World

SEOUL: South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung said on Thursday that his administration will work to improve relations with North Korea based on cooperation with the United States, but acknowledged that dialogue with Pyongyang looks difficult for now.

JAKARTA: Four people have been confirmed dead, 38 are missing, and 23 others survived after a passenger ship sank in the Bali Strait of Indonesia early on Thursday, a senior official from the East Java Search and Rescue Office, Tholeb Vatelehan, said on Thursday.

DHAKA: Another Awami League leader has been arrested by the police in Bangladesh on murder charges linked to the July 2024 protests.

DHAKA: A group of 88 expatriate journalists, writers, researchers, cultural and rights activists has raised grave concern over the "continued torture of journalists and suppression of free speech" in Bangladesh under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.

NEW DELHI: As the US reciprocal tariffs deadline looms, hectic parleys are currently underway in Washington, DC, between officials of India and the US on finalising the proposed interim trade deal in the next couple of days.

MOSCOW: The Kremlin expects the dates for a third round of Russia-Ukraine talks to be finalised "in the near future," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

WASHINGTON: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar has dismissed the notion that Pakistan impinges on the relations between the US and India, which are based on their complementarity and not on third countries.

ACCRA: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, arrived in Ghana on a two-day state visit during which he will hold talks with the West African country's top leadership and review the strong bilateral partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement reaffirmed that both the countries enjoy warm and special historical ties.

DHAKA: Workers from the National Citizen Party (NCP) are planning to hold a major protest at Banga Bhaban - the official residence of Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin in Dhaka - on Thursday, demanding his resignation.

DHAKA: The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh on Wednesday sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to a six-month prison sentence on charges of contempt of court.

TEL AVIV: The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said that it identified and prevented two attempts of smuggling weapons across the border with Egypt.

DHAKA: At least 10 people, including four police personnel, were injured in a violent clash between police and members of the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) outside the Patiya Police Station in Chittagong's Patiya sub-district, according to local media reports.

HOUSTON: The Trump administration has halted part of military aid to Ukraine following a review of US own stockpiles, the White House and Pentagon confirmed.

SEOUL: South Korean former President Yoon Suk Yeol will appear for a special counsel team's second round of questioning over his martial law bid this weekend, his lawyers said Wednesday.

CALIFORNIA: A fireworks facility in the Yolo County town of Esparto, California, has exploded and caught fire, prompting widespread panic, road closures, and emergency response operations.

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Iran's nuclear program and the Ukraine situation in their first phone conversation since 2022.

WASHINGTON: The GOP-led Senate passed US President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, a major stride toward Trump's goal of getting the legislation to his desk and signed by this week's end.

WASHINGTON: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the Quad ministerial meeting on Tuesday was very productive and will strengthen stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

BAMAKO: The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) welcomed Mali's recent adoption of an innovative law aimed at protecting the rights of stateless persons and improving their situation, according to a statement released.

DHAKA: Sajeeb Wazed, son of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on Tuesday, highlighted that 10 months after last year's violent July protests in the South Asian country, many people have begun to realise the gravity of their mistake "after being misled" into participating in the movement.

NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump has issued a deportation warning for Tesla and Space CEO Elon Musk who also served as his former advisor, saying the tech billionaire may need to "close up shop" and move back to South Africa in absence of electric vehicle (EV) subsidies.

WASHINGTON: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar reiterated India's firm stance against terrorism and nuclear intimidation, asserting that New Delhi will not be deterred by concerns over Pakistan's nuclear arsenal in responding to cross-border terror attacks.

ISLAMABAD: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) highlighted a significant decline in democratic standards in the country, fueled by increasing concerns over the “legitimacy of the general elections and the weakening of the parliamentary system”.

WASHINGTON: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar has said that challenges are an inevitable part of complex bilateral relationships, but the key lies in ensuring that the overall direction remains positive.

UNITED NATIONS: Just as Pakistan assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council on Tuesday through the routine alphabetical rotation, India has exposed Islamabad’s complicity in cross-border terrorism, highlighting the recent Pahalgam massacre carried out by Pak-backed terrorists.

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump signed an executive order terminating Syria sanctions, according to the White House website.

DHAKA: The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh on Monday issued arrest warrants for 26 people, including Begum Rokeya University's former Vice Chancellor Hasibur Rashid, in connection with a murder case during last year's July protests in the country.

JAKARTA: The Indonesian government has evacuated its 97 citizens from Iran and 26 from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and the Arabah area, following tensions in those regions, Foreign Minister Sugiono said on Monday.

LAHORE: Monsoon rains in the Punjab province of Pakistan, have claimed 18 lives, including 11 children, while 57 persons have also been injured in rain-related incidents in the last 24 hours, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Monday.

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has met with Russia's Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova in Pyongyang and discussed ways to further deepen cooperation in culture and the arts, the North's state media reported on Monday.

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday announced that Ukraine is aligning with the European Union's sanctions package targeting the Iranian administration, describing them as "the most brutal regimes in the world."

SUVA: Serious concerns continue to mount over the impact of HIV in Fiji, as eight children were among the 126 people who died from HIV-related illnesses last year.

SEOUL: US President Donald Trump's administration's sweeping tariff policies are expected to have a grave impact on the South Korean economy, undermining exports and business stability of Korean companies, trade experts said Monday, calling for the Seoul government's proactive negotiations with Washington.

TEHRAN: Iran's one of the most senior Shia clerics, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, has declared US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "enemies of God" in a newly issued 'fatwa' (religious decree) against them.

KATHMANDU: A mild earthquake of magnitude 3.9 struck Nepal on Monday morning, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS).