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| August 14, 2008 | Thursday | Sha'aban 11, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (06:00 GMT)
 Pakistan coalition ignores Musharraf reconciliation call ISLAMABAD, Aug 14 (AFP) - Leaders of Pakistan's coalition government Thursday rejected President Pervez Musharraf's Independence Day appeal for reconciliation and vowed to impeach the former general if he fails to quit. Nawaz Sharif, leader of the second biggest party in the ruling coalition, addressing an Independence Day function in Lahore Thursday said the president had “trampled on the constitution” and had to go. “There is no safe passage for him now,” Sharif told the cheering crowd. “I am not a revenge-seeker,” he added. “This is not about me, it is about the whole country.” Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani meanwhile called for “a policy of reconciliation” -- but made it clear that it did not apply to Musharraf. “The period of oppression is over forever. Dictatorship has become a story of the past,” Gilani said in a speech after the traditional hoisting of the national flag in Islamabad. Meanwhile, Pakistan People's Party, the most powerful party in the ruling coalition, said that charges against Musharraf had almost been finalized. “I am pleased to announce on Independence Day that the impeachment process is moving fast and is on the right track,” party spokesman Farhatullah Babar said. (Posted @ 18:32 PST)  Two more killed, 7 injured as Muslims continue protest in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Police shot dead one Muslim protester as huge crowds shouting “we want freedom” took to the streets of occupied Kashmir on Thursday. Seven other demonstrators were wounded when police opened fire to disperse protesters in downtown Srinagar. Protesters torched a police vehicle and hoisted green Pakistani flags in several areas of Kashmir valley. Police in the Kashmir valley have killed at least 22 Muslim protesters this week, inflaming tensions. More than 500 people have been injured in clashes. The protests are some of the biggest since a separatist revolt against New Delhi broke out in the region 20 years ago. Authorities relaxed a curfew for a few hours in Srinagar late on Thursday, but most of the streets were deserted except for security patrols. Police and soldiers increased security around a stadium in Srinagar where India's Independence Day celebrations are to be held on Friday. Separatist groups called for a general strike and labeled Friday as a “black day”. “I strongly condemn the reign of terror let loose by the Indian forces against the besieged people of Kashmir,” said separatist leader Mohammed Yasin Malik, who led a protest in Srinagar. “Indian troops cannot suppress our struggle.” Challenging the blockade, Kashmiris took to the streets. Through Wednesday night, thousands of Kashmiri protesters shouted anti-India slogans, condemning security forces. Hundreds of Muslims also assembled in mosques and shrines which relayed the slogans on loudspeakers. (First Posted @ 20:50 PST Updated @ 20:56 PST) Pakistan celebrates independence day ISLAMABAD, Aug 14 (AFP) Pakistan on Thursday celebrated its 61st independence day with traditional flag hoisting ceremonies and fireworks. People carrying green and white flags took to the roads on foot and in motorcycles and cars late Wednesday to see decorative lights put up at public and private buildings amid the deafening noise of firecrackers. Sirens blared and all traffic halted for one minute as Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani hoisted the national flag in Islamabad at 9:00 a.m. Gilani said the government was “committed to bringing relief to the common man, to steer Pakistan out of the current political, economic situation.” Gilani vowed to fight the threats of domestic extremism and terrorism, and to forge friendly ties with India. President Musharraf celebrated the anniversary with his allies. “The objectives of (the) creation of Pakistan can never be achieved unless we eradicate the evils of terrorism, extremism and intolerance from our society,” Musharraf said in his independence day message. “Tolerance and forbearance are not only the pre-requisites for the successful working of democracy; but also the cardinal principles of a just Islamic social order,” he said. Addressing a ceremony overnight, he called for political reconciliation in the country. (Posted @ 12:30 PST)  ”I intend to resign”: Balochistan governor QUETTA: Aug 14 (APP):- Governor of Balochistan Nawab Zulfikar Ali Magsi Thursday said he intends to resign because he is not in position to control the situation. Talking to media persons at the Governor House he said there were a lot of good persons in the province who could control the situation in Balochistan. Earlier, the Governor conferred medals on 18 martyred and serving police officials at the investiture ceremony after hoisting the National Flag to mark the 61st Independence Day celebrations. (Posted @ 17:38 PST) Mirwaiz, Gilani demand revocation of draconian laws in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, August 14 (PPI) Terming the use of force on peaceful protesters as one of the worst examples of state terrorism, the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and senior Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani have demanded the revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and scrapping of Disturbed Areas Act in the territory. “We want the withdrawal of cases against the Kashmiri youth who have been implicated in false cases since 1987 and release of all political activists detained in various detention centers in the occupied territory and India,” they said in a joint statement. They also insisted on the immediate opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road for unrestricted movement of people and goods. They vowed that the liberation struggle would continue till its logical end. (Posted @ 17:28 PST) HRW asks India to refrain from using brute force in occupied Kashmir New York, Aug 14 (PPI):- Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked India to refrain from using brute force against protesters in occupied Kashmir, KMS reported. Meenakshi Ganguly, senior Asia researcher at HRW in a statement appealed to all parties in the occupied territory to settle peacefully the ongoing dispute, which has claimed nearly 40 lives. She said that ongoing protests in occupied Jammu and Kashmir since June 2008 have turned increasingly violent, fuelling religious hatred. “With violence escalating, the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir is again at the brink of catastrophe. To end this cycle of tragedy, the government of India should order troops to act with restraint and all parties should try to settle the dispute peacefully,” the statement said. Ganguly said that political leaders and civil society in occupied Jammu and Kashmir should seek a mutually agreeable solution to the immediate crisis, so that peace is restored. “However, unless there is justice for previous crimes, Jammu and Kashmir will remain a tinderbox that can be set aflame by anyone with a vested interest in the conflict.” (Posted @ 17:16 PST) Musharraf’s impeachment: PPP, PML-N committee’s final meeting Friday ISLAMABAD, Aug 14(PPI): The final meeting of the drafting committee of PPP and PML-N tasked with President Pervez Musharraf's impeachment will be held on Friday, PPP spokesman Farhatuulah Babar said Thursday. Talking to newsmen he said the impeachment motion would be moved next week in the joint session of the parliament. (Posted @ 16:54 PST) Musharraf can neither restore judges nor abolish NRO: senator Zafar ISLAMABAD, Aug 14 (APP): Only parliament has the authority to abolish National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). President Pervez Musharraf could neither restore the judges nor abolish the NRO, PML-Q Senator and constitutional lawyer S.M. Zafar told Voice of America in an interview. He also said that Musharraf would defend himself if impeachment motion is tabled against him in the parliament. He predicted that impeachment proceedings would not be initiated against the president as political personalities would most probably find a middle way before that. About clear verdict of three provinces against the president he said passing of resolutions do not make a legal or constitutional bindings. The resolutions against the president being passed are pressure tactics. (Posted @ 20:04 PST) Protests, killings could be occupied Kashmir's tipping point NEW DELHI, Aug 14 (Reuters) - A land row in occupied Kashmir may have achieved what years of militant violence largely failed to do -- fuse Muslim separatist sentiment into mass protests that seriously challenge Indian rule and South Asia's stability. The dispute over land for a Hindu shrine trust and the killing of 21 Muslim protesters by police has galvanised separatists after years of relative stability in occupied Kashmir that saw some hope for India negotiating a political solution. “All this crisis in Kashmir has played into the hands of the separatists,” said Ashok Mehta, a retired Indian army commander and security expert. “It is all a huge setback for a political solution to Kashmir. We are back to where we were many years ago.” Kashmir has been racked by militant violence since 1989, when an insurgency against Indian rule erupted. Around 43,000 people have died but the past few years had seen some progress. Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf made some peace proposals in 2006 that were seriously discussed in India. “Looking back, it seems like one missed opportunity,” said Siddharth Varadarajan, diplomatic editor of the Hindu newspaper. Some analysts predict a doomsday scenario, with more protests leading to the breakup of Kashmir state, split between the Hindu-majority Jammu region and the mainly Muslim Kashmir valley. Others predict mass protests forcing the government to appease separatists with some negotiations, from issues such as tentative demilitarisation to relaxation of border controls. (Posted @ 19:25 PST) Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service suspended SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Aug 14 (PPI) - Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service has been suspended by the occupied Kashmir authorities two days after over 40 people including senior Hurriyat leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz was killed in police and CRPF firing. “The Srinagar-Muzaffarbad bus service won't be operated as per its schedule for due to the prevailing situation in the Valley,” director general of police, Kuldeep Khuda said at a press conference in Srinagar. The bus service was started in 2005 to facilitate the movement of divided families from each side of LoC. (Posted @ 20:10 PST) Rice to take ceasefire documents to Tbilisi: Sarkozy BORMES LES MIMOSAS, France, Aug 14 (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will take a set of documents to Tbilisi aimed at consolidating the ceasefire and paving the way for a pullout of Russian troops, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Thursday. “Ms Rice will be tomorrow in Georgia with a certain number of documents”aimed at “consolidating the ceasefire,” Sarkozy said following talks with the top US diplomat in southern France. “If tomorrow, President (Mikheil) Saakashvili signs these documents then the withdrawal of Russian troops will be able to start,” he said. (Posted @ 21:02 PST) Rash of Iraq bomb attacks kill five, injure 18 BAGHDAD, Aug 14 (AFP) -A rash of bomb attacks in Iraq, two targetting pilgrims headed to the holy city of Karbala, killed five people and wounded 18 on Thursday, officials said. In one of the attacks a pilgrim was killed and seven others wounded by a roadside bomb in Baghdad's commercial district of Karrada as they set off towards Karbala, , officials said. Another explosion killed a policeman and injured five of his colleagues near a checkpoint in the Zafraniya district of southern Baghdad set up to search pilgrims heading south. In other violence, a car bomb targeting a police patrol near the restive city of Baquba, killed two policemen and injured six, security officials said. Also near Baquba, a bomb hidden in a field killed a 10-year-old girl, a security official said. (Posted @ 20:34 PST) 135,000 flee Pakistan tribal area clashes: officials KHAR, Pakistan, Aug 14 (AFP) - Around 135,000 residents have fled Pakistan’s Bajaur tribal area bordering Afghanistan to escape clashes between troops and Taliban militants that have left scores dead, officials said Thursday adding that up to half of the population of some villages had moved, although militants were stopping people from leaving some areas. “We have around 135,000 people who have left their homes there,” the additional chief secretary for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Habibullah Khan, told AFP. “We have directed officials in adjoining districts to provide shelter, food and health care to the migrating families. We are setting up more camps to help these people just like refugees,” he said. Witnesses said thousands of families had arrived in Shabqadar, a small town adjoining the tribal belt. (Posted @ 20:26 PST) Olympics: Federer knocked out by Blake BEIJING, Aug 14 (AFP) - Top seed Roger Federer was sent crashing out of the Olympic tennis tournament 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) by US number one James Blake on Thursday. (Posted @ 20:16 PST) Bush won't compromise on Georgia sovereignty WASHINGTON, Aug 14 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush assured leaders of Ukraine and Lithuania on Thursday that he remains fully committed to “a sovereign, free Georgia and its territorial integrity,” the White House said. In his conversations with Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, Bush stressed US “solidarity” with Georgia in its conflict with Russia, according to spokeswoman Dana Perino. (Posted @ 20:12 PST) Israel disperses West Bank protest, 10 wounded RAMALLAH, West Bank, Aug 14 (AP) - At least 10 people were Thursday injured by Israeli troops who dispersed a demonstration against Israel's separation barrier, Palestinian residents of the West Bank village of Naalin said. The village has been the site of frequent protests against the barrier. Residents say the structure will cut them off from their farmlands. (Posted @ 19:42 PST) Afghan blast kills 3 international troops KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug 14 (AP) - An explosion against troops on a foot patrol in southern Afghanistan killed three service members Thursday, the U.S.-led coalition said. The coalition did not release any details about Wednesday's attack, including the troops' nationalities or the blast's location. (Posted @ 19:32 PST) Dozens of inmates on the run after Nepal jailbreak KATHMANDU, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Forty-eight prisoners, including some linked to armed rebel groups, were on the run on Thursday after a mass breakout from a jail in southeast Nepal, officials said. One prisoner was killed when guards shot at the fleeing inmates, who escaped from the jail in Siraha, 150 km southeast of Kathmandu, during an evening roll-call on Wednesday. A total of 54 inmates escaped but five were quickly recaptured, as well as the one prisoner who was killed. (Posted @ 19:08 PST) Nigeria hands over oil-rich Bakassi to Cameroon CALABAR, Nigeria, Aug 14--Nigerian delegates formally signed over the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon on Thursday, ending a decades-old dispute that brought the two neighbours to the brink of war. “The Nigerian-Cameroon relationship will develop very well because of the handing over,” said Kieran Prendergast, a member of the United Nations delegation at the event. (Posted @ 19:00 PST) Russia to 'guarantee' status of rebel regions MOSCOW, Aug 14 (AFP) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday told the separatist leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia that Moscow would act as their guarantor and support whatever they decided on their status. “We support any decision taken by the people of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in accordance with the charter of the United Nations, the 1966 international conventions and the Helsinki act on security and cooperation in Europe,” Medvedev said. “We won't just support this solution but will guarantee it, both in the Caucasus and the world as a whole,” Medvedev told the pair. Abkhazian leader Sergei Bagapsh and South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity each signed a peace plan brokered by France aimed at ending the conflict over South Ossetia. The Russian leader also praised Russia's military at another meeting with generals. “Russia really, probably for the first time in many years, defended the interests of its citizens subjected to attack,” Medvedev said. (Posted @ 18:12 PST) Govt releases 34 Indian juvenile prisoners as gesture of goodwill KARACHI, Aug. 14 (APP) - 34 Indian fishermen, under 18 years of age, were released from Youthful Offenders Industrial School in Karachi Thursday morning as a gesture of goodwill on the occasion of Independence Day of Pakistan. These juvenile fishermen were taken to Lahore in an air-conditioned bus to be handed over to Indian authorities at Wagah Border on Friday. Speaking on the occasion IG prisons Mohammed Yamin Khan hoped India will also release Pakistani fishermen in its captivity. (Posted @ 17:48 PST) Iranian president in Turkey for nuclear, bilateral talks ISTANBUL, Aug 14 (AFP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began talks here Thursday on closer ties with Turkey and Tehran's nuclear programme on his first ever bilateral visit to a NATO-member country. He will meet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and address a businessmen's meeting on Friday before leaving. (Posted @ 18:44 PST) Four die, 12 hurt as pickup overturns in Sindh MITHI, Pakistan, August 14 (PPI) Four persons were killed and 12 injured when a pickup overturned at Dargah Misri Shah near Mithi in Sindh province on Thursday. (Posted @ 17:08 PST) Food Stamp Scheme launched in Punjab LAHORE, Aug 14 (PPI): The Rs two billion Food Stamp Scheme was launched in Punjab on Thursday by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif who said it will benefit 2.3 million poorest of the poor families in the first phase and would cover four million families in the second phase. (Posted @ 17:00 PST) Bus crash in southern India kills 15, mostly children MANGALORE, India, Aug 14 (Reuters) A bus skidded off a rain-drenched road and plunged into a river in southern India Thursday, killing 13 children and two adults, police said. The accident happened after the driver lost control of the bus in heavy rains at the port city of Mangalore in Karnataka state, police said. (Posted @ 15:58 PST) Russian forces not leaving Georgian town of Gori TBILISI, Aug 14 (AFP) Russian forces “changed their mind” about leaving the flashpoint Georgian town of Gori and are not withdrawing, a Georgian interior ministry spokesman told AFP on Thursday. “All night they said they would leave and now they have changed their mind. Georgian forces have stopped (going to Gori) to avoid clashes with the Russians,” Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili told AFP. The same official said earlier Thursday that Georgian forces were retaking control of Gori as the Russian military started to withdraw. (Posted @ 14:30 PST) Sri Lanka fighting kills 16 COLOMBO, Aug 14 (AP) A wave of battles across the front lines in Sri Lanka's 25-year-old civil war killed 14 ethnic Tamil rebels and two government soldiers, the military said Thursday. Government jets hit a series of Tamil Tiger targets in the Mullaittivu region early Thursday in support of troops fighting on the ground, the military said in a statement. In fighting Wednesday, troops killed seven rebels in the Welioya region, the military said. Fighting in Vavuniya killed six rebels and another rebel fighter was killed in the Jaffna region, it said. The Tamil Tigers killed one soldier in Welioya and another in Kundambimulai. Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan was not available for comment. (Posted @ 13:21 PST) 11 dead in occupied Kashmir bus plunge SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Aug 14 (AFP) At least 11 people died Thursday when a bus plunged down a gorge in occupied Kashmir, police said. The driver lost control on a sharp bend in the southern Ramban area of the Himalayan region, a police official said. The victims were “mostly labourers,” the official said. (Posted @ 13:20 PST) Syria and Lebanon agree to start diplomatic ties DAMASCUS, Aug 14 (AFP): Syria and Lebanon agreed on Wednesday to start diplomatic ties for the first time since independence about 60 years ago, during a landmark visit to Damascus by Lebanese President Michel Sleiman. Sleiman and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad decided that relations should be at ambassadorial level, presidential counsellor for politics Bussaina Shaaban said in a statement at the end of a meeting between the two leaders. (Posted @ 09:50 PST) Castro turns 82 as Cubans celebrate Olympic baseball victory HAVANA, Aug 14 (AFP): Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro turned 82 on Wednesday, as many Cubans celebrated an Olympic baseball victory. Castro has not been seen in public since a July 2006 stomach operation. Although Fidel had no official birthday celebration, a concert took place on Havana's Revolution Square and television channels broadcast historical images of the former leader. Castro's birthday coincided with an Olympic baseball match in China between Cuba and Japan and many on the baseball-crazy Caribbean island were glued to their radios to follow the game. (Posted @ 09:05 PST) US scientists find biggest stone age burial ground in Niger WASHINGTON, Aug 14 (AFP): US archaeologists have discovered the largest known burial ground of the Stone Age in the Sahara desert, in Niger, that besides human remains also yielded fossils of huge crocodiles and dinosaurs, National Geographic magazine said. Named Gobero, the archaeological site is an estimated 10,000 years old and located in Niger's part of the Sahara desert called Tenere, or “deserts of deserts” in the Tuareg nomads' language. It was stumbled upon by University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno as he searched the area for dinosaur fossils with his team. (Posted @ 08:55 PST)
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