More than Middle East, I, in my private talks with informed journalist friends have been expressing concern about what's happening in Bangladesh a place which has turned into a laboratory by the varying ideologies. One hand the Hasina led establishment executing Islamists for decades old war crimes, the religious bigots on the other, are targeting secularists and sectarian opponents mercilessly. Why cant we have a moderate way instead of this extreme or that extreme, I always wonder!

The execution of Muti ur Rahman Nizami, I observe, has generated some interest about the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war involving Pakistan and India. Without touching the issue of whether or not Nizami was guilty, I, as a keen observer of the subject can for sure claim that the West Pakistanis at all levels committed atrocities on Bengalis for 24 years in the United Pakistan leading to disintegration of the country. Hamood ur Rahman Commission formed after the war also pointed out at this undeniable fact.

Key Republican leadership in Congress endorses Trump

In a sign that the party is gradually rallying behind him, as many as nine chairmen of key Congressional committees in the US House of Representatives have endorsed presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. "We stand on the precipice of one of the most important elections of our lifetime. This great nation cannot endure eight more years of Democrat-control of the White House," chairmen of nine Committees said in a joint statement. "It cannot afford to put Democrats in charge of Congress. It is paramount that we coalesce around the Republican nominee, Donald J Trump, and maintain control of both the US House of Representatives and the US Senate," they said. The nine Chairmen are Steve Chabot (Small Business), Michael Conaway (Agriculture), Jeb Hensarling (Financial Services), Candice Miller (House Administration), Jeff Miller (Veterans Affairs), Tom Price (Budget), Pete Sessions (Rules), Bill Shuster (Transportation and Infrastructure), and Lamar Smith (Science, Space and Technology). "Any other outcome is a danger to economic growth, puts our national security in peril, enshrines ObamaCare as the law of the land, entraps Americans in a cycle of poverty and dependence, and undermines our constitutional republic," they said. "There is a path to winning in November, and it comes through unity. To solidify this partnership, we endorse Trump as the Republican nominee for President and call upon all Americans to support him," the joint statement said. In a statement, Trump said a strong House Republican Majority is imperative to fixing the problems facing America and making the country better and stronger than ever before. In all there are 20 House committees. Meanwhile, Trump said he has no intention of getting back the USD 50 million that he has loaned to his campaign. "I have absolutely no intention of paying myself back for the nearly USD 50 million I have loaned to the campaign. This money is a contribution made in order to 'Make America Great Again'," he told MSNBC. The New York Times pressed Trump to release his tax returns after the real estate mogul told a news channel that "it is none of your business" when asked about it. "Beginning in 1952, candidates have been releasing their returns to assure voters that they have no conflicts of interests, that they are generous to those in need, and that they take their duties as citizens seriously by meeting their tax obligations to the government," the daily said. "Donald Trump, the de facto Republican presidential nominee, so far has refused to follow suit," it said. "Trump also insists there s nothing to learn from his taxes. If that's the case, why doesn t he trust the voters to come to that conclusion themselves?" the daily asked.

China has deployed more troops near Indian border: Pentagon

China has increased defence capabilities and deployed more troops along the Indian border, the Pentagon has said, as it warned of increasing Chinese military presence including bases in various parts of the world, particularly Pakistan. "We have noticed an increase in capability and force posture by the Chinese military in areas close to the border with India," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for East Asia Abraham M Denmark told reporters during a news conference here after Pentagon submitted its annual 2016 report to the US Congress on 'Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China'. However, Denmark said it is difficult to conclude on the real intention behind this. "It is difficult to say how much of this is driven by internal considerations to maintain internal stability, and how much of it is an external consideration," he said in response to a question on China upgrading its military command in Tibet. Referring to US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter's recent trip to India, Denmark said he had a very positive and productive visit. "We're going to continue to enhance our bilateral engagement with India, not in the China context, but because India is an increasingly important player by themselves. And we are going to engage India because of its value," he said. The Defence Department also warned of China's increasing military presence including bases in various parts of the world, in particular Pakistan - with which it has a "longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests". China's expanding international economic interests are increasing demands for the PLA Navy (PLAN) to operate in more distant seas to protect Chinese citizens, investments, and critical sea lines of communication, it said. "China most likely will seek to establish additional naval logistics hubs in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan, and a precedent for hosting foreign militaries," the report said. The Pentagon in its report expressed its concerns about Chinese military buildup near the Indian border. "Tensions remain along disputed portions of the Sino- Indian border, where both sides patrol with armed forces. "After a five-day military standoff in September 2015 at Burtse in Northern Ladakh, China and India held a senior-level flag-officer meeting, agreed to maintain peace, and retreated to positions mutually acceptable to both sides," it said. The Pentagon said tensions remain with India along their shared 4,057-km border over Arunachal Pradesh (which China asserts is part of Tibet and, therefore, of China), and over the Askai Chin region at the western end of the Tibetan Plateau, despite increases in China-India political and economic relations. .

Elderly Buddhist monk hacked to death in B'desh

A 70-year-old Buddhist monk was hacked to death by unidentified miscreants inside a monastery in southeast Bangladesh, a week after a Muslim Sufi preacher was murdered in a similar attack. Mawng Shoi Wuu, chief of the monastery located in the Chittagong Hill Tracts district of Bandarban's Naikhyongchari Upazila, was found dead in this morning by a worker, police said. Assailants slit his throat sometime last night, they said. The latest assault bears the hallmark of previous murders of intellectuals, bloggers and minorities by Islamists in the country. Last week, a 65-year-old Muslim Sufi preacher was hacked to death by unidentified machete-wielding assailants in northwest Bangladesh's Rajshahi city. No group has claimed responsibility for the murder of the monk so far. There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent weeks especially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners. In the recent attacks, a liberal professor was brutally hacked to death last month by machete-wielding ISIS militants who slit his throat near his home in Rajshahi city. Two days later, Bangladesh's first gay magazine editor was brutally murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka by Islamists. On April 30, a Hindu tailor was also hacked to death by machete-wielding ISIS militants in his shop in central Bangladesh.

Sania Mirza- Martina Hingis enter semifinals of Italian Open

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis have entered the semifinals of the Women's Doubles event at the Italian Open Tennis. She defeated Raquel Atawo and Abigail Spears 6-4, 6-2 in Rome. The Indo-Swiss pair will take on Irina-Camelia Begu and Monica Niculescu of Romania in the semifinals this evening.

About forty persons taken into custody for drunken driving in Hyderabad last night