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| July 11, 2006 | Tuesday | Jumadi-ul-Sani 14, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Flash flooding in north-western Pakistan leaves 13 dead, 300 injured PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) Torrential rains triggered flooding that washed away or severely damaged dozens of homes in a village in north-western Pakistan, killing 13 people and injuring about 300 others, the military said Tuesday. Heavy rains lashed the village of Gorvek in the mountainous tribal region of North Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan, on Monday and Tuesday, the military's Inter-Services Public Relations department said, adding that the dead included women and children. Army troops launched a rescue operation in which the bodies of 13 flood victims were recovered while 300 other villagers received treatment for injuries from the flooding, it said. (Posted @ 23:45 PST)
Pakistan arrests four for attacks on troops, bombings QUETTA, Pakistan, July 12, 2006 (AFP) Four suspected members of an outlawed group were arrested for attacking troops and carrying out bomb blasts in Balochistan province, police said Tuesday. The four men belonging to Balochistan Liberation Army were arrested after admitting to carrying out bomb blasts and rocket attacks on troops, Balochistan police chief told a press conference. They carried out bombings at government buildings in Naushki, Taftan and Kalat cities and rocket attacks on paramilitary troops and blew up railway tracks at several places, he said. (Posted @ 23:20 PST)
Forensic accountants to submit report on KSE within three months: Aziz ISLAMABAD, Jul 11 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Tuesday said forensic accountants were investigating into the March 2005 crash of Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) and would submit a report within three months. In an interview to a private television channel, he said it was on his directives that the report submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) did not contain any names. "It is not justice to blame any person without any proof”, adding that “as soon as the forensic accountants complete their report, legal action will be taken against those found responsible," he said. When asked whether he had any investments in the KSE, Aziz said "I, as a matter of personal policy do not invest in the country I work...this is my principle and I have worked very hard and all my assets are known", adding also "I have no factories, no shares…." When asked whether strong cartels were behind such scams, Aziz said "no one is above the law...if anyone violates, the government will not make any distinction." About Supreme Court's decision on the sale of Pakistan Steel Mills, he said the government fully respects the decision and was waiting for the detailed judgement. "The Privatisation process will continue, under the guidance of the Supreme Court transparently," he said. About the sugar crisis in the country, he said high prices were linked to the increase in International market and dismissed the "conspiracy theories" in this regard. He said the National Accountability Bureau investigates only in cases when some personal interests are involved, but this matter relates to demand and supply. (Posted @ 23:08 PST)
PM Aziz to contest from Attock in next general elections ISLAMABAD, July 11 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Tuesday said he would contest the next general elections from Attock and that the party would decide whether he can be a candidate for premiership or not. "It will purely be a decision of the party (Pakistan Muslim League) if I am chosen to be the leader of house or not," Aziz said in an interview to a local television channel. When asked about the timing of the elections and as to who will elect the President, he said under the constitution it is the parliament that elects the President. However he added: "It is to be seen when the elections are held. These could be early or late. At this stage even this can't be said which assembly will be there at that time, as in a parliamentary system, elections can be held at any time." He said the constitution clearly mentions that the assemblies can be dissolved at any time and a caretaker set-up can be put in place for some months. Regarding the demand of the opposition to resign by July 31, Aziz said the PML and its coalition partners enjoy a strong position and will face any such move in the parliament strongly. When asked about the role of former premiers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in the next elections, he said, "only time will tell who stands where at that time." Aziz also said his relations with President Musharraf were cordial and together they have taken the country forward in all spheres in the past seven years. (Posted @ 22:45 PST)
Bombs hit trains in Mumbai, at least 135 dead MUMBAI, July 11 (Reuters) At least 135 people were killed and hundreds injured in seven bomb explosions on packed commuter trains and stations during rush hour on Tuesday in Mumbai, India's financial hub, officials said. City police chief A.N. Roy said 135 people were killed while Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said 300 people were injured. "It is a bomb blast. We are not sure if it is RDX or not," Roy said, referring to the possible use of high-powered plastic explosives. Commuters fled suburban rail stations in panic after the explosions and mobile phone lines were jammed. Television pictures showed twisted rail carriages and people in bloodstained clothes carrying dead and wounded on stretchers. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. "We have doused the flames at all the blast sites and now we are taking the injured to hospitals," Mumbai's fire services chief said. For more details click here. (First Posted @ 19:06 PST Updated @ 21:44 PST)
Eight tourists killed, 39 hurt in Srinagar grenade attacks SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, July 11 (AFP) Eight tourists were killed and 39 people injured Tuesday in a series of grenade attacks targeting holiday areas in Srinagar, police said. Six tourists including five women were killed and 15 people wounded when a grenade blasted a minibus near the Dalgate area of the mountain-ringed Dal Lake in Srinagar, police said. A second grenade attack at Regal Chowk injured four people who were travelling in a car, police said. In two more attacks on private passenger jeeps near Lal Chowk, two tourists were killed and ten people were injured. A fifth explosion took place near Srinagar's tourist reception centre and injured ten people, police said. A suspect held after the fifth blast turned out to be one of the militant attackers, a senior police officer told reporters. Police identified the alleged militant as Mohammed Afzal from northern Baramulla district and said he had been recruited for the job by the Lashkar-e-Toiba group. However a spokesman for Lashkar condemned the Srinagar attacks, terming them as "inhuman." "Our fight is against Indian troops and none else," he told reporters over telephone and denied Afzal was from Lashkar. (First Posted @ 13:32 PST Updated @ 21:35 PST)
Indian PM vows to defeat terrorists after blasts NEW DELHI, July 12, 2006 (AFP) India's prime minister Tuesday vowed to "defeat the evil designs of terrorists" after blasts killed scores in the country's financial capital Mumbai and eight others in revolt-hit occupied Kashmir. Manmohan Singh called for calm in Mumbai and Srinagar after an emergency meeting at his official residence with Home Minister Shivraj Patil. "The government will take all possible measures to maintain law and order and defeat the forces of terrorism," Singh said in a statement read out by Patil after the meeting. (First Posted @ 20:30 PST Updated @ 21:32 PST)
Pakistan strongly condemns "terrorist" blasts in India ISLAMABAD, July 11, 2006 (AFP) Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned a series of bomb blasts on commuter trains in the Indian city of Mumbai, describing the attacks as a "despicable act of terrorism." "Pakistan strongly condemns the series of bomb blasts on commuter trains in Mumbai, India," a foreign ministry statement said. "This despicable act of terrorism has resulted in the loss of a large number of precious lives," it said. President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also strongly condemned the attacks and offered condolences over the loss of life, the ministry said. "Terrorism is a bane of our times and it must be condemned, rejected and countered effectively and comprehensively," it said. (First Posted @ 21:08 PST Updated @ 21:30 PST)
Pakistani leaders condemn Mumbai "terrorist attack" ISLAMABAD, July 11 (Reuters) President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz strongly condemned Tuesday's bomb attacks on commuter trains in the Indian city of Mumbai that has killed at least 135 people. "Pakistan strongly condemns the series of bomb blasts on commuter trains in Mumbai, India," a statement issued by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said. "The president and prime minister of Pakistan have also strongly condemned this terrorist attack and have expressed condolences over the loss of innocent lives." (Posted @ 21:08 PST)
Kyrgyzstan to expel two U.S. diplomats BISHKEK, July 11 (Reuters) Kyrgyzstan, home to a U.S. military airbase, plans to expel two American diplomats, a human rights official said on Tuesday. The U.S. embassy declined to confirm whether the diplomats would be expelled. Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Ministry and the president's office could also not confirm the expulsion. The embassy statement on the Web site kyrgyz.usembassy.gov however said in a statement that: "U.S. diplomats have been accused of having inappropriate contact with the leaders of non-governmental organisations….This can be seen as an attempt to intimidate embassies and silence the voice of civil society." A spokesman declined further comment. (Posted @ 21:08 PST)
Rumsfeld says Afghan mission a major step for NATO KABUL, July 11 (Reuters) U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Tuesday the expansion of a NATO peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan was historic for the alliance which will soon take over some of the most dangerous parts of the country. Rumsfeld was the second senior U.S. official to visit Afghanistan in two weeks. "This is an effort by NATO that is the first time in the history of that alliance, that it has undertaken a major responsibility in a country outside of Europe," Rumsfeld told a news conference with President Hamid Karzai. Karzai said U.S. help was vital. "We will keep asking for more and we will never stop asking." (First Posted @ 09:35 PST Updated @ 21:06 PST)
Closer US-India ties fuel terrorism: Afghan minister BRUSSELS, July 11 (Reuters) Closer U.S. ties with India have worried neighbours and fuelled increased terrorist activity in Afghanistan, the Afghan foreign minister said on Tuesday. Speaking to members of the European Parliament, Rangeen Dadfar Spanta urged Pakistan to do more in the battle against militants and called on the United States and its allies to "come down" on countries that harbour terrorists. Spanta said Afghanistan needed more support from its allies to build up its security forces and in development work to counter the threat. He blamed "geo-strategic changes" for the surge in violence in the south of the country. "The United States, for example, getting closer to India is seen as a tremendous danger by many countries of the region and here we have a manifestation of that. Without those countries it is not possible to get peace in Afghanistan," he said. (Posted @ 20:54 PST)
At least 140 killed in Mogadishu battle MOGADISHU, July 11 (Reuters) At least 140 people were killed and 150 injured in two days of fighting in the Somali capital, a hospital official said on Tuesday. The official said casualties from the two days of fighting, which started on Sunday and ended late on Monday when the militia loyal to warlord Abdi Awale Qaybdiid began surrendering, would probably rise as many had not yet been taken to hospital. The fighting pitted militias who control most of Mogadishu against gunmen backing Qaybdiid, a member of a routed alliance of U.S.-backed warlords, and those of Hussein Aideed, a warlord and deputy prime minister in the interim government. (Posted @ 20:54 PST)
President Musharraf renews resolve to overcome energy crises RAWALPINDI, July 11 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf reiterated his resolve Tuesday to overcome prevailing energy crises by taking all possible measures on war-footing. He welcomed both national and multinational entrepreneurs to come forward and provide full support to government efforts in overcoming energy crises. He was talking to a delegation, comprising representatives of national and international power companies who called on him. The participants of the delegation offered various solutions to prevailing energy crises in the country and discussed various emergency power supply projects with the President for ensuring the supply of power in emergency situations. (Posted @ 20:36 PST)
Indian PM Singh urges calm after Mumbai rail blasts NEW DELHI, July 11 (Reuters) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged people on Tuesday to remain calm after seven explosions on Mumbai's rail network killed more than 100 people. "I urge the people to remain calm, not to believe rumours and carry on their activity normally," Singh said in a statement, calling the explosions a "shameful act". (Posted @ 20:30 PST)
Seven explosions rock Mumbai; more than 100 feared dead Mumbai, India, July 11 (AP) Seven explosions rocked Mumbai’s commuter rail network during Tuesday’s evening rush hour, ripping apart train compartments, a railway spokesman said. Mumbai Police Chief A.N. Roy said on Indian television that as many 100 people were feared killed and more than 250 injured. The wave of blasts was caused by explosives, police said. "Forensic experts have been called in and they will determine what kinds of explosives were used in these blasts," Mumbai police commissioner A.N. Roy said. The Press Trust of India, citing railway officials, said all the blasts had hit first-class cars at packed railway stations in the Matunga, Khar, Santacruz, Jogeshwari, Borivali and Bhayendar; localities in and around Mumbai. A spokesman for the Western Railway said all trains had been suspended in Mumbai and appealed to the public to stay away from the city's train stations. (First Posted @ 19:06 PST Updated @ 20:24 PST)
Thousands vote in Azad Kashmir amid reports of violence MUZAFFARABAD, Azad Kashmir, July 11 (AP) Thousands of people voted Tuesday in Azad Kashmir to choose a new regional legislature that faces the challenge of rebuilding after a devastating earthquake last year. Scuffles and shooting between supporters of rival candidates at various polling stations left dozens of people wounded, a local Pakistani TV channel reported. But there was no official confirmation of the report. Separately, around 1,000 supporters of an alliance of three political groups staged rallies in Muzaffarabad and several other cities to protest a government decision that prevented it from participating in the elections. The decision to keep out the All Parties National Alliance from the elections was made after it refused to comply with a rule that all candidates support a Kashmir united with Pakistan, said Mohammed Naseem Sheikh, the top election official in Kashmir. Some 8,000 army troops, 16,000 police and an unspecified number of paramilitary troops were deployed to provide security for the elections, Sheikh said. Voting closed at 5 p.m. and counting of the ballots has started, Sheikh said. There was no word immediately on voter turnout or the results. (First Posted @ 15:35 PST Updated @ 20:10 PST)
Court jails Bosnian Serb for five years for war crimes SARAJEVO, July 11 (Reuters) Bosnia's war crimes court sentenced a former Bosnian Serb policeman to five years in prison on Tuesday for crimes against humanity committed in 1992 in the eastern town of Visegrad. The court found Boban Simsic, 38, guilty of crimes including involvement in the abduction and rape of Muslims in Visegrad, but acquitted him of charges that he took part in illegal arrests and confinement, murder, rape, torture and infliction of serious injury to Muslim civilians. One of the main Bosnian rape victims' associations, Female Victims of the War, said the sentence was too lenient. "It seems that it is better to be a butcher today than a victim," said association head Bakira Hasecic, herself a victim of rape in Visegrad. (Posted @ 20:02 PST)
Hurriyat leaders condemn Srinagar blasts ISLAMABAD, July 11 (APP): The Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said Tuesday that there was a deep-rooted conspiracy behind Srinagar blasts to bring a bad name to Kashmiris' struggle. Talking to media men in Srinagar he demanded an international probe into such occurrences, PTV reported. Senior Kashmiri Hurriyat Leader, Syed Ali Gilani, described Srinagar’s blasts as the handiwork of Indian intelligence agencies, aimed at defaming the liberation movement. APHC leader, Professor Abdul Ghani Butt said that India's negative attitude was making the situation in Kashmir more dangerous. The President of Democratic Freedom Party Shabbir Ahmad Shah emphasized that India was hell bent upon creating suspicions among people regarding Kashmiris' just struggle. Meanwhile, anti-India demonstrations were held in Kulgam today in protest against a custodial killing. (Posted @ 19:52 PST)
Pink Floyd co-founder Syd Barrett dies aged 60 LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) Syd Barrett, a founding member of British rock group Pink Floyd, has died aged 60, a source close to the band said on Tuesday. "I have had it from David (Gilmour) that it was confirmed by the family," said the source, adding. "It happened on Friday". It was not immediately clear what caused his death. (Posted @ 19:48 PST)
All U.S. detainees to get Geneva conventions protections WASHINGTON, July 11 (AP) The Bush administration said Tuesday that all detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in U.S. military custody everywhere are entitled to protections under the Geneva Conventions. White House spokesman Tony Snow said the policy, outlined in a new Defense Department memo, reflects the recent 5-3 Supreme Court decision blocking military tribunals set up by President George W. Bush. The policy, described in a memo by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, appears to reverse the administration's earlier insistence that the detainees are not prisoners of war and thus subject to the Geneva protections. Word of the Bush administration's new stance came as the Senate Judiciary Committee opened hearings Tuesday on the politically charged issue of how detainees should be treated. (Posted @ 19:46 PST)
Seven explosions rock Mumbai; 63 fear dead BOMBAY, India, July 11 (Agencies) Police said at least 40 people were killed in seven blasts on Mumbai’s commuter rail network during Tuesday’s evening rush hour, a Reuters report said. A TV report indicated the death toll to be as high as 63 quoting railway officials. There was chaos throughout the crowded rail network following the explosions, and authorities struggled to determine how many people had been killed and injured. Witnesses reported seeing body parts strewn about stations, and Indian television news channels broadcast footage of wounded sprawled on tracks and being carried through to ambulances. A spokesman for the Western Railway said all trains had been suspended in Mumbai and appealed to the public to stay away from the city's train stations. The Press Trust of India, citing railway officials, said all the blasts had hit first-class cars. Another CNN-IBN reporter said he had seen more than 20 badly mutilated bodies at one hospital. According to the same national news agency the blasts occurred at packed railway stations in the Matunga, Khar, Santacruz, Jogeshwari, Borivali and Bhayendar, localities in and around Mumbai. (First Posted @ 19:06 PST Updated @ 19:42 PST)
Eight tourists killed, 39 hurt in Srinagar grenade attacks SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, July 11 (AFP) Eight tourists were killed and 39 people injured Tuesday in a series of grenade attacks targeting holiday areas in the main city of revolt-hit occupied Kashmir, police said. In the bloodiest attack, six tourists including five women were killed and 15 people wounded when a grenade blasted a minibus near the busy Dalgate area of the mountain-ringed Dal Lake in Srinagar, police said. A second grenade attack in Srinagar's Regal Chowk injured four people who were travelling in a car, police said. In two more attacks on private passenger jeeps near Lal Chowk, two tourists were killed and ten people were injured. A fifth explosion took place near Srinagar's tourist reception centre and injured ten people, police said. A suspect was held after the fifth blast and was being questioned, a police officer said. No militant group claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Kashmir attacks were followed by a number of blasts in Mumbai during peak rush hour Tuesday. There was no immediate indication whether the attacks in Srinagar and Mumbai were connected. (First Posted @ 13:32 PST Updated @ 19:32 PST)
Seven explosions rock Mumbai; death toll feared in dozens BOMBAY, India, July 11 (AP) Seven explosions rocked Mumbai’s commuter rail network during Tuesday’s evening rush hour, a railway spokesman said. The blasts ripped apart train compartments and reportedly killed dozens, police and Indian media said. There was chaos throughout the crowded rail network following the explosions, and authorities struggled to determine how many people had been killed and injured. Witnesses reported seeing body parts strewn about stations, and Indian television news channels broadcast footage of wounded sprawled on tracks and being carried through to ambulances. A spokesman for the Western Railway confirmed that seven blasts had taken place. He said all trains had been suspended in Mumbai and appealed to the public to stay away from the city's train stations. The Press Trust of India, citing railway officials, said all the blasts had hit first-class cars. Another CNN-IBN reporter said he had seen more than 20 badly mutilated bodies at one hospital. According to the same national news agency the blasts occurred at packed railway stations in the Matunga, Khar, Santacruz, Jogeshwari, Borivali and Bhayendar, localities in and around Mumbai. (First Posted @ 19:06 PST Updated @ 19:24 PST)
Six blasts reported in Mumbai: railways MUMBAI, July 11, 2006 (AFP) At least six blasts rocked the railway network in India's financial capital of Mumbai during the evening rush hour Tuesday, officials from the state-run railway told the Press Trust of India. The blasts, which injured an unknown number of people, occurred at packed railway stations in the Matunga, Khar, Santacruz, Jogeshwari, Borivali and Bhayendar localities in and around Mumbai, the national news agency said. (Posted @ 19:12 PST)
Seven tourists killed, 35 hurt in Srinagar grenade attacks SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, July 11 (AFP) Seven tourists were killed and 35 people injured Tuesday in a series of grenade attacks targeting holiday areas in the main city of revolt-hit occupied Kashmir, police said. In the bloodiest attack, six tourists including five women were killed and 15 people wounded when a grenade blasted a minibus near the busy Dalgate area of the mountain-ringed Dal Lake in Srinagar's main tourist district. A second grenade attack in Srinagar's busy Regal Chowk injured four people who were travelling in a car, police said. In two more attacks on private passenger jeeps near Lal Chowk, the main commercial centre, one person was killed and six people were injured. A fifth explosion took place near Srinagar's tourist reception centre and injured ten people, police said. A suspect was held after the fifth blast and was being questioned, a police officer said. No militant group claimed responsibility for the attacks. (First Posted @ 13:32 PST Updated @ 19:10 PST)
Blasts hit trains in Mumbai, 15 reported dead MUMBAI, July 11 (Reuters) Explosions hit at least four packed commuter trains during the rush hour on Tuesday in India's financial hub, Mumbai, officials said. The local CNN-IBN news channel said at least 15 people were killed in one of the blasts at Matunga station in central Mumbai. One television channel showed more than half-a-dozen injured people near the site of another blast in the Khar suburban station of Mumbai. Police officials said two more explosions took place in the Santa Cruz and Mahim suburbs of the city. CNN-IBN reported a fifth blast had taken place but there was no official confirmation. Dazed survivors were shown with wounds from injuries to heads, legs and hands on the railway station with little sign of any emergency medical aid. (Posted @ 19:06 PST)
India and Pakistan ink aid pact, nine months after killer quake NEW DELHI, July 11, 2006 (AFP) India Tuesday approved a donation of 25 million dollars to buy building materials for victims in Pakistan nine months after a major earthquake killed 73,000 people there. The Indian foreign ministry said the assistance was part of a pledge made at an UN-sponsored donors' conference for the victims of the October 2005 earthquake. "A memorandum of understanding setting out the modalities for release of these funds to enable Pakistan to procure reconstruction material according to its requirements was signed today," the ministry said in a statement. The reason for the delayed disbursement was not given. "The government of India hopes that this will assist the families who have been devastated by the earthquake in rebuilding their lives," the statment said as Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and Pakistan's envoy in India, Aziz Ahmad Khan, inked the deal. The statement stressed that New Delhi had sent five million dollars of emergency aid immediately after the quake in addition to relief supplies worth 10.5 million dollars donated by charities and state-backed welfare agencies. (Posted @ 18:04 PST)
'Long road' remains to resolve Iran nuclear row: Iran envoy BRUSSELS, July 11, 2006 (AFP) Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ari Larijani warned Tuesday that a "long road" remains ahead before Tehran's atomic standoff with the West can be solved, after his latest talks with European officials. "We had very wide-ranging discussions, we were following up on the Tehran negotiations and in the meantime we have had contacts by telephone," he said after talks with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Brussels. "During these negotiations certain important points came up. Mr Solana must consult his friends, and then we will have to define together how we will proceed, because we have a long road to travel,” he said. (First Posted @ 13:40 PST Updated @ 17:44 PST)
Israel batters Gaza with air strikes, death toll hits 52 GAZA CITY, July 11, 2006 (AFP) A Palestinian security officer was killed and six people were wounded in the latest Israeli air strikes hitting northern Gaza’s Beit Hanun area, medical sources said, as the punishing aerial campaign moved into a third week since the Israeli soldier's capture. A 12-year-old boy who was wounded in an air strike on July 6 died of his wounds, bringing to 52 the number of Palestinians killed in the operation. Troops are still massed on the eastern and northern borders of the densely-populated Gaza Strip, as well as stationed east of Gaza City and in the south near a defunct airport. The European Commission announced Tuesday it was sending emergency fuel supplies to Gaza’s public hospitals for use in generators after the Israeli air force last week destroyed electricity transformers at the only power plant in the territory. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was due to arrive in the region on Tuesday for separate talks with Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on a trip he hopes will help calm tensions. (First Posted @ 11:36 PST; Updated @ 17:40 PST)
PM Aziz urges SAARC members to enhance bilateral trade relations ISLAMABAD, July 11 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Tuesday urged the SAARC countries to enhance bilateral economic, trade and commercial cooperation. He was addressing the first meeting of Finance Ministers of South Asian Association for Regional Corporation (SAARC) here at a local hotel. He said "we should pool our experience and best practices and enrich our cooperation by resolving our disputes, focus our resources to development and create synergies to build mutual beneficial complementarities for progress in South Asia." (Posted @ 17:18 PST)
Bush sees Asian as next to fill top UN post WASHINGTON, July 11 (Reuters) U.S. President George W. Bush said the next United Nations secretary-general is expected to come from Asia. "As I understand it, traditionally ... regions rotate, and we're really looking in the Far East right now to be the secretary-general," Bush said in an interview on Monday with print reporters with Russia, Japan, Italy and Germany. "Asia, yes," he said when asked to clarify his answer, though he refused to be more specific or name names. Asked whether he would be against a Muslim in the post, he said: "Not at all, would not be against a Muslim." (Posted @ 17:04 PST)
Bus-train collision kills 29 in Bangladesh DHAKA, July 11 (Reuters) At least 29 people were killed and 30 injured when a train rammed into a packed bus at an unmanned railway crossing in Bangladesh's western Jaipurhat district on Tuesday, police said. They said the victims were all bus passengers. Twenty of them died on the spot and nine in hospital. The death toll may rise as some of the injured were in critical condition, doctors told reporters. The accident occurred at Akkelpur, 220 km from the capital Dhaka, in the morning rush hour. (First Posted @ 11:25 PST Updated @ 17:00 PST)
Pakistan's quake-scarred Azad Kashmir goes to polls MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan, July 11 (Reuters) Voters filed through prefabricated polling centres, tents and buildings scarred by last October's earthquake to cast their ballots for a new legislative assembly in Azad Kashmir on Tuesday. Some families living in tents for past nine months had nothing but scorn for Kashmir's politicians. "We are living in filth like animals. Our children don't get to drink clean water, and we don't get enough food to eat. And now they want us to vote for them. Never," Rehana Bibi railed, as she nursed an infant grandson at a small encampment for homeless families on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad. Soldiers and paramilitary rangers patrolled outside polling stations in Muzaffarabad. Despite the security, four people were wounded in agunfight between rival supporters in the region's Mirpur district. (Posted @ 15:35 PST)
Six killed, 24 hurt in Srinagar grenade attacks SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, July 11, 2006 (AFP) Six people including five tourists were killed and 25 injured Tuesday in a series of grenade attacks in the main city of revolt-hit occupied Kashmir, police said. Five tourists were killed and 15 people wounded in an attack on a minibus in Srinagar's main tourist district, the Dalgate area of the mountain-ringed Dal Lake, a police spokesman said. A second grenade attack in Srinagar's busy Regal Chowk injured four people who were travelling in a car, police said. In two more attacks on private passenger jeeps near Lal Chowk, the main commercial centre, one person was killed and six people were injured. (First Posted @ 13:32 PST Updated @ 15:24 PST)
Car bomb kills three in central Baghdad BAGHDAD, July 11 (Reuters) - A car bomb killed three people and wounded seven in Baghdad's central Karrada district on Tuesday, police said. Earlier, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the fortified Green Zone government compound on the western bank of the Tigris, killing five people and wounding 10, as parliament prepared to meet a few hundred metres away. (Posted @ 14:10 PST)
Afghans say civilians killed in U.S. force bombing KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, July 11 (Reuters) - Afghan villagers said on Tuesday civilians were killed and wounded when aircraft from a U.S.-led force bombed Taliban insurgents this week claiming that more than 40 militants were killed. Villagers from Uruzgan said many people were killed and wounded in the attacks on the villages of Dehjoaz, Joarshah and Kaker. Haji Nida Mohammad, 45, said three members of his family were killed and two wounded. A doctor at the Kandahar hospital said three wounded women had been brought in. A government health official in Uruzgan said 13 children wounded in the attack had been taken to hospital there. One of the wounded women in the Kandahar hospital, a 35-year-old with a broken hand and burns to her face, said at least two of her children had been killed. "Taliban entered the village and the bombing started. Lots of innocent people were killed and wounded and our villages were completely destroyed," said the woman, who declined to give her name. "I had three children. One died in my arms, another died in the yard and one is missing," she said. Asked abut Taliban casualties she said: "Several of them were martyred but thank God, lots of them fled alive." The doctor did not let reporters talk to the other two wounded women because of their condition. A member of parliament from Uruzgan, Abdul Kaliq, said the U.S.-led coalition force had to investigate the report of civilian casualties. (Posted @ 14:05 PST)
Roadside bomb kills 1 Afghan policeman, wounds 2 KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, July 11 (AP) _ A roadside bomb blast killed one Afghan policeman and wounded two others in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, a local official said. The blast destroyed an Afghan police vehicle in Khakrez district, said Daoud Ahmedi, spokesman to Kandahar's provincial governor. (Posted @ 13:56 PST)
Israeli air strikes kill one Palestinian, wound two< GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip , July 11 (AP) _ Israeli aircraft fired missiles at a car in northern Gaza on Tuesday, and Palestinian hospital officials said one man was killed and another wounded. Earlier Tuesday, an air strike hit rocket launchers in northern Gaza, Israel Radio said. Two Palestinians were wounded in that strike, hospital officials said. (First Posted @ 11:36 PST; Updated @ 13:55 PST)
Materazzi called Zidane a 'son of terrorist whore': British lip reader LONDON, July 11 (AFP) - Italy's Marco Materazzi called Zinedine Zidane a "son of a terrorist whore" just before the France captain gave him a head-butt in the World Cup final, Britain's top forensic lip reader says. The Times newspaper hired Jessica Rees, whose skill has seen her summoned as an expert witness at criminal trials, to study a tape of Sunday's match that saw Zidane get a red card for his seemingly spontaneous assault. "After an exhaustive study of the match video, and with the help of an Italian translator, Rees claimed that Materazzi called Zidane 'the son of a terrorist whore' before adding 'so just f*** off' for good measure," it said. Materazzi on Monday denied calling Zidane a terrorist, adding that "I don't even know what the word means". The Daily Mail -- who wrongly described Marseilles native Zidane as "Algeria-born" -- said Tuesday that it too engaged the services of a lip reader, whom it did not identify, who reached the exact same conclusion as Rees. The Independent cited lip readers for Brazil's Globo television as concluding that Materazzi had told Zidane that his sister was a "prostitute". (Posted @ 13:50 PST)
Pakistan rules out terror in plane crash probe MULTAN, Pakistan, July 11 (AFP) - Pakistani officials Tuesday ruled out the possibility of a terror attack in an airliner crash that killed 45 people, as they sent the plane's "black box" for analysis. "Investigations have started and there is no sign of anything other than an accident," Interior Ministry secretary Syed Kamal Shah said when asked if terrorism was involved. Shah said there was likely a mechanical failure. "There will be a technical examination of witness statements including those from the public who saw the plane catch fire minutes after take-off," he said. An investigation team has also been examining the wreckage. The plane's "black box" data recorder has been sent to experts in Karachi for analysis, Multan airport manager Ahsan Mehboob said. Representatives from the Fokker company were also expected here in a couple of days to join the probe, he added.Meanwhile,courts were closed Tuesday to pay homage to the killed judges while the Multan Bar Association announced a three-day mourning period. Traders in Multan shut down as a mark of respect on Tuesday while collective prayers for the crash victims were scheduled at a public park late in the evening. (Posted @ 13:45 PST)
Iran envoy says 'no reason for pessimism' at talks with EU BRUSSELS, July 11 (AFP) - Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani arrived Tuesday for fresh talks with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Tehran's standoff with the West, saying there was "no reason for pessimism." Larijani insisted that Tehran will take as long as it needs to decide how to respond to an international offer designed to persuade the Islamic republic to suspend uranium enrichment. "We have already stated our position. We don't usually speak before having reflected," he told journalists shortly before arriving at Solana's office in Brussels' EU district. Asked for his forecast on the talks, which will also involve representatives from Britain, France, Germany and Russia, he said there was "no reason to be pessimistic." (Posted @ 13:40 PST)
Saddam trial adjourned until July 24 BAGHDAD, July 11 (AFP) - The trial of Saddam Hussein on charges of crimes against humanity was adjourned Tuesday until July 24 following closing defense arguments for the four minor defendants. Saddam and his close associates, together with their defense teams, boycotted the session for the second straight day, prompting a warning to lawyers from presiding judge Rauf Abdel Rahman. "Tell your colleagues who are out of the country that if they do not show up next time, they will hurt the case of their clients," he said. "The trial will go on with or without them, it will be with court-appointed lawyers if we have to." (Posted @ 13:35 PST)
Five killed, 12 hurt in grenade attack on tourist bus in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, July 11 (AFP) - Five tourists were killed and nearly a dozen people wounded Tuesday in a grenade attack on a minibus in revolt-hit occupied Kashmir's main summer holiday district, police and witnesses said. "So far five tourists have died and nearly a dozen others are injured," including bystanders near the minibus, a spokesman for Srinagar's police control room said. All of the tourists were Indians, he said. The grenade was hurled near the busy Dalgate area of the mountain-ringed Dal Lake in Srinagar, he said. "The grenade landed inside the minibus and exploded with a bang," local resident Imtiaz Hussain said. A second grenade attack in Srinagar's busy Regal Chowk injured two civilians, police said. (Posted @ 13:32 PST)
Materazzi says Zidane was "super arrogant" ROME, July 11 (AFP) - Italian defender Marco Materazzi has for the first time acknowledged that he "insulted" French player Zinedine Zidane during the World Cup final, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported Tuesday. "I held his shirt .. for only a few seconds, he turned toward me and scoffed at me, looking at me with super arrogance, up and down: 'if you really want my shirt, you can have it later.' (Zidane said) It's true, I shot back with an insult," the paper quoted Materazzi as saying. Asked whether he had insulted Zidane's sister or mother, Materazzi said, it was an "insult of the kind you will hear dozens of times and that just slips out on the ground." "I certainly didn't call him a terrorist; I am ignorant, I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is; my only terrorist is her," he said pointing to his 10-month-old daughter who was sleeping next to him on the plane that took the Italian team back to Italy. "I certainly did not mention Zidane's mother; for me a mother is sacred." Zidane has not given his account of the incident but there have been reports Materazzi had called him a "terrorist" or suggested he did not have the right to play for France -- both insults based on French-born Zidane's Algerian heritage. (Posted @ 13:30 PST)
Gunmen ambush bus in Baghdad, kill 10 - police BAGHDAD, July 11 (Reuters) - Gunmen ambushed a minibus in Doura district in southern Baghdad on Tuesday as it was returning from a funeral in Najaf, killing 10 people and wounding one, police said. (Posted @ 11:40 PST)
Israeli missile attack wounds 2 militants in Gaza GAZA, July 11 (Reuters) - An Israeli aircraft fired missiles at Palestinian militants in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, wounding two of them in farmland near the town of Beit Hanoun. (Posted @ 11:36 PST)
Rumsfeld welcomes growing NATO role in Afghanistan KABUL, July 11 (AP) _ U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld in remarks to reporters before landing in the Afghan capital Tuesday from neighboring Tajikistan, welcomed an expanded role by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization but also expressed worry that drug trafficking is helping bankroll the fundamentalist Taliban movement. There are now about 23,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and Rumsfeld said the top U.S. commander, Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, was discussing with the Kabul government whether more troops may be required. (Posted @ 11:35 PST)
20 dead after train crashes into bus in Bangladesh DHAKA, July 11 (AP) _ A train plowed through a bus on a railway crossing in northern Bangladesh on Tuesday, killing at least 20 people and injuring 25, an official said. The accident occurred in Jaipurhat district, 208 kilometers north of Dhaka, the area's government administrator Amar Chand Banik said. The victims were all from the bus, he said. (Posted @ 11:25 PST)
US commander says Taliban resurgence reflects weakness of Afghan government KABUL, July 11 (AP) _ The rise of Taliban resistance in southern Afghanistan reflects the weakness of the government more than a strengthening of the fundamentalist movement that once sheltered Osama bin Laden, the top U.S. commander said Tuesday. ``The areas that the Taliban is operating in are areas that the government of Afghanistan has not heretofore had the strength and had the presence,'' Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry told reporters before boarding a plane to fly here with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld from Dushanbe, Tajikistan. In later remarks in the interview, Eikenberry said the Taliban has been able to assert itself, particularly in the south. ``The Taliban is more organized than they were last year and they have more fighters in certain areas,'' he said. (Posted @ 11:25 PST)
Iraqi diplomat on leave from Iran posting kidnapped in Baghdad BAGHDAD, July 11 (AFP) - An Iraqi diplomat on leave from his post in Iran was kidnapped in Baghdad early Tuesday according to an official at the Iraqi defense ministry. Wissam Jabr was driving through the southwest Baghdad neighborhood of Al-Amil when he was stopped by two cars and taken away. (Posted @ 11:20 PST)
Israeli govt gives green light for intensified Gaza offensive JERUSALEM, July 11 (AFP) - The Israeli government has decided to continue and if necessary intensify the army offensive in the Gaza Strip, Israeli military radio reported Tuesday. The green light for the continuation of the so-called "summer rains" offensive was given at consultations Monday between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defence Minister Amir Peretz. (Posted @ 11:15 PST)
30 Taliban killed in Afghanistan raid KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, July 11, (AFP) - Coalition and Afghan forces killed at least 30 Taliban fighters in an air strike on a Taliban hideout in southern Afghanistan early Tuesday, the US-led coalition said. No Afghan or coalition forces were injured during the operation in the village of Sangin in Helmand province, but one helicopter was destroyed after a hard landing due to mechanical failure, a spokesman said. "The purpose of this operation was to capture or kill a Taliban commander and his close associates who have actively planned and carried out attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in the Helmand and Kandahar provinces." (Posted @ 11:10 PST)
Rumsfeld arrives in Afghanistan KABUL, July 11 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Afghanistan on an unannounced visit on Tuesday to discuss escalating violence and plans for NATO to take over military operations in the southern part of the country this month. "The purpose is to continue to strengthen our strategic partnership, to work through some of the issues that seem to be arising from time to time with the increasing role of NATO in the country," Rumsfeld told reporters. (Posted @ 09:35 PST)
Srebrenica mass trial starts at UN court Friday THE HAGUE, July 11 (AFP) - Seven top Bosnian Serb military officials will go on trial here Friday in connection with the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of nearly 8,000 Muslims, 11 years ago this week. The July 11, 1995 Srebrenica massacre is the only episode in the 1992-95 Bosnian war the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) ruled was a genocide. (Posted @ 09:30 PST)
Pakistan charity Twenty20 match score LONDON, July 11 (AFP) - Score from charity Twenty20 match here between Pakistan and an International XI: International XI 123 for 1 off 10 overs (Tendulkar 50no) v Pakistan 127 for 4 off 10 overs (Afridi 41, Inzamam 36no). Pakistan won by six wickets (Posted @ 09:20 PST)
Al-Qaeda video shows mutilated bodies of US soldiers PARIS, July 11 (AFP) - The Iraqi branch of Al-Qaeda on Monday put on the Internet a video showing the mutilated bodies of two US soldiers kidnapped in June and executed to "avenge" an Iraqi woman raped near Mahmudiyah south of Baghdad. (Posted @ 09:15 PST)
Pietersen wants bowlers to step up against Pakistan LONDON, July 11 (AFP) - Kevin Pietersen has told England's novice bowlers to "stand up and be counted" as the team prepares for its Test series against Pakistan. Pietersen is himself fit after a knee problem but captain Michael Vaughan and Simon Jones (both knee) are sidelined, as is left-arm spinner Ashley Giles (hip), while star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff only made his comeback from an ankle problem in a Twenty20 clash on Sunday. Matthew Hoggard, the man they were hoping would anchor their attack at Lord's, is now a major doubt. England are not alone in suffering injury woes. Pakistan saw seamer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan depart the tour Monday with a groin problem, while fellow quicks Mohammad Asif (elbow) and Mohammad Sami (knee) are both doubtful for Lord's in the absence of spearhead Shoaib Akhtar (ankle). (Posted @ 09:15 PST)
SKorea accuses Japan of return to militarism SEOUL, July 11, 2006 (AFP) - South Korea on Tuesday denounced Japan's suggestion of a possible pre-emptive strike on North Korea, saying it showed the former colonial power's "expansionist nature". "It is a serious development that Japanese cabinet ministers have made a series of comments that justify a possible pre-emptive strike and the use of military power against the Korean peninsula," said Jung Tae-Ho, spokesman for President Roh Moo-Hyun. "We cannot but maintain vigilance as it has unveiled Japan's expansionist nature," he said in a statement after a meeting of presidential aides. (Posted @ 09:00 PST)
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