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| January 03, 2007 | Wednesday | Zilhaj 12, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
PM Aziz to visit Afghanistan amid border mining row ISLAMABAD, Jan 3 (Agencies) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will visit Afghanistan on Thursday for talks with President Hamid Karzai, the foreign ministry said. Aziz would "review all aspects of bilateral relations" including the holding of jirgas, the ministry's spokeswoman, Tasnim Aslam, told a briefing Wednesday. Aziz told a press conference in Karachi Wednesday that Pakistan would go ahead with its plans to mine and fence the border at selective points. The decision to fence and mine the frontier had been taken to check cross-border movement of extremists, he said. Tasnim termed a recent US think-tank report regarding Pakistan's violation of human rights as baseless, saying that everywhere in the world there are human rights violations including the US, and claimed that Pakistan has taken various steps improve its human rights record. Tasnim informed that the Indian foreign minister, Parnab Mukherjee, would come to Pakistan to extend an invitation for the third round of the SAARC summit. (First Posted @ 17:45 PST Updated @ 21:45 PST)
Four killed in Khyber Agency violence PESHAWAR, Jan 03 (Agencies): At least four people were killed in a clash between two different groups in Khyber Agency while Frontier Constabulary (FC) was called in to restore normalcy in the area, a private TV channel reported on Wednesday.(Posted @ 22:00 PST)
Gas pipeline blown up in Dera Bugti DERA BUGTI, Jan 03 (Agencies): Unknown persons blew up a gas pipeline in the vicinity of Dera Bugti, halting supply to Pir Koh and adjacent areas on Wednesday.(Posted @ 22:00 PST)
No deal with PPP: PM Aziz KARACHI, Jan 3 (Agencies) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday said that 2007 will be the year of continuity of ongoing government policies and reforms. The prime minister analyzed the achievements of the present government during the year 2006 and its plans for 2007 at a news conference in the Governor House. Aziz rejected the possibility of any deal with the Pakistan Peoples Party. "I am reading news about the deal too. But I want to make it clear here that the PML will contest the next general elections along with its coalition partners, and get success on the basis of its policies", he said. Asked whether the next elections would be held under a uniformed president, Aziz said "any decision in this regard will be taken in accordance with the constitutional requirements". Asked whether there was any chance of the return of former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, Aziz said "this is the matter of law". Answering another query on whether he would contest the elections from Thar, he said "it will be announced when the elections come nearer". He dispelled the impression that there were any differences within the PML(Q) over the nomination of the prime minister for the next term, saying "I am saying the same what Chaudhry Shujaat has said. The decision about the new prime minister will be taken after elections by the party". (First Posted @ 16:45 PST Updated @ 21:55 PST)
Cricket-South Africa 144-1 v India 414 on second day at stumps Jan 3 (Infostrada Sports) Scoreboard at stumps on the second day in the third and final Test between South Africa and India on Wednesday in Cape Town, South Africa: India 1st innings 414 all out (Overnight: 254-3, Jaffer 116, Karthik 63, Tendulkar 64, Ganguly 66; Steyn 27-12-58-2, Pollock 29.1-9-75-4, Harris 37-3-129-4), South Africa 1st innings 144-1 (Smith 76 n.o., Amla 50 n.o., Sreesanth 11 - 4 - 36 - 12)(Posted @ 21:35 PST)
British teen makes record-breaking solo sail across Atlantic ST JOHN'S, Antigua, Jan 3 (AP) A 14-year old British teen became the youngest person to sail solo across the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, reaching the Caribbean island of Antigua after a six-week voyage.(Posted @ 21:25 PST)
Three killed in renewed outbreak of Gaza violence GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip, Jan 3 (AP) Three Palestinians were killed Wednesday in Gaza violence. A 25-year-old activist from the Fatah party was shot and killed in the town of Beit Lahiya. A woman was shot in the head and seriously wounded in the crossfire, and 12 other people were moderately hurt, hospital officials said. Later, a group of gunmen ambushed Palestinian security officers in the town of Khan Younis, killing two of the officers, according to witnesses. (First Posted @ 18:45 PST Updated @ 21:25 PST)
NATO acknowledges killing many Afghan civilians in 2006 KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan 3 (AP) NATO on Wednesday acknowledged that it had killed too many Afghan civilians during fighting last year against Taliban. ``The single thing that we have done wrong and we are striving extremely hard to improve on (in 2007) is killing innocent civilians,'' Brig. Richard E. Nugee, the chief spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, told a news conference.(Posted @ 21:10 PST)
Iraq arrests official accused of recording Saddam execution BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan 3(AP) The person believed to have recorded Saddam Hussein's execution on a cell phone camera was arrested Wednesday, an adviser to Iraq's prime minister said. ``In the past few hours, the government has arrested the person who made the video of Saddam's execution,'' the adviser said.(Posted @ 21:05 PST)
U.S. not helping to counter Kurdish rebels: Turkey ANKARA, Turkey, Jan 3 (AP) The Turkish prime minister on Wednesday said that Turkey's support to the United States in its war against terrorism was not being reciprocated as it was not living up to a pledge to help counter autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels, despite the appointment of a US special envoy to address the threat guerrillas pose to Turkey, a news report said. Erdogan said Wednesday that Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK offices were still operating across the border, despite assurances from Iraq that they had been closed, CNN-Turk added.(Posted @ 21:00 PST)
President Musharraf calls on EU's to resolve Pak-India dispute ISLAMABAD, Jan 3 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday asked the European Parliament to play a more active role in resolving disputes between Pakistan and India. Talking to the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, Elmar Brok, and Chairman All Party Group on Kashmir, James Elles, the president appreciated the interest shown by the European Parliament in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, and called for a "balanced and forward looking" report on Kashmir. The president also touched upon the situation in Afghanistan, Pak-Afghan relations and the government policy to counter the threat of extremism and militancy. Musharraf emphasized the need for the international community to facilitate repatriation of Afghan refugees to their homeland. He also called on the European Parliament to facilitate the resolution of the Palestine issue.(Posted @ 20:55 PST)
Iran suspends natural gas supply to Turkey TEHRAN, Iran, Jan 3 (AP) Iran has stopped supplying natural gas to Turkey to meet increasing demand at home this winter, state-run radio reported on Wednesday.(Posted @ 19:20 PST)
Bangladesh opposition parties announce election boycott DHAKA, Jan 3 (AFP) Bangladesh's main opposition parties declared Wednesday they will boycott national elections set for January 22. Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed said at a news conference that President Iajuddin Ahmed was "illegally" holding the post of interim government chief "and he wants to hold the elections without a correct voter list," adding that "we cannot accept this unfair election". Reacting to the announcement, the outgoing Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government accused the Awami League of attempting to sabotage the elections. (First Posted @ 12:40 PST Updated @ 19:10 PST)
Bush promises new Iraq policy in the coming days WASHINGTON, Jan 3 (AFP) US President George W. Bush promised Wednesday to unveil a new Iraq policy within days. Bush wrote in a column in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal that his priorities are winning the war in Iraq and making tax cuts passed by the Republican-controlled Congress in 2001 permanent. (First Posted @ 14:10 PST Updated @ 18:50 PST)
UN staff sexually abused Sudanese children: newspaper LONDON, Jan 3 (AFP) UN staff and peacekeepers in southern Sudan have been accused of sexually abusing hundreds of children, some as young as 12, a British newspaper said Wednesday, a report the Sudanese government described as "very disturbing." The abuse allegedly started when the UN, which has around 10,000 personnel in the area, moved in two years ago to help reconstruction after the end of a 23-year civil war, the Daily Telegraph reported.(Posted @ 18:50 PST)
India's PM says West is environmentally wasteful CHIDAMBARAM, India, Jan 3 (Reuters) Slamming the West forits "environmentally wasteful lifestyle", Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called on Wednesday for industrialised nations to look at alterative energy sources to save the environment. "Equally, developed industrial economies must realise that they too must alter their consumption patterns so that few do not draw upon so much of the Earth's resources," Singh said at a science conference in Chidambaram, 195 km south of Tamil Nadu's state capital, Chennai.(Posted @ 18:45 PST)
Spain arrests five linked to 'international terrorism' MADRID, Jan 3 (AFP) Five persons allegedly linked to "international terrorism" were detained in southern Spain’s Cadiz town on Wednesday, the interior ministry said.(Posted @ 18:15 PST)
Blair backs Maliki in Saddam hanging footage probe LONDON, Jan 3 (AFP) An Iraqi government inquiry into the execution of former president Saddam Hussein has the full backing of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his government, his office said Wednesday.(Posted @ 18:15 PST)
Iraq to hang two Saddam aides Thursday BAGHDAD, Jan 3 (AFP) Saddam's half-brother and former head of intelligence, Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, and Awad Ahmed al-Bandar, the former chief judge of revolutionary court, will be hanged at dawn on Thursday, an official at the Iraqi prime minister's office said Wednesday.(Posted @ 18:15 PST)
US would have handled Saddam hanging 'differently':spokesman BAGHDAD, Jan 3 (AFP) The US military took no part in the execution of ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and would have handled it differently, a coalition spokesman Major General William Caldwell said Wednesday. Caldwell told reporters in Baghdad that US forces had handed "physical control" of Saddam to Iraqi officials shortly before the hanging, and all US personnel had left the Iraqi prison facility before it took place.(Posted @ 18:15 PST)
Afghan-NATO operation kills 17 Taliban rebels KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Jan 3 (AFP) Afghan and NATO troops killed 17 rebels, including two commanders, and also arrested three wounded in the southern province of Helmand's Kajaki district, the interior ministry said Wednesday. An ISAF spokesman in Kabul confirmed there had been "sporadic incidents" in the area, but could not confirm the interior ministry's death toll.(Posted @ 18:15 PST)
Indian army officer killed in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Jan 3 (AFP) An Indian army officer was killed and two soldiers seriously hurt Wednesday in a morning ambush by gunmen in southern Rajouri district, police said. Other soldiers ringed the area and were engaged in a gun battle with the militants that was still continuing Wednesday afternoon, the army said. (First Posted @ 13:05 PST Updated @ 18:10 PST)
U.S. raids in western Iraq capture 23 suspects BAGHDAD, Jan 3 (Reuters) U.S. forces conducted a string of raids in Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's Anbar province, on Wednesday, and detained 23 suspects with ties to senior al Qaeda leaders, the U.S. military said. One of those detained was shot and wounded after he tried to escape with a handgun and a grenade, a U.S. statement said. (Posted @ 15:20 PST)
North Korean foreign minister dies SEOUL, Jan 3 (AFP) North Korea's Foreign Minister Paek Nam-Sun has died, Pyongyang's official media reported Wednesday. It was the first mention by the North's media of the death of Paek, who was born in 1929 and had been foreign minister since 1998. It did not say when he died or what caused his death. A foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity that Paek had suffered chronic kidney problems. (Posted @ 14:10 PST)
US soldier killed in Iraq road bomb BAGHDAD, Jan 3 (AFP) A roadside bomb killed a US soldier south of Baghdad, the military reported Wednesday. The soldier died on Sunday when his unit was struck by the bomb in an Iraqi army compound south of the capital. (Posted @ 14:10 PST)
Top Iraqi Sunni tribal chief dies after rooftop fall BAGHDAD, Jan 3 (AFP) Sheikh Hamed Mohammed Suhail, a 75-year-old chief from Iraq's powerful Tamin tribe, was thrown to his death from the top of a Baghdad building after gunmen kidnapped him from a funeral, a relative said Wednesday. He was seized from the funeral in Agarguff area near Abu Ghraib on the western outskirts of Baghdad two days ago. (Posted @ 14:00 PST)
Prominent Muslim leader among 3 killed in Thai south NARATHIWAT, Thailand, Jan 3 (AFP) A prominent local Muslim leader known for his tough stance against extremism was among three people shot dead in Thailand's insurgency-hit south, police said Wednesday. Kawee Prachumkayohmas, 55, leader of Bacho village in Narathiwat province, was shot four times in an ambush late Tuesday as he left a cemetery. Two other Muslim men were gunned down in a drive-by shooting in neighbouring Yala province around midday Wednesday. (Posted @ 14:00 PST)
Cricket-Australia 188-4 v England (291) SYDNEY, Jan 3 (Reuters) Australia were 188 for four in their first innings at the close of play on the second day of the fifth and final Ashes test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday. Scores: England 291 all out from 103.4 overs (Andrew Flintoff 89, Ian Bell 71), Australia 188-4 from 55 overs (Ricky Ponting 45). (Posted @ 12:40 PST)
Four political prisoners among 2,800 released in Myanmar YANGON, Jan 3 (AFP) Myanmar's military government Wednesday granted an Independence Day amnesty to more than 2,800 prisoners, including at least four pro-democracy activists, state media and the opposition said. Soe Moe Naing, an activist who had been serving a 25-year sentence since 1999, was freed from Mandalay prison in central Myanmar, the party said. Three others were released from Kalay prison in northern Myanmar, the party said, naming them as Kyaw Shwe, Kyaw Htoo, and Khin Maung Oo, who also goes by the name Saw Win. Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent more than a decade under house arrest in Yangon, is not expected to be among those freed. (Posted @ 12:35 PST)
Two dead in small plane crash in Russia MOSCOW, Jan 3 (AFP) A small private plane crashed Wednesday in the central Russian region of Tyumen in western Siberia, killing the two people aboard the aircraft, news agencies said. The plane came down on the grounds of an automobile market in the village of Plekhanovo, RIA Novosti said. No one at the market was hurt. The cause of the accident was under investigaton. (Posted @ 12:00 PST)
Millions of Hindus gather for Ganges ritual LUCKNOW, India, Jan 3 (AFP) Millions of Hindu pilgrims braved bitter cold and security concerns to gather on the banks of the Ganges river on Wednesday for a mass ritual believed to wash away their sins. Some 50 million people are expected to bathe in the river's waters during the 45-day Kumbh Mela (Pitcher Festival), which takes place every six years in the city of Allahabad, organisers said. (Posted @ 11:00 PST)
Malaysian hockey team disbanded after Doha failure KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 (AFP) Malaysia's entire national hockey team disbanded after a dismal performance at the Asian Games in Doha where they placed sixth, a report said Wednesday. The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) has also appointed a new coach, Sarjit Singh, who is charged with ensuring the new side of mostly national juniors qualifies for the 2012 London Olympics. (Posted @ 11:00 PST)
New Zealand names squad for Australian tri-series CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) Fast bowler Kyle Mills and all-rounders Scott Styris and Jacob Oram have been omitted because of injury from a New Zealand squad named Wednesday for the cricket tri-series in Australia beginning January 14. Stephen Fleming will captain the New Zealand squad in Australia. New Zealand squad: Stephen Fleming (captain), Andre Adams, Nathan Astle, Shane Bond, James Franklin, Peter Fulton, Mark Gillespie, Hamish Marshall, Michael Mason, Brendon McCullum, Craig McMillan, Jeetan Patel, Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori. (Posted @ 10:55 PST)
At least 22 UN personnel killed in attacks worldwide last year UNITED NATIONS, Jan 3 (AP) At least 22 UN peacekeepers and civilian staff were killed in attacks worldwide last year, including six who died in southern Lebanon, the UN Staff Union said Tuesday. The number of deaths was down from the 32 UN personnel killed in 2005, though the union said the number of violent attacks against UN personnel was relatively unchanged. The union said all six UN staff members who died in Lebanon last summer were killed by Israeli airstrikes. (Posted @ 09:55 PST)
Cricket- Warne takes 1,000th international wicket; England all out for 291 SYDNEY, Australia, Jan 3 (AP) Shane Warne took his 1,000th international wicket in his final test match to end England's innings at 291 Wednesday after Andrew Flintoff's rearguard stand finished at 89 in the fifth Ashes cricket test. The Australian pacemen claimed three wickets apiece and England lost its last five wickets for 33 runs after resuming on the second morning at 234 for four. Warne, the leading wicket taker in test cricket with 707, became the second bowler to surpass 1,000 international wickets behind Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (1,104) when he trapped Monty Panesar (0) lbw to finish off England's first innings. (Posted @ 09:15 PST)
Sri Lankan army says three soldiers wounded in rebel mortar attack COLOMBO, Jan 3 (AP) Tamil Tiger rebels fired mortars at a Sri Lankan military camp in eastern Batticaloa district late Tuesday, wounding at least three soldiers, the Defence Ministry said Wednesday. (Posted @ 08:50 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 26.18 points: KARACHI, Jan 3: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 10066.68, up 26.18 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Jan 3: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.75 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Latest News on January 02, 2007
Parliament to complete five year term: PM Aziz KARACHI, JAN 2 (APP) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday said that for the first time in Pakistan's history the parliament would complete its five-year term before the end of the current year. Speaking at a reception at the Governor House here, Aziz said that the sole purpose of the present coalition consisting of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q), MQM, PML (F) and PPP is to take the country on the path of progress and prosperity. "We want to transform Pakistan from a developing to a developed country. This is not a dream and we will make it a reality. Every Pakistani has to play his role in this regard", he said. Regarding development projects in Karachi, the prime minister said that on Monday he took a tour of the city and observed the construction of roads, underpasses, flyovers, and parks. He pointed out that the focus now was on the improvement of electricity system in the city, cleanliness and law and order. (Posted @ 23:00 PST)
Cricket-India 254-3 in first innings against South Africa on first day CAPE TOWN, Jan 2 (AFP) Scoreboard at close on the first day of the third and final Test between South Africa and India at Newlands Tuesday: India first innings 254-3 (Jaffer 116, Karthik 63, Dravid 29, Tendulkar 28 n.o., Laxman 4 n.o.; Steyn 20-10-41-1, Pollock 16-6-32-1) (Posted @ 22:45 PST)
Hope fades in Pakistan for 14 missing in Arabian Sea KARACHI, Pakistan, Jan 2 (AP) Pakistan coast guards searched Tuesday for 14 missing people for a second straight day after their boat went missing in rough waters in the Arabian Sea late Sunday near Jivani, a town about 530 kilometers west of Karachi. Hopes of finding any survivors faded as Maritime Security Agency boats and a surveillance plane scoured waters, but could not find the small vessel or any of its passengers, an agency spokesman said. (Posted @ 21:15 PST)
Saddam deputy says his hanging will boost insurgency DUBAI, Jan 2 (AFP) Saddam Hussein's fugitive deputy Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri vowed that the ousted president's execution would only strengthen the anti-US insurgency in an internet statement posted Tuesday. Ibrahim called for the formation of a broad resistance front to free Iraq from US occupation. He called on his followers however to "safeguard security and people's properties and not to make room for terrorism in (their) ranks." (Posted @ 21:00 PST)
Iraqis pour into Saddam hometown to pay homage TIKRIT, Iraq, Jan 2 (AFP) Mourning Iraqis poured into Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit in their thousands on Tuesday to pay homage to the former dictator three days after he was hanged in Baghdad. Mourners walked through the streets of the city carrying posters bearing Saddam's image and chanting pro-Saddam slogans, a correspondent reported. Tents, meanwhile, were erected across the city in which mourners read verses from the holy Quran. (Posted @ 19:25 PST)
Pilgrims perform last hajj ritual in Makkah MAKKAH, Saudi Arabia, Jan 2 (AFP) Thousands of Muslims circled the holy Kaaba seven times Tuesday before bidding farewell to Makkah while others stoned pillars representing Satan in nearby Mina as the hajj pilgrimage drew to a close. Nearly 2.4 million people flocked to holy sites in Saudi Arabia this year to perform the hajj, including more than 1.6 million from outside the kingdom. (Posted @ 19:20 PST)
US marine kills Iraqi soldier in row BAGHDAD, Jan 2 (AFP) A US marine killed an Iraqi soldier after a row at a combined security post in Fallujah on Saturday, the US military reported Tuesday. "The naval criminal investigative service has initiated a criminal investigation," the military said. (Posted @ 19:20 PST)
Refugee school torched in eastern Afghanistan JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Jan 2 (AFP) Unknown arsonists torched a newly built school for refugee children on Monday night in the eastern province of Nangarhar, officials said Tuesday. (Posted @ 19:20 PST)
Ethiopian PM seeks world funding for his Somali intervention ADDIS ABABA, Jan 2 (AFP) Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Tuesday appealed for international funding for his country's military intervention in Somalia, saying his troops would withdraw within two weeks. "We don't have the money to take the burden individually," Meles told the parliament in Addis Ababa. (Posted @ 18:00 PST)
Manner of Saddam execution 'deplorable': British deputy PM LONDON, Jan 2 (AFP) The manner of Saddam Hussein's execution was "deplorable", Britain's Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said Tuesday, branding leaked mobile phone footage of his hanging "totally unacceptable". Prescott said those responsible for capturing and circulating the footage of the deposed Iraqi dictator's death should be condemned. (Posted @ 18:00 PST)
Dubai slaps limits on rent increases DUBAI, Jan 2 (AFP) Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum issued a decree imposing a seven percent cap on annual rent increases in 2007 in an attempt to put a lid on soaring prices seen as threatening its competitiveness in attracting foreign business, newspapers said Tuesday. No hikes can be applied to rents already raised in 2006 or on contracts signed with new tenants last year. (Posted @ 18:00 PST)
Taliban commander vows bloody 2007 in Afghanistan SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan, Jan 2 (Reuters) The Taliban will step up attacks on foreign troops in Afghanistan this year and kill anyone who negotiates with the government, a top Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah said on Tuesday. Dadullah said the Taliban had used a winter lull in fighting to draw up new war plans to inflict maximum damage on foreign forces. (Posted @ 16:50 PST)
Fifth Ashes test: England 234-4 in first innings at stumps SYDNEY, Australia, Jan 2 (AP) Scoreboard at stumps Tuesday after the first day of the fifth Ashes cricket test between Australia and England at the Sydney Cricket Ground: England won the toss; England, 1st Innings 234-4 (Ian Bell 71; Collingwood 25 n.o.; Flintoff 42 n.o.; McGrath 21-4-57-2, Lee 15-3-50-1, Clark 19-3-54-1). (Posted @ 16:42 PST)
Inzamam confident of Pakistan success in South Africa KARACHI, Jan 2 (AFP) Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is confident of a strong showing by his side on their South Africa tour as the team gears up for an assault on the World Cup. "We have a good and balanced team," Inzamam said before the team's scheduled departure Tuesday night, adding that he hoped they would play to their potential. Mohammad Yousuf, whose father died in Lahore last week, will join the team in a couple of days. (Posted @ 16:40 PST)
Militants attack truck delivering goods to Gaza GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip, Jan 2 (AP) Militants attacked the Gaza Strip's main cargo crossing with mortar fire early Tuesday, lightly wounding an Israeli truck driver, the army said. (Posted @ 15:15 PST)
Three US soldiers killed in Iraq blast, December toll 110 BAGHDAD, Jan 2 (Agencies) An explosion in Iraq's northeastern province of Diyala killed two US soldiers and wounded two more Sunday, the military reported Monday. The incident took the military's fatalities in the month of December to 110. One US soldier died when a roadside bomb detonated near a patrol south of Baghdad Monday, the US military said Tuesday. Three others were wounded in the incident. (First Posted @ 10:45 PST, Updated @ 14:50 PST)
Russia anti-aircraft weapons sales to Syria, Iran on schedule: reports MOSCOW, Jan 2 (AFP) Russian contracts to sell anti-aircraft weapons to Syria and Iran are being fulfilled on schedule, Russian news agencies cited defence and industry officials as saying Tuesday. At least half of the 29 Tor-M1 missile systems bought by Iran for 1.4 billion dollars were delivered, ITAR-TASS quoted an unnamed source at the defence ministry as saying. The air defence systems are being stationed around Iran's civilian nuclear sites, according to ITAR-TASS. Meanwhile, Interfax news agency quoted Valery Kashin, head of weapons maker Engineering Design Bureau, as saying that Russia met all its commitments in 2006 under the contract to supply Syria with the Strelets anti-aircraft system. He gave no details. (Posted @ 14:50 PST)
Iran does not rule out quitting nuclear treaty TEHRAN, Jan 2 (AFP) Iran on Tuesday said it was keeping open the option of quitting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if Western countries step up pressure on the Islamic republic over its atomic programme. "If we are put under pressure and deprived of our rights we can use our capacity to decide whether to stay within the treaty or to quit it," government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told reporters. (Posted @ 14:25 PST)
350 killed on Thai highways over New Year's BANGKOK, Jan 2 (AFP) Some 351 people have died in traffic accidents in Thailand during the New Year holiday, officials said Tuesday. Fatalities were up 1.2 percent last year, while injuries rose 2.5 percent to 3,970, the national road safety centre said in a statement. Most of the accidents were caused by drunk driving, speeding, or motorcyclists not wearing helmets. (Posted @ 13:45 PST)
Iran will go ahead with nuclear work: Ahmadinejad TEHRAN, Jan 2 (Reuters) President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Iran would press ahead with its nuclear plans and that a U.N. resolution imposing sanctions on Iran was "invalid". "The Iranian nation is wise and will stick to its nuclear work and is ready to defend it completely," Ahmadinejad said in a televised speech to a rally in the southern city of Ahvaz. (Posted @ 13:40 PST)
US troops kill 'Qaeda weapons dealer' in Baghdad BAGHDAD, Jan 2 (AFP) US troops killed a suspected Al-Qaeda weapons dealer and two others and wounded one in an early morning raid in Baghdad Tuesday, the military reported. (Posted @ 13:40 PST)
Indian army officer kills colleague in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Jan 2 (AFP) An army officer gunned down a fellow soldier in occupied Kashmir late Monday, the fourth such incident within two months in the Himalayan region, police said. The incident took place at a party on the outskirts of Jammu, 300 kilometers south of Srinagar. "The officer opened fire from his service weapon after entering into a verbal duel with his subordinate," a police spokesman said, adding the officer has been arrested by the army. (Posted @ 13:25 PST)
Israel to test installation to monitor Iran's nuclear activity: report JERUSALEM, Jan 2 (AFP) Israel on Tuesday will test an underground installation in the Negev desert designed to monitor any attempt by Iran to test nuclear devices, the daily Yediot Aharonot reported. The test will consist of three strong explosions Israel will deliberately set off in the northern Negev using 15 tonnes of liquid explosives, to see how they register on equipment at the underground site. The facility is equipped with seismographs and other equipment able to detect earth tremors and transmits the data directly to the IAEA via Israel's nuclear research facility at Nahal Sorek, the paper said. The new underground testing center is in the mountains near the Red Sea beach resort of Eilat. A similar testing station is located in Mount Meron in Upper Galilee in the north of Israel, the report said. (Posted @ 12:25 PST)
Sri Lanka air force bombs Tamil Tiger base, rebels say 15 civilians killed COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lanka's air force said it bombed a Tamil Tiger naval base in the country's northwest Tuesday, but a rebel spokesmen said the air raid killed 15 civilians and wounded 35 in the fishing village of Iluppaikkdavai in northwest Sri Lanka's Mannar district. The air force also targeted rebel mortar positions in eastern Batticaloa district, an air force spokesman told a news conference. (First Posted @ 12:12 PST, Updated@ 12:21 PST)
Roadside bomb kills three Iraqis in Baghdad BAGHDAD, Jan 2 (AP) A roadside bomb hidden in garbage pile killed three civilians and wounded seven others, including three policemen Tuesday in eastern Baghdad’s Camp Sarah neighbourhood, police said. (Posted @ 12:10 PST)
Mild quake hits Japan TOKYO, Jan 2 (AFP) A moderate earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale struck Japan's outlying Ogasawara islands in the Pacific Tuesday at 12:13 pm, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The epicenter of the quake was located near Chichijima in the Ogasawara chain, some 1,000 kilometers due south of Tokyo, and the quake occurred at a depth of about 330 kilometers, the agency said. (Posted @ 11:15 PST)
Fifteen killed in Indonesian boat accident JAKARTA, Jan 2 (AFP) Fifteen people were killed when a speed boat carrying 25 people capsized in the seas off the island of Borneo late Monday, a report said Tuesday. Ten people were rescued after the accident in the Java Sea off the Indonesian province of Central Kalimantan, the Antara news agency said, citing a provincial government spokesman. (Posted @ 11:10 PST)
Cricket- New Zealand beat Sri Lanka in low scoring one-dayer CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, Jan 2 (AFP) New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by four wickets Tuesday in a low scoring one-day cricket international to take the lead in their five-match series. New Zealand struggled to 110-6 in 24.3 overs in reply to Sri Lanka after the target for victory was reduced to 110 from 113 due to rain shortening the maximum overs allowed for each side to 46. Sri Lanka had earlier been dismissed for just 112 in just 35.2 overs. (Posted @ 11:05 PST)
Prisoners clash with guards in Iraq jail MOSUL, Iraq, Jan 2 (Reuters) Prisoners in Padush prison in northern Iraq smashed cell doors, burned furniture and broke cameras during a riot Monday that began when visitors told inmates that Saddam Hussein was executed. At least seven guards and three inmates were injured before Iraqi police and army ended the fighting. (Posted @ 11:00 PST)
Iraq civilian deaths hit new record BAGHDAD, Jan 2 (Reuters) The number of Iraqi civilians killed in political violence edged to a new record high in December after a big leap the previous month, data from Interior Ministry officials showed Tuesday. The statistics showed 12,320 civilians were killed in 2006 in what officials classified as "terrorist" violence - half of them in the last four months. (Posted @ 10:55 PST)
American football star shot dead in stretch limo DENVER, Colorado, Jan 2 (AFP) A player for the Denver Broncos National Football League team, Darrent Williams, was shot dead early Monday as he rode in a stretch Hummer limousine here, the team and police announced. (Posted @ 10:50 PST)
AFP photographer kidnapped in Gaza GAZA CITY, Jan 2 (AFP) An Agence France-Presse photographer, 50-year-old Peruvian national Jaime Razuri, was kidnapped in Gaza Monday by unknown gunmen, witnesses said. (Posted @ 10:30PST)
Traffic accidents kill more than 89,000 in China in 2006 BEIJING, Jan 2 (AFP) More than 89,000 people were killed in traffic accidents on China's dangerous roads in 2006, about 245 every day, the Xinhua news agency said Tuesday, adding that the figure was down 9.4 percent compared with 2005. Out of the total for 2006, 76,000 deaths were caused by speeding, drunk driving or other types of violations, according to Xinhua. China's roads are seen as among the most dangerous in the world. (Posted @ 10:10 PST)
Missing Indonesian plane crashed, 90 dead JAKARTA, Jan 2 (AFP) A passenger jet with 102 people on board crashed after going missing between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sulawesi, leaving about 90 people dead, a military official and witnesses said Tuesday. The Boeing 737-400 crashed in a remote mountainous area of Sulawesi and was destroyed in the accident according to an aerial photograph, an Indonesian army officer told ElShinta radio. The Adam Air plane had taken off Monday at 12:59 pm from Surabaya city on Java bound for Manado in northeast Sulawesi but sent distress signals and disappeared from radar screens about halfway through the flight. The jet was carrying 85 adult passengers, 11 children, and six crew members. (Posted @ 10:05 PST)
Latest News on January 01, 2007
PAKISTAN CELEBRATES EIDUL AZHA ISLAMABAD, Jan 1 (APP): Eidul Azha is being celebrated throughout Pakistan today with religious enthusiasm and fervour. President Pervez Musharraf offered Eid prayers at Army Stadium Rawalpindi. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz offered Eid prayers at Faisal Mosque in Islamabad alongwith thousands of the faithful including ministers, diplomats, officials and people from different walks of life, and exchanged Eid greetings with them. Eid congregation prayers were also held at thousands of mosques all over the country including the historic Badshahi Masjid at Lahore, Binnori Masjid at Karachi as well as at Peshawar, Quetta and other principal towns elsewhere. (Posted @ 13:10 PST)
Passenger plane with 102 people disappears in Indonesia JAKARTA, Jan 1, (AFP) - A Boeing 737 passenger aircraft with 96 passengers and six crew went missing Monday evening on a flight between the Indonesian cities of Surabaya and Mandado, the transport minister said. Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa said the Adam Air plane was believed to be near Mamuju in South Sulawesi province, 750 kilometres southwest of its intended destination in the northeast of Sulawesi island. "The plane with 96 people has lost contact and at this point its position is at Mamuju, based on the distress calls we've received," he told ElShinta radio. (Posted @ 19:18 PST)
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz arrives in Karachi KARACHI, Jan 1 (APP): Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, arrived here on Monday evening from Islamabad. (Posted @ 22:32 PST)
Former Saddam judge says execution violates Iraqi law SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, Jan 1, (AFP) - The first chief judge who presided over Saddam Hussein's trial for crimes against humanity said on Monday that the late dictator's execution by the Iraqi government was illegal. Rizkar Mohammed Amin, who later resigned as the trial's chief judge, said Iraqi law banned executions during the Eid al-Adha festival period that marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The four-day Feast of the Sacrifice began for Iraqi Sunnis on Saturday -- the day Saddam was hanged in Baghdad -- and on Sunday for Shiites. (Posted @ 21:54 PST)
Saddam's daughter attends protest in Jordan AMMAN, Jan 1, (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein's eldest daughter Raghd on Monday made a surprise visit to a sit-in held by hundreds of her father's Jordanian supporters to condemn his execution. Hundreds of protesters including lawmakers gathered in front of a building where a grouping of 14 professional unions is based, carrying pictures of Saddam and chanting anti-American and pro-Saddam slogans. (Posted @ 21:18 PST)
Palestinians continue to flood streets in support of Saddam Hussein HEBRON, West Bank, Jan 1, (AP) _ Palestinians filled the streets of the West Bank once again Monday to mourn the death of Saddam Hussein. While Saddam was viewed as a brutal dictator by much of the world, he was seen in the West Bank and Gaza as a generous benefactor who was unafraid to fight for the Palestinian cause. (Posted @ 20:42 PST)
400 cars set on fire in French New Year violence PARIS, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Vandals set fire to about 400 cars overnight and police said they arrested more than 250 people, as violence marred France's New Year celebrations. However, a police spokesman said there were fewer problems than in 2005, when youths attacked trains in the Paris region and southeast of the country. (Posted @ 20:28 PST)
South Korea's Ban Ki-moon takes the reins of the United Nations with tough agenda UNITED NATIONS, Jan 1, (AP) _ South Korean diplomat Ban Ki-moon took the reins of the United Nations on New Year's Day as the world body's eighth secretary-general with a tough array of global issues to confront. (Posted @ 19:56 PST)
India, Pakistan exchange lists of nuke installations NEW DELHI, Jan 1 (APP): India and Pakistan on Monday, exchanged lists of nuclear installations and facilities through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad. This is covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between India and Pakistan, signed on December 31, 1988 and entered into force on 27 January 1991, said a news release by External Affairs Ministry. Under the Agreement, the two countries, on first January of every calendar year are to inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered by the agreement. (Posted @ 19:38 PST)
PM vows to continue programmes of progress and prosperity in New Year ISLAMABAD, Jan 1 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Monday said the government would continue the programmes of progress and prosperity in the new year for the welfare of the people and to further improve the living standard of the common man. Talking to newsmen here at Prime Minister House after exchanging Eid greetings with the people, he said, with the success of the policies and measures taken by the government in the last seven years, the country has been making rapid progress and entering into developed state. (Posted @ 18:26 PST)
US kills six 'terrorists' in Iraq clash BAGHDAD, Jan 1, (AFP) - US troops killed six "terrorists" when they came under attack early Monday from a building owned by a senior lawmaker in Iraq, the US military said. The soldiers came under fire as they approached an suspected hideout of the Al-Qaeda insurgent group, the US military said in a statement. "Coalition forces received heavy automatic fire and hand grenades from the top of several nearby buildings", it said, adding that six "terrorists" were killed. (Posted @ 17:16 PST)
Taliban bomb kills two policemen in Afghanistan KABUL, Jan 1 (AFP) A Taliban-planted bomb killed two policemen in western Afghanistan Monday as authorities investigated the killing of two civilians by foreign forces at the weekend. The government was meanwhile back in control of a district in the west that dozens of Taliban in pick-up trucks briefly captured overnight, taking advantage of low police presence during the Eid holidays, police said. A third policeman was injured when the remote-controlled bomb exploded and struck a patrol vehicle in the western province of Herat early Monday, a district governor said hmadi also said Taliban were holding a district police chief and three other men whom they captured after raiding a district in the neighbouring province of Farah late Sunday. (Posted @ 15:55 PST)
Search continues for Indonesia ferry survivors REMBANG, Indonesia, Jan 1 (AFP) Indonesian navy ships on Monday renewed efforts to reach survivors of a ferry disaster who spent a third night on the open sea as continuing rough weather hindered the search for hundreds still missing. "Navy ships are still searching now. We're still trying the best we can," Central Java navy commander Colonel Yan Simamora told AFP. Fishermen and search and rescue teams have thus far found around 200 survivors following the sinking of the ferry off the coast of Java late Friday with some 600 on board, officials said. (Posted @ 14:20 PST)
Gaza militants mull Egypt plan to swap Israel soldier CAIRO, Jan 1 (AFP) Gaza militants who captured an Israeli soldier in June are considering Egyptian proposals to swap the corporal for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, a report said Monday. The plan was delivered to Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniya, whose Hamas movement was one of three groups involved in the soldier's capture, during the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia which began Thursday, the Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat daily said. Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman -- his government's pointman in negotiations with the Palestinians -- delivered the roposals, which involve three stages, the London-based paper said. (Posted @ 14:00 PST)
From Sydney to Bucharest, fireworks welcome New Year LONDON, Jan 1 (AP) Fireworks exploded over Sydney's Harbour Bridge as a million onlookers celebrated the New Year. In London, hundreds of thousands of revellers cheered as Big Ben rang in 2007, but the Thai capital cancelled its main event after a series of deadly bombings that killed three persons and injured at least 36 others. Pope Benedict XVI prayed at a New Year's Eve service at the Vatican City in Rome that 2007 would bring the world ``peace, comfort, justice.'' An estimated one million revellers gathered at Times Square in New York City. In Romania and Bulgaria, midnight marked a historic milestone, with the two countries becoming the newest members of the European Union. Fireworks thundered through the sky in the Romanian and Bulgarian capitals, which were decorated with the EU's blue-and-gold flags. Bad weather dampened celebrations in parts of Europe. That included Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh in England besides Belgium, and Paris. In the Philippines at least 900 persons were injured by firecrackers but there were no fatalities, while in Japan, thousands climbed mountains, some scaling famed Mount Fuji, to greet the first dawn of the year. (First Posted @ 11:30 PST Updated @ 12:15 PST)
Tribal militants blow up gas pipeline, power pylons in southwestern Pakistan QUETTA, Pakistan, Jan 1 (AP) Suspected militants blew up a main gas pipeline and two electricity pylons in a remote area of southwestern Pakistan on Monday, leaving thousands without power supply, an official said. No one was hurt in the diversions in Dera Bugti, a town about 350 kilometers east of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province. A top government official, Abdul Samad Lasi, said engineers were dispatched for repairs of damages caused by homemade bombs. (Posted @ 11:55 PST)
Cricket: Langer announces Test retirement SYDNEY, Jan 1 (AFP) Australian opening batsman Justin Langer announced Monday he was quitting Test cricket after the fifth Ashes Test. Langer's decision follows the recent retirement announcements of leg-spinner Shane Warne and paceman Glenn McGrath, and the departure of batsman Damien Martyn after the second Adelaide Test. Langer, who turned 36 last November, will be playing his 105th and final Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground from Tuesday. (Posted @ 11:45 PST)
Sri Lanka soldier dies, four injured in mine blast COLOMBO, Jan 1 (AFP) A soldier was killed and four others injured in a claymore mine blast blamed on Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna peninsula, defence officials said Monday. Officials said the LTTE had targeted a military vehicle. (Posted @ 11:40 PST)
Thai PM blames Bangkok bombs on anti-coup groups BANGKOK, Jan 1 (AFP) Thailand's army-installed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont Monday blamed deadly New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok on groups opposed to the September military coup. "Based on the government's information and intelligence agencies, it was the work of people who lost power, but I cannot clearly say which group was behind it," he told reporters after meeting with the nation's security bosses. Three people were killed and more than 30 injured in eight coordinated explosions that rocked the capital and forced the cancellation of New Year's celebrations. (Posted @ 11:30 PST)
Islamist fighters abandon last stronghold in Kismayo MOGADISHU, Jan 1 (AFP) Islamist fighters fled on Monday their last stronghold of Kismayo in southern Somalia after Ethiopian and Somali troops advanced, and the city is now in government control, the country's prime minister said. "Kismayo is already in the hands of the government. The Islamists have run away ... the airport and the seaport are free. They are still some mopping up operations," Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi told AFP in Mogadishu. He said the toll "is not available yet but there are no big casualties". Residents and an Islamist commander had also said Islamist fighters had left the southern city. (Posted @ 11:30 PST)
All rescued after ferry sinks near Bali JAKARTA, Jan 1 (AFP) Indonesian search and rescue teams have found all 11 passengers and crew from a ferry which sank off the resort island of Bali, reports said Monday. It was the third Indonesian ferry to sink in less than a week. A ferry with some 600 people sank late Friday in a storm off Java while a ferry carrying 100 people from Sumatra island to Bangka island capsized late Thursday, killing at least three people. (Posted @ 11:20 PST)
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