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| Wednesday, October 25, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Gore major obstacle to reforms, says Bush MILWAUKEE, Wis., Oct 24 — Calling his opponent the “second biggest obstacle to reform in America,” Republican presidential hopeful George W. Bush began his “barnstorm for reform” campaign yesterday talking about his plans to trim the government and fix social security. US-N Korea ties ‘moving
in right direction’ Divali festivities catch Sydney |
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Storm stops work on cutting Kursk Algerians crazy about Hindi films 1 killed in attack on
police station Discovery yet to find landing place Helping President at 13 Hindu priest led double life: police
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Gore major obstacle to reforms, says Bush MILWAUKEE, Wis., Oct 24 (Reuters) — Calling his opponent the “second biggest obstacle to reform in America,” Republican presidential hopeful George W. Bush began his “barnstorm for reform” campaign yesterday talking about his plans to trim the government and fix social security. Yesterday was the first day of Mr Bush’s “barnstorming” effort in which 28 Republican Governors joined the Texas Governor in a blitz campaign that would see groups of them travel to 48 cities in 25 states over three days. In an address that varied from his traditional stump speech, he accused Mr Gore of having no imagination or flexibility, innovation or accountability. “For 7-1/2 years, the Vice President has been the second biggest obstacle to reform in America,’’ he said. “And now he wants to be the biggest...he wants to be the obstacle-in-chief.’’ He then spelled out his main goals: strengthening the military, reforming the tax code and changing social security and medicare. The campaign is part of an increased attempt by Mr Bush to woo swing voters and Independents and help shore up shaky states or win over states that have traditionally gone Democratic. With just 15 days to go before the November 7 elections, Mr Bush holds only a slight lead in most poll over Mr Gore, but every state counts in order to win the 270 electoral votes needed to get to the White House. Mr Bush and Mr Gore have traded attacks over the past week over their different approaches on how to ensure the survival of the social security retirement system. Mr Gore proposes using the Budget surplus to reduce national debt, thus cutting interest payments in the budget. He would use the savings to extend the life of social security. Mr Bush proposes allowing younger Americans to set aside part of their payroll taxes for personal savings accounts that they would then invest in financial markets. “It’s time to seize this moment and reform the system,’’ Mr Bush said in Des Moines, after saying that in Kansas City that Mr Gore’s plan “passes the buck and the bill to future generations.’’ He said Mr Gore was against change and reform in many areas, and that attitude hurt the country. The women’s campaign has been touring the country to boost support among women for the Texas Governor. The women included Mr Bush’s wife, Mrs Laura, his top foreign policy adviser, Condoleezza Rice, and Cindy McCain, wife of Arizona Sen. John McCain, who Mr Bush defeated in the Republican primaries. Over the next two days Mr Bush will visit states seen as crucial battlegrounds in the elections. On Tuesday he travels to Illinois, to Mr Gore’s home state of Tennessee and to Florida. |
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US-N Korea ties ‘moving in right direction’ PYONGYANG, Oct 24 (AFP) — Moves to kickstart US-North Korea ties are moving in the right direction but there is still a way to go in overcoming five decades of animosity, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said here today. Ms Albright, meeting Kim Jong-II, the reclusive “Great Leader” of the Stalinist nation for the second time in as many days, thanked her host for making the time to see her again to continue what one senior US official described as “intensely serious” discussions related to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs. “I don’t think the three hours of discussion that we had yesterday are enough to break the silence of 50 years, “Kim replied. “Instead of making gestures, it is necessary to show sincerity”, he added. Before her meeting with Kim, Ms Albright expressed cautious optimism over the prospects for improving ties with North Korea — with which the USA remains technically still at war after fighting alongside South Korea in the 1950-1953 Korean conflict. “Our talks this week are yet another sign that the desire to make peace is mutual,” she said at a luncheon, “We have far to go but I am convinced we are moving in the right direction.” Ms Albright arrived here yesterday on a two-day visit to gauge whether North Korea’s Communist leadership is serious about ending its half-century of isolation. In her luncheon toast, Ms Albright stressed that for progress to continue, North Korea must address Washington’s deep concerns over its nuclear and missile program. She implied that a visit here by US President Bill Clinton — much-desired by Pyongyang — and normalised relations would be dependent up on such progress. “These goals will benefit all Koreans and all Americans,” she said, referring also to a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War which was concluded only with an armistice. “To achieve them we must each meet our responsibilities to
fulfill commitments and eliminate threats,” Ms Albright said. “We must move in steady strides away from the bitterness of the past and persist in the search for common ground,” she said, adding an appeal for North Korea not to provoke its neighbours and to continue opening up to the outside world. Washington wants “countries in the region to feel secure from threats, conflict and war,” she said. “We want every nation to participate in the international system and to observe global norms,” she added. |
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Divali festivities catch Sydney SYDNEY, Oct 24 (PTI) — about 15,000 persons lit candles to the tune of “jyot se jyot jalate chalo” as part of the Divali celebrations held at the Fairfield showgrounds here. Organised by the Hindu Council of Australia, Devali fair was held yesterday for the second consecutive year as the event found place in the annual calendar of Sydney’s festivals and fairs. “This is a significant event for us. There is no substitute for the rich display of Indian culture. It is a tribute to Australia, a country where one has the capacity to choose one’s religion and the freedom of worship,” Federal Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Phillip Ruddock said on the occasion. The Hindu Council of Australia with its chapters in every state has been promoting and pursuing the legitimate religious, social and educational needs of the Hindus here. “Our thrust is to popularise Divali as the main festival of the Hindu community. It is not just an occasion for the people from the sub-continent, but Hindu migrants from South Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Fiji and Singapore also participate in the fair,”
A. Balasubramaniam, chairperson of the council said. The celebrations were flagged off with the traditional Ganesha and Laxmi puja with the deities placed on a stage decorated with flowers and rangoli. A variety of entertainment programmes ranging from the classical bharat natyam to young girls dancing to the tune of sound tracks have been planned during the festival. “It is a great place to make new friends and I love the food in the stalls here as well,” Subhas Ini, a computer engineer who migrated from Hyderabad two years ago, said. Several people thronged the mehndi stall at the fair. “The craze is catching up here and more people want herbal
mehndi instead of tattoos,” said Padma Jain, who decorated over 40 hands during the day. As dusk gave way to night, the sky was lit with a spectacular show of fireworks bringing back memories of many of a Divali at home. |
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Storm stops work
on cutting Kursk MOSCOW, Oct 24 (Reuters) — A storm in the Barents Sea forced Russian and Norwegian divers to suspend work on cutting a hole in the hull of the sunken nuclear submarine Kursk to retrieve the remains of its 118-member crew. Penetrating the inner hull is the toughest challenge facing the divers at this stage. A worker who took part in building the Kursk told Russian television that cutting into 10 cm of the reinforced metal was a daunting task even in a dry dock. The Interfax news agency quoted Gennady Verich, head of the Northern Fleet rescue service, as saying the operation was suspended in the evening yesterday after the weather sharply worsened. He said a storm brewing all day had reached a level that endangered the lives of the divers. Vladimir Navrotsky, the Northern Fleet spokesman, said the divers had cut about a fifth of the hole that they have to make to enter the vessel. He said the work would take at least 15 hours and could be finished early today. |
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Algerians crazy about Hindi films ALGIERS, Oct 24 (PTI) — Algerians may not be much aware of the economic and scientific strides made by India but they surely know the Bollywood and cine-stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Shashi Kapoor, Hema Malini and Madhuri Dixit. As Hindi films are quite a passion in this Mediterranean port city, the Arabic and French-speaking youngsters have picked up the language just by watching these films. “My desire is to visit India and meet the cinestars. I have been watching Indian films right from my childhood and I can speak Hindi now,” a 31-year-old businessman Boutaleb Athmane Ahmed said. He even sang Kishore Kumar’s number “meet na mila re man ka” from the film “Abhimaan”. All this came to the fore when the External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, opened Indian Film Week here yesterday with the screening of “Dilwale Dulhaniya le Jayenge”. Sensing the enthusiasm in the crowd, Mr Jaswant Singh made a short speech and hoped that such programmes would go a long way in strengthening ties between the two countries. The External Affairs Minister is on a three-day visit to the country. Other films to be screened across some Algerian cities during the week are “Dil to Pagal Hai”, “Kaho Naa Pyar Hai”, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”, “Pyar Koi Khel Nahi” and “Arjun Pandit”. Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelazia Belkhadem, Information Minister Mohinuddine Amimour and Labour and Social Affairs Minister Sultani Bouguerra also attended the inauguration. Despite Algeria being 7000 km away from India, Hindi films are extremely popular among the people there. Besides numbers of Kishore Kumar, those of Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi too are equally popular here. Other stars well known to them are Dharmendra, Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore, Mumtaz and
Nargis. |
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1 killed in attack on
police station KARACHI, Oct 24 (AP) — The police opened fire early today on a mob that attacked a police station in a poor neighborhood in Southern Karachi, killing the leader of a militant Sunni Muslim group and wounding five others. About 200 members of the militant Sunni-e-Tehrik group attacked a police station in the Lyari neighborhood to demand the arrest of a man they believed desecrated the Muslim holy book, the Koran, the police said. The identity of the man, who is a Muslim, was not known, but he was apparently the custodian of a mosque in Karachi. It wasn’t immediately known whether the man was a Sunni or Shiite Muslim. The police refused to say why no arrest had been made. The mob set fire to a police vehicle and hurled rocks at the station before policemen opened fire, they said. |
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Discovery yet to
find landing place CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Oct 24 (Reuters) — The space shuttle, Discovery, spent the day yesterday orbiting the earth without a place to land as the weather kept landing sites on both U.S. coasts closed the entire day. With the landing strip at Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre closed early by high, sustained crosswinds, NASA had hoped to put the shuttle down at Edwards air force base in California’s Mojave Desert. Throughout the day, mission managers hoped the low cloud ceiling, high-altitude icing and rain showers lingering near Edwards would move off, but they finally suspended efforts to bring Discovery home at about 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT). That meant another night afloat in the cramped quarters of the orbiter as the astronauts await their 13th day in orbit. The next landing opportunity comes today at 11:52
am. EDT (2122 hrs IST) in Florida, but because winds are expected to grow only stronger, NASA is more optimistic about a 4:59 P.M. EDT (0229 hrs
IST) opportunity at Edwards. |
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Helping President at 13 GUATEMALA CITY, Oct 24 (AFP) — A 13-year-old boy serves as an Adviser to the country President, Mr Alfonso Portillo, on youth issues, such as education and the environment, a spokesman for the Administration has said. “Yes, Samuel (Esteban Gomez) met the President and participated in Cabinet meetings,” said the spokesman, who wished to remain anonymous. He said before becoming an official Adviser, the youth had participated in various political activities including, “President for a day” and “Congressional President for a day” — two year-end events. Samuel was described yesterday by a local newspaper as a prodigy and a genius who takes advanced courses in mathematics at a local university to prepare for a course in aeronautical engineering. The boy’s future was seen as so promising in terms of his potential scientific achievements that his academic endeavours were being closely monitored by the us space agency
NASA, the newspaper reported. “I am a presidential Adviser to represent the youth,” Samuel explained his unpaid role in the government. The prodigy has already engaged in international diplomacy, having met us president Bill Clinton when he visited the country in April, 1999. He has also met Prince Felipe, the heir to the Spanish Crown, and has spent time with former President Alvaro Arzu, who left office this year. |
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Hindu priest led
double life: police LONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) — The police hunting the murderer of one of Britain’s leading Hindu figures said he led a double life and that they were probing his links with the gay community. Hindu priest Harish Purohit was found dead with multiple stab wounds at a house owned by his family in Leicester, the home of Britain’s second largest Hindu community after London. “One of our lines of enquiry is within the gay community, a Leicestershire police spokeswoman said yesterday. Superintendent Bryan Warraker told a Press conference: “We know that he led a double life, he had a happy domestic home life but also had a separate social lifestyle.” He said the Kenya-born social services manager was found in a pool of blood on Saturday by his father and brother. A post-mortem examination showed he had been stabbed 13 times. His brother Janardan Purohit said the 42-year-old priest was well-known and loved by Hindus in Britain and across the world. The last official census put the number of Hindus in Britain at about 140,000. The police said they were conducting a forensic examination of Purohit’s house and had found his car, which had been missing when the investigation started. |
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