Blast in Turkey’s dairy products factory killed two
By Xinhua,
Ankara : Two workers were killed and 5 others
were injured in a blast occurred in a dairy products factory in Cubuk town of Turkish capital city of Ankara on Thursday, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.
Iran president sacks interior minister
By RIA Novosti,
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Saturday sacked the country's Interior Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi, according to a news report.
State-run IRNA news agency reported that a caretaker interior minister has been appointed.
"The president has appointed Mahdi Hashemi as caretaker interior minister," the report said.
Hashemi will remain in his post until a candidate nominated by Ahmadinejad has been approved by the Iranian parliament.
Israeli prosecution upholds Talansky’s deposition in Olmert’s case
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israeli State Prosecutor's Office on Sunday voiced its support for a court decision to hear preliminary testimony from New York financier Morris Talansky in the ongoing criminal investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Olmert has no right to challenge the Jerusalem District Court's decision on Talansky's deposition scheduled on May 25, the prosecution told the Supreme Court in response to a petition from Olmert, who allegedly received illegal funds from Talansky before becoming the prime minister in 2006.
Syria says it is involved in peace talks with Israel
By KUNA,
Damascus : Syria announced on Wednesday that it was involved in peace talks with Israel under Turkish sponsorship.
The official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) quoted an official source of the Foreign Ministry as saying Syria and Israel had begun indirect peace talks under Turkish auspices.
Musharraf to resist moves to remove him
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has served notice that he would firmly resist moves to curb his powers or remove him from office, saying he has the support of "powerful" friends like the US.
"If the coalition government tries to clip the powers of the president or proposes his impeachment, Musharraf is all set to go all-out to counter the move," The News reported Thursday.
Bahrain Elected to Human Rights Council
By SPA,
United Nations : The United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly on Wednesday elected 15 out of 26 member states from five regions vying through a secret ballot for a seat on its Human Rights Council, an international body that address human rights issues.
Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste were both defeated in the Asian category by Bahrain, Japan, South Korea, and Pakistan.
Britain and France defeated Spain for a European seat.
Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine beat the Czech Republic in the Eastern Europe category.
U.S. soldier killed in bomb attack north of Baghdad
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : An American soldier was killed on Monday by a roadside bomb explosion in Salahudin province north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
The soldier died as a result of fatal wounds sustained from the blast in the province, the military said in a brief statement.
Two more soldiers were wounded by the blast and were evacuated to a military medical facility for treatment, the statement said.
The name of the deceased soldier is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, it added.
Negotiations must lead to ending Israel’s 1967 occupation – Erekat
By NNN-KUNA,
Gaza : Negotiations with Israel must lead to ending the 1967 occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem, said the Palestinian Liberation Organisation's chief negotiator Saeb Erekat.
In a statement to "Voice of Palestine" radio Tuesday, he refuted reports that Israel had presented, during its negotiations with the Palestinians, a withdrawal plan that would leave the Jewish state in control of 8.5 per cent of the West Bank.
Erekat: Abbas, Olmert to meet on Monday
By Xinhua,
Ramallah : Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekatsaid Saturday that President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will hold another round of talks on Monday.
"There are three major issues on the agenda of the meeting on Monday, namely agreeing on a truce in Gaza, discussing the ongoing peace talks and the commitment to the implementation of the roadmap peace plan," Erekat told "Voice of Palestine" radio in Ramallah.
He stressed that the basic issue to be discussed in the Abbas-Olmert meeting is "the Israeli-Palestinian calm."
Israeli army halts Gaza oil supply due to rocket attack
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday ceased oil transfers to the Gaza Strip after a Qassam rocket hit the Nahal Oz fuel terminal.
The spokesman of IDF told Xinhua that the rocket fired by Palestinian militants hit the Gaza side of the Nahal Oz crossing. One Palestinian worker was severely wounded.
No Palestinian militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack amid ongoing similar home-made rocket attacks targeting Israeli communities along the border with the Gaza Strip.
Hamas leader calls on Europe to change Palestine policy
By NNN-KUNA,
Brussels : Hamas leader Khaled Meshall has urged Europe to take a lead role in finding a solution to the Palestine question.
In an interview with the EuroNews TV channel broadcast late Wednesday night, Meshall said the Europeans "need to know that there isn't a solution by hiding behind the American's impossible conditions. The solution is to give Palestinians their rights and put an end to the Israeli occupation. At the moment, there is a historic chance".
Former Musharraf ally MQM ready for his impeachment
By IANS,
Islamabad : Indicating the new direction Pakistan's political scene is taking, a former ally of beleaguered President Pervez Musharraf says it will support the move to impeach him if all those who had previously tampered with the constitution are similarly punished.
Two Palestinian militants killed in West Bank
By RIA Novosti,
Gaza : Israeli troops have killed two Palestinian militants in the West Bank city of Nablus, as a landmark Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and the radical Islamic group Hamas enters its sixth day, Palestinians sources said on Tuesday.
Palestinian security sources said a senior Islamic Jihad movement commander and a gunman belonging to the group were killed early on Tuesday morning in an exchange of fire with Israeli forces.
An Israeli military spokesman only confirmed the death of the commander, who was allegedly preparing an attack on Israel.
Israel re-opens three border crossings
By IINA,
Jerusalem : At least three border crossings between Israel and Gaza were re-opened yesterday, after Palestinians halted cross-border attacks that threatened an Egypt-brokered peace deal, officials said. The Sufa commercials crossing, the Nahal OZ fuel transfer deport and the Erez border terminal for travelers began functioning at 8 am, with few restrictions still in force, Israel said.
Pakistani PM vows to meet people’s basic needs
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Saturday said that price hikes and other crises were inherited, however, his government would provide relief to the masses.
He was speaking at a seminar organized on the performance of the new Pakistani government during its first 100 days.
Gilani said that wheat, rice, sugar and other food commodities were not available in the market when he assumed the office. However, necessary measures have been taken to overcome the crisis since then, he said
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.
US considering recall of more troops from Iraq
By IANS
New York, July 13 (IANS) The US is considering the withdrawal of additional combat forces from Iraq beginning September, following pressing need for more troops in Afghanistan in the face of intensified insurgency by Taliban, the New York Times reported Sunday.
By the time President George W. Bush leaves office Jan 20, at least one and as many as three of the 15 combat brigades stationed in Iraq could be recalled or scheduled for recall, the daily said Sunday, citing US administration and military officials.
22 PKK rebels killed in operation in SE Turkey
By Xinhua,
Ankara : A total of 22 rebels of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were killed in the operations staged by the Turkish security forces in Sirnak province in southeastern Turkey in the past four days, a Turkish military statement said on Tuesday.
Pakistani govt ready to fight dengue threat: minister
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : The Federal Minister for Health Ms Sherry Rehman has taken a strong note of the reports of the presence of a confirmed case of dengue fever in Islamabad.
Expressing concern at the prospects of the outbreak of the disease in the Capital, the Federal Health Minister ordered immediate measures to combat the disease.
“The government is determined to prevent the spread of disease this year. Unlike the past, we will not let it become a serious threat to the public health this time.”
Iran’s Security Official talks with top Chinese, Russian negotiators
By SPA,
Geneva : Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili in separate meetings with the top Chinese and Russian nuclear negotiators on Sunday called for final settlement of Iran's nuclear dossier which was discussed with representatives of Group 6+1 in Geneva.
Group 6+1, which included high ranking representatives from Britain, Germany, France, China, Russia and the US and EU top negotiator Javier Solana, met with the Iranian envoy on Saturday and discussed various issues such as Iran's modality plan for continued talks.
Indo-Pak talks dominated by Kabul suicide attack & cross-border terrorism
By IRNA,
New Delhi : India on Monday raised the issue of involvement of some elements in Pakistan in the suicide bomb attack at its Embassy in Kabul.
The issue was raised at the meeting of the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries to launch the fifth round of composite dialogue in New Delhi.
Briefing media on the meeting, the Foreign Secretary, Shiv Shankar Menon said the talks were held at a difficult time in the relations between the two sides. He said that there have been incidents over Line of Control and incidents of cross border terrorism.
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.
Several militants killed in Afghanistan — coalition
By KUNA,
Kabul : The US-led coalition troops announced Wednesday the killing of several militants during an operation in Maidan Wardak province of Afghanistan in an operation conducted in Said Abad district, along the Kabul-Kandahar Highway.
"Coalition forces searched several compounds in Said Abad 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," said a coalition statement.
Italy condemns terrorist attacks in Turkey
By KUNA,
Rome : Italy condemned Monday the terrorist attacks that occurred in Istanbul Sunday evening and expressed its support to Turkey's membership in the European Union (EU).
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said in a press release issued by his ministry that he condemns the attacks which killed 16 people and injured 154 others as acts of terrorism.
The release said the minister sent, Monday morning, a cable to his Turkish counterpart expressing the Italian government's support.
It also said that Frattini stressed his support to Turkey's membership in the EU.
Musharraf to attend Beijing Olympics opening ceremony: spokesman
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will be visiting China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on August 8, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.
Briefing newsmen in Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said the President will visit China at the invitation from the Chinese Government.
The President will also hold meetings with the Chinese leadership including President Hu Jintao, the spokesman said.
Europeans see China as biggest threat to global stability
By ANTARA News/AFP,
London : Europeans see China as a bigger threat to global stability than the United States, Iran or North Korea, according to a poll published Tuesday.
The Harris survey for the Financial Times showed that an average of 35 percent of voters in Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Italy saw China as the biggest threat to global stability, compared to 29 percent who thought the same of the United States.
In Italy, 47 percent of voters named China as the biggest threat, up from 26 percent in a similar poll last year.
Death toll rises to 40 in Iraq’s Diyala car bombing
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : The death toll from a car bomb explosion in the city of Baquba, the capital of Diyala province on Tuesday, rose to 40 with some 70 others injured, a provincial police source said.
"The latest reports said that up to 40 people were killed and some 70 others injured by the Baquba car bombing," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Earlier, the source put the toll at 12 killed and more than 40 others wounded.
EU welcomes Pakistani steps on human rights
By IANS,
Brussels : The European Union has welcomed steps taken by Pakistan to improve its human rights record, including its ratification of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
Pakistan also signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Thursday, EuAsiaNews reported.
"The steps taken by Pakistan represent a positive development," noted a EU presidency statement Friday.
Rice “pleased” with progress in Iraq-Turkey relations
By KUNA,
Kuwait : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said here that she was "pleased" with the progress in relations between Iraq and Turkey.
The US official made the remarks following a meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on the sidelines of the Third Expanded Ministerial Conference of the Neighboring Countries of Iraq Tuesday.
"We just had a very good discussion on the cooperation the US, Turkey and Iraq are undertaking" on a number of issues related to Iraq's security and economy.
Suicide bomber kills at least 16 in eastern Afghanistan
By RIA Novosti,
Kabul : A suicide bomber blew himself up on Tuesday in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 16 people and injuring over 40, the local Tolo TV channel said.
The attack came after militants had fired shots and rocket-propelled grenades at a police station in the town of Khogyani. The suicide bomber then detonated his device in the middle of a crowd as civilians fled the fighting.
Malaysia to spend $778 million on food security
By IINA,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysia will spend 2.49 billion ringgit ($778 million) this year to increase food production, a top minister said amid soaring costs globally for staple items like rice.
I’m powerless, says Zardari after seven hours of talks
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : The two leaders of Pakistan's ruling alliance have failed to reach agreement on the important issue of reinstatement of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf, agreeing to disagree after seven hours of inconclusive talks here.
Lebanese Army deployed in Mount Lebanon
By NNN-KUNA,
Beirut : The Lebanese army has been deployed to the area of Aitat and other towns in Aley, Mount Lebanon.
Security sources told KUNA that the army was deployed after the Mount Lebanon areas witnessed three hours of intense fighting which claimed Sunday the lives of six people.
Pro-government Druze leader Walid Jumblatt stated that the clashes would lead to more tension between the Druze and Shiite sects, adding that he had assigned head of the Democratic bloc Talal Arsulan to negotiate with the opposition's gunmen.
Dubai-style island resorts planned on the Thames
By IANS,
London : Gulf property developers are planning to build luxury island resorts in England - complete with yacht marinas, theatres, an opera house and housing - along the lines of the famed artificial palm islands of Dubai, a newspaper reported.
Lebanese talks progressing in Qatar
By IINA,
Doha : Lebanon's political leaders have agreed to form a committee to discuss the country's electoral law, as part of ongoing crisis talks in Qatar.The agreement on Saturday to form a six-member panel to look at the electoral law follows a deal brokered by the Arab League to end the worst internal fighting in Lebanon since the 1975-90 civil war. Fouad Siniora, Lebanon's prime minister, and Saad Al Hariri, leader of the majority in parliament, are among those from the government present at the talks.
Several Pakistani troops die on border
By IINA,
Islamabad : At least 18 people are reported to have been killed in clashes on the Pakistan-Afghan border. Ten of the dead were reported to be Pakistani troops killed by an apparent missile strike by US or Nato-led forces, launched from Afghanistan. Eight Taleban militants were also killed in the fighting, a Taleban spokesman said. None of the Pakistani, Afghan or US militaries, or Nato, have yet officially commented on the incident.
Pakistan’s Senate to debate defence budget
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : For the first time in Pakistan's history its defence budget was presented in the upper house of parliament Tuesday. It is expected to be taken up for debate Wednesday.
"Tabling the defence budget in the Senate is the first step towards supremacy of the parliament," Leader of the House senator Raza Rabbani told IANS.
He said the government was expecting a thorough debate on the issue that has been brought before parliament for the first time.
Rabbani said the defence budget will also be discussed in the lower house of parliament.
Huge explosion near Indian embassy in Kabul
By Xinhua,
Kabul : A huge explosion near the Indian embassy and the interior ministry building in the Afghan capital Monday occurred causing a number of casualties.
A Xinhua reporter on the spot said the blast was so powerful that it could be heard and the smoke seen from several kilometres away from the scene.
Several ambulances were seen busy shifting bodies of victims while foreign troops and Afghan police cordoned off the area.
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."
Israel officially confirms signing of prisoners swap deal with Hezbollah
By KUNA,
Gaza : Israel has officially confirmed the signing of a deal to exchange prisoners with Hezbollah, the Israeli radio reported on Monday.
The radio quoted sources in the Cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as saying that Ofir Dekkel, the official in charge of the file of prisoners and missing soldiers, and the UN envoy Gerhard Conard signed the deal.
Muslim D-8 Group urges quick resolution of Food Problem
By SPA,
Kuala Lumpur : The leaders of the Group of the eight Muslim developing countries (D-8) urged today the governments to work for solving the problem of food, and said failure to resolve this problem would have disastrous repercussions.
Addressing the summit's inaugural session, Malaysian Prime Minister
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi underscored the importance of regional and international cooperation for confronting the problems of oil and food.
The group is comprised of Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, and Turkey.
Iran becomes the top donor to Sri Lanka
By NNN-Govt Portal,
Colombo : Iran, which granted USD 450 million to build the Uma Oya hydropower project and upgrade the Sapugaskanda oil refinery, has emerged as Sri Lanka 's biggest donor this year, officials said.
In the five months to May, Sri Lanka received USD 1.05 billion in foreign aid, of which project loans accounted for USD 959 million and grants for USD 90 million, the Treasury said in its mid-year fiscal report.
Philippines likely to reopen embassy in Baghdad
By Xinhua,
Manila : The Philippines is likely to reopen its embassy in strife-torn Iraq within the year as the situation there continues to improve, an official from the country's Department of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.
The decision to reopen the embassy in Iraq would depend on security reports from the U.S. government intelligence, Philippine TV network GMA News Reported, citing Jesus Yabes, assistant Foreign Secretary for the Middle East and African affairs.
Nasrallah: prisoners swap closes chapter of 2006 war
By Xinhua,
Beirut : Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday evening that the prisoner swap conducted earlier this day with Israel "closed chapter of the 2006 war."
Nasrallah delivered the speech via large screens to the tens of thousands of his supporters who had gathered for the celebrations for released prisoners in southern Beirut.
He expressed warm welcome to all the five returning Lebanese prisoners, terming the prisoners swap as a victory.
Hamas to keep prisoner swap case top secret
By Xinhua,
Gaza : The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced on Saturday that it has decided to keep the case of the prisoner swap with Israel top secret, prohibiting talking about the case in the mass media, Hamas official said.
The movement's spokesman in Gaza Ayman Taha told reporters that "this case (prisoner exchange) has been closed by Hamas movement and there is a decision not to speak about it in the mass media."
In Palestine, the mobile phone is the placement agency
By Aroonim Bhuyan, IANS,
Dubai : A chance meeting between an unemployed Palestinian youth and a Canadian aid worker in 2005 has resulted in a service that is today helping hundreds of unemployed Palestinian youths find jobs on their mobile phone screens.
Souktel, a cell phone-based company that uses SMS technology to link young people with jobs and aid agencies with people who need help, this week unveiled its new customized SMS JobMatch service for students, in partnership with Harvard University and Palestine's Birzeit University.
Palestinian official urges Israel to open commercial crossing with Gaza
By Xinhua,
Gaza : A Palestinian official said Saturday that the flow of goods into Gaza will remain weak unless Israel opens a key commercial crossing point into the besieged territory.
"The promises to increase the amount and sorts of products that Israel sends to Gaza can not be met unless al-Muntar (Karni) crossing is opened," said independent lawmaker Jamal al-Khodary, who leads a campaign against the sanctions that Israel imposed on Gaza last year.
Afghan army set to assume more duty in Kabul: German minister
By IRNA,
Berlin : The Afghan army is expected to assume more security responsibilities in Kabul over the next six to nine months, German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung told the daily Rheinischen Post newspaper on Saturday.
"Afghan (security) forces have to ensure Kabul's security over the next six to nine months," Jung said.
The German army will also step up the training of the Afghan army to 7,500 soldiers, he added.
The annual cost of the Afghan deployment of the German military is estimated to increase from 466.9 to 500 million euros, according to Jung.
Many in Pakistan opposed to safe passage for Musharraf
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : A large number of politicians, lawyers and civil rights leaders are opposed to the idea of Pervez Musharraf being given safe passage out of the country after his resignation as president, though there are reports his bete noire Nawaz Sharif has agreed to it after a meeting with an envoy from Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain commissions study on small, medium sector
By IANS,
Dubai : Bahrain has commissioned leading American provider of credit information on businesses and corporations Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) to conduct a detailed study of the Gulf nation's small and medium enterprises (SME) sector.
Bahrain's Labour Fund has engaged D&B Research & Advisory Services to develop a customised business-scoring model in order to streamline financing support for SME development in Bahrain, according to a D&B statement.
The scoring model will enable SMEs to identify growth opportunities and utilise feedback for improved business performance.
Pakistani-origin men in possible plot against British queen
By IANS,
London : A cell of young Pakistani-origin men found guilty of terror offences may have been plotting to attack the queen and other members of the British royal family, a newspaper reported Tuesday.
Those targeted included Queen Elizabeth II, her husband Prince Philip, their sons Princes Charles, Andrews and Edward and daughter Princess Anne.
Also on the list were Princess Michael of Kent, the duke and duchess of Gloucester and the duke and duchess of Kent, the Daily Telegraph reported.
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.
Malaysian Indians coming back to us: MIC chief
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Many ethnic Indian voters who abandoned the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) during the March general election are now returning to the party, claims its long-time president S. Samy Vellu.
"Hundreds of people" have started thronging the party's offices, knowing that "only the MIC could help them", Vellu told reporters Sunday after opening a workshop on what he calls "re-branding" of the party.
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.
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.
Israel to hold snap election in mid-February
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : An Israeli parliamentary spokeswoman said Tuesday that a general election has been tentatively set for Feb. 10, with possibility of a one-week delay, local daily Ha'aretz reported.
Hila Mizrachi made the announcement after Parliament Speaker Dalia Itzik met with leaders of parliamentary factions to decide on the date for the polls, originally scheduled in 2010, a day after President Shimon Peres told the legislature that he saw no chance of forming a new government.
‘Myanmar continuing gas exploration in Bangladesh waters’
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain left for Myanmar Tuesday for talks after Dhaka accused Yangon of "ignoring" its warnings and continuing with exploration in the Bay of Bengal, where a territorial dispute remains unresolved.
Dhaka has complained that three exploration vessels looking for hydrocarbons, escorted by two Myanmar warships, which intruded into Bangladesh's territorial waters Saturday, are yet to be withdrawn.
Karzai in touch with senior Taliban leaders: Afghan official
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : Afghan President Hamid Karzai is in touch with the senior leadership of former ruling Taliban that went underground after the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops landed in the war torn country after 9/11, says a senior Afghan official.
"Yes, Hamid Karzai is in touch with them (Taliban) for some time and wants to establish long term peace in Afghanistan," the senior Afghan official visiting Pakistan told IANS, while requesting anonymity.
U.S. optimistic about approval of security pact with Iraq
By Xinhua,
Washington : The United States is confident that the Iraqi parliament will approve a controversial military pact that allows American troops to remain in Iraq until the end of 2011, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Wednesday.
"We think we're on a good trajectory right now," Perino told reporters. "All we need to do is to have them have the reading, let the parliament debate, as you would in a democratic society, and then have a vote. We think they'll be able to do it later this week, or early next week, or next week."
India, Pakistan agree on visa liberalization
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan and India have agreed on the need for visa liberalization and decided to discuss ways to cooperate in curbing cross border crime, according to Online news agency.
A joint statement, issued at end of the home secretary level talks, said the Federal Investigation Agency of Pakistan and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of India will meet soon to discuss cooperation in addressing issues like human trafficking, illegal immigration, and counterfeit currency.
Turkey hosts trilateral summit meeting to help bringing Afghnistan,Pakistan closer
By Xinhua,
Ankara : Turkey on Friday hosted a trilateral summit meeting with Afghanistan and Pakistan in a bid to bring the two troubled neighboring countries closer.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul chaired the meeting with his counterparts, Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan, in the Turkish largest city of Istanbul, which was also attended by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to the semi-official Anatolia news agency.
Saudi Arabia Watchful with Hajj
By Prensa Latina,
Riyadh : Some 100,000 Saudi troops are patrolling the Islamic Holy City Mecca, to provide security to over three million Muslims at the Hajj or annual pilgrimage beginning Saturday.
Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz said pilgrims from all over the world would flood every sacred place every Muslim must visit at least one in his lifetime.
The crowd virtually paralyzes the Islamic world as prelude to four days of Eid Al-Adha, main feast of the Muslim calendar 70 after Ramadan.
Israel’s expulsion of human rights envoy is dangerous: UN
By DPA,
New York : Israel's decision to expel a US expert on human rights was a "dangerous" move that contravened mandates given to rights advocates working for the UN, president of the UN General Assembly said Monday.
Richard Falk was detained at Jerusalem's airport Sunday and then deported back to the US. Falk's mandate given by the 192-nation UN assembly is to assess the situation in Palestinian-occupied territories.
The Israeli foreign ministry Monday said Falk was "unwelcome in Israel".
New rockets fired from Lebanon at Israel
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : A second barrage of rockets were launched from Lebanon on northern Israel, Israeli media reported on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, four Israelis were wounded by rockets launched from southern Lebanon on northern Israeli towns of Naharia and Galeli, pan-Arab al-Jazeera TV reported.
Hamas blames Abbas for activist’s death
By Xinhua,
GAZA/RAMALLAH : Gaza ruler Hamas on Monday blamed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas over the death of a Hamas detainee in the West Bank, threatening not to engage in any dialogue with Fatah movement unless all Hamas activists are freed.
"Abbas shoulders the legal and national responsibility of the wild acts of his security forces that have no job except protecting the (Israeli) occupation soldiers and settlers and chasing down on the resistance," said Ahmed Bahar, deputy speaker of the Hamas-dominated Parliament, in a statement faxed to the media.
Pakistan seeks more information on 26/11, India terms it insincere
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan said Monday it needed more information on the Mumbai terror attacks and New Delhi expectedly reacted in anger, accusing Islamabad of insincerity in prosecuting the perpetrators of the carnage.
A statement issued here after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani chaired a meeting of the cabinet Defence Coordination Committee said the evidence India has furnished, pointing to involvement of elements from Pakistan in the Mumbai mayhem, was insufficient.
UN hostage deadline extended in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistani insurgents holding a US citizen working for the UN said Monday they would extend the deadline given for the hostage's execution.
A previously unknown group, the Baloch United Liberation Front, Friday released a video of John Solecki, who leads the UN refugee agency's operations in the southwestern Balochistan province, and issued a 72-hour ultimatum for the acceptance of their demands.
Khaleda-led opposition returns to Bangladesh parliament
By IANS,
Dhaka : The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Monday joined the ninth parliament, ending its row of 17 working days with the speaker over seating arrangements in the house.
The party led by two-term former prime minister Khaleda Zia said it was joining the house following an assurance after prolonged negotiations from Speaker Abdul Hamid of "respectable seating arrangements in the House", Star Online reported.
Etihad Airways Targets Six Million Passengers In 2008
ABU DHABI, Jan 8 (Bernama) -- Etihad Airways is targeting six million passengers this year against the five million passengers it recorded in 2007, the Emirates news agency (WAM) reported Tuesday.
Eithad's CEO, James Hogan, said the UAE national airline is set to hit the ultimate in providing the best services and performance to its growing number of passengers and clients in the new year.
In spite of being relatively very young, he added that the airline had made its mark at the local, regional and international levels as one of the most reputable airlines in the world.
Israeli artillery strike kills Gaza militant
By Xinhua
Gaza : A Palestinian militant was killed and five others wounded on Wednesday morning in an Israeli artillery strike on northern Gaza Strip, witnesses and hospital officials said.
The witnesses said the Israeli army artillery fired three surface-to-surface missiles at a group of militants who were trying to launch homemade rockets from the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia into Israel.
Two Palestinians killed in Israeli raid in Gaza – witnesses
By KUNA
Gaza : Two palestinians were killed and six were injured in an Israeli air raid in the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza Strip, eyewitnesses said.
They added in press remarks that Israeli warplanes unleashed a rocket at an apartment building killing the two and injuring the six others.
Khedra Wahdan, 30, and Mohammad Kafarneh, 22, were killed in the air strike, they added.
Abbas: Mideast peace starts from Holy Land in Palestine
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that the peace in the Middle East starts from "the Holy Land in Palestine."
In a joint news conference with visiting U.S. President George W. Bush in Ramallah, Abbas called on Israel to fulfill its commitments to a Mideast peace plan, saying he hopes "this will be the year for the creation of peace."
Israel, Palestinians will sign treaty in 2008: Bush
By DPA
Ramallah : US President George W. Bush said Thursday he believed he would be able to "nudge" Israel and the Palestinians toward a joint peace deal this year.
"I believe there will be a signed peace treaty by the time I leave office," Bush told a joint news conference in Ramallah with President Mahmoud Abbas, on the first visit of an American president to the central West Bank city.
When asked what he intended to do to help, Bush answered, "Nudge the process forward," apply "pressure" and "be a pain if I need to be a pain."
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.
Car bomb hits police patrol in northern Iraq
By Xinhua
Mosul, Iraq : A car bomb explosion targeted a police patrol near the city of Mosul, the capital of Nineveh province, on Monday, wounding six people, provincial police source said.
"A car bomb parked in the Ghizlany area, south of Mosul City, near a police patrol, wounding three policemen and three civilians," Brigadier Abdul Kareem al-Jubouri, head of Nineveh's police operations office, told Xinhua.
The blast also damaged a police vehicle along with several civilian cars, Jubouri said.
Sarkozy’s visit in Saudi Arabia focuses on economic co-op
By Xinhua
Riyadh : French President Nicolas Sarkozy left Saudi Arabia earlier on Monday after wrapping up a two-day visit here which local analysts said focused on economic and energy cooperation rather than security issue.
Contrary to a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush, which is to focus on security topics, business and economic issues were high on the agenda of Sarkozy's trip here, local analysts said.
Rice to discuss with German officials Iran, Afghanistan
By KUNA
Washington : US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is set to travel next week to Germany to discuss Afghanistan and Iran, said the State Department on Wednesday.
"The secretary will participate in bilateral meetings with senior German officials, during which she will discuss the wide range of issues the US and Germany cooperate on, including the NATO effort in Afghanistan", said State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack in a statement.
PNA refuses to discuss border issues with Hamas
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian National Authority (PNA) rejected a call from Hamas for a meeting in the Egyptian capital of Cairo to discuss arrangement for opening a border crossing between Egypt and the Hamas-run Gaza round the clock.
"The Palestinian Presidency will not talk with Hamas in any issue before it retreats its coup and we will not discuss Rafah crossing issue with Hamas because it is irrelevant in this regard," said Nemer Hammad, political advisor to President Mahmoud Abbas.
The Scotland Yard gets hold of 18 clues in Bhutto’s assassination
By SPA
Islamabad : The Scotland Yard team has got hold of 18 major clues in former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto s assassination case and would report to the government of Pakistan before elections, Caretaker Interior Minister Lt-Gen (retd) Hamid Nawaz said.
He told the reporters that the proof has been found against Baitullah Mehsud in connection with the assassination and that operation is being carried out against him.
The minister said in the valley of Swat and other sensitive areas, local Taliban factor has been controlled and now only few groups are active.
Red Cross says at least 4 killed in Beirut explosion
By Xinhua
Beirut : Lebanese Red Cross Committee announced that at least four people were killed and 20 others injured in a powerful explosion in a Christian neighborhood in Beirut on Friday, the official National News Agency reported.
The blast, which occurred at around 10 a.m. (0800 GMT), targeted a military vehicle in the Chevrolet neighborhood northeast of Beirut.
At least eight killed, 17 wounded in Iraqi violence
By SPA
Baghdad : At least eight people were killed Saturday and 17 wounded in separate attacks in Iraq, Iraqi officials and media reports said. Detentions and arrests were also reported.
In Samara, some 125 kilometres north of Baghdad, joint US-Iraqi forces killed four militants and wounded three, security sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
In the Northern city of Mosul, four Awakening Councils members were killed and nine injured when an explosive device targeted their patrol, the Iraqi News Agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) reported.
Abbas calls on Israel to lift siege on Gaza
By NNN-KUNA
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday called for lifting the Israeli siege on Gaza paving the way for basic commodities to enter that area.
Abbas, who spoke to reporters in Ranallah during a joint press conference with visiting Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, called for stopping the Israeli mass punishment of the Palestinian people.
He renewed the Palestinian Authority's readiness to assume control of the Rafah border crossing into and out of Egypt and said "we have expressed readiness to assume such control."
Israel vows to intensify Gaza operations
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak Thursday vowed to step up operations and strikes in the Gaza Strip if Palestinian militants continue to fire Qassam rockets into Israel, local media reported on their website.
If the Qassam rocket fire from Gaza continues, then Israel will strengthen its operations, which will increase the Palestinian casualties, Barak said during a tour of a military base in the western Negev.
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.
NATO defeat in Afghanistan a real possibility
By IRNA
London : Former High Representative to Bosnia Paddy Ashdown Wednesday called for a new Nato strategy in Afghanistan, not a "disconnected collection of unco-ordinated tactics."
Ashdown, who was rejected for the post as the UN's special envoy in Afghanistan by President Hamid Karzai, warned that the transatlantic alliance will lose if it does not start doing things differently.
Iran summons Danish envoy as cartoon row resurfaces
Tehran (ANTARA News) - Iran summoned Denmark's ambassador to protest the reprinting on Wednesday of a cartoon of Prophet Mohammed that caused bloody riots in the Islamic world two years ago, the state run IRNA news agency reported.
The cartoon, one of a series of 12 cartoons first published in September 2005 that sparked protests in early 2006, was reprinted in at least 17 Danish newspapers a day after Danish police foiled a murder plot against the cartoonist.
KFAED signs loan agreement with Sudan to finance traffic dam project
By NNN-KUNA
Kuwait : The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) has announced it will soon sign a loan agreement worth 16 million Kuwaiti dinars (USD 59 million) to contribute in the financing of a traffic dam project in Sudan.
KFAED said in a statement Thursday the project aims to meet the demand for electric power and reducing the cost of electricity production through the establishment of a dam and a hydroelectric station on the Nile River.
Hamas slams Abbas for keeping on talks with Israel
By Xinhua
Gaza : A day after eight people died in a mysterious Gaza explosion, Islamic Hamas movement on Saturday harshly slammed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for not announcing an end of talks with Israel.
"Abbas should be ashamed of those martyrs... he must immediately boycott the occupiers (Israelis). Otherwise, the history would register him in its black pages," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoom told reporters in Gaza.
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.
Afghan army launches operation against militants
By Xinhua
Kabul : The Afghan security forces have launched an operation against the Taliban insurgents and their associates in the country's western Farah province Saturday, the interior ministry said in a statement.
Units of Afghan national army and the police backed by the US-led coalition forces have launched the operation at 6 a.m. (0130 GMT) Saturday, in the Khak-e-Safid district of the province, it said.
Death toll from cold, snow mounts to 926 in Afghanistan
KABUL, Feb 16 (KUNA) -- The number of Afghans killed by the chilly weather continued in the snow-covered Afghanistan has reached almost 1,000 since the beginning of the winter this year.
About a fortnight back, the Health Ministry had said that some 600 people and thousands of cattle have expired while hundreds more people living in remote areas of Afghanistan have been cut off from the big cities due to the excessive snowfall in the impoverished country.
Sharif to support Bhuttos party without being part of cabinet
ISLAMABAD, Feb 26 (KUNA) Pakistans second largest political party Tuesday announced it would support slain Benazir Bhuttos party, the main winner of Feb 18th elections, without becoming part of the cabinet as it would require oath-taking from President Musharraf under his amended constitution.
UN Security Council fails again to address Gaza situation
By NNN-KUNA
United Nations : The Security Council once again failed to issue a press statement on the deteriorating situation in Gaza because of US objection.
Council president Ricardo Alberto Arias of Panama spoke to reporters in his national capacity following a council discussion of the matter late Thursday, saying he is "profoundly concerned about the increased violence in the Middle East region."
He added that "we are concerned about the effect it has on the civil population and with the effect it has on the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
Hamas calls to protest Israel crimes
By NNN-Prensa Latina
Gaza : The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) called for protests after Friday prayers to denounce Israeli crimes against Palestinians, 32 of whom were reported dead in the last two days.
Hamas issued a release after convening massive marches today "to condemn the crimes against our people," and called for Arabs and Muslims all over the world to express solidarity with their cause.
Zardari favours setting Kashmir issue aside
By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, whose party is set to led the country's next government, has said the Kashmir issue should be set aside to focus on other aspects for improving relations with India.
"The idea is that we feel for Kashmir, the PPP has always felt for Kashmir. We have a strong Kashmir policy. We have always had one," he said.
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.
British Prime Minister phones Musharraf
By SPA
Islamabad : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has phoned President Pervez Musharraf Pakistan and said that Pakistan should return to the fold of Commonwealth and resume its role as an important member, according to an official statement.
Brown congratulated Musharraf on the successful holding of general elections in Pakistan.
He said he would be sending his Foreign Minister David Miliband to Pakistan soon to discuss matters of mutual interest and situation in the region.
Lebanese PM says willing to go to Damascus if “convenient”
By Xinhua
Beirut : Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora has said that he is willing to visit Damascus and participate in the upcoming Arab summit "if all circumstances were convenient," local As-Safir daily reported Saturday.
"The visit, (however) does not mean any change in our convictions," Seniora was quoted as noting on Friday.
Allied soldier killed, another injured in Afghan blast
By KUNA
Kabul : One allied soldier was killed and another wounded in a roadside bomb blast in southeastern Afghanistan, the multinational force said on Saturday. The soldiers were on patrol in the southeastern province of Paktia when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device (IED), said the military.
Four PKK rebels captured in SE Turkey
By Xinhua
Ankara : The Turkish security forces captured four rebels of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) in southeastern Turkey, a military statement said on Sunday.
The statement posted by the Turkish General Staff on its website said that the security forces captured the four PKK rebels in Ergani town of Diyarbakir on March 6.
Four Taliban insurgents killed
Kabul, March 23 (Xinhua) Four Taliban insurgents have been killed in a clash with the police in Afghanistan's southern Zabul province, a police official said Sunday.
The fighting took place in Shahjoi district Saturday, also leading to the arrest of three insurgents, a police officer said.
Taliban's purported spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi denied the casualties, saying two policemen were killed in the firefight he said lasted a few hours.
Taliban-related violence has left more than 220 people dead this year in the war-torn country.
PPP led coalition agree to distribute Ministries
By IRNA
Islamabad : The coalition of PPP-PML-N, ANP and others has agreed to distribute the Ministries in an equitable way and decided to appoint five Federal Minister in the first phase to resolve the matter within a week.
Reliable sources said Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi of PPP will hold the office of Foreign Ministry and PML-N leader Ishaq Dar will be appointed as Finance Minister, Sherry Rehman as Information Minister and Syed Khurshid Shah as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs.
Former head of FIA Rehman Malik will be inducted as Advisor to Interior Ministry.
Bush waives law, restore aid to facilitate democratic rule in Pakistan
By SPA
Islamabad : U.S. President George W. Bush has waived restrictions in a democracy related law to pave the way for assistance to Pakistan this year, saying the step would help in transition to democratic rule in the country and is important to US counter-terrorism efforts, officials said.
The waiver of the law came as Pakistan entered a new era of democracy with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) taking oath as head of a coalition government following Feb 18 parliamentary elections.
Iraqi Vice President arrives in Damascus for Arab summit
By Xinhua
Damascus : Iraqi Vice President Adel AbdulMehdi arrived here on Friday to attend the forthcoming Arab summit due on Saturday and Sunday.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had previously planned to come for the summit, but he changed his schedule after deciding to enforce crackdown on Shiite gunmen as Iraqi troops battled militias in the cities of Basra and Kut. Iraq was strongly present in the Summit given the current regional circumstances, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told reporters before Abdul Mehdi's arrival.
Charges dropped against Marine in Haditha case
By DPA
Washington : Prosecutors have dropped charges against a US Marine accused in connection with the killing of 24 Iraqi civilians near Haditha in 2005, officials said.
Lance Corporal Stephen Tatum faced court martial on charges of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and aggravated assault.
But they were dismissed "in order to continue to pursue the truth seeking process into the Haditha incident", according to a statement posted by the Marine Corps on the website of the Camp Pendleton, California Friday.
Palestinian resistance factions attack Israeli settlements, military base
By KUNA
Gaza : Several Palestinian resistant factions claimed responsibility on Friday for firing several missiles and mortar shells on several Jewish settlements.
The military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Al-Quds Brigades claimed responsibility for firing two 80-milimeter mortar shells on Israeli military base Abu-mutaibeq in east of Gaza.
In press statement received by KUNA, the group said their Mujahideen were able to target the Israeli military base Friday evening.
Iraqi government vows to demilitarize Basra
By SPA
Baghdad : The Iraqi government vowed Monday to demilitarize Basra as relative calm was returning to the southern city, an interior ministry spokesman said, a day after Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers to stop fighting government troops, according to dpa.
"Security forces will carry out orders of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to take away all weapons in Basra by the April 8 deadline," interior ministry spokesman Brigadier-General Abdel-Karim Khalaf told the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency.
Gunmen kill Pakistani soldier in southwest
By IRNA
Islamabad : Unidentified gunmen on Tuesday attacked a vehicle of paramilitary forces in Pakistan southwest, killing one soldier and injuring three others, witnesses and hospital sources said.
Members of the Frontier Constabulary were traveling in their official jeep when came under fire at Saryab road in Quetta, the capital of southwestern province of Balochistan.
No group claimed responsibility of the attack.
Authorities blame such attacks on anti-government Baloch insurgents.
The injured soldiers were taken to the civil hospital.
Mubarak meets Abbas on Palestinian-Israeli talks, regional developments
By Xinhua
Cairo : Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held talks Wednesday morning with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the latest development in the Middle East, particularly the future of the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
At a press conference following the talks, Abbas said he briefed Mubarak on the outcome of the 20th Arab Summit ended Sunday in Damascus and his short visit in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Pakistan military appoints new intelligence chief
By Xinhua
Islamabad : Pakistan's army chief General Ashfaq Kayani has appointed new chief of the Military Intelligence(MI), the military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas confirmed on Thursday.
Abbas told Xinhua that Major General Mohammad Asif replaced Major General Nadeem Ejaz as the MI director general, and the new MI chief will take the post Friday.
Ejaz, appointed MI chief by then army chief Pervez Musharraf in 2006, has been posted as the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Bahawalpur of Pakistan's Punjab province.
Iran sends letter to UN over three Persian Gulf islands
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : Iran has sent a letter to the United Nations over its ownership of the three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf region, a senior Foreign Ministry official said.
Speaking to reporters at his weekly press conference Monday, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Mohammad-Ali Hosseini, announced the above while commenting on a recent claim of the United Arab Emirates officials over the three islands of the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Mousa.
Latest Israeli-Palestinian round of talks centers on basic issues — official
By KUNA
Gaza : A senior Palestinian official said on Wednesday that talks that were held between the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams on Tuesday addressed a host of issues namely those related to the final status.
Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, told Voice of Palestine Radio that the discussions that involved him, along with the head of the Palestinian team, Ahmad Qurei, and the Israeli team, led by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, centered on final-status issues.
The three-hour meeting, held in Jerusalem, was attended by experts from the two sides, he added.
Israeli forces open fire at farmers, journalists
By KUNA,
GAZA : Israeli Army forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers and foreign journalists and supporters in the southern parts of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
The attack, which took place in the small town of Absan near Khan Younis, did not cause casualties, head of the Ambulance and Emergency Department in the Palestinian Health Ministry Moawiya Hasanain told KUNA.
Foreign supporters had accompanied Palestinian farmers to their farms to harvest their crops.
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.
Graft cases against Hasina, Zia being reviewed
By IANS,
Dhaka : While Bangladesh's courts hear the government recommendation that 11 cases against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina be dropped, a senior law officer Monday began scrutiny of documents relating to 20 graft cases against opposition leader Khaleda Zia and her family.
The cases were instituted by the military-backed caretaker government that ruled the country 2007-08. Both the women leaders were in jail for several months.
US condemns Iran’s detention of British embassy staff
By DPA,
Washington : US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Monday deplored the detention of Iranian staffers at the British embassy in Tehran and called for their release.
"We find that the harassment of embassy staff is deplorable, and we will continue to support the United Kingdom in calling for their release," Clinton told reporters.
Iranian authorities reportedly detained at least five embassy staffers, accusing them of participating in the ongoing demonstrations over the country's disputed election.
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.
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.
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.
Pakistan nuclear facilities at risk: expert
By NNN-PTI,
Toronto : A Taliban insurgency and the war in neighbouring Afghanistan have put Pakistan's nuclear arsenal at risk giving rise to a "troubling" situation, an arms control expert who served as former US President George W Bush's national security adviser has said.
"The situation in Pakistan is troubling from a lot of perspectives," Stephen Hadley, who now advises Washington- based think-tank the US Institute of Peace said.
Israeli troops kill six in Gaza, West Bank
By DPA,
Tel Aviv: Israeli troops killed six Palestinians in two separate incidents in the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank early Saturday, an Israeli military spokeswoman and media reports said.
The military spokeswoman said Israeli soldiers patrolling the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip noticed several suspicious figures crawling toward the fence and opened fire.
When the figures still continued crawling, an aircraft was also called in to fire at them, and reported a direct hit.
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.
Malaysian Indian Congress bids for by-election
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), a member of the ruling alliance, hopes to field its deputy president to re-claim a parliament seat which Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has said it is capable of winning.
The MIC has indicated its choice of G. Palanivel, a journalist-turned-politician, to contest from Hulu in Selangor state which he held between 1990 and 2008.
The by-election was necessitated after the death of Zainal Abidin Ahmed, the opposition nominee who defeated Palanivel in March 2008.
UAE students to get training for space mission
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : Three engineering students of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be trained for space missions by the US space agency NASA.
The training is organised as part of an agreement between NASA and the UAE-based Arab Youth Venture Foundation signed last year.
As per the agreement, NASA will provide three to 12 UAE engineering students each year the opportunity to work with the US students, scientists and engineers involved in NASA projects.
Victims’ kins protest mosque plan at 9/11 site
By IANS,
New York : A community board has approved the construction of a mosque at the site of New York's World Trade Centre, which was destroyed in the September 11 terrorist attack, triggering protests by the victims' relatives in the city.
Relatives of 9/11 victims clashed with supporters of the proposed mosque near "Ground Zero", soon after members of Manhattan Community Board 1 approved the project with 29-1 votes. Nine members abstained the voting which concluded after four hours of debate.
Taliban militants get life term in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : A Pakistani court has handed down life terms to six Taliban militants accused of planning attacks on foreigners and manufacturing suicide jackets, officials said.
The court gave the sentence Saturday.
Police had arrested the six Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan militants, including a would-be suicide bomber near Lahore in February, and seized hand grenades, explosives, suicide jackets and five detonators, Xinhua reported quoting court officials.
Four detained over failed UK envoy attack in Yemen
By IANS/AKI,
Sana'a : Yemen has detained four people in relation to a failed suicide attack on the British ambassador here in April, the ministry of defence said.
Authorities are questioning the four over the attack that killed the bomber and wounded three people, a statement posted on the ministry's website said Thursday.
"The criminal prosecution dealing with terrorism affairs began interrogating the four suspects in connection with the assassination attempt on the British ambassador, who include a German, Iraqi and two Yemenis," the statement said.
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.
Egypt destroys Gaza smuggling tunnels
By DPA,
El Arish (Egypt): Egyptian security forces have destroyed four tunnels leading across the border to the Gaza Strip, one of them large enough to smuggle cars, officials said Saturday.
Friday Prayer over, 1000s gathering at Tahrir Square for ‘Day of Departure’ rally
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Egyptian jubilation ‘premature,’ says British author
By IRNA,
London : A British author and lecturer has cautioned Egyptians celebrating the victory of their revolution following the ousting of former president Hosni Mubarak.
Text of India, Pakistan joint statement
By IANS,
New Delhi : Following is the text of the joint statement issued after two days of talks between Home Secretary G.K. Pillai and his Pakistani counterpart Qamar Zaman:
Suicide blast in Indonesian mosque injures 28
By IANS,
Jakarta : A suspected suicide bomber blew himself up during Friday prayers in a mosque in Indonesia, injuring 28 people, BBC reported.
Pakistan is largest CNG user in the world
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan is the largest user of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for running automobiles in the world and is way ahead of India, a media report said Friday.
Youth teases girl, angry father shoots his parents
By IANS,
Islamabad : A retired Pakistan Army officer, who flew into a rage after a youth teased his daughter, shot dead youth's parents.
Pakistan has permanently stopped NATO supply: Minister
By IANS,
Islambad : Pakistan has permanently stopped passage of NATO supply through the country following an airstrike that left 25 soldiers dead, said Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
Militants kill three in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad: Militants killed three people in Pakistan's northwest tribal region Wednesday, local media reported.
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.