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Abdullah says no coalition pressure on him

KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai's chief opponent says he is under no pressure to join a coalition to avoid the presidential runoff, which is set for Nov. 7.

At the same time, Abdullah Abdullah said he is preparing for the runoff, which was called Tuesday to settle the disputed Aug. 20 elections stemming from massive allegations of vote fraud, The New York Times reported.

Although the runoff date has been set, there is concern about tackling its logistics with the approach of the winter and the escalating violence from the Taliban, which has vowed to disrupt the process.

CNN quoted Abdullah as telling reporters he would soon announce a set of conditions he wants met to ensure a fair and safe runoff. At the same time, CNN also reported, he left open the door for other alternatives.

The Times report said the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama appears to favor a coalition between Karzai and Abdullah to end the current political uncertainty.

Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission Tuesday formally certified Karzai received 49.7 percent of the vote, just missing the 50 percent mark required to avoid a runoff, The Times said.

Abdullah said he had called Karzai to offer his congratulations for his decision.

Abdullah also said President Obama called him to congratulate him but that the president did not say anything about him joining a coalition.

Pakistani military facing stiff resistance

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- The Pakistani military's counterinsurgency offensive in South Waziristan was encountering stiff resistance in the Mehsud tribal areas, officials said.

At least 12 Taliban fighters were killed in the latest offensive, the officials said, Dawn reported Wednesday. The report said four security personnel also died in the clashes.

The Mehsud area is the main stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban and its leader Hakimullah Mehsud, who took over after Baitullah Mehsud was killed in August in a suspected U.S. drone attack.

The long-awaited ground and air offensive against the Taliban and other terrorist groups holed up in South Waziristan began Saturday, led by about 30,000 troops. The insurgents' strength is estimated at perhaps 10,000.

Prior to the latest casualties, the military said its security forces had killed 78 militants, while losing nine of its personnel. The casualty claims cannot be independently confirmed as no journalists are accompanying the troops.

Dawn said stiff resistance was coming as the army seeks to take control of hilltops and strategic locations in the region. The report quoted a local official as saying the four army personnel were killed in clashes in Toor Ghundai and another four were injured in Sherwangi.

Heavy fighting also was reported in Nawazkot and Makin regions.

Dawn quoted sources as saying the militants had repulsed an attack in Kotkai, the home town of Hakimullah Mehsud.

In other developments, Dawn reported more than 134,000 people displaced from South Waziristan had been registered at six camps in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts in neighboring North-West Frontier Province.

NYC iman indicted in terror plot

NEW YORK, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- A Muslim cleric from New York was indicted on charges he lied to federal agents about a Colorado man charged with plotting a terror attack, records show.

Court records indicate Ahmad Wais Afzali, 37, was indicted Monday on four counts of making false statements to federal agents, CNN reported.

Ron Kuby, Afzali's attorney, confirmed the indictment.

Afzali was charged in September with lying to the FBI in its investigation of Najibullah Zazi, the Colorado man who was charged with plotting a terrorist attack on New York. Afzali pleaded not guilty at that time.

Zazi, 24, and his father, Mohammed Wali Zazi, also were arrested in September by federal agents in Denver. The father was charged with lying to investigators.

The Zazis pleaded not guilty.

A federal grand jury in New York indicted the younger Zazi 10 days later on one count of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction against unspecified targets in the United States.

Investigators said the younger Zazi plotted to make bombs from common chemicals, and planned to be in New York to set off a bomb on Sept. 11.

Rescue work continues at India train wreck

MATHURA, India, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- At least 10 people were killed and 50 injured Wednesday in a train collision south of New Delhi, police said.

Police told Times Now the Indian army could be called in to assist with rescue operations at the scene of the collision between the Deli-bound Goa Express and the Mewar Express.

Cutting torches were used to free trapped passengers and officials said they expected to find additional bodies in the wreckage.

The Times of India said the collision occurred before dawn near Mathura when the Goa train plowed into the Mewar express.

H1N1 found in Canadian breeding turkeys

TORONTO, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- A flock of breeding turkeys in Canada were infected with the H1N1 flu virus by a poultry handler, Ontario health officials said.

At a Toronto news conference, Dr. Arlene King, the province's chief medical officer of health, downplayed any risk to the food chain Tuesday, the Toronto Sun reported Wednesday.

She said tests had confirmed an infected worker had spread the virus to the birds and renewed her call for all people who work with livestock to get flu inoculations as soon as possible.

King didn't identify the facility, but the Sun said the Turkey Farmers of Canada Web site identified the operation as Hybrid Turkeys, which is northwest of Toronto in Kitchener.

Hybrid's Web site said it was Canada's only primary turkey breeder with about 3,500 birds at the facility. The company issued a statement Tuesday night saying it had isolated the affected flock and the birds were expected to recover fully.

The facility supplies farmers with eggs but does not sell turkeys for food, the report said.

Earlier this year, the H1N1 strain originally called swine flu was found in pigs on an Alberta farm.