US will accept no deviation from targeted polls time: Boucher
Visiting US Assistant Secretary Of State for South and Central Asia Richard A Boucher today said the US would not accept any deviation from the target of holding elections by the end of 2008. More

Dr Kamal for lifting emergency before polls
Stressing the need for lifting of the state of emergency, Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain today said his party would participate in the general elections as an alliance comprising like-minded political parties, professional and civil society bodies. More

Hasina’s release will be AL’s main agenda in dialogue: Zillur
The unconditional release of detained party chief Sheikh Hasina will be the main agenda of Awami League in the proposed formal dialogue between the caretaker government and political parties, said acting AL President Zillur Rahman. More

One stabbed to death in capital
A man was stabbed to death in the city’s Karwan Bazar area early today. More

Hezbollah overruns west Beirut
Hezbollah gunmen seized control of west Beirut on Friday after a third day of battles with pro-government foes in the Lebanese capital pushed the nation dangerously close to all-out civil war. More

Oil price vaults to record $126.20 a barrel
The price of New York crude oil soared above 126 dollars per barrel on Friday, lifted by speculative demand amid concerns about tight global energy supplies, analysts said. More

8 killed in Lanka blast
At least eight people were killed and many more wounded when a powerful bomb exploded late Friday in eastern Sri Lanka a day before local elections in the area, the defence ministry said. More

Nato soldier, dozen rebels killed in Afghanistan
A Nato soldier was killed in action in eastern Afghanistan on Friday, military forces said, while more than a dozen insurgents were killed in a battle involving air strikes in the south. More

WFP to resume aid flights to Myanmar
The World Food Programme said that two relief flights will be sent to Myanmar on Saturday, just hours after suspending flights due to "unacceptable restrictions" by the government. More

'Qaeda chief in Iraq arrested'
A man calling himself the head of al-Qaeda in Iraq has been arrested in the north of the country, state television reported on Thursday quoting an interior ministry spokesman. More

25 killed in Iraq as rockets shatter Basra calm
A rocket attack on a coalition military base in Basra killed two civilian contractors Friday, while a retaliatory strike and separate attacks elsewhere in Iraq killed 23 others, officials said. More

Myanmar says 'not ready' for foreign aid workers
Myanmar said Friday it was not ready to let in foreign aid workers, rejecting international pressure to allow experts into the isolated nation where disease and starvation are stalking cyclone survivors. More

Lankan army captures northern town, kills 15 rebels
Sri Lanka's military says that it has captured a small town in the country's north after fighting that killed 15 Tamil Tiger rebels and two soldiers. More

US warns China of 'technological isolation'
The United States warned China Thursday that it risked "technological isolation" for developing unique technical standards of its own that also are shutting out foreign competition. More

Acting Mexican police chief assassinated
Mexico's acting federal police chief was shot dead early Thursday outside his home — a brazen attack as drug traffickers increasingly lash back at a nationwide crackdown on organised crime. More