Colombo, May 19 (IANS) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday renewed his pledge to fight all "external elements" seeking to "disrupt" the country's peace. Speaking on the fourth anniversary celebration of winning the three-decade war against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE), Rajapaksa was alluding to foreign countries, led by the US, Xinhua reported.
New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) All issues would be on the table, including the India-China boundary question, when Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here Sunday evening. Li, who arrives in India Sunday afternoon on a three-day state visit, and Manmohan Singh are also likely to discuss the proposed border defence cooperation agreement during their talks, sources said Saturday. Li's visit comes days after the 20-day India-China border stand-off was resolved May
Moscow, May 18 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Moscow is counting on the UN to develop proposals regarding the international presence in Afghanistan after 2014, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday. "We consider it important to start discussing in advance what forms of (international) presence there will be in Afghanistan after 2014; we will count on the proposals that the (UN) secretary general is planning to prepare together with his colleagues." Lavrov was speaking after a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in the southern Russian city of Sochi.
Kabul, May 18 (IANS) At least nine people were killed and over 55 injured Friday evening when two blasts rocked Afghanistan's Kandahar city, a government official said. "The initial reports said three police officers and six civilians died and over 55 wounded in two explosions which took place in Hyno area of the city Friday evening," reported Xinhua citing a provincial spokesperson. The blasts occurred as explosives were placed in two cars parked to target a police convoy passing by the area, the official added.
Islamabad, May 18 (IANS) At least 15 people were killed and 25 injured when twin blasts hit two mosques in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province ahead of the Friday prayers, Geo News reported. The blasts occurred in Malakand district of the province from where the bodies and injured were shifted to a hospital
Jalandhar, May 17 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee will confer the first honoris causa degree of the Lovely Professional University (LPU) to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai at the varsity's convocation to be held in this Punjab city Monday (May 20), a varsity official said. LPU Chancellor Ashok Mittal said: "President Pranab Mukherjee will be the chief guest at the convocation. It is one of the rare occasions as the president of another country, Afghanistan, would also be present." "Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan, would be receiving university's first Honoris Causa degree.
Islamabad, May 17 (IANS) At least 12 people were killed and 25 others injured when twin blasts hit two mosques in Malakand town in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Friday afternoon, reported Xinhua citing local media. Both blasts took place almost simultaneously at about 2 p.m.
New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) India has told Sri Lanka not to dilute the autonomous powers granted to its Tamil-majority northern province ahead of provincial elections, official sources said Friday. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid also sought the early release of 31 Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lanka
She walked into my study with a sort of aggressive authority that has become the hallmark of younger TV interviewers, custom made for shrill current affairs chat shows. 'Should our prime minister accept the invitation of Nawaz Sharif who invited our Vajpayeeji by bus and then stabbed him in the back in Kargil?' This is the rough translation of her question in Hindi.
Islamabad, May 17 (IANS) Pakistan caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso has decided to release 51 Indian fishermen on humanitarian grounds as a goodwill gesture, the prime minister's office said Friday. These prisoners have already served their sentences, the office said in a statement. The prime minister expressed the hope that the Indian government will reciprocate the gesture and release Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails who have completed their sentence, reported Xinhua
