Video appears to show Pakistan army abuses

Pakistani soldiers beating men

Video apparently showing Pakistani soldiers beating men detained in anti-militant operations has surfaced on the Internet, a clip that will likely draw criticism from rights groups and could undercut support for the army's fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The 10-minute video shows an army officer casually questioning four men in a building. The officer then steps aside and soldiers move in, punching, kicking and whipping the suspects, who scream in pain and writhe on the ground. The video has been posted on the Facebook and YouTube sites. Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said the army was investigating the alleged abuse, but declined further comment Friday. Pakistan's poorly trained and underfunded security forces have long been accused of human rights abuses. The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in an August report it had received 'credible reports of numerous extrajudicial killings and reprisals carried out by security forces' in the Swat Valley since the area was retaken from Taliban control in July. It was not clear where or when the video was shot, and its authenticity was impossible to verify. It was first posted on Facebook last month.

Tehrik-i-Taliban chief Hakeemullah Mehsud dead?

Hakimullah Mehsud

US intelligence agencies believe the newly named leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, Hakimullah Mehsud, might have been killed in a firefight with a rival faction weeks ago, officials said on Friday.Militants tapped Hakimullah to replace the group's previous leader, Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed by a missile fired from a CIA-piloted drone aircraft in his South Waziristan stronghold on the Afghan border on August 5. Hakimullah's death, which officials said has yet to be confirmed definitively, would be another setback for a group that has mostly been fighting against Pakistani security forces but also sends militants to join the battle against US and NATO forces in neighbouring Afghanistan. 'We're pretty clear that we think he's dead,' a US defence official said of Hakimullah. A counterterrorism official said: 'While there's no final confirmation of his death, it's a distinct possibility.' The officials, who spoke about the intelligence on condition of anonymity, said Hakimullah was believed to have been shot weeks ago during a clash with a rival group in South Waziristan. US intelligence agencies are still reviewing information to make a final call on his death. Baitullah Mehsud, who led an alliance of 13 militant groups known as the Taliban Movement of Pakistan, was blamed for a series of suicide bombings in Pakistan, including the one that killed former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007. Hakimullah had been described as even more aggressive than Baitullah.

PM hosts pilgrims freed by S. Arabia

Pakistanis returning from Saudi Arabia

The four-month saga of five Pakistanis arrested in Saudi Arabia in connection with a drug smuggling case ended on Friday when they returned to the country by a special plane provided by the Saudi government.The five, Mohammad Anis, his wife Rabia and his mother Zohra Moosani and Arif Chohan and wife Shumaila, were received at the Chaklala Airbase by Interior Minister Rehman Malik and their relatives amid touching scenes.They were taken to the Prime Minister’s House to meet Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. They praised efforts made by the government for their release.‘We are thankful to the government, president, prime minister, interior minister and the nation who supported us and made our return possible,’ Mr Anis said.He also thanked the Saudi authorities for providing justice and facilitating their return to the country.They were also allowed to perform Umra. The three women, who were overcome by emotion, avoided talking to journalists at the airport. ‘Our aim was to bring them back unconditionally and the credit goes to all who worked for this purpose,’ the interior minister said, adding that the prime minister took special interest in the matter. The five people were released after the real culprits who had placed narcotics in their belongings were arrested in Pakistan.

Rio wins 2016 Olympic Games bid

Thousands of people celebrated Friday on crowded Copacabana beach as the announcement that Brazil had been chosen as the 2016 Olympics host played live over huge screens erected above the sand."It was a fantastic victory. We beat the big cities. Passion talked louder," said one man as he danced to live samba music in front of the stage. Rio de Janeiro beat out Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid to become the first South American city to host the Games, something President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva made clear during his pitch to the International Olympic Committee. "It is a time to address this imbalance," he told committee members making the selection in Copenhagen, Denmark. "It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country." Happiness was a big part of Rio's pitch after it was voted the happiest city in the world by Forbes magazine. On Friday, thousands of people piled onto the beach wearing green and yellow, many with the Brazilian flag painted on their faces.