News

Riyadh, August 11: The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan will start on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest shrines, state television Al-Ekhbariyah said.

The news channel said on Tuesday night that the supreme judicial council, which is in charge of confirming the sighting of the new moon, has announced the beginning of the lunar month.

The exact dates of the start and the end of Ramadan depend on the sighting of the new moon as many Muslim countries reject using astronomical calculation for the Muslim lunar calendar.

Iraq, August 11: Insurgents early Wednesday lured Iraqi troops into a booby-trapped house in Diyala province which then exploded killing eight soldiers, an army officer told AFP.

Three other bodies were found under the rubble, but it was not immediately clear if they were of insurgents or civilians, Captain Mohanned Ibrahim said.

The blast, which wounded four other soldiers, occurred at around 5:00 am (0200 GMT) in the town of Saadiyah, 100 kilometres (65 miles) northeast of Baghdad, he said.

Washington, August 11: Palestinian officials on Tuesday said they had made progress towards the launch of direct talks with Israel during the latest visit by US envoy George Mitchell.

However, they adhered to the same demands that have held up talks for months, namely a complete freeze of Israeli settlement activity and set guidelines regarding the negotiation of final borders.

The Palestinians also want a set timeline for an agreement addressing all the core issues of the conflict that does not exceed 24 months.

Sudan, August 11: Gunmen in south Sudan killed 23 people, including police officers, in an ambush on a truck in the key oil producing state of Unity last weekend, a southern army spokesman said on Wednesday.

“Attackers ambushed a truck south of Bentiu,” said Malaak Ayuen Ajok, from the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army (SPLA), the former rebel turned official southern military.

“Our forces on the ground say that 23 people were killed, including police officers, as well as those from the prison service and wildlife protection forces,” said Ajok, of the attack on Sunday evening.

Baghdad, August 11: Iraq will spend 300 million dollars to upgrade six major hotels in Baghdad for an Arab summit next year, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told AFP on Tuesday.

“We will invest around 300 million dollars to transform our six largest hotels to international standards for the Arab summit at the end of March” 2011, Zebari said.

The hotels include the Rasheed, the centre of political life during the era of Saddam Hussein, who was ousted by the 2003 US-led invasion and later tried and executed.

Jerusalem, August 11: Israeli bulldozers backed by police destroyed dozens of gravestones in a Muslim cemetery in central Jerusalem on Tuesday, according to an AFP photographer.

The Islamic Movement accused the municipality of destroying more than 200 Muslim graves that had been recently renovated in a centuries-old cemetery in mostly Jewish west Jerusalem.

“Last night at around 12:30 am (2130 GMT) occupation forces entered the cemetery and destroyed around 200 graves,” said Mahmud Abu Atta of the Al-Aqsa Foundation linked to the group, whose members are Arab citizens of Israel.

Baghdad, August 11: The Iraqi army will require American support for another decade before it is ready to handle the country’s security on its own, Iraq’s army chief of staff told AFP on Wednesday.

Lieutenant General Babaker Zebari said Iraq’s politicians had to find a way to “fill the void” after American troops withdraw from the country at the end of next year under a bilateral security pact.

“At this point, the withdrawal (of US forces) is going well, because they are still here,” Zebari said.

Cairo, August 11: Sunni Muslims across much of the world on Wednesday began the fasting month of Ramadan during an especially gruelling time of the year for many, with the Shiite community expected to follow suit on Thursday.

Authorities urged Muslims to be merciful during Ramadan, while non-Muslims in Muslim-majority countries were asked to observe the rules and refrain from drinking or eating in public or face fines and imprisonment.

Beirut, August 11: A UN court probing the murder of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri on Wednesday called for the submission of all material held by Hezbollah, which claims its data implicates Israel in the killing.

“In line with its mandate, the Office of the Prosecutor has requested the Lebanese authorities to provide all the information in possession of (Hezbollah) Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah,” a statement released by the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon said.