Two brothers abducted, freed in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : Two brothers were kidnapped in Pakistan's Quetta city, but were set free after a few hours.
Palestinian president to meet Raul Castro
By RIA Novosti,
Havana : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be meeting Cuban President Raul Castro in Havana during his official visit, the Cuban Foreign Ministry said Saturday morning.
Abbas is travelling from New York, where Friday he addressed the UN General Assembly and urged Israel to halt all settlement activity in the West Bank.
The ministry said that during Abbas's two-day visit, he will take part in an "Act of Solidarity" of the Cuban and Palestinian peoples, and meet top officials.
Pakistan Presidency condemns attemps to disrupt Egyptian security
By NNN-KUNA
Ramallah : The Palestinian Presidency condemned Saturday any attempts or actions that would disrupt the national security of Egypt.
The presidency released statements condemning the incident which involved the infiltration of a terrorist group into Sinai Peninsula in order to execute a terrorist attack against Egyptian interests.
The presidency warned Palestinians from becoming involved in any kind of hostile activities which would affect Palestinian interests, saying that any harm to fellow Egypt was an attack against Palestine.
Bangladesh Army to generate, sell power
By IANS,
Dhaka : A company floated by the Bangladesh Army will produce 50 MW power at an army camp outside the national capital and sell it to the government.
The state-run Power Development Board (PDB) Thursday signed agreements with the army's DPA Power Generation International Ltd and another firm, Sinha Power Generation Company.
Lt. Gen. Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, chairman of Bangladesh Diesel Plant Ltd, said the Pagla plant is the first of its kind for the army. "We will purchase modern equipment for setting up the plant."
100 militants killed in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani security forces, backed by air power, have killed up to 100 militants in fierce clashes near the Afghan border, a media report said Friday.
"Eighty to 100 militants were killed in Bajaur (tribal agency) today (Thursday). Most of them are foreigners," The News quoted an official as saying.
Pakistan Air Force jets and army gunship helicopters provided covering fire as the security forces rained mortar and artillery shells, destroying a big market in the Inayat Killay area that housed a big militant centre.
150 militants killed in Syria
Damascus : At least 150 militants were reportedly killed Friday in renewed Syrian airstrikes in the capital Damascus's eastern suburb of Jobar.
The Syrian air...
64 militants killed in battles with Iraqi army
Baghdad : At least 64 militants were killed as fierce clashes between Iraqi security forces and Sunni militant groups continued in several Iraqi provinces...
Chief Palestinian negotiator strongly condemns Israeli killing of 17 in Gaza
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurei severely criticized Israel after 17 Palestinians were killed and more than 40 others wounded in the Gaza Strip early on Tuesday.
Qurei said in a written statement sent to reporters that he condemns and strongly opposes to what he called "the massacres committed by the Israeli occupation forces this morning in Gaza."
Israel releases Fayyad’s aide after brief holding
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Israeli authorities on Tuesday released an aide to acting Palestinian Primer Minister Salam Fayyad after brief holding in Jerusalem.
Fayyad's advisor on Jerusalem affairs Hatem Abdel Qader was released on Tuesday afternoon following a few hours of interrogation at an Israeli facility in a Jerusalem settlement.
Abdel Qader told reporters that he was questioned about a rally he organized in Jerusalem to support the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip which is facing an Israeli blockade.
Joint UN-Arab League Envoy for Syria to step down
United Nations : Joint UN-Arab League Special envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi will step down May 31, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the...
Websites launched in U.S, UK in fight against Islamophobia
Washington : As concerns mount that atrocities perpetrated by ISIL may lead to Islamophobia in the West, efforts to halt the spread of warped...
Egyptian troops move to close Gaza border
By Xinhua
Cairo : Egyptian border guards on Friday moved to close the Egyptian-Gaza borders as more Palestinians gathered at the border town of Rafah, the pan-Arab television al-Jazeera reported.
Egyptian security forces announced by loudspeaker on the Egyptian side of Rafah on Friday that the borders with Gaza would be closed from 1300 GMT, said the report.
Small scale violence has erupted between Egyptian riot police and Palestinians at the border town as some Palestinians hurled stones at the Egyptian troops.
Germany to increase its forces in Afghanistan
By DPA
Berlin : Under pressure from Washington to help western forces more in Afghanistan, Germany is to boost its troop contingent and extend their zone of deployment westwards, a news weekly said Saturday.
Der Spiegel reported that officials would propose raising the parliamentary authorization for the mission from an upper limit of 3,500 to 4,500 personnel.
Berlin would also offer to take on peacekeeping in Badghiz province, currently in the care of an Italian command.
10 die in Pakistan suicide bombing
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least 10 people were killed and 25 wounded in a massive suicide bombing at a parking lot of a mosque in Quetta city Wednesday, a day when the country celebrated Eid.
Turkey urges parliament to extend operations for another year in northern Iraq
By NNN-KUNA,
Ankara : The Turkish government will ask parliament to extend by one year its mandate to carry out military strikes against separatist Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq.
"We have decided to ask the parliament again for a one-year authorization" when lawmakers return from summer recess on Oct 1, Cemil Cicek, a spokesman for the Turkish government told reporters after a cabinet meeting Wednesday.
"I believe the motion will be debated within the first few days of parliament reopening," Cicek noted, adding that the previous mandate expires on Oct 17.
Six-member US Congressional delegation meets President Musharraf
By SPA
Islamabad : A six-member US Congressional delegation led by Congressman John F. Tierney has met President Pervez Musharraf Thursday.
The Feb 18 parliamentary election was a victory of the forces of moderation, the president told the delegation and stressed importance of political stability to ensure economic growth, social development, fight against extremism and terrorism.
Musharraf said he has extended his full cooperation to the new government. He said Pakistan was fighting extremism and terrorism in its national interest.
Scotland Yard takes to London Bhutto murder evidences
By Muhammad Najeeb
Islamabad : Six of the ten-member Scotland Yard team probing into the assassination of Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto left for London Monday with forensic samples and pieces of evidence collected during the investigation.
"Six of the investigators have gone to their head office but four of their colleagues will stay back," a senior official of interior ministry told IANS.
Emirates Islamic Bank to use Infosys product
Bengaluru: Dubai-based Sharia-compliant Emirates Islamic Bank has selected Finacle banking software product of Indian IT bellwether Infosys for its operations across the Gulf region.
"Finacle...
Al Qaeda threatens US from Afghan-Pakistan safe haven: Obama
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Seeking another $83.4 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Barack Obama once again highlighted the threat of Al Qaeda and a "resurgent" Taliban from safe havens along the Afghan-Pakistan border.
The situation in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan "demands urgent attention", Obama said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi submitting the funding request to the US Congress.
"The Taliban is resurgent, and Al Qaeda threatens America from its safe haven along the Afghan-Pakistan border," he wrote.
Boat carrying over 100 people sinks offshore Malaysia
By Xinhua,
Kuala Lumpur : A boat carrying more than 100 people sank off the coast of a port near Kuala Lumpur early Tuesday morning and at least six people were killed, local media reported.
The vessel, believed to be a barter trade boat, sank off the coast near Klang, a sea port southwest of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, the website of English-language newspaper The Star said.
Rescuers had so far pulled out 107 survivors and six bodies, and were trying to ascertain the actual number of passengers and crewmen on board before the mishap, it said.
British Islamists plan coup in Pakistan: Report
By IANS,
London : An Islamic militant group based in Britain plans to overthrow the Pakistani government, a British media report said Sunday.
Followers of the fundamentalist group Hizb ut-Tahrir have called for a "bloodless military coup" in Islamabad and the creation of a caliphate in which strict Islamic laws would be rigorously enforced, The Sunday Times reported.
The group is believed to have been set up in Pakistan in the early 1990s by Imtiaz Malik, a British-born Pakistani who may still be secretly operating as its leader in the country.
Pakistani minister to visit UN for Benazir killing probe
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Shah Qureshi would visit the UN headquarters in New York Tuesday for consultations with the world body for probe into the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, an official said Thursday.
Qureshi will hold consultations with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and representatives of the UN Security Council regarding Pakistan's request for an international probe into Bhutto's assassination, foreign ministry spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said at a press conference.
Hamas to use Sinai as base for attacks against Israeli targets — Ha”aretz
By KUNA
Gaza : Hamas used the newly opened border with Egypt to send activists into the Sinai Peninsula over the last two days, with the goal of then sending them from Sinai into Israel to commit attacks, Ha'aretz said Monday.
The Israeli paper quoted a security source as saying that the Israeli Army and Police have consequently beefed up their forces and their alert level along the Israeli-Egyptian border in an effort to thwart infiltrations.
Three killed in Pakistan police station bombing
By IANS,
Peshawar : Three people were killed and 25 wounded Friday in a suicide attack at a police station in Bannu district in Pakistan's restive North West Frontier Province.
A suicide bomber rammed his car into Bakka Khel police station building at Rangsa Road in Bannu, Geo News reported.
The police station building was completely destroyed in the attack.
The wounded, including Station House Officer Riaz Khatak, were taken to district headquarter hospital Bannu.
Pak militants announce conditional halt to targeted killing of politicians
By IRNA,
Islamabad : A Pakistani Taliban leader Wednesday announced his fighters would not target political and non-political personalities if they stop cooperation with army in their offensive against militants.
Militants have targeted political leaders from the ruling coalition in the restive Swat Valley in Pakistan's Northwest Province for their backing to the military offensive.
Elected members from Swat Valley are reluctant to visit their home towns over security fears.
Pak-Iran-Turkey railway line to connect Pakistan with Europe
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Thursday said that Pakistan-Iran-Turkey Railway line would connect Pakistan with Europe.
Qureshi told reporters in the city of Multan that the railway line is an important project, which will promote trade activities in the region.
The President of Turkey is expected to visit Pakistan soon to discuss the project, he said, and expressed the hope that talks on this project would move ahead. He said the project promises maximum benefits for all stakeholders.
Hunt for militants plotting to attack Indian mission in Dhaka
By IANS,
Dhaka : After the arrest of three Laskhar-e-Taiba men, the police are hunting for the militants involved in a plot to attack the Indian High Commission and US Embassy here.
Detective Branch (DB) Assistant Commissioner Sanwar Hossain told The Daily Star: "We are trying our best to arrest the militants involved in the plot to attack the foreign missions."
DB officials said they received the information about the plan from detained Bangladeshi LeT leader Mufti Harun Izahar, and Izahar's associates - Shahidul Islam and Al Amin alias Saiful.
Hamas to appoint Abu Marzouk as chief?
By IANS,
Gaza : Hamas is considering appointing Moussa Abu Marzouk, currently deputy head of the Hamas politburo, to replace Khaled Mashaal as the movement's chief, party sources said Wednesday.
Corruption, lack of governance threaten Pakistan government
By Awais Saleem, IANS,
Islamabad: Amidst reports of corruption and lack of governance in Pakistan, calls for a change in the government are being raised much more vociferously from all quarters.
UN says Gaza destruction ‘unprecedented’
United Nations: The recent conflict in the Gaza Strip has caused "unprecedented" destruction, leaving hundreds of thousands people homeless, the UN said Tuesday, quoting...
UK has moral duty to intervene, Miliband insists
By IRNA
London : Foreign Secretary David Miliband argued Tuesday that mistakes made in Iraq and Afghanistan must not cloud the moral imperative of the British government to intervene, sometimes militarily, to help spread democracy throughout the world.
The rise of China means that the world can no longer take "the forward march of democracy for granted" and that Britain must unambiguously be on the side of "civilian surges" for democracy, Miliband said, according to extracts of a new speech.
37 militants killed on Pakistan-Afghan border: official
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least 37 militants were killed Wednesday in a military offensive against the pro-Taliban insurgents in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region, near the troubled Afghan border, security officials said.
Government troops Wednesday bombed militant positions at Kotki and Pashat areas of Bajaur tribal district and killed dozens of militants, including some foreign fighters, Pakistani Army spokesman Major Murad Khan was quoted as saying by the NNI news agency.
Israeli ground troops pull out of northern Gaza
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israel Defense Forces (IDF) pulled out the ground troops from the northern Gaza Strip early Monday morning, completing the first stage of the activity dubbed Operation Hot Winter.
An IDF spokeswoman told Xinhua that counter-terror operations were expected to continue.
Jerusalem : Israel Defense Forces (IDF) pulled out the ground troops from the northern Gaza Strip early Monday morning, completing the first stage of the activity dubbed Operation Hot Winter.
An IDF spokeswoman told Xinhua that counter-terror operations were expected to continue.
83 km of India-Pakistan border yet to be fenced
By IANS,
New Delhi : A total of 83.22 km of India-Pakistan border is yet to be fenced.
अपनी योग्यता को देश की सेवा में समर्पित करना चाहती है सदफ़ चौधरी
आसमोहम्मद कैफ।Twocircles.net
कैमिकल इंजीनियरिंग की पढ़ाई और फिर एक अमेरिकी बैंक मेंं काम कर चुकी सदफ़ चौधरी के घर का माहौल पूरी तरह...
Koussa breaks silence on defection, warning of civil war risk
By IRNA,
London : Former Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa has belatedly confirmed his defection from Muammar Gaddafi's regime two weeks after suddenly arriving in Britain on March 30.
Fact vs. Fiction: Unpacking the Viral Misinformation Behind the Bangladesh-Hindu Atrocity Claims
Yusha Rahman, TwoCircles.net
An image of a screenshot from a video showing a woman being raped went viral on social media. The image was accompanied...
Pakistan Labour Minister to attend NAM meet in Tehran
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan's Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah will lead delegation to the 15th NAM Ministerial Meeting to be held in Tehran, Iran on 29-30 July, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.
He will be accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs including Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the U.N Munir Akram and Director General (UN) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Syed Hassan Javed.
Pakistani parliament seeks UN inquiry into Bhutto’s assassination
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani Parliament on Monday adopted a unanimous resolution, seeking inquiry into the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto who was killed in firing and suicide attack on December 27th.
Benazir was assassinated in the city of Rawalpindi shortly after she addressed a big election rally.
The resolution was moved by the Law Minister Farook H Naek, which was passed unanimously by the lower house of the parliament.
Benazir murder: UN probe team in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : A four-member UN team arrived here Tuesday on its fourth visit to Pakistan to probe the 2007 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto but the jury's out on the extent to which it would be able to succeed.
The team, during its stay in Pakistan, would record the statements of several important personalities here as well as in Sindh, Online news agency reported, quoting a private TV channel.
Strict security measures were in place at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport as the team arrived.
60 militants killed in northwest Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : At least 60 militants were killed as Pakistani jets and helicopter gunships pounded several suspected Taliban hideouts in northwest Pakistan, officials said.
The army claimed that two hideouts were bombarded in Piochar and surrounding areas of restive Swat district in the North West Frontier Province.
"According to preliminary information gathered from local sources, up to 60 militants have died in the strikes," said Major Nasir Ali, a military spokesman in the area.
Indian found dead in Oman was brilliant scientist: colleague
Thiruvananthapuram : The award-winning Indian professor who was found dead in his residence on a university campus in Oman Friday, was a brilliant student,...
Transport services banned in Dhaka over political tension
Dhaka : Ahead of the scheduled political rallies in Bangladesh's capital city, all Dhaka-bound buses and ferries from across the country were prohibited Monday...
Oman’s sultan meets U.S. Defense Secretary on co-op
By Xinhua
Abu Dubai : Oman's Sultan Qabus bin Said met visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in the Omani capital Muscat on Saturday, news reaching here said.
During the meeting, the pair reviewed "aspects of existing cooperation between the two friendly countries in various fields," the official Oman News Agency (ONA) said, giving no further details about the meeting.
Austria freezes $1.7 bn of Libyan assets
By DPA,
Vienna : Austria's government decided Tuesday to freeze assets belonging to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's family which could amount to up to 1.2 billion euros ($1.7 billion).
Three murder convicts flee Pakistan jail
By IANS,
Islamabad : Three murder convicts escaped from a Pakistani jail Sunday, a media report said.
Afghanistan announces to suspend meetings with Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Kabul : Afghanistan Ministers' Council on Tuesday announced to suspend upcoming meetings with Pakistan due to the neighbor state's "interference into Afghan internal affairs".
The council said in a statement that it would not attend the meetings unless "bilateral trust" was restored.
Afghanistan and Pakistan were scheduled to hold three bilateral meetings in the next five weeks in Dubai, Kabul and Islamabad, respectively to discuss anti-terrorist cooperation and trade and economic relations.
Bush arrives in Tel Aviv to start visiting Israel
By Xinhua
Tel Aviv : U.S. President George W. Bush arrived here on Wednesday noon to start visiting Israel, the first leg of his eight-day Middle East trip.
Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, Bush emerged from his special plane and was greeted on the scene by Israeli leaders, including President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
Palestinians should not seek int”l pressure to push for ME peace — Netanyahu
By KUNA,
Gaza : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Thursday that Palestinians should not seek to impose international pressure on Israel to push for Mideast peace.
AU summit successful in reflecting constructive ideas to re-stabiliza Somali: Somali PM
By NNN-ENA
Addis Ababa : Somalia's Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein said the 10th African Union Summit held in Addis Ababa was an occasion on which constructive ideas were reflected concerning the measures being taken to improve the peace and stability of Somalia.
In a press conference he gave on Saturday, Prime Minister Hussien said that he held discussions with various African heads of government and states as well as with representatives of the international community engaged in the Somali peace process.
Miliband slammed for Kashmir remark
By Dipankar De Sarkar,IANS,
London : British Foreign Secretary David Miliband was described as shallow and ignorant after saying Thursday the Kashmir dispute must be solved because the Pakistan-based terror outfit Laskher-e-Taiba “says its cause is Kashmir”.
The aims of the LeT, blamed for the Mumbai terror attacks, were much wider than Kashmir, a critic pointed out.
UAE, France hold joint military exercise
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : The UAE and France have launched a joint military exercise "Gulf 2012", it was announced Sunday.
Iran invites IAEA inspectors to visit n-sites
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran has invited inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit nuclear establishments in the country, an official said.
Fire alarm interrupts Supreme Court proceedings
By IANS,
Islamabad : A technical fault triggered a fire alarm in the court of the Pakistani chief justice Monday, interrupting procedures and triggering panic among lawyers and litigants.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing an appeal against a verdict of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Court No.1 when the alarm went off, interrupting the case's proceedings, Online news agency reported.
WHO closes office in Karachi
By IANS,
Islamabad : The World Health Organization (WHO) has closed its office in Pakistan's Karachi city in the wake of recent attacks on UN doctors there.
Eight killed in bus-truck crash in Pakistan
Islamabad: At least eight people were killed and six injured Sunday in a road accident involving a bus and a truck in Pakistan's Sindh...
Six killed in Pakistan suicide blast
By IANS,
Islamabad : Six people, including a paramilitary Frontier Corps official, were killed Monday in a suicide attack in northwestern Pakistan, the News reported.
Two security personnel were also injured in the attack which targeted a security check post in Darra Adam Khel in North West Frontier Province, the report said.
According to sources, a suicide bomber blew up himself at the check post, killing five passersby and a security official.
Security forces had cordoned off the area and an investigation was under way.
Pakistan sees positive change in Afghan government’s attitude
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Friday that the Afghan government has changed its attitude towards Pakistan and the relations between the two governments are currently improving.
"There is a radical change in Afghan government's way of thinking. We do not see that sort of atmosphere of criticism and conflict that used to be in the past," Qureshi told reporters hours after his meeting with his Afghan counterpart Rangin Dadfar Spanta in Islamabad.
"Instead we see an environment of friendship between the two countries," he added.
Somalian charged in Kenya over terrorism
Nairobi : A Somalian man has been charged by a Kenyan court over eight counts of terrorism and illegally residing in the country.
However, Ahmed...
Musharraf on a four-nation visit to improve Pakistan”s image abroad
By KUNA
Ialamabad : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Sunday embarked upon a four-nation tour to improve Pakistan's image abroad and clear misperceptions created after he imposed over a month long emergency in the country and the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
The President will be visiting Belgium, France, Switzerland and the UK.
Jailed Hindraf legislator cannot be released
By IANS
Kuala Lumpur : Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader M. Manoharan who is being detained under the Internal Security Act cannot be released although he won the Kota Alam Shah assembly seat in the general election held March 8, Malaysian Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar has said.
"We cannot simply react to political parties' calls. We have to give priority to public safety and peace and will give due consideration (to the issue of his release) only if there is no threat to national security," he was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper Saturday.
Iran supplied Gaza with weapons: Hamas leader
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Cairo : Iran supplied Gaza militants with weapons, Khaled Meshaal, the political leader of Islamist group Hamas, has said.
Rice’s visit leaves Israeli-Palestinian peace issue unresolved
By Zhang Yanyang, Xu Gang, Xinhua,
Jerusalem : As U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice concluded another visit to the Middle East Tuesday evening, any progress on a peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians remained elusive.
Rice's seventh visit to this region this year to advance the sluggish Middle East peace process, was aimed at trying to realize the goals set by the U.S.-hosted peace conference in Annapolis last November, when Israeli and Palestinian leaders pledged to make efforts to reach a comprehensive peace deal by the end of 2008.
10 killed in Afghan roadside bombing
By IANS,
Kabul : At least 10 Afghan policemen were killed Thursday in a roadside bombing in the country's Helmand province, said a government official.
Iranian official says Iran’s package good chance for global peace
By Xinhua,
Tehran : Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Saeid Jalili said here Sunday that Iran's proposed package over its nuclear issue created a good chance for logical dialogue for global peace and security, official IRNA news agency reported.
Al Qaeda determined to make ‘new history’: report
By IANS,
Islamabad: A dead Osama bin Laden is as dangerous as a living one, senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir has written a year after the killing of the Al Qaeda chief.
Israeli PM warns of keeping status quo with Palestinians
By NNN-KUNA
Gaza : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that the Jewish state might not reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians, but Tel Aviv must try to reach this deal because keeping the status quo was danagerous and irresponsible.
Olmert said in press remarks Monday that he was not sure "we can reach an agreement and I am not sure we can implement it."
He said the Israeli opposition and its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted to keep the status quo at any price "but I tell them that this is a dangerous and irresponsible matter and has many risks."
UAE citizens can travel to New Zealand without prior visa
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : Citizens of the United Arab Emirates can travel to New Zealand for tourism or work for a period of three months without prior visas, the government announced Wednesday.
"Immediate visa will be given to the citizens upon arrival to New Zealand and the immediate visa procedures also apply to UAE diplomats, and holders of official and ordinary passports," the ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.
No illusions about terrorists in Pakistan: US
By IANS,
Washington : The US says it has no illusions about terrorists in Pakistan trying to hit the US and its allies, but believes that Islamabad understands the threat the militants pose to their own government.
"We're under no illusions," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said Monday when asked about Pakistani Taliban leaders' reported threat to launch two attacks per week in direct response to the US campaign of missile attacks in northwest Pakistan.
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.
Palestine rejects US call to start direct talks
By DPA,
Ramallah : Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas rejected a call by US special envoy George Mitchell to hold direct negotiations with Israel, Fatah member Mohammed Dahlan said.
During the three-hour meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Mitchell "did not give Israeli responses to the Palestinian questions regarding borders and security", the Fatah Central Committee member said in a statement.
Bomb kills 2 US-led coalition members in Afghanistan
By SPA
Kabul, Afghanistan : A roadside bomb killed two U.S.-led coalition soldiers in eastern Afghanistan, while a suicide bomber on a motorcycle attacked a border police patrol in the south, killing a policeman, officials said.
Clashes and another roadside bomb left nine people dead elsewhere in the country, the Associated Press reported.
Iraqi journalist killed in Baghdad
By Xinhua
Baghdad : An Iraqi journalist was shot dead in central Baghdad on Thursday, Iraqi journalists' Union told Xinhua.
"Qasim Abdul Hussein al-Eqabi, a journalist working for the local al-Muwatin newspaper was killed when unknown gunmen in two cars showered him with bullets near the National Theater in Karrada neighborhood," Jabbar Tarrad, the new chief of the Iraqi Journalists' Union told Xinhua by telephone.
Bangladesh donates relief for cyclone victims in Myanmar
By Xinhua,
Dhaka : Bangladesh will send humanitarian assistance including medicine and clothes for cyclone Nargis victims in Myanmar, an official release said here Tuesday.
The devastating cyclone ripped through Myanmar on Saturday, leaving at least 15,000 people killed, thousands still missing and causing huge damage to property.
In a quick response to the catastrophic devastation the Bangladesh caretaker government decided to send a good quantity of clothes and lifesaving medicines.
UAE non-oil trade grows to $87 bn
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi: The UAE's non-oil foreign trade rose by 17.3 billion dirhams to 320.3 billion dirhams (about $87 billion) in the first four months of this year.
Seniora expects cabinet to be formed before weekend
By Xinhua,
Beirut : Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora expected a new cabinet to be formed before President Michel Suleiman leaves the country for France on July 12, local Daily Star reported Wednesday.
The Lebanese president will participate in the Mediterranean Union summit in France during the coming weekend.
"I do not want to set a date, but a lot of progress has been made," Seniora was quoted telling reporters after meeting with the president on Monday night.
Seniora denied that there are delaying obstacles within the pro-government parties.
Half of Muslim doctors in US feel discrimination
Washington : American Muslims, even those in one the most highly regarded professions in the US, encounter a less-than-inclusive and welcoming work environment during...
Saudi King holds discussions with Blair on Palestinian issue
By NNN-SPA,
Riyadh : King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has held discussions at his palace here with the Special Envoy of the Quartet Committee for the Middle East Tony Blair and his accompanying delegation.
During the audience Sunday, they discussed developments of the Palestinian issue and the international efforts being exerted to achieve just and comprehensive peace in the region.
The audience was attended by Minister of State and Cabinet Member for Shoura Council Affairs Dr Saud bin Saeed Al-Muthami and British Ambassador to Britain William Batey.
UK raises terror threat to ‘highly likely’ ahead of Afghan conference
By IRNA,
London : Britain has restored the terror threat level facing the country to ‘severe,’ indicating that an attack is ‘highly likely.’
The decision made from an analysis by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) comes less than a week before an international conference on Afghanistan is being hosted in London, when there will also be discussions on the threat of terrorism in Yemen.
Gulf countries, Turkey sign cooperation agreement
By IANS,
Jeddah : The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Turkey have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on strategic dialogue here, WAM news agency reported Thursday.
The MoU, which was signed on the sidelines of the GCC-Turkey meeting, aims at developing positive mutual relations and multi-lateral cooperation between the two sides, as well as devising an advisory mechanism in political, economic, security and cultural spheres.
Cuba calls for NAM’s more active role in UNSC
By IANS,
Tehran : Cuba, which holds the rotating presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Tuesday called on all member states to strengthen the role of the international grouping in the UN Security Council (UNSC), the official IRNA news agency reported.
"We should strengthen the role of NAM in the UN Security Council in order to help establish durable peace and security at international level," Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told the 15th NAM foreign ministers' meeting which opened in Tehran Tuesday.
India ‘instigating’ Dhaka war crimes trials, says Jamaat
By IANS,
Dhaka : Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Bangladesh's largest Islamist party, has blamed "India's instigation" for the war crimes trial the government has initiated to bring to book those who killed unarmed civilians during the 1971 freedom movement.
The Jamaat secretary general and one of the principal accused, Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojaheed said at a rally in Bogra in northern Bangladesh: "India apprehends that only the military and the Jamaat could prevent Bangladesh from becoming a proxy for India."
Home of member of Al-Anbar province blasted
By NNN-KUNA,
Baghdad : Unidentified gunmen detonated Sunday the house of a member of the Al-Anbar governorate council and leading figure in the Islamic party Dr Zaki Obeid Al-Mohammadi.
The blast also wounded his son and two of his bodyguards. Two others died of their wounds, the Islamic party said in a statement.
EU concerned over violence in Bahrain
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: The European Union's foreign policy chief has voiced concern over the police crackdown on protesters in Bahrain and urged the authorities to respect human rights.
Pakistan’s judges get their salaries for last seven months
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : In another move towards restoration of judges, Pakistan's ruling coalition Tuesday paid salaries for the last seven months to judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf in November 2007.
All the judges have accepted their salaries, government sources said.
Tension escalates in Iraq
By XINHUA,
BAGHDAD : Top U.S. officials and military commanders in Iraq congratulated Iraqis for the country's provincial elections, describing it as a milestone in Iraq's democratic development, a joint statement by U.S. embassy and military said on Sunday.
The statement congratulated the Iraqi people for holding the provincial elections and hailed the large turnout of voters.
It also congratulated the Iraqi government and the security forces for their efforts that brought a success for the elections.
Abu Dhabi to host world energy summit
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi: Officials of developed and developing countries, including India, will meet here Jan 18 at the World Future Energy Summit 2010, WAM news agency reported Tuesday.
Finland's Economic Affairs Minister Mauri Pekkarinen will be the keynote speaker at the panel session on the first day of the summit.
India's Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah will also attend.
The Finnish government announced this year that it will support efforts to limit global warming by cutting green house gas emissions by at least 80 percent of the 1990 levels by 2050.
Official: Pakistan to halt anti-militants operation during Ramadan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : The Pakistani Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik Monday said all military operations would be suspended during the holy month of Ramadan.
Talking to foreign media at the Interior Ministry here, Rehman Malik said that some people wanted the suspension of military operations, which would only be valid for the month of Ramadan starting from Tuesday.
However, he clarified that if militants targeted security forces or civilians, or conducted suicide attacks, the government would react promptly.
UN to provide food to Pakistan quake survivors
By DPA,
Islamabad : The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said Thursday it planned to provide food assistance to nearly 20,000 people left homeless by the deadly earthquake that struck Pakistan's northwestern Balochistan province Wednesday.
"We need to move fast, so we are going to start distributing food stocks from our warehouses in Quetta and Peshawar, so we can reach the people who need it most," WFP Pakistan Country Director Wolfgang Herbinger said in a statement.
He added that the organisation would be coordinating its response with the government and other UN agencies.
I will take difficult decisions if needed: Gilani
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that he would not hesitate to take "difficult decisions" in the country's interest.
Obama to end US combat role in Iraq by August 2010
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama announced Friday that he will withdraw most US combat troops from Iraq by the end of August 2010, sharply reducing the American presence but keeping in place thousands of soldiers till the end of 2011 to support and train Iraqi forces.
Obama plans to keep about 35,000 to 50,000 soldiers in Iraq to help train and equip the Iraqis and participate in special counterterrorism missions. There are presently more than 140,000 US troops in Iraq.
Hamas wants Arabs to broker Palestinian accord
By SPA,
Dubai : Palestinian group Hamas is open to Arab mediation in its dispute with Fatah faction of
President Mahmoud Abbas, the Arab League chief said in remarks published on Sunday.
Amr Moussa said Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal expressed the Islamist group's view during a telephone conversation to congratulate him for achieving rapprochement between Lebanese
factions, Asharq al-Awsat reported.
Spanish troops open orphanage in Afghanistan
By IANS
Kabul : Spanish troops stationed in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have opened an orphanage in Afghanistan's Qala-e-Naw, the capital of north-western Badghis province, Spain's EFE news agency reported Friday.
The orphanage was named after Sergeant Juan Antonio Abril who died in an accident while patrolling the area May 26, 2007, the ISAF said in a statement Thursday.
Tunisia pardons 1,900 prisoners
By IANS,
Tunis: Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki has granted pardon to 1,900 prisoners including 29 foreigners, the official TAP news agency reported.
Pakistan: Zakat budget amounting to Rs. 7.39 billion approved for 2008-09
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : The Central Zakat Council has approved the zakat budget having size of more than Rs. 7.37 billion for various zakat programmes for the financial year 2008-09.
The main programmes against which allocation has been approved are Rs. 2.23 billion for Guzara Allowance, Rs 2.19 billion for educational stipends, Rs. 923 million for health care, Rs. 148 million for marriage grant, Rs. 100 million for natural calamities and Rs. 186 million for Eid grant.
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".
25 killed in Iraq attacks
Baghdad: Twenty five people were killed and 33 wounded in violence across Iraq, mainly in the western province of Anbar Saturday, police said.
In Anbar...
Iran does not interfere in Arab affairs
By NNN-KUNA,
Tehran : Iranian Government spokesman, Gholam-Hossein Elham denied on Tuesday allegations that his country is interfering with Arab affairs, noting that cooperation with Arab countries is based on bilateral relations and claims about Iran interference was only used by media.
The Iranian official noted that such allegations aim at creating dispute among countries in the region.
Regarding the Lebanese crisis, Elham said he called on all Lebanese parties to end their disputes and not to include foreign powers which he claimed were what destabilizing Lebanon.
Suicide blast kills four in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : Four people were killed in a suicide bomb attack Friday night in northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar.
India did not offer car to PM Sharif: Pakistani official
Islamabad : India has not offered any bulletproof car to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation...
Islam doesn’t allow killing of mankind: Pakistani scholar
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Prove abducted pilot still alive: Jordan tells IS
Amman: Jordan said Wednesday that it wants the Islamic State (IS) to prove that the Jordanian pilot abducted by the militant group last month...
NATO asks Pakistan to open transit routes
By IANS,
Brussels : NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen Thursday urged Pakistan to open the transit supply routes for the coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Israeli army arrests 10 in Gaza raid
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Israeli forces arrested 10 Palestinians during a raid carried out in southeast Gaza Stripafter midnight, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said on Saturday.
The witnesses said that at least seven tanks and four bulldozers rolled into the eastern territories of Rafah city after midnight and withdrew early in the morning.
Bangladeshi poet exonerated of sedition charge
By IANS,
Dhaka : Renowned Bangladeshi writer Shahriar Kabir, charged in 2001 with sedition for speaking out in favour of religious minorities, has been exonerated by a Dhaka court.
Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order, The Daily Star said Friday. The charges against him in the December 2001 case were "fabricated" and "concocted", the government told the court.
Yemeni religious body flays terror attack on US embassy
By IANS,
Dubai : A top Yemeni religious body has strongly condemned Wednesday's terrorist attack on the US embassy that claimed 16 lives, including that of an Indian nurse.
The Association of Yemeni Religious Scholars, while condemning the attack, called on the Yemeni people to unify their efforts to face such terror acts, the official Saba news agency reported.
The association lauded the role of the security forces in thwarting such acts.
It also expressed its condolences to the families of those killed.
Muslims urged to open up, foster tolerance
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : Muslims worldwide must vigorously uphold Islam as a way to foster openness and tolerance, the leader of Indonesia's largest Muslim body said Friday.
"An effort of building a culture of peace and dialogue should be made to avoid the trend of aggression and ignorance that pervades the Muslim world," Hasyim Muzadi, chief of the Central Board of Nahdatul Ulama said.
"I am confident that if we work in concert, we may uncover an effective and durable solution to these problems," Muzadi told the International Conference of Islamic Scholars here.
Iraqi PM and Vice President discusses unity government
By NNN-SPA,
Baghdad : Iraq's prime minister Nouri al-Maliki met Sunday with the Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi to discuss issues relating to unity government.
The meeting between al-Maliki and al-Hashemi came a day after the Sunni leader al-Hashemi described the return of his boycotting political bloc, the National Accordance Front, to the Cabinet as a priority.
The two men discussed "the future of the political process and the rebuilding of a national and unified government," according to a statement from the presidency office.
Israel and Saudi Arabia in a jam in Gaza
By Saeed Naqvi,
The US decision to launch limited air strikes to check the ISIS in Iraq and the Gaza initiatives in Cairo are obviously linked.
To understand the collective Arab panic over the Gaza ceasefire, an overview is required.
Assad wins Syria’s presidential elections
Damascus: Syria's incumbent President Bashar al-Assad has won a third seven-year term in office in the presidential elections that took place Tuesday, the Syrian...
And now mobs deliver justice in Pakistan
By Muhammad Najeeb and Zofeen T. Ebrahim, IANS,
Islamabad/Karachi : Unmindful of the illegality of their action, a growing tribe of Pakistani citizens are delivering "mob justice" - killing, burning and seriously injuring criminals on the streets.
At least five bandits have lost their lives and an equal number admitted to hospitals with burns and other injuries after a spate of incidents of mob fury across the country. One dacoit was killed and another severely injured by people after they failed to decamp with valuables Tuesday from a house at Kharian, 100 km from Islamabad.
Iraq”s neighbors conf. ends
By KUNA,
Kuwait : Foreign ministers of Iraq, its neighboring countries and permanent UN Security Council (UNSC) wrapped up a one-day meeting here Tuesday after acknowledging political and security improvements in Iraq.
Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Sabah and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari are to hold a news conference later to announce the final communique which was approved by the participants.
Iran’s missile tests prove US shield not needed, says Russia
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia Friday said the ongoing missile tests by Iran has proved that the country did not have the capability to attack Europe and thus, there was no need to build a missile shield in the region.
The tests in Iran "proved that the country only has missiles with a range of 2,000 km", much less than the range needed to reach Europe, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said following talks with his Jordanian counterpart Salaheddin Al-Bashir.
Iran finds new gas field
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran has discovered a new gas field containing about 495 billion cubic meters of natural gas worth $133 billion in the southern part of the country.
Afghan man, three kids die in bombing
By IANS,
Kabul : A man and three of his children were killed Tuesday in a huge blast when their vehicle ran over a roadside bomb in Afghanistan's western province of Farah, an official said.
21 Palestinians, including at least 8 civilians, killed in escalating violence
By SPA
Gaza City : Twenty-one Palestinians, including at least eight civilians, were killed late Friday and early Saturday in escalating Israeli-Palestinian fighting that renewed threats of an Israeli invasion of Gaza and clouded peace efforts. A baby and two teenagers were among the dead, and dozens of people were wounded, AP reported.
In all, 54 people have died since Israeli aggression spiked Wednesday. At least 23 were civilians, the youngest a 6-month-old boy.
Coalition soldier, militants killed, 20 detained in Afghan operations
By Xinhua,
Kabul : A service member of the U.S.-led Coalition forces was killed in western Afghan province of Farah while several militants were killed and 20 others were detained in two separate operations conducted in eastern and central provinces, the U.S.-led military said Friday.
A Coalition soldier was killed in Farah of the west on May 29, of whom the name and nationality was not released, according to statements issued from the Coalition base at Bagram, near the capital Kabul.
Pakistan to open second front against Taliban: report
By IANS,
London : Pakistan plans to open a second front against the Taliban in the Waziristan tribal area as early as next month, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
"The army is planning to go into Waziristan, possibly in June, which will involve huge numbers of troops in an attempt to establish some sort of state control over the area," the Daily Telegraph quoted a source close to the Pakistani military as saying.
The army is currently fighting the Taliban in Swat Valley and two neighbouring districts of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).
Tehran calls Israeli ground offensive ‘strategic mistake’
By DPA,
Tehran : Tehran Sunday called the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza Strip a "strategic mistake" and said Israel could never eliminate the Hamas group, ISNA news agency reported.
"The ground offensive by the Zionist regime (Israel) is a strategic mistake and the aim of eliminating Hamas is unachievable as Hamas is a nation and a nation can never be eliminated," Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted as saying in a telephone conversation with some of his European counterparts.
Russian-Iranian trade turnover hits $3.7 bln
TEHRAN, February 20 (RIA Novosti) - Russian-Iranian trade turnover rose to $3.7 billion last year, Russia's deputy foreign minister said on Friday.
"We are delighted that trade turnover between our countries reached $3.7 billion last year. This is a significant figure, and one which is expected to be higher this year," Alexei Borodavkin said following scheduled talks between Russian and Iranian foreign ministry officials in the Iranian capital of Tehran.
Sderot hit with five Palestinian missiles — statement
By KUNA
Gaza : Islamic Jihad's Quds Brigade claimed responsibility, Thursday, for shelling the Israeli settlement of Sderot with five missiles.
A brigade statement said operatives managed to fire five "Quds" missiles on Sderot, northeastern Gaza Strip.
The brigades also stated that the attack was in retaliation for assassinating of five Al-Quds brigade leaders and the Palestinian militants in the West Bank on Wednesday.
"There is no room for ceasefire," said Al-Quds brigade in comment over Egyptian mediation efforts to that end.
Fighting extremism in a suit and tie
By Alfred Hackensberger
Less than two weeks after the death of Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar University, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak appointed Tantawi's successor to the most senior post at the 1,000-year-old university, the oldest and most revered seat of learning for many Sunni Muslims.
Ahmed al-Tayyib, the former Grand Mufti of Egypt, has assumed the position of highest religious authority in the country, one which sets the tone for Sunnis the world over. Approximately 90 per cent of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims are Sunnis.
Kuwait Opposes Attack on Iran
By Prensa Latina
Cairo : Kuwait's prime minister, Sheik Nasser al Muhammad al Ahmed al Sabah, expressed opposition to any military action against Iran.
After meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Sheik Nasser called for the resumption of talks with that Persian state, the official news agency MENA reported.
On the situation in Iraq, the Kuwaiti prime minister said his government backs the administration of Nuri al Maliki and expects its neighbor to solve all internal problems and achieve stability.
Iraqis urged not to hug or kiss during holiday season
By DPA,
Baghdad: The government has urged Iraqis not to greet loved ones with hugs or kisses during the coming Eid al-Adha holiday as a precaution against swine flu.
The health ministry has flooded the television, radio and mobile-phone airwaves with public service announcements asking Iraqis to be on their guard and avoid crowded places.
Health Minister Saleh Al-Hasnawi said Tuesday that 13 people had died of the AH1N1 strain, more commonly known as swine flu, and that an additional 1,600 people, mostly in Baghdad, had been diagnosed with the virus.
Taliban kill four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan
By IANS,
Toronto : Four Canadian soldiers have been killed and eight injured in attacks by the Taliban near Kandahar in Afghanistan.
The soldiers were killed in two separate attacks triggered by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by the insurgents Friday, reports said.
While two soldiers were killed when they were hit by an IED during foot patrol, the two others died when their armoured vehicle hit an IED. The two attacks took place within two hours at two places 40 kilometres apart.
Israeli army cordons off W. Bank village, searching for wanted fighters
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Israeli army imposed a curfew on a small West Bank village near Qalqila since Friday night, searching for wanted activists accused of firing at an Israeli settler, security sources said on Saturday.
The Palestinian security sources said that tens of Israeli army vehicles stormed Azzon village, imposed curfew and started house-to-house search in some areas of the village.
The soldiers have arrested five suspects so far, the sources said.
Zardari reaffirms PPP’s commitment to follow 1973 Constitution
By APP,
Islamabad : PPP Co-Chairman Senator Asif Ali Zardari said on Tuesday that his party is committed to the 1973 Constitution, which is the force behind the federation and has kept the country united.
Chakmas urge Dhaka to protect tribals in Bangladesh
By IANS,
Agartala : Indian Chakma tribals have urged Dhaka to protect the rights of their fellow tribals in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Bangladesh, tribal leaders said here Tuesday.
Don’t malign us: ISI on journalist’s killing
By IANS,
Islamabad : The abduction and murder of journalist Saleem Shahzad should not be used to malign Pakistan's security agencies, said an unnamed Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) official.
World Bank report urges Afghan rural development
By SPA
Tokyo : The world needs to invest more than US$2 billion (¤1.35 billion) in irrigation, roads and other rural development in Afghanistan, a development bank report said Tuesday.
Only as poor Afghan farmers gain other economic opportunities will they be able to be weaned away from dependence on opium production over time, William Byrd of
the World Bank told reporters in Tokyo, where the report was released on the sidelines of an annual international conference on the country's reconstruction.
Two NATO soldiers, 11 Afghan policemen killed in attacks
By DPA,
Kabul : Two NATO soldiers and 11 Afghan policemen were killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan, officials said Monday.
Two other NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldiers were wounded in an explosion in the southern region, ISAF said in a statement.
The wounded soldiers were transported to an ISAF hospital for treatment, the statement said, but did not disclose the nationalities of the soldiers, nor did it say where exactly in the southern region the attack took place.
Most Germans say new Afghan strategy will fail: survey
Berlin, Jan 29, IRNA -- Some 76 percent of Germans believe that the new strategy in Afghanistan will fail, according to an opinion poll released Friday by the public television network ZDF.
Only 18 percent of those questioned think that the NATO-led mission will ultimately succeed, while six percent had no opinion on the issue.
Meanwhile, 65 percent of respondents said that they opposed dispatching additional soldiers to north Afghanistan, where German troops are
deployed as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
US-Israel mercenaries killed nuclear expert: Iran
By IANS,
Tehran, Jan 12 (IANS) Mercenaries of the US and Israel were behind the motorbike blast that killed an Iranian nuclear physicist Tuesday, Iran said.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mihman-Parast termed the attack as an "inhuman action" intended to stop the technological progress in the country.
Masoud Ali-Mohammadi, a lecturer at the Tehran University and a staunch supporter of Islamic Revolution, was killed when a booby-trapped bomb exploded near his house in northern part of the city.
Hamas slams Abbas for keeping on talks with Israel
By Xinhua
Gaza : A day after eight people died in a mysterious Gaza explosion, Islamic Hamas movement on Saturday harshly slammed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for not announcing an end of talks with Israel.
"Abbas should be ashamed of those martyrs... he must immediately boycott the occupiers (Israelis). Otherwise, the history would register him in its black pages," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoom told reporters in Gaza.