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| September 19, 2005 | Monday | Sha'aban 14, 1426 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
North Korea agrees to abandon nuclear programmes BEIJING, Sept 19 (Reuters) North Korea in a joint statement agreed on Monday to give up all of its nuclear weapons and programmes in a landmark agreement that caps two years of negotiations aimed at defusing a high-stakes crisis. In exchange, South Korea, the United States, Japan, Russia and China, the other players in the six-party talks in Beijing, expressed willingness to provide oil and energy aid and security guarantees. Washington and Tokyo also agreed to normalise ties with the North, which in turn pledged to rejoin the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Under the terms of the agreement, North Korea would have the right to a civilian nuclear programme if it regains international trust, resolving the main sticking point between Pyongyang and Washington. (First Posted @ 09:55 PST Updated @ 13:09 PST)
India's begins evicting thousands from dangerous Mumbai buildings MUMBAI, Sept 19 (AFP) - Police in Mumbai Monday began evicting thousands of people living in dangerous buildings. "Today was the first day (of the operation) and we evicted 24 of the around 1,300 families staying in 80 dangerous buildings in the city, mostly in south Mumbai," Vaishali Wagh, spokeswoman of Maharashtra Housing Development Authority, said. Authorities have identified 19,000 dilapidated high-rise buildings as unsafe, 80 of which have been declared dangerous. "These 80 are marked as dangerous in the post-floods survey we conducted and the administration intends to evict all the families from these buildings," Wagh told AFP. "We will use force as and when necessary, and in fact, did use policemen today to get the people out to safe shelters."(Posted @ 21:48 PST)
Pakistan to look at open sky policy, liberal visa regime with India New Delhi, Sept 19 PPI: Stressing on the need to change mindset foropening up bilateral trade, Pakistan Monday said it was willing to consider an open sky policy with India and easing of visa restrictions for its nationals. At Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry FICCI interaction, Pakistan Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan said his government had "no problems" in forging an open sky policy with India and would endeavour to liberalise its visa regime for businessmen and other communities. He, however, did not give any timeframe for moving towards open sky policy but said the two countries have set the ball rolling by deciding to relook at bilateral Civil Aviation Agreement. He also agreed to take a fresh look at India-Pakistan Shipping Agreement.(Posted @ 21:44 PST)
President visits CENTCOM TAMPA, Sep 19 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf visited the headquarters of the US Central Command, where he received a briefing about the CENTCOM. Commander CENTCOM Gen John Abizaid briefed the President about the command's operations, which is one of the five geographically defined unified commands within the department of defense. Gen. Abizaid warmly welcomed the President upon arrival at the CENTCOM headquarters.(Posted @ 21:40 PST)
Pakistan awaits response from Afghanistan on border fencing ISLAMABAD, Sept.19 (APP): Pakistan Monday said it was awaiting a response from the Afghan government on its proposal to fence their common border. "We have formally conveyed the proposal to the Afghan government and they are yet to respond to it," Foreign Office spokesman Naeem Khan told a weekly briefing.(Posted @ 21:40 PST)
Government to continue with 6-day week ISLAMABAD, Sep 19 (APP): The government Monday decided to continue with the current six working days a week policy, saying a 5-day week does not contribute to any substantial conservation of energy. The decision came at a high level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.The meeting however agreed to take several other measures including greater use of CNG in public transport, efficient energy consumption, fiscal incentives for importing CNG and LPG kits, public awareness and optimum use of energy through insulation of homes, business houses and industries.(Posted @ 21:12 PST)
Natwar Singh says there is no tension in relations with Pakistan NEW DELHI, Sept 19 (APP): Indian External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh said Monday that there was "absolutely no tension" and "no discomfort" in Indo-Pak relations."The overall picture (between India and Pakistan) is rosy," he told Indian private NDTV channel. He said there were "no hiccups" in the peace process. "We will continue with the dialogue and take it further", he said. He said the situation in Indian-held Kashmir would be assessed after winter before a decision could be taken to reduce the number of troops there. Natwar Singh will travel to Islamabad on October three to hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri. They are to review the progress made in the second round of composite dialogue process.(Posted @ 21:08 PST)
Two British” soldiers” held in Iraq for firing at police BASRA, Iraq, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Angry crowds attacked a British tank with petrol bombs and rocks in Basra on Monday after Iraqi authorities said they had detained two British undercover soldiers in the southern city for firing on police. Two Iraqis were killed in the violence, an Interior Ministry official said. "They were driving a civilian car and were wearing traditional Arab headgear when shooting took place between them and Iraqi patrols," an official told Reuters. “ An Iraqi judge is on the case, questioning them." "They refused to say what their mission was. They suggested to ask their commander about their mission. British military authorities in Basra said they were investigating the incident.(Posted @ 21:00 PST)
Pakistan's Islamic schools agree to talks on reform MULTAN, Pakistan, Sept 19 (AFP) - A body overseeing thousands of Pakistan's madrassas agreed Monday to talks on reforming the Islamic schools after pressure from President Pervez Musharraf in the wake of the London bombings. Religious affairs minister Ejaz ul-Haq described the agreement by the prominent Federation of Madrassa Organisation as a "major breakthrough." Qari Hanif Jullandhari, a leader of the hardline group, announced the decision after talks with Ejaz, reiterating "no religious institution is involved in any subversive or terrorist activity or sectarian violence." Musharraf has invited the seminaries for talks about his order after the July bombings that all madrassas register by the end of the year or be forced to close. He has also told the schools to expel their hundreds of foreign students and reveal details of their sources of income and teaching staff.(Posted @ 20:46 PST)
US to send four astronauts to moon by 2020 WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (AFP) - The United States will send four astronauts to the moon by 2020, NASA administrator Michael Griffin said Monday. NASA is to design a new rocket to replace its ageing shuttles that will launch the capsule to make the return to the moon. The last manned mission to the moon was the Apollo 17 rocket in 1972.(Posted @ 20:32 PST)
Israel must leave West Bank: President Musharraf Tel Aviv, Sept 19 PPI: Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf says he had no timetable for full diplomatic relations with Israel. ``We need to sit down and talk more (with the Israelis), and see how to move forward. We ought to be taking more steps'' the President told The Jerusalem Post correspondent David Horovitz in an interview in New York and published on Monday. He urged Israel to show its "courage," and Jewish community to use its influence, to solve "Palestinian dispute once and for all." He said this required Israel to pull out of West Bank and agree a solution in Jerusalem that respected the city's "international character." Resolution of the conflict, which General Musharraf asserted lay "at the heart of terrorism in the Middle East and beyond," would "usher in a period of peace and tranquility in the Middle East and perhaps the whole world." Among other things, it would certainly enable Pakistan to formalize full diplomatic relations with the Jewish state, he indicated. Dan Gillerman, Israel's Ambassador to the UN, told The Post that at least there was now finally an opportunity to pursue a dialogue on this and other issues directly with the Pakistanis.(Posted @ 19:58 PST)
Russian minister expects Afghan drug flow to grow MOSCOW, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Russia's defence minister said on Monday he expected the flow of drugs from Afghanistan to grow whatever the outcome of the Afghan elections held on Sunday. Russian news agencies quoted Sergei Ivanov as telling a meeting of top officials chaired by President Vladimir Putin that the export of refined heroin from Afghanistan would reach 500 tonnes this year. "It is clear that parliamentary polls will not improve the situation," he said. Ivanov said last week in Berlin after a meeting with NATO officials that heroin exports from Afghanistan were 360 tonnes in 2003 and 420 tonnes a year later. He put the price of this year's expected export of heroin at $30 billion.(Posted @ 19:45 PST)
Indian minister says Pakistan unlikely to hang spy NEW DELHI, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Pakistan has indicated to India it will not execute an Indian national convicted of spying and a series of bomb blasts, Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh said. Singh said his comments were based on talks between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week. "That's my personal view, that he is unlikely to be hanged," the foreign minister told India's NDTV news channel in New York, which aired his comments on Monday.(Posted @ 19:40 PST)
Warrant expected for Iraq's former defence minister BAGHDAD, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Iraqi authorities are expected to issue an arrest warrant for the country's former defence minister in connection with the disappearance of more than $1 billion, a top corruption investigator said on Monday. Radhi al-Radhi, the head of Iraq's Commission on Public Integrity, said he handed a file of evidence against Hazim Shaalan, who served under Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, to Iraq's central criminal court two months ago and expected a warrant for his arrest to be issued soon. "I expect the court will issue the warrants in the next week to 10 days, for Shaalan and for other senior officials," Radhi told Reuters in an interview.(Posted @ 19:30 PST)
Bhutto appears before Swiss court in money probe GENEVA, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Pakistan's former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, relaunched her defence against Swiss charges of money laundering on Monday, appearing in a Geneva court and saying the accusations were politically motivated. The case relates to accusations dating back to the 1990s that Bhutto and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, accepted commissions for awarding contracts to two Swiss companies to do business in Pakistan. The case began around eight years ago and judicial authorities have blocked some $13 million in Swiss bank accounts held by companies in connection with the case. Bhutto's lawyer, Alec Reymond, said the judge would decide after Monday's testimony how to proceed with the hearings. "There are more witnesses to be interviewed so there will beone or more meetings coming," Reymond told reporters. Bhutto and her husband were convicted of money laundering in 2003 in Geneva under a law allowing a senior investigating judge to hand down a ruling without a full trial. But the verdict was thrown out automatically upon appeal, sparking the current round of hearings to decide whether the case should proceed.(Posted @ 19:24 PST)
Bollywood star Salman Khan loses bid for closed trial in hit-and-run case MUMBAI, Sept 19 (AFP) - Bollywood heart-throb Salman Khan will face a public trial on hit-and-run charges involving the death of a man after losing a bid Monday for a closed-door hearing, his lawyer said. The trial will open Thursday as Mumbai High Court had rejected Khan's plea for an in-camera trial. The actorwas accused of culpable homicide not amounting to murder over a 2002 accident in which his car ran over bakery workers sleeping on a Mumbai sidewalk, killing one and injuring four. The police have alleged in court documents the actor was drunk at the wheel and was driving without a licence. Khan denies both charges .(Posted @ 19:05 PST)
Pakistan pleased Afghan polls largely peaceful ISLAMABAD, Sept 19 (AFP) - Pakistan said Monday it was pleased landmark parliamentary elections in neighbouring Afghanistan, for which Islamabad deployed a record number of troops (80,000) to its border, had largely passed off peacefully."The completion of the electoral process in Afghanistan is indeed a big step forward on the road to peace and stability, national reconstruction and development," the foreign ministry said.(Posted @ 18:58 PST)
Landmines kill two children in Afghanistan KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Sept 19 (AFP) - Two children were killed Sunday when they stepped on landmines in Zabul province's Shajoy District. Police diffused a third , district governor Mullah Barat told AFP.(Posted @ 18:56 PST)
Suicide bombers kill 10 as pilgrimage gets underway KARBALA, Iraq, Sept 19 (AFP) - Two suicide car bombers killed 10 when they struck checkpoints south of Baghdad Monday on a road used by thousands of pilgrims making their way by foot to the holy city of Karbala to commemorate the birth of Imam Mehdi. The dead included seven policemen and a soldier besides two pilgrims, a defence ministry official said. At least 12 people, including a number of pilgrims, were wounded. Further south, angry demonstrators in Basra set two British tanks ablaze, with their crews escaping without returning fire. In another act of violence on Monday, Iraqi journalist Fakher Haidar al-Tamimi, who worked for the New York Times in Basra after being kidnapped overnight, his wife said.And one civilian was killed and three others, including a woman, wounded when a mortar round landed on a house in Baquba, north of Baghdad,police said.(Posted @ 18:28 PST)
Bulgarian border police seize rare nuclear element SOFIA, Sept 19, 2005 (AFP) - Bulgarian police said Monday they had seized 3.4 kilograms (7.5 pounds) of hafnium, a rare metal that can be used in nuclear reactor control rods, on the Romanian border. "The substance was hidden in a car traveling through Ruse across the Danube bridge to Romania and we believe it was a shipment feeding an international trafficking ring," police chief Valentin Petrov told bTV television. The smuggled metal was of extreme purity, 99.999 percent, Petrov was cited by BTA agency as saying at a press conference .(Posted @ 18:16 PST)
Saddam nephew jailed for life BAGDAD, Sept 19 (AFP) - A nephew of ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, Ayman Sabawi, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for making bombs and financing rebel activities, the government said Monday. "The Iraqi criminal court has convicted the terrorist Aymen Sabawi, a half-brother nephew of Saddam Hussein, for being an active insurgency supporter, and for the possession and manufacture of explosive devices, and sentenced him to life imprisonment," a government statement said.(Posted @ 18:12 PST)
Khokhrapar-Monabao rail service from coming January Umerkote, Sindh, September 19, (PPI): The revamping and uplift of Khokhrapar-Monabao rail track would be completed by December 2005, And from January 2006, trains would start ru7nning on this section, General Manager of Pakistan Railways Saleemur Rehman Akhund said here on Sunday. He said 40-kilometeres of the meter-gauge track had been converted into broad-gauge and the remaining part of the work would also be completed within the stipulated time. The arrangements for Customs and immigration counters at Chore and Khokhrapar railway stations were being finalized. He said two trains wre proposed on Khokhrapar-Monabao section daily, and one special train would daily between Karachi and Khokhrapar.(Posted @ 18:04 PST)
KASHMIR: APHC wants concrete results: Ansari Srinagar, September 19( PPI) Senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Maulana Abbas Ansari, has deplored that nothing has changed on the ground in occupied Kashmir after APHC's recent talks with the Indian prime minister. In an interview, he categorically stated that the APHC wanted concrete results but “that was not happening". Another APHC leader, Bilal Ghani Lone, in his media interview supported the continuation of talks process but regretted that the ground situation remains unchanged. He pointed out that human rights violations continue despite Indian prime minister's assurances at the recent meeting in New Delhi but the common has got no respite.He clarified that the primary issue is the resolution of Kashmir issue, but for any headway in resolving the issue, it is important that human rights violations are curbed.(Posted @ 17:58 PST)
Kashmir: Right of self-determination only solution of Kashmir dispute. Geelani KISHTWAR, Sept 19 (PPI): Hurriyat Conference (G) chief syed Ali Shah Geelani has made it clear that without pulling out Indian army and other paramilitary forces from the occupied Kashmir besides giving people right of self-determination, Kashmir dispute would not be solved. Addressing a big gathering here, Geelani expressed suspicion over the intentions of New Delhi and said: "I have been closely following these Confidence Building Measures since these were started 21 months back but I must say that Indo-Pak talks and New Delhi's dialogue with leaders from valley have made no headway". "Indo-Pak talks and invitation to valley leaders to Delhi are nothing but "an eye-wash". He said "HR violations in all the parts of state and so-called CBMs cannot go together. New Delhi has to decided what it really wants".(Posted @ 17:46 PST)
Kashmir: Geelani opposes invitations to pro-Indian leaders to visit Pakistan Srinagar, Sept 19 (PPI Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani has opposed invitations to the chief minister of the occupied Kashmir Saeed Mufti and other pro-India Kashmiri leaders to visit Pakistan. This is a Departure from Pakistan’s traditional stand, he said and vowed that the freedom-loving leadership of Kashmir would continue to fight for the right of self-determination. “We still stand by our demand that the solution of Kashmir issue lies in the implementation UN resolutions", he said. "We have always maintained that referendum can decide the future of the state... we say that decision of one orore and thirty lakh people of the entire state which includes the people from different religions will be acceptable to us.”(Posted @ 17:34 PST)
Kashmir: Mirwaiz to present Kashmir roadmap to Manmohan Srinagar, Sept 19 (PPI): Hurriyat Conference (A) will soon present its roadmap on peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of Hurriyat (A), presented the roadmap to President Gen Pervez Musharraf in New York on Saturday. "We are going to present the roadmap shortly to Dr Singh. In fact during our recent meeting with him in New Delhi, he wanted to know about the roadmap. But we told him that it would be presented to him after his foreign visit", said Moulana Abbass Hussain Ansari, a senior leader of Hurriyat (A).(Posted @ 17:28 PST)
Pakistan participating in largest multinational exercise Islamabad, Sep 19 PPI: A multinational exercise, Bright Star-05, commenced in western desert of Egypt and Mediterranean Sea.This is largest multinational exercise in the region, and involves maritime, land and air elements of Central Command of USA, Pakistan Navy, Egyptian Armed Forces, France and Saudi Arabia, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait and UK. Pakistan is presented by a destroyer PNS TARIQ, a contingent of Marines and Special Services Group. The maritime exercises include harbour, sea and analysis phases.PNS TARIQ would participate in Electronic Warfare, Ati-Submarine, Gunnery, search, Rescue and other maritime exercises. Special Forces elements of Pakistan Navy i-e SSG (N) and marines would also take part in different exercises/operations in harbour and out at sea.(Posted @ 17:24 PST)
Two-day "Heart to Heart" Kashmir Moot begins tomorrow NEW DELHI, Sept 19 (APP): Two-day "Heart to Heart" Kashmir Conference will begin here tomorrow, with the leaders from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Indian Occupied Kashmir attending the Moot.At the head of ten-member delegation , former AJK Prime Minister Sardar Mohammad Abdul Qayyum Khan arrived here to attend the conference to which occupied Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed, Farooq Abdullah, JKLF Chief Yaseen Malik and other Kashmiri leaders have been invited. During his stay in Delhi, Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan is expected to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.The dialogue process was at present moving at a slow pace, he told the newsmen adding that it should be speeded up.(Posted @ 17:18 PST)
Pak-India committed to go ahead with composite dialogue: Musharraf ISLAMABAD, Sep 19 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf has said that both India and Pakistan are committed to take the composite dialogue process forward but it is too early to make the progress public. He said in an tv interview there were certain confidentialities regarding the view point of both the parties and added that "the discussion is going on and there is no blockage". He said the Indian foreign Minister will visit Pakistan and there will be further discussions during his visit. He said he had invited Indian Prime Minister to visit Pakistan. All these moves are focused to keep the dialogue process moving towards its final destination. Responding to a question regarding the impact of his address to Wold Jewish Council the President said: "In my opinion it is very positive. "Replying to another question President Musharraf said that the US President had e assured that he was supportive of composite dialogue and will play his role to facilitate theforward movement of process.(Posted @ 17:06 PST)
Twelve killed, six injured in Nigerian road crash LAGOS, Sept 19 (APP/AFP) - Twelve people were killed and six injured when a bus sommersaulted several times as a result of tyre burst on Lagos-Mbanaso expressway southwest Nigeria on Sunday.(Posted @ 17:04 PST)
China to continue support Pakistan in international affairs BEIJING, Sept. 19 (APP): Pakistan and China will continue to support each other in the international affairs, as traditional allies. An understanding to this effect was arrived at a meeting held here between Chairman China's Institute of International Strategic Studies (CIISS) Prof. Cai Bingkui and Governor Punjab Lt. Gen. (Retd) Khalid Maqbool. During the meeting, the two sides reiterated their commitment to an enduring and broad-based strategic relationship. They emphasized to ensure sustainability of their existing warm friendship that has stood the test of time. A delegation of businessman from the Jiangsu province would soon visit Pakistan to explore opportunities for bilateral cooperation in manufacturing sector.(Posted @ 16:58 PST)
Afghan ballots boxes make way to count centres KABUL, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Across Afghanistan on Monday donkeys, camels and trucks carried sealed ballot boxes to counting centres where the results of Sunday's landmark elections will be determined. World leaders hailed the vote, saying Afghans had braved Taliban violence in a show of determination to build a peaceful future although many fewer people turned out for the legislative elections than last time.(Posted @ 16:10 PST)
Cricket-England test squad to tour Pakistan LONDON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - England test squad to tour Pakistan starting in October. Michael Vaughan (captain), Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Paul Collingwood, Geraint Jones, Matt Prior, Ashley Giles, Alex Loudon, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones, Chris Tremlett, James Anderson, Shaun Udal.(Posted @ 16:05 PST)
Church of England offers to meet Muslim leaders to apologize for Iraq war LONDON, Sept 19 (AFP) The Church of England offered Monday to take the lead in reconciling with Muslims by apologizing to their leaders for the US-led war in Iraq if the British government failed to do so. The proposal was contained in a report, entitled "Countering Terrorism: Power, Violence and Democracy Post-9/11" which was written by a working group of the Church of England's House of Bishops. (Posted @ 14:47 PST)
Iran must open up nuclear sites: IAEA VIENNA, Sept 19 (AFP) UN atomic agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei called on Iran to finally allow access to sensitive sites and key people as his agency met Monday to consider sending Tehran before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.The "ball is very much in Iran's court on this issue," ElBaradei said. (Posted @ 14:46 PST)
Sri Lankan presidential vote set for November 17 COLOMBO, Sept 19 (AFP) Sri Lanka's presidential election will be held on November 17 with special arrangements made for voters in rebel-controlled areas, the Elections Commission said Monday, adding that the last day for nominations is October 7. (Posted @ 14:43 PST)
Rockets fired at Pakistani army camp near Afghanistan border MIRANSHAH, Pakistan, Sept 19 (AFP) Two rockets were fired at a Pakistani army camp in North Waziristan province but they caused no casualties, an official said Monday. It was not immediately clear who fired the missiles, the official added. (Posted @ 13:01 PST)
Indian troops kill three in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, Sept 19 (AFP) Indian troops killed three alleged militants belonging to the Hizbul Mujahedin group in the Kupwara district of occupied Kashmir, the Indian army said Monday. (Posted @ 11:35 PST)
Explosion on bus in Turkey kills two ISTANBUL, Sept 19 (Reuters) An explosion on a bus in the southern city of Adana overnight killed two people and wounded 10, Turkey's state-run Anatolian news agency said on Monday. (Posted @ 11:30 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 38.43 points: KARACHI, September 19: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 7972.97, up 38.43 points from Friday’s close. (Bureau Report) (Posted @ 14:30 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, September 19: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.15 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:30 PST)
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