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| May 13, 2008 | Tuesday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 7, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Bomb blasts kill 80 in India's Jaipur: chief minister JAIPUR, India, May 14 (AFP) -A series of bomb blasts at markets in the northwestern Indian tourist city of Jaipur has killed 80 people, the chief minister of Rajasthan state said Tuesday. Other reports quoted a junior minister saying that at least 199 other persons were injured in the blasts whose number was said to be seven. (First Posted @ 20:16 PST Updated @ 23:50 PST)
Former Kuwait emir dies: TV KUWAIT CITY, May 13 (AFP) - A former emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Saad Abdullah al-Sabahi, has died after a long illness, private televisions Al-Watan and Al-Rai reported on Tuesday. There has as yet been no official confirmation. The already ailing Sheikh Saad succeeded to the throne in 2006 after the death of his predecessor, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah. He was deposed by parliament after only nine days. (Posted @ 22:36 PST)
India tourist city blasts kill at least 60, injure 150 JAIPUR, India, May 13 (AFP) - A series of bombs tore through crowded markets in the Indian tourist city of Jaipur late Tuesday, killing at least 60 people and injuring another 150 in what police said was a terror attack. One of the bombs went off near a Hindu temple, leaving blood splattered on the street and cycles and rickshaws in a mangled heap, television showed. “Sixty people have died and 150 are injured,” said Vasundhara Raje, chief minister of the desert state of Rajasthan of which Jaipur is the capital. Police said seven blasts took place within minutes of each other in Jaipur, about 260 kilometres from New Delhi. “It's a terror attack. There was no (intelligence) report of this,” police director general A.S. Gill told television stations. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts and appealed for calm. State borders were sealed and a high alert sounded in Rajasthan state and neighbouring areas, police said. They said there were no immediate reports of any backlash and also appealed for calm. “There is peace in the town of over two million. Nobody should worry,” Arvind Jain, a senior police official, told NDTV television. (First Posted @ 20:16 PST Updated @ 22:12 PST)
India tourist city blasts kill 35, injure over 100 JODHPUR, India, May 13 (AFP) - A series of seven bomb blasts tore through crowded markets in the northwestern Indian tourist city of Jaipur on Tuesday, killing up to 35 people and injuring more than hundred, police and news reports said. “It's a terror attack,” police director general Amorjot Singh Gill said. The NDTV station put the toll at 35 people dead, citing police, while a junior minister put the number of injured at over one hundred. One of the blasts took place near a temple, where cycles and rickshaws lay in a mangled heap, television pictures showed. (First Posted @ 20:16 PST Updated @ 21:24 PST)
Oil prices near $127 a barrel on rumor about Iranian output NEW YORK, May 13 (AP) - Oil prices shot to a new record near $127 a barrel Tuesday on reports that Iran is planning to cut crude oil production. Light, sweet crude for June delivery rose as high as a record $126.71 a barrel in midday trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange before retreating slightly to trade up $2.24 at $126.47. (Posted @ 21:14 PST)
Queen Elizabeth II on first visit to Turkey in 37 years ANKARA, May 13 (AFP) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip arrived here Tuesday for a four-day state visit, their first to Turkey since 1971. During their stay, the 82-year-old monarch and her husband will visit Ankara, the historic northwestern city of Bursa and Istanbul, Turkey's economic and cultural hub. The first stop on the queen's programme was the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, where she went immediately after her arrival. (Posted @ 20:52 PST)
Bomb blasts kill 35 in India's Jaipur NEW DELHI, May 13 (AFP) - A series of bomb blasts at markets in the northwestern Indian city of Jaipur has killed 35 people, NDTV television said, but the toll could not be immediately confirmed. Police said at least five bombs tore through crowded markets in the city, the capital of western Rajasthan state, and put their initial estimate of the toll at six. “It's a terror attack,” said police director general Amarjot Singh Gill. Scores of people were taken to hospital in Jaipur, some 260 kilometres from New Delhi. (First Posted @ 20:16 PST Updated @ 20:50 PST)
Two FC men killed, ten hurt in Pakistan road accident QUETTA, May 13 (APP): At least two personnel of the Frontier Corps died and ten others sustained critical injuries after their vehicle overturned near Ormara, on Tuesday, officials said. The incident took place after the driver failed to maintain control over the vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn. The injured were shifted to Karachi for treatment. (Posted @ 20:44 PST)
Cricket: Pakistan to host India early next year ISLAMABAD, May 13 (AFP) - “Pakistan will host India for three Tests, five one-day internationals and one, or possibly two, Twenty20 internationals early next year,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Nasim Ashraf told a press conference Tuesday. “We are trying to convince India to play two Twenty20 matches as this type of cricket is getting popularity world-wide and a final itinerary will be announced after mutual consent,” said Ashraf. Pakistan will also host Sri Lanka in early April 2009 for five one-day matches and then Australia, also for five one-day internationals, announced Ashraf. Australia last month agreed to split their postponed tour to Pakistan into two phases. “Australia will start the five-match one-day series on April 23 as part of their commitment on the split tour and then come back again in 2010 to play three Tests,” said Ashraf. Ashraf said Pakistan is also likely to play a Twenty20 matches series with the West Indies in Canada in August this year. “Both Pakistan and the West Indies have given their consent to play a Twenty20 event in Canada in August, the dates and other modalities will be finalised soon,” said Ashraf. (Posted @ 20:32 PST)
Six killed in India serial bombings JODHPUR, India, May 13 (AFP) - Six people were killed and 30 injured in a series of bomb blasts in crowded markets in the northwestern Indian city of Jaipur on Tuesday, police said. “Early reports suggest six people are killed and 30 have been injured,” said Amorjot Singh Gill, director general of police. Scores of people were taken to hospital in Jaipur, about 260 kilometres from New Delhi, the Press Trust of India reported. (Posted @ 20:16 PST)
PPP not to field candidates against PML-N ISLAMABAD, May 13 (APP): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman Tuesday said Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would not field its candidates against Mian Nawaz Sharif and other PML (N) leaders during the upcoming by-polls. Leaders of PML (N) are our associates and PPP would continue maintaining the reconciliation culture and strengthening the democracy in the country, she said addressing a function to pay tributes to journalists who struggled and sacrificed for freedom of media during 1977 Marshal Law. May 13 every year reminds us the day when journalists were lashed 30 years ago during Marshal Law regime of General Zia-ul-Haq, she said. The Minister said PPP is in contact with PML (N) to convince them and would continue dialogue with its leadership. On the issue of Wage Board Award, she said this needs joint efforts of owners, journalists and representatives of civil society, adding that she would organize a tripartite conference next month to get this issue resolved amicably. (Posted @ 20:02 PST)
Saudi says Lebanon violence may affect Iran ties RIYADH, May 13 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday Iranian-backed Hezbollah's routing of the Western-backed government's supporters in Lebanon could affect the Islamic Republic's ties with Arab countries. “Of course, for Iran to back the coup that happened in Lebanon and support it will have an impact on its relations with all Arab countries,” Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said at a news conference. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rejected accusations of interference in Lebanese affairs. “Iran is the only country not interfering in Lebanon,” he told a news conference. The Saudi foreign minister also warned against a continuation of the violence and backed an Arab League call for the withdrawal of armed elements from the streets of Lebanon. “We call on all Lebanese sides to respond to the honest efforts of the Arab League ... to resolve the Lebanese crisis according to the Arab initiative that aims to launch Lebanese political dialogue rather than rockets and bullets between Lebanese,” he said. (Posted @ 19:52 PST)
Ahmadinejad says Saudi may have 'spoken in anger' on Lebanon TEHRAN, May 13 (AFP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal may have “spoken in anger” when he warned Iran over the crisis in Lebanon. “I hope what you have quoted him as saying is not correct,” Ahmadinejad said in response to a question about Faisal's warning that Iranian relations with the Arab world would be affected if Tehran was supporting what he described as a “coup” in Lebanon. “We think it could have been out of anger and we will wait until his anger has cooled down and then we will talk,” Ahmadinejad said. “We do not know how much his views are in line with King Abdullah's,” he said. “We will not respond out of respect for King Abdullah.” (Posted @ 19:34 PST)
India arrests 200 Pakistanis on fake visa charges BADIN, Pakistan, May 13 (PPI): Indian authorities have arrested 200 Pakistanis from Attari and Mona Bao areas on charges of travelling on fake visas, it is learnt. Those arrested belong to Lyari area of Karachi and Badin district. Most of them are stated to be Kachhis. According to reports the Indian Higher Commission has confirmed the arrest and has stated that the authorities were also aware of unscrupulous elements running the business of fake visas. The relatives of the arrested Pakistanis in Badin took out a protest rally from DCO Chowk to local press club and urged Pakistani authorities to crush the culprits involved in this crime and also ensure the safe return of the victims of this illegal activity. (Posted @ 19:26 PST)
PM extends financial help to late folk singer's family MULTAN, May 13 (APP): Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, in recognition of late folk singer Pathanay Khan's services for the country, has made a grant of Rs 200,000 to his family members. The cheque was handed over to the legal heirs of late Pathanay Khan at the family's native town Kot Addu, district Muzaffargarh, in Punjab province. (Posted @ 19:10 PST)
Bomb attack at security forces convoy in Khyber Agency ISLAMABAD, May 13 (APP): A convoy of security forces was targeted with a remote-controlled bomb on Pak-Afghan road in tehsil Jamrood area in Khyber Agency but no loss of life was reported. (Posted @ 19:00 PST)
US military helicopter forced down in Afghanistan KABUL, May 13(APP/AFP) : A US military helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing late Monday in mountainous Nuristan province, apparently after coming under fire, the army said Tuesday. The Taliban claimed it had shot down the helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade. “The cause of the helicopter incident is still under investigation. However, initial reports indicated it may have been caused by some form of ground fire,” the US military said in a statement adding that “no one aboard the aircraft sustained significant injuries.” The aircraft was airlifted to a military base. (Posted @ 18:42 PST)
ANP, PPP relations not to be affected by political upset at center: Adeel PESHAWAR, May 13 (APP): Central Senior Vice-President of ANP Senator Haji Mohammad Adeel Tuesday said that cordial relations between ANP and PPP in the NWFP would not be affected by the resignation of the PML-N ministers from the federal cabinet. Talking to APP, Senator termed the breakup of two major coalition partners at the center as unfortunate but said that the coalition at the province would remain unaffected. The ANP leader clarified that ANP was not part of the parleys in Dubai and London for restoration of the deposed judges, and therefore its failure or success had no bearing on the ANP. The ANP, he reiterated would play its role to bridge the gap between the PPP and the PML(N). (Posted @ 18:38 PST)
Electricity charges for industries in NWFP increased by 35 % PESHAWAR, May 13 (APP): President Industrialist Association Peshawar (IAP), Nauman Wazir has resented increase in electricity charges for industries in NWFP by 35 per cent. Addressing a press conference he said industrial tariff in Islamabad is Rs. 6.99 per unit, in Faisalabad Rs. 6.79 per unit, in Multan Rs. 7.48 per unit, in Quetta Rs. 7.59 per unit but in NWFP it is now Rs. 9.2 per unit. He said the federal government should give subsidy to PESCO instead of directing it to increase the tariff. He warned that if the decision was not rescinded, the industrialists would opt for shifting the units to other parts of the country where the tariff is low. (Posted @ 18:32 PST)
Nawaz Sharif files nomination papers for NA-52 ISLAMABAD, May 13 (APP): PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has filed nomination papers for by-election on the national assembly seat NA-52, where PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali had won in the general elections. His son-in-law Captain (Rtd) Safdar had already filed his nomination papers for this seat, probably as over candidate. (Posted @ 18:10 PST)
PM phones Nawaz Sharif after ministers' resignations ISLAMABAD, May 13 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Tuesday telephoned PML (N) leader Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif after his party ministers resigned from cabinet posts over issue of judges' restoration. Nawaz Sharif assured the Prime Minister of PML(N)'s continued support to the government for strengthening democratic institutions in the country. He said the decision for his party to resign from the cabinet was painful for him. (Posted @ 18:06 PST)
Sharif party ministers offer resignations from Pakistan Cabinet, shaking coalition ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 13 (AP) – All nine ministers from the party of ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif submitted their resignations from Pakistan's 24-member Cabinet on Tuesday, shaking the fragile coalition government that took power just six weeks ago. But Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's office said he did not immediately accept the nine resignations and that a decision on them would come after his party's leader, Asif Ali Zardari, returned to Pakistan _ expected later Tuesday. Sharif said that despite the resignations his party would remain part of the ruling coalition, led by the PPP which expressed “respect” for the decision and said the parties remained close. But a spokesman for Sharif sharpened the tone Tuesday, accusing members of the PPP “serving the interests” of Musharraf by blocking the judges' restoration. “Such loyalists of Musharraf are to be blamed for our decision to quit the Cabinet,” Sadiqul Farooq said. Farooq claimed that Zardari aides had secret contacts with Musharraf. Zardari party spokesman Farhatullah Babar denied there had been any back-channel contact with Musharraf and insisted his party remained committed to restoring the judges. He said Zardari would return to Pakistan from overseas late Tuesday, meet party leaders and hold talks with Sharif at a later date. (Posted @ 17:35 PST)
Squash- Palmer takes British Open title LIVERPOOL, England, May 13 (AFP) Australian David Palmer won the men's squash British Open here on Monday. The American-based fifth seed won a thriller against the fourth-seeded Englishman James Willstrop 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 6-11, 13-11. (Posted @ 17:10 PST)
Israeli air force attacks Gaza mortar crew, one dead GAZA, May 13 (Reuters): Israel's air force attacked a Hamas mortar crew in the central Gaza Strip Tuesday, killing at least one militant, Hamas and hospital officials said. An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed an air strike had taken place near Khan Younis refugee camp. (Posted @ 16:35 PST)
Quake strikes off Indonesia's Aceh province JAKARTA, May 13 (AFP): A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of Indonesia's Aceh province Tuesday, but there were no immediate reports of damage, geologists said. The epicentre of the quake, which hit 68 kilometres deep and struck at 5:29 pm, was 112 kilometres southwest of provincial capital Banda Aceh, the Meteorological and Geophysics Agency (BMG) said. (Posted @ 16:35 PST)
Four killed, several injured in Motorway accident near Sheikhupura ISLAMABAD, May 13 (APP): Four persons were killed and many others injured in a highway mesh-up involving at least 20 vehicles, including cars, buses and trucks, on Sheikhupura interchange at Motorway Tuesday morning. According to initial reports, the accident occurred on account of poor visibility caused by a thick cloud of smoke from a roadside fire in a big dump of garbage and farm waste. Initially it involved a few cars but the vehicles coming at speed dashed against the stranded vehicles on the Motorway, making it one of the worst road mishaps on the Motorway. Rescue teams have been rushed to the scene of the accident. Details are awaited. (Posted @ 16:35 PST)
Asif Ali Zardari acquitted in container case KARACHI, May 13 (APP): Justice Bin Yamin of High Court of Sindh, Tuesday, allowing identical criminal revision applications filed by former senator Asif Ali Zardari and former High Commissioner of Pakistan to United Kingdom, Syed Wajid Shamsul Hasan, ordered quashing of artifacts smuggling case commonly known as container case. Announcing the same through a detailed order, the bench held that it was a case of no evidence and therefore there was no possibility of conviction of the accused at the end of the trial. The bench also held that alleged consignment sent from Bilawal House then declared as Prime Minister House was not owned by Asif Ali Zardari and was not received by him. (Posted @ 16:20 PST)
Algeria rebels kill six soldiers in ambush ALGIERS, May 13 (Reuters): Rebels linked to Al Qaeda's north African wing killed six Algerian soldiers in the deadliest attack on government forces in three months, El Khabar newspaper reported Tuesday. The soldiers were on patrol when their convoy came under fire Sunday in Medea province, 90 km southwest of the capital Algiers, the paper said, citing unnamed sources. Some soldiers escaped and fought with their assailants, who fled to a nearby forest. (Posted @ 15:25 PST)
Policeman killed in Quetta firing incident ISLAMABAD, May 13 (APP): Unidentified gunmen shot dead a policeman and injured two others including an SHO at Mano Jan Road in Quetta Tuesday, police said. SHO Brewery Police Station Chaudhry Fayyaz along with his gunmen and driver was on his way to work when unknown armed men sprayed their vehicle with bullets. As a result all the three functionaries received multiple bullet injuries, a private television channel reported. They were rushed to a hospital but the driver Mohammad Ishaq could not sustain the wounds and died. (Posted @ 05:20 PST)
Some 12,000 dead, thousands missing in China quake DUJIANGYAN, China, May 13 (AFP): China's biggest earthquake for a generation left tens of thousands dead, missing or buried under the rubble of crushed communities Tuesday, plunging the nation into an all-out aid effort. Troops and rescue teams struggled by air, land and water to reach areas of southwestern China stricken by the quake. Monday's 7.9-magnitude quake in Sichuan province killed around 12,000 people so far, the civil affairs ministry said. China mobilized its 2.3 million-strong armed forces to lead the search and rescue effort, but attempts to reach the worst-hit areas were badly disrupted by torrential rain and the sheer scale of the damage. A team of 1,300 troops and army medics finally made it to Wenchuan county, right at the epicentre and immediately began searching for survivors. Up to 5,000 were dead in the district of Beichuan where 80 percent of buildings collapsed, including a school which buried hundreds of pupils and teachers. “Several thousand” were reported killed or buried under a flattened factory nearby, while over 600 died and 2,300 were buried in Shifang city where there was a major chemical leak. At least 2,000 people were killed and 4,800 were buried in Mianzhu. The toll included some foreigners. Xinhua reported 37 tourists were killed when a landslide hit their coach, while officials said they also lost contact with 15 visiting Britons. The epicentre of the quake was about 93 kilometres from Chengdu and 260 kilometres from Chongqing. (First Posted @ 09:40 PST, Updated @ 15:05 PST)
PML-N ministers quit Pakistan cabinet; PM Gilani stalls on accepting resignations ISLAMABAD, May 13 (Reuters): Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani declined to accept the resignations of ministers from former premier Nawaz Sharif's party Tuesday, saying he wanted to wait for the return of his party leader to Pakistan. “The prime minister has told them he will not be accepting the resignations until the return of Mr Zardari,” said an aide to the prime minister. Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party, is due to arrive from Britain late on Tuesday. According to an earlier report, nine ministers from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz resigned Tuesday over a dispute about the reinstatement of judges deposed by President Musharraf. The ministers submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani at his office in Islamabad. (First Posted @ 14:25 PST, Updated @ 14:56 PST)
Seven killed in Thai south NARATHIWAT, Thailand, May 13 (AFP): Insurgents shot dead seven people in southern Thailand, police said Tuesday. A 52-year-old man and his 46-year-old wife were killed in an ambush in Pattani province early Tuesday, police said. On Monday, two soldiers with a government-backed militia were killed in nearby Narathiwat. Three men were killed the same day in two separate attacks in Pattani province, police said. (First Posted @ 09:25 PST, Updated @ @ 14:35 PST)
Occupied Kashmir chief urges Pakistan to halt militant raids SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, May 13 (AFP): Occupied Kashmir's chief minister Tuesday called on Pakistan's new government to stop militants crossing the border into the region, after a major gun battle killed eight. Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said he was concerned by the number of militants infiltrating occupied Kashmir, in a statement issued two days after the gunfight in a southern border district. “The infiltration of militants from across the border, especially during the past two months, is a matter of concern,” Azad said, adding he hoped the “new government in Pakistan would cooperate with India” on the matter. (Posted @ 14:30 PST)
PML-N ministers quit Pakistan cabinet ISLAMABAD, May 13 (AFP): Nine ministers from the party of former premier Nawaz Sharif resigned Tuesday over a dispute about the reinstatement of judges deposed by President Musharraf, Pakistan Television said. The ministers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani at his office in Islamabad, the report said. (Posted @ 14:25 PST)
China earthquake death toll nears 12,000 BEIJING, May 13 (AFP): The confirmed death toll from a massive earthquake in southwestern China has risen to nearly 12,000, a government official said Tuesday. “So far the death toll from the earthquake has reached 11,921,” Wang Zhenyao, head of the Civil Affairs Ministry's disaster relief department, told a news conference in Beijing. The quake was the worst to hit China since the 1976 earthquake in the city of Tangshan near Beijing, which claimed 242,000 lives, Xinhua news agency said. (First Posted @ 09:40 PST, Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Militants kill one Pakistani soldier, troops to reopen roads in tribal area ISLAMABAD, May 13 (AP): Suspected militants attacked a military post in northwestern Pakistan’s tribal region of Bajaur early Tuesday, killing one soldier and wounding another. The army, meanwhile, said troops would reopen roads to allow movement of civilians displaced by military operations against fighters in another tribal region. The militants fired rockets, machine guns and assault rifles at a paramilitary camp in Bajaur, said Mohammad Jamil Khan, a local government official. One soldier died and another was wounded, he said. Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the army's top spokesman, said that the troop readjustment came at the request of people who have been displaced by the military operations in South Waziristan. Abbas denied that the troops were being pulled out from the area. (Posted @ 14:15 PST)
Hundreds of central Florida homes evacuated as wildfires burn DAYTONA BEACH, Florida, May 13 (AP): Dry, windy weather fueled several wildfires on Florida's central Atlantic coast, damaging more than 50 homes and driving hundreds of residents away as the governor declared a state of emergency. Fires in Palm Bay in Brevard County damaged about 50 homes and scorched 3,500 acres. In nearby Malabar, a 3,000-acre blaze destroyed at least four homes. To the north in Daytona Beach, about 800 acres had burned by Monday afternoon, said Division of Forestry spokesman Timber Weller. The fire was about 55 percent contained, but firefighters' efforts would be challenged by high winds and lower humidity, Weller said. (Posted @ 13:10 PST)
Strong quake aftershock rocks China's Chengdu BEIJING, May 13 (Reuters): A strong aftershock rocked Chengdu, capital of China's western Sichuan province, at around 3:10 pm Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported, causing office workers to run out on to streets in panic. Many said it was “the strongest aftershock” after a 7.9 magnitude quake epicentred at Wenchuan county, about 100 km northwest of Chengdu, hit at 2:30 pm Monday, killing up to 10,000 people according to initial estimates. (Posted @ 12:55 PST)
Clashes in Baghdad’s Sadr City kill three BAGHDAD, May 13 (AFP): At least three militiamen were killed overnight by American troops in Baghdad's Sadr City, the US military said Tuesday. US forces staged an air attack against two suspected militants who were planting a roadside bomb targeting security forces in the area Monday evening and killed both, it said in a statement. It said a third man was shot dead as he tried to set up an explosives device on the road Monday night. However, Iraqi medical and security sources said 11 people were killed in violence overnight in Sadr City. They said another 20 people were wounded, mainly in air strikes. (Posted @ 12:35 PST)
Philippine troops kill three communist guerrillas: military COMPOSTELA, May 13 (AFP): Philippine troops killed three communist guerrillas in two days of fighting on the southern island of Mindanao, sending local tribesmen fleeing the area, officials said Tuesday. Soldiers fought a series of battles with the communist New People's Army (NPA) on Monday and Tuesday, leaving three guerrillas dead with no casualties on the government side, said a local commander. The fighting sent some 149 tribesmen living in the area to seek refuge in a gymnasium in the town of Compostela, said Mayor Renaldo Castillo. (Posted @ 12:10 PST)
Dozen Taliban killed in Afghan US-led raids: US KABUL, May 13 (AFP): US-led troops and war planes killed around a dozen Taliban in battle in a southern Afghan district where major anti-insurgent operations are under way, the US military said Tuesday. The rebels were killed Monday in southern Helmand province's Garmser district, which borders Pakistan. Troops came under fire while searching compounds in Garmser for a Taliban commander involved in supplying weapons to rebels, the coalition said in a statement. The troops returned fire and “around a dozen militant extremists were killed,” it said. The Afghan government said Monday that the fighting, including air strikes, had forced about 6,000 people to leave their homes Garmser. (Posted @ 12:05 PST)
Lebanon army set to use force to halt fighting BEIRUT, May 13 (AFP): Lebanese troops were set to use force if necessary on Tuesday to disarm gunmen and enforce law and order after six days of deadly sectarian gunbattles that have thrown the nation into fear and chaos. The military had said that as of 0300 GMT its troops were ready to resort to force to bring an end to the violence pitting supporters of the Western-backed government against members of the Hezbollah-led opposition. The fighting, which has left at least 61 people dead and scores more wounded, is the worst sectarian unrest since the 1975-1990 civil war and had stoked fears the country was headed for another all-out conflict. (Posted @ 11:55 PST)
Army relief team reaches China quake epicentre: Xinhua BEIJING, May 13 (AFP): A team of 1,300 army medics and troops has reached the area at the epicentre of China's massive earthquake, the first sizeable relief force to get there, state media said Tuesday. The team immediately began searching for survivors and treating the injured in Wenchuan county after being forced to hike in overland due to massive damage to roads in the region, Xinhua news agency reported. The team arrived nearly 24 hours after the 7.8-magnitude quake struck Wenchuan. (Posted @ 11:45 PST)
Two die, 25 injured in Thar road mishap JHUDO, Sindh, May 13 (PPI): Two villagers including a woman were killed and 25 injured when a truck overturned near Unrio village at Islamkot-Nagarparkar road in Tharparkar district late on Monday. Police said villagers of Khohi tribe were going to Nagarparkar from Islamkot in a truck. The truck overturned while overtaking a jeep. A man and a woman died on the spot. The injured were taken to Islamkot Taluka Hospital and District headquarters Mithi. (Posted @ 11:30 PST)
42 die after ferry sinks in Bangladesh KISHOREGANJ, May 13 (AP): A crowded ferry sank during a tropical storm in northern Bangladesh, killing at least 42 people and leaving more than 40 missing, officials said Tuesday. The death toll from the accident late Monday could rise because some of those missing were feared trapped inside the sunken ferry, said a local government administrator. At least 150 people were aboard the MV Chanpur when it was caught in the storm and sank in the Ghorautra River, said a police official in the area about 80 kilometers north of the capital, Dhaka. (First Posted @ 10:35 PST, Updated @ 11:03 PST)
36 die in Bangladesh after ferry capsizes in storm DHAKA, May 13 (AP): Officials said at least 36 people had died after a ferry capsized in a storm in northern Bangladesh. A local government administrator said 50 people were missing after the accident late Monday in Kishoreganj district, 80 kilometers north of capital, Dhaka. The official said the death toll could rise as some of the missing people were feared trapped inside the sunken ferry. A police official said the wooden ferry was packed with about 150 people. (Posted @ 10:35 PST)
Eleven killed as violence intensifies in Sri Lanka: military COLOMBO, May 13 (AFP): At least 10 Tamil Tiger rebels died during battles with government troops and a policeman was shot dead in Sri Lanka's restive north, the defence ministry said Tuesday. The sporadic clashes took place around the embattled Vavuniya district on Monday, the ministry said but did not give casualty figures for their own troops. (Posted @ 10:25 PST)
China deploys 50,000 troops in quake rescue BEIJING, May 13 (AFP): China has mobilised more than 50,000 soldiers to help with disaster relief work following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked the country's rugged southwest, state media said Tuesday. A total of 16,760 soldiers had already begun relief efforts as of Tuesday morning, while another 34,000 were advancing toward quake-hit regions by plane, train, truck and on foot, Xinhua news agency said. (Posted @ 10:20 PST)
Pakistan sends condolences to China after earthquake ISLAMABAD, May 13 (AFP): Pakistan has expressed its full support and solidarity with close ally China which has been hit by a deadly earthquake killing thousands of people. Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in a message sent late Monday to his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao assured Beijing of his backing after a massive 7.8 magnitude quake destroyed towns and villages. “At this difficult time, we stand by the great Chinese people and assure them of our full support and solidarity,” Musharraf said in a condolence message to Hu. (Posted @ 10:05 PST)
Bangladesh announces general election in December DHAKA, May 13 (AP): Bangladesh will hold its long-delayed general election at the end of December, ending the rule of a military-backed government that seized power and declared a state of emergency more than 16 months ago. Fakhruddin Ahmed, interim leader of the caretaker government, did not set an exact date for the election but said in a nationwide televised address Monday the vote will take place in the third week of December. (Posted @ 09:30 PST)
Dozens dead in Yemen army-rebel clashes: report SANAA, May 13 (AFP): Dozens of people were killed or wounded in renewed clashes between the Yemen army and rebels in the northwest, tribal sources said on Monday. “Fighting killed or wounded dozens of people, including many civilians,” on Sunday and Monday in several regions across the Zaidi rebel stronghold of Saada, a source told AFP. A member of parliament said that the fighting erupted a day after Qatari mediators left the northwestern province after failing to stop the violence. (Posted @ 09:30 PST )
37 tourists killed in China quake landslide CHENGDU, May 13 (AFP): Thirty-seven tourists were killed when their coach was buried in a landslide after a massive earthquake in southwest China while separately officials said they had lost contact with 15 British tourists, state media reported Tuesday. The coach was buried by a landslide in Maoxian county in Tibetan populated Aba prefecture in Sichuan province, Xinhua news agency said. (Posted @ 09:50 PST)
US paid bounty to Pakistan to arrest Canadian terror suspect OTTAWA, May 13 (AFP): A US intelligence agency paid a 500,000-dollar bounty to Pakistan's military for the arrest of the Canadian son of a suspected Al-Qaeda financier, said court documents released Monday. According to an October 2004 memo to the head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) ordered released by Canada's federal court, Abdullah Khadr was wanted for “supporting insurgent activity in Pakistan and Afghanistan.”Thus, Khadr “is deemed to be a national security threat and has a 500,000 US dollar outstanding bounty for his capture,” said the memo published on the website of the daily Globe and Mail, which fought for its disclosure. He was held in Pakistan for almost a year before returning in 2005 to Canada, where he was arrested and jailed, and is now fighting extradition to the United States. Justice officials inadvertantly disclosed the top secret memo in court filings last year and fought the Globe and Mail not to publish it, but lost. (Posted @ 09:45 PST )
Death toll from China quake nears 10,000: report CHENGDU, May 13 (AFP): The death toll from a massive earthquake in southwest China has risen to nearly 10,000, state media reported on Tuesday. The new toll was provided by disaster relief officials who raised it from a previous count of more than 8,700, including 8,533 confirmed dead in Sichuan province alone, Xinhua news agency said. It is the worst to hit China since the 1976 earthquake in the city of Tangshan near Beijing, which claimed 242,000 lives, Xinhua said. However, the death toll could rise dramatically as rescuers are yet to reach areas near the epicentre at the city of Wenchuan, state media reports said. (Posted @ 09:40 PST)
Five killed in Thai south NARATHIWAT, May 13 (AFP): Suspected separatist rebels shot dead five people in the insurgency-hit Thai south, police said Tuesday. Two soldiers with a government-backed militia were killed when they were off-duty Monday evening in Narathiwat, one of three southern provinces beset by a bloody separatist movement. Also Monday, three Muslim men were killed in two separate attacks in nearby Pattani province, police in the region said. (Posted @ 09:25 PST)
Dubai police seize 24 kilos of heroin DUBAI, May 13 (AFP): Dubai police said on Monday they had seized 24 kilos of heroin with a street value of $1.6 million and broken up a drug network led by three Asians. The official WAM news agency quoted Colonel Khalil al-Mansuri as saying that the Asians smuggled the drugs in a cargo of citrus fruit from Pakistan into Dubai where a second group run by Africans took it out of the emirate. (Posted @ 09:10 PST)
Chad closes border with Sudan NDJAMENA, May 13 (AFP): Chad closed its border with Sudan Monday, the government here said, a day after Khartoum broke off relations with Ndjamena accusing it of backing a first Darfur rebel assault on the Sudanese capital. Chad also froze economic and cultural links with its eastern neighbour, a government statement said. (Posted @ 09:00 PST)
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