Palestinian death toll in Israeli strikes rises to 234: UN
By DPA
Geneva : Up to 234 Palestinians have been killed in 2008 till date as a result of Israeli military attacks as against 301 in 2007, according to figures published by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Tuesday.
UNRWA said 123 Palestinians including 55 unarmed civilians, among them 27 children, died last week as a result of Israeli military operations. Five Israelis were killed in the same period, four from military operations inside Gaza and one by a rocket landing in Israel.
At leas Six girls die in accident near Islamabad city
By SPA
Islamabad : At least six laborer girls died and ten others were seriously injured in a head-on collision between two vehicles near Islamabad city Friday, police said.
A wagon carrying laborer girls coming from Kahota rammed into a government bus near Aliot.
The injured girls were rushed to the nearby hospital in Kahota.
The ill-fated girls were going to a factory to work.
Pakistani government in crisis after coalition party quits
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani government was pushed to political turmoil on Monday after a partner quit the ruling coalition, leaving the minority administration that will struggle to survive.
At least 12 killed in Iraq car bombing
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : At least 12 people were killed and more than 40 wounded in a car bomb explosion in Iraq's Diyala province Tuesday, a provincial police source said.
"A booby-trapped car parked outside a courthouse in the city of Baquba, 65 km northeast of Baghdad, went off at about 11:30 a.m., killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 40," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Women and children were among the casualties, the source said.
Iran opposition to challenge Ahmadinejad in polls
By DPA,
Tehran : Iranian opposition groups are preparing to mount a challenge to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in next June's presidential elections, local media reported Saturday.
Mehdi Karroubi, the 71-year-old head of the moderate Etemad Melli (National Trust) party, will most likely be the first to confirm his candidacy for the June 12, 2009 elections in a press conference Sunday.
Reformers are still hoping to persuade former president Mohammad Khatami to run for office, but the 65-year-old cleric has not yet decided.
Let 2015 be a start to a future of ‘lasts’ rather than ‘half’ measures...
By TCN News,
New Delhi: After receiving the Nobel Peace prize with India’s Kailash Satyarthi, Pakistan’s young education activist Malala Yousafzai has written an open letter to the world leaders. In India, the campaigners have sent this letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
No decision made yet in Iraq on US draft deal – Iraqi official
By KUNA,
Baghdad : Iraq's Political Council for National Security discussed the country's draft security deal with the United States in a meeting held Friday evening, according to the Chief of the Iraqi Presidential Office Nasir Al-Ani.
In a press conference following the meeting, Al-Ani said that the encounter was full of suggestions and productive feedback regarding a number of points in the draft proposal.
Malaysia will continue to receive large foreign investment
By NNN-Bernama
Putrajaya : Malaysia under Barisan Nasional (BN) will continue to receive large foreign investment, said Wanita UMNO Chief Rafidah Aziz.
"As long as the BN rules the country, foreign investment will continue to pour into the country as they know Malaysia's competitiveness," she told reporters at Seri Perdana on Sunday.
Rafidah was asked to comment on whether the BN's defeat in the five states in the just-concluded general election would have an impact on foreign investors.
She said the government would continue with its business-friendly policy.
Don’t encourage Israel with unrealistic charges: Iran tells Obama
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran Friday asked US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama not to encourage Israel with "unrealistic" charges against the Islamic country and its "peaceful" nuclear programme, IRNA reported Friday.
"The peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme is undeniable," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini told reporters at a press briefing.
500,000 Indians arrive in Saudi Arabia in 16 months
Riyadh : Nearly 500,000 Indian workers arrived in Saudi Arabia in the last 16 months, making them the largest group of expatriates in the...
EU, Iraq hopeful to conclude cooperation accord this year
By NNN-KUNA
Brussels : The European Union and Iraqi officials have concluded the fourth round of negotiations for a trade and cooperation agreement (TCA) on an optimistic note.
During the two-day of negotiations the two sides covered much ground, Hugues Mingarelli, Deputy Director-General for the External Relations in the European Commission told a news conference Wednesday.
Hamas says will respond Saturday to truce proposal
By DPA,
Gaza : An official in the Islamist movement Hamas said Thursday that the movement would give its final answer on Saturday to a possible Egyptian-brokered truce with Israel, but said that Israeli proposals for an agreement were vague.
Hamas Gaza spokesman in Gaza Fawzi Barhoum said that "a deal on a truce was not reached" because Israel had linked ending its blockade on the Gaza Strip and opening the border crossings - a key Hamas demand - with the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held captive in the Strip for over two-and-a-half years.
U.S. military says it keeps 21,000 detainees in Iraq
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : The U.S. military said on Saturday that roughly 21,000 Iraqi detainees are in its custody at two U.S.-run prisons in Iraq, despite releasing more than 10,000 other detainees so far in 2008.
A military statement revealed that the U.S. troops currently hold a total of around 21,000 detainees, some 17,000 of them at Camp Bucca near Basra, and about 3,000 others at Camp Cropper in Baghdad.
The total number also included a dozen women, over 300 juveniles, about 200 foreigners and about 200 detainees over the age of 60, the statement said.
Check terror, don’t harp on Kashmir: India to Pakistan
By Lalit K. Jha, IANS,
United Nations : India has told Pakistan that it should concentrate on taking action against those terrorists who were instrumental in the Mumbai terror attacks rather than harping on the Kashmir issue.
"Pakistan should focus its attention on taking action against the criminals who perpetrate or aid, abet, finance or otherwise support terrorism, rather than bringing before this council extraneous issues relating to the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir," Indian diplomat Vikram Doraiswami said at the UN headquarters here Tuesday.
Pakistan arrests 61 Indian fishermen
Islamabad : Sixty one India fishermen on board 11 boats were arrested by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency, a media report said Friday.
Cases have...
Pakistan’s new parliament session begins amid tight security
By NNN-Xinhua
Islamabad : The inaugural session of Pakistan's National Assembly or the lower house of parliament begins at 11:50 a.m. local time Monday, in which the members-elected will take oath.
The parliament session was originally scheduled at 11 a.m. Monday morning. The parties were still holding close consultations on the government formation before the session begins.
The security in Islamabad is tightened since Pakistan has undergone a wave of violent attacks this year.
Arab countries urged to help end Israel’s blockade against Gaza
By Xinhua
Tunis : Libya's foreign ministry Monday presented an urgent note to the Arab League (AL) calling on its member states to take a firm stand and help lift the blockade Israel imposed on Palestinians.
The note calls for an urgent meeting of AL foreign ministers and urged concrete measures to end the blockade rather than issuing resolutions and statements that will never be put into action.
The note says that an earlier AL resolution must be carried out to open passage to the Gaza Strip to allow in food, medicine and fuel.
Blast kills one, injures seven in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : One person was killed and seven others injured in an explosion in southwestern Pakistan's Balochistan province Friday, Dawn News TV channel reported.
Witnesses said a bomb was attached to a motorcycle and parked outside a bank on Jinnah Road at the Mannan Chowk market in Quetta, the capital city of the province.
The TV channel cited the police saying that one person was killed and seven injured in the blast.
The injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital.
Pakistani Prime Minister arrives in Yemen
By NNN-APP
Sana, Yemen : Prime Minister Muhammadmian Soomro arrived here Friday on a two-day official visit.
He was warmly received at the airport by Yemeni Prime Minister Dr Ali Muhammad Mujowwar and other senior officials.
On arrival, the Prime Minister and his delegation was presented guard of honour. Two children presented him a bouquet.
Prime Minister Mujowwar introduced him to members of his cabinet. Later Prime Minister Soomro introduced members of his entourage to the Yemeni Prime Minister.
US envoy in Pakistan after regional archrivals appeared on brink of war
By KUNA,
Islamabad : US Undersecretary of State John Neegroponte arrived on Thursday in a follow-up effort by the superpower to defuse renewed escalation between archrivals, Pakistan and India.
Negroponte, during his brief daylong visit, was to hold meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Pakistan, US spar over Coalition Support Fund
By IANS,
Islamabad : Differences have cropped up between Pakistan and the US over the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) to be released to this country and negotiations between the two countries on this Tuesday remained inconclusive.
Finance ministry sources told Online news agency that during negotiations between senior officials of the ministry and US embassy, it was stressed that $2 billion should be paid under the fund.
The US, however, said it would pay only $1.4 billion as the receipts received from the Pakistan Army showed a shortfall of $600 million dollars.
US, Iraq negotiating details on forces agreement
By DPA,
Washington : US and Iraqi officials are working on the details of an agreement to establish a legal basis for the presence of US soldiers after the end of this year, the White House said Friday.
"We are in the process of working out details right now," said Gordon Johndroe, a White House spokesman. "There are still discussions ongoing."
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in Iraq Thursday, holding several hours of talks on the broader military and political agreement with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.
UAE, Serbia sign agreements
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Serbia have signed agreements for cooperation and promoting investments.
Palestinian fighters fire missiles, engage Israeli troops in ground clashes
By KUNA
Gaza : Locally-made rockets fired from north Gaza targeted the southern Israeli town of Sderot on Sunday and Palestinian gunmen engaged in ground clashes with Israeli troops in the West Bank.
A spokesman of the Israeli Army said a pair of missiles, unleashed from the north of Gaza Strip, hit an uninhabited area near Sdeort, causing no losses.
Advance poll date, Bangladesh ex-premier tells government
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh's jailed former prime minister Khaleda Zia has demanded that the military-backed government lift emergency curbs by this month-end and advance the parliamentary poll dates to October.
She questioned the government's neutrality and said the popularity of the administration run by Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed was "minus zero", The Daily Star newspaper said Thursday.
At least 59 killed, 76 wounded in Iraqi violence
By DPA,
Baghdad : At least 59 people were killed and 76 wounded Tuesday in separate incidents across Iraq, police, security sources and eyewitnesses said.
In Baquba, 40 people were killed and 60 wounded when a suicide bomber detonated his vehicle near the main governmental office of Baquba, police and local witnesses said.
The casualty figure in the blast in Baquba, 60 km north of Baghdad, was much higher than the initial reports of 15 killed and 28 wounded.
Police officers allowed ambulance vans to rush to the blast scene to move the wounded to the hospitals.
9 militants killed, weapons discovered in Afghan operations
By Zhang Yunlong, Xinhua,
Kabul : Four militants were killed in southern Afghan province Helmand and five rebels died in eastern Afghanistan during joint operations of Afghan security personnel and the U.S.-led Coalition forces, the interior ministry said Sunday.
A combined force of Afghan National Police (ANP) and the Coalition Friday night killed "four enemies" and discovered one satellite phone, one car and some weapons in Musa Qala, a known district for active insurgency in Helmand, the ministry said in a statement.
Hamas: Israel to respond to ceasefire after Olmert’s U.S. trip
By Xinhua,
Gaza : The Islamic Hamas movement will hear Israel's response to an Egyptian offer for a Gaza ceasefire after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert returns from Washington, a Hamas leader said on Wednesday.
Mahmoud Zahar, a Gaza-based Hamas leader, told the press that the response will be "positive" because Egypt has urged Israel to respond quickly and helpfully.
"This is in order to prevent more complications and to avoid returning again to the zero point," he added.
EU to send 100-member team to observe Afghan elections
By IANS,
Brussels : The European Union (EU) will send a 100-member team to Afghanistan to monitor the presidential and provincial council elections scheduled to take place Aug 20, according to a statement Monday.
The EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) include the 17 core team experts who are already in Afghanistan and will be joined in due course by other observers, EuAsiaNews reported, citing a statement by the European Commission, the executive branch of the 27-member grouping.
Bangladesh’s Dalits seek better life
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh's 1.5 million Dalits are seeking recognition for the menial work they do and also a better deal for their children.
The Dalits were brought to present-day Bangladesh by the British rulers in 1835 from India's Kanpur and Nagpur cities.
Community leaders say that although they educate their children, they are not given jobs because of their identity as Dalits.
Krishnalal, chairperson of the Bangladesh Harijan Oikya Parishad, said at a conference here Tuesday: "We keep the city clean and for that occupation we are considered untouchables."
Pakistani forces kill 28 Taliban in Swat
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistani security forces Friday killed 28 more militants and arrested another seven in an ongoing massive operation against the Taliban in the northwestern district of Swat.
The Pakistani Army said in a statement that five soldiers and two civilians were also injured in clashes and exchange of fire with the militants at various places in the area.
The army launched operations against Taliban militants in Swat, located nearly 140 km form Islamabad, early this month when the militants failed to observe a peace deal with the government.
Taliban kill five in Pakistan clashes: police
By BERNAMA,
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (ANTARA/AFP) - Taliban militants killed five people, including three policemen, in clashes with tribesmen and police after seizing control of a mountain top in northwest Pakistan, police said Tuesday.
"Five people, including three policemen, were killed during an exchange of fire overnight between a tribal force and the Taliban in Buner near Swat valley," local police official Sher Khan told AFP by telephone.
"We recovered five dead bodies from the area," he said adding that one civilian was wounded during the exchange of fire.
Fazlallah says nature of Lebanese crisis political
By NNN-IRNA,
Beirut : Lebanese Shi'a source of jurisprudence Allameh Seyyed Muhammad-Hussain Fazlallah said here Friday current Lebanese crisis in neither religious, nor ethnic, but only political.
According to IRNA from Beirut, Fazlallah who was addressing the Friday Prayer worshipers at Hasanain Mosque in a southern Beirut suburb added, "Both the Muslim and the Christian religious leaders should take extreme care not to fall preys to the ethnic disputes."
PLO considers declaring Gaza a ‘rebel region’
BY Xinhua,
Ramallah : The executive committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), its highest decision making body, has been considering declaring the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip "a rebel region", sources said Sunday.
The PLO executive discussed the plan recently after peaceful efforts to end the split between the West Bank and Gaza failed, the sources said.
"A growing opinion among the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in Ramallah is taking shape to call for settling the situation with the Gaza Strip by force," the sources said.
Some 72,000 buildings in Dhaka vulnerable to quake
By NNN-Bernama,
Dhaka : Some 72,000 buildings in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka have been classified as earthquake-prone structures, the Bangladeshi Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzak told the Parliament.
The minister gave the information referring to a study jointly conducted by the Housing and Public Works Ministry and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, China's Xinhua news agency cited a local daily as saying on Wednesday.
Coalition partners meeting on July 23-24: Pakistani PM Gilani
By NNN-APP,
Lahore : Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that a meeting of coalition partners is being convened on July 23 and 24 in Islambad to evolve consensus strategy to deal with a handful elements involved in terrorist activities and creating law and order situation in the country.
Yamani chairs meeting of Protection of Competition Council
By SPA
Riyadh : Minister of Commerce Dr Hashim Yamani chaired here today an extraordinary meeting of the Protection of Competition Council.
The Council’s Secretary General Mohammed Sindi said the participants of the meeting had reviewed issues pertaining to the hike of the prices of diaries and their derivatives.
The Council has ordered its General Secretariat to investigate in this respect.
Iraqi forces ‘turned the corner’ in battling insurgents: FM
By NNN-PTI,
United Nations : Iraqi forces backed by the US-led troops have "turned the corner" in the fight against terrorism and insurgency but the improvement remains "fragile," Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said.
Giving his assessment in the UN Security Council Friday, he said the Iraqi forces have grown to almost 600,000, are better equipped than ever and have assumed primary responsibility in more than half of 18 provinces but they cannot as yet take responsibility for the entire country.
Abbas appeals for halt of Israeli aggression, ends negotiations with Tel Aviv
By NNN-KUNA
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that he will continue contacts with all concerned parties to bring about an end to the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.
Speaking during a blood donation campaign here Sunday organised for victims of the Israeli attacks in Gaza, Abbas said contacts would continue to bring an end to the Israeli aggression.
Abbas said contacts have been launched with world leaders, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union and the Arab League to stop the Israeli attack.
Taliban militants attack government buildings in Kabul
By DPA,
Kabul : An unknown number of Taliban militants occupied a building in central Kabul close to the presidential palace Monday and shots and explosions were heard from the area, police and witnesses said.
The militants fired at the southern gate of the presidential palace and at finance and justice ministries from Foreshgah Buzerg Afghan, a shopping complex where they took up position, said a police official.
"Police, army forces and intelligence forces are preparing to raid the building," he said.
Israeli PM seeks world to set ‘red line’ for Iran
By IANS,
Jerusalem : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for setting "clear red lines" for Iran to curb its nuclear plan.
Car bomb kills 3 in northern Baghdad
By Xinhua
Baghdad : A car bomb went off in a northern Baghdad neighborhood on Sunday killed three people and wounded 13 others, an Interior Ministry source said.
The car bomb parked on a main road in the neighborhood of Qahirah detonated after midday, killing three people, including a policeman, and wounding 13 others, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Pakistan PM wants army back in barracks in two weeks
By IANS
Islamabad : The army should return to the barracks in two weeks, Pakistan's new Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani said here Saturday, sending a strong message to the military to stay out of politics as ruling was "the right of the people".
"Ruling is the right of people which they give to their elected representatives ... I urge upon the armed forces to call back all army officers from civilian organisations within two weeks," Gillani said after getting an unopposed vote of confidence from the National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan's parliament.
Security clash leaves eight militant dead in Pakistan
Islamabad : At least two soldiers and eight militants were killed in a clash between militants and security forces in Pakistan's northwest tribal area...
US paper urges support for democratic consolidation in Pakistan
By NNN-APP
Washington : A main American newspaper has urged US support for democratic development in Pakistan while observing that the South Asian country is on the verge of taking a major step towards consolidating secular democracy , the best antidote to extremism.
In an editorial, The Washington Post argued on the eve of the new parliament’s first meeting that a strong democracy offers the best long-term answer to the Taliban and al-Qaeda attacks against the country.
We are fighting for our lives: Pakistani President Zardari
By NNN-APP,
London : In his article published Monday in a respected British daily “The Guardian”, President Asif Ali Zardari has pledged to defeat the terrorists and said Pakistan’s security is backed up by democracy and a strong economy.
Thed President wrote that the war against terrorism has cost Pakistan not just in lives but also in economic terms, freezing international investment and diverting priorities from social and other sectors.
Pakistan school attack: China offers condolences, aid
Islamabad : China has offered condolences on the death of innocent people, most of them students, in a terror attack Tuesday on an army-run...
Ahmadinejad: honoring book creators in glorification of culture and art
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that honouring book creators is glorification of culture, thought and art.
At the 25th Islamic Republic of Iran's Year Book and the 15th World Award ceremony in which Majlis Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel and Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hossein Saffar Harandi were present, Ahmadinejad said that honoring book creators is loving human beings and leading them toward the peak of perfection.
US, EU, Iran to meet over n-talks
Washington : Top diplomats of the US, the European Union (EU) and Iran will meet next week as the deadline approaches for negotiating a...
Mullen commends Pakistan’s ‘great’ steps
By NNN-APP,
Washington : Chairman US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen has commended Pakistan’s “great steps” to curb militancy, saying Islamabad has a real appreciation for seriousness of the terrorism threat.
“I can tell you that in Pakistan, as well, I sensed a real appreciation for both the seriousness of the attacks and the growing threats of terrorism inside their own borders,”
Mullen, who last week visited India and Pakistan in the wake of Mumbai attacks, told a Pentagon news conference Wednesday.
Pakistan PM: Cultural Ministry to ensure transfer of confiscated antiquities
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has directed the Ministry of Culture to make necessary arrangements for the transfer of confiscated antiquities of Pakistan origin from Italy and United Kingdom.
He said the ministry should send a two-member technical delegation to make all the necessary arrangements for the transfer of the confiscated antiquities from the two countries.
The Italian Police has confiscated 96 antiquities of Pakistani origin and handed over to Pakistan embassy in Rome, Italy.
Pakistanis fleeing into Afghanistan to avoid war
By Xinhua,
Kabul : Nearly 4,000 Pakistani families have sought refuge in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province to avoid the ongoing conflict between security forces and militants in Pakistan's Bajaur tribal region, the UN said here Monday.
"More than 3,900 families have fled the fighting in Pakistan's Bajaur tribal region and are taking refuge in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan," the UN Agency for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement.
Pakistan: Sharif says no to presidential post
By NNN-PTI
Islamabad : PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has ruled himself out as a candidate for the post of president and said his party could become part of Pakistan's new government only if President Pervez Musharraf steps down.
Reacting to reports that he could be made president as part of efforts by the PML-N and Pakistan People's Party to form the new government after the Feb 18 polls, Sharif said he was not a candidate for the post.
The PML-N had assured the PPP of its complete support in forming government at the centre, the former premier said.
Pakistan wants a board-based relationship with Bangladesh: Pakistan High Commissioner
By NNN-BSS,
Chittagong, Bangladesh : Pakistan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Alamgir Babar said his country wants a broad- based relationship with Bangladesh for the welfare of people between the two countries.
"We believe in partnership in different prospective fields for the welfare of people of both sides" he said while speaking as the chief guest at a function of handing over computers and other logistics support for Chittagong Press Club (CPC)Institute of Technology here this morning.
105 kg gold seized in Bangladesh’s Chittagong airport
Dhaka : Customs officials seized 105 kg of gold bars at Bangladesh's second largest airport in Chittagong Tuesday.
"We've seized 902 gold bars weighing about...
‘Power-sharing among Malaysian ethnic groups to continue’
By IANS
Kuala Lumpur : The power-sharing pact among the parties of the pre-independence alliance that form Malaysia's ruling Barisan Nasional, shall continue, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has said.
Razak harked back to the pre-independence alliance between Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tan Cheng Lock and V. Sambanthan, who represented the Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnic groups respectively, at a function here Saturday.
Australian PM offers condolence for killed soldier
By Xinhua,
Canberra : Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said here on Monday the death of Lance Corporal Jason Marks, in a firefight with the Taliban represented a sad day for the nation and a tragic day for his family.
"Lance Corporal Marks was a highly-trained and professional soldier, was an inspiration to others," Rudd told reporters in Canberra.
"My deepest sympathies and those of my family and those of the nation go to Lance Corporal Marks' family and friends and his colleagues," he said.
Iran’s top nuclear negotiator to visit China Jan. 17-18
TEHRAN, January 16 (RIA Novosti) - Iran's top nuclear negotiator will visit China on January 17-18, ahead of next week's Iran Six talks on possible new sanctions against the Islamic Republic, an Iranian news agency said Wednesday.
During his two-day visit, Saeed Jalili, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and other high-ranking officials to discuss bilateral relations and the Iranian nuclear program, the IRNA news agency reported.
UK confirms deaths of 2 RAF men in Kandahar province
By SPA,
London : Britain has confirmed that two Royal Air Force servicemen were killed in Kandahar province in Afghanistan on Sunday.
The Ministry of Defense did not release the names on Monday but says that next-of-kin have been informed.
The ministry says the two men were killed when their vehicle hit an explosive device; two colleagues were injured in the incident, the Associated Press reported.
Saudi king orders separation of Syrian Siamese twins
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has instructed the country's health ministry to arrange for surgery to separate a pair...
IS militants destroy Iraq’s ancient Hatra city
Baghdad: The Iraqi government on Saturday said the Islamic State (IS) militants destroyed the ancient remains of Hatra city in the northern province of...
NATO force denies civilian casualties claim
By Xinhua,
Kabul : The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in a statement on Wednesday rejected the claims that ISAF killed 30 civilians in the joint area of eastern Afghan provinces of Nuristan and Kunar.
"Our extensive investigation reveals that the closest air strikes carried out were 43.1 kilometers to the east of villages which media quoted local officials as the scene of event," the statement said.
ISAF therefore rejects these claims as baseless, it said.
Blast kills 4 in Yemen – local official
By SPA,
Sana'a : At least four people were killed by an explosion near a postal office in Yemen's northern Saada province, a local official said on Saturday.
The cause of the explosion was unknown, he was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Al-Aqsa tension mounts, official warns of religious war
Jerusalem: A senior Palestinian official on Sunday warned of a regional religious war that might break out as long as tension at the al-Aqsa...
Iran: Strait Incident Common
Tehran, (Prensa Latina) The Iranian Foreign Affairs Ministry considered on Monday that the weekend events in the Strait of Hormuz between Iranian motorboats and US Navy ships were something normal and ordinary.
The narrow (21-miles-at its narrowest) strait is a strategically important oil waterway between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, and is between Iran and the United Arab Emirates and an enclave of Oman.
Nations canot be held hostage by non-state actors: Pakistani President Zardari
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday said that non-state actors cannot hold nations hostage, as the Mumbai blasts have given Pakistan and India a chance to turn a calamity into an opportunity.
“This is an opportunity rather than a defeat of nations. Because the nations cannot be held hostage. We don’t think that great nations can be held hostage by non-state actors,” he said in an interview with AAJ television.
The President said that it often happens in history that non- state actors do push the nations towards a situation where fallout is horrific.
Pakistan President to visit Saudi Arabia
By SPA,
Riyadh : Pakistan's President Asif Zardari will arrive here on Tuesday on a visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during which he meets the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
During the meeting, they will discuss the bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries and ways of strengthening them in various fields in addition to regional and international issues of common concern.
During the visit, he will also perform Umrah (the minor pilgrimage) and visit the Prophet's Mosque.
Final batch of M’sians return from strife-torn Libya
By NNN-Bernama,
Sepang, Malaysia : The third and final batch of Malaysians airlifted out of strife-torn Libya returned here today.
Nine terrorists killed in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad: At least nine terrorists were killed Saturday when army helicopter gunships pounded their hideouts in Hangu district in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Four...
Israeli Police on highest alert
By KUNA,
Gaza : Israeli Police put all its units on highest alert Sunday across Israeli territory, Radio Israel reported this morning.
"This step was taken after security authorities received detailed intelligence and traced leads to Palestinian factions in the process of executing planned attacks inside Israel," the radio added.
The station added thousands of policemen, border guards, and volunteers were deployed in all Israeli cities, and most particularly in crowded cities.
Iran Firm on Peaceful N-Program
By Prensa Latina,
Tehran : Iranian Parliament President, Ali Larijani, advised today to "take seriously" the warnings of an attack on the Islamic Republic made by Mohamed El Baradei, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Larijani called for the West not to provoke Iran over its nuclear development for peaceful use and repeated "there is little time for interaction," according to IRNA news agency.
Blast rocks cinema in Pakistan: state TV
By IRNA,
Peshawar : A bomb blast rocked a cinema house in a Pakistan's northwestern city on Sunday, causing casualties, state television reported Sunday.
PTV reported that around 90 people were watching movie when the blast occurred at the city of Bannu in Northwest Frontier Province.
Several people were feared dead and injured in the blast.
Iran’s parliament pressures Ahmadinejad over vice president pick
By DPA,
Tehran : Iran's parliament has increased pressure on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over his controversial appointment of his first vice president, Fars news agency reported Wednesday.
The parliament wants Ahmadinejad to sack his new appointment, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly ordered the president to do so.
Arson in Danish cities after Mohammed cartoon republished
By DPA
Copenhagen : Cars and trash containers were set on fire overnight in several Danish cities and a school in a Copenhagen suburb was burnt down in acts of arson that authorities blamed on juveniles from immigrant families, police said Friday.
A government spokesman said early Friday that the primary motive behind the arsons was a perception of police harassment by the youths, but some of the crimes were also thought to be a reaction to the republication of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed in leading Danish newspapers Wednesday.
PTI, MQM to observe mourning day
Islamabad : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have announced to observe a day of mourning Sunday following the clashes between protesters...
Seven die in attack on Pakistani army camp
By IANS,
Islamabad: Six soldiers and a policeman were killed when militants attacked an army camp in Pakistan's eastern district of Gujrat early Monday morning, the army said.
Egyptian FM: Gaza truce needs to be followed by further steps
By Xinhua,
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt : Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit on Saturday termed the Egypt-brokered Gaza truce as a step towards a comprehensive Palestinian-Israeli peace, which needs to be followed by further steps.
Abul Gheit made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the second day of 13th ordinary session of the African Union (AU) Executive Council ahead of the AU Summitin the Egyptian Red Sea resort.
Pakistan denies ISI’s role in Kabul bombing
By IANS,
New Delhi : India Tuesday again conveyed its concerns on cross-border terrorism and ceasefire violations even as Islamabad denied any role of its spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the July 7 bombings of the Indian embassy in Kabul.
"No. No. No. Incorrect," Pakistan's National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani said when asked asked to comment on reports alleging that Pakistan's ISI masterminded the Kabul blasts.
"I had a very good meeting with the Foreign Minister ... things are going okay," he said.
Indian embassy in Bangladesh warns of fake visa agents
Dhaka : The Indian high commission in Dhaka Thursday warned Bangladeshis against agents approaching them offering assistance in obtaining Indian visa.
The State Bank of...
Rebels Hit Copter in Afghanistan
By Prensa Latina,
Kabul : An International Security Assistance Force helicopter made an emergency landing in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar on Monday, after being bombarded by alleged Afghan rebels, reported military sources in this capital on Monday.
According to the ISAF, commanded by NATO, the copter landed in a military base following a machine-gun attack.
During the inspection, the crew found a bullet hole which caused light damage in the structure of the helicopter.
Arab League to Mediterranean Meeting
By Prensa Latina,
Cairo : The Arab League confirmed its participation in the next meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean, despite Israeli objections, while Tunisia gave up its competition for a post in the leadership of the Arab League.
An AL official informed that AL secretary general Amr Moussa will travel to Marseille, France to speak on behalf of the Arab block in the meeting scheduled for November 3 and 4.
Operations against Taliban till their elimination: Pakistani PM
By IANS,
Islamabad: Pakistan was not fighting a "normal war" but conducting a "guerilla" operation against the Taliban in the country's troubled northwest and this would continue till the militants were eliminated, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani declared here Saturday.
"It is not a normal war. This is a guerilla war," APP quoted him as saying at a press conference here after an emergency meeting of the cabinet that endorsed the military operations against the Taliban in Swat and two other districts of the North West Frontier Province.
Muslim clerics in Lebanon discuss situation in Gaza
By NNN-KUNA,
Beirut : Muslim scholars in Lebanon held here Saturday an emergency conference at Dar Al-Fatwa building at the invitation of the Mufti of Lebanon Sheikh Muhammad Rashid Qabbani to discuss the situation in Gaza including the atrocities committed against the Palestinians there.
The conference was attended by the representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Lebanon Abbas Zaki and the representative of Hamas in Lebanon Osama Hamdan.
One killed during fuel shortage protest in Yemen
By IANS,
Sana'a : At least one person was killed and three were wounded when police opened fire to break up a demonstration protesting fuel shortage in western Yemen, Xinhua reported.
McCain seeks Pakistan’s cooperation over Mumbai probe
By IANS,
New Delhi : Republican leader John McCain Tuesday made an unscheduled visit to India and asked Pakistan to offer cooperation "as quickly and efficiently as possible" over the Mumbai terrorist massacre.
Speaking to the media after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, McCain said he and his fellow Republicans were here to express "our sorrow and solidarity with the people of India".
McCain, who lost the presidential battle to Democrat Barak Obama last month, said the Mumbai killings came "at a time when India-US relations are excellent.
Abu Dhabi Among ‘New Economic Power Centres’
By Bernama,
Abu Dhabi : Abu Dhabi, riding a wave of unprecedented growth and expansion in line with the government's vision of making tourism a key contributor to the emirate's burgeoning and rapidly- diversifying economy, Emirates news agency (WAM) reported Wednesday quoting the Harvard Business Review, as saying.
Gunmen kidnap Indian national in Afghanistan
By Mansoor Faizy,
Kabul : Unidentified gunmen Monday kidnapped an Indian national in western Afghanistan's Herat province, an official said.
Ehsanullah Hayat, spokesman of Herat's governor,...
26 Thai tourists killed in Malaysian bus accident
By DPA,
Kuala Lumpur : Twenty-six Thai tourists were killed and 11 injured Monday when their bus overturned while travelling from a Malaysian mountain resort in the northern state of Perak.
UAE envoy to Khartoum meets Bashir’s advisor, Sudanese FM
By NNN-WAM,
Kahrtoum : Advisor to Sudanese President, Dr. Riek Gai Kok, and UAE Ambassador to Sudan Eissa Abdullah Al-Basha Al-Nae'emi on Saturday discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and issues of development in Southern Sudan.
The meeting which took place in Khartoum in presence of Minister of Education, Science, and Technology in the government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) Professor Job Dhoruai Malou also discussed the UAE role in boosting education and health in Southern Sudan.
Iranian FM rebuffs accusations Iran is backing armed groups in Iraq
By KUNA,
Kuwait : Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Motaki has rebuffed accusations that his country was backing armed groups in Iraq, saying that foreign troops were to be blamed for that.
Motaki, who headed his country's delegation to the Third Expanded Conference of Neighbouring Countries of Iraq, which concluded here earlier Tuesday, told a press conference that despite the failure of foreign troops in Iraq, they insist on carrying on with this failed policy, and blame others when confronted with this fact.
Pakistan: PPP to work for women empowerment, rights
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would work for socio economic empowerment of women and safeguarding their rights.
Secretary Information PPP Sindh, Dr. Fehmida Mirza, talking to APP lauded the services and efforts of former Prime Minister late Benazir Bhutto for launching Lady Health Workers Programme in which 100,000 female workers were inducted and provided training for the promotion of affordable and better health facilities for the people specially the common man.
200 suspects arrested in Pakistan operation
By IANS,
Islamabad : Law enforcement agencies in Pakistan arrested nearly 200 people Sunday in a search operation carried out in the capital and near the city of Rawalpindi, Online news agency reported.
It was not immediately clear if the arrests are related to the Nov 2 bomb blast in Rawalpindi that killed 34 people.
Pakistan seeks details of boat seizure off Gujarat coast
New Delhi : Pakistan on Wednesday sought details about the seizure of a boat and arrest of eight suspected Pakistani crew member off the...
UAE’s Khalifa Bin Zayed foundation to rush urgent aid to Myanmar’s Nargis victims
By NNN-WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The Khalifa bin Zayed Charity Foundation is to rush urgent aid to victims of Cyclone Nargis which hit the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar.
The aid will be delivered in cooperation with UN-affliated relief agencies.
"This decison is consistent with the visison and mission of the Sheikh Khalifa Charity Foundadtion, pertaining to providing help to those who need it most. It is also in keeping with the appeal of the international community to help those affected by Cyclone Nargis," said a Sheikh Khalifa Foundation statement issued here Wednesday.
Stand by Pakistan’s security forces: Malik tells countrymen
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has urged the people not to criticise the military, and to stand by the country's security forces.
Pakistan begins to demolish 3-decade-old Afghan refugee camp
By NNN-Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistani security forces Tuesday began to demolish a three-decade-old Afghan refugee camp in the country's northwest, officials said.
The demolition operation was launched as the deadline of April 15 for vacation of the camp was expired Tuesday, Pakistani officials from the Afghan Commissionarate said.
Imran Khan’s protest DJ arrested
Islamabad : A man who played music during Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) rallies was arrested Friday from Islamabad’s Constitution Avenue.
According to PTI officials, DJ Butt...
Apache misses target, two US soldiers, three civilians wounded
By IRNA,
Baghdad : Two US soldiers and three civilians were wounded when an Apache helicopter accidentally destroyed one of US armored vehicles in eastern Baghdad, US military said on Sunday.
The military said the incident occurred Saturday afternoon, when the chopper spotted a group of four militants.
The military said in a statement that the helicopter missed its target and struck a US armored vehicle.
Iraqi police confirmed that a Humvee was set ablaze in the Mashtal area of eastern Baghdad.
Bomb attack at Bangladesh law minister’s home
Dhaka : A handmade bomb exploded inside premises of Bangladesh Law Minister Anisul Huq's house in Dhaka Friday following attacks on the homes of...
Mikati wins majority
By IRNA,
Beirut : Hezbollah-picked Najib Mikati has reportedly clinched on Tuesday the backing of a majority of MPs in order to be appointed as Lebanon's new prime minister
Iraq’s parliament speaker threatens to resign over shoe-thrower
By DPA,
Baghdad : Iraq's Parliamentary Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani has announced his resignation after lawmakers engaged in a quarrel over the reporter who threw his shoes at US President George W. Bush.
Al-Zaidi, who has worked for the Cairo-based al-Baghdadiya since 2005, faces the Iraqi Criminal Court for throwing his shoes at Bush during a press conference Sunday as he shouted in Arabic: "This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog."
Bush, who was standing next to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, reacted quickly and dodged both shoes.
Work towards two-state solution, UN chief urges Netanyahu
United Nations: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to renew his country's commitment to a two-state solution...
$17 mn UN aid to flood-hit Pakistan
By IANS,
Geneva : The UN has allocated $17.6 million in emergency aid to those worst affected by floods in Pakistan, Xinhua reported Friday.
Pakistan spuds 21 new oil wells
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's state-run OGDCL oil company has spudded 21 new oil wells with net crude production of 37,370 bpd during the fiscal ending June 30, a media report said Sunday.
Deadly Tuesday in Iraq
By Prensa Latina,
Baghdad : Over 160 casualties, including dead and wounded, was the result of a day of great violence in Iraq on Tuesday, when neither US invading troops nor local forces have managed to check Iraqi resistance.
On this occasion, the country witnessed in Baquba, north-east of Baghdad, the most lethal attack in the last six months.
Police informed that the explosion of a car bomb near the court and the town hall killed 40 people and wounded another 80, damaging property seriously.
Over 100 diplomats attend Iran revolution celebration
By IANS,
Tehran : More than 100 foreign ambassadors and representatives have attended a celebration to mark 30 years of Iran's Islamic Revolution, the official IRNA news agency reported Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki lauded the diplomats for participating in the celebration Monday with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the report said.
"You have all known about Fajr - ten day celebrations - during your years of stay here," Mottaki said.
"Fajr means dawn, or the outbreak of light amid darkness.
Asif’s flight to Delhi cancelled
By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan's dope-tainted pacer Mohammad Asif failed to fly to New Delhi Thursday after his flight to the Indian capital was cancelled.
Asif, 26, was scheduled to proceed to New Delhi to meet the management of Delhi Daredevils - an Indian Premier League (IPL) team - to sort out a pending amount of $200,000 which the team owes to the fast bowler.
The amount was held up by the IPL franchise after Asif was suspended after failing a dope test carried out in May 2008 during the inaugural Twenty20 league.
Over 200,000 vulnerable Afghans to receive winter aid from UN agency
By IRNA,
Tehran : The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners have started to deliver supplies to help an estimated 200,000 Afghan returnees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) get through the country's harsh winter, said a press release issued by the United Nations Information Center here on Wednesday.
Over 147,000 blankets, more than 80,000 plastic sheets, 32,000 jerry cans, 46,000 items of warm clothing including 18,000 pairs of shoes and 30,000 pairs of socks have been purchased and sent to UNHCR's regional offices for country-wide distribution.
German-based Palestinian leader rips US, Arab world for backing Israeli raids on Gaza
By IRNA,
Berlin : A leading Palestinian community leader based in Germany slammed the US and pro-western Arab states, notably Egypt, for giving green light to the murderous Israeli military onslaught in Gaza Saturday.
Speaking to IRNA in Berlin, the head of the Society for Support of Palestinians (GHUP) Izzeddin Musa said he was "more than shocked" over the tame reaction of the western and Arab world on the deadly Israeli air attacks in Gaza which left at least 195 people dead and injured hundreds, many of them critically.
Swat peace deal collapses
By IANS,
Islamabad : A deal between the Pakistani government and the Taliban to restore peace in the Swat Valley Thursday collapsed with a radical cleric withdrawing from the pact he helped broker, reports said
"Maulana Sufi Mohammad announced his withdrawal from Swat peace deal on Thursday," Geo TV reported.
The cleric had helped broker the deal between the North West Frontier Province government and the Taliban under which the militants had agreed to lay down their arms in return for the imposition of Sharia laws in the area.
ICSSR to sponsor conference on tackling and co-existing with ‘Radical Islam’ in Mathura
By Twocircles.net Staff Reporter,
Delhi: A three-day international conference sponsored by Indian Council of Social Science Research on ‘How to understand and co-exist with radical...
33 Indians die during Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia
Riyadh: Thirty-three Indians have died of illness or old-age ailments during the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia this year, a media report said Saturday.
The...
UAE to open more diplomatic missions abroad
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The UAE, which has 77 embassies across the world, is aspiring to expand its diplomatic network in East Africa and Latin America by opening new missions in Kenya, Uganda and Chile, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammed Gargash said Monday.
"We are planning to boost our presence in Latin America by opening an embassy in Chile," he told reporters after the opening session of the Fifth Forum of UAE ambassadors and heads of diplomatic representations abroad.
Hasina vows retrial of those who killed leaders in 1975
By IANS,
Dhaka : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the Bangladesh government will seek retrial of former army officers responsible for killing four leaders who were part of the country's government-in-exile during the 1971 freedom movement.
At a function on their death anniversary Tuesday, Hasina accused opposition leader Khaleda Zia and her husband and slain former president Ziaur Rahman of 'rewarding' the killers.
Japanese Foreign Minister due to arrive on Friday
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Masahiko Koumura is arriving on four-day visit to Pakistan on Friday.
The purpose of Koumura’s visit is to convey goodwill message to new democratic government that Japanese government attaches great importance to Pakistan’s efforts for eradicating terrorism, consolidating democracy and sustaining economic growth in order to further strengthen bilateral relations.
Al Qaeda suspect arrested in Bhutto assassination attempt
By Xinhua
Islamabad : Pakistani security forces have arrested an Al Qaeda linked suspect in connection with the assassination attempt on former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in Karachi last October, Geo TV reported Tuesday.
Named Qari Saifullah Akhtar, the suspect was arrested in Lahore on Monday, the report said.
Around 150 people were killed and hundreds wounded in a suicide bombing attack on a procession to welcome Bhutto's return on Oct 19, 2007. Bhutto, however, had escaped the attack unhurt.
Obama welcomes Karzai’s move to Afghan run-off election
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama Tuesday said Afghan President Hamid Karzai's decision to accept a run-off election represents an "important precedent" for the country's young democracy.
Karzai earlier Tuesday agreed to a second election after the UN-backed Election Complaints Commission stripped him of a third of his votes due to suspected fraud, bringing him below the 50-percent threshold required to win the Aug 20 election outright.
Gilani pays lawyer for service
By IANS,
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has sent a thank you letter to his lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan along with a token fee of Rs.100 for his "priceless service".
Threat of attack on UAE through missiles is real: Official
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi: The threat of attack on United Arab Emirates "from long range ballistic missiles is real", a senior military official has said.
Israel kills 8 children playing near Gaza refugee camp
Gaza City : At least eight children were among 10 people killed at a Gaza City refugee camp, medics said, with witnesses saying several...
Aid agencies call for suspension of EU-Israel pacts
By IANS,
London : A coalition of major human rights and development organisations Wednesday called on the European Union (EU) to immediately suspend its latest pacts with Israel until the violence in Gaza ends, IRNA reported.
"Israel has shunned diplomatic efforts by the EU and the delegation has returned empty-handed. The EU's credibility is now at stake," Daleep Mukarji, director of Christian Aid in Britain and Ireland, said.
UAE mobilises aid for Pakistan drought victims
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates Pakistan Assistance Programme (UAE PAP) has mobilised 1500 tonnes of basic food aid including infant formula to...
Stray incidents mar polling in 91 Bengladesh upzilas
Dhaka: Stray incidents of violence marred the fourth phase of local body elections in 91 sub-districts in Bangladesh Sunday conducted amid tight security and...
US unmanned aircraft crashes in southern Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : An unmanned US drone crashed in southern Afghanistan Sunday, while NATO forces wounded five Afghan troops in a seperate incident in the eastern part of the country, officials said.
The cause of the crash of MQ-1 Predator drone was not known, a US military statement said. The drones are mostly used by US-led coalition forces to attack Taliban insurgent positions in remote areas of the country.
Meanwhile, NATO forces wounded five Afghan army soldiers after they mistook them for insurgents in the eastern province of Kunar Sunday, the alliance said in a statement.
India calls on Israel, Palestine to resume peace process
United Nations : India has called upon Israelis and Palestinians to resume the peace process as “dialogue remains the only viable option” to address...
Lebanon declares day of mourning for Tripoli blast victims
By Xinhua,
Beirut : Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora declared a day of mourning on Thursday across the country in honor of 17 people killed and some 40 others wounded in a blast in the northern city of Tripoli, local Naharnet website reported.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese higher defense council is expected to meet later Thursday to take action against terrorist attacks, the report added.
"The defense council is bent to undertake measures to confront terrorist threats" and confront possible schemes to shake security, the report said.
Need ‘conducive’ political ties for trade: Pakistan envoy
Kolkata : Political relations between India and Pakistan need to be conducive to promote bilateral trade, Pakistan's High Commissioner Abdul Basit said here on...
Iran plans manned spaceflight by 2021
By RIA Novosti,
Tehran : Iran would send its first man into space on board its own spacecraft by 2021, the head of Iran's Aerospace Agency announced Thursday.
"Scientific research has already begun in Iran," Reza Tagipur was quoted by Iranian media as saying. "According to our plans, a successful Iranian manned spaceflight will be carried out before 2021."
"India and China were able to send their astronauts into space after 15 years of research and preparations. We will also go the same route, but believe we will achieve our goal in a shorter period," he said.
Mali, Tuareg rebels sign peace deal
Algiers : Mali's government has signed a peace deal with Tuareg rebels to help pave the way for elections next month.
100,000 Bangladeshis seek death penalty for war crimes
By IANS,
Dhaka : More than 100,000 people have signed a letter seeking death penalty for Bangladeshi war criminals, a media report said Tuesday.
Bangladesh war hero Mir Shawkat Ali dead
By IANS,
Dhaka: Gen. Mir Shawkat Ali, a Pakistan Army officer who switched sides to fight Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971, has died here at the age of 72.
Activists ask India, Pakistan to shun nuke confrontation
New Delhi : A group of eminent people and activists from south Asian nations Monday appealed to the leaders from India and Pakistan to...
Island discovered off Pakistan’s Balochistan province
By Awais Saleem, IANS,
Islamabad : Fishermen in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province have discovered a three kilometre-long island in the Arabian Sea after their boats ran aground on it.
Trianmool nominee accused of hate remarks
By IANS,
Kolkata : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Saturday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission over alleged hate remarks made by a Trinamool Congress candidate against West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury said: "We have brought to the notice of the commission one of the interviews given by Kalyan Bandopadhyay, a candidate of Trinamool Congress, during which he made wild and improper allegations against Buddhadeb."
Yechury said the statement aired by a private television channel was on record.
Amid furore, Trump disowns Muslim database idea
Washington : As his call to create a database to track Muslims in America created a political furore, Donald Trump said the idea was...
Unidentified gunmen kill army soldier in Pakistan
By KUNA,
Islamabad : Unidentified gunmen shot dead an army soldier on Thursday in a northern Pakistani town, police said.
Unidentified armed gunmen, riding a motorcycle, opened fire at an army soldier near the cantonment area of Kohat town, about 250 kilometers north of Islamabad, police sources told KUNA.
They said the soldier died on the spot. Security authorities have declared a state of red alert after the incident and pillion riding has been banned.
End emergency before polls, say Bangladesh parties
By IANS,
Dhaka : Political parties in Bangladesh want curbs imposed under emergency rule to be lifted before the Dec 18 elections but business leaders feel this could lead to chaos on the streets.
Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed, who heads a military-backed caretaker government, announced the poll date Saturday, assuring Bangladeshis that the curbs would be partially removed to facilitate free and fair polls.
But no provision of the Emergency Powers Rules would hamper the election process, he said.