UNGA deplores
Indian tests

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 5 : The U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) has sought legally binding......more

Pak Army launches
war games

ISLAMABAD, Dec 5 : The Pakistani Army has launched its massive military manoeuvres to counter Indian war games close to the Rajasthan border with a warning that it was capable of repelling any misadventure From across the border....more

Warm welcome to Miss World

NETANYA, (ISRAEL), Dec 5: A jubilant crowd of thousands turned out in the coastal town of Netanya yesterday to welcome home the newly crowned Miss World, Linor Abargil.

An 18-year-old of Libyan and Moroccan extraction, Abargil won her title last week at the Miss World contest in the Seychelles islands.

Her townsfolk "from tots to grandparents" waited in the main square for the return of the brown-eyed high school graduate.

Wearing a crown, Abargil arrived in a black limousine followed by a stream of motorcycles. Dozens broke through police lines for a better view.

In a ceremony attended by Netanya’s Mayor, Abargil waved to the cheering crowd and thanked her family and the town.

Abargil is due to begin 20 months of compulsory military service in April 1999, but her family hopes the army will postpone her induction to enable her to fulfill the year-long duties of Miss World. (AP)

Russia’s strategic forces to receive new nuclear missiles

MOSCOW, Dec 5: Russia’s strategic missile forces will be equipped with 10 new Topol-M ballistic nuclear missiles before the end of the year, a senior official has said.

"Literally today or tomorrow, the last missile manufactured this year goes to the location site," first Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Maslyukov yesterday told the staff of Moscow’s Heat Engineering Institute.

The Topol-M is the first new ballistic nuclear missile to be deployed by Russia in several years and is intended to form the country’s main nuclear deterrent. It is a relatively small, rugged missile designed to be fired from trucks or other vehicles, making it difficult for potential enemies to succeed with a first strike in a nuclear confrontation.

The missile force has been struggling to maintain its effectiveness at a time when the military lacks funds and equipment because of the country’s economic crisis. The force’s older missiles are wearing out rapidly and only a few Topols have been built as replacements.

Defence spending will equal 3.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product in 1999, Mr Maslyukov was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying. He added that once the economic crisis abates, Russia may be able to start manufacturing about 40 Topol missiles each year. So far, the crisis has shown no sign of ending. (AP)

UNGA deplores Indian tests

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 5 : The U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) has sought legally binding security assurances for non-nuclear states that sign the NPT and urged Russia and the U.S. to reduce their nuclear arsenals with the view to ultimately eliminating them.

One of the many non-binding resolutions, adopted yesterday by the Assembly, also strongly deplored the nuclear tests by India and Pakistan their actions represented a challenge to the non-proliferation regime.

The resolution adopted by 118-9 votes asked both nations, which have pledged themselves to voluntary Moratoria, to make it legal by signing and ratifying the CTBT.

India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Angola, Antigua, Barbuda, Malawi and Namibia, voted against the resolution adopted yesterday by the 185-member Assembly.

The UNGA passed two other significant resolutions on strengthening existing proliferation and disarmament regimes, one asking member states to adhere unconditionally to the NPT, and another listing the CTBT on its next session’s agenda.

The assembly also voted 114-18 votes calling for legally binding security assurnces to non-nuclear states party to the NPT against use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

India, Pakistan and Israel voted against it.

The assembly also urged nuclear states to stop improving wearheads and their delivery systems and to immediately de-alert their nuclear weapons. It was passed 110-41 votes with 18 abstaining.

The UNGA urged all states to redouble efforts to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons and strengthen policies on non-export of related equipment, materials or technology.

The call was contained in a resolution, adopted 160-0 vote on nuclear disarmament and ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons. There were 11 abstentions.

Separate voting was held on a contentious paragraph which said the may tests had undermined existing non-proliferation regimes. 149 nations voted in favour of the resolution which India stoutly opposed.

Pakistan, Bhutan, and Israel abstained.

The first operative paragraph reaffirming the importance of achieving universality of NPT was adopted in a separate vote with 166 votes in favour. India, Pakistan and Algeria opposed it while Bhutan and Cuba abstained.

By another resolution, the assembly asked the U.S. and Russia to pare down their nuclear weapons on basis of existing agreements with a view to ultimately eliminain them.

One hundred sixty-six nations voted in favour and none against. However, India, Pakistan, Cuba, South Korea, Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Tanzania abstained.

The UNGA in a resolution expressed grave concern over use of nuclear wastes while another hailed a decision by the conference on disarmament to negotiate a treaty banning production of fissile material.

The UNGA also urged members to address security threats and urged the international community to devote resources gained from disarmament to development.(PTI)

Pak Army launches war games

ISLAMABAD, Dec 5 : The Pakistani Army has launched its massive military manoeuvres to counter Indian war games close to the Rajasthan border with a warning that it was capable of repelling any misadventure From across the border.

Pakistan Army was trained and equipped to repulse any aggression by the enemy and if war is thrust upon the country, it fully possessed the capability to end such conflict on a favourable note, Pakistani Army Chief Gen Pervez Musharraf told officers and jawans of the units participating in the ongoing exercise in the Arid Desert terrain of Southern Punjab and upper sindh close to the Indo-Pak border.

The Army Chief, who spent the day inspecting the military exercise, said he felt fully confidence of the Army’s capability to repel any misadventure from across the border.

The Indian Army is also carrying out a military exercise which has already a strong reaction from Islamabad terming it as an aggressive posture which sends a Negative signal and bodes ill for the promotion of an atmosphere of peace, confidence and trust in the whole of South Asia.

Commenting on the prevailing geo-strategic environment in the region, gen musharraf said by giving a matching response to the detonation of nuclear device by India, Pakistan’s strategic deterrence had strengthened manifold.

The balance of power of which our adversary boasted, now stood corrected, the Army Chief, who had taken over his charge nearly two months ago, remarked.(PTI)