Israeli, Palestinian negotiators to begin core-issue talks
By DPA
Jerusalem : Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are meeting here Monday for their first discussion on the so-called core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The talks mark the first negotiations in seven years on such issues as the future of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees and their descendents, security issues, and the borders of the future Palestinian state.
The talks will be continuous and are expected to take place every week or so.
UK soldier’s death in Afghanistan blamed on helicopter fault
By IRNA
London : A British soldier bled to death in Afghanistan because of faulty equipment, compounded by incompetence, according to a military inquiry into the incident.
Corporal Mark Wright, who died from his injuries in a minefield after rescuing an injured colleague in September 2006, could have lived if the helicopter summoned to help had been equipped with a winch, the inquiry found.
Freezing weather kills over 100 in Afghanistan
By RIA Novasti
Kabul : Over 100 people have died due to freezing weather in various provinces of Afghanistan in the past few days, the country's Ariana TV channel reported on Monday.
Continual heavy snowfall has cut off thousands of people living in isolated communities in the mountainous country, making deliveries of medicine and essential goods almost impossible. Several people have been killed in avalanches and accidents on the snow-covered roads.
‘Chic’ Afghan president’s robe to be auctioned in Washington
By RIA Novasti
Kabul : A robe belonging to the current Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, will be sold at a charity auction in Washington, D.C. on January 24, the Afghan news agency Pajhwok said on Monday.
The silken robe, or chapan as the garment is traditionally known in Central Asia, is a green and purple striped robe adorned with intricate threading.
The robe, which once won its owner the title of 'the chicest man in the world' according to the Gucci fashion house, will be auctioned by the Afghan embassy at the Meridian International Center.
Two Palestinian gunmen killed in Israeli airstrike
By RIA Novasti
Gaza : At least two Palestinian militants were killed and four wounded late on Sunday when an Israeli missile destroyed a car in Gaza City, local radio reported on Monday.
Radio Al Quds cited witnesses as saying that the gunmen belonged to the radical group Islamic Jihad, whose members have become the main target of Israeli airstrikes in recent weeks, launched in retaliation against frequent rocket attacks on Israeli towns bordering Gaza.
Fayyad expects to run in next Palestinian presidential elections
By Xinhua
Gaza : Salam Fayyad, the Prime Minister of the caretaker government is thinking to run in the coming Palestinian Presidential elections due to be held in January 2009,a well-informed Palestinian source revealed Monday.
The source, which spoke in conditions of anonymity, told the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper that Fayyad would run in the elections "only if President Mahmoud Abbas decides not to compete on the Palestinian presidency."
Lebanese Maronite Patriarch warns politicians of “war starts with words”
By Xinhua
Beirut : Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir has expressed concerns that Lebanon might be slipping into a "war starts with words," The Daily Star reported on Monday.
"It has been said that a war starts with words," Sfeir was quoted as saying during his Sunday sermon in Bkirki, adding that "some are drowning us with statements that could lead to harsh circumstances."
Car bomb hits police patrol in northern Iraq
By Xinhua
Mosul, Iraq : A car bomb explosion targeted a police patrol near the city of Mosul, the capital of Nineveh province, on Monday, wounding six people, provincial police source said.
"A car bomb parked in the Ghizlany area, south of Mosul City, near a police patrol, wounding three policemen and three civilians," Brigadier Abdul Kareem al-Jubouri, head of Nineveh's police operations office, told Xinhua.
The blast also damaged a police vehicle along with several civilian cars, Jubouri said.
Israeli PM: All options against Iran on table
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israel will not accept Iran with nuclear power, and all possible options against the Islamic republic are being considered in this regard, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday.
Olmert made the remarks at a meeting of the Knesset (Parliament)'s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, during which he would brief the committee members on the Iranian issue, the security situation on the northern front and the negotiations on the core issues with the Palestinians.
Pakistani troops and militants clash, leaving 30 dead
By SPA
Islamabad, Pakistan : Suspected militants ambushed a military convoy in northwestern Pakistan on Monday, sparking a clash that left 23 fighters and seven troops dead, the army said.
The fighting occurred in Mohmand, a tribal region near the border with Afghanistan, said Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad, the army's top spokesman, according to a report of the Associated Press.
Scotland Yard makes no headway in Benazir murder probe
By IANS
Islamabad : The Scotland Yard team probing the murder of Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto is facing "lots of difficulties" in the investigation owing to the lack of evidence at the assassination site.
There are speculations regarding any "headway" made by the foreign experts in the case, "but generally it is believed that the Scotland Yard team is facing a lot of difficulties because the crime scene was washed away", said The News Monday.
PLO left-wing parties boycott Hamas-led Damascus conference
By Xinhua
Gaza : Left-wing parties of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) announced on Monday that they decided to boycott a Hamas-led conference scheduled to be held in Syria's Damascus on Jan. 23.
Islamic Hamas movement, Islamic Jihad (Holy War) and other radical parties based in Syria agreed to hold a conference in Damascus on Jan. 23 to protest against what they called "the concessions on legitimate Palestinian principles."
At least 7 troops, 23 militants killed in Pakistan
By Xinhua
Islamabad : At least seven Pakistani troops and 23 militants were killed Monday in clashes in a tribal district...
Israel, Palestinians begins talks on core issues
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli and Palestinian negotiators here on Monday began their meeting for talks on the core issues in their decades long conflict, in a bid to hammer out a final peace agreement by the end of the year, local Ha'aretz said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia started their meeting at a Jerusalem hotel shortly after 11 a.m. (0900 GMT), the report said, quoting Israeli official as saying.
Hamas: Israeli-Palestinian talks are doomed to fail
By Xinhua
Gaza : Israeli and Palestinian chief negotiators are scheduled to meet on Monday to start talks on permanent status issues, where Hamas movement in Gaza said these talks are "doomed to fail."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced earlier Sunday night that Chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Quriea and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Levni would meet in Jerusalem to start talks on permanent status issues.
Israeli army detains 10 wanted Palestinians in W Bank
By Xinhua
Ramallah : The Israeli troops arrested early on Monday morning 10 Palestinians in the West Bank, said to be wanted for being involved in planning attacks against Israel, Palestinian security sources reported.
Israeli Radio, which also confirmed the report, quoted an Israeli army spokesman as saying that 10 Palestinians, wanted by Israel, were detained in the West Bank cities of Nablus, Tulkarem, Hebron and Jericho.
Iraqi high-ranking judge shot dead in Baghdad
By Xinhua
Baghdad : Gunmen assassinated an appeals court judge as he was heading to work in western Baghdad on Monday, an Interior Ministry source said.
"Unknown armed men in two cars gunned down Amir Jawdat al-Naieb, an appeals court judge and a member of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council, at about 8:30 a.m. (0530 GMT)," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Naieb's driver was seriously injured by the attack, and died later while he was transported to a nearby hospital, the source added.
Yamani chairs meeting of Protection of Competition Council
By SPA
Riyadh : Minister of Commerce Dr Hashim Yamani chaired here today an extraordinary meeting of the Protection of Competition Council.
The Council’s Secretary General Mohammed Sindi said the participants of the meeting had reviewed issues pertaining to the hike of the prices of diaries and their derivatives.
The Council has ordered its General Secretariat to investigate in this respect.
Afghan elders recommend peaceful means to end war
By KUNA
Kabul : Afghan President Hamid Karzai agreed to a proposal by elders from the eastern provinces of the country to call the anti-government Taliban militants to talks to put an end to the years of fighting in the country.
The elders met the Afghan leader at his Presidential Palace on Sunday and discussed with him the recent political and security situation in the country and ways and means how to bring peace to the war-battered Afghanistan.
Huge blast heard in Gaza
By KUNA
Gaza : Radio stations in Gaza reported on Sunday night that Israeli military aircraft fired a missile towards a group of citizens west of the city.
The radio stations said that the shelling targeted a jeep vehicle that was standing in the vicinity of the house of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya killing scores of citizens on board and destroying the vehicle.
Ambulances rushed to the scene and citizens were urged by the radio to exercise caution in fear of other possible raids.
Iran Questions Bush Mideast Tour
By Prensa Latina
Tehran : Iran affirmed Sunday the intentions for which the US government tried to deceive world public opinion with the incident in the Ormuz Strait are evident.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said in a press conference the propaganda scandal of mass media is in line with the objectives of US President George W. Bush's Middle East tour.
The US must apologize to Iran, regional countries, and its own people for having deceived them, he stressed.
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 Scorns Refugee Rights, Al Fatah
By Prensa Latina
Ramallah : The Al Fatah Movement accused US President George W. Bush of violating UN Resolution 194 (1948) about Palestinian refugees Saturday.
The Resolution 194 states the right of refugees to go back to their homes, and establishes payment of compensation or of the goods belonging to those who decide not to go back.
Azzam al-Ahmad, head of Al Fatah s parliamentary block, said that Bush has only offered payment to Palestinians, without giving them the possibility of return to their homes.
Taliban Resistance Attacks Afghan Police
By Prensa Latina
Kabul : Taliban militants stormed a police post in Maywand district, in the Afghan province of Kandahar, on Sunday, killing ten police officers, reported official sources.
This southern Afghan region, along with Zabul, Helmand, Uruzgan, Day Kundi, and Nimroz, are zones of permanent violence in which the occupation troops have been unable to reach control.
The 2007 was considered the bloodiest year since the beginning of the war against Afghanistan. The death toll among civilians, rebels, and soldiers surpasses 6000.
Iran, IAEA agree to resolve nuclear issue within a month
By IANS
Vienna : Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have agreed to resolve all the outstanding issues regarding the Islamic country's nuclear programme within a month, the UN nuclear watchdog has said.
In a statement released Sunday, the IAEA said both sides have agreed to a new modality that envisages resolving the remaining issues in a month, Iranian news agency IRNA reported Monday.
Hasina’s husband hospitalised
By IANS
Dhaka : Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina's husband and nuclear scientist Wazed Miah has been hospitalised here with severe breathing problems.
Wazed Miah was hospitalised Sunday, when his wife and other members of the family were sent for trial in a graft case.
He has been suffering from bronchopneumonia and other complications, his physician Sohrabuzzaman said. His condition is serious but not critical, Sohrabuzzaman was quoted as saying in The Daily Star Monday.
Wheat flour crisis deepens in Pakistan
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : The flour crisis in Pakistan is getting worse with people blaming the government, which in turn accuses hoarders and profiteers for the shortage and spiralling prices of the staple food.
"The government remained busy with loot and plunder and we are standing in long queues for flour," said Amjab Hussain, a resident of Rawalpindi who failed to get his quota of wheat flour from the government-run utility store as it ran out of stocks before his turn came.
Sarkozy highlights Saudi role in enhancing Mideast Peace
By SPA
Riyadh : French President Nicolas Sarkozy has highlighted the significant role being played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to enhance the pillars of peace in the Middle East region.
In a press statement after signing agreements here last night Sarkozy said the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is considered as a friend of France.
As regards to his current visit to the Kingdom, he said it has earned a political, economic and cultural significance.
At least eight injured, seven suspects arrested in Iraqi violence
By SPA
Baghdad : At least eight Iraqi civilians were injured and seven suspects detained Sunday in violence across Iraq while a motorbike curfew was also reported in Baghdad, according to dpa.
In one incident, two civilians were wounded when two shells hit a gas station in southern Baghdad, the Iraqi news agency Voice of Iraq (VOI) reported.
The first shell hit a car queue near the gas station wounding at least two civilians and burning two vehicles, while the second fell in an empty area in Mahdeya district.
Suicide attack kills Afghan police, 2 NATO soldiers killed
By SPA
Kabul : A suicide bomber killed a policeman and wounded eight other people in southern Afghanistan, while two NATO-led soldiers were also killed in the same region, DPA quoted officials as saying Sunday.
The suicide bomber tried to enter the house of police commander for regional command in Lashkargah, the provincial capital of southern Helmand province, but was stopped by commander's bodyguards, provincial police chief Mohammad Hussain Andewal said.
Statement for spokesman for the Pakistani foreign office
By SPA
Islamabad : The U.S. government has no concerns over the security of Pakistan s nuclear assets, rather, it is a section of the media that is engaged in baseless propaganda in this regard, Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesman Muhammad Sadiq says.
The US government has no concerns. They have said this publicly, the deputy spokesman of the White House said this, the US Embassy in Islamabad has issued a release on that, I believe, and the US government at the highest level has said that they have no concerns, they never had a concern, Sadiq said.
Statement on investigations on death of Bhutto
By SPA
Islamabad : The Interior Ministry of Pakistan, and British High Commission (embassy) Islamabad have released the working arrangements agreed between the Pakistani law enforcement agencies and the Metropolitan Police Service team assisting with the investigation into the death of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, said an official statement.
Bin Laden’s son applies to move to U.K. with wife – Daily Mail
By RIA Novosti
London : Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden's son has applied for a visa to the United Kingdom where he intends to live with his British wife, the Daily Mail reported.
Omar Bin Laden, 26, and his wife Jane Felix-Browne, 52, say they have been interviewed at the British Embassy in Cairo. The embassy has declined to comment on the issue.
Omar Bin Laden, 26, and his wife Jane Felix-Browne, 52, say they have been interviewed at the British Embassy in Cairo. The embassy has declined to comment on the issue.
Iran says will clear up nuclear issues with IAEA by late February
By RIA Novosti
Tehran : Iran will clear up all of the UN nuclear watchdog's remaining questions concerning its controversial nuclear program by late February, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said on Sunday.
The Islamic Republic is currently subject to two sets of UN Security Council sanctions over its defiance to halt uranium enrichment. Iran insists that it needs nuclear energy for electricity generation and not for weapons production.
Iran recognizes only IAEA as nuclear negotiator – president
By RIA Novosti
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday that Iran officially recognizes only the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as a party to talks on Iran's nuclear program.
The Iranian president made the statement during his meeting with Mohamed ElBaradei, the IAEA director general, who is in Tehran for talks with the country's leadership on Iran's controversial uranium enrichment program.
Premier, Canadian Senate speaker discuss future cooperation
By IRNA-Saba
Sana'a : Prime Minister Ali Mujawar held talks here on Sunday with the Canadian Senate speaker Noel Kinsella over the Yemeni-Canadian future cooperation, particularity in the economic, investment, environmental, educational, training and energy fields.
They also dealt with the standing relations between the Yemeni Shoura Council and Canadian Senate as well as the governmental keenness on strengthening such ties.
IAEA agrees to resolve outstanding issues with Iran in one month
By NNN-IRNA
Vienna : The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that based on a new agreement with Iran, the outstanding issues will be resolved in one month.
The agency said in a statement Sunday that a new modality plan envisaged to remove the remaining issues in one month.
During two-day visit to Iran, IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei met senior Iranian officials -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the statement said.
Khalifa, Bush confer on latest regional issues
By NNN-WAM
Abu Dhabi : UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and visiting US President George W. Bush held talks at the Al Mushref Palace here on ways of boosting bilateral relations in various domains.
Latest developments in the region also figured high during talks between the two leaders Sunday.
Olmert welcomes Bush’s call for Palestinians to end attacks against Israel
By NNN-KUNA
Ramallah : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has welcomed US President George W. Bush's call for Palestinians to abide by the Road Map plan, ending all sorts of attacks on Israel.
He told the Israeli cabinet Sunday that he and Bush focused during their talks on the two-state solution, indicating that any future plans must include the Gaza Strip which is controlled by the Hamas movement.
Olmert called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to end the Hamas control of Gaza in accordance with the Road Map peace plan.
Israeli president: peace talks must not be stopped
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : As time is running out, peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians must not be stopped for one moment, Israeli President Shimon Peres said on Sunday.
Speaking at a Geneva Accord conference in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, on Sunday evening, Peres was quoted by local Yedioth Ahronoth as saying that time for negotiations is limited.
"We have a year, and that's very little time. We cannot spend this year talking. We have to negotiate, both openly and secretly, and we must not stop for one moment," he said.
Israeli airstrike kills 3 Gaza militants
By Xinhua
Gaza : Three Palestinian militants were killed in an Israeli airstrike that struck their car in western Gaza City on Sunday night, paramedics and witnesses said.
The witnesses said they heard a huge explosion as an Israeli aircraft hovered over the city, adding that an air-to-ground missile struck a car driving near the Beach refugee camp in western Gaza City.
They added that all the three in the car have been killed as they saw flames of fire coming out from the targeted car before ambulances and firefighters arrived at the scene.
Abbas rejects establishing state with temporary borders
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his rejection on Sunday to the principle of establishing an independent Palestinian state with temporary borders.
Abbas made the statement during a two-day-long meeting of the Palestinian Central Council (PCC) of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) which kicked off on Sunday evening at his headquarters in Ramallah.
The PCC is the highest Palestinian institution that links the PLO executive committee and the Palestinian National Council (PNC)or the PLO parliament in exile.
PLO central council convenes in Ramallah
By Xinhua
Ramallah : The Palestinian Central Council (PCC) of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) convened in the city of Ramallah on Sunday evening.
The PCC is the highest Palestinian institution that links the PLO executive committee and the Palestinian National Council (PNC)or the PLO parliament in exile.
Salim al-Za'noon, speaker of the PNC, inaugurated the meeting at al-Muqata'a, President Mahmoud Abbas' headquarters, in the presence of Abbas and 87 out of 120 PCC members.
Israel, Palestinians to discuss core issues on Monday
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Heads of Israeli and Palestinian negotiation teams, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurei, will meet on Monday to begin talks on final-status issues of the conflict, local daily Ha'aretz reported on Sunday.
Israeli officials confirmed that the first meeting on final-status issues between the Israelis and the Palestinians would be held on Monday and would be attended only by the negotiation teams' heads.
Syria expects more efforts from Moussa in solving Lebanon crisis
By Xinhua
Damascus : Syria said on Sunday that it was waiting for the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa to resume his efforts on pushing forward an Arab initiative aimed at ending the ongoing presidential crisis in Lebanon.
"The Arab plan is clear in its adoption of a no winner no loser stand which puts Lebanon on the road of health and stability because it will be the only winner," a foreign ministry official source was quoted as saying by the official SANA news agency.
Some 571,000 Bangladeshis working abroad in 2007
By Xinhua
Dhaka : Some 571,000 Bangladesh workers were employed abroad in 2007 and send home a record of 6.57 billion U.S dollars, local newspaper The Financial Express reported Monday.
Bangladesh overseas workers have become the main source of the economic stability and the record remittances also pushed up Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserve.
The countries where Bangladesh workforce went include Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Libya, Kuwait, Singapore, Brunei, Jordan, UK, Italy, Mauritius, Lebanon and Ireland.
Sarkozy arrives in Saudi Arabia, starting 1st Gulf tour
By Xinhua
Riyadh : French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in the Saudi capital on Sunday to start his first tour to the Gulf region since coming into office, which will also take himto Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Sarkozy was greeted at the airport by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz. The two leaders will later discuss bilateral ties and regional issues, including the Iranian nuclear issue and the Middle East peace process.
IAEA: Iran agrees to completely implement workplan
By Xinhua
Vienna : IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said here Sunday that Iran and the IAEA reached consensus to complete the implementation of the workplan agreed between the IAEA Secretariat and Iran in August 2007 in the next four weeks.
She said that during Elbaradei's meetings with Iranian senior officials, including supreme leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadi-nejad, the two sides discussed the "ways and means to accelerate implementation of safeguards in Iran as well as additional confidence building measures."
Eight Thai soldiers killed in insurgent ambush
By Xinhua
Bangkok : At least eight soldiers were killed when an army patrol unit was ambushed by insurgents in Thailand's restive southern province of Narathiwat Monday morning, local media reported.
The insurgents ambushed the patrol unit of the Narathiwat Taskforce 34 on a road at the Rupoh village in Chanae district, Narathiwat, the FM 100 radio reported.
The two sides exchanged gunfire for about 30 minutes before the insurgents retreated, the report said.
Earlier reports said the ambush killed one soldier and injured seven others.
Israeli air strike kills three Gaza militants
By DPA
Gaza : Three Palestinian militants have been killed in an Israeli air strike on a car they were travelling in near the beach refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, paramedics and witnesses have said.
Witnesses said they heard a loud explosion Sunday night and saw flames coming out of the targeted car before ambulances and fire fighters arrived at the scene.
Iranian nation wants government to continue economic development
By IRNA
Tehran : Iranian nation wants the government to go ahead with economic development plan and keep up with scientific and technological progress in the international community.
This is a response to US President George W. Bush who this time round has disguised himself as a well-wisher of Iranian nation when Washington has blocked Iran's economic progress over the past 29 years.
Musharraf for Bhutto’s exhumation
By IRNA
Rawalpindi : Rejecting the charges that the government was complicit in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, President Pervez Musharraf has called for exhumation of her body to determine whether she was killed by a bullet.
In an interview with Newsweek magazine, President Musharraf also expressed his refusal to let the United States launch CIA operations against Al-Qaeda in Pakistan.
"Yes, exhume it. A hundred percent. I would like it to be exhumed," he told Newsweek from Rawalpindi.
Moldova wants more info from Iraq about its plane crash 2007
By IRNA-Itar-Tass
Chisinau : Moldova has demanded the Iraqi authorities present an extra report of the investigation into last year's crash of its plane Antonov-26, Moldova's civil aviation authority told the media on Friday.
According to preliminary explanations by Turkish and Iraqi authorities the Antonov-26 plane of Moldova's Ariantur-M cargo air carrier (board number ER-26068) crashed in bad weather at the US military base north of Baghdad on January 9, 2007.
Pakistan’s development affected by wave of terrorism
By NNN-APP
Kasur : The current wave of terrorism in the country has badly affected the momentum of development and progress initiated by the Muslim League government in the last five years, said central vice president PML (Q) and former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri.
Talking to APP here, he regretted that in the recent suicide attack in Lahore precious lives were lost and severe injuries were caused to so many innocent people.
Musharraf rules out UN probe into Bhutto’s murder
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : President Pervez Musharraf Saturday ruled out an investigation by the United Nations into the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
He said country’s own institutions and Scotland Yard team could be counted on.
Pakistan sets up Federal Food Committee to check food shortage
By NNN-APP
Rawalpindi : President Pervez Musharraf has directed the federal government to immediately establish a Federal Food Committee (FFC) under the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to tackle the growing problem of non-availability and high price of wheat flour.
Iran-IAEA cooperation enjoys proper pace; Hosseini
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : Iran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has had a proper pace, Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said on Sunday.
"Iran-IAEA cooperation is aimed at removing outstanding ambiguities and is taking place within the framework of their action plan," Hosseini stressed during his weekly press conference.
He made the remarks commenting on statements by the IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei who recently said cooperation between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog should promote and get a quicker pace.
Iran to respond to remaining nuclear ambiguities soon
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini on Sunday voiced Iran's readiness to respond to the remaining ambiguities on the country's peaceful nuclear activities by March 2008.
Talking to reporters during his weekly press briefing he added, "Tehran is ready to respond to the the remaining ambiguities regarding Iran's peaceful nuclear program to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by March 2008."
"Iran considers itself responsive to the UN nuclear agency within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)," he added.
Seven-month ban on shrimp firing in Kuwait starting Jan 15
By NNN-KUNA
Kuwait : The Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) declared a ban on fishing for shrimp in the Kuwaiti waters starting January 15 until August 15.
A PAAAFR statement said the import of frozen or chilled shrimp without the authority's consent is prohibited.
Kuwaiti fishing boats are also prevented from fishing for shrimp in territorial sea waters during this period without permission from PAAAFR.
Israel allows 180 Palestinians to cross from Gaza to Egypt
By NNN-KUNA
Gaza : Israel allowed a large number of Palestinians stranded in Gaza Strip to travel out to Egypt on Sunday through the Erez Crossing, which the Jewish state controlled.
According to Palestinian security sources, some 180 Palestinians of different ages were granted access to Egypt through the crossing using buses, adding that the majority were students and employees who were living in different countries who were prevented by the Israeli siege from resuming their studies and returning to their jobs.
Bush in the UAE after concluding Baharain visit
By NNN-KUNA
Abu Dhabi : US President George W. Bush is in the UAE Sunday after concluding a visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain, part of a gulf tour which also took Bush to Kuwait earlier.
The state's news agency (WAM) said the US president and his accompanying officials arrived to start an official visit to the state.
Bush was received upon arrival by President Sheikh Khalifah bin Zayed Al-Nehyan, and Vice President and Premier and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed Al-Maktoum.
Iraqi FM to start visit to Kuwait Sunday
By NNN-KUNA
Amman : Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari will fly to Kuwait on Sunday (today) on an official visit for talks with Kuwaiti leaders on bilateral ties.
The talks will also deal with the latest developments in the Arab gulf area, Iraq Ambassador to Jordan Saad Al-Hayani told KUNA here Saturday.
Zebari, who arrived in Amman on Wednesday, is scheduled to meet Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, said Al-Hayani.
Shiite, Sunni political blocs sign pact to maintain Iraq’s unity
By Xinhua
Baghdad : Some of Iraq's Shiite and Sunni parliamentary blocs signed on Sunday an understanding aimed at protecting the country's unity and stressing central control over oil reserves.
"These are political blocs which oppose the oil wealth be out of the control of the central government and have their own point of view toward the future of Kirkuk," Salih al-Mutlak, head of the Iraqi National Dialogue Front, told Xinhua.
IAEA: Iran agrees to answer remaining nuclear questions by mid-February
By Xinhua
Vienna : Iran agreed to answer to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) all remaining questions about its previous nuclear activities by mid-February, the IAEA said on Sunday.
"Agreement was reached on the timeline for implementation of all the remaining verification issues specified in the work plan. According to the agreed schedule, implementation of the work plan should be completed in the next four weeks," the IAEA said in a statement.
Bush accuses Iran of “leading state sponsor of terror”
By Xinhua
Abu Dhabi : Visiting U.S. President George W. Bush accused Iran of the world's "leading state sponsor of terror" in a policy speech delivered here Sunday afternoon.
In a speech titled "Power is a trust," Bush said that "Iran is today the world's leading state sponsor of terror."
The U.S. President charged Iran with supporting Hezbollah, Hamas and Taliban, Al-Qaida and its affiliates as well as extremist Shiites in Iraq, defying the United Nations and destabilizing the region by refusing to be open about its nuclear program.
Bush, UAE president hold talks on bilateral ties, regional issues
By Xinhua
Abu Dhabi : Visiting U.S. President George W. Bush held talks on Sunday afternoon with his counterpart of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on bilateral relations and latest developments in the region, the official Emirates News Agency said.
During the meeting, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed willingness to bolster economic partnership with the United States, said the report.
Bush stressed the significance of UAE-U.S. relations in all fields and particularly the fields of economy, politics and defense.
Italy supports Arab plan on solving Lebanese crisis
By Xinhua
Cairo : Visiting Head of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Italian Senate Alberto Dini said Sunday his country is supporting an Arab initiative on solving the Lebanese political crisis, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported.
At the meeting between Dini and Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa, they discussed recent developments in Lebanon and efforts made by Moussa to settle the ongoing Lebanese presidential crisis, said MENA.
Iraqis OK bill to ease restrictions on Saddam’s Baath members
By Xinhua
Baghdad : The long-awaited bill about easing restrictions on former members of Saddam Husseins' party as civil servant has rekindled the hope for Iraq's national reconciliation. Yet uphill tasks remain ahead to be solved by all parties in the sectarianly divided country.
The legislation, known as Accountability and Justice Law, was passed by the parliament on Saturday.
Hamas police foils bombing attempt in Gaza
By Xinhua
Gaza : Hamas police forces in Gaza announced they thwarted an attack against Hamas leader Ismail Haneya on Saturday, a spokesman for the police said on Sunday.
The Hamas police arrested a man when he refused to open a bag for inspection on his shoulder at a stadium in Gaza city on Saturday night, when Hamas was staging a celebration to honor Muslim pilgrims, said the spokesman Islam Shahwan.
He added that a bomb found inside the bag was "ready for going off" on the scene, where Hamas leader Ismail Haneya was then present.
Spokesman: PA won’t consult Hamas on plan of reopening Gaza crossings
By Xinhua
Ramallah : A spokesman for Palestinian government in West Bank said on Sunday the Palestinian Authority (PA) will not consult with Hamas on taking control of Gaza crossing points.
Hamas sized control of Gaza Strip last June after routing forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Since then, Israel imposes a tight siege on the Strip because it refuses to deal with Hamas which became the ruling power in Gaza.
Israeli PM criticizes inaction on West Bank outposts
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Sunday that it was a disgrace that Israel did not take actions on unauthorized West Bank outposts, an agreed-on obligation in the Roadmap peace plan, according to local media.
At the weekly cabinet meeting, Olmert briefed the ministers on the round of talks he held with U.S. President George W. Bush during his recent visit to Israel, saying the two key issues discussed were the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and the Iranian nuclear threat.
PLO central council to meet on dismissing Hamas-held parliament
By Xinhua
Ramallah : The Palestinian Liberation Organization's (PLO) Central Council will meet Sunday evening to discuss dismissing the Hamas-dominated parliament and call for early elections.
"The central council has the right to dissolve the Legislative Council" because of the split between the Hamas-run Gaza Strip and the West Bank where Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement still dominant, said Akram al-Haimouni, a Fatah lawmaker.
Gulf states seek leeway amid U.S.-Iran tug of war
By Xinhua
Beijing : A month after inviting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for the first time to their annual summit, the Gulf states are bracing themselves for the first visit by U.S. President George W. Bush, and hoping to seek leeway amid the tug of war over the oil-rich region between Washington and Tehran.
Unlike Bush, who is on a trip to Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia to rally support against Iran, the Gulf states want their U.S. ally to understand their reasons for maintaining good relations with Tehran.
Bush warns Gulf Arabs of Iran threat
ABU DHABI (AFP) - US President George W. Bush warned Gulf Arab allies on Sunday of the threat from their neighbour Iran and called for their support of Washington's policy goals in the Middle East.
In the keynote speech of a week-long Middle East tour, delivered in Abu Dhabi, he also reached out to the Iranian people, saying they had a right to live under a government "that listens to your wishes". And Bush underlined his belief in democratic freedoms as a shield against terrorism and extremism.
Erekat urges Hamas recognize Israel-PLO deals
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat urged Islamic Hamas movement on Sunday to commit itself to the deals signed between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel.
By rejecting to recognize the agreements, "Hamas encourages Israel not to make peace with the PLO," Erekat told the official Voice of Palestine radio.
His remarks were in response to fresh statements by Hamas leaders in Gaza who affirmed there will be no commitment to these deals.
Mubarak urges for flexibility on Palestinian issue
By Xinhua
Cairo : Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday called on the Palestinian and Israeli parties to show flexibility to reach an agreement on the Palestinian issue, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported.
Mubarak made the remarks during his tour to the Upper Egyptian city of Qena, some 450 km south to Cairo, noting that there is hope as U.S. president George W. Bush mentioned that the two sides will reach an agreement.
Hamas leader sets terms for resumption of dialogue with Abbas
By Xinhua
Gaza : Ismail Haneya, a senior Hamas leader and the deposed Palestinian prime minister, on Saturday set terms for the resumption of dialogue with President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement.
"Stopping all security coordination and cooperation with the occupation forces (Israel) is a condition to resume the dialogue," Haneya told a crowd of pilgrims who had recently returned to Gaza from Saudi Arabia.
UAE President donates $1million to Beijing’s Islamic Studies Centre
Beijing –(IINA) January 13, 2008 – The UAE Ambassador to China Mohammed Rashid Al Bout yesterday handed over the $ 1 million grant donated by President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the UAE Centre for Arabic language and Islamic Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU). The BFSU hosted a ceremony to celebrate the occasion which was attended by the members of UAE diplomatic mission and by the President of the University Zhao Bing.
UAE, Saudi Arabia are most globalized Arab countries
Abu Dhabi – (IINA) January 13, 2008 – The United Arab Emirates topped as the most globalized Arab country, and Saudi Arabia comes next to it, according to a recent report by Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA), an affiliate of Switzerland's Zurich University. The index, measuring the economic, social and political dimensions and ranging from economic openness to attractiveness, has chosen UAE as the world's 35th most globalized country, Saudi Arabia (36) and Kuwait (40).
Singapore to host First Halal Food Exhibition
Singapore – (IINA) January 13, 2008 – As many as 100 local and foreign companies are expected to display their products at Singapore's First Halal Food Exhibition. The four-day event will begin on January 24 as part of the Singapore Expo. The expo is aimed at capturing a larger slice of the lucrative food industry in the country. The Singapore International Halal Showcase (Sihas) will be organized jointly by the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Adex Communications Pvt. Ltd.
British Government welcome formation of Transitional Government in Somalia
LONDON, Jan 13 (APP)- The British Government has welcomed the formation of a new cabinet of ministers for the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia and described it as a positive development in advancing political process.
The Minister for Africa, Lord Malloch-Brown in a statement emphasised UK support for the Transitional Government and urged it to build on this positive development by advancing the political process and encouraged all parties with a stake in Somalia’s future to engage in this process constructively, for the sake of improving the lives of Somalis.
French president in Saudi Arabia for his first Gulf tour
By Xinhua
Riyadh : French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in the Saudi capital Sunday to start his first tour to the Gulf region since coming into office.
Sarkozy was greeted at the airport by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz. The two leaders will later discuss bilateral ties and regional issues, including the Iranian nuclear issue and the Middle East peace process.
Sarkozy-Abdullah talks will also cover ongoing negotiations on arms sales, including secure communication equipment, reconnaissance aircrafts, radar networks and helicopters, French defence industry sources said.
Pakistan does not need help on its n-weapons: Musharraf
By IANS
New York : Rejecting US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton's suggestion that the US and Britain help Pakistan secure its nuclear weapons, President Pervez Musharraf has insisted that the armaments are secure.
"They are very secure. We will ask if we need assistance. Nobody should tell us what to do. And I'd ask anyone who says such things, do you know how our strategic assets are handled, stored and developed?" Musharraf said in an interview with Newsweek.
IAEA sees progress in nuke talks with Iran
By DPA
Vienna : The UN's nuclear watchdog said Sunday that some progress has been made in weekend talks in Tehran on Iran's nuclear programme, and said the two sides aim to clarify all further open issues within the next four weeks.
A statement by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna said progress has been achieved regarding the agreed-on working plan regarding Iran's atomic activities.
IAEA sees progress in nuke talks with Iran
By DPA
Vienna : The UN's nuclear watchdog said Sunday that some progress has been made in weekend talks in Tehran on Iran's nuclear programme, and said the two sides aim to clarify all further open issues within the next four weeks.
A statement by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna said progress has been achieved regarding the agreed-on working plan regarding Iran's atomic activities.
Bhutto’s family did not want autopsy: Musharraf
By IANS
New York : Benazir Bhutto's family did not want a post-mortem examination, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said, expressing his willingness to exhume the assassinated leader's body now.
"There's the cultural factor. Somehow, in our culture, a post-mortem of a woman is not done. When the body was at the hospital, Asif Ali Zardari (Bhutto's husband) himself said it could not be done; he didn't want the post-mortem done," Musharraf said in an interview to Newsweek.
Bush calls Iran ‘leading state sponsor of terror’
By Xinhua
Abu Dhabi : Visiting US President George W. Bush, in a speech delivered here Sunday afternoon, accused Iran of being the world's "leading state sponsor of terror".
"Iran is today the world's leading state sponsor of terror," Bush said.
The US President accused Iran of supporting Hezbollah, Hamas, Taliban, Al Qaeda and its affiliates as well as extremist Shias in Iraq, defying the United Nations, and destabilizing the region by refusing to be open about its nuclear programme.
"Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere," he added.
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.
IAF air-ambulance lifts injured soldiers from Iran
By IANS
Chandigarh : An AN-32 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) converted into an air-ambulance has carried out a medical evacuation mission of critically injured Indian security personnel from a town in Iran.
The air-ambulance, belonging to 'Camels' - a squadron based at the air force station here, carried out the evacuation mission Jan 9 from Zabol town in Iran, bordering Afghanistan.
Eight cops killed, two kidnapped in Taliban attack
By Xinhua
Kabul : Eight policemen were killed when Taliban fighters attacked a police checkpoint Sunday morning in Maiwand district of Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan, the police said.
"The militants who came in two pickups also took away two other policemen and some weapons after the killing," a police officer in the district said.
Taliban's supposed spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said that their fighters killed 12 policemen in the pre-dawn attack and took their weapons.
IAF air-ambulance lifts injured soldiers from Iran
By IANS
Chandigarh : An AN-32 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) converted into an air-ambulance has carried out a medical evacuation mission of critically injured Indian security personnel from a town in Iran.
The air-ambulance, belonging to 'Camels' - a squadron based at the air force station here, carried out the evacuation mission Jan 9 from Zabol town in Iran, bordering Afghanistan.
US President arrives in United Arab Emirates
By IANS
Abu Dhabi : US President George W. Bush arrived here Sunday on a two-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of his Middle East tour, WAM news agency reported Sunday.
Bush is the first sitting US president to visit the UAE.
He was welcomed at the airport by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan , Vice-President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and other senior government officials.
UAE most globalised Arab country
By IANS
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the most globalised Arab country followed by Saudi Arabia, according to a report released by a research organisation.
The report by Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA) which is affiliated to Switzerland's Zurich University, ranked the UAE as the world's 35th most globalised country, WAM news agency reported Sunday.
Saudi Arabia was ranked 36th and Kuwait was at the 40th position.
Iran ready to come forth on n-plants before IAEA: Hosseini
By IANS
Tehran : Iran said Sunday it was ready to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to remove ambiguities over its nuclear programme "within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)".
"Tehran is ready to respond to the remaining ambiguities regarding Iran's peaceful nuclear programme to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by March 2008," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said here during his weekly press conference, IRNA news agency reported.
‘Power-sharing among Malaysian ethnic groups to continue’
By IANS
Kuala Lumpur : The power-sharing pact among the parties of the pre-independence alliance that form Malaysia's ruling Barisan Nasional, shall continue, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has said.
Razak harked back to the pre-independence alliance between Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tan Cheng Lock and V. Sambanthan, who represented the Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnic groups respectively, at a function here Saturday.
Bangla politicians bear brunt of anti-graft drive
By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladesh politicians have borne the brunt of the country's caretaker government's drive against crime and corruption, a newspaper report alleged Sunday.
At least 234 people, including 214 political leaders, have so far been sentenced to varying terms of imprisonment in the drive by the military-controlled interim government, the New Age newspaper said, citing official statistics on completion of the government's one year in office.
Maradona criticised for giving jersey to Iran president
By IANS
Buenos Aires : The families of victims of a 1994 bomb attack on a Jewish cultural centre here have criticised Argentina's football legend Diego Maradona for giving his team jersey to Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
"It's shameful and it's an outrage," said Sergio Burstein, director of Family and Friends of the Victims of the Attack, Spain's EFE news agency reported Sunday.
The bomb attack on the AMIA Jewish headquarters in Buenos Aires in 1994 killed 85 people. The attack was attributed to Islamist terrorists said to be backed by Tehran.
Bangladesh court sets Jan 17 for Hasina trial
By Xinhua
Dhaka : A special court in Bangladesh Sunday formally framed charges against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in an extortion case and fixed Jan 17 for commencement of the trial.
Hasina, who ruled the country from 1996 to 2001 as prime minister, Sunday standing in the dock pleaded not guilty.
"I am innocent," she told the makeshift court set up in the high-security parliament building complex.
Hasina termed the case mala fide and concocted to tarnish her image and debar her from contesting the parliamentary elections scheduled to be held by December this year.
Musharraf again refuses UN probe into Bhutto murder
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has once again refused to involve the UN in the probe into the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, saying the international body cannot be brought in as a second country was not involved in the murder.
Sacked Pakistani chief justice rejects eviction notice
By IANS
Islamabad : Sacked Pakistani chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has refused to accept a notice asking him to vacate his official residence here, saying that he was not a "retired" judge.
In another development, former acting chief justice Rana Bhagwandas' family said he had been put under house arrest in Karachi, even as the police said he had only been asked to restrict his movements in view of the "terror environment" prevailing in the city.
50 killed as Pakistan army launches crackdown in tribal areas
By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan has launched a massive crackdown on pro-Taliban militants in South Waziristan Agency (SWA) with as at least 50 militants being killed in the area populated by the followers of Al Qaeda ally Baitullah Mehsud.
Troopers Saturday arrested dozens of suspected militants and seized their vehicles, while a police constable was killed when the militants attacked police lines in Tank, The News reported Sunday.
The security forces started firing artillery shells from Manzai Fort at the suspected locations of Baitullah Mehsud-led militants.
Pakistan deports US scribe for Taliban story
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : A freelance US journalist has been deported from Pakistan, most likely for reporting on Taliban activities in parts of the country.
Nicholas Schmidle, whose latest piece "Next-Gen Taliban" appeared in the Jan 6 issue of The New York Times Magazine, has been forced to leave Friday from Pakistan, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Pakistan’s ‘disappeared’ still remain an unfinished business
By Zofeen T. Ebrahim, IANS
Karachi : Emergency has been lifted and a brand new apex court set up in Pakistan, but the bench still refuses to entertain cases of human rights violations, specially those of enforced disappearances, says former law minister Iqbal Haider.
"We should wash our hands off these cases," says Haider. Those who have disappeared have often been labelled terrorists or threats to national security, yet none have been charged with any crime so far.
Pakistan’s ‘disappeared’ still remain an unfinished business
By Zofeen T. Ebrahim, IANS
Karachi : Emergency has been lifted and a brand new apex court set up in Pakistan, but the bench still refuses to entertain cases of human rights violations, specially those of enforced disappearances, says former law minister Iqbal Haider.
"We should wash our hands off these cases," says Haider. Those who have disappeared have often been labelled terrorists or threats to national security, yet none have been charged with any crime so far.
Hamas leader sets terms for resumption of dialogue with Abbas
By Xinhua
Gaza : Ismail Haneya, a senior Hamas leader and the deposed Palestinian prime minister, on Saturday set terms for the resumption of dialogue with President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement.
"Stopping all security coordination and cooperation with the occupation forces (Israel) is a condition to resume the dialogue," Haneya told a crowd of pilgrims who had recently returned to Gaza from Saudi Arabia.
Bush warns against Syria, Iran’s fuelling violence in Iraq
By Xinhua
Kuwait City : U.S. President George W. Bush warned Saturday against Syria and Iran's fuelling violence in Iraq.
Bush made the warning while speaking to reporters after meetinghis top political and military commanders in Iraq at the U.S. military base of Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.
Bush urged that Syria "needs to further reduce the flow of terrorists" and Iran must stop supporting militias that attack U.S.and Iraqi forces.
Meanwhile, Bush promised that his goal of reducing troop numbers in Iraq by July was on track.
Bush: troops withdrawal from Iraq depends on conditions
By Xinhua
Kuwait City : U.S. President George W. Bush said Saturday that the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq has improved security in Iraq embracing "significantly reduced" violence and further troops withdrawal depends on conditions on the ground.
At the U.S. military base of Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, Bush said that no decision has been made on bringing more U.S. troops home from Iraq, according to local media reports.
Bush: U.S. to withdraw 20,000 troops from Iraq by mid-year
·Bush said his country is on track to complete the planned withdrawal of 20,000 troops.
·"Levels of violence are significantly reduced. Hope is returning to Baghdad," Bush said.
·He reaffirmed his stance that reduced force levels will depend on conditions in Iraq.
By Xinhua
Iraq to rehabilitate former Saddam’s party members
By Xinhua
Baghdad : Iraq's parliament on Saturday passed a controversial law on reinstatement of former Saddam's Baath Party members to government jobs.
The parliament passed the Accountability and Justice bill to replace the de-Baathification law, which banned Saddam's supporters from participating in the public life in the country after the collapse of Saddam's regime by a U.S.-led coalition in 2003.
Iran calls on IAEA to be more “impartial”
By Xinhua
Tehran : Iran on Saturday urged the UN atomic watchdog to be more "impartial" over the country's disputed nuclear program, during meetings with visiting International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei in Tehran, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The role of ElBaradei in resolving Iran's nuclear case was "constructive," Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili was quoted as saying.
Iran urges nuclear dossier to be returned to IAEA
By Xinhua
Tehran : Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Saturday urged the country's disputed nuclear case to be returned from the UN Security Council to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), pledging not to give in to the U.S. pressure, the state television reported.
"There's no reason for Iran's nuclear case to stay in the Security Council," the IAEA should handle it by itself, Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all Iranian matters, was quoted as telling IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei.
Bangladesh polls by December
By DPA
Dhaka : The military backed interim government in Bangladesh declared Saturday that a general election will be held before the end of the current year to restore parliamentary rule in the country.
The announcement of the national polls was made by Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed during a televised address to the nation.
Ahmed, however, discounted prospects of advancing the polls to June/July as demanded by major political parties to tackle the uncertainty facing the country.
US alarmed by Al Qaeda’s growth in Pakistan
By IANS
Washington : The US government is "extremely concerned" about the emergence of Al Qaeda in Pakistan, but will not act without a nod from the Pakistani government.
"There are concerns now about how much Al Qaeda turned inward, literally, inside Pakistan, as well as the kind of planning, training, financing and support that the worldwide effort is," Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters here Friday.
Expressing Pentagon's extreme concern over the development, he said: "I think continued pressure there will have to be brought".
Ahmadinejad urges IAEA not to be swayed by world powers
By DPA
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on the United Nations nuclear watchdog to fulfil its responsibility and not be influenced by world powers in the nuclear dispute, IRNA news agency reported.
"The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should not be influenced by pressures of world powers and fulfil its responsibilities fairly and based on legal criteria," Ahmadinejad told visiting IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei in Tehran.
"We only acknowledge the IAEA as reference in the nuclear issue but this does not hinder negotiations with other countries," he added.
UAE Red Crescent comes to the aid of Socotra
By IANS
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates Red Crescent Authority (UAE-RCA) has sent humanitarian aid by air to the Yemeni island of Socotra, WAM news agency reported Saturday.
Socotra lies off the coast of Somalia and is witnessing a severe cold spell.
The aid is a part of RCA's efforts to help the Yemeni Red Crescent society and Yemeni health ministry provide humanitarian aid for the people of the island.
RCA Secretary General Saleh Moussa Al Thae thanked UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his support to the aid project.
Musharraf efforts to reduce tension with Sharif brothers after Benazir
By KUNA
Islamabad : In a significant development on Saturday a special envoy of President Pervez Musharraf met with the President of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) to reduce tension between the presidential camp and the faction of former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, after the killing of Benazir Bhutto.
Official sources told KUNA that Brigadier (rtd.) Niaz Ahmed held over an hour long meeting with Shehbaz Sharif, brother of Nawaz Sharif, and President of his party.
Bush says US new strategy in Iraq helped send more US troops home
By KUNA
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait : US President George Bush said here Saturday that America's new approach in Iraqi prevented more violence and had paved way to sending more US troops back home.
Speaking to reporters after talks with US ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and top US General in Iraqi General David Petraeus, Bush said that Iraq was living by sectarian violence one year ago.
This violence, Bush said at Camp Arifjan, the base of the third US army, increased in the course of 2006 and threatened the collapse of the political process.
Forces in an operation round up 100 militants in Sawat
By KUNA
Islamabad : Security forces in a search operation have rounded up more than 100 Taliban militants including a key militants commander, said officials Saturday.
The forces conducted a joint house-to-house search operation with local police in Kabal district of Sawat valley on Friday and Saturday, security officials told KUNA.
Palestinian police find body of shot policeman
By KUNA
Gaza : Policemen found on Saturday deady body of member of the froce in the southern sector of Gaza city, police said.
The body of Shaaban Daghmash bore bullet marks, police said, adding that THE slain man was brother of Zakariah Daghmash, in charge of Salah-Eddine Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees.
Daghmash had been shot three times in head.
Gunmen launch second attack on American school in Gaza
By KUNA
Gaza : Gunmen broke into an American school building in Beit Lahya west of the Gaza Strip early on Saturday in the second such attack on it since Thursday.
Local radio stations quoted school director Rabhi Salem as saying that an unidentified armed group broke into the school building Saturday dawn, sabotaged parts of it, stole computers and other items and set fire at six buses that were completely destroyed.
Palestinian policemen wounded in bomb blast in Gaza
By KUNA
Gaza : Several policemen of the dismissed Palestinian government were wounded in a bomb blast in the center of Gaza Strip on Saturday.
Medical sources said the explosion targeted a patrol of the police east of Al-Nusairat refugee camp.
Security sources said the bomb was set off with a remote-control device.
Palestinian negotiator rules out statehood in 2008
By DPA
Ramallah (Palestine) : Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat Saturday ruled out announcing Palestinian statehood in 2008.
"In 2008, we expect a peace deal specifying the core final-status issues and how to begin dealing with them," he told reporters.
The Palestinian Authority, which renewed peace talks with Israel last month, is counting on a US role in pushing the slow negotiations.
Musharraf will resign if a majority doesn’t want him
By DPA
Hamburg : Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has told a German news magazine in an interview made public Saturday that he would resign if a majority of people in the country no longer wanted him.
The Pakistan leader also told Der Spiegel somebody should have stopped opposition leader Benazir Bhutto standing up in her car into the line of fire on the day last month when she was assassinated.
Abbas briefs al-Nahyan on outcome of Bush’s visit
By SPA
Ramallah : At a telephone conversation today, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas briefed UAE's president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan on the outcome of the visit of US president George W. Bush to the Palestinian territories.
He also briefed al-Nahayan on the latest developments in the region.
Iran’s special envoy meets caretaker premier
By SPA
Islamabad : Iran's special envoy Kazem Jalali has met Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro and discussed bilateral relations, said an official statement.
Pakistan and Iran enjoy close neighborly relations and have been playing a significant role in the region for peace and stability, Soomro said.
Both countries, he added, desire to expand trade and economic links in order to ensure prosperity for their people.
Snow falls in Baghdad, first time in 100 years
By RIA Novasti
Abu Dhabi : Iraq and other Gulf states have seen rare weather conditions, with snow falling in Baghdad for the first time in around 100 years, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Heavy rains hit the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, where authorities even had to evacuate over 1,000 inmates from flooded prison cells.
Abu Dhabi : Iraq and other Gulf states have seen rare weather conditions, with snow falling in Baghdad for the first time in around 100 years, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Heavy rains hit the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, where authorities even had to evacuate over 1,000 inmates from flooded prison cells.
UN, Iranian nuclear chiefs discuss resuming dialogue with Iran-6
By RIA Novasti
Tehran : Prospects for resuming dialogue between Tehran and six negotiating countries on Iran's nuclear program were the focus of a meeting between the top UN and Iranian nuclear negotiators.
Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is in Tehran for talks with the country's leadership on Iran's controversial uranium enrichment program. He met with Saeed Jalili, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, before returning to Vienna on Sunday.
Bangladesh observes one year completion of caretaker goverment
By NNN-BSS
Dhaka : The Bangladesh caretaker government completes its one-year Saturday reminding the nation of the troubled period leading to the 1/11 proclamation of the state of emergency and subsequent installation of the current administration under Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed.
The attention of the media as well as the ordinary people were focused on Bangabhaban as President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed at that time was the apparent centre of the state power as he was holding the post of the chief advisor simultaneously.
Militants attack police lines, garrison in Tank
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : Some unidentified militants targeted police lines and garrison in Tank city with rockets and small arms early Saturday.
According to the official sources here, the attack did not cause any damage to life or property, however, the security forces have cordoned off the area around Umar Adda, North of Tank city.
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.
Pakistan: Pres Musharraf wants Bhutto probe report before Feb 18 elections
By NNN-PTI
Islamabad : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said he hoped the result of the Scotland Yard-assisted probe into Benazir Bhutto's assassination will be out before the Feb 18 polls, which, he said, will be held no matter "what happens".
Ruling out a United Nations inquiry into the killing of the former premier, as demanded by Bhutto's family and her Pakistan People's Party, Musharraf said "it is not possible. Is another country involved?"
Ban welcomes Japan’s decision to resume efforts to stabilise Afghanistan
By NNN-KUNA
United Nations : Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon late Friday welcomed Japan's decision to resume its activities in support of the international efforts to assist the Afghan Government to bring security and development to its people, his press office said in a statement.
It added that Ban noted the challenges that Afghanistan and the international community faced in 2007, and is "thankful to all those Member States contributing troops and assets to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and international forces in Afghanistan.
Syria, Iraq and Turkey working on more water cooperation
By NNN-KUNA
Damascus : Ministers of water resources from Syria, Iraq and Turkey on Saturday asserted that there was no row over the quota of each from the water of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.
Syria's Minister of Irrigation Nader Al-Boni, Iraq's water Resources Minister Abdullatif Gamal Rasheed and the Turkish Minister of Environment and Forestry Veysel Eroglu held talks Saturday in Damascus.
Bush says US will succeed in defeating terrorism
By NNN-KUNA
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait : US President George Bush here Saturday voiced strong belief that the US would defeat terrorism saying he "has no doubt in my mind that we will succeed." Bush, addressing a crowd of American forces from the US Third Army in Arifjan base in southern Kuwait, said the best way to defeat the ideologies based on hatred was through ideologies based on liberty.
American forces evict positions in Iraqi region Al-Anbar
By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : The American Army announced on Saturday that it was slashing number of American troops serving in towns of Al-Anbar province west of the Iraqi capital.
The American Army presence in Al-Anbar is being cut while presence of the Iraqi police is increasing with missions in the provincial towns and along the region's main roads, the army said in a statement.
The US troops are evicting combat and patrol positions, removing roadblocks, barricades and barbed-wire fences and handing over the security missions to the local forces, it said.
Bush’s visit to Bahrain ushers new era in bilateral strategic ties
By NNN-KUNA
Manama : US President George W. Bush is due in Bahrain on Saturday on a visit that observers believe will usher a new era of bilateral relations that date back to 115 years before when the first US missionary arrived in the Gulf country.
The visit is viewed as a clear signal of the growing strategic ties between the two countries.
Fatah says Bush violates UN resolution on refugees
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement on Saturday accused U.S. President George W. Bush of violating the UN resolution 194 which is related to the Palestinian refugees.
The UN Resolution 194, adopted in 1948, calls for the return of the Palestinian refugees and compensation paid to those who choose not to go back.
Azzam al-Ahmad, chief of the Fatah parliamentary bloc, said Bush has offered only to compensate the Palestinian refugees, avoiding dealing with their long-anticipated return right.
Palestinian negotiator rules out establishment of statehood in 2008
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Saturday ruled out the possibility of establishing a Palestinian statehood in 2008, saying a peace deal with Israel was expected within year-end.
"In 2008, we expect a peace deal specifying the core final-status issues and how to begin dealing with them," Erekat told reporters.
The Palestinian National Authority (PNA), which renewed peace talks with Israel last month, counts on an active U.S. role in pushing forward the slow-paced negotiations.
Unknown gunmen again raid American school in Gaza
By Xinhua
Gaza : Unidentified Palestinian militants once again stormed the American International School in northern Gaza Strip early Saturday, destroying some equipment and setting fire to school buses, the principal said.
The raid on the school, which is located in Beit Lahiya town, was the second in three days, said the school principal Rebhi Salem.
The gunmen "stormed the school at 2 a.m. and stayed there for more than two hours and destroyed the school's properties, stole computers and some private belongings," Salem said.
Bush warns against Syria, Iran’s fuelling violence in Iraq
By Xinhua
Kuwait City : U.S. President George W. Bush warned Saturday against Syria and Iran's fuelling violence in Iraq.
Bush made the warning while speaking to reporters after meetinghis top political and military commanders in Iraq at the U.S. military base of Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.
Bush urged that Syria "needs to further reduce the flow of terrorists" and Iran must stop supporting militias that attack U.S.and Iraqi forces.
Meanwhile, Bush promised that his goal of reducing troop numbers in Iraq by July was on track.
Bush, top aides discuss Iraqi situation in Kuwait
By Xinhua
Kuwait City : U.S. President George W. Bush here Saturday discussed the Iraqi situation with his top political advisors and military commanders in Iraq.
According to media reports, Bush, who arrived here on the first leg of a four-nation Gulf tour after visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories, met with General David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, and with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker at Camp Arifjan, a U.S. military base, which serves as a staging ground for forces deploying to Iraq.
Bush: U.S. to withdraw 20,000 troops from Iraq by mid-year
By Xinhua
Kuwait City : U.S. President George W. Bush said on Saturday that his country is on track to complete the planned withdrawal of 20,000 troops from Iraq by mid-year.
Speaking at the U.S. military base of Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, Bush said "the only thing I can tell you is we're on track for what we've said was going to happen," according to local media.
He said that the build-up of U.S. troops in Iraq has improved security in Iraq embracing "significantly reduced" violence, "allowing some U.S. forces to return home."
Bush to arrive in UAE on Sunday
By IANS
Abu Dhabi : US President George W. Bush will arrive here Sunday on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of his tour of the Middle East, WAM news agency reported Saturday.
It is the first visit of a sitting US president to the country.
UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed the US President's visit and praised the existing political, economic, military and cultural ties between the UAE and the US.
He expressed confidence that the visit would open up new avenues of cooperation between the two countries.
Arab League fails to resolve Lebanon stalemate
By DPA
Beirut : Arab League efforts headed by Secretary General Amr Mussa have failed to resolve a stalemate over Lebanon's presidency as Mussa prepared to leave the country Saturday.
Mussa, who arrived in Beirut Wednesday, has described the situation in Lebanon as "dangerous", but said he would return to the Lebanese capital Thursday or Friday.
Lebanon has been without a president since pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud stepped down on Nov 23 because of bitter rivalry between the pro and anti-Syrian camps.
Suspected Al Qaeda gunmen kill six in Iraq
By Xinhua
Tikrit (Iraq) : Six people were killed when suspected Al Qaeda gunmen attacked two houses in a rural area in Iraq's northern province of Salahudin early Saturday, police said.
"Gunmen, allegedly affiliated to Al Qaeda, attacked two houses outside the town of Duluiyah, 90 km north of Baghdad, killing a total six people," it said.
The attackers stormed the house of Saadoun Ahmed Meshlib, killing him and his three sons, while another group of gunmen attacked the house of Ziyad Ibrahim Khalil, killing him and his son before fleeing.
ElBaradei starts talks with Iran’s president
By DPA
Tehran : UN nuclear watchdog head Mohamed ElBaradei started talks Saturday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran.
ElBaradei has been in Tehran since Friday to push Iran to clarify all outstanding issues related to the country's controversial nuclear programme.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) met earlier Saturday with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. There were no immediate reports about the meeting.
Musharraf warns US against entering Pak to hunt al-Qaida
By IRNA-PTI
Islamabad : President Pervez Musharraf warned that any unilateral action by US troops to enter Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan in the hunt for al-Qaida militants would be regarded as an invasion and asserted they would "regret" that day.
"The United States seems to think that what our army cannot do, they can do. This is a very wrong perception. I challenge anybody to come into our mountains. They would regret that day," Musharraf said in an interview to Straits Times of Singapore in what seems to be an open dare by him.
UN sec-gen against pullout of ISAF from Afghanistan
By IRNA-Itar-Tass
Berlin : United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has come out against the idea of withdrawing the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from Afghanistan. In an article the Berlin-based daily Der Tagesspiegel published on Friday he criticized demands by some Western countries for ending the military operation in Hindu Kush as a "wrong evaluation of historical conditions. "
The UN secretary-general believes that the international contingent's pullout from Afghanistan would be "a mistake" that might entail " terrible consequences."
US lawyer wants Bush revise policy towards Pakistan
By IRNA
Islamabad : Head of the United States National Lawyers Guild delegation, David Gespass urged the U.S. to change its policy towards Pakistan as it is 'damaging' the struggle for democracy and independence of judiciary in Pakistan.
Releasing a preliminary report of the delegation at a press conference David Gespass conceded that dual standard of U.S. foreign policy is explicit and has negative affect on Pakistan's politics on Friday.