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18 April 2005 Monday 08 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426 Welcome to DAWN, Pakistan's most widely circulated English language newspaper. Updated round-the-clock, with a major update before 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT).

to return to the regular issue please click here. US commends Pak economic performance: WASHINGTON, Apr 18: Dr. Salman Shah, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance and Economic Affairs has said the World Bank, the IMFC and the United States have appreciated Pakistan's "remarkable economic performance" and assured their "full support" for the targets set by Pakistan for its economic development. The leader of the Finance delegation, representing Pakistan at the ongoing Spring Meetings said this in an interview with APP on Sunday. Dr. Shah said: "It has been a very useful visit. (APP) (Posted @ 14:35 PST) Israel plans more homes in West Bank settlement: JERUSALEM, April 18: Israel announced plans on Monday to build 50 homes in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, a week after U.S. President George W. Bush called on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon not to expand settlements. The Israel Lands Administration, a government agency, published a notice inviting bids for the purchase of 50 plots for the construction of single-family homes in the settlement of Elkana, some five km (three miles) inside the West Bank. ts in the West Bank in 2004 and 1,225 in 2003. (Reuters) (Posted @ 14:35 PST) Khatami: Iran ready to pay any price to resist foreign threats: Teheran: President Mohammad Khatami said Monday that Iran is willing to pay any price to resist external pressure and threats. "We will not surrender to any force or threats and will decisively go on with our vision of an Islamic democracy," Khatami said during a speech on National Army Day. (DPA) (Posted @ 14:30 PST) Musharraf wraps up India trip, leaves for Philippines: NEW DELHI, April 18: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf Monday wrapped up a landmark visit to India and left for the Philippines for a three-day state visit, officials said Before flying out, Musharraf met with former Indian premier Atal Behari Vajpayee and then drove directly to the airport where he boarded a plane for Manila. Before leaving New Delhi, Musharraf and premier Singh in a joint statement agreed that the ongoing peace process between the two nuclear rivals was "irreversible" and pledged to increase transport links across divided Kashmir. (AFP) (Posted @ 14:20 PST) Foreign remittances having positive impact on education: Ishrat Hussain: WASHINGTON, Apr 18: Governor State Bank of Pakistan, Dr. Ishrat Husain has said that remittances by expatriates are having a positive impact on education in Pakistan. "Remittances sent by the Pakistani workers employed in the North America and the Middle East are reported to have a positive influence on the education of their own childrens and the children of their extended families education in Pakistan," he observed in an address at the Woodrow Wilson. (APP) (Posted @ 14:10 PST) Pakistan-India agree to continue discussion over:Kashmir: NEW DELHI, Apr. 18: Pakistan and India Monday agreed to continue the discussion to address Kashmir issue in a sincere, purposeful and forward looking manner for a final settlement, said the joint statement. The joint statement was read out by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the presence of President Pervez Musharraf here at the Hyderabad House. The joint statement was read out at the conclusion of the three-day visit of President Pervez Musharraf to India. (APP) (Posted @ 14:05 PST) Pak-US Expo 2006 to be held at New Jersey : WASHINGTON, Apr 18: The Pak-US Expo 2006, to be held from May 31 to June 4, 2006, at New Jersey, USA, would be a selective presentation of Pakistani traditional as well as growing trade and economic activities with the United States of America. Irshad Salim, organizer of the Expo 2006 announced Sunday that over the years, several new areas have emerged "and need to be effectively presented for export to the movers and shakers of the United States' buying and consumer industry. (APP) (Posted @ 12:50 PST) Blast kills two children in southeast Afghanistan: KHOST, Afghanistan, April 18: Two children were killed and two others wounded by a bomb which was carried by floodwaters into a residential neighbourhood in southeast Afghanistan, an official said Monday. (APP/AFP) (Posted @ 12:45 PST) N.Korea halts nuclear reactor, reason unclear-Seoul: SEOUL, April 18: North Korea has suspended the operation of its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon, a South Korean foreign ministry official said on Monday, a move analysts said could be aimed at extracting material for nuclear weapons. The official said the purpose of the stoppage was unclear, but also said Seoul was treating the suspension as a potentially serious development. (Reuters) (Posted @ 12:45 PST) India, Pakistan agree to open up Kashmir border: NEW DELHI, April 18: India and Pakistan said on Monday they had agreed on a series of measures to open the ceasefire line dividing Kashmir to help their peace process. The measures, including more transport and trade links across the heavily militarised frontier, cap a successful visit by President Pervez Musharraf after his last trip ended in failure four years ago and the nuclear rivals came close to war in 2002. (Reuters) (Posted @ 12:30 PST) No survivors in Indonesian jungle plane crash: JAKARTA, April 18: All 17 people missing since their light aircraft crashed in jungle-clad mountains in Indonesia's eastern Papua province six days ago were confirmed dead on Monday, police said. "There were no survivors, the airplane was completely destroyed," said Zainuri Lubis, a national police spokesman. He said that all the remains were awaiting air evacuation expected to be completed by the end of Monday. (AFP) (Posted @ 11:30 PST) 18 dead after clash between Colombian military, rebels: BOGOTA, April 18: At least 16 rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and two soldiers died Sunday during a clash in the southwest region of Toribio amid a counteroffensive operation by the military, officials said.The military counteroffensive came after a FARC assault Thursday on two towns in the region that resulted in the deaths of three policemen and a girl The rebel attack also left 23 people wounded, according to the authorities. (AFP) (Posted @ 11:00 PST) Seven die in Russia as train rams bus: MOSCOW, April 18: Seven people were killed in Russia's Far East region early Monday when a cargo train slammed into a bus, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported quoting local prosecutors.They said the driver of the bus had ignored a red light and driven onto the tracks, causing the crash near the Voszhayevka station in Russia's Amur region. Of the bus's 26 passengers, seven died on the spot and 12 more were rushed to a nearby hospital with various injuries, officials said. (AFP) (Posted @ 10:00 PST) Cricket-Ganguly loses appeal against six-match ban: LONDON, April 18: India captain Saurav Ganguly as lost his appeal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against a six-match ban for his side's slow over rates in two one-day internationals against Pakistan earlier this month. ICC appeals commissioner Michael Beloff.considered comprehensive written submissions from Ganguly and the match officials but ruled the legal arguments put forward did not have sufficient merit to overturn the initial decision. (Reuters) (Posted @ 10:00 PST) Iraq bomb kills U.S. soldier, wounds another: BAGHDAD, April 18: A bomb has killed a U.S. soldier in Iraq and wounded a second, the American military said on Monday. The soldier died of wounds from the improvised explosive device late on Sunday south of Baghdad, it said. The death raises the number of American military personnel killed in Iraq to at least 1,180 since the U.S.-led invasion two years ago. (Reuters) (Posted @ 10:00 PST) Nepal king seeks to break out of isolation on tour: KATHMANDU, April 18: Nepal's King Gyanendra begins his nine-day foreign tour, his first since assuming full power, on Wednesday, travelling to Indonesia to participate in the Asia-Africa summit on April 22-23. goes to China on April 24 to attend the Boao Forum for Asia, travels to Singapore on April 26 before returnung home on April 29, the foreign ministry said in a statement. (Reuters) (Posted @ 9:55 PST) Bangladesh navy detains scores of smuggled workers: DHAKA, April 18: The Bangladesh navy intercepted a boat in the Bay of Bengal and detained nearly 100 people who said they were being taken to Greece by people smugglers after being promised employment, police said on Monday.The group was detained while heading to Kutubdia island in the bay where they were supposed to board a ship sailing to Greece, police said. (Reuters) (Posted @ 9:50 PST) Kashmir ceasefire line cannot be border-Pakistan: NEW DELHI, April 18: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said on Monday the ceasefire line dividing Kashmir should not become a permanent border as a way of solving the dispute between nuclear rivals Pakistan and India over the Himalayan region. After Musharraf's positive three-day visit to India, the two sides are expected to announce a series of measures to open up the military line later on Monday as a way of easing tensions. "The LoC (ceasefire line) cannot be accepted as a final solution," he told a meeting of Indian editors. (Reuters) (Posted @ 9:45 PST) Karachi Stocks down 56.96 points: : KARACHI, April 18: At 10:20 PST, the KSE-100 index was at 7455.95, down 56.96 points from Friday's close.(Bureau Report) (Posted @ 10:25 PST) Karachi Forex:The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.00 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Posted @ 10:25 PST) Founder: Quaid-I-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah Editor: Tahir Mirza The DAWN Group of Newspapers Haroon House, Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road, Karachi 74200, Pakistan. Phone:+92 (21) 111-444-777   Fax: +92 (21) 569-3995 webmaster@dawn.com Note: Make sure to reload these pages so you're viewing the current version.

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