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| January 09, 2007 | Tuesday | Zilhaj 18, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Canada offers alternative to mining border with Afghanistan ISLAMABAD, Jan 9 (AP) Canada does not support Pakistan's plans to mine parts of its frontier with Afghanistan as a measure against cross-border insurgency by Taliban and al-Qaida guerrillas, Canada's foreign minister Peter MacKay said Tuesday after his talks with Pakistani officials. Mackay said the Canadian position on the proposed Pakistani plan was based on its obligation under the Ottawa Treaty that bans the laying of land mines. MacKay said at a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart, Khursheed Kasuri, that he offered Canada's help in controlling the rugged and porous border through aerial reconnaissance, border guard training and providing satellite telephones. Kasuri said that Pakistan will “give consideration” to the Canadian suggestions. But, he added, “We are not backtracking on our desire to control the border.” MacKay added that it was not Pakistan's job alone to stop the Taliban and other combatants from moving across the border. (First Posted @ 15:49 PST Updated @ 18:20 PST)
Twin explosions at MMA rally injure five in Nowshera PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Jan 9 (Reuters) At least five people were injured when two explosions went off three minutes apart at a rally of the Mutahida Maljis-e-Amal party in North West Frontier Province’s Nowshera town on Tuesday, police said. Police said the devices had been concealed in a manhole, and officers were investigating. MMA leader ,Qazi Hussain Ahmed, was addressing when the blasts went off, he said. (Posted @ 17:52 PST)
Govt taking all steps to meet electricity demand: PM Aziz ISLAMABAD, Jan 9 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday chaired a high level meeting to review the overall situation of power supply and demand in the country. He was informed that an additional electricity supply of 500 MW will be generated through thermal power plants by deploying gas supply within the power sector. Managing Director KESC informed the Prime Minister that the company will have an additional capacity of 360 MW by June this year. Aziz stressed the need for coordinated efforts of all concerned public organizations to adopt a long and short-term strategy to cope with the situation and to avoid load shedding in the country. (Posted @ 22:56 PST)
Pakistan keen to develop economic ties with Canada: PM Aziz ISLAMABAD, Jan 9 (APP): Pakistan is keen to develop a strategic relationship with Canada covering diplomatic, political, economic, defence and security fields, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Tuesday in talks with the Canadian Foreign Minister Peter Gordon MacKay. Aziz expressed satisfaction over the upward trend in the bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. (Posted @ 22:48 PST)
Pakistan desires peaceful, stable Afghanistan: Musharraf ISLAMABAD, Jan 9 (APP): Pakistan remains committed to work with international partners to promote the shared objective of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan, President General Pervez Musharraf said Tuesday in talks with Canadian Foreign Minister Peter Gordon MacKay who had called on him here. The president however underlined that securing the Afghanistan-Pakistan border was a joint responsibility of all sides. MacKay offered to share Canada's experience of managing the long Canada-U.S. border in order to improve controls along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. It was agreed that experts would further deliberate on this issue. MacKay also extended an invitation to the president to visit Canada which he accepted. (Posted @ 22:44 PST)
Two soldiers killed in Balochistan clashes QUETTA, Pakistan, Jan 9 (AFP) Two Pakistani soldiers were killed and two others wounded Tuesday during a clash with tribal militants in Balochistan province, officials said. Nine were also arrested, six of them with bullet injuries, in the fighting which occurred in Chakarmari town some 85 kilometers south of the provincial capital Quetta. (Posted @ 22:42 PST)
NATO-led troops kill Afghan employee KABUL, Jan 9 (AFP) NATO-led troops shot and killed an Afghan employed at one of their bases in Paktika province Tuesday after he allegedly approached a military vehicle at high speed and did not heed warnings to stop, the force said. (Posted @ 22:38 PST)
U.S. air strikes in Somalia kill 31 civilians MOGADISHU, Somalia, Jan 9 (AP) U.S. helicopter gun ships attacked suspected terrorist hideouts in Somalia Tuesday killing 31 civilians, including a newly wedded couple, a Somali official said. Earlier, Somalia's president had said the U.S. was hunting suspects in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. Embassies in East Africa, and had his support. The U.S. military said Tuesday that the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower had arrived off the coast to join three other U.S. warships conducting anti-terror operations. (Posted @ 22:36 PST)
Dozens injured in Bangladesh protests DHAKA, Bangladesh, Jan 9 (AP) Thousands of protesters fought riot police in Dhaka on Tuesday, throwing stones, bricks and homemade bombs, as a crippling blockade to force the postponement of coming elections stretched into a third day, witnesses and news reports said. Army troops joined police in manning the barricades, but did not intervene in the clashes, witnesses said. The clashes left at least 100 people injured, including police, ATN Bangla TV station reported. Dozens of protesters were detained. (First Posted @ 10:20 PST Updated @ 22:34 PST)
US urges quick end to Sri Lanka violence COLOMBO, Jan 9 (AFP) The United States Tuesday urged a speedy political solution to Sri Lanka's separatist conflict, and warned that a military solution was not possible. The US embassy urged President Mahinda Rajapakse's Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the opposition United National Party “to accelerate their consideration of the power-sharing proposal so that a ceasefire can take hold and talks can begin.” (Posted @ 20:54 PST)
Turkish boy imitating Saddam's hanging dies DIYARBAIR, Turkey, Jan 9 (AFP) A 12-year-old Turkish boy lost his life while imitating Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's hanging late Monday, his family said Tuesday. The boy's father said “After watching the footage, my son kept asking questions such as 'How did they execute Saddam?', 'Did he suffer?'. He lost his life while trying to copy it”. (Posted @ 20:34 PST)
Cricket: Australia smash record in Twenty20 match SYDNEY, Jan 9 (AFP) Adam Gilchrist smashed five sixes to guide Australia to a world-record total of 221 for five from its 20 overs and a 77-run victory over England in their Twenty20 International at the Sydney Cricket Ground Tuesday. (Posted @ 20:30 PST)
Kuwait to launch probe into suspect US fuel sales KUWAIT CITY, Jan 9 (AFP) Kuwait's parliament Tuesday unanimously approved a recommendation to launch a judicial inquiry into suspected financial irregularities in fuel sales to the US army in Iraq by the oil-rich emirate. The fuel sales were made during and after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein for which Kuwait served as a launchpad. (Posted @ 20:28 PST)
Al-Qaeda suspect killed in Jordan AMMAN, Jan 9 (AFP) The Jordanian security forces killed Tuesday a suspected Al-Qaeda militant and captured another in a shootout in the northern city of Irbid, state-run television reported. Some security forces were hurt in the operation in which intelligence agents and police took part after a tip off that Al-Qaeda militants were plotting attacks in Jordan, the report added. (Posted @ 20:08 PST)
US-led troops should withdraw from Iraq in 2008: France PARIS, Jan 9 (AFP) The United States should withdraw its forces from Iraq next year in time for the US presidential elections, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Tuesday. “The only solution for Iraq is that the Iraqis recover their sovereignty,” he told Canal Plus television. To that end, the US forces and their military partners in Iraq should be operating to a deadline for pull-out, he said. (Posted @ 20:02 PST)
Convoy of pilgrims kidnapped in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan 9 (AP) A convoy of pilgrims returning from the hajj was hijacked shortly after crossing into Iraq through the Arar crossing point from Saudi Arabia Tuesday, according to a local television station. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's office denied reports about kidnapping as “untrue” in a statement. But a security official in the region said that police had information that 10 wanted Saudi citizens were going to be in a convoy of five buses and all the bus passengers were in custody and being questioned. (Posted @ 18:44 PST)
Fifty militants killed in Baghdad clashes BAGHDAD, Jan 9 (AFP) At least 50 militants were killed in clashes Tuesday with Iraq's security forces in central Baghdad's neighbourhood of Haifa Street, the defence ministry said. (First Posted @ 13:01 PST Updated @ 18:42 PST)
Plane with 35 people on board crashes in Iraq ANKARA, Jan 9 (AFP) A plane, en route from Turkey to Iraq with 30 workers and five crew on board, crashed while landing near Baghdad on Tuesday, a Turkish official told Anatolia news agency. (Posted @ 18:40 PST)
Foreigners including Pakistanis captured in Somalia PARIS, Jan 9 (Reuters) Nationals from Britain, Canada, Pakistan and Sudan were among those captured or wounded during the ouster of Somalia's former rulers, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said in an interview published on Tuesday. (Posted @ 17:36 PST)
Pakistan frees 115 Indian fishermen KARACHI, Jan 9, 2007 (AFP) Pakistani authorities on Tuesday released 115 Indian fishermen who had been languishing in jail here for the past two years, officials said. (Posted @ 15:42 PST)
Civilians killed in Sri Lanka hospital shelling: Tamil Tigers COLOMBO, Jan 9 (AFP) At least three civilians were killed and 11 hurt after the Sri Lankan army shelled a hospital inside Tiger-held territory, the Tamil Tigers said Tuesday in a report immediately denied by the military. The LTTE said the civilians were hit at the Vakarai hospital in the eastern Batticaloa district while the military accused the Tigers of firing artillery at security forces in Batticaloa and wounding two soldiers. (Posted @ 12:52 PST)
Nine more persons die of cold in southern Punjab Multan, Pakistan, Jan 9 (PPI) Another nine persons, including two women, died of cold in Okara, Sahiwal and Mianwali during the last 24 hours. Earlier, eight persons died Monday in Chiniot, Jhang, Chichawatni and Sahiwal. According to health authorities five persons died in Sahiwal district. Three of them identified as Muhammad Iqbal, 40, Umair Begum, 51, and Ghulam Fareed, 55. Two persons, including a woman Hameedan Bibi, 75, died in Okara and another two died in Mianwali where temperature remained at -1 degree celsius. (Posted @ 12:32 PST)
Strong quake strikes deep under Pacific Ocean WELLINGTON, Jan 9 (AFP) A strong magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck deep below the Pacific Ocean Tuesday, midway between the island nations of Fiji and Tonga, the US Geological Survey said. The quake, which hit at 2052 GMT Monday, at a depth of 407 kilometres, was centred 255 kilometres northeast of Fiji's Ndoi island. There were no reports of damage and no tsunami warning from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. (Posted @ 10:51 PST)
Cricket- New Zealand v Sri Lanka one-dayer abandoned HAMILTON, New Zealand, Jan 9 (AFP) The final and deciding one-day international cricket match Tuesday between New Zealand and Sri Lanka was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain. The two sides were tied 2-2 after the first four games of the five match series. (First Postes @ 09:00 PST Updated @ 10:35 PST)
Fatah gunmen kidnap five Hamas members in Gaza Gaza, Jan 9 (AP) Five members of Hamas' military wing were kidnapped by Fatah Party loyalists who stopped their car at gunpoint in northern Gaza, Hamas said early Tuesday. Three of the hostages were released after less than an hour following mediation by three other groups, said one of the mediators, Mohammed Madhoun of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Hamas said two others continued to be held early Tuesday. There was no comment from Fatah.(Posted @ 09:40 PST)
Strong quake hits Uzbekistan MOSCOW, Jan 9 (AFP) A powerful earthquake rocked mountainous southeast Uzbekistan overnight, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Tuesday quoting emergency ministry officials.Tremors of up to 8.0 on the Richter scale were registered some 200 kilometers southeast of Tashkent, officials said. No casualties or damage were reported.(Posted @ 09:00 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 169.26 points: KARACHI, Jan 9: At close of trading the KSE-100 index was at 10405.22, up 169.26 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Jan 9: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 61 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
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