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| December 11, 2006 | Monday | Ziqa'ad 19, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Pakistani pacts with militants led to more attacks: report ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (Reuters) Pakistan’s pacts with pro-Taliban militants in its tribal regions have facilitated attacks on foreign troops in Afghanistan, the International Crisis Group said Monday. "The militants now hold sway in South and North Waziristan Agencies and have begun to expand their influence not just in other tribal agencies such as Khyber and Bajaur but also in NWFP's settled districts," it further said. Pakistan must impose the rule of law in its semi-autonomous tribal lands on the border, disarm the militants and shut their training camps, the think-tank added. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam declined to comment on the report, saying she had yet to finish reading it, but referred reporters to a recent U.N. report which she said had more credibility. The U.N. report said Afghanistan's insurgency was linked to its booming drug trade, coupled with corruption and the failure of governance. (Posted @ 19:44 PST)
Pakistan’s position on Kashmir unchanged: FO ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): Pakistan said Monday its position on Kashmir was unchanged and it still stands by the UN Security Council resolutions to resolve the dispute. Foreign Office spokesperson, Ms. Tasneem Aslam, in a weekly press briefing here again reiterated that President Musharraf never talked about unilateral flexibility and had called for flexibility on both sides. On the Baglihar dam issue, the spokesperson said the World Bank neutral expert deferred his judgment only because Pakistan had brought certain new elements to his notice and that currently the expert was looking at those elements before giving a final verdict. (Posted @ 18:50 PST)
Tutu distressed by Israel block on Gaza mission GENEVA, Dec 11 (Reuters) South African Nobel prize winner Desmond Tutu said on Monday he was distressed that Israel had blocked his planned mission to Gaza to investigate last month's killing of 19 Palestinian civilians by Israeli shells. "We find the lack of cooperation by the Israeli government very distressing," Tutu and his fellow team member British law professor Christine Chinkin said in a joint statement. (Posted @ 23:26 PST)
Churchill painting fetches record $1.2 million LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters) A painting by British wartime leader Winston Churchill sold for 612,800 pounds ($1.2 million) at auction on Monday, a new record for the part-time artist and around three times the pre-sale estimate. "View of Tinherir" was painted in 1951 in Marrakech, Morocco. (Posted @ 22:26 PST)
Syria and Iraq re-open embassies DAMASCUS, Dec 11 (Reuters) Syria and Iraq re-opened their embassies in each other's capitals on Monday, ending more than two decades of diplomatic boycott since Syria sided with Iran during the Iraq-Iran war. No ambassadors have yet been named. (Posted @ 22:20 PST)
Annan warns US against go-it-alone diplomacy INDEPENDENCE, Mo., Dec 11 (Reuters) Kofi Annan urged the United States on Monday to shun go-it-alone diplomacy and human rights abuses committed in the name of its "war on terror". The United States has historically been a leader in human rights, noted Annan. "When it appears to abandon its own ideals and objectives, its friends abroad are naturally troubled and confused," he said.(Posted @ 22:18 PST)
Palestinian PM says Iran pledges $250 million in aid DUBAI, Dec 11 (Reuters) Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Iran pledged about $250 million in financial aid to Palestinians in 2007 to help ease an economic crisis caused by a Western aid boycott. The overall sum included $120 million in direct funds to the Palestinian government, he said. He said the Iranian government also pledged to pay the salaries of 100,000 state employees for six months at the rate of $100 a month and to pay a similar amount to 3,000 fishermen over the same period. (Posted @ 22:16 PST)
Cricket-Pakistan call up Faisal and Afridi LAHORE, Dec 11 (Reuters) Pakistan called up Faisal Iqbal and Shahid Afridi as cover for captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf in their squad for the fourth one-day international against West Indies on Wednesday. Inzamam has been advised to rest for three days after he required three stitches to a finger injured while fielding in the third one-day international on Sunday while Yousuf's wife is ill. (First Posted @ 19:48 PST Updated @ 22:12 PST)
Pakistani PM, Yemeni president hold talks ADEN (Yemen), Dec 11, (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen held wide ranging talks here on Monday. The discussions covered bilateral relations and touched upon regional and international issues. The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation between Yemen and Pakistan in political, diplomatic, economic, defence, security, education and social sectors. They also identified new areas of cooperation including agriculture, pharmaceutical, textiles, banking and capital markets, where both the sides can share their experiences for their mutual benefit. They also agreed to increase two-way investments. (Posted @ 21:52 PST)
India beat West Indies by 10 wickets in Blind Cricket World Cup ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): India defeated West Indies by 10 wickets in the Blind Cricket World Cup match here on Monday. (Posted @ 21:46 PST)
At least 21, including four US soldiers, killed in Iraq violence KIRKUK, Iraq, Dec 11 (AFP) Some 21 people were killed in violence across Iraq Monday. Two roadside bombs killed four US soldiers Sunday, the US military said Monday. Gunmen killed a pregnant woman and three of her children in the town of Salaja. Nine people were shot dead in Diyala province, including three policeman, in a series of incidents, police said. In south Baghdad’s Abu Chir neighborhood, four people were killed and 11 wounded in mortar attacks, an official said. A suicide bomber killed a policeman and wounded five others in the southern Dura district, an official said. In northwest Baghdad, a car bomb killed a bystander and wounded four others, including two police commandos. Near central Baghdad's Mustansiriyah University, another bomb went off killing a student and wounding eight others, a medic said. (First Posted @ 11:00 PST Updated @ 21:20 PST)
President Musharraf urges use of modern tools in judiciary RAWALPINDI, Dec 11 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf Monday emphasized the need for introducing modern technology at all tiers of the judiciary, ensuring transparency and speedy justice to the people. He made these remarks at a presentation given to him on the automation of courts in the country. (Posted @ 20:06 PST)
India's hockey a disaster, says world chief DOHA, Dec 11 (AFP) International Hockey Federation (FIH) President, Els van Breda Vriesman, slammed India's poor performance in international competitions on Monday, saying the former champions lived on past glory instead of working on the future. Vriesman blamed the current Indian hockey administration for the downward slide, saying it had not taken seriously an FIH blueprint to improve the game in the country. Vriesman denied that the FIH tinkered with the rules like abolishing the off-side to make hockey faster and suit European powers like her native Netherlands, Germany and Spain. "Indian and Pakistani players are supposed to be the fastest in the world. Why would anyone accuse us of framing rules to benefit the Europeans?" she asked (Posted @ 19:30 PST)
Chinese and Pakistani troops start anti-terror exercise ABBOTABAD, Pakistan, Dec 11 (AFP) More than 200 Chinese troops headed to Pakistan's mountainous northern region on Monday at the start of the first ever joint military exercise held here. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers and their Pakistani counterparts raised flags and played their national anthems at a special ceremony in the hill station of Abbotabad, a photographer said. PLA Major General Liu Minjiang said at the ceremony that the exercises would foster "a joint strategy and tactics to fight terrorism." Pakistani Major General Mohsin Kamal said the manoeuvres would strengthen cooperation. (Posted @ 19:22 PST)
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq heads off to Ireland to study peace pact SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Dec 11 (AFP) Hurriyat Conference chief, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, left for Northern Ireland Monday, saying he would study the Good Friday peace deal to see if it could help resolve the Kashmir dispute. "I will try to meet the parties involved and try to understand if there are any similarities between the Irish and Kashmiri problems and if that agreement can help in resolving the Kashmir dispute," Farooq said before flying out from New Delhi. Farooq is also lined up for a visit to Norway, where he will meet diplomats involved in talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers. (Posted @ 19:20 PST)
Pakistan to assist Yemen in investment, economic reforms: PM Aziz SANA'A (Yemen), Dec 11 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Monday said Pakistan would assist Yemen by offering investment, increasing trade and helping it reform all sections of its economy. Talking to the Minister for Industries and Commerce, Khalid Raja Sheikh, here at the Republic Palace, the prime minister said "we are creating an enabling environment and …we would be ready to help Yemen in reforming its economy". (Posted @ 18:54 PST)
Typhoon Utor leaves 25 dead or missing in Philippines MANILA, Dec 11 (AFP) Typhoon Utor departed the central Philippines overnight leaving five people dead, 20 missing, nearly 90,000 evacuated, officials said Monday. Parts of the central islands were still without power including most of the islands of Samar, Marinduque and Boracay with outages in other towns as well. (First Posted @ 14:00 PST Updated @ 15:00 PST)
Russia welcomes UN draft resolution on Iran MOSCOW, Dec 11 (AFP) Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, welcomed Monday an amended draft UN resolution targeting Iran's nuclear programme, saying it was now based on "Russia's proposals," the official RIA Novosti news agency reported. "The draft resolution differs from the version worked out originally and contains changes based on Russia's proposals, which take into account the need to push Iran to sit at the negotiating table," Lavrov was quoted as saying. (Posted @ 14:50 PST)
Taliban commander among nine killed in Afghan battle: police HERAT, Afghanistan, Dec 11 (AFP) US-led troops and warplanes attacked a Taliban hideout in Balabuluk district of western Farah province Sunday night, killing at least nine rebel fighters including a regional commander, police said Monday. The fighting lasted several hours. Mullah Abdul Samad, a regional Taliban commander, was among nine killed, police said. The US-led coalition could not immediately provide details. Yousuf Ahmadi, a self-proclaimed Taliban spokesman, confirmed the battle but said that "several American troops were killed" and only two of their own fighters died. (Posted @ 14:50 PST)
North Korea nuclear talks to resume on December 18: China BEIJING, Dec 11 (AFP) Six-nation talks aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program will resume in Beijing on December 18, China said Monday. (First Posted @ 09:00 PST, Updated @ 12:20 PST)
Iran opens controversial Holocaust conference TEHRAN, Dec 11 (AFP) Iran on Monday opened a controversial conference that will allow domestic and foreign "researchers" to deny the existence of the Holocaust. Among the participants is French professor Robert Faurisson, who denies the existence of the gas chambers and was given a three month suspended sentence in France in October, according to the event's programme. Also taking part is Fredrick Toeben, a prominent Australian "revisionist" of the Holocaust. (Posted @ 12:10 PST)
Four Bangladesh advisers quit over army deployment DHAKA, Dec 11 (Reuters) Four advisers of Bangladesh's interim government resigned Monday following differences over the deployment of armed forces in the run-up to January elections, ministry officials said, adding that the advisers had sent resignation letters to the president. The four were former army chief Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury, ex-top bureaucrat Akbar Ali Khan, former foreign secretary C.M. Shafi Sami and Sultana Kamal, a lawyer. (Posted @ 11:50 PST)
Gunmen kill three children outside Gaza City school GAZA, Dec 11 (Reuters) Unidentified gunmen killed three children (aged between 6 and 9), sons of a Palestinian intelligence chief Baha Balousha in Gaza Monday after shooting at a car dropping the children at school, police and hospital officials said. An adult bystander was also killed in the attack and two other children were wounded. (First Posted @ 11:00 PST, Updated @ 11:50 PST)
Bomb blast in Aceh as province votes JAKARTA, Dec 11 (AFP) An improvised bomb exploded in north Aceh’s Lhok Kuyun village in Sawang subdistrict shortly before 6:00 am, as the Indonesian province went to the polls Monday but caused no damage or casualties and did not affect voting there, police said, adding that another bomb that did not detonate was found in the same area. Polls opened in Indonesia's Aceh province Monday for local elections which voters hope will confirm the province is firmly on the path to peace after three decades of war. Former separatist rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) are participating for the first time following a Finnish-brokered peace deal last year. Polls opened just after 0100 GMT and were to close six hours later when a public count begins at each polling station. (First Posted @ 09:40 PST, Updated @ 11:10 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 22.51 points: KARACHI, Dec 11: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 10584.48, up 22.51 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Dec 11: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 61.1 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
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