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| November 04, 2006 | Saturday | Shawwal 11, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Curfew in Baghdad on Saddam verdict day BAGHDAD, Nov 4 (AFP) - Baghdad and two other Iraqi provinces viz Diyala and Salaheddin will be under curfew Sunday to prevent violence on the day of the verdict in Saddam Hussein's first trial, a top aide of premier Nuri al-Maliki said. "We have ordered an indefinite curfew starting 6:00 am (0300 GMT) tomorrow," Bassam Ridha, advisor to Maliki said. "It will be a total curfew... for the pedestrians as well as vehicles," he said. State television Al-Iraqiya reported that the Baghdad airport will also be closed Sunday. Iraq has already cancelled all military leave and has put its armed forces on alert. (Posted @ 20:22 PST)
World Islamic Economic Forum begins in Islamabad Sunday ISLAMABAD, Nov 4 (PPI): Two heads of government and about 600 scholars, business leaders and officials, mostly from Muslim countries, will participate in World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) meeting which begins Sunday in Islamabad. The theme is "Unleashing the Potentials of Emerging Markets." Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will inaugurate while President Pervez Musharraf is also expected to address it. Among top leaders from Muslim world who are expected to speak are Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of Malaysia and Egyptian Prime Minister. Sri Lanka's former president Chandrika Bandaranika Kamarutunga will attend as a senior adviser of UNESCO. Participants will discuss opportunities posed by emerging markets in Muslim world in trade, banking, finance, and capital markets and find ways to explore them to their full potential. WIEF held its first meeting in Malaysia last year. (Posted @ 18:28 PST)
Clinton, Boucher to arrive in Pakistan to discuss regional, global issues ISLAMABAD, Nov 4 (Online): US Under Secretary of state for Central and South Asia Richard Boucher will arrive Pakistan Monday (tomorrow) to discuss key regional and international issues with Pakistani leadership. Former US president Bill Clinton will reach Islamabad on Sunday and will address World Islamic Economic Forum and meet Pakistani leadership. (Posted @ 19:50 PST)
Pakistan, Iran to extend cooperation in water, power sectors ISLAMABAD, Nov 4 (APP): Pakistan and Iran Saturday agreed to extend cooperation in water and power sectors and to establish a joint investment company to gain goals and objectives in this regard. At a meeting between Iranian Ambassador Masha'allah Shakeri and Federal Minister for Water and Power, Liaquat Ali Jatoi Iran also offered to provide cheap electricity to Pakistan which could be expanded to India through Pakistan like gas pipeline agreement. (Posted @ 21:28 PST)
Six drown as boat capsizes in Nara Canal near Sanghar SHAHDADPUR, Sindh, Nov 4 (PPI): Six persons belonging to the Shar tribe and including women and children drowned when their boat capsized in Nara Canal near here Saturday evening. (Posted @ 19:46 PST)
3 killed, four injured as car plunges into canal OKARA, Nov 4 (APP): Three persons including a child were drowned and five others suffered injuries when a car plunged into Lower Bari Doab Canal (LBDC) here Saturday. The victims were members of a marriage party, police said. (Posted @ 19:44 PST)
Israeli military offensive kills seven in Gaza GAZA CITY, Nov 4 (AFP) - Seven people, including a teenager and three gunmen, were killed in the Gaza Strip Saturday as Israel pressed an offensive on militants that has left 42 Palestinians and one soldier dead in four days. Two brothers, age 25 and 26, as well as a 16-year-old boy were killed in an afternoon helicopter raid in Jabaliya. Earlier, a local Hamas militant commander was killed in an air raid in Gaza City that wounded four other militants, while a Hamas militant and a man were killed in Beit Hanun, and another Hamas militant died of wounds sustained in an artillery strike in nearby Jabaliya, which wounded four other gunmen. One Israeli soldier was also seriously wounded in overnight clashes, the army said. Meanwhile, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas began consultations to see if he could ask for a United Nations Security Council meeting on the issue, his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said. Abbas also talked to Arab League chief Amr Mussa to "initiate an Arab League meeting to discuss the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip." (First Posted @ 16:36 PST Updated @ 19:24 PST)
ICC sacks umpire Darrell Hair MUMBAI, India, Nov 4 (AFP) - The International Cricket Council confirmed on Saturday it had removed controversial Australian umpire Darrell Hair from the elite panel. “The Executive Board has decided it has lost confidence in the umpire," ICC president Percy Sonn of South Africa told reporters at the conclusion of the two-day Board meeting. Hair’s contract with the ICC runs till March 2008. ICC chief executive officer Malcolm Speed said: "The ICC will discuss Hair's future with him in due course." Both Sonn and Speed declined to take further questions on whether the umpires’ integrity had been compromised by Hair's unprecedented sacking or which countries wanted him removed. However, ICC source had earlier said that India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh together with South Africa, Zimbabwe and the West Indies, voted for Hair's dismissal, while England, Australia and New Zealand wanted him to remain. Controversies followed a string of stormy episodes during Hair's 14-year international career, often involving Asian teams. (First Posted @ 17:42 PST Updated @ 19:10 PST)
ICC revokes life ban on Pakistan's Rehman for match-fixing MUMBAI, India, Nov 4 (AFP) - The International Cricket Council Saturday revoked the life ban imposed on former Pakistan fast bowler Ata-ur-Rehman for his involvement in match-fixing. "Rehman's application for reinstatement was accepted by the ICC's executive board today," ICC president Percy Sonn told reporters after its two-day meeting here. Rehman sought permission from the ICC to play league cricket in England,said Sonn. An ICC review committee headed by Richie Benaud, a former Australian captain, considered Rehman's application and lifted the ban, Sonn added. Rehman played 13 Tests and 30 one-day internationals between 1992 and 1996, claiming 31 Test and 27 one-day wickets. He last represented Pakistan in a one-dayer against England in Birmingham on August 31, 1996. (Posted @ 18:48 PST)
NATO, Taliban clash northeast of Afghan capital KABUL, Nov 4 (Reuters) - NATO troops fought suspected Taliban insurgents northeast of Kabul on Saturday, Afghan and NATO officials said, in the first major encounter in the area since the Taliban government was ousted in 2001. NATO officials said the clash in the Tagab valley, 70 km from the capital, erupted after an alliance convoy was attacked while hunting insurgents in the area, just east of the main U.S. base at Bagram airfield. No further details were immediately available. A Taliban spokesman however said militants destroyed several NATO vehicles in the twisting valley. NATO planes were called in to support the ground troops at the height of the fighting, which continued as evening fell. (Posted @ 18:06 PST)
Pakistani tribesmen keep up demos against deadly seminary raid ISLAMABAD, Nov 4 (AFP) - Tribesmen staged angry demonstrations for the fifth day Saturday in a remote Pakistani tribal area near the Afghan border against a military raid that killed 80 people at a religious school, witnesses said. Hundreds of tribal students pelted stones at a police checkpost and blocked roads in Khar, the main town in Bajaur tribal district, where the seminary was destroyed in a missile strike on Monday. They burned effigies of US President George W Bush and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. Separately around 10,000 tribesmen gathered at Salarzai town north of Khar. The meeting passed a resolution demanding high-level judicial inquiry into the attack, allow international media to visit the area and compensation for the people killed in the attack. The meeting warned that if the government did not meet their demands tribesmen would march onto the capital Islamabad and besiege the parliament building. (Posted @ 18:02 PST)
Iraq's Sadr City hit by car bomb: 2 killed, five wounded BAGHDAD, Nov 4 (AFP) - A car bomb targeting an Iraqi police patrol exploded Saturday in Sadr City suburb of Baghdad, killing two bystanders and wounding five others. Meanwhile, three bakers were shot dead in the Al-Jamiyah neighbourhood while two civilians were killed and another five wounded in seemingly random attacks in the Al-Hamra neighbourhood of western Baghdad. In Mahmudiya, one more civilian was killed and another three wounded in a car bomb explosion, police said. (Posted @ 17:58 PST)
Kuwait oil refinery shut down after fire KUWAIT CITY, Nov 4 (AFP) - An oil refinery in Shuaiba, 80 kilometres south of Kuwait, was shut down Saturday after a fire in its heavy oil unit, a Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) spokesman said. "A fire started after a small explosion in the heavy oil unit about 1:00 pm local time (1000 GMT). That led to a total shutdown of the refinery," which has a capacity of 200,000 barrels per day (bpd), Mohammed al-Ajmi said. "The refinery was evacuated of all its employees as a safety precaution while firefighters began their work to put out the fire," said Ajmi, adding there were no casualties among the staff. Ajmi said the cause of the explosion was not known. Shuaiba is one of three KNPC refineries with a combined production capacity of 920,000 bpd. (Posted @ 17:44 PST)
Italy to help set up engineering university in Pakistan Islamabad, Nov 4 (PPI): The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Government of Italy Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in the establishment of a University of Engineering Science and Technology in Pakistan. The proposed university will be headed by the vice chancellor from Italy while top professors and deans will also be from the collaborating country. They will oversee the development of the university for 10-12 years, will ensure quality criteria, guarantee quality of examination system and ensure the equivalence of the degree with the highest standards prevailing in their own country. Under the faculty development programme 100 students per year will be placed in Italian universities for PhD programs. (Posted @ 17:15 PST)
Pakistan, Italy sign 'debt for development' swap agreement ISLAMABAD, Nov 4 (APP): Pakistan and Italy signed an agreement on Saturday in connection with 'debt for development' swap of approximately $ 85 million which is 50 per cent of the total Italian debt that Pakistan owes to Italy. The agreement was signed by the visiting Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Gianni Vernetti and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar. (Posted @ 17:12 PST)
Former Mayor Sattar Afghani passes away KARACHI, Nov. 4 (APP): Former Mayor of Karachi, Abdul Sattar Afghani died Saturday morning after prolonged illness. He was 76. (Posted @ 17:10 PST)
Algerian rebels kill eight soldiers-newspapers ALGIERS, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Algerian rebels shot dead eight soldiers in an ambush in wooded mountains while on a patrol in the Ain Defla region 120 km southwest of Algiers on Thursday in the heaviest reported government losses for seven months, newspapers reported Saturday. (Posted @ 17:08 PST)
At least 4 killed, 25 injured in temple stampede in eastern India BHUBANESHWAR, India, Nov 4 (AP) _ A stampede at the 12th century Jagannath Temple in Puri town of Orissa state on Saturday left at least four pilgrims dead and 25 injured, three of them seriously, a temple administrator said. After waiting for several hours, nearly 400,000 Hindu devotees tried to enter the temple when the door was opened, and the stampede ensued. (First Posted @ 11:20 PST Updated @ 17:06 PST)
Four Russian electricity workers wounded in Iraq BASRA, Nov 4 (AFP) - A mortar attack wounded four Russians and killed an Iraqi colleague working for an electricity company Saturday in Basra, Iraqi and Russian officials said. Earlier a British military spokesman, citing Iraqi sources, said two of the Russians had died, but Iraqi and Russian officials denied this. (Posted @ 16:34 PST)
Iran test-fires new missiles in war games TEHRAN, Nov 4(AFP) - Iran on Saturday announced it has successfully test-fired new anti-armour and anti-helicopter missiles on the third day of its latest war games. "The new generation of anti-helicopter and anti-armour weapons were successfully tested on day three of the manoevres," an announcer on state television said as pictures of the test-firing were broadcast. (Posted @ 16:20 PST)
Two Pakistani drivers killed in attack on US convoy in Afghanistan KHOST, Afghanistan, Nov 4 (AFP) Taliban fighters ambushed a convoy supplying logistics and goods to a US base in Khost province late Friday, killing two Pakistani drivers and wounding an Afghan, police said Saturday. (Posted @ 14:50 PST)
Bomb kills five Iraqi presidential guards SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, Nov 4 (AFP) Insurgents killed five members of President Jalal Talabani's security team in a roadside bomb attack Friday night near the northern city of Kirkuk, a source from Talabani's party said Saturday. (Posted @ 14:50 PST)
Seven shot dead in Thai south YALA, Thailand, Nov 4 (AFP) Seven people were killed in a spate of shootings in southern Thailand, police said Saturday. (First Posted @ 09:30 PST, Updated @ 14:00 PST)
U.S. seeks silence from CIA prisoners: report WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) The Bush administration is arguing that detainees held in secret CIA prisons shouldn't be allowed to describe in court how they were interrogated, the Washington Post reported in its Saturday edition. The government believes that interrogation methods used by the CIA are among the nation's most sensitive national security secrets, and that their release "could reasonably be expected to cause extremely grave damage," the Post said, citing recent court filings. The government is trying to block access to 14 detainees transferred in September from the secret prisons to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Captives who have spent time in CIA prisons have said they were sometimes treated harshly with techniques like "waterboarding," which simulates drowning, the Post said. (Posted @ 10:15 PST)
Bush counterattacks on Iraq LE MARS, Iowa, Nov 4 (AFP) US President George W. Bush accused Democrats Friday of attacking him on Iraq without having a plan of their own for victory there. "The Democrats…believe that the only way they can win this election is to criticize, and not offer a plan. So far they've have refused to tell us how they intend to win in Iraq and how they intend to secure this country. But there are four days left until the election, there's still time," Bush told a crowd during his six-day campaign blitz. Democratic Party chief Howard Dean later outlined his party's approach. Dean told CNN television that the Democrats wanted to "cooperate with other countries instead of try to bully them so we can get nuclear weapons out of the hands of the North Koreans. And be tougher on Iran…So we have a plan. The president hasn't shown us his plan. He didn't have a plan when he got into Iraq. He didn't tell the truth when he got into Iraq, and he doesn't know what to do now that he's there," Dean said. (Posted @ 10:15 PST)
Iran should do more to help tame Taliban: British FM LONDON, Nov 4 (AFP) Iran could do more to help secure its border with Afghanistan and help boost its economy, British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said in an interview published in Financial Times Saturday, calling for Iran to step up its efforts in assisting Afghanistan in dealing with a Taliban-led insurgency. "I know the government of Afghanistan and governments in the region have concerns about the role Iran is playing," Beckett said while in India on a five-day visit for talks mostly based on tackling terrorism and climate change. (Posted @ 09:20 PST)
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