Gaza, July 14: Islamist group claims Israeli intelligence operatives transfer merchandise to Gaza dealers that increases sex drive, even encourage them to distribute them free of charge in order ‘to destroy’ young generation. Affair exposed after young girl chews gum, complains of bizarre side effects
Kabul, July 14 (DPA) Six foreign civilian contractors were killed in a helicopter crash Tuesday in southern Afghanistan after two US marines were killed in an insurgent attack in the same region, officials said.
The contractors were killed in the Sangin district of Helmand province, a NATO spokesman in Kabul said.
“We can confirm that all six contractors on board were killed in the incident,” said the spokesman, who asked not to be named.
Jerusalem, July 14: The Israeli military says three Israelis have been injured after crashing their car in the West Bank.
The military had earlier said that Palestinians pelted their car with stones, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash. But the military now says that was based on erroneous testimony from the men and that no stones were thrown.
One of the men was seriously injured. All three were taken to an Israeli hospital for treatment.
Kabul, July 14: The bodies of eight British soldiers killed during the army’s bloodiest 24 hours in Afghanistan will be flown home to a military base today.
The bodies of eight British soldiers killed during the army’s bloodiest 24 hours in Afghanistan will be flown home to a military base today.
Thousands are expected to line the streets of Wootton Bassett, near RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, to watch the men’s cortege – the largest yet to drive through the market town.
Sudan, July 14: Police in Sudan arrested 13 women in a raid on a cafe and flogged 10 of them in public for wearing trousers in violation of the country’s strict Islamic law, one of those arrested said today.
The 13 women were at a cafe in the capital, Khartoum, when they were detained on Friday by officers from the public order police, which enforces the implementation of Sharia law in public places.
The force randomly enforces an alcohol ban and often scolds young men and women mingling in public.
Kabul, July 14: A helicopter contracted by the NATO-led force in Afghanistan crashed in southern Helmand province Tuesday, killing six civilians, an official said. Two U.S. Marines died in the same region.
The white helicopter crashed and caught fire around daybreak in Sangin district, said Fazel Haq, the top district official.
Six civilians on board were killed and an Afghan national on the ground was injured, said a spokesman for the NATO-led force, who could not be identified because he was not the media office’s top spokesman.
Tehran, July 14: Authorities in southeastern Iran on Tuesday hanged 13 members of a Sunni Muslim rebel group convicted of bombings and killings in the area, the official IRNA news agency reported Tuesday.
The report said Abdulhamid Rigi, brother of Abdulmalik Rigi, leader of the group known as Jundallah or soldiers of God, had been scheduled to be hanged along with the 13 men on Tuesday but his execution was postponed. It gave no reason for the postponement.
Earlier on Tuesday, state radio reported that Abdulhamid Rigi was one of 14 men hanged.
Turky, July 14: An official Chinese newspaper urged Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday to take back remarks that genocide was being committed in China’s Muslim region of Xinjiang, where rioting killed 184 people.
In Xinjiang’s worst ethnic violence in decades, Uighurs attacked Han Chinese, the country’s predominant ethnic group, in the regional capital Urumqi on July 5 after police tried to break up a protest against fatal attacks on Uighur workers at a factory in south China.
Han Chinese launched revenge attacks two days later.
Riyadh, July 14 : King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, who is currently on an inspection tour of Madinah Province, visited the Prophet’s Mosque.
Soon after his arrival in Madinah, the king visited the mosque and performed the Asr prayer. He also visited the grave of the Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and paid his respects.
During the visit, the king issued a directive to complete the expansion works of the mosque. These include the installation of 182 sunshades to protect worshippers, more places of prayer, parking facilities and the completion of roadwork projects.
Beirut, July 14: Since the earliest days of his Administration, President Barack Obama has sought to engage Iran’s leaders in the search for diplomatic solutions to the standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program and other points of conflict. But in the days since protests exploded in the streets following the re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, many U.S. observers have suggested that prospects for engagement and reconciliation have dimmed.
Jerusalem, July 14: The British Government has reacted to Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Gaza last January by barring further exports of components used in naval gunships which took part in the three-week operation.
Britain has officially told Israel’s embassy in London that it is revoking five licences for exports of equipment used in Saar 4.5 vessels because they violate UK and EU criteria precluding military sales which could be used for “internal repression”.
Jerusalem, July 13: An Israeli official says Britain has revoked five licences granted to British companies to sell defense exports to Israel.
The official said the licences were revoked in connection with Israel’s recent war against Palestinian militants in Gaza although it was not known exactly what the issue was.
The licences applied to parts for Israeli Saar missile boats. The official says he does not know what equipment was at issue.
He says Britain reviewed 182 licences before deciding to revoke five.
Madinah, July 13: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah arrived here on Sunday on an inspection tour of Madinah province. He is expected to launch new industrial and development projects worth SR45 billion in Yanbu.
On arrival at Madinah’s Prince Muhammad bin Abdul Aziz International Airport, King Abdullah was greeted by Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif, Madinah Gov. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Majed and Sheikh Saleh Al-Hosain, head of the Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques.
Alkhobar, July 13: The power grids of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain will be linked later this month, the body overseeing interconnection said Tuesday.
Gulf Arab countries hope the $1.4 billion power connection project will help them meet rapidly rising power demand and avoid power outages.
The United Arab Emirates would hook up to the grid in 2011, the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) said in a statement. That would be a year later than previously expected. Oman was also expected to join the project.
Riyadh, July 13: As the number of swine flu victims in the Kingdom rose to 184, the Ministry of Health has intensified its awareness program throughout the Kingdom by sending SMS text messages to mobile phone users.
“In the wake of the increasing incidence of swine flu, we have embarked on an intensive campaign to educate the masses on the preventive measures that should be taken to fight the disease,” Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Al-Mirghalani said.
Jeddah, July 13: The Shoura Council on Sunday endorsed the national executive plan for traffic safety and called for the strict application of traffic regulations and the introduction of metro rail systems in major cities to reduce the number of traffic accidents.
Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, secretary-general of the Shoura, said the consultative body passed the plan after discussing the views of its Security Affairs Committee with a majority of members voting in favor. “The plan aims at reducing the large number of deaths and injuries caused by road accidents,” Al-Ghamdi said.
Tehran, July 13: A defeated candidate in Iran’s disputed election has said the Islamic system may face “collapse” unless it embraces change, in unusually blunt language from a prominent establishment figure.
Conservative Mohsen Rezaie, a former Revolutionary Guards commander who finished third in the June 12 vote won by hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called for national unity in a statement posted on his website on Sunday evening.
Khartoum, July 13: A major Darfur rebel group threatened on Monday to pull out of discussions with Sudan’s government if mediators insisted on inviting other insurgents to negotiate.
The threat from the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) underlined the challenge facing mediators struggling to resolve an increasingly chaotic six-year conflict. Fighting units have splintered and numerous bandit gangs and rival tribes have added to the violence.
Kabul, July 13: David Cameron today said it was a “scandal” that the British army did not have enough helicopters to transport troops around Afghanistan.
Speaking as a new poll suggested that the growing British casualty rate had not increased public hostility to the conflict, the Conservative leader said the government should deal with the helicopter problem “as a matter of urgency”.
Cameron will have the chance to challenge Gordon Brown on the issue when the prime minister makes a statement to the Commons, which will cover the latest deaths in Afghanistan, later today.
Tehran, July 13: The Iranian proposal which is supposed to be presented to world powers does not include anything on the nuclear dispute, official news agency IRNA reported Monday.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi told IRNA it would include global nuclear disarmament, finding ways to tackle the global economic crisis, settle cultural and ethical problems as well as deal with global and regional security.
The spokesman said the new proposal was an updated version of the previous one sent to the world powers last year.
Tehran, July 13: An Iranian senior security official says the police have taken measures to reduce the amount of goods smuggled out of Iran to neighboring countries.
Commander of Iran’s Border Police Brigadier General Qasem Rezaei said the total value of the smuggling commodities from the northeastern borders have been decreased to $100 million annually from $500 million due to sealing off the frontiers.
“With sealing the northeastern borders, deploying new forces and using (monitoring) tools we protect our national wealth,” Fars news agency quoted Rezaei as saying.
Baghdad, July 13: A car bomb exploded near a church as worshippers left Sunday Mass, killing at least four civilians and injuring 18 in one of several attacks on Iraq’s beleaguered Christian minority.
The coordinated assault came as the Iraqi military predicted that insurgent attacks, though declining, could continue for a few years, raising the prospect of militant violence after the scheduled withdrawal of all US troops by the end of 2011.
Jerusalem, July 13: Reacting to EU remarks about creating a Palestinian state without Israel’s consent, Tel Aviv claims the EU Foreign Policy Chief made the comments for his own personal gain.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday criticized the European Union’s top diplomat Javier Solana for calling on the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state by a certain deadline even if Israel refuses to do so. According to Lieberman, the EU diplomat made the remarks in an attempt to enhance his own standing before leaving office.
washington, July 13: NASA satellite images of Iraq show a large haze carrying two billion tons of sand and dust is leaving the country and heading towards its eastern neighbor Iran.
The dust storm, which had originated in Saudi Arabia, was blown into Iraq last week. It is now heading for Iran. It will be the second dust storm to hit the country, the Dubai-based Al-Arabiyya TV reported.
The weeklong sandstorm forced visiting US Vice President Joe Biden to cancel his flight to Kurdistan and interfered with the schedule of his meetings in Baghdad.
Kabul, July 13: US President Barack Obama said in an interview to be aired on Monday that he has ordered a probe into attempts to quash an investigation into the mass execution of Taliban prisoners in Afghanistan.
A leading US daily had reported on Sunday that top officials from the previous administration of president George W Bush discouraged separate probes by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Department and the Pentagon.