BP hit with record safety fine

British Petroleum, one of the world's largest energy companies, has been hit with a record fine of $87m for safety violations at a Texas refinery. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) handed down the fine on Friday, saying the company had failed to correct safety shortfalls at its Texas City refinery after a blast there in 2005 killed 15 workers and injured 170 others. The fine comes after a six-month OSHA inspection at the refinery, the nation's third largest. But British Petroleum (BP) has contested the fine, saying the company believed it had honoured a 2005 agreement with the agency to fix safety problems that led to the blast. "We believe our efforts at the Texas City refinery to improve process safety performance have been among the most strenuous and comprehensive that the refining industry has ever seen," said Keith Casey, BP's manager of the Texas refinery.

Uncertainty grows over Afghan poll

The main challenger to Afghanistan's incumbent president is expected to announce soon whether he will participate or withdraw from next week's election runoff. Abdullah Abdullah had issued what he called minimum conditions for the runoff following the disputed first-round vote and set Saturday as the deadline for authorities to implement them. The Afghan capital, quoted Abdullah's campaign as saying that it would hold a news conference to discuss the matter on Sunday. "His spokesman [says] that a final decision hasn't yet been made by Dr Abdullah to react to the fact that many of those conditions have not been met," our correspondent said. "We're now told [Abdullah] is in intensive meetings; he is still making up his mind." The first round of voting on August 20 was so badly affected by ballot-box stuffing and distorted tallies that more than one million votes were thrown out. The fraud pushed Hamid Karzai, the president, below the required 50 per cent margin needed to win, forcing the country into a second round to be held on November 7. Abdullah has accused the country's electoral commission of being complicit in the fraud.

Google gets its groove on with music search

Google stepped onto the Internet music stage, unveiling a service for finding, listening to or buying songs online. Google announced an alliance with Lala.com and MySpace-owned iLike at Capitol Records headquarters in Los Angeles that could cut down on the number of mouse clicks it takes to sample or purchase a song on the Web. "We are very excited today to be introducing a music search feature,"Google vice president of search Marissa Mayer said before a demonstration of the new service known as OneBox. "The search results will allow you to do a whole song play to verify it is the song you are looking for," rather than just the 30-second stream typical of most major online music providers. Google music search lets people search using song artists, titles, and even snippets of lyrics. A pop-up widget powered by iLike or Lala instantly appears with OneBox search results and offers to play the sought-after song. The MySpace box provides links to buying MP3 downloads of songs, matching music videos and upcoming concerts by artists, if any are planned. Google began rolling out OneBox on Wednesday, with availability limited to the United States. Google hopes to find partners in other countries to take the music model international.

Army finds unlikely Taliban ally in battle for South Waziristan

As it battles the main Taliban forces holed up in the country's mountainous South Waziristan province, the Pakistani army has found an unlikely ally in independent Taliban groups opposed to their rivals' campaign of terrorist attacks. Qari Nasir Mehsud leads one of the many independent Taliban factions in north-western Pakistan’s rugged tribal zone, from where they target international forces across the border in Afghanistan. For Pakistani authorities, Mehsud and his 10,000-strong contingent are allies in a fight against a common enemy: the Pakistani Taliban led by Hakimullah Mehsud, who claimed responsibility for a series of attacks across Pakistani cities in recent weeks. The Pakistani army launched a massive operation earlier this month to root out Pakistani Taliban insurgents from South Waziristan. “Today we support the army because we are against these terrorists who are harming our country. There are 10,000 of us in total but we have 3000 men based in South Waziristan who are watching and reporting back to the Pakistani secret services about the activities of the TTP,” a Taliban member told. For now the army seems to have turned a blind eye even though it knows Qari Nasir Mehsud and others like him will try to establish Taliban rule in Pakistan once they have succeeded in Afghanistan - for their ultimate goal is to see Pakistan adopt Islamic law.

China invites Kim Jong Il to visit

China has invited reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Il to visit at his convenience, state media in both countries reported.The invitation was extended as an official from North Korea's Workers' Party visited China and attended a Wednesday meeting, in which the countries pledged to strengthen ties, according to China Daily. 

Clinton doubts Pakistan on al-Qaeda

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has questioned Pakistan's commitment to the fight against al-Qaeda, saying she found it hard to believe that no-one in the government knows where senior figures are hiding. "I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn't get them if they really wanted to," she told a group of newspaper editors during a meeting in the city of Lahore on Thursday. "Maybe that's the case. Maybe they're not gettable. I don't know." Top al-Qaeda leaders are widely believed to be holed up in a remote mountainous region along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. Clinton said that al-Qaeda had enjoyed a "safe haven" in Pakistan since 2002. Clinton is on a three-day visit to Pakistan, where one of her principle objectives is to tackle the anti-American sentiment which is said to be undermining its allies in the Pakistani government. "I am more than willing to hear every complaint about the United States," Clinton said. "But this is a two-way street. If we are going to have a mature partnership where we work together" then "there are issues that not just the United States but others have with your government and with your military security establishment." Clinton was keen to hail the US relationship with Pakistan. "What we have together is far greater than what divided us," she told students at Lahore University, referring to her relations with Barack Obama, the US president. "And that is what I feel about the United States and Pakistan."

New US policy to raise aid for Pakistan

The new US policy for the Pak-Afghan region will be a combination of continued military presence in Afghanistan and an increase in military and economic assistance to Pakistan, officials and lawmakers say. US President Barack Obama holds his final meeting with his senior military advisers on Friday to finalise the policy. Mr Obama has already held six such meetings with senior military and political advisers since late last month. ‘We have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future,’ said Mr Obama while defining the strategy he is expected to announce soon. But even after weeks of review, administration officials say a range of options is still under consideration, including whether additional US forces could be deployed in phases. At 3.40am on Thursday, Mr Obama visited Delaware’s Dover Air Force Base to attend the transfer of 15 soldiers and three drug enforcement agents killed in Afghanistan this week. The solemn visit underscores the enormity of the president’s decision as he has to choose between saving American lives and defeating the terrorists to prevent future attacks. Meanwhile, the US media reported that President Obama had asked senior officials for a province-by-province analysis of Afghanistan to determine which regions were being managed effectively by local leaders and which required international help. The media interpreted this as indicating that the administration was now shifting its attention away from Kabul and was seeking to deal directly with strong provincial and tribal leaders. The reports claimed the Obama administration had now concluded that the Taliban could not be eliminated as a military and political force, regardless of how many more troops were deployed. The clearest outline of the new US policy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, however, came from Senator John Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, who underlined the key position Pakistan enjoys in the new strategy: No front is more important in the US fight against international terrorism than nuclear-armed Pakistan -- and chaos next door in Afghanistan would have enormous repercussions there. Pakistan is not only the headquarters of Al Qaeda today but could eventually become the epicentre of extremism in the world. If the United States and its allies are perceived as incapable of doing the job, it would help extremists recruit and raise doubt -- not just in the region, but globally -- about America’s resolve and its effectiveness.

Five ‘militants’ held in Karachi with explosives

The CID police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested five members of a banned militant outfit and seized about 150 kilos of explosives of Indian origin, automatic rifles and suicide vests from them. A senior CID police official said that the five suspected militants, all residents of Karachi, were arrested in different parts of Orangi Town and they were planning terror attacks on key installations in the city. ‘Initial investigations suggest that they all are militants and associated with the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi. They have a history of police arrests on different charges,’ said CID SP Fayyaz Khan. ‘We have seized two suicide jackets, two sacks containing 150 kilos of explosives made by an Indian company and five Kalashnikov rifles with bullets and magazines.’ The SP was speaking to reporters at the DJ College Ground on Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road where the seized explosives and suicide jackets were being defused by the officials of the Bomb Disposal Squad. However, he did not offer an explanation when asked why he chose a playground, and that too in the high-security zone of the city, for a site to defuse the seized explosives. When asked whether the arrested suspects had any links with India, the official said that investigations were in an early stage and the CID did not reach any conclusion about the suspects’ connections with the neighbouring country.

Artificial heart ready to be planted by 2011

Cardiac patients everywhere may soon benefit from a new artificial heart that does what none has succeeded in doing before, namely, mimicking closely the natural functions of the human heart. The company which manufactures the heart is starting the production of the hearts which are to be used in the first human patients by 2011. Developed by world-renowned French cardiac surgeon, Dr. Alain Carpentier, the heart has been successfully tested on animals and is now going to be assembled in a new laboratory outside Paris. Carpentier's artificial heart, wrapped in synthetic skin specially designed to keep the body from rejecting it, could help reduce the deadly gap between supply and demand for heart transplants. For Carpentier, it's the start of new episode and the term of many years of research and convincing. Artificial hearts have been developed before, but what makes Carpentier's heart unique and much closer to the real thing is its ability to measure the body's activity levels and change its pace accordingly thanks to the latest electronic sensor technology. The revolutionary sensor technology capable of almost perfectly regulating heart rate and blood flow according to the patient's needs comes from an unlikely source: European aerospace giant EADS engineers who use the electronic sensors in guided missiles. Following further development, the heart will be tested on patients whose lives are at risk and who have no other options for treatment. "We expect to have human implants starting with the clinical trials at the beginning of 2011" said Marcello Conviti the head of Carmat, the company which is to assemble the hearts. According to Marcello Conviti, 100,000 patients in western countries need a new heart. Only 5000 of them are lucky enough to have a real heart transplant. Conviti hopes that this new heart can someday save all of them: In term, it is hoped that the prosthetic replacement could do away with world-wide donor shortage forever.

Troops surround ‘Uzbek base’ in S. Waziristan

Security forces have surrounded Kaniguram, an important base of Uzbek militants in South Waziristan, from three directions and preparing to storm the town. Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira and Armed Forces Spokesman Maj-Gen Athar Abbas told newsmen on Wednesday that important fronts around the town had been secured. Gen Abbas said security forces had also achieved substantial successes on two other fronts. He said good progress had been made on the Jandola-Saroragha axis and important heights had been secured in Nawazkot area on the Razmak-Makeen axis. On the Jandola-Sararogha front, he said, troops were making good progress and securing heights along the main Kotkai-Sararogha road, overlooking the town of Sararogha. Troops secured the important the Nullah road junction, 2km north of Ganrakas and the important point 1233 west of the Kotkai-Sararogha road. Besides, Inzar Kalay has been cleared.Three training complexes have been destroyed in Murghabund and 25 centres and nine caves Kotkai.On the Shakai-Kaniguram axis, the military spokesman said, the important front of Karwan Manza about 2km east of Kaniguram had been secured. It dominates Kaniguram from the east and overlooks the town of Karama towards southeast on the Kaniguram-Kotkai road. Karama is a stronghold and training centre of foreign terrorists.

Iran’s response to nuclear deal today

Iran will deliver to the UN atomic watchdog its much-awaited response to a Western-backed nuclear deal aimed at shipping abroad Tehran’s low-enriched uranium. According to Tehran Times, an informed source announced that Iran in its response has accepted the general framework of the proposal drafted by Elbradei in Vienna, but some modifications have been made. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed as positive Iran's decision to allow UN nuclear inspectors access to a recently disclosed nuclear enrichment plant in the Islamic Republic. "I also welcome the draft agreement circulated by the IAEA related to the supply of fuel for the Tehran research reactor," he said, adding that it would "constitute an important confidence building measure and could set the stage for further advances in the negotiations."

China website on missing children

Chinese authorities have created a website with photos of dozens of rescued kidnap victims, mostly infants, in an attempt to track down their families. The Babies Looking for Home website is part of a nationwide government crackdown on the widespread trafficking of women and children. The website includes short physical descriptions of each child, the date they were rescued and a contact number for the police station or welfare official in charge of their case. The youngest child profiled appears to be just a few months old, and most of them were boys. State media have reported hundreds of rescues and arrests since the campaign began in April, but the new website shows that at least 60 children were yet to be reunited with their families. In a statement announcing the new website on Tuesday the public security ministry said that 2,008 children had been rescued between April and October.

Obama signs military budget bill

US President Barack Obama has signed into law a 680 billion dollar defense budget for the 2010 fiscal year. The measure includes funds to increase troop deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. The 2010 defense authorization bill also terminates a number of costly projects. "I have always rejected the notion that we have to waste billions of dollars of taxpayer money to keep this nation secure," Obama said, before signing the defense authorization act at the White House. He said, "In fact, I think that wasting these dollars makes us less secure -- and that's why we have passed a defense bill that eliminates some of the waste and inefficiency in our defense process."

Hillary Clinton visits Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has reached Lahore. Governor Punjab Salman Taseer and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif greeted Hillary Clinton at the Allama Iqbal Airport. The US Secretary of State is visiting Allama Iqbal tomb, Badshahi Mosque and Shahi Qila (Lahore Fort) now. According to the traffic diversion plan, the Mall, Jail Road and Lower Mall are closed for ordinary traffic and motorists are being diverted to alternative routes.  Security of the city has put on high alert while 17 schools along with the University of the Punjab were ordered to remain closed today. Schools at Upper and Lower Mall along with Punjab University were closed due to security concerns. Hillary Clinton will address students of Government College and afterwards she will meet Governor Punjab Salman Taseer and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif.

UN 'undeterred' by Kabul attack

A deadly attack on a guest house used by United Nations staff in Kabul will not stop the UN from carrying out its mission in Afghanistan, the UN secretary general has said. Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, Ban Ki-moon said the "shameless" attack had cost the lives of "women and men committed to the values of peace, dignity and respect for all." But he said the UN would "not be deterred from this noble mission". Wednesday's dawn attack by Taliban fighters on the privately-run Bekhtar guest house in central Kabul killed five UN workers. The three Taliban attackers and four Afghans were also killed during a fierce gun battle that broke out after the raid. In a statement the Taliban said it had carried out the attack on the UN because of its involvement in organising Afghanistan's presidential elections, the second round of which is due to be held on November 7. Ban said however that the UN would continue its work. "In principle we are not and we should not be deterred by this heinous terrorist attack. We will continue our work, particularly on helping the Afghan government and people carry on this second presidential election," he told reporters.

Death toll rises to 106 in Peshawar car blast

A car bomb struck a busy market in Meena Bazaar of Peshawar on Wednesday, killing 106 people mostly women and children. More than 200 people were wounded in the blast in Peshawar, the deadliest in a surge of attacks by suspected insurgents this month. Wednesday's bomb destroyed much of the Meena Bazaar in Peshawar's old town, a warren of narrow alleys clogged with stalls and shops selling dresses, toys and cheap jewelry that drew many female shoppers and children in the conservative city. The blast collapsed buildings, including a mosque, and set scores of shops ablaze. The wounded sat amid burning debris and parts of bodies as a huge cloud of smoke rose above the city. No group claimed responsibility for the bombing. Three bombs have exploded in Peshawar this month, including one that killed more than 50 people. They are part of at least 10 major attacks in Pakistan that have killed 250 people either claimed by or blamed on Taliban militants. Most have targeted security forces, but some bombs have gone off in public places, apparently to undercut support for the army's assault on the border and expose the weakness of the government.

Blast in Peshawar Pakistan

A blast in Peshawar on Wednesday killed at least 8 people and wounding another 35, a police official said. ‘It was a huge bomb blast, heard in almost all the city,’ Anwar Shah told AFP by telephone. ‘We have 8 killed and 35 wounded. It was a car bomb blast,’ he added. Vehicles and shop fronts were damaged in the massive explosion. A large blaze broke out after the explosion.

Houses demolished in east Jerusalem

Israeli authorities have torn down several Palestinian houses in occupied east Jerusalem on grounds that the structures were built illegally. Gidi Schmerling, a Jerusalem municipality spokesman, said the affected houses and structures were in the neighbourhoods of Shuafat, Zur Baher, Silwan and Jabel Mukabar. "All the houses were demolished in accordance with a court order," he said on Tuesday in a statement to the AFP news agency. The Palestinians have long accused the municipality of discriminating against them and making it virtually impossible to get legal permits for new homes or extensions to existing ones. As a result, thousands of illegal structures were erected in recent decades with Israel issuing demolition orders and destroying dozens of houses each year. Nir Barkat, the mayor of Jerusalem, had vowed to crack down on illegal construction in the city, including east Jerusalem, whose fate is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Earlier this year, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for a halt to home demolitions in East Jerusalem.

Is Afghanistan Obama's Vietnam?

U.S. President Barack Obama says the war in Afghanistan isn't going to end up like Vietnam. A majority of Americans don't agree and don't want to get in any deeper, but even they don't like the alternative. "Younger Americans, who probably learned about the Vietnam war only through textbooks don't necessarily see quite the same parallels," said CNN polling director Keating Holland. "But for older Americans they're really starting to get a little bit of a sense of deja vu." Our newest CNN Opinion Research poll finds that a majority of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan and think it's turning into another Vietnam, the most divisive and painful defeat in modern American history. Obama has been struggling for weeks to set a new strategy for Afghanistan and is trying to decide whether to deploy more troops. A majority of Americans are opposed to that too. It's easy to be reminded of the way a generation of GIs who went to Southeast Asia, starting with a handful of advisers in the 1950s, rising to more than 500,000 troops by 1968. When Obama took office, there were about 38,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. He's raised the number to 65,000 and is said to be considering adding another 40,000 more. And he resists the comparison between the two conflicts. "Each historical moment is different. You never step in the same river twice," Obama said in an interview last month. "And so Afghanistan is not Vietnam." The most important difference may be that the current war isn't being fought against the perceived threat of Communism half a world away, but as a result of the deadly 9/11 attacks on the U.S. itself. That's why despite all their doubts, Americans want the president to keep fighting. The poll we did that found a majority opposing the war in Afghanistan found an even bigger majority who believe it's necessary to keep the military there to prevent more terror attacks on the U.S. The best explanation may be this: Americans don't want to send more troops into Afghanistan and they don't want to keep fighting there. But they are afraid of what will happen if they leave the battlefield behind.

8 militants killed in operation Rah-e-Nijaat

At least 8 militants were killed when security forces bombed their hideouts in different areas of South Waziristan. According to official sources, eight militants were killed and five others injured in the bombing and shelling of gunship helicopters in Makeen, Saloshti, Mami Karama and Kanigaram. Many hideouts were also destroyed in the bombardment. Security forces are advancing towards Mami Karama and Kanigaram from Saloshti. Security forces are facing stiff resistance at Mami Karama. On the other hand, security forces also moving towards Sararoga from Kotki.

Taliban kill six foreigners in attack on Kabul UN hostel

Taliban suicide gunmen stormed a UN hostel in central Kabul Wednesday, killing at least six foreigners in an assault that the militants warned marked a bloody countdown to new Afghan elections. Gunfire and explosions rang out across the city in a smart residential district near Butcher Street close to popular shopping streets favoured by Westerners, and at least five foreigners were among those wounded. ‘Three suicide bombers have been killed during the police operation, they were armed suicide bombers,’ Afghan interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said. ‘Unfortunately six foreigners have been killed, five foreigners have been wounded,’ he told AFP, without giving further details. United Nations spokesman Aleem Siddique confirmed earlier that three UN staff members staying at the Bachter Guesthouse were killed. One police officer and one intelligence officer had also been killed, an Afghan soldier at the site of the attack said, adding that four men and one woman were among the dead. The attack came with tensions rising in Afghanistan ahead of the scheduled presidential second-round election on November 7, and after a string of high-profile suicide attacks in recent months. Police said the gunmen stormed the UN-approved guesthouse in the Shar-i-Now area of the capital around 5:30 am (0100 GMT), well before the start of the working day. Flames and heavy black smoke spewed into the sky from the area, where police closed off roads and surrounded the building.

Karadzic no-show forces trial adjournment

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic failed to attend the opening of his long-awaited war crimes trial at The Hague Monday, forcing the judge to adjourn proceedings until Tuesday. Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic failed to attend the opening of his long-awaited war crimes trial at The Hague Monday, setting up a test of wills between the accused and the judges, who must now decide how to proceed. Opening the proceedings at The Hague shortly after 9:00 am (0800 GMT) Monday, the presiding judge, O-Gon Kwon, noted that "the accused Mr Karadzic is not present," before launching an early warning at Karadzic. "We request Mr Karadzic to attend so that his trial is not further obstructed," said Kwon. Barely 15 minutes after the opening, the judge adjourned the trial until Tuesday, when the prosecution is to make its opening address. But after meeting with his client on Monday, a member of Karadzic's legal team, Marco Sladojevic, told AFP that Karadzic would not be present for Tuesday’s proceedings. "I don't think he can read a million pages in one night," the lawyer said, echoing Karadzic's argument that he needed more time to study a million pages of prosecution evidence and hundreds of witness statements.

Afghan chopper crashes leaves 14 Americans dead

Two helicopter crashes killed 14 American troops and civilians in Afghanistan on Monday in one of the blackest days for the United States since its 2001 invasion, officials said. As anti-US protests erupted in Kabul over the alleged burning of a Koran, Afghan President Hamid Karzai also questioned Washington's commitment to the war-torn nation ahead of a run-off election in less than a fortnight. Following a first round riddled with fraud, Karzai's presidential rival Abdullah Abdullah called for the head of the country's election commission to be sacked. The deadlier of the two chopper crashes was in western Badghis province where seven troops and three civilians were killed. The Nato-led force in Afghanistan said enemy fire was not believed to be the cause. The Taliban said, however, it was behind the downing of the helicopter and claimed 14 Afghan civilians were killed in a subsequent aerial bombardment by the foreign force. The militia also claimed to have caused a mid-air collision in the south of the country which Nato's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said had killed four American soldiers. 'Four ISAF service members were killed and two others injured in the incident,' it said. Two helicopters apparently collided mid-air and the cause was being investigated but no hostile fire was involved, it added. The crash in Badghis occurred during a joint search operation by Afghan and Western forces of 'a suspected compound believed to harbour insurgents conducting activities related to narcotics trafficking', ISAF said.

'No rush' on US-Afghanistan plan

The US president has said that he will not rush a decision on whether to send tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan, during an address to military servicemen and women in Florida. "I will never hesitate to use force to protect the American people or our vital interests, I also promise you this - and this is very important as we consider our next steps in Afghanistan," Barack Obama said at a naval air station in Jacksonville on Monday. "I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way ... I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary, and if it is necessary, we will back you up. Obama's address came hours after he led a sixth meeting of a bipartisan war council, which focused on future military strategy in Afghanistan.

Kashmiri observing black day today

Kashmiri, across the world, are observing black day today against India’s tyrannical occupation of Occupied Kashmir, reported Dunya News. Various rallies, protests, processions and gatherings are being organized in Muzaffarabad and Azad Kashmir. All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Kashmir will take out a rally from Supreme Court Chowk to United Nations (UN) office and submit a protest memorandum. India occupied Jammu Kashmir on October 27, 1947 by sending its troops to the valley. All Parties Hurriyat Conference Occupied Kashmir Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said that they were ready to talk about a third option rather than freedom to resolve Kashmir dispute. He opined that Gilgit-Baltistan was a part of Kashmir.

Israel 'cutting Palestinian water'

Israel is denying Palestinians adequate access to clean, safe water while allowing almost unlimited supplies to Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, human rights group Amnesty International has said. "Swimming pools, well-watered lawns and large irrigated farms in Israeli settlements... stand in stark contrast next to Palestinian villages whose inhabitants struggle even to meet their domestic water needs," the group said in a report released on Tuesday. Amnesty said between 180,000 and 200,000 Palestinians in West Bank rural communities have no access to running water, while taps in other areas often run dry.

Pakistan arrests 12 Iranians for illegal infiltration: officials

Authorities in Pakistan on Monday interrogated 12 Iranians who were arrested for illegally crossing the border with Iran, Pakistan officials said. "There are 12 Iranians who have been arrested along with two vehicles," Mohammad Akbar Durrani, home secretary of Pakistan's western province of Baluchistan, which borders Iran, told AFP. "They are being interrogated," Durrani said, declining to give any details on the men's identities. "We informed the Foreign Office about the arrests," he added. A border official said 11 Iranian Revolutionary Guards were arrested after they crossed the border into Pakistan, but he spoke on condition of anonymity and there was no other confirmation. A paramilitary spokesman said only that "some Iranians" who intruded four kilometres (2.4 miles) into Pakistani territory were arrested at Mashkail, around 400 kilometres (240 miles) west of Quetta. Al-Alam, the Iranian TV news channel, rejected reports that the men were Revolutionary Guards, and quoted an "informed source" as saying negotiations were under way to secure the release of the men, who were border guards.

Six militants killed in Mohmand Agency

Six militants were killed and 11 others injured in an attack on a check post in Mohmand Agency while two security officials got martyred and five injured in clashes and a landmine explosion on Tuesday, reported Dunya News. Security sources told that militants attacked on Bedmini check post in Bazai area of Mohmand Agency today morning in which two officials martyred and two others injured. Retaliation by the forces killed six militants and injured 11. Militants carried the corpses of their accomplices while fleeing. Separately, three officials got critically injured in a landmine explosion in Khazena area of Safi.

Afghans condemn 'Quran-burning'

Afghan police have fired into the air to break up a protest in Kabul by thousands of people who are condemning an alleged desecration of a copy of the Quran by foreign soldiers. Protesters, claiming foreign forces had burned a copy of Islam's holiest book during a raid in Maidan Wardak province last week, blocked traffic in the Afghan capital for more than an hour on Sunday. A spokeswoman for US and Nato-led forces in Afghanistan said none of their troops were involved in the incident and blamed the Taliban for spreading a false rumour that a copy of the Quran had been burned. More than 100,000 foreign troops are battling a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, where violence this year reached its highest level since the group was ousted by US-backed Afghan forces in 2001. Thick plumes of smoke rose above the crowd as protesters set fire to a large effigy of what they said was Barack Obama, the US president. "Death to America. Down with Israel," chanted one man at the rally, which was organised mainly by university students. Others threw stones and clashed with police but no casualties were reported. One banner carried by protesters said: "No to democracy. We just want Islam." Captain Elizabeth Mathias, a media officer for US and Nato-led forces in Afghanistan, said the Taliban was trying to undermine foreign troops by spreading the rumour. "We did not burn a Quran ... It is unfortunate that the protesters believe a Taliban rumour," Mathias said, adding an investigation had been carried out. The Taliban could not be reached immediately for comment.

US soldiers die in Afghan crash

Four US soldiers have been killed and two others injured when two helicopters collided in southern Afghanistan. Hostile fire has been ruled out in the crash on Monday, a military statement said. In an unrelated incident, another helicopter went down on the same day during an operation by international forces against fighters in western Afghanistan which left a dozen dead. The US reported military casualties in the incident but did not specify whether they were dead or injured. So far in October, more than 30 US soldiers have died. The deaths come as the US debates whether to send thousands more troops to the country and the Afghan government prepares for a runoff election between Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, and his main challenger following an August vote that was discredited due to alleged widespread ballot-rigging.

Ten killed as militants battle security in Hangu

At least ten militants were killed in a clash with security forces in Hangu. According to sources, militants tried to enter the settled areas of Tora Wari and were stopped at a checkpoint by security officials.  Militants opened fire, and in the ensuing violence, ten of them were killed on the spot.  Security personnel also used artillery gunfire and targeted the hideouts of militants in the area. Artillery gunfire continued for several hours.

Baghdad car bombs near government offices kill 136

Two suicide car bombs exploded in downtown Baghdad Sunday, killing at least 136 people and delivering a powerful blow to the heart of the fragile city's government in the worst attack of the year, officials said. While violence has dropped dramatically in the country since the height of the sectarian tensions, such bombings like Sunday's demonstrate the precarious nature of the security gains and the insurgency's abilities to still pull off devastating attacks in the center of what is supposed to be one of Baghdad's most secure areas. Black smoke could be seen billowing from the frantic scene, as emergency service vehicles sped to the area. Even civilian cars were being commandeered to transport the wounded to hospitals. The car bombs, which targeted the Justice Ministry and the Baghdad provincial administration, come as Iraq is preparing for elections scheduled this January, and many Iraqi officials have warned that violence by insurgents’ intent destabilizing the country could rise. There have been no claims of responsibility so far, but massive car bombs have been the hallmark of the Sunni insurgents seeking to overthrow the country's Shiite-dominated government. At least 25 staff members of the Baghdad Provincial Council, which runs the city, were killed in the bombing, said council member Mohammed al-Rubaiey. The area where the blasts occurred is just a few hundred yards from the Green Zone that houses the U.S. Embassy as well as the prime minister's offices. The street where the blasts occurred had just been reopened to vehicle traffic a few months ago, in what was supposed to be a sign that safety was returning to the once devastated city.

Today in History - Oct. 24

Today is Saturday, Oct. 24, the 297th day of 2009. There are 68 days left in the year. In Oct. 24, 1945, the United Nations officially came into existence as its charter took effect. (On this date in 1949, construction began on the U.N. headquarters in New York.) On this date: In 1537, Jane Seymour, the third wife of England's King Henry VIII, died 12 days after giving birth to Prince Edward, later King Edward VI. In 1648, the Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years War and effectively destroyed the Holy Roman Empire. In 1861, the first transcontinental telegraph message was sent as Chief Justice Stephen J. Field of California transmitted a telegram to President Abraham Lincoln. In 1901, widow Anna Edson Taylor became the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. In 1931, the George Washington Bridge, connecting New York and New Jersey, was officially dedicated (it opened to traffic the next day). In 1939, Benny Goodman and his orchestra recorded their signature theme, "Let's Dance," for Columbia Records in New York. Nylon stockings were sold publicly for the first time, in Wilmington, Del. In 1952, Republican presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower declared in Detroit, "I shall go to Korea" as he promised to end the conflict. (He made the visit over a month later.) In 1980, the merchant freighter SS Poet departed Philadelphia bound for Port Said, Egypt, with a crew of 34 and a cargo of grain; it disappeared en route and has not been heard from since. In 1989, former television evangelist Jim Bakker was sentenced by a judge in Charlotte, N.C., to 45 years in prison for fraud and conspiracy. (The sentence was later reduced to eight years; it was further reduced to four for good behavior.) In 2002, authorities arrested Army veteran John Allen Muhammad and teenager Lee Boyd Malvo near Myersville, Md., in connection with the Washington-area sniper attacks. Ten years ago: An Israeli court sentenced American teenager Samuel Sheinbein to 24 years in prison for killing an acquaintance in Maryland in 1997. Sen. John Chafee, R-R.I., died at Bethesda Naval Hospital at age 77. The New York Yankees took Game 2 of the World Series, defeating the Atlanta Braves, 7-2. Five years ago: A plane owned by top NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports crashed near Martinsville, Va., killing all ten people aboard. A Russian-U.S. crew aboard a Soyuz capsule returned to Earth from the international space station in a pinpoint landing in Kazakhstan. Cardinal James A. Hickey, former archbishop of Washington, D.C., died at age 84. The Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 for a 2-0 World Series lead. Arizona's Emmitt Smith broke Walter Payton's NFL record for 100-yard games rushing with his 78th. One year ago: Singer-actress Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were found slain in their Chicago home; the body of her 7-year-old nephew was found three days later. (Hudson's estranged brother-in-law has been arrested in the killings.) A Russian Soyuz capsule touched down in Kazakhstan after delivering the first two men to follow their fathers into space, a Russian and an American, to the international space station. Today's Birthdays: Football Hall-of-Famer Y.A. Tittle is 83. Rock musician Bill Wyman is 73. Actor-producer David Nelson is 73. Actor F. Murray Abraham is 70. Actor Kevin Kline is 62. Former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume is 61. Country musician Billy Thomas (Terry McBride and the Ride) is 56. Actor B.D. Wong is 49. Rock musician Ben Gillies (Silverchair) is 30. Singer-actress Monica Arnold is 29. Rhythm-and-blues singer Adrienne Bailon (3lw) is 26. Actress Shenae Grimes (TV: "90210") is 20. Thought for Today: "Progress might have been all right once, but it has gone on too long." _ Ogden Nash, 

Pakistan under Talibanisation

As the state machinery took its time before launching the operation in Waziristan, the Taliban outflanked it by launching an offensive of their own, bringing the war to the heartland of the country. After taking on GHQ, the proverbial nerve centre, they have shown a change in the tactics of terror: the militants’ attacks have now metamorphosed into a full-blown urban war. The brazen attack on GHQ, which was quickly followed by three synchronised raids on security establishments in Lahore, is a change in the tactics of the Taliban. Until recently they would attack military convoys with improvised devices or their frenzied cadres would blow themselves up near a target or in a crowd. Now they have descended from the hills of Waziristan (as the common understanding goes) to extend the theatre of war. It will divide the focus of the armed forces and put many people’s lives at risk. The day GHQ was attacked two words seemed to stick out in the local and international media: brazen and audacious. But there is more to it than merely an attack by the Taliban who have challenged the writ of the state everywhere and at will. No less than six terrorist attacks in Punjab — one targeting the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, another the Manawan police academy, the GHQ assault in Rawalpindi and three synchronised attacks against security establishments, including Manawan once more, in Lahore — bear the hallmark of militants other than the Taliban of Waziristan. According to the New York Times, these attacks showed the deepening reach of the militant network, as well as its rising sophistication and inside knowledge of the security forces. These attacks are enough to jolt the country’s establishment out of its belief that nothing is brewing in the backyard of Punjab. The sophisticated attacks across the Indus highlight a stark reality: the phenomenon of the Taliban is not ethnic, but a national one. The most alarming aspect of this saga is that militants belonging to sectarian terror outfits have been in the forefront of these attacks. The mastermind of the GHQ attack, Aqeel, has been associated with Lashkar-i-Jhangvi — a sectarian terror group active in Punjab since long. He was also allegedly involved in the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team. It shows how dangerously these sectarian groups have, over the years, transformed into a force capable of taking on the state. The southern part of Punjab shares many things with the tribal areas of the NWFP. If the century-old Frontier Crimes Regulation had imposed maliks on the common tribesmen for their control and exploitation, feudalism has sucked the life out of the common Punjabi. Exploitation and alienation is on the same level in Fata and southern Punjab, which gives common cause to the Taliban and the sectarian groups to team up against an identical enemy — the FCR in the tribal areas and feudalism in Punjab. Things went awry when the state started patronising such organisations, which played on the inherent contradictions in society. The state wanted to privatise Kashmir and the Afghan war, but little did it know that one day the militants could turn their guns on it. The whole of the NWFP in general and Peshawar in particular had been the staging post for the so-called Afghan jihad for no less than 10 years, which is enough time to contaminate the local cultural and religious ethos. Besides, given poor economic indicators, state patronage of militancy and its long porous border with Afghanistan, the NWFP was bound to be the breeding ground for obscurantist forces like the Taliban. When inculcating ‘jihad’ became the state policy during Gen Ziaul Haq’s dark rule and ‘jihad fi sabeelillah’ became the motto of the armed forces, the first seed of Talibanisation was sown. Genuine political leadership was banished from the country while political activity was stifled. The vacuum was then filled by sectarian and linguistic groups which left the social fabric in tatters. People started seeking identity in narrow ‘ideologies’ in the absence of national parties that could give representation to everyone. Public display of ostentatious religiosity became the norm with small militant outfits becoming an extension of the state’s foreign policy, while mainstream leaders — including nationalists — were branded as traitors, corrupt and inept. Religious vigilantes started stalking every segment of society, especially campuses. Conformity replaced diversity of opinion; anyone falling on the wrong side of the establishment was either chased out or condemned to silence. After years of mayhem in Afghanistan the Taliban emerged victorious, in the process attracting jihadis of every hue to the country. For the first time sectarian militants found a safe haven in Afghanistan after spilling a lot of blood in Pakistan. When the Taliban took over Kabul, it bolstered the many obscurantist factions in Pakistan. However, when the Taliban were toppled by the US after 9/11 and found sanctuary in the tribal badlands of Pakistan, a local version of the extremist militia emerged to challenge the writ of the government in the name of the Sharia. The sectarian groups of Punjab found an ally in Fata. The rot does not lie only in the tribal areas. While they provide sanctuary to every group that challenges the writ of the state, they have their own grievances. They may fly in the same flock but they are not birds of a feather. Once done with Waziristan the state’s focus should turn to Punjab, where sleeper cells are not sleeping anymore. This should be done before southern Punjab becomes another Swat. Sectarian crimes accentuated by economic deprivation and socio-cultural contradictions have clothed themselves in petty identities. In the short term they need to be removed physically; in the long term the inherent contradictions have to be addressed, for which drastic steps have to be taken.

Iran to decide on nuke deal 'next week'

Iran said Friday it needs more time to decide whether to sign onto a deal that could help end the international showdown over its nuclear activities. Tehran is "studying the draft proposal" and will have an answer next week, said Iranian diplomat Ali Asghar Soltanieh, on state-run Press TV. Soltanieh is Iran's representative for meetings with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N. nuclear watchdog. It was at IAEA headquarters in Vienna on Wednesday that representatives from the United States, France, Russia, the United Nations and Iran settled on the draft proposal. IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei gave all the representatives until Friday to say whether they would sign the document, which he called "a balanced approach to the problem." The other parties have expressed support for the deal.

Hillary Clinton to visit Pakistan soon

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will arrive in Pakistan on an official tour soon however the dates of her tour have not been announced because of security concerns, reported Dunya News. The US emissary for Afghanistan and Pakistan told that P.J. Crowley had informed Pakistani officials about Clinton’s wish to visit Pakistan. The US officials have also talked to Pakistani officials about the security arrangements during Clinton’s visit. According to US officials, security arrangements hinder her visit and Pakistani officials are being talked to on these concerns. Crowley said that Clinton would hold meetings with Pakistani leadership, important opposition leaders, civil society and businessmen in her visit. He maintained that Pakistan was undergoing a very dramatic situation and Clinton would try to meet maximum people during her brief visit to the country.

Operation close to achieving goals: Kayani

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday chaired a high-level meeting on the security situation in the country, highlighting an unprecedented cooperation and coordination between the top civilian and military leadership. The prime minister assured that requirements of all agencies involved in combating militants would be met on a priority basis. The meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, all chief ministers, the president and the prime minister of Azad Kashmir and the governor of Gilgit-Baltistan, all corps commanders and army staff officers, chiefs of the Inter Services Intelligence, Federal Investigation Agency, Intelligence Bureau, inspectors-general of all provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, chiefs of the Frontier Corps and Frontier Constabulary, federal ministers for finance, information, interior and defence. Mr Gilani ordered the reopening of all educational institutions closed following twin blasts in the Islamic University in Islamabad after ensuring full security arrangements. The prime minister ordered heads of sensitive security and intelligence agencies to streamline their performance to pre-empt the recurrence of terrorism, and promised to provide a generous flow of funds and equipment. Chief of Army Staff Gen Kayani briefed the meeting about the ongoing military operation in South Waziristan and said it was successfully moving towards desired objectives, adding that the army was trying to minimise collateral damage.

Blast in Peshawar’s Hayatabad area wounds eight

A blast occurred in Peshawar's residential Hayatabad area on Friday. Eyewitnesses told that the blast was heard in front of the city’s popular Swan restaurant. The front wall of the restaurant was damaged as a result and car parts littered the scene suggesting that it was a car bomb blast. Security forces have cordoned off the area and the press is not allowed at the site of the incident. Police say at least eight have been injured in the blast. Four of the injured were shifted to the Hayatabad Medical Complex. Their condition is currently unknown. The official casualty toll is currently unavailable.  Hayatabad Medical Complex has declared a medical emergency and called in all of its doctors and dispatched ambulances to the scene. Since the blast occurred on the city’s outskirts, only the Hayatabad Medical Complex’s ambulances will be able to reach the wounded first.  Security has been on high alert in the city. In addition to the police, FC and elite troops are also patrolling the city.

Pakistan's 'fight to the finish'

Outside Pakistan's main army headquarters in the garrison town of Rawalpindi stands a makeshift memorial. It is covered with flowers and messages of support for soldiers who have died, particularly those killed when armed men stormed the compound earlier this month. On the fence, hangs a large, white banner which tells the tens of thousands who pass this spot every day: "We sacrificed our today for your tomorrow." While we stand and wait for permission to film it, a young man steps forward, carrying a bouquet of flowers. He salutes, and slowly bends to add his tribute to those already there. He takes a few steps back, bows his head and begins to pray silently. It is a simple and heartfelt tribute. The shrine may soon have a few more names. Those of the soldiers killed in the offensive now under way in South Waziristan. In another part of the complex we are introduced to Major-General Attar Abbas. He is the army's senior spokesman, the man who articulates the message the military wants to get out to the public.  He is smart and polite.  He has had a busy few days since the security forces launched their attack against the Pakistan Taliban led by Hakimullah Mehsud. About 30,000 soldiers are involved in the operation he believes is vital for the army and the state. "The people want this to finish off, because they are fed up from the acts of terrorism in their cities and their towns. They want this organisation which is responsible for so much of the mayhem and so much panic and terrorism, they want the military to finish the job," he says. People knew the offensive was coming and 80,000 of them left the area, heading for safety.  It the past few days, they have been joined by another 25,000.  The army knows how many soldiers it has lost, and makes daily claims on the number of Taliban it has killed. So I ask just how many civilians have died after being caught in the fighting.  He is certain: "None." When I tell him pictures from the area show the dead in the streets of one of the towns near the frontlines in South Waziristan, he apologies: "We deeply regret if there is a civilian casualty and we are with the grieved family at that. "I have not seen the pictures you are referring too, but if it is true, we deeply regret in case there is a casualty. "We are fighting a remote area, away from the population centres, we are doing all we can to avoid casualties." For days, rumours have circulated that the government made a deal with two powerful, anti-US tribal chiefs to stop them joining the battle against them. It has been reported that Taliban factions run by Maulvi Nazir and Hafiz Gul Bahadur would allow the army to move through their lands without being attacked. This would open up new fronts in the assault. In return, the army would ease patrols and bombings in the areas controlled by the two men. The Pakistanis have been criticised in the past for making deals like this, but Major-General Abbas, while not confirming any agreement, says it is a sensible step which could bring long-term peace to the region. "When the state is seen to have turned out the biggest bully from the area, it has defeated that and it is seen by everyone around to have done that, then it creates vibes all over the place. "It radiates effects all around and, therefore, what we expect is that since we have broken the centre of gravity, we have made them see this bully has been defeated, the terrorist organisation, this network has been dismantled and thereby the effect, which is natural, sees others re-adjust to this new existing reality." The battle in South Waziristan has, in some quarters, been described as the fight for the future of Pakistan. The general doesn't disagree: "This is a fight to the finish. There is no option of losing this. It is very important to our people that we must win this fight, we must get rid of this organisation which is responsible for over 80 per cent of the acts of terrorism and mayhem in our country." Opinion polls suggest that the Pakistani public support the action in South Waziristan although there are loud dissenting voices. The army knows if Operation Path of Deliverance takes too long, if civilian casualties mount or their makeshift memorial gets much bigger, that support could quickly disappear.

Afghan troop decision possible before vote result: Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama said that he could reach a decision on his new war strategy for Afghanistan before the outcome of an Afghan election run-off. "It is entirely possible that we have a strategy formulated before a runoff is determined," Obama told in an interview. But he added, somewhat cryptically, "We may not announce it." He also said that we are going to take the time to get this right and we are not going to drag it out because there is a sense that the sooner we get a sound approach in place and personnel in place, the better off we're going to be. But we also want to make sure that we don't put resources ahead of strategy. Obama also faces growing doubts at home about the war in Afghanistan as he faces his most fateful foreign policy decision since taking office in January.

Top-ranking army Brigadier assassinated in Islamabad

The Deputy Director General Military Operations Brigadier Moin was assassinated, along with another army official in a shootout in Islamabad on Thursday. An unknown number of gunmen attacked the brigadier’s military jeep as he left his house in the G-11/1 sector of the capital. Another army official was injured in the attack, rescue officials told. Brigadier Moin is believed to have been involved in the strategy-making for the on-going Waziristan operation against militants, as well as the Swat operation. ‘Witnesses have told us two men came on a motorcycle and opened fire,’ city police official Abdul Qadir told Reuters.

China's GDP grows nearly 9 percent last quarter

China's GDP increased 8.9 percent for the third quarter, moving closer toward the goal of 8 percent growth for the year. Growth for the first three quarters of the year is up 7.7 percent; economists says 8 percent growth is needed to keep current employment levels. The growth was in line with analyst expectations, although there are rising fears that the government's massive stimulus package may be inflating stock and property prices. The Chinese government spent $586 billion to bolster its economy. "We have obtained obvious achievements and further strengthened the steady upturn trend of the economy. The overall situation of national economy is good," said Li Xiaochao, of the National Bureau of Statistics."At present, it's a crucial stage for the national economy to realize stable growth," Li said. "Yet the basis of the economic recovery still needs to be consolidated, and the insufficient external demand is still severe with the arduous task of expanding domestic demand and adjusting the structures." China's economy has been picking up pace the first three quarters of the year, growing at 6.1 percent the first quarter and 7.9 percent the second quarter. Foreign trade has continued to drop, but its rate of decline is slowing. The total volue of imports and exports in September was down 10.1 percent compared to the same month last year, but up 14.2 percent from August. 

Forces demolish Hakimullah, Qari Hussain’s houses in Waziristan

The security forces continue to advance towards Laddah and Kotkai in South Waziristan while houses of Hakimullah Mehsud and Qari Hussain have been demolished, Dunya News Wednesday reported. According to the ISPR, the forces have strengthened their position in Jandollah and Sararogha while heavy weapon and explosives have been seized from Spinkai, Nazarkhel and other areas of North Waziristan. The forces demolished the houses of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Chief Hakimullah Mehsud and mastermind of suicide attacks Qari Hussain.

In an angry neighbourhood

We’ve been making people very angry lately. Not that I’d like to call Pakistan the bad guy in any scenario but lets face it, we need to acknowledge the fact that we’ve been seriously ticking off our neighbours lately.India and Pakistan have had a bitter relationship since the big breakup but the Mumbai attacks made things even worse. India keeps wanting us to hand over the bad guys, we keep asking them to handover the evidence and basically nothing gets done. Rehman Malik appears on our television screens looking frazzled but trying very hard to keep a calm face while he insists that Pakistan is doing everything it can – obviously India doesn’t think so. In fact India is not even willing to resume peace talks with us – and why should it? Switch over to the other side and you’ve got angry Afghans asking us to stop facilitating the various Taliban factions. Afghanistan continues to accuse the ISI for aiding the Taliban and hence suicide attacks across the Durand Line are often blamed on ‘foreign elements’ – and we all know what they mean by that don’t we? Granted Pakistan needs to continue its hard work to wipe-out these militants but in these troubled times, showing a bit of compassion to the neighbour would be nice too…. We are still home to some 1.7 million Afghans aren’t we? And not that I’m trying to perpetuate this blame game. As if pacifying these two neighbours wasn’t enough, now we have now Iran too. Pakistan's (Iran accused) involvement in the bombing on Sunday, which killed more than 40 people. The statements given by Iran regarding the Jundallah group which it holds responsible, were followed by reaffirmations of good ties and brotherhood between the two nations – necessary sugar-coating or sincere understanding between the two nations? US continues to condemn everything going down and our innocent citizens keep dying day after day. No doubt our A-team comprising Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Rehman Malik and the rest are trying very hard to address everyone’s concerns but can’t our neighbours take China’s cool silent stance for a bit while we try and sort things out? Or would that be asking for too much – we are neighbours after all aren’t we?

Afghanistan to hold poll run-off

Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan's president, is to face a run-off vote against his main election rival following a ruling by the country's election commission. Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced on Tuesday that the run-off will be held on November 7. The IEC's ruling comes a day after the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), investigating allegations of fraud in the election, demanded thousands of ballots be disallowed. The move took Karzai's share of the vote below the crucial 50 per cent mark. Noor Mohammad Noor, a spokesman for the IEC, announced: "It will go to a second round on November 7. The reason was Karzai's vote was 49.67 and could not reach above 50 per cent."