Bangladesh petrol bomb attack leaves seven dead (BBC) - Maleeha

At least seven people have been burned to death and 15 others injured, some seriously, in a petrol bomb attack on a bus in eastern Bangladesh.

Police said the bus had been full of sleeping passengers when it was attacked near the town of Chauddagram.

It is the latest in a spate of attacks on buses, lorries and cars since anti-government protests began last month.

Opposition leader Khaleda Zia called for the protests on the anniversary of last year's disputed election.

However, she has denied that her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Islamist allies are behind the firebombings.

Kazakhstan bans rallies, fearing Ukraine-style turmoil: U.N. report (Reuters) - Maleeha

ALMATY (Reuters) - Kazakhstan says it has clamped down on peaceful rallies out of fear of a repeat of the protests that brought chaos to Ukraine, a United Nations special rapporteur said in a critical report on the central Asian state.

Kazakhstan's strongman President Nursultan Nazarbayev has sought to play the role of peacemaker in the Ukraine conflict, that was triggered by popular protests that forced the then President Viktor Yanukovich to flee the country in 2014.

Concluding a fact-finding visit to Kazakhstan, the U.N. rapporteur Maina Kiai said there was a "very limited space for the expression of dissenting views" in the oil-rich nation.

"Various government officials that I met with mentioned the necessity of limiting peaceful assembly for fear of a revolution such as the recent ... events in Ukraine," he said in a statement released late on Tuesday.

"I do not accept this as a legitimate ground for restricting the right (to protest)," he added.

There was no immediate comment from Kazakh officials.

Ukraine's popular uprising, which installed a pro-Western government in Kiev, sent shockwaves across authoritarian post-Soviet Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, which has been ruled by Nazarbayev since the downfall of Communism.

Nazarbayev, a former steelworker who has warm ties with Russia, has overseen market reforms and attracted massive foreign investment. But he has also kept a tight lid on dissent.

The West and human rights bodies denounced the Kazakh government after police opened fire in December 2011 to quell a revolt by striking oil workers in the western town of Zhanaozen. At least 16 people were killed.

"Although authorities repeatedly make reference to the 'rule of law', the practice in Kazakhstan reflects strong adherence to 'rule by law,' perhaps a holdover from the past Soviet era," Kiai said.

He added that he was "deeply disappointed" when some of the people he met during his visit this month to Kazakhstan allegedly came under police surveillance.

(Reporting by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Crispian Balmer)

Iran denies US claim that nuclear talks include missiles (Al-Monitor) - Maleeha

Iran launched its fourth satellite into space yesterday, Feb. 2. The Fajr (Dawn) satellite — which was built domestically and launched using an Iranian Safir-e Fajr satellite carrier — is to be used for observational purposes, according to Iranian officials.

Blast at Shi'ite mosque in southern Pakistan kills 49 (Reuters) -MJ Gillis

(Reuters) - At least 49 people were killed in a powerful explosion at a crowded Shi'ite mosque in Pakistan during Friday prayers, the latest sectarian attack to hit the South Asian nation.

Police said the blast was caused either by a suicide bomber or an explosive device which went off when the mosque was at its fullest on Friday afternoon in the center of Shikarpur, a city in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh.

Radical Sunni Islamist groups often target mosques frequented by minority Shi'ites, whom they see as infidels.

Earlier this month, six people were killed and 17 wounded by a suicide bomber outside a Shi'ite mosque in the city of Rawalpindi, also after Friday prayers.

"We are trying to ascertain the nature of the blast," said Shikarpur police chief Saqib Ismail Memon. "A bomb disposal squad is examining the scene."

Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo, head of the regional civil administration, told Reuters that the death toll had reached 49.

Taliban claim deadly Kabul airport attack (Al Jazeera) -MJ Gillis

The Taliban have claimed responsibility for an attack at the Kabul airport in which a gunman shot and killed three American contractors and one Afghan man.

Friday's claim came in a message from the Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, the day after the alleged "insider attack" when a man in an Afghan Security Forces (ANSF) uniform opened fire at the airport.

Details of the Thursday evening shooting at the military-run North Kabul International Airport complex are still unclear, with a spokesman for NATO's Resolute Support mission saying the incident is under investigation.

The victims, who were employed under a US Defence Department contract to help train the Afghan air force, died from gunshot wounds.

In the statement, the Taliban spokesperson identified the attacker as Hessanullha from Laghman province. He said the Taliban fighter had infiltrated the ranks of Afghan forces to stage the attack and wore an Afghan police uniform.

Pakistani LGBT community's fight for rights (Al Jazeera) -MJ Gillis

Lahore, Pakistan - The transgender community in Pakistan has gained ground with the Supreme Court recognising a third gender on national identity cards, however, it remains widely discriminated against in the conservative society.

Transgender people are often found living at the margins of society with low social status and few employment opportunities. They generally earn a living through begging, or engaging in the sex trade, or as dancers at weddings and other celebrations where men and women are strictly segregated.

To fight discrimination and violence, transgender activists are working at the Khawaja Sira Society (KSS), a drop-in centre under the umbrella of local Pakistani NGO Naz Male Health Alliance.

The centre provides services for the local transgender community, including HIV/AIDS treatment as well as contraception awarness and distribution via its outreach programme and through its clinic.

Because of Pakistan's conservative religious culture, political volatility and security issues, the activists operate mostly under the radar.

Pakistan mosque blast: Mass funerals for Shia victims (BBC News)--Lelia Busch

Funerals have taken place in southern Pakistan for the victims of a suicide attack on a Shia mosque during Friday prayers which police say killed at least 60 people.

Dozens were also wounded in the attack in Sindh province's Shikarpur district, making it one of the worst sectarian attacks in Pakistan in recent years.

Sunni militants linked to the Taliban said they carried out the attack.

An official day of mourning has been declared across Sindh.

Some Shia groups burned tyres and blocked roads during protest rallies in Shikarpur town - where the attack took place.

Protests also took place in other cities.

Protests against the bombing have taken place all over Pakistan, including in Karachi