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| January 27, 2006 | Friday | Zilhaj 26, 1426 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Iran promises access to Lavizan nuclear site VIENNA, Jan 27, 2006 (AFP) - Iran has promised to allow UN nuclear inspectors to visit the former Lavizan military site in Tehran in a key concession in the UN investigation of the Islamic Republic's contested nuclear program, diplomats said Friday.(Posted @ 23:45 PST)
Pakistan, Afghan Presidents Discuss Bilateral, Regional, Global Issues Davos, Switzerland, Jan 27 PPI: President General Pervez Musharraf had talks with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual concern. The two leaders who met on sidelines of World Economic Forum discussed the ongoing war on terrorism and agreed to continue work closely in order to hunt down suspected terrorists. They also exchanged views on the ongoing reconstruction process in war-torn Afghanistan and reviewed ways and means to further expand economic and commercial ties.(Posted @ 23:30 PST)
President Musharraf, Annan discuss UN reforms Davos, Switzerland, Jan 27 PPI: President General Pervez Musharraf and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan discussed UN reforms and matters relating to international peace and security besides UN's continued role in the reconstruction of earthquake hit areas. They also exchanged views on the ongoing Pakistan-India composite dialogue process.(Posted @ 23:25 PST)
Musharraf asks West to accept Hamas 's mandate Davos, Jan 27 (PPI) President Pervez Musharraf has asked the international community to accept the verdict of Palestinian voters. Taking part in a discussion on Muslim Society in the Modern World here Friday, he stressed that the world shouldn't shut its doors on the newly-elected Hamas majority. Other panelists included President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Queen Rania of Jordan and the President of Iraqi National Assembly Hajin Al-Hasani. Earlier, talking to newsmen President Musharraf said Pakistan Would go ahead with multi billion dollar gas pipeline project with Iran to meet its growing energy requirements for its sustainable economic development. Replying to a question he said over eighty thousand troops have been deployed on our western borders to hunt down Al-Qaeda terrorists. No country has done more than Pakistan in the fight against terrorism, he said.(Posted @ 22:05 PST)
Pak, Russia to enhance cooperation: PM ISLAMABAD, Jan 27 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Friday stressed the need to take more steps to enhance the level of cooperation between Pakistan and Russia in the fields of education, science and technology, defence and trade. Talking to a Russian media delegation he said potential of Pak-Russia cooperation remains "under utilized" and stressed that the two countries need to cooperate in oil and gas, electricity and peaceful use of nuclear energy. Commenting on regional and international political issues, the Prime Minister said, Pakistan is acting as an anchor of peace and stability in the region. "We are eager to see progress in peace process between India and Pakistan and Pakistan wants a peaceful and early solution of the Kashmir issue, which is acceptable to the Kashmiris and is in line with their wishes and aspirations." He said Pakistan's proposals for demilitarization and self-governance could go a long way in expediting solution of the longstanding Kashmir issue.(Posted @ 22:02 PST)
Pakistan has done more than any other country to counter terrorism: Musharraf DAVOS, (Switzerland) Jan 27 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf Friday underlined Pakistan's critical role in the fight against terrorism and said the country's sharing of vital intelligence helped avert terrorists attacks in a number of countries. "Pakistan has done much more than people think or even realize." "No country has done so much as we have done in countering terrorism," he told a select gathering of intellectuals, journalists and non-government leaders. President Musharraf said Pakistan was the only country in the world which was striving to deal with the menaces of extremism and terrorism in a holistic manner. Speaking to the participants who were invited by Pathfinders Group to have an interactive session with him, the president also highlighted country's economic achievements and the steps taken to strengthen democracy in the country.(Posted @ 20:25 PST)
Musharraf seeks international investment in tourism sector DAVOS, Jan 27 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf has sought foreign investment for development of Pakistan's vast tourism potential. Addressing a gathering of young future leaders here, the president said Pakistan has a variety of climates and a rich diversity of culture but we need international investment to develop the tourist industry including state-of-the-art resorts, modern hotels and related services on modern lines.(Posted @ 20:23 PST)
Wali Khan laid to rest PESHAWAR, Jan 27 (APP): Funeral prayers for veteran politician Khan Abdul Wali Khan were held here at Jinnah Park Friday afternoon and was attended by thousands of people besides delegations from all parts of the country and abroad. The coffin was later transported to his ancestral graveyard in Wali Bagh in District Charsadda where he was laid to rest. Thousands of people had thronged Jinnah Park where the body of Wali Khan had been kept since Thursday morning for the people to have a last glimpse of their leader. Begum Nasim Wali, sons Senator Asfanydar Wali Khan and Sangeen Wali Khan accompanied the coffin. Among those who attended the last rites were Vice President of Afghanistan Ustad Karim Khalili; former President of Afghanistan Burhanuddin Rabbani, Abdul Qayyum Karazai, brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, scores of sitting and formers ministers of Afghan government, K. Rehman Vice Chairman Rajiya Sabha, leading a ten member Indian delegation, Speaker National Assembly Chaudhry Amir Hussain (also representing the Prime Minister), Governor NWFP Khalilur Rehman, Chief Minister NWFP Akram Khan Durrani, federal ministers Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Yar Muhammad Rind, Dr. Ghazi Gulab Jamal, State Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani, leader of opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman, President of MMA Qazi Hussain Ahmed, veteran politician Ajmal Khattak, Parliamentary leader of MQM Farooq Sattar, former Governor Punjab Ghulam Mustafa Khar, former Chief Miniser Punjab Mian Manzoor Ahmed Watto, JI leader Senator Prof. Ghafoor Ahmed, PPP(P) leaders Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Raja Ashraf Pervez, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Senator Enwar Baig, Senator Farhatullah Babar, Senator Muhammad Naseer Mengal, SenatorSanaullah Baluch, Dr. Abdul Hai, Provincial Ministers, District nazimeen, Chief Secretary and IGP NWFP. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain accompanied by the NWFP Governor Khalilur Rehman also visited Peshawar and offered condolence with Asfandyar Wali Khan..(Posted @ 20:22 PST)
Seven killed, three injured in road accident near Chakwal CHAKWAL: Jan.27 (APP): Seven persons were killed and three injured in a an accident involving a coach and a rickshaw on Talagang-Rawalpindi Road on Friday. The coach was proceeding from Mansehra to Karachi. Near village Mustafaabad, 10 kilometre from Chakwal, it crashed against a rickshaw killing all its seven passengers. Three passengers of the coach including its driver were also critically injured.(Posted @ 19:48 PST)
U.S. vows to help Bangladesh fight terrorism DHAKA, Jan 27 (Reuters) - "The U.S. is prepared to give assistance to Bangladesh in countering terrorism, the most immediate challenge it faces now," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca told a news conference. Rocca said she believed the "Bangladeshi terrorists were home grown", but she did not know whether they were linked with international terrorist groups. She said supporting democracy was one of Washington's top priorities. "So we want to do what we can to help Bangladesh maintain and strengthen (its) democracy," she said. Rocca said: "We would also like to see the opposition contribute to public debate in a meaningful way through public institutions such as parliament rather than through disruptive actions such as hartals (strike)." (Posted @ 18:45 PST)
Jolie 'ashamed' over US stalling on children's rights DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 27, 2006 (AFP) - Hollywood actress and campaigner Angelina Jolie said Friday she was "ashamed" that the United States still had not signed a UN charter on protecting children's rights. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Jolie -- a UN goodwill ambassador -- said a lot of things about her country had shocked her over the past few years. "I am absolutely ashamed" Washington has not formally ratified the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child," she said."Being an American I think it's horrible. I think Congress should ratify that. If we really care about that how dare we not ratify it?" The United States signed the convention in 1995, but apart from Somalia is the only country not yet to have ratified the treaty. (Posted @ 18:30 PST)
Eight camps established for accommodating 40,000 survivors ISLAMABAD, Jan 27 (APP): Eight new camps have been established in Azad Kashmir to accommodate 40,000 people living at high altitude in quake ravaged areas, Member AJK Council Dr Najeeb Naqi Khan told PTV in an interview. Enough food, shelters, medicines, etc is available in the quake hit areas. Two spells of severe cold have already passed without inflicting any major damage, he said. (Posted @ 18:25 PST)
Pakistan achieved much in war on terror: Musharraf ISLAMABAD, Jan 27 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf Thursday said Pakistan has achieved much in war on terror. To a question about Osama Bin Laden he said in an interview with CNN: "if you confine the results to only two people, Osama Bin Laden and Zawari yes, you can say that this is not getting better. But look at whatever we have achieved. We have arrested about 700 Al-Qaida operatives from the cities, this is success of intelligence. We have operated very successfully in the valleys. Innumerable number of people have been eliminated, arrested, deported. The latest was the Hamza-Rabi. This man was the number three man of Al-Qaida, we got him in the mountains. So this is lot of success." About Al-Qaida terrorists killed in Bajaur attack, the President said: "We are investigating and finding out and talking to people, probably there were about five or six of them who have been killed." Replying to another question he said: "We had agreed that operations in our territory on our side of the border will be undertaken by the Pakistani forces." "I am pretty confident, this assurance was there and we hope that it does not happen again," he said. To a question about the Oct 8 earthquake and the relief efforts he said: "I have strategized, set up an organization, and now the resources are available, strategy on ground, organization in place. My job is just to monitor effect being created.” He added:”I can very proudly say that the world has learned how tohandle a catastrophe, because I think we have done much better than other calamities around the world . Pakistan is being quoted as a text book case of how to handle major catastrophes." (Posted @ 18:25 PST)
Rs. 9950 million disbursed among quake-affectees in AJK MIRPUR, Jan 27 (APP): Over Rs. 9,950 million have so far been disbursed as compensation to the earthquake victims in Azad Kashmir, official sources said. Out of this amount over Rs. 3,202 million were paid to the kith and kins of 32,025 deceased persons out of a total of 44,439 persons killed in the districts of Muzaffarabad, Neelam, Bagh, Poonch (Rawalakot) and Sudanoti. Similarly, compensation of over Rs. 438 million has so far been disabursed among 20,640 persons out of a total of 31,480 persons injured in these districts. Besides, over Rs. 6310 million were distributed as compensation for 2,52407 destroyed houses out of a total of 2,70,362 houses which were razed to the ground in the quake. (Posted @ 18:15 PST)
Five killed, 12 injured in road accident KASUR, Jan 27 (APP): Five women were killed and twelve others sustained injuries in a road accident near Chunian on Friday. According to police, sixteen persons of a family were going to Wan Adhen from Saidpur Khudian on a pickup (DNB-6665) to attend a condolence meeting. Near Chunian, a tractor trolley hit the pick-up which turned turtle, resulting in the death of five women and injuring 12 others. (Posted @ 18:15 PST)
Up to seven Taliban killed - Afghan police KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Up to seven Taliban fighters were killed and five Afghan policemen wounded when the insurgents attacked a district police headquarters in the restive south, police said on Saturday. In a separate incident, two policemen were killed and two wounded when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb on Friday in Helmand province. In another incident, a roadside bomb went off near a U.S. military convoy in Kandahar on Friday but no one was hurt, a U.S. military spokesman said. (Posted @ 18:10 PST)
US soldiers face court martial for detainee abuse in Afghanistan KABUL, Jan 27, 2006 (AFP) - The US military in Afghanistan began a court martial Friday of a US soldier accused of striking two detainees, with a second soldier to face similar charges next week. Army Specialist James Hayes was charged with "conspiracy to maltreat, dereliction of duty, maltreatment of detainees and assault consummated by battery," the US-led coalition said in a statement. Sergeant Kevin Myricks would go before the court martial on Monday, it said. A third soldier has already been punished for knowing about the incident in July last year in southern Uruzgan province and not immediately reporting it to authorities.(Posted @ 17:20 PST)
Federer downs Kiefer to set up Baghdatis final at Australian Open MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan 27 (AFP) - Roger Federer reached his third consecutive Grand Slam final with a solid four-set win over German Nicolas Kiefer at the Australian Open Friday. He won 6-3, 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 in 2hr 40min and will play Marcos Baghdatis in Sunday's final. (Posted @ 16:55 PST)
Pakistani tribesmen protest US attack outside parliament ISLAMABAD, Jan 27(AFP) - Tribesmen rallied outside Pakistan's parliament on Friday to protest against a US missile attack on a village near the Afghan border that killed 18 people. Chanting "Death to America", some 250 men led by legislators from the Bajur tribal region where the attack occured on January 13 demanded that Washington apologise over the incident. "We want the government to expel the US ambassador in Islamabad and call back our ambassador in Washington," parliamentarian Liaqat Baluch told the gathering. (Posted @ 16:55 PST)
Indian bus leaves for holy Sikh site in Pakistan AMRITSAR, India, Jan 27, 2006 (AFP) - A bus left the Sikh holy city of Amritsar for the Pakistani town of Nankana Sahib-- birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev, founder of the Sikh religion- Friday on a trial run for a fourth bus link stemming from a peace drive by the South Asian rivals. The bus carrying Indian officials crossed over to Pakistan through Wagah border point. Another bus, the Dosti (Friendship) Express, arrived in Amritsar from Lahore Friday with 26 passengers aboard -- the third bus link between the two neighbours that was launched on January 20. (Posted @ 16:55 PST)
Davos forum launches multi-billion-dollar fight against TB DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 27, 2006 (AFP) - Britain, Nigeria and US software tycoon Bill Gates unveiled an ambitious 56-billion-dollar plan here Friday to prevent 14 million tuberculosis deaths over the next decade. Speaking at the launch of the plan at the World Economics Forum, Gates committed to tripling his own foundation's funding against tuberculosis from 300 million dollars to a total of 900 million dollars by 2015. (Posted @ 16:55 PST)
Boat accident in Indonesia's Sulawesi leaves 21 dead JAKARTA, Jan 27, 2006 (AFP) - Twelve (21 accounding to AP)people drowned after a boat sank in bad weather off Indonesia's Sulawesi island, a port official said Friday. The inter-island passenger boat, carrying 17 passengers, capsized Sunday shortly after leaving East Kalimantan province for the coastal town of Tolitoli in Central Sulawesi, the official said. Rescuers found five badly-dehydrated survivors clinging to the wreckage of the ship. (Posted @ 16:50 PST)
Contact established with kidnappers of Germans: German FM BERLIN, Jan 27, 2006 (AFP) - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Friday that contact had been established with kidnappers who seized two German engineers in Iraq. (Posted @ 16:45 PST)
Turkey offers to act as go-between for Hamas and Israel DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 27, 2006 (AFP) - Turkey is ready to act as a go-between for Israel and the new Palestinian administration led by the radical Islamist group Hamas, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told journalists following a meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. "The OIC may perhaps take on an important role here," he added on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum adding that he had discussed the idea with Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf in Davos. He emphasised that the international community must accept the outcome of the Palestinian elections. "The choice must be respected whether one likes it or not," he said, adding that he saw signs that Hamas could take on a more politically responsible face in government. (Posted @ 16:35 PST)
Security tight as one million Muslims gather in Bangladesh DHAKA, Jan 27, 2006 (AFP) More than a million Muslims massed at Tongi near Dhaka Friday for the three-day World Muslim Congregation, Biswa Ijtema, amid tight security, officials said. Bangladeshi authorities assigned a record 22,000 troops to guard the congregation, officials said. Authorities were expecting at least two million of all ages to attend the event. (Posted @ 14:25 PST)
Search fails to find Red Cross helicopter missing near Pak border ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) A weeklong search has failed to find any sign of a Red Cross-chartered helicopter that went missing with seven crew members aboard in the mountains along the Pakistan-Afghan border, officials said Friday. A Red Cross spokeswoman Layla said that so far rescuers were unable to locate the helicopter, which the organization chartered to help the survivors of the Oct. 8 quake. ``We don't know what happened to it and how,'' she said, adding a search for the helicopter was still going on along the Pakistan-Afghan border. She would not give any other details. The Russian-made Mi-8 transport chopper disappeared Jan. 21 after taking off from Peshawar. Pakistani officials have said the helicopter might have crashed somewhere in Afghanistan. ``The helicopter lost contact with Pakistani air traffic control shortly after leaving our airspace,'' said an army official. (Posted @ 12:25 PST)
Tennis-China wins first Grand Slam doubles title MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan 27 (AFP) China's Yan Zi and Zheng Jie won the country's first-ever Grand Slam title Friday, grinding down top seeds Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur to win the Australian Open women's doubles title. They doggedly held on to win the third set for a memorable 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 win in 2hr 15mins. It was the first time anyone from China has won a Grand Slam final in any discipline. (Posted @ 12:15 PST)
Pentagon plan calls for new WMD task force: report WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (Reuters) The Pentagon's latest strategy review proposes a new military unit that would prevent the transfer of weapons of mass destruction from states such as North Korea and Iran to terrorist groups, The Washington Times reported on Friday. The WMD task force would be comprised of several hundred troops, including special operations forces and intelligence personnel, the Times said. A Pentagon spokeswoman had no immediate comment on the report. (Posted @ 11:30 PST)
Japan calls on world community to bring Hamas into peace process TOKYO (AP) Japan on Friday called for the international community to bring Hamas into the Middle East peace process, following the group's sweeping victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections. ``We must make efforts so that Hamas will adopt a proactive attitude toward the peace process,'' Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe told reporters.(Posted @ 09:55 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 130.05 points: KARACHI, Jan 27: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 10447.56, up 142.76 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 16:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Jan 27: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 59.97 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 10:00 PST)
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