Talks will fail if Hasina is not released: Awami League
By IANS,
Dhaka : The Awami League has linked the success of any dialogue with Bangladesh's caretaker government to the release of its detained chief Sheikh Hasina, who is ailing and wants to go abroad for medical treatment.
A senior leader of the party was Saturday quoted as saying that a dialogue with the government would be meaningless if Hasina was not sent to the US for treatment.
The party has launched a campaign, beginning with a signature drive, to press the demand that Hasina, a former prime minister, be released on parole.
Five killed in Bangladesh landslide
By Xinhua,
Dhaka : At least five people were killed and seven injured in a landslide early Monday in Bangladesh's southeastern city of Chittagong, about 242 km southeast of the capital.
Rescuers recovered four bodies, those of three women and a child, while a man succumbed to his injuries on way to hospital, private United News of Bangladesh reported.
Seven people injured in the landslip were rescued, it said.
The tragedy took place when the thatched houses of the victims at the foothill were buried under the landslide following heavy rain.
Israeli foreign minister resigns over fraud charges
By IANS,
London : Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman Friday resigned after being charged with fraud and breach of trust following a long-running investigation, BBC reported.
UAE, Saudi Arabia have maximum Indian workers
By IANS,
New Delhi : Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) account for the maximum number of Indians working in the Gulf, the government said Wednesday.
IMF asks Pakistan to cut defence budget
By IRNA,
Islamabad : The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked Pakistan to cut its defence expenditure.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance, Shaukat Tareen has said that Pakistan is at war on its western border and no effort should be made to slash down the defence expenditure at this critical juncture.
"If the armed forces keep their expenditures within the envisaged allocated amount for this fiscal year, it will be a great achievement on their part," he said.
Musharraf again refuses UN probe into Bhutto murder
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has once again refused to involve the UN in the probe into the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, saying the international body cannot be brought in as a second country was not involved in the murder.
Analyst: India launches diplomatic offensives to mount pressure on Pakistan
By IRNA,
Islamabad : President of Islamabad Policy Research Institute on Monday said that Indian government has called the meeting of its envoys to prepare them to explain the world that Pakistan is the real culprit and backing the terrorism in the region.
Talking to IRNA, Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema, opined that the meeting is a form of pressure tactic against Pakistan adding that it is upto the Pakistan government that how it responds to this pressure effectively.
Attack on cricketers shows Pakistan faces emboldened militants
By Nadeem Sarwar, DPA,
Islamabad : The brazen terrorist ambush targeting the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore came as a shocking reminder of the threat posed to Pakistan by ever bolder Islamist militants.
Recent years have seen the Islamic country endure dozens of suicide attacks and roadside bombings that have killed thousands, including former premier Benazir Bhutto.
But the attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team seemed to turn a brutal new page as around a dozen terrorists made their getaway after action graphically captured by TV cameras.
US and Iraq agree on troop cuts
By IRNA,
Baghdad : The United States and Iraq have agreed to set a "general time horizon" for the "further reduction of US combat forces in Iraq" following the improvement in security conditions in the country, the White House said Friday.
The breakthrough, which was reached between President George W.
Baby crocodile causes panic, seized at Abu Dhabi airport
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi: A baby crocodile was seized from an Egypt Air flight after its cabin crew alerted the airport officials when the plane landed here, WAM news agency reported Saturday.
The flight was from Cairo to the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) capital.
Colonel Khamis Al-Marar, chairman of Abu Dhabi International Airport Security Board, said the cabin crew of the flight 916 informed the authorities about the reptile prior to its landing.
Taliban claim killing 23 abducted Pakistani soldiers
By IANS,
Islamabad: Taliban militants late Sunday night claimed to have killed 23 security personnel kidnapped in 2010 in the country's northwestern tribal region of...
Pakistani Pres Zardari vows to turn Karachi into model metropolis
By NNN-APP,
Karachi : Pakistani Pres Asif Ali Zardari on Friday vowed to turn Karachi into a “model metropolis” in next three years so that it can benefit the future generations.
“Karachi can run the entire economy of Pakistan if it is developed under a planned strategy. We will make it with the support of business community and the people”, he said while speaking at the distribution of pay orders among the affectees of Boulton and old markets arson fire and the lootings that followed at Chief Minister House here.
Palestinian group claims responsibility for attack in West Jerusalem Wednesday
By NNN-KUNA,
Gaza : A Palestinian group has announced responsibility for the attack in a busy street in West Jerusalam in which three people were killed and 30 others were injured.
The responsibility for the attack Wednesday was announced in a statement circulated here and bore the signature of "Hebron Liberals -- The group of Imad Moghneia".
A Palestinian ploughed his bulldozer into an Israeli bus, vehicles and pedestrians in one of Jerusalem's busy street. Israeli police shot dead the driver.
8 killed in suicide attack in NW Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least eight people were killed and 15 others injured in a suicide attack in northwestern Pakistan on Monday, private TV channel DAWN NEWS reported.
The attack occurred near a check post in Mingora, a major town in Swat valley of North West Frontier Province, said the report.
Pakistani Ambassador Haqqani urges patience, says short-term actions no solution
By APP,
Washington : Asserting that unilateral actions by Afghanistan-based coalition forces on the Pakistani side of the border prove counter-productive in the war on terror, Ambassador Husain Haqqani Friday urged patience and cooperative efforts as there is no short-term solution to the menace of terrorism.
Husain Haqqani said the fight against terrorism is going to be a long struggle and “has to have much more than a military component.”
Bangladesh SC upholds Jamaat leader’s death sentence, strike called
Dhaka: Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentence of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojaheed for 1971 war crimes, a decision...
Bomb blast kills 16 Iraqis
By IINA
Baghdad : A roadside bomb has killed at least 16 people traveling on a bus in southern Iraq. At least 22 people were also wounded in the attack. The civilian passenger bus was traveling on the Basra-Nasiriya road some 80 km south of Nasiriya, police said. The attack came a day after eight US soldiers and an interpreter were killed in two separate incidents, the US military said.
One attack took place in Diyala province, killing three soldiers and an interpreter, while five other soldiers were killed in a suicide attack in Baghdad.
Airstrike kills over 100 militants in Pakistan
Islamabad: Over 100 militants were killed and eight hideouts destroyed in a predawn airstrike launched by the Pakistani army in the country's northwestern tribal...
Pakistan leaders were to dine at Marriott: Official
By IANS,
Islamabad : The entire top leadership of Pakistan was scheduled to dine at the capital's landmark Marriott hotel Saturday - the night it was devastated by a suicide bomb - but had a narrow escape as the dinner plan was changed, BBC reported Monday quoting official.
11 get death for Baghdad attacks
By IANS,
Baghdad: Eleven people convicted of carrying out deadly attacks in Baghdad have been sentenced to death, Xinhua reported Thursday.
Societe Generale on trial in France-Israeli scam
By Xinhua
Paris : The French bank Societe Generale faces a new legal challenge Monday with the start of a money laundering trial in Paris.
Four banks, including Societe Generale, and 138 people, including the bank's chairman Daniel Bouton, are on trial over the multi-million dollar scam. The other banks include Societe Marseillaise de Credit, Barclays France and the National Bank of Pakistan.
At least two Palestinian killed in mysterious Gaza house explosion
By Xinhua,
Gaza : At least two Palestinians were killed and more than 10 wounded Thursday afternoon in a mysterious explosion in a house in northern Gaza Strip, paramedics and witnesses said.
A number of children and women were among the casualties, but the medical sources were unable to give an exact figure of the casualties.
Some of the witnesses said that Israeli F16 warplanes dropped a bomb into a house, which purportedly belongs to a senior Hamas militant in Beit Lahiya town.
ADB To Provide Pakistan With US$75 Mln For Farming
By Bernama
Manila : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide Pakistan with US$75 million in loans to help the country develop farming across the Potohar Plateau near Islamabad, China's Xinhua news agency quoted the bank as saying here on Thursday.
The loans will be used to build multipurpose dams, irrigation canals and drinking water supplies, said the lender in a press release.
Malaysian PM greets Tamils, Sikhs on New Year
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak Wednesday greeted Tamils and Sikhs on their New Year.
Najib, now in Washington to attend the Nuclear Security Summit, took time off to write in his blog www.1Malaysia.com.my to extend his good wishes, Bernama news agency reported.
He said that over the next two days beginning Wednesday, Hindus would be celebrating their New Year.
"This special day is known in many names; to the Tamils it is Puthandu, and this day marks the year known as Vikruthi while to the Malayalees, it is known as Vishu.
Pakistan police question teenage suspect in Bhutto assanissination
By NNN-PTI
Islamabad : Police in the garrison city of Rawalpindi Wednesday questioned a teenaged boy arrested for alleged involvement in former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto's assassination and his accomplice.
Aitezaz Shah, the 15-year-old boy who was trained as a suicide bomber, was arrested along with Sher Zaman in Dera Ismail Khan town of the North West Frontier Province last week. The duo was handed over to Punjab Police Tuesday and brought to Rawalpindi.
The police team formed specially to probe Bhutto's assassination in Rawalpindi on Dec 27 will also question the duo.
US military drops weapons in areas held by IS in Iraq
Baghdad: Volunteer forces in Iraq fighting against the Islamic State (IS) terrorists said US military aircraft dropped weapons in areas held by the terrorist...
Israeli air strikes kill three more Palestinians in Gaza, toll reaches 111
Geneva: The UN refugee agency Friday called for European countries to grant asylum to a growing number of Syrian refugees, many of whom are...
King approves Northern Areas expansion of Holy Mosque in Makkah
By SPA
Riyadh : The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has approved the implementation of the expansion project at the northern areas of the Holy Mosque of Makkah.
This was announced by minister of municipal and rural affairs Prince Miteb bin Abdulaziz, who is also the head of the development commission of Makkah, Madinah and the Holy Places.
Middle East North Africa real estate in good shape: report
By IANS,
Dubai : The demand-supply dynamic in the real estate sector in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remains positive, according to a report by a leading real estate consultancy.
According to the "Q4 2008 MENA Real Estate Overview" released by Colliers, the demand-supply dynamic in the MENA region would remain positive despite the global credit crisis.
However, because of the turmoil in the global financial markets, regional investor sentiment would lean towards a more cautious approach, Colliers said Monday in a statement following the release of the report.
Pakistan uses militants for proxy war with India: Pentagon
By Arun Kumar,
Washington : A new Pentagon report says Pakistan uses Afghan- and Indian-focused militants operating from its territory to hedge against the loss...
Six killed in shooting spree in southern Yemen
By Xinhua,
Sana'a : A vendor opened fire Monday in the port city of Aden, southern Yemen, killing four people and wounding eight others, and two of whom died in hospital due to serious injuries.
According to witnesses, the vendor flew into a fury amid a dispute with others in a market and began to shoot indiscriminately. The man was later arrested by local police.
In August 2007, Yemen's Ministry of Interior issued a statement banning carrying firearms into the capital city of Sanaa and provincial capitals.
Karzai pledges transparent elections in Afghanistan
Kabul: Afghan President Hamid Karzai Saturday assured the people of a free and fair presidential election on April 5, saying the security forces were...
Pakistan’s nukes are safe: Interior minister
By IANS,
Islamabad : Allaying fears that the Pakistani nuclear arsenal might fall into the hands of the Taliban, Interior Minister Rehman Malik Monday said: "If we can make nuclear assets, we can also secure them".
Anti-Pakistan forces are using the Taliban to destabilise the country, he told reporters after visiting a relief camp in Mardan in North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
"It is astonishing to see how these elements (Taliban) are getting sophisticated weapons not even held by the Pakistan Army," the Online news agency said Monday, citing Malik.
UAE exempts EU citizens from pre-entry visa
Dubai: The UAE foreign ministry said Wednesday that it has exempted citizens of another 13 European Union (EU) member states from requiring a pre-entry...
Largest Pakistan Army war games begin
By IANS,
Islamabad: The Pakistan Army Saturday began its largest war games near the Indian border involving some 20,000 soldiers and the air force.
The six-week exercise, codenamed Azm-i-Nau 3, involves troops from all arms and services, besides engagement of various aircraft and equipment of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Online news agency reported.
It is the largest exercise since the Zarb-i-Momin war games of 1989.
The ongoing PAF exercise High Mark 2010 will be fully integrated with the army field exercise, which will continue till May 13.
Pakistani military winding down operations in northwest
By IANS,
Islamabad : The Pakistani military Friday seemed to be winding down its 61-day anti-Taliban operations in Swat and two other districts of the northwest and was focusing on mopping up operations in the areas that have been cleared of the militants.
One indication of this is that no Taliban have been been killed in the 48 hours to Friday afternoon, to go by an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement.
"During the last 24 hours, security forces apprehended two terrorists and also recovered arms and ammunition," the statement said.
Iran won’t oppose Turkish mediation with incoming Obama administration
By Xinhua,
Tehran : Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said on Monday that Iran would not oppose Turkey's mediation for talks between Tehran and the incoming Obama administration, Iranian Press TV reported.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said last Friday Ankara could play a positive role in mediating between Tehran and Washington.
37 killed, 86 injured in Iraq violence
Baghdad: As many as 37 people were killed and 86 injured in a wave of attacks in different parts of Iraq Thursday.
At least 12...
Pakistani provincial minister quits
By IANS,
Islamabad: Sharjeel Inam Memon, information minister of Pakistan's Sindh province, has resigned, a media report said Saturday.
Blast kills 4 in Yemen – local official
By SPA,
Sana'a : At least four people were killed by an explosion near a postal office in Yemen's northern Saada province, a local official said on Saturday.
The cause of the explosion was unknown, he was quoted as saying by Reuters.
British police seize over $400,000 suspected funds for IS
London: British police have confiscated 250,000 pounds (about 401,713 dollars) of suspected funds for the Islamic State (IS), the anti-terror authorities said Monday.
Most of...
Dubai-based Indian painter honours UAE martyrs
Abu Dhabi: A Dubai-based Indian painter who gifted Prime Minister Narendra Modi a series of paintings during his recent visit here has begun painting...
Fewer people killed along India-Bangladesh border: BSF
Agartala : After Indian border guards started using non-lethal weapons, the number of people killed along the border has come down from 100 to...
Belarus denies supplying weapons to Pakistani terrorists
By IANS,
Minsk : Belarus has rubbished the reports suggesting it illegally sold weapons to terrorist groups in Pakistan, Xinhua reported Thursday.
Pakistan Supreme Court adjourns Sharif’s election case
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday adjourned for two weeks an appeal against a ruling that barred former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from contesting a parliamentary by-election.
A full bench of the Lahore High Court had disqualified Sharif from contesting the by-election.
The Supreme Court, after receiving from the federal government an appeal against the disqualification, ordered the postponement of the by-election in Sharif's constituency till June 30 to enable it hear the plea.
NATO air strike ‘accidently destroys’ flock of sheep
By RIA Novosti,
Kabul : NATO aircraft killed a flock of sheep in the Afghan province of Laghman, in a botched attack on Taliban gunmen, according to sources in the governor's office.
Provincial police say the incident occurred on Wednesday night near the town of Mehtar Lam. Shots fired from NATO helicopters killed over 200 sheep belonging to local shepherds.
The sources told reporters that NATO troops claim they were targeting Taliban warriors. The alliance has not commented on the incident.
Clinton meets Israeli, Palestinian leaders
By DPA,
Washington : US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Israel's chief negotiator Thursday as she tried to breathe life into the stalled peace talks with the Palestinians.
Military, Political Hits in Afghanistan
By Prensa Latina,
Kabul : Several deaths occurred in western and southern Afghanistan as consequence of two actions, according to reports of the police and government officials.
In one of the events a suicide victim in a car bomb attacked the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) near the Western Afghan city of Heart where most of the soldiers deployed are Italians.
The suicide victim attacked the NATO convoy on its way to the airport in the outskirts of that locality, said the chief of the regional police Rahmataullah Safai.
‘Rise in terrorism linked to decline in arts’
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's most famous puppeteer Farooq Qaiser has drawn an unusual link between the growth in extremism and a decline in interest in the arts, prompting a leading newspaper to say the idea "needs further study and assessment".
The linkage "is a fascinating one" and "needs further study and assessment as we attempt to understand the violence and militancy that has today become a part of life," The News said Monday in an editorial titled "Outlet for anger".
Indonesia releases prisoners to commemorate Independence Day
By DPA,
Jakarta : Indonesia marked its Independence Day Sunday with reduction of jail sentences for tens of thousands of prisoners, including convicted Australian drug traffickers.
More than 55,000 prisoners who have completed at least one-third of their sentences were granted reductions ranging from several weeks or months.
At least 5,700 inmates will walk free, said Untung Sugiyono, director-general of correctional institutions at the justice ministry.
Arab delegation arrives Lebanon for mediating crisis
By Xinhua,
Beirut : An Arab delegation arrived in Beirut airport Wednesday to discuss with Lebanese rival leaders ways to end the Lebanese crisis which developed into sectarian violence inthe past days.
The delegation, which arrived at Rafik Hariri International Airport on board of a plane of Qatari Air, headed directly to Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri's mansion in Ain el-Tineh in Beirut.
Iran-UN nuclear talks start in Tehran
By DPA,
Tehran : Talks between Iran and the United Nations nuclear watchdog started in Tehran Thursday, state media reported.
The chief inspector of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Oli Heinonen, and officials of the Iranian Atomic Organization, headed by Vice President Gholam-Reza Aqazadeh are to discuss the remaining ambiguities in Tehran's nuclear projects and the course of future cooperation.
UAE President’s brother dies in copter crash
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) went on a three-day official mourning Tuesday following the death of Sheikh Nasser bin Zayed Al Nahyan, brother of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in a helicopter crash.
Sheikh Nasser died Monday night when the helicopter carrying him and his colleagues crashed into the Arabian Gulf, state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
The presidential affairs ministry announced a three-day official mourning.
Centcom chief says Pakistan not waging U.S war
By IRNA,
Islamabad : General David Petraeus, Commander, United States Central Command, has said that Pakistan is not waging American war but it is their own war.
General Petraeus ended his visit in Islamabad on Tuesday visiting with Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who are assigned to the Office of Defense Representative to Pakistan prior to visiting civilian and military officials in the city of Peshawar, the U.S embassy said.
Up to 1,073 Iraqis killed in April
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : The death toll of Iraqis across the country climbed to 1,073 people mostly by fierce clashes between Sadr's followers and U.S.-backed Iraqi security forces, a security source said on Thursday.
Figures compiled by Iraqi Interior, Defense and Heath ministries, showed that 966 civilians and 107 security members were killed nationwide, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
April's death toll roughly lower than in March which showed 1,082 Iraqis killed, compared with a total of 721 killed in February.
Mideast quartet plans Moscow meeting in spring 2009
By RIA Novosti,
UN : The quartet of international mediators on Middle East settlement has agreed to hold an international conference on the Middle East settlement in Moscow sometime in spring 2009, the diplomatic body said in a statement.
A ministerial session of quartet members -- the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations - was held in New York late Friday as part of the current session of the UN General Assembly
The Quartet statement said the idea of holding the Moscow meeting in spring 2009 "is acceptable."
Hundreds protest Ahmadinejad arrival at UN headquarters
By RIA Novosti,
United Nations : Several hundred people have rallied outside the UN headquarters in New York to protest the arrival Tuesday of Iran's president for the General Assembly session.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, criticized over his country's nuclear program and human rights record, is due to speak at the session Tuesday - just a day after the IAEA said it had not been able to make much progress in its inquiry into a possible military aspect to Iran's nuclear program. The UN nuclear watchdog added that the issue remained a serious concern.
UAE’s Thuraya poised for imminent commercial launch in Asia- Pacific
By NNN-WAM
Abu Dhabi : Following the successful launch of its third satellite, Thuraya, the world's leading satellite operator for mobile handhelds, is moving in full swing towards launching commercial service in the Asia Pacific region, a lucrative market of more than 2 billion people for which the Thuraya-3 satellite was designed.
US-Pakistan trade ties growing, USTR 2008 report lauds Pakistan steps
By NNN-APP
Washington : The US-Pakistan trade grew in the year 2007 and the two countries continue to expand their bilateral trading relationship, particularly through US helping Pakistan foster a climate conducive to increased foreign investment, a new American annual report said.
The US Trade Representative delivering the 2008 Trade Policy Agenda and 2007 Annual Report to Congress on Tuesday noted that a top priority for the Bush Administration in South Asia has been to build a relationship with Pakistan as a strategic partner for the long term.
‘Iran launches submarine, destroyer’
By IANS,
Tehran : Iranian Navy Tuesday launched an overhauled super-heavy submarine and an indigenous destroyer in the Persian Gulf, Xinhua reported.
British serviceman killed in Afghanistan
By KUNA,
London : A British serviceman has been killed and two others injured in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said Monday. The three had been returning from operations when their vehicle was caught in a blast north of Sangin, Helmand province. It brings to 97 the number of UK troops killed in operations in the country since 2001. More than 7,000 British troops are deployed in Afghanistan, mainly in the troubled Helmand province.
‘Iran, Pakistan can establish peace in the region’
By IANS,
Islamabad : Iran and Pakistan could play an important role in establishing peace and stability in the region, a top Pakistani politician has said.
Gaza rockets hit Israeli Sderot area despite truce
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Three Qassam rockets fired Tuesday afternoon from the Gaza Strip landed in the Sderot area, five days after a ceasefire enacted between Israel and Palestinian militant groups last week.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert responded in a statement that the Qassam attack was "a clear violation of the ceasefire understandings."
The Prime Minister's office added that Olmert "warned that the truce may be short-lived. ...Israel has warned against such breaches and will now consider the counter measures at its disposal."
Int”l press freedom org. calls for re-operation of Palestinian news media
By KUNA,
Paris : An international press freedom organization welcomed here recent statements by the leaders of the two main Palestinian parties that have raised hopes of an end to the conflict between them.
In light of these developments, Reporters Without Borders called for the news media that
have been closed since the start of the clashes to be "allowed" to resume operating.
280 suspects arrested in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least 280 terror suspects were arrested Monday and a large quantity of arms and ammunition was seized during searches in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region bordering Afghanistan, police said.
The suspects were arrested in Bara area of Khyber region, Xinhua reported citing Dawn News.
Meanwhile, two people were injured in a rocket attack on a local press club in Niazi market in Khyber Monday morning, according to television channels.
Benazir Bhutto posthumously Awarded Irish Tipperary peace award
By APP,
Tipperary, Ireland : Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was posthumously awarded the prestigious Tipperary International Peace Award for 2007 in an emotion-filled ceremony in this Irish town on Saturday.
County Tipperary is the largest inland county on the Irish south western coast and a popular tourist destination.
Upcoming govt will please Lebanese – Siniora
By NNN-KUNA,
Beirut : Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Fuad Al-Siniora has said that the upcoming government will please the Lebanese.
He made the remarks after his discussions here Thursday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on the political process aimed at forming the new government and progress at this level.
Al-Siniora said that their points of view were identical in this regard, reiterating that he would not commit to a specific date to announce the formation of the government.
4th meeting of Islamic science ministers opens
By IRNA,
Baku : The 4th meeting of the Islamic countries' science ministers started its work in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday.
Iran's Minister of Science, Research and Technology Mohammad-Mehdi Zahedi as well as 200 representatives from 40 Islamic states have attended the meeting.
Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri delivered inaugural statement.
During the three-day event, the science ministers will confer on the future for the Islamic countries' cooperation in technological and scientific fields.
BRICS regrets force, but doesn’t oppose air strikes in Libya
By Sarwar Kashani,IANS,
Explosion rocks Cairo amid presidential poll
Cairo : One person was injured and several cars were burnt Tuesday when an explosive device went off near a church in Egypt's capital...
19 tourists kidnapped in Egypt
By DPA,
Cairo : Nineteen tourists, including 11 foreign nationals, were kidnapped in Upper Egypt Monday and authorities were in touch with kidnappers for negotiating their release, media reports said.
The latest reports said the 19 included five Germans, five Italians, and one Romanian national. The remaining were Egyptians. Initial reports had given a figure of 15 victims, including four Egyptians.
The kidnapped were on a safari trip when they were seized by four masked men.
Israeli airstrike on southern Gaza wounds three militants
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Three Islamic Jihad militants were injured on Tuesday afternoon in an Israeli airstrike on an area east of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, medics and witnesses said.
Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services in the Palestinian health ministry told reporters that three people were injured in the airstrike, one of them critically.
Witnesses said that an Israeli aircraft fired one missile at a group of Islamic Jihad militants east of the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip, adding that three were injured.
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.
Syria doubts Moscow’s influence in Mideast peace process
By RIA Novosti,
Damascus : The United States is a key player in the Middle East peace process, while Russia lacks clout, Syria's president said on Tuesday.
"This was also the case during the Soviet era," Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with the Qatar newspaper Al Watan, going on to state that, "The U.S. plays a leading role in the peace process in the Middle East due to its special relationship with Israel."
He also doubted the viability of a Middle East peace conference in Moscow, pointing out that neither its time frame, nor format or agenda has been defined yet.
Israel Army Arrests 30 Palestinians
By Prensa Latina
Ramallah : Israeli soldiers stormed into the West Bank in a major operation that ended at dawn on Monday, arresting 30 Palestinians.
The incursion mainly targeted the refugee camps of Al Ein and Balata, in Naplusa, where the Israeli forces detained 29 alleged members of the Palestinian resistance, said eyewitnesses and local sources.
The Israeli military command confirmed the information.
Meanwhile in a contradictory version, some sources announced the lifting of the Israeli blockade on the West Bank, while others confirmed that it remains.
Efforts on locate Iraq hostages: Badal
Sangrur (Punjab) : A day after a Punjabi youth who survived and escaped from Iraq claimed that 39 Indians taken hostage in the war-torn...
Iraq says Russian firms will not get business privileges
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said on Tuesday that Baghdad welcomes Russian companies interested in doing business in the country, but will not offer them special privileges.
The minister spoke at a news conference in Moscow following talks with the Russian leadership.
"The doors are open for Russian companies to work in Iraq, but on conditions equal to other companies," Zebari told a news conference.
Islamabad to have export processing zone
By IANS,
Islamabad: An export processing zone will be established in Islamabad, said Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
Yemen action to inflate Saudi esteem but at what cost?
By Saeed Naqvi,
A week ago, the Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, had a free run of Yemen. In Tikrit, Iraq, the Shia militia, led by Iranian officers, and helped by the largely Shia Iraq army, had cornered the ISIS in Saddam Hussain’s palaces. The fall of Tikrit would add to the halo on the Iranian-led Shia fraternity.
Saudi Grand Mufti: Enemies of Islam spreading evil through Twitter
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh said that the enemies of Islam are using social networking sites such as Twitter...
Abbas condemns Israeli offensive on Gaza
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on 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 on Tuesday morning and lasted till around noon, 16 people were killed and more than 45 others were wounded.
Dhaka nabs Pakistanis with fake Indian currency
By IANS,
Dhaka : Three people, including two Pakistanis, were arrested and Rs.1 million in fake Indian currency was seized from their possession at a hotel in this Bangladeshi capital, police said.
Bangladesh police's Detective Branch arrested Mohammad Danish, 32, of Anarkoli in Lahore; Sabbir Ali, 55, of Karachi and Bangladeshi national Fatema Akter Opi, 23. Opi is Danish's wife, The Daily Star reported.
Pakistani shelling makes life hell for border people
By Sheikh Qayoom,
Jammu : Life for nearly 30,000 people living in relief camps has been turned upside down after they were forced to abandon...
Islamic art festival opens in Sharjah
By IANS,
Sharjah : The 12th Islamic Art Festival opened here at the Sharjah Art Museum in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), WAM news agency reported Thursday.
The exhibition called "Space of Mosaic" was inaugurated by Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the ruler of Sharjah, largest emirate of the UAE.
Painters from different Islamic countries, including UAE, are participating in the event Sep 2-30.
Calendar launched to endorse peace between India, Pakistan
New Delhi : A calendar for "Peace and Love" with paintings from Indian and Pakistani youths depicting their shared dreams of peace and friendship...
Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei praises unrest in Egypt, Tunisia
By IANS/AKI,
Tehran: Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has praised the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, stating they resembled his own country's revolution.
More evacuations in flooded Pakistan
By DPA,
Islamabad : Authorities in Pakistan moved tens of thousands of people to safe areas as floods threatened dozens more villages in the south of the country Saturday.
Floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have started to recede from much of the country, but the banks of the Indus river have been breached in the southern province of Sindh.
More than six million people have been left homeless and over 15 million have been directly or indirectly affected by the floods that have ravaged the country for the last three weeks.
Kidnapped Afghan envoy recovered in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : The kidnapped Afghan envoy has been released in northwestern Pakistan, local media reported on Tuesday.
Afghan ambassador-designate to Pakistan Abdul Khaliq Farahi was kidnapped in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar last Monday.
The vehicle carrying Farahi was attacked by unidentified gunmen in the Hayatabad area of Peshawar, and his driver was killed in the attack.
"Farahi had reached the city (Peshawar) after his recovery and was safe and sound," The News newspaper said.
Yemeni, Cuba health cooperation discuuued
By NNN-SABA
Abyan : Abyan governor Mohammed Shamlan and Charge' d'affaires at the Cuban embassy in Sana'a Arial John talked on Wednesday over developing joint programmes in a number of fields, especially health.
The governor hailed cooperation relations level between the two countries and peoples in various aspects and evaluated humanitarian activities and medical services offered by the Cuban medical mission in Zunjubar.
Attack on Sri Lanka team resembles Mumbai strikes: Pakistan authorities
By NNN-PTI,
Lahore, Pakistan : The daring attack carried out by "trained terrorists" against the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore on Tuesday bore the hallmarks of the tactics used in the Mumbai terror strike, according to Pakistani authorities.
"The attack resembles the Mumbai attacks," the chief of police in Punjab province Khaled Farooq told reporters here on Tuesday, as the Lahore attack brought back memories of 26/11 though of not that scale and magnitude. Eight people, most of them policemen, were killed in today's attack while the Mumbai strike claimed 183 lives.
NATO supports Afghanistan-Taliban talks
By IANS,
Brussels : Stressing that military means alone cannot bring peace in war ravaged Afghanistan, NATO has said it was not opposed to talks between the government and Taliban leaders willing to lay down their arms, reports EuAsiaNews.
"If the Afghan government chooses to engage in dialogue with the Taliban, with elements of the Taliban which they consider to be reconcilable that is their decision to take," James Appathurai told reporters here Wednesday.
He was commenting on reports that Saudi Arabia has been sponsoring talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
14 killed in Pakistan bombing
By IANS,
Islamabad : At least 14 people were killed Sunday when a passenger van was hit by a roadside bomb in Pakistan's northwest tribal region, media reports said.
UAE adopts litre for measuring gasoline
By IANS,
Abu Dhabil: Fuel stations across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have adopted the litre instead of the imperial gallon as a unit of measurement from Jan 1 this year, WAM news agency reported Tuesday.
The new unit of measurement for gasoline is effective in all fuelling stations run by oil companies and corporations in the UAE.
The new provision will remain effective for a period of four months in line with the cabinet's decision, which mandates the use of international system of units.
The imperial gallon equals to approximately 4.5 litres.
21 killed in Libya clashes
Tripoli: Clashes erupted in Benghazi between Libya's army troops and Islamist armed groups Monday, causing at least 21 deaths and about 110 injuries, authorities...
Gilani not planning Turkey visit yet
By IRNA,
Islamabad : A spokesman of the government has said that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has not as yet planned any visit to Turkey and therefore there is no question of dropping it due to the current political situation in the country as has been described by a section of the media.
The spokesman said that the situation in the country is normal as borne out by the fact that the Prime Minister is proceeding to Saudi Arabia tonight on a three-day visit.
Over 40 killed, 100 hurt in Pakistan car bomb blast
By IANS,
Peshawar: Over 40 people were killed and more than 100 wounded Friday when a car loaded with explosives blew up with a roar in a crowded market in Pakistan's Peshawar city, a minister said.
North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Health Minister Zahir Ali Shah put the toll at 41 after visiting the Lady Reading Hospital where the injured were admitted. He said the condition of 15 injured people was critical.
The explosion occurred around noon at the Karachi Bazaar, close to the NWFP assembly.
Iraqi reporter throws shoes at Bush, calls him ‘dog’
By DPA,
Baghdad/Washington : An Iraqi television news reporter threw shoes at US President George W. Bush and called him a "dog" in Arabic, during a press conference in Baghdad Sunday, US television station ABC has reported.
Bush, who was on a farewell visit to Iraq, was speaking at a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki when the flying footwear assault took place.
The assailant was removed from the room by security staff. None of the two projectiles made contact with their apparent target.
Iranian official criticizes cementing Indian-Israeli relations
By SPA
Tehran : Spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry Mohammed Ali Husseini said enhancing Indian-Iranian relations will never serve the Palestinian cause.
In a statement carried by the Iranian news agency, he said it will not be a good development if India establishes relations with an entity which has committed several crimes.
Husseini noted that Israel owns a great nuclear arsenal which constitutes a danger to the countries of the region.
He added that India is absolutely free to establish diplomatic relations with all countries of the world.
Israel’s Barak proposes to issue permits for more Palestinian construction workers
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak is raising a proposal to allow more Palestinians to work for construction projects in Israel, local daily The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday.
The proposal, which Barak is to introduce to the cabinet early next week, is part of the gesture package Barak presented to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Palestinian Prime Minister Saalam Fayad during their meeting in Jerusalem about two weeks ago, according to the report.
Three soldiers killed in Yemen bomb attack
Damascus: At least three soldiers were killed and 12 injured Thursday in a bomb attack at a military base in Yemen, an official said.
"The...
German tourist stabbed near Jordan’s Al Husseini Mosque
By Xinhua
Amman : A German citizen was stabbed near Al Husseini Mosque in the middle of Amman on Friday, Jordan's Public Security spokesman Major Mohammad Al Khatib said.
The injured tourist was immediately admitted to one of hospital and a medical surgery was performed for him, Khatib was quoted by Jordanian official news agency Petra.
He said the health condition of the injured man was stable.
An investigation was underway with view to uncover the full facts after a policeman who was on duty near the incident managed to seize the perpetrator, said Khatib.
Maldives court denies deportation of Pakistani criminals
Colombo: A Maldives court has denied ordering the deportation of two Pakistanis caught by police in the biggest drug bust in the history of...
Peshawar carnage: One more student loses battle for life
Peshawar : One more student lost the battle for life as he succumbed to the wounds received in the gruesome attack by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan...
Pakistani lawyers’ ‘Long March’ nears Islamabad
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : Thousands of lawyers from across Pakistan, participating in a 'Long March' to demand restoration of the judges President Musharraf had sacked after declaring emergency last November, were inching towards Parliament House here Friday.
The lawyers are set to stage a rally at Constitutional Avenue here and ousted Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif are expected to address. The rally venue, however, has been cordoned off by authorities.
Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial to go on as he loses appeal
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : The sodomy trial of Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will resume next week Monday after a Federal Court bench unanimously dismissed an appeal to strike out the charge levelled by a former aide.
This was 63-year-old Ibrahim's final bid to strike out the July 2008 sodomy charge by his former aide Mohammed Saiful Bukhari Azlan, The Star newspaper said Wednesday.
This is Ibrahim's second sodomy trial. He was dismissed as the deputy prime minister in 1998, tried and imprisoned. He was subsequently acquitted.
UN chief condemns bombing attack in Islamabad
By Xinhua,
United Nations : The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday strongly condemned the "heinous" terrorist attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan.
"No cause can justify the indiscriminate targeting of civilians," Ban said in a statement through his spokesperson.
Ban expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the attack and to the government and people of Pakistan.
Five Indians killed in road accident in Saudi Arabia
Riyadh : Five Indians working in Saudi Arabia were killed in a road accident near the country's capital Riyadh after their van overturned following...
Advisor of British PM meets Pakistan Premier
By SPA
Islamabad : Advisor to British Prime Minister Robert Hannigan met Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro Thursday, said an official statement.
Soomro reiterated government's resolve to fight terrorism with full force.
He said that inhuman acts of terror would not deter the government's determination to hold free, fair and transparent elections in the country on the scheduled date.
On his part, Robert Hannigan extended his government's complete support to the Government of Pakistan in its efforts to confront the common challenge of terrorism.
Six soldiers, 10 rebels killed in Afghanistan
By ANTARA News,
Herat, Afghanistan : Six Afghan soldiers were killed, one of them beheaded, in a battle with Taliban insurgents, authorities said Tuesday, also reporting at least 10 militants had died in fighting.
Five of the soldiers were killed in a gunfight that erupted after Taliban militants ambushed an army patrol late Monday in the Bala Buluk district of Farah province, military corps commander for western Afghanistan Fazal Ahmad Sayar told AFP.
"Five soldiers were killed and five were wounded. The militants beheaded one of the wounded soldiers," he said.
Iranian President discusses major issues with UN Chief
By NNN-IRNA,
New York : President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has held discussions with UN chief Ban Ki-moon on major regional and international developments including Iran's nuclear dispute and the issue of Palestine.
Ahmadinejad is currently in New York to attend the 63rd UN General Assembly annual meeting.
He is to address the UN 63rd General Assembly meeting on Tuesday evening local time.
IAEA approves Syria nuclear aid despite concerns
By DPA,
Vienna : International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) members Wednesday approved nuclear aid for Syria, despite misgivings of several western countries that are concerned about Syria's alleged secret nuclear programme, according to a diplomat at the meeting.
The US, France, Britain and Australia, among others, did not want to approve the $350,000 project to find a suitable location for a nuclear power plant in Syria, which is under suspicion of having secretly built a reactor at al-Kibar in its eastern desert until it was destroyed by the Israeli air force in September 2007.
Iran-Iraq educational coopration to expand
By NNN-IRNA,
Tehran : Education ministers of Iran and Iraq here on Monday stressed the need to expand cooperation in the education sector.
Iranian Minister Ali Reza Ali Ahmadi said that his country is ready to cooperate with Iraq in building schools as well as in the technical and vocational fields.
Stating that Iran has a history of 150 years of education, he further said that education is based on scholastic schedule and Iran is prepared to make its experiences in the field available to its neighbor.
No secret US-Russia talks held over Syria: Lavrov
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Cairo : The US and Russia have never held secret discussions about possible regime change in Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Cairo Monday.
Singapore to host First Halal Food Exhibition
Singapore – (IINA) January 13, 2008 – As many as 100 local and foreign companies are expected to display their products at Singapore's First Halal Food Exhibition. The four-day event will begin on January 24 as part of the Singapore Expo. The expo is aimed at capturing a larger slice of the lucrative food industry in the country. The Singapore International Halal Showcase (Sihas) will be organized jointly by the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Adex Communications Pvt. Ltd.
NAM urges immediate end to Israeli offensive in Gaza
Tehran: The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Saturday strongly condemned the Israeli offensive against the Palestinians, calling for its immediate end in the Gaza Strip.
Iran's President...
Pakistan elections to cost over $3 billion
By IANS
Islamabad : The Feb 18 elections to elect a new National Assembly and provincial legislatures in Pakistan would cost a record $3 billion, according to a survey.
Projections by the survey, carried by a team of journalists, say the whopping election expense includes expenditures incurred by the federal and provincial governments, Election Commission, donors, political parties and candidates.
Iran’s Army Commander says enemy’s aircraft carriers under its gaze
By Xinhua,
Tehran : Iran's Deputy Army Commander Brigadier General Seied Abdolrahim Moussavi said Tuesday that the aircraft carriers of the enemy, "like the elements of the computer games," are under the gaze of Iran's Armed Forces, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
The country's Armed Forces on Monday inaugurated a new naval base in the strategic port of Jask, east of the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran.
Iran calls U.S. commander’s Iraq report justification of “false strategies and failure”
By Xinhua
Tehran : Iran said on Wednesday that the latest report of the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq to the Congress is a justification of Washington's "false strategies and the failures" in Iraq.
Top U.S. military commander in Iraq David Petraeus on Tuesday accused Iran of fueling violence in Iraq, saying Tehran's influence on militias in Iraq remains the longest-term threat to the war-torn country.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said that such statements have got its roots in the lack of insight into the current realities in Iraq.
Abu Dhabi wins best quake management award
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : The Abu Dhabi municipality has won the 14th European Conference on Earthquake Engineering (ECEE) Award in recognition of its outstanding work on quake management, it was announced Sunday.
The ECEE has termed as pioneering Abu Dhabi's Earthquake Risks Control and Management System project. The award is given to outstanding projects in quake risks' management.
Yousef Al Marzooqi, director of the municipality's Spatial Data, received the award in Skopje, capital of Macedonia.
Iran parliament renewing demand to cut ties with Britain: Speaker
By DPA,
Tehran: Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani Saturday said the country's parliament was renewing its demand to cut diplomatic relations with Britain.
UAE, FAO discuss cooperation
By WAM
Abu Dhabi : H.H Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, UAE Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and Jack Diouf, Director General of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) discussed the existing cooperation and relations between the UAE and the international organization as well as ways to further promote them.
Turkish jets strike PKK camps in northern Iraq: Report
By Xinhua
Ankara : Turkish warplanes Tuesday bombed camps of the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, local CNN Turk TV channel reported.
The report quoted an Iraqi Kurdish official as saying that Turkish jets bombed PKK targets near the town of Hakurk, which was close to Iraq's border with Iran and Turkey.
It said that the area had already been evacuated and there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
However, Turkish Security Forces or the government did not confirm the air attack.
1,800 Egyptians’ eyes get infected
By IANS,
Cairo : Over 1,800 people in Egypt have been affected with a viral conjunctivitis known as pink eye, a media report said.
Conflict has worsened Gaza’s food shortages: UN agency
By DPA,
Rome : The recent conflict in the Gaza Strip has badly damaged the territory's agriculture sector exacerbating food shortages, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Friday.
"Almost all of Gaza's 13,000 families who depend on farming, herding and fishing have suffered damage to their assets during the recent conflict and many farms have been completely destroyed," the Rome-based FAO said in a statement.
Some 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed in 22 days of Israel's military offensive against Islamist Hamas militants operating in the enclave.
Tobacco products blamed for oral diseases in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : Use of chewing of tobacco products and betel nuts are the main reasons behind the alarming rise in oral diseases in Pakistan, experts have said.
Malaysia to donate 20 mn gloves for Ebola affected
Kuala Lumpur : The Malaysia government has announced that it has plans to donate over 20 million protective rubber gloves to the five African...
Iran’s first n-plant to come online Aug 21
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The launch of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran has been set for Aug 21, the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom) said Friday.
Rosatom spokesman Sergei Novikov told RIA Novosti that the first reactor at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant would be loaded with fuel Aug 21.
"From then on, it (the reactor) will be qualified as (an operational) nuclear power plant," Novikov said.
A Russian delegation headed by Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko will attend the launch ceremony.
Shahzad was kidnapped, killed with government sanction: US admiral
By IANS,
Washington : The killing of journalist Saleem Shahzad was "sanctioned" by the Pakistan government, said a top US official.
Abu Dhabi plans $28 bn investment in infrastructure
By Xinhua
Abu Dhabi : Abu Dhabi, the largest constituent of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will invest some $28 billion to develop its airports, sea port infrastructure and oil and gas output, the Khaleej Times reported Monday.
The figure was revealed by Nasser Al Sowaidi, chairman of Abu Dhabi Economic Department, in a speech at the Abu Dhabi Economic Forum, which opened Sunday.
TV: 15 killed by NATO troops in Pakistan’s tribal area
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : As many as 15 people were killed by North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops in Pakistan's tribal area, private TV channel DAWN NEWS reported on Wednesday.
The NATO troops came in three helicopters and raided three houses in Jalal Khel village in South Waziristan tribal agency bordering Afghanistan, leaving 15 people including three women and four children dead, said the report.
Around 30 NATO soldiers landed at an area near Usanika Shrine in Angoor Adda area in South Waziristan, according to DAWN NEWS.
Pakistan will defend its territory at all costs: Gilani
By IANS,
Islamabad: Pakistan will defend its territorial frontiers at all costs, said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani following a NATO air strike that left two dozen soldiers dead.
Pakistan rejects US Naval Research Laboratory’s proposal
By SPA
Islamabad : Pakistan has rejected the US Naval Research Laboratory s proposal offering help in the preparation of geological surveys and maps, officials said.
Pakistan s Defense Ministry has issued a letter directing all the concerned departments not to accept any such proposal by any foreign institution, because the matter could involve a security risk.
The US Geological Survey and Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) had offered their help in the preparation of Pakistan s geological surveys and maps.
NATO chief sees role for Iran in Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
Brussels : NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has said that all Afghanistan's neighbours, including Iran, must be engaged if the West wants to succeed in the war-torn country.
"To my mind, we need a discussion that brings in all the relevant regional players; Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Russia, and yes, Iran. We need a pragmatic approach to solve this very real challenge," he told at a security seminar here Monday.
17 terrorists killed in Pakistan airstrikes
Islamabad : At least 17 suspected terrorists were killed on Friday when Pakistan military jets bombarded their hideouts in North Waziristan tribal agency.
According to...
Turkey hosts 1.37 mn Syrian refugees
Ankara : The number of Syrian refugees in Turkey has exceeded 1.37 million, according to a statement issued by the Turkish Disaster and Emergency...
Five killed in Somalia car bomb blast
Mogadishu : Five people, including a former government official, were killed and six others injured after a car bomb went off near a main...
Russia may sell more air defense systems to Iran
By RIA Novosti,
Cape Town : Russia is negotiating the delivery of more air defense systems to Iran despite Western demands for a halt in sales to Tehran over its refusal to stop uranium enrichment, the head of Russia's arms exporter said Thursday.
"Contacts between our countries [on delivery of air defense systems] are continuing and we do not see any reason to suspend them," Rosoboronexport General Director Anatoly Isaikin told reporters at the Africa Aerospace & Defence-2008 (AAD-2008) exhibition near Cape Town in South Africa.
‘Pakistani elite still rule the roost’
By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan's attempts to devolve authority has failed to empower the people as the elite still hold key positions, a new report says.
The influence of tribes, families and political affiliations is still paramount, said an analysis of the characteristics of the district nazims or administrators conducted by the Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC).