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| January 27, 2008 | Sunday | Muharram 17, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
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Pakistani troops kill 24 militants, gain control of road tunnel ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan 27 (AP) - Security forces gained control of Kohat Tunnel, linking Peshawar city with Kohat in the North West Frontier Province, after fierce fighting killed 24 militants Sunday, the army said. The fighting occurred around the town of Dara Adam Khel, where clashes broke out on Friday after security forces launched an operation against the insurgents, the army said in a statement.(Posted @ 18:23 PST)
Pakistan troops pound militants holding key tunnel PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Jan 27 (AFP) - Pakistan artillery backed by gunship helicopters pounded militant positions in an attempt to take back control of a key road tunnel, blocking traffic between the main city of Peshawar in North West Frontier Province and the city of Kohat. As the operation entered a third day Sunday, troops were using artillery, long-range weapons and helicopters to dislodge militants from their bunkers on hills overlooking the tunnel, a military spokesman said. Residents said hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the tunnel, with the militants having erected barricades on the road to the tunnel. “Fighting is going on near Kohat tunnel and troops have purged militants from a large area,” chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told AFP. Troops had made good progress in their advance, he said, expressing hope that the rebels would be flushed out from the area by Monday and the tunnel freed. “They are holding key positions on mountain tops; that is why it is taking time,” the spokesman said, adding security forces suffered no casualties and there were no details of militant losses in the latest clash. He said 25 militants were killed late Saturday. On Friday the troops said they had killed 30 rebels and lost two soldiers in Darra Adam Khel, which is known for its weapons bazaar and illegal arms manufacturing factories.(Posted @ 11:21 PST, Updated @ 17:09 PST)
Top U.S. intelligence officials made secret trip to Pakistan WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (AP): The top two U.S. intelligence officials made a secret visit to Pakistan in early January to seek permission from President Musharraf for greater involvement of American forces in trying to ferret out Al-Qaeda and other militant groups active in the tribal regions along the Afghanistan border, a senior U.S. official said. The official wishing to remain anonymous, declined to disclose what was said, but Musharraf was quoted two days after the Jan. 9 meeting as saying U.S. troops would be regarded as invaders if they crossed into Pakistan to hunt Al-Qaeda militants. The New York Times which first reported the secret visit by CIA Director Michael Hayden and Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, said Musharraf rebuffed an expansion of an American presence in Pakistan at the meeting, either through overt CIA missions or by joint operations with Pakistani security forces. In a Jan. 11 interview, Musharraf told The Straits Times of Singapore that U.S. troops would be considered invaders if they set foot in the tribal regions. “If they come without our permission, that's against the sovereignty of Pakistan,” he said. “I challenge anybody coming into our mountains. They would regret that day.” (Posted @ 10:00 PST)
Security forces nab 31 militants in Swat PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Jan 27 (APP): Security forces early Sunday morning conducted a search operation in Matta City, Sambat and Bodigram in Swat Valley and apprehended 31 militants including one Sher Zaman, a local commander of the militants. According to a press release, the apprehended militants were also required by the police in different cases. A large quantity of arms and ammunition, which includes rifles, pistols, shotguns and rounds of different caliber were also recovered from their possession. Life as a whole remained peaceful in Swat region and all the shops and other places of public utility services remained open and functioned normally, the Press release said.(Posted @ 19:51 PST)
Poll rigging will harm country: Zardari Karachi, Pakistan, Jan 27 (PPI): Co-Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party Asif Ali Zardari Sunday warned that poll rigging would seriously harm the solidarity of country and asked party workers to remain vigilant about it. Addressing a meeting of PPP Central Executive Committee, the Federal Council, Sindh Council and the party candidates from Sindh at Bilawal House, he urged party workers to channelise their energies on winning the elections. Zardari also asked party leaders, workers and the people of Pakistan to stop him if he deviates from the mission of Benazir Bhutto.(Posted @ 19:50 PST)
8 dead, 7 injured in Rawalpindi building collapse ISLAMABAD, Jan 27 (AP): At least eight people died and seven were injured when a three-floor building in Rawalpindi collapsed Sunday morning after fireworks stored on the ground floor exploded, police said. A dozen residents remained trapped inside the remains of the building as rescue teams recovered the dead and injured from the rubble, said Rawalpindi police chief Saud Aziz. (Posted @ 12:16 PST)
Suharto's body arrives at his house JAKARTA, Indonesia, Jan 27 (AFP) - The body of former Indonesian president Suharto arrived Sunday afternoon at his Jakarta house where dignitaries were waiting to pay their respects, local media reported. Suharto died at 1:10 pm Sunday of multiple organ failure after three weeks in hospital, his doctors said. Suharto, who had suffered a series of illnesses in recent years, had ruled Indonesia for more than three decades. He stepped down in 1998.(Posted @ 11:28 PST, Updated @ 16:48 PST)
Obama wins key South Carolina vote COLUMBIA, Jan 27 (AFP): Senator Barack Obama routed Hillary Clinton in South Carolina's Democratic presidential primary on Saturday, riding massive African-American support to a critical win in his bid to become the first black US president. The vote marked a second key victory for Obama and evened the score with Clinton, who has also won two key state primaries ahead of a blitz of nearly two dozen nationwide contests on February 5. (Posted @ 09:30 PST)
Cricket-South Africa beat West Indies by seven wickets PORT ELIZABETH, Jan 27 (Reuters) South Africa beat West Indies by seven wickets in the third one-day international in Port Elizabeth, South Africa on Sunday. West Indies 252-7 (M. Samuels 98, S. Chattergoon 52). South Africa 256-3 (J. Kallis 121 not out, G. Smith 56).(Posted @ 22:59 PST)
Militia kill 21 in West Darfur-residents, rebels KHARTOUM, Jan 27 (Reuters) Armed militias backed by Sudan's government killed 21 people in an attack on a village in West Darfur, anti-Khartoum Sudanese rebels said on Sunday.Rebels blamed militias they said were headed by an army officer called al-Hadi Adam Hamid, but an army spokesman said it was unclear who had attacked Sureif Judad, a village about 17 kilometres northwest of the state capital el-Geneina.(Posted @ 22:59 PST)
2 US soldiers killed in separate attacks in Baghdad BAGHDAD, Jan 27 (AP) - Two U.S. soldiers were killed in separate bombings in Baghdad, the military said Sunday. One soldier died Sunday after the soldier's vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in northeastern Baghdad. Another soldier was killed Saturday by a bomb during a foot patrol near Kazimiyah.(Posted @ 19:57 PST)
Train kills 6 young revellers in Ukraine KIEV, Jan 27 (Reuters) - A train ran over and killed six young revelers, all aged between 17-20 years, in Ukraine as they were crossing the rail tracks on their way home from a nightclub, the emergencies ministry said on Sunday.(Posted @ 19:53 PST)
Cricket-Pakistan beat Zimbabwe in third ODI to clinch series MULTAN, Pakistan, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 37 runs in the third one-day international to win the five game series at Multan stadium on Sunday. Scores: Pakistan 272-9 (Shahid Afridi 85, Tawanda Mupariwa 4-46); Zimbabwe 235-7 (Sean Williams 71, Brendan Taylor 55).(Posted @ 19:52 PST)
Annan meets Odinga as Kenya clashes kill 10 more NAIVASHA, Kenya, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Ethnic clashes killed at least 10 people in Kenya's Rift Valley on Sunday as former U.N. chief Kofi Annan met opposition leader Raila Odinga to try to resolve a month-long crisis that has claimed 750 lives. A Reuters reporter in Naivasha counted ten bodies, six burnt and four hacked to death as members of President Mwai Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe fought running battles with Luos and Kalenjins who back his rival Raila Odinga. Annan called on both feuding parties on Sunday to name four officials for further talks after he held discussions with Odinga.(Posted @ 17:11 PST, Updated @ 18:19 PST)
Heavy snow causes chaos in China ahead of Lunar New Year BEIJING, Jan 27 (AFP) - Heavy snow in south central China -- the worst in 50 years in some areas -- snarled roads, railways and airports on Sunday with the bad weather expected to worsen as millions of travellers head home for the Lunar New Year holiday. The snow brought traffic to a standstill in eight provinces, cut off a key rail link and stranded thousands of vehicles on icy highways, state media reported. Up to 150,000 passengers were stuck Sunday at the Guangzhou railway station alone, the southern end of the key rail link to capital Beijing, with numbers expected to grow to up to 600,000 by Monday, the Southern Metropolitan Daily reported. Power outages along the Hunan provincial section of the railway led to 136 trains being cancelled on Saturday, the daily reported. According to China Central Television, seven airports in the hardest hit regions, including those in the major cities of Changsha, Nanjing and Hefei were closed on Saturday due to icy conditions.(Posted @ 11:26 PST, Updated @ 18:05 PST)
Djokovic fends off Tsonga to win Australian Open MELBOURNE, Jan 27 (AP) - Novak Djokovic fended off unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (2) in the Australian Open final Sunday, earning his first Grand Slam title. No. 3-ranked Djokovic's win broke a sequence of 11 straight majors won by either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal since Marat Safin's triumph at the 2005 Australian championship.(Posted @ 17:20 PST)
Cricket-India 45-1 (and 526) v Australia (563) ADELAIDE, Australia, Jan 27 (Reuters) - India were 45 for one in their second innings at the close of play on the fourth day of the fourth and final test against Australia at Adelaide Oval on Sunday. Scores: India 526 (Tendulkar 153, Kumble 87, Sehwag 63, Harbhajan Singh 63, Laxman 51; Mitchell Johnson 4-126, Brett Lee 3-101) and 45-1; Australia 563 (Ponting 140, Michael Clarke 118, Hayden 103, Phil Jaques 60; Irfan Pathan 3-112, Ishant Sharma 3-115). (Posted @ 16:15 PST)
Gunmen ambush minibus in Baghdad; seize driver release women passengers BAGHDAD, Jan 27 (AP): Gunmen ambushed a minibus carrying five female university employees to work Sunday in Baghdad, seizing the driver but releasing the women unharmed after several minutes, police said. About eight attackers in two cars stopped the minibus as it was collecting passengers in southeastern Baghdad, two police officials said. The five women, who were on their way to work at Baghdad University's College of Arts, were released unharmed after several minutes, but the gunmen kept the driver and his vehicle, the official said. (Posted @ 13:20 PST)
8 killed, 21 injured in Turkish train derailment ANKARA, Jan 27 (AP): A passenger train derailed in central Turkey early Sunday, killing 8 people and injuring 21 others, the prime minister's office announced. Two cars of the train rolled over when the train from Istanbul to the southern city of Denizli derailed near the city of Kutahya, the office said. (Posted @ 12:30 PST)
Three shot dead in Thailand NARATHIWAT, Jan 27 (AFP): Two suspected militants were shot dead after a gunfight with security forces and a Muslim villager was killed in a separate attack in Thailand's restive south, police said Sunday. Police and soldiers raided a house thought to be a militant hideout early Sunday in Narathiwat. Authorities found six rebels in the house, sparking a firefight between the two sides that lasted about 20 minutes and left two militants dead, police said. The remaining four fled the scene. Also in Narathiwat, four militants shot dead a Muslim villager at his house late Saturday, police said. (Posted @ 10:40 PST)
NATO soldier dies in Afghanistan KABUL, Jan 27 (AFP): A NATO soldier died of gunshot wounds received during a patrol in northeastern Afghanistan, the alliance's International Security Assistance Force said. The ISAF soldier was evacuated for emergency treatment after being struck on Saturday in Nuristan province but surgery failed to save his life, it said in a statement late Saturday. The statement gave no details of the incident or of the soldier. (Posted @ 10:35 PST)
Mao's urbane English tutor dies in China BEIJING, Jan 27 (Reuters): The debonair Chinese diplomat who tutored Chairman Mao in English has died, ending an eventful life that began as an abandoned child and brought her next to Mao and U.S. President Richard Nixon as they shared toasts and jokes. Zhang Hanzhi died on Saturday aged 73 after an unspecified lung ailment, the Beijing News reported on Sunday, citing her daughter. (Posted @ 10:35 PST)
Death toll in Sri Lanka fighting rises to 40 COLOMBO, Jan 27 (AP): Fierce clashes between troops and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels left 12 insurgents and a soldier dead in northern Sri Lanka, raising the death toll from a day of fighting to 40, the military said Sunday. The latest battles were reported in a northeastern village, where nine rebels were killed in two separate incidents Saturday, a defense official said. A soldier died in a rebel ambush and later government troops destroyed a bunker in the same region killing three rebels, he said. (Posted @ 09:55 PST)
Avalanches kill three outside Los Angeles; California braces for more wintry storms LOS ANGELES, Jan 27 (AP): A series of avalanches in the mountains outside of Los Angeles killed three people, authorities said Saturday, while Southern California braced for more powerful storms that have pounded the area with heavy snow and rain. A meteorologist said up to 20 centimeters of rain would fall in the hills outside Los Angeles starting Saturday evening and area ski resorts could get as much as 90 centimeters of powder. (Posted @ 09:53 PST)
Speeding car flies 200 feet off embankment in Florida killing five OCALA, Jan 27 (AP): A car speeding down a private airport runway ran off an embankment and was airborne for 200 feet before smashing into a tree early Saturday, killing all five young men in the vehicle, the Florida Highway Patrol said. (Posted @ 09:50 PST)
Two militants killed in Algeria ALGIERS, Jan 27 (AP): Two militants were killed in clashes with Algerian security forces, the Interior Ministry said in a statement Saturday. One was said to be a top leader of Arkam Falange, an affiliate of local branch of Al-Qaeda, was killed Friday in Beni Khalifa town, southwest of Algiers. A police patrol killed a second militant as he entered a grocery store in the northern town of Tidjelabine on Friday, a statement said. (Posted @ 09:50 PST)
More than 200 suicides in Russian army in 2007: govt MOSCOW, Jan 27 (AFP): More than half of the 442 Russian soldiers who died last year committed suicide, Russia's defence ministry announced on its website Saturday. A total of 224 soldiers took their lives in 2007 in a military regularly denounced for its abuses, according to official statistics. Another 126 soldiers died in accidents, not including 41 who died in road accidents. Some 15 were victims of hazing, the government said. In addition, 23 soldiers were victims of “accidental murder” and 13 died after mishandling their weapons, the ministry said. (Posted @ 08:45 PST)
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