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US, Iran ‘agree’ to hold one-on-one N-talks
us prez poll
China sets up two drone bases to step up maritime surveillance
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Explosion kills 10 in Damascus
PPP: Probe into ISI’s poll funding shortly
Seven persons shot at in Wisconsin
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US, Iran ‘agree’ to hold one-on-one N-talks Washington, October 21 The talks could be a last-ditch diplomatic effort to avert a military strike on Iranian nuclear installations and could also help President Barack Obama make the case that he is nearing a breakthrough in the decade-long effort by the world's major powers to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions. "Iranian officials have insisted that the talks wait until after the presidential election," The New York Times quoted a senior Obama administration official as saying. The Iranians told their US counterparts that they want to know with whom they would be negotiating, the paper said. "News of the agreement — a result of intense, secret exchanges between American and Iranian officials that date almost to the beginning of President Obama's term - comes at a critical moment in the presidential contest, just two weeks before Election Day and the weekend before the final debate, which is to focus on national security and foreign policy," it said. The White House, however, denied that a final agreement had been reached. "It's not true that the United States and Iran have agreed to one-on-one talks or any meeting after the American elections," National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said, refuting the NYT news report. "We continue to work with the P5+1 on a diplomatic solution and have said from the outset that we would be prepared to meet bilaterally," Vietor said. "The President has made clear that he will prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and we will do what we must to achieve that." He added, however, that the administration was open to such talks, and has "said from the outset that we would be prepared to meet bilaterally." The Western powers accuse Tehran of developing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran deny. —
PTI
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us prez poll Washington, October 21 But Romney's recent surge in the polls after his strong performance in his first debate with Obama on October 3 has propelled the Republican into the lead or within striking distance in enough states to give him a reasonable chance of beating Obama to the finish line. Ohio, long seen as the key to unlocking the White House, looms large in every victory scenario for either candidate — particularly Romney. Until the last two weeks, polls did not show Romney with enough support in other crucial states to give him a clear path even if he won Ohio. But he has that now, as the campaign enters its final two weeks with eight states in play as toss-ups. "Before the first debate the electoral math looked like a real reach for Romney. Today, it looks quite possible," said Peter Brown, a pollster at Quinnipiac University. "Ohio is the big unknown, and it's Romney's biggest obstacle," Brown said. "If Romney can win Ohio, he's likely to win the election." The changing map has led Romney to make some shifts in strategy. He began moving some staff from North Carolina, a one-time battleground where he now has a solid lead, to other swing states this week. The former Massachusetts governor's campaign also bolstered its television advertising in Iowa and Wisconsin, where polls indicate Obama has slim leads. The RealClearPolitics average of polls gives Obama a lead of at least four percentage points in states that account for 237 electoral votes, while Romney enters the final stretch with an edge of that size in states that represent 206 electoral votes. — Reuters
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China sets up two drone bases to step up maritime surveillance Beijing, October 21 One of the bases will be built on a land reclamation lot in the coastal city of Yingkou to cover the Bohai Sea area. The other will be constructed in Dalian city to cover parts of Yellow Sea within the province's jurisdiction, according to Oceanic and Fishing Department of the provincial government. The drones, extensively used by the US in Afghanistan and against militants in Pakistan's tribal belt, will feature high-definition remote-sensing in marine surveillance, especially in quick response to emergency situations. They can also be used to identify illegal land reclamation activities and sand dredging, and monitor marine environments along the coast and on islets, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. A previous report said China was planning to build 11 drone bases for marine surveillance along the country's coastline by 2015 and at least one drone would be stationed at each base. —
PTI
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Explosion kills 10 in Damascus Amman, October 21 An official speaking from the scene said an explosives-rigged taxi blew up 50 meters (yards) from the Bab Touma neighbourhood's main police station. He and another official said 17 had been wounded. Both insisted on anonymity because they are not allowed to make press statements. Bab Touma, a popular attraction for shoppers, is inhabited mostly by members of Syria's Christian minority. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 10 had died and dozens were wounded, adding that it was not immediately clear if the victims and the wounded were civilians or policemen. — AP
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PPP: Probe into ISI’s poll funding shortly
Islamabad Oct 21 Talking to reporters in Lahore, information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira unveiled the government’s plan.
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Seven persons shot at in Wisconsin New York, October 21 The shooter opened fire in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield where just two months back a Gurdwara was attacked by a man of white supremacist leanings. Local media reports said the shooter was still at large as emergency services swarmed the area and police locked down the road where the incident was reported. The shooting reportedly occurred in and around a spa that was across the road from a shopping mall According to Milwaukee Sentinel Journal police was looking for a 6 feet 1 inch tall a black male who may be driving a black Mazda as a suspect but have not officially released any more information on the shooting. The paper said at least seven people were shot at. Some reports indicated that the shooter might have been dressed in military fatigues and fled from the scene in a black Mazda. A witness said he saw a girl screaming at the scene. "She was screaming, yelling, crying hysterical. She was pleading for help... She kept saying, 'My mother was shot.' And she mentioned that there was a gunman," he said. — PTI
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Indian soldiers who were killed in battle of El Alamein remembered Polish puppy no bigger than a mobile Malala is stable, say doctors |
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In what could be a major breakthrough, the US and Iran have agreed in principle for the first time to one-on-one negotiations over Islamic republic's nuclear programme, an influential American daily has claimed.
At least seven people were shot at by an unidentified gunman who went on a shooting rampage near a spa in a US city today, creating panic among people, media reports said.
