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| May 06, 2008 | Tuesday | Rabi-us-Sani 29, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
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 Oil price strikes 122 dollars for first time LONDON, May 6 (AFP): Oil prices hit a record high 122 dollars here on Tuesday as the market was driven by concerns over tight supplies and a struggling US currency, traders said. (First Posted @ 19:04 PST Updated @ 19:38 PST)  Suicide bomber, gunmen kill five in Pakistan PESHAWAR, Pakistan, May 6 (AP): A suicide bomber riding a rickshaw attacked a police checkpoint and gunmen fired on officers guarding a bank in Pakistan's northwest Tuesday, killing five people. The suicide attacker rode up to the checkpoint on a bridge in the town of Bannu and detonated his explosives when officers signalled him to stop, said Dar Ali, the Bannu district police chief. The army said two civilians and one policeman were killed. Police said four of their officers were wounded. There was no claim of responsibility. In a separate incident, gunmen struck in Matta in the scenic Swat Valley. Humayun Khan, a police official in Matta, said several gunmen approached a bank in the town on foot early Tuesday and shot to death two officers standing guard. Khan blamed ''local Taliban'' for the attack. (First Posted @ 11:10 PST, Updated @ 17:35 PST) Pakistan sends 50,000 tonnes wheat to Afghans to avert crisis ISLAMABAD, May 6 (Reuters): Pakistan approved on Tuesday the export of 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan to avert a food crisis there and said exports to its landlocked neighbour would continue on a government-to-government basis. The Pakistani government also approved the immediate import of 250,000 tonnes of wheat, part of a targeted 1.5 million tonnes of imports this year, and said a surplus of rice would be exported but only after domestic needs were met. The government's highest economic decision-making body, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), approved the export to Afghanistan at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. (Posted @ 18:00 PST)  Former Bugti commander killed in mine explosion DERA ALLAH YAR, Pakistan, May 6 (PPI): A former commander of Nawab Akber Bugti was killed in a land mine explosion near Dera Allah Yar Tuesday afternoon. Four persons, including his father, son and grandson, were injured. According to details, former commander Bangul Khan Bugti was returning to Dera Allah Yar from his lands Tuesday. When his car reached near Goth Naseebullah Khosa, it struck a land mine and was completely destroyed in the ensuing explosion. Bangul Khan died on the spot. (Posted @ 15:45 PST) 50 injured, hundreds detained in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, May 6 (APP): At least 50 people were injured and hundreds detained in Srinagar when police used brute force to disperse demonstrators, who were protesting against the regime’s anti-people policies. Thousands of employees under the banner of Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) gathered at Jehangir Chowk before they marched towards the civil secretariat. Holding black flags, the employees, including women, were raising slogans against the regime for its failure to fulfil their demands, KMS reported. Police resorted to teargas shelling and baton charging when the employees reached the secretariat, and used water canons to disperse the protesting employees. Many EJAC leaders including some women employees were arrested and lodged in various police stations across the city. “Around 500 employees have been arrested by the police,” EJAC President, Abdul Qayoom Wani, who was also arrested, said. (Posted @ 13:55 PST) India's Manipur arms civilians to fight rebels GUWAHATI, May 6 (Reuters): The government of India's remote northeastern state of Manipur is to arm villagers to help battle guerrilla groups seeking autonomy, echoing a controversial civilian force raised to tackle Maoist rebels elsewhere. Officials in Manipur have recruited youths from two districts as special police officers and will kit them out with a uniform, food, rifles, and motorcycles and pay them 3,000 rupees ($75) a month. But human rights workers expressed dismay. “This step will not reduce violence, but deepen violence,” said the director of Manipur's Human Rights Alert. (Posted @ 23:32 PST) EU sues Italy for failing to clear up Naples garbage BRUSSELS, May 6 (AP): The European Union's executive commission began legal action against Italy on Tuesday over the festering garbage collection crisis in Naples. More than 250,000 tons of backlogged trash has been piling up on the streets of the southern Italian city since collection came to a near halt in December because there is no more room for the trash at dumps. The European Commission said it was taking Italy to the European Court of Justice because Naples and the Campania region had not obeyed EU rules that require governments to pick up garbage and dispose it safely. (Posted @ 22:46 PST) Tuareg rebel attacks move closer to capital: army BAMAKO, May 6 (Reuters): Tuareg rebels attacked two army camps in Mali on Tuesday, killing one soldier and looting a weapons store at a garrison much closer to the capital than most previous operations, a senior army officer said. The rebels launched the twin attacks on Tuesday morning, three days after a clash that appeared to torpedo a ceasefire deal hammered out in Libya a month ago. The attack on Diabaly camp, only around 250 km northeast of the capital Bamako, surprised military officials, who suspected there had been complicity with the rebels on the inside. (Posted @ 22:24 PST) US soldier killed in roadside attack in Iraq BAGHDAD, May 6 (AFP): A US soldier was killed and another wounded on Tuesday in a roadside attack in Nineveh province in northern Iraq, the American military said. The victims were on a patrol when they were hit by “insurgents,” the military said in a statement. It did not say how they were killed. (Posted @ 21:38 PST) Israel reports 'preliminary work' towards Syria talks JERUSALEM, May 6 (AFP): Israel said on Monday that “preliminary work” has been carried out towards resuming long frozen peace talks with Syria. “We don't just want to restart only a process of negotiations, we want to start a political dialogue,” a government spokesman told reporters. “Preliminary work has already happened,” he said, adding that the development was recent. (Posted @ 20:12 PST) Chile volcano erupts; evacuation ordered PUERTO MONTT, Chile, May 6 (AFP): A volcano in southern Chile erupted with lava and ash Tuesday, forcing authorities to issue a maximum alert and order the surrounding area evacuated, the National Emergency Office Onemi said. Emergency sirens sounded in the coastal area 1,300 kilometers south of Santiago after the Chaiten volcano delivered a strong blast of lava and cinders. Officials ordered some nearly 400 people including emergency workers and journalists to leave the surrounding area. “A maximum alert has been decreed,” an Onemi official told AFP. (Posted @ 19:42 PST) Four Japanese found dead by inhaling lethal gas TOKYO, May 6 (AP): Four people were found dead in a rented car in western Japan in an apparent “detergent suicide,” a phenomenon that has gripped the nation battling to curb a high suicide rate, police said Tuesday. The bodies of three men and a woman _ all in their 20s and 30s _ were discovered by a patrolling police officer in Takashima, in western Japan, said a local police official. (Posted @ 18:58 PST) Almost 22,500 dead in Myanmar cyclone: state TV YANGON, May 6 (AFP): Almost 22,500 people have been killed and 41,000 left missing after a powerful cyclone hit Myanmar last weekend, state television announced late Tuesday. India gave 48-hour cyclone warning to Myanmar: NEW DELHI: Indian meteorologists tracking the cyclone said Tuesday they had given their neighbour 48 hours warning of an impending storm. (Posted @ 10:15 PST Updated @ 18:54 PST) Russia, US sign civilian nuclear deal MOSCOW, May 6 (Reuters): Russia and the United States signed on Tuesday a civilian nuclear cooperation deal that will allow firms from the world's two biggest atomic powers to expand bilateral nuclear trade. The deal was signed in Moscow by Sergei Kiriyenko, chief of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, and U.S. Ambassador to Russia William Burns. (First Posted @ 14:50 PST, Updated @ 17:50 PST) Three Palestinians wounded in West Bank gunfight QABATIYA, West Bank, May 6 (AFP): A Palestinian civilian was severely wounded and two militants were hurt in a gunfight between Palestinian security forces and gunmen in West Bank, witnesses and medics said. The exchange of fire took place in Qabatiya, south of the city of Jenin, when a Palestinian security force patrol came under fire from gunmen. Two Islamic Jihad militants were lightly wounded and were arrested, the sources said, adding that Hamas members were also among the gunmen. (Posted @ 17:40 PST) Ethiopian troops cut throats in Somalia: Amnesty NAIROBI, May 6 (AFP): Ethiopian troops in Somalia are increasingly resorting to throat-slitting executions, Amnesty International (AI) said Tuesday in a new report on the killing of civilians in Somalia. The report by the rights watchdog said the blame for civilian deaths was shared by all parties in the conflict, but highlighted an “increasing incidence” of gruesome methods by Ethiopian forces. The people of Somalia are being killed, raped, tortured; looting is widespread and entire neighbourhoods are being destroyed by Ethiopian forces,” the group's Africa Programme deputy director said in a statement. (Posted @ 17:40 PST) Three Taiwan ministers resign as scandal snowballs TAIPEI, May 6 (AFP): Three Taiwan ministers including the vice premier resigned Tuesday to shoulder responsibility for the island's worst diplomatic scandal involving the alleged embezzlement of 30 million US dollars. Vice Premier Chiou I-jen was the first to go, followed an hour later by Foreign Minister James Huang. Later in the day, the defence ministry announced Vice Defence Minister Ko Chen-heng had also resigned. (Posted @ 17:30 PST) Moderate earthquake jolts southern Iran TEHRAN, May 6 (AP): A 5.3 magnitude earthquake damaged old rural buildings in a sparsely populated area in southern Iran early Tuesday, Iranian state radio said. The quake did not cause any casualties when it hit six villages in Zarrin Dasht, some 1,000 kilometres south of Tehran. (Posted @ 16:05 PST) Gunmen kidnap pro-US Iraqi tribal chief BAGHDAD, May 6 (AFP): Suspected Al-Qaeda operatives kidnapped a pro-US tribal chief and family members in a village north of Baghdad Tuesday, police said. Gunmen grabbed Ibrahim Abdullah al-Mujamai, his wife, their daughter-in-law and a grandchild in a village in Diyala province, said a local police official who requested anonymity. He said the chieftain from the al-Mujamai tribe had been arranging for a Sunni militia group to protect his village against Al-Qaeda attacks and to support American forces deployed in the country. (Posted @ 15:15 PST) Georgia says “very close” to war with Russia BRUSSELS, May 6 (Reuters): Georgia is “very close” to a war with Russia, a Georgian minister said Tuesday, citing Moscow's decision to send extra troops to a breakaway Georgian region. “We literally have to avert war,” Georgian State Minister for Issues of Reintegration Temur Iakobashvili told a news briefing during a trip to Brussels. Asked how close to such a war the situation was, he replied: “Very close, because we know Russians very well.” (Posted @ 15:15 PST) Youths damage shops, burn tires in Somali food protests MOGADISHU, May 6 (AP): Hundreds of youths in Somalia's capital lobbed stones at shops and cars and set tires ablaze in the streets Tuesday in a second day of violence over soaring food prices. Protests were confined to the city's Dharkenley and Wadajir neighbourhoods, but shops across the city remained shuttered, with traders fearing the riot could spread and prompt looting. (Posted @ 14:50 PST) Landslide kills 12 near Freeport mine in Indonesia TIMIKA, Indonesia, May 6 (Reuters): Twelve people died in a landslide near a massive copper mine operated by Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold in Indonesia's Papua province, officials said Tuesday. A torrent of mud fell into a river, burying local miners who were working Monday night, Godhelp Cornelis Mansnembra, the police chief in the nearest main town of Mimika, said. The police had so far found 12 bodies, while nine miners were still missing. (Posted @ 13:25 PST) New fighting in northern Sri Lanka kills 16 rebels, two soldiers COLOMBO, May 6 (AP): Clashes broke out between government forces and ethnic Tamil separatists across northern Sri Lanka, killing 16 rebels and two soldiers, the military said Tuesday. In the worst of the fighting Monday, nine rebels were killed during a series of battles in the Vavuniya district, the military said in a statement. Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan was not immediately available for comment. The newly announced battles broke out as the warring sides fought two other battles in the north. The rebels said they killed eight soldiers in the Muhamalai area Monday and three sailors in Mannar. The government said it killed 10 rebels, while two soldiers were killed. (Posted @ 13:00 PST) US to withdraw 3,500 troops from Iraq BAGHDAD, May 6 (AFP) - The US military said on Tuesday it will withdraw “in the next several weeks” 3,500 soldiers who were deployed in Iraq as part of the controversial “surge” in February last year. Washington has said it wants to complete a withdrawal of the 30,000 troops by July and have a 45-day evaluation period before considering the overall level of US troops, which is estimated at over 150,000. (Posted @ 12:15 PST) China's Hu urges cooperation ahead of Japan summit TOKYO, May 6 (Reuters) - Chinese President Hu Jintao lauded closer cooperation with Japan when he arrived on Tuesday for a five-day state visit. With the two economies increasingly intertwined, Hu said better ties were important to both countries' prosperity. (Posted @ 11:25 PST ) Israel air strike kills Palestinian gunman in Gaza GAZA, May 6 (Reuters) - An Israeli air strike in Gaza Strip killed one Palestinian gunman and wounded three others on Tuesday. The strike near the town of Beit Lahiya was aimed at a mortar launching squad close to the border fence with Israel, Gaza medics said. An Israeli military spokeswoman said the rocket-launching crew identified hitting a number of armed gunmen in an air strike. (Posted @ 11:15 PST ) Change in FCR as per wishes of FATA people ISLAMABAD, May 6 (PPI): Federal Minister for SAFRON, Najmuddin Khan Monday assured the Grand Tribal Jirga that changes would be brought in the FCR according to the wishes and in consultation with the people of FATA and in the line with their traditions and culture. More than 40 tribal elders, under the leadership of Shabizada Fareed, met the Minister and discussed issues such as the FCR, law & order situation and development in FATA. The minister said Industrial Zone will be established within FATA to empower the people economically, developmental funds will be increased to remove their deprivation and FC and Levies will be reorganized and restructured, with enhanced salaries and increase in pay scale from 1 to 5. (Posted @ 11:05 PST ) Australian police identify remains of two drowned Pakistani students Sydney, May 06 (PPI): Australian police have identified human remains found at Phillip Island, in Victoria last month. The remains are those of two Pakistani students who drowned in March. The students, aged 19 and 22, were swept off rocks to their death, near the Nobbies at Easter. An extensive search failed to locate the men. But a number of body parts, including a leg, skull, spine and arm were later found washed up on the shore. Police compared DNA from the remains to relatives in Pakistan and confirmed the match Tuesday morning. (Posted @ 10:55 PST ) UN kicks off 5-year project to upgrade headquarters UNITED NATIONS, May 6 (APP): The U.N Monday staged a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of a five-year project to renovate its decades-old headquarters complex. Wearing blue hard hats with UN logos and brandishing shiny shovels, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, representatives of member states turned up the soil at the North Lawn where a temporary conference building will be erected. “Today we turn the soil which the United Nations stands on to mark the rebirth, or renovation, of our headquarters,” Ban said. (Posted @ 10: 50 PST ) Roadside bombs wounds 3 police, 2 civilians in southern Afghanistan KANDAHAR, May 6 (AP) - A roadside bomb wounded three police officers and two civilians just outside the city of Kandahar on Tuesday, police said. The bomb placed on a bicycle hit a car carrying policemen. Two women were also caught in the blast and wounded. (Posted @ 10:25 PST ) Climbers prepare for final torch assault on Everest EVEREST BASE CAMP, China, May 6 (Reuters) - A total of 31 Chinese climbers, 22 of them ethnic Tibetans, are on Mount Everest fixing routes and repairing camps for the final assault on the summit with the Beijing Olympic torch, officials said on Tuesday. China mountaineering team spokesman Zhang Zhijian would not disclose when the final ascent would take place. “The heavy snowfall has destroyed the routes we fixed and the camps we had prepared,” he told a news briefing. “Our climbing torch bearers are busy rebuilding the routes and camps. It has affected us a little but not too much.” The team includes three women. (Posted @ 10:20 PST ) Sharp rise in suicide attacks by women in Iraq likely: US expert WASHINGTON, May 5 (AFP) - “Between January and April, there were 12 suicide attacks by women in Iraq. That marks an exponential increase,” Farhana Ali, a US international policy analyst of Pakistani origin, told AFP after a symposium on terrorism at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting in Washington. “So long as this conflict continues, you will see greater instability in Iraq and women will be greatly victimized -- you will see more women in Iraq choose suicide terrorism in the next few months,” she predicted, adding that she had warned US officials and policy makers of the threat since 2005. Farhana Ali blamed the rise in female suicide bombers largely on the marginalization of Iraqi women since the US invasion in 2003. “They were at the forefront of their society. They were in the Iraqi cabinet, in government, in NGOs. We stripped them of those opportunities. “Many have left but those who stayed behind are also victims of rape and torture and kidnapping. So they are being victimized twice,” she said. “Women use attacks as a protest. In Iraq, they are protesting at the loss of their men, the loss of their society and the loss of their country,” said Ali. (Posted @ 09:55 PST ) Karachi Stocks down 264.29 points: KARACHI, May 06: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 14408.84 , down 264.29 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:14 PST) Forex update: KARACHI, May 06: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 67 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:14 PST)
Founder: Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah
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