One hurt in Bangkok grenade blast: police

BANGKOK: A grenade exploded early Friday on a street in central Bangkok, leaving one person seriously hurt in the latest violence in the Thai capital, still recovering from deadly protests, officials said.

The grenade was put in a plastic rubbish bag and dropped in Rangnam road near a duty-free shopping centre, police said. The injured person was a Thai man in his 30s who was searching for scrap.

“It was a hand grenade… The pin was removed and a rubber band wrapped around it,” Police Major General Vichai Sangparpai told local television.

The unnamed victim was seriously hurt and still in hospital, according to Bangkok”s Erawan emergency centre.

“His condition is serious as he sustained wounds all over his body,” an Erawan official said.

The blast came less than a week after a small bomb exploded at a Bangkok bus stop, killing one person and injuring 10 in an attack that rekindled tensions in the capital two months after the end of bloody street protests.

No one has claimed responsibity for either blast.

Abbas, Hamas defy resumption of direct talks with Israel

RAMALLAH/GAZA: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is currently visiting Cairo, and the leaders of Gaza-ruling Islamic Hamas movement announced on Thursday that they rebuff the resumption of direct peace negotiations with Israel.

Abbas insisted that the Palestinian leadership will only accept to resume the direct talks if the Jewish state declares a progress in the U.S.-sponsored four-month proximity talks and freezes settlement activities in the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

Hamas movement”s leaders, in the meanwhile, insisted that Abbas and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) should completely severe any peace talks with Israel, whether it is direct or indirect. Instead, Hamas wants the Palestinians to adopt “the armed resistance” against Israel.

Senior Palestinian officials announced on Thursday that Abbas would inform the Arab League Committee for Mideast peace that he would reject direct talks with Israel until his demands are met.

Wasel Abu Yousef, the Palestine Liberation Organization”s (PLO) member, told “Voice of Palestine” Radio that the Palestinians ” still stick to halting Jewish settlement and making progress in the proximity talks.”

The AL Committee convenes in Cairo on Thursday to decide on moving from the U.S.-sponsored four-month proximity talks to the face-to-face talks. Abbas attends the meeting held at the AL headquarters in Cairo.

U.S. and Israel are exerting pressure on the Arabs and the Palestinians to move from the proximity talks to the direct talks, while the Palestinians insist that no direct talks before Israel freezes settlement activities in Jerusalem.

“President Abbas will inform the Arab League Committee that there are no convincing justifications to move to direct negotiations amid no progress achieved in the proximity talks,” said Abu Yousef.

Nation to celebrate Eid with religious fervour

Lahore, Pakistan : – Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated throughout the country, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday with great religious fervour and festivity, marking the culmination of the holy month of Ramadan.

Eid-ul-Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal Al-Mukarram and is one of the greatest Islamic festivals. The faithful will wear clean clothes and offer Eid prayers at mosques, ‘Eidgahs’ and open places across the country.

On the occasion, special prayers would be offered for the progress and prosperity of the country, unity of the ‘Ummah’, solution of their problems and liberation of Muslim territories, including occupied Kashmir.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani have congratulated the nation on the auspicious occasion of Eid.

In the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the ‘Eid’ congregations would be held at more than 300 places.

In Islamabad, the biggest congregation would be held at the grand Faisal Mosque at 9:00 AM, where the high-ups of the government will also offer Eid prayers. In Rawalpindi, the biggest Eid congregation would be held at the historic Liaquat Bagh at 9:45 AM.

Following the Eid prayers, Muslims will spend their time feasting with family and friends and feeding those who are less fortunate. Sweets and other special dishes would be prepared for serving the guests. People will also exchange gifts on the occasion.

The government has declared Eid holidays from September 21 to 23 and paid advanced salaries to employees for enabling them to meet their Eid expenses.

On this occasion, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited has also offered a special package on Eid days to encourage people to exchange Eid greetings with their near and dear ones.

The Radio and Television channels have chalked out a series of special programmes on the occasion of Eid while newspapers will publish special supplements, highlighting the significance of the day.

---

Nation to celebrate Eid with religious fervour was first posted on September 21, 2009 at 7:35 am.
©2009 “News Trends“.

Israeli troops kill Palestinians

Israeli troops kill Palestinians, HELD AL-QUDS: A Palestinian Health Ministry official says Israeli forces have killed two Palestinian militants and wounded three in an incident along the Gaza border.

Dr. Moaiya Hassanain said the men were hit by tank fire.

The Israeli military said a border patrol fired at a group of Palestinians seen planting a bomb at the Gaza border fence Sunday. It did not elaborate.

The militant Islamic Hamas said one of its fighters was among the dead, identifying him as Abed Hafiz al-Silawi, 21.

While the smaller left wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine identified the other as 21-year-old Mahmoud Ahmed Naseer in a separate statement.

Joint operations by the two groups are rare, but not unheard of.

---

Israeli troops kill Palestinians was first posted on September 21, 2009 at 7:38 am.
©2009 “News Trends“.