Accidental blast kills 2 saboteurs in Karachi

KARACHI: At least two people were killed in a blast on Abul Hasan Isfahani Road early Tuesday morning. According to police sources, both the deceased were terrorists and were transporting explosives when they accidentally went off killing both of them on the spot.

According to details, the blast occurred near Town Police Station situated on Abul Hasan Isfahani.

Eyewitnesses told TrendPK that both the saboteurs were riding a motorcycle allegedly carrying explosives, which went off with a loud bang, killing both the terrorists on the spot.

The blast was so powerful that organs of motorcyclists scattered far and wide and windowpanes of nearby building were smashed triggering panic in the area.

The blast caused massive traffic holdup on Abul Hasan Isfahani Road. TrendPK

Gulf Arabs to try to draw Yemen opposition to talks

SANAA: Gulf Arab ambassadors were to meet Yemen opposition figures on Wednesday to urge them to join mediation talks as protesters around the country again demanded an end to President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 32-year rule.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) invited government and opposition representatives on Monday to talks in Saudi Arabia, at a date yet to be set, while the United States pressed the veteran political survivor to negotiate with his opponents.

U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates visited Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and was to discuss the unrest sweeping the region with King Abdullah, whose kingdom borders Yemen and is grappling with internal pressures of its own.

Saleh, who ignored a transition-of-power plan offered by the opposition on Saturday, accepted the GCC invitation on Tuesday and urged the opposition to follow suit. So did Ali Mohsen, the prominent general who turned against Saleh last month. There was no sign of a shift in position by Saleh despite the pressure. He has insisted for weeks he will leave once he has overseen parliamentary and presidential elections this year.

“The president will not leave his historic role early, before the transition of power… This issue is important,” Saleh adviser Ahmad al-Soufi told Al Arabiya television.

The ambassadors of Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia were to meet the government side on Wednesday as well as representatives of the opposition coalition, which has been non-committal so far.

“We welcome the (GCC) position on respecting the Yemeni people’s choices and we will also welcome any efforts made for the sake of President Saleh’s speedy departure,” Joint Meeting Parties coalition spokesman Mohammed al-Sabri said on Monday.

On Tuesday, an opposition source said security forces in the southern port city of Aden detained six people for mobilising students to join a civil disobedience campaign that has kicked off in South Yemen in recent days, with shops, schools and some government offices closed for part of the day in some towns.

Tension has risen this week in a standoff that began in February when protesters began camping out outside Sanaa University. Saleh, a wily political survivor who has been in power since 1978, said then he would run for re-election in 2013 but that did not persuade sceptical activists to go home.

On Monday, security forces and armed men in civilian clothes fired on protesters in Taiz, south of Sanaa, and the Red Sea port of Hudaida, killing 21 people.

On Tuesday, security forces and armed men again attacked a crowd of tens of thousands of protesters in Taiz, residents said, and protesters responded by hurling rocks.

Doctors told Reuters around 30 protesters were wounded by gunfire and beatings. Around 300 were injured in total, they said, most suffering from tear gas inhalation.

Saleh supporters clashed with protesters and army units protecting them in Sanaa on Tuesday, resulting in three deaths. The government said a mediation team sent to General Mohsen had been set upon, while Mohsen said it was a trap to assassinate him.

U.S. CHANGES TACK

Washington has long seen Saleh as a pivotal ally in its fight against al Qaeda, which has used its Yemen base to stage attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United States. In return for billions of dollars in military aid, he has pledged to fight militants and allowed unpopular U.S. air strikes on their camps.

But on Monday, U.S. officials said Washington was ratcheting up pressure on Saleh to work towards a power transition plan.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon said the United States was calling for a negotiated transition in Yemen “as quickly as possible.”

“Obviously the situation right now is a difficult one. The longer it festers, the more difficult it becomes,” Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.

Some diplomats in Saudi Arabia have suggested Riyadh wants Mohsen to replace Saleh, though the general has said he is not interested in taking power. Civil society opposition groups say Mohsen, 70, an Islamist, is tainted by his kinship and long-time association with the veteran ruler.

More than 100 people have been killed since anti-government protests began in Yemen, including the March 18 killings of 52 anti-government protesters by rooftop snipers in Sanaa.

That incident, which led Saleh to declare a state of emergency, prompted top Yemeni generals, ambassadors and some tribes to back the protesters, in a major blow to the president.

Opposition sources say talks stalled because Saleh was manoeuvring to ensure he and his family do not face prosecution over corruption accusations raised by the opposition. Many demonstrators are sceptical about the GCC talks.

Frustration with Saleh’s intransigence may push Yemenis, many of them heavily armed and no strangers to wars and insurgencies, closer to a violent power struggle. AGENCIES

Syria: President accepts resignation of PM and Cabinet

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accepted his government s resignation on Tuesday after nearly two weeks of pro-democracy unrest that has posed the gravest challenge to his 11-year rule. But the move was unlikely to satisfy protester demands since the cabinet has little authority in Syria, where power is concentrated in the hands of Assad, his family and the security apparatus.

Tens of thousands of Syrians held pro-government rallies on Tuesday, awaiting a speech in which Assad was expected to announce a decision on lifting emergency laws that have served to crush dissent for almost 50 years. That is a key demand of anti-government demonstrations in which more than 60 people have been killed.

Iraqi forces end gunmen’s siege, 45 killed in attack

BAGHDAD: The death toll from an attack on the Iraqi provincial council headquarters in Tikrit rose to 45 on Tuesday and Iraqi security forces ended a siege by gunmen in the building, a health official said.

Jasim al-Dulaimi, head of the health operations centre in Salahuddin province, said three provincial council members and seven insurgents were among the dead.

World Condemns Salman Taseer’s Assassination

The assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer has been condemned worldwide. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday condemned the assassination of the governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province, calling his death “a great loss.”

“We strongly condemn the assassination today in Pakistan of Punjab Provincial Governor Salman Taseer,” Clinton said in a statement.

“I had the opportunity to meet Governor Taseer in Pakistan and I admired his work to promote tolerance and the education of Pakistan’s future generations. His death is a great loss,” the chief US diplomat said.

“Our deepest sympathies are with Governor Taseer’s wife and children,” she added.

France on Tuesday condemned the assassination of the governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province, hailing him as a man known for his “courage in defending democratic institutions.”

“France firmly condemns the assassination on Tuesday of the governor of Punjab Salman Taseer. Governor Taseer was a political personality of the highest order,” deputy foreign ministry spokeswoman Christine Fages said.

The United States said Tuesday that the assassination of the governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province, Salman Taseer, was a “great loss” because he was trying to stabilize his country.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will offer Washington’s condolences to Hussain Haqqani, the Pakistani ambassador to Washington, when she meets him later Tuesday, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters.

“From our standpoint, his death is a great loss. He was committed to helping the government and people of Pakistan persevere in their campaign to bring peace and stability to their country,” he added.

US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter has expressed his deep grief and condolences over the assassination of Governor Punjab Salman Taseer.

“I am deeply saddened by the assassination of Governor Taseer. On behalf of the United States, I offer my condolences to his wife and children,” said Cameron Munter.

Speaking about the assassination of Salman Taseer, Ambassador Munter said, “He had the courage of his convictions and was a champion of tolerance. His death is a great loss to the people of Pakistan,” says a US Embassy press release issued here Tuesday.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday condemned the assassination of the governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province calling it a blow to the country.

“The secretary general condemns the assassination today of the governor of Punjab province,” said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky. The official, Salman Taseer, was shot dead by a bodyguard opposed to his criticism of blasphemy laws.

Ban called the governor “a prominent leader whose death is a loss for Pakistan.”

People from all walks of life including politicians, civil society, trader unions and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan have condemned the tragic death of Salmaan Taseer, while expressing deep sense of sorrow and grief over the sad demise.

The PPP’s Punjab Leadership, members of provincial cabinet including Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah and leaders of other political parties while condemning the assassination of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer demanded exemplary punishment for the accused involved in the murder conspiracy.

In their separate statements, PPP’s Punjab President Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, Secretary Information, Dr. Fakhruddin Ch, Secretary Finance, Aurangzeb Burki and Additional Secretary Dr. Hasnaat Shah termed governor’s murder a big loss for the PPP and demanded arrest of those who masterminded his assassination.

Speaker Punjab Assembly, Rana Muhammad Iqbal, Senior Punjab Minister, Raja Riaz, provincial Ministers, Rana Sana Ullah, Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, Dr. Tanvirul Islam, Ch. Abdul Ghafoor, Ahmed Ali Aulakh, Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Malik Nadeem Kamran, Kamran Michael, Member Provincial Assembly Syed Zaeem Hussain Qadri and Dr. Saeed Elahi have expressed deep sense of sorrow and grief over the assassination of Governor Punjab Salman Taseer.

Senior PPP leader and Chairman Evacuee Property Trust Board, Syed Asif Hashmi held a condolence meeting at his residence and condemned late Taseer’s murder in strongest words.

In their separate condolence messages, all ministers and PPP leaders prayed that may Allah Almighty rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage and strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with fortitude.

White House to help Pakistan fight extremism

WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday said its commitment to helping Pakistan root out violent extremism would not waver, following the assassination of the governor of Punjab province.

The White House added its voice to condolences offered to the family of Governor Salman Taseer on Tuesday by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“This is an individual who had worked hard to promote tolerance and his loss is a great one for Pakistan,” said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

“We remain committed to the efforts that the Pakistani government is (taking) and must undertake to root out violent extremism and to bring greater peace and stability to that country and to that region of the world.

On Tuesday, Clinton said she had admired Taseer’s work to promote tolerance and education and described his death as a “great loss.”

Iran Hangs ‘Mossad Spy’: State Media

TEHRAN: Iran hanged on Tuesday a man found guilty of working as a “spy” for Israeli intelligence service Mossad, state news agency IRNA reported quoting the Tehran prosecutor’s office.

Ali Akbar Sadiat was hanged on Tuesday in Tehran after having been condemned to death for “working for Mossad,” IRNA reported, quoting the prosecutor’s office.

Sadiat was found guilty of having had links with Mossad for six years.

Live Chat: Sandeepa Dhar on December 28 at 1500 hrs IST

If you have seen the promos of Rajshri Productions’s latest flick Isi Life Mein, you would have surely noticed the pretty girl with a vivacious personality. She is none other than Sandeepa Dhar who makes her big screen debut with Isi Life Mein.

Bollywood Hungama gives you a unique opportunity to have a live video chat with the gorgeous Sandeepa Dhar on Tuesday, December 28, at 1500 hrs IST. Don’t miss!

Akshay’s chronic back problem re-surfaces; skips Dubai promotional tour

Akshay Kumar’s chronic back problem which immobilized him on Tuesday has a strange and bizarre connection with Farah Khan.
Farah who’s just directed Akshay in Tees Maar Khan, earlier directed Shah Rukh Khan who also suffered from a chronic back problem that has put him out of action more than once. And Farah, to carry the queer coincidence forward, is often called the true inheritor of Manmohan Desai’s legacy. Desai, it must be remembered, suffered from an acute back problem.
Akshay Kumar’s scheduled 25-day promotional tour for his new film Tees Maar Khan came to a grinding halt on Tuesday when his chronic back problem suddenly resurfaced.
While wife Twinkle rushed Akshay to the doctors on Tuesday afternoon, Akshay’s co-star Katrina had to leave for the Dubai lap of the film’s promotion all alone.
Apparently, Akshay was insistent that he join Katrina for her trip to Dubai. But Twinkle put her husband under house-arrest, as this was not an isolated back pain. Akshay first suffered a back problem while doing a stunt sequence in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi in 1996. It confined him to bed rest for almost three months.
Again last year, while shooting for Sajid Khan’s Housefull, Akshay’s back trouble recurred. He was advised surgery. But Akshay opted for water therapy. It took him to Germany and he came back apparently fully cured.
Says a source close to Akshay, “It was the rigorous travel by plane and cars for the promotion of his new film that caused Akshay’s back problem again.”
While the whirlwind tour of Dubai had to be cancelled (Katrina had to brave Dubai’s excited crowds all alone) Akshay insisted he would leave for the London lap of his promotional tours on Tuesday night.
Twinkle confirmed on Tuesday evening that Akshay was better.
“He will be ok. He will leave tonight for London to promote Tees Maar Khan,” said Twinkle.

Low water levels prevail in Tarbela, Mangla

ISLAMABAD: Low water levels prevail in both main dams of the country on Tuesday (today).

In Tarbela Dam, the water is at 107.33 feet, while in Mangla Dam it is 106 feet above dead level.

The drinkable water reservoir in Tarbela Dam is 3398000 acre feet while in Mangla Dam it is 1929000 acre feet, sources of the Meteorological Department said. TrendPK

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