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| August 1, 2005 | Monday | Jumadi-us-Sani 24, 1426 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
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Saudi King Fahd dies, Crown prince named successor RIYADH, Aug 1 (AFP) - Saudi Arabia's King Fahd died on Monday and Crown Prince Abdullah was chosen to succeed him, while Defence Minister Sultan bin Abdul Aziz was named crown prince, an official statement said. "Prayers for King Fahd bin Abdel Aziz will be held following afternoon prayers tomorrow Tuesday at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque," according to the statement read on state television. "Members of the family have pledged allegience to Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz as King over the country," it said. "Then, King Abudullah bin Abdul Aziz... chose Defence Minister Sultan bin Abdul Aziz as crown prince... and members of the family pledged allegience to his excellency." Medical sources told that King Fahd, who is believed to be 84 and had been in ill health for years, passed away in hospital at dawn on Monday.(Posted @ 18:04 PST)
Pakistan declares seven days of mourning over Saudi King Fahd's death ISLAMABAD, Aug 1 (AFP) - Pakistan will observe a week of national mourning over the death of Saudi King Fahd, during which the national flag will fly at half-mast, the foreign ministry said Monday. President Pervez Musharraf, expressing his and the country's condolences in a televised address, said: "In his death, Pakistan and indeed, the entire Muslim world has lost a statesman of high calibre." "During his reign, the friendship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia reached new heights and gained great strength," said General Musharraf. Foreign ministry spokesman Muhammad Naeem Khan said: "The government and people of Pakistan express their deep sense of grief and sorrow on the sad demise of... King Fahd. "To express our solidarity with our Saudi brothers, an official mourning of seven days, during which the national flag will fly at half-mast, will be observed throughout the country. "The king was a great statesman who dedicatedly worked for international peace, a devoted supporters of the causes of the Muslim Ummah and a sincere friend of Pakistan," Khan said.. "With his passing away, Pakistan has lost a great champion of peace and socio-economic development in the region, and a true friend."(Posted @ 17:30 PST)
MMA condemns halting of Maulana Fazlur Rehman at Dubai airport Karachi, Aug 01 PPI: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) lawmakers Monday strongly condemning halting of Opposition Leader in National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman at Dubai Airport, demanded of the government to protest with UAE government, officially. MMA MNAs Muhammad Hussain Mehenti, Abdul Sattar Afghani and Muhammad Laiq Khan in a joint statement described the incident as insult of Pakistani nation. They said such attitude had already been meted out with Senator Maulana Samiul Haq in European countries, some times back. They further said it was an attempt to defame Muslims and Pakistani nation in the world, adding such attitudes are being meted out with Pakistani leaders on behest of the US.(Posted @ 23:00 PST)
Red Sea bombing suspect shot dead - govt CAIRO, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Egyptian police shot dead one of the prime suspects in the bombings which killed at least 64 people in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on July 23, the Interior Ministry said on Monday. Mohamed Fulayfel was killed and his wife was wounded in an exchange of fire with police near Gebel Ataqa, a hill 18 km (11 miles) west of the town of Suez, it said in a statement. It did not say when the gunfight took place. The statement said that security forces, acting on a tip, were approaching a group hiding in quarries in the Gebel Ataqa area when gunmen opened fire at them. The police forces immediately dealt with the source of fire and it became clear that Mohamed Ahmed Saleh Fulayfel had been killed. He had been in the company of his wife, who was wounded and taken to hospital for treatment, it added.(Posted @ 20:50 PST)
Saudi King Abdullah says no cabinet change - TV RIYADH, Aug 1 (Reuters) - New Saudi Arabian monarch Abdullah said the kingdom's cabinet ministers would retain their posts after the death of King Fahd on Monday. A royal decree read out on state television also appointed Crown Prince Sultan, who is also defence minister, as first deputy prime minister, a post King Abdullah had held when he was crown prince.(Posted @ 20:35 PST)
UAE turns back Pakistan's opposition chief ISLAMABAD, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Pakistan's opposition leader, firebrand cleric Fazal-ur-Rehman, said on Monday he was returning home after authorities at Dubai airport refused him transit to Saudi Arabia and threatened him with deportation. Speaking to a private tv channel from Dubai, he said he did not know why the United Arab Emirates had barred him, but he had decided to return to Pakistan."First, they told us we can proceed and they stamped (the transit visa). Then they said you should wait and we are waiting, but I have decided to go back to Pakistan." Pakistan's information minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, said the opposition leader was expected to return on Tuesday morning. "He has been black-listed by the UAE immigration officials and, according to our information, he is being deported," the minister told Reuters, but he was unable to shed any light on why Rehman was not welcome in the country.(Posted @ 20:30 PST)
Twelve killed as southern Sudanese riot in Khartoum KHARTOUM, Aug 1 (Reuters) - At least twelve people including policemen were killed and scores others injured when thousands of southern Sudanese clashed with police in Khartoum on Monday after the death of former rebel leader and Sudan vice-president John Garang in a helicopter crash, a police official and witnesses said. Khartoum governor announced a curfew from 6 p.m.(1500 GMT) until 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) in the capital. "People have been running all over the streets. There is fire and smoke," a Reuters TV witness said. The rioters, some wielding knives and bars, also looted shops.(Posted @ 20:25 PST)
PM expressed deep grief and sorrow over demise of King Fahd ISLAMABAD, Aug 1 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Monday expressed deep grief and sorrow over the passing away of King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz and termed it a great loss for Pakistan. In a condolence message to King AbdullahBin Abdul Aziz Al Saud the prime minister said: "It is with deep sadness and the sense of shock that we had learnt about the passing away of Khadim Al-Harmain Al-Sharifain King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud." He said under his leadership Saudi Arabia was transformed into a great prosperous nation that has been a shinning example for other Muslim countries. "We honour King Fahd as a special and true friend of Pakistan. He invariably showed deep care for progress and development of Pakistan and always stood by us in times of our need. The people of Pakistan will always remember him with a deep sense of gratitude, affection and respect."(Posted @ 20:06 PST)
Iraqi parliament to debate draft constitution on Aug 15 BAGHDAD, Aug 1 (AFP) - Parliament will debate a draft constitution for Iraq on August 15, keeping the country on track for a scheduled mid-October referendum , officials said Monday. "We shall conclude the drafting of the constitution and will hand over the text to parliament for debate on August 15," the chairman of the constitutional committee Sheikh Humam Hammudi told parliament.Unresolved issues include federalism and how it will work, and whether the Kurds, in their semi-autonomous area in the north of the country, should be allowed a future vote on self-determination. There is also disagreement on the division of revenue between the federal government and the regions, and on the status of the ethnically tense oil-rich region of Kirkuk, which Kurds want to see included in their territory. Members also differ on whether Kurdish and Arabic should be official languages of the state, and on what role Islam should play in the constitution.(Posted @ 19:44 PST)
Bush calls King Abdullah on Fahd passing WASHINGTON, Aug 1 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush on Monday telephoned Saudi King Abdullah to offer his condolences on the passing of King Fahd and congratulate him on assuming the throne, the White House said.(Posted @ 18:45 PST)
GILANI: Indian Troops given free hand for genocide: Gilani Srinagar, August 01( PPI) Veteran Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Gilani has said the Indian government has given a free hand to its troops to carry out planned genocide of people in occupied Kashmir. In a statement here Sunday he asked people to honour the sacrifices made by people and take their mission to logical conclusion.(Posted @ 18:38 PST)
Pakistan's total EEZ area is larger than combined land of Sindh and NWFP-CNS KARACHI, Aug 1 (APP) - Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Shahid Karimullah, has said that the total area of Pakistan's Exclusive Economic Zone is larger than the combined land area of Sindh and NWFP and can rightly be regarded as the fifth and largest province of the country. Addressing a seminar on `Implications of jurisdiction over the extended continental shelf' at PNS Jauhar Auditorium, he said Pakistan Navy has been vigorously pursuing the case with the government for extension of continental shelf from 200 to 350 nautical miles for which the claim is to be submitted by May 2009 in accordance with provisions of UN Conventions on Laws of Seas (UNCLOS) 1982. He further stated that Pakistan's maritime sector possesses enormous potential and there is a growing need to fully exploit these resources for economic prosperity and development of the country.(Posted @ 18:29 PST)
PM to visit Japan and Hong Kong from August 8 ISLAMABAD, Aug 1 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will visit Japan and Hong Kong and discuss ways to boost its economic, bilateral and trade ties. Foreign Office spokesman Naeem Khan said, Prime Minister Aziz will visit Japan, from August 8-11 at the invitation of Prime Minister Koizumi, and would later visit Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China from August 11-13.(Posted @ 18:20 PST)
India's Naga tribals intensify stir despite truce GUWAHATI, India, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Tribesmen campaigning for a separate homeland in India's restive northeast blocked vital roads and stopped hundreds of supply-laden trucks on Monday, saying a new truce with New Delhi was not helping them.(Posted @ 18:16 PST)
Garang helicopter wreckage, bodies found in remote southern Sudan: Ugandan official KAMPALA, Aug 1 (AFP) - The wreckage of a crashed Ugandan helicopter and the bodies of Sudanese Vice President John Garang and the 13 other people on board have been located in a remote area of southern Sudan, a Ugandan official said Monday. "A UN team that went on the ground witnessed the wreckage," the official said. "It said that all people on board died."(Posted @ 18:10 PST)
Iran asks IAEA to remove seals at nuclear facility - diplomats VIENNA, Aug 1 (AFP) - Iran handed over Monday a letter to the UN nuclear watchdog agency asking it to remove seals on crucial machinery so that it can resume uranium ore conversion, sensitive nuclear work that may set off an international crisis, diplomats said. Iran has "asked the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) to remove the seals as it wants to start work at the uranium conversion facility in Isfahan," a diplomat close to the IAEA told AFP.The diplomat, who asked not to be named, said the IAEA was not however moving immediately to remove the seals.(Posted @ 18:07 PST)
Arabs mourn Fahd as great leader CAIRO, Aug 1 (AFP) - Arab leaders on Monday mourned the death of Saudi King Fahd as a major loss for the Muslim world, remembering him as a great monarch who will go down in history as a tireless defender of Arab causes. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ordered three days of mourning nationwide. Jordan's King Abdullah decreed a 40-day period of mourning and would lead a big delegation Tuesday to Saudi Arabia to attend Fahd's funeral. In Beirut, the government ordered three days of mourning and a three-day mourning period was also declared by the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas will lead a high-powered delegation to Saudi Arabia for Fahd's funeral, deputy prime minister Nabil Shaath said.In Sharm el-Sheikh meanwhile Arab League chief Amr Mussa confirmed that the summit had been temporarily shelved. "The summit will be postponed several days and consultations are ongoing to set a new date."(Posted @ 17:59 PST)
Militant kills horses carrying troops' supplies in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, Aug 1 (AFP) - A militant revolt-hit occupied Kashmir shot dead late Sundaay five horses carrying food rations and clothing to an army camp , police said Monday. The attack took place in Arigam village, 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Srinagar. "A solo militant killed five horses from point-blank range and beat up two locals who were leading the horses," army spokesman Vijay Batra told AFP.(Posted @ 17:55 PST)
Taliban becoming more ruthless in Afghanistan, says US general KABUL, Aug 1 (AFP) - Afghanistan's Taliban have become more ruthless and more willing to use suicide bombers and child soldiers in attacks, a US general said Monday, vowing that polls next month would go ahead regardless. "The US and Coalition forces are going to fight our way up to and through the elections," said Major General Jason Kamiya, the operational commander of the US-led forces fighting Islamic insurgents in Afghanistan. "The Taliban are becoming more ruthless," he said. "They are targeting governmental leaders and popular Muslim religious leaders. We're seeing an increased threat to use suicide bombers." Speaking at a Kabul press conference, he said that "Al-Qaeda and associated movements were handed a strategic defeat last year with Afghanistan's election of a president, but they will continue to challenge us".(Posted @ 17:55 PST)
More rains soak India's Mumbai as city battles to return to normal MUMBAI, Aug 1 (AFP) - Monsoon rains lashed Mumbai again Monday as rescuers pulled more bodies from the floodwaters and the city battled to recover from its worst-ever recorded deluge, with the death toll nearing 1,000. The city's police chief appealed to residents to stay indoors as meteorologists forecast "heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by strong gusty winds" over the next 24 hours in Maharashtra state. Rescue workers found the bodies of 24 more victims of floods and landslides, bringing the state death toll to 993 since the rains began on July 25, police said. Some 409 of them have died in Mumbai. Flights out of Mumbai airport were delayed but returning to normal, airline officials said.(Posted @ 17:15 PST)
Twenty bodies dumped in Baghdad after killings BAGHDAD, Aug 1 (Reuters) Twenty bodies of people who had been shot or beheaded were discovered in southwest Baghdad on Monday, a police source said. The source said witnesses told police that they saw a truck dump the bodies near a school in the Om al-Ma'alif area in southwest Baghdad. (Posted @ 15:16 PST)
Shuttle astronauts go for second spacewalk HOUSTON, Aug 1 (Reuters) Two astronauts ventured outside the shuttle Discovery on Monday to replace a failed gyroscope on the International Space Station in the second of three planned spacewalks as NASA pondered whether to add a fourth to fix the shuttle's heat shield. (Posted @ 15:15 PST)
Supreme Court to continue hearing of Hasba Bill on Tuesday ISLAMABAD, Aug 01 (APP): A nine-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, on Monday resumed the hearing of the presidential reference on the Hasba Bill. The court heard the arguments of Attorney General for Pakistan, Makhdoom Ali Khan, and adjourned the matter for Tuesday. (Posted @ 14:30 PST)
Oil rises above $61 as Saudi king dies LONDON, Aug 1 (Reuters) Oil prices rose over $61 a barrel on Monday after the death of the king of the world's largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia. U.S. light, sweet crude was up 50 cents at $61.07 a barrel after hitting a near three-week high of $61.23. (Posted @ 14:25 PST)
U.N. convoy ambushed in Afghan south, 2 hurt KABUL, Aug 1 (Reuters) A United Nations convoy was ambushed in southern Afghanistan, and two people were injured, a U.N. spokesman said on Monday. No further details were given. (Posted @ 14:23 PST)
Five more dead in occupied Kashmir fighting SRINAGAR, Aug 1 (AFP) Indian troops killed five militants in two separate encounters in Srinagar, army and police officials said Monday. (Posted @ 11:56 PST)
Chinese wall collapse kills 11, including four children BEIJING, Aug 1 (AFP) An ethnic festival in China's south western Yunnan province turned tragic when a wall collapsed killing 11 people, including four children, state press reported Monday. Another 17 were injured. (Posted @ 11:14 PST)
US, Chinese diplomats meet for first 'strategic dialogue' BEIJING Aug 1 (APP/AP) China and the United States began their first "strategic dialogue” on Monday, a move that could help ease trade and foreign policy tensions between the two sides. (Posted @ 10:15 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 16.17 points: KARACHI, August 1: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 7195.10, up 16.17 points from Friday's close. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:30 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, August 1: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.45 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:30 PST)
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