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| May 19, 2006 | Friday | Rabi-us-Sani 20, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
British military chief says Taliban operating out of Pakistan KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, May 19, 2006 (Agencies) The British chief of staff for southern Afghanistan, Colonel Chris Vernon, on Friday said that the Taliban leadership is coordinating its campaign from Quetta. "The thinking piece of the Taliban is out of Quetta in Pakistan. It's the major headquarters," he told the Guardian newspaper. "They use it to run a series of networks in Afghanistan." Col Vernon did not say whether Mullah Omar, the Taliban's leader, was also sheltering in Quetta. Chief Pakistani military spokesman, Major General Shaukat Sultan, denied the charges. "It is absolutely absurd that someone is talking like this. If the Taliban leadership was in Quetta we would be out of our minds not to arrest them," he said, adding "they should give us actionable intelligence so that we can take action." Pakistan on Friday also rejected allegations by Afghan President Hamid Karzai that militants perpetrating violence in Afghanistan were being trained on its soil. ``Pakistan is actively working with Kabul in coordinating and sharing intelligence in the fight against terrorism,'' Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri told the Senate in Islamabad. He also asked Karzai not to blame Pakistan for what was happening inside Afghanistan. Meanwhile Afghan forces said they were investigating if a man captured in a battle on Wednesday was the Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah, one of the most trusted followers of fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Omar. Separately, eight Taliban and two policemen were killed in an hours-long battle late Thursday in Ghazni province, officials said.(Posted @ 21:08 PST)
Maulana Fazlur Rehman meets Indian Prime Minister New Delhi, May 19 (PPI): Pakistan’s National Assembly opposition leader and MMA chief, Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, met the Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, at his residence in New Delhi on Friday. Fazal quoted Singh as saying that India was seriously considering Pakistan's proposals regarding resolution of Kashmir dispute and was in the process of exploring an acceptable solution. `` We exchanged views on several issues of mutual interest including Pak-India dialogue and Dr. Manmohan assured us that he would make efforts to put forward the ongoing peace process,'' Fazlur-Rehman said. Singh said India desires durable peace in the region and wanted to continue the ongoing dialogue with Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues. However, he stressed the need to create a conducive atmosphere for the resolution of Kashmir.(Posted @ 23:54 PST)
UN body urges US to shut Guantanamo, "secret jails" GENEVA, May 19 (Reuters) The United Nations top anti-torture body told the United States on Friday that any secret jails it ran for foreign terrorism suspects, along with the Guantanamo Bay facility, were illegal and should be closed. In its first review of U.S. policy since Washington launched its war on terrorism, the Committee against Torture also urged President George W. Bush to ban interrogation methods that could be regarded as torture or cruel treatment. It cited use of dogs to terrify detainees, "water-boarding" which is a form of mock drowning, and sexual humiliation, saying that some detainees had died during questioning. The U.S. State Department rejected the recommendations to close detention facilities as being beyond the committee's anti-torture mandate. The group of 10 independent experts added that the United States "should ensure that no one is detained in any secret detention facility under its de facto effective control". (First Posted @ 12:10 PST Updated @ 21:18 PST)
Turkish truck carrying migrants crashes, 42 killed DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, May 19 (Reuters) Forty-two people died when a truck believed to be carrying illegal immigrants crashed with another truck on a highway in Turkey on Friday, officials said. Police and rescue workers lined dozens of bodies along the side of the motorway, which runs from Osmaniye to Gaziantep, awaiting the arrival of more ambulances in southeastern Turkey. "It is very likely they were Afghan and Bangladeshi immigrants," an official said.(Posted @ 21:15 PST)
Pakistani PM leaves Morocco for Egypt after signing deals RABAT, May 19, 2006 (AFP) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz left Morocco for Egypt on Friday after signing several agreements on closer economic ties during a two-day visit, officials in the Moroccan capital said. Before leaving, Aziz spoke with the chairmen of Morocco's two houses of parliament, the Chamber of Representatives and the Chamber of Counsellors. "Morocco and Pakistan need to help resolve social conflicts between Muslim countries in order to concentrate on (those countries') economic development," Aziz said at his meeting with Abdelouahed Radi, chairman of the Chamber of Representatives.(Posted @ 21:12 PST)
Greek minister dismisses abduction claims of Pakistani immigrants ATHENS, Greece (AP) Greece's public order minister on Friday said kidnapping was a Pakistani sport and dismissed claims that Pakistani immigrants were abducted for questioning by Greek and British agents after last year's London transit bombings. Vyron Polydoras said the migrants' allegations could only be explained by the ``sport of mutual abduction in which members of the most amiable Pakistani community in our country indulge.'' He was apparently referring to recent violent kidnappings of Asians in Greece by migrant smuggling rings who demanded ransom from their families at home. ``Greece's National Intelligence Service did nothing outside of the law,'' Polydoras told parliament Friday.(Posted @ 20:58 PST)
Israel carried out nuclear test in 1979: daily JERUSALEM, May 19, 2006 (AFP) Israel and South Africa carried out a nuclear test on an offshore platform in the northern Antarctic in 1979, according to a newly disclosed US document, Yediot Aharonot newspaper said Friday. The document, released at the request of the security studies centre at Georgetown University in Washington, says a mystery explosion detected on September 22, 1979 by a US satellite was a nuclear test. Prepared for the White House in December 1979, it said Israel and South Africa were cooperating on military issues, including nuclear research.(Posted @ 19:00 PST)
US navy to beef up presence in Asian waters: report KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Reuters) The Pacific fleet of the U.S. Navy aims to step up the number of submarines and aircraft carriers in Asian waters to patrol the region and ensure security, its commander said on Friday. "It is clear to us the prosperity of (the) economy in the region depends on security," official news agency Bernama quoted Admiral Gary Roughead, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, as telling local reporters during a visit to Malaysia. He gave no further details of the plans.(Posted @ 18:52 PST)
Militants kill pro-government tribal leader in Pakistan tribal region MIRANSHAH, Pakistan, May 19, 2006 (AFP)A senior pro-government tribal elder was killed Friday in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border, officials said. Totti Gul, a leading supporter of Pakistan's anti-Al-Qaeda campaign, was dragged out of his car by unknown men and later shot dead, a tribal security official said. Gul was the leader of the Dawar tribe in Darpakhel district, with several thousand tribesmen under his authority.(Posted @ 18:40 PST)
PM Aziz urges consensus to deal with terrorism RABAT (Morocco), May 19 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Friday urged the international community to evolve consensus on policies to deal with shared concerns of terrorism, nuclear proliferation, poverty, energy security and environment. Addressing Moroccan officials and academics in Rabat on "Pakistan's Role in The New International Order" here at the Foreign Office, Aziz said "Pakistan remains ready to do its part for a better, more secure and more prosperous world." On peace talks with India, he said while some progress has been achieved through confidence building measures "we need to move from dispute management to dispute resolution." On Afghanistan, he said "We have facilitated the electoral process in Afghanistan, extended financial and material assistance for reconstruction and provided unlimited trade access to this country." On the Iranian nuclear issue, he said "We believe the Iranian nuclear issue must be resolved through negotiations and dialogue. There should be no use of force as this will exacerbate an already unstable regional situation." He also said Pakistan fully supports the right of the Palestinian people to an independent homeland. Extending full support to President Mehmood Abbas, he said Pakistan was engaged with Israel to push for an early and just settlement. About the situation in Iraq, he said "We believe that the Iraqi people must be able to decide their own future without external interference or intimidation." He stressed that the issue of Western Sahara should be resolved through a negotiated peaceful settlement, in accordance with UN resolutions. On ties with Morocco, he added "our views on major international and regional issues are similar if not identical".(Posted @ 17:48 PST)
Pakistani, Morocco PMs sign deals, view closer ties RABAT, May 19 (AFP) - The prime ministers of Morocco and Pakistan expressed hopes for closer bilateral ties, especially economically, on Thursday after inking several agreements during a visit here by Pakistan's Shaukat Aziz. "We need to develop our relationship further. That's why we are here," Aziz said. For his part, Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou said an agreement on non-double taxation had been signed. Two other accords, in the areas of industry and culture, were also sealed. The two men also announced a joint project for building a complex aimed at easing the export of phosphoric acid from Morocco to Pakistan. The site, to be built about 200 kilometres south of Rabat, is expected to cost about 200 million dollars. Seven ministers accompanying the Pakistani prime minister held talks with Moroccan counterparts during the afternoon. The Pakistani delegation, which arrived from Libya, was due to leave Morocco on Friday.(Posted @ 09:55 PST)
Iran denies using China-made feedstock to enrich uranium TEHRAN, May 19, 2006 (AFP) Iranian state television on Friday denied reports that Tehran had used Chinese uranium gas to accelerate enrichment for its nuclear programme, insisting the gas was homemade. "At the moment, Natanz enrichment facility uses UF6, uranium hexafluoride gas, produced in (Iran's) Isfahan's UCF (uranium conversion facility) site to carry out the enrichment process," it said, quoting an informed source.(Posted @ 16:15 PST)
Israeli FM to meet Abbas in Egypt JERUSALEM, May 19, 2006 (AFP) Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will Sunday meet Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas at an economic forum in Egypt, the highest-level such contact since Hamas won a January election, her office said.(Posted @ 16:12 PST)
Two gas pipelines blown up in Sui QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) Two state-owned gas pipelines were blown-up Friday in Balochistan’s Sui, disrupting supplies but causing no casualties, a company official said. No one claimed responsibility for the separate pre-dawn attacks.A spokesman for the Sui Southern Gas Pipelines Ltd. said engineers have started repair work.(First Posted @ 12:10 PST Updated 15:30 PST)
Four prisoners attempt suicide at Guantanamo camp GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, May 19 (Reuters) – Four Guantanamo prisoners tried to commit suicide on Thursday and several others attacked guards who rushed in to halt one of the attempts, a camp spokesman said. Three took overdoses of prescription medicine they had apparently been hoarding, and the fourth tried to hang himself, said Cmdr. Robert Durand, a detention camp spokesman. None of the suicide attempts succeeded, he said. "At this point, I have no idea of motive, no idea of any co-ordination and no idea of any intended message," Durand said.(Posted @ 12:50 PST)
A central China building collapses, killing 6 BEIJING, May 19 (AP) _ A two-story building collapsed as it was being torn down in Taiyuan city in central China on Thursday, killing six workers and trapping 26 others in the rubble, the Xinhua News Agency reported Friday. The rescuers freed the 26 and recovered six bodies before ending the recovery operation Friday, Xinhua said.(Posted @ 12:45 PST)
Malaysia to give aid to Palestinian government KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (AFP) - Malaysia said Friday it would provide aid to the Palestinian government to help ease a financial crisis brought on by an international boycott of the Hamas government. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also said Malaysia would appeal to the United States and other Western countries to change their stand against the Hamas-led administration.(Posted @ 12:20 PST)
Fifteen Saudi Guantanamo detainees arrive home RIYADH, May 19 (Reuters) - Fifteen Saudi Arabian detainees at the U.S. Guantanamo Bay naval base arrived home on Friday after being freed from U.S. custody, the kingdom's Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz said. He said in comments carried by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the 15 named men "will be made subject to the country's laws". Prince Nayef said the kingdom was trying to secure the release and return of the remaining Saudi detainees at Guantanamo Bay.(Posted @ 12:15 PST)
Indian actress Sushmita Sen to make fundraising trip to Pakistan NEW DELHI, May 19 (AP) _ Indian actress Sushmita Sen will travel to Pakistan in September to help cricketer Imran Khan raise funds for his cancer hospital, a news report said Friday.``I have been a big fan of his throughout his career. And now, to be invited by him, especially for something that's so close to my heart, is a great honor for me,'' The Times of India quoted Sen as saying. Sen won the Miss Universe title in 1994 and has since acted in more than 25 films.(Posted @ 12:10 PST)
Officer, soldier killed by Tamil rebels COLOMBO, May 19 (AP) _ Tamil rebels attacked a frontline army position in northern Sri Lanka Friday, killing an officer and a soldier, the army said. Troops returned fire, the military said, but there were no immediate reports of rebel casualties.(Posted @ 12:05 PST)
Iraq kidnappers of UAE diplomat want mission shut DUBAI, May 19 (Reuters) - An Iraqi group on Thursday issued a video of a United Arab Emirates diplomat Naji al-Noaimi kidnapped in Baghdad and demanded that the Gulf state close its embassy in Iraq, Al Jazeera television reported. The UAE said it was looking into the demands. The group also demanded that al-Fayha channel which broadcasts from Dubai be shut down, Al Jazeera said, adding that the group issued a 24-hour deadline. The group accused the UAE of "supplying military equipment to the Iraqi government to strike the Mujahideen" and accused al-Fayha of carrying anti-Sunni propaganda, it said.(Posted @ 10:52 PST)
US, Saudi Arabia agree high oil prices are bad-Rice WASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) - The United States and Saudi Arabia agree that high crude oil prices are bad for global economic growth, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday. "I think it's a shared view that very high energy prices are not a good thing for the international economy and for growth," Rice said at a news conference with Prince Saud al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister.(Posted @ 10:40 PST)
Foreign ministers of Mexico and 4 Central American nations attack U.S. plans to extend border fence MEXICO CITY, May 19 (AP) _ The foreign ministers of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica slammed plans by the United States to build hundreds of miles of tripled-layered fence on it's southern border. In a joint news conference in Mexico City late Thursday, the five ministers said that building walls was not the way to solve problems between neighboring nations.On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate approved a proposal to build 370 miles of triple-layer fencing along parts of the 2,000-mile border with Mexico.(Posted @ 10:20 PST)
Death toll from Chanchu reaches at least 63 SHANGHAI, China, May 19 (AP) _ The Asia-wide death toll from Tropical Storm Chanchu rose to 63 on Friday, with at least 27 fisherman still missing at sea as the tempest moved offshore again after battering southern China. Storm-induced landslides and building collapses killed 15 people in Fujian province and left four missing. Another eight perished in neighboring Guangdong province.(Posted @ 10:15 PST)
Bulent Ecevit, veteran Turkish politician, suffers brain hemorrhage ANKARA, May 19 (AFP) - Veteran politician Bulent Ecevit, a five-time prime minister of Turkey , has suffered a brain hemorrhage and is in intensive care after a four-and-a-half-hour operation early Friday, media reports said. Ecevit, 81, felt unwell after returning home Thursday night from the funeral of slain Council of State judge Mustafa Y|cel Vzbilgin, and was taken to the GATA military hospital near Ankara, where he underwent surgery that began shortly after midnight.(Posted @ 10:05 PST)
Toronto police arrest over 70 suspected gang members in raids OTTAWA, May 19 (AFP) - Police in Toronto arrested more than 70 people in pre-dawn raids Thursday suspected of ties to a notorious gang that imported guns from the United States into Canada. Over 600 officers from across Canada and parts of the United States took part in the investigation that culminated in the execution of 98 search warrants simultaneously in two provinces on Thursday, officials said.(Posted @ 10:00 PST)
Taliban at 'war' with British troops: report LONDON, May 19(AFP) - The Taliban consider themselves in "a war" with British troops in Afghanistan, a spokesman for the deposed regime told Friday's edition of The Times newspaper. "This is a war," Mohammad Hanif, the Taliban spokesman and close aide of Mullah Mohammed Omar, told The Times via satellite telephone from an undisclosed location. "The British are not here as peacekeepers. They are here with the occupier, the American superpower. They are allied with the superpower so we don't care about them. If they are with the Americans we can and will fight face to face." Hanif also said that suicide bombers were "queuing up" to join the Taliban, adding that they now had anti-aircraft weaponry in their arsenal. Meanwhile a senior British officer accused Pakistan of allowing the Taliban to use its territory as a "headquarters" for attacks on troops in Afghanistan, in an interview with The Guardian newspaper. Colonel Chris Vernon, chief of staff for southern Afghanistan, said the Taliban were directing their campaign from Quetta. Vernon said the Quetta leadership controlled "about 25" mid-level commanders spread out across southern Afghanistan, one of whom was captured in April. The claims drew an angry denial from the Pakistani military, The Guardian reported. "It is absolutely absurd that someone is talking like this," spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan was quoted as saying. "If the Taliban leadership was in Quetta we would be out of our minds not to arrest them. They should give us actionable intelligence so that we can take action."(Posted @ 09:45 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 173.43 points: KARACHI, May 19:At close of trading the KSE-100 index was at 10861.31, up 173.43 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 16:00 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, May 19: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.37 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 16:00 PST)
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