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| June 17, 2008 | Tuesday | Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (06:00 GMT)
 Dr. A.Q. Khan denies selling advanced nuke blueprint ISLAMABAD, June 17 (AFP): Nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan Tuesday denied selling blueprints for an advanced nuclear weapon to Iran or North Korea, telling AFP that western countries were to blame. Khan's comments came a day after a former arms inspector said in a report that the United States and the UN atomic watchdog must be allowed to question Khan to learn if he sold the plans. “This is all a lie, there is no truth in this. It is total bullshit,” Dr. Khan told AFP by telephone from his Islamabad villa. “The western countries are suppliers of the technology, they sold it, they are the proliferators.... why don't they publish juicy stories about Israel. There is not a single word about Israel on the nuclear issue,” he added. Former UN arms inspector David Albright said Monday there was a danger that Dr. Khan might be released without having to answer questions about the sensitive blueprints. “The statement is just aimed at putting pressure on (the) Pakistan government. The story came when there were talks about removing restrictions on me,” said Dr. Khan. “We never prepared (such blueprints), we are not the designer, we are not the proliferator,” Dr. Khan said. (First Posted @ 13:45 PST, Updated @ 14:20 PST)  Govt pays salaries to judges ousted under Musharraf ISLAMABAD, June 17 (AP): The new government has paid the salaries of the Supreme Court justices ousted by President Musharraf last year, a move the governing coalition says highlights its commitment to reinstating the judges, officials said Tuesday. Athar Minallah, a close aide to ousted Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, said Tuesday the judges had received their salaries, which proved they retained their positions. “They are judges, legitimate judges, who were illegally and unconstitutionally removed,” Minallah told Dawn News TV. Minallah urged the government to restore the judges and to prosecute Musharraf for his actions against them. (Posted @ 19:20 PST) Bush, Musharraf, Ahmadinejad least trusted leaders WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush is ranked only slightly above the rulers of Pakistan and Iran as one of the least-trusted leaders in the world, a survey released on Monday showed. The survey, carried out by WorldPublicOpinion.org in 20 countries around the world, found that no national leaders inspired wide confidence outside their own countries. But Bush, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ranked at the bottom, the polling showed. Only 23 percent of people outside the United States had “a lot or some” confidence in Bush, compared to 22 percent for Ahmadinejad and 18 percent for Musharraf. The leaders of other countries fared little better. Only 26 percent had confidence in French President Nicolas Sarkozy, 28 percent in Chinese President Hu Jintao, 30 percent in British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and 32 percent in Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has since become prime minister. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had the highest confidence levels, at 35 percent. “While the worldwide mistrust of George Bush has created a global leadership vacuum, no alternative leader has stepped into the breach,” said Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org. “Hu Jintao and Vladimir Putin are popular among some nations, but more mistrust them than trust them.” The group polled 19,751 people in nations that represent 60 percent of the world's population. The survey was conducted between Jan. 10 and May 6, with margins of error of plus or minus 2 to 4 percent. (Posted @ 10:25 PST)  Six 'would-be suicide bombers' held during “long march:” Rehman Malik ISLAMABAD, June 17 (AFP): Authorities arrested six would-be suicide bombers last week during a protest by lawyers demanding the reinstatement of deposed judges, Rehman Malik, the prime minister's advisor for the interior, said Tuesday. They also seized a quantity of explosives and arrested several other people during the so-called “long march,” Malik told parliament. “Authorities have arrested six suicide bombers during the long march,” Malik said. “We have also seized some 45 kilograms of explosives and arrested few people from Lahore.” Malik gave no further details of the plot to attack the march. “The government is not sleeping. We are doing our best to break their (militants') network and punish the culprits,” Malik said. (Posted @ 13:05 PST) Suspected sectarian attack kills four in Pakistan KOHAT, Pakistan, June 17 (Reuters) - Four Shi'ite Muslims were shot dead in the town of Hangu in North West Frontier Province on Tuesday in what appeared to be the second deadly sectarian attack in two days. In Tuesday's attack, gunmen opened fire from a car at a group of men in the main market of Hangu. “The men were from the same family and were killed on the spot. It appears to be a sectarian attack,” said senior Hangu police official Quresh Khan. The attack came a day after four Shi'ite Muslims were killed in a bomb attack on a mosque in the town of Dera Ismail Khan. Separately on Tuesday, police in Hangu found the body of a Shi'ite Muslim taxi driver who was kidnapped last week. “It's shocking ... It could be the work of militants fighting in tribal areas who may want to open a new front, or foreign hands who want uncertainty in Pakistan,” said Abdul Jalil Naqvi, a leader of a Shi'ite party, the Islami Tehrik. (Posted @ 12:05 PST) Foreign Minister Qureshi to lead Pakistan delegation at OIC meeting Kampala, June 17 ( PPI): Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will lead Pakistan delegation at 35th session of Organization of Islamic Conference Council of Foreign Ministers to be held at Kampala, Uganda from June 18-20. Pakistan will highlight the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. There will be a meeting of OIC Contact Group on Jammu & Kashmir, in which the “true representatives of Kashmiri people” will take part. (Posted @ 11:15 PST) U.S. forces allege four Al Qaeda militants killed, Iraqi police reject claim BAGHDAD, June 17 (Reuters): The U.S. military said it killed four Al-Qaeda militants in a raid in the city of Mosul on Tuesday, but Iraqi police said the three brothers and their father shot in the operation were not insurgents. The U.S. military said in a statement it had killed four “terrorists”, one of whom it said was armed with a pistol, and arrested another 10 suspects. “No family was killed during the operation,” it said. An Iraqi police source told Reuters: “As far as we are concerned, they were not militants.” At a funeral procession for those killed, about 400 angry demonstrators marched through the streets shouting “Down, down with America,” an eyewitness said. “The Americans are thugs,” shouted a protestor in his mid-40s who declined to be named. (Posted @ 23:15 PST) Top UN diplomat meets leaders in divided Cyprus NICOSIA, June 17 (AFP): Top UN official Lynn Pascoe held separate meetings with Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders on Tuesday in a bid to advance efforts to reunite the long-divided island. Pascoe said he wanted to assess the situation and see how the United Nations “can help move the process forward” but would not say if a date had been agreed for fully-fledged peace negotiations. (Posted @ 22:45 PST) Pak-India Joint Anti-Terrorism Mechanism to meet on June 24 ISLAMABAD, June 17 (APP): The third meeting of Pakistan India Joint Anti-Terrorism Mechanism will be held here on June 24 to discuss counter-terrorism measures and exchange information between the two countries. The last meeting of the JATM was held in New Delhi on October 22, last year. Foreign Office Spokesman Muhammad Sadiq giving details of the meeting said, “The two sides will discuss various counter-terrorism measures and exchange information to assist in investigations related to terrorist acts.” (Posted @ 22:30 PST) Indian army chief calls for development of military space command to counter China NEW DELHI, June 17 (AP): India's army chief General Deepak Kapoor said his country needs a military space program because its satellites are vulnerable to attack from countries like China, which shot down a disabled weather satellite last year. The Indian Express newspaper quoted Kapoor, speaking Monday at a local conference on using space for military purposes, as saying that India urgently needed to “optimize space applications for military purposes.” He pointed out that “the Chinese space program is expanding at an exponentially rapid pace in both offensive and defensive content.” A defence ministry spokesman Praveen Kavi confirmed the comments Tuesday. (Posted @ 22:00 PST) Israel, Hamas agree to Gaza truce: officials GAZA, June 17 (Reuters): An Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will begin Thursday, a Palestinian official said, after Israeli air strikes killed six militants in the Gaza Strip. The official, who is familiar with the truce negotiations, said Tuesday the two sides agreed to a six-month deal. He voiced confidence the latest violence would not hold up the start of the agreement to end constant bloodshed. “Implementation of the truce will begin at 0300 GMT on Thursday,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to announce an accord. A senior Egyptian official quoted by Egypt's Middle East News Agency confirmed the Palestinian official's information. A Hamas source said announcement of a deal would be made by Egypt. (First Posted @ 19:15 PST Updated @ 21:05 PST) Syrian president arrives in New Delhi on maiden visit NEW DELHI, June 17 (AFP): President Bashar al-Assad arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday on the first visit by a Syrian head of state to India in two decades that is aimed at luring investment and boosting ties. Assad said before setting out he hoped his trip would draw Indian investment, particularly in developing Syrian information technology. He also said he hoped India, which has diplomatic ties with Israel and good relations with the Palestinians and several Arab countries, could “help the Middle East become more stable” by involving itself in the peace process. (Posted @ 21:05 PST) Iran urges France to hand over fugitive ex-president TEHRAN, June 17 (AFP): The Iranian army's deputy commander called on France on Tuesday to hand over former president Abolhassan Bani Sadr, accusing him of ordering deadly attacks against Iranian civilians from his Paris exile. “France must hand Bani Sadr over to Iran,” Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri said in a speech marking the anniversary of the former president's 1981 overthrow. “There are numerous documents proving Bani Sadr planned and ordered acts of terror in cooperation with the hypocrites that have led to the deaths of Iranian civilians,” he added, referring to the People's Mujahadeen rebels. “If the French government wants to make good on its claim to defend democracy and fight against terrorists, then it should hand these elements over to us,” the Mehr news agency quoted the general as saying. (Posted @ 20:50 PST) Indian jailed for 35 months on exporting banned US mly goods to India Washington, June 17 (PPI): An Indian-origin businessman was sentenced to 35 months jail and a $60,000 fine by a court for shipping restricted military technology to Indian government entities engaged in missiles and fighter jet production and space programme. Parthasarathy Sudarshan, CEO of Cirrus Electronics, will serve about 20 months as he has been in federal prison since his arrest in March 2007, U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo Urbina ruled. He was convicted of acquiring electrical components with applications in missile guidance and firing systems in U.S. and supplying them to Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre & Bharat Dynamics Ltd between 2002 and 2006, according to court documents. He was also accused of acquiring microprocessors for a fighter jet under development in India. (Posted @ 20:30 PST) Three of a family die, four injured in road mishap on Superhighway Kotri, Sindh, June 17 (PPI): Three members of a family died while four others were injured, when their car they were riding, collided with a truck on Superhighway near Dadabhoy Cement Factory, Nooriabad on Tuesday. The injured were shifted to Civil Hospital Hyderabad, where the condition of one of them was said to be critical. (Posted @ 20:15 PST) Cricket: ICC backs Pakistan to stage successful tournament LAHORE, June 17 (AFP): Pakistan was given a vote of confidence Tuesday by international cricket bosses as it gears up to host the Champions Trophy later this year. International Cricket Council (ICC) President Ray Mali said he was confident Pakistan would put on a good tournament as the country had experience of running such events in the past. The tournament from September 11-28, involves all the major cricketing powers. (Posted @ 20:15 PST) Spanish crown prince visits troops in Afghanistan MADRID, June 17 (AFP): The heir to the Spanish throne, Crown Prince Felipe, made a surprise visit to Afghanistan Tuesday, to meet Spanish troops serving with NATO-led forces. The prince arrived in Qala-e-Naw town in western Afghanistan on a Spanish military plane in the morning where he met Spanish troops stationed there, the royal household and the defence ministry said. He then traveled by land to Herat where the largest in-country contingent of Spanish soldiers is based. Prince Felipe was accompanied by Spain's Chief of Defence staff General Felix Sanz, Secretary of State for Defence Constantino Mendez, and the Secretary General of the foreign ministry's International Aid Agency Juan Pablo de Laiglesia. (Posted @ 19:45 PST) Israeli air strikes kill six Palestinians GAZA, June 17 (Reuters): Israeli air strikes killed six Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, medical workers said, amid Egyptian efforts to broker a truce between Israel and militant groups in the Hamas-controlled territory. The Islamic Jihad militant group said five of its members were killed when a missile struck their car near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis. A second air strike destroyed a car travelling in the nearby town of Deir al-Balah, killing one Palestinian. A Hamas spokesman said the attacks were an attempt to ruin efforts to reach a ceasefire. (First Posted @ 18:25 PST Updated @ 18:55 PST) Clashes in eastern Lebanon kill three BEIRUT, June 17 (Reuters): Three people were killed in clashes between government loyalists and opposition supporters in eastern Lebanon overnight, security sources said on Tuesday. Four people were wounded in the violence, which reached its peak at dawn in the mainly Sunni Saadnayel village and the mainly Shi'ite Taalbaya village in the eastern Bekaa valley. Houses and shops were also destroyed in the clashes in which heavy guns, rocket propelled grenades and mortar bombs were used. Witnesses said the Lebanese army had restored calm in the area, which was also the scene of clashes last week. (Posted @ 18:40 PST) Iran warns Europe against new sanctions TEHRAN, June 17 (AFP): Iran's foreign ministry said on Tuesday Tehhran had “options” to answer possible new sanctions by the European Union over its refusal to halt controversial nuclear work. “People and officials in our country are watchful of the other side's decisions. If they take a decision against Iran, we have options against it,” foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini was quoted as saying by the state broadcaster. He did not elaborate further on the possible reaction of Iran. (Posted @ 18:40 PST) Chad govt says Sudan army attacks frontier garrison N'DJAMENA, June 17 (Reuters): Chad's government accused Sudan's army of attacking a town on their common border on Tuesday after days of raids by rebels whom Chad says are backed by Khartoum. “The Sudanese army itself went into action this morning, June 17, 2008, attacking the Chadian army garrison at Ade with ground troops supported by helicopters,” said a Chad government statement handed to Reuters. (Posted @ 18:15 PST) Five killed in Vietnam soldier's AK-47 suicide rampage HANOI, June 17 (AFP): A Vietnamese soldier shot dead four people with an AK-47 assault rifle and wounded five others before killing himself inside a Hanoi military compound, media reports and residents said Tuesday. “Because he was suspected of stealing a mobile phone, Nguyen Manh Hung, 23, working at a military unit in Thinh Hao, killed four people and wounded five,” said the VNExpress online newspaper. “The murderer killed himself immediately afterwards.” (Posted @ 17:30 PST) Sarkozy overhauls military as France plans return to NATO PARIS, June 17 (AFP): President Nicolas Sarkozy Tuesday presented a major overhaul of the French military, cutting the size of the armed forces, beefing up intelligence and setting a course for France's return to NATO command. A leaner, more mobile and technologically-advanced military will help France confront new threats, in particular terrorism which poses the greatest danger, Sarkozy said in an address to some 3,000 officers in Paris. “Today, the most immediate threat is that of a terrorist attack”, said the president in a defining speech as commander-in-chief. “The threat is there, it is real and we know that it can tomorrow take on a new form, even more serious, with nuclear, chemical and biological means,” he said. To face up to the threat, Sarkozy announced a “massive investment effort in intelligence” that will make use of satellites, drones and other airborne surveillance equipment. Sarkozy also confirmed that France will soon return to NATO's integrated command, which it left in 1966 when Charles de Gaulle rejected US dominance of the alliance. But he said its nuclear deterrent forces would remain under strict national control and emphasized that France remained “an independent ally, a free partner.” (Posted @ 16:10 PST) Iraqi television anchor shot dead MOSUL, Iraq, June 17 (AFP): Gunmen shot dead an Iraqi journalist working as a news anchor for state-run television in northern Mosul’s Hail al-Zirae neighbourhood, the local head of the channel said. Mohialddin Abdulhamid, anchor for Al-Iraqiya channel in Nineveh province, was killed at around 8:00 a.m., the channel's bureau chief Yaarob al-Salim told AFP. (Posted @ 15:55 PST) Four anti-Qaeda fighters killed in Baghdad bombing BAGHDAD, June 17 (AFP): A bomb hidden on a motorcycle exploded at a checkpoint in northern Baghdad Tuesday, killing four fighters of a group battling Al-Qaeda militants, Iraqi security officials said. The attack took place at around 10:00 a.m. at a checkpoint run by the fighters in Al-Sulek neighbourhood, the officials said. Four other members of the group were wounded, along with two civilians. (Posted @ 15:25 PST) Israel, Syria to hold two rounds of peace talks in July: Turkish FM LUXEMBOURG, June 17 (AFP): Israel and Syria left indirect peace talks “extremely satisfied” on Monday and will hold two more rounds in July under Turkey's mediation, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Tuesday. The second round of talks in Turkey were “completed with success”, Babacan told reporters after talks with EU officials in Luxembourg. “More importantly the calendar was set for the next two meetings which will be held in July,” he added. (Posted @ 15:20 PST) About 150 illegal migrants drowned off Libyan coast CAIRO, June 17 (AP): A fishing vessel carrying about 150 illegal migrants sank in the Mediterranean Sea near the Libyan coast earlier this month and only two people survived, the Egyptian ambassador to Libya said Tuesday. Ambassador Mohammed Rifaah learned of the June 7 incident Sunday, when he visited the only Egyptian survivor, Wael Nagy Abdel-Moutagali, now in prison in the Libyan city of Sorman. The boat carried illegal immigrants of various nationalities, including about 50 Egyptians, when it sank some 65 kilometers off the Libyan coast, the ambassador told The Associated Press. Other nationalities on board included Moroccans, Somalians and Bangladeshis, and the only other survivor was a Bangladeshi. Libyan officials have not confirmed the incident and could not be reached for comments on the Egyptian survivor's account. (First Posted @ 11:10 PST, Updated @ 14:55 PST) Iran's Ahmadinejad says oil price artificial TEHRAN, June 17 (AFP): The current high price of oil is artificial and the market is well supplied with crude, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday, pinning the blame on the sliding dollar. “The rise in consumption is lower than the rise in production,” Ahmadinejad told a meeting in the city of Isfahan of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC's) fund for international development. “The market is well supplied but prices are rising and this situation is artificial and imposed” by world powers. Ahmadinejad, who is president of OPEC's number two producer, has repeatedly said that the current high price of oil is not based on fundamentals and driven largely by the dollar’s weakness. “Certain hands, for political and economic ends, are controlling the price in an artificial manner,” he said. Ahmadinejad also said “certain powers” were keeping an artificial oil price to “fund the costs of their wars and occupations and to justify investments to exploit new sources of energy at the bottom of the oceans, at the poles and elsewhere.” Ahmadinejad reaffirmed his proposal to create a completely new currency which OPEC countries could use in oil transactions. “I repeat my suggestion made six months ago at the OPEC summit in Riyadh to create a basket of credible currencies which would be the basis for oil transactions,” said Ahmadinejad. “Or alternatively, that OPEC countries create a new currency for their transactions.” (Posted @ 14:10 PST) Militants in Chechnya burn Russian armored vehicle ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia, June 17 (AP): Militants in Chechnya burned a Russian armored vehicle late Monday, Russian authorities said. A group of rebels fired rocket-propelled grenades at the vehicle in the southern village of Bamut, Russia's Interior Ministry said. The vehicle's crew managed to get out unhurt, but a resident was wounded in crossfire. (Posted @ 14:00 PST) Militants kill 3 Russian soldiers, injure five others in Chechnya MOSCOW, June 17 (Reuters) - Militants in Russia's mainly Muslim Chechnya region killed three soldiers in an ambush on a military convoy on Monday, news agencies reported, in one of the deadliest attacks on Russian forces this year. “The column was attacked by militants near the settlement of Chishki, in the Urus-Martan district in southwestern Chechnya near the Caucasus mountains,” a source in the Chechen security forces told ITAR-Tass. Five service men were also wounded in the attack. (Posted @ 10:45 PST) 14 rebels, one soldier killed in fighting in northern Sri Lanka COLOMBO, June 17 (AP): Battles across northern Sri Lanka killed 14 ethnic Tamil rebels and one government soldier, the military said Tuesday. In the worst fighting Monday, soldiers killed six rebels in the Mannar region bordering the rebels' de facto state, a Defence Ministry official said, requesting anonymity. One soldier was wounded in the confrontation, he said. In the Welioya district, separate clashes killed three rebels and one soldier, he said. Other fighting in the Jaffna and Vavuniya regions killed five rebels and wounded six soldiers, he said. Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan was not immediately available for comment. (First Posted @ 12:20 PST, Updated @ 13:25 PST) Taliban destroy bridges, plant mines outside Kandahar in battle preparation ARGHANDAB, Afghanistan, June 17 (AP): Taliban destroyed bridges and planted mines in several villages they control outside southern Afghanistan's largest city in apparent preparation for battle, residents and officials said Tuesday. More than 700 families fled the Arghandab district 15 kilometers northwest of Kandahar city, said Sardar Mohammad, a police officer manning a checkpoint on the east side of the Arghandab River. On the west side of the river, hundreds of Taliban controlled around nine or 10 villages, Mohammad said. “Small bridges inside the villages have been destroyed,” he said. The Afghan army flew four planeloads of soldiers to Kandahar from Kabul Tuesday. A Taliban commander named Mullah Ahmedullah told the Associated Press Tuesday that around 400 Taliban moved into Arghandab from Khakrez, one district to the north. He said some of the militants released in Friday's prison break had joined the assault. “We've occupied most of the area and it's a good place for fighting. Now we are waiting for the NATO and Afghan forces,” Ahmedullah said. (Posted @ 13:20 PST) Protesters take 65 police, general hostage in Peru LIMA, June 17 (AFP): Thousands of protesters demanding a greater share of economic benefits from mining operations overwhelmed riot police in southern Peru Monday and took hostage 65 police and a general, mediators said. Furious residents of Moquegua, a town 1,200 kilometers south of Lima, conducted a weeklong road blockade to demand more from an economic boom that has enriched mining companies. In a tense standoff about 20,000 people converged on a cathedral where the hostages were being held. The violence left about 60 people injured, including 13 who were released by the demonstrators, Veronica Paredes, of the Peruvian ombudsman's office told AFP. In Lima, Prime Minister Jorge del Castillo was aiming to reach a deal with leaders of the protesters, who have blocked the main highway from the south of the Andean nation to Chile. (Posted @ 13:05 PST) Turkish artillery units kill Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq ANKARA, June 17 (AP): Artillery units shelled and killed most of a 21-member Kurdish rebel group moving toward the Turkish border in northern Iraq, Turkish military said. The shelling made the group largely “ineffective,” a term used by the military when rebels are killed, a statement posted on the military's website said. The military statement Tuesday said the rebels were targeted some three kilometers across the shared border late Monday in Iraq's Zap region. (Posted @ 12:50 PST) China floods kill 112 people in 12 provinces GUANGZHOU, China, June 17 (AP) - Flooding has killed 112 people in 12 provinces, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs said Tuesday. It said 57 of the deaths were in the central and northern provinces of Henan, Shanxi and Shaanxi. The 55 other fatalities were in nine southern provinces: Guangxi, Jiangxi, Hunnan, Hubei, Guangdong, Guizhou, Yunnan, Zhejiang and Anhui. Heavy rain has been drenching the provinces for several weeks. (Posted @ 11:00 PST) 2 killed, 30 missing as trawler capsizes in storm in Bangladesh DHAKA, Bangladesh, June 17 (AP) - At least two people died and up to thirty were missing after a boat carrying about 70 people capsized in a storm on the River Padma in Rajbari district late Monday. Private television station NTV says at least 30 people remain unaccounted for. Most of the passengers were able to swim ashore or were rescued by villagers, reports said. (Posted @ 10:55 PST) Cricket-Australia finish off West Indies resistance BRIDGETOWN, June 17 (Reuters) - Australia won the third and final test against West Indies on Monday by 87 runs to complete a 2-0 series victory. West Indies put up a brave fight on the fifth day before finally being dismissed for 387. Resuming on 235 for three, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo made good progress before both were dismissed just before lunch with the score on 303. After lunch, Jerome Taylor made a spirited 31, his highest score in tests and then injured Sewnarine Chattergoon hobbled out to bat with a runner in a bid to keep the chase hope alive. But after Mitchell Johnson got Taylor caught behind and then Brett Lee did the same for Chattergoon, Ricky Ponting's side were sure of their victory. Scores: Australia 251 ( Symonds 52) and 439 for five wickets declared ( Katich 157, Jaques 108) v West Indies 216 ( Chanderpaul 79 not out) and 387 ( Marshall 85, Bravo 69, Chanderpaul 50). (Posted @ 10:40 PST) Another US soldier killed in Iraq Baghdad, June 17 (Reuters) - A bomb killed a U.S. soldier southeast of the city of Hilla on Monday, as Al Qaeda insurgents simultaneously detonated four bombs targeting houses and vehicles belonging to members of the Iraqi security forces in Mosul, U.S. forces said. An Iraqi policeman was killed and four people were hurt, including a policeman's child. Meanwhile, Iraqi security forces killed two wanted students who resisted arrest at Mosul University campus, police said. Separately, a roadside bomb exploded at a checkpoint, killing three members of the U.S.-backed neighbourhood police and wounding another at Buhriz, 60 km northeast of Baghdad, while a roadside bomb killed a civilian and wounded eight people, including four Iraqi soldiers, when it blew up near their patrol in northern Baghdad's Adhamiya district, police said. (Posted @ 10:25 PST) China begins Xinjiang torch relay leg URUMQI, China, June 17 (AFP) - China Tuesday kicked off the Olympic torch relay's sensitive leg through Xinjiang, a largely Muslim western region. The three-day, four-city Xinjiang leg began with a 12-kilometre relay through Urumqi that started on People's Square, considered a symbol of Chinese Communist power in the city. Police had imposed particularly heavy security at the People's Square, and anyone entering had to go through metal detectors and bag searches. The torch was lit in the shadow of a monument to the People's Liberation Army. Prior to the start, organisers held a moment's silence for victims of last month's devastating Sichuan earthquake. (Posted @ 09:55 PST) Karachi Stocks up 53.73 points: KARACHI, June 17: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 12497.86, up 53.73 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST) Forex update: KARACHI, June 17: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 68 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST)
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