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| January 2, 2006 | Monday | Zilhaj 1, 1426 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Aziz launches high capacity SMW-4 submarine cable KARACHI, Jan 2 (APP) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz here on Monday launched the South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe (SEA-ME-WE-4) submarine cable network system which provides an alterative link to Pakistan with the rest of the world. Speaking on the occasion, he said the high capacity SMW-4 will provide more reliable linkage to the telecom infrastructure for which PTCL has invested 30.41 million dollars as its share. He informed that while work on setting up of the North-South Corridor for efficient transportation system was already in progress, the SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable which covers a distance of about 20,000 kilometres stretching from Singapore to France touching 16 countries including Pakistan, caters to the rapidly growing demand for high-speed connectivity, vital for today's voice and data exchanges, internet and e-commerce. He said the new ultra-fast cable will multiply the existing data transfer rate and is expected to ultimately reach 1.28 Tera bits per second equivalent to conducting more than 15 million calls simultaneously. Aziz said when running at full capacity, this data rate will be equivalent to more than one million internet users simultaneously having real time access to a one Mega bits file. This increased bandwidth will benefit customers including internet service providers, carriers and multi-national corporations. (Posted @ 15:45 PST)
Pakistan asks India not to "vitiate" atmosphere for dialogue ISLAMABAD, Jan 2 (APP): Pakistan on Monday asked India not to "vitiate" the atmosphere between the two countries over the ongoing peace process by issuing statements on the country's internal matters. Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said "statements of these sorts do tend to vitiate the atmosphere we worked so hard to build for sustaining the bilateral peace process." About the remarks attributed to the Chief Minister of Balochistan regarding involvement of foreign hands there, the spokesperson said "yes there are indications and evidence." She however refused to elaborate. About the visit of a delegation of All Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders to Pakistan she said "involvement and interaction of Kashmiri leaders in the context of moving the peace process forward was a welcome sign." On progress in the opening of consulates, Aslam said advance payment has been made to acquire a building in Mumbai as a temporary arrangement until the issue of Jinnah House was settled. About the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), she said Pakistan was in the process of ratifying the treaty. She also refuted the reports in a German newspaper that USA has informed Pakistan about an attack on Iran. When asked about the fate of Pakistanis allegedly tortured by the Greek police, she said Pakistan was awaiting the results of the ongoing investigation into the matter. To a question she said around seven Pakistanis were still at the Guantanamo Bay prison.(Posted @ 19:22 PST)
Three-member delegation of APHC arrives in Lahore ISLAMABAD, Jan 2 (APP): A three-member All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) delegation led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has arrived Lahore, PTV reported. The delegation member are Professor Abdul Ghani Butt, Balal Ghani Lone and Chairman of APHC Mirwaiz Umer Farooq. Chairman All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the aim to visit Pakistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir was to show solidarity with the people affected by October 8 earthquake. Our brothers in AJK and Pakistan have suffered a lot because of the October 8 earthquake, he added. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the APHC delegation during its visit would also meet the leadership of AJK and Pakistan to discuss latest situation of Kashmir. (Posted @ 22:00 PST)
Dams are national requirement: PM KARACHI, Jan. 2 (APP) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Monday that the country would have to build adequate water storage capacity to meet the needs of the agriculture sector. "The majority of the country's population depends on agriculture and meeting its water requirements was the responsibility of the government," he said during a meeting with Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ebad Khan and Chief Minister Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim here at the Governor House. "Dams are a national requirement and would have to be built keeping in view the interests of all the stakeholders," he said, adding “doing nothing and staying still is not an option.” He also said the government had lived up to its promise to release and publish all relevant reports on the use of water resources and hoped that it would encourage a healthy debate on the issue that would enable the government to take a decision in the best interest of the country.(Posted @ 20:50 PST)
Indian police kill nine tribal men in land clash BHUBANESWAR, India, Jan 2 (Reuters) Indian police shot and killed nine tribesmen on Monday after they were attacked with arrows and stones, killing a constable, a police official said. The attack happened after 1,000 tribes people, some armed with bow and arrows, opposed a move by authorities to acquire land for the setting up of a steel plant in Jajpur in the eastern Indian state of Orissa. (First Posted@15:30 PST Updated @ 20:42 PST)
First woman takes over as Pakistan central bank chief KARACHI, Jan 2 (AFP) The first woman ever to be appointed as the governor of Pakistan's central bank took up her position on Monday. Shamshad Akhtar, formerly a senior official at the Asian Development Bank, was named in December as the 14th governor of the State Bank of Pakistan since its inception in July 1948. A Fulbright scholar at Harvard and visiting fellow at the university's economics department, Akhtar replaces Ishrat Hussain, who retired last month after serving two terms of three years each.(Posted @ 20:38 PST)
Egypt official says goods crossing to Gaza opens ISMAILIA, Egypt, Jan 2 (Reuters) A new crossing point for commercial goods between Egypt and Gaza opened on Monday with a cargo of vehicles donated to the Palestinian Authority, an Egyptian border official said. The official said 20 vehicles out of 100 donated by the Qatari government had made the crossing from al-Dahaniya on the Egyptian side into Gaza. Israelis call the crossing Kerem Shalom. "This is the first cargo to be allowed to enter through the new crossing," the official said.(Posted @ 19:14 PST)
Cricket-Pakistan change itinerary for Indian tour KARACHI, Jan 2 (Agencies) Pakistan has again switched the dates and venues for the first two one-day internationals against India. "The itinerary is now final but we have rescheduled the first match in Peshawar and second in Rawalpindi," a Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman said on Monday. "The changes have been necessitated due to the month of Muharram which requires special security arrangements," he said. Schedule: Jan 5 - Indian team arrives in Lahore, Jan 7-9 - Three-day tour match at Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore, Jan 13-17 - First Test in Lahore, Jan 21-25 - Second Test in Faisalabad, Jan 29-Feb 2 - Third Test in Karachi, Feb 6 - First one-day international in Peshawar, Feb 11 - Second one-day international in Rawalpindi, Feb 13 - Third one-day international in Lahore, Feb 16 - Fourth one-day international in Multan Feb 19 - Fifth one-day international in Karachi.(First Posted @ 17:36 PST Updated @ 19:00 PST)
Cricket-Devika stars in Indian women team’s win over Pakistan KARACHI, Jan 2 (APP): Title holder India thrashed Pakistan by ten wickets in the last league match of the second women's Asia Cup Cricket Tournament at National Stadium on Monday. The 25-year-old Pune-born debutant Devika Palshikar took three wickets for a mere 12 runs in her ten overs. Scores: Pakistan batted first after winning the toss and crashed to 94 all out in 47.5 overs. India 95 runs in 17.3 overs for no wicket loss.(Posted @ 17:32 PST)
Israel's Sharon aims to scrap peace plan – report JERUSALEM, Jan 2 (Reuters) Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon plans eventually to scrap a U.S.-led "road map" to peace with the Palestinians and instead seek Washington's blessing for annexing occupied West Bank land, a newspaper said on Monday. The report by senior staff of Maariv newspaper gave no source, but Sharon's initial plans for last year's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip were first floated in a similar way. Sharon's spokesman declined comment. The Maariv report said Sharon would go public with his new plan after Palestinian parliamentary elections this month, when Israeli intelligence has predicted a new outbreak of violence. The U.S. embassy spokesman was not immediately available for comment. Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat voiced doubts about future backing for such a plan. "Maybe this is the wishful thinking of certain people in the Israeli government, but I do not think the United States or European Union would ever be a part of such schemes," he said.(First Posted@15:15 PST Updated @ 17:22 PST)
Croatia says gas imports from Russia down 33 percent ZAGREB, Jan 2 (Reuters) Croatia's natural gas imports from Russia have fallen more than 30 percent and the economy ministry said in a statement on Monday there was enough gas for everyone only for the next two weeks. The statement did not say if any contingency measures are being planned.(Posted @ 17:18 PST)
Iraq oil exports fall to lowest since war BAGHDAD, Jan 2 (Reuters) Iraq's oil exports fell to 1.1 million barrels per day in December from 1.2 million barrels in November, the lowest since exports began after the war in 2003, a senior oil official said on Monday. The official said that the fall was due to security problems in the north and bad weather at southern ports which halted exports for more than a week last month.(Posted @ 17:12 PST)
Two arrested in Indian tech city with explosives HYDERABAD, India, Jan 2 (Reuters) Indian police arrested two men believed to be planning attacks on companies in the information technology sector in the city of Hyderabad and seized a large haul of explosives, officials said on Monday. About 14kg (30.86 lbs) of explosives were found in three steel containers seized from the two men in Hyderabad, a senior police officer said. He said the men, arrested on Sunday, were planning to attack the office of the city's police chief, police headquarters and buildings housing top IT companies.(Posted @ 17:12 PST)
Former US president Bush to visit Pakistan this month ISLAMABAD, Jan 2 (AFP) Former US president George Bush is expected to visit Pakistan later this month as the United Nations special envoy for the South Asian earthquake, the foreign ministry said Monday. "The visit dates are being worked out and we expect the visit to take place around the third week of January," foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told a weekly briefing here. She gave no further details.(Posted @ 16:55 PST)
Five policemen killed in Iraq as fuel crisis looms BAGHDAD, Jan 2 (AFP) A suicide bomber rammed his booby-trapped car into a bus on a highway near Baquba carrying police recruits on Monday, killing five. Five more recruits were also wounded in the attack. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari held talks with Kurdish leaders in the north of the country aimed at forming a "national unity" government. Speaking in the northern town of Arbil, Jaafari said he backed an idea put forth last week by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to set up a unity government in the wake of the December 15 general elections. (Posted @ 15:23 PST)
Snow cuts off Kashmir highways, kills quake survivor SRINAGAR, Occupied Kashmir, Jan 2 (AFP) Heavy snow in Indian Occupied Kashmir Monday shut down key highways and killed at least one man in areas hit hard by last year's earthquake, police and residents said. "The highway leading to Tangdhar has been closed for traffic due to the accumulation of heavy snow," said a police spokesman in Srinagar. He said some 40 inches of snow had accumulated at Sadna Pass, the crest of the road to the remote village. It has been snowing in Kashmir since Sunday morning. The heavy snow also closed the region's main highway connecting Srinagar with Jammu, police said. A traffic police officer said some 300 vehicles were stranded on the highway. Police said a 72-year-old man died in Balkote village when his shelter caved in due to snow. Snow also closed down the region's main airport in Srinagar, officials said.(First Posted @ 12:20 PST Updated@ 15:19 PST)
Strong quake registered in South Atlantic TOKYO, (APP/AP): An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 was registered off the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, the US Geological Survey reported Monday. The quake, centered 10 kilometers under the water some 345 kilometers southeast of Bristol Island in the South Sandwich Islands, a UK territory east of Argentina, struck at 5:10 a.m. local time (0610 GMT), the survey said on its website. The Japanese weather agency reported the same earthquake with magnitude 7.5. No further information was available. (Posted @ 13:15 PST)
Tennis-Netherlands claim singles victories to upset Argentina PERTH, Australia, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The Netherlands claimed an upset victory over second seeded Argentina in round robin play at the Hopman Cup on Monday after the qualifiers won both singles matches to take an unassailable 2-0 lead ahead of the doubles. (Posted @ 13:10 PST)
Nepal's Maoist rebels call off unilateral truce KATHMANDU, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Nepal's Maoist rebels said on Monday they would not extend a four-month truce which ends at midnight, saying that they were abandoning the ceasefire in self defence. The rebel ceasefire was first announced for three months in September and later extended for another month under popular pressure. The truce was not matched by the government. "The royal army is surrounding our people's liberation army, which is in defensive positions, to carry out ground as well as air attacks on us," the rebels said in a statement. "Therefore, we are compelled to go offensive not only for the sake of peace and democracy but for the sake of self defence." (Posted @ 13:05 PST)
Cricket-Kallis, Prince lead South Africa fightback SYDNEY, Jan 2 (Reuters) - South Africa were 230 for three in their first innings at stumps on the opening day of the third and final test against Australia on Monday. Jacques Kallis was unbeaten on 80 and Ashwell Prince was not out 62 after the pair had put on 144 runs in an unbroken fourth wicket partnership. South Africa slumped to 86-3 before tea after AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith were dismissed cheaply. Paceman Brett Lee removed de Villiers for two,then Smith for 39 while Glenn McGrath got rid of Gibbs for 27 before Kallis and Prince launched their recovery. (Posted @ 13:05 PST)
Flash floods kill at least 26 in Indonesia JAKARTA, Jan 2 (AFP) - Flash floods killed at least 26 people and swept away hundreds of houses in Indonesia's East Java province overnight, police said Monday. "The number of deaths so far stands at 26. Families have reported missing members. We suspect there will be many more victims," local police commissioner Teduh Tedjo said. More than 100 houses in Kemiri village in Jember district were swept away while houses belonging to plantation workers nearby were also submerged, he said. Antara news agency said hundreds of houses in four villages in Jember district had been swept away by the floods after the swollen Kaliputih river burst its banks. "Many victims have not been found. Many of them may have been buried in the mud," local officials said. (First Posted @ 11:15 PST; Updated @ 13:00 PST)
Barracks attacked in main Ivory Coast city-sources ABIDJAN, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Unidentified gunmen attacked two military bases in Ivory Coast's economic capital Abidjan early on Monday, military sources said. Gunfire and explosions could be heard near the two bases, and another military source said there had also been shooting in the plush Cocody suburb, where President Laurent Gbagbo lives. (Posted @ 12:45 PST)
Suicide bomber dies in Afghan attack KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Jan 2 (Reuters) - A suicide attacker drove a car bomb into a convoy of foreign troops in Kandahar city on Monday, killing himself and wounding a woman and a child, a provincial official said. There were no casualties among the foreign troops in the blast in the centre of the city, Asadullah Khan, governor of Kandahar province said. "A woman and a child were wounded, and apart from the attacker, there were no other deaths," he said. (First Posted @ 12:30 PST; Updated @ 12:42 PST)
Israel launches air strikes on Gaza Strip GAZA, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Israeli aircraft struck the Gaza Strip repeatedly on Monday and the army said it was targeting roads and a building used by Palestinian militants firing rockets into the Jewish state. One Israeli missile struck a building used by members of the Fatah movement of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Missiles also struck roads in the northern Gaza Strip that Israel said were used by armed groups on their way to fire rockets across the border. "The objective of targeting these access routes is to prevent the passage of terrorists," an army statement said. (Posted @ 12:36 PST)
UN Hariri probe wants to quiz Syrian president, FM BEIRUT, Jan 2 (AFP) - The UN commission of inquiry probing the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri has asked to interview Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Foreign Minister Faruq Shara and former vice president Abdel Halim Khaddam, a spokesman said on Monday. (Posted @ 12:25 PST)
India to host joint naval exercise PORT BLAIR, India, Jan 2 (AFP) - India is ready to host a major regional naval exercise from January 9-14 which will include ships from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand. India will deploy two of its latest guided missile-carrying corvettes and other assault ships while Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar will send two warships each and the remaining four navies will field one, officials said. (Posted @ 12:25 PST)
Misery in Pakistan quake zone as snow grounds relief MUZAFFARABAD, Azad Kashmir, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Rain and snow fell across Pakistan's earthquake zone for a second straight day on Monday, grounding relief flights and adding to the misery of millions of survivors camped out in tents and crude shelters. Heavy snow fell across high ground and rain drenched valleys overnight, triggering some tent collapses and landslides but the military, coordinating a huge relief effort with aid groups, said there had been no reports of major incidents. "There has been no unpleasant news regarding any accidents," said Major Farooq Nasir, an army spokesman in Muzaffarabad. Met office said some parts of the quake zone, which extends from Kashmir into North West Frontier Province, had seen more than two feet (60 cm) of snow. Rain and widespread heavy snow was expected until Saturday, it added. Major Nasir said heavy rain across the fractured mountains had produced some landslides and rockfalls but some relief operations by road were continuing. Monday was only the third day that vital air operations had to be suspended since the quake but relief officials said there was no cause for immediate alarm. "In terms of overall relief, it's not the end of the world," said the U.N. logistics chief in Muzaffarabad, Natasha Hryckow. (Posted @ 11:10 PST)
Nigerian army kill 12 caught stealing oil -official WARRI, Nigeria, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Nigerian troops killed 12 men caught stealing crude oil from a pipeline in the southern state of Delta, the head of a government task force on pipelines said Sunday. He said troops on patrol stumbled on a group of bunkerers on Saturday who had heavy drilling equipment and four trucks ready to be loaded with oil. A gunbattle broke out and 12 of the suspected oil thieves were killed, three were injured and five were arrested.He did not mention any casualties among the troops. (Posted @ 09:30 PST)
Italian hostages in Yemen refuse release SANAA, Jan 2 (AFP) - Three Italian women taken hostage by Yemeni tribesmen on Sunday refused to be released, instead insisting on returning to their two male companions who were still held captive, local government sources said. Sources said that negotiations including tribal chiefs and local officials had started to secure the release of the remaining captives. A tribal source said the captors are demanding the release of eight members of their clan imprisoned for a tribal vendetta. (Posted @ 09:20 PST)
Iran president in new diatribe against Israel TEHRAN, Jan 2 (AFP) - Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday that the Jewish state was "anti-Islamic in nature" and the result of European "ethnic cleansing. "In fact the Europeans have practiced ethnic cleansing against the Jews in Europe by expelling the Jews from all the European states," the official IRNA news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying. "They have shot two targets with a single bullet -- they have built a Jewish camp among the Islamic nations and got rid of the Jews from the whole of Europe. "The Zionist regime is a part of Europe, which was broken away from Europe, and is anti-Islamic in nature," he said. He asked why Palestinians who played no party in the killing of Jews in World War II should have been forced to make way for a Jewish state. "Why don't the Europeans who perpetrated the crime pay the price themselves?" he asked. The president rejected suggestions his comments were anti-Semitic, insisting Iran made a distinction between Judaism and Zionism. (Posted @ 09:15 PST)
US contractor pays Sunni religious scholars: report NEW YORK, Jan 1 (AFP) - The same Pentagon contractor that paid Iraqi newspapers to print positive articles written by US soldiers has also been paying Sunni religious scholars in Iraq for assistance with propaganda work, The New York Times reported. It said that the Lincoln Group, a Washington-based public relations firm, was told early in 2005 by the Pentagon "to identify religious leaders who could help produce messages that would persuade Sunnis in violence-ridden Anbar Province to participate in national elections and reject the insurgency," citing an unidentified former employee. The company since "has retained three or four Sunni religious scholars to offer advice and write reports for military commanders on the content of propaganda campaigns," the report cited the former employee as saying. (Posted @ 09:00 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 115.86 points: KARACHI, Jan 2: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 9672.47, up 115.86 points from Friday's close. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:30 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Jan 2: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 59.9 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:30 PST)
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