Conflicts

Baghdad, Aug 23 (AP/UNB) — The Latest on the situation in Iraq, after U.S. officials confirmed Israel last month bombed a weapons depot belonging to Iran-backed Shiite militias (all times local): Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is warning of a “strong response” if it is proven that Israel was behind recent airstrikes in Iraq. In statements issued by his ... Read More »

Cox’s Bazar, Aug 22 (UNB) – Despite all the preparations, no Rohingya turned up on Thursday to avail of the “voluntary” repatriation offer given to them to go back to their place of origin in Rakhine State of Myanmar prompting the authorities to suspend the repatriation process for the day. While briefing reporters, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Abul ... Read More »

India, Aug 21 (AP/UNB) — At least 2,300 people, mostly young men, have been detained in Indian-administered Kashmir during a security lockdown and communications blackout imposed to curtail unrest after New Delhi stripped the disputed region of statehood, according to top Kashmir police and arrest statistics reviewed by The Associated Press. Those arrested include anti-India protesters as well as pro-India ... Read More »

Dhaka, Aug 19 (UNB)- Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-3) arrested four suspected members of a militant group named ‘Allar Dal’ from Hatirjheel area in the city Sunday night. The arrestees are Ibrahim Ahmed Hero, 64 and Md Shafiqul Islam Suruj, 38 of Pabna, Abdul Aziz, 50 of Gaibandha and Md Rashidul Islam, 28 of Kurigram. On secret information, the ... Read More »

Some schools reopened in Indian-administered Kashmir on Monday but few students turned up amid ongoing tensions over the Indian government’s shock decision to strip the region of its special status two weeks ago. Read More »

By James Reinl Reprint UN, Aug 14 2019 (IPS) – World governments are not doing enough to stop armed groups from committing mass rape, torture and other war crimes, the head of the Red Cross aid group head Peter Maurer said on Tuesday. Read More »

Dhaka, Aug 19 (UNB)- Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-3) arrested four suspected members of a militant group named ‘Allar Dal’ from Hatirjheel area in the city Sunday night. The arrestees are Ibrahim Ahmed Hero, 64 and Md Shafiqul Islam Suruj, 38 of Pabna, Abdul Aziz, 50 of Gaibandha and Md Rashidul Islam, 28 of Kurigram. On secret information, the ... Read More »

Madrid, Aug 18 (AP/UNB) — Authorities in Gibraltar on Sunday rejected the United States’ latest request not to release a seized Iranian supertanker, clearing the way for the vessel to set sail after being detained last month for allegedly attempting to breach European Union sanctions on Syria. The ship was expected to leave Sunday night, according to a statement on ... Read More »

Kabul, Aug 18 (AP/UNB) — The suicide bomber stood in the middle of the dancing, clapping crowd as hundreds of Afghan children and adults celebrated a wedding in a joyous release from Kabul’s strain of war. Then, in a flash, he detonated his explosives-filled vest, killing dozens — and Afghanistan grieved again. The local Islamic State affiliate claimed responsibility for ... Read More »

Rangamati, Aug 18 (UNB) – An army member was killed in a gun attack by terrorists in Rajasthali upazila here on Sunday morning. The victim was identified as Nasim, 19, a sepoy, said an ISPR release. It said terrorists opened fire on a patrol team of Bangladesh Army at Poaitukhum, some 4 kms off Rajasthali Army Camp of Rangamati Region, ... Read More »

The bridegroom whose wedding was targeted by a suicide bomber in the Afghan capital Kabul says he has “lost hope” after the deadly attack. Read More »

A bomb has exploded in a wedding hall in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing 63 people and wounding more than 180. Witnesses told the BBC a suicide bomber detonated explosives during a wedding ceremony. Read More »

New Delhi, Aug 17 (AP/UNB) — Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir on Saturday began restoring landline phone services after a nearly two-week unprecedented security crackdown and news blackout following a decision to downgrade the majority-Muslim region’s autonomy. Administrator Shahid Choudhary said restrictions are being lifted in most areas and government offices will open on Saturday. He also tweeted that food and ... Read More »

New Delhi, Aug 16 (AP/UNB) — Hundreds of people protested an unprecedented security crackdown and clashed with police Friday in Indian-controlled Kashmir, as India’s government said it was constantly reviewing the situation in the disputed region and the restrictions there will be removed over the next few days. The U.N. Security Council met on Jammu and Kashmir for the first ... Read More »

The US Justice Department has issued a warrant to seize a detained Iranian oil tanker, a day after a judge in Gibraltar ordered it to be released. Read More »

Madrid, Aug 15 (AP/UNB) — Gibraltar on Thursday allowed a detained Iranian supertanker to leave the British overseas territory after a last-minute U.S. attempt to seize the vessel, potentially defusing tensions between London and Tehran as a British-flagged tanker remains held by the Islamic Republic. The release of the Grace 1 comes after the U.S. under President Donald Trump pulled ... Read More »

New Delhi (AP/UNB) — Pakistan’s military and police say “unprovoked firing” by India across the heavily militarized Line of Control in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir has killed three soldiers and two civilians in separate incidents. Read More »

Srinagar, Aug 14 (AP/UNB) — Residents of Indian-administered Kashmir were running low on essential supplies Tuesday as an unprecedented security lockdown kept people indoors for a ninth day. India has imposed a near-constant curfew and a communications blackout as it tries to stave off a violent reaction to the government’s decision on Aug. 5 to strip Kashmir of its autonomy. ... Read More »

People in Indian-administered Kashmir observed the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha amid a communications blackout and tight security on Monday. BBC reporters in the region say many offered prayers at local mosques as the main mosque in the capital, Srinagar, was out of bounds. Some protests were reported in the Soura area of the city but the festival was largely ... Read More »

Srinagar, Aug 12 (AP/UNB) — Troops in India-administered Kashmir allowed some Muslims to walk to local mosques alone or in pairs to pray for the Eid al-Adha festival on Monday during an unprecedented security lockdown that still forced most people in the disputed region to stay indoors on the Islamic holy day. Read More »

New Delhi, Aug 11 (AP/UNB) — Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir said they eased restrictions in the region’s main city for a third straight day on Sunday ahead of a major Islamic festival, following India’s move to strip the region of its constitutional autonomy and impose an indefinite curfew. Read More »

Seoul, Aug 7 (AP/UNB) — North Korea said Wednesday leader Kim Jong Un supervised a live-fire demonstration of newly developed, short-range ballistic missiles intended to send a warning to the United States and South Korea over their joint military exercises. The official Korean Central News Agency said two missiles launched from a western airfield flew across the country and over ... Read More »

Pakistani PM Imran Khan has vowed to fight India’s decision to revoke Indian-administered Kashmir’s autonomy, including at the UN Security Council. Read More »

Tokyo, Aug 6 (AP/UNB) — Hiroshima marked the 74rd anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city with its mayor renewing calls for eliminating such weapons and demanding Japan’s government do more. Mayor Kazumi Matsui raised concerns in his peace address Tuesday about the rise of self-centered politics in the world and urged leaders to steadily work toward achieving a ... Read More »

Dayton, Aug 4 (AP/UNB) — Nine people in Ohio have been killed in the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours, and the suspected shooter is also deceased, police said. Dayton police tweeted that an active shooter situation began in the Oregon District at 1 a.m., but that officers nearby were able to “put an end ... Read More »

Sudhirendar Sharma Despite my wife’s trepidation, I couldn’t resist travelling to support local communities in their post-war rehabilitation, just about the time when the guns were falling silent during the Kargil War. The occasional thunder from the burning ammunition dump that had been targeted by the enemy didn’t bother the locals who had been through the worst. Read More »

Washington, Aug 1 (AP/UNB) — President Donald Trump intensified pressure Thursday on China to reach a trade deal by saying he will impose 10% tariffs Sept. 1 on the remaining $300 billion in Chinese imports he hasn’t already taxed. The move immediately sent stock prices sinking. The president has already imposed 25% tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese products, and ... Read More »

Myanmar Delegation Fails to Make Convincing Case for Safe Return Meenakshi Ganguly Myanmar officials arrived at the sprawling refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh this week to discuss the repatriation of the Rohingya population. Read More »

Over 160 people were killed for trying to protect the environment in 2018, says NGO Global Witness. While the Philippines tops the list with 30 deaths, the number of killed activists nearly quintupled in Guatemala. Read More »

Dhaka, July 30 – Mentioning that hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas is a big burden for Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said it wants to resolve the Rohingya crisis through discussions with Myanmar. Read More »