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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

IMF sells 200 tonnes of gold to India



The International Monetary Fund kicked off the sale of more than 400 tonnes of gold with a wallop, saying it sold almost half to India, the world's biggest gold consumer, at near-record prices. The IMF announced it sold 200 tonnes of gold to India's central bank over a two-week period last month for a total of 6.7 billion dollars to bolster its finances as it increases lending amid the global economic crisis. The sale to India was nearly half the 403.3 tonnes of gold that the IMF has targeted for sale over the coming years and came as gold prices were close to record highs.

US will not alter Iran nuclear deal



The United States has said that a nuclear fuel plan offered to Iran will not be changed after Tehran called for the UN-brokered deal to be reviewed. Speaking in Morocco on Monday, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, urged Tehran to fully accept the deal which had already been agreed to in principle, saying "we are not altering it". "This is a pivotal moment for Iran," she told reporters after conferring with senior government officials from several Gulf nations, Egypt, Morocco and Jordan. "Acceptance fully of this proposal ... would be a good indication that Iran does not wish to be isolated and does wish to co-operate with the international community." Earlier on Monday, Iran asked for a technical review of the plan designed to restrain its potential for making a nuclear bomb. The UN plan requires Iran to ship about 70 per cent of its uranium abroad for conversion into fuel before being sent back to a Tehran reactor monitored by the UN nuclear watchdog. The US and other Western countries are concerned that Iran may be enriching uranium for use in nuclear weapons, but Tehran insists its programme is strictly for research and energy production.

Proof of India’s involvement in militancy found




Pakistan has found concrete evidence of India’s involvement in militancy in South Waziristan and decided to take up the matter with New Delhi. This was disclosed by Information Minster Qamar Zaman Kaira and military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas at a press briefing on the progress of operation Rah-i-Nijat here on Monday. It was the first time in recent times that Pakistan had pointed fingers at India from a forum having representation of political and military leadership.Mr Kaira said although it had been decided to raise the issue with India, Pakistan would not deviate from the peace process. Gen Abbas said a huge quantity of Indian arms and ammunition, literature, medical equipment and medicines had been recovered from Sherawangi area, near Kaniguram. He said the Foreign Office had been informed and the matter would be taken up with the Indian authorities through diplomatic channels. Sources in the Foreign Office said a dossier containing proofs of India’s involvement in South Waziristan would soon be handed over to officials in New Delhi. KANIGURAM TAKEN: Gen Abbas said security forces had secured control of Kaniguram, a redoubt of Uzbek fighters.

Deadly blast rocks Pakistani city



At least 35 people have been killed and 45 others wounded after a suicide bomber targeted workers queuing for their salaries in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi. The blast on Monday was the second major bombing to hit the country in less than a week. "The suicide bomber came on a motorcycle and blew up close to people gathered to get salaries. We found parts of a suicide vest and some body parts of the suicide attacker," Aslam Tarin, a senior police official, said. The attack off Mall Road was close to the Pearl Continental Hotel and near Pakistan's army headquarters, where 10 fighters mounted a nearly 24-hour siege last month that left 23 people dead.

Obama urges Karzai to uproot corruption



The US President Barack Obama has asked Afghan President Hamid Karzai to speed up efforts to eliminate corruption from the country, adding that a new chapter of relations should open between American and Afghanistan. US President telephoned and congratulated Afghan President Karzai for becoming president for the second term after the formal announcement by the election commission. US President told his Afghan counterpart that this was the right time to open new chapter of relations between two countries.

US backs Karzai's Afghan poll win



The US president has congratulated Hamid Karzai on his re-election as Afghanistan's president, but Barack Obama also told him that he must be "much more serious" about tackling corruption. "I emphasised that this has to be a point in time in which we write a new chapter based on improved governance, a much more serious effort to eradicate corruption [and] joint efforts to accelerate the training of Afghan security forces," Obama said at the White House. Obama's phone call to Karzai on Monday came hours after the US administration said it considered Karzai to be the legitimate president of Afghanistan. Karzai was declared the winner of Afghanistan's presidential election by the country's election commission after Abdullah Abdullah, his rival in a second round runoff vote, pulled out.