NATO defense ministers acknowledged that operation in Afghanistan was not working and agreed that they needed a new approach to seize the initiative from Taliban and al-Qaeda in a recent meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia. NATO defense ministers also backed a plan to shift towards a full-fledged counter-insurgency strategy without elaborating how the new plan will be made to work, or commit troops to the move.
While addressing to reporters, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said:
It does not solve the problems in Afghanistan just to hunt down and kill individual terrorists. …

Pakistan army has launched offensive against the terrorists in the Waziristan area bordered with Afghanistan. Even before the attack was started, the terrorists started targeting the Pakistan army and other law enforcing agencies in Pakistan. Furthermore, there has been a number of suicidal attacks in different areas of Pakistan killing and injuring hundreds of people.
This is what Dawn’s editor has to say about Rehman Malik’s comment about the involvement of India in Balochistan:
Talking about Indian involvement in terrorists activities in Pakistan, the Interior Minister Rehman Malik has come down …

The UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan has said that economy of the United Arab Emirates was strong including Dubai despite the global recession.
Previously known as the Trucial States, the United Arab Emirates was formed in 1971 comprising of  seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Qaiwain. The president of the United Arab Emirates is Khalifa bin  Zayed Bin Al Nahayan, who was elected president after the death of his father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in November 2004. …

The recent attack on Pakistan Army General Headquaters in Rawalpindi, Pakistan that resulted in deaths of 8 terrorists and dozens of army men and civilians.
Only one terrorist named Aqeel alias Dr. Usman was captured alive. He was the ringleader as well. He was reportedly behind the attack on Sirilankan Cricket Team in Lahore, Pakistan also.
It might be surprising to know that all the terrorists were wearing suicidal bomb jackets including Aqeel. The other terrorists blew themselves when they were about to be captured. However, Aqeel took off …

There is a proverb in Urdu language which can be translated some what like “Come bull and hit me” meaning asking for trouble by oneself. I think this proverb suites the situation perfectly because of the call by Muslim Canadian  Congress (MCC) to ban the burka or niqab in Canada.
The Muslim Canadian Congress consider burka a security risk as mentioned in the statement:
not only is the wearing of a face-mask a security hazard and has led to a number of bank heists in Canada and overseas, the burka or niqab …

One Laptop Per Child(OLPC) project for Afghanistan has designed a new pedal powered electric generator to provide electricity for laptops. The new design will make it easier for even children to charge the battery as they are using the laptop.
The design as shown in the picture consists of generator, a chain, gears and pedals. It seems to be a good idea but I am not sure for how long a child be able to use the laptop while pedaling for power at the same time. The design is not that child …

Pakistan law enforcement agencies freed 39 people who were kept hostage by terrorists in an adjacent building of Pakistan Army Headquarters, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The operation resulted in freeing of 39 hostages, killing of four terrorists and arrest of their leader Aqeel, alias Dr Usman. Unfortunately, three of the hostages also lost their lives during the operation.
The terrorists attacked the Pakistan army HQ a day earlier. Four of the terrorists were killed during the attack and rest of them escaped to a nearby building where they held people as hostage.
The owner …

Disguised in army uniforms, terrorists attacked Pakistan Army’s Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The terrorists tried to enter the Army compound in a pickup and when stopped started firing using automatic ammunition.  The exchange of firing between the army and terrorists resulted in killing of 6 army personals and four of the terrorists.
Two terrorists managed to escape but then were spotted and surrounded by law enforcement agencies.  The terrorists are holding some army personals hostage in the building.
There were earlier bomb blasts in Peshawer and Islamabad which killed dozens of people.  …

At least 770 people have died and 2300 injured as a result of devastating 7.6 magnitude earthquake which struck Indonesia’s Sumatra  island.  The earthquake was followed by a number of aftershocks including two which were of 6.0 magnitude.
The people are trapped under collapsed buildings, schools and houses. The electricity supply has been cut off.  The quake also caused landslides which destroyed houses.
The quake struck at 2:55 pm local time on the southern coast of the main island of Java with a preliminary magnitude of 7.9.  The shocks were felt in …