Army to return to barracks after new govt takes office: Army chief

Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman today (15 February) said the Army will return to barracks once the newly elected government assumes office. He, however, added that a portion of the Army will remain deployed in the field to assist in maintaining law and order until the police regain full control of the situation. The […]

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Trump administration reaches a trade deal to lower Taiwan’s tariff barriers

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration reached a trade deal with Taiwan on Thursday, with Taiwan agreeing to remove or reduce 99 percent of its tariff barriers, the office of the US Trade Representative said. The agreement comes as the US remains reliant on Taiwan for its production of computer chips, the exporting of which contributed to […]

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Bangladesh’s BNP set to balance ties with regional powers, US to avoid crossing ‘red line’

By Biman Mukherji The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is poised to recalibrate Dhaka’s ties with India, Pakistan and China, while also addressing US concerns over Beijing’s growing influence in South Asia, following its decisive victory in Thursday’s general election. Analysts said this foreign policy agenda aligned with the party’s focus on economic development, even as […]

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Why Takaichi’s Japan election victory has sparked North Korea’s ‘childish’ fury

By Julian Ryall North Korea’s claim that Japan has crossed a diplomatic “red line” by deepening its security partnerships is less about Tokyo’s defence policies than Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s decisive election victory, analysts say, as a weaker mandate may have pushed her towards negotiations with Pyongyang. With a commanding majority secured in Sunday’s poll, […]

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Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan Seal Intergovernmental Deal

Kyrgyz Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev has said that the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will significantly enhance Kyrgyzstan’s transit potential and create new economic opportunities for Tajikistan. He made the remarks during the first meeting of the Kyrgyz-Tajik Intergovernmental Council in Bishkek, which was also attended by Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda, The Caspian Post […]

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150,000 Afghans have returned from Pakistan, Iran this year: UN

GENEVA: Nearly 150,000 Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran this year, with the speed and scale of migration pushing Afghanistan deeper into crisis, the UN refugee agency said Friday. “So far this year, nearly 150,000 Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan. These arrivals come on top of already unprecedented returns — 2.9 million […]

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Modi speaks with Tarique over phone, reaffirms India’s support

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman today (13 February) and extended support in his endeavour to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. “Delighted to speak with Mr Tarique Rahman. I congratulated him on the remarkable victory in the Bangladesh elections,” Modi said. He conveyed his best wishes and […]

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Why Indonesia’s Muslim groups are revisiting Palestinian issue, ‘Board of Peace’

By Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s largest Islamic organisations appear to be recalibrating their stance on Palestine by softening earlier criticisms of President Prabowo Subianto’s decision to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, in what analysts describe as a shift from prioritising Palestinian independence to broader security issues. The adjustment, which followed a closed-door […]

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What is China’s Central Military Commission and how does it operate amid anti-graft drive?

By Liu Zhen The Central Military Commission, the top decision-making body overseeing the People’s Liberation Army, is set for a leadership reshuffle after the downfall of most of its members. President Xi Jinping is now in his third term as chairman of the commission. But now five of the other six members of the commission […]

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Bangladesh nationalists celebrate landslide win, Islamists cry foul

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party celebrated a landslide victory on Friday in the first elections held since a deadly 2024 uprising, with leader Tarique Rahman to become prime minister. Election Commission figures said the BNP alliance had won 212 seats, compared with 77 for the Islamist-led Jamaat-e-Islami alliance — which said earlier it had “serious questions […]

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