News reports: two NATO supply trucks destroyed in NW Pakistan
By Xinhua,
ISLAMABAD : Two trucks to carry luggage for NATO forces in Afghanistan were destroyed Saturday in northwestern Pakistan, the NNI news agency reported.
The private NNI news agency said that unidentified gunmen attacked a truck terminal at the Ring Road in Peshawar, the capital of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
Police officer Muhammad Afaq said that dozens of armed men attacked the Bilal terminal with rockets which caused the destruction of two trucks.
No nuclear negotiations with world powers: Ahmadinejad
By DPA,
Tehran : There will be no nuclear negotiations with the world powers, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday.
"As far as the Iranian nation is concerned, the nuclear issue is finished," Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with the new British ambassador to Tehran, Simon Gass.
"Pursuing nuclear technology is the legal and ultimate right of Iran and therefore the Iranian nation will not discuss this right with anybody," Fars news agency quoted the president as saying.
Pakistan’s clerics blame war on terror for suicide attacks
By Zofeen T. Ebrahim, IANS
Karachi : Pakistan's top religious scholars have asked President Pervez Musharraf to step down, suggesting that the spate of suicide bombings are a reaction to the government's flawed policies.
In the first such exercise of its kind, the scholars, including Maulana Fida ur-Rehman Darkhawasti of Amir Pakistan Shariat Council and Maulana Abdul Maalik of the Rabat ul-Madaaris Pakistan, have issued a comprehensive charter.
Rice arrives in Baghdad on unscheduled visit
By DPA,
Baghdad : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived here for an unscheduled Thursday, Iraqi state television reported.
She was due to meet Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki for talks that centre around the presence of US troops in Iraq.
Rice is expected to present further proposals on the withdrawal of US troops as part of ongoing negotiations between Washington and Baghdad.
Iraq reportedly wants a fixed time for the troop withdrawal.
Pakistani forces kill 10 Taliban militants
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistani troops have killed 10 Taliban militants in the country's restive northwestern tribal region that borders Afghanistan, a security official said Monday.
Major Fazalur Rehman, a spokesman for the paramilitary Frontier Corps, said the rebels died during a gunfight in Kurram, one of the eight tribal districts where Pakistani forces are carrying out assaults against Taliban and Al Qaeda militants.
"Our forces also destroyed five vehicles including the vehicle of a local commander," said Rehman.
Two killed in Pakistan drone attack
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least two suspected Islamist militants were killed Sunday in a drone attack in Pakistan's northwest tribal region, a media report said.
Islam at crossroads: Who’s to blame?
By M. Rajaque Rahman, IANS,
It has become almost fashionable for a Muslim to say 'Islam is in danger'. The religion whose literal meaning is peace is today seen as the root cause of terror and violence. The Muslim world cannot merely dismiss this as a fallout of a grand conspiracy against Islam by people of other faiths. It has failed to present the real essence of Islam and remained a mute spectator to many atrocities against humanity committed in the name cleansing the world of infidels.
27 killed in eight-hour siege of Lahore police academy
By IANS,
Lahore : Pakistani security forces Monday stormed a police training academy on the outskirts of this Pakistani city, ending an eight-hour siege by a group of heavily armed attackers who killed 27 people and took over 800 hostage. Four of the terrorists were killed, while three were captured alive.
At least 27 police trainees were killed but the casualty figure could rise as bodies were still being brought out of the Manawan police academy that is close to the Wagah border.
Eyewitness accounts put the number of attackers at between 10 and 12, some of them in police uniform.
Bahrain busts terrorist cell
By IANS/WAM,
Manama Bahraini security forces, in cooperation with a neighbouring country, has managed to bust a terrorist cell and arrest its eight members.
Afghanistan to dominate agenda of NATO defense ministers’ meeting
By Xinhua,
Brussels : NATO defense ministers will meet in the Hungarian capital of Budapest on Thursday and Friday to discuss primarily the NATO-led operations in Afghanistan amid doubts over the alliance's counter-insurgency strategy in the war-torn country.
The ministers' informal meeting is overshadowed by comments of a high-ranking British officer over the weekend that the war with the Taliban cannot be won. At the same time, the Afghan government is showing willingness to talk to the Taliban, seven years after the U.S.-led war ousted the fundamentalist movement.
Fresh protests in Yemen
By IANS,
Sana'a : Thousands of anti-government protesters Tuesday gathered outside the Sana'a University here to demand the ouster of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a media report said.
Pakistan provincial minister dead
By IANS,
Islamabad : A minister of Pakistan's Sindh province has died after a protracted illness, a media report said Sunday.
Situation in Gaza all too familiar to Israeli survivors of the Holocaust: paper
By WAM,
ABU DHABI, The stalemate in the Middle East is set to continue, editorialized a major UAE daily paper.
"The way to end the blockade of Gaza, so Israel assures the world, is simple: Hamas must stop firing its rockets into Israeli territory. It is as easy as that," added the English language Gulf News.
Iraqi parliament fails to elect new speaker
By Xinhua,
BAGHDAD : Iraq's parliament failed Sunday to elect a new speaker due to persisting disputes over the candidates among parliamentary political blocs, an official said.
"The parliament failed to elect a new speaker for the lack of quorum after six political blocs withdrew from today's session," an official in the parliament media office told Xinhua.
He said that the parliament would reconvene on Monday hoping that the political blocs would reach consensus over who they will vote to be the new speaker.
Lebanon clashes leave 3 dead, over 30 injured
By RIA Novosti,
Beirut : Three people have been killed and around 35 wounded in sectarian clashes in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, ending a two-week ceasefire, local media said on Wednesday.
The fighting began in the country's second largest city overnight, when grenades exploded along a main road separating the neighboring pro-government Sunni Muslims and Alawite supporters from the Hezbollah opposition.
Police and military units, who are at the scene, have failed to stop the fighting between crowds armed with small arms and grenade launchers.
Afghan suicide attack kills 8
By IINA
Kabul : A suicide car bomb has exploded in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, killing at least eight civilians. At least 24 people, including two police officers, have been injured in the explosion. The target of the attack was a Nato military convoy, police said. In Kandahar, the Taleban insurgents have been fighting some of their fiercest battles against international and Afghan forces, according to BBC. A large number of foreign troops are deployed in the province and they are often the target of militant attacks.
13 Israeli soldiers wounded in attack on Gaza gateway — Israeli Army
By KUNA,
Gaza : One Palestinian lost his life in an Israeli air strike on Gaza on Saturday and up to 13 Israeli troops were wounded in a ground bombing attack that targetted an Israeli-manned pssageway in the southernmost region of the strip.
Witnesses said Israeli aircraft fired a lone missile in the direction of a group of Palestinians in Al-Shuja'iah district east of Gaza city, killing one and wounding two others. Body of 21-year-old Ihab Al-Mughni was badly disfigured in the air strike.
Saudi paper details six-stage Houthi crackdown
Riyadh: The military operation led by Saudi Arabia against the Shia Houthi movement in Yemen will be conducted over six stages, involving a total...
Israeli police kills Palestinian near Jerusalem
Ramallha/Jerusalem: A Palestinian was shot dead on Thursday evening in clashes with Israeli police in the Palestinian refugee camp of Shu'fat near east Jerusalem,...
Lebanese majority urges normalization of ties with Syria
By KUNA
Beirut : The Lebanese majority called Friday for the normalization of relations with Syria, and said it was committed to the Arab initiative and the Taef Accord.
UAE builds 40 schools in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad: The UAE Project to Assist Pakistan has built 40 schools and handed them over to authorities in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
30 missing in Indonesia boat accident
By IANS,
Jakarta : All 30 passengers aboard a boat are reported missing after the vessel capsized in eastern Indonesia Friday afternoon, Xinhua reported.
Zia’s murder mystery comes in new mango flavour
By Manish Chand, IANS,
Book: A Case of Exploding Mangoes; Author: Mohammed Hanif; Publisher: Random House; Pages: 295.
Who killed General Zia-ul Haq, the redoubtable Pakistani dictator who mysteriously died in an air crash 20 summers ago? Conspiracy theories, ranging from the bizarre to purely farcical, have never ceased since. Mohammed Hanif thickens this stew further and spices it up with a dash of dark wit to spin a page-turning thriller and an exuberant satire of the triple clichés of Allah, America and Army that colour popular perception of Pakistan.
Bangladesh police hand over Avijit Roy murder evidence to FBI
Dhaka : Evidence related to the murder of Bangladesh-born blogger-writer Avijit Roy has been given to the US's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), police...
Election observers free to visit polling stations
By SPA
Islamabad : Election observers will be free to visit polling stations and offices of the returning officers to monitor polling process during the Feb 18 parliamentary elections, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad says.
He discussed with a two-member delegation comprising Glenn Cowan from Democracy International and Gregory Minjack from Capital Links from Washington the matters relating to the international observers and their security, said an official statement.
India To Help Israeli Researchers On Civilisation
By Bernama,
Jerusalem : India will help a group of Israeli researchers to carry out a project on the country's civilisation, a top official has said.
Under the initiative 'Scholar Invested Programme', India will aid the students to carry out field work for a period of three to 12 months, India's Ambassador Arun Kumar Singh was quoted by the Press Trust of India (PTI) as saying during a function here.
Khaleda Zia granted bail in corruption cases
Dhaka : A court here on Sunday granted bail to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief and former prime minister Khaleda Zia in two cases...
Militants release hostages in school, get safe passage in Pakistan
By Xinhua
Islamabad : A group of militants who took shelter in a school to evade chasing security forces and held schoolchildren and teachers hostages in northwest Pakistan have released their captives after local administration offered them safe passage, a local official said.
The acting District Coordination Officer (DCO) of Bannu district in North-West Frontier Province said that a member of the provincial assembly brokered the deal between militants and local administration.
US more in alignment with Islamic values than many Muslim states: Sheikh Aaidh Al-Qarni
By Siraj Wahab
A popular Saudi author and religious scholar has raised some questions about governmental and societal practices across the Arab world and asserts that the United States is more in alignment with many Islamic values than many countries represented as Muslim states.
Sheikh Aaidh ibn Abdullah Al-Qarni, whose self-help book “Don’t Be Sad” sells briskly both in English and Arabic, made the remarks in two recent columns published in the pan-Arab mass-circulation Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
Musharraf demits office after nine years as president
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Monday announced his resignation from office during a televised address to the nation, ending an era in Pakistani politics that started almost nine years ago when he toppled the Nawaz Sharif government in October 1999.
As the ruling coalition prepared to impeach him after resolutions in the provincial assemblies seeking his removal, Musharraf spoke to the nation directly over television and radio for about an hour.
Ban my egg-pelting attackers, says British Muslim lawmaker
By IANS,
London: A British Muslim lawmaker who was pelted with eggs last week said Sunday her Islamist attackers should be banned.
"The protesters are understood to be members of the al-Muhajiroun group. I believe in free speech and the right to protest. But I think such organisations should be banned," said Sayeeda Warsi of the opposition Conservative Party.
President greets Bangladeshi counterpart on National Day
By IRNA,
Tehran : President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday congratulated the Bangladeshi President, Zillur Rahman, government and nation on the National Day of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
In a message cabled on Wednesday, President Ahmadinejad touched on the positive record of Iran-Bangladesh cooperation and said, “I hope relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh will be further upgraded at bilateral and international levels.”
49 Turkish hostages held by IS released
London: As many as 49 Turkish hostages seized by Islamic State (IS) in Iraq Saturday returned to Turkey.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that...
Iran to talk with US, Saudi Arabia on Syria: Rouhani
Tehran: Iran is ready to talk with the US, Saudi Arabia and other influential countries over the future of Syria, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani...
Hamas rejects Bush’s visit to the region
By Xinhua
Gaza : Mahmoud al-Zahar, senior Hamas leader and foreign minister in the former Hamas-led Palestinian cabinet, on Tuesday rejected the expected visit by U.S. President George W. Bush to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Bush will arrive in Israel on Wednesday, where he is expected to meet with Israeli leaders, and will also visit the West Bank and meet President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. Bush will also visit in Bethlehem.
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.
Chinese FM urges early resumption of Iranian nuclear negotiations
By Xinhua
Beijing : Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Thursday night urged all concerned parties to resume the Iranian nuclear talks as soon as possible.
"The Iranian nuclear issue is now at a crucial moment. China hopes all concerned parties, including Iran, make joint efforts to resume negotiations as soon as possible in a bid to promote the comprehensive and proper settlement of this issue," Yang told Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in their talks here.
56 Hindu couples marry in Karachi
By Awais Saleem,IANS,
Islamabad: Amid traditional songs and dances, 56 Hindu couples got married Saturday night at a glittering mass wedding in Karachi organised by the Pakistan-Hindu Council.
Pakistan floods cause over $190 mn losses
By IANS,
Islamabad : Torrential rains and heavy floods in Pakistan's Balochistan province have caused losses of Rs18 billion (over $190 million), Dawn reported.
Most Americans oppose Israeli strike on Iran
By IANS,
Washington : Seventy-five percent of Americans oppose Israel conducting a military strike against Iran's nuclear programme, says a survey.
French FM to visit Palestinian territories, Israel later this week
By KUNA,
Paris : French Foreign Minister Beranrd Kouchner will be paying the Palestinian Territories and Israel a visit on the occasion of the international investors conference, which is due in Bethlehem on May 21, it was announced here Monday.
The three-day conference, of which the Palestinians are seeking about USD two billion in development projects, will be attended by a large number of potential investors in an aim to boost the Palestinian economy.
Afghans in Kabul abhor struggle for water
By IANS,
Kabul : Besides the raging war against the Taliban, residents of the Afghan capital loathe one more aspect of their life -- their appalling daily struggle for water!
Pak gov’t moves to withdraw president’s powers
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan's new government on Saturday announced a plan to scrap the powers of the country's president to dissolve parliament, appoint services chiefs and governors, the country's law minister said.
Farooq H. Naek said at a news conference that the powers of the president would be transferred to the prime minister and the parliament.
Co-Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party Asif Zardari chaired a meeting of his party's central executive to approve a "constitutional package" to withdraw from the president.
Water dispute with India may threaten peace talks: Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari warned that any breach of a river water-sharing treaty by India will be detrimental to the peace process between the nuclear-armed neighbours, media reports said Monday.
The statement came two days after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 450-megawatt Baglihar hydroelectric project over the Chenab River that flows from Kashmir valley of Jammu and Kashmir state into Pakistan.
Turkey appoints new military chief
By SPA,
Istanbul, Turkey : Turkey's state-run media says the country's army chief, will be Turkey's next military commander.
The Anatolia news agency says 65-year-old Gen. Ilker Basbug will replace the current chief, Gen. Yasar Buyukanit. Basbug will take charge at the end of August.
The decision was made Monday at an annual military meeting attended by the prime minister, the defense minister and the country's top military brass.
Israeli army executes incursion into Qararah, southern Gaza
By KUNA,
Gaza : Violent clashes between Israeli army and Palestinian activists are ongoing in the eastern parts of Al-Qararah village, southern Gaza, after Jewish troops executed an incursion into the area, according to eyewitnesses.
They added that a number of Israeli tanks accompanied by special units intruded the village adjacent the Israeli territories, where Palestinian activists from various factions attempted to counter the incursion.
Rami Hamdallah appointed new Palestinian PM
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Gaza : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed Rami Hamdallah, a politically independent academic, as his new prime minister.
Israel not interested to escalate situation with Syria – Olmert
By NNN-KUNA
Gaza : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that the Jewish state is not escalating the situation with Syria, in reference to the large-scale military exercise Sunday, which was launched to simulate exposure to a rocket attack.
Olmert told the Israeli radio Sunday that the exercise was nothing more than a routine drill in "the context of action to draw lessons."
He said that Syria recognizes the nature of this exercise, hoping that Damascus deals with this exercise as it should be as Israel is not interested at all in any violent confrontation with Syria.
Diplomacy of contrasts: After chiding Pakistan, Modi meets other neighbours
By Arul Louis,
New York : In a diplomacy of contrast, after gently chiding Pakistan in his UN General Assembly speech, Indian Prime Minister Narendra...
Ebola virus: Haj, Umrah visas suspended for pilgrims from Liberia, Guinea
Riyadh : Umrah and Haj visas will not be issued to pilgrims from Liberia and Guinea due to the prevalence of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in the two African countries.
Iraqi President welcomes Turkish withdraw from Northern Iraq
By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : Iraqi President Jalal Talabani welcomed on Friday the decision made by Turkey to withdraw its troops from northern Iraq praising Turkey for its commitment to limited and timely military campaign there.
Talabani's comment came in a press statement in which he described the decision as wise and right in dealing with the situation.
The statement noted the Iraqi president is looking forward to respond to an invitation to visit Turkey and consult with the Turkish leadership.
Attack on Sderot injures two Israelis — Radio Israel
By KUNA
Gaza : Two Israelis were injured Thursday in a missile attack on Sderot City, near Gaza Strip, Radio Israel said.
An Israeli Army spokesman said two missiles were fired on Sderot this morning from north Gaza and that one exploded near a vehicle causing injury to two of its passengers.
The spokesman added ambulances rushed to the scene of the explosion and took the injured to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Ezzidine Al-Qassam Brigades, military wing of Hamas, had earlier this morning claimed responsibility for firing two other missiles on Sderot.
Thousands of Afghanis, Pakistanis apply for EU asylum
By IANS,
Brussels : Nearly 30,000 Afghanis and 15,000 Pakistanis have applied for asylum in the European Union (EU) in 2011, the EU's statistical office said.
10 died of swine flu in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : Ten people have died of swine flu in Pakistan but the health ministry has failed to devise any effective strategy to stop the spread of the viral disease, officials said.
Till date, 63 people have been affected by the disease. The National Programme for Influenza failed to create awareness about swine flu among people, the Online news agency said Sunday quoting unnamed sources in the ministry.
Pakistani President Musharraf not to attend OIC summit due to political situation
By NNN-Xinhua
Islamabad : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will not attend the upcoming Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) summit scheduled to be held this month in Senegal, local media reported on Wednesday.
Pakistan Caretaker Foreign Minister Inaam-ul-Haq will attend the 11th summit on behalf of Pakistan, GEO TV said.
Musharraf would not attend the OIC summit at Dakar, capital of Senegal, scheduled to be held on March 13-14 owing to existing political situation in the country, GEO TV quoted sources in Islamabad as saying.
Blast kills former governor in Afghanistan
By Xinhua
Kabul : A roadside remote controlled bomb blast has killed two tribal elders, including a former provincial governor, in Tirin Kot district of southern Afghanistan's Uruzgan province, the police said Tuesday.
"The two were heading towards their houses from a mosque at around 7:00 p.m. Monday when the bomb exploded," provincial police chief Juma Gul Himat told Xinhua.
Fazl Rabi had served as Uruzgan governor during the Mohammad Najibullah regime in the 1990s and as deputy governor of Uruzgan 2003-2004, Himat said.
Taliban threaten two attacks a week in Pakistan
By IANS,
Washington : The Taliban have threatened that they would "carry out two bombings a week within Pakistan" in retaliation to the US drone attacks.
Hakimullah Mehsud, a deputy to Baitullah Mehsud who is the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, said in a telephone interview Sunday that the Taliban were responsible for the suicide attacks in Pakistan's Islamabad and Chakwal, the New York Times reported.
There have been three suicide attacks in Pakistan in the past two days.
US, Iraqi forces kill 22 gunmen in Baghdad
By DPA,
Baghdad : Iraqi and US troops killed 22 Shia gunmen who attacked a security checkpoint in north-eastern part of the capital, the US military said Monday.
Iraqi and US army troops manning a security checkpoint were attacked early Sunday by a large group of "criminals" using small arms fire, according to a military statement.
US soldiers used tank fire and small arms fire to kill the 22 gunmen, forcing others to retreat, the statement said.
The US military uses the term criminals to describe fighters from the Mahdi army militia of radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
‘India has attacked Pakistan!’
Islamabad, Dec 22 (IANS) “India has attacked Pakistan!” So flew rumours thick and fast after Pakistan Air Force (PAF) planes flew over Lahore and Rawalpindi amid rising tensions with India.
Television channels quickly went on the air to quash the rumours, quoting officials as saying that the air force was only on high alert in the wake of Indian warnings over the Mumbai terror attacks.
But the flights over Lahore and Rawalpindi did trigger panic, forcing many people to come out of their homes.
Afghanistan: influx of Pakistani refugees could spark crisis – ministry official
By NNN-IRIN,
Kabul : Any increase in the flow of refugees from northwestern Pakistan into eastern parts of Afghanistan could lead to a humanitarian crisis unless international aid organisations deliver urgent assistance, a senior official at Afghanistan's Ministry of Refugees and Returnees Affairs (MoRRA) has said.
"We are deeply concerned about insecurity in the Tribal Areas [of Pakistan] and the influx of Pakistani refugees into Afghanistan," Abdul Qader Ahadi, deputy minister in the MoRRA, told IRIN in Kabul.
12 killed in Iraq bombings
By IANS,
Baghdad : At least 12 people were killed and 37 injured in separate bombing incidents in Iraq Sunday, Xinhua reported.
Fire breaks out in Lahore shopping centre
By IANS,
Islamabad : Several people were trapped when a fire broke at a shopping centre in Pakistan's Lahore city.
Four Afghans killed in land mine blast
By IANS,
Kabul : Four Afghan civilians lost their lives when a land mine struck their car, police said.
Terrorists used baby to try and kill Benazir in October
By IANS
London : Terrorists used a baby strapped with bombs in the first assassination attempt on former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto the day she returned home last year after self-imposed exile, Bhutto reveals in her autobiography being published posthumously.
In the book, excerpted in the Sunday Times, she gives a detailed account of the bomb blast that ripped through her motorcade Oct 18 - the day she returned to her homeland from Dubai after eight years in exile.
Seven more PKK rebels killed in clashes in N Iraq
By Xinhua
Ankara : Turkish General Staff said on Thursday that seven rebels of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were neutralized on the 7th day of the cross-border operation into north Iraq, bring the death toll to 237 since the beginning of the operation.
In a statement posted on its website, the General Staff said the cross-border ground operation has been underway as it planned and Turkish soldiers were not negatively affected by cold weather conditions due to additional measures.
Turkish jets also shelled a group of terrorists, it said.
Released Fijian peacekeepers welcomed back to UN Golan mission
United Nations: All the 45 recently released Fijian blue helmets were welcomed back to a camp of the UN force in the Golan Heights,...
Five Indians killed in road accident in Saudi Arabia
Riyadh : Five Indians working in Saudi Arabia were killed in a road accident near the country's capital Riyadh after their van overturned following...
Nawaz Sharif meets president
Islamabad : Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday discussed the current political imbroglio with President Mamnoon Hussain, a media report said.
Nawaz Sharif called on the...
MH17 passenger expresses flight jitters in video
Kuala Lumpur : The last glimpse of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 that crashed Thursday over Ukraine, was captured by Malaysian passenger Md Ali...
Pakistan army kill six militants
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan's security forces Tuesday killed six militants in Bajaur district along the Afghan border in their continuing drive against Islamist terrorists in the northwest tribal region.
The troops pounded militant hideouts with heavy artillery in Khar area of the district, and six militants were killed during the operation, said Geo TV, quoting official sources.
The Pakistan army has claimed that it has killed more than 1,500 militants since it launched an operation in the region in early August.
42 Pakistanis deported from Turkey
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least 42 Pakistani nationals deported from Turkey reached Pakistan Friday and were taken into custody, a media report said.
Abu Dhabi to launch new water park
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : Abu Dhabi will launch a new water park that will have recreational facilities and educational tools primarily for children.
Death toll from train accident in Bangladesh rises to 10
By NNN-Xinhua,
Dhaka : With 2 more people died in hospital, the death toll from Wednesday's train accident in Bangladesh rose to 10, private television station Channel I reported in its evening bulletin.
Eight people were killed and about 30 injured after two trains collided at around 1 a.m. on Wednesday in Bangladesh's Brahmanbaria district, 80 km northeast of the capital Dhaka.
A Sylhet (northeastern city)-bound train from Dhaka rammed into another train standing at the station, leaving six of the stationary train's passengers dead on the spot and dozens injured.
IS releases 93 more Kurds in northern Syria
Damascus : The Islamic State (IS) released about 93 Kurds captured nine months ago in northern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said...
Hundreds evacuated after gas leak at Pakistani nuclear plant
By DPA
Islamabad : Hundreds of people were evacuated Tuesday after a leakage of hydrogen sulphide gas at a nuclear facility in eastern Pakistan, media reports said.
The leakage of non-radioactive but toxic gas at the nuclear reactor in Khushab, about 250 km south of Islamabad, also left several workers at the facility unconscious, Geo news channel said. It did not report what caused the leakage.
Security forces vacated hundreds of employees from the plant and its adjacent residential colonies that house the employees.
Five militants killed Afghanistan operation
Kabul: At least five militants were killed while eight others were wounded in a military operation in Afghanistan's western province of Herat, a police...
Saudi Arabia educating its women for jobs: Louise Khurshid
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Over 16,000 Pakistani kids not given polio drops
By IANS,
Islamabad : Over 16,000 children were not given polio drops in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province due to parents' misconception, officials said.
Three Palestinian police stations to open in SE Jenin
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israel on Tuesday gave the Palestinian Authority permission to open three police stations in the northern West Bank villages of Tammun, Al-Fa'ra and Al-Aqaba, southeast of Jenin.
Palestinian National Authority made the decision to open the three stations following Israel's approval of the plan to ease restrictions for Palestinians in the West Bank, the spokesperson of Israeli Defense Forces told Xinhua.
The Palestinian police are to enforce criminal and public laws to beef up security in the villages, according to the IDF.
17 killed in US drone attacks in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : At least six suspected Al Qaeda members and 11 local militants were killed Friday as US drones fired around a half dozen missiles at two militant hideouts in Pakistan's tribal region bordering Afghanistan, intelligence officials said.
Three Hellfire missiles targeted a house in the Zirki area of Mir Ali in the tribal district of South Waziristan, a known sanctuary for Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters launching cross-border attacks on international forces in Afghanistan.
Bangladesh court grants bail to BNP leader
Dhaka : The Dhaka High Court on Thursday granted bail to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in one...
‘Israel will need 100 planes to attack Iran’
By IANS,
Tel Aviv : Israel will need at least 100 fighter planes to strike Iran, a media report said Monday.
Karachi building collapse toll rises to 23
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : The toll in a building collapse in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi has risen to 23, TV reports said Monday.
Rescue workers have pulled out more bodies from the rubble of the five-storey building that collapsed in the Mithadar area of the city Friday night.
The chief fire officer has confirmed the toll to the media Monday.
He said it is unlikely that more bodies could remain trapped under the debris.
The rescue operation was hindered due to the narrow lanes leading to the site.
Officials said it will take more time to remove the debris.
Pakistan seeks $6 bn aid from Saudi Arabia in return for land
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan will seek $6 billion aid from Saudi Arabia during Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's visit, in return offering land for growing and exporting wheat.
Gilani arrived in Medina Friday and will be joined Sunday by Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that leads the country's ruling coalition.
"The package being envisaged includes free oil and lavish provision of wheat supplies by Saudi Arabia, now said to have abundant food supplies," The News said Saturday.
Islamic Jihad says not to be first to break ceasefire
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement will neither formally sign an Egypt-brokered ceasefire deal with Israel nor be the first to break it, Israeli daily Ha'aretz quoted a senior Jihad member as saying Thursday.
All 12 Palestinian factions has reportedly accepted the Egyptian proposal, which would offer Israel a period of lull in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, in exchange for the opening of the crossing points into the coastal territory, with a possible extension to the West Bank.
Stolen NATO army kits on sale in Pakistan!
By IANS,
London : Stockpiles of NATO military equipment meant for use against the Taliban are being sold in Pakistan's black market, a British media report said.
Imam Khomeini thoughts made us fearless against satanic powers : Indian leader
By IRNA,
New Delhi : While paying rich tribute to the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA) on his 19th Death Anniversary, an Indian leader Monday said, "Today Imam Khomeini is not with us but his soul would remain the beacon light for the generations to come".
In an interview with IRNA, Shoaib Iqbal, Deputy Speaker, Delhi Assembly here said, "Imam Khomeini's thoughts have purified our hearts and made us fearless against satanic powers. He taught us the lesson of resistance and patience and to be afraid of only the Almighty.
35 killed in twin bomb blasts north of Baghdad
By IANS,
Baghdad : At least 35 people were killed and 28 injured Tuesday in two bomb explosions near a government building north of Baghdad, Xinhua reported.
Pakistan registers terrorism case against MQM leader
Islamabad : Pakistani security forces on Tuesday registered a case against Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Altaf Hussain over his alleged threats, officials said.
Paramilitary...
Lebanese President affirms importance of Syrian-Lebanese relations
By NNN-SANA,
Beirut : Lebanese President Michel Suleiman affirmed on Saturday that the things that bring Syria and Lebanon together outnumber the things that separate them.
He stressed that the strong and capable Syria can give and support Lebanon, while Lebanon can only exchange that with honesty, not by being an agent for harming Syria.
During his meeting with a delegation from the Syrian-Palestinian Legal Committee for the Right of Return, Suleiman affirmed that Lebanon will keep on working to achieve this honesty in dealing with Syria, saying:
25 killed in booby-trapped car attack in Yemen
Sana'a: At least 25 fighters of the Shia Houthi group were killed and scores of others wounded when a booby-trapped car struck a security...
Bangladesh presidential election next month
By IANS,
Dhaka : Having just elected a new parliament and installed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government, Bangladesh is scheduled to hold its presidential elections next month, a media report said Tuesday.
Chief Election Commissioner A.T.M. Huda announced this after a meeting with the current incumbent Iajuddin Ahmed Monday, the New Age newspaper said.
He added that the poll body would be busy with the upazilla (sub-district) council elections.
Obama says he will not rush more troops to Afghanistan
By IANS,
Washington : President Barack Obama has said he would not rush into a decision over whether to send more US troops to Afghanistan.
"I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you in the harm's way. I won't risk your lives unless it's absolutely necessary," Obama told a gathering of some 3,500 military personnel at a naval air station in Jacksonville, Xinhua reported Monday.
"This is very important as we consider our next steps in Afghanistan," he stressed.
Pakistan dam develops cracks
By IANS,
Islamabad : A committee will probe the cause behind cracks that have appeared in a dam in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Uncertainty looms as Swat peace deal totters
By IANS,
Islamabad : Uncertainty loomed Thursday as a radical cleric who had brokered a peace deal with the Taliban in Swat shut down his camp in the area after accusing the federal government of insincerity in ratifying the pact.
Speaking to reporters in Swat, Maulana Sufi Mohammad of the Tehrik-e-Nifaz e Shariah-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) said he was not pulling out of the deal but was only shutting his peace camp in the area.
Arafat’s remains to be exhumed Tuesday
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Gaza : The body of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will be exhumed Tuesday as part of a renewed probe into his death, the Palestinian authorities said.
US expects Pakistan to adhere to sanctions on JuD: Rice
By IANS,
United Nations : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Tuesday said she expects Pakistan to "adhere completely" to UN Security Council sanctions on Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and other terrorist organisations in letter and spirit.
Last week, at the request of India and the US, the UN Security Council had slapped sanctions on JuD and four of its leaders for their alleged involvement in the Mumbai terrorist attack. Pakistan followed with a crackdown, which included arrests, freezing their assets and sealing their offices.
Woman’s body found near Pakistan mosque
By IANS,
Islamabad : The body of a young woman with deep wounds on her head was found stuffed in a sack near a mosque in Rawalpindi, police said.
Sheikh Hasina condoles Munde’s death
New Delhi : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Tuesday wrote to her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi condoling the sudden demise of union minister Gopinath...
Text of PPP-PML (N) summit declaration
By NNN-APP
Bhurban, Pakistan : The following is the text of the Summit Declaration announced after the meeting between the PML-N Leader Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party Asif Ali Zardari.
The declaration was read by the PML-N head Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on the occasion.
The declaration says that “ The coalition partners PPP and PML-N undertake to form coalition “Together for a Democratic Pakistan” for translating the mandate given by people of Pakistan to the democratic forces on February 18, 2008 into action.
Pakistan says keeping vigil on banned, suspect organisations
By NNN-PTI,
Islamabad : Advocating the need to reduce the danger of an Indo-Pak conflict, Pakistan government has said it is keeping a vigil on all banned terrorist groups and "suspect" organisations as part of measures initiated by it in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.
Information Minister Sherry Rehman said Pakistan has taken several "important steps" to implement the UN Security Council's sanctions on Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the front organisation of Lashkar-e-Toiba blamed for the Mumbai attacks, and "has remained vigilant of all banned and suspect organisations."
The Earth is a mosque
By Ibrahim Abdul-Matin
Last Thursday, on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, I found myself thinking back to my first hiking trip to New York's Bear Mountain. I was six years old. Having grown up in Brooklyn, New York, I thought the entire world was a sea of concrete buildings. But that trip changed my reality. I remember moss growing on rocks, small streams of water and fresh air.
When it came time to pray, my father, a convert to Islam, shared with me a saying of the Prophet Muhammad: "The earth is a mosque."
Spokesman denies Mushararf considering resignation
By Xinhua
Islamabad : Pakistani presidential spokesman Rashid Qureshi Sunday denied report in the British Sunday Telegraph that Pervez Musharraf was considering stepping down as president of Pakistan rather than waiting to be forced out by his victorious opponents.
Gaza reconstruction to cost billions, says UN
By IINA,
New York : Rebuilding the Gaza Strip after Israel's three-week offensive will cost billions of dollars, the UN has warned. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been left homeless and 400,000 people still have no running water, it said. A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas fighters is holding, allowing many Palestinians to return home to assess the damage.
Eid holidays in UAE from Sep 29 to Oct 5
By IANS,
Dubai : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has declared Sep 29-Oct 5 as public sector holidays for the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr.
According to a circular issued by UAE's Minister for Health and chairman of the Civil Service Commission Humaid Mohammed Al-Qattami, all ministries and other federal government institutions will be closed for work from Monday, Sep 29 to Sunday, Oct 5.
Meanwhile, the Amateur Astronomers Group (AAG) of the Emirates Heritage Club has announced that first day of Eid-ul-Fitr this year would fall Oct 1.
Obama will be fair to India, Pakistan, says his Harvard classmate
By IANS,
New Delhi : US president-elect Barack Obama "will be fair to both India and Pakistan, without sacrificing American strategic interests", says an Indian who studied with him at the Harvard Law School.
Surat Singh, who is headed for Washington to attend the presidential inauguration next Tuesday as a special guest, says he is looking forward to the ceremony but before that, the brunch for the Harvard Law School alumni that Barack and Michelle Obama are to host Sunday.
Pakistani forces kill six militants, destroy suicide training camp
By KUNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani security forces announced on Saturday that it killed six militants and destroyed a suicide training camp in the northern valley of Swat.
According to a military press statement, the security gunship helicopters acting on a tip-off pounded a suicide bombers training camp in Swat valley, where the military has been conducting an operation since April.
It said the training camp was destroyed and about six militants were killed in the operation.
Pakistan committed to IPI gas pipeline project, U.S envoy told
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan has told the United States that it is committed to signing the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline deal with Iran to meet its emerging energy requirements, reports said Thursday.
Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Khawaja Asif informed the U.S Ambassador Anne W Patterson in a meeting that Pakistan and Iran are in the final stages of signing the IPI gas pipeline project deal, the report in a major daily said.
Pakistan government, ISI supported Aman ki Asha project
Islamabad: In response to allegations by former cricketer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party chairman Imran Khan, Jang Group managing director Shahrukh Hassan has said...
Qatari Emir satisfied with Qatar-Iran ties
By NNN-IRNA
Damascus, Syria : Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani here on Saturday expressed his satisfaction with the growing trend of Tehran-Doha bilateral relation.
He made the remarks in a meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki held on the sidelines of the 20th Summit of leaders of Arab states being held in the Syrian capital.
The Qatari Emir further stressed that Doha is committed to expansion of ties with Tehran.
He underscored the need for materialization of the agreements previously signed by the two countries' officials in different areas.
Egypt says no change in Gaza ceasefire initiative
Cairo : Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry said Monday that Egypt has no intention to amend its ceasefire initiative proposed last week between Israel...
Blast near Army General headquarters in Rawalpindi, 24 killed
By NNN-PTI,
Islamabad : A powerful blast occurred outside a hotel in a high-security area near the Pakistan Army's headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi today, killing at least 10 people and injuring several others.
The explosion at around 10.40 am caused considerable damage to the facade of Shalimar Hotel on Mall Road, a short distance from the Army's General Headquarters.
Police officials said they believed the bomb was planted in a car or motorcycle parked outside the hotel.
PLO Central Council calls on Hamas to resume dialogue
By Xinhua
Ramallah : The Palestinian Central Council (PCC) of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Monday called on Islamic Hamas movement to resume inter-Palestinian dialogue.
The PCC made the call at the end of a two-day-long meeting which kicked off on Sunday evening at President Mahmoud Abbas' headquarters in Ramallah.
Chaired by Abbas, the meeting discussed the current situation in the Palestinian territories and developments in the peace negotiations with Israel on permanent status issues.
Five killed in suicide bombing in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : At least five people were killed and 20 others injured in a suicide bombing in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province Friday, police said.
The bomber detonated his explosives-laden car near a sports ground in the Lakki Marwat district. Several children were among the victims, according to police.
No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
The district borders the semi-autonomous tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan, where Pakistani troops have been conducting a major offensive against Islamist insurgents since mid-October.
37 Bangladeshi migrants return from Myanmar
Dhaka: Thirty-seven Bangladeshi migrants have returned home after being rescued by the Myanmar authorities at sea, a media report said on Friday.
The migrants were...
Pakistan: Nawaz Sharif stresses mutual trust during meeting with Hillary Clinton
By NNN-APP,
Lahore : Pakistan Muslim League Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif stressed the need for establishing Pakistan-US relationship based on mutual trust and interest, during a meeting with US Secretary of Hillary Clinton here Thursday.
The US secretary of State called on the former prime minister in the afternoon.The PML-N chief recalled that Pakistan had been an important friend and ally of the US and the two countries had cooperated on many important global issues.
15 killed in Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen
Sanaa : Despite a UN-brokered truce, Saudi-led coalition forces bombed Houthi targets in several provinces of Yemen on Sunday killing at least...
Mujib killers don’t deserve mercy: Bangladesh minister
By IANS,
Dhaka : The killers of Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who are awaiting hanging "do not deserve mercy", the country's law minister said, but added "it is the president's prerogative".
Law Minister Shafique Ahmed Monday said the three condemned Bangladesh Army officers who sought presidential mercy "should not get any reprieve, but it is the president's prerogative", The Daily Star said.
All MNF-I detention centers will be closed by June’ 09: Speaker
By NNN-KUNA,
Baghdad : All detention centers of the Multinational Force in Iraq (MNF-I) will be closed by June 2009, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani said.
MNF-I had vowed to close all of its centers in Iraq, including Camp Cropper, before June 31, Al-Mashhadani on Saturday told a group of recently-released detainees, adding that more batches of prisoners would soon be released in an "orderly and safe" manner.
COMSTECH to publish directory of Muslim scientists
Islamabad –(IINA) January 28– The Committee on Science and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) will publish a directory of Muslim scientists working on research projects across the world by the end of February. The contributions made by the scientists and engineers are being assessed through a set of research performance related to indicators developed by COMSTECH, an organ of the Jeddah-based Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which groups 57 Muslim countries. The indicators include research articles, competitive research grants and international awards.
Hasina tells doctors she is innocent
By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladesh's ailing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina underwent a medical check-up and told doctors she was innocent of corruption charges before she was sent back to jail, media reports said Friday.
This was her first medical check-up since she was detained on July 16 last year.
One of the doctors told The Daily Star newspaper that she spoke of being charged with false accusations in a bid to destroy her politically and exclude her from the next parliamentary polls.
Pakistan bomb attack toll rises to 27
By DPA,
Islamabad : The toll in a bombing in Pakistan's north-western city of Peshawar rose to 27 Saturday as rescue workers retrieved more bodies from the rubble, health officials and residents said.
An explosives-laden car detonated late Friday when people were shopping for Muslim festival of Eid ul Adha in Koocha Risaldar near city's historic Qissa Khwani Bazaar.
Several nearby buildings caught fire following the high-intensity blast, making it difficult for the rescue workers to move the dead and injured from the narrow street.
EU sends Pakistan $7.5 mn to help conflict victims
By DPA,
Brussels : The European Union (EU) Thursday gave Pakistan 5.5 million euros ($7.5 million) in aid to help civilians driven from their homes by the country's assault on the Taliban.
The emergency donation is intended to provide refugees from the fighting in Pakistan's restive Swat Valley and surrounding areas with shelter, food, basic utensils and medical supplies.
In some places, it will also fund clean drinking water and improved sanitation, the EU's executive, the European Commission, said in a statement.
At least 10 killed, 80 injured in Baghdad’s Sadr militia battles
By Xinhua
Baghdad : At least 10 people were killed and some 80 others injured during the clashes between Muqtada al-Sadr's militia and the U.S.-backed Iraqi troops Wednesday in Baghdad, a police source and witnesses said.
After midnight, Mahdi Army fighters started fierce clashes with Iraqi and U.S. forces in their Sadr City Shiite bastion in eastern Baghdad and continued sporadically during the day, the police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Pakistan’s interior minister calls government-Taliban meeeting
Islamabad : Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has called a joint meeting Wednesday of the government and Taliban committees engaged in attempting...
Iran allows eight contenders for presidential election
By IANS,
Tehran: Iranian legislative body has approved eligibility of eight presidential candidates for the June 14 poll in the country, Xinhua reported Tuesday.
Iraq holds provincial polls amid tight security
By DPA,
Baghdad : Iraqis cast their ballots Saturday in provincial elections in the largest elections yet in the country's history, as receding violence created conditions which were more secure than those for the national elections held in 2005.
Despite tight security arrangements, violence was reported during the day. Four mortars were fired at polling stations in Tikrit, the hometown of former dictator Saddam Hussein, but no one was hurt, the news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) reported.
UAE, South Korea review bilateral relations
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and South Korea held bilateral talks Tuesday.
Hamas: Rice visits to secure more time for Israel’s expansion projects
By Xinhua,
Gaza : U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visits to Israel and the Palestinian territories aim at granting more time for Israel to continue Judaization projects, Islamic Hamas movement said on Sunday.
Pakistan board summoned over players’ participation in IPL
By IANS,
Karachi: Jamshed Dasti, chairman of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Sports, has asked the Pakisan Cricket Board (PCB) top officials to appear at the Parliament House hearing December 17 over participation of the country's players in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The committee wants to probe the issue after hearing contradictory report on the IPL future of leading Pakistani cricketers.
Ahmadinejad hails Iran’s nuclear victory, accuses West of lies
By RIA Novosti
Tehran : The Iranian president has said his country has won a conclusive victory with regard to the nuclear issue, and accused the West of lying over Iran's plans for its nuclear program.
"The Iranian people have won a conclusive victory in the nuclear issue, and no power in the world can stop the progress of our country," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday.
He also said that Iran's enemies had been defeated and failed in their attempts to use the nuclear issue as a means to exert pressure on the Islamic republic.
UNHCR expresses appreciation for Syria’s effort over Iraqi refugees
By Xinhua,
Damascus : A senior official of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Wednesday expressed appreciation over Syria's efforts to alleviate the suffering of Iraqi refugees, the state-run SANA news agency reported.
Boudewijn van Eenennaam, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the UNHCR, made the remarks while meeting Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal al-Mekdad, during which they discussed cooperation between the two sides regarding the Iraqi refugees.
Report: Livni to call for snap elections
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israeli Prime Minister-designate Tzipi Livni will announce on Sunday her decision to call for an early general election, Israeli news service Ynet reported Saturday night.
The woman leader of the ruling Kadima party is scheduled to meet with President Shimon Peres on Sunday, when the report said she will inform the latter that she has failed to form a new coalition and propose to hold snap elections.