40 NATO soldiers return to Poland from Afghanistan
Warsaw : A group of 40 NATO soldiers stationed in Afghanistan have returned to Poland, with the remaining 60 expected to come back by...
10 suspects arrested for acid attack on schoolgirls in S Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
Kabul : Ten suspects on charge of spraying acid on schoolgirls have been arrested in southern Afghan province of Kandahar, said General Dawud Dawud, deputy chief of Interior Ministry on Tuesday.
"Afghan police and security forces have detained 10 Pakistani nationals suspected of committing the acid attack on teachers and schoolgirls on Nov. 12 in Kandahar city, capital of Kandahar province," Dawud told newsmen in press conference in Kandahar.
Delay in NDMA status to India another roadbloack: Pakistani daily
Islamabad: The postponement of a cabinet meeting in Pakistan, which was expected to give non-discriminatory market access (NDMA) to India instead of the controversial...
Israel ready to expand operation against Hamas
Jerusalem : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday said Israel is ready to expand its operation against the Islamic Hamas movement.
"Over the weekend, the...
India asks world community to remain engaged in Afghanistan
New Delhi, July 1, IRNA - India has told the UN that the international community should remain engaged in Afghanistan for security and stability, as any development in the war-ravaged country would have an "impact" on it.
"The security of Afghanistan and what happens there impacts us, as a country in the region, as a close neighbour and a civilisational partner whose ties with the Afghan people stretch into antiquity," Permanent Representative to the UN, Hardeep Singh Puri, told the Security Council, PTI reported here today.
87% of youth live in developing countries – Ban
By IRNA,
Tehran : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message on International Youth Day, August 12, 2010, said that some 87 percent of youth live in developing countries.
According to a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) here on Wednesday, the UN chief urged all officials to include young people in policies, programs and decision-making processes that benefit their futures.
The full text of his message reads:
Pakistani President to attend trilateral summit in Turkey
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will leave for Turkey on Friday to represent Pakistan at the trilateral summit and discuss with Afghan President ways to bring lasting peace to the region, officials said Wednesday.
The trilateral summit is being hosted by Turkey with the sole objective of bringing Pakistan and Afghanistan closer and forging stronger bonds between the two countries.
UN Security Council calls for end to violence in Gaza
By DPA,
New York : The United Nations Security Council Sunday called for an immediate end to all military actions in the Gaza Strip, at the end of a four-hour emergency meeting to discuss the situation in the salient which was being pounded by Israeli airstrikes.
The closed-door session of 15 UN ambassadors was requested by Libya and convened late Saturday.
There was no explicit condemnation of Israeli air attacks by members after the meeting in New York ended early Sunday.
US drone attack kills nine in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : A US drone attack on a suspected Taliban hideout in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal district killed at least nine people, a security official said Saturday.
The strike in the Mohammad Khel village around midnight Friday was the latest in a barrage of aerial raids since Dec 30, when a suicide bomber killed seven US intelligence agents in the Afghan province of Khost.
"Five people were killed instantly, while four of the several more wounded died overnight," a local security official said on condition of anonymity.
Iran: Bush Visit Won’t Isolate Tehran
By Prensa Latina
Tehran : Iran has ruled out that the visit by US President George W. Bush to the Middle East beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, will isolate Tehran from the regional context.
The president of Iran's Majles (unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly), Gholamali Haddad Adel, asserted that the Islamic Republic's influence is not its wealth, power or politics, but prestige earned by demanding its rights to justice and honesty.
Details of 26/11 dossier submitted by Pakistan
By IANS,
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday revealed in parliament the following details about the 26/11 dossier that Pakistan had submitted to India on July 5:
* 34-page document
* Planning and sequence of events
* Details of investigations by the special team of Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency
* Details of communication network
* Seizures made in Pakistan including maps, lifeboats, literature and backpacks.
* Investigations establish beyond doubt that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) executed the attacks
Haqqani network claims responsibility for Afghan suicide bombing blast
By Xinhua
Kabul : A leader of the Taliban-associated Haqqani network has claimed responsibility for the March 3 suicide bombing attack in eastern Afghanistan's Khost province which killed two NATO soldiers and two Afghan workers, the U.S.-led Coalition forces said Wednesday.
"Siraj Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani Network, took responsibility for the attack wounding dozens of Afghan civilians and promised more suicide bombings" in Khost province, it said in a statement.
Pakistan Army helicopter crashes, eight killed
By DPA
Islamabad : A Pakistani Army helicopter crashed Wednesday in the country's northwest tribal areas, killing at least eight people aboard including a senior general, local reports said.
Among the dead was Major General Javed Sultan, a senior commander based in Kohat, six other officers and one enlisted man, DawnNews TV reported.
Major General Athar Abbas, the chief Army spokesman, told DawnNews that the chopper went down in the South Waziristan district of the North-West Frontier Province due to a technical fault.
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.
Bangladesh: connectivity with Trans-Eurasia Information Network proposal approved
By NNN-BSS,
Dhaka, Bangladesh : The National Taskforce on ICT approved a proposal for joining the Trans-Eurasia Information Network (TEIN) by Bangladesh to build up hi-speed IT connectivity with other countries.
The approval was given at the 6th meeting of the taskforce held at the Chief Adviser's office with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair.
Bangladesh gets arbitration centre for commercial disputes
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh has set up its first ever arbitration centre to settle commercial disputes.
Al-Sherbini memorial vandalized in Germany
By IRNA,
Berlin : A memorial in honor of a martyred Muslim woman in the eastern German city of Dresden has been vandalized, press reports quoted police as saying on Friday.
The 31-year-old Marwa el-Shirbini was brutally stabbed to death by a German neo-Nazi in July 2009 in a courtroom because of her Islamic faith.
An art group, calling itself 'Achtzehn Stiche', erected three small pillars with an explanatory plaque as a monument in honor of the murdered Egyptian mother.
The pillars were reportedly overturned the past few days by unknown persons.
Nine killed in clashes near Yemen’s presidential palace
Sana'a: Nine people -- six soldiers and three attackers -- were killed as armed clashes erupted between Yemeni security forces and unidentified gunmen near...
Top Boko Haram commander arrested in Nigeria
Abuja: Police in Nigeria have arrested Mohammed Zakari, a senior commander of the Boko Haram sect, blamed for killing hundreds of people since 2009,...
Spain Official Hopeless on Iraq War
By Prensa Latina,
Madrid : Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos Monday said he was hopeless about the war in Iraq, "where everything is delicate."
"The situation in that Arab country continues to be dramatic and unpredictable and it is unacceptable that the international community wakes up every day with those images of death and desolation," said the minister in an interview published by Public daily on Monday.
Rally calls on Australian gov’t to condemn Gaza killings
By Xinhua,
Canberra : Hundreds of Australians gathered at Adelaide, state capital of South Australia, on Sunday to support a rally against the Israeli attack on Gaza Strip.
The protesters, who gathered outside the state's Parliament House, called on the federal government to condemn the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza.
Bassam Dally, secretary for the Australian Friends of Palestine Association, said that injustice was a threat to justice everywhere in the world, including the Geneva Convention.
Saudi Arabia to launch official TV, radio for fatwa
By DPA,
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia is mulling the idea of setting up an official television channel and radio station for accredited Muslim scholars to issue fatwas, or religious edicts, reports said Saturday.
The television channel will "create a credible link between the inquirer from inside or outside the kingdom and the authorised clerics" through free hot lines for people from all over the world, the daily al-Youm reported.
Sources indicated that the channel would be based in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
Cairo normal right now, but situation may change after Friday Prayer
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
‘Pakistan to review options if Obama not positive’
By IANS,
Washington/Islamabad : Pakistan said Wednesday it would review its options if the Barack Obama administration didn't adopt a positive policy toward the country, even as the new US president said aid to Pakistan would be linked to the war against terror.
"Pakistan hopes that Obama will be more patient while dealing with Pakistan. We will review all options, if Obama does not adopt a positive policy towards us," Pakistan's ambassador to the US Hussain Huqqani told Geo TV in Islamabad.
Lebanese Rivals to Qatar Talks
By Prensa Latina,
Beirut : Representatives from the majority and parliamentary opposition will travel to Qatar for talks to mitigate the Lebanese political crisis, which caused death of 82 and wounded 200 recently.
The delegations will travel to Doha, Qatari capital, to begin talking as the life of this Arab country is returning to normal.
Schools opened last Friday in Beirut.
Kazakh leader rejects MPs’ request to rename capital in his honor
By RIA Novosti,
Astana : Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has rejected a motion signed by 80 members of parliament requesting that the country's capital, Astana, be renamed Nursultan in his honor.
Lawmakers signed the request on Wednesday.
"I have always been against such renamings, all the more so since they [lawmakers] want to name it after me," Nazarbayev told reporters on Friday.
Astana, meaning 'capital city,' was given its name after taking over as Kazakhstan's capital from Almaty in 1997.
EU, US voice concern over Dutch film insulting Quran
The Hague – (IINA)January 27 –— The European Union and the United States voiced concern over a Dutch lawmaker's plan to produce a film insulting the Holy Quran, saying that the short film could reignite tensions with Muslims after the Danish cartoons affair. European justice ministers, who met here yesterday have expressed concern about the plan to make a potentially inflammatory film, ministers and officials said. They said that Dutch justice officials had raised the issue at informal talks in Slovenia, and had called for EU support.
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.
Dhaka seeks Pakistani investment — and apology for 1971
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh has invited Pakistani entrepreneurs to invest in the country, but also wants Islamabad to resolve all outstanding issues -- including "formal apologies for the atrocities" committed during violent suppreession of its freedom movement in 1971.
Receiving new Pakistani High Commissioner Ashraf Qureshi Thursday, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni sought Pakistan's investment in pharmaceuticals, textiles, information and communication technologies, telecom and agro industries, news reports said Friday.
Israel approves 2,200 homes for Palestinians in East Jerusalem
Jerusalem : Israel has approved a plan to construct 2,200 housing units for Palestinians in East Jerusalem, an official said on Wednesday.
The move was...
Van Gogh painting heist: Egyptian officials arrested
By IANS/AKI,
Cairo : One of Egypt's top culture officials and other employees of the Egyptian culture ministry were arrested following the theft of painting by Vincent Van Gogh from Cairo's Mahmud Khalil museum, according to a news report.
Citing a judicial source, the report said the police Monday arrested the head of the fine arts sector of the culture ministry, Mohsen Shaalan, three museum security guards and an official. The charge was negligence.
Pakistan to receive 4 F-16 fighter jets from U.S.
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan will receive four refurbished F-16 fighter-jets from the United States on Saturday, a media report said.
The fighter jets are part of a consignment of 12 refurbished planes that Pakistan would receive from the United States.
Pakistan, a major non-NATO ally of the United States, receive two of these jets earlier this year and another four last month. Two more planes would be delivered next month, Dawn News newspaper said.
Dhaka poll was cancelled due to threat: army chief
By IANS,
Dhaka : Dhaka's military leadership sought cancellation of parliamentary elections in January 2007 because some "powerful countries" threatened to get the UN to withdraw Bangladeshis from peacekeeping missions, the army chief has said.
In a book just out, Gen. Moeen U. Ahmed does not indicate who the "powerful countries" are who threatened to request the UN to disqualify Bangladesh Army personnel from well-paid peacekeeping jobs.
Iran has new proposals for global peace: Ahmadinejad
By IANS,
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Wednesday said Tehran would offer a new set of proposals to "secure global peace and justice", IRNA reported.
"The proposals will focus on ways to secure global peace and justice, respect to rights of all nations, and participation of all governments and nations in settlement of international crises," Ahmadinejad said while addressing a gathering in the southern city of Kerman.
Israeli army rules women incapable of driving tanks
Jerusalem : The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has decided that women soldiers cannot drive tanks in light of an investigation that concluded that the...
Egyptian, Israeli presidents meet on Mideast peace process
By Xinhua,
Cairo : Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held talks on Thursday morning with his visiting Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported.
The two leaders discussed means of advancing peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel and Egypt's ongoing efforts to realize regional peace and stability.
They also tackled the latest developments in the Israeli political arena and its possible impact on the peace process, said the report.
UK cannot fight Iraq, Afghan wars forever, defence secretary warns
By IRNA
London : British Defence Secretary Des Browne emphasised Saturday that the West must seek diplomatic and military solutions in Iraq and Afghanistan, including reaching out to extremist groups.
With Britain's armed forces suffering from overstretch by being embroiled in both the wars, Browne said: "We can't do this forever and we aren't."
Dhaka’s Best Air to fly to Colombo, Male
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladeshi private airliner Best Air is adding Colombo and Male on its South Asia map. Emanating from Dhaka, the flights for these destinations begin Monday.
This is the first foray of a Dhaka-based airline to the Maldivian capital where 40,000 Bangladeshis work, Best Air chairman Haider Uz-Zaman was quoted as saying by the New Age newspaper.
Ban sought on Addis Ababa gay conference
By IANS,
Addis Ababa : The fate of an upcoming gay conference here hangs in balance with religious leaders seeking a ban on it.
Afghan President Hamid congratulates PPP
By SPA
Islamabad : Afghan President Hamid Karzai has congratulated co-chairman of the Pakistan People s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari on obtaining a majority in the Feb 18 parliamentary elections, PPP officials said.
Karzai phoned Zardari and congratulated him on his party s victory in the polls.
He said the Afghan government would work with whichever government was formed in Pakistan to ensure peace and security in the region.
The US is able to fight ‘a war on two fronts’: paper
By WAM
Dubai : A military strike against Iran is apparently ?imminent? and the recent spate of militia attacks that threaten to refute US claims of peace in Iraq could provide the casus belli, according to the Khaleej Times.
"Just when the divide between American lawmakers over the situation in Iraq seems to be widening, such claims of Iran fuelling unrest in the war-ravaged nation could be used as a means to bring the sparring groups together to support the campaign against Iran," it remarked.
Pakistani Taliban splinter group releases Wagah bomber’s pictures
Islamabad: A splinter group of Pakistani Taliban Thursday released pictures of a suicide bomber, who had killed nearly 60 people at Wagah border.
Jamaat ul...
About 100 arrested in Iran post-poll violence
By IANS,
Tehran : An unknown number of people were injured during a night of violent protests in Tehran following the Iranian presidential election and there were reports Sunday of up to 100 people being arrested.
Thousands of opponents of re-elected president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took to the streets of Tehran setting off a cycle of protests and violence after the Interior Ministry announced Ahmadinejad had been re-elected with more than 62 percent of votes.
Germany arrests Islamist bound for Pakistan
By DPA,
Karlsruhe (Germany) : German authorities said Friday they had arrested a man suspected of aiding a terrorist bomb plot, and a newspaper said he was picked up as he was leaving for a training camp in Pakistan.
The federal prosecutor's office in Karlsruhe said Kadir T., aged 24, had been remanded in custody after a hearing.
He is the latest accused from a group of young men, either of Turkish background or converts to Islam, who grew up amid German affluence and volunteered to join the jihadist cause.
India abhors ‘political vacuum’ in Pakistan: Narayanan
By IANS,
New Delhi : India abhors the "political vacuum" in Pakistan created by the tussle between President Pervez Musharraf and the Pakistan People's Party-led ruling coalition, says National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan.
Narayanan said in an interview published Tuesday that New Delhi was seriously concerned that this vacuum could allow radical extremist outfits in Pakistan more space to step up their activities not only in Afghanistan but also in India.
George Clooney wooing Fatima Bhutto?
By IANS,
Islamabad : Hollywood star George Clooney is said to be dating slain Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto's niece Fatima Bhutto.
But the film star says those days could be coming to an end if the 26-year-old poet-journalist wants to take the relationship to the next level and spend some serious time with him in the US, The Nation reported Wednesday quoting The National Enquirer.
Dhaka seeks $5 bn foreign investment in power sector
By IANS,
Dhaka : Officials Sunday left for London to bid for $5 billion foreign investment in Bangladesh's cash-strapped power sector. They will also visit Singapore and the US next month.
The move comes as Dhaka prepares to sign a pact for power purchase from India during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina likely next month.
Stay away from politicians, Pak army chief tells officers
By IRNA-PTI
Islamabad : Pakistan Army chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has directed all officers of the force to refrain from meeting politicians and indulging in politics. Kayani, who took over in November after President Pervez Musharraf doffed his military uniform, has written to his juniors, including commanding officers of key formations, that they had "no role to play in politics" and that soldiers should heed their professional responsibilities.
It is Barack Obama’s war in Afghanistan now
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS,
Washington : If it is possible to own something even while simultaneously disowning it, President Barack Obama did it as he announced his much awaited Afghanistan strategy.
Turkey begins troop pullout from northern Iraq
By Xinhua
Ankara : Turkish troops Friday started withdrawing from northern Iraq, eight days after they crossed the border to launch a ground offensive against the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) rebels.
However, the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces has not issued any statement on the pullout.
Turkey's national NTV news channel reported that dozens of trucks ferried troops back to the Turkish border town of Cukurca from neighbouring Iraq's north.
Iraqi court sentences fugitive vice president to death
By IANS,
Baghdad : An Iraqi court Sunday sentenced fugitive Sunni Vice President Tariq Al Hashimi and his aide to death in absentia over terror charges, official television reported.
Pakistani tortured by relatives in Britain
By IANS,
London : A 27-year-old Pakistani-origin man was beaten and physically tortured for three years by his relatives who regarded him as a financial burden, a British court has heard.
Osama’s son missing in Pakistan since US raid: Report
By IANS,
Islamabad: One of Osama bin Laden's sons went missing after the raid by US commandos on the al Qaeda leader's hideout in Pakistan's Abbottabad town, a media report said Tuesday.
Caretaker minister says we did our job of holding fair polls
By APP
Lahore : Caretaker Punjab Minister for Law & Parliamentary Affairs, Mahmood Sheikh, felicitated the nation and leaders of all political parties on holding of national elections, and observed that the caretaker set-up had fulfilled its promise of holding free and fair elections.
In a statement issued here Tuesday, he said that the results will definitely pave the way for strengthening of democratic norms in the country.
Bangladesh opposition leader granted bail
Dhaka: A high court in Bangladesh Monday granted Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir bail for six months in...
Girls’ school uniforms to stay, says Malaysian minister
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : There will be no change in the uniform worn by girls in Malaysia's government schools although a students' body has said the dress distracted men, and encouraged rape and pre-marital sex.
Education Minister Hishamuiddin Tun Hossein Sunday said the uniform would "probably not change much in the next few years".
Iraq, Suicide Attacks and Turkey
By Prensa Latina
Baghdad : A suicider set off an explosive belt attached to his body inside a bus in north Iraq and the police count is 40 dead while the media talks of 14.
The report says the bus was heading to Syria at the time of the attack in Tamarat, west Mosul, Ninive, adding that there were children and women among the victims.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Parliament approved a draft bill to provisionally replace the old flag for 12 months until a new one is approved.
PM Gilani briefed on India’s response to Pakistan’s 30 queries
By NNN-PTI,
Islamabad : Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was on Thursday briefed on India's response to Pakistan's 30 queries seeking more information on the Mumbai terror attacks.
During a meeting at the Prime Minister's house here, Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik presented Gilani a copy of answers handed over by the Indian government in response to Pakistan's 30 questions, the official APP news agency reported.
Malik also briefed the Prime Minister on the overall law and order situation in the country.
Iraqi source: Turkish aircraft, artillery bomb N Iraq
By Xinhua
Mosul, Iraq : Turkish aircraft and artillery pounded Iraqi areas near the border in Duhuk province on Tuesday without causing casualties, a Kurdish security source said.
"The Turkish aircraft and artillery shelled in the morning the villages of Narwa, Raykan and Nahaly near the town of Amadiyah in Duhuk province," the source, from the Kurdish border guards, told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The attacks, which targeted areas close to the Iraqi border with Turkey, caused no casualties, the source said.
400-strong Sikh jatha to visit Pakistan for Baisakhi
By IANS,
Amritsar : Over 400 Sikhs and other pilgrims will cross over to Pakistan Saturday from the Attari-Wagah border check-post between India and Pakistan to participate in Baisakhi celebrations (April 13) there.
The Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), which sends the jatha (group) has not officially sent it this time.
"The visas have been cleared by the Pakistan high commission. The pilgrims will be going at their own risk since security in Pakistan is a matter of concern," SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said here Friday.
Suicide bomber kills 12 in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : A suicide bomber attacked a convoy of police vehicles in south-western Afghanistan Thursday morning, killing 12 and wounding 26, a police official said.
"The attack was carried out by a woman wearing burqa," Ali Khan Hussainzada, chief of the criminal department of police forces in western the zone, told DPA.
"Five policemen and seven civilians were killed and 26 others, including 16 civilians and 10 police forces, were wounded in this attack," Hussainzada said.
Iran successfully test-fires ballistic missile
By IANS,
Tehran: Iran has successfully test-fired two missiles, including a surface-to-surface long-range ballistic missile, state media reported Monday.
The test-fired ballistic missile was a "new...
Pakistan rejects Indian concern over welfare of Sikh minorities
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistan Saturday rejected Indian concerns about the plight of Sikh families living in militancy-hit tribal areas and said it was taking care of all citizens, including the minorities.
India issued a verbal demarche to Pakistan Friday after reports that Taliban militants had demolished 11 homes of Sikhs living in Orakzai agency, which is one of seven districts of troubled tribal areas in northwestern Pakistan.
Syrian opposition leader calls for delegation formation
By IANS,
Moscow : The Syrian domestic opposition should urgently form its own delegation which will participate in the third round of Geneva II talks,...
Bangladesh polls by December, but political snags persist
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh's Election Commission has said it would hold the long-stalled ninth general election by December, but major political parties refuse to participate until their jailed leaders are released.
The Election Commission Wednesday gave its assurance on the poll schedule to President Iajuddin Ahmed. It had earlier this week filed an affidavit before the high court giving an undertaking that the December deadline would be met.
Pakistan wants immediate resumption of dialogue with India
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan Friday called for immediate resumption of dialogue with India, saying it has consistently maintained that instead of indulging in a blame-game both sides should, without further delay, resume the Composite Dialogue process.
India suspended 'composite dialogue' with Pakistan after the November Mumbai attacks, which had killed nearly 170 people and injured over 300.
Two Palestinian children die in Gaza after Israel denies them travel approval
By KUNA
Gaza : Two Palestinian children, a boy and a girl, passed away on Saturday in Gaza Strip after Israeli forces denied them approval to travel abroad for treatment, Palestinian sources said.
The sources said 11-year-old Misleh Mohammad Qalja and 10-year-old Faten Majdi Al-Hanfawi, both residents of Gaza City, passed away today after suffering from illness.
Both were prevented from traveling abroad for treatment by Israeli forces with the closing off of crossings, they said.
UN confirms killing of 90 civilians by Coalition air raid in W. Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
Kabul : The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Tuesday confirmed the killing of 90 civilians including women and children in Shindand district of western Herat province during air strike by U.S.-led Coalition forces against Taliban militants, a statement released here said.
"Investigations by UNAMA found convincing evidence, based on the testimony of eyewitnesses that some 90 civilians were killed, including 60 children, 15 women and 15 men," the statement said, "15 other villagers were wounded."
Israel reopens Gaza crossings
By NNN-KUNA,
Gaza : Israel has reopened the commercial crossings linking it with the Gaza Strip after a few days of closure.
According to the Israeli Yedioth Internet news, the crossings were opened Sunday following a series of contacts between Egyptian and Israeli security officials.
The reopening of crossings would allow the passage of 80 trucks loaded with goods and equipment into the Strip, Israel said.
Pakistan PM unlikely to attend Malala’s Nobel ceremony
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is unlikely to attend the award ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize shared by Malala Yousufzai and...
Owner of sunken Bangladesh ferry arrested
Dhaka : Bangladesh's anti-crime branch early Wednesday arrested the owner of the ferry that had capsized last week in the Padma river, leaving at...
India congratulates Hasina on winning general election in B’desh
By IRNA,
New Delhi : India's Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh Tuesday congratulated Sheikh Hasina on her landslide victory in general elections.
Dr. Singh called Mrs. Sheikh Hasina, president of the Awami League Party of Bangladesh this morning and warmly congratulated her on the landslide victory in the general elections.
The prime minister said that India looked forward to working with the government and people of Bangladesh in the years ahead for the mutual benefit of the people of the two countries.
Eight killed in Pakistan suicide attack
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least eight security men were killed and several injured in a suicide attack near a check post in Pakistan's tribal region Sunday, according to a TV channel report.
The blast occurred near a check post in Jandola, a town of South Waziristan tribal agency on the Afghan border, according to Geo TV channel.
Sources said the powerful blast was heard far and wide. No details of the incident were immediately available.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
South Waziristan tribal agency is a stronghold of Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.
Qatar plans law to deter expatriates from juggling jobs
By IANS,
Dubai : Qatar is planning a new law that will deter expatriate workers from quitting their current job, leaving the country and then re-entering to take up a better paying job.
Qatar's Advisory Council has recommended that expatriate workers leaving the country should not be allowed to return for five years from the date of their departure, the Gulf Times reported.
The Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura is a consultative body and its recommendations will have to be approved by Qatar's ruler to become a law.
UAE hosts international boat show
By IANS/WAM,
Dubai: More than 750 firms from 42 countries will showcase their yachts and recreational boats during the international boat exhibition that begins in Dubai Tuesday.
Suicide bomber hits neighborhood municipal council in Baghdad, four killed
By Xinhua
Baghdad : A suicide bomber blew himself up in the municipal council of Karrada neighborhood in Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least four people and wounding seven others, an Interior Ministry source said.
Sikh businessman gunned down in Peshawar
Islamabad: A Sikh trader was gunned down in the Pakistan's Peshawar city, a media report said Saturday.
Police officer Riaz Ali Shah said the businessman,...
Bangladesh court sentences 8 HUJI militants to death
Dhaka : A Bangladesh court Monday awarded death penalty to eight militants of a banned Islamist outfit, including its leader, for their involvement in...
Archaeologists made new discoveries at Moenjodaro
By IANS,
Islamabad : Archaeologists cleaning a drain to flush out rainwater from an explored part of the ancient Indus Valley city of Moenjodaro have been pleasantly surprised to come across artefacts and other objects of much cultural value at the World Heritage site.
"We had gone just half a metre down the level of surface of the old structures in the DK-G area and found the material of cultural value," Dawn Monday quoted Moenjodaro director Qasim Ali Qasim as saying.
Olmert says Iran continues on nuke path
By DPA
Berlin : Iran is continuing to work on acquiring a nuclear weapon, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday, following talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.
"Nothing that we know has changed our attitudes," Olmert told a joint press conference with Merkel towards the end of his second visit to Berlin as prime minister.
"We are certain the Iranians are engaged in a serious, and partly clandestine, operation to build an unconventional weapon," he said.
EU Parliament to arrive Syria on Saturday
By NNN-SANA,
Damascus : The President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering, and a delegation accompanying him started on Wednesday a week-long official visit to Lebanon and Syria aimed at reaffirming the assembly’s commitment to Mideast peace.
Pakistani government and Islamic militants agree on prisoner swap
By DPA,
Islamabad : The government and Islamic militants were set to exchange dozens of prisoners Wednesday ahead of a formal peace deal between the sides in Pakistan's restive tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, media reports said.
The prisoner's swap was agreed to between the militant commander Baitullah Mehsud and the tribal elders, who are holding negotiations on behalf of the government in South Waziristan.
Saudi men can’t marry women from Pakistan, three other countries
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia has banned its male citizens from marrying women from four countries - Pakistan, Bangladesh, Chad and Myanmar - a police...
India willing to meet Pakistan more than half-way, says PM
By IANS,
New Delhi: Nearly seven months after the Mumbai attacks stalled bilateral talks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday tried to reach out to Pakistan, saying New Delhi was prepared to meet Islamabad "more than halfway" if the latter takes "strong, effective and sustained action" against terrorists.
Indicating possibilities of resuming the bilateral dialogue that came to a pause following the Mumbai carnage, Manmohan Singh stressed that "it was in India's vital interest to try to again make peace with Pakistan".
US playing double game on Taliban: Report
By IANS,
Islamabad : US-led NATO forces vacated more than half a dozen security check posts on the Afghan side of the border just ahead of the major ground offensive launched by the Pakistani military against the Taliban in the volatile South Waziristan region, a media report said Monday.
"It is feared that the American decision will facilitate Afghan Taliban in crossing over to Pakistan and support militants in striking back at the Pakistani security forces in the troubled tribal area," The News said in a report headlined "On whose side is US anyway?"
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.
Pakistani teen who was flogged denies incident, probe ordered
By IANS,
Islamabad : The girl who was reportedly whipped by the Taliban in Pakistan's restive Swat Valley has denied the incident as the Supreme Court Monday ordered that a probe be carried out.
The girl's statement before a magistrate was presented through Attorney General Latif Khosa. "The girl has denied the alleged flogging incident," Geo TV reported.
The victim was not present during the hearing.
Pakistan: Sherpao announces support to Asif Zardari in Presidential Election
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao) chief Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao announced to support coalition candidate Asif Ali Zardari for election to the office of the President.
“Our party will vote for Asif Ali Zardari on September 6,” Aftab Sherpao announced in a press conference; along with PPP MNA Faryal Talpur, here at his house here Saturday evening.
He said as per democratic conventions it was right of the PPP to field its presidential candidate because it has secured heavy public mandate in the February 18 general elections.
Turkish forces kill five PKK militants
Ankara : Five militants of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were killed on Saturday in clashes with the Turkish security forces in Agri...
Officials: Cyclone warning system reduces casualties in Bangladesh
By Xinhua,
Dhaka : Effective warning system can reduce casualties and property losses in Bangladesh, which is vulnerable to natural disasters like flood, cyclone and tidal surge, officials said here Sunday.
Golam Kibria, an official of the Food and Disaster Management Ministry, said inadequate emergency programs might be one of the reasons of the huge casualties in Myanmar caused by tropical cyclone Nargis on May 3.
"Luckily Bangladesh escaped the wrath of Nargis as it changed its course at the last moment," he said.
Iranian Air Force to stage large-scale war games
By RIA Novosti,
Tehran : Iran's military will hold a major air exercise soon to demonstrate its capabilities, a top air force official said Tuesday.
The war games, dubbed Protectors of Velayat Air, "will demonstrate our strength and will send the message to our enemies that if they contemplate an attack, they will meet a powerful blow," Iran's Air Force commander Ahmad Mighani said.
He said the air force was operating at full combat readiness and added that Iran had developed aircraft that were capable of evading radar detection, which "would increase the country's air strength".
Dignifying Lebanon’s past
By César Chelala,
The settlement reached in Doha last week between warring factions in Lebanon puts an end to an 18-month national crisis and raises hopes for a stable future for that beleaguered country. It may also make real my father's dream for his country, and prompt a wider movement for peace in the region.
Roadside bomb kills three civilians in Afghanistan”s south
By KUNA
Kabul : Three people, including two children and an aged man, were killed as a roadside bomb struck a civilian car in Afghanistan's troubled Helmand province on Saturday.
A statement from the Interior Ministry here said a third child sustained injuries in the balst in Nad Ali district of the restive province, known for its bumper poppy crop and insurgency.
The statement said the bomb was planted by "enemies of the country," the term Afghan officials use for the anti-government Taliban.
The militants, so far, did not issue any comment.
Promote culture to defeat terror: Pakistani minister
By IANS,
Islamabad: Terrorism can be defeated with the help of strong cultural values, a Pakistani minister has said.
Pakistan offers Rs.200 mn reward for Taliban leader
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik Tuesday said anyone providing information on Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan would be awarded Rs.200 million, the Dawn reported.
NATO vehicles caused Rs.150 bn damage to Pakistan highways
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan has calculated that vehicles carrying NATO supplies in containers caused damage worth Rs.150 billion to its highways over the past 10 years.
Mahathir`s son asks Malaysian PM to resign
By ANTARA News/Reuters
Kuala Lumpur : The son of former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad on Friday asked Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resign following the ruling coalition`s election debacle at the weekend.
"I`m asking him to resign," Mukhriz Mahathir, a senior executive member of the United Malays National Organisation (UNMO) and who commands factional support within the party, told Reuters by telephone, adding that he had written a letter to the premier on Wednesday.
NATO defence ministers agree to meet pledges of London conf. of Afghanistan
By NNN-KUNA,
Istanbul : The defense ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) called here on Friday for translating the pledges of the London Conference on Afghanistan into real actions.
Briefing newsmen on the outcome of the ministers' two-day informal meeting, NATO's Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the process to stabilize Afghanistan required more finance than ever.
Hesham Al-Baghli wins Kuwait”s municipal by-elections
By KUNA,
Kuwait : Hesham Hussein Al-Baghli won municipal by-elections for the fourth constituency after garnering 2,012 votes, Justice Ali Buqammaz, chairman of the committee supervising the elections, said.
He announced that Al-Baghli was the winner out of 17 candidates contesting for the constituency's single seat.
Born 1969 and holds a masters degree in engineering sciences from Moscow University, Al-Baghli is employed in the architectural engineering department of the Fire Services Directorate's precautionary department and is a member of Kuwait Engineering Society.
Pakistan, Afghanistan to hold key security talks
Islamabad : Top Pakistani and Afghan defence officials are scheduled to hold key security talks in Islamabad Thursday, officials said.
Afzal Aman, Director General Military...
Iran ready to play active role in promoting peace in Horn of African: Mottaki
By IRNA,
Tehran : Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in a meeting with an Eritrean senior delegation said Iran is ready to play an active role in promoting peace and stability in the region of Horn of Africa.
The Eritrean senior delegation including Osman Saleh Muhammad, foreign minister, Berhane Abrehe, minister of finance and international cooperation, and Hagus Gibrehiut, economic advisor to the Eritrean president discussed issues of mutual interest with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki here Monday.
Pakistan Pres Zardari: Karsaz tragedy reminder against militancy, terrorism
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : President Asif Ali Zardari while paying tributes to the martyrs of Karsaz tragedy, said the tragedy served to remind that central battle in Pakistan was against militancy and terrorism which must be won.
On the eve of second anniversary of Karsaz tragedy on Oct 18, President Zardari said, “Our thoughts go to the martyrs who laid down their lives and many hundreds more who were maimed and wounded while protecting the life of their leader Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.”
Manmohan calls up Gilani, renews flood aid offer
By IANS,
New Delhi/Islamabad : With Pakistan dithering over accepting India's offer of $5 million aid for flood victims, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday renewed the aid offer when he spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani and conveyed his sorrow over the tragedy.
Manmohan Singh expressed sorrow and condoled the deaths due to the devastating floods in Pakistan, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement in New Delhi.
Israeli foreign minister against strict time-frame for peace deal
By RIA Novosti,
Tel-Aviv : Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Tuesday that attempts to impose a strict time-frame on negotiations over key issues between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) did nothing to aid peace talks, the Haaretz newspaper reported.
Israel and the PNA pledged in a U.S.-sponsored meeting in Annapolis, Maryland last year to resume peace talks, draft a settlement plan by late 2008, and come to terms on the form of a future independent Palestinian state. However their talks have so far made little tangible progress.
Hezbollah welcomes just Arab solution for Lebanese crisis
By KUNA,
Beirut : Hezbollah has announced that it welcomes any just Arab solution that would end the current crisis in Lebanon.
Political assistant for Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, Hassan Khalil told the press Monday the opposition would not allow it to be attacked by its opponents, adding that it would strike back in self-defence once attacked.
Khalil affirmed that the opposition's problem with the government lies in the resistance force, adding that they have decided to halt armed strikes and continue with their civil disobedience.
Suicide car bombing kills at least one anti-Qaida member
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : At least one Awakening Council member group was killed and three others were wounded in a suicide car bomb attack in western Baghdad on Saturday, an Interior Ministry source said.
The suicide bomber struck a checkpoint manned by local U.S. and Iraqi government-backed council members at about 1:00 p.m. (1000 GMT) in the Amal al-Shaabi Street in Amriyah neighborhood, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
265 killed in Malaysian traffic accidents during Eid Al-Fitr holidays
By NNN-Bernama,
Kuala Lumpur : A total of 265 people were killed in traffic accidents during the recent holidays for the Muslim Eid Al-Fitr festival which saw millions of Malaysians making their way to their home towns to spend the holidays with their families.
However, Royal Malaysia Police Traffic Division chief Abdul Aziz Yusof said the increase in the death toll in the police operation conducted in conjunction with the festive period -- Ops Sikap XX -- which ended last Sunday, did not reflect the failure of the operation.
Premier, Canadian Senate speaker discuss future cooperation
By IRNA-Saba
Sana'a : Prime Minister Ali Mujawar held talks here on Sunday with the Canadian Senate speaker Noel Kinsella over the Yemeni-Canadian future cooperation, particularity in the economic, investment, environmental, educational, training and energy fields.
They also dealt with the standing relations between the Yemeni Shoura Council and Canadian Senate as well as the governmental keenness on strengthening such ties.
Taliban softens on Sharia appeal courts as Pakistan, US toughen stand
By IANS,
Islamabad/Washington : The Taliban appeared to be backing down Thursday, saying it did not intend to create a state within a state following the imposition of Sharia laws in Pakistan's northwest and also indefinitely extended its deadline for setting up Islamic courts of appeal in Swat.
The developments came as Pakistan Thursday warned of action against the Taliban if it violates the controversial Swat peace agreement and the US accused Islamabad of "abdicating" to the militants.
Osama may be dead: Zardari
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani intelligence believes Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is dead, President Asif Ali Zardari said Monday, but also admitted that he did not have any evidence of this.
"The Americans tell me they don't know, and they are much more equipped than us to trace him. Our own intelligence services obviously think that he does not exist any more, that he is dead," APP quoted Zardari as telling a group of international journalists .
"But there is no evidence, you cannot take that as a fact," he said, adding: "We are between facts and fiction."
At least 12 killed in separate attacks in Iraq
By SPA
Baghdad : At least 12 people were killed and 15 wounded, including US soldiers, in separate attacks in Iraq, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) quoted Iraqi and US officials as saying today.
"Iraqi forces along with elements of the Awakening Council, supported by US helicopters, have raided the Bishkan area, killing six and wounding 13 terrorist suspects," an Iraqi official told DPA.
"Dozens were also arrested," he added.
UNSC calls on Syria to allow humanitarian access
By IANS,
United Nations : UN Security Council has called on the Syrian authorities to allow "immediate, full and unimpeded" humanitarian access.
Muslims proud of Iran’s achievements: Tajik minister
By IRNA,
Tehran : Tajikistan's Minister of Education Abdujabbor Rahmonov said on Wednesday that Muslims of the world are proud of Iran's achievements in the fields oif technology and science.
Rahmonov made the remarks in a meeting in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe with the secretary of an exhibition which is to be held in Tajikistan by Iran on May.
The exhibition is to start its work in Dushanbe on May 18 to put on display Iran's latest educational, research, cultural and technological achievemtns.
West urged to stop demonising Iran
By DPA,
New York : UN General Assembly President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann launched Tuesday yet another campaign against Western governments, urging them to stop demonising Iran and its leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has called for wiping Israel off the map.
Miguel d'Escoto, a former Sandinista foreign minister of Nicaragua in the 1980s and a Roman Catholic Maryknoll priest, has advocated reform and "democratisation" of the United Nations since he assumed leadership of the 192-nation assembly last September.
Singing national anthem to be mandatory in Bangladesh madrassas
By IANS,
Dhaka : A parliamentary committee in Bangladesh has asked the government to make singing of the national anthem mandatory at madrassas, the Islamic seminaries that impart education to millions of children across the country.
An unanimous recommendation was made after some lawmakers complained that this was not being followed at many seminaries.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government is currently revamping the education system followed by the seminaries, many of whom have come up during the last decade with the help of governments and charities in West Asia.
Higher Judicial Council urges Muslims to sight Dhu Al-Hijja’s Crescent
By SPA,
Riyadh : The Higher Judicial Council has called on all Muslims in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to sight the crescent of Dhu Al-Hijja on Thursday evening (29/11/1429 AH) in accordance with Umm Al-Qura calendar corresponding to November 28, 2008.
In an announcement made this morning, the Council also requested whoever see crescent of Dhu Al-Hijja to report to the nearest court and register his testimony.
Pakistan denies harassing US diplomats
By IANS,
Islamabad : The foreign ministry Friday rejected a US State Department claim that American diplomats in Pakistan were "increasingly being harassed".
One dead, 12 hurt in Pakistan building collapse
By IANS,
Islamabad : One woman was killed and 12 people, including six children, were injured when a three-storey building collapsed in Pakistan Multan city Friday night, a media report said.
Manmohan’s white dove greeting cards for Zardari, Gilani
By IANS,
Islamabad : A white dove is on the cover of the New Year greeting cards sent by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, a gesture that has been much appreciated here.
"President Zardari will soon reciprocate the positive gesture of the Indian prime minister," the president's spokesperson Farhatullah Babar told Dawn.
"With all good wishes for the new year," Manmohan Singh said in the greeting cards that he and his wife Gursharan Kaur signed.
Pakistan succeeds in training launch of IRBM
By SPA
Islamabad : Pakistan Friday conducted a successful training launch of Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) Ghauri (Hatf-V), having a range of 1,300 kilometers, at an undisclosed location, said an official statement.
A Strategic Missile Group (SMG) of Pakistan Army's Strategic Force Command (ASFC) conducted the training launch of the missile.
The field launch exercise of ASFC was witnessed by President Pervez Musharraf, Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, senior military officers and scientists.
BSF retaliates to rocket attack from Pakistan, villagers protest
By IANS,
Amritsar : Three rockets fired in quick succession from Pakistan exploded near a village in India's Amritsar district, triggering retaliatory gunfire by Indian border guards, officials said Saturday as angry villagers from the region held protests.
The 107 MM rockets landed in the fields of Pul Kanjari area in Punjab with a deafening roar, police officials and residents said. No one was injured in the attack near the only India-Pakistan land border checkpost at Attari.
Pakistani authorities Saturday denied any rockets were fired from their territory.
Pakistan, Greece to sign MoU for olive oil production, export
By APP
Karachi : Pakistan and Greece are likely to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in olive cultivation and olive oil production.According to information reaching Trade Development Authority (TDAP) here Saturday, MINFAL has already accepted the draft of the MoU which has now been forwarded to the Greek authorities for finalising arrangements for signature.
Once signed, the MoU would also provide a necessary frame work for collaboration in the field of agriculture.
‘ANP should give up pro-India agenda’
By IANS,
Islamabad: The Awami National Party (ANP) should give up its "pro-India" agenda and support the construction of the Kalabagh Dam in Punjab province which will solve the shortage of water and power in Pakistan, an editorial in a leading Urdu paper said Saturday.
Samy Vellu’s team sweeps Malaysian Indian Congress polls
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) chief S. Samy Vellu Saturday retained his hold over the party with his men sweeping organisational polls.
Incumbent deputy president G. Palanivel, who figured on Vellu's 'official' list, retained the post after defeating main challenger, former deputy president S. Subramaniam.
Also defeated was former vice-president S. Sothinathan, a former Vellu protege who had challenged his mentor by entering the poll fray that had generated much heat and controversy.
President Medvedev congratulates Israel on Independence Day
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has sent a message to Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert congratulating them on Israel's 60th Independence Day, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
"Russia was one of the first [countries] to recognize Israel's independence, while Russian-Israeli relations have always been based on a solid foundation of mutual historic and cultural ties," the message said.
Fatah calls for Arab efforts to reconcile with Hamas
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement on Thursday welcomed any Arab efforts to end differences with rival Hamas Islamists.
"The leadership and Fatah movement welcome any Arabic bid to end this abnormal and dangerous phenomenon which is the coup and separation in the Gaza Strip, Fatah spokesman Ahmed Abdel Rahman said, referring to Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza Strip last June.
UAE launches $100 mn project for Pakistan’s flood hit
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Thursday launched a $100 million project for assisting Pakistan's flood affected people.
Key events of the 18-day Egyptian uprising
By IANS,
Cairo: Here are the landmark developments of the mass uprising in Egypt that led to the fall of the three-decade rule of Hosni Mubarak.
Seven people hanged in Iran
By IANS/AKI,
Tehran: Three convicted rapists and four armed robbers have been hanged in Iran's southern Fars province, the Mehr news agency reported.
Palestinians organise local marathon to reject Israeli one
By IANS,
Ramallah : Dozens of Palestinian runners participated in a local marathon on the West Bank Monday, challenging an earlier Israel-organised international one in Jerusalem.
Will not comment on Mubarak’s acquittal: Egypt PM
Cairo : Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahalb has said the government would not comment on the judiciary, following Hosni Mubarak's acquittal, as some political...
13 civilians killed in Afghanistan roadside bombing
Kabul : Up to 13 civilians were killed while five others were wounded Monday evening when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb...
Taliban might launch retaliatory attacks across Pakistan, says Gilani
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said Saturday that terrorists might carry out retaliatory attacks in the country as they have suffered heavy losses in the wake of the military offensives in North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
"There are intelligence reports that terrorists can carry out attacks in any part of the country as reaction," Gilani told reporters in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province.
"But terrorists cannot hold us hostage," Gilani said, adding that the operation against the militants is progressing well.
New Taliban chief is ‘look alike brother’ of Hakimullah Mehsud
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani intelligence agencies believe the new Taliban chief named by the militant group Saturday is a "look alike brother" of Hakimullah Mehsud and not the real one, the Online news agency reported.
Taliban in order to save their image are giving the impression that Hakimullah Mehsud is alive, while the truth is the man, also called by the same name, who has been selected as the new chief of Teherik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is his look alike brother, the report said citing intelligence sources.