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| March 22, 2006 | Wednesday | Safar 21, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
India, Pakistan to cooperate in cracking down on crime NEW DELHI, March 22, 2006 (AFP)India and Pakistan will cooperate with each other to check crime, officials said Wednesday after investigators from the two countries held talks for the first time in 17 years. "We look forward to increasing cooperation ... in law enforcement and in ensuring criminals of (the) two countries do not have any respite from the two agencies," Vijay Shanker, director of India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), told reporters at a news conference in the Indian capital. Shanker led the Indian side at the two-day talks which concluded Wednesday, while a delegation from Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency was led by director general Tariq Parvez. The two countries will set up a joint study group to work out details on future cooperation, a joint statement from the officials said. Shanker said the neighbours will try to expedite cases of Interpol warrants against criminals to be handed over to the other country, but gave no specifics. The Indian and Pakistan agencies will designate an official in each other's country for cooperation on crime-related matters, and top CBI officials will visit Pakistan this year. Officials said the delegates also discussed setting up a police cooperation agency called SAARCPOL for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - all members of SAARC. (Posted @ 16:40 PST)
First woman candidate breaks taboo in Kuwait KUWAIT CITY, March 22, 2006 (AFP) The first woman ever to contest elections in Kuwait has launched her campaign by breaking a 44-year-old taboo in bringing male and female voters together. Hundreds of men and women attended the landmark event late Tuesday to listen to Jenan Bushehri who is vying to win a seat on the municipal council. It was the first time women have attended an election gathering in Kuwait since polls were held for the first time in this oil-rich emirate in 1962, and the first campaign event ever to be addressed by a woman. Bushehri is being challenged by 11 candidates, including another woman, in the April 4 by-election for the only seat up for grabs in the district of Salmiya, some 15 kilometers southeast of Kuwait City.(Posted @ 22:00 PST)
India to free 40 Kashmiri prisoners, an official says JAMMU, Occupied Kashmir, March 22, 2006 (AFP) India would free 40 Kashmiri prisoners in line with Prime Minister Manmohan's Singh's assurances that New Delhi would not detain people charged with minor offences in Occupied Kashmir, a security official said Wednesday. The official said the 40 prisoners would be released from Kashmir prisons on March 31.(Posted @ 22:00 PST)
Afghanistan names new foreign, other ministers KABUL, March 22 (Reuters) Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced a limited cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday that included the appointment of an adviser on foreign affairs, Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, as foreign minister in place of Abdullah Abdullah. Other changes included new ministers of commerce, rural development, transport, women's affairs, education and vocational and higher education, an official in Karzai's office said.(Posted @ 21:25 PST)
Gunmen kill one pilgrim, wound 43 in Iraq BAGHDAD, March 22 (Reuters) Gunmen opened fire on two vehicles carrying pilgrims in Baghdad on Wednesday killing one and wounding scores, police said. A police patrol rushing to the scene of one of the attacks was ambushed by gunmen who killed two policemen and wounded one, police sources said. Police said one pilgrim was killed and 22 wounded when unidentified gunmen opened fire on an open truck in southern Baghdad on Wednesday. A bus travelling on another road in the same area was hit by machinegun fire 2-1/2 hours later. Police said 21 people were wounded in that incident. It was not immediately clear whether the attacks were linked.(Posted @ 21:20 PST)
H5N1 bird flu spreads to Gaza Strip RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 22 (Reuters) The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has spread to the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian agriculture official said on Wednesday.The official offered few other details about the outbreak except that the virus was detected in areas close to the Israeli border.(Posted @ 21:20 PST)
At least nine killed in fresh fighting in Mogadishu MOGADISHU, March 22 (Reuters) At least nine people were killed and 29 wounded when fighting erupted in northern Mogadishu between militias loyal to two powerful businessmen, witnesses and hospital sources said on Wednesday. Witnesses said the fighting was still on going and many people fled while businesses in the area closed down.(Posted @ 21:20 PST)
Pakistan, Bosnia agree to commence air service RAWALPINDI Mar 22 (APP): Pakistan and Bosnia Herzegovina have agreed to start air services operations between the two countries. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed at the Ministry of Defence here on Wednesday. According to the MoU, the designated airlines of Pakistan can commence operations to Sarajevo and at one more point in Bosnia and Herzegovina whereas the designated airlines of Bosnia and Herzegovina can start their operation to Karachi or Lahore or Islamabad.(Posted @ 21:15 PST)
Ex-Taliban militant murdered, soldier injured in Pakistan blast WANA, Pakistan, March 22, 2006 (AFP) A former militant was shot dead and a paramilitary solider was injured Wednesday in a blast in Waziristan tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said. Maulvi Sibghatullah, who quit a group of pro-Taliban militants last year under a peace deal with the government, was shot dead by unidentified attackers near Laddah village, a local administration official said. The attackers fled the scene, taking with them two of Sibghatullah's companions, the official added. Separately, a paramilitary solider was injured in a bomb blast in the Shakai valley of the South Waziristan tribal district.(Posted @ 21:10 PST)
Cricket-Pakistan secure place in ICC Champions Trophy COLOMBO, March 22 (Reuters) Pakistan secured a place in the ICC Champions Trophy after defeating Sri Lanka by four wickets in their third and final one-day international on Wednesday to seal a 2-0 series victory. Their win assured Pakistan a place in the top six of the ICC rankings at the declared cut-off date of April 1. The hosts were unable to defend a modest 225-run target after another below-par performance from their batsmen and lost with 4.4 overs to spare.(Posted @ 21:05 PST)
Bangladesh says trade gap, militant charges hurt India ties NEW DELHI, March 22 (Reuters) Bangladesh urged India on Wednesday to cut its huge trade surplus with Dhaka and stop making "misleading charges" about hosting Indian militants to help improve ties between the two countries. The comments came at the end of Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia's visit to India. Separately on Wednesday, Indian and Bangladeshi troops exchange fired on their border in India's West Bengal state after a dispute over a river embankment being built along the frontier by Bangladesh. No one was wounded in the firing, Indian Border Security Force officials said.(Posted @ 21:00 PST)
Pakistani court sentences two militants to death QUETTA, Pakistan, March 22 (Reuters) A Pakistani court on Wednesday sentenced to death two bomb-makers involved in a sectarian attack that killed 43 people at a holy shrine in southwest Pakistan a year ago, lawyers said. While receiving life terms for their role in the attack on the shrine near Gandhawa town in Balochistan, the two men were sentenced to death after being found guilty of a subsequent attempt to assemble a bomb. The anti-terrorism court in Sibi district also sentenced three other men to life in prison for the shrine attack. The convicted men were all members of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan militant organisation.(Posted @ 20:50 PST)
UK bomb suspects "planned shopping mall blast" LONDON, March 22 (Reuters) Seven Britons, accused of planning bomb attacks on the UK, discussed blowing up one of the country's largest shopping malls and "the biggest nightclub in London," a court heard on Wednesday. Police surveillance officers also overheard some of the suspects praising the Madrid bombings of March 2004, talking about detonators and considering attacks on Britain's gas, electrical or water supplies, the prosecutor said. London's Old Bailey criminal court also heard claims that alleged militants from Pakistan had tried to buy a nuclear bomb from the Russian mafia in a plot that never came to fruition. On Tuesday, the court heard that some of the men had travelled to Pakistan for explosives training. Prosecutors said the suspects were close to carrying out their attacks when arrested and had only to identify the target.The trial continues.(Posted @ 20:45 PST)
Fire at nuclear plant in Japan TOKYO, March 22 (Reuters) Fire broke out at a nuclear power plant in Fukui prefecture in western Japan on Wednesday, but the plant operator said there had been no radioactive leak, Kyodo news agency reported. An official at Fukui prefecture was quoted as saying that the fire had occurred in a waste disposal facility and that two people had been taken to hospital after inhaling smoke. (Posted @ 16:47 PST)
Basque separatists announce ceasefire MADRID, March 22, 2006 (AFP) Spain's Basque armed separatist organisation ETA announced Wednesday a permanent ceasefire. "ETA has decided to declare a permanent ceasefire from March 24, 2006," the organisation said in a statement. ETA has been blamed for some 800 deaths in a four-decade campaign to create an independent state straddling the Pyrenees and parts of southwestern France. (Posted @ 16:37 PST)
EU bans more than 90 airlines from European skies BRUSSELS, March 22 (Reuters) The European Union banned on Wednesday more than 90 airlines from operating in the 25-nation bloc, targeting mostly African carriers as it seeks to boost air security and reassure travellers that European skies are safe. The executive European Commission approved the blacklist of banned carriers, including some 50 airlines from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 13 from Sierra Leone, 11 from Equatorial Guinea, 6 from Swaziland and 3 from Liberia. Thailand's Phuket Airlines was also on the list as were carriers from Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and North Korea. The bans were based on criteria such as old or poorly maintained aircraft, failure to solve problems identified in inspections, and bad oversight by regulatory authorities. The ban applies to both cargo and passenger carriers. (Posted @ 16:35 PST)
Pakistan snatch narrow 6-5 win over Malaysia to reach hockey semis MELBROUNE, Mar 22 (APP): Striker Rehan Butt scored the match winning goal off a penalty corner nine minutes before close as Pakistan thwarted a strong Malaysian challenge to snatch a narrow 6-5 victory, assuring a place in the hockey semi finals of the Commonwealth Games here Wednesday at State Netball & Hockey Stadium. Pakistan's one goal win over Malaysia blocked India from moving to the semi finals, and allowed Malaysia to take a place in the last four. Pakistan after a day's rest on Thursday will meet England in the semi finals, while Malaysia will clash with Australia in the second semi final. (Posted @ 16:29 PST)
Britain's highest court backs school's right to make Muslim girl wear uniform LONDON, March 22, 2006 (AFP) Britain's highest court on Wednesday upheld a school's decision to require a Muslim pupil to change out of her hijaab into the school uniform, reversing a lower court decision. The Court of Appeal in March last year ruled that Shabina Begum was unlawfully excluded from Denbigh High School in Luton, north of London, after she refused to change out of the full-length hijaab into school uniform. The school then appealed to the panel of five judges at the House of Lords, Britain's de facto Supreme Court, which ruled Wednesday that the school was fully justified in acting as it did. (Posted @ 16:04 PST)
Cricket-India, Pakistan to play ODI series in UAE DUBAI, March 22 (Reuters) Pakistan and India will square off in a two-match one-day cricket series in the Middle East next month to raise funds for victims of the earthquake that devastated the region last year. Shaharyar Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and his Indian counterpart Sharad Pawar announced Wednesday the two boards had decided in principle to begin a programme of cricket activities between the two countries on foreign shores. "The Abu Dhabi Friendship Cup will be the start of a long-term plan, the details of which will be discussed by the two boards soon," Khan told reporters on Wednesday. The two ICC-recognised matches will be played in the UAE capital on April 18 and 19. Pakistan last faced India in the Middle East at the Sharjah Cup in March 2000. (Posted @ 15:52 PST)
Australia's Howard announces major cyclone aid package INNISFAIL, AUSTRALIA, March 22 (AFP) - Prime Minister John Howard Wednesday announced an aid package worth hundreds of millions of dollars for cyclone victims in northeastern Australia as troops helped residents clear up debris. Visiting the small town of Innisfail, which bore the brunt of Cyclone Larry on Monday, Howard announced that an initial 40 million dollars (30 million US) would be made available to Queensland state for food, clothing,accommodation and housing repairs. Each farmer and small business affected would also receive a 10,000 dollar (7,500 US) grant and unemployment benefits for six months, while other grants and concessional loans of up to 200,000 dollars would be available. "Obviously this is going to run into some hundreds of millions of dollars," Howard said. "But I can't tell you exactly how much. And look, the nation can afford it." (Posted @ 12:10 PST)
Four killed in rebels mortar attack on Iraqi troops BAGHDAD, March 22, 2006 (AFP) - The commander of an Iraqi public order battalion was killed, along with three soldiers, Wednesday when insurgents mortared their base south of Baghdad, an interior ministry official said. Fourteen shells rained down on the barracks of the Al Salam brigade in Madain, about 20 kilometres south of Baghdad in the early hours of Wednesday. The commander was identified as a Colonel Adnan. Iraqi forces carried out a sweep of the neighbouring area after the attack and detained 50 suspects. (Posted @ 11:34 PST)
Bush rules out amnesty for undocumented workers WASHINGTON, March 22 (AFP) - President George W. Bush told a news conference he was opposed to amnesty or automatic citizenship for the some 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. However, he said he favoured a "guest worker" program that would provide legal status for workers for a limited time period. (Posted @ 11:33 PST)
Six killed as train hits truck in Thailand BANGKOK, March 22, 2006 (AFP) _ At least six people, including one foreigner, died and more than 20 were injured when a train heading from northern Malaysia to Bangkok slammed into a truck Wednesday, police said. The express train from the Malaysian town of Butterworth crashed into a 10-wheel truck in the central Thai province of Ratchaburi province, 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Bangkok, police said. "The truck driver had broken through the train crossing bar and was speeding to beat the train," police Major Chusak Kaythong said from the scene. Three people in the train and three in the truck were killed, he said. A foreign woman was also killed, but Chusak said police were still trying to determine her nationality. Many of the 20 injured were in critical condition, he said. The accident halted traffic for hours on the railway leading south from Bangkok, as work crews moved four train cars that derailed in the accident, he added. (Posted @ 11:13 PST)
Boxing-Commonwealth Games: Pakistan’s Mehrullah in semi-finals Melbourne, March 22 (Infostrada Sports) _ Pakistan’s Mehrullah Lasi qualified for the semi-finals when he outpointed Scotland’s Tom Hastie 25-11 in Commonwealth Games Men's Featherweight Quarterfinal matches on Wednesday. Results of the other bouts in this category were: Darren Edwards (Wales) beat Eddey Kalai (Malaysia) 36-14; Stephen Francis Smith (England) beat Diwakar Prasad (India)(Prasad retired); and Luke Jackson (Australia) beat Sharif Bogere (Uganda) 18-12. (Posted @ 10:12 PST)
Afghan army says 16 Taliban killed in clash SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan, March 22 (Reuters) _ Afghan government forces killed 16 Taliban insurgents after surrounding them in mountains near the border with Pakistan, an Afghan army officer said on Wednesday. The attack near the town of Spin Boldak late on Tuesday came after intelligence reports that the insurgents were preparing attacks, said Afghan commander General Abdul Raziq. The bodies of 16 Taliban were found in the morning, he said. Only one Afghan soldier was wounded, he said. (Posted @ 10:07 PST)
U.S. soldier accused of killing Iraqi girl, wounding two women, avoids charges HONOLULU, March 22 (AP) _ A U.S. Army soldier under investigation for the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old Iraqi girl and the wounding of her mother and sister, has been discharged from the Army without being charged in the case, officials said Tuesday. Army officials determined it was unlikely they would find sufficient evidence to bring Sgt. Jeffrey D. Waruch, to trial. (Posted @ 09:59 PST)
Gen Abizaid agrees to stay for at least one more year WASHINGTON, March 22 (AP) _ Army Gen. John Abizaid, who has overseen the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since shortly after U.S. forces invaded Iraq three years ago, is keeping his command for at least another year. Defence Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld recently asked Abizaid to stay for a year beyond this summer, when he will have completed the normal three-year stint as commander. Abizaid agreed, the officials said. The general travels frequently to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region that the Bush administration considers important allies in Bush's fight against terror. He speaks Arabic and earned a master's degree in Middle East studies at Harvard. He also studied at the University of Jordan in Amman. (Posted @ 09:59 PST)
China's Hu calls for Russian-Chinese cooperation in oil, gas exploration BEIJING, March 22 (AP) _ President Hu Jintao called Wednesday for closer Chinese-Russian cooperation in oil and gas exploration as he and visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a business conference. Hu's comments in a nationally televised speech came a day after Putin pledged to step up Russian energy supplies to China by opening a natural gas pipeline within five years. ``China and Russia should cooperate more closely in exploring for resources, such as oil and gas,'' Hu said. (Posted @ 09:59 PST)
Israelis raid Jericho, Palestinian activist slain JERICHO, West Bank, March 22, 2006 (AFP) - A Palestinian activist was killed and another wounded early Wednesday when the Israeli army raided the West Bank town of Jericho, a Palestinian security source said. Ramadan Mohamed Mtter, 23, a member of Islamic Jihad, died when Israeli soldiers opened fire after trying to talk him into surrendering in a house in the Akbar Jaber refugee camp that they had surrounded for three hours. (Posted @ 09:31 PST)
Iran's Khamenei calls on US to quit Iraq TEHRAN, March 22 (AFP) - Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called on the United States Tuesday to leave Iraq, saying any eventual talks with Washington would not touch on other issues. "Our clear viewpoint about Iraq is that the US government should leave this country and stop provoking the tribes and creating insecurity in Iraq so that the Iraqi people govern their own country," he was quoted on television as saying. "We will not talk with the Americans about any other of the disputed issues between Iran and the US," he said, addressing pilgrims at a shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad. (Posted @ 09:31 PST)
117 human rights workers murdered in 2005: report PARIS, March 22 (AFP) - A total of 117 human rights workers were murdered around the world in 2005, 47 of them in Colombia alone, according to an annual report from the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) released Wednesday. It listed a total of 1,172 cases of abuse, including 92 cases of torture and 56 physical attacks. Among the countries named are Colombia, Brasil, Sudan, Jamaica and Tunisia. In Asia the FIDH listed 120 arrests and arbitrary detentions, mostly in China, Iran and Nepal. The situation deteriorated in the Philippines, where 21 murders or attempted murders were recorded. In Myanmar, North Korea, Laos and Vietnam, "the degree of repression is so high that there are no independent human rights monitors," it said. (Posted @ 09:31 PST)
Afghanistan splits with US on question of terror by Iran WASHINGTON, March 22 (AFP) - Afghanistan's foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah said Tuesday that his country did not share Washington's concerns about Iran as a terrorist threat, saying Kabul has benefitted from Tehran's aid.In answer to a question at a Washington press conference about alleged evidence of Iranian terrorism in Afghanistan, Abdullah said: "We have established good neighbourly relations with almost all our neighboring countries." "Iran has been helping us in the reconstruction process. Iran has been supportive of the political process in Afghanistan," Abdullah said here after two days of talks with senior Washington officials. Abdullah made his remarks after US Assistant Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, at the same press conference, leveled a litany of accusations against Tehran over its role as alleged purveyor of the tools of terrorism to US enemies. (Posted @ 09:15 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 148.68 points: KARACHI, March 22: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 11278.45, up 148.68 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, March 22: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.35 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
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