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| March 12, 2007 | Monday | Safar 22, 1428 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Pakistan not to offer US assistance in Iran attack: FO ISLAMABAD, Mar 12 (APP) Pakistan and India will start their fourth round of composite dialogue process on Tuesday when the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries will meet to discuss the Kashmir dispute, peace and security in the region and other issues including Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage and trade issues, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told a weekly media briefing on Monday. The spokesperson said there was no Indian prisoner of war in Pakistan. To a question regarding Pakistan's response in case of any attack on Iran, the spokesperson said “Pakistan will not offer any assistance to America in case of attack on Iran as it opposes to any military attack against Iran.” The spokesperson said Pakistan did not want further unrest in the region which was already in turmoil. Answering a question about the legislation under discussion in US Senate about linking aid to Pakistan with the progress in the war against terrorism, the spokesperson said Pakistan was in touch with the US administration and it had been assured by them that there will be no language prejudicial to Pakistan in the bill. “We hope that they (American) will fulfil their promise in this regard,” she added. Commenting on the meeting of Jirga Commissions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, she said during the meeting both countries exchanged information and were working on it. (Posted @ 19:38 PST)
Lawyers boycott courts across Pakistan ISLAMABAD, March 12 (Agencies) Pakistani lawyers boycotted court proceedings, clashed with riot police, and burned an image of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Monday in a countrywide protest against the removal of Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry. Information Minister Mohammed Ali Durrani said the Supreme Judicial Council would hear the case against Chaudhry at a ‘closed session’ on Tuesday. Durrani said Musharraf would abide by the council's findings. At the Supreme Court in Islamabad, a group of lawyers chanted “Shame, shame, shame” outside a courtroom where acting chief judge Javed Iqbal was to hear a case but was forced to adjourn the proceedings because no counsel for the petitioners appeared. In Lahore, police stopped hundreds of lawyers from marching toward the provincial assembly, sparking a clash in which about 20 lawyers were injured in a scuffle. In Karachi, hundreds more lawyers staged a peaceful sit-down protest in a street near the main court complex. Lawyers in Peshawar rallied in front of the provincial governor's residence. (First Posted @ 13:55 PST Updated @ 17:34 PST)
A quarter of US war veterans’ gone nuts: study CHICAGO, March 12 (AFP) A quarter of the Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans treated with US government-funded health care have been diagnosed with a mental disorder, according to a study published Monday. And when psycho-social disorders such as domestic violence were included, the number of war veterans suffering from mental illnesses rose to 31 percent. The instances of mental illness among recently discharged troops and members of the National Guard are significantly higher than those of a study published last year which examined active duty troops, the lead researcher said. (Posted @ 22:06 PST)
BBC reporter kidnapped in Gaza GAZA CITY, March 12 (AFP) Armed men kidnapped a British correspondent for the BBC in the Gaza Strip on Monday, Palestinian security sources said. Alan Johnston, who is the BBC's primary journalist in Gaza, was snatched from a car on Palestine Street in Gaza City not far from his office. (Posted @ 21:22 PST)
Govt believes in supremacy of law: PM ISLAMABAD, Mar 12 (APP) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday said that the government believed in the supremacy of law and adherence to the constitution of the country and warned that nobody would be allowed to take law in his own hands. Talking to a group of parliamentarians who called on him at the PM House, the prime minister said the government was committed to serving the masses by creating employment opportunities and providing electricity, gas, clean drinking water and health and educational facilities in all parts of the country. (Posted @ 20:54 PST)
Pakistan rejects U.S. government report on human rights ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 12 (AP) Pakistan on Monday rejected a U.S. government report on human rights in the South Asian country, saying the American critique contained “inaccuracies and distortions.” Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday that the U.S. report was not objective and failed to acknowledge steps that Pakistan's government has taken to improve human rights. Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said that no country has the right to judge Pakistan's rights situation. “No country is in the position to claim ... that its human rights record is perfect and sit on judgment on others,” she said. (Posted @ 20:30 PST)
Roadside bomb kills ten policemen in Afghanistan HERAT, Afghanistan, March 12 (Reuters) A roadside bomb killed ten Afghan policemen in the western Farah province’s Bakwa district on Monday, a security official said. (Posted @ 20:14 PST)
Pakistan still a reliable ally in war against terror: US QUETTA, Mar 12 (APP) US Ambassador to Pakistan, Ryan C Crocker, on Monday said that Pakistan was the most reliable ally in war against terrorism and has paid a heavy price in this war. Talking to newsmen while inaugurating the Parliamentary Information Technology Resource Centre (PITRC) in Balochistan Assembly, he said ”we have a common enemy which is cunning and adopts various tactics; hence, we also need to change our strategy to overwhelm our enemy. The role played by Pakistan in this war has no example and is unequivocal”. (Posted @ 17:36 PST)
Iran attack would have 'dire' impact on Israel: think-tank LONDON, March 12 (AFP) Israel faces “dire and far-reaching” consequences if it launches military action to destroy Iran's nuclear programme, a leading British think-tank said Monday. Israeli air strikes could be successful and cripple atomic facilities, but the strategy was “extremely risky”. Iran could retaliate with massive ballistic missile attacks on Israeli cities like Tel Aviv or Haifa, causing “substantial” loss of life, the report said. “An Israeli military operation against Iran would hurt Israel's long-term interests. It would be detrimental to Israel's overall security and the political and economic consequences would be dire and far-reaching,” the report added. (Posted @ 17:32 PST)
Dubai airport reopens after airliner accident DUBAI, March 12 (AFP) Dubai airport reopened to air traffic on Monday after closing for seven and a half hours because of an aborted takeoff by a Bangladeshi airliner, an official said. Fifteen people were slightly injured in the incident, which was now under investigation, officials said. (First Posted @ 11:10 PST Updated @ 17:30 PST)
UN rights group blames Sudan for war crimes across Darfur GENEVA, March 12 (AFP) The UN Human Rights Council on Monday accused Sudan’s government of orchestrating gross human rights abuses in Darfur and engaging in war crimes that targeted civilians. “The situation is characterized by gross and systematic violations of human rights and grave breaches of international law. War crimes and crimes against humanity continue across the region,” a report by the Council's investigative mission to Darfur that was led by Nobel peace laureate and anti-landmines campaigner Jody Williams said. (Posted @ 17:06 PST)
US military plans Iraq pullout in case 'surge' fails: report WASHINGTON, March 12 (AFP) Pentagon planners have begun work on a fallback position for Iraq that includes a phased pullout of US troops in case the current “surge” strategy of sending 21,500 additional combat troops fails or is undercut by Congress, The Los Angeles Times reported Monday. A drawdown of forces in Iraq, The Times said, would be in line with comments made last month by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. (Posted @ 16:40 PST)
Cricket: My duty to win World Cup for Pakistan, says Inzy KINGSTON, Jamaica, March 12 (AFP) Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq believes it's his responsibility to win the World Cup for Pakistan but if he fails he might just be tempted to try again next time. “I'll continue to play as long as I feel I can give a performance and there is no deadline for any player to end their career, as long as he continues to do well for his country,” said Inzamam. Despite their troubles, Pakistan looked impressive in their warm-up win over world number one South Africa last week and Inzamam insists all their problems are behind them. (Posted @ 15:30 PST)
Two die in gunbattle between Somali insurgents and Ethiopian troops MOGADISHU, Somalia, March 12 (AP) Ethiopian troops protecting government installations battled with insurgents in the Somali capital, leaving a 13-year-old boy and a woman killed and five others injured, witnesses said Monday. The troops, stationed at the Defence Ministry, engaged in a 15-minute gunbattle late Sunday with about 20 heavily armed men, a witness said. The two victims were killed by stray bullets, and died on the spot. (Posted @ 14:25 PST)
Saudi peace plan positive but needs work: Israeli FM JERUSALEM, March 12 (AFP) Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told Israeli public radio from Washington Monday that the Arab peace initiative contained positive elements but also clauses that were contrary to the idea of a two-state solution. She was referring to a plan adopted by the Arab League in Beirut in 2002, which calls for comprehensive peace in return for an Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab territory and an independent Palestinian state. She said the initiative adopted in Beirut contains “two additional clauses very problematic for Israel,” concerning the right of return of Palestinian refugees. (Posted @ 13:45 PST)
2 suspected Taliban killed, 1 NATO soldier wounded in southern Afghanistan KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, March 12 (AP) NATO and Afghan troops clashed with suspected insurgents Monday in southern Afghanistan, shortly before calling in an airstrike on a compound that left two militants dead, a spokesman said. The clash started when militants opened fired and lobbed mortars toward NATO and Afghan troops in the Gereshk district of Helmand province, said a spokesman for NATO's ISAF. Two Afghans and one NATO soldier were also lightly wounded in the clash, he said. (Posted @ 13:00 PST)
Bomb kills two government bodyguards BAGHDAD, March 12 (AP) A roadside bomb in southeastern Baghdad struck a car carrying government bodyguards Monday, killing at least two and injuring three, police said. (Posted @ 11:40 PST)
Six-member Pakistani family killed as heavy rain causes roof to collapse KHAR, Pakistan, March 12 (AP) A man, his wife and their four children were crushed to death early Monday when the roof of their home collapsed during heavy rains in northwestern Pakistan, an official said. The family was killed as they slept in a single room inside their home in Kharary, a village in the Bajur tribal area, said Abdul Hamid Khan, an area security officer. They were buried under rubble when the roof of thatch and mud came down on them before dawn, he said. (Posted @ 11:30 PST)
Three more US troops die in Iraq BAGHDAD, March 12 (AFP) Three more US soldiers have died in Iraq, two of them in action and one in a separate incident, a military statement said. The deaths brought to 3,195 the US military's losses in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, according to an AFP count based on Pentagon figures. (Posted @ 11:10 PST)
Sri Lanka says kills at least 20 rebels in gunbattle COLOMBO, March 12 (Reuters) Sri Lankan troops killed at least 20 Tamil Tiger rebels in a gunbattle in the island's eastern district of Batticaloa Sunday, the military said. “Forceful gunfire of troops killed at least 20 terrorists and injured many others,” the Media Centre for National Security said in a statement. (Posted @ 10:45 PST)
Military, Tamil rebels clash, three insurgents dead in northern Sri Lanka COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, March 12 (AP) Troops and Tamil Tigers clashed in northern Sri Lanka leaving three rebels dead, the Defence Ministry said Monday. A military spokesman said three rebels were killed in Jaffna peninsula late Sunday. A separate firefight hours earlier left at least 14 guerrillas and one soldier dead in eastern Batticaloa, the Defence Ministry said. (Posted @ 10:20 PST)
Seven climbers die on Indonesian volcano JAKARTA, March 12 (AFP) Seven climbers were found dead on the slopes of Indonesia's second highest volcano, a park ranger said Monday. Their bodies were found on Mount Rinjani, an active volcano rising to 3,726 metres above sea level on the island of Lombok. Preliminary findings indicated they had died of exposure, he said, adding that they all came from Lombok. (Posted @ 10:10 PST)
Chlorine leak poisons 59 in Shanghai BEIJING, March 12 (AP) A leak at a Shanghai chemical plant poisoned 59 people Monday, eight of them seriously, state media reported. The workers were dismantling a plant in the Pudong district of China's financial capital when chlorine in some old equipment spilled out, Xinhua News Agency said. (Posted @ 10:00 PST)
Tour helicopter crash in Hawaii kills one HANEA, Hawaii, March 12 (AP) One person was killed and three people were seriously injured in a tour helicopter crash on Kauai Sunday, officials said. The crash occurred at about 1 p.m., shortly after the pilot heard a loud bang and lost control of the aircraft near the island's north shore, Federal Aviation Administration officials said. (Posted @ 09:40 PST)
Cricket- Sobers declares 2007 World Cup open DANIEL TOWN, Jamaica, March 12 (AFP) The 2007 Cricket World Cup, the first to be held in the Caribbean, was opened here Sunday in a three-hour, two-million dollar opening ceremony. Sir Garfield Sobers declared the 16-team, 49-day, 51-match tournament open. “On behalf of the West Indies, it is my honour and privilege to declare the ninth ICC Cricket World Cup officially open,” said Sobers. The three-hour ceremony at the Trelawny Stadium featured a host of Caribbean entertainers. Titled West Indian Energy, the event also involved around more than 2,000 singers, dancers and performers. In all, 16 teams will play a total of 51 matches at grounds spread around nine different Caribbean nations, with the final in Barbados on April 28. All 16 competing teams took part in a parade around the stadium. The first match of the World Cup takes place Tuesday with hosts West Indies facing Pakistan at Sabina Park in Jamaica. (Posted @ 09:15 PST)
California brush fire forces evacuations LOS ANGELES, March 12 (AFP) A brush fire in Southern California forced the evacuation of least 500 homes Sunday with the blaze fed by strong winds and unseasonably high temperatures, firefighters said. The fire swept across more than 400 hectares of dry vegetation and prompted a mandatory evacuation of the residents of Orange and Anaheim Hills, about 75 kilometres southeast of Los Angeles, an official said. Several firefighters suffered minor injuries and there were no reports of civilian injuries. Winds were blowing up to 64 kilometres an hour. (Posted @ 09:05 PST)
Five reported dead in Fiji floods SUVA, March 12 (AFP) Five people have drowned in flash floods in Fiji and at least one other person is missing, reports said Monday. Three people were confirmed to have died Saturday as rivers broke their banks around Labasa, the main town on Fiji’s Vanua Levu island, commercial radio quoted police as saying. Another woman was reported missing from the Labasa area. The radio station also said two people were reported to have drowned Friday in flooding around Nadi, on the west coast of the main island Viti Levu. (Posted @ 09:00 PST)
Suicide bomb attack in Casablanca wounds three CASABLANCA, Morocco, March 12 (AFP) A suicide bomb attack in a Casablanca Internet cafe wounded three people and killed the bomber, a Moroccan official said Monday. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which took place Sunday evening. (Posted @ 08:45 PST)
Karachi Stocks down 5.30 points: KARACHI, March 12: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 11407.82, down 5.30 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, March 12: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.77 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
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