Soomro to take oath as caretaker PM today (Posted at 0610)
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly of Pakistan has been dissolved on the expiration of its term of five years. President General Pervez Musharraf has appointed Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro as caretaker prime minister. Soomro takes oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) today (Friday). President General Pervez Musharraf will administer the oath. The president will administer the oath to caretaker prime minister today at 10:00 am. President Musharraf announced his decision at a dinner he hosted in honour of the outgoing Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and his cabinet here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday. Among various members of caretaker cabinet, Senator Nisar Memon would be sworn in as information minister, Senator Dilawar Abbas as petroleum minister, Dr. Salman Shah as minister of finance, Lt. Gen (Rtd) Hamid Nawaz minister of interior, former secretary defence Saleem Abbas Gillani as minister of defence, former defence secretary Inamul Haq would be sworn in as foreign minister, Salman Taseer as minister of commerce, and Raja Tridev Rai as minister for minorities affairs. Earlier, Mohammadmian Soomro called on President Musharraf at the Aiwan-e-Sadr and exchanged views over his new responsibilities. He would remain Senate Chairman but will take leave to perform as caretaker prime minister. Deputy Chairman of Senate Jan Muhammad Jamali will be the acting chairman of the upper house.
8 killed, 22 injured in Punjab traffic mishaps due to fogs (Updated at 1130)
SAHIWAL: Two traffic accidents that occurred here and at Phool Nagar due to the fogs in Punjab took the toll of 8 dead and 22 wounded.
The crash between AC Bus and Wagon on Arifwala Road here due to poor visibility caused by fogs, which resulted in the death of 5 persons including two women, while 16 were injured, of them 5 were in critical condition. The bus was heading to Fort Abbas from here, while the Wagon was coming here from Arifwala.
The second incident occurred at Phool Nagar near Changa Manga, when due to haze five vehicles, which included two trucks, one bus and two cars, bumped into each other, leaving 3 persons dead and 6 wounded, of them, 2 were in critical condition.
Iran not to set any deadline for India for pipeline project (Updated at 1125)
TEHRAN: Iran said it will not set any deadline for India to join the gas pipeline that also includes Pakistan and hoped New Delhi will not buckle under US pressure to dump the multi-billion dollar project for a rival pipeline from Turkmenistan. "We have not set any deadline for India to join the IPI pipeline project," Iranian Oil Minister Gholam hossein Nozari told reporters here. India has since September not attended any meeting called to finalise the pipeline project, saying it wanted to resolve the transit fee issue with Pakistan before trilateral talks. Undeterred by India's boycott, Iran and Pakistan have held a few rounds of discussions and on Saturday finalised the content of a bilateral export gas deal and they now plan to execute the contract within a month. "What we are told is that they (India) have kept their interest in the project. Both Iran and Pakistan expect and welcome India to join the project, we have not and will not set any deadlines (for India joining the project)," he said.
US and Iraqi troops launch assault (Updated at 1110)
BAGHDAD: Around 600 US and Iraqi troops launched a pre-dawn assault Friday on two Sunni Arab villages near Baghdad to flush out suspected Al-Qaeda fighters allegedly hiding among thousands of villagers, US commanders said. The air and ground assault was launched on the villages of Al-Awsat and Al-Batra, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Baghdad on the edge of the border with restive Anbar province.US commanders said the strike marked the start of Operation Marne Courageous, the military's latest initiative to set up combat posts and patrol bases in areas so far left untouched in southern belts of Baghdad. The operation, he added, is also a bid to find two missing US soldiers kidnapped on May 12 in an ambush on their patrol near the village of Karguli east of the Euphrates.
150 killed in Bangladesh cyclone (Updated at 1030)
DHAKA: A powerful cyclone smashed into Bangladesh killing more than 150 people as it uprooted trees, destroyed homes and forced tens of thousands to flee for their lives, officials said Friday.
The eye of cyclone Sidr, shown in satellite images as a huge swirling white mass moving in from the Bay of Bengal, hit land Thursday night before sweeping north towards the capital Dhaka.
"We have been told by police that over 150 people died in the cyclone," said Major Emdadul Islam of the army control room.
Most deaths were caused by trees crushing flimsy homes made of bamboo and tin, said police.
The extent of the damage caused by Sidr was expected to be severe and the number of casualties high, officials said.
"Many trees have been uprooted and houses and schools blown away," said Mostofa Kamal, a district relief official in Barisal, 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Dhaka.
Southern areas were plunged into darkness as electricity supply lines were snapped and "innumerable" homes flattened, the private news agency reported, quoting its correspondents.
Wind speeds of 220-240 kilometers (140-155 miles) an hour were recorded in what officials described as one of the worst storms in years.
Iraq threatens to blacklist Indian company (Updated at 1010)
BAGHDAD: The Iraqi government threatened to blacklist India’s largest company by market value, after it struck an oil deal with the Kurdish regional government without approval from Baghdad. “Any company that signs contracts with the Kurdish regional government without approval of the central government will compromise chances of getting future opportunities in Iraq,” Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain Al-Shahristani told reporters in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where he is taking part in a ministerial-level meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.Shahristani said the Iraqi government had made its stance known to all the companies that had recently signed production-sharing contracts, including Mumbai-based Reliance Industries.
Cyclone kills at least 41 in Bangladesh (Updated at 1000)
DHAKA: A powerful cyclone smashed into southern Bangladesh killing at least 41 people as it uprooted trees, destroyed homes and forced thousands to take refuge in shelters, officials said Friday.
Most of the casualties died when trees fell on flimsy bamboo and tin-built homes, police in southern districts told foreign media. They warned that the toll was expected to rise.
Earthquake rattles Ecuador, Peru (Updated at 0910)
WASHINGTON: A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck southern Ecuador near the border with Peru on Thursday, a day after a deadly temblor rocked northern Chile, the US Geological Survery reported. The USGS said the earthquake's epicenter was 119 kilometers (74 miles) deep and 243 kilometers (151 miles) southeast of Ecuador's capital Quito. The US agency earlier reported that the earthquake had a 6.3-magnitude and put its epicenter in the Colombia-Ecuador border region.
Rice, Abbas in telephone contact (Updated at 0855)
RAMALLAH: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas discussed the stalled preparations for a Middle East peace conference by telephone late Thursday, a Palestinian official said."Ms Rice and president Abbas talked about the difficulties preventing the writing of a joint Israeli-Palestinian document ahead of this meeting," Abbas' spokesman Nabil Abu Rodeina told foreign news agency."Mr Abbas and Ms Rice hoped that the differences between the two parties will be overcome, and believe that efforts must be redoubled in order to close the gap," he added.
Punjab govt. ends house arrest of Benazir Bhutto (Posted at 0400)
LAHORE: Authorities have lifted the house arrest imposed on opposition leader Benazir Bhutto after three days of her detention. Government of Punjab withdrew a seven-day detention order of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto early Friday, who was detained at the residence of Peoples Party leader Latif Khosa in Defence area of Lahore for last three days."The detention order has been withdrawn but normal police security will stay with her," officials said. The barricade around her place of confinement will be changed into her security cordon, police said.``The house is no longer a sub-jail and the jail staff has been removed from the place”, officials further said. Bhutto has started consultation with her party aides at Khosa House after end of her detention, sources said. Meanwhile, verbal orders have been issued for end of detention of Chairperson Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Asima Jahangir. The ladies police officials posted at her residence have said the police would be withdrawn from her house in the morning.
End of Bhutto’s house arrest a positive step: US (Posted at 0500)
WASHINGTON: United States has said if the authorities in Pakistan have withdrew the house arrest orders of Peoples Party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, it will be a positive step.State department’s spokesman Sean McCormick talking to media men in Washington said if the arrest orders of Benazir Bhutto were withdrawn, it is a positive step.He however stressed for release of all political prisoners in Pakistan. He also demanded immediate end of the emergency rule in the country.
Pakistan parliament dissolved after five years term (Posted at 0020)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's parliament dissolved at midnight on Thursday after completing its five-year term, to be replaced by a caretaker government ahead of general elections due in January. Federal ministry of parliamentary affairs issued notification of dissolution of the National Assembly. The notification issued under Provisional Constitutiional Order, sources said. President Pervez Musharraf earlier appointed Senate chairman, Mohammedmian Soomro, as interim prime minister to guide the emergency-ruled country to elections.
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly of Pakistan has been dissolved on the expiration of its term of five years. President General Pervez Musharraf has appointed Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro as caretaker prime minister. Soomro takes oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) today (Friday). President General Pervez Musharraf will administer the oath. The president will administer the oath to caretaker prime minister today at 10:00 am. President Musharraf announced his decision at a dinner he hosted in honour of the outgoing Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and his cabinet here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday. Among various members of caretaker cabinet, Senator Nisar Memon would be sworn in as information minister, Senator Dilawar Abbas as petroleum minister, Dr. Salman Shah as minister of finance, Lt. Gen (Rtd) Hamid Nawaz minister of interior, former secretary defence Saleem Abbas Gillani as minister of defence, former defence secretary Inamul Haq would be sworn in as foreign minister, Salman Taseer as minister of commerce, and Raja Tridev Rai as minister for minorities affairs. Earlier, Mohammadmian Soomro called on President Musharraf at the Aiwan-e-Sadr and exchanged views over his new responsibilities. He would remain Senate Chairman but will take leave to perform as caretaker prime minister. Deputy Chairman of Senate Jan Muhammad Jamali will be the acting chairman of the upper house.
8 killed, 22 injured in Punjab traffic mishaps due to fogs (Updated at 1130)
SAHIWAL: Two traffic accidents that occurred here and at Phool Nagar due to the fogs in Punjab took the toll of 8 dead and 22 wounded.
The crash between AC Bus and Wagon on Arifwala Road here due to poor visibility caused by fogs, which resulted in the death of 5 persons including two women, while 16 were injured, of them 5 were in critical condition. The bus was heading to Fort Abbas from here, while the Wagon was coming here from Arifwala.
The second incident occurred at Phool Nagar near Changa Manga, when due to haze five vehicles, which included two trucks, one bus and two cars, bumped into each other, leaving 3 persons dead and 6 wounded, of them, 2 were in critical condition.
Iran not to set any deadline for India for pipeline project (Updated at 1125)
TEHRAN: Iran said it will not set any deadline for India to join the gas pipeline that also includes Pakistan and hoped New Delhi will not buckle under US pressure to dump the multi-billion dollar project for a rival pipeline from Turkmenistan. "We have not set any deadline for India to join the IPI pipeline project," Iranian Oil Minister Gholam hossein Nozari told reporters here. India has since September not attended any meeting called to finalise the pipeline project, saying it wanted to resolve the transit fee issue with Pakistan before trilateral talks. Undeterred by India's boycott, Iran and Pakistan have held a few rounds of discussions and on Saturday finalised the content of a bilateral export gas deal and they now plan to execute the contract within a month. "What we are told is that they (India) have kept their interest in the project. Both Iran and Pakistan expect and welcome India to join the project, we have not and will not set any deadlines (for India joining the project)," he said.
US and Iraqi troops launch assault (Updated at 1110)
BAGHDAD: Around 600 US and Iraqi troops launched a pre-dawn assault Friday on two Sunni Arab villages near Baghdad to flush out suspected Al-Qaeda fighters allegedly hiding among thousands of villagers, US commanders said. The air and ground assault was launched on the villages of Al-Awsat and Al-Batra, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Baghdad on the edge of the border with restive Anbar province.US commanders said the strike marked the start of Operation Marne Courageous, the military's latest initiative to set up combat posts and patrol bases in areas so far left untouched in southern belts of Baghdad. The operation, he added, is also a bid to find two missing US soldiers kidnapped on May 12 in an ambush on their patrol near the village of Karguli east of the Euphrates.
150 killed in Bangladesh cyclone (Updated at 1030)
DHAKA: A powerful cyclone smashed into Bangladesh killing more than 150 people as it uprooted trees, destroyed homes and forced tens of thousands to flee for their lives, officials said Friday.
The eye of cyclone Sidr, shown in satellite images as a huge swirling white mass moving in from the Bay of Bengal, hit land Thursday night before sweeping north towards the capital Dhaka.
"We have been told by police that over 150 people died in the cyclone," said Major Emdadul Islam of the army control room.
Most deaths were caused by trees crushing flimsy homes made of bamboo and tin, said police.
The extent of the damage caused by Sidr was expected to be severe and the number of casualties high, officials said.
"Many trees have been uprooted and houses and schools blown away," said Mostofa Kamal, a district relief official in Barisal, 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Dhaka.
Southern areas were plunged into darkness as electricity supply lines were snapped and "innumerable" homes flattened, the private news agency reported, quoting its correspondents.
Wind speeds of 220-240 kilometers (140-155 miles) an hour were recorded in what officials described as one of the worst storms in years.
Iraq threatens to blacklist Indian company (Updated at 1010)
BAGHDAD: The Iraqi government threatened to blacklist India’s largest company by market value, after it struck an oil deal with the Kurdish regional government without approval from Baghdad. “Any company that signs contracts with the Kurdish regional government without approval of the central government will compromise chances of getting future opportunities in Iraq,” Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain Al-Shahristani told reporters in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where he is taking part in a ministerial-level meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.Shahristani said the Iraqi government had made its stance known to all the companies that had recently signed production-sharing contracts, including Mumbai-based Reliance Industries.
Cyclone kills at least 41 in Bangladesh (Updated at 1000)
DHAKA: A powerful cyclone smashed into southern Bangladesh killing at least 41 people as it uprooted trees, destroyed homes and forced thousands to take refuge in shelters, officials said Friday.
Most of the casualties died when trees fell on flimsy bamboo and tin-built homes, police in southern districts told foreign media. They warned that the toll was expected to rise.
Earthquake rattles Ecuador, Peru (Updated at 0910)
WASHINGTON: A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck southern Ecuador near the border with Peru on Thursday, a day after a deadly temblor rocked northern Chile, the US Geological Survery reported. The USGS said the earthquake's epicenter was 119 kilometers (74 miles) deep and 243 kilometers (151 miles) southeast of Ecuador's capital Quito. The US agency earlier reported that the earthquake had a 6.3-magnitude and put its epicenter in the Colombia-Ecuador border region.
Rice, Abbas in telephone contact (Updated at 0855)
RAMALLAH: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas discussed the stalled preparations for a Middle East peace conference by telephone late Thursday, a Palestinian official said."Ms Rice and president Abbas talked about the difficulties preventing the writing of a joint Israeli-Palestinian document ahead of this meeting," Abbas' spokesman Nabil Abu Rodeina told foreign news agency."Mr Abbas and Ms Rice hoped that the differences between the two parties will be overcome, and believe that efforts must be redoubled in order to close the gap," he added.
Punjab govt. ends house arrest of Benazir Bhutto (Posted at 0400)
LAHORE: Authorities have lifted the house arrest imposed on opposition leader Benazir Bhutto after three days of her detention. Government of Punjab withdrew a seven-day detention order of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto early Friday, who was detained at the residence of Peoples Party leader Latif Khosa in Defence area of Lahore for last three days."The detention order has been withdrawn but normal police security will stay with her," officials said. The barricade around her place of confinement will be changed into her security cordon, police said.``The house is no longer a sub-jail and the jail staff has been removed from the place”, officials further said. Bhutto has started consultation with her party aides at Khosa House after end of her detention, sources said. Meanwhile, verbal orders have been issued for end of detention of Chairperson Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Asima Jahangir. The ladies police officials posted at her residence have said the police would be withdrawn from her house in the morning.
End of Bhutto’s house arrest a positive step: US (Posted at 0500)
WASHINGTON: United States has said if the authorities in Pakistan have withdrew the house arrest orders of Peoples Party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, it will be a positive step.State department’s spokesman Sean McCormick talking to media men in Washington said if the arrest orders of Benazir Bhutto were withdrawn, it is a positive step.He however stressed for release of all political prisoners in Pakistan. He also demanded immediate end of the emergency rule in the country.
Pakistan parliament dissolved after five years term (Posted at 0020)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's parliament dissolved at midnight on Thursday after completing its five-year term, to be replaced by a caretaker government ahead of general elections due in January. Federal ministry of parliamentary affairs issued notification of dissolution of the National Assembly. The notification issued under Provisional Constitutiional Order, sources said. President Pervez Musharraf earlier appointed Senate chairman, Mohammedmian Soomro, as interim prime minister to guide the emergency-ruled country to elections.
