W O R L D

Bhattarai gets reprieve
KATHMANDU, Feb 21 — The on-going leadership crisis within the ruling Nepali Congress today appeared to have been defused for the time being following an agreement between party President Girija Prasad Koirala and Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, the septuagenarian duo at the helm of party-affairs.

Pak war games may be advanced
ISLAMABAD, Feb 21 — Pakistan’s military regime is likely to advance its war games, scheduled for October-December this year, a top official has “hinted”, according to media reports today.

Mass protest against town’s division
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA (Yugoslavia), Feb 21 — NATO troops pushed ahead today with a major search operation in the volatile Kosovo city of Mitrovica, brushing aside yesterday’s attacks on US soldiers by Serbs throwing rocks and bottles.

Reformists poised for big win
DUBAI, Feb 21 — The landslide victory of reformists in the just concluded elections will help President Mohammad Khatami pursue his programme of social, political and economic reforms, often stymied by the outgoing conservatives in Parliament.

Fresh fighting in Philippines
ZAMBOANGA (Philippines), Feb 21 — Philippine troops today killed at least eight Muslim rebels in renewed fighting as officials from both sides tried to salvage peace negotiations.

Anwar’s trial put off
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — A Malaysian judge today adjourned the ongoing sodomy trial of sacked Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim to next month after his lawyers asked for time to prepare for his appeal hearing starting next week.

Pullout from Lebanon ‘by July’
JERUSALEM, Feb 21 — Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has said during a speech he is committed to evacuating Israeli army forces from Southern Lebanon ‘‘before or until July, by agreement.’’

Homage paid to Bangla martyrs
DHAKA, Feb 21 — Thousands of people marched barefoot to a martyrs’ memorial here today to pay homage to those who laid down their lives for their mother tongue, Bangla, 48 years ago.

Bhattarai gets reprieve

KATHMANDU, Feb 21 (UNI) — The on-going leadership crisis within the ruling Nepali Congress today appeared to have been defused for the time being following an agreement between party President Girija Prasad Koirala and Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, the septuagenarian duo at the helm of party-affairs.

The understanding was reached here after mediation by the younger generation leaders who feared that the Nepali Congress could well split if the Koirala-Bhattarai confrontation was allowed to snowball.

Led by former P.M. Dsher Bahadur Deuba, the man most likely to don the leadership mantle if the two septuagenarians relinquish the reins, the younger leaders prevailed upon both party President Koirala and premier-and NCPP leader-Bhattarai to defer a decision on voting on a censure motion against Mr Bhattarai during today’s meeting of the Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party.

As a result, today’s NCPP meeting, convened after 58 NC parliamentarians had on February 16 registered a no-confidence motion against Mr Bhattari, deferred the voting — and the certain ouster — of the premier. The meeting was adjourned till next Saturday without transaction of the slated business.

Earlier, Mr Deuba and other younger generation leaders, including deputy PM Ram Chandra Poundyal, Foreign Minister Ram Sharan Mahat, Former DPM Shailaja Acharya and former Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya, chalked out “a compromise formula’’ to allow premier Bhattarai to “step down gracefully’’.

According to NC sources, the compromise envisaging that Mr Bhattarai would “resign voluntarily from office very soon’’ and thus not be seen to have been forced out, was thrashed out late yesterday shortly after Mr Deuba arrived here cutting short a visit to Australia where he had been invited by the Canberra Government.

Speaking to mediapersons on his arrival here, Mr Deuba had flayed the proposed NCPP censure move observing that an attempt to remove the Prime Minister through a no-confidence motion at the NCPP meeting rather than with dignity would be “insulting to premier Bhattarai’s lifelong dedication and contribution.’’

Mr Deuba had further pointed out that barely three months ago, premier Bhattarai had promised to relinquish office in April-May soon after the conclusion of the coming winter session of Parliament.

“What changes of such great magnitude have come to pass during the past three months, or what developments of great significance are expected to take place within the next three months that the Prime Minister’s word to quit is being ignored, Mr Deuba queried.

Premier Bhattarai did not attend today’s NCPP meeting where 87 of the party’s total of 137 MPs were present. The Nepali Congress has 113 members in the 205 seat Prathinidhi Sabha, the Lower House of the Nepali’s Bicameral Parliament, and 24 in the 60-seat Upper House, the Rashtriya Sabha.

Pak war games may be advanced

ISLAMABAD, Feb 21 (PTI) — Pakistan’s military regime is likely to advance its war games, scheduled for October-December this year, a top official has “hinted”, according to media reports today.

Pakistan’s armed forces hold war games every year between October and December, “but if the need arose, these could be held ahead of schedule,” the English daily ‘Pakistan Observer’ quoted the Chief Executive’s Press Secretary, Major Gen Rashid Qureshi as saying in an interview to ‘Online’.

“The exercises are held twice every year in winter and summer .... Pakistan’s military manoeuvres have traditionally been novel, and they would be novel this time also,” it said.

The Chief Executive, Gen Pervez Musharraf would personally inspect the exercises and address jawans, General Qureshi said, ahead of the two-day Corps Commanders’ meeting on national security and defence issues, due to begin today.

It said the conference, to be chaired by General Musharraf, would address the issue of “aggression from across the border” and deliberate on “strategies as demanded by the situation”.

On the recent expulsion of three Pakistani diplomats by India, General Qureshi said “such incidents only show that Indians are not serious in giving peace initiatives a chance”.

He also expressed satisfaction at the performance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with special reference to US President Bill Clinton’s visit to South Asia.

A specific policy, monitored by the Chief Executive’s Secretariat, in this respect was being framed, he said.

Mass protest against town’s division

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA (Yugoslavia), Feb 21 (Reuters) — NATO troops pushed ahead today with a major search operation in the volatile Kosovo city of Mitrovica, brushing aside yesterday’s attacks on US soldiers by Serbs throwing rocks and bottles.

Meanwhile, more than 10,000 ethnic Albanians marched from Kosovo’s provincial capital, Pristina, today towards Mitrovica to protest against its division into Serb and Albanian dominated sectors.

Hundreds of soldiers from several countries participated in the search in Mitrovica, which started yesterday. ‘‘The operation is going on’’, said a spokesman for the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force, Lieut-Col Patrick Chanliau.

The Serbs threw snowballs, bottles and stones, KFOR rejected Serb accusations that the Americans had been too aggressive.

The French General in charge of Kosovo’s northern military sector nevertheless pulled the US troops out of the area to prevent any escalation.

Serbs in Kosovo’s third largest city of Mitrovica have formed a majority in the district north of the river Ibar. Albanians complain that members of their community cannot return to the homes they fled in fear of Serb forces, before NATO bombing drove those forces out of Kosovo last June.

The search has so far yielded a provisional haul of 12 AK-47 weapons, six rifles, two pistols, eight blocks of plastic explosive, 25 loaded magazines, a large amount of other ammunition, four grenades and one machinegun, KFOR said. Seven Albanians and one Serb were arrested for illegal weapons possession.

Reformists poised for big win

DUBAI, Feb 21 (PTI) — The landslide victory of reformists in the just concluded elections will help President Mohammad Khatami pursue his programme of social, political and economic reforms, often stymied by the outgoing conservatives in Parliament.

The conservatives received the worst-ever drubbing at the hands of the reformists who won the long-sought majority in the 290-member House by bagging 132 seats while their allies garnered 20 of the 192 results declared so far.

The Right wing conservatives have managed to win only 40 seats.

“The results would strengthen the hands of Mr Khatami who can now pursue his liberal policies more vigorously,” analysts said.

IRNA said 67 per cent of the winners were reformers and observers attributed the result to the high turnout in Friday’s elections in which 80 per cent of the 38.7 million eligible voters exercised their franchise.

Reformists won all five seats in Isfahan in central Iran and ousted conservatives in their yet another stronghold such as the holy Shiite Muslim city of Mashhad.

Results of Teheran are being keenly watched as several prominent leaders, including a President’s, brother, are contesting from there.

Fresh fighting in Philippines

ZAMBOANGA (Philippines), Feb 21 (AFP) — Philippine troops today killed at least eight Muslim rebels in renewed fighting as officials from both sides tried to salvage peace negotiations.

Military aircraft bombed the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) Camp Omar in Maguindanao province while troops fired mortars on outlying rebel positions near the camp early today, senior guerrilla leader Nash Abbas said.

“At least eight freedom fighters were martyred and died fighting in the name of Allah,” Mr Abbas said.

Soldiers took control of a “satellite camp” on the perimeter of Camp Omar, which was being defended by some 300 heavily armed MILF guerrillas, he said.

Sporadic clashes were also reported by the military in the nearby provinces of North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, areas where the rebels maintain strong positions.

Cotabato city (Philippines): Muslim separatist rebels and the Philippine government today agreed to hold an emergency meeting in an effort to salvage formal peace talks put on hold as a result of escalating violence in the south. Lanang Ali, a lawyer for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said officials of the two sides agreed to hold the meeting to discuss the cessation of hostilities and prospects for resuming the formal negotiations.

Anwar’s trial put off

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 (DPA) — A Malaysian judge today adjourned the ongoing sodomy trial of sacked Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim to next month after his lawyers asked for time to prepare for his appeal hearing starting next week.

Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Arifin Jaka agreed to the postponement and fixed March 6 for the trial, which began last June, to resume its proceedings.

Pullout from Lebanon ‘by July’

JERUSALEM, Feb 21 (DPA) — Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has said during a speech he is committed to evacuating Israeli army forces from Southern Lebanon ‘‘before or until July, by agreement.’’

Israel Radio carried Mr Barak’s remarks which included the promise that Israel will exhaust every possibility to reach an agreement in Lebanon, since a withdrawal without agreement ‘‘may demand more victims’’.

To ease criticism of Israel’s recent bombing raids in Lebanon, he is sending the head of his political staff Dani Yatom to Moscow, to fill in Russian Premier Vladimir Putin on the political situation in the Middle East.

Homage paid to Bangla martyrs

DHAKA, Feb 21 (PTI) — Thousands of people marched barefoot to a martyrs’ memorial here today to pay homage to those who laid down their lives for their mother tongue, Bangla, 48 years ago.

The red and green national flag flew at half mast and songs were rendered today, observed as International Mother Language Day, in memory of those who died in police firing at a demonstration demanding recognition of Bengali as the official language alongside Urdu.

Thousands wearing black badges streamed into the memorial singing “Amar bhayer rokte rangano ekushey February, ami ki bhulite pari” (How can I forget February 21, a day drenched in the blood of my brothers).

WORLD BRIEFS

Colombian hijacker killed
BOGOTA: In a bizarre turn to a puzzling hijacking, prison officials said rightist paramilitary gunmen caught and killed a convicted murderer who hijacked a plane at knifepoint. On Sunday, officials had reported that convict Hernando Prada had managed, despite an armed person escort, to commandeer a Beechcraft 1900 turboprop plane after takeoff from the northwestern city of Bucaramanga. But only hours after announcing a manhunt, officials were reporting the hijacker’s death at the hands of an unnamed local paramilitary chief. — AP

World record in watching movies
BANGKOK: Fourteen Thais stayed awake for 51 hours over the weekend to set a world record for watching movies without dozing off, reports said on Monday. The movie marathon kicked off at noon Friday with 365 eager movie buffs. But as the group smashed through the previous record of 37 hours and 25 minutes only 62 remained awake. — AFP

Staff sacked for being late
DUBAI: Dubai’s Crown Prince has ordered a shake up of government services and sacked some senior staff after finding them wanting on a series of surprise visits, the official Emirati news agency said on Monday. All managerial staff — including the director, chairman and deputy chairman — are to be replaced at the Dubai Courts, the WAM agency said. At police headquarters, the Crown Prince found the head of the criminal laboratory missing and promptly sacked him. — AFP

Galileo heads for final mission
PASADENA: Galileo will make its closest flyby of Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io this week as controllers race to put it through ever riskier manoeuvres before the ageing spacecraft breaks down.— AP

‘Magnolia’ wins Golden Bear
BERLIN: “Magnolia”, a psychological drama starring Tom Cruise, won the Berlin Film Festival’s prestigious Golden Bear for best film. Chinese actress Gong Li, who chaired a nine-member jury of international cinema industry representatives, told reporters on Sunday that US Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s second major feature film had won the award. — Reuters

Porter sacked for poisonous talk
LONDON: A royal porter has been sacked after allegedly telling colleagues she could easily poison Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace said here. Monica Traub, 46, reportedly told royal kitchen staff that she had the opportunity to put poison in the Queen’s food without being detected, the palace said on Sunday. — AP

UN building rapid deployment force
CANBERRA: Several UN member nations are developing units in their defence forces for rapid deployment by the United Nations, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Monday. — Reuters

Communists ahead in Kyrgyzstan
BISHKEK: The Communist Party has retained its dominant position in Kyrgyzstan, according to the first election results trickling out in the Central Asian republic early on Monday. The National Election Commission in the Capital, Bishkek said Communists had taken 26 per cent of the votes with remaining support scattered among smaller groups, the Moscow news agency Interfax reported. — DPA

Police questions Netanyahu
JERUSALEM: The police questioned former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for six hours over allegations he accepted bribes, tried to misuse state funds and illegally kept gifts worth thousands of dollars, the police said. Israel’s Channel Two TV reported that the police would recommend indicting Mr Netanyahu on all three charges. It said his wife, Sara, would be charged with fraud and illegally keeping state gifts given to the couple during Mr Netanyahu’s term. — AP