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| Prosecution
hands over plot report to Anwar’s laywers KUALA LUMPUR,
Nov 6: Malaysian
prosecutors today handed over a key report to lawyers
defending ousted Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim which
allegedly contains details.....more LOS
ANGELES, Nov 6:
Cartoonist Bob Kane, who as a young man in his 20s gave
up drawing silly animals to create Batman, one of the
world’s most enduring superheroes. . .. ..more ISLAMABAD,
Nov 6: The Taliban
administration is Afghanistan has accused the United
States of encouraging terrorism by announcing a huger
reward for anyone......more WASHINGTON,
Dec 6: Tibetan
spiritual leader Dalai Lama is arriving here tomorrow on
a four-day trip in a bid to garner US support for a ..
.......more |
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Pak takes tough
stance with US on CTBT WASHINGTON Nov 6: Pakistan has adopted a tough
stance, making it known to the Clinton administration
that the US has to withdraw its economic sanctions before
Islamabad agrees to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear Test
Ban Treaty (CTBT). ........more ISLAMABAD,
Nov 6: The World
Food Programme (WFP) has lodged a strong protest with
Afghanistan’s Taliban militia over the disappearance
of some 1,500 metric tonnes of food from its warehouses
in Central Bamiyan and Yakalang towns, the United Nations
Food Agency has said.........more UNITED NATIONS, Nov 6: The U.N. Security Council has unanimously demanded that Iraq immediately resume cooperation with U.N. weapons inspectors, but Baghdad has already announced it won’t comply.....more |
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| Prosecution
hands over plot report to Anwar’s laywers KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6: Malaysian prosecutors today handed over a key report to lawyers defending ousted Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim which allegedly contains details of a high-level plot to topple him, lawyers said. Lead prosecutor Abdul Gani Patail told the court that he had received the report dated August, 20 1997 from the authorities. In the interest of justice, we have no objections to give the report to the defence, I hope the defence will give ample notice for other documents they wish to have in the future, he said. Justice Augustine Paul said the prosecution’s speedy response to the defence request would help to expedite the legal process. I am happy in the manner that the prosecution made the document (available) to the defence, he said. We are taking a 15-minute recess for our client to study the report and it will be tendered officially later after our client has gone through the document, Pawancheek Merican told reporters outside the courtroom. (REUTERS) |
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LOS ANGELES, Nov 6: Cartoonist Bob Kane, who as a young man in his 20s gave up drawing silly animals to create Batman, one of the world’s most enduring superheroes, has died at age 83, his publisher said. Dc Comics, which still publishes a wide range of Batman comic books, yesterday said Kane died on Tuesday at his home here. Friends said Kane died of natural causes. Inspired by everything from a Leonardo Da Vinci drawing of a man with arms outstretched to the success of another cartoon character, "Superman," Batman debuted in detective comics in May 1939 and went on to became the caped crusader that conquered the world. "He is one of the world’s most identifiable characters and he spawned everything from TV and movie series to clothing lines, toys, games, cartoons, newspaper strips and halloween costumes. Batman is everywhere," said comic book historian Mark Evanier. The New York-city born artist, who had changed his family name Kahn to Kane, created the world’s first human superhero. Superman, which began a year before Batman, was born on the dying planet Krypton and sent to earth to save his life. Batman was different. He was wealthy orphan Bruce Wayne, who turned to a life of crime fighting after watching his parents murdered when he was a child. (REUTERS) |
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Taliban administration flays United States ISLAMABAD, Nov 6: The Taliban administration is Afghanistan has accused the United States of encouraging terrorism by announcing a huger reward for anyone who provides information leading to the arrest of Saudi fugitive Osama Bin Laden hiding in Afghanistan. Taliban leader Mulla Wakil Mohammad Mutwakil, talking to the Urdu service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) yesterday, bitterly criticised the American announcement and said the Taliban would themselves hold a trial for Osma Bin Laden if there was solid evidence of his involvement in terrorist activities. "But we will not hand him over to the United States or any other country. He is our guest," said Mulla Wakil, who makes official statements on behalf of the Taliban administration. The Taliban fear that the five million dollar reward is massive enough to tempt some people to betray Osama. Less than half this amount had helped the United States capture Ravzi Yusaf who had been hiding in Pakistan. Osama Bin Laden had joined the Afghan war in 1980 against the Soviet entry into Afghanistan. It was in 1996 that he returned to this country for protection. The United States accuses him of masterminding the bombing of its embassies in two East African countries this year killing 220 people. (UNI) |
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Dalai Lama begins US trip tomorrow WASHINGTON, Dec 6: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama is arriving here tomorrow on a four-day trip in a bid to garner US support for a breakthrough with China on the Tibet issue. We welcome his visit. We have great respect for him as spiritual leader and spokesman for his people, White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said at his daily briefing yesterday. Lockhart would not say the purpose of Dalai Lama’s visit but said he would tell the media about any of his meetings planned at the White House. In the past, when the Dalai Lama visits the White House, the appointment has been technically with the Vice President. President Clinton would then Drop in and the press spokesman would later explain that the meeting was in the Dalai Lama’s capacity as a respected religious and spiritual leader. This protocol was in deference to Beijing’s sensitivity to any implicit recognition of the Dalai Lama as both the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet. (PTI) |
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Pak takes tough stance with US on CTBT WASHINGTON Nov 6: Pakistan has adopted a tough stance, making it known to the Clinton administration that the US has to withdraw its economic sanctions before Islamabad agrees to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Pakistani Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed, who led his country’s delegation in the talks with Deputy Secretary of the State Strobe Talbott, told Pakistani journalists here last night that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his address to the UN General Assembly in September had promised to adhere to the treaty "provided the current coercive atmosphere (generated by sanctions) is removed." "So, we told our interlocutors that we want this to happen if they expect forward movement from our side," he remarked. He said the treaty would take effect in September 1999 and Pakistan hoped that the US and other members of the group of eight (G-8) industrial nations would "take effective measures to remove the current atmosphere of coercion and duress before that no sovereign nation can be expected to do anything under duress and coercion." Mr Ahmed dispelled the impression that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with President Bill Clinton here on December 2 will coincide with Pakistan signing the CTBT and its acceptance of other non-proliferation regimes. The Pakistani official said "we find an understanding of our position on the American side and hope they will take measures to address this question." He said their current meeting (November 4-5) here was the sixth round of the non-proliferation dialogue between the two countries which began after Pakistan’s nuclear tests in May last. They covered a broad spectrum of areas of mutual interest with special focus on reconciling US non-proliferation goals and Pakistan’s security concerns. "We carried out an indepth review of the road map we have drawn for this purpose in our previous meetings," Mr Ahmed remarked. He said Pakistan was joining the Geneva negotiations on the proposed Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT), but there was no question of agreeing to a moratorium on the production fissile material before its conclusion. "We are not prepared to undertake any unilateral obligation. It is related to the question of existing stockpiles," he added. Mr Ahmed said Pakistan alone, on the basis of its security requirements, could determine the sufficiency of such stockpiles for its deterrent capability. "Once, we acquire this sufficiency, we shall accede to the demand for a moratorium," he added. He drew attention to his country’s impeccable record of restraints, avoiding transfer of nuclear technology or material next week a multi-expert team would visit India and Pakistan to brief their various agencies on how to implement export control regimes. "This will help us update our existing practices," he added. Mr Ahmed spoke about the "commonality of views and interests" between US and Pakistan in many areas and called for the removal of "irritants" like the Pakistan-specific pressler amendment under which the United States banned economic and military aid to Islamabad in 1990 in protest against its nuclear programme. He hoped that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would clear Pakistan’s bail-out package of 5 billion dollars before Mr Sharif’s visit here. Earlier, the Pakistan Embassy issued a statement on the two-day talks between Mr Talbott and Mr Ahmed which said that they exchanged views in an "atmosphere of understanding and warm friendship." Foreign Secretary Ahmed emphasised the urgent need for satisfactory resolution of the F-16 issue. The US side indicated that the matter was under active consideration of the administration, it added. He underlined that Pakistan was committed to a policy of opposing terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and combating drug abuse and trafficking. It said the Foreign Secretary gave a detailed briefing to Mr Talbott on the recently concluded Foreign Secretary-level talks between Pakistan and India. He specially focussed on the wide ranging framework package offered by Pakistan to India on the issues of peace and security and confidence building measures as well as the outstanding dispute over Jammu and Kashmir on the basis of the 1974 Shimla agreement and in accordance with the concerned UN resolutions. Mr Ahmed underlined that Pakistan was committed to a sustained and result oriented dialogue in order to find a peaceful solution to all outstanding problems between India and Pakistan in this context, te Foreign Secretary welcomed the US interest in promoting durable peace and security in South Asia. It said Pakistan particularly welcomed the continued interest of the United States in its economic stability and well being. They discussed ways and means to enhance support for Pakistan’s economic development. (UNI) |
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