Sunday, July 4, 1999
today's calendar
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W O R L D | Sunday, July 4, 1999 |
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US envoy warns of wider
conflict |
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Lashkar warns against
pullout from Kargil
Deal at population meeting Murdoch joins Internet bandwagon
Chinese defence, N-industries
restructured Kuwaitis go to polls China ‘preparing for ICBM
test’ |
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US envoy warns of wider conflict ISLAMABAD, July 3 (PTI) — U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan William B Milan has warned of a wider conflict if steps were not taken "within two-to-three weeks" by India and Pakistan to de-escalate the prevailing tension on the Line of Control and rejected Islamabad’s assertion that the LoC was not clearly demarcated. "Something would have to be done within two-to-three weeks" to prevent the situation from turning into a "wider conflict" though the two parties (India and Pakistan) involved are confident the situation would not go out of control, he told Pakistani editors and senior journalists here yesterday. "We do not have a specific time-frame. We are hoping that there would be de-escalation and it would be defused as soon as possible because the alternative which is escalation is very bad," he was quoted today by the Pakistani media as saying. Mr Milan, who had been part of U.S. efforts to de-escalate the tension on the LoC, however, said some "flexibility" in the Pakistan’s stand on Kargil has been witnessed. Referring to the two-member U.S. Delegation visit to Islamabad on June 24, he said the recent interaction between the USA and Pakistan on the Kargil issue had been "productive" and the Pakistani side had shown some "flexibility". When the U.S. Ambassador was asked what could be quid pro quo for Pakistan if it agreed for de-escalation on the LoC, he said it would help resume the talks between Islamabad and new Delhi under the Lahore declaration. "We think that hopefully one of the outcomes of the defused Kargil (situation) would be revival of Lahore process," Mr Milan said. He expressed his ignorance about the Indian media reports that the USA had proposed to India to provide "safe passage" to the infiltrators saying, "I read about safe passage in newspapers... It probably implies some sort of lessening of attacking." Stating that for the
time being the USA had decided to de-escalate rhetorics
on the Kargil issue, Mr Milan said, "In a developing
situation at some junctures you say what you think but at
others you should be discreet to let the two sides to
work out diplomatic solution. It does not help to back
either side at such juncture." |
Pak may not get French jets soon PARIS, July 3 (Reuters) — France has said that it might delay the delivery of Mirage combat jets to Pakistan as a result of fighting in India’s disputed northern Kashmir. “In the framework of routine verifications carried out due to the increase of fighting in Kashmir, there may be delays in the execution of ongoing contacts,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau told reporters yesterday. He indicated that the contract, which would be affected was that for 40 updated Mirage III combat jets of which eight have already been delivered and a further eight were to be sent within the next few days. Mr Rivasseau insisted France was not imposing an arms embargo against Pakistan or against neighbouring India with which it is at odds in the crisis. India has maintained ground and air offensives for about two months against Pakistani-backed infiltrators and some Pakistani regular troops, Pakistan denies involvement and describes the insurgents as freedom fighters. France has called for an end to intrusions by armed groups across the existing boundary lines between the two sides. Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine later telephoned his Pakistani counterpart Sartaz Aziz, asking him to “make the necessary gestures” for resumed dialogue between India and Pakistan, Vedrine’s office said. Mr Vedrine added that “Europe, the west and many other countries were deeply worried by the situation and believed everything should be done to avoid a worsening of the situation.” Mr Aziz was reported to have replied that Mr Vedrine’s appeal “should be heard by both sides.” Among other recent
Pakistani purchases of military equipment from France are
three Agosta-class submarines. |
Indian Americans want Pak declared terrorist state UNITED NATIONS, July 3 (PTI) — Scores of Indian Americans staged a protest demonstration in front of the imposing UN building here demanding that the world body declare Pakistan a terrorist state for its intrusion into Kargil and ask Islamabad in “clear, loud and strong” terms to curb such activities. “We, the members of the Indian community of North America, approach you to convey our grave concern and register our strong protest against Pakistan’s naked aggression in the Kargil sector of Kashmir and mutilating and torturing Indian soldiers to death,” they said in a memorandum submitted to Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Several Kashmiri, Sikh,
students and political bodies, including the Kashmir
Solidarity, known to articulate causes of the state, the
Sikh Sangat with a large membership in North America, the
Sindhi Sabha and the Overseas Friends of the Bharatiya
Janata Party, joined the impressive two-hour protest in
front of the UN yesterday afternoon. |
Lashkar warns against pullout from Kargil ISLAMABAD, July 3 (PTI) — A Pakistan-based militant outfit, which claims to have the largest number of cadres fighting in Kargil, has slammed the Sharif Government’s “back-channel diplomacy” with India to resolve the issue and has threatened not to accept any pullback decision under pressure. Lashkar-e-Toiba chief, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, who visited forward posts in Dras-Kargil a few days ago to boost its cadres’ morale, asked Premier Sharif not to succumb to any external pressure on the issue, a press note issued here by the Laskhar said. Referring to reports about former Foreign Secretary Niaz Naik’s secret trip to New Delhi carrying some messages from Sharif and the “back-channel diplomacy” by the government, he said the Lashkar was keeping a sharp vigil on all “American agents.” Hafiz Saeed, who was accompanied by the so-called commander-in-chief, Zakiurrahman Lakhvi, said that under present circumstances war was preferable as the outfit was in control of strategic posts of India. He also assured militants fighting in Dras-Kargil not to be worried about reports of “back-channel diplomacy.” “The Lashkar will
not allow the government to make any political surrender
on the issue by creating public opinion against a
political surrender”, he said. |
Koreas hold secret talks BEIJING, July 3 (AP, Reuters) — A day after South Korea suspended talks due to North Korea’s intransigence, South Korean and North Korean chief negotiators held a secretive, low-profile meeting today, a South Korean official said. Hours after South Korea announced yesterday that it was quitting the talks in Beijing and sending its delegation home, North Korean officials phoned to request a meeting between the lead negotiators, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency has reported. South Korean Vice Unification Minister Yang Young-Shik and North Korea’s Pak Yong Su met this morning, South Korean Embassy spokesman Han Jae-Heuk said. No details of the talks were available. “It’s kind of secret,” Han said. Earlier, South Korean negotiators left Beijing empty-handed after North Korean officials in a tough round of talks stonewalled on the issue of reuniting families divided by the Korean War. A Japanese news report from the Chinese capital said North Korea had completed preparations to fire another ballistic missile following a test last year, a move that could derail US efforts to improve ties with Pyongyang. A final meeting in a
Beijing hotel between North and South Korean officials
lasted 90 minutes, but failed to break the deadlock over
the family issue. |
Deal at population meeting UNITED NATIONS, July 3 (Reuters) — A UN conference on population drew to a close yesterday after more than 170 nations reached a last-minute agreement on sex education for adolescents, access to abortion and parental rights. A document hammered out by delegates in contentious negotiations until late on Thursday night was sent for adopting by a special UN General Assembly session called to review a landmark 1994 Cairo agreement on population and development. “Here we have articulated new ways on how to implement Cairo,” Bangladesh Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury, who chaired the talks, told a news conference. “Out in the countries, this will guide us and give a strong boost to the population programmes there.” The negotiations among governments with voluntary groups as observers, pitted socially moderate Latin American and Western governments against a handful of conservative Roman Catholic and Islamic states backed by the Vatican. Those countries included Argentina, Nicaragua, Sudan and Libya but in the end Sudan and Libya raised no objections to the 179-nation consensus. The three-day special session was convened to assess progress since 1994 and to publish an undated programme of action. In Cairo, population strategy for the first time moved away from controlling the numbers to focussing on general health care, education and choice for women and girls. It also mentioned new options on contraceptives without specifically referring to the so-called “morning after pill” and a call for the elimination of practices that discriminated against women. The agreement
acknowledge that sexually active adolescents required
family planning information, counselling and health
services and education on preventing sexually transmitted
diseases and HIV. The document also recognised the
“rights, duties and responsibilities” of
parents to be involved in informing adolescents. |
Murdoch joins Internet bandwagon LONDON, July 3 — Newspaper baron Rupert Murdoch on Thursday declared an end to the era of print and officially joined the wired revolution. Just six days after marrying his third wife Wendy Deng, 36 years his junior, the media mogul launched a new internet operation. He declared that his global operation, News Corporation, is to transform itself “into an internet company”. Less than six months ago the media mogul had declared that the Internet was “not the death-knell of the old”. Indeed, he had claimed that stock market internet darlings such as Yahoo!, America Online and Amazon.com were massively overvalued and that he did not “see any need to hurry this” move to new technology. But yesterday, at a hastily convened press conference in London, Mr Murdoch said the Internet would transform business at lightning speed into a world where traditional ways of doing business no longer applied. “The world is changing very fast. We are moving from an old model economy to a new one, and every business has to find a way of transforming itself for this new economy which is coming upon us with lightning speed. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow.” Mr Murdoch was officially announcing an agreement with Tokyo-based Softbank, the world’s biggest backer of Internet-related businesses. The agreement, signed with e-partners the new media investment arm of News Corporation, will give Mr Murdoch access to some of the most promising young Internet companies in the USA. Part of the plan is to encourage these internet businesses to expand in Britain. The first will be an on-line mortgage broker. — Guardian News
Service |
Fewer marrying in USA WASHINGTON, July 3 (PTI) — The number of people walking up the aisle is getting to be less and less in the USA with only a few saying they are very happy in their marriage than before, according to a latest survey. The number of marriages for 1,000 unmarried women aged 15 and above was 87.5 in 1960. It has been steadily declining since — down to 49.7 in 1996 — the last year for which statistics are available, according to the survey by Rutgers University Researchers David Popence and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead. In a report titled “The state of our union 1999,” they said the marriage rate is now at a 40-year low. In 1976, 53.5 per cent of the couples in their first marriages said they were very happy. But happiness has also been going down the drain. It is now 37.8 per cent. As marriage has faltered, rates of cohabitation and bearing children out of wedlock has soared to record levels. Popenoe and Whitehead,
however, said there are signs that the nation may be
“on the cusp of a turnaround” on marriage
issues. |
Chinese defence, N-industries restructured BEIJING, July 3 (PTI) — China has effected a massive shake-up of its nuclear and defence industries by establishing 10 new corporations to manage the strategic sector in tune with market realities, the state media reported today. The restructuring of military industries, including aviation, aerospace, ship-building, weaponry manufacturing and nuclear sectors, aims at breaking up monopolies, fostering a firm market mechanism, helping enterprises build operational systems suitable for the socialist market economy, and improve efficiency, the China Daily newspaper said. Thursday’s shake-up of China’s nuclear industry is the third and the deepest-ever reform in its history, the paper said. President of the newly-established China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) Li Dingfan has vowed to develop a high-tech nuclear force for China and develop nuclear products for both military and civilian use. The CNNC, officially
established by splitting the former China National
Nuclear Corporation into two, will concentrate on its
core business like nuclear power and nuclear fuel, Li
said. |
Kuwaitis go to polls KUWAIT, July 3 (Reuters) — Thousands of Kuwaiti men headed for polling stations today to vote in what may be the Gulf state’s last all-male parliamentary elections. The 12-hour process to elect 50 MPs for a four-year term to the third Parliament since the 1991 Gulf war against former occupier Iraq began at 8 a.m. (1030 hrs IST). The Emir, Sheikh Jaber
Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, issued a decree in May granting women
full political rights by the time the oil-rich country
next goes to the polls in 2003. |
China ‘preparing for ICBM test’ WASHINGTON, July 3 (PTI) — China is making final preparations for a mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, according to a paper published on China’s growing nuclear and missile strength. The Heritage Foundation
published a paper on China’s growing nuclear and
missile strength, based on the Cox report and other
sources. |
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| Driver ignores dead man in bus SYDNEY: An Australian bus company has defended a driver who continued taking fares after a passenger died on route. The corpse of the 70-year-old heart attack victim was not taken off the bus until it completed its trip in the western Australian city of Perth and returned to the depot. Passengers had pleaded with the driver to stop but apparently he considered the best interests of all would be served if he completed his journey and attended to the dead man at the depot. — DPA Sleepy
nun German peace
prize Driver sues
bosses Living on $ 1 a
day Ex-KGB chief
dead Man kills 11
kids |
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