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Airbus crashlands in Toronto, passengers safe
Pak clears import of sugar from India
Pakistan army to blame for 65 war
Miandad invites Musharraf, Aziz to sons wedding reception
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Pak actor Omar Sharif
suffers heart attack
Astronaut carries out repair
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Airbus crashlands in Toronto, passengers safe
Toronto, August 3
Some 43 passengers suffered minor injuries when the plane which may have been struck by lightning crashed through barriers and trees, slid into a ravine and caught fire at 1.33 pm IST. The Airbus A340 was carrying 297 passengers and 12 crew.
Some eyewitnesses said the aircraft broke into pieces as emergency workers battled with thick flames and black smoke for over an hour near Highway 401, one of Canadas busiest motorways.
Panic-stricken passengers slid through emergency exits, and ran to safety amid flames and smokes. They later scrambled upto to the roads to take a hitch on passing vehicles.
I would say this is a miracle.. It is nothing short of a miracle, Canadas Transport Minister Jean Lapierre said of the incident.
There was a mayhem abroad the airliner after the impact...I was at the very end, and second off the plane. I was just running like crazy. There was quite a bit of fire on the ground, Roel Bramer, a survivor told Canadas CBC broadcaster.
Forty-three persons were taken to nearby hospitals, but their injuries were minor, Greater Toronto Airport Authority Vice President Steve Shaw told reporters.
It appeared that all the passengers were evacuated before the plane was heavily damaged by fire, Mr Shaw said.
Rescue workers rushed to the spot and helped passengers, who were sliding out of the burning aircraft through emergency doors, get into airport vehicles. Ambulances were kept on standby to take those injured to hospitals.
Rescued passengers were whisked away from jostling TV crews and reporters and taken to the Sheraton Hotel at the airport.
Later, they were taken on buses to the airport to meet their anxious friends and relatives, who had gathered on hearing the news of the crash.
About the crash, passengers said they thought that the plane had been struck by
lightning as the power went out just before it crash landed.
It was all black in the plane, there was no more light ...And when we went off the runway, we were in the ravine and the plane was continuing rolling on the ravine and then there were a lot of flames, a shocked passenger Olivier Dubois told CTV.
We were really, really scared that the plane would blow up...we just tried to escape, sliding from the plane and running into the countryside, he said.
The accident was the first major crash of an Airbus A340-300 since the models first flight in October 1991, which is otherwise considered a safe bet.
Canadian Meteorological officials said they had issued a severe weather alert earlier in the day with the possibility of thunderstorms up to 100 kph.
PTI
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Pak clears import of sugar from India
Islamabad, August 3
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet took a formal decision to this effect, sending a message to sugar mill owners to release their stocks. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz presided over the meeting which also allowed import of arms and ammunition by the private sector.
Economic Adviser Dr Ashfaque Hassan Khan told The Dawn that the process for import of raw and refined sugar from other countries was already in progress. Pakistan, he said, had imported about half a million tonne of refined sugar from India in 2001. The adviser did not agree that India itself was importing the commodity. India, he said, was importing only raw sugar and exporting it after refining.
He said India would have a surplus of four million tonnes of sugar by September and added that some private companies were already in touch with Indian exporters and only a decision was required for import. The TCP would be importing up to 1,00,000 tonnes of sugar from India in addition to 200,000 tonnes it was already in the process of importing from other countries. He said the TCP had 318,000 tons of sugar in reserve.
Informed sources said the Prime Minister had received reports that a group of mill-owners were hoarding large quantities of sugar and had even made bulk purchases from Dubai in recent weeks to manipulate prices. The premier took personal interest to allow sugar import from India, without any tax or duty.
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Pakistan army to blame for 65 war
Islamabad, August 3
Talking to the daily Dawn the 82-year-old former Air Chief revealed that the decision to launch infiltration was taken by President Ayub Khan in consultation with the then Commander-in-Chief General Musa Khan.
General Musa with the Presidents approval and knowledge of some Cabinet ministers (carried out the plan), he said adding that the decision makers were mistakenly self assured that the theatre of operation would be restricted to only Kashmir, but it led to a full-fledged war between the two countries.
The infiltration started on August 6. However, the Indians came to know about it in mid-August. They (Indians) were
surprised and thought something big was coming up. Kashmir was under pressure and in trying to defend the area, it (the conflict) escalated into a war, he further stated.
Air Marshal Nur Khan said the imposition of martial law in Pakistan was always the armys decision and he strongly opposed it.
I dont think they considered PAF and Navy important enough. The Air Force and Navy just go along, he said.
UNI
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Miandad invites Musharraf, Aziz to sons wedding reception
Karachi, August 3
Yes, I have invited the honorable President and Prime Minister besides Muslim League leader Chaudhry Shujaat Husain. I am hoping that they will attend the reception to give blessings to the newly wed couple, Miandad was quoted in the mass circulated Jang newspaper.
However, Musharraf is unlikely to attend the reception after he flew to Jeddah to attend the funeral of Saudi King Shah Fahd who died on Monday. There is still no official confirmation regarding Prime Minister Shaukat Azizs visit to the reception though he is said to have pressing commitments in Islamabad.
Junaid married Mahrukh in Dubai on July 23. Dawood is accused of involvement in the 1993 Mumbai bombings that left more than 300 dead.
Miandad refused to confirm if Dawood Ibrahim would attend the reception, the newspaper said.
Invitations have been extended to all those who matter in Pakistan and in particular Karachi. The invitees include Governor and Chief Minister of Sindh (province), top military officials, government and civil servants besides present and former test cricketers, the newspaper said.
Miandad was, however, diplomatic when asked if he had invited Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials who unceremoniously sacked him last year after Pakistan lost the Test and one-day series to India.
Miandad, since his dismissal on June 16, had been locked with the PCB over the clearance of his dues. After my accounts have been cleared, I have nothing against them, he told The News.
Nevertheless, Pakistani captain Inzamam-ul-Haq confirmed that he had received the invitation for the reception but would not be attending it as he is proceeding to England.
Invitations have already been sent to nearly 1,200 guests though the guest list is likely to cross 1,500.
PTI
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Shatrughan reminisces ties with Zia
Islamabad, August 3
Sinha, who is in Pakistan these days to attend the birthday party of Ms Zain Zia, daughter of late General Zia, said he did not get depressed with questions from the intelligence agencies but used his own influence in India to avoid grilling.
In an interview to The News, he recalled that even military tension between the two countries on several occasions could not break his relations with the Zia family.
Today, everybody talks about peace between Pakistan and India and a lot has changed since the days of General Zia. But I used to come to Pakistan when the relations were very tense and media and people of both the countries used to question our family ties, the former Shipping Minister said.
Mr Sinha, who became very popular in Pakistan after he was declared a state guest by General Zia said Once I declare someone my friend, then he or she is my friend till my death. That is why, even today I am in Pakistan to attend the birthday of Zain Zia who is like a sister to me irrespective of the fact that her father is no more the President.
UNI
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Pak actor Omar Sharif suffers heart attack
Lahore, August 3
The Comedy King of Pakistan, who catapulted to fame with stage show Bakra Kishton Pe, has also acted in several movies and hosts a popular television show.
He suffered a heart attack here a few days ago, the News reported.
Indian actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who was scheduled to fly to India from Islamabad, cancelled his flight to call on Mr Sharif yesterday and wished him speedy recovery, the Pakistani newspaper added.
Lavishing praises on the great stand-up comic, the actor-turned-politician said he was not only loved in Pakistan but was known all around the world. Omar is as good a human being as he is a great artiste.
I conveyed my best wishes to him for his early recovery from the illness and asked him to come to India, Mr Sinha said.
Mr Sharif said he would certainly visit India soon.
UNI
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Kathuria plans to run for post of Illinois Lt-Governor
Chicago, August 3
"It's too early to say anything about endorsements. We are making a formal announcement about the candidacy on Aug 18, but I put the website up ahead of time," Kathuria
said. Recently, Kathuria bought up a Canadian company that is building a rocket for commercial space flights, a dream he tried to make come true when four years ago he bought into MirCorp, a Russian company that flew the first Space Tourist Dennis Tito into orbit.
The Indian American argues that for the Republican Party to take back the Governor's mansion in Chicago, it has to get the support of minorities and what better minority than himself to bring in those votes.
"In Illinois there are 7,00,000 registered Hispanic voters, 9,60,000 registered African American voters and over 400,000 Asian Americans, of whom probably 25 per cent are registered voters. It also has 9,00,000 independent voters, who by the way endorsed me when I ran for the US Senate last year," Kathuria said.
The bearded, turbaned Sikh has sold his seemingly different look as well as his stellar academic and business credentials into an advantage a graduate in medicine from Brown University, an MBA from Stanford, a business gadfly who has put his finger into unusual and well-oiled schemes that have evidently paid off to make him one of the wealthiest candidates to run for state office.
But, as Kathuria continues to argue, the Republicans would do well to broaden their base. And if he was to get the nomination at the March 21, 2006, primaries, money would begin to come into his campaign not just from citizens of the state but from Indian Americans around the country, thus costing the party less to have him on the ticket.
Plus there is the fact that so far he is the only minority candidate running for that office.
"For a Republican Governor to win, he needs to attract the minority and by having me on the ticket, the chances are better," he said.
Apart from Kathuria, the other announced candidates for Lieutenant-Governor are state representative Raymond Poe and Kane county recorder, ex-Gail Borden Library trustee Sandy Wegman.
IANS
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Astronaut
carries out repair
Houston, August 3
Stephen Robinson gently pulled out gap fillers that were protruding from two areas between heat-shielding tiles on Discoverys belly just as planned.
He did not have to use a makeshift hacksaw that he carried along.
PTI
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Former Pakistani cricket teams captain Javed Miandad has invited President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz tomorrow to the reception of his son Junaids wedding to
Mahrukh, the daughter of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts.
