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| June 1, 2006 | Thursday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 4, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Shabbir Shah arrested ISLAMABAD, Jun 1 (APP): In occupied Kashmir, the President of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, Shabbir Ahmad Shah was arrested today by Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel at Sangrama in Patan area. (Posted @ 23:45 PST)
Mortar barrage kills nine Iraqi civilians, wounds 40 in southern Baghdad BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 1, (AP) _ A mortar barrage killed nine Iraqi civilians and wounded 40 in southern Baghdad on Thursday, police said. The attack occurred in south Baghdad's Dora district and involved seven mortar rounds landing on four houses, Cpt. Jamil Hussein of the Yarmouk police said. (Posted @ 23:22 PST)
Afghan president condemns U.S. firing during deadly riots KABUL, Afghanistan, June 1, (AP) _ President Hamid Karzai on Thursday condemned the use of gunfire by U.S. troops to suppress Afghans angered by a traffic accident involving a military truck that sparked the worst riots in the capital since the fall of the Taliban.(Posted @ 23:20 PST)
Twelve Indian troops killed in land mine attack NEW DELHI, June 1, 2006 (AFP) - Twelve paramilitary troops were killed in a land mine attack as they returned after defusing bombs in eastern India, where Maoist rebels have a strong presence, police said Thursday. The explosion occurred when bomb disposal squad officials were returning after defusing 16 bombs at a school in West Singbhum district in eastern Jharkhand state.(First Posted @ 18:44 PST Updated @ 23:15 PST)
NATO to reopen base in Serb north of Kosovo BELGRADE, June 1 (Reuters) NATO said on Thursday it planned to reopen a base in the mainly Serb north of Kosovo, as a decision nears on ethnic Albanian demands for independence for the province and fears grow of a Serb reaction. "For operational reasons we see the need to reuse this installation," a NATO spokesman said without elaborating. (Posted @ 20:48 PST)
Nine die as Indian troops hunt down militants in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, June 1, 2006 (AFP) Eight militants and a paramilitary soldier died in ongoing operations in occupied Kashmir, the army said Thursday. Three alleged militants and an Indian soldier were shot dead in Amirabad village, 40 kilometres south of Srinagar, during a three-day military siege. Two more militants were killed Thursday during an army raid on an alleged hideout at Kralpora village in the central Budgam district, an army spokesman said. "The firing has stopped but the operation is still on," he added. Three militants were also shot dead during two separate military operations in the southern Kashmir districts of Pulwama and Anantnag, the army said. As the troops withdrew from Amirabad, residents staged a protest demonstration accusing security forces of assaulting a man and torching six houses during the operation, witnesses said. The army spokesman identified one of the slain men as Ayub Naik, an alleged commander of the Hizbul Mujahedin group. (First Posted @ 14:35 PST Updated @ 20:46 PST)
Sri Lanka president demands new plan to end bloodshed COLOMBO, June 1, 2006 (AFP) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse urged the majority Sinhalese political parties Thursday to develop a plan that involves giving some power to minority Tamils in exchange for peace, his office said. Rajapakse made the announcement during talks with visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian affairs, Richard Boucher, who pledged military aid, but warned the country against returning to full-scale war.(Posted @ 20:34 PST)
Bush says standoff with Iran headed towards Security Council WASHINGTON (AP) President George W. Bush said Thursday that the standoff over Iran's suspected nuclear program is headed for the U.N. Security Council if Tehran continues to refuse to halt uranium enrichment. ``We'll see whether or not that is the firm position of their government,'' Bush said after a meeting with his Cabinet at the White House. ``If they continue their abstinence ... then the world will act in concert.''(Posted @ 20:30 PST)
Fresh unrest erupts in Bangladesh garments industry DHAKA, June 1, 2006 (AFP) Thousands of Bangladesh textile workers staged walkouts Thursday as fresh unrest over low wages threatened to disrupt the garment industry, officials said. Police were called in to the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) at Ashulia, 40 kilometres north of Dhaka, as workers from at least 10 factories held fresh demonstrations, an official said. Of the factories affected on Thursday, work had now resumed at around five after owners agreed to workers' demands for higher wages, one day off per week and other benefits, the official added.(Posted @ 18:46 PST)
Iraqi PM denounces U.S. military for Iraqi civilian killings BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Thursday denounced the killings of Iraqi civilians by U.S. forces. The move came in the wake of an investigation into allegations that U.S. Marines killed unarmed civilians in Haditha city. Al-Maliki said he had ordered the ``national security ministerial committee to follow up on this issue with the multinational forces'' and ``to hold talks with the multinational forces to formulate ground rules for detentions and raids.'' When asked about Iraqi complaints that U.S. forces show no regard for their lives during raids and detentions, al-Maliki said he objected to such practices. ``We cannot forgive violations of the dignity of the Iraqi people,'' he said during a press conference. He also said the Cabinet had agreed to issue a statement denouncing such practices.(Posted @ 18:42 PST)
Pakistan determined to secure its national integrity: PM Aziz ISLAMABAD, June 1 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Thursday said Pakistan was determined to secure its national integrity and solidarity through sustained economic sovereignty and geo-political stability. Addressing the 30th Convocation at the National Defence College, he said "Our vision of Pakistan is to have a developed, industrialised, just and prosperous Pakistan through knowledge inputs". He said "Pakistan is fast becoming a destination of choice for investors," adding that the foreign sector investment was expected to exceed US 3.5 billion dollars. He said the Gwadar Deep Seaport was being seen as an "Energy Port" and multiple options for gas pipelines were being negotiated to meet energy needs. "We are developing the north-south corridor, rail and air-links to integrate Pakistan with markets of three regions," he added. Aziz also said Pakistan has no ambitions for greater power status. "Nor do we wish to engage in an arms race with any country," he said. He also said that Iran has the right to generate nuclear energy but the controversy over its nuclear program should be resolved through negotiations. Aziz said he opposes using force against Iran as a means to resolve the standoff over its nuclear program, saying Tehran can produce nuclear energy under ``appropriate international safeguards''. (First Posted @ 15:31 PST Updated @ 18:38 PST)
Iran rejects US conditions for nuclear talks TEHRAN, June 1, 2006 (AFP) Iran on Thursday rejected US conditions for talks over its atomic programme. "We support dialogue in a fair and unbiased atmosphere, but we will not talk about our undeniable and legitimate rights, because this is the right of our people according to international laws and treaties," Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters. "There is no obstacle to negotiate with the United States on an equal footing, with respect and without preconditions, since what is important for us is to secure our nuclear rights," his spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi added. Mottaki complained that Rice's earlier statement was not conciliatory. "They have repeated their old old words. A new solution and a logical solution for the nuclear issue was not seen in the declaration," he said. Officials from the United States, Europe, Russia and China meanwhile gathered in Vienna on Thursday to continue talks on a carrot-and-stick approach to the crisis. British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said upon arrival in Vienna for the talks that there was "potentially a real opportunity" to strike an agreement with Teheran. Beckett said that any proposals agreed on in Vienna, where talks were due to start at 6 pm at the British ambassador's residence, would "be put to Iran first, instead of being published". (First Posted @ 12:30 PST Updated @ 18:34 PST)
Indonesia quake toll soars to 6,234 as hospitals strained BANTUL, Indonesia, June 1, 2006 (AFP) The death toll rose to 6,234 Thursday while the number of those hurt in the quake more than doubled to some 46,000, with more than 33,000 suffering serious injuries, the social affairs ministry said. Hospitals in the quake zone were still overwhelmed five days after Saturday's 6.3-magnitude temblor rocked Central Java, with patients spilling out from wards and badly in need of care, a UN official said. Foreign rescue teams from China, Qatar, Singapore, and the United States among others have set up field hospitals and lent a hand to help overworked staff at area hospitals. More than 139,000 homes were destroyed or damaged in the quake, according to the social affairs ministry.(Posted @ 18:30 PST)
U.S. orders "values" training for troops in Iraq BAGHDAD, June 1 (Reuters) A top U.S. commander in Iraq on Thursday ordered combat troops to be trained to abide by moral and ethical standards on the battlefield, in an apparent reference to allegations that Marines killed civilians last year. The training would take place over the next 30 days, the statement quoting Lieutenant General Peter W. Chiarelli, commander of U.S. combat troops in Iraq, said.(Posted @ 17:28 PST)
Strike to mourn boat tragedy cripples occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, June 1, 2006 (AFP) A one-day strike to mourn the deaths of 20 school children and two adults in a boating tragedy crippled businesses in Occupied Kashmir Thursday, as the navy expressed regret at the incident. The strike was called by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, and was backed by the Hizbul Mujahedin. Major business centres in Srinagar were shut down. Most schools and colleges were also shut for the day while traffic volumes were lower than normal. The strike also closed down other major towns such as Baramulla, Sopore, Handwara, Kupwara and Bandipora, reports said. Meanwhile the Indian navy expressed regret at the tragedy. "The Indian navy deeply regrets the incident involving drowning of 22 people in Wular Lake on the evening of May 30," said a navy statement released in Srinagar. Locals, angry that the navy had taken the children -- aged between seven and 14 -- in a high speed boat, alleged two sailors in charge of the vessel had jumped out before it sank. They also say the boat was overcrowded and those on board were not provided with life jackets. On Thursday, several hundred students of Kashmir's main university held a demonstration inside the campus in Srinagar chanting anti-navy slogans, witnesses said.(Posted @ 17:26 PST)
Police kill three bandits in Karachi shootout KARACHI, June 1, 2006 (AFP) Three notorious bandits were killed in a shootout when police raided their hideout Thursday in Karachi, Sindh’s provincial home minister Rauf Siddiqui said. The bandits were accomplices of Karachi's most wanted man, Rehman Dacoit, and were wanted in multiple cases of murder, robbery and arms smuggling, the minister said. No policemen were injured in Thursday's fire-fight which police said lasted for more than three hours in the eastern district of Malir. Police also recovered three bags full of Kalashnikovs, pistols, bombs and ammunition from the house.(Posted @ 17:18 PST)
India's left parties threaten strike against likely oil price hike NEW DELHI, June 1, 2006 (AFP) Left wing parties which lend crucial support to India's Congress party government on Thursday warned they would call a nationwide strike if the government raises fuel prices. "We will contact other political parties and give a joint call for a nationwide protest action including a general strike," Prakash Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), told reporters.(Posted @ 16:32 PST)
German spy agency rocked by CIA affair BERLIN, June 1 (Reuters) Germany's spy agency admitted on Thursday that one of its staff knew, but had failed to report, a German citizen had been arrested abroad and handed over to the United States as a terrorist suspect. The Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) said the employee was told in Macedonia in January 2004 that authorities there had arrested the man, Khaled el-Masri, and handed him to the United States. A spokesman said the man was a low-ranking official who had not realised the significance of the information. He said the new information had come to light in the past two days, as a parliamentary investigation prepares to question Masri and others about the affair.(Posted @ 16:10 PST)
Lee, Akhtar quality pacemen but with suspect action: Roberts NEW DELHI, June 1, 2006 (AFP) Former West Indies fast bowling great Andy Roberts on Thursday reopened the chucking debate saying Australian paceman Brett Lee and Pakistani counterpart Shoaib Akhtar had "suspect actions". "I am not the only one, most of the world thinks so. I have watched them. I think Lee is one of the best athletes in the Australian team, but one or two of his deliveries are suspect," Roberts told The Indian Express. "You look at Shoaib from side-on, you look at him from the back, I wonder if hyperextension can be that and all that they say it is," said Roberts. He also lashed out at ICC for "encouraging chucking" by allowing a bowler to bend his arm to 15 degrees.(Posted @ 16:05 PST)
Palestinian security forces protest overdue wages GAZA, June 1 (Reuters) Thousands of Palestinian security men protested in Gaza on Thursday in one of the biggest demonstrations over unpaid wages since the Hamas government took office. The government has been unable to pay salaries for three months to 165,000 government workers after the United States and other Western countries imposed sanctions over Hamas.(Posted @ 15:15 PST)
China, Arab countries target energy sector in ambitious trade plan BEIJING, June 1 (AFP) - China and the Arab world will target the energy sector as they seek to double their trade volumes over the next few years, the two sides said as they wrapped up a ministerial forum here Thursday. An agreement signed on the final day of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum said that Beijing and the 22 Arab League members would hold their first meeting on oil issues over the next three years, according to Xinhua news agency. "The two sides attach importance to energy cooperation, particularly the cooperation in the sectors of oil, natural gas and renewable energy," said a document outlining the forum's plans for 2006 to 2008, Xinhua reported. Mohammed Hussein al-Shaali, state minister for foreign affairs of the United Arab Emirates and a co-chair of the forum, told reporters there was a common target to double bilateral trade to 100 billion dollars by 2010.(Posted @ 14:40 PST)
Israeli PM says will meet Abbas at end of month JERSUALEM, June 1, 2006 (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he plans to meet Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas at the end of the month."I intend to meet him (Abbas) at the end of June, after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, King of Jordan Abdullah II and European leaders," the premier was quoted as saying by the mass-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper. "But I do not intend to abandon the conditions imposed on the reopening of negotiations laid out in the roadmap and by the (international diplomatic) quartet," Olmert said. "I am going to meet Abu Mazen (Abbas) to see if he has the means to respect these conditions. If that is the case, there will be negotiations, if not we will act independently," the prime minister added.(Posted @ 14:35 PST)
Taliban still in control of Afghan district: military KANDAHAR, June 1 (AFP) - Taliban-led rebels were still in control of a district in southern Afghanistan Thursday more than 24 hours after forcing out government troops, a military general said. Scores of Taliban militants stormed Chora district of southern Uruzgan province late Tuesday, overrunning the police and district headquarters. "The district is out of our hands. We're working on plans to retake the district," General Rahmatullah Raufi, military commander for southern Afghanistan said.(Posted @ 14:35 PST)
Eight more Pakistanis to be released soon from Guantanamo: Sherpao ISLAMABAD, Jun 1 (APP): Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has said that the United States has agreed to release eight more Pakistanis detained at Guantanamo Bay prison. Talking to PTV he said about 29 Pakistanis were imprisoned at Guantanamo, and efforts were underway to bring back the remaining 21 detenus as well.(Posted @ 11:55 PST)
Tehreek-e-Insaf chief to visit East Coast from June 23 WASHINGTON, June 1 (APP)- Chief of Tehreek-e-Insaf,Imran Khan will undertake visit of United States in the second fortnight of June. Among other engagements, Imran Khan will attend fund raisers for Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust in Maryland and New Jersey on June 23 and 24, respectively. Noted 'qawwal', Amjad Farid Sabri will perform at both functions.(Posted @ 11:50 PST)
Suicide car bomb in western Afghan town kills attacker but no one else KANDAHAR, June 1 (AP) _ A suicide car bomb blew up near a convoy of Afghan and U.S.-led coalition troops in western Afghanistan on Thursday, killing the attacker but hurting no one else, police said. The attack occurred near Farah town, 800 kilometers southwest of Kabul, as the convoy was driving near an airport, said Gen. Sayed Aqa Saqib, Farah province's police chief. There was no damage to the convoy.(Posted @ 11:40 PST)
India, Pakistan to hold talks on promoting tourism, cultural exchanges NEW DELHI, June 1 (AP) _ Officials from India and Pakistan were set to begin talks here Thursday on easing visa restrictions for each other's citizens in a bid to promote tourism and cultural exchanges, Indian media reported.(Posted @ 11:35 PST)
Political party office bombed in Sri Lanka's restive east COLOMBO, June 1, 2006 (AFP) - The office of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) came under attack in the town of Batticaloa, 303 kilometres east of Colombo, on Thursday morning, wounding at least four people, the military said. The blast came as US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian affairs, Richard Boucher, arrived here for talks with Sri Lankan leaders and businessmen on the island's troubled peace process.(Posted @ 11:30 PST)
Suicides up in Japan, overwork illnesses also rise TOKYO, June 1 (Reuters) - The number of Japanese committing suicides rose slightly in 2005 to stay above 30,000 for the eighth straight year. According to police figures released on Thursday, a total of 32,552 people committed suicide in 2005, up from 32,325 last year but still below the record 34,427 in 2003. More than two-thirds of the suicides were men, with the main reason given being health problems followed by economic troubles. According to earlier data from the WHO, the suicide rate in Japan was 24.1 per 100,000 in 2000, the second highest among G-8 industrialised nations after Russia's 39.4 compared with 18.4 for France and 10.4 in the United States.(Posted @ 11:25 PST)
Three killed in fall from U.S. television tower OAKLAND, Iowa, June 1 (AP) _ Three workers fell 1,100 feet from a television tower and died, officials said. The crew was replacing strobe lights Wednesday when the accident happened. ``They were up fairly high when something went wrong and all three members of the crew fell,'' an official said. ``We don't know what the actual cause was.''(Posted @ 10:45 PST)
Roadside bomb kills two labourers in Baghdad BAGHDAD, June 1 (Reuters) - A roadside bomb killed two labourers in central Baghdad on Thursday, Ministry of Interior sources said. The blast wounded 21 people, they added.(Posted @ 10:25 PST)
Arab League criticizes conditions set by Israel, West for contact with Palestinians BEIJING, June 1 (AP) _ Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa on Thursday criticized conditions set by Western governments and Israel that say the Hamas-led Palestinian government must renounce violence and recognize Israel before official contacts are possible. ``The Palestinian question is one of military occupation. It is not a terrorist issue. And it is one that should be solved through negotiations,'' Moussa said at a news conference during a meeting between China and Arab governments.Moussa said the ``core issue'' is that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, which he said should end before any conditions can be introduced.(Posted @ 10:20 PST)
Indian police kill suspected Islamic militants MUMBAI, June 1 (AFP) - Police shot dead three suspected militants before dawn Thursday as they tried to attack the headquarters of India's top Hindu organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), in Nagpur, authorities said. The gunmen, carrying explosives and grenades, were killed in a shoot-out after their car smashed through a barrier outside the national offices of the RSS. The attackers were dressed in police uniforms and drove what looked like a police car. Nagpur police commissioner S.P.S. Yadav told reporters a tip-off had been received and the militants opened fire after they were challenged by guards. Two police officers were also wounded, one seriously. The three dead men, in their early 20s, had not been identified.(Posted @ 10:10 PST)
Explosions, fire at British chemical plant LONDON, June 1 (AFP) - A series of explosions went off early Thursday at an ammonia plant in northeast England. The blast at the Terra Nitrogen works in Billingham caused minor injuries to two workers and set off a blaze and gas leak, both of which were brought under control by emergency crews working overnight. Police gave no explanation for the cause of the blast.(Posted @ 10:00 PST)
England and Sri Lanka third Test squad NOTTINGHAM, England, June 1 (APP/AFP) - England and Sri Lanka squads for the third Test at Trent Bridge starting here Friday: England: Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff (capt), Geraint Jones (wkt), Liam Plunkett, Sajid Mahmood, Matthew Hoggard, Monty Panesar, Jon Lewis. Sri Lanka (probable): Upul Tharanga, Michael Vandort, Kumar Sangakkara (wkt), Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Kapugedera, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Zoysa, Sanath Jayasuriya(Posted @ 09:55 PST)
Chinese FM discusses Iran nuclear issue with Rice BEIJING, June 1 (APP/AFP) - China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed the Iran nuclear issue in telephone talks late Wednesday, state media reported. "Their major topic was how to properly handle the Iran nuclear issue through diplomatic means," Xinhua quoted a foreign ministry statement as saying. The statement did not elaborate on the content of the discussion.(Posted @ 09:50 PST)
Indonesia quake toll soars as hospitals struggle BANTUL, Indonesia, June 1 (AFP) - The number of casualties from the Indonesian quake soared Thursday as the United Nations said hospitals were still overcrowded and lacked basic supplies to treat the mass of injured. The death toll rose to 6,234 while the number of those hurt in the disaster more than doubled to some 46,000, with more than 33,000 of them suffering serious injuries, the social affairs ministry said.(Posted @ 09:30 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 383.08 points: KARACHI, June 1: At close of trading the KSE-100 index was at 10183.77 ,up 383.08 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, June 1: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.6 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
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