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N-tests, eco crisis proves ISLAMABAD,
Dec 16: A
series of nuclear blasts in retaliation to India’s
Pokhran tests and the resulting economic....more UMTATA
(SOUTH AFRICA), Dec 16: President Nelson Mandela narrowly escaped
injury yesterday when a tornado swept through his
hometown, killing ..more ISLAMABAD,
Dec 16: Foreign
Minister Sartaj Aziz has said Pakistan will continue to
hold talks with India despite of its
‘non-serious’ .....more DHAKA,
Dec 16: Tens
of thousands of people flocked today to the
home-turned-museum of Bangladesh’s. ....more |
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Pentagon asks US
troops to take cautions in Gulf WASHINGTON, Dec 16: The pentagon has "very credible and disturbing...more Russian import of medicines, MOSCOW, Dec 16: Russian Finance Ministry has decided to allocate a massive ..more Iraq not fully cooperating UNITED NATIONS, Dec 16: Chief UN weapons inspector Richard Butler has accused Iraq of not ...more First lady tells JERUSALEM,
Dec 16: U.S. first
lady Hillary Rodham Clinton today told schoolchildren
who.....more JOHANNESBURG,
Dec 16: South
Africa is prepared.....more CAPE CANAVERAL, (US) Dec 16: Space shuttle endeavour and its crew returned ....more |
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N-tests, eco crisis proves to be highlights for Pak ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: A series of nuclear blasts in retaliation to India’s Pokhran tests and the resulting economic crisis due to the United States-led sanctions proved to be the highlights for Pakistan during 1998, a year which will be etched in history as epoch-making for the country. The Nawaz Sharif Government, under tremendous domestic pressure, went ahead with the tit-for-tat nuclear tests in May, but they came at a very high price as the country’s already fragile economy almost went to the brink of collapse due to the international sanctions. With less than half-a-month remaining for the year to come to an end, Pakistan is still desperately trying to remain afloat economically. The five nuclear tests by India on May 11 and 13 came both as a shock and surprise for the Sharif Government which had just entered its second year in office amidst growing terrorism and sectarian killings in different parts of the country. There was an almost unanimous outcry from the general populace, which had been repeatedly told over the years by the media and the leadership that Pakistan possessed the nuclear capability, to go for the tests to restore the balance with India. It was the most trying time for Premier Sharif as he received frantic calls from world leaders, including several by US President Bill Clinton, not to go for the tests even as domestic pressure for them grew. Pakistan was offered several financial incentives by the developed world led by the US if it refrained from the tests, but ultimately, after 17 days, Sharif ordered a go ahead. Political analysts later argued that the survival of Sharif’s Government could have been at stake had he not done so. The euphoria over the six tests on May 28 and 30, however, proved to be short-lived as the impact of the sanctions gradually sank in despite the fact that Sharif imposed financial emergency in the country and ordered freezing of all foreign currency accounts, with an estimated value of 11 billion dollars, within Pakistan. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), along with other multilateral financial agencies, immediately suspended all loan packages to Pakistan at the instance of G-8 countries as Islamabad’s foreign exchange reserve plunged to the precarious levels of around only 500 million dollars as against nearly 1.5 billion dollars before the Indian nuclear tests. In an effort to get help, the Pakistani leadership, including Sharif, hurriedly visited the Muslim countries in the Middle-East requesting financial help. (PTI) |
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Mandela narrowly escapes injury in killer tornado UMTATA (SOUTH AFRICA), Dec 16: President Nelson Mandela narrowly escaped injury yesterday when a tornado swept through his hometown, killing 13 people, a Presidential spokeswoman said. The tornado injured 150 people, uprooted trees and swept roofs off houses in this Southern-Eastern town. Most of the victims were waiting at a bus stop when a wall collapsed on them, police said. Mandela, 80, whose home town of Qunu is about 20 km outside Umtata, was shopping at his favourite pharmacy when the storm hit the shop, spokeswoman Priscilla Naidoo said in a telephone interview. The shop was located in the hardest hit town centre. All trees on the main street were uprooted and buildings destroyed, according to police director Chris Louw. A magazine journalist who had taken film to be developed at the pharmacy described the scene as the tornado hit the store. "I was standing close to the president to shake his hand," said Ponko Masiba, who writes for Bona, a national magazine. "We just heard a rattle and the ceiling started vibrating." In the next moment, Bona saw the President’s security guards dive onto him and press him to the floor, according to the South African Press Association. "The President and his bodyguards escaped unharmed and they went home afterwards," Mr Naidoo said. Mandela was on holiday at his home town, some 50 km from the Indian ocean. The Tornado seriously damaged Umtata General Hospital, with its intensive care unit hardest hit. Another tornado touched down yesterday about 250 km West of Umtata in Hogsback. There were three injuries there, the radio said. In Cape town, lightning on Monday set afire the home of Earl Spencer, brother to the late Princess Diana. (AP) |
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‘Pak will
continue talks despite India’s ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz has said Pakistan will continue to hold talks with India despite of its ‘non-serious’ attitude. Speaking at the annual function of the Association of Retired Ambassadors here last night, Mr Aziz said Pakistan would soon expose New Delhi’s real intentions which was trying to deflect international pressure and was not sincere in resolving long standing disputes to bring permanent peace in the region. He said the Indian proposal for the no-first-use of nuclear weapons is designed to take away Pakistan’s deterrence capability which is purely for self defence. Mr Aziz rejected the Indian allegations regarding infiltration from Pakistan. He further said the modest progress relating to the proposed sale of surplus electricity, starting of the bus service between new Delhi and Lahore and release of fishermen were made as a result of initiatives taken by Pakistan. (UNI) |
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Festivities mark Bangladesh’s 27th victory day DHAKA, Dec 16: Tens of thousands of people flocked today to the home-turned-museum of Bangladesh’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and a martyrs’ memorial to mark its war victory against Pakistan in 1971. President Shahabuddin Ahmed and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina led the nation in remembrance ceremonies at the Savar Memorial to martyrs in the country’s bloody independence war. The two placed wreaths at the Altar of the memorial and at Sheikh Mujibur’s portrait at his former home in Dhaka as the bugle played the last post and the military presented an hour guard. Ministers, diplomats, senior officials and war-time commanders joined the ceremonies. The Pakistan Army on third day surrendered to the joint India-Bangladesh command at the end of a nine-month liberation war that left three million Bangladeshis dead. Bangladesh celebrates its independence day on March 26 when independence was proclaimed. Sheikh Hasina today also inaugurated ground-breaking work at the independence monument at the Suhrawardy Uddayan Park, where her father Shiekh Mujibur announced a struggle for independence and the Pakistani Army surrendered. (AP) |
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Pentagon asks US troops to take cautions in Gulf WASHINGTON, Dec 16: The pentagon has "very credible and disturbing information" of a potential attack against Americans in the Persian Gulf region and has asked US troops to take precautions, a spokesman said yesterday. US Embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain issued a statement on Sunday saying there was "a strong possibility that terrorist elements are planning an attack against US targets in the Gulf, possibly in the next 30 days." The statement urged US citizens to be alert to"any suspicious activity and take precautionary steps to reduce the profile and vulnerability of any US facilities." Asked about the statement, Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon declined to define the basis for the warning. But he said American military personnel have been advised to stay on their bases, to avoid traveling in large groups and to be on alert for potential trouble. (AP) |
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Russian import of medicines, food from India planned MOSCOW, Dec 16: Russian Finance Ministry has decided to allocate a massive Rs 2.7 crore for import of foodstuffs, medicines and medical equipment from India for state requirements, Government sources said today. This will be roughly equal to half of the Rs 5.7 thousand crore funds accumulated through old Soviet debt repayments by India in 1998-99, they said here. Russian first Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Maslyukov had declared at the fifth session of the Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade and Cooperation (IGC) in November that the Yevgeny Primakov Government would utilise 50 per cent of the rupee funds for the benefit of the state and revival of industries. The rest of the money will be auctioned to promote private sector trade, he had said. The Russian Government has already allocated rupee funds equivalent of 100 million dollars to the Health Ministry for th import of life-saving drugs from India. Rupee equivalent of 400 million dollars have been allocated to the Moscow city administration for import of foodstuffs from India as the massive United States and European Union humanitarian aid comes with the condition that it will not be used in Moscow and other large cities in Central Russia. Some other Russian regions and Government agencies are also expected to be allocated rupee funds for their needs, including investments in India, the sources said. An amount of Rs 3,000 crore will be disbursed by the Government through auctions to Russian private importers and investors to generate revenues in rouble. The decision is a welcome development as it will resolve the vexed issue of transparency in the disbursement of rupee funds by the Government, a senior Indian Diplomat told. Some concrete deals for import of tea, rice and other food stuffs are expected to be signed by Russia during Prime Minister Primakov’s New Delhi visit next week. Russia also intends to hike import of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies from India from the present 100 million dollars to 250 million dollars by the end of 1999. Two Russian Health Ministry teams are to visit India in January to identify the Indian drug testing laboratories and manufactures in India who would be exempted from the batch-by-batch inspection of pharmaceuticals in Russia. During Primakov’s visit, Russia and India are also expected to sign agreement on the long-term import of tea from India under which tea board and Russian Tea importers’ and Packers’ Association would introduce quality control norms to phase out petty traders who have badly tarnished the image of Indian tea in the Russian market, the sources said. (PTI) Iraq not fully cooperating with UN inspectors: Butler UNITED NATIONS, Dec 16: Chief UN weapons inspector Richard Butler has accused Iraq of not fully cooperating with arms inspectors and imposing fresh restrictions on them. Butler, in a special report submitted to the UN Security Council yesterday, said Baghdad had failed to live up to the promise to fully cooperate with the UN inspectors after the United States and Britain threatened air strikes to force compliance to Council resolutions. The report by the chief executive of the U N Special Commission (UNSCOM) on disarming Iraq puts into jeopardy the comprehensive review of the sanctions by the Council which Baghdad had hoped would lead to their lifting or at least easing. The U S reacted to the report saying it was a very serious matter and all options, including possible air strikes — remained open. UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, who has sent the report to the Security Council, said it could decide that the situation did not provide a sufficient basis to move forward with a comprehensive review at present, or give more time to Baghdad to demonstrate its commitment, or go ahead with the review to find out what had been achieved during the eight years of sanctions. U S state department spokesman James Foley said in Washington that no decision had been made to proceed with joint air strikes with Britain on Iraq, and added President Bill Clinton would review the report with his senior foreign police advisers. This is a very serious matter .. I cannot speculate what decision the President will make, but the U S has stated before that we believe we have all the authority we need under relevant Security Council resolutions to act. All options remain on the table, he said. Butler’s highly-critical report says that because of lack of full cooperation by Iraq, his arms inspectors had been unable to Conduct substantive disarmament work. The report did not come as a surprise and was on the lines of the view expressed by him. The chief weapons inspector, who is highly unpopular with Council members except the US and Britain, has written a report which is likely to please Washington and London. In contrast, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is responsible for elimination of Iraqi nuclear weapons, has given a more or less clean chit to Baghdad, saying Iraq had provided the necessary level of cooperation to enable its inspectors work efficiently and effectively. UNSCOM, which is responsible for elimination of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, mainly depends on American and Israeli intelligence for its assessment of sites to inspect. (PTI)
JERUSALEM, Dec 16: U.S. first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton today told schoolchildren who have been studying together at an Israeli-Arab Youth Center that it is they who have the most at stake in middle East peacemaking efforts. "Peace is something that has to be worked for and negotiated over and achieved, because then it creates conditions in which each of you can live up to your own potential and fulfill your own promise," yesterday she told the 120 children, ranging in age from 8 to 14. The first lady was joined by former Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who told the children: "your generation does not have to follow and repeat the mistakes we committed in the past." The boys and girls presented Mrs. Clinton with artwork, including a mosaic made from brightly colored tiles, and told the first lady they had benefited from their time with one another. Miki Hatzav, a 14-year-old Israeli from the Negev Desert Kibbutz of Sde Boker, said in the Youth Center Program with Arab children, "I learned that it’s possible to talk and be friends. They are like us." Another 14-year-old girl, Shirin Mizher, from the Palestinians’ Deheishe refugee camp in Bethlehem, said she was happy about the visit by President Bill Clinton and the first lady. "We are looking to them ... To make peace a real peace," she said. (AP)
JOHANNESBURG, Dec 16: South Africa is prepared to act as facilitators in bringing the Sri Lankan Government and the Tamil Tiger rebels to the negotiatin table, it has been announced. Chairman of South Africa’s Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Portfolio Committee and African National Congress MP Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim made the offer at the end of a one-week fact-finding mission to the country recently. The delegation, comprising members of parliament of all political parties, has just returned home after the visit, during which it held talks with the Sri Lankan Government and other groups, Ebrahim said. But our one regret is that we were not able to meet the ltte. We had a lot of questions to ask them and also to find out from them whether they are prepared for a peaceful solution to the problems of Sri Lanka, he said. But it was unfortunate, due to logisticl roblems, that we were not able to meet them. We hope that we in South Africa in whatever little way we can, could assist the people in Sri Lanka to find a peaceful resolution of the problem as we have done in our country. It is a very beautiful country, the people are very warm and hospitable and I think that once the war ends the people of Sri Lanka have a great future, he said. (PTI) CAPE CANAVERAL, (US) Dec 16: Space shuttle endeavour and its crew returned to earth in triumph, ending NASA’s first space station-building mission. It was a rare night time landing. Late last night. Endeavour swooped through the clear, chilly sky and landed on the Xenon-lit runway at 2253 hrs. "Thanks a lot for an awesome job starting our space station adventure," mission control told the six astronauts. "It’s great to be home after such an exciting mission," replied commander Robert Cabana. Throughout the afternoon, thick rain clouds had hovered over the landing strip. But the sky cleared by dusk, and mission control gave the shuttle pilots the go-ahead for an on-time touchdown. NASA’s weather rules are especially stringent for night time landings. This was only the 10th time in 17 1/2 years of space shuttle flight that astronauts returned in darkness. Endeavour resembled a comet as it streaked over the Gulf of Mexico and across Florida, its path tracked by infrared cameras. Mr Cabana and his crew were glad to be back after an exhausting yet satisfying journey that spanned nearly twelve days and 7.36 kms. "We can’t wait to get back and see our families and have a great Christmas," Cabana said before rocketing out of orbit. "It’s been a super mission. It’s been unbelievable building a space station." The five Americans and one Russian set the cornerstone for the international space station by joining the Russian-built Zarya control module and the American-made unity connecting chamber. Two of the astronauts Jerry Ross and James Newman made three spacewalks to wire Zarya and unity together and attach Antennas and other equipment. The crew also spent a full day inside the station, hooking up electronics. "I’ve got to admit, we were all pretty tense at various phases of the mission," Mr Cabana said. And so they were "really relieved," once all their objectives were accomplished, he said. It was the first of 36 space shuttle flights that NASA estimates will be needed over the next five years to build the 16-nation space station. The next construction mission is in May. (AP) |
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