We have snapped Islamist-ultra Left nexus: Dhaka
By IANS,
Dhaka : The Bangladesh government has said it has snapped a developing nexus between the Islamists and ultra-Left militants that could have led to an exchange of arms.
Officials of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the elite para-military force fighting militancy, say they have identified and broken a link between Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and leftist group Gono Bahini.
Both are banned outfits and officials say they sought to link up.
Hasina, Zia invite each other for Iftar
By IANS,
Dhaka : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia have invited each other for Iftar, but will not be meeting since they are playing hostesses on the same Saturday evening.
Iftar, the feast after breaking of fast during holy Ramadan, also provides occasion for social interaction.
Hasina will host her iftar party for leaders of political parties at Gano Bhaban, the official residence, while the opposition leader will hold it in the parliament complex, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) news agency reported.
Lahore High Court extends house arrest of JuD head
By IANS,
Lahore : The Lahore High Court Monday extended the house arrest of Hafeez Saeed, head of the banned outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa, and four others by 60 days.
Hafiz Saeed was presented before the review board of the court along with his four aides under high security, The News reported.
The Punjab government pleaded to the court to extend the house arrest of the banned outfit's leaders. However, Saeed's counsel Zafar Iqbal opposed the government's request.
Arab electricity grid will create new industrial opportunities
By NNN-KUNA
Cairo : Laying an electricity grid will create new industrial opportunities in the Arab world and integrate the states in the region, said Egyptian Electricity and Power Minister Hassan Younes on Friday.
In a press statement, he said this issue was being emphasized by Arab leaders, stressing the need to take necessary procedures to implement decisions of the Arab ministerial executive council with this regard.
The council had held its 23rd meeting here Thursday at the level of electricity ministers, and reviewed progress made in this area.
Rice boom causes problems for Bangladesh
By IANS,
Dhaka : The surplus production of rice this year in Bangladesh, which is prone to foodgrain shortage and calamities, has raised the confidence of farmers and the government but also caused pricing and storage problems, media reports here said Tuesday.
Estimated at 32.4 million tonnes, the current fiscal this month-end will mark the highest production of rice, the staple diet of the country's 153 million population. The average requirement is about 30 million tonnes.
Sarkozy asks Syria to pressure Hamas in solving Gaza escalation
By Xinhua,
Damascus : Visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday asked Syria to pressure Hamas to return to a ceasefire and help achieve a solution to the escalation in Gaza Strip.
"Syria can offer a solution in Gaza, Syria indicated that it was working for peace and I have no doubt that Assad would make all efforts to reach a solution," Sarkozy told a press conference after meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Post-WikiLeaks, US to amend law to curb media
By IANS,
Washington : Alarmed with the expose of Afghanistan war secrets by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, US lawmakers are working on a legislation to amend a law which shields journalists from revealing confidential sources.
Senators of the ruling Democratic Party are backpedalling from WikiLeaks, the website that recently disclosed more than 75,000 classified documents related to the Afghanistan war, The New York Times reported.
India has never been a threat to Pakistan: Zardari
By IANS,
New York : Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has declared that India "has never been a threat" to his country, and has termed militants operating in Kashmir as "terrorists", though previous regimes in Pakistan called them freedom fighters.
"I, for one, and our democratic government is not scared of Indian influence abroad," said Zardari in an interview to the Wall Street Journal.
Taliban bomb kills five in Afghanistan
By KUNA
Kabul : Five Afghan civilians, including a child, perished in a roadside bomb blast in southern Afghanistan, officials said on Sunday.
Shah Burhan, chief of the Panjwayee district, once the stronghold of Taliban militants, said the bomb was planted by Taliban militants to target the NATO and Afghan troops.
The militants did not issue any comment so far.
Seven paramilitary personnel killed in Iraq
Baghdad: At least seven paramilitary personnel were killed by gunmen in Iraq Sunday, an official said.
The incident took place when gunmen carried out an...
Obama will be fair to India, Pakistan, says his Harvard classmate
By IANS,
New Delhi : US president-elect Barack Obama "will be fair to both India and Pakistan, without sacrificing American strategic interests", says an Indian who studied with him at the Harvard Law School.
Surat Singh, who is headed for Washington to attend the presidential inauguration next Tuesday as a special guest, says he is looking forward to the ceremony but before that, the brunch for the Harvard Law School alumni that Barack and Michelle Obama are to host Sunday.
Bangladesh speaker to attend Modi’s swearing-in ceremony
Dhaka : Bangladesh parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will represent Bangladesh at the May 26 swearing-in ceremony of India’s next prime minister Narendra Modi...
Pakistan to chalk out new anti-terror policy: spokesman
By IRNA
Islamabad : The Interior Ministry would spell out its action plan for maintaining law and order and to curb the menace of terrorism under the policy guidelines of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, the spokesman said on Tuesday.
Briefing newsmen in Islamabad, the Ministry's spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said the new Government would soon unveil its program to deal with the serious problems confronting the country including the fight against extremism and terrorism.
Land mine removers abducted in Afghanistan
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Three people who cleared land mines and worked for a British-American humanitarian group have been abducted in Afghanistan, Kabul-based Bahtar news agency reported.
Book review: Islam’s women scholars
By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net,
One indicator of the development of a society is its female literacy rate and, related to this, the number of its female scholars. On both these fronts, India's Muslims are among the lowest of all the communities in the country. This unfortunate fact provides a basis for negative stereotyping of the community, particularly in matters related to inter-gender relations.
US commission wants Pakistan designated for violations of religious freedom
By Arun Kumar
Washington : An independent US commission has asked the State Department to designate Pakistan and seven others as "countries of particular concern,"...
Hindraf banned for exploiting Malaysian Indian community
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : The Malaysian government has banned the Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf), which claims to speak for the country's two million-plus ethnic Indians, a bulk of them Tamil Hindus, for exploiting the Indian community and posing a threat to public order.
The ban came Wednesday, precisely a year after the body sought registration from the Registrar of Societies.
On Diwali, Zardari vows to protect minorities
By IANS,
Islamabad : President Asif Ali Zardari used the festival of Diwali Wednesday to promise protection to minorities in overwhelmingly Muslim Pakistan.
US Defence Secretary, Iraqi Defence Minister discuss long-term US-Iraq security ties
By NNN-KUNA
Washington : US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Iraqi Defence Minister Abd al-Qadir al-Mufriji have held discussions that continue to lay the foundation for a normalised long-term security relationship between Iraq and the United States.
Malaysia a glorious Islamic country, says Sheikhul Al-Azhar
By Khairul Anuar Muhammad Noh, NNN-Bernama
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysia is a glorious Islamic country because its people shun racism and are not blindly obsessed, said Sheikh of Al-Azhar Dr Sheikh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi.
"I pray to God for Malaysia to continue to be a peaceful, safe and progressive country and for the love and caring to persist among its people as well as be protected against any ill-doings, he said in an interview with Bernama yesterday.
He spoke in Arabic and was translated by Religious Advisor to the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Othman.
Arabs have no appetite for Bush-style democracy
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Maria Appakova) - Iran and al-Qaeda are the main obstacles in the way of the Middle East's movement towards democracy and freedom. They sponsor terrorism worldwide and threaten regional stability. This is the main message of George Bush's speech given during his visit to Abu-Dhabi.
The speech, delivered at the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, is undoubtedly the highlight of Bush's Middle East tour designed to drum up Arab support for America's anti-Iranian policy.
Pakistan releases book on ‘humour’ in Sindhi
By IANS,
Karachi: Pakistani author Imtiaz Abro's book 'In a lighter vein' - the first book on humour in Sindhi language after a gap of 15 years - has been released by the Matiari provincial government.
The societal characters such as grooms, brides, poets, writers, married men, artists and politicians drawn in the form of caricatures are reflective of Abro's live diction.
His father, Shaukat Abro, was also a renowned literary icon.
Pakistan brings home 136 students from Kyrgyzstan
By IANS,
Islamabad : A Pakistani military aircraft Tuesday brought the first group of 136 students from violence-hit Kyrgyzstan home, a Pakistan minister said, adding that another plane had left to bring the others still stranded.
Information Minister Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira, who received the students at a military airbase in Rawalpindi, said the government will take all measures to bring all students from southern city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan where ethnic violence has claimed over 100 lives, Xinhua reported.
No deal yet on new n-proposal: Iran
Tehran : Ths parties present in the ongoing nuclear talks between Iran and the six world powers have not reached any agreement on the...
Islamic Jihad slams Carter’s statements on rockets attacks
By Xinhua,
Gaza : The Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement in Gaza has slammed on Tuesday the statements of former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, after he termed the rockets attacks on Israel as "a big crime."
Carter, who is visiting in the region, paid a visit to the southern Israeli town of Sderout, which has been a subject for homemade rockets' attacks carried out by Gaza militants. Carter said rockets "are a crime against humanity."
Pakistani opposition leader for national unity govt
By IRNA
Lahorer : Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has demanded resignation of President Pervez Musharraf and establishment of a government of national unity to organize fair and transparent elections.
"Mr Musharraf has become highly controversial and under him the elections would not be fee and fair," Sharif told a news conference.
Sharif earlier chaired a high level of his Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) to chalk out strategy for the February 18 parliamentary elections.
Kuwait Opposes Attack on Iran
By Prensa Latina
Cairo : Kuwait's prime minister, Sheik Nasser al Muhammad al Ahmed al Sabah, expressed opposition to any military action against Iran.
After meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Sheik Nasser called for the resumption of talks with that Persian state, the official news agency MENA reported.
On the situation in Iraq, the Kuwaiti prime minister said his government backs the administration of Nuri al Maliki and expects its neighbor to solve all internal problems and achieve stability.
Six major countries to discuss Iran this week
By Xinhua,
Washington : Senior officials from the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany will meet here Friday to discuss the Iran nuclear issue, the State Department announced Tuesday.
The six countries will try to find new way to persuade Iran to halt its sensitive nuclear work, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
The scheduled meeting follows U.S. call on Monday for Iran to stop enriching uranium and other reprocessing activities or face the possibility of further sanctions.
Rice hints 30,000 US soldiers could leave Iraq in 2008 — spokesman
By KUNA
Baghdad : A spokesman for the Iraqi government said here on Tuesday that visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke of the potential withdrawal of 30,000 US soldiers from Iraq this year.
Ali Al-Dabagh added that Rice's meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki in Baghdad was "positive." "Rice has expressed relief over the progress of the political process in Iraq and the performance of the Iraqi Parliament, especially after the passing of the accountability and justice law," Al-Dabagh told reporters following the meeting.
Dargah on India-Pakistan border jam-packed during annual mela
Jammu : Thousands of devotees from India and Pakistan Thursday thronged the centuries-old dargah of Baba Chamliyal in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir...
Former Malaysian PM Dr Mahathir: Islamic Banking can help Mislims prosper
By NNN-Bernama,
Singapore : Muslims in Southeast Asian countries could
improve their lot economically if they have access to Islamic banking, former
Pakistani Information Minister resigns
By NNN-Bernama,
Islamabad : Pakistani Information Minister Sherry Rehman believed to have tendered her resignation after she failed to convince President Asif Ali Zardari to lift the ban on a private TV channel transmission.
Quoting a local newspaper's report on Saturday, China's Xinhua news agency reported that Sherry had met Zardari and appealed to him to lift the ban on Geo News TV channel, the transmission of which was blocked in most parts of the country.
Iraq, Iran to exchange remains of soldiers killed in 8-year war
By NNN-KUNA,
Baghdad : The Iraqi and Iranian governments have agreed to swap remains of soldiers who were killed during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, spokesman of the Baghdad government said.
"An initial date was set for the exchange operation on November 15, 2008," Ali Dabbagh said in a statement on Friday.
Baghdad will receive remains of 200 Iraqis while Tehran will receive remains of 41 Iranians at a border crossing point, said Dabbagh but did not name the passageway.
Obama’s Af-Pak plan disastrous for Pakistan: experts
By IANS,
Islamabad : US President Barack Obama's new strategy for Pakistan's troubled tribal areas and Afghanistan is a recipe for disaster from Islamabad's point of view, say experts.
They also lamented that "short-sighted people at the helm of affairs" in Islamabad were jubilant over the $1.5 billion yearly reward for implementation of the plan that Obama has promised Pakistan for the next five years.
Hamas afraid of elections – Palestinian foreign minister
By RIA Novosti,
Baku : Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said on Thursday the Islamist movement Hamas is afraid to participate in Palestinian presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for January 2010.
The statement came following a meeting between al-Maliki and his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov. Al-Maliki is on a two-day official visit to Azerbaijan which ends Friday.
Bush meets Jordan’s King Abdullah, expresses optimism on Mideast peace
By NNN-KUNA
Washington : President George W.Bush, appearing at the White House with King Abdullah of Jordan, said he is optimistic that the Mideast peace process will reach a successful conclusion by the end of his presidency in 10 months.
The United States will remain engaged in helping convince Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas "that now is the time to formulate a vision of what a (Palestinian) state will look like," Bush said.
Erekat: Abbas, Olmert to meet on Monday
By Xinhua,
Ramallah : Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekatsaid Saturday that President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will hold another round of talks on Monday.
"There are three major issues on the agenda of the meeting on Monday, namely agreeing on a truce in Gaza, discussing the ongoing peace talks and the commitment to the implementation of the roadmap peace plan," Erekat told "Voice of Palestine" radio in Ramallah.
He stressed that the basic issue to be discussed in the Abbas-Olmert meeting is "the Israeli-Palestinian calm."
UN General Assembly reiterates demand for Israel to withdrew from Syrian Golan
By NNN-SANA,
New York : The United Nations General Assembly has again demanded Israel to withdraw from the occupied Syrian Golan to the June 4, 1967 line in implementation of the UN Security Council relevant resolutions, stressing that Israeli law on the annexation of the Syrian Golan is null and void.
Iran defender Hosseini joins Al Ahli of Qatar
Tehran : Iran defender Jalal Hosseini has joined Al Ahli football club of Qatar, Tasnim news agency has reported.
The 32-year-old defender of the Iranian...
Arab League dissatisfied over exclusion in UN Palestinian aid committee meeting
By NNN-KUNA,
Cairo : The Arab League is deeply dissatisfied over its exclusion in the UN Palestinian Aid Coordination Committee meeting to be held in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Exclusion from the meeting, called on by Norway, raised many questions, the League's secretariat said in a press release here Monday, revealing that Israel, which would participate in the meeting, could veto any group from attending the event.
India, Bangladesh to discuss Tipaimukh, trade, terror Tuesday
By IANS,
New Delhi : Ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's trip here later this year, India and Bangladesh will hold talks Tuesday on sensitive issues like the contentious Tipaimukh hydroelectric project and discuss steps to invigorate trade and combat terrorism.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni arrived here Monday on a four-day visit - her first official visit to New Delhi after Sheikh Hasina rode to power in Dhaka following a landslide victory in December polls last year.
Arab League “strongly” condemns ground incursion on Gaza
By NNN-KUNA,
Cairo : The Arab League on Saturday "strongly" condemned the wide-scale ground incursion to the Gaza Strip, lashing at the same time at the international community's "slackening" to bear its responsibility in curbing the Israeli aggression.
"Israel, through conducting the incursion, do not want a ceasefire, as it is carrying on with its 'heinous' crime against the besieged Palestinian people," Assistant Secretary General for Palestine and Arab Occupied Territories Affairs Ambassador Mohammad Subeeh told KUNA.
Israel Air Force gets new generation drone
By IANS,
Jerusalem : The Israel Air Force has added into its fleet a new generation drone designed to perform versatile operations.
The new unmanned plane "Eitan" which has been put into use is specially designed to perform versatile operations, said Captain Omer, deputy commander of a newly established squadron to operate the new drone.
Equipped with a turbo jet engine, "Eitan" is able to carry various payloads weighing up to hundreds of kilograms, Omer said.
Bangladesh wants to bring back fugitive killers of Mujib
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh wants custody of fugitive former army officers hiding abroad, who killed founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members on Aug 14, 1975, for an ongoing murder trial.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, the government's top law officer, Monday prayed to the Supreme Court to pass "some observations that can help the government bring back the convicted accused hiding abroad," Star Online reported.
18 abducted deminers rescued in Afghanistan
By IANS,
Kabul : All 18 deminers who were abducted in Afghanistan's Khost province have been rescued a day after their kidnapping, a top official has said.
Pakistan: World Bank lauds housing reconstruction in quake-hit north
By NNN-IRIN
Islamabad : Rural housing reconstruction is proceeding well in northern Pakistan, the World Bank believes, more than two years after a devastating earthquake struck the area.
In addition to seismic-resistant construction now taking root in the mountainous region, owner-driven reconstruction and rehabilitation of some 560,000 damaged or destroyed homes has begun and is now in various stages of completion.
Car bombing rocks Afghan city
By IANS,
Kabul: A suicide car bombing Thursday rocked Afghanistan's Helmand province capital, injuring many people, including foreign troops, Xinhua reported.
UNGA elects five new non-permanent UNSC members, Iran defeated
By NNN-KUNA,
United Nations : UN General Assembly on Friday elected Japan, Turkey, Austria, Mexico and Uganda to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for a two-year term beginning January 2009.
Japan got 158, Turkey 151, Austria 133, Mexico 185 and Uganda 181. The required vote is 128.
Iran, which is under sanctions for the last two years over its nuclear file, got 32 and iceland 87. They lost.
UN rights panel demands immediate end to Syria bloodshed
Geneva : As the civil war in Syria enters its fourth year, a UN-appointed human rights panel has said the fighting has driven some...
Two Egyptians wounded in gunfire at Rafah, one Palestinian killed
By Xinhua
Cairo : Two members of the Egyptian security forces were injured in an exchange of fire at Rafah crossing at the Egypt-Gaza border on Monday, Egyptian security sources confirmed.
The incident occurred on Monday evening when Palestinians gathered at the Rafah crossing threw stones at the Egyptian security forces, the sources said on condition of anonymity.
Egyptian border guards launched teargas canisters to disperse the crowd and then exchange of fire broke out, wounding two Egyptian security members on the Egyptian side.
Shia cleric protest against Saudi interference in Bahrain
By Special Correspondent, TwoCircles.net,
IS releases 25 kidnapped Kurdish students in Syria
Damascus : The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group has released 25 Kurdish students it had kidnapped in Syria last May, a monitoring group said.
The...
Cabinet clears bill on Bangladesh land boundary accord
New Delhi : The union cabinet on Tuesday cleared the bill to operationalise the land boundary agreement with Bangladesh which entails exchange of both...
Shiraz to host first European-Islamic world cultural festival next year
By IRNA,
Berlin : Shiraz will host next year the new Festival dubbed the 'East West Divan' which is aimed at promoting cultural ties between Europe and the Islamic world, the artistic director of the festival, Klaus Gallas told dpa on Tuesday.
"Shiraz will be the host nation at the first edition in June in 2009," he added.
"The festival name is in reference to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and the Persian national poet Shams al-Din Hafiz," said Gallas who is historian on Iranian culture.
The east German city of Weimar will then host the same event in August 2009.
Afghan bombing kills official
By Xinhua,
Kabul : Qari Jan Gir, the chief of justice department in Afghanistan's Kunduz province, was killed in a roadside bomb blast Wednesday morning, the provincial police chief said.
"At 8 a.m. (0330GMT) a roadside bomb hit the car of Qari Jan Gir when he was heading from home to his office," provincial police chief Abdul Razaq Yaqubi told Xinhua.
Taliban's purported spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack, adding that his men planted the mine to kill the official.
Hamas rejects linking Shalit’s case with truce
By Xinhua,
Gaza : A spokesman for Islamic Hamas movement said Wednesday his movement rejects the Israeli intentions to combine the case of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit with the current truce deal.
Fawzi Barhoum told reporters that the Israeli intentions to merge the dues of the truce with the release of the captured Israeli soldier are rejected by Hamas and other factions which involved in the capture of Shalit.
Four Palestinians killed in Israeli military operation
By KUNA,
Gaza : Four Palestinians including three children lost their life during an Israeli incursion carried out early on Monday in the region of Beit Hanoun in the north of Gaza Strip, medical sources said.
The sources said a four-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl were killed in an Israeli artillery attack that targeted their house in the town of Beit Hanoun. Several other people were wounded in the bombardment.
Former Bangladesh premier Hasina wants medical treatment in US
By IANS
Dhaka : The "medico-political" standoff between Bangladesh's caretaker government and the politicians it has detained on corruption charges is showing signs of abatement.
Even as the Awami league general secretary Abdul Jalil flew to Singapore Monday night for medical treatment, the ailing party chief and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina said she was ready to go to the US.
In jail since July 16, Hasina accused the jail authorities of being "cold and uncaring" about her health and told her counsels and relatives that she wanted to be treated in the US.
Yemeni-Iranian talks held in Sana’s
By NNN-SABA
Sana'a : Official talks session were held here between Yemen and Iran co-chaired by Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi and his Iranian counterpart, Manuchehr Mottaki.
The session Thursday focused on mutual relations between the two countries and means of developing and boosting them so as to serve interests of the two countries' peoples, in addition to reviewing regional and international developments of common concern.
Health Ministry earmarks SR100 million for haj
By ANTARA News/IINA,
Riyadh, Dhul Qaada : The Minister of Health Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah Al Manie announced the allocation of SR100 million for medical services during this year`s Haj season. More than 10,000 male and female employees of the ministry were also readied for providing medical services for pilgrims.
US blocks sale of armoured personnel carriers to Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : Annoyed over the peace talks Islamabad is conducting with Taliban rebels in the country's restive northern areas bordering Afghanistan, the US has barred a German firm from selling 800 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to the Pakistan Army.
The US State Department had earlier approved the sale of the APCs, being manufactured under licence in Germany.
Five Iraqi women killed in collision with US forces
By DPA,
Baghdad: At least five Iraqi women were killed in a traffic collision with a vehicle carrying US forces south of Baghdad Wednesday, police said.
Police told the DPA that at least six Iraqis were injured in the collision, which took place on the highway linking the central town of Hilla with the capital.
A US military helicopter rushed to the scene and transported the wounded to a US military hospital, police said.
Bangladesh PM condemns killings in name of Islam
Dhaka : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Saturday wondered how those who practice Islam can bring themselves to burn people alive in the name...
Total co-operation exists between Pakistan and ISAF in Afghanistan: Musharraf
By NNN-APP
London : President Pervez Musharraf said that Pakistan and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan have total co-operation with each other in fighting the Taliban and the Al-Qaeda elements but added no more US forces are required to achieve the success.
Six killed in suspected US strike in Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : A suspected US missile strike on a militant compound Monday killed at least six people and wounded 15 others in Pakistan's restive North Waziristan tribal district near the Afghan border, security officials and locals said.
The attack targeted houses allegedly used by Afghan Taliban commander Jalaluddin Haqqani in Dandai Darpakhel village, located on the outskirts of the district's main town of Miranshah.
Pakistan PM Calls for National Security
By Prensa Latina,
Islamabad : Amidst intensified tensions with India for the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called for Tuesday's meeting over National Security in his residence.
The debate will be focused on finding a politics of consensus between the military commands, the political leadership of the country and the main party's leaders on how to face New Delhi accusations.
Gilani has scheduled to travel to Hong Kong to attend an international conference but he cancelled his visit because of the strained atmosphere created.
Eight-year-old Saudi girl wants to divorce 50-year-old husband
By IANS,
Riyadh : An eight-year-old girl, who has been married to a man in his 50s, has filed for divorce at a Saudi court here, media reports said.
The child's mother is pushing for the marriage to be annulled, though the father opposes the move, Saudi newspaper al-Watan said. Her father had married the girl to the man without her knowledge, BBC reported, quoting the newspaper.
Child-protection groups say children are often given away in return for hefty dowries. Activists have called for an end to the practice.
Four arrested for attack on Pakistan president’s son
Islamabad: The Frontier Corps (FC) on Tuesday claimed to have arrested four suspects involved in a blast targeting the Pakistan president's son outside a...
Israel promises to ease restrictions on West Bank
By RIA Novosti
Tel Aviv : Israel has said it will ease restrictions on the West Bank without compromising the country's security.
Defence Minister Ehud Barak conveyed this during his talks here with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
"Barak has confirmed to the Palestinian premier that Israel intends to ease restrictions in regard to the West Bank population of the Jordan River, while maintaining security for Israeli citizens as a priority," the ministry said in a statement.
Obama ‘gravely concerned’ about situation in Pakistan
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama said he was "gravely concerned" by the situation in Pakistan and expressed fears about the fragility of a civilian government struggling to contain the growing Taliban insurgency.
Obama said the Pakistani government lacked the ability to provide basic services for its people and promised the United States would do all it could to build up its institutions.
"I am gravely concerned about the situation in Pakistan," Obama said at a news conference at the White House. "The civilian government there right now is very fragile."
Afghan election commission accused of fraud
Kabul : Leading Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah Wednesday accused the Election Commission of involvement in fraud and demanded its suspension.
"In many polling stations,...
Pakistani leaders condemn suicide blast in capital
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday strongly condemned a suicide attack happened earlier the day in the capital.
Musharraf asked the authorities concerned to conduct a thorough inquiry into the blast to bring the culprits to justice and reiterated the government's commitment to root out terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Musharraf also directed the local administration to provide every possible medical care to the injured.
US sending 2,000 anti-tank weapons to Iraq
Washington : The US Defence Department will send 2,000 anti-tank weapons to Iraq to help in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) terror...
Iran urges UN security council not to damage its own credibility
By NNN-IRNA
United Nations : Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaee has urged the UN Security Council to avoid inflicting more damage to the credibility and authority of the IAEA as well as that of its own.
In a letter to President of the Security Council Ricardo Alberto Arias and members of the Security Council as well as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Iranian envoy said that the UN specialised agency has verified non-diversion of Iran's nuclear programme and there is no reason to keep the Iranian file at the Security Council.
Ahmadinejad to open exhibit on innovation, prosperity
By IRNA,
Tehran : Exhibition featuring innovation and prosperity will open here in Moslla (praying ground) Sunday in a ceremony to be attended by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Sunday is the second day of 'Dahe-ye Fajr' (Ten-Day Dawn) celebrations to mark the 30th victory anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The exhibit seeks to highlight the Iranian year March 2008-2009 as the 'Year of Innovation and Prosperity' by displaying more than 3,000 inventions and innovative plans.
Bangladesh parties accept new poll dates, want emergency lifted
By IANS,
Dhaka : The two major political alliances of Bangladesh led by the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) respectively have accepted the revised schedule for the elections due Dec 29. However, they are urging the government to lift the curbs imposed under emergency.
The military-backed government of Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed is learnt to have accepted a plea from the Election Commission to lift the curbs by Dec 12, a fortnight before the poll, as per media reports, but a formal decision has not been announced.
Olmert: Israeli, Palestinian negotiators to meet
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will meet later on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a joint news conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Jerusalem.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who heads the Israeli negotiating team, will continue the negotiations with the Palestinian side led by Ahmed Qurei, Olmert said.
The negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have shown little sign of progress since they were launched at a U.S.-hosted peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland in November.
Rehman Malik happy Pillai ticked off
By IANS,
New Delhi: Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna's comments that Home Secretary G.K. Pillai had "ill-timed" his remarks on the ISI's role in the 26/11 attack have found support from Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who tweeted his thank you to New Delhi for "creating positivity".
"We appreciate PM India & Home Minister India for advising their aides nt 2 give negative statements against Pak, Thanks 4 creating positivity," Rehman tweeted on the microblogging networking site.
Nine killed in multiple explosions in Syria
Damascus : At least nine people were killed and over 20 others injured in three different explosions Sunday in the Syrian city of Homs,...
Pakistan sets up Federal Food Committee to check food shortage
By NNN-APP
Rawalpindi : President Pervez Musharraf has directed the federal government to immediately establish a Federal Food Committee (FFC) under the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to tackle the growing problem of non-availability and high price of wheat flour.
Mohammad (PBUH) as liberator
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
This month we celebrated the birth day of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It is celebrated by Muslims with great devotion and reverence. But often it has been seen that devotees do not reflect on the message of the person whom they so venerate. It just becomes a tradition rather than occasion for deep reflection. Muslims also refer to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as Muhsin-e-Insaniyyat i.e. the benefactor of humanity but hardly care to know in what respect he became benefactor?
Iran urges IAEA to make fair decision
By Xinhua,
Tehran : The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should not be influenced by foreign pressures in its decision making regarding the Iranian nuclear file, particularly by the United States, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said Monday.
"We expect the agency to adopt legal approach toward Iran's peaceful nuclear program," Qashqavi was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying.
Saudi Arabia celebrates 78th anniversary of its National Day
By SPA,
Riyadh : After the unification of the country on the basis of Islam, King Abdulaziz followed the same pattern in his country's foreign relations.
He called for Arab cooperation and Muslim solidarity and positively contributed to the establishment of the Arab league, and the Kingdom participated in the United Nations as a founder member. Moreover, King Abdulaziz had had a say in regional and international events.
Prophets encyclopedia goes online
By IRNA,
Tehran : An encyclopedia on prophets went online by the Computer Research Center on Islamic Sciences.
The collection deals with the biographies of a number of prophets including Joseph, Adam, Moses and Jacob (PBUH).
Quranic information is one of the chapters of the encyclopedia which discusses verses from the holy book on the messengers.
Another section of the encyclopedia also deals with the reasons why the names of all of the prophets have not been mentioned in Holy Quran.
Embassies in Yemen reopen after closures over threats
By DPA,
Sana'a (Yemen) : The US embassy in this Yemeni capital reopened to the public Tuesday after a two-day closure prompted by threats from the regional branch of Al Qaeda, an embassy official said.
"The embassy reopened today and resumed its normal operation," the source said on the condition of anonymity.
The British and French embassies also reopened Tuesday, but their consular sections remained closed to the public, diplomats said.
13 militants die in Pakistan airstrikes
Islamabad : At least 13 militants were killed Wednesday during air strikes carried out in Pakistan's North Waziristan region.
According to military officials, six militant...
Sarkozy calls for freeze of Israeli settlement plans
By NNN-Petra,
Occupied Jerusalem : French President Nicolas Sarkozy has criticized the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the construction in east Jerusalem.
In an interview with the Palestinian daily Al Quds, Sarkozy called for a freeze of Israeli settlement plans including those in Jerusalem, "projected to be the capital of two states" Israel and Palestine.
Ahmadinejad inaugurates new legislative session in Iran
By DPA,
Tehran : President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated Tuesday the new legislative session of the Iranian parliament which will once again be dominated by conservatives.
Conservative factions won almost 70 percent of the 290 seats in the March and April voting, with the rest going to reformists and independents.
Bridegroom fires gun, kills three in Turkey
By IANS,
Ankara : A bridegroom fired an AK-47 rifle in the air at his wedding and accidentally killed three of his relatives and wounded eight others in Turkey.
Bridegroom Tevfik Altun's father Arif Altun and his two aunts - Yasemin Koseoglu and Munire Koseoglu - were killed in the incident in Gaziantep province Sunday, Xinhua reported citing Anatolia news agency.
When Tevfik arrived at the wedding ceremony in Akcagoze village, he was given the gun by his relatives. When he started firing in the air, he could not control the gun and accidentally fired at the crowd.
Arab FMs in consensus to tackle crisis in Lebanon – Moussa
By NNN-KUNA,
Cairo : Arab foreign ministers were in agreement over the decision to contain the crisis in Lebanon because they are aware of the seriousness of the situation, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said.
Speaking at a joint conference with Djibouti Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Yusuf after an urgent foreign ministers' meeting here Sunday, Moussa said there was a common Arab desire to defuse tension in Lebanon, which is witnessing a fierce political crisis.
Israeli soldiers kill 2 militants in Gaza
By Xinhua,
Gaza : At least two Palestinian gunmen were killed on Thursday when they tried to storm an Israeli army post in northern Gaza Strip, emergency officials said.
Fighters from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement and the National Resistance Brigades of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) attacked the post in Beit Lahiya town and exchanged fire with Israeli forces, the two groups said in a joint statement.
Israeli parliament moves ahead bill against compensation for Palestinians
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israeli Knesset (parliament) on Tuesday approved in the first reading a controversial bill that would ban Palestinians from claiming compensation for harm suffered in Israel's anti-terror military operations, local daily Ha'aretz reported.
Two more readings need to be passed before the second so-called "Intifada Law" would become effective, which is aimed to exempt Israel from liability for damage caused by its troops in what is termed enemy territory.
US, Pakistan start strategic talks
By IANS,
Washington : The US and Pakistan Wednesday launched a three-day strategic dialogue here, Xinhua reported.
Iran to hold second ‘Nuclear Technology Day’ on April 8
By RIA Novosti
Tehran : Iran will hold its second Nuclear Technology Day on April 8, during which the government will tout the country's new achievements in the nuclear sector.
Iran has so far defied three rounds of United Nations sanctions in its insistence on developing nuclear power generation capability. Several Western powers suspect the program is a cover for weapons development.
Government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham told reporters on Saturday: "Our goal was always to produce nuclear fuel and to develop generation capacity of 20,000 megawatts at our nuclear power plants."
Pakistan apex court chief justice to be honoured
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will receive the prestigious International Jurists Award 2012 at a ceremony in London next month.
Modi visit: India, Tajikistan to boost anti-terror cooperation
Dushanbe (Tajikistan): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that India and Tajikistan have resolved to intensify cooperation in combating terrorism as well as...
Over 20 mummies found in Egyptian tomb
By Xinhua,
Cairo : An Egyptian archaeological team has found about two dozen mummies in a tomb dating back to the 3,000-year-old Pharaonic era.
The mummies were unearthed in the tomb which lies to the west of Zoser's step pyramid in the Saqqara area. It dates back to the 6th dynasty in ancient Egypt, or about 4,300 BC, said the official MENA news agency.
According to MENA, the archaeological team, led by Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council for Antiquities Zahi Hawas, found five holes with each containing four mummies, one of which was of a dog.
Iran: Bush Visit Won’t Isolate Tehran
By Prensa Latina
Tehran : Iran has ruled out that the visit by US President George W. Bush to the Middle East beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, will isolate Tehran from the regional context.
The president of Iran's Majles (unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly), Gholamali Haddad Adel, asserted that the Islamic Republic's influence is not its wealth, power or politics, but prestige earned by demanding its rights to justice and honesty.
Myanmar seeks fair assessment of its actions in migrants crisis
Bangkok: Myanmar has asked the UN to be fair and impartial in assessing its actions during the ongoing immigration crisis in Southeast Asia even...
Bush, al-Maliki discuss ‘time horizon’ for troops pullout from Iraq
By DPA,
Washington : US President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki agreed to set a "time horizon" for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, but remained firm that pullouts will only take place as security improves, the White House said.
Bush and al-Maliki held a video conference Thursday as the two countries continue negotiations to establish a legal agreement for the presence of US forces once the UN mandate expires at the end of the year.
Iraq’s Shias want referendum on US troop presence
By DPA,
Baghdad : Iraq's Shia leadership indicated Friday that it would press the Baghdad government for a national referendum on the issue of a further stationing of US forces in the country.
Imam Sadreddin al Kabandji said at the Friday prayers in the Shia holy city of Najaf: "The Iraqi nation regards with concern the Iraqi-American treaty whose contents are not exactly known."
Palestinians use bulldozer to open new hole in Egypt-Gaza border
By Xinhua
Cairo : Some Palestinians were seen to use a bulldozer trying to open new passages into Egypt at the Egyptian-Gaza border on Friday as Egyptian troops moved to close the border town of Rafah, the pan-Arab television al-Jazeera reported.
A large number of Palestinians rushed into the Egyptian side again after the bulldozer knocked over a new section of the border wall separating Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
11 killed as mortar shell lands in crowd in Pakistan
By IRNA,
Islamabad : At least 11 people were killed as a mortar shell landed on a road near a check post in Pakistan's troubled Swat valley in northwest on Saturday, state television said on Sunday.
PTV reported that several other people were also injured in the incident at Wanai village in Swat.
Locals said the mortar was fired by Pakistani forces in their offensive against the militants but landed in an area where a group of people were waiting for opening of a check post.
Pakistani voters, fearful of safety, urged to vote
By Devirupa Mitra, IANS
Rawalpindi : With just hours to go for Monday's crucial polls, Pakistan's 80 million voters are being urged to cast aside fears of violence and go to vote by civil society groups through advertisements on private television channels, FM radio as well as text messages.
The media of choice for the bigger civil society groups, flush with Western funding, are the numerous private television channels that are doing round-the-clock blanket election coverage.
U.S. claims Iran remains active state sponsors of terrorism
By Xinhua,
Washington : A U.S. State Department report issued on Wednesday claimed that Iran remains the "most significant state sponsors of terrorism."
"It will come as no surprise to hear that Iran remain the most significant state sponsor of terrorism," the annual report said.
"Iran provides aid to Palestinian terrorist groups, Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraq-based militants, and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan," the report said.
Will Muslim veil split secular Turkey?
MOSCOW. (Alexander Bakustin, RIA Novosti) - The Turkish parliament recently adopted a government bill lifting a decades-old ban on wearing the hijab - a headscarf used by Muslim women to cover their hair.
This revolutionary change has already caused fierce disputes between different classes of Turkish society, and may eventually split it altogether.
US soldier dies in non-combat incident in Iraq
By IANS,
Baghdad : An American soldier has died in a "non-combat incident" in Iraq, the US military said here.
Thank you India! says Pakistan with box of mangoes
By Arvind Padmanabhan, IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday received an unexpected, yet pleasant, gift from Pakistan when a box of choicest mangoes arrived at his office, sent with the best compliments of his counterpart from across the border.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani sent the delicious shipment to Manmohan Singh, soon after accepting India's $5 million assistance toward flood relief in Pakistan.
Pakistan battles terror, assures Lakhvi still in jail
Islamabad: Pakistani Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah may have been killed as Pakistan Saturday stepped up its war against terror, ordering the execution of 10...
‘Shariat deal proof of Pakistan military’s defeat’
By IANS,
Islamabad : A deal to enforce Shariat laws in parts of Pakistan's restive northwest is proof of the military's defeat against Taliban militants operating in the area and has "implications" for other parts of the country, an editorial in a leading English daily said Tuesday.
"The fact is that this deal shows that the Pakistan military has in fact been defeated by the militants; that we are now incapable of retaining control of vast tracts of our own territory," The News said in an editorial headlined "Shariah in Swat".
Lebanese President’s visit to Syria “very important” Lebanese Parliament Speaker
By NNN-SANA,
Beirut : Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri has described as "very important" the forthcoming visit of Lebanese President Michel Suleiman to Syria.
Berri told reporters following a meeting with Suleiman on Wednesday that the two-day visit from Aug 13 "will be very important for Syria and Lebanon and for the region as well."
He added that he discussed with Suleiman a set of domestic issues, particularly the platform of the new government and future work plans.
New Obama strategy to beat terrorists in Afghanistan, Pakistan
By Arun Kumar,IANS,
Washington : Vowing not to allow terrorists to plot against the American people from "safe havens" in Afghanistan and Pakistan, President Barack Obama said the US will forge a new strategy to defeat the Al Qaeda and combat extremism.
Turning to the cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in his first speech Tuesday night to a joint session of Congress focusing on economy, Obama said his budget for the first time "includes the full cost of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan".
Taliban attack government offices in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : A group of Taliban militants attacked a district office in relatively peaceful northern Afghanistan Monday, killing one policeman and taking nine others hostage, officials said.
In the rare attack, dozens of insurgents with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades stormed the Borka district headquarters in Baghlan province early Monday and killed an officer, provincial police spokesman Jawed Basharat said.
The militants fled the area after torching the administration and police buildings, and destroying a police vehicle, he said.
UNSC, ban strongly terrorist attack on US embassy in Yemen
By NNN-KUNA,
United Nations : The UN Security Council and Secretary-General Ban-Ki-moon have strongly condemned the terrorist bombing of the US embassy in Sana'a, Yemen, and urged the Yemeni government to bring the perpetrators to justice.
In a statement to the press Wednesday, the council president, Burkina Faso, said the council condemned "in the strongest terms" the terrorist attack which left 16 people dead, including six Yemeni guards and many civilians. No Americans were reported killed.
Up to 30 people killed in Iraq’s Basra clashes
By Xinhua
Basra, Iraq : Up to 30 people were killed and some 60 others wounded in the ongoing fierce clashes between Iraqi security forces and the Shiite Mahdi Army militia in the southern oil hub of Basra, medical and police sources said on Tuesday.
"Two hospitals in the city have received 30 bodies, including three policemen," a medical source in the city told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Israel continues transferring goods into the Gaza Strip
By SPA,
Tel Aviv : Israel continued Monday transferring goods to the Gaza Strip, but a spokesman for the military's Civil Administration Authority said only the barest amount of humanitarian aid was being let in, until the High Court ruled on a petition against opening the Gaza crossing points, DPA reported.
New measures to stabilise Pakistan economy: Official
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan is taking new measures to increase foreign exchange reserves and stabilise its economy within a month, a senior official said Saturday, ruling out reports of possible financial default.
"We are planning to build our reserves and the situation will improve within a month," Shaukat Tareen, financial advisor to Pakistan's prime minster, said at a press conference here.
Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves hit a record low recently. At present, the reserves stand at $7.75 billion, down from $8.32 billion a week earlier.
US drones killed 957 Pakistani civilians in 2010
By IANS,
Islamabad : A total of 957 Pakistani civilians were killed in American drone attacks in the country 2010, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in its annual report Thursday.
Iran to disclose new nuclear achievements on Tuesday
By SPA
Tehran : Iran is to disclose new achievements in its nuclear programme on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said Monday in a press briefing in Tehran.
The foreign press is invited Tuesday to attend the so-called "National Day of Nuclear Achievement" which marks the first anniversary of Iran having achieved uranium enrichment on an industrial level.
The spokesman did not give any details and left it to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to reveal the new achievements on Tuesday evening in Tehran, according to a report of the German news agency "DPA".
Bush to wrap up three-day visit to Israel, Palestinian territories
By KUNA
Gaza : US President George W. Bush wraps up later Friday a three-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
During his visit, Bush urged the Israelis and the Palestinians to work hard on concluding a peace agreement during the approximate one year left for him at the White House.
Bush also stressed that "there should be an end to the occupation that began in 1967." Before leaving Israel to carry on with his tour in the region, Bush will visit Yad Vashem memorial on the Holocaust, Radio Israel said.
British parliament ‘symbolically’ recognises Palestine state
London : A motion forwarded by Labour MP Grahame Morris seeking recognition of Palestine state was passed with a huge majority in the British...
Afghan mission costs hinder Polish army modernization
By DPA,
Brussels : Poland's participation in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan is so expensive that it is hampering efforts to modernize the country's armed forces, Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski said Wednesday, on his first visit to NATO headquarters.
Poland is still trying to reform and modernize its armed forces some two decades after the fall of Communism. It has 2,630 troops in Afghanistan, the seventh-largest Western contingent in the country and by far the largest from Central and Eastern Europe.
Ten Bangladeshis die in Bahrain fire
By IANS,
Manama : Ten Bangladeshi workers died Sunday in Bahrain when a fire broke out in their apartment.
UNHCR deputy commissioner in Iran to discuss refugee issues
By IRNA
Tehran : United Nations Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees Mrs Erika Feller is on a four-day visit to Iran from February 23-27.
According to UNHCR office in Tehran, the first leg of her trip is Zahedan, beginning with Shirabad area, where "she will hear refugee's voices and assess their needs and will visit a community based project. This is jointly managed by BAFIA/UNHCR."
"After her visit Mrs Feller will meet the Afghan representatives.
"On her way back she will fly to Mashhad where she will also meet with refugee representatives.
Hijrah of the Ansar
A page from the book on History of the Ansar
By Muhammad Tariq Ghazi,
Mass migration is a human peculiarity. Large numbers of people have been moving from place to place for various reasons: natural calamities like famine and drought, floods and storms, earthquakes and landslides, in addition to manmade disasters like wars, massacres, genocides, economic blockades, social boycotts and exclusion of defenceless and voiceless communities, etc.
Attacks may harm Taliban talks: Pakistan peace negotiators
Islamabad: Pakistani peace negotiators Tuesday said that terror attacks after the Taliban ceasefire could harm the dialogue process.
The negotiators met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif...