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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Taliban warns Pakistani politicians

The Taliban in Pakistan has warned politicians from the Swat valley that they and their families will be attacked unless they quit their posts protesting against the continuing army offensive in the troubled region. On Wednesday, Muslim Khan, a Pakistani Taliban spokesman, gave members of the national and regional assemblies a three-day deadline to denounce the military assault on Taliban fighters.The warning came hours after suspected Taliban fighters attacked Nato supply trucks at a transport terminal near the northwestern city of Peshawar, destroying eight vehicles.Imran Khan, correspondent reporting from Pakistan, said the warning signalled a "dark turn" in the unfolding events in Swat where the Pakistani army is battling Taliban fighters."They [the Taliban] can make these threats and people will take them very seriously," Khan said. Up to 15,000 Pakistani troops are engaged in the fight against about 4,000 Taliban-linked fighters in the Swat valley and surrounding areas of the North Western Frontier Province (NWFP).Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled from their homes in the northwest in an attempt to escape the clashes.

10 militants killed in Lower Dir

Ten more militants were killed during ongoing operation in district Lower Dir.According to sources, ten militants were killed during overnight shelling at militants’ strongholds in tehsil Maidan of district Lower Dir. The death toll feared to be rise. Three underground bunkers and key hideouts of militants were also destroyed during seucirty forces operation.Meanwhile, clashes between security forces and militants underway in different areas of Swat as security forces jets pounding militants’ positions. Security forces took control of Landakas area of Mingora and started targeting militants’ hideouts in Peochar. No causality was reported immediately.Indefinite curfew imposed in district Swat, Lower Dir, Malakand Agency and Shangla created shortage of food in these areas. Thousands of people still trapped in troubled areas whereas several reaching relief camps after traveling through risky mountainous routes.Intense fighting has been continued between the security forces and militants in Peochar agrea of tehsil Matta.Three persons including a woman were killed in Kokari area in the vicinity of Mingora when a shell landed in a house.The forces have surrounded the Lunde Kass near Mingora.Meanwhile, intense fighting continued in Mian Hayat Sari in Lower Dir in which eight militants and two security men were reportedly killed.

Final phase of election opens

The fifth and last phase of voting in India's month-long national elections began Wednesday. Results of the world's largest democratic exercise are expected to be announced by the Election Commission on Saturday. India voters cast their final ballots Wednesday in the country's marathon elections, with analysts predicting a shaky coalition government that will struggle to survive a full term.Polling stations opened across seven states for the fifth and final phase of voting in the world's largest democratic exercise that began way back on April 16.The first exit polls -- banned during the staggered voting process -- are expected hours after polling closes, although the official result will be announced by the Election Commission only on Saturday.Neither the ruling alliance led by the Congress party, nor the main opposition bloc headed by the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seen as capable of securing an absolute majority.Saturday's results are therefore expected to trigger a frantic round of political horse-trading as the two main blocs scrabble for new partners among a multitude of regional parties -- all with their own local agendas."Everything will depend on numbers," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh acknowledged at a press briefing Monday.Whatever formation emerges with enough seats to govern India's 1.1 billion people, observers say it will most likely be an unwieldy coalition that will struggle to project a united front at a time when India is facing a sharp economic downturn and numerous foreign policy challenges.

Sri Lanka denies attacking hospital

The Sri Lankan government has denied an attack on the last remaining hospital inside the country's war zone which left at least 49 people dead Mahinda Samarasinghe, the minister for disaster management and human rights, denied the army had launched any air raids or used artillery."The presidential secretariat has issued a statement saying that since about two months we have not been using heavy weapons. Aerial bombardments have not been used," he told Al Jazeera from Colombo, the capital, on Wednesday."We continue to show restraint because of civilians being trapped and held hostage by the LTTE. This is a very clear, categorical position by the government."Dr V Shanmugarajah, a district government medical officer, had said 49 people were killed and more than 50 injured when the makeshift hospital in Mullivaikal, in the so-called safe zone, was hit early on Tuesday by a mortar shell.

Pakistan raids Taleban stronghold

Pakistan's army says it has dropped troops by helicopter to tackle a Taleban stronghold as part of a broadening offensive in the north-west.The troops were landed in the sparsely populated Peochar valley in Swat. One of the bases of Swat Taleban chief Maulana Fazlullah.Hundreds of thousands have fled the fighting and Human Rights Watch has urged the army and Taleban to avoid civilian casualties.One resident in the main town of Mingora in Swat described the situation there as dire.The man, who did not want to be identified, told that food supplies were running out, and electricity and gas had been cut off."Thousands of people are still trapped in Mingora, but the town is like a ghost city as no one dares to come out in the streets."

Atlantis broadcast their adventure on Twitter

Astronauts are giving a behind-the-scenes look at the space shuttle Atlantis's high-risk mission to service the Hubble telescope, thanks to micro-blogging sensation Twitter. Wish you were there? The crew on the road to Hubble have opened a Twitter account on which you can follow their expedition live from Space. Mike Massimino, one of the mission's specialists, already has 221,119 followers as a result of his giving Twitter updates during training in April in Houston. "Next stop, Earth Orbit!!" Massimino -- whose Twitter account is Astro_Mike and can be found at Twitter.com/Astro_Mike -- wrote in his most recent tweet, posted just hours before takeoff. Youi can follow their adventure" via this article.


Follow Atlantis on Twitter
  • Astro_Mike I'm going to put my spacesuit on, next stop: Earth Orbit!! about 6 hours ago
  • Astro_Mike Final check with the doctors, getting ready for breakfast. We launch today!! about 8 hours ago
  • Astro_Mike I'll tweet when I can from orbit, but it might not be much, follow us after the launch 24/7 on NASA TV, www.nasa.gov/ntv and NASA twitter about 19 hours ago
  • Astro_Mike Thanks to all who have been following me, we launch tomorrow!!!! about 19 hours ago
  • Astro_Mike Enjoyed my last day on the planet for a couple of weeks with some study, practice, and last minute prep, but mostly trying to relax about 19 hours ago
  • Astro_Mike Just went for a run, trying to stay relaxed as the launch is the day after tomorrow!!!about 1 days ago
  • Astro_Mike Having lunch my crew and our families, a great visit before we launch about 1 days ago
  • Astro_Mike Finished my final fitcheck in my orange spacesuit and my parachute harness, packed my pockets with survival gear about 2 days ago
  • Astro_Mike Robotics refresher with our outstanding instructor Linda Snider, helping us to be ready for maneuvering the shuttle's robot arm about 2 days ago
  • Astro_Mike My good friend Mark Polansky, commander of the shuttle after ours, is on twitter. Follow him at Astro_127. about 2 days ago

New search engines aspire to supplement Google

We may be coming upon a new era for the Internet search.And, despite what you may think, Google is not the only player.New search engines that are popping up across the Web strive to make searches faster, smarter, more personal and more visually interesting.Some sites, like Twine and hakia, will try to personalize searches, separating out results you would find interesting, based on your Web use. Others, like Searchme, offer iTunes-like interfaces that let users shuffle through photos and images instead of the standard list of hyperlinks. Kosmixbundles information by type -- from Twitter, from Facebook, from blogs, from the government -- to make it easier to consume.Wolfram Alpha, set to launch Monday, is more of an enormous calculator than a search: It crunches data to come up with query answers that may not exist online until you search for them. And sites likeTwitter are trying to capitalize on the warp-speed pace of online news today by offering real-time searches of online chatter -- something Google's computers have yet to replicate.Google, of course, remains the search king. Recent efforts to revolutionize Web searching have failed to unseat the dominant California company, which captures nearly 64 percent of U.S. online searches, according to comScore. Tech start-ups like Cuil, which billed itself as more powerful than Google, and Wikia, which relied on a community to rank search results rather than a math formula, have largely faded away after some initial buzz. 

Intel faces huge competition fine

Intel, the computer chipmaker, is in line for one of the largest ever fines for anti-competitive behaviour handed out by the authorities in Europe.The European Commission is expected to approve the penalty on Wednesday.It is likely to be similar to the 497m euros ($650m, £480m) fine levied on Microsoft in 2004 for abusing its dominant market position. Some observers say the fine could be as high a one billion euros.The Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, is also set to impose a "cease and desist" order requiring Intel to change its business practices.

Jackson concerts may face legal challenge

 Michael Jackson from performing in London this year

A music promoter plans to sue to block Michael Jackson from performing in London this year, claiming that a contract signed by the ‘king of pop’ prevents him from giving a concert until July 2010, the head of the promotion company said on Monday.New Jersey-based AllGood Entertainment Inc contends it signed an agreement in November with Jackson’s manager, Frank DiLeo, committing the singer to perform in July 2010 along with his brothers from the Jackson Five and sister Janet Jackson.Under the agreement, Michael Jackson cannot give another concert until that Jackson Family reunion show, said Patrick Allocco, managing partner at AllGood Entertainment.AllGood Entertainment sent a cease and desist letter to DiLeo and to concert promoter AEG Live, which has signed Jackson to perform a series of 50 shows at London’s 02 Arena starting in July, Allocco said. In the letter, AllGood Entertainment warned that its agreement with DiLeo barred Jackson from performing the London shows for AEG Live.A source at AEG Live acknowledged the company had been contacted and called AllGood’s claims meaningless. The source said rehearsals in Los Angeles are continuing in preparation for the July shows at the 02.

Ferrari threatens to quit over budget cap rules

Ferrari has threatened to quit Formula One at the end of the season if the International Automobile Federation (FIA) adopts a budget cap for 2010. Ferrari is the sport's oldest and most successful team.Ferrari will quit Formula One at the end of season if the sport adopts a budget cap for 2010, the champions said on Tuesday after a board meeting. "No F1 in 2010 if the rules do not change. Ferrari confirms its opposition to the new rules imposed by FIA and does not intend to register cars for the 2010 F1 world championship," a statement said.Toyota and Red Bull have already threatened not to enter next year's championship unless the new rules published by the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) are changed.The FIA, headed by Max Mosley, want to introduce an optional 40 million pound ($60.7 million) budget cap next year to encourage new teams to enter.The plan would allow capped teams to operate with far greater technical freedom than those continuing with unlimited budgets.Ferrari's president Luca di Montezemolo, head of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA), has warned it would create a two-tier championship that could be "fundamentally unfair and perhaps even biased".The FIA has set a deadline of May 29 for teams wishing to compete in 2010 to enter and state whether they want a cap or not.

Pakistan Taliban Warns Of Revenge Attacks

The Taliban has accused the Pakistan government of reneging on a peace deal and warned that the military operation will result in an upsurge of revenge attacks.The area's most important and senior cleric, Sufi Mohammad, was talking. It is the first time the Taliban's influential religious leadership has commented since the military offensive began.Mohammad is a recluse who does not appear on camera or deal with the media.But speaking by telephone from Swat through a spokesman, Amir Izzit Khan, Mohammad told me: "The peace deal has been broken by the government."Even in Jammu and Kashmir (the disputed territory claimed by both Pakistan and India) the Indian government does not use bombs against its own people."The government is trying to keep a foreign power happy by killing its own people. They are taking the dollars and filling their pockets and just trying to please others by killing their own citizens."Sufi Mohammad, 78, was released from jail by the provincial government last year in the hope he might be able to persuade the Taliban to lay down their arms.He has led a movement demanding the enforcement of Sharia Law for three decades.He signed the controversial truce with the Pakistani government more than three months ago in return for the Taliban being allowed to have religious law in Swat.But he raised alarm recently when he called the entire Pakistani political structure "un-Islamic" and said democracy was a system of infidels introduced by British colonists.He wields enormous influence and power within Swat and his son-in-law Maulana Fazlullah is the leader of the Swat Taliban fighting wing.This morning, army helicopters dropped Pakistani commandoes into a Taliban stronghold in Swat Valley for the first time since launching their military operation more than a week ago.Security forces say the area of Peochar and Gutpushar, which is a mountainous area in northern Swat, is the headquarters and hideout of Maulauna Fazlullah and his supporters.The security forces believe Fazlullah ran terror training camps in this area.The United Nations is planning to airlift food and emergency supplies to the tens of thousands of people who have fled the fighting.There are an estimated one million people who are on the move and now homeless - the biggest mass movement of people since partition more than 60 years ago.

Sudan leader denies Darfur crimes

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has denied that his armed forces have targeted civilians in Darfur, in an exclusive interview with the BBC."I challenge anybody to bring me evidence that proves the Sudanese armed forces attacked and killed citizens in Darfur," he told the BBC's HARDtalk.In his first TV interview since being indicted on war crimes charges, he dismissed talk of crimes as propaganda.Mr Bashir was indicted by the war crimes court on 4 March.He has poured scorn on the International Criminal Court charges, which were the first issued by The Hague-based body against a sitting president.

Holbrooke says US must support Pak government

Richard Holbrooke, the special US envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, has said that a stable, secure, democratic Pakistan is vital to US national security interests.Testifying before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee as it considers President Obama's new Pak-Afghan strategy here Tuesday, the envoy said that US must support and strengthen the democratic government of Pakistan in order to eliminate once and for all the extremist threat from al-Qaeda and affiliated terrorist groups."“Relations between the US and Pakistan have been "inconsistent," he added."In Pakistan, many believe that we are not a reliable long-term partner and that we will abandon them after achieving our counterterrorism objectives.”“Many in the U.S. question the dedication of some elements of the Pakistani government to ending safe haven for terrorists on Pakistani soil. But our engagement has to be aimed at putting our relationship on a better long-term footing," he maintained.In his opening statement at the hearing, Senator John Kerry, the committee's chairman, declared that "with its nuclear arsenal, terrorist safe havens, Taliban sanctuaries and growing insurgency, Pakistan has emerged as one of the most difficult foreign policy challenges we face."The Massachusetts Democrat said that Obama's meetings last week with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai were "a significant step forward," but much work remains to succeed with a "bold new strategy.""Since President Obama called on Congress to pass a Pakistan aid bill, the dangers of inaction have risen almost by the day. The government has struck an ill-advised deal that effectively surrendered the Swat Valley to the Taliban,” Kerry said.