Syed Ashraf’s speech false, baseless

DHAKA: Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad termed Syed Ashraful Islam’s Sunday’s speech false and baseless.

On Sunday night, in a joint press briefing with JP Secretary General, Syed Ashraf said that Awami League and Jatiya Party would participate separately in the election under interim government next, if BNP did not participate.

Iraq suicide bombings kill 49

BAGHDAD: Twin bomb attacks on Sunday on a Baghdad cafe killed dozens of people in one of nine suicide attacks across Iraq, which is suffering its worst violence in five years.

Nationwide a total of 49 people were killed across Iraq, where a surge of violence this year, including sectarian attacks, has raised fears of a relapse into bloodshed that peaked in 2006-2007.

Seven killed, 17 hurt as blast hits Jaffar Express in Balochistan

NASEERABAD: Balochistan’s Naseerabad district on Monday, killing 7 passengers and injuring at least 17 otherA blast hit Jaffar Express in s besides damaging five coaches, SAMAA reported.

According to SAMAA correspondent the explosion took place inside the train when it reached near Shori railway station in Balochistan’s Naseerabad district.

The train was going to Quetta from Rawalpindi.

Manmohan Singh-Vladimir Putin talks will focus on Taliban

MOSCOW: Signaling a strong convergence to protect their strategic stakes in Afghanistan, India and Russia are set to emphasize that Pakistan's bid to rehabilitate Taliban is not an acceptable outcome post the US drawdown.

Philippine 'sultan' who launched Sabah incursion dies

MANILA (AFP) - A self-proclaimed Philippine sultan whose followers launched a bloody incursion into the Malaysian state of Sabah earlier this year died of organ failure in a Manila hospital on Sunday, his wife said.

Jamalul Kiram III, 75 - who described himself as the "Sultan of Sulu" after a group of islands in the southern Philippines - passed away at a government hospital but remained defiant to the end, his wife, Fatima Kiram said.

Islam strictly forbids terrorism, says Grand Mufti in Hajj sermon

MOUNT ARAFAT: Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims thronged Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Monday for the high point of the annual Hajj, praying for an end to disputes and bloodshed.

Hell is the final abode for those who spill the blood of an innocent human, said Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of the Ka'aba.

Attacks across Iraq kill at least 42

BAGHDAD: A string of bombings Sunday across Iraq, many in Shiite-majority cities, killed at least 42 people and wounded dozens, officials said, a grim reminder of the government’s failure to stem the uptick in violence that is feeding sectarian tensions in the country.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attacks, but waves of bombings are frequently used by Al-Qaeda’s Iraq branch.

Pakistan's new envoy to US was once expelled from India

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has appointed as its ambassador to the United States an envoy who was once expelled from New Delhi for "indulging in activities incompatible with his official status."

Typically, that's officialese for spying, but in that 2003 episode, Jalil Abbas Jilani was packed off from New Delhi for allegedly supplying cash to the Hurriyat leadership.

Journalist, anti-al Qaeda fighters among 21 killed in Iraq violence

BAGHDAD: Violence in Iraq killed 21 people on Thursday, among them four anti-al Qaeda fighters and an AFP journalist's brother, officials said.

In Samarra, north of Baghdad, gunmen killed two Sahwa anti-al Qaeda fighters in an attack on a checkpoint, while two more died in a similar attack near Baquba, also north of the capital.

The Sahwa, who joined forces with the United States from late 2006 and helped bring about a sharp reduction in violence in Iraq, are frequently targeted by Sunni militants, who consider them to be traitors.

Blast in Afghan mosque during Eid prayer kills provincial governor, injures 20 others

An explosion in an Afghan mosque during the Eid prayer has left the local governor dead and 20 other people injured.

"This morning, governor Arsala Jamal was delivering a speech after Eid prayers when he was killed by a bomb planted in the microphone," Logar provincial governor spokesman Din Mohammad Darwish told AFP.

At least 70 people killed after 7.2 earthquake hits central Philippines

MANILA: A 7.2-magnitude earthquake collapsed buildings, cracked roads and toppled the bell tower of the Philippines' oldest church Tuesday morning, killing at least 70 people across the central region.

The quake sent people rushing out of homes and buildings, including hospitals, as aftershocks continued.

At least five died in a stampede in Cebu, said Neil Sanchez, provincial disaster management officer.

Nawaz holds meeting with Army chief

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif met with Chief of Army Staff general Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Tuesday.

Director General of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam also attended the meeting during which the prime minister's upcoming trip to the United States and the process of peace talks with militants were also discussed.

At least1,200 migrants detained in warehouse raid following violent Moscow riot

Moscow authorities have closed a vegetable warehouse and detained 1,200 people after a violent Sunday protest in Moscow’s residential area of Biryulyovo, where a young Russian was allegedly stabbed to death by a migrant last week.

A car with money and weapons has been found as Moscow police raided a warehouse which locals call the main attraction for migrants. On Sunday it turned into the scene of a mass anti-migrant protest, which ended with nearly 400 arrests.

Car bomb kills 40 in northwest Syria, close to Turkish border: NGO

BEIRUT :At least 40 people, including three children, were killed when a car bomb exploded in the town of Darkush in northwestern Syria, near the Turkish border, an NGO said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which had earlier reported a toll of 20, said the number of casualties was expected to rise due to the large number of people who suffered serious injuries.

Security breach by American ship illegally carrying arms and ammunition

Tuticorin:  Indian investigators are trying to determine whether an American ship, detained for illegally entering Indian waters and carrying guns and ammunition without permission, was involved in arms trafficking.31 assault rifles and around 5,000 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the ship that was detained at the Tuticorin coast in Tamil Nadu early on Saturday morning, 600 kms south of Chennai.

Worms found in sandwich served on Air India flight

An Air India flier got the shock of his life when he found worms in the sandwich served to him on a New York-Delhi flight.

The incident occurred on Air India flight (AI102) with a Rajouri Garden resident who asked for a sandwich and was served an infested one, sources said.

Pakistani doctors flee Sindh, seek safety in Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD: Growing terrorist unrest and a hostile attitude towards minorities in Pakistan forced over 20 doctors to migrate to Gujarat last year. This is the largest migration of medical professionals to the state - the highest so far being nine (1999) after the Kargil war and eight in 1970. The number could go up this year.

Over the past over four decades, 64 doctors have migrated to the safe haven of Gujarat from Pakistan, mostly from the Sindh province, and registered with the Gujarat Medical Council. Sources say the number of doctors who have migrated but not yet registered could be much higher.

Tendulkar to play final match in Mumbai

Eden Gardens in Kolkata and the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will host India's two Tests against West Indies in November, which will mark the end of Sachin Tendulkar's 24-year career. While Eden Gardens will host the first Test from November 6 to 10, Tendulkar's farewell Test will be played at his home ground from November 14 to 18. The decision was taken during the BCCI's tour programme and fixtures committee meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Israel warns against nuclear compromise with Iran

JERUSALEM: Israel on Tuesday urged the world to avoid a partial deal with Iran, which could see a relaxing of sanctions, just hours before a new round of nuclear talks.

Following a meeting late on Monday, the security cabinet warned the international community against any “partial agreement that would fail to bring about the full dismantling of the Iranian military nuclear programme...(which) could lead to the collapse of the sanctions regime.

Many in Mohmand Agency celebrate Eidul Azha today

GHALLANAI: Though Eidul Azha will be celebrated across the country on Wednesday (tomorrow), some people in Mohmand Agency have decided to ignore the call and observe Eid today as per the advice of local clerics.

Some are observing Eid a day earlier as a symbol of Muslim unity since Saudi Arabia will also observe it on Tuesday. On the other hand, many Afghan refugees living in the country since 1979 choose to observe it with their native country.

Two car bombs explode in central Damascus near state TV building, UN inspectors

The two car bomb exploded near the state television building in central Damascus, sending shockwaves through the UN weapons inspectors staying nearby.

The SANA news agency says state TV's headquarters in Umayyad Square was damaged in the blast. .

The attack comes on the same day gunmen abducted six Red Cross workers and a Syrian Red Crescent volunteer after stopping their convoy in northwestern Syria.

India succumb to Australia pace, batting power

Australia showed just why they have been so successful in ODIs in India, and just why India's usual template of chasing anything their profligate bowlers concede often comes short against the visitors. Their batsmen powered their side over 300 on a slow and, at times, uneven pitch. Their fast bowlers then extracted appreciable bite from the same pitch and used the short ball intelligently to finish the contest by the end of the batting Powerplay. Tellingly, India have never successfully chased 300-plus against Australia, and this was their 11th failed attempt, this time against a side lacking several first-choice players.

MP stampede toll at 115, did police loot, dump bodies in river

Even as the state government ordered a judicial inquiry into the Ratangarh stampede, senior Congress leader DIgvijay Singh, also from Madhya Pradesh, took on the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.

Shocking accounts from survivors of the Ratangarh stampede have raised doubts on the role played by the local police administration during and immediately after the tragedy.

Senior Pakistani Taliban commander captured in Afghanistan

An Afghan official said U.S. military forces are holding a senior Pakistani Taliban commander captured in Afghanistan a week ago.

Arsallah Jamal, the governor of eastern Logar province, said on Friday that Latif Mehsud was arrested by American forces as he was driving along a main highway.

Syria rebels executed 67 Alawite villagers: Human Rights Watch

BEIRUT: Rebel groups executed at least 67 civilians and took hostage 200 others from Alawite villages in Syria in August, Human Rights Watch reported on Friday, saying this constituted war crimes.

The Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shiite Islam to which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad belongs.

HRW based its 105-page report on an on-site investigation and 35 interviews, including with survivors of an August 4 attack on 10 pro-government Alawite villages in the coastal province of Latakia.

Raja Bhaiyya back in Akhilesh Cabinet, takes oath

Lucknow:Controversial independent MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya, who had to resign from the UP Cabinet in March after killing of DSP Zia-ul-Haq in Pratapgarh, was on Friday re-inducted as a minister.

Raja Bhaiyya was sworn in by Governor B.L. Joshi at Raj Bhavan in the presence of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and senior Cabinet Minister Azam Khan.

Journalist, anti-al Qaeda fighters among 21 killed in Iraq violence

BAGHDAD: Violence in Iraq killed 21 people on Thursday, among them four anti-al Qaeda fighters and an AFP journalist's brother, officials said.

In Samarra, north of Baghdad, gunmen killed two Sahwa anti-al Qaeda fighters in an attack on a checkpoint, while two more died in a similar attack near Baquba, also north of the capital.

The Sahwa, who joined forces with the United States from late 2006 and helped bring about a sharp reduction in violence in Iraq, are frequently targeted by Sunni militants, who consider them to be traitors.

Pakistan's new envoy to US was once expelled from India

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has appointed as its ambassador to the United States an envoy who was once expelled from New Delhi for "indulging in activities incompatible with his official status."

Typically, that's officialese for spying, but in that 2003 episode, Jalil Abbas Jilani was packed off from New Delhi for allegedly supplying cash to the Hurriyat leadership.

Attacks across Iraq kill at least 42

BAGHDAD: A string of bombings Sunday across Iraq, many in Shiite-majority cities, killed at least 42 people and wounded dozens, officials said, a grim reminder of the government’s failure to stem the uptick in violence that is feeding sectarian tensions in the country.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attacks, but waves of bombings are frequently used by Al-Qaeda’s Iraq branch.

Islam strictly forbids terrorism, says Grand Mufti in Hajj sermon

MOUNT ARAFAT: Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims thronged Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Monday for the high point of the annual Hajj, praying for an end to disputes and bloodshed.

Hell is the final abode for those who spill the blood of an innocent human, said Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of the Ka'aba.

US special envoy Dobbins in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan James Dobbins arrived in Islamabad Monday to finalise the agenda of a meeting scheduled to take place between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and US president Barack Obama, DawnNews reported.

The US envoy is scheduled to hold special talks with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz. During the discussion, the two diplomats will finalise the agenda of the meeting to be held between Sharif and Obama in Washington on Oct 23.

Muslim pilgrims throng Mount Arafat for hajj climax

Monday for the high point of the annual hajj, praying for an end to disputes and bloodshed.

Officials said they expected around 1.5 million pilgrims to descend on the site, where they were to offer prayers and later in the day to listen to the annual sermon from Saudi top cleric Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh.

Helicopters hovered overhead and thousands of troops stood guard to organise roads flooded by men, women and children streaming towards Mount Arafat.

Iran urged to build Pakistan side of gas pipeline

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has asked Iran to construct the Pakistani side of the gas pipeline as well because international sanctions were preventing Islamabad from raising funds for this project, said an official statement issued on Friday.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who conveyed this message to his Iranian counterpart Ali Tayyebnia at a meeting in Washington, also urged him to help remove the restrictions that prevented better trade ties between the two countries.

U.N. names envoy to lead Syria chemical weapons mission

The United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon Sunday named Sigrid Kaag to lead the U.N.’s joint mission with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to eliminate Syria’s arsenal.

The U.N. Security Council, which is set to vote on Kaag’s nomination Wednesday, has formally approved a first joint mission with the OPCW, Agence France-Presse reported.

Pakistani man travels 6,387 km on foot to perform hajj

While most Muslims fly, drive or sail from across the world to perform the hajj in Makkah, a Pakistani man made the trip in a far more traditional manner; travelling on foot from Pakistan to Islam’s holiest city in Saudi Arabia.

Kharlzada Kasrat Rai, 37, began his trip from Karachi on June 7, travelling 6,387 kilometers (3,968 miles) through Iran, Iraq and Jordan on foot. (Photo courtesy: Facebook)

Turkey's EU minister slams progress report's release day

EU Minister Egemen Bagis slammed Oct.13 the European Commission’s choice of date for the release of the Progress Report on Turkey.

The bloc is set to release the report on Oct. 16, coinciding with the second day of the Eid al-Adha (Kurban Bayrami).

“We said to the EU: Eid al-Adha is like Christmas so don’t release it that day. But they don’t listen. No comments until the end of Bayram,” Bagis wrote in his Twitter account.

Malaysian court rules use of 'Allah' exclusive to Muslims

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia: A Malaysian court ruled on Monday that a Christian newspaper may not use the word "Allah" to refer to God, a landmark decision on an issue that has fanned religious tension and raised questions over minority rights in the mainly Muslim country.

‘NAB to pursue cases against Sharif, Zardari’

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Chaudhry Qamar Zaman has decided to reopen and pursue major corruption cases, including those against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari and other prominent politicians.

“The new chairman sought details of the high-profile cases and decided to go for across-the-board accountability,” NAB spokesman Ramzan Sajid claimed while talking to this correspondent on Sunday.

Sinai suicide bomber kills 4 soldiers in Egypt: security

CAIRO: A suicide bomber rammed his car into an army checkpoint in Egypt's restive Sinai Peninsula on Thursday, killing four soldiers, security officials told.

Another three soldiers were wounded in the attack on the Al-Reesa checkpoint just south of North Sinai's main town of El-Arish, the officials said.

Libya PM released after several hours held by militia

TRIPOLI : Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan was released on Thursday several hours after being seized from a Tripoli hotel by former rebel militiamen, the foreign minister said.

"He has been freed but we have no details so far on the circumstances of his release," Mr Mohammed Abdelaziz told AFP.

Twenty pilgrims killed in road accident in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district

HOSHIARPUR (Punjab): Twenty pilgrims were killed while 40 others were injured when an overloaded mini truck carrying them fell in a gorge in Manguwal village in the district early Thursday.

"The pilgrims were returning from Chintpurni shrine in Himachal Pradesh and were headed to Begowal falling in Punjab's Kapurthala district when the accident occurred," Hoshiarpur SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill told over phone.

Top Turkish court approves conviction of 237 suspects in coup case

The Supreme Court of Appeals approved the convictions of 237 suspects in the “Balyoz” (Sledgehammer) coup-plot case this morning, including former First Army Gen. Çetin Dogan, former Air Force Gen. Halil Ibrahim Firtina, opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy and former general Engin Alan, former Navy Adm. Özden Örnek and other high-ranking retired generals.

Freed Canadians barred from leaving Egypt

Two Canadians released from an Egyptian prison after being held without charges since mid-August have barred from flying out of the country, Cairo airport officials said.

John Greyson, a Toronto-based film-maker and York University professor, and Tarek Loubani, a physician from London, Ontario, had checked in for a flight to Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday, but were prevented from boarding the plane after their names appeared on a "stop-list" issued by prosecutors, the airport officials said.

Blast on Peshawar's outskirts kills

PESHAWAR: A police officer says a bomb exploded in northwest Pakistan near a vehicle carrying officials taking part in an anti-polio campaign, killing at least six people.

Police official Samiullah Khan says Monday morning's bomb killed four police officers and two members of a local peace committee riding in the van.

Karzai says Nato air strike killed five civilians

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai criticised his Nato allies on Sunday over an air strike in the country's east that he said killed five civilians, including three children.

The strike on Friday followed a mortar attack on a joint Nato-Afghan base near a village just outside Jalalabad city, Nato and local officials said.

Scores killed as Egypt marks war anniversary

At least 51 people were killed in clashes between supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and police in Egypt, as thousands of the military's supporters marked the anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

Loyalists of deposed President Mohamed Morsi, overthrown in a July military coup, tried to converge on Cairo's Tahrir Square for the anniversary celebrations on Sunday, when police confronted them.

Scores killed as Egypt marks war anniversary

At least 51 people were killed in clashes between supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and police in Egypt, as thousands of the military's supporters marked the anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

Loyalists of deposed President Mohamed Morsi, overthrown in a July military coup, tried to converge on Cairo's Tahrir Square for the anniversary celebrations on Sunday, when police confronted them.

Kayani decides to call it a day

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had one less worry by Sunday evening.

Unexpectedly, a press release from the Inter Services Public Relations, the media wing of the armed forces in general and the army in particular, landed in various media houses and inboxes without any fanfare.

The short statement was of great significance as it contained a message from Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani that he would retire in November when his second three-year tenure ended.

Protesters step up attacks on houses of Congress leaders in Seemandhra

HYDERABAD: Angry Seemandhra protesters stepped up their attacks on the residences and other establishments of Congress ministers, MPs and MLAs on Monday. The ruling party leaders are already the target of the protesters for the last 65-odd days of the agitation launched to oppose the division of Andhra Pradesh. But despite the heavy police presence outside their premises, the attackers came in huge numbers on Monday and sent across a clear message: 'Quit your posts or else face the brunt of the people's fury.'

No Kargil-like situation in Kashmir, says Indian army chief

Indian Army Chief Bikram Singh today said there was no 'Kargil-like situation' in Jammu and Kashmir, where an encounter to stop a major infiltration attempt from across the border has entered the 11th day.

His comments came as two terrorists were reportedly killed this morning during another infiltration bid at Guguldhar area near the Keran sector where Indian troops have engaged in an encounter since September 24, when almost 40 terrorists tried to cross over from Pakistan.

No Kargil-like situation in Kashmir, says Indian army chief

Indian Army Chief Bikram Singh today said there was no 'Kargil-like situation' in Jammu and Kashmir, where an encounter to stop a major infiltration attempt from across the border has entered the 11th day.

His comments came as two terrorists were reportedly killed this morning during another infiltration bid at Guguldhar area near the Keran sector where Indian troops have engaged in an encounter since September 24, when almost 40 terrorists tried to cross over from Pakistan.

Syria warns Turkey will ‘pay dearly’ for rebel support

Ankara :Syrian President Bashar al Assad warned Turkey it will “pay dearly” for supporting rebels fighting to overthrow his regime, in an interview broadcast Friday on Turkish television.

“In the near future these terrorists will have an impact on Turkey. And Turkey will pay very dearly for its contribution,” Assad told the opposition station Halk TV.

Syrian jets parked in Iran: German intelligence

BERLIN – Iran has allowed Syria’s regime to station fighter jets on its territory to keep them safe from foreign attack, German intelligence services believe according to a media report on Sunday.

News portal Spiegel Online said the report, marked “classified,” pointed to close military ties between Damascus and Tehran beyond the deployment of Iran-backed Hezbollah militia on the side of regime forces.

Over two dozen politicians join Afghan presidential poll fray

Kabul : Over two dozen politicians, including some former ministers, have registered their names to contest in the next Afghan presidential election set for April 5 next year.

Sunday was the busiest day for the election commission here when half of the presidential hopefuls offered their candidacy, Xinhua reported.

The registration period for the candidates was set Sep 16-Oct 5.