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No talks with Taliban scheduled: US
Indian Nurse’s suicide in uk
Palestinian children tortured, used as shields by Israel: UN
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Pak defends allocation of funds to JuD
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No talks with Taliban scheduled: US
Washington, June 20 "Because we're working with the Afghans on what the next appropriate step is, there isn't a meeting. I know there were reports of it, but reports of a meeting being scheduled or on the books aren't accurate," State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters. While multiple media reports had said the talks would be held on Thursday, the State Department had not confirmed it. "If there's a role for the US to play in that, that's up to the Afghans to decide. We are in coordination and in discussion with the Afghans and the High Peace Council about how to move forward," Psaki said. "There were reports yesterday of one being scheduled for Thursday, which we didn't confirm from here. We are continuing to work on the process," she said. “There is broad agreement that that is the right process. I think there's been some confusion about the different components of this," she added. Afghan President Hamid Karzai broke off crucial security talks with the United States yesterday, angry over the name given to a new Taliban office in Qatar that is meant to facilitate peace negotiations. With the US-led NATO combat mission due to end next year, US officials are determined to resume talks with the Taliban after tentative contacts limited to a prisoner swap collapsed last year. — Agencies Afghan peace plans in limbo as US placates Karzai
Taliban offer to free Us soldier
The Afghan Taliban are ready to free a US soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange of their senior operatives imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay as a conciliatory gesture, a senior spokesperson for the group said on Thursday. |
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Oz radio station tries to halt probe
Melbourne, June 20 The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said Sydney radio station 2Day FM has applied to the Federal Court for an order to stop the ACMA from continuing its investigation into the station's decision to play the phone call when the nurse gave information about Kate Middleton's treatment for serious morning sickness. Nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who transferred the call to the ward at London's King Edward VII's hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was receiving treatment, committed suicide a few days after the prank received worldwide attention. The two RJs — Mel Greig and Michael Christian — who posed as the Queen and Prince Charles were taken off air and forced into hiding following global outrage over Saldanha's death. But the station was scrutinised earlier this month following its decision to award a 'top jock' national prize to Christian. — PTI
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Palestinian children tortured, used as shields by Israel: UN
Geneva, June 20 "Palestinian children arrested by (Israeli) military and police are systematically subject to degrading treatment, and often to acts of torture, are interrogated in Hebrew, a language they did not understand, and sign confessions in Hebrew in order to be released," it said in a report. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it had responded to a report by the UN children's agency UNICEF in March on ill-treatment of Palestinian minors and questioned whether the UN committee's investigation covered new ground. "If someone simply wants to magnify their political bias and political bashing of Israel not based on a new report, on work on the ground, but simply recycling old stuff, there is no importance in that," spokesman Yigal Palmor said. The report by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child acknowledged Israel's national security concerns and noted that children on both sides of the conflict continue to be killed and wounded, but that more casualties are Palestinian. Most Palestinian children arrested are accused of having thrown stones, an offence which can carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, the committee said.— Reuters
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Pak defends allocation of funds to JuD
Lahore, June 20 A spokesman of the Punjab government said the Punjab government had taken "administrative control of the welfare institutions being run by the JuD in compliance with Security Council resolutions of the United Nations". "There were two purposes behind taking control of these institutions: one, no one from the JuD could continue its activities, and two, to ensure that local people might not be deprived of the facilities like dispensary, hospital and schools etc," the spokesman said in a statement. The spokesman further said the Punjab Government had appointed an official as an administrator to "ensure the provision of basic facilities to the local people". The Punjab government has been making these arrangements for these institutions since the end of 2008, he said. The PML-N government in Punjab announced a grant-in-aid of Rs 61.35 million for the administrator of the JuD's Markaz-e-Taiba at Muridkey in its budget for fiscal 2013-14. The allocation is listed on page 31 of the Punjab Government's annual budget statement that has also been posted online. The budget also includes another allocation of Rs 350 million for a knowledge park at Muridkey and various other development initiatives across Punjab. The spokesman clarified that the proposed knowledge park spread over 88 kanals has "nothing to do" with the JuD. "The proposed knowledge park has been planned as an independent developmental initiative and has no relevance with the (JuD)," he said. Though the spokesman referred to the JuD as a "banned organisation", an Assistant Advocate General of the Punjab government told the Lahore High Court as far back as October 2009 that there was no notification to establish that the JuD was a banned group. The Assistant Advocate General said the JuD was put under some restrictions after the UN Security Council passed a resolution but the organisation was not on the list of proscribed groups. A recent report in the Pakistani daily The News said that the entrance of the Markaz-e-Taiba in Muridkey is still guarded by stick-wielding activists of the JuD. Sources told PTI that the Markaz-e-Taiba is practically in the control of the JuD despite the appointment of an administrator. Even Pakistani or foreign journalists cannot go inside the centre with taking permission from the media cell of the JuD. The sources said a few months ago, JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed held a convention at Markaz-e-Taiba that was largely attended by JuD activists. — PTI |
France to maintain nuclear arsenal after Obama call Egypt’s former PM Nazif to be freed Napoleon's death mask fetches £1.7 lakh Kate Middleton opts for natural childbirth Indian teen missing from London found
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A United Nations human rights body accused Israeli forces on Thursday of mistreating Palestinian children, including by torturing those in custody and using others as human shields.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai (pic) on Thursday mulled his response to US efforts to repair damaged ties after a public spat over the Taliban opening an office in Qatar for peace talks. Karzai and US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke twice over telephone after the Afghan government became enraged that the office was opened in a blaze of publicity and US officials were apparently about to arrive for talks. 
Sopranos star James Gandolfini
died in Italy 