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Bush, Annan discuss India, Pak dialogue
German businessmen back in spotlight over ‘Islamic bomb’ 2 more bird flu deaths in Vietnam
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Indian-origin leader in big league Lankan Tamils mourn independence day Soldier killed in rebel attack Quakes hit Taiwan, Japan
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Bush, Annan discuss India, Pak dialogue Washington, February 4 Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters here yesterday that Mr Bush and Mr Annan “were expressing how they welcome the developments between India and Pakistan”. The South Asian countries were moving forward on a high-level dialogue to help reduce tensions in the region, the leaders noted. “And that’s important to help bring about greater peace and stability in the region”. Mr Bush and Mr Annan conferred primarily on the UN role in transferring power from the USA to Iraqi authorities. The United Nations is shortly sending a team to Iraq to help break the impasse over the process for choosing a transitional government which would take over administration from the US-led Coalition by June 30. Annan, told reporters he expects the USA to support the recommendations of team that will be sent as soon as possible.
— UNI, PTI |
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German businessmen back in spotlight over ‘Islamic bomb’ Hamburg, February 4 The 80-year-old physicist was quoted today by the newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung as saying, “I can’t understand where this suspicion comes from.” He has been prosecuted in the past over allegations that he provided disgraced Pakistan nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan with key technology, but was acquitted. The newspaper named him only as Otto H., adding that western intelligence services had identified him as a German middleman who was known to his Pakistani customers as “Brummer”. It said he had been employed as the head of West Asia and Africa sales network at a company called Leybold-Heraeus in Hanau, a town east of Frankfurt where other nuclear industries are concentrated. It said he was visited in December by an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) official, Olli J. Heinonen, who said he had information originating in Iran that he had been part of the supply network to that country as well. The newspaper said intelligence services matched two other nicknames mentioned by Pakistan officials, “Liech” and “Heinz”, with Gotthard L., 61, and the late Heinz M. The paper said the IAEA had a list of three names involved in the Iran trade: H. and L. were the men accused of links to Qadeer Khan. The newspaper said a third German businessman alleged to have helped Iran — it gave only his initial, N. — could not be identified.
— DPA |
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2 more bird flu deaths in Vietnam Hanoi, February 4 A 24-year-old man from the central province of Lam Dong died yesterday, while a 15-year-old girl from Tay Ninh in the South passed away on January 27, Truong Trong Hoang, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City’s health department, told AFP. “Both victims tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza at the city’s Pasteur Institute,” he said. The teenager died four hours after being admitted to the southern business capital’s Cho Ray Hospital. The man died the day after being taken to the city’s Hospital for Tropical Disease. Confirmation of their deaths followed an announcement late yesterday by the World Health Organisation that a 19-year-old man from the northern province of Bac Giang had been infected with H5N1 but had made a full recovery. The UN health agency also said a 20-year-old woman from neighbouring Bac Ninh province, who had also tested positive for the virus, remained at Hanoi’s Bach Mai Hospital. In human terms, Vietnam is the worst hit of the 10 Asian nations tackling bird flu outbreaks.
— AFP |
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Indian-origin leader in big league Durban, February 4 Visvin Reddy, who along with Amichand Rajbansi formed the MF in 1994 to garner Indian votes, announced yesterday that he had resigned to join the Democratic Alliance, the official opposition to the ruling African National Congress. “I have decided to leave because I no longer want to be a big fish in a small pond”, he said at a press conference where he announced his resignation from the MF. Reddy, who also resigned his seat as a councillor on the Durban Metro, said he wanted to play a national role in the central parliament because Indians were deprived of good leadership. “There has to be some to promote the hopes, aspirations, fears and anxieties of the Indian people at the national”, he said. Reddy has been readily accepted by the DA as he would capture more Indian votes for the party. The Indian vote is regarded as crucial in KwaZulu-Natal province, where a significant percentage of the country’s 1.2-million people of Indian origin work and live. Political analyst Ashwin Desai said the Indian voter was currently in a state of “confusion”. Due to lack of credible leadership and lack of an organisation like the now-disbanded Natal Indian Congress to represent the community, many Indians felt they have no political home. “Because of this the Indian vote will be divided between all parties”, he said.
— PTI |
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Lankan Tamils mourn independence day
Colombo, February 4 Residents put up black flags as a sign of mourning in the northern town of Jaffna, the cultural capital of Tamils, but security forces in the area celebrated the national day, local officials said. “Shops closed, transport was off the roads and black flags came up at offices, homes and shops,” a local resident in Jaffna, 400 km north of here, said by telephone. For the first time in six years, the military was publicly parading its weaponry at celebrations here at Independence Square. On the occasion, Kumaratunga called for unity to end the decades old conflict in the island.
— PTI |
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Soldier killed in rebel attack Manila, February 4 Lt Colonel Restituto Padilla, air force spokesman, said an undetermined number of guerrillas attacked the 357th Engineering Support Squadron in the town of Dimasalang in Masbate province, 390 km southeast of Manila, late yesterday. The soldiers were constructing school buildings in the village of Cabrera, he said. |
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Quakes hit Taiwan, Japan Beijing, February 4 The epicentre of the earthquake, which struck at 11.24 a.m. local time (0854 IST), was about 76 km southeast of Hualien on the eastern coast, at a depth of 4 km, Xinhua news agency quoted Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau as saying. The tremor was strong enough to shake buildings in Taipei, about 120 km northwest of Hualien, reports said.
— PTI |
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