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| July 28, 2008 | Monday | Rajab 24, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (06:00 GMT)
 Pakistan committed to war on terror: Gilani to Bush WASHINGTON, July 28 (AFP) - Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Monday following talks here with US President George W. Bush that his country was committed to the fight against “extremists and terrorists.” ”We are committed to fight against those extremists and terrorists who are destroying and making the world not safe,” Gilani said after meeting with Bush at the White House. “This is a war which is against Pakistan, and we'll fight for our own cause.” Bush said he had received a “strong commitment” from Gilani that Pakistan would attempt to secure its border with Afghanistan “as best as possible.” ”We talked about the common threat we face, extremists who are very dangerous people,” Bush said. “We also appreciate the prime minister's strong words against the extremists and terrorists who not only would do us harm, but have harmed people inside Pakistan. The US president described Pakistan as a “strong ally and a vibrant democracy” and said the United States “supports the sovereignty of Pakistan.” Just hours before the White House meeting, a suspected US missile strike inside Pakistan killed a top Al-Qaeda biological and chemical weapons expert, according to security officials in Pakistan. Egyptian militant Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, had a five-million-US-dollar bounty on his head and allegedly ran terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. (Posted @ 23:08 PST)  Al-Qaeda weapons expert believed killed in Pakistan PESHAWAR, Pakistan, July 28 (AFP) - A top Al-Qaeda expert on chemical and biological weapons is believed to have been killed Monday in a suspected US missile strike in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal district bordering Afghanistan, security officials said. Egyptian militant Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, had a five-million-US-dollar bounty on his head and allegedly ran terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. Officials earlier said that three Arab militants and three Pakistani boys were killed when missiles fired by a suspected US drone hit a house attached to a mosque near Azam Warsak village in South Waziristan tribal district. “We believe he was killed in this strike,” a senior intelligence official based in Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province, told AFP on condition of anonymity. “It was his hide-out and information that has been shared with us says he was targeted in this strike”. There was no immediate confirmation from the US-led coalition in Afghanistan or from Washington. Pakistan's military said it was still seeking confirmation, after claims that Umar was killed in another airstrike in the Bajaur tribal region in January 2006 turned out to be untrue. “We are facing difficulties in getting to know what kind of incident it was,” Pakistani military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told AFP. “We have not yet received any authentic information from the area from our teams.” Umar is described by the website of the US Government Rewards for Justice programme, which offered the reward, as an “explosives expert and poisons trainer working on behalf of Al-Qaeda”. He served as a trainer at Al-Qaeda's Derunta camp in Afghanistan when it was set up in the late 1990s “where he provided hundreds of mujahedin with hands-on training in the use of poisons and explosives,” the website said. “Since 1999, he has distributed training manuals that contain instructions for making chemical and biological weapons. Some of these training manuals were recovered by US forces in Afghanistan,” it said. It said that his exact whereabouts were unknown but that he may be living in Pakistan. He was still likely to be training extremists, the website said. Residents in South Waziristan said they heard US aircraft and pilotless Predator drones flying above the area before and after the strike, adding that there had been alarm over similar flights throughout the weekend. A group of Arabs, believed to be Egyptians, had rented a compound containing the house and a madrassa from a local tribesman, Malik Salat, residents said. “This (the attack) has been done by coalition forces, we did not do it,” another Pakistani security official said on condition of anonymity. Both the US-led coalition and a separate NATO force in Afghanistan said they were not involved in the missile strike. However, the US Central Intelligence Agency is also known to operate drones in the region. (First Posted @ 09:45 PST Updated @ 21:06 PST) Govt to eliminate customs duty on import of petroleum products: Finance minister KARACHI, July. 28 (APP):- Finance Minister Syed Naveed Qamar said Monday that the government will completely eliminate customs duty on the import of POL products to reduces prices of petrol and diesel in the country. Talking to media after chairing a meeting with the representatives of oil marketing companies, he said that sales tax will also be removed gradually on petroleum products, replacing it by the equal amount of subsidy. He said the meeting of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) will take a decision in this regard in the next two days. Replying to a question, the minister said gas prices including of compressed natural gas (CNG) will not be de-regulated anymore. “We had given a time to Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to fix CNG prices. This time limit has expired and CNG prices will be fixed in the current week”, he added. He pointed out that CNG dealers will not be allowed to charge a price other than enhanced by the OGRA. I am surprised why CNG and petroleum dealers were allowed to charge a price of their own choice”. He said the government is still paying a subsidy of Rs 35 a litre on diesel. Replying to a question regarding National Finance Commission (NFC), he said that nominations have been received from all the four provinces and the summary was ready to be submitted to the President. (Posted @ 20:25 PST) Indian, Pakistani troops clash on Kashmir border: Indian army NEW DELHI, July 28 (AFP) - A group of Pakistani troops crossed into occupied Kashmir Monday and shot dead an Indian soldier, sparking a gun battle, an army spokesman in New Delhi said. “Between 10 and 12 Pakistani soldiers crossed the Line of Control and entered the Kupwara sector, and after a verbal duel they shot dead a soldier,” Indian army spokesman Anil Kumar Mathur told AFP. He said the killing triggered an exchange of small arms fire, which was continuing into the evening. According to the spokesman, Pakistani soldiers crossed 200 metres ) into Indian territory to “object to the setting up of a post by Indian army soldiers.” The infiltration took place at 3:00 pm (0930 GMT), an Indian army statement said. “After that our troops also retaliated and the Pakistani troops withdrew. We don't know yet whether Pakistani troops suffered any casualties. The exchange of fire is continuing in the area,” the army statement added. In Islamabad, Pakistani army's spokesman said he had no information on the clash. “I don't have any information about this incident right now,” chief Pakistani military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told AFP. (First Posted @ 21:20 PST Updated @ 22:12 PST)  Pakistan military warns US commander on strikes ISLAMABAD, July 28 (AFP) Repeated US missile strikes in Pakistan could harm relations between the two countries, General Tariq Majid, chairman of Pakistan's joint chiefs of staff, told Lieutenant General Martin Dempsey, head of US Central Command, Monday, a statement said. The warning by General Tariq came hours after a suspected US missile strike in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal region. “Expressing concern over repeated cross-border missile attacks/firing by coalition and Afghan forces, General Tariq said that our sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected,” a military statement said. “Any violation in this regard could be detrimental to bilateral relations,” it said. Majid “also reemphasized that Pakistan armed forces are capable of handling any challenges to our security.” Pakistani officials said a suspected missile strike by US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan early Monday killed three foreign militants and three boys. Majid also said the “baseless allegations against Pakistan could affect mutual trust and would definitely influence our efforts in the war against terror.” (Posted @ 17:08 PST) Bomb kills boy, wounds 11 in Kohat, Pakistan PESHAWAR, July 28 (AFP): A bomb attached to a bicycle exploded in Kohat on Monday, killing a boy and wounding 10 police and a passer-by, police said. The remotely detonated bomb apparently targeted a police van which was on its way to take prisoners to court in the garrison town of Kohat, police spokesman Fazal Naeem told AFP. “The blast killed a young boy and injured 10 police, including a female constable. A civilian was also wounded,” Naeem said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Police said investigations were under way. (Posted @ 12:55 PST) Kashmir 'constant instigator' of tension between India and Pakistan: Obama NEW YORK, July 28 (APP): Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama said in an interview published on Monday that U.S. “needs to put that on the table for discussions” the Kashmir dispute which was a “constant instigator” of tension between Pakistan and India. “If one of the central concerns of Pakistan is its security posture towards India, then we need to put that on the table for discussion as we try to solve the problems in Afghanistan,” he told The Wall Street Journal as Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani began a four-day visit to Washington. “Kashmir continues to be a constant instigator of tension between India and Pakistan,” Obama added, while responding to a question. Asked whether US should play a role in negotiations between Pakistan and India, he said, “Use that as an example of how we need to think comprehensively about the region.” (Posted @ 20:34 PST) NWFP govt strictly adhering to commitment on peace accord with local Taliban PESHAWAR, July 28 (PPI):- NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain Monday saidthe provincial government was strictly adhering to its commitments regarding peace agreement with local Taliban and will follow policy of negotiations. Briefing newsmen after a meeting of the provincial cabinet about demands of local Taliban for withdrawal of military and release of their activists, he said it has been envisaged in the agreement that military forces would be withdrawn gradually after complete restoration of law and order in affected areas particularly in Swat. Meanwhile, Hangu Peace Jirga today decided that at least two elders from every Union Council would be included to strengthen and make it representative of entire area. The meeting also discussed modalities of peace talks on Tuesday. (Posted @ 22:38 PST) U.S delivers four F-16s to Pakistan SARGODHA, Pakistan, July 28 (APP):- The Acting Commander of U.S Central Command, Lt. Gen Martin E. Dempsey, handed over four F-16 jet fighter aircrafts to Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed in a ceremony at PAF Base Mushaf Monday. It completed the delivery of 14 F-16 aircraft the United States agreed to provide Pakistan under the Foreign Military Sales program. The first two were delivered in December 2005; two more in July 2007; two in February 2008; four in June 2008; and the final four on Monday. The U.S Government provided the aircraft to Pakistan at no cost except for the expenses of preparation and transport from the United States to Pakistan. The four aircrafts are valued at approximately US$ 6.4 million each. (Posted @ 22:04 PST) Suicide attacks kill 57, injure 300 in Baghdad, Kirkuk BAGHDAD, July 28 (AP) - Female suicide bombers struck a Shiite pilgrimage in Baghdad and a Kurdish protest rally in Kirkuk on Monday, killing at least 57 people and wounding nearly 300, police said. Three female suicide bombers blew up their explosive vests in the middle of pilgrims in Baghdad moments after a roadside bomb attack, killing at least 32 people and wounding 102, Iraqi officials said. In Kirkuk, 25 people were killed and 185 wounded when a blast tore through a crowd of Kurds protesting a draft provincial elections law, officials said. Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Burhan Tayeb Taha said the Kirkuk bomber was also woman, and that he had seen her remains at the site. Authorities clamped a 3 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew on the city. After the explosion, dozens of angry Kurds opened fire on the offices of a Turkomen political party, which opposes Kurdish claims on Kirkuk. (First Posted @ 14:30 PST Updated @ 22:16 PST) Bush ‘troubled by extremists movement’ into Afghanistan WASHINGTON, July 28 (AFP): US President George W. Bush is expected to press Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in talks starting Monday over Taliban and Al-Qaeda extremists launching attacks in Afghanistan from inside Pakistan. Bush said ahead of the talks that he was “troubled” by the movement of extremists from Pakistan to Afghanistan and would discuss the threat with Gilani, who is making his first White House visit since he took the helm in March. “It is in the interest of Pakistan to curb extremism and terrorism,” Gilani told reporters before leaving for the three-day official visit. “I think Gilani has his work cut out for him in terms of explaining how his government intends to get a handle on this problem, which is not only a Pakistani problem but a problem for the international community as well,” said Lisa Curtis, a former State Department advisor and ex-CIA analyst. She said Bush would seek an explanation of how Pakistan was dealing with the “burgeoning terrorist safe haven,” now extending into settled areas of the North-West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan. (Posted @ 09:25 PST) NYT urges Bush to help strengthen Pakistan's democracy and its ability to fight terrorism NEW YORK, July 28 (APP): The New York TImes Monday urged President George W. Bush to recast Washington-Islamabad relations – making clear that he is committed to strengthening both Pakistan's democracy and its ability to fight extremism – as Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani began his official visit here. The NYT also asked the US Congress to approve a legislation which would provide substantial long-term increases in economic assistance to Pakistan and tighter monitoring of American military assistance. (Posted @ 17:35 PST) Musharraf to attend Olympics opening ceremony ISLAMABAD, July 28 (AFP): Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing on August 16 next month and hold talks with his Chinese counterpart besides meeting other world leaders, foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said Monday. Pakistan is sending a 35-member contingent to the Olympics to participate in the field hockey, athletics, shooting and swimming events. Pakistan hosted the Olympic torch rally in Islamabad on April 16. (Posted @ 18:14 PST) US Air Force officer found dead of a gunshot wound at his home WASHINGTON, July 28 (AP) - Brig. Gen. Thomas L. Tinsley, commander of the 3rd Wing, who commands the air wing at Elmendorf U.S. Air Force Base in Alaska has been found dead at his home. He died of a gunshot wound Sunday night, an Air Force spokesman said. He said the death is under investigation, and there does not appear to be any indication of foul play at this time. (Posted @ 22:24 PST) Ahmadinejad says 'some powers' manipulate oil market WASHINGTON, July 28 (AFP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in an interview released Monday that “some powers” are manipulating oil prices and creating a market that is “not realistic.” In the NBC News interview, Ahmadinejad indicated that market forces are being impeded by other factors, but did not elaborate. “At the moment, the situation is not realistic. It is rather manufactured and the prices are not realistic as a result.”Asked about how overvalued the market was, the Iranian leader said: “I can't give you an exact figure right now because the market is not a real market. Some powers are manipulating the prices inside the market. Do you really think that the price of oil is the end result of a healthy competition inside the market? It's not.” (Posted @ 21:34 PST) Three killed in Pakistan as coach rams into roadside tree PAKPATTAN, Pakistan, July 28 (APP):- Three persons including the driver were killed and 16 others sustained injuries when a coach rammed into a roadside tree on Sahiwal road near here Monday. According to police, the accident occurred owing to tyre burst. (Posted @ 20:58 PST) Three killed, six injured in road mishap in Pakistan’s north CHITRAL, Pakistan, July 28 (APP): Three persons were killed and six other injured when a Suzuki pick hit a roadside rock in tehsil Drosh in Chitral region on Monday. The ill-fated Suzuki met the fatal accident when its tie rod opened and the driver lost control over the vehicle. (Posted @ 20:48 PST) PM Gilani to lead Pakistan delegation at forthcoming SAARC summit: FO ISLAMABAD, July 28 (PPI) Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani will lead Pakistan's delegation at the SAARC summit at Colombo on August 2 and 3, while Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will attend the 30th session of SAARC Council of Ministers on Thursday next, Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said at his weekly press briefing Monday. (Posted @ 18:20 PST) Sixteen dead in Angola army truck collision JOHANNESBURG, July 28 (Reuters) Sixteen people were killed in a collision between an army truck and a taxi in southeastern Angola, the Jornal de Angola newspaper reported Monday. Authorities said the truck was travelling at a high speed Saturday evening when it hit and then flipped on top of the taxi near Camungamba, the newspaper said. All the fatalities, including three soldiers, occurred in the taxi. (Posted @ 17:20 PST) ETA explodes bomb in Spain's Basque country MADRID, July 28 (Reuters) Basque separatists ETA exploded a bomb in roadworks on the A-8 highway in Spain's Basque Country on Monday morning, the Basque regional government said. The bomb exploded among vehicles and other property belonging to a Basque construction firm, the government said in a press release. The statement made no mention of casualties. (Posted @ 16:25 PST) 22 killed in Ukraine storms KIEV, July 28 (AFP): Storms and floods in western Ukraine have killed 22 people, including six children, and forced the evacuation of 20,000 others, the government said Monday. More than 40,000 houses and 34,000 hectares of farmland remained partially flooded on Monday, while more than 900 bridges and hundreds of kilometres of roads were damaged. (Posted @ 16:00 PST) Palestinians arrest more than 50 Hamas members in West Bank NABLUS, West Bank, July 28 (AFP) Palestinian security forces arrested over 50 Hamas members in the occupied West Bank on Monday, a security official said, after Hamas rounded up hundreds of Fatah members in the Gaza Strip. Security forces carried out the arrests in and around the northern West Bank town of Nablus against “those suspected of inciting civil strife,” the official told AFP. All but one of the detainees are Hamas members, and those arrested include several prominent local leaders and university professors. (Posted @ 14:45 PST) NATO troops kill two Afghan children KABUL, July 28 (AFP) NATO-led soldiers killed two children after opening fire on a car that failed to slow down near a military patrol in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province Sunday, the alliance's force said Monday. In the incident, the troops “opened fire on a vehicle being driven in a threatening manner and ignoring warnings, killing two child occupants,” NATO's International Security Assistance Force said. A man was also seriously wounded, it said. (Posted @ 14:10 PST) Gunman kills two, injures six in U.S. church shooting WASHINGTON, July 28 (AFP) A man armed with a shotgun opened fire in a church in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Sunday, killing two people and injuring six others, local television reported. The gunman opened fire on parishioners attending a service at a Unitarian Church, Knoxville City Councilman Joe Hultquist told WBIR television. WBIR said two members of the congregation tackled the gunman and held him until police arrived. (Posted @ 13:15 PST) Artillery duels kill 22 in Sri Lanka COLOMBO, July 28 (AFP): Artillery duels in Sri Lanka's war-torn north killed 18 Tamil Tiger rebels and four soldiers, the defence ministry said Monday. It said 10 soldiers were injured in the fighting, which took place on Sunday in the Weli Oya and Vavuniya regions. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) did not comment on the fighting, but said one civilian was killed on Sunday when troops launched artillery attacks in Mannar area along the northwest coast. (Posted @ 13:10 PST) Philippines, Muslim rebels say peace talks resumed MANILA, July 28 (AFP): Peace talks between the Philippine government and Muslim separatists resumed after the rebels initially rejected a draft agreement on sharing of natural resources, the two sides said Monday. Two days after the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) warned the talks had collapsed, chief MILF negotiator Mohaqer Iqbal said the two sides resumed discussions on Sunday in Malaysia. The two sides later signed a joint communique with a formal signing tentatively set for next month, Iqbal told AFP. Hermogenes Esperon, President Gloria Arroyo's adviser on the peace process, told reporters “a breakthrough has been achieved. He confirmed the signing of a joint communique. (Posted @ 12:45 PST) Death toll in Istanbul bombing rises to 16 ISTANBUL, July 28 (AFP): The death toll in Sunday's double bombing in Istanbul rose to 16 on Monday, the government said, just hours before Turkey's top court was to start deliberations on whether to ban the ruling party. One of the more than 150 injured succumbed to his injuries in hospital overnight, Health Minister Recep Akdag said, quoted by the Anatolia news agency. The death toll could rise further, as seven people remain seriously injured, said Akdag, who added that the fatalities included children. (First Posted @ 09:10 PST Updated @ 12:05 PST) Death toll in Ahmedabad blasts climbs to 49: police AHMEDABAD, July 28 (AFP): The death toll from a string of coordinated bomb attacks in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad at the weekend has risen to 49, police said. The toll had stood at 45 according to the Press Trust of India news agency, prior to the new figure being announced late Sunday. More than 160 other people were injured in the blasts. (Posted @ 10:45 PST) Robbers dressed as police steal 15 paintings by Argentine artist Antonio Berni BUENOS AIRES, July 28 (AP): The son of Argentine painter Antonio Berni said 15 of his father's works were stolen at gunpoint by thieves disguised as police. Jose Antonio Berni said the men ambushed a truck transporting the paintings to the younger Berni's home north of Buenos Aires on Saturday. The Argentine government ordered a border crackdown to prevent the pieces from leaving the country. Cultural Minister Jose Nun put museums on “maximum alert.” Antonio Berni, who died in 1981, is considered one of Argentina's greatest 20th-century artists. (Posted @ 09:20 PST) Britain's first sharia-compliant insurance firm launched LONDON, July 28 (AFP): Britain's first sharia-compliant insurance company was launched Monday, offering motoring policies in line with the Islamic legal code. Salaam Halal insurance uses Takaful principles, whereby the risk is spread between all policy holders. In contrast, conventional insurance policies shift the risk from the policy holder to the insurance firm. People taking out a policy with Salaam Halal pay contributions into a pool, that money is put into sharia-compliant investments. The funds are used to pay any claims that arise, and at the end of the year, if the pool is over-funded, the excess distributed back to policyholders through a discount on their next premium. (Posted @ 09:00 PST) South Africa to launch 'war' on poverty next month: Mbeki PRETORIA, July 28 (AFP): South Africa will next month launch a nationwide campaign against poverty, President Thabo Mbeki said Sunday. “The war on poverty campaign will be launched in all nine provinces during August,” he said at a media briefing on the outcome of a cabinet meeting last week. More than four million South Africans live below the poverty line, according to government figures. The government has also set a target to reduce the country's crime rate by between seven and 10 percent for the remainder of the tenure of his administration, in a related strand. (Posted @ 08:50 PST) Karachi Stocks down 453.68 points: KARACHI, July 28: At close of tradin, the KSE-100 index was at 10578.49, down 453.68 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:30 PST) Forex update: KARACHI, July 28: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 71.8 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:30 PST)
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