Army out in UP
ALLAHABAD, Aug 29 (PTI) — The Army has been called out to tackle floods in the districts of Ballia and Mau in the Azamgarh division of Uttar Pradesh. A 25-foot breach in an embankment at the junction of the Ghaghar and Ganges near Jai Prakash Nagar has brought the surrounding places under 6 feet of water, Col Sumant Mehta, officer-in-charge, Flood Control Centre, Allahabad sub-area, said today. Meanwhile, at Mau, a breach in an embankment of a tributary of Ghaghara has flooded Ratol lake and some of the adjoining places are under 15 feet of water.

Algeria violence
ALGIERS, Aug 29 (AFP) — Three days of sporadic attacks in Algeria left 13 persons dead, nine of them civilians and four suspected armed Islamic extremists, press reports said today. Six members of a family were stabbed to death yesterday in a lightning attack by suspected Islamic extremists in a village, 70 km east of Algiers. Two armed men shot dead a young man they had singled out in a cafe near Tizi-Ouzou, while another was murdered in Aures.

Boris Yeltsin
MOSCOW, Aug 29 (AFP) — The Kremlin’s envoy to Parliament said today that President Boris Yeltsin had agreed to some constitutional changes amid discussions of redistribution of power away from the presidency, Interfax reported. Alexander Kotinkov, Yeltsin’s representative in the state Duma, lower house of Parliament, said the President thought Russia’s constitution was "not ideal."

Iraq expects attack
BAGHDAD, Aug 29 (AFP) — Iraq said today it is expecting a new American attack but warned the USA it could not count on international support for such an action. The official government newspaper, Al-Jumhuria, said in an editorial that the nation "could not rule out (US President Bill Clinton launching another attack against Iraq in order to create an image of a strong President, while in fact he is in a position of weakness and totally ruled by the Zionist lobby."

35 feared dead in Bihar mishap
MUZAFFARPUR (Bihar), Aug 29 (PTI) — At least 35 persons, mostly women and children, were feared drowned when a country boat caught in whirlpool capsized in the midstream of Lakhandei river, near Nayagaon, in Muzaffarpur district today, official sources said. Ten bodies have been recovered so far. The boat was carrying around 55 persons when it capsized. While about 20 persons swam to safety, others were swept away by swift currents.

Taliban chief
ISLAMABAD, Aug 29 (AFP) — The Taliban chief, Mullah Mohammad Omar, today rejected allegations that the militia was harbouring terrorists in Afghanistan and said he was ready for talks on any issue, the private Afghan Islamic Press reported. "There is no terrorist in our country, nor will we offer shelter to any terrorist," he said following the UN Security Council's call to Afghan groups not to protect terrorists.

Libya rejects US demand
DUBAI, Aug 29 (AFP) — Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi has said that his country rejects a US demand to immediately hand over two Libyans for trial in the Netherlands for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. "We are not ready to send human beings like that, without guarantees," Mr Gaddafi said in a live interview with the Qatari channel Al-Jazira yesterday. Hours earlier, White House spokesman Barry Toiv said Libya must immediately handover the two suspects or face tougher UN sanctions.

Pak cop killed
MULTAN (Pakistan), Aug 29 (AFP) — Gunmen today shot dead a police official investigating terrorism in central Pakistan's Punjab province, the police said. Head Constable Maqbool Harraj was gunned down by two gunmen on a motor cycle soon after leaving home early in the morning in Kabirwala district, 50 km east of here. The assailants fled after the shootout.