Looking after the interests of Arab immigrant workers
By NNN-KUNA
Cairo : Arab ministers in charge of immigration have urged the Arab Labour Organisation (ALO) to set up a special task force committee to look after the interests of Arab workers at their places of work abroad.
Tunisia President says will seek re-election
By SPA,
Tunis : Tunisia's President Zine al Abidine Ben Ali said on Wednesday he would run for re-election next year, Reuters reported.
"I tell you with all pride: I'm always faithful to my commitment and answer you with all honour -- I will be your candidate for the 2009 presidential elections," Ben Ali, 71, told the annual congress of the country's ruling Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) party.
Bush’s Middle East peace bid leaves media sceptical
By IANS,
Dubai : US President George W. Bush's three-day Middle East visit has been viewed sceptically in the Arab media, as it questioned whether he could succeed in making a new push for peace in the long-troubled region, WAM news agency reported Thursday.
Bush arrived in Tel Aviv Wednesday on a 48-hour visit, then flew by helicopter to Jerusalem for events Wednesday and Thursday marking the 60th anniversary of Israel's birth in the wake of the Nazi genocide of 6 million Jews.
Malaysia to continue flying MiG-29Ns for five more years
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur: Ten MiG-29Ns, serviced and maintained by India, will continue to fly with the Royal Malaysian Air Force for at least five more years, thanks to the country's resource crunch.
"We have decided to continue using 10 of the 16 MiG-29N jet fighters after sending them for repairs and upgrading," Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Wednesday.
Their replacement with 18 new Sukhois would have to wait.
Saudi relief plane lands in China
By IINA,
Cinchona, China : Saudi Arabia donated A Saudi Arabian plane carrying relief aid worth $50 million arrived here yesterday. This was in line with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to provide China with urgent humanitarian aid and money following the earthquake which recently hit the country, causing huge losses and suffering.
The plane was received by Saudi Ambassador to China Yahaya Abdulkarem Al Zaid, Director General Assistant of Chinese Foreign Affairs Wen Zen Shon and a number of senior officials.
Muslims and Jews: continuing the conversation
By Mehnaz Afridi, CGNews,
Perched on a bar stool in Jerusalem, I looked around at the many Israeli men in the room, relaxing, drinking beer and playing pool. I felt serene, but the tired faces of the soldiers told a different story. For them, this was an escape from their enemies who lay intimately bound to them beyond the hills of Jerusalem.
I caught the deep blue eyes of a young man as he stood beside me with a gun slung upon his shoulder and proceeded to order a beer. We exchanged smiles, and he decided to sit next to me.
Egypt dissolves Muslim Brotherhood political party
Cairo: An Egyptian court Saturday ruled to dissolve the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, and liquidate all its assets,...
Lebanese political leaders at Qatar talks
By IRNA,
Beirut : Lebanon's rival political leaders are holding talks in Qatar aimed at ending the sectarian conflict which left at least 65 people dead in recent days.
They are set to discuss power-sharing in a proposed national unity government and reform of election laws.
The discussions in Doha follow an agreement on Wednesday, mediated by the Arab League, to end the fighting.
It came after the Western-backed government withdrew two key measures to curb the opposition resistance movement.
France to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in 2013
By IANS,
Paris: France plans to withdraw its military contingent from Afghanistan in 2013, French President Nicholas Sarkozy has said.
India, Saudi Arabia to deepen energy partnership
By Gyanendra Kumar Keshri,
New Delhi : With the strengthening of strategic ties, India and Saudi Arabia seek to transform the "buyer-seller" relationship in the...
No coalition government, says Karzai’s main rival
By IANS,
Kabul : Incumbent president Hamid Karzai's main rival Abdullah Abdullah Wednesday ruled out the possibility of forming a coalition government, saying this is not the solution to the country's problems, Xinhua reported.
"The way for the solution of the problem of the country is not formation of coalition government," he told newspersons at his first press conference after the election runoff was announced.
Pakistan massacre an attack on progress: French envoy
Kolkata : French Ambassador to India Francois Richier Wednesday strongly condemned the massacre in a Pakistan school that left nearly 141 people dead, most...
Karzai condemns killing of 76 Afghan civilians by US airstrike
By DPA,
Kabul : Afghan President Hamid Karzai Saturday condemned the killing of 76 civilians, mostly children, by a US airstrike in western Afghanistan, and vowed his government would take necessary measures to curtail such deaths in the future.
The US military acknowledged in a statement that it was aware of the government's allegations of civilian deaths in the operation against Taliban fighters Friday in the district Shindand of Herat province.
"All allegations of civilian casualties are taken very seriously," the statement said. "An investigation has been directed."
Pakistan has not responded to Interpol on Dawood
By IANS
Mumbai : Pakistan has neither confirmed nor replied to Interpol communications about the alleged presence in its territory of Indian underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, a top Interpol official said Tuesday.
Interpol General Secretary Ronald K. Noble said that his organisation could not dictate terms to sovereign countries, and added that no country should allow "wanted" criminals to move about freely.
Akram blames PCB for losing World Cup rights
By IANS,
New Delhi: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are themselves to blame for losing the hosting rights for the 2011 cricket World Cup.
"I thought they could have handled the entire thing in a better way. They should not have allowed it to come to such a stage where International Cricket Council had to strip them of the co-hosting rights," said Akram Tuesday.
Pakistan briefs P5 envoys on border tensions
Islamabad: Pakistan Monday continued to build pressure on the UN over the border tensions with India as it Monday briefed envoys of the five...
Top NATO commander visits site of Afghan air strike
By DPA,
Kunduz (Afghanistan) : The top NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, travelled to the northern province of Kunduz Saturday to visit the site of a deadly NATO airstrike, where villagers claimed that "scores" of civilians were killed.
Teams from the Afghan government, NATO military and the UN are investigating the incident, in which trucks hijacked by the Taliban were hit in a US jet strike ordered by the local German command of the NATO-led force.
Abu Dhabi hosts workshop to promote sustainable development
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The municipality of Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company "Masdar" will work jointly to promote sustainable development, general manager of Abu Dhabi city municipality Khalifa Mohammad Al Mazroui said.
"Strengthening strategic partnerships plays a pivotal role in supporting the values of sustainable development towards safeguarding the community's future," said Mazroui.
He made these comments Monday when he opened the introductory session of the joint workshop hosted by the Abu Dhabi city municipality in cooperation with Masdar.
Pakistan Railways’ chugs towards disaster: Daily
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan Railways is teetering on the brink of disaster, warned a daily and said it was "symptomatic" that the shortage of engines was to be met from India.
Palestinian leader’s visit to Moscow expected on Apr. 18
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : An official visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Moscow has been tentatively set for April 18, a presidential aide said on Monday.
Nemer Hamad said another presidential aide, Nabil Shaath, was currently in Moscow to discuss preparations for Abbas's visit. The Palestinian president is also set to visit the U.S. after Moscow.
Abbas stated his intention to visit Russia following his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Ramallah, in the West Bank, earlier this month.
Anti-Arab activists admit to Jerusalem school attack
Jerusalem: Israeli security agency Shin Bet has said that the three Jewish suspects arrested for setting fire to a Hebrew-Arabic bilingual school in Jerusalem...
Pakistan security scene, Kashmir infiltrations worry India
By IANS,
New Delhi: India is as concerned with the worsening security situation inside Pakistan as it is with the continuing infiltration in Jammu & Kashmir, the annual report of the defence ministry released Monday says.
Solana calls on Israel to halt settlement activities
By KUNA,
Brussels : European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned Wednesday that it will be extremely difficult to have negotiations on the final-status of Palestine if Israel does not stop its settlements in occupied Palestinian lands.
"Realities on the ground have to change. I want to say it very clearly that settlements have to stop. We cannot enter in a process which is part of the way to determine by the end of the year 2008 if there is no clear commitment on the settlements," Solana told a conference on Palestine in the European Parliament.
Don’t whip up war hysteria, India tells Pakistan
By IANS,
New Delhi : Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Friday urged Pakistan not to whip up war hysteria in response to Indian requests to take action against terrorists who attacked Mumbai.
Speaking to reporters after talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Mukherjee said that Pakistan needed to focus its energies "to bring to book the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attack".
EU expresses concern over violence in Gaza, condemns attack in Lebanon
By NNN-KUNA
Brussels : The European Union has expressed its deep concern over what it said was "the latest surge of violence in and near Gaza".
A statement issued Tuesday by the EU Presidency, held currently by Slovenia, called on all the parties to exercise utmost restraint and refrain from use of force.
The EU appealed for calm, "particularly in this time of renewed political process and encouraged Israel and the Palestinian Authority to pursue negotiations in accordance with the Annapolis joint understanding".
3 killed in blast in Italian restaurant in Pakistani capital: TV
By IRNA
Islamabad : At least 3 people were killed and 15 others, most foreigners, were injured in a blast in an Italian restaurant in the Pakistani capital on Saturday evening, witnesses and local TV channels reported.
There was no official confirmation of the deaths.
Witnesses said they saw injured were being shifted in ambulance from the restaurant in the busy Super Market.
It was not clear what caused the blast at Luna Caprese at 8:45 p.m.
The blast destroyed the wall of the restaurant.
There were 15 to 20 people, most foreigners, having dinner when the blast occurred.
Gaza militants resume rockets attacks at Israel
By Xinhua
Gaza : Gaza militant groups resumed on Tuesday morning makeshift rockets attacks from the Gaza Strip to southern Israeli communities, Israeli and Palestinian sources reported.
The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) claimed responsibility for launching two homemade rockets from northern Gaza Strip at the southern costal Israeli town of Ashkelon, causing no injuries or damages.
Air Arabia posts $15 mn first quarter profit
By IANS,
Sharjah : Air Arabia (PJSC) has posted a net profit of 50 million UAE dirhams (about $15 million) in the first three months of this year.
However, the figure represented a 51-percent decline in profit compared to 103 million dirhams in the corresponding period in 2009.
Air Arabia is the largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa.
The airline has posted a turnover of 482 million dirhams, an increase of four percent, in the first quarter of this year, compared to 463 million dirhams in the corresponding period in 2009.
Taliban paid about $30,000 for suicide attacks, says Malik
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that the Taliban have spent huge sums of money to lure youths to carry out suicide attacks in the country.
He said: "They (Taliban) bought youths from the poor families in half a million to 2.5 million rupees (about $30,802) for suicide attacks."
The Taliban want to weaken the country, Malik told reporters after visiting relief camps in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
Rising inflation affecting lives in Pakistan
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : Unprecedented inflation in Pakistan has hit common people very hard with petrol having risen by 46 percent in the last three months, food items by 30-50 percent and rice by more than 100 percent. While the government has launched schemes to help the poor, many people have committed suicide in despair.
The inflation rate in Pakistan has increased by 19 percent since the new coalition government led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) took over power in March this year -
Iran sanctions issue practical: Russia
By
Moscow: The issue of the imposition of sanctions against Iran has become "practical", Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said Thursday.
"According to IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) information, Iran has been developing and experimenting on improved type of centrifuges at a pilot plant for uranium enrichment at Natanz for a long time," he added.
In March, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reiterated that fresh sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme were possible, but "not optimal".
Syrian official denies plans to host Russian missiles
By DPA,
Damascus : A Syrian official Friday denied media reports that the country has agreed to host Russian missiles in an effort to counter the planned deployment of a US missile shield in Eastern Europe.
"What was reported by some media with regard to Syria's agreement on deploying Iskander missiles in its territories are baseless," he told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
The official, who was not named in the report, said no such issue was discussed at all during talks this week between Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Four killed in bomb blast in Balochistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least four people were killed and three injured in a bomb blast in southwestern Pakistan's Balochistan province Wednesday, according to state television.
The blast occurred at a shop in Sibbi city, about 320 km east of provincial capital Quetta, PTV reported.
The injured were taken to the nearest hospital and the police cordoned off the blast site.
No group claimed responsibility for the blast.
ICRC urges Israel to allow Palestinians visit relatives in detention
By NNN-KUNA,
Geneva : The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said that the Israeli authorities must take immediate measures to allow Palestinian families from Gaza to resume visits to their relatives detained in Israel.
The ICRC said that the lack of direct contact between Palestinian families and their detained relatives is becoming unbearable.
ICRC spokesperson Dorothea Krimitsas said Monday that the family visits organised by the ICRC since 1967 had to be suspended on June 6, 2007 following a decision by the Israeli authorities.
Occupying Soldiers Kill More Afghans
By Prensa Latina,
Kabul : At least six Afghan civilians died and two others were arrested during an operation by the international occupying forces in southern Zabul province, official sources reported on Friday.
Head of the Provincial Council Mohammad Khasin Graned told the media those troops, led by the NATO, attacked on Thursday night by surprise two houses in the Shar-e-Safa, in zabul province.
Graned said six people died and two others were arrested, all civilians.
13 dead after machine-gun attack in Baghdad
By DPA,
Baghdad : Thirteen people were killed when men dressed in Iraqi military uniforms sprayed homes west of Baghdad with machine-gun fire early Monday morning, police and villagers said.
Villagers and local police said that men wearing Iraqi army uniforms - but driving civilian cars - attacked houses in the village of Zaidan, on the outskirts of Baghdad, Monday morning.
Leading members of the local government-allied Sahwa, or "Awakening", militia and the Iraqi Islamist Party, and their children were among those killed, they said.
Iraqi president comes out of coma
By IANS/AKI,
Tehran: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has come out of coma after suffering a stroke in December, Iran's Fars news agency reported.
US experts ask Pakistan to ‘proactively’ prevent another Mumbai
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : To prevent another Mumbai-like attack anywhere in the world, Pakistan must punish those involved in the assault while proactively undercutting the extremist propaganda that led to the massacre, say two US experts.
They have also suggested that India and the US should pursue a robust dialogue to share counter-terrorism strategies in the wake of Mumbai terror attack blamed on Pakistan based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Pakistani President to visit Saudi Arabia
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will pay a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia from Nov.4, the Foreign Office announced on Friday.
Speaking at his weekly news briefing, Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said that Zardari would hold talks with King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, and exchange views on bilateral, regional and international issues during his stay in Saudi Arabia.
Pakistani official sacked after polishing shoes in India
By IANS,
Islamabad : A Pakistani official who sought to create inter-faith harmony by serving devotees in Sikh temples in Pakistan and India has lost his job.
UAE approves nuclear energy programme
Abu Dhabi, March 24 (Xinhua) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approved a plan to develop the country's nuclear energy programme, according to media reports.
A memorandum that proposed setting up of central nuclear energy development body called Nuclear Energy Implementation Organisation (NEPIO) was submitted to the cabinet Sunday by Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Record turnout likely in Iran presidential
By DPA,
Tehran : As polling stations opened in Iran for Friday's presidential election, voters turned out in unprecedentedly high numbers, witnesses said.
In the capital Tehran, long queues formed even before the polling stations opened at 8 a.m. (0330 GMT).
The high participation early in the day confirmed predictions by the Iranian Interior Ministry that there would be a record turnout in this year's presidential polls.
About 46.2 million Iranians out of a total population of 70.4 million are eligible to vote.
Israeli delegation arrives in Egypt for Gaza talks
By Xinhua,
Cairo : An Israeli delegation led by a senior official arrived in Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian mediators on a ceasefire proposal in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli team, led by head of the Israeli Defense Ministry's Diplomatic-Security Bureau Amos Gilad, arrived here in the morning, said the Egyptian MENA news agency.
The talks between the Israeli delegation and Egyptian officials will focus on the initiative offered Tuesday by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in a bid to put an end to the Israeli attacks on Gaza and reach a ceasefire.
Violence Prevails in Iraq
By Prensa Latina,
Baghdad : Police and military troops from Iraq and the Unites captured 37 alleged Al-Qaeda members in the province of Diyala, where violence and insecurity prevails.
Defense Ministry spokesman Muhammad al-Aaskari said the raids carried out in Diyala from Monday afternoon to Tuesday dawn allowed authorities to capture armed group members wanted by the Police.
A detachment of police officers and army troops, backed up by US occupation forces, located and arrested Najib Ismail al-Zuheiri, who was identified as a key al-Qaeda leader in Iraq.
Iran tests torpedo, cruise missiles
Tehran : The Iranian navy has successfully tested its latest torpedo and cruise missiles on the sixth day of massive military exercises code-named Muhammad...
China to sign economic pact with Bangladesh
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh and China will sign an economic cooperation pact during the visit of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, a Bangladeshi official said Monday.
Xi, who arrived here Monday on a two-day official visit, is making a "return visit" to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's March trip to China and will see updating on the pacts signed then.
This is the first visit by a Chinese leader since the Awami League-led government assumed power in January last year.
Islamic animated series ‘THE 99’ banned in Saudi Arabia
Dubai: 'THE 99', the world's first animated series depicting superheroes based on Islamic culture and society, has been banned by a Saudi Arabia government...
UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Yemen
United Nations : The UN Security Council on Saturday said the 15-nation UN body will meet in an emergency session on Sunday afternoon to...
Sikh pilgrims reach Nankana Sahib in Pakistan
Amritsar : A contingent of over 1,500 Sikh pilgrims from India Wednesday reached the Sikh holy city of Nankana Sahib in Pakistan to mark...
Iraqi forces enter Basra’s ports to maintain security
By DPA
Baghdad : Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered the Iraqi forces to enter ports of the Iraqi city of Basra to maintain security against criminal gangs, media reports said Tuesday.
In the late hours of Monday, Iraqi forces entered the ports of Khor al-Zobair and Om al-Kasr, according to al-Maliki's orders, the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency said.
The move came as part of a security operation launched by al-Maliki to fight illegal militant.
The Iraqi forces are imposing a full security control over the city's two largest ports.
Hamas ready for a mutual cease-fire with Israel
By Xinhua
Gaza : The Palestinian Hamas movement is ready for a mutual cease-fire with Israel, its spokesman in Gaza Sami Abu Zuhri said Friday.
"Hamas movement is ready to study any initiative that contributes in ending the Israeli aggression practices on the Palestinian people," he said in a statement.
Abu Zuhri welcomed the call of European Parliament for Israel to end the eight-month-old siege of the Gaza Strip, and to end its daily military operations that cause casualties among Palestinian civilians.
Rice, Miliband on surprise visit to Afghanistan
By Xinhua
Kabul : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her British counterpart David Miliband paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan Thursday amid increasing insurgency and rift among the NATO member states over the alliance mission in the country, according to an Afghan official who refused to be named.
Afghan officials are tight-lipped over the visit of the two dignitaries due to security concerns but said that they would call on President Hamid Karzai in the afternoon.
Iran repels US reconnaissance plane: Commander
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran has repelled an American U2 reconnaissance plane as it tried to enter the Iranian airspace, a senior Iranian military commander said Tuesday.
To avoid abduction, Israeli troops to carry tear gas
By IANS,
Jerusalem : The Israeli military plans to issue tear gas dispensers to all its non-combat personnel as part of efforts to prevent them from being abducted by militants.
Senate bodies elect new chairmen; vow to develop IT, uphold freedom of expression
By APP
Islamabad : Senator Liaquat Ali Bangulzai was unanimously elected as chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting while Senator Abdul Raziq was elected Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology.
The Senate standing committees on Information and Broadcasting and Information Technology met at Parliament House separately Wednesday to elect their respective chairmen as contemplated by Rule 163 (1) of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 1988.
Germany pledges 20 million euros in emergency aid for Palestinians
By IRNA,
Berlin : The German government is to allocate 20 million euros in emergency aid in a bid to ensure the resumption of fuel supply to the Palestinian-run territories, press reports quoted German Development Aid Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul as saying here Tuesday following her talks with officials of the Palestinian Authority.
Berlin has so far pledged a total of 42.5 million euro in assistance to the Palestinians.
Wieczorek-Zeul expressed hope that the humanitarian situation in Gaza would quickly improve amid the ongoing inhuman embargo by the Israel.
20 die of cholera in Nigeria
Lagos: At least 20 people have died in a cholera outbreak in Nigeria's Plateau state, hospital officials said Tuesday.
The cholera epidemic has ravaged Barkin...
Pakistan holds by-elections amid low turnout
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistanis voted Thursday in low-key by-elections after legal challenges le to the postponement of balloting in one constituency where former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was believed to be a sure-shot winner.
The Supreme Court Wednesday put off the by-election in a ward of Lahore in Punjab, while hearing a federal government appeal against Sharif's disqualification from contesting the by-election over his previous convictions.
Pakistan’s coalition leaders’ meeting ends without result
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Mian Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari concluded their meeting here Tuesday without any result that could well decide the fate of the ruling coalition.
Sharif and Zardari met for six hours in the latter's house in Islamabad to iron out differences over the judges restoration and other issues but did not make any decision.
NATO troops fire on bus in Afghanistan, killing 4
By RIA Novosti,
Kabul : NATO forces in Afghanistan have killed four passengers on a bus that failed to stop when driving toward their patrol, the ISAF press service said.
The incident occurred on Friday morning 40 km south of Kabul on the road to Kandahar. The International Security and Assistance Force said the bus driver did not heed signals to slow down, warning gestures or shots in the air, so the soldiers were forced to fire on the vehicle.
Six Iraqis killed, 18 injured in twin bomb attacks in Baghdad
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : At least six people were killed and some 18 others wounded in car bomb and roadside bomb explosions in central Baghdad on Wednesday, an Interior Ministry source said.
The incident occurred when a booby-trapped car detonated in the morning near a traffic police headquarters near the al-Nahdha parking lot in central Baghdad on the east side of Tigris River, the source said on condition of anonymity.
Minutes later, a roadside bomb went off when security forces and civilians gathered to examine the first blast, the source said.
Jalili asks parties dealing with Iran’s N-case to rectify mistakes
By IRNA
Beijing : Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili here on Friday called on some parties involved in Iran's nuclear case to abandon their past mistakes and allegations and take positive steps for resumption of talks.
Addressing a press conference, Jalili said, "Today, verification of Iran's nuclear case has turned into a process to verify sincerity of some countries."
He said recent developments in Iran's nuclear issue showed that many claims of some countries against Iran are false and baseless.
32 killed in bomb attacks in Iraq
Baghdad: At least 32 people were killed and 108 injured in a wave of bombing attacks Wednesday in Iraq's capital city of Baghdad, the...
Explosion in northern Pakistan leaves 16 killed
By KUNA,
Islamabad : At least sixteen people were killed and 12 others were wounded in a bomb explosion Sunday in a Pakistani northern district, said police.
A remote-controlled bomb, planted in a school building, exploded with a huge bang in Boneer area of Sawat district, police sources told KUNA.
At the time of explosion, polling for by-elections was underway and a large number of people had gathered to cast their votes.
The explosion killed at least sixteen people and wounded 12 others, said sources, adding that the school building was badly damaged.
U.S. air strike kills eight Iraqis north of Baghdad
By Xinhua,
Tikrit, Iraq : An overnight U.S. air strike hit a village in Iraq's Salahudin province, killing eight people, a provincial police source said on Thursday.
The incident occurred when U.S. troops conducted a search operation late on Wednesday in the Mazra'a village near town Beiji, some 200 km north of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Pakistan to have task force for players’ safety
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan will form a sports security task force to take care of visiting international teams, Interior Minister Rehman Malik says.
Pakistan arrests two more in Bhutto assassination plot
By DPA
Islamabad : Pakistani authorities Thursday arrested two alleged militants they said were linked to the assassination of former prime minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, local media reported.
A joint investigation team arrested the suspects during a swoop in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, where Bhutto was killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack after leaving a campaign rally on Dec 27, Geo news television channel said.
The suspects were identified as Hasnain and Rafaqat.
Iran rejects nuclear weapons suspicions as fabricated
By DPA,
Vienna : Iran Thursday refuted all evidence of a possible military dimension of its nuclear programme as "fabrications".
Tehran's representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said documents presented by the UN nuclear watchdog were fakes.
In a briefing for the IAEA's 35 board member states, chief inspector Olli Heinonen laid out intelligence the IAEA received from about 10 member states, diplomats present at the meeting said.
Manmohan says no to talks, puts Pakistan to sincerity test
By IANS,
New Delhi : With Pakistan prevaricating over punishing those behind the Mumbai attacks, India Wednesday said there won't be any resumption of bilateral talks till Islamabad allows terrorists to use its territory against India.
New Delhi also underlined that it has provided enough evidence to Pakistan to act against the perpetrators of the Mumbai carange.
"The present situation is so long as Pakistan chooses to allow its territory to be used against India, no negotiation can take place," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here.
India Islamic Cultural Center should have Lucknow branch: UP minister
By TCN News,
Riyadh: Uttar Pradesh’s Minister of Panchayati Raj Kamal Akhtar has assured that he would exert efforts to facilitate the allotment of land for the construction of India Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC) branch in Lucknow.
Pakistan will have the upper hand: Shahid Ali Khan
By IANS,
New Delhi: Pakistan will have an edge over India in their World Cup hockey opener because of their recent good performances against the hosts, Pakistan coach Shahid Ali Khan said Saturday.
Shahid, however, conceded that India will have the advantage of playing in front of a home crowd here Sunday.
"I think we will have an edge over India because we beat them in the last three matches. India will have the home advantage and the crowd will be behind them," said the Olympian.
Highlights of Pakistan PM’s speech
By IANS
Islamabad : Following are the highlights of Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani's speech after getting an unopposed vote of confidence from the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.
* On Kashmir: "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.
"I believe that confidence building measures is excellent step but it should be in the right direction.
Honour your pledges, Pakistan urges international community
By IANS,
Islamabad: Claiming that as a front line state in the war against terror it had suffered a lot economically, Pakistan Monday called upon the international community to fulfil its pledges for the relief and rehabilitation of the civilians affected by the military's anti-Taliban operations in the country's northwest.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani made the remarks while chairing a meeting here to review the progress on the relief and rehabilitation activities for the internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Schools shut in areas hit by Pakistani shelling
Jammu: Authorities Tuesday ordered closure of educational institutions in areas affected by shelling by Pakistani forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Jammu district.
"All educational institutions...
Malaysia aims to cut foreign labour by 500,000
By DPA,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysia's labour minister said Thursday the government aims to reduce the number of foreign immigrants in the workforce by 500,000 over the next three years.
Human resource minister S Subramaniam told parliament that the government was committed to minimizing the country's dependency on immigrant workers, adding that there are currently 2.1 million foreign workers in all sectors.
"We want to reduce by at least 500,000 foreign workers," he said.
Pakistan: EU team visits polling stations at Chakwal
By NNN-APP
Chakwal : An observer mission of European Union (EU) on Monday visited various polling stations in the constituencies NA-60, NA-61 here.
Former Chief Minister of Punjab and PML-Q leader Ch.Pervaiz Ellahi is also contesting from NA-60.
Brussels museum features Islamic art gallery
BRUSSELS, Dec 26 (KUNA) -- The huge building of Belgium's Royal Museum of Arts and History, situated in the Parc du Cinquantenaires, one of the most beautiful parks in Brussels.
This museum has an important collection of art objects from different civilizations from all over the world, including non-European civilizations such as the Islamic world, China, Korea, India and Southeast Asia, pre-Colombian America, Polynesia, and others.
UAE model Muslim country: President Bush.
ABU DHABI, (WAM) The UAE have shown the world a model of the Muslim state that is toolerant towards its people and other faiths, said US President George W. Bush.
The UAE founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, has succeeded in building a country and a proseprous society out of the desert, said Bush in his speech at Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi where he started Sunday his visit to the UAE.
Pakistan and India must work together to fight terrorism: Rehman Malik
By NNN-APP,
London : The Advisor to the Prime Minister on Interior, Rehman Malik has stressed the need for joint efforts by Pakistan and India to fight terrorism and said that his country is willing to co-operate with the neighbouring country fully in this regard.
Modi faces flak on Twitter for remark on Bangladesh PM
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced flak on social media website Twitter for his remark that his Bangladesh counter part Sheikh Hasina has...
Set up telecom appeal board, says Dhaka parliamentary panel
By IANS,
Dhaka : A committee of Bangladesh's parliament has opposed arbitrary government powers to punish erring firms in the telecom and IT sectors and recommended the setting up of a telecom appeal board.
Responding to concerns expressed by two largely private-run sectors that have significant foreign investments, the parliamentary standing committee on post and telecommunications ministry recommended setting up the telecom appeal board.
No ground troops into Pakistan: Obama
By IANS,
Washington : US President Barack Obama has said he would consult Pakistan's leadership before targeting militants in that country, even as he made it clear that his administration has no plans to send ground troops into Pakistani territory.
"Our plan does not change the recognition of Pakistan as a sovereign government. We need to work with them and through them to deal with Al Qaeda. But we have to hold them much more accountable," Obama said in an interview with the CBS television Sunday.
UN chief renews calls for immediate Gaza ceasefire
By DPA,
Cairo : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday renewed his calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and stressed that all UN member states are obliged to abide by Security Council resolutions.
He made his appeal after his meeting with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak in Cairo where he arrived as fighting in Gaza entered its 19th day and the Palestinian death toll neared 1,000. In the second such strike this week, militants in Lebanon fired three Katyusha rockets into northern Israel Wednesday morning.
President Zardari: Nature of Iran’s nuclear program peaceful for sure
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan’s President Asef Ali Zardari said here Monday west should note the fact that nature of Iran’s nuclear program is totally peaceful.
The Pak president made the comment in an exclusive interview with IRNA, adding, “Iran has begun its plan for the expansion and further development of its nuclear program with totally peaceful objectives in mind as Tehran has no need to possession of nuclear weapons.”
Pakistan PM pledges result-oriented talks on Kashmir
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani said Wednesday his government is committed to result-oriented talks with India for resolution of the Kashmir issue.
While addressing a meeting in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, Gillani said his country has always stood for peace, as it is the guarantee of stability in the region and the world at large.
"We want friendly relations with all countries, including India, " the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) quoted Gillani as saying.
Cleric asks his militia to cease fire in Iraq
By Xinhua
Baghdad : Iraq's radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered Sunday his Mahdi militia to withdraw from the street battle with Iraqi army in all Iraqi cities, including Baghdad and Basra.
"In order to stop Iraqi blood being shed and maintain unity of Iraq, we call for an end to all armed appearances in Basra and all other Iraqi cities," Sadr said in a statement.
"We declare that anyone carrying weapon and target security forces, government institutions and political parties' offices, will not be one of us," Sadr said.
Israeli FM says to pursue peace talks, “war on terror” simultaneously
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli Foreign Minister TzipiLivni said on Tuesday that peace negotiations with moderate Palestinians and "the war on terror" should be pursued simultaneously, local daily The Jerusalem Post reported.
Livni outlined the basic principles of Israeli policy regarding the Gaza Strip and the West Bank during a meeting with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Geneva talks find no path to full Iran negotiations
By DPA,
Geneva : Iran and world powers, including the US for the first time, failed to find a way towards full negotiations in Geneva Saturday, as Tehran's representatives did not agree to the precondition of suspending uranium enrichment.
Speaking at a news conference after talks with Iranian negotiator Saeid Jalili, EU chief diplomat Solana said that "the most important question" in the dispute with Iran remained unanswered.
Iran: Government welcomes free flow of information
By NNN-IRNA,
Tehran : Iraqi President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has welcomed free flow of information as it has currently become a public demand.
Government spokesman, Gholam-Hossein Elham said on Saturday the President made the remarks in an address to the inaugural ceremony of a meeting of the Public Relations Offices.
The spokesman said the support for the free flow of information was an issue also stressed by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
India-Pakistan peace will pick up momentum: Farooq Abdullah
By IANS,
Srinagar : The peace process between India and Pakistan would soon be back on the rails, the new president of Jammu and Kashmir's ruling National Conference (NC) Farooq Abdullah said here Tuesday while dispelling fears of a war breaking out between the two countries.
The former chief minister, whose son Omar Abdullah took over as chief minister last week, was Tuesday formally elected as president of the National Conference.
Security, peace will prevail due to ground operations on Gaza, says Barak
By NNN-KUNA,
Ramallah : Security and peace will prevail in the region with the beginning of ground operations in the Gaza Strip, said Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Saturday.
He affirmed during a press conference that the army has increased security with the borders with Lebanon, adding that the army would safeguard peace and security of Israeli citizens.
Barak indicated that the mini-cabinet meeting stressed that ground operations aim at destroying the infrastructure of Hamas.
No breakthrough for Iran nuclear stalemate in sight after IAEA report
By Wei Jianhua, Xinhua
Beijing : A breakthrough in the deadlock over Iran's controversial nuclear activities remains as elusive as ever, two days after a report by the world's nuclear watchdog threw up more questions than it answered.
While the report, circulated by IAEA Director General Mohamed El Baradei Friday, made no final judgment on the Iran nuclear issue, it did succeed however in stimulating contradictory responses from Iran and some western countries.
IMRC’s health camps sees 600 people examined in Hyderabad
By TCN News
Hyderabad (Telangana): The Indian Muslim Relief and Charities (IMRC) organised a health check-up camp for about 600 people in Hasan Nagar locality...
Afghanistan, Pakistan pledge to build better relations
By DPA,
Ankara : Pakistan and Afghanistan leaders Thursday reiterated their pledges to cooperate towards promoting peace, security, stability and economic development in the region.
Meeting in Istanbul with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Gilani and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai vowed to continue cooperation in a number of fields and welcomed talks to promote peace in the two countries.
Fake job scam busted in Bahrain
By IANS,
Dubai : A fake job scam has come to light involving a travel agency in Kerala that was trying to recruit people for non-existent jobs in a Bahrain-based firm.
Flyway Tours and Travels (FTT), a Kerala-based company, allegedly tried to run advertisements and conduct interviews for jobs that did not exist in Bahrain's Alfouz Contracting Company, the Gulf Daily News reported.
The company reportedly tried to collect recruitment and visa fees from 492 workers in the south Indian state claiming that it had been authorised by the Bahrain firm to recruit workers.
Awami League holds talks with government in Bangladesh
By IANS,
Dhaka : Representatives of Bangladesh's caretaker government and the largest party, the Awami League, held table talks Sunday, ending a prolonged stand-off ahead of the general elections promised for this year-end.
The agenda of the talks was not announced. But political sources said the Awami League leaders demanded unconditional release of their leader, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in jail since July last year and is ailing.
Bill Gates launches `partners in learning’ plan in UAE
By IANS
Abu Dhabi : Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has announced a number of partnerships with educational institutions and governments in the Middle East as part of Microsoft's 'Partners in Learning' programme, WAM news agency reported Monday.
Gates made the announcement Sunday at the Government Leaders' Forum-Arabia in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In his keynote address, he said the transforming power of education and the critical role public-private partnerships could play in creating vibrant economies across the region.
Lebanon appointed ambassador to Syria for first time
By Xinhua,
Beirut : The Lebanese cabinet appointed Saturday for the first time an ambassador to represent its country in the neighboring state of Syria, local LBC TV reported.
Information Minister Tareq Mitri announced after the cabinet session which was held Saturday at the presidential palace, and chaired by President Michel Suleiman, that the appointment took place, but the name of the ambassador will not be released until an approval is received from Syria according to diplomatic norms.
Pakistani held with Indian currency in Bangladesh
Dhaka : A Pakistani national was detained at the Shahjalal International Airport here Sunday for carrying a large sum of Indian currency.
The airport officials...
No Indian hand in Lahore attack, reiterates Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : Surprised at the Lahore police chief's claim of "an Indian hand" in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team last month, Sri Lanka Friday reiterated that there was "no Indian involvement" in the terror strike that left six players wounded.
"Our Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama had clearly said last month there was no Indian involvement in the attack on our cricketers in Lahore. We continue to maintain that position and there is no change in that," a Sri Lankan foreign ministry official told IANS Friday when asked about the fresh reports from Lahore.
Taliban attacks governor’s convoy in central Afghanistan
By RIA Novosti,
Kabul : Taliban militants set off a bomb in central Afghanistan's Wardak province on Tuesday as a convoy carrying the provincial governor passed by on the way to the capital, Kabul, local radio reported.
The governor, Muhammad Halim Fidai, was not injured in a blast, caused by a remote-controlled roadside bomb, the Salam Watandar radio said, adding that four suspects were detained shortly after the incident.
Impossible to deprive Iran of nuclear technology: Larijani
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran's parliament Speaker Ali Larijani Saturday said it was impossible to prevent his country of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, Mehr news agency reported.
"Iran has observed international regulations and depriving Iran of nuclear technology is impossible," Larijani told visiting former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder during a meeting in Tehran.
Larijani's comments came after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Thursday in a report that Tehran has not stopped its controversial uranium enrichment though it has slowed down its activities.
Bush warns Iran against attacking US ships
By DPA
Washington/Jerusalem : US President George W. Bush has sternly warned Iran of "serious consequences" if it attacks US warships in the Gulf.
"We have made it clear publicly and they know our position, and that is, there will be serious consequences if they attack our ships, pure and simple. And my advice to them is don't do it," Bush said Wednesday at a press conference in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Brown in Afghanistan after blasts kill four British soldiers
By DPA,
Kabul : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrived on a surprise visit to Afghanistan Saturday, a day after four British soldiers were killed in suicide and roadside attacks.
A source in the Afghan presidential palace said Brown was scheduled to meet President Hamid Karzai, and the two would hold a joint press conference later in the day.
Brown's visit came a day after four British soldiers were killed in two separate blasts in Sangin district of southern Helmand province Friday.
Scotland Yard makes no headway in Benazir murder probe
By IANS
Islamabad : The Scotland Yard team probing the murder of Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto is facing "lots of difficulties" in the investigation owing to the lack of evidence at the assassination site.
There are speculations regarding any "headway" made by the foreign experts in the case, "but generally it is believed that the Scotland Yard team is facing a lot of difficulties because the crime scene was washed away", said The News Monday.
UK denies double standards towards Iran, Israel
By IRNA,
London : Foreign Secretary David Miliband has denied that the British government is using double standards by imposing sanctions against Iran for its civilian nuclear program but not against Israel, which already has nuclear weapons.
“I do not think that that is a contradiction,” said Miliband when challenged during Foreign Affairs Questions in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
Death toll of twin blasts in E Pakistan reaches 45
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Up to 45 people were killed and 60 others injured in two suicide blasts in eastern Punjab province on Thursday, the state-run PTV reported.
The blasts occurred at the main gate and another gate of Pakistan Ordinance Factory in Wah Cantt, a city located approximately 50 km northwest of Islamabad, said the report.
The blasts took place when the shift was changed and a lot of workers were leaving the cantonment.
Local TV channel reports said they were suicide blasts targeting the workers.
Sharif, Zardari challenge Musharraf to convene parliament
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : In their first show of strength after the polls, Pakistan's opposition parties Wednesday challenged President Pervez Musharraf to call a session of the newly elected parliament and said parties backed by him had failed to muster support.
"This is the time that Musharraf should step down," former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said while addressing the meeting of 173 newly elected members of the National Assembly.
Pakistan links talks to resuming composite dialogue: Report
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan has indicated it would not be possible for it to send its foreign secretary to India for talks without making progress towards on the composite dialogue, stalled in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, a private TV channel reported on Monday.
"If India wants talks on one-point agenda and other issues have been ignored, then Pakistan is unlikely to send its foreign secretary to India for talks", the channel quoted sources privy to the developments as saying.
UN Tells Israel Again to Stop Constructing Settlements
By SPA
United Nations : The United Nations has once against raised “serious concerns” with the Israeli government about the construction of settlements on occupied Palestinian land, a spokesman for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday.
“We have raised with the Israeli government, through UNSCO (UN Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories), our serious concerns at recent reports of further settlement activity and we are awaiting clarifications,” Ban’s spokeswoman Marie Okabe told reporters.
Convict’s execution postponed by 30 days in Pakistan
Islamabad : Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain has, on the advice of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, postponed the execution of murder convict Saulat Mirza by...
David Cameron was right on “Islamist” extremism
By A. Faizur Rahman for TwoCircles.net,
Pakistan asks illegal immigrants to leave Karachi
Islamabad, Jan 9, IRNA - Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik Saturday asked all illegal immigrants to leave the violence-hit Karachi in a month or face a major crackdown.
Karachi, also the port city, has recently seen bomb attacks and targeted killings of political activities, which has claimed lives of upto 100 people in two weeks, according to police.
Obama offers condolences over Afghan chopper crash
By IANS,
Washington : President Barack Obama offered condolences Saturday to the families of 31 US soldiers killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.
14-year-old Palestinian killed in Israeli incursion
By KUNA
Gaza : A Palestinian child lost his life in an Israeli incursion that targeted fringes of the Palestinian shanty town of Al-Bureij in central Gaza on Sunday.
Medical sources said Ziad Abu Rekbah, 14, was killed with Israeli sniper fire during the operation, adding that four Palestinians were also wounded and hospitalized.
The Palestinian was killed in the Israeli operation, carried out under cover of a hail of gunfire.
Israeli missile misses Gaza car kills three civilians
By Xinhua
Gaza : Three Palestinian civilians were killed and five wounded on Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike on a car that drove in the eastern part of Gaza City, paramedics and eyewitnesses said.
The witnesses said that an air-to-ground missile that was fired from an Israeli aircraft, missed a car that drove in a Gaza main street, adding that a huge explosion was heard, where ambulance and rescue teams arrived at the scene.
2 killed in explosion in Gaza
By SPA,
Gaza City, Gaza Strip : Palestinian medics say that Two Palestinians have been killed in the northern Gaza Strip.
Medics say an Israeli strike killed the men, according to a report of Associated Press.
The Popular Resistance Committees Group says one of the dead was a member. The identity of the other man has not been confirmed.
U.S. mulling rotation of troops in S.Korea to Afghanistan: Commander
By NNN-Yonhap,
Seoul : The U.S. is discussing with South Korea the possibility of redeploying some American troops here to Afghanistan after they readjust their South Korean tours, the top American military commander said in a speech obtained on Monday.
South Korea's defense ministry denied being in talks with its U.S. counterpart on the potential deployment, which would mark the second time for U.S. troops here to be sent to the Middle East.
Dhaka ‘soft’ on Islamist groups: media
By IANS
Dhaka : The Bangladesh government is 'soft' on Islamist groups, allowing their violent protests against a proposed women's development law despite a national emergency in force, the media alleged Sunday.
An editorial in the New Age newspaper contrasted this with the crackdown on workers of non-religious bodies since the emergency was imposed in January last year.
US general meets Pakistani army officials
By IANS,
Islamabad : A top US army officer has met Pakistani Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and other senior military and security officials during his visit to the country.
Pakistan orders release of all Indian fishermen
By IANS,
Islamabad : As a goodwill gesture towards India, Pakistan has ordered the release of all Indian fishermen imprisoned in the country, Geo News reported Tuesday.
Stop lecturing, help us, Pakistan tells West
By IANS,
New York : Pakistan's ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani has urged the international community to help Pakistan in its efforts to prevent the Talibanisation of the country's Swat and Buner regions instead of giving lectures, the Online news agency reported.
"We have shared our concerns with the US and do not want Talibanisation in Pakistan at all", Haqqani said.
The Swat deal aims to establish peace besides loss of human lives, he said, and made it clear that the deal did not mean, "We have surrendered to militants".
No bar on Indian workers to Saudi Arabia: embassy
Riyadh: The Indian government has not put curbs on sending workers to Saudi Arabia, the Indian embassy here has said.
A report published by a...
Dhaka business chamber calls for strife-free polls
By IANS,
Dhaka : A leading industry lobby in Bangladesh has asked political parties preparing for the Dec 18 polls to shun "politics of conflict and violence".
"Let us not miss this train," Annisul Huq, chief of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) chief said at an Iftar party he hosted during the current Ramadan month for leaders of mainstream parties, the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), besides professionals.
Israel-Hamas talks on prisoner exchange fail
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : Talks between Israel and Hamas in Cairo over a prisoner exchange failed to reach an agreement, Israeli media reports said.
The office of outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said late Monday that the talks collapsed because Hamas was making excessive demands and hardened its stance.
The Israeli envoys, domestic security chief Yuval Diskin and diplomat Ofer Dekel, said Hamas has also backed away from agreements that had already been reached in the talks, according to the Haaretz newspaper.
Bangladesh High Court stays proceedings in a corruption case against former
By KUNA
New Deldi : The Bangladesh High Court (HC) has stayed proceedings of an extortion case against former Prime Minister Sheikha Hasina at a country's trial court until disposal of a rule pending in an HC bench.
A HC bench Thursday passed the order following an application filed by Hasina seeking stay on the case, Bangladesh's leading English daily "The Daily Star' reported Friday.
Bangladeshi jurists oppose military law to try border guard mutineers
By IANS,
Dhaka : Most of the eminent jurists who appeared before Bangladesh's Supreme Court have opposed the use of military law to try border guard troopers who staged a mutiny earlier this year, killing 71 people.
The apex court Thursday concluded hearing a batch of ten amici curiae (friends of the court) on the presidential reference seeking a ruling on the law to apply while trying the mutineers, Star Online reported.
US wants Pakistani coalition government to remain intact
By KUNA,
Islamabad : The US wants coalition government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) to remain intact after the two parties developed differences over Musharraf deposed Judges with PML-N pulling out his men from the federal cabinet in protest.
The visiting three-member US congressional delegation headed by Adam Schiff, arrived here Sunday night, Monday held extensive meetings with President Pervez Musharraf, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, and PML-N members as well as other government officials.
Lahore attackers same as those who struck Mumbai: Punjab governor
By IANS,
Lahore : The terrorists who attacked the Sri Lankan team here Tuesday morning were the same who had struck in Mumbai, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer said.
"It was a planned terrorist act on the pattern of the attack on Mumbai. I believe the same terrorists are involved in both the incidents," Taseer told reporters.
More than 170 people were killed in the Mumbai terror attack that began on Nov 26 last year and ended only 60 hours later.
UK plans dedicated team to investigate Iraq abuse
London, Mar 2, IRNA – Britain’s Ministry of Defence is considering setting up a special dedicated team to investigate all cases of alleged abuse of Iraqi civilians by UK troops but insists the move is “not an admission of fault.”
“The uncertainty created by these allegations risks undermining unfairly their reputation and achievements, and we owe to them, and to the claimants, that these allegations are properly investigated,” Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell said.
Egypt pushes for implementing Gaza ceasefire proposal
By Yu Zhongwen, Xinhua,
Cairo : Egypt has been in intensive contacts with parties concerned recently to push for the implementation of a ceasefire initiative in the Gaza Strip proposed by President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday.
On Saturday morning, Mubarak held talks with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the Egyptian proposal.
At a press conference following talks with Mubarak, Abbas urged Israel to accept the Egyptian plan in a bid to put an end to the conflict in the Palestinian enclave.
MWL highlights role of Saudi Security Authorities in uncovering terror cells
By SPA,
Makkah : The officials lauded the implementation of Islamic Sharia by the Kingdom and opting for Islam as a way for ruling as well as the policy of moderation.
They also hailed the excellent services being extended by the Kingdom for Islam and Muslims in addition to its great attention extended to the pilgrims and Umrah performers.
Dr Al-Turki said "the terror acts constitute an aggression against the innocent people and the religion."
Opposition PML-N wants Musharaf tried for Benazir assassination
By IANS,
Islamabad : The demand for trying former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has resurfaced with the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) now saying he should be arraigned for the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
"The (ruling) PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party) and its government are duty-bound to register a case against Musharraf under section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code and arrest him immediately," PML-N spokesman Muhammad Siddiqul Farooque said at a news conference here Tuesday.
Lebanon marks fourth anniversary of Hariri killing
By DPA,
Beirut : Amid tightened security measures, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese rallied Saturday at the Martyrs Square in central Beirut to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.
The demonstrators carried Lebanese flags and banners reading "Independence, Sovereignty, Freedom", "Lebanese Unity", and sang the national anthem of the country.
13 killed in Iraq violence
By IANS,
Baghdad : Thirteen people were killed in gun and bomb attacks in Iraq Thursday, police said.