Judge rejects plea in Anwar trial
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — The judge in the sex trial of Anwar Ibrahim today rejected a defence request to throw out testimony by a key witness who had accused the jailed former Malaysian Finance Minister of sodomy.

Iran threatens to withhold N-deal
TEHERAN, Sep 7 — Teheran has threatened to withhold further nuclear contracts from Russia, accusing it of failing to fulfil commitments on building an atomic power plant in Iran, an Iranian newspaper has reported.

Annan’s 48-hr deadline on E. Timor
Move for UN peace force gains ground

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 7 (PTI, AP) — Efforts to put in place a United Nations-mandated international peacekeeping force in violence-torn East Timor gained momentum today as UN chief Kofi Annan gave 48 hours to Indonesia to stop pro-Jakarta militias from their marauding spree.

As Indonesian President B.J. Habibie clamped martial law to restore the collapse of law and order in East Timor, Annan said if it failed to work, the world community would consider measures to assist Indonesia in “meeting its obligations”.

Jakarta should restore calm within 48 hours or the world community would act, Mr Annan told reporters last night.

Reports said thousands were fleeing the East Timorese capital Dili, where armed youths roamed the streets, set UN vehicles ablaze and killed those who favoured the province’s independence from Jakarta in the last week’s referendum.

Diplomats and UN officials here said they were “sceptical” about the effect of the martial law and criticised the world body for not anticipating the post-poll violence.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he spoke to Mr Habibie yesterday and offered that his country was ready to lead an international force to East Timor. Mr Howard, who spoke to Mr Annan four times yesterday, told CNN: “I indicated to the UN Secretary-General that we would be willing to contribute up to 2,000 and would be willing to accept a leadership role”. He said he also spoke to US President Bill Clinton to formally ask for US troops to participate. Mr Clinton said he would consider it.

“I don’t think countries like Australia, the USA and other liberal democracies around the world can turn a blind eye to the slaughter that is going on in East Timor,” Australian foreign Minister Alexander Downer said, adding that his country would take part in an international force “with or without US involvement”.

In New Zealand, Defence Minister Max Bradford said today that a plan was under way for a peacekeeping contribution from his country as well.

US National Security Adviser Samuel R. Berger held a meeting in Washington to discuss the crisis. It was attended by Mr Richard C. Holbrooke, the new US Ambassador to the UN.

In a statement later, the State Department asked Jakarta to take end the violence or invite an international force.

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who was in Hanoi, said an international force would be necessary if Indonesia was unable to control the situation. But she clarified that agreement of Indonesia would be necessary.

Gusmao, who is tipped to be the first President of an independent East Timor, was freed earlier today from house arrest in Jakarta.

Mr Annan was talking to reporters yesterday as a five-member Security Council mission was leaving for Jakarta to impress upon Indonesia the urgent need to rain in pro-autonomy groups which have reportedly killed hundreds of citizens who voted for the territory’s independence from Jakarta in a UN-organised referendum a week ago.

Envoys from Britain, Namibia, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Slovenia, who constitute the mission, declined to comment, as they wanted to hear Indonesia first. But they said they had no authority to agree to a peace-keeping mission.

Mr Annan said the Security Council mission would be led by Namibian ambassador Martin Andjaba and include Malaysian ambassador Agam Hasmy, deputy permanent representative of Netherlands Alphons Hamer, Slovenian envoy Danilo Turk and British ambassador Jeremy Greenstock.

WASHINGTON: The Clinton Administration expressed alarm about violence by Indonesian soldiers against citizens in East Timor, saying that Indonesia must quell the disorder or invite in outside forces to keep peace.

From his Camp David retreat, President Clinton spoke to the UN Secretary-General.

“He discussed with Mr Annan the situation and the President expressed support for the Secretary-General’s helpful engagement on this issue,” Presidential spokesman Barry Toiv said. “They discussed ways to encourage Indonesia to do what is required to bring security to East Timor”.

Geneva disarmament talks end in deadlock

BERLIN, Sept 7 (PTI) — This year’s final session of the 66 nation Conference on Disarmament (CD) ended in a deadlock in Geneva today with no sign of progress on nuclear arms control negotiations.

The world’s main multilateral disarmament forum failed to break the impasse over beginning substantive negotiations on nuclear disarmament with the five recognised nuclear weapons states remaining inflexible in their position. The CD is due to be reconvened early next January.

The CD is bogged down in demands by some countries, including India, for comprehensive nuclear disarmament within a definite time-frame. The five nuclear powers — the United States of America, Britain, France, China and Russia — are insisting on a step-by-step approach, an Indian official in Geneva said.

The issue of setting up an ad-hoc panel to discuss steps for universal and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament is on the CD agenda since January this year.

The established nuclear weapons states do not wish to see any progress on nuclear disarmament and have blocked proposals for discussing the issue in the CD, the Indian official said.

The deadlock, which extends to the issue of preventing an arms race in outer space, has also blocked negotiations on the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT).

India is among the countries which had agreed last year to participate actively to conclude the treaty. An ad-hoc committee has already been set up for this purpose.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan today slammed India’s draft nuclear doctrine accusing New Delhi of seeking ‘military hegemony’ in south Asia and unveiled a 10-point strategic restraint regime that included an Indo-Pakistan nuclear test ban treaty.

Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed, who termed the agenda as "ten commandments," said the international community should urge India to assure its neighbours of not going in for further nuclear tests till the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) came into force.

Speaking on India’s draft nuclear doctrine at the Institute of Strategic Studies here, he said New Delhi, as part of this agenda, should give a categorical assurance that it would not deploy its nuclear weapons and keep them "in a non-deployment mode."

The agenda, which seeks to impose various restrictions on India’s nuclear programme, says among other things that New Delhi would refrain from military related actions in space and that it will not seek to acquire, develop or deploy antiballistic missile systems which could escalate the development and deployment of nuclear arms in the regime.

Pakistan ‘funding’ Chechen warlord

MOSCOW, Sept 7 (PTI) — Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, the self-proclaimed “military emir” of the Islamic state of Daghestan, has received $ 25 million from Pakistani and Saudi agents, including Osama bin Laden, for waging war in Daghestan, Russia has said.

“Basayev is getting generous financial assistance from private persons and Islamic organisations in these countries (Pakistan and Saudi Arabia)”, Russian Interior Ministry spokesman Oleg Aksyonov, who also heads the Information Department, told the local radio, Ekho Moskvy, last night.

“This has also been confirmed by US intelligence”, he said.

He said Basayav had spent $ 600,000-80000 since he embarked on a military operation on August 7 to take over this Southern Caucasian republic loyal to Moscow and still had another $ 24 million at his disposal, which could be used to strike at other places in Daghestan.

He confirmed that Laden made a clandestine trip in March to Islamic guerrilla training camps run by Jordanian militant outfit Khattab in Chechnya.

Meanwhile, the Russian Federal Army has taken over the overall command of military operations in Daghestan from the Interior Ministry.

“The rein of military operations was transferred last night to the army and defence headquarters at the request of the state council of Daghestan so as not to risk the lives of servicemen,” an Aksyonov disclosed.

Lt-Gen Gannady Troshin has been appointed Commanding Officer of the joint army group in Daghestan, he said.

In a parallel development, the Russian Air Force hit rebel bases in Chechnya.

NTV channel showed several destroyed public buildings in Chechnya said to be the militant bases, reportedly hit by Russian planes and helicopter gunships.

Pak Navy gets French subs

ISLAMABAD, Sept 7 (PTI) — Pakistan has commissioned into its Navy the first of the Agosta D-90 class French-built submarines capable of carrying almost any kind of missile.

The submarine, christened PNS Khalid, was commissioned yesterday at the French port of Cherbourg in presence of Pakistan’s Ambassador to Paris Shahryar M Khan, Pakistani Navy personnel and French defence officials, Pakistan’s official APP news agency reported.

The submarine, built under a 1994 French-Pakistan agreement, was expected to sail for Pakistan within a couple of weeks after completing formal trials.

Originally scheduled to be handed over to Islamabad in July, the submarine was held up by the French Government in the wake of the Kargil crisis.

Judge rejects plea in Anwar trial

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 (Reuters) — The judge in the sex trial of Anwar Ibrahim today rejected a defence request to throw out testimony by a key witness who had accused the jailed former Malaysian Finance Minister of sodomy.

The judge’s ruling threw the court into an uproar, with the defence assailing the judiciary and the Attorney-General accusing Mr Anwar’s lawyers of unethical conduct.

Mr Anwar’s lawyers assailed the decision by High Court judge Arifin Jaka to accept the crucial testimony by Mr Anwar’s family’s former driver against the ex-minister.

Mr Anwar’s lawyers had argued that the testimony by the former driver, Azizan Abu Bakar, that he visited the family’s home between 1992 and 1997 because he was not sodomised by the ex-minister contradicted the charge sheet, which accused Mr Anwar of having sex with the driver in 1993.

But the judge accepted Azizan’s explanation that the fact he was not sodomised at Anwar’s home did not mean the two men did not have sex elsewhere.

“My ruling is that I’m satisfied that the witness has given a reasonable explanation which can be accepted,” the judge said.

The defence denounced the ruling. Defence Counsel Karpal Singh said: “Why are you afraid? Is there an unseen hand influencing judges in this country? That’s the impression I get. They are no more free agents of the judiciary. It’s a shame. You must act without fear or favour.”

Without looking up from his notes, judge Arifin said: “I’m prepared to face the consequences.”

Mr Karpal, who is a member of Parliament and one of Malaysia’s leading lawyers, replied: “The international world is looking at us. Let us not make a mockery of the justice system in this country. If judges are just going to sit back and do what they are told, then it’s pathetic.”

Mr Anwar was sacked in September, 1998, and later charged with five counts each of corruption and sodomy. After Defence Lawyer Karpal had criticised today’s ruling, the judge asked Attorney-General Mohtar Abdullah to comment.

“As senior members of the bar, they should not come here and question your ruling. It’s most unethical,” Mr Mohtar, who is leading the prosecution, said, adding that Mr Karpal’s comments could amount to contempt of court.

Mr Karpal replied: “As members of the Bar we should not be afraid of contempt in doing our duty. If we are afraid, then let’s just take off the gowns and go and sit in the Himalayas.”

Iran threatens to withhold N-deal

TEHERAN, Sep 7 (Reuters) — Teheran has threatened to withhold further nuclear contracts from Russia, accusing it of failing to fulfil commitments on building an atomic power plant in Iran, an Iranian newspaper has reported.

“As long as the Russians do not fulfil their initial commitment to complete the Bushehr plant, no new contract will be signed with them,” the English-language Iran daily yesterday quoted Mr Mehdi Safari, Iran’s Ambassador to Moscow, as saying.

“Delays have occurred in this project, but we hope that the Russians will carry out their responsibilities as planned,” it quoted him as telling a Russian television station last week.

Teheran and Moscow have blamed each other for delays in the $ 800 million deal, signed in 1995, to complete the 1,000 MW nuclear reactor in the Gulf port of Bushehr. The plant was initially due for competition by 2002, but Russian officials said the first unit would be finished by May, 2003.

Murdoch’s comments
LONDON: Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has angered human rights activists and Tibetans by comments he made about the Dalai Lama and Tibetan culture, press reports said on Tuesday. In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine, Murdoch remarked of the Dalai Lama: “I have heard cynics who say he’s a very political old monk shuffling around in Gucci shoes.” — AFP

Lord Windsor
LONDON: Lord Frederick Windsor, dragging Britain’s royal family into another drug scandal, flew home on Monday after admitting he took cocaine. Windsor, who is George V’s great-grandson and 28th in line to the throne, apologised and promised not to do it again. His mother, Princess Michael of Kent, said she was disappointed but trusted him not to do it again. — Reuters

Stonehenge
LONDON: Britain unveiled plans to save stonehenge from the ravages of time and traffic. “Instead of a national treasure, we have a national disgrace,” said Lady Gass, presenting plans for revamping the ancient monument on Monday which is administered by the English Heritage Preservation Society. — Reuters

Allen Funt dead
LOS ANGELES: Allen Funt, who created and hosted the hit television show, “Candid Camera” and built it into a nearly 50-year career in Hollywood, has died at age of 84, family members said. Funt died on Sunday of complications of that stroke at his home in Pebble Beach, California, they said. — Reuters

Green turtles
FAKFAK (Irian Jaya): The Indonesian police has detained at least nine persons on charges of stealing 150 green turtles from their habitat in Fakfak waters in the country’s eastern most province of Irian Jaya. — Antara

Epidemic feared
ADDIS ABABA: Forty million Ethiopian, out of a population of about 60 million are at risk of malaria which often attacks after the heavy rainy season spanning between September and November. — IPS