Obama, Afghanistan to hold centre stage at NATO summit
By Siegfried Mortkowitz, IANS,
Paris : This week's NATO summit celebrating the 60th anniversary of the alliance's founding is viewed by many participants as a new beginning, featuring a new US president, new threats, a new war and perhaps a new relationship with an old foe.
Fittingly, a new NATO secretary general may be named during the summit, which takes place April 3-4 both in the French city of Strasbourg and the German city of Kehl. The co-hosting of the summit by France and Germany is also unprecedented.
Al-Maliki declares Al-Amarah weapon-free area
By KUNA,
Baghdad : Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, in his capacity as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has issued on Saturday instructions to the forces to turn Al-Amarah governorate, near the Iranian borders, into a demilitarized zone (DMZ) as of Sunday.
The instructions include an explicit declaration of the start of a large-scale military campaign against insurgents who fled to the governorate following the recent military operations in southern Iraqi cities.
US to keep pressing Pakistan to shift focus from India to Taliban
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The US says it will continue to press Pakistan to shift its focus from India to the fight against the Taliban and would shape aid to Islamabad to ensure it's not used to further an arms build-up against India.
"We have long felt that our friends in Pakistan could put more resources into the struggle in the west (along the border with Afghanistan)," Richard Holbrooke, US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan told a Congressional panel Tuesday.
Arab League chief calls for closer Arab-China ties
By IANS,
Beijing : Arab League chief Nabil Al Arabi Monday called for closer relations between the Arab countries and China.
World’s 500 ‘Most Influential Muslims’ for 2016-17: Despite facing flak in India Zakir Naik...
By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
There is no change in the listing of 500 ‘Most Influential Muslims’ of the world as far as Indian Muslims...
Should have been consulted before Hasina’s India visit: Zia
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh's opposition leader Khaleda Zia Monday criticised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for not consulting her before visiting India in December and termed as a "sell-out" the accords signed with the neighbouring country.
Zia said she would have gone and met the prime minister had she been invited to discuss the India trip.
"If I didn't respond, you would have criticised me," Zia was quoted as telling editors and senior journalists.
Politicians, businessmen supporting Dawood Ibrahim: Bangladesh police
By IANS,
Dhaka : The trail of a police probe into activities of international mafia don Dawood Ibrahim has reached the doors of politicians and businessmen in Bangladesh, media reports here said Monday.
The authorities refused to disclose the names of the politicians and businessmen but said that Ibrahim, who operates from Karachi and Dubai, helped them expand their businesses and was lavishing money on them to keep his Bangladesh network going.
GCC Secretariat delegation in Oman on fact-gathering mission
By NNN-KUNA
Muscat : A delegation from the Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) visits here Sunday the Sultanate of Oman to review and benefit from Omanis' expertise in scientific and technical fields, and the efforts that national research bodies exert in different domains.
The delegation started its tour by visiting the headquarters of the information technology authority in the Oasis of knowledge in Muscat and met its executive chairman, Dr. Salim Bin Sultan El-Ruzaiqi.
PKK rebel surrenders, another captured in Turkey
By Xinhua
Ankara : A member of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) surrendered to the Turkish security forces while another was captured in southeastern Turkey, a Turkish military statement said on Friday.
The statement posted on the Turkish Chief of General Staff's website said that one PKK militant surrendered in the southeastern province of Batman on Thursday, while Turkey's security forces detained the other one in another southeastern province of Hakkari on Wednesday.
25 killed, 70 wounded in Iraq twin bomb attacks
By IANS,
Baghdad : As many as 25 people were killed and some 70 were wounded Thursday in two bomb blasts in Iraq's northern city of Kirkuk.
Ballot count in Afghan presidential poll starts
Kabul : The counting of ballots cast in the Afghan presidential election started Monday with the partial results expected to come out Tuesday, an...
15 injured in Pakistan bus accident
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least 15 people were critically injured Monday when a bus with around 50 people on board fell into a ravine in northwest Pakistan, a media report said.
Iran is ‘test case’ for nuclear co-operation: Brown
By DPA,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Tuesday urged Iran to "make the right choice" in its current stand-off with the West over its nuclear programme and said Tehran could become a "test case" for co-operation between atomic nations and non-nuclear states.
Brown, in a speech in London, said Iran remained a "critical proliferation threat" while it continued to enrich weapons grade uranium and risked severe sanctions.
Six die in accidental blast in Pakistan
By SPA,
Khar, Pakistan : Six militants were killed on Wednesday when their vehicle packed with explosives blew up in a northwestern Pakistani region on the Afghan border, officials said.
The explosion on Wednesday had been caused by an accidental detonation of ammunition, Reuters reported.
Militants blow up school in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Militants have blown up a school Friday in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), a media report said.
No casualties were reported. The explosion occurred in Upper Dir district of the NWFP, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
Unidentified militants detonated a bomb in a middle school for girls. The school, which had four rooms, was destroyed, the report said.
The police have registered a case and started an investigation, it said.
Bombs kill 24 in eastern Pakistan city, wrecks a police HQ
By SPA
Lahore, Pakistan : Massive suicide bombs ripped through a seven-story police headquarters and a business in Lahore on Tuesday, killing at least 24 people and wounding more than 200, according to AP.
The two blasts happened about 15 minutes apart in different districts of this eastern city. The first tore the facade from the Federal Investigation Agency building as staff were beginning their working day. It also damaged scores of homes in the neighborhood.
Iran ready to open new chapter in ties with Yemen
By NNN-IRNA,
Tehran : Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki in a meeting with his Yemeni counterpart here Saturday said Iran is ready to open a new chapter in ties with Yemen.
According to Foreign Ministry Media Department, Mottaki by referring to the strategic position of Iran and Yemen said, "Iran and Yemen's location on the two sides of the Persian Gulf create an appropriate opportunity to expand mutual cooperation and deepen sincere ties and create a new situation upon friendship and brotherhood."
Iranian lawmaker urges for clarifying identity of Americans willing to talk with Tehran
By Xinhua,
Tehran : A senior Iranian lawmaker urged here Saturday for clarifying the identity of Americans willing to talk with Tehran, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Hossein Sobhaninia, deputy head of Majlis (parliament)'s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission made the call after some non-governmental American groups have recently shown willingness for talks with Iran.
Yemen: Mosque attack left 13 dead, 45 injured
By NNN-SABA,
Sana'a : Thirteen people were killed and 45 injured in a powerful explosion outside a mosque in the north-western Yemeni province of Saada on Friday, police officials said.
The officials said a booby-trapped motorcycle blew up outside the Bin Salman mosque shortly after the weekly prayers in the provincial city of Saada.
Witnesses said the bomb went off as worshippers were leaving the mosque.
U.S. president vows to continue support for Israel
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday vowed to continue support for Israel, which is "the strongest ally and friend" of the United States in the Middle East.
Bush, who arrived in Israel earlier Wednesday on the occasion of the Jewish state's 60th anniversary, made the remarks during a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the latter's official residence in Jerusalem.
Palestinian militants, Israeli forces clash east of Rafah
By KUNA
Gaza : The military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Al-Quds Brigades, said a number of its activists clashed early Saturday with Israeli forces that infiltrated Rafah City south of Gaza Strip.
In a press release, the brigades said its fighters discovered that special Israeli forces sneaked into Al-Nahdha district in Rafah and clashes erupted.
The Palestinians set off a bomb, opened fire, and threw hand grenades at the Israelis, causing casualties among them.
The brigades stressed that it would resist any Israeli incursion into Palestinian territories.
US forces in Balochistan compromising Pakistan’s sovereignty: PML-N
By Awais Saleem,IANS,
Captured UK sailors were not in Iraqi waters, documents confirm
By IRNA,
London : Fifteen British sailors and marines captured by Iran last year were not in Iraq's maritime territory as the UK government claimed, official documents released under the Freedom of Information Act confirm.
The sailors were apprehended in March 2007 because the US-led coalition designated a sea boundary for Iran's territorial waters without telling the Iranians where it was, according to internal Ministry of Defence (MoD) briefing papers.
China, Pakistan pledge to strengthen cooperation
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China and Pakistan have vowed to deepen economic cooperation and widen bilateral trade to achieve the $15 billion mark.
A joint statement issued Tuesday at the end of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's six-day state visit said the two countries would further expand their cooperation in science and technology and culture and cooperate at international fora.
China expressed its readiness to provide full support to Pakistan's economic development. Energy, mineral and mining sectors are among the potential areas of cooperation, said the statement.
Global meltdown effect: 300 Bangladeshi workers return from Malaysia
By IANS,
Dhaka/Kuala Lumpu : At least 300 Bangladeshi workers returned home from Malaysia after their visas were cancelled citing unemployment caused by global recession, media reports said Friday.
Malaysia had cancelled visas of nearly 55,000 Bangladeshi workers Wednesday. Remittances by workers abroad is the highest foreign exchange earner for Bangladesh after ready made garments.
A flight of the Malaysian Airlines carrying the workers arrived at the Zia International Airport here Thursday night, the Star Online reported.
Do more against terror, India tells Pakistan; favours broad-based talks
By IANS,
New Delhi : Indicating that it was premature to talk about resuming the composite dialogue at the present moment, India has made it clear to Pakistan that the proposed foreign secretary-level talks later this month are part of "a step-by-step incremental approach" and that Islamabad should "do more" to address New Delhi's concerns over cross-border terror.
India has proposed two possible dates - either Feb 18 or Feb 25 - for talks between the foreign secretaries and has indicated that it is ready to discuss all bilateral issues of concern.
Russia, Iran, Qatar consider gas production, liquefying JV
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia, Iran and Qatar, leading natural gas producers that are set to meet on Wednesday for cooperation talks, plan to set up a joint venture to produce, liquefy and sell gas, a Russian business daily said on Tuesday.
Kommersant cited a Russian government official as saying the "gas troika" would build a pipeline to pump gas from Iran's South Pars deposit, the world's largest with reserves estimated at 14 trillion cubic meters, to an LNG plant in Qatar. Analysts expect the project to be worth at least $4 billion.
UK bans controversial Islamist group
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : The British government Tuesday banned an Islamist group that had planned to march through a town with empty coffins to protest the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The order banning the Islam4UK will come into force Thursday, when being a member of the group will become a criminal offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
After fierce condemnations from across Britain, the group Sunday cancelled plans to hold a march through Wootton Bassett - a small town that regularly honours British soldiers killed in foreign wars.
UAE distribues iftar meals in Mauritania
By IANS,
Nouakchott (Mauritania): The UAE has distributed iftar meals to hundreds of people in the west African nation of Mauritania.
Salahuddin brigades fire 10 rockets on S.Israel
By KUNA
Gaza : The Salahuddin brigades, military wing for the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), claimed responsibility Saturday for 10 rocket attacks which struck several towns in southern Israel.
A statement by the brigades revealed that 10 (Nasser3) rockets were launched today, indicating that the attacks were in retaliation to the Israeli aggression on the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Pakistan’s Sunnis unite against Talibanisation
By IANS,
Islamabad : The Pakistani government has received an unexpected boost in its struggle against militancy with eight parties of the Barelvi school of thought coming together under the umbrella of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) to fight the growing Talibanisation in the country.
"The alliance has demanded the Pakistan Army speed up its operation to eliminate the Taliban from the NWFP (North West Frontier Province) and FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) and appealed to the nation to get united against the menace," The News reported Saturday.
Israeli bulldozers destroy Palestinian houses in Jerusalem
By KUNA,
Ramallah : Israeli bulldozers destroyed four Palestinian houses in Jerusalem on Monday amidst a large-scale demolition campaign on Palestinian properties.
Israeli forces besieged the neighborhoods where the demolitions take place.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Army arrested three Palestinians in the West Bank, in Jenin, Qalqilya, and Bethlehem after searching their houses, damaging their property, and forcing the inhabitants of the houses out.
Moreover, Jewish settlers attacked a Palestinian farmer and wounded him in Yitzhar settlement in Nablus City.
Russia delivers next fuel shipment to Iran nuclear plant
By RIA Novosti
Tehran : Russia delivered on Tuesday the fifth fuel shipment to the Bushehr nuclear power plant it is building in southern Iran, the country's mass media said, citing Iranian nuclear officials.
Russia has so far supplied a total of 55 metric tons of low-enriched uranium to the plant, which has been the focus of international attention over fears Iran is developing nuclear weapons.
The remaining three shipments will be delivered under contract and according to a previously agreed timetable.
Lebanon’s opposition has not refused Arab initiative – Arab League Sec-Gen
By NNN-KUNA
Beirut : Ending the political crisis in Lebanon "does not need a miracle", Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said.
He said here Thursday that the Lebanese opposition did not "oppose" the Arab relevant initiative. "Efforts are intensified to get out of the current predicament, that does not need a miracle, especially a consensus candidate has already been agreed upon," Moussa told reporters following talks with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir.
Malaysian Indians moving away from opposition alliance: Report
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Ethnic Indians in Malaysia are "drifting away" from opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and are veering back to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), a media report said.
Sheikh Hasina’s ailments caused by 2004 grenade attack: US doctors
By IANS,
Dhaka : American doctors attending to former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina have said that her poor vision and blood pressure problems as well as allergies are the result of a grenade attack on her rally here four years ago.
"The US doctors said that three of the complications except for the hearing problem are late consequences of the grenade attack," Hasina's personal physician Modasser Ali told The Daily Star newspaper.
Hasina is currently undergoing treatment in the US, which Ali oversaw before returning here.
Roadside bombing kills two policemen in Afghanistan
Kabul : A roadside bomb explosion Wednesday struck a police van in Afghanistan, killing two policemen and leaving one injured.
"A mine planted by Taliban...
Judge walked out, did not recuse himself from Musharraf case
Islamabad: Justice Faisal Arab who heads the special three-member court constituted to try former military president Pervez Musharraf for high treason has said that...
Ex-Taliban envoy serves notice on Pakistan over hand over to US army
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Former Taliban Ambassador in Islamabad has served legal notice on Pakistan and sought one billion dollar compensation for handing him over by Pakistani authorities to Americans, his Pakistani lawyer said on Thursday.
Mulla Abdul Salam Zaeef says he was handed over by Pakistani authorities to American army at Peshawar airport in January 2002 despite having diplomatic immunity and valid visa.
Zaeef had been kept for almost four years in Guantanamo detention and after release he is in Kabul under strict surveillance at his residence.
Ramadan brings people of Kuwait and Bahrain closer together: Ambassador
By NNN-KUNA,
Manila : Kuwait's ambassador to Bahrain Sheikh Azzam Mubarak al-Sabah affirmed to KUNA the necessity to observe in all faithfulness and gratitude the return every year of the special occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.
He was speaking at a late dinner banquet on Saturday he hosted on the occasion of the month of fasting for a number of Bahraini guests, among them being house speaker Khalifah al-Dhahrani, capital city governor Sheikh Humoud Bin Abdullah Al Khalifah, and advisor to the Bahraini king Ya'aqoub al-Hamar.
Israel to negotiate core issues with Palestine
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israel and the Palestinians will form a special committee for talks over the core issues of their conflict, local media reported Sunday.
The committee, led by Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qurei, will allow the two sides to engage in a real dialogue, an Israeli senior political source was quoted by local daily Ha'aretz as saying.
Seven Pakistani troopers killed, five abducted
By IANS,
Islamabad : Seven security personnel were killed and five were kidnapped by militants in Pakistan's restive northwest, a media report said Friday.
Car bomb hits U.S. patrol, 9 killed
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : A car bomb struck a U.S. military patrol in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, killing nine people and wounding 23 others, an Interior Ministry source said.
A car bomb detonated near a U.S. patrol in the Garage al-Amana area in the neighborhood of Elwiyah, killing nine people and wounding 23 others, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The source said that one U.S. soldier was among the killed people and two U.S. soldiers were among the wounded. The U.S. military did not immediately confirm the report.
Israeli navy arrests three Palestinian fishermen in Gaza waters
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Israeli forces arrested three Palestinian fishermen when they were fishing in Gaza waters on Tuesday, security sources said.
Witnesses in northwestern Gaza Strip said Israeli marine vessels opened fire before and after the seizure of the three fishermen.
The fishermen were taken by the Israeli soldiers and forced to eat which breaks their fasting on the second day of Muslim holy month of Ramadan, said the witnesses.
On Monday, two other fishermen were also injured when the Israeli gunboats targeted their fishing boats.
PM’s Global Advisory Council of Overseas Indians meets in Delhi
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Prime Minister’s Global Advisory Council of Overseas Indians consisting of sixteen eminent overseas Indians representing different disciplines from across the world met today in New Delhi.
Swat Sharia laws rock Pakistan’s Senate
By IANS,
Islamabad : The Sharia laws imposed in Swat Valley and other parts of Pakistan's restive northwest Monday rocked the Senate, the upper house of parliament, with the Muttahidda Quami Movement (MQM) and other opposition parties walking out in protest against the remarks of a Taliban-linked radical cleric on the country's judicial system.
Prior to this, a heated exchange of words and sloganeering against the promulgation of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation rocked the Senate as Parliamentary Affairs Minister Babar Awan tabled it in the house, Geo TV said.
Iran has made breakthrough to resolve dispute, ElBaradei
Kuwait, Feb 6, IRNA ,The UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Iran has made breakthrough to resolve the dispute over its nuclear program.
ElBaradei told the Kuwaiti-based daily al-Rai, published on Wednesday, that Iran is expected to to have more cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"Though Iran has made some breakthrough with regards to its nuclear program, I call on the country to have more cooperation with the IAEA," he said.
UAE writes off $4 bn worth Iraqi debts
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sunday announced that it has written off debts and interests worth $4 billion owed by Iraq, WAM new agency reported.
President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan made the announcement after meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki here, the report said.
Maliki is on a two-day visit to the UAE. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers of interior, trade, industry and mining.
20 insurgents killed in Nigeria
Abuja: Twenty suspected Boko Haram insurgents were killed in a military operation in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, where the headquarters of the outlawed...
Five women terrorists facing trial in Saudi Arabia
Riyadh : Five female terrorists, four of them Saudi Arabian nationals, are facing trial in the Gulf nation for organising a terror group and...
Haj pilgrims must be vaccinated against seasonal flu: Saudi Arabia
By IANS,
Dubai : As a swine flu epidemic rages globally, Saudi Arabia has advised all pilgrims traveling for the Haj to vaccinate themselves against "seasonal human influenza".
"The Ministry of Health advises all pilgrims, whether arriving from outside or inside the Kingdom, to obtain the seasonal human influenza vaccine prior to their departure to perform Haj or Omrah rituals, especially those who are more exposed to the disease, such as the elderly and people suffering from chronic respiratory disorders, diabetes, or kidney, liver, or heart failure," a posting on its website said.
Pakistan concerned at US’ cross-border strikes
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan Monday expressed concern over cross-border attacks by the US-led NATO forces in its territory along the borders with Afghanistan.
General Tariq Majid, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC), expressed the concern during a meeting with visiting US Central Command chief General Martin Dempsey in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, said a military statement.
The meeting took place on the same day when suspected US missiles hit a seminary in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal district, killing at least six people.
Food inspection launched in UAE schools
By IANS/WAM,
Dubai : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched an inspection campaign in schools and educational institutions in order to ensure healthy and safe food for students.
The campaign launched by Dubai municipality's food control department looked into the safety of food circulated in schools by monitoring food supplying companies and ensuring that kitchens in schools meet the government's health requirements, Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Ali, food inspection section chief, said Tuesday.
Coalition soldier, militants killed, 20 detained in Afghan operations
By Xinhua,
Kabul : A service member of the U.S.-led Coalition forces was killed in western Afghan province of Farah while several militants were killed and 20 others were detained in two separate operations conducted in eastern and central provinces, the U.S.-led military said Friday.
A Coalition soldier was killed in Farah of the west on May 29, of whom the name and nationality was not released, according to statements issued from the Coalition base at Bagram, near the capital Kabul.
Two Bangladeshis return after 14 years in Indian prison
Dhaka : Two Bangladeshis have returned after serving 14 years in prison for illegally trespassing into Indian territory, media reported on Monday.
India's Border Security...
Turkish parliament speaker says court ruling against ban on AK Party relieving
By Xinhua,
Ankara : Turkish Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan on Wednesday labeled as relieving a decision of the top court to reject a demand to close down the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.
Toptan said the ruling of Turkey's Constitutional Court relieved everyone and "has raised Turkey's democratic bar," according to the semi-official Anatolia news agency.
Bangladesh ferry death toll rises to 45
By SPA
Dhaka : Bangladeshi rescuers recovered six decomposed bodies from a river near the capital on Sunday where a crowded ferry sank last week, reuters quoted the police sources as saying. This will raise the death toll to 45 from the disaster.
The ferry carrying over 100 people sank in the Buriganga river on Thursday after it was hit by a vessel loaded with sand.
"Six more bodies, including two of children, have been recovered today," a police officer told reporters.
Saudi Arabia nabs 11 Al Qaeda suspects
By DPA,
Riyadh : Eleven suspected members Al Qaeda terrorist network were arrested by security officials in Saudi Arabia, the interior ministry announced Tuesday.
The terrorist cell was held during a special opereation on the kingdom's southern border with Yemen. The group had been carrying several weapons.
According to the interior ministry statement, the detainees, who were hiding near the border, were planning attacks against Saudi security personnel, along with kidnappings and armed robberies to raise money for their terrorist operations.
Kuwait TV making serial aimed at reconciliation between Shi’a, Sunni Muslims
Riyadh, Feb 13, IRNA – Saudi satellite TV, Al-Arabiya aired a news item Thursday evening announcing that a Kuwaiti TV station would begin production of a serial during next couple of days in which Arab actors would for the first time play the roles of 2nd and 3rd Shi’a Imams, Imam Hassan (P) and Imam Hussain (P).
According to IRNA Monitoring Service, Al-Arabiya added, “The serial would be produced having acquired the permission of religious sources of jurisprudence in a story in which there are roles also for such personalities as Muaviyeh, and his son, Yazid.
Gunmen kill guard in failed attack on Pakistani oil depot
By DPA,
Islamabad : Gunmen staged a failed attack on an oil storage facility in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi, killing one of the security guards, the police said Tuesday.
Three attackers, all wearing burqas, tried to enter the facility late Monday but were confronted by a private guard.
The gunmen killed the guard and the sound of gunshots alerted the security officials and a police unit deployed nearby, Karachi police chief Waseem Ahmed told reporters Tuesday.
Amid Pakistani moves, Krishna to attend Kabul meet
By IANS,
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will represent India at the July 20 conference of international donors in Kabul that will review reconciliation moves between the Hamid Karzai regime and the Taliban, a cause of anxiety for New Delhi.
Krishna goes to Kabul shortly after his July 14-16 trip to Islamabad for the foreign ministers-level talks aimed at reviving dialogue between India and Pakistan.
Egypt court sentences 11 to death for soccer riots
Cairo: An Egyptian court on Sunday sentenced 11 people to death for their involvement in the 2012 soccer riots, which claimed the lives of...
Pakistan: govt committed to cope with economic crisis, says President Soomro
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : President Muhammadmian Soomro on Wednesday said the government is determined to bring the country out of economic crisis, and would provide relief to the business community and general masses.
Addressing at the ground breaking ceremony of Export Display Centre by Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Soomro termed entrepreneurs a “valuable asset” for the country, and said the government would provide them maximum opportunities to benefit from their potential.
India-Saudi Arabia cooperation to grow: Modi
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia "will grow in the years to come" while greeting...
Haj pilgrims buy gifts worth $586 mn in Saudi Arabia
Jeddah: The Haj pilgrims this year have spent an estimated SR2.2 billion (over $586 million) on gifts, a top official of the Jeddah Chamber...
Rehman Malik invites Indian PM to visit Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who reached New Delhi on a goodwill visit to India, Friday invited Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a visit to Pakistan.
Musharraf refused certificate for farmhouse
By IANS,
Islamabad : Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has been refused a completion certificate for his farmhouse in Islamabad, a media report said.
Free zones Corporation Chief calls for Jordan-Iraq free zone
By NNN-Petra,
Amman : Director General of Free Zones Corporation Mahmoud Qteishat discussed Friday with his Iraqi counterpart Atif Abdul Khaleq issues related to cooperation in free zones sphere.
Qteishat presented a detailed briefing on the public and private zones as well as their success in Jordan, based on security, stability, services, incentives, exemptions presented for investors who wish to invest in Jordan.He added that joint free zones amongst Arab countries are very important, noting to the success of the Jordanian-Syrian free zone.
Abbas condemns Israeli offensive on Gaza Strip
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday lashed out at an Israeli military operation in Gaza City and termed it as "a massacre and mass execution."
"We can't remain silent before the crimes of killing our Palestinian people. Such crimes don't bring any peace," Abbas told reporters in Ramallah.
During an Israeli ground operation in eastern Gaza City, which started early Tuesday morning and lasted till noon, at least 16 people were killed and more than 45 others wounded.
Osama bin Laden’s son killed by US attack in Pakistan: Report
By DPA,
Washington : The son of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has been killed by a US missile attack in Pakistan, US National Public Radio has reported.
Saad bin Laden was believed killed in a missile strike from a US drone earlier this year, intelligence officials told the broadcaster Wednesday.
An unnamed intelligence source said US spy agencies were "80 to 85 percent" sure the younger bin Laden had been killed, the report said.
Though he was an Al Qaeda member, he was not believed to be a significant part of the organisation.
Four killed in bomb blast in Balochistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least four people were killed and three injured in a bomb blast in southwestern Pakistan's Balochistan province Wednesday, according to state television.
The blast occurred at a shop in Sibbi city, about 320 km east of provincial capital Quetta, PTV reported.
The injured were taken to the nearest hospital and the police cordoned off the blast site.
No group claimed responsibility for the blast.
Gaza crossings to stay shut until Israeli soldier is freed
By DPA,
Jerusalem : Israel will not agree to open the crossing points into the Gaza Strip until an Israeli soldier held captive in the salient for two-and-a-half years has been released, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday night.
"We will not allow the opening of the crossings to Gaza, to the extent that it will bring life back to normal, certainly not before Gilad Shalit is home," he said.
UNICEF condemns killing of three Israeli teenagers
United Nations : The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) condemned the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers, urging "all parties to exercise the utmost...
Secretary Rice says US to pursue ties with Pakistan, credits Musharraf with holding fair...
By APP
Washington : Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said the United States would continue to pursue its wide-ranging relations with Pakistan as she credited President Pervez Musharraf with guiding his nation toward free and fair election that has given Pakistani people a chance for a broad-based civilian government.
Obama says US to be engaged in delicate diplomacy, hopeful of Pakistan cooperation
By NNN-APP,
Washington : President-elect Barack Obama on Monday said the United States will be engaged in “very delicate diplomacy” with regard to situation in South Asia following last week’s Mumbai attacks and sounded confident that the Pakistani government would follow its commitment to cooperate with the investigation.
Obama, who unveiled his top national security team in Chicago, said he has been closely following the situation in the aftermath of the attacks.
Pakistani tribal areas face 23-hour power cuts
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's restive tribal areas are facing up to 23 hours of power cuts, leading to an acute shortage of water as the pumps remain idle for want of electricity.
10 women killed in Baghdad attacks
Baghdad : At least 10 women were killed and 23 others wounded in attacks at a residential complex here Saturday, an interior ministry source...
US Intelligence chief hails Pakistan’s key role, optimistic about future cooperation
WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (APP): The United States intelligence chief Mike McConnell has voiced optimism that the US and Pakistan would be able to go forward effectively in countering terrorism as he praised Pakistan’s vital role in the fight against terror under President Pervez Musharraf.
“Pakistan, led by President Musharraf, has been our best partner. We have been able to kill or capture more of the al Qaida leadership in partnership with Pakistan than anyone else,” he told cable news network on Sunday.
Illegal kidney trade thrives in Pakistan
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : In what seems to be a sub-continental malaise, illegal trade in kidneys is thriving in Pakistan, like it does in parts of neighbouring India.
For many poor Pakistanis, selling a kidney has become a major "business" to meet their expenses and to pay off their loans, hospital sources and civil society organizations say.
Under the law, trade in human organs is illegal but, going by figures provided by different hospitals, an average of 30 people, including women, throughout the country sell their kidneys every month under the guise of "donations".
Iranians jailed in Trinidad for passport fraud
By Paras Ramoutar, IANS,
Port-of-Spain : Two Iranians have been sentenced to a year's imprisonment by a court in Trinidad and Tobago for staying in the country on forged passports.
85 people detained in Lahore
By IANS,
Lahore : Lahore police detained 85 people in raids conducted here in the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province, following a terror alert that militants could carry out attacks during Friday prayers, police said.
Police set up check posts at Lahore's entry and exit points and conducted strict checks of vehicles, a police officer, Chaudhry Shafiq, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
Over 70 people were killed and at least 100 injured in attacks May 28 on two places of worship of a minority group.
Bangladesh’s Buddhist tribals seek Hasina’s intervention
By IANS,
Dhaka: Bangladesh's Buddhist tribals Monday sought direct intervention of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina alleging that killing of five people and the burning of their homes and four prayer houses by Muslim settlers in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) was backed by the army.
The charges were levelled at a rally in Rangamati, headquarters of the southeastern district that is home to the indigenous people, and a memoramdum to the prime minister was submitted through Rangamati's deputy commissioner.
AAP says Bhushan, Yadav have quit; they deny
New Delhi : The rift in Delhi's ruling AAP escalated on Thursday with the party claiming that senior leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav...
22 IS militants killed in clashes, airstrike in Iraq
Baghdad : At least 22 militants of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group were killed on Tuesday in an airstrike and two IS attacks...
UAE transport authority approves plan for 2011-2013
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi: The UAE National Transport Authority (NTA) has approved a new strategy for 2011-2013 to raise the efficiency of the country's transportation systems.
Hamas, Fatah fail to agree on dialogue agenda
By DPA
Sanaa : Talks between the Palestinian movements Hamas and Fatah broke down Saturday after negotiators from the two rival factions failed to reach an agreement on a Yemeni plan to reconcile them.
The delegates held indirect talks through Yemeni mediators at the Yemeni Foreign Ministry in Sanaa and walked out, refusing to speak to reporters.
Talks focused on a Yemeni initiative to bring Hamas leaders together with their counterparts from Fatah for a reconciliation dialogue in Sanaa in April.
India will talk only if BJP goes: Pakistani daily
Islamabad: India-Pakistan peace talks will be possible only when the BJP is voted out in India, a Pakistani newspaper said on Saturday.
The Nation said...
Israeli army pulls out of Gaza, over 115 dead – local radio
By RIA Novosti
Gaza Strip : The Israeli military concluded a ground offensive in northern Gaza on Monday that left at least 118 people dead and jeopardized U.S.-backed peace talks with the Palestinians, local radio said.
Israeli ground troops launched the offensive last Wednesday mainly targeting the town of Jebalya in the north of the Palestinian enclave controlled by radical Islamic group Hamas. At least 400 people, including women and children, were injured in the operation.
Former official, 19 Taliban fighters killed in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : An Afghan provincial official said that US forces killed a former police officer in central Logar province, while 19 Taliban fighters were killed in two separate clashes elsewhere in the country, officials said Saturday.
Ahmad Khan, former director of traffic in Logar province, was killed in his house in Zarghonshar area of Mohammad Agha district Friday night, a spokesman for the provincial governor said.
The US troops detained Khan's two sons and his brother after shooting him dead in front of his family, he said.
Ruling coalition, PML-Q hold separate meetings
By APP,
Islamabad : Ruling coalition, PML-Q and PML-Q forward bloc held separate meetings prior to the presidential election here at the Parliament House on Saturday. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani chaired the joint parliamentary party meeting of all the coalition parties including PPP, JUI-F and ANP. MQM legislators also attended the meeting.
Later briefing the media, Izhar Amrohvi said that Prime Minister, in his address, had said that PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari would address the joint session of the Parliament, which was a Constitutional provision.
Iran reasserts nuclear rights in talks with world powers
Tehran : The chairman of Iran's Assembly of Experts urged the country's nuclear negotiators Tuesday to protect what he called the "nuclear rights of...
Indian construction worker falls to death in UAE
Dubai : An Indian expatriate died after he fell from an under-construction building in the UAE, media reported Sunday.
The unnamed Indian construction worker, 30,...
UAE group funds wedding of 100 couples in Bahrain
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi; The Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation from the UAE has provided financial support for the wedding of 100 couples in Bahrain.
30 Afghan police personnel killed in Taliban attacks
Kabul: At least 30 Afghan police personnel have been killed in heavy clashes that broke out between Taliban militants and security forces in Afghanistan's...
Suicide bombing kills 27, wounds 40 in N Iraq
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : At least 27 Iraqis were killed and about 40 others wounded in a suicide bombing targeting a police station in northern province of Salahuddin on Friday evening, according to a provincial police source.
The assailant detonated explosives in his car at about 6:00 p.m.(1500 GMT) near the police station at the town of Dujail, some 70 km north of Baghdad, the source said.
The majority of the victims were civilians as the police station is near a crowded market.
Top official says US anti-Syria sanctions to continue
By KUNA
Washington : A senior US official has indicated Washington will continue to exercise anti-Syria sanctions saying Damascus should be punished for its role in Lebanon and Iraq.
Coalition confident of winning Musharraf’s impeachment
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistan's ruling coalition said Friday it was comfortably placed in parliament to win an impeachment vote against beleaguered President Pervez Musharraf.
"The impeachment requires 295 votes in the 442-member joint session of the both houses of parliament - National Assembly and Senate. And we have 305 members, which clearly make up for two-third majority," Information Minister Sherry Rehman said.
She said she expected that the actual number of votes against Musharraf would go far beyond the required two-thirds majority.
Palestinians reject Israeli conditions for peace deal
By DPA,
Ramallah : Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat rejected Monday three conditions set by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a peace agreement, calling them "unacceptable".
"There is a difference between negotiations and dictation," Erekat told a news conference in Ramallah, commenting on Netanyahu's statement that any peace deal should be based on an end to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, recognition of Israel as "the national state of the Jewish People," and "real and sustainable security arrangements on the ground".
TV: Istanbul twin explosions are “terror attack”
By Xinhua,
Ankara : Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said 13 people were killed and some 140 others wounded in twin bomb explosions in Turkish largest city of Istanbul late Sunday.
The twin blasts in the Gungoren district of Istanbul have been labelled as "terror attack" by the government, said Turkish private NTV, adding that the casualties are expected to continue to rise.
The report quoted Guler as saying that bombs were placed in garbage cans and exploded in the busy shopping area where a lot of people were walking at the summer weekend.
Iran, India duscuss ways of expanding bilateral relations
By NNN-IRNA,
Tehran : Visiting Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee has conferred with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on expansion of mutual relations as well as regional developments.
At the meeting Sunday, Mottaki expressed satisfaction over the current volume of trade exchange between the two countries which is the outcome of the 15th Iran-India Joint Economic Commission meeting.
Sharing deep-rooted historical and cultural bounds, the two countries have always adopted a strategic approach to meet the two nations' interests, he said.
Pakistan steps up relief efforts in quake-hit region
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistani authorities Friday switched their focus from rescue efforts to providing relief aid for thousands of earthquake survivors, who are spending cold nights under the open skies, officials said.
Soldiers aided people in remote villages ravaged by the shallow 6.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the northern and central parts of the gas-rich Balochistan province early Wednesday.
Two days after the tragedy, the official death toll stood at 225 but the provincial Chief Minister Aslam Raeesani said it might cross 300.
At least thirty people were killed in Pakistan
By SPA
Islamabad : SPA At least thirty people were killed and dozens others injured in twin suicide bombings that struck the most populated and busiest area of Pakistan s second biggest city of Lahore Tuesday morning, police said.
In both cases, the bombers hit their explosive laden vehicles with their targets.
The first bomber collided his vehicle with the entry gate of the eighty-storey building housing the offices of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
All the five persons sitting on its reception desk were among those killed instantly.
India condemns Israeli attacks in Gaza
By IANS,
New Delhi : India Monday condemned the Israeli attacks in Palestine saying it was "disappointing" to note that the use of "disproportionate force" has resulted in a large number of civilian casualties in Gaza.
A statement by the ministry of external affairs said: "This continued use of indiscriminate force is unwarranted and condemnable."
"It is disappointing that the use of disproportionate force was resulting in a large number of civilian casualties one one hand and escalating violence on the other.
‘Foreign secretary removed for opposing UN probe into Bhutto killing’
By IANS,
Islamabad : Riaz Mohammad Khan was unceremoniously removed as Pakistan's foreign secretary due to his strong opposition to a UN probe into former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination, a media report Sunday said.
Abdul Moiz Bokhari, an acting special secretary at the foreign office, was Saturday named the acting foreign secretary.
Bokhari had served as Benazir Bhutto's private secretary during her second term as prime minister.
Iraq’s provincial elections: A test of fragile calm
By DPA,
Baghdad : As voters prepare to go to the polls Jan 31, Iraq stands balanced on a knife-edge as the streets are safer now than they have been at any time since the country slid into civil war in 2005.
When Iraqis vote in 14 of the country's 18 provinces to choose the provincial councils that will govern them, the country could make a great step forward in drawing a line under the recent years of bloodshed. Or, many Iraqis say, if the polls are viewed as unfair, the country could tip back into carnage and chaos.
250,000 civilians uprooted in Yemen since 2004
By IANS,
Geneva: An estimated 250,000 civilians have been uprooted since clashes in Yemen erupted in 2004, with the number having more than doubled since just last August, WAM news agency reported citing the UN refugee agency.
Over seven million diabetics in Pakistan
By IANS,
Karachi : There are over seven million diabetics in Pakistan and the number is expected to more than double in the next 15 years, an official said here.
Australia will consider extra troops for Afghanistan
By NNN-Bernama,
Melbourne : Australia will consider any reasonable US request for extra troops for Afghanistan , subject to four preconditions, Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon says.
Fitzgibbon said he expected to gain a clearer idea of whether those conditions were being met after attending the meeting of NATO defence ministers in Krakow, Poland next week, the Australian Associated Press reports.
Chittagong loss creates rift in Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh's ruling Awami League's loss in the all important Chittagong city corporation polls has triggered differences within the party with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina congratulating the opposition-backed winner, calling it a "victory of democracy".
Hasina's arch rival and opposition leader Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) scored a major upset when its candidate Mohammad Manjur Alam was elected mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Friday.
Maldives president must step down: Nasheed
By IANS,
Male : Maldivian President Mohammed Waheed Hassan must quit and an interim, caretaker government should be set up, former president Mohamed Nasheed demanded Thursday.
Pakistani court orders A.Q. Khan’s medical examination
By IANS,
Lahore : The Lahore High Court Tuesday ordered the government to allow disgraced nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, whose movements have been restricted, to meet his relatives and friends and to get him medically examined.
The order came after Khan's counsel Ali Zafar contended that the scientist, who mentored the country's nuclear programme and was then accused of proliferating its nuclear secrets, was not being allowed to meet his relatives and friends and was also not allowed to get medically examined at home.
Extremists in Pakistan pose direct threat to US, others: Hillary Clinton
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Extremists in Pakistan pose a "direct threat" to Pakistan, the US and other nations in and outside the region, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, even as Islamabad struck a new peace deal with the Taliban by agreeing to enforce Islamic law in its Swat valley.
The US is studying the agreement and trying to understand the Pakistani government's "intention and the actual agreed-upon language", Clinton told reporters Tuesday in Tokyo, her first stop in a weeklong visit to East Asia.
Indian envoys begin brainstorming, Pakistan high on agenda
By IANS,
New Delhi : A three-day conclave involving about 120 Indian envoys posted abroad began here Monday with External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna outlining the country's strategy in dealing with key foreign policy challenges, ranging from terrorism and climate change to global meltdown and soft power projection.
Arab summit underlines joint Arab action
By Xinhua
Damascus : The Arab summit that concluded here on Sunday discussed the mechanism to effectively carry out joint Arab action, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, Muallem underlined that Arab countries should take joint action to solve major issues in the region.
Transmission of two Pakistani channels stopped in Karachi
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : The transmission of two leading Pakistani news channels was stopped Monday in Karachi and several other cities of Sindh province but no government department has taken responsibility for the closure.
The spokespersons for GEO and ARY channels said that all cable operators in Karachi and several other cities of the Sindh province stopped their transmissions.
Six SAARC leaders attending Modi swearing-in, Pakistan yet to confirm
New Delhi: Six SAARC neighbours have confirmed their attendance at the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, but Pakistan has yet to confirm...
Backgrounder: Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh since independence
By Xinhua,
Dhaka : Bangladesh is holding its 9th parliamentary election on Monday with 1,555 candidates from 39 parties and independents are contesting the 299 seats of the Parliament out of the 300 seats. The election for the other seat was postponed to be held on Jan. 12 next year due to the death of one candidate.
Following are the introduction of all the general elections held in Bangladesh since its independence in 1971.
Cmte for Arab Summit decision implementation convenes at ministerial level
By KUNA
Cairo : The follow-up committee for implementation of decisions of the Arab Summit convened Wednesday at the ministerial level under the chairmanship of Saudi's Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, whose country currently heads the summit.
The meeting comprised the foreign ministers of Syria, Sudan, Tunisia, Algeria, and Djibouti, as well as Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa.
Arab Israelis, police clash after Jewish extremist march
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : Hundreds of Arab Israelis clashed with the police after a group of Jewish extremists marched through their town Tuesday, an event they condemned as a provocation.
One demonstrator and one Israeli police officer were lightly injured in Umm el-Fahm, the largest Arab town in northern Israel, as residents threw stones and concrete blocks at the police, who used tear gas and stun grenades to contain the clashes, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.
Arab experts set draft agreement on money
By NNN-KUNA,
Cairo : Experts from the Arab ministries of justice and interior have met here and set a draft accord to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.
Committee chairman Marrouk Nasruddin, from Algeria, said in a press release Wednesday that the four-day meeting finished setting the draft agreement, aimed to be the first Arab mechanism to dry up the financing of terrorism and money laundering.
Pakistan takes ‘every possible step’ for peaceful polls
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : The Pakistan government has deployed about 81,000 troops of the army throughout the country, with focus on areas that have been identified as sensitive, to counter threats of violence and terrorism on the polling day Monday, says the caretaker interior minister.
"Every possible step has been taken to ensure peaceful elections," caretaker Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz Khan told mediapersons Saturday after briefing European Union observers on the country's 10th general elections to the national and four provincial parliaments.
Drone strike kills Haqqani network member in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : A member of the Al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network was killed in a US drone strike in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region Thursday, media reports said.
Pakistan to probe death of Indian fisherman in jail
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : The Pakistan interior ministry has asked the Sindh government to probe the death of an Indian fisherman due to electric shock in a Karachi jail.
Bhagwandas Bhika, suffered a fatal electric shock from a water pump when he was washing clothes in Malir Jail Monday. He and 15 other fishermen were arrested in April and brought to the Karachi jail after their boat drifted into Pakistani waters by strong sea currents.
Pakistan bans coverage of 26/11 trial
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani Saturday kept under secrecy the court proceedings against five Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants accused of planning the attacks in Mumbai that killed over 170 people last November.
An anti-terrorism court conducted the 26/11 trial in camera at the high security Adiala Jail in the adjacent garrison town of Rawalpindi, and lawyers were apparently asked not to discuss the case with the media.
Lawyers refused to say when the next hearing would take place.
House of Iraqi Tribal Leader Bombed
By Prensa Latina,
Baghdad : At least one person was killed and another 22 wounded in a suicide truck bomb attack against the house of a community leader in Nineveh province, northern Iraq, according to police sources.
The sources revealed that the driver rammed the vehicle into the residence of Sheikh Abdel Razaq al Wakaa, a leader of the main Iraqi tribes. He and his wife were injured.
The attack took place in the small village of Al Haud, in Al Qayara, 31 miles from Mosul, provincial capital, and damaged Al Wakaa's home and other neighboring houses seriously.
Bahrain foreign minister meets Modi
New Delhi : Bahrain's Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Mohamed Al Khalifa Monday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and conveyed his government's commitment...
Taliban kill 21 security men in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad: The Taliban have killed 21 Pakistani security personnel whom they abducted a few days ago from a check post, a media report said Sunday.
14 killed in Pakistan accident
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least 14 people, including children, were killed Tuesday in an accident near Pakistan's Taxila town, a media report said.
‘Pakistan army to seek Musharraf’s resignation within a week’
By IANS,
London : Pakistan's army chief General Ashfaq Kiyani will ask President Pervez Musharraf to resign from office within a week, a British newspaper reported Saturday.
The Daily Telegraph quoted an unnamed senior government official from the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party as saying the army has "whispered in Musharraf's ear that it is time to leave".
"Over the next few days they will make it clear to him (Musharraf) that a protracted battle (against impeachment) is not in Pakistan's interests," he added.
Magnitude-6 quake hits Pakistan
Islamabad : An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale jolted parts of northwest Pakistan Sunday, Xinhua reported.
More details about any loss of life...
12 militants killed in northwest Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least 12 militants were killed Saturday in an operation carried out by security forces in Pakistan's Bajaur tribal region.
Soldiers backed by fighter jets, helicopter gunship and artillery, pounded hideouts of militants in Charmang, Chinar, Loisam, Sarlara and other areas, as part of an ongoing military operation, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
Bangladesh faces high earthquake risk, warn experts
By IANS,
Dhaka : The latest threat of earthquake-triggered tsunami has abated, but disaster-prone Bangladesh faces a high risk of moderate to strong quakes, experts have warned.
Bangladesh also faces the risk of tsunami as four active sources of earthquake in the Bay of Bengal can generate tremors with a magnitude of over 7 on the Richter scale, affecting the country seriously.
Pakistan’s capital tightens security following tribal agency operation
By NNN-Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan on Tuesday tightened security in its capital Islamabad as the government's military operation against militants in tribal agency entered the fourth day.
In the capital, the security of foreign missions and international organizations were beefed up to avoid possible terrorist threats.
The entry of vehicles was strictly checked at the gate of the diplomatic enclave in northeastern part of Islamabad, and bunkers on entry and exit points are also erected.
Gunmen kill Iraqi priest in Baghdad
By Xinhua
Baghdad : Unidentified gunmen shot dead a Christian priest in central Baghdad Saturday, an interior ministry source said.
The incident took place at around midday. The gunmen shot dead Yousif Adel, a priest of the Saint Peter Church, in the Karrada neighbourhood, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Last month, the body of a Chaldean Catholic archbishop was found near the city of Mosul in northern Iraq after he was kidnapped by unknown gunmen.
Ahmadinejad ends “historic” visit, hails Iraq ties
·Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday wrapped up his two-day "historic" visit to Iraq.
·Ahmadinejad was given a red-carpet welcome by his Iraqi counterpart Jalal Talabani.
·Talabani, for his part, offered to expel Iranian rebels based in Iraq.
Over 200,000 vulnerable Afghans to receive winter aid from UN agency
By IRNA,
Tehran : The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners have started to deliver supplies to help an estimated 200,000 Afghan returnees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) get through the country's harsh winter, said a press release issued by the United Nations Information Center here on Wednesday.
Over 147,000 blankets, more than 80,000 plastic sheets, 32,000 jerry cans, 46,000 items of warm clothing including 18,000 pairs of shoes and 30,000 pairs of socks have been purchased and sent to UNHCR's regional offices for country-wide distribution.
Afghan opium production remains shockingly high: UN
By NNN-APP
United Nations : The United Nations has predicted that Afghanistan will harvest a near-record opium poppy crop this year along with an increasing amount of cannabis.
The annual U.N. winter survey of poppy planting patterns serves as a warning to Europe and the rest of the world to brace for an influx of heroin, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said.
The report says there is some evidence that sharp increases in cultivation are leveling off yet the total amount of opium being harvested remains “shockingly high.”