Musharraf’s visit to four EU countries to promote relations
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : President Pervez Musharraf will embark on an eight day visit to Belgium, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom on Sunday to further enhance cooperation in commercial, economic, trade and defence areas with these countries.
The focus of President’s engagements during his visit abroad would be to boost bilateral relations and exchange views on the issue of terrorism Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said.
4 U.S.-led coalition soldiers, 1 Afghan killed in bomb blast
By Xinhua,
Kabul : Four service members of the U.S.-led Coalition forces and one Afghan national were killed in a bomb blast Wednesday morning in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S.-led military said.
Pakistan facing international conspiracy: former army chief
By IANS,
Islamabad: Pointing a finger at the intelligence agencies of India, the US, Israel and Afghanistan, a former Pakistani army chief said Wednesday that an international conspiracy was being hatched against this country but Islamabad had the wherewithal to deal with the situation.
Talking to a private TV channel, Gen. (retd) Mirza Aslam Baig said India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) the US' CIA, Israel's Mossad and Afghan Intelligence Agency Rawa were involved in a conspiracy against Pakistan and had imposed a war on the country.
12 Taliban rebels killed in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : Twelve Taliban rebels were killed in clashes with the US-led coalition forces, officials said Sunday.
Nine militants died in a clash with police in southern Afghanistan, while US troops killed three rebels and captured four others in the north.
A group of Taliban fighters attacked a police post in Geriskh district of Helmand province in the south Saturday night, Daoud Ahmadi, spokesman for the provincial governor said.
Pentagon video fake, Iran guards say
By DPA
Tehran : A spokesman for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday that a video released by the US Pentagon showing Iranian boats speeding around US naval warships in the Gulf was fake, the website of the news network Press TV reported.
The spokesman was referring to a video released Tuesday by the Pentagon showing small Iranian boats speeding around three US naval warships in the Gulf and a voice over a radio that warned the US sailors, "You will explode".
Analyst urges OIC to stand up against gross HR violations in Gaza
By IRNA,
Islamabad : A senior Pakistani columnist Irfan Siddiqui on Thursday termed the situation in the Gaza Strip as pathetic urging the OIC and Arab League to come up with a strong voice to put pressure on Israel.
Talking to IRNA, he said that Israel would not stop human rights violation in Gaza unless US and other western powers stop encouraging the illegitimate state against Muslims.
Jewish rioters set Arab home ablaze in latest Acre violence
By KUNA,
Gaza : Four days of continuous rioting in Acre (Akka) ended with Jews torching an empty Arab house, three injuries among Jews and arrest of three others for hurling stones at policemen and Arabs, according to an Israeli daily.
"Haaretz" reported that since Wednesday, police have arrested some 30 rioters, both Jewish and Arab. Some of them have been subsequently released because they are minors. Police have also used water cannons to disperse stone-throwing rioters in the city.
Modi accepts Hasina’s invitation to visit Bangladesh
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's invitation to visit Dhaka, a statement from his office said Thursday.
In...
US trying to win Pak confidence over new Afghan strategy: Analyst
By IRNA,
Islamabad : A senior Pakistani analyst believes visit of US Defense Secretary Robert Gates of Pakistan is aimed to take Pakistan government into confidence over new Obama administration's Afghan Policy.
Talking to IRNA on Friday former foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmed Khan said that concerns of Pakistan should be addressed before the implementation of the new Afghan strategy.
Pakistan has expressed concerns over the new military surge in the neighboring Afghanistan fearing that it could increase cross-border infiltration.
Iraqi parliamentary race remains close
By DPA,
Baghdad: New results from Iraq's elections announced Sunday showed Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's coalition ahead in the southern province of Basra, and his top rival leading in the western province of al-Anbar.
If the preliminary results from last week's parliamentary polls announced so far hold when final tallies come in later this month, the vote may split along geographic lines, with al-Maliki's State of Law coalition winning in the south, and former prime minister Ayad Allawi's Iraqi List winning in the north.
Baghdad car bomb kills six, wounds 14 – police
By SPA,
Baghdad : A car bomb killed six civilians and wounded 14 other people in the Shaab district of northern Baghdad on Sunday, police said.
One woman was among the dead while three policemen were wounded in the attack, which targeted a police patrol, Reuters reported.
Deposed chief justice asks MPs not to approve Musharraf’s ‘illegal acts’
By IRNA
Islamabad : Deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar uhammad Chaudhary on Thursday urged the newly elected members of parliament not to approve 'unconstitutional actions' of President Pervez Musharraf.
Mr Chaudhary spoke to lawyers in Karachi by telephone from his residence in Islamabad where he has been under house arrest since November 3, when President Musharraf proclaimed emergency and sacked him.
Around 60 other senior judges were also removed after they refused to show allegiance to President Musharraf.
Lebanese opposition: No president before election law
By Xinhua,
Beirut : The Lebanese opposition leaders announced Monday that the bloc refuses to form a national unity government and elect a president before discussing the election law, Al-Manar TV reported.
The opposition leaders made the announcement after their meeting in Qatari capital city of Doha. The bloc also renewed its commitment to inter-Lebanese dialogue in Doha and the Arab League (AL) initiative, said the report.
Lebanese Shias mourning death of leader Fadlallah
By DPA,
Beirut : Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, the leading Shia cleric in Lebanon and a figure seen as being a spiritual mentor to Hezbollah, died Sunday aged 75.
Fadlallah was admitted Friday to a hospital in Beirut's southern suburbs, suffering from liver problems.
Mourners began gathering Sunday at the Imam al-Hassanein mosque in Haret Hreik, a suburb in the south of Beirut.
Roads near the mosque in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Fadlallah died, were closed to traffic, with many members of the public wearing black.
Less than 100 Indians in conflict zone in Iraq: MEA
New Delhi: There were less than 100 Indians in the conflict zone in Iraq, and those held captive in Mosul were unharmed, external affairs...
British troops on standby for Libya mission
By IANS,
London: Around 500 British troops are being kept on standby for an emergency mission in Libya, a defence official said.
Suicide car blast kills 37 in Southern Afghanistan
By NNN-Xinhua
Kabul : Taliban militants in a suicide car bombing attack on foreign military convoy in Afghanistan's troubled southern Kandahar province Monday killed 37 civilians, Afghan Interior Ministry said.
The blast took place around 3 p.m. (GMT1030) in Spin Boldak near a market when a convoy of foreign troops was passing the area, according to Afghan Interior Ministry officials.
Pakistan’s ‘disappeared’ still remain an unfinished business
By Zofeen T. Ebrahim, IANS
Karachi : Emergency has been lifted and a brand new apex court set up in Pakistan, but the bench still refuses to entertain cases of human rights violations, specially those of enforced disappearances, says former law minister Iqbal Haider.
"We should wash our hands off these cases," says Haider. Those who have disappeared have often been labelled terrorists or threats to national security, yet none have been charged with any crime so far.
Lebanon: Again Confrontations
By Prensa Latina,
Beirut : The mayfly calm reached during Saturday morning between loyal forces to the government and the opposition was broken, due to a confrontation that took place hours later, leaving 14 people dead and more than a thirty wounded.
During the first hours of this Saturday, western Beirut began to recover its vitality after the confrontations of the last 72 hours, that amounted to more than 30 people dead and 100 wounded until now.
The combat took place when armed men shot against a funeral courtship, LBC TV reported.
PPP leader among four killed, resort hotel torched in Pakistan
By DPA,
Peshawar (Pakistan) : Pro-Taliban militants Thursday killed a leader of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) along with three members of his family, and separately set ablaze the country's only ski resort in northwest Pakistan.
Locals said that unidentified gunmen attacked the house of Abdul Kabir Khan and killed him along with his son, wife and one female member of the family in Matta sub-division in the conflict-ridden Swat Valley.
Pakistan to US: vacate Shamsi airbase by Dec 11
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan has set a Dec 11 deadline for the US to vacate the Shamsi airbase, used to launch drone attacks, following a NATO airstrike that left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead.
Israeli PM calls for tougher sanctions against Iran
By RIA Novosti,
Tel Aviv : Israel's prime minister urged the international community to impose tougher economic and political sanctions against Iran in order to neutralize the potential nuclear threat coming from the country.
Ehud Olmert on Tuesday delivered the keynote address to more than 7,000 pro-Israel activists, diplomats and lawmakers at the AIPAC Policy Conference 2008 in Washington.
Bangla blaze toll climbs to 100
By DPA,
Dhaka : Authorities in Bangladesh have launched an investigation into a fire that raged through residential buildings, shops and a market killing nearly 100 people here, officials said Friday.
Firefighters said they pulled 98 bodies, many burned beyond recognition, from the ashes of Thursday’s fire. More than 200 survivors with severe burns were undergoing treatment at the capital’s two main hospitals, a hospital official said.
State-run television put the death toll at 108.
Perpetrators of blast at Denmark embassy damage Pakistan’s image: Foreign Office
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan said Monday that perpetrators of bomb attack on Danish embassy in Islamabad have damaged the country's image.
At least six persons were killed and 25 others were injured in an apparent car bomb blast at the main gate of Denmark embassy, Secretary Interior Syed Kamal Shah said.
Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir visited Danish embassy to express sympathies with the charge'd affaires over the deadly blast.
"Certainly damaged the blast has damaged image of our country," Bashir told reporters outside the embassy building.
Two NATO soldiers, six militants killed in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : A Canadian and a Latvian soldier serving in NATO forces were killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan while the Afghan defence ministry said Tuesday that its soldiers killed six insurgents and arrested a Pakistani militant.
A Canadian soldier was killed and another wounded Monday when militants attacked them with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms' fire while they were protecting their outpost in the Panjwayi district of the southern province of Kandahar, the Canadian defence ministry said in a statement.
Kashmiris’ wishes paramount while resolving issue: Pakistan PM
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani said Saturday that his government wants the Kashmir issue to be resolved in accordance with UN resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people.
The prime minister was announcing his government's priorities after the vote of confidence from the National Assembly or the lower house of parliament.
"I want to assure my sisters and brothers in Kashmir that their sacrifices will not be ignored and Pakistan will make every effort to resolve the issue in accordance with their wishes," Gillani said.
NATO forces kill 11 militants, detain 20 in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : Afghan and NATO-led troops killed 11 suspected Taliban rebels and detained 20 others in separate clashes and airstrikes in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said Tuesday.
Ten insurgents were killed in combat with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Wardak province south-west of the capital, the alliance said in a statement.
The militants fired rockets at an ISAF base in Sayed Abad, on Kabul-Kandahar highway near Kabul city, the statement said, adding that NATO forces responded with artillery and close air support.
Three Pakistani cops held for murder
By IANS,
Islamabad : Three police officials have been arrested in Pakistan's port city of Karachi for allegedly killing a man they believed to be a dacoit.
‘Pakistan using anti-terrorism laws against clerics’
Islamabad: The Pakistani government is using anti-terrorism laws against the ulema (religious scholars), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said.
Religious seminaries were...
EU nations to adopt new sanctions against Iran
By Xinhua,
Brusels : The European Union (EU) nations are to endorse new sanctions against Iran's financial institutions on Monday over the nation's nuclear programme, especially the Bank Melli.
A diplomatic source said the new sanctions are on the agenda to be adopted on Monday.
The new round of sanctions against Iran are to be agreed by EU countries as Iran refused to meet international demands to curb its nuclear programme.
EU diplomats have said the new sanctions will target Iran's biggest bank, Bank Melli, with an asset and funds freeze.
90 dead in Afghan explosion as Taliban distributes fuel
By DPA,
Kunduz (Afghanistan) : Ninety people were killed Friday when two hijacked oil tankers exploded in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz as Taliban militants were distributing fuel to civilians, said provincial governor Mohammad Omar.
The militants stopped the two oil trucks Thursday night on the highway connecting Kunduz with the neighbouring province of Baghlan, Omar said.
They took the trucks to Kunduz's Chardarah district, where the explosion occurred early Friday as civilians gathered to pick up the fuel, he said.
Indian’s death: Workers return to work in Bahrain firm
By IANS,
Dubai : Hundreds of workers of a Bahraini contracting and construction company have returned to work after the company assured them it would investigate the cause of the death of an Indian worker while in police custody.
Vinod Kumar, 32, allegedly committed suicide June 28 while in police custody two days after his scheduled return to India was stalled due to delay in paperwork.
Citing the conflicting reports about the cause of Kumar's death and demanding an investigation into the case, his compatriot workers stayed away from work Monday.
Zardari blames ‘stateless actors’ for Mumbai attacks
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has blamed "stateless actors" for last week's terror attacks on Mumbai and said he is willing to let Pakistani security officials participate in a joint investigation with India.
Denying that Pakistan was involved in the attack, in which 183 people were killed, Zardari said he has seen no evidence that a suspect in Indian custody is a Pakistani national.
Turkey to hold political dialogue with EU
By IANS,
Istanbul : Turkey and the European Union (EU) will engage in a political dialogue in Istanbul Thursday. The meet will be part of Turkey's accession negotiation for the EU membership.
UAE investment in Sudan totals USD 7 billion – Sudanese President
By NNN-WAM
Dubai : The UAE is the second largest investor in Sudan after China with total investment of USD 7 billion, Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Beshir said here.
The Sudanese head of state told a news conference Tuesday that his country had provided a fertile ground for attracting Arab and foreign investment in order to achieve overall development.
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.
Extending solidarity from Mumbai for Palestine
By Yogesh Maitreya & Daisy Katta,
With the energetic recital of humanitarian songs from “Republican Panther”, a Mumbai based Dalit and Human rights cultural organisation, the meeting to condemn Israeli act of genocide in Palestine has accelerated amidst the wetly evening of 19th July, in Mumbai.
Four Russian tourists among dead in Egypt bus crash
By RIA Novosti,
Cairo : Four Russian tourists were among the 12 people killed when a tourist bus crashed head-on with a truck in Egypt, a Russian consulate official said on Tuesday.
The collision occurred in the Sinai Peninsula near the Red Sea resort of Ras Sadr on Monday. The bus was taking 42 tourists, of which nine were Russians, from Sharm el-Sheikh to Cairo on a daytrip.
Two Russians are still in hospital, their injuries are not reported to be life threatening. Two others were discharged after receiving treatment.
Militia groups deliver aid to vulnerable Iraqi refugees – report
By NNN-KUNA,
Washington : Iraqi militia groups are now the "main service provider" for the vulnerable 2.7 million Iraqi civilians displaced inside Iraq, in absence of humanitarian aid from the Nouri Al Maliki government or the international community, a leading humanitarian report said.
Seven Asian countries discuss water cooperation in UAE
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi: Officals of seven South Asian countries met here Oct 22-23 to promote water cooperation on the rivers of greater Himalayan region, WAM news agency reported.
Government officials, politicians and water experts from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan participated in the conference.
The theme of the meeting was "First International Conference on Southern Asia Water Cooperation".
Drone strikes kill seven in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least seven suspected militants were killed in two drone attacks in Pakistan's northwest tribal region, Geo News reported Tuesday.
Sri Lankan maid executed in Saudi Arabia
By IANS,
London: Saudi Arabia has executed a Sri Lankan domestic worker for the death of a baby in her care in 2005, said a foreign ministry official in Colombo Wednesday.
Security forces on high alert in Karachi
By DPA
Karachi : An eerie calm persisted Thursday as the southern port city of Pakistan limped back to normality after Wednesday's deadly clashes which left 12 dead and dozens injured.
Riot police and paramilitary troops patrolled the streets with power to shoot on sight, while a thin presence was reported in government offices as people preferred to stay indoors.
Japanese FM thanks Iran for efforts to release Japanese student
By IRNA,
Tokyo : Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura, in a statement issued on Sunday appreciated Iran's efforts to release the abducted Japanese student safely on Saturday.
Satoshi Nakamura, a 23-year-old Japanese student was abducted by bandits on October 8, 2007, in an Iranian southeastern region bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan as he headed from his hotel for the ancient mud-built citadel of Bam in Kerman province.
A bandit called Esmail Shahbakhsh, blamed for the kidnapping, had reportedly demanded the release of his arrested son in exchange for Nakamura.
Iraq’s PM rejects calls to quit
Baghdad : Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said he will not quit as a condition for air support against Sunni militants after US...
Japan expresses willingness to lend loan, technical expertise for Circular Railway Project in Karachi...
By APP,
Tokyo : Japan has engaged consultants to prepare Special Project Feasibility Report (SEPROF) on mega Karachi Mass Transit Circular Railway (KMTCR) and also expressed willingness to provide loans and technical expertise for the project, said a senior official at Pakistan’s Embassy has said.
“The Economic Affairs Division and Planning Commission have granted approval for conducting the SEPROF study on the project, said the Economic Minister at Pakistan Mission Iftikhar Babar while talking to APP.
Jordan’s king reaffirms independent Palestine key to settle Mideast conflict
By Xinhua,
Amman : Jordan's King Abdullah II reaffirmed here on Tuesday evening the need to establish an independent Palestinian state on lands covering both the West Bank and Gaza, saying it is the key to a final settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, said a statement from Jordan's Royal Hashemite Court.
The King made the remarks when meeting with visiting U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who arrived in Amman in the day to continue his week-long Mideast and Europe tour after visiting Afghanistan and Iraq.
Relating research to public policy: stakeholders to meet in Dubai
By Aroonim Bhuyan, IANS,
Dubai : The issue of bridging public policy decisions in developing nations with some of the extravagant research conducted on them will come up for discussion in a two-day workshop here starting Monday.
Organized by the Global Development Network (GDN) and the Dubai School of Government (DSG), the workshop on 'Bridging Policy and Research' will be attended by influential policy makers and researchers from across the Arab world, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America among others.
US, UAE to sign pact on education cooperation
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : United Arab Emirates (UAE) will sign an agreement with the US to boost cooperation in the education sector, WAM news agency reported.
US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings is leading a US delegation to the UAE Friday to discuss collaborations in the education sector, the report said Thursday.
The two countries are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Emirates Palace Sunday, it said.
Hanif Hassan, UAE minister of education, has welcomed the current initiatives between the two countries. Hassan will head the UAE delegation.
Tripura seeks access to Bangladesh ports
Agartala : The Tripura government will ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi to persuade Bangladesh to provide access to its water and land routes to...
Iran’s peaceful nuclear program to strengthen country’s independence: Larijani
By NNN-IRNA,
Tehran : Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani by referring to the efforts of a number of countries to prevent Iran from getting access to peaceful nuclear technology said Iran is trying to strengthen its independence through its peaceful nuclear energy program.
According to the report of Majlis Media Department on Saturday, Larijani made the remarks in meeting with head of Finnish parliament research center Kimou Kilyonen and his accompanying delegation here.
US rejects Israeli request for equipment to attack Iran: report
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : The US has rejected an Israeli request for military equipment and support that would improve Israel's ability to attack Iranian nuclear sites, an Israeli newspaper reported Wednesday.
The US viewed the request as a sign that Israel is in the advanced stages of preparations to attack Iran, Ha'aretz said, quoting "senior Israeli officials".
The US, therefore, warned Israel against attacking, saying such a strike would undermine its interests.
Pre-mature blast kills 5 Taliban, militants attack police posts in S. Afghanistan
By Zhang Yunlong, Xinhua,
Kabul : Five Taliban were killed by an unexpected blast of their own mine on a road in Musa Qala district of southern Afghanistan Friday while a group of Taliban militants launched fierce attacks on several police posts in the region, an official said.
A pre-mature mine blast killed five Taliban as a group of militants were planting mines Friday on a main road frequented by Afghan and international forces in Musa Qala of Helmand province, provincial police chief Mohammad Hussein Andiwal said.
No distinction between good, bad Taliban: Pakistani official
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that the security forces were conducting operations in North Waziristan...
Pakistan PM to visit Yemen, Saudi Arabia from Friday
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro will be leading an important trade delegation to Yemen and Saudi Arabia from Friday, aimed at further strengthening ties, particularly economic and commercial cooperation with these countries.
In a briefing here Wednesday, Foreign Office Spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said the Prime Minister would visit Yemen at the invitation of his Yemenese counterpart.
Israeli media unveils deal with Hamas on prisoner swap
By KUNA
Ramallah : Israel and Palestinian Hamas Movement has reached an initial agreement on a prisoner swap, Israeli mass media claimed on Saturday.
Under the deal, Israel will release 450 Palestinian prisoners while Hamas will free Israeli corporate Gilad Shalit, who has been held by Palestinian factions in Gaza since June 25, 2006.
Israeli-Palestinian calmness last week could boost hopes for putting the prisoner exchange deal in place in light of Egyptian and US mediatory efforts aiming to reach a bilateral ceasefire, Israeli media said.
Pakistan’s exports show a hike of 17.37 percent
By SPA,
Islamabad : Pakistan's exports during the current fiscal year (2008) totaled (Pakistani) Rs.1, 208,118 million as against Rs.1, 029,312 million during the previous financial year (2007, showing an increase of 17.37 percent.
The exports from Pakistan during June, 2008 amounted to Rs.138, 118 million as against Rs.131, 572 million in May 2008 and Rs.93, 615 million during June 2007, showing an increase of 4.98 percent and 47.54 percent respectively, according to figures released by Federal Bureau of Statistics and quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
Jamaat-e-Islami links Marriot, Delhi blasts
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami has linked Saturday's suicide attack at the Marriot Hotel here to the terror bombings in New Delhi exactly a week ago, saying there may be "one force" behind the attacks in both countries.
"There can be one force behind blasts in New Delhi and the blast in Islamabad," Jamaat-e-Islami deputy chief Liaqat Baloch told IANS, adding that a foreign hand cannot be ruled out.
3 burqa-clad terrorists shot dead in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : Three burqa-clad terrorists were gunned down Sunday morning when they targetted the house of a village council head near the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar.
Terrorists attacked the house of Union Council Nazim (village council head) in Budah Ber village of Peshawar. The three terrorists - clad in burqa - were killed on the spot in counter-firing.
Nazim Mohammad Fahim told Geo News that three terrorists attacked his guestroom early Sunday morning.
Police have surrounded the area.
Libyan opposition seeks foreign intervention
By IANS,
Cairo/Tripoli : Rebel leaders in eastern Libya have sought international military intervention to help topple the country's autocratic leader Muammar Gaddafi, a media report said.
Hamas welcomes raising Palestinian flag at UN headquarter
Gaza: Hamas movement welcomed raising the Palestinian flag on the UN headquarters as a non-member observer state.
More efforts have to be exerted to enable...
People want me to solve Kashmir quickly: Zardari
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's ruling party chief Asif Ali Zardari has said people wanted him to resolve the Kashmir issue, which had been pending for 60 years, "within days".
"Now, people want me to resolve the Kashmir issue within days - which has not been resolved for the last 60 years," Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Zardari said in a late night interview on GEO TV Monday.
Cyclone Rashmi kills 11 in Bangladesh
By DPA,
Dhaka : Cyclone Rashmi killed at least 11 people in Bangladesh when it hit the country's south-western region, media reports said Tuesday.
The tropical cyclone with wind speeds up to 80 km per hour ripped through nine coastal districts, an official at the disaster management ministry said.
District administrations in the coastal areas confirmed at least 11 deaths and reported some fishermen missing in the Bay of Bengal.
Seven killed, 27 injured in violence in Iraqi province
By SPA,
Baghdad : A fresh outbreak of violence left at least seven people dead and 27 injured, including three children, in separate attacks in Iraq's restive province of Diyala, police said Tuesday.
In Baquba, the capital of Diyala, twin attacks targeting members of tribal police, known as the Awakening Councils, left three of them dead and eight people injured.
In the first incident, gunmen attacked a centre of the Awakening Council in al-Abara village, south of Baquba, killing a council member and injuring another, security sources told the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency.
Key militant arrested in Bangladesh; 70 kgs explosives seized
By NNN-PTI,
Dhaka : Bangladesh's elite security forces overnight arrested a top militant of outlawed Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and seized over 70 kilograms of explosives in the national capital, officials said today.
Acting on a tip-off, elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) forces arrested JMB's explosive expert Mohammad Hanif alias Kalam and seized explosives and bomb making materials from two of their hideouts at Mirpur and Shanir Akhra area in the city.
Israeli jet bombs Palestinian house in Jabalya camp
By KUNA
Gaza : An Israeli warplane bombarded a house of a Paletinian in Jabalya town northern Gaza Strip on Thursday causing human casualties, eyewitnesses said.
They told KUNA the Israeli jet bombed the house of Abdulkareem Khella and caused complete destruction as well as causing casualties among those who were inside the house.
The Israeli F-16 jet unleashed one missile at the house before leaving the scene.
Ambulances rushed to the scene to transfer the victims, said the witnesses.
Notices to 300,000 Pakistanis who don’t pay taxes
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan, which is facing a disappointing economic scenario, is sending notices to 300,000 people who don't pay their taxes.
Yemeni president names new PM
Sana'a: Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi Tuesday named director of his office Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak as the prime minister to form a government,...
Israeli, Palestinian negotiators to begin core-issue talks
By DPA
Jerusalem : Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are meeting here Monday for their first discussion on the so-called core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The talks mark the first negotiations in seven years on such issues as the future of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees and their descendents, security issues, and the borders of the future Palestinian state.
The talks will be continuous and are expected to take place every week or so.
Indian Muslims welcome Obama’s Cairo speech
By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: Muslims have welcomed US President Barack Obama’s overtures to the Muslim World in his Cairo speech today wherein he raised various issues from peace in Middle East, Israel-Palestine relations, Muslim democracies and education of Muslim women.
Pakistan celebrates nuclear tests anniversary
By Xinhua
Islamabad : Pakistan Wednesday celebrated the 10th anniversary of its nuclear tests, describing the day as "historic in the nation's quest for security".
"Pakistan has taken its responsibilities as a nuclear weapon state seriously. We have not relented in our pursuit of creating a peaceful global and regional environment," a foreign ministry statement said.
The statement titled "A Decade of Responsibility and Restraint", said: "At all levels bilaterally and multilaterally, we have endeavoured to promote the cause of peace, disarmament and non-proliferation."
Over 700 Indians workers died in Qatar since 2011
By IANS,
Dubai : More than 700 Indian workers have died in Qatar, which will be hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, in the last...
Modi attacks UPA government over illegal Bangladeshi migrants
By IANS,
Lucknow : Raking up the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Friday accused the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of not taking any concrete steps to check infiltration from across the border.
"The country is heading towards slavery, following the UPA's dilly-dallying over illegal cross border migration from Bangladesh," Modi said at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj district.
Four policemen killed, 18 injured in Baghdad blasts
By DPA,
Baghdad : Four policemen were killed and 18 people were injured in attacks in the Iraqi capital Sunday, officials said.
The policemen were killed in a car bomb attack in southern Baghdad's al-Amel neighbourhood, officials said. At least 10 people were injured.
Municipal director of the al-Mahmudiyah area, Talib Abbas was injured along three of his companions in a bombing in which his vehicle was targeted.
Four people were injured in a bomb blast in the crowded area of Allawi al-Hilla, according to officials.
Protest in Afghanistan against killing of civilians by foreign troops
By DPA,
Kabul : Hundreds of Afghan demonstrators Monday took to the streets in the capital, accusing US military forces of killing a man and his two children in a raid earlier that day, witnesses said.
The protesters, who were chanting anti-US military and anti-Afghan government slogans, blocked a road in Hudkhail, an area on the eastern outskirts of the Afghan capital, where several military bases of the NATO-led international forces are located.
UAE to observe International Nurses Day
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will observe International Nurses Day May 12.
The theme this year is "Nurses: Together For Healthier Lives".
The day is celebrated in memory of Florence Nightingale who was born May 12 and founded nursing as a modern profession.
This year's event is organised by the Emirates Nursing Association (ENA) in collaboration with Medscope International FZ LLC.
The celebration will include scientific, cultural and educational programmes.
Pakistan launches 4,500 MW dam project
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Tuesday laid the foundation stone of a 4,500 MW hydro-electric dam project in the country's picturesque Gilgit-Baltistan region.
US senaors back Obama on Bill Clinton as special envoy for India-Pakistan
By NNN-APP,
Washington : Underscoring the need for Washington’s diplomatic engagement to address terrorism in the regional Pakistan-India-Afghanistan perspective, top US senators Sunday favored President-elect Barack Obama’s idea for appointing a high-level American envoy on resolving Pakistan-India tensions including Kashmir.
Britain stresses on Egypt’s role in combating terrorism
Cairo : Farah Dakhlallah, British foreign office spokesperson, has said that Egypt can play an important role in combating extremism by securing the Libyan...
Iran tries 32 for $2.6 bn bank fraud
By IANS,
Tehran : Thirty-two people were tried in an Iranian court Saturday for cheating banks out of $2.6 billion, the official media reported.
All know who is upstreaming, downstreaming terror, says India
New Delhi : Slamming Islamabad's allegation that India was using Afghanistan soil to carry out attacks on Pakistan, the government Monday said everyone knows...
Writ of Pakistani state threadbare: media
By IANS,
Islamabad : The attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team is proof that "the writ of our state is threadbare" and signals the requiem for international sporting events in Pakistan, an editorial in a leading English newspaper said Wednesday, with another saying the assault "highlights the folly of negotiating with those bent on destroying our way of life".
Six policemen, eight militants killed in Afghan clashes
By DPA,
Kabul : Eight Taliban militants and six policemen were killed in south Afghanistan, while a suicide bomber died in an attack on an Afghan army convoy in the west, officials said Sunday.
Five of the Taliban died when they attacked the house of police official in the Ghorak district of Kandahar province. One policeman died and six civilians were injured, said Matiullah Khan Qaneh, the provincial police chief.
Pakistan Army storms Taliban stronghold, kill 30 militants
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani security forces have stormed a Taliban stronghold in South Waziristan killing at least 30 militants, as a fierce battle rages in the volatile region bordering Afghanistan, officials said Wednesday.
The army said heavy fighting erupted on the streets of Ladha town after security forces stormed the area. Thirty militants were killed in 24 hours till Wednesday evening. Eight soldiers were injured.
Around 30,000 soldiers were deployed in South Waziristan to take on an estimated 10,000 hardcore Taliban militants holed up in the area.
Gaza demo targets UK arms sales to Israel
By IRNA,
London : A mass demonstration was being held in Brighton, southern England, Monday to mark the first anniversary of Israel’s massacres of more than 1,400 Palestinians in Gaza.
The protest, part of a series to mark the anniversary, was targeting the manufacture of weapons components at the local EDO MBM factory, a wholly owned subsidiary of the American multi-national ITT, which supplies essential parts for the Israeli air force.
Several insurgents killed in Afghanistan operation — coalition
By KUNA
Kabul : The US-led coalition troops said Saturday they had killed "several insurgents" during an operation in southern Afghanistan.
A statement from the coalition's Bagram base said the militants were eliminated while the troops were operating to dismantle weapons facilitation network in the province of Uruzgan.
The troops clashed with militants while searching a compound in Deh Rawod district. Several insurgents were killed in the operation, said the statement, which did not mention the exact number.
Awami League wins contentious Bangladesh by-poll
By IANS,
Dhaka: The ruling Awami League Sunday won a key by-election in southern Bangladesh amidst protests from main opposition that the poll had been rigged.
The Election Commission declared Awami League candidate Nurrunnabi Chowdhury Shawon winner for Bhola-3 constituency, according to Star Online, the website of The Daily Star.
Shawon secured 93,873 votes while his opponent, Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed bagged 42,158.
Ahmed called the outcome a "burial of democracy".
Pakistan gets ready for ‘mother of all elections’
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan goes to the polls Monday to elect members to its national parliament and four provincial assemblies in a contest President Pervez Musharraf describes as the "mother of all elections" but which others say is the most colourless in decades.
More than 80 million people are eligible to cast their votes in the polls, the 10th general elections since formation of the country in 1947. The polls are being held under tight security with the army out to help the law enforcing agencies to ensure peaceful polling.
Seven hurt in Peshawar blast
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least seven people were injured Sunday when a remote-controlled bomb exploded in Pakistan's northwest city of Peshawar, said police.
Bajaur clashes: 100 militants, two soldiers killed
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Security forces killed up to 100 militants in fierce clashes near the Afghan border on Thursday, a security official said.
The government says it is committed to the campaign against militancy, launched after the Sept. 11 attacks seven years ago, but bans incursions by US troops.
In the latest fighting in the Bajaur region, the security forces fought pitched battles with the militants loyal to a local commander Qari Zia-ur-Rehman.
"Eighty to 100 militants were killed in Bajaur today. Most of them are foreigners," the official said on condition of anonymity.
USA would not succeed on ‘war on terror’ without judicial reforms in Pakistan
By Hem Raj Jain,
No use of going into the debate that how much intervention by USA and other friends of Pakistan, in order to save ‘global war on terror’ was responsible for March 16 patch up regarding ‘Long March’. As far the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chowdhary is concerned it was over-due since the time Musharraf failed to sustain the impeachment proceeding against Iftikhar.
Four Turkish soldiers killed in clashes with Kurdish rebels
By KUNA,
Istanbul : Four Turkish soldiers were killed early Saturday in armed confrontations with rebels of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) in the southeastern part of the country.
Turkish Army Command, in a statement, said two soldiers were also wounded in the clashed, which erupted when Kurdish rebels attacked a security force station in the disturbed Hakari province, southeast Turkey.
It added that over the past 24 hours, 20 PKK rebels and six Turkish soldiers were killed.
Israeli troops break into Nablus, burn commercial complex
By KUNA,
Ramallah : Israeli Army forces carried out an incursion on Tuesday into the city of Nablus from different directions with a barrage of firing and tear-gas bombs directed at civilians and their property.
Eyewitnesses said Israeli troops fired concussion and gas bombs on a commercial complex and burned it to the ground.
The four-story complex is one of Nablus's largest furniture showrooms, they said.
Loses at the complex were estimated at USD three million.
Iran foreign minister in North Korea
By IANS,
Pyongyang : Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki Wednesday arrived in the North Korean capital at the head of a large delegation, official Irna news agency reported.
Mottaki's North Korean visit, following his Malaysian tour, is in the second leg of his four nation diplomatic mission to south Asia that will take him to South Korea and Myanmar as part of Tehran's 'Look East' (negahe be shargh) policy.
Unfazed by Kabul terror, India announces fresh aid for Afghanistan
By IANS,
New Delhi : Undeterred by the July 7 attack on its mission in Kabul, India Monday announced fresh assistance of $450 million for the reconstruction of violence-torn Afghanistan as the two countries vowed to fight the menace of terrorism jointly.
"It was an attack on the friendship between India and Afghanistan. We will fight it unitedly and with determination," Prime Minister Manmohan Sigh said after holding wide-ranging talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai here.
US Army in Iraq ready to hand over “Chemical Ali” to Iraqi government
By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : The US Army has indicated that it will hand over to the Iraqi government Ali Hassan Al-Majid, also widely known as "Chemical Ali", convicted for spearheading massacres against Iraqi kurds with chemical agents.
The official spokesman of the Multi-National Force (MNF) told a news conference here Wednesday that the Iraqi government has not requested for his handover for execution, in line with a recent approval of the presidency of a court death sentence.
Pakistan’s survival lies in good ties with India: Zardari
By IANS
New Delhi : Asif Ali Zardari, husband of assassinated former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, has said that the survival of Pakistan lay in having good relations with India.
"Therein lies the survival of Pakistan," Zardari told Tehelka newsmagazine in an interview to be published in their forthcoming edition.
25 militants killed in Pakistan air strikes
Islamabad : At least 25 foreign and local militants were killed Tuesday as military jets bombed suspected terrorist hideouts in North Waziristan, the army...
UNSC to stop illicit oil export from Libya
United Nations: The UN Security Council (UNSC) decided Wednesday to take measures to stop illicit crude oil export from Libya, requesting countries to prohibit...
Iran sentences US hikers to eight years in jail
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran's judiciary has sentenced two US hikers detained in the country on charges of spying to eight years in jail, state-run IRIN television channel reported.
Indian ulema ready to intervene for 17 Indians facing death sentence in UAE
By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: As the fate of 17 Indians facing death sentence in UAE still hangs in balance muslim ulemas and clerics have launched an intiative for their release on compassionate grounds.
Israeli justice minister says no early parole for Sharon’s son
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israeli Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann on Sunday turned down pleas to shorten the jail term of Omri Sharon, son of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, saying he saw no possibility of such clemency at present.
Omri Sharon, a former member of the Knesset, Israeli parliament, was sentenced in January to seven months in prison after being convicted of violating political campaign laws when he helped his father in the 1999 Likud Party primaries, a crime that could result in up to five years in jail.
Hamas rejects US calls to normalise Arab-Israeli ties
By Xinhua,
Gaza : The Palestinian Hamas movement Wednesday rejected US President Barack Obama's call for strengthening Arab relations with Israel in exchange for halting Jewish settlement projects in the West Bank.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri urged the Arab states "to reject normalisation of relations with Israel".
This is "a dangerous prelude to a complete political Arab collapse", he said in a statement.
Polls meaningless without restoration of judiciary, free media: Imran Khan
By Zofeen T. Ebrahim, IANS
Karachi : Violence during the crucial parliamentary elections in Pakistan could well be the precursor to wide spread street protests in the country, Tehreek-I-Insaf chief and cricket legend Imran Khan, who boycotted the polls, has said. He firmly believes the elections held Monday are a farce due to unprecedented pre-poll rigging.
A very busy Khan took out 15 minutes to speak to IANS over phone from Islamabad: Excerpts from the interview:
Q: Who do you think will be the next PM?
Iraqi shoe-thrower pelted with shoe
By IANS,
London: The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former US president George Bush to spark off a global trend was given a taste of his own medicine Tuesday.
Muntazer al-Zaidi was speaking at a press conference in Paris to promote his campaign for Iraq war victims when a man threw a shoe at him.
Zaidi, who ducked in time, said later, "He stole my technique," The Guardian reported in its online edition. The attacker was reported to be an exiled Iraqi journalist who spoke in defence of US policy and accused Zaidi of siding with a dictatorship.
British Foreign Secretary holds talks with Pakistani officials on security matters
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : British Foreign Secretary David Miliband held talks with Pakistani government officials in northwest of Pakistan on security matters in the troubled tribal areas, according to local officials.
It is Miliband's first visit to Pakistan after the formation of the new government following Feb. 18 elections.
Miliband, who arrived in Peshawar, the capital city of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), on the first day of his two-day visit, held talks on Sunday with Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and Chief Minister Haider Hoti, the officials said.
Kosovo will not declare independence before March 10 – paper
BELGRADE, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - Kosovo will not declare unilateral independence before March 10, a Pristina-based newspaper said, citing sources in the Kosovo delegation negotiating the province's status.
The Express daily referred in particular to an agreement between Spain and other European Union states that Kosovo authorities would not proclaim independence until after parliamentary elections in Spain, due on March 9.
Over 100 killed in Afghanistan rain, floods
Kabul : More than 100 people were killed and dozens of houses washed away when heavy rain and floods hit northern Afghanistan, an official...
Tehran accuses US of abducting nuclear scientist
By DPA,
Tehran: Tehran Tuesday accused the US of abducting a leading Iranian nuclear scientist who went missing while attending a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia in June.
"We have evidence that the Americans had a role in abducting Shahram Amiri and expect the US government to return him," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in a televised press conference in Tehran.
Israeli defense chief to visit Egypt for talks
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak will head to Egypt on Tuesday for talks with Egyptian leaders, local daily Jerusalem Post reported Sunday on its website.
Renewing negotiations for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip in June 2006 and is believed to be alive, will be at the focus of talks Barak will hold in Egypt's Alexandria with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Saudi Arabia sought our military help in Yemen: Pakistan
Islamabad : Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday said Saudi Arabia sought Pakistani fighter jets, ground troops and naval vessels for the offensive...
UK condemns suicide attack in Pakistan
By NNN-KUNA,
London : Britain condemned the Friday suicide attack in a volleyball field in the northwest of Pakistan killing over 75 people and injuring scores others.
"We condemn this horrific attack that has led to the needless loss of so many lives," a foreign office spokesman said in a statement.
"We will continue to work with Pakistan to counter the threat that it faces from violent extremism," he said.
Chisty’s nightmare must end, says Pakistani daily
By IANS,
Islamabad : The "long nightmare" of Mohammad Khalil Chisty should end, said a daily after the 80-year-old Pakistani doctor was granted bail by India's Supreme Court.
Bangladesh gov’t to set up electronic registry system
By Xinhua
Dhaka : The Bangladesh government will set up an electronic registry system this month to enable Bangladesh nationals to have access to the country's regulations, officials said Tuesday.
Officials said Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed is expected to inaugurate the first ever e-registry system on Feb. 20 to lessen the hassles people face in obtaining government orders, gazette notifications and rules.
Israel Allows Limited Gaza Crossings
By Prensa Latina,
Gaza : Israel authorized Monday the temporary and limited entry to the Gaza Strip of trucks with food, medicine and fuel, a measure adopted after strong pressure from the international community.
Tel Aviv allowed for the second time in three weeks the passing of trucks with essential supplies for 1.5 million Palestinian inhabitants, including goods the UN has delivered to 750,000 refugees.
Another Gaza school shelter bombed, toll now 1,253
Gaza : At least 13 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured early Wednesday when Israeli artillery fire hit a school used as a shelter...
Islamabad blockaded, but lawyers confident of holding protest
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : The Pakistani government fortified Islamabad Wednesday to prevent a group of lawyers, activists and lay people, demanding reinstatement of judges sacked by the president last year, from marching into the city. However, lawyers here claimed about 10,000 of them were living in hiding in the capital and would carry the movement forward.
President Pervez Musharraf had sacked more than 60 judges of the superior courts, including Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, on Nov 3, 2007.
Name of Pakistan’s next premier decided
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Nabeel Gabol said Wednesday the name of the next premier has been decided, which would be announced after the elections of speaker and deputy speaker.
Talking to Geo news, he said Makhdoom Amin Fahim is senior leader of PPP and he would keep the party together.
Nabeel Gabol said the next Prime Minister of the country would be a consensus candidate of all the coalition partners
Iraqi Kurds accuse Baghdad of politicising jounalist’s murder
Baghdad : The Kurdish regional government Tuesday accused the central government in Iraq of stirring up political trouble with the Kurds by politically exploiting...
Jewish extremists storm, vandalizes mosque south of Tel Aviv
By KUNA
Gaza : Jewish extremists stormed early on Tuesday Hassan Baik mosque located south of the Israeli capital, Tel Aviv, Israel Radio said.
"The extremists burst into the mosque this morning and destroyed many of its contents and ravaged an adjacent garden," the radio said.
Extensive damage at the mosque was discovered by Muslim worshippers who arrived from the city of Jafa (Yafa) at the mosque to perform Al-Fajir (dawn) prayers. Police was notified about the desecration of the mosque.
Hamas conditionally welcomes return of EU monitors to Rafah crossing
By Xinhua
Gaza : Hamas administration of Gaza on Thursday said it doesn't mind the return of European Union (EU) monitors to Rafah border crossing in line with 2005 international deal.
Taher al-Nounou, spokesman for the deposed administration, added that the government also welcomes the return of "civilian employees" of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the crossing point with Egypt.
However, the Hamas government said the EU monitors' role "should not be obstructive."
China to back Pakistan for civil nuclear deal with US
By IANS,
Islamabad : China will back Pakistan for a civil nuclear deal with the US at an upcoming summit in Washington, a media report said Thursday, citing sources privy to a special meeting of the parliamentary committee on national security.
China's support on the issue was discussed Wednesday at the special parliamentary committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Daily Times reported.
The committee was assured that Pakistan will actively pursue its case for a civil nuclear deal with the US during Gilani's upcoming visit to the US.
Nobody wants war, Pakistan must dismantle terror camps: PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : Rejecting war as a response to the Mumbai mayhem, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday asked Pakistan to take "objective" steps to "dismantle the terror machine" and exhorted the international community to persuade Islamabad to comply with the UN resolutions against terrorism.
"The issue is not war. The issue is that the Pakistani territory is used to aid and abet terror," Manmohan Singh told reporters outside parliament.
World’s largest gold coin showcased in Abu Dhabi
By IANS
Abu Dhabi : The largest gold coin in the world, weighing 100 kg and with a face value of $1 million, was displayed at a show here by the Royal Canadian Mint, WAM news agency reported Monday.
The Gold Maple Leaf coin is approximately 50 cm in diameter, about 3 cm thick and has a purity of 99.999 percent.
Although the coin has a face value of $1 million, it would cost a buyer approximately $2.4 million on the current market value of gold.
The obverse side of the coin bears an image of Queen Elizabeth II while the reverse side features a maple leaf design.
Toll rises to 159 in Israeli air strikes in Gaza
Gaza : The deaths of Palestinians in the Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip climbed to 159 Sunday, officials said.
The operations began July...
Muslim leaders strongly condemn killing of Kwt POWs by former Iraqi regime
By KUNA
Dakar : The 11th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, in its final communique on Friday, "strongly condemned" the killing of Kuwaiti war-prisoners and national of other countries at the hands of the former regime in Iraq.
The leaders of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) also condemned the former Iraqi regime's coverage of these crimes for over 10 years, which is considered a violation of international humanitarian law.
UAE to stage first public opera
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : A musical extravaganza awaits opera lovers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as they will be able to watch a public performance in the Emirates for the first time.
The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) in association with the German Embassy, the French Embassy, the Paris Sorbonne University, and the Richard Wagner Society of Abu Dhabi will showcase German composer Richard Wagner's opera "Die Walkure" April 26 and has allowed public viewing for the first time.
The Bavarian State Orchestra is scheduled to take part in the performance.
US indirectly paying Afghan warlords, Taliban: Report
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The US military is funding a massive protection racket in Afghanistan, indirectly paying tens of millions of dollars to warlords, corrupt public officials and the Taliban, according to US Congressional investigators.
The security arrangements, part of a $2.16 billion transport contract, to ensure safe passage of its supply convoys throughout the country violate laws on the use of private contractors, as well as Defence Department regulations, the Washington Post reported Tuesday citing a Congressional report.
EU’s role complements the Arab role in Lebanon – Lebanese FM
By NNN-KUNA
Brussels : The European Union and Lebanon held here their third meeting of the Association Council to discuss EU-Lebanon relations in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy.
"There is a steady commitment of the EU to restore peace, stability and normal functioning of democratic institutions in Lebanon," Tarek Mitri, the Lebanese Foreign Minister, told a press conference after the meeting Tuesday.
Japanese firm to design Dubai’s new $95-bn city
By IANS,
Dubai : Japanese architectural firm Nikken Sekkei has bagged the contract to design a new 350-billion dirham ($95.3-billion) city to come up within the emirate of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Meraas Development, the Dubai-based developer owned by the Dubai government, awarded the contract to design the proposed Jumeira Gardens to the Japanese firm at the ongoing Cityscape 2008 real estate exhibition here.
UAE bans bottled water export
By IANS/WAM,
Dubai : The UAE has banned the export of bottled water, it was announced Thursday.
British Terror Suspect Arrested In Bangladesh
By BERNAMA,
DHAKA : Bangladesh's elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) early Monday arrested British man Faisal Mustafa, alleged patron of a Islamic school-cum-orphanage in the country where huge arms and ammunition were retrieved last month.
Senior RAB spokesman Major Sakhawat Hossain told Xinhua news agency on Monday, "A contingent of RAB arrested the chief of the London-based NGO Green Crescent Faisal Mustafa and his accomplice Saifuddin Badal from a near by district of capital Dhaka early this morning."
Cleric slams Muslims for inaction towards Palestinians genocide
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmad on Friday strongly condemned Israeli aggression on the Gaza strip and criticised Arab and Muslim rulers for not carrying out their basic responsibilities towards Palestinians.
Talking to IRNA Qazi Hussain Ahmed added that Muslim countries despite having ample resources have become silent spectators to the Israeli genocide.
"It is a shameful act on part of the Muslim countries that they cannot even call a meeting of OIC or Arab League to exert pressure on Israel to halt killing of innocent people in Gaza", he said.
Slain TV reporter Musa Khan Khel had 32 bullet wounds
By IANS,
Islamabad : Thirty two bullets were pumped into TV reporter Musa Khan Khel in Pakistan's Swat Valley two days after Islamabad allowed the Taliban to impose Shariat (Islamic law) in the area, said Geo News executive editor Hamid Mir, adding a lot of radicals were unhappy with his coverage but "truth has to be reported".
Mir told a meeting of journalists: "They (the assailants) are mistaken, they cannot escape."
He said that Musa Khan Khel's statements were recorded "2-3 times before his death".
"Truth has to be reported," he said.
Airstrike kills over 100 militants in Pakistan
Islamabad: Over 100 militants were killed and eight hideouts destroyed in a predawn airstrike launched by the Pakistani army in the country's northwestern tribal...