118 die in Russian attacks on Grozny
MOSCOW, Oct 22 — Russia has tightened its stranglehold on Chechnya with tanks and troops encircling capital Grozny to flush out Islamic militants and gain control of the breakaway republic even as reports said 118 people had been killed and over 400 injured in raids on the city.

USA pressing Pak to end border militancy
WASHINGTON, Oct 22 — The military coup in Pakistan and its implications for India and the region dominated the discussion here between Acting Secretary of State Strobe Talbott and Mr Brajesh Mishra, the Principal Secretary to India's Prime Minister.

Give Sharif fair treatment, urges USA
WASHINGTON, Oct 22 — The USA has "strongly urged" the new military regime in Pakistan to respect the rights of deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and mete out a "fair and impartial treatment" to him during all investigations.

Triumphant homecoming for Gusmao
DILI, Oct 22 — Independence leader Xanana Gusmao triumphantly returned to East Timor on Friday making his first appearance as a free man in his homeland since being arrested by Indonesian authorities seven years ago.

Absconding war criminal held
GENEVA, Oct 22 — Fugitive French war-time criminal Maurice Papon has been arrested in the region of Berne, Swiss police said today.

Bin Laden unwanted: Taliban
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 22 — Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban militia does not want suspected Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden to remain in the country, the Taliban’s representative in New York has said.

Press freedom awards for Sethi, wife
ISLAMABAD, Oct 22 — Noted Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi, who was persecuted by the previous Nawaz Sharif government for allegedly "endangering the sovereignty of the country" by making some critical comments against the regime during a lecture in India early this year, and his wife, Ms Jugnu Mohsin, have been awarded the International Press Freedom awards.

118 die in Russian attacks on Grozny

MOSCOW, Oct 22 (PTI) — Russia has tightened its stranglehold on Chechnya with tanks and troops encircling capital Grozny to flush out Islamic militants and gain control of the breakaway republic even as reports said 118 people had been killed and over 400 injured in raids on the city.

During his Caucasian tour on Wednesday, Russian Premier Vladimir Putin asserted that there would be no peace with President Aslan Mashkadov till he embraces Russian Constitution.

"Maskhadov has little or no legitimacy" since he was not elected under Russian Constitution, Mr Putin said.

As Russian tanks and artillery had taken positions to fire point-blank at provincial capital Grozny, the government defined certain conditions for initiating peace talks with Mr Maskhadov or "any political forces which were ready".

In a statement released late yesterday as Mr Putin was leaving for the crucial Russia-EU meet in Helsinki, the government said Chechnya should respect the Constitution of the Russian federation and its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Grozny should also denounce terrorism, disarm illegal armed formations and handover to federal authorities persons guilty of terrorist acts, hostage-taking and banditism.

The provincial government must ensure human rights and fundamental freedom and create conditions for the safe return of people forced to leave their homes, it said.

Meanwhile, reports quoting Chechen officials said rocket attacks on an open air market, a maternity ward and other parts of Grozny yesterday left 118 dead and over 400 injured, many of them seriously. The Russian Defence Ministry, however, denied any involvement in the rocket attacks.

The Russian Government stressed in the statement issued last night that "all questions of political settlement of the situation in the Chechen republic must and will be resolved at the negotiations table. The way to this is open."

In an obvious reference to growing criticism of the military campaign in the West and Islamic countries, the Russian Government declared that the fight against terrorists and bandits shall in no way turn into a fight against the people of Chechnya.

"The suppression of terrorism and armed extremism on Russian soil is an internal affair of the Russian federation. At the same time, it is our duty before the international community (to suppress terrorism)," it added.

USA pressing Pak to end border militancy

WASHINGTON, Oct 22 — The military coup in Pakistan and its implications for India and the region dominated the discussion here between Acting Secretary of State Strobe Talbott and Mr Brajesh Mishra, the Principal Secretary to India's Prime Minister.

The nearly two-hour working luncheon hosted by Mr Talbott at the State Department was the first senior-level contact in Washington between the U.S.A. and India since the new government was formed in New Delhi. The meeting, according to a senior State Department official, was "an indication of the desire of both countries to quickly re-engage now that the elections have taken place and the new government has been formed."

The official told IANS that Mr Talbott and Mr Mishra engaged in a "very lengthy discussion about the events surrounding the military takeover" in Pakistan "and we heard from Mishra the Indian concerns." According to the official, Mr Mishra was informed of "the steps that the U.S.A. is taking to hopefully restore democracy in Pakistan as soon as possible."

Sources said Mr Mishra, while acknowledging military leader Gen. Pervez Musharraf's offer of dialogue with India in his speech on October 17, reiterated New Delhi's position that no dialogue could begin as long as Pakistan continued to patronise cross-border terrorism and forment the insurgency in Kashmir.

This is one issue the Clinton administration is pursuing with the military leadership in Pakistan. On Wednesday Assistant Secretary of State for South Karl Inderfurth informed a Congress committee that the USA would press General Musharraf to allieviate India's concerns about cross-border terrorism.

It has also sought to reassure India that it will not be using the permanent waiver authority provided to President Bill Clinton by Congress to resume a military relationship with Pakistan — something many friends of India here, particularly the pro-India lobby, are afraid of.

The Talbott-Mishra meeting also touched on Energy Secretary Bill Richardson's trip to India next week and the proposed presidential visit to New Delhi early next year.

Mr Talbott, who hosted Mr Mishra immediately after a meeting with Mr Richardson, noted that a top U.S. official going to India so soon after the election and the formation of a new government was another clear indication that Washington wanted to get the relationship going and growing as soon as possible.

The official acknowledged that there was a discussion on non-proliferation and security issues and the fact that Mr Talbott "would soon resume his discussion with Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh". Although the U.S. Senate rejected the administration's pleas to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, India has made it known that the Senate's decision would not affect its approach towards the pact and it would continue efforts to achieve a broad consensus so that the government can carry all parties together when it decides to sign the CTBT.

U.S. Ambassador to India Richard Celeste had told participants at an Indian-American political conference here that he believed India would sign the CTBT but would not deposit it with the United Nations until such time as the USA, Russia, China and Pakistan ratified it. The Talbott-Mishra talks also touched briefly on the issue of counter-terrorism, the recent visit to New Delhi by the U.S. Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism Mr Michael Sheehan and the agreement between the two countries to make concerted efforts to combat terrorism, the official said. The U.S. officials who attended the Talbott-Mishra meeting included Mr Inderfurth, Director for South Asia at the National Security Council, Mr Don Camp, and the Assistant Secretary of State-designate for Non-proliferation, Mr Robert Einhorn. Indian officials at the meeting were Ambassador Naresh Chandra, Deputy Chief of Mission T.P. Sreenivasan and minister political Francis Vaz. — (India Abroad News Service)

Southern Baptists’ bid to convert Hindus
from Aziz Haniffa

WASHINGTON, Oct 22 - The Southern Baptists, one of the largest Christian denominations in the USA, have provoked yet another controversy, this time riling Hindu leaders in this country through a conversion campaign.

In an aggressive proselytizing campaign, the Southern Baptists have published a short prayer book aimed at converting Hindus to Christianity, The Washington Post reported.

The prayer book follows close on the heels of the one published by the Southern Baptists’ International Mission Board which targeted Jews and elicited charges of arrogance and religious insensitivity.

Like the pamphlet that targetted the Jews, the latest one, according to the Post, asks Southern Baptists to pray for the conversion of Hindus during the week preceding Divali. The board plans to distribute the guide to its 40,000 churches beginning on October 22 — in time for the Divali celebrations in November. The Post said compared to the pamphlet targeting the Jews, the one aimed at the Hindus uses far less tactful tones, describing Hindus in its very first sentence as "more than 900 million people lost in the hopeless darkness of Hinduism." It goes on to say: "Pray that Hindus who celebrate the festival of lights would become aware of the darkness in their hearts that no lamp can dispel."

Hindu leaders are incensed over these depictions, which describe them as relics of an ugly colonial age.

LONDON: Navratri celebrations in London ended on a bloody note following a series of violent confrontations between youth of Indian descent and gangs of Pakistani origin people.

The most serious incident took place on the last day of the celebrations on Wednesday in which a youth was injured when set upon by a youngster described as a Pakistani who reportedly attacked him with a sword.

The victim, who has not been named, was admitted to hospital in a serious condition. He had suffered deep cuts on his head, neck and hands from the sword attack. Several other youths were injured in a scuffle that took place at the centre for the celebrations at the Alperton School in Wembley.

The incident sent shock waves through the busy Ealing Road shopping area nearby, one of the most popular streets for Indian shopping in London.

The injured man was hacked when he appealed for calm between the Indian and Pakistani youths who were trying to gatecrash the event, according to local residents. He was reportedly cornered and set upon by about 20 youths. Terrified guests called the police, but the gang fled before police arrived.

Later police officers said they would not name even the hospital where the injured man had been admitted for fear of further reprisals. Police issued a public appeal for witnesses after the incident.

— India Abroad News Service

Give Sharif fair treatment, urges USA

WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (PTI) — The USA has "strongly urged" the new military regime in Pakistan to respect the rights of deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and mete out a "fair and impartial treatment" to him during all investigations.

The U SA "strongly urges that the rights of deposed Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and others who may be under investigation are respected and that they receive fair and impartial treatment, in accordance with international standards," State Department spokesman James Folley said.

Foley said when US Ambassador to Pakistan William Milam met with the new military ruler General Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad last Friday, "I believe he was given assurances as to his (Sharif’s) well-being. I can’t comment on his exact whereabouts but certainly hope that he is safe and secure.

"We understand that there is an accountability process underway, and we understand that there are preliminary investigations of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif underway, in connection with efforts to restore acountability in Pakistan," Foley told reporters in a daily briefing.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of Pakistan has initiated probe into Nawaz Sharif’s alleged involvement in bank frauds and charged him with financial misdeeds amounting to over $ 100 million.

In a report submitted to the military authorities, the FIA accused Sharif of money laundering to the tune of $ 40 million, tax evasion of over $ 60 million, bank fraud and forgery of over $ 10 million, and an unspecified amount by misusing his office and public funds for personal benefits, the domestic PPI news agency said on Wednesday.

China for ‘conditional talks’ with Dalai Lama

BEIJING, Oct 22 (Reuters) — The door is open for conditional talks between Beijing and Tibet’s Dalai Lama. The China daily said today, a day after Britain urged Chinese President Jiang Zemin to open talks with the exiled spiritual leader.

But the paper quoted a senior Tibet government official as repeating China’s long-standing terms for beginning talks, effectively ruling out any change in policy.

The Dalai Lama must stop advocating Tibetan independence, admit Tibet and Taiwan are part of China, and cease separatist activities before negotiations can start, it quoted Mr Xu Mingyang, Executive Vice-Chairman of the Tibet Government, as saying.

The Dalai Lama has said he is ready for dialogue "anywhere, any time", and favours negotiations for autonomy under Chinese rule that could preserve and promote the Tibetan people’s cultural, religious and linguistic identity.

Tibet has been occupied by Chinese troops since 1950. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising.

Yesterday, the last day of Mr Jiang’s visit to Britain, Prime Minister Tony Blair urged the Chinese leader to open a dialogue with the Dalai Lama.

Britain does not recognise Chinese sovereignty over Tibet and wishes to see the remote Himalayan region have control over its internal affairs, Mr Blair’s spokesman said.

The China daily said the channel for talks had always been open for the Dalai Lama, who won the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.

But it said the Dalai Lama had never been sincere about opening talks with Beijing, and accused him of masterminding separatist activities, including several explosions and assassinations in Tibet.

LONDON ( Reuters): Prince Charles showed his contempt for China’s human right record by boycotting the state banquet given by Chinese President Jiang Zemin in honour of Queen Elizabeth, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The heir to the British throne also refused to accompany Mr Ziang on engagements during his state visit, the paper said.

The Telegraph described the prince’s decision as "a notable break with protocol", and said it was motivated by his admiration for the Dalai Lama, whom Prince Charles has met twice.

Triumphant homecoming for Gusmao

DILI, Oct 22 (AFP) — Independence leader Xanana Gusmao triumphantly returned to East Timor on Friday making his first appearance as a free man in his homeland since being arrested by Indonesian authorities seven years ago.

Dressed in falintil battle fatigues, Gusmao told a cheering, weeping crowd from a balcony on the old Governor’s residence that East Timor no longer needed Indonesia.

"We don’t need Indonesia, East Timorese are very brave people, "he said to volleys of "Viva East Timor, Viva Falintil" from the elderly, the sick and the young who survived a month of terror by pro-Jakarta militia after the territory voted overwhelmingly for independence in an August 30 ballot.

jakarta: Indonesia’s new President Abdurrahman Wahid focussed today on the most immediate problems of his rule -how to revive the country’s collapsed economy and who should take charge of the recovery.

The frail Muslim cleric met a range of economic and political figures, some with close links to the disgraced Suharto regime, after a night of brainstorming with top political leaders and his Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri on who should be in his Cabinet.

"As a President, he wants to know about the situation of the economy. He wants to know the problems and he wants to handle them,’’ a senior official in his Nation Awakening Party, Subiakto Tjakrawerdaya, told reporters after meeting Mr Wahid today.

"We were asked to come to explain ... our visit was private,’’ said Mr Subiakto, a Cooperatives Minister under the autocratic Suharto, who was forced out last year by a deepening economic crisis, mass student protests and deadly riots.

Mr Wahid’s other early visitors at the presidential compound in central Jakarta included Mr Sri Mulyani Indrawati, an outspoken economist at the University of Indonesia who has been touted as one potential new cabinet member.

There was no word when Mr Wahid would form his government.

Last night, Mr Wahid met armed forces chief Wiranto, senior politicians Amien Rais and Akbar Tandjung and other figures, including Ms Megawati, for what Mr Tandjung called a "brainstorming on the next Cabinet.’’

The Deputy Head of the International Monetary Fund said in Washington that the new Indonesian Government was not likely to adopt wildly different policies from the outgoing B.J. Habibie administration and the imf loans could restart "relatively soon’’.

But imf first Deputy Managing Director Stanley Fischer said resumption of a stalled $45 billion-aid package to bail the country out of its deepest recession in 30 years, still depended on resolving the Bank Bali scandal, which involved supporters of the previous government.

"If we resolve Bank Bali, we could go on with the Indonesia programme relatively soon,’’ Mr Fischer told reporters.

The USA congratulated Indonesia on the result and called on Indonesians to reject violence.

Absconding war criminal held

GENEVA, Oct 22 (AFP) — Fugitive French war-time criminal Maurice Papon has been arrested in the region of Berne, Swiss police said today.

French police sources said that the 89-year-old former Vichy official was arrested in the early hours of the morning in a hotel in Gstaad.

French authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Papon yesterday, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison last year for his role in the deportation of French Jews.

Papon (89) had gone into hiding before an appeal hearing yesterday against his conviction. In his absence, the appeal was quashed.

News of Papon’s capture was greeted with applause by deputies in the French National Assembly.

Prime Minister Lionel Jospin said he was "naturally deeply satisfied" by the news of Papon’s capture.

The man-hunt had concentrated on Switzerland after he was spotted in a hotel in the canton of Valais last week.

Stung by criticism that the police had allowed a convicted criminal to flee the country, despite repeated hints that was his intention, French ministers had vowed to do everything to bring Papon back to custody.

Swiss officials said yesterday they would cooperate in sending Papon back to France, if he was found on their territory.

Papon’s lawyer Jean-Marc Varault said he expected his client to be brought back across the border in the coming hours. After the failure of his appeal yesterday, Papon must automatically serve his 10-year term.

Bin Laden unwanted: Taliban

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 22 (AP) — Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban militia does not want suspected Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden to remain in the country, the Taliban’s representative in New York has said.

But Mr Abdul Hakeem Mujahid would not say whether the militia would pressure Bin Laden to leave Afghanistan.

Mr Mujahid said yesterday the Taliban recognises that Bin Laden’s presence is upsetting the USA and Saudi Arabia. He said the militia was willing to cooperate to avoid sanctions, but didn’t explain how.

"We want to solve the problem and we do not want that Bin Laden be there in Afghanistan," Mr Mujahid said in an interview. "We didn’t invite him. It is a bad legacy of the previous government".

Washington (IANS): The USA has indicated that it is willing to work with the Taliban militia, which controls most of Afghanistan, if it would deliver Saudi renegade Osama bin Laden.

Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Karl Inderfurth told Congress that the USA is "prepared to work with the Taliban to rid Afghanistan of terrorist networks" if it would hand over Bin Laden to American authorities to be tried in this country.

The USA holds Bin Laden a prime accused in the August, 1998, bombing of its missions in Kenya and Tanzania.

Mr Inderfurth said: "We have indictments for Osama bin Laden, (and) if they (the Taliban) would like to turn him over, we will work with them, we will go to their border and taken Bin Laden and bring him back to New York and put him on trial".

Press freedom awards for Sethi, wife

ISLAMABAD, Oct 22 (PTI) — Noted Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi, who was persecuted by the previous Nawaz Sharif government for allegedly "endangering the sovereignty of the country" by making some critical comments against the regime during a lecture in India early this year, and his wife, Ms Jugnu Mohsin, have been awarded the International Press Freedom awards.

An elated Ms Mohsin said over telephone from her Lahore residence that "we are really pleased and gratified that the CPJ has recognised our efforts" and added they were looking forward to visiting New York next month to receive the awards.

NEW YORK (IPS): Women in Afghanistan have a difficult life under the Taliban religious extremists — even more difficult if, like Sharifka Akhlas, you are a journalist trying to inform the outside world of the human rights abuses against women.

Abraham’s birthplace
NICOSIA: Iraq is lending all official help to renovate the biblical birthplace of Abraham at Ur, as part of preparations for the expected visit by Pope John Paul. An official newspaper said in Baghdad that "a team from the engineering department at the Presidential Office as well as ministries of culture and information and endowment and religious affairs has begun maintenance and renovation at Prophet Abraham’s house in Ur". — ANI

‘N-subs illegal’
LONDON: A Scottish Judge’s surprise ruling that Britain’s Trident nuclear submarines are illegal prompted outrage from opposition politicians on Friday. Three anti-nuclear activists were cleared of causing damage to the nuclear submarine base at Faslane in Scotland when Judge Margaret Gimblett ordered the jury to acquit them. She ruled that as the nuclear weapons programme was illegal under international law, they had committed no crime, according to British newspaper reports. — Reuters

Shyamalan’s deal
SAN FRANCISCO: India-born director and screenwriter Manoj Night Shyamalan has signed a $10 million deal with Disney to write and direct his next film. Earning a record $5 million for the script alone, the 29-year-old filmmaker is now the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood. Shyamalan’s current release, ‘The Sixth Sense’, has grossed $250 million, making it the US market’s 15th highest-grossing film of all time. — IANS

Smuggling tunnels
EL PAASO (USA): Smugglers dug a network of 50 to 60 tunnels under this southwest Texas border city to ferret drugs and undocumented immigrants into the USA and weapons into Mexico. — Reuters