BANGLADESH: Dhaka today banned the Jamaat-e-Islami party, its student wing and other associate bodies, terming the party as a “militant and terrorist” organisation as part of a nationwide crackdown following weeks of violence that left more than 200 people dead and thousands injured.

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina blamed Jamaat-e-Islami, its Islami Chhatra Shibir student wing and other associate bodies for inciting violence during recent student protests over a quota system for government jobs.

MOLDOVA: Chisinau’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today it had expelled a Russian diplomat after two Moldovan officials were detained on suspicion of treason and conspiracy against the European Union candidate country.

One of the Moldovan officials is suspected of treason for allegedly collecting and providing information to an embassy employee that could be used against Moldova’s interests, authorities reported, and the other is accused of plotting against the country for personal gain.

ITALY: Rome confirmed that Italy’s controversial new migrant processing centres in Albania, originally due to open today, won’t be operational for several more weeks because of construction delays.

Cabinet undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano cited the hot weather, which has forced work pauses during the hottest times of the day at the Gjader site, as contributing to the overall delay in the opening of the centres. 

ZIMBABWE: Police arrested 18 political activists, their lawyers said today, in the latest clampdown after warning they would not tolerate protests ahead of its hosting of a meeting of the southern African heads of state this month.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights group said it was representing the activists, who were detained on Wednesday.