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| February 10, 2008 | Sunday | Safar 02, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
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Al-Qaeda, Taliban threat to Pakistan government: Gates MUNICH, Germany, Feb 10 (AFP) - Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in Pakistan's northwest frontier region pose a direct threat to the Islamabad government, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned here Sunday. The presence of the Islamic extremists in the tribal region is not just “a nuisance” to Pakistan, but “is potentially a threat to their government,” Gates told an international security conference. He suggested the time had come for a Pakistani anti-insurgency sweep on its own side of the Afghan border. (Posted @ 16:56 PST)
Pakistan election rally death toll rises to 25: minister PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Feb 10 (AFP) - The death toll climbed to 25 from a suicide bombing at a weekend election rally of opposition Awami National Party in Charsadda town of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province, officials said Sunday. “Twenty-five people have died and more than 35 are injured,” provincial health minister Syed Kamal Shah told AFP. However, an ANP leader addressing a press conference in Charsadda claimed that 30 supporters of his party were killed and more than 40 were injured. ANP leaders were not among the dead and wounded. Bomb disposal experts said that up to 10 kilograms of explosives mixed with metal pellets were used in the suicide bombing, which blasted big holes in two walls in the community centre hosting the meeting. “Our estimate is that around eight to 10 kilograms of explosives were used in the suicide bombing and pellets caused most of the casualties,” bomb disposal squad official Hukam Khan said. The ANP announced a three-day mourning period and asked its workers to organise condolence meetings and hoist black flags at their offices, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the party's provincial information secretary said. “We have suspended the election campaign for three days and our workers shall hold condolence meetings to mourn the deaths,” Hussain said. There were 24 funeral processions in the area on Sunday, residents said. Meanwhile, two separate bomb blasts destroyed music and barber shops in Peshawar, police said. No one was injured by the improvised bombs, but the explosions damaged five shops late Saturday, local police officials said. (Posted @ 18:58 PST)
U.S. says Scotland Yard report on Benazir Bhutto ''credible'' WASHINGTON, Feb 10 (PPI): The United States has termed as “credible” the Scotland Yard's findings that former Pakistan Premier Benazir Bhutto died due to the impact of a suicide bomb and not from a gunshot saying it has no reason to question the validity of assessment made by British sleuths. “We view this as a credible investigation by independent, outside experts,” state department deputy spokesman Tom Casey told reporters here. Casey said it was important for people to feel that they have a clear understanding of what happened. “We aren't proposing anything particular, and I think it would be up to Pakistanis to decide whether they felt they needed more review or investigation of this beyond what Scotland Yard and Pakistani authorities have already done.” Asked to comment on President Pervez Musharraf having negotiations with local Taliban in tribal areas, Casey said: “We've been working very well with government of Pakistan on these issues, but we certainly wouldn't want to see any kind of agreements made that would provide an opportunity for militants to either re-arm or otherwise continue to engage in cross-border activities or do anything else that would undermine our common goals. As far as I know, there's a lot of discussion out there, but I still don't believe we've been told that there is a specific proposal being pursued by government of Pakistan on this.” (Posted @ 18:32 PST)
Seven of a Pakistani family die as roof caves in GILGIT, Pakistan, Feb 10 (APP): Seven members of a family were killed in Skardu in the wee hours of Sunday when roof of their house caved in, Senior Superintendent of Police Skardu Wazir Mohammad Ali told APP by Phone. The victims belonged to a family of an ex military man, Hussain who was not in the house at the time of tragedy. (Posted @ 18:12 PST)
Chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff calls on Corps Commander PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Feb 10 (APP): Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, United States, Admiral Michael Mullen called on Corps Commander Lt- General Mohammad Masood Aslam on Sunday. He appreciated the efforts of Pakistan Army against militants and miscreants in the border areas and Swat, says an ISPR press release. General Aslam highlighted the causes and problems of militancy in certain parts of Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) and said that the well thought out strategy being followed in FATA/Swat was producing positive signs in bringing normalcy to these areas. (Posted @ 18:10 PST)
20 militants arrested during search operation in Pakistan’s Swat valley PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Feb 10 (APP): Security forces early morning conducted a search and cordon operation in Kabbal, Tutane Bande, Manje and Davlai in Swat district. According to a press release here, 20 militants were apprehended and a large quantity of arms and ammunition including rifles, pistols, shotguns and rounds of different caliber were recovered. Two bags filled with 70 Kgs of explosives along with a time device were also seized in Aligarama. (Posted @ 18:00 PST)
Pakistani villagers kill 15 bandits near Sahiwal: police MULTAN, Feb 10 (AFP): Villagers in central Pakistan surrounded and killed at least 15 bandits early Sunday during an attempted robbery, police said. The incident occured in a village near Sahiwal district, some 160 kilometres east of Multan city, a senior police official told AFP. “Fifteen bandits of a gang were shot dead by villagers after they broke into a compound,” he said. The gang had committed several robberies in the area and the people of the village were on the look out to catch them, he said.(Posted @ 13:40 PST)
Car bomb kills 33 in Iraq BAGHDAD, Feb 10 (Reuters) - A car bomb killed 33 people in northern Iraq on Sunday, security officials said, hours before U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Baghdad to assess recent security gains and discuss troop levels. A U.S. military spokesman said the blast occurred near an Iraqi army checkpoint in the town of Balad. Iraqi Colonel Hamadi Atshan said the bomb hit a checkpoint run by Sunni Arab volunteers who have joined U.S. forces to fight al Qaeda. It was one of the deadliest attacks in Iraq this year. Gates told reporters he would discuss troop levels with the U.S. military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus. (Posted @ 23:40 PST)
Another weather system to enter Pakistan after Feb. 14 ISLAMABAD, Feb 10 (APP): Another weather system, prevailing over Iran, would enter Pakistan after February 14 and cause rain in various parts of the country and snowfall over mountains, Met officials said. Till then, the weather is likely to remain dry and cold. Due to recent snowfall in mountainous areas, the wind blowing from Northern Areas would cause sever cold especially early in the morning and during night for the next three to four days. (Posted @ 20:20 PST)
Indian navy developing UAV to take images, transmit to naval bases NEW DELHI, Feb. 10 (APP): Indian Navy is developing a new generation Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for deeper penetration in data collection and reconnaissance. “We are working to develop a new generation UAV on a helicopter platform. It will be a pathbreaking initiative and transform naval warfare,” Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said. The rotary wing UAV, designed like a helicopter, is expected to transform naval warfare, media reports said. The UAV's payload bay will carry sophisticated reconnaissance equipment and data transmitters to enable it to take images and transmit them back to naval bases. Project clearance is on the way, an official said. (Posted @ 20:12 PST)
3 drown as boat capsizes near Gaddani beach HUB, Pakistan, Feb 10 (PPI):Three fishermen, all members of the same family, were drowned near Gaddani beach when their boat capsized Sunday. Four others swam to safety. The cause of the mishap was yet to be ascertained. (Posted @ 20:00 PST)
Mushahid for joint efforts to face challenges ISLAMABAD, Feb 10 (APP): The problems confronting the country at this particular juncture need all political forces to make concerted efforts and reach a mutual consensus as individual, party or institution could not take on these challenges alone. “February 18 polls would determine the future course of action for the country with the next government according top priority to eliminate terrorism,” Secretary General of Pakistan Muslim League Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said at a press briefing Sunday. He said PML never opposed the investigation of Benazir's assassination to be carried out by UN, but pointed out that UN had no such institution and would ask Scotland Yard or other investigation agencies to look into the matter. (Posted @ 19:52 PST)
Norway says Kabul embassy shut following threat OSLO, Feb 10 (APP/AFP) - Norway's embassy in Kabul was closed Sunday after receiving a threat less than a month after Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere narrowly escaped an attack there, an official said. “We have received a threat. We are taking it seriously and have taken security measures. The embassy has been closed, “ foreign ministry spokeswoman Kristin Melsom told AFP. “We are trying to determine if this is a real or an empty threat,” she said. It remained unclear if Norway was the only country threatened. (Posted @ 19:46 PST)
Fifteen killed in north Iraq clashes - US military BAGHDAD, Feb 10 (AP) - Fifteen people were killed, including 10 suspected al Qaeda insurgents, in clashes with local security units near Sinjar, a small town 400 km northwest of Baghdad in Nineveh province on Sunday, the U.S. military said. The insurgents attacked and killed five members of the neighbourhood unit and wounded five others. The unit counter-attacked, killing 10 insurgents, the military said. (Posted @ 19:38 PST)
Firemen battle blaze at Seoul historic monument SEOUL, Feb 10 (AFP) - Dozens of firefighters Sunday battled a blaze at one of South Korea's most historic sites, the Namdaemun gate in the heart of Seoul. Cause of the blaze had yet to be determined but there were no casualties. A crew of 80 firemen eventually brought the flames under control late Sunday. Namdaemun, the oldest wooden structure in Seoul, was given the status of “National Treasure number one” in 1962. The original gate was constructed in 1398, rebuilt in 1447 and has since been frequently renovated. (Posted @ 19:30 PST)
Obama pummels Clinton in White House clean sweep SEATTLE, Washington, Feb 10 (AFP) - Barack Obama won a clean sweep over rival Hillary Clinton in Saturday's three Democratic presidential nominating contests, as Republican Mike Huckabee gave John McCain a run for his money. Obama won big in Washington state, Nebraska and Louisiana, outpacing the former first lady by margins of roughly 2 to 1, according to US media. Obama swept Washington state and Nebraska with more than 65 percent of the vote. In Louisiana with 59 percent of precincts reporting, he was on 53 percent. On the Republican side, ordained Baptist minister Huckabee won a boost for his flagging campaign by taking Kansas. In Washington state and Louisiana, he was neck-and-neck with McCain in a race too close to call. Vietnam war hero, McCain, 71, is virtually assured of the party's nomination for the November elections, but Huckabee has been doing well in conservative, rural states. (Posted @ 18:38 PST)
Top Kashmiri freedom fighter killed in gunbattle: police SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Feb 10 (AP) - Indian forces claimed killing a top commander of the largest Kashmiri separatist group in a gunbattle in Noorpora village, about 45 kilometers south of Srinagar. Farooq Ahmed Dar, the financial chief of Hezb-ul-Mujahedeen, was one of two militants killed in the battle Saturday, said Hemant Lohia, a senior police officer. No soldiers were injured or killed in the fighting, he said. Hezb-ul-Mujahedeen could not be reached for confirmation of the report. (Posted @ 17:32 PST)
Cricket: India beat Australia by five wickets MELBOURNE, Feb 10 (Reuters) - India beat Australia by five wickets when they reached 160 for five in the 46th over in Sunday's triangular series one-day international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Scores: Australia 159 all out off 43.1 overs (Hussey 65 not out; Sharma 4-38, Sreesanth 3-31); India 160-5 (Tendulkar 44, Sharma 39 not out; M.Johnson 2-24). (Posted @ 17:16 PST)
Global Islamic extremism would thrive on Afghan failure: Gates MUNICH, Germany, Feb 10 (AFP) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates Sunday warned that failing to stamp out Afghanistan's resurgent Taliban would boost Islamic extremism worldwide and urged Europeans to wake up to the risks. “Instability and conflict abroad have the potential to spread and strike directly at the hearts of our nations,” Gates said in a speech to the annual Munich Conference on Security Policy. “I am concerned that many people on this continent may not comprehend the magnitude of the direct threat to European security,” he said. (Posted @ 17:04 PST)
Afghan district governor wounded, son shot dead: ministry KABUL, Feb 10 (AFP) - Gunmen opened fire on a district governor in the western Afghan city of Herat Sunday, wounding the official and killing his 18-year-old son, the interior ministry said. “The district chief was attacked by unknown men as he stepped out of his car. His son was martyred and he himself was wounded,” the ministry said in a statement. (Posted @ 16:58 PST)
Israel threatens to hit Hamas leaders in Gaza JERUSALEM, Feb 10 (AFP) - Israel threatened on Sunday to target leaders of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip after a child hit by shrapnel in a rocket attack on southern Israel had a leg amputated. Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said: “We will continue to reach all the terror bodies -- those responsible for them, those who send them and those who operate them. We will not exclude anyone.” Dozens of residents of Sderot, which has borne the brunt of rocket fire, briefly blocked the main highway into Jerusalem to press demands for harsher measures against Gaza militants, before holding a protest outside Olmert's office. (Posted @ 16:48 PST)
Bird flu spreads to another Bangladesh district DHAKA, Feb 10 (AP): Bird flu has spread to another district in Bangladesh despite efforts by authorities to contain it, taking the number of affected districts to 40, officials said on Sunday. The H5N1 virus, first detected in Bangladesh in March last year, was quickly brought under control through aggressive measures, including culling. But follow-up monitoring eased in later months prompting the disease to reappear, experts say. (Posted @ 11:28 PST)
Crush at Indonesia rock concert kills 10 JAKARTA, Feb 10 (AFP): Ten young people were trampled or crushed to death as hundreds of music fans tried to force their way out of a rock concert in the Indonesian city of Bandung, police and hospital officials said Sunday. Witnesses said people inside the packed venue were trying to escape the crush just as hundreds of others were surging their way inside. “Ten people were killed. Six other people were injured,” the Bandung police chief said. (Posted @ 10:55 PST)
42 Tamil rebels, 6 soldiers killed in Sri Lanka fighting COLOMBO, Feb 10 (AP): Clashes between government troops and separatist Tamil rebels left 42 guerrillas and six soldiers dead in Sri Lanka's north, the military said Sunday. Soldiers launched attacks on Tamil Tiger rebels in Vavuniya region Saturday, killing 19 rebels, a defence ministry official said. Three soldiers also died in the operation, he said. Battles in Mannar district killed 11 guerrillas and two soldiers. Elsewhere clashes killed 10 other rebels and one soldier. There was no immediate comment from rebels. (First Posted @ 10:25 PST; Updated @ 12:50 PST)
Fire at London's Camden Market under control LONDON, Feb 10 (AFP): A blaze which ripped through London's trendy Camden Market area, destroying shops, bars and homes, has been brought under control, firefighters said Sunday. One hundred firefighters tackled the blaze which broke out Saturday night, forcing police to evacuate bars and clubs as the flames engulfed market storage areas and shops. The blaze, which broke out around 7:00 pm took six hours to bring under control. (First Posted @ 09:15 PST; Updated @ 09:57 PST)
Floods, storms kill 12 in Java JAKARTA, Feb 10 (Reuter): Floods and storms have killed 12 people on Indonesia's main island of Java, a health official said Sunday. Floods triggered by heavy rain killed eight people in two districts in East Java over the past two days, said the health ministry's crisis centre chief. Four people died on Saturday when an electricity pole was toppled by storms, hitting a car in which they were travelling in Bekasi, east of Jakarta, he said. Several areas in Jakarta were under water on Sunday. (Posted @ 09:20 PST)
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