Tuesday, December 21, 1999
spotlighttoday's calendar
....... |
W O R L D | Tuesday, December 21, 1999 |
|
| weather spotlight today's calendar |
....... |
||
|
Macau becomes
China’s special region Sharif challenges court’s
jurisdiction |
 |
 Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from Kennedy Space Centre on Sunday. The shuttle, with a crew of seven, is on a mission to repair the Hubble space telescope. — AP/PTI
|
|
Another mass grave found
in E. Timor Street battles in Grozny on Romanian PM forms Cabinet Court bars Indian’s
deportation 9 die in Aceh, Ambon clashes Prisoners swapped |
|||||
 |
||||||
Macau becomes China’s special region MACAU, Dec 20 (PTI) — China today resumed exercise of sovereignty over the tiny territory of Macau after a gap of 442 years by establishing the first Beijing-backed government and garrisoning Chinese troops in the former Portuguese enclave. Presiding over an impressive function to mark a new chapter in Chinese history, President Jiang Zemin pledged full support and autonomy to the newly established Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. "The great motherland will forever be a strong force behind Macau, Mr Jiang said in his speech at the founding ceremony of the first Macau SAR government here early today, after Portugal officially transferred sovereignty of Macau to China at the stroke of midnight last night. "The central government is fully confident of and gives all-out support to the chief executive and the government under his leadership," he said referring to the new government led by banker-turned-administrator, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, who became Macau’s first Chief Executive. "The existing capitalist system in Macau will continue to be practised, the current social and economic systems will remain unchanged, and so will the life-style," Mr Jiang assured the 4 lakh-odd Macau population. The laws will remain basically unchanged and the right to private property will be protected by law, he said while promising to grant a high degree of autonomy for the 23.5 sq km territory, which became China’s second SAR after Hong Kong. Macau returns to China under the "one country, two systems" formula used in Hong Kong since July 1997, which guarantees that they can maintain their own individual political, economic and social systems for the next 50 years. Welcoming residents into the big Chinese family, Mr Jiang, also general secretary of the ruling Communist Party, said Macau’s successful return was yet another historic monument built by the Chinese on the road to national reunification following the return of Hong Kong to Chinese rule in July, 1997. In his speech, the Chief Executive of Macau SAR, Mr Edmund Ho hailed the founding of the new government under Chinese sovereignty and pledged to work for the people. "I will work tirelessly and resolutely to uphold and implement the principle of one country, two systems and lead Macau’s 400,000-odd citizens toward a bright and prosperous future. This shall be my greatest honour and responsibility," he pointed out. Mr Ho took over from the last Portuguese Governor Vasco Rocha Vieira, who left Macau along with Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio shortly following the handover ceremony after bidding an emotional farewell to the enclave he had administered for eight years. Earlier, 23 members of the first legislative council of Macau SAR, 24 judges, 23 procurators and 10 members of the executive council were sworn in at the same function. In his speech, Mr Jiang promised to back the SAR government to ensure social stability in the territory, which saw several bloody gang wars related to the thriving casino and gambling industry. "The central government will resolutely support all the necessary measures the Macau SAR government adopts for the maintenance of social stability, he said even as the 500-strong elite Chinese PLA (People’s Liberation Army) troops entered the enclave in a convoy of trucks and armoured vehicles from the nearest Chinese mainland city. The PLA entered Macau exactly 12 hours after Portugal handed it back to China in a gala ceremony at the stroke of midnight. The timing of the entry was also in conformity with the Sino-Portuguese agreement on the establishment of the Macau garrison. The smartly attired PLA troops, armed with automatic weapons, wore white gloves and were seen waving back at the people. The 500-strong troops, which entered Macau will be garrisoned for the defence of territory while the rest of the troops will be based in Zhuhai. China has declared a holiday today to celebrate the enclave’s return to the motherland. TAIPEI (Reuters): Taiwan today hit out at Chinese President Jiang Zemin for saying the formula governing the handovers of Macau and Hong Kong to China would aid Taiwan’s reunification with the mainland. Vice-President Lien Chan said the sovereign republic of Taiwan was not a colony, like Macau and Hong Kong had been, and the ‘‘one country, two systems’’ formula used for their return to Chinese sovereignty was invalid. "Wouldn’t this make us all citizens of a colony?’’ Mr Lien said of Mr Jiang’s comments. "This is laughable.
Making such statements in public — what kind of
contribution does this make for bilateral
relations,’’ he told an audience of military
police reservists. |
Sharif challenges court’s jurisdiction ISLAMABAD, Dec 20 (PTI, Reuters) — The formal indictment of deposed Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif, his brother Shahbaz and five others in the treason and plane hijacking charges was once again postponed today as the case took another dramatic turn when a leading defence lawyer challenged the jurisdiction of the anti-terrorism court to hear the matter. Mr Ejaz Batalvi, one of the leading criminal lawyers of the country, while appearing on behalf of Mr Sharif before the anti-terrorism court judge Shabbir Ahmed today raised some "serious jurisdictional flaw" in the case arguing that an important section of criminal procedure code was not complied with. In another shocking development, the prosecution side disclosed that the black box of the plane, which was supposed to be a crucial corroborative evidence in the case, contained no data and everything had been erased due to, "automated system". Mr Batalvi argued that the court had no powers to take cognizance of the matter as the Section 196 of the CrPC was not complied with. Judge Shabir Ahmed said he would hear arguments and take a decision on the application challenging the court’s jurisdiction tomorrow. Copies of the defence’s application were not immediately available and Mr Sharif’s lawyers gave no details as to why they challenged the jurisdiction of the court. Mr Sharif and six others are accused by the prosecution of attempting to eliminate army leader Gen Pervez Musharraf by denying landing rights to an aircraft bringing him and about 200 passengers from Sri Lanka to the Karachi airport on October 12. Hours later General Musharraf overthrew Mr Sharif in a bloodless coup. The defence application said that the government should have first laid out procedures and authorised a court before trying Mr Sharif on charges of waging war against Pakistan — one of several allegations Mr Sharif faces in the case. The dispute had caused two adjournments in the last two weeks and delayed the formal laying of charges in the case. Mr Sharif, during a break, told reporters that he and his party would make no compromises with the military government. "There will be no compromise. I have told all party leaders that there should be no compromise," he said. Mr Sharif’s trial cannot start unless the judge formally lays charges and solicit pleas from the accused. The court will also hold
hearings on only three working days a week amid shortened
timings because of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. |
Another mass grave found in E. Timor JAKARTA, Dec 20 (DPA) — Australian-led UN international forces have discovered 14 bodies in a mass grave in the East Timor enclave of Oecussi, and eyewitnesses said nearly 40 more bodies were buried in another nearby mass grave, radio news reports said today. The reports from the East Timor capital of Dili quoted Major General Peter Cosgrove, Commander of International Force for East Timor, as saying that if the reports are confirmed it would be a "very big discovery." Other officials said the burial sites were located about 1.5 km from Passabe, in the southern part of Oecussi, a north coast enclave which is surrounding by Indonesian-ruled West Timor. Eyewitnesses told Interfet that in September, two groups of East Timorese militia, Indonesian soliders and the police moved along a road targetting pro-indpendence activists. They said the militias, backed by Indonesian military and the police, rounded up pro-independence supporters, put them on the back of a truck and killed them all. A militia leader trained by the Indonesian military confessed to Indonesian human rights investigators recently that he carried out a campaign of murder in East Timor in the wake of August 30 UN-run ballot for independence. The militias launched a
week of terror, violence and destruction in East Timor
following the announcement of the pro-independence
results of the UN-led ballot for self-determination in
the territory early in September. |
40 rebels killed MOSCOW, Dec 20 (AFP) — Russian warplanes and artillery maintained a merciless barrage against Grozny overnight as federal troops fought street battles in the Chechen capital in a bid to cut off rebel fighters. Forty rebel fighters were killed in air strikes and artillery fire in the past 24 hours, the state-run ORT TV said early today, citing the Russian military command for the Chechnya operation. Grozny remained completely surrounded and federal troops were maintaining heavy pressure on the Pervomaiskaya and Oktyabrskoye districts of Grozny and the Stariye Atagi settlement south of the capital. Officials at the main Russian military headquarters base in Mozdok, North Ossetia, told AFP yesterday that heavy fighting was raging in Grozny’s southern Chernorechiye district which was partially under the Russian control. Clashes were also reported in the Staraya Sunzha area on the north-eastern edge of the city. Chechen military sources said the loss of the two areas would be a major setback as they adjoined the wooded areas which provided cover for escape. Moscow has already moved into the north-western Staropromyl Sovskaya suburb and Khankala on the eastern edge of the city. Meanwhile, in the former rebel bastion of Urus-Martan, 20 km south-west of Grozny, pro-Moscow battalions of Chechen volunteers were being recruited, the private NTV television station reported. Russian Chief-of-Staff
Gen Anatoly Kvashnin stated that direct peace talks had
taken place with top members of Chechen President Aslan
Maskhadov’s government. |
Romanian PM forms Cabinet BUCHAREST, Dec 20 (DPA) — Romania’s designated Prime Minister, Mugur Isarescu, announced the names of his new Cabinet yesterday. Mr Isarescu (50), a national bank governor since 1990 who does not belong to a political party, said he would present the list for approval by the eastern European country’s parliament on Monday. "I have no intention of becoming a politician," Mr Isarescu said in a written statement issued three days after his appointment by President Emil Constantinescu, who came in for heavy criticism sacking the previous Premier, Mr Radu Vasile. The new Premier kept most of the Cabinet of his predecessor. One change was Social Affairs Minister Smaranda Dobrescu, the first female in the Cabinet since 1990. She replaces Alexandru Athanasiu. Mr Isarescu announced the formation of a six-person government executive comprising himself and five Cabinet members representing all parties in the ruling coalition. The move was immediately criticised by the media, which voiced fears that party politics would weaken the ability of the new Premier to take his own decisions. Mr Vasile, former leader
of the Peasants’ Christian and Democratic Party, was
removed from power on December 13 after two-thirds of the
Cabinet had resigned in protest against his policies. |
Parents claim dead son’s sperm LONDON, Dec 20 (AP) — A couple are trying to get a fertility clinic to hand over a vial of frozen sperm taken from their son’s dead body so that they can create a grandchild with a surrogate mother, the Mail on Sunday newspaper reported. Lance Smith died in November 1998 in a car accident at the age of 36, the Mail said. His parents, Natasha and Barry Smith, from Droitwich, England, reportedly told the newspaper that they believe they are entitled to keep a part of their only child alive and that, six months before his death, he had typed and signed a note detailing his wish that "a quantity of sperm" be taken from his body should he die unexpectedly so that his fiance could bear his child. They said they are considering going to court. The couple declined to comment on the report. Sperm was taken from Smith’s body 24 hours after he died and is being held by a fertility clinic, the newspaper said. The paper said his girlfriend, who was not named in the note, had originally considered bearing the child, but now has declined. The paper said Smith had been interested in the case of a British woman, Diane Blood, who won a two-year legal battle for the right to use her dead husband’s sperm to have a baby after his death. She gave birth last year after taking her husband’s sperm, extracted while he was on a life-support machine, to Belgium. The government’s
fertility watchdog, the Human Fertilization and
Embryology Authority said yesterday that the sperm could
not be released because of confusion over whether Smith
gave consent for it to be used, and by whom. |
Court bars Indian’s deportation DURBAN, Dec 20 (PTI) — An Indian national, arrested for entering South Africa illegally, has won a court order barring his deportation and pending the final determination of his application for permanent residency. Usmangani Patel (31), who has been struggling since 1992 to stay in South Africa, was arrested last month by immigration officials when he went to apply for new permit documents. The Durban High Court ordered his temporary reprieve on the ground that he was married to a South African. Based on a petition by Mr Patel’s wife, the court ordered the Department of Home Affairs not to detain him and not to deport him, pending the final determination of his application to be granted permanent South African residency. Mr Patel, from Gujarat, first came to South Africa in 1992 and was granted a temporary residence permit. However, after he failed to obtain a work permit, he was deported in 1994. He managed to return to South Africa in 1996 using a stolen temporary residence permit obtained in Swaziland and married a local girl, Zhaida. He was convicted in June of using a stolen permit to enter South Africa and was awarded R 6,000 fine or two years’ imprisonment. He was released after
his wife appealed to the court, saying that she wanted
her husband to be released so that they could spend the
holy month of Ramazan together. |
9 die in Aceh, Ambon clashes JAKARTA, Dec 20 (AP) — Nine persons were killed in the latest outbreak of religious and separatist violence in Indonesia’s main two trouble spots, police and military spokesmen said today. In Maluku province at least five person, including a Christian clergyman, were killed yesterday when Christians and Muslims clashed in the provincial capital, Ambon, about 2,400 km east of Jakarta, said Maluku police chief Brig-Gen Dewa Astika. Ten others were injured when a mob attacked a civilian vehicle prompting security forces to open fire. He said most of the deaths and injuries were caused by gunshot wounds. Meanwhile, in
Indonesia’s westernmost Aceh province separatist
guerrillas ambushed a truckload of paramilitary police on
yesterday killing at least three officers, a police
spokesman said. |
Prisoners swapped BARIKAU (Afghanistan), Dec 20 (AFP) — Sitting cross-legged on a sunny hilltop, the Afghan Taliban commander surrounded by his armed soldiers was talking with his opposition counterpart on the radio. Mawlawi Habibullah Reshad, chief of interrogation for the Taliban intelligence department, was arranging to swap 14 prisoners with the opposition. "Prisoner-swapping
between us has been an ongoing process. In the past two
months we have swapped 350 prisoners from both
sides," he said. |
| H |
|
||
Akilov appointed
Tajikistan PM Reagan down with
illness Kohl threatened
with fines Thai PM survives
no-confidence vote Taxi fetches
high bid Ford voted car
of century Fined for
advertising snail pie US troops’
remains in S. Korea |
 |
 |
| Nation
| Punjab | Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Jammu & Kashmir | | Chandigarh | Editorial | Business | Sport | | Mailbag | Spotlight | 50 years of Independence | Weather | | Search | Subscribe | Archive | Suggestion | Home | E-mail | |
