The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, May 6, 2003, Chandigarh, India

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Iraqi civilian shoots at US soldier
Washington, May 5
A US soldier patrolling streets in the Iraqi capital was shot in the head and wounded by an unidentified Iraqi civilian, the US military said. The serviceman from the 3rd Infantry Division who was shot yesterday was taken to a military field hospital and was reported there in stable condition, officials at the US Central Command said.

‘Bush for blocking N. Korea N-sales’
Washington, May 5
In a shift in longtime US policy on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, President George W. Bush is seeking to build support to block the country from selling weapons-grade nuclear material, The New York Times reported today. For a decade, the US declared policy has been that North Korea would be prevented, by any means necessary, from producing plutonium or highly enriched uranium, the report said.

Tornadoes kill 28 in USA
Pierce City (Missouri), May 5
A series of tornadoes and high winds pummeled the Midwest, killing an estimated 28 persons in three states as storms left a swath of destruction a quarter-mile wide in some places.

9 more SARS deaths in China
Beijing, May 5
China said today that nine more persons had died from SARS and another 160 were infected, taking the death toll there to 206 and the number of cases to 4,280. The Health Ministry said three of the new deaths were in Beijing, currently the hardest hit place in the world, along with 98 of the latest cases.

A child wears a mask as she is carried by her mother at a passageway under Tiananmen Square in Beijing A child wears a mask as she is carried by her mother in a passageway under Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Monday. — Reuters photo

“Devdas” dominates Bollywood awards nite
New York, May 5
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus “Devdas” dominated the star-studded Bollywood awards ceremony held here, grabbing a slew of awards, including that for the best film.

GLOBAL MONITOR

A model displays a caftan designed by Iraqi fashion designer Bassem Al Cheikh Jawad in Marrakech, Morocco, on Saturday. The symbol at the centre reads "Baghdad." — AP/PTI

EARLIER STORIES

	Indo-Russian naval exercises after 15 years May 5, 2003
	First trade, then J&K: Pak May 4, 2003
	2 survivors of Bhopal gas tragedy on fast May 3, 2003
	SARS claims 11 more lives May 2, 2003
	Indian dies of SARS in Singapore May 1, 2003
	Kanishka bombing: two plead innocent April 30, 2003
	North Korea refuses to come clean on N-report April 29, 2003
	SARS toll continues to mount April 28, 2003
	Jiang meets Fernandes April 27, 2003
	US troops catch Turkish team April 26, 2003

Balasingham in Wanni to consult Prabhakaran
Colombo, May 5
Chief negotiator and LTTE political adviser Anton Balasingham and his Australian-born wife, Adele Anne, today arrived in a rebel-held town in the northern Wanni region to consult elusive rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran on the future peace talks.

Colonel Mark Theobald, commander of the British forces, plays a shot to inaugurate a friendly cricket match Iraqi actors perform at the damaged Rasheed theatre for the first time after the war

Colonel Mark Theobald (C), commander of the British forces, plays a shot to inaugurate a friendly cricket match between the British contingent of international peacekeepers and the Afghan cricket team in Kabul on Monday. Iraqi actors perform at the damaged Rasheed theatre for the first time after the war in Baghdad on Sunday. The theatre was burned, damaged and looted after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. — Reuters photos

Iraqi civilian shoots at US soldier

Washington, May 5
A US soldier patrolling streets in the Iraqi capital was shot in the head and wounded by an unidentified Iraqi civilian, the US military said.

The serviceman from the 3rd Infantry Division who was shot yesterday was taken to a military field hospital and was reported there in stable condition, officials at the US Central Command said.

No details of the incident, which US military officials said was being investigated, have been provided.

The assault, which follows two similar attacks in other parts of Iraq, underscores continued resistance to US forces in the country, just days after US President George W. Bush declared an end to major combat operations.

On Saturday, several Iraqis fired rifles at a US convoy near the central city of Fallujah, the site of earlier violent anti-American demonstrations, according to the command. On the same day, two Iraqis, who were later detained, fired at a marine patrol near the town of As Samawah without hitting anyone.

LONDON: A 14-year-old Iraqi boy has been killed by a British soldier in what appears to have been an accident, a media report said. The boy Ali Salim died on Saturday after being hit at close range near a school used to house British soldiers of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards in a suburb of the southern city of Basra.

A spokesman for the British Army said the Royal Military Police was investigating the incident. A friend of the youth, who said he had seen the shooting, said Ali was joking and talking with a soldier guarding the barracks when the soldier opened fire without provocation.

DUBAI: US Central Command in Qatar announced on Sunday that it had released 325 more Iraqi prisoners of war, adding that it still held around 3,200 others.

“Another 325 Iraqi soldiers captured during Operation Iraqi Freedom were released after accepting parole,” Central Command said in a statement. AFP/PTI

‘Bush for blocking N. Korea N-sales’

Washington, May 5
In a shift in longtime US policy on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, President George W. Bush is seeking to build support to block the country from selling weapons-grade nuclear material, The New York Times reported today.

For a decade, the US declared policy has been that North Korea would be prevented, by any means necessary, from producing plutonium or highly enriched uranium, the report said.

Citing US and foreign officials, the newspaper said Mr Bush discussed the new approach with Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Saturday after a briefing by Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, who headed the US delegation in last week’s US-North Korea-China talks.

Mr Bush and Mr Howard, who was visiting the President at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, touched only briefly on North Korea at a joint news conference on Saturday.

The New York Times said Mr Bush’s new focus reflects US intelligence officials’ conclusion that they could not ascertain whether North Korea was bluffing when it said last month that it had begun reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods that could be used to make atomic bombs. Reuters

Tornadoes kill 28 in USA

Pierce City (Missouri), May 5
A series of tornadoes and high winds pummeled the Midwest, killing an estimated 28 persons in three states as storms left a swath of destruction a quarter-mile wide in some places.

In Missouri, Lawrence County Sheriff Doug Seneker estimated 12 persons were killed yesterday when a tornado careened through the southwest part of the state.

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius declared seven counties disaster areas, and Missouri Governor Bob Holden said the process was underway to declare disaster areas in his state. Missouri officials told the National Guard to be ready to go to storm-damaged areas. AP

9 more SARS deaths in China

Beijing, May 5
China said today that nine more persons had died from SARS and another 160 were infected, taking the death toll there to 206 and the number of cases to 4,280.

The Health Ministry said three of the new deaths were in Beijing, currently the hardest hit place in the world, along with 98 of the latest cases.

Cities across China are following the lead from Beijing and starting to close schools, cinemas and other places that attract crowds in a bid to stop SARS from spreading, the state press reported.

In Taiyuan, capital of northern Shanxi province where more than 300 SARS cases have been reported, all schools will remain shut until further notice, affecting 5,00,000 children.

In Taipei, the Taiwanese authorities have temporarily suspended the hiring of new fishermen from China as SARS continues to spread, an official said today.

Meanwhile, more than 100 farmers attacked a government office in eastern China and beat up officials, enraged that a SARS quarantine center would be set up in their community, the state media and a local official said.

The riot erupted during the night between Saturday and yesterday, as the irate farmers gathered outside a government office in Zhejiang province’s Yuhuan county, the Jianghuaai Morning Post reported.

“The fight against SARS was a stern test for the whole nation, and a practical trial for the young generation,” Wen, who is yet to complete two months as the Premier said while touring Qinghua university and Beijing Agricultural University here yesterday.

Moscow: Russian health officials have identified the country’s first suspected cases of SARS on the eastern border with China, news reports said today. Reuters

“Devdas” dominates Bollywood awards nite

New York, May 5
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus “Devdas” dominated the star-studded Bollywood awards ceremony held here, grabbing a slew of awards, including that for the best film.

Shah Rukh Khan won the best actor award for his role in the blockbuster, while leading lady Aishwarya Rai bagged the award for best actress.

The other awards won by “Devdas” included best supporting actress for Kiron Kher and best female playback singer for Richa Sharma for the song “Mahi Re”.

The nominations for the awards, given away on Saturday night, were based on a poll conducted among non-resident Indians here and the final selection was made by an expert panel.

Akshay Kumar won the best supporting actor award for his performance in “Awara Paagal Deevana.”

More than 3,000 people gave a standing ovation as Hema Malani and Zeenat Aman, leading actresses of yesteryear, received lifetime achievement awards. PTI

GLOBAL MONITOR

Onkar Verma, brother of Nancy Chohan who is missing along with other family members, makes an appeal for their safe return

Onkar Verma, brother of Nancy Chohan (seen in the background image) who is missing along with other family members, makes an appeal for their safe return at a Press conference in London on Monday. — Reuters

MEASLES KILLS 38 KIDS IN NEPAL
KATHMANDU: The outbreak of measles in remote parts of western Nepal has killed at least 38 children in the past month, a Nepalese newspaper reported on Monday. The Space Time Dainik said at least 18 children died of the disease in three extremely remote villages in Baitadi district, about 550 km west of the capital. The newspaper said hundreds of other children were affected by the disease in the hill district that borders India. DPA

JAPAN TO SEND PROBE TO ASTEROID
TOKYO: Japan is set to launch a space probe later this week that will bring rock samples back to earth from an asteroid, a leading Japanese daily said on Monday. The MUSES-C probe will blast into space on an M-5 rocket from Japan’s Tanegashima launch centre on Friday. The probe will arrive at the asteroid, known as 1998 SF36, in June 2005, and then descend to its surface to take rock samples before heading back to earth. Reuters