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| April 18, 2006 | Tuesday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 19, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
China's Hu arrives in US SEATTLE, Washington, April 18, 2006 (AFP) - A flight carrying Chinese President Hu Jintao touched down at Paine Field Airport, near Everett, Tuesday, marking the start of Hu's first official visit to the United States. The Air China charter landed at the site which is part of Boeing facility to be greeted by some 300 people from the local Chinese community waving small red Chinese flags.(Posted @ 23:52 PST)
Bush declines to exclude nuclear strike on Iran TEHRAN, April 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush refused on Tuesday to rule out nuclear strikes against Iran if diplomacy fails to curb the Islamic Republic's atomic ambitions. Iran, which says its nuclear programme is purely peaceful, told world powers it would pursue atomic technology, whatever they decide at a meeting in Moscow later in the day.(Posted @ 23:20 PST)
Jack Straw leaves to Saudia Arabia LONDON Apr 18 (APP) British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw left for Saudi Arabia here Tuesday to attend the Two Kingdom Conference in Riyadh and would hold call on king Abdullah bin Abul Aziz Al Saud to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries. The conference is an opportunity for the UK and Saudi Arabia to discuss regional and bilateral issues. During the conference Straw will deliver a speech in which he will highlight the healthy state of bilateral relations between the UK and Saudi Arabia, said the Foreign Office sources.(Posted @ 22:45 PST)
Iran nuclear talks start in Moscow MOSCOW, April 18, 2006 (AFP) - Senior diplomats from six leading world powers met here Tuesday to discuss ways to keep Iran's nuclear program in check, the official ITAR-TASS news agency reported. The political directors from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States were holding discussions over a working dinner at a Russian foreign ministry residence in central Moscow.(Posted @ 22:38 PST)
Mexico bus crash toll revised down to 57 MALTRATA, Mexico, April 18, 2006 (AFP) - Local authorities revised the death toll from a tragic Mexican bus accident lower to 57 people on Tuesday after initially reporting a toll of 63 persons. The accident occurred on Monday near the town of Maltrata, some 230 kilometers east of the Mexican capital, when the packed bus crashed off a steep ravine on a winding highway between Mexico City and the port of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico.(Posted @ 22:25 PST)
Saudi arrests five militants linked to Feb oil attack RIYADH, April 18 (Reuters) Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday it had arrested five militants linked to a failed al Qaeda attack on a major oil facility in February, and seized 1.5 tonnes of explosives. An Interior Ministry statement read on state television said the five were linked to the foiled attack on Abqaiq, the world's biggest oil processing plant, in which two militants were killed. Saudi had earlier arrested other militants linked to the incident. The television showed pistols, assault rifles, a computer and large amounts of compact discs and video tapes found by the authorities.(Posted @ 22:02 PST)
Bush picks Portman for budget, backs Rumsfeld WASHINGTON, April 18 (Reuters) President George W. Bush announced two new senior economic aides on Tuesday and signalled more changes are on the way but again strongly rejected criticism of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Bush named U.S. trade representative, Rob Portman, as his budget director and the deputy trade representative, Susan Schwab, to replace Portman.(Posted @ 21:30 PST)
Turkish policeman, Kurdish rebel killed in clash DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, April 18 (Reuters) A paramilitary policeman and a member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) were killed in clashes in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast on Tuesday, security officials said. Reinforcements were sent in to back up security forces fighting the guerrillas in the mountainous province of Siirt near the border with Iraq, officials said.(Posted @ 20:18 PST)
Bangladesh standoff raises fears of new crisis DHAKA, April 18 (Reuters) At least 50 people were injured in clashes between police and opposition activists in the Bangladeshi capital on Tuesday. Police fired rubber bullets and teargas shells to disperse thousands of activists heading to a rally which main opposition leader Sheikh Hasina addressed in the afternoon. The activists hurled stones at police and set fire to several vehicles, witnesses said. Fears of a new political crisis heightened as the main opposition party Awami League refused to sit down to talks with a government Islamist coalition partner and vowed to march on the prime minister's office. Police ordered a 24-hour ban on rallies around Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia's office from Tuesday midnight to thwart Wednesday's planned march.(Posted @ 20:08 PST)
PM Aziz for strict abidance of building codes ISLAMABAD, Apr 18 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Tuesday called for strict abidance of the building codes across the country and directed the civic authorities to ensure these were fully implemented. "There is no bar on construction of high rise buildings, provided they fully adhere to the new building code," Aziz told a gathering here at the ground breaking ceremony of three residential sectors in the federal capital.(Posted @ 20:05 PST)
Musharraf witnesses Pakistan-India cricket match ABU DHABI, April 18 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf witnessed a one-day international cricket match between Pakistan and India, proceeds from which would be donated to the victims of last October's South Asia earthquake. Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and patron of Abu Dhabi Cricket Club, flanked the President.(Posted @ 20:02 PST)
Tribal militants blow up gas pipeline in Pakistan QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) Tribal militants blew up a natural gas pipeline in Baluchistan province on Tuesday, disrupting supplies to two districts, police said. They used heavy explosives to blow up the pipeline that was supplying gas to Mustung and Qalat districts, local police officials said. "Around 100,000 people living in the two districts are now without gas," police said adding that the pipeline would be restored after 24 hours. In separate incident, militants attacked a telephone exchange with rockets in Noshki district, 160 km southwest of Quetta.( First Posted@12:35 PST Updated @ 19:05 PST)
Cleric, driver killed in Pakistan ISLAMABAD, April 18 (Reuters) A Shi'ite cleric and his driver were killed in a drive-by shooting in Faisalabad city on Tuesday, police said. Two masked men on a motorbike pulled alongside, and the pillion rider opened fire on the car carrying the cleric Fazal Hussain Alvi. Police said it was premature to conclude it was a sectarian act.(Posted @ 19:00 PST)
Israel signals tough response to bombing JERUSALEM, April 18, 2006 (AFP) Prime minister designate Ehud Olmert authorised the army Tuesday to step up its activities but stopped short of ordering a full-scale operation after Monday's blast killed nine people at a crowded Tel Aviv food stand, public radio said. Following talks with ministers and security chiefs, Olmert gave the army the green light to carry out targeted killings against "all those involved in terrorism", including Hamas and Palestinian government officials, radio said. Senior government sources said three Hamas members would be stripped of their right to reside in annexed east Jerusalem but added that the move would not lead to their expulsion to the West Bank. Israeli authorities would also harden restrictions on illegal Palestinian workers in Israel and those who drive them to their jobs, and seal even more hermetically the borders with the Gaza Strip and West Bank, the radio added. Troops had already arrested the father of the bomber while a further 38 Palestinians were also rounded up overnight, security sources said. The military carried out an air raid overnight on what Palestinians called a metal factory in Gaza City, causing no casualties but considerable damage.( First Posted@10:00 PST Updated @ 18:08 PST)
Blair announces plans to increase foreign students in Britain LONDON, April 18, 2006 (AFP) Britain announced plans Tuesday to attract 100,000 more overseas students to study here over the next five years and encourage greater links with other universities across the world. Unveiling the second phase of his Initiative for International Education, Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "Increasingly education is crossing national boundaries as it prepares our young people for careers in the global economy.” Officials have been keen to tap into new markets, particularly in India, Pakistan and South East Asia.(Posted @ 17:54 PST)
Cricket-DLF Cup India v Pakistan line-ups April 18 (Infostrada Sports) Line-ups for the first DLF Cup match between India and Pakistan on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. India won toss and decided to bat. India: Robin Uthappa, Rahul Dravid (capt), Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Mahendra Dhoni, Venugopal Rao, Ramesh Powar, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ajit Agarkar, S Sreesanth; Pakistan: Shoaib Malik, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Naved-ul-Hasan, Iftikhar Anjum, Mohammad Asif. (Posted @ 16:55 PST)
Infant among Afghans wounded by U.S. patrols KHOST, Afghanistan, April 18 (Reuters) U.S.-led troops in southeastern Afghanistan wounded a new born baby girl, her mother, a five-year-old boy and three other Afghans, when they opened fire on cars that had ignored instructions to stop, police and residents said on Tuesday. The mother was hit in the chest and two women relatives were also struck by bullets, while the baby, who was born just hours earlier, was cut on the face and hands by shattered glass. The U.S. military in Kabul could not be reached for immediate comment.(Posted @ 16:52 PST)
Washington Post warns against generals ousting Rumsfeld WASHINGTON, April 18, 2006 (AFP) Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should have resigned when the Abu Ghraib prison scandal broke, but stepping down now under pressure from the military would set "an ugly precedent," The Washington Post said Tuesday. "In our view Mr. Rumsfeld's failures should have led to his departure long ago. But he should not be driven out by a revolt of generals, retired or not," said the daily. President George W. Bush "would have been wise to accept Mr. Rumsfeld's resignation when he offered it nearly two years ago," when it was clear he was "directly responsible for the policy of abuse toward detainees" in Iraq, the Post editorial said. Bush's "stubborn support" for Rumsfeld, it added, "has compounded US troubles in Iraq ... and worsened relations with a host of allies. Now it is deepening the domestic political hole in which the president is mired."(Posted @ 16:35 PST)
India accuses Pakistan of supporting Kashmiri freedom fighters SRINAGAR, Occupied Kashmir, April 18, 2006 (AFP) Camps for training militants to fight Indian troops in Occupied Kashmir are "flourishing" in Pakistan, a senior Indian politician, home secretary V.K. Duggal, said on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Duggal said New Delhi knew how many militants were being trained and how many were likely to infiltrate Indian territory. "But we are also ready to take that challenge and meet them effectively as we have done in the last few years," he said. (Posted @ 16:10 PST)
Thousands stage anti-royal protest in west Nepal KATHMANDU, April 18, 2006 (AFP) Thousands of people roaring "Down with the monarchy" demonstrated in western Nepal on Tuesday as protesters turned up the heat on King Gyanendra to restore democracy, witnesses said. An international aid worker estimated that some 20,000 people were protesting in the town of Nepalgunj and a local journalist claimed the crowd was much bigger. Police briefly fired tear gas and blank rounds but were vastly outnumbered and fled, he said. (Posted @ 16:10 PST)
Bomb explosion kills at least seven in Baghdad BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) A bomb placed underneath a car exploded in eastern Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least seven people and wounding more than 20, police said. The bomb targeted a police patrol in the neighbourhood of Suleikh, police said. Three policemen were among those killed, and the rest were civilians, he said. A roadside bombing in western Baghdad missed another police patrol, wounding a civilian driver instead, police added. In the Dora district of southern Baghdad, police discovered two bodies, both shot in the head. In a drive-by shooting, assailants gunned down a police officer walking near his home in the southern city of Basra, an official said.(First Posted @ 12:30 PST Updated @ 15:10 PST)
Five militants killed by coalition in Afghanistan KABUL, April 18, 2006 (AFP) Coalition soldiers killed five suspected militants in Kunar province as the US-led force pushed on with its biggest operation this year, the military said Tuesday. "Coalition forces continued to improve security in Kunar Province late yesterday, killing five terrorists after a patrol spotted seven enemy fighters manoeuvring in the open west of Asadabad," the military said in a statement. (Posted @ 15:00 PST)
Oil hits record $72 on Iran fears LONDON, April 18 (Reuters) Oil surged to a record high above $72 on Tuesday on concern that Iran's nuclear stand-off with the West could cut oil exports from the world's fourth-largest crude exporter. In London, North Sea Brent crude oil jumped 74 cents to an all-time high of $72.20 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude oil hit a record $70.88, smashing through its end-August high of $70.85. (Posted @ 15:00 PST)
Truck in central China veers off highway into two homes; 6 dead, 4 injured BEIJING April 18 (APP/AP) A truck carrying steel bars veered to avoid hitting a pedestrian and ploughed into two houses in central China, killing six people and injuring four, the government said Tuesday. All those killed and injured were residents of the two houses, Xinhua said. (Posted @ 12:50 PST)
Ten missing after boat sinks in Indonesia JAKARTA, April 18 (AFP) About 10 people are missing after an overloaded boat with about 60 people on board sank off eastern Indonesia in stormy seas, officials said Tuesday. At least 50 people have been plucked from the sea. Search for the missing was continuing, officials said. Two navy ships were involved in the search. (Posted @ 09:45 Updated @ 11:25 PST)
Iran army will 'cut off hand of aggressor': Ahmadinejad TEHRAN, April 18, 2006 (AFP) Iran's armed forces must be at the ready and will "cut off the hand of any aggressor", President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a speech Tuesday to mark national army day. "The powerful army of the Islamic Republic of Iran is in the service of peace and security and is no threat to anyone. But in the face of enemies, it is like a meteorite. It will cut off the hand of any aggressor and leave the enemy covered in shame," he said in his speech, given during a military parade just south of the capital. (Posted @ 11:15 PST)
Inmates tunnel out of Venezuela high-security jail CARACAS, Venezuela, April 18 (Reuters) Twenty-four prisoners, some described as "highly dangerous," tunneled their way out of a high-security jail in eastern Venezuela in a midnight escape, authorities said Monday. The 50-meter tunnel probably took about three months to dig, they said. (Posted @ 10:20 PST)
Insurgents mount bold attacks in Baghdad, Ramadi BAGHDAD, April 18 (Reuters) About 50 insurgents mounted a brazen attack on Iraqi forces in Baghdad’s Adhamiya district on Monday, prompting U.S. troops to provide support in a battle that lasted seven hours, a U.S. military spokesman said. Five rebels were killed and one member of the Iraqi forces was wounded. There were no U.S. casualties, said the spokesman. Attacks at a government centre and mosque were also repulsed in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. (Posted @ 10:20 PST)
UN plans to host Mideast quartet meeting in New York May 9 - Annan UNITED NATIONS, April 18 (AFP) UN chief Kofi Annan said Monday that he was planning to host a meeting of the Middle East diplomatic quartet in New York on May 9 to discuss "the situation on the ground" as well as prospects for the roadmap for a settlement leading to the creation of a viable Palestinian state living side by side with Israel. (Posted @ 09:35 PST)
Bus crash kills at least 63 in Mexico VERACRUZ, Mexico, April 18, (AFP) At least 63 people died and several injured Monday after a bus they were riding veered off a mountain road in central Mexico and plunged 200 meters down a ravine, authorities said. The accident occurred near the town of Maltrata, some 230 kilometers east of the Mexican capital on a winding highway between Mexico City and the port of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico. (Posted @ 09:30 PST)
Karachi Stocks down 158.31 points: KARACHI, Apr 18: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 12115.46, down 158.31 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Apr 18: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.17 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
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