Canadian government, media bat for BlackBerry
By IANS,
Toronto : The Canadian government and the media Thursday came out in support of embattled BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM), which is facing a ban in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and possible restrictions in India.
International Trade Minister Peter Van Loan said Thursday that his government will stand by RIM in its fight against foreign governments seeking access to its secure technology.
Indian engineer arrested in Saudi Arabia
By TCN News
Riyadh: Fasih Mahmood, an engineer from Darbhanga, Bihar was arrested by Saudi Police on Sunday and now waiting to be deported to India.
Over Rs.500 mn missing from Pakistan ministry
By IANS,
Islamabad: Over half a billion rupees are missing from Pakistan's interior ministry, and auditors want to know where the money went, a media report said Tuesday.
US envoy favours India-Pakistan trade enhancement
Amritsar: US Ambassador to India Richard R. Verma on Wednesday favoured enhancement of trade between India and Pakistan, and said he would certainly do...
Lost in all of America’s official argument is the pain coming the Iraqis’ way:...
By WAM
Dubai : Two UAE major English language newspapers editorially lambasted the American occupation of Iraq and the US post-occupation planning.
The Dubai-based Khaleej Times said it is now clear that the Pentagon?s military planning did not go beyond the ?shock and awe? occupation campaign.
"The world?s best equipped military ever just stood limp once the battle scene shifted from the cruise missiles and air raids that took down Baghdad and into the guerrilla insurgency period that has seen rag-tag militias embarrass the US military," it remarked.
US drone attack kills 16 militants in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : A US unmanned aircraft fired five missiles at a suspected insurgent camp in Pakistan's tribal region near the Afghan border Saturday, killing 16 people, security officials said.
Several more militants were injured in the attack in Naiz Narae village in South Waziristan tribal district.
"The locals have pulled 16 bodies and some survivors from the debris of the compound that was hit by the missiles," an intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.
Hyderabad residents protest at US consulate against Israel
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Tension prevailed at the US consulate here Friday as around 1,000 people staged a demonstration protesting Israel's air strikes on Palestinians in Gaza.
About six protestors were injured as police caned the crowd that tried to barge into the newly-inaugurated consulate building in the high-security Begumpet neighbourhood.
About 1,000 protestors belonging to the minority cell of the ruling Congress party gathered outside the consulate, raising slogans against Israel's action and demanding a halt to the strikes.
Arms for US embassy seized in Pakistan: Report
By IANS,
Islamabad : Suspicious luggage containing bulletproof jackets and weapons allegedly belonging to the US embassy was seized by police here, a media report said.
Islamabad police Saturday intercepted at the Zero Point picket here a suspicious vehicle which was found to be carrying cargo comprising M-16 rifles and magazines; 9 mm pistols and magazines, several pistol pouches, compasses, radio sets, maps, knives, and other army articles, The Nation quoted sources as saying.
Turkey seeks free trade agreement with Gulf
By IANS
Abu Dhabi : Turkey is negotiating a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Gulf states, WAM news agency reported Friday.
In an exclusive interview with the Dubai-based newspaper Khaleej Times, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said his country attached great importance to the security and stability of the region and called for dialogue rather than using force to resolve problems.
PML-N to support PPP in centre without being part of cabinet
By APP
Islamabad : Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Tuesday said it would extend unconditional support to the PPP government in the centre but it would not become a part of the cabinet.Addressing a news conference here, PML-N central leader and newly elected member of National Assembly from NA 52 and NA 53, Ch. Nisar Ali Khan said the cabinet members would have to take oath from the President under the amended constitution and PML-N was against this.
He said the PML-N parliamentarians would take oath in the National Assembly
Obama ‘drops in’ on Talabani
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama "dropped in" on a meeting that Iraqi President Jalal Talabani was having with a top White House official Tuesday.
According to a statement released by the White House, Obama joined the meeting Talabani was having with National Security Advisor General Jim Jones.
It was not clear if Obama planned a separate meeting with Talabani.
Cameroon forces kill 143 Boko Haram militants
Nairobi : At least 143 members of the Nigerian Boko Haram Islamist terrorist group have been killed in clashes with Cameroonian security forces, Cameroonian...
Pakistan Navy takes part in exercises near Turkey
By SPA
Islamabad : Pakistan Navy is taking part in the combined exercises near Turkey in Caspian Sea, officials said.
Other countries include the United States, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Holland and Germany.
The exercises are aimed at enlightening the participating countries about modern techniques of warfare.
Pakistani ships PNS Moawin and PNS Tariq are taking part and Commanding officer Sohail Hameed is the mission commander.
Pakistan Fleet Commander Vice-Admiral Nauman Bashir is also in Turkey to witness the exercises ending on March 17.
Pakistan’s Chief Justice sacked by Musharraf assumes office
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan’s deposed Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Caudhry, sacked by former President Pervez Musharraf in his emergency rule in 2007, assumed his office again on Sunday.
Chaudhry was sacked with around 60 top judges after they refused to show allegiance to Musharraf, the action prompted strong reaction from lawyers and opposition parties.
Coming under mounting pressure, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani last week announced in his televised address that he has restored the deposed Chief Justice to end political tension.
17 militants killed in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least 17 suspected militants were killed when army jets pounded their hideouts in Pakistan's northwest tribal region, media reports said.
Pakistan readmitted to Commonwealth
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Pakistan was Monday readmitted to the Commonwealth nearly six months after it was suspended for flouting democratic norms of the international body.
The decision was taken after a meeting here Sunday night of the Commonwealth MInisterial Action Group (CMAG), the trouble-shooting body responsible for ensuring adherence to the Commonwealth principles of democracy, good governance and human rights.
Lebanon Bomb Attack Kills Ten
By Prensa Latina
Beirut : At least 10 people died, including a high-ranking security officer, and 15 others were wounded on Friday in a car-bomb attack in the Christian Hazmiyah neighborhood, in this capital's eastern area.
Captain Wissan Eid, Police Internal Security member, and his body guard died instantly in the explosion while their vehicle was passing under a bridge close to Mount Lebanon hospital, the Lebanese television reported.
Iran rejects Saudi Arabia-hosted dialogue on Yemen
Beirut : Iran on Monday rejected Saudi Arabia hosting the three-day dialogues on the Yemen conflict, talks that began on Sunday in Riyadh without...
No leads in Gayoom attack case despite arrests
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : Despite taking four people into custody, police in the Maldives are hunting for clues about the larger conspiracy behind the attempt on the life of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom three days ago.
"All we can say now is that we have arrested four people and investigations are on," Maldivian police spokesperson Sgt Ahmed Shiyam told IANS over the phone from Male Friday.
Afghanistan beefs up security ahead of polls
Kabul : The Afghanistan government has beefed up security ahead of Saturday's presidential and provincial councils elections.
Security personnel have been deployed in sensitive areas...
Tehran receives no request from Solana: Iranian FM
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini has said that Tehran has not yet received any request from EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana for negotiations.
Speaking at his first weekly press briefing in the new Iranian year (started March 20) here Monday, he said Solana has had no contact with Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili either.
He reiterated that Iran's peaceful nuclear programme is going through its regular process at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Pakistani artists to get awards during their lifetime
By IANS,
Islamabad : Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the government will ensure that artists are given performance awards during their lifetime.
GCC Sec-Gen condemns Saudi oil-tanker hijacking
By NNN-KUNA,
Riyadh : Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdulrahman Al-Atiyyah has condemned the hijacking of a Saudi oil-tanker seized several days ago about 800 kilometres off the Kenyan coast and anchored at present somewhere on the Somali coast.
Al-Attiyah Wednesday described the incident as "despicable," and a "direct threat to maritime navigation."
He also expressed his extreme anxiety towards the increasing phenomenon of maritime piracy witnessed in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, calling the threat a form of terrorism.
Burqa empowers women, says British minister
By IANS,
London : As debate intensifies across Europe on banning the Islamic full-body veil at public places, a British minister has defended a Muslim woman's right to wear the burqa and says it is empowering.
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said women were "empowered" by the freedom to wear the face coverings.
Muslim girls going to college in Darbhanga [TCN Photo: By Mudassir Rizwan]
Muslim girls going to college in Darbhanga [TCN Photo: By Mudassir Rizwan]
Pakistan close to pact with warring Waziristan tribe
By IANS
Islamabad : The Pakistan government is close to a pact with South Waziristan's Mehsud tribe to end militancy, exchange prisoners and gradually withdraw the military so as to restore peace in the volatile region.
The 15-point draft agreement "has been thoroughly discussed and approved at the senior political leadership level in Islamabad and also enjoys the backing of the military establishment", Dawn reported Wednesday.
Burning Sands of International Relations
By Syed Ali Mujtaba,
International relation is gravitating towards chaotic world order. The forces of conflict seem to be dominating over those supposedly mandated to maintain global peace. There seems to be conspiracy of silence by the guarantors of peace, as the perpetrators of violence are masquerading like free booters on rampage all over the world.
Over 70 Taliban militants killed in Afghanistan
By RIA Novosti,
Kabul : U.S.-led coalition forces killed over 70 Taliban militants in a ground operation supported by air strikes in the eastern Pakistani province of Paktia on Wednesday, local authorities said.
The Taliban, ousted from power after a U.S.-led military operation in 2001, have been stepping up their activities in recent months.
"During the bombing 73 Taliban militants were killed," a spokesman for the province's governor said, adding that 15 were also injured.
18 killed in Iraq bombings
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : At least 18 people were killed and 52 injured in two explosions in Baghdad Wednesday, the interior ministry said.
The attacks, which involved a car bomb and a roadside bomb, took place in Nahdha area in central Baghdad.
Three traffic policemen were among the dead, it said.
The attacks came as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrived in Baghdad on a surprise visit and announced that the British troops would withdraw from Iraq in the first half of 2009.
Musharraf is now an accused in Benazir killing
By IANS,
Islamabad : Former president Pervez Musharraf's name was Monday included in the list of accused in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case, a media report said.
Indian nurses freed in Iraq reach Home
Kochi: As many as 183 Indians stranded in strife-torn Iraq, including the 46 nurses from Kerala who were freed by Iraqi insurgents, arrived here...
Two UN employees abducted in Karachi
Islamabad: Unidentified gunmen kidnapped two local employees of the UN in Pakistan's port city of Karachi late Friday, police said.
The gunmen abducted the employees...
International seminar on ‘Arabic Panchatantra and Indo-Arab Cultural Relations’ in Bhopal
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: A three-day international seminar on “Arabic Panchatantra and Indo-Arab Cultural Relations” is starting here in Bhopal from January 12. Two Kuwaiti lady professors will be participating in the seminar amongst others.
Qatar to host International Industrial Conference in Jan 2009
By NNN-KUNA,
Doha : Director-General Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO) Mohammed Bin Yousif announced on Saturday that Qatar will host the first International Conference on Industrial Investment in January 2009.
In a press statement Bin Yousif said that the forum under the patronage of the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani will focus on reviewing a project related to the organizing of the Arab Industrial Development Bank poised for discussion in Kuwait's Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit also due to be held in January.
India test-firing of nuclear missile to start arms race Pakistan
By KUNA
Islamabad : Pakistan Wednesday voicing concerns over Tuesdays Indian test-firing of nuclear missile from an undersea platform said that it was starting a new arms race in the region.
"This is going to start a new arms race in the region", said the Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir while talking to newsmen in southern Karachi port city. "We are aware of these developments and these developments are taking place with a view to put nuclear weapons at sea and it is a very very serious issue", he said.
Scotland Yard to help probe Dhaka mutiny
By IANS,
Dhaka : A team from Britain's Scotland Yard will arrive here Wednesday to help probe the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutiny amid indications that the carnage that left 74 people dead could have been "pre-planned".
The Scotland Yard team would have four members, said Britain's Minister for International Development Mike Foster here Tuesday.
The investigation into the mutiny by BDR troopers Feb 25-26 has shown that the killings could have been "planned" and around 450 border guards were involved in the massacre.
US condemns Iran’s decision to start uranium enrichment
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Washington : The US has condemned the Iranian government's decision to begin uranium enrichment operations at a facility in the country's north.
Palestinian negotiator: Israeli settlement plan impedes peace process
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurei Tuesday said that the Israeli decision to build mor ehousing units near East Jerusalem was a hurdle on the road of peace process.
Speaking to reporters following his meeting with international Quartet for Middle East envoy Tony Blair, Qurei said that "Jewish settlements are unaccepted and illegal from the first stone to the last one."
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.
Deposed Hamas PM plays down Abbas’ dialogue call
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Deposed Prime Minister of the Hamas unity government, Ismail Haneya, on Sunday played down Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' recent call for national dialogue.
"Abbas' call for dialogue witnessed a change in the language, not the substance," Haneya told a group of journalists in Gaza city.
Haneya said Hamas wishes to see an immediate start of the dialogue without any conditions "to surprise Abbas with steps he has never put in his calculations."
Pakistan’s opposition party chief withdraws resignation abruptly
By Xinhua
Islamabad : Altaf Hussain, leader of the ethnic Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), on Friday withdrew his resignation in an abrupt manner soon after he announced to quit from the top party position, private TV channel said.
The Dawn TV gave no reason why he withdrew his resignation.
Altaf Hussain tendered his resignation in reaction to Karachi violence on Wednesday, during which a number of innocent people were killed in riots, official Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.
‘Pakistan-Afghanistan border epicentre of Islamic extremism’
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : America is focused on the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan in its war on terror as it is the epicentre of global Islamic extremism and the origin of the Sep 11 terror attack, according to the US military chief.
"Al Qaeda still plots and plans, especially in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is the epicentre of global Islamic extremism, the origin of the 9/11 attacks," Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told foreign correspondents here Tuesday.
Riyadh calls for 10-year fight to wipe out terror
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia wants that the war on the so-called Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist organisations should continue for 10 years, Foreign...
Musharraf refutes nuclear scientist’s claim of pressured confession
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Saturday blasted the country's disgraced nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan for saying that he was forced into confessing that he was the source of nuclear proliferation.
Musharraf, who is facing demands by political parties and lawyers to resign, told a select group of local media that Khan's claim was totally baseless.
Khan's recent remarks lent credence to the widely held view that the blame for proliferation goes to the national army which controls the nuclear programme.
US missile attacks kill 10 militants in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least 10 militants were killed in suspected US missile strikes in Pakistan's tribal area Friday, Geo TV reported.
Several missiles struck a suspected Al Qaeda hideout in the North Waziristan tribal district bordering Afghanistan, and initial reports said 10 militants were killed.
Pakistan's tribal areas bordering Afghanistan have seen a number of missile attacks by US drones, some of which killed civilians, blamed by US forces in Afghanistan on misleading intelligence.
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.
Support Syria and Iraq in fight against terrorism: Putin
Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin has assured Syria, Iraq and the other countries in the Gulf region of support in their fight against...
Pakistani Taliban ready to talk but won’t give up arms
By IANS,
Islamabad: Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud Friday rejected calls from the government to surrender arms but said the outfit was ready to talk, media reports said.
11 of family suffocate to death in Pakistan
Islamabad : Eleven members of a family died of suffocation in a house in Pakistan's Balochistan province Thursday, a media report said.
Levies official Asmatullah...
Pakistan suicide blast kills six
By IANS,
Islamabad : Six people were killed and several injured Thursday in a suicide blast in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
The suicide attack took place at Rasooldar hotel in Tank district's Jandola area, Geo News reported.
Deutsche Bank sets up largest research facility in Middle East
By IANS,
Dubai : Germany's Deutsche Bank has said it is moving ahead with a plan to establish a Middle East research platform, expected to be the largest facility of its kind in the region, WAM news agency reported Monday.
Pascal Moura, head of the bank's unit on research for emerging markets, will spearhead the project of setting up the research facility in Dubai.
The facility, expected to be completed in two years, will focus on 80 leading blue-chip regional stocks across all sectors as well as supporting Deutsche Bank's global research.
N-weapons cornerstone of Pakistan’s deterrence: Gilani
By IANS,
Islamabad/New Delhi : Pakistan's nuclear weapons are the cornerstone of its deterrence and there is complete national consensus on this, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani maintained Friday.
"We are determined to retain nuclear deterrence at all cost and no compromise will be made on our core security interest," APP news agency quoted him as saying while chairing a meeting of the Strategic Planning Division (SPD) at the PM House in Islamabad.
Livni wins Kadima polls, vows to form new Israeli government
By RIA Novosti,
Tel Aviv : Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who won a narrow victory in the ruling Kadima party election, said on Thursday she was determined to form a new government soon.
"Tomorrow, I will begin meeting with representatives of the factions in order to form quickly a coalition that can deal with all of the challenges that lie ahead," she said.
Australia seeks free trade pact with Gulf states council
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi:Australia is seeking a free trade agreement with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), WAM news agency reported Sunday.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Trade Minister Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi and Australia's foreign affairs department secretary Dennis Richardson held a discussion in this regard here Sunday.
The two sides also discussed ways to enhance bilateral trade, global economic crisis and the agenda of the upcoming World Trade Organisation meeting.
Soldier found not guilty of murder in Iraq
By SPA,
Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii : A court-martial panel has found a Hawaii-based soldier not guilty in the killing of an unarmed Iraqi last year.
Sgt. 1st Class Trey Corrales' friends and family erupted in cheers when the head of the military panel, or jury, read the verdict.
The jury of nine soldiers acquitted Corrales of all three charges, including premeditated murder, the Associated Press reported.
Corrales would have faced a minimum sentence of life in prison if he had been convicted.
Pakistan’s ailing Taliban chief in second marriage
By DPA,
Islamabad : The Pakistani Taliban leader has married for a second time a young girl from his tribe, around two weeks after several news channels claimed he had died following a prolonged ailment, media reports said Wednesday.
According to The News daily, Baitullah Mehsud, the head of a united front of smaller Taliban groups called the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or Pakistan Taliban Movement, openly celebrated his wedding in Dwa Toi village in his stronghold of South Waziristan, a tribal district along the Afghan border.
AL chief says Mideast peace negotiations not fruitful
By Xinhua
Buenos : Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Amr Moussa said here Thursday that all negotiations at the Annapolis conference to restart the Mideast peace process had failed to bear fruit.
Moussa, who was attending a two-day meeting of foreign ministers of South American and Arab countries in the Argentine capital, warned that the Mideast peace deal brokered at the U.S.-sponsored Annapolis conference last year has not achieved any progress due to Israel's adherence to its original policies.
Pakistan SC restrains Imran, Qadri amid political crisis
Islamabad: The Pakistan Supreme Court Wednesday restrained Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahir-ul-Qadri from illegal trespassing of...
Iran to strike back if attacked
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran will strike back at any location from where attacks against it are mounted, Fars news agency quoted a senior military commander as saying Sunday.
Turkish forces kill five PKK militants
Ankara : Five militants of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were killed on Saturday in clashes with the Turkish security forces in Agri...
Pakistani jets hit Taliban targets, kill 10
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistani jet planes attacked Taliban hideouts in the country's north-western region near the Afghan border Wednesday, killing at least 10 militants, an official said.
The military said it was ready to move into the South Waziristan tribal district, a key bastion of Pakistani Taliban and their Al Qaeda cohorts, after weeks of air and artillery strikes on militant outposts.
"Jets staged successive bombing runs in villages around Ladha and destroyed several houses used by Taliban fighters," an intelligence official in the area said.
42 killed in Israeli army strike on Gaza school: officials
By DPA,
Gaza City : An Israeli strike on a UN-school in northern Gaza killed at least 42 Palestinian civilians in the deadliest single incident since Israel launched its offensive in the Strip 11 days ago, health officials said.
Gaza emergency services chief Mo'aweya Hassanein told reporters that dozens more were injured in the strike Tuesday afternoon on the al-Fakhoura school in the Jabaliya refugee camp, north of Gaza City.
UN Spokesman Chris Gunness said he was unable to immediately give details as was unable to reach his own staff in Gaza.
Ban calls for optimism to achieve Mideast peace deal later this year
By NNN-KUNA,
United Nations : Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has acknowledged that the US-sponsored Annapolis Conference on the Middle East held last year did not yield the desired results, but said that should not lead to scepticism about the peace process.
Malaysian wildlife officials save wok-bound monitor lizards
By DPA
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysian wildlife officers seized 222 endangered clouded monitor lizards believed to be bound for cooking pots at restaurants in neighbouring countries, a news report said Monday.
Six officers from the wildlife department in the central state of Pahang were conducting random checks at an oil palm estate late Saturday when they discovered the lizards, said state wildlife director Saharudin Anan.
He said the lizards were bought from locals as well as Indonesian workers who would trap them at the plantation.
Terrorists seize Turkish consulate in Iraq’s Mosul
Baghdad : A day after taking control in Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, militants Wednesday seized the Turkish consulate and arrested its consul and...
Iran opposition claims 69 killed in election protests
By DPA,
Tehran : Iran's political opposition said 69 people were killed in protests over the June 12 presidential election which led to the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a Tehran newspaper reported Tuesday.
The daily Sarmayeh quoted Alireza Hosseini-Beheshti, an ally of opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi, as saying that a list with the names of 69 killed demonstrators was presented Monday to the parliament for further investigation.
Abbas: It is time to end the human disgrace called “Nakba”
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that the occupation of the Palestinian territories should finish and the human disgrace called "Nakba" should be put to an end.
Abbas made the statements in his speech to the Palestinian people to mark sixty years for what the Palestinians term as "Nakba" Day, the day when Israel was established in 1948.
Islamic conf. focuses on Israeli war crimes documentation
RABAT, Feb 15 (KUNA) -- The international conference on "Israel: War Crimes and Genocide" held by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), in its third session Sunday, discussed documenting Israeli war crimes.
Chaired by United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Spokesperson Adnan Abu Hasna, the session focused on documentation of efforts carried out by regional and international human rights organizations.
The conference also provided legal records aimed at presenting a number of Israeli leaders to international justice.
Two Palestinians killed, two injured in Israeli incursion mid Gaza
By KUNA
Gaza : Two Palestinians were killed early on Tuesday and two others were injured during an Israeli incursion in Salqa valley in the middle of Gaza Strip.
Local radio stations said the Israeli forces penetrated the valley, adjacent to the Israeli border, supported by tanks and military vehicles, and involved in fighting with some armed Palestinians, then burst into a number of houses and turned them into makeshift bases to launch missiles.
Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India postponed to mid-January
By IANS,
New Delhi: With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh deciding to go to Copenhagen for the UN climate conference, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India has been postponed to the second week of January.
"Dates are being finalised. The visit will now take place in the second week of January," official sources said here Tuesday.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni had said in Dhaka Monday, "The Bangladesh prime minister's visit has been rescheduled. Though the fresh date has not yet been finalised, but the tour is expected to take place Jan 10 or 11 next year."
Iraqi president pledges to expel Iranian rebel group
By Xinhua
Baghdad : Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said on Sunday that Iraq is working to expel an Iranian rebel organization that opposes the Iranian Islamic regime.
"The presence of those people as a terrorist organization in Iraq is prohibited according to the Iraqi constitution," Talabani said in a joint news conference with visiting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Traffic jam causes child’s death in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : A child stuck in a massive traffic jam, following protests over frequent power outages, died due to the searing heat in Pakistan's northwest, a media report said.
Khaleda Zia, Sheikh Hasina go on trial next week
By IANS,
Dhaka : Former Bangladesh prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, who have been in jail for several months, go on trial next week for alleged corruption in awarding an oil contract to a Canadian firm.
Awami League's Hasina, 61, was prime minister 1996-2001, and Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) Zia, 62, headed the government 2001-06. Both dealt with Niko Resources during their tenures, and have been charged by the Anti Corruption Commission of causing huge loses to the exchequer.
Afghan President calls on NATO-led troops to avoid harming civilians
By NNN-Xinhua,
Kabul : Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday called on NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to avoid harming non-combatants while fighting against Taliban militants.
"Although the NATO and the Coalition troops have done a lot to reduce civilian casualties; our objective is to reach the point where there is no civilian casualty," the president said in his speech at the joint session of parliament resumed after winter vocation.
Suicide blast injures civilian in eastern Afghan city
By NNN-Xinhua,
Kabul : A suicide bomber blew himself up in Afghanistan's eastern Khost province Sunday, wounding himself and a passing-by woman, provincial police chief Mohammad Ayub said.
The man with explosive device tied to his body detonated himself near a UN office in Khost city, the capital of Khost province, at around 8:20 a.m. local time, wounding a woman, Ayub told Xinhua.
He said that one hand of the bomber was cut off in the explosion and he currently is hospitalized at a nearby hospital.
UNSC strongly condemns terrorist attack targeting ceremony attended by Karzai
By KUNA,
United Nations : The Security Council on Monday "condemned in the strongest terms" the terrorist attack yesterday in Kabut that targeted an official ceremony attended by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Parliamentarians, diplomats and UN officials.Karzai escaped the assassination attempt but two people were killed in the attack and a dozen more were injured.
Afghanistan: 6 civilians killed during attack on fuel truck
By SPA,
Kabul, Afghanistan : A provincial official says an insurgent attack on a fuel tanker has killed six civilians in eastern Afghanistan.
Abdul Wakil Atak says the truck was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by insurgents in Laghman province on Sunday. Atak is a spokesman for the provincial governor.
Atak said Monday that two people were killed inside the truck and that four others died in a minibus that was caught in the blast, the Associated Press reported.
Hezbollah considers prisoners swap “resistance victory”
By Xinhua,
Beirut : Lebanese Hezbollah has considered the prisoners exchange with Israel as the resistance victory which is the most "faithful, strongest and supreme," local Naharnet news website reported on Monday.
"What happened in the prisoners issue is a proof that the word of the resistance is the most faithful," Hezbollah's senior official Hashim Safiedin was quoted as saying on Sunday night.
Meanwhile, preparations to welcome the returning prisoners are underway in the southern Lebanese cities with pictures and banners hanging in the area, said the report.
Pakistan to strongly retaliate any intervention into its territory
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Nisar A. Memon Saturday vehemently said that Pakistan would strongly retaliate any intervention into its territory from any side.
Talking to the media persons here after addressing the International Hussainia Conference, the Minister expressed these views when asked about the possibility of US forces operation inside Pakistan.
Minister’s brother killed in grenade attack in Pakistan
Islamabad : Brother of Abadi Jawed Nagori, a minister in Pakistan's Sindh province, was succumed to injuries on Friday after he was hit by...
US will make Pakistan see IAEA issue in true light: Envoy
By IANS,
New Delhi : Amid reports about a plan by Pakistan to block consensus in the IAEA over the India-specific safeguards pact, the US Wednesday said it will talk to Islamabad and hoped that it would see the proposed pact in “the right light”.
“That is a particular issue which will have to be addressed. And we will do it,” US ambassador David C. Mulford told reporters when asked what he thought about reports suggesting Pakistan was creating hurdles in the path of approval of the safeguards pact at the IAEA board meeting set for Aug 1.
Kuwaiti-Spanish consortium negotiating Jordan’s Zarqaa railway details
By KUNA,
Amman : A Kuwaiti-Spanish consortium which is to build the Amman-Zarqaa light railway project in Jordan is still negotiating the contract details, said Jordan's Director General of The Public Transport Regulatory Commission Jamil Mojahed Sunday.
Ad-Dustour paper quoted Mojahed saying agreement was reached on several aspects of the contract and that the Jordanian government hopes to launch execution as planned next June.
The consortium was the second to bid for the project, and is to execute the project as BOT, with the government fully owning the railway in 30 years.
OIC’s urgent appeal to rush relief supplies to Gaza
Jeddah : Iyad Ameen Madani, secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), made a pressing appeal to the member states and all...
India, Pakistan experts to meet over nuclear CBMs
By IANS,
New Delhi: India and Pakistan have decided to hold meetings of experts on nuclear and conventional confidence building measures.
Sunni Arab politician survives bomb attack west of Baghdad
By Xinhua,
Fallujah, Iraq : An Iraqi Sunni Arab politician escaped a bomb explosion with wounds in the city of Fallujah in Anbar province on Saturday, a local police source said.
A roadside bomb detonated near the car of Khaled al-Ubeidi, head of the Iraqi Islamic Party in central Fallujah on Saturday morning, wounding him, his driver and a bystander, the source toldXinhua on condition of anonymity.
The Iraqi Islamic Party, headed by Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, which is part of the Accordance Front, a major Sunni bloc in the Iraqi parliament.
Musharraf won’t come to Pakistan this year: Report
By IANS,
Islamabad : Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf won't be coming to Pakistan from Britain for the launch of his newly-formed party this year, a media report said.
It was earlier decided that Musharraf will come to Pakistan for the launch of his newly-formed party, the All-Pakistan Muslim League (APML), in September.
Final brigade of US combat troops leaves Iraq
By DPA,
Washington : The final US combat troops departed Iraq early Thursday, ahead of schedule to complete a key phase of President Barack Obama's plan to withdraw, US media reported.
An NBC television correspondent embedded with the US Army's 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, reported the troops began crossing the border into Kuwait at 1:30 a.m. (2230 GMT Wednesday).
President: World has not witnessed crimes bigger than Zionists’
By IRNA
Tehran : President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in the whole history nobody has witnessed crimes like the ones committed by the Zionist regime against the Palestinian.
Speaking in a ceremony dubbed as "Appreciating the servants of the martyrs", the president said, "The Zionist regime in the past 60 years has surrounded people in their houses and has killed kids and adults in the name of fight against terrorism."
All who want to impose themselves by force have reached to their end and human beings will not accept their logic, Ahmadinejad continued.
Israeli troops close West Bank for Holocaust Remembrance Day
By RIA Novosti,
Tel Aviv : Israel has closed the Palestinian Territories as part of the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins Wednesday evening, an Israeli Army spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that the areas would remain closed for at least two days, although the memorial day in remembrance of the six million Jews killed by Nazi Germany officially ends at sunset Thursday.
"The concrete deadline for lifting the closure will depend on an assessment of the security situation," the spokesperson said.
A workshop on Governance and Security: India’s North East and Bangladesh
By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: The Centre for North East Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi with the support of Indian Council of Social Science Research has organized a Workshop on “Governance and Security: India’s North East and Bangladesh” from 27th to 28th July 2009 in the Ho Chi Minh Conference Room, Academy of Third World Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia.
UAE’s foreign trade crosses $84 bn in 2009 first half
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : United Arab Emirates foreign trade crossed $84 billion in the first half of 2009, WAM news agency reported Thursday.
The imports during the period stood at $58 billion while the total value of non-oil exports was $8 billion. Re-exports during the period showed a surge and reached $18 billion.
Director of Customs Affairs at the Federal Customs Authority Ahmed Saeed Al Dhahiri said that it is for the first time that a half yearly statistical report on foreign trade has been released.
Hamas slams Abbas for criticizing its rule of Gaza
By Xinhua,
GAZA : The Islamic movement of Hamas Monday slammed the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for criticizing the movement's political attitudes of ruling the Gaza Strip.
Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza made the accusation in a statement in response to Abbas' Sunday remarks during his two-day visit to Egypt that there is no dialogue with those who do not recognize Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
A Palestinian woman enters politics
By Asma Asfour
In May 2005 I was elected to be the first woman to join the Sinjel Municipality in the Ramallah district. At that time a new law had been passed which set a minimum quota for women's representation in local councils. The assumption underpinning the law was that women should take part in decision-making processes. So, despite the fact that the idea hadn't yet been widely accepted in many rural communities, women from different economic and cultural backgrounds suddenly found themselves taking part in political life.
Palestinian negotiator says W Bank becomes prison like Gaza
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said here on Monday that Israel's "hermetic" blockade is turning the West Bank into a "big prison" like the Gaza Strip.
"The situation on the ground indicates that the (Israeli) siege and closure continue to be hermetic," Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Erekat as saying, "The West Bank is turning into one big prison, just like Gaza."
Hamas leaders in West Bank slam Gaza takeover
By Xinhua
Ramallah : A number of Hamas leaders in the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday slammed their movement's takeover of the Gaza Strip after fighting against security forces of President Mahmoud Abbas of rival Fatah.
Pakistan’s Musharraf starts Thursday China visit
By SPA
Islamabad : Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf leaves for Beijing for a six-day visit to China Thursday.
He will hold talks with top Chinese leaders including the Chinese President.
In an interview to Chinese news agency, Xinhua, Musharraf lauded China's assistance on mega projects in Pakistan and said his government encourages Chinese entrepreneurs to invest more in his country to achieve win-win results.
$25 bn Afghan war cost to hit Canada’s economy
By IANS,
Toronto : A Canadian think-tank has warned that the extension of the country's Afghan mission till 2011 will cost another 28 billion Canadian dollars (US$25 billion), squeezing the economy as it faces recession.
In its report titled "The Cost of the War and the End of Peacekeeping: The Impact of Extending the Afghanistan Mission", the Ottawa-based Rideau Institute on International Affairs said Wednesday that the cost of the Afghan war will hit the country hard, raising questions about its ability to afford the mission.
200 religious leaders to attend Madrid Interfaith Conference
By IINA,
Makkah : The Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) has extended invitation to some 200 prominent religious figures representing Islam, Christianity and Judaism from around the world to attend the forthcoming global interfaith dialogue conference.
Another Pakistani fishing boat caught in Sir Creek
By IANS,
Gandhinagar: A Pakistani boat with six fishermen on board was intercepted by the Border Security Force (BSF) in Gujarat's Kutch region Tuesday evening, officials said.
The boat had come in about 10 km inside the mouth of the Sir Creek in Lakhpatwari area when it was intercepted by the Crocodile unit of the BSF which was patrolling the area.
This is the second Pakistani boat to be intercepted within the last 36 hours. The fishermen have been taken for interrogation, officials said.
Taliban claims responsibility for bomb attack in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan's local Taliban on Saturday claimed responsibility for the bomb attack in northwestern Pakistan's Swat valley, in which at least seven policemen were killed, local ARY TV channel reported.
A police van was hit by a remote-control bomb at Kabal area of Swat valley in North West Frontier Province when it was on a routine patrolling, seven policemen were killed and many injured.
Two killed in Pakistan blast
Islamabad : At least two people were killed and one was injured Tuesday in a blast in Pakistan's North Waziristan region, a media report...
Clashes leave 3 troops, 10 militants dead in NW Pakistan
By IRNA,
Islamabad : At least three Pakistani troops and 10 militants were killed in Orakzai tribal area of the northwest Pakistan on Monday, state television reported.
PTV reported that militants attacked a security forces' vehicle with a rocket, killing three troops and injuring five others.
The troops returned fire and killed 10 militants and injured several others in Orakzai agency, the stronghold of Taliban militants.
Officials believed that militants from South Wazirristan tribal region have taken shelter in Orakzai tribal region.
Gaza militants fire mortars on Israeli crossing
By Xinhua
Gaza : The Popular Resistance Committee, a group loyal to Hamas, on Wednesday said its fighters have fired three mortar shells on an Israeli commercial crossing point in southeast Gaza Strip.
In a statement sent to the media, the al-Nasser Saladin Brigades, the armed wing of the PRC, said the shells hit Kerem Shalom crossing on the point where Gaza, Egypt and Israel borders meet.
"The Zionist entity admitted the missiles landed on the crossing and claimed they caused no casualties," the statement said.
British intelligence ‘outsourcing’ torture to Pakistani agencies?
By IANS,
London : In what could be a controversial twist to Britain's fight against terrorism, MPs are calling for a probe into allegations that “torture” of British nationals has been “outsourced” to Pakistani intelligence agencies by their British counterparts.
Sarkozy sends letter of support to Afghan leader
By KUNA,
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy has sent a letter of support to his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, who was the target of an assassination attempt in Kabul Sunday, Sarkozys office announced Monday.
Sudan to protect foreign oil workers following Chinese killings
By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : Sudan will deploy security officers to protect foreign oil workers following the killing of five Chinese nationals on Monday, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
Nine Chinese oil workers were kidnapped in central Sudan a week ago, and five were killed execution-style on Monday. Sudan says two escaped, and two are still in captivity.
"Sudanese security forces will do everything possible to ensure the safety of oil workers and staff of other foreign companies on Sudan's territory," Ali Sadiq told the Sudan News Agency.
Attorney general: no legal decision on Olmert probe in near future
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz said Sunday that it is unrealistic to expect a decision in the near future on the ongoing investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
"I am not certain that in the coming weeks we will make a legal decision, this is an unrealistic attitude," Mazuz said in an interview with Israeli TV Channel Two broadcast on Sunday.
Four killed in Iraq attacks
By IANS,
Baghdad : Four people were killed and four others injured in different incidents of attacks in Iraq's capital city Baghdad, Xinhua reported Thursday.
President: UN should play graver role in settling regional problems
By IRNA,
Tehran : President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Wednesday that the UN should strive more to settle regional and international conflicts.
In a meeting with the UN chief's new special envoy for Iraq affairs Stephen de Mistura, President Ahmadinejad expressed hope that the UN envoy's efforts will lead to restoration of peace, stability, security and integrity to Iraq.
He said the occupiers' presence in Iraq has been cause of many plights in the country.
"The solution to the problem is the occupiers' leaving Iraq on a timetable," he added.
Don’t send troops to Afghanistan, Taliban warns Bangladesh
By IANS,
Dhaka : The Taliban has warned Bangladesh against sending its troops to Afghanistan after the US asked Dhaka to send its forces to the war-ravaged country.
Makkah Governor calls for improving services to Haj pilgrims
By IINA,
Jeddah : The Governor of Makkah Prince Khaled Al Faisal underlined the need for exerting great efforts to improve the services being offered to Haj pilgrims. Inaugurating a workshop on improving Haj services here yesterday evening, the governor also criticized the poor quality of services rendered to Haj pilgrims. "It is regrettable that we face every year the problem of serving Haj pilgrims as if we were encountering with it for the first time," he said.
Musharraf’s supporters heading to election defeat: TV
By IRNA
Islamabad : Supporters of President Pervez Musharraf are seemed to be heading to defeat in eastern Punjab province, earlier considered to be stronghold of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q), the votes counted so far suggested late Monday.
Candidates of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif are ahead of the PML-Q and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the province.
PPP is showing good results in interior southern Sindh province, according to vote counting. The pro-Musharraf party is seen behind from rival candidates.
Myanmar Vice Senior General to visit Bangladesh next month
By NNN-BSS,
Dhaka, Bangladesh : Vice Senior General Maung Aye, Vice Chairman of State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), will arrive here on a three-day official visit leading a 50-member delegation in the first week of next month.
Some ministers, including Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win, and top officials of the Myanmar government will be in the high-powered delegation, foreign ministry sources said on Sunday.
During the senior general's visit, some bilateral cooperation agreements between the two close neighbours are expected to be signed.
Pilots safe after emergency landing in Karachi
By IANS,
Islamabad : Two Pakistani pilots emerged unscathed after their trainer aircraft had to make an emergency landing in the southern port city of Karachi.
Olmert: Iran will not have nuclear capability
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert assured to the citizens of Israel that the international community is making great effort to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear capability, local media reported on Thursday.
"I want to tell the citizens of Israel: Iran will not have nuclear capability," Olmert told Ha'aretz daily in an interview ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Four Pakistani soldiers, 11 militants killed
Islamabad : Eleven militants and four soldiers were killed in a gun battle between the army and the Taliban in Pakistan's tribal area of...
Pakistan PM invites opposition for talks on caretaker setup
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf Thursday invited the opposition for talks on the nomination of a consensus person to lead the caretaker setup during the polls.
Zardari vows to enhance trade ties with China
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Monday vowed to enhance trade ties with China in various sectors.
US attacks could have serious implications for Pakistan
By Wilson John, IANS,
Three days before Pakistan elected its 14th president, on Sep 3, at 3 a.m., two CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters landed in the village of Zawlolai in South Waziristan with ground troops from the US Special Forces. The troops fired at three houses and killed over 17, including five women and four sleeping children.
UAE ranks 4th in police services
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates has become the world's 4th best country in 2010 in terms of reliability of police services, an international report said.
According to the Global Enabling Trade Report 2010, released by the World Economic Forum, the UAE ranked 4th in the high levels of physical security. The report measures levels of violence in a country, including crime rates and threats to security.
The UAE also came among the top 20 countries in the Enabling Trade Index (ETI), leading the region at a very strong 16th position, ahead of Britain, Chile and the US.
Khatami pulls out of Iran’s presidential polls
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran's former president Mohammad Khatami has withdrawn from the country's presidential election, Iranian media reports said Monday.
According to Mehr news agency, the reformist leader has endorsed former Iranian prime minister Mir-Hossein Moussavi to run for the presidency elections to which are to be held in June.
Khatami and Moussavi held a meeting here Sunday to chalk out their future course of action, Press TV reported, citing unnamed sources.
Khatami is expected to hold meetings with other reformist leaders over the issue.
US drone attack kills four Al Qaeda militants in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : Four Al Qaeda militants were killed and several others injured Thursday in a suspected US drone attack in northwestern Pakistan, an official and residents said.
The drone fired two missiles targeting a vehicle carrying several Islamist insurgents at around 11:15 a.m. in Kari Kot area of South Waziristan tribal district, a known sanctuary for Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters, bordering Afghanistan, a security official said.
Will discuss all issues with Chidambaram: Pakistan interior minister
By IANS,
Islamabad/New Delhi: Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that all matters will be on the table during his meeting with his Indian counterpart P. Chidambaram in Islamabad Saturday, even as the latter will press for a speedy trial of the Pakistanis accused of planning the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
"We want to bring every matter which has been creating irritation (in relations)," Malik told reporters in Islamabad.
Bangladesh ferry capsize toll rises to 78
Dhaka : The toll in Sunday's ferry capsize in Bangladesh's Padma river has risen to 78 with seven more bodies recovered Wednesday, bdnews24.com reported.
The...
Israel demolishes homes of Palestinian suspects in teenagers’ killing
Jerusalem : Israeli troops Monday demolished the homes of the families of two suspects in the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers in...
Roadside bomb kills five Iraqi soldiers
By IANS,
Baghdad : At least five soldiers were killed and as many military personnel injured after a roadside bomb exploded Friday in an Iraqi town, police said.
Suicide bomber kills 15, injures 17 in Iraq
By Xinhua,
Ramadi (Iraq): At least 15 people were killed and 17 injured Thursday when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a meeting of tribal leaders and local officials in west of Baghdad, a police source said.
The incident occurred in a Garmah municipal council building in Anbar province where Sunni Arab tribal leaders and officials were holding a meeting, the source said on condition of anonymity.
Three policemen and 12 people were killed in the blast and many of the injured were in critical condition, the source said.
Senior UN officials deny accusations of favouritism in Afghan presidential polls
By NNN-UNNS,
United Nations : The top United Nations envoy to Afghanistan has only ever sided with electoral institutions in the country’s recent presidential ballot, and never with any of the candidates, UN officials said Wednesday as they refuted allegations of bias.
The Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) and Independent Election Commission (IEC), both established under Afghan law, began an audit of the disputed election results on Monday, with all political parties monitoring the process, including representatives of the two main presidential candidates.
NAM rejects Israel’s accusation its members support terrorism
By NNN-KUNA
United Nations : Cuba, chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), has rejected Israel's accusation last week in the Security Council monthly meeting on the situation in the Middle East that the movement supports terrorism and that its actions are motivated by political aversion towards the Jewish state.
Supreme Leader’s advisor arrives in Baghdad
By IRNA,
Baghdad : Advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ali-Akbar Velayati arrived in the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad on Saturday on a pilgrimage visit.
The former Iranian foreign minister will hold talks with a number of senior Iraqi officials.
He is to hold separate meetings with leader of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council Abdul Aziz al-Hakim and Iraqi Vice-President Adel Abdul Mahdi.
Six killed, 32 injured in suicide car bombing in northern Iraq
By Xinhua,
Mosul, Iraq : At least six people were killed and up to 32 others injured in a suicide car bomb attack at a popular marketplace in a town in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh on Saturday, a local police source said.
A suicide bomber drove his explosive-laden car into a market in the town of Tal Afar, 80 km west of the provincial capital of Mosul, and blew it up, killing six people and wounding 32 others, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Zardari arrives in Ajmer, heads for dargah
By IANS,
Ajmer : Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari arrived Sunday afternoon in Rajasthan's Ajmer town to offer prayers at the dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti.
Four policemen killed in Afghanistan attack
Kabul : At least four policemen were killed Wednesday when Taliban militants launched an attack on a security checkpoint in Afghanistan.
"A huge number of...
Abdullah leads in Afghan presidential election
Kabul: Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah was leading in the partial results, the country's Independent Election Commission (IEC) chairman announced Sunday.
"The IEC had tallied...
UAE records highest investment growth in Middle East
By IANS
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has recorded the highest investment growth in the Middle East, according to the United Nations.
A report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) says that between 2001 and 2006, the UAE and its partners in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) attracted more than $81 billion in foreign direct investment, WAM news agency reported Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia was the biggest recipient of FDI during the period while the UAE had the highest growth in investment in the Middle East.