Sunday, September 27, 1998
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W O R L D | Sunday, September 27, 1998 |
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Shokhin quits as Deputy PM MOSCOW, Sept 26 — Russia’s centrist Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Shokhin decided to quit yesterday because he disapproved of liberal Mikhail Zadornov being re-appointed as Finance Minister, Shokhin’s office said. Waive
sanctions, says India caucus |
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Release of edited Tripp tapes okayed WASHINGTON, Sept 26 — The US House Judiciary Committee has voted to release audio tapes that Ms Linda Tripp made of her conversations with Ms Monica Lewinsky, as Republicans and Democrats vied for political position in the run-up to next month’s vote on the formal impeachment inquiry. China
offers more autonomy to Taiwan Viagra
in exchange for votes |
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Shokhin quits as Deputy PM MOSCOW, Sept 26 (Reuters) — Russia’s centrist Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Shokhin decided to quit yesterday because he disapproved of liberal Mikhail Zadornov being re-appointed as Finance Minister, Shokhin’s office said. A duty officer in Shokhin’s secretariat confirmed reports on Russian news agencies but could give no further details. Shokhin was appointed last week by Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov to oversee Finance and negotiations with international creditors. Earlier in the day Russian President Boris Yeltsin re-appointed his finance, trade, energy, justice and other ministers, a Kremlin spokesman said. Finance Minister Mikhail Zadornov will stay on Finance Minister while Sergei Generalov will retain the Fuel and Energy Ministry. Georgy Gabunia gets to keep the trade portfolio under new Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov. Zadornov, 35, a liberal, faces a tough task of trying to restore order to Russia’s chaotic finances and to rebuild shattered international trust after the Russia’s decision last month to devalue the rouble and declare a temporary moratorium on some foreign debt repayments. He will also contend with calls from some of his senior colleagues in the new Cabinet for a radical shift in the policy towards state intervention in the economy and printing of money to end Russia’s 10-year recession. Andrei Shapovalyans was promoted to Economy Minister from First Deputy in the same ministry, indicating the former Economy Minister, Liberal Yakov Urinson, may be out of government. The other re-appointments
were as follows — Justice Minister Pavel
Krasheninnikov, Nationa-lities Minister Ramazan
Abdulatipov, Railways Minister Mikolai Aksenenko and
Transpsor Minister Sergei Frank. |
Waive sanctions: India caucus WASHINGTON, Sept 26 (PTI) — Twentyone members of the congressional caucus on India and Indian Americans today called upon a key House panel to back a provision empowering President Bill Clinton to waive sanctions against India. The caucus urged the House-Senate Conference on the Agriculture Appropriations Bill, 1999, to support an amendment sponsored by Senator Sam Brownback allowing Mr Clinton to waive sanctions. The Bill will also impart greater flexibility to negotiations with India, said caucus co-chairman Frank Pallone, who has taken a lead in initiating the move. If passed, the Bill will allow Mr Clinton to waive sanctions against Pakistan too. Mr Pallone said the Glenn Amendment which triggered sanctions against India did not allow for any waiver or modification, giving the USA little negotiating flexibility. However, in the light of progress made at high-level talks since then, encouraging statements at the UN by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, it was clear that the USA need more flexibility in addressing proliferation and other issues in South Asia, Mr Pallone said. Mr Pallone said it was necessary to adopt a more practical approach towards strengthening important bilateral ties and sanctions had only served to severe them. ‘‘It is time to be more flexible,’’ he said. Signatories to the letter said Indo-US ties were moving in a positive direction until sanctions were imposed early this year, prohibiting all commercial and trade ties. The letter to agriculture panel chief Congressman John Skeen said: ‘‘It is now important to provide the President with waiver authority so that he may have more flexibility in negotiating with India.’’ ‘‘We believe...it is more important than ever to move Indo-US ties in a positive direction,’’ it said. The Senate task force on sanctions has proposed that Mr Clinton should clear the way for the USA to support international financial institutions to resume loan payments to India. The Senate also passed by
a vote of 98-0, the Agriculture Export Relief Act of
1998, which exempts farm credit programmes from the
economic sanctions on India. |
‘Mahabhoots’ hogging nuclear space: PM NEW YORK, Sept 26 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today attacked the five permanent members of the UN Security Council for maintaining huge nuclear arsenals and likened them to "Mahabhoots" (big ghosts). I call the five permanent members of the Security Council Mahabhoots, he said, speaking at a reception held last night in his honour by Ambassador Naresh Chandra. He accused the nuclear powers of trying to maintain their huge arsenals while denying even use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes to others. The permanent five are the USA, Britain, Russia, France and China. They wield a veto power in the council and nothing can be done in the UN without their consent. He expressed India’s determination to work for a peaceful world, free of nuclear weapons and other arms of mass destruction. India will not attack anyone but will also not tolerate anyone violating its territory, he declared. In this context, he recalled that India had been attacked thrice despite it being a peace-loving country. Addressing members of the Indian community here last night, Mr Vajpayee said India was forced to test nuclear weapons as its advice on nuclear disarmament was not heeded by the international community. India was sought to be prevented from building a nuclear reactor for power which is in short supply despite the fact that in some countries, 82 per cent of power comes from nuclear energy, he added. More than one thousand people attended the reception hosted by Ambassador Naresh Chandra and repeatedly cheered Mr Vajpayee during his speech. Departing from convention, Mr Vajpayee mingled with the crowd, most of whom turned out to be acquaintances from his UN days. Mr Vajpayee said the fact that India declared a moratorium after the tests and is prepared to turn it into a de jure obligation is clearly indicative of its peaceful intentions. India, he said, does not require further tests as its scientists have collected data they needed from those already conducted, he added, amidst loud cheers. Mr Vajpayee said for 24 years after the first nuclear test in 1974, India waited for the world to move towards disarmament. But this did not happen. He also explained India’s stand on the comprehensive test ban treaty (CTBT) and said India wants a world in which there is no place for arms. "We want a world free of weapons, without nuclear weapons but we are not there yet," he said. Amidst laughter and cheers, Mr Vajpayee noted he had often come to New York as an opposition Member of Parliament. "Nothing much has changed, only from MP I have become PM." Referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ascendancy to power, he said change in a democracy is natural but the change should be for the better and this time it is definitely for the better. Earlier, Deputy Chairman
of the Planning Commission Jaswant Singh, gave in to the
gathering’s demand to explain India’s stand on
CTBT, and briefly outlined India’s position on the
issue. |
Pressurise India, Pak asks world ISLAMABAD, Sept 26 (PTI) — Pakistan has urged the international community to keep "pressure" on India to ensure the success of the Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary — level talks resuming next month. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Shairf, who reached London from New York yesterday, said the bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart Atal Behari Vajpayee during which both sides agreed to resume their stalled bilateral talks was a "breakthrough". The international
community should put "pressure on India to ensure
that the Kashmir issue was resolved, to the satisfaction
of Pakistan, Kashmiri people and in accordance with the
UN resolutions," media reports quoted Mr Sharif as
saying. |
Release of edited Tripp tapes okayed WASHINGTON, Sept 26 (AP, AFP) — The US House Judiciary Committee has voted to release audio tapes that Ms Linda Tripp made of her conversations with Ms Monica Lewinsky, as Republicans and Democrats vied for political position in the run-up to next month’s vote on the formal impeachment inquiry. The panel also agreed yesterday to make public thousands of still-secret documents that independent counsel Kenneth Starr gathered as part of his probe relating to US President Bill Clinton’s affair with Ms Lewinsky. The panel met in day-long, closed-door session as Mr Clinton, struggling to quell talk of impeachment, accused Republicans of placing “partisanship over progress, politics over people.’’ Several sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt has said in recent private meetings that November’s congressional election could ultimately be framed as a question of “investigation or legislation’’ for the next two years. Senate majority leader Trent Lott swiftly rebutted Mr Clinton for the Republicans, calling the President’s remarks a “gratuitous slap.’’ “We’re doing our work,’’ said Mr Lott. “Maybe he just hasn’t noticed. He’s distracted. What he’s trying to do is distract attention from his problems.’’ There were problems aplenty for the President as members of the Judiciary Committee debated behind closed doors how to handle the release of tens of thousands of pages compiled by Mr Starr. Material to be released next Thursday includes grand jury testimony by Clinton’s secretary, Betty Currie his friend, Vernon Jordan, and Ms Tripp, the onetime friend of Ms Lewinsky who first alerted Mr Starr that the President and the former White House aide had had an affair. The tapes of Ms Tripp’s phone conversations with Ms Lewinsky will also be released, but sometime after Thursday, to give experts time to edit out portions the committee deemed inappropriate for public release. Included are segments of profanity and personal gossip, according to officials who participated in the meeting. As many as 53 per cent of Americans would be satisfied if no action was taken against President Clinton for the Lewinsky affair and 64 per cent said the probe was partisan, a New York Times/CBS News Poll said. The poll showed 65 per cent felt that Republican lawmakers were unfairly trying to weaken Mr Clinton and the Democrats, according to the telephone survey of 960 adults. Conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, a week after videotapes of Mr Clinton’s August 17 grand jury deposition were released to the public, 78 per cent of the Americans and 65 per cent of the Republicans said the Judiciary Committee should not have released the tapes. Sixty per cent of those who watched the videotapes on television and 40 per cent of the Republicans said it was appropriate for Mr Clinton to have refused to answer questions about his sexual relations with Ms Lewinsky. Fortynine per cent believe
Mr Clinton committed perjury, down from 56 per cent last
week, and 64 per cent said the probe was partisan, up
from 55 per cent last week. |
Monica’s boyfriend identified SYDNEY, Sept 26 (AFP) — Monica Lewinsky’s “sooooo nice” Australian boyfriend, referred to in material collected by Kenneth Starr, has an ongoing relationship with her and may head to the US to keep it going, a report said today. The Sydney Morning Herald identified the man as Sydney University scientist Chris Burns, single and in his 20s. Friends and associates said the molecular engineering research fellow had already been approached by one women’s magazine here to reveal his story for $ 14,750. The E-Mails show that former White House intern Lewinsky met Burns and three other Australian businessmen in Princeton, New Jersey in August or September last year. Quoting his colleagues,
The Herald said the pair speak to or fax each other
regularly. They spoke on the morning of her grand jury
testimony earlier this month. |
China offers more autonomy to Taiwan NEW YORK, Sept 26 (AP) — China will offer Taiwan more autonomy than Hong Kong or Macao if it reunifies with the mainland, Chinese Foreign Minister has said in a speech indicating a softening in Beijing’s stance. ‘‘As for Taiwan, we will adopt an even more flexible policy than that towards Hong Kong and Macao. Taiwan, once reunited with the mainland, will enjoy a greater autonomy than Hong Kong and Macao,’’ Mr Tang Jiaxuan said in a speech at a luncheon yesterday sponsored by the Asia Society and the National Committee on US-China Relations. Mr Tang did not specify in his speech what “greater autonomy” Taiwan would receive. Questions he took from the primarily business audience did not touch upon the subject. Mr Tang’s speech, made on the sidelines on the UN General Assembly debate, appears to back Taiwanese news reports this week that Chinese President Jiang Zemin hopes to make a major breakthrough on relations with Taiwan. China and Taiwan have been
making plans recently to resume negotiations. |
Viagra in exchange for votes TAIPEI, Sept 26 (AFP) — A Taiwanese candidate running for a seat in the Kaohsiung city council was giving away the male anti-impotency pill Viagra in exchange for votes, The China Times Express reported. The candidate gave out the pills when campaigning in his constituency in the southern Taiwan city, where Viagra was reportedly a popular topic of discussion among senior citizens, the paper said yesterday. The candidate, whose name was not disclosed, had bought boxes of Viagra to hand out to supporters ahead of the December 5 municipal elections, the paper said. Viagra, which sells at $
72.5 a tablet on the black market, has not yet been
approved by Taiwan’s Health Authority. |
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| Rushdie criticises Cook’s
remarks LONDON: Indian born British author Salman Rushdie has criticised a statement by Foreign Secretary Robin Cook that the British Government “understood and regretted” the offence that his book “The Satanic Verses” had caused to Muslims. “When I saw that passage in the text, I did mention to (Minister of State at the Foreign Office) Derek Fatchett that I rather regretted that piece of literary criticism, which is not really particularly what I looked to the British Government for,” Rushdie said on Channel 4 television on Friday. Rushdie’s statement was his first reservation about the accord between London and Iran. — IAF Mitterrand’s beloved Drug resistant
bacteria Suharto’s
assets UK assistance Prisoner of
conscience |
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