Six killed in Israeli-Palestinian violence
By DPA
Gaza : Israel has killed six Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in separate incidents which included skirmishes with local militants and air strikes in Gaza City and in the southern part of the strip.
The latest Palestinian death came Thursday evening in an Israeli air strike against a militant trying to launch a rocket-propelled grenade at troops near Khan Younis in the southern part of Gaza, an Israeli military spokesman said.
The militant, as well as two others injured in the attack, were from Hamas, medics said.
Gaza : Israel has killed six Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in separate incidents which included skirmishes with local militants and air strikes in Gaza City and in the southern part of the strip.
The latest Palestinian death came Thursday evening in an Israeli air strike against a militant trying to launch a rocket-propelled grenade at troops near Khan Younis in the southern part of Gaza, an Israeli military spokesman said.
The militant, as well as two others injured in the attack, were from Hamas, medics said.
Backgrounder: Kidnappings in Afghanistan this year
By Xinhua
Kabul : The Taliban has killed a second South Korean hostage held in Afghanistan on Monday night, a purported Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said.
Due to worsening security, Afghanistan has witnessed a series of kidnappings so far this year.
One British journalist and his three Afghan colleagues were abducted by Taliban militants in the southern Helmand province on February 20, but were released one day later.
Spokesman: Taliban kills 2nd S Korean hostage
·A Taliban spokesman said the male hostage named Song Kin-Shi was shot dead Monday night as the Afghan government was not serious in the talks.
·He said the dead body was dumped near Ghazni-Kandahar highway.
By Xinhua
Kabul : The Taliban has killed one more South Korean hostage held in Afghanistan on Monday night, a purported Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told Xinhua from an undisclosed place.
Syria calls upon Palestinian parties to return to dialogue
By Xinhua
Damascus : Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem on Monday called upon the Palestinian parties to return to dialogue in order to end the current crisis and establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Muallem made the remarks while meeting with visiting Norwegian Foreign Minister's special envoy for the Middle East affairs Svein Sevje, according to the official SANA news agency.
Taliban ready to swap female hostages for prisoners
By Xinhua
Kabul : Taliban Tuesday expressed readiness to swap all South Korean female hostages with their women supporters held in Afghan and US military detention centres, Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf said.
"We offer to exchange all the Korean females with those Taliban women supporters who have been languishing in Afghan government prisons and US military detention centres in Kandahar and Bagram," Ahmadi told Xinhua from an unknown location.
However, he did not specify the number of women who have been held by authorities in Afghanistan for supporting the Taliban.
Tribal assembly against Taliban insurgency opens in Kabul
By DPA
Kabul : Hundreds of tribal elders from Afghanistan and Pakistan met in Kabul Thursday for the start of a three-day "peace jirga" aimed at containing the influence and activities of Taliban insurgents and bringing calm to the border region.
"The people of Afghanistan and Pakistan are waiting for the success of this jirga (tribal assembly) and are very hopeful," Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in opening remarks to some 650 delegates gathered inside a huge tent closely guarded by international troops and Afghan forces.
Pakistani leader declares Aug 14 as ‘black day’
By IANS
Lahore : A nationalist leader in Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province has asked people to observe a "black day" on Aug 14, when the country celebrates its 60th Independence Day.
Baloch leader Sardar Attaullah Khan Mengal said the decision not to celebrate the Independence Day was to protest against the "suppression of his supporters by the Pakistani government".
Iraqi political leaders hold crucial summit on Tuesday
By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : Iraqi political leaders will hold summit talks here Tuesday to discuss the creation of a "moderate" front, wide-scale reform policy, and reformation of the government, an official spokesman said.
Ali Al-Dabbagh said in a statement Monday the top politicians would discuss the aftermath of the withdrawal of the Iraqi Accord Front from the government, and how to convince the Front to reverse the pull-out decision.
More than 300 killed in Pakistan clashes since July
By DPA
Islamabad : Some 250 militants and 60 troops were killed in clashes in Pakistan's tribal areas since the July storming of a radical mosque in Islamabad, a military spokesman said Friday amid fresh attacks.
Casualties among security forces resulted from roadside bombs, suicide attacks and fire fights with Islamic militants, mainly in the tribal areas of North and South Waziristan, army spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said.
Pak Government replaces Law Minister
By NNN-PTI
Islamabad : Pakistan government today replaced Law and Justice Minister Wasi Zafar, apparently a fallout of the reversal it suffered over the suspension of the country's Chief Justice.
Zahid Hamid, the Minister for Privatisation and Investment, has been made the new Minister for Law and Justice, state-run PTV reported.
Zafar will take over as Privatisation and Investment Minister.
Detained Iranians freed in Iraq
By IRNA
Baghdad : Iran's Ambassador to Iraq Hassan Kazemi Qomi said here Wednesday that members of an Iranian delegation who were detained by the US troops have been released.
US forces arrested an Iranian delegation comprising of experts of Energy Ministry without any explanation Tuesday night.
The Iranians had traveled to Iraq upon an invitation by Iraq's Energy Ministry to carry out electricity projects in the war-stricken country.
Kazemi Qomi added, "US forces delivered the Iranian delegation to Iraqi prime minister's office Wednesday morning."
Gaza militants attack Israel by homemade rockets, mortars
By Xinhua
Gaza : Fatah's armed wing in Gaza claimed responsibility on Sunday for firing homemade mortars and rockets from northern Gaza Strip at southern Israel.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, said in a statement that its militants fired on Sunday morning a homemade rocket from northern Gaza at the southern Israeli town of Sderot.
Teacher Uma Khurana, framed in sex sting, gets bail
By IANS
New Delhi : Uma Khurana, a government schoolteacher falsely framed in a fake sting operation of a TV news channel, was Monday granted bail.
"So far the investigation has revealed that she was a victim of a fake sting operation conducted by the private TV news channel," Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Alok Aggarwal said while granting her bail.
Khurana's lawyer Vivek Sharma said: "We argued in the court that she was arrested only on the basis of a sting operation and even the prosecution has admitted that the sting operation was doctored."
Security forces kill 40 militants in Pakistan
By Xinhua
Islamabad : Pakistani security forces killed 40 militants in the country's northwest tribal region bordering Afghanistan Wednesday, a military spokesman said.
Pakistani army spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad told private Geo TV that gunship helicopters were used to target positions of militants in mountains in the border area between North and South Waziristan.
"The operation was conducted in the morning and in the afternoon," he said.
Arshad said the militants had been using mountains to fire and ambush convoys of security forces.
Russia abstains from UN Security Council vote on Afghanistan
By RIA Novosti
New York : Russia abstained from a UN Security Council vote to extend the authorisation of the NATO-led force in Afghanistan for another 12 months.
Russia raised objections Wednesday to the unexpected inclusion in the document of a sentence expressing appreciation to NATO as well as to contributors from many nations to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), "including its maritime interdiction component".
Iran test flies two new fighter jets
By IANS
Tehran : Iran Thursday successfully tested two fighter jets during a ceremony at the Mehrabad International Airport, Irna news agency reported.
The planes, named Sa'qeh (Thunderbolt), are the second generation fighter jets of Azarakhsh fighters of the Iranian air force.
The planes, claimed by the government to have been built by Iranian experts, will be officially inducted into the air force on the country's Army Day on Sep 22 - which coincides with the start of its war with Iraq in 1980.
Iranians to hold protesting rally in Paris
By IRNA
Paris : The Iranian community residing in France by issuing a statement on Saturday called on all Iranian compatriots to attend a protesting rally here on Sunday to oppose the recent statement of France Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner about Iran.
According to a statement, a copy of which was faxed to IRNA bureau in Paris, the demonstration will start Sunday at 4:00 pm in Trocadero Square and lasts for 2 hours.
Turkey, Iraq sign agreement no combating terrorism
By Xinhua
Ankara : Turkey and Iraq signed an agreement to fight against terrorism in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Friday.
Turkish Interior Minister Besir Atalay and his Iraqi counterpart Jawad al-Bulani signed the agreement.
Issue of Iran’s nuclear programme not “closed” – US
By NNN-KUNA
Washington : The United States has said that the Iranian nuclear programme case is not closed yet, in a direct response to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statement in New York.
"Iran is under Security Council sanctions, is under several Chapter VII resolutions not asking it nicely or politely, but requiring it as a matter of international law, to halt its uranium enrichment programme and to engage in negotiations with the international community," said State Department deputy spokesperson Tom Casey in his daily press briefing Wednesday.
Brinda demands punishment for Muslim youth’s killers
By IANS
Kolkata : Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Brinda Karat Friday expressed her grief over the mysterious death of a Muslim youth who had married the daughter of an industrialist Ashok Todi, and demanded punishment for those involved in the crime.
Rizwanur, a 30-year-old graphics designer, was found dead with head injuries beside a railway track Sep 21. His family members and neighbours alleged he used to get threatening calls from some police officers after he married Priyanka.
Iranian FM meets his French counterpart in New York
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has held a meeting with his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner on the sidelines of the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
In the meeting Wednesday, Kouchner said: "Iran is a great country and we will never want to fight with it and we are looking for peace."
According to Foreign Ministry Media Department report, Kouchner, in the meeting, said that the media had distorted his statements about Iran.
Musharraf confident of victory in Presidential poll
By NNN-PTI
Islamabad : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, who is seeking a second five-year term in uniform in a key poll today, has expressed confidence that he will be re-elected and pledged to quit as Army Chief after the issuance of notification in this regard.
"I will shed the uniform after the issuance of notification regarding my becoming the next President and before being sworn in," he said addressing MPs of the ruling PML-Q and its coalition partners during a dinner at the President House late last night.
Suicide car bombing kills 1 American in Kabul
By Xinhua
Kabul : A suicide car bombing targeting a convoy of U.S. military in the Afghan capital Kabul Saturday morning killed at least three persons, including one American, and injured nine others, an official at the press department of Afghan Interior Ministry said.
The attack occurred at 8:20 a.m. local time at the busy road linking Kabul International Airport to the fortified U.S. embassy.
Israeli air strike in Gaza injures seven civilians
TEL AVIV, October 8 (RIA Novosti) - Israeli aircraft delivered an air strike on a group of Palestinian militants in northern Gaza on Monday, injuring several people, the army press service and local radio said.
Gaza militants have recently intensified their rocket attacks on Israel from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, firing the Soviet-designed Grad-type rockets, instead of the more commonly used, and cruder, Qassam-type rockets.
The army said the air strike hit the militants' position whilst the Palestinians were firing rockets at southern Israel.
Mahesh Bhatt calls on Rizwanur’s mother
By IANS
Kolkata : Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt Wednesday said he had never seen people's solidarity like the one following the death of Muslim youth Rizwanur Rahman here as the director called on the mother of the victim at her residence in the evening.
"In my whole life I never experienced such a situation when all people, despite their different religions, raised a single voice for humanity and justice. I am feeling really great to sit at the feet of Rizwanur's mother today," Bhatt said during his visit to the Tiljala Lane residence of Keshwar Jahan.
Iranian women’s status elaborated at UN
By NNN-IRNA
New York, UN : IRI representative at UN General Assembly's 3rd Committee session here Wednesday elaborated on developments, advancement, and achievements related to women's status in Iran.
Seyyed Mohsen Emadi in his address also expounded on various types of aggressions observed against women in the world today, including poverty, threats due to foreign forces occupation, losses due to military attacks, human smuggling, aggressive behavior at homes, taking advantage of women in advertisements etc.
Rizwanur episode has affected Left government: Basu
By IANS
Kolkata : Veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Jyoti Basu Friday admitted the Left Front government in West Bengal has suffered political damage due to the inordinate delay in removal of tainted police officers following the mysterious death of a Muslim youth.
"Yes, the state government's image has received a beating due to the delay in transferring the policemen who had allegedly coerced Rizwanur. We have suffered politically," Basu told reporters while replying to a question at the state CPM's headquarters in Alimuddin Street here.
Iran’s Jalili is newcomer in nuclear mission
By DPA
Teheran : Iran's new nuclear negotiator Saeid Jalili is headed to Rome on his first mission in the new job -- a meeting with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
The 42-year-old diplomat, who has served a succession of Iran's leaders going back to 1989 in key background positions, will be travelling with Iran's outgoing chief negotiator Ali Larijani, a decision announced Sunday by the foreign ministry to give added backing to the newcomer on the job.
Maoists kill five in Chhattisgarh ahead of shutdown
By IANS
Raipur : Maoists killed at least five special police officers (SPOs) and injured three in a gun battle in Chhattisgarh's southern Bijapur district, even as security was beefed up in Bastar region ahead of the Oct 30 strike called by the rebels.
"We have five casualties, all SPOs," Ratanlal Dangi, the Bijapur district superintendent of police, told IANS by telephone from Pamulvaya village, about 500 km south of Raipur.
Former Mizo rebels feel betrayed by state
By Sangzuala Hmar, IANS
Aizawl : Twenty years after he surrendered and joined the mainstream, 42-year-old Zohmingthanga, a former rebel fighter from Mizoram, is an angry man today - leading a life of penury and feeling betrayed by the state.
A former Mizo National Front (MNF) rebel, Zohmingthanga surrendered in 1986 along with his insurgent leader Zoramthanga, now the respected chief minister of the northeast Indian state of Mizoram.
US not to suspend military aid to Pakistan
By Xinhua
Washington : The US has no plans to suspend military aid to its key ally Pakistan following the declaration of emergency by President Pervez Musharraf, said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell.
"At this point, the declaration does not impact on our military support for Pakistan's efforts in the war on terror," Morrell said late Saturday.
"Pakistan is a very important ally in the war on terror. And he (Defence Secretary Robert Gates) is closely following developments there," Morrell said.
UN voices concern over Pakistan’s emergency
By DPA
New York : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Monday voiced "great concern" over Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule in his country.
"He expresses his strong dismay at the detention of hundreds of human rights and opposition activists, including the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief" Asma Jehangir, said a statement issued by Ban.
Ban urged the Pakistani authorities to immediately release those detained, lift restrictions on the media and take early steps for a return to democratic rule.
Mumbai sleuths to help in Hyderabad blast probe
By IANS
Mumbai : A crack unit of the Mumbai police's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) Saturday left for Hyderabad to trace the terror imprints in the blast at the Mecca Masjid there a day earlier.
Amarinder Singh’s former media advisor arrested
By IANS
Ludhiana : Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh's media advisor Bharat Inder Singh Chahal was Sunday arrested on various criminal charges including attempt to murder.
Iran shows willingness to compromise on nuclear issue
By DPA
Vienna : A new round of talks may bring a way out of the stalemate over Iran's nuclear programme, said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei.
Yemeni President condemns terror act targeted at Spanish tourists
By NNN-SABA
Sana'a : President Ali Abdullah Saleh has expressed sorrow and condemned the terror act targeted at Spanish tourists in the Mareb governorate Monday.
The attack resulted in the death of seven Spanish tourists and two Yemenis while eight others were injured. The initial information indicated that the al-Qeada is behind the attack.
Saleh said that the terrorists who are behind the attack will not escape justice.
Dozens arrested in Lal Masjid seminary raid
By DPA
Islamabad : Pakistani police Saturday arrested dozens of Islamic students in a pre-dawn raid on a seminary affiliated with the besieged Lal Masjid where holed up militants have said they would seek martyrdom rather than surrender, official said.
Report: Palestinian Bulgarian kidnapped in Gaza released
By Xinhua
Sofia : Khaled al-Maghir, a Palestinian holding Bulgarian citizenship who was probably kidnapped by Hamas Islamists in Gaza Strip, has been released Friday evening, Sofia Focus News Agency reported early on Saturday.
The Bulgarian citizen is in good condition, and the Bulgarian Embassies in Israel and Jordan have been informed of the release of al-Maghir, the report said.
Bomb attacks kill six Afghan policemen, three civilians
By Xinhua
Kabul : Six policemen and three civilians have been killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan, officials said Sunday.
Royal committee of Jerusalem Affairs wants Israel authorities of implementing new projects in the...
By NNN-Petra
Amman : The Royal Committee of Jerusalem Affairs has warned the Israeli authorities of implementing new projects in Jerusalem in the frame of its continued aggression against the city.
The committee stressed that these measures would not only hinder the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis, but with the Arabs and all the Muslims.
The Commission, in a press release published today by its Secretary General Abdullah Kan'an, called on the Israeli government to take immediate action to stop these projects if it wants peace.
Musharraf accepts resignation of Pakistan law officers
By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has accepted the resignations of two senior law officers who pleaded the government's case on suspension of the country's top judge.
Attorney General of Pakistan Makhdoom Ali Khan and his deputy Tariq Mehmood Khokar had earlier resigned following the Supreme Court's verdict last month reinstating Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry.
Sonia may seek report on Srikrishna riot probe follow-up
By IANS
New Delhi : Congress president Sonia Gandhi may ask the Maharashtra government to file a report on the undue delay in the implementation of the recommendations of the Srikrishna Commission that probed communal violence in Mumbai in 1992-93 - soon after the fall of the Babri Masjid.
"The Congress president has taken a serious view of the delay in the implementation of the Srikrishna Commission recommendations. She is likely to seek a report on the action taken by the state government on the commission report," said an informed source in the party.
Abbas, Jordan’s PM discuss U.S.-proposed peace conference
By Xinhua
Amman : Visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordanian Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit on Thursday discussed the ongoing preparations for holding the U.S.-proposed international peace conference.
Bakhit told reporters after the meeting that it was important to push the political process forward in one hand, and to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians through the removal of barriers and release the largest possible number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees on the other.
Three killed, eight wounded in Kashmir road accident
By IANS
Srinagar : Three people were killed and eight others wounded when an over-loaded minibus carrying devotees from the Hazratbal shrine turned turtle near here Friday.
Police here said the mini bus, returning with devotees after the special Friday prayers at Hazratbal, overturned at Zakura locality, 14 km from here.
"Three people died on the spot while another eight sustained serious injuries in the accident. All the injured have been shifted to hospital," said Javaid Ahmad Koul, superintendent of police (Hazrtabal).
Haneef’s family struggles for words to express joy
By IANS
Bangalore : It was happiness beyond words, a sense of absolute relief that could not be verbalised. Indian doctor Muhammad Haneef's family just savoured the moment as news came in that an Australian court had restored his visa.
"We have no words to express our joy. We are very, very happy," said Afshaq Ahmed, father-in-law of Haneef, whose work visa was cancelled hours after he got bail from a Brisbane court last month after being charged with supporting a failed terror plot in Britain.
Korean hostage volunteers to stay with Taliban captors
By DPA
Seoul : A South Korean hostage remained voluntarily in Afghanistan at the hands of her Taliban captors so that other hostages could be freed instead, two former hostages have told Al-Jazeera in an interview.
The pair Kim Ji An and Kyun Ja said late Thursday their fellow hostage Lee Ji-yong had let one of them be freed in her stead because she had more experience of Afghanistan and spoke the language, the two women said.
"We were very worried when we heard that Ji-yong volunteered to be left behind," they said.
Four killed, many trapped in Pakistan bridge collapse
By IANS
Karachi : At least four people were killed and several injured Saturday when a portion of a bridge under construction here collapsed, Geo News reported.
According to eyewitnesses some 25 persons were trapped under the debris of the collapsed Northern Bypass bridge in Sher Shah area.
An eyewitness said he heard many people trapped under the debris crying for help. A coach with passengers and several vehicles went down with the collapsed portion of the bridge and were seen buried under the rubble.
Blast rocks Peshawar cantonment
By Xinhua
Islamabad : A blast rocked the military area in northwest Pakistan's Peshawar city Saturday injuring two people, private Dawn news TV channel reported.
The report said the explosion occurred in Peshawar cantonment, damaging many vehicles.
Iran, Iraq should establish Islamic common market – Rafsanjani
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : New Chairman of the Assembly of Experts and Head of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has said that success of Iran and Iraq in expanding mutual cooperation would lead to laying the cornerstone of an Islamic common market.
Rafsanjani made the remark in the opening ceremony of the first international conference on "Reconstruction of Iraq's Economy, Assessment of Investment Opportunities, Exports of Goods and Commodities, Methods to Guarantee Turn-over of Investors' Capitals" here Sunday.
Bush to endorse pullout plan Thursday
By DPA
Washington : US President George W. Bush will during a prime-time televised address Thursday announce withdrawal of 30,000 US troops from Iraq by next July, the Washington Post reported citing government sources.
The announcement will endorse proposals from Washington's top military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, who in testimony to Congress this week outlined the achievements of major troop surge launched in January and recommended cutting troop numbers in Iraq from 160,000 to "pre-surge" levels of 130,000.
Russian, French FMs say no to war against Iran
By Xinhua
Moscow : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner, Tuesday expressed opposition to military action against Iran.
Their comments appear to be aimed at lowering the tension raised by Kouchner's remarks Sunday that France had to prepare for the possibility of war against Iran.
It is time to establish Palestinian statehood: Abbas
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that it was time to create an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel to end 60 years of suffering.
Abbas made the remarks during a joint news conference with visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the West Bank city of Ramallah after their meeting.
He reiterated that Jerusalem should be the capital of the future state.
ElBaradei says ‘no immediate threat’ from Iran
Rome, Sep 21 (Xinhua) Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said that Iran does not currently pose an immediate threat to the international community.
"Iran does not constitute a certain and immediate threat to the international community," the UN nuclear chief said Thursday in an interview with Italian RAI television while in Italy for an IAEA conference.
ElBaradei made the remarks amid rising international tension regarding the nuclear deadlock with Teheran.
Benazir, Fazlur Rehman have joined hands: report
By IANS
Islamabad : Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto and key opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman "have joined hands to stab the opposition in the back, after being prodded by Uncle Sam", a media report Sunday said.
"There are some among the opposition who believe that Maulana Fazl's somersaults are also the result of a conspiratorial wink from Washington. Fazl was always considered the government's man disguised as an opposition leader," The News said.
US putting Laden, me in same boat: Ahmadinejad
By DPA
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accused "some circles" in the US of putting him in the same boat as Al Qaeda head Osama bin Laden.
"Some US circles wanted to sabotage my trip to New York by, for example, putting my picture next to bin Laden," Ahmadinejad told the Khabar news network.
Ahmadinejad also accused the US government and New York City officials of rejecting his request to visit the site of the Sep 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Kidnapped Red Cross officials freed in Afghanistan
By NNN-KUNA
Kabul : Four Red Cross officials, kidnapped in central Afghanistan last week, were safely released by their captors Saturday.
The two Afghans and two foreign nationals, one from Myanmar and Macedonia each, were seized by armed men, believed to be Taliban militants, in Said Abad district of the central Maidan Wardak province last week.
According to local officials, the four people were involved in efforts to secure release of a German national, who was kidnapped by Taliban militants more than two months back.
FM criticizes new US initiative for ME peace
By IRNA
United Nations : Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki of Iran said Wednesday that the new US initiative for Middle East peace is only a propaganda fuss not an effective move.
He made the remarks in a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, held on the sidelines of the newly-ended 62nd UN General Assembly.
The meeting was held before Mottaki left New York for Tehran at the end of his two-week visit to the city.
Iran, Pakistan to discuss gas project Oct 15
By IANS
Islamabad : Officials from Pakistan and Iran will meet here Oct 15 to take forward the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project even as New Delhi has stressed that it is still a part of the venture.
A Petroleum and Natural Resources department official said here that Iranian officials were to reach Islamabad for talks to finalise the project. But the attendance of Indian representatives was still unconfirmed, the Daily Times said Saturday.
Iraqi major Shiite rivals agree to curb clash
By Xinhua
Baghdad : Two leading Iraqi Shiite political rivals agreed Saturday to jointly prevent further violence and bloodshed in the country bogged down by factional scuffles.
Maoist leader arrested
Ranchi, (IANS) A leader of a breakaway group of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has been arrested in Palamau district of Jharkhand, police said Monday.
Pramod alias Kanna, a zonal commander of the Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), was arrested Sunday after the police raided his hideout in the Paki jungle in Palamau, 190 km from Ranchi. The police seized a pistol and Maoist literature from him.
Israeli PM meets Russian Persident in Moscow
By NNN-KUNA
Moscow, Russia : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert held talks immediately after arriving in Moscow Thursday with President Vladimir Putin to discuss situations in the Middle East.
Interfax news agency quoted sources at the Kremlin as saying the summit talks dealt with Putin's recent visit to Tehran and the situation in the Middle East in general.
Both men also discussed ongoing preparations for the US-proposed international conference on the Palestinian statehood, due in Washington in Fall, said the sources.
Taliban denies link to attack on Benazir Bhutto
By Xinhua
Kabul : The Taliban has disclaimed any link to the attack on former prime minister and Pakistan People's Party chief Benazir Bhutto that left more then 100 people dead last week, a local Afghan newspaper reported Tuesday.
"Taliban does not attack outside Afghanistan and was not involved in attack on Benazir Bhutto in Karachi city of Pakistan," Daily Outlook quoted Taliban commander Mullah Hayatullah Khan as saying.
Iran ready for talks with US over Iraq: foreign minister
By DPA
Baghdad : Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said Iran was willing to hold fresh talks with the US over Iraqi security.
Mottaki said late Wednesday he considered an earlier US initiative about dialogue with Iran as a positive step.
The Iranian minister said his talks with the US would focus on Iraq and the US forces there, adding that Iranian diplomats in US custody should be released. He said the Iraqi government should be responsible for their release.
Pakistan’s Official: Musharraf to doff uniform by Dec. 1
By Xinhua
Islamabad : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said that he will quit as army chief before Dec. 1, the government's top lawyer said Thursday.
"The president has said that he will give up his uniform before Dec. 1," Attorney General Malik Mohammad Qayyum told a news conference.
Qayyum said that the Supreme Court of Pakistan would decide on Musharraf's re-election case next week.
Israeli defense: not to make concessions to PNA
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israel's defense establishment recommends the government to refrain from making further goodwill gestures to Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas until after the U.S.-sponsored peace conference, local Jerusalem Post reported on Friday.
The goodwill gestures being considered pending a successful outcome to the peace summit include releasing more security prisoners, removing roadblocks and transferring additional territory and West Bank villages to PNA security control.
Sri Lankan troops kill five rebels
By Xinhua
Colombo : The Sri Lankan military Tuesday said they killed five Tamil rebels in an attack in the northern part of the country.
The Media Centre for National Security said in a statement that the troops launched an attack on three bunkers of LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) at Kilali in the Jaffna peninsula around 5 a.m. local time.
Two rebels' bunkers were destroyed, the statement said, adding that five rebels were killed in the confrontation. There was no casualty for the troops, said the statement.
Musharraf is now Pakistan’s civilian president
By Mohammed Najeeb
Islamabad, Nov 29 (IANS) Attired in a black sherwani, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Thursday took oath as head of state for five more years, this time as a civilian, vowing to hold parliamentary elections in January come what may.
The country's opposition boycotted the official ceremony where Musharraf, who stepped down as the army chief Wednesday after ruling the country in uniform for eight years following intense Western pressure.
Priyanka blames Rizwanur’s brother for tragedy
By IANS
Kolkata : Priyanka Todi, wife of graphics designer Rizwanur Rahman who died under mysterious circumstances here Sep 21, Saturday blamed her brother-in-law Rukbanur for the circumstances leading to the tragedy.
It’s back to ABCs for Pakistan political parties
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : Political parties in Pakistan seem to be flaunting their knowledge of the English alphabet. While the manifestos of two parties are based on five Es and Ds, another party is to unveil a list of poll promises focussing on five Rs.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) announced its manifesto based on five Ds - Democracy, Development, Devolution, Diversity and Defence.
Bomb explosion wounds eight anti-al-Qaida group members in Baghdad
By Xinhua
Baghdad : A bomb went off in the headquarters of anti-al-Qaida group in a northern Baghdad Sunni neighborhood on Saturday, wounding eight of the group members, a well-informed police source said.
"An explosive charge detonated in the morning in the headquarters of the Sahwah, or Awakening Council, in the Adhamiyah neighborhood, wounding eight of the council's members," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Separatists keep Manipur under siege
By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS
Imphal : Separatist rebel armies continue to keep Manipur under siege, leading to a sense of hopelessness among large sections of the state's 2.3 million people.
Manipur, bordering Myanmar, is the only state in India's restive northeast where none of the frontline separatist groups has entered into a ceasefire with the government as a prelude to the beginning of peace talks.
Stay calm ahead of polls: Pakistani newspaper
By IANS
Islamabad : An influential Pakistani newspaper Thursday appealed for calm ahead of the general elections, now rescheduled to Feb 18, warning that "indiscretions" by politicians could enable anti-democratic elements to get an upper hand.
"Let our leaders note that their indiscretions could complicate the situation and things could get out of control, thus giving anti-democratic elements an opportunity to cancel the election," Dawn noted in an editorial headlined "A plea for sanity".
King Fahd Complex for Holy Quran excels in its mission
By SPA
Madinah : King Fahd Complex for Printing the Holy Quran is devoted to the service of the Holy book and the Prophet's (May Peace be Upon Him) Teachings. It also received all attention and care of the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Seven civilians killed in Iraq violence
By DPA
Baghdad : Seven civilians were killed in separate incidents of violence in Iraq Thursday, according to security sources and media reports.
In Arbil, in the northern Kurdish region, city police department chief Abdel-Khaleq Talaat told reporters that an element belonging to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces shot at a family, killing four of them on the spot and wounding two.
Talaat described the Peshmerga militant as "mentally deranged." The militant had stormed into the family's home and opened fire.
Sania moves into third round of Australian Open
By IANS
Melbourne : India's top tennis player Sania Mirza Thursday moved into the third round of the Australian Open tennis tournament here with a three-set win over Swiss qualifier Timea Bacsinszky.
World No. 31 Sania won 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in one hour and 44 minutes. She prevailed despite committing six double faults, though her first serve was quite successful when she got them in.
In the third round, Sania will face the winner of the match between Chinese Li Na and Italian Maria Elena Camerin, to be played later Thursday.
Lie-detector tests for policemen suspected of looting arms
By IANS
Chennai : Six policemen and two secretarial staff of the Adhiyamankottai police station in Tamil Nadu's Dharmapuri district have been brought to Chennai to undergo lie-detectors tests over an incident where arms were looted form a police station.
The station house staff had said Maoists had looted the firearms on Feb 8 night and they were later recovered from a banana grove behind the police station.
The eight policemen were brought to Chennai Monday for narco-analysis tests and lie detector tests at a special facility in Ayanavaram on the city outskirts.
Orissa youth burnt alive by suspected Maoists
By IANS
Bhubaneswar : Suspected Maoists set ablaze a youth after tying him to a tree with an iron chain in Orissa's Angul district, an official said Saturday.
The incident occurred in Nuasahi village, located in the middle of a forest, some 200 km from here Friday night, Additional District Magistrate Bandhu Billor told IANS on phone.
"We suspect it may be the handiwork of Maoists. The police are investigating the matter," Billor said.
He said the villagers heard a blast and rushed to the spot to see the youth in flames, tied to a tree with a chain.
Maoists kill Orissa village leader
By IANS
Bhubaneswar : Maoists Wednesday brutally killed a village leader in Orissa's Malkangiri district, the police said.
A group of Maoists entered Peta village, some 700 from here, and dragged Kanha Madkami to a nearby forest and slashed his neck with weapons.
The 50-year-old managed to escape, but they shot him dead, a district police official told IANS. Madkami died on his way to hospital.
The rebels who claim to be fighting for the cause of the poor and downtrodden are active in more than half of Orissa's 30 districts. They often attack police and landlords.
State Minister escapes unhurt in a terror attack in Northeast India
By KUNA
New Delhi : A Minister in India's Northeastern state of Assam Thursday escaped unhurt in a blast that injured seven others.
A blast by an insurgent group at a market in Assam's Karbi Anglong district today during a public meeting addressed by state?s Hill Areas Development Minister Minister H Khorsing Ingti, injured seven people, news agency Indo Asian News Service reported. The Minister, however, escaped unhurt, the news agency said, quoting an officer of the Assam Police.
Lankans Tamils arrested with fake currency
By IANS,
Chennai : Two Sri Lankan Tamils were jailed Tuesday evening for depositing fake Rs.1,000 notes amounting to Rs.200,000 in a private bank here, police said.
The suspects were identified as K. Parameswaran, 22, and J. Prince, 28, both from Jaffna, Sri Lanka. They were residing in Chennai's southern suburb for over a year.
After they attempted to deposit a similar amount into one of their accounts in a different branch earlier in Rs.1,000 denomination notes, the bank's cashier tipped off the police, leading to the arrests.
Man axes to death alcoholic father
By IANS,
Raipur : A man axed to death his alcoholic father who turned down the family's request to give up drinking in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district, the police said Saturday.
The incident took place late Friday in interior Amabahar village in Dhamtari district, some 110 km from here.
The police have arrested Ramcharan, 35, for killing his father Murharam, 60.
O.P. Pal, district superintendent of police, told IANS that Ramcharan repeatedly hit Murharam on his head with an axe after he returned home in a drunken state and began fighting with the family members.
AMU seeks Rs.480mn grant from HRD ministry
By IANS,
Lucknow : The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has sought a financial grant of Rs.48 million from the human resource and development (HRD) ministry to offer better residential facilities to its students, a university official said Thursday.
''AMU Vice-Chancellor P.K. Abdul Azis has just submitted a plan to the HRD ministry for offering better residential facilities to the hostel inmates,'' AMU spokesman Rahat Abrar told IANS on phone.
AMU to set up modern information and communication lab
By IANS,
Lucknow : The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) will set up a state-of-art information and communication laboratory for its engineering students, a university official said Friday.
"An alumnus of the university, M.P. Varshney, has donated Rs.1 million for setting up the lab," AMU spokesperson Rahat Abrar told IANS on phone.
The lab will be equipped with all the latest information and communication technology devices, including fast-speed computers, Internet and other facilities, he added.
Reality show members remanded in police custody
By IANS,
Kolkata : Three members of a Bengali TV reality show, including two producers and a contestant, were remanded in five days police custody by a West bengal court Saturday for allegedly pushing the caretaker of a hotel from the fifth floor for asking them to stop their night-long drinking.
The team of "Fatafati" - a reality show aired on ETV Bangla - went to Midnapore town, about 165 km from here, to shoot for a special episode Friday.
Wazhul Qamar lives in Thane but is in ‘wanted fugitives’ list given to Pak
By Mohd. Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,
CPI (M) MLA didn’t commit suicide, was killed, claims kin
By Zaidul haque, TwoCircles.net
BJP minister’s speech in Gujarat Assembly exposes Modi’s lies
By TCN Special Correspondent,
Opposition slams Mayawati’s move for reservation to Muslims
By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
‘Neither me nor my colleagues have cheated anybody’
TMMK chief MH Jawahirullah clarifies about his conviction in an alleged cheating case
By MH Jawahirullah,
DAA revocation won’t affect AFSPA applicability: Army
By Bureau Report, Agence India Press,
Sanjiv Bhatt is the witness of the ‘gory’ tale of Gujarat, not an accused!
Bhatt seeks beefed-up security cover as he feels heightened threats to his life
By Sayema Sahar,
10 Years of Resistance: Anhad salutes ‘women of resilience’
By Rafat Nayeem Quadri, for TwoCircles.net,
TIME magazine’s glorification of Modi denounced
Action Alert issued against TIME and Brookings Institution
By TCN News,
Expectations from Mamata’s budget: Muslims want education, homes
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Revolt in Gujarat BJP; dissidents want Modi’s ouster from CM post
By TCN Special Correspondent,
My father was not complicit in Babri Masjid demolition: PV Narsimha Rao’s son
By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net
Imams’ group to approach Press Council against ‘provocative’ Samna daily
By TCN Staff Reporter,
Rahman Khan opens Capacity Building Workshop on ‘Budget Analysis and Advocacy’
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad: Theft of ornaments including Nizam’s diamond from Mahakali Mandir
By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
Fact finding team refutes ‘suicide theory’ of Abdul Razzaq Masood, Demands judicial probe
By TCN News,
Hyderabad: A fact finding team of Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee refutes the ‘suicide theory’ in the death of Abdul Razzaq Masood.
MP honoured with “fast emerging state in category of big states” award
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Muslim writers’ union release journal in Imphal
By Dr. Syed Ahmed, for TwoCircles.net,
Open letter to PM urging intervention in ‘illegal detention’ of Muslim Youth
Letter from CLMC Secretary Lateef Mohammed Khan requested him to act against ‘atrocities,’ and demand handing over the investigation to NIA immediately.
By TCN News,
‘Communal’ chief minister allotted Rs.10.27 billion for minorities’ welfare in AP state budget
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Sir Syed’s death anniversary to be observed on March 27
By TCN News,
Aligarh: The Aligarh Muslim University will observe the 115th death anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, founder of this University on Wednesday, March 27, 2013.
Indian man, daughter in Bahrain forced to live out in the open
By IANS,
Dubai : An expatriate Indian man and his three-year-old daughter in Bahrain have been forced to rough it out in the open for the last six months after a business deal went sour.
‘BMC education Budget is over ambitious’
By TCN News,
Mumbai: Municipal Corporation of Mumbai which is operating 545 schools in the maximum city presented a whopping 2660 crore education budget for the financial year 2014-15. Extension of virtual class rooms, introduction of Child Tracking System and Management Information System are the prominent features this year. Plan for repairing of old and dilapidated school buildings and constructing new ones are the major initiative in the budget.
Court to hear Abu Jundal’s case Mar 24
New Delhi : A court here Friday fixed March 24 for hearing arguments on charges against Abu Jundal, an alleged key plotter of the...
Democracy’s noblest moment
Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam,
Universal adult franchise is the cornerstone of democracy. It is not restricted or conditional “democracy” like the one where franchise is limited to only propertied classes as it was sometimes in pre-Independence India, or the sham “shoora democracy” as operative in some Muslim countries, the consultative body (shoora) being only decorative.
Teesta’s NGO rebuts allegations by Gujarat Government
By TCN News,
Ahmedabad: The Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has condemned and refuted, what it termed as “malicious lies” being spread by advocate for the State of Gujarat Ajay Choksi in misleading the Court about the Citizens for Justice and Peace “cheating” victims of the riots.
© TwoCircles.net
Send this to a friend