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| August 15, 2005 | Monday | Rajab 9, 1426 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
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Seven Taliban killed in Afghan clashes KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Aug 15 (AFP) Seven suspected Taliban militants were killed and 15 were arrested, including one of the militia's commander Mullah Janan, in separate incidents in southern Afghanistan, officials said Monday.(Posted @ 16:38 PST)
Manmohan Singh renews offer for talks with Kashmiri leaders NEW DELHI, Aug 15 (APP) Renewing his offer, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday invited everyone in occupied Kashmir to join the peace dialogue. In his Independence Day address Singh said the government's response will be "hard" if violence continued in occupied Kashmir but added that “I invite everyone to join us to discuss the problem of Jammu and Kashmir so that its people can lead a life of peace and dignity.” Referring to Pakistan's efforts to curb "militancy", Singh said Pakistan had put some checks on their activities; however it was not possible to achieve success through "half-hearted efforts". Pointing out that there was some success in search for peace and harmony, he said "the composite dialogue process with Pakistan is continuing." Noting that it was New Delhi's sincere hope to work with all neighbours, he said "if India and Pakistan are able to work together, then we will have many opportunities for making our countries prosperous. I am confident that we will be able to fulfil this vision". He also said once the gas pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan is completed, the government would be able to address a major constraint affecting the nation's economy.(Posted @ 16:28 PST)
Maoist rebels kill nine including lawmaker in southern India HYDERABAD, India, Aug 15 (AFP) Maoist guerrillas on Monday shot dead nine people including a provincial lawmaker, Narsi Reddy, after an Independence Day celebration in the south-eastern Indian state of Andra Pradesh, police said. A municipal commissioner and another official were among the killed. (Posted @ 15:45 PST)
Cricket-Australia 47-1 v England, need 423 to win MANCHESTER, England, Aug 15 (Reuters) Australia were 47-1 on Monday, chasing a target of 423 to win the third Ashes test, after England dismissed Justin Langer in the second over of the morning session. The hosts, chasing a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, set Australia 423 to win with a century from Andrew Strauss and a second half-century of the match from Ian Bell on Sunday. Meanwhile around 10,000 fans were turned away from Old Trafford as they tried to get hold of tickets for the final day of the third Ashes test on Monday, officials said. (Posted @ 15:44 PST)
Cricket-Zimbabwe struggle to 75-6 at lunch v New Zealand BULAWAYO, Aug 15 (Reuters) Zimbabwe, who won the toss and chose to bat, were 75 for six at lunch on the first day of the second test against New Zealand in Bulawayo on Monday. Scores: Zimbabwe 75-6 (Shane Bond 5-11) v New Zealand (Posted @ 15:35 PST)
Nationwide strike shuts down much of Bangladesh DHAKA, Aug 15 (AFP) Much of Bangladesh came to a halt Monday as the country's opposition enforced a half-day strike to demand that the death sentences handed down for the murder of the country's founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, be carried out. Streets were free of cars and schools, shops and businesses closed Monday as Awami League activists held protests marches in all the major cities and towns across the country, police said. (Posted @ 15:35 PST)
China says 693 miners dead or missing in six weeks BEIJING, Aug 15 (Reuters) Accidents at Chinese coal mines, the most dangerous in the world, have left nearly 700 workers dead or missing in just the past six weeks, the State Administration of Work Safety was quoted on Monday as saying. The grim statistics came out as 122 miners remained trapped and presumed drowned in a mine in southern Guangdong province that flooded more than a week ago. (Posted @ 15:35 PST)
Bomb hits government building in southeast Turkey, no casualties ANKARA, Aug 15 (AFP) A powerful time bomb ripped through a government building in Sirnak province in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast early Monday, causing extensive material damage, but no casualties, media reports said. It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast. (Posted @ 15:35 PST)
Floods kill at least nine, leave 23 missing in China BEIJING, Aug 15 (AFP) Torrential downpours and severe flooding killed at least nine people in north-eastern China's Liaoning province and left 23 more missing, state media said Monday. (Posted @ 15:34 PST)
Five dead, 11 missing in worst northern Thailand floods in 11 years BANGKOK, Aug 15 (AFP) Five people were killed and 11 were still missing in the weekend flooding in northern Thailand which Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra described Monday as the worst in 11 years. Floodwaters had swirled across seven northern provinces affecting nearly 60,000 people. The cost of the damage was still being estimated, a ministry source said. (Posted @ 15:34 PST)
119 bodies and second flight recorder from Cypriot airliner found ATHENS, Aug 15 (AFP) Emergency teams have recovered the bodies of 119 of the 121 people, including 21 children, on board the Cypriot airliner which crashed near Athens as well as the plane's second flight recorder, Greek authorities said Monday. Relatives of the victims, most of them Cypriots, were expected to arrive in Greece early Monday on a specially-chartered flight. The cause of the crash remained unknown. (Posted @ 15:33 PST)
Malaysian firemen help Indonesia to fight blazes SUBANG, Malaysia/JAKARTA, Aug 15 (Reuters) Malaysia sent a team of 100 firemen to neighbouring Indonesia on Monday to help douse forest fires that have blanketed the region in noxious haze.(Posted @ 15:10 PST)
Japanese PM marks WW2 defeat with apology to Asia TOKYO, Aug 15 (Reuters) Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi marked the 60th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War Two on Monday with an apology for suffering caused by Japanese military aggression, and pledged that Tokyo would never again go to war. "Japan caused huge damage and suffering to many countries, especially the people of Asia, with its colonisation and aggression," Koizumi said in a statement. "Humbly accepting this fact of history, we again express our deep remorse and heartfelt apology and offer our condolences to the victims of the war at home and abroad," he said.(Posted @ 15:10 PST)
Indonesia and rebels sign Aceh peace deal HELSINKI, Aug 15 (Reuters) The Indonesian government and rebels from Aceh signed a truce on Monday aimed at ending nearly three decades of fighting in the province devastated by last December's tsunami. The deal, signed in Helsinki by Indonesian Justice Minister Hamid Awaluddin and Malik Mahmood of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), provides for an amnesty and disarming of the rebels and restricts government troop movements in Aceh. Disarmament begins on Sept. 15 and will be monitored by officials and soldiers from the European Union and Asia.(Posted @ 15:10 PST)
Ex-security chief named Kyrgyz acting PM BISHKEK, Aug 15 (Reuters) Kyrgyzstan's new president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, named former security chief Felix Kulov acting prime minister on Monday, making good on a pre-election pledge seen as crucial to stability in the Central Asian state.(Posted @ 15:05 PST)
Blast in occupied Kashmir on India’s Independence Day SRINAGAR, Aug 15 (Reuters) A grenade exploded near a stadium in occupied Kashmir's main city of Srinagar on Monday before the start of a ceremony to mark India's independence day anniversary, but police said there was nobody dead or wounded. The grenade went off an hour before the chief minister of occupied Kashmir Mufti Mohammad Syed was due to attend the Independence Day celebrations at the heavily guarded stadium, police sources added. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference, the main political party in occupied Kashmir, called for a general strike to mark the day. (Posted @ 14:45 PST)
Israel launches Gaza pullout, settlers defiant NEVE DEKALIM, Gaza Strip, Aug 15 (Reuters) Defiant Jewish settlers blocked the gates of some Gaza settlements on Monday in an attempt to prevent soldiers from delivering 48-hour eviction notices as Israel began its pullout from the coastal territory. Bearded men stood at the main entrance praying for divine intervention. Settlers with loudspeakers urged soldiers to refuse orders. Protesters set fire to tyres, sending up clouds of dark smoke. Many of Gaza's 8,500 settlers streamed out before Israel set the pullout in motion on Monday, but more than half remained. They were reinforced by 5,000 ultranationalists who had slipped in, raising fears of violence. Earlier some 7,500 Palestinian security men in Gaza were moved into position on the outskirts of the fortified settlements to ward off possible militant attacks. (Posted @ 14:45 PST)
Iraqi police discover 30 bodies in mass grave KERBALA, Iraq, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Police in southern Iraq said on Monday they had discovered 30 bodies of people who were apparently tortured and then shot. Colonel Salam Taraad, of the Hilla police department, said two of the victims were women. He quoted medical sources as saying the bodies, which had signs of torture and bullet wounds, were buried six months ago. The corpses were found in the village of Uwarige, just south of the capital. (Posted @ 12:55 PST)
French TV technician kidnapped in Gaza GAZA CITY, Aug 15 (AFP) - A French television sound technician was kidnapped at gunpoint in the Gaza Strip late Sunday just hours before Israel formally began its pullout, Palestinian security sources said. The engineer working for the public France 3 television station was snatched by three gunmen outside his hotel in Gaza City and bundled into a waiting car before being driven off, the sources said.(Posted @ 12:05 PST)
Commercial plane can be shot down under India's new hijack policy NEW DELHI, Aug 15 (APP): A Commercial aircraft can be shot down if it is turned into a "missile" by the hijackers under the new hijack policy, adopted by India. The policy, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) also makes it clear that there will be no negotiations with hijackers on their demands, Indian media reports said. Hijackers will be engaged in negotiations only to bring an end to the incident, comfort passengers and prevent loss of life but without conceding to any demand, added the reports. (Posted @ 11:30 PST)
WB President arrives, praises Pakistan's reforms programme and determination ISLAMABAD, Aug 15 (APP): World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz arrived here on a four-day state visit to Pakistan. The distinguished guest was received at Islamabad International Airport by the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr.Salman Shah and senior officials of the Finance Ministry and World Bank. In an arrival statement, the World Bank President highly appreciated the reforms programme and determination of the government of Pakistan. (Posted @ 11:25 PST)
US reports death of Zarqawi aide WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (AFP) - A top aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, head of the Al-Qaeda operation in Iraq and accused of masterminding high-profile suicide bombings in the country, has been killed by Iraqi security forces, defense officials have confirmed. (Posted @ 11:00 PST)
Twenty two die in Siberia road crashes MOSCOW, Aug 15 (APP/AFP) - Twenty two people have been killed and 16 injured in two separate road crashes in Siberia, the Russian news agencies reported early Monday, quoting local officials. (Posted @ 10:45 PST)
Pakistan to continue improving its nuclear and missile capabilities:PM Islamabad, August 15 (PPI): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said here Sunday that Pakistan is a moderate and enlightened country and the masses will unitedly defeat the menace of extremism and terrorism. Addressing the national flag hoisting ceremony this morning, he referred to the successes achieved in the field of economy and defense and said there are challenges of extremism and terrorism, which will have to be faced in the interest of the country and the world at large. (Posted @ 10:15 PST)
Oil prices slip, hover above US$66 a barrel, as refinery concerns ease SINGAPORE Aug 15 (APP/AP) Crude oil futures opened the week lower as fears about refinery breakdowns eased after the weekend passed without reports of new refinery problems. Midmorning in Singapore, light, sweet crude for September delivery slipped 49 cents to US$66.37 a barrel in Asian electronic trading Monday on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Friday, the contract had peaked at US$67.10 before settling at US$66.86, up US$1.06 from Thursday's close. (Posted @ 09:10 PST)
Karachi Stocks down 27.18 points: KARACHI, August 15: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 7123.47, down 27.18 points from Friday's close. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:35 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, August 15: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.05 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:35 PST)
Latest News August 14, 2005
PM urges media not to compromise on national interests ISLAMABAD, Aug 14 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Sunday urged the media to always keep the national interests supreme, saying the government is open to criticism that helps the country in its progress and development (Posted @ 22:50 PST)
Five US soldiers killed across Iraq BAGHDAD, Aug 14 (AFP) - Five US soldiers were killed over the past two days across Iraq, the US military said, bringing the total number of soldiers killed since the start of August to 43. Of the five deaths announced Sunday, three soldiers died near the northern town of Tuz when hit by a roadside bomb on Friday at 11:00 pm (1900 GMT). One other soldier was wounded. The other two soldiers died in Baghdad, with one found dead on Friday with a gunshot wound and the other killed Saturday when his unit was hit by a roadside bomb in the western part of the capital, the military said. US forces have been facing massive insurgent attacks since July, but the first 12 days of August seem to be one of the deadliest anti-US bouts in Iraq with 43 soldiers killed. The total US military death toll in Iraq was at 1,841 as of August 12, according to an AFP tally based on Pentagon figures.(Posted @ 22:30 PST)
Govt. trying to portray Pakistan's real image to world: PM ISLAMABAD, Aug 14 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Sunday said the government is trying to portray Pakistan's real image of a moderate, dynamic and a vibrant country to the world that enjoys respect of the international community as a responsible nation. "Pakistan is not correctly and truly understood and the perception about the country is far from reality," he said while speaking at the award distribution ceremony of Pakistan Pictorial Contest, organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Information Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmad, Minister of State Aneesa Zeb Tahirkheli and senior officials of the ministry also attended the ceremony.(Posted @ 22:18 PST)
Nepal shoot-out leaves policewoman dead KATHMANDU, Aug 14 (AFP) - A policewoman has died of her injuries after being shot by unidentified assailants on the outskirts of the Nepalese capital, police said on Sunday. "In the shooting, Sarita Moktan, a police woman with Bauddha Community Police Office, who was seriously injured died of her injuries while undergoing treatment," police said. Jay Mangal Lama, president of a Bauddha Community Service Centre, was also injured in the shooting and is being treated at Kathmandu's Om Hospital. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the incident but police suspect Maoist rebels, whose fight for a communist republic in Nepal has claimed 12,000 lives since 1996. Maoists also robbed two banks in the Sindhupalchowk district east of here on Sunday, stealing 1.7 million rupees (24,147 US dollars) from one and an unknown amount from the other.(Posted @ 20:48 PST)
Iraq blocks Saddam family bid to fire his lawyers AMMAN, Aug 14 (Reuters) - The Iraqi tribunal trying Saddam Hussein on war crimes charges has blocked a bid by his family to fire his vast team of defence lawyers, saying only Saddam can make such a move, the family said on Sunday. Last week a lawyer acting for Saddam's eldest daughter Raghd said the family had scrapped the team of more than 2,000 attorneys claiming to be representing Saddam and would build a new, better-organised defence team. But the Iraqi Special Tribunal, the court set up to try the former president and other senior members of his regime, blocked the family's effort to shake up the defence team. "We want to clarify some issues relating to the request to revoke all powers of attorney. We are very surprised by such unlawful acts. The exclusive right to empower any lawyer or to cancel any power of attorney is for defendant Saddam Hussein," said a letter sent by the tribunal and obtained by Reuters. Saddam's family says many of the lawyers claiming to represent him were never formally appointed and are more interested in self-promotion than mounting a serious defence. It says they often gave conflicting legal opinions.(Posted @ 20:22 PST)
Greek rescuers find no survivors of plane crash GRAMMATIKO, Greece, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Rescue workers have found no survivors of the Cypriot airliner which crashed north of Athens on Sunday scattering debris over a wide area and said they did not expect to find any. "We have not found any survivors," a Greek fire department spokesman told Reuters. "Rescue teams are continuing to search, but it's difficult to expect to find survivors."(Posted @ 20:12 PST)
Former New Zealand Prime Minister dies WELLINGTON, August 14: Former New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange dies in hospital after complications from renal failure(Posted @ 19:58 PST)
Al Qaeda's Zarqawi in N.Iraq, Turkey suspect says ANKARA, August 14: (Reuters) - A suspected al Qaeda militant arrested by Turkish police last week was quoted on Sunday as saying Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, one of America's most wanted men, was hiding in northern Iraq. Luia Sakra, charged by a Turkish court last Thursday with plotting to bomb Israeli cruise boats in southern Turkey, said he had met Zarqawi in Iraq, the Referans daily said. Jordanian-born Zarqawi, head of al-Qaeda in Iraq, has been behind some of the deadliest attacks against U.S. troops, the Baghdad government and forces and Shi'ite Muslims. Referans also quoted Sakra, a Syrian-born bomb-making expert, as saying he had received training with explosives in camps run by al-Qaeda in northern Iraq. Turkish security sources have said Sakra is the top figure in Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network in Turkey. He is also thought to have played a key role in bombings in Istanbul in November 2003 that killed more than 60 people.(Posted @ 17:18 PST)
Cypriot plane crashes in Greece August 14: A Cypriot passenger airliner carrying at least 121 people has crashed north-east of Athens. The plane - from Helios Airways - hit a mountain as it approached Athens after one pilot was seen slumped in his seat and the other could not be seen. An air traffic controller at Athens airport told the AFP news agency the plane, travelling from Larnaca, Cyprus, crashed into the Euboea peninsula. The crash was reported by F-16 pilots sent to aid the struggling plane. A spokesman for the Greek army chief of staff said the possibility of a hijacking could not immediately be ruled out.(Posted @ 15:25 PST)
Sri Lanka hunts assassins, rebels suspected COLOMBO, August 14: (Reuters) - More than 1,000 police and troops scoured Colombo on Sunday for one or more snipers, suspected to be Tamil Tiger rebels, who gunned down Sri Lanka's foreign minister and rekindled fears of a return to civil war. Soldiers checked cars entering or leaving Colombo after the government declared a state of emergency as a precautionary measure to allow mass troop movements. But newspapers in Colombo, critical of the reaction by Lakshman Kadirgamar's security detail in the immediate aftermath of the assassination, said the gunmen could be anywhere. "The manner in which Kadirgamar was killed was a disgrace to any security operation," The Sunday Island said in a commentary. The area around Kadirgamar's home was not sealed off quickly after he was shot several times from a house across the street as he emerged from his swimming pool on Friday night, giving the gunmen plenty of time to escape, newspapers said.(Posted @ 15:05 PST)
Progress but no deal on Iraqi constitution BAGHDAD, August 14: (Reuters) - Iraq's new constitution could be agreed on Sunday, a day ahead of schedule, but talks overnight were inconclusive, negotiators said. Kameran Qaradaghi, a spokesman for President Jalal Talabani, said progress had been made. "There been no final agreement so far," parliament speaker Hajem al-Hassani said in a statement on Sunday. "The discussions are continuing. All parties are making great efforts." Five U.S. soldiers were killed by roadside bombs planted by guerrillas, the U.S. military said. President Bush said the United States would not prematurely withdraw its troops from Iraq because that would be a betrayal of the Iraqi people while their leaders tried to hammer out the constitution and steer the country toward peace.(Posted @ 12:40 PST)
Bush raises option of using force against Iran CRAWFORD, August 14: Texas (Reuters) - President Bush said he could consider using force as a last resort to press Iran to give up its nuclear program. But German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, one of the most prominent European opponents of the U.S.-led war on Iraq, told an election rally on Saturday the threat of force was not acceptable. In what appeared to be a reference to Bush's remarks that "all options are on the table," Schroeder told the crowd in his home city of Hanover: let's take the military option off the table. We have seen it doesn't work." Iran angered the European Union and the United States by resuming uranium conversion at the Isfahan plant last Monday after rejecting an EU offer of political and economic incentives in return for giving up its nuclear program.(Posted @ 11:58 PST)
JERUSALEM- Five Israeli soldiers were hit by 'friendly fire' JERUSALEM, August 14: (Reuters) - Five Israeli soldiers were hit by "friendly fire" near a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, days before Israel is due to start evacuating settlers from the occupied territory, the army said.Tension is high around the Gaza settlements where residents have vowed to resist peacefully.The army said a Palestinian militant opened fire on the Kfar Darom settlement and soldiers returned fire.A tank shot at an uninhabited building where the gunman was concealed, hitting him with one shell and wounding the soldiers in an armored vehicle, the army said. An officer was among those hurt.(Posted @ 11:40 PST)
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