8 people killed in bus accident in Nepal
Kathmandu, June 12: Eight people died and 16 others sustained injuries after a passenger bus fell into a gorge in Nepal’s Kaverpalanchowk district on Friday. The bus was heading to Sungure in Roshi Rural Municipality from Banepa when it met with the accident at Selfie hillock near Buchchakot along the Banepa-Bardibas (BP) highway, about 60 km east of Kathmandu, police said. There were 24 people on the bus when it fell 200 metres down the hilly road. The reason for the accident is not known yet. The injured passengers are undergoing treatment at the Dhulikhel Hospital, according to police. (PTI)
Two killed in separate blasts near mosques in Khyber
PESHAWAR, June 12: At least two people were killed and several others injured in two separate explosions near mosques in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during Friday prayers. In Bajaur district’s Targao area, an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded near a seminary, killing a 60-year-old man and injuring two others. Police said an investigation was underway and security forces had cordoned off the area. In a separate incident in Lakki Marwat’s Khairo Khel Pakka area, a suspected suicide bomber detonated explosives near a mosque after a local resident stopped him and attempted to verify his identity. Both the resident and the suspected attacker were killed, while at least five others were injured. Officials said the resident’s intervention likely prevented a much larger tragedy among worshippers attending Friday prayers. (PTI)
Lord Ram statue construction stopped in Bangladesh
DHAKA, June 12: Authorities in Bangladesh have suspended construction of a proposed giant Lord Ram statue at the Sri Sri Radha Govinda and Kali Temple in Gaibandha district, according to local media reports. The decision was announced by temple advisor Shyamal Kumar Mahant and has sparked controversy, with critics alleging the move came under pressure from Islamist groups opposing the project. Exiled Bangladeshi author and activist Taslima Nasreen condemned the threats and hostility surrounding the temple, arguing that religious freedom should apply equally to minorities. Journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury also expressed concern, claiming protests by Islamist groups contributed to the suspension of the project. (IANS)
PTI protests ban on visits to jailed Imran Khan
ISLAMABAD, June 12: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday criticised the continued ban on meetings with jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, saying he has been denied access to family, party leaders and legal counsel for more than six months. The party called the restrictions arbitrary and a violation of fundamental rights. Meanwhile, Khan’s sister Aleema Khan expressed concern over his health, claiming he is being held in strict isolation and alleging he may have been poisoned. Khan, 73, has been imprisoned in Adiala Jail since August 2023 and faces multiple cases linked to his removal from power in 2022. (PTI)
