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Updated on October 25, 2002 |
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--- South Asian News, August 12, 2002 ---(Weekend International)
A nurse who was critically injured in the Friday grenade attack has died of her injuries, while Pakistani investigators have identified one of the assailants responsible for an attack. In Jammu and Kashmir since Saturday night, at least 18 people, including 11 militants, were killed and two persons, including a Special PoliceOfficer (SPO), injured in separate incidents. In Business news, India's foreign exchange reserves crossed 60 billion US dollars during the week ended August 2 due to continued revaluation of the US dollar vis-a-vis the Euro and increase in export remittances.
Africa
N/A
Americas
N/A
Asia-Pacific
* Seven killed in landmine attack (Australian Broadcasting)
* Eight dead in Kashmir violence (Australian Broadcasting)
* 18 killed in Jammu, Kashmir (Xinhuanet) (East Day)
* 9 anti-government guerrillas killed in Nepal (Xinhuanet)
* Security alert sounded in Indian capital (Xinhuanet)
* 7 security men killed in Indian blast (Xinhuanet)
* Pakistani court issues arrest warrants for 6 involved in Jun 14 bombing (Channel News Asia)
* Pakistani police identify church attackers as religious militants (Channel News Asia) (East Day)
* Presidential election to be held in Bangladesh on Sept. 16 (East Day)
* Separatist alliance to boycott Kashmir state elections (Channel News Asia)
Europe
* Pakistan church attack nurse dies (BBC)
* Bangladesh authorities probe bank fraud (BBC)
* Rebels Kill 11 Policemen In India (Guardian) (Reuters)
* Pakistan Suspects Group In Attacks (Guardian) (Reuters)
* Pakistan Ids One Hospital Attacker (Guardian)
* Nepal Maoist leader calls for talks (BBC)
* Nepal press demands freedoms (BBC)
* Pakistan Says Militants Switch to 'Soft' Targets (Reuters)
Middle East
* Hurriyat rules out poll participation (Arab News)
* Parliament session may end abruptly (Gulf News)
* Trial of consulate blast suspects put off (Gulf News)
* India's foreign exchange reserves reach over US dlrs 60 billion (IRNA)
* India downplays US rejection of diplomatic status for Agnihotri (IRNA)
* Pak Christian leader demands minister resign over poor security (IRNA)
* Pak Christians attend Sunday service midst tight security (IRNA)
* Pakistan Says Militants Switch to "Soft" Targets (Tehran Times)
Editorial
N/A
Business/Technology
* India's foreign reserves cross 60 billion dollars (Xinhuanet)
* India's inflation touches year's high (Xinhuanet)
* Musharraf under mounting pressure to revive Pakistan's economy (Channel News Asia)
Africa
N/A
Americas
N/A
Asia-Pacific
* Seven killed in landmine attack
Seven Indian security men were killed and four were injured by a landmine planted by suspected Maoist rebels in the eastern state of Orissa, the Press Trust of India has reported. Four men of the Central Reserve Police Force and their driver were killed immediately when the vehicle ran over a landmine, while two others died from their injuries later in hospital, Inspector General of Police M M Praharaj said. The condition of four others who were injured was critical, he added.
http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s645735.htm
* Eight dead in Kashmir violence
Indian police say eight people have been killed in fresh clashes in the disputed Kashmir region between security forces and Islamic militants. A police spokesman says two civilians and two militants were among those killed south of Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Elections are to take place in the region in September and October, but Kashmir's main separatist alliance, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, has said it will boycott them.
http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s645701.htm
* 18 killed in Jammu, Kashmir
New Delhi, August 11 -- At least 18 people, including 11 militants, were killed and two persons, including a Special PoliceOfficer (SPO), injured in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since Saturday night, an official spokesman said Sunday. Four Pakistani militants were killed when they were trying to sneak into the valley via Manju post near Line of Control at Karnah sector of Kupwara district in north Kashmir, he said. In Jammu Saturday night, the spokesman said militants gunned down three members of the Gujjar community in two villages in Sarswa-Snlwaha area of Poonch district.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-08/11/content_520027.htm
http://english.eastday.com/epublish/gb/paper1/631/class000100003/hwz81386.htm
* 9 anti-government guerrillas killed in Nepal
Kathmandu, August 11 -- At least nine anti-government guerrillas were killed on Saturday by the government security forces in this Himalayan kingdom, according to a press release issued by the Nepali Defense Ministry Sunday night. At least seven guerrillas were gunned down on the spot Saturdayin Mugu district while two others were killed in Jumla and Rolpa districts, all located in western Nepal, the press release said. The guerrillas were killed when they exchanged fires with the government security forces, and the latter also seized some arms, ammunitions and explosive materials from the guerrillas during their cordon and search operations in these districts, it added.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-08/11/content_520026.htm
* Security alert sounded in Indian capital
New Delhi, August 11 -- A security alert has been sounded here in view of intelligence reports warning of a "high level" terrorist threat to disrupt Independence Day celebrations on August 15. All Delhi Police personnel, particularly those of the Special Cell and Intelligence Wing, have been ordered to be alert to preempt any move by terrorists to carry out subversive activity inthe capital, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI). Special measures are also being taken to prevent any suicide attack. Checking of vehicles and persons entering Delhi has been intensified and patrolling stepped up all across the capital. Police have also asked people to remain alert.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-08/11/content_520021.htm
* 7 security men killed in Indian blast
New Delhi, August 11 -- Seven security personnel were killed and several others injured in a landmine blast triggered by suspected militants near Gathalpadar village in east India's Orissa state Sunday morning, police said. Four policemen and a police driver were killed on the spot while two others succumbed to their injuries at the government hospital at Gunupur, Inspector General of Police M.M. Praharaj said. The policemen were on their way to the village where an allegedinformer had been shot dead by People's War Group militants Saturday night.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-08/11/content_519899.htm
* Pakistani court issues arrest warrants for 6 involved in Jun 14 bombing
A Pakistani court has issued arrest warrants for six fugitives involved in a car bombing in June. The suicide bombing at the US consulate in Karachi on June 14 killed 12 Pakistani nationals. The blast followed another in early May which killed 11 French naval engineers and three Pakistanis. Meanwhile the trial of four men accused of plotting the bombing continues in the port city.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/15769/1/.html
* Pakistani police identify church attackers as religious militants
August 10 -- This was the site of the grenade attack. Pakistani police say those behind a deadly attack on a Christian hospital chapel belong to a banned religious group. But they refuse to identify the group, as investigation is still continuing. Four people were killed, and more than 20 others injured when the attackers hurled grenades at church worshippers, northwest of capital Islamabad on Friday.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/15744/1/.html
http://english.eastday.com/epublish/gb/paper1/630/class000100003/hwz81261.htm
* Presidential election to be held in Bangladesh on Sept. 16
August 11 -- Bangladesh will hold presidential election to elect its 17th president on September 16,the Election Commission announced in Dhaka Saturday. According to the constitution of the country,the presidential election will be held in the 300-member parliament,in which the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led four-party alliance hold more than two-third majority of seats. As per the Constitution the presidential election became mandatory within 90days following the resignation of former President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury on June 21.
http://english.eastday.com/epublish/gb/paper1/630/class000100003/hwz81254.htm
* Separatist alliance to boycott Kashmir state elections
Indian Kashmir's main separatist alliance is threatening to undermine next month's state elections. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) said it would boycott the polls, dealing a blow to New Delhi's efforts to bolster the legitimacy of its rule. The APHC believes the election for a new Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir state would not help ease tensions over the region's future.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/15741/1/.html
Europe
* Pakistan church attack nurse dies
August 11 -- A nurse who was critically injured in a grenade attack on a hospital church in Pakistan on Friday has died of her injuries. Her death brings to four the number of nurses killed in the assault on the chapel in the town of Taxila to four. More than 20 missionary staff were wounded by the blasts, two of whom remain in a serious condition. Authorities believe Islamic militants opposed to Pakistan's support for the US-led war on terror carried out the attack.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2184674.stm
* Bangladesh authorities probe bank fraud
August 11 -- The Bangladesh Central Bank has begun an investigation into an alleged banking fraud worth millions of dollars that has shaken the country's banking sector. The authorities have asked five private commercial banks to provide information about their dealings with a number of companies for which they are reported to have provided large amounts of credit.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2186927.stm
* Rebels Kill 11 Policemen In India
Bhuvaneshwar, India August 11 -- Rebel groups claiming to fight for farm workers' rights killed at least 11 policemen Sunday in separate attacks in eastern India, police said. Police suspect the People's War Group of triggering a land mine explosion that killed seven policemen and injured five others in Orissa state, said N.C. Padhi, director general of police. The policemen were traveling to Gothalipadar village, 260 miles south of the Orissa state capital, Bhubaneshwar. Five policemen were killed instantly and two others died later at the hospital, Padhi said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-1940707,00.html
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=search&StoryID=1315009
* Pakistan Suspects Group In Attacks
Islamabad, Pakistan August 11 -- Investigators in Pakistan suspect that members of the pro-al-Qaida Jaish-e-Mohammed group were involved in recent attacks against Christians, highly placed police and Interior Ministry officials said Sunday. Suicide squads from outlawed extremist groups are planning more attacks on important Pakistani officials, foreigners and Christians to destabilize military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf's government because of its ongoing support for the U.S. war against terrorism, the officials added. ``We are convinced that associates of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a group outlawed by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in January, were behind the grenade attack on worshippers at a church on the grounds of a Presbyterian hospital in Taxila on Aug. 9,'' a security official said on condition of anonymity. Four Pakistani nurses and one of the attackers were killed in the attack
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-1940026,00.html
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=search&StoryID=1314813
* Pakistan Ids One Hospital Attacker
Islamabad, Pakistan August 10-- Pakistani investigators said Saturday they had identified one of the assailants responsible for an attack on a Christian hospital and had detained members of outlawed militant groups who allegedly trained him and others at their camps in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. ``The body of one terrorist who died in the attack has been identified and further investigations are in progress,'' said Iftikhar Ahmad, a spokesman for Pakistan's Interior Ministry. Ahmad declined to release the man's identity or identify the militant groups that trained him.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-1938888,00.html
* Nepal Maoist leader calls for talks
August 11 -- A top Maoist rebel leader in Nepal has made a renewed call for peace talks with the government. In a statement to newspapers, the rebel leader, Prachanda, urged the authorities to end the state of emergency in Nepal and to start a dialogue with rebels to end their six-year insurgency. Mr Prachanda said talks should be aimed at what he called a positive political solution.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2186538.stm
* Nepal press demands freedoms
August 09 -- Journalists across Nepal have taken to the streets to protest against government-imposed restrictions on the media. They say press freedoms have come under attack since a state of emergency was imposed in the Himalayan kingdom last year. More than 200 demonstrators marched through the streets of the capital, Kathmandu, demanding freedom for the media. Many carried candles and lanterns to highlight what they said was darkness surrounding their profession.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2182808.stm
* Pakistan Says Militants Switch to 'Soft' Targets
Rawalpindi, Pakistan August 11 -- Pakistan said on Saturday Islamic militants, blamed for two raids on missionary institutions this week, were increasingly attacking "soft" targets, and that intelligence must improve to counter them. The government was responding to calls for greater security for Pakistan's three to four million Christians in the wake of separate attacks on a missionary school and missionary hospital in which a total of 10 people, including one attacker, died.
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=search&StoryID=1314453
Middle East
* Hurriyat rules out poll participation
Srinagar/New Delhi, August 11 -- The general council of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference will meet here tomorrow to formulate a response to the offer of a dialogue with the government. Former Law Minister Ram Jethmalani, who heads the unofficial Kashmir committee that aims to bring the Hurriyat to the negotiating table, made the offer. At the same time, the Hurriyat has ruled out its participation in the assembly elections "even if the state was brought under governor's rule".
http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=17671
* Parliament session may end abruptly
The current monsoon session of India's bicameral Parliament may end before schedule, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) adamant on digging out irregularities in allotment of petrol pumps during the previous Congress party regimes. According to indications available, Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi might adjourn the Lok Sabha sine die tomorrow itself if pandemonium continues when Parliament resumes after the weekend break as there is no sign of the opposition loosening its pressure on the government.
http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/News.asp?ArticleID=60261
* Trial of consulate blast suspects put off
August 11 -- A Pakistani court yesterday postponed until next week the trial of four militants charged for the deadly bombing outside the U.S. consulate in Karachi and issued arrest warrants for six of their accomplices who are still at large, court officials and lawyers said. The anti-terrorist court Judge Aale Maqbool Rizvi also postponed a simultaneously scheduled trial for the militants on charges of plotting to assassinate President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and fixed August 16 as the date for hearing both these cases.
http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/News.asp?ArticleID=60253
* India's foreign exchange reserves reach over US dlrs 60 billion
New Delhi, August 10 -- India's foreign exchange (forex) reserves crossed US dollar 60 billion during the week ended August 2 due to continued revaluation of the US dollar vis-a-vis the euro and increase in export remittances. In the week, the forex reserves touched record highs with a rise of US dlrs 281 million to reach US dlrs 60,148 million. In the previous week, the reserves had increased by US dlrs 261 million, reported Press Trust of India on Saturday. According to the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) weekly supplement issued in Mumbai Saturday, the foreign currency assets rose by US dlrs 360 million to US dlrs 56,887 million.
http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml
* India downplays US rejection of diplomatic status for Agnihotri
New Delhi, August 10 -- India on Saturday sought to downplay the US decision to turn down its request to accord diplomatic status for New York-based B.K. Agnihotri, Ambassador at Large for Indians Overseas (ALIO), saying this was known for some time and it was being dealt with. Observing that he has seen reports to this effect, India's Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal told Star News in an interview. "There is nothing new in the story. I was surprised to see it being broadcast Saturday morning. We have known about this for some time and we are dealing with this." The US State Department has conveyed its rejection of the request made by the Indian Embassy in Washington to the Chief of Protocol, say media reports.
http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml
* Pak Christian leader demands minister resign over poor security
Islamabad, August 11 -- A minority Christian community leader Sunday blamed the interior minister for failing to control violence against followers of the faith in Pakistan, saying he should step down immediately. "The interior minister is basically responsible for controlling this violence. But in the wake of on going savagery, it is certain that the interior minister has lost his moral authority, so as a matter of principle he should resign forthwith," Shahbaz Bhatti, hairman of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA), demanded at a press conference in Islamabad.
http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml
* Pak Christians attend Sunday service midst tight security
Islamabad, August 11 -- Security was tight Sunday around churches in Pakistan for the day's religious services as special police teams monitored the stepped up safety arrangements, state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) reported. Additional security personnel were deployed following two deadly attacks against Christian establishments in Murree and Taxila last week, PTV said. Quoting police sources, the official channel said, hunt was on for the two suspected attackers who hurled grenades at people who emerged from a chapel in a Christian missionary hospital in Taxila on Friday.
http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml
* Pakistan Says Militants Switch to "Soft" Targets
Rawalpindi, Pakistan -- Pakistan said on Saturday Islamic militants, blamed for two raids on missionary institutions this week, were increasingly attacking "soft" targets, and that intelligence must improve to counter them. The government was responding to calls for greater security for Pakistan's three to four million Christians in the wake of separate attacks on a missionary school and missionary hospital in which a total of 10 people, including one attacker, died.
http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=8/11/02&Cat=4&Num=4
Editorial
N/A
Business/Technology
* India's foreign reserves cross 60 billion dollars
New Delhi, August 11 -- India's foreign exchange reserves crossed 60 billion US dollars during the week ended August 2 due to continued revaluation of the US dollar vis-a-vis the Euro and increase in export remittances. In the reporting week, the foreign reserves touched record highs with a rise of 281 million dollars to reach 60.148 billion dollars, according to the Reserve Bank of India Sunday. The foreign currency assets rose by 360 million dollars to 56.887 billion dollars. In the previous week ended July 26, the reserves increased by 261 million dollars. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-08/11/content_519664.htm
* India's inflation touches year's high
New Delhi, August 11 -- India's inflation touched the year's high at 2.85 percent on week ended July 27, due to increasein prices of fruits and industrial goods. According to the Reserve Bank of India Sunday, the inflation rate increased by 0.12 percent from 2.73 percent in the previous week. However, the final inflation rate for week ending July .
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-08/11/content_519743.htm
* Musharraf under mounting pressure to revive Pakistan's economy
In the months after September 11, Pakistani leader General Pervez Musharraf has become a pivotal ally of the United States. But at home, the General who seized power in a bloodless coup in October 1999 is running into trouble. And his handling of the country's economy could prove to be his Achilles Heel. These are difficult days for President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/15733/1/.html
========================================================================================================
--South Asian News, August 12, 2002 ---(Weekend International)
The Indian American Center for Political Awareness (IACPA) is a national non-profit organization committed to the political empowerment of the Indian American community. For additional information on IACPA, please visit www..
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