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Talks with Taliban at a standstill: Pak Govt
56 Yemen soldiers, cops killed in Qaida triple attack
13 injured in Chicago shooting
Syria submits chemical arms details to watchdog
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Historic Obama-Rouhani meeting possible: US
Washington, September 20 "I would just say that in general, it's possible. But it has always been possible. The extended hand has been there from the moment the President was sworn into office," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters here. However, when asked directly if there would be a meeting in New York next week, Carney said, "there are currently no plans for President Obama to meet with President Rouhani." "It's fair to say that the President believes there is an opportunity for diplomacy when it comes to the issues that have presented challenges to the United States and our allies with regards to Iran, and we hope that the Iranian Government takes advantage of this opportunity," Carney said. Rouhani, a moderate cleric, will travel to the US to attend the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly wherein he will address world leaders on the same day as Obama. Any meeting between President Obama and Rouhani next week would be historic. The two countries have had no diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic revolution that overthrew the Western-backed Shah regime after massive countrywide protests. In a newspaper op-ed, Rouhani called for a "constructive interaction" with the US. "As I depart for New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly, I urge my counterparts to seize the opportunity presented by Iran's recent election," he wrote. I urge them to "respond genuinely to my government's efforts to engage in constructive dialogue," Rouhani said. — PTI |
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‘No visa bond’ for Indians in UK soon
London, September 20 Answering a question on the controversial bond at a farewell reception hosted in his honour at the India House, outgoing Indian High Commissioner to the UK Jaimini Bhagwati said, “The issue was taken up with the UK government both at the government level and senior ministerial level.” “They were told about our concerns. If the idea is to target someone who will violate the Visa rules, then it is not clear how the bond will prevent such violators. There is no move to finalise the proposal soon,” he said. Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg opposed the Conservative-led coalition government's controversial 3,000 pounds visa bond scheme, which would affect visitors from certain countries including India. Clegg is the latest senior figure from the Liberal Democrat party to speak out against plans to charge 3,000 pounds from foreigners belonging to certain "high risk" nations. — PTI |
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Talks with Taliban at a standstill: Pak Govt
The Taliban attack on Sunday that killed an army general has dealt a “serious blow” on the government move for a peace dialogue with the rebel group. The move has “come to a standstill”, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the National Assembly on Friday. The minister said that the military and Opposition would be consulted while reviewing the process. His statement indicated an apparent hardening of the government position. In his first public comments on the Taliban-claimed roadside blast of an improvised explosive device in Upper Dir, the minister advised political parties to avoid making statements that could compromise the consensus reached at the September 9 all-party conference. And in what appeared to be a snub to a suggestion by Imran Khan, chairman of the Opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, that the government and Taliban form negotiating teams and announce a ceasefire, Nisar said, “Nobody should advise us for a ceasefire.” Army continues tough talk The army put out a toughly worded statement this week. "While reaffirming the army's support for the political process, (Kayani has) also said, unequivocally, that terrorists will not be allowed to take advantage of it," it said. "The army has the ability and the will to take the fight to the terrorists." — Reuters |
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56 Yemen soldiers, cops killed in Qaida triple attack
Sanaa, September 20 Two of the three attacks in Shabwa province, an Al-Qaida stronghold, involved vehicle bombs, they said. The deadliest single attack was at an army camp responsible for ensuring security at oilfields in the region, where 38 soldiers were killed, the sources added. "Troops clashed with gunmen at the camp entrance, before a suicide attacker in a bomb-laden vehicle forced his way into the camp where his car exploded, killing 38 soldiers," said a government official in Ataq, capital of Shabwa. Military sources confirmed the toll. Simultaneously, "a suicide bomber in a car blew himself up before reaching his target — an army checkpoint" in the nearby Al-Nushaima area, a military official said, adding that 10 soldiers were killed in that blast. "Soldiers were captured" in Al-Nushaima as others fled, witnesses told AFP by telephone. Around 15 km away, suspected Al-Qaida gunmen targeted a special forces camp at Maifaa, also in Shabwa, killing eight policemen, military sources said. The bloody dawn attacks in the province — an Al-Qaida stronghold — were attributed by the military authorities to Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) — classified by the United States as the network's deadliest branch. — AFP |
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13 injured in Chicago shooting
Chicago, September 20 The Thursday night shooting came in the same week when a contract worker opened fire at the Washington Navy Yard killing 12 persons in the nation's capital. "I can tell you that it's an ongoing investigation and that 13 persons were shot," Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Amina Greer said on Friday. She said no arrests had been made so far. She was unable to confirm local media reports that said four of the gunshot victims injured in the shooting on a basketball court, including the three-year-old, were listed in critical condition in area hospitals on early Friday. — Reuters |
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Syria submits chemical arms details to watchdog Damascus, September 20 A senior Syrian official, meanwhile, said Damascus wanted a ceasefire in the 30-month war, which has reportedly killed more than 1,10,000 persons and forced more than two million to flee. Hours before a deadline for President Bashar al-Assad’s regime to provide details on its arsenal, the Hague-based group tasked with dismantling the arms said it has received an initial report. "The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has received an initial disclosure from the Syrian government of its chemical weapons programme," an OPCW statement said. — AFP |
25 years on, poll in Lanka’s Tamil-dominated area today 18 Afghan police killed in ambush Iraq Sunni mosque blasts kill
16 22 hurt in Spain train collision 4 Pak sisters commit suicide over dowry |
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