Badawi should step down now, says Mahathir
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmed Badawi should step down immediately and not wait until March, his predecessor and friend-turned-critic Mahathir Mohamad has said.
Mahathir said that Badawi, while announcing that he would quit in March as chief of the ruling United Malaysian National Organisation (Umno) and with that give up the prime ministership, had not allowed autonomy to his would-be successor, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Exhibitors from India in Dubai gem show
By IANS,
Dubai : Exhibitors from India are among those from 20 countries participating in a global gem show taking place in Dubai.
Over 100 exhibitors from the coloured stones industry have gathered here for the International Gem Show Dubai 2008 that started Monday.
The three-day exhibition, under the patronage of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), is being organised by the International Coloured Gemstone Association (ICA) and supported by the Middle East GemBureau.
17 militants die as Pakistan combat jets bomb Taliban positions
By NNN-PTI,
Islamabad : At least 17 militants were killed on Monday when Pakistani combat jets and gunship helicopters bombed suspected Taliban positions in the troubled northwestern Swat valley and adjoining Bajaur tribal region.
Ten militants were killed when jets struck militant positions at several places in Charmang and Loisam sub-districts of Bajaur Agency, considered strongholds of the local Taliban.
A number of militant hideouts were destroyed in the bombing, TV channels reported.
Pakistani PM Gilani meets Japanese counterpart in Beijing
By NNN-APP,
Beijing : In a meeting held with the Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso on the sidelines of ASEM Summit in Beijing, Saturday, the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani thanked the former for Japan’s doubling of its official development assistance for Pakistan to US$ 479 million in 2007 and the grant assistance through UNHCR for the internally displaced persons in Pakistan, this year.
Eight killed in US raid on Syrian village DPA
Damascus, Oct 27 (DPA) Syria Monday condemned a commando raid on a remote border village by US forces in which it said eight civilians, including four children, were killed.
A government spokesman in Damascus added that the Iraqi government also bore responsibility for the incident.
According to the state-run news agency SANA, the eight victims included a married couple, their four children, and two men in the attack at the village Sunday.
90 dead, 20,000 displaced in Yemeni floods
By SPA,
Sana, Yemen : Flooding caused by a tropical storm has killed 90 people and displaced 20,000 others in southern Yemen, police and the World Food Program said Monday.
The WFP, which said 20,000 people were displaced, said it has been difficult to get aid to hard-hit Hadramut province because many roads were destroyed by floodwaters after Thursday's storm.
A police official said 90 people died and 24 farms were wrecked, foreign news agencies reported.
German FM holds talks with Pakistan President
By SPA,
Islamabad : German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived here today for a two-day official visit to Pakistan for wide-ranging talks with top officials on means of bolstering bilateral cooperation.
Immediately after arrival, Steinmeier proceeded to the Presidential palace in Islamabad where he held talks with President Asif Ali Zardari on regional and international issues as well as bilateral relations and security developments in the region, official sources said.
Arab League and Arab Security Council condemn US attack on Syria
By NNN-SANA,
Cairo : The Arab League general secretariat has condemned the US attack on Boukamal in north-eastern Syria that claimed the lives of innocent civilians.
In a statement issued Monday, the Arab League underlined that such a violation will not help stability in the region and opens the door for new tension in the region and destroy the credibility of the move toward peace and stability in Iraq and its neighbours.
The statement stressed solidarity with Syria in her right to defend her territories and protect her people.
Afghanistan, Pakistan pledge to build better relations
By DPA,
Ankara : Pakistan and Afghanistan leaders Thursday reiterated their pledges to cooperate towards promoting peace, security, stability and economic development in the region.
Meeting in Istanbul with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Gilani and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai vowed to continue cooperation in a number of fields and welcomed talks to promote peace in the two countries.
Explosion in Gaza kills policeman, injures three others
By KUNA,
Gaza : A Palestinian policeman was killed while three others were injured last night due to an explosion near a police headquarters in the Gaza Strip, a local radio reported on Friday.
The radio station in Gaza said the policeman and his mates at the bombs squad were trying to dismantle an explosive device at the headquarters.
The dismantling was a failure and the bomb detonated ending Alaa Al-Ajala's life.
Karzai congratulates U.S. President-elect, calls for strategy change in Afghan war
By Xinhua,
Kabul : Afghan President Hamid Karzai Wednesday congratulated Barack Obama on his victory in the U.S. presidential elections and called for change in the strategy on war against terrorism.
"I congratulate Senator Barack Obama on winning the presidential elections and we hope there will be a change in the strategy of war on terror," Karzai told newsmen at a press conference immediately after the result of U.S. Presidential polls came out.
Security forces hit militants” hideouts in Pakistan
By KUNA,
Islamabad : More than ten militants were killed in fresh military air strikes in Pakistan's northern lush-green on Saturday, security sources said.
Military gunship helicopters conducted fresh air strikes in Malamjabba and Kabal areas of Sawat districts, the sources told KUNA.
They said several suspected militant hideouts were destroyed, adding that at least ten militants were killed.
Sources said that operation was still continuing in the area.
Malaysian Indian wins award for educating poor kids
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysian Indian Dhanveer Singh has won the Most Outstanding Youth of the Year award for his work to educate poor children in Southeast Asian nations' He says being with children inspires him.
Singh's non-profit organisation SOLS247 is working among the disadvantaged youth in countries such as Papua New Guinea, Cambodia and Timor Leste, who are not in the league of the region's "tiger economies".
He was conferred the award at the Fourth Asian Youth Ambassadors (AYA) Dream Malaysia Awards ceremony here Sunday.
India, Pakistan to hold talks on liberalising visa regime
By Muhammad Najeeb,IANS,
Islamabad : Top officials from the interior ministries of Pakistan and India will meet here Nov 25 to discuss liberalizing their visa regime, as also issues related to counter-terrorism and counsellor access to prisoners in each other's country.
Indian Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta will reach Lahore Nov 24 from where he will come to Islamabad the next morning for bilateral talks with his Pakistani counterpart Syed Kamal Shah, an official of the interior minister said.
Banned outfit planning fresh bombings in poll-bound Bangladesh: report
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh's banned Islamist militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) has begun stockpiling explosives and is planning a fresh round of attacks across the country in the run up to the Dec 18 general elections, officials said.
The military-backed caretaker government has failed to follow up its drive against Islamist militancy, media reports Tuesday said quoting security officials.
Karzai in touch with senior Taliban leaders: Afghan official
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : Afghan President Hamid Karzai is in touch with the senior leadership of former ruling Taliban that went underground after the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops landed in the war torn country after 9/11, says a senior Afghan official.
"Yes, Hamid Karzai is in touch with them (Taliban) for some time and wants to establish long term peace in Afghanistan," the senior Afghan official visiting Pakistan told IANS, while requesting anonymity.
Missile attack kills 4 in NW Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least four people were killed in a missile attack in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, private TV channel Geo reported.
Some unknown militants fired a missile in Andi Khel area of Frontier Region of Bannu district in North West Frontier Province, killing four persons and injuring several others, said the report.
The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Security forces cordoned off the area after the incident.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
U.S. optimistic about approval of security pact with Iraq
By Xinhua,
Washington : The United States is confident that the Iraqi parliament will approve a controversial military pact that allows American troops to remain in Iraq until the end of 2011, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Wednesday.
"We think we're on a good trajectory right now," Perino told reporters. "All we need to do is to have them have the reading, let the parliament debate, as you would in a democratic society, and then have a vote. We think they'll be able to do it later this week, or early next week, or next week."
At least four dead in Kabul explosion
By RIA Novosti,
Kabul : At least four people were killed and over 10 injured when an explosive device went off near the U.S. embassy in the Afghan capital, Kabul, a source in the country's interior ministry said on Thursday.
The official dismissed media reports that the explosion had occurred just outside the U.S. embassy, saying that the bomb had been detonated outside a state-run printing firm at least 200 meters away from the entrance to the U.S. compound.
"A terrorist attacked a NATO convoy," the source said, adding that the blast had occurred during rush hour.
India, Pakistan agree on visa liberalization
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan and India have agreed on the need for visa liberalization and decided to discuss ways to cooperate in curbing cross border crime, according to Online news agency.
A joint statement, issued at end of the home secretary level talks, said the Federal Investigation Agency of Pakistan and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of India will meet soon to discuss cooperation in addressing issues like human trafficking, illegal immigration, and counterfeit currency.
Activists want end to Israeli blockade of Gaza
By IRNA,
London : Human rights activists are calling on Egypt to open its border with Gaza to prevent the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the strip.
Parliamentarians, community leaders, NGOs and human rights activists, from different countries, have written a letter to be delivered on Saturday by the Egyptian Embassy to President Hosni Mubarak to ask him to open Gaza crossing.
IAEA monitors safety of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant
By Xinhua,
Tehran : The International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA) representative to Iran Christer Viktorsson said on Sunday that IAEA monitors the safety of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, in Iran's southern Bushehr province, the official IRNA news agency reported.
"Cooperation between IAEA and Iran on the security and safety of Bushehr nuclear power plant is in line with existing protocols and agreements," IRNA quoted Viktorsson as saying, adding that "Iran is now fully cooperating with IAEA to maintain safety of Bushehr nuclear power plant."
Violence escalates in Karachi, over 40 killed
By KUNA,
Islamabad : More than 40 people have been killed in the violence in Pakistan's southern Karachi port city, erupted Saturday night between two local ethnic communities.
While the violence continued to escalate in Pakistan's commercial hub, the provincial government Monday issued orders of "shoot on site" and banned pillion-riding.
Members of two ethnic communities went on a rampage and attacked each other on Saturday night in Karachi. The violence spread like fire in various parts of the city and have brought the daily life on standstill.
Water to be pumps in Mina in preparation for the 8th of Thu Al-Hijjah
By SPA,
Makkah : The General Directorate of water in the Makkah Region will begin pumping water through networks in Mina in preparation for the day of Tarwiyah (watering), the Eighth of Zil-Hijja.
On the Tarwiyah day the pilgrims spend in Mina day and night hours prior to moving to Arafat in the morning of the next day (Sunday).
This was announced by general supervisor of the General Directorate of water in the Makkah Al-Ahmad Baghdadi.
Pakistani President to attend trilateral summit in Turkey
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will leave for Turkey on Friday to represent Pakistan at the trilateral summit and discuss with Afghan President ways to bring lasting peace to the region, officials said Wednesday.
The trilateral summit is being hosted by Turkey with the sole objective of bringing Pakistan and Afghanistan closer and forging stronger bonds between the two countries.
Rice sees no military standoff between Pakistan, India
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday that Pakistan and India had both given responsible statements and no military action was on the cards in both countries.
"I found the Pakistani leadership very focused and committed," she told reporters after talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and senior army officials.
"I do want to thank you for the leadership role that you have taken," she told Zardari.
Pakistani president vows to help in Mumbai attacks probe
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Asif Zardari Thursday assured visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Ricethat Pakistan will assist in investigation into last week's Mumbai attacks, according to a statement from the Pakistani president office.
"The government will also take strong action against any Pakistani elements found involved in the attack," Zardari told Rice, said the statement.
"Pakistan is determined to ensure that its territory is not used for any act of terrorism," the statement quoted Zardari as saying.
China calls for India-Pakistan dialogue after Mumbai attacks
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China Thursday called for dialogue between India and Pakistan to clear the confusion after last week's terror attacks in Mumbai to maintain peace and stability in South Asia.
China firmly opposes terrorism and it is in the best interest of India and Pakistan to strengthen dialogue and bilateral cooperation, foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters.
"It is in line with the requirements for regional peace and stability and the common expectation of the international community," he said.
Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan to strengthen anti-terrorism co-op
By Xinhua,
Ankara : Presidents of Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan on Friday stressed their determination to strengthen tripartite cooperation to fight against terrorism, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.
At the joint press conference held by Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari following the Turkey-Afghanistan-Pakistan tripartite summit in Istanbul on Friday, Gul said that the three parties confirmed that counter terrorism is the priority they have attached to.
NATO troops fire on bus in Afghanistan, killing 4
By RIA Novosti,
Kabul : NATO forces in Afghanistan have killed four passengers on a bus that failed to stop when driving toward their patrol, the ISAF press service said.
The incident occurred on Friday morning 40 km south of Kabul on the road to Kandahar. The International Security and Assistance Force said the bus driver did not heed signals to slow down, warning gestures or shots in the air, so the soldiers were forced to fire on the vehicle.
Saudi Arabian Airlines to fly 500,000 pilgrims
By SPA,
Jeddah : Saudi Arabian Airlines will fly about 500,000 pilgrims back home, Khaled Al-Mulhim, Director General of the national carrier, has said.
Sami Badr, Director of the Hajj Terminal at Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz Airport, told the Jeddah-based Arabic newspaper "OKAZ" that there was coordination between the Civil Aviation Authority and the Hajj Ministry to bring pilgrims to the airport seven hours prior to the departure time of their flights.
He added that offices have been set up at Makkah entry points to organize the departure process.
Death toll rises to 18 in Baghdad twin bombing
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : The death toll of a double explosions outside a traffic police headquarters in central Baghdad on Wednesday rose to 18 and 52 people injured, an Interior Ministry source said.
"The toll of the car bomb and a roadside bomb attacks in Nahdhaarea rose to 18 killed and 52 injured," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The attack took place when a booby-trapped car detonated outside the headquarters near the al-Nahdha parking lot in central Baghdad on the east side of Tigris River, the source said.
Pakistan has all right to defense if war is thrust: FM
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani Foreign Minister Mahmood Quraishi said Sunday that Pakistan does not want war and desires peace, 'but if war is thrust on us, then we have all the right to defend'.
Talking to media at Multan Airport, Quraishi said, "We are prepared to fully cooperate with India, but India should provide concrete evidences."
The foreign minister said, "We possess all the potentiality for defense and the Pakistan Armed Forces are absolutely prepared for defense."
More Than 300 Indonesians Died In Saudi Arabia
By Bernama,
Jakarta : Some 325 Indonesian Haj pilgrims died in Saudi Arabia up to December 21, local media reported.
Of the 325 Haj pilgrim deaths, 225 occurred in Mecca, 36 in Madinah, and four in Jeddah, Indonesia's Antara news agency said.
Around 150 Indonesian Haj pilgrims received medical treatment due to illness, the agency added.
The number is slightly lower than last year's 327 Haj pilgrims who died in the same period, Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Haj Pilgrimage Committee Barita Sitompul was quoted by the news agency as saying.
Earthquake hits Iran
By SPA,
Tehran : An earthquake measuring 4.2 on Richter scale shook the vicinity of Jam city in Bushehr province, southern Iran, Sunday night, Iran's news agency "IRNA" reported.
The Geophysics Institute of Tehran University registered the quake.
The epicenter of the tremor has been an area located 52.26 degrees in longitude and 28.04 degrees in latitude.
There are no reports of any casualty or damage to the property caused by the tremor.
Iran is often shaken by quakes of varying magnitudes as it sits on some of the world's most active seismic fault lines.
Dhaka steps up vigilance along border with India as bombs, explosives seized
By NNN-APP,
Dhaka : Bangladesh Monday put all border outposts of paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) on high alert with neighbouring India as police retrieved a powerful bomb on a timer and two hand bombs in southwestern bordering district of Jessore on Monday.
Explosive experts were called in immediately to defuse them, police guarding the spot said.
Israel must end ‘unlawful’ attacks, says Amnesty International
London, Dec 29, IRNA ,Amnesty International Monday expressed its horror at Israel's ongoing slaughter of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, calling for an end to the massacre and for Gaza's emergency needs to be met.
"The horrific death toll risks growing due to the unavailability of adequate medical care for the hundreds of injured," the London-based human rights group said three days after Israeli air attacks killed over 300 Palestinians.
Abbas calls for Security Council meeting on Gaza situation
By DPA,
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Saturday for the UN Security Council to hold an urgent meeting to stop the Israeli air and ground offensives on the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a statement that Abbas called on the Security Council to convene immediately "to halt and stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip."
"President Abbas intensified his contacts with Arab and foreign countries to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip without any preconditions," Erekat said.
Gaza will become Zionist cemetery, warns Iran speaker
By IINA,
Tehran : Iran's Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said the resistance of the Palestinian people will turn the Gaza Strip into a Zionist cemetery. Addressing lawmakers prior to the open session of parliament on Sunday, Larijani took aim at the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza. He said the destruction of medical centers in Gaza is the visible expression of crime against humanity. "Fortunately, the Zionists are confronted by the Palestinians' defense and sustained serious losses. The Zionists should bear in mind that Gaza will become their cemetery," Larijani added.
China calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Israel and Hamas should cease fire immediately and mitigate the humanitarian crisis, Sun Bigan, China's special envoy to the Middle East Region, told the press Thursday afternoon.
Voicing deep concern over the ongoing turbulence in the region, Sun said immediate ceasefire is urgent. Israel should stop military operations in Gaza immediately and Hamas should stop firing rockets at Israel.
Differences in Malaysian opposition over Islamic law
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Differences have cropped up in Pakatan Rakyat (PR), Malaysia's opposition alliance, over the desirability of introducing Islamic laws in a multi-religious society, with one of its ethnic Indian leaders opposing it.
Lawyer-lawmaker Karpal Singh, chairman of Democratic Action Party (DAP), one of the PR constituents, has lashed out at the alliance chief Anwar Ibrahim, saying his assertion that Islamic hudud laws apply only to Muslims "is a fallacy", The Star newspaper reported Friday.
Over 1,000 New Zealanders stage demonstration against Israel
By Xinhua,
Wellington : More than 1,000 people held rallies in New Zealand's largest city of Auckland Saturday in protest against Israel's attacks on Gaza.
The protesters marched from Aotea Square at midday to the U.S. consulate, where they threw about 100 shoes at the building, considered a grave insult by Arabs.
The march then returned to Aotea Square for speeches. Israeli flags were also burnt during the protest, according to the demonstrators.
Some of the protesters were clothed in Palestinian flags and held placards of dead and mutilated children.
343 Indian fishermen detained in Pakistan: official
By Muhammad Najeeb,IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan Friday said it had in its detention 343 Indian fishermen while 19 of its own fishermen were in Indian jails for violating maritime boundaries.
In an online media briefing, the Foreign Office spokesman said the waters of the Indus delta at the Arabian Sea are considered good for fish breeding that lures the Indian fishermen into entering Pakistan's territorial waters for a better catch.
Iraqi senior official escapes bomb explosion
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : An Iraqi high-ranking official escaped unhurt in a bomb explosion Tuesday, an interior ministry source said.
Ammar Aziz Muhammad Ali, undersecretary of Higher Education Ministry, escaped unhurt when a roadside bomb went off near his convoy in the Nidhal Street in Baghdad central district of Karrada, the source said, requesting anonymity.
The blast wounded two of Ali's bodyguards and two by-standers, besides damaging one of his convoy's vehicles, the source said.
UN official outlines Gaza situation
By IRNA,
Tehran : A top UN official in Gaza said on Monday that so many families have been destroyed in so many ways.
Gaza Director of Operations of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) John Ging reported from ground zero, noting that at his last briefing on Friday he had hoped they would not have a further death toll.
Insurgent responsible for German embassy bombing killed
By DPA,
Kabul : A high-ranking militant believed responsible for the suicide bombing of the German embassy in Kabul earlier this month was killed and another one captured, the international ISAF forces said Friday.
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) supported Afghan forces in raiding compounds in the Afghan capital and the neighbouring Logar province in the night from Thursday, ISAF said in a statement.
One bomb-maker was detained and "a senior insurgent commander killed", ISAF said without providing further detail on the militants.
Pakistan willing to amend anti-terror laws: Gilani
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan is willing to amend its laws to enable it prosecute its nationals responsible for terror acts outside the country and is also prepared to share intelligence with India to prevent the recurrence of Mumbai-style attacks, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said.
Since the present statute doesn't apply to people who have committed offences outside Pakistan, "if somebody is out of country and is guilty, then certainly we have to look in to our own laws as well", Gilani told the Financial Times in an interview published Saturday.
US to improve ties with Muslim world — Obama
By KUNA,
Kuwait : US President Barack Obama stressed Monday he will fulfill the promises he made during his presidential election campaign on improving US ties with the Muslim world.
In his first interview with an Arab television station, with Al-Arabiya, Obama told the Muslim world "Americans are not your enemy".
"My job is to communicate the fact that the United States has a stake in the well-being of the Muslim world ... that the language we use has to be a language of respect. I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries," he added.
U.S. wants partnership with Muslim world based on respect – Obama
By RIA Novosti,
Washington : U.S. President Barack Obama has said during his first formal interview since his inauguration that the U.S. will seek to reach out to the Muslim world.
During Monday night's interview with the al-Arabiya news channel, Obama said that while Israel was a "strong ally of the United States," his administration was ready to "initiate a new partnership based on mutual respect and mutual interest" with the Muslim world.
Iraq’s provincial elections: A test of fragile calm
By DPA,
Baghdad : As voters prepare to go to the polls Jan 31, Iraq stands balanced on a knife-edge as the streets are safer now than they have been at any time since the country slid into civil war in 2005.
When Iraqis vote in 14 of the country's 18 provinces to choose the provincial councils that will govern them, the country could make a great step forward in drawing a line under the recent years of bloodshed. Or, many Iraqis say, if the polls are viewed as unfair, the country could tip back into carnage and chaos.
Former Iranian president hopes Obama to be fair, rational
By DPA,
Tehran : Iran expects new US President Barack Obama to adopt a fair and rational approach toward the Islamic state, former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani said here at a Friday prayer ceremony.
"Repeating the policies by [former US president George W.] Bush would not solve anything, but the new administration should adopt a fair and rational approach towards Iran," said Rafsanjani, who still plays an influential role in Iran's political scene as head of the Experts Assembly, the country's highest clerical body.
Israeli troops killed Gaza children carrying white flag, witnesses
Gaza City, Feb 2, IRNA -- International organizations, citing videos and witnesses say Israel has committed crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.
Human Rights Watch and other groups allege that Israel's tactics for achieving a military advantage in Gaza led to disproportionate death and suffering of a civilian population that was denied medical care, refuge and electricity, especially in the urban warfare in and around Gaza City.
"Gaza became a kind of free fire zone for the Israelis," said Fred Abrahams, senior emergencies researcher for Human Rights Watch.
Kyrgyzstan to demand closure of US base on its territory
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Kyrgyzstan will demand the closure of a US military base on its territory that is used to support anti-terrorism operations in neighbouring Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has said.
"The Kyrgyz government has taken a decision to terminate the rent of the base," Bakiyev told a news conference after holding talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
NATO modifies anti-narcotics order after leak
By Xinhua,
Brussels : NATO's top military commander has modified his order on the rules of engagement by his troops in the fight against narcotics in Afghanistan after the original version was leaked to the media.
NATO spokesman James Appathurai said Wednesday that NATO commanders have agreed that drug traffickers and drug-producing facilities will only be hit where they provide "material support" for the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan.
In the leaked letter, NATO's General John Craddock had wanted all drug traffickers to be targeted.
Roadside bombing kills 6 guards of district chief in S Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan : A roadside bombing targeting a vehicle of district chief of Musa Qala district in southern Afghan province of Helmand killed at least six guards aboard Wednesday, said an official.
Abdul Salam, the district chief, told Xinhua it occurred at around 12:00 p.m. local time (0830GMT) when the vehicle of his guards running in the riot Musa Qala district hit remote-controlled mines planted by Taliban militants, leaving six dead onthe spot.
Iran ready to cooperate with U.S. on global issues – Ahmadinejad
By RIA Novosti,
TEHRAN : Iran is ready to cooperate with the new U.S. administration in tackling global issues on the basis of "mutual respect," the Iranian president said on Friday.
"Iran announces its readiness to welcome genuine and correct changes in polices conducted by the new U.S. administration, and to cooperate with Washington on the resolution of urgent global problems in an atmosphere of mutual respect and fairness," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at a meeting with the newly appointed Swiss ambassador to Iran.
Zillur Rahman all set to be declared Bangladesh president
By IANS,
Dhaka : Veteran leader of the ruling Awami League Zillur Rahman is poised to be declared the next president of Bangladesh, with no other nomination paper being filed for the presidential poll scheduled Feb 16.
Awami League (AL) chief whip Abdus Shahid filed Rahman's nomination with the returning officer (RO) Sunday, The Daily Star reported Monday.
Iran’s reformist Khatami to run for presidency
By Xinhua,
TEHRAN : Iran's former reformist president Seyed Mohammad Khatami announced his decision on Sunday to run in the upcoming presidential elections, Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
"Here, I earnestly announce my candidacy in the elections," said Khatami at a press conference, adding that "I announce that, from the beginning until now, in spite of whatever had been said, I never hesitated (in my decision)."
It was rumored in the past months that Khatami was hesitated to run for the upcoming presidential elections which will be held on June 12, 2009.
Dhaka, Delhi sign trade, transit pacts, move closer on terrorism
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh and India Monday rejuvenated their political and economic ties, renewing a trade pact that envisages transit facility to India, and moved closer on their resolve to combat terrorism.
A 12-hour hectic visit here of Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee saw confluence of views on bilateral and regional issues between the South Asian neighbours, made possible by the emergence in Bangladesh of a new political dispensation last month under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Pakistan seeks more information on 26/11, India terms it insincere
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan said Monday it needed more information on the Mumbai terror attacks and New Delhi expectedly reacted in anger, accusing Islamabad of insincerity in prosecuting the perpetrators of the carnage.
A statement issued here after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani chaired a meeting of the cabinet Defence Coordination Committee said the evidence India has furnished, pointing to involvement of elements from Pakistan in the Mumbai mayhem, was insufficient.
Five militants killed in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least five militants were killed and six others were injured in an exchange of fire with security forces Friday in northwestern Pakistan, a military statement said.
According to the statement, militants opened fire on a patrolling party of the Pakistan Army near Matta in the Swat district, forcing the security personnel to retaliate.
In the exchange of fire, three militants were killed and five others were injured, it said.
In another exchange of fire near Aligrama in Swat, two militants were killed and another was injured.
Pakistan may seek Kasab’s custody
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan said Saturday it might seek the custody of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrrorist captured during the Mumbai mayhem, to aid its investigations into the carnage.
"If Ajmal Kasab is needed for the investigation process, then India could be asked for handing him over," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters in the southern port city of Karachi, adding that at the moment, it would be premature to say anything else in the matter
Train-truck collision kills eight in Bangladesh
By DPA,
Dhaka : At least eight people were killed and dozens others injured Tuesday as a train collided with a truck in northwestern Bangladesh, the police said.
The accident occurred at around noon at the Khasiabari level crossing in Joypurhat district, some 280 km from the capital Dhaka, killing the eight victims on the spot, said inspector Noor Hossain at Joypurhat police station.
He quoted witnesses as saying that the victims were riding on the "Rocket Mail" train engine-front when the engine rammed into the truck that had reached the level crossing.
‘Shariat deal proof of Pakistan military’s defeat’
By IANS,
Islamabad : A deal to enforce Shariat laws in parts of Pakistan's restive northwest is proof of the military's defeat against Taliban militants operating in the area and has "implications" for other parts of the country, an editorial in a leading English daily said Tuesday.
"The fact is that this deal shows that the Pakistan military has in fact been defeated by the militants; that we are now incapable of retaining control of vast tracts of our own territory," The News said in an editorial headlined "Shariah in Swat".
NATO supply tanker attacked in northwest Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : A NATO supply tanker was attacked by militants in northwest Pakistan, a media report said Saturday.
This is the latest attack on a NATO supply route in Pakistan. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the report said without giving any further details.
Nearly 75 percent of the supplies for US and NATO troops in Afghanistan currently travel through Pakistan. The supply route has been under increasing attacks of late.
Control, arrest and punish terrorists, Gordon Brown tells Pakistan
By IANS,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for terrorists in Pakistan "to be brought under control, arrested and brought to trial".
Speaking after Tuesday's terrorist attack wounding six Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, Brown also revealed that the "vast majority" of Al Qaeda militants are now in Pakistan, not Afghanistan.
SAARC summit likely to be deferred: Report
By IANS,
Dhaka : The 16th SAARC summit is likely to be deferred to at least the first quarter of 2010 as the Maldives has expressed its inability to host the gathering this year after October, when its tourist season would be in full swing.
Economic recession is another reason that is deterring the Maldives, New Age newspaper said quoting diplomatic sources here.
Iran rules out becoming NATO supply route for Afghanistan
By IANS,
Berlin : Iran will not allow NATO forces to use its territory to transit non-military supplies to Afghanistan, an Iranian legislator said here Friday.
Alaeddin Boroujerdi said: "Iran is not interested in becoming a logistic bridge for NATO." He made the remarks at a press briefing at the Iranian Embassy in Berlin, IRNA reported.
President Zardari to lift Governor’s rule in Panjab province, says local media
By NNN-PTI,
Islamabad : Buckling under intense domestic and international pressure, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday decided to lift Governor's rule in Punjab and allow the main opposition PML-N to form government in the politically-crucial province, local media reports said.
Iran rejects Brown’s offer to settle nuclear stand-off
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran Tuesday rejected the suggestions by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown that Tehran should "make the right choice" in its stand-off with the West over its controversial nuclear programme, IRNA reported.
In a speech in London earlier Tuesday, Brown said with continuing to enrich weapons grade uranium, Iran remained a "critical proliferation threat" and risked severe sanctions.
Called Bengalis, Malaysian Sikhs walk out of function
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : A group of Malaysian Sikhs walked out from a function when Perak state's chief executive referred to them as Bengalis.
Perak's Mentri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin made the gaffe Sunday when he wished the Tamil community "Puthandu Vazth-uka" or Happy New Year followed by "Happy Vasakhi to the Bengali community".
"For generations, Sikhs have bit their lips when mistakenly referred to as Bengalis. Many usually excuse the gaffe by ordinary folk who do not know any better," media reports from the Perak capital Ipoh said.
Yusuf Estes explains Islam’s beauty
By IINA,
Jeddah : Prominent American Islamic scholar and a preacher from Texas Yusuf Estes said that the strident smear campaign against Islam and Muslims following September 11 terror attacks in the United States encouraged many American men and women to study and embrace Islam. “They are doing the job for us,” Estes, himself a convert, said while delivering a lecture on “The Beauty of Islam” at the Saudi German Hospital Auditorium here on Friday night. However, he reminded Muslims of their big responsibility in spreading the message of Islam among others.
Kuwait to participate in higher defense session in Paris
By IANS,
Paris : The Fourth international session on the Asia-Middle East region will kick-off here Tuesday at the Higher Institute for Defense Studies, with the participation of several Gulf states, including Kuwait, the French Foreign Ministry announced.
The session, which will be entitled "The factors of instability: which security tools?" is being held as a result of an initiative taken by the French Foreign Ministry with the cooperation of the Defense Ministry.
Pakistan, Afghan forces exchange fire over wheat flour smuggling
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani and Afghan border security forces exchanged fire on Monday after the Pakistani forces tried to stop 'smuggling of flour' to the neighboring country, officials said.
Officials at the Pakistani border city of Chaman in southwestern Balochistan said that both sides started firing at 7:15 a.m. which continued till 11 a.m.
There was no report of any casualty.
The firing was stopped after senior officials of the two countries held talks, officials said.
Bengali new year celebrated in Bangladesh amid tight security
By NNN-Xinhua
Dhaka : The Bengali New Year is celebrated Monday across Bangladesh, especially in capital Dhaka, with a festive atmosphere.
Tens of thousands of people in masks and traditional dress, mostly students of the Dhaka University, held a colorful parade through the university, ushering in good spirits for the new year and vowing to defeat any ill-will.
At the forefront of the parade were precisionists carrying symbolic figures of the owl, tortoise, tiger and elephant.
Death toll rises to 40 in Iraq’s Diyala car bombing
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : The death toll from a car bomb explosion in the city of Baquba, the capital of Diyala province on Tuesday, rose to 40 with some 70 others injured, a provincial police source said.
"The latest reports said that up to 40 people were killed and some 70 others injured by the Baquba car bombing," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Earlier, the source put the toll at 12 killed and more than 40 others wounded.
Pakistan rejects report on U.S. Training in Tribal Areas
By SPA,
Islamabad : Pakistan Army has described as 'incorrect' a report regarding US trainers being moved to tribal areas of Pakistan to train the paramilitary troops of Frontier Corps troops.
"Any training programme to train the trainers of Frontier Corps will be finalized with the approval of Ministry of Interior of Pakistan", an official said.
All paramilitary forces including the Frontier Corps fall under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Interior, he said and added that the report of any type of pressure on the army in this regard is 'baseless and unfounded.'
Iraqi shot by British soldier to get 2 million pounds payout
By NNN-KUNA,
London : A young Iraqi man accidentally shot by a British soldier will receive 2 million pounds, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.
The commercial TV station "Channel 4 News" reported, late on Monday, that the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was set to receive the payout after suffering severe spinal injuries which left him paralysed.
The sum is far higher than anything paid to any British troops injured in Iraq and is likely to reopen the controversy over the compensation levels for wounded service personnel, commentators said.
Iran’s army powerful deterrent to enemies: president
By IANS,
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in an obvious warning to the West, Thursday said the country's armed forces would react to any threat of aggression.
Addressing a military parade marking the National Army Day here, the president said: "No major power is able to jeopardize the Iranian nation's security and interests of its people. Iran's army, the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij would respond strongly to even the minimum aggression."
Captured UK sailors were not in Iraqi waters, documents confirm
By IRNA,
London : Fifteen British sailors and marines captured by Iran last year were not in Iraq's maritime territory as the UK government claimed, official documents released under the Freedom of Information Act confirm.
The sailors were apprehended in March 2007 because the US-led coalition designated a sea boundary for Iran's territorial waters without telling the Iranians where it was, according to internal Ministry of Defence (MoD) briefing papers.
Ban urges all members to attend Iraq Compact Annual Review Conference in May
By KUNA,
United Nations : Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has sent out invitations to all member states and regional organisations and institutions "strongly encouraging" them to attend the Iraq Compact Annual Review Conference scheduled for May 29 in Stockholm.
His spokesperson, Michele Montas, told the daily press briefing Thursday that the invitations were also extended by Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih, and by the Special Advisor to the Secretary-General, Ibrahim Gambari.
Iran criticises US offensive in Iraq
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : The Iranian ambassador to Iraq has strongly criticised the US military operations in Baghdad's main Shia bastion of Sadr city that killed many civilians.
"We criticize the pounding of cities and the siege of people, which will aggravate the situations and make things worse," the Iranian envoy Hassan Kazemi Qomi told a news conference at the Iranian Embassy here late Saturday.
UN approves Iran’s proposal on combat trafficking antiquities
By NNN-IRNA,
Vienna : Iran's proposal on combat against trafficking antiquities was approved by the 17th session of UN Crimes Commission.
Iran's proposed resolution, passed during the last session of the commission, underlined the need for preserving antique objects as parts of the common human heritage.
It also said that serious measures should be taken to stop the organized groups trafficking the antiquities.
The five-day session, inaugurated in the Austrian capital city on Monday, concluded its work Friday evening.
Israeli Police on highest alert
By KUNA,
Gaza : Israeli Police put all its units on highest alert Sunday across Israeli territory, Radio Israel reported this morning.
"This step was taken after security authorities received detailed intelligence and traced leads to Palestinian factions in the process of executing planned attacks inside Israel," the radio added.
The station added thousands of policemen, border guards, and volunteers were deployed in all Israeli cities, and most particularly in crowded cities.
Britain extends conditional support to Pakistan’s dialogue plan with militants
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Britain supports Pakistan's reconciliation process with the militants "but the talks should beheld with those who wanted to surrender or lay arms", British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.
Miliband arrived in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) on a two-day visit for talks with the new government.
The new provincial government has formed a committee of senior officials to hold dialogue with the militants in the Swat valley and tribal regions.
Lift emergency for credible polls, new US envoy to Dhaka
By IANS,
Dhaka : New US Ambassador to Bangladesh James F. Moriarty has urged that emergency be lifted to ensure credible elections in the country.
He said that it would be "extremely difficult" to conduct polls under emergency rules in force since January last year.
The emergency "does not allow political parties to campaign for elections and hinders other electoral preparations", Moriarty said at a media meet Monday after presenting his credentials.
Iraq neighbors’ meeting opens in Kuwait with Maliki’s call for help
By Xinhua,
Kuwait City : A ministerial conference on Iraq opened here Tuesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki urged the neighbors to help stabilize his war-torn country. The neighboring countries, especially the Gulf neighbors should help stabilize Iraq by living up to pledges to forgive its debt, Maliki urged at the opening session of the conference.
Two Iranians shot dead by Azerbaijani border guards
By RIA Novosti,
Baku : Azerbaijani border guards shot dead early on Tuesday two Iranians who illegally entered the country with the aim of smuggling alcohol back into Iran, Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry said.
The ministry's press service said three Azerbaijani accomplices met the Iranians near the border to hand over the goods. On being apprehended by border guards, the Iranians opened fire, and were killed in the return fire.
The three Azerbaijanis escaped, but were later detained in a search operation, the statement said. An investigation into the incident is underway.
Isreali warplanes voilate Lebanese airspace
By KUNA,
Beirut : Several Israeli warplanes have violated Lebanese airspace and flew over several Lebanese territories, Lebanese security sources said.
Sources told KUNA Wednesday Israeli fighter jets flew over Tyre and the town of Rashaya, as well as the Western Bekaa region at low altitudes.
The sources added warplanes violate Lebanese airspace almost daily in stark violation of Lebanese sovereignty and UN resolution 1701.
Iran, IAEA determined to continue cooperation
By IRNA,
Tehran : Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency will continue cooperation, said an Iranian nuclear official here on Wednesday.
"Iran and the IAEA will continue cooperation. As announced earlier, Tehran's policy is based on continuing cooperation with the IAEA within framework of the international body's regulations," said spokesman for the Iranian delegation to negotiations with the IAEA Deputy Chief for Safeguards Olli Heinonen, here on Wednesday.
8th Int’l Petrochemical Confab to be held in Tehran
By IRNA,
Tehran : The Eighth International Petrochemical Conference will be held in the IRIB International Conference Center from May 17-18.
A group of high ranking officials and representatives of domestic and foreign companies will take part in the event.
The conference aims to prepare the ground for getting familiar with Iranian petrochemical industry and to provide investment opportunities in this respect.
ElBaradei: Iran’s decision for cooperation with IAEA a milestone
By IRNA,
Vienna : Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei said Wednesday that Iran's decision to have more cooperation with the IAEA is a milestone.
ElBaradei said that he hoped his agency will make progress in its investigation into Tehran's alleged nuclear weapons programs.
The top IAEA official made the comment in Sarajevo on Wednesday shortly after his Agency announced that Iran had agreed to cooperate with IAEA in its investigation.
Alleged studies is a clause of the last IAEA report on cooperation with Iran.
Pro-Taliban militant leader directs halt to attacks in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : Top leader of pro-Taliban militants in Pakistan has directed his comrades "to immediately cease their activities" as the government inches toward signing a peace accord with the rebels, media reports said Thursday.
Baitullah Mehsud, the head of the country's umbrella militant group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), issued the orders Wednesday in pamphlets.
"He has warned that his directives should be complied with and those violating them will be publicly punished," read the order, which was published in several newspapers.
Two Turkish soldier killed in clash with PKK rebels
By Xinhua,
Ankara : Two Turkish soldiers were killed in an operation staged against the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party(PKK) in southeastern Turkey on Friday, the General Staff said in a statement.
Two soldiers were killed in a clash with PKK rebels in Mount Cudi region in southeastern province of Sirnak on Friday, said the statement.
Halt in Gaza aid unacceptable – Russia FM
By NNN-KUNA,
Moscow : The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized on Friday the suspension of food supplies to Palestinian refugees, saying it may lead to famine and more tension.
"The termination of supplies threatens spread of hunger and a sharp rise in internal tension. Moscow believes that such actions, which may be regarded as collective punishment of the civilian population, must be avoided," Boris Malakhov, deputy spokesman for the ministry, told the press.
A test for the world community
By NNN-WAM,
Sharjah : The world is on the brink of a disaster as millions of people are facing poverty because of global food scarcity and high food prices, a UAE daily paper warned Thursday.
''It may even affect political and economic stability of many countries. Unlike any natural calamity like tsunami, drought or flood that devastates the world every year, this looming crisis is man-made and needs immediate attention,'' wrote The Gulf Friday.
Elections run-off begins
By NNN-IRNA,
Tehran : The 8th Majlis run-off elections started here at 54 constituencies at 08:00 am Tehran times on Friday.
Some 164 candidates run the race in 100 cities in 21 provinces to win 82 parliamentary seats.
The run-off elections will be held for 10 hours based on the law and the time would be extended if necessary.
One Palestinian killed, seven hurt in clashes
By SPA,
Gaza City, Gaza Strip : Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen are exchanging heavy fire in northern Gaza. Medics say one Palestinian has been killed.
The clashes began before dawn Saturday when an Israeli undercover force entered a border area. Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters fired at the force. They used machine guns, mortars and homemade bombs, according to a report of the Associated Press.
Afghanistan backs Pakistan’s move to make peace with non-threatening Taliban
By NNN-APP,
New York : Stating that he was confident of the new Pakistan government’s “good intentions”, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has supported Islamabad’s move to make peace with the Taliban who do not pose any threat.
“But,” he told New York Times, “if the deal is with those that are hard-core terrorists, Al Qaeda, and are bent upon sooner or later again causing damage to Pakistan, and to Afghanistan and to the rest of the world, then that’s wrong and we should definitely not do it.”
UN condemns Taliban attack on Afghanistan’s victory parade
By DPA,
New York : The UN Security Council issued a condemnation Monday of the Taliban-led attack against a victory parade in Kabul attended by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who escaped unhurt.
One person was killed and 11 others injured when Taliban forces opened fire on a parade marking the end of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in February 1989, by Afghan freedom fighters known as mujahideen.
Ahmadinejad: Iran, Pakistan to finalize peace pipeline project
By IRNA,
Tehran : President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday high ranking Iranian and Pakistani officials are to finalized Peace pipeline project soon.
In an exclusive interview with Pakistan's state TV channel, the Iranian president referred to fruitful talks with Pakistani officials and expressed the hope that the legal issue of gas deal between the two countries would be resolved very soon.
Israeli Army Kills Gaza Family
By Prensa Latina,
Ramallah : Israeli tanks attacked a locality in Gaza Strip, killing seven Palestinians, four children among them, and wounding about 20 others, medical sources informed.
The incursion was against Beit Hanun, one of communities most attacked by the Israeli army in northern Gaza.
The sources added the four children were brothers ranging from 1to 7 years of ages, and their mother also died when a projectile struck the house.
Iran to counter Dutch anti-Islam video with two documentaries
By ANTARA News,
Tehran : Iran is to counter the anti-Islamic video Fitna (Discord) made by Dutch legislator Geert Wilders with two documentary films, Fars news agency reported Monday.
The Iranian films are titled Reply to Fitna and Beyond Fitna and aimed at what the filmmakers call neutralizing the "plot" by the Dutch against Islam.
The two Iranian filmmakers have also declared their readiness to have a debate with Wilders over his film.
WIEF reaffirms importance Kuwait attaches to OIC — state minister
By KUNA,
Kuwait : The Fourth World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) comes to affirm the importance that Kuwait attached to the Organization of the Islamic Conference and its support for all its affiliate institutions and activities, said Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Faisal Al-Hajji on Tuesday.
Speaking at the inauguration of the WIEF, Al-Hajji, who is Chairman of the Forum's Higher Organizing Committee, welcomed the participants in Kuwait and hoped that the meetings would serve the best interests of the Muslim countries and people.
Palestinian factions fire rockets into Israel after seven killed
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Palestinian militants fired tens of home-made rockets and mortar shells into Israeli targets around Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
The armed factions said the rocket attacks were in response to the killing of seven Palestinians, including a woman and her four children, during an Israeli army operation in northern Gaza Strip Monday.
The armed wing of Islamic Hamas movement, which ruled Gaza Strip, claimed responsibility for launching nine Qassam rockets into Sderot city in Western Negev.
Olmert regrets Gaza civilian deaths, blames Hamas
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday expressed "deep regret" over Monday's civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip while accusing Hamas of exposing Palestinian civilians to danger.
"I would like to express my deep regret on behalf of the Israeli government and the State of Israel over the tragic incident in which a mother and her four children were killed in Beit Hanoun, " local daily Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Olmert as saying at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting.
NATO critically short of troops in Afghanistan, says UK briefing
By IRNA,
London : The Nato mission in Afghanistan is "critically" short of key troops and equipment, according to a leaked British Foreign Office briefing.
The three-page document, which summarizes the British view of Afghanistan, was drawn up at the request of Prime Minister Gordon Brown to be distributed to western allies, according to the Daily Telegraph, which published extracts of the report Tuesday.
"Critical military gaps remain to be filled," the paper said, listing that Nato still needed more helicopters, more aircraft and more training teams to help the Afghan army.
Suicide bomber kills at least 16 in eastern Afghanistan
By RIA Novosti,
Kabul : A suicide bomber blew himself up on Tuesday in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 16 people and injuring over 40, the local Tolo TV channel said.
The attack came after militants had fired shots and rocket-propelled grenades at a police station in the town of Khogyani. The suicide bomber then detonated his device in the middle of a crowd as civilians fled the fighting.
300 killed in Iraqi Shia bastion in April
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : The death toll in clashes between the Shia militia and the US-backed Iraqi forces in the capital's Sadr City area climbed to more than 300 in April, sources said Wednesday.
Women and children were among the victims of the clashes in the stronghold of Mahdi army militia, loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the sources told Xinhua.
Up to 321 people were killed and some 834 wounded in the clashes in the slum of Sadr City in April, according to the ministry database.
Czech Republic to send special forces unit to Afghanistan
By DPA,
Prague : The lower house of Czech parliament Wednesday agreed to deploy a special-forces unit to Afghanistan for the rest of 2008.
The deployment was already cleared in the Senate, upper houser of parliament, and it does not require a presidential approval.
A contingent of up to 100 special-forces troops is to serve under US-led operation Enduring Freedom. The unit has already served in the mission in 2004 and 2006.
Initial approval for Oman’s Bank of Muscat to operate branch in Kuwait
By NNN-KUNA,
Kuwait : Kuwait's Central Bank Governor Sheikh Salem Abdul-aziz Al-Sabah has said that it initially agreed to grant a licence to Oman's Bank of Muscat to open a branch in Kuwait.
Sheikh Salem said in a press release Sunday the approval is the fifth by the Central Bank within cooperation with central banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.
The Governor also noted that there are already two branches of UAE and Qatar banks active in the country and listed in the Central Bank's record.
Bangladesh invites MNC bids for oil and gas exploration
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh hopes to get nine foreign oil and gas multinational corporations, including some global names, to bid for offshore blocks for exploration.
Submission of offers for exploration in eight shallow water blocks and 20 deep-sea blocks in the Bay of Bengal is to begin shortly. The bidding is the first of its kind for Bangladesh where the focus is exclusively on the Bay of Bengal. The country hopes to catch up in the race where neighbours India and Myanmar have already gone ahead and found oil and gas.
IAEA hopes to shed light on Syrian reactor soon
By DPA,
Brussels : The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said Wednesday he hoped his agency could soon shed light on an alleged nuclear reactor which the US claims was secretly built by Syria with North Korean help before being destroyed by Israel.
"We are now in dialogue with the Syrians ... I hope we will be able in the next few weeks to be in a position to shed some light on the nature of the facility that was destroyed," said Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), during a visit to Brussels.
Sharif, Zardari lunch date in London to restore judges
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, leaders of the main partners of Pakistan's ruling coalition, are scheduled to meet over lunch in London Thursday to discuss the fate of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf when he imposed emergency Nov 3 last year, official sources said.
Sharif, head of his own faction of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Nawaz), is already in London where his wife underwent knee surgery. Zardari, chief of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), left for the British capital Wednesday night.
Inquest opens in UK’s heaviest loss of life in Afghanistan
By IRNA,
London : The delayed inquest into 14 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan, when a Nimrod reconnaissance plane crashed in nearly two years ago, formally opened Wednesday with a cockpit recording of moments before the aircraft burst into flames.
The explosion, which resulted in the heaviest single loss of life for British forces since the Falklands war, happened minutes after the spy plane refueled near Kandahar on September 2 2006.
President: Fight against drugs needs world resolve
By IRNA,
Tehran : President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad underlined that campaign against drugs needs world resolve.
In a meeting with Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations and the executive director of fight against drugs and crimes Antonio Mario Casta, President Ahmadinejad said countries like Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan have suffered the most on drugs.
He went on to say, "Parts of the expenses which other countries pay for campaign against drugs can be spent for fight against drug production."
Coalition soldier killed in central Afghanistan IED blast
By KUNA,
Kabul : A soldier of the US-led coalition troops was was killed in a blast caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) in central Afghanistan, said a statement.
"One coalition service-member was killed today when a vehicle struck an IED in Tagab Valley, Kapisa province," said the military statement released late on Friday.
The identity of the deceased is being withheld until next-of-kin notification.
I’m powerless, says Zardari after seven hours of talks
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : The two leaders of Pakistan's ruling alliance have failed to reach agreement on the important issue of reinstatement of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf, agreeing to disagree after seven hours of inconclusive talks here.
Lebanese Army deployed in Mount Lebanon
By NNN-KUNA,
Beirut : The Lebanese army has been deployed to the area of Aitat and other towns in Aley, Mount Lebanon.
Security sources told KUNA that the army was deployed after the Mount Lebanon areas witnessed three hours of intense fighting which claimed Sunday the lives of six people.
Pro-government Druze leader Walid Jumblatt stated that the clashes would lead to more tension between the Druze and Shiite sects, adding that he had assigned head of the Democratic bloc Talal Arsulan to negotiate with the opposition's gunmen.
Palestinian PM optimistic over archieving security plan
By NNN-KUNA,
Ramallah : Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has expressed optimism over achieving the security plan in the Palestinian areas.
During his visit to the city of Nablus Sunday, Fayyad said he was optimistic all objectives of the security plan would be achieved.
He said that the Palestinian National Authority has been following the issue of normalizing the security situation in the Palestinian areas which began in the city of Nablus and was followed by Jenin.
Israel resumes fuel shipments to Gaza
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Israel on Monday resumed fuel shipments to Gaza Strip after about a week of halting, Palestinian officials said.
Four tank trucks of industrial diesel were seen entering the Strip and going to the only power station there which was shut down on Saturday due to fuel shortage.
Mujahed Salama, director of the Palestinian Petroleum Agency, said that Israel started to pipe fuel into Palestinian depots at Nahal Oz crossing in eastern Gaza city.
Haneya hopes Egypt to convince Israel accepting ceasefire
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Deposed Hamas Premier Ismail Haneya on Monday hoped Egypt would succeed in convincing Israel to accept a ceasefire deal designated to take place in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
In a statement sent to the press, Haneya called on the Israeli leaders to cope with Egypt's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman who is on a visit to Israel to present the ceasefire initiative.
Haneya also urged Israel to "end the aggression and lift the siege on the Palestinian people."
Dubai-style island resorts planned on the Thames
By IANS,
London : Gulf property developers are planning to build luxury island resorts in England - complete with yacht marinas, theatres, an opera house and housing - along the lines of the famed artificial palm islands of Dubai, a newspaper reported.
Fatah al-Islam threatens fighting against “humiliation” in Lebanon
By Xinhua,
Beirut : Fundamentalist Sunni group Fatah al-Islam, defined by Lebanese government as a terrorist group, has vowed to confront those "bowing the heads of the Sunni in Beirut" with "bloodshed," pan-Arab Al-Hayat daily reported Thursday.
In an indirect reference to Shiite Hezbollah group, Fatah al-Islam said in a statement what happened in Beirut, "the killing, burning and humiliation to our Sunni people is not justified or accepted."
Kuwaiti leadership receives cables of condolences from Turkey
By KUNA,
Kuwait : His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received a cable on Friday from Turkish President Abdullah Gul in which he expressed his sincere condolences on the passing of His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah.
His Highness the Amir sent a cable in response, in which he thanked the Russian president for his heartfelt sentiments.
Moscow hails Lebanon peace deal
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia welcomes the deal reached between Lebanon's Western-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition, and mediated by the Arab League, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
The sides agreed on Thursday to a new national dialogue to elect a president and form a unity government. Hezbollah agreed to end its blockade of Beirut airport and seaport and withdraw its gunmen from the streets.
ElBaradei to present Iran report in almost a week
By IRNA,
Vienna : International Atomic Energy Agency's Chief Mohammed ElBaradei will present his Iran report probably next weekend or earlier the week following it.
An informed source told IRNA in Vienna on Friday that the IAEA Head's report may be ready and put at the disposal of the IAEA Board of Governors' members between May 23-27.
The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the report is expected to be an ordinary one which would focus on latest developments, namely the alleged studies.
Four Afghan soldiers injured in suicide blast
By KUNA,
Kabul : Four Afghan soldiers and a civilian translator with the coalition troops were injured in a suicide attack in southeastern Afghanistan on Monday, local officials said. The attack was carried out in Paktika province. Spokesman for the provincial government Ghamay Khan said all the injured were locals. Separately, a teenager was killed and six more people were injured in an attack by militants in the same province, said the spokesman. The injured included local officials and two road construction workers.
Palestinian rocketeers target Israeli town
By KUNA,
Gaza : A Palestinian faction said on Tuesday its gunners targeted the Israeli town of Sderot with missiles.
Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad in Palestine organization, said in a statement it was responsible for unleashing three "Quds" missiles in the direction of the town.
The gunners who fired the missiles narrowly escaped a retaliatory Israeli air strike in the north of Gaza Strip.
A spokesman of the Israeli Army confirmed that two missiles harmlessly crashed close to Sderot early today.
Yemen Is One Of Major Countries Receiving Refugees: FM
By Bernama,
Sana'a : Foreign Minister Abu Baker al-Qirbi confirmed that Yemen faces exceptional situation since early 1990s because of continuous streaming of refugees from African Horn, saying that Yemen is one of major countries receiving refugees, Yemen News Agency (Saba) reported.
"Yemen has forgiveness policy towards refugee applicants, especially Somalis because of deep links between the two peoples," said al-Qirbi in the opening ceremony of the Regional Conference on Refugees Protection and International Migration held here on Monday.
Tehran agrees with Solana’s visit on nuclear proposal
By Xinhua,
Tehran : Tehran Wednesday agreed "in principle" to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana's visit to deliver a promoted incentive package to Iran, reported the official IRNA news agency.
Foreign Minister Manouchrhr Mottaki was quoted as saying that Solana has sent us a message asking us to let him to travel to Iran to deliver the package and "we have agreed in principle with the visit."
The date "will be announced when it was fixed," said Mottaki.
Ban Ki-moon welcomes indirect peace talks between Syria, Israel
By APP,
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed Wednesday’s announcement that Syria and Israel have started holding indirect talks aimed at resolving their long-running conflict.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ban commended Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert “for taking this important step.” He also thanked Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his efforts.
U.S., Iraqi troops detain hundreds in Baghdad Shiite militia strongholds
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : U.S. and Iraqi troops swept Shiite neighborhoods in southwestern Baghdad on Friday, detaining hundreds of suspects, witnesses and police sources said on Saturday.
The troops surrounded and searched the neighborhoods of Baiyaa and al-Amil for several hours starting from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.local time, a police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The source said that more than 200 suspected militiamen loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have been detained during the raids in the two adjacent neighborhoods.
Pakistan needs several years to curb militancy: US
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan needs several years to defeat Al Qaeda-linked terrorists operating in its tribal region along the Afghan border, the Pentagon has warned.
This apart, the peace talks between the Pakistani government and tribal militants will make it easier for terrorists to cross the border, the commander of the US forces in Afghanistan has warned.
"We are troubled by the negotiations and the possibility of yet another peace deal in the northwest," Dawn Sunday quoted Gen. Dan McNeill as saying in a dispatch from Washington.
$300mn UAE aid to Morocco to tackle rising energy prices
By IANS,
Casablanca (Morocco) : United Arab Emirates (UAE) will give Morocco $300 million in aid to help the northwest African kingdom tackle the impact of rising energy costs, WAM news agency reported Sunday.
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has granted the aid to help ease the impact of rising energy prices, Morocco's ministry of foreign affairs and cooperation said in a statement Saturday.
Iran conservatives support ex-nuclear chief for post of speaker
By Xinhua,
Tehran : Iran's majority conservatives on Sunday elected Ali Larijani, former top nuclear negotiator, as the candidate for speaker in the new parliament.
The conservatives chose Larijani by 161 votes against 50 for the outgoing speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Larijani quit as top nuclear negotiator last year and was elected to parliament in March.
Conservatives secured a majority in the new parliament, winning69 percent of the 290 seats in elections in March.
British serviceman killed in Afghanistan
By KUNA,
London : A British serviceman has been killed and two others injured in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said Monday. The three had been returning from operations when their vehicle was caught in a blast north of Sangin, Helmand province. It brings to 97 the number of UK troops killed in operations in the country since 2001. More than 7,000 British troops are deployed in Afghanistan, mainly in the troubled Helmand province.
Sources: Abbas intends to reshuffle Palestinian gov’t
By Xinhua,
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas intends to reshuffle acting government of Salam Fayyad by adding more members from his Fatah movement, sources said on Tuesday.
The sources, quoted by local Palestinian news agency Sama, reported that Abbas ordered lawmakers from Fatah to hold discussions over reshuffling Fayyad's government by replacing some ministers and adding more ministers from Fatah.
France strongly denies secret contacts with Hamas
By KUNA,
Paris : The French Foreign Ministry on Tuesday emphatically denied rumours of secret contacts held with the Islamist movement, Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and which is listed as a "terrorist organization.
" Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascale Andreani said that there was "no official contact" and "no negotiations with Hamas." The official said that a former French ambassador to Iraq and former Director of the Foreign Ministrys Middle East and North Africa department had had "individual" contact with Hamas within the framework of "research" he was doing.
Iran hiding information about nuclear activities: US
By DPA,
Washington : A new UN report shows that Iran "willfully" withheld information about its effort to develop technology that could lead to the building to nuclear weapons, the US said Tuesday.
"The Iranians have been wilfully non-cooperative. And you can read that in the report," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "It's disturbing."
The UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report Monday saying Iran has failed to adequately answer questions based on intelligence that shows the Islamic state may have sought nuclear arms.
Pakistani PM holds supporters of undemocratic forces responsible for crisis
By KUNA,
Islamabad : The Pakistani Prime Minister Thursday said supporters of "undemocratic" forces were responsible for prevailing political crisis however the country can overcome the challenges by adhering to the democratic process on a sustainable basis. Addressing a gathering at the National Defence University, Yousuf Raza Gilani said the political leadership of the country was determined to resolve all contentious issues.
Iran sees not much change in ties with US if Barack Obama wins presidency
By NNN-Bernama,
Kuala Lumpur : Iran does not think there will be much change in terms of its relations with the United States should Democratic candidate Barack Obama become president, says Dr Ali Akbar Velayati, the Adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader for International Affairs.
Hamas warns of carrying out escalatory actions to break the sieget
By Xinhua,
Gaza : The Islamic Hamas movement threatened on Saturday to carry out new escalatory measures to break a blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip since the movement took control of Gaza last June.
"The threat to carry out measures to break the siege came after the Egyptian efforts to reach a truce with Israel had failed," said Hamas spokesman in Gaza Sami Abu Zuhri.
Pakistan pays Rs.25 bn to clear oil companies’ bills
By IANS,
Islamabad : With Pakistan freezing domestic prices of petroleum products, the government has been forced to give state-owned oil marketing companies Rs.25 billion to enable them to clear their bills.
The government has frozen domestic prices for a fortnight, the second time it is doing so.
Hamas military court sentences 5 Fatah members to years in prison
By Xinhua,
Gaza : A Hamas military court sentenced a group of Palestinians to different years in prison "for forming illegal organization threatening the general interest," a statement by deposed Hamas interior ministry said on Monday.
The verdicts on the five Palestinians, who were members of President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, varied between eight months and three years.
Nasser Muhana, one of the defendants, received a two-year sentence because he "formed a group comprising the rest of the accused persons to work against the Palestinian government."
Jordan anti-Denmark campaign condemns suicide blast near embassy
By DPA,
Amman : An anti-Denmark coalition of activists has condemned the explosion at the Danish embassy in Islamabad, but said the Danish authorities should bear the brunt of the responsibility.
"We categorically and strongly condemn the use of violence in responding to the systematic targeting of Islam and the Prophet," the campaign entitled "the Messenger Unites Us" said in a statement Monday.
At least eight people were killed after a suicide car bombing at the entrance to the Danish embassy in Pakistan's capital Monday.
Hamas claims responsibility for wounding Israeli soldier in Gaza
By Xinhua,
Gaza : The Islamic Hamas movement on Tuesday claimed its responsibility for wounding an Israeli soldier in an exchange of fire during an Israeli incursion into central Gaza Strip.
Ezz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said their fighters opened fire on Israeli Special Forces which entered the eastern part of central Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
Witnesses said that an Israeli soldier was injured in the shooting, while Israeli press sources said the soldier was moderately wounded and evacuated to a hospital in Be'er Sheva.
Suicide attacks target Afghan towns, several rebels killed
By IANS,
Kabul : Two suicide attacks killed an Afghan child and wounded more than 20 others, while the US-led coalition troops killed more than a dozen Taliban insurgents in the southern region, officials said Wednesday.
A suicide attacker attacked a convoy of NATO forces in Spin Boldak district in southern Kandahar province Wednesday morning, killing himself and a child and wounding four others, said Abdul Razaq, the border police commander in the region.