Saudi Arabia beheads Pakistanis for drug smuggling

RIYADH: Saudi authorities beheaded Tuesday two Pakistanis for drug smuggling in the ultra-conservative kingdom's first executions of the year, the interior ministry said.

Abrar Hussein Nizar Hussein was executed in the Red Sea city of Jeddah after being convicted of trying to smuggle in heroin hidden in his stomach, the ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency.

Zahid Khan Barakat was beheaded in Qatif, in Eastern Province, over a similar charge, a separate statement said.

Afghan police say bomber killed in failed attack

KABUL: Afghan police say security guards killed a suicide bomber in Kabul as he tried to attack the home of a tribal elder opposed to the Taliban.

Gen Gul Agha Hashimi, the head of the Kabul Criminal Investigation Department, said the bomber was shot Tuesday as he tried to enter the elder's home in western Kabul.

He says the house belonged to Mohammad Alam, from northern Baghlan province.

Egyptians defeat ‘dark terror’

CAIRO: Egyptians lined up in numbers to vote Tuesday on a new constitution many said they had not read but would approve anyway in support of the army’s ouster of President Muhammad Mursi.

Polling at most stations got off to a smooth start, but 10 people were killed in clashes between Mursi supporters and police and anti-Mursi groups in central and southern Egypt, security officials said.

The referendum has been billed by authorities as the first in a series of polls that will restore elected government by the end of the year.

Congress compromised nation's sovereignty during Operation Bluestar: SAD

Chandigarh/Amritsar: Amid claims that the Margaret Thatcher government might have helped Indira Gandhi plan Operation Blue Star, the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab on Tuesday said this had exposed a "major conspiracy" of the Congress against Sikhs.

"The party (Congress) had even gone to the extent of compromising the national sovereignty for political gains," SAD secretary Daljit Singh Cheema said in a statement in Chandigarh.

Egypt votes on new charter as army chief eyes presidency

CAIRO: Egyptians vote for a new constitution on Tuesday in a referendum seen as a test of support for a presidential bid by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, almost seven months after he toppled Mohamed Morsi.An Islamist coalition led by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood has called for a boycott and "civilised peaceful protests" during the two-day referendum, but the interior ministry has pledged to "decisively" confront any attempts to disrupt voting.

Mobile phone services suspended; security beefed up

KARACHI: In a bid to thwart any untoward terrorist incident on the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi, mobile phone services were suspended in most parts of Pakistan on Tuesday whereas security was beefed up in all major cities of the country, DawnNews reported.Muslims across the country celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal, which falls on Tuesday, January 14 this year.Over 100 Ulema, Mashaikh and scholars of the Sunni Ulema Board have urged people to maintain peace.

UN's Ban urges Iraq to address 'root causes' of unrest

BAGHDAD: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Iraqi leaders to address the “root causes” of a surge in bloodshed as security forces clashed on Monday with gunmen in violence-racked Anbar province.

Army chief wants Indian soldiers in Kashmir

General Bikram Singh says army must stay and have special powers in view of possible "terrorist spill-over" into region.

India’s top miliatary general has argued for the continuing presence of soldiers in Indian-administered Kashmir in view of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan that may result in a "terrorist spill-over" into the disputed region.

US explains nuclear deal with Iran

WASHINGTON: Iran will receive $4.2 billion from blocked overseas funds and about $7 billion of benefits from sanctions relief for concluding an interim nuclear deal with the P5+1 countries, US officials said on Monday.The first instalment of $550 million will be released on Feb 1 and the rest will in six instalments. The entire fund, blocked in the West due to a nuclear dispute with the West, will be transferred to Iran by July this year.

Shootout in Kashmir kills 2 suspected militants

SRINAGAR, India: Indian law enforcement officers killed two suspected militants in a gunbattle Monday in the Indian-controlled portion of the disputed Kashmir region, police said.

Indian police and paramilitary forces also trapped a third suspected rebel in the shootout in Sopore, about 55 kilometers (34 miles) northwest of Srinagar, the main city in Indian-ruled Kashmir, area Police Chief Abdul Qayoom said.

Friends of Syria agrees no future role for Assad: Jarba

PARIS: Ahmad Jarba, the leader of Syria’s opposition National Coalition, said on Sunday that the US-led “Friends of Syria” grouping had agreed that President Bashar Al Assad and his family will have no role in the country’s future.

Jarba did not announce whether or not the opposition would take part in peace talks with representatives of Assad’s regime due to start next week in Switzerland. The coalition, which is under intense pressure to confirm its participation, has said it will decide on the issue on Jan.17.

Bill Gates the Most Admired Person on Earth; Tendulkar

Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates is the most admired person on Earth, while retired cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is fifth on the list of the 30 most admired people, compiled from 13 countries.

The survey 'world's most admired people' was conducted by YouGov for The Times, in a survey sample of almost 14,000 people in the US, Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, India, China, Australia, Pakistan, Brazil, Egypt, Nigeria and Indonesia.

Twenty percent cut in quota for foreign Hajis stays

Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that it would continue to impose a 20-percent cut in foreign pilgrims and a 50-percent reduction in domestic pilgrims during the upcoming Haj season.

“The government will continue to request foreign countries to slash the quota of their Haj pilgrims by 20 percent due to ongoing expansion works in Makkah and the holy sites,” said Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar.

Speaking to the Turkish Haj mission, he said the measure was taken upon directives issued by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to ensure the safety and security of pilgrims.

India-Pakistan trade talks set to resume tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan are set to resume secretary-level trade talks in New Delhi Jan.14, a media report said on Monday.

According to a Dawn report, the meeting will only maintain the "momentum of talks" as part of the composite dialogue process.

The meeting starting Tuesday is likely to agree on fresh timelines for implementing the road map for removing bottlenecks in trade liberalisation, the report said.

Israel beefs up security for Sharon's funeral near Gaza Strip

Jerusalem: Israeli security forces were put on high alert today ahead of former premier Ariel Sharon's funeral in the southern Negev desert which is likely to be attended by thousands including US Vice President Joe Biden, given its close proximity to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Sharon, who died on Saturday at the age of 85 after remaining in coma for eight years, will be laid to rest beside his wife Lily at Anemones Hill nearby the family's northern Negev Sycamore Ranch this evening.

Yemeni tribes kill 6 soldiers

ADEN: Armed tribesmen attacked an army post in southeast Yemen on Sunday and killed six soldiers in the latest assault targeting security forces in the area since December, a military official said.

The attack took place near Shahr in Hadramawt province, which has been hit by protests against the central government since last month, after the army killed tribal chief Said Ben Habrish and his bodyguards at a checkpoint.

Taliban bombing kills senior police officer Chaudhry Aslam

KARACHI: A powerful explosion targeted a convoy of police vehicles in Karachi on Thursday killing senior police official Chaudhry Aslam Khan.

Chaudhry Aslam, who had survived numerous assassination attempts in the past, died along with two other officers when the bomb targeted the convoy on the Lyari expressway in Karachi.

Senior police officer Iqbal Mehmood confirmed to reporters that SP CID Chaudhary Aslam Khan died in the attack, which took place around 4:40 pm near the Essa Nagri area.

Al Qaeda Syria unit executes dozens of rivals in Raqqa: activists

AMMAN: The al Qaeda-linked Islamist State of Iraq and the Levant executed dozens of rival Islamists over the last two days as the group recaptured most territory it had lost in the northeastern Syrian province of Raqqa, activists said on Sunday.

One of the activists, who spoke from the province on condition of anonymity, said up to 100 fighters from the Nusra Front, another al Qaeda affiliate, and the Ahrar al-Sham brigade, captured by ISIL in the town of Tel Abyad on the border with Turkey, the nearby area of Qantari and the provincial capital city of Raqqa, were shot dead.

Libya's deputy industry minister shot dead

Libya's deputy industry minister, Hassan al-Droui, was shot dead during a visit to his hometown of Sirte, east of Tripoli, security and hospital sources said.The identity of the shooters was not immediately known, but the official's death was the first assassination of a member of the transitional government since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's government in October 2011.

UN Council backs Iraq government against militants

United Nations: The UN Security Council on Friday gave strong backing to an Iraqi government campaign to retake provincial strongholds from al Qaeda-linked militants.The 15-nation council agreed a statement backing Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki amid mounting concern over the battle for Anbar province, which runs from the western suburbs of Baghdad up to the border with Syria.

Plea to suspend Musharraf’s summons rejected

ISLAMABAD: An attempt by former president retired General Pervez Musharraf to avoid his possible indictment on Jan 16 came to naught on Friday when the special court seized with his treason trial dismissed an application seeking suspension of his summons.“This court has no jurisdiction to modify, alter or change its orders, except correcting the clerical mistakes,” observed the three-judge court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab of the Sindh High Court.

Gas pipeline blown up in Balochistan

QUETTA: An 18-inch Sui gas pipeline was blown up on Saturday by unknown miscreants in the Dera Murad Jamali district of Balochistan, DawnNews reported.Police personnel stated that due to the gas pipeline explosion, gas supply was disrupted to Quetta and several other districts of Balochistan.

Dawood in Pakistan, joint efforts with US to nab him: Shinde

NEW DELHI: India's most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim is in Pakistan and joint efforts with the US were being made to nab him, Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said on Friday.

"As per our information, Dawood is in Pakistan. When I went to America last year to discuss inland security, I met the Attorney General who looks after the FBI.

Gunmen kill two workers at Sufi shrine in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Police say gunmen have shot to death two workers at a small Sufi Muslim shrine in Peshawar.

Local police official Iqbal Khan says the bodies of the men were found on Friday at the shrine of Ghazi Shah Baba in the northwestern city of Mardan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Mardan lies 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of the northwestern city of Peshawar.

Earlier in the week, militants killed six people at a shrine of a Sufi saint in the port city of Karachi.

Three TTP militants killed in Karachi

KARACHI: Three militants, including Amanullah Mehsud who operated as chief of the Tehrik-i-Taliban in Karachi's Quaidabad area, were killed in a police encounter in the city's Musharraf Colony on Friday, DawnNews reported.

The militants, including Mehsud, were affiliated with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), police said.

Mehsud was the chief of the Taliban in Quaidabad and the other two militants have been identified as Mirza Ali and Sher Mohammad.

Thailand protest leader says will give up if violence escalated to civil war

Bangkok: In their latest push to unseat PM Yingluck Shinawatra, Thai protesters on Monday blocked all major roads leading to the capital to shut down Bangkok in a bid to disrupt the snap elections scheduled for Feb 2.

Ratcheting up their campaign against the PM, the protesters donning T-shirts with “Shutdown” inscribed on them, thronged the major intersections in the country.

Imran favours Taliban talks despite Chaudhry Aslam killing

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan Thursday reiterated his stance of negotiating with banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) following the killing of SP CID Chaudhry Aslam in Karachi, which was claimed by the terrorist group, DawnNews reported.

Condemning the assassination of the top Karachi cop, while speaking to reporters in Lahore, he said that prevailing violence and killings in the country would not end without pulling out from ‘someone else’s war’.

New law: Visa traders to be deemed human traffickers

The Ministry of Labor plans to introduce a new law that would punish visa dealers as human traffickers.

Speaking at a business forum at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) on Thursday, Abdullah Abu Thunain, undersecretary for inspections, said the ministry had found 8,000 firms involved in irregularities since the inspection campaign began two months ago.

He said the inspection campaign would continue with about 1,000 trained inspectors.

Turkish energy minister denies uranium enrichment intention

Energy Minister Taner Yildiz denied Turkey had any interest in enriching uranium through the nuclear deal with Japan, claiming a demand for uranium enrichment allowance was only aimed at learning about the nuclear fuel production process.

“We don’t have any project regarding nuclear fuel and [uranium] enrichment,” Yildiz told a group of reporters on a plane flying from Japan to Singapore on Jan. 8, Anadolu Agency reported.

Suicide bomber kills 13 Iraqi army recruits in Baghdad

BAGHDAD: A suicide bomber killed 13 Iraqi army recruits and wounded more than 30 in Baghdad on Thursday, police said, in an attack on men responding to a government appeal for volunteers to help fight Al Qaeda-linked militants in Anbar province.

Police said a man with an explosive vest had blown himself up as recruits were registering their names at the small Muthanna airfield, now used by the army in the Iraqi capital.

At least 15 dead as two buses collide, fall into 30 ft ravine near Murree

ISLAMABAD: Two buses collided and fell down in a 30 ft river leaving at least 15 people dead in Salgiran near Murree on Wednesday evening, Express News reported.

According to Rescue 1122‚ at least 25 injured passengers have so far been shifted from the wreckage to the PIMS and Polyclinic Hospital in Islamabad, reported Radio Pakistan.

Special court reserves judgement on Musharraf's absence

ISLAMABAD: The special court, hearing the treason trial against former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, reserved its judgement over the absence of the former president from today's hearing of the case while the the next hearing until tomorrow, DawnNews reported.

A three-member bench, led by Justice Faisal Arab, resumed the hearing of the 'high treason' case under Article 6 of the Constitution against Musharraf, who has been charged by the government charged of abrogating, subverting, suspending, holding in abeyance and attempting to conspire against the 1973 Constitution by declaring emergency and overthrowing the superior judiciary in November 2007.

Saudi jails five for up to 30 years on Qaeda charges

RIYADH: A Saudi court has jailed five people for up to 30 years on charges including plotting to blow up an oil refinery on behalf of al-Qaeda, state media reported Monday.

The official SPA news agency gave no details of when the alleged plot against the refinery in the Red Sea port of Yanbu took place.

Twelve female teachers rescued from Makkah floods

Civil Defense teams rescued 12 female teachers trapped in flash floods in a valley south of Makkah on Sunday.

Col. Saeed Sarhan, the department’s spokesman, said “The teachers were taken to a secure place before reuniting them with their relatives.” He said the rescue operation began after the department’s officers received a call from the teachers’ relatives.

Saudi-US talks focus on expanding cooperation

Crown Prince Salman, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, discussed expanding Saudi-American military cooperation during his meeting with Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of US Central Command, in Riyadh on Sunday.

The two discussed latest Middle East developments emphasizing the strong relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Shujaat willing to be tried for supporting Nov 3 emergency

ISLAMABAD: PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has presented himself for trial under Article 6 of the constitution for having supported former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf’s decision to proclaim the state of emergency on Nov 3, 2007.

Tando Adam tense after MQM activist’s murder

SANGHAR: Motorcycle-riding assailants gunned down an activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in Tando Adam on Monday, which led to the sudden closure of the town by enraged activists.

Arif Shaikh, zonal in-charge of the MQM, told Dawn that Shahid Shaikh who had remained taluka naib nazim of Tando Adam was targeted on M.A. Jinnah road near Jama Masjid close to his house. He said the assailants who wore masks and were riding a motorcycle shot him dead from a close range. It was a targeted killing, he said, adding that the victim succumbed to injuries when he was being taken to Hyderabad.

Kuwait: Armed man storms mosque, shouting, “It’s time for jihad. Let’s go

An armed Kuwaiti eluded police and stormed a packed mosque in the oil-rich Gulf emirate to call for jihad (holy struggle) before to he was trounced and arrested by cops coming up outside, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

Police had tried to stop the man when they saw the gun in his hand but let him drive away after he started to shoot in the air and threaten passers-by.

As they chased him, he bunged his car near a mosque which was packed for Friday’s prayers and stormed in subdue waving the gun at them.

Iran offers to help Iraq in fight against al-Qaeda

A senior Iranian military official said on Monday Iran is ready to help Iraq battle al-Qaeda “terrorists” in the neighbouring country’s Sunni-dominated western Anbar province.

Iraqi troops have been trying to dislodge fighters from the al-Qaeda group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant from two key cities the militants overran last week.

Treason case: Musharraf granted exemption from appearance

ISLAMABAD: The special court, hearing the treason trial against Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, granted exemption to the former military ruler from attending today's hearing of the case while adjourning the hearing until tomorrow, DawnNews reported.

The court also instructed for medical reports of the former military strongman to be submitted before it by 11:30 am tomorrow.

Nato soldier killed in Afghan multiple suicide attack

JALALABAD: Six Taliban suicide attackers launched an assault on a joint Afghan-Nato base in the east of Afghanistan on Saturday, killing one Nato soldier during a prolonged firefight, officials said.One attacker in an explosives-packed vehicle blew himself up at the entrance of the base in Nangarhar province, and five other insurgents were shot as they tried to storm the facility.

Top Al Qaeda commander dies in Lebanese jail

BEIRUT: A Lebanese army general says the leader of an Al Qaeda-linked group that has conducted attacks across the Middle East before shifting its focus to Syria's civil war has died in custody in Lebanon.The general says the detainee, Majid al-Majid, died on Saturday after suffering kidney failure. The general spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Fallujah falls to al Qaeda militants as 65 killed in Iraq

FALLUJAH: Iraq has lost Fallujah to al Qaeda-linked fighters, a senior security official said Saturday, putting militants back in control of the city in Anbar province where American forces repeatedly battled insurgents.And fighting in Anbar killed 65 people on Saturday – eight soldiers, two government-allied tribesmen and 55 militants from al Qaeda-linked group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), security officials said.

Altaf threatens separate province for Urdu speaking Sindhis

KARACHI: In a no holds barred attack on his party’s former coalition partners, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Friday evening said if their demands are unacceptable to the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) then Urdu speaking Sindhis should be given a separate province.

At least three gunned down in Karachi violence

KARACHI: In an incident of firing by unknown armed assailants early on Saturday, at least three people were killed and four injured near Maskan Chowrangi, DawnNews reported. In the Gulshan-i-Iqbal area of Karachi, on a juice shop situated near Maskan Chowrangi, unknown armed persons opened fire which killed the owner of the shop and two of the workers while injuring four in the assault.Also, the injured persons were taken to a private hospital where two persons were reported to be in critical condition.

Awami League set to form majority government in Bangladesh

The Awami League (AL) has secured majority in the 10th parliamentary election of Bangladesh, winning 105 seats out of the 147 seats up for election on Sunday, media reported.

The Election Commission has received final results of 139 seats out of the 147 in 159 districts where vote was held, as 153 others had returned uncontested winners.

Jatiya Party won 13 seats, Workers Party got four seats and JaSaD seats, Twarikat Federation and BNF won one seat each, bdnews24.com reported citing results announced by the poll panel.

With GSLV blast-off, India is now a cryogenic rocket power

SRIHARIKOTA: For a nation that has grappled with high-end cryogenics for two decades, Sunday marked the triumphant end of a long wait propelled by resilience in the face of repeated failures. ndian Space Research Organization's (Isro's) GSLV-DF rocket, powered by an indigenous cryogenic engine, injected into orbit a telecommunication satellite, GSAT-14, with clockwork precision.

Jihadists kill 50 rebels in new Syrian front

BEIRUT: Jihadists killed at least 50 rival rebels on Sunday in a new front in Syria’s brutal war, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, citing insurgents and medics.

The rebels were killed in fighting, car bombings and also summary executions by forces loyal to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

ISIL, an Al Qaeda affiliate, moved into Syria in late spring last year amid the armed uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

Deadly stampede at China mosque

BEIJING: Fourteen people were killed and 10 injured in a stampede during a gathering at a mosque in northwest China's Ningxia region, state media reported on Monday.

The stampede occurred around 1pm on Sunday while traditional food was being handed out to people attending an event to commemorate a late religious leader, Xinhua news agency said, citing the local government.

Turkish PM Erdogan says 'favors' retrial of coup cases

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Jan. 5 he would favor retrials for hundreds of military officers jailed for coup-plotting.

"Our position on a retrial is a favourable one," he told reporters in Istanbul before taking off on a tour of Asia.

Suicide blast at school kills student in Hangu

PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a government school in northwest Pakistan on Monday, killing a teenage boy, officials said.

The incident happened in the Shia-dominated Ibrahimzai area of Hangu district and has not yet been claimed by any group.

“A suicide bomber blew himself up near the main gate of a government boys school, killing a young student aged 14,” district police chief Iftikhar Ahmad told AFP.

Telugu actor Uday Kiran allegedly commits suicide

Hyderabad:  Telugu actor Uday Kiran has allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his home in Hyderabad.

The 33-year-old actor was found hanging from a ceiling at his flat in Srinagar Colony late last night.

"His wife Vishita and some neighbours rushed him to Jubilee Hills Apollo hospital where he was pronounced dead," a police official said.

Gujarat police registers FIR against Teesta Setalvad, others for breach of trust, cheating

Ahmedabad City Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) have registered an FIR against social activist - Teesta Setalvad, her husband Javed Anand, son of slain Congress MP Ehsan Jafri Tanvir Jafri and two other survivors of 2002 Gulberg Society Massacre case accusing them of breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy. Terming the FIR as 'vindictive action' of Gujarat Police, Setalvad has alleged that 'timing of the FIR replete with a threat of arrests' is nothing, but 'efforts to prevent prompt filing of appeal in the Zakia Jafri case against Narendra Modi and 59 others'.

Court rejects plea seeking Musharraf's travel ban

A Pakistani court today rejected a petition to bar possible exit of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf from the country for treatment but made it clear that he could not leave without permission from the courts.

Rejecting the petition, Islamabad High Court Justice Shaukat Aziz said that it is the job of the courts ~ that provided bail to Mr Musharraf ~ to ensure his appearance.