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| September 28, 2006 | Thursday | Ramazan 4, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Inzamam banned over refusal to play but cleared of ball-tampering LONDON, Sept 28 (AFP) - Pakistan cricket captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was cleared Thursday of ball-tampering but found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute over his side's refusal to play during the fourth Test against England. After a two-day disciplinary hearing, the ICC announced that Inzamam would be banned for four one-day internationals. The sanction is considerably less severe than the maximum ban Inzamam could have received: up to four Tests and up to eight one-dayers. Inzamam has 24 hours to decide whether he wants to appeal. If he does not appeal, the ban will rule him out of Pakistan's opening matches in the Champions Trophy in India. It is still to be confirmed if Hair will be umpiring at the Champions Trophy. Pakistan requested ICC that he be banned from officiating in any of their team's future matches. India have also asked that Hair not take part in the Champions Trophy as they fear his presence could incite trouble. (Posted @ 19:14 PST)
Musharraf defends ISI LONDON, Sept 28 (AFP) President Pervez Musharraf denied allegations made by a British Ministry of Defence spokesman in a military policy paper that Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI had indirectly supported terrorism, and said he would bring up the matter in discussions with Prime Minister Tony Blair in London on Thursday. "Absolutely, 200 percent, I reject it," Musharraf told the BBC in an interview from the United States. Musharraf responded to the suggestions, saying: "I would like to tell this Ministry of Defence spokesman to say the Ministry of Defence maybe should be dismantled before the ISI is dismantled." He said the ISI was a "disciplined force" which "won the Cold War for the world", adding "we don't like anybody advising us to dismantle ISI, least of all the (British) Ministry of Defence." Meanwhile, Musharraf, in Washington claimed that Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is alive and hiding in Afghanistan, in an interview with The Times published Thursday. "It's not a hunch," Musharraf said. "Kunar province borders on Bajaur Agency. We know there are some pockets of Al-Qaeda in Bajaur Agency. We have set a good intelligence organisation," he said. Musharraf also said he had nothing to confirm regarding reports that bin Laden may have died from typhoid fever which emerged from a French intelligence memo citing Saudi sources at the weekend. "If they have some source they should tell us. At least our intelligence does not know anything," he said. (First Posted @ 09:18 PST Updated @ 10:28 PST)
Bush urges better Pakistan-Afghan cooperation WASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) President George W. Bush urged the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan on Wednesday to improve cooperation in fighting terrorism. "Today's dinner is a chance for us to strategize together, to talk about the need to cooperate, to make sure that people have got a hopeful future," Bush said as he stood between President Pervez Musharraf and Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the White House before the start of a dinner meeting. "As we work for a more hopeful world, we will continue to make sure that extremists, such as Osama bin Laden, that wants to hurt my friend here (points at Musharraf), as well as upset the democracy in Afghanistan, is brought to justice," he said. He called the two leaders "personal friends" and emphasized they faced common challenges and must work together. "They understand that the forces of moderation are being challenged by extremists and radicals," he said. During the two and a half hour meeting, Karzai and Musharraf spoke directly to each other and individually to Bush, a senior administration official said. He described the exchanges as cordial and frank. "They committed to supporting moderation and defeating extremism through greater intelligence sharing, coordinated action against terrorists, and common efforts to enhance the prosperity of the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan," a White House spokesman Tony Snow said in a statement. Musharraf discussed initiatives in the tribal region to improve governance, economic development and security, while Karzai discussed efforts to improve security, governance, and accelerate development throughout Afghanistan, Snow said. (First Posted @ 09:18 PST, Updated @ 10:50 PST)
President Musharraf arrives in London LONDON, Sept. 28 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf Thursday described his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai as "excellent" and said it produced positive results to counter terrorism through better understanding and intelligence sharing. Talking to reporters at the Heathrow airport on arrival for a two-day visit to UK , the President said: "We have to jointly defeat terrorism. There should be better interaction and intelligence sharing so that we can meet the challenges, posed by terrorism”. Replying to a question, he said the US administration was completely on board and they understood the strategy being pursued by Pakistan to combat the twin menace of terrorism and extremism. Referring to reports about withdrawal of Pakistani troops from the tribal region, the President described these as baseless and said that not a single soldier had been pulled back from that area. "This was a misperception which I effectively countered," he added. (First Posted @ 14:14 PST Updated @ 20:14 PST)
No appeal in Inzamamul Haq case LONDON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said Pakistan were unlikely to appeal against the four-match ODI ban on Inzamamul Haq announced at the end of the two-day hearing of the case by ICC chief match referee Rajan Madhugale. "It is highly unlikely we will appeal against the ban. We are very satisfied with the way things have gone in the hearing. It was very fair," PCB Director Abbas Zaidi said. (Posted @ 19:10 PST)
ICC says umpire Hair won't take part in Champions Trophy LONDON, Sept 28 (AP) _ Darrell Hair, the Australian umpire who accused Pakistan of ball-tampering, will not take part in the ICC Champions Trophy in India, the International Cricket Council announced Thursday. The ICC cited ``safety and security'' reasons for leaving Hair off the Oct. 7-Nov. 5 Champions Trophy, which includes all major cricket-playing nations. ``I wish to keep on being an umpire,'' Hair said. ``My umpiring performance or career is on public record and if other people consider I am still good enough to umpire I will continue.'' (Posted @ 20:26 PST)
Pakistan legend Imran Khan calls for action against Hair ISLAMABAD, Sept 28 (AFP) - Pakistan legend Imran Khan Thursday called for action against Australian umpire Darrell Hair after Inzamam-ul-Haq was cleared on ball-tampering charges. " As Inzamam has been cleared of ball tampering allegations, now clearly some sort of action should be taken against the man who was responsible for such serious allegations," he said. Former Pakistan captain Ramuz Raja said: "The ICC need to pull up their socks and take a firm decision now on Darrell Hair". Rameez further said: "Pakistan's lawyers now would be arguing that if he was not guilty of ball tampering, why has he been handed out a four-match ban punishment? I think this case is not over yet and Pakistan should contest this decision aggressively because they are in the right." (Posted @ 18:30 PST)
Pakistan legend says unfair to ban Inzamam KARACHI, Sept 28 (AFP) - Cricket captain Inzamam-ul-Haq must automatically be cleared of bringing the game into disrepute if charges of ball tampering do not stick, Pakistan legend Wasim Akram said Thursday. "I strongly feel that the ICC and the umpires will not be able to prove ball-tampering charges against the Pakistan team and since Pakistan's protest was linked to the accusation of tampering they should not ban Inzamam," Akram told AFP. "I think the ICC will try to have the upper hand and would ban Inzamam to safeguard their code of conduct, but it would be hugely unfair." Wasim further said that an unfavourable verdict would be "debatable and one that could be taken to a court of law." "I would not have waited and would have taken the ICC and umpire Hair to court," he said, adding that his Birmingham-based lawyers were in contact with Inzamam for such an action. Wasim said a ban on Inzamam would spoil Pakistan's chances of winning the ICC Champions Trophy in India, where the competition begins next month. (Posted @ 16:46 PST)
22 killed in Pakistan bus-tanker collision KARACHI, Sept 28 (Agencies) - Twenty two people including four children were killed Thursday when a minibus and an oil tanker collided in Moro, a town 195 kilometres northeast of Karachi, police said. Another 12 people were injured. Police said both vehicles were speeding and that the minibus was overcrowded. "Fifteen people died on the spot, four of them were children. Seven others succumbed to their injuries in hospital," police said, adding that four of the injured were in serious condition. (Posted @ 16:06 PST)
87 Pakistani, Bangladeshi immigrants discovered captive in warehouse near Athens ATHENS, Sept 28 (AFP) - Greek police Thursday found 87, mainly Pakistani and Bangladeshi, illegal immigrants who were being held captive by their traffickers in a warehouse west of Athens with only a small amount of bread and water. Police have arrested six suspected traffickers and were hunting for a seventh, a statement said. After being brought across the Greece-Turkey border, the immigrants had been taken by coach to Athens. They were then shut in the warehouse in a bid to pressure the immigrants' families to pay the costs of passage, which ranges from 3,000 (3,800 dollars) to 10,500 euros (13,300 dollars) according to which country they come from. Turkey lies on a major human smuggling route from Asia to Europe and the illegals mostly try to cross to neighboring Greece by land or brave sea journeys to Greek islands or Italy. (Posted @ 20:16 PST)
Five killed in Iraq air strike -police, medics RAMADI, Iraq, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Iraqi police and hospital officials said a woman and two children were among five people killed in an air strike on a car on Thursday, but the U.S. military said it was unaware of any such incident. The bodies of two men, two children and a woman had been recovered at the scene, in the Albu Ubeid area, 10 km northeast of the city, medics confirmed. (Posted @ 22:36 PST)
Audio of al-Qaida in Iraq leader calls on scientists to join jihad CAIRO, Egypt, Sept 28 (AP) _ The new leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, in an audio message posted on a Web site Thursday, called for explosives experts and nuclear scientists to join his group's holy war against the West. ``The field of jihad (holy war) can satisfy your scientific ambitions, and the large American bases (in Iraq) are good places to test your unconventional weapons, whether biological or dirty, as they call them,'' said the man, who identified himself as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir _ also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri _ the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq. The voice could not be independently identified. (Posted @ 20:22 PST)
India rebel group's envoys pull out of peace process GUWAHATI, India, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Representatives of powerful guerrilla group in India's northeast Assam state said Thursday they had pulled out of a year-old peace process with the government, accusing New Delhi of being insincere. "The government(of Indiaa)not only failed to implement the decisions taken at meetings with us, but also imposed new conditions which hit the peace process badly," said Arup Borbora, a spokesman of PCG, which includes rights activists, lawyers and journalists. (Posted @ 17:52 PST)
Six injured in bomb blast in India's northeast GUWAHATI, India, Sept 28 (AFP) - At least six people, including two paramilitary troopers, were critically injured Thursday in a bomb explosion at a crowded market in the oil township of Digboi, about 530 kilometers east of Assam's main city of Guwahati, police said. (Posted @ 20:18 PST)
Indian, Pakistani banks seek stronger ties MUMBAI, Sept 28 (PPI): Indian and Pakistani banks have shown Interest in starting operations in each other's countries, State Bank of Pakistan Governor Dr Shamshad Akhtar said. She said that as per the understanding between the Reserve Bank of India and the State Bank of Pakistan, two Indian and two Pakistani banks will be permitted to start operations. other's countries. (Posted @ 19:44 PST)
PML restored country's diplomatic, political image: PM Aziz ISLAMABAD, Sept 28 (PPI) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Thursday said that PML government has restored Pakistan's diplomatic, economic and political image and will contest the next year's general elections on the basis of its performance in office. Talking to former Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, he said the government is working to bring stability, development and growth in Balochistan and has adopted a holistic approach for the development of Balochistan by simultaneously undertaking comprehensive political and economic initiatives. He said the government is spending billions of rupees on development projects in Balochistan and no one will be allowed to hamper these efforts. (Posted @ 19:36 PST)
Twenty Egyptians killed in head-on traffic crash CAIRO, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Twenty Egyptians were killed and one injured in a head-on collision between a truck and a minibus in the southern province of Minya on Thursday, security sources said. The minibus driver was trying to overtake the truck on a two-lane road and crashed into a truck coming from the opposite direction, the sources said.In a separate incident, five people were killed and six injured in the southern city of Sohag when a minibus and a taxi had a head-on collision (Posted @ 19:16 PST)
British deputy PM to stand down, along with Blair MANCHESTER, Sept 28 (AFP) - Britain's Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said Thursday that he will be leaving office within the next year, along with Prime Minister Tony Blair. In a widely expected announcement, Prescott told delegates during his speech in Manchester, northwest England, that it would be his last congress after 12 years in the job. (Posted @ 17:55 PST)
EU, Iran plan more nuclear talks, no deal reached BERLIN, Sept 28 (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Thursday he had failed to reach a deal with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator on Tehran's atomic ambitions, but they had paved the way for further talks. "We have been progressing," Solana told reporters after discussions with Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani. "We still have some issues that have not been closed," he added without elaborating. Solana said he hoped to renew contact with the Iranians in the middle of next week. Larijani said seven hours of talks over the last two days in Berlin had brought "some possible conclusions" and added that talks would continue. "We hope to be able to embark on the main negotiations as soon as possible," Larijani told reporters, referring to the incentives package. It was not, however, immediately clear if Iran's position had substantially changed. (Posted @ 17:02 PST)
Baghdad car bomb kills five, injures 34; police find 40 bodies BAGHDAD, Sept 28 (AP) _ A car bomb near a restaurant in central Baghdad killed five people Thursday and wounded another 34, police said. Earlier, two Iraqi soldiers were killed and 10 more injured when a suicide car bomb slammed into a checkpoint in Baghdad’s Shaab neighborhood. Meanwhile, the bodies of 40 men were found in Baghdad over the past 24 hours, police said. A child was killed in Baghdad’s neighborhood of Dora when a mortar shell landed on a house, while seven policemen and three Iraqi Interior Ministry special forces were injured in three different bomb attacks in the capital. Southwest of Samarra, an oil pipeline connecting refineries in Beiji and Baghdad was blown up and caught fire, police said. (Posted @ 16:54 PST)
Bomb blast in southern Afghanistan wounds NATO soldier KANDAHAR, Sept 28 (AFP) - A bomb hit a NATO military vehicle and wounded a soldier early Thursday in Zhari district, west of Kandahar city, police said. (Posted @ 16:52 PST)
More protests over hanging for Kashmiri leader SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Sept 28 (AFP) - Police used teargas and batons Thursday to break-up a second day of protests against the scheduled execution of Mohammed Afzal convicted in a December 2001 attack on parliament house in New Delhi. Protestors took to the streets in Srinagar chanting slogans including "Afzal is innocent. Do not hang him." Police fired teargas and used steel-tipped bamboo batons to disperse the procession that was heading towards Srinagar's main commercial hub. More than a dozen activists were detained. (Posted @ 16:50 PST)
Eastern Afghan offensive killed 300 rebels: coalition KABUL, Sept 28 (AFP) - Around 300 insurgents have been killed in a US-led coalition and Afghan military operation that has been under way along the border with Pakistan for weeks, the coalition said Thursday. Another about 100 insurgents have been wounded in Operation Mountain Fury, which involves about 7,000 Afghan and coalition troops and covers five provinces, most of them on the border, a spokesman told reporters. (Posted @ 16:48 PST)
NATO set to extend operations throughout Afghanistan PORTOROZ, Slovenia, Sept 28 (AFP) - NATO ambassadors agreed Thursday to extend military operations into eastern Afghanistan by the end of the year, thereby taking responsibility for the whole country, diplomats said. "The formal decision to move to the fourth and final stage of deployment for the NATO-led ISAF was taken without any particular problems," at NATO headquarters in Brussels, the source said. Defence ministers of the 26 NATO nations were expected to endorse the decision later Thursday. (Posted @ 16:04 PST)
Zambians vote in presidential elections LUSAKA, Sept 28 (AFP) - Zambians went to the polls Thursday, with opposition leader Michael Sata confident of ousting President Levy Mwanawasa and taking on the task of tackling the country's deep-rooted poverty. Polling booths opened at 6:00 am (0400 GMT) for 12 hours with the 3.9 million-strong electorate voting not only for a president but also for members of parliament and local councils. Counting will begin immediately after the close of voting. Complete provisional results are not expected until late Friday or Saturday. (Posted @ 16:04 PST)
Typhoon Xangsane kills 11, leaves 34 missing in Philippines MANILA, Sept 28 (AFP) - At least 11 people were killed and 34 others were missing Thursday after Typhoon Xangsane lashed the Philippines leaving a trail of destruction before moving into the South China Sea, officials and local media said. Torrential rain caused major flooding throughout central and northern parts of the country as high winds uprooted trees, brought down power lines and damaged buildings. Manila was brought to a virtual standstill as people deserted streets and businesses closed to wait out the typhoon. (Posted @ 16:00 PST)
Olmert won't free Palestinians ahead of soldier's release JERUSALEM, Sept 28 (Reuters) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Thursday he would not consider freeing Palestinian prisoners before an Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza is released. "Until Gilad Shalit is freed, I won't deal with the matter of freeing Palestinian prisoners," Olmert said in an interview with Israel Radio, referring to the soldier captured in Gaza on June 25.(FirstPosted @ 09:43 PST, Updated@ 14:23 PST)
Tennis- Mirza puts Hingis out of Korea Open SEOUL, Sept 28 (AFP) Top seed Martina Hingis crashed out of the Korea Open Thursday, losing to India's Sania Mirza in the second round 4-6, 6-0, 6-4. (Posted @ 14:02 PST)
Strong earthquake off Samoa generates tsunami SYDNEY, Sept 28 (AFP) A strong earthquake with a magnitude of up to 7.0 has struck in the Pacific's Samoa islands region, generating a tsunami, the US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said on its website. (Posted @ 14:02 PST)
Al-Qaida in Iraq remains disproportionate to network's size: UN UNITED NATIONS, Sep 28 (AP) Al-Qaida's terrorist activity in Iraq remains disproportionate to its size and Afghanistan's former Taliban rulers continue to benefit from a close relationship with the terror network and other foreign terrorist groups, according to a new U.N. report. The committee's terrorism experts said ``new explosive devices are now used in Afghanistan within a month of their first appearing in Iraq.'' ``And while the Taliban have not been found fighting outside Afghanistan/Pakistan, there have been reports of them training in both Iraq and Somalia,'' the team said in 51-page report. The report examined al-Qaida and Taliban activity over the last six months. (Posted @ 14:01 PST)
China claims success in testing fusion reactor BEIJING, Sept 28 (AP) China claimed Thursday to have carried out a successful first test on its experimental thermonuclear fusion reactor, state media reported without giving any further details. (Posted @ 14:01 PST)
Afghan man killed in North Waziristan MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan, Sept 28 (AP) Suspected militants abducted an Afghan man Wednesday and left his bullet-riddled body by a roadside in North Waziristan tribal region, an official said Thursday. A note left with the body said that the man was killed over suspicion that he was spying for the United States, the official added. (Posted @ 12:51 PST)
Mobs on the rampage over Bangladesh power cuts DHAKA, Sept 28 (AFP) Bangladesh police used tear gas and batons Thursday to subdue hundreds of rioters in Dhaka after cars were torched and an office ransacked to protest frequent power cuts, police and witnesses said. The clashes began late Wednesday and continued into Thursday morning, a witness said, adding that around 30 police and 50 protesters suffered injuries. (Posted @ 12:50 PST)
Russian police officer killed in Chechnya ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia, Sept 28 (AP) Unidentified assailants opened fire on a Russian police convoy in Chechnya, killing one officer and seriously wounding another, the Interior Ministry said Thursday. (Posted @ 12:50 PST)
Bush made "terrible mistake" by invading Iraq: Former US President FALLON, Nevada, Sept 28 (AP) Former President Jimmy Carter Wednesday said major policy changes are needed because the Iraq war has divided the nation "almost as much as Vietnam." "So there's no doubt that our country is in much more danger now from terrorism than it would have been if we would have done what we should have done and stayed in Afghanistan," he said. The former president said the Bush administration made a "terrible mistake" by invading Iraq and diverting troops from Afghanistan. Carter also said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should go. "I think he's one of the worst secretaries of defense we've ever had…almost every decision he has made has aggravated his military subordinates and has also proved to be a mistake." (Posted @ 11:18 PST)
Truce aims to prevent support for Taliban: Kasuri UNITED NATIONS, Sept 28 (AP) Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri defended a truce between the Pakistan army and tribal elders in North Waziristan in an interview Wednesday to the Associated Press. Kasuri strongly supported the truce as a way to prevent the bulk of Pashtun tribes in the border region ``from going to the sides of the extremists.'' ``If this is not done, there's a fear that the Taliban might be able to convert the Pashtun tribes on both sides ... to their way of thinking,'' he said. He said now tribal elders in South Waziristan were also asking the government for a similar truce. The deal will also include reconstruction aid, and Kasuri said he was grateful that the United States ``is looking favourably at some Pakistan proposals on economic opportunity zones.'' The foreign minister stressed that the Pakistani army is not being withdrawn from North Waziristan. ``In fact, the army has now been freed from policing duties in the tribal areas and it can focus on preventing cross-border movement''. The Pakistani government will give the truce ``a few months,'' he said. “If, God forbid, it doesn't work, the military (option) is still there,'' he stressed, adding ``If it works, maybe this can be replicated on the other side in Afghanistan.'' He said improved cooperation between Afghan and Pakistani intelligence authorities ``is vital.'' He said “a strong prosperous Afghanistan is in Pakistan's interest” because it is crucial to Pakistan's continued economic growth. Pakistan wants to link central and south Asia with a gas pipeline through Afghanistan to meet its energy needs but cannot do so unless there is peace, he said. (Posted @ 10:11 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 142.30 points: KARACHI, Sept 28: At the close of trading the KSE-100 index was at 10528.82, up 142.30 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 13:00 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Sept 28: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.75 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 13:00 PST)
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