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Three bombs explode in Lahore
Benazir Murder US issues travel advisory
to officials in Pak |
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Islamic body bans yoga for Muslims
China, Taiwan hold historic meeting
8 dead, 16 hurt in hotel fire in China
UN team to monitor Bangladesh elections
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Top Al-Qaida men killed in US missile attack
At least five persons were killed, including two suspected Al-Qaida operatives in North Waziristan tribal in a US missile attack early Saturday morning. A US drone reportedly fired two missiles at the house of Khaliq Noor, resident of Alikhel village, killing five persons, including three foreigners, and injuring six others. The two Al-Qaida operatives were identified as Rashid Rauf and Abu Al-Asr Al Misri. Rashid Rauf was allegedly the mastermind of London train bomb blasts and had escaped from police custody in Rawalpindi in December 2006. The attack came just two days after Pakistan lodged a strong protest with the US Ambassador over missile attacks on its territory. In the continued violence, three police constables were killed and two kidnapped on Saturday when suspected pro-Taliban militants lobbed grenades at the Madaan police post in Bannu district. It was apparently a retaliatory assault after Thursday's first-ever US missile attack on a village deep inside settled areas in Bannu district. Bannu district police officer told reporters that the “assailants succeeded to flee from the scene as the security personnel, present on the spot, retaliated.” Religious extremists in the troubled area in the NWFP also set ablaze three CD shops in district capital of Mangora on Saturday.
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Lahore, November 22 The first two blasts occurred shortly after 10.30 pm outside the Al-hamra Arts council and the third occurred after a short-while outside the near-by Gaddafi stadium while the police was evacuating people from the area. The police officials said at least three persons were injured in the blast. Interior ministry chief Rehman Malick told mediapersons that the blasts were caused by improvised explosive devices. — PTI
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Benazir Murder The Anti-Terrorism Special Court in Rawalpindi on Saturday indicted the five accused of complicity in the conspiracy for murder of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and adjourned the hearing until November 29 for recording evidence. Bhutto was murdered on December 27 after she addressed a public meeting in Rawalpindi. The PPP government has virtually remained dissociated with proceedings in the court and has approached the United Nations general secretary to help probe the assassination. The accused Rafaqat, Husnain, Sher Zaman, Abdul Rashid and Aitzaz Shah, who were given a hearing by the special court Judge, Chaudhry Habibur Rahman, refuted the allegations and pleaded innocent. Three associate accused in the case - Aitzaz Shah, Sher Zaman and Abdul Rashid - are blamed only for having prior information related to the terrorist activity, but they did not inform the police and other relevant authorities, while the two remaining accused, Shafqat and Hasnain, have been charged for direct association with the conspiracy to murder Benazir and for facilitating the suicide bombers. Naseer Tanoli and Khurram Quraishi advocates appeared on behalf of the accused, while Raja Yasin on behalf of the government as the public prosecutor appeared during the hearing. The lawyers of the accused have decided to approach the high court against this decision.
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US issues travel advisory
to officials in Pak
Islamabad, November 22 In a travel advisory released here on Saturday, the State Department has advised the American officials in Pakistan to avoid unnecessary stay in hotels in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. The fresh advisory has been issued in the wake of rising attacks by Taliban and Al-Qaida in Pakistan particularly along western border.
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Islamic body bans yoga for Muslims
Kuala Lumpur, November 22 The National Fatwa Council issued a religious decree telling the Muslims, who comprise two-thirds of Malaysia’s 27 million population, that practising yoga was ‘haram’ or prohibited in Islam. Apart from the physical movements, the yoga practices contain worshipping and chanting, which were prohibited for Muslims, it said. The ruling came after an Islamic studies lecturer recently advised Muslims, who had taken up yoga, to stop practising it as they could deviate from the teachings of Islam.
— PTI
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China, Taiwan hold historic meeting
Lima, November 22 Taiwan’s former premier Lien Chan, who is honorary chairman of the island’s ruling kuomintang party, met yesterday with Hu for about 40 minutes at a hotel in Lima, Peru, where leaders are meeting for an Asia-Pacific summit. Officials in Taiwan’s summit delegation called it the highest-level meeting in an international setting since 1949, when the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan after losing China’s civil war to the communists. “It is very significant for old friends to meet far away from Asia’,” Lien, who has met Hu twice in China this year, told reporters after the meeting. China has historically opposed any hint of
international recognition of democratic Taiwan, which Beijing considers a part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary. Yesterday’s chat at the mainland Chinese delegation’s hotel was the latest step forward for the two Cold War rivals, whose relations improved dramatically this year. Taiwan in March elected Beijing-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou, ending two decades of rule in Taipei by leaders who rattled China with their support for a separate identity for the democratic island. Ma earlier this month became Taiwan’s first president to meet with a senior Chinese official, who signed four deals that will see the two sides cooperating in air travel, post and cargo shipping.
— AFP
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8 dead, 16 hurt in hotel fire in China
Beijing, November 22 The fire broke out at Jintian Hotel in Luliang city and within minutes set ablaze all its seven floors, state agency Xinhua reported. Rescuers fished out seven bodies from the site after the fire was doused. All the injured were rushed to a local hospital where they were out of danger, a spokesperson with Luliang city government told Xinhua. One of the injured died in hospital failing to respond to emergency treatment.
The blaze was put out and the cause of the fire is under investigation, Xinhua said.
The identities of the dead are not immediately known. Some of the hotel rooms were leased to businesses, including a local television and some advertisement companies and travel services, the spokesperson said.
— PTI
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UN team to monitor Bangladesh elections
United Nations, November 22 The panel was set up in response to request from the caretaker government, which wants to ensure free and fair election, the UN said. The parliamentary elections in Bangladesh are scheduled for December 18. “The panel is tasked with assessing preparations and conduct of the elections through visits to Bangladesh before and during the elections,” Ban’s spokesperson said. The three-member panel begins its first visit to Bangladesh tomorrow and expects to return for about a week around the time of the election. At the conclusion of its visit the panel plans to report key findings and recommendations to Ban. Francesc Vendrell, secretary-general’s former personal representative for Afghanistan and European Union envoy to the same country, will head the panel. The other members are Bhojraj Pokharel, Nepal’s chief election commissioner, and Aracelly Santana, former deputy director of the UN’s Electoral Assistance Division. While visiting Bangladesh earlier this month, Ban described the upcoming polls as an “historic opportunity” for the country. “It is in the world’s and your best interest to see Bangladesh achieve its full
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3 die in Pak mosque blast Quakes hit Sumatra Grenade thrown on protesters, 1 killed One killed in Nepal blast Tiny flying robots 
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