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PTI

DHAKA/NEW DELHI, May 22: Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the government wants former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to return to the country through “legal procedures,” after she recently expressed hope of coming back “very soon” despite facing a death sentence in absentia.

Ahmed said there was no legal barrier to her return if she follows due process, adding that she would be required to surrender before the judiciary and face ongoing legal proceedings.

His remarks followed other officials who also indicated that no extra-judicial action would be taken if Hasina returns to Bangladesh.

Hasina has been living in India since August 2024 after her Awami League government was removed following a student-led uprising.

She was later tried by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal and sentenced to death in November 2025, a verdict strongly criticised by her supporters.

The interim administration previously banned the Awami League through an executive order, a move later supported by the current BNP-led government, which came to power in February.

Legal experts in Dhaka have noted that the deadline for challenging the tribunal’s verdict may have already expired, potentially limiting her legal options.

Despite this, Hasina has said she plans to return soon and continue leading the Awami League from exile.

WASHINGTON, May 22: House Republicans postponed a planned vote on a war powers resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s authority over the US war with Iran after failing to secure enough votes to block it. The Democratic-backed measure had gained momentum, forcing GOP leaders to delay the vote.

A related Senate resolution also advanced, exposing growing divisions within the Republican Party over Trump’s conduct of the conflict. Some Republicans have broken ranks, arguing the administration may have exceeded limits under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which requires congressional approval for extended military action.

The White House says the law no longer applies due to a ceasefire and ongoing negotiations. Tensions in Congress are rising as the Iran conflict disrupts global shipping and drives up US fuel prices, intensifying debate over constitutional limits on presidential authority to wage war. (AP)

(AP) TEL AVIV, May 22: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that talks with Iran had made “slight progress,” though he cautioned against overstatement and stressed that negotiations were still ongoing with no clear outcome yet.

His comments came amid growing uncertainty over whether a diplomatic agreement will be reached or if renewed conflict could follow.

The talks take place against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s shifting approach to Iran.

Trump recently said he was holding off on a military strike due to “serious negotiations,” but has repeatedly set and then withdrawn deadlines for Iran to reach a deal.

He has warned for weeks that the ceasefire reached in mid-April could collapse if Tehran fails to agree to US demands.

Rubio spoke ahead of a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Sweden, where allies are expected to discuss potential post-war roles in securing key maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite describing “a little bit of movement,” he acknowledged that no substantive breakthrough had been achieved.

The situation has been complicated by inconsistent signals from Washington. Trump has at times indicated openness to diplomacy, while also authorising or threatening military strikes.

Reports suggest he recently called off attacks at the request of regional allies, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, though tensions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reportedly increased as a result. Netanyahu is said to be frustrated with Trump’s engagement in negotiations.

Diplomatic efforts continue in parallel across the region. Pakistan has reportedly conducted high-level visits to Tehran in an attempt to reduce tensions, while also coordinating broader peace discussions involving China.

Despite these efforts, major disagreements remain unresolved. The status of the Strait of Hormuz remains a critical issue, with conflicting claims over maritime security and blockades affecting commercial shipping.

The US and Israel insist Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon, while Trump seeks limits on Iran’s nuclear programme, including restrictions on highly enriched uranium. Iran maintains that its nuclear activities are strictly for peaceful purposes.

Meanwhile, reports from unnamed officials suggest regional escalation during the conflict, including alleged strikes by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates against Iran-linked targets in Iraq and Iran.

These actions, if confirmed, underscore the broader regional dimension of the conflict and the fragility of ongoing ceasefire efforts.

Author: AP

GENEVA, May 22: The head of the World Health Organisation says the Ebola outbreak in Congo is “spreading rapidly” and now poses a “very high” risk at the national level. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said Friday the UN health agency was revising upward to “very high” its assessment of the risk within Congo, which had previously been deemed as high. The risk remains high for regional spread and low at global levels, he told reporters The WHO chief noted that 82 cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with seven confirmed deaths, “but we know the epidemic in DRC is much larger.” He said there are now almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. The situation in neighbouring Uganda is “stable” with two cases confirmed in people who had travelled from Congo, with one death. (AP)

(IANS)

KABUL, May 22: Six people were killed and 11 others injured after strong winds, thunderstorms and flooding hit Afghanistan’s Kandahar, Herat, Ghor and Takhar provinces overnight, according to local media and the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA). Officials said the severe weather destroyed roads, wells, farmland, trees and hundreds of solar panels. Around 20 homes were completely destroyed and 10 others partially damaged.

Residents reported widespread damage, including collapsed electricity poles and power outages, and called for urgent government assistance. ANDMA said storms, lightning and floods were responsible for the casualties.

Since late March, Afghanistan has seen repeated natural disasters, killing 250 people and affecting thousands of families, with ongoing humanitarian relief efforts in flood-hit regions.

ISLAMABAD, May 22: Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has travelled to Tehran for high-level discussions as regional diplomatic efforts intensify to end the ongoing US-Iran conflict, according to security sources.

His visit comes amid a broader push by Pakistan to mediate between Washington and Tehran and follows renewed talks involving Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Naqvi has been in Iran since Wednesday on an unannounced visit and has held multiple rounds of talks with senior Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Reports suggest the discussions have focused on proposals aimed at reducing tensions, improving dialogue between Iran and the US, and establishing a framework for long-term regional stability.

Field Marshal Munir is expected to meet key Iranian leaders during his visit to discuss the Iran-US negotiations, regional peace, and related strategic issues.

Iranian state media confirmed his arrival, while Pakistan’s Foreign Office neither confirmed nor denied reports of the high-level delegation, describing the matter as part of ongoing diplomatic engagements with neighbouring countries.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that Pakistani officials were actively involved in shuttle diplomacy, noting that progress had been made in talks but cautioning that “other options” remain available if negotiations fail. Pakistan, however, clarified that Rubio’s comments referred to Naqvi’s ongoing visit.

Pakistan’s role in mediation has included facilitating earlier communication between Iran and the United States. A previous ceasefire was reportedly brokered with Pakistani involvement, followed by inconclusive negotiations to convert it into a permanent agreement.

The ceasefire has since been extended, though deadlines and conditions remain fluid, with shifting positions from US President Donald Trump.

Diplomatic activity has intensified following renewed threats from Washington and warnings from Iran. Trump recently suggested military action could resume if a deal is not reached soon, while Iranian officials have warned that renewed conflict would have severe regional consequences. The Revolutionary Guards also issued warnings of a wider escalation if Iran is attacked again.

Despite ongoing efforts by Pakistan and other regional actors, significant gaps remain between the US and Iran over nuclear restrictions, security guarantees, and regional stability. Talks continue, but no final agreement has been reached, and tensions in the region remain high. (PTI)</

AP

KYIV, May 22: Hundreds of Ukrainians marched in Kyiv on Friday, calling on the government to veto Bill No. 13646, which deals with the legal status of missing persons. Families of missing soldiers say the proposed legislation could allow courts to declare their loved ones legally dead before their fate has been confirmed, intensifying fears among relatives already living with uncertainty. Protesters insisted the law should not equate missing soldiers with confirmed fatalities and urged the government to protect families’ rights and hopes for clarity.

The demonstration comes amid deep pub-lic concern over Ukraine’s missing persons crisis. More than 90,000 people are listed in the country’s official registry of those who disappeared under special circumstances, according to the commissioner for missing persons. The database includes both military personnel and civilians, with cases dating back to 2014, when Russia first annexed Crimea and conflict began in eastern Ukraine. The registry was formally established in 2023 to consolidate fragmented records, particularly following the full-scale invasion in February 2022, which sharply increased the number of missing.

Meanwhile, the war continues to intensify across multiple fronts. Russian-installed au-thorities in occupied Luhansk said a Ukrainian drone strike on a college dormitory killed four people and injured 39, while claiming that up to 18 more may be trapped under rubble.

Ukraine did not immediately comment. Rus-sia also reported intercepting more than 200 Ukrainian drones across several regions, in-cluding Moscow and St Petersburg, in what it described as widespread overnight attacks.

Ukraine, meanwhile, said it struck Rus-sian energy infrastructure, including a refinery in Yaroslavl—reportedly hit for the fourth time this month—as part of efforts to disrupt Moscow’s war logistics and fuel sup-ply chains. Russian attacks also continued, with Ukrainian officials reporting drone and missile strikes that injured civilians in Sumy and killed one person in Kherson. The United Nations has recorded a 21% increase in veri-fied Ukrainian civilian casualties in the first part of this year compared with the same period last year.

International support for Ukraine con-tinues, with the United States approving a $108 million arms package to strengthen air defence systems, even as overall military aid has been reduced under President Donald Trump. Ukrainian forces also claim recent battlefield gains in southern regions, attrib-uted to improved domestic drone capabilities and Russian operational constraints.

At the same time, Ukrainian leaders have warned of potential new Russian operations involving Belarus, citing intelligence shared at a NATO meeting. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is attempting to draw Belarus deeper into the conflict, raising re-gional security concerns.

(AP)

MANCHESTER, May 22: Pep Guardiola confirmed what Manchester City fans had been fearing. The club’s most successful manager is leaving, bringing to a close a trophy-laden, 10-year spell in which he established City as one of major forces in Europe and changed the face of English soccer.

Guardiola, who had a further year left on his City contract, will take charge of his final game against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.

“Don’t ask me the reasons I’m leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it’s my time,” Guardiola said. “Nothing is eternal, if it was, I would be here. Eternal will be the feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City.” City said Guardiola would take up a role as global ambassador.

Enzo Maresca – the for-mer Chelsea manager who was previously assistant to Guardiola at City – is the favorite to take on the daunt-ing task of filling Guardiola’s shoes after a decade of un-precedented dominance.

Since joining City in the summer of 2016, Guardiola led the Abu Dhabi-backed team to six Premier League titles and the Champions League for the first time in 2023.

He won 17 major trophies in all, including a domestic double this season of the English League Cup and the FA Cup. He has won 35 ma-jor titles across his coaching career including his time at Barcelona and Bayern Mu-nich. Guardiola’s departure marks the end of one of the most transformative eras not only in the history of Manchester City but also in modern English football it-self. During his decade-long reign, the Spaniard revolu-tionised the club’s identity with a fearless attacking phi-losophy, relentless pursuit of perfection and a style of football that set new bench-marks across Europe.

From turning City into serial Premier League cham-pions to finally delivering the elusive UEFA Champions League crown, Guardiola leaves behind a legacy built on consistency, innovation and sustained excellence rarely witnessed in the mod-ern game.

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