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| December 07, 2007 | Friday | Ziqa'ad 26, 1428 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
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Pakistan vote won't be 'perfect:' US officials WASHINGTON, Dec 7 (AFP): Pakistan's election next month will not be “perfect” but will represent a major stride forward for moderation and for protecting US security interests, senior US officials said Thursday. Appearing in Congress, the officials defended about 10 billion dollars in US largesse lavished on the Pakistani government of President Musharraf since the September 11 attacks of 2001. “We have to start from the premise that Pakistan's success as a nation ... is really essential to our security and future,” Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said. He said Pakistan was in a “historic transition” with Musharraf now serving as a civilian president, his state of emergency scheduled to be lifted on December 16 and the parliamentary elections planned for January 8. James Kunder, acting deputy administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), said “we intend to use every tool in our toolkit to ensure those elections are fair, open and transparent,” he said alongside Boucher at a Senate foreign relations subcommittee hearing analyzing US assistance to Pakistan. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez said Al-Qaeda had regrouped in northwestern Pakistan, Osama bin Laden was still at large, and anti-US feeling had surged among ordinary Pakistanis. “Do we dare call our policies therefore a success?” the subcommittee's chairman said. Boucher insisted that firm controls were in place to ensure the war-on-terror reimbursements were justified, and said no US money could have been used for domestic repression against Musharraf opponents. (Posted @ 08:55 PST)
Pakistani opposition struggles to agree poll tactics ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (AFP) - Pakistan's two main opposition parties – the PPP and the PML-N -- have failed to overcome key differences preventing them forging a united front ahead of general elections in January, party officials said Friday. Former premiers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif will now have to meet again next week to try to hammer out an agreement, their parties said. On Monday, Benazir and Sharif set up an eight-member committee to draw up a charter of demands. “We have arrived at a consensus on 13 out of 15 points. There is a slight difference on the formulation of two points,” Rabbani -- a member of Benazir’s Pakistan People's Party -- told AFP without giving details. According to a senior leader with Sharif's party, Raja Zafar-ul Haq, “the differences were on the issue of judges and a cut-off date to the government for acceptance of the terms for free and fair elections.” Bhutto and Sharif will meet early next week to approve the demands and try to agree on a deadline, he said. “We are hopeful about a consensus on all issues,” Haq said. Rabbani also stressed: “It is incorrect to say that the talks are deadlocked over the two points.” Nawaz Sharif in particular has been calling for the reinstatement of ousted chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and 37 other judges forced into retirement by the government after refusing to swear an oath of allegiance to Musharraf under emergency legislation. (First Posted @ 11:50 PST, Updated @ 17:00 PST)
Pakistan, India Foreign Ministers review Composite Dialogue Process NEW DELHI, Dec 7 (PPI): India and Pakistan Friday reviewed progress in their Composite Dialogue Process aimed at improving bilateral ties. India's External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Pakistan's caretaker Foreign Minister Inamul Haq met this afternoon on the sidelines of SAARC Ministerial meeting and reviewed progress on CDP. They also discussed contentious issues of Jammu & Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek, a source in Indian Foreign Ministry told reporters after 45-minute meeting. Foreign Secretaries of both the countries are expected to meet in early 2008 for the fourth round of CDP. (Posted @ 20:26 PST)
Pakistani presidential envoys face tough sell in US as they work to explain state of emergency WASHINGTON, Dec 7 (AP): Nasim Ashraf, minister of state for human development, on a diplomatic mission on his visit to the United States to persuade U.S. lawmakers and the public to support President Musharraf's decision of imposing emergency in the country, said in an AP interview Thursday that the delegation has worked to describe ''why some of these acts, no matter how unpleasant, were unavoidable in the interests of the country.'' Ashraf said that after the envoys explained the context of Musharraf's actions, lawmakers were ''totally supportive'' and expressed ''confidence in the plan that President Musharraf has outlined for the transition and the road map to democracy.'' However, Democratic Senator Russ Feingold said he was ''very concerned by their attempts to justify President Musharraf's unacceptable actions.'' Ashraf said his group pointed out that Musharraf has retired as army chief, scheduled January 8 elections and committed to lift the state of emergency on December 16. ''So all of those things that were recently a setback and derailed our transition to full democracy are back on track,'' he said. Democratic Representative Gary Ackerman said he told the group that it is unfortunate that Musharraf ''has to try to now return his country to a democracy after he's denied them that democracy.'' ''You don't have to make a choice, either in this country or anywhere else, between having a democracy and fighting terrorism. A country can do both and still have a constitution unsuspended,'' he said in an interview. (Posted @ 10:45 PST)
Russia calls for more talks on Iran nuclear programme BRUSSELS, Dec 7, (AFP) - Russia called Friday for continuing six power negotiations on Iran's disputed nuclear programme, showing no resistance to US and NATO calls for tougher UN sanctions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov appeared conciliatory after Moscow, along with China, had suggested that new US intelligence undermined Washington's case for a third round of sanctions. “We hope very much the negotiations with Iran will continue,” he told a press conference during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers who have pushed for continued talks aimed at imposing tougher UN sanctions against Iran. (Posted @ 23:04 PST)
SAARC Foreign Ministers meeting begins in New Delhi NEW DELHI, Dec 7 (PPI): Foreign Ministers from eight-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), including Pakistan, Friday began their two-day meeting discussing ways to jointly fight terrorism. They will also seek to push the proposed regional Investment Protection & Promotion Agreement, discuss operationalization of SAARC Development Fund and measures to step up connectivity among eight member countries. Among the other items on the agenda are liberalization of visa regime, setting up of SAARC University and tele-medicine network. India’s Foreign Secretary, Shivshankar Menon, told reporters the meeting decided to recommend operationalization of SAARC Development Fund immediately with money available. (Posted @ 20:22 PST)
19 Tamil rebels killed in northern Sri Lanka, says military COLOMBO, Dec 7 (AP) - Battles between Sri Lankan troops and separatist rebels in the volatile north killed 19 rebels on Friday, the military said. Army troops launched a pre-emptive attack on rebels in the village of Narrikkulam in Mannar district, killing 17 insurgents and wounding 18 others, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. Separately, soldiers attacked and killed two guerrillas trying to infiltrate the government-controlled Jaffna peninsula at the Muhamalai border post. Soldiers did not incur casualties in either incident. Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan did not return calls seeking comment. (First Posted @ 12:40 PST Updated @ 20:06 PST)
Scrutiny of nomination papers in Swat, some NWFP areas till Saturday ISLAMABAD, Dec 7( PPI) : The Election Commission Friday said that the scrutiny of nomination papers in the areas of Swat and Shangla Districts of NWFP and North Waziristan of FATA will continue till Saturday, while last date for filling of appeals against decisions of the Returning Officers rejecting/accepting nomination papers has been fixed as December 12, 2007 in respect of the said constituencies. A total of 301 nomination papers have been filed for National and Provincial Assembly Constituencies of Swat and Shangla Districts of NWFP and Kurram/North Waziristan Agencies of FATA. (Posted @ 19:16 PST)
Seven killed, 14 injured in Pakistan road accident JHANG, Pakistan, Dec 7( PPI) : At least seven persons including two women were killed and fourteen others injured in a road accident Friday in Jhang. Police said a bus turned turtle due to over speeding 15km from Jhang city while proceeding to Dera Ismail Khan town from Faisalabad. (Posted @ 19:08 PST)
22 people killed in suicide attacks outside Baghdad, including 12 involving female bomber BAGHDAD, Dec 7 (AP) - A female suicide bomber attacked the offices of an anti-al-Qaida group that has joined forces with the U.S., killing at least 12 people on Friday in one of Iraq's most violent provinces, police and the U.S. military said. A second attack at a checkpoint manned by Iraqi soldiers and another of the U.S-backed groups killed 10 people, an Iraqi army officer said. Both bombings were in Diyala province. In the first attack, in the city of Muqdadiyah, city police chief said the bombing claimed 15 lives and wounded 20. The U.S. military said 12 people died and 17 were wounded. Another police official said the suicide bomber was a former member of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party and identified her as a local woman named Suhaila Hussein Ali. Later Friday, a suicide car bombing at a checkpoint near Mansouriayat al-Jabal killed seven Iraqi soldiers and three members of a local anti-al-Qaida group. (First Posted @ 14:10 PST Updated @ 18:56 PST)
Afghan, foreign troops launch offensive to retake Taliban-held town KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec 7 (AP) - Afghan and ISAF troops launched an operation to retake Musa Qala, the town in Helmand province controlled by Taliban militants for nearly 10 months, an Afghan official said. The ground forces have surrounded the area and airstrikes are targeting militants, defence ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said. In neighboring Kandahar province, three Taliban militants were killed when a roadside bomb they were planting exploded prematurely Friday. The blast happened south of Kandahar city on a road frequently used by NATO and police forces. (Posted @ 18:48 PST)
NATO nations pledge tough Kosovo force BRUSSELS, Dec 7 (Reuters) - NATO ministers pledged on Friday to keep their KFOR peace force in Kosovo at current strength as it heads towards independence and to make more troops available as necessary to deal with any violence. “KFOR shall remain in Kosovo on the basis of U.N. Security Council resolution 1244, unless the Security Council decides otherwise,” ministers agreed in a final communique. International mediators will report to the United Nations on Monday that efforts to reach a compromise between Pristina and Belgrade failed. Russia wants further mediation, but the West says the time to settle Kosovo's status has come. (Posted @ 18:40 PST)
PNS Babur rescues fishing vessel KARACHI, Dec 07 (PPI): Pakistan Navy's frigate PNS Babur, which is operating in the Indian ocean and commanding the multinational Task Force-150, has rescued Pakistani fishing vessel “Jannu” drifting with defective propulsion system with 14 members onboard, says an ISPR Press release Friday. (Posted @ 18:32 PST)
Strong quake rattles Indonesia's resort island of Bali BALI, Dec 7 (AP) - A 5.4 magnitude earthquake rattled Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Friday, where more than 10,000 people were attending a two-week conference about rising global temperatures. The walls and floors of massive tents set up in a sprawling complex of five-star hotels shook for around 10 seconds, but officials said they did not have any reports of injuries or damage. (Posted @ 18:14 PST)
Bush, China's Hu talk by telephone on Iran BEIJING, Dec 7 (Reutrs) - U.S. President George W. Bush told China he was willing to solve the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue, state media reported on Friday, an approach long promoted by Beijing. Bush also hopes the United Nations keeps taking “necessary action” to stop Iran's uranium enrichment programme, the official Xinhua news agency said in a report carried on the front page of Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily. “The Chinese side has all along upheld peacefully resolving the Iran nuclear question through diplomatic negotiations, so as to protect regional peace and stability, which will meet the interests of all the parties concerned,” it quoted Chinese President Hu Jintao as telling Bush. “China is willing to continue to play a constructive role to help solve the issue,” Hu added. (Posted @ 17:46 PST)
Prisoner helped bin Laden elude capture -FBI GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden's former driver and bodyguard said he felt an “uncontrollable enthusiasm” when working for the al Qaeda leader and helped him elude U.S. retaliation after the Sept. 11 attacks, a U.S. federal investigator testified on Thursday. Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a Guantanamo detainee facing war crimes charges, told agents he drove bin Laden and his son Othman when they evacuated their compound near Kandahar, ahead of the attacks, investigators told a marathon pretrial hearing that lasted about 14 hours with frequent short recesses. Although not initially with bin Laden on Sept. 11, Hamdan returned to bin Laden's side and continued to drive him for weeks as he moved from city to city and house to house to avoid U.S. efforts to retaliate, said Robert McFadden, a Defence Department special agent who interviewed him. Hamdan heard bin Laden say he had expected up to 1,500 deaths in the attacks but was pleased to learn there were many more, said FBI agent George Crouch Jr., who interviewed Hamdan separately at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. The testimony was part of a pretrial hearing to determine whether Hamdan is an unlawful enemy combatant who can be tried on war crimes charges in a U.S. military tribunal set up to judge prisoners captured in the post-Sept. 11, 2001, war on terrorism. Army Maj. Henry Smith told the court earlier on Thursday that Hamdan was wearing civilian clothes with no military markings when he was captured on Nov. 24, 2001, at a checkpoint near Kandahar while driving a car carrying two anti-aircraft rockets without the launching mechanism. (Posted @ 17:35 PST)
CIA destroyed videotapes of Al-Qaeda interrogation: NYT WASHINGTON, Dec 7 (AFP) - The CIA in 2005 destroyed at least two videotapes of the interrogation of two Al-Qaeda operatives, amid increasing questions about the agency's detention program, The New York Times reported Friday. Citing current and former government officials, the report said the tapes “showed agency operatives in 2002 subjecting terrorism suspects -- including Abu Zubaydah, the first detainee in CIA custody -- to severe interrogation techniques.” CIA chief Gen. Michael Hayden on Thursday told colleagues “the decision to destroy the tapes was made 'within the CIA' and that they were destroyed to protect the safety of undercover officers and because they no longer had intelligence value,” the report said. (Posted @ 16:45 PST)
Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian in Gaza GAZA, Dec 7 (Reuters): Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian in the Gaza Strip Friday, local medical workers said. Palestinian medics said a local farmer was killed and another was wounded by Israeli gunfire near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis. (Posted @ 13:20 PST)
Ship collision causes major oil spill off South Korea SEOUL, Dec 7 (AFP): A tanker collided Friday with a barge off South Korea's west coast and more than 10,000 tons of oil has leaked into the sea, said Kim Jong-Sik, an official with the South Korean ministry of maritime affairs and fisheries. The tanker was carrying a total of about 15,000 tons when it struck the barge, he said. “This is the country's worst oil spill,” Kim told AFP. “We worry about an ecological disaster.” The accident occurred five miles off Mallipo, some 90 kilometres southwest of Seoul. (Posted @ 11:40 PST)
Benazir Bhutto leaves for Dubai ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (AFP): Former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto left for Dubai early Friday to see her children, her spokesman said, taking time out from campaigning for January 8 elections. Benazir had planned to leave late Thursday, but the trip was delayed in a mix-up over her passport, spokesman Farhatullah Babar told AFP. Babar said she had to return from the airport because she was carrying her old passport which had expired. “She left this morning,” he said, adding that she would stay in Dubai for three or four days. (Posted @ 10:05 PST)
Death toll in northern China mining disaster rises to 105 BEIJING, Dec 7 (AP): The death toll in a massive gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China rose to 105 Friday after 26 more bodies were recovered, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Exact figures were still unclear on the number of miners who were underground at the time of Wednesday night's explosion, although Xinhua put the figure at about 120. (Posted @ 09:35 PST)
Italy's Prodi survives confidence vote in Senate ROME, Dec 7 (AFP): Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi barely survived a confidence vote in the Senate Thursday over an immigration decree making it easier to deport EU citizens on security grounds. Senators voted 160 to 158 to approve the decree. The emergency measure was adopted under pressure from Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni in the wake of the killing in late October of a 47-year-old Italian woman allegedly by a Romanian gypsy youth. (Posted @ 09:10 PST)
Blast hits Russia-EU gas pipeline MOSCOW, Dec 7 (AFP): An explosion Thursday in Ukraine knocked out of service one of the main pipelines exporting Russian natural gas to the European Union, the Russian Vesti television news channel reported overnight. The explosion, which cut the pipeline carrying Siberian gas through Ukraine to Germany and other EU clients, forced the operators to suspend the flow on the pipeline. However, there would be no interruption in the deliveries to the European Union, a source in the Ukrainian government quoted by the channel assured. (Posted @ 09:05 PST)
Earthquake jolts Japan island, felt in Tokyo TOKYO, Dec 7 (Reuters): An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6 jolted a tiny island about 500 km south of Tokyo Friday, a Japanese government agency said. The quake, at 9:57, was felt in the capital and areas further north. The epicentre of the tremor was near the island of Torishima and its depth about 50 km, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on its website. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. (Posted @ 09:05 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 148.95, points: KARACHI, Dec 07: At the close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 14473.90, up 148.95, points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 16:00 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Dec 07: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 61.5, to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 16:00 PST)
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