Pinochet may face trial in Britain
LONDON, Aug 9 — Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet’s prosecutors have said he could still stand trial in Britain even if Spain drops its request to extradite him.

Yemen jails 8 Britons
ADEN (Yemen), Aug 9 — Eight Britons were convicted today of plotting terrorist acts in Yemen and sentenced to between eight months and seven years in jail. Two Algerians with fake French passports were sentenced to five years each.

37 hostages “released”
FREETOWN, Aug 9 — Sierra Leonean rebels have released a group of hostages believed to be as many as 37 who were captured on Wednesday, diplomatic sources said here.

Secret Saudi-Taliban deal over Laden?
LOS ANGELES, Aug 9 —Saudi officials reached a secret deal with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers last summer for the surrender of suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, two months before the bombing of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, Los Angels Times has reported.

Falungong sect chief shuns politics

500 more Islamic rebels enter Dagestan

MOSCOW, Aug 9 (DPA) — The Russian air force, in an attack carried out mistakenly against its own forces, has killed four militiamen and wounded 17 in the troubled Caucasus republic of Dagestan, Interfax news agency reported today.

The report, which gave no further details, quoted the Dagestan Interior Ministry.

There were no major clashes overnight between, the Russian forces and Islamic rebels who have crossed into Dagestan from neighbouring Chechnya.

Russian Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin, meanwhile, flew back to Moscow from Dagestan to brief President Boris Yeltsin.

Dagestan officials said yesterday that between 200 and 500 more fighters had come across the Chechnya border on Saturday, with estimates of up to 2,000 fighters having infiltrated the region.

Dagestan Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Musayev said over the weekend it appeared the infiltrators partly consisted of fighters from the Arab world and Central Asia but also included members of various ethnic groups present in Dagestan.

Reuters adds: Mr Sergei Stepashin, whom President Boris Yeltsin sacked as Prime Minister on Monday, said Russia risked losing its southern province of Dagestan where Islamic rebels have seized several villages.

“Today the situation in Dagestan is very difficult. I think we could really lose Dagestan”, the government press service quoted Mr Stepashin as saying at a final meeting with his Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Russian troops and police units entered a third day of confrontation on Monday with hundreds of Islamic militants, who had seized villages in the troubled northern Caucasus region of Dagestan.

Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo, armed forces chief of staff Anatoly Kvashnin and the Commander of Interior Ministry troops, Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov were also in Dagestan discussing further steps.

Meanwhile, unidentified gunmen killed two servicemen and kidnapped three in an attack on a military training centre in Russia’s troubled Caucasus region of north Ossetia on Sunday, Itar-Tass news agency said.

Tass quoted local police as saying the training ground in Prigorondny district, a source of bitter territorial dispute between north Ossetia and neighbouring region of Ingushetia, belonged to the Interior Ministry troops.

New Russian PM a friend of India

MOSCOW, Aug 9 (PTI) — Mr Vladimir Putin, nominated today by President Boris Yeltsin as the new Russian Prime Minister and his successor, has a soft corner for India and played a key role in reviving St Petersburg region’s defence and economic ties with New Delhi in the post-Soviet era.

Mr Putin, who was till 1996 the First Deputy Governor of St Petersburg in charge of foreign economic relations, frequented the Indian Consulate-General in the city and had a very good rapport with the then Indian Consul-General Dr Ramesh Chandra.

“The common people of Russia feel the importance of ties with India and have a better understanding of the geopolitical significance of Russia-India relations than some politicians,” Mr Putin had told PTI in May 1996 during the prize distribution ceremony of a quiz contest on India in St Petersburg.

Mr Putin had also proposed closer Indo-Russian economic interaction by channelling Indian debt repayments for setting up high-tech joint ventures in the region with massive concentration of Russian defence technology potential.

Lanka ‘no’ to Dalai Lama’s visit

COLOMBO, Aug 9 (UNI) — Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama would not be able to visit predominantly Buddhist Sri Lanka in the face of Chinese opposition, local media reported today.

The Daily Mirror, quoting authoritative sources, said the Sri Lankan Government has turned down a request from influential Buddhists here to invite the Dalai Lama to visit Sri Lanka.

The plea was turned down after Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yun met Acting Foreign Minister Lkhsma in Kiriella recently. Mr Kiriella had given an undertaking to the Chinese Ambassador that “there wouldn’t be a visit by the Dalai Lama to Sri Lanka in the near future.’’

The Foreign Ministry spokesman was not available for comment.

According to reports, the minister assured the ambassador that Sri Lanka respects “one China policy’’ and the integrity of China.

Mr Zhang’s meeting with Mr Kiriella took place soon after the Chinese Embassy came to know that the request has been made to the ministry to invite the Dalai Lama to visit Sri Lanka.

The request was made by a group of monks, including members from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Monks Union.

Meanwhile, a government convoy carrying food for hundreds of thousands of hungry civilians left for rebel-controlled areas of northern Sri Lanka today, ending a six-week deadlock over a supply route, the military said.

The convoy of 10 trucks included 500 Tamil civilians who had been stranded since June, when the government launched a campaign to regain rebel-held territory and fighting blocked the civilians’ route home.

“The convoy is ready to cross over to the other side any time,” Maj Gen Lionel Balagalle, the top area commander, told the Associated Press from Vavuniya, a major town 210 km north of Kolombo.

“The army cleared a 165-foot stretch of land mines, while the LTTE cleared their half over the weekend,” he said.

GENEVA (AP): In addition to the Nobel Peace Prize and a string of other honours, the Dalai Lama now has the world’s smallest vineyard to his name.

At a festival attended by thousands of well-wishers on Sunday, Tibet’s spiritual leader was presented with the Farinet vineyard — which consists of just four vines — by its previous owner, French religious community leader Abbe Pierre.

VAVUNIYA (UNI:) The first batch of 500 displaced civilians stranded in Vavuniya for the past more than one month today finally made it to their hometowns in the rebel-controlled Wanni, thanks to the cooperation of the LTTE to allow them travel safely on mine-free roads.

As the convoy consisting of 30 buses and ten trucks carrying the Tamil people, including women and children, reached Mankulam, suddenly the cross-over point became hectic with people hurrying with their baggage. Earlier they were escorted by the army on a 30-km distance on the Vavuniya-Mankulam road up to the crossover point.

For the people, it was a great relief as they walked freely without fear. On a similar occasion on July 28, the LTTE chased them and opened fire in the air when they tried to cross over to their villages. These people had come to Vavuniya before June 25 for completing some urgent requirements and by the time the road was closed because of the operation started by the army. Since then, the army was negotiating with the LTTE for the safe passage of these civilians and sending food supply to the area which the rebels were resisting.

Today’s safe passage for the innocent Tamils was possible after prolonged negotiations with the LTTE by the government and the security forces through the Red Cross. According to reports, as many as three lakh people in the LTTE-controlled area were facing shortage of food because of the closure of the land route to the region.

Three top Hamas leaders arrested

GAZA, Aug 9 (Reuters) — The Palestinian Authority has arrested three leaders of the militant Islamic movement, Hamas, in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian police chief Ghazi Jabali said.

Israel has pressed the Palestinian Authority to crack down on Hamas, which opposes peace deals and has killed scores of Israelis in suicide attacks.

‘’They were arrested for security reasons,’’ Mr Jabali told Reuters yesterday a day after Hamas’s military wing claimed responsibility for a shooting that wounded two Jewish settlers in the West Bank town of Hebron.

Witnesses said Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi and Ahmed Nimir were arrested on Saturday and Ismail Abu Shanab was taken into custody on Friday.

Hamas said their arrest was aimed at silencing the opposition and called on Arab and Islamic leaders to press for their release.

DPA adds: US Secretary Madeleine Albright telephoned Palestinian Authority Chairman Yassir Arafat on Monday to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East peace process, the official news agency WAFA reported.

A source, who requested anonymity, told the Palestinian news agency that Ms Albright had hailed Mr Arafat’s decision to accept Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s request that the Palestinians agree to a start the implementation of the Wye accord in early September.

Mr Arafat had earlier announced at a news conference with the Emir of Qatar, Shiekh Hamad Ben Khalifa al-Tani, that the Palestinians ‘’welcome’’ Mr Barak’s proposal to start implementing the Wye accord in September.

However, Mr Arafat did not specify if he has accepted Mr Barak’s proposal to combine the third phase of the Wye accord with the final status talks that were supposed to begin in May, when the five-year interim period ended.

JERUSALEM (AP): The chief Palestinian negotiator insisted on Monday that Israel resume a West Bank troop withdrawal in September, while Israeli officials said the pullback could only begin in October, after Palestinians fulfil their peace obligations.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has asked US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to postpone a visit to the region until the dispute over the implementation of the Wye river land-for-security agreement has been settled, said an aide to Israel Cabinet Minister Haim Ramon.

Mr Barak said he has told Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that implementation of the accord would resume in September.

The latest dispute between Israel and the Palestinians appeared to stem from different interpretations of what Mr Barak meant by that.

Pinochet may face trial in Britain

LONDON, Aug 9 (ANI) — Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet’s prosecutors have said he could still stand trial in Britain even if Spain drops its request to extradite him.

A spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said prosecutors would have to consider the evidence against Pinochet if human rights campaigners moved to have him tried here under British law.

The other possibility was an extradition request by France or Switzerland, both of which have put bids on hold to extradite the General pending the decision on Spain’s request.

Pinochet was arrested in London last October at the request of Spain, which is seeking to try him on charges of torture during his 1973-1990 rule.

A hearing has been set for September 27 but Chile has asked Spain to consider putting the case to arbitration instead. A Spanish state prosecutor has requested his release.

A CPS spokeswoman said in a newspaper report that Home Secretary Jack Straw would be legally obliged to follow the CPS advice on what to do was incorrect.

A Home Office spokesman said he understood Pinochet would not be able to leave the country immediately if Spain dropped its extradition case.

Since he was under house arrest a further court hearing before a magistrate would be needed to discharge him, he said.

Pope barred from visiting Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Aug 9 (DPA) — Pope John Paul-II has been barred from visiting Hong Kong by Beijing officials because of the Vatican’s diplomatic links with Taiwan, a news report said today.

The pontiff had hoped to make a stopover in Hong Kong during a planned Asian tour, but overtures to the Chinese Foreign Ministry ended in failure because of the Taiwan issue, the South China Morning Post reported.

The ban by Beijing was criticised by a local legislator who warned it would aggravate cross-strait tensions which have been growing since Taiwan President Lee Teng-Hui’s declaration on July 9 that relations with the mainland were “state-to-state”.

Hong Kong bishop Joseph Zen Ze-Kiu was reported as saying the visit had “definitely’’ been ruled out and the Pope would probably visit New Delhi or Bombay instead.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman was quoted as telling the Union of Asian Catholic news agency: “As the Vatican maintains so- called diplomatic relations with Taiwan, obviously it is not appropriate for the Pope to visit Hong Kong.’’

Behind-the-scenes negotiations have been going on since early last year to try to secure permission for a papal visit to the territory, which was last visited by a Pope in 1970 when Paul-VI made a three-hour stopover.

Yemen jails 8 Britons

ADEN (Yemen), Aug 9 (AP) — Eight Britons were convicted today of plotting terrorist acts in Yemen and sentenced to between eight months and seven years in jail. Two Algerians with fake French passports were sentenced to five years each.

The 10 men — Muslims of Arab or Asian origin — heard the verdict in a courtroom packed with journalists, diplomats and relatives. They arrived in armoured trucks surrounded by a convoy of military jeeps.

All were found guilty of forming an armed gang and nine were convicted of planning to bomb the British consulate, an Anglican church and a Swiss-owned hotel in Aden, 300 km south of the capital, Sana.

Ayad Hussein was set free after being acquitted on the charge of planning the bomb attacks. He was sentenced to the eight months of time served in jail during the trial for the charge of being part of the armed gang.

They allegedly have links to Islamic radicals who kidnapped 16 Westerners in December, four of whom died in a shootout during a botched rescue attempt by Yemeni security forces.

37 hostages “released”

FREETOWN, Aug 9 (AFP) — Sierra Leonean rebels have released a group of hostages believed to be as many as 37 who were captured on Wednesday, diplomatic sources said here.

In London, the British Foreign Office confirmed that two British soldiers who were among the detainees had been released.

The original group of hostages — captured Wednesday — included five Britons with the UN military observer team in Sierra Leone (Unomsil), Nigerian Ecomog soldiers, UN humanitarian workers and journalists.

Sierra Leone rebel leader Johnny Paul Koroma, head of a Junta that briefly seized power in 1997, said earlier from Monrovia that he was urgently working on securing the release by last night of all hostages.

Secret Saudi, Taliban deal over Laden?

LOS ANGELES, Aug 9 (AP) —Saudi officials reached a secret deal with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers last summer for the surrender of suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, two months before the bombing of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, Los Angels Times has reported.

Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar and his ruling council agreed to end the sanctuary they provided Laden since 1996 in a June 1998 meeting at their headquarters in Kandahar, Prince Turki a-Faisal, the Saudi chief of intelligence, told the paper.

Laden, whose Saudi citizenship was revoked, was wanted for his campaign demanding the overthrow of Saudi Arabia’s monarchy, said Prince Turki, who said he negotiated the deal.

The Taliban had made his handover conditional on his being tried by an Islamic court and not be extradited to face any US prosecution.

But the agreement began to crumble during the same period that authorities now believe the embassy attacks were being plotted, the newspaper said yesterday. The negotiations ended amid a flurry of recriminations in the aftermath of the August 7, 1998, bombings.

Falungong sect chief shuns politics

NEW YORK, Aug 9 (AFP) — The exiled leader of China’s Falungong sect disavowed interest in politics, described his new life in New York city and clarified the nature of what he called his “practice” in an interview published today.

“I don’t want to get involved in politics. I don’t care for it,” Mr Li Hongzhi said in the New York Times magazine interview, published the same day that the Chinese government’s official People’s Daily claiming that it had successfully cracked on the sect.

Ronald Reagan
WASHINGTON: Washington is beginning to brace for the inevitable fate facing former President Ronald Reagan as his health succumbs to the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease, US news and world report says in its edition due out on Monday. Concern about Mr Reagan’s ailing health has mounted after his doctor said the 88-year-old “is gradually declining with respect to various functions’’ due to the incurable brain disease. — AFP

Sydney oil spill
SYDNEY: A total of 3 lakh litres of oil leaked into Sydney harbour last Tuesday, 30 times the initial estimate of the spill, New South Wales Minister for Transport Carl Scully on Monday said. “This was a disaster for Sydney harbour,” Mr Scully said. The actual spill was 250 tonnes. I am told that is about the size of five backyard swimming pools or approximately 3 lakh litres, he told reporters. — Reuters

3 die in ship fire
JAKARTA: At least three persons were killed and nine were missing, feared drowned, in Indonesia after a tanker collided with two vessels in an eastern Sumatran river and caught fire, reports said on Monday. The incident took place on Sunday when the tanker Stephani XVIII, carrying about 1,200 tonnes of gasoline, caught fire after it collided with a tug boat in Siak river of Riau province, the official Antara new agency reported. — DPA

Japan’s national flag
TOKYO: Japan’s Hinomaru, or Rising Sun, was recognised as the National flag, and the Kimigayo as the National Anthem under a Bill passed into law by Japan’s Parliament on Monday. Both symbols, although used routinely, have been controversial in Japan for decades. Critics see them as symbols of the former militarist Tenno system, while conservatives see them as nationalist symbols and sources of pride. The Hinomaru — featuring a red circle on a white background — was Japan’s flag during the World War II. — DPA