarrasses West Indies by innings and 209 runs
Birmingham, Aug 20 (AP/UNB) — England took 19 wickets in a day to send West Indies tumbling to a humbling defeat by an innings and 209 runs in the first test on Saturday, setting the scene for what could be…
1st BD-origin HC judge in UK
Dhaka, Aug 19– A Bangladesh-origin British citizen has been appointed as a Justice of the United Kingdom High Court.
‘No Nazis, no KKK, no fascists in the USA!’, chant Boston protesters
Tens of thousands of anti-racism protesters have opposed the “Free Speech” rally in the US city of Boston that featured right-wing speakers. The rally on Boston Common, which attracted only a small crowd, disbanded early and the participants were escorted…
World Photography Day observed
The ‘World Photography Day’ was celebrated worldwide as well as Bangladesh on Saturday. Dhaka University Visual Anthropology Club and Begart Institute of Photography jointly organised an event with an open discussion among the photographers and the young visual anthropologists marking…
Moudud terms EC’s dialogue as mere eyewash
Terming the Election Commission’s (EC’s) ongoing dialogue just eyewash, BNP senior leader Moudud Ahmed on Saturday said it will not produce any positive outcome for holding the next general election in a credible manner. “The current Election Commission is a…
Khaleda denounces Barcelona attacks
Strongly denouncing the deadly terror attacks in Barcelona, Spain, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Saturday said united efforts of the global community are a must to eliminate the network of the bloodthirsty terrorists. In a statement, she said the Barcelona…
Total eclipse of sun on Monday
A total eclipse of the sun will occur on Monday. It will start at 9:47pm and will end on Tuesday at 3:4:18am. The central eclipse will begin at 10:49:6pm on Monday and will end at 2:2:6am on Tuesday, said an…
One killed 2 hurt in two Florida shootings in US
One police officer was killed and three wounded in nighttime shootings in two Florida cities where the officers were responding to suspected drug activity and reports of a suicide attempt, police said Saturday. One officer was killed and another gravely…
India wildlife reserve park devastated by floods
Officials say rising floodwaters have inundated large parts of a famous wildlife reserve park in northeastern India, killing more than 225 animals and forcing hundreds of other animals to flee. Park director Satyendra Singh says 15 rhinos, 185 deer and…
Why is the US still fighting the civil war
In St Paul’s memorial church in Charlottesville, Virginia, last Friday, just up the street from where white supremacists were gathering for a torchlight rally, Cornel West explained why African Americans saw the removal of Confederate monuments as so important. On…
By Dr. Hanif Hassan Al Qassimi Geneva, Switzerland, Aug 18 2017 (IPS) – The war in Syria has now entered its 6th year and is becoming the world’s worst man-made disaster.
Historic settlement in ACLU case of three torture victims
“It is a clear warning for anyone who thinks they can torture with impunity.” New York — In a first for a case involving CIA torture, the American Civil Liberties Union announced a settlement today in the lawsuit against the…
Young rhino swept from Nepal to India goes back home
An endangered one-horned rhino which was swept across the Nepalese border into India by flooding has been rescued and brought home. The young female rhino was found 42km (26 miles) from the Chitwan National Park in the Indian village of…
Deadly South Asian floods affect 16 million people
More than 16 million people have now been affected by seasonal flooding across a swathe of South Asia, say aid officials. The floods in Nepal, Bangladesh and India are thought to have killed about 500 people and are expected to…
Unsustainable river management causes excessive floods-water scarcity: IFC
GreenWatch Report Leaders of the International Farakka Committee (IFC) said on Friday that excessive floods and too much of water scarcity faced in Bangladesh during wet and dry seasons are the outcomes of Unsustainable river management of rivers.
Attacker drives van into Barcelona crowd: 1 dead, 32 hurt
Barcelona, Aug 17 (AP/UNB) — A white van jumped up onto a sidewalk and sped down a pedestrian zone in Barcelona’s historic Las Ramblas district Thursday, swerving from side to side as it ploughed into tourists and residents. Calling it…
Minamata Convention, curbing mercury use, is now legally binding
By IPS World Desk Rome, Aug 16 (IPS) – The Minamata Convention — a legally-binding landmark treaty, described as the first new environmental agreement in over a decade – entered into force August 16.
EC will take no mediation role: CEC
The Election Commission says it will have no role in initiatives to build a ‘consensus’ among political parties to take part in the next national election. Chief Election Commissioner Nurul Huda’s remarks came during discussions with journalists from television stations,…
Migrant crisis: Spain rescues 600 people in busiest day
Spain’s coastguard says it has rescued 600 migrants crossing from Morocco in a 24-hour period amid a spike in the number of migrant arrivals.
Journos want EC to hold participatory-fair polls
The media representatives who joined the Election Commission’s (EC’s) dialogue on Wednesday suggested it to take all-out steps for holding a participatory and credible national election.Like the civil society members, the journalists also suggested the EC to earn the trust…
More than 300 dead, 600 missing in Sierra Leone mudslides
Freetown, Aug 16 (AP/UNB) — Fatmata Kamara had just stepped outside her house before dawn Monday when she saw the muddy hillside collapsing above her. The only thing she could do was run.