Shast Bandari, Afghanistan — AFP Chinese engineers and the Taliban government broke ground in Afghanistan on a project to mine the world’s second-largest copper deposit after a 16-year delay caused by war. Surveyors estimate Mes Aynak, 40 kilometres southeast of Kabul, contains 11.5 million tonnes of copper ore, a vital electronics...
Dhaka, Bangladesh — AFP Torn portraits of Bangladesh’s independence hero litter a ransacked state television station — a pointed expression of public fury against his daughter, who just witnessed the worst unrest of her premiership. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the nation on Bangladesh Television (BTV) last week to ...
ISTANBUL (AA) – Palestinian factions have pledged to end divisions during their reconciliatory talks in Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has announced. The representatives inked the declaration “pledging to end division and strengthen unity.” Representatives from 14 groups of Palestinians have held talks in Beijing sin...
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — AFP Malaysia has installed a billionaire sultan as its new king in lavish ceremonies for a post seen as a ballast in times of political crises. The coronation ceremony for King Sultan Ibrahim, 65, at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur followed his oath-taking in January as the country’s 17th monarch. [&hel...
ISTANBUL (AA) – The UN human rights chief urged accountability and dialogue after reports of deadly violence in Bangladesh on Friday. “All sides must exercise restraint and security forces must ensure that the use of force is in line with international human rights law,” said Volker Turk. Bangladesh imposed a curfew across th...
Dhaka, Bangladesh – AFP Bangladeshi student protesters stormed a prison and freed hundreds of inmates Friday as police struggled to quell unrest, with huge rallies in the capital Dhaka despite a police ban on public gatherings. This week’s unrest has killed at least 75 people, according to an AFP count of victims reported by hospit...
Kabul, Afghanistan — AFP Flipping his flailing judo sparring partner to the mat, Afghanistan’s judoka Mohammad Samim Faizad is the only Olympic athlete training for the Games in the country. Six Afghans — including three expatriate women– will compete at the Paris Olympics this month in cycling, athletics, swimming and ...
SRINAGAR, Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (AA) – Police in the Indian-occupied Kashmir have arrested several Muharram mourners for shouting pro-Palestine slogans and raising a Palestinian flag during a procession on Monday, a prominent Shia leader and member of the Indian parliament has said. Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, a member of parliament ...
Dhaka, Bangladesh – AFP Bangladesh ordered schools and universities around the country to close indefinitely on Tuesday after six students were killed in protests that prompted the mobilisation of paramilitaries to keep order. Every high school, university and Islamic seminary around the country was told to remain shut until further noti...
KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – At least eight soldiers and 10 suspected militants were killed in a clash, which included a suicide bombing, in northwestern Pakistan, the military said on Tuesday. A group of heavily-armed militants stormed the cantonment area in the Bannu district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the early hours o...
