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| April 7, 2006 | Friday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 8, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Triple suicide bombing kills 69 in Baghdad mosque attack BAGHDAD, April 7, 2006 (AFP) Three suicide bombers, two of them disguised as women, killed Friday at least 69 people and wounded 130 as worshippers left a Baghdad mosque after weekly prayers. The blasts took place outside northern Baghdad's Baratha mosque where the imam, Sheikh Jalaluddin al-Saghir, is an MP with the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance, the largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament. Patches of blood and dozens of shoes were left scattered outside the mosque where the bombers blew themselves up in the midst of the fleeing worshippers. (First Posted @ 17:34 PST Updated @ 21:50 PST)
Five militants killed in Gaza blast -witnesses GAZA, April 7 (Reuters) - Five militants including a senior commander were killed in an explosion that hit a car and a militant base in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday, Palestinian witnesses said. Militants said the blast was caused by an Israeli airstrike.(Posted @ 23:58 PST)
Pakistan Coast Guards arrest 79 illegal immigrants KARACHI, April 7 (APP): Pakistan Coast Guards apprehended 79 illegal immigrants including 51 Afghans on charge of illegal border crossing from Coastal Highway to Kumb and Mand Bullo (Pak-Iran border). PCG officials said Friday that during night patrolling the illegal immigrants were held from different vehicles along Coastal and RCD Highways.(Posted @ 23:40 PST)
US will cut indirect aid to Palestinians following Hamas takeover WASHINGTON (AP) _ The United States will cancel or suspend more than $240 million (euro197 million) in projects aimed at indirectly assisting Palestinians out of concern that the money could go to help the new leadership of Hamas, a senior State Department official said Friday.(Posted @ 22:32 PST)
PM Aziz holds talks with Spanish counterpart Madrid, April 07 (PPI) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz held talks with his Spanish counterpart Zapatero in Madrid Friday evening. The two leaders exchanged views on further strengthening bilateral relations in economic and other fields and discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest. Talking to the Spanish Media, Aziz said access to nuclear technology in South Asia should be looked in the context of nuclear restraint regime and both Pakistan and India should get level playing field in this regard. Aziz also dwelt at length on Pakistan-China relations, Pakistan's economic performance and growth prospects and deliberations of the UN High level Panel on System Wide Coherence.(Posted @ 21:10 PST)
Turkish police say female suicide bomber injures one in mosque blast ANKARA, Turkey (AP) A female suicide bomber exploded herself Friday in front of a mosque in the Black Sea city of Ordu, injuring one person, police said. In a separate incident, a bomb exploded in southeastern Turkey as a vehicle passed by, injuring two people, officials said. Earlier Turkish police said they had detained 11 suspected members of a Kurdish militant group and seized explosives in Istanbul, the Anatolia news agency reported Friday.(Posted @ 21:05 PST)
U.S. reports two more troops killed in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) Two U.S. troops have been killed in separate attacks in Iraq, the U.S. military said Friday. One service member died Friday of wounds suffered while on patrol in western Baghdad, the U.S. military said. In a separate statement, the command said a soldier from the Army's 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team was killed Thursday when his combat patrol struck a roadside bomb near Beiji, 250 kilometres north of Baghdad.(Posted @ 21:02 PST)
PM Shaukat Aziz arrives in Spain Madrid, April 7 (PPI) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz arrived in Madrid this morning on a two-day visit to Spain. During his stay at the Spanish capital, Aziz, his Norwegian counterpart and the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan would attend a meeting of the heads of the UN Organization and its associated agencies. Aziz will also meet the Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero. Earlier on board his special aircraft, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told reporters Friday that “United Nations’ different organs and organizations are carrying out activities in diverse fields but their full potential could not be exploited because of lack of coordination amongst them. There are many redundancies and overlapping in their responsibilities and operations and these need to be addressed to make the UN more effective”. To a question, Aziz said he had extensive discussions with Kofi Annan on a number of issues related to Pakistan including Kashmir, Pakistan-India composite dialogue process, Iranian nuclear issue and situation in Afghanistan and Iraq.(First Posted@ 10:46 PST Updated @ 19:10 PST)
Pakistani tribesmen demand military forces to move out from Waziristan MIR ALI, Pakistan, April 7 (Reuters) Embittered by the deaths of hundreds of kin during clashes with the army in recent weeks, Pakistani tribesmen vented their anger with the government at a tribal council in a town near the Afghan border on Friday. "The government is carrying out a genocide of the tribesmen at the behest of Americans," Abdur Rehman, a local cleric, told about 10,000 tribesmen congregated in Mir Ali, a small town in North Waziristan. The council, known as a jirga, passed a resolution demanding the government to remove military check posts in North Waziristan and confine troop deployment to the border.( First Posted@ 10:27 PST Updated @ 18:45 PST)
British court says 'Da Vinci Code' did not breach copyright LONDON, April 7, 2006 (AFP) Britain's High Court on Friday rejected a claim that US author Dan Brown's blockbuster novel "The Da Vinci Code" breached the copyright in an earlier book, "The Holy Blood And The Holy Grail".(Posted @ 18:15 PST)
Hamas condemns EU aid freeze as blackmail GAZA CITY, April 7, 2006 (AFP) The new Hamas-led Palestinian Authority condemned Friday a European Union move to suspend aid payments as a form of "blackmail" that would only serve to harm the people of Gaza and the West Bank. "Hamas was elected democratically and the Palestinian people are being punished for their choice,” a government spokesman told reporters, adding that "EU will not only punish the government but all the Palestinian people -- the poor, the students, the workers," he added. His comments came after a spokeswoman for EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner confirmed in Brussels that aid payments had been suspended "for the time being". (First Posted@ 16:00 PST Updated @ 18:00 PST)
Pakistani quake victims need help to go home: Oxfam ISLAMABAD, April 7, (Reuters) Six months after an earthquake devastated northern Pakistan, some 300,000 people are preparing to return to their villages after spending the winter in tent encampments, relief agency Oxfam said on Friday. "You can see things getting better for the people here. They've started moving to their old houses, their old villages," said Britain's Olympics boxing silver medallist, Amir Khan, who is working with Oxfam to raise money for destitute Pakistanis. "More support is now needed as thousands of displaced people are being moved from official camps to their home areas, while authorities begin to implement plans for rehabilitation and reconstruction," Oxfam said in a statement. United States, which has pledged over $510 million of aid, said on Friday it was giving $13 million toward rehabilitation of the survivors. The United States Agency for Development (USAID) chief for Pakistan, Jonathan Addleton said around ten more grants would be announced in the coming days.(Posted @ 17:48 PST)
Musharraf for maximum opportunities for youth in reconstruction phase RAWALPINDI, Apr 7 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf emphasized the need for providing maximum opportunities to youth and volunteers during the reconstruction process in the quake affected areas. He was talking to the Special Advisor to Prime Minister, Muhammad Ali Durrani and the Minister Incharge for Youth Affairs, Sumaira Malik, who called on him here Friday. He said the spirit and commitment of the youth must be channelized in an effective manner to enable them to contribute to the development of the country.(Posted @ 17:46 PST)
Cherie Blair meets Saheba Musharraf at Aiwan-e-Sadr ISLAMABAD, Apr 7 (APP): The wife of British Prime Minister Mrs. Cherie Blair called on First Lady Begum Saheba Musharraf at the Aiwan-e-Sadr here Friday. During the meeting, Begum Saheba Musharraf thanked the British government for extending timely assistance to Pakistan following the devastating earthquake in the NWFP and Azad Kashmir. She appreciated the services rendered by the British rescue teams, doctors, NGOs and humanitarian organizations. Cherie Blair expressed the British people's sympathies with the government and the affected people over the losses caused by the natural disaster. Pakistan's High Commissioner in London, Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, also attended the meeting.(Posted @ 17:44 PST)
British, Indian war jets plan first dog fights NEW DELHI, April 7, 2006 (AFP) India and Britain will in October test their strengths against each other in the first ever aerial war games between the two air forces, officials said Friday. The manoeuvres scheduled to be held over Gwalior in central Madhya Pradesh state come a year after the two countries conducted major military land exercises called "Emerald Mercury" in southern India. Air Vice Marshal S. Mukherjee said the Royal Air Force (RAF) would participate with six Tornado fighters and the hosts would field four aircraft in the mock battles.(Posted @ 17:40 PST)
Davis Cup results: India 1 Pakistan 1 MUMBAI, India, April 7, 2006 (AFP) Results from the Asia-Oceania Group One Davis Cup play-off tie between India and Pakistan at the Brabourne stadium here on Friday: Opening singles: Aisam Qureshi (PAK) bt Rohan Bopanna (IND) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-4, Prakash Amritraj (IND) bt Aqeel Khan (PAK) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-1), 6-4(Posted @ 17:38 PST)
Four German soldiers injured, one Afghan killed in fresh attacks BERLIN, April 7, 2006 (AFP) Four German soldiers were injured in two attacks in Afghanistan this week, the German defense ministry said Friday.A German military convoy came under attack early Thursday on the outskirts of Faizabad city, leading to an exchange of fire. The spokesman said a Russian-made anti-tank rocket launcher was used in the assault which slightly wounded three German soldiers. Later Thursday morning, a German patrol was hit by explosives some 25 kilometers north of Kunduz. An Afghan man was killed while a German soldier was injured. "We have seen a rise in the number of attacks," the defense ministry spokesman said.(Posted @ 16:33 PST)
German inquiry to probe Iraq war, CIA links BERLIN, April 7 (Reuters) Germany's parliament gave the green light on Friday for a parliamentary inquiry into whether German spies in Baghdad helped the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 at a time when the government was publicly opposed to the war. Lawmakers voted to approve the probe, which will examine various sensitive aspects of the security services' work and their cooperation with the United States. It will also look into the Central Intelligence Agency's alleged abduction of a German national and secret transfer of at least one terrorist suspect via Germany.(Posted @ 16:20 PST)
Thousands dying due to East Africa drought: U.N. NAIROBI, April 7 (Reuters) East Africa's long-running drought is killing thousands of people due to related illnesses and malnutrition, the United Nations said on Friday in the first such estimate of the scale of the tragedy. "Malnourished children die now in very high numbers, it's certainly in the thousands, probably in tens of thousands across the Horn of Africa," U.N. Under Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland told a news conference in Nairobi. Egeland was speaking at the launch in Nairobi of an appeal for $426 million in emergency funds for 8 million people requiring urgent assistance across the region. (Posted @ 15:50 PST)
Afghan suicide blast wounds three Americans KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, April 7, 2006 (AFP) A suicide attack outside a coalition base in southern Afghanistan Friday wounded two US soldiers and an American civilian, the US-led military coalition said. The bomber was killed in the blast at the base in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand. A provincial police chief had said earlier that the attack was targeted at British troops who have started deploying in the province. (First Posted@15:04 PST Updated@ @ 15:13 PST)
Pakistan hockey team arrives Beijing to play World Cup qualifying round BEIJING, April 7 (APP): The 18-member Pakistan hockey team arrived in Beijing Friday to take part in the World Cup qualifying round to be held in Changzhou (China) from April 12 to 23. Pakistan has been placed in group "A" along with England, Egypt, Ireland, Belgium and Canada. Group "B" comprises Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, China, France and New Zealand. Pakistan play the first match against Canada on April 12. (Posted @ 13:02 PST)
Olympics-Six countries mull 2016 Summer Games bids, say IOC SEOUL, April 7 (Reuters) - Six countries from four continents are already interested in bidding for the 2016 Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee said Friday. IOC chief Jacques Rogge said so far India, Japan, Spain, the United States and Brazil had expressed an interest. Italy is also considering a bid. The next summer Games will be held in Beijing in 2008 while London will host the Olympics in 2012. (Posted @ 12:48 PST)
Bus plunges into river in occupied Kashmir; dozens feared dead JAMMU, occupied Kashmir, April 7 (AP) _ A bus skidded off a narrow mountain road and plunged into a river in a remote region of occupied Kashmir on Friday and dozens were feared dead, police said. The bus was believed to be carrying at least 70 passengers when the accident occurred near the village of Sashoo, about 210 kilometers northeast of Jammu. One body and three survivors had been pulled from the fast-flowing waters of the Chenab River, which lies at the bottom of a 30-meter gorge, police said adding that the death toll would rise as the bodies and the survivors may have been carried downstream by the powerful current. (Posted @ 12:34 PST)
Death toll rises to six from Hindu-Muslim clashes in northern India LUCKNOW, India, April 7(AFP) - The death toll from clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Aligarh rose to six as curfew remained in effect in parts of the town that were still tense following fighting late Wednesday. "The toll has gone up to six as two more people died in hospital overnight," an official spokesman said in Lucknow. (Posted @ 12:23 PST)
Senegalese student gunned down in Saint Petersburg: report SAINT PETERSBURG, April 7 (AFP) - A student from Senegal was shot dead early Friday in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg as he left a night club, an African community leader said, in the latest deadly violence targeting foreigners and non-whites in Russia. The student had recently graduated from a technical college specialising in telecommunications. According to an independent study prior to Friday's reported incident, six people have been killed and 79 injured in more than 40 racist attacks around the country since the start of the year. (Posted @ 12:20 PST)
Indian minister says 8 military nuclear plants necessary for self-defense WASHINGTON, April 7 (AP) _ An Indian minister defended his country's designation of eight of 22 nuclear reactors for military purposes under a U.S.-Indian civilian nuclear cooperation pact now being considered by the U.S. Congress. Kapil Sibal, India's science and technology minister, told an audience Thursday at the Council on Foreign Relations that while India would never launch a first-strike nuclear attack, it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself. (Posted @ 10:38 PST)
Fire in New York state kills five, including three young children HONESDALE, Pennsylvania, April 7 (AP) _ A fire in a house with inoperative smoke alarms killed five people, including three young children, in this quaint village in the Pocono Mountains of upstate New York. Fire officials said the batteries in the home's smoke alarms were dead. The children were ages 1 to 4. (Posted @ 10:28 PST)
Three ski patrol members die in fall into volcanic fissure on California peak MAMMOTH LAKES, California, April 7 (AP) _ Three members of a ski patrol team, including an avalanche expert, died when they fell into a volcanic fissure at the Mammoth Mountain resort, officials said. The victims were part of a four-man team inspecting the mountain Thursday after heavy snowstorms and fencing off the gap in the rock, officials said. (Posted @ 10:18 PST)
Students and police clash in Nepal's capital on Day 2 of strike KATHMANDU, April 7 (AP) _ Hundreds of students burned a post office and hurled stones at police, who tried to beat them back with tear gas in clashes on Kathmandu's narrow streets Friday, the second day of a nationwide opposition strike. The clashes broke out after a relatively peaceful day Thursday,when the four-day anti-monarchy strike began, and at least 177 people were arrested according to the home ministry. (Posted @ 10:13 PST)
Four killed, dozens injured in clashes over power shortage in Bangladesh DHAKA, April 7 (AP) _ Four persons were killed and about 50 injured in Shibganj village in Chapainawabganj district in northwestern Bangladesh when ruling party activists clashed with farmers demanding power for irrigation, police said Friday. More than 2,000 people were involved in the clashes on Thursday. Both sides used homemade bombs, meat cleavers and sticks, an official said on condition of anonymity. (Posted @ 10:13 PST)
Suspected Tamil rebels kill two Muslims in eastern Sri Lanka COLOMBO, April 7 (AP)_ Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels shot dead two Muslim village guards as they returned home after night duty early Friday in Kudapokuna, about 215 kilometers northeast of Colombo, a military spokesman said. (Posted @ 10:05 PST)
Israel launches triple air strike on Gaza Strip JERUSALEM, April 7 (AFP) - Israeli military launched three air raids overnight Thursday against targets in Gaza Strip, a spokesman said. "Our helicopters launched three attacks. Two targeted two offices at Beit Lahya (north) where activists of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades were meeting to plan rocket strikes against Israel, and another attack was against a helicopter pad inside Gaza City," a military spokesman said. (Posted @ 09:56 PST)
Palestinian killed by Israeli army in West Bank NABLUS, West Bank, April 7(AFP) - A Palestinian man was killed early Friday by the Israeli army at Nablus in the north of the West Bank, Palestinian medical sources said. Wafa Ya'ish, 24, was shot dead while his uncle and three other relatives were injured when members of an Israeli army unit opened fire on them, sources said. The shooting happened when the five men went outside their family home to investigate a strange noise. (Posted @ 09:51 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 251.15 points: KARACHI, April 7: At close of trading , the KSE-100 index was at 11936.59 , up 251.15 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 16:05 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, April 7: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.2 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 16:05 PST)
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