|
| January 22, 2006 | Sunday | Zilhaj 21, 1426 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Search called off for missing Pakistan quake relief helicopter KABUL, Jan 22, 2006 (AFP) - NATO and coalition forces in Afghanistan called off Sunday a search for a helicopter with seven Turkmen crew on board that went missing en route home after quake relief work in Pakistan. The search was halted as darkness fell and was likely to resume in the morning, the forces said. The chopper last made contact with air traffic controllers as it was about to leave Pakistan air space on Friday to fly over Afghanistan on the way to its home base in Turkmenistan, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. "Since then, we have had no contact," said James Reynolds, a spokesman in Pakistan for the Red Cross which chartered the chopper after the October 8 earthquake that killed thousands of Pakistanis.(Posted @ 23:32 PST)
No evidence of Qaeda meeting before US strike: PM WASHINGTON, Jan 22, 2006 (AFP) - There is no evidence of Al-Qaeda presence in the village where about 18 people died after a US missile strike, Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Sunday. Aziz also told CNN's Late Edition program that US authorities had not informed his government in advance of the January 13 CIA Predator drone attack on the remote Pakistani village of Damadola in the Bajur tribal region near the Afghan border. Aziz said at least 13 civilians died in the attack, in which the United States reportedly targetted a meeting it believed would include Ayman al-Zawahiri, the second highest leader of Al Qaeda. "There is no evidence ... that there were any other people there," Aziz said. "We have not found one body, or one shred of evidence that these people were there."(Posted @ 23:10 PST)
Iraqi police say US soldiers kill three civilians TIKRIT, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Iraqi police accused U.S. soldiers on Sunday of shooting dead at least three civilians after an attack on their patrol, but the U.S. military said the dead men were insurgents. Lieutenant Colonel Najim Ahmed of Baiji police said four civilians had been killed and six wounded when U.S. soldiers fired at a passing car filled with civilians after a roadside bomb exploded nearby. "U.S forces began shooting randomly. Civilians were in the car," he said. An Iraqi spokesman for the local Joint Coordination Centre which liaises between Iraqi security forces and the U.S. military, giving a similar account of the incident, said the victims were three Iraqi soldiers.(Posted @ 22:10 PST)
India's northeast rebels step up attacks, killing 2 GUWAHATI, India, Jan 22, 2006 (AFP) - Two people were killed and eight injured Sunday in attacks by suspected separatist rebels in northeastern India ahead of this week's Republic Day celebrations, police said. "One civilian was killed and five policemen and three civilians were wounded in three explosions that rocked Guwahati," Assam state police chief Dilip Bora told AFP. Bora also said a policeman was shot dead in an eastern district of the state in a gunbattle Sunday between police and rebels. The attacks in the heart of Assam's main city, Guwahati, followed overnight blasts at two gas pipelines and two power plants in the eastern North Lakhimpur district that left another five policemen wounded.(Posted @ 21:35 PST)
Five Afghans freed after being captured by Taliban KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Jan 22, 2006 (AFP) - An Afghan boy and four men, including staff of a US security firm, were freed Sunday after being briefly kidnapped by Taliban rebels, while a local police chief was killed in a suspected Taliban ambush, officials said. The five Afghans were snatched early Sunday in the insurgency-hit southern province of Helmand by militants threatened to kill them because they were working for a US company, police and one of the men said. They were being driven away when police came upon them by chance, Grishk district police chief Khan Mohammad said. After a brief shootout, the abductors abandoned their captives and fled.(Posted @ 21:15 PST)
Hundreds of Pakistani tribesmen protest US missile attack PESHAWAR, Jan 22 (AFP) - Hundreds of Pakistani tribesmen held a protest in a northwestern tribal region Sunday against a US air strike that killed 18 people, including four Al-Qaeda militants, police and witnesses said. Around 1,000 supporters of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) marched in the Bajaur region's main town of Khar chanting slogans against the United States and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. Later, some protestors broke shop windows with sticks and bricks, witnesses said.. (Posted @ 21:10 PST)
Pakistan an anchor of peace and stability in South Asian region: Shaukat Aziz NEW YORK, Jan.22 (PPI): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that Pakistan is an anchor of peace and stability in the South Asian region, have no aggressive designs and it can not be bullied by anyone. Addressing a gathering of Pakistani community in New York last night, he deliberated on the issues of defence, internal security, economy, diplomacy and social sector and the devastating earthquake. Prime Minister said Pakistan is a peaceful country. It wants to have no conflict with any one but peace is achieved through strength and not weakness. '' Pakistan's defence strategy is one of minimum credible deterrence. It is a declared nuclear and missile power and has a conventional capability,'' he said adding that the nation has the will, capability and strength to protect itself.(Posted @ 21:02 PST)
President visits Dubai to offer condolences on demise of Shaikh Makhtoom DUBAI, Jan 22 (APP) : President General Pervez Musharraf flew into the UAE city Sunday to condole the demise of former ruler Shaikh Makhtoom bin Rashid Al Makhtoom with the new leadership and the Makhtoum family. Soon after his arrival, the President drove straight to the Palace to meet with Dubai's new ruler Shaikh Muhammad bin Rashid al-Makhtoom .He offered his and Pakistani nation's heartfelt sorrow over the passing away of Shaikh Makhtoom. Paying tributes to Shaikh Makhtoom's contribution to enhancing Pakistan-UAE ties, the President said that his death saddened every Pakistani as he was a true friend of the country.(Posted @ 20:55 PST)
Fire at London bus depot closes main road LONDON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - A fire at a bus station in west London on Sunday destroyed three buses and forced the closure of the busy A40 road into the capital, police said. Police were called at 9:54 a.m. to the fire at Westbourne Park Bus Garage. "Three of the buses were on fire and there were several subsequent explosions as a result," a police spokeswoman said.(Posted @ 19:08 PST)
Shaukat Aziz urges US-based Pakistani IT leaders to boost industry in their homeland NEW YORK, Jan 22 (APP) -- Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has urged expatriate Pakistani IT leaders to help develop Pakistan's IT industry so as to put the country on the world map in this sphere of activity. "Pakistan is determined to go forward in this field, and we need your help," he said in a meeting with some 30 leading U.S-based Pakistani IT specialists and managers on Saturday. During a two-hour animated interaction with, the IT leaders came up with a number of ideas and proposals aimed at giving a boost to Pakistan's IT industry.(Posted @ 18:16 PST)
Sri Lanka defeat Australia by 51 runs in tri-series match SYDNEY, Jan 22, 2006 (AFP) - Sri Lanka defeated Australia by 51 runs in their triangular series one-day international match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday. Scores: Sri Lanka 309-7 (50 overs), Australia 258 (50 overs).(Posted @ 17:20 PST)
Red Cross helicopter missing after Pakistan quake work, seven aboard ISLAMABAD, Jan 22, 2006 (AFP) - A helicopter chartered by the International Red Cross for earthquake relief operations in Pakistan has gone missing with seven people on board, an ICRC spokesman said Sunday. "We are deeply concerned about the fate of the helicopter operated by Turkmenistan Airlines and chartered by the International Committee of the Red Cross," ICRC spokesman James Reynolds told AFP. The helicopter, which had completed its relief operations work in Pakistan, left the Pakistani city of Peshawar on Friday. It was scheduled to overfly Afghanistan on a direct flight to its home base in Turkmenistan, he said. It made radio contact with Peshawar air control, reporting that it was about to leave Pakistan air space. "Since then, we have had no contact," Reynolds said. (Posted @ 14:15 PST)
20 killed in Maoist, army clash in Nepal KATHMANDU, Jan 22, 2006 (AFP) - A weekend clash between Maoist rebels and Nepalese security forces has left 14 rebels, five soldiers and one police officer dead, the army said Sunday. "Security forces recovered at least 14 Maoist corpses with weapons, and six security personnel were also killed," said an official from army headquarters who spoke on condition of anonymity. The clash took place late Saturday in the Faparbari area of Makwanpur district, some 180 kilometres (110 miles) west of Nepal's capital Kathmandu. (Posted @ 13:00 PST)
Canadian plane crash kills three, injures five VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan 21 (Reuters) – Three people were killed and five injured when their plane crashed on Saturday in a rugged wooded area on Canada's Pacific coast, officials said. The aircraft carrying eight people, including a baby, was on a commercial flight from Tofino, British Columbia, to Vancouver when it reported engine problems and went down near Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. Three people were dead at the scene and five had to be airlifted to hospital, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who could not say if the infant was among the fatalities. The injured were reported to be in serious condition. The plane was attempting to reach Port Alberni about 90 miles (140 km) west of Vancouver for an emergency landing when it crashed, according to the rescue coordination center in Victoria. (First Posted @ 10:00 PST Updated @ 12:30 PST)
Oil-hungry China courts Saudi king BEIJING, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah arrived in Beijing on Sunday for his first ever state visit and analysts said China wants to draw closer to the Middle Eastern oil power without challenging Saudi ties to Washington. He visited China as crown prince in 1998. From Beijing, the king will fly to India, then Malaysia and finally Pakistan. The monarch is travelling with a large business delegation, including Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi. Topics on the table for discussion besides energy will be counter-terrorism and military cooperation, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said. China is already in talks about establishing a free trade area with the Gulf Cooperation Council. (Posted @ 11:00 PST)
Death toll in China pipeline blast increases to 10, another 50 injured BEIJING, Jan 22, 2006 (AFP) - The death toll from a gas pipeline blast in southwest China's Sichuan province has increased to 10, with another 50 people injured, including three seriously, the government said Sunday. (Posted @ 10:20 PST)
22 shrine pilgrims dead in India bus plunge NEW DELHI, Jan 22 (APP/AFP) - Up to 22 pilgrims were killed and 40 were injured in a bus crash Saturday as they returned from visiting a shrine in western India, a news report said. The over-loaded bus skidded off the road and overturned after hitting a tree in Maharashtra state. The injured included 11 women and seven children. (Posted @ 10:15 PST)
Two US marines killed in suicide bomb attack BAGHDAD, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Two U.S. Marines were killed in a suicide bomb attack during combat operations in Haqlaniya, western Iraq, on Friday, the U.S. military said in a statement Saturday. A roadside bomb struck the motorcade carrying members of President Jalal Talabani's staff, wounding five people in Tuz Khurmatu 60 km (40 miles) south of Kirkuk on Friday. Talabani was not present. Police said one person was killed when a bomb exploded near a passing car on Saturday. One person was killed and two seriously wounded when a car bomb exploded near a crowded market in Baghdad, police said. Gunmen killed an engineer working in a U.S. military base in Dujeil 50 km (32 miles) north of Baghdad as he drove out of the facility, Dujeil police said. One person was killed and two wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near their car in Dour 25 km (16 miles) east of Tikrit, police said. One policeman was killed and another wounded when a roadside bomb struck their patrol in the al-Rasheed area 35 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said. Two more policemen were killed and six wounded when a car bomb exploded near their patrol in Baquba 65 km (40 miles) north of Baghdad, police said. (Posted @ 10:10 PST)
Fugitive militant Zarqawi seeking new Iraq alliances LONDON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is alive, well and seeking new alliances among Sunni opponents of U.S.-led forces in Iraq, Britain's Sunday Times reported. Citing the leader of a Sunni resistance group who said he recently spent time with Zarqawi, the newspaper said the insurgent leader wore a suicide belt at all times -- even when asleep. "He told me: 'I would rather blow myself up and die as a martyr -- and kill a few Americans along the way -- than be humiliated by them," Sheikh Abu Omar al-Ansari, leader of the Jeish al Taiifa al Mansoura (Army of the Victorious Sect) group, was quoted as saying. (Posted @ 10:10 PST)
Tourism earned China 96 billion dollars last year BEIJING, Jan 22, 2006 (AFP) - China's tourism sector earned 96 billion US dollars last year and will likely grow by 8 percent this year as the country climbs up the ladder of top travel destinations, state media said Sunday. China received 120 million overseas visitors in 2005 and saw 31 million outbound travellers, the Xinhua news agency reported. Travellers from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are considered overseas visitors. (Posted @ 10:00 PST)
Palestinian killed by Israeli army on Gaza border GAZA CITY, Jan 22(AFP) - A Palestinian was killed and two others wounded on Saturday by Israeli military fire near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, a medical source said. There was no immediate word on the identity of the victims, whether they were armed and planning an attack on Israel or were trying to infiltrate in order to find work. An Israeli army spokeswoman said troops had opened fire towards three Palestinians who were crawling towards the border fence. "The soldiers fired warning shots, then fired towards the suspects who were continuing to advance and who apparently were hit by the gunfire," she said without detailing whether any of the trio was wounded or killed. (Posted @ 09:50 PST)
Man dies in bomb attack on tax offices in southern France MARSEILLE, France, Jan 22, 2006 (AFP) - A man died early Sunday when he tried to bomb the main tax offices in the southern French town of Aix-en-Provence, police and firemen said. The man's mangled body was found near the downtown offices, which suffered only minor damage in the blast at 2:40 am (0140 GMT), they added (Posted @ 09:30 PST)
Founder: Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah
Editor: Tahir Mirza
The DAWN Group of Newspapers
Haroon House, Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road, Karachi 74200, Pakistan.
Phone:+92 (21) 111-444-777 Fax: +92 (21) 569-3995
webmaster@dawn.com
Make sure to reload these pages so you're viewing the current version.
|
|
|
Contributions |