Asia

    The son of assassinated al Qaeda ringleader Osama bin Laden released a video message Saturday entitled, We are all Osama. In the 21-minute speech, Hamza bin Laden promises revenge on the United States for all those who defended Islam, though he also mentions his father's death. We will continue striking you and targeting you in your country and abroad, he said, in response to your oppression of the people of Palestine, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and the rest of the Muslim lands that did not survive your oppression. Osama bin Laden in 1998 Hamza is in his mid-20s and is considered a new face for an aging terrorist organization overshadowed by the Islamic State. His whereabouts are unknown, but documents recovered from his father's compound suggest Osama bin La...

    Screen shot of letter from India’s Information and Broadcasting ministry (I&B) to cable operators on "transmission of un-authorized TV channels by cable operators - action by authorised officers of the state governments." India’s Information and Broadcasting ministry (I&B) yesterday directed cable operators to black out “un-authorised” television channels including controversial Peace TV of Dr Zakir Naik, reports The Hindustan Times. The I&B ministry held a meeting Friday — attended by representatives from the home ministry, intelligence agencies and National Investigation Agency (NIA) — to discuss all unlicensed channels broadcast in the country. Transmission of un-authorized TV channels by Cable Operators - Action by Authorised Officers of the State Governmen...

    Amidst allegations that Islamist preacher Zakir Naik was involved in making hate speeches, Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said CDs of his speeches are being examined for necessary action and asserted that the government will not compromise on the issue of terrorism. "We have taken cognisance of Zakir Naik's speeches and have given necessary instructions for a probe. A thorough investigation will be done. "CDs of his speeches are being examined," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. The home minister said necessary action will be taken in this regard. "As far as government is concerned, we will not compromise on terrorism at any cost. Whatever is justified will be done," he said. Naik, founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, is...

    Super Typhoon Nepartak hit Taiwan with powerful winds and torrential rain early on Friday. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes as the island cancelled hundreds of flights and shut offices and schools for the day. With gusts of up to 234 kph (145 mph) the typhoon landed at Taimali township in eastern Taitung county shortly before 6:00 am Friday morning (2200 GMT on Thursday). Almost 9,000 people have been moved from homes that were deemed prone to landslides or flooding with some 1,800 people in shelters. About 97,000 households lost power due to the storm, with more than 70,000 without electricity as of Friday morning. The government said financial markets, schools and offices would all be closed Friday and the bullet train service suspended. Mos...

    A gun-toting adult is surrounded by children, and a teen standing away from the group is seen cradling an AK-47 assault rifle. The man is wagging his right index finger back and forth, and talks in a mix of Bahasa Malaysia and what sounded like Arabic. He expresses gratitude to Allah for “easing our journey and jihad” and for appointing them as “soldiers of Tawhid (The Oneness of God)”. He called out to the authorities of the nusantara (archipelago) – especially in Malaysia and Indonesia. “Know this ... we are no longer your citizens, and have liberated ourselves from you,” he said as the camera panned to show a goateed man nearby holding another Malaysian passport. “With His permission and His assistance, we will come to you with a military force that you cannot overcome....

    Kim Jong-Un took power in North Korea following the 2011 death of his father North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has piled on around 40 kilograms (90 pounds) since he took power four years ago, bingeing on food and drink, South Korea's spy agency said Friday. The young leader is also suffering from insomnia and is paranoid about his personal safety, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported to a parliamentary committee behind closed doors. When he took over after the 2011 death of his father, Kim's weight was believed to be 90 kilograms. He bulked up to 120 kilos in 2014 and then 130 kilos this year, a ruling Saenuri Party lawmaker Lee Cheol-Woo told journalists after the NIS briefing for lawmakers. "(According to NIS), he is suffering from insomnia," Lee added. "He kee...

    Arya, from the village of Cipurwasari in the Arawang Regency, weighs 192kg – approximately 30 stone. His ballooning weight has left him unable to walk, forcing him to stop attending school. He has taken to wearing a sarong after his parents were no longer able to find clothes that fit him. According to local reports, people have been travelling from nearby villages to view the boy dubbed “the world’s fattest child”. During Ramadan, Rokayah said, Arya has been fasting for the first half of each day like many children his age. His attempts to fast until sunset were abandoned early in the holy month when he started experiencing stomach pains.

    North Korea has created a new, supreme governing commission with leader Kim Jong-Un as its chairman, underlining the 33-year-old's absolute control over every aspect of state policy in the isolated, nuclear-armed nation. The country's legislative body, the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), unanimously voted Kim as head of the State Affairs Commission on Wednesday, the North's official KCNA news agency said. The new agency replaces the National Defence Commission as the country's highest branch of government and supreme policymaking organisation. Nominating Kim for the post, SPA president Kim Yong-Nam said it was the "unshakable faith and unswerving will of all service personnel and people of the country to uphold Kim Jong-Un ... at the top post of the DPRK". DPRK is the off...

    The name of their country is Bangladesh and its capital Dhaka- this is what a primary school student in India replied when they were asked this very simple question. The student in question is from Kashiara-Raipur high school in Burdwan, a district in West Bengal, according to a report published in Anandabazar Patrika. The shocking answers came when a team visited schools in the district to inspect the standard of education especially general knowledge among the students, reports the Anandabazar Patrika. The team first visited Kuchut primary school in Memari, where students of class-4 were asked to write “I live in West Bengal.” While some managed to write until “I live in,” most failed to write West Bengal-the very district they live in! In another nearby school, a studen...

    North Korea has test-fired two mid-range ballistic missiles from its eastern coast, says South Korea. The first launch was considered to have failed, travelling about 150km (90 miles) before landing in the sea. The second, launched hours later, flew about 400km. Military officials in the South said both were intermediate-range Musudan missiles. A confirmed successful test would mark a step forward for North Korea after four failed launches in recent months. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Seoul and the US were "carrying out an in-depth analysis" of the second launch, and did not say whether it was considered a success. North Korea, which is developing nuclear weapons, is banned by UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology. South Korea's president...