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US Imposes 35% Tariff on Bangladeshi Goods, Threatening Export Economy

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The United States will impose a 35% tariff on all Bangladeshi goods starting August 1, 2025, a slight reduction from an initially announced 37%, but still significantly higher than tariffs on regional competitors like Vietnam, which secured a 20% rate and Sri Lanka, which is at 30%. This move follows a 90-day negotiation window that ended on July 9 without a breakthrough. The tariff applies broadly to all product categories, including the vital garment sector, which accounts for 81% of Bangladesh’s exports. The new duties also target goods rerouted through third countries to prevent circumvention. US President Donald Trump justified the tariffs by citing persistent trade imbalances and tariff barriers in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s garment industry faces a severe challenge, as the higher tariffs threaten to reduce competitiveness against countries like Vietnam, India, and China, which have lower or yet-to-be-finalized tariff rates. Experts warn the tariffs could cost Bangladesh’s appa...

Bangladesh Special Tribunal Indicts Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for Crimes Against Humanity

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Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has formally indicted ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity related to the violent crackdown on student protests during the July-August 2024 uprising that led to her removal from power. The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Mozumder, framed five charges against Hasina along with former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and ex-Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun. While Hasina and Khan are currently in exile in India, Mamun is in custody and has pleaded guilty, offering to become a state witness. The charges include orchestrating mass killings, murder, and torture of protesters. Prosecutors presented evidence including a leaked audio recording in which Hasina’s voice allegedly orders security forces to “use lethal weapons” against demonstrators. According to a UN report, up to 1,400 people were killed in the crackdown. The tribunal rejected defe...

Pakistan Bans 27 YouTube Channels Over ‘Anti-State’ Content

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An Islamabad court has ordered the blocking of 27 Pakistani YouTube channels accused of spreading “anti-state,” misleading, and provocative content. The decision follows a petition filed by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which found these channels responsible for sharing false information, defaming state institutions, and inciting public unrest. The banned channels include prominent journalists, political commentators, and opposition voices, such as Imran Riaz Khan, Moeed Pirzada, Matiullah Jan, Asad Toor, and channels linked to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. The court’s order cited violations of Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and emphasized the threat posed to public peace and national unity. YouTube has reportedly notified affected creators about the legal removal requests and warned that non-compliance would lead to channel suspension within Pakistan. The ban has sparked debate over press freedom and government censorship, wi...

Bilawal Bhutto Accuses India of Supporting Terrorism in Pakistan, Calls for Dialogue

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Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has publicly accused India of supporting terrorist activities within Pakistan, intensifying the long-standing tensions between the two neighbors. Speaking in interviews and political forums, Bilawal condemned the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir as a brutal act of terrorism but dismissed allegations of Pakistan’s state involvement. Acknowledging the presence of terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operating on Pakistani soil, Bilawal stressed that these groups emerged during the Afghan jihad era and were later designated terrorist organizations. He insisted that neither his party nor his late mother, Benazir Bhutto, ever supported such groups, and emphasized Pakistan’s own heavy toll from terrorism, with over 92,000 lives lost in recent years. Bilawal accused India of refusing Pakistan’s offer for an impartial international investigation into terror attacks and blamed New Delhi ...

Pakistan: Clashes Between Police and Militants in Bannu’s Meri Area Leave Several Dead

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Intense clashes erupted between police forces and militants in the Meri area of Bannu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan resulting in the deaths of multiple militants and injuries to security personnel. The confrontation began when militants launched attacks using drones and rocket launchers targeting police checkpoints and personnel. According to local police officials, the militants ambushed a police patrol on Pirdal Khel Road, opening fire on the vehicle. The police retaliated, killing two militants identified as Guldar Ali (alias Asim) and Owais (alias Haris), both wanted in connection with terrorism, targeted killings, and extortion cases. Weapons and explosives were recovered from the militants during the encounter. Earlier this week, the district also witnessed two quadcopter attacks in the Srah Bangla area and on Miryan Police Station, which killed one civilian woman and injured three others, including children. Authorities have blamed extremist groups, including factions o...

Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur Arrested in Islamabad

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Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was taken into custody by law enforcement agencies outside the Dera Ismail Khan bench of the Peshawar High Court on Thursday. Gandapur had sought protective bail but was arrested in connection with multiple cases, including charges related to illegal arms and liquor recovery and an audio leak case linked to protests following the ouster of the PTI government in 2022. The arrest followed the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants by anti-terrorism and district courts due to Gandapur's repeated failure to appear before the courts despite summons. Authorities moved to detain him after he voluntarily surrendered but was considered a proclaimed offender in some cases. PTI condemned the arrest, alleging it was a politically motivated move aimed at suppressing opposition ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. The party accused security forces of forcibly entering KP House in Islamabad and using exce...

Two Indian Air Force Pilots Killed as Jaguar Fighter Jet Crashes in Rajasthan’s Churu District

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On July 9, 2025, a twin-seater Jaguar fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Bhanoda village in Rajasthan’s Churu district during a routine training mission, killing both pilots onboard. The aircraft had taken off from Suratgarh airbase and went down around 1:25 pm in an agricultural field, causing no damage to civilian property but resulting in the tragic loss of life. The deceased pilots have been identified as Squadron Leader Lokendra Singh Sindhu (44), a native of Rohtak, Haryana, and Flight Lieutenant Rishi Raj Singh (23) from Pali, Rajasthan. Squadron Leader Sindhu was recently a father, while Flight Lieutenant Singh was the eldest son in his family. This crash marks the third incident involving a Jaguar aircraft in 2025. Earlier, in March, a Jaguar crashed near Ambala, Haryana, where the pilot ejected safely after a technical malfunction. In April, another Jaguar crashed near Jamnagar Airfield, Gujarat, resulting in the death of one pilot despite both ejecti...