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| February 14, 2008 | Thursday | Safar 06, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
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Bomb in Pakistan tribal area kills three troops KHAR, Pakistan, Feb 14 (AFP) - A roadside bomb struck a Pakistani paramilitary convoy in a troubled tribal region on Thursday, killing three personnel including a major, security and administration officials said. The remote-controlled device exploded near Khar, the main town in Bajaur agency bordering Afghanistan, a security official said. The bomb destroyed one vehicle and killed three people including a major from the paramilitary Bajaur Scouts force, he said. Local administration official Mohammad Jamil confirmed the fatalities and told AFP that three soldiers were also “seriously wounded”. They were receiving treatment at a local hospital. Troops cordoned off the blast site and blocked the road leading to Khar, he said. A suspected US air strike in Bajaur in January 2006 targeted Osama bin Laden's chief lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri, but missed. (Posted @ 12:10 PST)
Protests if fraud mars Pakistan polls, says Benazir's husband LAHORE, Pakistan, Feb 14 (AFP) – Asif Ali Zardari, husband of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, has warned that he could call for protests if vote fraud denies his party victory in next week's elections. Expressing confidence that the PPP would form the next government., he told AFP at his fortified Lahore home that lack of impartiality of Pakistan's election commission meant Monday's polls would be “pre-rigged”, and cautioned that if electoral violations robbed PPP of victory, supporters could take to the streets. “We will call for all the political forces to get together, and together we shall decide how to take the people to the streets, how to do political agitation -- enough to get our point of view across,” he said in an interview late Wednesday. “We will look at it when the time comes -- all options are open to political forces, always,” the 51-year-old added. Campaigning for Monday's parliamentary elections has so far been subdued, with warnings of further attacks on political gatherings. “I am less concerned about myself. My major concern is about my supporters, because in every attack they have died in the hundreds.” Asif did not rule out power-sharing with the ex-prime minister and fellow opposition politician Nawaz Sharif or with the former ruling party (PML-Q) that backs President Pervez Musharraf. “People's Party and all the political forces are going to get together and have a consensus prime minister,” he said. He also brushed off suggestions that he did not have the full support of the PPP. “I have always felt when I was in prison they (the PPP) were with me. When I was away they were with me, and today they are with me,” he said. (Posted @ 10:30 PST)
Pakistan, India talks over air links begin ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 (PPI): Pakistan and India Thursday began fresh round of talks over the air links between the two countries. Senior officials from Defence Ministries and Civil Aviation from both countries are leading their countries’ delegations at the talks. A joint statement will be issued at conclusion of talks Friday. (Posted @ 17:10 PST)
Don't agitate after Pakistan election, warns Musharraf ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 (Reuters): President Musharraf issued a warning to opposition parties to accept the result of Monday's election and not resort to agitation if it goes against them, while guaranteeing it will be free and fair. “They should not be under any illusion that they will bring people to the streets after the election. Nothing of that sort will be allowed,” Musharraf said at a special conference of government officials in Islamabad. “In this situation of extremism and terrorism, no agitation, anarchy or chaos can be acceptable.” “Don't show arrogance, if you win, and show grace, if you lose, accept the results,” Musharraf said, rejecting the opposition's allegations. “I am conscious of the fact that the elections should be free, fair and transparent and they have to be seen free, fair and transparent and also peaceful. The entire world is watching us,” he said. “I guarantee that these will be free and fair.” He said there could be lower-level tactical irregularities by candidates but the government would not be involved. At least 24 people have been killed and more than 30 wounded in bomb attacks on political workers in the last week alone. Musharraf described Monday's vote as “mother of all elections” and urged international opinion poll firms not to “incite trouble” by pre-judging results. “Don't destroy peace of this country. Don't destroy peace of this region. You are playing with the peace of the world,” said Musharraf. (First Posted @ 14:50 PST, Updated @ 17:00 PST)
Cricket: Pakistan tour remains in question because of security concerns, says CA chief SYDNEY, Australia, Feb 14 (AP) - Cricket Australia is continuing to monitor the security situation in Pakistan before deciding whether its tour will proceed, The Australian newspaper reported Thursday. Australia is due to leave in the second week of March for three tests, five one-day matches and a Twenty20 game in Pakistan. Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland reiterated that Australia has not toured Pakistan for 10 years and wanted to go if the circumstances were right. “We need Pakistan cricket to be strong and healthy if we are to have a genuinely global sport,” Sutherland said. Cricket Australia and representatives of the Australian Cricketers Association are due to visit Pakistan after the elections for a security assessment. “We are aware of the significant concerns that the players have and they are concerns we share,” Cricket Australia public affairs manager Peter Young said. “We're still moving through a process and we have a way to go before that process is finalized.” Young played down threats attributed to the Pakistan cricket officials that if Australia did not tour Pakistan, then it would refuse to tour Australia as scheduled next year. “We're obviously keen to see them here and the circumstances of them visiting here have to be considered in isolation at that time,” he said. “The particular circumstances this time include significant concerns about safety and security that we just can't ignore.” (Posted @ 11:05 PST)
Hockey-Australia to host 2009 Champions Trophy events SYDNEY, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Australia has been selected to host the men's and women's Champions Trophy tournaments in 2009, Hockey Australia announced on Thursday. The women's event will be held at Sydney's Olympic hockey centre in July, while the men's championship will be staged in Melbourne from Nov. 28 to Dec. 6. (Posted @ 10:40 PST)
Bush to send Rice to Kenya in bid to end violence WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (AFP): US President George W. Bush said Thursday he plans to send Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Kenya to support efforts to end violence and help political reconciliation there. (Posted @ 23:02 PST)
Yemeni envoy to Somalia escapes grenade attack MOGADISHU, Feb 14 (Reuters): Yemen's ambassador to Somalia Ali Masud survived a grenade attack on Thursday while attending a ceremony held by members of the Yemeni diaspora in Mogadishu, an aide said. Unidentified gunmen hurled a grenade at a school in south Mogadishu where the party took place, killing one of the guests and wounding two others. The Yemeni envoy was quickly escorted away by government troops. (Posted @ 21:02 PST)
Belgian candidate prime minister Leterme in hospital BRUSSELS, Feb 14 (AP): Belgian Vice Premier Yves Leterme, who is slated to become prime minister next month, was taken to hospital with undisclosed medical problems, officials said Thursday. Media reported he had been suffering from a flu before he was taken to the hospital for observation late Wednesday. An official at his office confirmed he was taken to hospital, but did not want to elaborate, saying it was up to Leterme's family to make a statement. (Posted @ 20:38 PST)
Serbia declares any unilateral Kosovo independence bid invalid BELGRADE, Feb 14 (AP): Serbia's government on Thursday denounced any unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence --expected within days-- as “invalid and void.” Serbia issued the defiant declaration just days before the province is expected to secede, and hours before the U.N. Security Council was to meet at Belgrade's request to discuss Kosovo. A secret “Action Plan” to be implemented when Kosovo declares independence is believed to include retaliatory steps to encourage the province's 100,000-strong Serb minority to shun the declaration and formally keep their territories under Belgrade's control, a de facto partitioning of the province of 2 million people. (Posted @ 19:56 PST)
Zuma appeals to Constitutional Court in graft case JOHANNESBURG, Feb 14 (Reuters): African National Congress leader Jacob Zuma has asked South Africa's Constitutional Court to strike down a court ruling allowing seized documents to be used against him in a corruption case, according to a filing provided by his lawyer. In an appeal filed with the court, Zuma and his lawyer argued that prosecutors and investigators had acted illegally when they raided and seized documents from properties belonging to Zuma and lawyer Hulley in 2005. (Posted @ 19:32 PST)
Zardari holds rally in Faisalabad FAISALABAD, Feb 14 (Reuters): Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari held his first rally in Punjab in the industrial city of Faisalabad on Thursday and urged people to fight for change and vote for Bhutto's party. “I came to Punjab to save Pakistan, Bhutto's Pakistan,” Zardari told a crowd of about 7,000 party supporters. Security for the rally was tight with everyone searched coming in and police marksmen posted on rooftops overlooking the rally ground. (Posted @ 19:18 PST)
US trade deficit declined in 2007 after setting records for 5 straight years WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (AP): Despite a soaring foreign oil bill and another record deficit with China, the overall U.S. trade deficit declined in 2007 after setting records for five consecutive years. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that the deficit dropped to $711.6 billion last year, a decline of 6.2 percent. The trade deficit with China continued to rise, jumping by 10.2 percent to $256.3 billion. (Posted @ 19:10 PST)
Karzai could alienate Britons, say MPs LONDON, Feb 14 (Reuters): President Hamid Karzai is in danger of alienating British public commitment to Afghanistan if he continues to criticise Britain's role in his country, some politicians said on Thursday. Political relations between the two countries have “slightly soured” they said, after a series of diplomatic spats including criticism of British forces working to defeat the Taliban and helping in the country's reconstruction. “There is a risk the comments by the government of Afghanistan which are critical of the UK could undermine British public support for the UK's long-term commitment to Afghanistan,” said an International Development Committee report. (Posted @ 19:02 PST)
German police arrest 20 in Dresden left-right clash DRESDEN, Feb 14 (AP): German police arrested 20 people during clashes between left and right-wing demonstrators in the eastern city of Dresden, officials said Thursday. The detentions happened Wednesday night as some 750 far-right demonstrators were confronted by some 150 leftists. Police managed largely to keep the groups apart, but were investigating two of those taken into custody on charges of causing bodily harm. (Posted @ 18:54 PST)
India calls for military alliance at naval summit NEW DELHI, Feb 14 (AFP): India called for an alliance of navies to boost security at sea at its first naval summit Thursday with nations that have a stake in the busy maritime lanes of the Indian Ocean. Twenty-six representatives of navies from countries including Australia, Egypt, France and Sri Lanka are attending the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, launching the two-day event, said regional cooperation would help combat piracy and terrorism. (Posted @ 18:32 PST)
Iran president to visit Baghdad on March 2 BAGHDAD, Feb 14 (Reuters): Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will arrive in Baghdad on March 2 for two days of talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other officials, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said on Thursday. His visit will be the first to Iraq by a president of the Islamic Republic. (Posted @ 18:04 PST)
Several Taliban, two civilians killed in Afghanistan KABUL, Feb 14 (AFP): US-led coalition swoops on Taliban leaders left several insurgents dead while two civilians transporting construction materials were blown up by a rebel bomb, officials said Thursday. Coalition troops moved into action Wednesday against rebel leaders in the provinces of Uruzgan and Zabul. A “number” of rebels were killed in the operation in Uruzgan, a coalition statement said. Three suspects were detained, it said a statement. Six other people, one of them identified as a Taliban leader with ties to networks that bring foreign fighters into Afghanistan, were detained in the Zabul operation, it said. Spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi claimed the bomb killed 10 people working for the Afghan and international military. But Helmand police chief, Mohammad Hussain Andiwal, said only two civilians were killed. (First Posted @ 16:35 PST, Updated @ 17:30 PST)
Minibus bomb kills five in Baghdad BAGHDAD, Feb 14 (AFP): A bomb planted in a minibus ripped through a market in Baghdad's Sadr City neighbourhood around midday Thursday, killing five people and wounding 30, a security official said. (First Posted @ 15:45 PST, Updated @ 16:40 PST
Four Taliban killed in strikes; two civilians die in bomb blast KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb 14 (AP): Airstrikes and a gunbattle involving U.S.-led coalition forces killed at least four suspected Taliban insurgents, the military and an Afghan official said Thursday. An operation in the Tarin Kowt area of Uruzgan province Wednesday targeted a group of insurgents on motorcycles, killing ''a number'' of militants, the coalition said. Maj. Gulab, the chief of criminal investigations in Uruzgan, said four militants were killed and two wounded in the airstrike. In a separate operation in Zabul province, coalition and Afghan forces detained six individuals. In Helmand province, a civilian vehicle hit a freshly planted mine Thursday, killing two people, said Police Chief Mohammad Hussain Andiwal. (Posted @ 16:35 PST)
27 tourists injured in road accident in southern Egypt LUXOR, Egypt, Feb 14 (AP): Twenty-seven tourists were injured when their speeding bus overturned in southern Egypt, security and medical officials said Thursday. The bus with 45 tourists was heading from the southern ancient city of Qena to the Red Sea coastal city of Safaga late Wednesday when the accident happened, said a security official. The bus flipped over in a two-lane highway, some 8 kilometres north of Qena, the official said, requesting anonymity. Another police official, requesting anonymity, said 11 were injured in the accident. Immediately after the accident, two Egyptian policemen were killed while the bus driver survived unharmed for a second time, when a police car that had arrested him also turned over on its way back to Qena, the official said. (Posted @ 16:25 PST)
Myanmar rebel leader killed in Thai town MAE SOT, Thailand, Feb 14 (Reuters): A leader of Myanmar's biggest rebel group was assassinated in the Thai border town of Mae Sot Thursday, his wife told Reuters. Pado Mahn Sha Lar Phan, secretary-general of the Karen National Union, was shot at his home by two men who arrived in a pickup truck, his wife Kim Suay told Reuters at the scene. He died instantly. (Posted @ 16:05 PST)
Strong quake strikes southern Greece ATHENS, Greece, Feb 14 (AP): A strong earthquake struck southern Greece Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey and Greek geological authorities said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The USGS initially put the preliminary magnitude at 7.3, but later revised it downward to 6.7. The Geodynamic Institute of Thessaloniki University in northern Greece gave a preliminary magnitude of 6.5. The quake, which was felt in Athens, sent people rushing out of buildings in cities of southern Greece, local media said. It struck shortly after noon with an epicentre beneath the seabed south of the southern city of Kalamata in the Peloponnese, about 230 kilometres south of the capital. (Posted @ 15:50 PST)
Iran postpones Iraqi security talks with US BAGHDAD, Feb 14 (Reuters): Iran has postponed a scheduled round of talks with the United States in Baghdad on Iraqi security, giving no reason for the delay, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said Thursday. Zebari told Reuters the talks were to have been held on Friday. “Yesterday we were informed that the Iranians want to postpone this for some time, for some unknown reason,” Zebari said. (Posted @ 14:25 PST)
Plane with 21 aboard crashes in Armenia's capital, 10 injured YEREVAN, Armenia, Feb 14 (AP): A plane carrying 21 people crashed on takeoff from Armenia's capital early Thursday, injuring at least 10 people, the head of the country's civil aviation authority said. The plane, a Canadair CRJ-100, was heading for Minsk, Belarus, when it flipped over on the runway at Zvartnots Airport and burst into flames, Avtiom Movsesian said. He said there were 18 passengers and three crew members aboard. Ten people were hospitalized with injuries. (First Posted @ 10:55 PST, Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Saddam clan members shot dead TIKRIT, Iraq, Feb 14 (AFP) - Gunmen stormed into a house in Saddam Hussein's native village in central Iraq and shot dead nine members of the executed dictator's clan, police said on Thursday. The attack in Awja, seven kilometres from the city of Tikrit, occurred during the night, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The father of the family was a member of (Saddam's) Bijat clan,” said a neighbour, Moussa Faraj. “He had no political ties nor was he a member of the former army. He was a simple businessman.” Saddam is buried in Awja, about 180 kilometres north of Baghdad. (Posted @ 13:30 PST)
Five Maoist rebels killed in India RANCHI, India, Feb 14 (AFP) - Five Maoist rebels were killed in clashes with villagers and security forces Thursday in eastern India, police said. Two rebels were killed by villagers who had been given arms by authorities to protect themselves against the insurgents, while three were shot dead by police in eastern Jharkhand state. Guns and ammunition were recovered from the rebels, said director-general of police V.D Ram. (Posted @ 12:30 PST)
Three Muslims shot dead in restive Thai south NARATHIWAT, Thailand, Feb 14 (AFP) - Three Muslim rubber tappers were killed early Thursday in Thailand's southernmost provinces, where an Islamic separatist insurgency is raging, police said. Two men were killed in an ambush as they were entering a plantation to tap rubber trees in Narathiwat, while a third tapper was shot dead in nearby Yala province as he was riding a motorcycle to a plantation, police added. More than 2,900 people have been killed since separatist violence erupted four years ago in the region, which was an autonomous Malay Muslim sultanate until mainly Buddhist Thailand annexed it in 1902, provoking decades of tension. (Posted @ 12:25 PST)
Plot to kill Philippine president: security chief MANILA, Feb 14 (AFP) - Philippine President Gloria Arroyo cancelled a Friday trip to the country's northern provinces due to reports of a plot to assassinate her, Brig- Genl Romeo Prestoza, the chief of her security force, said Thursday. He said the plot was being hatched by “extremists Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and the Abu Sayyaf Group,” “It is not just the president, there are other targets,” he said. (Posted @ 12:20 PST)
Quake hurts ten in Iran village TEHRAN, Feb 14 (AFP) - Ten people were injured when an earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale hit western Iran, state television reported on Thursday. The quake hit Nasirabad village in Chahar Mahal-Bakhtiari province at 00:25 am Thursday (2055 GMT Wednesday), damaging 70 houses, the report said. (Posted @ 12:15 PST)
Mass rally in Lebanon to mark Hariri killing BEIRUT, Feb 14 (AFP) - Thousands of pro-government supporters gathered in central Beirut on Thursday to mark the third anniversary of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri's assassination. The rally was being held on the same day that the leading opposition group Hezbollah was to hold funeral services for Imad Mughnieh, one of its top commanders killed on Tuesday in a car bombing in Syria. Security was tight in and around the capital with army troops deployed heavily and stringent measures imposed to avoid violence. Schools and universities were ordered shut and most businesses were set to close as the government declared Thursday a holiday to commemorate Hariri's death. (Posted @ 12:15 PST)
Sri Lanka military says 50 more Tamil Tigers killed COLOMBO, Feb 14 (AFP) - Sri Lankan government forces have killed at least 50 Tamil Tiger rebels in fresh fighting along frontlines in the north of the island, the defence ministry said Thursday. The rebels were killed in separate clashes in Mannar, Vavuniya and Weli Oya areas along the southern edge of the guerrillas' mini-state. (Posted @ 12:10 PST)
15 Indians shot to death in Ecuador's Amazon jungle QUITO, Ecuador, Feb 14 (AP) - Fifteen Huaorani Indians living in voluntary isolation in Ecuador's largest nature reserve have been shot to death by loggers, Huaorani Nationality Organization of Ecuador said Wednesday. Police had “no information” about the incident, an official spokesman said. Logging is prohibited in the Yasuni, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Yasuni, like much of the Amazon basin, has large quantities of mahogany and other trees valued as lumber. The jungle area holds close to an estimated 1 billion barrels of crude, and President Rafael Correa's government is seeking a minimum of US$350 million a year from the international community over 10 years in return for not drilling in the Ishpingo-Tiputini-Tambococha fields there. He said the money would compensate Ecuador for income it can generate by drilling for oil at the site. (Posted @ 11:15 PST)
Cricket: Former New Zealand captain Fleming to retire AUCKLAND, Feb 14 (AFP) - Record-breaking former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming announced Thursday he will retire from international cricket after the third and final Test against England next month. “The time is right for me and my family to do that now,” Fleming told a press conference here, Fleming said he would also be available for the high-profile Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 competition slated to start in April. He leaves the international arena having played more Tests (108) than any other New Zealander, scored the most runs (6,875), taken the most catches (166), captained the most games (80), and led the most wins (28). Throughout his stellar Test career, however, Fleming only scored nine centuries but compiled 43 half-centuries for a Test average of 39.73. He also played 280 one-day internationals since making his debut in 1994, and was captain 218 times. (Posted @ 09:50 PST)
Iran testing advanced uranium centrifuges: diplomats VIENNA, Feb 14 (AFP) - Iran has begun testing advanced second-generation centrifuges, defying UN Security Council demands to end its uranium enrichment activities, Western diplomats said Wednesday. According to the diplomats, who are posted to the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Iran has begun real tests of P2 centrifuges with uranium gas with the aim of producing enriched uranium. Enriched uranium is used to make nuclear fuel, but can also be used to make fissile material for atomic bombs. (Posted @ 10:05 PST)
Bush signs economic stimulus package WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush signed a two-year, 168-billion-dollar economic stimulus package on Wednesday, hoping it would deliver “a booster shot” to an ailing American economy. Bush said the world's largest economy had overcome shocks in the past and expressed confidence that the giant economic aid plan would help the economy through a “rough patch.” ”I know a lot of Americans are concerned about our economic future. Our overall economy has grown for six straight years -- but that growth has clearly slowed,” Bush said, as he signed the package into law at a White House ceremony. Bush's signature clears the way for one time tax rebate checks to be mailed to tens of millions of Americans in coming months. The Economic Stimulus Act also calls for tax breaks aimed at firing up business investment. Treasury officials say tax rebate checks of up to 600 dollars for individual taxpayers and 1,200 for couples, plus 300 dollars for dependent children, could boost consumer spending which has been pressured by sinking home prices and tight credit. The White House said the package will provide tax rebates to 128 million American households and that the first checks should arrive in mailboxes in May. Among other benefits, the package permits businesses that buy new equipment this year to deduct an additional 50 percent of the cost of their investment in 2008. (Posted @ 10:00 PST)
Malaysia to go to polls on March 8 KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 (AFP) - Malaysia's general elections will take place on March 8, the Election Commission said Thursday a day after parliament was dissolved. “The EC has fixed the nomination date for February 24 and polling will be on March 8,” EC chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman told a press conference. (Posted @ 09:45 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 166.73 points: KARACHI, Feb 14: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 14282.62, up 166.73 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Feb 14: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 63.2 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST)
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