US judge dismisses Blackwater case; Iraqis upset
By IANS,
Baghdad : Iraq has said it regretted the decision by a US judge to dismiss the charges against five Blackwater security guards who allegedly killed innocent Iraqi civilians in 2007.
"The Iraqi government regrets and is disappointed by the decision," Ali al-Dabbagh, spokesman for the government, said in a statement Friday.
"The investigations conducted by the Iraqi authorities confirm clearly that the Blackwater guards committed murder and violated the rule of using arms under the circumstances of being threatened," Xinhua reported quoting the official.
More UAE aid for Syrian refugees
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates' (UAE) Red Crescent Authority (RCA) has implemented a new phase of the programme of aid relief...
Libyan diplomats expelled from Denmark
By IANS,
Copenhagen : Two remaining Libyan diplomats serving in Denmark would be sent home within the next five days, the Danish foreign minister has said.
Pakistan air base put on high alert after terror tip-off
By IANS,
Rawalpindi : High alert was issued at Pakistan Air Force Chaklala air base following a warning from an intelligence agency that terrorists may target it, a media report said Thursday.
Russia voices concern over Iranian rocket test
By Xinhua
Moscow : Russia Wednesday expressed concern over Iran's test-launch of Kavosghar-1 (Explorer-1) rocket, saying it will raise suspicion over the Islamic country's nuclear programme.
"Any movements in the area of creating such potential arms, of course, make others concerned, and moreover make one suspect that Iran could possibly create nuclear arms," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.
"Long-range rockets are a part of such systems. This of course makes us concerned," Losyukov said.
No talks until Israel meets its obligations: Abbas
By DPA,
Ramallah/Jerusalem/Amman : Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday that the best way to achieve peace was through direct talks, which Israel was willing to begin immediately, but Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Jewish state first had to meet its obligations under international agreements.
European Union (EU) Foreign Affairs and Security supremo Catherine Ashton, for her part, said the EU was waiting for the talks to begin, and the question was how best to achieve this.
15 killed in US drone strike in North Waziristan
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least 15 militants were killed and five others were seriously injured in a US drone strike in North Waziristan Sunday that apparently targeted Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud, reports from the area said.
The attack took place in Shaktoi, 40 km southeast of Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan.
Pakistan regrets death of Khalid Mehmood in Indian custody: FO
By APP
Islamabad : Pakistan Wednesday expressed deep shock and anger over the death of a Pakistani prisoner in India in mysterious circumstances and asked the Indian government to specify the charges under which the deceased was detained.
“We are in contact with the Government of India and have asked them to specify the charges under the which the deceased was detained, explain the circumstances of his death and provide any other relevant information,” said Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq in his weekly briefing.
Annapolis Negotiations Solution to Solving Israel-Palestine – U.N.
By SPA,
United Nations : Kane’s remarks made reference to the difficulties experienced by Palestinian refugees.
“Each generation is born and grows up with the … the impact of occupation, with many Palestinians living a lifetime in refugee camps in the occupied Palestinian territory and in neighboring Arab countries,” she said.
Kane expressed concern about Israeli checkpoints and increasing settlement activities that she said cause “hardship and suffering on daily life” for Palestinians.
Saudi placard vandalized, climate talks slowed further
By Joydeep Gupta, IANS,
Bonn : The official placard of the Saudi Arabian delegation was vandalised at the venue of the global talks here in preparation for the next climate summit. As a result, the talks were held up for hours on the last day Friday.
Israel ‘will eat’ Iran? French minister’s English ouches
By DPA,
Paris : The difficulties the French have in pronouncing the letter "h" landed the country's foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, in hot water.
Israeli media quoted the minister as saying Israel "will eat" Iran if the Islamic Republic gained possession of nuclear weapons, prompting Kouchner's office to issue a statement of clarification Sunday.
Kouchner wanted to say in an interview given in English that Israel would "hit" Iran if it developed nuclear weapons. But journalists apparently mistook his pronunciation of "hit" for "eat," the statement said.
World press body condemns Israeli hypocrisy over case against Palestinian journalists
BRUSSELS, Jan 14 (KUNA) -- The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) denounced here Wednesday the charges levelled by Israeli prosecutors against two Palestinians journalists for broadcasting information subject to military censorship.
"We condemn these charges which just prove the hypocrisy and double standards applied by Israel in Gaza," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "Israel uses the law to enforce its military dictate on journalists while it fails to implement the order of the country's highest court allowing media access to Gaza," he said.
New Arab media award on adolescent themes launched
By IANS,
Dubai : A new Arab Media Humanitarian Forum Award has been launched to motivate journalists and adolescents to highlight their concerns and possible solutions in the Arabic media.
The award has been launched by the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regional official of the United Nation's Children's Emergency Fund for children (Unicef), the Dubai Press Club and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Al Bayan newspaper, the state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
Pakistan’s foreign office spokeswoman new envoy to Italy
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua has been appointed the country's next ambassador to Italy, a media report said Monday.
Polio vaccine being given under army cover in Pakistan
Islamabad: Polio workers continued to administer polio drops Thursday under the protection of the army in Pakistan's Khyber tribal region in the fourth phase...
Iraqi court sets date for Bush shoe thrower
By Xinhua,
BAGHDAD : The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former U.S. President George W. Bush will appear at an Iraqi court on Feb. 19, a judicial official said on Sunday.
Muntadhar al-Zaidi, a reporter of Cairo-based Baghdadia Iraqi television, will stand trial on charge of assaulting a foreign leader, Abdula Sattar al-Beirqdar, spokesman of the Higher Judicial Council, told reporters.
Zaidi, 29, has been in custody after he threw his shoes at Bush during a joint statement with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad on Dec. 14, 2008.
Concern over Somalia situation; blockage of insurgents favoured
By IANS,
Addis Ababa : While the African Union has expressed concern over the situation in Somalia, a group of East African nations have called on the United Nations to start air and sea blockade of the Islamist insurgents in the country.
The six-nation Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) held an extraordinary meeting in Addis Ababa May 20, chaired by Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin. It was also attended by the AU chairperson Jean Ping.
Yemen president willing to hand over power
By DPA,
Sana'a : Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said Friday that he is prepared to hand over power, but only to a "safe pair of hands".
Afghan car bombing toll down to 42 from 89
Kabul : The Afghan defence ministry Wednesday lowered the toll in Tuesday's suicide car bomb attack on a crowded market in southeastern Afghanistan from...
Court issues death warrants for five Mujib killers
By DPA,
Dhaka : A Dhaka court Sunday issued death warrants against five former army officers convicted in the assassination of Bangladesh's founding President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, court officials said.
District and sessions judge Mohd Abdul Gafur signed the warrants against five former military men - Syed Faruk Rahman, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Bazlul Huda, A.K.M. Mohiuddin Ahmed and Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan - after receiving the final Supreme Court verdict in the case.
Kuwait reiterates commitment to assisting Iraq, welcomes militia dismantling
By KUNA,
Kuwait : Kuwait reiterated Tuesday its commitment to assisting Iraq in restoring its cultural, social, economic and political institutions and welcomed the Baghdad government's commitment to the dismantling of all militias, while stressing importance of protecting the country's refugees.
This came during the address of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at the inauguration of the Third Expanded Ministerial Conference of the Neighboring Countries of Iraq.
Afghan forces on alert as Taliban warns people against voting
By DPA,
Kabul : Afghan security forces Wednesday boosted their presence on Kabul's streets with less than 24 hours to go before the start of presidential and provincial elections while the Taliban issued a new threat, warning voters to stay off the country's roads and highways.
The militant group announced a boycott of Thursday's elections two weeks ago and said it would block all of Afghanistan's roads in a bid to prevent voters from getting to polling stations.
Pakistani villagers take on Taliban
By DPA,
Islamabad : Hundreds of people have risen up against Taliban fighters in Pakistan's northwestern district of Upper Dir and killed "several" militants in weekend raids, media reports said Sunday.
The militia was raised in the remote Hayagai village where a suicide bombing at a mosque Friday killed at least 49 people minutes before the start of early afternoon prayers.
Armed locals from Hayagai stormed six Taliban-held villages in nearby Doog Darra Saturday to avenge the mosque attack, The News daily reported.
TTP intermediaries to decide on venue for Taliban talks
Islamabad : Members representing the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Thursday reached Waziristan in a special-charter helicopter to meet leaders from the Taliban shura ahead of...
Danish cartoonist escapes attack by Somali
By IANS,
London : Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, whose caricature of Prophet Muhammad sparked fury in the Muslim world, escaped a murder bid when a knife-wielding Somali man broke into his house in Denmark.
The 28-year-old intruder barged into Westergaard's house in the western city of Aarhus Friday night and tried to kill the 74-year-old cartoonist in front of his five-year-old granddaughter, BBC reported.
The startled cartoonist ran into a room with his granddaughter and raised an alarm. Police, who rushed to his house, shot the man in his leg.
OIC condemns Geert Wilders’ Film defaming Islam
By SPA
Jeddah : The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) has condemned the Dutch film, produced by Geert Wilders, which defamed Islam and the Holy Quran, and said that
such a development has hurt the feelings of the Muslims throughout the world.
OIC's Secretary General Professor Ekmel-eddin Ihsan Oglu said in a press statement today that the film aims at discriminating against the Muslims and stirring up enmity against them as well as causing turmoil and undermining the pillars of global peace and stability.
Taliban attacks militia as fighting intensifies in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : Islamist militants attacked a security post in Pakistan's troubled north-west, triggering a gunfight that killed at least three militiamen, officials and media reports said Thursday.
Scores of rebels raided the main centre of the tribal police in the Chakdara area of the Lower Dir district late Wednesday and took more than a dozen militiamen hostage, a local police official said on condition of anonymity.
Security forces launched a rescue effort, triggering a gunbattle that left three militiamen dead, Geo News television channel reported.
Court marriages on the rise in Islamabad
By IANS,
Islamabad : There has been an increase in court marriages in this Pakistani capital, a media report said Monday.
France to withdraw aircraft carrier from Libya mission
By IANS,
Paris : France will withdraw its sole aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle from its Libya mission for maintenance, Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said.
Lahore attack a conspiracy against Pakistan: Musharraf
By IANS,
Islamabad : Strongly condemning the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, former president Pervez Musharraf Thursday termed it a conspiracy against Pakistan.
"Whatever happened was very bad. I condemn it in the strongest terms. It was a conspiracy against Pakistan, an attempt to destroy Pakistan's cricket," Musharraf told reporters here in his first public comments on Tuesday's attack on the Sri Lankan team bus that resulted in the deaths of eight people and injuries to six players and an assistant coach.
"Cricket is finished. This is very bad," he added.
One killed in Pakistan suicide bombing attack
By Xinhua
Islamabad : A suicide bomber blew himself up in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, killing a civilian and wounding three security personnel.
The suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into the main gate of the Swat Media Center of the army in the North West Frontier Province Saturday night, the official Associated Press of Pakistan quoted the local police as saying.
The explosion also caused power breakdown in the area, the report said.
US not fixated on Iran answering queries on nuclear projects
Tehran: US Secretary of State John Kerry has acknowledged for the first time that a final nuclear deal would not require Iran to detail...
NATO: 909 people killed, wounded in Afghan suicide blasts this year
By Xinhua,
Kabul : A total of 909 people including 712 civilians have been killed or wounded in suicide blasts across Afghanistan this year, a NATO spokesman said here Wednesday.
As many as 228 civilians were dead and 484 more were wounded in deadly suicide bombing attacks in the war-battered country in 2008,Mark Laity, NATO civilian spokesman in Kabul, told a news briefing.
EU declines to comment on headscarf issue in Turkey
By KUNA
Brussels : The European Union declined Thursday to comment on a parliament vote in Turkey on the Muslim headscarf saying it is an internal matter for Turkey.
"On this issue I dont have any particular comment to make and the reason for that is that there is no EU legislation on the issue of wearing of the headscarf," Krisztina Nagy, a spokesperson for the European Commission, told journalists here today.
Abbas begins talks to form Palestinian national government
By IANS,
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas began discussions Saturday to form a national government, reported Xinhua citing the official Wafa news agency.
A month, and Pakistanis unhappy with government
By IANS,
Islamabad : The new ruling coalition in Pakistan has failed to satisfy the people in its first month of governance, media reported Wednesday.
A small survey conducted by the Daily Times over this issue has found that the government's inability to control skyrocketing prices was the major reason behind the dissatisfaction of the people.
Quoting residents in different neighbourhoods of Lahore, the newspaper said most of them sounded unhappy with the government's failure to address the issues of public concern.
Taliban commander killed, eight arrested in Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
Kabul : The international troops fighting Taliban militants in Afghanistan have killed a senior rebel commander and captured eight insurgents in two separate operations.
The killing of Taliban commander Mullah Asad during a targeted operation in the southern province of Helmand Nov 19 was confirmed by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in a release Sunday.
Karzai lead in controversial Afghan election grows to 15 percent
By DPA,
Kabul : The lead of incumbent President Hamid Karzai increased to more than 15 percent over his nearest challenger nine days after the country's presidential elections, the Afghan Independent Election Commission reported Saturday.
According to the new figures, Karzai has 46.3 percent of the vote, compared to 31.4 percent for former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, with a third of the poll or more than two million votes counted.
At the beginning of the vote count, partial results were showing a neck-and-neck race between Karzai and Abdullah.
Nine killed in suicide attack in Lahore
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least nine people, including two police officials, were killed and 35 others injured in a suicide attack targeting the police in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, The Nation newspaper reported Thursday.
A suicide bomber blew himself up at the crowded Moon Market in front of Iqbal Town police station in Lahore, capital of Punjab province late Wednesday night as people were busy preparing for the celebration of the country's 61st Independence Day Thursday, said the report.
Iran to invest $571 mn in Armenia
By IANS,
Tehran : An Iranian private sector consortium will invest $571 million in two hydro-power projects in neighbouring Armenia, Xinhua reported Monday.
Pakistan offers India full support, is not on defensive
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan Saturday said it would remain "fully engaged with the Indian leadership" to jointly fight terrorism even as it denied any link with the terror attack in Mumbai and cautioned New Delhi against mud-slinging.
"It's easy to get into mud-slinging and blame. We have to rise to the occasion, understand and join in efforts to fight this menace," Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters here after a cabinet meeting to discuss the mayhem in Mumbai.
Gilani invites US special envoy Holbrooke to Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : With US President Barack Obama serving notice that he expects Pakistan to do more in the war against terror, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has invited newly-appointed special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke to visit this country to work out the way ahead.
"We are looking forward to engaging with him. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has invited him to come to Pakistan and we hope to see him soon," The News Saturday quoted Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir as saying.
Bangladesh trade body demands removal of ‘corrupt’ lawmakers
By IANS,
Dhaka : An apex trade body in Bangladesh has demanded removal of "corrupt" lawmakers from various parliamentary sub-committees.
Relocation of Hindu shrine in Malaysia put on hold
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysian authorities have suspended the proposed relocation of a 150-year-old Hindu temple to a Muslim-Malay dominated area after a meeting to persuade the local residents turned chaotic.
Chief Minister Abdul Khalid Ibrahim of Selangor state Saturday said the relocation would be put on hold until a different site was found, Straits Times said Sunday.
The move turned controversial after locals protesting the relocation to the Muslim-dominated area held rally displaying a severed cow head - animal sacred to the Hindus.
Yangon accepts Dhaka’s basis for settling sea boundary dispute
By DPA,
Dhaka: Yangon has in principle accepted Dhaka's offer to settle their dispute over a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal on the basis of equity, a top Bangladeshi official said Saturday.
The lack of a clear boundary caused tension between the two neighbours over offshore hydrocarbon exploration in the Bay of Bengal in 2008.
Myanmar and Bangladesh resumed talks on maritime boundary demarcation in 2008 after a gap of 22 years, but failed to resolve the dispute.
Gillani sacks press secretary for meeting chief justice
By IANS,
Islamabad : Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani has dismissed his Press Secretary Zahid Bashir for meeting Chief Justice of Pakistan Abdul Hamid Dogar without permission.
According to a pressnote issued here, Gillani took strict notice of his press secretary meeting Dogar without his permission and dismissed him from office.
When contacted, Zahid Bashir told Online that he worked hard with devotion and diligence and utilised all his potential and capacities for carrying out his job effectively.
Obama welcomes ‘robust debate’ among Iranians
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama welcomed the "robust debate" that has taken place in Iran during the presidential election and expressed optimism it will boost efforts to open dialogue with the Islamic state.
"We are excited to see what appears to be a robust debate taking place in Iran," Obama said Friday as Iranians went to the polls to vote in a race that pits conservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against reformist challenger Mir-Hossein Moussavi.
Israel releases former Palestinian finance minister from jail
By NNN-KUNA,
Ramallah : The Israeli authorities have released Dr Omar Abdulrazzaq, a finance minister in the deposed Hamas government, after spending two years in prison, Israeli media reported.
Abdulrazzaq was arrested in 2006 and was set free Sunday after serving his two-year sentence.
Israel had arrested 40 Hamas MPs on charges of belonging to the Islamic resistant movement, causing it to lose its majority in the Palestinian National Council (PLC), or parliament, which has not held a single session since Hamas took over control of the Gaza Strip.
US air strike kills Iraqi judge -police
By SPA
Baghdad : A U.S. air strike killed five Iraqi civilians including a judge in the northern town of Tikrit on Wednesday, Iraqi police said.
U.S. forces acknowledged that civilians had been struck during a battle with suspected militants which included strikes from fixed-wing aircraft.
"After the air strike, coalition forces continued to receive heavy enemy fire as armed terrorists ran from the target and attempted to hide in neighboring homes using the occupants as human shields," they said in a statement.
13 killed in violence in north-west Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : At least 13 people, including a female councillor and a policeman, were killed in attacks by Taliban militants and security operations by government forces Monday in north-west Pakistan, officials and media reports said.
Helicopter gunships and artillery pounded several positions of militants in restive Swat district, where the troops are fighting the followers of a radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah, who wants to enforce Taliban-style rule in the region.
Pakistan’s stolen artifacts recovered in Italy
By IRNA
Islamabad : Pakistani archaeological artifacts have been recovered from Italy which were smuggled to the country and would now reach home in two months, officials said Wednesday.
Ancient artifacts from museums in the eastern city of Lahore and northwestern city of Peshawar were officially taken to Delhi by Archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler, in 1946, for exhibition but never came back home, an official of the Archaeology and Museums Department said.
US playing double game on Taliban: Report
By IANS,
Islamabad : US-led NATO forces vacated more than half a dozen security check posts on the Afghan side of the border just ahead of the major ground offensive launched by the Pakistani military against the Taliban in the volatile South Waziristan region, a media report said Monday.
"It is feared that the American decision will facilitate Afghan Taliban in crossing over to Pakistan and support militants in striking back at the Pakistani security forces in the troubled tribal area," The News said in a report headlined "On whose side is US anyway?"
Fighting IS: Australian troops reaching Middle East this week
Sydney : Australian Special Forces will travel to the Middle East this week to join a US-led international coalition against the Islamic State (IS)...
Arab League Sec-Gen meets Lebanese Minister on latest situation
By NNN-KUNA
Cairo : Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa received visiting Lebanese Minister of Information Ghazi Al-Aridi in CAIRO Monday to review the developments in Lebanon.
The meeting probed ways to activate the Arab initiative on the Lebanese political standoff, the minister told reporters.
"There will be no recourse to civil war in Lebanon. None of us seeks to reach that extreme," he said in an apparent reference to the statements made by Walid Jumblatt - the leader of the ruling coalition partner Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) - on Sunday.
Dedicated wing in UAE’s Indian missions to address grievances
By IANS,
New Delhi : The government said Tuesday it has set up a dedicated “community affairs wing” in Indian missions in the United Arab...
Bombs kill 14 including Baghdad volunteer leader
By SPA
Baghdad : Two suicide bombers struck in a district of Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 14
people including the leader of a U.S.-backed neighborhood security patrol, an Interior Ministry source said.
The strikes were the latest in an apparent stepped-up campaign of suicide bombings that has seen major attacks nearly every day for the past two weeks, even as overall levels of violence in Iraq have fallen, according to a report of Reuters.
Muslim women threaten to leave Central African Republic
Bangui : More than 100 Muslim women in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), are threatening to leave amid tension between...
Israel opposed to truce efforts as toll reaches 1,664
Gaza/Cairo/Jerusalem: Israel Saturday said it was not seeking any agreement over the Gaza conflict any more to bring an end to its offensive that...
Rights abuses of minorities, women and detainees in Iraq: UN
By DPA
Geneva : Security conditions in Iraq in the first half of 2008 improved greatly the United Nations said Tuesday, but "grave human rights violations" remained a serious issue.
In addition to large casualties in heavy fighting between militias and government forces, allegations that civilians were targeted by "all parties to the conflict" were still under investigation, the UN's mission to Iraq (UNAMI) said in its biannual report.
‘Bush gave secret orders allowing raids in Pakistan’
By IANS,
New York : President George W. Bush has secretly approved orders that allowed US military special forces, for the first time, to mount ground assaults inside Pakistan territory against terrorists and Afghan insurgents, without the prior approval of the Pakistani government, The New York Times reported Thursday.
The orders were given in July, the newspaper said, citing senior US officials speaking on condition of anonymity.
Iran rejects media report of missing nuclear material
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran strongly rejected Monday reports of alleged disappearance of uranium from its nuclear facilities, terming it "fabricated" media hype, the official IRNA news agency reported, quoting a senior official.
"All nuclear materials in Isfahan and Natanz nuclear facilities of Iran are under the strict supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi told reporters Monday.
Qashqavi was speaking in reference to a Daily Telegraph article which claimed that Iran was renewing its nuclear weapons programme.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) provides loans to Pakistan
By SPA
Islamabad : Asian Development Bank (ADB) has made accumulative lending of $ 18.6 billion to-date for the development projects in Pakistan.
This was stated by the country director ADB Peter L Fedon while delivering his presentation on ADB s development partnership with Pakistan at Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA).
Fedon said that funding to energy sector was the highest with 21.1 percent followed by the agriculture sector with 20.90 percent, finance 13.2 percent, transport 11.3 and industry 9 percent.
Karachi tense as target killings’ toll rises to 37
By IANS,
Karachi : Karachi remained tense Friday as the toll in three days of political-ethnic killings rose to 37 and at least eight vehicles were set ablaze overnight in various parts of the metropolis.
Shops in major markets as well as petrol pumps were closed and traffic suspended in the Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, Qasba, Pirabad, Orangi Town, Korangi, Landhi, Liaquatabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Jackson neighbourhoods, Geo TV reported.
Gilani criticised over Laden comment
By IANS,
Islamabad: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has been criticised for raising in parliament the question of the slain Osama bin Laden's presence in the country.
Abbas hopes for final agreement with Israel to be reached by year-end
By NNN-WAFA,
Bethlehem : Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has expressed hope that a final peace agreement on major permanent status issues will be reached with Israel by the end of this year as envisaged by US President George W. Bush.
Abbas was speaking at a joint news conference with visiting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is currently on a two-day tour of the Palestinian territories and Israel, his first visit to the region since he took office in June 2007.
Pakistan spoilt dialogue by talking to Hurriyat: Sushma Swaraj
New York : Pakistan "spoilt" the Indo-Pak dialogue by talking to Hurriyat leaders just four days ahead of the scheduled foreign secretary level...
UK lacks counter-terror policy, claims Musharraf
By KUNA
London : Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has claimed that Britain lacked a long-term counter-terrorist strategy and argued that Islamist extremism was a home-grown problem for Britain rather than his country's responsibility.
Work starts on UAE’s first green city
By IANS
Abu Dhabi : The construction work for a Masdar City - a zero-carbon, zero-waste, green city - has started, news agency WAM reported Sunday.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, laid the cornerstone of the city Saturday and Masdar CEO Sultan Al Jaber announced a development budget of $22 billion for the city.
Roadside bombs kill 8 civilians, 4 Afghan police
By SPA,
Kabul : Eight civilians and four policemen were killed in two separate roadside bomb blasts in
Afghanistan on Tuesday, officials said.
One woman, a child and six men were killed when the blast hit a bus in Del Aram district of western Farah province, said deputy provincial governor Mohammad Younus Rasuli.
The blast occurred on a road where Afghan and foreign troops have come under similar attacks and ambushes by Taliban insurgents in recent months, he told Reuters.
Intel to train two million teachers in Arab countries
By IANS
Dubai : The US based microprocessor giant Intel and United Arab Emirates (UAE) based Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation plan to train two million teachers in the Arab world by 2011, WAM news agency reported Wednesday.
The memorandum of understanding for the training project was signed by Mohammed Al Gergawi, chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, and Craig Barrett, chairman of Intel Tuesday.
Pakistan: CEC authorizes PM to reshuffle Cabinet
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : The Central Executive Committee of the Pakistan Peoples Party has authorized the Prime Minister to re shuffle the Cabinet to make it more responsive to the challenges the country was facing.
Spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar said the meeting chaired by the Co Chairman and President Asif Ali Zardari that continued till the wee hours of Tuesday morning also unanimously adopted a six point resolution that condemned the vilification campaign against the President.
Obama’s war council focusing on Al Qaeda in Pakistan
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : As US President Barack Obama met his top national security officials to discuss Afghanistan-Pakistan policy, media reports suggested that the emerging war strategy was focusing on the campaign against Al Qaeda in Pakistan.
Four Afghan soldiers killed in bomb attack
Kabul: At least four Afghan National Army (ANA) personnel were killed and four injured Monday in a bomb attack in the outskirts Kabul, the...
Marriage registration optional for Bangladeshi Hindus
By IANS,
Dhaka : The Bangladesh cabinet Monday approved a draft of the Hindu Marriage Registration Act 2012, which makes the registration of marriage optional and not mandatory for the community.
Iran envoy meets with Tajik head of Ulema Council
By IRNA,
Dushanbe : Iran’s Ambassador to Tajikistan Ali-Asghar Sherdoust on Saturday held talks with head of Tajik Council of Ulema Amanollah Nematzadeh on ways to develop cultural and scientific exchanges.
They conferred on bilateral cooperation in the fields of religion and the Islamic sciences as well as holding the religious and cultural meetings and Quran competitions.
The Iranian ambassador said Iran is ready to implement joint cultural projects with Tajikistan on proximity of Islamic schools of thought.
OIC condemns re-print of offensive cartoons
By KUNA
Riyadh : The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) condemned, Sunday, the re-printing of offensive cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammad by 17 newspapers in Denmark.
An OIC statement said this re-print is proof of intentional and persistent offense to Islam and the Prophet and an act which could only aggravate sentiments of hatred and animosity, whereas Islam is a religion of co-existence and interaction among world peoples within a framework of mutual respect.
U.S. airman killed in bomb attack in Baghdad
By Xinhua
Baghdad : A U.S. airman was killed by a roadside bomb explosion near his vehicle in Baghdad, the U.S. military said on Friday.
The incident took place on Thursday when an improvised explosive device (IED) struck a Multi-National Division – Baghdad patrol in central Baghdad, a military statement said. The attack came as violence subsided in Baghdad and some other Iraqi cities after fierce clashes between Shiite Mahdi Armymilitia loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and the U.S.-backed Iraqi security forces.
Peshawar school attack: Pakistan resolute in eliminating terror
Islamabad : Pakistan Tuesday said its people are deeply shocked and grieved by the "despicable" terror attack on a school in Peshawar that left...
West Bank forces arrest Hamas-linked academics in Nablus
By Xinhua,
Ramallah : Palestinian security forces in West Bank arrested a number of academics and Hamas supporters in Nablus city early on Thursday, local sources of the city said.
In the latest crackdown, four academics from al-Najah University were arrested from their houses during overnight raids by the security forces which are loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah.
The pro-Abbas forces also stormed the houses to arrest two senior academics, who were not in the house, their families said. The forces left warrants at the houses.
Israeli archaeologists find ancient bread stamp
By IANS,
Jerusalem : A tiny seal with the image of a seven-branch menorah, used to stamp the kosher sign on bread 1,500 years ago, was discovered by Israeli archaeologists.
Egyptian militant group denies swearing allegiance to IS
Cairo : Egypt's Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis militant group Tuesday refuted the news about it swearing allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group.
"The statement...
16 die in Pakistan suicide bombing
By IANS,
Islamabad: Sixteen people died in Pakistan Saturday in a suicide bomb attack, media reports said.
US conducts more air strikes against ISIL in Iraq
Washington : US military forces continued air strikes against forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) over the past two...
Halt terror to end strains in India-Pakistan ties, PM tells Gilani
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Colombo : A blunt Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told his Pakistani counterpart here Saturday that the suicide attack on the Indian mission in Kabul, rising ceasefire violations along the Kashmir border and infiltration of terrorists had hurt bilateral relations.
Speaking candidly to Yousuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit, Manmohan Singh voiced concern that the "recent events" had impacted on the prospects of their peace dialogue.
GCC support economic, political reforms in Yemen – Al-Attiya
By NNN-KUNA
Sanaa : GCC member states are determined to support efforts by the Yemeni government to implement a road map to join the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and follow reform guidelines called for by the conference of donor states, GCC Secretary-General Abdel-Rahman Al-Attiya said Friday.
Speaking to reporters on his arrival to Sanaa, he said the reforms called for are part of a batch of national measures included in the 2006-2010 five-year development plan.
Benazir Bhutto assassination case be tried in military court: Rehman Malik
Islamabad : Former Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik Friday said that the Supreme Court should order the hearing of the Benazir Bhutto assassination case...
UN approves resolution on Gaza ceasefire
By RIA Novosti,
New York : The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution urging an immediate and durable Gaza ceasefire.
Fourteen of the Council's 15 members voted late on Thursday in favor of the move, while only the United States abstained.
The resolution, presented by the United Kingdom, calls for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and for renewed efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace, and also states that humanitarian aid should be allowed into Gaza.
Jordan sends 261 aid convoys to Gaza since Israeli attacks
By Xinhua,
Amman : Jordan has sent over 200 aid convoys to the Gaza Strip since December 27, when Israel launched intensive offensive against the enclave, local daily The Jordan Times on Wednesday quoted an official as reporting.
A total of 261 aid convoys have been dispatched to Gaza ever since the war, said spokesperson with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) Mohammad Kilani.
On Tuesday, 20 trucks carrying bottled water, sugar, food parcels, blankets, mattresses and medical supplies crossed the King Hussein Bridge, added the official.
30 killed as mortar barrage hits village in Afghanistan
Kabul: About 30 civilians were killed and scores wounded after a mortar barrage hit a village in southern Afghan province of Helmand overnight, authorities...
Leo the healer: an untold story of Jewish/Palestinian medical partnership
By Marc Gopin, CGNews,
It is the innocent victims of war that break our hearts when nations and groups cannot lay down their arms. We watch them bleed, we watch them die on a battlefield that is their home, and then we seethe with the outrage of Biblical prophets. But there are others among us who have no patience for impassive prophetic rage. They are the ones who sidestep the violence and, instead of shirking the bleeding of the innocent, replace the lost blood. They repair the bodies and thus embrace with both arms the ancient art of healing.
Saudi Arabis congratulates Muslims on Eid Al-Adha
By NNN-KUNA,
Riyadh : Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques king Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz and the Heir Apparent, Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz, on Monday congratulated the Muslim nation and the pilgrims on advent of Eid Al-Adha.
The Saudi leadership, in an address made on its behalf by Minister of Higher Education Khaled Al-Anqari, affirmed unity of the nation and necessity of devotion for the religious services.
The pilgrims, in the final stage of the annual services, performed prayers at the grand mosque in Holy Makkah early today.
Libyan rebels take over key town of Ajdabiya: Report
By DPA,
Cairo/Tripoli: Libyan rebels Saturday recaptured the key eastern town of Ajdabiya from Muammar Gaddafi's forces, broadcaster Al Jazeera reported.
10 security personnel kidnapped in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Ten security personnel were kidnapped Friday by militants in northwestern Pakistan, a media report said.
The security men were kidnapped in Upper Dir district of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), the Dawn TV channel reported citing unnamed officials.
No further details were immediately available.
Earlier, the security forces had killed at least 70 Taliban militants in Lower Dir district of NWFP.
Pakistani security forces killed more than 50 militants in the ongoing military operation in Buner district of NWFP, amid concerns over Taliban expansion.
Ailing former Bangladeshi prime minister admitted to hospital
By DPA
Dhaka : Ailing former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, detained under emergency laws, was admitted to a private hospital Tuesday, Dhaka central jail officials said.
Hasina's personal physicians said her health condition was worsening because of a critical attack by allergy, an unstable blood pressure and an impaired hearing.
The chief of the opposition Awami League, who was arrested last July and interned in a government apartment, has been complaining of ill health and demanded treatment abroad, said top prison officer Major Shamsur Haider Siddiqui.
US adds $20 mn for Pakistan flood relief
By DPA,
Washington : The US will provide an additional $20 million in relief funding for the flooding in Pakistan that has killed more than 1,600 people in the last two weeks, a US official said Tuesday.
That amount brings the total US contribution to $55 million and will help account for a wider area now being affected by the flooding, said Mark Ward, acting director of the State Department's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance.
18,000 British Muslims to perform Haj this year
Dubai : The British Foreign Office announced that about 18,000 British Muslims are expected to perform Haj this year, and promised to provide consular...
664 Indians being flown back from Yemen
New Delhi/Kochi : Three Indian planes carrying 664 Indian nationals evacuated from Yemen are set to arrive in India late Friday night, with the...
Security Council to release Iraq from UN chapter that recognizes its tutelage
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Washington has informed Baghdad of a tentative approval by the UN Security Council (UNSC) to release Iraq from the Chapter VII of the UN Charter that recognizes its tutelage, Iraq's state-run al-Sabah newspaper reported Saturday
Visiting U.S. envoy to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad informed top Iraqi officials the approval of most UNSC members, an Iraqi parliament member who declined to be named was quoted as saying.
The tentative approval came after Iraq recently signed a security pact and an agreement on strategic framework cooperation with the U.S.
UAE appoints the country’s first female judge
By Xinhua
Abu Dhabi : President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Wednesday appointed the country's first female judge, making it the second Gulf country to have a female judge after Bahrain, the official Emirates News Agency reported.
Kidnapped Afghan diplomat freed in Pakistan
By DPA,
Kabul : A senior Afghan diplomat, kidnapped by unknown gunmen over two years ago, has been freed in Pakistan and returned to Afghanistan, the Afghan government confirmed Sunday.
61 dead in Bangladesh accidents
By IANS,
Dhaka : Twenty one people were killed in road accidents in Bangladesh during the Eid-ul-Azha festival rush Saturday while 40 died in a boat capsize, media reports said Sunday.
The toll in the boat capsize at Bhola in the southern region touched 40 Sunday as rescue vessel M.V. Hamza arrived at Nizapur, 24 hours after the incident, Bdnews24.com website reported.
Some 25 passengers were still reported to be missing.
French woman aid worker kidnapped in Yemen: Report
By IANS,
Paris : A French woman aid worker has been abducted in Yemen, a media report said.
Latin America closes ranks behind Palestinians on Gaza crisis
Bogota : Bolivia has joined the majority of Latin American governments in condemning Israel's offensive in Gaza, announcing that it will demand visas from...
Army chief opens up UK divisions on talking to Taliban
By IRNA,
London : Head of the British army Gen Sir David Richards has opened up divisions with the Prime Minister David Cameron’s government by suggesting politicians and military chiefs should talk to members of the Taliban sooner rather than later.
"If you look at any counter-insurgency campaign throughout history there's always a point at which you start to negotiate with each other, probably through proxies in the first instance, and I don't know when that will happen," Richards said.
Indian maid lost arm due to fall from building: Saudi police
Riyadh : Riyadh police on Friday said that an Indian maid lost her arm due to a fall from a building and not because...
OIC deplores desecrating Quran
By IINA,
Jeddah : A spokesman of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) General Secretariat strongly deplored the action by a US staff sergeant serving in Iraq for using the Holy Quran for target practice. The spokesman, in a statement, said that the action by the soldier was reprehensible and irresponsible and that it could not be condoned under any pretext.
Israel ignores ‘roadmap’ to peace, continues to build houses
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Israel is continuing to build settlements despite agreeing to freeze construction at a U.S.-hosted peace conference last November, an Israeli paper said Monday citing a report by an Israeli peace movement.
The report released on Sunday said that 101 "instances of settlement construction" had been recorded in the occupied West Bank since December, while the U.S.-brokered conference set the construction freeze as one of the primary cornerstones for peace.
Al Qaeda chemical expert believed killed in Pakistan
By DPA,
Peshawar : Al Qaeda's senior leader and chemical weapon expert, Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, is believed to have died in a suspected US missile strike Monday in Pakistan's north-western tribal region, officials said.
Umar, an Egyptian militant who is also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, and his Pakistani wife were killed in a predawn multiple missile attack that targeted a house in a village near the Azam Warsak area of South Waziristan bordering Afghanistan.
One police officer killed in clash in SE Turkey
By Xinhua
Ankara : One police officer was killed in a clash during raids on suspected al-Qaida cells in southeastern province of Gaziantep in Turkey, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported Thursday.
During the operation, four police officers were also injured in the raids that targeted three separate houses belonging to the radical Islamic group.
According to Anatolia, two people linked to the group were killed while 18 people were detained during the raids in Gaziantepand Kahramanmaras provinces.
Man with Ebola like symptoms dies in Pakistan
Islamabad : A man who was hospitalised with Ebola like symptoms has died, a media report said Tuesday.
Zulfiqar Ahmed, 40, who returned from Togo...
10 militants killed in Afghanistan
By IANS,
Kabul : Ten militants were killed and at least 30 others were captured during operations by the security forces in nearly a dozen Afghan provinces, Xinhua reported.
Sheikh Jarrah – a microcosm of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
By Lara Friedman
Another Friday where Israeli police react with fury and force, trying to bar and then break up the event, and arresting peaceful protesters.
Another Friday and more evidence that democracy - and key pillars of democracy like freedom of speech and freedom of association, let alone the freedom to protest peacefully - are under threat in Israel.
Fifteen militants killed in Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
Kabul : US-led coalition forces have killed 15 militants during an operation in Laghman province, some 60 km northeast of Afghan capital Kabul, a statement issued by the coalition here said Saturday.
The operation targeted a Taliban commander who carried out attacks in Kabul, Laghman and Kapisa provinces, including the August 2008 attack in which 10 French soldiers were killed, the statement said.
Arab FMs to Palestinians: Make Up
By Prensa Latina,
Cairo : Foreign ministers of the Arab League of Nations (AL) called on Palestinian factions on Wednesday to leave their differences aside and support reconciliation, and strongly condemned Israeli blockade against Gaza.
During a special meeting convened at the AL headquarters in Cairo, the Foreign ministers tried to pave the way for talks among the 12 Palestinian groups, mainly the two most representative of them.
Rice to Leave Bahrain Empty-handed
By Prensa Latina,
Manama : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will abandon Bahrain without obtaining either commitments or significant achievements in Monday's meeting with representatives of eight Arab countries and Iraq.
Her efforts to win regional support for the Iraqi government failed to meet White House expectations.
Rice explained that the talks focused on Iraqi debt relief and the opening of Arab diplomatic missions in Baghdad, but she was unable to announce any concrete progress.
Iran Inaugurates Space Program
By Prensa Latina
Tehran : The first space program totally designed by Iranian technicians was inaugurated Monday with the launching of the Kaveshgar 1 rocket in orbit and opening the aerospace center and exhibit of a research satellite.
Mahmud Ahmadineyad, president of the Islamic Republic, said that in the modern world, it is necessary "to keep an active and affective presence in space, to guarantee a more honorable life for the nation."
Fatah identifies slain fighter in “winter storm operation,” incorporating
By KUNA
Gaza : Guerrillas of the mainstream Palestinian organization Fatah of President Mahmoud Abbas launched a surprise ground assault on an Israeli military position east of the border town of Rafah.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian organization, Fatah, said in a statement that the fighters burst into the Israeli outpost and engaged the Israeli soldiers in a lengthy firefight. One of the Palestinian fighters was killed during the combat, it said.
Afghanistan tightens security ahead of presidential runoff
Kabul : The Afghan government has tightened security to ensure safety of the people during the presidential runoff Saturday, media reported Friday.
In Kabul and...
Armed tribesmen kill six soldiers in Yemen
By IANS,
Sanaa : At least six army soldiers were killed when armed tribesmen launched an attack Wednesday on a military unit protecting an oil...
Iran says IAEA report proves no deviation in nuclear program
By Xinhua,
Tehran : Iran said on Sunday that the latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) proved that there is no deviation in Iran's nuclear program from civilian purpose, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The report, which was prepared by IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, also indicated that all Iranian sites have been under the IAEA full supervision, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said.
Mufti vows to take cross LoC trade to next level
Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on Saturday said the cross Line of Control (LoC) trade and travel was the...
Bangladesh approves anti-human trafficking law
By IANS,
Dhaka: The Bangladeshi cabinet Monday approved a new anti-human trafficking law which includes a provision for death penalty for traffickers.
Bhutto in her will urged continued fight against terrorism
By DPA
Islamabad : In a will written just weeks before her assassination in late December, Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto urged her supporters to continue fighting terrorism and dictatorship, a local news report said Tuesday.
In a message written two days before she returned home from self-exile on Oct 18, 2007, Bhutto wrote that she feared for Pakistan's future amid continued military rule and growing Islamic militancy.