Islamabad, April 1
Militants in Pakistan’s Balochistan province pounded security forces with mortars and rockets in continuing violence that also saw bomb blasts in the towns of Pasni and Mastung.

The militants fired at least 24 rockets at the Frontier Corps check posts in the Kahan tehsil. Though the Frontier Corps personnel also fired several rockets towards the militants positions, they managed to escape unhurt, the sources said.

Meanwhile, amid mounting pressure from the US and EU to crack down hard on al-Qaeda and Taliban militants holed up in its tribal belt, Pakistan is rushing an additional 8,000 troops to the restive region to reinforce the 80,000 security men deployed along the borders with Afghanistan.

The troops are being rushed ahead of a major operation planned in the north and south Waziristan tribal agencies, ‘The News’ daily quoted officials 
as saying.

Two brigades of infantry troops have been sent to the trouble spots near the Pak-Afghan border, it said.

The Defence spokesman Maj Gen Waheed Arshad, however, said it was a ‘release and rotation process’ under which fresh troops are sent to relieve the already deployed brigades.

But, the newspaper, quoted officials as saying that this was an additional deployment of troops for an operation being planned in the troubled areas to flush out foreign terrorists. — PTI

New Delhi, April 1
About 150 Indians, who went on a tour of Spain last year using “forged” documents, have gone missing in the European nation, raising speculation that a travel agent might have facilitated their illegal migration.

They had gone to Egypt and Spain in batches on “incentive trips” organised by a travel agency paying it 8-10 lakh rupees, here during February and April 2006 by using “forged” documents.

The incident came to light after the Spanish embassy filed a complaint at the Tuglaq Road police station here, informed authorities that 140-150 Indians had not returned even a year after they went to that country.

The embassy also said in its complaint that Madrid could not confirm the whereabouts of these people.

“We got a complaint from the Spanish embassy in this regard,” a senior police official said.

Investigations revealed that the travel agency “procured” visas for these people after “falsely” claiming that it was the official tour operator of a prominent cycle manufacturing company.

A case had been registered against the travel agency’s owner for alleged forgery and cheating. — PTI

Seoul, April 1
A South Korean protester set himself on fire today outside a Seoul hotel where talks on a free trade pact with the USA are in their final hours, witnesses and hospital officials said. "It was so quick. A man was suddenly in flames and a group of riot police sprayed fire extinguisher on his body," a photographer at the scene said.

"An ambulance took him immediately to a nearby hospital." Another witness said - "He was shouting 'Stop FTA!' while setting fire on himself. He was repeating the slogan even lying on the road."

Officials at Joongang University hospital, where he was in an emergency unit, identified him as Heo Se-Ok aged 56. A taxi driver known as Heo Se-wook (56), a member of the Korean Federation of Taxi Workers’ Unions, set himself ablaze as he shouted slogans like “Stop ETA and Resign President Roh Moo-hyun”.

"He is not in a critical condition at the moment. He still has consciousness and is still able to talk. But we'll have to see," Lee Bo-Kyung, a nurse at the emergency unit, told AFP.

Hundreds of riot police with helmets and shields guarded the hilltop Grand Hyatt hotel, the talks venue.

Police was not immediately available for comment.

Farmers and other workers who fear for their jobs, along with activists, have staged numerous protests since the negotiations began 10 months ago. — AFP

Beijing, April 1
Spain’s Juan Garc Postigo won the coveted “Mr World 2007” title, outsmarting 55 contestants including Mr. India, in the picturesque southern Chinese city of Sanya.

The Spaniard defeated 55 other competitors last night to be crowned Mr World, followed by Lucas Gil from Brazil and Jiang Lejun from China.

India, participated in the coveted event for the first time, saw its aspirant Kawaljit Anand Singh eliminated in the semi-finals.

Singh, who hailed from Assam, won the title of ‘Haywards Mr India 2007’ held in Mumbai.

The Mr World contest was broadcast live in more than 100 countries to an audience of nearly 1.4 billion during which judges tested the character, determination and masculinity of the national titleholders from the world over.

To win the prestigious title, the contestants were stretched to the limits in a series of challenges devised to test fitness, fortitude and form.

They were split into four groups to compete against each other in three stand-alone ‘Fast Track’ events so as to make it to the grand finale held last night. — PTI

Camp David (Maryland), April 1
The US President George W Bush called for the release of 15 British sailors and marines being held by Iran, calling their capture by Tehran “inexcusable behaviour.” “Iran must give back the hostages,” Bush said yesterday.

“They’re innocent, they did nothing wrong, and they were summarily plucked out of waters.” Bush also said during the joint appearance with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva that Alberto Gonzales was “honourable and honest” and had his full support, despite contradictory statements about the embattled attorney general’s role in the firing of federal prosecutors.

The comments on the captured Britons were the first from Bush, as Washington took a low-key approach so far out of concern that more robust intervention might aggravate the situation and shake international resolve on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Bush did not answer a question about whether the US would react militarily if those captured had been Americans.

With the crisis in its second week, the president said he supported British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s efforts to find a diplomatic resolution. — AP

Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf said today Muslims were heading towards a decline and if they did not correct their actions, they would cease to be a viable entity.

Addressing the inaugural session of Seerat Conference here to mark the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad , the President said, “ It is high time we took stock of our position afresh that how much we act on Islam. Nobody has the right to interpret Islam in accordance with his free will.”

Those having no understanding of Islam have hijacked Islam and if we want to bring people to Islam, we will have to correct ourselves, he added.

Mentioning Laal Masjid, President Musharraf said the government was avoiding any action against Laal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa in view of respect for women and the mosque, adding, “I fear only Allah; we can do much.”

“We have left the straight path of Islam; Allah’s rights are in the focus and Huququl Ebad are being ignored,” Musharraf said adding if “we want advancement, we will have to quit this path.”

“We do not have unity in our country, while 57 Muslim countries are heading for unity”, he said.

Sydney, April 1
Organisers behind a campaign that saw Sydney impose a one-hour blackout to focus attention to global warming hailed it as a success for taking the equivalent of nearly 50,000 cars off the road.

Energy Australia said the event which saw the lights switched off on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House and in 65,000 homes and 2,000 businesses, had cut normal energy use by an estimated 10.2 per cent.

Sydney switched off at 7:30 pm yesterday (1500 IST) as residents and firms joined the ‘Earth Hour’ to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which organised what it called a world first event. — AFP