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| July 19, 2006 | Wednesday | Jumadi-ul-Sani 22, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
55 killed in deadliest day of Israeli raids on Lebanon TYRE, Lebanon, July 19 (AFP) - At least 55 civilians were killed and scores wounded in a series of deadly Israeli raids across Lebanon Wednesday in the deadliest day since the bombardment began one week ago. A total of 310 people, mostly civilians, have been killed and hundreds injured since the start of Israel's offensive in Lebanon. Twenty-one Lebanese civilians were killed and 30 others wounded in raids on the village of Srifa, about 30 kilometres northeast of the southern port city of Tyre, where 10 houses were destroyed. Six people, including a Lebanese woman and her three children, a Sri Lankan and a Sudanese national, were killed in an air bombardment on the central town of Nabatiyeh. Two civilians were killed and two others wounded in a strike on the southern border town of Rmaish. Two civilians were killed and two wounded in air strikes on roads in Kfarshuba, Bazuriyeh and the nearby entrance of Tyre. A woman was killed in bombardments on the border village of Alma Shaab. Eleven civilians were killed in an Israeli air strike on a four-storey building in the eastern Lebanese village of Nabi Sheet, near the ancient city of Baalbek. Five more civilians were killed in an air raid against a number of trucks near Maarabun, near Baalbek. A civilian was killed and two others wounded by Israeli military fire in eastern Lebanon. Another civilian was killed and two others wounded in Beirut's suburb Shiyah, while bodies of five members of the same family were retrieved from under the rubble of their house in Salaa, another village near Tyre. In other strikes, Israeli fighter-bombers targeted Hezbollah's "security perimeter" in Beirut's southern suburbs. The zone, where the group once maintained its headquarters, has been flattened in previous raids in the last week. Israeli jets also raided two military bases of a pro-Syrian Palestinian radical group in eastern Lebanon, police said. There were no reports of casualties from the three raids on the bases of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) in Sultan Yaacub, where the group maintains a bunker of underground tunnels. Israeli helicopters also fired four rockets on a residential Christian neighborhood of central Beirut, the first direct strikes in the heart of the Lebanese capital, but there were no casualties, police said.(Posted @ 19:20 PST)
Pakistan cracks down on FM radio in tribal areas ISLAMABAD, July 19 (Reuters) - Pakistan has taken 156 FM radio stations off the air to stop the spread of religious extremism and anti-state sentiments, notably among Pashtun tribes near the Afghan border, a spokesman for the regulator said Wednesday. The raids have been conducted by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulating Authority (PEMRA), working in tandem with local officials in the semi-autonomous tribal areas during the last six months. "Our regulations do not extend to the tribal areas. But we are coordinating with local authorities and police to jam or shut down these illegal stations," a spokesman for PEMRA said. He said 94 stations had been operating illegally, and had been transmitting their own religious and political views. The rest of the stations were closed down by the local authorities after they got complaints some were fanning sectarian hatred and anti-state feelings," he said. At least 26 people were killed in the tribal region in March after clashes between factions led by rival Muslim clerics.(Posted @ 17:42 PST)
20 dead, 50 survivors in Nigerian building collapse LAGOS, July 19 (AFP) - Nigerian rescue workers were racing against time Wednesday to pull survivors from the rubble of a residential tower which collapsed killing at least 20 people and burying dozens alive. The Red Cross said 20 bodies have been recovered while 50 injured people were pulled out of the rubble. It said more than 100 people were believed to have been "either inside or around the vicinity" of the building when it collapsed. It contained 36 flats, a penthouse and some shops.(Posted @ 21:40 PST)
Helicopter crashes in Turkish resort city, four killed ANKARA, July 19 (AFP) - A police helicopter crashed into the center of the resort city of Antalya on Turkey's Mediterranean coast on Wednesday, killing four officers on board, police said. One passerby was injured.(Posted @ 21:00 PST)
Thousands pour into Cyprus as Lebanon exodus gathers pace LIMASSOL, Cyprus, July 19 (AFP) - Thousands of evacuees fleeing Israel's bombing blitz on Beirut poured into Cyprus and Syria on Wednesday while more than 50,000 waited for a berth to safety. Rough figures suggested as many as 13,000 people had already escaped by the end of Wednesday, travelling by boat to Cyprus or by road to Syria. The United States plans to evacuate most of its 25,000 nationals in Lebanon. Nine more US Navy warships are on their way to help evacuate American citizens. A British destroyer, the HMS York, was to dock in Limassol around 1800 GMT with up to 300 evacuees on board, after HMS Gloucester arrived earlier Wednesday carrying 170 people mainly priority medical cases. There are some British 22,000 nationals. French warship Jean de Vienne also docked in Beirut early Wednesday as Paris stepped up efforts to extricate some 8,000 of its 20,000 citizens who have said they want to leave. Three other French vessels, capable of transporting 4,000 people, are on their way to Lebanon. Egypt has organised 2,300 evacuations since Monday. Hundreds were taken by bus to Damascus and flown home. Bangladesh has asked for help to evacuate all its 10,000 workers in Lebanon, while Canada estimates some 8,000 of its 40,000 nationals want to leave aboard six chartered ships. Other nations continued to rescue their nationals by chartered boats and planes.(Posted @ 21:00 PST)
Three Israelis killed, 20 injured in Nazareth rocket attack NAZARETH, Israel, July 19 (AFP) - Three Israelis, including two children, were killed and 20 others injured on Wednesday when a rocket fired from Lebanon hit a house in the town of Nazareth, police and military sources said. Regional police commander Yaakov Zigdon said several people were trapped beneath the ruins of the collapsed house in the town where Jesus Christ grew up. Israeli military sources said more than 70 rockets fired from Lebanon rained down on northern Israel Wednesday, also hitting Haifa and lightly wounding one person in the Galilee town of Tiberias. Towns across the north, including Haifa and Karmiel, where a rocket hit a house, and the coastal resort of Nahariya were struck. An old people's home was evacuated when five rockets struck a Haifa suburb in the early afternoon, another military source said. In total, militants have fired around 900 rockets into northern Israel since the Jewish state launched an offensive against Lebanon last Wednesday.(Posted @ 20:30 PST)
Rains lash Kolkata KOLKATA, July 19 (AFP) - About 180 milimetres (seven inches) of rain drenched Kolkata on Wednesday with more downpours predicted, weather officials said. "Traffic was thin, most offices and schools remained closed as overnight rains flooded roads," police said. "Train services were disrupted, government buses were not plying and trams services suspended as roads went under the water," it added.(Posted @ 20:30 PST)
Three die, 16 hurt in road mishap near Mithi Mithi, Sindh, July 19 (PPI): Three persons died, and 16 others injured when a passenger van coming from Kaloi turned turtle near here on Wednesday.(Posted @ 20:10 PST)
Chechen rebels answer Russian amnesty with threats MOSCOW, July 19 (Reuters) - Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov dismissed a Russian amnesty offer on Wednesday, saying attacks outside his home region would be rebels' answer to Moscow. "All Moscow's announcements about the 'end of the war' or this so-called 'amnesty' ... are yet more attempts by the Kremlin regime to hide the real situation behind lies," said a statement on a rebel Web site (www.kavkazcenter.com). "The armed forces of the Chechen Republic are organised and motivated like never before. By presidential decree, two new fronts have been formed. That is the answer of the Chechen leadership and the Caucasus mujahideen to appeals to 'lay down our arms' and be 'amnestied'." Chechen rebels defeated Russia in 1996 to win de facto independence but Moscow sent its troops back into the region three years later. Russia has offered Chechnya at least six amnesties since the war started there in 1994. Under the most recent, in 2003, a mere 171 rebels surrendered, Russian media reported.(Posted @ 20:00 PST)
Pakistan, India talk on border security despite blasts LAHORE, Pakistan, July 19 (Reuters) - Despite a bad patch in relations between their governments since last week's bomb blasts in Mumbai, Indian and Pakistani officials met on Wednesday to discuss ways to beef up border security and combat smuggling. Border security consultations take place every three months, and are not part of the "composite dialogue" negotiations on a range of political disputes including the core issue of Kashmir. On Wednesdat the two sides discussed issues relating to illegal border crossings, smuggling as well as a proposal on joint border patrols.(Posted @ 20:00 PST)
Russia urges diplomacy with Hezbollah, Hamas MOSCOW, July 19 (AFP) - Hezbollah and Hamas should be integrated into peaceful politics, and third countries should not be blamed for the current Middle East crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday. "We need to find a way for Hamas and Hezbollah to achieve their largely legitimate political goals through participation in political life ... and not through force," Lavrov told the Echo Moscow radio station, adding that less radical parts of Hezbollah and Hamas could return to peaceful politics.(Posted @ 19:20 PST)
1,000 US evacuees leave Beirut on cruise ship BEIRUT, July 19 (AFP) - A cruise liner carrying 1,059 Americans fleeing besieged Lebanon left Beirut bound for Cyprus Wednesday in the first mass evacuation of US nationals since the conflict began more than a week ago. Small groups of Americans have been evacuated by helicopter in operations since Sunday.(Posted @ 19:10 PST)
Musharraf seeks support to combat extremism Islamabad, July 19 (PPI) President General Pervez Musharraf has praised the spirit of volunteerism shown by the Scouts in the relief and recovery of the quake survivors. Addressing the 3rd National Special Scouts Jamboree here Wednesday he said the youth especially scouts have great responsibilities to shoulder for promoting Pakistan's image of a moderate and progressive country.(Posted @ 18:30 PST)
Kashmiris observe Kashmir's Accession to Pakistan Day with renewed resolve MIRPUR (AJK), July 19 (APP): Kashmiris on both sides of the LoC observed the 59th Accession to Pakistan Day on Wednesday, with the renewed pledge and determination to continue struggle till liberation of occupied Jammu & Kashmir from Indian subjugation and whole state's accession to Pakistan. To mark the day, different political, religious and social organisations organized functions and seminars to highlight the significance of the day which was declared a public holiday throughout Azad Jammu and Kashmir.(Posted @ 18:15 PST)
Indan troops martyr nine more Kashmiris in IHK ISLAMABAD, July 19 (APP):In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh acts of state-terrorism martyred nine more Kashmiri youth at different places. According to Kashmir Media Service, of those martyred, two each were shot dead at Manjakote and Mashkooron in Rajouri, two at Balnoi in Poonch and one each in Mendhar and Shopian areas. Two police cops were killed in attacks in Hazratbal and Soura areas of Srinagar. A six year old child was martyred by Indian troops in Udhampur district. Unidentified gunmen killed one person in the same district.(Posted @ 18:00 PST)
President Musharraf to address nation on July 20 ISLAMABAD, July 19 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf will address the nation on TV/Radio network on Thursday (July 20) at 8.00. p.m., an official announcement said on Wednesday.(Posted @ 18:00 PST)
Europe must expect more casualties in Afghanistan-EU BRUSSELS, July 19 (Reuters) - Europeans must be ready for more losses and a long struggle as NATO takes over the fight against Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan, the EU special representative to the country said on Wednesday. Pakistan also needs to do more against Taliban militants operating from there, Francesc Vendrell told a news briefing in Brussels.(Posted @ 17:32 PST)
2 suspected Pakistani tribal militants arrested for bombings inBalochistan QUETTA, Pakistan, July 19 (AP) _ Police arrested two suspected members of outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army Wednesday during a raid in Naushki, about 200 kilometers southwest of Quetta, a police official said. They were identified as Babu Allah Bakhsh and Sher Mohammed.(Posted @ 17:25 PST)
Taliban kill 1 policeman, burn 2 vehicles in southern Afghanistan KANDAHAR, July 19 (AP) _ Taliban militants killed one policeman and burned two vehicles in southern Afghanistan, a provincial official said Wednesday. Militants attacked a police checkpoint south of Helmand province's capital of Lashkar Gah late Tuesday, said Haji Ghulam Muhiddin, the provincial governor's spokesman adding that a policeman was shot dead and two vehicles set alight.(Posted @ 17:20 PST)
Gunmen kidnap 20 employees of government Sunni agency; scores killed in Iraq BAGHDAD, July 19 (AP) _ Gunmen on Wednesday kidnapped 20 employees of a government agency that cares for Sunni mosques and shrines nationwide, an official said. The employees were seized as they drove from Baghdad to their homes in Taji just north of the capital. Meanwhile, at least 20 people were killed in a string of bombings and shootings Wednesday, mostly in Baghdad, police said. They included Maj. Gen. Fakhir Abdul-Hussein Ali, legal adviser to the Interior Ministry, slain on his way to work, police said. Sixteen other bodies were found in widely separate parts of the country. Separately, six people were killed when a bomb hidden in a plastic bag exploded inside a vegetable shop in eastern Baghdad, police Lt. Ali Abbas said. A total of five more people were killed in three small blasts in the Karradah district of central Baghdad, Lt. Mohammed Khayoun said. Clashes erupted between gunmen and Iraqi security forces in the tense area between Youssifiyah and Mahmoudiya, another flashpoint of sectarian tension. A member of a Shiite political organization and two of his bodyguards were gunned down Wednesday onthe highway between the two towns, police said. One person was killed and five were kidnapped Wednesday in Mahmoudiya, police said. A roadside bombing killed two people in Kirkuk, while three others were killed in smallscale attacks in Baghdad and Yousifiyah.(Posted @ 17:15 PST)
Magnitude 5.1 quake rattles Pakistan-Iran border, no casualties ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, July 19 (AP) _ A moderate earthquake jolted an area along Pakistan's border with neighboring Iran on Wednesday, but there were no reports of injuries or any damage, an official said. The magnitude 5.1 quake _ at 4:27 a.m (2327 GMT) _ was centered somewhere on the Pakistan-Iran border, about 1,200 kilometers west of Peshawar.(Posted @ 17:05 PST)
Turkish premier says no concessions in Cyprus dispute NICOSIA, Cyprus, July 19 (AP) _ Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday brushed aside EU demands to recognize the Greek Cypriot-led government in Cyprus and said Turkey was not prepared to make any concessions in its dispute over the divided island.(Posted @ 17:05 PST)
One coalition soldier killed, 2 wounded in Afghan combat KABUL,July 19 Afghanistan (AP) One U.S.-led soldier has been killed and two wounded in southern Afghan combat operations, the U.S. military said Wednesday. The soldier was killed Tuesday during fighting in Uruzgan province,, the statement said.(Posted @ 17:00 PST)
Earthquake sways tall buildings in Indonesia's capital JAKARTA, Indonesia. July 19 (AP) A strong 6.1 intensity earthquake caused tall buildings to sway in the Indonesian capital Wednesday, sending panicked residents fleeing to the streets just days after a deadly tsunami struck Java island. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties following Wednesday's temblor. (Posted @ 16:45 PST)
Hezbollah vows to strike Israel 'for months' BEIRUT, July 19, 2006 (AFP) Hezbollah has enough rockets to continue hitting Israel "for months" whatever Israeli warplanes do to its supply lines, a senior official of the militant group said Wednesday. Hezbollah can continue to strike Israel with "an arsenal of rockets for long months, and not just days or weeks," Mahmud Qomati, a member of Hezbollah's political council, said. (Posted @ 15:50 PST)
Gaza, Lebanon assaults to go on with no time limit: Israel JERUSALEM, July 19 (AFP) Israel's security cabinet met on Wednesday and decided that the country's twin offensives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon would continue with no time limit, a senior government official said. (Posted @ 15:45 PST)
Two Israeli soldiers killed in Hezbollah clashes: Arab TV DUBAI, July 19, 2006 (AFP) Two Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes with Lebanese militants on the border on Wednesday, Arabic television stations Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya reported. The two stations also reported that three Israeli soldiers had been wounded in the fighting. An Israeli military source had earlier reported fighting in the border area but declined to give information about casualties. (Posted @ 15:40 PST)
Car explodes near Tel Aviv, no casualties JERUSALEM, July 19 (AFP) A car exploded near Tel Aviv on Wednesday, causing no causalties, emergency services said. It was not immediately clear why the car, on the motorway east of Tel Aviv, had blown up, sources said. Israel was on Wednesday conducting a manhunt for two Palestinians suspected of carrying explosives and intending to carry out a suicide bombing. (Posted @ 15:20 PST)
Rockets land in Israel’s Haifa HAIFA, Israel, July 19 (Reuters) Rockets fired from Lebanon struck the northern Israeli city of Haifa on Wednesday, causing several minor injuries, witnesses and medics said. One of the rockets hit an empty restaurant in Haifa's waterfront area. (Posted @ 14:30 PST)
Sri Lanka rebels ambush army bus, kill two COLOMBO, July 19 (Reuters) Tamil Tiger rebels ambushed an army bus in Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna peninsula on Wednesday, killing two servicemen and injuring 12, the military said. (Posted @ 14:30 PST)
Gunmen kill three in new market raid near Baghdad BAGHDAD, July 19 (Reuters) Gunmen stormed a market in Rasheed town located south of Baghdad on Wednesday, killing three people, police said. Police and Iraqi troops killed two of the unidentified assailants and were now in control of the town, an officer added. Two policemen were among 11 people wounded. (Posted @ 14:25 PST)
Police arrest Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant KARACHI, July 19 (AFP) Police arrested an activist of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi from a hideout in Hyderabad Tuesday in connection with his involvement in the killing of Allama Hassan Turabi, police said Wednesday. A Kalashnikov rifle and a hand grenade were also found in the raid. (Posted @ 14:20 PST)
PM Aziz appeals nation for participation in tree plantation drive ISLAMABAD, July 19 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday launched a tree plantation campaign. Talking to newsmen here at the Prime Minister House after planting a sapling of Pinus Roxburghi, Aziz said trees not only provide timber but they also help in improving the environment and weather. He said four million saplings of various categories of trees would be planted during the current monsoon campaign, which will continue till August 14. He said the government was working on a strategy to increase the forest cover area from current five percent to six percent in the country by 2015. (Posted @ 14:00 PST)
'Taliban-held' districts back in Afghan government control KABUL, July 19, 2006 (AFP) Afghan and coalition forces were back in control of two remote southern district Wednesday after "brushing aside" Taliban forces who had overrun them more than 24 hours earlier. Afghan flags were again flying above the headquarters of the remote desert districts of Garmser and Naway-i-Barakzayi in Helmand province, the defence ministry said. (Posted @ 13:00 PST)
Israeli troops kill nine Palestinians GAZA, July 19 (Reuters) Israeli troops killed nine Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank on Wednesday, including four gunmen and two civilians as tanks pushed into a central Gaza refugee camp. Heavy shooting broke out around the Maghazi Camp as Israeli troops crossed the border into the territory before dawn. Three militants from Hamas were killed, along with one gunman from Fatah, medics and Palestinian security sources said. The two civilians killed included a 16-year-old, medics said. 52 Palestinians were wounded in the clashes, including four hurt by a missile fired from an Israeli drone aircraft. At least 10 of those hurt were children. Some of the wounded were in a critical condition, medics said. In the West Bank, troops backed by armoured vehicles surrounded a Palestinian security compound in the city of Nablus and killed three gunmen of Fatah, medics said. Troops arrested around 100 Palestinian security men. Israeli army spokesmen confirmed the incident and said five Israeli soldiers were wounded in Gaza. The army gave few details of the goal of its latest push into Gaza. ( First Posted @ 10:00 PST Updated @ 12:45 PST)
Iranian FM cancels India trip NEW DELHI, July 19 (AFP) Iran's foreign minister, Mr. Manouchehr Mottaki who was due in India for a two-day visit beginning Wednesday, has cancelled his trip because of the situation in the Middle East, India's foreign ministry said. Iran has proposed that the talks be rescheduled, though no fresh dates were announced by either side. (Posted @ 11:30 PST)
Indonesia tsunami toll reaches 525 JAKARTA, July 19 (Reuters) The death toll from a tsunami that hit the southern coast of Indonesia's main island of Java on Monday has reached 525, according to the country's national coordinating body for disaster management. "From the data that we received at 12 o'clock (0500 GMT), the death toll is at 525. We are waiting for more information for further updates," an official at the body's headquarters in Jakarta, said on Wednesday. (Posted @ 11:10 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 6.95 points: KARACHI, July 19: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 10198.79, up 6.95 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, July 19: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.93 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 10:05 PST)
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