Monday, April 12, 1999
today's calendar
....... |
W O R L D | Monday, April 12, 1999 |
|
| weather n
spotlight today's calendar |
....... |
||
|
NATO planes pound Kosovo BELGRADE, April 11 — North Atlantic Treaty Organisation blitzed Pristina overnight with more than 40 impacts near the battered Kosovo provincial capital, as claims were made in Belgrade that two NATO warplanes had been shot down. Pak
scientist quits over CTBT |
 |
 Young recruits of the Kosovo Liberation Army wave and flash the victory sign as they are heading by truck for a training camp in northern Albania on Saturday, April,10, 1999. The pro-independence guerrillas will be trained to fight Serbian forces in Kosovo.
|
|
President’s
killing ‘not premeditated’ 12
killed in Bangladesh storm Chinese
spy case: FBI agents search scientist’s house Sharif
to visit Russia from April 19 |
||||||
 |
|||||||
NATO planes pound Kosovo BELGRADE, April 11 (AFP) — North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) blitzed Pristina overnight with more than 40 impacts near the battered Kosovo provincial capital, as claims were made in Belgrade that two NATO warplanes had been shot down. In the early hours today at least 40 powerful blasts were heard, apparently from the outskirts of Pristina, an AFP correspondent said. The blasts came between 2250 hours GMT and 0025 hours GMT and Yugoslav anti-aircraft guns retaliated. Planes could be heard flying over the city. At least 20 detonations were heard between 2250 GMT and 2315 GMT, followed by a second wave of more than 20 blasts between 2215 and 0025 GMT. About 10 blasts shook Pristina between and 1850 GMT and 1920 GMT. Most of the planes came from the south of the city. Planes were heard amid intense anti-aircraft fire. Meanwhile, the Tanjug news agency, citing witnesses, said a NATO aircraft was shot down over northern Serbia today. A NATO military spokesman denied the report. The agency said the plane was downed at 2212 GMT. Witnesses quoted in the report said they saw anti-aircraft fire hit a plane over Backi Brestovac village in Voivodina province, about 200 km northwest of Belgrade. However, the pentagon rejected the report. Lieut-Col Steve Campbell, a Pantagon spokesman, told AFP that he had been in touch with NATO officials in Europe and that "they have no reports of any downed aircraft... I have no reason to believe that there is a downed aircraft." The Serbian television said NATO missiles blasted both military and civilian targets in the towns of Prizren and Urosevac in southern Kosovo. The bombs caused "considerable" damage in the western town of Pec and hit the old residential part of Djakovica, near the border with Albania. Last night, several thousand Kosovo refugees streamed into northern Albania after Yugoslavia reopened its main border crossing and carried out another wave of expulsions. In Belgrade, Russian Cassacks joined groups of Serbs trying to shield bridges from NATO bombing. "Russian love and Russian power are with you," said one Cassack among the colourful array of men in Tsarist uniforms and traditional sheep skin hats. The Pentagon had yesterday said 82 more warplanes were being sent to Europe to enable NATO to "expand the number of strikes over any 24-hour period and give us more deep-strike capacity as necessary". Britain said HMS Invincible would join the NATO forces as "part of tightening the screw" on Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. The campaign aims to press President Milosevic to reverse what the alliance says is ethnic cleansing of the Albanian majority in Kosovo and allow the return of refugees and a NATO-led military presence in the Serbian province to protect them.
|
KLA 'captures' Kosovo town TIRANA, April 11 (DPA) — Fighters of the separatist Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) have launched fierce attacks in several towns of Kosovo, causing serious losses to Serb Forces, Albanian Government media reports said today. Yesterday, KLA units attacked the town of Pec and after several hours of fierce fighting they raised the Albanian flag at the town centre, the government newspaper Zeri I Popullit reported. There was no independent confirmation of the reports. According to the paper, KLA fighters also briefly occupied two Serb border posts and attacked police buildings and army units in and around the provincial capital Pristina. It said “many” Serb soldiers were killed during the attacks. The KLA, which is fighting for the independence of the province, has reportedly been withdrawing to mountains and remote areas in recent weeks following a large-scale Serb offensive. On Friday morning fierce fighting between the KLA and the Serb army near Albanian borders was confirmed by OSCE officials in Tirana. BONN (PTI): The continuing NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia has sparked internal dissent within the ruling coalition in Germany with Kosovo crisis becoming a crucial domestic policy issue as well and not just as a huge foreign policy challenge. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who assumed office just six months back, is facing a daunting task to ward off threats to the unity of the Social Democrats and in keeping the party united behind NATO’s bombing campaign. The Social Democrats’ coalition partner, the pacifist Greens Party, is also under pressure with calls from sections of the party for an immediate end to the bombings in which German pilots have flown for the first combat mission since World War-II. Opponents of NATO bombing have prepared at least two resolutions to be brought up at the congress. The resolutions call for an immediate halt to the military action. NICOSIA (ANI): Spyros Kyprianou, the Speaker of the Cyprus House of Representatives, flew back from Belgrade on last evening after failing to persuade Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to release the three US servicemen in the hands of Serb forces. Speaking to journalists here on arrival, Mr Kyprianou expressed regret for not managing to achieve his goal to ensure the release of the three soldiers. He attributed the failure to the change in the situation in Yugoslavia. Mr Milosevic had said the change was due to the relentless NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. “What do you want me to do?” he had asked. The Cypriot leader had
asked the USA to declare a 24-hour NATO ceasefire to
safely complete his mission in Belgrade, but the answer
was negative, although his flight was given safe passage. |
Pak scientist quits over CTBT ISLAMABAD, April 11 (PTI) — A top Pakistani nuclear scientist has resigned from a senior government post in protest against the Nawaz Sharif government’s gradual move towards signing of the comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) which he claimed would slow down the country’s nuclear programme. Dr Sultan Bashiruddin Mehmood, chief designer at the Khusab Nuclear Plant in Punjab province, while confirming his resignation, said he had decided to quit his job soon after coming to know about the change in the government’s nuclear policy, ‘The News’ English daily said. Stating that it was in Pakistan’s interest to continue its nuclear programme, he said, “a weak nation cannot protect its interests”. Dr Mehmood was apparently upset over the government’s plan to sign the CTBT right from the beginning and despite being attached to a government department he wrote an article in an English daily urging the government not to endorse CTBT, a move that annoyed the authorities. Subsequently, he was transferred to some “obscure department”, the report said. Reportedly Mr Mehmood did not accept his transfer and sent his resignation to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) which was referred to the Prime Minister, who accepted the resignation when told about Mehmood’s views on CTBT. The officials of PAEC also confirmed Dr Mehmood’s resignation and alleged that by writing that article Mehmood violated a ban on nuclear scientists issuing statements about government policies. Dr Mehmood a designer of
nuclear plants was associated with various nuclear
installation in Pakistan. He had also helped prevent a
leakage of heavy water at the Karachi nuclear power plant
and the method he used patented under his name and
applied internationally, the report said. |
Ties with India not at Pak expense: Li BEIJING, April 11 (PTI) — China will not sacrifice its time-tested friendship with Pakistan to appease India, especially in the post-Pokhran scenario, according to diplomatic sources and media reports here. “China will always remain Pakistan’s trustworthy and reliable friend no matter how the international situation changes,’’ former Premier and China’s top legislator Li Peng was quoted as saying in Islamabad by the official Xinhua news agency here. “No matter what happens to our respective countries and to the world, China and Pakistan always support and assist each other. The Sino-Pakistani friendship is all-weathered,’’ Mr Li said. Li, currently on a high-profile visit to Pakistan who was conferred with Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest civil award of Pakistan yesterday, noted that China and Pakistan had supported and helped each other on several occasions. Mr Li said China never thought that the support and assistance provided by Beijing to Islamabad was one-way. Rather it had been mutually beneficial. The Chinese side has
made it clear to India that better relations with New
Delhi would not be at the cost of its close ally,
Pakistan, a diplomatic source told PTI. |
Zimbabwe snaps ties with IMF, WB HARARE, April 11 (AP) — The Zimbabwe government severed ties with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and accused the Washington-based institutions of interfering in its domestic policies, the state-controlled Sunday Mail reported. Outstanding aid of $ 53 million in balance of payments support from the IMF will be sought from other unspecified donors, ruling party spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira told the newspaper. He said the IMF and the World Bank, the main backers of western-style economic reforms since 1992, "had made unrealistic demands" as a requirement for releasing funds. "If we have survived without them so far, we can do without them," said Mr Shamuyarira, who is also Commerce and Industry Minister. The newspaper, seen as an official mouthpiece of the government, said the financial institutions had delayed distributing funds to Zimbabwe to punish the government for a controversial programme to nationalise white-owned farms. The World Bank withheld risk guarantee loans on the expansion of a coal-fired power station in western Zimbabwe and the construction of a second coal-based power facility, it said. Both projects have been
mired in controversy after bidding procedures were
allegedly broken and a Malaysian conglomerate was given
favourable investment terms. |
President’s killing ‘not premeditated’ NIAMEY, April 11 (AFP) — President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara’s fatal shooting was “accidental” the head of his bodyguards told AFP yesterday. “Nothing was premeditated,” said Major Daouda Mallam Wanke, the day after General Mainassara died in a hail of bullets at a military airbase near Niamey. “A shot was fired inadvertently...the guards reacted and fired,” said Wanke, who is tipped by some to succeed Mainassara. “The Army will make an announcement tomorrow after the President’s funeral,” he said, adding that discussions had taken place with the West African country’s politicians. Wanke was among the dozen officers behind the January 1996 coup which brought Mainassara to power. After Mainassara’s killing, the US State Department said he had been “assassinated” by his own presidential guard, but admitted ignorance as to any motive. Niger’s Prime
Minister Hassane Mayaki said yesterday the
President’s “sudden death” was due to an
“unfortunate accident”. |
12 killed in Bangladesh storm DHAKA, April 11 (Reuters) — Bangladesh today said at least 12 persons were killed and dozens were missing after a storm swept across the impoverished country cutting power supplies and triggering a water crisis. Government officials said 54 persons were missing and more than 100 were injured after 100 KMH winds hit southern districts and other parts of the country on yesterday. "The nor'westers blew at 106 KMH uprooted electric poles and flattened trees and straw houses", Moyezuddin Khan, District Commissioner of Bhola district on the southern coast said. The officials said those killed were hit by flying debris or as houses collapsed. Half the deaths were reported from Bhola and neighbouring districts of Barisal and Patuakhil. "Water supply at different districts of the country was disrupted due to power failure leaving people in agony," said Mafuzur Rahman, an official of Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority. "We were unable to pump water from the deep tubewells because of the power failure". WASA officials earlier said more than 30 per cent of the capital's nine million residents had no access to drinking water. Hundreds of Dhaka
residents yesterday stopped trains, attacked a power
supply office, barricaded roads and burned vehicles to
protest over the water shortage. |
Chinese spy case WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) — Federal agents have raided the New Mexico home of a scientist fired from Los Alamos National Laboratory amid allegations that China stole nuclear secrets from the USA. US law enforcement officials yesterday said the FBI agents spent almost six hours searching the scientist’s home near Los Alamos. They gave no other details. The scientist, who has not been charged with any crime, has been identified in published reports as Wem Ho Lee. He was fired from the US nuclear facility earlier this year amid reports that China used secrets stolen from Los Alamos in the 1980s to produce small warheads that could be launched from a single missile at multiple targets. The alleged theft was not detected until the CIA analysed Chinese nuclear test result and found similarities with America’s most advanced miniature warhead, the W-88. In 1996, a suspect was identified at Los Alamos, but it was not until this year that he was given a lie detector test, which one official said he failed, he was not arrested. “The FBI executed a search warrant related to the ongoing investigation of alleged espionage at the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said in a written statement. Mr Richardson said the FBI was “pursuing this case vigorously” but added that no one had been charged with any crime at this time and there had been no arrests. He declined to comment on details of the search warrant but said the Energy Department fully supported the Law Enforcement effort. The raid took place as Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji headed to Denver from Washington after talks with President Bill Clinton and Congressional leaders. Chinese officials have repeatedly denied stealing US nuclear secrets and Zhu said on Thursday that he had “no knowledge” of any theft. “It is not the
policy of China to steal so-called military secrets from
the USA,” Zhu told a White house news conference. |
Sharif to visit Russia from April 19 ISLAMABAD, April 11 (PTI) — Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s proposed Moscow visit has almost been finalised but the Pakistani authorities here are keeping their fingers crossed apprehending that the strong Indian lobby in Moscow may try to sabotage the trip to prevent any thaw in Russia-Pakistan relations. The visit, the first by
a Pakistani premier since ZA Bhutto’s visit to the
erstwhile Soviet Union in 1974, has been kept under the
wraps for over a month. Foreign Minister, Sartaj Aziz on
Friday, reluctantly confirmed the news after it was
leaked by a domestic news agency. But he said the
official announcement about the visit is yet to be made. |
Sri Lanka buys hovercraft COLOMBO, April 11 (PTI) — The Sri Lankan Navy has taken delivery of a British-built hovercraft and there are plans to make more purchases from Britain, an island newspaper said here today. This is the first time
Britain sold defence equipment to Sri Lanka after briefly
relaxing its ban to sell two Avro transport planes in
1992. |
| H |
|
||
| McCartney’s concert for animal
welfare LONDON: Sir Paul McCartney joined a chorus of stars on Saturday night to sing “Let It Be’’ in an emotional tribute to his late wife, Linda, at a charity concert in her memory. The concert for an audience of 5,000 at London’s Royal Albert Hall, was to raise money for the animal welfare causes Linda McCartney supported before she died of breast cancer a year ago. — AP 50 feared dead German freed on
bail Unique rat race Suicide bomber Titanic boarding
list Indian honoured |
 |
 |
| Nation
| Punjab | Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Jammu & Kashmir | | Chandigarh | Editorial | Business | Sport | | Mailbag | Spotlight | 50 years of Independence | Weather | | Search | Subscribe | Archive | Suggestion | Home | E-mail | |
