Pakistani safe havens hinder Afghan war: US
By IANS,
Washington : Pakistani safe havens and corruption are two factors retarding the progress of NATO forces in Afghanistan, according to a senior US military commander.
Iran not to succumb under pressure in n-talks: Khamenei
Tehran: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that Tehran would not accept "unreasonable demands" by world powers during negotiations over its...
Latvia to ship supplies to US forces in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Riga : The US was set to open a new 4,000 km-long supply line to its forces in Afghanistan Wednesday with the planned departure of a freight train carrying US military supplies from the Latvian capital, Riga.
The precise departure date has not been made public, but the first trainload will leave within hours or days rather than weeks, according to unofficial sources and local media speculation.
Abbas urged Bush to bring about an end to Jewish settlements
By SPA,
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said after talks in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh he told US President George W Bush Jewish settlements should be halted and the 1967 border would have to be the basis of any agreement with Israel.
Speaking after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Abbas said there were serious efforts by all sides in the peace process to reach a Palestinian-Israeli agreement before the end of 2008.
Nawaz Sharif expresses concern over US drone strikes
By IANS,
Islamabad: Nawaz Sharif, who is set to become prime minister of Pakistan, Friday expressed strong reservations over US drone attacks inside Pakistani territory.
Floods destroy crops in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : The devastation caused by flash floods in Pakistan is likely to result in severe food shortage across the country in the next couple of months as crops spread over 10 million acres have been destroyed.
In Punjab alone, cotton, sugarcane and other crops worth more than Rs.80 billion have been destroyed because of flooding. Punjab, being the largest and most fertile province, is the largest food provider as well. In Sindh, crops have been completely washed away and the urban areas have already started feeling the pinch.
New US envoys to Mideast, Afghanistan and Pakistan announced
By Xinhua,
Washington : New US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Thursday announced the country's new envoys to Middle East, and Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Richard Holbrook, the former US Ambassador to UN, was named as special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan while former Senator George Mitchell was appointed special envoy to the Middle East.
IAEA clears all so-called ‘concerns,’ says Iran
By IRNA,
London : Iran has welcomed the clearing all outstanding issues with the International Atomic Energy Agency related to the country's civilian nuclear programme.
"Iran has removed any so-called 'concerns' or 'ambiguities' with regard to its peaceful nuclear activities in the past and at present," the Iranian Embassy in London said following the publication of the latest IAEA report on May 26.
Hashmi for restoration of deposed judges
By APP
Islamabad : Central Leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Makhdoom Javed Hashmi Tuesday said that restoration of deposed judges is the pre-condition for formation of a consensus government in the center. Javed Hashmi who won the national assembly seats from three constituencies was of the opinion that parties intending to form a coalition government at center will have to agree on the independence of judiciary and free media, Geo Television reported.
Pakistan’s Sharif’s party leading in elections
By IRNA
Islamabad : Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is leading in the parliamentary elections, initial unofficial results indicated Tuesday.
Pakistan Peoples Party is second in the race while the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League (Q) has secured third place in the results announced so far.
The Mutahida Qaumi Movement has showed good results in Karachi and the nationalist Awami national party has secured more seats in North West Frontier Province.
British PM slams Pakistan, demands it ‘take out’ Osama
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Sunday attacked the Pakistani leadership in exasperated tones, demanding that it "take out" Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman Zawahiri.
"The Pakistan government has started to take on the Taliban and to take on Al Qaeda in South Waziristan, but we have got to ask ourselves why, eight years after September 11, nobody has been able to spot or detain or get close to Osama bin Laden, nobody has been able to get close to Zawahiri, the number two of Al Qaeda," Brown told BBC television.
Pakistan, US spar over Coalition Support Fund
By IANS,
Islamabad : Differences have cropped up between Pakistan and the US over the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) to be released to this country and negotiations between the two countries on this Tuesday remained inconclusive.
Finance ministry sources told Online news agency that during negotiations between senior officials of the ministry and US embassy, it was stressed that $2 billion should be paid under the fund.
The US, however, said it would pay only $1.4 billion as the receipts received from the Pakistan Army showed a shortfall of $600 million dollars.
Photo exhibition opens on 2010 Pakistan floods
By IANS,
Islamabad : A photo exhibition is being held here to mark last year's devastating floods in Pakistan that impacted over 20 million people.
155 illegal immigrants detained in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur: About 155 illegal Uyghur immigrants, including 76 children, have been detained by the Malaysian authorities, a media report said Saturday.
Immigration officers raided...
Pakistan probes mystery of US Marines’ steel boxes in Marriott
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani authorities are trying to "solve the riddle" of US Marines and their mysterious steel cases that were shifted to the Marriott Hotel four days before it was razed in the worst terrorist attack in the federal capital, a media report Tuesday said.
"The authorities want to ascertain if it was a routine exercise or part of some special mission that does not have the approval of the government of Pakistan," The News said.
Saudi forces free German girls kidnapped in Yemen
By DPA,
Riyadh : Two German girls who were part of a group kidnapped in Yemen last year have been transferred to the Saudi authorities, a spokesperson for the Saudi interior ministry said Tuesday.
The two girls were found during a joint Yemeni-Saudi operation, spokesperson Mansour al-Turki told DPA.
"It was a secret security operation launched based on information acquired by the Saudi forces," al-Turki said.
UAE, New Zealand to boost ties
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and New Zealand Tuesday agreed to boost bilateral cooperation especially in the education sector.
Kim Mitsune, the New Zealand minister of trade, met Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, the director general of Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC).
Mitsune emphasized the keenness of the New Zealand government to further enhance the bilateral relations between New Zealand and UAE at all levels, especially in education.
Iraq law to help reconciliation with Saddam followers
By Xinhua
Baghdad : The Iraqi parliament has passed a bill easing restrictions on former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party.
The legislation, known as Accountability and Justice Law, was passed by parliament Saturday.
It has been pending before parliament since March because Shia members, particularly those loyal to the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, rejected the return of Baathists to public life.
The controversial law will allow thousands of former Baath Party members get government jobs, provided they are innocent of crimes against the Iraqis under Saddam's regime.
21 militants killed in Pakistan airstrikes
Islamabad : At least 21 suspected militants were killed in separate military airstrikes Sunday in North Waziristan and Khyber Agency, the Pakistan army said.
Two...
Dhaka opposition seeks probe against former caretaker government
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh's main opposition party has approached the UN seeking a probe against the previous caretaker government for alleged human rights abuses.
In a memorandum addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) alleged 'oppression' that led to the deaths of 40 "opposition leaders" and injuries to 2,500 political activists.
Wagah border attack mastermind killed
Islamabad : The mastermind of a suicide attack at the Wagah border crossing in November 2014 was killed Saturday along with two associates, a...
Dubai’s Moopen Group to invest $200 mn in Indian healthcare
By T.G. Biju, IANS,
New Delhi: Gulf-based healthcare tycoon Azad Moopen is investing over Rs.10 billion ($200 million) for setting up hospitals and eye-care centres across India, including his home state of Kerala.
"There is a huge opportunity in India. India will become one of the major powers in 25 years," said Moopen, who is the chairman of the Dubai-based Dr. Moopen group and the Kozhikode-based Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences.
Egypt court upholds 3-year jail sentence for activists
Cairo: An Egyptian court Monday upheld jailing three activists to three years for organising protests without permission.
Ahmed Maher, founder of the April 6 Movement,...
At least forty persons were killed in Pakistan
By SPA
Islamabad : At least forty persons were killed when a suicide bomber struck a gathering of tribal elders (Jirga) in Pakistan s tribal areas Sunday, police said.
More than thirty-five persons were wounded in the attack in village Zarghon of Darra Adamkhel where notables from five tribal clans had gathered. The suicide bomber attacked when the assembly had ended.
The injured persons were removed to hospitals in Peshawar and Kohat.
Afghan diplomat: regional forces will ompact Afghan security after US troop
By NNN-KUNA,
Washington : Afghanistan Ambassador to the US, Said Jawad said Friday regional factors will determine whether Afghan security forces are ready to take over security responsibility following the US troop surge.
"We are ready to take full responsibility of the security in Afghanistan," said Jawad in a statement. He highlighted that while Afghan security forces are already fighting alongside US and allied troops, but "they are not strong enough to take over unassisted".
Indians among expat workers stranded without pay in Riyadh
By IANS,
Dubai : Authorities in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh have directed police to expedite a case of 45 expatriate workers, including Indians, who have been stranded without pay for seven months.
The workers - mostly from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka - have alleged that the company they were employed with had asked them to work for an extra year after their contracts expired, held up their salaries for seven months and refused them exit visas, the Arab News reported.
US troops to pull out from Iraq by 2011 end
By IANS,
Washington : US President Barack Obama Friday announced that all US troops stationed in Iraq will pull out of that country by the end of this year.
13 militants killed in Nigeria
By IANS,
Abuja: At least 13 militants have been killed by Nigerian military, Xinhua reported Wednesday.
Tehran calls Israeli ground offensive ‘strategic mistake’
By DPA,
Tehran : Tehran Sunday called the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza Strip a "strategic mistake" and said Israel could never eliminate the Hamas group, ISNA news agency reported.
"The ground offensive by the Zionist regime (Israel) is a strategic mistake and the aim of eliminating Hamas is unachievable as Hamas is a nation and a nation can never be eliminated," Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted as saying in a telephone conversation with some of his European counterparts.
Supreme Leader hails brilliant achievements of Iranian youth
By IRNA,
Tehran : Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei hailed the brilliant achievements of the Iranian youth.
In a message to the Union of Islamic associations of Iranian students in the Indian peninsula on the occasion of its 25th establishment anniversary, the Supreme Leader said the Iranian nation was now investing even greater hope in its highly educated, brilliant youngsters than before seeing that they were conquering the new heights of success and supremacy everyday.
Indirect Israel-Palestine talks to resume Monday
Cairo : Egypt-brokered indirect talks between the Palestinian and Israeli sides is scheduled to resume Monday morning.
The talks are a fresh attempt to reach...
Three killed in Pakistan suicide bombing
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least three policemen were killed in a suicide bombing near a police station in Pakistan's Multan city Sunday, an officer said.
British soldier killed, one injured in Afghan explosion: ministry
By ANTARA News,
London : A British soldier died Monday when his vehicle apparently hit a mine in southern Afghanistan, the defence ministry in London said.
The soldier, from the Queen's Royal Lancers Regiment, was killed in the explosion at about 9:00 am local time as he provided security to a supply convoy returning to Britain's Camp Bastion base in Helmand province.
"The soldier was evacuated to the medical facility at Camp Bastion, but tragically was declared dead on arrival," a ministry spokesman was quoted by AFP as saying in a statement.
Iraq frees Saddam Hussein’s interior minister
By IANS,
Baghdad: Iraqi authorities have released the country's former interior minister Mohmoud Dhiyab al-Ahmed from prison, according to an official with Ministry of Justice.
Were seven PMs wrong in facilitating separatists’ talks: Yasin Malik
New Delhi: Claiming seven past Indian prime ministers had "facilitated" meetings between Kashmiri separatists and visiting Pakistani leaders in India, JKLF leader Yasin Malik...
US plane forced to land in Iran
By DPA,
Tehran : Iranian military jets forced a US Falcon plane with five senior US military officials on board to land in Iran, Fars news agency reported Tuesday.
The plane, which was coming from Turkey, had illegally entered Iranian airspace and was, therefore, forced by the Iranian jets to land at one of the country's airports.
The report did not say when and where the plane was forced to land.
Fars added that the five generals were interrogated by Iranian intelligence forces.
Embassy advises Kuwaitis in Lebanon to leave
By KUNA,
Beirut : The Kuwaiti Embassy in Beirut has advised its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country in light of the "extraordinary" circumstances taking place.
Kuwait's Charge d'Affaires Tareq Al-Hamad, in a statement to KUNA on Thursday, said the embassy had prepared an evacuation plan for Kuwaitis who wished to leave the country.
He called on all Kuwaitis in the country to call the embassy.
Iraq doesn’t need money but technical support – DPM
By NNN-KUNA,
Baghdad : Iraq is not in need of aid and financial donations but technical support to make good use of its resources, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh said.
"Iraq is a wealthy country and does not need financial aid but a geniune partnership with the international community to develop its capabilities and technical skills to invest its resources," Saleh told the opening session of the seventh round of the donor countries' conference, organised by one of the UN special committees, here Monday.
Ban on death penalty moratorium government’s negligence: Ex-judge
Peshawar : As the Pakistan government is wrapping up mercy appeals of convicts after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif revoked the moratorium on death penalty,...
Musharraf cancels visit to Turkey
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has canceled a scheduled visit to Turkey, local TV channel DAWN NEWS reported Friday.
The presidential spokesman Rashid Qureshi confirmed the cancellation of the visit but no specific reasons were given, said the report.
A local newspaper The News, however, reported Friday that Musharraf decided to postpone the visit following the unpredictable changes taking place in the political scenario of the country for the past many days.
Egyptian troops move to close Gaza border
By Xinhua
Cairo : Egyptian border guards on Friday moved to close the Egyptian-Gaza borders as more Palestinians gathered at the border town of Rafah, the pan-Arab television al-Jazeera reported.
Egyptian security forces announced by loudspeaker on the Egyptian side of Rafah on Friday that the borders with Gaza would be closed from 1300 GMT, said the report.
Small scale violence has erupted between Egyptian riot police and Palestinians at the border town as some Palestinians hurled stones at the Egyptian troops.
Pakistani umpire critically injured in Lahore attack
By IANS,
Lahore : Former Pakistan Test cricketer Ahsan Raza, who was the reserve umpire for the Pakistan-Sri Lanka series, was critically injured in the attacks on the Sri Lankan team here Tuesday morning, TV reports said.
Raza, a former spinner, had played nine Tests and 49 One-day Internationals. He recently turned an international umpire.
Raza was traveling in the umpires' van that was going with the Sri Lankan team bus to the Gaddafi Stadium for the third day's play of the second Test when the caravan came under fire from unidentified gunmen.
Lebanese Christian gathers to oppose U.S. foreign policy
By Xinhua,
Beirut : A national Christian gathering was launched to voice opposition to the U.S. foreign policy instead of "the American people" at the call of Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun, local As-Safir daily reported Saturday.
Around 150 Lebanese Christian political, economic and social figures convened to declare the birth of a Christian front, National Christian Gathering (NCG).
"Disagreement with the U.S. administration does not mean enmity with the American people," said Aoun, who is heading the gathering.
AMU students protest against genocide in Gaza
By TCN News,
Aligarh: A Protest march was organised last Friday by Students of Aligarh Muslim University and Resident Doctor’s Association, JNMC AMU against the invasion of Israel on Gaza and to support the legitimate struggle of the people of Palestine. Thousands of the people marched from Jamia Masjid Sir Syed Hall AMU to Bab e Syed to condemn the peoples massacre in Palestine.
Islamac Action Front in Lebanon criticizes Walsh statements on Doha agreement
By NNN-SANA,
Beirut : The Islamic Action Front (IAF) in Lebanon strongly criticized the latest statements of Assistant US Secretary of State David Walsh statements on Doha Agreement in which he claimed that Doha agreement on Lebanon was only a truce or a breath-taking period.
The IAF said in a statement on Saturday that events had proved to the local, Arab and foreign that the US Administration were to blame for all of "our catastrophes and disasters in Lebanon and the Middle East.
No troops deployment in Gilgit-Baltistan, says China
By IANS,
Beijing/New Delhi : China has dismissed reports of the deployment of around 11,000 troops in the Gilgit area of Pakistan-controlled-Kashmir, saying they were fabricated stories designed to adversely impact Beijing's ties with New Delhi.
"We believe the attempts of some people to fabricate stories to provoke China-Pakistan or China-India relations are doomed to fail," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu in a brief statement late Wednesday night, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Hasina government image dips over prices, graft
By IANS,
Dhaka : The popularity of the Bangladesh government led by Sheikh Hasina has taken a beating over price rise, power shortage and perceptions of graft, a survey conducted on completion of her 18 months in office said.
The prime minister's popularity has dipped, although nearly a half (49 percent) of the 3,000 people surveyed preferred her than to her rival, former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
India wants ‘actual action’ from Pakistan: Shivshankar Menon
By IANS,
New Delhi : India is no longer interested in words or mechanisms but wants "actual action" from Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said here Monday.
Menon, who described the Mumbai terror strike as amounting to a "commando attack", told a press conference: "We are no longer interested in words, in mechanisms; we want actual actions against perpetrators."
"We don't think there is any such thing as a non-state actor," Menon said categorically, in a reference to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari labelling the terrorists as non-state actors.
Israeli envoy in Turkey summoned
By DPA,
Istanbul: Israel's ambassador to Turkey has been asked to explain recent remarks made by his country's defence minister regarding concerns he has about Turkey's new intelligence chief, Turkish officials said Tuesday.
Envoy Gaby Levy was summoned Monday to the Turkish foreign ministry.
In remarks made at a July 25 closed-door meeting of party activists, Defence Minister Ehud Barak said he is concerned that Hakan Fidan, who was appointed to head Turkey's National Intelligence Organisation in May, is a "friend of Iran".
Pakistan spy chief briefs lawmakers on horrors of Taliban threat
By DPA,
Islamabad : Taliban militants are using children as fighters and suicide bombers, Pakistan's new spy chief told lawmakers in a rare briefing on threats posed by Islamic militants in the country's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), media reports and officials said Thursday.
Militants are brainwashing innocent children to use them for killing people, Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, who was appointed director general of the military's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) last week, told the closed-door joint session of parliament's upper and lower houses the previous day.
Etihad Airways in code-share pact with Malaysia Airlines
By IANS,
Dubai : In order to give its passengers greater access to destinations in Asia, Etihad Airways - the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) - has entered into a code-share agreement with Malaysia Airlines.
Under the deal, Etihad will place its two-letter 'EY' code on Malaysia Airlines' flights between Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur and the popular islands of Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Kuching and Langkawi, according to an Etihad statement.
Israeli parliament moves ahead bill against compensation for Palestinians
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israeli Knesset (parliament) on Tuesday approved in the first reading a controversial bill that would ban Palestinians from claiming compensation for harm suffered in Israel's anti-terror military operations, local daily Ha'aretz reported.
Two more readings need to be passed before the second so-called "Intifada Law" would become effective, which is aimed to exempt Israel from liability for damage caused by its troops in what is termed enemy territory.
Taliban true followers of Islamic ideology: Pakistan minister
By IANS,
Islamabad : The Taliban are "the true followers of Islamic ideology", says a Pakistan minister who also believes that "America is the biggest terrorist of the world".
US Mideast Envoy Talks Gaza Truce
By Prensa Latina,
Amman : The US envoy for the Middle East George Mitchell discussed Saturday consolidation of a long truce in Gaza with the Jordan King Addulah II who demanded from Washington a real commitment in the regional peace process.
Mitchell, recently appointed special envoy to the mideast by US President Barack Obama, was in the Jordan capital finishing a tour that covered Egypt, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
America Insincere In Resolving North Korea Nuclear Issue, Seminar Told
By Bernama
Kuala Lumpur : The United States is actually not sincere in resolving the North Korea nuclear issue, allowing the matter to prolong up to today, a seminar was told Friday.
Head of the Department of East Asian Studies, University of Malaya, Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Nasrudin Mohd Akhir said Washington had been insincere in the matter from the beginning and that many pledges such as energy aid to North Korea were not fully honoured.
Iraq exhumes 470 bodies from mass graves
Baghdad : Iraqi authorities have exhumed the remains of some 470 people believed to be soldiers executed by Islamic State (IS) militants near the...
Hasina agrees to forego medical treatment abroad
By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in jail on corruption charges and ailing for long, has agreed to be treated in a hospital here instead of going abroad.
Her supporters fear that she may not be allowed to return, as had been attempted in April last year, once she leaves the country.
Through her lawyer, Hasina Tuesday told a court that she is willing to be treated at a local hospital. Her trial in a graft case has been postponed to Feb 26.
Shoaib Malik’s image will be tainted, feels Akram
By IANS,
New Delhi : Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram feels that all juicy news about Shoaib Malik's past relationship with an Indian girl will harm the Pakistani cricketer's image.
"Pakistan cricket continues to intrigue me. Quite a few things are making headlines and unfortunately, almost all for the wrong reasons! First up, many congratulations to Shoaib Malik, although the juicy news about his previous relationship will do him no good," Akram, bowling coach of Kolkata Knight Riders, wrote in his column in ESPNStar.com.
Iraq sentences seven to death
By IANS,
Baghdad : A court in Iraq Tuesday sentenced seven people to death for their involvement in killing 22 Shia Muslims in 2011, Xinhua reported.
US sanctions A.Q. Khan network; lawmaker seeks more action
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : An influential US lawmaker has demanded action to prevent a new nuclear blackmarket as Washington announced sanctions on notorious Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan and 12 others involved in his busted proliferation network.
"These sanctions, though belated, are welcome," said Howard Berman, Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, noting: "Those involved in the A.Q. Khan nuclear black market are party to the worst proliferation of nuclear equipment and technology in history."
Strong quake rocks Indonesia’s Sulawesi island
By DPA,
Jakarta: A magnitude-6.1 earthquake rocked Indonesia's Sulawesi island Friday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The quake struck at 2.33 am (1833 GMT Thursday) at a depth 10 km, the USGS said. Its epicentre was located 216 km northeast of Baubau town in South East Sulawesi province, the USGS said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
A magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck Indonesia's West Sumatra province Sep 30, leaving 1,117 people dead and more than 100,000 buildings severely damaged or destroyed.
Pakistan sets up special fund for quake-hit Nepal
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has set up a special relief fund for the quake-hit people of Nepal, a top official said...
UN agency holds Gaza’s first-ever marathon
By IANS,
Gaza : About 1,500 professional and amateur runners took part in the first-ever Gaza Marathon in a bid to raise fund for a UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees, Xinhua reported.
Two Israeli soldiers indicted for actions during Gaza offensive
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : Israeli military prosecutors indicted two Israeli soldiers Thursday for allegedly ordering a Palestinian child to open bags suspected of containing explosives, during Israel's Gaza Strip offensive last year, a military statement said.
The statement said that while searching a building in Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood, the two soldiers ordered the child to open bags thought to be booby-traps.
Saudi Arabia cracks down on IS-linked terror
Riyadh : In a significant crackdown on the Islamic State and its affiliates, Saudi security agencies have arrested nearly 100 people linked to the...
Palestinian activist killed in Israeli air-strike on Gaza Strip
By KUNA,
Ramallah : An activist of Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, was killed in an Israeli air-strike on Al-Shuhada Square in Jabalya refugee camp, north Gaza Strip, Tuesday evening.
An Israeli gunship fired a missile at Abdullah Al-Ghosain, who was riding a motorbike, killing him on the spot.
The attack injured three passersby, according to local meditcal sources.
The gunships of the Israeli occupation forces targeted a gathering in Beit Lahya last night, killing a Palestinian citizen and injuring four others.
Dhaka wants task force to prevent terror funding
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh has said it would like the anti-terrorism task force, which it wants to set up with its neighbours, to prevent funding of militant bodies.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government will discuss how to strengthen its effort in tackling financial supports to extremists and combating terrorism, Minister of State for Home Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj said Friday.
Taj did not elaborate on the proposal that has been broadly discussed with India, the US and some other countries.
Hindus in Pakistan celebrate Dussehra
By IANS,
Islamabad : Hindus in Lahore city of Punjab province celebrated Dussehra Sunday with pomp and pageantry.
Another Five US Casualties in Iraq
By Prensa Latina
Baghdad : The US Central Command in Iraq reported on Sunday another five casualties among its troops, one of them lethal, in a roadside bomb explosion in Ninive province, northern Iraq.
According to a brief release, the soldiers were fulfilling a mission in an area of that troubled region when a vehicle hit the explosive device.
Washington has lost 19 troops in Iraq since the beginning of this year; ten of them have been killed in the Phantom Phoenix Operation, which is aimed at neutralizing the resistance.
Bush ‘understands’ Iraq’s concerns over security pact: Iraq
By DPA,
Baghdad : US President George Bush told Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari that he understood the ongoing disagreements in Iraq over a bilateral deal on US military presence in the country, a foreign ministry statement said Thursday.
In a meeting with Zebari in Washington, Bush expressed "US respect for Iraq's sovereignty and the will of its people," a statement issued by Iraq's foreign ministry said.
UAE participates in GCC-Russian talks over Syria
By IANS/WAM,
Riyadh : The United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Russia have held talks over the persisting situation in Syria.
Three PKK members surrender in Turkey
By Xinhua
Ankara : Three members of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) surrendered to Turkish security forces in the southeastern province of Sirnak, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported on Sunday.
Three PKK members who escaped from their bases in northern Iraq turned themselves in to the security forces at Turkey's Haburborder pass, said the report, quoting military sources, adding that the number of PKK members surrendered to the security forces within the last 30 days increased to 24.
Bush, Maliki, agree on ‘time horizon’ for US troop cut
By AFP,
Tucson, Arizona : US President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki have agreed to set a "time horizon" for US troop withdrawals as part of a long-term security pact, the White House said Friday.
But any reduction in the US force presence "would be based on continued improving conditions on the ground and not an arbitrary date for withdrawal," spokeswoman Dana Perino said in a statement.
ISI, Kabul mission blast to figure in talks with Pakistan
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : India and Afghanistan are expected to raise with Pakistan the bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul as well as the activities of that country's spy agency ISI during the 15th SAARC summit in Colombo, an official said here.
Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, who left for Colombo Friday to attend the SAARC summit, is expected to meet his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh and Afghan President Hamid Karzai on the sidelines of the summit with a view to reinvigorate the ongoing peace process, the official said.
Abducted UN official released in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : A United Nations official who was abducted in Pakistan more than two months ago was released Saturday, a media report said.
The kidnappers said they had released John Solecki, chief of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Quetta city, on humanitarian grounds, private TV channel Dawn News said.
Solecki would be sent to a hospital first and flown to the capital Islamabad later.
UN chief slams terrorist attacks in Egypt
United Nations: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has lashed out at recent terrorist attacks in Egypt, saying that there can be no justification for acts...
Fresh Israeli airstrike kills Jihad militant
By Xinhua,
Gaza : An Islamic Jihad (Holy War) militant was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli aerial attack on a car he drove southeast of Gaza City, medics and witnesses reported.
Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency in the Gaza-run Hamas ministry of health told reporters that Ali Dahdouh, 26, was killed after an Israeli missile hit his car he was driving southeast of Gaza City.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, a 13-year-old child was killed and two other civilians were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia.
Iraq: normalcy returns to Sadr City as ceasfire holds
By NNN-IRIN,
Baghdad : Residents of Baghdad's mainly Shia district of Sadr City are breathing a sigh of relief as a ceasefire between Shia militiamen loyal to Moqtada al-Sadr and US-backed government forces has brought to an end seven weeks of clashes that left daily life all but paralysed.
Schools, government offices and businesses have re-opened, mine clearing operations have begun and aid teams are bringing much needed relief items to those who had been cut off.
US tightens Iran’s access to international finance
By DPA,
Washington : The US has moved to cut off all Iranian transactions routed through US banks to further tighten sanctions over the Islamic state's nuclear and other illicit activities, the US Treasury Department has announced.
Iranian banks and other institutions could previously send transactions through US banks as long as they were initiated by a non-Iranian or American bank outside the US and ended in a non-Iranian or American bank outside the US.
Peshawar students battle shock, trauma
Islamabad : Five days after terrorists massacred over 140 students and teachers in a Peshawar school, the Pakistani city remains in a state of...
Bangladeshi couple jailed for 37 years
By IANS,
Dhaka : The leader of a banned Islamist outfit in Bangladesh and his wife were Sunday sentenced to 37 years in prison for possessing weapons and bullets.
Germany to Send More Mil in Afghanistan
By Prensa Latina,
Berlin : German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung announced the increase of its 1,500 military in Afghanistan with 1,000 fresh troops to reinforce security.
In a release issued in Berlin, Jung –that enjoys Legislative support- said the new troops will help meet the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) tasks under NATO command.
The decision meets advice from Germany’s Armed Forces General Inspector Wolfgang Schneiderhan who urged for the increase to meet ISAF tasks like troop safety and training 7,000 local soldiers.
Clashes erupt in Lebanon
By DPA,
Beirut : Clashes erupted Wednesday evening in the northern port city of Tripoli between followers of Lebanon's parliamentary majority and others loyal to the Hezbollah-led opposition, leaving eight people wounded, Lebanese police said.
The violence started when a rocket-propelled grenade hit Al Ashkar cafe in the Jabal Mohsen neighborhood, followed by a hand grenade that was tossed near Al Nassri mosque in Tripoli's Bab al-Tabaneh, the police said.
Eight people were injured and were taken to a nearby hospital in the Jabal Mohsen area, the police added.
Pakistan condemns reprinting of blasphemous cartoons by Danish media
By KUNA
Islamabad : Pakistan Wednesday strongly condemned the republication of sacrilegious cartoons in the Danish newspapers and said that it has deeply offended Muslims feelings and sentiments across the world.
"No civilized society should allow disrespect of the belief system of other communities", said foreign office in a statement.
Such acts incited the already growing Islamophobia in Europe and undermined the efforts being carried out by the groups that were trying to bridge the gap between civilizations, it added.
Modi leaves for SAARC Tuesday, meeting with Sharif not ruled out
New Delhi : A likely meeting between Prime Minster Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the SAARC summit...
Yemen’s Shia group announces formation of presidential council
Sanaa : The Shia Houthi group announced Friday the formation of a presidential council to take over power from the presidency, a move that...
Three US Troops Killed in Iraq
By Prensa Latina
Baghdad : Three US soldiers have been killed in Iraq in clashes with resistance forces in Baghdad and Diyala province over the past 48 hours, the occupation command reported.
A communiqué issued on Thursday said that two soldiers were shot to death during an operation in Diyala, in northwestern Iraq.
Another soldier was wounded and was transferred to a US military hospital, added the press release, which did not reveal names.
Hezbollah prisoners freed in exchange for dead Israeli soldiers
By AFP,
Beirut : Five Lebanese prisoners freed by Israel arrived to a hero's welcome in Lebanon Wednesday, hours after Hezbollah handed over the bodies of two Israeli soldiers seized by its guerrillas two years ago.
Among those freed in a prisoner swap greeted with triumph in Lebanon but anguish in Israel was Samir Kantar, who was sentenced to five life terms for a 1979 triple murder, including of a child.
30 kidnapped in Pakistan’s tribal region
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least 30 people, including a number soldiers, were held hostage by Toori tribe in northwestern Pakistan tribal region on Monday, local media reported.
The 30 people, including some paramilitary Frontier Corps soldiers, were kidnapped by Toori tribe in Pakistan's Kurram tribal agency, private Dawn News TV channel said.
The cause for the kidnapping is yet unknown.
The kidnapping came as the Pakistani government has launched a military operation against militants in the tribal regions.
Voting ends in Afghan parliamentary elections
By DPA,
Kabul: Voting ended Saturday afternoon in Afghanistan's parliamentary election, the second in the country's recent history.
Kashmir solution imperative: Pakistani PM
By IANS,
Kathmandu: Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Monday reiterated that a solution of the Kashmir dispute was imperative, adding that until it is resolved amicably, peace cannot be restored in South Asia.
Speaking to reporters on board his special aircraft on his way to Thimpu for the SAARC summit, he said the need of the hour was for the leaders of Pakistan and India to resume the sub-continental dialogue process "as due to the Mumbai terror attacks, talks were not possible in an harmonious manner but now things have changed".
Modi-led NDA govt veering away from hyped development agenda: SDPI chief A Saeed
India Social Forum (ISF) launched at Kuwait
By TCN News,
Kuwait: Expressing serious concern over the BJP’s Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre in India, A Saeed, national president, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), blamed it for veering away from the hyped development agenda on which it was propelled to power in the 2014 general elections.
British ‘Islamic fighter’ killed in Syria
London : A young man from the British port city of Portsmouth who went to fight in Syria for the Islamic State (IS) terrorist...
Coalition partners meeting on July 23-24: Pakistani PM Gilani
By NNN-APP,
Lahore : Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that a meeting of coalition partners is being convened on July 23 and 24 in Islambad to evolve consensus strategy to deal with a handful elements involved in terrorist activities and creating law and order situation in the country.
100 Arab Political Parties Condemn US Threats Against Iran
Amman, Feb 14 (Bernama) -- Secretariat of Arab parties, an umbrella group with 100 Arab political parties condemned the United States and the Zionist regime's threats against Iran.
In the statement, a copy of which was faxed to Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Bureau here, the secretariat underlined the necessity of closing of foreign military bases in Arab lands to guarantee complete independence of Arab countries.
The secretariat, based in Amman, also condemned assassination of Imad Mughnieh, one of top commanders of Lebanon Hezbollah.
Israeli jets raid Gaza targets
By IANS,
Gaza : Israeli airplanes struck several targets in the Gaza Strip, apparently in response to the injury of two soldiers by Palestinian militants.
Witnesses said that the air strikes destroyed two smuggling tunnels beneath Gaza's southern border with Egypt late Tuesday. Medical sources said there were no casualties in these raids, Xinhua reported .
Israeli aircraft bomb Gaza targets
By ANTARA,
Gaza City : Israeli aircraft on Sunday bombed an empty police station in central Gaza and tunnels along the Hamas-ruled enclave's southern border with Egypt, witnesses said.
There were no reports of casualties in the strikes on the police station and the tunnels, used for importing weapons and goods from Egypt into the Gaza Strip where Israel enforces a punishing blockade.
An Israeli security official said "the air force has carried out several strikes across the Gaza Strip," which is ruled by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
Iranian minister nomination spurs protests in Argentina
By DPA,
Buenos Aires : The nomination of Ahmad Vahidi to head the Iranian Defence Ministry spurred protests in Argentina, where Justice officials have accused him of being involved in the 1984 bombing of the Jewish mutual association AMIA, which left 85 dead.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Thursday sought parliamentary approval for his 21-member cabinet, which includes Vahidi, ISNA news agency reported. Parliament is to start debating the new appointees Aug 30.
Bush completes Mideast trip in Egypt with commitments to regional peace
By Xinhua
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt : U.S. President George W. Bush ended his Mideast tour on Wednesday in the Egyptian Red Sea resort Sharm el-Sheikh as both the United States and the northern African country made more commitments to promote the Mideast peace process.
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt : U.S. President George W. Bush ended his Mideast tour on Wednesday in the Egyptian Red Sea resort Sharm el-Sheikh as both the United States and the northern African country made more commitments to promote the Mideast peace process.
Iran, Bolivia analising progress in energy cooperation
By NNN-Prensa Latina
La Paz : An Iranian governmental delegation begins a visit to Bolivia on Wednesday, to analyse the development of bilateral agreements in energy.
About 14 technicians headed by ambassador Ali Eslamian Koupaei will be welcomed today by Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca, and meet with President Evo Morales, according to the agenda.
The Iranian officials are looking at the agreements signed in La Paz last September between Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, and his Bolivian counterpart.
UK city council condemns Israeli attack on Gaza flotilla
London June 30, IRNA -- Bristol City Council in west England has voted to condemn Israel for its masked commando attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, killing at least nine humanitarian activists in international waters.
The motion also called on the UK government to "hold Israel to account for this illegal action" and to impose sanctions on the country until it "complies with international law and ceases perpetrating human rights abuses".
Truck bomb attack kills 25 in Iraq
By DPA,
Baghdad : At least 25 people were killed when a truck packed with explosives detonated outside a mosque near the disputed northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk Saturday, the police said.
At least 110 others were wounded in the blast outside the Shia Rasul mosque in Taza, some 30 km south of Kirkuk, police in Kirkuk told DPA.
Police added that the explosion caused "severe damage" to the mosque and nearby buildings, and that casualties were still arriving at hospitals in Kirkuk.
Taza is predominantly populated by members of Iraq's Turkoman minority.
UAE, South Korea keen on new business deals
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and South Korea are interested in bilateral investment in the fields of energy, education, telecommunications and information technology.
Syrian official denies plans to host Russian missiles
By DPA,
Damascus : A Syrian official Friday denied media reports that the country has agreed to host Russian missiles in an effort to counter the planned deployment of a US missile shield in Eastern Europe.
"What was reported by some media with regard to Syria's agreement on deploying Iskander missiles in its territories are baseless," he told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
The official, who was not named in the report, said no such issue was discussed at all during talks this week between Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Seven killed as building collapses in Rawalpindi
By Xinhua
Islamabad : Seven people were killed and many others injured when a building collapsed in Pakistan' garrison city of Rawalpindi, local TV channel Dawn News reported Sunday.
A four-storey building, which was used to house firecrackers, collapsed after fire crackers burst near Thana Gunj Mandi, said the report.
The injured have been rushed to medical centres after the collapse. Rescue teams have reached the site to look for survivors.
ISAF declares killing 19 militants in central Afghanistan
By KUNA,
Kabul : Troops from the Afghan and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) engaged and killed 19 militants in an overnight clash in central Afghanistan, the military said on Saturday.
The Afghan and international forces went on the offensive against "terrorists" in Wardak province, located some 35 kilometres south of Kabul, said a statement. "The fighting continued through the night, resulting in killing of 19 terrorists by small-arms fire, heavy weapons and helicopters," it added.
Pakistani lawyers protest, claim 19 missing after violence
By DPA
Karachi : Hundreds of lawyers in Pakistan's port city boycotted courts and held protest rallies Friday over Wednesday's clashes that left over a dozen dead, including seven attorneys who were burnt to death.
The rallies and protests were part of a countrywide boycott called by the Pakistan Bar Association, which declared a three-day mourning over the tragic Karachi events Wednesday.
Hasina moves house after death threats
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has moved residence and curtailed her movements after international intelligence agencies warned of a possible threat to her life.
Some of her official programmes were curtailed Friday and she moved to the state guest house Jamuna from Sudha Sadan, her private home in a residential area, for better protection, The Daily Star newspaper said Saturday.
Sarkozy seeks Syria’s role in solving Iran’s nuclear dispute
By Xinhua,
Damascus : Visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday called on Syria to play a role in solving Iran's nuclear dispute with the West.
"Syria can play a role in Iran's nuclear issue. Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons, ... but it has the right of peaceful use of the nuclear energy," Sarkozy said at a joint press conference following talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.
Corruption is like cancer, cut it out: Pakistani daily
By IANS,
Islamabad : Corruption is like cancer that has to be cut out from the society, a Pakistani daily said Friday after the Supreme Court stated that corrupt officials should be sacked.
Pakistani man to donate money to quake-hit families
By IANS,
Islamabad: A Pakistani philanthropist has said he would provide Rs. 10,000 in cash to every family affected by the Jan 19 earthquake in Balochistan.
US, Britain seek Dhaka’s help to recover $200 mn in kickbacks
By IANS,
Dhaka : The US and Britain have sought Bangladesh's assistance in their bid to recover $200 million allegedly paid in kickbacks to former prime minister Khaleda Zia's son Arafat Rahman Koko and some ministers.
A delegation comprising the US Justice Department's deputy chief Linda M. Samuel, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Deborah Heprevotte and UK Institute of Management consultant Ferdous Ahmed made the request for help at a meeting with Law Minister Shafique Ahmed.
Somali MP shot dead
By IANS,
Mogadishu: Unidentified gunmen have shot dead a member of the new Somali parliament, Xinhua reported
Car bombing in Iraq kills 16
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : At least 16 people were killed and 35 injured Thursday in a car bomb explosion in northern Baghdad, an Iraqi interior ministry source said.
The bomb blast took place close to a market.
Sanctions can do nothing to Iranian nation – President Ahmadinejad
By NNN-IRNA,
Tehran : President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday in the northeastern city of Bojnourd that the Western governments should know that imposition of sanctions can do nothing to Iranian nation.
Addressing a large group of people of North Khorassan province, he said the advocates of liberalism and democracy think that the Iranian nation would retreat from its inalienable rights.
Four killed in a blast in Syria
Damascus: At least four people were killed and nine others were injured Saturday when a car bomb exploded near an aid convoy in the...
India’s info on Saeed ‘sketchy’: Pakistan
By NNN-PTI,
Islamabad : Pakistan on Saturday said the information given by India on JuD chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed's involvement in the Mumbai attacks is "sketchy" and will not hold in court to prosecute him.
"The information we have received (from India) is sketchy," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters here.
The minister also ruled out extraditing Saeed to India.
"We need statements of forensic experts and authentic mobile reports reestablishing connection of terrorists with militants. We need more information from India to make our case solid," he said.
Senior Islamic Party official assassinated in Iraq
By DPA,
Baghdad : A senior figure of Iraq's Islamic Party was shot in an apparent assassination in the northern province of Mosul, a party spokesman said Thursday
Unknown gunmen killed Mahmoud Younis and one of his companions.
Younis had been on his way to work in the province some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital, Mohammed Shakir al-Ghannam told the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency.
The Islamic Party is part of Iraqi's Sunni parliamentary bloc.
Pakistan is largest CNG user in the world
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan is the largest user of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for running automobiles in the world and is way ahead of India, a media report said Friday.
BNP government involved in grenade attacks: Bangladesh premier
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accused the previous government led by rival Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of being "involved in all grenade attacks" during its rule.
She made the accusation Friday as the nation observed the completion of five years of a grenade attack on her political rally Aug 21, 2004, investigations into which are still underway.
US, EU do plain talking with Dhaka on democracy
By IANS,
Dhaka : The US Friday told Bangladesh's caretaker government that it would not accept "any deviation" from the December timetable for free and fair elections to restore democracy.
It also said that the state of national emergency, in force since January last year, with a blanket ban on political activity, must end early.
The European Union (EU), among the major donors assisting Bangladesh, too has said that foreign investors would stay away as long there was no democracy and political stability.
Illegal Phensedyl manufacturing unit busted near Bangladesh border
Kolkata : The Border Security Force on Friday arrested a man for running an illegal unit manufacturing Phensedyl syrup near the Bangladesh border in...
Is Indian help needed for transport infrastructure? Bangladesh debates
By IANS,
Dhaka : The debate over providing access to India to help reach its northeast region has intensified in Bangladesh as the South Asian neighbours prepare for a summit level meeting between their leaders this month.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni's talks with the Indian leadership last month have paved the ground for the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, likely later this month, reported the New Age newspaper.
Israeli soldiers killed in ambush — Islamic Jihad
By KUNA,
Gaza : Several Israeli soldiers were reportedly killed early Saturday in northern Gaza Strip by activists of Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad.
In a statement, the brigades said its activists ambushed Israeli soldiers stationed at one of the houses in Beit Lahiya, close to the American School, killing several troops and wounding others.
It said the activists used RPGs, hand grenades and other weapons in the attack, and were able to withdraw from the area safely.
Mideast Quartet to meet in Berlin to talk peace efforts
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The "Quartet" of mediators in the Middle East conflict will meet in Berlin on Tuesday to discuss the latest peace efforts in the region, Russia's Foreign Ministry said.
The United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations will focus on peace talks underway between the Israelis and Palestinians, including a ceasefire agreement between Tel Aviv and the radical Islamic group Hamas, which came into force on Thursday.
Musharraf eighth worst dictator in world: Parade magazine
By IANS
New York : Pakistan's beleaguered President Pervez Musharraf has been named the eighth worst dictator in the world by the widely circulated Parade magazine here.
Kim Jong-Il of North Korea tops the magazine's annual World's Worst Dictators list for "running the most isolated, repressive regime in the world".
At number two is Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan. "Under Bashir's rule, the Darfur region of Sudan continues to be the site of a violent power struggle among government forces and allied militia, rebels and bandits," the magazine says in its latest edition.
Pakistan launches indigenous armed drone
Islamabd : Pakistan launched an indigenously developed armed drone on Friday, test-firing laser-guided missiles, the military said.
The "Burraq and Barq" drone, which has impressive...
Supreme Leader says Muslims never falter in spotting their true enemies
By IRNA,
Tehran : Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Sunday that Muslims would never falter in identifying the main causes of any disagreement among themselves.
Iran to hold missile drill
Tehran, July 2 (IANS) Iran will begin a three-day missile defence exercise Monday, the military said.
The exercise dubbed "Great Prophet 7" will be conducted by the aerospace division of the
60 Bangladeshis arrested in UAE
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : Sixty Bangladeshi workers have been arrested here in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after their employers declared them absconders.
The workers were hiding in an apartment building in the Nadi Siyahi area when they were caught Wednesday on charges of violating labour and residency laws, the ministry of interior said.
Palestinian factions bicker over Sanaa accord
By KUNA
Gaza : The Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas has rejected anew statements by some officials of the Palestinian Authority considering the recently-brokered conciliation accord between Hamas and Fatah as an accord that should be followed by implementation.
Such statements breach the Sanaa declaration that explicitly stipulates that the Yemeni initiative constitutes a framework for dialogue, Hamas said on Wednesday in a statement, particularly alluding to a statement, made by Nabil Amr, the advisor of the Palestinian president, in this respect.
Germany recognizes Kosovo as sovereign state
By IRNA
Berlin : Germany on Wednesday extended diplomatic recognition to Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia on Sunday.
The decision which was widely expected, was made at a routine weekly cabinet meeting in Berlin.
The recognition of Kosovo has to be signed by President Horst Koehler before officially taking effect.
Koehler was scheduled to send a diplomatic note, stating Germany's official recognition of Kosovo, to Kosovar President Fatmir Sejdiu in Pristina.
Berlin has also offered full diplomatic relations with Kosovo.
Two NATO soldiers killed in blast in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : Two NATO soldiers were killed and two others were wounded in a blast in southern Afghanistan Wednesday, the alliance said.
Another two soldiers were wounded in the explosion, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement.
The ISAF said the wounded soldiers were transported to a NATO military hospital where they are being treated.
The statement did not disclose the nationalities of the soldiers, citing the ISAF policy that does not release the nationalities of casualties prior to the relevant national authority doing so.
Senior woman official shot dead in Afghanistan
By IANS,
Kabul : Najia Siddiqi, a senior official, was shot dead Monday in Afghanistan's Laghman province, the authorities said.
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza Strip kills one militant
By Xinhua
Gaza : One Palestinian was killed and three were wounded on Wednesday night in a series of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza Strip, medics, security sources and witnesses said.
Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services in the Palestinian ministry of health said on telephone that one Palestinian was killed and two were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on northern Gaza Strip.
University of Kashmir signs MOU with Iran Culture House
By AIP Bureau
Srinagar: One day International seminar to deliberate on life and works of Syed Abul Hassan Hafizian , a Sufi Saint in Kashmir was organized on Tuesday by Department of Persian, University of Kashmir in collaboration with Iran Culture House, New Delhi. The event marked the commencement of silver jubilee celebrations of the PG Department of Persian of the Varsity.
Pakistan Army kills 31 militants
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least 31 militants have been killed in latest operations carried out by the Pakistani security forces in northwest Pakistan, officials said Monday.
The army said in a statement that in the 24 hours to Monday evening at least 31 militants have been killed and 50 others wounded in operations carried out in different parts of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and in South Waziristan tribal agency.
A security personnel was killed and four others wounded, the statement added.
IFJ delegation meets President, terms media environment forward-looking
By APP
Rawalpindi : A three-member fact-finding mission of the International Federation of Journalists met President Pervez Musharraf Saturday and termed the media environment in the country as “forward-looking”.Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary who is leading the delegation told the President that the expansion and openness of media will have a positive impact on democracy.
The Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists is the world’s largest organisation of mediapersons.
Pakistan PM wants civilian awards for December 16 victims
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has advised President Mamnoon Hussain to confer Sitara-e-Shujaat (Posthumous) and Tamgha-e-Shujaat (Posthumous) to the victims of the...