|
| February 8, 2006 | Wednesday | Muharram 9, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
South Africa understands Muslims 'hurt' over blasphemous cartoons JOHANNESBURG, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) - South Africa on Wednesday said it understood Muslim outrage over blasphemous cartoons in Danish and other newspapers as Islamic groups prepared to stage protests outside Danish missions in the country. "Government acknowledges the hurt that this act has caused among Muslims in our country and across the globe; and we appreciate the fact that, on the whole, South Africans affected by this development have sought to find one another in a spirit of mutual respect," a cabinet statement said. It said that while South Africa upheld the principle of freedom of speech it was also important to "respect the sensitivities of individuals and communities, and to eschew actions that may be interpreted as hate speech." South African Muslims are to start protests outside Danish missions in Cape Town on Thursday and in Pretoria on Friday. The Muslim Judicial Council, representing South Africa's estimated 1.5 million Muslims, would also put in "a strong request" to Internet search engine Google to take off the cartoons, said council deputy president Ihsaan Hendricks. Hendricks, who met with Danish ambassador Torben Brylle earlier Wednesday, added, "I have seen the cartoons and they are offensive, abusive and blasphemous."(Posted @ 21:45 PST)
Journalists protest against blasphemous cartoons Peshawar, February 8, 2006 (PPI) Journalists on Wednesday held a protest rally against the publication of blasphemous cartoons. Peshawar Press Club president Syed Bukhar Shah who led the demonstration said Press freedom does not allow infringing upon the rights and faiths of the others and asked the government to boycott products of the concerned countries.(Posted @ 21:30 PST)
Boat capsizes in Zanzibar, 11 children killed DAR ES SALAAM, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Eleven school children drowned in Zanzibar on Wednesday when a huge wave capsized the boat they were playing in, police said. The children had gone to play at a beach near their primary school on the outskirts
of Zanzibar town when disaster struck. (Posted @ 21:15 PST)
Albanian gunmen kill two in bus hostage drama TIRANA, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) - Heavily armed men killed two people including a police officer after seizing a passenger bus in northern Albania on Wednesday, a minister said. The gunmen used automatic weapons and grenades to resist police after taking over the bus en route from the northern town of Kukes to the Albanian capital Tirana, Vice Interior Minister Gjergj Leshja said.(Posted @ 21:00 PST)
Hackers attack Danish websites over blasphemous cartoons COPENHAGEN, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) - Hackers have attacked hundreds of Danish websites in recent days to protest against the publication in Denmark of blasphemous cartoons, internet security officials said on Wednesday. The hackers have defaced home pages and websites by replacing them with messages hailing Islam and condemning the cartoons, security and virus analyst Peter Kruse of Danish internet security firm CSIS told AFP. "About 500 Danish websites have been targetted that we know of because of the cartoons ... (and) the number continues to rise dramatically," Kruse said. He said the hackers were primarily based in the Middle East and were strategically coordinating their attacks to make them more effective.(Posted @ 21:00 PST)
Bush condemns violent response to cartoons WASHINGTON, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush Wednesday urged governments around the world to quell the violent response to blasphemous cartoons but warned that the media had "the responsibility to be thoughtful." "I call upon the governments around the word to stop the violence, to be respectful, to protect property, to protect the lives of innocent diplomats," Bush said as he met with Jordan's King Abdullah II. "We reject violence as a way to express discontent with what may be printed in a free press," the president said during a brief joint public appearance in the Oval Office.(Posted @ 20:55 PST)
Zimbabwe cricketers call off strike HARARE, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) - Newly set salaries, match appearance fees and performance bonuses have brought an end to Zimbabwe's professional cricketers' four-month strike. Sixteen of 23 players offered terms have signed new contracts, four are having medical assessments before getting their offers, two have declined and one has yet to make a decision.(Posted @ 20:50 PST)
Mine hits US-led patrol in Afghanistan, 'bombmaker' caught KABUL, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) - A bomb exploded near a patrol of the US-led coalition in Afghanistan Wednesday while security forces captured a suspected bombmaker , the military said. One of three mines planted on a road detonated as the convoy passed in eastern Paktia province, Afghan army commander Akram Samai said. "There were no injuries and only minor damage to the vehicle”. Afghan and coalition forces meanwhile arrested in Kandahar a man suspected of manufacturing and supplying improvised bombs to insurgents, a coalition statement said.(Posted @ 20:50 PST)
Militants fire rockets in Kahan, Lehri QUETTA Feb 8 (PPI): Rockets were fired in Kahan and Lehri areas Wednesday. According to reports, suspected militants fired eight rockets in Kahan area which fell close to Bahadur Check Post of FC. Three rockets were fired in FC Gori Pul Check Post area in Lehri area. No loss of life was reported .(Posted @ 20:45 PST)
PML awards tickets for Senate ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (APP): The Parliamentary Board of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League on Wednesday awarded tickets to 19 candidates for the forthcoming Senate's elections. The board meeting, presided over by President PML Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, unanimously decided to issue tickets to the following candidates: ISLAMABAD Wasim Sajjad(Technocrat), Tariq Azim(General).PUNJAB-- Javed Ali Shah, Naeem Hussain Chattha, Javed Ashraf Qazi, Muhammad Ali Durrani, and Jamal Leghari (General); S.M. Zafar and Haroon Akhtar (Technocrat); and Mrs. Gulshan Saeed and Mrs. Nilofar Bakhtiar(Women Seat). SINDH -- Justice(R) Abdul Razzaq Thaheem, Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi, and Krishan Chand Parwani (General) and Ms. Simin Siddiqui ( Women Seat). BALOCHISTAN-- Syed Fazal Agha, Jam Muhammad Jamali, and Israrullah Zehri General); Saeed Hashmi (Technocrat), and Ms Rehana Yahya Baloch and Mrs. Roshan Khurshid Barucha ( Women Seat). The list of candidates for NWFP will be announced in consultation with other coalition parties, a statement said(Posted @ 20:30 PST)
Pakistan name hockey squad for India series, Commonwealth Games ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (APP): Pakistan Wednesday named 20 players for the forthcoming hockey series against India while the same squad will be reduced to 16 to represent Pakistan in the Commonwealth Games next month. The team would play matches at Chandigarh (February 17 and 18) and Jallandhar (February 18). The matches in the Pakistan leg of the series will be played at Rawalpindi (February 22), Faisalabad (February 24) and Lahore (February 26). The 18th Commonwealth Games at Melbourne (Australia) will be from March 15 to 26.(Posted @ 20:15 PST)
Aftershock jolts Islamabad, Mansehra ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (APP): An aftershock of moderate intensity was felt in Islamabad on Wednesday evening at 1757 hours. Tremors measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale were also felt in Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Kohistan, Muzaffarabad, and Rawalpindi, a private tv channel reported. No loss of life or property was reported. The epicentre of the aftershock was located in Mansehra. It brings the total number of aftershocks since the massive quake of Oct 8 to to 1889.(Posted @ 20:00 PST)
Afghanistan welcomes debt cancellation by U.S., Russia, Germany< KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) _ Afghanistan Wednesday welcomed a move by the U.S., Russia and Germany to cancel all of the nation's debts held by the three creditors. On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack announced that Washington was ready to forgive US$108 million (euro90.2 million). The sum equals Afghanistan's total official debt to the U.S. Earlier this week, Russia _ another Paris club creditor _ said it was ready to write off US$10 billion (euro 8.3 billion) that Afghanistan borrowed from the former Soviet Union. Germany, the Afghans' other Paris Club creditor, has also announced intention to provide 100 percent cancellation of Afghanistan's debt.(Posted @ 19:55 PST)
Suspects in rocket, land mine attacks arrested QUETTA, Pakistan, Feb 8 (AP) Security forces Wednesday arrested seven tribesmen suspected in land mine explosions and rocket attacks on state-run gas fields in Balochistan province, an official said. The suspects were apprehended after a shootout in Sui, a town where main gas fields are located, local police official Pir Bakhsh said. Troops also seized three rocket launchers, 11 rockets and seven machine guns from the men, he said. Bakhsh gave no detail about the suspects' alleged involvement in attacks. The militants are demanding an increase in royalties for resources extracted in their areas.(Posted @ 19:45 PST)
Cargo ship blocks all traffic in the Suez Canal< CAIRO, Egypt, Feb 8 (AP) _ A 93,000-ton cargo ship blocked the Suez Canal on Wednesday, stopping all transit of the waterway between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, a Suez Canal Authority official said. The ship drifted at right angles to the canal while passing through the waterway near Ismailiya, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The incident happened in bad weather at about 11 a.m. local time (0900 GMT). It was not immediately clear what caused the ship to drift at right angles to the canal. Convoys of ships pass through the canal in a transit that takes 12 hours.(Posted @ 19:30 PST)
Indian Kashmir separatist group calls for boycott over cartoon NEW DELHI, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) – Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, the separatist group in occupied Kashmir called Wednesday for a boycott of Danish and other European goods to protest against the publication of blasphemous cartoons. The boycott call came as Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Imam of Jamia Masjid in New Delhi, announced protest rallies after Friday congregation. "Muslims shall lodge their strong protest ... against the publishing of contemptuous cartoons of the Prophet of Islam in Denmark and other nations," the Imam said in a statement.(Posted @ 19:05 PST)
Don't write off Tendulkar, warns Imran ISLAMABAD, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) - Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan Wednesday dismissed speculation that Sachin Tendulkar is on the decline, saying the Indian batting master still has plenty to offer to the cricket world. "You can't judge Tendulkar on one or two failures, he has enough cricket left in him and has the talent to bounce back any time," Imran Khan said at a reception attended by members of the Indian team. "He is still the linchpin of Indian batting and would continue to supplement them until they find a suitable replacement, which I don't see coming in the near future," he said. "Dravid is a good student of the game and I think India will progress under him. India can tame England because they have quality spinners in Harbhajan and Anil Kumble," he said. Imran Khan also had tips for Indian pacers Irfan Pathan and Zaheer. "I have noticed flaws in Irfan Pathan's grip and in Zaheer's technique in bowling so I advised him how to use the non-bowling arm to get the maximum speed while bowling." Imran Khan also praised Pakistan's progress as a team. "Pakistan's batting is more stable now and they have the bowling resources to become the best team in the world." "Pakistan should eye the best team's spot in Tests because teams are judged on their performances in Test cricket and not in one-day cricket. This Pakistan team has all the abilities to challenge Australia as the top team."(Posted @ 19:00 PST)
Low turn out, violence blight Nepal election KATHMANDU, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) - Violence and a low turn- out Wednesday blighted Nepal's first local elections in seven years that the king promised would be the first step back to democracy, officials said. At least one protester died in election-related violence while eight Maoist rebels and a soldier were killed in separate clashes, police and the army said. Witnesses reported a low voter turnout in all 36 participating municipalities, while an hour before polling closed, state-run media reported less than 10 percent of eligible people in Kathmandu had cast their votes.(Posted @ 19:00 PST)
US deports 51 Pakistanis ISLAMABAD Feb 8 (PPI) Fifty-one Pakistani deportees who were languishing in various jails of the United States for illegal entry and stay and other minor offences arrived here Tuesday by a special aircraft.(Posted @ 18:45 PST)
Kashmir. Hizb terms withdrawal of Indian troops as 'a drama' Srinagar, Feb 08, (PPI) Hizbul Mujahideen has described reports regarding pulling out of Indian troops from occupied Kashmir as a "drama". Hizb operational commander Ghazi Musab-ud-Din in a statement said that it was a mere announcement, having no practical impact on the ground situation. Indian government has made such announcements in the past as well. In actual fact, the number of troops in the valley has increased. He further said that only the sustained struggle of the Kashmiris would force New Delhi to announce a real withdrawal of troops. New Delhi was making ambiguous and wrong announcements to cover its oppressive policies in the valley, he added.(Posted @ 18:30 PST)
MSA apprehends seven Indian boats, 36 fishermen Karachi, February 08 (PPI): Maritime Security Agency Tuesday apprehended seven Indian fishing boats and their 36 crew members for fishing illegally some 80 km inside Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone.(Posted @ 18:10 PST)
725 deported Pakistanis arrive from Oman Karachi, Feb 08, (PPI): A boat carrying as many as 725 Pakistanis arrested and deported by Oman arrived here early Wednesday morning at Ghas Bander, Keamari. These job seekers, most of them illiterate and hailing from upcountry, had been trafficked to the Gulf state through Taftan, crossing the Pakistan-Iran border illegally near Mand Ballu. They paid the human traffickers different amounts, ranging from Pak Rs 5,000 to 70,000. According to the deportees, they travelled in vehicles in batches of 30 to 40 each for two days to reach the Iranian border town of Jaishak. After an overnight stay, they set out again andreached another town after two days. Afterwards, they were taken to a jetty where they were herded into small launches. After a 10-hour ocean voyage, they were abandoned on the coast.(Posted @ 18:05 PST)
Altaf demands judicial probe into Bugti House blast Karachi, Feb 08, (PPI): MQM leader Altaf Hussain has demanded judicial inquiry into explosion at the Dera Bugti residence of Nawab Akbar Bugti and the resultant death of five persons. In a statement from London Secretariat, he remarked that conflicting versions of Saturday's incident were adding to the confusion in the minds of the people. He said he would once again emphasize the need for a political solution of the Balochistan situation, and of informing the countrymen about the facts after recording the statements of both sides in a judicial inquiry.(Posted @ 18:00 PST)
KASHMIR: JKPM for self-governance, demilitaristion Jammu, February 08 (PPI) In occupied Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement Chairman Ghulam Ahmad Mir has called for acceptance of self-governance and demilitarization proposal of President Parvez Musharraf and termed it as an important step in solving the Kashmir dispute. In a statement from Kotbalwaj Jail, Jammu, Mir stressed that genuine representatives of Kashmiris must be involved in the talks to evolve a consensus for finding an amicable solution. Meanwhile, according to Kashmi9r Media Service, the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) has merged into Hurriyat Conference. JKPM General Secretary Zaffar Khurshid Ahmad in a statement here said that the decision came "after taking into consideration the interests of the Kashmiris”. APHC Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has welcomed the decision of JKPM and has assured that the party will be given due position in the APHC. Alliance.(Posted @ 18:00 PST)
WFP to provide assistance to quake-hit areas ISLAMABAD Feb 08 (PPI)The World Food Programme will provide food assistance to more than 708,000 quake affected people of the NWFP and Azad Kashmir under an emergency relief package. A Letter of Understanding to this effect signed in Islamabad provides that the emergency operation will cover more than 540,000 beneficiaries in Azad Kashmir and over 168,000 in the NWFP.(Posted @ 17:45 PST)
India committed to Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline New Delhi, Feb 08 (PPI): Indian Petroleum Minister Murli Deora Wednesdday reaffirmed New Delhi's commitment to over US$7 billion Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, saying it will further dialogue on the project when Pakistan's Oil Minister visits India next week. "We are committed to making the project happen. We need gas from Iran and will continue to pursue pipeline project," he told reporters here. The agenda for talks with the Pakistani minister would be project structure, framework agreement, technical, legal issues and political insurance of pipeline, he said.(Posted @ 17:35 PST)
Iran has much of what it needs for nuclear bomb: US WASHINGTON, Feb 8, 2006 (APP/AFP) - Iran has much of what it needs to build a nuclear bomb and lacks only the know-how to put the pieces together, the US State Department said Tuesday. Spokesman Sean McCormack said the Iranians had the highly trained scientists, electrical infrastructure, raw materials and machining equipment that were all necessary for producing an atomic bomb. "They have many of the pieces, many of the capabilities that are needed in order to finally build a nuclear weapon," he told reporters. "They have not yet meshed together all of those capabilities. "There are still certain techniques and pieces of know-how that we do not believe that they have -- simply by the fact that they don't have a nuclear weapon yet," McCormack said. He would not predict when Iran might pass "the point of no return" where nobody could stop it from building a bomb but said its progress made it vital to keep Tehran from enriching its own uranium. "So that is why this issue has been sent to the (UN) Security Council, why we are focusing so much energy on trying to prevent Iran from achieving those key final capabilities," McCormack said.(Posted @ 17:30 PST)
Pak-Saudia enjoy broadbased, deep rooted relations in every field: PM ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy broadbased and deep rooted relations in every field including diplomatic, cultural, political and economic fields and the relationship has further strengthened as a result of the recent visit of King Abdullah to Pakistan. He was talking to Prince Fahad Bin Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Governor of Tabuk who called on him Wednesday. A host of issues relating to further expansion of liberal ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, challenges facing Muslim Ummah, situation in the region and Pakistan's quest for regional peace, stability and dispute resolution came under discussion. The Prime Minister thanked Prince Fahad Bin Sultan for setting up a hospital at Dalbandin. The Saudi Prince appreciated the services being rendered by overseas Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia and commended them for their competence, professionalism and dedication.(Posted @ 17:30 PST)
Kuwait emir names brother Nawaf as crown prince KUWAIT, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah on Tuesday named his brother Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah as the crown prince, and nephew, Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah, a minister in charge of emiri diwan (royal court), as the new prime minister.(Posted @ 17:15 PST)
Afghan avalanches kill 19 villagers MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Feb 8 (Reuters) – Avalanches swept away 10 homes in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush mountains, killing 19 people, most of them children, a provincial official said on Wednesday. The avalanches struck in remote parts of Sar-i-Pul province on Monday and Tuesday after heavy snow over the weekend, said the province's governor, Sayed Iqbal Munib. "Nineteen people have died and nine were injured," he said.(Posted @ 17:00 PST)
Indonesia invites Kim Jong Il to visit JAKARTA, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has invited North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il to visit the country and the offer had been accepted in principle, a presidential spokesman said Wednesday. Kim rarely travels outside North Korea, and is only known to have visited China and Russia. He has visited China four times, the last time in January this year, and Moscow twice, most recently in 2002.(Posted @ 16:11 PST)
Dubai sacks US prof for blasphemous cartoons DUBAI, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) - An American professor at Dubai's Zayed University was fired after she distributed blasphemous cartoons on the pretext of "respect" for freedom of expression, local press reported Wednesday. The UAE minister of education, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al-Nahyan, who is also the chancellor of the university, sacked Claudi Keepoz, saying her behaviour "has nothing to do with the freedom of expression." Keepoz had reportedly told her students on Saturday that "we should respect this freedom," as she distributed the cartoons.(Posted @ 16:08 PST)
Pakistani businessmen to make historic trip to Israel: report JERUSALEM, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) A delegation of Pakistani businessmen is expected to make a first ever trip to Israel in May despite the lack of diplomatic relations between the two countries, a newspaper reported Wednesday. The delegation would attend an agriculture convention, Agritech 2006, due to be held in the commercial capital Tel Aviv at the beginning of May, the Yediot Aharonot daily said. (Posted @ 14:35 PST)
Thousands more protest against outrageous cartoons in Pakistan PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) Around 3,000 demonstrators burned an effigy of US President George W. Bush in Dara Adamkhel, a remote Pakistani tribal area, Wednesday as protests continued over publication of blasphemous cartoons. "Bush is behind this, he heads the gang which is against Islam," Said Wazir, the leader of a local group Quami Tehreek, said. He called on the Pakistani government to sever all diplomatic ties with Denmark and launch a social and economic boycott of the countries where the disrespectful drawings were reprinted. Separately in Multan, traders also protested and went on strike Wednesday. (Posted @ 14:30 PST)
Iraqi education minister unhurt in bomb attack BAGHDAD, Feb 8 (Reuters) A car bomb exploded in central Baghdad as the Iraqi education minister's convoy passed by on Wednesday but he escaped injury, Interior Ministry sources said. Two of Abdul Falah Hassan's bodyguards were wounded and a civilian bystander was killed, the sources added. (Posted @ 14:00 PST)
Four killed in new Afghan blasphemous cartoon protests QALAT, Afghanistan, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) Four people were killed Wednesday as police opened fire to control stone-throwing rioters in Afghanistan during a fifth day of protests against sacrilegious cartoons the army said. A number of people were also wounded in the protests in Qalat, the capital of Zabul province, including the city's police chief, an Afghan army official said. A provincial official said police had opened fire to control the crowd of about 400 demonstrators, adding that the situation was now under control. (Posted @ 12:25 PST)
Rockets fired at Pakistani security forces in South Waziristan, no injuries WANA, Pakistan (AP) Suspected militants fired about 20 rockets Wednesday at a security force post before dawn in a tribal region north of Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, but no one was injured, an intelligence official said. Also on Wednesday villagers found the decapitated body of an Afghan refugee near Wana, one day after he went missing from his village. (Posted @ 12:15 PST)
One killed in Pakistan nuclear facility blast ISLAMABAD, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) A technician was killed in an explosion at the Khan Research Laboratory (KRL) near Islamabad, a military spokesman said Wednesday. The Tuesday blast involved only conventional explosives and not nuclear material, Major General Shaukat Sultan said. "The technician was handling normal, conventional material…it was an accident and the cause of the explosion is being looked into," he added. (Posted @ 12:15 PST)
Israelis kill Palestinian man in Gaza Strip GAZA CITY, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) Israeli troops gunned down a Palestinian man, Mohammed al-Hur, before dawn Wednesday in an alleged exchange of fire near the security barrier between the Gaza Strip and Israel at the El-Boureij refugee camp, Palestinian medical sources said. Two other Palestinians were also wounded, they said. The Israeli army denied knowledge of any clash in the sector. (Posted @ 11:00 PST)
At least 12 die in blast at Russian military base in Chechnya MOSCOW, Feb 8, 2006 (AFP) At least 12 people were killed and 28 more injured when a blast ripped through a Russian military base in Chechnya, military and local emergency ministry officials said early Wednesday. The reason for the blast, which late Tuesday wrecked a base where Russia's Vostok battalion was stationed, was as yet unknown. (Posted @ 11:00 PST)
CIA counter-terrorism chief steps down WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) The head of the CIA's counter-terrorism centre, Robert Grenier, has been forced to step down as part of efforts by the spy agency to bolster its pursuit of al Qaeda, current and former intelligence officials said on Tuesday. Grenier, 51, told colleagues in an e-mail on Monday that he had been asked to move on from the helm of the unit that plans and executes CIA counter-terrorism operations and provides analysis on terrorism issues. There was no immediate word on who would succeed him in the counter-terrorism post. (Posted @ 09:50 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 |