- DAWN - RSS Feeds; November 20, 2007

November 20, 2007

Tuesday

Ziqa’ad 09, 1428

Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)

Three dead as Colombian governor escapes bomb attack BOGOTA, Nov 20, (REUTERS) - A provincial Colombian governor escaped unharmed but a soldier was killed when guerrillas detonated a bomb outside the politician's residence in Cauca late on Monday in a rare urban attack, authorities said. Four soldiers were wounded and two rebels killed in combat when troops discovered the bombers outside the residential complex in Cauca. (Posted @ 23:42 PST)

Abbas handed invite for Nov 27 US peace meet: aide RAMALLAH, West Bank, Nov 20, (AFP) - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas received an official invitation on Tuesday from US President George W. Bush to attend a US peace conference starting on November 27, his spokesman told AFP. (Posted @ 23:04 PST)

Lebanon presidential vote postponed for fourth time BEIRUT, Nov 20, (AFP) - Lebanon's presidential election was postponed on Tuesday for a fourth time amid last-ditch efforts by the government and the opposition to agree a consensus candidate by a Friday deadline. “The vote on Wednesday has been postponed to Friday,” a member of parliament from the pro-government bloc told AFP on condition of anonymity. (Posted @ 22:28 PST)

US TV network's news staff vote to join writers strike NEW YORK, Nov 20 (AFP): News writers from US network CBS have voted to join a more than two-week-old strike by television and film screenwriters and could stop work at any time, their union said in a statement. The vote by almost 300 CBS staff from the Writers Guild of America opens the way for them to join more than 3,000 film and television writers who stopped work on November 5. (Posted @ 21:14 PST)

Fifth man jailed for failed London attacks in 2005 LONDON, Nov 20 (AFP): A Ghanaian-born man was jailed for 33 years Tuesday for his part in a failed attempt to attack London's public transport network with suicide bombers, two weeks after a successful attack. Manfo Asiedu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause explosions at a court hearing on November 7, days before he was due to face a retrial on conspiracy to murder in connection with the unsuccessful July 21, 2005 attacks. (Posted @ 21:10 PST)

U.S. led troops kill 14 Taliban in Afghanistan KANDAHAR, Nov 20 (AFP): At least 14 Taliban militants were killed Tuesday in fighting with Afghan and US-led troops in southern Afghanistan, officials said. The US-led military said Afghan security forces and coalition troops killed a “large group” after about 70 Taliban militantsattacked them in Uruzgan province. The Uruzgan police chief said the insurgents were killed in coalition airstrikes. (Posted @ 20:42 PST)

Musharraf, Abdullah discuss security, regional, international issues RIYADH, Nov 20 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf and King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia Tuesday stressed the need for reinvigorating efforts to combat extremism and terrorism as it is a threat to world peace. King Abdullah and President Musharraf felt that terrorism in the name of religion was a blot on Muslims and Islam, which preaches peace, tolerance and compassion and rejects violence and extremist behaviour. The two leaders who met at the Royal Palace also discussed regional and international issues, bilateral affairs and security issues. They reviewed the situation in Middle East, the ongoing violence in Iraq and Afghanistan. They agreed on further strengthening cooperation on security issues. (First Posted @ 11:25 PST Updated @ 20:38 PST)

71 Afghan nationals deported CHAMAN, Nov 20 (APP): Pakistani police released and deported 71 Afghan nationals arrested from various parts of Balochistan province, officials said. The Afghans were arrested under Foreign Act as they had entered Pakistan without legal documents. They were handed over to the Afghan Authorities at Chaman border. (Posted @ 20:34 PST)

Six new Balochistan ministers taking oath today QUETTA Nov 20 (PPI): The Balochistan caretaker cabinet will be expanded with the induction of six new ministers. They are Sardar Aziz Lehri, Abdul Majeed Bizenjo, Yahya Khan Nassar, Inayaullah Zehri, Sardar Sher Ahmad Khan and Waja Manzoor Ahmad. Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani will administer oath. After their induction, the strength of caretaker cabinet will rise to 17. (Posted @ 20:32 PST)

Iraq to offer Syria funds for refugees BAGHDAD, Nov 20 (AFP): Iraq said Tuesday it will offer Syria $15 million to help pay the costs of sheltering Iraqi refugees during a visit to Damascus by Finance Minister Bayan Jabr Solagh later this week. A government spokesman said Solagh will visit Damascus Thursday and also discuss the possibility of opening branches of Iraqi banks in Syria. (Posted @ 20:28 PST)

Bangladesh faces national crisis after cyclone: leader DHAKA, Nov 20 (AFP): The head of Bangladesh's emergency government Fakhruddin Ahmed said Tuesday the country was facing a national crisis due to “unimaginable” destruction caused by last week's cyclone. “We are faced with a national crisis. I hope that the people will come forward to help those affected,” he said in a televised address. He said around four million people had been affected by Cyclone Sidr and that the death toll was increasing. Officials have said more than 3,400 people have died but the Red Crescent said it expected the final death toll to be between 5,000 and 10,000. (Posted @ 20:25 PST)

Commonwealth rights body urges Pakistan's suspension KAMPALA, Nov 20 (AFP): The Commonwealth's human rights arm on Tuesday called for Pakistan's suspension from the 53-nation bloc, saying President Pervez Musharraf had significantly undermined basic rights. “Pakistan under Musharraf's emergency rule has no place in the Commonwealth,” the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) said in a statement. The rights body called on Commonwealth foreign ministers, who begin a two-day meeting here on Wednesday, to decide on Pakistan's exclusion from the organization. Fiji was excluded from the Commonwealth last year following a military coup, while Zimbabwe was banned in 2002. (Posted @ 20:08 PST)

More than 40 killed in weekend Saudi gas pipeline explosion RIYADH, Nov 20 (AP): Officials from Saudi Arabia's state oil company, Aramco, on Tuesday raised the death toll from a national gas pipeline explosion last weekend, saying more than 40 people had been killed. On Tuesday, company officials speaking on condition of anonymity said six Saudi nationals were among the dead and that the others were from different Asian nationalities. They said investigation teams recovered seven bodies from the site Monday. (Posted @ 19:50 PST)

Scientists transform human skin cells into stem cells CHICAGO, Nov 20 (AFP): Two groups of scientists have successfully transformed human skin cells into stem cells, potentially granting unlimited access to the foundation cells which can replace diseased or damaged tissues and organs, it was announced Tuesday. This new technique, once perfected, could eventually allow doctors to create stem cells with a specific patient's genetic code, eliminating the risk of rejection. It could also rapidly advance research in the treatment of cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, diabetes, arthritis, spinal cord injuries, strokes, burns and heart disease because scientists will have much greater access to stem cells. (Posted @ 19:45 PST)

Egypt arrests 25 members of banned Muslim Brotherhood CAIRO, Nov 20 (AP): Egyptian police arrested 25 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood in a pre-dawn sweep Tuesday, the group said. The police confirmed it arrested Brotherhood members but said only 22 were taken into custody and gave no other details of the arrests. The discrepancy in the reported figures could not be immediately reconciled. (Posted @ 19:34 PST)

Russia agrees to provide nuclear know-how to Egypt CAIRO, Nov 20 (Reuters): Russia has agreed to provide nuclear know-how and technical expertise to Egypt to help Cairo with plans to build civilian nuclear power stations to meet growing energy needs, Egyptian state media said Tuesday. State news agency MENA said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak had told Egypt that Moscow welcomed the planned resumption of Egypt's nuclear programme. (Posted @ 19:18 PST)

19 more dead in Swat fighting, thousands flee MINGORA, Nov 20 (Reuters): Thousands of people fled Swat Valley as security forces stepped up an offensive against pro-Taliban militants led by hardline cleric Maulana Fazlullah, witnesses and officials said Tuesday. The latest fighting killed at least 19 people. Advancing ground troops killed 15 militants in Shangla district, the site of fierce clashes in recent weeks in which around 300 people have died. Four civilians were killed when a mortar bomb hit their residence as security forces pounded militant positions in the same district, witnesses said. The military has moved 15,000 troops to the area for the offensive. “In Shangla we are using ground troops, and (elsewhere) in Swat we are using artillery and helicopter gunships,” said military spokesman Major-General Waheed Arshad. He said up to 30 militants were killed in fighting in Swat on Monday. (First Posted @ 12:45 PST Updated @ 19:12 PST)

US envoy meets JUI-F chief ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (AFP): The US ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson on Tuesday met Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of Jamiat-Ulema-Islam-F and deputy chief of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, embassy spokeswoman Elizabeth Colton said. Patterson and Rehman discussed a range of issues, including “the importance of having free and fair elections,” Colton told AFP. “She also discussed importance of lifting the emergency,” Colton said, adding “it was a good meeting. The ambassador is expected to meet other political leaders in coming days, she added. (Posted @ 18:52 PST)

Karachi Police arrest over 140 journalists KARACHI, Nov 20 (AFP) Police baton-charged a protest by journalists and rights activists in Karachi and arrested more than 140 media workers, witnesses and senior journalists said. The clash left several protesters with bleeding head wounds. Around 200 people rallied outside Karachi Press Club to condemn strict curbs on the media imposed under President Musharraf's emergency rule. Police rushed at the protesters when they tried to remove barricades leading toward the provincial governor's official residence and chanted slogans in support of media freedom, an AFP reporter said. The tensions continued as police and paramilitary troops blocked several protesters inside the press club. More than 140 journalists later came out of the club and offered themselves up for arrest, press club secretary Imtiaz Ahmad Khan told AFP. Police carted them off in vans, he said. A police officer said they had orders not to let the journalists near the governor's house and would use force if anyone tried. (First Posted @ 16:20 PST Updated @ 18:24 PST)

Suspended SC judges free to move: Interior Ministry ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (AFP) Pakistan's government said Tuesday that former Supreme Court judges suspended by President Musharraf and held under house arrest under emergency rule were free to move. But one of the judges said he and his colleagues remained under tight security and cumbersome official restrictions that meant they were effectively still in detention. “The judges are free to go from their homes, they are free to move,” interior ministry spokesman Javed Cheema told reporters. Police manning barricades across the road that leads to the houses of Iftikhar Chaudhry and other former judges in Islamabad would not allow an AFP reporter to enter the area to speak with judges. Ousted senior judge Rana Bhagwandas said there were still heavy restrictions on them. “Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry still can't come out of his house, the police are still laying siege to it. The other day I tried to meet him but I could not,” Bhagwandas said. “We are grateful that they have allowed us to move in the compound but when we have to go out we have to seek permission from the government. It is a very cumbersome procedure which we had to follow to get the permission,” he added. “If the government is saying that (we are free to move) you can try and come to the judges' enclave. If you can get in then it is OK, you can say they have lifted restrictions,” Bhagwandas said. (Posted @ 18:18 PST)

Speaker NA to perform functions as acting President of Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (APP) Speaker National Assembly Chaudhry Amir Hussain will perform functions of the President of Pakistan under Article 49 (2) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan with effect from Tuesday (November 20). The Speaker National Assembly will function as Acting President of Pakistan during the absence and until such time as the President Musharraf returns to Pakistan, who is on a visit abroad, said a press release issued here Tuesday. (Posted @ 17:04 PST)

SC decision on petitions against emergency likely Wednesday ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (APP) A 7-member larger bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar Tuesday asked the counsels of the petitioner and respondents to complete their arguments Wednesday when a short order is likely be announced same day on the petitions against the imposition of emergency and proclamation of PCO-1 of 2007. The bench heard the case and adjourned the hearing for Wednesday. In his arguments, Barrister Zafarullah Khan said that emergency could be imposed only on limited basis in the area plagued by tension. But, the government has imposed emergency in the entire country instead of in limited areas, he added. Decision regarding emergency had been taken in hurry and it should be withdrawn forthwith, the counsel said. Chief Justice Dogar said that jurisdiction of the courts remains intact even after the imposition of martial law, powers of the judiciary could not be curtailed through emergency and “courts are working in routine.” Courts have powers of judicial review even in matters related to extra constitutional steps like imposition of emergency, Justice Dogar observed. Raising a question about overstepping of their constitutional powers by some members of the judiciary as mentioned in the proclamation of emergency, Justice Ejaz Yousaf observed as to what was the solution in the constitution in such a situation. If some members of the judiciary were exceeding their constitutional jurisdiction then the matter could be referred to the Parliament for a constitutional solution, the counsel said. (Posted @ 17:00 PST)

Musharraf to doff uniform before taking oath for next term: Attorney General ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (APP) Attorney General Malik Mohammad Qayyum said Tuesday that General Pervez Musharraf would doff uniform before taking oath as president as per undertaking submitted before the Supreme Court last month. The Attorney General was talking to reporters after the hearing of the petitions against proclamation of emergency. Responding to a question about orders being written by some deposed judges in various cases, Qayyum said, “there is no value of such orders or judgments as it is not permitted under the constitution as well as the judicial rules.” “Judges who did not take oath under PCO are no more judges of the superior courts and now they are retired judges,” the Attorney General said. A judge cannot even sign a judgement after his retirement even if he has written it before his retirement, he said. Talking about the imposition of emergency in the country, he said, “Some extra-constitutional steps are taken when there is no solution in the constitution.” When asked about the proceedings of petitions against emergency, he said, “I and Sharifuddin Pirzada will not take too much time as the same questions have already been decided by the Supreme Court in Syed Zafar Ali Shah case and others.” (Posted @ 16:58 PST)

Karachi Police detain about 150 journalists KARACHI, Pakistan, Nov 20 (AP) Police detained about 150 journalists Tuesday after clashing with them during a protest against Pakistan's state of emergency, witnesses said. An Associated Press reporter was among the group of journalists surrounded by police at the Press Club in Karachi. Police were using vans to take the journalists away in groups. Police had pushed the reporters back into the Press Club after breaking up a protest with batons. Witnesses said at least two demonstrators suffered head injuries. (Posted @ 16:20 PST)

Earthquake shakes Israel, West Bank JERUSALEM, Nov 20 (AFP) An earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale shook Israel and the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, especially around Jerusalem, Israel's national geophysics institute said. The quake did not cause any injuries and resulted in minor damage near its epicentre close to the Dead Sea, it said. (Posted @ 16:05 PST)

President Musharraf arrives in Saudi Arabia RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov 20 (APP) President General Pervez Musharraf Tuesday arrived here on a brief visit to Saudi Arabia. He was received at the Al Riyadh International Airport by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal, Prince Muqurin bin Abdul Aziz and other officials. President Musharraf will later hold talks with King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz. (First Posted @ 11:25 PST, Updated @ 15:55 PST)

Two Afghans killed in attack on aid vehicle MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Nov 20 (AFP) Gunmen opened fire on an international aid group's vehicle in northeastern Afghanistan, killing two people, officials said Tuesday. It was unclear if bandits or political insurgents were behind the attack on the vehicle of the Agha Khan Development Network (AKDN) in remote Badakshan province, the group and a provincial governor told AFP. The gunmen sprayed the unmarked vehicle with bullets, killing an AKDN driver and a teacher who did not work for the group but had been catching a lift, she said. Two AKDN health workers were wounded. (Posted @ 15:40 PST)

Schoolchildren injured as medium quake shakes southwestern Iran TEHRAN, Nov 9 (AP) Some 20 children were hurt as they tried to run out of a school building when a medium earthquake shook a sparsely populated and remote mountainous area of southwestern Iran Tuesday, state media agency reported. The 5.1-magniture quake jolted the Qalehtal district, some 600 kilometres southwest of Tehran. State radio said the children were injured in a stampede when they rushed out of their classrooms in a local school in Qalehtal. It also said some buildings in the district were slightly damaged. The report said the quake was felt in many cities and towns across the southwestern oil-rich province of Khuzestan. (First Posted@ 11:30 PST, Updated @ 15:30 PST)

Quake hits Iranian oil-rich area, minor damage TEHRAN, Nov 20 (Reuters) A 5.1 magnitude earthquake jolted Iran's oil-rich southwest on Tuesday and caused minor damage to buildings, the IRNA news agency said. The quake occurred at 0520 GMT near the town of Ghaleh-tal in an eastern part of Khuzestan province and the tremor was felt in the provincial capital Ahvaz and elsewhere, IRNA reported. (First Posted @ 11:30 PST, Updated @ 14:30 PST)

Pakistan fully capable of securing its nuclear assets: Kasuri ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (APP) Former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri Tuesday said that Pakistan is fully capable of securing its nuclear assets because they are beyond the access of anyone. In a telephonic interview to PTV, Kasuri said, taking the advantage of ongoing conditions in Pakistan some western lobbies are busy in creating confusion about the country's nuclear assets. He said such perceptions and theories are fabricated with deliberate approach and floated in particular conditions. Kasuri said that the multi-layer security structure of the nuclear assets has a strong command and control system in place and there is no need for anyone at home or abroad to worry about the security of these assets. He said Pakistan as a nuclear capable Muslim country is not liked by many lobbies in the west who never loose an opportunity to mislead public opinion. To a question he said that a government change in Pakistan will have no affect whatsoever on the security of the strategic assets. (Posted @ 14:20 PST)

Four communist guerrillas slain in the Philippines MANILA, Nov 20 (AFP) Four communist guerrillas were killed in a clash with troops near Echague town in northern Philippines Tuesday, the military said. (Posted @ 14:10 PST)

Pakistan frees 3,400 prisoners: interior ministry ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (AFP) Pakistan has freed 3,400 people detained under a state of emergency imposed by President Musharraf and will soon release the remaining 2,000, the interior ministry said Tuesday. “The federal and provincial governments have released 3,400 people including political workers and lawyers. Some 2,000 remain in detention. They will also be released soon,” interior ministry spokesman Javed Cheema told AFP. That would leave “very few” detainees facing criminal charges and who must apply for bail through the courts to be released, Cheema said. (First Posted @ 11:40 PST, Updated @ 13:45 PST)

Five killed in Baghdad attacks BAGHDAD, Nov 20 (AFP) Bombings and shootings in Baghdad Tuesday killed five people, including a senior government official, and wounded nine, Iraqi security officials said. The official from the Geological Survey and a person accompanying him were shot dead when their car was raked with gunfire by unidentified attackers in Buratha, in central Baghdad, a security official said. In a similar incident, two civilians were killed when their car was attacked by gunmen in Drag neighbourhood of western Baghdad, he said. One person was killed and six wounded when a bomb exploded at Al-Shariqa crossroads in southwestern Al-Bayaa neighbourhood, another official said. Separately, three people were injured in a roadside bomb in Al-Baladiyat in southeastern Baghdad. (Posted @ 13:30 PST)

Bangladesh cyclone toll climbs to 3,447 dead DHAKA, Nov 20 (APP/AFP) The death toll from the devastating cyclone Sidr which crashed into Bangladesh's southern coast last week rose Tuesday to 3,447, officials said. “The death toll has reached 3,447 and the number may rise again,” said major Kamrul Islam of the armed forces control room. The Red Crescent said on Sunday it expected the final death toll to be between 5,000 and 10,000. (Posted @ 13:15 PST)

Another judge takes oath ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (APP) Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar administered oath to Justice Allama Khalid Mahmood as ad-hoc member of Shariat Appellate Bench of Supreme Court here in the Supreme Court on Tuesday. (Posted @ 13:10 PST)

Afghan, U.S. troops kill large number of Taliban KABUL, Nov 20 (Reuters) Afghan and U.S.-led coalition troops, backed by air power, killed a large number of Taliban fighters on Tuesday after an insurgent ambush in the south of the country, the U.S. military said. The latest clash came as a “company-size” group of Taliban insurgents ambushed a joint Afghan-coalition patrol with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades near the village of Sarsina, in the province of Uruzgan. The number of clashes and bomb attacks has risen in Afghanistan by up to 30 percent this year, according to United Nations estimates. (Posted @ 13:10 PST)

Peace efforts in Pakistan sectarian clashes PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Nov 20 (AFP) -Tribal elders launched efforts on Tuesday to end bloody sectarian clashes in and around the town of Parachinar in Kurram Agency tribal area which have claimed at least 112 lives, officials and residents said. A 16-member tribal peace delegation arrived Monday in Parachinar to mediate between rival Sunni and Shiite tribes, a tribal administration official said. Chief military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said the situation was “stable” in Parachinar. “Parachinar is calm. Troops are patrolling the streets and have set up pickets in several parts of the town, while armed groups have left their positions,” a local shopkeeper told AFP. But three more people died in clashes that continued Tuesday in villages around Parachinar, residents and local officials said. Rival groups were firing at each other with light cannons and mortars in Upper Kurram, Sadda, Tehwar and Trimanga villages. Officials have put the latest death toll at 112 with 300 injured. Health officials said they faced a shortage of medicines. (Posted @ 12:55 PST)

Up to 30 militants killed in latest Pakistan offensive in Swat Valley ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (AFP) - Up to 30 more militants were killed in clashes with Pakistani security forces in northwest Swat valley, the army said Tuesday. The latest deaths take the toll reported by the army from a week of fighting to around 150. “Our offensive against militants has been continuing since last night and there are reports that 20 to 30 more militants have been killed,” chief military spokesman major general Waheed Arshad told AFP. Arshad said that troops were now controlling a key road in Swat's Shangla district, which leads to the militant-held main town of Alpuri. Residents in different areas of Swat valley said that gunfire continued and helicopters hovered in the sky as scores of people abandoned their homes in Dagai and Akhund Kalai areas. Witnesses said people were moving towards safer areas with their belongings packed in cars, pick-up vans and even in rickshaws. (Posted @ 12:45 PST)

Pakistan vote on Jan 8: election commission ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (AFP) - Pakistan will hold general elections on January 8, Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq said Tuesday. “The president has fixed the date of January 8 for the elections of the national assembly and provincial assemblies,” he said. “It is the constitutional duty of the election commission to conduct elections in a free, transparent and impartial manner. In this regard the election commission has completed all arrangements,” he added. Farooq said Pakistan had imported transparent ballot boxes and had trained staff to international standards to ensure a free and fair vote. “International observers will be welcomed and provided all facilities. They will be allowed to visit all polling stations,” he said. According to reports the election commission was expected to notify the comprehensive election schedule later Tuesday. (Posted @ 12:40 PST)

Dubai should let Pakistani channels resume broadcast: HRW NEW YORK, Nov 20 (AFP) - Human Rights Watch called on the government of Dubai Tuesday to allow two Pakistani news channels that operate from the emirate to resume operations immediately. “Musharraf isn't content with muzzling critical media coverage of his repression within Pakistan -- now he is pressuring Dubai to abet his crackdown on independent reporting,” said Human Rights Watch Asia director Brad Adams.” Dubai's government should refuse to be an accomplice to Musharraf's assault on free speech,” Adams said in a statement. (Posted @ 12:30 PST)

Pakistani authorities begin releasing detained opposition supporters ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov 20 (AP) - Pakistani authorities began releasing some of the thousands of opposition supporters detained since emergency rule was imposed earlier this month, officials said Tuesday. Most of the few hundred people set free overnight were lawyers and ordinary opposition supporters. Many high-ranking party activists and leaders, such as former cricket star Imran Khan, remained in prison. Imran Khan began a hunger strike Monday to protest emergency rule. In the southern province of Sindh, authorities released 300 people, including lawyers, human rights activists and supporters of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. “All the political workers and lawyers who were detained ... are being released,” said Sindh Home Secretary, Ghulam Mohammed Mohtarem. “We had instructions from the chief minister to release these people.” He added that others _ he wouldn't say how many _ remain in jail, including 11 people charged with sedition since emergency rule was imposed on Nov. 3. Thousands of other people also remain imprisoned in Pakistan's other three provinces. (Posted @ 11:40 PST)

Maoists blow up Indian rail track PATNA, India, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Maoist insurgents blew up a railway track in Bihar's Lakhisarai district on Tuesday, the second day of protests over the killing of villagers in a land row. Dozens of trains were held up or cancelled after the attack, railway officials and police said. The rebels also shut down shops and blocked roads in eastern rural strongholds to protest against the violence in neighbouring West Bengal's Nandigram area. (Posted @ 11:35 PST)

Quake shakes Iran's oil-rich southwest TEHRAN, Nov 20 (Reuters) - A 5.1 magnitude earthquake jolted an area in Iran's oil-rich southwestern province of Khuzestan on Tuesday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, official Iranian media said. (Posted @ 11:30 PST)

Polls open in Jordan legislative elections AMMAN, Nov 20 (AFP) - Polling stations opened under tight security across Jordan on Tuesday in a parliamentary election focusing largely on economic woes. Nearly 2.5 million Jordanians, of which 49.5 percent are women, have registered to choose from around 885 candidates, including a record 199 women, who are vying for a seat in the 110-member lower house of parliament, with six seats reserved for women. (Posted @ 11:25 PST)

Musharraf leaves for Saudi visit ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (AFP) - President Pervez Musharraf left Tuesday for Saudi Arabia for talks with King Abdullah, officials said. It is his first trip abroad since declaring a state of emergency on November 3 and comes a day after the Supreme Court swept away most of the challenges to his re-election as president. (Posted @ 11:25 PST)

Hafeez Lakho,other advocates released Karachi, Nov.20 (PPI)- Former President of Sind High Court Bar Association Abdul Hafeez Lakho, Abul Inaam, Abrar Hassan, Akhter Hussain, Rasheed Rizvi advocates were released from central jail Karachi late monday night.These lawyers were arrested after imposition of emergency rule. (Posted @ 11:20 PST)

Six killed in Basra BASRA, Iraq, Nov 20 (APP/AFP) - At least six people were killed, including three children, when a rocket slammed into a house in the town of Al-Qibla, west of Basra, Monday, police and a health official said. (Posted @ 11:15 PST)

Cricket coach Woolmer’s final e-mail to wife KINGSTON, Jamaica, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer was a “little depressed” following his team's ouster from the World Cup but he was looking forward to going home, according to an e-mai, a police official read to jurors and released Monday, that may have been his final words before his surprise death. Sent hours before his body was found, the message was to his wife, Gill, in Cape Town, South Africa. “Hi, darling, feeling a little depressed currently as you might imagine,” the note begins. Woolmer then went on to critique the performance of his team in the World Cup. “Our batting performance was abysmal and my worse fears were realised,” he wrote. “I could tell the players were for some reason not able to fire themselves up.” (Posted @ 11:10 PST)

Cricket-Australia beat Sri Lanka by 96 runs in second Test HOBART, Australia, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Australia beat Sri Lanka by 96 runs to win the second test at Bellerive Oval on Tuesday. Scores: Australia 542-5 dec ( Jaques 150, Mike Hussey 132, Clarke 71, Gilchrist 67 not out, Symonds 50 not out) and 210-2 dec (Jaques 68, Ponting 53 not out); Sri Lanka 246 all out (Jayawardene 104, Sangakkara 57; Brett Lee 4-82) and 410 all out (Sangakkara 192, Atapattu 80). (Posted @ 10:45 PST)

Cricket-Atapattu announces international retirement HOBART, Australia, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Former Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu announced his retirement from international cricket after his team lost the second test to Australia on Tuesday. Atapattu was initially overlooked for the Australian tour but then included after the country's sports minister Gamini Lokuge intervened. He top-scored with 57 in Sri Lanka's first innings in the opening test in Brisbane and scored 80 in his final innings in Hobart. (Posted @ 10:40 PST)

Japan fingerprints foreigners as anti-terror move NARITA, Japan, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Japan began fingerprinting foreigners entering the country on Tuesday in an anti-terrorism policy that has sparked complaints from human right activists, business travellers and long-term residents. Some foreign visitors arriving at Narita were unfazed by the new procedures, which involve electronic scanning of both index fingers as well as taking a digital facial photo. The measures are similar to the “U.S. Visit” system introduced in the United States after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. Britain this month began requiring people applying for UK visas to have their fingerprints scanned and photographs taken digitally. (Posted @ 10:40 PST)

Forty militants injured in Pakistan’s Swat valley ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (AFP) - At least 40 militants loyal to cleric Maulana Fazlullah were injured Monday when Pakistani artillery targeted two militant compounds in Swat Valley in north western Pakistan with artillery guns. Local sources confirmed that 40 militants got injured in this operation while the military said late Monday that troops had inflicted “heavy casualties” on militants in Shangla district, although exact figures were not known. (Posted @ 10:30 PST)

US finds enough volunteers for Iraq embassy WASHINGTON, Nov 20 (AFP) - The US State Department has dropped a plan to force diplomats to serve in Iraq now that it has found enough volunteers for dozens of vacant posts, spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. “We are pleased to announce that all of the Iraq jobs have been filled by volunteers,” he said. He said a total of 252 posts have now been filled, including 48 jobs that took time to fill. All of those who are volunteering to serve in Iraq are qualified, he added. “We, in no way, lowered the standards in order to get these volunteers,” he said. (Posted @ 10:15 PST)

Commonwealth summit; Pakistan to dominate LONDON, Nov 20 (AFP) - Queen Elizabeth II and government leaders from the Commonwealth meet in Uganda this week for their biennial summit, with concern over the situation in Pakistan likely to dominate talks. Foreign ministers from the 53-nation grouping last week gave President Pervez Musharraf an ultimatum to restore the country's constitution and lift the state of emergency by November 22 or face suspension. At the last Commonwealth summit in Malta in 2005, Musharraf was urged to step down as head of the armed forces by the end of his presidential term in 2007. Pakistan was previously suspended from the Commonwealth for five years from 1999 but welcomed back into the fold on condition he took off his uniform. Away from Pakistan, tackling climate change and securing a fairer world trade deal for poorer nations were “right at the top” of the talks, all of which take place behind closed doors in “retreat”. (Posted @ 10:05 PST)

Australia beat Sri Lanka by 96 runs HOBART, Australia, Nov 20 (AFP) - Australia defeated Sri Lanka by 96 runs on the final day of the second cricket Test here Tuesday and wrapped the series 2-0. Sri Lanka, resuming at 247 for three and needing 260 runs for victory with seven wickets in hand, effectively lost the game when they lost six wickets before lunch. Sangakkara was his team's shining light finishing with 192, the highest score by a Sri Lankan in Australia since Aravinda de Silva's 167 in Brisbane in 1989. Australia's next Test will be the first of four home matches against India in Melbourne on Boxing Day. (Posted @ 10:00 PST)

Two Palestinians killed in clash with Israeli soldiers JERUSALEM, Nov 20 (AFP) - Two Palestinians were shot dead in overnight clashes with Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military and Palestinian medics said Tuesday. One member of the Hamas was killed and five others wounded including one seriously in a clash with an Israeli commando unit near Khan Yunis, while another Palestinian killed was part of a group of three men who were trying to infiltrate Israeli territory south of the Erez border crossing, an Israeli military spokeswoman said. (Posted @ 09:55 PST)

25 killed in Sri Lanka fighting COLOMBO, Nov 20 (AFP) - Clashes have left at least 21 Tamil rebels and four government soldiers dead in Sri Lanka's embattled northern regions, the defence ministry said Tuesday. (Posted @ 09:50 PST)

Four Muslims shot dead in Thai south YALA, Thailand, Nov 20 (AFP) -Suspected militants shot dead four Muslims in separate attacks in Thailand's insurgency-torn south, police said Tuesday. Police found two bodies in a rubber plantation early Tuesday in Yala, a 35-year-old Muslim religious teacher was also gunned down Monday in a drive-by shooting in Yala, and 42-year-old Muslim man was shot dead in an ambush by militants in nearby Narathiwat late Monday. (Posted @ 09:45 PST)

Company news NEW YORK, Nov 19: US banking titan Citigroup may have to write off $15 billion in soured investments including mortgage losses in coming months, a report by Goldman Sachs predicted on Monday.Citigroup, America’s second-largest bank by market worth, is already reeling from its exposure to the US housing downturn and tighter credit markets.

The banking behemoth is searching for a new chief executive officer after former CEO Charles Prince stepped down on November 5 as Citigroup revealed it was facing likely investment writeoffs of between eight and $11 billion.—AFP

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