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| July 6, 2005 | Wednesday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 28, 1426 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
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Pakistan-India dialogue moving ahead ASTANA, July 6 (APP): Indian Minister for External Affairs Natwar Singh Wednesday said the Pakistan-India dialogue process was moving ahead positively and there was nothing to cause any disruption. "The talks between the two countries are progressing in a positive manner," he told newsmen after a breakfast meeting by President Nursultan Nazarbayev in honour of the visiting dignitaries. Singh said his meeting with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was held in "a very friendly atmosphere" and they openly discussed all issues. He was optimistic that with the inclusion of Pakistan, Iran and India into the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) with observer status would boost cooperation amongst the member states.(Posted @ 21:50 PST)
PTCL (Repair of Sea Me We-3 cable under way) ISLAMABAD July 06 (PPI) The testing of the Sea Me We-3 cable route from 5 Km to 17 Km has been completed, PTCL said on Wednesday evening. ''The process of repair work was started from Monday night while the process of maintenance involves some 7 steps from excavation the cable to repair testing etc, says a Press note.It stated that the cable was excavated and cut on Monday night while testing at both ends from Karachi and sea has been completed. PTCL has taken additional 34 MB(480 Circuits) for data on Satellite to provide further support to call centers and ISPs. The total Satellite bandwidth for data has become 272MB(4000 Circuits) corporate (Customers including Banks.Airline Ticketing System, Call Centers and other financial services have also been provided enhanced satellite based IP.(Posted @ 21:45 PST)
Iranian oil minister arrives for talks on gas pipeline ISLAMABAD, Jul 6 (APP): Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh arrived here Wednesday for talks on the proposed gas pipeline, saying he was hopeful the discussions with Pakistan would give an impetus to the project. "We are going to discuss the important Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project and we hope to reach some general conclusions," he told reporters before going into a session with his Pakistani counterpart Amanullah Khan Jadoon. In addition to the trilateral pipeline project, the talks will cover export of gas to Pakistan from Iran for local consumption, he said.(Posted @ 21:45 PST)
Iraq Qaeda says will kill kidnapped Egypt envoy-Web DUBAI, July 6 (Reuters) - Iraq's al Qaeda group said on Wednesday it would kill Egypt's top envoy to Iraq who it had kidnapped, according to an Internet statement. "The sharia court of al Qaeda Organisation in Iraq has decided to hand over the apostate, the ambassador of Egypt which is allied to Jews and Christians, to the mujahideen to carry out the punishment of the apostate ... and to kill him," said the statement posted on an Islamist Web site. The statement could not be immediately authenticated. (Posted @ 20:00 PST)
Fourteen Taliban surrender in Afghanistan: governor KHOST, Afghanistan, July 6 (AFP) - Fourteen Talibans in Paktika province linked to a commander who is on a US list of most wanted militants have surrendered as part of an Afghan government amnesty, provincial governor Mohammed Gulab Mangal told AFP. They were linked to Jalaludin Haqani, a powerful Taliban commander and the regime's former minister of frontiers and tribal affairs, officials said. Haqani has a five-million-dollar price on his head(Posted @ 20:45 PST)
U.S. announces visit to Washington by Pakistan's prime minister |COPENHAGEN, Denmark, July 6 (APP/AP) _ President George W. Bush will meet with Pakistan's prime minister in Washington this month, Bush's press secretary Scott McClellan said Wednesday The July 29 visit by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz "follows on the successful trip of Secretary Rice to Pakistan in March," McClellan said in a statement released in Copenhagen, where Bush was visiting."The president looks forward to working with the prime minister to build on our shared long-term vision for U.S.-Pakistan relations,"he said.(Posted @ 19:30 PST)
CO's membership to benefit Pakistan politically, economically: PM ONBOARD SPECIAL AIRCRAFT, July 6 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Wednesday described Pakistan's joining of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as an "historic event" that will benefit the country politically, diplomatically and economically through interaction with the member states. Pakistan was pleased that Iran and India have also joined the six-nation grouping that was established in 2001 to promote goals of peace, security and diplomatic and political cooperation in the region," he told reporters while flying back home after attending the SCO Summit in the Kazakhstan's capital Astana. "The SCO has now become a very strategic part of the world including Russia, China, Central Asia, South Asia and Iran. This is almost half of the world population and lot of the countries in this region had tremendous potential," he added. "We believe this is the time to change our thinking in terms of new paradigm- a new paradigm which will encourage cooperation between Central Asia, South Asia, Russia and China and these regions," he added.(Posted @ 19:30 PST)
Kashmir: Geelani accuses Hindu extremists of Ayodhya attack Srinagar July 6 (PPI)Hurriyat Conference (G) Chairman Syed Ali Geelani has said the attack on the disputed site in Ayodhya could be A stage-managed show while the involvement of Hindu extremists couldn't be ruled out. Peoples Conference chairman Sajjad Lone, in a statement, condemned the attack and said it is the handiwork of those elements who want to sabotage the peace process. Democratic Freedom Party chairman Hashim Qureshi also condemned the attack in Ayodhya and said it is a conspiracy to trigger communal riots.(Posted @ 18:15 PST)
U.S. medical team attacked in eastern Afghanistan Kabul (dpa) - Afghan and U.S. forces came under fire from insurgents while conducting medical assistance in the eastern province of Kunar, the U.S. military said Wednesday. The soldiers reported being attacked by a group of between four to eight men with a "crew-served weapon, possibly a machine gun, and returned fire with mortars," the statement said. The attackers fled shortly after the incident. There were no reports of injury or damage.(Posted @ 17:40 PST)
Gunmen attack Indian occupied Kashmir minister's car SRINAGAR, July 6 (Reuters) - Suspected militants opened fire with automatic rifles on a state minister's car in Srinagar on Wednesday but he escaped unhurt, police said.However,three body guards of Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Sayed Bashir were wounded. Other security personnel in the area engaged the gunmen in a firefight. Witnesses said Bashir's car was hit by bullets.(Posted @ 17:20 PST)
Olympics-London beat Paris to host 2012 Olympics SINGAPORE, July 6 (Reuters) - London beat favourites Paris for the right to stage the 2012 Olympic Games on Wednesday in a final showdown after Moscow, New York and Madrid were eliminated from the five-city contest. International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge announced the British capital as the winner in a globally televised ceremony after a day of presentations at the IOC session in Singapore's Raffles City complex. British Prime Minister Tony Blair spent two days in Singapore wooing IOC members and flew back to Britain to host the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, after attending the formal opening of the IOC session on Tuesday evening. French President Jacques Chirac appeared in person at the French presentation and made an impassioned plea to the IOC to choose Paris, but in vain. He flew to join the summit before the decision was announced. London has twice hosted the Olympics before, in 1908 and 1948.(Posted @ 17:15 PST)
Iraq Qaeda offers proof of Egypt envoy abduction-Web DUBAI, July 6 (Reuters) - Iraq's al Qaeda group posted on Wednesday Web pictures of identification cards of Egypt's top envoy to Iraq who the group said it had kidnapped.The pictures, posted on an Islamist Web site, included Ihab el-Sherif's driving license, foreign ministry and health insurance cards. Iraq's al Qaeda group, led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, claimed responsibility on Tuesday for Sherif's abduction. (Posted @ 17:15 PST)
Cricket-Younis Khan to play for Nottinghamshire ISLAMABAD, July 6 (Reuters) - Pakistan vice-captain Younis Khan will join English county Nottinghamshire on July 25 on a six-week contract as a replacement for New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming. Younis, 27, is the first Pakistan batsman to sign for anEnglish county since former captain Saleem Malik played for Essex in 1991. Fleming is required for New Zealand's tour of Zimbabwe.(Posted @ 17:00 PST)
Indian police fire tear gas as Hindus protest attack NEW DELHI, July 6 (AFP) - Indian police fired tear gas and water cannon Wednesday as Hindu nationalists staged several violent protests on the call of BJP against an attack on a holy site sacred to both Hindus and Muslims. Demonstrators clashed with police in the central city of Indore, where they stormed an airport, damaged the VIP lounge and surged onto the runway to prevent a flight taking off, television footage showed. Clashes also occurred in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkand state and in New Delhi, where police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse a crowd of about 1,500 attempting to march on parliament. Peaceful demonstrations were also staged in a handful of other states controlled by the BJP, which claimed Hinduism itself was under attack. A call for a one-day strike in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where Ayodhya is situated, was largely ignored, an AFP correspondent said, although the central market in the main city Lucknow was closed. Television footage showed life in Ayodhya continuing normally although blanket security was thrown around the disputed religious site. "Things appear pretty normal," Uttar Pradesh state home secretary Alok Sinha told AFP.(Posted @ 16:45 PST)
Pakistan ambassador in Iraq packs bags after attack BAGHDAD, July 6 (AFP) –As Pakistan's ambassador in Iraq was packing his bags to leave Baghdad after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt on Tuesday, a policeman was killed and 10 others wounded in an attack on Wednesday on their patrol in eastern Baghdad and a senior police officer was wounded in a drive by shooting in the capital, hospital and interior ministry sources said. Also, there was a roadside bomb explosion in a tunnel in the capital's busy Bab al-Shurji commercial district but caused no casualties , police said. Ambassador Yunis Khan “is about to leave," an embassy official told AFP. "It is just a temporary measure”,he however added.(Posted @ 16:35 PST)
Zarqawi savages US talks, vows to fight Iraqi Shiites: voice message DUBAI, July 6 (AFP) - The head of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, lashed out at contacts between some rebels and US officials as he announced the creation of a new unit to take on Shiite foes, in a voice message attributed to him Wednesday. Meanwhile, Iraq's most wanted man, who has a 25 million dollar bounty on his head, also puportedly vowed to head to the Palestinian territories to continue the fight after "victory" had been won in Iraq. "The enemy is experiencing its worst days on the soil of Mesopotamia, at a time when a member of the US Congress has said the United States is losing the war in Iraq," said the voice message on an Internet site, without giving further explanation. (Posted @ 16:20 PST)
Suspected militants kill five in Indian occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, July 6 (AFP) - Suspected militants shot dead five people in revolt-hit Indian occupied Kashmir, two of them Indian soldiers during a clash late Tuesday near the Line of Control (LoC) , a police spokesman said. Two other soldiers were injured in the fighting. Two Muslim civilians suspected of being informers were meanwhile shot dead overnight in the district of Pulwama, police said. In other acts of violence, a former militant was shot dead Wednesday in the district of Baramulla, also by suspected militants, police said. The deceased had taken a job as a taxi driver after being released from jail. More than 44,000 people have died in occupied Kashmir since the uprising against Indian rule nearly 16 years ago. (Posted @ 16:19 PST)
Indian court orders trial of ex deputy PM Advani for razing of mosque NEW DELHI, July 6 (AFP) – The Allahabad High Court ordered Wednesday that former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani be tried for his alleged role in the 1992 demolition of Babri Masjid that sparked deadly riots between Muslims and Hindus. The order was made after two Muslims challenged a lower court's 2003 acquittal of Advani and others due to lack of evidence. The court ordered that Advani and others must appear before a lower court on July 28. The mosque was razed on December 6, 1992, sparking Muslim-Hindu riots in which nearly 2,000 people were killed. Since then the entire complex has been under the authority of the Supreme Court and guarded by about 200 policemen and paramilitary personnel. A makeshift Hindu temple stands on the ruins of the mosque. Advani and other top Hindu nationalist leaders on Wednesday protested on the streets of New Delhi and elsewhere against the attack on the complex by six militants who were all killed in a two-hour gun battle on Tuesday. (Posted @ 16:07 PST)
Haj accommodation cost to go up next year: PAC informed ISLAMABAD, Jul 6 (APP): Haj accommodation cost in Saudi Arabia will go up by 15 percent from next year as the Ministry of Religious Affairs has increased the accommodation space for every Pakistani pilgrim.from three meters to 3.54 meters, Secretary Religious Affairs Ministry Wakil Ahmed Khan Wednesday informed the Public Accounts Committee. He said that 45,000 pilgrims will go directly to Madina and will be cleared by the Saudi custom officials in one hour.But waiting time for pilgrims at Jeddah Airport was currently between two to eight hours and the government could do nohing to improve the situation, he added. (Posted @ 15:53 PST)
US, Iraq urge calm as gunmen strike Baghdad diplomats BAGHDAD, July 6 (Reuters) - Iraq and the United States sought to prevent an exodus of diplomats from Baghdad on Wednesday after an ambush prompted Pakistan to pull out its ambassador, Bahrain's envoy was shot and Egypt's kidnapped. "They're trying to send a message to countries not to boost their representation in Iraq," an Iraqi government spokesman said. Washington urged other countries not to pull out. "It's no secret Iraq is a dangerous place," a U.S. embassy spokesman said. "We believe it's important for the international community to show support for the Iraqis by establishing and maintaining a diplomatic presence in the country." (Posted @ 13:05 PST)
Shaukat Aziz, Chinese President reaffirm mutual desire to deepen cooperation ASTANA, Jul 6 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Chinese President Hu Jintao Wednesday reaffirmed their pledge to widen and deepen their multifaceted cooperation as the two countries prepared to enter into a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) from next year. Meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, the two leaders discussed a host of issues ranging from fostering bilateral trade and economic ties to UN reforms and the composite dialogue process between Pakistan and India. Jintao offered 100 scholarships for Pakistani students to study in China as part of the efforts to promote closer contacts between the youths of the two countries. Aziz thanked Jintao for granting Pakistan the observer status in SCO adding that "this will open a new chapter in our relations in this part of the world." (Posted @ 13:05 PST)
Heavy downpour submerges areas in and around Sukkur SUKKUR, July 06 (APP)- Heavy downpour in the early hours of Wednesday paralysed life in Sukkur, Rohri, Khairpur and several other adjoining towns of Upper Sindh. Before the downpour started, stormy winds also blew across these towns for more than two hours that were calculated at more than 100 km per hour. Dozens of trees, power and telephone lines and poles were uprooted, besides large number of billboards. Irrigation authorities said the rain had also raised water level in Sukkur Barrage area, and had increased water discharge to over 200,000 cusecs at upstream of the Barrage by 6.00 A.M. today. (Posted @ 12:52 PST)
World's wealthiest nations getting richer but giving less: UN UNITED NATIONS, July 6 (APP/AP) Average income in the world's wealthiest nations has risen by almost US$8,000 since 1990, but government aid has dropped, the U.N. Development Program said in a report released Tuesday. (Posted @ 12:41 PST)
New Zealand asks world cricket body to ban Zimbabwe Wellington (dpa) - The New Zealand government has formally asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to ban Zimbabwe from its touring schedule because of appalling human rights abuses taking place there, Foreign Minister Phil Goff said Wednesday. He also revealed that New Zealand and Australia were sending a message about the rapidly deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe to the G8 meeting in Scotland, but gave no details about its contents. (Posted @ 10:19 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 13.65 points: KARACHI, July 6: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 7531.17, up 13.65 points from Tuesday's close. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:25 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, July 6: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.5 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:25 PST)
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