Digest for international news for the week Jan 22-28, 2011

Saturday

Istanbul: World powers fail to persuade Iran to takesteps to ease suspicions over its nuclear programme as thedefiant Islamic republic insists on uranium enrichment.

Islamabad: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court adjournsto February four the trial of LeT''s Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi andsix other suspects in the Mumbai attack case as prosecutorsseek more time in the wake of a related petition before a HighCourt which is yet to decide the matter.

Sunday

United Nations: India underlines the need for the UNto focus on the humanitarian and infrastructural work inHaiti, which was rocked by a massive earthquake last year,saying the world body should not get too deeply embroiled inthe country''s internal politics.

Colombo: Sri Lanka rejects as "baseless" theallegation that its military had killed an Indian fishermanand wounded two others.

Monday

Moscow: A suspected suicide bomber triggers explosivesat Moscow''s busiest international airport killing at least 35people and leaving 130 injured, in the first major terrorattack in less than a year.

Baghdad: Two car bombs strike Shiite pilgrims in anIraqi holy city, killing at least 18 people as crowds massedfor religious rituals marking the end of a 40-day mourningperiod for the Islamic sect''s most beloved saint.

Tuesday

Washington: The US removes nine Indian space anddefence related companies including those from ISRO and DRDOfrom its export control ''Entity List'' in an attempt to expandhigh technology trade and strategic cooperation with India.

Lahore/Karachi: Suicide bombers carry out attackstargeting Shia Muslims in the Pakistani cities of Lahore andKarachi, killing 16 people and injuring nearly 80 others inthe latest in a series of terrorist strikes against religiousminorities.

Wednesday

Islamabad: India is looking forward to receivingForeign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for talks in the nextcouple of months and is "serious" about dialogue butwants Pakistan to take action against perpetrators of theMumbai attacks, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao says.

New York: Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani,al-Qaeda terroristOsama bin Laden''s bodyguard has been sentenced to lifeimprisonment for his role in the 1998 bombings of two USembassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people. MOREPTI PAT