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| December 24, 2005 | Saturday | Ziqa’ad 21, 1426 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
US frees Saddam aides, Iraq wants them re-arrested BAGHDAD, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Iraq's national security adviser said on Saturday he wanted to re-arrest Saddam Hussein's former top weapons experts, as the U.S. military confirmed the release of 14 more high-ranking detainees. Scientists Rihab Taha and Huda Ammash -- "Dr Germ" and "Mrs Anthrax" to the Western media -- were among eight former senior figures under Saddam freed on Dec. 17. Along with several of the 14 more now technically freed, they appear to be still in U.S. care for their own protection, awaiting flights abroad.(Posted @ 23:00 PST)
Cricket-India to arrive in Pakistan on January 5 MUMBAI, Dec 24 (AFP) India's national selectors Saturday recalled former skipper Sourav Ganguly and paceman Zaheer Khan to their Test team for an upcoming tour of Pakistan. India will arrive in Lahore on January 5 for their tour of Pakistan, an Indian Cricket Board official said on Saturday. The team, who will play three tests and five one-day internationals, open the tour with a three-day practice match in Lahore from Jan. 7, board secretary Niranjan Shah told reporters. Itinerary: 1st test: Lahore (January 13-17), 2nd test: Faisalabad (Jan. 21-25), 3rd test: Karachi (Jan. 29-Feb. 2) 1st one-day game: Peshawar (Feb. 6), 2nd: Rawalpindi (Feb. 8), 3rd: Lahore (Feb. 12), 4th: Multan (Feb. 15), 5th: Karachi (Feb. 18). India's Test squad: Rahul Dravid (capt), Virender Sehwag (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Wasim Jaffer, Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatsai Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Ganguly, Mahendra Dhoni, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Rudra Pratap Singh, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh. (First Posted @ 15:53 PST Updated @ 19:54 PST)
Government will uphold country's interest: Aziz PESHAWAR, Dec.24 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Saturday said that the present government would not take any decision that goes against national interest and that the provinces would be taken into confidence before taking any decision on the construction of big water reservoirs. He was addressing a meeting of Pakistan Muslim League leaders, district nazims and tribal elders here at Jirga Hall of Governor House. He asked the Muslim League to chalk out a comprehensive strategy to mould public opinion in favour of big water reservoirs. Aziz said various options were currently under consideration with regard to construction of big dams including Kalabagh, Basha, Skardu, Akhori, Kurram Tangi, and Munda to meet the expected water shortfall. He said, scores of hydro-power projects of 50 to 100 MW were in the pipeline, which would be constructed in NWFP on different rivers. He added that the government was effectively tackling the post earthquake situation and said so far Rs. 22 billion has been disbursed among the quake victims.(Posted @ 18:34 PST)
UN Bosnian envoy laments war crimes duo "failure" LONDON, Dec 24 (Reuters) The United Nations high representative to Bosnia said on Saturday there could be no long-term stability in the country until its two most wanted war crimes suspects, General Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, were caught and brought before the Hague war crimes tribunal. Mladic, and his wartime political leader Karadzic are indicted for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Muslims and for the siege of Sarajevo which claimed over 10,000 lives during the 1992-95 Bosnia war. "Ten years after Dayton, that these two primary architects of these appalling crimes should still be free is a failure on all sides," Ashdown told BBC radio.(Posted @ 17:34 PST)
Five years jail for Egypt opposition leader CAIRO, Dec 24 (AFP) Hosni Mubarak's runner-up in Egypt's presidential election, young lawyer Ayman Nur, was sentenced Saturday to five years in prison in what his camp charged was a political trial. The 41-year-old was on trial six months ago on charges of forging affidavits for the creation of his Ghad party last year. Among Nur's six co-defendants, two were sentenced to five years in prison, three to three years and another was sentenced to 10 years in absentia.(Posted @ 17:20 PST)
Azerbaijan air crash kills 23, no survivors BAKU, Dec 24 (AFP) All 23 people aboard a flight from the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, bound for Kazakhstan were killed when their plane crashed overnight on the Caspian Sea coastline, the airline said on Saturday. "Everyone on board was killed. The authorities are investigating the incident," the carrier, state-owned AZAL, said in a faxed statement. The plane, a Ukrainian-made Antonov An-140, crashed shortly after taking off from Baku late on Friday en route to the oil town of Aktau, across the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan, AZAL said.(First Posted@09:10 PST Updated @ 16:26 PST)
NSA eavesdropping wider than White House admitted-NYT report NEW YORK, Dec 24 (Reuters) The volume of information gathered from telephone and Internet communications by the National Security Agency without court-approved warrants was much larger than the White House has acknowledged, The New York Times reported on Saturday. Citing current and former government officials, the Times said the information was collected by tapping directly into some of the U.S. telecommunication system's main arteries. The officials said the NSA won the cooperation of telecommunications companies to obtain access to both domestic and international communications without first gaining warrants.(Posted @ 16:20 PST)
Qurie returns to post as Palestinian PM RAMALLAH, West Bank, Dec 24 (Reuters) Veteran Palestinian politician Ahmed Qurie said on Saturday he was back in the post of prime minister after resigning to contest in elections from which he has now dropped out. It was not clear whether Abbas had given Qurie permission to return to the job as prime minister from which he resigned on Dec. 15, as he was required to do by law in order to stand for parliament. Abbas's office made no immediate comment. "I was not convinced about running for the elections. I was forced to run by the Fatah Central Committee, so I sent a letter saying I am no longer a candidate," Qurie told reporters. "I will continue with my work as prime minister." (Posted @ 16:01 PST)
Japan to jointly develop missile shield with U.S. TOKYO, Dec 24 (Reuters) Japan will step up its efforts to build a next-generation missile shield with the United States after cabinet approved on Saturday to move a joint research project to the development stage. The system is seen as a measure against nuclear-armed North Korea's ballistic missile arsenal. "In order to secure a capability to deal with the future threat of ballistic missiles in the current global environment, it is appropriate to proceed with joint Japan-U.S. development," Japan's top government spokesman said in a statement. (Posted @ 16:00 PST)
Team player to replace hawk as head of India's Hindu party NEW DELHI, Dec 24 (AFP) India's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has chosen a low-key team player to replace the hawkish Lal Krishna Advani as its leader, the Press Trust of India reported on Saturday. The decision to promote party general secretary Rajnath Singh to president will be formally announced at the opposition party's five-day conclave in Mumbai from December 26 to 30, the news agency said, quoting party sources. Advani announced his intention to step down in September, months after comments he made on a trip to Pakistan caused an outcry in the BJP and alienated its hardline Hindu backers. (Posted @ 15:54 PST)
Cricket-Pakistan's Malik undergoes surgery for India series KARACHI, Dec 24 (Reuters) Pakistani all-rounder Shoaib Malik has had surgery on his heels in order to be fit and available for next month's home series against India. "Doctors advised him to go for the surgery as he would not have been able to carry on against India in the same condition. He will now be fit before the first test against India from Jan. 13," a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said on Saturday. (Posted @ 15:53 PST)
Former captain Ranatunga quits Sri Lankan Cricket Committee COLOMBO, Dec 24 (AFP) - Former skipper Arjuna Ranatunga Saturday resigned from the Sri Lankan board's high-profile Cricket Committee following the team’s dismal performance in India where they lost a three-Test series 2-0 and were crushed to a 6-1 defeat in a preceding seven-match one-day series. Ranatunga was heading a committee which involves all past captains. (Posted @ 12:05 PST)
Mass campaign starts to project demilitarization, self-governance' in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Dec 24 (PPI) In occupied Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) on Friday started mass contact campaign to project proposals of demilitarization and self-governance in Kashmir. According to Kashmir Media Service, an APHC delegation, including Nayeem Ahmad Khan and Dr Ghulam Muhammad Hubbi left Srinagar for Jammu region on an extensive tour. The delegation will meet people from all walks of life and seek support for the proposal. Meanwhile, addressing Juma congregation at Jamia Masjid Srinagar, the APHC Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq urged India to positively respond to the proposals of demilitarization and self-governance in Kashmir. Meanwhile, Indian troops martyred five more Kashmiri youth in Bandipora, Uri and Lolab districts, KMS reported. (Posted @ 11:35 PST)
UN Assembly approves budget deal aimed at reforms UNITED NATIONS, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The 191-nation General Assembly late on Friday adopted a U.N. budget with a spending cap designed to pressure countries into approving management and other reforms within six months.Under the deal between wealthy nations and developing countries, the assembly passed a two-year $3.8 billion administrative budget. But U.N. spending will be capped at $950 million -- enough only for the first six months of 2006 --after which Secretary-General Kofi Annan has to ask for additional funds. (First Posted @ 09:10 PST; Updated @ 11:19 PST)
UNHCR expands relief to Pakistan earthquake victims WASHINGTON, Dec 24 (APP)- The UNHCR Friday said it was boosting its distribution of "winterized materials" to earthquake victims in Pakistan where the mercury drops to as low as minus 10 degrees centigrade at night, on the mountains, and where "thousands of survivors are still unprepared to weather the sub-freezing temperatures.” These include hundreds of thousands of blankets and plastic sheets, stoves etc., spokesman Ron Redmond said. “People are inevitably going to try to stay warm with candles and stoves inside their tents. That is going to increase the risk of fires. We are working with the authorities to try to find safe ways to provide heating in the camps, including mud fireplaces, which are made by Afghan refugees.” Beside selecting sites for new camps to accommodate thousands of fresh arrivals from mountain tops, Redmond said another concern was "spontaneous camps." Nearly 127,000 people are living in 335 squalid camps. "Our mobile teams are working in those camps to try to fix latrines, bathrooms, communal kitchens," he stated. "So far, they have managed to improve facilities in 50 of the camps. We also are working with UNICEF, OXFAM and other partners to provide water. We are decongesting some of the more overcrowded spontaneous camps, helping people to move elsewhere." (Posted @ 09:35 PST)
Austrian hostages freed in Yemen VIENNA, Dec 24 (AFP) - Two Austrian tourists kidnapped in Yemen have been released safe and sound, Austrian foreign ministry spokeswoman Astrid Harz said here early Saturday quoted by Austria's APA news agency. One of the freed hostages, architect Peter Schurz, told an official who was sent to Yemen that the kidnappers had treated him and Barbara Meisterhofer "correctly and politely" during their ordeal. (Posted @ 09:10 PST)
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