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October 18, 2006

Wednesday

Ramazan 24, 1427

Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)

Prime Minister says measures initiated to give all provinces autonomy Lahore, Oct 18 PPI: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Wednesday said measures have been initiated for giving autonomy to all the provinces and strengthen the administration. Talking to editors and senior journalists at iftrar dinner inLahore he said in Balochistan province various local and district level development works are going on in addition to mega projects.(Posted @ 21:50 PST)

LTTE suicide raid on Sri Lanka navy base kills 16 COLOMBO, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Fifteen Tamil Tiger rebels were killed on Wednesday when they attacked Dakshina naval base in Galle, triggering brief looting of minority Tamil shops in the area. One navy sailor was killed, and 15 wounded, the military added.(Posted @ 21:00 PST)

Israeli troops push into Gaza, 4 Palestinians killed GAZA, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Israeli troops killed four Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and widened a four-month-old offensive on Wednesday by sending tanks to take up positions around the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, residents said.Palestinian hospital staff said Israeli troops killed two gunmen from Hamas in clashes in the town of Rafah. In the northern Gaza Strip, residents said at least two more Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces overnight.(Posted @ 19:20 PST)

Iran warns UN action would 'radicalise' nuclear standoff TEHRAN, Oct 18 (AFP) - Iran's top nuclear negotiator warned Wednesday that UN sanctions over its nuclear programme would harm chances of resolving the standoff and further "radicalise" the situation, the Mehr news agency reported.(Posted @ 19:05 PST)

Blair urges Pakistan to stay Briton's execution LONDON, Oct 18, 2006 (AFP) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair urged Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf Wednesday to intervene again to halt the hanging of a British national, scheduled during an upcoming royal visit. Blair warned of "very serious" consequences if the execution of Mirza Tahir Hussain were to go ahead on November 1, coinciding with a planned visit (Oct 29 to Nov 3) by Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. He said he had made a personal representation over the case to Musharraf during a recent visit to London by the Pakistani leader. "There is a limit to what the president can do, but I hope that he can use the powers that he has," said Blair, adding: "We will continue to make representations right up to the last moment." Tahir Hussain, 36, from Leeds in northern England, has spent half his life in a Pakistani jail fighting a death sentence for killing a taxi driver.The decision on his fate follows three previous stays of execution ordered by Musharraf and comes despite a vocal campaign by Hussain's family to save his life. Britain's heir to the throne Prince Charles and his wife are due to visit Pakistan amid high security from October 29 to November 3. They are scheduled to meet with Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.(Posted @ 19:00 PST)

Pakistan unveils three-man doping tribunal KARACHI, Oct 18 (AFP) - Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Wednesday unveiled a three-man tribunal that will hear doping charges against fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, possibly as early as this week. The tribunal will be chaired by barrister Shahid Hamid and will also include former Test captain and coach Intikhab Alam and an unnamed doctor who is an expert on doping, PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf said. The doctor on the tribunal will be named on Thursday, the PCB said.(Posted @ 18:50 PST)

15-member Tiger force attacked Sri Lanka port: report COLOMBO, Oct 18 (AFP) - A group of 15 Tamil Tiger guerrillas Wednesday used three boats laden with explosives to ram vessels of the Sri Lanka navy inside Galle harbour, the pro-rebel Tamilnet said. "Attackers in two boats went on shore and launched RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) attacks on naval installations in the base."(Posted @ 18:45 PST)

British troops risk becoming 'provocation' in Iraq, Blair admits LONDON, Oct 18 (AFP) - Prime Minister Tony Blair insisted Wednesday that Britain will keep its troops in Iraq as long as necessary -- but admitted that they risk becoming a "provocation" in the war-scarred country over time. Speaking in the House of Commons, Blair said that to withdraw from Iraq "prematurely before the job is done" would be "disastrous". But he said: "It is our policy to withdraw progressively from Iraq as the Iraqi forces are capable of taking on the security task. Blair was responding to a storm triggered last week by his army chief, General Sir Richard Dannatt, who said Britain's troop presence was "exacerbating" security problems and that they should withdraw "sometime soon."(Posted @ 18:35 PST)

13 civilians die during armed clash in south Afghan village, KANDAHAR, Oct 18 (AP) _ A rocket hit a house during a night-time clash between suspected Taliban insurgents and NATO and Afghan security forces in Tajikai village in Helmand province, police said Wednesday. A resident said 13 villagers, including women and children, died. At least one militant was also killed and three police wounded, said provincial police chief Ghulam Nabi Malakhel. Afghan police called in NATO air support during the clash that started about 10 p.m. on Tuesday and lasted until 2 a.m. Wednesday, Malakhel said. ``A civilian home was hit by a rocket, but it's unsure which side fired it,'' he said. ``There were some civilian casualties.''(Posted @ 15:45 PST)

US ready to offer 'full range' of deterrence to Japan: Rice TOKYO, Oct 18 (AFP) The United States is ready to offer the "full range" of its security commitments to Japan in light of the threat from North Korea, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said here Wednesday. "The US has the will and the capability to meet the full range, and I underscore, full range of its deterrent and security commitments to Japan�I want to make sure that everybody understands that the US will fully act on our defence obligations under the mutual defence treaty," Rice told reporters after talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso. "Secretary Rice told me that, under the Japan-US security treaty, the US committment to defend Japan is maintained under all circumstances," Aso said.(Posted @ 15:05 PST)

Indian law ministry opposes clemency for Afzal Guru NEW DELHI, India, Oct 18 (AFP) India's Law Ministry said there was no "compelling reason" to stop the hanging on Friday of Mohammed Afzal Guru, a report said Wednesday. The ministry's advice came after President Abdul Kalam sought the opinions of the law and home departments ahead of deciding on a mercy petition filed by Guru�s family.(Posted @ 15:05 PST)

Ten US soldiers killed in Iraq BAGHDAD, Oct 18 (AFP) Ten US soldiers were killed in a single day of fighting in Iraq, their headquarters said Wednesday. (First Posted @10:55 PST, Updated @ 15:45 PST)

NATO forces kill up to 14 insurgents in Afghanistan KABUL, Oct 18 (AFP) NATO troops and warplanes killed up to 14 insurgents while one of their own vehicles was destroyed after dozens of gunmen ambushed them in the Kamdesh area of Nuristan province, the force said Wednesday. A Taliban spokesman claimed the attack and said the group had killed 10 foreign troops. (Posted @ 14:03 PST)

Cricket-Team comes before captaincy, says Younis JAIPUR, India, Oct 18 (AFP) Skipper Younis Khan says he is not interested in captaincy, but only wants to see his team keep defying odds in the ongoing Champions Trophy. "(Long-term) captaincy is not on my mind. I would like him (Inzamam-ul-Haq) to come back and handle it. We missed Inzamam a lot and spoke a lot about him, about his captaincy and professionalism," Younis said after leading his side to a remarkable win over Sri Lanka in their opening Group B match here on Tuesday night. Younis was all praise for Razzaq, who was named man of the match. "I knew seniors in the team like me, Mohammad Yousuf and Razzaq, needed to take charge. Razzaq is very good with the old ball and he showed that again," he said. Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene said "it was the boundaries which won the game. Razzaq batted really well in a crunch situation". (Posted @ 13:55 PST)