US top official in Pakistan to hold talks with new gov”t
By KUNA
Islamabad : A high-ranking US delegation is in Islamabad to hold talks with the leaders of coalition government amid their intentions to review the war on terrorism policy of the Musharraf regime and rumors that the key US war ally would soon step down from his post.
John Negroponte, US Deputy Secretary of State, along with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Richard Boucher, arrived here Tuesday morning on a two-day visit.
Norwegian forces short of armored vehicles in Afghanistan
By KUNA
Oslo : Norwegian Ministry of Defense reported on Tuesday that its forces stationed under the framework of multi-national force in Afghanistan suffered shortage of equipment.
An administrative report, issued by the Defense Logistics Agency and the Defense Supply Centre, showed that shortage was identified in armored cars which accompanied patrol cars throughout the country.
Head of the Logistic Agency assured that the shortage was a result of delay in the delivery of armored cars, in addition to administrative neglect to provide temporary armored cars.
Yemen brokers Fatah, Hamas reconciliation deal
By IINA
Sana'a : Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have signed a Yemeni-brokered reconciliation deal yesterday, promising to renew discussions after months of hostilities. The two factions reconvened in Sana'a earlier in the day in a last ditch effort to hammer out a compromise over the future of the Gaza Strip and West Bank. The Sana'a Declaration read: "We, the representatives of Fatah and Hamas, agree to the Yemeni initiative as a framework to resume dialogue between the two movements to return the Palestinian situation to what it was before the Gaza incidents".
Road accident kills 14 in Pakistan
By ANTARA News/Xinhua
Islamabad : At least 14 people were killed in a road accident in Pakistan`s North West Frontier Province on Wednesday, state-run television reported.
PTV reported that the accident happened on a road between Peshawar, the provincial capital and Kohat, a major city in the region, when a passenger coach rammed into a truck.
As a result, 14 people onboard the coach including children and women were killed and some others injured.
Those injured were taken to a hospital in Peshawar for treatment. The coach was badly destroyed in the accident.
Armed clashes resume in Sadr City
By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : Armed clashes have resumed in Sadr City, stronghold of the Sadrist movement in Baghdad, between Iraqi and US forces on one side and militants on the other, at a time when US helicopters shelled the city of Tikrit.
A security source told KUNA that the clashes erupted very early Wednesday morning and that mortar shells and light weaponry were used.
Cuba, Turkey Sign Coop Accords
By Prensa Latina
Ankara : Turkey and Cuba concluded the 8th Mixed Commission of Collaboration with the signature of several agreements that will strengthen bilateral relations even more.
The Cuban delegation was headed by Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Marta Lomas, meanwhile First Deputy Minister and also Minister of State, Cemil Cicek, participated representing Turkey.
After the meeting, Cuban diplomatic sources explained to Prensa Latina the scope of the agreements, which cover scientific-technical, power, education, cultural, sports aspects.
Arabs vs. Israeli Blockade, Terrorism
By Ulises Canales, Prensa Latina
Damascus : Arab nations urged Israel to immediately end the blockade and aggressions against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and slammed terrorism, although vindicated the right to defend themselves.
"All countries must be united to end the Israeli blockade of Gaza," stated the Damascus declaration, summarizing the main issues of the 20th Arab League Summit that concluded today in this capital.
Abbas to visit Riyadh, Cairo to brief on his talks with Rice
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will head to Saudi Arabia and Egypt to brief their leaders on the talks he held with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Monday in Amman, an official Palestinian radio reported on Tuesday.
Abbas will meet King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on Tuesday and will meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak later on Wednesday in Cairo, according to the radio Voice of Palestine.
Middle East telecom giants will eye Asian, European markets
By IANS
Dubai : Telecom giants in the Middle East will seek to acquire small stakes in large players in southeast and central Asia and southern and eastern Europe, according to a new report.
This comes in the wake of consolidation in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region last year, the report by Dubai-based telecoms advisory and investment firm Delta Partners said.
Hamas denies planned assassination of Fatah leader in Egypt
By Xinhua
Gaza : Islamic Hamas movement on Tuesday denied reports that a Hamas member arrested by Egypt, had planned to assassinate a prominent member of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party on Egyptian territories.
Egypt arrested Ayman Nufal, a Gaza Strip resident and a member of Hamas' military wing, without bringing any charge against him, said Ayman Taha, a spokesman for the Islamic movement in Gaza.
Iran urges OIC to support members states’ scientific progress
By IRNA
Islamabad : Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) should pay more attention to the human, technical and financial resources of member states, Iran's minister of science, research and technology said here on Wednesday.
Speaking at the 13th meeting of the OIC Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (Comstech), Mohammad-Mehdi Zahedi observed that progress and development depend on self confidence and self belief.
"The major role of science and technology parks is to develop the infrastructure for the progress of the country," he said.
New Zealand strengthens deployment in Afghanistan
By NNN-Xinhua
Wellington, New Zealand : The New Zealand government has extended the deployment of New Zealand forces in Afghanistan.
An additional 18 general service troops will join the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan province this month, bringing the total number of New Zealand defense force personnel in Afghanistan to 140.
The decision was announced Thursday by Prime Minister Helen Clark, who is at the NATO summit in Romania.
She said the decision is due to concerns about growing violence in areas surrounding the Bamyan province.
Bangladesh Army chief gets a year’s extension
By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladesh Army Chief Gen. Moin U. Ahmed has been granted a year's extension "in public interest" by President Iajuddin Ahmed.
According to a notification of the defence ministry, the extension will take effect from June 15 and will last until June 15, 2009, The Daily Star said Monday.
Promoted four-star general earlier this year along with identical elevation of the chiefs of the Navy and the Air Force, Ahmed has been a high-profile chief perceived as backing the present caretaker government of Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed.
Iran receives US official note to hold talks on Iraq: FM
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : Iran has received an official note from US officials to hold the fourth round of talks on Iraq, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said.
"We are studying the US officials' repeated request which was sent to us as an official note to hold new round of talks on Iraq," Hosseini told his weekly press conference here Monday.
The fourth round of talks between Iranian and US officials on Iraq's security situation was expected to be held on March 6, but was cancelled at the last minute.
US officials say troop cut unlikely
By IRNA
New York : Pentagon officials said that they do not expect Gen. David Petraeus to recommend or predict additional US troop cuts in Iraq when he testifies before Congress this week.
Nevertheless, some officials hope that by year's end, an additional brigade or two could be pulled out, according to an aide to a senior general.
Petraeus spent his last day before his scheduled "State of Iraq" report to Congress polishing his opening statement, which remains a closely guarded document, according to one of his top aides.
Iraq government to enforce ban on weapons
By DPA
Baghdad : Iraq's security forces were ordered Tuesday to collect arms from ordinary people and political parties in Baghdad, while Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr postponed a planned protest against US presence in Iraq.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered security forces to enforce the ban on gun ownership in the next days, General Qasim Atta, the spokesman for the Baghdad operations, told reporters.
Medium and heavy guns, explosives and all kinds of rockets will be collected to remove all military appearances in the capital, Atta said.
Israel escalates West Bank, Gaza Strip operations against wanted militants
By Xinhua
Ramallah : The Israeli military are escalating its operations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with an apparent purpose to arrest dozens of wanted Palestinian militants.
Israeli troops arrested 39 Palestinians during overnight and early morning raids across West Bank cities, Palestinian security sources said on Wednesday.
The detentions took place in the towns of Nablus, Hebron, Ramallah, Qalqilia and Jenin and the detainees were taken to Israeli interrogation facilities in West Bank settlements and Israeli army bases, according to the sources.
Minister of Hajj receives Bangladesh Hajj Mission
By SPA
Jeddah : Minister of Hajj Dr Fu'ad al-Faresi met here today Head of the Bangladeshi Hajj mission Hussein Arif and the accompanying delegation.
Dr al-Faresi said the meeting comes in line with the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and his Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz as regards extending excellent services to the pilgrims and enabling them to perform their rituals in comfort and ease.
Dr al-Faresi underlined the importance of the awareness of the pilgrims prior to their arrival in the Kingdom.
US military’s eyes in the sky – unmanned aerial vehicles
By Richard Tomkins, DPA
Baquba (Iraq) : They sound like a loud mosquito buzzing above your head or a lawnmower rumbling in the distance. And you'll only see them by chance day or night - no matter how hard you look. But the machines producing those sounds play a key role in the war in Iraq and will do so in future conflicts around the world.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), as they are called, are the remotely piloted drones that prowl the skies above Iraq and Afghanistan, and if terrorists and insurgents haven't yet learned to fear them they should.
Lebanese PM draws two alternatives for crisis solution
By Xinhua
Beirut : Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora has announced two alternatives of solving political crisis, namely electing a new president quickly or handing over the issue to the Arab League (AL), local Naharnet news website reported on Saturday.
We "either elect a president as soon as possible or (we) hand over the issue to the Arab League" to bring closer the views of bickering politicians, Seniora, who is preparing to kick off his second Arab tour, was quoted as saying.
Senior Al Qaeda leader surrenders in Saudi Arabia
By IANS,
Riyadh : A senior Al Qaeda leader has voluntarily returned home in Saudi Arabia and surrendered himself to the authorities, a media report said.
Fahad al-Ruwaily was on the list of Saudi Arabia's 85 most wanted militants living abroad, Geo TV reported quoting the interior ministry as saying.
Fahad returned to Saudi Arabia Wednesday, Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki said without giving further details.
Pakistani teen who was flogged denies incident, probe ordered
By IANS,
Islamabad : The girl who was reportedly whipped by the Taliban in Pakistan's restive Swat Valley has denied the incident as the Supreme Court Monday ordered that a probe be carried out.
The girl's statement before a magistrate was presented through Attorney General Latif Khosa. "The girl has denied the alleged flogging incident," Geo TV reported.
The victim was not present during the hearing.
Kazak president acknowledges Iran’s nuclear right
By IRNA,
Astana : President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed Iran’s right on Monday to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
The Kazak president made the statement after his private talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who arrived in Astana on Monday for a two-day official visit.
The two presidents attended a joint press conference after discussing ways to further develop Tehran-Astana relations and cooperation.
Kazakhstan is one of the important countries of Central Asia and is the focus of Iran's foreign policy.
International donors to pledge USD 4 billion in aid for Pakistan
By KUNA,
TOKYO : About 30 countries are expected to pledge a total of USD four billion in aid for Pakistan at an international donors conference on April 17 in Tokyo, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported Wednesday.
Iran to build nuclear plants worldwide: Official
By IANS,
Qom (Iran) : Iran will be among the major builders of nuclear power plants worldwide within the next ten years, a senior official said.
The Deputy Head of Iran Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) Mohammad Saeedi was quoted by IRNA Monday as saying that Iran attained its nuclear technology despite mounting pressure from home and abroad and added that the natural period for achieving such technology worldwide was 20 to 22 years.
Zardari tosses Swat peace accord to parliament
By IANS,
Islamabad : Faced with growing international pressure to reject a controversial peace accord with the Taliban in the Swat Valley in Pakistan's restive northwest, President Asif Ali Zardari has rolled it into parliament to shift the responsibility away from himself.
"Zardari does not want to be held responsible for any negative fallout if this deal backfires in future, as then parliament will be responsible," The News said Monday.
Iran sentences US journalist to eight years in prison
By DPA,
Tehran : The Iranian judiciary issued an eight-year prison term for an Iranian-American journalist on charges of spying for the US, her lawyer told reporters here Saturday.
The court has not yet issued any official statement and no further details were available.
Roxana Saberi, 31, a reporter for the US National Public Radio, has been in custody since January in Tehran's Evin prison.
The foreign ministry first said that her arrest was solely because of press activities without legal accreditation but the judiciary later charged her with espionage.
Pakistan had alerted US to its nuclear tests: Gohar Ayub Khan
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan had with a "heavy heart" informed the US of its May 1998 nuclear tests that it had conducted in retaliation to India's tests the same month, former foreign minister Gohar Ayub Khan says in his new book.
Pakistan’s policy on extremists poses serious threat: Clinton
By DPA,
Washington : US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday that Pakistan's policy of ceding territory to Islamic extremists poses a serious threat that cannot be overlooked.
During testimony before the foreign policy committee in the House of Representatives, Clinton called on Pakistanis "to speak out forcefully against a policy that is ceding more and more territory to the insurgents, to the Taliban, to Al Qaeda, to the allies that are in this terrorist syndicate".
Pakistan poses ‘mortal threat’ to the world: Hillary Clinton
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Accusing Pakistani government of "abdicating to the Taliban", Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned that the deterioration of security in the country poses a "mortal threat" to the US and the world.
"I think that the Pakistani government is basically abdicating to the Taliban and to the extremists," Clinton said in an appearance before the House Foreign Affairs Committee Wednesday, her first since being confirmed.
US presses destabilising Pakistan to shift focus from India to insurgency
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Deeply concerned by the deepening insurgency destabilising Pakistan, the US is pressuring Islamabad to shift its focus from India to the existential threat posed by extremists and to reach out to the Indian government to continue with confidence-building measures.
But "changing paradigms and mindsets is not easy", Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told worried US lawmakers Wednesday as they voiced concerns about the latest developments involving Taliban advances in Pakistan.
‘Pakistani Army unhappy over government’s handling of Taliban’
By IANS,
New Delhi : A close aide of former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf indicated Tuesday the country's military was unhappy over the manner in which the civilian government was tackling the Taliban in the restive northwest.
"If the government hadn't delayed, there wouldn't have been any Taliban today," Maj. Gen. (Retd) Rashid Qureshi maintained while participating in a panel discussion on NDTV news channel.
Taliban threaten media of dire consequences over ‘unfair reports’
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani Taliban have threatened the media of dire consequences if any statement or report is published against them, the Online news agency reported.
Posters have been put on display before the offices of news channels and newspapers on behalf of a Taliban commander, wherein it is alleged that the media has published negative reports about Taliban.
US asks Pakistan to take ‘forceful action’ against Taliban
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The US wants Pakistan to take "consistent, determined, and forceful action" against the Taliban and other extremists operating there and in Afghanistan, but has denied it has set a two week deadline.
"I don't know where this two-week timeframe came from, but look, we have said very clearly that we believe the Pakistanis need to take action against these extremist elements," State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters Friday.
Senate bill strips references to India for conditional aid to Pakistan
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Two influential US senators have introduced a bill to triple American aid to Pakistan to $1.5 billion annually for five years, with some exacting conditions but stripped of references to India to make it more palatable to Islamabad.
Introduced Monday on the eve of President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to Washington, the 'Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009' incorporates exacting conditions for aid in keeping with President Barack Obama's promise that there would be no "blank cheque" for Pakistan.
Indian envoy calls on Nawaz Sharif
By IANS,
Islamabad : Indian High Commissioner Sharad Sabharwal Tuesday called on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who heads Pakistan's principal opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
They discussed bilateral issues and the regional situation, Geo TV reported.
The meeting took place at Sharif's sprawling country villa at Raiwind on Lahore's outskirts.
Sabharwal recently assumed office as India's envoy here.
Suicide attack kills three in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Three people were killed in a suicide attack in northwestern Pakistan Monday, Dawn TV reported.
Two security officials were also injured as the suicide attack targeted a security forces' check post near Darra Adam Khel in North West Frontier Province, said the report.
US to provide $100 million of humanitarian aid to Pakistan
By IANS,
Washington: The US plans to provide $100 million of humanitarian aid to Pakistan as part of the Obama administration's new strategy for countering the appeal of Taliban militants, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Tuesday.
"Providing this assistance is not only the right thing to do but we believe it's essential to global security and the security of the United States," she said at a news conference at the White House. "And we are prepared to do more as the situation demands."
Pakistani police trainees released by abductors, say reports
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Forty police trainees who were abducted by suspected militants Monday in Pakistan's tribal region of North Waziristan have been released, TV reports said.
The forty students and six teachers belonged to the Razmak Cadet College.
However, six teachers and the principal of the college are still being held, according to TV reports.
Earlier, the Dawn TV channel said citing unconfirmed reports that around 400 police trainees from the Razmak Cadet College might have been abducted.
Hezbollah says Obama gave a sermon
By DPA,
Beirut : The Hezbollah-run television station in Lebanon said late Thursday that US President Barack Obama had given a sermon and not a speech in Cairo earlier in the day.
Al Manar television's main news anchor started the night news bulletin by saying "Obama appeared like he was a giving a sermon or acting like a preacher during his speech which was addressed to the Islamic world."
"It is a historic speech with no doubt, but it requires careful reading between its words and lines," the Al Manar anchor said.
Seven killed, 15 wounded in Iraq car bombing
By DPA,
Baghdad : Seven people were killed and at least 15 wounded Wednesday when a man detonated explosives packed in his car in central Iraqi city of Ramadi, police said.
"A suicide bomber blew up his car," police spokesman for al-Anbar Province Rahim Zubn told Baghdad's Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
The bomber and two policemen were among those killed when the car bomb exploded as a police patrol passed the Great Mosque of Ramadi, about 110 km west of Baghdad, Zubn said.
More British soldiers for Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
London : The British government will send reinforcements to Afghanistan to "help maintain the required operational effectiveness" in the wake of rising number of casualties suffered by its troops while fighting the Taliban in that country, officials said Friday.
Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said 125 additional soldiers will be deployed in Afghanistan to strengthen the security ahead of the presidential elections in August.
UAE honours Iranian envoy with ‘Order of Independence’
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has conferred the prestigious "Order of Independence" award on Iranian envoy Hamid Reza Asefi for his contribution in bolstering ties between the two nations, WAM news agency reported Monday.
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan presented the award of "First Degree" to the outgoing Iranian diplomat Monday in appreciation of his "generous contributions to the boosting of relations of cooperation between the UAE and Iran in various areas", the report said.
Musharraf fails to appear in Pakistan Supreme Court
By IANS,
Islamabad : Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has cocked a snook at the Supreme Court, failing to appear before it to defend his Nov 3, 2007 decision to impose an emergency and sack the apex court judges.
"I don't know what the apex court will do, but it can initiate high treason proceedings on its own," Musharraf's top legal adviser Malik Qayyum told The News Wednesday outside Court No 1, where a 14-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the arguments of petitioner Hamid Khan against the former president's actions.
Jaswant Singh’s book on Jinnah already tops chart
By IANS,
New Delhi : The controversial book "Jinnah: India-Partition Independence" by Jaswant Singh predictably tops the non-fiction section of the bestseller list here in the first week of its release while Ali Sethi's "The Wish Maker: A Novel" continued at the No.1 position in the fiction category for the third week in a row.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Jinnah: India-Partition Independence"
Author: Jaswant Singh
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs.695.00
2. "The Idea of Justice"
Author: Amartya Sen
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Afghanistan presidential poll begins
By Xinhua,
Kabul : Afghans began voting in the country's second ever presidential election Thursday under the shadow of Taliban-led violence.
Though unprecedented security arrangements have been in place, reports said that four rockets hit Kandahar city in southern Afghanistan minutes before the voting centres opened.
According to the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan, about 17 million registered voters are eligible to elect a president and 420 provincial council members for the country's 34 provinces.
US still insists on freeze of Israeli settlements: Abbas
By DPA,
Amman : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday the US administration of President Barack Obama was still adamant in its demand that Israel completely halts the building of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as a pre-condition for the resumption of peace talks with Israel.
"We did not feel any retraction in the US attitude in this respect," Abbas told reporters after talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II.
India cites Interpol notice on Saeed, asks Pakistan to act
By IANS,
New Delhi : Stepping up pressure on Pakistan over Hafiz Saaed, India Wednesday said the Interpol red corner notice against him vindicated its stand on his involvement in Mumbai terror attacks and asked Islamabad to take action against him.
"Interpol has issued Red Corner Notice for Saeed's involvement... It is a vindication of the stand the government of India has taken," External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said here.
The world should take note of the Interpol notice and come to their own conclusions, he said.
Spiralling prices make Pakistanis doubt Ramadan blessings
By Nadeem Sarwar,DPA,
Islamabad : Muslims around the world believe Ramadan is a period during which the doors of heaven are opened and blessings shower down in abundance, but many in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan feel the opposite.
Days before the month started, the hoarders, profiteers and cartels of factory owners suddenly increased prices of food items by creating an artificial shortage, causing more suffering to a nation that has been hit hard by a weak economy in recent years, mainly because of rising Islamic militancy.
Iran ‘fundamentally’ opposes nuclear weapons: Khamenei
By Xinhua
Tehran: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Sunday rejected the West's charge that his country wants to develop nuclear bombs, saying Tehran is "fundamentally" opposed to such weapons.
"Accusing the Islamic Republic of seeking nuclear arms is a blatant lie. We are fundamentally opposed to nuclear weapons," Press TV quoted Khamenei as saying.
"We consider the use and proliferation of nuclear arms as forbidden," he added.
No drop in popularity of Jaswant’s book on Jinnah
By IANS,
New Delhi : The controversial book "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence" by expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh continued to dominate the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week. It has now topped the charts for over a month. Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" topped the fiction list.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence"
Author: Jaswant Singh
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs.695.00
2. "Shah Jahan: The Rise and Fall of The Mughal Emperor"
Author: Fergus Nicoll
Iran says all missile tests successful
By DPA,
Tehran: Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Monday that all missile tests conducted during two days of military exercises were successful, state media reported.
Revolutionary Guards spokesman General Hossein Salami told state television that the tests of the short- and longer-range missiles were successfully conducted during the exercises.
One of the tested missiles was Shahab-3, with a reported range of 2,000 km, the longest-range in Iran's missile arsenal, Press TV reported.
Iran to start final test run of Bushehr nuclear power plant
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The final test run of Iran's first nuclear power plant will begin within the next several days, Iran's vice president said on Monday.
Ali Akbar Salehi, who heads the country's Atomic Energy Organization, earlier said the plant was 96% complete, almost all of the equipment had been installed, and that after testing the plant would go into full operation.
Keep children out of political activities: Sheikh Hasina
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to take measures to keep children out of political activities.
Deploying children for political rallies, particularly during agitations and elections, is a common phenomenon across South Asia.
"Children would be aware of politics but should not be used in political activities," she said Monday on the occasion of World Children's Day and Child Rights Week 2009.
30 killed in Pakistan suicide bombing
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least 30 people were killed and 40 injured Monday when a suicide bomber blew himself up in Pakistan's restive North West Frontier Province, a lawmaker said.
The explosion took place next to a military vehicle.
The bombing occurred around a busy square in the Alpuri area of Shangla, a mountain district in NWFP, DPA reported.
"According to information reaching me, 30 people, including four soldiers, were killed and 40 or more injured," a member of the legislative assembly, who was only identified as Fazlullah, told Geo television.
Hezbollah says official was wounded, not killed in blast
By DPA,
Beirut : Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah denied late Monday that a member of the group was killed when a bomb left behind from the 2006 war with Israel exploded near his house.
Saeed Nasser, a Hezbollah official in southern Lebanon, "was wounded and not killed" in the blast in the village of Tayr Filsi on the southern bank of the Litani river, the Hezbollah source said.
A Lebanese security source in southern Lebanon earlier told DPA that Nasser was killed when he tried to defuse the bomb in his backyard.
"Reports on casualties are baseless," the Hezbollah source said.
Firing at police training centre in Lahore
By IANS,
Lahore : Terrorists wearing uniforms attacked the Manawan police training centre on the outskirts of this Pakistani city Thursday.
Gunshots were heard at the Manawan police training centre in Lahore, Geo TV reported.
Rana Sanaullah, Punjab law minister, said the situation was under control and search operations underway.
He said that the attack had been repulsed.
Israeli forces arrest Palestinians, settlers attack Palestinian farmers
By KUNA,
Ramallah : Israeli forces raided the governorates of Nablus, Selfite, Ramallah, and Tulkarem in the West Bank on Thursday and arrested 15 Palestinians after having their homes searched thoroughly, a Palestinian police statement said.
The Israeli forces fired tear gas and sound bombs towards the houses of the Palestinians, but no casualties were reported.
Israeli security personnel moved the detained to investigation centers, without disclosing the political affiliations of those arrested.
Pakistan national leadership reiterates its resolve to eliminate terrorism
By NNN-Agencies,
Islamabad : Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira Friday said that Pakistani national leadership has reiterated the already existing consensus and commitment to eliminate terrorism and militancy from the country.
In a brief interaction with the mediamen after the conclusion of consultatory meeting of the political leadership which Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani also attended, the Minister said that the national leadership strongly condemned the ongoing wave of terrorism in various parts of the country.
Seven killed in Pakistan suicide bombing
By IANS,
Islamabad : Seven people were killed and seven injured Friday when a suicide bomber blew himself up near an air force base in Pakistan's Attock district as the army continued its assault on the Taliban in the country's restive northwest region.
The suicide bombing took place at a security check post near Kamra Aeronautical Complex, Geo TV reported Friday.
A police official said seven people, including two securitymen, were killed while the injured were taken to Attock Hospital.
Six killed in train collision in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : At least six people were killed and 20 injured when a passenger train collided with a freight train in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi Tuesday, media reports said.
The collision derailed a coach where dozens of passengers were believed to be trapped.
A rescue worker from private Chippa emergency service told Duniya television that six to seven bodies had been recovered from the damaged carriage, and up to 15 people or bodies were still inside.
Decision to name Karzai president had no legal basis: Abdullah
By DPA,
Kabul : Afghan presidential challenger Abdullah Abdullah Wednesday sharply criticised the decision of the country's election commission to declare incumbent Hamid Karzai the winner of Afghanistan's disputed presidential elections.
Abdullah, who pulled out of a scheduled Nov 7 runoff with Karzai Sunday, said there was "no legal basis" for the decision of the Independent Election Commission (IEC).
However, the former foreign minister refrained from calling for protests and asked his supporters to remain calm.
Terrorism a threat to Pakistan’s tourism sector
By IANS,
Islamabad : The detonating security situation in Pakistan has seen its world tourism ranking dropping from 111 last year to 113 in 2009, a new report says.
According to a report of the World Economic Forum, Pakistan ranked 113 out of 130 countries in 2009 also because of the lack of a tourism regulatory framework.
Online news agency quoted sources in the tourism ministry as saying that the minister, Atta-ur-Rehman, does not take interest in his portfolio as he has no experience in the field and that his current policy was to "kill time".
‘Win in Champions Challenge will put Pakistan in big time hockey’
By Omar Khalid, IANS,
Karachi: Pakistan's hockey officials believe their team can be a force to reckon with in the World Cup in Delhi next year if it goes on to win the eight-nation Champions Challenge in Argentina.
Pakistan booked their World Cup berth by winning the qualifiers in Lille (France) earlier this month and are now looking to win the Champions Challenge in Salta (Argentina) Dec 6-13.
Coach Shahid Ali Khan says that his boys will have to work hard on certain areas to maintain their winning spree.
13 killed in Peshawar blast
By IANS,
Peshawar : At least 13 people were killed and several wounded Thursday in a powerful explosion close to the judicial complex in this main city of northwestern Pakistan.
The blast killed at least 13 people and injured several others Thursday, Dawn reported.
The explosion occurred near a court building, which was packed with lawyers.
This was the ninth terror attack in Peshawar, the capital of the North West Frontier Province, since early October.
Arab Justice Ministers urges differentiating terrorism, Islam
By KUNA,
Cairo : Arab Justice Ministers condemned Thursday all forms of terrorism and asserted importance of differentiating between terrorism and Islam.
The ministers, at the conclusion of their meeting here, called for the strengthening of cooperation between the Arab and countries around the world in the fight against terrorism.
They said that terrorism and Islam should not be linked together because Islam calls for forgiveness and rejects terrorism and extremism.
World powers urge Iran to reconsider nuclear deal
By DPA,
Berlin/Brussels : Top diplomats from the so-called "5+1" group of world powers expressed disappointment Friday at Iran's rejection of a compromise deal on the country's controversial nuclear programme and urged its leaders to reconsider.
"We urge Iran to reconsider the opportunity offered by this agreement to meet the humanitarian needs of its people and to engage seriously with us in dialogue and negotiations," said the officials from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the US - plus Germany after talks in Brussels.
War games proved Iran’s defence capability: Report
Tehran, Nov 28 (IANS) Recent war games have proved the defence capability of the Iranian armed forces in protecting key military installations, especially the nuclear sites, in the event of any attack, a media report said.
The report from the 'Defenders of the Sky of Velayat II military air exercise' said that the five-day drill ended Thursday. The exercise covered an area of 600,000 sq km (230,000 square miles) in the northwest, west, south and southwest of Iran.
Dhaka moots stringent law for illegal tree felling
By IANS,
Dhaka : Back from the Copenhagen climate summit, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has mooted a new law that would deny bail to people responsible for rampant tree felling.
The prime minister instructed authorities concerned to include a non-bailable section in the law that must also provide for prior permission before taking action against the offenders.
She also suggested Tuesday that a provision be kept for punishing not only the offenders but also the people who buy or use those trees.
Palestinian reconciliation talks in ‘final stages’: Hamas
By DPA,
Riyadh/Ramallah : Exiled Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal Sunday said reconciliation talks with rival Palestinian faction Fatah were in the "final stages."
"We have made great strides towards achieving reconciliation," Meshaal told reporters after meeting Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal in Saudi Arabia. "We are now in the final stages."
"There are some points in the reconciliation agreement that have yet to be agreed with the Palestinian Authority and Egypt," Meshaal said.
Senior Fatah member Azzam al-Ahmed, however, quickly dismissed Meshaal's statements.
Pakistan president’s powers to be partially pared
By IANS,
Islamabad : The Pakistani president's powers are to be partially slashed by giving the prime minister the prerogative to appoint the three service chiefs, a media report Friday said.
Parliament's constitutional reforms committee had agreed to transfer the authority of appointing the service chiefs from the head of state to the head of government by amending article 243 of the constitution, a private TV channel reported on Thursday.
Once that happens, the president will have to consult the prime minister before appointing the chiefs of the army, the navy and the air force.
Quacks rampant in Rawalpindi
By IANS,
Rawalpindi : Thousands of quacks are playing havoc with poor patients in remote areas of Pakistan's Rawalpindi district as state-run medical facilities are not adequate for the growing population.
In most cases, people living in far off areas can't access the facilities either.
About 5,000 quacks are running clinics in the different areas of Rawalpindi. Most of them operate in rural areas and a few in urban areas, Online news agency reported.
The poor have to go to these quacks because they can't reach the state-run health
Pakistan, Iraq to increase defence cooperation
By IANS,
Rawalpindi : Pakistan and Iraq Tuesday agreed to increase their defence and military-to-military cooperation.
The decision was taken at a meeting between a five-member Iraqi defence delegation led by Maj Gen Abbas Mohammad Fizaa, the director of military training, and Pakistan's defence secretary, Lt Gen Syed Athar Ali, an official statement said.
During the meeting, matters related to enhancement of defence cooperation between the two countries were discussed at length.
Three foreign journalists killed in Pakistan
By IANS,
Timergarah (Pakistan) : Three foreign journalists were killed and 16 students injured when militants detonated a bomb near a girls' school here in northwest Pakistan, media reports said Wednesday.
The blast took place near the Koto Girls School in Timergarah area in Lower Dir district.
Militants targeted the journalists' security convoy, police said.
At least 15 girls were trapped inside the school building after the blast, district police officer (DPO) Mumtaz Zarin told Dawn news.
"It was an IED (improvised explosive device) blast," he said.
New oil field discovered in Dubai
By IANS,
Dubai : A new oil field was discovered here in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), WAM news agency reported Thursday.
UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said the discovery will boost the country's oil production, strengthen the economy and provide a new source of income.
The study to determine the size of the oil reserve, energy production and economic benefits of the field was assigned to Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Oil Affairs Department, the UAE prime minister said during a meeting with ministers and other dignitaries here.
UK laws preventing terrorism studies, says wrongly-arrested student
London, Feb 6, IRNA – Britain’s draconian anti-terrorism laws are intimidating academics at universities and have led to at least one lecturer to stop supervising studies on terrorism, according to a wrongly-arrested PhD research student.
Rizwaan Sabir revealed Saturday that since his arrest for possessing a so-called al-Qaida training manual at Nottingham University in central England in May 2008, there had been increasing pressure faced by lecturers regarding the teaching of terrorism.
Suicide bombing kills 10 in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : At least 10 tribal policemen were killed in a suicide bombing that targeted a security convoy in Pakistan's northwestern region near the Afghan border, officials said Wednesday.
Fifteen policemen were injured in the bombing that took place in the Khyber Agency tribal district.
The suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a vehicle carrying the policemen along a main highway leading to Afghanistan, said Manzoor Ahmad, an official of the local administration.
President urges Obama to translate change promises into action
By IRNA,
Tehran : President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday said gone is the era of supremacy and bullying worldwide, urging US President Barack Obama to abide by his promise of change.
“I declare that gone is the era of supremacy and bullying worldwide,” President Ahmadinejad told large crowd of people celebrating the 31st triumph anniversary of Islamic Revolution’s triumph at Azadi Square.
He said Iran welcomes cooperation rather than confrontation.
Malaysian Sikhs observe Nanakshahi New Year
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Sikhs in Malaysia observed a low key New Year, as per the Nanakshahi calendar named after the founder of the faith Guru Nanak.
More and more Sikhs are becoming conscious of the Sikh New Year that fell Sunday, The Star newspaper said.
There were low-key celebrations in Sikh homes and in gurdwaras, where prayers were conducted.
War crimes trial will be transparent, Dhaka assures opposition
By IANS,
Dhaka: The Bangladesh government has assured the political opposition that the war crimes trial that is to begin shortly would be "hundred percent transparent".
Also, the government sought cooperation from the opposition parties.
Stating that nobody would oppose "a real trial" of the war criminals, main opposition Bangladesh nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, however, said Friday: "The government is doing this only to execute "certain political intentions".
From Afghanistan to Arakans, militants converge on Dhaka
By IANS,
Dhaka : At least 15 foreign militant organisations were active or are still operating in Bangladesh since 1991 using the country as a safe haven or transit point to infiltrate India and other neighbouring countries, those nabbed have confessed.
The outfits who found access in Bangladesh are based in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Myanmar, using fake passports, engaging in militancy and funding their operations partly by printing fake Indian rupees and US dollars.
Pakistani President says no cut in defence spending
By IRNA,
Islamabad : President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday said under the present circumstances, there would be no cut on the defence expenditure as Pakistan is fighting a war for its survival.
“We cannot afford to cut down allocations for the armed forces," Zardari told the National Defence University (NDU), adding that a cut has been placed on other sectors.”
The President called for building up capability of the defence forces of the country to meet any eventuality.
He said Pakistan desired peaceful co-existence with all its neighbours and added the
I can never leave Pakistan: Fatima Bhutto
By IANS,
New Delhi: Fatima Bhutto, the niece of slain former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, says that in spite of the violence her family has suffered, including the killing of her father Murtaza Bhutto, she "could never leave" the country.
"Amidst all this madness, all these ghosts and memories of times past, it feels like the world around me is crumbling, slowly flaking away," she writes in her just-published memoir "Songs of Blood and Sword" (Penguin/Rs.699).
Obama wants Iran sanctions within ‘weeks’
By DPA,
Washington: US President Barack Obama declared Tuesday that he wants to see the UN Security Council adopt sanctions against Iran within "weeks" over the Islamic republic's refusal to resolve the dispute over its nuclear activities.
"I'm not interested in waiting months for a sanctions regime to be in place. I'm interested in seeing that regime in place in weeks," Obama said at a press conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Rare 17th century textiles on display in Abu Dhabi
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : More than 200 pieces of rare textiles from the 17th century from across central Asia are being showcased in one of the most comprehensive exhibitions ever held in the world.
Islamic embroidery from Morocco, Turkey, Algeria, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and a few regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan will be on display for four months at the royal palace here. The exhibition is being organised by General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and the deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Dubai wood show, a blessing for exhibitors
By IANS/WAM,
Dubai: More than 150 exhibitors from across the world have put their wooden products on display here to woo buyers in the region.
Suppliers of furniture, wooden building materials and other such products from more than 40 countries, who have come to participate in the show, expect the event will prove to be a major boost for their business expansion following the economic slowdown.
"The Dubai WoodShow is an important event for us... it is an appointment any wood company in the region cannot afford to miss," said Borghini from Ligno.
Nuclear weapon, biggest threat to world: Ahmadinejad
Tehran, May 2, IRNA – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday the production and stockpiling of nuclear weapons has endangered the world for 60 years and is the biggest threat against the global security.
President Ahmadinejad made the remarks while talking to reporters prior to his departure for New York to attend the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference at the UN headquarters.
Referring to nuclear armament that threatens world security, Ahmadinejad said the Iranian nation has practical proposals for tackling the issue.
Israeli forces storm into eastern Gaza Strip
By KUNA,
Gaza : Israeli forces and tanks stormed into the eastern Al-Qarara area, southern Gaza Strip, on Wednesday.
Local radio reports that four tanks and five bulldozers stormed into the eastern area, under intense fire.
The radio added that Israeli fire was aimed randomly, and did not cause any casualties.
Palestinian farmers were forced to leave their lands to avoid clashing with the forces, as Israeli bulldozers immediately engaged into destruction of farm lands and buildings upon the intrusion.
Egypt opens Rafah crossing for stranded Palestinians
By DPA,
Gaza : Egypt opened its crossing point with the Gaza Strip at Rafah Saturday to allow around 8,000 stranded Palestinians to cross into Egypt, the Palestinian Border Crossing Corporation (PBCC) said.
"Around 8,000 Palestinians, including patients, students, businessmen and Palestinians holding other foreign nationalities will be crossing into Egypt starting from Saturday until Monday," the PBCC said in a statement.
Pakistan blocks YouTube over Prophet cartoon row
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistan has blocked the video-sharing website YouTube because of its "growing sacrilegious contents", officials said Thursday.
The ban came hours after the government temporarily blocked the social networking website Facebook, where a group announced an online competition for cartoons of Prophet Mohammed to be held Thursday.
A statement from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said that the YouTube and Facebook websites were blocked after the government failed to convince them to remove "derogatory material".
Zardari graft case: Pakistani government seeks time from Supreme Court
By IANS,
Islamabad : In a climbdown of sorts, the Pakistani government Tuesday sought time from the Supreme Court to inform it about the fate of a $60 million Swiss money laundering case involving President Asif Ali Zardari.
No surprises, as Bhutto, Archer again top bestseller list
By IANS,
New Delhi : There are no changes at the top of the bookrack this week as Pakistani writer Fatima Bhutto's "Songs of Blood and Sword" again holds sway over the non-fiction category, while British author Jeffrey Archer tops the fiction list with "And Thereby Hangs a Tale".
The top 10 bestsellers in each category are:
Non-fiction
1. "Songs of Blood and Sword"
Author: Fatima Bhutto
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Mother Pious Lady"
Author: Santosh Desai
Publisher: Harper Collins
Price: Rs.399.00
3. "Jangalnama"
US presses Pakistan to divulge more air passenger info
By IANS,
Washington : The United States is increasing pressure on Pakistan for much broader airline passenger information, considered a crucial tool to track terrorist travel patterns, but a step that Pakistan has resisted, according to the New York Times.
Taliban fire rockets at Kabul peace assembly
By IANS,
Kabul : Taliban guerrillas launched two rockets at the national peace assembly or "jirga" inaugurated by President Hamid Karzai in the Afghan capital but there were no casualties, an official said.
Sporadic firing took place in Afshar area, about 1.5 km from the heavily-guarded jirga venue, following the attack.
The rockets landed near the Intercontinental Hotel close to the venue of the National Consultative Peace Jirga while Karzai was delivering his speech, a security official said.
World Environment Day observed in Dubai
By IANS/WAM,
Dubai : The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has observed World Environment Day as part of the UN effort to mitigate global warming.
DEWA, on the occasion of World Environment Day June 5, organised various activities in the city Saturday to promote best electricity and water consumption practices.
An exhibition was held at Dubai Festival City to educate children on the importance of conserving electricity and water.
Emirati adventurer spreads global tolerance message
By IANS/WAM,
Munich : An Emirati adventurer has arrived here on his way to cross over to 35 countries in three continents to convey the message of tolerance and peace the United Arab Emirates upholds.
UAE consul general in Munich Mohammed Ateeq Al Rumaithi Tuesday received Ibrahim Ahmad Suleiman, who started his journey on his motorcycle earlier last month from the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
In his 'Voyague for Love and Peace', the young Emirati will convey to the countries he visits the message of tolerance and peace.
No problem in giving 26/11 handlers’ voice samples: Pakistan
By IANS,
New Delhi: Days after the talks between home ministers of the two countries, Pakistan Monday said it has "no problems at all" in giving the voice samples of handlers of 26/11 attack even as India hoped for some credible action before Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna's visit to Islamabad July 15.
UAE’s non-oil trade up 7 percent
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi: The UAE's non-oil foreign trade grew by 7 percent to Dh 56.04 billion (around $15 bn) in April this year as compared to Dh 52.34 billion in 2009.
"Non-oil exports saw a 42 percent rise to Dh 6.45 billion in April 2010 from Dh 4.55 billion in same month last year. Re-exports surged 12 percent to Dh 12.31 billion from Dh 10.95 billion while imports rose slightly by 1 percent to Dh 37.3 billion from Dh 36.84 billion," the Federal Customs Authority (FCA) has said.
Malaysia to recruit more Tamil teacher
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian government plans to recruit more Tamil and Chinese language teachers from next year to fully implement its Pupils Own Language (POL) policy in 7,000 primary schools nationwide.
This is to boost the profile of national schools and cater to parents and students who want Tamil and Chinese to be taught in schools.
Multi-racial Malaysia is home to significant Indian and Chinese ethnic minorities. A bulk of the 1.7 million Indians are Tamils.
Indonesia to host meeting on tiger conservation
By IANS,
New Delhi: Indonesia will host a crucial meeting on tiger conservation July 12-14 to be attended by 13 tiger range countries, including India, China, Thailand and Russia.
World tiger experts and representatives from NGOs, the Global Tiger Initiative, World Bank and donor agencies such as USAID and AUSAID will participate, according to a World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) statement issued here.
To be held in Bali, the Pre-Tiger Summit Partners' Dialogue Meeting is a prelude to the Heads of Government Tiger Summit, scheduled to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sep 15-18.
BlackBerry poses security threat, says UAE
By DPA,
Cairo : The smartphone services of BlackBerry posed a security threat to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), government officials said in statements carried Monday by local media.
"Certain BlackBerry applications allow people to misuse the service, causing serious social, judicial and national security repercussions," according to a government statement.
The government said its concerns rested with how data on the network is managed and stored, and specifically, that it was kept outside of the Emirates.
German firms angry over Berlin’s support for EU sanctions on Iran
By IRNA,
Berlin : German companies have reportedly vented their anger over Berlin's support for European Union sanctions on Iran, according to Thursday's edition of the business daily Handelsblatt.
Germany's business community is especially disappointed that the center-right government of Chancellor Angela Merkel had backed the EU's punitive measures against Iran which go beyond the UN sanctions.
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle who leads the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), had informed the heads of German companies that Berlin would support the disputed EU sanctions.
US worried over damage Wikileaks expose could cause
By IANS,
Washington : Robert Gates, US defence secretary, and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US' joint chiefs of staff, have expressed concern about the potential damage the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks could do after it released nearly 92,000 secret military documents pertaining to the Afghanistan war.
Wikileaks is morally "guilty" for its decision, Gates said, adding that he was "mortified" and "appalled" by the release.
Israeli defence minister takes blame for flotilla raid
By IANS,
Jerusalem : Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak told a government-appointed panel Tuesday that he took responsibility for the May 31 army raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla that left nine activists dead.
"I carry overall responsibility for everything that took place in the systems under my command. I carry responsibility for the orders given on the political level," Barak said before the five members of the Turkel Commission probing the operation and two foreign observers.
Turkish ship crashes in Greek port
By IANS,
Athens : A Turkish ship with 213 people onboard crashed at a port in Greece, injuring 30 people of whom 20 were Britons, officials said.
Bangladesh to ban those below 18 from political activity
By IANS,
Dhaka : Those who are below 18 years of age may be banned from political activity in Bangladesh under a draft policy for children announced here by the government.
Jordan to sign nuclear reactor deal with France
By DPA,
Amman : Jordan is moving to conclude a nuclear cooperation agreement with France that provides for exploiting uranium ores in the country and building a nuclear reactor for peaceful uses, local press reports said Sunday.
The government has already conducted negotiations with two international firms - one French and the other British - and decided to assign the task to the French company, the daily newspaper Alarab Alyawm reported, quoting "official sources."
Erekat: Abbas, Olmert to meet in Jerusalem later Sunday
By Xinhua,
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet in Jerusalem later on Sunday, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said.
It will be the second meeting in less than a week between the two leaders who met in Jerusalem on April 7 for the first time in nearly two months.
During their three-hour meeting, the two sides agreed to continue talks and pledged to reach a comprehensive agreement by the end of 2008, a goal set at an International peace conference last November.
Called Bengalis, Malaysian Sikhs walk out of function
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : A group of Malaysian Sikhs walked out from a function when Perak state's chief executive referred to them as Bengalis.
Perak's Mentri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin made the gaffe Sunday when he wished the Tamil community "Puthandu Vazth-uka" or Happy New Year followed by "Happy Vasakhi to the Bengali community".
"For generations, Sikhs have bit their lips when mistakenly referred to as Bengalis. Many usually excuse the gaffe by ordinary folk who do not know any better," media reports from the Perak capital Ipoh said.
Two killed in Baghdad blast
By DPA,
Baghdad : At least two people were killed Monday and 11 wounded when a bomb went off in central Baghdad, while a fire broke out in a public market in the east of the Iraqi capital, media reports said.
The official channel al-Iraqiya reported that a bomb went off in Baghdad's Tayran area, killing at least two people and injuring 11.
Tayran is among the most crowded areas in the Iraqi capital, with many stores and meeting points for workers.
In another incident in Baghdad, witnesses told DPA that a massive fire broke out in one of Baghdad's public markets.
Pakistan, Afghan forces exchange fire over wheat flour smuggling
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani and Afghan border security forces exchanged fire on Monday after the Pakistani forces tried to stop 'smuggling of flour' to the neighboring country, officials said.
Officials at the Pakistani border city of Chaman in southwestern Balochistan said that both sides started firing at 7:15 a.m. which continued till 11 a.m.
There was no report of any casualty.
The firing was stopped after senior officials of the two countries held talks, officials said.
Pakistan, Turkish air forces to conduct joint exercise: official
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Air forces of Pakistan and Turkey will conduct joint exercises this month, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) said on Monday.
"The Exercise would be conducted in Pakistan during the month of April," a PAF statement said." "To benefit from the expertise and professional experiences of each other, PAF and the Turkish Air Force (TuAF) are conducting a Joint Exercise 'Indus Viper-2008' in Pakistan," it said.
The statement said that a contingent of TuAF fighter aircraft and personnel will undertake joint planning and execution of various combat missions in the exercises.
S&P to launch corporate governance indices
By IANS,
Dubai : World's leading index provider Standard and Poor's (S&P) and United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based corporate governance institute Hawkamah have formed a new partnership to create a series of environment corporate governance and sustainability (ESG) indices for equity markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Deadly Tuesday in Iraq
By Prensa Latina,
Baghdad : Over 160 casualties, including dead and wounded, was the result of a day of great violence in Iraq on Tuesday, when neither US invading troops nor local forces have managed to check Iraqi resistance.
On this occasion, the country witnessed in Baquba, north-east of Baghdad, the most lethal attack in the last six months.
Police informed that the explosion of a car bomb near the court and the town hall killed 40 people and wounded another 80, damaging property seriously.
At least 20 Palestinians, 3 Israelis killed in Gaza clashes
By RIA Novosti,
Gaza : Israeli military strikes killed at least 20 Palestinians of whom most were civilians in a new surge of violence in Gaza, and three Israeli servicemen were killed in a Hamas ambush.
United Nations Secretary Ban Ki-moon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas both condemned the killing of civilians in the strikes, the most severe since Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip last month that cost the lives of over 120 Gaza residents.
Israel says ready to forgo land for genuine peace
By DPA,
Warsaw : Israeli President Shimon Peres said Thursday in Warsaw that his country was prepared to compromise on territorial issues in the search for a peaceful solution to the Middle East conflict.
"We are ready to forgo land in order to reach a genuine peace with the Palestinians and grant them the possibility to found their own state," Peres told the Polish parliament at the end of his four-day visit to the central European country.
This Palestinian neighbour state should "flourish economically, strive for peace and live in freedom," he said.
Carter meets top Hamas leader
By IRNA,
Damascus : Former US President Jimmy Carter met top Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and the group's deputy chief at their office in Damascus.
Carter's meeting with Meshaal was the first public contact between a prominent American figure and Hamas officials since Rev. Jesse Jackson met with Meshaal in Syria in 2006.
It followed two other meetings between the former American president and the popular Palestinian group in the region this week.
UN approves Iran’s proposal on combat against trafficking antiquities
By IRNA,
Vienna : Iran's proposal on combat against trafficking antiquities was approved by the 17th session of UN Crimes Commission.
Iran's proposed resolution, passed during the last session of the commission, underlined the need for preserving antique objects as parts of the common human heritage.
It also said that serious measures should be taken to stop the organized groups trafficking the antiquities.
The five-day session, inaugurated in the Austrian capital city on Monday, concluded its work Friday evening.
Palestinian killed in Israeli air strike — witnesses
By KUNA,
Gaza : One Palestinian lost his life and two others suffered injuries in an Israeli air strike on Gaza early on Saturday, witnesses said.
They said Israeli aircraft fired a lone missile in the direction of a group of Palestinians in Al-Shujiah district east of Gaza city killing one and wounding two others. Body of 21-year-old Ihab Al-Mughni was badly disfigured in the air strike.
The air attack coincided with land action by Israeli forces in the same region, with involvement of heavy armor and tanks.
UN special Rapporteur on Human Rights in OPT calls on UN to project basic...
By NNN-WAFA,
New York : The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) John Dugard Called on the international organisation to play its role as an international mediator to promote dialogue between Palestinian and Israeli sides.
Dugard said in the statement that the United Nations had responsibility as an auspices to protect basic human rights and international peace and open lines of communication between Israel and the Palestinians for putting them on the table of negotiations, calling on the UN to exert all possible efforts to protect civilians.
Arab League Committee meets on “Arab contracting contract”
By NNN-KUNA,
Cairo : The Arab League Committee on Housing and Construction met here Saturday to accelerate finalisation of the blueprint of the "single Arab contracting contract." The meeting, chaired by the committee chief and Director General of the Kuwaiti Public Authority for Housing Welfare Ali Al-Fawzan, gathered representatives of the housing ministries of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Sudan and Iraq, as well as the Federation of Arab Contractors.
Iranian ambassador lashes U.S. offensive in Baghdad’s Sadr City
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : The Iranian ambassador to Iraq Saturday criticized the U.S. military operations in Baghdad's main Shiite bastion of Sadr City which killed many civilians.
"We criticize the pounding of cities and the siege of people, which will aggravate the situations and make things worse," ambassador Hassan Kazemi Qomi told a news conference at the Iranian Embassy.
EU’s Solana visits Afghanistan, Pakistan
By EuAsiaNews,
Brussels : European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana arrived in Kabul Monday on a one-day visit for talks with President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, on the EU-Afghanistan ties and regional developments.
Solana's spokesperson Cristina Gallach told reporters that his visit was taking place at an "important moment" for Afghanistan .
She pointed to the recent meeting of NATO leaders in Bucharest where Afghanistan dominated the discussions and to the upcoming Compact on Afghanistan to be held in Paris in June.
Hamas agrees on conditions for truce with Israel – paper
By RIA Novosti,
Cairo : Egyptian mediators have brokered a preliminary agreement with radical Palestinian movement Hamas on conditions for a ceasefire with Israel in the Gaza Strip, a national newspaper said on Tuesday.
The Al-Ahram newspaper said, citing sources in the administration of the Egyptian president, that Omar Suleiman, the chief of Egyptian intelligence, would soon travel to Israel to relay the details of the agreement to the Israeli leadership.
4th expanded Iraq”s conf. to be held in Baghdad – Kuwait FM
By KUNA,
Kuwait : Kuwait's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Sabah said here Tuesday holding the next expanded meeting of neighboring countries of Iraq in Baghdad was one of the key decisions in today's meeting.
One of the key decisions of today's meeting is that "the next conference is to be held in Baghdad," Sheikh Mohammad told a joint news conference with Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari following the third expanded conference of neighboring countries of Iraq.
Pro-Taliban militant leader directs halt to attacks in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : Top leader of pro-Taliban militants in Pakistan has directed his comrades "to immediately cease their activities" as the government inches toward signing a peace accord with the rebels, media reports said Thursday.
Baitullah Mehsud, the head of the country's umbrella militant group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), issued the orders Wednesday in pamphlets.
"He has warned that his directives should be complied with and those violating them will be publicly punished," read the order, which was published in several newspapers.
Two Turkish soldier killed in clash with PKK rebels
By Xinhua,
Ankara : Two Turkish soldiers were killed in an operation staged against the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party(PKK) in southeastern Turkey on Friday, the General Staff said in a statement.
Two soldiers were killed in a clash with PKK rebels in Mount Cudi region in southeastern province of Sirnak on Friday, said the statement.
Elections run-off begins
By NNN-IRNA,
Tehran : The 8th Majlis run-off elections started here at 54 constituencies at 08:00 am Tehran times on Friday.
Some 164 candidates run the race in 100 cities in 21 provinces to win 82 parliamentary seats.
The run-off elections will be held for 10 hours based on the law and the time would be extended if necessary.
Five countries voice readiness to invest in Iran
By NNN-IRNA,
Hamedan : Deputy Chairman of Trade Promotion Organisation of Iran Ali Houshmand Manesh said on Thursday that Iraq, Tajikistan, Sudan, Armenia and Russia have voiced readiness to invest and establish trade centers in Iran.
Speaking to IRNA during the current visit of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Hamedan province, he said the foreign countries have voiced readiness to invest in Iran and the Iranian officials are now reviewing their offers.
Gunfighting, explosion rock celebration gathering in Afghan capital
By Xinhua,
Kabul : Gunfighting and explosions rocked a celebration gathering in Afghan capital Kabul Sunday morning, casualties feared, a Xinhua reporter on the spot said.
The unexpected firing and blast at the function being held with presence of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and many top-rank officials had forced all the notables to move out of the scene. The president was safe after the attack.
Pakistan forces newspaper to print rebuttal
By IANS,
Islamabad : The information ministry has forwarded letters from two Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) supporters to an English newspaper and asked it to print them to rebut an article criticising party leader Asif Ali Zardari.
"In what is really unheard of, the press officer of the information ministry forwarded two letters of unknown PPP supporters to The News and asked for their publication as 'rebuttal' of my story 'Zardari exposed as Nawaz walks a tightrope' published in The News Saturday," author Ansar Abbasi wrote Sunday in an article headlined "A dubious defence".
WIEF Young Leaders Forum stresses need for guidance, skill development
By KUNA,
Kuwait : Participants in the Second World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Young Leaders Forum, stressed on Monday the importance of guiding youth and developing their skills so that they may best utilize their talents.
Chairman of the Mosaic Program of the Prince Charles Trust Fund, Mahmoud Atallah, said during the forum's session that many Muslim youth in the UK had been successful in their businesses, adding that the fund's programs helped many in identifying their points of strength and using them to set up their businesses.
IAEA deputy chief in Iran for more nuclear talks
By Xinhua,
Tehran : Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Olli Heinonen has arrived in Tehran for more talks over Tehran's nuclear program, Iran's Press TV satellite channel reported on Monday.
Heinonen is in Tehran once again to follow up on the talks he held with Iranian officials during a two-day official visit last week, the report said.
Kuwaiti crude price, main topic in electoral campaigners” agendas
By Ahmad Faraj, KUNA,
Kuwait : National Assembly elections 2008's campaigns referred to the economic state in the country, highlighting the record high prices of Kuwaiti crude, and the effects on the Kuwaiti people's living standards.
The discussion on economic worries in the country has lead to the reference to the price of Kuwaiti crude, which exceeded the USD 100 per barrel mark, questioning its effect on the Kuwaiti economy.
Palestinian petrol stations still on strike
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Palestinian gas union on Tuesday decided to keep on strike and not to receive restricted fuel shipments as long as Israel does not increase the amount of daily deliveries.
The Petrol Station Owners Association (PSOA) "still refuses to receive the reduced fuel shipments and refuses to run gas stations unless Israel makes a commitment allowing the delivery of all needed fuel shipments to the Gaza Strip," said Mahmoud al-Khozendar, vice-president of the association.
Malaysian opposition gears up to abolish preventive laws
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysia's opposition alliance has said it would move a motion for the abolition of the Internal Security Act (ISA) under which many people have been detained.
Opposition Leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail reiterated Wednesday what her husband and former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim had recently said: if brought to power, the opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat would end the ISA and other preventive laws
Wan Ismail joined various human rights groups that have urged the government to end the laws.
FA to prepare investment climate studies in Yemen
By NNN-SABA,
Sana'a : Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Abdul-Karim al-Arhabi held talks on Wednesday with a team from the International Finance Agency (IFA), which is authorized to prepare studies of the investment climate and promote investment projects in the country.
During the meeting, the minister pointed out that these studies come within the framework of the government's trends to develop investment environment in the country through investment promotion.
Four US marines killed in Iraq blast
By ANTARA News,
Baghdad : Four US marines were killed in a mine attack in western Iraq, the American military here said Sunday.
The victims were in a vehicle which was hit by an impovised explosive device in the Anbar province on Friday, the military said in a statement.
The names of the soldiers were being withheld until families could be informed, it added.
The latest deaths brought the number of US troops killed in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion to 4,071, according to an AFP count based on independent website www.icasualties.org.
Iraq to always remain sovereign – PM
By NNN-KUNA,
Baghdad : Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki has said that Iraq will not be influenced by any party and will always be independent, asserting that stability of the region will not materialise without Iraq's stability.
In a meeting with tribal elders in Karbala Sunday, Al-Maliki said Iraq respects its responsibilities and commitments towards the international community, and seeking good relations with neighbouring countries.
He called on the neighbouring countries to establish good relations with Iraq because Baghdad would always be strong, free and sovereign.
International community expected to support Iran’s nuclear right
By IRNA,
Tehran : Iran expects the international community to support Iranian nuclear rights, Majlis Vice-Speaker said on Tuesday.
Mohammad Hassan Abutorabi-Fard called on all independent states to support all nations rights to pursue nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
In a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Tehran, Xie Xiaoyan, Abutorabi-Fard outlined the latest developments in Iran's peaceful nuclear program.
He added that all world nations, including Iran, have right to produce nuclear energy for civilian utility within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Cuba Slams US-Israel Nuclear Bias
By Prensa Latina,
Geneva : Cuba is highly concerned with the US government double standard which supports a nuclear weapons program in Israel, while harassing certain countries safe nuclear energy programs.
Cuban delegate Camilo Garcia said the above Tuesday at Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) UN meeting in this city, adding that Washington's complicity is destructive for the stability in that zone.
Iraqi FM: U.S., Iran talks over Iraq’s security unlikely
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : A fourth round of talks between the United States and Iran over security in Iraq is unlikely to be held as tensions increased in the area recently, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said on Wednesday.
"We were unable to bring both sides to hold the fourth round of talks over Iraq because there is increased tension in the area," Zebari told reporters.
Oil reserves may not be as high as estimated, warns second district candidate
By KUNA,
Kuwait : Candidate running for the 2008 parliamentary elections in the second constituency, Mansour Muhareb, said Kuwait stood before a great challenge, that of the volume of oil reserves the country sat on.
Speaking at the inauguration of his campaigning headquarters in Abdullah Al-Salem Area Wednesday evening, he said there was speculation over the fact that Kuwait did have 99 billion barrels of reserve oil that would last 140 years, and that the number could in fact be much lower.
Four killed, 12 wounded in W. Beirut
By KUNA,
Beirut : At least four people were killed and another 12 were wounded on Saturday at a funeral in western Beirut, according to a military source.
The source told KUNA that armed men also cut off a number of roads in the capital.
Meanwhile, Lebanese security sources said armed confrontations broke out this morning between the pro-majority and opposition supporters in North Lebanon, leading to the death of at least five people.
The opposition also set an Armen radio station in Beirut on fire.
Fatah welcomes Hamas call for reconciliation
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement on Saturday welcomed Hamas' call for internal reconciliation, but still insisted on Hamas abandoning the rein of Gaza as a precondition for dialogue.
"The reconciliation is a national and a strategic necessity for the Palestinian people," said Qadoura Fares, a leading member of Fatah.
On Friday, exiled Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal called for dialogue and reconciliation during a speech he delivered in a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus.
Iran starts nuclear talks with IAEA
By SPA,
Tehran : Iran on Monday started nuclear talks with a delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Tehran, 'ISNA' news agency reported.
This round of talks is headed by Iran's IAEA envoy Ali-Asqar Soltanieh and IAEA regional Chief Herman Nackaerts and is being held at Iran's Atomic Energy Organization.
Kuwait”s Amir holds official talks with Romanian President
By KUNA,
Kuwait : His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at the presence of His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-JaberL Al-Sabah received on Monday at Bayan Palace visiting Romanian President Traian Basescu and the accompanying delegation.
Later, the two sides held the official talks. His Highness the Amir and HH the Crown Prince, along with high ranking state officials were the Kuwaiti side and the Romanian President and his accompanying delegation on the other.
Iran’s proposal package presented to Solana
By NNN-IRNA,
Brussels : Iran's Ambassador to Belgium on Tuesday, presented Tehran's package of proposals aimed at resolving the world problems to the European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana.
Ali Asghar Khaji told Solana that Iran's proposed package which contained solutions to the world political, security, economic and energy problems, will help make breakthrough to resolve international crises.
The Iranian envoy urged all world powers to find solutions to the current crises and help establish peace, stability and justice throughout the globe.
Arab delegation arrives Lebanon for mediating crisis
By Xinhua,
Beirut : An Arab delegation arrived in Beirut airport Wednesday to discuss with Lebanese rival leaders ways to end the Lebanese crisis which developed into sectarian violence inthe past days.
The delegation, which arrived at Rafik Hariri International Airport on board of a plane of Qatari Air, headed directly to Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri's mansion in Ain el-Tineh in Beirut.