These South Asia daily news clips are sponsored by the Indian American Center for Political Awareness.

--- South Asian News, October 7, 2002 --- (Weekend International)

Tit-for-tat missile tests between nuclear neighbors India and Pakistan is the main news during the week-end. India and Pakistan trade charges on the test, even as US express its disappointment over the tests. In other major story, Nepali King dissolves the parliament in Nepal. The editorial also focuses on the missile tests on the subcontinent.

Africa


* Polling booth bomb kills 4 (News 24)
* Pakistan women told not to vote (News 24)

Americas


* India, Pakistan stage same-day missile tests (Globe and Mail)
* Pro-government party backs Musharraf, U.S. presence in Pakistan (The News Mexico)

Asia-Pacific


* 12 killed in India-controlled Kashmir (Xinhuanet)
* US disappointed over Indian and Pakistani missile tests (Channel News Asia) (Japan Today) (Australian Broadcasting) (People Daily) (Australian News) (Malaya Star)
* Musharraf defends missile test (Japan Today)
* India test fires medium range missile (Xinhuanet) (Japan Today) (Channel News Asia) (Australian News)
* Nepali king dissolves cabinet (Xinhuanet) (Channel News Asia) (Japan Today) (Australian Broadcasting) (Australian News)
* Nepal PM rejects King's decision to fire him (Malaya Star)
* Nepal faces new crisis after king sacks PM (Malaya Star)
* Reactions mixed to Nepali king's active role (Xinhuanet)
* India says developments in Nepal unfortunate (Xinhuanet)
* Indian PM to begin three-nation tour (Xinhuanet)
* Vajpayee appeals for tough reform measures for high growth (Xinhuanet)
* I will not run government after election: Musharraf (Xinhuanet)
* Bus accident kills 7, injures 7 in Pakistan (Xinhuanet)
* 62 parties contesting elections in Pakistan (Xinhuanet) (People Daily)
* Over 7,000 candidates to run in elections in Pakistan (Xinhuanet)
* Election fever grips Karachi despite security concerns (Malaya Star)
* 6 terrorists arrested in Rawalpindi, Pakistan (Xinhuanet)
* Pakistani scouts seize 396 kg hashish (Xinhuanet)
* Armed conflicts killed 15 in India-controlled Kashmir (Xinhuanet)
* Applicants for US, European visas subjected to stricter rules in India (Channel News Asia)
* 2.6 million Bangladeshis become literate in one year (Xinhuanet)
* Bangladesh to renew trade agreement with India (Xinhuanet)
* Bangladesh denies dropping packets in India (Xinhuanet)
* India asks Bangladesh to find out if its plane strayed (Xinhuanet)
* Sri Lankan protesters demand release of detained soldiers (Xinhuanet)
* One student hurt in attack on Islamic school in Lahore (Channel News Asia)
* Dhaka to seek China's help for communication development (Xinhuanet)

Europe


* US criticises missile tests (BBC) (Ananova) (Independent) (Guardian)
* Nepal plunged into political crisis (BBC) (Swiss Info) (Reuters) (Ananova)
* King sacks P.M. in tense Nepal (Swiss Info) (Independent) (Guardian)
* India arrests "top" Kashmiri militants (Swiss Info) (Reuters)
* Campaigning ends for Kashmir polls (BBC)
* Sri Lankans demand troops' release (BBC)

Middle East


* US raps India Pakistan over tension (Gulf Daily News)
* Pakistan, India govts trade charges after missile tests (Arab News) (Gulf Daily News) (IRNA)
* India "successfully" test fires Akash missile (IRNA)
* Pakistan says missile test not to increase regional tension (IRNA)
* Nepal King sacks cabinet (Gulf Daily News)
* Seven top rebels held in Kashmir (Gulf Daily News)
* PM to get all powers, says Musharraf (Gulf News)
* Poll observer wants NC de-recognized (Arab News)
* Pakistan-US military exercises from 15th (IRNA)
* Pakistan wants repatriation of prisoners in Afghanistan, Cuba (IRNA)
* Christians support PPP (Gulf News)
* Islamists could emerge as third political force: Pak analyst (IRNA)
* Pakistan minister accuses India of destabilizing election process (IRNA)
* Kingdom, India agree to boost ties in small scale sector (Arab News)
* India's defense minister due in Oman Saturday (IRNA)
* India-China-Russia cooperation can play key role: envoy (IRNA)
* Chandrika told to show restraint (Gulf News)

Editorial


* Pakistan and India test missiles (International Herald Tribune)

Business/Technology


* Pakistan's sugar spills onto world market (BBC)
* Bangladesh 'tackling corruption' (BBC)

Africa


* Polling booth bomb kills 4

October 5 -- At least four Indian soldiers were killed by a bomb blast inside a polling booth in Kashmir prior to the final phase of regional legislative elections, it was reported on Saturday. Quoting police officials, the United News of India (UNI) reported suspected Moslem militants triggered the bomb inside a polling booth in Sogam, where elections are scheduled for October 8. The blast was triggered as Indian soldiers were entering the booth. Two died on the spot and the other two succumbed to their wounds on the way to hospital.

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Asia/0,1113,2-10-20_1267587,00.html

* Pakistan women told not to vote

October 6, Peshawar, Pakistan -- Tribal elders in a deeply conservative district in Pakistan's northwestern frontier warned women not to get involved in upcoming elections, threatening on Sunday to burn down the homes of any family that allows its women to vote. Elders in the tribal region of Khyber Agency, near the border city of Peshawar, said it was un-Islamic and against their traditions for women to vote. They said families that disobeyed the order would be fined about $16 650 and have their homes destroyed, and warned candidates that if they attempted to court women voters, they would be fined double that amount.

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Asia/0,1113,2-10-20_1267760,00.html

Americas


* India, Pakistan stage same-day missile tests

October 5 -- Pakistan and India, nuclear-armed rivals who came to the brink of war only four months ago, staged tit-for-tat missile tests yesterday, increasing tension and raising fears of a renewed arms race. India's government called Pakistan's test a publicity stunt aimed at next week's general elections, the first since a 1999 military coup. Pakistani Information Minister Nisar Memon said India was trying to "turn this into an arms race" by testing a sophisticated surface-to-air missile the same day Pakistan tested a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface missile. Pakistan said the test of its Shaheen missile, with an estimated range of 670 kilometres, was a success and insisted it was not intended to inflame tension with India.

http://www.globeandmail.ca/servlet/GIS.Servlets.HTMLTemplate?current_row=1&tf=tgam/search/tgam/SearchFul
lStory.html&cf=tgam/search/tgam/SearchFullStory.cfg&configFileLoc=tgam/config&encoded_keywords=india
+pakistan&option=&start_row=1&start_row_offset1=&num_rows=1&search_results_start=1&query=india+pakistan

* Pro-government party backs Musharraf, U.S. presence in Pakistan

October 6, Pindi Gheb, Pakistan -- A powerful pro-government politician vowed Saturday full support to President Pervez Musharraf but denied charges his party had official backing in upcoming parliamentary elections in Pakistan. "Our policy is the same as that of President Musharraf. Wey support his policy and that remains our party line," said Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, a senior leader of one of the Pakistan Muslim League factions known as PML-Q. "Our party will win, not just in Punjab but everywhere in Pakistan and the next government is our government," Elahi told AFP after addressing a big rally in the rural Punjab town, 90 kilometers (55 miles) southwest of Islamabad.

http://www.thenewsmexico.com/noticia.asp?id=36856

Asia-Pacific


* 12 killed in India-controlled Kashmir

October 6 -- Twelve people, including ninemilitants, were killed in unabated violence in India-ruled Kashmir since Friday evening, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported on Saturday. Three ultras and an Indian security man were killed in a gun battle in Baramulla of north Kashmir Friday evening, an official spokesman was quoted as saying. Two other militants were shot dead by Indian troops in separate encounters while a civilian was injured in the same district, the spokesman added. In the border district of Poonch, Indian security force gunned down another militant on Saturday, he said. Three people, claimed to be Pakistani nationals, were shot dead by the security force Friday evening in Udhampur district, according to PTI. Security personnel died in an exchange of fire militants in Dada district Saturday while militants gunned down a civilian in his village near Srinagar, capital of India-controlled Kashmir, it said.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/06/content_586085.htm

* US disappointed over Indian and Pakistani missile tests

October 5 -- The US State Department on Friday expressed disappointment over missile tests conducted by India and Pakistan, saying the tests could aggravate the already charged atmosphere in the region. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the tests would further destabilize volatile relations on the subcontinent. Britain expressed its "regret" over the missile tests by both countries and called for greater restraint from the Asian powers locked in a strained 10-month stand-off.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/20935/1/.html
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=7&id=233163
http://abc.net.au/asiapacific/news/GoAsiaPacificBNA_694074.htm
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200210/05/eng20021005_104471.shtml
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,5231640%255E401,00.html
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/archives/story.asp?ppath=\2002\10\6&file=/2002/10/6/asia/phigh&sec=asia

* Musharraf defends missile test

October 6 -- President Gen Pervez Musharraf told the cabinet on Saturday that his government decided to conduct a missile test on Friday after it had received information that India had plans to conduct a missile test of its own, a senior government official said. Musharraf reportedly told the cabinet that Pakistani scientists had been asking for permission to test the missile to check technical aspects of the weapon and were given the go-ahead after receiving information about India's plans.

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=7&id=233253

* India test fires medium range missile

October 4 -- Hours after Pakistan test fired its medium-range missile, India test fired its own medium-range surface-to-air missile on Friday from an interim test range off its coast in the east state of Orissa, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. The missile, which has undergone a few tests earlier, was fired from a mobile launcher, PTI said, quoting official sources. The missile, code-named Akash, has a range of 25 kilometers and the capability to strike several targets simultaneously, PTI added.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/04/content_585136.htm
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=7&id=233163
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/20897/1/.html
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,5230071%255E401,00.html

* Nepali king dissolves cabinet

October 4 -- Nepali King Gyanendra said late Friday night that he had decided to sack Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and also dissolve the Cabinet. In an address to the nation broadcast by the state-run Radio Nepal and Nepal Television, the king said the inefficient prime minister has been sacked and the cabinet has also been dissolved and he took over the executive power by himself Friday night. ."A new cabinet will be formed within five days, he noted, adding that "a clean cabinet including the people with clean image and those who are not going to contest the elections will be included in the cabinet."

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/05/content_585272.htm
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/20938/1/.html
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=7&id=233165
http://abc.net.au/asiapacific/news/GoAsiaPacificBNA_693944.htm
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,5230073%255E401,00.html

* Nepal PM rejects King's decision to fire him

October 5 -- Hours after King Gyanendra fired him as prime minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba on Saturday rejected his ouster as unconstitutional. "The announcement by the king was totally unconstitutional and against the decision reached by all political parties in the country,'' Deuba told nearly 200 party workers who assembled at his house to express their support. Deuba had earlier asked the king to postpone November's parliamentary elections by a year because of concerns about attacks by Maoist rebels. "I was asked by all the major political parties to postpone the election as it was not possible to hold it in the present situation and that was exactly what I had recommended the king do,'' Deuba said.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2002/10/5/asia/0510nepal&sec=asia

* Nepal faces new crisis after king sacks PM

October 6, Kathmandu -- Insurgency-racked Nepal faced a fresh crisis yesterday hours after the king fired the prime minister, postponed elections and assumed executive power for the first time since the tiny Himalayan country abandoned its absolute monarchy 11 years ago. "This puts Nepali politics in a mess," said S.D. Muni, political scientist at New Delhi's Jawahar Lal Nehru University. "It doesn't look like a power grab, but at the moment, the king is all-powerful."

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/archives/story.asp?ppath=\2002\10\6&file=/2002/10/6/asia/neface&sec=asia

* Reactions mixed to Nepali king's active role

October 6 -- Nepal's political parties have mixed reactions to the step taken Friday night by King Gyanendra in sacking prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, dissolving the cabinet and assuming the executive powers. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party, a main political power, has taken the king's commitment in his national address to form a clean cabinet positively, saying it has tried toup the doors for peace, order and stability in the long run. Likewise, the Nepal Samata Party and some other smaller political parties also welcomed the king's step. However, many of the country's mainstream political parties denounced the king's move.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/06/content_586372.htm

* India says developments in Nepal unfortunate

October 5 -- India reacted cautiously on Saturday to the latest developments in the neighboring Nepal, saying it was unfortunate that elections in the country have been postponed. In a modified version of her earlier reaction to the current situation in the Himalayan kingdom, spokeswoman of the External Affairs Ministry Nirupama Rao told the media that the present crisis in Nepal had been developing over some time.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/05/content_586012.htm

* Indian PM to begin three-nation tour

October 6 -- Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will kick off his week-long visit to Cyprus, Denmark and Britain on Monday. The ongoing Indo-Pak standoff, the India-controlled Kashmir elections and the evolving Iraq situation are expected to figure prominently during talks which Indian Prime Minister will have the three countries leaders, the Press Trust of India reported Sunday.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/06/content_586385.htm

* Vajpayee appeals for tough reform measures for high growth

October 5 -- Indian Prime Minister Atal BehariVajpayee said here Saturday that hard decisions would be taken by his government in the on-going reform process to achieve annual economic growth of eight percent during the Tenth Plan. Difficult decisions on labor, financial, tax reforms and agriculture marketing would have to be taken to move on to a high eight percent growth in the Tenth Plan, which began this year, Vajpayee told theng session of the full meeting of the Planning Commission.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/05/content_585737.htm

* I will not run government after election: Musharraf

October 5 -- Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf said Saturday that he would no longer be running the government after elections as the responsibility would be transferred fully to the elected prime minister. Musharraf reiterated his commitment to transfer power to the elected government while chairing a cabinet meeting here, the Associate Press of Pakistan reported. "After the elections, the Prime Minister will be fully in charge and empowered to govern the country," Musharraf was quoted as saying.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/05/content_586072.htm

* Bus accident kills 7, injures 7 in Pakistan

October 6 -- A passenger bus collided with a coach on Sunday near Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan, leaving seven on board of the bus dead and seven others injured, according to a report of the Associated Press of Pakistan. No more details of the accident were given.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/06/content_586768.htm

* 62 parties contesting elections in Pakistan

October 6 -- There are 62 political parties contesting the forthcoming general elections being held on Oct. 10, the Associate Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Sunday. There are five political parties that have fielded only one candidate while nine other parties have two candidates, according to latest data from the Election Commission of Pakistan. There are 4,386 candidates representing 62 political parties contesting for 272 general seats of the National and 577 general seats of the four provincial assemblies. At the same time, over 2,000 candidates are contesting independently.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/06/content_586697.htm
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200210/07/eng20021007_104553.shtml

* Over 7,000 candidates to run in elections in Pakistan

October 6 -- There are 7,058 candidates contesting on National and Provincial assembly seats in the forthcoming general elections of Pakistan on October 10. The latest data released by the Election Commission of Pakistan said there are 4,386 candidates representing 73 political parties while 2,668 candidates are contesting independently. For the 272 general seats of the National Assembly, there are 1,370 candidates of 73 political parties while 700 are contesting independently. For the four provincial assemblies, there are 3,016 candidates of 73 political parties while 1,968 are contesting independently.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/06/content_586406.htm

* Election fever grips Karachi despite security concerns

October 6, Karachi -- Election fever is gripping this volatile Pakistani city ahead of next week's polls, despite concerns over violence following the arrest of militants linked to a deadly string of attacks and a key al-Qaeda operative. Campaigning in Pakistan's largest city of 14 million people has been generally quiet, although police have expressed fears that militants or operatives linked to foreign countries - an implicit reference to arch-rival India - could disrupt the last days of canvassing or the Oct 10 vote.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/archives/story.asp?ppath=\2002\10\6&file=/2002/10/6/asia/kfever&sec=asia

* 6 terrorists arrested in Rawalpindi, Pakistan

October 5 -- Pakistani police arrested six terrorists in Rawalpindi on Friday and recovered from their possession a quantity of arms, the local daily the Nation reported on Saturday. The police conducted a pre-dawn operation at a police check point on a tip off that an attempt would be made to smuggle huge quantity of arms from Northwest Frontier province to Lahore. They stopped a Corolla car and on suspicion the duty officer at the picket checked the vehicle and recovered the weapons including a rocket launcher, 10 rocket shells, 10 hand grenades, two pistols, a Kalashmikov, 70 bullets and 10 kg explosives.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/05/content_585566.htm

* Pakistani scouts seize 396 kg hashish

October 6 -- Pakistani scouts have recovered 396 kg high quality hashish from an area in the east of Chaman of Balochistan province adjacent to Afghanistan, according to a news dispatch on Sunday. Captain Aftab Ali of the Frontier Corps was quoted as saying that the scouts took an action on Friday night and recovered the narcotics. So far no arrests were made in this connection.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/06/content_586411.htm

* Armed conflicts killed 15 in India-controlled Kashmir

October 4 -- Indian security forces have gunned down 12 what they described as "ultras" while three residents have been killed by militants and seven others injured in India-controlled Kashmir since Thursday night, the Press Trustof India (PTI) reported on Friday. Indian troops also recovered 21 kilograms of explosives from a hideout of the militants during their search operations, the PTI said, quoting an official spokesman.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/05/content_585273.htm

* Applicants for US, European visas subjected to stricter rules in India

October 4 -- Getting a visa to enter the United States and European countries has become much tougher in India, as applicants are now subject to enhanced scrutiny and stricter rules. Visa applications and interviews are entertained only through appointments. And a new supplemental form called DS-157, for male students between 16 and 45, has turned out to be a virtual security dossier. Besides information on countries travelled and past employment, the questionnaire seeks to know if ever the applicant has performed military service, has any specialized skills in firearms and explosives or has ever been in an armed conflict. US officials say that the information only balances security and fairness and does not adversely affect genuine visa seekers.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/20876/1/.html

* 2.6 million Bangladeshis become literate in one year

October 5 -- A total of 2.6 million people in Bangladesh became literate in one year under the literacy drive of the government, the official Bangladesh News Agency reported Saturday. The launch of the drive, which involved about 23.1 million people since 1991, and the compulsory primary education has raised the country's literacy rate to 65.5 percent, the report said.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/05/content_586048.htm

* Bangladesh to renew trade agreement with India

October 5 -- Bangladesh has agreed to renew the trade agreement with India, expired on October 3, for four months. Officials in the commerce ministry said Saturday that Dhaka wants some changes in the trade agreement which was signed in 1980and was to renew after every three years. Without renewing, the agreement was extended twice for six months each since October last year. "We want some modification in the agreement (with India)," said a top level official demanding not to be named. The official said Delhi proposed on Thursday last to extend the agreement for four months. "We have agreed to the proposal," he said.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/05/content_586034.htm

* Bangladesh denies dropping packets in India

October 5 -- Bangladesh Saturday denied India's allegation that an aircraft coming from Bangladesh dropped "various packets" into a pond in the northern West Bengal of India intruding the Indian airspace. Bangladesh's Acting Foreign Secretary Anwarul Alam Shahid on Saturday told a press briefing that the foreign ministry of Bangladesh would like to assert after a thorough verification from all relevant sources that the report of dropping packets "is totally false and baseless." No aircraft, he asserted, from Bangladesh intruded the Indian airspace.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/05/content_586031.htm

* India asks Bangladesh to find out if its plane strayed

October 4 -- India asked Bangladesh on Friday to find out if any of its aircraft had strayed into Indian airspace in a bid to clear the mystery over an alleged air intrusion by one or two unidentified aircraft a day earlier. There has been contradicted reports in the media on the alleged intrusion into Indian air space in its east state of West Bengal with the Indian Air Force (IAF) saying on Friday that none of its aircraft was flying over a village in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal near the Indo-Bangladesh border.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/04/content_585248.htm

* Sri Lankan protesters demand release of detained soldiers

October 4 -- About 1,000 residents in Trincomalee in the northeast of Sri Lanka staged a protest on Friday, demanding the release of six government soldiers under detention by separatist Tamil Tiger rebels. The six soldiers together with the other freed earlier this week were taken more than one week ago by rebels of the LiberationTigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who want the government to release two of their members arrested for carrying illegal weapons in government controlled areas.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/05/content_585266.htm

* One student hurt in attack on Islamic school in Lahore

October 4 -- One student was injured when gunmen fired at an Islamic school for girls in the eastern Punjab provincial capital of Lahore on Friday. Students screamed and ran for cover when the shooting began at the Jamia Mohammadia Binat-ul Islam school, witnesses said. A 12-year-old girl was injured by flying glass. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/20891/1/.html

* Dhaka to seek China's help for communication development

October 4 -- Bangladeshi Communications Minister Nazmul Huda said Friday he would seek help and assistance from both public and private sectors of China for introducing modern technology into Bangladesh to develop the country's communication infrastructures. Huda was talking to newsmen at the Zia International Airportprior to his departure for a week-long official visit to China.He is leading a four-member Bangladesh delegation comprising representatives of Bangladesh Road and Highways, Bangladesh Railway, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation and Communication Ministry.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/05/content_585265.htm

Europe


* US criticizes missile tests

October 5 -- The United States says it is "disappointed" after India and Pakistan carried out rival missile tests. Pakistan tested a new ballistic missile, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, and India test-fired a surface-to-air short-range missile, known as Akash, hours later. Authorities in Islamabad accused India of initiating an arms race. India's foreign affairs spokeswoman, Nirupama Rao, described Pakistan's comment as an over-reaction. "We're disappointed that ballistic missile tests are occurring in the region," said US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. Britain has also said it is concerned about the tests.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2299817.stm
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_684563.html?menu=news.latestheadlines.worldnews
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia_china/story.jsp?story=339644
http://www.guardian.co.uk/kashmir/Story/0,2763,805127,00.html

* Nepal plunged into political crisis

October 5 -- The ousted Prime Minister of Nepal, Sher Bahadur Deuba, has hit back at the sudden decision by King Gyanendra to dismiss him from office. Mr. Deuba, who was sacked along with his cabinet late on Friday, described the move as unconstitutional. King Gyanendra justified his decision by saying that the prime minister had failed to organize national elections, which were scheduled to be held next month. Mr. Deuba had tried to get the king's permission to postpone the elections because of the increasingly difficult security situation caused by the Maoist insurgency. His removal by the king is unprecedented in the history of multi-party democracy in Nepal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2301571.stm
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=1379289
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=worldnews&StoryID=1537683
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_684984.html?menu=news.latestheadlines.worldnews

* King sacks P.M. in tense Nepal

October 4 -- Nepal's King Gyanendra has sacked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, abolished his council of ministers and indefinitely put off national elections that were set for November. In a nationally televised address, the king said on Friday he was assuming executive powers "for the time being". He called on political parties to suggest people, who were not contesting elections, to form an interim government to run the embattled Himalayan nation until elections were eventually held.

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=1378883
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia_china/story.jsp?story=339692
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,805247,00.html

* India arrests "top" Kashmiri militants

October 5 -- Indian security forces say they have arrested seven "top" members of a Kashmiri rebel group involved in a series of attacks during the state assembly election. The militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen group, which is fighting for Kashmir's merger with Pakistan, were arrested in separate raids by the Border Security Force (BSF) on Friday, days before the final round of a crucial assembly election. "We achieved a major breakthrough by apprehending the battalion commander of Hizbul Mujahideen along with six top associates during raids in Srinagar city on Friday," a BSF spokesman said on Saturday.

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=1379322
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=worldnews&StoryID=1537850

* Campaigning ends for Kashmir polls

October 6 -- Campaigning for the fourth and final phase of assembly elections in Indian-administered Kashmir has concluded. Six assembly seats of the mountainous Doda district in Jammu region are being contested on Tuesday. The Muslim majority Doda district has been hit by violence for over a decade. Separatist militants have threatened violence against those taking part in the elections and this is likely to have an impact on voter turnout.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2303955.stm

* Sri Lankans demand troops' release

October 4 -- Around 1,000 people have been demonstrating in Sri Lanka demanding the release of six government soldiers, captured by Tamil Tiger rebels. The soldiers were taken more than a week ago by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who want the release of two of their fighters, who were arrested for carrying arms in government-controlled territory. The government says the soldiers were in a disputed area, gathering sand for building material, while the Tigers say they were in a rebel-controlled area.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2299615.stm

Middle East


* US raps India Pakistan over tension

October 5 -- The United States criticized India and Pakistan for their missile tests yesterday, saying they could contribute to regional tensions and encourage a nuclear and missile arms race between the rival countries. US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said, "We are disappointed that ballistic missile tests occurred in the region. There is a charged atmosphere in the region. Tests can contribute to that atmosphere and make it harder to prevent a destabilizing nuclear and missile arms race. Britain expressed its "regret" over the tests and called for greater restraint from the Asian powers.

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Articles.asp?Article=34102&Sn=WORL

* Pakistan, India govts trade charges after missile tests

October 5 -- Less than a week before elections in Pakistan, nuclear neighbors Pakistan and India launched apparent tit for tat missile tests yesterday, following a resurgence of high-stake tensions over Kashmir. The Indian test of a medium-range surface-to-air missile came some nine hours after Pakistan tested its own nuclear-capable medium-range ballistic missile. Islamabad then angrily accused India of fueling an arms race, a charge New Delhi immediately called an "overreaction".

http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=19202
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Articles.asp?Article=34101&Sn=WORL
http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* India "successfully" test fires Akash missile

October 4 -- India announced Friday it had successfully tested a medium range surface-to-air Akash missile from the Interim Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea near Balasore in the eastern state of Orissa. Official sources said in Balasore that the missile, which has undergone a few tests earlier, was fired from a mobile launcher, reported Press Trust of India. Akash has a range of 25 km and capability to strike several targets simultaneously, they added.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* Pakistan says missile test not to increase regional tension

October 4 -- Pakistan says that test fire of a new surface-to-surface ballistic missile will not increase regional tension. The Hatf-IV (Shaheen-1), capable of carrying a nuclear or conventional warhead and has an estimated range of 750 kilometers, was successfully test-fired on Friday. "No. I do not think that this will increase the tension because this is a step to test technical aspects of the technology," Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* Nepal King sacks cabinet

October 5 -- Nepal's King Gyanendra sacked caretaker prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and the cabinet yesterday, declaring he would temporarily take executive power of the country. Gyanendra, speaking on state-run television and radio, said Deuba was "unqualified" to preside over elections that were scheduled to start on November 13. Deuba met Gyanendra on Thursday to request that the elections be postponed for one year.

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Articles.asp?Article=34115&Sn=WORL

* Seven top rebels held in Kashmir

October 6, Srinagar, India -- Indian security forces said yesterday they had arrested seven "top" members of a Kashmiri rebel group, including one of its commanders, involved in a series of attacks during the state assembly election. The militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen group, which is fighting for Kashmir's merger with Pakistan, were arrested in separate raids by the Border Security Force (BSF), days before the final round of a crucial assembly election. "We achieved a major breakthrough by apprehending the battalion commander of Hizbul Mujahideen along with six top associates during raids in Srinagar city on Friday," a BSF spokesman said. He said the group of militants was involved in a series of attacks on security forces during elections in Srinagar.

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=34185&Sn=WORL&IssueID=25200

* PM to get all powers, says Musharraf

October 6 -- President Pervez Musharraf said yesterday that he would transfer responsibility for running the government to an elected prime minister after the elections. "After the elections, the prime minister will be fully in charge and empowered to govern the country," Musharraf told a cabinet meeting ahead of Thursday's nationwide vote. "But he would discharge his constitutional duties to ensure continuity of good governance through constitutional measures," he said, according to an official press release. As president it would also be his endeavour to bring political harmony in the country.

http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=64852

* Poll observer wants NC de-recognized

October 5 -- An election observer in the Pulwama district of Kashmir has said he will ask the Election Commission to de-recognize the ruling National Conference party because it misused the government machinery for electioneering during the staggered state Assembly polls. The poll observer for the Pulwama district, after receiving a number of complaints from opposition parties, has also suspended a state government official for helping a ruling party candidate. After conducting an investigation into the complaints, the observer said he was of the opinion that the ruling party was misusing the official apparatus for electioneering.

http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=19191* Nepal King sacks cabinet

* Pakistan-US military exercises from 15th

October 5 -- Pakistan and the United States will begin joint military exercises from Oct 15, reports said Saturday. The two-week exercises, in the region of Jhelum and Kharian in central Punjab, would mark the resumption of military collaboration between the two countries after a gap of almost half a decade, Dawn newspaper reported. Quoting a senior official, involved in the event preparations, as saying that around 150 to 200 personnel from each side would participate in the exercises.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* Pakistan wants repatriation of prisoners in Afghanistan, Cuba

October 5 -- Pakistan Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider said that Pakistan does not consider its prisoners in Afghanistan and in Cuba as prisoners of war, and want their early release and repatriation. "They are children, who were misguided and the Government would take every possible efforts to bring them back and rehabilitate them as normal citizens of the homeland," the minister said. He was talking with the Director General, International Committee for Red Cross, Reto Misster in Islamabad. The two sides exchanged views on ways and means for early repatriation of Pakistani prisoners in Afghanistan and Guantanamo, an official statement said.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* Christians support PPP

October 6 -- Eight Christian organizations representing the majority of Christians in the country on Friday evening announced that they would support the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) and the PML-N in constituencies where it had joined hands with the PPP, in the coming general elections. Addressing a news conference at the Lahore Press Club, Saleem Sylvester, president of Christian Organisation for Human Rights, declared his own group's full allegiance to the PPP.

http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=64904

* Islamists could emerge as third political force: Pak analyst

October 6 -- Pakistan's religious parties alliance Mutahida Majlis e Amal may emerge as the third major political force after October elections, a senior woman leader of Jamaat e Islami said here. In an interview with "IRNA" on Sunday, central General Secretary of Jamaat e Islami's women wing, Akhlas Fatima believed that MMA was capable of winning reasonable number of seats in the elections to play effective role in future politics. MMA comprises six mainstream religious parties, including Jamaat e Islami, Islami Tehrik Pakistan, Jamiat Ulema e Pakistan, Jamiat Ulema e Islam (Fazl), Jamiat Ulema e Islam (Sami) and Jamiat Ahle Hadith.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* Pakistan minister accuses India of destabilizing election process

October 4 -- Pakistani Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider said here Friday that India is involved in the destabilizing of election process in Pakistan. "Terrorists arrested recently from Karachi and other parts of the country have disclosed the Indian plan for creating anarchy and chaos in the forthcoming elections," Haider told reporters in Islamabad.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* Kingdom, India agree to boost ties in small scale sector

October 6 -- Saudi Arabia and India have agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in the small and medium enterprises sector. The agreement was reached at a meeting here yesterday between India's Minister of State for Small-Scale Industries Mrs. Vasundhara Raje and Minister of Industry and Electricity Dr. Hashim Yamani. During their discussions, both sides agreed that such mutual cooperation could help provide employment opportunities for Saudis through coordination in this sector. Pointing out that India has more than 30 years' experience in this field, Mrs. Raje told Dr. Yamani that her country would be willing to offer its experience and expertise.

http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=19208&ArY=2002&ArM=10&ArD=6

* India's defense minister due in Oman Saturday

October 4 -- India's Defense Minister George Fernandes will begin his four-day visit to Oman on Saturday to discuss ways to boost defense ties between the two countries. Fernandes, who is the first Indian defense minister to visit Oman, will call on the Omani ruler Sultan Qaboos, reported Press Trust of India on Friday. The Indian minister will also hold talks with Minister Responsible for Defense Affairs Sayyid Badr bin Saud al Busaidi, on whose invitation he is making the visit.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* India-China-Russia cooperation can play key role: envoy

October 4 -- Chinese ambassador to India has said that cooperation and friendly ties between China, India and Russia could play a significant role in international arena. Hua Junduo told reporters in Chandigarh in north India on Thursday that "the significance of the India-Russia- China tie lies in the fact that we have made our voice louder in the international arena," reported Press Trust of India (PTI). "We (India, Russia and China) can make our voice louder and louder in the interest of the whole world," he said, adding cooperation among the three countries can strengthen the people of the sub-continent, he added.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* Chandrika told to show restraint

October 6 -- Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has been advised by her senior party members to exercise restraint in making public remarks following a series of provocative remarks that drew public criticism. Kumaratunga is reported to have been advised by senior members of her party that she should speak on serious issues concerning the country, instead of engaging in verbal attacks on her opponents. They have also asked her to cut down the length of speeches.

http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=64903

Editorial


* Pakistan and India test missiles

October 5 -- Pakistan staged Friday what it called a routine test-firing of a medium-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. It was the first such test since the peak of war tensions with India last May. The government said it had given advance notice of the test "to neighbors as well as some friendly countries," a backhanded reference to India. Indian officials reacted calmly to the firing, but added later that their military, too, had test-fired a smaller conventional-warhead missile Friday. While the government insisted that Friday's test-firing was purely a technical procedure, it came as India expressed rising anger over guerrilla attacks, which have killed scores of people in Kashmir. Pakistan helped avert war last June by pledging to stop the flow of militants into Kashmir, but India says infiltrations and killings resumed when Kashmiris began voting in local elections last month.

http://www.iht.com/articles/72812.html

Business/Technology


* Pakistan's sugar spills onto world market

October 4 -- Pakistan is likely to join the ranks of the world's sugar exporters thanks to good monsoon rains, US agriculture officials have said. But Pakistan's sugar growers face the prospect of selling their crop in a glutted market where prices are falling steeply. The squeeze on prices paid to sugar farmers has increased trade frictions, and prompted emergency support from governments over recent months. Pakistan's sugar output is likely to increase by 18% in the season to next September, a report for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2298931.stm

* Bangladesh 'tackling corruption'

October 4 -- Mr. Rahman's remarks come shortly after the anti-corruption pressure group Transparency International named Bangladesh as the most corrupt country in the world. Transparency International's move has raised fears that foreign investors may shun Bangladesh at time when Dhaka is preparing to privatize some state-owned industries.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2299601.stm

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