Washington, Feb 14: The Taliban, which follows an extremely strict and anti-modern ideology, are well known for banning music, movies and all sorts of conveniences are no more averse to latest iPhones.

The Taliban ambassador to Pakistan until late 2001, Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, surprised Al Jazeera reporter Hamish Macdonald during an interview earlier this month when whipped out his iPhone.

Islamabad - A United Nations official kidnapped in north- western Pakistan around a week ago has appealed to the world body to meet the demands set by Baloch separatists in return for his release in a video released by the kidnappers on Friday.

"I am not feeling well, I am in trouble," John Solecki, the local head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and US national, said.

Karachi, Feb 13 : Pakistan cricket received a further blow on Friday with the cancellation of a tri-series in Dubai scheduled for late March due to the unavailability of Sri Lankan team.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Operating Officer Salim Altaf said that the event would be scrapped.

"We have been told by organisers that the tri-series has been cancelled because, I believe, the Sri Lankan team is unavailable," said Altaf.

The third team was to be Bangladesh, the Dawn reported.

Altaf said he did not know why Sri Lanka could not participate.

Quetta, Feb 13 : Pakistani security forces raided a hiuse in Balochistan province and arrested five would-be suicide bombers on Friday, a local official said.

The arrests were made in Pashtoonabad, a satellite town of Quetta, where local UN refugee agency (UNHCR) chief John Solecki was kidnapped earlier this month.

"Intelligence agents raided a house and arrested five suspected suicide bombers, along with five suicide jackets and explosive material," the official said.

They are being interrogated at a secret location; the Dawn quoted him, as saying.

Lahore, Feb.

Lahore, Feb. 13 : The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed a committee to probe the controversy surrounding the 2006 Oval Test, whose result was twice changed.

Umpires Billy Doctrove and Darrell Hair ruled that Pakistan had forfeited the match after captain Inzamam-ul Haq refused to take the field against England following accusations of ball tampering.

Pressure from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) saw the result of the Test match changed from an England win to a draw by "match abandoned" by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in July.