W O R L D

13 killed in Ukraine floods, 4 in Romania
Kiev, July 27
Floods described by a senior government official as the worst in the century have killed 13 people in western Ukraine and four in neighbouring Romania, officials said today.

Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko visits a settlement affected by floods in the Ivano- Frankivsk region on Sunday. — Reuters photo

Wrong Conviction
US army apologises to 28 black soldiers
Washington, July 27
The US army has formally apologised to 28 black soldiers, who were wrongly convicted of rioting and lynching of an Italian prisoner of World War II in Seattle about six decades ago.

Maoists threaten to take to streets
Amidst looming uncertainty to form a new government, Chairman of CPN(M) Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda yesterday threatened to launch a nationwide movement against the Nepali Congress President and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, if he leads the post-election government.

NATO attacks won’t be tolerated: Mush
President Musharraf warned that any attacks by NATO on targets inside Pakistan would not be tolerated and warned that Pakistan reserves the right to retaliate in such an eventuality. He reiterated the resolve to fight terrorism adding that containing extremism or terrorism is in the interest of Pakistan.

Ghazni’s gurdwara renovated with int’l aid
Islamabad, July 27
A gurdwara in Afghanistan’s Ghazni city has been renovated with international assistance worth $ 1.5 lakh as the war-torn country struggles to revive the inter-religious harmony of the pre-Taliban days.

Hun Sen claims election victory
Phnom Penh, July 27
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) claimed an expected victory in today’s general election, giving another five years in power to ex-Khmer Rouge guerrilla Hun Sen, Prime Minister for the past 23 years.

13 killed in Ukraine floods, 4 in Romania

Kiev, July 27
Floods described by a senior government official as the worst in the century have killed 13 people in western Ukraine and four in neighbouring Romania, officials said today.

Ukraine’s emergencies ministry said water levels were dangerously high on the Prut and Dnestr rivers after five days of non-stop rain. More than 20,000 homes have been flooded and 7,000 people evacuated, many by boat or helicopter, it said.

At least five of the dead were children and two had been struck by lightning, the ministry said. Two persons were missing.

Television footage showed houses cut off by rising waters, rescuers moving down flooded streets on inflatable rafts and roads falling into rushing rivers.

“The situation is very difficult. Ukraine has seen nothing like this for 100 years,” Ukrainian media quoted first deputy chairman Oleksander Turchynov as saying from the region. He said more funds would be needed in the 2008 budget to repair the damage.

President Viktor Yushchenko flew to the worst affected area in the Ivano-Frankivsk region after leaving early a service in Kiev marking the 1,020th anniversary of the adoption of Orthodox Christianity in the region.

In Romania, a child drowned and three people were killed when a house collapsed into swirling floodwater in northeastern Maramures County. Two persons were missing.

Around 9,000 people from 200 villages were evacuated as rain damaged over 2,000 houses and 19,000 hectares of farmland.

The authorities deployed 3,000 police and troops to pack dams with sandbags as swollen waters from Ukraine were expected to hit Romania again later in the day. — Reuters

Wrong Conviction
US army apologises to 28 black soldiers

Washington, July 27
The US army has formally apologised to 28 black soldiers, who were wrongly convicted of rioting and lynching of an Italian prisoner of World War II in Seattle about six decades ago.

“The army is genuinely sorry,” Ronald James, assistant secretary of the army for manpower and reserve affairs, said.

“We had not done right to these soldiers,” James said yesterday, besides calling the convictions a “grievous wrong”.

The soldiers were convicted in 1945, a year after a clash between them and the Italian prisoners of war, which left one person dead and several injured at the Seattle’s Fort Lawton Army Reserve Centre.

Relatives of the soldiers thronged the Seattle’s old Fort Lawton parade grounds yesterday and joined officials to hear James give the apology before hundreds of people.

Of the 28 soldiers, only two are alive. One of them, Roy Montgomery of Detroit did not travel to Seattle. The other, Samuel Snow of Leesburg missed the ceremony because he was hospitalised.

Besides, the soldiers’ dishonourable discharges were changed to honourable discharges. Apart from this, back pay was awarded to the two survivors and to the families of the dead for their time in the prison. In total, the families of five veterans were present at the ceremony. — PTI

Maoists threaten to take to streets
Bishnu Budhathoki writes from Kathmandu

Amidst looming uncertainty to form a new government, Chairman of CPN(M) Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda yesterday threatened to launch a nationwide movement against the Nepali Congress President and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, if he leads the post-election government.

Speaking at a programme here today, Prachanda said national and international elements had been hatching a conspiracy against the Maoists by making Koirala as PM again. “If Koirala retains to the post, Maoists will bring people to the streets protesting against any attempt of going against the fresh mandate of the people expressed through the April 10, Constituent Assembly elections,” he said.

Immediately after receiving the severe blow of defeat in the Presidential and Vice-Presidential election in the Constituent Assembly, the Maoists’ Chairman Prachanda had floated 3-point pre-conditions prior to lead the new government.

He had asked the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Madhesi People's Rights Forum to scrap their newly forged alliance, express commitment to give confidence for the Maoists government for next two years and incorporate maximum Maoist agenda in common minimum program of the government.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress Central Working Committee members today urged the Maoists, as largest party in the Constituent Assembly, to take the initiative to reach a political consensus and form a new government.

NATO attacks won’t be tolerated: Mush
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

President Musharraf warned that any attacks by NATO on targets inside Pakistan would not be tolerated and warned that Pakistan reserves the right to retaliate in such an eventuality.

He reiterated the resolve to fight terrorism adding that containing extremism or terrorism is in the interest of Pakistan.

Musharraf was quoted by the media as making these remarks while talking to Dr Harlan Ullman, a leading US foreign policy analyst, who called on him here. He said Afghan-based NATO forces were not being attacked from the Pakistani soil. The President also highlighted the government’s multi-pronged strategy combining security, political and development measures and the need to follow it aggressively.

During the meeting, the views regarding relations between Pakistan and the US and the regional situation were also exchanged.

Dr Ullman said a close relationship was in the interest of the both countries as well as regional peace and stability.

Musharraf reiterated that a stable Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan, and regretted that baseless allegations against Pakistan could affect the global war on terror.

Ghazni’s gurdwara renovated with int’l aid

Islamabad, July 27
A gurdwara in Afghanistan’s Ghazni city has been renovated with international assistance worth $ 1.5 lakh as the war-torn country struggles to revive the inter-religious harmony of the pre-Taliban days.

Ghazni governor Muhammad Usman Usmani inaugurated the Sikh temple completed by the assistance from the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).

The governor said all residents of the country irrespective of their language, religion and tribe enjoyed similar rights.

Dilip Singh, MP of the Sikhs in Ghazni province, said problems in offering their religious ceremonies and parties was solved with this new gurdwara, a Pakistan daily reported on its website.

He said the gurdwara could house 3,000 people and urged the government to focus on the religious minorities in the province to protect their rights.

“I am an Afghan and I am entitled to all rights to be looked after,” he added.

Thousands of Sikhs and Hindus would rush to Ghazni to attend festivals when peace and stability returns to the province, he said. — PTI

Hun Sen claims election victory

Phnom Penh, July 27
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) claimed an expected victory in today’s general election, giving another five years in power to ex-Khmer Rouge guerrilla Hun Sen, Prime Minister for the past 23 years.

Party spokesperson Khieu Kanharith said the one-time communist but now firmly free-market CPP was on course to win 80 of the 123 seats in Parliament.

A member of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) said early results suggested it was on course for at least 40 seats, although party chief Sam Rainsy put his projected tally much higher.

The full results from today’s poll are not expected until late tomorrow. — Reuters