Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has raised concern over the lack of clear directives from the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government regarding the parliamentary election date. The party also claimed that the government was deliberately delaying the elections.

BNP alleged that the interim government's failure to provide a roadmap for the upcoming national elections has also created doubt among the public, as local media reported on Thursday.

While the interim government has announced that the election may be held between December 2025 and June 2026, BNP wants the election to be held by December 2025.

Meanwhile, demanding a swift announcement of the election roadmap, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will lead a delegation to meet with Chief Advisor Yunus on April 16, reports.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro called on Latin America and the Caribbean to act as a "guiding light" for multilateralism in a world increasingly troubled by division and unilateralism.

Petro on Wednesday appealed at the 9th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) held in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras.

"We must decide whether we help each other or retreat into loneliness," Petro said. "We can either face the world alone, as in One Hundred Years of Solitude, or we can act as a united humanity and support one another."

South Korea's former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung declared his presidential bid for the June election on Thursday, vowing to become "the best tool" to serve the people.

Lee considered the front-runner in the June 3 presidential election triggered by the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, announced his bid a day after he stepped down from the party chairmanship, reports news agency.

"I do not just want a country that only carries the name 'Republic of Korea,' but I want to help build a real Republic of Korea," Lee said in a 10-minute video message. "Such a Korea is created by its people and I hope to become a great tool -- the best tool -- of our great people."

A faulty radio system was one of a host of factors that contributed to a fatal mid-air collision between two helicopters in northern Australia in 2023, an official investigation showed on Wednesday.

Four people were killed and nine more injured when two scenic flight helicopters collided in mid-air on Australia's Gold Coast in the state of Queensland on January 2, 2023.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) on Wednesday released its final 200-page report on the incident following a two-year investigation, highlighting a series of safety issues that contributed to the crash.

The incident occurred when one helicopter piloted by Ash Jenkinson was taking off while the other piloted by Michael James was coming in to land. Both helicopters were Eurocopter EC130s operated by the Gold Coast's Sea World theme park.

The death toll from overnight US airstrikes on Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah has risen to eight, including a pregnant woman, with 16 others injured, local health authorities said in a statement early on Wednesday.

The majority of the victims were women and children, according to the statement.

The tragedy occurred when US military warplanes struck homes in the Amin Muqbil residential neighborhood late Tuesday night, according to health authorities and local residents, who also shared video footage on social media following the airstrikes.

Former South Korean Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung will announce his presidential bid via a video message on Wednesday, an aide said.

Kwon Hyuk-ki, a former chief political planner for Lee, told reporters on Wednesday that the 10-minute video will be unveiled at 10 a.m. on Thursday, and will contain his resolve and determination going into the presidential race.

The former DP leader will then hold a press conference at the National Assembly on Friday to present his vision for the nation and announce the members of his election campaign, Kwon said.

Lee stepped down from the party chairmanship earlier in the day to run for president in the June 3 election, triggered by the ouster of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

He is considered the front-runner in the upcoming election.

South Korea's military said on Tuesday that it fired warning shots at a group of North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the military demarcation line (MDL) inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas.

As many as 10 armed North Korean soldiers returned to the North after the South Korean military broadcast warnings and fired warning shots in an eastern front-line area at around 5 p.m., according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The JCS said South Korea's military is "closely monitoring the movement of the North Korean military and taking necessary measures in accordance with the operational procedures."

The JCS said it suspects the North Korean soldiers' border crossing occurred accidentally while they were conducting a regular patrol.

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said here on Tuesday that the government would implement the best possible measures to mitigate the impact of US tariffs partly by closely monitoring the responses of other major countries.

Choi made the remarks during a meeting with experts aimed at gathering their opinions on the US administration's trade policy, including the country-specific reciprocal tariffs, such as a 25 per cent duty on South Korean goods, set to take effect from Wednesday (US time).

"Since a response to the U.S. tariffs will not be a one-off process and will take time, (the government) will develop an optimal strategy by observing the actions of other countries," Choi was quoted by the finance ministry as saying.

He also emphasised the government's commitment to accelerating support for businesses to help them navigate the challenging period, saying that measures for urgent sectors would be prioritised.

The US military conducted 22 airstrikes targeting several Houthi sites across northern Yemen on Tuesday, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV and residents reported.

The strikes hit areas east and south of the capital Sanaa, the Island of Kamaran in the Red Sea, and areas both north and south of the oil-rich Marib province. No casualties have been reported so far.

Residents described the airstrikes as very powerful and violent.

The latest wave of airstrikes came a day after US airstrikes killed four children and wounded 25 others in Sanaa on Sunday night.

On March 15, the United States resumed airstrikes against the Houthis to deter the group from attacking Israeli ships following the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, news agency reported.

As Pakistan intensifies mass deportation of Afghan refugees, the businesses owned by Afghans in the commercial centres of Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas have started to shut down.

As the deadline of March 31 arrived, thousands of Afghan refugees were deported back to Afghanistan, according to local media reports.

The repatriation affected a large number of Afghans who have lived in Pakistan for decades, including many born in Pakistan and have never lived in Afghanistan.

Afghan shopkeepers in Rawalpindi have started selling their goods, locking up their stores, and disappearing, according to the country’s leading daily, The Express Tribune.