U.S. Speeding Up Missile Defenses in Persian Gulf

The Obama administration is accelerating the deployment of new defenses against possible Iranian missile attacks in the Persian Gulf, placing special ships off the Iranian coast and antimissile systems in at least four Arab countries, according to administration and military officials. The deployments come at a critical turning point in President Obama’s dealings with Iran. After months of unsuccessful diplomatic outreach, the administration is trying to win broad international consensus for sanctions against the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, which Western nations say control a covert nuclear arms program. Mr. Obama spoke of the shift in his State of the Union address, warning of “consequences” if Iran continued to defy United Nations demands to stop manufacturing nuclear fuel. And Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton publicly warned China on Friday that its opposition to sanctions was shortsighted. The news that the United States is deploying antimissile defenses — including a rare public discussion of them by Gen. David H. Petraeus — appears to be part of a coordinated administration strategy to increase pressure on Iran.

China to freeze military ties with USA

China has decided to freeze military ties with USA and has imposed a ban on American companies selling arms and weapons in China. Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that the ban was imposed in response to American decision to sell weapons to Taiwan. China has also suspended exchange of military delegations with USA and halted security talks. Taiwan has welcomed the American move and has said that the weapons would be used for the defense of Taiwan.

Perth: Afridi caught while tempering the ball

Shaid Afridi the captain for the fifth and final One Day between Pakistan and Australia was caught tempering with the ball. Consequently he has been banned for two 20-20 games after he confessed ball tempering. Shaid Afridi tempered the ball with his teeth during the 46th over of the game. In a statement Shaid has said that the match was in a crunch situation when he made a blunder of tempering with his teeth.

Taliban denies leader is dead

The Pakistani Taliban has dismissed reports on state television suggesting that Hakimullah Mehsud, the head of the group, had been killed and subsequently buried. Pakistani televsion said on Sunday that Mehsud died in an attack by a US drone some time in the past two weeks, but the Tehrik-e-Taliban were quick to respond. "There has been a call to a local television station and Qari Hussein, a senior commander of the Pakistani Taliban, is said to have denied reports of the death of Hakimullah Mehsud," Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said. "There is no concrete evidence to suggest that Hakimullah Mehsud is dead, but there is also some suspicion because there has been no video message to prove that he is alive." The AFP news agency reported that a senior Taliban spokesman had said that Mehsud was "alive and safe".

Yemen offers ceasefire to rebels

Yemen's national defence council has said the army could stop its offensive against al-Houthi rebels in the north of the country if they end all hostilities.The council, which is chaired by Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Yemeni president, issued a statement on Sunday which said there was "no obstacle" to ending military operations.But the offer would only come into effect if Abdel Malik al-Houthi, the rebel commander, complied with six conditions set out for the proposed ceasefire. These conditions include removing checkpoints, ending banditry, handing over all captured military equipment, releasing goverment troops and officals as well as an end to all attacks on the Saudi Arabian military and territory. The renewed offer of ceasefire was made even as Yemeni soldiers clashed with rebels in the northern provinces of Malahidh and Saada, killing 20 people, state media reported on Sunday.