Russian drones kill three in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, governor says
Late on Thursday evening, Russian drone strikes in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region resulted in the deaths of three people and left three other...
Bangladesh has launched three days of mass political rallies beginning Thursday, as rival parties take to the streets of Dhaka in a show of strength ahead of upcoming elections following last year’s popular uprising.
The rallies mark a new chapter in Bangladesh’s turbulent political landscape, with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, 84, now leading an interim government after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled into exile in August. At the time, protesters stormed her palace amid allegations of authoritarian rule.
Yunus has pledged to hold elections as early as December, or no later than mid-2026.
On Thursday, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seen as the frontrunner in the anticipated elections, held a May Day rally in the capital.
“We are confident this will be the most memorable grand rally in recent times,” said BNP media officer Shairul Kabir Khan.
Several other groups are also staging demonstrations. The Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami mobilized supporters, while the Jatiya Party, once aligned with Hasina’s Awami League, held its first outdoor political event since its offices were attacked in October.
Friday will see the National Citizens Party (NCP) rally in Dhaka. The NCP emerged from the youth-led protests that helped oust Hasina. Party leader Nahid Islam briefly joined Yunus’s interim government before forming the NCP.
“Political programs help us build public engagement,” said Ariful Islam Adib, a senior party official. “This rally isn’t about showing strength, but we expect 20,000 to 30,000 attendees.”
On Saturday, Hefazat-e-Islam—a coalition of Islamic seminaries—will hold what it calls a “grand rally” focused on religious and cultural grievances.
“Our rally is a reminder to the government of the sacrifices we’ve made,” said Hefazat leader Mamunul Haque.
“We don’t care if it’s Muhammad Yunus in charge or someone even more prominent, we’ll take to the streets.”
Among Hefazat’s key demands is scrapping recent recommendations by the government’s Women’s Rights Commission aimed at eliminating gender discrimination—an indication of renewed hardline religious activism after years of suppression.
Former prime minister Hasina remains in self-imposed exile in India, defying an arrest warrant issued by Dhaka on charges of crimes against humanity.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defence has warned that the terrorist group Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)’s inability to integrate into the Syrian army poses a serious threat to the country’s political and territorial integrity.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan on Thursday at a depth of 10 kilometres, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said.
The third Uzbekistan–Belarus Women Entrepreneurs’ Business Forum has opened in Vitebsk as part of an official visit by a delegation led by Chairperson of the Senate of Uzbekistan, Tanzila Narbayeva.
Türkiye's defence company Havelsan has signed a strategic partnership with UAE-based Calidus to develop a comprehensive training ecosystem for pilots of the B-250 light attack and trainer aircraft.
Top security officials of Iran and the UK have held a telephone conversation during which they agreed to continue exchanging views regarding Tehran’s civilian nuclear program, official sources say.
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