Tehran: Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday called the official version of the Sept. 11 attacks a “big lie” used by the U.S. as an excuse for the war on terror, state media reported.

Ahmadinejad’s comments, made during an address to Intelligence Ministry staff, come amid escalating tensions between the West and Tehran over its disputed nuclear program. They show that Iran has no intention of toning itself down even with tighter sanctions looming because of its refusal to halt uranium enrichment.
“September 11 was a big lie and a pretext for …

Baghdad: Explosions killed 16 people as Iraqis voted on Sunday in an election that Sunni Islamist militants have vowed to disrupt, in one of many challenges to efforts to stabilise Iraq before U.S. troops leave.

Mortar rounds and bombs exploded in Baghdad and mainly Sunni towns elsewhere, timed to mark the start of Iraq’s second vote for a full-term parliament since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
Twelve people died in a blast at a residential building in Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said. Four people were killed when another apartment block was blown …

RAMALLAH: Four children were among six Palestinians killed on Friday when their car collided with an Israeli military jeep in the West Bank, emergency services said.

The crash, which occurred near the Jewish settlement of Ofra in the Ramallah area, also killed a man and a woman, as well as injured another Palestinian and four Israeli soldiers.
Among the dead were the driver, one of his wives and the children aged 10, three, two and two months, said Palestinian medical officials.
The dead man was identified as Bassam Abu Awad, from Bir Zeit …

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday told both Houses of Parliament that the only way ahead to resolve contentious issues with Pakistan was to engage it in dialogue, even as he asserted that Saudi Arabia’s intervention was not sought.

Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address to Parliament, he said: “I never believed that the channels of communication with Pakistan should break down. The chances of miscalculation can only increase in an environment of no contact.”
Dr. Singh said the resumption of talks at …

New Delhi: An Indian naval plane taking part in an aerobatics display in the city of Hyderabad crashed into a residential area on Wednesday, killing both pilots and destroying a house, the navy said.

The NDTV channel showed the plane flying in a formation at the air show in the southern city shortly before it crashed into densely populated land adjacent to the show ground.
A three-storey house was destroyed and other buildings were damaged.
“In the final phase, the aircraft appears to have gone out of control.
They crashed into a building …

New Delhi: Thousands of Muslims protesting a newspaper article they say was critical of Islam clashed with police in southern India, leaving at least two people dead and dozens injured, police said Tuesday.

One person was killed by police gunfire and another succumbed to injuries caused by rocks thrown by the protesters during Monday’s gathering in Shimoga, a town in Karnataka state, said Vinod Kumar, a police officer.
Nearly 3,000 Muslims took to the streets after a local daily published an article it said was written by controversial Bangladesh writer Taslima Nasrin …