Chicago: NATO says that its European missile shield is up and running with a basic capability to shoot down incoming missiles. Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Sunday that the declaration of "interim capability" at the alliance's summit in Chicago is a first step toward a goal of establishing full coverage of Europe by 2018. A final stage is planned for 2022 that would also provide coverage of the...
11:03 AM, May 21, 2012
Washington: Raising the issue of "drone strikes" and delay in payment of collation support fund, the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, in his meeting with the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has called for addressing the issue of trust deficit between the two nations. Zardari, during the meeting, noted due to the trust deficit, it would be difficult for Islamabad to rejoin counter-terrorism co-operation with the international community. In...
10:57 AM, May 21, 2012
Chicago: Thousands of protesters marched through downtown Chicago on Sunday in one of the city's largest demonstrations in years, airing grievances about war, climate change and a wide range of other complaints as world leaders assembled for a NATO summit. The protest, which for months had stirred worries about violence in the streets, drew together a broad assortment of participants, including peace activists joining with war veterans and people more...
10:05 AM, May 21, 2012
Chicago: NATO will hand over the lead role in combat operations to Afghan forces across the country by mid-2013, alliance leaders said on Sunday as they charted a path out of a war that has lost public support and strained budgets in Western nations. A NATO summit in Chicago on Monday will formally endorse a US-backed strategy for a gradual exit from Afghanistan, a move aimed at holding together an...
08:57 AM, May 21, 2012
Washington: US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has ruled out paying Pakistan $ 5,000 per truck carrying vital supplies across its territory for NATO troops in Afghanistan, citing financial challenges faced by America. Panetta headed to this weekend's NATO summit prepared to confront Pakistan over what he considers "price-gouging" for transport of supplies to Afghanistan and hoping for a "consensus" among allies over the war effort. Pakistani officials have demanded $...
08:56 PM, May 20, 2012
Kabul: The Taliban is urging all NATO nations in Afghanistan to follow France's lead and pull their international forces from the war this year. The call came in a three-page statement released on Sunday as heads of state met at the NATO summit in Chicago to talk about the future of Afghanistan. Newly elected French President Francois Hollande has said he will withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by...
08:09 PM, May 20, 2012
Washington: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has arrived in Chicago to attend the crucial NATO Summit which is expected to take important decisions with regard to the future of Afghanistan, where the stakes of Islamabad are very high. Zardari is accompanied by Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, and the Foreign Secretary, Jalil Abbass Jilani, besides his spokesman Farhatullah Babar. His first scheduled appointment with the NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh...
05:12 PM, May 20, 2012
Washington: The House endorsed the continued war in Afghanistan on Thursday despite acknowledgment from Republicans and Democrats that the American people are war-weary after more than a decade of conflict. By a vote of 303-113, lawmakers rejected an amendment that would have swiftly ended combat operations in Afghanistan by limiting funds only to the "safe and orderly withdrawal of US troops and military contractors from Afghanistan." More than 10 years...
08:33 AM, May 18, 2012
Washington: Pakistan is preparing to open the crucial NATO supply route to Afghanistan, a top US commander based in Afghanistan has said, noting that there were signs of improvement in bilateral ties. "There have been in the last several days, some very important signals coming out of Islamabad that there is a consideration to re-open the ground lines of communication, and we, frankly, would welcome that, we would applaud that...
08:54 AM, May 17, 2012
Washington: The US on Tuesday said that NATO countries have decided it is important to have participation of Pakistan at the Chicago Summit on Afghanistan hoping that Islamabad would be able to reopen the supply routes by then. "We are making progress, and we will continue to work on this throughout the week. Obviously, it'll be a wonderful signal if we can get it done by the time of the...
12:20 AM, May 16, 2012
Islamabad: NATO on Tuesday invited Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to its crucial upcoming Chicago summit, a day after Foreign Minister Khar publicly indicated Pakistan's willingness to end its six-month blockade of supplies for foreign troops in Afghanistan. NATO Secretary General Rasmussen telephoned Zardari in the afternoon and invited him to the NATO summit in Chicago beginning from the 20th of this month. President's spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that the...
07:16 PM, May 15, 2012
London: Weeks into new dialogue with the US on resetting relations, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said his nation was still operating on a trust deficit with Washington. "There's a trust deficit between both the countries, between both the governments," Gilani, who is in London on a five-day visit, said as his fate at home hangs in balance. "That is the reason we are wanting to work for...
06:17 PM, May 10, 2012
Kabul: President Barack Obama slipped into Afghanistan on Tuesday night on the anniversary of the killing of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden and signed an agreement cementing US commitment to the nation after American combat troops leave. Alongside Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Obama declared, "Together, we're now committed to replacing war with peace." The partnership spells out the US relationship with Afghanistan beyond 2014, covering security, economics and governance. The...
02:54 AM, May 02, 2012
Islamabad: Pakistani authorities have proposed the imposition of a levy of USD 1,000 on each truck and container transporting supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan through the country's territory, a senior official has said. The Communication Ministry had proposed the levy, National Highway Authority Chairman Mohammad Ali Gardezi said. His remarks came against the backdrop of discussions within the government on reopening the supply routes that were closed after a...
02:35 PM, May 01, 2012
Islamabad: Pakistani authorities have proposed the imposition of a levy of $ 1,000 on each truck and container transporting supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan through the country's territory, a senior official has said. The Communication Ministry had proposed the levy, National Highway Authority Chairman Mohammad Ali Gardezi said. His remarks came against the backdrop of discussions within the government on reopening the supply routes that were closed after a...
12:59 PM, May 01, 2012
Kabul: Hackers have for the third time in less than a year crippled the main website of the Afghan Taliban, with a Taliban spokesman on Friday blaming Western intelligence agencies amid an intensifying cyber war with the insurgents. The unidentified hackers broke into the Taliban's El Emara website twice on Thursday, replacing usual insurgent victory messages with images of executions and support for the Afghan government and security forces in...
09:38 AM, Apr 28, 2012
Beijing: Continuing its tirade against the successful launch of Agni-V, Chinese state media accused India of buckling under the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) pressure to cut down the missile's range from 9,000 kilometres to 5,000 kilometres. The state-run Global Times which derided the missile even before it was launched saying that Chinese nuclear power is "stronger and more reliable and India had no chance" to catch up, said on...
02:15 PM, Apr 23, 2012
Beirut: Syrian troops fired tear gas and bullets on thousands of protesters who spilled out of mosques after noon prayers on Friday, activists said. State media reported that bombs and shootings killed 17 soldiers as the latest diplomatic efforts failed to halt more than 13 months of bloodshed in the country. Opposition activists reported that at least 11 Syrian civilians were killed in regime shelling and other attacks on Friday,...
04:46 AM, Apr 21, 2012
Paris: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for a new UN resolution authorising an arms embargo and other stronger measures against Syria if it fails to abide by UN-backed cease-fire aimed at ending the bloodshed on its soil. Hillary spoke on Thursday at a meeting of top Western and Arab diplomats in Paris. She stopped short of calling for outside military intervention in Syria but said the time...
02:36 AM, Apr 20, 2012
Brussels: NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Thursday urged Pakistan to open the transit supply routes for the coalition forces in Afghanistan. "And when it comes to our relationship with Pakistan, my main point is to stress that we need a positive engagement of Pakistan if we are to ensure long-term peace and stability not only in Afghanistan but in the region," Rasmussen said at a press conference. The...
12:09 AM, Apr 20, 2012
