 |
Tuesday,
May 14, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
|
Defying
Sharon, Likud rejects Palestine creation
Pak
tribesmen attack US commandos Seven
Pakistanis burnt to death |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Maoists
burn Sanskrit varsity
|
|
Defying Sharon, Likud rejects Palestine creation
Tel Aviv, May 13 Likud’s 2,600-member strong Central Committee, last night overwhelmingly endorsed a resolution moved by Sharon’s political rival Benjamin Netanyahu which read, “No Palestinian state will be created west of the Jordan (river)”, referring to the area, including the West Bank, Israel and the Gaza Strip. On the other hand, Mr Sharon’s proposal to postpone a vote on a resolution completely rejecting a Palestinian state, suffered a defeat in a secret ballot by a margin of (669) 59 to (465) 41 per cent. Frantic last ditch efforts to find a compromise that would prevent an embarrassment for the Prime Minister failed as both Mr Sharon and Mr Netanyahu went head-to-head at the raucous meeting over whether the party should vote on the resolution. Likud Central Committee’s adoption of the resolution is seen as a direct contradiction to the position Mr Sharon has expressed in the past by publicly expressing readiness, at least twice, to back the creation of a Palestinian state. Last night’s vote also undermines Mr Sharon’s position within his party and the ruling coalition which could also inflict political damage on Israel and provide Palestinians a diplomatic edge in the international arena. JERUSALEM: Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said today his Labour party would stay in Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s coalition despite a vote by the premier’s Likud party to block the creation of a Palestinian state. WASHINGTON: The US government had no immediate official reaction to a vote by Israel’s right-wing Likud party rejecting a Palestinian state, but a senior administration official pointed out that US President George W. Bush has repeatedly endorsed the idea. BRUSSELS: The Spanish presidency of the European Union criticised an overwhelming vote by Israel’s Likud party to block the creation of a Palestinian state. Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique said a Palestinian state remained “the only solution” to the West Asia conflict. RAMALLAH: The vote by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Likud party against the creation of a Palestinian state amounts to a “destruction” of the Oslo autonomy accords, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said today.
Agencies |
|
Arafat visits Bethlehem Bethlehem, May 13 Mr Arafat flew in on board a Jordanian army helicopter and went straight to the Church of the Nativity, where Palestinian militants and civilians were besieged by the Israeli army for five weeks in a standoff that ended on Friday. JERUSALEM: An armed Palestinian hurled a hand grenade at guards at an Israeli army base in the West Bank today and was shot dead by soldiers, the army said. The Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, a militia linked to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s Fatah movement, claimed responsibility in a phone call to AP.
AFP, AP |
|
Pak tribesmen attack US commandos
Islamabad, May 13 The NWFP administration persists in its denial of the presence of American commandos in the province although President Pervez Musharraf admitted a few days ago that there were “less than 10” Americans providing intelligence about Al-Qaida. The government suspects that Al-Qaida and Taliban or their local supporters are behind the recent spurt of violence in different parts of the country. But JuI chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman ruled out this possibility, saying that they would not set their own house on fire. Last week tribesmen formed armed lashkars to defy the raids on madarsas and said they would go to any extent to safeguard their honour.
UNI |
|
Seven Pakistanis burnt to death London, May 13 The sisters aged between six months and 13 years had travelled with their mother from Pakistan to stay with their grandparent Aziz
Chishti, a retired Imam. A woman and a man believed to be the girls’ uncle, also died in the fire which broke out as the family was asleep in the early hours yesterday. The police has arrested four persons in connection with the attack last night. According to the police, three or four Asian youths were seen throwing missiles through a window of the
two-storey stone terrace house moments before it burst into flames in at least two places. Four more adults escaped from the blaze as they leapt from an upstairs window. They were in a critical condition at hospital. Detective Superintendent Bob Bridgestock said they would examine the possibility that the attack was the result of a dispute within the Asian community.
PTI |
|
Maoists burn Sanskrit varsity
Kathmandu, May 13 More than 200 rebels, most of them women, surrounded Mahendra Sanskrit University in the southwest of the kingdom on Saturday night, entering with keys snatched from security guards. The Maoists blocked the road to prevent security forces from intervening, poured kerosene over the university’s offices and set them ablaze, the police said. “The fire completely destroyed about 50,000 priceless ancient Sanskrit texts,” said a police official, quoting university officials. The fire, which was not put out until yesterday also gutted furniture and 14 years of student records, police said. No one was injured in the attack, which caused an estimated $ 3,68,000 in damage, they said. The rebels, who launched a “people’s war” in 1996 to topple the constitutional monarchy, oppose the teaching of Sanskrit, the classical language of Hinduism. India’s Army Chief flew to Nepal on Monday to show support for the Himalayan kingdom, which is fighting to end a six-year insurgency by Maoist rebels. Gen Sunderajan Padmanabhan was received by Nepal’s army chief, Prajwalla Sumshere
Rana.
Nepal army chief Prajwalla Sumshere Rana, right, talks to
the Indian Chief of Army Staff, Gen Sunderajan Padmanabhan, left, on his arrival at
Kathmandu airport
on Monday. General Padmanabhan is visiting Nepal to show support for the Himalayan kingdom which has been hit hard by
the Maoist rebel insurgency.
— AP/PTI photo PM seeks UK help London: Visiting Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba urged Britain on Monday to provide military and financial aid to help his government counter Maoist guerrillas with which it is locked in bloody conflict. He asked for weapons, military logistical support and training as well as financial aid to tackle poverty, reduce unemployment and improve education.
Agencies |
|
USA, Russia
to cut N-arsenals Washington, May 13 “This treaty will liquidate the legacy of the Cold War,” Mr Bush told reporters just before he left the White House on a day trip to Chicago. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said the arsenal would be reduced through putting some weapons in storage and dismantling others.
Reuters |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Indian Army chief in Nepal
