Makassar, Dec 20 — At least four survivors were pulled from choppy waters in central Indonesia on Sunday as high waves and bad weather hampered attempts to reach a sinking passenger boat with more than 120 people aboard, officials said.…
Category: Int’l relations
Russia capable of more in Syrian war, says Putin
Vladimir Putin has said Russia is using “far from everything we are capable of” in its military operations in Syria. “We also have other things as well and will use them if necessary,” the Russian president said.
WTO 10 Ministerial went down to wire, US intransigent
Nairobi (D. Ravi Kanth) — The World Trade Organization’s tenth ministerial conference, scheduled to ended December 18 went down to the wire because of the intransigent positions adopted by the United States. The US is refusing to allow any mention…
Girls, interrupted: North Korean band’s Beijing no-show
Aidan Foster-Carter It’s not been a good week for Korean girl bands. On two continents, ensembles from North and South found themselves prevented from performing – if in very different circumstances. Oh My Girl are one of many formulaic South…
Policy to regulate online TV media on election day proposed
At a law and order meeting convened by the Election Commission, several participants have proposed formulating a policy to regulate media reports related to the polls on election day. Election commissioners, officials from the home ministry, police, Border Guard Bangladesh…
Clashes leave scores dead in northern Yemen
UN voices alarm at ceasefire violations as fighting between Houthis and government troops claims lives on both sides. At least 75 people have been killed in fighting between troops and Houth fighters in northern Yemen, military and tribal sources say,…
China accuses US of B-52 ‘provocation’ over Spratly Islands
China has accused the US of “serious provocation” after it flew B-52 bombers near one of the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Chinese military personnel were put on “high alert” during the incident on 10 December, and…
Who Putin called out at his year-end press conference
By Alec Luhn President Vladimir Putin’s annual December press conference is a unique chance for some thousand-plus international and local journalists to ask the Russian leader a question. It’s also a chance for Putin to get things off his chest.…
Counterterrorism 101: Don’t ignore lessons of 9/11
Laura Pitter “Nothing like this has ever happened to me before,” said Sarker Haque, his face still black and blue from the beating. “I’ve lived here all these years and never, in this community? Never have I ever experienced anything…
US, Cuba commercial flights after 54 years
The United States and Cuba are close to a deal on restoring regularly scheduled commercial flights, Cuban and American officials said Wednesday on the eve of the anniversary of detente between the Cold War foes.The diplomatic advance would help open…
China angry at $1.83 b US arms sale to Taiwan
CNN – Despite strong opposition from China, the Obama administration authorized a $1.83 billion weapons sale to Taiwan Wednesday, marking the first U.S. arms shipment to the island in four years. Consisting almost exclusively of defensive weapons, the military package…
Pakistan refutes media reports on terror link of its diplomat
Dhaka – The Pakistan High Commission on Wednesday refuted media reports on alleged involvement of one of its female diplomats in terror financing here terming those reports “utterly baseless”. In a “rebuttal” note, the High Commission said all “diplomatic norms…
Malala condemns Trump
Nobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai condemned Donald Trump’s views on Muslims on Tuesday, at a sombre ceremony to remember the 134 children killed in a Taliban attack on a Pakistani school a year ago.“Well, that’s really tragic that you hear…
Dhaka with Riyadh-led anti-terror Muslim alliance
Dhaka – Bangladesh along with other Muslim countries has decided to join the Centre against Terrorism and Extremism to be established in the Saudi capital of Riyadh to coordinate efforts against terrorism and extremism. The decision came following a request…
US, Russia for finding common ground on Syria
By Reuters and VICE News US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Moscow on Tuesday in an attempt to build bridges with Russia in how the international community should respond to the Syrian conflict. Kerry said he wanted to…
Pak female diplomat to see action if allegation proved
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Tuesday said the government will take action through the Foreign Ministry against Pakistani female diplomat Farina Arshad if her alleged involvement in militancy is proved.
NZ confirms Silver Fern as flag referendum candidate
New Zealand has confirmed that the black, white and blue silver fern design won a referendum to become a possible new flag, after the final votes were counted. A second referendum will be held in March to decide whether to…
French school teacher attacked
A hooded man claiming to be acting for Islamic State attacked a nursery school teacher with a knife-like weapon as he prepared for classes in a school north of Paris, French officials said on Monday.The male teacher was taken to…
Trump calls ‘Cruz’ maniac
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump had a new target on Sunday, calling fellow White House contender Ted Cruz “a little bit of a maniac” as the US senator passed him in an Iowa opinion poll.Cruz’s dogged pursuit of conservative Iowa…
Growth to be 6.5 percent this year, 6.7pc next year: WB
Dhaka – World Bank chief economist Dr. Kaushik Basu on Sunday said that the economic growth of Bangladesh in 2015 will be 6.5 percent and this growth will reach 6.7 percent in 2016 when Chinese growth will be in the…
Only peaceful, open democratic process to help achieve potential: US
Dhaka – Appreciating Bangladesh’s leadership role in crucial areas, the United States on Sunday said every country, including Bangladesh, can only achieve its full potential when national debates are channeled through ‘peaceful and open democratic process’. “Municipal elections are coming…
Russian warship fires warning shots near Turkish vessel
Unresponsive ship came within 600 metres of Russian destroyer before it opened fire with small arms: defence ministry. Russia’s defence ministry says one of its warships fired warning shots at a Turkish vessel in Aegean Sea on Sunday to avoid…
Saudi Arabia elects first female politicians
At least four women elected to municipal councils in Saudi Arabia’s first poll open to female voters and candidates. At least four women have won seats in Saudi Arabia’s municipal polls, the country’s first-ever elections open to female voters and…
Strange new world of war: China’s ‘pivot’ to the greater Caspian
By Nenad Drca Due to changes in recent geopolitical events, Russia and China cooperate and coordinate politically, militarily, and economically to an extraordinary degree. This new teamwork almost always carries a tinge of anti-Western and anti-American implications. Russia and China…
In Northeast China, overworked performers sent home to Pyongyang
Several hotels and restaurants in northeast China’s Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture employ young North Korean women as performers and waiting staff. In many cases such arrangements provide benefits to all sides, representing economic opportunity for the performers and their official…
World leaders hail Paris deal: ‘best chance to save planet’ – Obama
Delegates from 195 nations agree on new accord to keep average temperature increases below 2 degrees C. US President Barack Obama has hailed the landmark climate accord reached in Paris as strong and historic, calling it the best chance to…
Bangladesh among ‘high-risk countries’
Kentucky senator Rand Paul, also an aspirant to be the Republican presidential candidate, has introduced a bill seeking a ban on refugees from 32 “high-risk countries” including Bangladesh from entering the US.The moratorium on accepting refugees from the 32 Muslim-majority…
Climate deal draft text ‘agreed’ in Paris for adoption
Organisers of the climate talks in Paris say a final draft text has been agreed after nearly two weeks of intensive negotiations. An official in the office of French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told the AFP news agency the draft…
Inferno kills 9 in Manila
An inferno in one of Manila’s huge shanty towns has killed nine people, authorities said Friday, the third blaze to have struck the city’s slums in as many weeks.Residents grabbed clothes, furniture and appliances as they fled the burning Damayang…
‘They used to beat me with sticks’: Maid agaist cricketer Shahadat
By Sugam Pokharel, CNN Dhaka (CNN) She’s known as “Happy” but when Mahfuza Akhter was found bruised and crying in the streets of Dhaka she was anything but. The 11-year-old former live-in maid of one of Bangladesh’s cricketing heroes is…