DHAKA: Italy’s 89-year-old president Giorgio Napolitano stepped down on Wednesday after almost nine years in office, a statement said, forcing prime minister Matteo Renzi into a politically delicate balancing act to appoint a successor.Napolitano had always been expected to step down

DHAKA: The UN refugee agency has urged the international community to help alleviate the ‘desperate living conditions’ of 620,000 Syrian refugees living in camps in Jordan.One in six of them live in extreme poverty, a UN study says, according to the BBC.It warned that unless the

DHAKA: Al-Qaeda in Yemen has claimed responsibility for the attack on ‘Charlie Hebdo’ in a video posted online, saying it was ‘vengeance’ for the French weekly’s cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.‘We, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, claim responsibility for this operation

DHAKA: French satirical newspaper ‘Charlie Hebdo’ drew ire with the cover of its latest issue, re-enflaming a debate that pits free speech against religious sensitivities that has embroiled Europe since 12 people were killed during an attack on its Paris office one week ago.The new

DHAKA: Japan’s cabinet has approved a record 4.98 trillion yen ($42bn) budget for defence spending, amid a long-running maritime dispute with China.The new budget represents a 2.8% rise from the previous fiscal year. It marks the third year of increased spending after a decade of

DHAKA: More than 100 decaying dead bodies surfaced in the river Ganga near Pariyar between Kanpur and Unnao on Tuesday. The administration, which indicted these were reportedly bodies that are immersed in the river in the hope of salvation, was caught by surprise by the high number.

DHAKA: Huge crowds turned out in the Sri Lankan capital as Pope Francis celebrated a Mass at which he canonised the nation’s first saint.The Pope canonised 17th Century missionary Joseph Vaz at the sea-front service in Colombo, reports the BBC.It is the first papal visit since the end

DHAKA: The US military and its partner nations have conducted four more air strikes against militant group, Islamic State (IS), in Syria and seven air strikes in Iraq. The task force leading the operation said on Tuesday, reports The Straits Times. The strikes, which took place

DHAKA: Malaysia’s highest court on Tuesday upheld death sentences for two police officers convicted of murder in a sensational scandal linked to allegations of high-level corruption that shook the long-ruling regime.Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar had been convicted of the 2006

DHAKA: A French police commissioner has allegedly killed himself with his police-issued gun hours after he was ordered to investigate the ‘Charlie Hebdo’ magazine massacre.Local media reported, says The Straits Times.Helric Fredou, 45, who was said to be suffering from depression,

DHAKA: German chancellor Angela Merkel is set to join a Muslim community rally on Tuesday to promote tolerance, condemn the militant attacks in Paris and send a rebuke to Germany’s growing anti-Islamic movement.President Joachim Gauck will address the vigil starting at 5:00pm GMT at

DHAKA: Pope Francis urged ‘respect for human rights’ in Sri Lanka and called for the ‘pursuit of truth’ after a long civil war as he arrived on Tuesday on the island for the first papal visit in two decades.‘The great work of rebuilding must embrace improving infrastructures and

DHAKA: Afghan president Ashraf Ghani has unveiled his unity cabinet more than three months after he was sworn in.The names of 25 ministers were read out at a ceremony in Kabul presided over by Ghani and government chief executive Abdullah Abdullah, reports the BBC.The announcement

DHAKA: France is mobilising 10,000 troops to boost security after last week’s deadly attacks, and will send thousands of police to protect Jewish schools.French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said troops would be in place from Tuesday in the most sensitive areas.The comments came

DHAKA: China will not follow the path of ‘Western colonists’ in Africa, its foreign minister said during a five-nation tour of the continent, parrying criticism that his country’s hunger for resources has led to one-sided policies and damaging projects.China is Africa’s biggest

DHAKA: South Korea’s president Park Geun-hye has said she is prepared to hold talks with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un without setting pre-conditions.In a nationally televised press conference, she said she would ‘meet with anyone if necessary to open the path of a peaceful

DHAKA: Indonesian divers have retrieved the flight data recorder of crashed AirAsia Flight QZ8501.The officials said this which reports the BBC on Monday.The head of Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, Bambang Soelistyo, said teams were still looking for the second device, its

DHAKA: At least 56 people including a toddler in the north-west of Mozambique have died from apparent poisoning after consuming traditional beer known as ‘phombe’.The local authorities said this Sunday that reports NDTV on Monday.Carla Mosse, director of health for the province of

DHAKA: Opposition challenger Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has become the first female president of Croatia, winning by the narrowest of margins.She secured 50.5 percent of the vote with 99 percent of ballots counted, while incumbent Ivo Josipovic was close behind on 49.5 percent.Josipovic

DHAKA: Dozens of world leaders including Muslim and Jewish statesmen linked arms leading hundreds of thousands of French citizens in an unprecedented march under high security to pay tribute to victims of Islamist militant attacks. French president Francois Hollande and leaders from