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| July 8, 2005 | Friday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 30, 1426 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
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Bermuda, Canada, Ireland and Scotland qualify for ICC Bangor, July 8-(PPI): Bermuda, Canada, Ireland and Scotland have qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup after finishing in the top two positions in their respective groups of the ICC Trophy Ireland 2005. Hosts Ireland confirmed first place in Group A after beating Denmark by 73 runs at Bangor. They will now play Group B runner-up Canada in the first semi-final on Saturday (today). The ICC Trophy will now move from the north to the south of Ireland for the semi-finals and final. The other semi-final of the ICC Trophy will be between Group A runner-up Bermuda and Group B winner Scotland. The final ICC Cricket World Cup qualifying spot will be awarded to the team that finishes fifth in the ICC Trophy.(Posted @ 22:50 PST)
Seminar in Zhob on July 11 QUETTA July 8 (APP) Population Welfare Department will hold a one-day seminar on the health of mothers and children at Family Welfare Center Zhob in connection with World Population Day on July 11 next. Sources at Population Department informed here Friday.(Posted @ 22:48 PST)
U.N. envoy to discuss peace efforts in Nepal New York (dpa) - A United Nations envoy will visit Nepal next week to help find a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the small Himalayan kingdom, a spokesman said Friday. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is dispatching his top adviser, Lakhdar Brahimi, to Kathmandu for talks with government officials and political parties from July 10 to 15. Brahimi is a well known U.N.mediator in conflict in Iraq, Haiti and some African nations. Brahimi will also meet with King Gyanendra and Nepalese society's representatives. The Himalayan kingdom has been hit by waves of attacks by Maoist-inspired guerrilla fighters whose main target has been to abolish the constitutional monarchy and set up a communist-led government.(Posted @ 22:45 PST)
US, other foreign troops may protect Baghdad diplomats WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. military and Iraqi government are discussing plans under which American and other troops could help protect diplomats in Baghdad, a U.S. general said on Friday in a tacit admission that Iraqi security forces were not yet up to the task.(Posted @ 20:28 PST)
Government to get encroached land freed from grabbers: PM KARACHI, July 8 (APP) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Friday that land encroachment was illegal under the new law and the government will set examples by getting its property vacated from land grabbers. "The Parliament has passed the bill against land grabbing and the President has singed it to make it a law. Now it is the responsibility of the province to implement it", he said while speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a $12 million phase-II project of Universal Tractor Pakistan Ltd at Port Qasim in Karachi. He advised farmers to go for mechanization through the use of tractors in agriculture and give up obsolete methods in order to enhance productivity.(Posted @ 20:25 PST)
Every household to get electricity, clean water by end-2007: PM THATTA, July 8 (APP)- Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Friday that by the end of 2007, electricity and clean drinking water would be made available to every household in the country. Addressing a public meeting here, Aziz announced a special grant of Rs. 50 million for the Thatta District that would be made available after the local bodies’ polls. On the occasion Aziz also announced supply of natural gas to Joher Jamali, Mirpur Sakro and Jati Tehsils and ordered that work be started on these projects immediately.(Posted @ 20:15 PST)
Musharraf says government committed to development of far-flung areas CHITRAL, Jul 8 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf on Friday said the government was resolved to bring benefit to the people of far-flung areas in Pakistan with the fruits of economic development. Addressing a gathering of elders in Chitral, the President said the government was “concentrating on bringing about a qualitative change in the lives of people and our efforts are geared to enable the people of far-off areas to achieve socio-economic progress through a series of development projects." He declared that Lowari Tunnel project would be completed expeditiously to facilitate the transportation and communication links between Chitral and other parts of the country.(Posted @ 20:10 PST)
Spain sends terrorism experts to London MADRID, July 8 (Reuters) - Spain, hit last year by train bombings linked to al Qaeda, said on Friday it was sending security experts to Britain to help with the investigation into blasts in London that killed more than 50 people.(Posted @ 19:35 PST)
Hurricane Dennis targets Cuba, heads for U.S. Gulf HAVANA, July 8 (Reuters) - Hurricane Dennis, an extremely dangerous storm with 135-mph (215-kph) winds, churned toward central Cuba on Friday on track for the Florida Panhandle after causing deadly floods in Haiti and mudslides in Jamaica. Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center said the eye of Dennis would hit Cuba later on Friday and head into the Gulf of Mexico, where U.S. oil companies prepared for a possible threat to oil and gas rigs.(Posted @ 19:18 PST)
Olympics-IOC cuts London programme to 26 sports SINGAPORE, July 8 (Reuters) - International Olympic Committee members refused to add any new sports to the Games programme on Friday. The IOC's rejection of squash and karate leaves the London 2012 programme with 26 sports. They overwhelmingly rejected bids from rugby sevens, golf and roller sports as well as squash and karate after baseball and softball had been axed earlier in the day today.(First Posted @ 12:20 PST Updated @ 19:15 PST)
G8 leaders agree $50 billion aid boost GLENEAGLES, Scotland, July 8 (Reuters) - World leaders announced a $50 billion boost in development aid on Friday, declaring the deal was a message of hope that countered the hatred behind the London bomb attacks. "It isn't all everyone wanted but it is progress, real and achievable progress." British Prime Minister Tony Blair said, flanked by fellow leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) and seven of their African counterparts. "It isn't the end of poverty in Africa, but it is the hope that it can be ended," he added. The G8 leaders also agreed a package of aid worth up to $3 billion to help the Palestinian Authority and foster peace in the Middle East, he said. The leaders declared that global warming required urgent action, but set no measurable targets for reducing the greenhouse gases that trigger it.(First Posted @ 17:27 PST Updated @ 19:10 PST)
Group threatens al Qaeda attacks on Rome DUBAI, July 8 (Reuters) - A group, Jihad in the Arabian Peninsula, claiming links to al Qaeda threatened to attack Rome to punish Italy for supporting the United States, and praised the bomb blasts in London, a Web statement said Friday. It gave timings for each of Thursday's attacks, referring to them as "explosions", implying they were not suicide attacks, which militants normally describe as "martyrdom operations". The authenticity of the web statement could not be verified.(Posted @ 17:35 PST)
Pakistan's Internet link repaired, company says ISLAMABAD, July 8 (Reuters) - A fault in Pakistan's sole fibre-optic international cable link that had virtually crippled Internet access since June 27 has been repaired and full service restored, a telecommunications official said on Friday. "The fault in the cable has been repaired completely and full service was restored at 11.54 this morning (0654 GMT)," a senior Pakistan Telecommunication Co. Ltd. (PTCL) official said.(Posted @ 17:30 PST)
Srebrenica massacre survivors start memorial march in Bosnia CRNI VRH, Bosnia-Herzegovina, July 8 (AFP) - Hundreds of survivors of the 1995 massacre in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica began a three-day march here Friday ahead of the 10th anniversary commemorations on July 11. The marchers plan to retract the route they used a decade ago to escape the UN-protected town as Serb forces overran it and began a week-long killing spree that left some 8,000 Muslim men and boys dead.(Posted @ 16:52 PST)
More than 50 killed, 700 wounded in London blasts LONDON, July 8 (Reuters) - More than 50 people were killed and 700 wounded, 22 of whom were in critical condition, in the four blasts on the London underground and a bus yesterday, police said Friday. The London police chief, Ian Blair, said he did not expect the death toll to rise dramatically. "We have absolutely nothing to suggest that this was a suicide bombing attack although nothing at this stage can be ruled out," he added.(Posted @ 16:35 PST)
France tightens border controls after London bombs PARIS, July 8 (Reuters) - France is reinforcing its border controls, especially for cross-Channel traffic, following the bombings in London, the office of Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin announced Friday. It said security measures would also be tightened around the country, with 1,100 soldiers deployed from Saturday compared to 250 beforehand. (Posted @ 15:35 PST)
Oil prices back above $61 LONDON, July 8 (Reuters) - Oil prices climbed back towards record highs on Friday as global financial markets shrugged off the impact of the London bombings. U.S. crude for August delivery by 0935 GMT rose 87 cents to $61.60 a barrel and London Brent rose 93 cents to $60.21 a barrel. Analysts said the London attacks did not look likely to have the impact on the world economy as seen after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States in 2001. (Posted @ 15:35 PST)
Thousands of Pakistanis flee Himalayan flood ISLAMABAD, July 8 (Reuters) - About 3,000 Pakistani villagers were forced to evacuate their homes after a large volume of water flowed down a river from the Indian Himalayas into Pakistan, a relief official said Friday. A relief official in Punjab province said the flow was not as heavy as earlier feared. "We've had to evacuate only about 25 villages. I would say approximately 3,000 people have been affected, but there has been no loss of life," said provincial relief commissioner, Syed Safdar Javed. "Obviously, crops would be damaged but we don't know the extent as yet," he said. The director-general of Pakistan's Meteorological Department, Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, said the cause of the heavy flow was being investigated and it might have been because India had released some water from a damaged dam. (Posted @ 15:35 PST)
Taliban say Britons pay price for rulers' deeds KABUL, July 8 (Reuters) - A spokesman for Taliban said Friday the British people were paying the price for the evil of their rulers, but the Taliban had nothing to do with Thursday's bomb attacks in London. "The people of Britain are facing trouble only because of the evil deeds and oppression of their rulers," a Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi said by telephone from an undisclosed location. Hakimi said the Taliban were neither sad nor happy about the four bombs on London's transport network. "Had these blasts been directed at Britain's military targets or inflicted losses on the British government then we would have been very happy," he said. "We will take revenge on Britain in Afghanistan but, nevertheless, the Taliban have nothing to do with these blasts," he added. (Posted @ 14:54 PST)
Four Indian soldiers killed in occupied Kashmir fire fight JAMMU, India, July 8 (Reuters) - Four Indian soldiers and four militants were killed Friday in a gunfight in Poonch district near the Line of Control (LOC) in occupied Kashmir, an army officer said. "Hundreds of rounds were fired in the gun battle which lasted for over eight hours," the officer added. (Posted @ 14:54 PST)
Scores of Pakistani camel kids return home from gulf servitude ISLAMABAD (dpa) - A group of 86 Pakistani children smuggled to work as jockeys in camel racing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) returned home on Friday. Many children, aged between seven to 15 years, were weeping as they came out of the Lahore international airport amid tight security early in the day.The regional government officials would prepare necessary documentation and carry out DNA tests before handing them over to their parents. With the fresh arrival, the total number of camel kids returning home inside two weeks, has reached 119. (Posted @ 12:39 PST)
Hunt for bombers under way after 37 die in London carnage LONDON, July 8 (AFP) - A massive hunt was under way Friday for the bombers who blew up a double-decker bus and wrought carnage in underground trains in London, killing at least 37 people and injuring more than 700. Scotland Yard spokesman Alan Crookwood said the investigation was "a very high priority." Although anti-terrorist investigators said it was too early to speculate, several British newspapers were convinced that the attack on the bus had been the work of a suicide bomber."The number 30 suicide bomber," said the Daily Mirror tabloid, the theme taken up by several other dailies who quoted passengers that survived as saying they had seen a dark-skinned man rummaging in a bag seconds before the blast. Memories of the World War II blitz attacks on London overcame the press. "Our spirit will never be broken," blared the front-page of The Sun, the country's best-selling tabloid. "If the terrorists want a fight, by God, we'll give it them." The Times' editorial expressed "revulsion and resolve." (Posted @ 10:50 PST)
Six Philippine cabinet ministers resign, urge Arroyo to go MANILA, July 8 (AFP) - Six members of the Philippine cabinet, including the key economic team, resigned Friday and urged President Gloria Arroyo to step down to defuse a political crisis caused by vote-rigging allegations.The group, including Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin, criticised Arroyo's management style and said she should step down to spare the Southeast Asian nation further turmoil. Meanwhile the head of the Philippine armed forces, General Efren Abu, made a nationwide television address ordering soldiers to stay out of the political crisis amid reports of coup plots linked to retired officers. (Posted @ 10:33 PST)
Londoners 'paid the price' for Iraq war: Galloway LONDON, July 7 (APP/AFP) - Firebrand lawmaker George Galloway said Londoners had "paid the price" for Britain sending soldiers into Iraq and Afghanistan and warned there was more to come after bomb blasts in the capital Thursday killed at least 37 people. "We argued, as did the security services in this country, that the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq would increase the threat of terrorist attack in Britain," Galloway said in a statement. "Tragically Londoners have now paid the price of the government ignoring such warnings," said the Respect Party MP for east London's Bethnal Green and Bow said. Later, the left-wing politician told parliament the attacks were despicable but entirely predictable. "There was nothing unpredictable about this attack this morning. Despicable, yes, but not unpredictable. Entirely predictable and, I predict, not the last either. Galloway earned a stinging rebuke from Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram, who accused his former colleague of "dipping his poisonous tongue in a pool of blood," adding: "I think it is disgraceful.” A fierce critic of the March 2003 US-led war to remove Saddam Hussein, Galloway was expelled that year from Prime Minister Tony Blair's governing Labour Party, which he had represented in parliament since 1987. (Posted @ 10:21 PST)
Karachi Stocks down 0.13 points: KARACHI, July 8: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 7588.94, down 0.13 points from Thursday's close. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 16:10 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, July 8: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.5 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 16:10 PST)
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