Bangladesh observes formation of provisional government
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh Sunday observed the formation of its provisional government when its elected leaders hoisted the flag for the first time.
Bad people gain if good don’t vote: Pakistan poll chief
By IANS,
Islamabad : "When good people do not vote, bad people benefit," said Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim after casting his vote Saturday.
US to give $10 billion for Afghan reconstruction
By DPA,
Paris : US First Lady Laura Bush said Thursday in Paris that Washington would give Afghanistan $10.2 billion in aid to rebuild the country.
"Afghanistan has reached a decisive moment for its future. We must not turn our back on this opportunity," Bush told the representatives of 67 nations and 17 international organizations gathered at a conference in Paris to give his government a political and financial boost.
But it was unclear how much of that money represented fresh funds and how much had already been proposed in budget requests by the Bush administration.
Pakistan’s Taliban agrees to leave Buner
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan's Taliban has agreed to move out of Buner district in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), a media report said Friday.
Fear spread among local people in Buner district after Taliban infiltrated from adjoining Swat valley into the area, about 100 km from capital Islamabad.
"Taliban has agreed to leave Buner district," Dawn TV channel quoted an official as saying.
The militants, who entered Buner April 4, were reported to have started patrolling markets, villages and towns in Buner and banned women from appearing in public.
Malaysian Indian boy pulls Mercedes car
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur: A six-year-old Malaysian Indian is set to enter the country's book of records after pulling a 1.67-tonne Mercedes Benz for 120 metres with just a simple harness tied around his waist.
T. Santhosperumal dragged the Mercedes Benz 240E with four adults Friday on a cement tarmac at his father's workplace, to the applause of thousands who gathered to watch the spectacle at Kampung Jawa in Klang.
The pre-school boy is all of six and likes to be called 'Santhos 10' after his favourite cartoon character Ben 10.
Recruiter of child suicide bombers nabbed in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : A terrorist who allegedly recruited Afghan children to serve as suicide bombers has been taken into custody, US officials said Sunday.
The arrest was made south of the Afghan capital of Kabul. A second rebel sympathiser was taken into custody Saturday in Logar province.
The two belonged to the Hakkani Network, considered to be "one of the deadliest Taliban organisations" and had been active in the troubled Afghan area along the Pakistani border.
US-led coalition troops and Afghan soldiers participated in the mission.
Dhaka renews its quest for nuclear power
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh is to submit a fresh proposal to a visiting Russian delegation Thursday for setting up two 1,000 MW nuclear power plants, a newspaper said.
Dhaka and Moscow hope to reach an understanding on this issue in the three-day talks with a two-member Russian delegation led by Vladimir Averkiev, head of international cooperation of Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation.
Yemeni PM resigns amid deadly clashes in capital
Sana'a: Yemeni Prime Minister Mohammed Basindawa resigned Sunday amid week-long deadly clashes between the army and Shia rebels here in the capital, a media...
Tehran, Moscow vow continue regional, int’l cooperation
By NNN-IRNA,
Tehran : Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili and Deputy Secretary of the Russian National Security Council Valentin Sobolev have explored ways of bolstering mutual cooperation and helping to restore peace and stability to the region and the world in their second round of talks here.
The two sides outlined their common stand on regional and international developments and underlined the need to continue mutual and international cooperation to help restore peace and stability to the world.
Former Bangladesh PM Zia told to quit home within 15 days
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh's opposition leader and former prime minister Khaleda Zia has been given 15 days to leave her home, in which she has lived since the early 1980s, or face eviction.
Her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has reacted in anger to the eviction notice and vowed to step up its protest rallies against the action of the Sheikh Hasina government.
The Directorate of Military Lands and Cantonments sent the notice Monday afternoon.
Zia has threatened confrontation, but has also said that she would take the legal course.
Int”l press freedom org. condemns Israeli acts against Palestinian journalists
By KUNA,
Paris : The international press freedom organization, Reporters Without Borders condemned here the "abusive behavior" by Israeli security agents towards Palestinian journalists moving around the Territories or returning from visits abroad. The worldwide press freedom organisation said it had recorded five incidents of "wrongful arrest" in the past ten days. One journalist is still being held, while another needed hospital treatment after being subjected to brutality and humiliation at an Israeli checkpoint by Israeli forces.
Roadside bombing kills officials in Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
Kandahar : Two Afghan officials were killed and four of their security officers wounded when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle Monday evening in this southern province, police said Tuesday.
"A bomb planted by militants struck the vehicle of Amir Mohammad, the district chief of Registan, killing him and the district police chief," provincial police chief Matiullah Khan told reporters.
Four of their bodyguards were injured in the incident, he added.
Israel hints it will not allow conditions turn serious in Gaza
By KUNA
Gaza : Israel is following up on living conditions in the besieged Gaza Strip and will avert occurrence of a humantarian crisis in the region, Israel Radio said on Monday.
The radio, quoting an unnamed official source, said Israel rules out a humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip and will take action to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.
Shortage of fuel has resulted in stopping a main power station in the strip. Most Gazans spent the night with power due to the fuel shortage.
MWL Chief meets Italian Muslim leader
By IINA,
Makkah : The Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Dr. Abdullah Al Turki met Dr. Mohammed Abdul Latif Abdul Qader Al Barq, Director of the Islamic Cultural Centre (ICC) in Perugia, Italy, at the headquarters of MWL here yesterday. During the meeting, they discussed several issues of mutual concern between MWL and the Centre, particularly about promoting religious and cultural dialogue.
Bangladesh ex-minister dies in accident
By IANS,
Dhaka : M. Saifur Rahman, a former Bangladesh finance minister, died in a road accident Saturday.
Three members of his staff also died when the driver of his sports utility vehicle lost control while travelling from Sylhet to the national capital, a media report.
Rahman, 77, was a key member of then prime minister Khaleda Zia's team when she paid an official visit to India in March 2006.
Two Al Qaeda suspects killed in Yemen
By DPA,
Sanaa : Two suspected members of a cell belonging to the Al Qaeda terrorist network, one of them a Saudi national, were killed and another arrested after a clash with police forces in Sanaa Monday, security sources said.
The sources said a fourth suspected member of the group managed to flee.
A statement posted on the defence ministry's web site that the clash took place after security forces raided an Al Qaeda safe house in a neighbourhood in the capital.
Manmohan wanted to contact Pakistani militants: Yasin
New Delhi: JKLF leader Yasin Malik has said then Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh wanted him to contact militants in Pakistan.
Malik told Rajat Sharma...
Hamas welcomes Erdogan’s resolve to go ahead with Gaza visit
By IANS,
Gaza : Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh welcomed Tuesday Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's determination to visit the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip despite US pressure.
Pakistani forces kill over 1,000 terrorists in 9 months
Islamabad: Pakistani security forces have killed 1,114 terrorists since the launch of an anti-terror campaign following the deadly December 16 attack on an army-run...
Pakistan seeks early hearing of Lakhvi’s case
Islamabad : The Pakistan government Friday sought early hearing of alleged 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi's case in the Supreme Court, media...
Soldier killed, four wounded in SW Pakistan explosion
By KUNA
Islamabad : A soldier was killed and four others were wounded Thursday in a roadside explosion in Southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan, said police.
A Frontier Core (FC) vehicle hit a roadside bomb near gas-rich Sui district, about 350 kilometers South of Quetta, the provincial capital, police sources told KUNA.
They said the explosion killed one soldier and wounded four others.
Syria not to use chemical weapons: Russia
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Amman: The Syrian authorities have assured Moscow that there will be no use of chemical weapons against rebel forces, Russia's foreign minister said Tuesday.
Clinton warns Russia over Syria policy
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Washington : US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned Russia that its support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will have negative consequences.
Damascus summit concludes meetings by adopting seeral resolutions
By NNN-SANA
Damascus : The 20th Arab Summit here on Sunday concluded its meetings by adopting several resolutions on Arab common action in political, economic and social fields.
On the occupied Syrian Golan the Arab leaders stressed firm support and backing to Syria in its legitimate demand in the restoration of the Golan to the June 4 1967 line according to the basics of the peace process, the international legitimacy resolutions and building on what had been accomplished in the framework of Madrid peace conference of 1991.
Palestine: West Bank farmers face ruin after olive trees stolen by Israelis
By NNN-IRIN,
Jeet, West Bank (Palestine) : It was difficult for 87-year-old Jamil Khader to discover that nearly all of the 1,400 olive trees his extended family planted in February had suddenly gone missing, having been uprooted and stolen.
"He became very ill when I told him. He was hospitalised and was in bed for a week," his son Khalil, from the small town of Jeet in the northern West Bank, told IRIN.
US turning countries against Iran: Ahmadinejad
By IANS,
Tehran : No country would have adopted a hostile attitude towards Iran if the US had not exerted pressure on it to change its policy on Tehran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said.
Terrorism gaining “deeper grip” in Pakistan: Afghan President Karzai
By NNN-PTI,
Colombo : Expressing outrage at the suicide bombing in the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghan President Hamid Karzai attacked Pakistan saying terrorism and its sanctuaries were gaining "a deeper grip" in that country.
Karzai emphasised the need for more collective action to deal with terrorism, which he described as a growing threat not only to Afghanistan and India but also to the entire region.
Burqas at the Airport
By Naeem Randhawa
The woman looks up from examining my papers, and now is glaring at me. I remove my sunglasses and smile, somewhat surprised at her forwardness.
British Pakistani Christians demand abolition of blasphemy law
By IANS,
London/Islamabad : British Pakistani Christians Tuesday urged Islamabad to abolish the country's blasphemy law, saying unscrupulous elements had misused it against the minority community to cause law and order problems.
A delegation of the Pakistan Christian Alliance Europe led by councillor James Shera, a former mayor of the central English town of Rugby, met Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan in London and expressed disquiet over the violence against the Christian community in Gojra in Pakistan's Punjab province that has left seven people dead.
South African Muslims upset over FIFA World Cup balls
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Johannesburg : Souvenir soccer balls for the 2010 FIFA World Cup to be hosted in South Africa next year have angered South African Muslims because they have an Arabic inscription that is considered sacred and are going to be kicked around.
But FIFA has denied any knowledge of such balls, with local organisers believing that the balls on sale now are probably pirate versions of the officially sanctioned version of the ball.
Eight Pakistani terror convicts to be executed
Islamabad : A Pakistan court has issued death warrants against eight convicts, among them an Al Qaeda member and four other militants, a media...
Pakistan to freeze defence allocation in budget
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : The Pakistani government Monday decided to freeze the allocation for defence in the next budget in an apparent bid to show its sincerity in maintaining cordial relations with the neighbours.
Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, while addressing the National assembly, said the government has decided to reduce the defence budget after considering it in the context of inflation and rupee-to-US dollar-parity.
Gillani said he is expecting a reciprocal gesture from Pakistan's neighbour (India) for the sake of peace and prosperity in the region.
Pakistan says navy officers behind dockyard attack fled country
Islamabad: Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Friday that two navy officers, who had been involved in a recent terrorist attack on navy targets,...
Indo-Pak NSAS to meet on Monday
By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Against the backdrop of a spurt in cross-border terrorism, National Security Advisers of India and Pakistan will meet here on Monday to discuss cooperation to check the menace.
Jammu and Kashmir is also expected to figure in the talks between National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and his Pakistani counterpart Mahmud Ali Durrani.
"I have an open agenda. Friendship is my agenda," Durrani told reporters at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on his arrival.
Besides holding talks with Narayanan, Durrani will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Spokesman: Iran to continue talks with West
By Xinhua,
Tehran : Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi Tuesday said Iran intends to continue nuclear talks with the West in a "constructive" atmosphere, the Press TV satellite channel reported.
Both Iran and the West are interested in continuing their negotiations, Qashqavi told a press conference in Tehran.
US to enhance trade with Pakistan: envoy
By IANS,
Islamabad : The US is firmly committed to building strong commercial relations with Pakistan, says US Ambassador Cameron Munter.
Pakistan wants hurdles in US ties removed
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan Thursday said it was working with the US at every level for removal of hurdles in bilateral ties.
Fuel shortage forces UNRWA again to halt Gaza food deliveries
By Xinhua,
Gaza : United Nations Relief and Works Agency(UNRWA) on Monday again suspended food aid delivery to the Gaza Strip due to fuel shortage.
The suspension, which comes after a few days of resumed functioning, is the second time during the past ten days. The UNRWA vehicles will be unable to transport food to the area distribution centers if Israel does not allow more fuel into Gaza, said Adnan Abu Hassna, a spokesman for the international organization.
Israel to postpone release of 230 Palestinian prisoners
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israel will postpone the release of 230 Palestinian prisoners to Dec. 15, local news service Ynet reported Monday on its website.
Citing sources in Jerusalem, the report said the rescheduling of the release was made at the request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman Mark Regev, however, told Xinhua by phone Monday that he can not talk about this issue at the moment.
Gaza “a huge challenge” – Blair
By NNN-KUNA,
London : Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said he is appalled by the destruction caused by the recent fighting in Gaza.
He was visiting the territory for the first time since he became a Middle East envoy two years ago.
On a separate visit, British International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said Britain would give 30 million pounds towards rebuilding damaged homes in Gaza.
Both he and Blair are due to attend a donors' conference in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday which will discuss reconstruction.
Two killed in Dubai warehouse inferno
By IANS
Dubai : At least two people were killed and one seriously injured after two explosions at a fireworks store early Wednesday morning touched off fire in about 50 warehouses in the Al Quoz area here.
A huge explosion a little after 7 a.m. at the fireworks warehouse in the area, reportedly illegal, was followed by another explosion an hour later.
The dead are believed to be security guards working in nearby buildings, according to sources, and their nationalities are yet to be ascertained.
Muslim pupil not allowed to pray at German school
By DPA,
Berlin : A Berlin pupil does not have the right to perform 'namaz', Islamic prayer rituals, at school, an appeals court in the German capital ruled Thursday.
In a decision that overturned a lower court ruling, the appeals court said that a curtailing of the teenager's right to religious freedom was justified as it would protect the constitutional rights of other pupils and their parents.
Those rights include freedom of belief and entitlement to a calm educational environment, it said.
Israeli forces kill a Fatah militant in Nablus
By Xinhua
Ramallah : A special Israeli army force shot dead Wednesday an activist of al-Aqasa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement in the West Bank city of Nablus.
Medics and witnesses said that Israeli soldiers opened fire at a group of militants near the city of Nablus, and detained five ofthem, adding that one of the detained young men was seriously wounded, who's name was Mohamed al-Meseimi.
Palestinian security sources in the city said that al-Meseimi died of his wounds later after he was shot.
Hamas leader calls for lift of blockade against Gaza
By Xinhua
Damascus : Exiled Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal on Wednesday called upon Arab foreign ministers to take a decision in their next meeting to help lift the Israeli blockade against the Gaza Strip.
Meshaal, living in exile in Syria, made the call in a speech at a conference by radical Palestinian groups, which opened in Damascus earlier in the day.
Journalists welcome ‘new era’ for media in Pakistan
By IANS
Brussels : The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the world's biggest journalist's group, has welcomed actions by Pakistan's new government to withdraw restrictions on the media that were imposed by President Pervez Musharraf last year.
The IFJ recently visited Pakistan and pressed President Musharraf and the new government for changes following elections in February this year, EuAsiaNews said.
The federation says the prompt action by the new political leadership signals the start of a "new era" for independent journalism in the country.
63 killed in Iraq as violence escalates
By IANS,
Baghdad : At least 63 people were killed and over 260 injured in a series of bomb attacks across Iraq Monday.
`Don’t amend Bangladesh constitution in haste’
By IANS,
Dhaka, July 25 (IANS) The principal architect of Bangladesh's 1972 constitution, Kamal Hossain, has said that the government should not amend the constitution "in haste, without building consensus".
"The constitution is sacred. The government should not add anything to the constitution suddenly without unanimity," said Hossain.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) did not nominate a lawmaker on the 15-member committee announced earlier this week, citing procedural reasons and calling the exercise "a conspiracy".
Three terrorists killed in Pakistan
Islamabad : At least three militants were killed in Pakistan's port city of Karachi during an exchange of fire between militants and the anti-terrorism...
Emirati man on a worldwide motorbike tour
By IANS,
Dubai : An Emirati man on a motorcycle trip around the world to spread the message of love, openness and fraternity has reached Switzerland via Germany and is scheduled to proceed to Spain and Portugal.
Ibrahim Ahmed Sulieman was received Saturday in Geneva by Obeid Salem Al Za'abi, permanent representative of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the UN's European headquarters, who said the trip was about a message of openness, love and fraternity from the UAE to the world community.
U.S. mulling rotation of troops in S.Korea to Afghanistan: Commander
By NNN-Yonhap,
Seoul : The U.S. is discussing with South Korea the possibility of redeploying some American troops here to Afghanistan after they readjust their South Korean tours, the top American military commander said in a speech obtained on Monday.
South Korea's defense ministry denied being in talks with its U.S. counterpart on the potential deployment, which would mark the second time for U.S. troops here to be sent to the Middle East.
France, UAE to sign nuclear energy agreement
By NNN-KUNA
Paris, France : France and the UAE are expected to sign a four-billion-euro agreement to provide the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the potential to develop civil nuclear energy, French diplomatic sources said Friday.
The agreement should be signed during a visit to the UAE by French President Nicolas Sarkozy on January 15, the sources, speaking on condition of anomymity, told reporters in a briefing.
France will provide the know-how and expertise to develop the civil nuclear energy project in the UAE, said the sources.
A.Q. Khan network must be dismantled, stresses India
By IANS,
London : India Wednesday called for the world's most powerful countries to work together in order to dismantle the nuclear smuggling network run by A.Q. Khan, the so-called father of the Pakistani bomb.
"On the A.Q. Khan network, we feel that there is a need for much more transparency, not only about what happened in the past, but there's a need for us to be certain that nothing like that will happen again," Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told reporters here.
Bangladesh’s coins to be made in Japan
By IANS/EFE,
Tokyo : Japan has won a $12 million contract to mint coins for the Central Bank of Bangladesh in an international auction, the finance ministry said Tuesday.
South Asian bodies troubled by spying of Muslim Americans
By Arun Kumar,
Washington : A group of South Asian Organizations says it's deeply troubled by reports that US government agencies have engaged in surveillance...
Mao, Bhutto set terms of secret n-deal: Washington Post
By Arun Kumar,IANS,
Washington, Nov 13 (IANS) The terms of a secret deal under which China transferred 50 kg of uranium to Pakistan in 1982 for making two atomic bombs were set in a mid-1976 conversation between Mao Zedong and then Pakistan prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a leading US daily reported Friday.
Citing accounts of controversial Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, The Washington Post said Khan - then a metallurgist working at a Dutch centrifuge manufacturer - was provoked to offer his services to Bhutto by India testing its first nuclear bomb two years earlier.
Modi-led NDA govt veering away from hyped development agenda: SDPI chief A Saeed
India Social Forum (ISF) launched at Kuwait
By TCN News,
Kuwait: Expressing serious concern over the BJP’s Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre in India, A Saeed, national president, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), blamed it for veering away from the hyped development agenda on which it was propelled to power in the 2014 general elections.
India should not dilute stand on Arab causes: Syria
By IANS,
New Delhi : Syria, the chair of the six-nation Arab League, made it clear Monday that India's growing ties with Israel should not be used "as an excuse" to dilute New Delhi's traditional support for Palestine and other Arab causes.
It wanted India to use its good relations with Israel to play a "much bigger role" to resolve the crises in West Asia and bring durable peace to the region.
Gunmen kill 3 policemen in southwestern Pakistan
By IRNA
Islamabad : Unidentified gunmen shot dead three policemen in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta early Thursday, police said.
The traffic policemen were riding on a motorcycle when came under attack at Killi Ismael locality.
The attackers fled after the attack. There was no claim of responsibility.
The policemen held demonstration outside the Civil Hospital in protest to the incident.
They also criticized the delay of treatment provided to the attacked policemen.
The angry policemen blocked traffic.
Iran police arrest four journalists at protests
By DPA,
Tehran : Iranian security forces arrested four journalists, including one Japanese and two Canadian nationals, during the protests in Tehran this week, the semi-official Fars news agency reported Friday.
Thousands of opposition supporters, at the time the annual state-organised anti-US rallies were underway Wednesday, poured into Tehran's streets to protest against the government of President Mahamoud Ahmadinejad despite severe warnings from security officials.
Fears about rigging before polls unjustified: Musharraf
By IRNA
Islamabad : President Pervez Musharraf has said the fears of the opposition parties over the possibility of rigging in the upcoming polls may create problems afterwards.
Musharraf stated this while addressing newsmen, editors and writers here on Friday.
Fears about rigging even before polls are unjustified, he said.
President Musharraf said no one would be allowed to disturb the law and order situation in the country before or after the upcoming elections.
Pakistani pro-Taliban militant leader shuns violence after release
By DPA,
Islamabad : A pro-Taliban militant leader who was freed as part of peace talks with militants in Pakistan's restive north-west valley of Swat renounced violence hours after his release from prison, media reports said on Tuesday.
Maulana Sufi Mohammed, chief of the banned Movement for the Enforcement of Mohammedan Law (TNSM), was arrested in 2001 when he returned from what he had called "holy war" against US in Afghanistan.
Extremist infighting leads to 285 deaths on Bangladesh’s borders
By IANS,
Dhaka : At least 285 people have died in internecine fights between Bangladesh's left extremist groups that take their orders from "dons" in India, it was reported here Thursday.
Retributive killings are carried out against group rivals and suspected police informers for which "the dons call the shots from India", The Daily Star newspaper claimed in a detailed report from Kushtia, a border town.
Mali tribesmen join pro-Gaddafi forces
By IANS,
Tripoli : Tribesmen from the Tuareg community of Africa's northwestern country of Mali have joined the forces supporting embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, a media report said.
UAE to issue commemorative coins on energy meet
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The UAE central bank will issue commemorative gold and silver coins on the occasion of World Energy Forum in Dubai Oct 22-24.
Fighting in Shia stronghold in Iraq, students abducted
By DPA
Baghdad : Gunmen kidnapped 42 students in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul while clashes between a joint US-Iraqi force and Shia militiamen continued in Baghdad's Sadr City, according to police and eyewitnesses.
Gunmen stopped a bus carrying 42 students from the University of Mosul on the main highway between Baghdad and Mosul, security officials said.
The students were taken to an unknown place.
In east Baghdad's Sadr City, explosions and exchanges of fire overnight were heard, eyewitnesses told DPA. US helicopters have been seen hovering over the area, they said.
Czech Republic pushes for direct, quick Iran-US talks
By IANS,
Berlin : The Czech Republic, which holds the rotating presidency of European Union (EU), has stressed direct and swift talks between Iran and the US to engage the two countries in rapproachment process, IRNA news agency reported Monday.
"I hope very much there will be soon direct and intensive talks between Washington and Tehran," Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg has said in an interview with Germany's Handelsblatt business newspaper.
With husband unwell, Hasina may alter America tour plans
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina may be forced to alter her plans to visit North America due to her husband's failing health, media reports said Saturday.
Hasina visited he husband, retired nuclear scientist M.A. Wazed Miah, at the Square Hospital here Friday night, The Daily Star newspaper said.
"He (Wazed Miah) is not yet out of danger. The members of the medical board formed by the hospital to treat the scientist will be increased from six to around 14," Sanwar Hossain, director of medical services of Square Hospital, told reporters.
US envoy in Pakistan after regional archrivals appeared on brink of war
By KUNA,
Islamabad : US Undersecretary of State John Neegroponte arrived on Thursday in a follow-up effort by the superpower to defuse renewed escalation between archrivals, Pakistan and India.
Negroponte, during his brief daylong visit, was to hold meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Hamas says it’s preparing for another battle with Israel
Gaza : Al-Qassam Brigades, the Islamic Hamas movement's armed wing, said Wednesday that it was preparing and equipping itself for another big conflict with...
Musharraf for effective measures nto ensure uninterrupted oil, energy supplies
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : President Pervez Musharraf directed to take short, medium and long-term measures to ensure the uninterrupted supply of oil, gas and energy in the country.
He was chairing a high level meeting here Wednesday, which reviewed the situation regarding oil, gas and energy supplies. The President further directed that all available resources should be utilized for the production of gas and energy, with all possible measures for the conservation of gas and energy.
Two Morsi supporters get death sentence in Egypt
Cairo : An Egyptian criminal court sentenced two supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi to death Saturday over killing of youths during last year...
Powerful blast at police headquarters in Islamabad
By IANS,
Islamabad : A powerful blast shook the police headquarters here Wednesday, officials said. It was not immediately known if there were any casualties.
The explosion was heard more than 10 km away. "It seems to be a suicide attack," said a police officer.
Residents of the neighbourhood said that smoke could be seen coming out of the police headquarters that is located near two main universities and three hospitals.
Although it was not immediately clear if anyone was injured or killed, TV channels quoted officials as saying heavy casualties were feared.
25 Taliban insurgents killed in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : Twenty-five Taliban fighters were killed in Afghanistan's western areas and two Afghan soldiers in the south in the latest wave of insurgency-related violence, security officials said Thursday.
In western Badghis province, police chief Ayob Niaziyar told DPA that the Taliban attacked a joint convoy of Afghan and NATO forces in Moqur district late Wednesday, triggering a half-hour skirmish in which 25 fighters were killed.
He said one Afghan trooper was wounded, but Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said several foreign and Afghan soliders were killed in the clash.
Osama bin Laden’s new audio message released
By IANS,
Washington : An audio message purportedly recorded by Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden shortly before he was shot dead by US commandos in Pakistan has been released, a media report said.
Anti-U.S. Shiite cleric to fight U.S. troops with armed group
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Iraqi firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said on Friday that he is planning to form a special group to fight the U.S. forces in Iraq.
In a statement issued by Sadr office, the anti-U.S. cleric said that the Shiite Mahdi Army militia will continue to fight the U.S.-led forces in Iraq but the fighting should be restricted to a selected group.
Pakistan needs to do more to tackle terror: British envoy
By IANS,
New Delhi: Sharing India's concerns over cross-border terror, Britain Friday asked Pakistan "to do more" to tackle the Lashkar-e-Taiba network operating along its border with India and crack down on the Taliban militants on its Afghan frontier.
"We also believe there is more to be done in tackling the problem of Afghan Taliban in the west of Pakistan and also in tackling the LeT networks in the east of the country," British High Commissioner to India Richard Stagg told reporters here.
JUI to continue struggle for enforcement of Sharia Law
By IRNA
Islamabad : Amir Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman has said that his Party will continue his struggle for the enforcement of Sharia Law, restoration of constitution and democracy in and outside the Parliament.
Addressing the people here in Bannu Wednesday he said people have expectations with the new government to restore judiciary, real democracy and law and order situation in the country.
He was accorded warm welcome when he arrived in Bannu.
Five militants killed in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : The Pakistani armed forces said Sunday that troops killed five militants in the ongoing anti-Taliban offensive in the tribal region near the Afghan border.
Around 30,000 soldiers launched the operation, codenamed "Path to Deliverance", Oct 17 in the South Waziristan district, which was described by the US as the most dangerous place on earth, littered with Taliban and Al Qaeda sanctuaries.
US pushes for India-Pakistan dialogue despite ISI-Taliban links
By IANS,
Washington : The United States says it encourages a dialogue between India and Pakistan despite "revelations" of known links between Pakistani spy agency ISI and the Taliban as it is in the interest of all three nations.
"We are simply encouraging Pakistan and India to pursue a dialogue that we think is fundamentally in the interest of both countries," State Department spokesman Phillip Crowley told reporters Thursday when asked why the US was nudging India for talks when it knew that ISI was funding Taliban to kill Indians in Afghanistan.
Not responsible for Benazir killing: Musharraf
By IANS,
Islamabad : Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf has said he could not be held responsible for Benazir Bhutto's assassination as he was neither the head of the government nor the army chief at the time of the Dec 27, 2007 incident.
Musharraf was of the view that those who headed the government at the time should be questioned about the security lapses that led to the former prime minister's killing, The News said Wednesday in a despatch from Washington, quoting a close aide of the former president.
Saudi Arabia is top donor
By IANS,
New Delhi: Saudi Arabia topped the world's charitable contributions to fund humanitarian relief operations in 2008, according to a UN report.
A statement from the Saudi embassy here quoted the report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva saying that Saudi Arabia was the top donor in the world in financing humanitarian aid. The contribution amounted to the ratio 0.1925 of its GDP.
46 Kerala nurses in Tikrit asked to board bus to Mosul
New Delhi: The 46 Indian nurses stranded in Iraq's Tikrit town that has been overrun by militants have been told to board a bus...
Hamas official defends ceasefire with Israel
By Xinhua,
Gaza : A senior Hamas leader on Monday defended the ceasefire which Egypt brokered between the Islamic movement and Israel in the Gaza Strip.
Mahmoud Zahar, former Hamas foreign minister, said his movement's goal "was the security of the Palestinian people, land and holy places, not the safety of the Israeli occupation."
"Hamas will spare no effort in providing safety and security to the Palestinian citizens in the Gaza Strip" which is controlled by Hamas, Zahar added.
Rising crime among Malaysian Indians worrying: Vellu
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Concerned over the rising crime graph among ethnic Indians in Malaysia, the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) has sought a meeting with Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan to find ways to address the problem.
MIC president S. Samy Vellu said the community was alarmed at the recent spate of violent crimes involving its youths being reported in the media almost daily.
"This is a worrying trend and the MIC together with its youth wing and the YSS (Social Strategic Foundation) have decided to meet the police to find a quick solution.
Musharraf hails launching of new frigate and Sino-Pakistani ties
By SPA
Islamabad : Launching of the frigate "PNS- Zulfikar" in collaboration with China will greatly enhance Navy's capability to safeguard Pakistan's territorial waters and help its modernization, President Pervez Musharraf said.
In a press statement, he welcomed the launching of the frigate in Shanghai, China.
Applauding the launch, the President said that the development of the frigate project was another landmark achievement testifying close Pakistan-China friendship and multi-faceted cooperation.
Pakistani politician detained at US airport
By IANS,
Islamabad : A Pakistani politician was detained at a US airport for five hours, it was reported here Thursday.
India extends term of its ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Report
By IANS,
Dubai : India has extended the term of its Ambassador to Saudi Arabia M.O.H. Farook by six months even as that Gulf nation appointed a new envoy to India, according to reports.
While Farook has been asked to continue in his post till June next year, Saudi Arabia has named veteran diplomat Faisal Hassan Trad as the replacement for Saleh Al-Ghamdi in New Delhi, who has now been appointed as the new Saudi ambassador to Greece, the Arab News reported.
Pakistan PM appeals for help to flood-hit millions
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Saturday expressed profound grief over the loss of thousands of lives in one of the country's worst ever floods and appealed to the world community to extend a helping hand to tackle the calamity.
Addressing the nation on the occasion of its 64th Independence Day, Gilani said the biggest challenge the government was facing was rehabilitation of over 20 million people affected by floods.
Russia completes delivery of nuke fuel for Iran’s Bushehr plant
By Xinhua
Tehran : The eighth and last nuclear fuel shipment from Russia arrived in Iran Monday morning, completing Russia's promised nuclear fuel delivery for Iran's first nuclear power plant, the official IRNA news agency reported.
IRNA quoted Iran Atomic Energy Production and Development Company as saying that the last shipment has been forwarded to Bushehr nuclear power plant which is being built at the Gulf port city of Bushehr.
Indians, Chinese ignore video war against Anwar Ibrahim
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : A night-long video war featuring the aide who has charged opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim with sodomising him is raging in the tiny Permatang Pauh constituency in Penang, where an electorate of less than 60,000 is swinging between the "propah" and the profane.
The video shows a handsome Mohammed Saiful Bukhari Azlan repeating the charge and swearing by the Holy Qoran, media reports on the key by-election to the Malaysian Parliament say.
Turkish army bombards PKK targets in northern Iraq
By NNN-KUNA,
Istanbul : The Turkish army has issued a statement saying its jetfires bombarded once more targets in northern Iraq beloning to the PKK.
The shelling took place in the areas of Zap and Tahataha, destroying a PKK hideout in a cave and killing 30 to 40 members of the outlawed organisation in it, said the statement Tuesday.
The bombardment came two days after the terrorist explosions in Istanbul which killed 17 people and wounded 154 others.
Pakistan cracking down on JUD to avoid terrorist state tag: minister
By NNN-PTI,
Islamabad : Pakistan, which has launched a crackdown on Jamaat-ud-Dawa, on Friday said the country faced the prospects of being declared a terrorist state and left with a crippled economy if it had not acted on the sanctions imposed on the terrorist group by the UN Security Council.
"There was a resolution in the United Nations Security Council. If Pakistan had not taken steps under that, then they could have declared Pakistan a terrorist state. They could have crippled Pakistan's economy," Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said.
Military says probe into NATO airstrike will take ‘several weeks’
By DPA,
Kabul : The NATO military command said Tuesday its probe into a deadly airstrike in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz would take "several weeks" and an initial assessment showed "civilians had been killed or injured in the strike".
Friday's airstrike conducted by US planes was ordered by a German military commander when a large crowd of people was observed through satellite images gathering around two trucks stuck in a riverbed in Chardarah district in Kunduz province.
PGCC: Dialogue best way to resolve Iran’s nuclear issue
By IRNA,
Riyadh : Member states of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council here on Sunday evening underscored the need for settlement of Iran’s nuclear issue through dialogue and peaceful means.
Meeting in the Saudi capital, the foreign ministers of the six Persian Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar agreed that dialogue between the Iranian and Western authorities was the best possible way to resolve the issue.
US to pull out 8,000 troops from Iraq by February
By Xinhua,
Washington : US President George W. Bush said Tuesday that he plans to withdraw about 8,000 US troops from Iraq by February 2009 and send some 4,500 troops to Afghanistan by January.
In a speech at the National Defense University, Bush said that improving conditions in Iraq would allow a "quiet surge" of American troops to Afghanistan, where there has been a resurgence of the Taliban and a growth in violence.
The troop cut is smaller than many had expected.
UN agriculture agency asks Pakistan and other countries
By SPA
Islamabad : The United Nations’ agriculture agency has asked Pakistan and other major wheat-producing countries east of Iran to be on high alert following the detection in Iran of a dangerous new fungus that could destroy entire wheat fields.
Iran election results show approval of government: Ahmadinejad
By DPA,
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that the results of the presidential election were an approval of the government's performance, Fars news agency reported.
"The election was a de facto referendum by 40 million people for the Islamic system in Iran," Ahmadinejad said in a cabinet session.
"It was also an approval of the performance of the government as 25 (out of the 40) million people approved this form of country management," the president added.
Cartier donates SR570,000 to Saudi Orphan Society
By IINA
Riyadh : Jeweler and watchmaker Cartier has donated SR570,000 to the Saudi Society for the Care of Orphans (Insan) here yesterday. On behalf of Insan, Prince Faisal bin Salman, chairman of Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), who is also the chairman of Insan’s Resource Development Committee, received the check at the SRMG headquarters. The amount was raised as part of Cartier’s yearlong charity initiative under which it collected proceeds from the sale of Cartier’s “Charity Love Bracelet”. The check was handed over by Yaqoub Al-Sharif, CEO of Sara Corporation.
Pakistan military withdraws officers from civilian duties
By DPA
Islamabad : The Pakistan Army has recalled hundreds of officers assigned to government offices to distance the military from the state bureaucracy, a news report said Tuesday.
The move came after Pakistan's top military commanders met at their garrison headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi last week.
"We have asked the federal government to relieve those Army officials immediately who can be replaced easily," Major General Athar Abbas, the chief military spokesman, told the Dawn newspaper.
Spokesman: Iran to give “deserving” response to UN sanctions
By Xinhua
Tehran : Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said on Sunday that Iran would give "deserving" response to any new UN Security Council sanctions over its nuclear program.
"Iran will make necessary decisions based on the nature and content of any resolution," the official IRNA news agency quoted Hosseini as saying at his weekly press briefing.
He made the remarks commenting on new efforts made by the United States to push for a third resolution at the UN Security Council against Iran.
Need to launch public movement in India to support Palestine: Speakers
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: As India has emerged a strong global economy there is a need to launch a massive movement in the country supporting the Palestinian cause to force the government to review its policy towards Israel. India’s strong support for Palestine at this moment will have impacts on Israel and global politics surrounding the Palestinian issue, said political and religious leaders yesterday in New Delhi.
Iran ranks 1st in presentation of scientific articles at Int’l Oil Congress
By IRNA,
Madrid : Presenting 270 articles to 19th International Oil Congress, Islamic Republic of Iran ranked first among 60 participating world countries.
Manager of Iran's booth at the Congress Exhibition, Ali Emadi, announcing the news added in an interview with IRNA reporter in Madrid, "The Islamic Republic of Iran had also ranked first in presentation of scientific articles at previous International Oil Congress, which convenes once every three years, presenting 150 articles."
Dhaka workers go on rampage to protest new wage structure
By IANS,
Dhaka : Thousands of readymade garment workers Friday rampaged through different parts of the national capital to protest the new wage structure announced for them by the government.
The angry workers put up barricades on the roads. They ransacked several buses, private cars and motorcycles and also vandalised buildings, including garment factories and business enterprises, Star Online reported.
Bangladesh Thursday announced new wage scales for its ailing garment industry but the workers are persisting with their Taka 5,000 ($71) minimum wage demand.
Hamas, Egypt hold talks on Rafah crossing
By Xinhua
Gaza : An aide to deposed Hamas prime minister Ismail Haneya revealed on Thursday that there are talks held between Hamas and Egypt on reopening Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip.
Allaeldien al-A'raj, Haneya's economical advisor, told the pro-Hamas daily Felastin that the talks held between Haneya's government and Egypt are semi-official.
President: Iran not to talk about nuclear issue outside IAEA
By Xinhua
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that his country would no longer negotiate over its nuclear issue outside the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the official IRNA news agency reported.
"From now on, Iran's peaceful nuclear program will be discussed only at the International Atomic Energy Agency within the framework of the NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) regulations and mutual commitments," IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad assaying.
Nobody wants war, Pakistan must dismantle terror camps: PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : Rejecting war as a response to the Mumbai mayhem, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday asked Pakistan to take "objective" steps to "dismantle the terror machine" and exhorted the international community to persuade Islamabad to comply with the UN resolutions against terrorism.
"The issue is not war. The issue is that the Pakistani territory is used to aid and abet terror," Manmohan Singh told reporters outside parliament.
Blast Kills 46 Iraqi Recruit Hopefuls
By Prensa Latina,
Baghdad : A suicide attack at a police recruitment center in Sinyar, Ninive, home to the Yazidi minority, killed 16 and wounded 30 and medical sources said the numbers may still grow since some wounded are in serious condition.
The suicider set off a belt of explosives wrapped around his waist among the crowd seeking for a job which they will not find elsewhere due to the US over five-year war and occupation of Iraq.
Hamas condemns Israeli charity shutdown
By NNN-KUNA,
Gaza : The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has denounced Israeli closure of its charitable institutions in the West Bank.
Israeli forces on Monday shut down Hamas-linked charities in the West Bank. Documents and computers were confiscated in the operation in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
Similar crackdowns were launched around Al-Khalil, or Hebron, Qalqilya and Ramallah areas and the campaign is now being extended.
Islamic Fiqh Academy issues fatwa prohibiting euthanasia
Makkah : Wrapping up its 22nd session in Makkah on Wednesday, the Islamic Fiqh Academy, an affiliate of the Muslim World League (MWL), issued fatwa that prohibits euthanasia – the act of killing a person who is critically ill so that they do not suffer any more – either at the request of the patient or a relative.
Opening address at the World Conference on Dialogue
By King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, CGNews,
In the name of God, most merciful, most compassionate.
Praise be to God Almighty, who revealed in his Holy Book: "O mankind! We have created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other. Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of [God] is (he who is) the most righteous of you."
And peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and on all the prophets and messengers.
Your Majesty, my friend, Juan Carlos, King of Spain:
Suicide attack kills three, wounds 85 in Kabul
By DPA,
Kabul : A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle Saturday near the NATO military headquarters in Kabul, killing three civilians and wounding about 85 others, just five days before the Aug 20 Afghan presidential election, officials said.
The Taliban took responsibility for the attack, said Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the militants.
The blast occurred near the gate of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in a neighbourhood where the presidential palace and the US embassy are also located.
Syrian, Turkish interior ministers discuss bilateral cooperation
By NNN-SANA,
Ankara : Interior Minister Maj-Gen Bassam Abdul-Majeed has held discussions here with his Turkish counterpart, Beshir Atalay, on cooperation in measures to combat drug trafficking, organised crime and illegal migration.
During the meeting Wednesday, Abdul- Majeed stressed the necessity for combating terrorism, stressing that Syria was among the first countries which suffered from terrorism.
In a statement to reporters, Abdul-Majeed indicated that his current visit to Syria was within the framework of boosting the existing bilateral relations, considered to be exemplary.
Maldives to enact death sentence with lethal injection
By IANS,
Male : The Maldives government has approved the death penalty for murderers and will soon enact regulations on the process of execution with...
Malala, Satyarthi are true inspirations: Amnesty
London : Amnesty International Friday praised Nobel peace prize winners Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai for willing to promote the "rights of the world's...
Pakistan has caved in to terror: Editorial
By IANS,
Islamabad : The imposition of Sharia laws in parts of Pakistan's restive northwest and the release of a Taliban-linked cleric is "evidence" that the government has "caved in" to terror, an editorial in a leading English daily said Saturday.
A commentary in another newspaper said "fighting back" was difficult because Pakistan had not been able to develop a consensus on the alternative to fundamentalism.
Mining firm unearths 2,600-year-old Buddhist monastery
By IANS,
London : A Chinese company digging an unexploited copper mine in Afghanistan has unearthed a sprawling 2,600-year-old Buddhist monastery.
Bangladeshi militant held, explosives seized
By IANS,
Dhaka : A key member of the outlawed Islamist outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) has been arrested at Mirpur near here and a large cache of explosives was seized from him, officials said.
The haul included 70 kg of explosives, 150 hand grenades, 40 kg of nitric acid, bomb-making material and equipment along with literature on conducting 'jihad' that were recovered from two houses in Mirpur and in Shanir Akhara locality in Dhaka.
Pakistan celebrates nuclear tests anniversary
By Xinhua
Islamabad : Pakistan Wednesday celebrated the 10th anniversary of its nuclear tests, describing the day as "historic in the nation's quest for security".
"Pakistan has taken its responsibilities as a nuclear weapon state seriously. We have not relented in our pursuit of creating a peaceful global and regional environment," a foreign ministry statement said.
The statement titled "A Decade of Responsibility and Restraint", said: "At all levels bilaterally and multilaterally, we have endeavoured to promote the cause of peace, disarmament and non-proliferation."
Zardari to attend UN meet in New York
By IANS,
Islamabad: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has left for the US to attend a UN conference where he was expected to raise the issue of an anti-Islam video.
Abu Dhabi workshop on monitoring commodity exchange
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi: The Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi will organize a workshop Sunday on the "mechanism for monitoring commodity exchanges".
Netanyahu begins talks to form new Israeli government
Jerusalem : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday began negotiations for the formation of the next government, a process that will continue at...
Malaysian party says all’s well with Indian supporters
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : The main Malaysian opposition party is denying that the Indian community is upset with it.
The Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) staged a rally of its supporters from among the Indian community here to show that the ethnic group still backed its leader Anwar Ibrahim.
Indian activists supporting the party leadership gave speeches in Tamil proclaiming their support to PKR Saturday, The Star newspaper reported Sunday.
"PKR is not a race-based party. It is a party for all races," PKR secretary general Salehuddin Hashim said to applause from those present.
‘Indian, Pakistani crime syndicates active in South Africa’
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Johannesburg : Indian and Pakistani crime syndicates, although they came to South Africa much later than those from Nigeria, Russia, China, Morocco and Italy, are active in this country, according to a confidential report presented to parliament last week.
Afrikaans weekly Rapport obtained a copy of the report presented by the National Prosecutions Authority (NPA).
Spokesman: Rice not to visit Mideast
By Xinhua
Washington : The United States denied on Monday reports that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was to travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories next week.
"There is no such plan," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. "She will be in Africa with the president next week, starting on Friday afternoon and they are getting back on Wednesday night."
Pakistan ‘examining’ evidence, but indicates it is ‘insufficient’
By IANS,
New Delhi/Islamabad : Pakistan's envoy said Tuesday his country had not "rejected" the evidence that India had furnished of the involvement of elements from his country in the Mumbai carnage, even as a Pakistani newspaper reported that Islamabad had told the US that the material was "insufficient".
"There is no question of rejection of material that the Indian government has given us," Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik told reporters in New Delhi on the sidelines of a conference of Asia Africa Rural Development Organisation.
Berlin confab stresses no Mideast peace possible without Hamas
Berlin, Jan 19, IRNA -- Efforts to seek a solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict must include Hamas, Mideast experts said Monday in Berlin at a one-day a conference on the Gaza conflict.
"It is impossible to think that one does not have to talk to Hamas," said Hajo Lanz of the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation, linked to the co-ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD).
"Stigmatizing Hamas is not the solution," he warned.
Lanz stressed this "window of opportunity" should be used by the West for an rapprochement with Hamas.
Kuwait donates USD 1.5 million to UNRWA
By NNN-Petra,
Amman : Kuwait has donated USD 1.5 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to support the Palestinian people.
Kuwaiti Ambassador to Jordan Sheikh Faisal Al Hmoud Al Sabah delivered the Kuwaiti donation to the UNRWA deputy commissioner-general in Amman Tuesday.
Kuwait's donation showed its keenness in providing help and aid to Palestinian refugees at all UNRWA operation sites in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon in order to respond to their humanitarian needs and ease their sufferings, the ambassador said.
UN envoy slams attack on Somalian government
United Nations: The UN secretary-general's special representative for Somalia Wednesday condemned Tuesday night's attack on Villa Somalia, the seat of the Somali Federal Government...
19 killed in separate operations in Afghanistan
By KUNA
Kabul : A senior Taliban commander escaped an airstrike that killed 10 people, including a woman, by foreign troops in western Afghanistan, police said on Monday.
Separately, the Afghan police claimed they had killed nine Taliban militants in Deh Rawod district of the southern Uruzgan province of the country Sunday night.
The airstrike was conducted in Bakwa district of the western Farah province to target Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Mannan. It is not clear if the attack was carried out by coalition or NATO troops.
Four killed, 31 hurt in Afghan car bombing
By IANS,
Kabul: A suicide bomber blew up a explosives-laden car Thursday in the capital of Afghanistan's Helmand province, killing at least three other people and injuring 31, Xinhua reported.
Under pressure, Dhaka may lift curbs on trade unions
By IANS,
Dhaka : Criticised at home and in countries that import its goods, Bangladesh's military-backed government is set to partially lift curbs on trade unions.
"We have requested the home ministry to allow limited trade union activities so that collective bargaining agents can hold their stalled elections," Labour and Employment Adviser Anwarul Iqbal said Sunday.
Pakistan: seven people killed, several injured in explosion crackers
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : Seven people are feared killed and wounded many after fire crackers bursted in a building, near Thana Gunj Mandi, Rawalpindi, according to police officials.
According to details firecrackers were housed in a three storey building which collapsed after explosion.
The wounded were rushed to the near by medical centres with the help of locals.
Pakistan investigating Shahzad’s link to Waziristan
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan's military warned Wednesday it had yet to establish a link between Pakistani-American charged with trying to bomb New York and country's main militant stronghold in Waziristan.
Army spokesman Athar Abbas told AFP that a link between Faisal Shahzad and Waziristan had "yet to be established".
"Until and unless the link is established, it will be premature to say that he had gone there," he said.
According to the US criminal complaint, Shahzad admitted "after his arrest that he had received bomb-making training in Waziristan, Pakistan."
Pakistan links Hafiz Saeed’s JuD to Al Qaida
By IANS,
Islamabad : The Pakistani government has presented evidence to the Lahore High Court linking the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) of terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed to Al Qaida, a media report Saturday said.
Attorney Latif Khosa told the court during an in-camera hearing Saturday "that JuD is linked to Al-Qaeda, adding one culprit involved in Mumbai attacks is said to have links with JuD", Geo TV said.
Taliban attack on Afghan parliament leaves 5 dead
Kabul: At least five people were killed and 31 others, including five women, injured in an attack by a Taliban suicide team on the...
Taliban attacks NATO base in Afghanistan
By IANS/AKI,
Kabul : The Taliban has taken responsibility for an attack on a NATO airbase in which several militants were killed Wednesday.
The attack occurred at an airfield outside Jalalabad near the border with Pakistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement.
ISAF and Afghan forces repelled a number of insurgents when they attacked the airfield.
The militants set off a car bomb and fired rocket-propelled grenades and small arms, the statement said.
Afghanistan-Pakistan border still epicentre of Al-Qaeda: Barack Obama
By NNN-PTI,
Washington : The Pakistan-Afghanistan border remains the epicentre of al Qaeda activities, US President Barack Obama has said, ruling out sending troops to Yemen where the group has become a concern of late.
"The border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan remains the epicentre of al Qaeda," Obama said in an interview to People magazine, the excerpts of which were released today.
At the same time he acknowledged that al Qaeda's branch in Yemen has become "a more serious problem", but ruled out sending troops to Yemen at this point of time.