, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Powell: Taliban under 'enormous pressure'
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Colin Powell and Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday called for a broad-based government in Afghanistan as U.S.-led warplanes carried out a 10th day of airstrikes against suspected terrorist targets. At a news conference in Islamabad, Powell praised Musharraf for supporting the U.S.-led coalition and for providing logistical support. Musharraf said he hoped the military campaign was "short and targeted" followed by an economic revival strategy in Afghanistan.
U.S. gunships target Taliban leaders
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. planes pounded suspected terrorist targets in Afghanistan Tuesday as more raids were carried out in Kabul and the southern Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. Sources in Kandahar said the United States was now using Air Force gunships to target Taliban soldiers. U.S. officials in Washington described the gunship as a low-flying AC-130, designed to strike convoys and troop concentrations with heavy machine guns and cannons. The use of the gunships followed the heaviest day of raids since the U.S.-led airstrikes began Oct. 7.
Russia says Afghan war may last long
NEW DELHI, India, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov Tuesday said the U.S.-led military strikes against Taliban regime would be a long campaign. "We do not know the possible duration of the military operations in Afghanistan, but they will not be as short as we might desire," Klebanov said after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. "But eventually all wars come to an end, and Russia wants the formation of a government with a wide representative basis that will represent the interests of all communities of Afghanistan."
Lebanon arrests 2 suspected terrorists
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Lebanese authorities arrested two men suspected of belonging to a group on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations and of planning an attack on U.S. interests, the An Nahar newspaper reported Tuesday. The newspaper said security forces arrested Daniel Samarji, 22; and Bilal Othman, 26; in Tripoli in northern Lebanon. Samarji and Othman were suspected to belong to the hard-line Palestinian group Isbat al-Ansar and were charged with planning terrorist acts and arms trading. If convicted, they could be sentenced to death.
Infant who visited ABC has anthrax
NEW YORK, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- A 7-month-old son of an independent producer at ABC news, who visited the network in Manhattan on Sept. 28, has contracted cutaneous, or skin, anthrax and is responding to treatment. New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said it was unlikely there would be other cases at ABC because, given the incubation time, others would likely have shown symptoms by now. The infant was being treated with antibiotics and was expected to recover.
Hawking: Space colonies necessary
LONDON, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- The human race is likely to be erased by a doomsday virus before this millennium is out unless it sets up space colonies, British scientist Stephen Hawking warned.
"I don't think the human race will survive the next thousand years, unless we spread into space," Hawking told Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper. "There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet. But I'm an optimist. We will reach out to the stars." Hawking, Lucasian professor of mathematics at Cambridge University in England, has worked on the basic laws which govern the universe. He told the Telegraph that biological advances present even greater challenges in fighting terrorism.
Marcos faces corruption charges
MANILA, Philippines, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A Philippine court has ordered the arrest of former first lady Imelda Marcos on four counts of corruption. Marcos faces charges of holding Swiss bank accounts containing illegally acquired funds under the names of several foundations.
Koreas haggling over talks venue
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- In an unprecedented move, South Korea turned down Tuesday North Korea's proposal to discuss economic cooperation at the communist state's mountain resort, expressing unhappiness with Pyongyang's boycott of reconciliation events. Unification Minister Hong Soon-young, chief South Korean delegate to high-level dialogue, sent a telephone message to his North Korean counterpart, saying the economic meeting should open in Seoul, as agreed earlier. The two Koreas had agreed to open the economic talks in the South's capital city of Seoul on Oct. 23-26, but North Korea suggested Tuesday that the venue be changed to Mount Kumgang on the North's east coast.
Stocks rise in Asia
TOKYO, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Stock prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended higher in light technical trading, supported by some pension fund related buying. Stocks also rose in Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Sydney, Australia. Japan's blue-chip Nikkei Average of 225 selective issues, which lost 71.30 points Monday, rose 185.28 points, or 1.77 percent, to 10,637.82, its highest close since Sept. 6. The broader Topix index added 6.38 points, or 0.60 percent, to 1,078.16, a smaller percentage gain than the Nikkei as it remained under pressure from the continued slump in major banks.
Ferreira opens defense with win
STUTTGART, Germany, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- South Africa's Wayne Ferreira opened defense of his Stuttgart title Monday with a three-set victory over Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia in the first round of this $2.95 million Tennis Masters Series event. Ferreira defeated Hrbaty, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, for only his second win in his last nine matches. His only other match win since reaching the quarterfinals at Nottingham in June was a second-round victory two weeks ago at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.
Ferreira improved to 3-0 against Hrbaty, with whom he had been practicing with the last few days. He will next take on No. 11 Roger Federer.
