SOUTH ASIA

Dhaka, Feb 13 (IANS) With the lowest level of women’s participation in Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary elections, seven female candidates emerged victorious, local media reported on Friday, citing unofficial results.The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), set to form the government with an absolute majority, saw six of its female candidates secure their respective seats under the paddy sheaf symbol.The elected women candidates from several constituencies include Afroza Khan Rita from Manikganj-3, Israt Sultana Elen Bhutto from Jhalokati-2, Tahsina Rushdir Luna from Sylhet-2, Shama Obaid from Faridpur-2, Nayab Yusuf Kamal from Faridpur-3 and Farzana Sharmin Putul from Natore-1Additionally, Rumin Farhana won the Brahmanbaria-2 seat as an independent candidate, having earlier been expelled fr...

Kuala Lumpur, Feb 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday oversaw the signing of six major agreements between India and Malaysia, as both nations moved to further strengthen cultural, economic and strategic cooperation during bilateral engagements in Kuala Lumpur.The agreements were finalised following comprehensive discussions between the two leaders during PM Modi's two-day official visit to Malaysia. The visit marked a significant milestone in advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).During their talks, both leaders explored avenues to enhance collaboration across a broad spectrum of sectors, including trade, investment, semiconductors, defence, secu...

Kuala Lumpur, Feb 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India's stance on terrorism is firm -- "no double standards and no compromise" -- and also stressed that New Delhi will continue to expand cooperation with Malaysia in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and maritime security. Addressing a joint press meet with his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, in Kuala Lumpur, PM Modi said, "First of all, I thank my friend, Anwar Ibrahim, for this warm welcome. Last year, I was not able come to Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit, but I had promised my dear friend that I would soon visit Malaysia. For my first foreign visit of 2026, I have come to Malaysia."Highlighting the "special" India-Malaysia relations, he said, "We are maritime neighbours. For centuries, there have be...

Cairo, Feb 8 (IANS) Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that he expected a new round of talks with the United States to take place "soon," describing the meeting held a day earlier as a positive start while cautioning that rebuilding trust would take time.In an interview with Al Jazeera, aired on Saturday and later shared in Persian on his Telegram channel, Araghchi also made clear that Tehran would not relinquish its uranium enrichment program, which he called an "inalienable right." He added that his country was open to an agreement that reassures the international community while preserving its enrichment activities, Xinhua news agency reported.Araghchi also noted that Iran opposes transferring its uranium abroad and said the nuclear dispute could be resolved only through ...