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| Treasure trove found in ancient cities lost under the sea ALEXANDRIA (EGYPT), June 4: Divers have retrieved a treasure trove from two ancient cities......more
Conference hopes to UNITED NATIONS, June 4: Five years ago, the biggest global gathering of women in history....more India is better suited to COLOMBO, June 4: A senior Sri Lankan Minister has said that India, as an Asian ....more Police facing daunting odds HONG KONG, June 4: It’s 2 a.m. on a hot Hong Kong night in July 1998, half a world away from........more |
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Lankan Navy will
soon get Naval Combat Craft COLOMBO, June 4: Sri Lankan Navy will soon get Naval Combat Craft from Israel which has the capacity to bombard targets from off-shore in order to fight LTTE’s sea tigers. ........more Kulsoom plans KARACHI, June 4: Kulsoom Nawaz, wife of imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has said she will soon begin a public mobilisation campaign for the release of her husband. .......more Key witness in Diana’s death found dead LONDON, June 4: A key witness in the police investigation into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, has been found dead in mysterious....more Tibet issues new BEIJING, June 4: China has denied reports that a new border regulation issued by the Tibetan Government rewent into effect as of June one. Tibet....more
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Treasure trove found in ancient cities lost under the sea ALEXANDRIA (EGYPT), June 4: Divers have retrieved a treasure trove from two ancient cities discovered on the seabed off Northern Egypt that date back to the Pharaohs, Greeks, Romans and early Muslims, antiquities officials said yesterday. A team led by French undersea explorer Frank Goddio has recovered heads of Egyptian and Greek statues, Byzantine coins, and a Sarcophagus from the lost cities on the seabed off Egypt’s mediterranean coast near Alexandria, they said. Exploration and excavation work at the site, in the sea just off the historic town of Canopus in the Nile Delta, began two years ago. The artefacts are from the ancient cities of Herakleion and Menouthis, known in historic writings for their temples dedicated to Hercules in Greek and Roman Mythology and the Egyptian goddess Isis, Egyptian antiquities officials said. But they were lost since the eighth century AD, submerged by the effect of an earthquake or by climatic changes, the Supreme Council of Antiquities said. Some items were dated to the 26th pharaonic dynasty, or 7th century BC. "It’s as important a find as the tomb of Tutankhamun," SCA director Gaballah Ali Gaballah told reporters, referring to the discovery of the intact tomb of the boy king near Luxor in Southern Egypt earlier this century. Independent reaction from other archaeologists could not immediately be obtained, but the artefacts which have been retrieved and those portrayed in a video of the underwater site reveal extensive remains. (AFP) |
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Conference hopes
to speed up progress UNITED NATIONS, June 4: Five years ago, the biggest global gathering of women in history helped spur 189 countries to adopt an ambitious plan to achieve equality of the sexes. Still very far from that goal, the same nations meet tomorrow to try to agree on a road map toward equality for women. But the Vatican and a group of Islamic countries are objecting to the same proposals they did in Beijing in 1995 -including sexual and reproductive rights for women, adolescent sex education and the definition of the family - as well as some new ones. "It’s becoming very, very clear that there are a few countries that are trying to stand in the way of progress," said Linda Tarr-Whelan, the UN Ambassador to the Commission on the status of women. Tarr-Whelan pointed to Algeria, Sudan, Libya, Iran and to a lesser extent the Vatican, saying there has been a "backlash" against the progress that has been made since Beijing. The final document outlining initiatives to spur implementation of the 150-page Beijing platform was supposed to have been completed this past week. But the ideological divide over a range of issues was likely to keep negotiators working through much of the five-day conference to try to reach consensus before intends on Friday. (AP) |
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India is better suited to be a facilitator, say Lankan Minister COLOMBO, June 4: A senior Sri Lankan Minister has said that India, as an Asian country, is better suited to be a facilitator than a Western country in holding talks with the LTTE to find a political solution to the island’s ethnic problem. "I have reservations about Norway because there is evidence that Oslo sympathises with the LTTE. Anton Balansingham (LTTE Theoretician) was helped in seeking treatment. The Norwegian official who is involved in the peace talks has openly got involved in the LTTE activities," said Mahindra Rajapaskse in an interview with the Sunday Times. Mr Rajapakse, whose comments casting reservations about Norway’s role as a facilitator caused some ripples in political circle, said "we can certainly look upon India than any other. Even Norway consults India every time its delegates come here. All this shows that India is an important actor. Judging from the past experience we don’t need a Western country as a facilitator", he said. Mr Rajapakse who is holding Fisheries portfolio in the Chandrika Kumaratunga Government has just returned from a visit to India where he had held discussions with Agriculture Minister Nitish Kumar besides receiving an award in Dehra Dun. The Minister said the Government wanted a political package to be presented in Parliament before the elections. "What we mean by political package is amending the constitution. These changes should come with the consensus of all parties. On the ongoing war, he said "the Government had called upon the LTTE for talks to end violence. The situation has now changed. Now we want more man power. People will joint the Army once they feel that we can win the war". (UNI) |
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Police facing daunting odds to stop Euro 2000 bets HONG KONG, June 4: It’s 2 a.m. on a hot Hong Kong night in July 1998, half a world away from the live action of the World Cup in France. Holland have just beaten Argentina 2-1 in the quarter finals and satellite TV watchers are preparing for the next big match, Germany versus Croatia. Minutes before kick-off, police break down the door of a small flat in a Kowloon High rise building. Inside they find a man, a television set tuned to the football and bookmaking slips indicating bets worth 150,000 US dollars (1.2 million Hong Kong dollars). At the same time, a raid on a restaurant in central nets 150,000 dollars in betting slips. Two men and a woman are arrested. Tens of millions of dollars in illegal bets changed hands during the World Cup. Now police are preparing to tackle another onslaught with the European Championships. And this time they’ve got the internet to contend with as well as old fashioned betting slips and back-room huddles in late-night restaurants. Gambling on soccer is illegal in hong kong where the only legal form of gambling is horse racing run by the Hong Kong Hockey Club, and the Government’s own lottery, which combined account for 5.6 per cent of the Government’s total revenue. All other forms of gambling, including internet betting, are illegal and one bet can land first time offenders a 1,300 US dollar fine or three months in jail. But if there’s one thing Hong Kong people love, it’s gambling. They’re also soccer fans and the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea is likely to be an even bigger problem simply because of the increased interest generated by it being staged in Asia. The Government and the hockey club was watched with increasing exasperation as more and more punters find ways of placing a bet without putting a dollar the way of the Hong Kong establishment. A Government review is now underway which will look at all aspects of gambling policy, including the question of whether to legalise soccer gambling and how to plug such legislative loopholes like those concerning internet betting. It’s a difficult task, according to Vic Yau, Assistant Secretary for Home Affairs, who says that even after seven months, they are still unable to say when the review will be completed. "From press reports and police figures, we know illegal soccer gambling is a growing problem in Hong Kong and it is something we are concerned about," he said. "We also know the 2002 world cup is going to be an added stimulant to illegal betting and we are hoping to come up with measures before then," he said. "The question of how we can control internet betting is even more difficult," he added. "But it’s a problem facing many countries, some of which are adopting a liberal approach while others are being more prohibitive. At the moment we are just observing these countries, to see how best we can tackle this problem in Hong Kong." Attempts to tackle it so far have been clumsy. When an internet gambling company called a news conference to announce its offer of soccer betting to Hong Kong customers last year, the Home Affairs Bureau stepped in hours before to tell the company that promoting soccer gambling in Hong Kong was an offence. The event was hastily scrapped and the ensuing publicity gave the company more exposure than they could have dreamed possible. The clever money now is on Hong Kong legalising soccer gambling and giving the Jockey Club sole control of the highly lucrative market. Government officials argue this could solve the problem in much the way that the introduction of Jockey Club off course betting centres all but wiped out illegal horse race betting. The Jockey Club is coy about the prospect of hitting the jackpot in such a way. "Legalising football betting would be one way of solving the problem of illegal betting," said Jockey Club Information Secretary Wilson Cheng. "But it’s not the only way. The other is to arrest those involved. "The Jockey Club will follow Government policy on the issue, although whatever happens we believe horse racing will remain the number one favourite sport among the people of Hong Kong." Whatever the review recommends, it will come too late to stop the betting bonanza which will take place during Euro 2000. The police have promised to closely monitor the situation in the run-up to and during the tournament and have urged members of the public not to get involved. In betting terms, police facing the task of enforcing the ban on illegal gambling during Euro 2000 have been given a lame donkey. "In Hong Kong, you live, you breathe, you gamble," said one policeman involved in the 1998 World Cup illegal betting raids, with resignation. "Asking people not to take a punt is like asking them not to breath and about as difficult to enforce." (DPA) |
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Lankan Navy will soon get Naval Combat Craft COLOMBO, June 4: Sri Lankan Navy will soon get Naval Combat Craft from Israel which has the capacity to bombard targets from off-shore in order to fight LTTE’s sea tigers. These boats have the missile capacity with a maximum range of 36 km and could be launched from different platforms. The strengthening of the Navy follows a decision by the military planners and the Government to neutralise the LTTE’s naval bases. The state-controlled Sunday Observer reported that the new strategy will be adopted to squeeze the LTTE’s vital ordnance supply lines by striking at the sea tiger bases and the clandestine harbours. The difficulty faced by the Sri Lankan Air Force in spotting these shore bases and failure of the Army’s artillery to target them have long inhibited the security forces inability to deal with the LTTE’s sea tigers. The new fire power to be supplied to the Navy will enable it to bombard the sea tiger bases from a safe distance. The military planners thus hope to neutralise the known sea tiger strong points particularly along the eastern coastline from Mullaitivu to Alampil and in the Challai sector. Some of the Navy’s Israel-built Dvora Fast Attack Craft (FAC) are equipped with computer guided weapon systems. The Navy now plans to upgrade its whole fleet of Dvora FACs. Sri Lankan Air Force had already acquired Israel-built KFIR jet planes which are effectively used in bombardment of the enemy positions. Last month Sri Lanka re-established diplomatic ties with Israel after the military suffered a set back in the fighting against the LTTE in Northern Jaffna. (UNI) |
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Kulsoom plans movement for Sharif’s release KARACHI, June 4: Kulsoom Nawaz, wife of imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has said she will soon begin a public mobilisation campaign for the release of her husband. "They (military rulers) want to eliminate my husband and I will go to every corner of the country to mobilise the people," she told AFP in a telephone interview late on Saturday. Kulsoom said the movement would be launched from the Southern Sind province, of which Karachi is the capital, although no date had been set. "I will be at the forefront of the movement which will be different from previous political agitations in the country. No buses will be burnt and no one will be hurt," Kulsoom said. "I don’t expect justice from these courts," she said. The 49-year-old Kulsoom said she had found her husband in good spirits after visiting him in Attock Fort jail. Sources within Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML) party say they are divided over whether to launch a movement for the release of the deposed Prime Minister. "I will be meeting the party leaders soon to chalk out the strategy," Kulsoom said. "They (the regime) are underestimating me." Dissenting voices in the PML are against any confrontation with the Army-led Government, the sources said. Kulsoom said her husband "is in high spirits despite being kept in the most unhygienic conditions in attock jail," about 80 km northwest of the capital, Islamabad. (AFP) |
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Key witness in Diana’s death found dead LONDON, June 4: A key witness in the police investigation into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, has been found dead in mysterious circumstances in a remote woodland in Southern France, a media report today said. The charred body of James Andanson, a leading paparazzo who hounded Diana and her friend Dodi Fayed in the days before their death in Paris, was found by soldiers on military exercise in a burntout car near the villae of Nant, The Sunday Times reported today. Andanson, 54, was initially a suspect in the criminal inquiry by French Police into the car crash which killed Diana, Dodi and Henri Paul, their driver, in August 1997. He and his family were questioned about his involvement with the pack of photographers that trailed the couple as they holidayed in the Mediterranean in the week before the crash. Andanson was quizzed about his ownership of a white fiat Uno, of the sort that clipped the Princess’s Mercedes as it sped into the Alma tunnel, where the accident occurred. Although the car and its driver have never been traced, Herve Stephan, the Judge investigating the crash, concluded that the presence of a white Fiat Uno was a significant cause of the tragedy. Detectives are puzzled by Andanson’s death, which they say occurred in a "very discreet and isolated" Woodland in the Aveyron region of Southwestern France. His body was said to have been burnt almost beyond recognition. Although found four weeks ago, Andanson was formally identified by DNA tests only last week, the report said. The paparazzo had been missing since leaving his Paris home at the beginning of last month. Police said they did not rule out foul play. Lt Colonel Gerry Plane said that although Andanson had been showing serious suicidal tendencies, there would always be doubts about his death. Andanson was in possession of a white Fiat Uno at the time of the crash in August 1997. However, detectives said the paint on Andanson’s Fiat did not match that recovered from the scrape marks on the Mercedes. The car was seized by police five months after the crash from a car dealer, to whom Andanson had sold it in October 1997. Andanson’s son, also called James, said last week that his father never spoke about the Paris crash. "At the moment, we don’t know why my father died," he said. (PTI) |
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Tibet issues new border regulation BEIJING, June 4: China has denied reports that a new border regulation issued by the Tibetan Government rewent into effect as of June one. Tibet has a borderline of more than 4,000 km, accounting for one-fifth of China’s total. Tibet shares common border with India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. The region’s border area makes up 25.8 per cent of its territory, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The new regulation includes the administration on border areas and contacts and exchanges among people along border demarcation lines, it said. Chinese officials said that the new regulations would play a significant role in safeguarding state sovereignty, ensure stability in border areas, develop friendly relations with neighbouring countries and promote the development of border defence. During Narayanan’s talks with Chinese President Jiang Zemin and other leaders, the issue of settling the boundary question figured prominently. Both sides agreed to step up efforts so as to solve the border dispute at an early date. At the same time, the two presidents emphasised that pending a final settlement of the issue, the two sides should ensure the peace and tranquillity of the border area, the Chinese Foreign Ministry official said. (PTI) |
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