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India waives conditions for talks on pipeline: Aziz
Ex-Ukraine minister found dead on day of testimony
Maoists destroy govt offices
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| Rice to visit Pak
Islamabad, March 5 US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due to visit Pakistan in mid-March, an official said today. Rice is expected in Islamabad on March 17, a senior official of Pakistan’s foreign ministry said, but declined to comment further on her engagements. — AFP 
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India waives conditions for talks on pipeline: Aziz
Lahore, March 5 Speaking at a press conference at the Governor's House, he said the Indian Cabinet's decision to become part of the proposed gas pipeline without attaching any conditions had "vindicated our principled stand". Also present at the press conference were PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Governor Khalid Maqbool. "During my visit to India, I had offered Prime Minister Manmohan Singh an energy corridor. I told him that both India and Pakistan needed gas to meet their requirements. It (gas) could be imported from Turkmenistan via Afghanistan or directly from Iran. Another option of importing gas from Qatar was also discussed. At that time, India had attached frour to five conditions, including grant of MFN status, transit rights through Pakistan, etc, to become a part of the project. However, I made it clear to them that no conditions would be acceptable to us. If they want to become part of the project, they would have to do so without any conditions. Now they have agreed to join the project without any conditions," he said. Mr Aziz said Indian Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Ayar had already been invited to Pakistan to discuss the details of the proposed project. "The Iranian minister would also be coming here in a few weeks. The Qatari minister was already here a few days back. We are also in contact with Turkmenistan (discussing the possibility of importing gas from there as well)," he said. He said the gas pipeline diplomacy would help improve the situation in the region. "Inter-dependencies and linkages always help improve relationships (between nations)." He said the ongoing composite dialogue between India and Pakistan was making rapid progress as talks were being held at different levels. In answer to a question, he said Kashmir was the core issue between the two neighbours and "we want it to be settled peacefully through dialogue in tandem with other issues". On the issue of Baglihar Dam, he said the World Bank was processing Pakistan's request for the appointment of a neutral expert to settle the dispute. He said the World Bank had asked a few questions after receiving Pakistan's request. The answers would be sent back to the bank on Monday after which it would appoint the expert. |
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US forces injure Italian
hostage, kill negotiator
Baghdad, March 5 The US Ambassador to Rome was summoned to the office of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who said there were "disquieting questions" about the friendly fire incident late yesterday. US President George W. Bush later called the Prime Minister to express his regrets, the White House said, pledging a full investigation into the shooting. Sgrena (56) underwent surgery after the shooting as she was being driven to a US base, her newspaper Il Manifesto said. According to the US military, the vehicle carrying Sgrena and the agent was moving at a high speed toward a checkpoint and the soldiers who fired on it waved their hands and arms, flashed white lights and fired warning shots in a failed attempt to get it to stop. "When the driver didn't stop, the soldiers shot into the engine block, which stopped the vehicle, killing one and wounding two others," the 3rd Infantry Division said in a statement. The Italian news agency, ANSA, said two other Italian secret service agents were wounded.
— AFP |
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Ex-Ukraine minister found dead on day of testimony
Moscow, March 5 The gangland-style slaying of journalist Heorhiy Gongadze (31) whose decapitated body was found in a forest about 70 miles from Kiev, has long been the subject of allegations linked to the government of former President Leonid Kuchma. Senior government officials, including Kuchma, were implicated in the killing when Socialist Party Leader Oleksander Moroz said he possessed audio tapes secretly recorded by a member of the President's security detail and played them to Parliament in 2000. Progress on a case that had laid dormant under the Kuchma administration, despite a series of ostensible investigations, has accelerated dramatically since Viktor Yushchenko became president in January. The death by gunshot of Yuri Kravchenko (53) at his home on Friday followed an announcement earlier this week by Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Svyatoslav Piskun that investigators had identified the four persons immediately involved in Gongadze's kidnapping and
killing. — By arrangement with the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post |
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Maoists destroy govt offices
Kathmandu, March 5 The Maoists destroyed the District Administration Office, the Irrigation Office, the Education Office, the Land Revenue Office, the Development Committee, the Post Office and Drinking Water Office in Sandkhark and the headquarters of Arghakhachi district, 450 km west of Kathmandu, by setting these on fire and exploding bombs, security sources said. Hundreds of armed rebels first attacked the Royal Nepalese Army barrack and then stormed the government offices. They also destroyed two civilian buildings. However, no casualty was reported on either side during the two-hour fighting. A policeman’s wife, who sustained a bullet injury in her leg during the attack, was admitted to a local
hospital. — PTI |
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London, March 5 Charles and Camilla have politely refused gifts because they are desperate to avoid the embarrassment of hundreds of unwanted gifts, The Daily Mirror tabloid reported today. Shocked at the pictures of Prince Harry wearing a Nazi uniform at a fancy dress party, which was taken on the camera phone of another guest and sold to a newspaper, Charles and Camilla have asked guests to avoid carrying mobile phones and cameras. Most of Charles and Camilla's 800 guests have been invited only to the blessing in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle following the small civil ceremony at the town's Guildhall. — PTI
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