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| October 26, 2005 | Wednesday | Ramzan 21, 1426 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Pakistan to continue to combat menace of terrorism: Aziz MOSCOW, Oct 26 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Wednesday said that despite the after effects of the devastating earthquake, Pakistan remained committed to combat terrorism. Addressing the fourth Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, Aziz said "our response to the devastating earthquake has not shaken our resolve to combat the menace of terrorism. We remain steadfast in our commitment to the war on terror." He said "we fully share the priority that has been assigned to this objective by the SCO, remaining ready to further intensify counter-terrorism cooperation with the Organization." He urged the forum that "the war on terror must be accompanied by a struggle to win hearts and minds by resolving the root causes of terrorism." He however stressed that it was important not to link Islam or any other religion to terrorism. "Insidious theories such as about a clash of civilizations must be replaced by inter-civilizational harmony and dialogue." He said Pakistan would also welcome development of institutionalized economic and trade cooperation, especially in business, finance, banking and energy sectors. Aziz said Pakistan can play an instrumental role in developing linkages between the ECO, SAARC and the OIC with the SCO. This sub-regional cooperation would enable sharing of resources and expertise, to the common advantage of all the parties, he added.(Posted @ 21:00 PST)
Indian PM holds peace talks with northeast rebel representatives NEW DELHI, Oct 26 (AFP) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday held talks with representatives of a northeast separatist group with the aim of ending three decades of insurgency that has claimed 15,000 lives, an official said. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said Singh chaired the inaugural session of the talks with an 11-member civil society group called the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). Singh released a short statement after the talks concluded but did not specify what was discussed or when future ones would be held. "I am willing to listen to whatever concerns that you may raise. I am willing to discuss issues bothering the people of Assam," Singh's media advisor Sanjaya Baru quoted him as telling the delegation.(Posted @ 21:05 PST)
14 Taliban extradited from Pakistan to Afghanistan KABUL, Oct 26 (AFP) Fourteen Taliban prisoners were extradited from Pakistan to Afghanistan on Wednesday, including two leaders of the hardline militia removed from government four years ago, the president's office said. The prisoners also include the ousted militia's one-time spokesman, Abdul Latif Hakimi, who was captured in Pakistan this month, a presidential spokesman said. He said he did not have details on other prisoners.(Posted @ 21:05 PST)
40-45% turnout in second phase of Bihar polls New Delhi, Oct 26 (APP): With sporadic clashes during the polling, over 40 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the second phase of the Bihar assembly elections in 62 of the 243 constituencies on Wednesday. Chief Electoral Officer, Bihar, N K Sinha, said that voter turnout was between 40 to 45 per cent. Political heavyweights whose electoral fates were sealed in electronic voting machines include former chief minister Rabri Devi of RJD (Raghopur), Bihar PCC president and former speaker Sadanand Singh (Kahalgaon). Around 100 people were arrested and several others detained and later released for disturbing the polls, Home Secretary H.C. Sirohi said.(Posted @ 20:45 PST)
Indian air force jet crashes killing pilot NEW DELHI, Oct 26 (AFP) An Indian Air Force MiG-21 fighter jet crashed Wednesday on take-off in Bangalore in the southern state of Karnataka killing the pilot, a military spokesman said. The aircraft caught fire during take-off showering the runway with debris and forcing the pilot to eject.(Posted @ 20:30 PST)
SCO important forum to promote peace, economic cooperation in region: Aziz MOSCOW, Oct.26 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday noted the importance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in promotion of peace, security, economic interaction, and urged closer working of the private sectors for the benefit of the entire region. Speaking at an informal meeting with Russian President Valadimir Putin along with other SCO leaders, Aziz identified diplomacy, political, security, social and economy as major areas for SCO activity that can help improve the quality of life of the people of member countries. Aziz informed the leaders about Pakistan's quest for peace in the region and referred to the ongoing peace dialogue with India which, he hoped, would lead to resolution of all disputes including the decades-old Kashmir issue. He also thanked the support of SCO countries in relief and rescue efforts in the aftermath of October 8 earthquake.(Posted @ 20:15 PST)
Palestinian leader refuses to disband his cabinet RAMALLAH, West Bank, Oct 26 (Reuters) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday he would not fire his cabinet, defying lawmakers who had demanded the government's dismissal over its failure to halt lawlessness. The speaker of parliament responded by saying he would start laying the groundwork for a no-confidence vote to bring down the government, which Abbas vowed to keep in place until parliamentary elections due in January. "This government will continue until the end of the election period," Abbas told parliament in a speech.(Posted @ 20:05 PST)
Saddam lawyers to suspend all contacts with court AMMAN, Oct 26 (AFP) Lawyers representing Saddam Hussein announced Wednesday that they will suspend all contacts with the special tribunal trying the ousted Iraqi president until they are given better security. The decision followed the killing of Saadun Janabi, an attorney representing one of Saddam's co-defendants, a day after the opening of the trial last week of the ousted dictator on charges of crimes against humanity.(Posted @ 20:05 PST)
Israel says it agrees to Egypt-Gaza crossings CAIRO, Oct 26 (Reuters)Israel said on Wednesday it had agreed to let people cross both ways between Egypt and Gaza through Rafah and that a new crossing for goods would be set up. Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz also said in Cairo that agreement had been reached for the involvement of a third party, neither Egyptian nor Palestinian, at the Rafah crossing but who it would be had yet to be decided.(Posted @ 19:45 PST)
BBC shuts Uzbek office over "intimidation" ALMATY, Oct 26 (Reuters) The British Broadcasting Corporation's World Service said on Wednesday it had closed its office in Uzbekistan for six months pending a decision on its long-term future and withdrawn seven staff members because of intimidation of its reporters by the authorities. Uzbekistan has cracked down on foreign media since government troops bloodily suppressed an uprising in the town of Andizhan in May, accusing them of inaccurately reporting the violence.(Posted @ 19:40 PST)
Bombing kills four in Israeli city - police JERUSALEM, Oct 26 (Reuters) At least four people were killed in a suicide bombing in the Israeli city of Hadera on Wednesday, police and rescue workers said. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants have claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, Israel's Channel 10 television said. Jihad said the attack was to avenge Israel's killing of a senior leader in the West Bank on Monday, the television said.(Posted @ 19:30 PST)
Putin stresses political clout for expanded Asian regional group MOSCOW, Oct 26 (AFP) Top officials from a regional group bringing together Russia and China with key central Asian countries met in Moscow Wednesday, with India, Iran and Pakistan attending for the first time. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) "is gathering momentum and acquiring more and more political weight," Russian President Vladimir Putin said after meeting Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao at the start of the talks. A major focus for the group would be "the security of our citizens, including efforts against international terrorism," Putin said, mentioning unrest in Uzbekistan and the Russian North Caucasus city of Nalchik this year. Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh, Iranian Vice President Parviz Duvadi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz were attending the SCO meeting for the first time Wednesday after being given observer status earlier this year.(Posted @ 16:55 PST)
Israel should be 'wiped off the map': Iran president TEHRAN, Oct 26 (AFP) President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday openly called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" and lashed out at Muslim nations who recognise the Jewish state. "The establishment of the Zionist regime was a move by the world oppressor against the Islamic world," the president told a conference in Tehran entitled 'The World without Zionism'. "As the Imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map," said Ahmadinejad, referring to Iran's revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. His comments were the first time in years that such a high-ranking Iranian official has called for Israel's eradication.(Posted @ 16:55 PST)
Two more found dead after Indonesian police clash with cult followers JAKARTA, Oct 26 (AFP) Two more people were found dead Wednesday on Indonesia's Sulawesi island following clashes between police and followers of a shadowy "Madi" sect, bringing the death toll to five, a police spokesman said. Members of the sect, wielding swords and sickles, attacked police on Tuesday when officers, who went to the headquarters to question the group's leader, a man called Madi, were overpowered by dozens of members, police said. Two police and a sect follower were killed in Tuesday's clash. Police also found a dead baby nearby, a police spokesman said. "They apparently tried to bring back the baby from death. Because Madi has claimed he can revive the dead," Ardanto said. Madi claims to be psychic and able to cure disease, attracting people seeking remedies for their illnesses. Police have described the group as an obscure Islamic sect, but press reports said it had members from both the Muslim and Christian faiths and advocated a return to tribal beliefs. The leader of the sect Madi was still at large.(Posted @ 16:50 PST)
Iraqi Sunni parties form coalition for polls BAGHDAD, Oct 26 (Reuters) Three Sunni Arab parties announced on Wednesday they have formed a coalition to run in Iraq's parliamentary elections in December.The Iraqi Peoples Gathering, the Iraqi Islamic Party and the Iraqi National Dialogue told a news conference they had formed a coalition named the Iraqi Accordance Front. The Sunni parties urged Iraqis to take part in the polls and reject any calls for a boycott.(Posted @ 16:23 PST)
Serbia arrests nine policemen for Kosovo murders BELGRADE, Oct 26 (Reuters) Serbia arrested nine policemen for the murder of 48 Kosovo Albanians who were killed in 1999 and buried with hundreds of others in a mass grave just outside Belgrade, a Serbian court official said on Wednesday. It was the first arrest linked to the 2001 discovery of mass graves containing the remains of more than 800 victims of the 1998-99 Kosovo war. The biggest was in Batajnica, close to the capital Belgrade, in a police compound.(Posted @ 16:23 PST)
German court convicts "Zarqawi team" for bomb plans DUESSELDORF, Germany, Oct 26 (Reuters) Four Arab men accused of planning to bomb Jewish targets in Germany on the orders of militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi were found guilty on Wednesday at the end of a marathon trial. The men received jail sentences of between five and eight years. Jordanians Mohammed Abu Dhess and Ismail Shalabi and Palestinian Ashraf Mohammad al-Dagma were found guilty of belonging to a militant group which planned attacks on two Jewish-owned Duesseldorf discos and a Berlin community centre. Algerian Djamel Moustfa had been charged with supporting the group and breaking Germany's weapons laws. The prosecution case was based on 55 days of testimony from Abdalla, who briefly served as a bodyguard to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. He is now living in Germany under a new identity to protect him against reprisals.(Posted @ 16:20 PST)
Kuwait’s ailing heir may not step down-family source KUWAIT, Oct 26 (Reuters) Kuwait's ailing crown prince Sheikh Saad al-Abdulla al-Sabah has no intention of stepping down despite speculation that he will be replaced, a family member source said on Wednesday. The source said the crown prince's health is better than believed. Another source said the apparent decision that the crown prince would hold on to his post followed mediation efforts between the two ruling branches, al-Jabers and al-Salems, which had helped ease tension. "Messages were carried between the two sides that led to calming things down," the source said.(Posted @ 16:20 PST)
Blast in Tel Aviv kills 3; gas leak suspected JERUSALEM, Oct 26 (Reuters) An explosion tore through a building in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, killing three people, and Israeli security sources said they suspected it was caused by a gas leak. The blast occurred on the third floor of a four-storey building in the Jaffa port district. News reports said that was also the working assumption of police investigators but that the exact cause was not yet known. (Posted @ 16:05 PST)
Indians arrest Kashmiri who crossed LoC to meet relatives SRINAGAR, Oct 26 (AFP) A man from Azad Kashmir was arrested by Indian troops after he crossed the Line of Control(LoC) in the region to meet his relatives on the Indian side, the army said Wednesday. Mohammed Ismail Choudhary, a resident of Muzaffarabad, was arrested on entering Occupied Kashmir at the Kaman Post crossing point. "To prevent him from crossing over, Pakistani troops started pelting stones at him but our boys didn't fire as he was not carrying any guns," an Indian army spokesman said. Questioned by soldiers, he said the man was a tailor by profession and had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to meet his relatives in Uri town. "The names and addresses Choudhary had provided were found correct," said the spokesman, adding however that on producing him before his relatives he could not recognise them as he had not seen them for years. "He has been handed over to police," the spokesman said. (Posted @ 15:45 PST)
Suicide car bomber kills one soldier in Occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, Oct 26 (Reuters) A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into a bus carrying troops in Occupied Kashmir on Wednesday, killing one soldier and wounding 15, a security spokesman said. The attack on a bus carrying Border Security Force (BSF) troops took place in the Lawaypora area on the outskirts of Srinagar, a BSF spokesman said. (Posted @ 15:40 PST)
US accepts Japanese proposal over relocation of US base in Okinawa TOKYO, Oct 26 (AFP) - The United States on Wednesday accepted a Japanese proposal on the relocation of a US air base on the southern island of Okinawa, the subject of long-running talks between Tokyo and Washington, officials said. Richard Lawless, US deputy under secretary of defence for Asia and Pacific affairs, announced the acceptance at the end of three-day talks in Tokyo over the re-positioning of the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station, north of Naha. The Japanese proposal envisages moving the base to existing land at the US Marine Corp's Camp Schwab by building a new runway, Japanese officials said. (Posted @ 12:45 PST)
England cricket team arrives in Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Oct 26 (AFP) - England's cricket team flew into Pakistan early Wednesday for a 58-day tour. The 14-man squad led by Michael Vaughan was greeted by tight security of around 150 police and commandos who had cordoned off the airport VIP lounge, from where the team was whisked off to a hotel in 20 minutes. Two members of the squad - allrounder Andrew Flintoff and pacer Steve Harmison - will arrive next week. They are now in Dubai to raise quake relief funds. England open their tour with a three-day side match against Patron's XI at Rawalpindi from October 31. They then play another warm-up match in Lahore from November 6 before the first Test starts in Multan on November 12. The second Test will be played at Faisalabad (November 20-24) and the third n Lahore (November 29-December 3).The five one-day games are scheduled in Lahore (December 10 and 12), Karachi (December 15) and Rawalpindi (December 19 and 21). (Posted @ 10:35 PST)
Israel launches new Gaza raids after rocket attack JERUSALEM, Oct 26 (AFP) - The Israeli air force early on Wednesday launched a new raid on the Gaza Strip in response to the latest in a series of rocket attacks from the territory, an Israeli army spokesman said. "The aircraft aimed at an inhabited area from where rockets have been fired (at Israel) over the past few days," the spokesman said, giving no further details. (Posted @ 09:40 PST)
Only US seeks to justify abuse: Human Rights Watch WASHINGTON, Oct 25 (AFP) - The US Congress should reject a Senate bill if it includes a White House-proposed amendment that would allow the CIA to abuse prisoners during interrogations, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. It said that under President George W. Bush, the United States has become the only government in the world to claim a legal justification for mistreating prisoners during interrogation." "The administration is setting a dangerous example for the world when it claims that spy agencies are above the law," said Tom Malinowski, Washington director of Human Rights Watch. "Congress should reject this proposal outright”, he said in a statement. (Posted @ 09:15 PST)
Karachi Stocks down 81.55 points: KARACHI, October 26: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 8235.12, down 81.55 points from Tuesday's close. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 13:40 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, October 26: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 13:40 PST)
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Disaster Relief Cell, PM Secretariat: 051-920-6111
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Disaster Relief Cell, PM Secretariat: 051-920-6111
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