Israeli soldiers kill 2 militants in Gaza
By Xinhua,
Gaza : At least two Palestinian gunmen were killed on Thursday when they tried to storm an Israeli army post in northern Gaza Strip, emergency officials said.
Fighters from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement and the National Resistance Brigades of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) attacked the post in Beit Lahiya town and exchanged fire with Israeli forces, the two groups said in a joint statement.
Two ISAF soldiers die, one wounded in S Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
Kabul : Two soldiers of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) died and another one wounded when they encountered insurgents while on patrol in southern Afghanistan, the ISAF said Friday.
The incident occurred Thursday, the NATO-led military said in a statement, but gave no details.
"These soldiers' lives were taken while trying to help bring peace and security to Afghanistan," Brigadier General Carlos Branco, ISAF spokesperson, was quoted as saying in the statement.
Three killed in fresh Israeli airstrike on northern Gaza
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Three Islamic Hamas militants were killed and two wounded on Thursday night in an Israeli airstrike on a group of militants in northern Gaza Strip, medics and witnesses said.
Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency service in the Palestinian health ministry, told reporters that three dead Palestinians and two wounded were brought to a local hospital on Thursday night.
Iraqi PM wraps up visit to Jordan
By Xinhua,
Amman : Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki wrapped up a two-day official visit to Jordan on Friday.
Al-Maliki held talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Nadir Dhahabi on a series of issues including Iraqi political process and means to enhance bilateral relations, especially economic links.
Both King Abdullah and Dhahabi reaffirmed Jordan's keenness to build strong relations with Iraq, offering all needed political support to enable it to preserve security and stability and ensure the unity of the country.
Hamas dismisses Rice visit as useless
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Islamic Hamas movement on Sunday slammed the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Israel and the West Bank, calling it as useless and a waste of time.
Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said in a written statement sent to reporters that the visit of Rice and her meetings with Palestinian officials "won't bring anything good for the Palestinian people."
"Rice came to the region to exert pressure on President (Mahmoud) Abbas and to spoil the efforts aiming at launching a Palestinian comprehensive dialogue," said Barhoum.
Sadr’s followers to support candidates outside movement in upcoming provincial elections
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : The followers of anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr will not field candidates under their own political movement but will support any qualified and independent candidate, a Sadr aide said on Sunday.
Sheik Salah al-Obeidi, Sadr's spokesman in the holy Shiite city of Najaf said "the Sadr political movement is not boycotting the (provincial) elections but we call on our followers to vote for independent candidates even if they are from other party lists."
Hamas to determine on Gaza truce after getting Israel’s answer
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Hamas will decide its stance regarding ceasefire with Israel after receiving the Israeli responses to the ceasefire proposal Sunday in Cairo, a Hamas spokesman said.
The spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, added that the Islamic movement's stance regarding the ceasefire "was determined," stressing that it will not commit itself to the lull if Israel did not open crossing points into Gaza.
He also reiterated that the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, whom Hamas holds as hostage in Gaza, will not be freed under the ceasefire deal.
Kings of Jordan and Saudi Arabia call on unity among Arabs
By Xinhua,
Amman : Kings of Jordan and Saudi Arabia stressed that the unification of Arab attitudes and activating joint Arab cooperation are the best way to address the challenges facing the nation and preserve its interests, the Royal Hashemite Court said on Sunday.
The two heads made the remarks during Sunday's talks in Jeddah, which focused on the political developments on Arab and regional arenas, efforts to achieve regional peace and stability as well as ways to activate all-round bilateral relations.
Bangladesh to host Saarc ministers’ meeting on climate change
By Xinhua,
Dhaka : The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) ministerial meeting on climate change will be held here July 3.
The meeting will be held in the backdrop of growing concern of adverse impact of climate change, particularly sea level rise in some countries of the region, the leading English-language newspaper The Daily Star reported Tuesday.
In view of growing concern for climate change, the 29th session of the Saarc council of ministers in New Delhi in December last year decided to hold the ministerial meeting.
Car bomb kills 50 in Iraq
By DPA,
Baghdad : A car bomb blast in northern Baghdad left more than 50 people dead and 80 wounded Tuesday, a police source said.
"The car that was parked in a garage in al-Hurriya district, north Baghdad, has exploded leaving at least 130 casualties. All of them are civilians," sources told DPA.
The bomb ripped through the garage and a bus stop as well as striking an outdoor market and apartments in Hurriya, a predominantly Shia neighbourhood, according to the CNN website.
US urges Afghans, Pakistanis to cooperate on border security
By DPA,
Washington : The US Tuesday urged the Afghan and Pakistani governments to work together to improve border security, after Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned he was willing to send troops into Pakistan to halt cross-border militant attacks.
Karzai has been increasingly frustrated by attacks carried out on Afghan soil by Taliban militants operating out of Pakistan, and on Sunday threatened to launch an assault across the border.
Sarkozy proclaims friendship with Israel, need for Palestinian state
By AFP,
Tel Aviv : French President Nicolas Sarkozy proclaimed his friendship for Israel at the start of a three-day visit on Sunday but also said Israeli security depended on the creation of a Palestinian state.
UN nuclear team to inspect bombed Syria desert site
By AFP,
Damascus : Senior UN atomic experts are set to begin a three-day visit to Syria on Sunday to inspect a mysterious site bombed by Israel last year amid US allegations that it was a nuclear facility.
The team led by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) deputy chief Olli Heinonen left Vienna in the morning but there was no immediate indication in Damascus about their arrival as Syria kept the visit under tight wraps.
Roadside bomb attacks decline in Iraq
By Xinhua,
Washington : Roadside bomb attacks at the Iraq-based U.S. troops declined by nearly 90 percent from the last year, according to a newspaper report on Monday.
The USA Today report was released as one more American soldier was killed and five others wounded in an ambush in Baghdad.
Citing the Pentagon records and interviews with military leaders, the report said that a total of 11 U.S. troops were killed in May by roadside bomb blasts, compared to 92 in the same month last year.
Hamas, Fatah to release hostages they hold
By Xinhua,
Gaza : In preparation for possible dialogue, rival Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah handed out lists of their prisoners to a leftist faction to get them freed, an official from the faction said on Tuesday.
Talal Abu Zarifa, a leader from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), said the names were received Monday during separate meetings with delegation from Hamas and Fatah.
2 NATO troops killed in Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
Kabul : Two soldiers of the NATO-led International Assistance Security Force (ISAF) were killed on Tuesday in two separate attacks by anti-government militants in eastern and southern Afghanistan, said the ISAF.
One ISAF serviceman died from wounds inflicted when the vehicle struck an explosive device planted on the roadside in eastern province of Nangarhar, said the ISAF in a statement.
Meanwhile, another ISAF soldier was killed during an engagement with insurgents in Sangin district of southern Helmand province.
Iran parliament speaker warns the West over nuclear program
By Xinhua,
Tehran : Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani warned here on Thursday that the West will suffer if it continues to speak with Iran in the language of force, saying that pressuring Iran is a mistake, Iran's Press TV satellite channel reported.
Speaking at a commemoration ceremony for the martyrs in a bombing, Larijani accused the western powers of practicing "cruel methods" to curb Iran's technological advancement by unjustly taking advantage of nuclear and human rights issues.
Hamas official slams factions for firing rockets into Israel
By Xinhua,
Gaza : A senior Hamas leader slammed two Palestinian factions for violating an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire and launching rockets into Israel.
Since the six-month ceasefire took effect on June 19, three rocket attacks took place by the Jihad and a group affiliated with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement.
Pakistan, India Agree to Foster Peace
By Prensa Latina,
New Delhi : Pakistan and India agreed fostering a dialogue for peace between the two countries Friday, with the meeting between the Foreign Affairs Ministers of both nations, Mahmoud Qureshi and Pranab Mukherjee respectively.
Pakistani Foreign Affairs Ministry Qureshi arrived in New Delhi Friday for a three-day visit to improve bilateral relations, fostering the peace dialogue and discuss on bilateral cooperation.
Blast at Iran gas canister centre, 15 feared dead
By SPA,
Tehran : An explosion at a gas distribution company in a town near the Iranian capital was thought to have killed 15 people, Iran's Fars news agency said on Monday.
The cause of the blast late on Sunday was not immediately clear, but Fars said a large number of gas canisters used in homes for cooking had exploded.
"It is not yet clear if (the blast) was intentional or not," Fars reported, adding that the explosion occurred at a gas company in a suburb of Karaj, west of Tehran.
Palestinian official: Israel not increases fuel supplies to Gaza
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Israel did not increase fuel shipments it allows into the Gaza Strip as an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire enters its 10th day, a Palestinian official said on Monday.
Mahmoud al-Khozendar, deputy director of the petrol stations owners union in Gaza, said the fuel shipments sent to Gaza Monday were even less than that before the ceasefire took hold.
Pakistan decries US claim on cross-border operation
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan Thursday said its army has the sole responsibility of fighting terrorism on its soil and it would not allow cross-border operations by foreign troops in pursuit of the militants.
"Pakistan has once again clarified that on Pakistan side of the border along Afghanistan, it is the Pakistani troops who have the sole responsibility to take action against the terrorists," said foreign ministry spokesman Muhammad Sadiq.
Taliban frees two abducted Pakistani journalists
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Taliban insurgents Saturday freed two journalists from their captivity in a tribal region in northwestern Pakistan, News Network International news agency reported.
Pir Zubair Shah, a part-time employee of The New York Times and Akhtar Somroo, photographer for the newspaper, were abducted Friday by Taliban insurgents in Mohmand Agency.
The report quoted a Taliban spokesman as saying that the journalists had been freed after preliminary questioning.
Hamas warns Israel against attacking Gaza
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Islamic Hamas movement on Sunday warned Israel against carrying out any military action in the Gaza Strip in response to homemade rockets from Gaza at Israel.
"Israel would be playing with fire in case it carries out any military action against Gaza," said Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, adding "The occupation (Israel) should think carefully before carrying out such an action."
Yemen: 800,000 African refugees, mostly Somalis, by end 2007
By NNN-IRIN,
Sana'a : The Somali consul in the port city of Aden, southern Yemen, said hundreds of African migrants crossed the Gulf of Aden to Yemen in June in search of a better life in Saudi Arabia despite a high risk of death at sea or at the hands of ruthless smugglers.
"They made the perilous sea journey despite rough seas. The number of arrivals registered by the UN Refugee Agency [UNHCR] was over 700, while those who were not registered stood at about 350," Hussein Hajji, the Somali consul, told IRIN.
Al-Assad stresses necessity of intensifying efforts to realise Palestinian unity
By NNN-SANA,
Damascus : President Bashar al-Assad has stressed the necessity of intensifying efforts to realise Palestinian unity, saying that "national unity among Palestinians is the only way for them to regain rights and achieve aspirations in the establishment of a Palestinian independent state with Jerusalem as its capital."
Al-Assad held two meetings with President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas on the situation in Palestine and the peace process.
Obama, shifting focus from Iraq, eyes more troops for Afghanistan
By NNN-APP,
New York : Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has said he would, if elected, send “at least two additional combat brigades” to fight in Afghanistan and pull out the bulk of US forces from Iraq by mid-2010
“Ending the war (in Iraq) is essential to meeting our broader strategic goals, starting in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the Taliban is resurgent, and al-Qaeda has a safe haven,” Obama wrote in a New York Times article on Monday.
Military decoration recommended for Kabul attack victims
By IANS,
New Delhi : The four Indians killed in the terror attack outside the Indian embassy in Kabul last week have been recommended for the Kirti Chakra, the country's second highest military decoration for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield, an official said.
The Four Indians - defence attaché Brig. R.D. Mehta, press counsellor V. Venkat Rao and security personnel Roop Singh and Ajai Pathania - were among the 54 people killed in the July 7 attack, in which about 140 people were injured.
China to participate in Geneva talks on Iran
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China Thursday announced that it would send a senior diplomat to Geneva to attend the international talks on Iranian nuclear standoff slated for Saturday.
Assistant Fforeign Minister Liu Jieyi will represent China in the talks which will primarily be between Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana, foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said here Thursday.
Diplomats from the US, Russia, Britain, France and Germany will also attend the talks as observors.
UAE’s Air Arabia celebrates 10 million passenger mark
By NNN-WAM,
Sharjah : Air Arabia has announced that it has flown more than 10 million passengers since its launch in October 2003. The carrier passed the mark at the end of June 2008.
In the first half of 2008, Air Arabia carried more than 1.6 million passengers, an increase of 33 per cent compared to 1.2 million passengers in the corresponding period last year. Passenger average load factor -- passengers carried as a proportion of available seats -- for the first half of 2008 stood at 86 per cent, a 3 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
Coalition soldier, several militants killed in Afghanistan
By KUNA,
KabulA soldier of the US-led coalition troops died of wounds he had suffered during a roadside bomb blast in Helmand province of Afghanistan. A statement from the coalition forces' Bagram base said the soldier died this (Monday) morning. His identity and nationality were not released. Earlier in the day, the NATO-ISAF had also announced the death of one of its soldiers in fighting in the southeastern province of Khost.
U.S. Secretary of State Rice starts visit to UAE
By Xinhua,
Abu Dhabi : U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday arrived in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), starting a two-day visit to the Gulf oil-exporting country, the official Emirates News Agency reported.
Rice held talks with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crownprince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, over bilateral relations between the two countries and a series of regional issues.
Attorney: Decision on whether to indict Olmert to be made soon
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israeli State Attorney Moshe Lador said Monday that a decision will be made soon on whether to indict Prime Minister Ehud Olmert over the ongoing "money envelopes" investigation, local daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported onits website.
The evidences the prosecutors have gathered against Olmert, whois suspected of taking illicit money from American businessman Morris Talansky, will soon be submitted to Attorney General Menahem Mazuz, who will then decide whether to take Olmert to court, said Lador.
Coalition operation eliminates several militants in C Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
Kabul : Several militants were killed Tuesday during a U.S.-led Coalition forces operation to disrupt militant activities in central Afghan province of Wardak, said a Coalition statement released here on Wednesday.
Coalition forces searched several compounds in Sayed Abad district targeting a Taliban commander suspected of conducting attacks on Coalition forces, including the June 26 attack in Wardak resulting in the deaths of three Coalition service members and an Afghan interpreter, the statement said.
At least 6 killed in missile attack in Pakistan’s tribal region
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least six people were killed in a missile strike at a religious seminary in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal region early Monday, TV channels reported.
The pre-dawn attack, which happened at about 3 a.m. local time (2100 GMT) along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region of Azam Warsak, also injured three others, according to the TV.
Local residents said that the missiles fired from unknown directions struck the seminary house belonging to a local cleric Maulana Jalail, who is considered to be linked with Taliban.
Turkish president strongly condemns Istanbul twin explosions
By Xinhua,
Ankara : Turkish President Abdullah Gul Sunday strongly condemned the Istanbul twin explosions which killed 14 people and wounded about 140 others.
Gul made this condemnation soon after the twin explosions which occurred in a busy shopping area in the Gungoren district in Turkish largest city of Istanbul late Sunday.
Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler called the two blasts "an act of terror," saying that "it is certain that this is a terror attack."
PKK deny link to Turkey bombings
By DPA,
Ankara : A senior Kurdish separatist figure Monday denied that the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) had carried out a bomb attack in Istanbul Sunday night that killed 17 people and left more than 150 injured.
"This is a dark incident... This incident has no connection to the Kurdish freedom struggle. They cannot make a connection with the PKK," Zubeyir Aydar, a former Turkish parliamentarian who is now head of the political section of the PKK, told the PKK-inked Firat news agency.
Israeli commander sacked for shooting at arrested Palestinian
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) Tuesday suspended the commanding officer of the soldier who was captured on film shooting a blindfolded, handcuffed Palestinian protester in the foot with a rubber-coated metal bullet earlier this month.
An IDF spokesman said its Northern Command Chief, Major General Gadi Eisenkot, had ordered the officer to take a 10-day leave of absence after a hearing Tuesday and pending further investigation.
Eisenkot described the incident as "severe" and said it amounted to a "moral failure" on the part of the commander, the spokesman said.
Pakistani Taliban step up activities, occupy booster of state TV, kidnap policemen
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani Taliban have stepped their activities in parts of the country and have taken over the control of the booster of the state-run television and kidnapped police men from a police station, witnesses and police said Tuesday.
Armed Taliban occupied booster of PTV in the restive Bajaur tribal region and spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban Maulvi Umar said the booster is still in their control.
The authorities had formed a jirga or council of tribal elders to negotiate with the Taliban to end occupation of the booster but failed to convince Taliban.
Hamas: Olmert”s decision to step dowm constitutes a blow to settlement efforts
By KUNA,
Ramallah : Hamas on Thursday considered the decision of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to step down from political life a blow to the group tasked with reaching a political settlement in the Palestinian Authority.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told reporters in Gaza that the declaration of Olmert to step down from office is a blow to the group, which links its destiny to settlement plans and the presumption of achieving a Palestinian state at the end of this year.
Lebanese President meets Commander of US Central Command
By NNN-KUNA,
Beirut : Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has held talks here with commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) General David Petraeus on military cooperation between Beirut and Washington.
Petraeus informed Suleiman about his appointment as head of CENTCOM. The army general is also head of the US forces in Iraq.
Both men discussed ways of boosting military and political cooperation, an official statement said Wednesday.
The US has extended military assistance to the Lebanese army and the internal forces.
OIC expresses concern over military takeover in Mauritania
By NNN-KUNA,
Riyadh : Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has expressed concern over the military takeover staged against the democratically-elected goverrnment in Mauritania Wednesday and detention of the president and prime minister by the army officers.
He said in a statement that he was particularly dismayed by this development as Mauritania had been exhibiting exemplary development towards the entrenchment of democracy and rule of law in the country with the visible positive role and support of its armed forces.
UAE commits $10 million to nuclear fuel reserve proposal
By NNN-WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates has contributed $10 million towards a fuel bank proposal originally launched by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) in 2006.
Pakistani teen who was flogged denies incident, probe ordered
By IANS,
Islamabad : The girl who was reportedly whipped by the Taliban in Pakistan's restive Swat Valley has denied the incident as the Supreme Court Monday ordered that a probe be carried out.
The girl's statement before a magistrate was presented through Attorney General Latif Khosa. "The girl has denied the alleged flogging incident," Geo TV reported.
The victim was not present during the hearing.
Three policemen killed in Iraqi suicide bombing
By Xinhua,
Baquba (Iraq) : A suicide bomber Monday struck a joint US and Iraqi foot patrol in Iraq's Diyala province, killing at least three policemen and injuring 12, a police source said.
The suicide bomber blew up his explosive laden vest among US and Iraqi security personnel who were patrolling in Tapo Street in Baquba city, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, a police source said.
The US troops have sealed off the area.
Russia criticises Ahmadinejad’s Geneva speech
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia Tuesday criticised Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at the UN conference on racism in Geneva.
"Unfortunately, harsh and unbalanced statements were voiced on the first day of the conference, particularly in the speech of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad," the foreign ministry of Russia said, adding that such statements had nothing to do with the conference's main topic.
Pakistani Taliban suspend peace talks in Swat valley
By DPA,
Islamabad : A pro-Taliban cleric suspended talks with Pakistani authorities Monday, a day after paramilitary troops began an offensive against the militants in the restive north-western region.
The new push began early Sunday in Lower Dir district, part of the Malakand Division where the regional government introduced Islamic sharia law this month under a truce with Taliban.
"No peace negotiations will take place with the government until a halt in the Dir operation," said Amir Izzat Khan, a spokesman for hardline cleric Sufi Mohammad, who brokered the peace pact.
Taliban commander surrenders in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : A senior Pakistani Taliban commander Saturday surrendered to the authorities in the country's tribal region, TV reports said.
Security forces Saturday surrounded the house of Iftikhar Ahmed Khan, head of the Taliban in Khyber agency, and forced him to surrender, state-run PTV said citing officials.
Khan, 35, was wanted for attacks on NATO supply trucks and security personnel, the report said. Khan was also accused of sheltering foreign militants and kidnapping people for ransom.
US House links aid to Pakistan with fight against terrorism
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The US House of Representatives has passed a bill proposing to triple US non-military aid to Pakistan to $1.5 billion a year but linking military assistance to Islamabad demonstrating a sustained commitment to combating terrorist groups.
Iran’s allegations on interference absurd: Obama
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama Tuesday accused Iranian officials of making the US a scapegoat in an attempt to distract the people from the debate and protests surrounding the country's presidential elections.
Obama told reporters that the United States is "not at all interfering in Iran's affairs" and strongly condemned the beatings and imprisonment of protesters.
American with Al Qaeda sheds light on shadowy world
By IANS,
Washington : An American who converted to Islam and fought for the Al Qaeda before his arrest in Pakistan last year is now cooperating with authorities, opening a rare window into the shadowy world of the terror network, American media reports said Thursday.
Bryant Neal Vinas, a 26-year-old from Long Island, New York, is one of the few Americans known to have made the trek to Al Qaeda's secret Pakistani compounds, US and European anti-terrorism officials told the Los Angeles Times.
More British soldiers for Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
London : The British government will send reinforcements to Afghanistan to "help maintain the required operational effectiveness" in the wake of rising number of casualties suffered by its troops while fighting the Taliban in that country, officials said Friday.
Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said 125 additional soldiers will be deployed in Afghanistan to strengthen the security ahead of the presidential elections in August.
Two more British soldiers killed in Afghanistan
By DPA,
London : Two more British soldiers have died in separate bomb blasts in Afghanistan, bringing the total killed there so far this month to 22, the defence ministry in London said Monday.
It said one of the men who died was taking part in the second stage of Operation Panther's Claw, the US-led offensive in southern Afghanistan. Both deaths occurred Monday.
July has proved the "bloodiest" month so far for British troops in Afghanistan, where 191 service personnel have now died since operations began in 2001.
Apex court asks Gujarat to explain ban on Jaswant’s book
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Tuesday asked the Gujarat government to explain why it banned expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh's book "Jinnah - India, Partition and Independence" in the state.
A bench of Justice Altmas Kabir and Justice Cyriac Joseph issued a notice to the Gujarat government on a lawsuit of Singh, challenging the state's Aug 19 order banning the book in the state.
Contempt of court petition filed against Musharraf
By IANS,
Islamabad : A contempt of court petition was filed Wednesday in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against former president Pervez Musharraf for imposing emergency in 2007.
Anwar-ul-Haq, a medical practitioner in Islamabad, filed the petition in the court Wednesday saying Musharraf breached the Constitution and violated the Supreme Court's order by imposing emergency rule Nov 3, 2007, Geo TV reported.
He suggested that Musharraf be brought to the country by Interpol.
Afghan opium production declines 10 percent in 2009: UN report
By DPA,
Kabul : Opium production is down by 10 percent while the area under poppy cultivation in Afghanistan fell 22 percent in 2009, a new UN report said Wednesday.
However, the war-shattered Afghanistan still remains the world's largest supplier of the drug, producing 6,900 tonnes of opium, from which heroin is derived.
"World demand for opium remains stable (at around 5,000 tonnes per year), which is several thousand tonnes lower than what Afghanistan produces every year," a report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), released in Kabul Wednesday said.
Spain mulls sending more troops to Afghanistan
By EFE,
Madrid : Spain is considering whether post-electoral security conditions in Afghanistan require an increase in the contingent that Madrid has deployed to the war-ravaged nation, Defence Minister Carme Chacon has said.
Spain is waiting to find out if there will be a second round of voting to decide whether to extend the presence of the so-called electoral battalion for another month.
More than 1,300 Spanish troops are serving with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, including 450 sent to bolster security for the Aug 20 general elections.
Terrorists are British, not Pakistani: Islamabad tells London
By IANS,
London : Britain has been accused of treating Pakistan like a "whipping boy" while failing to do enough to check home-grown British terrorism.
A senior Pakistani diplomat was Wednesday quoted saying terrorists convicted Monday of planning to blow up transatlantic airliners were "born and brought up" in Britain, not Pakistan.
"Sometimes for our British friends the truth is bitter. We have somehow turned out to be a whipping boy," the Pakistani diplomat said.
Pakistan arrests Taliban spokesman in Swat valley
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's military said Friday it has arrested a Taliban spokesman in the Swat valley, where troops have spent five months fighting Islamist insurgents.
Muslim Khan was captured with four colleagues including key militant commander Mehmood Khan, Geo news channel reported, citing army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas.
Muslim Khan had a bounty of Rs.10 million ($122,000) on his head for involvement in terrorist activities. Mehmood Khan also had a bounty of Rs.10 million on his head.
Further details of the arrests were not immediately disclosed.
Adjusted U.S. missile defense more effective against Iran – Gates
By RIA Novosti,
Washington : An adjusted U.S. missile defense in Europe would be more effective than the previously planned one even if the current intelligence data on the Iran threat is wrong, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.
President Barack Obama announced Thursday that Washington was dropping its previous plans to deploy elements of a missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland.
Third UN team arrives to probe Benazir killing
By IANS,
Islamabad : A third UN team has arrived here to probe the December 2007 assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
The six-member team is scheduled to meet former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and other political leaders, as also officials of the interior ministry and the law enforcement agencies.
Pakistan had earlier this year sought a UN probe into Bhuttto's killing after its own investigations and one by Scotland Yard failed to make headway.
Karzai accepts runoff vote to be held on Nov 7
By DPA,
Kabul: Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced Tuesday that he failed to win an outright election victory in the first round of voting and accepted the results requiring a second round that will be held on Nov 7.
The Independent Election Commission (IEC), an Afghan election body that conducted the August election, said that Karzai's share of the vote was below the 50 percent needed for a first-round victory and set Nov 7 as a date for the second round of the election.
Afghan provincial governor escapes assassination attempt
By DPA,
Kabul : The governor of the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar escaped unhurt Monday when an attacker opened fire on his convoy, a government spokesman said.
Gul Agha Sherzai was en route to the provincial capital Jalalabad when an assailant equipped with a rifle and hand grenades attacked his convoy, the governor's spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai said.
"The governor and his team were not harmed in the firing," he said, adding that security forces captured the attacker.
Hamas afraid of elections – Palestinian foreign minister
By RIA Novosti,
Baku : Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said on Thursday the Islamist movement Hamas is afraid to participate in Palestinian presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for January 2010.
The statement came following a meeting between al-Maliki and his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov. Al-Maliki is on a two-day official visit to Azerbaijan which ends Friday.
Over 100 schools constructed by UNICEF in Pakistan after 2005 quake
By NNN-UNICEF,
Islamabad : More than 100 new schools have now been constructed and handed over to the government in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), in an initiative by UNICEF and Pakistan’s Earthquake Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (ERRA) to “build back better” in areas where schools were destroyed in the 2005 earthquake.
An additional 186 schools are expected to be completed by the end of 2010.
Blast near Army General headquarters in Rawalpindi, 24 killed
By NNN-PTI,
Islamabad : A powerful blast occurred outside a hotel in a high-security area near the Pakistan Army's headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi today, killing at least 10 people and injuring several others.
The explosion at around 10.40 am caused considerable damage to the facade of Shalimar Hotel on Mall Road, a short distance from the Army's General Headquarters.
Police officials said they believed the bomb was planted in a car or motorcycle parked outside the hotel.
10 killed in Peshawar suicide bombing
By IANS,
Peshawar : At least 10 people were killed and 30 injured Friday morning in a powerful suicide bombing outside a Pakistani intelligence agency office in this northwestern city, an official said.
Inspector General of Police Malik Naveed said it was a suicide blast in which 10 people, including security personnel, were killed and more than 30 were wounded, Geo News reported.
The suicide bomber, who was travelling in a car, was trying to reach the intelligence agency's office located at Kyber Road.
The bomber blew himself up when he was stopped at a security check post.
Police officer hurt in Pakistan blast
By IANS,
Islamabad : A senior police official was injured Tuesday in a blast in Pakistan's Quetta city, a media report said.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Nizam Shahid Durrani was injured in the explosion on Sapni Road, Geo News reported.
Iranian President stresses need for solidarity among media in Asia-Pacific region
By NNN-Bernama,
Tehran : Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has underlined the need for solidarity among the media in the Asia-Pacific region and for them to disseminate accurate news and information.
They should circulate "the message of friendship, peace and brotherhood of all nations throughout the globe", he said when he paid a surprise call Sunday on the Executive Board and editorial and technical experts of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) who were meeting in Tehran.
Israel bombs weapons factory, two tunnels in Gaza
By DPA,
Tel Aviv: The Israel Air Force attacked what the military said was a weapons factory and two smuggling tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip before dawn Thursday.
Three civilians were injured in the bombings, Gaza emergency services chief Mo'aweya Hassanein said.
The airstrikes on the two tunnels in the border town of Rafah, near Egypt, and on the workshop in Khan Younis, was a response to recent rocket fire into Israel from Gaza, a military spokeswoman in Tel Aviv said.
She said Gaza militants had fired some 15 rockets and mortar shells at Israel over the past month.
61 militants killed in Pakistan’s Khyber Agency
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least 61 militants have so far been killed by security forces in their operations against two banned organisations in Pakistan's Khyber Agency along the restive border with Afghanistan, an official said Monday.
Another 87 have have been arrested, Online news agency quoted Brigadier Fiaz, the commandant of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary (FC) as telling reporters in Bara, one of the three administrative units of the Agency.
Suicide bombing at volleyball match kills 95 in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : At least 95 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), with many children feared to be among the victims.
More than 100 people were injured in Friday's attack, which took place at a volleyball match in Shah Hassan Khan village, some 30 km south of Lakki Marwat town.
Mohammad Ayub Khan, the district police chief, said the bomber detonated his explosives-laden car near the sporting field where hundreds of people had gathered to watch the match.
Israel remains ‘close friend,’ says UK
By IRNA,
London : The British government is seeking to reassure the Israeli regime that it remains a key ally despite threats that its leaders face prospect of being arrested for alleged war crimes if they visit the UK.
“Israel continues to be a strategic partner and a close friend of the UK. We shall continue to foster a close relationship with Israel and are determined to protect and develop these ties,” Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis told MPs.
Establishment of Malaysia-Pakistan Joint Business Council at final stage
By NNN-Bernama,
Kuala Lumpur : The establishment of a Joint Business Council (JBC) between Pakistan and Malaysia is at the final stage, says the Pakistan High Commissioner (ambassador) to Malaysia, Liutenant-General (Rtd) Tahir Mahmud Qazi.
The formation of the JBC is being undertaken by the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) and the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).
Rana, Headley also planned to blow up Danish daily
By IANS,
Chicago : Two Pakistani origin men, Tahawwur Rana and his associate David Coleman Headley, indicted for the Mumbai terror attacks, also planned to use truck bomb filled with explosives to blow up a Danish newspaer.
A fresh indictment against Rana and Headley unsealed in a Chicago court Thursday also charges retired Pakistani military officer Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed and Ilyas Kashmiri, a leader of terrorist organisation Harakat-ul Jihad Islami (HUJI) in Pakistan described as having been in regular contact with Al Qaeda's No. 3, Sheikh Mustafa Abu al-Yazid.
Egyptian cleric issues fatwa forbidding Muslims from Facebook
By IANS/AKI,
Cairo : A top Egyptian cleric has issued a fatwa forbidding the use of the popular social networking site Facebook, saying Muslims using such sites must be considered "sinners".
Statistics show that divorce rates have rise since the advent of Facebook and it has sharply increased marital infidelity, Sheikh Abdel Hamid al-Atras said.
"It's an instrument that destroys the family because it encourages spouses to have relations with other people which break Islamic sharia law," said al-Atrash, quoted by pan-Arab daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat.
Suicide bombing kills 10 in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : At least 10 tribal policemen were killed in a suicide bombing that targeted a security convoy in Pakistan's northwestern region near the Afghan border, officials said Wednesday.
Fifteen policemen were injured in the bombing that took place in the Khyber Agency tribal district.
The suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a vehicle carrying the policemen along a main highway leading to Afghanistan, said Manzoor Ahmad, an official of the local administration.
Berlin claims no information on German role in Hamas murder case
By IRNA,
Berlin : A spokesman for the German foreign ministry alleged he had no independent information on an Arab newspaper report which said that a German national was implicated in the recent killing of a prominent Hamas leader in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
He added the German Embassy in the UAE had yet to get involved in the murder case of Mahmoud Abdel-Raouf Mohammed Hassan, also known as Mahmoud al- Mahbouh.
Meanwhile, the Hamburg-based weekly news magazine Der Spiegel identified the German suspect as 43-year-old Michael B.
Dubai debt crisis not seen as permanent setback for Islamic Finance
By NNN-Bernama,
Kuala Lumpur : The Dubai debt crisis does not represent a permanent setback to Islamic finance although the sukuk, or Islamic bond, suffered a blow as a potentially safer financial instrument than conventional bonds, says Malaysian Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Mukhriz Mahathir.
This was because of the reasonable disenchantment with the banking and financial system as practised in the West, he said at the launch of a Shariah-compliant close-end fund, AMB Dana Aqeel Capital Protected Fund, here Tuesday.
US pledges millions in aid to Pakistan, but no n-deal
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Praising Pakistan's efforts to combat terrorism, the United States has pledged tens of millions of dollars of aid for roads and power plants, but sidestepped Islamabad's demand for an India-type nuclear deal.
The announcements came in a joint statement Thursday as the two countries wrapped up their first Strategic Dialogue at the ministerial level, co-chaired by US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Obama wants Iran sanctions within ‘weeks’
By DPA,
Washington: US President Barack Obama declared Tuesday that he wants to see the UN Security Council adopt sanctions against Iran within "weeks" over the Islamic republic's refusal to resolve the dispute over its nuclear activities.
"I'm not interested in waiting months for a sanctions regime to be in place. I'm interested in seeing that regime in place in weeks," Obama said at a press conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Volcanic ash casts shadow over Abu Dhabi real estate show
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : Volcanic ash erupting from Iceland has cast a shadow over Abu Dhabi's real estate exhibition with many visitors unable to attend the event due to cancellation of flights across Europe.
"Unfortunately, the catastrophic event thousands of kelometres away in Iceland has had an impact here in Abu Dhabi," said Rohan Marwaha, managing director of Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2010 that kicked off Sunday.
"Undoubtedly thousands of potential visitors from Europe and the Americas have been unable to get flights."
At least 35 killed, 80 injured in Baghdad blasts
By DPA,
Baghdad : At least 35 people were killed and 80 injured in a series of blasts targeting mosques in the Iraqi capital Baghdad Friday, according to security sources and witnesses.
Two car bombs detonated in the al-Horriya and al-Rahmaniya areas, another bomb targeted people praying in al-Sadr city, eastern Baghdad and yet another went off targeting Hussayneyet al-Sadrein mosque in al-Zaafaraneya.
An explosive device went off inside a shopping mall in the al-Dora area, while a a suicide bombing occured near a mosque in the al-Amin area.
One killed, several trapped in Bangladesh coal mine accident
By IANS,
Dhaka : A miner was killed and several others remained trapped Tuesday in a coal mine accident in northern Bangladesh, a media report said.
The accident took place about 400 metres underground in Barapukuria coal mine at Dinajpur in northern Bangladesh.
The dead was identified as Ranjit, The Daily Star reported on its website.
Sources at Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd said 13 workers were trapped when a roof collapsed around 8.30 a.m.
Eight workers were rescued and rushed to the company's hospital. The body of Ranjit was also recovered.
Pakistan top brass meet ahead of US NSA talks
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's top political and military leadership met Wednesday to discuss the internal security scenario and the progress in the war against terror ahead of talks with visiting US National Security Advisor James Jones and CIA director Leon Panetta.
Quoting sources in the presidency, Online news agency reported that the meeting discussed the agenda of talks with the US delegation "so that the government and military leadership are on the same level".
Israeli Navy seizes Gaza-bound aid ship
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : The Israeli Navy boarded and seized a ship bound for the Gaza Strip Saturday, a military spokeswoman said.
"The ship was boarded with the full compliance of the crew. There were no casualties," she said.
Israeli ships had been shadowing the 'Rachel Corrie' since early morning, after the vessel refused four requests to change course and head for the Israeli port of Ashdod instead of for the Gaza Strip, which is under an Israeli naval blockade.
World Environment Day observed in Dubai
By IANS/WAM,
Dubai : The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has observed World Environment Day as part of the UN effort to mitigate global warming.
DEWA, on the occasion of World Environment Day June 5, organised various activities in the city Saturday to promote best electricity and water consumption practices.
An exhibition was held at Dubai Festival City to educate children on the importance of conserving electricity and water.
Iran, Turkey foreign ministers discuss issues in Jeddah
By IRNA,
Tehran : Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davuto?lu discussed issues of mutual interest in Jeddah Sunday night.
During the meeting which took place on the sidelines of the extraordinary foreign ministerial meeting of the executive committee member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the two men reviewed the latest developments relating to the signing of a tripartite declaration in Tehran by Iran, Brazil and Turkey on Iran’s nuclear fuel swap.
Taliban can join Afghan reconciliation, says US
By DPA,
Madrid : The US backs the inclusion of Taliban insurgents into an eventual Afghan reconciliation process if they agree to certain conditions, including breaking off any relations with Al Qaeda, a US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan said Monday.
Richard Holbrooke spoke to the press during a meeting of the Afghanistan and Pakistan International Support Group, which brought representatives from more than 30 countries, the UN, the European Union and NATO to Madrid.
IMF stops loans to Pakistan till imposition of VAT
By IANS,
Islamabad : The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stopped the release of loans to Pakistan till the imposition of Value Added Tax (VAT), leading to the withholding of $1.15 billion, including budgetary support of $363.7 million.
The IMF has told Pakistan not to expect the release of loans unless VAT is imposed, Online news agency reported, quoting sources.
Sources in the finance ministry said Pakistani officials were scheduled to hold talks with IMF in the first week of August but this had now fallen through.
Bangladesh Observer closed down
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh Observer, one of the country's oldest English language daily newspapers, closed down Tuesday after a prolonged dispute between the owners and employees.
Founded in 1949 as Pakistan Observer, it was owned and run by Hamidul Haq Chowdhury, who was Pakistan's foreign minister at one time.
He gave the control of the newspaper to the Bangladesh government when it was renamed Bangladesh Observer in 1972. The ownership was restored to his family in 1984.
Ban urges Israel to fundamentally change its Gaza policies
By DPA,
New York : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed Israel's decision to ease the land blockade of the Gaza Strip, but said a "fundamental change" was needed to improve living conditions in that territory.
Israel decided to lift some of the restrictions imposed on crossing points with Gaza, following worldwide criticism of its military raid of the Turkish-led humanitarian flotilla May 31, which killed nine people onboard one of the three ships.
Afghanistan war may be lost in Pakistan: US think tank
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The Afghanistan war may be lost in a home-grown insurgency hit Pakistan unless US takes some "game-changing steps" including talks on an India like civil nuclear deal, suggests a US think tank.
"The Afghanistan war may be lost on the battlefields of Pakistan, where a vicious conflict is now being fought by Pakistan against a home-grown insurgency spawned by the war across its Western frontier," said the Atlantic Council of the United States in a report released Monday.
UAE’s non-oil trade up 7 percent
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi: The UAE's non-oil foreign trade grew by 7 percent to Dh 56.04 billion (around $15 bn) in April this year as compared to Dh 52.34 billion in 2009.
"Non-oil exports saw a 42 percent rise to Dh 6.45 billion in April 2010 from Dh 4.55 billion in same month last year. Re-exports surged 12 percent to Dh 12.31 billion from Dh 10.95 billion while imports rose slightly by 1 percent to Dh 37.3 billion from Dh 36.84 billion," the Federal Customs Authority (FCA) has said.
UAE seeks investment in non-oil sector
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided to promote investment in non-oil sectors to boost the country's economic diversification process.
The decision to place the emphasis on goods, resources and services was set to bring about a further increase in the non-oil-related contribution to the GDP of the country, said Minister for Foreign Trade Sheikha Lubna bin Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi.
"The UAE always works to bolster revenue sources via diversification and is attracting most of the foreign investment flows to the region," she said.
Pakistan to expand maritime ties with China
By IANS,
Beijing : Pakistan is "very satisfied" with the performance of the frigates it bought from China and hopes to further strategic maritime cooperation with the nation, a top Pakistani official said.
Two of the four F-22P frigates Pakistan ordered from China are already in service its navy, with the third one scheduled to be commissioned in September this year.
"We are very happy with the performance, and some technology is as good as in Western countries," Admiral Noman Bashir, Pakistan's chief of naval staff, was quoted as saying by China Daily.
US unable to account for $8.7 bn in Iraqi funds
By IANS,
Washington : US Defence Department is unable to account for $8.7 billion of the $9.1-billion fund earmarked for reconstruction of Iraq between 2004 and 2007, an audit report has said.
According to Los Angeles Times, the reconstruction money was from oil revenue the Pentagon was entrusted with and the report underscores a pattern of poor record-keeping during the period.
EU welcomes UN probe into Israeli attack on Gaza aid flotilla
By KUNA,
Brussels : European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton expressed support to the announcement by United Nations (EU) Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Monday of an international inquiry into the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla that was carrying aid to Gaza.
"Israel and Turkey's commitment to the enquiry is a positive step towards finding out the truth of what really happened on May 31," said Ashton's spokesperson Maja Kocijancic in a statement here late Tuesday.
Pakistan braces for flood surge
By DPA,
Islamabad : Authorities in southern Pakistan were Thursday preparing for the arrival of flood waters that have left hundreds dead and large areas devastated on their way through the northwest and centre of the country.
"Up to 1 million cubic feet (28,300 cubic metres) per second of water will pass through Guddu Barrage at Indus River in Sindh Province sometime in the evening," said Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, the head of Pakistan's meteorological department.
"However, there is no forecast of rains in the area at that time," he added.
Abu Dhabi to distribute free iftar meals to motorists
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : Motorists in Abu Dhabi will get free iftar meals to break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan, it was announced Wednesday.
UAE Deputy Prime Minister Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan Wednesday instructed the authorities to deliver 35,000 meals to motorists travelling in the emirate.
Two soldiers killed in Iraq violence
By IANS,
Baghdad : Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and five security personnel wounded in three attacks, including a suicide car bombing, in central and northern Iraq, police said.
A suicide car bomber struck an Iraqi army checkpoint Thursday night outside a military base in the village of Zaidan in Abu Ghraib area, just west of Baghdad, killing a soldier and wounding two others, a source from the operation command of Anbar province told Xinhua.
Flood refugees attack relief vehicles in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : Angry refugees ransacked aid vehicles carrying relief goods to flood victims in Pakistan, forcing officials to halt the operation, local media reported Saturday.
Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund and International Organisation for Migration officials told police their vehicles were looted near Jadeywala village, in Muzaffargarh district of Punjab province.
Dawn newspaper quoted aid coordinator Mohammad Kamran as saying that his organisation had suspended its relief operation after the attack.
More anti-Israel protests in Berlin
Berlin, Aug 20, IRNA -- Germany's capital Berlin became once again scene of protests against Isreal ongoing ethnic cleansing in occupied Palestine Friday.
Gathering in Berlin's city center, demonstrators, many of them waving Palestinian flags, called for an end to ethnic cleansing by the illegal Jewish state and a boycott of the Israel.
Protesters urged also freedom for the occupied holy Qods.
Three villages damaged in Iran quake
By DPA,
Tehran : An earthquake rattled the northeastern Iranian province of Semnan, damaging three villages and injuring several villagers late Friday, state media reported.
The quake with a magnitude of 5.9 on the Richter scale shook several villages near the provincial city of Damqan and was felt in the capital Tehran.
India now trying to flood Lahore, alleges daily
By IANS,
Islamabad : India has caused the devastating floods in Pakistan by releasing excess water into the Satluj and Beas rivers and now is trying to inundate Lahore by pumping more water in the Ravi, an editorial in a Pakistani paper said Saturday.
"There is clear proof of an Indian conspiracy in the current floods in Pakistan. Now it is releasing excess water into the Satluj and it is suspected that it is pumping more water into the Ravi with the aim of flooding Ravi and other parts of the Punjab," the Nawa-i-Waqt Urdu daily said editorially.
Pakistan Supreme Court grants bail to Lal Masjid cleric
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistan's Supreme Court Wednesday granted bail to a radical cleric who incited a standoff with security forces at Islamabad's Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) and adjoining seminary nearly two years ago, his lawyer said.
"The court has observed that there was no evidence against Maulana Abdul Aziz in this case that could prevent his release on bail," attorney Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui told reporters.
Pakistan’s policy on extremists poses serious threat: Clinton
By DPA,
Washington : US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday that Pakistan's policy of ceding territory to Islamic extremists poses a serious threat that cannot be overlooked.
During testimony before the foreign policy committee in the House of Representatives, Clinton called on Pakistanis "to speak out forcefully against a policy that is ceding more and more territory to the insurgents, to the Taliban, to Al Qaeda, to the allies that are in this terrorist syndicate".
US accountable for tensions in Pakistan, says Clinton
By IANS,
Washington : US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has acknowledged that the US too had a share in creating the problem that plagues Pakistan today, a media report said Saturday.
In an appearance before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee Thursday, Clinton explained how the militancy in Pakistan was linked to the US-backed proxy war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, Geo TV reported.
US asks Pakistan to take ‘forceful action’ against Taliban
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The US wants Pakistan to take "consistent, determined, and forceful action" against the Taliban and other extremists operating there and in Afghanistan, but has denied it has set a two week deadline.
"I don't know where this two-week timeframe came from, but look, we have said very clearly that we believe the Pakistanis need to take action against these extremist elements," State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters Friday.
Six killed in Pakistan suicide blast
By IANS,
Islamabad : Six people, including a paramilitary Frontier Corps official, were killed Monday in a suicide attack in northwestern Pakistan, the News reported.
Two security personnel were also injured in the attack which targeted a security check post in Darra Adam Khel in North West Frontier Province, the report said.
According to sources, a suicide bomber blew up himself at the check post, killing five passersby and a security official.
Security forces had cordoned off the area and an investigation was under way.
Blast at Iran mosque kills 15, suspects arrested
By DPA,
Tehran : Iranian security forces arrested suspects behind a bomb explosion at a mosque in the southeastern Iranian city of Zahedan Thursday that left 15 people dead, state-run television IRIB reported.
"A bomb explosion at the 'Amir Al-Momenin' mosque in Zahedan left 15 people killed and 80 others wounded," Governor Ali-Mohammad Azad was quoted as saying by IRIB in its website.
"Security forces arrested suspects behind the bombing," said the governor without elaborating.
Blast in Pakistan’s northwest kills three
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least three people were killed and seven injured in a blast Monday in Kohat town in Pakistan's restive northwest where the military is currently engaged in a major anti-Taliban operation.
The blast, the second in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in a week, occurred at a bus stand in Kohat's Teera Bazar area, APP news agency reported.
Earlier reports had placed the casualties at four.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have strongly condemned the blast.
Pakistani villagers rise up against Taliban, kill 11
By DPA,
Islamabad: Hundreds of people have risen up against Taliban fighters in a district in Pakistan's northwestern region, killing at least 11 as troops continued operations against the militants elsewhere in the region, officials and media reports said Sunday.
The armed locals turned on Taliban fighters in Hayagai, a remote village in Upper Dir district, after a suicide bombing at a mosque in the area Friday killed at least 49 people, minutes before the start of early afternoon prayers.
Anti-Taliban cleric among 12 killed in Pakistan blasts
By DPA,
Islamabad : A prominent cleric who supported the military offensive against the Taliban in Pakistan's northwestern Swat valley was killed Friday along with 11 other people in two separate mosque bombings in the militancy-plagued country, officials said.
The explosions came a day after security forces repulsed a militant raid on the residence of a regional army commander in the northwestern region, killing two attackers and arresting five after a shoot-out.
Lebanon accuses Israel of violating its border
By DPA,
Beirut : The Lebanese Army Friday accused Israel of violating the Lebanese border by establishing an observation post in a restricted area on the outskirts of the Kfarshouba hills.
"In clear violation of a restricted area of Lebanese territory, and in an attempt to impose a new reality on the ground, the Israeli enemy Wednesday set up an observation post at the edge of Kfarshouba and a military position overlooking Baathaeel pond," a Lebanese army statement said.
Pakistan checking reports on Baitullah Mehsud’s death
By DPA,
Islamabad : A Pakistani security official said late Wednesday the intelligence agencies were trying to confirm reports that Taliban head Baitullah Mehsud had died in a suspected US missile strike that killed his wife in tribal region near Afghan border.
"We have been busy for hours to check the information coming from the area that Baitullah also died with his wife," a local intelligence officer said on condition of anonymity.
"Whether confirmation or disconfirmation will definitely be available in next couple of hours," he added.
Two rockets fired into Afghan capital, no casualties
By DPA,
Kabul : Two rockets believed to have been fired by Taliban militants landed near the presidential palace Tuesday, but caused no casualties, police said.
The rockets were fired from Bagrami, in the southern part of Kabul city, a police official in Kabul told DPA.
"Both rockets hit areas around the presidential palace, but fortunately there were no casualties," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Afghan poll review panel completes probe in fraud charges
By DPA,
Kabul: A UN-backed Election Complaints Commission announced Monday its verdict on contested ballots from the Aug 20 Afghan presidential election, but it was not known if the rulings would push the country to a runoff vote.
"The ECC has finalised all of its decisions with respect to polling and counting for the presidential elections and has officially communicated them to the IEC," the election panel said in a statement.
Blast in Peshawar
By IANS,
Peshawar : Five people were injured in a blast in Pakistan's Peshawar city Friday.
Geo TV reported that the explosion took place in a restaurant in Phase 2 of Hyatabad area of Peshawar, capital of the North West Frontier Province.
Chinese envoy calls on Pakistani interior minister
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : The Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan Luo Zhaohui Wednesday called on Minister for Interior Rehman Malik and discussed bilateral matters of mutual interests.
During the meeting, the Minister said Pakistan gives utmost importance to its relations with China, being a reliable and close friendly state.
He said both the states enjoy time tested friendship and brotherly cooperation between Pakistan and China would bring stability and prosperity in the region.
The Ambassador Luo Zhaohui said that China gives special significance to its ties with Pakistan.
Pakistanis get the jitters on hearing firecrackers during marriages
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistanis, who are witnessing a string of terror strikes, are getting the jitters during marriage ceremonies, where bursting firecrackers and firing in the air takes place, as they are unable to distinguish the sound from a suicide attack.
The residents of the garrison city of Rawalpindi told The News that the passion for firing in the air and bursting firecrackers, especially during marriage ceremonies, has become a nuisance for them.
Pakistani PM assures free media, package for Balochistan province
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani Thursday categorically opposed any curbs on media and assured the National Assembly that media would not be gagged through any draconian law.
“I direct the Information Minister not to accept any amendments that curb media and to ensure that media performs freely,” he said in a statement on floor of the House.
“I feel it imperative to take the House into confidence on the government policy that no such amendments be introduce that bar the media from freely functioning,” he added.
Indian Haj delegation interacts with pilgrims in Jeddah
By IANS,
Jeddah : A 25-member Indian Haj goodwill delegation visited this port city of Saudi Arabia and interacted with Haj pilgrims there, expressing their satisfaction with the arrangements made by the Indian Haj mission.
The delegation, which was led by senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz, reached the Jeddah Haj terminal Sunday. On Monday the delegates visited various accommodations for pilgrims in Mecca and Aziziya.
They also visited the main office of the Indian Haj mission and a 50-bed hospital run by them.
Bangladesh opposition may get another front-row seat in parliament
By IANS,
Dhaka : The speaker of the Bangladesh parliament Tuesday mooted one more front row seat to main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to end the latter's year-long boycott over the seating arrangement.
"I can request the prime minister to allocate one more front row seat to the opposition if they raise the demand inside the parliament," Star Online quoted Speaker Abdul Hamid as saying.
Ethiopian plane crashes off Lebanon
By DPA,
Beirut : An Ethiopian airliner carrying 92 passengers and crew crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from Beirut airport early Monday, an airport official said.
The official said that around 50 Lebanese nationals were among the passengers. There were also seven crew members on board, he added.
The Boeing aircraft was en route to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, when it disappeared off the radar screens shortly after take-off, the state-run Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported.
Pakistan taxes petrol 39 percent
By IANS,
Karachi : The Pakistani government taxes petrol at a whopping 39 percent, earning Rs.19.82 for every litre sold. On Sunday, it jacked up the petrol price by Rs.6.10 to take it to Rs.71.21 per litre.
The ex-refinery price of petrol is Rs.42.72 per litre, to which is added Rs.4.42 as transportation charges, Rs.2.36 as dealers' commission and Rs.1.89 as profit for the oil marketing company, for a total of Rs.51.39 per litre.
Iran develops new system to distract missiles
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran has developed a new system to distract ballistic missiles, a military official said.
The new system can prevent missiles from hitting their targets, said Deputy Commander of Iran's Air Force General Seyyed Mohammad Alavi.
Iran's Air Force has made great achievements in the production of smart ammunition and long-range weapons. The country will also start mass production of new weapons and ammunition to boost its deterrence, Press TV quoted him as saying.
Should India talk to Pakistan? Why not, say experts
By Sarwar Kashani, IANS,
New Delhi: It is necessary for India to talk to Pakistan and raise its concerns with the civilian government there because that very move can help isolate the forces that spread hatred and terror, former diplomats and experts here opine.
Dismissing the notion that diplomatic engagement with the neighbour can take place only after Islamabad takes concrete action against anti-India terrorism, the experts who spoke to IANS appeared united in the belief that dialogue was the only way to solve all problems, including terror.
Nobel laureate accusing Israel of ‘slow genocide’
By IRNA,
London : Nobel peace laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire has accused Israel of committing “slow genocide” against the Palestinian people after being forcefully prevented from delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.
“Gaza has been cut off from the world for over three years. The people of Gaza don't have enough basic things for their needs,” 66-year old Maguire said after being deported by Israel with four other Irish activists aboard the MV Rachel Corrie.
Bangladesh’s political rivals woo China
By IANS,
Dhaka : Setting aside their political rivalry, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia have urged the visiting Chinese vice president to forge stronger economic ties and military cooperation with Dhaka.
Meeting Xi Jinping separately Tuesday, they covered similar issues, seeking a bridging of trade gap that is several times in favour of China and Beijing's entry in strategic areas like space and port building.
Pakistan flood causes crop loss worth $2.35 bn
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has said the devastating floods in the country have affected 2.6 million acres of cultivated land, with the loss of crops worth $2.35 billion.
Zardari, while addressing a meeting of the country's banking sector Thursday, said Pakistan is facing a huge loss of human lives and infrastructure due to the floods and around 75 districts have been badly affected, Xinhua reported.
Pakistan welcomes additional assistance for flood victims
By DPA,
Islamabad: Pakistan Monday welcomed the additional 185 million dollars of flood aid announced on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Man in Afghan army uniform kills three NATO soldiers
By IANS,
Kabul : A man wearing a uniform of the Afghan National Army (ANA) shot dead three NATO soldiers in southern Afghanistan Wednesday, the coalition confirmed Thursday.
Who will speak for me if I belong to Pakistan’s Minority Community?
By Abdul Hafiz Gandhi,
LPG prices to drop in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : The price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Pakistan will decrease by about Rs.40 per kg after a new energy policy is implemented next month, an official said.
Donkey bomb kills policeman in Afghanistan
By IANS,
Kabul : A policeman was killed and three civilians were injured when a bomb strapped to a donkey exploded at a police post in Afghanistan.
Jordan denies giving military training to Syrians
By IANS,
Amman : Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour has rejected reports that military training is being provided to Syrians in Jordan, the state-run Jordan Television reported.
Sharjah to host world’s greatest oratorio on history of Islam
By IINA,
Sharjah : Celebrating the selection of Sharjah as the Islamic Culture Capital of the Arab region 2014, the emirate is all set to...
India dismisses Pakistan’s offer to Kashmiri students
New Delhi : India Friday dismissed Pakistan's offer to Kashmiri students, who had been booked in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut city for celebrating Pakistan's victory...
Myanmar reiterates commitment to peace in Rakhine state
Yangon: Myanmar President U Thein Sein has voiced his commitment to ensuring peace and stability in the country's western state of Rakhine and carrying...