DHAKA: The Italian government has failed to improve the quality of its drinking water, leaving people exposed to health risks from high levels of arsenic and fluoride.The European Commission said on Thursday, reports The Straits Times.It said Italy’s drinking water did not meet

DHAKA: Germany has expelled the US intelligence station chief in Berlin Thursday over alleged spying by Washington.The government said in a highly unusual move among close NATO allies, reports The Straits Times.‘The representative of the US intelligence services at the embassy of the

DHAKA: Britain said on Thursday it would rush through emergency legislation to force telecoms companies to retain the data of users for a year, saying the move was vital to protect national security following a decision by Europe’s top court.Communication companies had been required

DHAKA: The UN atomic agency said on Thursday that it believed nuclear material Iraq said had been seized by insurgents was ‘low grade’ and did not pose a significant security risk.Iraq told the United Nations in a July 8 letter seen by media that ‘terrorist groups’ had seized

DHAKA: Egypt opened its Rafah border crossing to Gaza on Thursday to receive wounded Palestinians as Israel pounded the enclave with air strikes. An official at the border said, reports The Straits Times. Hospitals in north Sinai, which borders Gaza and Israel, have been placed on

DHAKA: Up to 20 people have been killed in the deadliest night of Israeli air raids on Gaza since its current offensive began.Palestinian officials say, reports the BBC.The health ministry said most died in attacks on a house and a cafe in Khan Younis in the south, bringing the overall

DHAKA: Samsung Electronics Co. said on Thursday it was ‘urgently’ investigating allegations that one of its suppliers in China employed children and underage students.China Labor Watch (CLW) said the supplier, Shinyang Electronics, was believed to have hired at least five workers

DHAKA: More than 50 unidentified bodies were found in the predominantly Shiite town of Alexandria on Wednesday, Iraqi security officials said. The bodies of two children were among the dozens found in different parts of the town. Details about the circumstances of the deaths were not

DHAKA: The situation in Gaza "is on a knife-edge", UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said, urging Israel and Palestinian militants to end hostilities. Mr Ban warned that the region "cannot afford another full-blown war". His comments come after Israel said Hamas had fired dozens of

DHAKA: Six people, including four children, have been shot dead at a house near the US city of Houston, police say. One woman is in critical condition after being shot in the head, but she was able to identify the suspect and direct police to him. After a chase, his car was surrounded

DHAKA: Armed militants gunned down five security personnel in Balochistan's resource-rich Dukki area during pre-dawn hours on Thursday, reports Dawn.    A security official, who requested anonymity since he was not authorized to speak to media, said gunmen attacked with automatic

DHAKA: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to "further intensify attacks on Hamas" in the Gaza Strip, following talks with his defence chiefs. He said the Palestinian militants would "pay a heavy price" for their rocket attacks on Israel. Israel's military said Hamas had

DHAKA: Twenty members of the Islamic State (IS) were killed in Syrian air force raids on Wednesday against the jihadists’ bastion in Raqa.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, reports The Straits Times.The report comes after Syrian rebels killed at least 14 people overnight,

DHAKA: Fifteen women and children were among 22 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza Wednesday, hiking the overall death toll to 43 in two days. The emergency services said, reports The Straits Times. More than 370 people have been wounded. Among the dead was at least one

DHAKA: Palestine president Mahmoud Abbas contacted Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi earlier on Wednesday and briefed the Middle East leader on Israel’s ongoing operation in Gaza. ‘Sisi stressed Egypt was interested in the safety of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and

DHAKA: Dubai continues to climb the ranks in the world’s top 10 destinations and recently became the fifth most favourite hotspot for travelers, ahead of New York and other popular cities in Europe. A new MasterCard study revealed on Wednesday, reports gulfnews.com. Dubai is the only

DHAKA: US whistleblower Edward Snowden has officially asked to extend his stay in Russia after his visa expires. His lawyer has told the BBC. Anatoly Kucherena confirmed that paperwork has been submitted to Russia’s Federal Migration Service. The current document granting him

DHAKA: Iraqi prime minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Wednesday the Kurdish-controlled city of Arbil was becoming an operations base for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group that seized swathes of northern and western Iraq last month. Maliki is under pressure as Sunni

DHAKA: Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe visited the resources-rich Pilbara region of Western Australia on Wednesday, in a recognition of the key role its minerals have played in his country’s economic growth. Abe travelled with Australian prime minister Tony Abbott to Rio Tinto’s

DHAKA: Confrontation with the US would be a ‘disaster’, Chinese president Xi Jinping has said as he called for mutual respect between the two nations.Xi’s comments came at an annual China-US dialogue held in Beijing.Diplomats are expected to discuss China’s currency, North