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| May 6, 2006 | Saturday | Rabi-us-Sani 7, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Pakistan PM meets US official, calls for early finalization of bilateral Investment Treaty ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 6 (AP) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Saturday called for the early completion of an investment treaty with the United States during a meeting with Frank Lavin, the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce and International Trade. Pakistan and the United States were expected to sign the treaty in March during President George W. Bush visit to Islamabad but it was delayed due to differences about certain clauses. Frank Lavin told Aziz Saturday that his visit was to follow up on Bush's visit and that the Bilateral Investment Treaty ``will be finalized and it will be based on the mutually agreed criteria.'' APP news agency quoted Aziz as saying that Pakistan wants the treaty to be finalized quickly, adding that it will help enhance the volume of trade between the two countries, while also creating jobs and generating business activities in Pakistan. Lavin also met with Pakistani Commerce Minister, Humayun Akhtar in Islamabad. (Posted @ 17:30 PST)
Swiss embassy shuts visa section in Pakistan in wake of human-trafficking scandal ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 6 (AP) _ Switzerland has closed the visa section of its embassy in Pakistan following complaints of maltreatment, harassment of visa applicants and alleged human trafficking involving some employees, Micheline Calmy-Rey, the Swiss foreign minister, said Saturday. Micheline Calmy-Rey gave no indication when the visa section would be reopened. Calmy-Rey, after talks with her Pakistani counterpart Khursheed Kasuri, on Saturday told reporters that ``Switzerland finds itself in a difficult situation ... as a result of abuse of visa procedure that has been discovered at the embassy,'' according to APP news agency. It also quoted Calmy-Rey as saying that the ``criminal activity'' at the visa section had not only damaged her country's interest and goodwill but also represented an act against those people who wanted to go to Switzerland. ``We have been compelled to close down the visa section until further notice,'' she added. Earlier, Calmy-Rey also called on Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf and discussed with him a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues, Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement. (Posted @ 19:36 PST)
U.S. helicopter crashes in Afghanistan, 10 dead KABUL, May 6 (Reuters) - A U.S. military helicopter crashed late Friday evening while on combat operations near Asadabad, the capital of Kunar province, killing all 10 people on board, the U.S. military said Saturday. The crash was not a result of enemy fire it said although Taliban insurgents claimed they shot it down with a "new weapon". "The remains of 10 servicemen were found in the aircraft, U.S. military spokeswoman said but declined to specify the nationality of the dead. (First Posted @ 09:10 PST; Updated @ 16:45 PST)
Pakistan not doing enough on terrorism, U.S. says KABUL, May 6 (Reuters) - Pakistan is not doing enough to help root out Taliban and al Qaeda leaders who have found safe haven in its lawless tribal lands along the Afghan border, a senior U.S. security official said Saturday. Most al Qaeda and Taliban leaders are in Pakistan, and while the United States did not know where Osama bin Laden was hiding, he was probably on the Pakistan side of the border, said Henry Crumpton, State Department coordinator for counter terrorism. "Has Pakistan done enough? I think the answer is 'no'," Crumpton told a news briefing in Kabul. "Not only al Qaeda, but Taliban leadership are primarily in Pakistan, and the Pakistanis know that," Crumpton added. Crumpton said eliminating militant safe havens in Pakistan's tribal lands was crucial. "It's something we have to help the Pakistanis work through because it cannot remain a safe haven for enemy forces," he said. "Right now, parts of Pakistan are, indeed, that." The militants are fighting to oust foreign troops and the government. They have launched a wave of roadside and suicide bombings, attacks and assassinations in recent months. "We are concerned by the increase in violence in the south and east," Crumpton said. "We see the alliance of al Qaeda and elements of the Taliban, and, increasingly, narco-traffickers -- a confluence of allies -- is a cause for concern," he said. (Posted @ 20:40 PST)
British helicopter down in Iraq, troops in clashes BASRA, May 6 (Reuters) - A British military helicopter was brought down in Basra on Saturday, killing four people aboard, officials said, and sparking clashes between troops and youths chanting militia slogans and hurling petrol bombs. A Basra police spokesman said it was hit by a rocket and firefighters said they found four charred bodies on the aircraft, which hit a house. No one on the ground was hurt in the crash, police said. As troops cordoned off the area, hundreds of youths chanting "Victory to the Mehdi Army!" surrounded them, throwing rocks and then petrol bombs. British military spokesman said troops counted some 60 rounds fired in the air from the crowd -- not uncommon in Iraq -- and said no British shot was fired. A local journalist said he saw at least one man dead after he heard shooting. Witnesses said a second man may have been killed in a car, the windscreen of which was shattered and bloodied. (Updated @ 20:30 PST)
100,000 quake survivors leave camps for home: UN UNITED NATIONS, May 6 (APP) - Some 100,000 survivors of the devastating earthquake in Pakistan have left camps and returned to their ruined towns, villages and properties over the past month, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported. Fifty-seven camps have so far been closed, while another 99 remain open for about 55,000 people yet to go home, it said. To support the trend of returns, which began after the Government announced that relief camps would start closing in March, UNHCR has provided $2.25 million to support the efforts of the inter-government International Organization for Migration (IOM) to facilitate the voluntary, safe and dignified return of the displaced. UNHCR is also funding vocational training programmes in some camps through courses like sewing, embroidery, plumbing and masonry, so that trainees should become more self-reliant upon return to their villages. (Posted @ 18:05 PST)
Gunmen kill former regional Taliban leader in Quetta, police say< QUETTA, Pakistan, May 6 (AP) _ Gunmen riding on a motorcycle gunned down a former regional Taliban leader in Quetta on Saturday, police said. Mullah Samad Barakzai, who was head of the Department for Promotion of Virtue And Prevention of Vice in Helmand movince during the Taliban ule, was standing near a seminary when the assailants attacked him, said Qazi Abdul ahid, an area police chief. Barakzai, who is also known as Maulvi Yar Mohammed, had been living in Pakistan since the Taliban regime was ousted. He had also distanced himself from the Taliban and had become a supporter of Hamid Karzai's government, Wahid said. (Posted @ 21:45 PST)
Palestinian President Abbas' office receives $10 million from Russia RAMALLAH, West Bank, May 6 (AP) _ Russia on Saturday delivered $10 million (euro7.9 million) in emergency aid to the Palestinians, bypassing the Hamas-led government by sending the money to the office of President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas immediately distributed the money to a variety of humanitarian programs agreed upon with Russia, his office said. Palestinian officials said the delivery of the aid could serve as a model for a European proposal to set up a fund, administered by the West, to funnel humanitarian aid to the Palestinians without dealing with Hamas. (Posted @ 21:40 PST)
Sandstorm chokes Egypt, poor visibility causes car accident that killed 5 CAIRO, May 6 (AP) Strong winds drove blinding clouds of desert sand through much of Egypt Saturday, causing poor visibility that was blamed for a car accident that killed five people when two cars collided near the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, police officials said. At about 5:00 p.m. local time, the storm turned the sky in Cairo from brown to orange. Meteorologists said the storm hit about 20 of Egypt's 26 provinces. (Posted @ 21:35 PST)
Singapore ruling party returned to power SINGAPORE, May 6 (AFP) - Singapore's ruling People's Action Party (PAP) was returned to power Saturday after securing more than half of the seats in the 84-member parliament, official results showed. Initial results so far showed the PAP winning 11 seats, enabling it to secure the simple majority needed to form the next government. The party had earlier won 37 seats without a contest. Results from the other contested seats were still to be announced. (Posted @ 21:30 PST)
Security forces checkpost attacked QUETTA May 6 (PPI): Four rockets were fired on security forces checkposts in Gori nullah area of Dera Bugti Saturday followed by an exchange of fire between the security forces and the armed tribesmen. However there was no report of any loss. Well Number One Loti gas field was also attacked but there was no report of any major loss. (Posted @ 21:25 PST)
President meets with political leaderes, district nazims RAWALPINDI, May 6 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf held a meeting Saturday with senior political leaders of the ruling party, three district nazims and parliamentarians for these districts and reviewed development schemes in their areas. The PML leaders who called on the president included the President of Pakistan Muslim League Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain, Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi, Federal Ministers Major (Retd) Tahir Iqbal, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, Chairman Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly Malik Allah Yar Khan and District Nazims of Rawalpindi, Chakwal and Jhelum, Raja Javed Akhlas, Sardar Ghulam Abbas and Chaudhary Farrukh Altaf. (Posted @ 21:20 PST)
Pakistan, Switzerland call for negotiated solution of Iran's nuclear issue ISLAMABAD, May 6 (APP): Pakistan and Switzerland Saturday agreed to further expand their political and economic ties and called for a negotiated settlement of the issue over Iran's nuclear programme. Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri and his Swiss counterpart Mrs. Micheline Calmy-Rey held extensive discussion on bilateral and regional issues including the implications of recent US-India nuclear deal for the global non-proliferation efforts. Kasuri shared with her Pakistan's perspective on the recent US-India agreement on civil nuclear cooperation which, he added, would have serious implication for security environment in South Asia. "Switzerland has a balanced position and we are asking ourselves whether an exception for India would not set a precedent for the policy towards other states not having signed the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and it could also compromise the credibility of the non-proliferation efforts towards other states," Mrs. Micheline Calmy-Rey observed. Mr Kasuri also took up the issue of blasphemous sketches with the Swiss Foreign Minister and they agreed to work together for promoting inter-faith harmony and dialogue of the civilizations. (Posted @ 21:15 PST)
One troop killed, another commits suicide in occupied Kashmir ISLAMABAD, May 6 (APP): In occupied Kashmir, unidentified persons killed one person at Bajoni Sumber in Doda district. A soldier of 11-Rashtriya Rifles, Sepoy Hamak Chand, was killed in an attack at Chatru in Kishtwar, PTV reported. A frustrated police Head Constable Surinder Kumar shot himself dead at Hiranagar in Jammu region, while a Border Security Force constable Sanathan was injured in a blast at Gool. Troops arrested twelve persons, including three members of a family, in Tral, Shopian, Budgam and Mahore areas. (Posted @ 21:00 PST)
PM for increasing multifacated cooperation with Switzerland ISLAMABAD, May 6 (APP): Pakistan, given its geo-strategic location, is playing a pivotal role in maintaining peace and stability in a region facing many challenges and wants resolution of all outstanding issues through dialogue, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Saturday during talks with Mrs. Micheline Calmy-Rey, Foreign Minister of Switzerland. He stressed more cooperation between the two countries particularly in the areas of science and technology, livestock and agricultural sector and pharmaceuticals where technology transfer can assist Pakistan to add value to its existing industries. A host of issues relating to further expansion of bilateral ties between Pakistan and Switzerland, regional and international issues came under discussion. (Posted @ 20:55 PST)
Explosions in Albanian army weapon depots, unconfirmed reports of victims TIRANA, Albania, May 6 (AP) _ An explosion occurred Saturday at six army weapon depots in tunnels in Dhemblaj village, Tepelena district, 180 kilometers south of Tirana, Defence Ministry and police officials reported. Police and army units were sent to the area but could not get near the depots because explosions continued. Locals said shells had gone as far as 5 kilometers in other villages, according to News24 television station. (Posted @ 19:30 PST)
Russian forces attacked in Dagestan, officer killed, four injured MAKHACHKALA, Russia, May 6 (AFP) - A group of armed men attacked Russian troops in the volatile province of Dagestan, killing one officer and injuring four others, an official said Saturday. The armed men attacked the base near the village of Kazanishi during the night, the official said. (Posted @ 19:25 PST)
Russia balks at draft Iran resolution MOSCOW, May 6 (AFP) - Differences between the United States and its key UN allies over Iran were exposed again on Saturday when Russia said major changes were needed in a draft resolution requiring Tehran to halt uranium enrichment. The draft resolution being debated "requires major changes," Russia's Interfax and RIA-Novosti news agencies quoted the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak as saying before leaving for talks on Saturday at UN headquarters in New York. "It's too early to say what changes should be brought to the draft resolution to satisfy the Russian side. Consultations are ongoing," Kislyak told reporters. (Posted @ 19:10 PST)
Police attacked, bank set ablaze during left-wing demo in Athens ATHENS, May 6 (AFP) - A large anti-war demonstration through central Athens on Saturday soured almost at the outset when around 250 youth activists hurled firebombs and stones at riot police and set a bank on fire. The incident occurred as several thousand activists, who were participating in a key event marking this year's European Social Forum, marched in front of the Greek justice ministry and the Athens police headquarters en route to the US embassy. They set a Citibank branch lobby on fire, and torched a police squad car. Riot police fired tear gas shells. The demonstration, staged to protest against US operations in Iraq and the prospect of a conflict with Iran, was planned as one of the major events of the four-day forum, and had drawn around 15,000 left-wing participants from around the globe, according to the organisers. (Posted @ 19:05 PST)
Pakistan hockey captain appeal against ban rejected KARACHI, May 6 (AFP) - International Olympic Committee's arbitration court has upheld a three-match ban on Pakistan's field hockey captain for rash onfield behavior, officials said Saturday. The court also fined captain Mohammad Saqlain, 3,000 dollars for hitting Australian player Craig Victory in a tournament match in Germany in August last year. Saqlain, 30, will miss Pakistan's first three matches in the Champions Trophy in Spain in July this year but will be eligible to play the eight-nation Azlan Shah Trophy in Kuala Lumpur next month as the event does not fall in FIH jurisdiction. (Posted @ 19:00 PST)
Three British military vehicles set on fire by angry Iraqis BASRA, May 6 (AFP) - Two British military tanks and a Land Rover were set on fire by angry Iraqis Saturday as troops came to recover the crew of a British helicopter that crashed earlier in the day in Basra, an AFP correspondent reported. He said hundreds of people had gathered at the site of the crash and a few minutes later gunfire broke out between some armed Iraqi civilians and British troops, while the mob also fired rockets at the military vehicles. Three vehicles were hit, one soldier was wounded by a shrapnel and an AFP photographer at the site was also hit in the leg by a rubber-coated bullet, he said. A British military spokesman confirmed the clashes but offered no other details. (Posted @ 18:55 PST)
Kashmir. Mirwaiz asks India to show flexibility Srinagar, May 06 (PPI) Hurriyat Conference (A) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has asked India to show flexibility instead of continuing with its rigid stance of insisting that Kashmir was its integral part. Addressing a meeting here, he said that at the recent meeting Hurriyat delegation discussed all the issues with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and emphasized on a change in the ground situation. We told him that unless the common man in occupied Kashmir felt some relief, all the confidence building measures (CBM) would go in vain. Hurriyat leaders discussed with Manmohan Singh increasing human rights violations in occupied Kashmir, release of detainees, and proposals related to the resolution of Kashmir issue. “We said India should not reject any proposal out-rightly whether it is demilitarization, self governance, self-rule, joint control or any other," Mirwaiz added. He welcomed the recent agreement between India and Pakistan to restore truck service but emphasized on the simplification of procedures. He demanded that any inquiry related to the recently unearthed sex scandal should be made public. “It is shame on the part of those who claim to be the representatives of our people as they are involved in this heinous crime and many bureaucrats and police officers are a part of this racket”. Welcoming Pakistan’s decision not to levy tax on goods transported via Srinagar -Muzaffarabad road, Mirwaiz said that India should respond in the same way. (Posted @ 18:40 PST)
Israeli airstrike kills five militants training at Gaza camp GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip, May 6 (AP) _ An Israeli aircraft attacked a training camp used by Palestinian militants, killing five members of a group that has close ties to the ruling Hamas movement. The airstrike targeted a field just meters away from the home of Moumtaz Dourghmush, the top militant commander. Dourghmush was not at the scene, but a brother and three cousins were among the dead, hospital officials said. Abu Mujahid, an official with the resistance committees, said at least three missiles landed in the field as members were training. The group pledged to respond with more than 100 homemade rockets. (Posted @ 17:50 PST)
Six bus passengers killed, 13 injured in Pakistan highway accident KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) _ A speeding truck crashed into a bus on Karachi-Hyderabad highway on Saturday, killing six members of a family and injuring 13 other passengers on the bus, police said. The truck driver fled the scene of the accident to escape arrest. (Posted @ 17:37 PST)
53 Russian soldiers desert their unit MOSCOW, May 6 (AP) _ Russian authorities on Saturday conducted a massive manhunt for 53 unarmed army soldiers who fled their unit, news reports said. The soldiers left a unit in the Volga River city of Ulyanovsk late Friday, and 44 of them returned or have been apprehended by the authorities by early afternoon Saturday, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Vasily Lavrenyuk said, according to the ITAR-Tass, Interfax and ITAR-Tass news agencies. Lavrenyuk said that a preliminary investigation indicated that the troops fled because they abhorred their newly-appointed commanding officer's effort to strengthen discipline. He said 27 deserters had past criminal convictions. (Posted @ 17:25 PST)
Suicide bomber kills 3 Iraqi officers in Tikrit TIKRIT, Iraq, May 6 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber wearing Iraqi army uniform detonated his explosives vest inside an Iraqi military base in Tikrit Saturday, killing three army officers, Interior Ministry sources and police said. The officers killed were a colonel, a major and a lieutenant. A lieutenant-colonel was also wounded in the attack. Insurgents have stepped up attacks against the U.S.-trained security forces, frequently targeting recruiting centres. (Posted @ 17:15 PST)
Polish soldiers injured in bomb explosion BAGHDAD, May 6 (Reuters) Four Polish soldiers were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near their military convoy in the city of Diwaniya, 180 km south of Baghdad, police captain Ali Abdul Hussain said. Two children ages 5 and 6 were killed and three adult civilians were wounded when a mortar round landed on Baghdad's western district of Shula on Saturday, police said. Meanwhile, police on Saturday found six bodies in different parts of the capital with signs of torture and gunshots to the head. Four civilians were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Yusifiya, 15 km south of Baghdad. Three police commandos were kidnapped on Saturday by gunmen in Mahaweel, 75 km south of Baghdad, while another report said that gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms ambushed and kidnapped two truck drivers in Mahaweel, also on Saturday. (Updated @ 17:05 PST)
Seven police wounded in attack in Thailand's south NARATHIWAT, Thailand, May 6 (AFP) - Seven police officers were injured in bomb explosions and gun fire Saturday after they were lured to Tanyonglimo village in Narathiwat province following reports that one of the villagers had been shot, a police official said.The militants detonated a bomb as they arrived, triggering a 10-minute shootout with the officers, the official said. The militants fled the village in Sungai Padi district before triggering a second bomb by mobile phone, the official said. A third bomb exploded Saturday at a house in a nearby village, but no one was injured. A two-year insurgency has left more than 1,200 people dead in Thailand's three Muslim-majority provinces on the southern border with Malaysia. The region was an independent sultanate until Thailand annexed it a century ago. Separatist violence has simmered ever since. (Posted @ 16:31 PST)
Kashmir protesters rampage for second day over prostitute ring SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, May 6 (AFP) - At least ten people were injured when demonstrators ran riot for a second day Saturday in revolt-hit occupied Kashmir to demand punishment for people involved in an alleged prostitution ring. Police used batons and teargas to disperse hundreds of students who poured out of the main university and engineering college in Srinagar shouting "Punish the culprits, expose them." Authorities last month unearthed the alleged racket involving over 40 women whose clients were reported to include politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen in the conservative Muslim-majority state.As police tried to break up the demonstration, the students demanded the release of names of those involved and hurled bricks.The protest came after thousands of people Friday stormed the house of a woman accused of organising the prostitution ring. They set furniture and clothing on fire and tore down part of the building."Students said seven demonstrators were injured in Saturday's clashes but police denied the claim. Newspaper editorials and Religious and separatist leaders have been clamoring for the list of clients and women accused of involvement in the prostitution ring to be made public. (Posted @ 16:23 PST)
UN's Iran draft needs 'major changes': Russia MOSCOW, May 6, 2006 (AFP) The UN Security Council's draft resolution on Iran, legally requiring Tehran to stop sensitive nuclear fuel work, needs to be fundamentally changed, Russian news agencies quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak as saying on Saturday. "It's too early to say what changes should be brought to the draft resolution to satisfy the Russian side. Consultations are ongoing," Kislyak was quoted by RIA-Novosti as saying. Members of the United Nations Security Council were expected on Saturday to hold a new round of talks in New York on the resolution. Russia "has come forward with an offer the essence of which is that Iran freeze uranium enrichment work for a time to work with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) to restore trust in the character of Iran's nuclear programme", Kislyak said. (Posted @ 13:28 PST)
US sends Chinese Guantanamo detainees to Albania WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) The United States said on Friday it had flown five Chinese Muslim men who had been held at the Guantanamo Bay prison to resettle in Albania, declining to send them back to China because they might face persecution. The State Department said Albania accepted the five ethnic Uighurs for resettlement as refugees.The Pentagon said 17 other Chinese Uighurs remained at the Guantanamo Bay prison, because, unlike the five sent to Albania, they were still deemed "enemy combatants." (Posted @ 09:15 PST)
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