Family physicians needed in Arab world
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi: With its population going beyond 350 million, the Arab world seeks over 160,000 specialist family physicians as the available numbers are far less than actually needed.
10 women killed in Baghdad attacks
Baghdad : At least 10 women were killed and 23 others wounded in attacks at a residential complex here Saturday, an interior ministry source...
Arab FMs may meet soon on peace strategy – Moussa
By NNN-KUNA,
Cairo : Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa has said here that consultations were underway for a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in the coming period.
The meeting will revolve around a holistic assessment of the Arab peace initiative, Palestinian-Israeli talks and Jewish settlements, Moussa told reporters Tuesday.
"A date is being set for such a meeting through consultations among Arab countries," he said.
Imran Khan attacks Sharif, threatens to shut down major cities
Islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan Sunday announced his plans to bring major cities in the country to a standstill, while pressing for...
Pakistani President urges steps to check diminishing natural forests
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : President Pervez Musharraf has stressed for immediate action to stop damage to the diminishing natural forests in the country.
In a message on the commencement of Monsoon Tree Plantation Campaign starting Thursday, President Musharraf said the natural forests on mountains, riverside and Indus delta are under great stress due to high demands for wood by dependent communities, which needed proper attention.
Bush visits the good and bad guys in the Middle East
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Maria Appakova) - President George W. Bush is going to visit the Holy Land - Israel and the territory controlled by the Palestinian National Authority - for the first time since becoming president.
Pakistan is the new epicentre of terror: US expert
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Pakistan has emerged as the new epicentre of terror with Osama bin Laden making it his key arena, according to Bruce Riedel, a former CIA analyst who helped craft President Barack Obama's Af-Pak policy.
The recent attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar "is only the latest in the escalating war for the future of Pakistan," wrote Riedel, currently senior fellow for foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.
Khamenei calls for an end to Iran’s election disputes
By DPA,
Tehran : Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on all relevant parties Sunday to end disputes over the outcome of the June 12 presidential election.
"I call on both sides not to provoke emotions of the youth, stop putting people against each other and refrain from scratching the nation's unity," Khamenei said in a meeting with judiciary officials.
Opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi has rejected the final results alleging wide-spread manipulation in the election and counting process.
Is Arab media truly free?
By Ramzy Baroud,
Arab League information ministers issued a communiqué outlining 'tough' guidelines for Arab satellite channels. The new guidelines specifically prohibited the broadcasting of negative reporting of heads of state, religious or national figures.
Iraq warns of Syrian crisis’ consequences
By IANS,
Baghdad : Iraq has warned of Syrian crisis' consequences, pointing to a potential spillover effect for other countries in the Middle East.
Pakistani Taliban refuse to give up body of Pole
By ANTARA,
Kohat, Pakistan : Pakistani Taliban militants said on Sunday they would only give up the body of a Polish man they say they beheaded if the government freed captured militants and stopped attacking them.
The militants said on Saturday they had executed the Polish engineer, Piotr Stanczak, who they kidnapped in September, because the government had refused to free 60 captured militants before a Friday deadline.
"We will not hand over the dead body if the government does not accept our demands," a Taliban spokesman, identified only as Mohammed, said by telephone.
Russia condemns Iraq terror attacks
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia has condemned a string of terrorist attacks that killed at least 66 people and injured 230 across Iraq Monday.
Malaysia exploring scope for Islamic banking in Turkmenistan
Ashgabat : Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said Malaysia wants to explore new fields of collaboration in Turkmenistan, including in halal products and Islamic banking.
India, Bangladesh to allow truck movement May 1
By IANS,
Dhaka: Bangladesh and India will allow from May 1 trucks to carry cargo from one country to another, a media report said Saturday.
A "standard operating procedure" will be framed for the easy movement of vehicles across the border in the absence of a legal framework accord, the New Age newspaper quoted the foreign ministry as saying.
Customs officials said Bangladesh informally allows Indian trucks to enter 300 metres into Bangladesh but India does not give a similar facility to Bangladeshi vehicles.
Fire breaks out in Lahore shopping centre
By IANS,
Islamabad : Several people were trapped when a fire broke at a shopping centre in Pakistan's Lahore city.
Zardari under US pressure to meet Musharraf
By IANS,
Islamabad : The US is making a concerted effort to persuade Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), to meet President Pervez Musharraf and develop a working relationship with him.
"Many well-wishers have suggested to me to meet Musharraf in person and discuss the political problems in detail to find some solution," The News Monday quoted Zardari as saying.
"I am hopeful that the outcome of my meeting with Musharraf will not disappoint the people of Pakistan," he replied enigmatically when asked what the agenda of the meeting would be.
Pakistan must exploit its mango export potential: Gilani
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan, which is the fifth largest producer of mangoes in the world, needs to exploit its mango export potential, says Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
35 militants killed in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : Security forces Friday gunned down 35 militants in northwest Pakistan's upper Orakzai areas while one troop was also killed, the Geo News reported.
We’re not interested in staying in Afghanistan: Hillary Clinton
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Saying that the US was not interested in a long-term presence in Afghanistan to rebuild the country and have a functioning democracy, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the primary American mission there was defeating Al Qaeda.
"We're not interested in staying in Afghanistan; we're not interested in any long-term presence there," Clinton told the NBC programme "Meet the Press" Sunday.
Dubai reporter ‘missing’ after Iran clashes
By DPA,
Dubai: A reporter working in Iran for the Dubai Media Corporation has failed to make contact with the company since deadly clashes at the weekend, the company announced in a statement Monday.
The 27-year-old Syrian national, Reza al-Bacha, had previously been in constant communication with editors, according to the statement carried by the official WAM news agency.
Al-Bacha has worked in Iran for the past year for the Dubai conglomerate, which runs various media outlets in the emirate.
U.S. provides $16.5m to upgrade Pakistan’s power plant
Islamabad, Jan 13,IRNA-- U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke announced that the U.S. Government will contribute $16.5 million (1.4 billion rupees) to improve the operating capacity of the Tarbela Dam hydroelectric plant.
Grant funding will be provided to the Ministry of Water and Power (MoWP), and implemented through the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).
“The energy crisis in Pakistan is an issue that affects everyone,” Ambassador Holbrooke said at a ceremony marking the signing of the agreement.
Pakistan Army chief stresses on ‘absolute elimination of terrorists’
Peshawar: Pakistan Army chief Raheel Sharif has said that the complete elimination of terrorists was the only way forward, according to media reports.
Sharif visited...
Bangladesh’s Awami League may end civic poll boycott
By IANS,
Dhaka : Cracks have appeared in the opposition boycott of the civic polls in Bangladesh with the Awami League (AL) ready to take the plunge if the military-backed caretaker government lifts the emergency.
This runs counter to the stand of the rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) that has vowed to "resist" the civic polls slated for Aug 4 to cover four metropolis and nine municipalities.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain discuss bilateral relations
By IANS/WAM,
Jeddah : Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have held bilateral talks during which the two sides reviewed prospects of furthering cooperation between them.
Haqqani Network being targeted in operation: Pakistan
Islamabad : Pakistan Thursday said the country's security forces are targeting all armed groups including the Haqqani Network in the ongoing major offensive in...
Kabul embassy attack will not deter India: Krishna
By Manish Chand, IANS,
Phuket (Thailand): Reiterating its commitment to fight extremism of all kinds, India Wednesday said the despicable attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul last year will not deter it from continuing with reconstruction of the violence-torn Afghanistan.
"We have attempted to help Afghanistan in its reconstruction efforts as a means to bringing about stability in that country," India's External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said at his meeting with the foreign ministers of 16 East Asian countries.
Israeli siege of Gaza ‘collective punishment,’ say UK MPs
By IRNA,
London : An influential group of British MPs Sunday criticised Israel's siege of Gaza as "collective punishment" against the Palestinians and called on the UK government to strongly urge the Zionist regime to desist from violating international law.
French FM to Meet with IAEA Chief on Iran, Hopes for Dialogue
By SPA
United Nations : France’s Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is set to meet with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammad AlBaradei, in Paris to discuss Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, SPA learned Tuesday.
Speaking to SPA at the United Nations, Kouchner confirmed the meeting with the chief of the nuclear watchdog.
“It will be very interesting and I hope he [AlBaradei] will listen to us too and it will be a sort of dialogue,” Kouchner said.
Iraqi warplanes pound IS positions, five killed
Mosul (Iraq) : Iraqi aircraft early Monday carried out strikes on strongholds of the Islamic State (IS) Sunni extremist organisation in and around the...
No proposal to sign nuclear ban treaty: Pakistan
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan says there is no proposal under consideration to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Pakistan conducted nuclear tests in 1998 in a tit-for-tat reaction of Indian tests.
Islamabad has been under pressure to sign the CTBT since it has carried out nuclear tests.
The CTBT bans all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 1996 but it has not yet entered into force.
Scientists find first dinosaur tracks on Arabian peninsula
By IANS,
Dubai : The scientific community is abuzz with something rarely seen in the Arabia peninsula - dinosaur tracks.
Footprints of ornithopod, a large dinosaur, as well as a herd of 11 small and large herbivorous sauropods were found preserved along a Mesozoic coastal mudflat in the Republic of Yemen, according to a study published in the scientific journal PLoS One.
“No dinosaur trackways had been found in this area previously. It's really a blank spot on the map,” said Anne Schulp, who led the study.
NATO chief rules out intervention in Syria, Iran
By IANS,
Washington : NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen has ruled out the military alliance having any intention to intervene in Syria or Iran.
Pakistani Army chief visits Swat
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani Army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani Thursday paid a surprise visit to Swat in the country's troubled northwest where the security forces are engaged in an offensive against the Taliban that has so far resulted in the deaths of more than 800 militants.
Quoting sources, Geo TV said Kayani met the military commanders leading the troops in the fighting. He was also briefed about the progress made in the operation.
Bangladesh’s Jamaat calls strike after leader’s death penalty upheld
Dhaka : Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party on Monday called for a two-day strike after a court upheld its previous verdict on its leader Muhammad...
US urges Israel, Palestine to halt violence, resume talks
By NNN-KUNA
Washington : The United States has urged Israel and Palestine to halt violence and resume peace talks.
This statement by the White House was issued Sunday shortly after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he would suspend peace talks with Israel over the latest Israeli military operations in Gaza.
"The violence needs to stop and the talks need to resume," National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in the statement.
Israel to fire warning shots at Paleatinians near border fence – Haartez
By NNN-KUNA,
Gaza : Israel has informed Hamas it will fire warning shots at Palestinians who enter an area west of the Gaza Strip border fence, extending for several hundred metres, the Israeli daily Haartez reported.
Egyptian officials told Hamas of the new procedure, which is expected to raise tensions between the two sides, said the paper Tuesday.
Egypt offers more food, medicine for Palestinians in Gaza
By Xinhua
Cairo : An Egyptian charity body has sent a convoy of some 50 tons of food and medicine to the Palestinians suffering a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, the official MENA news agency reported on Sunday.
The food and medicine would be distributed among the people in Gaza to help them face Israel's policy of blockade, deputy board chairman of the Abul-Enein Charity Somaya Abul-Enein was quoted assaying.
The relief is part of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's directives to the civil society to help the Palestinians, said the report.
Six killed, 10 injured in cylinder blast in Pakistan
By Xinhua
Islamabad : At least six people were killed and 10 others injured Thursday in an explosion in Lahore, the capital city of the eastern Punjab province, TV channel DAWN NEWS reported.
The blast took place in a scrap warehouse in Misri Shah locality in Lahore, leaving dead six people, including house owner Raja Amir, said the report.
The police recovered six bodies from the site of the blast.
The injured were shifted to a local hospital, Lahore's police chief Malik Iqbal was quoted as saying.
According to the police, a gas cylinder caused the blast.
Dhaka seeks closer economic ties with Beijing
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh hopes to attract Chinese investment in its infrastructure and manufacturing sectors and consolidate its defence ties during the visit of Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed to China that begins Monday.
Talking to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Ahmed said he expected closer economic cooperation with China and more Chinese investment in Bangladesh.
"I hope my visit will strengthen economic cooperation in different fields and trade between the two countries, and improve and increase Chinese foreign investment in Bangladesh," Xinhua quoted Fakhruddin as saying.
Troop redeployment is Pakistan’s not-so-subtle message to Obama
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS,
Chicago : Away from Chicago's intensely cold winter and vacationing in the salubrious climes of his birth state Hawaii, President-elect Barack Obama is being delivered a not-so-subtle message by Pakistan.
PFLP delegation to head to Egypt for truce talks
By Xinhua,
Gaza : A delegation of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) will head to Egypt on Monday for talks with senior Egypt officials on a possible ceasefire with Israel, the group said on Saturday.
The PFLP said in a statement sent to reporters that it has received an invitation from Egypt to hold talks with senior Egyptian officials on a possible truce between Israel and the Palestinians.
Musharraf arrested
By IANS,
Islamabad: Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf was arrested Friday, a day after he fled the Islamabad High Court that ordered his arrest.
US officials says top Taliban leader’s capture a turning point
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : A top Afghan Taliban military leader's capture in Pakistan represents a turning point in the US-led war against the militants and is also potentially a strategic coup for Pakistan, US officials and analysts say.
The arrest of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar represents the most significant Taliban capture since the terrorist attacks of Sep 11, 2001, CNN cited a senior Obama administration official as saying Tuesday. Baradar has been a close associate of Osama bin Laden's and is seen as the No. 2 figure in the Afghan Taliban, behind Mullah Mohammed Omar.
Israel scrambles fighter jets to fend off drone from Gaza
Jerusalem: The Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets to the Gaza border after Islamist group Hamas launched a drone during a military parade it...
Pakistan protests ill-treatment of Haj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia
By Awais Saleem, IANS,
US Navy ship fires at boat off UAE coast
By IANS,
Dubai : At least one person died when a US Navy ship Monday fired at a small boat off the coast of the UAE after it ignored the warnings and came too close.
Security offensive kill 20 militants in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least 20 militants were killed by security forces in northwestern Pakistan's tribal region Friday, Dawn News channel reported.
The security forces fired artillery shells at militant hideouts in Bajaur tribal agency and killed 20 militants, the report said, adding that six security men were killed in three days of clashes in the region.
The security forces intensified their offensive against militants in Bajaur tribal district Thursday, killing dozens of militants, Dawn newspaper said Friday.
US military deaths in Iraq war reach 4,209
By IINA,
Washington : As of Wednesday, at least 4,209 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes eight military civilians killed in action. At least 3,397 military personnel died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
Four policemen gunned down in Karachi
By IANS,
Islamabad : Four policemen were killed when unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen attacked a check-post in Pakistan's port city of Karachi Sunday night, a media report said.
Mideast peace ‘hinges on resolving Arab-Israeli conflict’ – Ban Ki-moon
By APP
United Nations : Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed that peace in the Middle East ‘hinges on a just and lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict,’ as he pledged United Nations’ support to help achieve this goal. Ban added that the Peace Initiative put forward by the League of Arab States “remains a key element in our efforts to achieve peace,” in a message delivered by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe to the group’s summit, held in Damascus over the weekend.
Iranian negotiator: Drafting of nuke deal may start next month
Tehran: A top Iranian negotiator has expressed optimism that Iran and the six world powers involved in nuclear talks with the Islamic republic may...
Iraqi forces capture four suspected militants
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) have captured three suspected al-Qaida militants and a leader of the Iranian-backed Shiite militia during operations in Baghdad and western Iraq, the U.S. military said on Saturday.
The ISOF captured an al-Qaida leader suspected of conducting bomb attacks against U.S. and Iraqi security forces in an operation in the town of Garma near the city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of Baghdad, a military statement said.
Lawyers to continue long march, Sharif under house arrest
By IANS,
Islamabad : Defiant lawyers Sunday gathered outside the Lahore High Court and broke down its gate to continue their 'long march' to demand reinstatement of judges sacked two years ago as former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif and other political leaders were placed under house arrest.
After breaking down the gate, the lawyers and political activists marched ahead to the GPO chowk, where security personnel lobbed tear gas shells on them, Dawn TV reported.
Saudi-led coalition launches airstrikes in Yemen ahead of truce
Sanaa : The Saudi Arabia-led military coalition launched airstrikes on Tuesday against several Houthi military positions in Sanaa, just hours before the five-day humanitarian...
Some 50,000 Muslims to leave for Haj pilgrimage from France
By NNN-KUNA,
Paris : French authorities have said that they expect around 50,000 Muslims to leave from France or transit through here from third countries heading to the haj pilgrimage next month.
Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Frederic Desagneaux said Tuesday that the French government had printed up 50,000 "guide booklets" for the pilgrims.
Indian Cultural Society, UAE’s new officer bearers elected
By TCN News,
Ajman (UAE): The Indian Cultural Society UAE, an NRI wing of SDPI, formation of central committee at its meeting here elected the new office bearers for the duration of three years.
Aliyar from Kerala was elected as the president, Naseer Karaje from Karnataka was elected as the general secretary, Hasan TM as vice president and Munavar and Naushad were elected as secretaries during a programme held on April 17, 2015, a release from Indian Cultural Society, UAE, said here.
Afghanistan suspends presidential vote auditing
Kabul : The Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) Saturday announced that the presidential runoff vote auditing process has temporarily been suspended and will resume...
Palestinian woman shot by Israeli forces south of Gaza Strip
By KUNA,
Gaza : A Palestinian woman was wounded Tuesday morning when Israeli Army forces opened fire on her near the commercial (Sufa) crossing, north east of Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian medical sources said that "Aisha Jouma Attaiah (35 years old) was rushed to the European Hospital in Rafah after she was shot by the Israeli forces which targeted several farmers north of Rafah." Eyewitnesses said that "Israeli soldiers stationed on the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at Attaiah and two bullets penetrated her body.
Delhi, Dhaka to resume river water sharing talks
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh will resume after more than three years talks with India on sharing of river waters in order to augment water availability and prevent erosion.
The talks will take place "soon" under the aegis of the Joint River Commission (JRC), Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen said Tuesday, Star Online reported.
"In the coming Joint River Commission meeting, the Teesta river water sharing issue will be given priority," the minister said after holding a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty.
Kerry meets Iranian foreign minister over n-issue
New York : US Secretary of State John Kerry met his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in New York over the current round of...
Obama warns US patience with Iran is limited
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama said initial talks with Iran Thursday were "constructive" but cautioned Tehran must take concrete steps to assure the world its nuclear activities were peaceful and that US patience was "not unlimited".
Obama made the remarks hours after talks led by EU (European Union) foreign policy chief Javier Solana with Iran and included representatives from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US concluded in Geneva.
Gulf parliamentary authorities discuss launch of joint info network
By KUNA
Doha : The General Secretariat of GCC Parliments works continuously to develop its projects and programs, according to the responsibilities it holds, as Secretary General of the Kuwaiti National Assembly Olam Mohammad Al-Kanderi stated here on Wednesday.
Al-Kanderi told Kuwait News agency (KUNA), on sidelines of the 12th meeting of the General Secretaries of the GCC Parliaments, which commenced in Doha on Tuesday, that developing the general secretariats is highly considered, and all the previous meetings, held at this level, focussed on this particular topic.
Three Israelis wounded in Palestinian attack on Ashkelon
By KUNA
Gaza : Three Israelis were wounded early Saturday in a Palestinian missile attack on the city of Ashkelon, north of Gaza Strip.
An Israeli Army spokesman told the local Jewish radio station that Palestinian activists fired three missiles from northern Gaza Strip at the city, hitting a house. The house sustained severe damage and three of its residents were wounded and had to be hospitalized.
IRI FM spokesman reacts to Turkish counterpart’s remarks on Israel
By IRNA
Tehran : IRI Foreign Ministry spokesman here Wednesday reacted to his Turkish counterpart's regret expressed over Iranian officials' stands about the Zionist regime.
Israel cuts power supply to Gaza until rocket attacks stop
By KUNA
Gaza : The Israeli Army said Friday it will cut the power supply to the Gaza Strip until rocket attacks on the southern area of the Jewish state stop.
Army spokesman told Israel Radio that the Palestinians fired a large number of rockets and missiles at Israeli towns and military areas near Gaza Friday morning.
He said the attacks continued although Israel started cutting the power supply at midnight on Thursday.
22 IS militants killed in clashes, airstrike in Iraq
Baghdad : At least 22 militants of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group were killed on Tuesday in an airstrike and two IS attacks...
New land port opens in Bangladesh
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh Friday opened a new land port at Akhaura in Brahmanbaria district that helps it connect with India's Agartala city.
With the ceremonial opening of the new port, Bangladesh has 14 land ports that ensure better connectivity with India with which it has 4,300 km land border.
Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan are currently working out mutually beneficial arrangements under which Bangladesh will have, and provide, access to the three South Asian neighbours for trade, transit and communication.
Sderot suffers missile attacks, PRC claims responsibility
By KUNA,
Gaza : Two missiles were fired early Tuesday from northern Gaza Strip targeting the Israeli settlemt of Sedrot, located in southern Israel, an Israeli Army spokesman said.
An army spokesman told local radio that two missiles hit an area near the Israeli settlement without causing any human losses or material damage.
He pointed out that warning siren were sounded to alert the local population to take cover after the firing of the missiles was detected.
Seven killed, 20 injured in three attacks in Iraq
By DPA,
Baghdad : Gunmen killed five people, including an Awakening Council leader in a raid on his house in northern Iraq, while two civilians were killed in an explosion in Baghdad Sunday, according to local media reports.
The gunmen forced their way into Awakenings leader Amer Gassem Khadir's house, killing him and four others in Salahaddin province, a police source told the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency.
The gunmen escaped after destroying part of the house.
Roadside bombs kill 36 civilians in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kandahar: A roadside bomb believed to have been planted by Taliban militants struck a bus Tuesday in southern Afghanistan, killing 30 passengers and wounding 39 civilians, officials said.
Two other roadside bombs in eastern and southern Afghanistan killed six more civilians while a Taliban commander was killed in the northern province of Kunduz and an Afghan-US military operation left dozens of insurgents dead in a western province, officials added.
Spokesman: Iran to continue talks with West
By Xinhua,
Tehran : Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi Tuesday said Iran intends to continue nuclear talks with the West in a "constructive" atmosphere, the Press TV satellite channel reported.
Both Iran and the West are interested in continuing their negotiations, Qashqavi told a press conference in Tehran.
Somali pirates free hijacked Yemeni ship without ransom
By DPA,
Sanaa (Yemen) : Somali pirates Wednesday freed a Yemeni cargo ship after negotiations with Somali tribal leaders, Yemen's envoy to Somalia Ahmed Hamid Omar said.
"All the 10 pirates have left the ship, and we expect it to leave the Eyl port today (Wednesday)," Omar told DPA by telephone from Eyl port in the semi-autonomous Puntland region in northern Somalia.
Eyl is the stronghold of the Somali pirates.
"We are now finishing final procedures for the ship to head to Yemen," the Yemeni diplomat said.
Afghan challenger refuses making coalition government
By NNN-Bernama,
Kabul : Incumbent president Hamid Karzai's top rival Abdullah Abdullah on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of making coalition government, saying this is not the solution for the country's problems, China's Xinhua news agency reported.
"The way for the solution of the problem of the country is not formation of coalition government," he told newsmen at his first press conference after announcing election runoff by election body on Tuesday.
Islamic school in Britian gives students anti-IS classes
London : An Islamic school in Britain is holding classes for students as young as 11 years old in order to help them recognise...
Seven of a family shot dead in Pakistan
Islamabad: Seven members of a family were Friday killed when two armed men shot at the vehicle in which they were travelling in Pakistan's...
Seven killed, over 60 wounded in blast in N Iraq’s Mosul
By Xinhua
Mosul : The toll in an explosion at a building in the northern city of Mosul rose to at least seven killed and more than 60 others wounded, a police source said Wednesday.
The blast inside the residential building was a terror attack, Brigadier Abdul Krarim al-Jubury of the Mosul police told Xinhua.
The blast took place at about 4:10 p.m. (1310 GMT) before the Iraqi security forces and U.S. troops were about to enter the building on tips that explosives were inside, according to the police officer.
Pakistan once again misusing UNGA, distorting reality: India
New York/New Delhi : In a strong rebuttal of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's anti-India statement at the UN General Assembly, India on...
Pakistan’s Sharif party quits ruling coalition
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Monday announced that his Muslim League-N party is quitting the ruling coalition, putting the alliance at risk ahead of elections for the country's Presidency.
Sharif also announced to field candidate of his party for the Presidency and nominated a retired judge to challenge Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of slain leader Benazir Bhutto.
Iraq: next few days crucial for security deal with U.S.
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Saturday that Iraqi leaders will make a decision in the coming few days on an agreement concerning the continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq.
"The next few days will be crucial for the Iraqi leaders to make political decision and a judgment on this agreement," Zebari said during a joint news conference with his visiting Bahraini counterpart.
Three soldiers killed in Yemen bomb attack
Damascus: At least three soldiers were killed and 12 injured Thursday in a bomb attack at a military base in Yemen, an official said.
"The...
Badruddin Ajmal condemns Israeli attack on Gaza
By TwoCircles.net news desk,
Mumbai: Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, president of Sarvasamaj United Democratic Front, while condemning Israeli airstrikes on Gaza Strip said the attack was a manifestation of barbarism and a strong slap on the face of the so-called champions of world peace.
Criticizing those who claim to be establishing peace world over he asked why they have adopted a criminal silence while nearly 400 innocents have been killed, thousands lying injured in hospitals and properties worth crores of rupees have been destroyed.
US Mideast Envoy Talks Gaza Truce
By Prensa Latina,
Amman : The US envoy for the Middle East George Mitchell discussed Saturday consolidation of a long truce in Gaza with the Jordan King Addulah II who demanded from Washington a real commitment in the regional peace process.
Mitchell, recently appointed special envoy to the mideast by US President Barack Obama, was in the Jordan capital finishing a tour that covered Egypt, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
At least 6 killed in missile attack in Pakistan’s tribal region
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least six people were killed in a missile strike at a religious seminary in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal region early Monday, TV channels reported.
The pre-dawn attack, which happened at about 3 a.m. local time (2100 GMT) along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region of Azam Warsak, also injured three others, according to the TV.
Local residents said that the missiles fired from unknown directions struck the seminary house belonging to a local cleric Maulana Jalail, who is considered to be linked with Taliban.
Sarbjeet’s fate in Musharraf’s hands: Asma Jehangir
By IANS
Lucknow : Chairman of Pakistan's Human Rights Commission Asma Jehangir said here Monday that the fate of Sarabjit Singh, Indian national on death row in Pakistani jail, is in the hands of only one man - President Pervez Musharraf.
"The fate of Sarbjeet Singh depends entirely on one man - Musharraf - who apparently has a closed mind on the issue," she told reporters.
"There were more than 7,000 people on the death row in Pakistan and left to us we would seek amnesty for all of them," she said.
Musharraf refutes nuclear scientist’s claim of pressured confession
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Saturday blasted the country's disgraced nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan for saying that he was forced into confessing that he was the source of nuclear proliferation.
Musharraf, who is facing demands by political parties and lawyers to resign, told a select group of local media that Khan's claim was totally baseless.
Khan's recent remarks lent credence to the widely held view that the blame for proliferation goes to the national army which controls the nuclear programme.
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...
Anti-Taliban cleric among 12 killed in Pakistan blasts
By DPA,
Islamabad : A prominent cleric who supported the military offensive against the Taliban in Pakistan's northwestern Swat valley was killed Friday along with 11 other people in two separate mosque bombings in the militancy-plagued country, officials said.
The explosions came a day after security forces repulsed a militant raid on the residence of a regional army commander in the northwestern region, killing two attackers and arresting five after a shoot-out.
Two women killed by Tunisian police
Tunis: Two women were killed Saturday by patrol officers in Tunisia's Kasserine town, the interior ministry said.
According to the ministry, the patrol officers were...
Two killed in Pakistan blast
Islamabad : At least two people were killed and one was injured Tuesday in a blast in Pakistan's North Waziristan region, a media report...
Fresh Syria-Israel talks to end Thursday
By SPA,
Ankara : A fresh round of indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria, mediated by Turkey, are due to end on Thursday, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said on
Wednesday.
"The third round of talks between Israel and Syria started in Istanbul yesterday and they will end tomorrow," Babacan told a news conference in Ankara.
Babacan said that progress in the indirect talks, in which Turkey acts as a go-between, could lay the groundwork for direct negotiations.
"Talks are still at a very early stage," he was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Government failing to protect people: Pakistani media
By IANS,
Islamabad : The Pakistani government was "failing in its duty" to protect its citizens, an editorial in a leading English daily said Friday, a day after a senior army officer was gunned down here, perhaps in the mistaken belief that he was involved in the ongoing operations against the Taliban in the restive northwest.
Another editorial lamented that the military offensive had severely hit cultural events in the country.
Advani impressed by Hindu influence in Indonesia
By IANS,
New Delhi: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Saturday said he was impressed with the influence of Hinduism on Indonesia - the country with most Muslims in the world.
Back from his recent four-day trip to Indonesia, to attend a World Sindhi Conference, Advani said in his blog that though Hindus made only two percent of Indonesia's 202.8 million population, it was "impressive" and "surprising" to see the Hindu influence in Indonesia.
Russia announces completion of Iran’s first nuclear power plant
BUSHEHR (Iran), February 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has completed the construction of Iran's first nuclear power plant at Bushehr and is launching start-up operations, the head of Russia's nuclear power corporation said on Wednesday.
The plant in south Iran, which Russia undertook to finish as part of a 1998 contract, was originally scheduled to go on line at the end of 2006, but the date has been pushed back several times.
Iran optimistic about nuclear deal before deadline
Tehran : A senior Iranian nuclear negotiator has expressed optimism about reaching a deal with six world powers on Tehran’s nuclear energy programme before...
Three Pakistani officials given consular access to prisoner
By IANS,
New Delhi: India Friday granted permission to three Pakistani officials for consular access to injured prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay in a Chandigarh hospital.
Eight killed in Iraqi car bombings
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Eight people were killed in two car bomb attacks in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi, an official said Sunday.
"Our latest reports said eight people were killed and 50 others injured in the double car bombings outside the Anbar provincial council (building) in the city," an interior ministry official told Xinhua requesting anonymity.
The Iraqi state-run television said two blasts occurred in the fortified provincial council building in central Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, some 110 km west of Baghdad.
Palestinian killed, four Israeli militants injured
By KUNA,
RAMALLAH, Feb 2 (KUNA) -- A Palestinian was killed and four Israeli militants injured by gun shots in Al-Khalil (Hebron) on Monday.
A Spokesman of the Israeli Army said a Palestinian opened fire on forces in Hebron, which returned fire killing him and injuring four others.
The spokesman did not reveal the name of the militant who was killed or the four others who were taken into Israeli territory. He added, however, that the man had opened fire while in his vehicle.
Bangladesh to form association to ensure maximum welfare of migrant workers
By Xinhua,
DHAKA : Bangladesh will form a labor welfare association aiming to ensure maximum welfare of the country's millions of migrant workers, a senior government official said on Wednesday.
Bangladesh's Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain has already instructed officials concerned to make a work plan for formation of the association.
Over 40 militants killed on Pakistan-Afghan border
By DPA,
Islamabad : The Pakistan Army said Wednesday it killed over 40 insurgents in a major military offensive in northwestern tribal district near the Afghan border, while at least seven civilians died when an explosion ripped through an eatery near the capital Islamabad.
"Artillery fire and helicopter gunships engaged a militants' hideout in Raghan area of Bajaur district. Twenty five miscreants, including important local Taliban commanders and some foreign fighters were killed in the action," Army spokesman Major Murad Khan
said.
Pakistani President Zardari apologises for terror attack on Lankan players
By NNN-PTI,
Colombo : The Pakistani leadership expressed its sincere apologies to the Sri Lankan people for the "very unfortunate incident" in which seven players from the Island nation were injured when masked terrorist attacked the players' convoy in Lahore on Tuesday.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday telephoned President Mahinda Rajapaksa today in Kathmandu to strongly condemn the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers, injuring seven players and killing eight policemen and others.
Zardari assures Sri Lanka team attackers will be punished
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday assured Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohita Bogollagama that the perpetrators of the assault on his country's cricket team would be punished for their crimes.
Bogollagama arrived in Islamabad to discuss Tuesday's brazen attack in the eastern city of Lahore where more than a dozen gunmen ambushed the Sri Lankan team's convoy, killing six Pakistani policemen and wounding seven visiting sportsmen and their coach.
Powerful quake hits Indonesia
By DPA,
Jakarta: Authorities lifted a tsunami warning after tidal waves did not materialize late Saturday following a powerful earthquake, measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale, which struck the Maluku islands in eastern Indonesia, seismologists said.
The quake struck at 9:40 pm Jakarta time (1440 GMT) with its epicentre 209-kilometres north-west of Saumlaki in Maluku province.
It occurred about 165 km beneath the seabed, Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) said.
17 killed in Pakistan accidents caused by fog
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least 17 people were killed in road accidents in Pakistan as most parts of the country remained covered in dense fog, a media report said Tuesday.
Airlift will bring 2,000 hand-picked Iraqis to new life in Britain – report
By NNN-SANA
London : The British government is preparing to airlift up to 2,000 Iraqis out of their country to begin a new life in Britain, the first time that Iraqis will arrive here with their status as refugees assured, it was reported here.
Those hand-picked to come to Britain include translators and other staff who have supported British forces in Iraq, The Guardian newspaper said Tuesday.
58 navy, 97 air force officers promoted
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has approved the promotion of 58 navy and 97 air force officers.
Australian PM labels burqa ‘confronting form of attire’
Canberra: Australia's parliament approved tough new counter-terrorism laws Wednesday but cross-party support for the measures was accompanied a spat over the wearing of burqas.
The...
Gaza operations will continue, get more offensive – Israeli Defence Minister
By NNN-KUNA
Gaza : Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has announced that military operations in Gaza "will continue and get tougher".
Following international condemnations over Israel's over-proportionate force against Palestinians, Barak Tuesday referred such state to the continuation of missiles fired by the Palestinian factions.
The Israeli government has an obligation to reassure stability in residential areas surrounding the Strip, he stressed.
Turkey considers uranium enrichment for own nuclear power plants
ANKARA, January 15 (RIA Novosti) - Turkey may consider building a uranium enrichment center as part of an ambitious plan to develop the country's nuclear potential, a national newspaper said on Tuesday.
Turkey is preparing to issue a public tender for the construction of its first nuclear power plant and plans to build at least two nuclear reactors by 2015.
"The initiative [to build a uranium enrichment center] is strategically important for the whole world and for Turkey's future," the Hurriyet newspaper said.
Israel intensifies settlement expansion after Annapolis summit — report
By KUNA,
Gaza : The Department of Negotiation Affairs at the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) accused Israel on Sunday of intensifying its settlement expansion in the West Bank and Jerusalem since the Annapolis Conference.
The department, headed by Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat, asserted in a report that Israel extended its settlement expansion activities since the Annapolis Peace Conference that was held in the US in November 2007, and thereby was killing peace negotiations between the two sides.
Urgent need for peace in Middle East: Pope
By DPA,
Rome : Roman Catholic Pope Benedict XVI Sunday called for the prompt resolution of the Middle East conflict and urged Muslim countries to guarantee total religious freedom.
Iran: President, cabinet menbers renew allegiance to late Imam Khomeini
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his cabinet ministers on Saturday paid tribute to the Father of the Islamic Revolution, the late Imam Khomeini.
On the second day of the annual `Ten-Day Dawn' celebrations marking the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the president and members of his cabinet attended the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini to renew allegiance to the ideals of the late leader.
Custodian of the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini, Hassan Khomeini, was present in the ceremony.
Al Qaeda training snipers to attack British, US troops
By IANS,
London : Terror outfit Al Qaeda is now training a group of snipers for a new wave of attacks on British and US troops in Afghanistan, a media report said Friday.
Google dedicates doodle to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
New Delhi: Internet search giant Google on Tuesday paid tributes to Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on his birth anniversary.
The doodle showed the...
Iranian negotiators head to Vienna for n-talks
Tehran : The Iranian negotiating team left for Vienna Monday for crucial nuclear talks with the world powers.
Iran will do its best to start...
30 militants killed in Afghanistan
Kabul : At least 30 Taliban militants were killed in operations across Afghanistan, authorities said Sunday.
"Operations were carried out by the Afghan National Security...
Suicide bombing kills 10 Afghans, six Italians in Kabul
By DPA,
Kabul : A suicide attack against an Italian military convoy shook the Afghan capital Thursday, leaving 10 Afghan civilians and six Italian soldiers dead, officials said.
"The attack left 10 civilians dead," General Zahir Azimi, a spokesman for defence ministry told DPA. More than 50 others were wounded, he said.
Iraqi forces, militiamen clash in Baghdad’s Sadr City district
By SPA
Baghdad : Iraqi police say government forces and Mahdi Army militiamen are clashing in Baghdad's Sadr City district.
A police officer says the two sides are using small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and light mortars.
He says eight civilians have been injured, including 3 children.
The fighting erupted Tuesday morning when Iraqi troops tried to enter the district, the Associated Press reported.
Pakistan rejects report on fastest growing nuclear arsenal
Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday strongly rejected a report published by a US think tank, which claimed that Pakistan has the fastest growing nuclear arsenal...
Arab states lobby against Dutch anti-Islam film
By DPA
Valletta : Arab states attending the European Union-Arab League meeting in Malta lobbied the Dutch government against a highly controversial anti-Islam film about to be released in the Netherlands.
The foreign ministers of Syria, Egypt and Morocco spoke against the film with Dutch State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment Ahmed Aboutaleb, a Muslim himself, at the ministerial meeting that ended Tuesday, The Times of Malta reported.
19 US Soldiers Died in May in Iraq
By Prensa Latina,
Baghdad : The US military death toll in Iraq in May amounted to 19 after an American soldier was reported dead in the northwestern province of Al Anbar.
A brief official report from the US Army announced Saturday that a Marine died in a non-combat incident, which is still under investigation. The victim"s name will be disclosed as soon as his family is informed.
May could have been the lowest monthly toll of the war, which has already claimed the lives of 179 American soldiers in 2008.
India, Bangladesh to focus on research collaboration
New Delhi : Research collaboration, exchange of experts and training will be part of an agreement on traditional medicines and homeopathy to be signed...
US senator pushes for more action against Islamic State
Washington: US Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain Sunday reiterated calls for the White House to do more to tackle what he says...
US officials meet Gaddafi envoys
By IANS,
Washington : US officials had met representatives of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi during the weekend in a bid to press him to step down, media reports said.