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| Abdullah fills Mahathir’s boots, but kicks less KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31: He may not have his predecessor’s waspish tongue and forthright manner, but Abdullah....more UN to move
Iraq staff out UNITED NATION, Oct 31: The United Nations intends to move its remaining international staff in Baghdad to Cyprus....more LTTE hands
over KILINOCHCHI, (SRI LANKA), Oct 31: The LTTE, which has been fighting a three-decade war for a separate Eelam....more UN
millennium goals UNITED NATION, Oct 31: Calling for equity in international economic relations, India has warned that the millennium.......more |
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Moderately strong quake hits north Japan TOKYO, Oct 31: A moderately strong earthquake hit northern Japan today, causing buildings to shake in Tokyo, but there.....more China
Mogul spared BEIJING, Oct 31: A Chinese court has slapped one of the country’s most prominent rural businessmen on the wrist....more Hussein
may be behind NEW YORK, Oct 31: Saddam Hussein may be playing a key role in coordinating and directing attacks against US forces in Iraq, the New York Times reported, quoting senior US officials.. .......more US house
clears WASHINGTON, Oct 31: In a major victory for President George W Bush, the US house of representatives early on Friday......more |
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Abdullah fills Mahathir’s boots, but kicks less KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31: He may not have his predecessor’s waspish tongue and forthright manner, but Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s quiet resolve and strong ethics are in his favour as he takes over as Malaysia’s new Prime Minister today. Mahathir Mohamad, retiring after 22 years in power, outlasted three previous Deputy Prime Ministers but Sbdullah’s loyalty finally paid off. His nickname Pak Lah — a diminutive for uncle Abdullah —testifies to people’s fond regard for the former civil servant with the kindly demeanour. Abdullah, 65 next month, will get some idea what his malay, Chinese and Indian compatriots really think of him when he calls an election in the coming months. He can’t lose, but he needs a convincing win to stamp his authority within the United Malays National Organisation (UNNO). Critics who accused Mahathir Mohamad of being autocratic and hope his successor will adopt more liberal democratic values should not expect too much — especially with Mahathir’s lingering influence. Recently asked if he had vision, Abdullah replied he had Mahathir’s — namely lifting Malaysia from the front rank of newly industrialised nations to the first world bracket by 2020. "There will be enormous continuity, that extends over everything," said author and social commentator Karim Raslan. Critics and supporters alike say that beneath Abdullah’s genial exterior lurks a steely resolve. A veteran of the psychological warfare department, Abdullah signed plenty of detention orders as Home Minister keeping Muslim-majority Malaysia incident free during the recent global terrorism scare. After the divisive final phase of Mahathir’s 22-year rule, when the premier was often at odds with western Governments and most of his own ethnic Malays turned away, Abdullah’s easy smile could heal rifts at home and abroad. He broke with Mahathir in the late 1980s, when the party split, but he returned a year later to become a loyalist. As Foreign Minister, Abdullah’s measured words earned respect in diplomatic circles in the 1990s, and he held the education and defence portfolios in the 1980s. But he won’t take the international stage by storm as Mahathir did with his controversial opinions on everything from the Palestinian problem to globalisation, western sexual mores, and what he called Jewish world domination and Australian meddling in Asian affairs. Abdullah has little experience of finance himself, but will retain Mahathir’s economic advisor, nor Mohamed Yakcop, who oversaw the restructuring of major companies, and removal of politically-connected Malay tycoons undone by the Asian crisis. However, Abdullah’s cambridge-educated son, Kamaluddin, whose oil and gas services firm scomi group bhd is among most investment analysts’ choice picks, is a rising corporate star. Known as UMNO’s Mr Clean, Abdullah has opened a campaign to eradicate corruption in the civil service. The grandson of a respected Islamic scholar with Arab ancestry, and son of an UMNO party stalwart, Abdullah is equipped to take on hardline preachers who run the Islamist opposition. "Abdullah keeps Islam in his heart," according to Chandra Muzaffar, a political commentator and former opposition figure. That contrasts with the public displays of the previous Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who was sacked and jailed in 1998, in an episode which led to UMNO winning less than half the Malay vote in elections a year later. The Anwar issue has faded and the biggest risk Abdullah faces now comes from ambitious second-tier UMNO leaders. He lacks a solid power base, having abjured playing money politics in a party that thrives on patronage. He is well networked with UMNO’s Patrician families, but unlike them he is not personally wealthy. "Some people complain, if they do something for Pak Lah the most they ever get is a thank you," commented a member of the Malaysian leadership’s inner circle. But that’s more a problem on the way up. "He’ll find plenty of people ready to do something for him now." (AGENCIES) |
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UN to move Iraq staff out of Baghdad over weekend UNITED NATION, Oct 31: The United Nations intends to move its remaining international staff in Baghdad to Cyprus over the weekend where they will decide if and when to return to the volatile Iraqi capital, UN officials said. The withdrawal will involve some 18 international workers in Baghdad while another 40 or so foreign staff would remain in the northern area around Erbil where it is safer. Some 4,000 Iraqi staff are still on the UN payroll throughout Iraq. UN officials insisted yesterday that the pull out was not an evacuation but a reevaluation of the security situation after a series of deadly suicide bombings in Iraq this week. "This is a temporary relocation," US spokeswoman Marie Okabe said. "It does not represent a policy decision to disengage from Iraq." Another UN official said the Baghdad foreign staff would leave the country for Cyprus in small groups over the weekend. The move by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was prompted by Monday’s suicide bombings against the red cross office and four Iraqi police stations in Baghdad. At least 34 people died, 12 of them from the Red Cross, and 200 were wounded. The attacks shocked the foreign aid community and stirred concerns about whether US-led coalition forces could bring order to the country. Medecins sans frontieres, or doctors without borders, has also said it would withdraw staff. The Bush administration had hoped that humanitarian organisations would remain in Iraq. A state department official said US Secretary of State Colin Powell argued against the UN action in talks with Annan. "They are needed," Powell said on Monday. "If they are driven out, then the terrorists win." Annan has come under heavy pressure from senior officials as well as the UN staff union, representing some 5,000 employees around the world, to pull everyone out. "We have been asking for it for a long time since the security situation was not getting any better. We are glad they realized this," said union representative Guy Candusso. But Annan has to balance safety concerns with the need to keep a UN presence at a time when countries are pressing for the world body to have a bigger role in running Iraq. An October 15, Security Council resolution gave the world body a role in the country’s transition, although not a central one. The attack against the Red Cross was the bloodiest on an international organization since a truck bomb devastated UN headquarters in Baghdad on Aug 19, killing 22 people. That bombing resulted in a sharp reduction of UN foreign staff, estimated at 350 to 550 in Baghdad. Security in Iraq and elsewhere heads the agenda at a meeting Annan holds on Friday and on Saturday with the heads of UN agencies. (AGENCIES) |
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LTTE hands over
‘historic’ power sharing KILINOCHCHI, (SRI LANKA), Oct 31: The LTTE, which has been fighting a three-decade war for a separate Eelam state, today handed over their "historically important" power-sharing proposals to the Norwegian facilitators, who in turn would hand it over to Sri Lankan Government this evening. LTTE’s political Wing Chief S P Thamilselvan today handed over a set of counter proposals, for the proposed interim administrative structure in the north-east, to Norwegian Ambassador Hans Bratskar at the LTTE’s peace Secretariat in the rebel-held Kilinochchi district. The Tamil Tiger rebels, who rejected the Government proposals for an interim council twice, have this time come out with what is described as "a set of comprehensive proposals" formulated in consultation with its legal and constitutional experts in various European capitals since the last three months. Describing it as a "development of great importance", Norwegian Ambassador Hans Bratskar told reporters at the LTTE’s Peace Secretariat before flying back to Colombo that "he would hand over the proposals to Government Chief Negotiator and Minister of Constitutional Affairs Prof G L Peiris this evening" as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has left for New York for a meeting with US President George Bush. When asked to comment on the contents of the proposals he had just received from the LTTE’s political head, Mr Bratskar said, "it is still in the ownership of the LTTE and I do not want to comment about it." When asked, Mr Thamilselvan said the LTTE would hold a special media briefing tomorrow morning and declined to comment on it today. Although Mr Thamilselvan refused to comment on the contents of their proposals, it is widely expected that the proposals would demand recognition of its existing administrative mechanisms, especially the land, police, judicial and revenue. Whether the LTTE document carries acceptable demands or not, Government leaders as well as the international community have already hailed the LTTE’s effort to put down in writing their power sharing plan for the first time in the history of the ethnic war. The Norwegian-brokered peace process entered into a stalemate on April 21 when the LTTE unilaterally pulled out of direct peace talks with the LTTE, demanding the Government to implement in full the provisions of the truce agreement and the decisions jointly made at the past six rounds of talks. Exactly a month later, the rebels demanded that the Government establish an interim administrative structure in the war-ravaged north-east to handle rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement works. The Government yesterday said that immediately after it receives the proposals from the LTTE, it would request the Norwegian facilitators to invite the LTTE for preliminary direct talks to discuss on the logistics, so that the ground is prepared for resumption of direct negotiations in January 2004. (UNI) |
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UN millennium goals can’t be met without resource flows UNITED NATION, Oct 31: Calling for equity in international economic relations, India has warned that the millennium goals set by the United Nations to reduce poverty cannot be met without enhanced resource flows and transfer of technology to developing nations to enable them to build capacity. Pointing out that the developing states are making efforts within their resources and liberalizing economies, Minister of State for External Affairs Vinod Khanna emphasized the need for the developed nations to move towards eliminating subsidies to correct distortions and providing enhanced market access to products of the developing nations. He regretted that little progress has been made to give shape to the decisions of international conferences to enhance participation of developing nations and giving them greater voices in the decision-making processes of international monetary institutions. Khanna, who came here from Madrid where he participated in the Iraq donors conference last week, made these remarks Thursday at the United Nations General Assembly’s ‘high-level dialogue on financing for development" and in the round table on implementation of the agreements and commitments reached at the international conferences. Khanna expressed support for the establishment of an effective mechanism to assess the implementation of commitments and agreements reached at monterrey conference. Urging the industrialized nations to provide development assistance that would strengthen the national priorities of the developing states and promote investments, he said the commitment made by the rich should be predictable and long-term. One calculation, he told the delegates, puts the cost of meeting just non-environment targets at 40 billion to 70 billion dollars a year above the current level of Official Development Assistance (ODA). Another estimate puts the cost of reaching environment goals over a longer period at 25 billion dollars per year. But the commitment made at the monterrey would increase ODA in real terms only about 16 billion dollars by 2006 which, he emphasized, is far below the internationally accepted target of 0.7 per cent of the gross national income of developed nations. The current ODA is even below 0.23 per cent. "The implementation of the commitments made at the monterrey as also new additional commitments are essential if the developing countries are to achieve development goals." (PTI) |
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Moderately strong quake hits north Japan TOKYO, Oct 31: A moderately strong earthquake hit northern Japan today, causing buildings to shake in Tokyo, but there were no immediate reports of damage. National broadcaster NHK said the quake, which struck at around 10:06 AM (0536 Hrs IST), measured 6.8 on the open-ended richter scale. It said the focus of the earthquake was 30 Km below the surface off the coast of Fukushima prefecture in northeastern Japan. NHK said the earthquake measured four on Japan’s seismic intensity scale of seven in some areas of Miyagi prefecture, which is just north of Fukushima. There was no risk of damage from Tsunamis, nhk said. An earthquake with a Japanese scale of four is considered strong enough to make hanging objects swing considerably and cause dishes in cupboards to rattle. Japan sits atop the junction of at least three tectonic plates, immense slabs of the earth’s crust whose gradual movements are thought to cause earthquakes, making it one of the world’s most earthquake-prone regions. A powerful earthquake registering 8.0 on the open-ended richter scale rocked Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido late last month, injuring nearly 600 people and causing a fire to break out at an oil refinery. (AGENCIES) |
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China Mogul spared jail over illegal funds BEIJING, Oct 31: A Chinese court has slapped one of the country’s most prominent rural businessmen on the wrist, handing him a suspended sentence for illegally taking deposits. The case of Sun Dawu, 49, highlights the plight of many private entrepreneurs who have difficulty borrowing from state banks. Xushui county court in the northern province of Hebei sentenced Sun, chairman of Dawu farming and husbandry group, to three years in prison suspended for four years on Thursday, his lawyer, Xu Zhiyong, said today. The Court fined Sun 110,000 yuan (13,300 dollar) and his company 300,000 yuan after finding him guilty of illegally taking deposits totalling 13 million yuan from 611 people between January 2000 and May 2003. Sun, detained since May, had decided against appealing and would not have to serve time unless he commits another crime over the next four years. A Court spokesman said Sun would be released after his papers had been processed, which could take up to five days. Sun had pleaded not guilty to the charges, arguing that he borrowed from group employees and local farmers who trusted him. (AGENCIES) |
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Hussein may be behind attacks on US forces: Paper NEW YORK, Oct 31: Saddam Hussein may be playing a key role in coordinating and directing attacks against US forces in Iraq, the New York Times reported, quoting senior US officials. The officials cited intelligence reports showing that Hussein is acting as a catalyst or a leader in the armed resistance, probably from a location near his hometown, Tikrit, the paper said yesterday. The administration of US President George Bush has publicly portrayed Hussein as being on the run and insignificant, the report noted. The officials cited by the times acknowledged that the reports of Hussein playing a leadership role could not be corroborated, and one official quoted in the story said intelligence reports offered conflicting views. The Pentagon had no immediate comment on the report. (AGENCIES) |
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US house clears final 87.5 billion dollar Iraq bill WASHINGTON, Oct 31: In a major victory for President George W Bush, the US house of representatives early on Friday gave overwhelming final approval to 87.5 billion dollar legislation for US troops and reconstruction in Iraq. The US senate was expected to follow on Monday, which would send Bush the measure to pay for the occupation and reconstruction of Iraq for up to a year despite many lawmakers’ concerns over mounting costs and dangers. The house voted 298-121 shortly after midnight for the bill with 65 billion dollar for US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and 18.6 billion dollar for Iraq’s reconstruction. Bowing to Bush, the final bill offered all of the reconstruction money in grants despite broad support in both chambers to require oil-rich Iraq to repay half of the money. The White House had threatened to veto the entire bill if it contained loans, which it argued would undermine efforts to stabilise Iraq, prolong the US occupation, and burden Iraq with more debt. The record-large emergency spending bill also has 500 million dollar in additional disaster relief in the wake of the southern California wildfires, aid to Afghanistan, Liberia, and Sudan, and other items. (AGENCIES) Taiwan President embarks on sensitive trip to US TAIPEI, Oct 31: Taiwan President Chen Shui-Bian kept a low profile today as he left for New York on a trip that China has said could spell trouble for Sino-US relations and increase tension between Taipei and Beijing. Chen is scheduled to make a speech after accepting an award from the international league of human rights later today in New York —giving him a rare opportunity to provoke Taiwan’s military foe in front of the world. As he left, he issued a brief departure statement that made no reference to the significance of the trip. Beijing sees the self-governing island of 23 million as a breakaway province that must be reunified, by force if necessary. Chen’s party promotes Taiwan independence, though the President has adopted a more moderate stance since taking office in 2000. Political observers say Chen will likely steer away from radical statements in his first public speech in the United States, out of respect for Washington, Taipei’s most important ally, trade partner and arms supplier. Beijing has said "inappropriate activities" by Chen would "directly affect overall Sino-US relations and would create tension in cross-strait ties". Chen, however, is expected to use his New York speech to urge the United Nations to accept Taiwan as a member, and boost his international profile to strengthen domestic support ahead of a March 2004 Presidential election. (AGENCIES) Germany seeking sweeping cloning ban at UN NEW YORK, Oct 31: Germany is advocating a broad, worldwide ban on human cloning at the United Nations, a high-ranking foreign ministry official said in New York. Kerstin Mueller yesterday told Deutsche Presse-Agentur DPA that she has found strong support at the world organization for a strong anti-cloning convention during discussions with diplomats including John Negroponte, United States Ambassador to the UN. Germany, which outlawed all human cloning last year in legislation passed with cross-party support, is seeking a global ban that would include therapeutic cloning. Advocates of therapeutic cloning in great Britain, Japan, China and Brazil expect the method to eventually produce replacements for damaged or diseased human tissue and organs. (DPA US offers 5 million dollars reward for Zarqawi WASHINGTON, Oct 31: The United States offered a reward of up to 5 million on Thursday for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Abu Musab Zarqawi, suspected of plotting the murder of a US diplomat in Jordan, of overseeing a "terrorist" camp in Afghanistan and of links to Al-Qaeda. Zarqawi, who holds a Jordanian passport, featured prominently in US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s Feb 5 presentation of US intelligence on Iraq to the United Nations, where he suggested the fugitive was part of a "sinister nexus between Iraq and the Al-Qaeda" network blamed for the Sept 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. "Iraq today harbors a deadly terrorist network headed by Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, an associate and collaborator of Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda lieutenants," Powell said, saying Zarqawi oversaw a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan that specialized in poisons. He said Zarqawi’s network helped to set up another poison and explosives camp in northeastern Iraq. Zarqawi was sentenced to death in absentia by a Jordanian Court last year for plotting attacks against US and Israeli targets in Jordan. He is also suspected of orchestrating the murder of US diplomat laurence foley in Amman a year ago. The State Department listed Zarqawi on the web site for its rewards for justice program, under which it offers rewards of up to 25 million dollars’’for information that prevents, frustrates, or favorably resolves acts of international terrorism against US Interests worldwide, or leads to the arrest or conviction, in any country, of terrorists responsible for such acts.’’ The web site initially listed the reward for Zarqawi at 25 million, the same sum offered for Bin Laden and former Iraqi President Saddam hussen, but later corrected its posting to list the sum at 5 million. A US official said the first posting was a mistake. (AGENCIES) IAEA chief tells Iran to ensure full nuclear list PARIS, Oct 31: The head of the UN international atomic energy agency urged Iran on Thursday to ensure nothing was omitted in its declaration on nuclear activities. "All their installations must be declared," IAEA chief Mohamed Elbaradei was quoted as saying in an interview published in the French daily newspaper Le Monde. "They say that their declaration is complete and exact. I hope it’s the case," he said. Elbaradei gave nothing away on the likely outcome of the inspection report being prepared by IAEA experts for a meeting of the Vienna-based IAEA’s governing board on November 20. Asked how he would respond if Iran were to announce in the coming days that there were things it had forgotten to enter in its initial declaration, Elbaradei said: "Adjustments would not enhance their credibility but I would accept them. What counts above all is that we fully understand their (nuclear) programme". Iran denies US accusations that it is trying to develop an atomic bomb, but due to past failures to fully declare its nuclear sites the IAEA has demanded that Tehran show evidence or face possible United Nations Security Council sanctions. The IAEA is particularly keen to have details about the origin of uranium enrichment centrifuge parts, which Iran says it bought on the black market and blames for contaminating two Iranian sites where the IAEA found traces of bomb-grade uranium. (AGENCIES) |
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