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| December 27, 2006 | Wednesday | Zilhaj 05, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
President Musharraf warns sectarian strife could engulf Muslim World ISLAMABAD, Dec 27 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday warned that sectarian strife could engulf the entire Muslim world unless steps were taken to address it immediately. Addressing members of the parliament, ministers, writers, scholars and diplomats at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, the president focused his attention to the socio-economic and political problems within the Muslim Ummah. He stressed upon the need to resolve all lingering disputes “including Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, in a just manner and with dignity and honour." He deplored that extremists on one hand were trying to impose their rigid views on the majority, while on the other hand ultra-modern elements were propagating secularism. (First Posted @ 20:20 PST Updated @ 20:50 PST)
Police needs to adopt proactive approach: PM Aziz ISLAMABAD, Dec 27 (Online): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Wednesday said police needs to adopt a proactive approach to maintain law and order in the country.He made this observation while talking to the newly appointed Inspectors General Police of Punjab and Baluchistan, Ahmed Nasim and Tariq Masood Khosa, who called on him. Sharif Virk, who has been appointed Inspector General Police of NWFP, was not present in the meeting. Aziz said the government expects the police to perform its duties in a transparent manner.(Posted @ 22:35 PST)
British Iraq commander appeals for more support LONDON, Dec 27 (AFP) The commander of British troops in southern Iraq appealed Wednesday for more support and resources from home, warning that currently he can only offer a "60 percent solution". Major General Richard Shirreff singled out shortfalls in key areas including training, infrastructure and accommodation for soldiers on duty.(Posted @ 22:25 PST)
Planet finder Corot launches into space MOSCOW, Dec 27 (AFP) A French-made Corot spacecraft designed to search out planets blasted off Wednesday on a Russian rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Russia's space agency said. The Corot is the latest step in a quest to find planets orbiting other stars, with the ultimate goal being any discovery of another planet fit for human habitation.(Posted @ 22:25 PST)
Quake cuts off much of Asia Internet HONG KONG, Dec 28 (AFP) Internet and phone services were disrupted across much of Asia on Wednesday after an earthquake damaged undersea cables. The disruption was widespread, hitting China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and elsewhere, with knock-on effects as far away as Australia for companies whose Internet is routed through affected areas.(Posted @ 22:25 PST)
Afghan civilian killed after NATO soldiers fire on car KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec 27 (AP) NATO soldiers on patrol Wednesday opened fire on a civilian car outside the Kandahar airfield, killing one Afghan, a NATO statement said. Elsewhere in Kandahar province, one driver was killed and three wounded when armed men attacked and burned a convoy of four oil tankers on their way to the NATO base outside Kandahar, an official said, adding that the four drivers were Pakistani nationals.(Posted @ 25:00 PST)
Taxi driver's murder sparks protest in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Dec 27 (AFP) Demonstrators in revolt-hit occupied Kashmir accused the Indian army Wednesday of seizing vehicles of taxi drivers for military use, police said. The protest came after a taxi carrying troops at Litter, 40 kilometers south of Srinagar, was ambushed on Tuesday, killing the taxi driver and a soldier, the army said. Two soldiers and a pedestrian were injured in the ensuing shootout. "The troops are seizing vehicles at gunpoint, endangering our lives," said Shabir Ahmed, a taxi owner who was among the protesters. The army denied the charge and said it had hired the taxi. (First Posted @ 13:00 PST Updated @ 22:00 PST)
Pakistan cricket doping panel member slams flawed process KARACHI, Dec 27 (AFP) An expert on a panel which overturned doping bans on Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif said Wednesday that the handling of the case by Pakistani cricket authorities did not meet international standards. Danish Zaheer, who is also vice-president of the Asian Federation of Sports Medicine, said the original tests on the pacemen were flawed as there was confusion over a urine sample, while forms were not dated properly. He said the decision to lift the bans was also against world doping guidelines.(Posted @ 21:40 PST)
PM gives formal approval to the schedule of last parliamentary year ISLAMABAD, Dec 27 (Agencies): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday approved the schedule of the fifth and last parliamentary year of the present National Assembly (NA) and sent it to the NA speaker. According to the scheduled, the parliamentary session will start on February 6 and will continue till February 23. Over all 130 days will be completed and seven NA sessions are scheduled to be held.(Posted @ 21:00 PST)
Tendulkar holds Indian innings together DURBAN, South Africa, Dec 27 (AFP) Sachin Tendulkar played a watchful innings as India dug themselves out of early trouble before bad light brought a premature end to the second day of the second Test against South Africa at Kingsmead Wednesday. South Africa first innings 328 (Gibbs 63, Prince 121, Boucher 53; Zaheer 23-7-83-2, Sreesanth 24-4-109-4, Kumble 28.3-1-62-3); India first innings 103-3 (Tendulkar 46 n.o., Laxman n.o. 10; Nel 12-2-26-2, Ntini 8-4-12-1).(Posted @ 21:00 PST)
Three rebels, policeman killed in Sri Lankan violence COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Dec 27 (AP) Government forces killed three suspected Tamil rebels in two separate incidents in Sri Lanka's northeast on Wednesday, while a roadside bomb blamed on the rebels killed a policeman, the military said. (First Posted @ 11:10 PST Updated @ 18:50 PST)
AU, Arab League open meeting on Somali violence ADDIS ABABA, Dec 27 (AFP) Members of the African Union and the Arab League secretariats opened a meeting here Wednesday over the escalating violence in Somalia which has entered a second week. On Wednesday, the allied Ethiopian-Somali force seized the town of Jowhar from the control of fighters belonging to the Somalia Islamic Courts. Arab League called on Ethiopia to withdraw its troops from Somalia.(Posted @ 18:35 PST)
Indian PM pledges help for Muslims, low-caste Hindus NEW DELHI, Dec 27 (AFP) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged Wednesday to help Indian Muslims and low-caste Hindus facing discrimination in the country. Singh cited the findings of a recent report that said Indian Muslims, numbering around 138 million, were poorer and had less access to education and jobs than other communities. Singh compared the discrimination against low-caste Hindus by upper caste people to apartheid, calling it a "blot on humanity".(Posted @ 18:30 PST)
Baghdad car bomb kills eight BAGHDAD, Dec 27 (AFP) A car bomb killed eight Iraqi civilians and wounded 10 more on Wednesday in northeastern Baghdad, a security official said.(Posted @ 18:20 PST)
Iraqi politician shot dead by US soldier NAJAF, Iraq, Dec 27 (AFP) The president of a pro-Sadr political foundation was killed by a US soldier Wednesday during a joint Iraqi raid in southern Iraq, local officials and the coalition said in a statement.(Posted @ 17:00 PST)
Saddam says offers self as sacrifice BAGHDAD, Dec 27 (AFP) Ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein said Wednesday that he would go to the gallows as a "sacrifice" and called on his former Iraqi subjects to unite against their enemies. Saddam, in a letter written to the Iraqi people from his cell, said: "I sacrifice myself. If God wills it, he will place me among the true men and martyrs."(Posted @ 16:30 PST)
Israeli PM orders resumption of Gaza strikes JERUSALEM, Dec 27 (AFP) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered the army on Wednesday to resume strikes on Gaza after meeting with top security officials.(Posted @ 16:25 PST)
U.N. voices concern over Pakistan mine plan KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec 27 (AP) United Nations officials on Wednesday criticized Pakistan's plan to mine parts of its border with Afghanistan. ``From a human rights perspective, we would be concerned about any mining, including this,'' said Richard Bennett, the U.N.'s chief human rights officer in Afghanistan. A spokesman for the U.N. Assistance Mission to Afghanistan, said that to fight the insurgency, there needs to be better coordination between both Pakistan and Afghanistan. A spokesman for the NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan said the Pakistani plan should be discussed by Afghan, Pakistani and NATO commanders. (Posted @ 15:45 PST)
Bangladesh registers record number of poll candidates DHAKA, Dec 27 (Reuters) More than 4,000 candidates have registered to contest parliamentary elections in Bangladesh next month, double that of the vote five years ago, Election Commission officials said on Wednesday. The election, scheduled for Jan. 22 will be held in 300 constituencies to choose as many legislators. A final list of candidates will be announced in the first week of January, the commission said. The election participants include a four-party alliance led by Khaleda and a 14-party group headed by her main rival, Sheikh Hasina, also a former prime minister. (Posted @ 13:05 PST)
Cricket-Australia 372-7 v England (159) - close MELBOURNE, Dec 27 (Reuters) Australia were 372 for seven in their first innings at the close on the second day of the fourth Ashes test against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday: Scores: England 159 all out from 74.2 overs (Strauss 50, Warne 5-39), Australia 372-7 from 96 overs (Hayden 153, Symonds 154no). (Posted @ 13:00 PST)
Flash floods, landslide kill at least 109 on Indonesia's Sumatra island BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, Dec 27 (AP) Emergency workers struggled Wednesday to feed and shelter 394,000 people displaced by flash floods and a landslide on Indonesia's northwestern Sumatra island that killed at least 109. (Posted @ 13:00 PST)
Iran parliament votes to reduce IAEA cooperation TEHRAN, Dec 27 (AFP) Iran's parliament Wednesday approved by 167 in favour and 21 against a bill that obliges the government to "revise its cooperation" with the UN nuclear watchdog after Tehran was slapped with Security Council sanctions. The formulation leaves the government a free hand to cut cooperation as it feels best. This could involve limiting UN inspections of its atomic sites. "Officials from the foreign ministry and the supreme national security council should be left to interpret the text," said Deputy Foreign Minister Hamid Reza Asefi. (Posted @ 12:25 PST)
Man shot dead, school burned in Thai south BANGKOK, Dec 27 (AFP) A man was shot dead and an elementary school was burned by suspected militants in southern Thailand’s Pattani province Wednesday, police said. (Posted @ 11:35 PST)
Millions descend on Makkah for Hajj MAKKAH, Saudi Arabia, Dec 27 (AFP) Around two million Muslims will Thursday begin the annual Hajj pilgrimage amid increased safety measures aimed at preventing stampedes which each year claim scores of lives. The Hajj Commission reported that by the weekend 1,526,603 people had arrived in the kingdom and the number of the faithful undertaking the Hajj would top the two million mark-- about the same number as last year. Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, who also heads the Hajj Supreme Committee, has taken charge of security arrangements. The Hajj Supreme Committee said Monday 202 pilgrims had died since arriving in the kingdom, generally those suffering from heart problems. The only other incident was a short-circuit at a hotel housing Yemeni pilgrims in Makkah on Monday which caused a fire that was quickly put out, though some people were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. (Posted @ 11:10 PST)
Ruptured pipeline spills 21,000 gallons of oil into Gulf of Mexico coast HOUSTON, Dec 27 (APP/AP) Workers Tuesday were trying to contain an oil spill that dumped 21,000 gallons into the Gulf of Mexico after a pipeline ruptured. The U.S. Coast Guard said the spill, about 30 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas, came from a rupture in a medium crude oil pipeline owned by Houston-based Plains All American Pipeline. The cause of the rupture was under investigation. (Posted @ 10:20 PST)
Former US President Gerald Ford dies WASHINGTON, Dec 26 (Agencies) Former U.S. President Gerald Ford, who took office from Richard M. Nixon, has died, according to a statement from his widow Betty on Tuesday. He was 93. Ford had battled pneumonia in January 2006 and underwent two heart treatments in August. (Posted @ 10:20 PST)
Two teenagers wounded as Palestinian rocket hits Israel town JERUSALEM, Dec 27 (AFP) Two Israeli teenagers were wounded Tuesday, one of them seriously, in a Palestinian rocket attack on the southern town of Sderot. (Posted @ 10:15 PST)
Top army judge criticizes detention of Palestinians without trial JERUSALEM, Dec 27 (AP) A top Israeli military judge, Col. Shaul Gordon, who is chief justice of the army's West Bank appeals court, disclosed that 2,700 Palestinians have been detained without trial this year, criticizing the military prosecution for not filing charges against some of them. (Posted @ 09:50 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 6.83 points: KARACHI, Dec 27: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 10032.17, up 6.83 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Dec 27: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.8 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
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