Gaddafi’s forces halt attacks on Misurata
By DPA,
Cairo : Opposition forces said Wednesday that coalition airstrikes had helped halt attacks by Muammar Gaddafi's forces on the western city of Misurata.
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.
Parliament session adjourned till Wednesday
By KUNA
Kuwait : Speaker of the National Assembly Jassem Al-Kharafi adjourned Tuesday's session for Wednesday, after having earlier adjourned for 30 minutes after government representatives walked out as voting began on a proposal for a KD 50 pay raise for Kuwaitis.
The members did not return after the 30 minutes and the chairman had to adjourn for tomorrow.
The session began with approval of several documents including a letter of resignation by MP Dr. Ali Al-Emeir from the Public Utilities Committee and from the Committee for the Affairs of the Disabled.
Britain contributed to Middle East instability: Cameron
By IANS,
Kuwait City : Britain's backing to autocratic regimes in the Middle East contributed to the instability in the region, Prime Minister David Cameron said Tuesday.
Militants kill eight policemen in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kunduz (Afghanistan) : A group of insurgents stormed a checkpoint in the northern province of Baghlan Monday and killed eight policemen, the provincial governor said.
The attack took place in the province's Baghlan Markazi district early Monday when a group of insurgents began "firing at the check post from all sides", said Mohammad Akbar Barekzai, the provincial governor.
The checkpoint had been recently erected on the main highway linking Baghlan to neighbouring Kunduz province to provide security for NATO convoys in the area, he said.
Fire-hit Turkey oil link may take 1-2 weeks to reopen
By SPA,
Ankara/Baku : The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which is still ablaze after an explosion, may not reopen for another one to two weeks, a senior source at Turkey's
state-owned pipeline company Botas told Reuters on Thursday.
Stocks at the Ceyhan depot, which had been used to keep the one million barrels per day (bpd) pipeline flowing have run dry, the source said, following the explosion on Tuesday night.
Opened in 2006, the pipeline is the first to carry large volumes of Caspian crude without going through Russia.
Radical cleric’s son killed in shelling in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : A son of Maulana Sufi Muhammad who brokered a peace deal between the Taliban and the provincial government has been killed in shelling in northwestern Pakistan, a media report said Thursday.
The spokesman of outlawed Tehrik-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) Ameer Izzat Khan said Maulana Kifayatullah, son of Maulana Sufi Muhammad, was killed and his aide injured in Maidan area of Lower Dir in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Geo TV reported.
TNSM's Sufi Muhammad was arrested in 2001 and released after years in prison.
39 killed, 41 injured in Iraq violence
Baghdad : A total of 39 people were killed and 41 injured in separate violent incidents, including during a security operation, across Iraq Thursday,...
Pakistan, India exchange lists of prisoners
By Aslam Chandio, TwoCircles.net,
Islamabad: The Pakistan’s and Indian governments on Tuesday exchanged lists of prisoners lodged in each other’s respective jails.
Kuwaiti-Spanish consortium negotiating Jordan’s Zarqaa railway details
By KUNA,
Amman : A Kuwaiti-Spanish consortium which is to build the Amman-Zarqaa light railway project in Jordan is still negotiating the contract details, said Jordan's Director General of The Public Transport Regulatory Commission Jamil Mojahed Sunday.
Ad-Dustour paper quoted Mojahed saying agreement was reached on several aspects of the contract and that the Jordanian government hopes to launch execution as planned next June.
The consortium was the second to bid for the project, and is to execute the project as BOT, with the government fully owning the railway in 30 years.
166 booked in Pakistan for Rs.30bn tax evasion
By IANS,
Islamabad : Cases have been filed over the past year against 166 tax defaulters who collectively owe a staggering Rs.30 billion to the Pakistani exchequer, a minister said.
Iran welcomes Obama victory,warns US forces
By DPA,
Tehran : Iranian officials Wednesday welcomed Barack Obama's victory in the US presidential elections, calling it a sign of failure of President George W. Bush's policies and Americans' demand for essential changes.
"Obama's election as the US president shows the American people's demand for essential changes in the country's domestic and foreign policies," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said, while urging the new administration "to distance itself from the wrong approaches of current politicians".
Bus blast kills 12 in Baghdad
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Twelve people were killed and 35 wounded Sunday in a massive bus bomb explosion at a busy market in southwestern part of the Iraqi capital, officials said.
A minibus packed with explosives went off in a busy market just before dusk, interior ministry officials said, requesting anonymity.
All the victims were civilians. Several shops were also destroyed in the blast, officials said.
Local residents were preparing for the meal to break their daily fast as part of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when the blast took place.
Bush prods Israel, Palestinians for final peace
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : During his first leg of the eight-day Middle East trip on Wednesday, U.S. President George W. Bush asked both Israelis and Palestinians to make concessions to nurture a peace deal by the end of his presidency.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Bush underlined that a two-state solution to the chronic Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in the best interest of the world.
Outpost had "to go"
Balochistan resolution could dent ties with US: Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : A US resolution on Balochistan could worsen ties between Washington and Islamabad, said Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.
UNICEF urges all parties to protect children in Gaza
United Nations : The United Nations Children 's Fund (UNICEF) Saturday called on all parties to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict to protect children in...
Britain-based Taliban fight in Afghanistan, then return home
By IANS,
London : Some Afghan-origin men, who are based in Britain, head to Afghanistan to battle the NATO forces before returning home, a media report said Thursday.
US will not lift conditions on negotiations with Iran: Rice
By DPA,
Washington : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US has not lifted conditions for negotiations with Iran by sending an envoy to a meeting in Geneva Saturday.
The US broke with its past position of refusing to join discussions by sending Undersecretary of State William Burns to the talks, but Rice said that hasn't changed US demands that Iran first halt uranium enrichment before negotiations begin.
Afghan forces kill 11 Taliban fighters
Kabul: At least 11 Taliban fighters, including a key commander, were killed Saturday by units of the Afghan National Army, an army officer said.
"In...
Israeli fire kills 2 boys sheltering at UN school in Gaza
GAZA, January 17 (RIA Novosti) - Israeli troops fired on a United Nations school in Gaza on Saturday, killing two Palestinian boys, a UN spokesman said.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Saturday for an immediate ceasefire from both sides in the conflict, describing the violence as "unprecedented in recent decades."
The Israeli government is expected to consider later Saturday calling a 10-day unilateral ceasefire, a move that has already been dismissed by a Hamas representative in Lebanon.
Mamata likens Assam carnage to Peshawar massacre
Kolkata : Extending support to over 1000 tribals from Assam who have taken refuge in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday condemned the...
Low expectations as Iran n-talks enter second day
Vienna: Iranian nuclear talks entered the second day Thursday amid low expectations of a breakthrough that could resolve a decade-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear...
Israeli officials hold Hamas responsible for border attack
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Wednesday that Hamas is to be held responsible for the attack in an Israeli terminal bordering the Gaza Strip.
"Hamas controls Gaza and can stop any terrorist activity launched from there," Livni said after meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. "Israel will not deal with the question of which organization carried out the attack. Hamas is the one responsible."
White House quiet over raid in Syria
By DPA,
Washington : The White House refused to comment Monday on reports of a deadly US military strike in Syria near the border with Iraq that has outraged Damascus and other Arab countries.
"I'm not going to comment on it at all," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
The Syrian government and Arab leaders in the region have expressed anger over the purported US helicopter raid Sunday targeting militants in the town of Abu Kamal.
The Syrian government says civilians, including children, were among the eight dead.
Fighting rages in Iraq, death toll higher tan 300, UN calls for lifting curfew
By Mohammad Al-Ghazzi, KUNA
Baghdad : Fierce armed clashes raged for sixth day in a row on Sunday between Iraqi regular forces and gunmen of the Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr in and around the southern city of Basra.
The clashes with automatic guns, mortars and rockets were reported in the districts of Al-Maaqal, Khamsa Meel, Al-Tamimah, Al-Hakimiah and Al-Jumhouriah.
IAEA sees progress on Iraq’s nuclear issue but mistrust remains
By NNN-KUNA,
Brussels : Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said here that an IAEA team is currently in Tehran to clarify with Iranian authorities the alleged "studies of weaponisation" of Iran's nuclear programme.
"IAEA's role is to verify Iran's past and future nuclear activity. We have made good progress, however we still have the so-called alleged studies of weaponisation," he told a press conference Wednesday after talks with EU officials.
Israeli defense minister repeats threat to dissolve parliament
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday said his Labor Party still considers calling for a parliament dissolution and early general elections unless Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party expedites the primary and forms an acceptable new government.
"We prefer governmental stability, and if we can build a government that appeals to us in this Knesset (parliament), we will weigh joining hands and establishing it. If not, we will go to elections," local daily Ha'aretz quoted Barak as saying at a Labor party meeting.
Woman held for biting girl, drinking blood in Bangladesh
By DPA
Dhaka : The police in a village in northern Bangladesh have detained a tribal woman for biting a girl and drinking her blood, media reports said Friday.
Tumpi Mij, of the indigenous tribal group, was caught attacking the 10-year-old victim, Swarna Tirkir, during Easter Sunday celebrations in a district 440 km north of Dhaka, the daily Ittefaq reported.
The head of the Catholic church in Thakurgaon told the newspaper that the Mij was caught in the village of Parishadpara by the people who called her a witch, and had to be rescued from the angry mob.
Bangladesh seeks access from India to battle rebels
Shillong : Bangladesh has urged India to allow Bangladeshi security forces to enter the Chittagong Hills Tract from Tripura to launch a crackdown on...
EU Commissioner calls for opening of Gaza crossing
By KUNA
Brussels : EU Commissioner for external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said Monday Egyptian efforts to restore calms between Israelis and Palestinians are important moves.
"We are in a very difficult situation but it is important to get the crossings open particularly Gaza and I think there the Egyptian effort with the Israelis and others are very important," she told reporters here this morning ahead of an EU foreign ministers' meeting.
Main Peshawar school attack perpetrator arrested
Islamabad : One of the main perpetrators of the Dec 16 attack on the Army Public School in the Pakistani city of Peshawar has...
Pakistani forces kill 10 militants
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani forces have killed 10 more militants in a bloody clash in the restive Swat valley on Monday, the military said.
The Security Force backed by gunship helicopters and artillery fire pounded the militants' positions in Khawazakhela area of Swat, a military spokesman said.
There was no reaction from the Taliban.
"The forces inflicted heavy losses to miscreants," the army spokesman said.
Several houses of militants and Taliban fighters have been destroyed, he said.
Lebanon’s FM rejects foreign interference in presidential vote
By NNN-KUNA
Cairo : Visiting Acting Lebanese Foreign Minister Tareq Metri has opposed foreign interference in the election of a consensus president in the country.
He told reporters, following a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit, that the Lebanese constitution provided for electing a president without any interference.
But, he dismissed speculation that the Arab foreign ministers' meeting held here on Sunday could be meant to garner Arab support for a simple majority backing for army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman as a new Lebanese president.
Iranian bank loses sanctions battle
By KUNA,
London : A London-based subsidiary of Iran's largest commercial bank, Bank Melli, failed Wednesday in a High Court bid for the right to continue trading despite EU anti-nuclear sanctions.
Lawyers for Melli Bank Plc had argued that, because it was strictly regulated by the UK Financial Services Authority and legally and functionally distinct from Bank Melli, it should not be prevented from carrying on business by the "catastrophic" effects of the restrictions imposed on its parent.
Malaysia: Muslim in the country should project true Islamic teachings, says Former PM Dr...
By NNN-Bernama,
Kuala Lumpur : The Muslim community should be more active in projecting the true Islamic teachings to the non-Muslims in the country by practising the true teachings of the religion.
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the Muslims should review deeply the Islamic teachings as stated in the Al-Quran, the true traditions of Prophet Muhammad (hadis) and must practise the true Islamic teachings so that the religion would be preceived to be dynamic and holy.
Israeli settlers legitimate targets: Hamas
By DPA,
London/Jerusalem : A Hamas official Saturday said hurting Israeli settlers in the West Bank was a "natural thing" as they are armed and constitute the first reserve military force of the Israeli army.
"They are a real army in the full sense of the word. They have more than 500,000 automatic weapons at their disposal", Hamas spokesman Azat Al-Ghashek was quoted as saying in a report by the London-based Arab newspaper Al-Hayat.
Accelerating Yemen’s accession into GCC reflects good relations – DPM
By NNN-Saba
Sana'a : Deputy Premier for Economic Affairs and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Abdul-Karim al-Arhabi has said that serious steps of Gulf countries to pace integration of Yemen totally in the Gulf bloc reflect close relations between Yemen and the Gulf countries.
He said Monday that a meeting for the Yemeni-Gulf committee would be held next Saturday in Riyadh co-chaired by him and GCC Secretary-General Abdul-Rahman al-Attyiah to discuss means of pacing integration of Yemen to the GCC and roadmap to reach this point.
Pakistan forces launch new offensive against militants
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan's security forces opened a new front against militants in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan early Tuesday, the News Network International (NNI) news agency reported.
The security forces launched an offensive in Jamrud, a main town in the Khyber tribal region, said the report.
The main highway between Pakistan and Afghanistan was closed as the army guns pounded positions of suspected militants, region's administrative officer Tariq Hayat was quoted as saying.
Ramadan to begin Sep 1, says Qatari astronomer
By IANS,
Dubai : The holy Islamic month of Ramadan this year will begin Sep 1, according to a leading Qatari astronomer.
In a statement to the official Qatar News Agency (QNA), Khalid Abdullah Turki Al Subaei, professor of astronomy, said that the moon's crescent or Hilal for Ramadan would be "born" Aug 30 or the 29th day of the Islamic calendar's month of Sha'ban around 11 p.m. Qatar time.
British PM denies cutting aid to Pakistan
By IANS,
London: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Thursday denied claims by one of his ministers that Britain was cutting spending on counter-terrorism in Pakistan.
"Counter-terrorism expenditure in Pakistan, and generally, is increasing this year and will increase next year," Brown said.
"It is important to recognise our counter-terrorism effort is also linking up the efforts of our police forces here and our border control system, which is keeping the country as safe as possible," he added.
Two journalists killed in Iraq
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Two Iraqi journalists were killed in separate incidents in Baghdad and Diyala province in northeast of the capital, police and media sources said on Thursday.
Wisam Ali Oudah, a cameraman working for private television station Afaq, was killed on Wednesday afternoon by a sniper while heading home in the Obeidi neighborhood in eastern Baghdad, an employee in the TV station told Xinhua.
Lack of rights hampers progress in Arab nations: UN
New York, July 22 (DPA) The lack of human rights, political and social justice as well as a stable environment has prevented individuals in Arab countries from improving, the UN Development Programme said Tuesday.
The UNDP said human security is a prerequisite for human development. But the widespread absence of security in Arab countries has reduced the ability of an Arab person to make good choices for his or her life.
Kidnapped French worker released in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : A French man abducted along with his two Afghan colleagues in southern Afghanistan was released after three weeks in captivity, sources said Friday.
A group of suspected Taliban militants abducted the French national, who owned a private construction company in Afghanistan, on the Kabul-Kandahar highway in Gilan district of southern Ghazni province May 29.
Mullah Farouq, a purported Taliban spokesman in the area, had claimed responsibility for the abduction, but no Afghan government officials or French embassy sources in Kabul confirmed the incident.
UN can help Kuwait, Iraq settle “painful” reminders of past – De Mistura says
By NNN-KUNA,
United Nations : UN Special envoy for Iraq Staffan de Mistura on Friday said Kuwait's reestablishment of full diplomatic relations with Iraq is a very important step, but Kuwait can further help Iraq by continuing the dialogue on the "painful" pending issues.
He told KUNA following a briefing to the Security Council on the situation in Iraq that dialgue between the two countries on debt relief, the missing Kuwaitis and property and the border demarcation should continue and that the UN can help.
Last Israeli troops leave Gaza Strip
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : Israel pulled the last of its soldiers out the Gaza Strip Wednesday morning, over two and a half weeks after they were sent in as part of an intense Israeli operation against militants in the salient, a military spokesman in Tel Aviv said.
The spokesman would not give further details about the withdrawal.
Israeli troops began pulling out the Strip Sunday evening, hours after Israel announced a unilateral ceasefire, ending its three-week-long Operation Cast Lead.
‘Jihadi John should be caught alive’
London: The widow of a man killed by a masked Islamic State (IS) militant known as 'Jihadi John' has said that she wants him...
Take ‘Indian aggression’ seriously: Pakistan leader
Islamabad : Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah has expressed concern over "growing Indian aggression" against Pakistan and...
Iran legally entitled to develop nuclear energy, says UK MP
By IRNA,
London : Iran is legally entitled to develop nuclear energy under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, according to a British MP visiting Tehran for the first time.
George Galloway, who was expelled from Britain's ruling Labour Party for his outspoken opposition to the Iraq war, also criticized the hypocrisy of Israel's belligerence towards Iran, which has its own illegal stockpile of nuclear weapons.
Mortar attack from Gaza hits Israel
By RIA Novosti,
Tel Aviv/Gaza : Palestinian militants have launched a mortar into Israel, breaking a ceasefire deal between Israel and the radical Islamic group Hamas, a source in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday.
The shell landed in the vicinity of Israel's western Negev region near the Karni checkpoint, causing no damage or injuries. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Afghan prosecutor killed in bombing
By IANS,
Kabul : A district prosecutor in Afghanistan was killed in a bomb blast Sunday in the southern province of Helmand, a government spokesman said.
US investigates whether Baitullah Mehsud died in drone attack: WSJ
By IANS,
Washington : The US government has begun an investigation into whether Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who is said to be responsible for the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was killed in a drone attack Wednesday, senior officials have said here. DNA tests will be carried out to determine if indeed Mehsud has been killed.
Earlier reports had indicated that one of the wives of Mehsud had been killed in the drone strike in northwestern Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal agency.
Police disperse over 1,000 protesters in Istanbul
By IANS,
Istanbul : Turkish riot police Saturday evening dispersed more than 1,000 protesters in Istanbul against new internet censorship law.
The demonstrators took to the...
Pakistani contested Assam elections in 1996: Court
By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS,
Guwahati : Sounds shocking, but it is true: a person holding a Pakistani passport who entered India's northeastern state of Assam through Bangladesh unsuccessfully contested the assembly elections in 1996.
This sensational revelation was made in a judgement by the Gauhati High Court last week where mention was made of Mohammed Kamaruddin contesting from the 90 Jamunamukh assembly constituency in 1996.
A lonely birthday for Musharraf
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : There were no flowers and no cards either for Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on his 65th birthday Monday as uncertainty ruled the day with the government preparing to impeach him on charges of murder, corruption and misuse of power in the last nine years.
Born in New Delhi on Aug 11, 1943, Musharraf is unlikely to forget this 65th birthday -- the day the National Assembly and provincial assemblies are set to initiate the impeachment process against the military dictator who has vowed to fight until parliament passes the resolution.
Egyptian nine-year-old may be admitted to university
By RIA Novosti
Cairo : A nine-year-old Egyptian boy, dubbed "Mr Calculator" by his family and friends for his amazing ability with calculations, may be admitted to Cairo University, local media said.
This week Mahmoud Wael is meeting with the Egyptian education minister who will make a decision on whether to admit him to the university, the Al-Ahram daily said.
Mahmoud, who was acknowledged a wunderkind by teachers and officials at the age of four, can work out the most complicated calculations in a matter of seconds.
Peace policy not sign of weakness: Zardari
By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan's policy of pursuing the path of peace should not be considered its weakness, President Asif Ali Zardari said Monday while stressing that the armed forces were fully prepared to face any internal and external threats.
Addressing the 92nd passing out parade of the Pakistan Naval Academy here, he said Pakistan was a peace-loving country and was not involved in an arms race in the region. At the same time, its forces were fully capable of facing any threat on its borders, Online news agency quoted Zardari as saying.
Al-Maliki reiterates improvements in Iraq’s security at Kuwait Meet
By SPA,
Kuwait : Iraqi Premier Nuri Al-Maliki has reiterated the improvement of the security and political situation in Iraq, and said Iraq has surpassed the stage of crises and divisions, and passing on progressive track of developing the political process and enhancing the democratic experience.
Addressing the inaugural session of the conference of Iraq's neighboring countries here today, he pointed out to the intervention of certain parties in the Iraqi domestic affairs.
He urged the creditors to waive their debts or reschedule them.
Israeli spy satellite to seek information on Iran
NEW DELHI, Jan. 24 APP: After launching an Israel spy satellite a few days ago, Israel and India are planning to launch two more spy satellites with India hoped to benefit from it with information on Pakistan.
The Indian daily “The Asian Age” reported that one of the two satellites is expected to be put in orbit within current year.
Israeli officials have informed their media that with the launching of most sophisticated satellite, Israel will be able to get images during the night and through inclement weather conditions.
HAMAS says Palestinians not to yield to siege of Gaza
By IRNA,
Beirut : Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) once more emphasized Monday Palestinians would not yield to cruel and unjust siege imposed by the Zionists against Gaza residents, resorting to entire possible options.
Mubarak, Abbas probe on Palestinian-Israeli talks on phone
By Xinhua
Cairo : Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday discussed via the phone the latest developments of the Palestinian territories and the progress of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.
Receiving a phone call from Abbas, President Mubarak was briefed on the outcome of Abbas' talks on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on the situation in the Palestinian territories, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported.
UAE protests to UN on Iran’s activities on Abu Musa island
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially documented to the United Nations its protest against Iran's action of opening of two offices in UAE's occupied island of Abu Musa.
Malaysian Indian woman wants child back from husband
By IANS,
Ipoh (Malaysia) : A Malaysian Indian woman is searching for her child who was snatched by her husband who has converted to Islam, abandoned the family and gone missing.
Kindergarten teacher M. Indira Gandhi is spending sleepless nights at the Ipoh police district headquarters, waiting for her one-year old baby Prasana Diksha to be returned to her, a media report said.
She was breast-feeding the infant when it was forcibly taken away by her husband a month ago. She is worried about how the child is doing.
U.S. commander Petraeus discusses security with Pakistan president
By IRNA,
Islamabad : General David Petraeus, Commander US CENTCOM, called on President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday and discussed with him the regional security matters, an official statement said.
Pakistan's army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, and U.S Ambassador Ms. Anne W. Patterson were also present during the call, it said, giving no further details.
Petraeus, in charge of wars Afghanistan and Iraq, arrived in Islamabad on two-day visit for talks on security matters, officials said.
Can Obama deliver on Palestine, Pakistani media asks
By IANS,
Islamabad : Can US President Barack Obama deliver on his pledge to pursue Palestinian statehood, editorials in two leading Pakistani English dailies wondered Friday, even as they lauded the president's landmark speech in Cairo reaching out to the Muslim world.
Israel’s defense minister orders to activate alert system in S town
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak Thursday ordered that the 'Red Color' alert system be employed in the southern town of Ashkelon in response to repeated rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip.
The alert system, a siren that warns of incoming rockets, is expected to be activated within a short period of time, local daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
The decision was made in response to continuous rocket attacks from Gaza militants.
EU for ‘toughest ever’ sanctions against Iran
By IANS,
Brussels: The European Union (EU) is all set to impose its "toughest ever" package of economic sanctions on Iran, a media report said Friday.
Legally binding measures to be agreed Monday will go far beyond existing UN measures against Iran's nuclear programme, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Officials said the impact of the measure would be to starve key companies and banks of access to the European market. Significant levels of trade with Germany and Italian would be cut off.
The measures reinforces a UN sanctions resolution passed in June.
Over 4 lakh uprooted in Pakistan military operations
Geneva : Over four lakh people have been displaced amid the on-going Pakistani military offensive against Taliban militants in the northern parts of the...
Iraqi premier gives militants a week to surrender
By DPA,
Baghdad : Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has given Shia militants in the southern Maysan province a week to surrender, an Iraqi defence official said Wednesday.
The deadline for armed groups to surrender starts from Wednesday, Iraq's defence ministry spokesman Mohamed al-Askari told the Voices of Iraq news agency.
Iraqi troops launched a crackdown nearly a week ago in Amarah, the capital of Maysan, targeting Shia militants loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
Israeli airstrike kills Hamas gunman in N Gaza
By Xinhua,
Gaza : An Islamic Hamas movement militant was killed and another was seriously wounded early Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza Strip, witnesses and medics reported.
Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services in the Palestinian Health Ministry, identified the dead man as Hisham Shumar, 23, adding that the other man was in serious condition.
Zardari says Pakistan, US find acceptable solutions to problems
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Monday asked visiting US special envoy for region to find ways and means to reach acceptable solutions to all problems.
Iran holds nuclear talks with UN, Russia in Tehran
By DPA,
Tehran : Iran Monday started talks with inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog as well as Valentin Sobolev, acting secretary of Russia's National Security Council.
A three-man delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), headed by chief inspector Olli Heinonen, arrived in Tehran Monday morning and was to hold talks with officials from the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization.
Sobolev, who arrived Sunday night, had already started talks with his Iranian counterpart Saeid Jalili, who is also Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator.
Israel detains 56 Palestinians in West Bank raids
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Israeli troops had arrested a total of 56 Palestinians in the West Bank on Tuesday night in a large detention campaign, Palestinian sources and Israeli media said Wednesday.
According to Israeli radio, the army conducted incursions and raids in different parts of the West Bank, arresting 56 people.
Palestinian security sources said Israeli forces stepped up operations and detained 56 residents in Jenin, Nablus, and Bethlehem while most of the detentions took place in the city of Hebron where 43 people were arrested.
Pakistan arrests another Afghan Taliban leader
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani intelligence agents have arrested another senior Afghan Taliban leader in the port city of Karachi, official sources said on Thursday.
Mutasim Agha Jan, formerly in charge of political affairs of Afghan Taliban, was arrested in a raid from a house in Suhrab Goth area, they said.
Mutasim is the 7th senior Afghan Taliban leader to be arrested in Pakistan in two months.
He was believed to have led Taliban leaders in talks in Saudi Arabia.
With trust in Zardari waning, US wooing Sharif: NYT
By IANS,
New York : As American confidence in the Pakistani government wanes, the Obama administration is reaching out more directly than before to Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari's chief rival Nawaz Sharif, the New York Times said in a report.
American officials have long held Sharif at arm's length because of his close ties to Islamists in Pakistan, but some Obama administration officials now say those ties could be useful in helping Zardari's government to confront the stiffening challenge by Taliban insurgents, the influential newspaper said Saturday.
Iran says it won’t give up enrichment rights under NPT
By IANS
Beijing : Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said here Friday Iran would not give up its right to enrich uranium that it derives from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as a signatory.
"Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and will under no condition give up its undeniable rights," Jalili told Tang Jiaxuan, member of China's State Council, official IRNA news agency reported.
Taliban threatens to bombard brothels in Attock
By IANS,
Islamabad : The Taliban has given brothels in Pakistan's northern Attock district five days till Tuesday to shut down or face bombardment.
The warning was contained in letters that were distributed in different areas of the district Friday that also alleged that the police were taking hefty bribes from brothel owners, Online news agency reported.
The letters warned police personnel against taking these bribes otherwise they would have to face dire consequences.
India condemns attacks, takeover of Iraq cities by terrorists
New Delhi : India Monday strongly condemned attacks by terrorist outfits in Iraq, saying that the takeover of cities such as Mosul and Tikrit...
US military buildup in Afghanistan should not affect Balochistan: Pakistan PM
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : Pakistan on Wednesday asked the United States to take it into confidence on its Afghan policy and ensure that a military buildup in Afghanistan does not have any “effect” on Balochistan and other areas.
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, talking to a US Congressional delegation led by Johan Tierney at the PM House, also asked the US and ISAF forces to enhance intelligence sharing with Pakistan to solidify the ongoing operation against militancy on the Pak Afghan border.
Fight against terrorism top priority, Obama tells Karzai
By DPA,
Kabul : US president-elect Barack Obama told Afghan President Hamid Karzai that the fight against terrorism in the region and bringing security to the war-torn Afghanistan would be the top priority of his government, the Afghan presidential palace said Sunday.
Obama assured President Karzai in a telephone conversation Saturday night that the US assistance to Afghanistan would increase when he takes office in January, Karzai's office said in a statement.
This the first direct contact between Karzai and Obama since the Nov 4 US election.
Shahnama: The book fit for kings
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
“Free admission, but capacity is limited to 15 and registration is recommended,” read the email sent to me the morning...
Folk artistes are a bridge between our nations: Pakistani singer Arif Lohar
By Jaideep Sarin,
Chandigarh : Folk artistes from India and Pakistan are a "bridge" between the countries and try and improve bilateral relations when things...
New Zealand strengthens deployment in Afghanistan
By NNN-Xinhua
Wellington, New Zealand : The New Zealand government has extended the deployment of New Zealand forces in Afghanistan.
An additional 18 general service troops will join the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan province this month, bringing the total number of New Zealand defense force personnel in Afghanistan to 140.
The decision was announced Thursday by Prime Minister Helen Clark, who is at the NATO summit in Romania.
She said the decision is due to concerns about growing violence in areas surrounding the Bamyan province.
‘UAE respects security precautions of other nations’
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : The security and stability that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) enjoys is the outcome of the country's keenness to provide everyone here with an opportunity to live and earn with honour and dignity, according to UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Shiekh Khalifa's comments come in the wake of recent terror alerts issued by the British and US missions in this country.
In an interview with Lebanese daily Al-Nahar, the president said that alerts
Kasab’s ‘long lost mother’ turns up to meet police chief
By IANS,
Mumbai : Mumbai Police went into a tizzy last week when a woman claiming to be the mother of Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir alias Kasab came to meet City Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor.
The purported 'mother' of the nabbed terrorist involved in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and currently in police custody, wanted to meet Gafoor at the high security police headquarters in south Mumbai.
"She spoke in Hindi with a heavy Punjabi accent and claimed to have some important matter to discuss with the police commissioner," said an official.
US lawyer wants Bush revise policy towards Pakistan
By IRNA
Islamabad : Head of the United States National Lawyers Guild delegation, David Gespass urged the U.S. to change its policy towards Pakistan as it is 'damaging' the struggle for democracy and independence of judiciary in Pakistan.
Releasing a preliminary report of the delegation at a press conference David Gespass conceded that dual standard of U.S. foreign policy is explicit and has negative affect on Pakistan's politics on Friday.
Taliban bomb kills five in Afghanistan
By KUNA
Kabul : Five Afghan civilians, including a child, perished in a roadside bomb blast in southern Afghanistan, officials said on Sunday.
Shah Burhan, chief of the Panjwayee district, once the stronghold of Taliban militants, said the bomb was planted by Taliban militants to target the NATO and Afghan troops.
The militants did not issue any comment so far.
‘Afghanistan can succeed with international help’
New Delhi : All the candidates fighting the Afghan presidential polls are “close friends of India” and New Delhi will continue to provide assistance...
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.
Afghan deputy minister kidnapped in Kabul
Kabul : An Afghanistan deputy minister for public works was kidnapped Tuesday in northern Kabul, sources said.
"Gunmen kidnapped the Deputy Minister of Public Works,...
Militants strike Green Zone as sandstorm hits Baghdad
By AFP,
Baghdad : Militiamen bombarded the heavily fortified Baghdad Green Zone under cover of a heavy sandstorm on Sunday as a hardline Iraqi Shiite group rejected government conditions to end the fighting.
An interior ministry official said the Green Zone, where the Iraqi government and US embassy is based, was hit by at least 10 rockets or mortar rounds, while embassy staffers put the number at closer to 15. It was immediately not clear if any of the blasts caused casualties or major damage.
Obama tops world’s most powerful list, Manmohan at No. 36
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington: After winning a surprise Nobel Peace Prize, President Barack Obama has been ranked by the Forbes magazine as the world's most powerful person, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at No. 36 on the list.
The list also features Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden at 37, the "boss of Mumbai-based organised crime syndicate D-Company" Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar - 50, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama - 39, and TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey - 45, as people wielding some influence over the world.
No evidence for Iran’s military nuclear program: ElBaradei
By IRNA,
Dubai : International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said in Dubai that there is no evidence for Iran's military nuclear program.
Speaking to reporters in Dubai, he further hoped that direct talks between Iran and the US would begin after President-elect Barack Obama takes office.
"Direct talks between Iran and the US will contribute a lot to solve problems," he noted.
Referring implicitly to the political nature of problems in Iran's nuclear dossier, he said that the country's nuclear case should be solved only through diplomacy and nothing else.
OIC Chief condemns construction of a synagogue next to Al-Aqsa Mosque
By SPA,
Jeddah : The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has considered actions undertaken by Israel to construct a synagogue on an endowed Islamic land near the Al-Aqsa mosque an aggression against the Masrah [Ascent to heaven] of Prophet Mohammed [Peace be upon Him], and an aggression against the holy sites of the Islamic nation.
Two Palestinian gunmen killed in Israeli airstrike
By RIA Novasti
Gaza : At least two Palestinian militants were killed and four wounded late on Sunday when an Israeli missile destroyed a car in Gaza City, local radio reported on Monday.
Radio Al Quds cited witnesses as saying that the gunmen belonged to the radical group Islamic Jihad, whose members have become the main target of Israeli airstrikes in recent weeks, launched in retaliation against frequent rocket attacks on Israeli towns bordering Gaza.
British Defence Secretary makes surprise visit to Iraq
By NNN-KUNA
London : British Defence Secretary Des Browne is visiting the Iraqi city of Basra, it was officially confirmed here.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed the visit after Iraqi TV stations broadcast live footage of Browne attending a business conference Wednesday.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited the British base in Basra, in the south of the country, last November. There are currently about 4,000 British troops in the area.
The Iraqi government took responsibility for Basra province's security in December.
Is Dubai’s retail glory fading?
By Rajendra K. Aneja, IANS,
Shopping is the soul of Dubai, a place whose very name can be pronounced "Do-Buy"! Retail is a key driver of Dubai's economy. It is the major tourist attraction. Dubai lures visitors from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East since it offers very enticing shopping experiences. The city offers scintillating malls, almost every brand in the world, shopping bargains, huge discounts.
Female IS recruiting network uncovered in Germany
Berlin: German authorities have discovered a dozen female recruiters working for Islamic State (IS) who persuade other women in Germany to join the jihadist...
3 Taliban killed in eastern Afghanistan
By SPA,
Kabul, Afghanistan : Afghanistan's Interior Ministry says three Taliban were killed when a roadside bomb they were planting exploded prematurely, the Associated Press reported.
An Interior Ministry statement says a doctor working for the Taliban was among those killed Friday in eastern Paktika province. The bomb was being placed on a main road in the province.
Pakistan is world’s 10th most failed state: Report
By IANS,
Washington: Pakistan and Afghanistan are among the top 10 most failed states in the world, according to a report Monday in the US magazine Foreign Policy.
The fifth annual Failed States Index 2010, released in collaboration with the US-based Fund for Peace think tank, ranked 177 nations according to their viability. India was ranked 87th.
Judged according to 12 criteria, including state of cohesion and performance, states range from the most failed, Somalia, to the least, Norway.
Pakistan ranked 10th most failed state, while Afghanistan was 7th.
Twelve Israeli warplanes violate Lebanese airspace – Army
By NNN-KUNA,
Beirut : Twelve Israeli warplanes have violated the Lebanese airspace, the Lebanese Army said in a statement.
The statement released by the Guidance Department of the Lebanese Army Monday said that four Israeli warplanes flew over the city of Jbiel, heading east to the al-Harmil area, while the other eight circulated over northern al-Bekaa, Beirut and al-Shouf before exiting towards the occupied territories.
Such violations of Israeli warplanes breaching Lebanese airspace, almost daily, is considered a violation of United Nations resolution 1701.
Iraq: next few days crucial for security deal with U.S.
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Saturday that Iraqi leaders will make a decision in the coming few days on an agreement concerning the continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq.
"The next few days will be crucial for the Iraqi leaders to make political decision and a judgment on this agreement," Zebari said during a joint news conference with his visiting Bahraini counterpart.
Clashes in Pakistan kill 40 militants, four soldiers
By DPA,
Islamabad : Forty militants and four soldiers were killed Monday in fresh clashes in Pakistan's tribal region near the Afghan border, government officials said.
Asmatullah Kkhan, an official at the local administration, said dozens of militants attacked a security check post in the Shirin Darra area of Orakzai tribal district early Monday with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.
Troops repulsed the attack after around two hours of shooting, and jet fighters pounded militant positions around Shirin Dara and in two other villages later on.
Musharraf says PML-Q will win majority
By Muhammad Najeeb
Islamabad, Feb 17 (IANS) Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has predicted that the party backed by him - the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) - and its allies will win majority in Monday's polls.
In an interview with cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan's former wife Jemima Khan for the Independent daily published from London, the president said the PML-Q and its allies will win the polls but was not sure if they will be able to form the government.
US, Saudi Arabia sign warplanes deal worth $29 bn
By IANS,
Washington : The US has signed a major deal worth about $29 billion to provide F-15 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, the White House announced Thursday.
Egyptian military uses force to disperse Coptic Christian protest
By DPA,
Cairo: Egypt's military used electric tasers and batons to disperse a protest by Coptic Christians, demanding justice after the torching of a church, media reported Monday.
Sudan plane crash due to technical reasons
By SPA,
Khartoum, Sudan : A top southern Sudanese official says that the plane crash killing 24 people, including key government officials, was due to technical reasons.
Gabriel Changson Chan, the southern Sudanese minister of information, says that while a committee has yet to be formed to formally investigate the crash, the government believes the crash happened because of a technical failure in the plane.
On Friday, a southern Sudanese plane carrying a presidential advisor and the minister of military affairs crashed, killing 21 passengers and three crew members.
India, Pakistan to celebrate richness of Urdu in Delhi
New Delhi: Indian and Pakistani writers Intizar Hussain, Javed Akhtar, Ashok Vajpayee, and Nida Fazli, among others will participate in an Urdu festival in...
Pakistan’s Taliban claims responsibility for Peshawar blast
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : A spokesman for the local Taliban on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a bomb blast targeting an air force truck in northwestern Pakistan's Peshawar, which killed at least 13 people.
Maulvi Omer, spokesman for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Pakistan Alban Movement, said the blast was the response to the military operation in northwestern region, private Geo TV reported.
India to world: No exit, invest and endure in Afghanistan
By IANS,
New Delhi : Amid signs of vacillation by sections of the international community, India Wednesday called for a long-term policy of "invest and endure" in Afghanistan and warned that a failure to do so would be "costly" for the Afghan people and the world at large.
"What we believe Afghanistan needs is a long-term commitment, even while remaining mindful of the challenges," Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said at an international seminar on Afghanistan here.
Jordan’s King reaffirms full support for Iraq
By NNN-Petra,
Baghdad : Jordan's King Abdullah II has reaffirmed strong support for Iraq's security and stability, essential for the security and stability in the Arab world.
King Abdullah made his remarks during talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and Iraqi Vice-President Adel Abdel Mahdi here Monday.
"Jordan stands at equal distance from all components of the Iraqi people," said the King, who arrived in Baghdad earlier in the day on a brief working visit to Iraq.
Former Bangladesh PM Zia, 10 cabinet colleagues charged in corruption case
By KUNA
New Delhi : Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia and 10 ministers in her government during 2001-06, have been alleged of accepting kickbacks while awarding a coalmine contract to a Chinese firm.
This is the third corruption case against Zia, who is also the Bangladesh National Party chief, Bangladesh's leading English daily 'The Daily Star' reported Wednesday.
UAE, Macedonia discuss health cooperation
By IANS/WAM,
Dubai: UAE and Macedonia discussed cooperation in the health sector, it was announced Saturday.
German firm bags Pakistan gas pipeline contract
By IANS,
Islamabad : Germany's ILF Engineering has bagged a contract to lay a gas pipeline in the country that will be connected to gas fields in Iran.
Muslims prosecuted for thought crimes, says released student
London, Feb 10, IRNA -- A Scottish student has criticised Britain’s anti-terrorism legislation after serving more than four years in prison before successfully appealing against his conviction for possessing suspicious material.
"Our laws should bring to account those who plan acts of terror and not criminalise young Muslims for thought crime and possession of propaganda," said Mohammed Atif Siddique.
Roadside bomb kills three U.S. soldiers
By Xinhua
Baghdad : Three U.S. soldiers and their translator were killed in a roadside bomb attack in the Iraqi province...
Differences in Malaysian opposition over Islamic law
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Differences have cropped up in Pakatan Rakyat (PR), Malaysia's opposition alliance, over the desirability of introducing Islamic laws in a multi-religious society, with one of its ethnic Indian leaders opposing it.
Lawyer-lawmaker Karpal Singh, chairman of Democratic Action Party (DAP), one of the PR constituents, has lashed out at the alliance chief Anwar Ibrahim, saying his assertion that Islamic hudud laws apply only to Muslims "is a fallacy", The Star newspaper reported Friday.
Minorities have equal rights in Pakistan: Zardari
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said his government stands committed to ensuring equal rights for minorities.
No more graffiti: Pakistan court to political parties
By IANS,
Islamabad : A court in Pakistan has directed political parties to refrain from graffiti.
Pakistan strongly condemns Kabul attack
By NNN-Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the attack on the ceremony commemorating the 16th anniversary of the Afghan nation.
In a statement issued here Sunday, Gilani said that Pakistanis were greatly relieved that no harm had come to Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
"We express our deep sorrow over the reported death of one person and injuries to eleven as a result of this dastardly attack," he said.
U.S. soldier killed in bomb attack in Baghdad
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : A U.S. soldier died of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb explosion struck his vehicle in Baghdad, the U.S. military said on Saturday.
The soldier was on "combat patrol" in eastern the capital when he was attacked at about 6:15 p.m. (1515 GMT) on Friday evening, a military statement said.
Several areas in eastern Baghdad, including the sprawling Shiite slum of Sadr City, are strongholds for Mahdi Army militiamen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who fight the U.S. and Iraqi security forces since late March.
Pakistan violence leaves 54 dead
By DPA,
Islamabad : At least 54 people, including three soldiers, were killed in a suspected US airstrike and clashes between Islamist militants and government forces in northwest Pakistan, officials and media reports said Sunday.
Jets belonging to NATO forces in Afghanistan bombed hills in Pakistan's Khyber tribal district, killing at least five people.
The attack took place in Morga area in the remote Tirah valley, located close to the volatile Afghan border Sunday.
263 militants, 35 soldiers killed in Pakistan’s Khyber Agency
Islamabad : At least 263 militants and 35 soldiers were killed in the ongoing military operation in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of Khyber Agency,...
J&K house seeks resumption of India-Pakistan talks
Srinagar : A resolution, seeking effective steps to end ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir and resumption of India-Pakistan dialogue, was unanimously adopted in...
Egypt FM calls for ‘period of quiet’ between Hamas, Israel
By KUNA,
Washington : Egypt Foreign Minister Ahmad Abul Gheit called on Friday for a "period of quiet" between Israel and Hamas, describing his country as "a force of stability in the region."
Addressing the Council on Foreign Relations, Abul Gheit said that the solution in the stalemate on the Palestinian-Israeli front is not returning to the concept of national unity government between Fatah and Hamas but to establish "a period of quiet."
Pakistan’s trade deficit is $15.58 bn
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's trade deficit for 2010-11 was a staggering $15.58 billion, the national assembly was told.
Pakistan should do more to check extremists: Hillary Clinton
By IANS,
Washington : US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wants Pakistan to do more to check extremists with a veiled warning of the consequences of a terrorist attack that can be traced back to that country.
"We think that there's more that has to be done," she said Thursday at an interaction at the US Institute of Peace, a Washington-based think tank when asked to clarify her remarks about her earlier warning of "severe consequences" in such as an event.
Detained Taliban man kills two Afghan policemen
By IANS,
Kabul : A Taliban militant held in temporary detention Friday snatched a gun, opened fire and killed two policemen in Afghanistan, Xinhua reported.
Road accidents in fog leave 29 dead in Bangladesh
By SPA
Dhaka : A series of road accidents blamed on fog in Bangladesh has left at least 29 people dead and scores injured, Deutsche Presse-Agentur "DPA" quoted police and witnesses as saying today.
The national meteorological office said the mishaps occurred in fog as a cold wave pushed daytime temperatures to below 10 degrees Celsius in the north.
The worst accident happened overnight in the shanty town of Keraniganj, nearly 25 kilometers east of the capital, Dhaka, killing 10 people and injuring 35.
Connectivity important for regional transit trade: Gilani
By IANS,
Islamabad : Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said connectivity through air, land and sea was necessary to promote regional transit trade.
Dozens killed in clashes, attacks in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : More than two dozen Taliban and three police officers were killed in a clash in northern Afghanistan and a suicide bombing and US-led coalition airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday.
Officials in the Baghlan province said a clash that lasted several hours late Monday in the Baghlan-e-Markazi district inflicted heavy casualties on the Taliban.
Israel accuses New Zealand of anti-Semitism
By DPA,
Wellington : An Israeli diplomat has accused New Zealand of "acceptance of anti-Semitic behaviour" following controversial billboard
advertisements for a television programme, a Dutch newspaper reported Friday.
"We have been shocked and dismayed by the wrongful action of people using Jewish stereotypes to pursue an advertising and commercial agenda," Dor Shapira, spokesman for Israeli embassy in New Zealand, told the Dominion Post.
Six killed in Gaza blast
Gaza : At least five Palestinians and one Italian photo-journalist were killed Wednesday when an Israeli missile an engineering police unit was dismantling in...
Nine killed in building collapse in Karachi
By DPA,
Islamabad : Nine people were killed when a building in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi collapsed during construction, police said Wednesday.
The incident took place in the city's Liaquatabad district Tuesday night when all floors of the five-storey building crashed down, trapping a dozen workers.
"Six bodies were dug out of the rubble late in the night while three more were recovered Wednesday morning," police officer Mohammad Naeem Khan said. Three people were injured.