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| April 5, 2006 | Wednesday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
16 militants, four Pakistani soldiers killed in Afghan border clash MIRANSHAH, Pakistan, April 5, 2006 (AFP) Pakistani troops backed by helicopter gunships Wednesday killed at least 16 militants in the North Waziristan tribal district near the Afghan border after an overnight rocket attack left four soldiers dead, the military said. "In retaliatory operations after last night's rocket attack on the checkpost, the security forces have killed 16 militants and 19 miscreants have been captured," military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said. Sultan said the forces went into action early Wednesday after "miscreants" fired several rockets at the security post in Shawal, leaving four soldiers dead and six wounded. Sultan said the military's Cobra helicopters also targeted militants who were trying to escape a compound in four or five vehicles. He said security forces have completed the operation.(First Posted@ 13:09 PST Updated@ 17:30 PST)
U.S. diplomat in Pakistan focuses on 2007 elections ISLAMABAD, April 5 (Reuters) During a visit to Pakistan on Wednesday Richard Boucher, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, stressed Washington's interest in seeing fair elections next year and an eventual return to civilian rule. Boucher said President Pervez Musharraf's retention of his role as army chief was an important issue for both the Pakistani people and the United States. "We firmly believe in civilian rule, in civilian control of the military, but how this particular issue is going to be addressed... I think we'll just have to see," Boucher told a news conference following a meeting with Musharraf. Boucher singled out for special mention a meeting with Qazi Muhammad Farooq, Pakistan's new chairman of the Election Commission. "I was heartened to hear that he was going to make the elections free and fair... and, of course we'll support him, as he tries to do that, in any way we can," Boucher told reporters at the U.S. embassy in Islamabad. The U.S. official also said he met the leader of the senate, speaker of the lower house in Pakistan's National Assembly, and leaders of political parties with an eye to supporting the elections next year. On civilian nuclear technology cooperation, he reiterated U.S.’s desire to help Pakistan meet its energy needs through non-nuclear sources, such as coal and gas. He also said that investigations into Abdul Qadeer Khan and the global underground nuclear proliferation network have not been abandoned. "It is an ongoing thing. We expect it to continue," Boucher said. (First Posted @ 20:30 PST Updated@ 22:15 PST)
Suspected militants attack Pakistani army post, kill two soldiers MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan, April 5 (AP) _ Suspected pro-Taliban militants fired rockets at a military post late Tuesday in a volatile Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border, killing at least two soldiers, an army spokesman said Wednesday. Troops also returned fire in Mana, a village about 50 kilometers west of Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said. ``So far, the information we have received suggests that we lost two or three soldiers,'' he said. The militants also fired seven rockets at a military post at Tata Khel, a village on the edge of Miran Shah, and injured two soldiers, another security official said on condition of anonymity. Troops backed by helicopter gunships had launched a hunt to track down militants responsible for the twin attacks, he added. (Posted @ 10:19 PST)
Pakistani air force jet crashes, killing pilot, spokesman says ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) _ An air force fighter aircraft crashed on a training flight near Attock on Wednesday, killing the pilot but causing no damage or casualties on the ground, a spokesman said. The Chinese-made F-7 went down due to technical problems, air force spokesman Commodore Sarfraz Ahmad said. (Posted @ 13:28 PST)
Iran test-fires third new missile in a week TEHRAN, April 5, 2006 (AFP) Iran has successfully test-fired its third new missile in week during war games in the Gulf, Iran's Arabic language satellite television Al-Alam reported Wednesday. "Today we have successfully tested a new air-to-sea-and-ground missile capable of being fired from planes and helicopters, which can evade anti-missile missiles," a war games spokesman said."The missile, which is labeled Nour (light in Arabic), has a tremendous destructive ability and has an antenna in its warhead which gets activated near the target," he added.(Posted @ 22:20 PST)
Six killed as violence plagues Turkey DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, April 5, 2006 (AFP) Separatist Kurdish rebels killed five soldiers and a policeman in Turkey's southeast, officials said Wednesday. A bomb blast rocked an office of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Istanbul, wounding three people, without any immediate indication of who was behind the attack. Two of the slain soldiers died while on patrol in the mountains of Sirnak province near Iraq when they stepped on a landmine planted by militants, an official said. Three others were shot dead in an ambush as security forces launched a search operation in the area to hunt down those responsible for the mine attack.(Posted @ 22:05 PST)
Aziz calls for comprehensive UN reform package UNITED NATIONS, Apr 5 (APP) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Wednesday called for preparing a comprehensive reform package with a phased implementation plan while presiding over the opening session of a high-level panel on United Nations reforms. "The objective of our efforts ... should be to ensure the greatest possible delivery of both operational and policy assistance to developing countries," he told the 15 global leaders assembled there to make recommendations in the area of development, environment and humanitarian assistance. Aziz said, "we must see how we can help developing countries to evolve coherent national strategies, which can enable them to fulfil the Millenium Development Goals and internationally agreed goals”, adding " We should utilize a 'bottom up' approach focusing on improving the system at the country level rather than a 'top down' approach responding to the preoccupation of donors”. He also stressed that "apart from the structures for development and cooperation, special requirements in the areas of humanitarian assistance and the environment also require review and rationalization".(Posted @ 21:55 PST)
US diplomat Boucher calls on President Musharraf ISLAMABAD, Apr 5 (APP): US Assistant Secretary of State for South And Central Asian Affairs, Richard A. Boucher, called on President General Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday and reiterated United States’ commitment to seek lasting strategic ties with Pakistan. During the meeting held at the Army House, Rawalpindi, matters relating to Pakistan-U.S. relations and regional issues of common interest were discussed. Assistant Secretary Boucher stated that the US would enhance its support with a view to strengthening Pakistan's socio-economic development. The President pointed out that Pakistan's expanding energy requirements need to be met through a variety of sources including nuclear power generation. Musharraf also underscored the importance of expeditious realization of the proposal for setting up Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) for the development of Tribal Areas and the earthquake affected zone. He underlined the importance of moving towards conflict resolution in South Asia and appreciated President Bush's support for a Kashmir solution acceptable to all sides. He also stressed that securing the Afghan border was a joint responsibility. (First Posted@17:40 PST Updated@ 21:45 PST)
EU says Hamas should be given chance to change STRASBOURG, France, April 5 (Reuters) The European Union held out an olive branch to the Hamas-led Palestinian government on Wednesday, saying Europe did not want it to fail and it should be given a chance to change its attitude to Israel. "Everybody has to be given the possibility to change," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told the European Parliament. "Hamas can't change its past, but it can and should change its future," he said. He also urged Israel to refrain from action that might jeopardise a Middle East solution.(Posted @ 21:40 PST)
French unions set deadline for jobs law repeal PARIS, April 5 (Reuters) French trade unions on Wednesday set President Jacques Chirac an April 15 deadline to repeal a disputed youth jobs law. Students blockaded roads in several cities in a second day of scattered protests after Tuesday's marches drew at least one million onto the streets. Force Ouvriere union chief Rene Valladon said France's 12 main unions wanted the three-day-old law repealed by April 15. Students are due to hold protests next Tuesday.(Posted @ 21:30 PST)
Canadian's Guantanamo tribunal halted GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba, April 5 (Reuters) A Canadian teen charged by a U.S. military tribunal with killing a U.S. Army medic in Afghanistan refused on Wednesday to participate in the proceedings, citing unfair treatment that his lawyer said included solitary confinement. "I am boycotting these procedures until I am being treated humanely and fairly," Toronto-born Omar Khadr told the presiding officer during his pre-trial hearing at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo bay Cuba. Khadr is being tried as an adult and faces life in prison if convicted on the charges, which include murder and conspiracy to commit war crimes.(Posted @ 21:30 PST)
Kuwaiti women lose out in their first election KUWAIT, April 5 (Reuters) A former police officer won Tuesday's local by-election in Kuwait, dashing the hopes of women candidates who voted and ran for office for the first time in the Gulf Arab state. One of the two female candidates, Khaledah al-Khadher, blamed low turnout among women for the result. State news agency KUNA put turnout at 38 percent and newspapers said random polls showed many women had backed male candidates.(Posted @ 21:25 PST)
Israel's Sharon stable after surgery - hospital JERUSALEM, April 5 (Reuters) Israel's Ariel Sharon, in a coma since a Jan. 4 stroke, underwent a successful operation to repair surgical damage to his skull on Wednesday, the hospital where he is being treated said. Jerusalem's Hadassah hospital said in a statement that the incapacitate prime minister was recovering in intensive care.(Posted @ 21:25 PST)
Dutch probe shows Milosevic died natural death AMSTERDAM, April 5 (Reuters) A final investigation into the death of Slobodan Milosevic showed that the former Yugoslav president died of a heart attack with no sign of foul play involved, Dutch prosecutors said on Wednesday. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) said in a statement it welcomed the prosecutor's final findings.(Posted @ 21:20 PST)
Six months after quake, Pakistan faces big challenges LONDON, April 5 (Reuters) Six months after the devastating earthquake in Pakistan, the worst is over but the real hard work is just beginning, Dan Toole, head of the UN's children's fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday. "We may be six months on from the earthquake and through a mercifully mild winter, but there is still the monsoon to come and the next winter is only seven months away," Toole told Reuters on a visit to London after visiting the stricken area. "Pakistan needs to reconstruct over 500,000 houses in a country that probably did a tenth of that in an average year and these are in some of the most remote areas that we could possibly go to," he added. "The relief operation worked really well," Toole said. "There were very few cases of preventable death, no epidemics, no mass cases of dysentery. We vaccinated against measles. We had blankets, coats, sweaters distributed." However he warned "it is not as though everything is fine now and we can go back to normal,” adding that we need to "push as much as supplies, equipment, cement, food, construction advice, engineers into those hills. It is a Herculean task. It is really going to be tough," he said.(Posted @ 20:15 PST)
France to deploy aircraft carrier off Pakistan to support military in Afghanistan KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) France will deploy a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier off Pakistan next month so its war planes can support military operations in Afghanistan, a French general said Wednesday. About 20 reconnaissance and combat aircraft will operate from the Charles de Gaulle carrier and will fly back and forth through Pakistani airspace into Afghanistan, said Gen. Henri Bentegeat, the French Chief of Defense Staff. The ship will be stationed in international waters near Pakistan from May 5-25, he said. He said Paris decided to deploy the extra force at this time because of an expected increase in attacks by insurgents as warmer spring weather melts snow on high mountain passes the militants use.(Posted @ 20:10 PST)
Selling India-US nuclear deal to US Congress tough task: Burns NEW DELHI, April 5, 2006 (AFP) Persuading the US Congress to support a nuclear deal with India is proving difficult, a senior US State Department official said. "Sometimes bold ideas take a little while to be understood or to be accepted," US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told a private Indian television news channel NDTV in an interview aired Wednesday. Burns said he disagreed with critics inside the US administration who said the deal would help fuel a nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan. "We don't think so. There is no reason why India should seek to use this opportunity to double or triple its strategic (military) programme," he added.(Posted @ 19:20 PST)
Hamas PM says Palestinian treasury empty GAZA, April 5 (Reuters) Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh told the first full cabinet meeting of his Hamas-led government on Wednesday that the Palestinian administration was broke. "The Ministry of Finance has inherited an entirely empty treasury in addition to the debts of the ministry and the government in general," said Haniyeh. Haniyeh said the government would do its best to pay salaries to the Palestinian Authority's 140,000 employees despite a cash crunch caused in large part by cuts in Israeli tax revenue transfers following Hamas's election victory in January. Haniyeh also condemned recent Israeli air strikes and shelling in the Gaza Strip, and called on the international community to intervene.(Posted @ 16:45 PST)
Pakistan ready to play pivotal role in global peace and security: Aziz New York, April 05 PPI: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in his keynote address at the World Leaders Forum held in New York’s Columbia University said Pakistan has been repositioned, both internally and externally, to play a pivotal role in the promotion of international peace and security. He emphasized that terrorism should not be linked to Islam and said Pakistan was ready to cooperate with all like-minded nations that seek to promote global peace. He also said Pakistan qualifies for a similar arrangement on civilian nuclear cooperation with United States like India. He stressed that a long term Pakistan-US relationship has been laid out where US has committed to build ``a strategic, strong, expanded and sustainable relationship'' with Pakistan. (Posted @ 16:20 PST)
Saudi crown prince arrives in Japan to discuss deeper ties, oil TOKYO (AP) Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday for talks that are expected to focus on a continued stable supply of oil for Japan. The crown prince, who last visited Japan in 1960, is to meet with Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry said. The two sides will also sign an agreement to bolster ties in the fields of culture and other areas, the ministry said in a statement. (Posted @ 15:41 PST)
Prime Minister Aziz meets UN Secretary General Annan New York, April 05 PPI: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan at a meeting here discussed the UN reform process with special reference to the current meetings of a high level panel on UN reforms. Annan lauded Pakistan's contributions towards the UN reform process and other activities of the world body. Later former United States Secretary of State Dr Henry Kissinger called on the Prime Minister and exchanged views on Pakistan-US relations, situation in Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran's nuclear issue. Aziz informed him about Pakistan’s initiatives to improve relations with India and to resolve the Kashmir issue. Talking to newsmen after the meeting with Aziz, Kissinger described his discussions as open and friendly. (Posted @ 15:31 PST)
One killed, four injured in separate attacks in Occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, Occupied Kashmir (AP) An alleged former militant was shot dead at a bus station in Occupied Kashmir on Wednesday. Separately, two paramilitary troopers and two villagers were wounded in a grenade attack targeting a security patrol in Koimoh village, 60 kilometres south of Srinagar, police said. (Posted @ 15:22 PST)
Saddam returns to court, slams Interior Ministry BAGHDAD, April 5 (Reuters) Saddam Hussein returned to court on Wednesday and immediately accused the Interior Ministry of killing and torturing thousands of Iraqis. Saddam refused to sign documents, saying that only an international court would be fair. Saddam was the only defendant in the chamber, questioning the court's legitimacy and urging Iraqis to rise up against U.S. occupation troops.(First Posted@13:00 PST Updated@ 14:37 PST)
Cricket-Pakistan ease past Sri Lanka to clinch series COLOMBO, April 5 (Reuters) Younis Khan and Imran Farhat each scored half-centuries to lead Pakistan to a series-clinching eight-wicket victory on the third day of the second test against Sri Lanka in Kandy on Wednesday. Vice-captain Khan scored a commanding unbeaten 73 from just 98 balls, crashing 12 boundaries, while opener Farhat hit 11 fours in his similarly positive 65. Pakistan all rounder Abdul Razzaq finished with 4-20 from 6.5 overs. Mohammad Asif finished with match figures of 11-71 and was named man of the match and also man of the series. (Posted @ 14:28 PST)
Kidnap victims freed in northern Iraq, professor found dead in Basra BAGHDAD, April 5 (AP) _ U.S. and Iraqi troops freed three Iraqi kidnap victims Wednesday, and a Sunni professor was found dead hours after he was abducted in Basra, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. Iraqi soldiers and police and members of the U.S. 172nd Stryker Brigade raided a house in Mosul, and found three Iraqis chained to the wall of the basement. There were no casualties, and the U.S. statement made no mention of arrests. Elsewhere, the body of a lecturer in Basra Technical Institution, Salah Aziz, was found by police early Wednesday, a day after he was abducted, police Capt. Mushtaq Khazim said. Also Wednesday, U.S. and Iraqi troops raided several buildings in Youssifiyah, killing one insurgent and capturing nine others, the U.S. command said. The raid occurred three days after a U.S. Apache attack helicopter was shot down near Youssifiyah, killing the two crew members. In Baghdad, police said they found the bodies of two men dumped in separate areas late Tuesday. Police also found a body _ handcuffed, blindfolded and shot _ early Wednesday in Iskandiriyah, while a motorist was killed as he drove past a military convoy. (Posted @ 13:44 PST)
East African heads of state meet in Tanzania to discuss greater integration ARUSHA, Tanzania, April 5 (AP) _ The presidents of four East African Countries -- Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Burundi--met in northern Tanzania on Wednesday for a one-day summit to discuss how to boost regional integration, ease trade rules and reach common economic policies. Burundi is attending the meeting as an observer. Burundi and Rwanda have both applied to join the bloc, which was revived in 1999. (Posted @ 13:33 PST)
Explosion at bomb squad headquarters in Indonesia injures officers JAKARTA, April 5 (AP) _ An explosion Wednesday inside the headquarters of the paramilitary police command in Medan on Sumatra island killed two officers and injured several others, media reports said. A witness told el-Shinta radio station that he saw several officers from the command's bomb squad with serious blast injuries being taken to hospital. Metro TV reported that two officers were killed, and at least eight others were injured. The report said that the blast occurred when officers were practicing defusing bombs, but gave no details or attribution. Police in Medan and the capital, Jakarta refused to comment on the explosion. (Posted @ 13:25 PST)
Indian police arrest six men suspected in bombings in holy city LUCKNOW, India, April 5 (AP) _ Indian police Wednesday arrested six men suspected in bombings last month at a temple and train station in Varanasi that killed 20 people, an official said. The men were caught with explosives, grenades and an assault rifle, said S.K. Agarwal, a top UP home ministry official. ``It seems this group was planning another strike,'' he said adding that the six suspects arrested late Tuesday were members of Harket-ul Jehadi Islam, an offshoot of Jaish-e-Mohamad, which is fighting for independence in occupied Kashmir. (Posted @ 13:22 PST)
District intelligence chief shot dead in southern Afghanistan KANDAHAR, April 5 (AP) _ Four suspected Taliban rebels riding motorbikes shot dead a district intelligence chief in Ghazni province's Muqur district as he was driving from his home to his office Wednesday, Gen. Abdul Rahman Sarjang, the provincial police chief said. A police patrol nearby returned fire and arrested one of the four attackers. Security forces then pursued the three others into nearby mountains and are believed to have surrounded them in a remote area, Sarjang said. Hakim is the second district intelligence director to be killed in two days. On Tuesday, a district chief was killed in Nimroz province, but that attack was believed motivated by a personal dispute and was not linked to the insurgency. (Posted @ 13:14 PST)
Philippines wants fishermen back from Pakistan MANILA, April 5 (AFP) - Manila has asked Islamabad to release and immediately repatriate 22 Filipino fishermen whose vessel strayed into Pakistani waters last week, the Philippines foreign department said Wednesday. The Filipinos were among the crew members of the Chinese vessel Chen Shi Sung intercepted by Pakistani authorities on March 28, it said. Filipino diplomats have been dispatched to Karachi to convey the government's demand, it said. (Posted @ 13:03 PST)
Thai PM hands over to interim successor BANGKOK, April 5 (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will take "a rest" and hand over to an interim successor, a government spokesman said on Wednesday. Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya, responsible for security in the Muslim south where an insurgency has dragged on since 2004, would take over from Thaksin, who could take back the job if necessary, the spokesman told reporters. "The prime minister is taking a rest from his job until there is a royal appointment of a new prime minister. Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai will be acting for him," the spokesman said. (Posted @ 12:12 PST)
Rebels kill six security men in Nepal KATHMANDU, April 5, 2006 (AFP) - Five soldiers and a police officer were killed Wednesday in a clash with rebel Maoists in Jhapa district in eastern Nepal, police said. The security men were going to collect question papers for a national high school examination when they were ambushed. "All of the fatalities occurred on the spot, and three people were injured." (Posted @ 11:57 PST)
Three kidnapped Canadian boys found dead in Venezuela CARACAS, Venezuela, April 5 (AP) _ Venezuelan authorities on Tuesday found the bullet-ridden bodies of three Canadian teenage brothers kidnapped more than a month ago. The bodies of John Faddoul, 17; Kevin Faddoul, 13; and Jason Faddoul, 12, and their driver were found in Yare, some 50 kilometers west of Caracas, Justice Minister Jesse Chacon said. Officials say the kidnappers had demanded more than US$4.5 million in ransom. John Faddoul, the children's father, is a Canadian businessman who has been living in the country for more than 20 years. (Posted @ 10:31 PST)
No rights abuses occurring in Papua province: Indonesian president MERAUKE, Indonesia, April 5 (AP) _ Indonesia's president Wednesday denied allegations that troops in Papua province were committing human rights abuses, and reiterated his desire to see a peaceful solution to the conflict there. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also denied frequent charges that Jakarta was taking an unfair share of the wealth from Papua's rich resources of timber, gold, copper and natural gas. He said that in the past 18 months since his election he ``had seen no cases that could be classed as human rights abuses'' in the province. (Posted @ 10:08 PST)
Saudi FM to visit Iran, plays down war games RIYADH, April 5, (AFP) Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Tuesday that Iran's war games during which it has tested new weapons do not pose a threat to Gulf neighbours and announced he would visit Tehran soon. "This is not the first time that the Iranians stage naval manoeuvres, and I don't think they (the games) constitute a danger to any (of Iran's) neighbours," Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters. (Posted @ 08:30 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 1.41 points: KARACHI, April 5: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 11666.38, up 1.41 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:19 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, April 5: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.18 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:19 PST)
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