Sharif for Kashmiris’ ‘self-determination’
ISLAMABAD, March 22 — Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today declared that one of the "most important mission" before him was to secure the "right of self-determination" for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

‘No NATO right’ to bomb Serbs
WASHINGTON, March 22 — NATO has “no legal or moral right” to bomb Serbs for Belgrade’s failure to grant autonomy to Kosovo, US columnist Pat Buchanan, now campaigning for Republican nomination for presidency for the third time, has said.

Prodi tipped to be EC President
ROME, March 22 — Mr Romano Prodi, former Prime Minister who whipped Italy into shape to join the single European currency, is set to claim his reward by being named to Europe’s most powerful job.

Elia Kazan gets special award
LOS ANGELES, March 22 — Elia Kazan accepted a special Oscar to the applause of some colleagues and the stony silence of others unwilling to forgive his decision nearly 50 years ago to give names to a congressional committee during the McCarthy Era.

Rift over sanctions against India

WASHINGTON, March 22 (UNI) — The Clinton administration and US Lawmakers appear to be sharply divided in their approach to the economic sanctions that the USA had slapped on India and Pakistan soon after their nuclear tests in May last.

Even Congress members of the House of Representatives and Senate differ. While House International Relations Committee Chairman Benajmin Gillman has given notice of a Bill, seeking to extend President Clinton’s authority to waive sanctions. If he so desires, by a year, the Senate has now before it a measure suspending the curbs for five years.

The Senate measure, which stood in the name of Sam Brownback, Chairman of the Senate’s panel dealing with South Asia, intends to take away the President’s discretionary powers to lift sanctions. Instead, it favours unconditional suspension of the sanctions.

The Clinton administration, however, insists on linking the lifting of the sanctions to the progress in the non-proliferation dialogue that the USA has been having separately with India and Pakistan for the past nine months.

President Clinton himself has spelt out his administration’s position on the subject. In a letter, Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone recently, indicated that the administration would pursue an incremental approach to lifting sanctions in exchange for non-proliferation steps by India.

The President stressed that Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Tallbott had attempted to lay out a “roadmap” for improved US-India relations, based on incremental easing of sanctions in response to incremental non-proliferation step.

He also explained that the recent US decision not to vote against the World Bank loan to India, — a loan previously opposed by the USA and was in response to India’s commitment to make a best effort to develop a political consensus to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in May.

But the President indicated that for the “roadmap” strategy to work. “It is imperative that we not lift the sanctions prematurely.”

Sharif for Kashmiris’ ‘self-determination’

ISLAMABAD, March 22 (PTI) — Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today declared that one of the "most important mission" before him was to secure the "right of self-determination" for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

In his message to the nation on the occasion of the Pakistan Day celebrations tomorrow, Sharif said, "one of the most important mission before us has always been to secure for the beleaguered people of Jammu and Kashmir the right of self-determination."

"The Lahore Declaration has given rise to the hope that at last India may be brought around to discussing the dispute meaningfully," he said. Sharif signed the Lahore Declaration last month with his Indian counterpart, Atal Behari Vajpayee, under which the two leaders vowed to intensify their efforts to resolve all bilateral outstanding issues between India and Pakistan.

India today said it wanted to have a "comprehensive structure of cooperation" and a "relationship of peace and friendship" with Pakistan by putting past contentions behind.

India’s desire was conveyed to the Pakistani leadership in warm messages from President K.R. Narayanan and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on the occasion of Pakistan Day celebrations tomorrow.

The President in his message to his Pakistani counterpart Muhammad Rafiq Tarar expressed India’s deep desire for peace and friendship and for developing a comprehensive structure of cooperation for the welfare of people of two countries.

Mr Vajpayee in a message to Nawaz Sharif said, "I wish to work together with your government to develop a relationship of peace and friendship with Pakistan" and referred to the "fond memories" of his visit to Lahore last month.

Mr Vajpayee also said that his government wished to "put in place a comprehensive structure of cooperation for the benefit of our two peoples and resolve all outstanding issues.’’

"It is now incumbent upon us to translate our recent initiatives for the welfare of the people of two countries into reality’’, Mr Vajpayee said in his message.

Conveying good wishes for the progress and prosperity of the people of Pakistan, the Indian Premier said, "I retain fond memories of my visit to Lahore and your warm and gracious hospitality offered to my delegation and myself.’’

‘Shakespeare ...’ gets best film Oscar

LOS ANGELES, March 22 (Reuters) — “Shakespeare in Love” scored a major upset by winning the Academy Award for best picture over favourite “Saving Private Ryan” in a historic night at the Oscars.

Italy’s Roberto Benigni was named year’s best actor for “Life is Beautiful”, a holocaust comic-tragedy that he wrote, directed and starred in. The film, an international hit was also named best foreign film at the 71st annual Academy Awards yesterday.

It was the first time an actor in a foreign language film won the best actor’s prize. In 1961, Sophia Loren won the best actress Oscars for her performance in “Two Women”.

Gwyneth Paltrow, the love interest in “Shakespeare in Love” was named best actress, becoming overnight a major Hollywood star at the tender age of 25.

Steven Speilberg won the Oscar for the best director for “Saving Private Ryan” but his film did not win the Oscar wars by being named best picture. It is rare for a film not to win both the best director and best film award.

“Ryan” was the favourite for best picture, its chances boosted earlier this month when it won the top motion picture award from the Producers’ Guild of America. But Miramax, which made “Shakespeare in Love”, helped its chances and created controversy by spending an estimated $ 2 million advertisements targeted at academy awards voters.

The producers of “Ryan” spent heavily as well — but it was clear from the vote that “Shakespeare in Love” had the momentum.

Benigni jumped for joy while Paltrow was reduced to tears as both gave the most dramatic acceptance speeches of the evening. By the time Benigni came up to the podium to accept his second award, he complained, “This is a terrible mistake because I used all my English... Grazie all ‘Italia. Grazie all ‘America.”

Loren, an old Benigni friend, gave him his award for best foreign language film, calling out “Roberto” across the Dorothy Chandler pavilion.

“Life is Beautiful”, portraying a Jewish father trying to shield his son from the horrors of a Nazi death camp, has won many international awards and also provoked controversy since the film’s theme was that the human spirit could triumph in a place auschwitz.

Another holocaust film, “The Last Days” was named best documentary. It is about five persons who survived the holocaust in Hungary.

Two veteran actors, James Coburn and Britain’s Dame Judi Dench, won first-time Oscars for their supporting roles in two critically acclaimed films “Affliction” and “Shakespeare in Love”.

“Shakespeare in Love” won seven awards; best picture — best actress, best supporting actress, best original musical comedy score, best costumes, best original screenplay and best art direction.

‘No NATO right’ to bomb Serbs

WASHINGTON, March 22 (PTI) — NATO has “no legal or moral right” to bomb Serbs for Belgrade’s failure to grant autonomy to Kosovo, US columnist Pat Buchanan, now campaigning for Republican nomination for presidency for the third time, has said.

“NATO is becoming an imperial army for the new world order when it is supposed to be a defensive alliance,” he said yesterday in an interview to CNN television.

“NATO is a defensive alliance. Under article V, we do not attack countries. We only respond if a NATO country is attacked and Serbia has attacked no NATO country. They have not threatened our vital interests. In my judgement, we have no legal or moral right to attack Serb soldiers or citizens in their own country,” Mr Buchanan said.

He, however, added that once the US-led air strikes began, he would support the troops on patriotic grounds but “until American forces go into the battle,” he reserved his right to protest the threatened military attacks.

The conflict between the Serbs and the Kosovars (ethnic Albanian Muslims who constitute 90 per cent of the population in Kosovo province) is “an ugly, horrible little civil war. But it is no different from what the Turks are doing to the Kurds or what our strategic partners in China are doing to the Tibetans”, Mr Buchanan said.

Prodi tipped to be EC President

ROME, March 22 (AFP) — Mr Romano Prodi, former Prime Minister who whipped Italy into shape to join the single European currency, is set to claim his reward by being named to Europe’s most powerful job.

A clear favourite to be the next European Commission president, Mr Prodi owes his standing to the role he played in getting Italy into economic shape to join the Euro single currency.

During his 18 months as Italian Premier, which ended when hardline Communists turned against his cost-cutting economic policies in October 1997, Mr Prodi carved out an international reputation which belied the popular image of him as a mild-mannered provincial professor.

Though by no means a Socialist — which may count against him in the final reckoning for Brussels — he led a centre-Left coalition ranging from the hard Left to the moderate right that brought rare political stability to the peninsula.

Under Mr Prodi’s skilful leadership, the coalition astounded economists by bringing sufficient order to Italy’s notorious public finances just in time for the EU’s third biggest economy to be allowed to join 10 other countries in adopting the Euro on January 1, this year.

China ‘seized’ two US Cruise missiles

WASHINGTON, March 22 (AFP) — China reportedly seized two US cruise missiles that failed to detonate in last year’s US attacks on suspected terrorist bases in Afghanistan, Newsweek magazine says in its latest issue.

Amid accusations that China has been stealing US nuclear secrets since the 1980s, this fresh allegation is certain to add fuel to the fire as President Bill Clinton defends his policy of rapprochement with China.

The cruise missiles were allegedly obtained by China following US air strikes against Afghani sites linked to wanted terrorist Ossama Bin Laden in August 1998, the weekly said.

BEIJING: The scientist accused by the USA of leaking nuclear secrets to China had only “basic” contact with experts here, Chinese experts quoted by the official press have said.

“The case of Wen Ho Lee, who is accused of revealing the W88 technology to China, is no more than a fabrication,” said Li Deyuan of the Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, referring to the miniaturised US nuclear warhead.

Elia Kazan gets special award

LOS ANGELES, March 22 (AP) — Elia Kazan accepted a special Oscar to the applause of some colleagues and the stony silence of others unwilling to forgive his decision nearly 50 years ago to give names to a congressional committee during the McCarthy Era.

“I thank you very much. I really like to hear that, and I want to thank the academy for its courage, generosity,’’ Kazan said today after he was presented the award by director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert de Niro.

He ended his acceptance by saying, “I think I can just slip away.’’

Comedian dead
LONDON: British comedian Ernie Wise (73), half of the popular Morecambe and Wise TV comedy duo, died in hospital on Sunday, his wife said. The entertainer had undergone a triple bypass operation in Florida in January but returned to Britain this month. He died in a hospital near Slugh, where he was being cared for following the operation. — AFP

Tornado in S. China
SHANGHAI: A tornado tore through a harbour in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, sinking 71 fishing vessels and damaging 164 others, local officials said on Monday. Accompanied by torrential rains, the waterspout struck Maoming city in the early hours last Thursday, a neighbourhood committee official said. — AFP

Sex restrictions
BANGKOK: The authorities in the southern Thai beach resort of Phuket will seek to have foreign tourists who have sex in public kicked out of the country and barred from returning, a police official has said. Province Governor Chadej Insawang ordered the police on Thursday, to keep a close watch to make sure that tourists were not having sex on the island’s beaches, said Major-Gen Anond Kamolrat, head of Phuket’s tourist police, on Saturday. — AP