Lebanese opposition dissatisfied with Seniora remaining as PM
By Xinhua,
Beirut : The Lebanese opposition made it clear it was not satisfied with Fouad Seniora remaining as prime minister, thus internal and regional political confrontations could resume, As-Safir daily reported Thursday.
Christian opposition leader MP Michel Aoun was quoted as saying that the nomination of Seniora is a hint to "conflict rather than reconciliation."
U.S. ambassador to Malaysia speaks about Free Trade Agreement
By SPA
Kuala Lumpur : The U.S. ambassador to Malaysia, Jimmy Keith said Thursday that his country is confident to put the last touches on a free trade agreement with Malaysia during the next summer.
Keith told reporters in the Malaysian city of Kotakinabalo that the last round of talks held in Kuala Lumpur on the free trade agreement between the two countries made clear progress.
Pakistan stocks plunge eight-month low on weak forecasts
By DPA,
Karachi : Pakistan stocks plunged by 4.5 percent to an eight-month low Monday, dropping 578 points by mid-day trading on mounting political uncertainties and weak economic outlook, analysts said.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index plunged for the second straight trading day, after declining by 4.5 percent Friday, when it shed 615 points.
"There is an immense selling pressure in the market," said Zafar Moti, chief executive of Zafar Moti Securities.
Dhaka foils trafficking bid, hosts border management talks
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh's elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) prevented 25 people from being transported illegally to India, even as the two South Asian neighbours are set to take up contentious issues pertaining to border management at talks beginning Wednesday.
RAB "rescued" the 25, including five women and 14 children, all Bangladeshi nationals, from a hotel in Rajshahi, the city on the border with India's West Bengal, "as they were being trafficked to India", The Daily Star reported Wednesday.
20 die in Yemen suicide bombing
Sanaa : At least 20 people were killed Thursday in a suicide bombing in this Yemeni capital.
A suspected Al Qaeda member detonated explosives near...
‘Spectre of dismemberment over Pakistan’
By IANS,
Islamabad : The Pakistani government should heed the dire warning of a senior parliamentarian that the country faced "another dismemberment" if its provinces didn't receive their fair share of developmental funds, an editorial in a leading English daily Sunday said.
Senate deputy chairman Muhammad Jamali "has done the federation of Pakistan a considerable service by delivering an outburst in which he spoke of the possibility of 'another dismemberment' of the country", The News said.
The editorial was titled "Straight talking".
Palestinian unity government’s mandate expires this week: Hamas
Gaza: Islamic Hamas movement warned Sunday that the mandate of the Palestinian unity government which was formed in June 2 will expire this week.
"According...
Did US put all its eggs in one basket?
Washington : Denying that it had failed to reach out to the Bharatiya Janata Party before the elections, the US has said that it...
Iran hiding information about nuclear activities: US
By DPA,
Washington : A new UN report shows that Iran "willfully" withheld information about its effort to develop technology that could lead to the building to nuclear weapons, the US said Tuesday.
"The Iranians have been wilfully non-cooperative. And you can read that in the report," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "It's disturbing."
The UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report Monday saying Iran has failed to adequately answer questions based on intelligence that shows the Islamic state may have sought nuclear arms.
Zardari to visit Iran
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will undertake a two-day official visit to Iran from Wednesday, a presidential spokesman said Tuesday.
Bangladeshi former PM wins landslide victory in Parliamentary election
By Xinhua,
Dhaka : Bangladeshi former prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League won victory in the country's 9th Parliamentary election held on Monday, an official of the Election Commission said on Tuesday.
The official said in a press conference Awami League won 229 seats out of the 295 seats which have already got the polls results.
The official said Awami League's main rival former prime minister Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party won 27 seats.
3 Afghan soldiers killed, 3 injured in roadside blast
By NNN-Xinhua
Kabul : Three Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were killed and three more injured as an ANA vehicle was struck by a roadside mine while patrolling in southern Afghanistan's Musa Qala district Wednesday morning, the district chief said.
Musa Qala, a known Taliban heartland in Afghanistan's troubled Helmand province, was regained by Afghan government forces during an early December major offensive launched with assistance from foreign troops.
Israeli-Palestinian dialogue resumed after seven-year hiatus
By RIA Novasti
Tel Aviv : Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have launched the most serious peace talks between the sides in seven years despite clear differences over what each aims to achieve, Israeli radio said on Monday.
It said the chief negotiators, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qurei, have met in Jerusalem for initial talks intended to tackle the most problematic issues barring the road to peace - state borders, the fate of Jerusalem and the Palestinian refugees.
US Defence Secretary meets Iraqi PM, underlines improvement in Iraq’s security
By NNN-KUNA,
Baghdad : US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has called on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki here to discuss the security situation in Iraq.
Gates, who started his ninth unannounced visit to Baghdad in his capacity as secretary Monday, noticed a great improvement in the security in Iraq since his first visit to the Arab country two years ago, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi government.
Pakistan to set up task force to ensure security of investors
By Ahmad Fuad Yahya, NNN-Bernama,
Islamabad : Pakistan's newly established Ministry of Investment is planning to set up a task force to ensure a round-the-clock security for investors in the country.
The task force would comprise officials from the ministry and the Interior Ministry, said Minister for Investment Waqar Ahmed Khan.
He said the move was part of the commitment by the Pakistani government to protect the investors' interests at all times although the situation here remained peaceful.
Obama urges shift of focus from Iraq to Afghanistan
By DPA,
Washington : Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama Tuesday said the US must broaden its foreign policy focus beyond Iraq, as he pledged to end the war and focus on fighting Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
In a speech on foreign policy ahead of a planned trip to Europe and the Middle East, Obama said the war in Iraq "distracts us from every threat that we face and so many opportunities we could seize".
Bangladesh protests killing of two border guards
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh has protested to India on the killing of two of its border guards Thursday night, claiming the incident took place 1.5 Km inside its territory .
The New Age newspaper correspondent in Chapainawabganj said the situation on the Raghunathpur border had been tense as both sides reinforced the deployment of border guards.
Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury strongly condemned the killing of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel, saying "such incidents are totally unacceptable".
Iraqi PM extends deadline for arms handover to April 8
By Xinhua
Baghdad : Iraqi government extended a deadline for Shiite militiamen in southern Basra to hand over their weapons from Saturday to April 8, the Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said in a statement Friday.
The militia would receive a financial reward if they surrender." All those who have heavy and intermediate weapons are to deliver them to security sites and they will be rewarded financially. This will start from March 28 to April 8," said Maliki.
Pakistan bans Hafiz Saeed’s LeT, JuD, 23 other organisations
By IANS,
Islamabad/New Delhi: Pakistan Wednesday banned the Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) of Hafiz Saeed, who India says masterminded the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and 24 other religious and welfare organisations.
Also banned is the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group that Saeed founded and which morphed into the JuD in the wake of the December 13, 2001, attack on the Indian parliament that New Delhi blamed on the outfit.
The interior ministry Wednesday presented the list of banned organisations in the National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan's parliament, Geo TV reported.
French Al Qaeda leader held in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : Naamen Maziche, a French national and a senior member of terror outfit Al Qaeda, has been arrested near Pakistan's border with Iran, Xinhua reported Wednesday.
Berlin earmarks one million US dollars for UN Hariri tribunal
By IRNA
Berlin : The German government will allocate one million US dollars for the special UN tribunal which is investigating the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, news reports said Thursday.
According to the German Foreign Ministry, the financial support for UN tribunal was to underscore Berlin's comprehensive engagement for a judicial processing of political murders in Lebanon as well as the long-term stabilization of the Mideast Arab country.
Bush authorises military aid to Kosovo
By Xinhua
Washington : US President George W. Bush has authorised military assistance to newly independent Kosovo, the White House said.
According to the Presidential Determination Bush signed Wednesday, the US grants Kosovo eligibility to receive defence articles and defence services under the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act.
Hasina seeks opposition help to present ‘new political culture’
By IANS,
Dhaka : Riding a massive poll victory, Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina Wednesday called upon the opposition, which is unhappy with the verdict, to cooperate to end "destructive politics" and jointly present the South Asian nation with "a new political culture".
She offered the deputy speaker's office and leadership of parliamentary committees to ensure an adequate role for the opposition, despite a steam-roller three-fourths majority she won in the polls held Monday.
Pakistan says elections will be held despite bombing
By DPA
Islamabad : Pakistan's interior minister said Sunday the crucial Feb 18 elections remain on track despite Saturday's suicide bombing that killed at least 20 people at a campaign rally in the north-west.
"We are going to beef up the security for the prominent political leaders and also give a larger role for law enforcement agencies," Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz said.
"We have to have a good (situation) as we're eight days away (from the elections). These elections are very important and they will be held on time," he added.
NATO commander says Pakistan sovereign, hopes for agreement enforcement
By NNN-APP,
New York : Acknowledging Pakistan’s sovereignty over its areas, a senior NATO commander in Afghanistan has expressed the hope for enforcement of any peace agreements in the country’s areas along restive Afghan-Pakistani border.
“Pakistan is a sovereign country. Our interest from NATO’s perspective is that whatever agreements are made will hopefully be enforceable,” U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J.
Schloesser told Newsweek. At the same time, the new NATO commander favored talks with legitimate tribal leaders in Afghanistan.
Dhaka to enact law to curb `yellow journalism’
By IANS,
Dhaka: The Bangladesh government is considering a law to stop "yellow journalism", Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad has informed the country's parliament.
"Land grabbers and state wealth looters are becoming editors of newspapers to use journalist community to safeguard their wealth. This trend is increasing gradually," the minister was quoted as saying by The Daily Star Thursday.
US embassy in Yemen receives threat, security stepped up
By DPA,
Sanaa : The US embassy in Sanaa said Monday it had received a threat of "possible attack" and asked US citizens in Yemen to exercise caution.
"The US embassy has received a threat against the embassy compound regarding a possible attack which could take place in the foreseeable future," the embassy said in a message posted on its web site.
"US citizens in Yemen are advised to exercise caution and take prudent security measures in all areas frequented by Westerners," the message read.
15 dead in Karachi violence
By IANS,
Islamabad : Fifteen people have died in violence in Pakistan's port city of Karachi, the Dawn reported Sunday.
Israeli bombers conduct heavy air strikes on Gaza
By IRNA,
Gaza City : Israeli bombers conducted heavy air strikes on Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
The bombers hit residential area in central Gaza killing scores of civilians, local officials said.
Doctors at al-Shifa Hospital said that they received 14 bodies after the air strikes and those wounded in the attacks are in critical condition.
They said the dead included nine children, four women and a 67-year-old man.
Obama advocates two-state solution in Middle East
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington: US President Barack Obama has advocated a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict based on borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war.
Ceasefire extension not discussed, says Hamas
Gaza: The Islamic Hamas movement denied Wednesday that the Palestinian factions of the group have agreed to extend a 72-hour Egyptian mediated ceasefire between...
A Bangladeshi solution to African poverty, funded by Britain
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Britain and Bangladesh are working to roll out a Bangladeshi solution to African poverty.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who met with Bangladeshi Nobel Prize winner and Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus in London Monday, said he will work with Grameen "to give access to and unlock the power of financial services for Africa's poor."
Grameen, which gives small loans to poor families and businesses, is the world's first multinational bank serving the poor.
Iran has enriched uranium: Ahmadinejad
By DPA,
Tehran : Iran has succeeded in producing its first batch of uranium enriched to 20 percent, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday.
"I herewith tell you that we have succeeded in producing the first batch of the 20 percent uranium enrichment at the Natanz site and have delivered it to our scientists," Ahmadinejad said in a ceremony in Tehran marking the 31st anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Pakistan won’t allow regional hegemony: Gilani
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan rejects efforts by any country to establish regional hegemony, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said.
15 die of waterborne disease in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least 15 people were killed due to breakout of gastroenteritis disease Monday at a hospital in Dera Ismail Khan of Pakistan's Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa province which has been severely hit by floods, hospital sources said.
The waterborne gastroenteritis killed several dozen people last week as more cases have also been reported elsewhere across the flood-plagued country, Xinhua reported.
24 commodities dearer in Pakistan in Ramzan’s first week
By IANS,
Islamabad : The prices of 24 essential commodities have gone up across Pakistan in the first week of Ramzan, affecting the poor and middle-class people the most, a media report said.
Forged visas, 15 months, and 22 harassed Indian engineers in Saudia
By Naushad Katipalla for TwoCircles.net,
Riyadh (Saudi Arabia): A group of 22 Indian engineers, who have been desperate to return home for over 15 months, heaved a huge sigh of relief on Thursday when their first batch left for India after their case was set on following the intervention of the Riyadh Governorate.
Earlier somebody forged the official papers of one company and attained 50 visas of various nationalities and Indian visa has been sold to ABT, Recruitment Agency, Mumbai, India.
‘No visa-free entry for Bangladeshis’
New Delhi: Media reports that said the government was considering visa-free entry for Bangladeshi nationals were not correct and no such plan was in...
KABUL, Afghanistan, February 08, SPA -- Bitter cold, nowstorms and avalanches have killed at least 654 people in Afghanistan this winter, a government official said.
Weather-related incidents have also left 84 people injured and killed at least 100,000 cattle, said Abdul Matin Edrak,
head of the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Commission.
Afghanistan is one of the world's poorest countries and is largely mountainous, with winter temperatures often plunging well below freezing, the Associated Press reported.
Police patrol Kabul streets as US general warns of attacks
By DPA,
Kabul : Thousands of police were patrolling Kabul streets Monday as the US commander in Afghanistan warned the public of possible attacks based on "credible intelligence" during the country's 89th anniversary of independence from Britain.
Most of the citizens in the capital city stayed home Monday and 7,000 security personnel closed several roads leading into the centre of the city.
Erekat: Palestinian negotiators head to Washington for talks on Wednesday
By Xinhua,
Ramallah : Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Sunday that Palestinian negotiators would arrive on Wednesday in Washington for peace talks with their Israeli counterparts.
Erekat told "Voice of Palestine" radio that a bilateral meeting will be held between the Palestinian negotiators and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice first in Washington.
No individual, group to be allowed to rig polls: ECP Secretary
By IRNA
Islamabad : Secretary of Pakistan Election Commission Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad has reiterated that free, fair and transparent election in a peaceful atmosphere will be held in the country on February 18 and all arrangements have been made in this regard.
He said that no individual or group will be allowed to rig polls, says a press release.
Yangon preparing for large-scale conflict: Dhaka
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh has said it is responding to threats from its eastern neighbour Myanmar, which has amassed troops on the border and readied warships and fighter jets "in preparation for a large-scale conflict".
The Myanmar military brought in tanks, artillery guns and 13 warships along its border with Bangladesh Sunday, The Daily Star newspaper said Monday quoting sources at the Bangladesh Armed Forces.
Ex-navy chief heads Pakistan’s anti-graft body
By IANS,
Islamabad : Former Pakistan Navy chief Admiral (Retd) Fasih Bukhari has been appointed chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) by President Asif Ali Zardari.
Nearly Rs.1.1 million spent on goofed-up ad: Minister
By IANS,
New Delhi : The central government spent nearly Rs.1.1 million on the controversial advertisement Jan 24 that featured a former Pakistani air chief, Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath said Monday. The enquiry report has not yet been submitted to the government.
In a major embarrassment to the government, an ad by the women and child development ministry on the occasion of National Girl Child Day featured Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Ahmed, who headed the Pakistan Air Force 2006-09.
Minister condoles Supreme Leader, nation on departure of Islamic Revolution’s mother
By IRNA,
Tehran : Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hossein Saffar Harandi on Monday issued a message of condolence on the passing away of the spouse of the father of Islamic Revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic the late Imam Khomeini.
The message condoled Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khameini, the bereaved family of the late Imam Khomeini, and the Iranian nation on the great loss.
Iran’s first nuclear power plant opens
By DPA,
Bushehr (Iran) : Iran's first nuclear power plant was opened Saturday by Iranian and Russian nuclear officials in the southern port city of Bushehr after a delay of almost three decades.
With the opening of the Russian-built plant, the 82 tonnes of nuclear fuel that were already delivered to Iran by Russia were unsealed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and kept in an outdoor "fuel pool" near the reactor.
Suicide car bombing wounds 15 in N Iraq
By Xinhua
Mosul, Iraq : A suicide car bomb attack targeted a U.S. patrol in the northern province of Nineveh on Tuesday, wounding some 15 people, a provincial police source said.
"A suicide bomber blew up his explosive-laden car into a U.S. patrol in the al-Baath neighborhood in the volatile capital city of Mosul," Brigadier Sa'id al-Jubouri, head of the provincial police media office, told Xinhua.
The blast wounded 15 people and caused damages to 10 nearby civilian cars, Jubouri said.
Palestinian negotiator says W Bank becomes prison like Gaza
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said here on Monday that Israel's "hermetic" blockade is turning the West Bank into a "big prison" like the Gaza Strip.
"The situation on the ground indicates that the (Israeli) siege and closure continue to be hermetic," Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Erekat as saying, "The West Bank is turning into one big prison, just like Gaza."
Iran gets back 13 tonnes of gold in sanction relief
Tehran: Iran has received 13 tonnes of gold which had been held in South Africa for two years due to sanctions, Iran's central bank...
Suicide car bomb blows up near Kabul airport
By DPA
Kabul : A suicide car bomber targeted a vehicle near Kabul's airport Thursday morning, causing an unknown number of casualties, the police said.
The bomber detonated his explosives-packed vehicle near a bus stop on the airport road during rush hour, said a police official at the scene of the attack who asked not to be identified.
The explosion was large and "I think there might be a lot of casualties", he said.
Witness Ahmad Nejad said several cars were damaged and ambulances had arrived at the scene.
Pakistan Air Force assured of latest equipment
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan will focus on ramping up indigenous capabilities and entering joint ventures with foreign manufacturers to ensure its air force acquires the latest equipment, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Thursday.
Speaking to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal Qamar Suleman, Gilani said the government would also provide the necessary resources for upgrading its professional capabilities, APP reported.
Russian FM: Stop Gaza Blockade
By Prensa Latina
Moscow : Russia's Foreign Minister Serguei Lavrov called on Friday for an immediate end to the blockade on the Gaza Strip and an improvement of the life conditions for Palestinians.
During a telephone conference of the quartet of international mediators for the Middle East Russia, US, European Union and the UN, Lavrov urged urgent measures to eliminate the Israeli blockade in the Palestinian National Authority territories.
He considered the lifting of the Gaza blockade and the end to violence by the parties a step toward real peace.
Nine killed in Pakistan militant attack
By IANS,
Islamabad : Nine people were killed on the outskirts of Pakistan's Peshawar city when militants entered a house and opened fire early Wednesday,...
Egypt’s interim cabinet quits
Cairo : Interim Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab Monday submitted his cabinet's resignation to newly-elected President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, a media report said.
Sisi then asked...
30 Taliban militants killed in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : Thirty Taliban militants were killed in clashes with NAvTO and Afghan forces in separate incidents in southern Afghanistan, officials said Wednesday.
A statement from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said 25 Taliban fighters were killed in the southern Kandahar province Tuesday night in a raid on rebel hideouts.
NATO and Afghan forces raided Taliban compounds used for making roadside bombs near the Belandi area, the statement said.
Explosives and weapons were also found in the compounds after the operation ended, it said.
Iran says open for talks on nuclear, other issues
By SPA,
Tehran : Iran is ready for negotiations on nuclear and other issues provided such talks do not violate the country's rights, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday.
"The Iranian nation is after talks and negotiations but negotiations in a logical and just framework and in line with the fundamental rights of nations," Ahmadinejad said in his speech broadcast on state television, adding that Iran would not retreat from its rights "one iota".
Hamas confirms Gaza truce deal
By DPA,
Gaza City : The radical Islamic Hamas movement confirmed Tuesday that it had reached a truce agreement with Israel.
The confirmation came after Egypt's official MENA news agency announced that after months of indirect negotiations led by Egypt, the Palestinian militant groups and Israel agreed on the Gaza truce that would take effect Thursday morning.
Hamas will be committed the date or any date that has been announced by Egypt, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told DPA.
He said Hamas would issue a formal announcement later.
Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund to participate in Chinese Disaster Management Workshop
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : China has invited Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) to share its expertise on conceptualisation and institutionalisation of broad reconstruction strategy in earthquake-ravaged provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi.
The State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development of China and Department for International Development (DFID) are jointly organizing an expert Workshop on International Planning for Reconstruction and Response to Disaster on July 15, 2008 in Beijing.
15 militants killed in air strike in northwestern Pakistan
By SPA,
Khar, Pakistan : An air strike killed 15 militants in Northwestern Pakistan, while two rockets landed near the region's main airport, officials said Thursday.
The strike hit a compound in Airab, a village in the Semiautonomous Bajur region that borders Afghanistan, Associated Press reported.
More Lives Claimed by Cholera in Kenya, Somalia
By Prensa Latina
Nairobi : A cholera outbreak in common Kenya and Somalia border areas has claimed another 43 lives in the last 15 days, according to reports released by both countries on Sunday.
Abubakar Abdi, Chief of Public Health in Mandera district, Kenya, said that at least 30 people, including six children, died in the said locality.
In Somalia, 13 people have died, according to authorities, with nearly 700 cases reported, including over 250 treated in hospitals.
Agreement to improve Oman-India cooperation on terror
Muscat : A legal and judicial assistance agreement signed recently between Oman and India will improve cooperation in the field of investigation, prosecution and...
Official: Jordan approves some 17,000 Iraqis’ entry in 3 months
By Xinhua,
Amman : Jordan has approved about 17,000 Iraqis' entry in less than three months, local daily Jordan Times reported on Sunday.
Minister of Interior Eid Fayez said the ministry has received a total of 9,489 visa applications between April 22 and July 9, involving a total of 27,817 Iraqis wishing to visit the kingdom.
Among them, 17,054 were allowed entry and 6,009 denied, said the minister, adding that the remaining applications are still undergoing examination.
Bangladesh’s electoral talks end inconclusive
By DPA,
Dhaka : The electoral talks between Bangladesh's military-backed government and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) ended inconclusive Tuesday with both sides stressing for further talks to settle their disagreements.
Both sides underscored the need to holding the Dec 18 election in a free, fair and credible manner, but failed to make any consensus on condition that the party proposed for a competitive election, including lifting of the state of emergency.
Two policemen killed in Karachi blast
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least two policemen were killed and eight people injured Wednesday in a blast that rocked a restaurant in Pakistan's port city of Karachi, media reports said.
Analyst expects free, fare elections in Iran
By IRNA,
Islamabad : President Institute of Regional Studies Maj Gen. (Retd.) Jamshed Ayaz Khan welcomed upcoming presidential elections in Iran saying that he expects free, fare and transparent elections.
Talking to IRNA, he said that it is the democratic right of Iranian people to elect their representatives.
Jamshed Ayaz Khan said that Iran has its own kind of democracy which is slightly different from Western form of democracy.
"Different countries have evolved their own democracies because of their system of governance", he opined.
Obama calls Afghan elections successful
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama praised the elections that took place in Afghanistan Thursday as successful despite violence that claimed the lives of 26 people.
"We had what appears to be a successful election in Afghanistan, despite the Taliban's efforts to disrupt it," Obama said in a radio interview.
Afghans flocked to the polls Thursday, braving Taliban threats and a series of attacks that left 17 security forces and nine civilians dead. Twenty insurgents were also killed.
UN official outlines Gaza situation
Tehran, Jan 20, IRNA -- A top UN official in Gaza said on Monday that so many families have been destroyed in so many ways.
Gaza Director of Operations of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) John Ging reported from ground zero, noting that at his last briefing on Friday he had hoped they would not have a further death toll.
UN calls on Afghan gov’t to punish those responsible for journalist murder
By Xinhua,
Kabul : The United Nations on Monday called on the government of Afghanistan to bring to justice those responsible for the murder of a BBC journalist who was brutally killed in the troubled Helmand province of Afghanistan.
"We urge the Afghan authorities to leave no stone unturned in search of those responsible for this murder," Nazifullah Salarzai, a spokesman of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), told newsmen at a news briefing here.
Pakistan, Afghanistan to activate border management commission
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to activate a Joint Commission on Border Management to check illegal cross-border movement, authorities said.
The joint...
Iran, Turkey discuss ways to further cooperation, nuclear issue
By NNN-IRNA,
Ankara, Turkey : Foreign Minister of Iran Manouchehr Mottaki discussed promotion of bilateral ties with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Iranian minister who visited Turkey at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan left Ankara on Friday evening.
During the meeting, Mottaki and Erdogan stressed the need for broadening Tehran-Ankara economic ties by carrying out more projects in energy field including construction of power plants.
At least 12 killed, one injured in Iraqi violence
By DPA
Baghdad : At least 12 people were killed, including civilians, and one wounded in separate attacks across Iraq, media reports said.
In Baquba, some 60 km north of Baghdad, four members of the same family were shot and killed by militants while on their way home, the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency said.
Pakistani government scuppers move to seek US envoy for Kashmir
By IANS,
Islamabad : In what could be a significant pointer to the future of sub-continental ties, the Pakistani government has blocked a parliamentary resolution seeking a special US envoy for Kashmir.
What has been proposed instead is a watered down version hoping that the world community would play a role in resolving the dispute that has bedevilled India-Pakistan relations for over six decades.
Afghan police kill 15 Taliban fighters including 2 commanders
By Xinhua
Kabul : Afghan police have killed 15 Taliban insurgents including two of their local commanders over the past two weeks, a press release of Interior Ministry issued here Tuesday said.
Afghan police have eliminated Mullah Hanif and Mullah Dadgul, two local commanders of Taliban outfit, along with 13 of their comrades in Deh Rawad district of southern Afghanistan's Uruzgan province, the ministry said.
The operation launched two weeks ago is still continuing, it said.
Karachi tunnel jailbreak bid foiled
Islamabad:An attempt to free terrorists from the Central Jail in Pakistan's port city of Karachi was foiled by Rangers, a top official said Monday.
Terrorists...
Sharif, Zardari join hands to form government
By IANS
Islamabad : Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, the leaders of the two largest parties in Pakistan's newly elected National Assembly, Thursday decided to join hands to form a coalition government.
The two leaders made the announcement at a joint press conference after their talks here - first time they met since Monday's general elections, in which the people voted to throw out the ruling PML-Quaid.
"We have agreed on a common agenda. We will work together to form a government together in the centre and in the provinces," Sharif said.
98,000 denied Makkah entry for Haj
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia has barred 98,000 people from entering Makkah because they did not have Haj permits, media reported Tuesday.
The authorities also did...
I don’t mind sitting in opposition benches: Gilani
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani says he does not mind sitting in the opposition benches as he has "no lust for power" and wants to just work for the people.
US denies Iran rift, war plans
By AFP
Washington : The White House denied Wednesday that a rift over Iran cost the commander of US forces in the Middle East his job and said no one inside the US government was even suggesting war against Tehran.
But spokeswoman Dana Perino said US President George W. Bush could not rule out using force in the dispute over the Islamic republic's nuclear program because that "helps make diplomacy work and make it more effective."
Korean team visits UAE’s crisis management authority
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : A South Korean delegation has visited the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) national crisis management authority.
Ahmadinejad vows tough approach towards West
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Saturday said his new government would be more decisive and tough in its policies towards the West, Islamic Students News Agency (ISNA) reported.
"Iran will make you feel regret, if you continue to interfere and behave rudely," Ahmadinejad said while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of a nationwide judicial conference here.
"This time the reply by the Iranian nation will be decisive and harsh," he said in reference to Western criticism of the election that saw him retain power as president for a second six-year term.
Iraqis begin voting for parliament
By DPA,
Baghdad : Iraqis headed to the polls amid heavy security Sunday morning to cast their votes in the second parliamentary election since the US overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003.
Three people were killed by a car bomb Saturday in Najaf, the interior ministry said. More than 50 other people, including 37 Iranians, were injured in the attack near the Imam Ali Holy Shrine, the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed's cousin Ali.
Nearly 6,300 candidates are competing for 325 seats in parliament, making it the largest parliamentary election in Iraq's history.
Egypt accuses Morsi of leaking documents to Qatar
Cairo: The Egyptian prosecution ordered Wednesday to temporarily detain former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi for 15 days on charges of leaking "national security documents"...
11 of family suffocate to death in Pakistan
Islamabad : Eleven members of a family died of suffocation in a house in Pakistan's Balochistan province Thursday, a media report said.
Levies official Asmatullah...
At least 23 people killed, dozens injured in two Baghdad bombings
By SPA
Baghdad : At least 23 people were killed and dozens were wounded Monday when two car bombs, including one driven by a suicide attacker, blew up in different parts of Baghdad, ap quoted police sources as saying.
Neither of the attacks took place in parts of the sprawling city where visiting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was located.
In an unrelated incident, the U.S. military reported finding a grave containing 14 people.
Arab health insurance meet begins in Libya
By IANS/WAM,
Tripoli : A two-day seminar on the health insurance sector in the Arab region began here Sunday.
It is organised by General Arab Insurance Federation in cooperation with African Insurance Company and Jordanian Society for Health Insurance.
Insurance companies from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other countries are participating.
The theme is: "Cooperation and Coordination between Insurance Companies and Treatment Service Providers for the Success of Health Insurance."
Arab FM’s to dispatch instant aid to Gaza
By NNN-WAFA,
Cairo (Egypt) : The Arab Ministers of Foreign Affairs, who had held, Wednesday, an extraordinary session, decided to dispatch food supplies, medicines and medical equipment to Gaza immediately.
In a statement, published Wednesday Arab Foreign Ministers decided to dispatch instant food and medical aid to Gaza and to receive patients from the Palestinian people.
It mandated the secretariat of the League of Arab States to coordinate with the concerned Egyptian and Jordanian authorities to secure the entry of food, medicines and medical equipment into the Gaza Strip.
Pakistan violates ceasefire in Jammu
Jammu : Pakistani troops opened unprovoked firing at Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district Friday, an...
NATO terms Karzai’s accusation as ‘ridiculous’
By IANS,
Brussels : NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said it is "absolutely ridiculous" for Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai to accuse the US of colluding with the Taliban.
Abbas to stand again for president – Fatah official
By SPA,
Nablus, West Bank : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has said he would not seek another term, will stand in presidential elections scheduled for 2010, a senior official said on Saturday.
"President Abbas is Fatah's candidate for the Palestinian presidency," said chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurie, a member of Abbas's Fatah group.
Abu Dhabi to host global economic summit
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi will host the 4th World Economic Forum Summit Oct 10-11, it was announced Wednesday.
Germany voices “great concern” over Turkish incursion into N.Iraq
By IRNA
Berlin : The German government here Friday expressed "great concern" over Turkey's latest incursion into northern Iraq.
Addressing a routine weekly press briefing, German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger labelled Turkish military operations in northern Iraq a "not inconsiderable risk of destabilization." "We urge the Turkish government in its fight against terrorism to reduce its steps to the minimum to protect its own people," Jaeger added.
He warned of "further escalation" of the conflict, while urging Ankara's compliance with international law.
UAE charity launches eye care initiative in Morocco
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates Red Crescent Authority (UAE-RCA) has launched the Emirates Anti-Glaucoma Initiative in Morocco, WAM news agency reported Saturday.
The initiative plans to treat 4,000 people over next five years in five phases. Five hundred surgeries will be conducted in the first phase, while the second and third phase will cover 1,500 surgeries. The fourth and fifth phases will cover 2,000 glaucoma surgeries.
Moroccan Ambassador to the UAE Abdelkader Zaoui praised the humanitarian initiatives by the UAE and thanked its president.
39 Indians abducted in Iraq still in captivity
New Delhi : The 39 Indian workers held hostage by Islamic State jihadists in Mosul in Iraq since the past two months "remain in...
Iran President: Muslim thinkers can introduce independent monetary, banking system
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Saturday that Muslim world thinkers are capable of introducing a monetary and banking system independent of the current system dominating the world.
President Ahmadinejad told head of the Islamic Development Bank Ahmad Mohammad Ali that any decision and activities for establishment of a banking and monetary system being based on Islamic injunctions would have an impact on colonial approach of some states towards Muslim states.
Planes having difficulty landing in Kuwait due to bad weather
By KUNA
Kuwait : The Civil Aviation Authority reports aircraft are having difficulty landing at Kuwait International Airport amid bad weather and poor visibility due to a cloud of dust.
Operations Director at the authority told KUNA an Egypt Air plane decided to switch direction to Dammam Airport due to the bad weather conditions in Kuwait airport.
He meanwhile added outgoing traffic was normal as visibility stands at 300 meters, which is enough for take off.
Israeli-Palestinian peace to defrost Israeli-Arab ties
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Jordanian King Abdullah II believes that progress in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians would bring a warmer relationship between the Jewish state and the Arab nations, said Israeli lawmaker Yossi Beilin on Saturday.
Beilin, who met with Abdullah II in Jordan's coastal town of Aqaba Friday night, told Israel Radio that the king said advancement of the political process with the Palestinians, even prior to resolving most of the core issues, would result in a fuller partial implementation of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
Saudi Arabia raises toll from flooding to 106
Jeddah, Nov 28 (DPA) Saudi Arabia's civil defence authority Saturday raised the toll from this week's flash floods caused by heavy downpours to 106.
An official with the authority said crews were still searching for survivors from the flooding that hit the western part of the country, including the area where many enter the kingdom for the ongoing Haj pilgrimage.
Health authorities have warned people to stay away from the water to avoid further casualties and the spread of diseases.
Nawaz Sharif says he is not under pressure
By Aroonim Bhuyan and Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Dubai/Islamabad : Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday said he was not under any pressure, prior to the crucial meeting with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on the issue of restoration of sacked judges in his country.
"I am not under any sort of pressure," he told reporters just before the crucial meeting between the two coalition partners in Dubai Wednesday afternoon.
Three killed, 25 injured in Karachi blast
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least three people were killed and 25 injured when a bomb hit a bus in Pakistan's port city of Karachi Friday afternoon, Xinhua reported.
Malaysia: no pressure to step down, says PM Abdullah
By NNN-Bernama
Putrajaya (Malaysia) : Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said there is no question of him resigning as the Malaysian Prime Minister because he is still getting strong support especially from Umno leaders.
Umno is the leading party in the ruling 14-party national front, Barisan Nasional (BN).
In fact, Abdullah said he would seek an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Malaysian King) Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin at Istana Negara (National Palace) Monday for the swearing-in as the Prime Minister.
Badawi determined to stay on as PM
By ANTARA News/PTI
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has underlined that he will stay on as prime minister, despite calls for him to step down, saying that his "mandate is still very strong".
"The mandate that we have is still very strong by any standards even though it is not a two-thirds majority," he was quoted as saying by the Malaysian New Straits Times newspaper.
Eight PKK rebels killed in clash in SE Turkey
By Xinhua,
Ankara : Eight rebels of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were killed in the clash with the Turkish security forces in southeastern Turkey, a Turkish military statement said on Sunday.
The clash occurred between the PKK militants and the security forces in Beytussebap town of Sirnak province, said the statement issued by Turkey's General Staff.
Five village guards were also killed and five others wounded in the clash, according to an earlier statement of the General Staff.
Woman, seven kids jailed in Egypt for reconverting to Christianity
By IANS,
London : A mother and her seven children have been jailed for 15 years in Egypt for reconverting to Christianity from Islam, a British daily said Thursday.
Only democratic Pakistan ensure US, Pakistan security: Pakistani MPs
By APP,
Washington : The security of both Pakistan and the United States can be guaranteed only if democracy is secure in Pakistan, members of the country’s Parliament told a Washington think tank.
“The United States’ relationship should be broad-based and with the Pakistani people,” Senator Rukhsana Zuberi of Pakistan Peoples Party said deliberating at a conference on ‘Pakistan: Advancing Democracy and Security.’
Taliban to review Pakistani government’s truce in Swat
By DPA,
Islamabad : A Pakistani government official claimed that a "permanent ceasefire" was reached with militants in the troubled Swat valley, but the Taliban said their Shura council would decide once their own 10-day truce ends next week, media reports said Sunday.
The Taliban last weekend announced a unilateral ceasefire, which will expire Wednesday, to welcome talks between a hard-line Muslim cleric, Maulana Sufi Mohammad, and the authorities for enforcement of Sharia laws in the region.
Taliban kill 21 security men in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad: The Taliban have killed 21 Pakistani security personnel whom they abducted a few days ago from a check post, a media report said Sunday.
MNF launches air, sea assults on Al-Qaeda
By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : The Multi-National Forces have executed aerial bombardment of Al-Qaeda positions in Arab Jabour, south of Baghdad, the MNF said in a statement.
The assault, on Sunday, targeted suspected Al-Qaeda safe havens and arms depots, the statement said Tuesday.
More than 30 targets were destroyed with 35 bombs of a total weight of 19, 000 tons, in the operation, part of the country-wide "Operation Phantom Phoenix."
Musharraf rules out possibility of clash between President and PM
By NNN-APP
London : President Pervez Musharraf dismissed the impression that there will be any clash between the authority of the President and the Prime Minister following February 18 general elections.
The constitution and the law are very clear to this effect, and both organs of the State could perform their responsibilities independently, keeping the national interest supreme.
Eight people killed in fierce clashes in Baghdad Shiite bastion
By Xinhua,
aghdad : Eight people were killed and 61 others injured in overnight clashes in Baghdad eastern neighborhood of Sadr City, an Interior Ministry source said on Saturday.
The clashes came after joint U.S. and Iraqi troops backed by aircraft conducted an operation in several parts of the sprawling slum of Sadr City late on Friday night to chase and arrest some wanted Sadr followers, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Madeleine Albright condemned for Iraqi children killings
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Maryland : A protest was organized outside Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, Maryland on January 2008 to condemn the role of former U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, in the killing of 500, 000 Iraqi children. Albright was attending a program at the hall. The protestors were carrying placards condemning Albright’s role. They distributed flyers to the visitors to the hall.
Gaddafi’s daughter denies fleeing her country
By IANS/AKI,
Tripoli : Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafis' daughter has denied reports by Arabic media that she had fled to Malta amid serious unrest in her North African country.
Israel’s Barak proposes to issue permits for more Palestinian construction workers
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak is raising a proposal to allow more Palestinians to work for construction projects in Israel, local daily The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday.
The proposal, which Barak is to introduce to the cabinet early next week, is part of the gesture package Barak presented to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Palestinian Prime Minister Saalam Fayad during their meeting in Jerusalem about two weeks ago, according to the report.
Confrontation over names brewing in Bangladesh
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh is to witness a confrontation between its two most important politicians, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia, after the government decided to stamp out the name of Zia's late husband and former president Ziaur Rahman from all establishments.
Provoked by the government's decision to rename all institutions and places named after Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia announced her move Wednesday to hold mass movements "in national interest" and "for the sake of the people".
Pakistan government resumes peace dialogue with Taliban
Islamabad : The peace dialogue between the Pakistan government and the Pakistani Taliban resumed Wednesday after weeks of deadlock over terror attacks.
The talks were...
Commander, 10 militants killed in Afghanistan
By KUNA,
Kabul : The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) on Thursday claimed it had killed a Taliban leader in an air strike in southern Afghanistan.
A statement from ISAF headquarters here said that the operation was conducted in Nawzad district of the restive Helmand.
The slain Taliban commander had been identified as Mullah Bismullah Akhund. He was responsible for supplying weapons and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to the militants, said the statement. Taliban did not issue any comment.
UN finds human rights violations by Syria opposition
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A UN commission has found serious human rights violations committed by Syria's opposition movement, a Russian minister has said.
UN concerned about food access in Libya
By DPA,
Rome/Cairo : Food access in Libya is becoming more difficult amid reports of sharp price rise in the wake of the ongoing conflict, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned Tuesday.
IS claims responsibility for Libya bomb attacks
Benghazi: The Islamic State (IS) terror group on Wednesday claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks on Libya's Benghazi city, which killed 12 people and injured...
Bangladesh calls for regulatory cooperation in regional bourses
By Xinhua
Dhaka : Bangladesh Thursday called for regulatory cooperation to integrate the South Asian stock exchanges.
Finance Adviser to the caretaker government Mirza Azizul Islam made the call at the opening the second South Asian Capital Markets Conference-2008 here.
He also urged immediate progress in automatic listing of companies in the regional exchanges, development of human resources for the capital markets, cooperation in Information and Communication Technology and convergence of mutual cooperation in the event of international shocks.
IAEA delegation to visit Iran for n-talks
Tehran: A delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) plans to visit Iran to continue nuclear talks.
Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi,...
Lebanese majority urges normalization of ties with Syria
By KUNA
Beirut : The Lebanese majority called Friday for the normalization of relations with Syria, and said it was committed to the Arab initiative and the Taef Accord.
Israeli forces shoot dead Palestinian boy
Jerusalem : Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank city of Hebron Wednesday, medical sources and witnesses said.
Yussef Sami Shawamreh,...
China, Bangladesh pledge to deepen comprehensive partnership
Dhaka : China and Bangladesh have pledged to deepen the comprehensive partnership between the two countries and further boost cooperation in various fields, Xinhua...
Afghans return from Pakistan cross 200,000 mark: UNHCR
By IRNA,
Islamabad : The UN refugee agency-assisted voluntary return of registered Afghans from Pakistan crossed the 200,000 mark for the current year over the weekend, with majority of Afghans going home from the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
This year's total of 202,774 returns includes 173,910 from NWFP, around 12,000 from southwest Balochistan, 3,729 from southern Sindh and some 13,200 from eastern Punjab, a UNHCR statement said.
Around 65 percent of Afghans returned from urban centres in Pakistan, while the rest went home from refugee villages.
Iraq heading towards overcoming challenges of reconstruction – PM
By NNN-KUNA,
Baghdad : Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said that Iraq is heading now to face the challenge of reconstruction and investment after overcoming challenges of the issues of security and politics.
Al-Maliki said in a speech during the opening of Al-Najaf airport Sunday that his government and the Iraqi security forces succeeded in countering the challenge of terrorism in Iraq, pointing out that "if we have succeeded in the security file, we are better able to cope with the remaining challenges, including the challenge of reconstruction, services and the economy".
President Pervez Musharraf launches hydroelectric project
By SPA
Islamabad : President Pervez Musharraf Saturday launched US 2.16 billion (Rs 130 billion) Neelum-Jhelum Hydroelectric project aimed at producing 969 MW power and helping Pakistan meet its increasing energy requirements.
Terming it a very important project, the president said it will have far reaching strategic implications and added that it will be completed with the Chinese assistance in eight years.
He described it as yet another symbol of the Pak-China friendship and said it will contribute towards the economic progress of the country.
Lebanon: official source confirms car laden with bomb
By NNN-KUNA,
Beirut : At least six people died and more than 30 others others suffered injuries in a fiery blast that targeted a bus boarding Lebanese Army troops in northern Lebanon early on Monday, according to official sources.
A senior military source, contacted by this correspondent of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), confirmed that the bomb that blew up in the morning rush-hour at a bus station in the district of Al-Busas in the south of the city of Tripoli, was packed into a Renault car and that it blew up at around 8 a.m., targeting a mini bus boarding Lebanese Army troops.
UN condemns murder of Afghan legislator by Taliban
By DPA,
Kabul : The UN office in Afghanistan Monday condemned the assassination of a female provincial legislator in southern Afghanistan by Taliban militants.
Sitara Achikzai, who was aged in her 50s, was shot dead Sunday afternoon by Taliban fighters riding on motorbikes outside her home in Kandahar city, the capital of Kandahar province.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan "condemns in the strongest possible terms the vicious and deliberate killing of the provincial legislator Sitara Achikzai," Nilab Mubarez, a UN spokeswoman told a press conference Monday.
Israeli air raids hit Gaza tunnels
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : Israeli fighter jets bombed tunnels running to Egypt and a Hamas post early Wednesday in the southern Gaza Strip, apparently in retaliation for a mortar fired overnight by Palestinian militants into Israel, Israeli media reports said.
Seven tunnels were hit near Rafah and one other target was hit in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli military spokesman told the Haaretz newspaper, which identified the second strike as hitting a Hamas post in Khan Younis.
The report did not mention any casualties.
Imran Khan’s party quits Pakistan parliament
Islamabad : The party of Pakistan's opposition leader Imran Khan has quit the national assembly and vowed to intensity anti-government protests, a day after...
Regional forum of Syria’s neighbouring countries discuss environmental effects
By NNN-SANA,
Damascus : The Regional Forum of Neighbouring Countries has discussed here the institutional and legal framework for evaluating the environmental impact in Syria's neighbouring countries and means of limiting pollution in these countries.
The three-day forum starting Monday is organised by the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment-General Department of Environmental Affairs in cooperation with the Syrian Engineers Union.
Palestinian gov’t blames world community for Israeli offensive
By Xinhua
Ramallah : The Palestinian government led by Salam Fayyad blamed the international community on Wednesday for bloodily Israeli raids in the Palestinian territories.
"We can't exempt the international community from its responsibilities in any way," said Information Minister Riyadh al-Maliki.
Ramallah : The Palestinian government led by Salam Fayyad blamed the international community on Wednesday for bloodily Israeli raids in the Palestinian territories.
"We can't exempt the international community from its responsibilities in any way," said Information Minister Riyadh al-Maliki.
3,000 detained workers in UAE freed, set to resume work
By IANS,
Dubai : United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities Wednesday ordered the release of around 3,000 expatriate workers, a vast majority of them Indians, who were detained July 4 for their involvement in a violent strike.
"Following police investigations, the release of all the workers, except for eight, has been ordered today (Wednesday)," a diplomatic source told IANS.
"The workers are likely to resume work at their site in Ras Al Khaimah tomorrow," the source said.
The eight detained include seven Indians and one Bangladeshi.
Unesco congratulates Nobel Peace Prize winners
Paris : Unesco Director-General Irina Bokova Friday congratulated India's Kailash Satyarthi and Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai for winning the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize and praised...
Amin Fahim is still in PM race
By IRNA
Islamabad : Senior leader of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian (PPPP) Makhdoom Amin Fahim has rejected impression that candidates for two high slots can not be for same province.
Talking to mediamen outside the Parliament House on Wednesday, Amin Fahim said that there is no clause or article in the constitution about high slots candidates can not belong from one province.
He said he is still in premiership race whenever the party leadership as the party has not yet decided about nomination of candidate.
Over a million Afghans face food shortage due to rising prices – UN WFP
By NNN-UNNS
Kabul : At least a million people in rural Afghanistan are at risk of food shortages due to an increase in prices for staples such as wheat flour and vegetable oil, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said Monday.
“There are as many as 1.3 million Afghans who before were considered at borderline risk of food insecurity, but now, because of large price increases may have been pushed into a situation of high-risk of food insecurity,” WFP Country Director Rick Corsino said at a press briefing in Kabul.
Israel calls for ‘determined action’ against Iran
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem: Israel Sunday urged the international community to take determined action to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
The Israeli foreign ministry also questioned the UN nuclear watchdog's ability to monitor Iran's nuclear programme.
Israel made the comments in response to the latest reports prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on its investigations in Iran and Syria.