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| March 21, 2006 | Tuesday | Safar 20, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Pakistan test fires cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear warhead ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 21 (AP) _ Pakistan successfully test-fired a locally developed cruise missile Tuesday with the ability to carry a nuclear warhead and hit targets within a 500-kilometer (310-mile) range, the army said in a statement. President Gen. Pervez Musharraf witnessed the firing, which was the second test of the Hatf VII cruise missile, which is also known as the Babur, the statement said. The previous firing was conducted last August. ``All phases of the planned trajectory were extremely successful and the missile impacted with pinpoint accuracy,'' the statement said. India was not given prior notice of the cruise missile's test-firing as it did not fall under an accord that covers notification of ballistic missile tests, a senior security official said on condition of anonymity. The Babur cruise missile can be fired from various platforms, including ground positions, surface ships and submarines, the statement said. ``The Babur, which has near stealth capabilities, is a low-flying, terrain-hugging missile with high manoeuvrability, pin point accuracy and radar avoidance features,'' the army said. Musharraf was quoted as saying the firing demonstrated Pakistani proficiency in weapons production and that his government will``continue to provide all support to their endeavours in fortifying national defence.'' Pakistan's last missile test-firing was in February after it successfully launched the Haft-II Abdali ballistic missile, which has a range of 200 kilometers and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. (Posted @ 10:43 PST)
Four injured in Pakistan rocket attacks MIRANSHAH, Pakistan, March 21 (AFP) - Four paramilitary soldiers were injured when militants fired rockets on Pakistan security forces positioned in a restive tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday. One soldier was hurt in a pre-dawn rocket attack on a checkpost Tuesday in Gosht, some 10 kilometres east of Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan. Three other paramilitary troops were injured late Monday when rockets landed on the Tahl checkpost in the region bordering Afghanistan, the official said on condition of anonymity. Separately suspected militants fired rockets at paramilitary troops camp in Mirali and Razmak areas of North Waziristan late Monday but there were no casualties, he said. (Posted @ 10:26 PST)
Commonwealth Games men's field hockey result: Pakistan 7 Trinidad 1 MELBOURNE, Australia, March 21, 2006 (AFP) – In the Commonwealth Games men's field hockey competition here TuesdayPakistan defeated Trinidad by seven goals to one I n Group “B”. Scorers were: Pakistan 7 (Rehan Butt 6, 27, 32, Shakeel Abbasi 8, Mohammad Shabbir 14, Mohammad Imran 20, Zubair Mohammad 63); Trinidad 1 (Quan Chan 25) (Posted @ 10:32 PST)
Pakistan confirms deadly H5N1 bird flu KARACHI, March 21 (AFP) - Tests have confirmed Pakistan's first outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the government said Tuesday. The virus was detected in chickens at two farms in the towns of Charsadda and Abbotabad in the NWFP which have now been sealed off, said Mohammad Afzal, spokesman for the Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ministry. The presence of the strain was confirmed by the European Union's Reference laboratory for Avian Influenza in Weybridge, England, he added. No human cases were detected, Afzal said. Pakistan early this month slaughtered 25,000 chickens at the farms in Charsadda and Abbottabad towns after suspecting the presence of the broad H5-type virus, and had since been awaiting the test results. (Posted @ 12:02 PST)
Iranian foreign minister calls on Pakistani counterpart ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Tuesday called his Pakistani counterpart and discussed the dispute between Tehran and Washington over his country's nuclear program and other bilateral issues, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said. A ministry statement said Mottaki discussed with Khursheed Kasuri ``matters of bilateral and mutual interest, including the latest developments with regard to the Iranian nuclear issue.'' It said Kasuri ``reiterated Pakistan's position that a peaceful solution should be found to the Iranian nuclear issue,'' and that Pakistan also supported the Iran-European Union dialogue on this issue. The two ministers ``also discussed the efforts of China and Russia in this regard,'' and Kasuri said Pakistan opposed the use of force and favoured a diplomatic resolution to this crisis, the statement said. ``Pakistan will also do its best diplomatically and ... has already engaged with Iran, the U.S.A., China and EU in this regard,'' the statement quoted Kasuri as telling Mottaki, who extended an invitation to him to visit Tehran, which Kasuri accepted. (Posted @ 15:10 PST)
Bush suggests US troops will still be in Iraq in 2009 WASHINGTON, March 22, 2006 (AFP) US President George W. Bush on Tuesday suggested that US troops will be in Iraq at least until 2009 and said he would only withdraw them if he thought the situation there were hopeless. Asked whether all US forces would someday leave Iraq, Bush said: "That, of course, is an objective. And that will be decided by future presidents and future governments of Iraq." In a wide-ranging press conference, Bush also hinted at rifts in the diplomatic approach to Iran's nuclear program. "It's important for our citizens to understand that we've got to deal with this issue diplomatically now," he said. "If the Iranians were to have a nuclear weapon, they could blackmail the world." He also stood by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld amid demands for him to resign or be fired. "No, I don't believe he should resign. I think he's done a fine job of not only conducting two battles, Afghanistan and Iraq, but also transforming our military, which has been a very difficult job inside the Pentagon," said Bush.(Posted @ 23:40 PST)
US dog handler found guilty of Abu Ghraib abuse WASHINGTON, March 21, 2006 (AFP) A court martial on Tuesday found a US military dog handler guilty of assaulting and maltreating detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. Sergeant Michael Smith was also found guilty of dereliction of duty and conspiracy to mistreat prisoners and could now face a jail term as well as a dishonourable discharge.(Posted @ 23:15 PST)
Five die of deadly H5N1 bird flu in Azerbaijan: WHO GENEVA, March 21, 2006 (AFP) The dangerous strain of H5N1 bird flu has killed five people in Azerbaijan, the World Health Organisation said Tuesday. A total of seven patients had tested positive for infection with the "highly pathogenic" strain of the H5N1 virus, which is dangerous to birds and humans, the WHO said in a statement. WHO and Azeribaijani experts on the spot were investigating the source of the outbreak.(Posted @ 23:12 PST)
India, Bangladesh agree to fight terrorism, boost trade NEW DELHI, March 21, 2006 (AFP) India and Bangladesh agreed Tuesday to join forces against terrorism and to correct trade imbalances tilted heavily in India's favor. The deals were struck during the ongoing visit of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who held talks with her Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh. "Both sides agreed to join hands against terrorism and address the issue of trade imbalance with flexibility and pragmatism," Indian foreign ministry spokesman said Navtej Sarna after the meeting. The two countries also signed a separate agreement to cooperate on preventing drug-trafficking across their porous borders. Sarna said Zia and Singh also pledged to implement a South Asia Free Trade Agreement between the two nations as early as possible and decided to open a rail link between Sialdah in India and Deopara in Bangladesh. He said the two leaders also discussed disputes over sharing water from common rivers.(Posted @ 23:00 PST)
India, Pakistan talk crime and trafficking NEW DELHI, Mar 21 (APP): Two-day technical level parleys between India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) were held in New Delhi Tuesday with deliberations on cross border crimes and other issues including human trafficking and counterfeiting of currency. The talks were led by Director General FIA, Tariq Pervez, on the Pakistani side while Indian side was headed by Director CBI, Vijay Shanker. The leaders of the two delegations will address a joint press conference tomorrow and unfold salient aspects of their two-day interaction, held after a gap of 17 years.(First Posted @ 15:07 PST Updated @ 22:55 PST)
Pakistan appreciates generous and prompt US assistance: PM Aziz ISLAMABAD, Mar 21 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in a meeting with General Peter Pace, the US Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the PM House appreciated the generous assistance provided by the United States in the aftermath of the October 8 earthquake. The ongoing cooperation between the two countries in the military and security fields was also reviewed in detail during the meeting. US Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker and other senior military and civilian officials from both countries also attended the meeting.(Posted @ 20:45 PST)
Pakistani journalists rally to demand information on missing colleague ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) Dozens of journalists rallied Tuesday in Islamabad, demanding the government to reveal the fate of a colleague, Hayatullah Khan, a journalist for an Urdu-language daily, who has been missing since Dec. 5 after reporting that a U.S.-made missile killed an Egyptian al-Qaida figure, Hamza Rabia, in the North Waziristan tribal region. About 40 journalists staged a sit-in in front of the United Nations headquarters and chanted slogans. They handed over a letter to U.N. officials seeking the world body's help to recover Khan.(Posted @ 20:44 PST)
Cricket-Tendulkar out of England one-day series MUMBAI, March 21, 2006 (AFP) Sachin Tendulkar has been ruled out of the upcoming one-day series against England due to a shoulder injury, a top official said here on Tuesday. "Tendulkar will undergo a shoulder operation in London shortly. Depending on the outcome of the surgery, he will be unavailable for a period of at least eight weeks," an Indian cricket board official said. Tendulkar, however, is expected to bat in the second innings on the last day of the ongoing third and final Test against the tourists here on Wednesday.(Posted @ 20:40 PST)
Neo-Nazis threaten to massacre Muslims at World Cup ROME, March 21, 2006 (AFP) In a statement published by Italian daily Repubblica, an Italian member of a new European neo-Nazi movement AS Roma warned Tuesday that neo-Nazis across Europe met in Braunau in Austria to plan attacks against supporters from Islamic countries during the World Cup in Germany from June 9 to July 9. "We are united. For the first time we are talking and planning together, with the English, the Germans, the Dutch, the Spanish, everyone with the same objective. At the World Cup there will be a massacre," said the Italian extremist.(First Posted @ 19:20 PST Updated @ 20:15 PST)
Saddam's FM gave CIA information on WMD: report WASHNGTON, March 21, 2006 (AFP) Months before the Iraq war, Iraq's foreign minister Naji Sabri gave the CIA more accurate information about Saddam Hussein's alleged unconventional weapons program than the US agency had, for which he was paid more than 100,000 dollars, NBC News said late Monday. Sabri was the highest-ranking Iraqi informant on the CIA's payroll. According to the sources, Sabri said Saddam had no significant biological weapons program, wanted a nuclear bomb but needed much more time to build one than the several months the CIA had estimated, and had poison gas left over from the Gulf War. On the biological and nuclear weapons program, Sabri was more accurate than CIA, but on chemical weapons he was as wrong as the US agency, since none were found after the US invasion, NBC News said. Sabri broke off his contacts weeks after he repeatedly resisted CIA pressures to defect to the United States and publicly renounce Saddam, the sources said. After the US invasion three years ago, Sabri now resides in an undisclosed location in the Middle East and has turned down repeated requests for comments on the report, NBC News said.(Posted @ 18:45 PST)
Indian MiG crashes, pilot killed JODHPUR, India, March 21, 2006 (AFP) An Indian air force MiG fighter jet crashed Tuesday in the northern desert state of Rajasthan, killing its pilot. Tuesday's crash comes three days after two of India's most experienced military pilots died when their plane crashed during aerobatics over the southern city of Bangalore.(Posted @ 18:40 PST)
Three victories, one defeat for Pakistan in CW Games Table tennis MELBOURNE, March 21 (APP): Pakistan won three matches in the Commonwealth Games men's and women's singles table tennis event while lost one game here on Tuesday. Farjad beat Kiribati's Toaaki Taoroba 4-0 with a score line of 11-5,11-5,11-5,11-5; Kashif scored a 4-0 win against Tuvalu's Teokila Maleko 11-1,11-6,11-2,11-5. New Zwaland's Peter Kackson beat Muhammad Qureshi 4-2, 7-11,11-4, 8-11,11-8,11-7,11-4. Ghalia prevailed over Priscila 4-3, 2-11,11-7,2-11,11-8,11-8, 5-11,11-9.(Posted @ 17:40 PST)
Russia and China promise energy cooperation BEIJING, March 21 (Reuters) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed on Tuesday to deepen energy cooperation, as Russian gas giant Gazprom said it would look to meet some of China's frustrated energy needs. Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday accompanied by Russia's top energy chiefs, including the chief executive of Gazprom, Alexei Miller. China's Xinhua news agency said the two sides signed three deals on oil and natural gas cooperation. Miller told reporters two pipelines from Russia would eventually supply China with 60-80 billion cubic metres of gas a year. He said Gazprom had signed a memorandum on gas supplies with CNPC, the Chinese oil and gas conglomerate. "We support investment in both countries to develop oil and gas resources and the energy potential of Russia and China," the two sides said in a joint statement issued after they met. (First Posted @ 11:05 PST Updated @ 17:00 PST)
Palestinians declare emergency over bird flu RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 21 (Reuters) The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in hope of preventing the spread of the fatal H5N1 bird flu virus, which struck Israel last week. Outgoing Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie told reporters ahead of a cabinet meeting that the cash-strapped Authority would use all its resources to prevent the virus from spreading to the Palestinian territories.(Posted @ 16:50 PST)
Markets shut in New Delhi as shop owners strike over demolitions NEW DELHI, March 21, 2006 (AFP) Thousands of shops closed in the Indian capital Tuesday to protest a court order to demolish businesses that have been deemed illegally built in residential areas. Many markets were closed Tuesday as shop owners joined a march to protest against the Supreme Court order, under which authorities will seal and demolish business premises in residential areas located on 189 main roads. A total of 18,271 structures are due for demolition in Delhi, according to another court order. (Posted @ 15:18 PST)
Gunmen storm Iraqi police station and free prisoners, at least 28 killed BAGHDAD, March 21 (AP) _ Dozens of insurgents stormed a jail in Muqdadiyah judicial compound in the north of Baghdad about dawn Tuesday and freed all 33 prisoners. At least 17 police, a court guard, and 10 attackers died, authorities said. The assailants lobbed a mortar round at the police station in Muqdadiyah before storming it on foot, firing automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, said police Brig. Ali al-Jabouri. The freed prisoners, mainly suspected insurgents, were being held in a lockup in the judicial compound that also included the police headquarters and a court, al-Jabouri said. Fifteen attackers were injured, he said. After burning the police station, the insurgents detonated a string of roadside bombs as they fled, taking the bodies of many of their dead comrades with them, police said. At least 13 police officers and civilians were injured in the attack. (Posted @ 13:23 PST)
Moderate earthquake jolts southwest Pakistan QUETTA, Pakistan, March 21, 2006 (AFP) A moderate earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale jolted south-western Pakistan Tuesday but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, officials said. Tremors were felt at 11:52 am in the town of Sibbi and the epicentre was about 600 kilometres southwest of Islamabad in Balochistan province, a seismological department official said. The temblor came just over 12 hours after a moderate aftershock measuring 5.5 struck at 1740 GMT on Monday in parts of north-western Pakistan and Occupied Kashmir. (Posted @ 15:04 PST)
Nepal fighting kills 23 communist rebels, 10 police KATMANDU, Nepal, March 21 (AP) _ The latest violence in Nepal killed at least 23 Maoist rebels and 10 police Tuesday, officials said. Government soldiers retrieved the bodies of at least 20 rebels after an operation near Dharechown village, about 80 kilometers northwest of Katmandu, according to the Royal Nepalese Army headquarters. Hours earlier, rebel gun and bomb attacks on police posts in two southeastern towns left at least 10 policemen and three rebels dead, and 22 other people wounded. In the first incident, rebels came in buses and trucks and killed nine policemen at a police station in Birtamod, about 500 kilometers southeast of Katmandu. The rebels also bombed several government offices but there were no casualties in the office buildings, which were not yet open for the day. Most of the nine policemen were killed by gunfire in the initial attack. An ensuing battle killed at least three rebels, local police chief Keshari Ghimire said. In a separate, almost simultaneous attack, one policeman was killed when rebels attacked another police post in Dharan, just north of Birtamod. The rebels arrived on motorcycles and began firing at the policemen, government official Mohan Pokhrel said. (Posted @ 13:15 PST)
Blasphemous cartoons: Swedish foreign minister resigns STOCKHOLM, Sweden, March 21 (AP) _ Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds resigned Tuesday after she was accused of lying to the media about the shutting down of a far-right Web site that solicited blasphemous cartoons The site was closed Feb. 9 after a Foreign Ministry official contacted the Web hosting company, which critics including media and the opposition politicians said was an intrusion on the freedom of speech. Freivalds had told Swedish media she did not order the ministry official to contact the company, but a later report from the ministry said she was involved in the decision. (Posted @ 13:08 PST)
Israel to reopen Gaza crossing after crisis warning KARNI CROSSING, Gaza Strip, March 21 (AFP) - Israeli authorities on Tuesday agreed to reopen the only trade crossing into the Gaza Strip, amid continued UN warnings of a looming humanitarian crisis over food shortages."We will reopen Karni on a temporary basis to dozens of trucks carrying foodstuffs, particularly flour, but we will close it immediately in case of threat of a terrorist attack," an official in the prime minister's office said. On Monday the crossing, which has been closed for most of the year, was partially and briefly reopened for less than an hour to goods leaving Israel destined for the Gaza Strip. (Posted @ 12:55 PST)
Militants blow up gas pipeline in SW Pakistan QUETTA, Pakistan, March 21 (Reuters) - Suspected militants blew up a gas pipeline near the Sui gas fields in Balochistan on Tuesday, officials said adding supplies to consumers remained unaffected. "One of our 30-inch diameter pipeline was damaged in the attack, which took place at around 1:30 a.m. and some 11 km from the Sui fields," said spokesman Naeem Ahmad Khan. He said repair work on the damaged pipeline was likely to be completed within 24 hours. On Monday, a four-inch diameter pipeline was blown up in the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Balochstan, disrupting gas supplies to some areas. Officials said supplies from this system were expected to normalise by midday Tuesday. (Posted @ 12:34 PST)
Bilateral Investment Treaty being negotiated, Bush hopes trade to get boosted WASHINGTON, Mar 21 (APP)- President George Bush has said the United States was "trying to negotiate" an investment treaty with Pakistan, "with the hopes of being able to eventually develop more trade with Pakistan. In the question-and-answer session following his address to the Cleveland Club, Ohio, he said it was "very important" for the United States "to stay engaged with Pakistan and encourage them." (Posted @ 11:18 PST)
Afghan minister urges Pakistan to help with Taliban WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - Afghanistan's foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah said Pakistan's actions against foreign al Qaeda members were a "big contribution in the whole struggle," but he said the fight must be taken to Taliban extremists hiding in mountainous Afghan-Pakistan border areas. In remarks at the Heritage Foundation the minister said militants who enjoy sanctuary in Pakistan border areas such as Waziristan "are involved not only in local disturbances there but also sending groups of Taliban to Afghanistan." (Posted @ 10:16 PST)
Bush defends outreach to India, Pakistan CLEVELAND, Ohio, March 21 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush on Monday defended the US nuclear deal with India and efforts to bolster relations with Pakistan, saying close ties with Washington help both atomic arch-rivals. "It's a positive development for India for America to be a friend of Pakistan. And it's a positive development for Pakistan for America to be a friend of India," he said after a speech here on the Iraq war. Bush said Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was "a friend of the United States" who is committed to hunting down members of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network who may be hiding on Pakistani territory. He also said that Musharraf had also assured him privately about "the need for a democracy to advance in Pakistan." On India, Bush said there were ample safeguards on the nuclear deal he reached with New Delhi, which he said would agree to broader oversight of its atomic programs as part of the yet-to-be-ratified agreement. (Posted @ 09:42 PST)
Seven soldiers killed, 11 wounded in Chechnya VLADIKAVKAZ, Russia, March 21(AFP) - Seven Russian soldiers were killed and 11 more wounded over 24 hours in Chechnya, a source in Grozny said late Monday. Two soldiers were killed and five others wounded in a series of attacks on the federal troops, which came under fire 10 times. In addition, an armoured troops transport blew up on a mine near Argun, east of Grozny, killing three soldiers and injuring four. Clashes between federal troops and Chechen freedom fighters near Shatoi in the south also killed one soldier and injured another. Early Monday, a sapper was killed and another wounded while disarming an explosive device near Shali south of Grozny. (Posted @ 09:38 PST)
Iraq is 'bleeding' says US ambassador WASHINGTON, March 21 (AFP) - The US ambassador to Iraq said Monday that Iraq is "bleeding" three years after the US invasion and militant groups are battling to exploit the country's power vacuum. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said there was not a civil war but that Iraq was in a "difficult situation". "The country is bleeding. Iraqis want their leaders to rise to the occasion, to form a government of national unity," he said in an interview with ABC television's "World News Tonight". (Posted @ 09:33 PST)
Six major powers end meeting on Iran without agreement NEW YORK, March 21 (AFP) - Top officials from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States failed Monday to reach agreement on how to respond to Iran's nuclear program after more than four hours of talks, diplomats said. (Posted @ 09:33 PST)
51 arrested in US anti-war protest at Pentagon building WASHINGTON, March 21 (AFP) - Fifty-one protesters were arrested at the Pentagon on Monday, the third anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, for refusing to stay behind a barrier, a Defence Department official said. A hundred protesters entered the Pentagon parking lot and were told where they could stand. "Of the 100, 51 crossed the fence line and were arrested." Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq who previously camped outside President George W. Bush's Texas vacation ranch, was among the protesters but was not arrested. In San Francisco, police arrested 17 of the pack of anti-war protesters who blocked a major downtown street during a demonstration, according to officials. "There were a lot more people, but they stayed on the sidewalk." (Posted @ 09:32 PST)
Earthquake hits northeast Algeria, at least four dead ALGIERS, March 21 (AFP) - An earthquake hit the northeast Algerian town of Laalam east of Algiers late Monday killing at least four people and injuring 53, local authorities said. Algerian national radio said the quake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale shook the Kherrata region at 1944 GMT. Its epicentre was situated near the town of Kherrata, 260 kilometres east of the capital. (Posted @ 09:13 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 97.82 points: KARACHI, March 21: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 11130.13, up 97.82 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:45 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, March 21: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.35 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:45 PST)
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