Iran’s Ahmadinejad names two women as cabinet ministers
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Sunday named two women among six ministers to his new cabinet, Iranian labour news agency reported.
The names of the rest of his cabinet ministers would be announced Wednesday, the report said.
The Iranian leader made the announcement during his address to the nation on Channel 1 television.
The six cabinet ministers include Ali Akbar Mehrabiyan, industry and mine; Shamsodin Hosseini, finance; Fatemeh Ajorlou, welfare and social security; Marziyeh Dastjerdi, health; Moslehi, intelligence; and Abasi, cooperative.
US journalist kidnapped near Kabul
By Xinhua,
Kabul : An American journalist with the New York Times, along with his two Afghan colleagues, has been kidnapped in Logar province, some 60 km south of the Afghan capital, a spokesman for the provincial administration said Tuesday.
"Unknown people abducted David, the journalist of New York Times along with his local interpreter Tahir and driver yesterday (Monday) evening while driving towards Charkh district without informing the police," spokesman Jan Mohammad Khalid said.
The spokesman did not give the full name of the journalist.
Resistance Kills 11 Iraqi Soldiers
By Prensa Latina,
Baghdad : Insurgents killed 11 Iraqi Army soldiers in an ambush near the northern city of Mosul, police sources reported on Tuesday.
The soldiers were taking part in a large scale offensive launched in that area by US and Iraqi troops when the resistance attacked their vehicle.
The ambush was staged near Baaj locality, in Ninive province, and according to the media it was one of the deadliest attacks against the armed forces in the last few weeks.
According to the military, about 1,300 alleged members of the resistance have been arrested.
UAE places one of largest orders in aviation history
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates' (UAE) national carrier Etihad Airways has placed one of the biggest aircraft orders in commercial aviation history, booking aircraft worth $43 billion at the ongoing Farnborough International Airshow in Britain.
The airline has ordered 205 wide-body and narrow-body planes with both Airbus and Boeing. It comprises 100 firm orders, 55 options and 50 purchase rights in a combination of Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
Zillur Rahman is new Bangladesh president
By IANS,
Dhaka : Veteran Awami League politican Zillur Rahman will be sworn in as Bangladesh's 19th president Thursday, the Election Commission announced Wednesday. He was declared elected unopposed.
Rahman is slated to resign as member of parliament and the deputy leader before being administered oath of office by Chief Justice M.M. Ruhul Amin, Star Online said Wednesday.
The 79-year-old veteran Awami League leader was elected unopposed as no other nominee came forward for the presidential election.
PPP names Gillani as its PM nominee
By Xinhua
Islamabad : Pakistan's leading political party Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Saturday nominated Yousuf Raza Gillani as its prime ministerial nominee, according to local TV channels.
The announcement was made in a statement issued to the media by the PPP.
Pakistan, US to ink supply route agreement
By IANS,
Islamabad: Pakistan and the US will sign an agreement to formalize the supply route for NATO troops in Afghanistan, the government said Thursday.
Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline to be readied by 2013
By IANS,
Islamabad : The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, which could be extended to India, will be operationalised by 2013, officials of the two countries decided at a meeting here.
Quoting officials of the petroleum ministry, Online news agency reported that the feasibility report of project and other technical matters were discussed during the meeting on Monday.
Family waits for report on Pakistani journalist’s killing
By IANS/AKI,
Lahore : An investigative report on the murder of Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad is not likely be released as planned in November, said Shahzad's brother-in-law Hamza Amer.
Arab League permanent delegates conclude first session on Arab Summit agenda
By NNN-SANA
Damascus : The Arab permanent delegates to the Cairo-based Arab League and high-ranking officials have concluded here the first closed session on the Arab Summit agenda.
Syria's permanent delegate to the Arab League Yousef al-Ahmad said the dialogue during the meeting Monday was deep and serious, expressing belief that the resolutions and decisions of the Arab Summit will be distinguished.
The USAID launches flagship program
By SPA
Islamabad : The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a five-year $60 million flagship programme on child spacing called Family Advancement for Life and Health (FALAH).
FALAH is a visionary programme that applies lessons learned during the past 40 years about how to deliver family planning services effectively and explores new solutions to the many challenges facing Pakistan s family planning programmes, said Anne Aarnes, the Mission Director of USAID in Pakistan, according to a U.S. Embassy Islamabad statement.
US troops reduced in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : The number of US military personnel in Pakistan has been reduced following a request from Islamabad, the American embassy here said Friday.
Afghanistan not another Vietnam, Miliband insists
By IRNA,
London : British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has denied that the war in Afghanistan risks becoming another Vietnam quagmire.
“I take the warning seriously. But I don't accept the thesis” that west troops are bogged down in an unwinnable war and waning popularity at home, Miliband said.
The US has remained haunted for more than 35 years since its troops were forced into a chaotic evacuation from Vietnam in 1975 with more than 1,000 Americans still missing.
Arab FMs reiterate Lebanon plan
By NNN-KUNA
Cairo : Arab foreign ministers have reiterated consensus over an Arab initiative aiming to resolve the Lebanese standoff.
Wrapping up their meeting on Lebanon here Sunday, the ministers, in a news release, expressed serious concern over the continued assassination of Lebanese figures, and terrorist bombings in Lebanon.
They also condemned the recent incidents in Lebanon, including a car bombing that left a Lebanese police officer and several innocent people dead, as a scheme aimed at destabilising the country.
12 drown in Pakistan boat accident
By IANS,
Islamabad: Twelve people drowned in Pakistan Wednesday when their boat capsized in a river.
Palestinian gunman kills eight in Jerusalem seminary
By DPA
Tel Aviv : A Palestinian gunman entered a Jewish religious seminary in Jerusalem Thursday night, made his way to the library and opened fire in all directions, killing eight students before being shot dead, the police said.
Nine students were wounded in the attack, three of them seriously.
Initial reports that there had been two gunmen, and one had fled the scene, proved to be incorrect.
Jerusalem police chief Aharon Franco said the gunman had arrived at the seminary, located in a West Jerusalem suburb, shortly before 9 p.m.
US Marine dies in Afghanistan
By SPA,
Kabul, Afghanistan : A U.S. marine died of wounds sustained when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in western Afghanistan, the U.S.-led coalition said Wednesday.
The marine was patrolling in the southwestern Farah province at the time of the blast on Monday evening, the statement was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
The victim was assigned to the 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Corps Special Operations Command, it said.
Police identifies suspect in Bhutto assassination
By KUNA
Islamabad : Police Tuesday claimed identifying a suspected suicide bomber who killed former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in an election campaign in December in adjacent Rawalpindi city.
The suicide bomber, who blew himself up after another militant fired shots at Bhutto, has been identified as "Bilal" who comes from the Waziristan tribal region, along the Afghan border, news channels quoted police sources as saying.
The arrest has been made, said sources, after a lead provided by earlier arrested teenager suspect Aitzaz Shah.
Use of nuclear energy impeded by negative perception, Malaysian Parliament told
By NNN-Bernama,
Kuala Lumpur : The use of nuclear energy, which is seen by the Malaysian government as an alternative method of generating electricity in future, is facing hurdles because of the people's negative perception of this energy source.
The Dewan Negara (upper house of Parliament) was told Wednesday by Deputy Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Noriah Kasnon that this was because the public's awareness on nuclear energy and its long-term benefits in terms of power generation was still low.
US seeks increased military ties with Pakistan
BY IANS,
Washington : Saying it wanted to move beyond a transactional relationship, the US says it wants to ramp up military ties with Pakistan to help combat militancy.
"We need to substantially increase our military assistance and broaden the form," US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Mich�le Flournoy said at a seminar here.
Kasab’s mother coming to India to meet him: Mukherjee
By IANS,
Jangipur (West Bengal): The mother of Ajmal Amir Kasab is coming to India to meet him, the lone Pakistani terrorist caught alive during the Mumbai terror attacks, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here Tuesday.
Mukherjee referred to her visit to meet Kasab in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail, as he said Pakistan should not delay its probe into the 26/11 attacks on the pretext of seeking more specific information from India.
Bhutto’s family did not want autopsy: Musharraf
By IANS
New York : Benazir Bhutto's family did not want a post-mortem examination, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said, expressing his willingness to exhume the assassinated leader's body now.
"There's the cultural factor. Somehow, in our culture, a post-mortem of a woman is not done. When the body was at the hospital, Asif Ali Zardari (Bhutto's husband) himself said it could not be done; he didn't want the post-mortem done," Musharraf said in an interview to Newsweek.
Bangladesh president arrives on six-day visit
New Delhi : Bangladesh President M. Abdul Hamid arrived here Thursday on a six-day official visit - the first visit by a ceremonial head...
Will Rice’s visit help push forward Mideast peace talks?
By Guo Chunju, Yu Zhongwen, Xinhua
Cairo : As U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday started her latest Mideast regional tour with the aim to salvage the U.S.-sponsored peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians, Arab experts and media here didn't hold high expectations on her visit to achieve tangible results to push forward the stalled Mideast peace process.
Visit amid difficult situation
Dubai’s non-oil trade grows by 44.5 percent to Dh605 billion in January-September 2008
By NNN-WAM,
Dubai : Dubai's non-oil foreign trade, including trade via free zones and customs warehouses, surged by 44.5 per cent during the first nine months of 2008 ending in September, compared to the corresponding period in 2007, the latest report by Dubai World's Statistics Department revealed.
According to the report, Dubai's direct foreign trade recorded a growth by 51.2 per cent, with a corresponding rise of 33.4 per cent in the trade activity through other channels such as free zones and customs warehouses.
Five new polio cases reported in Pakistan
Islamabad : Five new polio cases have been reported in Pakistan, bringing to 58 the number of children affected this year, a media report...
Regional forum of Syria’s neighbouring countries discuss environmental effects
By NNN-SANA,
Damascus : The Regional Forum of Neighbouring Countries has discussed here the institutional and legal framework for evaluating the environmental impact in Syria's neighbouring countries and means of limiting pollution in these countries.
The three-day forum starting Monday is organised by the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment-General Department of Environmental Affairs in cooperation with the Syrian Engineers Union.
Civilian casualty toll mounts, Iran urges US to stop bloodshed
By IRNA,
Baghdad : The civilian casualty toll mounted Wednesday as US escalated air strikes on residential areas in Sadr City amid Iranian call on the US to stop air strikes.
"Iran is concerned over further bloodshed and civilian deaths in Iraq," Hassan Kazemi Qomi told a press conference in Baghdad earlier this week.
He said that the warring parties should sit at the negotiating table.
IRNA reporter in Baghdad said citing Iraqi Interior Ministry that two omen were among seven civilians killed in indiscriminate bombardment of Sadr City overnight.
Optimism over Moscow MidEast Talks
By Ulises Canales, Prensa Latina,
Cairo : Plagued by international passivity to an unbending Tel Aviv, the negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis have recovered a slight optimism in the wake of the announcement that the next meeting of the Middle East Quartet will be held in Moscow.
Russia, as a member of the Quartet also including the United States, the United Nations and the European Union, shares responsibility for the virtually nil progress of talks convened in Annapolis, the United States, in November 2007, by President George W. Bush.
Iran protests against US for supporting terror group
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran has lodged a protest through the Swiss embassy against the US for allegedly supporting a terrorist group which claimed bombing of a mosque last month in an Iranian city that killed 14 people and injured some 200, official IRNA news reported Thursday.
Iran's foreign ministry in a statement Wednesday said the Swiss embassy was told that the terror group in the US, responsible for the April 12 mosque blast in the southern city of Shiraz, has plans to carry out similar activities in Iran.
Syrian President meets French parliamentary delegation on mideast
By NNN-Xinhua-SANA
Damascus : Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met a French parliamentary delegation on Wednesday over the situation in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, the official SANA news agency reported.
Assad and the delegation, headed by Chairman of the French-Syrian Friendship Association at the French National Assembly Geread Bapt, also discussed bilateral ties between the two countries and underlined the importance of installing a mechanism to activate the ties in all domains.
Zia blames ‘foreign hand’ for industrial violence
By IANS,
Dhaka : Former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia has blamed "instigation by competitor foreign countries" for the recurring violence in the country's money-spinning garment sector.
Her accusation Friday came amid efforts by the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to correct the problems in the ailing garment sector plagued by poor wages and working conditions and bad employer-employee relations.
Karzai pledges transparent elections in Afghanistan
Kabul: Afghan President Hamid Karzai Saturday assured the people of a free and fair presidential election on April 5, saying the security forces were...
‘Iran, Pakistan can establish peace in the region’
By IANS,
Islamabad : Iran and Pakistan could play an important role in establishing peace and stability in the region, a top Pakistani politician has said.
Pakistan to have Electronic Voting Machines
By IANS,
Islamabad: Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be introduced in Pakistan and some 200,000 EVMs would be procured before the general elections, authorities said.
80 percent of Mohmand cleared of militants: Pakistan Army
By IANS,
Islamabad : About 80 percent of Mohmand agency in Pakistan's northwest has been cleared of militants, a senior army officer has claimed.
UN official welcomes carter’s decision to talk to Hamas during Mideast trip
By NNN-KUNA,
United Nations : John Holmes, UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator has welcomed former US President Jimmy Carter's decision to meet Khaled Meshaal, leader of the militant Palestinian group Hamas, if that will help break the deadlock in the peace process.
NATO missiles’ deployment to worsen Syrian crisis: Iran
By IANS,
Tehran: Iran has said the deployment of NATO's Patriot missiles in Turkey near the Syrian border will only aggravate the prevailing Syrian crisis, according to Xinhua.
Palestine seeks international intervention against Israel
Ramallah: The Palestinian government has demanded international intervention to stop the Israeli violence "escalation" in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, a...
EU welcomes Musharraf”s commitment on free and fair polls in Pakistan
By KUNA
Brussels : The European Union welcomed Friday the public commitment made by President Pervez Musharraf that elections in Pakistan to National and Provincial Assemblies on 18 February will be held in a free, fair, transparent and peaceful manner.
The EU understands that technical preparations for the polls are on schedule, noted a statement by the EU Presidency held currently by Slovenia.
"The transparency of the electoral process will be essential to restoring public confidence and ultimate progress towards national reconciliation," it stressed.
Japan terminates its anti-terrorism mission in Indian Ocean
By RIA Novosti,
Tokyo : Japan ended on Friday its naval anti-terrorism mission in the Indian Ocean aimed at supporting the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Japanese vessels have been refueling and supplying water to ships involved in Maritime Intercept Operations, or MIO, in the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf since 2001.
However, the mission has long been shrouded in controversy, with opposition politicians criticizing its lack of UN mandate and claiming that it violates the country's pacifist constitution.
Saudi Arabia registers 2 deaths, 16 new MERS corona virus cases
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia's health ministry announced Saturday two more deaths and 16 new Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) corona virus cases.
Of the new...
Bomb attacks kill 45 in Iraq
By DPA,
Baghdad : At least 45 people were killed and 59 injured Tuesday in attacks, including a bloody suicide and car bomb attack in Iraq's restive Diyala province, in some of the worst violence the country has witnessed in recent months.
A simultaneous suicide and bomb attack in Diyala province killed at least 35 people. Around 47 people were injured in the attack.
A suicide bomber got out of a car and detonated himself amid a crowd of police recruits standing in front of a police station in Jalawla town, some 60 km northeast of the Iraqi capital, witnesses told DPA.
Olmert, Mubarak discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace process in Sharm El-Sheikh
By NNN-KUNA,
Sharm El-Sheikh : Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have held discussions here on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Mubarak expressed at the meeting Tuesday he was happy to meet Olmert, stressing the importance of discussing many issues including the Palestinian-Israeli ceasefire that took effect last Thursday through an Egyptian sponsorship.
For his side, Olmert said Egypt is a strategic partner in the region and has special efforts in the peace process.
34 killed in Syria car bomb blast
Damascus : At least 34 people were killed and 50 injured Friday in car bomb blast in Syria's Hama province.
The blast was triggered by...
Iran, Poland to strengthen ties
Tehran: Iran and Poland are determined to boost their cooperation in diverse areas, their foreign ministers said Saturday.
Referring to the historic relations between the...
Abdullah rejects Afghan presidential poll result
Kabul : Abdullah Abdullah Tuesday rejected the Afghan presidential elections preliminary result announced Monday, calling himself the winner.
"The preliminary result of presidential election is...
Bangabandhu was an illegal PM: BNP leader
Dhaka: Two weeks after making a startling claim that Ziaur Rahman was Bangladesh’s first president, senior BNP leader Tarique Rahman said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur...
Iran Criticizes Human Rights Violation in Canada
By IRNA,
Tehran : Iran criticized Canada for violating the rights of Muslims and other minorities as well as its recent support for Israeli crimes in Gaza Strip.
Iran made the move in the fourth summit to review human rights situation in the world which was held in UN European office in Geneva.
The country's representative in the meeting referred to the cases of human rights violations in Canada and criticized the country for its opposition to the recent resolution by Human Rights Council condemning the atrocities of the Zionist regime in Gaza.
Malaysian ‘thief’ turns out to be lover
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : A youth who "broke into a house" was arrested by police, not for theft, but for sleeping with the house owner's daughter.
According to the Sunday weekly Metro Ahad, residents in Teluk Intan in Perak state saw a teenager getting off his motorcycle behind a house and climbing over the fence.
Suspecting a robbery, residents contacted the police who surrounded the house and ordered the 19-year-old to surrender.
Five missiles, four mortar shells hit southern Israel — Israeli spokesman
By KUNA
Gaza : Five missiles and four mortar shells were fired from Gaza Strip targeting western Negev, in southern Israel, the Israeli Army said on Thursday.
An Israeli Army spokesman told a local radio station that the missiles landed in an area near the Israeli settlement of Sderot, while the mortar shells hit an agricultural area in the Jewish city of Ein Hashlosha, near Gaza Strip.
The missiles and mortar shells did not cause any causalities or material damage, though farming workers had to evacuate in fear of another attack, he added.
40 Palestinians killed in Gaza
Gaza : At least 40 Palestinians were killed and 400 injured Sunday in Israeli artillery fire in Gaza City.
Officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza,...
EU FMs to discuss hard conditions in Gaza at meeting Monday
By KUNA
Brussels : European Union Foreign Ministers Council will review developments in the Middle East namely alarming conditions in Gaza and Israeli settlements' issue during a meeting due to be held here on Monday.
The council is expected to express grave concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza and at recent Israeli settlement activity in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, said EU sources.
Global economic crisis: 37000 Malayalis lost jobs
By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Malappuiram: The global economic crisis has brought untoward calamities for expatriate Malayalis, according to a study conducted by the Centre for Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram. Around 37, 000 expatriates lost their jobs, while 37000 – 63000 had to return back home due to the crisis. About 90000 families did not receive any money from abroad this year.
Pakistani scholarships for 600 Afghan students
Islamabad, July 1 (IANS) Pakistan is offering 600 scholarships for Afghan students to enable them to study different disciplines at prominent institutions.
Explosion injures three, DPO narrowly escapes
By APP
Buner, Pakistan : Three sustained critical injuries while District Police Officer Abdul Ghafoor Afridi narrowly escaped when unknown militants detonated a roadside Improvised Explosive Device here at Buner Baba on Friday, police said.
The bomb went off minutes before vehicle of the DPO passed from the site of explosion. However, three persons travelling in another car sustained critical injuries and were rushed to hospital.
Mosul operation will be swift, says Iraqi minister of interior
By KUNA,
Baghdad : Iraqi Minister of Interior Jawwad Al-Bolani said Friday evening the planned military operation targeting Al-Qaeda organization in the northern city of Mosul would be very swift.
"President Jalal Talabani asserted that the country was passing through a critical period in its efforts to assert its stature," Al-Bolani told reporters following his meeting with Talabani.
The meeting was also attended by leaders of the security agencies.
‘India not causing water shortage in Pakistan’
Islamabad: Denying general assumption that India is responsible for water shortage in Pakistan, the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) chairman has said that media...
Shimon Peres discharged from hospital after collapsing
By DPA,
Jerusalem : Israeli President Shimon Peres was released from hospital Sunday morning, where he spent the night after collapsing during an event in Tel Aviv, the presidential spokeswoman said.
Medical tests, which the 86-year-old president underwent in hospital overnight and Sunday morning, revealed no problems and the president was resuming his full activities, the spokeswoman said.
Peres was answering questions Saturday night at a forum in Tel Aviv when he collapsed. He regained consciousness within seconds, and had to be persuaded to go to hospital for checks.
20 hurt as Muslim sects clash over Bangladesh mosque
By DPA,
Dhaka : At least 20 people were injured in clashes between members of two Muslim sects seeking control of a mosque in Bangladesh's southeastern Chittagong district Friday, police said.
Sacked judges to be restored: Zardari
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's political roller coaster continues. Asif Ali Zardari, leader of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has declared finally that the judges sacked after President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency last year would be reinstated.
The issue had threatened to split the ruling coalition. Zardari initially agreed to their reinstatement as part of a constitutional package to be introduced in parliament and then backed off.
Double crisis hits Badawi-led Malaysian government
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : With a minister threatening to quit and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim claiming the support of 31 members of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi seems to be in serious trouble.
Mounting pressure on Badawi to step down as he had lost majority, Ibrahim claimed that more than 31 BN lawmakers had agreed to cross over to his opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat. He, however, refused to reveal the names of the 31 MPs, Star Online reported Tuesday.
Pakistan President, PM condemn explosion in Lahore
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : President Pervez Musharraf and caretaker Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro Tuesday strongly condemned the terrorist attack at the Naval War College in Lahore. The President and the Prime Minister expressed their deep grief and sorrow over the incident.
President Musharraf directed the authorities to fully investigate the matter and track down the mastermind.
He said the government will not be cowed down by such acts and expressed resolve of the country to continue the fight against extremism and terrorism.
Constitutional amendments can’t be challenged: Pakistan government
By IANS,
Islamabad : The confrontation between the Pakistani government and the Supreme Court seems to be deepening with the former now contending that constitutional amendments are not open to judicial review.
The government and the Supreme Court are already on a collision course over implementing the latter's order to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari and some 250 others who had benefited from the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), an amnesty against graft that the court has declared unconstitutional.
Text of India, Pakistan joint statement
By IANS,
New Delhi: The text of the joint statement issued after the two-day talks between Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani here:
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to be impeached
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's ruling coalition Thursday decided to impeach President Pervez Musharraf following his failure to win the trust of the newly elected parliament and also to reinstate the judges he had sacked after declaring an emergency last November.
"Good news for democracy in Pakistan!" Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that leads the ruling coalition, declared as he addressed a news conference to announce the impeachment move.
Dhaka daily resumes publication after court order
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bengali newspaper Amar Desh came out with a four-page edition Friday, a day after a high court bench stayed its closure by the government and warned the authorities against harassing the daily's acting editor.
The printer's line continued to mention publisher Hashmat Ali and acting editor Mahmudur Rahman, both of whom were prosecuted by the government on criminal charges, including sedition.
Rahman was a minister in the Khaleda Zia government and the newspaper favours the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), bdnew2s24.com said.
Etihad Airways unveils new partnerships with six airlines
Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates' (UAE) flagship carrier, Etihad Airways, Wednesday unveiled Etihad Airways Partners, a new brand which brings together like-minded airlines...
US deploys underwater drones to hunt for Iranian mines
By IANS,
London: The US is to intensify its military build up in the Persian Gulf by deploying miniature underwater drones to hunt for Iranian mines, The Telegraph reported Thursday.
Lebanese Army disengages warring gunmen in northern Lebanon
By KUNA,
Beirut : Lebanese Army troops equipped with armor vehicles and automatic guns took up positions in the heart of the northern city of Tripoli on Sunday disengaging warring gunmen who had turned the city's central region into a battle zone.
A military source told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the government regular foces took control of locations between the neighboring districts of Bab Al-Tabbanah and Baal Mohsen.
Iran wary of the heavy burden of refugees
By NNN-IRNA,
Tehran : Iran is wary of heavy burden illegal immigrants imposed on national budget as Interior Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi on Saturday put the figure of refugees in Iran at three million.
Pour-Mohammadi He said that two million immigrants have entered the country illegally.
Explosion targets fast food restaurant in Gaza Strip — sources
By KUNA,
Gaza : A huge explosion targeted on Sunday at dawn a fast food restaurant, located near Gaza's Al-Azhar University.
According to Palestinian security sources, the explosion caused by the detonation of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was the work of unknown gunmen near the restaurant's front door.
The blast caused severe material damage, they said.
The explosion, the second of its kind in three days, claimed no lives.
Iran, Singapore to expand technical-scientific cooperation
By IANS
Tehran : Iran has expressed its willingness to expand technical and scientific cooperation with Singapore, official IRNA news agency reported Thursday.
Deputy Minister of Science, Research and Technology Alireza Jahangiri told a visiting Singaporean delegation here Wednesday his country needs huge investment to develop its science and technology potential and is keen on technical and scientific cooperation with Singapore.
Jahangiri said Iran has had remarkable scientific development and "ranks first in some scientific fields among the Islamic world and Middle East region."
Israel is ready for any possible escalation in Gaza Strip — Barak
By KUNA
Gaza : Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Sunday that Israel is ready for any possible military escalation in Gaza Strip, holding Hamas responsibility for such situation.
Barak told Israeli radio that only Hamas bears the responsibility for the deteriorating situation in Gaza Strip and will pay for it dearly.
The Israeli minister promised more military operations in Gaza Strip that claimed 65 lives and injured more than 200 people.
Iran unveils hovercraft
By IANS,
Tehran: Iran Monday unveiled indigenously built hovercraft that can launch missiles and serve as launch pad for drones.
Pakistani troops fire at Indian posts
By IANS,
Jammu : Pakistani troops opened indiscriminate fire in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector in another violation of the ceasefire, sources in the army said Monday.
Iran could have nuclear weapons in two years: CIA
By DPA,
Washington: Leon Panetta, director of the CIA, said Sunday that Iran could have nuclear weapons within two years.
International nuclear experts believe Iran has enough low-enriched uranium for two weapons, but it would have to be further enriched "to get there", Panetta noted in remarks to ABC TV news.
Panetta noted that there was "continuing debate" within Iran as to whether they should pursue building a bomb.
UAE asserts commitment to fighting human trafficking
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is committed to fighting human trafficking wherever it occurs and would aggressively interdict those involved in it, says the first annual report of the UAE National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking.
The report, 'Combating Human Trafficking in the UAE 2007', has been released a year after the committee was formed, and highlights the country's stand on the crime, the efforts to counter it, the obstacles and challenges it has encountered, as well as plans for the future, according to the state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM).
344 Palestinian children still languishing in Israeli jails
By KUNA
Ramallah : The Prisoners Centre for Studies in the West Bank revealed on Saturday that 344 childre were languishing in Israeli jails.
The center said in a statement quoting Director of the center Raafat Hamdouna that the prisoners are subjected to many violations that require intervention to be stopped, especially as Israel violates international norms and conventions guaranteeing protection of prisoners.
German gov’t approves extending Afghan deployment
By IRNA,
Berlin : The German cabinet gave green light Tuesday to a 14-month extension of German troop deployment in Afghanistan. It also agreed to raise the number of Afghanistan-based German soldiers from 3,500 to 4,500 soldiers as part of a bill to be discussed by the parliament later in the day.
The German Parliament is expected to approve the bill once it comes up for vote in mid-October.
Iran’s passenger plane crashes, 150 on board feared killed
By Xinhua,
Tehran : An Iranian passenger plane crashed near the country's northwestern city of Gazvin and all 150 people on board were feared killed, IRNA news agency said Wednesday.
Iran's Press TV quoted Gazvin police chief as saying that 150 people on board the aircraft were "most probably" dead.
The Russia-made Tupolev passenger plane was travelling from Tehran to the Armenian capital of Yerevan at the time of the accident, the Press TV said.
The plane was completely destroyed and its wreckage was in flames, the report said.
Dubai sets up new centre for administration of Int’l Arbitration and mediation
By NNN-WAM
Dubai : The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has announced a joint venture with the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) to offer dispute resolution services to all business and commercial sectors, providing a cost-effective and timely alternative to the Courts.
US security agreement poses threat to Iraq”s neighbors — Syrian leader
By KUNA,
Damascus : The security agreement between Baghdad and Washington poses a threat to countries neighboring Iraq, said Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on Sunday.
Addressing the opening of the second regular session of the Arab Interim Parliament (AIP), he said Iraq's stability was vital for regional security and this could only be achieved by ending "foreign occupation" and reaching national conciliation, thereby guaranteeing the country's independence and sovereignty.
Vast potential for Malaysia, Pakistan & Middle East trilateral cooperation
By Hafizah Kamaruddin, NNN-Bernama,
ISLAMABAD, Nov 15 (NNN-Bernama) -- Malaysia should not just look at enhancing bilateral ties with Pakistan, but also endeavour to forge trilateral cooperation with Middle East countries especially in the halal food industry as well as other products and services.
In making the call, Masood Khalid, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry Additional Foreign Secretary for the Asia-Pacific, said there was vast potential for the three parties to work together in what was still relatively a largely untapped sector for cooperation among Islamic countries.
President Pervez Musharraf launches hydroelectric project
By SPA
Islamabad : President Pervez Musharraf Saturday launched US 2.16 billion (Rs 130 billion) Neelum-Jhelum Hydroelectric project aimed at producing 969 MW power and helping Pakistan meet its increasing energy requirements.
Terming it a very important project, the president said it will have far reaching strategic implications and added that it will be completed with the Chinese assistance in eight years.
He described it as yet another symbol of the Pak-China friendship and said it will contribute towards the economic progress of the country.
Iran’s nuclear drive irritates Franco-Syrian ties: Kouchner
By DPA,
Damascus : French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, speaking to reporters from Damascus Sunday, admitted that France and Syria were "not in full agreement" on Iran's nuclear programme.
"We are not in full agreement on how to handle the Iranian nuclear file, but it was very useful to listen to the Syrian point of view on this matter," Kouchner said after meeting his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem and President Bashar al-Assad.
Israeli army shots dead Palestinian teenager in N Gaza
By Xinhua
Gaza : Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian teenager in northern Gaza Strip overnight, Palestinian medical sources said on Saturday.
Mu'awia Hassanein, a senior emergency official at the health ministry, said the ambulance crews found a dead body near a former Israeli settlement close to the border in Beit Lahiya town in northern Gaza.
He added that the body of 18-year-old Tamer Dawass was hardly recognized due to the numerous gunshots he received.
The paramedics have taken the body to Kamal Adwan hospital in Jabaliya refugee camp, according to Hassanein.
Pakistan can defeat conventional, unconventional threats: Kayani
By IANS,
Islamabad : The Pakistan army is highly motivated and fully capable of defeating conventional and unconventional threats posed to the country, chief of army staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said.
It is harmonisation of socio-political, administrative and military strategies that will usher an environment of peace and stability in the long term, the Online news agency quoted the army chief as saying.
Kayani was addressing officers of Command and Staff College, Quetta, Tuesday.
23 bodies found near Damascus
By IANS,
By AKI,
Damascus: At least 23 bodies of victims of a suspected mass execution have been found near the Syrian capital, Al Jazeera reported.
Canada paid millions to mole to crack Pakistani terror plot
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Canadian agencies paid millions of dollars to a Muslim agent to unravel an al-Qaeda terror plot four years ago. Most plotters were of Pakistani origin and came from the Toronto suburb of Mississauga which has the biggest concentration of Muslims in the country.
Music is the healer, think Afghan musicians as they perform in Guwahati
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Guwahati: On most of the occasions, when we talk of Afghanistan, it’s either Taliban or the prolonged conflicts at the land locked country. The country was almost devastated by many from both inside and outside yet there are some beautiful things to be appreciated in the country.
Trial run on June 1-3 of Agartala-Kolkata bus via Bangladesh
Agartala : The trial run of a bus service between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh will be held on June 1-3, a minister said...
Pakistan’s debt to rise by Rs.2 trillion
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's public debt is expected to rise by a staggering 34 percent or Rs.2 trillion ($25 billion) in the current fiscal largely due to the massive depreciation of the rupee and external loans obtained for maintaining the balance of payments.
The public debt was at Rs.5.9 trillion at the beginning of the fiscal July 1, 2008.
Quoting from figures compiled by the finance ministry, Dawn Tuesday said the foreign currency debt will reach Rs.4.8 trillion and the domestic currency debt will be at Rs.3.1 trillion by the end of the fiscal June 30.
Bush likely to pull out more troops from Iraq by his term-end
By NNN-PTI
Washington : US is likely to withdraw more troops from Iraq before President George W Bush's term ends January next year.
"We anticipate further reductions because we have confidence in the way things are going now," a senior administration official said.
The official dismissed suspicions that a pause in withdrawals announced by Defence Secretary Robert Gates this summer would freeze US force levels until the next president takes office.
Hamas claims responsibility for bomb attack in southern Israel
By RIA Novosti
Gaza : Islamist militant group Hamas on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in the southern Israeli city of Dimona which killed one woman.
The explosion on Monday in a shopping mall killed the suicide bomber and a 73 year-old Israeli woman, and injured 16 other people. A second suicide bomber was shot by police before he could detonate his device.
The group identified the militants as Mohammed Herbawi and Shadi Zghayer, who came from the West Bank city of Hebron.
Saudi Arabia looks forward to Arab summit in Damascus – Saudi FM
By NNN-KUNA
Riyadh : Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal has said that his country was looking forward to the upcoming Arab Summit to be held in Damascus.
Addressing the Saudi Shura Council Sunday, Prince Faisal indicated that the upcoming meeting for the Arab League's council would focus on items to be discussed in the Arab Summit, to be held end of March.
"Saudi Arabia is always keen on stabilization in the Arab world," affirmed Prince Faisal, hoping that the summit would help solve some of the problems in the region.
I wanted to walk out of Agra summit: Musharraf
By IANS,
Islamabad : Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has said he wanted to walk out of the failed 2001 Agra summit but was dissuaded from doing so by a senior official.
His frustration, he told reporters in New York, stemmed from the fact that then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had twice refused to include a reference to Kashmir in the joint declaration issued after the summit.
Suicide bombing at Peshawar Press Club kills four
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least four people were killed and 17 injured in the Pakistani frontier city of Peshawar Tuesday when a teenaged suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Press Club packed with journalists.
Four journalists were wounded in the deafening blast.
This is the first major attack on the media in Peshawar. The bombing follows a series of threats issued against publications as well as journalists by militants.
One in seven Bangladeshis suffers from kidney disease
By Xinhua,
Dhaka : One in every seven people in Bangladesh suffers from kidney diseases and 40,000 die annually from kidney-related complications, The Daily Star newspaper reported Wednesday.
Experts told a convention and scientific seminar here Tuesday that about 20 million people are now suffering from kidney ailments as against 10 million a decade ago.
Kidney Foundation, Bangladesh, a non-profitable organization, arranged the fourth national convention and scientific seminar here on prevention of chronic kidney disease.
Egypt to get first women bus drivers
By RIA Novosti
Cairo : Egyptian public buses are to have female drivers for the first time, national media reported on Wednesday.
The national bus service has been badly hit by a lack of staff, with many male drivers leaving to take up better-paid positions at private and tourist companies.
Women willing to become bus drivers will be trained and given a driving license to make up the shortage. Around 150 buses have recently been taken out of service in Cairo alone.
France to invite Syrian President for national day celebrations
By KUNA,
Paris : President Nicolas Sarkozy has invited Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to attend the French "Bastille Day" national celebrations on July 14, a further sign of warming ties between the two countries.
Al-Assad will already be in Paris on July 13 at the invitation of Sarkozy but to attend a summit of Mediterranean leaders.
The French leader has invited all participants at that summit, including Al-Assad, to take part in the national day even, diplomatic sources confirmed.
Egyptian nine-year-old may be admitted to university
By RIA Novosti
Cairo : A nine-year-old Egyptian boy, dubbed "Mr Calculator" by his family and friends for his amazing ability with calculations, may be admitted to Cairo University, local media said.
This week Mahmoud Wael is meeting with the Egyptian education minister who will make a decision on whether to admit him to the university, the Al-Ahram daily said.
Mahmoud, who was acknowledged a wunderkind by teachers and officials at the age of four, can work out the most complicated calculations in a matter of seconds.
PFLP rejects extending Gaza ceasefire unilaterally by Hamas
By Xinhua,
Gaza : The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) on Monday said current ceasefire in the Gaza Strip should not be extended by a single Palestinian movement, referring to Islamic Hamas movement.
The remarks came as the Egyptian-brokered six-month ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will end in December.
"The PFLP calls for discussing this issue (the extension) in the framework of the Palestinian factions to get the lesson of the current lull which Israel works to turn it into own victory," said PFLP top official in Gaza, Kayed al-Ghoul.
Palestinians condemn Israeli plan to build West Bank settlement units
Ramallah : The Palestinian presidency Monday condemned the Israeli government for its plan to build 50 housing units in the settlement of Har Homa,...
Pakistani leadership under attack over Shahzad killing
By IANS,
Islamabad : A former Pakistani diplomat has moaned the lack of leadership in Pakistan while paying tributes to slain journalist Saleem Shahzad.
Qatar to host 21st Arab summit
By Xinhua
Damascus : Qatar will be the next host of the Arab summit, Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa announced on Sunday when reading out the Damascus Declaration at the closing session of the 20th Arab summit here.
Four Israeli warplanes violate Lebanese airspace
By NNN-KUNA
Beirut : Four Israeli warplanes have violated Lebanese airspace entering from the south and flying all the way to the north, a statement by the Lebanese army said.
Two of the planes came from the direction of the southern Lebanese border village of Rmeish while two others came from the border village of Kfar-Kila Sunday, the statement said.
The aircraft proceeded north up to the city of Batroun, where they flew in a circular pattern before returning back south and leaving Lebanese airspace over Naqura, the statement added.
UN to relocate one-third of foreign staff in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : The UN plans to relocate 12 percent of its workers in Afghanistan, including one third of its international staff, in the face of mounting Taliban attacks, officials said Thursday.
The decision came more than a week after Taliban militants attacked a UN guest house in Kabul, killing five of its international staff and three Afghan nationals.
Iran says space program poses no threat to peace
By RIA Novosti
Tehran : A spokesman for Iran's government gave assurances on Tuesday that the country's achievements in space technology and research pose no threat to peace and stability in the world.
Gholam-Hossein Elham's comments come a day after Tehran's successful launch of the Explorer-1 research rocket, which is reportedly capable of carrying a satellite into orbit, and the unveiling of the country's first domestically built satellite, named Omid, or Hope.
Musharraf indicted, pleads not guilty to all charges
Islamabad : Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf was indicted Monday on charges of high treason. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Justice Faisal Arab,...
UN delays publication of Benazir Bhutto murder probe
By DPA,
New York : The UN has decided to delay publication of a report on the assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, a spokesman said Tuesday.
The decision was taken by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, at the request of the Pakistan government. In fact, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto's widower, himself asked for the report to be withheld until April 15.
"The report is complete and ready to be released," said spokesman Martin Nesirky. "There was a request, and the request was accepted."
Pakistan donates 26,000 metric tons of wheat to WFP
By Aslam Chandio, TwoCircles.net,
Islamabad: The Pakistan Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has announced the release of 26,000 metric tons of wheat for distribution in Pakistan by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). The contribution, valued at USD 10 million, comes at a critical time when funding shortages are threatening WFP’s ability to provide emergency food assistance to almost 1 million people displaced by violence in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Israeli fresh airstrikes on Gaza kill three Palestinians
Gaza: Three Palestinians were killed and 10 others injured in Israeli fresh airstrikes on the Gaza Strip Monday, the seventh day since Israel launched...
Iran Fosters Gas Producers Organization
By Prensa Latina
Tehran : Iran's Oil Deputy Minister Ali Kordan said here Monday his country is fostering a gas producers organization, similar to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, to reduce production costs and prices to consumers.
Kordan told the press his government supports the creation of an organization that equally guarantees the interests of consumers and producers.
Jordan calls for continued U.S. support to Mideast peace process
By Xinhua,
Amman : Jordan's Prime Minister Nader Dahabi called here Tuesday for a continued U.S. support to the Middle East peace process, official news agency reported.
In a meeting with a delegation of U.S. Congressional aides, Dahabi said that Jordan is looking forward to supports for the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian negotiations to keep the momentum provided by a U.S.-host Annapolis conference last November.
Dahabi stressed that a just solution to the Palestinian issue will contribute to solving other issues and conflicts in the region.
OIC Chief welcomes Fatah, Hamas meeting
By IINA,
Jeddah : The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu welcomed the meeting that recently brought together leaders from Fatah and Hamas movements in Cairo, Egypt. In a statement, he described the meeting as a significant development on the path toward ending the tension that has plagued the Palestinian political scene. Prof. Ihsanoglu expressed his appreciation for the reconciliation efforts deployed by Egypt in a bid to bring together Palestinian factions and put an end to Palestinian divisiveness.
Over 100,000 displaced in Iraqi governorate
United Nations : The UN on Thursday said that more than 100,000 people have been displaced in Anbar governorate, where pro-government forces have been...
Afghanistan casualties inevitable — UK troops commander
By KUNA
London : British casualties in Afghanistan are an inevitable result of operations in the country, the commander of British troops said Tuesday.
Brigadier Andrew Mackay also told BBC radio his forces were "succeeding," but added that to describe them as "winning" might overstate the case.
Amid concern about the intensity of fighting in Afghanistan, Brigadier Mackay said he hoped casualties would reduce over time as they "got to grips" with the insurgency.
Kuwait, UAE hold talks
By IANS,
By WAM,
Kuwait City: Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Tuesday discussed bilateral relations.
16 Bangladeshi, Myanmar human traffickers sued
Dhaka : Two days after a boat carrying nearly 600 migrants was seized in the Bay of Bengal near Bangladesh's southeastern border with Myanmar,...
‘Arrested Americans had contacted jihadist groups in Pakistan’
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The five Americans arrested in Pakistan had contacted radical jihadist organisations, including two terrorist groups with links to the Al Qaeda, say US media reports citing Pakistani officials.
The five, all Muslims from the Alexandria area, a Washington suburb, also had maps and videos suggesting that they intended to train to fight US troops in Afghanistan, the Washington Post said Thursday.
"They are proudly saying, 'We are here for jihad'," Usman Anwar, police chief of Sargodha whose officers interrogated the men, was quoted as saying.
Iraqi parliament fails to elect new speaker
By Xinhua,
BAGHDAD : Iraq's parliament failed Sunday to elect a new speaker due to persisting disputes over the candidates among parliamentary political blocs, an official said.
"The parliament failed to elect a new speaker for the lack of quorum after six political blocs withdrew from today's session," an official in the parliament media office told Xinhua.
He said that the parliament would reconvene on Monday hoping that the political blocs would reach consensus over who they will vote to be the new speaker.
Campaign to remove political slogans begins in Beirut
By NNN-KUNA,
Beirut : The campaign to rid Beirut from pictures, flags, and slogans promoting certain political groups began Saturday in accordance to an agreement between the Future Bloc, Hezbollah and Amal parties.
The three-day campaign saw the participation of young loyalists to the three political blocs under the supervision of security forces.
Interior Minister Zeyad Baroud, who conducted a field inspection of the campaign, told the press that the step was very important to achieve political stability in Lebanon.
Bangladesh SC upholds death sentence of two wartime criminals
Dhaka: Bangladesh's Supreme court on Wednesday upheld its previous verdict on the death sentence of two war-crime convicts Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and Salauddin...
Foreign leaders fondly recall Nehru’s legacy
New Delhi : Foreign leaders Monday fondly recalled their countries' links with India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, with former Afghan president Hamid Karzai...
39 militants killed in Afghanistan
By IANS,
Kabul : Afghan police supported by NATO-led forces killed 39 Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan, a statement of the interior ministry said Sunday.
"Afghan National Police backed by international troops launched an operation in Chanarto and Behzak areas of Uruzgan province Friday, killing 39 militants," Xinhua quoted the statement as saying.
Combined forces also recovered 30 rifles, four rocket-propelled grenades and five machine guns during the operation, the statement added.
Afghan poll shows India most favoured, Pakistan unpopular
By IANS,
New Delhi: In a new opinion poll, Afghans have rated India as the most favourable foreign country in Afghanistan and have rejected a role for Pakistan in their country.
The opinion poll, commissioned by by BBC, ABC and German TV ARD, also shows a sharp decline in support for the Taliban.
According to the findings, 71 percent of more than 1,500 Afghans questioned endorsed India's multifarious role in the reconstruction of the strife-torn country.
Bangladesh losing US garment market to India, China
By IANS,
Dhaka: Bangladesh is losing the US market for garments to India, China, Vietnam and Indonesia, among others, causing concern among exporters.
Citing a recent report of US Commerce Department, exporters say Bangladesh, recording a marginal fall during January-April this year, has witnessed overall negative growth in shipments compared to other Asian competitors.
The report on "US apparel imports from major Asian sources in January-April 2010" shows Bangladesh’s apparel shipments saw one percent decline over the like period of the past year.
Terror camps jeopardising India-Pakistan peace process: Zardari
By IANS,
London : Demolishing Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's repeated assertions that there were no terrorist training camps in his country, the co-chair of the party that heads the new civilian government in Islamabad says these groups pose a "very serious danger" to the sub-continental peace process.
These camps should be dismantled so that the militants do not hold the foreign policies of India and Pakistan to ransom, Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said.
Hamas police bans Palestinian dailies circulation in Gaza
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Police of ruling Hamas movement in Gaza Strip has banned on Monday the circulation of three major Palestinian dailies in the strip, a Hamas interior ministry statement said.
The three major Palestinian dailies, al-Quds, al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida, which are printed in West Bank, were allowed by Israel through Erez crossing on the border between northern Gaza Strip and Israel.
Hamas: Chances of inter-Palestinian dialogue retreated
By Xinhua,
Gaza : A senior Hamas leader said on Saturday that possibilities of launching inter-Palestinian dialogue have been retreated due to opposition from Western powers.
"The chance of a Palestinian-Palestinian dialogue," which is intended to repair the political gap between the West Bank and the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, now "returned to zero," said the Gaza-based leader Mahmoud Zahar.
"There is no dialogue now because the officials in Ramallah are unable to do so due to the American-European veto," he said.
Top IS leader killed in coalition airstrikes in Iraq
Baghdad: A prominent Islamic State leader was killed in airstrikes launched by the US-led international coalition west of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
General...
Somalia Violence May Boil Over
By Prensa Latina
United Nations : A United Nations official warned Tuesday the spiral of chaos and violence affecting Somalia for 16 years now might lead to the ó worst humanitarian crisis in the world ó in that African country.
ó Somalia is at a critical point, and needs urgent help, ó said Guillermo Bettocch, a representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Somalia, who in statements to the press during his stay in London, said Somalia is about to suffer an unprecedented crisis.
US woman detained in Germany for allegedly assisting Al Qaeda
Berlin: A US woman, accused of providing assistance to the members of Al Qaeda terrorist group with clothing, first-aid equipment and donations, has been...
Legislator killed in Pakistan bomb attack
By Xinhua,
Islambad : A provincial lawmaker was killed Wednesday in a bomb attack in northwestern Pakistan, the police said.
Alam Zeb Khan, a leader from the Awami National Party (ANP), was in his car when he was attacked near his residence in Peshawar, capital of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), the police said.
Khan was critically injured and was shifted to a hospital. Doctors said that he received head injuries and was operated upon.
Police said the bomb was attached to a cart and Khan's car was destroyed in the blast.