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.. . . Day by Day with VOA .. BBC -- Sunday, 8 December, 2002, 12:23 GMT . Ivory Coast
mobilises youth
. Thousands have fled the
latest fighting The Government of Ivory Coast has called on young
men to volunteer for the army in what it is calling a mobilisation against the
almost three-month-long rebellion.
All men aged 20-26 have been asked to turn up at army headquarters on Tuesday.
The announcement came amid reports that rebel factions had advanced eastwards from the Liberian border through cocoa-growing country. Various French army sources were quoted as saying that rebels had taken the town of Blolequin, and were also threatening Guiglo, 120 kilometres (75 miles) from the Liberian border. Mercenaries have been seen heading towards the front alongside the Ivory Coast army. Call-up "We are calling for the mobilisation because, with the increase in the number of fronts, we also need to increase the size of the security and defence forces," Ivory Coast Defence Minister Bertin Kadet told reporters. "Ivorians are showing the desire to go to the front and they should be satisfied," he said.
The news conference came after the leader of Monoko-Zohi's Burkina Faso community, Ibrahima Ouedraogo, said that 120 men in his village had been killed by Ivory Coast soldiers. French soldiers found the grave after fierce fighting between government soldiers and rebel groups. The government denies any responsibility, saying the rebels are to blame - the village is in rebel-held territory. "Our forces are not in the habit of burying their dead in common graves," Mr Kadet said. Ivory Coast used to be West Africa's richest country but, 11 weeks after an army mutiny, some diplomats fear it could descend into the anarchy and massive blood-letting of civil wars in neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone. Massacre The mass grave was found in territory held by the rebel Ivory Coast Patriotic Movement (MPCI) 70km (40 miles) north-west of the key cocoa-trading town of Daloa, which is now in loyalist hands. Mr Ouedraogo said Ivorian army troops arrived in the village, travelling in six trucks with Ivorian military markings. The victims had been killed by "men in uniform," who were "aided by some villagers".
The bodies were found protruding from a mound which was 30 metres wide and two metres high, said a spokesman for the French forces in Ivory Coast, Lieutenant Colonel Ange-Antoine Leccia. The BBC's Paul Welsh in Abidjan says there are now claims of two other mass graves of government forces killed during the 11 weeks of fighting. One of them is said to be in the rebel headquarters in Bouake which used to be government military barracks. The MPCI dominates the largely Muslim north of the country, while troops loyal to President Laurent Gbagbo retain control of the mainly Christian south. . BBC -- Saturday, 7 December, 2002, 22:59 GMT . Meles links
Somalis to Kenya attacks
. Meles (left):
Al-Ittihad is growing threat to region
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said he has indications that a group operating out of Somalia may have been behind last month's attacks on Israelis in Kenya.
He offered no evidence to substantiate these views. But with senior US officials due in Addis Ababa next week, Mr Meles will have every opportunity to convince them that the group had a hand in the attacks. The prime minister was speaking after his return to Addis Ababa from the United States, where he said he had discussed security matters with President George W Bush. Growing threat The attacks on Israelis in the Kenyan port of Mombasa have reinforced Ethiopia's long-held belief that Somalia is a source of instability throughout the region.
Ethiopia has frequently warned about the dangers posed by the obscure al-Ittihad group. The group is seen not only as a threat to Ethiopian security, but - because of its links to al-Qaeda - as a cause of international concern. Before the Kenyan attacks these warnings tended to be treated with some scepticism in the West. Now, says Mr Meles, they are receiving greater attention: "People are beginning to recognise that al-Ittihad is indeed a threat linked to al-Qaeda." "Our indications seem to suggest that the terrorists may have started from Rascomboni in Somalia and gone to Mombasa using boats that were launched from Rascomboni." . BBC -- Sunday, 8 December, 2002, 23:22 GMT . California
Catholics face financial crisis
. The US Catholic
church has come under severe pressure
In California, the Roman Catholic Church is warning of a possible financial crisis because of a new law which makes it easier for individuals to sue priests for damages in sex abuse cases.
In a pastoral letter to be read in more than 1,000 churches across the state, California's bishops warn that the legislation will result in a flood of new lawsuits and will drain Church coffers. The bishops say that this, in turn, will hinder the Church's ability to help the poor and perform charitable works. 'Falsely portrayed' The law liberalizes the so-called statute of limitations - the time period within which victims can sue.
Under the current law, anyone alleging abuse has to sue either before their 26th birthday or within three years of discovering any emotional problems which might be linked to the abuse. The law was passed five months ago as scores of allegations against Catholic clergymen were coming to light across the country. "We anticipate that new lawsuits, some involving very old allegations, will be filed against dioceses in California," the pastoral letter says. It also says that "the Catholic Church has been falsely portrayed as a large corporation with 'deep pockets'". Mysterious visit The letter comes just a few days after the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, which is facing more than 400 sexual abuse lawsuits, announced that its finance panel had approved a bankruptcy filing, a move intended to stem a torrent of sex-abuse lawsuits. The total assets of the Boston Archdiocese have been estimated at $1.3bn. Meanwhile, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law, cancelled his participation at Sunday Mass, amid growing calls for his resignation over his handling of the scandal. The cardinal's spokeswoman told the Reuters news agency that he had left Boston and was currently in Rome. In April this year - when the scandal raged in Boston - Cardinal Law also cancelled his appearance at Sunday Mass and went into seclusion. A few days later he turned up in the Vatican and met Pope John Paul II to discuss the impact of the scandal. . BBC -- Sunday, 8 December, 2002, 11:19 GMT . Australia
bush fires 'contained'
. Firefighters use a
brief respite to grab some sleep Firefighters appear to be gaining the upper hand against bush fires
which have left the Australian city of Sydney covered in a thick haze of smoke
for four days.
But on Sunday the crisis shifted from suburban Sydney to a resort area in the Blue Mountains, where fires threatened a historic hotel building. And there are still fears that strong winds
might spark new conflagrations before cooler, wetter weather arrives from the
ocean on Monday.
At least 48 homes have been lost since the crisis began on Wednesday
but fire crews have managed to save hundreds more.
Hotel drama For the fourth morning in a row, residents of Sydney awoke to a thick haze of smoke covering the city.
On the northern fringes, the situation is believed to be under control, but officers warn that the picture could change rapidly if winds pick up. State premier Bob Carr, speaking from the scene of a major blaze in the northern suburb of Berowra, said the situation was still dangerous for hundreds of residents. The most dramatic scenes were in the Blue Mountains, 90 kilometres (56 miles) to the west of the city. Flames 30-40 metres (100-130 feet) high roared up a mountain valley, engulfing two homes and threatening the 98-year-old art deco Hydro Majestic Hotel. Hotel guests watched as helicopters swooped over the flames with water bombs "It sounds like Apocalypse Now," eyewitness Jill Shepherd told Sky News. Arson fears The fires flared up on Wednesday in tinder dry forests encircling Sydney. Winds gusting up to 60km/h (40 mph) have made the firefighters' job all the more difficult. Such fires are natural to the arid bush in Australia - which is suffering one of its worst droughts in 100 years - but some of the blazes are thought to have been started deliberately. An 18-year-old student arrested on Thursday was refused bail when he appeared in court on Friday, charged with arson. He faces up to 14 years in jail if found guilty.  . . . BBC -- Sunday, 8 December, 2002, 14:40 GMT . End to
Aceh conflict in sight
. About 10,000
people have died in Aceh since 1976
The Indonesian Government and separatist rebels in the province of Aceh are set to conclude a peace deal that will end one of the longest armed conflicts in the world. The two sides are scheduled to sign an agreement in Geneva on Monday that calls for an immediate end to violence and sets out plans for elections for an autonomous government in Aceh in 2004.
But while the northern province would be allowed to hold its own elections in 2004, it would not be given independence, until now one of the rebels' key demands. US pressure More than 10,000 people, mainly civilians, have died in violence in Aceh since 1976. The Indonesian Government has many reasons to want to hold on to it. The province is the biggest producer of natural gas in the country and Jakarta fears that independence would lead to the entire nation falling apart along ethnic and religious lines. European negotiators have worked for two years to bring about a peace deal. But the Indonesian Government has also been under pressure from Washington. The US administration wants Indonesia free to concentrate on the war against terrorism. . BBC -- Sunday, 8 December, 2002, 21:25 GMT . US
seeks Asian support on Iraq
. Mr Armitage's
reception on his tour will vary widely A senior US envoy has arrived in Japan on the first leg of an Asian
tour aimed at building support for Washington's policy on
Iraq.
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage will hold talks in Tokyo on Monday before travelling to South Korea, China and Australia. Japanese officials are expected to use the talks with Mr Armitage to discuss the challenge posed by North Korea, which has admitted it is still running a nuclear weapons programme. Mr Armitage's visit is part of a big US diplomatic offensive that will sound out around 50 nations on possible military action against Baghdad. Constitutional restraints Whether Japan will support such action is unclear, although last week it agreed to send one of its most sophisticated destroyers to the Indian Ocean to provide non-combat assistance in the war on terrorism.
Some opposition politicians in Japan have already attacked the move, saying it violated efforts by the United Nations to resolve the crisis peacefully. Japan's constitution rejects the use of military force in resolving international conflicts. The bigger question for Tokyo when Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi meets Mr Armitage will be North Korea. Mr Armitage reportedly told a top Japanese politician in Washington that the United States suspected North Korea was developing nuclear weapons for a potential attack on Japan. BBC correspondent in Tokyo, Charles Scanlon, says Mr Armitage can expect a warm reception on the last leg of his tour - in Australia - but must first travel to South Korea and China. China, our correspondent says, has spoken consistently in favour of a diplomatic and negotiated solution in Iraq, while anti-American sentiment has risen in South Korea since a recent incident in which two schoolgirls were crushed to death by a US military vehicle. . BBC -- Sunday, 8 December, 2002, 22:49 GMT . Serbian poll 'invalid' again
. Another
failure may see the government challenged Election monitors in Serbia say the turnout in Sunday's re-run
presidential election has again been below the 50% needed for the result to be
valid.
The observers from the Belgrade-based Centre for Free Elections and Democracy (Cesid) said only about 45% of the electorate had voted - the same turnout as in the previous invalid election in October.
Unofficial results put the current Yugoslav President, Vojislav Kostunica, in the lead with about 58% of the vote. Mr Kostunica, a moderate nationalist who also won in October, has accused his political rival - Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic - of sabotaging the vote. Mr Djindjic was not himself standing in this election. The Yugoslav president has lodged an appeal over alleged irregularities with the voter lists. If that fails, paving the way for a third election, there is likely to be a period of intense political fighting in Serbia, says BBC Belgrade correspondent Matthew Price.
Rage Observers blamed the low turnout on the first winter snows and continuing voter apathy and popular discontent with politicians. "We can definitely say that the electorate did not come out to vote in numbers larger than 45%," said Zoran Lucic, an analyst at Cesid. Cesid's unofficial results put hardline nationalist Vojislav Seselj of the Serbian Radical Party in second place with 36% of the votes cast. He was followed by the third nationalist in the race - Borislav Pelevic of the Serbian Unity Party founded by late Serb warlord Zeljko Raznjatovic, known as Arkan. He got about 3.4%. Observers say the choice put off many voters - Mr Djindjic's camp did not put up a candidate of their own. "I voted last time but not now. Why should I vote since they only argue about their positions?" Milutin Bajevic, a 58-year-old dentist from Belgrade, told the AFP news agency. Kostunica-Djindjic row The biggest loser from the failed ballot is Mr Kostunica, whose current job is due to vanish soon when the Yugoslav federation is disbanded and replaced by a loose union between Serbia and Montenegro.
"They are worth entering in the Guinness book of records," he said and warned Mr Djindjic: "If these elections fail because of the lists, this will not prevent early parliamentary elections but rather precipitate them." But Mr Djindjic blamed Mr Kostunica for the failure of voters to turn up. ''The exclusive responsibility ... is on Kostunica," Mr Djindjic said. ''I did not see any campaign. The voters were not animated.'' Mr Seselj is supported by the former Yugoslav President, Slobodan Milosevic, who is currently on trial for war crimes at The Hague. The incumbent Serbian President is Milan Milutinovic, an old Milosevic ally whose five-year term expires in January. The election comes two years after a reformist movement, led by Mr Kostunica and Mr Djindjic, toppled Mr Milosevic. . BBC -- Monday, 9 December, 2002, 00:00 GMT . Heart drug could help cocaine addicts
. The drug
could stop addicts craving cocaine A drug used to treat patients with cystic
fibrosis and heart disease could also help cocaine addicts to quit their
habits.
Researchers in the United States have found that n-acetyl cysteine (NAC) can help to reduce craving in cocaine users. The medication eliminates the 'rewards' associated with taken the drug, which keeps addicts wanting more.
Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina have found that NAC has an impact on glutamate levels in the brain. Previous studies have shown that this chemical plays a key role in cocaine dependence. Long-term use of cocaine interferes with normal glutamate levels. If addicts stop using the drug, glutamate levels plunge. Addicted rats Small amounts of cocaine can produce a large increase in this chemical, although only for a short period. It is this surge that encourages addicts to keep seeking the drug. But Dr David Baker and colleagues have found that NAC can help to restore glutamate levels to their normal levels. Tests on rats have also shown that it stops the subsequent surge associated with taking cocaine. "Treatment with n-acetyl cysteines not only restores glutamate to normal levels but also prevents glutamate levels from spiking following subsequent cocaine injections," Dr Baker said. The tests on rats also found NAC can reduce craving. In this study, the rats were trained to self-administer cocaine injections by pressing a lever. When rats become used to the drug it is replaced with saline causing withdrawal. The rat usually continues to press the lever for another two weeks in the hope of obtaining cocaine. When they stop pressing the lever, they are given an injection of cocaine. This prompts them to start pressing the lever again or craving the drug. 'Encouraging' However, the researchers found that NAC stopped the rats from craving the drug. NAC is routinely used to treat patients with cystic fibrosis and bronchitis. It is also prescribed to people with heart disease and is increasingly believed to help patients with HIV. Dr John Marsden, a senior lecturer in addiction studies at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, said the findings were encouraging. However, he added that extensive studies in humans would be needed before the medication could be administered to cocaine addicts. "If there is a medication that would influence glutamate levels that could be really encouraging. "There could be a potential role of this NAC agent as part of relapse prevention therapy." Speaking to BBC News Online, he added: "This study is encouraging but we need rigorous clinical trials in humans." The findings were presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. . BBC -- Sunday, 8 December, 2002, 20:07 GMT . Iraq issues challenge over arms
.
Nuclear
scientists aim to report within two weeks Iraq has challenged the United States to
provide evidence that Iraq still possesses weapons of mass
destruction.
If they do, "they should come up [with the evidence] forthwith. The sooner they do it, the better for all concerned," an adviser to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein said at a news conference in Baghdad.
General al-Saadi said the 12,000 page dossier was an "honest, truthful and comprehensive" account of Iraq's weapons programmes. It contained 800 sites that could be monitored by the inspectors - everyone could see Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. One copy of the Iraqi declaration is being sent to UN inspectors in New York and another has arrived at the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna.
On their ninth day of work, inspectors from the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (Unmovic) visited a geological research facility in central Baghdad. Biological and chemical experts went to the Fallugah complex where Iraq produced chemical and biological arms in the past. Another contingent of 25 inspectors arrived in Baghdad on Sunday, more than doubling the existing team. The UN have also brought in a helicopter to help them cover much more of this vast country, says the BBC's Ben Brown in Baghdad. No weapons The adviser to the Iraqi leader told journalists the weapons declaration was so long because - based on Resolution 1441 - the government had had to include details on anything that was of potential dual use such as tanneries, breweries, and even factories manufacturing slippers. General al-Saadi said each document was in two parts: one detailing work until 1991 - before the Gulf War - and the other including the period from 1991 to the present. Responding to questions about US and UK allegations, General al-Saadi said:"Let them come up with it, give it to the IAEA, give it to Unmovic. They are here - they could check it. Why play this game?" US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Armitage has meanwhile arrived in Japan on the first leg of an Asian tour aimed at building support for American policy on Iraq. Biological cookbooks The dossier is expected to arrive at UN headquarters later on Sunday, where those parts of it that are in Arabic will be translated and then studied by experts from the UN as well as the US and its allies.
The first task for the Unmovic inspectors will be to black out any sections of the declaration which could lead to information about weapons of mass destruction falling into the wrong hands. So any plans for building nuclear devices or what the inspectors called "biological cookbooks" will be cut out before the Security Council itself gets a look at the declaration, our correspondent says. . BBC -- Sunday, 8 December, 2002, 11:26 GMT . Kuwait scorns Iraqi leader's 'apology'
. Kuwaitis are still bitter about the Iraqi occupation
Kuwait has denounced a statement by Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein in which he made a qualified apology for Iraq's 1990
invasion of the oil-rich Gulf emirate.
The Kuwaiti Information Minister, Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahd al-Sabah, said the message was "an unveiled attempt to create a rift in the united ranks of the Kuwaiti people and leadership".
In the televised statement, read out by Iraqi Information Minister Mohamed Said Sahaf on Saturday, Saddam Hussein said both Iraq and Kuwait had been victims of the Gulf War in 1991. He urged the Kuwaiti people to support Baghdad against "infidel forces" and said they should rise up against "treason". Praise for militants Sheikh Ahmad said Saddam Hussein sought to "encourage acts of terrorism which the whole world deplores" - an apparent reference to the Iraqi leader's praise for Kuwaiti militants who recently attacked US troops in the emirate.
"Instead of deliberately ignoring the strong bonds tying the Kuwaiti leadership and people, Saddam Hussein should confirm his peaceful intentions in words and deeds by implementing all UN Security Council resolutions pertaining to the invasion of Kuwait," Sheikh Ahmad said. BBC regional analyst David Bamford says Saddam Hussein may now believe that, despite the resumption of UN weapons inspections, there will be another war with the United States sooner or later, and this is his effort to persuade the Arab world to resist.
Sheikh Ahmad said Saddam Hussein's message was like the "political and media campaigns" waged by Iraq in the run-up to its August 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The Kuwaiti newspaper al-Watan denounced the speech as "farcical," saying "Saddam changes colour, but not his nature". Another Kuwaiti paper, al-Qabas, said the Iraqi leader "is a time bomb that threatens international peace". "He did not apologise for the (Iraqi) occupation. The only apology actually revealed his hostile intentions against Kuwait," it said. . BBC -- Saturday, 7 December, 2002, 21:31 GMT . US hopes dossier will trap Iraq
. Journalists in Baghdad scramble for the dossier
The requirement in Security Council Resolution 1441 that Iraq must declare its weapons at the start of the inspection process was put there deliberately - to provide a test and possibly to set a trap. Iraq has followed the instructions of the resolution by declaring that it has no weapons of mass destruction and by listing those industrial plants which are potentially dual - civilian and military - use. The 12,000-page declaration is, as predicted by a senior British diplomat a month ago, so crammed with detail it could take months to wade through and so bog down the UN weapons inspectors. The US and Britain are likely to press hard for the documents, but the resolution says the UN Security Council should get a copy and both the UN weapons inspection organisation, Unmovic, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) want to examine it first. 'Defection agency' Nevertheless, the United States and Britain are determined that this declaration be used to test Iraq's truthfulness.
Washington is now expected to step up the pressure for very rigorous inspections. There is also a strong view in Washington that the best way to find out what is going on in Iraq is to question the scientists involved, taking them and their families out of the country if need be. Resolution 1441 allows for this. But Dr Hans Blix, the head of Unmovic, has so far resisted such a move, saying that he is not running a ''defection agency''. He says he will deal with this issue in due course, but if he does not act soon, criticism of him will start flowing from the White House. Pressure on allies The test that US President George W Bush faces is to provide evidence for his claims that Iraq does have weapons of mass destruction. A document issued by the CIA made assertions but offered no proof. Nor did a similar British government dossier. If the inspectors do not turn up anything, while Washington and London continue to say Iraq is lying, then the two allies will come under increasing pressure to disclose the evidence they do have.
The indications are that Mr Bush will allow some time for the truth of the declaration to be tested on the ground. In Britain's view, the declaration cannot by itself be used as evidence that Iraq has breached resolution 1441 and so be liable to face the "serious consequences" the resolution threatens. There would, in London's opinion, need to be a clear indication that Iraq was not co-operating with the inspectors as well. However, there is a grey area and the Washington hawks might press for a decision to attack if this all gets bogged down. Mobile laboratories The hawks were not happy that Mr Bush sided with Secretary of State Colin Powell and went to the UN instead of taking unilateral action.
Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to underestimate the American resolve. This remains a very dangerous crisis and only if Iraq is either proved to be correct in its claim of innocence or is proved to be untruthful and actually disarmed will the threat of war go away. And it is by no means clear that Iraq can ever prove its innocence. The CIA made much in its document about the mobile laboratories it believes are used to develop biological weapons. Such units, presumably hidden in trucks, would be impossible to find. . BBC -- Sunday, 8 December, 2002, 19:03 GMT . Woman shot dead in Gaza
. Friday's killings sparked Palestinian rage Israeli troops have killed a Palestinian
woman and wounded three of her children as they were walking through a refugee
camp in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources say.
Palestinian witnesses said Nahla Aqel, 41, her teenage daughter and two young sons were walking to their home in Rafah when Israeli soldiers opened fire from a position nearby.
In a separate incident, the army said it had fired on armed Palestinians trying to enter the Jewish settlement of Rafiah Yam nearby. There are no details on casualties. But a Palestinian witness quoted by the Associated Press news agency said Israeli soldiers had opened fire at the Tel Sultan refugee camp. "The woman and her family were walking in the middle of the street, and I saw her fall, and blood covering her body, and not far from her, the two children also fell," Samir Abu Shahin said. Israel has stepped up its military raids in the Gaza Strip in the past few weeks, saying it is seeking out Palestinian militants. Al-Qaeda allegations Early on Friday, Israeli forces killed 10 Palestinians in the al-Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. There is ongoing controversy about how many of Friday's victims were unarmed civilians.
Israel said at least five of those killed were members of Hamas and the group itself issued a statement saying six of its people died in the raid, including two from its military wing. On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that members of Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network were at work in the Gaza Strip, aiming to attack Israel. But officials from the Palestinian Authority accused the Israeli spy agency Mossad of setting up a fake al-Qaeda terrorist cell in Gaza. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said that Israel had set up the mock cell in order to justify attacks in Palestinian areas. . BBC -- Sunday, 8 December, 2002, 23:18 GMT . India rebels ambush police convoy
. The situation in Manipur remains tense
Four policemen have been killed in an attack by separatist rebels in India's north-eastern state of Manipur.
The four policemen, they said, were killed in the gunbattle that followed. This is the second major rebel attack on policemen in just several days in the frontier state, which is located on India's border with Burma. Earlier this month, nine personnel of the central reserve police force had died in an attack near Manipur's only hydro-electric project on the Loktak Lake. Fight for independence It was not yet known whether the rebels had suffered any casualties. But they failed to snatch weapons as the policemen who survived the initial attack fought back. It was not immediately clear which rebel group was responsible for the attack. However, intelligence officials said they suspected the involvement of the separatist United National Liberation Front, which has been fighting for Manipur's independence since 1964. . BBC -- Sunday, 8 December, 2002, 13:48 GMT . Nepal bus blast kills five
. Police blamed Maoist rebels for the attack A land mine has blown up a bus in eastern
Nepal, killing five passengers and injuring more than 30.
Police blamed Maoist rebels for the blast, which happened near Karkare village in Sindhuli district, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) south-east of the capital Kathmandu. The bus was carrying soldiers, police and civilians.
Two soldiers were reported to be among the dead. Army helicopters ferried the injured to hospitals as police reinforcements rushed to the area to hunt for the attackers. The blast came less than a week after the Maoists called for talks with the authorities to try to end six years of bloodshed. Sindhuli district was the scene of a large-scale rebel attack on 7 September, when hundreds of Maoists raided a remote police post, killing 48 policemen. The next day, rebels attacked the town of Sandhikharka - 300 km (185 miles) south-west of Kathmandu - killing 58 people, nearly all security personnel. The Maoist insurgency has resulted in the deaths of more than 7,000 people - most of them since the king imposed a state of emergency in November 2001. The emergency was lifted in August, despite continuing guerrilla attacks. . Venezuelan Oil Production Threatened By Strike . . Venezuelan troops are guarding gasoline stations amid a nationwide strike aimed at ousting President Hugo Chavez that has severely curbed oil production. Long lines formed at gasoline pumps in Caracas Sunday, the seventh day of the strike. Many gas stations in outlying areas have already closed. The protest action has cut oil production by at least 40 percent. Speaking Sunday on radio and television, Mr. Chavez said that while the strike has severely curbed oil production, it has not yet started to affect oil exports. But industry analysts predict world oil prices will rise on Monday. Half of Venezuela's output, about 1.2 million barrels a day, goes to the United States and represents about ten percent of U.S. crude oil supplies. Mr. Chavez is threatening to call a state of emergency if organizers do not end the strike. He has also called on oil workers to return to work and threatened to begin firing dissident oil executives. Chavez opponents, led by disgruntled military officers, are calling for the president's resignation, accusing the populist former paratrooper of economic sabotage since he won elections in 1998. Talks to end the crisis, mediated by the Organization of American States, ended without success Saturday. Meanwhile, hundreds of mourners attended funerals of three protesters who were gunned down during a protest Friday. Police say a Portuguese taxi driver has confessed to the killings. Venezuela is the world's fifth biggest oil exporter. Half the country's revenue comes from oil. Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
. Al-Qaida Claims Responsibility for Kenya Attack, Says Arab TV . . . The al-Qaida terror group is reportedly claiming responsibility for attacks that claimed 13 victims last month in Kenya. The group is threatening to widen its war against the "Christian-Jewish alliance."
The statement also claimed responsibility for a failed missile attack on an Israeli airliner taking off from a nearby airport. Israel had named al-Qaida as the prime suspect in the attacks.
The statement promises more "lethal" attacks against the United States and Israel. The statement, in part, said "the Christian-Jewish alliance will not be safe from attacks by the Mujahideen, or Muslim warriors" and adds that the next phase of attacks will be bigger and more lethal and will occur on land, sea, and in the air. Mr. Gaith proclaimed himself an al-Qaida spokesman following the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. His whereabouts and those of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden are unknown. The statement noted that al-Qaida does not usually claim responsibility for attacks, but would do so according to what it calls "relevant circumstances."
. Australian Firefighters Slowly Winning Battle Against Wildfires Near Sydney . . . Firefighters in eastern Australia say they are slowly winning their battle against dozens of blazes burning around Sydney. They are taking advantage of favorable weather conditions, although a number of fires still rage out of control to the north of Australia's biggest city. Authorities say after five days of emergency conditions, the outlook is beginning to improve. At least 80 fires have broken out around Sydney. Cooler temperatures and moderate winds have given firefighters an opportunity to gain the upper hand over many of the fires. Further relief is in sight with rain forecast for Tuesday. Blazes still burn out of control to the north of Sydney and in the Blue Mountains to the west. It is thought many were started by arsonists or by careless smokers. The New South Wales State Premier Bob Carr urges people to be more careful. "In these conditions it is cruelty to your fellow Australians, cruelty to your community to toss a cigarette, a lighted cigarette, from your car," he said. Officials warn the wildfire emergency is far from over with strong winds expected to sweep the region in the next day. Four-thousand firefighters are on the front-line, protecting suburban homes from dozens of separate blazes. Volunteer crews are on their way from neighboring states as Australia endures its worst drought for 100 years. Aircraft are water-bombing the flames. Some controlled fires have been lit to reduce the amount of fuel available for the bush blazes. No homes have been destroyed in the past 48 hours, and many roads that had been closed by the fires have re-opened. One emergency worker said once the fires get going it sounds like a "wild animal coming toward you." Australia's Environmental Protection Authority says air pollution from the bushfires is very high. Health officials have urged anyone with breathing disorders to stay indoors. Two people have died in the fires, which have devastated thousands of hectares of land since beginning on Wednesday.
. Bangladeshi Police Detain Several in Wake of Saturday's Bomb Blasts . . . In Bangladesh, police have detained several people including opposition activists following a series of bomb blasts that killed at least 17 people and wounded nearly 200 others on Saturday. But the government has ordered an investigation to find those responsible for the blasts. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
