|
| September 04, 2007 | Tuesday | Sha'aban 21, 1428 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Progress in talks on Bhutto-Musharraf deal ISLAMABAD, Sept 4(AFP): Negotiators trying to reach a power-sharing deal between President Pervez Musharraf and former premier Benazir Bhutto made some progress on Tuesday, her party said. At a meeting in Dubai, they focused on Musharraf's powers over the Pakistani parliament and on forthcoming presidential and general elections, Pakistan People's Party spokesman Farhatullah Babar said. (Posted @ 18:05 PST)
Bomb blasts in Rawalpindi kill 25, wound 66 RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Two bombs exploded in the garrison city of Rawalpindi during the morning rush hour on Tuesday killing 25 people and wounding 66, a military spokesman said. One bomb blew up a bus carrying Ministry of Defence employees on their way to work, said military spokesman Major-General Waheed Arshad. The second went off on a motorcycle in the busy R.A. Bazar market area of Rawalpindi, the sister city of Islamabad where the army has its headquarters and Islamabad's international airport is located. “Both are terrorist acts and all the dead and wounded are Pakistanis,” he said. The bombs went off at about the same time, at around 7.20 a.m. (0220 GMT). The bus was completely destroyed and mutilated bodies lay on the street, a witness said. Soldiers cordoned off the area. “It was a huge blast and for a moment I went totally blank. I didn't even realise that three children in my van were wounded by splinters,” said driver Mohammad Nasir, referring to the blast on the bus about a kilometre from army headquarters. General Arshad said it was not clear if the bombs were detonated by remote control or by suicide attackers. He said he could not give a breakdown of how many people were killed on the bus and how many were killed by the bomb on the motorcycle but other officials said earlier more people were killed in the bus blast. Earlier, some officials said the workers on the bus were from an agency involved in atomic work, while others said they were from a security agency. Police said some of the victims from the motorcycle bombing were from the military. ( First Posted @ 09:18 Updated @ 11:29 PST)
Pakistan chief justice orders release of people detained by intelligence authorities ISLAMABAD, Sept 4(AP): The government must release dozens of people whom intelligence authorities have detained for their alleged links with militants, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Tuesday. The ruling in the Supreme Court says these people have been detained without charge and that the government must either charge them and try them according to Pakistani law, or set them free. (Posted @ 20:40 PST)
Militants free four Pakistan soldiers KHAR, Sept 4 (AFP): Militants released four Pakistani soldiers on Tuesday, nearly two months after they were abducted from a tribal region bordering Afghanistan, officials said. The four paramilitary troops were kidnapped on July 6 from Bajaur district. “The local Taliban agreed to free the four militiamen after the authorities released their colleague,” the Bajaur administration chief told reporters, adding that the release had been negotiated by tribal elders. (Posted @ 19:20 PST)
Ban names Ashraf Qazi as new Sudan enovy JUBA, Sudan, Sept 4(AFP): UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday he has named Ashraf Qazi as his new special representative for Sudan to replace Jan Pronk who was expelled for criticising the army last year. “I decided to choose Ashraf Qazi as my new special representative for Sudan,” Ban said at a joint press conference with Sudanese First Vice President Salva Kiir in the southern Sudanese capital of Juba. (Posted @ 16:00 PST)
Ten dead in rebel clash in restive northeast India GUWAHATI, India, Sept 4 (AFP) -At least 10 tribal separatists were killed in a clash between rival groups in India's restive northeastern Manipur state, police said Tuesday. The clash between Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) and the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) occurred Monday in Ukhrul district, about 70 kilometres northeast of state capital Imphal. (Posted @ 10:10 PST)
Explosion damages van outside New York theater NEW YORK, Sept 4(AP): A small explosion damaged a van parked outside a theater owned by a former star of TV's “The Sopranos,” early on Tuesday, the New York Police Department said. (Posted @ 20:50 PST)
Pakistan beat Kenya by eight wickets in Twenty20 international NAIROBI, Sept 4(AFP): Pakistan beat Kenya by eight wickets in the four-nation Twenty20 cricket international at the Nairobi Gymkhana club on Tuesday. Scores: Pakistan 93-2 (14 overs); Kenya 92 all out. (Posted @ 20:40 PST)
Six more hurricanes expected this year: experts MIAMI, Sept 4(AFP): As Hurricane Felix slammed into Central America at maximum intensity on Tuesday, top US experts predicted six more hurricanes would form in the Atlantic region this year, three of them packing “major”strength. “We expect the remainder of the season to be active,” said the lead author of a report by the Colorado State University's hurricane forecast team. (Posted @ 19:35 PST)
Aga Khan honours architecture projects in Muslim world KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4(AFP): Nine architectural projects in the Muslim world, ranging from a mud-brick marketplace to a modern university campus, were honoured by the Aga Khan on Tuesday in the world's richest architectural awards. The honours were announced at a ceremony in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, itself a previous winner for its shimmering Petronas Towers. (Posted @ 18:40 PST)
Jamaica's first woman premier ousted in close election MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Sept 4(AFP): Jamaica's first woman premier, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, has refused to concede defeat after officials said the main opposition Jamaican Labour Party won a close vote. The JLP won 31 out of 60 parliament seats in Monday's election, against 29 for her People's National Party (PNP), electoral officials said. (Posted @ 18:35 PST)
Eight more die in Sudan floods, toll now 122 KHARTOUM, Sept 4(Reuters): The death toll from the worst floods in Sudan in living memory rose to 122 with the death of eight people in heavy rains which swept away houses and brought down electric cables, an official said on Tuesday. (Posted @ 18:35PST)
Bangladesh court jails academics DHAKA, Sept 4(AFP): A Bangladesh court on Tuesday sent two senior academics to jail after they were detained following student unrest last month, police said. (Posted @ 18:20ST)
Swiss convict 4 air controllers over 2002 jet crash BUELACH, Switzerland, Sept 4(Reuters): A Swiss court pronounced four managers at air traffic control firm Skyguide guilty of manslaughter on Tuesday over a 2002 mid-air accident that killed 71 passengers, most of them Russian children. “The accused are guilty of multiple cases of manslaughter,” said the judge reading out each of the four decisions.
Bush arrives in Australia SYDNEY, Sept 4(AFPUS President George W. Bush arrived in Australia late on Tuesday for an Asia-Pacific summit and a series of one-on-one meetings with world leaders. Bush's Air Force One airplane touched down on a rainy tarmac here at about 1220 GMT after an unannounced stop in Iraq’a restive Anbar province. to defend his handling of the conflict. (Posted @ 17:50 PST)
Hurricane Felix makes landfall in Nicaragua WASHINGTON, Sept 4(Reuters): Hurricane Felix made landfall as a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm in extreme northeastern Nicaragua, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. he center said at 1200 GMT the storm was moving westward at 26 kph and a hurricane warning was in effect. (Posted @ 17:1 PST)
Hostage-taker among 22 Taliban killed:Afghan police KABUL, Sept 4(Reuters): Afghan police killed 22 insurgents including a senior Taliban commander they say was involved in the abduction of 23 South Korean missionaries, a provincial police chief said on Tuesday. (Posted @ 16:53 PST)
Myanmar protest march attracts 1,000 people YANGON, Sept 4(Reuters): Around 1,000 people staged a peaceful protest march in northwest Myanmar on Tuesday demanding the release of two men arrested for demonstrating against a sudden rise in fuel prices. (Posted @ 16:20 PST)
Car bomb kills two Afghan policemen MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Sept 4(AFP): A suspected suicide attacker exploded a bomb-packed truck at a police post in northern Afghanistan Tuesday, killing two Afghan policemen, a provincial governor said. “Two police officers searching the car were killed and six others, five of them police and a civilian, were injured in the explosion,” he said. (Posted @ 15:50 PST)
Eight men arrested in Denmark had links to Al-Qaeda COPENHAGEN, Sept 4(AFP): Eight men arrested in Denmark under anti-terrorism laws had links to Al-Qaeda and are suspected of possessing bomb materials, Danish police intelligence services (PET) said on Tuesday. (Posted @ 15:45 PST)
Baghdad car bomb kills one, wounds five BAGHDAD, Sept 4(AFP) - A car bombing in central Baghdad on Tuesday killed one person and wounded five. The roadside bomb exploded in the upscale central Zayuna neighbourhood, according to officials in the defence and interior ministries.(Posted @ 14:15 PST)
Lebanon minister says 222 terrorists killed in camp standoff BEIRUT, Sept 4(AFP): Lebanese Defence Minister Elias Murr said on Tuesday that the army had killed at least 222 terrorists at the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon and captured another 202 during a 15-week standoff. He said 163 soldiers had fallen during the battles.(Posted @ 14:15 PST)
Six rebels killed in Burundi clashes BUJUMBURA, Sept 4(Reuters): Six rebels were killed in fighting between two factions of a Burundi rebel group on Tuesday in the capital's northern suburb of Buterere. “I have already seen six bodies on the ground, but there could be more than that,” said a Reuters reporter.(Posted @ 14:00 PST)
Strike shuts down most of London's subway lines LONDON, Sept 4 (AP) - Most of London's sprawling subway network was shut down by a 72-hour strike by about 2,300 members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Tuesday, leaving hundreds of thousands of workers to walk, switch to trains or buses, or just stay home. There was no service on nine of the network's 12 lines, subway operator Transport for London said. (Posted @ 12:50ST)
Hu at signing of 20-year China-Australia energy pact SYDNEY, Sept 4 (AP) - Chinese President Hu Jintao presided over the signing of a 20-year energy pact between Chinese and Australian firms on Tuesday, involving sale of liquefied natural gas worth billions of dollars. Energy security is one of the main issues for an Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum summit in Sydney, which Hu and 20 other leaders, including U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin, will be attending. (Posted @ 12:43 PST)
Three Afghan police killed in two suicide blasts KABUL, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Suicide attackers detonated two bombs in Afghanistan on Tuesday, killing three policemen, officials said. The target of one bomber was a provincial official travelling in a vehicle in Paktika province. The official survived, but one of his police bodyguards was killed and two were wounded, a provincial official said. In the second attack in Kunduz province, the bomber detonated an explosives-packed car as police pursued him. Two policemen were killed and three wounded, Kunduz governor Mohammad Omar said. (Posted @ 12:40 PST)
Cricket: Sri Lankan Chandana retires from internationals COLOMBO, Sept 4 (AFP) -Sri Lankan all-rounder Upul Chandana has retired from international cricket amid speculation he will sign up with the breakaway Indian Cricket League, reports said on Tuesday. So far no cricketer from the island nation has officially signed up, although Chandana, Marvan Atapattu and Russel Arnold have been linked to it. (Posted @ 12:35PST)
Rafsanjani elected head of top Iran clerical body TEHRAN, Sept 4 (AFP) -Iran's Assembly of Experts, which supervises the work of the supreme leader, Tuesday elected former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as its new chairman after the death in July of Ayatollah Ali Meshkini, who headed the body for all 27 years of its existence, the official IRNA news agency reported. (Posted @ 12:30PST)
Afghan, coalition forces kill insurgents KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept 4 (AP) - Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces killed several insurgents Tuesday after coming under attack in Qarabagh district of Ghazni province, a coalition statement said. The insurgents attacked the joint force with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. In the clash that ensued, “several” militants were killed, the statement said. (Posted @ 12:00 PST)
Blast kills one, injures six in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Sept 3 (AFP) - The Indian army in occupied Kashmir on Tuesday urged people not to touch abandoned shells that rained down on villages after one of its biggest ammunition depots caught fire last month. The warning came after a civilian was killed and six others hurt Monday evening when they touched an abandoned shell in southern Khundroo village. The fire at the depot killed some 20 people, mostly soldiers, and displaced nearly 20,000 villagers. The fresh explosion sparked a protest demonstration in the village with residents shouting anti-government slogans, witnesses said. (Posted @ 11:53 PST)
Jamaican opposition wins election, according to preliminary results KINGSTON, Jamaica, Sept 4 (AP) - Jamaica's main opposition Labour Party won 31 of the 60 seats in the House of Representatives Monday, according to preliminary results, but the country's first female prime minister Portia Simpson Miller said the race was too close to call and the ruling party would not concede defeat. Director of Elections Danville Walker said it would take about two days to complete the final count. (Posted @ 10:10 PST)
Thousands of California homes without power as heat wave reaches 7th day LOS ANGELES, Sept 4 (AP) - Parts of southern California sweltered in temperatures above 100 degrees (37.7 Celsius) as a heat wave stretched into a seventh day and contributed to power outages that left thousands without air conditioning. About 20,000 customers in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties had no electricity Monday. About 9,000 more customers in scattered parts of Los Angeles also were without power, as electricity company declared a power emergency and began preparing for potential rolling blackouts. (Posted @ 10:07 PST)
Tennis- US Open-Federer outclasses Lopez, Haas ousts Blake NEW YORK, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Three-times defending champion Roger Federer earned a match-up with 2003 champion Roddick by defeating Lopez 3-6 6-4 6-1 6-4 in a two-hour contest in the US Open on Monday. Roddick was leading 7-6 2-0 when ninth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych retired with nausea and breathing problems in their fourth-round clash. Also advancing were fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia and 10th-seeded Tommy Haas of Germany. On the women's side, winners included fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, sixth seed Russian Anna Chakvetadze and Israeli upstart Shahar Peer. (Posted @ 09:40 PST)
Panama begins 5.25 billion dollar canal expansion PANAMA CITY, Sept 4 (AFP) - Construction got underway Monday on a 5.25 billion-dollar project to improve and expand the Panama Canal, considered one of the world's engineering wonders. The project will double the capacity of the 50-mile canal, built 1904-1914 by the United States, which relinquished control of the waterway to Panama in December 1999. (Posted @ 09:40 PST)
US says NKorea must do more to get off terror list SYDNEY, Sept 4 (AFP) -US negotiator Christopher Hill said Tuesday that North Korea must do more to dismantle its nuclear programme before it is taken off a list of states sponsoring terrorism, a US official with him said. “Their getting off that list will depend on further denuclearisation,” he was quoted as saying by an official travelling with him. (Posted @ 09:26 PST)
Ex-Malaysian PM Mahathir has bypass surgery KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (AFP) - Malaysia's influential former prime minister Mahathir Mohammad went into surgery early Tuesday for his second heart bypass operation, and was expected to be in the operating room for about six hours, his spokesman said. (Posted @ 09:20 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 160.54,points: KARACHI, Sept 4 At the close of trading the KSE-100 index was at 12393.59 ,up 160.54 ,points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Sept 4: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 61 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Founder: Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah
Editor: Abbas Nasir
The DAWN Group of Newspapers
Haroon House, Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road, Karachi 74200, Pakistan.
Phone:+92 (21) 111-444-777 Fax: +92 (21) 569-3995
webmaster@dawn.com
Make sure to reload these pages so you're viewing the current version.
|
|
|
Contributions |