|
| June 18, 2008 | Wednesday | Jamadi-us-Sani 13, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (06:00 GMT)
 Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari meet; no accord reached on judges’ reinstatement ISLAMABAD, June 18 (AP) Pakistan People’s Party(PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari met with former premier Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif at the latter’s Raiwind residence Wednesday to mend a rift in their governing coalition, but failed to reach an agreement on the reinstatement of dozens of senior deposed judges, PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said. The meeting was the first time the two leaders held discussions since May 27. They will meet again Friday, Iqbal said. “Our position is that we want to see the reinstatement of judges and the removal of Musharraf as quickly as possible,” Iqbal said. “We have differences of opinion on the issues, but our goal is the same.” (Posted @ 17:58 PST)  Nine killed, five hurt in Pakistan road mishap CHAMAN, Pakistan, June 18 (APP): At least nine people were killed and five others sustained critical injuries after a trailer overturned on two vehicles here on Boghra Road, DSP Zia Mandokhail said Wednesday. The trailer on its way to Quetta from Chaman fell over two vehicles after one of its rear tyres stuck into a manhole on the road. As a result nine people died on the spot while five others sustained critical injuries. (Posted @ 15:40 PST) Senate unanimously approves 76 budget recommendations ISLAMABAD, June 18 (APP): Senate Wednesday unanimously approved 76 recommendations for onward incorporation in the budget for the fiscal year 2008-09. The recommendations were formulated by the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, which was also assisted by the State Bank of Pakistan, Federal Board of Revenue, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Federal Bureau of Statistics and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. Explaining the recommendations before the Upper House of the Parliament, Professor Khurshid Ahmed said the committee received 296 recommendations and unanimously formulated 76 recommendations for incorporation. He briefed the house about the salient features of the committee report and the recommendations, which were later unanimously approved by the House. (Posted @ 17:15 PST) Pakistan shared files of 169 most wanted Qaeda terrorist suspects: Interpol chief DAMASCUS, June 18 (AP) Pakistani authorities recently shared files with identity information and photos of 169 of the most wanted terrorist suspects belonging to Al Qaeda and its affiliates in Pakistan, Interpol's chief Ronald Noble said Wednesday at the opening of a two-day anti-terrorism conference hosted by Syria's interior ministry, in which 28 Mideast and North African countries are participating. Noble said now all 186 Interpol member countries have access to the files of over 8,900 suspected terrorists, compared to the 2,030 names the organization had in 2002.(Posted @ 19:38 PST) Joint patrolling proposed along Pak-Afghan border in meeting with Afghan president Karzai: Rehman Malik ISLAMABAD, June 18: Talking to newsmen in Lahore, Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior, Rehman Malik said the government will not disappoint people over former premier Benazir Bhutto’s assassination probe, private television channels reported. The United Nations had been contacted to investigate the killing of Benazir Bhutto as element of international conspiracy was also found, he said. Regarding his meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Malik said joint patrolling along the Pak-Afghan border was proposed and fencing of the border was also discussed. Moreover, he said the government will respond to Karzai’s threats and that Pakistan Army is fully capable of facing any external aggression. (Posted @ 20:04 PST) Azad Jammu and Kashmir Budget for fiscal year 2008-09 presented MUZAFFARABAD, Azad Kashmir, June 18 (PPI) The tax free Azad Jammu & Kashmir Budget for fiscal year 2008-09 of Rs 29.97 billion was Wednesday presented in AJK Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad. The budget provides development outlay to tune of over Rs 9.55 billion which shows 20 percent increase against outgoing year allocation. Non development expenditures are estimated at over Rs 20.41 billion against revenue receipt of Rs 15.81 billion. The deficit of Rs 4.60 billion between revenue receipt and non developmental expenditure will be met by Pakistan Government, said AJK Finance Minister Raja Nisar Ahmad Khan while presenting the budget. He said the budget provides solid foundation for socio economic uplift, provision of basic infrastructure and acceleration in development activities in the October 2005 quake hit areas and other districts of the region. Raja Nisar said Rs 15 billion have been allocated for the rehabilitation and reconstruction programme to ensure 100 percent accommodation facilities to the quake victims, besides provision of educational, health and water supply facilities. (Posted @ 19:04 PST)  President Musharraf says ‘not responsible’ for economic debacle RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, June 18: Talking to senior journalists and columnists here, President Musharraf Wednesday said he was not responsible for the economic crisis confronting the country, private television channels reported. He said the previous government should instead be held responsible for the economic decline. “My policies and steps should be viewed in the backdrop of circumstances that existed in the country at a critical point in time in the past,” President Musharraf said, adding that democracy is under no threat and “no conspiracy is being hatched from the Presidency” to undermine the democratic process. (Posted @ 19:20 PST) Aitzaz Ahsan says long march galvanized people, achieved objective ISLAMABAD, Jun 18 (APP): Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan said Wednesday that last week's long march galvanized people from all strata of society and demonstrated the nation's anxiety over the judiciary issue. Speaking at a press conference, he said the massive gathering in the capital demonstrated people's will for the restoration of judges of the superior judiciary. He cautioned that people might loose their sangfroid if the matter of restoration of judges was stretched further. The SCBA leader said they were keeping a vigil and believed that the parliament could restore the deposed judges without any constitutional package. (First Posted @ 20:36 PST Updated @ 23:50 PST) Cricket: ICC to monitor Pakistan security for Champions trophy KARACHI, June 18 (Reuters) The International Cricket Council (ICC) said Wednesday it will closely monitor security conditions in Pakistan ahead of September's Champions Trophy. “So far it has been decided to go ahead with the event in Pakistan,” ICC's acting chief executive Dave Richardson told a news conference in Lahore, insisting that safety concerns expressed by the Federation of International Cricketers' Association (FICA) were premature. “We might expect some concerns from the players and we understand that security of players, media and all stake holders is the responsibility of the ICC. We're monitoring the situation on regular basis.” He added if the majority of the executive board members wanted the Champions Trophy to go ahead in Pakistan then any country backing out for any reason would have to face the consequences and penalties. Ray Mali, the ICC president, led a delegation of the council to Pakistan Wednesday for the launch of the Champions Trophy logo and to oversee facilities at tournament venues in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. Delegates also met with interior ministry officials in Islamabad to discuss security plans for the event. “Pakistan has vast experience of hosting big events and I have felt safe wherever I have gone,” Mali told reporters after a visit to the Pindi cricket stadium. (Posted @ 20:22 PST) Pakistan committed to peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue: FM Qureshi KAMPALA, Uganda, June 18 (PPI) Pakistan says it was committed to a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir problem with India, noting the two countries have agreed to continue discussions to build on convergences and narrow down divergences on the issue. “Pakistan remains committed to a peaceful resolution of the longstanding Jammu & Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) member states Foreign Ministers meeting Wednesday in Ugandan capital Kampala. “In my meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee last month for review of the fourth round of Pakistan-India composite dialogue, we exchanged views on Jammu & Kashmir issue and agreed to continue discussions to build on convergences and narrow down divergences.” Qureshi said he and Mukherjee also agreed to continue implementation of a number of Kashmir-related confidence-building measures to alleviate sufferings of the Kashmiri people. (Posted @ 19:56 PST) NATO, Afghan troops kill 36 Taliban in operation outside Kandahar ARGHANDAB, Afghanistan, June 18 (AP) Afghan and Canadian forces moved into a series of villages outside of southern Afghanistan's largest city Wednesday to root out Taliban militants, killing at least 36 insurgents, officials said. Another 12 insurgents were killed in another district in Kandahar province, the Defence Ministry said. Troops in Arghandab district just outside of Kandahar exchanged fire with militants during “a few minor contacts,” NATO spokesman Mark Laity said. The Afghan Defence Ministry said more than 20 Taliban fighters had been killed in Tabin, a village in Arghandab, while 16 fighters were killed in Khohak, also in Arghandab. Two Afghan soldiers were also killed, the ministry said in a statement. The 12 other militants killed were in nearby Maiwand district, the ministry said. A top provincial official in Kandahar, Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, said hundreds of families had fled to the city, and that some of the villages had already been cleared of Taliban. (First Posted @ 12:05 PST Updated @ 20:46 PST) Russia warns Georgia over peacekeeper detentions MOSCOW, June 18 (Reuters) Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday he would not stand for “provocations” against Russian peacekeepers operating in Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region, the Kremlin press service said. “Medvedev described as unacceptable provocations towards Russian peacekeepers,” the Kremlin said in a statement after Medvedev spoke by telephone with his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili. Georgian police Tuesday detained a group of Russian peacekeepers near Abkhazia, but later released them. (Posted @ 22:10 PST) Four helicopter engines worth $13 million missing in Afghanistan-Pakistan region: U.S. military KABUL, June 18 (AP) Four helicopter engines worth US$13 million are missing in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, the U.S. military said. U.S. spokeswoman Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green said the helicopters were being shipped overland from the U.S. base in Bagram to a seaport for shipment back to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The parts went missing sometime before the 101st Airborne's arrival in Afghanistan in April, she said. Nielson-Green said the parts were being shipped by a Pakistani trucking company, but it is not clear where they disappeared. The U.S. did not disclose what kind of engines they were. (Posted @ 20:48 PST) Gaza truce step toward Palestinian unity: Arab League CAIRO, June 18 (AFP) The Arab League Wednesday welcomed an Egyptian-mediated truce between Israel and the Palestinians as a key step towards a reconciliation between Palestinian factions. “The calming is an important step which can pave the way for a development of the political situation on the Palestinian front,” Hisham Yussef, chief of staff of Arab League secretary general Amr Mussa, told reporters.” He said “Palestinian unity was the only real guarantee ... for the creation of an independent Palestinian state” and hoped that “Israel would implement what was agreed upon.” Reaching agreement on a prisoner exchange and the opening of the Rafah border crossing were key elements, he said, referring to terms laid down by Hamas ahead of the Gaza Strip truce. (Posted @ 20:42 PST) Georgia frees Russian troops detained in Abkhazia TBILISI, June 18 (Reuters) Georgia said Wednesday it had released four Russian peacekeeping troops detained a day earlier near its breakaway region of Abkhazia on suspicion of transporting weapons without proper documents. Georgian officials said Tuesday they had detained 14 Russian peacekeepers but later revised the figure to four. “Last night, after interrogation, all four Russian peacekeepers were freed,” Shota Utiashvili, head of the analytical department of Georgia's Interior Ministry, told Reuters. Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Eka Zguladze said later Tbilisi did not intend to return the seized weapons to the Russian peacekeepers. “They (the peacekeepers) didn't present any legal documents related to the weapons, and the Georgian side wasn't informed about this,” she told reporters. (First Posted @ 10:10 PST Updated @ 19:52 PST) Italian police arrest 33 Tamils on terror charges ROME, June 18 (AFP) Italian police Wednesday arrested 33 Sri Lankan Tamils charged with belonging to the outlawed Tamil Tigers group fighting a separatist insurgency against the government in Colombo, an official said. Twenty-eight people were arrested in a series of pre-dawn raids in Naples, Genoa, Bologna and Sicily suspected of membership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and of providing funding for the group, Antonio Sbordone, an official with the police counter-terrorism cell in Naples, told AFP. Five further Tamils were detained by authorities in Palermo, Sicily, also on suspicion of belonging to LTTE, in a separate police operation, the official said. The LTTE is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the European Union. (First Posted @ 13:40 PST Updated @ 19:40 PST) Israel agrees to Gaza truce JERUSALEM, June 18 (Reuters) Israel has agreed to an Egyptian brokered truce with Hamas-led Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, starting at 6 a.m. Thursday morning, an Israeli Defence official, Amos Gilad, said Wednesday. “This is not a peace agreement. There is an understanding that is based on the effectiveness of military activities until now, and the will to stop it. At this point, we are exhausting the possibilities,” Gilad told Israel radio. (First Posted @ 12:15 PST Updated @ 18:58 PST) China, Japan reach deal on gas in disputed waters BEIJING, June 18 (Reuters) China and Japan announced an agreement Wednesday on how to develop oil and gas in disputed waters, defusing a volatile row and becoming the latest sign of improving ties between the neighbours and former foes. The long-running dispute centres on where the boundary between the two countries' exclusive maritime economic zones falls. “China and Japan, through consultations on an equal footing, reached principled consensus on the East China Sea issue,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a statement issued by the Xinhua news agency. The agency released details of the agreement, which will open the way for joint exploration and development of energy. (First Posted @ 13:30 PST Updated @ 18:46 PST) Crucial meeting on India-US nuclear deal postponed NEW DELHI, June 18 (Reuters) A meeting between the Indian government and its communist allies to break a deadlock over a controversial nuclear deal with the United States has been postponed, a senior communist leader said Wednesday. “The meeting has been postponed for a few days,” Nilotpal Basu, a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the largest of the left parties, told Reuters. “We were informed that the foreign minister is busy with the Syrian president's visit and will be unable to attend the meeting today.” Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee is a key intermediary in talks with the left over the proposed civilian nuclear cooperation deal. The communists have opposed the deal, saying it compromises India's sovereignty and security, and have threatened to withdraw vital support from the ruling coalition if the government moves ahead with it. The agreement is the centrepiece of a new strategic relationship between New Delhi and Washington, and seen as crucial to ending India's isolation in international nuclear trade. (Posted @ 18:26 PST) 5.4-magnitude quake strikes China's Qinghai province BEIJING, June 18 (AFP) A 5.4-magnitude earthquake shook China's northwestern Qinghai province Wednesday, but no casualties were reported in the region, the government and press reports said. It struck at 1:23 p.m. in Qinghai's Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu, the China National Seismological Network said. The Xinhua news agency said no casualties had been reported. (Posted @ 18:20 PST) Iran says demand to halt enrichment “illegitimate” TEHRAN, June 18 (Reuters): Iran will never surrender to an “illegitimate” demand by major world powers that it halt uranium enrichment, Iran's state radio Wednesday quoted the country's envoy to the U.N. atomic watchdog as saying. “Iran will never give in to the illegitimate and illegal pressure of the west (to freeze its uranium enrichment),” said Ali Asghar Soltanieh in a speech in London about the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. As a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran insists it has the right to master the complete nuclear fuel cycle, including enriching uranium, for peaceful purposes. (Posted @ 17:00 PST) Egypt opens Gaza border one-way for medical cases EL-ARISH, Egypt, June 18 (AFP): Egypt opened its border with the Gaza Strip Wednesday, a securit:y official said, to allow Palestinians to return to the Hamas-ruled territory after receiving medical treatment. The move came the day after a truce between Hamas and Israel was announced to begin Thursday, including a loosening of Gaza's border closures, but the “exceptional” opening was one-way only for sick Gazans to return home. Between 300 and 400 Palestinians were expected to cross through the Rafah terminal, which was opened at 11 a.m., Palestinian liaison officer Hani Jabbur said. Egyptian negotiators said on Tuesday that after months of negotiations they had secured the agreement of both Israel and Hamas for the initial stage of a truce aimed at breaking the cycle of violence in Gaza. Hamas said border crossings used to import goods into the impoverished territory would be opened hours after the truce comes into force at 0300 GMT Thursday, and Israel would lift its blockade of Gaza within days. (Posted @ 16:55 PST) Monsoon floods cut off hundreds of thousands in India; 29 killed KOLKATA, India, June 18 (AP): Indian military and civil authorities used speed boats to ferry food and drinking water to hundreds of thousands of villagers cut off by monsoon floods that have killed at least 29 people in the past week, officials said Wednesday. Local authorities sought to use air force helicopters to drop supplies to more than 50,000 people stranded in nearly 200 villages in West Bengal state where the flooded Keleghai river has cut off road links, said a district official. (First Posted @ 13:50 PST, Updated @ 16:35 PST) Zimbabwe expels senior UN rights official GENEVA, June 18 (AFP): Zimbabwe expelled a senior UN human rights official in the run-up to bitterly contested elections, the world body's human rights commissioner Louise Arbour said Wednesday. The desk officer travelled to Zimbabwe Sunday but was expelled Tuesday, said Arbour. (Posted @ 16:30 PST) Two earthquakes strike Greece; no injuries or damage reported ATHENS, June 18 (AP): A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 struck near the Greek capital before dawn Wednesday, followed hours later by a much weaker quake off the Aegean island of Karpathos, the Athens Geodynamic Institute said. No injuries or damage were reported from either quake. The first struck at 4:58 a.m. and had an epicenter 55 miles southwest of Athens in the Argos area, the institute said. The second had a preliminary magnitude of 4.6 and struck at 10:16 a.m. It had an epicenter 260 miles southeast of Athens, beneath the sea bed east of the island of Karpathos. (First Posted @ 11:05 PST, Updated @ 16:30 PST) Baghdad blast toll rises to 63 BAGHDAD, June 18 (Reuters): The death toll from a devastating truck bombing in Baghdad rose to 63 Wednesday. Four children and five women were among those killed by Tuesday's blast near a crowded market in the al-Hurriya neighbourhood in northwestern Baghdad, Iraqi police said. Another 75 people were hurt in the bombing. (Posted @ 16:25 PST) Cricket- Rain delays second England-New Zealand ODI BIRMINGHAM, England, June 18 (AFP): Rain delayed the scheduled 10:45 a.m. start in the second one-day international between England and New Zealand at Edgbaston here Wednesday. (Posted @ 16:25 PST) Soldier kills four, self in Vietnam shooting spree, five others seriously injured HANOI, Vietnam June 18 (APP/AP): A Vietnamese soldier went on a shooting rampage, killing four people and seriously injured five others before turning the gun on himself, state media and witnesses said. The Tien Phong newspaper said Wednesday after being accused of stealing a mobile phone, the soldier reportedly became enraged, grabbed an assault rifle from a locker and began shooting inside an army compound in Hanoi Monday night. He killed four people, three soldiers and a civilian woman, and seriously injured five others before killing himself. (Posted @ 16:20 PST) Suicide attack against NATO kills two Afghan civilians HERAT, Afghanistan, June 18 (AFP): A suicide attack targeting Italian NATO troops in western Afghanistan’s Farah province’s Delaram district killed two civilians and wounded another ten Wednesday, provincial police chief Khalilullah Rahmani told AFP. Rahmani said the attacker walked up to a NATO convoy and detonated explosives strapped to his body. “Two civilians were killed and another ten civilians were wounded in the blast,” Rahmani said. Separately, four Afghan border police were killed and three were wounded in eastern Khost province’s Alishair district Wednesday when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb, border police chief Shair Ahmad Kochai told AFP. (Posted @ 15:55 PST) Two killed, 12 injured in Karachi’s Lyari KARACHI, June 18 (APP): The sudden erupted gang war last night in Karachi’s Lyari area intensified Wednesday morning killing two people and injured 12 others, including two women, a private television channel reported. (Posted @ 15:45 PST) 25 Tamil rebels and six soldiers killed in Sri Lanka fighting COLOMBO, June 18 (AP): Scattered fighting across northern Sri Lanka killed 25 Tamil Tiger rebels and six soldiers, the military said Wednesday. The latest clashes broke out Tuesday along the Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar and Welioya fronts, where government troops have been trying for the past months to break into the well-guarded rebel territory, the military said in a statement. No other details were available. Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not be immediately reached for comment. (First Posted @ 11:30 PST, Updated @ 15:35 PST) Turkish troops fight PKK in east TUNCELI, Turkey, June 18 (Reuters): Two thousand Turkish soldiers took part in an operation against Kurdish separatists Wednesday, killing three rebels in southeast Turkey, security sources said. Cobra attack helicopters pounded suspected Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) positions in the province of Tunceli, the sources, requesting anonymity, told Reuters. Anatolian news agency reported eight rebels had surrendered in Sirnak province, further south near the border with Iraq. (Posted @ 15:35 PST) Four British soldiers killed in Afghanistan blast: ministry LONDON, June 18 (AFP): Four British soldiers were killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the defence ministry in London said Wednesday. The four, including one from the Intelligence Corps, died when their vehicle was caught in a blast during what the ministry called “a deliberate operation” east of Laskhar Gah at around 3:40 pm local time Tuesday. Three were killed in the explosion and two wounded. One of the injured died later at Britain's main base at Camp Bastion, in Helmand Province, the ministry said in a statement. The other soldier was in a stable condition. (Posted @ 13:50 PST) Italian police arrest 28 suspected Tamil Tigers NAPLES, June 18 (Reuters): Twenty-eight suspected members of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers rebel group were arrested in Italy, anti-terrorist police said Tuesday. A police statement said the 28, all from Sri Lanka, were detained in several cities. More details of the operation, which involved about 200 police agents, were expected to be issued later on Wednesday. (Posted @ 13:40 PST) Japan to announce joint gas exploration with China: reports TOKYO, June 18 (AFP): Japan will announce Wednesday an accord with China to jointly develop gas fields in the East China Sea, resolving a spat that was a thorn in relations of the two countries, reports said. Japan will announce the deal on the long-running spat at an evening press conference by Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari, Jiji Press news agency and other media said. Reports said Japan would make an investment in China's already existing production at the Chunxiao gas field and win the right to resources in proportion with its financial contribution. (Posted @ 13:30 PST) Israel confirms it accepted Gaza truce JERUSALEM, June 18 (AFP): Israel has accepted the Egyptian-brokered deal for a truce in and around the Gaza Strip, government spokesman Mark Regev said on Wednesday. “Israel has accept Egypt's proposals,” Regev told AFP. (Posted @ 12:15 PST) Two dead in China quake aftershock: report BEIJING, June 18 (AFP): Two persons were killed and another injured when a 4.5-magnitude aftershock struck central China adjacent to last month's devastating earthquake, state press said Wednesday. The aftershock struck Tuesday in Ningqiang county, Shaanxi province, which borders Sichuan, the province at the epicentre of the 8.0 magnitude earthquake on May 12, Xinhua news agency said. (Posted @ 09:35 PST) Karachi Stocks down 236.80 points: KARACHI, June 18: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 12261.06, down 236.80 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST) Forex update: KARACHI, June 18: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 68.2 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST)
Founder: Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah The DAWN Media Group |
| | About Us | Advertising info | Subscription | Feedback | Contributions | Privacy Policy | Help | Contact us | |