Politicians register for Iran prez race
Tehran: Iranian election authorities say several new high-profile politicians including hardliners, reformists, and allies of outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have registered for the June 14 presidential elections.
US, Afghan diplomats meet on security pact
Kabul: US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns met with the Afghan Foreign Minister in Kabul on Saturday to hammer out the details of a key pact signed a year ago that defines the future of the US commitment to Afghanistan, amid uncertainty that either party will be willing or able to keep to its provisions.
6 killed in heavy rains in China
Beijing: Six people have died in heavy rains which have battered southern and eastern China over the past five days displacing over 6,000 residents and destroying crops, officials said on Saturday.
Indian-origin man shot dead in Malaysia
Kuala lumpur: A 30-year-old Indian-origin businessman has been shot dead in the Malaysian city of Alor Setar, local media reported. M Nagenthiran, a car repossessor, sustained three bullets injuries on his body which was found at the top floor of the five-storey building where he lived, in Taman Setia Jaya area in the capital city of the Malaysian state of Kedah on Friday.
Bomb kills Afghan intelligence officer
Kabul: An Afghan official says a bomb has killed a senior provincial intelligence official at his home in a remote northeastern corner of the country. Mohammed Zahir, spokesman for Nuristan’s governor, said the province’s deputy intelligence chief Faiz Mohammed died on Saturday. .
Wedding controversy: 9 SA cops suspended
Durban: Nine officers of the Tshwane Metro Police in South Africa have been suspended for their alleged role in a controversial wedding in an Indian-origin family earlier this month. Eight officers were served suspension letters while the ninth officer could not be served his letter as he is in hospital, local media reported Saturday.
Fake pope detained for looking like John Paul II
Rome: A Slovak street performer dressed in white papal vestments has been detained and fined by the police in Rome for bearing too close a resemblance to the late John Paul II, the police said on Saturday. “The problem was that he looked a lot like Karol Wojtyla. He was detained for usurpation of title which is a misdemeanour,” a police spokeswoman told AFP.
Najib promises to be PM for all Malaysians
Kuala lumpur: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was re-elected to a second term in office, has promised to work for all countrymen regardless of their race, religion, state or political views. “I love my country and I’m proud of how far we have progressed. And I know that by working together as one nation, our best days are still to come,” he said in his blog.
Mao Zedong’s rare photo fetches $55,300
Beijing: A rare photo of Mao Zedong, Chinese Communist Party icon, has been sold for US $55,300 at an auction signifying his continuing popularity in China, 27 years after his death. A photo of Mao relaxing in a wicker chair against a scenic backdrop of popular tourist destination lushan Mountain has fetched US $55,300 at auction on Friday.