- DAWN - RSS Feeds; February 22, 2008

February 22, 2008

Friday

Safar 14, 1429

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

18 candidates warn the EC to order fresh poll Peshawar, Pakistan, Feb 22 (PPI) - JUI’s NWFP executive council and newly elected candidates of JUI in their joint meeting on Friday suggested to the party’s Central Executive Council that instead of joining coalition in NWFP the JUI would prefer to sit in the opposition. Provincial Amir Senator Gull Naseeb chaired the meeting which was also participated by former Chief Minister of NWFP Akram Khan Durrani, brother of Maulana Fazal Rahman, Maulana Atta-ur- Rahman, senior member Qari Abdullah, the newly elected members of National and provincial Assemblies. Taking to media Akram Durrani said that MMA could have won upto 50 seats had the JI not boycotted the elections. He regretted that the winning parties were making claims of national consensus government but were ignoring Maulana Fazal-ur-Rahman who could play an important role in contentious issues. Durrani said that MMA during its rule in the province strongly resisted military operation in the province. The strategy was successful but the secret agencies intentionally spoiled' the situation in the final year of MMAs tenure. He claimed that JUI-F would get support of 22 members in the provincial assembly and give tough time to the government but would also support the positive steps of the new government. (Posted @ 21:52 PST)

U.S., Pakistan in secret plan to attack al-Qaeda targets New York, Feb 22 (PPI): United States officials have reportedly reached a quiet agreement with Pakistani leadership to step up secret air strikes against suspected terrorists.The New York Times says the strikes would use pilotless Predator aircraft launched in Pakistan. But the Bush administration is said to be concerned the plan may be curtailed or scuttled by changes in Pakistan's government. The new arrangements allow, among other things, an increase in number, scope of patrols and strikes by armed surveillance aircraft launched from a secret base in Pakistan. This is reported to be a far more aggressive strategy to attack al-Qaida and Taliban than had existed before, according to New York Times. (Posted @ 21:42 PST)

Feb 18 elections victory of democracy, moderation RAWALPINDI, Feb 22 (PPI):- President Pervez Musharraf Friday said the February 18 elections were “a victory for democratic process and moderation” in the country and could prove to be “a major stabilizing factor.” Talking to visiting United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Congressman Michael Burgess, he stressed the need to continue with goals of political stability, economic growth and for fighting terrorism. Senator Hutchison and Congressman Burgess congratulated the President on holding of free, fair elections which they said would lead to stable political environment in the country. They lauded his leadership and Pakistan's role in fight against terrorism. Musharraf briefed the U.S. legislators on Pakistan's comprehensive strategy to counter terrorism which combined military action with political and socio-economic measures. He said Pakistan was fighting terrorism in its own interest and was pursuing right course that needed to have a political dimension and socio-economic programme. He appreciated U.S. assistance to Pakistan and underscored importance of role of Appropriations Committee. (Posted @ 21:28 PST)

PML-Q newly elected MNAs, top leaders, senators meeting to evolve future strategy ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (PPI): PML-Q President, Ch. Shujaat Hussain will chair an extraordinary meeting here Saturday of newly elected MNAs, top leaders, senators, ticket holders, and senior members to evolve future strategy of the party. The leaders of party wings have also been invited to discuss pre and post election scenario in the country. Ch. Shujaat would take into confidence party leaders on developments in post-polls scenario. PML-Q Chief will brief on his recent meetings with President Pervez Musharraf and other leaders. The meeting would explore possibility of alliance with other parties to form government in Balochistan province where PML-Q emerged largest party. (Posted @ 21:26 PST)

Zardari authorized to decide PM candidate ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Feb 22 (APP): Parliamentary Party of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Friday authorized party's co- chairman Asif Ali Zardari to decide about the Leader of the House in the National Assembly. After three-hour marathon deliberations the meeting also unanimously authorized Asif Zardari to take a decision about the choice of Leader of the House in consultation with the provincial parliamentary parties. The meeting was attended by the newly elected national assembly and some provincial assembly members of the party. “The decision on nomination for premiership candidate has not been taken yet as the party leadership intends to discuss it with the provincial parliamentary parties,” said Shah Mahmood Qureshi, PPP Punjab President. “Our parliamentary party has authorized co-chairman to decide about Leader of the House and for dialogue with the other parties to form coalition government. We all reposed confidence in him,” he added. Qureshi said the co-chairman briefed the MNAs and MPAs elect about on-going dialogue with the other political parties including Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Awami National Party to form coalition governments in the centre and provinces. Replying to a question, he said, PPP is struggling for strengthening democratic institutions and independence of the judiciary. “We shall also chalk out comprehensive strategy to resolve the economic problems and invite the business community to come forward and cooperate with us for economic uplift of the country,” he added. Another senior PPP leader, Sayed Yousaf Raza Gillani said there is no dispute over nomination of the Leader of the House and it would be announced soon .“I am not the candidate for post of the prime minister,” he said in reply to a question, adding, “we have full consensus over all the issues.” Another party leader, Syed Naveed Qamar when asked about expected coalitions, hinted at readiness of his party to form coalition government with any party including MQM but made it clear that MQM would have to “join us on our terms and conditions.” (Posted @ 21:24 PST)

Zardari asks PPP candidates to pursue rigging cases ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP): PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari Friday asked the party members to pursue the rigging cases with the Election Commission through party's Monitoring Cell. “We need to pursue these cases with the Election Commission and other legal fora,” he told the participants of the party’s Parliamentary Party meeting. Zardari alleged pre-poll rigging in certain areas and said incidents of interference and violence in some constituencies affected smooth electioneering. The participants expressed views on the prevailing situation in the country and vowed to work for the restoration of the parliament's supremacy. They also resolved to play their democratic role in the post-election period, sticking to the party's manifesto and declarations and go along with other democratic parties in resolving the myriad problems facing the country. Zardari said similar consultative meetings will continue during the next three days for taking some important political decisions. He said he had invited the MPAs from Punjab and NWFP for a meeting on Saturday and the MPAs of Balochistan and Sindh on Sunday for similar consultations. A meeting of all losing candidates has been summoned for Monday. (Posted @ 21:10 PST)

Kurdish rebel official claims 2 Turkish troops killed, 8 wounded in border clashes SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, Feb 22 (AP) - Kurdish rebels claimed that two Turkish troops were killed and eight wounded Friday in border clashes after the Turkish military launched a limited ground incursion against their bases in northern Iraq. Turkish officials did not immediately confirm the report. Ahmad Danas, a spokesman for the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, said “there were two Turkish soldiers killed and eight others wounded during clashes with our troops.” “The PKK forces are defending the Iraqi lands of Kurdistan and will prevent Turkish army from entering deep in the Iraqi land.” (Posted @ 21:05 PST)

Lawyers: British troops may have executed up to 20 Iraqis LONDON, Feb 22 (AP) - Lawyers released evidence Friday that they say shows British soldiers may have tortured and executed up to 20 Iraqis after a battle in 2004 _ the most serious allegations of abuse made against British forces in Iraq. Attorneys for five Iraqi men detained by British troops after the battle say witness testimony, death certificates and video footage of mutilated bodies all support the claims. They are demanding a public inquiry. The British military strongly denies the accusations, and says the dead were insurgents killed in a gun battle after ambushing British troops. (Posted @ 21:00 PST)

EU hopes for new Pakistani government quickly BRUSSELS, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The European Union urged Pakistan on Friday to move quickly to form a new government and called for the immediate release of political prisoners. A statement from the Slovenian EU presidency welcoming the holding of parliamentary elections last Monday said the government would need to address issues such as strengthening the democratic system, reestablishment of an independent judiciary, respect for human rights, and regional peace and stability. The statement said the presidency “deeply regrets” that not all political detainees, including judges and lawyers, had been freed and so had been prevented from participating in the polls. “The EU renews its call for their immediate release. It also reiterates the need for freedom of the media,” the statement said. (Posted @ 20:56 PST)

Pakistan coalition partners thrash out PM choice ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (AFP) - Pakistan's two biggest opposition parties sought to thrash out their choice for premier Friday after agreeing to form a coalition government that could drive President Pervez Musharraf from power. Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) and Asif Ali Zardari (PPP) said their parties, once bitter rivals, would join forces. Officials from both parties said the frontrunner to be prime minister was Makhdoom Amin Fahim, the widely respected vice president of PPP. a senior PPP official said. Asif Ali Zardari and Sharif “discussed the name of Makhdoom Amin Fahim as the future premier” during their meeting late Thursday. Another name under consideration to be PM is senior PPP member Shah Mehmood Qureshi, another PPP official said. A decision, however, had not yet been taken on Friday. “It is not expected today,” a PPP official told AFP. All the PPP's members of parliament were gathering Friday in Islamabad to discuss the agreement between Zardari and Sharif, party spokesman Farhatullah Babar told AFP. (Posted @ 20:48 PST)

Blasphemous cartoon: hundreds of Pakistanis burn Danish flags KARACHI, Feb 22 (AFP) - Hundreds of angry Muslim youths rallied in major cities in Pakistan on Friday and torched Danish flags to protest against the recent republication of a blasphemous cartoon. Witnesses said about 150 supporters of Jamaat-i-Islami gathered outside a mosque in Karachi, flying banners demanding Pakistan sever diplomatic ties with Denmark. In Islamabad, cries of “Say no to Denmark” rang out as about 300 students from colleges and Islamic schools crowded outside the city's biggest mosque, witnesses said. They burned an effigy of the Danish cartoonist amid chants of “Crush Denmark” Up to 200 madressah students held similar rallies in the central city of Multan. Similar rallies and protest marches were held in several other parts of the country. (Posted @ 20:28 PST)

14 killed by Pakistan wedding party bomb PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Feb 22 (AFP) - A roadside bomb ripped through cars carrying wedding guests near the town of Matta in Swat valley in northwestern Pakistan Friday, killing at least 14 people including the bride and wounding a dozen others, including women and children, police said. “There was a remote-controlled bomb explosion which targeted a wedding party. Two cars were destroyed including the car in which the bride was travelling. She died,” local police officer Haroon Khan told AFP. “Almost everyone in the family had injuries. Many had shrapnel in the head and face,” said Javed Khan, a doctor at the hospital in Saidu Sharif, the main town in Swat Valley. Swat Valley was a famed tourist spot until the middle of last year when it became a flashpoint for violence between the military and followers of hardline pro-Taliban cleric Maulana Fazlullah. (Posted @ 20:24 PST)

'No survivors' in Venezuelan plane crash CARACAS, Feb 22 (AFP) - A domestic passenger plane carrying 46 people from the main Andean city of Merida to the capital Caracas was “practically pulverized” when it crashed into Venezuela's western Andes mountains overnight and the chances of finding survivors were nil, officials said Friday. “The plane was practically pulverized and it hit head-on,” a fire services officer told Globovision television after flying over the crash site in a rescue helicopter. An official at the national civil aeronautical institute, General Ramon Vina, said: “By the type of impact we presume that there are no survivors.” (Posted @ 20:20 PST)

Imran Khan, Aitzaz Ahsan press conference LAHORE, February 22, Speaking at a joint press conference in Lahore, PTI chief Imran Khan and president of the supreme court bar association Aitzaz Ahsan, stated that the public had rejected the dictatorial rule of President Pervez Musharraf, and voted overwhelmingly for the forces of democracy in Pakistan. They were unanimous in declaring that, they wanted Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and the 60 judges dismissed by Musharraf to be reinstated, because they took a stand not only for the constitution, but for the people of Pakistan, and thus there would be no negotiation on this issue. Imran khan and Aitzaz Ahsan also welcomed the statement made by the opposition parties that they would work together in order to restore the judiciary. Aitzaz Ahsan also called on the lawyers’ movement and the civil society to participate in a long march on March 9th, in support of the dismissed judges. Imran Khan gave his full support to the march and stated that he would do his part in order to make it a success. (Posted @ 19:52 PST)

No trouble for PML N, PPP to work together in national interest: Dar ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP): A central leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Friday said there will be no trouble for PML-N and PPP to work together to put the country on road to progress and real democracy. Ishaq Dar said in a tv interview that his party is not ambitious to form government in the center; rather it is the right of PPP. He said Charter of Democracy provides guideline to both parties and added that CoD once implemented would bring positive change and strengthen institutions. (Posted @ 19:48 PST)

Recounting of votes fails to help ex-minister DERA GHAZI KHAN, Pakistan, Feb 22 (APP)- Recounting of votes in NA -173 D.G. Khan-III on Friday did not alter the earlier announced election victory of success of Sardar Saifuddin Khosa of PML-N against ex-minister Awais Leghari. PML-Q candidate and former federal minister Sardar Awais Leghari had demanded recounting which was carried out by Returning Officer Akhter Bahadur in the presence of the candidates. As a result, Sardar Saifuddin Khosa got another 44 votes while Awais Leghari bagged another 21 votes. As such, their total vote count stands at 56,475 and 56,074 respectively, official sources said. (Posted @ 19:36 PST)

'Election process was transparent, satisfactory': HRSP ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Feb 22 (APP): Human Rights Society of Pakistan Friday termed the election process transparent and satisfactory. The HRSP in a report said that the turnout was between 40 to 50 per cent. (Posted @ 19:06 PST)

ANP consulting parties to form govt in NWFP ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Feb 22 (APP): Awami National Party (ANP) is in touch with other parties to form government in North West Frontier Province, party’s provincial secretary general Mian Iftikhar Hussain said Friday. ANP has contacted Muslim League (N), People's Party and independent candidates, but so far no picture has emerged yet. The party leadership would take the final decision in due course, he said. (Posted @ 18:48 PST)

16 people injured in Dargai road accident DARGAI, Pakistan, Feb 22 (APP): Sixteen people were injured when Peshawar- bound coaster met with an accident near Toorpul at Dargai in Swat valley on Friday. Reports said the accident occurred due to over-speeding on a rain-soaked track and crashed against the bridge wall which however withstood the impact and saved the vehicle from plunging into the river below. (Posted @ 18:12 PST)

Russia expects majority parties in Pakistan to form broad-based coalition govt ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP): Russia expects that majority parties in Pakistan would form the next government by establishing a broad-based coalition, according to a Russian Embassy press release. “We expect the political parties enjoying the majority in the parliament to reach an agreement to establish a broad-based coalition,” the mission quoted Mikhail Kamynin, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, as saying. “We hope that the new government will be able to find a solution to the problems of crucial importance for Pakistan such as getting the combat with terrorism as the main threat for the country running more efficiently and creating social and economic environment conducive to bolstering of the state stability,” Kamynin said. “It is important for Pakistan itself as well as for regional and international security,” the spokesman said. (Posted @ 18:05 PST)

British, French ambassadors meet Nawaz Sharif ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP): British High Commissioner Robert Brinkley and French Ambassador to Pakistan Regisde Belenet separately met Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif Friday and exchanged views on the political scenario in the wake of February 18 elections. According to party sources Nawaz Sharif briefed the envoys about the party's agenda including restoration of pre-emergency status of judiciary, supremacy of the parliament and strengthening of democracy. PML-N leader Ch. Nisar Ali Khan was also present at the meetings. Meanwhile, the parliamentary party of PML-N met on Friday and nominated Nawaz Sharif as its parliamentary leader. The former prime minister is expected to seek a seat in the National Assembly through a by-election. (Posted @ 18:00 PST)

Cricket: U-19 World Cup KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb 22 (AP) - India reached the quarterfinals of the Under-19 World Cup by beating the West Indies by 50 runs on Friday, helped by a 74-ball century by captain Virat Kohli. The result eliminated West Indies from the tournament, making it the major casualty of the group stage. In other first round matches, Bangladesh scored a shock 13-run victory against England. Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 87 runs and Sri Lanka defeated Australia by five wickets. In Group A, Pakistan recovered from 21-4 to make 173-8 from its 50 overs against Zimbabwe. Wicket-keeper Ali Asad made an unbeaten 76 and captain Imad Wasim 22. Zimbabwe were dismissed for 86 in 29 overs, departing from the tournament with three losses in as many matches. Pakistan seamer Mohammad Rameez took 3-26, while Adil Raza, Imad Wasim and Ahmad Shahzad took two wickets each. Pakistan will now meet Australia and Sri Lanka will clash with New Zealand in the other two quarterfinals on Monday. (Posted @ 17:58 PST)

Roadside bomb kills 10 including bride in northwestern Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Feb 22 (AP)- A roadside bomb exploded Friday as a wedding party was passing nearby in Pakistan's volatile northwest, killing at least 10 people including the bride and wounding four others, police said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast in Swat valley, a tourist destination about 160 kilometers from Islamabad. At least 10 people were killed and four wounded, many of them wedding guests, said Ayaz Khan, a local police official. (Posted @ 17:54 PST)

Rescuers scour Venezuelan Andes for missing plane with 46 passengers on board CARACAS, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Trekking through cold and rugged terrain, search teams scoured the Venezuelan Andes on Friday for a passenger plane thought to have crashed with 46 passengers on board in the mountain region. Authorities still have not found the twin-engined plane that vanished soon after taking off on Thursday afternoon, and was heading from the high-altitude city of Merida to the capital Caracas. (Posted @ 17:35 PST)

Cricket-Australia 184-7 beat Sri Lanka 77-4 by 24 runs Melbourne, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Australia beat Sri Lanka by 24 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method after rain forced the abandonment of play in their triangular series one-day international against Sri Lanka in Melbourne on Friday. Scores: Australia 184-7 off 50 overs (M.Hussey 64 not out, M.Clarke 50) beat Sri Lanka 77-4 off 29.3 overs. (Posted @ 17:35 PST)

Cricket-South Africa 76-4 v Bangladesh 192 Dhaka, Feb 22 (Reuters) - South Africa were 76 for four in reply to Bangladesh's first innings of 192 at the close on the opening day of the first test at Dhaka on Friday. Scores: Bangladesh 192 (Morkel 5-50) v South Africa 76-4. (Posted @ 17:30 PST)

Many killed in Iraq bombing incidents Baghdad, Feb 22(Reuters) - A suicide bomber Friday killed at least six policemen and wounded nine others when he detonated a vest packed with explosives outside a mosque near Falluja in western Anbar province, police said. In Garma, near Falluja, another suicide bomber on foot attacked an Iraqi security checkpoint, killing two people and wounding three while a suicide car bomber killed three policemen and wounded eight others at a police station in Tikrit, 175 km north of Baghdad, police said. Meanwhile, two bodies with gunshot wounds and signs of torture were found in Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, while five bodies were found in different districts across Baghdad on Thursday, police said. (Posted @ 17:25 PST)

I accept peoples verdict despite massive rigging: Mumtaz Bhutto Ratodero, Pakistan, Feb.22 (PPI): Chairman, Sindh National Front, Sardar Mumtaz Ali Bhutto Friday said he accepts the verdict of people despite massive rigging in the elections. During visit to different villages to thank people who voted for his son Ameer Bux Bhutto, he said, “Getting elected to the assemblies is not so important for us, as SNF manifesto clearly states that assemblies of this country benefit only the rulers and not the masses.” “However, we contested the polls to raise the voice for the rights of Sindh and its people in the assembly, but unfortunately the people of Sindh have elected not a single person that could speak for them.” Mumtaz Bhutto highlighted problems like corruption, unemployment, price-hike, lawlessness, shortage of essential commodities etc and said: “Now we have to see how the new government tackles these issues”. (Posted @ 16:45 PST)

Muslim rebel leader calls for referendum on autonomy for restive southern Thailand BANGKOK, Thailand, Feb 22 (AP) - An exiled Muslim rebel leader warned Thailand's new government that a violent Islamic insurgency in the south could worsen if the region is denied sovereignty, renewing debate Friday over a possible referendum on autonomy. The comments from Lukman B. Lima, who heads the Pattani United Liberation Organization from exile in Sweden, were the first from the Muslim rebel movement since Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his interior minister made conflicting remarks on the issue earlier this month. “The worst-case scenario can still be avoided, but only if Mr. Samak and the military forces allow the people of Pattani to determine their own future,” Lukman said in an e-mailed statement received by The Associated Press on Friday. Lukman's organization is one of several groups involved in a century-old struggle for independence in the south. Meanwhile, four small bombs exploded in the region Friday. One of the blasts wounded three people at Yala's Rajaphat University. Three other small bombs went off in different parts of Narathiwat but no casualties were reported. (Posted @ 16:10 PST)

Forming Pakistan's coalition government Islamabad, Feb 22(Reuters)- Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, the leaders of Pakistan's two main parties, have decided in principle to forge a coalition government following their resounding election victory. If they succeed, it will be the first time the two main parties in Pakistan have come together. As the two parties and their leadership work out the modalities of the coalition arrangement, the Election Commission will be ready to formally notify the election results which is expected by March 1. This will be followed by President Musharraf summoning the inaugural session of the National Assembly. How soon after depends on whether there is a government ready. In 2002, Musharraf convened the assembly session more than a month after the election, to give time to political parties to agree on a coalition. The president will thereafter invite a member of the National Assembly who commands the confidence of the majority of the members to become prime minister and form the government. Before the formal election of the leader of the house/prime minister, the newly elected members will be sworn in, and they will elect the Speaker and his deputy. (Posted @ 15:50 PST)

Iraq’s al-Sadr extends militia truce BAGHDAD, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr extended his Mehdi Army militia ceasefire by around six months on Friday, according to a statement read out on his behalf in a mosque in Baghdad. The move is likely to be widely welcomed by U.S. and Iraqi officials, who say the initial six-month truce helped to sharply reduce violence in the country. (Posted @ 15:37 PST)

U.S. says Turkish land incursion in Iraq bad news BRUSSELS, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Turkish land incursion into northern Iraq to attack Kurdish separatist guerrillas was “not the greatest news”. “A land operation is obviously a whole new level,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza told reporters in Brussels The Turkish General Staff said it had launched a cross-border land offensive backed by fighter jets on Thursday. Turkish television reported that 10,000 troops had entered Iraqi territory. (Posted @ 15:35 PST)

Body found in US Belgrade embassy after rioters set it ablaze BELGRADE, Feb 22 (AFP) - Rioters set fire to the US embassy in Belgrade on Thursday, killing one person, while more than 90 people, including 32 policemen, were injured in clashes with Serbian police in unrest following Kosovo's independence. The burnt body found in the embassy was not identified, but an embassy spokeswoman said the person was not a staff member. With no police in sight, several hundred young men dressed in hooded sports tops and scarves threw flares and stormed the US mission, sparking a fire that blazed for more than an hour. Other embassies, mainly those of Western countries that have recognised Kosovo's independence, were also targeted . (Posted @ 15:25 PST)

Musharraf pledges to work with new parliament WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (AFP) - President Pervez Musharraf vowed in a US newspaper opinion piece published Friday that he would work with Pakistan's new parliament after opposition parties agreed to form a coalition government. Musharraf wrote in the Washington Post that Pakistan required continued US support to defeat terrorism, forge a stable government and create the foundation for economic growth. “Because these goals are shared by the vast majority of Pakistanis, I am certain we can and will accomplish them, and I stand ready to work with the newly elected parliament to achieve these objectives,” he wrote. In the opinion piece, Musharraf described the vote as a “milestone in our nation's 60-year history” and said the transition to democracy was vital for “reconciliation” and to help the country face an array of challenges. “But our success will require the continued support of the United States,” he added. “I would ask Americans to remember that building democracy is difficult in the best of conditions”. The White House said on Wednesday that it hoped the new parliament would continue to work with Musharraf, giving its backing to the embattled former general. (Posted @ 15:05 PST)

Cricket: Bangladesh dismissed for 192 in first South Africa Test DHAKA, Bangladesh, Feb 22 (AFP) - Bangladesh were bowled out for 192 in 54.4 overs on the opening day of the first cricket Test against South Africa here Friday. Paceman Morne Morkel finished with 5-50 while Dale Steyn picked up three wickets. (Posted @ 15:00 PST)

Panjgur-PPP, Independents hold rally against alleged rigging of polls PANJGUR, Pakistan, Feb 22 (PPI): PPP and independent candidates took out a rally here Thursday to protest against tampering of the results of successful candidates, rigging of polls and success of pro government parties through harassment of voters by police. Demonstration was led by PPP’s candidate for NA-271 Sabir Ali Baloch and included Sabir Baloch, Attaullah Baloch and others They demanded of the Election Commission to announce fresh poll. NNN (Posted @ 14:50 PST)

Turkey sends 10,000 troops into northern Iraq ANKARA, Feb 22 (Reuters) Turkey's military has sent 10,000 troops into northern Iraq in a land offensive against Kurdish PKK guerrillas based there, the private broadcaster NTV said Friday. The military's General Staff said its forces had launched the cross-border land offensive backed by fighter jets Thursday evening and would return home in the shortest time possible after its goals have been achieved. (Posted @ 14:00 PST)

Bombs explode in Baghdad and Tikrit; killing four, wounding 10 BAGHDAD, Feb 22 (AP) A bomb hidden under a cart exploded in downtown Baghdad Friday, killing two civilians and wounding six, police said. The cart was left near a building, and the explosives were apparently detonated by remote-control at about 7:30 a.m., police said. A booby-trapped car being towed by police also blew up in Tikrit, 130 kilometres north of Baghdad, killing two policemen and wounding four others, police said. Police said they were removing the car after it was found parked near a market pockmarked with bullet holes and with bloodstained seats. The explosion occurred about 8 a.m. as it was being pulled into the parking lot of the local police headquarters, officials said. (Posted @ 13:25 PST)

Communist rebels fatally shot three villagers in attack on eastern India village PATNA, India, Feb 22 (AP) Maoist rebels fatally shot three villagers Friday in eastern India’s Bihar state, a police official said. At least 30 rebels took part in the attack near the Nepal border, said Anil Kumar Sinha, the area's deputy superintendent of police. State police scoured the vicinity for the rebels and sealed off the border area in an attempt to keep them from slipping into Nepal, Sinha said. The rebels call themselves the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and are thought to have links with Maoists in Nepal. (Posted @ 13:20 PST)

PPP and PML-N thrash out PM choice ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (AFP) Pakistan People’s Party(PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) sought to thrash out their choice for premier Friday after agreeing to form a coalition government. Officials in both parties said the most likely choice as prime minister was PPP’s vice president Makhdoom Amin Fahim. A senior PPP official said Zardari, and Sharif “discussed the name of Makhdoom Amin Fahim as the future premier” during their meeting late Thursday. “It is expected that he will get his party's nomination today,” the party official told AFP. All the PPP's members of parliament were gathering Friday in Islamabad to discuss the agreement between Zardari and Sharif, party spokesman Farhatullah Babar told AFP. Another name under consideration is senior PPP member Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the official said. (Posted @ 13:05 PST)

New Pakistan government must free judges: HRW ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (AFP) Pakistan's new government must swiftly release all the top judges President Musharraf detained last year after street protests against his rule, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Friday. The New York-based watchdog wrote a letter to Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Nawaz Sharif, urging them to restore an independent judiciary. HRW Asia director Brad Adams also accused Britain and the United States of refusing to speak out against Musharraf. “The refusal of the United States and the United Kingdom to press Musharraf to restore the judiciary is shameful,” he said. “Now is the test: will they continue to support Musharraf at all costs, or will they support the rule of law?” HRW also called on the new administration to rescind curbs on the media and all other legal measures put in place under the powers of emergency rule. “Your parties have provided an important opportunity to start a transition towards a rights-respecting government that abides by the rule of law,” Adams wrote in the letter to Zardari and Sharif. (Posted @ 12:30 PST)

Cricket- Australia 184-7 v Sri Lanka - innings MELBOURNE, Feb 22 (Reuters) Australia were 184 for seven from their 50 overs in their triangular series one-day international against Sri Lanka Friday. Scores: Australia 184 for seven off 50 overs (M.Hussey 64 not out, M.Clarke 50; F.Maharoof 2-20, M.Muralitharan 2-37). (First Posted @ 09:15 PST, Updated @ 12:20 PST

14 rebels, one soldier killed in fighting in northern Sri Lanka COLOMBO, Feb 22 (AP) Scattered battles in northern Sri Lanka killed 14 separatist guerrillas and a soldier, while government jets pounded a rebel navy base in the area, the military said Friday. In fighting Thursday in the Mannar area, troops killed three rebels who were trying to cross the front lines and two others in a separate confrontation, the military said in a statement. In nearby Vavuniya, troops killed nine fighters in two clashes, the military said. A soldier was also killed in fighting on a third front in the Welioya area, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said. Early Friday, air force jets hit an inland base used by the Sea Tigers, the rebels' naval arm, Nanayakkara said. (Posted @ 11:35 PST)

37 Somali migrants die when smugglers force them to jump into the Gulf of Aden SAN'A, Yemen, Feb 22 (AP) Some 37 Somali migrants drowned off the coast of Yemen when smugglers forced them to jump from boats to elude authorities, Yemen's SABA’ news agency reported Thursday. Seventy other migrants survived the ordeal, swimming through the Gulf of Aden's treacherous waters to reach the coastal town of Shabwa, the agency quoted a Yemeni security official as saying. The official said the bodies of the dead were buried in Shabwa, under United Nations supervision.(Posted @ 10:55 PST)

Israeli air strike on Gaza kills two militants GAZA CITY, Feb 22 (AFP) An Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip Friday killed two Palestinian militants, Palestinian medical sources said. The attack near Bureij in the southern part of the Gaza Strip killed two 20-year-old members of the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, Ayman Abu Said and Mohammed al-Hazin, said the medics. (Posted @ 09:40 PST)

US marine killed in Iraq BAGHDAD, Feb 22 (AFP) The US military announced early Friday that a US marine was killed in action in the western Iraqi province of Al-Anbar Thursday. (Posted @ 09:35 PST)

Strong quake strikes Nevada's gold country WELLS, Nevada, Feb 22 (Reuters) A strong earthquake in northeastern Nevada badly damaged the historic centre of Wells town and injured several people at dawn Thursday. The 6.0 magnitude quake near Wells damaged 400-700 homes, a school and some churches, said Gary Derks, operations officer for the Nevada Division of Emergency Management. (Posted @ 09:20 PST)

Airliner with 46 people crashes in Venezuela CARACAS, Feb 22 (AFP) A Venezuelan airliner that went missing with 46 people on board apparently crashed in Venezuela Thursday, a regional civil defence official told AFP, citing witnesses in the area. Nelson Marquez, head of the Civil Defence for Merida, 500 kms southwest of Caracas, said local people in the Andean region of Coyado del Condor reported seeing the aircraft go down. The Globovision television channel earlier said that air rescue services reported that a Santa Barbara Airlines flight had gone missing after departing from Merida at 5:45 pm, headed for Caracas' Simon Bolivar airport. Marquez said the plane was reported to have crashed at a point some 4,750 meters above sea level. (Posted @ 08:50 PST)

Cricket- Sri Lanka win toss, elect to field v Australia MELBOURNE, Feb 22 (Reuters) Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and elected to field in their triangular series one-day international against Australia Friday. Teams: Australia - Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, James Hopes, Andrew Symonds, Brad Hogg, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark; Sri Lanka - Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Dilruwan Perera, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chamara Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Ishara Amerasinghe, Muttiah Muralitharan. (Posted @ 09:15 PST)

10 dead, eight missing after Amazon ferry sinks BRASILIA, Feb 22 (AFP) Rescuers were due Friday to continue a search for survivors from a ferry boat which collided with another vessel and sank on the Amazon River in northwest Brazil overnight Wednesday, killing at least 10 people. The boat, the Almirante Montero, was carrying around 110 people when it sank in the Amazon near Novo Remanso, a riverside hamlet close to the town of Itacoatiara. “We have found 10 bodies and 92 people have been recovered alive…eight people are still missing,” a river ports authority official told AFP. (Posted @ 08:55 PST)

Strong quake hits Indonesia's Sumatra JAKARTA, Feb 22 (AFP) An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 struck off the west coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island Friday, but there were no immediate reports of damage, seismologists said. The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 6:55 am, was about 194 kilometres southwest of the city of Bengkulu, at a depth of 27 kilometres, the Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics agency said. An official from Jakarta's meteorology office identified as Agung told AFP that the quake was felt in several cities in West Sumatra including Padang, Bukit Tinggi and Solok. (Posted @ 08:45 PST)

Hidden words The line between freedom of information and censorship is a narrow one. This week the information tribunal in Britain ordered the publication of an early draft of what would become the dodgy dossier making the case for war. That was openness.

But one word was suppressed –– the word “Israel”. That, on the arguments advanced for its suppression, was craven and in any other context would resemble an act of censorship. We can only guess as to the reasons why the tribunal decided the word should be suppressed. It deliberated in secret and delivered a confidential judgment in respect of the excision.

The word “Israel” was written in the margins of the draft document by an unknown –– but presumably senior –– hand. It referred to a sentence which said of Saddam’s Iraq: “No other country has flouted the UN’s authority so brazenly in pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.” The implied meaning of the margin note was well articulated by a senior Foreign Office official, Neil Wigan, in trying to argue for its suppression –– that “the person who wrote it believes that Israel has flouted the UN authority similar to that of the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein”.

It may well be embarrassing to have it revealed to the world that well-placed figures in Whitehall held such views in 2002, but it is a large step from that to ordering such a serious an act of concealment. The Foreign Office succeeded by exploiting one of the numerous loopholes that riddle the Freedom of Information Act.

Mr Wigan argued in a statement that Israel would take a dim view of the Foreign Office; that the affair would attract a huge amount of embarrassing press coverage; and that bilateral relations between the UK and Israel would suffer. The statement paints a pained picture of the way in which Israel regularly kicks up a fuss with Britain over “far more minor matters”.

The enfeebled FOI legislation does, indeed, allow for an exemption for material that could prejudice relations between the UK and other states. But it is dismaying that material which is merely embarrassing can so easily trigger the blue pencil.

And it is doubly dismaying that the process by which such decisions are reached are secret.

––The Guardian, London

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