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Sunday, June 21, 2009, WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama on Saturday called on Iran's government to "stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people," the White House said amid swelling post-election tensions in the Islamic republic. "We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people," Obama said in a statement as he ramped up the tone of official Washington reaction to the violent unrest playing out in Tehran and other Iranian cities. "The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost," he added."The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights." Obama also stressed that the Iran's leadership "must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion." An administration official said t...

Saturday, June 20, 2009 KANDAHAR: Afghan authorities on Saturday said 33 militants were killed in an air strike and other operations in the insurgency-hit southern province of Helmand.Twenty-six Taliban were killed in an air strike conducted by foreign forces near the town of Lashkar Gah late Friday, said Daud Ahmadi, a spokesman for the local administration there."A group of Taliban were targeted from the air by coalition forces. Twenty-six enemy fighters were killed in that strike," Ahmadi told a foreign news agency. He said the rebels left their dead comrades behind as they fled the scene.The US-led coalition denied involvement in the incident while NATO's International Security Assistance Force could not immediately provide information.General Sher Mohammad Zazai, the commander of the Afghan army for southern Afghanistan, said seven other rebels were killed elsewhere in Helmand the same day.The general said the rebels were killed during operations recently launched ac...

Saturday, June 20, 2009 BAGHDAD: A suicide truck bomb killed at least 35 people leaving a mosque on Saturday, hours after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki urged Iraqis not to lose faith if a U.S. military pullback resulted in more insurgent attacks. Almost all U.S. soldiers will leave urban centres by June 30 under a security pact signed by Baghdad and Washington last year, and the whole force that invaded the country in 2003 must be gone by 2012. "Don't lose heart if a breach of security occurs here or there," Maliki told leaders from the ethnic Turkmen community, reiterating a warning that insurgents were likely to try to take advantage of the U.S. pullback to launch more attacks. Analysts warn there may also be a spike in violence by mainly insurgents, including al Qaeda, and other violent groups ahead of a parliamentary election next January. Hours after Maliki spoke, a suicide bomber detonated a truck filled with explosives as worshippers left a mosque near the norther...

Saturday, June 20, 2009 LOS ANGELES: A plane carrying California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was forced to make a sudden landing Friday after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, officals said. Schwarzenegger's spokesman Aaron McLear said the jet carrying the Hollywood action hero-turned-politician was forced to land approximately 10 minutes after taking off from Santa Monica Airport west of Los Angeles. The plane made a safe landing at nearby Van Nuys Airport at 6.23 pm (0123 GMT), McLear said. "The Governor's jet was diverted from Santa Monica airport to Van Nuys airport this evening after the pilot reported smoke emanating from the instrument panel in the cockpit," McLear said. "There was no visible fire." "Upon landing the Governor exited the jet and traveled to his house. The ... crew did an outstanding job and everyone aboard landed safely and unharmed."

Saturday, June 20, 2009 TEHRAN: Iran's electoral watchdog the Guardians Council has expressed its readiness to "randomly" recount up to 10 percent of ballot boxes from last week's disputed presidential election, state television quoted its spokesman as saying. "The Guardians Council announces its readiness to recount randomly up to 10 pct of the ballot boxes in the presence of the representatives of the candidates," Abbas Ali Khadkhodai said according to the television service website. He said the council has up to Wednesday to give its final decision. "But there is no obligation to wait until Wednesday. Whenever our examination is finished and the recount is conducted, we can announce our final say," Khadkhodai said. He said Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, the two defeated candidates who did not attend a meeting with the council on Saturday, still have time until Wednesday to discuss the matter. The other losing candidate Mohsen Rezai, th...

Saturday, June 20, 2009 KIRKUK: A truck bomb killed 22 people and wounded dozens more in a town south of the oil-rich Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Saturday, the head of the morgue at Kirkuk hospital said.The source said that 80 people had also been wounded by the explosion near the city of Kirkuk, and that the blast had flattened about 20 homes in the area. Violence has dropped sharply across Iraq in the past year. But insurgents including al Qaeda still launch deadly attacks on U.S. forces, Iraqi police and civilians in abid to trigger renewed sectarian bloodshed and undermine Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki government.

Saturday, June 20, 2009 SRINAGAR: A complete strike is being observed today in Held Kashmir on the visit of Indian Vice President Muhammad Hamid Ansari. The purpose of the strike is to convey to the world that the molestation of Kashmiri women by Indian troops to suppress the liberation struggle was intolerable. The students of the university and research scholars will boycott the function in the Kashmir University scheduled to be attended by the Vice President.

Saturday, June 20, 2009 TEHRAN: The Iranian group which planned to organise a rally on Saturday said it will not go ahead with the demonstration as it did not have the required permission, state television said. The Combatant Clerics Assembly, who planned the rally, said no "rally will be held" on Saturday, a statement issued by the group and put on the website of state television said. "Permission was asked to hold a rally but since it has not been issued, there will be no rally held," the statement said.The announcement, hours before the rally was due to go ahead at 4 p.m. (1130 GMT), contradicted a statement from an aide to one of the defeated election candidates who earlier said the rally would go ahead.

Saturday, June 20, 2009 ,UNITED NATIONS: Turkey it was willing to resume mediating suspended indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria, although both sides have expressed pessimism about the chances of that happening. "When the two parties are ready we can start and Turkey is ready to contribute to this process, which is very important for regional stability," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davatoglu told reporters at the United Nations. Syria is seeking the return of the Golan Heights, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East War. Israel wants a peace deal including diplomatic recognition by Syria and other political concessions.

Saturday, June 20, 2009, LONDON: Pakistan and Sri Lanka will contest the World Twenty20 final at Lord's on Sunday.Pakistan, who beat favourites South Africa by seven runs in Thursday's semi-final, have bounced back in style at this tournament.They will face unbeaten Sri Lanka in the final after their Asian rivals thrashed the West Indies by 57 runs at the Oval on Friday.Despite the events in Lahore, Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said relations between the two sides had remained friendly."What Lahore really brought home to us was we are just the same as anyone else," he said.Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 19 runs in a Super Eights match earlier at this tournament but Sangakkara said: "We've played Pakistan many times before but in T20 you must take every game in isolation. Different players come into form at different times."Hopefully, we can put in a good performance and walk away with a trophy."The dangerous Shahid Afridi produced a brilliant all...

Saturday, June 20, 2009 LONDON: Defending champion Rafael Nadal withdrew from Wimbledon on Friday after losing his battle to fully recover from a knee injury in time for the third Grand Slam of the year, which starts on Monday."To not play Wimbledon is one of the toughest decisions of my career," said the Spaniard at a hastily-arranged news conference at the All England Club."I have some time now to recover and will work very hard to return as soon as possible."Nadal, the world number one, was forced to miss Queen's last week as a result of the problem, but the Spaniard flew to London this week after intense rehabilitation in Barcelona in a desperate bid prove his fitness for Wimbledon.The Spaniard, winner of a thrilling five-set final against Roger Federer at Wimbledon last year, hoped that he would perform well enough in two exhibition matches at London's Hurlingham Club on Thursday and Friday to give him hope he could defend his crown.But he struggled ba...