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| May 26, 2008 | Monday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 20, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
 Nawaz announces to contest bye-poll from NA-123 Lahore LAHORE, May 26 (APP): PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif Monday announced that he will contest bye-election from NA-123 and withdraw his nomination papers from NA-52. “Returning Officer has accepted my nomination papers from NA-123 while the rival candidate has withdrawn his nomination papers so I will contest the election from this constituency”, he said at a press conference. He said he will withdraw his nomination papers from NA-52 tomorrow (Tuesday) and contest the election only on one seat from Lahore. He said that an audio tape of telephonic conversation of former Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi with someone for rejection of the nomination papers of the PML-N leadership was an ample proof of the conspiracy being created by anti- democratic forces. He said that restoration of deposed judges was a top priority of the PML-N and they (the judges) should be restored according to the Murree Declaration. He said N-League will comment on the PPP's proposed constitutional package after examining it as the party has not received the package. “We are fighting for the next generation,” he said and asked the nation to stand against un-democratic forces. Earlier, a meeting called by PML-N discussed matters pertaining to rejection of nomination papers of Sharif brothers, reinstatement of judges and national package. Nawaz Sharif presided over the meeting participated by the lawyers, members of civil society and journalists. (Posted @ 23:36 PST)  PPP Co- Chairman condemns conspiracy against Sharifs ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): Co-Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari has condemned the incident in which the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Ch. Pervaiz Elahi was found pressurizing a judge to reject the nomination papers of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. In a statement released Monday Zardari termed the rejection of the papers of PML-N leaders was undemocratic and distasteful. The actions of PML-Q led government in the past had always been dubious and it was known for use of negative tactics to cling to power he said and added that People of Pakistan had given a clear verdict in the elections 2008 but some people had refused to learn from that. He stressed that such behind the scene maneuverings should be discouraged by all political forces and the journey towards a better and prosperous Pakistan should start with a broad national reconciliation. “Democracy means providing an opportunity to the people to choose who they want to see in their government, It's not about limiting their choices by putting unfair hurdles in the way of popular political leadership,” he added. (Posted @ 23:28 PST) Conspiracy hatched for rejection of Sharifs' papers: Ahsan LAHORE, May 26 (APP): Some opposition members are hatching conspiracies and resorting to undemocratic and illegal means for rejection of nomination papers of Sharif brothers for by-election, PML-N Central General Secretary Information Ahsan Iqbal said at a press conference on Monday. He said Returning Officers had accepted nomination papers of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif to contest by-elections in all the constituencies, which irked the opponents, who are now resorting to conspiracies to keep Sharif brothers out of democratic system. Ahsan Iqbal also played an audio tape of telephonic conversation of former Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi in which he (ex-CM) was planning with someone for rejection of the nomination papers of the top PML-N leadership. He said he played the audio tape just to disclose to the journalists and the nation who were conspiring against democracy? The PML-N leader made it clear that despite all odds and conspiracies, Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif would continue with their struggle for democracy. Restoration of judges was PML-N's top priority, which would not be compromised at any cost, he said adding that they were still adhering to the Murree Declaration. PML-N would not get back to the federal cabinet until Murree Declaration was implemented in letter and spirit, he continued. To a question, he said PML-N has not yet received the PPP's proposed constitutional package and the party will comment after examining the package. He also said that PML-N was not taken into confidence for the appointment of Salman Taseer as Punjab Governor, adding that the party would have extended warm welcome if Jahangir Badr had got the office. (Posted @ 23:48 PST) Pakistan to emerge stronger with resolution of legal issues: Zardari ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): PPP Co- Chairman Senator Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistan will be a stronger and more stable democracy when the present government is able to resolve all constitutional and legal issues through democratic consensus, says a press release. Talking to two separate congressional delegations Monday Zardari briefed the visiting US Congressmen and Senators on various steps that PPP has taken so far to strengthen the process of national reconciliation. He said that PPP gave importance to Pakistan -US relations and wanted to improve it further for the benefit of the people of Pakistan. The first congressional delegation was led by Rep Adam Schiff member of House Permanent Committee on Intelligence, Judiciary committee and Democracy Assistance and included Rep Allyson Schwartz, who is member of Democracy Assistance Committee of the US Congress. The second delegation was led by Senator Russ Fiengold of Foreign Relation Committee and Special Committee on Intelligence and was accompanied by the US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson. The visiting delegations expressed their optimism that under a democratic government in Pakistan the US Pakistan relations will strengthen further. They appreciated PPP's strong stance and position on global terrorism. (Posted @ 23:42 PST)  Pakistan defends pacts, says no cross-border attacks ISLAMABAD, May 26 (Reuters) - “Pakistan is fully committed to interdicting cross-border movement of terrorists,” Owais Ahmed Ghani, governor of the North West Frontier Province, told Reuters in an interview. “In no way can we allow militant forces to use Pakistani terrority as a base to operate in Afghanistan or anywhere.” A re-think was needed in the war against the Taliban, Ghani said. “This war against these extremists ... has now entered the seventh year and I feel that we need to actively review our strategies,” he said. “What we need to do is to reduce the space available to these negative forces.” Winning over the tribes was crucial, Ghani said. The Pakistani government was not talking to the militants but to the Pashtun elders in the border areas in an effort to get them to exert their authority and isolate the militants, he said. “We are talking to the majority tribes, their leaders, because it is their area and they are citizens of Pakistan and we are activating them so that they take control of their area and they reduce the space available to these militants,” he said. Tribal leaders would be obliged to ensure militants don't launch attacks in Afghanistan and the government would have the right to take action in case of any violation, Ghani said. He said he expected a deal to be struck soon in the South Waziristan region, where the government has been negotiating with elders of the Mehsud tribe. Another senior government official reiterated that any pact would aim to ensure an end to cross-border attacks. “No agreement will be signed without the provision of no cross-border terrorism,” the second official said. (Posted @ 21:18 PST) Budget on June 7; finance minister lists targets KARACHI, May 26 (APP): The Government has decided to bring the budget deficit below 6.5 percent during fiscal year 2008-09, and in 2009-2010 it will be brought down further, Federal Finance Minister, Syed Naveed Qamar told newsmen after a meeting with members of Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) and Chief Executives of multinationals on Monday. To begin with, the Government would drastically cut non-development expenditure, rationalize development expenditure, initiate more saving schemes with high profit margin, and in the next phase new bonds would floated in the market. Tax base would also be broadened, along with rationalization of the taxes/ duties. He said the budget, which is scheduled to be announced on June 07, would bring maximum relief to the poor. “ We will give direct relief in cash or kind to those below the poverty line”, he said. National Finance Award would be announced in the budget and the provinces would be requested to nominate their members to finalize this document. The Government would take all the major political parties/groups on board in the formation of the budget, he said. (First Posted @ 17:35 PST Updated @ 19:04 PST) Multi-pronged strategy being evolved to fight terrorism, extremism: PM ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP):- Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday reiterated government's resolve to fight terrorism and extremism, and said that a multi-pronged strategy is being evolved to confront the issue effectively as this is in Pakistan's own interest. Talking to US Senator Russ Feingold, he said that dialogue and economic empowerment of people in FATA is the key to addressing the issue of extremism and stressed the need for expediting the legislation process in the US Congress for early establishment of Reconstruction Opportunity Zones in the areas bordering Afghanistan. Gilani said that Pakistan accords high priority to its strategic relationship with the US and is eager to enhance cooperation in the fields of defence, education, health, energy and science & technology. He also called upon the US to provide greater market access to Pakistani products in the US. The Prime Minister also said that a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan is in the best interest of Pakistan and the region at large. Appreciating Pakistan's efforts in curtailing extremism and terrorism, Senator Russ Feingold said that the significance of Pakistan in the region cannot be ignored and expressed US desire for further developing a stable and multi-faceted relationship with Pakistan. The Senator expressed the confidence that democracy would lead Pakistan towards progress and prosperity. He said that the US Senate would be pleased to work with the new government and extend all possible support for the economic development of Pakistan. (Posted @ 20:24 PST) Fight militants jointly, British defense secretary urges Pakistan, Afghanistan ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 26 (AP) - British defence secretary Des Browne Monday urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to cooperate in fighting militants along their common border. Browne who visited Pakistan Monday said in a statement that the threat posed by “violent extremism” cannot be tackled inside Afghanistan's territory alone. Fighting militancy “will require a genuine and committed regional approach,” he said. (Posted @ 19:50 PST) Pakistan must 'strike back at terrorism', says US BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, May 26 (AFP) - Pakistan should strike back at “terrorism” or it will see more attacks like the one that killed ex-premier Benazir Bhutto, US Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff said Monday. Extremists in Pakistan are a threat to that country as well as Afghanistan, he said when asked about Islamabad's peace talks with pro-Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked rebels which have raised concern in NATO and Kabul. And it was important for the Pakistan government to see that “it ensures control and strikes back against terrorism,” he told reporters at the US military base at Bagram 6O kilometres north of Kabul.“Otherwise they're going to see more of the kind of tragedies that they saw when Benazir Bhutto was assassinated or some of the bombings we've seen in the last several months in Pakistan and here in Afghanistan as well,” he said. Chertoff was at the Bagram Air Base for a ceremony to award US citizenship to 44 troops from 12 countries serving in Washington's “war on terror” launched with the invasion that toppled the Taliban from power in Kabul in 2001. The secretary said there had been progress in the fight against Islamic extremists. However determination was still needed to “push back against the enemy that is still trying to reestablish itself in some parts of Afghanistan, still threatening the young democracy we have here,” he said. (Posted @ 19:44 PST) Nawaz Sharif’s opponent in NA-123 by-poll recoils ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): Pakistan Muslim League-Q backed candidate Mian Ikhlaque Ahmad Guddu, opposing Nawaz Sharif in the National Assembly constituency NA-123 Lahore by-poll, has withdrawn his objections petition from the election tribunal. (Posted @ 17:45 PST) Musharraf for comprehensive strategy to fight terrorism RAWALPINDI, May 26 (PPI): Reiterating Pakistan's firm resolve to fight terrorism, President Pervez Musharraf stressed importance of a comprehensive strategy based on security, political and socio-economic development to counter the threat. Talking to Democrat Senator Russ Feingold the president stressed importance of vibrant relations between Pakistan and the U.S. Senator Feingold, who serves on Senate Foreign Relations Committee & Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, lauded Pakistan's pivotal role in fighting terrorism and promoting regional stability. He termed Pak-U.S. ties “extremely important and noted importance of a mult-pronged approach to deal with threat.” Feingold who discussed bilateral relations, recent political developments and counter terrorism related issues emphasised significance of strengthened security along Pak-Afghan border. (Posted @ 21:10 PST) US Senator meets PML-N parliamentary leader ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP):- Visiting US Senator Ruff Feincold called on Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) parliamentary leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday and discussed Pakistan-US relations. According to a PML-N press release Nisar Ali Khan told the senator that problem of militancy and terrorism needed to be addressed through dialogue as use of force alone had not produced desired results. Reiterating PML-N stand for restoration of the pre-emergency judiciary, he said that until this was done the party would not resume its slots in the federal cabinet. The press release cited the US senator as saying during the meeting that judiciary should be restored if the people of the country wanted this. The senator told the PML-N leader that the US wanted to strengthen relations with all political parties at the parliamentary level. (Posted @ 20:44 PST) Bids opened for two 500-MW power projects; load-shedding to end by Aug 2009: minister ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf on Monday said that the government is committed to eliminate the energy crises and all out efforts are underway to cope with the menace of load shedding. Speaking on the occasion of bids opening of 500 MW each Independent Power Projects at Faisalabad and Dadu he said it is for the first time in the country's history that bids of about US$ one billion worth projects were being opened in public in presence of the national and international media. He said that bids for another 1200 MW power projects have been invited and will also be opened in the presence of media on June 30. He expressed the hope that due to the measures being taken by the government, load shedding will be eliminated by August 14 next year. (Posted @ 20:38 PST) Yasin Malik in Karachi: calls for speeding up process for resolution of Kashmir issue KARACHI, May 26 (APP):- Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Yasin Malik, has called for speeding up the process for resolution of Kashmir issue. Talking to the media at KarachiAirport on arrival here, Yasin Malik said that Kashmir is not a border issue but it is the question of future of a nation. He said that so far no solution has been found to the Kashmir issue and it needs to be expedited because people are getting frustrated. The people of Kashmir ask both Pakistan and India as to when the issue will be resolved. (Posted @ 20:28 PST) PML-N wants consensus on Kalabagh Dam ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): Pakistan Muslim League-N spokesman Siddiq-ul- Farooq Monday said that the decision regarding the construction of Kalabagh Dam should be taken unanimously. “It was not an issue and some elements made it a controversial issue. That is why many people have started believing genuinely that the construction of Kalabagh Dam is against their interests, he told a private TV channel in an interview. Now our party has a stance that if the project is to be started unanimously then it would be good otherwise cancel the project till a consensus is achieved, he added. (Posted @ 23:18 PST) India discusses new ideas with Pakistan to build strong relations: Mukherjee NEW DELHI, May 26 (APP): Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said during his recent visit to Pakistan he discussed new ideas with Pakistani leadership to build strong bilateral relations. Talking to newsmen tonight he said his meeting with PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, PML (N) leader Nawaz Sharif and other leaders focused on exploring new ways to promote relations and build confidence. (Posted @ 23:10 PST) NATO commander says Pakistan sovereign, hopes for agreement enforcement NEW YORK, May 26 (APP): Acknowledging Pakistan's sovereignty over its areas, a senior NATO commander in Afghanistan has expressed the hope for enforcement of any peace agreements in the country's areas along restive Afghan-Pakistani border. “Pakistan is a sovereign country. Our interest from NATO's perspective is that whatever agreements are made will hopefully be enforceable,” U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser told Newsweek. At the same time, the new NATO commander favored talks with legitimate tribal leaders in Afghanistan. “We concentrate on working with tribal leaders who are legitimate in the eyes of the people and those [leaders] who have been appointed by the government at the district and provincial level. We believe that's culturally accurate, because the tribal leaders and the mullahs have positions of authority that go back hundreds of years. (Posted @ 22:58 PST) Israel has at least 150 atomic weapons-Carter LONDON, May 26 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has said Israel holds at least 150 nuclear weapons, the first time a U.S. president has publicly acknowledged the Jewish state's atomic arsenal. Asked at a news conference at Wales's Hay literary festival on Sunday how a future U.S. president should deal with the Iranian nuclear threat, Carter put the risk in context by listing atomic weapons held globally. “The U.S. has more more than 12,000 nuclear weapons, the Soviet Union (Russia) has about the same, Great Britain and France have several hundred, and Israel has 150 or more. We have a phalanx of enormous weaponry ... not only of enormous weaponry but of rockets to deliver those missiles on a pinpoint accuracy target,” he said, according to a transcript of his remarks. (Posted @ 22:26 PST) Hezbollah will not use weapons for political gain: Nasrallah BEIRUT, May 26 (AFP) - Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed his militant group would not use its arms to achieve political gains, in a speech on Monday to mark the anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon. “I reaffirm the Doha agreement clause that prevents the use of arms to attain political goals,” Nasrallah said. “The resistance's arms are to fight the enemy, liberate lands and prisoners, and defend Lebanon and nothing else,” he pledged. Nasrallah who spoke to a crowd of tens of thousands the day after army chief Michel Sleiman was elected Lebanon's president, also ruled out the state's weaponry being used to settle domestic accounts. “The government's arms or those of the army or armed forces are to defend the nation, the people and their rights, the government, and to maintain security,” he said. (Posted @ 22:08 PST) Constitutional package: PML-N to give formal reaction after receiving document ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): PML-N spokesman Siddiqul Farooq Monday said that PML-N would give its formal reaction about the Constitutional Package after receiving its improved version and discussing it with their constitutional experts. Talking to Dawn TV he said PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari in a meeting with Ishaq Dar had assured him that after making certain improvements in CP a copy would be handed over to PML-N. To a question he said Dar was told that tenure of chief justice would be five years and not three years. The spokesman said the PML-N still maintains that restoration of judiciary to Nov 2 position has to be made through a resolution of the Parliament followed by an executive order. “Though we have some reservations but we are ready to accommodate those who were recruited after Nov 3 as ad-hoc judges”. Replying to a question Siddiqul Farooq said, “If we restore the judges through an act of Parliament or through constitutional amendment we accept the unconstitutional step of Nov 3 as constitutional”. He said the PML-N was committed to restore the constitution to October 12, 1999 position and it would be “more than happy” if this was achieved. (Posted @ 21:38 PST) Nine killed in Russian cargo plane crash MOSCOW, May 26 (AFP) - An Antonov cargo plane crashed near the city of Chelyabinsk in the Urals region of Russia on Monday, killing all nine people aboard, Interfax news agency reported. (Posted @ 21:20 PST) Cricket-England complete remarkable victory MANCHESTER, England, May 26 (Reuters) - Andrew Strauss struck his 12th test century on Monday to help England complete a remarkable six-wicket victory over New Zealand on the fourth day of the second test at Old Trafford. England, who trailed New Zealand by 179 runs on the first innings, reached their victory target of 294 in the final over before tea with four wickets to spare. Strauss made 106 after productive partnerships with captain Michael Vaughan (48) and Kevin Pietersen (42 run out). England, resuming on 76 for one after dismissing the Kiwis for only 114 in their second innings, also bettered the previous highest fourth innings winning total at Old Trafford. They scored 231 to defeat the West Indies four years ago. The third and final test starts at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on June 5. (Posted @ 21:16 PST) Iran-Turkey gas flow halted after blast TUNCELI, Turkey, May 26 (Reuters) - Turkey stopped the flow of Iranian natural gas imports early on Monday after Kurdish separatists launched an attack overnight on the only gas pipeline connecting the two neighbours. “There was an explosion on the Iran-Turkey natural gas line about 13 kilometers from ... the border on May 26 at 12:45 am, and the supply of gas from Iran has been temporarily stopped,” an official spokesman said. “The intensity of the explosion in the forty-inch pipeline was so massive that the flash from the explosion could be seen at the Bazargan border post, and the resulting boom could be heard at Iranian border regions close to the pipeline,” Ebadollah Ghanbari, spokesman for the National Iranian Gas Company, told Reuters. (Posted @ 21:14 PST) Lightening kills two more persons in Swat MINGORA, Pakistan, May 26 (APP): Two more persons died when lightening struck a village Ummat Sir in the outskirts of Matta Tehsil in Swat district, police said on Monday. The deaths occurred when Abdullah Khan along with his family was fast asleep. This brings the total number of deaths in Swat from rain related incidents to more than a dozen. (Posted @ 20:40 PST) 2 US soldiers killed; scores killed, injured across Iraq BAGHDAD, May 26 (Reuters) A suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed at least six members of a U.S.-backed neighbourhood patrol and wounded 18 in the town of Tarmiya, just north of Baghdad, police said Monday. Two US solders were also killed in separate incidents. One U.S. soldier died as a result of wounds sustained in a roadside bomb blast in Salahuddin Province, the U.S. military said. Two other soldiers were wounded. Another U.S. soldier was killed and two wounded on Sunday when their patrol was hit by a roadside bomb in the town of al-Shamiya, 180 km south of Baghdad, the U.S. military said. Separately, a roadside bomb wounded five people on the airport highway, in western Baghdad, while a bomb blast wounded two people in Shaab district, northern Baghdad, police said. A grenade tossed at a police patrol wounded eight people, including one policeman, in central Mosul, 390 km north of Baghdad, police said. (Posted @ 19:48 PST) 33 prisoners released from Sindh jails under PM's Special package KARACHI, May 26 (APP): Thirty-three prisoners have been released from Sindh jails after payment of a fine of Rs 1.6 million from government funds under Prime Minister's special package for prisoners who could not pay the fines, Advisor to Chief Minister, Gul Mohammed Jakhrani said on the occasion of release of prisoners from Karachi Central Jail on Monday. (Posted @ 19:24 PST) Kashmir a disputed territory: former Sri Lankan President ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): Former Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga has urged India and Pakistan to strengthen people to people contacts for building an atmosphere of confidence and reconciliation for finding a mutually acceptable solution of the issue. Talking to mediamen in Srinagar, Chandrika Kumaratunga said that Kashmir and Tamil problem in her country were entirely two different disputes. “Kashmir is a dispute between India and Pakistan, while the Tamil problem in Lanka is within a country,” Chandrika said, KMS reported. (Posted @ 18:50 PST) Seven dead, scores hurt in Sri Lanka train bombing COLOMBO, May 26 (AFP) At least seven people were killed and scores more wounded Monday in the bombing of a packed commuter train in the southern suburbs of Colombo by suspected Tamil rebels, officials said. The island's military spokesman, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, said seven people, including a pregnant woman, were killed and another 62 wounded. He blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the attack, which occurred during evening rush hour at the Dehiwela railway station. There was no immediate comment from the rebels. (First Posted @ 17:30 PST, Updated @ 18:48 PST) Cricket- Twenty20 is a revelation: ICC President Mali SHARJAH, May 26 (PPI): International Cricket Council President Ray Mali says: “Twenty20 is a revelation and attracted a brand new crop of followers. It is a magnet.” However, Test cricket is “real thing and it will always be on top. There is no alternative to it,” he said in Sharjah after giving prizes to Emirates Pakistan which won Four Nations Cup final against Emirates Sri Lanka. “England, Pakistan, West Indies and Australia are planning to organize Twenty20 tournaments and it will be good for the game. ICC should not restrict it as people are enjoying it. I personally have no problem with it,” Mali said. (Posted @ 18:00 PST) NA to meet on June 2 ISLAMABAD, May 26 (PPI): The National Assembly has been summoned to meet on June 2, says a notification, and the Federal Budget for the fiscal year 2008-09 will be presented on June 7. (Posted @ 18:00 PST) Two vessels capsize off Karachi coast; all fishermen rescued KARACHI, May 26 (APP): All 14 fishermen on-board two launches which capsized Sunday afternoon off the Karachi coast at a place named Duo Darya, on way to village Ibrahim Hyderi have been rescued, police said Sunday. One fisherman received minor injuries caused by the vessel's fan, police said, adding that all of them had returned home safely. The cause of the mishap is not yet known. (Posted @ 17:55 PST) Fire in Iranian factory kills 30 TEHRAN, May 26 (Reuters) - Thirty people died and at least 38 injured in a series of blasts followed by a blaze that engulfed a pharmaceutical plant in the city of Arak, 290 km southwest of Tehran, on Sunday when a container holding 60,000 litres of inflammable products caught fire during welding work nearby, the official IRNA news agency said. There was extensive damage within 500 metres of the explosion, with many vehicles destroyed and the roofs of buildings collapsing. Provincial officials said most of the factory had been destroyed. (Posted @ 17:25 PST) Cricket- Pakistan security 'in order' for Asia Cup KARACHI, May 26 (AFP): The Asian Cricket Council has declared adequate security arrangements are in place in Pakistan for next month's Asia Cup cricket tournament featuring India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, ACC chief executive Ashraful Huq told AFP Monday. The ninth edition of the Asia Cup will be held in Pakistan from June 24 to July 6, for which security arrangements were discussed at an ACC meeting held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Sunday. “Everything is in order and we are satisfied with the security arrangements made by Pakistan. We hope that the event will be held in a befitting manner,” he said. Huq announced that an awards ceremony to honour top Asian cricketers and administrators (past and present) will also be held during the Asia Cup to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the ACC's formation. (Posted @ 16:40 PST) Eastwood earns Cannes special tribute CANNES, France, May 26 (AFP): Clint Eastwood failed in a fifth bid for the top prize at Cannes, but the world's leading film festival offered the veteran movie tough guy and director a special lifetime achievement award instead. Eastwood, 78, who has won five Oscars, and French actress Catherine Deneuve both got the lifetime gong Sunday from a jury led by Sean Penn. (Posted @ 16:35 PST) Ethiopian court sentences ex-dictator Mengistu to death ADDIS ABABA, May 26 (AFP): Ethiopia's Supreme Court sentenced former dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam to death in his absence Monday, along with 17 senior officials of his regime, overturning a previous life term on appeal. Mengistu has lived in exile in Zimbabwe since he was toppled in 1991, after he was found guilty of genocide at the end of a decade-long trial. The genocide charges arose from a crackdown against opponents in 1977-78 known as the Red Terror. (Posted @ 16:30 PST) Egypt extends state of emergency by two years CAIRO, May 26 (AFP): The Egyptian parliament on Monday extended a controversial decades-old state of emergency by two years despite pledges it would be replaced by new legislation, a parliamentary official said. Parliament passed the law after a brief debate following a decision by President Hosni Mubarak to extend the state of emergency from June 1, the official said. (Posted @ 15:05 PST) Afghans stage more protests over Holy Quran sacrilege TANGI WAGH JAN, Afghanistan, May 26 (Reuters): Hundreds of Afghans chanted anti-U.S. slogans on Monday in protest against the sacrilege of the Holy Qoran by an American soldier in Iraq. Sporadic protests have erupted across Afghanistan in the last week as news spreads of a copy of the Holy Quran being found riddled with bullets at a shooting range in Baghdad on May 11. A Lithuanian soldier and at least two Afghans were killed last week when protesters tried to storm a military base in the west of the country. (First Posted @ 12:35 PST, Updated @ 14:50 PST) Ground battles kill 22 in Sri Lanka COLOMBO, May 26 (AFP): Ground battles between Sri Lankan troops and separatist rebels killed 21 guerrillas and one solider in the country’s north, the defence ministry said Monday. Eight soldiers were also wounded in Sunday's fighting, the ministry said in a statement. The rebels did not comment on Sunday's fighting. Sri Lanka air force helicopter gunships were active in the north on Monday, providing air support to ground troops moving deeper into the rebel-held region of Mannar, the defence ministry said. (First Posted @ 12:15 PST, Updated @ 14:45 PST) NATO soldier, three Afghans killed in attacks KABUL, May 26 (AFP): A NATO soldier and three Afghan security personnel were killed in a string of explosions and ambushes, security officials said Monday. The International Security Assistance Force trooper died after being hit by an explosion Sunday that injured two other personnel in southern Afghanistan, ISAF said in a statement. A soldier with the separate US-led coalition was also killed Sunday in an incident. In another incident Monday, two Afghan policemen were killed when Taliban militants ambushed their patrol with rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire in the central province of Ghazni, a district official said. Two Afghan security guards working for a US-owned security firm were wounded in a similar ambush in the same province Sunday, deputy provincial police chief Mohammad Zaman said. Also Sunday, an Afghan security guard working for the same company, called USPI, was killed in an ambush in neighbouring Wardak province, a police commander said. (First Posted @ 13:20 PST, Updated @ 14:15 PST) Nigerian militants claim to have destroyed oil pipeline, killed 11 soldiers LAGOS, Nigeria, May 26 (AP): Militants said they destroyed an oil pipeline Monday in Nigeria's petroleum-producing region and killed 11 soldiers in an ensuing gunbattle with security forces. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said it attacked the pipeline, operated by a Royal Dutch Shell PLC joint venture, early Monday. The group says its fighters later battled troops moving in boats in the waterways of the southern oil region. Shell officials were not immediately available for comment. A military spokesman had no immediate confirmation of any overnight incidents. (Posted @ 13:40 PST) Fire destroys part of Myanmar embassy in Thailand BANGKOK, May 26 (AFP): A fire destroyed the top floor of a building at the Myanmar embassy in Thailand Monday. Police said the visa section itself had not been touched by the early morning blaze, which a fireman on the scene said had begun in a room full of documents at the site on a busy thoroughfare in the Thai capital. “We are ready to help the Myanmar embassy find out what caused the fire. But the embassy informed us that they will investigate themselves,” said police investigator Lieutenant Tanapat Seehawong. (Posted @ 13:10 PST) Iran bus crash kills 23: report TEHRAN, May 26 (Reuters): Twenty-three people died when a passenger bus and a truck collided in western Iran on Sunday, two days after a similar crash elsewhere in the country killed or injured 34 people, a news agency said on Monday. The latest collision took place in Hamedan province on a road to the capital Tehran, the semi-official Fars News Agency said. (Posted @ 11:45 PST) Australian state exhumes former premier who died in 1908 for paternity case SYDNEY, May 26 (AP): The body of a former premier of the state of South Australia has been exhumed as part of a paternity case by a brother and sister who believe they are descendants of an alleged illegitimate child. DNA testing will be carried out on the remains of Charles Cameron Kingston, who died in 1908, the Adelaide Advertiser newspaper reported Monday. He was premier from 1893 to 1899. His remains were exhumed in late March on the approval of the attorney-general.(Posted @ 10:55 PST) Phoenix probe lands on Mars WASHINGTON, May 26 (AFP): The US Mars Phoenix spacecraft landed in the frigid north pole region of Mars late Sunday after a risk-laden descent, NASA said. “Phoenix has landed,” a NASA official said as the safe touchdown was confirmed. Phoenix was the first spacecraft ever to land on the Martian arctic, where it will dig into the icy soil. (Posted @ 10:15 PST) Five including police officer killed in Dera Ismail Khan, sectarian tension blamed DERA ISMAIL KHAN, May 26 (AP): Gunmen killed five persons in an apparent sectarian attack in northwestern Pakistan. The incident happened early Monday. Area police chief Salahuddin Khan said an officer also died in the shootout while trying to arrest the attackers as they fled in the town of Dera Ismail Khan.The area police chief said the attackers were riding on a motorcycle, and the slain men included two brothers and two of their friends. “It seems to be a sectarian attack, we are still investigating,” he said. (First Posted @ 10:05 PST, Updated @ 10:35 PST) Powerful storms, tornadoes kill at least 8 in Iowa, Minnesota DES MOINES, Iowa, May 26 (AP): Severe thunderstorms packing large hail and tornadoes rumbled across the mid-United States, killing at least eight people and damaging dozens of homes. Iowa Homeland Security administrator Dave Miller said Sunday that seven of the dead were killed by a tornado in northeast Iowa and two from nearby New Hartford. At least 50 injuries were reported. (Posted @ 09:30 PST) Karachi Stocks down 426.96 points: KARACHI, May 26: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 12584.78, down 426.96 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST) Forex update: KARACHI, May 26: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 69 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST)
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