Category: World

London | Political uncertainty is mounting in the United Kingdom amid speculation that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government could face collapse. Against this backdrop, discussions have intensified over the possibility of the UK getting its first Muslim woman prime minister, with Shabana Mahmood emerging as a leading contender. Currently serving as the UK Home Secretary, Mahmood is regarded as one of the most influential leaders within the Labour Party and a potential successor to Starmer should a leadership transition take place. The speculation has gained momentum as governments across the…

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Dhaka | Following India, the United States has reached a new trade understanding with Bangladesh, easing tariff pressure on key exports and offering relief to the country’s crucial garment sector. According to official sources, the US government has reduced tariffs imposed on Bangladeshi goods and has also decided to eliminate duties on certain textile products. The agreement comes amid speculation that Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, was in advanced talks with Washington to finalize a trade arrangement. On Monday, both sides concluded a bilateral deal, which will…

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Dhaka | With Bangladesh heading into a crucial general election, the political climate in the country has intensified sharply. The polls come at a turning point, with the Awami League barred from contesting and an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus governing since the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024. The upcoming vote is expected to usher in a full-time prime minister after nearly 18 months of interim rule. Main Contenders The election battle is largely centered between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led…

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Washington: Few criminal cases have unsettled the public conscience as deeply as that of Jeffrey Epstein. The story combines extreme wealth, systemic sexual abuse, elite access, institutional failure, and a lingering sense that full justice was never achieved. Even years after Epstein’s death in federal custody in August 2019, the case continues to reverberate—less as a closed chapter and more as an open wound in the public imagination. That fascination reached a new peak with the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by U.S. President Donald…

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Kyoto: Japan’s political story over the past 16 months reads like a high-stakes drama—one that began with scandal, flirted with collapse, and ended in a sweeping comeback few would have predicted. Two snap elections, held under two very different prime ministers, have not only reshaped the balance of power in Tokyo but also redefined voter expectations, party alliances, and the very idea of leadership in modern Japan. The first election, in October 2024, delivered a stinging rebuke to the once-invincible Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The…

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Dhaka: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday confirmed the death of a woman due to Nipah virus infection in Bangladesh, raising fresh concerns over the re-emergence of the deadly zoonotic disease. The incident occurred in late January in northern Bangladesh. According to WHO, the woman, aged between 40 and 50 years, developed initial symptoms such as fever and headache on January 21. Her condition rapidly deteriorated, with severe symptoms including excessive salivation, mental confusion, and seizures. She died about a week after the onset of symptoms. Laboratory tests conducted…

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Muscat: War and diplomacy appear to be on a collision course once again in the Middle East as the United States and Iran resume indirect talks after months of sharp tensions, threats, and military posturing. The discussions took place on Friday in Muscat, the capital of Oman, against the backdrop of last year’s US and Israeli military strikes on Iran that pushed the region to the brink of a wider conflict. The talks were held indirectly, with the two sides not meeting face-to-face. Oman’s Foreign Minister, Badr Albusaidi, acted as…

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Kyiv: Russia has carried out its deadliest attack on Ukraine so far this year, launching a massive overnight assault involving more than 400 drones and nearly 40 missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed grave concern over the scale and intensity of the strikes, stating that Russia primarily targeted the country’s energy infrastructure. According to President Zelenskyy, the attacks caused significant damage to power generation units, energy grids, and distribution substations, further straining Ukraine’s energy system during the harsh winter months. Several regions, including Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Rivne, reported destruction.…

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Geneva: The lapse of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) has triggered renewed concerns over global nuclear stability, with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warning that the development represents a serious setback for international security and arms control efforts. New START, which came into force in 2011, imposed verifiable limits on the number of deployed nuclear warheads and strategic delivery systems maintained by the United States and Russia. For more than a decade, the treaty served as a central pillar of global nuclear restraint, promoting transparency and reducing…

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Sydney: Australian law enforcement agencies have intensified action against organised crime, with police in New South Wales and Queensland seizing multiple firearms and significant quantities of illegal drugs during separate operations conducted this week. In New South Wales, authorities detained a 24-year-old man following the recovery of weapons and narcotics near Sydney. Police said the case began after emergency services responded to a single-vehicle crash in the coastal suburb of San Remo, around 80 kilometres north of Sydney. Witnesses reported seeing a man leave the crash scene carrying a bag,…

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