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| August 03, 2006 | Thursday | Rajab 7, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz calls for immediate ceasefire in Lebanon PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, Aug 3 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Thursday called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, demanding from the UN Security Council to call for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, the simultaneous release of all prisoners and for a UN force to be deployed in the region. Addressing a meeting of the Friends of the Chair of the 10th Islamic Summit Conference here, Aziz said "the establishment of a Palestinian state, living in peace side by side with Israel, would constitute the only guarantee for durable peace in the region." He expressed his shock over the "relentless targeting" of innocent civilians in Lebanon and the destruction of their property. "The carnage continues, as the world looks on helplessly," he said pointing out that Israel didn’t even spare the UN peacekeepers. He described the Israeli attacks as a flagrant breach of the Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law. He regretted the failure of the international community, especially the United Nations and the major powers to halt this outrage, and warned “this paralysis is dangerous and can have incalculable consequences for the long-term peace and security in the sensitive Middle East region and in the world". He said this inaction would also serve a severe blow to the international campaign against terrorism. OIC countries should consider contributing to a UN force which has the approval of the concerned parties, he said. “The Quartet must re-engage itself in the Middle East process more actively than before; to ensure that a solution is reached in the Middle East problem…There should be an OIC effort to provide the desperately needed humanitarian and other assistance to Lebanon and Palestine.” Aziz met the Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the Sultan of Brunei earlier in the day. (Posted @ 16:20 PST)
Pakistan can contribute to peacekeeping in Lebanon: PM Aziz PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, Aug 3 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Thursday said Pakistan could provide troops for the United Nations peace keeping operations in Lebanon, if it was asked. Talking to newsmen after the first of the two closed door sessions to discuss the crisis situation in Lebanon here, he said Pakistan was at the moment the largest contributor to international peace keeping operations and if requested, it could contribute to the peace keeping operations in the Middle East. "We desire a peaceful negotiated settlement to the crisis without the use of force as no civil society can allow killings of its women and children," he said. He also said that the OIC could play an important role as it represented the Muslim Ummah. (Posted @ 16:25 PST)
Muslim nations demand Israeli ceasefire PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, Aug 3 (AFP) Muslim nations Thursday demanded an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East at an emergency meeting convened by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and warned that boiling anger over the Israeli offensive in Lebanon could launch a new wave of terrorism. In a joint statement the 57-nation bloc accused Israel of "blatant and flagrant" human rights violations in carrying out "indiscriminate and massive" air strikes in their three-week-old campaign in Lebanon. "We demand that the UN Security Council fulfil its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security without any further delay by deciding on and enforcing an immediate and unconditional comprehensive ceasefire," they said. They said Israel should bear "full responsibility for the consequences of its aggression." (First Posted @ 14:40 PST Updated @ 20:44 PST)
Israel responsible for 'massacre' of civilians: Pakistan KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 (AFP) - Pakistan Thursday described the killing of civilians in Israel's offensive in Lebanon as a 'massacre' that could provoke a clash of civilizations. Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri said Israel's three-week offensive against the Hezbollah militia, which Lebanon says has left over 800 civilians dead, had infuriated Muslims across the world. "We do not want a clash of civilisations but all over the Muslim world a very negative feeling is arising on the street," he told reporters at a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) here. "This is a massacre and this massacre must end," he said. Kasuri said the OIC should seek a diplomatic solution to end the violence and provide aid to the Lebanese people. "I think the purpose of the OIC is to first focus on the tragedy in Lebanon and Palestine area and further helping in the humanitarian effort," he said. Kasuri said key to peace in the region was the establishment of a Palestinian state. Among the leaders at the OIC gathering are Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Turkey's premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. (Posted @ 09:00 PST)
Landslides, floods kill 24 quake survivors in Pakistan MANSEHRA, Aug 3 (APP): At least 24 people died on Thursday and many were injured in different rain-related incidents in the quake-hit areas of Mansehra and Battagram districts. According to Mansehra police, 10 people were buried alive and five others injured when lightning struck a mountain in Dadar area in the wee hours of the day, resulting in a massive land-slide that smashed on to the shelters in the foothills. In another incident, ten persons were killed when a flash flood hit the Bandi Jabba Rashang village of Allai valley, Battagram. Separately, a woman drowned in River Kunhaar near Balakot. An unknown boy was found dead in Satt Banni nullah near Balakot. In another incident a man died after his shelter was struck by a heavy boulder in Bhongar Sang Valley of Saran. According to police reports, the Balakot-Kaghan road was closed at various points due to heavy land-sliding. (First Posted @ 14:05 PST Updated @ 21:24 PST)
MQM ministers resume duties: Governor Sindh KARACHI, Aug 3 (APP): Sindh Governor, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan, said late last night that MQM ministers have resumed their duties. "President Pervez Musharraf has assured to remove MQM's reservations", he said while talking to media at the Karachi airport after arriving from Islamabad. He said that the resolution of the crisis was the result of an understanding reached on issues between President Pervez Musharraf and MQM Chief Altaf Hussain. To a question, the governor said that all issues came under discussion in his meeting with the President, stressing that all problems of MQM will be solved and the same would be under regular monitoring. He described his visit to Islamabad useful and said Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz too played a vigorous role during all this period. Ebad said that the coalition government would continue to work for the country’s progress. (First Posted @ 15:45 PST Updated @ 22:32 PST)
MQM ministers attend offices, all issues resolved: Durrani ISLAMABAD, Aug 3 (APP): Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani said Thursday the issue of the resignations by the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) had been resolved amicably and all its ministers had resumed their functions today. Talking to reporters after addressing a seminar at a local hotel here, he said: "Governor Sindh Wednesday night called on President Pervez Musharraf and the meeting resolved all the issues." During the meeting, MQM chief Altaf Hussain also spoke to the President and assured his party's full support to the government and the policies of the President, he said. (Posted @ 22:34 PST)
Nasrallah threatens to hit Tel Aviv if Beirut struck BEIRUT, Aug 3, (AFP) - Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday warned that his militant group would strike at Israel's commercial capital of Tel Aviv if Beirut was hit by air strikes. "If you bombard our capital we will bombard the capital of your aggressive entity," he said in a televised speech, referring to Tel Aviv, which Arab militants consider as the capital of Israel rather than Jerusalem. (Posted @ 23:36 PST)
Three more NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Aug 3 (AFP) Three NATO soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in an ambush by Taliban insurgents in Kandahar, the same area where a bomb killed a Canadian soldier earlier Thursday, NATO's military force said. Another six soldiers were wounded when the troops were ambushed by insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades in southern Kandahar province, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said. The force would not immediately release the nationalities of the soldiers. (First Posted @ 14:25 PST Updated @ 22:04 PST)
Stolen US radar found in Pakistani tribal area PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Aug 3 (AFP) Pakistani forces Thursday recovered a radar system belonging to the US-led military in a raid on a house near the town of Landi Kotal in Khyber tribal agency which had been stolen during transit to Afghanistan, officials said. Three people were also arrested, a local official told reporters. Paramilitary troops launched the raid after people living in the house fired at tribal elders who went to negotiate the return of the stolen equipment, the official said, adding that the radar would soon be sent to the main US-led coalition base at Bagram in Afghanistan. (Posted @ 22:00 PST)
Hizbollah rockets kill eight in Israel MAALOT, Israel, Aug 3 (Reuters) Hizbollah rockets killed eight people in northern Israel on Thursday. The deaths, in the cities of Acre and Maalot, occurred after more than 130 rockets struck within one hour in the late afternoon, police said. (Posted @ 21:56 PST)
Lebanon oil spill spreads to Syrian coast: UN NAIROBI, Aug 3 (Reuters) Oil leaking from a bombed power station in Lebanon has reached the coastline of neighbouring Syria and is spreading north, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said. Israeli jets hit storage tanks at the Jiyyeh plant south of the Lebanese capital Beirut at the beginning of the war, spilling an estimated 10,000 to 30,000 tonnes of oil into the Mediterranean. The spill has already polluted over 80 km of Lebanon's coastline, the statement said. Local ecologists say the oil is especially threatening since fish spawn and sea turtles, including the endangered green turtle, nest on Lebanon's coast. (Posted @ 21:52 PST)
Abizaid plays down US Iraq troop reduction in 2006 WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) The head of the U.S. Central Command on Thursday played down prospects for reducing U.S. troop levels in Iraq this year because of violence in Baghdad. "It's possible to imagine some reductions in forces but I think the most important thing to imagine is Baghdad coming under the control of the Iraqi government," Army Gen. John Abizaid told the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also said sectarian violence in Baghdad was as bad as he has ever seen and could lead to a civil war. (Posted @ 21:50 PST)
India, Pakistan and Iran start trilateral meeting on gas pipeline project New Delhi, Aug 03 (Agencies): A two-day trilateral meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWP) over the seven billion dollar Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project began here Thursday afternoon. The Pakistan delegation was being led by Petroleum Secretary Ahmad Waqar, India by Petroleum Secretary M S Srinivasan and Iran by Deputy Minister of Petroleum Nejad Hossenian. Ahead of the meeting, Waqar said the major items of the agenda include gas pricing, volumes and project structure. Meanwhile Srinivasan told the Press Trust of India that "an expert committee comprising three members from each side has been formed to look into the (gas pricing) issue and report to us at the start of the second round of discussions tomorrow". The trilateral talks will end on Friday. (Posted @ 21:04 PST)
PM holds series of meetings with world leaders PUTRAJAYA, (Malaysia) Aug 3 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday held a series of meetings on the sidelines of the OIC's emergency meeting on the Mideast crisis. Aziz held separate meetings with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Prime Ministers of Malaysia Abdullah Badawi, Bangladesh Begum Khalida Zia and Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and also Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, apart from the calls on by the Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh of Lebanon and Vice-Foreign Minister of Syria Fayssal Mekdad. In his meeting with Ahmadinejad, Aziz called for unity amongst the Muslims to meet the challenges facing the Ummah. Regarding bilateral relations, the two leaders agreed on a "fast track conclusion" of talks on the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. In his exclusive half an hour long meeting with his Turkish counterpart, they agreed on immediate ceasefire and the need of rebuilding the cities devastated by Israeli bombing. Aziz invited Erdogan to visit Pakistan, which he accepted. With Begum Khalida Zia, Aziz discussed the role of OIC and the regional situation and bilateral matters, the future of SAARC and called for further strengthening their economic and trade ties. Lebanese Foreign Minister thanked Pakistan for sending four aircraft-loads of relief goods for the affected people and its role in highlighting their cause. During His meeting with Badawi, the two sides also discussed bilateral trade, investment, defence cooperation and the export of manpower. (Posted @ 20:52 PST)
Jordan king says Hizbollah heroes in Arab eyes, rebukes Israel AMMAN, Aug 3 (Reuters) Jordan's King Abdullah said on Thursday that Israel's offensive against Hizbollah had turned its fighters into heroes among ordinary Arabs. "They (Israelis) want to destroy Hizbollah by tanks and air force. Peace comes by returning occupied territory and setting up a Palestinian state," he said. "Ok, if you (Israel) destroy Hizbollah and, let's say, after a year or two there is no solution to the Palestinian cause or Lebanon or Syria .. then a new Hizbollah would emerge, maybe in Jordan, Syria or Egypt .. Israel should know this," he added. (Posted @ 20:46 PST)
Muslim nations condemn Israel over Palestine PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, Aug 3 (AFP) Muslim nations Thursday strongly condemned Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and its detention of Palestinian officials at an emergency meeting in Malaysia. "We strongly condemn the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and for its unrelenting aggression against the Palestinian people," key nations from the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) said in a joint statement. "We further condemn Israel for the abduction and detention of Palestinian cabinet ministers, government officials and other individuals and call for the immediate and unconditional release of all Palestinian detainees held by Israel," the statement added. (Posted @ 20:44 PST)
Civil war 'more likely' in Iraq: outgoing British ambassador LONDON, Aug 3 (AFP) Britain's outgoing ambassador to Iraq has warned that civil war is the "more likely" outcome there than a transition to stable democracy, according to details obtained by the BBC Thursday. William Patey reportedly told British government ministers in a confidential memo that Iraq was likely to break-up along ethnic lines because of the continuation of sectarian violence. "Even the lowered expectation of (US) President (George W.) Bush for Iraq -- a government that can sustain itself, defend itself and govern itself and is an ally in the war on terror -- must remain in doubt," the memo stated. The memo which included the assessment that "the position is not hopeless" in Iraq but the situation would remain "messy and difficult" for the next five to 10 years. (Posted @ 18:56 PST)
Jewish extremists try to enter Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque JERUSALEM, Aug 3 (AFP) Jewish extremists demonstrated Thursday at the entrance to Islam's third-holiest site, the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, demanding entrance to the site where Jews believe the Temple stood before its destruction in 70 AD. The group of some 30 people was stopped by a heavily armed police force. (Posted @ 18:54 PST)
No fixed limit for Israeli offensive: Olmert PARIS, Aug 3 (AFP) The Israeli offensive against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon has no predetermined limit, Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Le Monde newspaper Thursday. Asked if the Israeli objective was to reach the Litani river, Olmert told the French newspaper that "there is no limit." "We are not going to fight all the way to Beirut. But as for the rest, I don't think I have to announce my plans," he said. (Posted @ 18:52 PST)
Lebanese PM urges OIC to adopt his Israel settlement plan BEIRUT, Aug 3 (AFP) Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora on Thursday called on the OIC to back his plan for ending Israel's three-week-old assault on his country. "We also need your humanitarian aid for our disaster-stricken country, as well as longer term assistance in helping us to rebuild ... our fractured land," Siniora said from Beirut in a live address at the 57-Muslim nation's ongoing emergency meeting in Malaysia. Siniora's plan to end hostilities calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, the return of displaced Lebanese to their homes and the strengthening of a UN force. It also calls for the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon, and the disarming of Hezbollah. (Posted @ 18:50 PST)
Differences over UN resolution on Lebanon now 'very slight': Blair LONDON, Aug 3 (AFP) British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Thursday he believed there were now only "very slight" differences in the international community about getting a UN resolution to end the conflict in Lebanon. Blair told his monthly press conference in London that negotiations were now a "very critical time", adding: "what we need is to get a ceasefire happening ... immediately on the agreement of the resolution and then ... get to the point where we can put in place the longer-term framework with the international force in support of the Lebanese government." (Posted @ 18:46 PST)
Eliminating Zionist regime, cure for conflict: Ahmadinejad TEHRAN, Aug 3 (AFP) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday said that the answer to the conflict in south Lebanon was "elimination of the Zionist regime," ISNA agency reported. "The real cure for the conflict is elimination of the Zionist regime, but there should be first an immediate cease-fire," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying from Putrajaya in Malaysia, where he is attending the OIC summit aimed at pressing for an end to Israel's military campaign. (Posted @ 18:42 PST)
Rights group says Israel wrong to blame Hizbollah for attack on civilians WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (AFP) Human Rights Watch(HRW) Thursday issued a report branding some Israeli attacks on Lebanese civilians as "war crimes", and said it was wrong to blame the high death toll on Hezbollah fighters alleged by Israel to be using civilians as shields. "Our research shows that Israel's claim that Hezbollah fighters are hiding among civilians does not explain, let alone justify, Israel's indiscriminate warfare," said the New York-based rights group’s executive director Kenneth Roth in a statement accompanying the 50-page report. "In many cases, Israeli forces struck an area with no apparent military target. In some instances, Israeli forces appear to have deliberately targeted civilians," he said. HRW also criticized Israeli attacks on convoys of Lebanese civilians fleeing combat zones, "many flying white flags". It also called on the United States to "immediately suspend transfers of arms, ammunition, and other materiel credibly alleged to have been used in violation of international humanitarian law in Lebanon, until these violations cease." (Posted @ 18:40 PST)
OIC seeks bigger Muslim role in UN’s Lebanon peacekeeping force PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, Aug 3 (Reuters) The Organisation of the Islamic Conference said on Thursday it would seek to strengthen any U.N. "Blue Helmet" peacekeeping force for southern Lebanon. "We would like to see more OIC countries participate. We support that,” Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, host of a special emergency session of select OIC members, told a press conference after the meeting. Abdullah said the OIC had endorsed a request from Lebanon to beef up the world body's peacekeeping efforts. Such a force could only be deployed, OIC members have said, once a full ceasefire was in place. (Posted @ 17:55 PST)
Saudi Arabia rules out oil as weapon in Mideast crisis RIYADH, Aug 3 (Reuters) Saudi Arabia believes oil should not be used as a weapon because it is the economic lifeline of Arab states, its foreign minister said. Prince Saud al-Faisal told a news conference carried on the official Saudi Press Agency late on Wednesday "if we ignore this reality and start asking that the foundations of our life (be used) and enter into reckless adventures, the first to be hurt will be our citizens and no wise government can accept this". (Posted @ 17:52 PST)
Syria ready to help end Israel-Lebanon war: Spanish FM DAMASCUS, Aug 3 (Reuters) Syria is ready to help put an end to the Israel-Lebanon war and is eager to take part in talks on a "comprehensive and lasting peace" for the region, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said on Thursday. Asked if Syria was willing to use its influence with Hizbollah to stop the fighting, the former Middle East envoy said Damascus "will play a positive role", without saying how. He was speaking after talks with President Bashar al-Assad. (Posted @ 17:50 PST)
Hizbollah inflicts Israeli casualties in southern Lebanon BEIRUT, Aug 3 (Reuters) Hizbollah said its fighters inflicted casualties among Israeli forces in fierce battles in south Lebanon on Thursday in which four tanks were destroyed. Al Arabiya television said two Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes in south Lebanon, and four were wounded. Lebanese security sources said Hizbollah fighters attacked Israeli units operating in south Lebanon, using anti-tank rockets, mortars and assault rifles. The Israeli army said 15 soldiers wounded in Lebanon were evacuated to Israel. Israel had expanded the ground war in southern Lebanon, where seven brigades, or up to 10,000 troops, were fighting Hizbollah, Israeli army radio said. (Posted @ 17:48 PST)
Ten killed in roadside bomb in Baghdad BAGHDAD, Aug 3 (Reuters) At least 10 people were killed on Thursday in a roadside bomb in Baghdad’s eastern district Al-Amin, a police source said. A further 14 were wounded. The casualties appeared to be civilians, rather than members of the security forces, the police source said. (Posted @ 17:46 PST)
Suicide bomb kills 20 civilians in Afghanistan KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Aug 3 (Reuters) A suicide car bomb attack aimed at a convoy of NATO troops in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar killed 20 Afghan civilians on Thursday, the provincial police chief said. There was no immediate word if there were any casualties among the NATO troops, the official said, adding that 13 others were wounded. No further details were immediately available.(Posted @ 17:32 PST)
US says Pakistan's new nuclear reactor not very powerful: NYT WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (AFP) The nuclear reactor being built in Pakistan is much smaller than a private arms control group has claimed and could simply be a replacement for the Khushab reactor that makes two nuclear warheads a year, The New York Times reported Thursday. The US government's intelligence data shows that the new reactor is roughly the same size as the one functioning in Khushab, and not 20 times larger as the Institute for Science and International Security(ISIS) said in a technical assessment, government officials told the newspaper. International observers reacted with alarm after the Washington Post on June 24 reported the reactor's existence. "We have consulted with our experts and believe the analysis is wrong," National Security Council spokesman Frederick Jones told the NYT. "The reactor is expected to be substantially smaller and less capable than reported." A senior intelligence official said the United States has been tracking the new reactor for years, adding "it could be a replacement," of Pakistan's existing nuclear reactor at Khushab. However ISIS’s president David Albright said he was "confident in our evidence and calculations," and reminded the daily of the US government's poor track record in analyzing its own intelligence, inviting it to present "the reasons it thinks we're wrong." (Posted @ 17:30 PST)
Pakistan and US sign deal to bolster frontier security ISLAMABAD, Aug 3 (AFP) The United States will supply Pakistan with an extra 2.7 million dollars worth of equipment for forces on the Afghan frontier under an agreement signed Thursday, a statement said. US officials will also help train border guards, said the statement issued by the American embassy. Pakistani Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao and US envoy Ryan Crocker signed a memorandum of understanding for security and communications gear and to help build more frontier posts. "We are pleased to be able to assist the Frontier Constabulary with its law enforcement efforts," Crocker was quoted as saying. (Posted @ 17:25 PST)
Islamic world 'outraged' over 'double standards' in Lebanon: OIC PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, Aug 3 (AFP) - The Islamic world is "outraged" over international "double standards" on the Israeli offensive in Lebanon, OIC secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, said Thursday. He also warned that another failed peace initiative would only fuel more violence and terror in the Middle East. The "Islamic Ummah (community) is outraged," because they do not understand how this human tragedy was allowed to continue, Ihansoglu said. "They are perplexed in the face of gross double standards applied by the international community," he said in his opening remarks to an OIC crisis meeting to discuss the Middle East conflict. (Posted @ 09:26 PST)
Malaysia hits out at UN, calls for Muslim troops PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, Aug 3 (AFP) - Malaysia said Thursday the Muslim world had to commit troops for a proposed UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon and criticised the United Nations for not taking a harder line on Israel. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told an emergency meeting of nations from the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) it was not enough to sympathise with victims of the conflict. "We cannot continue issuing mere statements of condemnation for the violence," Abdullah said in opening remarks to the gathering. "We must play a more proactive role in the present conflict. We must show preparedness to contribute forces for peacekeeping operations under the United Nations banner. Malaysia is ready to do that," he said. "We must also request a role for the OIC to play in building the peace after the ceasefire is in place," he said. "Let us be clear. What is happening to Lebanon and Palestine cannot be tolerated and should be condemned," he said. Countries attending the meeting are Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The OIC's secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and a Palestinian representative are also to be at the meeting. (Posted @ 08:50 PST)
Israel resumes bombing of Beirut, UN powers close to deal BEIRUT, Aug 3 (AFP) - Israel launched fresh air strikes on suspected Hezbollah positions in southern Beirut Thursday. At least three explosions hit the battered city as aircraft circled overhead. No details of casualties were immediately available. Israeli jets also struck the northern Lebanese region of Akkar, near the Syrian border, the second attack there in 24 hours after two bridges were hit early Wednesday, Lebanese police said. On the ground, Israel pressed its advance deeper inside Lebanese territory in the teeth of stiff resistance from Hezbollah gunmen. One Israeli soldier was killed and four others were wounded during clashes with Hezbollah guerrillas in the flashpoint village of Aita-ash Shaab in southern Lebanon, the army said Thursday. (Posted @ 09:05 PST)
Eight Palestinians killed in Israeli raids in Gaza GAZA CITY, Aug 3 (AFP) - Eight Palestinians including a child were killed in an overnight Israeli air raid and artillery strikes targeting Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, hospital officials said early Thursday. Twenty-six others were injured in the attacks, they said. (First Posted @ 10:50 PST Updated @ 12:25 PST)
Shell kills 10 civilians as Sri Lanka fighting rages TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Artillery fire killed 10 civilians sheltering from fighting in northeast Sri Lanka on Thursday, the army said, as troops battled Tamil Tiger rebels and the island slipped back toward civil war. The centre of fighting on Thursday appeared to be the government-held and mainly Muslim town of Mutur, just south of Trincomalee harbour. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels moved into Mutur on Wednesday. The army said it had largely flushed out pockets of rebel resistance by early afternoon. The military said 10 civilians were killed when a college housing displaced residents was hit by a shell. Residents said both sides had shelled the town. (Posted @ 14:45 PST)
Dozens killed in night battles south of Baghdad BAGHDAD, Aug 3 (AFP) - Iraqi police came under attack and fought intense battles with gunmen overnight in the southern outskirts of Baghdad, at the end of a bloody day in which at least 44 people were killed across Iraq. In the first clash, 30 kilometres south of the capital, gunmen attacked a police checkpoint killing 14 people, including six policemen, Kut police said Thursday. A second battle erupted nearby between a joint military and police force and insurgents, the prime minister's office announced. Iraqi forces chased the insurgents and killed 15 of them, the statement said adding that two policemen had also died. Police in Kut also reported finding 18 bodies in the Tigris river showing signs of torture. They had all been shot. In Baghdad, police said the death toll from Wednesday's twin bomb attack on a soccer pitch in west Baghdad's neighborhood of Amil had risen to 16. Further attacks around the country brought the day's death toll to 44. (Posted @ 14:35 PST)
19 rockets fired into Israel from Lebanon JERUSALEM, Aug 3 (AFP) - Nineteen rockets were fired into Israel from south Lebanon early Thursday. There were no immediate reports of injuries. (Posted @ 14:26 PST)
Bus explosion kills 11 in southwest China BEIJING, Aug 3 (Reuters) - An explosion on a bus has killed at least 11 and injured about 20 in the Tianzhu county in the Guizhou province in southwest China on Thursday, state television said. It did not refer to a possible cause nor mentioned the number of people boarding the bus. (Posted @ 13:55 PST)
Israeli warplanes hit house in Lebanese border village, killing three civilians BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug 3 (AP) _ An Israeli missile slammed into a double storey house in border village of Taibeh early Thursday, killing a family of three, including a child, Lebanese security officials said. The three victims were still buried under the rubble, witnesses said. Taibeh has been the scene of fierce fighting between Hezbollah guerrillas and Israeli ground troops for several days. (Posted @ 13:50 PST)
Landslide kills 10 in remote north Nepal village KATMANDU, Aug 3 (AP) _ A landslide in remote mountainous village of Dhurmu, about 80 kilometers north of Katmandu, killed at least 10 people and injured several more, a local official said Thursday. A local school was buried by the mudslide. (Posted @ 11:40 PST)
Strong quake jolts Indonesian island JAKARTA, Aug 3 (AFP) - A 6.1-magnitude earthquake shook the Indonesian island of Sumbawa Wednesday but caused no immediate casualties or damage, police and meteorologists said. It was centered about 300 kilometers southwest of Taliwang town. Police had received no reports of a tsunami, nor of any casualties or damage. (Posted @ 09:26 PST)
England and Pakistan third Test squads LEEDS, England, Aug 3 (AFP) - England and Pakistan squads for the third Test of a four-match series starting at Headingley here Friday: England: Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Chris Read (wkt), Sajid Mahmood, Matthew Hoggard, Stephen Harmison, Monty Panesar, Jon Lewis. Pakistan: Salman Butt, Shoaib Malik, Taufeeq Umar, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Sami, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneria, Samiullah Niazi, Shahid Nazir, Rao Iftikhar Anjum. Umpires: Darrell Hair (AUS), Billy Doctrove (WIS). TV umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG).Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI) (Posted @ 09:26 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 112.77 points: KARACHI, Aug 3: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 10671.09, up 112.77 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:15 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Aug 3: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.78 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:15 PST)
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