DHAKA: An Arab-Iranian poet and human rights activist, Hashem Shaabani, has been executed for being an ‘enemy of God’ and threatening national security, according to local human rights groups.Shaabani and a man named Hadi Rashedi were hanged in unidentified prison on January 27,

DHAKA: Taliban insurgents have set tough terms for peace talks with the Pakistani government, demanding the release of all imprisoned fighters and the withdrawal of troops from the tribal areas.Pakistan officials said on Monday, reports The Straits Times.The militants outlined their

DHAKA: The presidents of France and the United States issued a joint call on Monday for other nations to join them in seeking an ‘ambitious’ agreement to curb climate change.Presidents Barack Obama and Francois Hollande, writing in an article in the ‘Washington Post’ and ‘Le

DHAKA: Gunmen on motorcycles shot dead eight people, including an eight-year-old girl, at a faith healer`s house in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, police and doctors said.At least 12 others were also wounded in the shooting on Sunday in Baldia Town, as dozens of people waited for

DHAKA: The second round of peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition representatives is due to begin in Geneva on Monday.The first round of talks ended last month with no firm agreements and with both sides trading insults, reports BBC.However, UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said

DHAKA: South Korea and the US have announced that their annual military drills will take place from 24 February to 18 April, despite anger from North Korea.Pyongyang warned against the planned drills last week, calling them "exercises of war", reports BBC.Meanwhile, the US said it was

DHAKA: New violence and looting in the Central African Republic`s capital, Bangui, left at least nine people dead, including two more lynchings of minority Muslims.The latest assaults in the former French colony included mob attacks and an assassination attempt targeting the former

DHAKA: Six hundred people - mostly women, children and the elderly - have been evacuated from the Syrian city of Homs, according to non-governmental organisations.They were brought out by humanitarian assistance teams on Sunday despite mortar attacks and shooting, reports Al-jazeera.More

DHAKA: A Swiss referendum on whether to bring back strict immigration quotas is extremely tight, with first projections showing the vote split 50:50.If approved, the measures will end Switzerland’s free movement of people agreement with the European Union, reports the BBC.Fiercely

DHAKA: An estimated 70,000 pro-Western Ukrainians thronged the heart of Kiev on Sunday, vowing never to give up their drive to oust president Viktor Yanukovych for his alliance with old master Russia.Wearing blue and yellow ribbons, the colours of both Ukraine and the European Union, the

DHAKA: Most of Indian Kashmir was under curfew on Sunday to prevent protests marking the first anniversary of the hanging of a local separatist, which fuelled anger last year in the already tense region.Shops and other businesses were shut and traffic was light in the main city of

DHAKA: A gunman has opened fire inside a cathedral on the eastern Russian island of Sakhalin, killing a nun and a churchgoer, say reports.Six other people are said to have been wounded and have been taken to hospital.An unconfirmed report from Russian news agency Interfax says a man has

DHAKA: A fire at a hotel in Islam`s holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia left 15 pilgrims dead and injured 130 others, according to the state-run news agency SPA.Officials quoted by SPA did not identify the victims but said about 700 pilgrims had been staying at the hotel in the western

DHAKA: New aerial bombardment from explosives-packed barrel bombs in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo killed at least 20 people on Saturday.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, reports The Straits Times.The raids came as in the oil-rich east, the Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra

DHAKA: An Iraqi provincial governor on Saturday gave militants controlling a city near Baghdad one week to surrender as government forces made steady progress in an effort to end a weeks-long crisis.The Anbar governor’s ultimatum was directed at anti-government fighters who have held

DHAKA: Spain’s Princess Cristina has arrived in court to be questioned in connection with a corruption scandal involving her husband’s business dealings.It is the first time in history that a member of Spain’s royal family has appeared in court as the subject of a criminal

DHAKA: Russian president Vladimir Putin and embattled Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich held a one-on-one meeting in Sochi on the day of the opening of the Winter Olympics.Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters on Saturday, says The Straits Times.The meeting

DHAKA: Iran resumed talks on its nuclear program with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Saturday.The official IRNA news agency said, in discussions expected to broach sensitive military-related issues, reports The Jerusalem Post.The UN atomic agency hopes to persuade Iran

DHAKA: Heavy snow and severe weather struck Tokyo and other areas across Japan on Saturday, leaving two dead and around 90 injured, reports said.More than 600 flights were grounded as the weather agency issued a severe storm warning for the capital.As much as 12cm of snow was recorded on

DHAKA: The number of civilians killed and wounded in Afghanistan’s war rose 14 percent last year, the United Nations said on Saturday, with deaths almost reaching the record of 2011.Civilians killed or wounded in the crossfire of fighting between government and Taliban-led insurgent