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| June 22, 2006 | Thursday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 25, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Security Council backs U.N. seat for Montenegro UNITED NATIONS, June 22 (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council recommended on Thursday that tiny Montenegro, which recently broke away from Serbia, become the 192nd member of the United Nations, sending the matter to the General Assembly. The assembly has tentatively set a vote for next Wednesday, and routine approval was expected, diplomats said.(Posted @ 23:30 PST)
Iran urges UN action to stop "defamation" of Islam GENEVA, June 22 (Reuters) - Iran backed efforts by Islamic states on Thursday to get the United Nations new Human Rights Council to counter what they call "defamation of religion" around the world. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told the 45-member Council, holding its first-ever session, that freedom of expression "should not constitute a pretext and a platform to insult religions and their sanctities. "Defamation of religions, particularly the divine message of Islam, should be rejected," he declared. His remarks echoed a call from the Organisation of Islamic States (OIC) and assertions by Saudi Arabia that Islam faced "an escalation of hatred and animosity ... disdain for its values and everything it holds sacred."(Posted @ 21:22 PST)
Kidnappers free Iraqi Sunni hostages from mass abduction BAGHDAD, June 22 (AFP) - The kidnappers of more than 100 Iraqi government employees Thursday freed all their Sunni hostages seized after their shift ended at a factory north of Baghdad. "Women hostages and those who were Sunnis were set free, and we believe that now about 40 to 50 employees are still held captive," an interior ministry official said. Meanwhile, two of the hostages were killed as they "tried to escape," Industry Minister Fawzi Hariri said on state television.(Posted @ 21:02 PST)
Seven Taliban killed, 10 captured in southern Afghanistan KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, June 22 (AFP) - Coalition and Afghan forces killed seven militants and captured 10 more Thursday after the rebels ambushed a patrol in southern Afghanistan, an army commander said. The fighting in southern Uruzgan province erupted after dozens of militants attacked the military with rockets and machineguns, said General Rahmatullah Raufi, military commander for southern Afghanistan.(Posted @ 20:48 PST)
Three cities shortlisted as candidates for 2014 Winter Olympics LAUSANNE, Switzerland, June 22, 2006 (AFP) - South Korean city Pyeongchang, Sotchi in Russia and Salzburg in Austria have been shortlisted as candidates to host the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge confirmed Thursday. Almaty (Kazakhstan), Borjomi (Georgia), Jaca (Spain) and Sofia (Bulgaria) have all been removed from the list of potential host cities.(Posted @ 20:42 PST)
NKorean missile launch not imminent, Seoul defense minister says SEOUL, June 22 (AFP) - North Korea's planned test-firing of a long-range missile is not imminent, South Korea's Defense Minister said Thursday. "There are many processes to go through before firing such a missile. Given this, it (an imminent firing) is not the case," Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung told a parliamentary hearing, the South's Yonhap news agency reported, easing widespread international jitters over a feared early launch.(Posted @ 20:36 PST)
Mosque damaged in Pir Koh rocket firing QUETTA June 22 (PPI): Several rockets fell on OGDC Colony in Pir Koh in which the wall of a mosque was damaged and two persons were injured.(Posted @ 20:28 PST)
Pak-India begin talks on Wullar Barrage ISLAMABAD, Jun 22 (APP): Pakistan and India Thursday began two-day Secretary level talks on the contentious Wullar Barrage, with both sides hoping for "fruitful discussions". Indian Secretary Water J Hari Narayan termed the talks a "positive sign" and said he looked forward to "fruitful discussions" during the next two days.(Posted @ 20:22 PST)
Six killed, eight injured in road accident MUZAFFARABAD, June 22 (APP): At least six persons, including a woman and four year childern were killed while eight others sustained injuries, when a Jeep fell into a ditch near the bank of river Neelam late Wednesday night, police said Thursday. The jeep was proceeding to Keil from Muzaffarabad and met the accident at Dunjur in Neelam valley.(Posted @ 20:22 PST)
Diyala governor wounded in Iraq bomb attack BAQUBA, June 22 (Reuters) - The governor of Iraq's restless Diyala province was wounded and his driver and bodyguard killed when a bomb exploded near his convoy on Thursday in the violent city of Baquba, police sources said. Raad al-Mowla was travelling home from work when the shrapnel from the blast punctured his car's tyre causing it to overturn. The police source said Mowla was flown to a U.S. military hospital in Iraq for treatment.(Posted @ 20:05 PST)
Iran president says Iran must keep nuclear fuel cycle TEHRAN, June 22 (AFP) - Iran wants to keep hold of its sensitive nuclear fuel cycle technology, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday. "The nuclear fuel cycle belongs to all Iranians and everyone has a right to use it. All people insist on maintaining this right," he was quoted as saying in a speech in Hamedan province. "If science and technology are good, they should be good for all ... We have never been cruel to anyone and we will not bow to cruelty," the ISNA news agency quoted him as saying.(Posted @ 20:02 PST)
Olmert warns Iran over nuclear weapons PETRA, Jordan, June 22 (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday warned Iran "not to cross the line," saying it would be "intolerable" for the Islamic republic to have nuclear weapons. "The chances of Iran possessing nuclear weapons is intolerable," Olmert told Nobel Peace laureate Elie Wiesel during an informal chat on the sidelines of a Nobel laureate in Jordan. "I hope Iran will understand that this game is serious. They have to understand they can't cross the line," he said.(Posted @ 19:56 PST)
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup field hockey results KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 (AFP) - Results from the 15th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament on Thursday: Argentina 2 (Saladino 48, 49) Pakistan 0 Half-time 0-0. Netherlands 0, New Zealand 0(Posted @ 19:44 PST)
Abbas-Olmert hold 'symbolic' talks PETRA, Jordan, June 22 (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas held informal talks in Jordan on Thursday, the first such top-level encounter in a year, and pledged to meet again in a bid to revive the moribund peace process. Olmert pledged he would "put everything on the line" for peace and said there would be more meetings with Abbas after the symbolic encounter over breakfast hosted by Jordan's King Abdullah II. "There is an idea to prepare our next meeting and preparations will begin next week," Abbas said after the meeting. "I am ready to put on (the) line everything for one purpose, to achievepeace, to make compromise, to pull out of certain territories," Olmert said,saying "compromise" was in order. But Olmert also set down conditions to ensure the success of future meetings with the Palestinians. "There should be fulfilment on three, non-negotiable conditions: totaldisarmament of terrorist organisations, full implementation of agreements and formal recognition of Israel," he said.(Posted @ 19:40 PST)
Russia warns NKorea over threat to regional stability MOSCOW, June 22, 2006 (AFP) - Russia warned North Korea's ambassador to Moscow Thursday against his country threatening regional stability with apparent plans to test a ballistic missile, the foreign ministry said in a statement.(Posted @ 19:18 PST)
Afghan president calls for new approach, four US soldiers killed KABUL, June 22 (AFP) - The world must find a better way to tackle the terrorism afflicting Afghanistan or the West will suffer again, President Hamid Karzai said as four more US soldiers died in clashes with the Taliban. The US-led "war on terror" has largely been limited to Afghan soil but should be extended to the sources of terrorism, Karzai told reporters Thursday. The international community needs to "reassess the manner in which the war on terror is conducted," Karzai said, adding that he had been in discussions with Afghanistan's partners about a "change of approach". "We can't tolerate it forever... in the past three weeks five, six hundred people have died in the country. We want an end to this, a basic end to this." The US-led coalition announced meanwhile that four US soldiers were killed in combat in the northeastern province of Nuristan on Wednesday. "I've strongly believe and I've conveyed my belief to the international community that we must engage strategically in disarming the terrorists by stopping their sources of money, training, equipment and motivation," Karzai said.(Posted @ 19:06 PST)
Two killed, 15 hurt in grenade attack on occupied Kashmir dervish's home SRINAGAR, June 22 (AFP) - A young man and an old woman were killed and 15 people injured Thursday in a grenade attack on the home of a so-called dervish in revolt-hit occupied Kashmir, police said. The attack in Sopore, 50 kilometers north of Srinagar, was on the house of Abdul Ahad Sopori. "His followers were hurt in the explosion as well as a policeman," a police spokesman said. He said two of the injured, a young man and an old woman, died at a Srinagar hospital while the condition of three more followers was critical.(Posted @ 19:04 PST)
35 missing after ferry sinks off Indonesia's Sumatra, 81 rescued JAKARTA, June 22 (AFP) - A ferry has sunk in heavy seas off Indonesia's Sumatra island, leaving 35 people missing with 81 others rescued, officials said Thursday. There were 116 people, including a crew of 12, on board, they said. Three on board were Americans but they were not among those rescued so far, one report said while Antara news agency said that two were Americans and one was an Australian.(Posted @ 18:36 PST)
Iran will answer on nuclear deal after July G8 summit: Annan GENEVA, June 22(AFP) - UN chief Kofi Annan said Thursday that Iran was unlikely to respond until after the mid-July G8 summit of world leaders to an offer of incentives in return for a pledge to suspend uranium enrichment. Speaking in Geneva after what he called a "very useful talk" with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Annan said Tehran was taking the proposal seriously. "I think they will give an answer after the G8 meeting in Saint Petersburg" scheduled for July 15 to 17, the United Nations secretary general told a press conference.(Posted @ 18:34 PST)
Iranian response by end of June would be 'helpful': US BUDAPEST, June 22 (AFP) - An Iranian response to an offer of incentives by world powers to suspend its controversial uranium enrichment program by the end of June would be "helpful" in resolving the crisis, US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said Thursday. With a key cycle of G8 meetings coming up, starting with a foreign ministers meeting in Moscow on June 29, "it would be helpful to have a response before that set of meetings," Hadley told reporters.(Posted @ 18:30 PST)
Over and out for ex-champions Pakistan KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 (AFP) - Former champions Pakistan were denied a place in the semi-finals of the 15th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia when they were beaten 2-0 by Argentina. The Pakistanis were piped to the semis by the Netherlands on goal difference. Both teams had four points but the Pakistanis had a minus one goal difference compared to the Netherlands' plus two New Zealand, who played to a 0-0 draw with the Netherlands in a later match, topped Group B and will now meet Australia in the semi-finals on Saturday. The other semis-final will see India versus the Netherlands. Pakistan coach Asif Bajwa was unable to explain their defeat.(Posted @ 18:28 PST)
Saddam on hunger strike to protest lawyer's murder BAGHDAD, June 22, 2006 (AFP) Saddam Hussein has gone on hunger strike to protest the killing of his lawyer, his lead lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi said Thursday. "Saddam and 55 other detainees (former regime officials) are on a hunger strike since yesterday after the killing of Khamis al-Obeidi," Dulaimi said. Dulaimi said Saddam and the others wanted US and international committees to give guarantees "for the security of the other defense lawyers." A US military spokesman, on being contacted about the protest, said he was "unaware of the strike and will check it out."(Posted @ 12:25 PST)
10 Bangladeshi fishmongers killed as truck flips over DHAKA, June 22, 2006 (AFP) Ten people were killed and four others seriously injured when a truck carrying fishmongers overturned in northern Bangladesh, police said Thursday.(Posted @ 12:15 PST)
Pakistan confirms arrest of missing journalist KARACHI, June 22, 2006 (AFP) Pakistani police said Thursday they had arrested a journalist for a private television news channel who went missing in March while allegedly filming a military base used by US forces. Mukesh Rupeta, a correspondent for GEO television, and another person named Sanjay Kumar were arrested under the Official Secrets Act, a police officer in Jacobabad city said. The pair would soon be produced in court in Jacobabad for remand, the officer added.
Four U.S. Marines killed in Iraq BAGHDAD, June 22 (Reuters) Four U.S. Marines were killed on Tuesday in Iraq's western Anbar province, the U.S. military said on Thursday. Three Marines were killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb. Another Marine died after coming under fire during security operations, said a military statement.(Posted @ 12:10 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 70.91 points: KARACHI, June 22: At the close of trading the KSE-100 index was at 10174.22, up 70.91 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, June 22: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.65 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
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