Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Pakistan fully capable of defending itself, PM Nawaz


LAHORE: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday gave an address on the occasion of Youm-i-Takbeer and said that Pakistan is fully capable of defending itself against any possible aggressive designs, DawnNews reported.

The premier congratulated the nation on the event and said that the country’s nuclear assets were in safe hands, adding that it was for peaceful purposes.

Two foreigners injured in attack on US consulate vehicle in Herat, Afghanistan


HERAT: At least two foreign security personnel were wounded in an attack on a US consulate vehicle in the western Afghan city of Herat on Wednesday, officials said.

The vehicle was on its way to the airport when an unidentified gunman on a motorbike shot at it with a rocket-propelled grenade in Enjeel district of the city, district chief Basher Ahmad told AFP.

Four police killed in attack on Tunisia minister's home


TUNIS: Four Tunisian police officers were killed in a “terrorist” attack overnight on the home of Interior Minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou in the west-central Kasserine region, a ministerial spokesman said Wednesday.

“Four police officers were killed and another injured during a terrorist attack with Kalashnikov rifles that targeted the Kasserine home of the interior minister,” spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui told AFP.

Taliban's Mehsud faction severs ties with TTP

PESHAWAR: The spokesman of the Mehsud faction of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Azam Tariq on Monday announced that his group has formally separated from the central outlawed militant group.

The spokesman of the Mehsud group, who was also a central member of the Taliban shura, made the announcement in a press conference.

He added that the other Taliban factions were also becoming distrustful of the main organisation.

Azam further said that the Mehsud group had tried to reform the TTP, adding that despite its efforts, conniving elements in the organisation had emerged successful.

India visit a success, insist Sharif aides


ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned to the federal capital on Tuesday evening where he was greeted by a volley of criticism from the media, which was up in arms that he had not mentioned Kashmir during his visit to India while he had been greeted by the T word (terrorism).

However, it did not take long for the prime minister’s senior aides to jump into action and address the criticism. They tried hard to convince many that the meeting had been a success.

Deaths as suicide blast hits Afghan capital


A suicide bomber has struck an army minibus in the Afghan capital, killing at least two people and injuring two others, the defence ministry has said.

"A suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated his explosives near an army minibus," ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi told Reuters news agency on Monday.

Kabul police spokesman Hashmatullah Stanikzai told AFP news agency that there were casualties among the soldiers but was unsure of how many.

Turkey warns citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Libya, Nigeria


The Foreign Ministry has warned Turkish citizens to defer non-essential travel to Libya due to recent armed clashes in Benghazi and Tripoli, as well as to Nigeria because of a recent rise in terror and kidnapping incidents.

The Foreign Ministry posted separate warnings concerning these two countries on its official website on May 26. The citizens who are currently in Libya and who will still travel to the country despite the warning should take the required measures and be vigilant with their safety, the ministry said.

Imran Farooq murder: Scotland Yard releases photos of two suspects

KARACHI: The Metropolitan Police Service London (MPS) also known as the Scotland Yard on Tuesday released photographs of the two men suspected of being involved in the murder of Dr Imran Farooq, DawnNews reported.

Scotland Yard has also claimed that both suspects are in custody of Pakistani authorities.

In January this year, BBC news had reported that the suspects had been identified by the names of Mohsin Ali Syed and Muhammad Kashif Khan.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Provinces told to beef up security amid spate of terrorist attacks


ISLAMABAD: The federal government, through the interior ministry, has issued instructions to provincial governments to step up security arrangements, Information Minister Pervez Rashid told Dawn on Sunday.

According to sources in the interior ministry, the instructions have been issued following a fresh spate of terrorist attacks in different parts of the country and amid renewed threats from militants.

They said that provincial governments had been asked to beef up security to cope with the possible fallout from an expected operation in North Waziristan, the stronghold of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Defiant PM Erdogan on tense trip to Germany


Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged not to take a step back on his decision to visit Cologne where he will gather almost 20,000 Turkish supporters in the run-up to the presidential elections in August.“Some say ‘Well, my honorable Prime Minister, it would be good if you don’t go to Germany. Do not go.

Iranian billionaire executed over $2.6 billion fraud



A billionaire businessman at the heart of a $2.6 billion state bank scam, the largest fraud case since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution, was executed May 24, state television reported.Authorities put Mahafarid Amir Khosravi, also known as Amir Mansour Aria, to death at Evin prison, just north of the capital, Tehran, the station reported.


Thai military detains former prime minister



Thailand's former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and dozens of prominent politicians have been detained by the military a day after it took control of government.Yingluck and Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, her temporary replacement, were among the 39 prominent figures who on Friday reported to a military facility in Bangkok.


At least 21 killed as Syria rebels shell Assad election rally: Monitoring group


BEIRUT: Syrian rebels bombarded a campaign rally in support of President Bashar al Assad’s re-election in a controversial June 3 poll, killing at least 21 people, a monitoring group said.

The mortar fire hit a tent where Assad supporters had gathered in the southern city of Daraa late on Thursday and also wounded at least 30 people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Assad faces two little known challengers in next month’s vote and is widely expected to clinch a third seven-year term in office despite the raging civil war.

Bombs kill Iraqi pilgrims and police official



Three attacks targeting Shiite pilgrims killed 21 people and wounded dozens Thursday in Baghdad, police said. And in other violence in Iraq, eight people were killed.

A suicide bomber blew himself up among pilgrims in western Baghdad's Mansour district, killing 11 other people and wounding others, police said.

Separately, in eastern Baghdad's Nahdha commercial district, a suicide car bomb targeting civilians killed eight people in addition to the bomber and wounded 13 others, police aid.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Some 201 killed, hundreds trapped by coal mine explosion: Energy Minister


Some 201 coal miners were killed and hundreds were trapped at a mine in the western province of Manisa's Soma district on May 13 after a fire broke out following an explosion in a power distribution unit, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said. In a statement released early May 14, Yildiz also expressed concerns that the death toll could rise.

Rescue teams have continued their efforts to get trapped workers out of the coal mine throughout the night, while officials have said the fire in the mine has been extinguished.

One person dead in Cairo clashes between Morsi supporters, opponents


CAIRO: One person was killed during clashes in Cairo overnight between supporters and opponents of deposed president Mohamed Morsi, Egyptian security officials said Thursday.

Four people were also arrested during the violence that broke out on the sidelines of a pro-Morsi gathering, the officials said.

Since the Egyptian army ousted and detained Morsi on July 3 last year, the security forces have waged a crackdown on protests by his supporters.

Afghan, Pakistani border guards skirmish; one killed

KANDAHAR: Afghan officials say a shootout between Afghan and Pakistani border guards has killed one Afghan policeman in a remote southern region where the border between the two countries is poorly marked.

In the Afghan province of Kandahar, police spokesman Zia Durrani said the skirmish started shortly after dawn on Thursday and lasted for about two hours.

Durrani says the two sides engaged in sporadic shooting using rifles and firing rockets across the boundary.

Kandahar government spokesman Dawakhan Minapal says the fighting in remote Maroof district was sparked by an attempt by the Pakistani border police to construct an outpost on the Afghan side of the border.

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Three killed in Wajir fresh border dispute

Three people were Wednesday morning killed in Wajir County in renewed clashes between rival clans over a boundary dispute.

The three, Aweys Ali, 35, Bishar Hassan, 40, and Nunow Ali, 50, from the Degodia clan, were killed by armed assailants suspected to be from the rival Garre clan at Ogaralle village in Tarbaj sub-county.

FIR can be lodged against armymen, AG says


ISLAMABAD: Attorney General Aslam Butt informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that a First Information Report (FIR) could be filed against a currently serving army official according to Pakistan Army regulations. He said this in the hearing of the Malakand missing persons case, which concerns the disappearance of 35 people from an internment centre in the region, DawnNews reported.

Butt submitted his reply in the apex court regarding FIRs against serving armed forces personnel.

SC reinstates PTI's Qaisar Jamal Khan as MNA


ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday reinstated Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate Qaisar Jamal Khan as Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from NA-47, days after an election tribunal had declared his election void.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani, heard the case today.

The court issued notices to the respondents and adjourned the hearing of the case until two weeks.

More than 20 dead as anti-China riots spread in Vietnam

Hanoi: More than 20 people were killed and rioters attacked Vietnam's biggest steel plant overnight as violent anti-China protests spread to the centre of the country a day after arson and looting in the south, a doctor and newspapers said on Thursday.

A doctor at a hospital in central Ha Tinh province said five Vietnamese workers and 16 other people described as Chinese were killed in the rioting, one of the worst breakdowns in Sino-Vietnamese relations since the neighbors fought a brief border war in 1979.

Eighty eight year-old Congress veteran ND Tiwari marries Ujjwala Sharma


Lucknow: Two months after ND Tiwari admitted that Rohit Shekhar is his biological son, the 89-year-old Congress veteran leader married Ujjwala Sharma at his residence in Lucknow. Sharma, a former college professor in Delhi, is the mother of Rohit Shekhar.The 67-year-old Ujjwala had earlier deposed that at the time of Rohit's birth, she had talked to the Congress leader regarding giving his name as the father of the child, but she was "not allowed" to do so.

China issues Vietnam tourist warning after riots


BEIJING: China has issued a warning to tourists planning trips to Vietnam, as state-media on Thursday blamed Hanoi for encouraging the country´s worst anti-Beijing riots in decades, in which one Chinese worker was killed.

Anti-China protesters set more than a dozen factories on fire in Vietnam on Wednesday in response to Beijing´s deployment of an oil rig in waters contested between the two nations.

China´s tourism administration said in a notice on its website Wednesday that any Chinese planning to visit Vietnam should "carefully consider" their plans, and called for visitors to "raise their consciousness of danger".

Meanwhile, China´s state-run Global Times newspaper said in an editorial that the riots -- which saw at least 15 factories set on fire -- were "the outcome of Hanoi´s years of anti-China propaganda".

"China´s over-tolerance must not test China´s patience beyond the limit," the paper said, adding that Vietnam should compensate foreign investors.

A Chinese worker was killed in a riot at a Taiwanese plant, a local policemen told AFP on Thursday.

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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Nineteen killed in Baghdad car bomb attacks



A wave of car bombings in mainly Shia areas of Baghdad killed 19 people on Tuesday, officials said.

The attacks came as Iraqi Shias were celebrating the birthday of Imam Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad and Shia Islam’s most sacred martyr.

Police officials said a car bomb went off in the Baghdad neighbourhood of Sadr city, killing four people and wounding six in the morning hours. Another car bomb elsewhere in Sadr city went off near a cluster of homes, killing two people and wounding seven.

On Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Last Day at Work, a Cabinet Meeting, Many Farewells



New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will chair a cabinet meeting, meet his staff and attend elaborate farewells on his last day at work today as he prepares to demit office on Saturday, a day after the results of the general election are announced.

His last engagement at the South Block, his office of 10 years, is a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, in which the government is expected to clear Foreign Direct Investment in the pharma sector.

Dr Singh, 81, had announced earlier this year that he would not seek a third term should the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) secure a third successive win.

Iran won’t accept ‘nuclear apartheid,’ says Rouhani



TEHRAN: Iran will not accept “nuclear apartheid” but is willing to offer more transparency over its atomic activities, President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday ahead of new talks with world powers.

Iran and the P5+1 group of nations will start hammering out a draft accord Tuesday aimed at ending a decade-long standoff over suspicions that the Islamic republic is concealing military objectives.

“We have nothing to put on the table and offer to them but transparency. That’s it. Our nuclear technology is not up for negotiation,” Rouhani, referring to the West, said in remarks broadcast on state television.

Boko Haram leader releases video showing missing Nigerian schoolgirls



LAGOS: Boko Haram released a new video on Monday claiming to show the missing Nigerian schoolgirls, alleging the teenagers had converted to Islam and would not be released until all militant prisoners were freed.

The group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, speaks on the video obtained by AFP for 17 minutes before showing what he said were the girls, in Muslim dress and praying in an undisclosed rural location.

A total of 276 girls were abducted on April 14 from the northeastern town of Chibok, in Borno state, which has a sizeable Christian community. Some 223 are still missing.

Turkish PM Erdogan lost the ability to rule the country: Main opposition CHP


The main opposition party has sharply criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reaction to the head of bar association.

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) in their statement described the incident that took place on May 10 as the “reflection of a man who has lost his ability to rule the country.”

Insurgents launch multiple attacks in Thai south, one dead


BANGKOK: Suspected Muslim separatists in southern Thailand launched a wave of more than 30 attacks on Monday including shootings, bombings and arson, police said, killing one person and injuring more than 10.

Thailand is predominantly Buddhist but parts of the south, in particular the three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, are majority Muslim and decades-old resistance to central government rule resurfaced violently in 2004.

Paradorn Pattanathabutr, a security adviser to the prime minister, said the targets included a shopping mall, which was set on fire, and electricity pylons.

Gunmen kill Pakistan Navy man in Karachi



KARACHI: Unknown gunmen attacked a Pakistan Navy man near Karasaz area on Karachi's Shahrah-e-Faisal on Monday, DawnNews reported.

Security and rescue teams reached the attack site situated on the port city's main artery.

The targeted Navy man was rushed to a hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his wounds during treatment.

Police sources said that the incident appeared to be sectarian motivated.

Pakistani tribals worried after govt’s talks with Taliban stalled



ISLAMABAD: The people living in Pakistan's volatile tribal regions on the border with Afghanistan have given up hope of some kind of semblance of normality returning to their motherland, which has almost been turned into a no-go area for non-tribal people.

For them, the stalled dialogue process between the government and Taliban for peace is a reckless exercise that is doomed to end in failure . They say the government's attempt to end militancy through talks was full of flaws.

Former Maoist and TRS leader Konapuri Ramulu gunned down


NALGONDA: Unidentified assailants gunned down TRS leader and former Maoist Konapuri Ramulu (40) inside a function hall here on Sunday. The murder took place minutes after TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao left the venue.

Ramulu was coming out of MA Baig function hall on Miryalaguda road after attending the marriage of New Democracy leader Parvatalu's daughter when the assailants, who were hiding in nearby bushes, suddenly pounced on his security guards and threw chilli powder on them.


Monday, May 12, 2014

Pakistani tribals worried after govt’s talks with Taliban stalled


ISLAMABAD: The people living in Pakistan's volatile tribal regions on the border with Afghanistan have given up hope of some kind of semblance of normality returning to their motherland, which has almost been turned into a no-go area for non-tribal people.

For them, the stalled dialogue process between the government and Taliban for peace is a reckless exercise that is doomed to end in failure . They say the government's attempt to end militancy through talks was full of flaws.

Shootout in DHA leaves teenage boy and police guard dead, two wounded


KARACHI: An 18-year-old student and a police guard were killed while another teenage boy and a private security guard were wounded in an exchange of fire in the Defence Housing Authority in the early hours of Thursday.

The deadly exchange of fire took place at the bungalow of Suleman Lashari, an A-level student, in DHA Phase V on Khayaban-i-Shamsheer following a quarrel between the teenagers over some petty issue, police said.

Two arrested for throwing objects at White House


Washington:  The US Secret Service Thursday arrested two men for throwing objects at the White House, the perimeter around which was locked down for an hour as a precaution.

The suspects were identified as Evan J. Graham and Vaughn Greenbrier Lerriche, according to NBC television.

Graham threw over the north fence of the presidential mansion an object that looked like a cassette tape and Lerriche threw various papers over the south fence.

Palestinian president, US official discuss peace process


Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the recent developments in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process with the US National Security Adviser Susan Rice.

“During the meeting in Ramallah (Thursday), Abbas and Rice discussed the faltering peace process and the Israeli decision to suspend the US-mediated peace talks,” Xinhua quoted Nabil Abu Rdeneh, spokesman for Abbas, as saying.

Abbas stressed on the necessity to release the final batch of long-term Palestinian prisoners as was agreed upon, Abu Rdeneh added.

Thirteen killed as train rams into vehicle in Uttar Pradesh


Lucknow: Thirteen people were killed late Thursday when a passenger train hit a Bolero SUV at an unmanned level crossing in Uttar Pradesh, an official said Friday.

Three people were critically injured in the accident that took place at Horilapur village of the Maharajganj district.

The Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), full of passengers returning from a marriage, was crossing an unmanned railway level crossing at Narkatiya when the passenger train hit the vehicle, smashing it into pieces.

FBI agent doesn’t enjoy diplomatic immunity: FO


ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said on Thursday that the FBI agent arrested in Karachi on Monday did not enjoy diplomatic immunity.

“He was not a diplomat and, therefore, had no immunity,” FO spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said at the weekly media briefing.

Joel Cox was arrested while attempting to board a flight for Islamabad, for carrying bullets, small knives and spy gadgets. The man was later identified as FBI official sent to Pakistan on a short-term assignment with the US embassy in Islamabad.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Sopore witnesses complete poll boycott; Afzal Guru’s home town records 12 votes so far



BARAMULLA: Not a single vote was cast at 11 polling stations in Sopore town till 2.30PM while as 12 votes were polled at Mazebugh, nearest village of the slain parliament attack convict Afzal Guru .

Sopore town has always been a hub of the militants, and the residents have also supported them.

Nobody is surprised at the complete poll boycott in this part of Kashmir.

"11 polling booths are in Girls Higher Secondary School, Sopore and not a single voter turned to cast vote so far," an official said.

ISIL Threatens to Kill Grand Ayatollah Sistani



The terrorist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) threatened to assassinate the Iraq-based Muslim religious leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

"At present, the Shiite religious leader in Iraq is a person named Ali Sistani who is a remnant of Safavid generation. We warn all Shiites that Sistani should leave Iraq, otherwise, we will kill him," ISIL said in a statement on Tuesday.

The students at Qom's Seminary in Central Iran called off their classes today for one hour in protest at the ISIL's threat and are due to hold a peaceful protest rally, the Persian-language Adyan news reported.

Iran ready to help resolve Syria crisis: Afkham



The Iranian Foreign Ministry has stressed the need for a peaceful solution to the foreign-backed crisis in Syria, reiterating that the Islamic Republic is ready to assist in resolving the deadly turmoil plaguing the Arab country.

“Given Iran’s capabilities to [help] end the crisis in this country, some conflicting sides in Syria are in contact with Iran; we also have announced that we are prepared to help resolve the conflict in this country,” said Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham during a Tuesday news conference.

She also urged all sides involved in the Syrian conflict to support initiatives that will end the turmoil through political and peaceful methods based on the rights of the Syrian nation.Syria has been the scene of a deadly crisis since March 2011. Some reports say over 140,000 people have so far been killed and millions of others displaced because of the foreign-backed militancy plaguing Syria.

Iran has repeatedly voiced its opposition to any foreign interference in Syria’s internal affairs, calling for inclusive dialog and national reconciliation as well as free elections as the keys to the settlement of the crisis in the Arab country.

Elsewhere in her comments, Afkham condemned as “inhumane” the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria and said “terrorist groups” are threatening the African state’s security.

Afkham also voiced Tehran’s concern over the terrorist attacks targeting Nigerian civilians and said Abuja must adopt proper measures to prevent terrorist activities and restore stability and peace to the region.

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Nigeria kidnappings 'outrageous, heartbreaking': Obama



KANO: US President Barack Obama on Tuesday described the kidnapping of more than 220 schoolgirls by militants in Nigeria as “heartbreaking” and “outrageous” as Washington deployed military experts in the hunt for the children.

Obama urged global action against Boko Haram and confirmed Nigerian leaders had accepted an offer to deploy US personnel there, soon after residents said the extremist group had seized eight more girls, aged between 12 and 15, again in the embattled northeast.

CBI can probe graft charges against senior babus without govt nod: SC



New Delhi: In a historic verdict, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will not need permission from the government to conduct an inquiry in corruption cases against senior bureaucrats.

A constitutional bench of the apex court upheld the primacy of Article 14 of the Constitution - equality before law – to bring senior bureaucrats – Jt Secretary and above – at par with the junior officers and others.

NA unanimously approves resolution for lifting YouTube ban



ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution to lift the ban on video-sharing website YouTube, DawnNews reported.

During today's National Assembly session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi, MNA Shazia Marri belonging to the Pakistan People Party (PPP) submitted a resolution demanding the lifting of the ban on YouTube which was unanimously accepted by the lower house of parliament.

Waqar Younis appointed new Pakistan head coach




LAHORE: Former captain and fast bowler Waqar Younis has been named as the new head coach by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the board announced on Tuesday.

The appointment of Younis, who has been given a two-year contract, comes merely days after Sethi's interview to a local newspaper in which he hinted that a deal between the two parties was all but done.

Ex-CJ rubbishes Imran's 'absurd' rigging allegations




ISLAMABAD: Former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Tuesday rejected the rigging accusations made against him by Pakistan Tehreeak-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, terming them as 'baseless', DawnNews reported.

The former chief justice said that Returning Officers (ROs) for the 2013 elections were appointed by the Election Commission of Pakistan and not by him. He added that the 'absurd' allegations hurled by the PTI chief did not warrant a response.

Pakistan to maintain policy of non-interference in ME, says PM




ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday categorically stated that Pakistan desired peace and tranquility in the Middle East and would maintain the policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of states.

Addressing the concluding session of the Envoys Conference which focused on the Middle East, at the Foreign Office in the federal capital, Sharif said Pakistan had an equal aspiration to forge closer bilateral ties with all countries in the region.

Supreme Court Accuses Sahara Chief of 'Mind Games', Rejects Bail




Subrata Roy, the chief of the unlisted Sahara conglomerate, was refused bail by the Supreme Court today for his company's failure to refund investors in illegal bonds schemes.

The judges used strong language to censure Sahara and Mr Roy for repeatedly defying court orders and for "calculated mind games" to claim that his detention is illegal.

Monday, May 5, 2014

At least 10 suspected militants killed in Balochistan


QUETTA: Frontier Corps (FC) personnel on Monday claimed to have killed 10 militants in Balochistan's troubled Panjgur district.

Khan Wasey, a spokesman for the para-military force, said that the FC launched an operation against miscreants involved in targeted killings and bomb explosions in Panjgur district's mountainous areas.

He said ten suspected militants were killed whereas three FC soldiers were seriously wounded during the operation.

Iraq violence kills over 30 people in 24 hours


Violence in Iraq, including shelling in a militant-held city and an attack targeting Shia pilgrims, has killed more than 30 people in 24 hours, officials said Sunday.

The bloodshed comes as officials count ballots from the April 30 general election, the first since U.S. troops withdrew in late 2011, and amid a protracted surge in nationwide unrest that has sparked fears of a return to the sectarian killing sprees of 2006-2007.

In Fallujah, just a short drive west of Baghdad, shelling in southern areas of the city killed 11 people and wounded four, Doctor Ahmed Shami said.

Nuclear inspectors to visit Iranian sites


TEHRAN, Iran –  International nuclear inspectors will visit two sites in Iran in the coming days, the country's official news agency reported Sunday, as an official said that would fulfill a series of demands made by the United Nations nuclear watchdog.

The demands by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which Iran was required to meet by May 15, include releasing information about its efforts to develop a type of explosive detonator that can be used in nuclear weapons.

Kashmiri students beaten, forced to shout anti-Pak slogans in Greater Noida


NOIDA/SRINAGAR: Three Kashmiri students from a private university in Greater Noida have alleged that fellow students misbehaved with them and forced them to shout anti-Pakistan slogans, drawing a sharp reaction from the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister who said UP authorities should admit their "inability" or "unwillingness" to protect them.

The latest incident comes two month after over 60 Kashmiri students were expelled from a Meerut university after cheering for Pakistan cricket team during an Asia Cup match against India.

Army kills 43 Qaeda suspects in south Yemen: Ministry


Aden: The army today killed 43 Al-Qaeda suspects, mainly foreigners, and wounded dozens of others on day six of a major offensive in southern Yemen, military officials said.

Most of the "terrorists" were killed in Shabwa province during the ongoing operation against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the defence ministry said in text messages sent to journalists.

Nato container attacked in Jamrud


PESHAWAR: At least two people were killed on Monday when unidentified militants attacked Nato containers in the Jamrud tehsil of Khyber tribal region.

The unknown gunmen opened fire at three Nato containers in the Wazir Dhand area of Jamrud tehsil after which the containers caught fire and were soon set ablaze.

Importers flood country with illegal arms


RAWALPINDI: Non-implementation of the changes approved by the PPP government in the arms and ammunitions import policy a year ago has flooded the country with contraband arms, Dawn has learnt.

A senior security official said the law enforcement agencies were worried that importers had been bringing in and marketing small as well as sophisticated weapons by manipulating the existing policy introduced in 2006-07.

That policy put a monetary ceiling, ranging between Rs100,000 and Rs20 million, on commercial arms importers. But, by under-invoicing their imports, the crafty among the 520 arms dealers in the country brought in more quantity of weapons than their monetary quota would buy them in the international arms market.

Work with us instead of attacking us: EU

ANKARA : A leading European Commission official has urged the Turkish government to stop attacking the European Union and engage more deeply in cooperation.

Stefano Manservisi, who was recently named the new head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, called the relationship between the bloc and Turkey “extremely strong” in financial and political terms as well as in the “people dimension.” However, the Italian said he finds recent anti-EU remarks from Turkish politicians “concerning.”

Ibrahim says mistrust major hurdle in govt-Taliban talks


MINGORA: Jamaat-i-Islami provincial chief and member of Taliban negotiation committee Prof Mohammad Ibrahim said here on Sunday that there were a lot of hurdles in holding direct dialogue between the government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

However, the negotiation committee would continue its struggle to assist both the sides to achieve the objective of restoration of peace, he added.

“We are struggling to remove mistrust between both the sides so that peace process can be accelerated,” Mr Ibrahim told journalists after addressing a donor conference, organised by local chapter of Jamaat-i-Islami.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Thirteen killed as ferry capsizes in Bangladesh storm



The death toll in the ferry capsize in the Golachipa river in Bangladesh rose to 13 on Sunday with the recovery of five more bodies, police said.“Divers pulled out five bodies from the river in the morning,” Officer-in-charge of Golachipa police station Fakhruddin was quoted as saying by the Daily Sun.At least 25 passengers are still missing.


Bahrain jails five for plotting to bomb 2013 F1 race



MANAMA: Five people, including a woman who used a pillow to pretend she was pregnant, were sentenced to five years in jail on Tuesday for plotting to disrupt the 2013 Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix by planting a bomb at the circuit, state news agency BNA said.

It said policewomen foiled the scheme when they searched the woman and found her disguise while she was on a trial run for smuggling a home-made bomb in on the day of the race in April last year.

Taliban will accept Pakistan Constitution: Taliban negotiating team



PESHAWAR: Member of the Taliban negotiating committee Professor Ibrahim said on Thursday that the Pakistan Army and the Taliban were the real parties to the peace talks, DawnNews reported.

Ibrahim during an address to a tribal jirga in the provincial capital said that the persisting conflict could not be solved by any army operation or militant attacks - it could only be solved through peaceful negotiations.

Sindh Rangers tasks special unit to probe MQM allegations


KARACHI: Taking the allegations levelled by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement into account, the Sindh Rangers has tasked a special unit to probe the party's claims that personnel from the paramilitary force were involved in the “extrajudicial killing” of four MQM workers, DawnNews reported.


Assam Violence: Five Children Among Seven Bodies Found Overnight, Toll 32



Kokrajhar:  Seven bodies have been found in the Baksa district in Assam overnight, taking the number of people killed in the violence in the state to 32 in the last 36 hours.