Hundreds of thousands join protest rally in Tehran
By DPA,
Tehran : Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched towards Tehran University and the Iranian capital's Enqelab (Revolution) Square Monday despite the interior ministry's ban on the gathering, eyewitnesses said.
"We had warned you, if you cheat, we make hell in this city," the protestors who support opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi shouted. Moussavi also joined the rally but stayed in his car for security reasons.
Near-extinct vulture found in Bangladesh
By IANS,
Dhaka : A huge and extremely rare vulture, commonly called black vulture, too weak to fly, has been caught by students in a village in Tangail district of Bangladesh and is being nursed back to health.
Now under the care of Madhupur Forest Department, the bird, whose scientific name is Aegypius monachus, is said to be "near-extinct globally", a media report said Friday.
The three-foot tall bird weighs 15 kg and has a wingspan of 10 feet.
German chancellor unveils new Afghanistan strategy
By IRNA,
Berlin : German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday outlined her new much-anticipated strategic concept for Afghanistan which includes sending up to 850 additional soldiers and doubling development aid.
Talking to media at the chancellery, Merkel said that around 500 of those troops are to be dispatched directly to join the 4,500-strong German military force contingent, deployed mostly in northern Afghanistan and Kabul as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
British MPs join campaign against anti-Muslim right-wing extremists
London, March 19, IRNA – MPs, including former ministers, have joined trade unions and numerous organisations in condemning the latest anti-Muslim protest being held by the right-wing English Defence League (EDL) on Saturday.
Stop the War Coalition, Britain’s main peace group network, is also leading a counter-demonstration against the provocative march planned in Bolton, north-west England.
“The EDL is a group of racists and football hooligans with close links to the fascist British National Party,” the MPs said in a joint statement obtained by IRNA.
Australia freezes funds of 16 Libyan key figures
By IANS,
Canberra : Australia has frozen money transactions of 16 key figures associated with the Libyan government.
American forces evict positions in Iraqi region Al-Anbar
By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : The American Army announced on Saturday that it was slashing number of American troops serving in towns of Al-Anbar province west of the Iraqi capital.
The American Army presence in Al-Anbar is being cut while presence of the Iraqi police is increasing with missions in the provincial towns and along the region's main roads, the army said in a statement.
The US troops are evicting combat and patrol positions, removing roadblocks, barricades and barbed-wire fences and handing over the security missions to the local forces, it said.
Hamas releases 35 Fatah men from Gaza strip jail
By ANTARA News/Reuters,
Gaza : Hamas security forces released 35 members of the rival Fatah movement from prison on Sunday as a goodwill gesture to mark a Muslim holiday and bolster Egyptian reconciliation efforts, a Hamas official said.
Mohammed al-Qidwa, who was governor of the Gaza Strip before Hamas seized the territory from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas`s Fatah faction in fighting in June 2007, was among those freed. He had been in detention for three months.
"Political arrests in all Palestinian Authority areas must end," Qidwa told Reuters after he left prison.
Libyan protesters, police storm militia bases
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: At least one person was killed and 20 injured in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi after police and demonstrators stormed militia bases, Al Jazeera TV reported.
Three killed in suspected US airstrike in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : At least three people were killed Saturday in a missile strike by suspected US drones in Pakistan's restive tribal region along the border with Afghanistan, officials said.
Two missiles hit a house used for Taliban meetings in Match village near Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan district late in the evening.
"Three dead bodies and two injured have so far been retrieved from the debris," a security official said on condition of anonymity.
In PM’s Kabul visit, a message of long-term support amidst insecurity
By Devirupa Mitra, IANS,
Libya to seek ex spy chief’s extradition
By IANS,
Tripoli : Tripoli will ask Mauritania to extradite Libya's former intelligence chief arrested in the capital city of Nouakchott, an official said.
EU condemns terrorist attack in Russia’s Chechnya
Brussels: The European Union here Monday condemned the deadly terrorist bombing that took place Sunday in which at least five police men were killed...
World’s first eco-friendly mosque opens in Dubai
Dubai : The doors of the first environment-friendly mosque in the Islamic world were opened for worshippers here Friday by Awqaf and Minors Affairs...
Pakistan Election Commission clears way for Sharif brothers to contest by-polls
By NNN-PTI,
Islamabad : In a major relief to former premier and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan's Election Commission today allowed them to contest the by-polls to be held later this month.
The decision came a day after a two-member election tribunal gave a split verdict on the validity of their nomination papers and referred the matter to Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq.
The Election Commission upheld the initial decision by returning officers to accept the nominations filed by the Sharif brothers.
Israel claims 2 West Bank sites on its heritage list
By DPA,
Jerusalem : Israel Sunday announced the addition of two sites in the occupied West Bank on its list of national heritage sites, in a move that is expected to ignite controversy.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a special cabinet meeting in the northern town of Tel Hai that the "Cave of the Patriarchs" in Hebron and "Rachel's Tomb" in Bethlehem would be included on the list of around 150 sites that the government plans to promote.
Arrested Al Qaeda terrorist lived in Pakistan for a decade
By IANS,
Islamabad : A senior Al Qaeda operative had been living in the country for almost 10 years and his arrest has led to a "treasure trove" of information, a media report said.
Iran hangs convicted Sunni rebel: Report
By DPA,
Tehran : Iran hanged a member of a Sunni rebel group blamed for deadly attacks in the predominantly Shia Muslim state, the semi-official Fars news agency reported Tuesday.
"Abdol-Hamid Rigi was hanged inside the main prison of Zahedan on Monday," the agency quoted top police official Gholam-Ali Nekouie as saying, referring to the capital city of Sistan-Baluchestan province.
Pakistan Army violates ceasefire on LoC
Jammu: Pakistan Army Friday violated the 2003 bilateral ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, forcing Indian...
Pakistan spy chief briefs lawmakers on horrors of Taliban threat
By DPA,
Islamabad : Taliban militants are using children as fighters and suicide bombers, Pakistan's new spy chief told lawmakers in a rare briefing on threats posed by Islamic militants in the country's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), media reports and officials said Thursday.
Militants are brainwashing innocent children to use them for killing people, Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, who was appointed director general of the military's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) last week, told the closed-door joint session of parliament's upper and lower houses the previous day.
Gaza electricity station shut down
By IRNA,
Gaza City : Electricity generation shut down for more than 24 hours as Gaza City power plant ran out of fuel on Saturday and did not receive an expected shipment on Sunday.
IRNA correspondent in Gaza City said that Gaza's power station supplies electricity to about a third of the territory's homes, with most of the rest supplied directly by Israel.
The UN aid agencies are warning that essential civilian services will be badly affected unless fuel to be supplied soon.
Brown seeks Iraq troop cuts but no pullout timetable
By DPA,
Baghdad : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who arrived in Iraq Saturday on a surprise visit, said he intended to reduce British troops in Iraq but refused to set an "artificial timetable" for their withdrawal.
After talks with Iraqi leaders, Brown told reporters that enormous progress on the security front has been made since his last visit to Iraq in December.
"It is important to recognize that security, prosperity, local democracy - these are the things that we are trying to move forward and trying to achieve," Brown said.
Pakistani shelling makes life hell for border people
By Sheikh Qayoom,
Jammu : Life for nearly 30,000 people living in relief camps has been turned upside down after they were forced to abandon...
US looking to shift funds for Pakistani F-16s
By DPA,
Washington : The US wants to shift about $226 million in aid for Pakistani counterterrorism effort to upgrade the country's fleet of F-16s.
The money was originally allocated for counterterrorism activities in the lawless tribal regions of the country near the Afghan border, where the Taliban and Al Qaeda have sought refuge.
But Pakistan has undergone economic turmoil and rising fuel prices and requested assistance for its US-built F-16s, State Department acting deputy spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said Thursday.
Suicide attack kills 15 in eastern Afghanistan
By SPA,
Kabul, Afghanistan : A NATO spokesman says a suicide attack in eastern Afghanistan has killed 15 people and wounded 25 others.
Maj. Martin O'Donnell said there were NATO troops in the area of the attack Tuesday but there were no alliance casualties.
He said the insurgents opened fire before a suicide bomber blew himself up in Khogyani district of Nangahar province.
Alliance medics were treating the wounded, the Associated Press reported.
Saudi top cleric warns youth against calls for jihad
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia's top cleric Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh Thursday urged the country's youth to ignore calls for jihad by extremist...
Iran’s Bushehr plant to produce 1,000 MW electricity
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran's Energy Minister Majid Namjou Wednesday said its Bushehr nuclear power plant will produce 1,000 MW of electricity from March next year.
Iranian consulate official shot dead in Peshawar
By IANS,
Islamabad : An official of the Iranian consulate in Peshawar died after he was shot at near his home, a media report said Thursday.
Abul Hasan Jaffery, who was director public relations of the Iranian consulate in Peshawar, was seriously injured when he was shot near his residence in Gulberg. He later succumbed to his injuries, Geo TV reported.
Malaysians move to reduce sugar content in beverages
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Famous for their sweet tooth and reeling under sugar shortage, Malaysians are embarking on a campaign to reduce sugar content in food and beverages.
The health ministry is to meet with 60 representatives of the food and beverage industry to coax them to reduce the sugar content in their products, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said Friday.
She would chair the meeting Jan 12 that would be attended also by representatives from the domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism ministry.
Pakistan needs coordination mechanism for epidemics: Gilani
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan needs to develop a national coordination mechanism for controlling epidemics like dengue, says Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Pakistan government to hold dialogue with protesters
Islamabad: Pakistani government Sunday announced to hold talks with two opposition political leaders who are leading thousands of their supporters in sit-ins in Islamabad...
Solana affirms EU will help boost Israeli-Syrian peace efforts
By KUNA,
Damascus : A visiting senior official of the European Union affirmed on Thursday that the Israeli-Syrian track of negotiations is basic in the overall Middle East peace process and expressed hope that some progress would be achieved on this particular path.
The EU is seeking with all possibe means to push forward the efforts on this track, said the High Representative of the European Union Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, in a statement after meeting with Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moallem.
Taliban publicly execute alleged murderer
By DPA,
Islamabad : Taliban militants Tuesday publicly executed a man accused of killing two brothers in Pakistan's tribal region along the Afghan border, security officials and residents said.
The execution took place at a football ground in Miranshah, the main city in the militancy-plagued North Waziristan district, as hundreds of residents watched.
The Taliban captured Waheed Ullah, 25, alleging he killed two brothers, Nour and Alam Zeb, around two weeks ago. Ullah was then sentenced to death under Islamic Sharia law.
An intelligence official confirmed the incident.
Musharraf says election to be free, fair, transparent; rejects allegations of rigging
By NNN-APP
Rawalpindi : President Pervez Musharraf Wednesday reiterating a free, fair, transparent election strongly rejected the allegations of any “pre-poll rigging” and “ghost polling stations”.
Talking to a four-member European Union Election Observer delegation, headed by Michel Gahler, that called on him here at his Camp Office, the President said there will be no further delay in the February 18 election.
Tripura to get rice from Andhra Pradesh via Bangladesh Thursday
By Sujit Chakraborty,
Agartala : Rice from southern India to Tripura via Bangladesh is likely to reach here Thursday, bringing to fruition a three-year-long diplomatic...
Iran to build nuclear reactors overseas in 10 years: Official
By IANS,
Qom (Iran) : Iran will be able to build nuclear power plants worldwide within the next ten years, IRNA reported Monday quoting a senior official.
Mohammad Saeedi, deputy director of Iran Atomic Energy Organisation (IAEO), said: "In the next ten years Iran will be among the countries in the world that build nuclear reactors."
Speaking at a ceremony Sunday to mark the National Nuclear Day, Saeedi said that comprehensive plans for developing nuclear activities began in 1997 and that the country had sought help from some countries but they refused, Mehr News reported.
Hyderabad residents protest at US consulate against Israel
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Tension prevailed at the US consulate here Friday as around 1,000 people staged a demonstration protesting Israel's air strikes on Palestinians in Gaza.
About six protestors were injured as police caned the crowd that tried to barge into the newly-inaugurated consulate building in the high-security Begumpet neighbourhood.
About 1,000 protestors belonging to the minority cell of the ruling Congress party gathered outside the consulate, raising slogans against Israel's action and demanding a halt to the strikes.
Harari Tribunal envisaged to begin work on March 1 – UN Sec-Gen
By NNN-KUNA,
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that a lot of progress has been made in the establishment of the Hariri Tribunal and that "it's envisaged" that it will begin its work as early as March 1, depending on the availability of funds for 2010 and 2011.
Pakistan PM’s aircraft develops mid-air snag
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's special aircraft had to return to Paris after it developed a snag mid-air, it was reported here.
India responds to Pakistan, says enough evidence to take action
By IANS,
New Delhi : India Friday handed over to Pakistan answers to 30 questions they had posed in connection with Mumbai's "horrific terror attacks" and underlined that these replies provided "enough material" for Islamabad to take the investigation forward and punish the guilty.
Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon met Pakistan's High Commissioner Shahid Malik and formally handed over India's replies to Pakistan's questions over the Mumbai attacks, official sources said.
Security Council to release Iraq from UN chapter that recognizes its tutelage
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Washington has informed Baghdad of a tentative approval by the UN Security Council (UNSC) to release Iraq from the Chapter VII of the UN Charter that recognizes its tutelage, Iraq's state-run al-Sabah newspaper reported Saturday
Visiting U.S. envoy to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad informed top Iraqi officials the approval of most UNSC members, an Iraqi parliament member who declined to be named was quoted as saying.
The tentative approval came after Iraq recently signed a security pact and an agreement on strategic framework cooperation with the U.S.
Musharraf signs notification to restore deposed judges
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf Wednesday signed a notification to restore eight judges who were sacked last year, TV channel Dawn News reported.
The law ministry will issue a formal notification to reinstate judges of Sindh High Court (SHC) shortly, said the TV.
Musharraf also approved the appointment of Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali as the new Chief Justice of SHC, the report added.
MSE will showcase Malaysia’s heavyweight companies in UAE
By NNN-Bernama
Dubai : The Malaysia Services Exhibition (MSE), to be held in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will showcase Malaysian companies which had good track records, Trade Commissioner Noraslan Hadi Abdul Hadi said.
He said that the 170 companies taking part were invited and selected by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) as it wanted to show what Malaysia could offer.
Gunmen kidnap eight people in NE Baghdad
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Unknown gunmen abducted eight civilians in a village in the volatile province of Diyala, an Interior Ministry source said on Saturday.
Dozens of gunmen in their vehicles stormed overnight the village of Um al-Qutin, near the capital city of Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, and kidnapped eight people from their houses, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Egyptian FM calls for more co-op between Asia, Mideast
By Xinhua
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt : Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit here on Saturday called for more cooperation between Asia and Mideast to achieve a better future for the two regions.
Abul Gheit made the remarks in his address at the second Ministerial Meeting of Asia-Middle East Dialogue (AMED), expecting this meeting to boost cooperation and development of the two regions.
Islamic educational organisation targets illiteracy
Rabat : The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) has urged all Muslim nations on the occasion of the upcoming International Literacy Day...
Algerian president to visit Kuwait on Saturday
By Adnan Al-Failakawi, KUNA,
Kuwait : Algerian President Abdul Aziz Bouteflika will begin a state visit to Kuwait on Saturday, during which he will hold talks with His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, aimed at promoting bilateral relations in various fields and ways to achieve security and stability in the region.
Algerian officials have confirmed the good relations between the two countries on many occasions, stemming from the Kuwaiti support for the Algerian revolution back in November 1954, which have been on the rise since then.
OIC to set up Human Rights Council for Muslim Countries
By SPA,
Cairo : Dr. Ihsanoglu said the OIC had contributed to entry of ten trucks loaded with humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and the relief assistance was distributed to the refugees through the UNRWA.
He urged the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary General to work for ending Israel's continuous aggression and to take the required measures for the protection of the Palestinian people.
"The current happenings in the Palestinian territories are a pity, " he said.
Ahmadinejad calls Obama reaction to 9/11 comments ‘amateurish’
By DPA,
Tehran: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Saturday described the reaction by Barack Obama to his remarks on the Sep 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as "amateurish".
After Congo, Indian peacekeepers save lives in Sudan
By IANS,
New Delhi : After a rescue operation in Congo, it was the turn of India's UN peacekeepers in Sudan to save lives after a truck ferrying troops of the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) overturned, injuring about a dozen soldiers, two of whom were stuck under the vehicle and bleeding profusely.
The accident occurred at 2 p.m. May 28, a defence ministry statement Monday said.
Pakistani woman electrocuted to death for eloping
By IANS,
Islamabad: A 20-year-old woman in Pakistan's Sindh province was electrocuted to death as punishment for eloping with a man, police said.
Joint India-Pakistan forum launched for relief in Pak, Leh
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Some civil society organisations and concerned citizens of India and Pakistan recently met in Amritsar and later in Lahore and decided to launch a Joint India-Pakistan Forum for Relief to help the flood affected people of Pakistan and Leh - India at the time of this grave crisis.
Understanding Pakistan’s tribal areas
By Frankie Martin and Hailey Woldt,
The vows of the new Pakistani coalition government to begin a dialogue with militants has turned many heads. To Washington's dismay, the new government led by Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari seems to have a different perspective on fighting terrorism. Here's why we should pay attention.
19 hurt in vehicle attack in Jerusalem
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : At least 19 people were injured Monday night when a man slammed his vehicle into a crowd of people in Israeli city of Jerusalem, the police said.
Among those wounded, there were 15 soldiers and four civilians, Micky Rosenfeld, an Israel Police spokesman, said adding that nobody was killed in the vehicle attack.
All the victims sustained minor to moderate injuries and had been rushed to hospital for treatment, he said.
The wounded soldiers were from the artillery corps who were on a tour of Jerusalem ahead of the Jewish High Holidays.
Malayasian PM urges Muslims not to insult other religions
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak Saturday quoted from the Quran to urge fellow Muslims not to insult people of other faiths, after residents of a Muslim-majority area, protesting re-location of a Hindu temple to their locality, carried cow heads in a rally Friday.
Residents of Section 23 locality in Shah Alam, capital of Selangor state, staged a protest rally against relocation of a 150-year-old Sri Mariamman temple from Section 19 to their Muslim Malay-majority area.
17 killed in Iran plane accident
By DPA,
Tehran: At least 17 people were killed and 19 injured Friday when an Iranian plane caught fire while landing in the northeast city of Mashad.
An official from the local governor's office said that the Russian-made Ilyushin belonging to the private airline Arya caught fire and crashed into a wall at the side of the airport runway.
The official said 153 passengers were on board. He said surviving passengers and the deceased had been taken from the aircraft and the fire extinguished.
Three get death penalty on terror charges in Saudi Arabia
Riyadh : Three terror suspects have been sentenced to death and 19 others have been given varied jail terms in Saudi Arabia for their...
Iraq delegation in Iran on power ties
By NNN-FNA
Tehran : Iraq's electricity ministry delegation is discussing further cooperation with its counterparts in Iran, though Baghdad wants projects implemented soon.
Iran and Iraq signed deals late last year on joint projects, including a 160-megawatt, $150 mln power plant and refinery project in Sadr City, a Baghdad neighbourhood, by the Iranian Saneer Co.
Iran is also to build a power plant between Karbala and Najaf, two of Shiite Islam's holiest areas.
US to keep pressure on Al Qaeda: US commander
Kabul : The US commander of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., Wednesday said the war on terror...
Al-Assad stresses Syria’s support to political process in Iraq
By NNN-SANA,
Damascus : The meeting between President Bashar al-Assad and a delegation headed by Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council Amar Abdul Aziz AL-Hakim here concentrated on bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries and means of bolstering them in all fields.
Two Indian warships readied to evacuate nationals from Libya
By IANS,
New Delhi: India has readied two warships to evacuate its nationals from troubled Libya with the defence ministry Friday clearing a request for this from the external affairs ministry.
US Army admits killing 40 Iraqis in one day
By DPA
Baghdad : US troops killed more than 40 Iraqis in one day, including 25 "criminals" who had attacked US soldiers, the military reported Monday in Baghdad.
On Sunday, the US Air Force killed 25 "criminals" that had previously attacked US soldiers, the military said.
Most of the deaths occurred during clashes between the Mahdi militia of radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and the combined US and Iraqi troops.
Pakistani Army reviews anti-Taliban operations
By IANS,
Rawalpindi : The lessons learnt from the military's anti-Taliban operations in the country's restive northwest were reviewed by the Pakistani Army at the Corps Commanders conference that began here Thursday.
Quoting military sources, Online news agency reported that during the course of the conference, the constructive and positive strategies of Pakistan Army in Operation
Rah-e-Rast in the Malakand division of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) were discussed.
Malaysian artistes fear curbs in opposition-ruled states
By IANS
Kuala Lumpur : The Malaysian Artistes' Association (Karyawan) has expressed fear for the local arts and entertainment industry following the formation of new governments in five states by opposition parties perceived as conservative.
Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Keadalan Rakyat (PKR) and the Islamist party PAS wrested control of five states in this month's general election, also winning an unprecedented 82 seats in parliament.
Islamabad high court chief justice under the scanner
By IANS,
Islamabad : Days after being reinstated as Pakistan's chief justice, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry seems to be living up to his promise of rooting out corruption from the judiciary with action being initiated against a top judge for his alleged criminal links.
"For the first time in the country's history, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has initiated suo moto proceedings against a high court chief justice over allegations of involvement in murky activities including connections with the crime underworld," The News reported Friday, quoting judicial sources.
Man nabbed for plotting Israeli PM’s assassination
Jerusalem : Police in Israel have nabbed a 52-year-old resident of Netanya city after he allegedly threatened to assassinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a...
Cop hurt as bomb in manhole explodes in Peshawar
By IANS,
Islamabad : A Pakistani police officer was injured in Peshawar city Friday when a bomb hidden beneath a manhole cover exploded as soon as his vehicle by, a media report said.
Over 34,000 Indian Haj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia
By IANS,
Jeddah : Over 34,000 Haj pilgrims from India have arrived here for the annual pilgrimage.
Somali pirates hijack two Yemeni ships
By DPA,
Sanaa : Somali pirates hijacked two Yemeni fishing ships and took 22 fishermen hostage in the Gulf of Aden Wednesday, Yemen's interior ministry said.
The pirates attacked the ships as they sailed off the Mait area near the southern port city of Aden, the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.
Before the pirates took control of the ships, seven fishermen escaped on a small boat to report the attacks to the Yemeni Coast Guard Authority in Aden, the statement said.
Twenty-two other fishermen, all Yemenis, were held hostage on the hijacked ships, it said.
Zardari blames ‘stateless actors’ for Mumbai attacks
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has blamed "stateless actors" for last week's terror attacks on Mumbai and said he is willing to let Pakistani security officials participate in a joint investigation with India.
Denying that Pakistan was involved in the attack, in which 183 people were killed, Zardari said he has seen no evidence that a suspect in Indian custody is a Pakistani national.
US Senate okays $7.5 bn for Pakistan to fight extremists
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington/New York : The US Senate has approved legislation to triple civilian financial aid to Islamabad to $7.5 billion over five years even as President Barack Obama spoke of violent extremists within Pakistan posing a threat to the world.
Underscoring Islamabad's perceived role in the war in Afghanistan and the broader fight against international terrorism Obama urged "sustained and expanded" support for Pakistan at an international summit Thursday.
Coalition options wide open after Israeli election
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : The only certainty to emerge from exit polls and the first official results in Tuesday's Israeli election is that nothing is certain.
Three separate exit polls on Israel's three television news channels gave the centrist Kadima party of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni a sparse, two-seat lead over the hardline Likud of former premier Benjamin Netanyahu, and first initial results, which began trickling in after midnight, showed the margin closing to just one seat.
The gap was small enough to allow both Livni and Netanyahu to claim victory.
Sultan breaks protocol, helps Malaysian Indian award recipient
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor broke protocol to steady 84-year-old Malaysian Indian Sundraledchimy Maheswaran as she walked back to her seat after being conferred a title akin to Ladyship.
Walking backwards on a thick carpet after receiving the title was difficult for Maheswaran. This was where Shah stepped in to break protocol and helped her.
The royal monarch, who is also Selangor state's constitutional head, stepped down several times to confer awards to recipients who had difficulty in reaching the dais or returning to their seats.
Female candidate calls for granting full social rights to women
By KUNA,
Kuwait : Fourth constituency candidate Alya Al-Enizi called Tuesday for granting women their full social rights as stipulated in the constitution.
In a press release, she stressed the importance of respecting women and noted the need for giving house care to widows and single mothers, as well as Kuwait women married to non-Kuwaitis.
Moreover, she noted the need to grant the children of Kuwaiti mothers priority in learning and education, as well as in employment.
Al-Enizi also demanded resolving the issue of stateless persons in a serious and permanent manner.
US drone strike kills four in Pakistan
Islamabad: At least four people were killed during a US drone strike in Pakistan's north-west tribal area of North Waziristan on Monday night, a...
11 jailed in Jordan over plans to bomb embassies
Amman: Jordan's state security court Wednesday sentenced 11 people to prison terms ranging from four to 20 years for seeking to bomb Western embassies...
Bangladesh calls for LDC representation at economic summit
By Xinhua,
Dhaka : Bangladesh Sunday called for representation of the world's least developed countries (LDCs) at global economic summit in future.
Speaking to journalists here, the caretaker government's foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury welcomed the inclusion of developing countries like Brazil, China and India in the G-20 summit held in Washington of the United States to address the current global economic crisis.
Gunmen kill 20 labourers in Pakistan
Islamabad: At least 20 people were killed and three others injured on Saturday when unidentified gunmen opened fire at a labour camp in Pakistan's...
Seven killed in bombing of Pakistani police bus
By DPA,
Islamabad : Seven people, most of them law enforcement officers, were killed Thursday when a roadside bomb hit their bus in Pakistan's restive North-West Frontier Province, officials said.
An earlier report quoting media said some 13 people were killed in the attack.
"Suspected Islamist militants detonated a remote-controlled explosive device when the prison van was crossing a bridge over the Kurram River, killing six policemen and a passerby," a senior police officer, Waqas Hasan, said.
Malaysian lawmakers for crackdown on illegal migrants
By DPA,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysian politicians urged the government to intensify efforts to detain and deport undocumented immigrants in Sabah state on Borneo, news reports said Monday.
The state's deputy chief minister, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, said there was an urgent need to set up a royal commission of inquiry to deal with the increasing number of undocumented migrants in the eastern state.
Israel won’t attack Gaza if rockets stopped: Olmert
By DPA
Jerusalem : Responding to Palestinian calls for a truce in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reiterated that Israel would stop its attacks if rocket fire from the area at its southern towns and villages stopped.
"If there is no Qassam fire at Israel, there will be no Israeli attack on Gaza. We don't rise in the morning and think how to attack Gaza. If they don't attack us, we won't attack them," Olmert said after meeting Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom Wednesday.
IAEA Chief Mohammad ElBradei arrives in Tehran
Tehran, Jan 11, IRNA ,Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency Mohammad ElBradei arrived in Tehran early Friday heading a delegation and was welcomed by Vice President of Iran's Atomic Energy Agency Mohammad Saeedi at the International Emam Khomeini Airport.
Head of IAEA Safeguards Olli Heinonen and Chief of the Agency's Policy Making and Foreign Policy Vilmos Cserveny are accompanying ElBradei during the visit.
The visit takes place in response to an official invitation extended by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
India denies violating Pakistani airspace, ‘technical intrusion’, says Zardari
By IANS,
New Delhi/Islamabad : India Sunday denied allegations that its fighter jets had violated Pakistani airspace, even as Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari described it as a "technical incursion" and media "overhype".
Media reports were rife in Pakistan early Sunday saying that Indian fighter jets had violated its airspace late Saturday night and early Sunday in Lahore and Pakistan-administered Kashmir sectors, and an emergency was declared at the Pakistan Air Force airbases at Shorkot and Sargodha.
17 dead in Turkey blast
By SPA
Istanbul, Turkey : An explosion at an unlicensed fireworks factory in Istanbul killed 17 people and injured 68 others Thursday, an official said.
The blast was caused by the fireworks, Gov. Muammer Guler said. Four of the injured were in critical condition, he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Malaysian PM hosts those who follow him on Twitter
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is a regular blogger, played host to over 600 people from among thousands who follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
Bangladesh PM condemns killings in name of Islam
Dhaka : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Saturday wondered how those who practice Islam can bring themselves to burn people alive in the name...
Senior Taliban commander killed in Pakistan
By DPA,
Peshawar : Security forces have killed a senior Taliban commander, Mullah Ismail, also known as Ahmad Shah, in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan, officials said Saturday.
Intelligence officials told DPA, on condition of anonymity, that Mullah Ismail was killed in a police shoot out in the Badhabher area about 10 km from the provincial capital Peshawar.
Pakistan tribal militia set fires on militants’ hideouts
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan's tribal lashkar, or militia, on Thursday set fires on several militants's hideouts in northwestern tribal region on the Afghan border.
The lashkar in restive Bajaur tribal agency burnt down several hideouts of pro-Taliban militants in Mandal areas, the official Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
The lashkar from Mandal tribes first destroyed the militants' hideouts and later set them ablaze by pouring oil, eyewitnesses said.
I don’t mind sitting in opposition benches: Gilani
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani says he does not mind sitting in the opposition benches as he has "no lust for power" and wants to just work for the people.
Hasina, Zia walk different paths towards polls
By IANS,
Dhaka : The demand that Bangladesh's two former prime ministers meet ahead of the Dec 18 poll has got a new twist with Sheikh Hasina supporting the government's idea of a televised debate but Khaleda Zia stating that she would like the exchange to be "exclusive" and without an agenda.
Hasina's Awami League spokesperson Syed Ashraful Islam said the discussions should be subject-specific: "We don't want a closed-door meeting. The talks should be broadcast live so that people can watch the entire event."
Terrorist bombings kill 70 people in Iraq
By IRNA,
Baghdad : Bombings Tuesday killed at least 70 people in Baghdad and in two major provincial capitals in Iraq.
The deadliest attack happened in the Diyala province capital of Baquba when a car bomb detonated outside a crowded restaurant, killing 48 people and wounding 75, Interior Ministry said.
The attack happened near Iraqi court of justice and other government offices in Baquba. Women and children are among the dead.
150 killed in Nigeria attacks
Abuja: At least 150 people were killed during the weekend in separate attacks in northwest and northeast regions of Nigeria, Africa's most populous country,...
Jaswant Singh expelled from BJP
By IANS,
Shimla : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh was expelled from the primary membership of the party Wednesday, two days after the release of his controversial book praising Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
BJP president Rajnath Singh told reporters here that the decision to expel the 71-year-old leader was taken by the party's parliamentary board.
"He is now not a member of any forum of the party. I tried to inform him yesterday on the phone but he had left for Shimla," the BJP chief said.
Arabic Twitterati cast US as an enemy: Study
Washington : Researchers used Twitter as an instrument to measure public sentiment, in ways an opinion poll cannot, and revealed that millions of Arabic...
Arab countries urged to help end Israel’s blockade against Gaza
By Xinhua
Tunis : Libya's foreign ministry Monday presented an urgent note to the Arab League (AL) calling on its member states to take a firm stand and help lift the blockade Israel imposed on Palestinians.
The note calls for an urgent meeting of AL foreign ministers and urged concrete measures to end the blockade rather than issuing resolutions and statements that will never be put into action.
The note says that an earlier AL resolution must be carried out to open passage to the Gaza Strip to allow in food, medicine and fuel.
Activist describes ceasefire as illusion
By Xinhua,
Gaza : A Palestinian anti-siege activist on Monday warned that many people in Gaza started to feel that a recent ceasefire with Israel was sort of illusion.
Ten days after the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire took effect, the people's hopes of getting the blockade eased and the reviving of economy faded, said Rami Abdo, spokesman for the Popular Campaign against Siege.
US transfers $200 mn in aid to Palestinians
By DPA,
Washington : The US has transferred $200 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority to help it fill a serious budget shortfall, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced Friday.
The money is part of a $900-million aid pledge to the Palestinians made by Clinton at an Arab summit earlier this year. Clinton said economic development was critical to achieving peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Pakistan to prepare bouncy wickets
By IANS,
Islamabad: The Pakistan Cricket Board has adopted a strategy of preparing bouncy wickets to help its national team prepare for the ICC Champions Trophy in England in June.
Report: U.S. steps up unilateral strikes in Pakistan
By Xinhua
Washington : The United States has stepped up unilateral strikes against al-Qaida members in Pakistan's tribal areas, the Washington Post reported Thursday.
The action has partly resulted from anxieties that Pakistan's new leaders will insist on scaling back military operations in that country, the paper quoted U.S. officials as saying.
US gives aid for hydroelectric dams in Pakistan
By IANS,
Washington : The US has provided funds to Pakistan to complete construction of two hydroelectric dam projects in the country, a media report said Saturday.
France to cooperation with Palestinian unity government
Paris : France was ready to work with the new Palestinian government which will include members from Hamas party, widely considered as a radical...
Pakistan Condemns New US Attack
By Prensa Latina,
Islamabad : General Tariq Majad, Chief of the Pakistani Joint Major Staff, condemned Friday a new US bombing against its tribal territory, and warned that Pakistan keeps the right to counterattack.
A Predator non-crewed plane, operated by remote control, shot three missiles against a house in the village of Gorwack, North Waziristan, killing four women and three children, local authorities reported Friday.
While welcomimg German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung, Majid warned that Pakistan kept its right to take appropriate measures in a near future.
French Bank releases Iran’s frozen assets
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : Iran's Presidential Advisor for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Majid Jafarzadeh has said that the assets of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) which were seized by a French bank have been released.
Speaking to IRNA, he said that the move followed continued efforts by the Presidential Department for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Monday.
CBI assets were frozen by the Bank of French Banque Populaire.
Nawaz Sharif, brother allowed to contest by-elections
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan's election commission Sunday allowed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to run in a parliamentary by-election.
The commission also allowed Shahbaz, younger brother of Nawaz Sharif, to contest a provincial assembly seat. Shahbaz is president of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) faction.
A two-member election tribunal failed Saturday to agree on whether Sharif could take part in the by-election due to divergence of opinion between the two judges.
Coordination meeting of Arab countries hosting Palestinian refugees
By NNN-SANA,
Damascus : The coordination meeting of Arab countries hosting Palestinian refugees has held discussions on the state of refugees, the UNRWA's work, and the need to take a unified Arab stance in the upcoming meeting of the UNRWA Consultation Committee which will be held here on Wednesday.
The meeting Sunday included delegations from Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and the Arab League. The meeting's agenda includes discussing the UNRWA's report to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the letter from the Consultation Committee which will be directed to the UNRWA.
Lebanese leaders reach agreement on resolving crisis
By Xinhua,
Beirut : Lebanese rival leaders in Doha reached Wednesday an agreement on resolving the political crisis, NBN TV quoted the opposition parliament member (MP) Ali Hasan Khalil as saying.
The agreement calls for electing a president immediately, forming a government based on a 16-11-3 formula (16 for the majority, 11 for the opposition and 3 to be chosen by the president)and adopting 1960 electoral law, said the report.
2 killed, 11 wounded in north Lebanon’s Tripoli clashes
By Xinhua,
BEIRUT : Clashes between the Lebanese army and Sunni militants in northern Lebanon city of Tripoli killed two people and wounded 11 others on Friday morning, local OTV reported.
Three Lebanese soldiers were among the wounded, while one militant wanted by police was killed, the report said.
A statement of the Lebanese army command said that the clashes erupted on Friday morning when a car carrying a wounded man tried to overpass an army checkpoint and people in the car fired at the army checkpoint.
Musharraf may never be brought on trial
By IANS,
Islamabad : Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf may have been booked for illegally detaining Supreme Court judges but he never may be brought on trial going by what Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told parliament and new revelations about the deal struck under which he quit last year.
"We should do what is doable," Gilani said in the National Assembly Wednesday, even as he urged the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) not to play to the gallery on the issue of Musharraf's trial.
Bangladesh High Court dismisses corruption case against ex-PM Hasina
By KUNA
New Delhi : Bangladesh's High Court Wednesday dismissed a corruption case against the countrys former prime minister Sheikha Hasina.
The court also declared as illegal the military-backed caretaker government's move to try Hasina under the present Emergency Power Rules (EPR), online edition of Bangladeshs leading English daily The Daily Star reported from capital Dhaka.
The government said it could appeal against the verdict in the Bangladesh Supreme Court, The Daily Star said.
Jewish terrorist leaflet unearthed from 60 years ago
By IRNA,
London : A Jewish terrorist threatening to kill British soldiers serving in Palestine during the creation of Israel 60 years ago has surfaced at an auction in Shropshire, central England, it was reported Saturday.
The discoloured document, penned by Irgun terrorist group led by future Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, urged UK troops to either leave the mandated country or be killed.
US sanctions 13 firms for supplying arms to rogue nations
By DPA,
Washington : The US has imposed sanctions on 13 companies accused of aiding the weapons programmes of North Korea, Iran or Syria, the State Department said Friday.
The companies include firms based in Russia, South Korea, China, Sudan, Venezuela and the United Arab Emirates, as well as in the three targeted countries.
The United States had "credible information" that the companies made sales that could "make a material contribution to weapons of mass destruction or cruise or ballistic missile systems," State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said in a statement.
Libya to honour UN resolution if NATO ends air strikes: Russia
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
‘Lebanon can expect Northern Ireland type of peace, growth’
By Aroonim Bhuyan, IANS,
Dubai : Lebanon can expect a period of peace similar to Northern Ireland after a political settlement on the issue of the country's presidency was reached, according to Rami George Khouri, a well-known journalist and head of a Beirut-based think-tank.
"With the political deadlock having ended, we expect a Northern Ireland type of peace in Lebanon for some time to come," Khouri told reporters on the sidelines of a workshop on policy and research here Monday.
Pakistani Taliban claim responsibility for twin suicide attacks at ordnance factories
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani Taliban Thursday claimed responsibility for two deadly suicide bomb attacks on the workers of the country's major arms factories, which killed over 70 factory workers.
The bombers blew themselves up at two gates of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) at Wah Cantt, a town some 35 kilometers northwest of capital Islamabad.
The bombers targeted factory workers at the main gate and another gate 200 meters away when they were leaving and entering the factories building, deputy inspector general police Nasir Khan Durrani said.
One-day strike in Palestine over Zaitoun killings
By KUNA
Ramallah : People in the Palestinian territories went on strike Wednesday in condemnation of the killings of Palestinians in Al-Zaitoun neighborhood Tuesday.
Shops and government institutions will be closed for the whole day except schools, virtue of a Palestinian cabinet resolution. The flag would be flown at half-mast for three days.
Lawyers at the Palestinian Prisoners Club will suspend work in Israeli courts, protesting the bloodshed.
Suicide bombing in Pakistan kills 8
By DPA,
Islamabad : At least eight people were killed and dozens injured Thursday in a suicide car bombing at a police station in north-western Pakistan, police said.
A bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the main gate of the station located on a busy road in the Kohat district of North-West Frontier Province.
"It was a suicide attack, and according to the initial information, eight people are killed and around a dozen injured," police spokesman Fazal Naeem said by phone.
"For the moment, it's not clear how many policemen are among the dead," he said.
Top UN relief official spotlights worsening conditions in Gaza, West Bank
By APP
United Nations : the top UN relief official has highlighted the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza and the West Bank resulting from Israeli closures and restrictions on movement.
Pakistan ignores US pressure for new assault on Taliban
By DPA,
Islamabad: The Pakistani military said Thursday that it was unlikely the country would buckle under US pressure to expand its offensive against Taliban militants in its north-western tribal region.
The statement came during the visit of US Defence Secretary Robert Gates who arrived in Pakistan from New Delhi for talks on the new US strategy in neighbouring Afghanistan.
PM leaves for Oman, Qatar to tap Gulf for energy, funds
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday left for Oman, the first leg of his two-nation Gulf tour that also takes him to Qatar, on his maiden visit to the oil-rich region that is set to bolster bilateral political and economic ties.
India and Oman will sign three key pacts during the prime minister's visit that includes a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for setting up the India-Oman Fund, a manpower agreement and another on consultations between the foreign service training institutes of the two countries.
France does not intend to replace withdrawn frigate off Gaza
By KUNA,
PARIS : France said on Wednesday that it did not intend to replace a frigate that it withdrew from the maritime zone off Gaza after a two-week, "surveillance and information mission" with the Israeli navy.
The French vessel "Germinal" was officially withdrawn on February 6 after a decision by President Nicolas Sarkozy, but the frigate had already made for Cyprus for "technical reasons" several days before that decision.
Tutu: Israel responsible for worsening situation in Gaza
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Visiting South African Nobel Peace laureate Father Desmond Tutu said here on Thursday that Israel holds responsible for the situation in West Bank and Gaza.
At a news conference in Gaza, he condemns the ongoing Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, adding that "this blockade had affected all aspects of life, mainly hospitals and roads."
Tutu, the former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, currently is leading a UN fact-finding mission to Gaza to investigate the killing of 19 Palestinian civilians in a November 2006 Israeli attack.
U.N. Chief Chairs Mideast Quartet Meeting Friday, Gaza Fuel Low
By SPA,
United Nations : United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will chair the Middle East Quartet meeting in London on Friday, his spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.
Ban will also partake in an “expanded meeting” with Arab foreign ministers followed by a meeting with the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for the Palestinian Authority, Ban’s spokeswoman Marie Okabe said.
‘Pre-poll manipulation’ in Pakistan worries European observers
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS
London : The head of the European Union observer mission to the Pakistani elections says evidence of pre-poll manipulation is already causing "concerns at the moment" to the international community.
Robert Evans, a member of the European Parliament, said his "long-term observers" for the Feb 18 elections, who have been in Pakistan since December, have told him of several malpractices.
Airstrikes on Pakistani troops unintended: NATO chief
By IANS,
Brussels : The NATO airstrikes that killed and wounded dozens of Pakistani soldiers Saturday were "unintended", alliance chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Sunday.
Freezing weather kills over 100 in Afghanistan
By RIA Novasti
Kabul : Over 100 people have died due to freezing weather in various provinces of Afghanistan in the past few days, the country's Ariana TV channel reported on Monday.
Continual heavy snowfall has cut off thousands of people living in isolated communities in the mountainous country, making deliveries of medicine and essential goods almost impossible. Several people have been killed in avalanches and accidents on the snow-covered roads.
Rafah crossing point closure sparks Gaza humanitarian crisis
Gaza : Keeping the Rafah crossing point between the Gaza Strip and Egypt completely closed for 25 consecutive days has sparked a serious humanitarian...
Arabs mourn Palestinian ‘Nakba’, deplore Israel’s policy
By DPA,
Cairo : Arab commentators and officials Wednesday deplored the conditions in which the Palestinians live and berated Israel for its "crimes" on the 60th anniversary of its establishment, which Arabs mark as the "Nakba", or catastrophe.
Arabs mourn what they call the 1948 catastrophe when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians lost their homeland and the state of Israel was established.
Arab newspapers and television channels dedicated special editions and hours-long programmes in remembrance of the Nakba.
Zardari sacrifices black goats to ‘ward off evil eye’
By IANS,
Islamabad : A black goat is slaughtered almost every day by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to ward off the "evil eye" and protect him from the curse of "black magic".
"It has been an old practice of Mr. Zardari to offer 'Sadqa' (animal sacrifice). He has been doing this for a long time," President's spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
OIC condemns Israeli incursions, attacks in Gaza Strip
By APP
Geneva : The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) on Wednesday terming Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip a “severe blow to peace initiative and Palestinian-Israeli negotiations” condemned the incursions that caused heavy loss of life. Ambassador Masood Khan, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, speaking on behalf of OIC at the Human Rights Council said Israeli attacks have served a severe blow to the peace initiative and Palestinian-Israel negotiations.