US says Iran forces hit by desertions

IANS | March 31, 2026 10:44 PM

Washington, March 31 (IANS) The United States on Tuesday said that its ongoing military campaign against Iran is eroding the country’s armed forces, citing intelligence assessments of declining morale, desertions and shortages among key personnel.

Bangladesh's democratic contraction and rising risk of extremism

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury | March 31, 2026 9:23 PM

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s return to electoral politics has done little to settle the deeper questions surrounding its democratic future. The February 12 victory of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) may have produced a government, but it has not resolved the growing crisis of political exclusion, institutional imbalance, and the steady contraction of democratic space.

WTO must go for consensus-based decisions: Piyush Goyal

IANS | March 31, 2026 9:18 PM

New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said that consensus-based decision-making is the bedrock of the WTO’s legitimacy, as the discussions related to reforms in the global trading system, electronic commerce, TRIPS non-violation and the package for least developed countries (LDCs) will now continue in Geneva.

US presses Iran with strikes, open to deal

IANS | March 31, 2026 8:52 PM

Washington, March 31 (IANS) The United States on Tuesday said it is intensifying military strikes on Iran while pursuing active negotiations, as officials argued that battlefield pressure is forcing Tehran towards a deal.