Of Pakistan’s Punjab and high levels of drug use
By Aslam Chandio, TwoCircles.net,
Islamabad: When it comes to drug use, Pakistan’s province of Punjab due to its large share of the population, has the highest number of people who use and inject drugs with 2.9 million people using illicit substances in the past year and approximately 260,000 people who currently inject drugs.
Pakistan’s SC orders formation of national council for protecting minorities’ rights
By Aslam Chandio, TwoCircles.net,
Islamabad: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday ordered the federal government to form a national council of minorities' rights for protection of minority rights and ensuring religious harmony.
Love Thy Neighbor: Nawaz Sharif’s Visit to India
By Ram Puniyani,
India Pakistan relations have always been mired with in various controversies, which have been preventing the friendly relations with our neighbor, who in ‘popular perception’ is seen as an enemy. It is due to this that while all the members of SAARC countries have been invited, the one to draw maximum popular attention has been the coming of Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan. In a deft move India’s the then Prime Minister designate sent an invite to all the heads of SAARC countries for his swearing in ceremony, (16 May 2014)which was held with great pomp and show.
“We are all Palestinians” Chant tens of thousands in London
By M Ghazali Khan,
London: Thousands of protesters, estimated around 100,000, have demonstrated outside the Israeli Embassy against Israeli aggression on Gaza and the ongoing genocide of Palestinians.
Obama’s Eid greeting to Muslims backfires
Washington : A White House message on Twitter wishing “Muslims in the United States and around the world a blessed and joyous celebration” of...
Pakistan lodges protest with India over firing across ‘working boundary’
By Aslam Chandio, TwoCircles.net,
Islamabad: The Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Monday summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner and lodged a protest over what it called...
Iran’s state TV station airs video of Hormuz ship incident
By Xinhua
Tehran : Iran's state television station on Thursday aired a video released by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) of an incident of confrontation between U.S. and Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz four days ago.
The footage, which lasted for about four minutes, showed an Iranian commander in a speedboat contacting a U.S. sailor via radio, asking him to identify the U.S. vessels.
IAEA chief to hold ‘important’ meetings with IRI leaders
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said Friday ties between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency have entered a new stage. He also said ElBaradei will hold "important" meetings with Iranian leaders Saturday.
Aqazadeh who was addressing a joint press conference with the IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei, assessed his talks with Elbaradei as "good and comprehensive."
Gunmen launch second attack on American school in Gaza
By KUNA
Gaza : Gunmen broke into an American school building in Beit Lahya west of the Gaza Strip early on Saturday in the second such attack on it since Thursday.
Local radio stations quoted school director Rabhi Salem as saying that an unidentified armed group broke into the school building Saturday dawn, sabotaged parts of it, stole computers and other items and set fire at six buses that were completely destroyed.
Yamani chairs meeting of Protection of Competition Council
By SPA
Riyadh : Minister of Commerce Dr Hashim Yamani chaired here today an extraordinary meeting of the Protection of Competition Council.
The Council’s Secretary General Mohammed Sindi said the participants of the meeting had reviewed issues pertaining to the hike of the prices of diaries and their derivatives.
The Council has ordered its General Secretariat to investigate in this respect.
Israeli, Palestinian negotiators to begin core-issue talks
By DPA
Jerusalem : Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are meeting here Monday for their first discussion on the so-called core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The talks mark the first negotiations in seven years on such issues as the future of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees and their descendents, security issues, and the borders of the future Palestinian state.
The talks will be continuous and are expected to take place every week or so.
U.S. announces arms sale to Saudi Arabia
By Xinhua
Washington : The U.S. Pentagon said Monday it plans to sell advanced bomb delivery systems to Saudi Arabia, coinciding with U.S. President George W. Bush's arrival at the Gulf country.
The package, worth 123 million U.S. dollars, will provide Saudis with 900 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMs, which is a bomb delivery system, it said.
The deal was made public as the Pentagon notified the Congress about details of the sale.
The Congress will have 30 days to decide whether to approve the plan.
Palestinians protest against ongoing Israeli blockade on Gaza
By Xinhua
Gaza : Hundreds of Palestinians, including lawmakers, clerics, scholars and even medical patients, on Monday joined in an open-ended sit-in at the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt to protest Israel's blockade on Gaza.
The demonstrators called upon Egypt to open the crossing to allow humanitarian aid into the poor, narrow and densely-populated enclave, which is home to nearly 1.5 million Palestinians.
Arabs, Egypt busy exerting efforts to end Gaza crisis
By Xinhua
Cairo : The Arab League (AL) and Egypt, active mediators in the Palestinian issue, are making efforts to alleviate a looming humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip caused by the continued Israeli strikes and siege.
The AL Council on Monday held an emergency meeting on the current situation in Gaza, urging the UN Security Council (UNSC) to hold a meeting to help end the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.
Gaza militants resume rockets attacks at Israel
By Xinhua
Gaza : Gaza militant groups resumed on Tuesday morning makeshift rockets attacks from the Gaza Strip to southern Israeli communities, Israeli and Palestinian sources reported.
The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) claimed responsibility for launching two homemade rockets from northern Gaza Strip at the southern costal Israeli town of Ashkelon, causing no injuries or damages.
Iran receives fifth consignment of nuclear fuel from Russia
By Xinhua
Tehran : Iran received the fifth shipment of nuclear fuel from Russia on Tuesday for it's first nuclear powerplant being built at the Gulf port city of Bushehr, state media reported.
The newly arrived consignment contained 11 tons of enriched uranium and the rest nuclear fuel will be received in three separate shipments in coming weeks, said the state television.
Iran calls new Security Council resolution a “mistake”
TEHRAN, January 23 (RIA Novosti) - Iran's president has said the new nuclear program resolution agreed on Tuesday by the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany is a mistake, national TV said on Wednesday.
"Our position is crystal clear. As we have stated before, from our point of view, Iran's nuclear problem is over, but they have made the same mistake again...an ineffective resolution," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying.
Britain welcomes accord on new UN resolution on Iran
By DPA
London : Britain Wednesday welcomed the agreement reached on a new UN Security Council resolution on Iran's nuclear enrichment programme and urged Tehran to respond positively to international pressure to suspend its nuclear activities.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who took part in the latest round of discussions among the UN's five veto powers and Germany in Berlin Tuesday, said the meeting was "united, constructive and determined."
Mubarak says he allows Gazans into Egypt to buy basic needs
By Xinhua
Cairo : Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Wednesday said he ordered the Egyptian security forces at the Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egyptian border to allow Palestinians to cross the terminal to buy their basic needs, the Egyptian Nile TV reported.
Spokesman: U.S. has not changed policy toward Iran
By Xinhua
Washington : The United States has not changed its policy toward Iran although its envoy was found sitting together with the Iranian foreign minister at an international panel, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Wednesday.
Referring to reports that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad sat beside Iranian Foreign Minister at a panel of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Saturday, McCormack said that Khalilzad's behavior was not authorized.
Tajik officers seize 500 kg of drugs on Afghan border
By RIA Novosti
Dushanbe : Tajik special forces seized over 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of opium-related drugs on the Afghan border and arrested eight suspects, a source in the country's Security Committee said on Thursday.
An estimated 73 kg of heroin was seized in the special operation. The source said the suspects are believed to be part of a major international drug-smuggling ring.
Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia, is a major transit country for drugs from the world's largest heroin producer, Afghanistan.
Bombs Kill 51, Hurt 92 in Baghdad
By Prensa Latina
Baghdad : The Iraqi capital was shaken on Friday with two bomb attacks that killed 51 and wounded 92 persons, most of them seriously, said police.
According to preliminary reports, the first morning blast occurred at Al-Ghazl pet market in central Baghdad, taking the lives of 43 persons and wounding 78 others.
An official from the Ministry of Defense confirmed that the bomb was hidden in a box of birds, but the media holds that it was a suicide bomber.
GCC support economic, political reforms in Yemen – Al-Attiya
By NNN-KUNA
Sanaa : GCC member states are determined to support efforts by the Yemeni government to implement a road map to join the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and follow reform guidelines called for by the conference of donor states, GCC Secretary-General Abdel-Rahman Al-Attiya said Friday.
Speaking to reporters on his arrival to Sanaa, he said the reforms called for are part of a batch of national measures included in the 2006-2010 five-year development plan.
Gaza militants fire makeshift rockets into Israel
By Xinhua
Gaza : Gaza-based Palestinian militants shelled southern Israel communities with makeshift missiles on Monday following a brief calmness, militant groups said.
The Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement said in a press release that its militants fired two home-made rockets into southern Israeli town Sderot. "The operation was in response to the ongoing Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip and West Bank," said the statement.
In the West Bank city of Jenin, Israeli forces killed two Jihad gunmen and wounded a third earlier in the morning.
Top German MP backs Afghan deployment
By IRNA
Berlin : A senior German legislator of the co-ruling Social Democratic Party broke ranks with the country's leadership by supporting US and NATO calls for the deployment of German combat troops throughout Afghanistan, the daily Bild newspaper reported Monday.
IAEA chief warns against military action to solve Iranian nuclear issue
By Xinhua
Cairo : Visiting UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei on Monday warned against a military action to solve the Iranian nuclear issue, the Egyptian official MENA news agency reported.
In an interview with Egyptian TV, ElBaradei, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said a military strike to settle the Iranian nuclear issue would complicate the situation and send the Middle East region into a vicious cycle of violence.
Pakistan on important journey to complete democracy: minister
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Senator Nisar A. Memon said the nation was on important journey to complete democracy and all stakeholders must play their active role in the upcoming general elections and making it a successful.
Taking to PTV Thursday, the Minister expressed satisfaction over the electioneering that was getting momentum day by day across the country.
Five American soldiers killed in Iraq
By Xinhua
Baghdad : Five U.S. soldiers were killed Friday in two separate bombings in Iraq, the U.S. military said on Saturday.
Four soldiers were killed when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while they were on a combat patrol in northwest of Baghdad, themilitary said.
Another soldier was killed and three others were wounded in an explosion near their vehicle as they carried out operations in Tamim province, the military said in another statement.
The wounded soldiers were sent to a coalition medical facility for treatment.
Israeli airstrike targeting rocket crew in Gaza wounds 2 militants
By Xinhua
Gaza : Two Palestinian militants were wounded early Saturday as an Israeli airstrike hit the group of militants who were preparing for firing home-made rockets into southern Israel from northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources said.
"The two men were taken to Beit Hanoun hospital and then transferred to another hospital in Jabaliya refugee camp," said Mu' awia Hassanein, director of ambulance and emergency department at the health ministry.
The two sustained moderate injuries, he added.
Canterbury Archbishop defends remarks on Islamic Shariah
London – (IINA) February 09 – The Archbishop of Canterbury has defended his comments on Islamic Sharia law, following widespread criticism. A statement on his website said that he "certainly did not call for its introduction as some kind of parallel jurisdiction to the civil law". However, at least two General Synod members have called for Dr Rowan Williams to resign following the row. Colonel Edward Armitstead told the Daily Telegraph: "I don't think he is the man for the job." Speaking to BBC radio on Thursday, Dr.
Hamas warns Israel of heavy price if leaders harmed
By Xinhua
Gaza : Islamic Hamas movement on Monday warned that Israel will pay heavy price if the Jewish state harms Hamas leaders in response to Qassam rocket attacks targeting southern Israel from the Hamas-ruled Gaza.
"The Israeli threats against senior leaders like Prime Minister Ismail Haneya are dangerous escalation that we strongly warn against," said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.
Israel will pay the price for any "stupid act it may commit," said Abu Zuhri, adding that if the crimes were carried out, Hamas' response "would be unprecedented."
Palestinian negotiator refuses statehood without Gaza, Jerusalem
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Monday the Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas won't accept a future statehood without the Hamas-run Gaza Strip or Jerusalem as its capital.
"The Palestinian statehood will not be created without the West Bank, Jerusalem as the capital, and the Gaza Strip," said Erekat.
British journalist feared missing in Iraq
By NNN-KUNA
London : The UK Foreign Office said Tuesday it was "urgently" looking into reports that a western journalist - said to be British - has been kidnapped in Iraq.
Reports from Iraq said a British employee of US network CBS and his interpreter had been seized by gunmen last Sunday. The pair were reportedly kidnapped near their hotel in Basra.
The British Foreign Office said it was investigating the report.
A spokeswoman said, "We are aware of reports of a western national missing in Basra and we are urgently looking into it."
Iraq-Iran-US round of talks not set yet – Iranian official
By NNN-KUNA
Tehran : Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said on Tuesday that the next round of talks with the United States regarding Iraq is not determined yet.
Hosseini said such talks will be held in Baghdad, but the date is not yet set.
The Iranian official also denied US claims concerning the discovery of Iranian weapons used against the US in Iraq, adding that such claims are made without proof.
Syria pledges efforts to find murderer of Hezbollah leader
By Xinhua
Damascus : Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said Thursday that Syria would find the murderer of Hezbollah commander Imad Moughniyah as soon as possible.
Muallem made the remarks after meeting with his visiting Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki, who came to Damascus following a trip to Lebanon where he attended the late commander's funeral.
Moughniyah was killed in a car bombing in a residential neighborhood in Damascus late Tuesday.
Palestinian brigades attack Israel”s Soufa Crossing
By KUNA
Gaza : The National Resistance Brigades, the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Israel's Soufa Crossing Saturday morning.
In a statement, the brigades said one of its units launched an "advanced" locally-made missile at the crossing, located close to Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
The first flight of PIA leaves for Kuwait
By SPA
Islamabad : The first flight of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) left the newly built Sialkot international airport (SIA) for Kuwait, officials said.
It had 102 passengers on-board. The PIA would operate a weekly flight on Sialkot-Kuwait route.
The airline is considering expanding its network to other international destinations in near future, with a focus on initiating Haj and Umrah flights from Sialkot.
The cargo flights would also be started in the near future from this airport.
Emirates Tests New Baggage Handling Technology At Three Airports
DUBAI, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- Emirates Airline is partnering with London Heathrow, Dubai International and Hong Kong International airports to try the latest radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology in baggage handling.
In a statement today, Dubai-based Emirates said it would invest close to two million dirham to test RFID's effectiveness and benefits against the existing barcode tracking system.
Pakistan counts down to elections amid security concerns
By Xinhua
Islamabad : Political parties and their supporters in Pakistan took a cooling day on Sunday as the country counted down to elections on Monday that will produce a new set of national and provincial assemblies for the country.
The campaigning activities for all political parties ended at midnight on Saturday, leaving the streets of Islamabad relatively quieter on Sunday.
Israeli president warns against wane of peace chance
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli President Shimon Peres on Sunday warned that "the window of opportunity for peace is shrinking."
During a meeting with visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner at his office in Jerusalem, Peres said that "people are losing faith in peace," according to a statement issued by the president's office.
Lamenting that the policy in the Middle East is mostly one of paying lip service rather than that of implementation, Peres said that only substantial changes on the ground may usher in real peace.
British soldier killed in Afghanistan blast
By KUNA
London : A British soldier has been killed and a second injured in an attack in Afghanistan, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Monday.
The soldiers were on foot patrol in southern Afghanistan when they were caught in an explosion yesterday.
An MoD spokesman said "Yesterday evening the soldiers were taking part in a foot patrol near Kajaki, Helmand Province, when they were caught in an explosion".
Foreign observers, ambassadors, analysts express satisfaction over election process
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : Foreign observers, ambassadors and analysts who visited various polling stations across the country have expressed satisfaction over the polling process.
US Senator John Kerry has said that voters and supporters of different candidates have expressed their confidence in the voting process at the polling stations he had visited, Radio Pakistan reported.
In an interview after visiting a polling station, John Kerry said he was impressed by the polling structure devised by the Election Commission.
Hamas delegation heads for talks in Cairo over border issues
By Xinhua
Gaza : A delegation from Hamas movement headed for Cairo for talks with the Egyptian officials on reopening a crossing point between the Hamas-ruled Gaza and Egypt, a Hamas website reported on Tuesday.
Reopening Rafah crossing, which was closed last June when Hamas took over Gaza by force, was the main purpose of the visit, according to Palmedia.net news website.
Turkey may launch major attack on Iraq Kurds in March
By RIA Novosti
Ankara : Turkey may carry out a military operation against Kurdish insurgents based in northern Iraq in the second half of March, a national daily reported on Thursday.
"The operation may only start when the snow begins to melt, which will be some time in late March," Sabah said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, indicated on Wednesday that weather conditions would be a key factor in a possible operation.
Two Palestinians killed, one wounded in Israeli raid on Maghazi Camp
By KUNA
Gaza : Two Palestinian activists were killed and a third was wounded in an Israeli air raid early Friday on Maghazi Camp, central Gaza Strip.
Palestinian witnesses and medical sources said Israeli helicopters launched a missile at a number of Palestinian activists grouping near the border between eastern Maghazi Camp and Israel, killing two and wounding a third.
Ambulances rushed to the area and medics transported the three victims to a hospital in Der Al-Balah, central Gaza.
Kuwaiti FM lauds relations with Tunisia
By NNN-KUNA
Tunis : Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah has lauded relations with Tunisia during his meeting here with President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali.
Speaking to the Tunisian media on Tuesday, Sheikh Mohammad said that the meeting was a chance to view means to bolsteral bilateral relations on different domains.
Thirty one killed in launch capsize incident in Buriganga
By NNN-BSS
Dhaka, Bangladesh : At least 31 people, mostly women and children, drowned this afternoon, when a launch carrying more than 200 passengers capsized in the Buriganga River, rescuers and witnesses said.
They said the Munshiganj suburb-bound vessel, Saurav-1, from Sadarghat in Dhaka, sank near the Buriganga Bridge at Postagala, Being hit by a sand-laden cargo vessel from behind.
Fire service officials said 16 of the victims were women, eight children and seven men.
The death toll could rise, they said, as the rescue operation were continuing.
Bangladesh to discuss lifting of emergency during polls
By NNN-BSS
Dhaka, Bangladesh : Law Adviser of Bangladesh caretaker government AF Hassan Ariff Tuesday said withdrawal of the state of emergency during the period of holding the general election is being discussed, but it is not possible now to give the exact date for its lifting.
"There is no scope for disagreement or controversy about withdrawal of the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) during the polls," the adviser said at the weekly briefing in the conference room of the Land Ministry.
Roadside bomb kills senior police officer in northwest Pakistan
By SPA
Peshawar, Pakistan : A roadside bomb killed a senior police officer and his driver Friday as they drove through a militancy-plagued region of northwestern Pakistan, AP quoted police as saying.
The bomb killed Javed Iqbal, the deputy police chief of the Lakki Marwat district of North West Frontier Province, and his driver as they were driving through the district, said Khaled Khan, a police official. It was unclear who was behind the attack.
Arab League Chief arrives in Damascus to prepare for Arab Summit
By NNN-KUNA
Damascus : Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa arrived here Friday night for talks with Syrian leaders to prepare for the Arab summit, due in Damascus late next month, and the Lebanese political conflict.
Moussa told reporters after arrival that he would discuss with president Bashar Al-Assad on Saturday the Lebanese conflict and preparation for the 20th Arab summit.
He said all Arab conflicts were linked to the summit. Moussa added that his talks with the Syrian officials would deal with these conflicts foremost the Lebanese one.
21 Palestinians, including at least 8 civilians, killed in escalating violence
By SPA
Gaza City : Twenty-one Palestinians, including at least eight civilians, were killed late Friday and early Saturday in escalating Israeli-Palestinian fighting that renewed threats of an Israeli invasion of Gaza and clouded peace efforts. A baby and two teenagers were among the dead, and dozens of people were wounded, AP reported.
In all, 54 people have died since Israeli aggression spiked Wednesday. At least 23 were civilians, the youngest a 6-month-old boy.
Moussa, Syrian president discuss Lebanese crisis, Arab summit preparations
By KUNA
Damascus : Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa and Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad discussed Saturday the Lebanese crisis, preparations for the 20th Arab Summit and proposals for its draft agenda.
The official statement by the presidential court gave no further details on the meeting, except that it was attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Muallem.
Israeli ground troops pull out of northern Gaza
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israel Defense Forces (IDF) pulled out the ground troops from the northern Gaza Strip early Monday morning, completing the first stage of the activity dubbed Operation Hot Winter.
An IDF spokeswoman told Xinhua that counter-terror operations were expected to continue.
Jerusalem : Israel Defense Forces (IDF) pulled out the ground troops from the northern Gaza Strip early Monday morning, completing the first stage of the activity dubbed Operation Hot Winter.
An IDF spokeswoman told Xinhua that counter-terror operations were expected to continue.
Two anti-Qaida fighters killed in N Iraq
By Xinhua
Tikrit, Iraq : Two members affiliated to local anti-Qaida Awakening Council armed groups were killed and three others injured in shootings in Salahudin province on Tuesday, a provincial police source said.
The two anti-Qaida fighters were killed Tuesday when unknown gunmen showered their car with bullets while they were driving in the al-Dour town, 15 km east of Tikrit, the capital of the province, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
IHC stays notification on PB-35 Khuzdar-III
By APP
Islamabad : A Division Bench of Islamabad High Court here Thursday restrained Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) not to issue official notification of returning candidate on PB-35 Khuzdar-III, till the disposal of case. The Division Bench comprising Justice Mohammad Munir Paracha and Justice Syed Qalbe Hassan heard the writ petition filed by Mian Atta-ur-Rehman Mengal, a PML-Q candidate, through Wasim Sajjad, senior advocate of Supreme Court.
Israel keeps siege on West Bank, arrest attackers of settlement
By NNN-KUNA
Gaza : Israeli Army forces continued on Saturday imposing siege on the West Bank to prohibit Palestinians from entering Jerusalem.
All Israeli security forces and Army units are still on high state of alert in case Palestinians carry out attacks on Israel, local radio reported.
State of alert was announced after Thursday's attack which caused the death of eight Jewish settlers and injured many others.
The radio reported the army is keeping its blockade until Sunday, at least.
Three explosions in Pakistani city, over 20 dead, scores wounded
By KUNA
Islamabad : More than 20 people were killed and scores wounded in three explosions that rocked an east Pakistani city Tuesday morning, a week after two suicide blasts in the city killed over 11 and wounded dozens others, said police and eyewitnesses.
The first explosion took place inside the six-storey Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) building on the busiest Temple Road in Lahore, and the second occurred near a school and Bilawal House of slain Benazir Bhutto in Model Town area, police sources told KUNA.
Israel resumes airstrikes in Gaza
By RIA Novosti
Tel Aviv : Israel resumed airstrikes Thursday against Palestinian militants in Gaza ending a week-long ceasefire in response to new rocket attacks aimed at Israeli border towns, an army spokesperson told RIA Novosti.
According to the Israeli military, Palestinian militants from the radical Islamic Jihad group fired 12 rockets and two mortar shells at southern Israel overnight. No casualties have been reported, but one of the rockets hit a house in the town of Sderot.
"We have carried out an airstrike against a rocket launcher," the spokesperson said.
Japan voices concern over Israeli settlement expansion
By KUNA
Tokyo : Japan voiced concern Thursday over Israel's plans to resume construction of some 750 housing units at the settlement in the vicinity of Jerusalem, urging the Israeli government to immediately reverse the decision.
"Such measure in the controversial settlements might further undermine the momentum for peace and might have negative impacts on the current peace process between the Israeli and the Palestinian sides," Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Kazuo Kodama said in a statement.
UK air strike kills Afghan civilians
By KUNA
London : Four Afghan civilians have been killed in an airstrike by British forces, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.
The attack happened when troops called for help during a Taleban ambush in Helmand Province, south Afghanistan, the MoD confirmed last night.
"We deeply regret that this incident happened and do everything we can to mitigate this from happening," the MoD said.
The four bodies, two women and two children, and one injured person were found when troops inspected the area.
11 suspected militants detained from Afghanistan’s Khost
By NNN-Xinhua
Kabul : Eleven suspected militants have been detained from eastern Afghan province of Khost during a Afghan and Coalition forces joint operation, according to a Coalition statement issued here early Friday morning.
Afghan National Security Force and the U.S.-led Coalition forces on March 12 searched compounds in Tanai district "targeting militants linked to foreign fighter, improvised explosive device and weapons facilitation operations," and detained 11 individuals, it said.
The statement said the detained individuals will be questioned.
Malaysia’s Abdullah Urges OIC To Launch Defence Against Extremism, Islamophobia
By Abdul Muin Abdul Majid, Bernama
Dakar : Malaysia urged the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to mount a defence against extremism and Islamophobia and strive to grow through self-reliance as it handed over the chairmanship of the grouping to Senegal Thursday after four-and-a-half years at the helm.
Bad weather to hit UAE on Saturday and Sunday
By WAM
Abu Dhabi : The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology of the Meteorological Department is strongly advising drivers to be cautious while driving on the highways on Saturday and Sunday.
It said visibility will be very poor as a result of bad weather caused by sandstorm, particularly in the western region.
The department also advised people who have allergy and asthma to remain indoor during this period.
UAE’s Royal Jet named world’s leading private jet charter
By IANS
London : The United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based flight services company Royal Jet has been named the world's leading private jet charter by the World Travel Awards (WTA), WAM news agency reported Saturday.
The award was presented to Royal Jet's President and CEO Shane O'Hare by the WTA's Executive Director Manon Han at a function here.
Customs duty on cement, steel waived off in UAE
By IANS
Dubai : Even as India grapples with high cement and steel prices, customs duties on these two commodities have been waived off all over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through a ministerial resolution.
The move by Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is in line with the country leadership's efforts to maintain price stability in the real estate market amid the construction boom that this Gulf nation is witnessing.
Dhaka government to talk to parties on poll code
Dhaka, March 25 (IANS) Bangladesh's army-backed caretaker government wants to initiate talks with political parties to evolve a code of conduct for the elections it has promised for this yearend.
But it also wants the politicians' support to sustain political and electoral reforms and the anti-graft drive that politicians say is aimed against them.
Lebanon’s presidential vote postponed for 17th time
By NNN-KUNA
Beirut : Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri has postponed a parliamentary session dedicated for the election of a new president of the republic scheduled Tuesday to April 25 amid continued deadlock between rival political leaders.
The Speaker's Office announced the postponement of the 17th session Monday after the Lebanese political leaders failed once again to reach a political solution that would facilitate the process of electing a president.
French Defense Minister says NATO in control in Afghanistan
By SPA
Paris : The French Defense Minister says NATO forces have «overall control» of the military situation in Afghanistan.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Herve Morin said France is looking at ways of boosting its troop levels there. But he said no decision has been made, and an announcement won't come until next week's NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania.
Mubarak set for talks at Kremlin on nuclear and arms trade
By DPA
Moscow : Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak is expected strike a deal with Moscow during his visit on nuclear cooperation, the terms of which will depend on Russia's ambition to sell arms to Cairo, Russian newspapers said Tuesday.
In opening a two-day visit at the Kremlin, Mubarak expressed hope that "relations which have lasted over 50 years will further develop successfully."
The Egyptian leader, who trained as a pilot in the former Soviet Union, remembered: "I have been in this country many times, I know it well."
Lebanon to boycott Damascus summit
By DPA
Beirut : The Lebanese cabinet decided late Tuesday not to attend the March 29-30 Arab summit being hosted by Syria, a ministerial source said.
"We have decided not to attend the Syrian summit," the source said, without elaborating.
Lebanon's parliament Monday postponed for the 17th time a session to elect a new president, because the ruling coalition and opposition were unable to agree on the makeup of the next government.
The session was put back to April 22 to allow further negotiations.
Imam’s killing is test for justice in Thailand: rights group
By DPA
Bangkok : The slaying and alleged torture of an imam by authorities in southern Thailand poses a "key test" for the country's justice system, deemed one of the causes of the cycle of violence in the area, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.
The New York-based human rights group said the death this month of Yapa Koseng has highlighted the broader problem of ill treatment of Muslims in Thai Army custody during operations against militants.
U.N. Chief: Annapolis Target for Two-State Solution Achievable
By SPA
United Nations : United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Tuesday said the “ambitious goal” of an independent Palestinian state living side by side with Israel by the end of 2008 is achievable.
Israeli DM considers approving US plan to transfer weapons to W. Bank
By KUNA
Gaza : Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak is considering approving a US plan to allow the transfer of weapons, protective gear, and night-vision goggles for Palestinian security forces in the West Bank, The Jerusalem Post reported on Wednesday.
Pakistan considers UN role in probing Bhutto’s killing
By Xinhua
United Nations : Pakistan's new prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that the country may ask the United Nations to investigate Benazir Bhutto's assassination, a UN spokesperson said Wednesday.
Michele Montas told reporters that UN chief Ban Ki-moon had called the prime minister Wednesday morning to congratulate him.
At that point, the prime minister informed the secretary-general that the Pakistani Parliament intended to take up the issue of a potential UN investigation into Benazir Bhutto's assassination.
Iraqi parliament speaker calls for extraordinary session to end clashes
By Xinhua
Baghdad : Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoudal-Mashhadani on Friday called for an extraordinary session to discuss the ongoing clashes between the government troops and Shiite militiamen.
Chinese delegation call on PPP leaders
By APP
Islamabad : China and Pakistan agreed on mutual consensus over exchange of trade, youth and cultural delegations to strengthen the brotherly relationship between the two countries and formulation of strategy particularly to counter terrorism.
It was proposed in the meeting held between the Chinese delegate headed by Liu Hung Cai of Communist Party of China and leaders of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) comprising Jhangir Badar, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Senator Raza Rabani, Nafeesa Shah and Ibn- Muhammad Rizvi here in People’s Secretariat.
UN Chiefs “offensively anti-Islamic” video, appeals for calm
By APP
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Friday strongly condemned the Internet broadcast of a video made by the Dutch politician Geert Wilders, describing it as “offensively anti-Islamic,” while calling on those upset by the film to remain calm.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson after Thursday night’s airing of the film, Ban said “there is no justification for hate speech or incitement to violence. The right of free expression is not at stake here”.
Major corruption charges leveled against son of former Bangladesh PM Zia
By KUNA
New Delhi : In a major anti-graft move, Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has formally leveled charges against Tareque Rahman, detained son of former PM Khaleda Zia, for amassing illegal wealth and concealing information.
ACC submitted the charge sheet to the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at Dhaka last night, Bangladesh's leading English daily 'The Daily Star' reported Tuesday.
Man divorces two wives in three minutes – over SMS
By IANS
Kuala Lumpur : A Malaysian businessman divorced both his wives in three minutes, pronouncing 'talaq' by using the short messaging service (SMS) in front of a lower court judge.
Roslan Ngah, 44, informed the media in advance about his intention but the latter took it as an April Fool's joke, till it actually happened, The Star newspaper said Wednesday.
He admitted that the two wives, having become "close friends", had actually sought the divorce together and he felt sad about it.
U.S. airstrike kills family members in southern Iraq
By Xinhua
Basra, Iraq : A U.S. air strike hit a house in Iraq's second largest city of Basra, killing three people and wounding six others, all were from one family, witnesses said on Thursday.
"A U.S. aircraft pounded a house in the al-Qiblah neighborhood in western the city of Basra last night," residents of the neighborhood told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The attack killed three civilians, including a woman, and wounded six others, all from one family, they said.
Israel removes 50 West Bank barriers easing Palestinian travel
By RIA Novosti
Tel Aviv : Israel has notified the U.S. and the Palestinian National Authority that it has removed 50 roadblocks to ease the movement for Palestinians in the West Bank, the Haaretz newspaper reported Thursday.
The removal of the barriers was part of a package of measures agreed Sunday at a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak, and Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad.
Turkish PM plays down European court verdict on PKK
By KUNA
Ankara : Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan played down Friday the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Communities to cancel the Turkish-outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) from the blacklist of terrorist organizations.
The position of the European countries against the PKK did not change despite the court verdict, Erdogan told reporters here following an official visit to Sweden.
Leaders of the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, and the European Parliament, assured that the PKK would remain blacklisted, he disclosed.
Two NATO soldiers among 22 killed in Afghan violence
By KUNA
Kabul : Two soldiers of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were among the 22 people killed in fresh violence in different parts of Afghanistan, officials here said on Monday.
A NATO spokesman said two British troopers were killed as their patrol hit a landmine blast in the southern Helmand province, where they are stationed as part of the peacekeeping operations of the multi-national force.
Pakistan hints to lift restrictions on detained nuclear scientist
By IRNA
Islamabad : Pakistan's Foreign Minister hinted on Monday to lift restrictions on the country's nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, who has been under detention since January 2004.
Khan was put under house arrest after he was produced on the state-run television to say that he exported nuclear technology outside Pakistan.
But Khan said in recent interviews that he had taken responsibility of nuclear transfer only to save the country.
Pentagon files charges again an Afghan detainee in Guantanamo
By KUNA
Washington : The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) declared on Monday charges against a Guantanamo detainee from Afghanistan.
"Mohammed Kamin provided material support to terrorism by joining the terrorist organization al Qaeda and receiving training at al Qaeda training camps on making remote detonators for improvised explosive devices (IEDs)", said the Pentagon in a statement.
Iraq violence casts pall on key US Congress report
By AFP
Washington : US lawmakers Tuesday grilled the top US general in Iraq amid fierce fighting on the ground as Shiite radical leader Moqtada al-Sadr threatened to end a truce which had helped staunch the bloodshed.
Sadr's threat hung over the key hearing in the US Congress, as General David Petraeus urged troop withdrawals to be frozen for at least 45 days after July to allow military commanders to review security.
Senior Qaeda operative arrested in Iraq’s Anbar province
By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : The Iraqi Ministry of Interior has announced that Iraqi forces have detained the assistant of Abu Ayub Al-Masri, senior Al-Qaeda leader, in Al-Anbar.
The ministry said Thursday that the Iraqi forces managed to arrest Nazal Sabar Al-Jughaify, aka Abi Al-Jarrah, who is an assistant of Abu Ayub Al-Masri, and another Al-Qaeda senior leader in western Iraq on Tuesday.
The statement said the arrest took place in Al-Ramadi, Al-Anbar's largest city.
The arrestee was spotted and captured after two years of trying to track him down.
Police: 10,000 workers protest in Bangladesh
By SPA
Dhaka, Bangladesh : An official says about 10,000 textile workers have clashed with police near Bangladesh's Capital during protests demanding better wages to meet higher food prices, the Associated Press reported.
Dozens of people including at least 20 police officials have been injured in violence Saturday, police station Official Angur Akhter said by telephone.
The protesters are demanding better wages so that they can face higher food prices, she said.
Briton MP stabbed ‘in revenge for Iraq war’, court told
By IRNA,
London : A woman stabbed Labour MP and former minister Stephen Timms twice at his east London constituency in revenge for his vote for the Iraq war, it was claimed in court Monday.
Zardari stays execution of Christian woman
By Awais Saleem,IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Friday stayed the execution of a Christian woman who was sentenced to death on charges of blasphemy.
Italian jailed in Dubai for molesting air passenger
By IANS,
Dubai : An Italian man was Tuesday sentenced to four months in jail by a Dubai court for molesting a woman traveller on a flight from Jakarta to Dubai.
Algeria, Cuba call for immediate ceasefire in Libya
By IANS,
Algiers : Algeria and Cuba have called on all concerned parties in Libya to end clashes and begin peace talks at the earliest, Xinhua reported.
NATO Libya mission to continue as long as necessary: Rasmussen
By IRNA,
Berlin : NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen vowed Thursday to keep up military pressure on the regime of Libyan dictator Moammar Qadhafi 'as long as necessary.'
800 bodies found in Iraq mass grave
By IANS,
Baghdad : A mass grave containing the remains of over 800 people, including women and children, has been found in western Iraq.
Stand by Pakistan’s security forces: Malik tells countrymen
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has urged the people not to criticise the military, and to stand by the country's security forces.
Pilot dies as Pakistani Air Force trainer crashes
By IANS,
Islamabad : A Pakistani Air Force (PAF) pilot was killed when his trainer jet crashed in Balochistan Wednesday, the authorities said.
Pakistani apex court suspends Rehman Malik from Senate
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday suspended the Senate membership of Interior Minister Rehman Malik for holding dual nationality, a media report said.
Dhaka, Malaysia to sign money laundering pact
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh is to seal a pact with Malaysia on sharing information over money laundering, a newspaper report here said.
The Bangladesh Bank and Bank Negara Malaysia, the central banks of the two countries, will sign the agreement Monday, the the New Age newspaper reported.
Bangladesh also wants similar agreements with several countries including India.
The central bank is also trying to join the Egmont Group, an organisation of financial intelligence units, to share information on and combat money laundering and terror financing.
Bomb in northern Lebanese city kills 18
By SPA,
Tripoli, Lebanon : Lebanese security officials say the toll from the morning rush hour bombing of a bus carrying civilians and members of the military in the northern city of Tripoli has now risen to 18 killed and 40 wounded.
The Associated Press quoted officials as saying that the dead included 10 off-duty soldiers.
The blast occurred Wednesday morning when a roadside bomb went off on a busy main street of Tripoli as a public bus drove by.
Syria-Lebanese summit talks very fruitful, successful – FMs
By NNN-SANA,
Damascus : Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem has said that talks between President Bashar al-Assad and President Michel Suleiman of Lebanon have laid the ground for excellent relations between the two countries.
Speaking to reporters in a joint news conference with his Lebanese counterpart Fawzi Salloukh, Moallem said that "the Lebanese brothers will be informed of any developments on the Syrian-Israeli indirect talks."
He said that "demarcating Sheba'a farms cannot be made under the Israeli occupation ... this occupation should be ended."
Pakistan: coalition partners, people to decide Musharraf’s fate, says Zardari
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : Co-Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Asif Ali Zardari Friday said that it is up to the leadership of coalition partners and the people of Pakistan to decide the fate of President Musharraf after he is impeached. In an exclusive interview with a private television channel the PPP Co-Chairman said that he has however advised the President to resign and get out of system more than two months ago.
He said the PPP being a democratic party has always taken mature decisions and it was under this thinking that the President was advised to resign.
Over 3 dozen militants killed in S Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
Kabul : The U.S.-led Coalition forces and Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have eliminated more than three dozens of militants over two days of fierce fighting in southern Afghanistan, said a Coalition statement released here on Friday.
Several groups of militants engaged ANSF and Coalition forces reconnaissance patrol with machine guns, RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenade) and small arms, the statement said.
Suicide bombing in Pakistani hospital kills 23
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least 23 people, including two policemen, were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a hospital in Pakistan's restive North West Frontier Province (NWFP), officials said.
Pro-Taliban militants accepted responsibility for the attack in the town of Dera Ismail Khan, some 300 km south of the provincial capital Peshawar.
The blast occurred outside the emergency ward of the hospital where a crowd of mostly Shia Muslims had gathered to protest the assassination of their leader, Asif Shah, by unknown gunmen riding a motorbike earlier in the day.
Taliban claims responsibility for twin blasts in E Pakistan, warns of more attacks
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)spokesman Maulvi Umar Thursday claimed responsibility for two blasts in eastern Pakistan, private TV channel Ary One World reported.
Maulvi Umar also asked the security forces to stop their operations in the northwestern part and tribal areas, said the report.
He warned that more attacks would be conducted in other places if the operations were not terminated.
Up to 45 people were killed and 60 others injured in two suicide blasts in Wah Cantt in Punjab province on Thursday, the state-run PTV reported.
Militants can’t challenge writ of the govt: Gilani
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday stressed the need to know the root causes of terrorism and said the parliament should form a strategy to deal with the issue.
Speaking in the National Assembly during debate on law and order situation, the Prime Minister said the house is sovereign and can debate for as many days as it wants and then comes up with a strategy to deal with the issue.
Syrian official denies plans to host Russian missiles
By DPA,
Damascus : A Syrian official Friday denied media reports that the country has agreed to host Russian missiles in an effort to counter the planned deployment of a US missile shield in Eastern Europe.
"What was reported by some media with regard to Syria's agreement on deploying Iskander missiles in its territories are baseless," he told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
The official, who was not named in the report, said no such issue was discussed at all during talks this week between Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Iran to develop independent missile headquarters: commander
By Xinhua,
Tehran : Iran is planning to establish an independent headquarters of missiles, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported Wednesday, quoting a top military commander.
The agency quoted Brigadier General Mohammad-Ali Jafari, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), as saying that forming of an independent commandership of missiles aimed at strengthening the structure of the missile section.
"We should not allow the basic spirit of success and victory to be diminished in Revolution Guards", Jafari said.
General petraeus submits preliminary Iraq report
By SPA,
Washington : General David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has submitted to Defense Secretary Robert Gates his initial recommendation on when to resume a U.S. troop withdrawal and at what pace, a senior military officer said Friday.
The officer, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said Petraeus was still analyzing the situation and had not yet submitted a final set of recommendations, which he is expected to do within the next week or so. The officer did not provide any specifics of Petraeus’ initial recommendations.
NATO artillery kills three children in Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
Kabul : At least three children were killed and seven wounded Monday when artillery fire by NATO-led security forces accidentally hit a civilian compound in Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktika, officials said.
The incident occurred when the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) called for return fire after insurgents attacked one of its convoy in Gayan district of the province, the ISAF said in a statement.
The artillery shell “accidentally” landed close to a civilian compound, killing at least three children and wounding seven, it said.
Ahamadinejad’s presence at China Paralympics to affect Iranian champs’ results – Official
By IRNA,
Beijing : Head of National Paralympics Committee of Iran told IRNA here Monday President Mahmoud Ahamadinejad's presence at 2008 China 13th Paralympics Opening Ceremony would definitely positively affect performance of Iranian athletes.
Mahmoud Khosravi Vafa added, "The Iranian President's presence is proof for the extent of importance the Islamic Republic of Iran attaches to athletic sports.
Pakistan PM survives assassination attempt
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani Wednesday escaped an assassination attempt after unknown gunmen opened fire on his convoy just outside Islamabad, officials said.
"The prime minister has safely reached his office in Islamabad," Information Minister Sherry Rehman said.
Gilani's motorcade was returning from the airport in the neighbouring garrison town of Rawalpindi when a volley hit his armoured Mercedes limousine and some other escort vehicles, a security official said.
Six killed, 32 injured in suicide car bombing in northern Iraq
By Xinhua,
Mosul, Iraq : At least six people were killed and up to 32 others injured in a suicide car bomb attack at a popular marketplace in a town in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh on Saturday, a local police source said.
A suicide bomber drove his explosive-laden car into a market in the town of Tal Afar, 80 km west of the provincial capital of Mosul, and blew it up, killing six people and wounding 32 others, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
GCC Trade Undersecretaries hold preparatory meeting Monday
By KUNA,
Riyadh : Undersecretaries of Trade in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states meet here Monday to prepare for the 39th meeting of the GCC Trade Ministers slated in Jeddah next Thursday.
Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs in the GCC Secretariat Mohammed Al Mazroue said in a statement Sunday that the meeting will discuss the recommendations of the joint committee meeting of representatives of the Ministries of Trade and Industry tasked with discussing means of accelerating the performance and remove obstacles that obstruct the march of joint GCC action.
Six killed in suspected US strike in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : A suspected US missile strike on a militant compound Monday killed at least six people and wounded 15 others in Pakistan's restive North Waziristan tribal district near the Afghan border, security officials and locals said.
The attack targeted houses allegedly used by Afghan Taliban commander Jalaluddin Haqqani in Dandai Darpakhel village, located on the outskirts of the district's main town of Miranshah.
Zardari prepares to be sworn in as Pakistan’s president
By DPA,
Islamabad : Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), is set to take the oath of office Tuesday as president of Pakistan after his weekend election, officials said.
"Zardari will be sworn in at a ceremony to be held at the President House around 1 p.m. today," his party's spokesman Farhatullah Babar said Tuesday.
Abdul Hamid Dogar, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, is to administer the oath.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai and foreign diplomats based in Islamabad were expected to attend the ceremony.
DPRK to boost relations with Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Pyongyang : The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will strengthen friendly and cooperative relations with Pakistan, the official KCNA news agency quoted a top DPRK legislator as saying Tuesday.
Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a congratulatory message to Asif Ali Zardari, who was elected Pakistani president on Saturday.
The two countries maintained a traditional relationship and have cooperated in various fields.
Three civilians among 28 killed in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Al least 28 people, including three civilians, were killed as security forces pounded militants' hideouts in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region Wednesday, the Dawn News reported.
The security forces pounded militants' hideouts with jets in Bajaur tribal agency in North-West Frontier Province, killing 28 people, including three civilians, said the report.
Backed by gunship helicopters, the Pakistan Army and paramilitary Frontier Corps Tuesday launched a joint major and first-ever ground operation against militants in the tribal agency bordering Afghanistan.
Policeman killed, 14 people injured in bomb attacks in Baghdad
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : An Iraqi policeman was killed and14 people were wounded in three bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital on Wednesday, an Interior Ministry source said.
The policeman was killed when a roadside bomb struck his patrol in Baghdad eastern neighborhood of Zayouna, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The blast also left three policemen and two civilians injured, the source said.
Afghanistan: influx of Pakistani refugees could spark crisis – ministry official
By NNN-IRIN,
Kabul : Any increase in the flow of refugees from northwestern Pakistan into eastern parts of Afghanistan could lead to a humanitarian crisis unless international aid organisations deliver urgent assistance, a senior official at Afghanistan's Ministry of Refugees and Returnees Affairs (MoRRA) has said.
"We are deeply concerned about insecurity in the Tribal Areas [of Pakistan] and the influx of Pakistani refugees into Afghanistan," Abdul Qader Ahadi, deputy minister in the MoRRA, told IRIN in Kabul.
More than 250,000 Afghan refugees repatriated this year: UN
By Xinhua,
Kabul : More than a quarter million Afghan refugees, mostly from Pakistan, have returned to their country so far this year with the support of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), a statement of the body released here Tuesday said.
"Since January this year, UNHCR has assisted a total of 251,880 registered Afghans to repatriate from the neighbouring Pakistan and Iran," the statement said.
It noted that 248,951 refugees have returned from Pakistan and another 2,929, from Iran.
The UNHCR would provide a cash of $100 to each person returning to Afghanistan.
India, Palestine hold talks on bilateral issues
By IRNA,
New Delhi : Visiting President of Palestinian, Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday held talks Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi. West peace process and bilateral issues are understood to have been discussed at length during the talks.
Later an agreement on the construction and equipping of a school named after the first prime minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in Abu Dees in Palestine was signed.
Afghanistan security situation may worsen: US military chief
By DPA,
Washington : The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff in Afghanistan, Admiral Mike Mullen, has said the situation in the country will worsen, according to reports Friday.
In light of the poor economic situation and an intensifying Taliban insurgency, he told US media: "I would anticipate next year would be a tougher year."
"The overall development is not going in the right direction," he said, according to the New York Times.
Alleged coup plotters go on trial in Turkey
By DPA,
Ankara : The trial of 86 people accused of plotting to prepare the ground for a military coup got under way in Istanbul Monday.
The long-awaited trial of the so-called Ergenekon gang began some 17 months after police discovered hand grenades in an Istanbul house belonging to a former non-commissioned officer.
An investigation found that the grenades were from the same batch that was used in an attack on the Istanbul offices of Cumhuriyet newspaper in 2006.
Roadside bombing kills 3 U.S. soldiers in W Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
Kabul : A roadside bombing on Wednesday killed three soldiers with the U.S.-led Coalition forces and wounded another in western Afghanistan, said a Coalition statement received here on Thursday.
"The incident took place at about 8 p.m. local time (1530 GMT) when a Coalition vehicle struck an IED (improvised explosive device) killing three Coalition service members and wounding one in western Afghanistan," the statement said.
It added that Coalition personnel secured the scene, and the incident was under investigation.
Over 40 killed or missing in floods in Yemen
By NNN-KUNA,
Sanaa : Forty-one people were killed or missing in Yemeni governorate of Hadhramout as a result of floods caused by heavy rain fall which also damaged houses and infrastructure facilities in different parts of the country.
"Forty-one are the initial estimates of dead or missing people in Hadhramout, while there are five deaths in Al-Muhra governorate, and two killed by thunder in Muqbana area in Ta'ez governorate," state-run news agency (Saba) said.
Pakistan summons US envoy over airstrikes
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistan summoned US Ambassador Anne Patterson Wednesday to lodge a protest over recent missile strikes by US drones in the country's tribal region along the border with Afghanistan.
"It was underscored to the ambassador that the government of Pakistan strongly condemns the missile attacks which resulted in the loss of precious lives and property," a statement from the country's foreign ministry said.
"It was emphasised that such attacks were a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and should be stopped immediately," it added.
US polls: Gulf media veers towards change
By IANS,
Dubai : As the US goes to vote its 44th president, speculation among the Gulf media on the outcome of the US elections clearly veered to the ‘Change we need’ bandwagon.
In an editorial headlined ‘So which way America?’ in its Tuesday edition, The Khaleej Times of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) wrote: "The choice this time around is not merely between white and black or between a white, Anglo-Saxon and Protestant candidate and a young, biracial Harvard lawyer whose father was a Kenyan Muslim."
Brown confident UAE will help fight global financial crisis
By IANS,
Dubai : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has expressed confidence that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would contribute to mitigating the global financial crisis and reiterated his call for international cooperation in this regard.
In the course of a meeting with Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum here Tuesday, on the last day of his four-day visit to the Gulf, Brown said he was confident that the UAE leadership was keen to help set up a required balance in the world financial system.
Palestinian militants continue rocket attacks on Israel
By RIA Novosti,
Tel Aviv/Gaza : Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have fired at least three rockets at southern Israel on the third day of renewed hostilities that threaten a fragile five-month truce, the Israeli military said Friday.
The rockets exploded in deserted areas, without inflicting casualties or damage. Islamic Jihad, Gaza's second-largest militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
1.5 million sheep to be imported for Hajj
By SPA,
Riyadh/Jeddah : A Ministry of Commerce report expects one and a-half million sheep to be imported before the beginning of the Hajj season, with 500,000 alone for the Sacrificial Meat Project.
US to pressure Iran over missile tests
By NNN-KUNA,
Washington : The United States has said that it will discuss with its allies ways to put further pressure on Iran to stop carrying missile tests in the region.
"These ballistic missile tests by Iran are certainly in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and certainly are not in accordance with its international obligations," said State Department deputy spokesperson Robert Wood Wednesday.
The Iranian Defence Ministry announced Wednesday that it has successfully tested a new generation of more effective long-range surface-to-surface missile using solid fuel.
Poll: Most Britons want troops to come home from Afghanistan
By SPA,
London : More than two-thirds of Britons want their country's troops to withdraw from Afghanistan within a year, an ICM poll published by the BBC Thursday has found, according to dpa.
Of 1,013 people polled, 68 per cent said troops should come home within 12 months. The proportion of women advocating a withdrawal was 75 per cent, while 59 per cent of the men asked wanted the troops to return.
Britain currently has 8,000 troops in southern Afghanistan, and is likely to come under pressure to stock-up the contingent when the new US adminstration takes over in January.
‘Sticky bombs’ add new dimension to Iraqi dangers
By DPA,
Baghdad : A kind of adhesive bomb has added a new dimension of terror to everyday life in Iraq. Known by a variety of names - sticky bomb, magnetic bomb or glued bomb - the explosive is generally planted on a car's undercarriage and then detonated by a remote control.
As its use surges, it's more and more common to see Iraqis checking the undersides of their vehicles lest they become the latest victim of this threat.
Hardly a day passes in Iraq without an explosion of a sticky device targeting an official, bus or private vehicle.
Uncertainty over Bangladesh poll dates persists
By IANS,
Dhaka : Pressure tactics by the former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance have made holding of the delayed ninth general election in Bangladesh on schedule uncertain.
While Zia and her Islamist allies want a two-month deferment of the polls, the military-backed caretaker government Sunday indicated that it could relax the time-table of the Dec 18 poll by a few days, but not longer than that. It also wants a firm commitment from the BNP that they would participate without further preconditions.