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| G8 pledges help
for poor nations with debt relief, IT NAGO, OKINAWA, July 23: The Group of eight industrial nations ended their 26th summit today by .....more
ISLAMABAD, July 23: Pakistan’s ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s political career is finished, at ......more Salvage expedition to WASHINGTON, July 23: Salvage experts are steaming towards the wreck of the titanic in......more Sri Lanka out to woo KANDY (SRI LANKA), July 23: Sandy beaches, lush green forests and a raging ethnic war.......more |
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Israel, India in talks for 500 million Phalcon deal
Taliban jets pound KABUL, July 23: Taliban jets pounded Northern Afghanistan today in a fresh round of fighting that killed three civilians ..more
Blair praises Clinton at US President’s last G8 OKINAWA, July 23: Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair today paid tribute to US President Bill Clinton at his last G8 .....more G8 summit ends with noble goals but little action OKINAWA, Japan, July 23: Leaders of the Group of Eight wrapped up their annual summit today with a raft of worthy........more |
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G8 pledges help for poor nations with debt relief, IT NAGO, OKINAWA, July 23: The Group of eight industrial nations ended their 26th summit today by saying the world economy is reaching unprecedented levels of prosperity but that it must be shared with the third world by relieving some of its debts. "The 20th century has achieved unprecedented economic progress. Yet the financial and economic crises of the past few years have presented enormous challenges for the world economy," the final communique said. "The 21st century must be a century of prosperity for all." The leaders praised the recovery of Asian economies from their financial crisis three years ago, noting that "trade is expanding and indeed some countries have achieve dynamic growth." But it said efforts must focus on maintaining the momentum behind financial and corporate reforms, transparency in the public and private sectors, and strengthening social safety nets. The communique said the G-8 must work harder to provide debt relief for the world’s part promote more responsible lending and borrowing practices to ensure that (poor countries) will not again be burdened by unsupportable debt," the leaders said in the communique. Relieving the debt of the world’s poorest countries was a major topic throughout the three-day summit. Although the G-8 members had agreed earlier on measures to reduce and forgive debt, many critics say the programme has been too slow and bogged down in bureaucracy. Another major topic was health. In the final communique the leaders vowed to reduce by the year 2010 the number of hiv-infected young people by 25 per cent, tuberculosis deaths by 50 per cent, and the burden of diseases associated with malaria by 50 per cent. The communique also urged the world trade organisation to hold another round of talks during the course of this year, with an ambitious, balanced and inclusive agenda. It said the WTO, whose meeting was interrupted by protests in seattle last year, must continue its "vital role in the world economy." Another issue at the G-8 summit involved concerns over genetically modified food by consumers in areas such as western europe. The statement said the group is committed to continued efforts to make companies and governments responsive to the growing public awareness of food safety issues. The G-8 also said it would set up a task force to "bridge the International Information and knowledge divide" between rich and poor countries by increasing access to the internet for people in the developing world. (AP) |
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ISLAMABAD, July 23: Pakistan’s ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s political career is finished, at least in the medium-term, after the latest lengthy prison term for corruption, reports said today. Sharif was given 14 years "rigourous imprisonment," banned from public office for 21 years and fined 20 million rupees (380,000 dollars) yesterday for concealing assets to evade tax. Ousted in a military coup by General Pervez Musharraf in October, Sharif is already serving two life sentences for hijacking and terrorism. He has been widely accused of cronyism and corruption during the terms of his two Governments. But many agree the verdict has only stiffened the resolve of his most loyal supporters to fight on his behalf against the military regime. "He is now out of politics for the foreseeable future, which has its impact directly on the PML and thus directly on national politics," The Nation daily said in an editorial. "The conviction is unlikely to affect his popularity, first because the boycott (of the trial by his lawyers) served to confuse public perception, and secondly because his offence was tax evasion" which is common in Pakistan. The verdict is seen as a major problem for the PML, which Sharif still leads from his prison cell at the high-security Attock Fort near Islamabad. (AFP) |
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Salvage expedition to Titanic wreck under way WASHINGTON, July 23: Salvage experts are steaming towards the wreck of the titanic in the North Atlantic, preparing to enter the ocean liner for the first time since it sank nearly nine decades ago. RMS Titanic, the company that owns salvage rights to the ship, yesterday said the salvage team was expected to be on site by Tuesday. Until now, salvagers have scoured the debris field around the wreck but have never entered the ship itself. "The clock is ticking, if we don’t enter the ship now for salvage purposes, ocean microbes will devour the ship’s steel for all eternity," said RMS Titanic President and Chief Executive Arnie Geller before the team sailed Friday from Norfold, Virginia. "There is incalculable value down below, and we are determined to recover as much as possible," he said. A representative of the firm, based in clearwater, Florida, said the salvage team was on its way to the site of the wreck. "Hopefully, they will arrive on location on Tuesday," she said. The salvage effort is headed by divers Ralph White and Graham Jessop, in association with Oceaneering International, using a magellan 725 remote operated vehicle. (AFP) |
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Sri Lanka out to woo upmarket tourists KANDY (SRI LANKA), July 23: Sandy beaches, lush green forests and a raging ethnic war. Undaunted the ‘emerald island’, the erstwhile haven of cash-strapped backpackers, is now desperately wooing wealthy Asians and Westerners. Protracted separatist campaign in the Northern Jaffna Peninsula, the 274 million dollar Sri Lankan tourism trade, continues to register the highest growth rate in tourist arrivals in South Asia. But gone are the days when Lankans rolled out the red carpet for western economy tourists who enjoyed the island’s charms in as little as a dollar a day. Instead the captains of the Sri Lankan tourism industry are now planning a "theoretical shift in perception" to attract upmarket tourists by promoting `theme tourism’ that could double revenue in coming years. Tourism is the fourth largest foreign exchange earner for the war battered Sri Lankan economy. Last year, the island nation received about 4.5 lakh tourists, registering an impressive 15 per cent growth rate. But the growth in arrivals means little, as long as the country attracts tourists who spend little and stay in cheap hotels, says Mudith Liyanaarachchi, an executive in ‘Walkers’ Tours’ travel agency. "We need to get not only more number of tourists but quality tourists who spend money," he says, adding the tourism industry in Maldives and Singapore were making much more money. To attract these "quality tourists", hoteliers are pouring money into building five star hotels and borrowing a leaf from success stories in Malaysia and Thailand, building golf courses to attract wealthy Asians. "Leisure tourism is fast catching up," said Tony Whitham, Director of the New Victoria Golf Club, which has been built in the midst of serene hills 17 km from here. The 570-acre, 18-hole golf course is aimed at attracting the Asian executive class tourists specially the Japanese and the Indians, says Whitham. The price offered is also attractive - 30 dollars a day as compared to more than 100 dollars a day at golf courses in Malaysia and Thailand. The golf courses are boosting local employment too, says Whitham. About 40 per cent of the caddies employed by the club to accompany the golfers are school and college going teenage girls. Another thrust area for this country with several wildlife sanctuaries is ‘eco tourism’. After pinnawala elephant orphanage, where about 100 orphaned elephants have been rehabilitated, emerged as a prime tourist location, the Sri Lankan Government has sanctioned a new project to establish a zoo with a natural surroundings to attract nature lovers. "There are ups and downs in tourists arrivals, depending on the number of bomb attacks. But the industry has withstood the vagaries of the war. Therefore it is time we shift our priorities and aim for upmarket tourism,’ says Liyanaarachchi. (PTI) |
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Israel, India in talks for 500 million Phalcon deal TEL AVIV, July 23: Israel is in talks to sell two Phalcon radar systems worth 500 million dollars to India, although any deal will require US approval, an Israeli defence official said today. "We have been talking," the official said. "They want our product. But (Prime Minister Ehud) Barak is going to have to get some kind of okay from the US administration. India is another sensitive country." The United States imposed economic sanctions on India after New Delhi carried out a series of nuclear tests in 1998. Two weeks ago, Israel gave in to heavy US pressure and scrapped a deal to sell the system to China. It said it had taken the decision to boost relations with Washington in the light of a US-sponsored Middle East peace summit. The official said if the deal with India went through, it would on the same terms as the one that had been planned with China. India would supply the Russian-built aircraft and the State-controlled Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) would supply the electronic early warning radar systems. The official also said IAI was looking to invest 10 million dollars to build a centre for the repair and maintenance of civilian planes in the United states. IAI is seeking an American partner and the centre would be built on the West coast. (REUTERS) |
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Taliban jets pound Northern Afghanistan killing 3 civilians KABUL, July 23: Taliban jets pounded Northern Afghanistan today in a fresh round of fighting that killed three civilians and wounded seven others, opposition soldiers said. The assault on Dar-e-Suf, some 450 km north of Kabul, began before dawn. Both sides exchanged heavy artillery fire, said Mohammed Abil, an opposition spokesman in the area. There was no immediate comment from the Taliban, who rule roughly 90 per cent of Afghanistan. The Northern-based opposition led by Ahmed Shah Massood and ousted President Burhanuddin Rabbani control the remaining 10 per cent. Dar-e-Suf has been at the center of repeated assaults because of its strategic location, on the crossroads linking four different Northern Afghan provinces, said Abil. There was no immediate information about casualties among the fighters. (AP) |
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Blair praises Clinton at US President’s last G8 OKINAWA, July 23: Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair today paid tribute to US President Bill Clinton at his last G8 summit and said "the world’s other leaders are going to miss you". Before kicking off bilateral talks with Mr Clinton, Mr Blair stood shoulder to shoulder with his friend and ally and said goodby on behalf of the rest of the Group of Eight leaders. "Since this is President Clinton’s last G8 summit, last night all the leaders of the G8 group spoke not just of our affection for President Clinton but also of our respect and admiration for his leadership in the last few years. "I wouldn’t want to go without underlining that. It’s the universal feeling of all the G8 and we’re all going to miss him very greatly," said Mr Blair. Mr Blair also paid tribute to Mr Clinton’s record in office in a pre-recorded interview for the British media. He vehemently rejected suggestions that Mr Clinton would only be remembered for things like the sex scandal involving White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Asked by the BBC whether Mr Clinton did not have much to his name apart from unfortunate scandals, Mr Blair replied: "That would be a monstrous perversion of the truth if people were to think that. I think he has really been a very fine President and a great world leader... And I think history will look back on Bill Clinton and reckon that his contribution was a mighty one." Mr Blair cited what he called Mr Clinton’s cool handling of a potential world financial meltdown two years ago, though most commentators credit US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. Mr Blair also cited the strong US economy and Mr Clinton’s efforts for peace in the Middle East and Northern Ireland. "I speak as someone who counts him as a personal friend. I think he’s an outstanding statesman." The two held a 25-minute bilateral at the close of the G8 summit in Okinawa today before Mr Clinton jetted back to the US to re-join the Middle East peace talks. "(Blair) briefed the President on Northern Ireland and they reviewed the progress made and the continuing areas of difficulty. In a similar vein, President Clinton briefed the PM on the Mideast peace process prior to leaving today to rejoin talks at Camp David," said a statement from a Blair aide. The two leaders also discussed the Balkans and agreed to continued financial support for montenegro, and said a new global round of trade negotiations was important. They said they would keep talking on trade issues like bananas to avoid disputes between the United States and Europe. The G8 comprises the United States, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Britain, Canada and Russia. (REUTERS) |
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G8 summit ends with noble goals but little action OKINAWA, Japan, July 23: Leaders of the Group of Eight wrapped up their annual summit today with a raft of worthy promises to help developing countries reduce their debts, fight disease and harness the power of new technologies. In a communique issued after three days of talks on this sub-tropical Southern Japanese island, the G8 also hailed the strength of the world economy and agreed to do their best to launch a new round of global trade talks by the end of the year. The summit will not be remembered for any shattering decisions, but in the absence of new and pressing international dramas the leaders had time to focus on a raft of long-term issues they deemed crucial to global peace and prosperity. "I did my best to put together the views of particular leaders and did my utmost to open up the path to the world and Japan into the 21st century," Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori told a closing news conference. Japan spent more than 750 million dollars on the summit and two preparatory ministerial meetings and got what it wanted: A smooth meeting that attracted only a handful of protesters who were no problem for the 20,000 police who had been drafted in. But the big bill for the summit angered development lobbyists, who said the money could have been better spent on debt forgiveness for poor countries. Campaigners were also upset by the G8’s failure to ease the conditions on a debt relief plan launched a year ago that has fallen far short of expectations. The leaders merely said they would try hard to ensure 20 out of 41 very poor countries are on track for debt relief by the end of the year, up from nine now. "While the G8 leaders have enjoyed Japan’s 750 million dollars hospitality, they have squandered a historic opportunity to cancel the unpayable debts of the poorest countries," ANN Pettifor, who heads the jubilee 2000 debt-cancellation coalition in Britain, said in a statement. But others took away some hope from the summit, pleased that the eight had spent a lot of their time debating the tangled web of factors besides debt that drive development. The leaders pledged to meet a raft of UN development goals, including numerical targets to reduce AIDS and other infectious diseases, the halving of absolute poverty by 2015 and a place in school by then for every child on earth. "This is the first time, at least in my experience, and this is my last G8 conference, that there has been such a systematic focus on the developing world — on the problems of disease and the digital divide and education," said US President Bill Clinton, who announced 300 million dollars in aid to provide free school lunches in developing countries. Mr Clinton, who leaves office in January, made what French President Jacques Chirac called moving remarks of farewell at today’s session. In return he basked in the praise of his peers. "Last night the leaders of the G8 spoke not just of our affection for President Clinton personally, but also of our respect and admiration for his leadership over the last few years," British Prime Minister Tony Blair said. Mr Clinton rushed from the summit to return to Middle East peace talks he is brokering at his Camp David retreat near Washington. Just before boarding Air Force One, he held up his hand with his fingers crossed. Earlier he said Israeli and Palestinian negotiators had continued to make progress in his absence but declined to say whether they might clinch a final peace accord. As Mr Clinton made his exit, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his summit debut and immediately established himself as the rising star in the G8 firmament. The ex-KGB spy’s performance was so polished that some leaders said it was time to make Russia a full member of the G8. For now it is barred from pre-summit talks that the group of seven — the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada — holds on financial and economic issues. "Before he was more a guest and a protagonist. Now he’s one of the eight," said European Commission President Romano Prodi. The leaders were particularly impressed by Mr Putin’s report on a trip he made last week to North Korea, the Stalinist hermit state now slowly opening up to the outside world. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder called it "brilliant". Mr Putin reported back on an offer made to him by enigmatic North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il to scrap the Stalinist State’s missile programme in return for help on space exploration. The proposal was the main foreign-policy talking point of the summit, with leaders unsure what to make of it. "It’s not clear to me what the offer is (and) what is being requested in return for it," said Mr Clinton, whose administration is debating whether to build a national missile defence shield to ward off attacks from rogue states like North Korea. Mr Putin encouraged the rest of the group to reach out to Kim to help defuse cold war tensions on the Korean peninsula, where he said conditions were still potentially explosive. "I have the impression the leader of North Korea knows how to hear and to listen... It is possible to do business with him." Russia’s debt was the dog that did not bark in Okinawa. Mr Putin had been expected to ask for easier terms on 42 billion dollars of loans to Western Governments that Russia inherited when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. But Mr Putin, determined to confirm Moscow’s status as equal partner never raised the question. Indeed, he insisted that the final communique have no separate reference to Russia. "Putin asked us not to mention a single country in the G8 final document and we did that," said Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato. On the core issues of the summit, the G8 was upbeat about the recovery in growth since a financial crisis swept Asia, Russia and many parts of the developing world in 1997 and 1998. "The world economy will grow strongly this year, and we are particularly encouraged by the strength of recovery in crisis-affected countries," the leaders’ communique said. The only spat was on genetically modified foods, but the differences between the US science-based approach and Europe’s safety-first policy on the new crops were eventually papered over. The leaders issued an Information Technology charter to help developing countries reap the economic benefits offered by the internet and asked a digital opportunity taskforce, or dot force, to report back with ideas to next year’s summit in Genoa, Italy. In the meantime, to show they themselves are not being left behind by the digital age, the leaders said they had agreed to set up their own e-mail network. (REUTERS) |
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TEL AVIV,
July 23: Israel
is in talks to sell two Phalcon radar systems worth 500
million dollars to India, although any deal will require
US approval,....
