Anti-Taliban forces tighten control
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Afghanistan's Northern Alliance tightened its hold Wednesday on Kabul and is reportedly advancing on other key areas. Alliance leaders said their forces moved toward the Taliban southern stronghold of Kandahar as the opposition spread its rule to almost half of Afghanistan. The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press said the Taliban abandoned the central Uruzgan province, which borders Kandahar. There was no independent confirmation of the report. In Washington, President Bush said the Northern Alliance made it clear it would not occupy Kabul.
Bush sets up terrorist military court
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- President Bush on Tuesday signed an executive order that would allow foreigners to be tried by special U.S. military courts if accused of terrorist acts such as those carried out on Sept. 11 against New York and Washington. "I have determined that an extraordinary emergency exists for national defense purposes..." President Bush said in his order. The order drew immediate criticism from civil libertarians, and some suggested that it could be challenged as unconstitutional.
BBC poll shows U.K. Muslims oppose war
LONDON, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- An opinion poll commissioned by the British Broadcasting Corp. showed a majority of British Muslims surveyed were opposed to the allied military action in Afghanistan. The telephone survey, conducted by the ICN polling organization and released Wednesday, said of 500 Muslims questioned, 80 percent thought the military campaign by the United States and Britain was unjustified. The results were in stark contrast to recent surveys of the general public at large, which indicated solid support for the conduct of the war by the allies.
Saudi Arabia identifies Khobar bomber
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Saudi Arabia Wednesday said a Palestinian carried out a suicide bombing that killed a U.S. citizen and wounded four others last month in Khobar. An Interior Ministry source said investigations indicated Ayman Abu Zanad, a 30-year-old Palestinian dentist who worked in a clinic in Riyadh, carried out the Oct. 6 bombing in Khobar. The source said Abu Zanad, who held a special Egyptian passport issued to Palestinians, was killed in the explosion along with Michael Martin Gerald, a U.S. engineer employed by an oil company in Dammam. Four other people, including an American, a Briton and two Filipinos were injured.
Pilots lost control after rattling noises
NEW YORK, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- The National Transportation Safety Board Aviation said the cockpit voice recorder recovered from American Flight 587 indicates the pilots quickly lost control after a rattling sound was heard. NTSB investigator George Black gave details of the flight's course from the moment it rolled down the runway Monday at New York's John F. Kennedy airport to the instant the recorder went silent. At 107 seconds after takeoff, Black said, an "air frame rattling noise" can be detected in the recording. Seven seconds later, the pilot can be heard noting a "wake encounter," or turbulence from another plane that took off shortly before Flight 587.
NYC postal machines back soon
NEW YORK, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Five mail-sorting machines contaminated with anthrax in the Morgan Processing and Distribution Center in Manhattan will start up again soon, postal officials said. However, the postal union said it wished it had the authority to organize a strike. The New York Metro Area Postal Union lost its federal lawsuit to keep the facility that sorts 12.5 million pieces of mail a day closed until the entire building can be cleaned and retested for anthrax. William Smith, president of the postal union, who is barred by federal law to call a strike, said he is organizing unions nationwide for a demonstration during the holiday season.
Deal reached at WTO
DOHA, Qatar, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- An agreement on setting up a round of global trade talks was reached Wednesday at the World Trade Organization summit, 13 hours after the closing deadline had passed, United Press International learned. The agreement was reached when India and the European Union came to terms with the EU agreeing to start "phasing out" its food export subsidies but without prejudging the final outcome. The summit of 142 nations, with China and Taiwan joining the WTO during the current series of meetings, agreed on a watered-down new round of talks to set new rules for trade in the 21st century.
Stocks rise in Asia
TOKYO, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Stock prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange snapped their three-day losing streak Wednesday, supported by brisk bargain-hunting in heavyweight high tech stocks and the strong gains Tuesday on Wall Street. Stocks also rose in Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Sydney, Australia, as the Taliban's abandonment of the Afghan capital Kabul raised hopes the war would end soon without creating a long-term drag on the global economy. Japan's blue-chip Nikkei Average of 225 selective issues, which lost 51.00 points Tuesday, rose 56.20 points, or 0.56 percent, to 10,086.76.
Woods, Duval begin title defense
GOTEMBA, Japan, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods and David Duval of the United States will be out to defend their title at the World Golf Championships-EMC World Cup at the Taiheiyo Club, which begins Wednesday night in Japan. Ranked first and third in the world, respectively, Woods and Duval form one of 24 international teams competing this week. A year ago, the American duo overcame host Argentina, which was represented by European Tour members Angel Cabrera and Eduardo Romero, to win the inaugural event. Among those trying to unseat Woods and Duval are 30 European Tour members who combined for 21 titles this season.
