Mumbai, May 03 (DNS)- Bollywood Star Veena Malik becomes an Eyecandy of world. She has is paparazzi and fan following not only in India Pakistan but also in Australia. In the list of his fan following Fiji Attorney General also get his name. Yes its true Attorney General of Fiji Aiyaz Sayed Khiayum went to meet Veena Malik on her onlocation shoot which was happening in Fiji. Veena Malik feels so happy about it she said, “It was a great movement when Attorney General of Fiji came to meet me. By meeting him we shared a good experience. It was a great knowing about Fiji from him.” Attorney General of Fiji Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum said, “Veena Malik is a very glamorous actress. I have seen her acting and performance. She portrays herself in very good manner which is her usp.” “Fiji is Beautiful Place with Beautiful People”, Veena ...
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Islamabad, April 21 (DNS) A Pakistani airliner with 127 people on board crashed in bad weather as it came in to land in Islamabad on Friday, scattering wreckage and leaving no sign of survivors. The Boeing 737, operated by local airline Bhoja Air, was flying to the capital from Pakistan's biggest city and business hub Karachi. It crashed into wheat fields more than 5 miles (about 9 km) from the airport. Rawal Khan Maitla, director general of Emergency Disaster Management for the Capital Development Authority, said there were no survivors. TV reports claimed that the black box of the ill-fated aircraft has been found. However, there was no official confirmation on this. Rescue workers walked through mud at the crash site with flashlights or with the lights of their cellphones looking for passengers' remains. One held up a tattered e-ticket receipt. Body parts, wallets and eyeglasses lay among wreckage strewn in a small settlement just outside Islamabad. "It was as if the entire sky had burst into flames," said a resident of the area. Parts of the aircraft smashed into electricity poles, blanketing the area in darkness, or into houses. There were no reports of casualties on the ground. Bhoja Air said the airplane crashed during its approach in Islamabad due to bad weather. There was no indication from the government that it could have been the result of foul play. A man who had been waiting at Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto International Airport for the flight yelled "my two daughters are dead" as tears ...
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KABUL, April 16 (DNS) A militant arrested in the attacks on the Afghan capital and three other cities has confessed that the 18-hour assault was carried out by the Haqqani network, a lethal group of fighters with ties to the Taliban and al-Qaida, a top Afghan security official said on Monday. Thirty-six insurgents were killed during the brazen, 18-hour attacks that also claimed the lives of eight policemen and three civilians and proved that militants can still penetrate Afghan security after 10 years of war, said interior minister Besmillah Mohammadi. It was the most widespread attack in the Afghan capital since an assault on the US Embassy and NATO headquarters last September - an assault also blamed on the Haqqani network, which is based in Pakistan and commands the loyalties of an estimated 10,000 fighters. The violence showed the Taliban and their allies are far from beaten and underscored the security challenge facing government forces as US and NATO forces draw down. The majority of international combat troops are scheduled to leave by the end of 2014. On Monday, Kabul residents awoke to a second day of loud explosions and the crackle of gunfire but the attacks on the Afghan capital ended when insurgents who had holed up overnight in two buildings were overcome by heavy gunfire from Afghan-led forces and pre-dawn air assaults from US-led coalition helicopters. As darkness turned to dawn, rocket-propelled grenades were fired one after another into a building in the center of the city where ...
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DERA ISMAIL KHAN, PAKISTAN, February 9 (DNS)—A U.S. drone fired two missiles at a house in Pakistan’s northwest tribal region Thursday, killing five suspected militants, intelligence officials said. The Taliban identified one of them as a prominent commander who has served as a key link to al Qaeda. The commander, Badar Mansoor, led a group of over 200 Pakistani Taliban fighters in the North Waziristan tribal area, the main sanctuary for militants in Pakistan, said a fellow insurgent. Pakistani intelligence officials could not confirm that Mansoor was one of the five suspected militants killed in the strike in the main bazaar in Miran Shah, the biggest town in North Waziristan. The intelligence officials and Taliban fighter spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The strike was the second in as many days in North Waziristan, an indication the drone program is picking up steam again after a slowdown caused by tensions with Pakistan over accidental American airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last year. The U.S. held off on carrying out drone strikes for over six weeks after the deadly accident on Nov. 26. There have been a handful of attacks since they resumed in January, but the last two are the first consecutive strikes since the border incident. Mansoor, the militant commander who was killed before dawn on Thursday, was from Pakistan’s largest province, Punjab, and migrated to North Waziristan in 2008, said the Taliban fighter who reported ...
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New Delhi, February 9 (Agencies)- The European Union will ask for India's help in convincing Iran to abandon its nuclear programme and return to the negotiating table, EU President Herman Van Rompuy said in a newspaper interview published on Thursday. "I plan to ask Indian leaders to apply their considerable leverage to Iran and help in convincing the Iranian leadership to give up their sensitive nuclear programme and return to the negotiating table," Van Rompuy told the Times of India. The United States and the European Union have tightened sanctions against Iran this year, hoping to choke its oil revenues and persuade it to abandon a suspected nuclear weapons programme. Tehran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful means. India imports 12 percent of its oil from the Islamic Republic and could be badly hit by the latest sanctions. The United States and its allies in Europe are putting pressure on New Delhi to look for alternative sources of oil. New Delhi has, thus far, defied the mounting pressure from Washington and Brussels and is seeking alternative ways of paying for Iran's oil without voilating the sanctions. New Delhi will send a delegation to Tehran this month to explore increasing India's exports to Iran and for making payments for oil imports in Indian rupees. Iran has agreed to accept rupees for 45 percent of New Delhi's $11 billion a year oil bill, sources told Reuters early this month. India is currently paying Iran for the oil through Turkey's Halkbank (HALKB.IS) after a previous ...
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WASHINGTON, January 31 (DNS) President Barack Obama on Monday confirmed that US drone aircraft have struck Taliban and al-Qaida targets within Pakistan -- operations that until now had not been officially acknowledged. When asked about the use of drones by his administration in a chat with web users on Google+ and YouTube, Obama said "a lot of these strikes have been in the FATA" -- Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas. "For the most part, they've been very precise precision strikes against al-Qaida and their affiliates, and we're very careful in terms of how it's been applied," Obama said. "This is a targeted focused effort at people who are on a list of active terrorists, who are trying to go in and harm Americans, hit American facilities, American bases, and so on." Explaining that many strikes were carried out "on al-Qaida operatives in places where the capacities of that military in that country may not be able to get them," Obama confirmed that Pakistan's lawless tribal zone was a target. "So, obviously, a lot of these strikes have been in the FATA, and going after al-Qaida suspects who are up in very tough terrain along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said. "For us to be able to get them in another way would involve probably a lot more intrusive military action than the ones we're already engaging in." US officials say Pakistan's tribal belt provides sanctuary to Taliban fighting for 10 years in Afghanistan, al-Qaida groups plotting attacks on the West, Pakistani ...
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Kolkata, January 29 (DNS)- Sixty four years after his death, Mahatma Gandhi's name on Sunday created a world record in the Guinness Book as 485 underprivileged boys brought out a peace march dressed as Bapu. Flaunting khadi attire and Gandhi caps, the group of boys wore round-framed spectacles and walked with sticks as they brought alive memories of Gandhi's historic Dandi march. Aged between ten and sixteen, the kids, most of whom are from single mothers, walked for half a kilometre distance at Mayo Road in central Kolkata during the peace march. Upholding the morals and ethics of the Father of the Nation, the walk metaphorically reminisced his principles of truth, justice and non-violence. After evaluating and monitoring the event, officials from the Guinness Book awarded the world record certificate to the UK-based organisers TRACKS (Training Recourse and Care for Kids). "I am myself a Gandhi follower. This peace march is meant to inculcate Gandhi's values and messages in poor children. We don't want the underprivileged kids to forget the rich legacy of Gandhian ideology," said Michael Anthony who runs the NGO. The last such record of a gathering dressed as Gandhi was made in June 2010 when a group of 255 students achieved this in Coimbatore, Nikhil Shukla, India adjudicator of the Guinness, told ...
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Google, Facebook and Twitter are getting attention as revelers say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012. The Internet search leader has a new Doodle that celebrates the holiday, social networking site Facebook is preparing for an onslaught of photo uploads and so you don't miss any of the action Twitter has a way for you to keep up with the news and quips about the ball dropping in New York City. The online world is shaping up to be a fun destination for people celebrating the new year. Google's latest Doodle, presumably its last in a busy year of playing around with its home page, consists of each of the company's six letters decked out in party attire amidst confetti and balloons. As Saturday dawned, the festive-looking Doodle didn't do more than take you to a search results page for "Happy New Year," but who knows, maybe Google built in more interactivity that would surface closer to the ball dropping. Or maybe not. Regardless, this one was getting global attention. The Doodle, which you can see at Google's home page, was first spotted on South Korean and New Zealand landing pages since, because of time zone differences, Asia and Pacific regions roll into 2012 earlier than the United States. If you're a Google Doodle fan and would simply like to take another look at all the good ones from 2011, check out its recently revamped Google Doodle website, which is now not only a hub for Doodles but also an online Doodle Store where you can purchase posters, t-shirts, coffee mugs, skateboard decks, and other ...
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Peshawar, June 5 (Agencies)- At least seven people were killed and 10 others injured when a bomb planted in a van went off today at a bus stop on the outskirts of Peshawar in northwest Pakistan. The explosive device was planted in a van parked at the bus stop in Mattani area of Peshawar, police said. The bus stop was crowded at the time of the blast. Seven persons were killed by the blast, witnesses told TV news channels. Ten others were injured and several women and children were among the dead and wounded. Officials at the Lady Reading Hospital said they had received four bodies including those of two children and a woman. Two of the injured were in a serious condition. An emergency was declared in the hospital. Security forces cordoned off the bus stop as rescue workers rushed the injured to hospital. Footage on television showed the mangled parts of the vehicle hit by the blast lying at the bus stop, which is frequented by residents of Peshawar, Kohat and the nearby Khyber tribal region. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. In recent days, the Pakistani Taliban have carried out a series of attacks to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden in a US raid in the garrison city of Abbottabad on May ...
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Azerbaijan and Armenia celebrate Republic’s Day on the same date – May, 28. After the fall of Romanov Empire and the revolution of October, 1917, Azerbaijani leaders declared the foundation of the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic. Even though this Republic existed only for 23 months before being annexed by the newly formed Russian socialist government, became the first democratic state among Eastern countries. An official reception to mark 28 May, Day of Azerbaijani Republic, was held at Buta Palace in Baku on 27 May. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressed the reception saying that the foundation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was an event of great historical importance both for Azerbaijani nation and the whole world, as it was the very first democratic state created in the Muslim East. Listing the achievements of present independent Azerbaijani state, the President said that the policy of establishing friendly partnership relations with diverse countries was successfully completed and now Azerbaijan will be able to expand energy exports in any direction. “In anticipation of this wonderful national holiday, I once again congratulate all the Azerbaijani people on Independence Day - Republic Day, I wish all the people of Azerbaijan success and happiness” – said the President. May 28 is also a national holiday in Armenia, as the state celebrates the Republic Day - the day of reestablishment of Armenian sovereignty. On this day 93 years ago after a decisive victory over Turkish forces ...
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Amman, May 28 (Petra) – His Majesty King Abdullah II on Saturday sent a cable to President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Girma Wolde-Giorgis, congratulating him on the occasion of his country's National Day. The King wished the Ethiopian president continued good health and happiness and the people of Ethiopia further progress and ...
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Belene, May 28 (Agencies)- Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov, announced the country is to, most likely, present to Russia a new project for contract for the Nuclear Power Plant, NPP, in the Danube town of Belene. "After consultants examined the current contract, they said that this is not an agreement for an NPP supposed to function based on market rules. This is a contract between two countries that have agreed they will build an NPP with secured financing, and it is obvious money will flow there. This is it - i.e. there we have to return to the beginning of the maze as well and possibly present a new contract, Traikov, cited Saturday by the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, stated. The Minister was adamant there will be a contract for Russian gas supply, regardless of Belene, and it will be signed when Bulgaraz and Gazprom iron out all details and reach an agreement. Traikov pointed out it is very important to include in the planning all developing processes and upcoming events such as future gas connections with Greece, and Azerbaijan, discovering new gas deposits in the Bulgarian Black Sea shelf, and deposits of schist gas. On Thursday, Traikov announced, after a meeting in Brussels with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Schmatko, with the CEO of Russian energy giant Gazprom, Alexei Miller, and his Deputy, Alexander Medvedev, Bulgaria and Russia are not getting closer in reaching an agreement on the price of the project to build the Belene ...
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Harare, May 28 (Agencies)- TOP Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) commander Brigadier-General Douglas Nyikayaramba says President Robert Mugabe must remain in office for life and elections must be held this year to ensure "political stability" in the country. Nyikayaramba, who is commander of 3 Infantry Brigade in Manicaland, also told the Zimbabwe Independent in an exclusive interview in the capital yesterday that Zanu PF would win the next elections. He however did not say how he knows that. In stunning revelations, which clearly indicated the army was dabbling in politics and was the power behind Mugabe's throne, Nyikayaramba said the president (87) cannot be removed because he was irreplaceable like a "father" in a family. "Why do you want to force him to go? Where were you when he crossed into Mozambique (to fight in the liberation struggle) and why didn't you go?" asked Nyikayaramba. "If you can change your father in your family, then we can do the same, but has anyone ever changed his or her father just because he is old? Until your father dies only then can you have a stepfather -- that is that." He said elections, which he claims Zanu PF would win, must be held this year because the inclusive government has failed to look after the army. He added that he suspected that the MDC-T-controlled Ministry of Finance was deliberately under-funding the military to incite soldiers to mutiny against their commanders. "In our case (the military) we need elections like yesterday because it has created a lot of ...
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Washington, May 21 (Agencies)- Five months into the Arab Spring, President Obama is honing his Middle East strategy with an update to the “new beginning” he proposed for US-Arab relations nearly two years ago in Cairo. Among the points the president is underscoring: Patience with tyrants is running short – even in cases, like Syria, where fear of an unknown alternative has moderated diplomatic pressures. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not isolated from the changes sweeping the region but demands a solution all the more because of it. And political actors in the new Middle East will be judged more on their actions than on affiliations and past positions. This last point signifies that, in a region that largely rejected the ideology of Osama bin Laden even before his death at US hands earlier this month, political Islam will not be rejected by the US out of hand. Obama's speech: Five ways Netanyahu can respond In a much-anticipated speech in Washington May 19, the president insisted that US policy in the Middle East will be designed to support – rather than thwart – the same popular yearnings for self-rule and prosperity that built America and produced what are now universal values. Gone is the tipping of the hat to Arab autocrats that has accompanied decades of American calls for expanded political freedoms and economic opportunities in the region. “After decades of accepting the world as it is in the region, we have a chance to pursue the world as it should be,” Mr. Obama said. “It ...
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Oxford, May 6 (DNS)- During a talk show on Punjab Radio in London and SIKH TV in Birmingham, Mr. Amanpreet Singh Chhina, an associate of S. Manpreet Singh Badal, encouraged all Indian citizens living abroad (NRIs) to register their vote with the Election Commission of India to bring change in the Indian political system. He requested them to become members of the People’s Party of Punjab and to actively participate in Punjab politics. He emphasised that with NRIs active participation in politics and investment in Punjab, Punjab will soon become a number one state in India as before. Mr. Chhina has also stressed upon the need to have well-developed and thoughtful policies that should seriously consider the burning issues of Punjab, including Punjab’s debt. He clarified that as on 14 March 2011 Punjab’s debt has reached upto INR 77,000 Cr, which necessitates the Punjab State Government not only to adopt and implement thoughtful policies that can reduce the state’s debt but also increase the income of the state by proper tax collection and other appropriate methods. Unfortunately, Punjab debt is constantly increasing and current ruling government do not have capability to handle this issue. Mr. Chhina appealed to the donors and supporters of the PPP to only donate their hard-earned money to the PPP either through cheque or a draft, for it will enhance transparency and accountability in the party structure. Every single penny of the donation will be accounted for in the accounts of the party and will ...
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Al-Qaeda, which in Arabic means "the base", was created in 1988. Osama bin Laden formed the fundamentalist group with other Arab fighters from the US-backed mujahideen after forcing back Soviet soldiers from Afghanistan. Here is a timeline of events from the group's creation through to the death of Osama bin Laden. :: 1991: Osama bin Laden moves to Sudan and makes the country al-Qaeda's base. Training camps are set up and preparations made for jihad. Bin Laden - whose aliases included the Prince, the Emir, Abu Abdallah, Mujahid Shaykh, Hajj, and the Director - stayed in the African country for five years and was believed to have begun a search for nuclear material. :: 1993: Bin Laden linked by the US to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Centre which killed six people and injured 1,000 more. :: 1996: The US identifies bin Laden as the prime suspect in the bombing of the Khobar Towers military complex in Saudi Arabia in which 19 US servicemen are killed. :: October 12 1996: Bin Laden formalises his campaign against America by issuing a declaration of jihad, or holy war, calling on muslims to kill US soldiers, civilians and allies. :: August 1998: The first acknowledged mass-casualty al-Qaeda attack takes place at the US Embassy in Kenya. A total of 219 people are killed. A pick-up truck packed with explosives blows up outside the four-storey building in the heart of the capital Nairobi. Minutes later, 12 people are killed when another bomb shatters the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam in ...
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Islamabad, May 02 (Agencies)- Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a US helicopter raid on a mansion near the Pakistani capital Islamabad early on Monday, officials said, ending a nearly 10-year worldwide hunt for the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks. US officials said bin Laden was found in a million-dollar compound in the military garrison town of Abbottabad, 60 km north of Islamabad. After 40 minutes of fighting, bin Laden was among several people in the mansion killed. A source familiar with the operation said bin Laden was shot in the head. "Justice has been done," President Barack Obama declared in a hastily called White House speech announcing the death of the elusive head of the militant Islamic group behind a series of deadly bombings across the world. Leaders worldwide praised the killing as a dramatic success in the war against al Qaeda, a mood reflected in financial markets. The dollar and stocks rose, while oil and gold fell, on the view bin Laden's death reduced global security risks. However, many analysts cautioned it was too soon to say his death would mark a turning point in the battle against a highly fractured network of militants. Jubilant, flag-waving celebrations erupted in Washington and New York after Obama's announcement. It was the biggest national security victory for the president since he took office in early 2009 and could give him a political boost as he seeks re-election in 2012. Obama may now also find it easier to wind down the nearly decade-old war in ...
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London, April 29 (Doaba News Service)- Bells pealed, crowds cheered, even the sun put in a timely appearance, as Prince William emerged from Westminster Abbey with his bride on his arm. Wearing a broad smile, a Wartski wedding ring of Welsh gold and an ivory gown with lace applique, Kate Middleton – now Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge – joined The Firm amid the pomp and pageantry Britain prides itself on performing well. Before a global television audience of many millions, Kate played her part to perfection. From the dress – by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, kept a secret until the last moment and sending the British fashion industry into paroxyms of ecstacy – to the 1936 Cartier diamond tiara loaned by the Queen, she looked every inch the fairytale princess. Which, of course, she was not. The Queen's conferring of the ancient title of Duke of Cambridge on her grandson just hours before the ceremony deprived his wife of the title Princess Catherine. But she is a duchess, which is several rungs up the social ladder than her standing before entering the 1,000-year-old abbey this morning. And there was no mention of fairytales – unlike 30 years ago when Robert Runcie, then Archbishop of Canterbury, gushingly pronounced Prince Charles's union with Lady Diana Spencer "the stuff of fairytales". Lessons have since been learned. Instead, the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, read a prayer penned by William and Kate, and asking for spiritual help to guide them through their ...
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Islamabad, April 22 (DNS)- At least 15 security personnel were killed and several others were injured when militants attacked a check post in northwest Pakistan, media reports said on Friday. Militants armed with heavy weapons, including rockets, attacked the check post in Lower Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bor dering Afghanistan, killing at least 15 security personnel, Xinhua reported. Media reports, however, varied about the time of the attack. Geo TV said the attack took place Thursday night, while the Urdu TV channel ARY said it took place early Friday. Army helicopter gunships later bombed the militants' positions but there were no reports of casualties. The injured, who were initially taken to a hospital in Timergara, the main town in Dir district, were later shifted to Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The fighting was still on in the area Friday afternoon, the Urdu channel said. Officials said Afghan insurgents crossed into Pakistan to back the Pakistani militants in the attack, the biggest in recent months. About 34 border guards and 10 policemen were manning the post. Both sides exchanged fire for several hours before army helicopters were called in for support. Local residents fled their homes after the fighting erupted. Dir district had been a stronghold of the Taliban militants, who were expelled in a major operation in 2009. Officials believe the militants from the nearby Bajaur tribal region and the Swat Valley have taken shelter in the mountainous Dir ...
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London, April 21 (Agencies)— Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 85th birthday on Thursday by visiting London's Westminster Abbey, in a useful rehearsal for the wedding of her grandson Prince William next week. The monarch attended the Royal Maundy service, an Easter tradition whereby the sovereign gives out specially minted silver coins to the elderly. It was the first time in 10 years that the service has been held at Westminster Abbey, and the event gave the historic church a run-out with eight days to go before the wedding of William and his fiancee Kate Middleton. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip -- who turns 90 in June -- also tied the knot in Westminster Abbey in 1947. The Easter ceremony was a useful royal wedding rehearsal for the choristers, the organist and the clergy, while broadcasters gave their cameras, lighting and technical equipment a welcome test run. Crowds outside in the sunshine shouted "Happy Birthday" as the queen left the abbey, with children waving the Union flag and sitting on shoulders for a better view as well-wishers leaned forward to take photographs. The freshly minted Maundy coins reflect a royal tradition dating back to at least the 12th century when English kings would give money to the needy at Easter time. The coins add up to the sovereign's age, worth 85 pence ($1.40, 95 euro cents) -- but they are valuable souvenirs -- and were distributed to 85 men and 85 women. Each recipient got two purses -- a white one containing the Maundy money in silver one, two, three ...
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