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| December 28, 2005 | Wednesday | Ziqa’ad 25, 1426 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Pakistan starts work on second Chinese-made nuclear power station ISLAMABAD, Dec 28 (AFP) - Pakistan Wednesday began construction of a second nuclear power station with China's help at Chashma in the Punjab province. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz launched work on the 325-megawatt power plant, a twin to an adjacent station of the same capacity already in service since 2000. "Today's concrete-pouring ceremony of Chashma-2 marks yet another landmark in Pakistan-China relations and a milestone in the history of nuclear technology in Pakistan," Aziz told a gathering of senior Chinese and Pakistani officials. The 850-million-dollar project is expected to go on the grid in 2011, a Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission spokesman said. Aziz said Pakistan would produce some 8,800 megawatts of nuclear power in next 25 years, which would be eight percent of the country's total electricity production. Pakistan's nuclear programme was for peaceful purposes. "We need these plants for the socio-economic development of our people,” he said. (Posted @ 15:30 PST)
MMA's provincial council supports new dams LAHORE, Dec 28 (APP): Muthida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) in its provincial council meeting here on Wednesday supported construction of new water reservoirs to meet irrigation requirements and generate electricity. Agenda of the meeting was to discuss construction of Kalabagh Dam and problems of Earth-quake victims. President MMA Punjab MNA Liaquat Balouch presided over the meeting. While MMA Chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed attended the meeting on special request from the provincial council. Mr. Balouch while briefing the newsmen after the meeting said that the provincial council has emphasised upon the need of construction of new water reservoirs to maintain progress in agriculture sector.He said that construction of water reservoirs is a technical issue but it has been made controversial by the people having vested interests He said there is nothing controversial in it and there is no harm in construction of water reservoirs. He said that WAPDA chief Tariq Hamid in a briefing to him and other politicians have told that water requirement of agriculture sector would not be met even after construction of Kalabagh, Basha and Akhori dams, therefore all other dams at feasible sites should also be built.The provincial council has decided to invite those experts who are against construction of dams to listen their views and develop a broader consensus on the issue.Prominent other participants from six parties religious alliance included : Pir Ijaz Hashmi, Hafiz Sulman Butt, Maulana Amjad, Qari Zawar Bahadur, Mufti Hidayat Ullah Pasruri, Rashid Ludhianvi, Abdul Malik Shah, Allama Afzal Jalil Naqvi, Maulana Abdur Rashid Anwar, Naeem Ullah Farooqi and Azhar Iqbal Hassan.The council expressed condolences over the demise of Maulana Shams ul Islam, uncle of Maulana Amjad Khan and wife of General K.M. Azhar.(Posted @ 21:45 PST)
One killed, four injured in attack at top Indian science institute BANGALORE, India, Dec 28 (AFP) - A professor was killed and four people were injured when a gunman opened fire Wednesday during an international science conference in southern India, police and officials said.The incident occurred at India's premier Indian Institute of Science in the southern city of Bangalore."This is a targeted attack. There was indiscriminate firing. Five people were injured," said Kishore Chandra, additional commissioner of police in Bangalore.Institute registrar Uday Balakrishnan said one of the injured a professor -- later died. Most of the injured were scientists and laboratory technicians. Police believe an automatic weapon was used and said though only one person opened fire, the attacker may have had accomplices. Chandra said an international conference had just ended. The shooting took place as people were leaving for dinner. The intruder escaped under cover of darkness.(Posted @ 21:50 PST)
Abbas's Fatah reunites for Palestinian election RAMALLAH, West Bank, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Rival wings of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement reunited on Wednesday to fight off a January election challenge by the Hamas. The group submitted a joint list of candidates for the Jan. 25 ballot, merging competing lists presented two weeks ago by veteran leaders and a young guard seeking a bigger say. "Now it is important to go into the election united," Abbas told reporters in Gaza.(Posted @ 21:00 PST)
President for Livestock, agri-based industries development on priority in Punjab LAHORE, Dec 28, (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf said Wenesday that Punjab could play an important role in strengthening country's economy through promotion of livestock and agri-based industries and underlined the need for taking steps on priority in these sectors. Speaking at a briefing about development initiatives in the province by Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi , the President said:" It is a matter of satisfaction that whenever I come here you tell me about some new development project for the province.It shows that development strategy is being implemented in a coordinated manner in the province and you are moving in a direction with clear vision."(Posted @ 19:50 PST)
NATO relief sorties touch 1000 mark ISLAMABAD, Dec 28 (APP): NATO's Disaster Relief Team in Pakistan has touched the mark of over 1000 helicopter sorties, delivering relief aid to earthquake survivors in the remote Kashmir mountains since beginning its operations from November 6. Currently there are five NATO helicopters supporting Pakistani-led relief efforts. Germany has contributed four heavy-lift CH-53 helicopters while Luxembourg contributed one MD Explorer Air Rescue Helicopter. More than 3,500 disaster victims have been evacuated aboard the NATO helicopters. In addition, over 1,500 tons of relief goods have been delivered by the German cargo helicopters. The Luxembourg MD Explorer has taken the NATO Air Mobile Medical Teams into remote villages in the mountains where they have treated over 3,000 patients.(Posted @ 19:40 PST)
Afghans say blast kills two from U.S.-led force KABUL, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Two soldiers from the U.S.-led foreign force in Afghanistan were killed and three wounded in an explosion on Wednesday in Kunar province , governor Asadullah Wafa said. "Two coalition soldiers were killed and three others wounded," he said. Afghan Islamic Press quoted a government district chief, Shah Mahmood Shaheed, as saying the two soldiers killed were American and their vehicle had hit a landmine.(Posted @ 19:20 PST)
India urges S.Lanka talks, sidesteps help request NEW DELHI, Dec 28 (Reuters) - India said on Wednesday it was concerned about rising violence in Sri Lanka but gave no indication that it would accede to visiting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's request for help to revive a flagging peace bid. Indian comments came after detailed talks between Rajapakse, who arrived in New Delhi on a four-day visit on Tuesday, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. India has had a long and complex involvement in Sri Lanka. New Delhi is known to have first armed and trained the LTTE in the mid -1980s but later sent peacekeeping troops to Tamil-held areas before becoming locked in open war with the rebels after blaming it for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.(Posted @ 19:15 PST)
Five Germans kidnapped in Yemen - official SANAA, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Five German nationals were kidnapped in eastern Yemen on Wednesday, a government official said. The official did not give any more details and German embassy officials were not immediately available to comment.(Posted @ 19:00 PST)
Abbas condemns Israel over Gaza no-man's zone GAZA CITY, Dec 28 (AFP) - Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday condemned Israeli moves to declare part of the northern Gaza Strip off-limits to Palestinians in a bid to clamp down on rocket attacks. "We condemn this. Israel left the Gaza Strip and has no right to return under any pretext such as the firing of missiles, which I also condemn strongly," Abbas told a news conference in Gaza City. "I ask all parties to assume their responsibilities and not give pretexts to Israel," he added.(Posted @ 18:50 PST)
Nine killed in failed Iraqi prison breakout BAGHDAD, Dec 28 (AFP) - Nine people were killed in exchanges of gunfire Wednesday when a group of Iraqi prisoners attempted to break out of a prison in northern Baghdad, the US military said in a statement. An Iraqi interior ministry official had earlier said 20 detainees and one prison guard were killed in the failed breakout. Some 16 detainees, held at a high security facility in the district of Kadhimiyah, stormed the armory and seized a number of weapons, the US military said. Four Iraqi prison guards, one interpreter and four prisoners were killed in the ensuing firefight, while one US soldier and five prisoners were wounded, the statement said. None of the prisoners escaped.Many of those detained at the prison are understood to be held on terrorism charges. Five prisoners successfully escaped from the detention centre last month, according to the justice ministry.(First Posted @ 14:10 PST Updated @ 18:50 PST)
India tests nuclear-capable missile NEW DELHI, Dec 28 (AFP) - India successfully tested its nuclear-capable, short-range Dhanush ballistic missile Wednesday, defence officials said.A naval version of the surface-to-surface Prithvi, it has a range of 250 kilometres (156 miles) and can carry a payload of 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds), they said. India, which conducted a series of nuclear tests in 1998, has already developed and deployed two ballistic missiles and a surface missile.(Posted @ 18:40 PST)
Bangladesh Islamic party stages huge rally to reject militancy claims DHAKA, Dec 28 (AFP) - Jamaat-i-Islami, the main partner of Bangladesh's coalition government staged a huge rally here Wednesday to rebut opposition claims that it supports Muslim militants. "Our party has a long history of constitutional politics and it contributed in every democratic movement of the country," Motiur Rahman Nizami, the chief of Jamaat Islami Bangladesh, told cheering supporters. Mahbubul Alam, the city's deputy police chief, said over 100,000 people joined the rally.(Posted @ 18:35 PST)
Blizzards bring travel chaos to Europe PARIS, Dec 28 (AFP) - Europe shivered Wednesday in the grip of an icy cold snap, with France hardest hit by blizzards that left thousands of motorists stranded in sub-zero temperatures or forced into roadside shelters overnight. Snowstorms also brought road chaos to Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic, causing train cancellations in Britain and delays at two German airports. Worst hit was northwestern France, where 5,000 to 10,000 people spent a chilly night behind the wheel after traffic ground to a halt on a stretch of motorway between the towns of Toul and Nancy, regional authorities said.(Posted @ 18:30 PST)
Three Bangladeshi farmers shot dead by police DHAKA, Dec 28 (AFP) - Three persons were killed and 20 injured Wednesday when police clashed with farmers who allegedly used sugar cane to make illegal molasses in Kushtia district, police said. The villagers attacked police and a magistrate with scythes and other sharp weapons after they seized two illegal sugarcane crushing machines from the farmers. "The magistrate ordered the shooting and three farmers died on the spot and five others were injured, with the condition of one critical," a police spokesman said. Fifteen policemen were also injured.(Posted @ 18:28 PST)
Sri Lanka beat fighting Pakistan by 14 runs in women's Asia Cup opener KARACHI, Dec 28 (AFP) - Pakistan's women cricketers fought hard against Sri Lanka but lost by a narrow 14-run margin in the opening match of the Asia Cup at the National stadium on Wednesday. Needing 179 to win, Pakistan required 15 runs off the last over but lost their last wicket off the second ball. Sri Lanka now meet India on Thursday. All teams will play each other twice with the top two teams going through to the final on January 4.(Posted @ 18:27 PST)
Former prisoner accuses US of torturing Iraq detainees PARIS, Dec 28 (AFP) - Abdel Jabbar al-Kubaisi, a onetime opposition figure who rallied to Saddam's regime shortly before the 2003 invasion, has alleged that during his 16 months in US custody three former Saddam officials had died under questioning, although he himself had not faced physical torture. Kubaisi, released last week, named the three detainees he said had died under interrogation as former prime minister Hamzeh al-Zubaidi, former Baath party official Adel al-Duri, and former intelligence commander Waddah al-Sheikh. He said he had also seen signs of torture on former vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan and germ warfare expert Hazem al-Sheikh al-Rawi. "I saw Ramadan trying to stem the flow of blood from his wounds with salt and water," Kubaisi said. He said he was among 38 detainees freed by the US military last week from a facility at Baghdad airport that had held a total of 103 high-profile prisoners.(Posted @ 18:25 PST)
Israel sets Gaza security zone deadline GAZA CITY, Dec 28 (AFP) - The Israeli military followed up a series of air strikes on Gaza by setting a deadline Wednesday for Palestinians to keep out of a security zone in the north of the territory or risk being a target. The warning was issued on airdropped leaflets, written in Arabic and accompanied by a detailed map indicating the confines of the security zone which mainly incorporates an area where three Jewish settlements once stood. Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei has "categorically rejected" the plan and warned of consequences.(Posted @ 18:10 PST)
Pak army gears up releif activites in quake-hit areas ISLAMABAD, Dec 28 (APP): Pakistan Army has geared up the relief and rehabilitation activites in far-flung quake-hit areas before the roads closae due to rain and snowfall. Efforts are being made to dump sufficient stocks of food and other materials by helicopters at places above 5000 feet altitude. In Lipa valley of Kail in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the food department has dumped 10,000 tons of flour that will meet the needs of the people till June 2006.(Posted @ 16:45 PST)
Quake zone reconstruction activities to be initiated from April next: Sikandar ISLAMABAD, Dec 28 (APP): Reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in quake ravaged areas of Azad Kashmir would be in top gear from April 1, 2006, AJK Prime Minister, Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan said Wednesday. In a PTV interview he said arrangements were in hand and stocks of construction material were being bult up to avoid shortages and price hike at that time. Khushali bank has earmarked Rs three billion; each builder would be given Rs 15,000 as loan and no interest would be charged on loan of Rs 10,000.(Posted @ 16:40 PST)
China to strongly oppose forced voting on UNs reforms: Spokesman BEIJING, Dec. 28 (APP): China has reiterated that it will strongly oppose forced voting on any resolution relating to UN's reforms, where differences still exist. " China's stance on UN reform has not changed," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a news briefing. He emphasized that developing nations, especially African nations should be given increased representation in the Security Council reform package.(Posted @ 16:30 PST)
One US soldier killed, four injured in Afghanistan road accident KABUL, Dec 28 (AFP) - One US soldier was killed and four were injured in a road accident while patrolling near the city of Kandahar on Wednesday, the US military said. "Enemy activity was not a factor" in the accident, it said. (Posted @ 16:05 PST)
US mine operator gave millions to Indonesian military, police: report JAKARTA, Dec 28 (AFP) - A US mining company extracting gold from the world's largest reserve in Indonesia's remote Papua province has paid millions of dollars to military and police there, a report said Wednesday. New York Times reports that company records showed that from 1998 to 2004, the firm gave nearly 20 million dollars to high-ranking Indonesian military and police, and to military units. "Individual commanders received tens of thousands of dollars, in one case up to 150,000 dollars, according to the documents," the newspaper said. The New Orleans-based company defended itself to the newspaper, saying that it had provided a secure working environment for its more than 18,000 employees and contract workers. "There is no alternative to our reliance on the Indonesian military and police in this regard," the company wrote. (Posted @ 15:45 PST)
Pakistan's Razzaq falls sick ahead of India series LAHORE, Pakistan, Dec 28 (AFP) - Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq was admitted to hospital Wednesday with high fever and a chest infection but said he hopes to be fit before the India series next month.Razzak said: "I have been advised to rest for one week and have undergone tests on a chest infection. The high fever has weakened me.I hope that I will regain fitness before the India series." Pakistan meet India in three Tests and five one-day games, with the first Test starting in Lahore on January 13. The 26-year-old allrounder missed Pakistan's three-Test series against England due to an elbow injury, but played in all five matches of the one-day series which ended last week. Razzaq has scored 1,523 runs in 37 Tests with 77 wickets as a medium-pace bowler, while his tally in 201 one-day matches is 3,948 runs and 223 wickets. (Posted @ 15:33 PST)
Saudi police kill second Qaeda suspect RIYADH, Dec 28 (AFP) - Saudi security forces killed a suspected Al-Qaeda militant on Wednesday, a day after he escaped clashes in which another militant and five policemen were killed, a security source said. "Abdulrahman al-Motaeb, 26, who figures number four (on a most-wanted list) was killed this morning in the desert," the source told AFP requesting anonymity. (Posted @ 15:23 PST)
India, Iran hold new round of pipeline talks, discuss pricing, route NEW DELHI, Dec 28 (AFP) India and Iran began a new round of talks Wednesday to review progress on a tri-partite deal to build a gas pipeline project through Pakistan that the three nations aim to finalise by June, an Indian official said. Iran's Deputy Oil Minister for International Affairs Mohammad Hadi Nejad-Hosseinian and India's top civil servant in the petroleum ministry, S.C. Tripathi, were leading the two days of discussions in the Indian capital. "They will be discussing all aspects relating to the pipeline: the quantity of gas, the quality and prices and the route," a senior official said. (Posted @ 13:27 PST)
Israel air raids target Palestinians in Lebanon, Gaza JERUSALEM, Dec 28 (Agencies) Israeli warplanes on Wednesday bombed Palestinian militant targets near Beirut and in the Gaza Strip. At least two members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) were wounded in the air strikes to the south of the Lebanese capital although there were no reported casualties in Gaza. The air strikes on Lebanon came in response to the firing of a series of Katyusha rockets into the north of Israel that went unclaimed. Israeli security sources said at least three Katyusha rockets had been fired at the town of Kiryat Shmona, hitting the roofs of two houses. Denying the group's involvement in the rocket attack against northern Israel, a PFLP-GC leader said "the air strike is an Israeli attempt to depict the presence of Palestinian groups in Lebanon as a source of instability while they (the Israelis) continue to violate Lebanon's sovereignty in the air, land and sea."(First Posted @ 09:00 PST Updated @ 13:24 PST)
Cricket-Australia (355 &) 110-2 v South Africa (311) - close MELBOURNE, Dec 28 (Reuters) Australia were 110 for two, a lead of 154 runs with eight wickets remaining, in their second innings at the close of play on the third day of the second test against South Africa on Wednesday. Scores: Australia 355 and 110-2 (Matthew Hayden 45 not out); South Africa 311 (A.B. de Villiers 61; Herschelle Gibbs 94; Andrew Symonds 3-50, Brett Lee 3-92). (Posted @ 12:20 PST)
Cricket-India splits Pakistan-bound team for match practice NEW DELHI, Dec 28 (AFP) India's cricket chiefs on Wednesday ordered the national team to leave in two batches for next month's Pakistan tour to enable the entire squad to gain match practice. Twelve of the 16 players, led by captain Rahul Dravid and coach Greg Chappell, will depart for Lahore on January 5 and take part in the three-day practice match there from January 7-9. Four others, including former captain Sourav Ganguly, will stay back and play the next round of Ranji Trophy first-class matches from January 3-6, Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah said. Ganguly, spinner Anil Kumble, opening batsman Virender Sehwag and reserve wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel will join the rest of the tourists on January 7, six days before the first Test begins in Lahore on January 13. The Indian team for the practice match in Lahore will comprise: Dravid, Gautam Gambhir, Wasim Jaffar, Venkatsai Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh and Harbhajan Singh. (Posted @ 11:13 PST)
Key figure among seven militants seized in Bangladesh DHAKA, Dec 28 (Reuters) Police in Bangladesh said on Wednesday that they had captured seven militants, including the top adviser to an outlawed group, and seized explosives over the past two days. Lutfur Rahman, a college teacher and close associate of Bangla Bhai, chief of the Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), was detained in the northern Bagmara area on Monday, police said. (Posted @ 10:20 PST)
Al-Qaeda suspect dies of wounds in Saudi Arabia RIYADH, Dec 28 (AFP) A suspected member of Al-Qaeda, Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Suwailmi, captured on Tuesday after bloody clashes with Saudi police in the central Qassim province, has died of his wounds, an interior ministry spokesman announced early Wednesday. He ranked number seven on the list of the 36 most wanted militant suspects in Saudi Arabia. (Posted @ 09:20 PST)
Indian bus crashes into chemical tanker, 22 killed AHMEDABAD, India, Dec 28 (Reuters) At least 22 people were killed, many of them burned to death, when a bus they were travelling on crashed into a tanker carrying chemicals in the western Indian state of Gujarat on Wednesday, police said. The luxury bus was on its way from Mumbai, India's financial hub, when it collided head-on with the tanker at Bharuch town, about 200 km south of Ahmedabad, Gujarat's main city. (Posted @ 09:17 PST)
Colombian rebels kill 28 soldiers on coca mission BOGOTA, Colombia, Dec 27 (Reuters) Marxist rebels killed 28 Colombian soldiers on a mission to destroy coca plants on Tuesday, the worst blow against the military for years as tensions rise ahead of 2006 elections. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, attacked the soldiers near the town of Vista Hermosa in southern Meta province, an army spokesman said. (Posted @ 09:05 PST)
Abbas urges Palestinian factions for calm GAZA, Dec 28 (Reuters) President Mahmoud Abbas urged Palestinian factions to halt rocket fire and renew a truce that expires at year's end as Israel struck the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. "We are calling on all sides to be committed to calm," top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told reporters after the late night meetings. "We regard calm as in the higher interest." (Posted @ 09:04 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 20.11 points: KARACHI, Dec 28: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 9466.94, up 20.11 points from Tuesday's close. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:25 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Dec 28: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 59.98 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:25 PST)
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