US warns Pakistan to aid in terror war

WASHINGTON -- President Bush has decided to warn Pakistan's leader to pursue Al Qaeda operatives in the tribal regions near Afghanistan more aggressively or risk a cut in aid by Congress, The New York Times reported today. The decision follows a US intelligence assessment that the Al Qaeda terrorist organization is rebuilding its infrastructure in the border regions. The Times, citing senior administration officials, said Bush has concluded that President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, a key ally in the US war on terror, is not fulfilling commitments he made in September to continue the hunt for Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders despite a peace deal he concluded with tribal leaders in those areas.

Guinea

CONAKRY -- Guinea's powerful union chiefs called off a crippling strike yesterday after the president agreed to appoint a new prime minister in an attempt to end simmering unrest that has killed scores of people this year. One of the country's two main union chiefs, Rabiatou Serah Diallo, said that union officials proposed five names for the post and President Lansana Conte was expected to choose one of them. Ibrahima Fofana, another union leader, said that today should be a day of prayer for the more than 100 people killed in political violence this year, mostly during clashes with security forces. Strikes this year have crippled the economy, shut down the port and forced up prices for key commodities. (AP)

Kenya

NAIROBI -- Pirates hijacked a cargo ship delivering UN food aid to northeastern Somalia yesterday -- at least the third time since 2005 that a vessel contracted to the United Nations has been hijacked off the country's dangerous coast. The ship, MV Rozen, had just dropped off more than 1,800 tons of food aid in the semiautonomous region of Puntland in northeastern Somalia when the pirates struck, said Stephanie Savariaud, a spokeswoman for the UN's World Food Program. It was not immediately known if any of the 12 crew members aboard -- six from Sri Lanka and six from Kenya -- were injured in the attack. "We are very concerned about the safety of the crew," Savariaud said. The ship was contracted by the WFP to deliver food aid to Somalia, where around one million people are suffering from a drought that hit the region last year. (AP)

Mozambique

BEIRA-- Heavy rains from a cyclone sparked more flooding in Mozambique yesterday, worsening a humanitarian crisis that has already killed 45 people and forced 140,000 from their homes. The Buzi River in central Sofala province overflowed its banks at dawn, threatening up to 145,000 people in the district, after the remnants of cyclone Favio pounded the area. "We are facing a serious flooding drama," district administrator Sergio Moyane said in area capital Beira. "There are many houses under water ." The cyclone slammed into the coast on Thursday, killing five people near the southern tourist town of Vilanculos. Although it was downgraded to a tropical storm, it brought pounding rains to a region already struggling to cope with flooding. Moyane said the storm damaged buildings as it swept through the area Saturday, overwhelming the already swollen Buzi river. (Reuters)