Islamabad, November 15
A powerful car bomb today exploded outside an American fastfood outlet located in a government building in a high-security area of Karachi, killing six persons and injuring 14, besides damaging the restaurant and two luxury hotels nearby.

A lesser-known group called ‘Baluchistan National Army’ (BNA) claimed responsibility for the blast, which took place ahead of the international donors’ conference here on November 19, at which UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is also expected to participate to raise $ 5.2 billion needed for the reconstruction of quake-hit areas of North West Frontier Province and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The blast nearly destroyed the KFC outlet located in a government building and caused damage to two luxury hotels — Pearl Continental and Sheraton — situated in the vicinity besides a number of banks and commercial offices.

Sindh Home Minister Abdur Rauf Siddiqui and a relief group called Edhi put the death toll at six. But Inspector General Police of Karachi, Asad Jehangir confirmed two deaths. — PTI

Moscow, November 15
Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee arrived here today at the start of his three-day visit during which he will participate in the 5th meeting of the Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation (IGCMTC).

He was received at the airport by the head of the Russian Federal Service on Military-Technical cooperation Mikhail Dmitriyev and Indian Ambassador to Moscow Kanwal Sibal.

Mr Mukherjee laid wreath at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin wall.

The 17-member Indian delegation includes, Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt and Production Secretary K.P. Singh and senior officers from the three wings of the forces.

Mr Mukherjee and his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov will jointly open the commission’s meeting today at the President Hotel.

The two sides will sign a protocol at the concluding session at the Russian Defence Ministry tomorrow.

Ahead of the Indian minister’s visit, the two Joint Working Groups (JWG) on military-technical cooperation and on land, air and naval systems, held their meetings to complete the advance preparatory work.

“The two Joint Working Groups have met. The advance preparatory work for the Commission’s meeting has already been completed,” Mr Sibal told mediapersons.

He said the IGCMTC meeting would focus on the futuristic defence cooperation relating to highly sophisticated technologies and product support. Mr Mukherjee will also hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin tomorrow to discuss the preparations for the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in the first of week of December.

The Indian Ambassador expressed the hope that during Mr Mukherjee’s visit, the two sides will be able to finalise the IPR on defence agreement for signature during the summit. — UNI

Kathmandu, November 15
Denouncing violence, 45 Maoist guerillas surrendered before the authorities in Nepal, an army official said. The ultras surrendered at the District Administration Office (DAO) Paras, in southern Nepal, yesterday and vowed to lead a peaceful life, he said.

The surrender comes in response to the government’s announcement of amnesty to the guerillas who give up arms by January next year.

Meanwhile, more than 8,000 villagers of Darchula district in western Nepal surrounded the District Administration Office yesterday, demanding the government to reciprocate the Maoists’ ceasefire and vandalised the DAO office, after security personnel tried to chase them away, media reports said.

The local people came to the DAO office under the pressure from the Maoists to declare ceasefire by the government, The Kathmandu Post reported.

They also raised slogans against the Royal government after they clashed with the security personnel.

The rebels have announced a three-month unilateral ceasefire on September 3, which expires after two weeks. The government has not yet responded to the 
offer. — PTI

Jerusalem, November 15
In a landmark development, Israel and the Palestinians have reached a US-mediated agreement on opening Gaza-Egypt border crossings and permitting freer movement of Palestinians.

Announcing this today after holding marathon talks with both sides here, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the deal was a “big step forward” in strained Israeli-Palestinian relations.

As per the agreement, the main Rafah border would be tentatively opened on November 25 and construction of a Gaza seaport would begin.

Israelis and Palestinians, bruised by nearly five years of bloody fighting, are learning to establish “patterns of cooperation,” Rice said.

For the Palestinians, who for the first time since 1967 were given control over the Gaza Strip crossings, it was a major step towards independence, she said.

Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz told the local media that the Egyptians had been updated on the agreement and “this is another phase in the framework of the trust-building steps between Israel and the Palestinians”. “The agreement can serve as a foundation for continued cooperation in the region,” Mofaz added. — PTI

Kathmandu, November 15
More than 70,000 Nepali children migrate to India every year due to the insurgency which has hit the country, according to a report here.

Child migration to India is on the rise, which is caused to some degree by the conflict in the Himalayan Kingdom. About 183 children went out of the country from July 3 to October 3 in 2004. Nearly 8,210 children were recorded to have returned from October 4 to December 4 the same year, said the report published here yesterday.

The research was done at Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Tikapur, Dhangadi and Mahendranagar by the Save the Children Alliance in collaboration with the Centre Child Welfare Board here.

A majority of the people migrating to India were from western hilly regions.

Only 9 per cent of the children said they had gone to India for education purpose while others said they had gone in search of work.

Out of the migrating children, 87 per cent were boys and the remaining girls.

The report also claimed that most of the people accompanying the children could be contractors involved in trafficking or other exploitation. —UNI 

Tokyo, November 15
Wearing a simple white dress and pearls, Japan’s Princess Sayako bid farewell to palace life today to wed a Tokyo city employee in a low-key ceremony marking the first time that an emperor’s daughter has married a commoner.

Thousands of well-wishers cheered as an official black car slowly drove Sayako, 36, out of the gates of the palace to the elegant Imperial Hotel, where she married Yoshiki Kuroda in a wedding that was austere by royal standards.

Under Japanese law, Sayako, the daughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, lost her royal status by marrying, and will now live the life of a taxpaying commoner, without her generous palace allowance. To prepare for the dramatic shift to commoner status, Sayako has taken driving lessons and practised shopping at supermarkets; the couple has studied catalogues to choose furniture and appliances for their new home.

The two are childhood acquaintances, but their romance began two years ago at a tennis party thrown by Akishino. — AP