|
| March 15, 2008 | Saturday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
|
 At least 1 dead, 10 hurt in Islamabad restaurant blast ISLAMABAD, March 15 (Reuters/AFP): A blast at an Italian restaurant in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Saturday appears to have killed at least 1 person and wounded 10, according to a private tv channel. It said a foreign woman was dead. A witness told Reuters the explosion occurred in a garden dining area at the rear of the Luna Caprese restaurant, which is frequented by expatriates, including diplomats, aid agency workers, and journalists. A police official said a blast hit a restaurant frequented by foreigners in the federal capital. “There was an explosion inside the Luna Caprese Italian restaurant in the centre of the capital in Supermarket area,” police official Mohammad Ishtiaq told AFP. An AFP photographer at the scene said several of the injured who were stretchered out of the restaurant were foreigners. Witnesses also confirmed casualties. “There are lots of injured people who have lost their limbs and legs, foreigners were inside. It's a very bad situation. We don't know what has happened,” an employee at the restaurant told AFP by telephone. “It was a very powerful blast. There is a lot of blood here, the walls are splattered with it. I see lots of human flesh,” the employee said. (First Posted @ 20:50 PST Updated @ 23:22 PST)  PPP to name PM candidate next week ISLAMABAD, March 15 (AP): The Pakistan Peoples Party will name a new prime minister next week, a party spokesman said Saturday. Party spokesman Farhatullah Babar said a decision was imminent. “Our party will come up with a name next week,” Babar told The Associated Press. The National Assembly (parliament) would then have to confirm the nomination. (Posted @ 18:44 PST) Zardari will not nominate another person for PM slot : Fahim ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Mar 15 (APP): President of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Makhdoom Amin Fahim has said that party's Co- chairperson Asif Ali Zardari will not nominate another person as candidate for prime minister. “When he nominates someone else the question should be asked by me, so far he has not nominated anyone”, the PPPP President said while responding to a question in his brief telephonic interview to a private television channel. Asked to comment on Ch. Ahmed Mukhtar's claim of being a strong candidate for the slot, Makhdoom Fahim said there are other people also who make similar claims. Anyone found making such claims has the right to do so, he said. Fahim said unknown individuals from the party are giving signals but he will believe in only those signals which are given by Asif Ali Zardari. It is the responsibility of Asif Ali Zardari and the party leadership to end the ongoing confusion adding an earlier step in this regard would be good for the party. (Posted @,10:15 PST)  Hu Jintao re-elected as China's president, Xi Jinping as vice-president BEIJING, March 15 (AP) - China's legislature has re-elected President Hu Jintao to a second five-year term. The overwhelming vote Saturday by the National People's Congress has been widely expected. Hu has also been re-appointed as head of China's military commission. Xi Jinping has been elected vice president, a move that puts him in line to be president in five years. Xi is a top Communist Party leader and the son of a revolutionary. He has risen quicken through the party's ranks in just six months. China's legislature also approved a plan Saturday to reshuffle the Cabinet by establishing five “super ministries” and a ministerial-level energy commission. (First Posted @ 09:20 PST, Updated @ 10:05 PST) Thousands protest over Iraq, Afghanistan in London, Glasgow LONDON, March 15 (AFP): Thousands of protesters gathered in London and Glasgow Saturday, calling for withdrawal of Britain's armed forces from Iraq and Afghanistan. In the capital, activists rallied at Trafalgar Square before marching the short distance to parliament. In Glasgow, demonstrators walked from the city centre to the Glasgow Green Park on the banks of the River Clyde. In London, organizers put the number of protesters between 30,000 to 40,000. Police in Glasgow told AFP there were between 1,000 to 1,500 protesters at the height of the march. A number of demonstrations are taking place around the world as the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq approaches. (Posted @ 23:04 PST) Pakistan capture all 4 titles in Qatar junior squash ISLAMABAD, March 15 (APP): Pakistani players captured the titles of individual events of the four age categories in the Qatar Junior Squash Championship on Saturday. They won the Under-13, Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 titles. Pakistan Squash Federation had sent two players in each category which attracted competitors from Pakistan, Egypt, Germany, India, Jordan and Qatar. The team event of the championship will conclude on Tuesday. (Posted @ 22:40 PST) Bhutan on security alert after blast GUWAHATI, India , March 15 (AFP): Bhutan has put its security forces on full alert after a man accidentally killed himself when he set off an explosive, an official said Saturday. The blast on Thursday in the western district of Dagana came ahead of historic parliamentary polls in the Himalayan kingdom later this month. “Security forces have been deployed in strength with a full alert,” a senior officer of the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) told AFP by telephone, asking not to be named. (Posted @ 22:12 PST) At least four killed, 170 hurt in Albanian blasts TIRANA, March 15 (AFP): At least four people were killed and more than 170 hurt Saturday when powerful blasts rocked an army munitions depot near the Albanian capital Tirana, with the prime minister predicting a “considerable” toll. The serial explosions at the site, about 12 kilometres north of the city, began at around 1100 GMT and continued at intervals for several hours. The initial explosion was so loud it was heard in neighbouring Macedonia, 150 kilometres away. “The number of dead is considerable,” Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha told reporters, as the blasts continued to shake the city. Albanian Health Minister Nard Ndoka told AFP that at least 170 people were hospitalized. (First Posted @ 17:30 PST Updated @ 21:54 PST) 12 dead after highway buses collide in Peru: police LIMA, March 15 (AFP): A collision between two buses left 12 dead and some 30 injured Saturday in northern Peru. Highway police said that the buses had a “very strong” collision on a highway in the Pampa la Zorra area in Huarmey province. The chief of firefighters said that ambulance services were overwhelmed by the number of dead and injured in the crash. (Posted @ 21:06 PST) One dead, 10 injured in bomb blast in Thai south: army PATTANI, March 15 (AFP): A powerful car bomb exploded at a hotel car park Saturday killing at least one person and injuring 10 others in Thailand's south, an army spokesman said. The bomb went off in the evening at the car park adjacent to a hotel in Pattani, one of three insurgency-torn provinces bordering Malaysia. Earlier, a man was killed when explosives inside his car went off in Yala, police said. (Posted @ 20:44 PST) Magnitude 5.9 quake hits off US Pacific coast: USGS WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters): A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck on Saturday at 1444GMT off the U.S. northern Pacific coast of Oregon, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake was centered 180 km west of Port Orford, Oregon, at a depth of 10 km, the USGS said. The USGS initially put the quake at 6.0 magnitude. (Posted @ 20:18 PST) Afghan judges, factories end wwek-long strike HERAT, March 15 (AFP): Judges and factory employees in the western city of Herat were back at work Saturday, ending a near week-long strike after the government pledged better security, representatives said. Hundreds of doctors, judges, factory workers and shopkeepers took part in the work stoppage to protest a crime wave. Health workers started the strike Saturday last week and were joined for various intervals by the others. About 250 factories called off the action after authorities promised better security. (Posted @ 20:00 PST) 
Greece: 1 dead, 3 hurt as train collides with truck ATHENS, March 15 (AP): A truck crashed into a passenger and cargo train in southern Greece Saturday, killing the truck driver and injuring two people, the Fire Service said. The crash occurred shortly before 1100 GMT near the town of Pyrgos in the western Peloponnese region, some 320 kilometers southwest of Athens. (Posted @ 19:18 PST) Storm, “possible tornado” blasts downtown Atlanta WASHINGTON, March 15 (AFP): A violent storm, possibly a tornado, wreaked havoc through downtown Atlanta, Georgia, toppling trees onto homes, blowing windows out of high-rises and injuring at least 20 people, city officials and the National Weather Service said Saturday. (Posted @ 18:38 PST) Two dead in Afghan suicide blast near foreign troops KHOST, Afghanistan, March 15 (AFP): A suicide bomber blew up an explosives-filled car near international troops in eastern Afghanistan just outside the city of Khost Saturday, killing two Afghan boys and wounding a NATO soldier, officials said. Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attack. A NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) spokesman who requesting anonymity confirmed one soldier had been hurt in the blast. Khost deputy police chief Mohammad Yaqoub said two children - both 13 years old - were killed and at least two civilian men injured in the attack. (First Posted @ 12:40 PST, Updated @ 16:55 PST) Gunmen clash with Iraqi police, leaving five dead, 15 injured BAGHDAD, March 15 (AP): Iraqi security forces clashed with a breakaway faction of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army again Saturday, leaving five dead and 15 injured, police said. The fighting between the gunmen and police in Kut, about 160 kilometres southeast of Baghdad, has lasted for several days. Also Saturday, a street sweeper was killed and eight injured when a roadside bomb hidden in a trash can exploded in Baghdad's central Karradah neighbourhood, police said. (First Posted @ 13:25 PST, Updated @ 16:40 PST)
Sri Lanka bombs rebels, 39 Tigers killed in fighting COLOMBO, March 15 (AFP): Sri Lankan jets bombed a Tamil Tiger training base as new fighting across the northern region claimed the lives of at least 39 rebels, the defence ministry said Saturday. Air force planes staged bombing raids against a Tiger rebel base in Mullaittivu in the northeast early Saturday, destroying the training facility, the ministry said. Security forces also destroyed five rebel bunkers and killed at least 39 Tigers in clashes in Vavuniya, Mannar, Jaffna and Weli Oya Friday, the ministry said, adding 15 soldiers were wounded in the operations. However, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they beat back three attempts by the army to advance into their territory from Mannar and Weli Oya, killing 22 soldiers Friday. (Posted @ 16:30 PST) China coal mine accident kills 14 BEIJING, March 15 (AFP): An accident in a southwestern China coal mine killed 14 people, Xinhua news agency reported Saturday. Four other people were injured by Friday's “gas outburst” in the mine near the city of Zhaotong in Yunnan Province, Xinhua reported, quoting local sources. (Posted @ 14:35 PST) Iran rejects nuclear talks with world powers TEHRAN, March 15 (AFP): Iran Saturday reaffirmed its rejection of any talks with world powers over the nuclear crisis, saying it would only negotiate with the UN atomic watchdog. “The issue of nuclear talks with the countries of the 5+1 is over,” government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told reporters. The so-called 5+1 are the five permanent UN Security Council powers plus Germany, which have been seeking to persuade Iran to accept an incentives package in exchange for suspending sensitive uranium enrichment work. “We will continue our path within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency as this is the only legal body for this issue,” Elham added. (Posted @ 14:30 PST) Rocket attack on US consulate in Iraq kills woman HILLA, Iraq, March 15 (AFP): A barrage of 25 Katyusha rockets aimed at the US consulate in the central Iraqi city of Hilla Saturday slammed instead into a residential area, killing a woman, police said. “The rockets were aimed at the American consulate but missed and hit a number of houses instead,” said Hilla police chief Major General Fadhel Raddad. “A woman was killed and nine people were wounded. Fifteen houses were damaged.” Police found 29 rocket launchers near the area and arrested several people, he said. “We also found nine rockets which had not been fired.” (Posted @ 14:10 PST) Suicide blast near foreign troops, Afghan child killed KHOST, Afghanistan, March 15 (AFP): A suicide bomber blew up an explosives-filled car near international troops in eastern Afghanistan just outside the city of Khost Saturday, killing an Afghan child, a provincial governor said. First reports said the blast damaged a vehicle of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Khost governor Arsalla Jamal told AFP. “It was a suicide bombing against an ISAF convoy. One child was killed and three civilians were wounded,” he said. (Posted @ 12:40 PST) Cricket-England (342 &) 277-9 v New Zealand (198) WELLINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - England were 277 for nine wickets in their second innings at the close of play on the third day of the second test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve on Saturday. Scores: England: 342 (T. Ambrose 102, P. Collingwood 65, A. Cook 44; J. Oram 3-46, M. Gillespie 4-79) & 277-9 (Cook 60, Collingwood 59; J. Oram 3-44; K. Mills 2-59; New Zealand: 198 (R. Taylor 54, D. Vettori 50 not out; J. Anderson 5-73) (Posted @ 11:10 PST) Suicide bomber attacks Iraq, Syria border point BAGHDAD, March 15 (AFP) - A suicide bomber blew himself up at a border post on the Iraqi-Syrian frontier, killing an interpreter and wounding six other people, the US military said Saturday. The wounded included two US soldiers, two personnel from the US Department of Army and two customs security personnel, the military said in a statement. The incident occurred on Friday at the Rabiyah border entry point, 120 kilometres north of Mosul. (Posted @ 11:05 PST) Three die in grenade blast at village dance in Philippines DAVAO, Philippines, March 15 (APP/AFP) - Three people were killed and 19 injured when a drunk detonated a hand grenade he had been toying with at a village dance in Suluk town on the island of Mindanao in southern Philippines, police said Saturday. (Posted @ 10:10 PST) Ten people killed in Tibet riots: Xinhua news agency BEIJING, March 15 (AFP) - Ten people were killed in riots as Tibetans staged demonstrations in capital Lhasa on Friday, China's official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday, up from a previous death toll of seven. Xinhua said most of those victims were business people. (Posted @ 09:50 PST) Palestinian fire hits Israeli helicopter over Gaza GAZA, March 15 (AFP) - An Israeli attack helicopter was hit by Palestinian fire as it overflew the Gaza Strip on Friday, in a first such incident, Israeli public television reported. The crew reported their aircraft was hit while on a routine patrol and returned to base, the channel said. Meanwhile, Israeli army said four rockets were fired from the territory earlier Friday, of which two crashed in southern Israel without causing casualties or damage. (Posted @ 09:35 PST) Russia offers India aviation secrets in fighter contract bid MOSCOW, March 15 (AFP) - Russia is ready to hand India military aircraft engineering secrets in a bid to win a 12-billion dollar (7.65-billion euro) aviation contract tender, Interfax agency reported Friday. “If the Indian government decides to buy the MiG-35 (fighter), we will transfer to India the key technologies used in these aircraft including fifth generation technologies,” manufacturers MiG said in a statement. These 'fifth generation' elements include what analysts have said is greatly improved maneuverability on older models, plus a new radar system capable of simultaneously tracking, and attacking, over 20 targets from the cockpit. (Posted @ 09:35 PST) Danish cartoon crisis has upped terror threat: intelligence report COPENHAGEN, March 15 (AFP) - The recent republication of blasphemous Danish cartoons has led to renewed negative focus on Denmark in a number of countries and increased the threat of attacks in Denmark and against Danes abroad, the Danish Intelligence and Security Service (PET) said in a report issued by its Centre for Terror Analysis. “As a result there can at the moment be an increased threat towards Denmark from foreign militant extremists as well as towards Danes and Danish interests abroad,” it added. (Posted @ 09:30 PST)
Founder: Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah
|
