Fiji fails to oust military head
By Malenie Judy,WNS Pacific Bureau Chief
SYDNEY - Fiji's government has failed to remove the country's outspoken military chief after his nominated replacement turned down the post. Lieutenant Colonel Meli Saubulinayau was asked to take over from the controversial Commodore Frank Bainimarama, according to local media. But an army spokesman said he turned down the offer, because he still supported Commodore Bainimarama. The military chief has been at odds with the government for months. He has even threatened to force PM Laisenia Qarase to resign if he goes ahead with a controversial bill offering amnesties to plotters of the 2000 coup.
Mr Qarase met President Ratu Josefa Iloilo early on Tuesday, in what analysts suggest was an effort to find a replacement for Mr Bainimarama - who is currently out of the country. But when Lt Colonel Meli Saubulinayau was told of the plan, he declined to take the office, saying he did not command the support of the military, according to Fijian media. "Bainimarama is still the commander and will remain as the commander," Land Force Commander Lt Col Pita Driti told the online news service Fijilive.com.
Fiji's police commissioner has reportedly refused to release a shipment of ammunition to the military, until commanders assure them it will not be used against the government. Australia issued a new travel advisory for Fiji on Tuesday, warning citizens to avoid street demonstrations and rallies that could become catalysts for civil disorder. The US has also warned "to be aware that civil-military unrest in November is possible".
Sokoto in mourning after plane crash
By Dave Huff,
WNS Africa Correspondent
LAGOS - Thousands of people have gathered outside the huge, ornate palace of the Sultan of Sokoto, waiting to pay their respects following his death in a plane crash on Sunday. The whole city feels like a graveyard - offices, shops, banks and markets are all closed and are likely to remain so until Friday, when the period of mourning ends in the state. The crowds - young and old, rich and poor - wait patiently, some in tears, for their turn before entering the palace in small groups to meet the family of the late Sultan Muhammadu Maccido and other traditional rulers.
"To me this is a terrible event because I loved the sultan. May the Almighty give him peace," Liman Muhammadu, an elderly trader among the crowds told Reuters news agency. President Olusegun Obasanjo paid his respects on Monday, along with a host of other dignitaries, including two former presidents. The son of former President Shehu Shagari also died on the ADC Boeing 737, which crashed just after taking off from the capital, Abuja, on its way to Sokoto. The sultan's son, Mohammed, one of his grandsons and another northern senator were other victims of the crash which has decimated northern Nigeria's elite.
The Sultan of Sokoto was the spiritual leader of Nigeria's 70m Muslims and Sultan Maccido was particularly well respected for his efforts to end conflict between Nigeria's Muslims and Christians. He also tried to end a boycott of a polio vaccine by some northern Muslim clerics, which has set back efforts to eradicate the disease by several years. Our reporter says the crowds of mourners are likely to remain outside the sultan's palace for many weeks - some travelling from neighbouring Niger and other West Africa countries with large Muslim populations, such as Chad, Mali and Senegal. A group of seven traditional rulers, known as kingmakers, is to start drawing up a shortlist of candidates to become the next sultan, possible as early as Tuesday - if they can find time among the mourning and condolences. There should be eight kingmakers but one of them also died in the crash.
Burma group hold prisoner protest
By Judy Harry,WNS Indo-China Correspondent
YANGON - A group of activists have begun what they hope will be a week-long prayer vigil in Burma to call for the release of the country's political prisoners. About 1,000 people, wearing white and carrying candles, gathered at the Buddhist Shwedagon pagoda in Rangoon. The detained pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is among those whose release they are seeking.
Public protests and campaigns are rare in Burma, which is ruled by one of the world's most repressive regimes. The activists and their supporters were prevented from actually entering the pagoda by security officials. Instead, a brief prayer service was held in a public area just outside.
The student group organising the prayer campaign is known as the 1988 Generation. It takes its name from the mass national student uprising that year, when the Burmese army intervened to end calls for a return to civilian rule. On Friday, the group asked leaders of other religious organisations in Burma to hold vigils at their own places of worship, from today until 4 November.
Bangladesh power shift postponed
By Anita Shankar,WNS Bangladesh CorrespondentDACCA - The swearing-in ceremony of a caretaker administration in Bangladesh has been postponed amid street clashes between government and opposition supporters. It was cancelled because KM Hasan, the man due to head the government, was ill, a presidential spokesman said. Up to six people died as thousands took to the streets on Friday hours before outgoing PM Khaleda Zia's term expired. The interim government is to organise elections in January, which the opposition fears Mr Hasan will rig. Fresh violence broke out in a number of towns and cities as the handover ceremony, which had been scheduled to take place on Saturday, approached. The opposition Awami League has threatened to paralyse the country if Mr Hasan takes office, with demonstrations and blockades of roads, railways and the country's main port. It says Mr Hasan, a retired chief justice, is a stooge of the ruling Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and cannot be trusted to run the supposedly-neutral interim administration tasked with organising the polls. Mrs Zia promised to respect the constitution in a speech hours before her five-year term expired at midnight on Friday. She appealed for calm across the country as fresh violence broke out in a number of towns and cities. She promised the poll would be free and fair, and said the constitution would "safeguard a peace-loving and responsible nation". It was a matter of "great regret" that talks with the opposition aimed at defusing the current crisis had not produced results, she added.
UN initiates arms trade agreement
By Susan Fay,WNS New York CorrespondentUNITED NATIONS - A United Nations committee has voted overwhelmingly to begin work on drawing up an international arms trade treaty. The measure would close loopholes in existing laws which mean guns still end up in conflict zones despite arms embargoes and export controls. It could also stop the supply of weapons to countries whose development is being hampered by arms spending. Only the US - a major arms manufacturer - voted against the treaty, saying it wanted to rely on existing agreements. A total of 139 states voted for the motion. There were 24 abstentions. Major weapons manufacturers such as Britain, France and Germany voted to begin work on the treaty, as did major emerging arms exporters Bulgaria and Ukraine. Russia and China, also major arms manufacturers, were among the countries to abstain. The UK ambassador for disarmament at the UN, John Duncan, said the vote was "a great success". "We have 139 nations which have said: 'Yes, we want a responsible arms trade and we're prepared to discuss it in the UN, with both the consumers and the producers,'" he said. The UN secretary general has one year to produce a report on how to introduce common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms. Human rights organisations have welcomed the move. Amnesty International described the vote as "an historic opportunity", saying "any credible treaty must outlaw those transfers, which fuel the systematic murder, rape, torture and expulsion of thousands of people". One of those campaigning for the treaty was Richard Wilson, whose sister was taken from a bus and shot dead in 2000, while working in Burundi as a school teacher.
NATO fighting 'kills 60 civilians'
By Fiona Nate,WNS Afghanistan CorrespondentKANDAHAR - At least 60 civilians were killed during NATO operations in a volatile southern area of Afghanistan earlier this week, two government officials and a civilian said Thursday. A provincial council member, Bismallah Afghanmal, said 80 to 85 civilians were killed in fighting in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar province on Tuesday. A villager, Karim Jan, said 60 to 70 died. Another government official who asked not to be named because it would "cause him problems" said at least 60 were killed.
NATO's International Security Assistance Force late Wednesday said its forces killed 48 militants in heavy fighting in Panjwayi on Tuesday. NATO also said it had "credible reports" of civilian casualties, though it said it only knew of four civilians who had been wounded.The clashes targeted militants attacking NATO's development efforts in the area, said Maj. Luke Knittig, a ISAF spokesman. Troops used mortar, artillery and air support, the alliance said.The Afghan Defense Ministry is heading up an investigation into the matter, NATO said.But Afghanmal said Taliban fighters ran into civilian homes, which were then targeted by NATO forces.NATO launched a major military operation in the Panjwayi area in September, and the alliance said it killed more than 500 suspected militants during "Operation Medusa," which the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. David Richards, called a "significant success." However, there has since been heavy fighting in the area."The government and the coalition told the families that there are no Taliban in the area anymore," said Afghanmal. "If there are no Taliban, then why are they bombing the area?"The reports of civilian casualties come less than a week after nine civilians were killed by NATO air strikes to a village in nearby Zhari district of Kandahar province. President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly condemned civilian casualties, and last week urged NATO to take "maximum caution during military operations to avoid harming civilians."A spokesman for Karzai declined immediate comment Thursday, and the Interior Ministry said it couldn't confirm reports of civilian casualties.
Bush team defends US Iraq plans
By Lucy Huff,WNS Washington CorrespondentWASHINGTON - Top members of the US government have offered their backing to President George W Bush's policy in Iraq, weeks before his party faces mid-term polls. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was among several officials defending the government's Iraq policy as adaptable. The US envoy to Iraq earlier said Iraq could be stabilised, despite setbacks.
A top Republican has meanwhile joined Democrats in criticising Mr Bush in a month when 90 US troops died in Iraq - the highest toll since November 2004. Three hundred Iraqi troops have also died in October, and some estimates say sectarian attacks now claim an average of 40 Iraqi lives every day. Several top administration officials discussed Iraq with a gathering of conservative talk radio hosts at the White House on Tuesday.
Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was asked why President Bush appeared to have abandoned the Republicans' recent slogan that the party was planning to "stay the course" in Iraq. "I suppose the concern was that it gave the opponents a chance to say, 'well, he's not willing to make adjustments' - and of course just the opposite is true," Mr Rumsfeld said. President Bush echoed this view in an interview with CNBC TV, saying he had been "talking about a change in tactics... ever since we went in". National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley meanwhile said the violence in Iraq is unlikely to end during Mr Bush's presidency. "Is there going to be peace? Is there going to [be] the end of any violence? Of course not. This violence is going to go on for a long time," Mr Hadley said. But, he added, the US hoped Iraqi institutions would eventually be able to contain the threats to the country's security.
U.S. and its allies urge U.N. ban on Iran
By Sam Malcom,WNS Iran CorrespondentTEHRAN - The U.S. and its allies want the U.N. Security Council to ban the sale of missile and atomic technology to Iran and end most U.N. help for its nuclear programs - moves diplomats said are narrowly focused in hopes of winning Russian and Chinese backing for sanctions.The diplomats, who spoke with The Associated Press Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the draft resolution was not yet public, said the proposal also would commit U.N. member nations to denying entry to Iranian officials involved in developing missiles or nuclear systems. A Security Council resolution passed last week imposed similar sanctions on the sale or transfer of technology that could contribute to North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs after that nation's test explosion of a nuclear bomb.
One of the diplomats described all three measures aimed at Iran as moderate in impact, saying that was an attempt to win Russian and Chinese support. Moscow and Beijing could be formally presented with the draft later this week, the diplomat said. Both Russia and China have agreed in principle to imposing sanctions over Iran's defiance of a council ultimatum to freeze uranium enrichment and sharply improve cooperation with the U.N. probe of suspect Iranian atomic activities. But both continue to publicly push for dialogue instead of U.N. punishment, despite the collapse last month of a European Union attempt to entice Iran into talks. The EU proposed Iran at least temporarily freeze enrichment as a condition for multilateral talks meant to erase suspicions it may be trying to build nuclear arms in violation of its treaty commitments. As permanent members of the council, Russia and China hold the power to veto its actions, as do the United States, France and Britain, which drew up the sanctions resolution.
Iran insists it won't halt uranium enrichment, which it says is intended solely to produce fuel for nuclear reactors that will generate electricity. But enrichment also can produce material for nuclear warheads, and the U.S. and others are suspicious of Iran's intentions.
US official retracts Iraq remarks
By Mark Chris,WNS Washington CorrespondentWASHINGTON - The US state department official who said that the US had shown "arrogance and stupidity" in Iraq has apologised for his comments. Alberto Fernandez, who made the remarks during an interview with Arabic TV station al-Jazeera, said that he had "seriously misspoke". His comments did not represent the views of the state department, he said. His remarks came at a time of intense scrutiny of White House Iraq policy, with mid-term elections due next month.
Mr Fernandez is an Arabic speaker who is director of public diplomacy in the state department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. On Saturday, he told the Qatar-based broadcaster that the world was "witnessing failure in Iraq". "That's not the failure of the United States alone, but it is a disaster for the region," he said. "I think there is great room for strong criticism, because without doubt, there was arrogance and stupidity by the United States in Iraq." State department spokesman Sean McCormack initially said that Mr Fernandez had been quoted incorrectly and rejected his comments. And in a statement posted on the state department's website, Mr Fernandez retracted his remarks. "Upon reading the transcript of my appearance on al-Jazeera, I realised that I seriously misspoke by using the phrase: 'There has been arrogance and stupidity' by the US in Iraq," he said. "This represents neither my views nor those of the state department. I apologise."
Bush vows to adapt Iraq tactics
By Florence Kerry,
WNS White House CorrespondentWASHINGTON - US President George W Bush has said military tactics in Iraq will keep changing to deal with insurgents. But the US would not abandon the goal of building a strong democracy, Mr Bush said in his regular radio address. Saturday saw Mr Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld discuss the escalating violence in Iraq with senior generals. The talks came as 17 people were killed in a mortar attack on a market near the capital Baghdad. Iraqi state television reported that 30 people had also been injured in the attack on the crowded outdoor market in the area of Mahmoudiya. Mr Bush's handling of the Iraq crisis has become a major issue in the elections next month for Congress, and opinion polls are suggesting that Mr Bush's Republican party could potentially lose control of the Senate and House of Representatives. On Saturday, President Bush met his senior generals via a video teleconference. According to the US military, there has been a 22% rise in attacks in Baghdad this month. With 78 US troops killed so far, October is on course to become the deadliest month for US forces in Iraq for two years.
In his radio address from the White House, Mr Bush said the last few weeks had been "rough for our troops in Iraq, and for the Iraqi people". "Our goal in Iraq is clear and unchanging," he said. "Our goal is victory. What is changing are the tactics we use to achieve that goal." He said the insurgents were fighting a media war and were attempting to drive a wedge between the American people and their government. In the US, leaders of the opposition Democratic Party have sought to put further pressure on Mr Bush by calling for the start of a phased withdrawal of US troops from Iraq by the end of the year. They also want the president to convene an international conference to support what they call a political settlement in Iraq.
Rice: No promise on new nuke blast
By Gary James,WNS Russia Bureau ChiefMOSCOW - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday that a high-ranking Chinese envoy, who met earlier with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, did not say that Pyongyang would refrain from conducting further nuclear tests."I don't know whether Kim Jong Il said any such thing referring to whether he regretted the test or not," Rice told reporters, referring to an earlier report from South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
According to the report, Kim said "his country had no plan to conduct an additional nuclear test." Rice was speaking en route to Russia on the final leg of a tour to push U.N. sanctions in response to North Korea's nuclear test. Yonhap attributed the information to an informed diplomatic source in Beijing, China. The news agency said Kim passed along the promise during a meeting with Chinese envoy Tang Jiaxuan.China holds some political sway with North Korea, and provides the nation with most of its food and fuel. North Korea's surprise underground nuclear test on October 9 appeared to confirm long-held fears that the communist country was developing an atomic weapons program. Pyongyang insisted it is attempting to acquire nuclear capabilities for peaceful means, but the test prompted the United Nations to pass Resolution 1718, authorizing sanctions against the communist government.
In Russia, Rice is expected to press Moscow on what practical steps it will take to implement sanctions. While in Moscow she will discuss the matter with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Chinese envoy hopeful on N Korea
By Huang Zhi Xuan,WNS Northeast Asia Bureau ChiefBEIJING - A high-level Chinese envoy has returned from North Korea expressing optimism about the mounting nuclear crisis. Tang Jiaxuan, who met North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong-il, said his visit had "not been in vain". China is North Korea's closest ally and has publicly warned the North not to test another weapon. Mr Tang was speaking to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has stepped up calls for UN sanctions against the North to be fully implemented. Ms Rice, who is in China as part of an Asian tour to rally support against North Korea, held talks with Chinese Foreign Minster Li Zhaoxing on Friday. Ms Rice said the two discussed implementing UN sanctions imposed after Pyongyang's 9 October nuclear test and described the talks as "very fruitful". The meeting comes amid concern North Korea is planning a second test, and reports that China has threatened to cut off vital oil supplies if it goes ahead. Mr Tang, who went to North Korea on Thursday with a special message from China's President Hu Jintao, told Ms Rice: "Fortunately my visit this time has not been in vain". He did not elaborate, publicly, on the goals of his visit. But China's foreign minister, Li Zhaoxing, later said Mr Tang had spoken to the North Korean leader about how to kick-start six-nation talks on resolving North Korea's nuclear ambitions which have been stalled since late 2005. "At least it increased mutual understanding. Everyone discussed how to restart progress in the six-party talks as quickly as possible," Mr Li said. North Korea has stated that it wants US financial and other sanctions lifted before it will consider resuming the talks, which have stalled for over a year. Some analysts say North Korea's nuclear test made the talks meaningless.
China pressures N Korean leader
By Xiao Ping,WNS China Senior CorrespondentBEIJING - A Chinese envoy has met North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong-il as tensions mount over the North's nuclear test, according to Chinese officials. The envoy, former Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, was believed to be carrying a message from China's President Hu Jintao calling for restraint. The meeting came as a North Korean official hinted at another test.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned of "further measures" if the North tested again. China's Foreign Ministry warned on Thursday against "wilfully" expanding UN sanctions against North Korea. "Sanctions are a signal, not a goal," spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news conference. Ms Rice is in South Korea on the second leg of an Asian tour to rally opposition to North Korea's nuclear testing. Her trip will also take her to China.
It follows a UN Security Council vote backing sanctions in response to North Korea's 9 October test. A North Korean official gave the country's first indication it may be preparing a second nuclear test. The deputy head of North Korea's foreign ministry, Li Gun, speaking on ABC TV in the US, said a second test would be "natural" and that the US should not be surprised if one were carried out. President George W Bush said North Korea would face "grave consequences" if it tried to transfer nuclear weapons to third parties such as Iran or al-Qaeda.
Rice launches Korea crisis tour
By Takeshi Hiroto,WNS Tokyo CorrespondentTOKYO - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arrived in Japan on the first leg of an Asian tour to discuss the new UN sanctions against North Korea. Her trip is likely to put pressure on Asian countries, especially China, to enforce these measures. Ms Rice said Washington had no desire to see the crisis escalate, but added that the US would protect its allies in the face of a North Korean threat. Ms Rice's trip is aimed at rallying support to implement sanctions fully in line with the UN resolution passed last week. "It is extremely important to recognise that this is a set of obligations under 1718 that I think all states are determined to carry out, " Ms Rice said on her flight to Tokyo. She is also to visit South Korea, China and Russia. She said she would use her talks in Tokyo and Seoul to reaffirm Washington's commitment to the military defence of the two countries. "The way to deal with the security threat (North Korea) poses it to draw on the very strong alliances that we have with South Korea and Japan on which they can fully rely for their security from this specific threat," she said.
Concerns remain that the North might conduct another nuclear test. Renewed activity has been reported at last week's test site, and both South Korea and Japan say they have intelligence of possible preparation for a second test. The North itself is showing no signs of backing down in the face of international pressure. On Tuesday night it staged a huge sound and light show to mark the 80th anniversary of the party which was precursor to the current rulers, the Communist Workers Party.
N Korea says sanctions 'are war'
By Tony White,WNS Asia Bureau ChiefBEIJING - North Korea says UN sanctions imposed after its nuclear bomb test are a declaration of war, state media says. Pyongyang also warned of "merciless" blows against any country infringing on its sovereignty, the official KCNA news agency reported. There are reports of new activity at last week's test site, and South Korea and Japan say they have intelligence of a possible second test. The US says air samples have confirmed the 9 October blast was nuclear. China has appealed to Pyongyang not to escalate tensions, urging its key ally to resolve the issue "through dialogue and consultation". The UN Security Council unanimously voted on Saturday to impose sanctions, targeting Pyongyang's weapons and missile programmes as well as luxury goods. In its first official statement since the vote, North Korea's foreign ministry said it "vehemently denounced" the resolution and called it a "product of US hostile policy" towards the country. "The resolution cannot be construed otherwise than a declaration of a war" against the North, the statement from the foreign ministry said, echoing comments made by North Korea's ambassador to the UN on Saturday. The statement repeated North Korea's previous claim that it wanted peace and a de-nuclearised Korean peninsula. But it warned "we will deliver merciless blows without hesitation to whoever tries to breach our sovereignty and right to survive under the excuse of carrying out the UN Security Council resolution."
Police back Katsav rape charges
By Shawn Arnold,WNS Jerusalem CorrespondentJERUSALEM - Israeli police say there is enough evidence to charge President Moshe Katsav with rape and wire-tapping. Attorney General Menachem Mazuz must now decide whether to press charges. President Katsav is due to open the winter session of parliament on Monday, but a number of deputies have already threatened to walk out if he attends. The president denies claims that he forced two female employees to have sex with him, and all other allegations against him. He has said he is the victim of a "public lynching without trial or investigation". The police statement said: "There is sufficient evidence indicating that in several cases... the president carried out acts of rape, forced sexual acts, sexual acts without consent and sexual harassment. There is sufficient evidence indicating violation of the law banning wire-tapping by the president," it added. The statement said police also found basis for charges of fraud and malfeasance in office concerning presidential pardons granted by the president - one of the few powers of his office. Police searched the president's home in August after allegations of sexual harassment emerged, and have questioned him repeatedly and seized documents during the investigation.
Israeli media reports have said the case is based on complaints from up to 10 women. The 61-year-old father-of-five has rejected calls that he quit the largely ceremonial post that he has held since 2000. If charged, he would be immune from prosecution. However, he could be impeached by parliament if it felt he had acted inappropriately.
US urges China action on N Korea
By Lucy Harvey,
WNS New York CorrespondentUNITED NATIONS - The US is urging China to fully implement United Nations sanctions imposed on North Korea following its nuclear test last week. US envoy John Bolton said that China had an obligation to comply with Resolution 1718, passed unanimously by the Security Council on Saturday. The sanctions include a raft of measures targeting North Korea's weapons and missile programmes. But there are still reservations on the Chinese side over cargo inspections.
The resolution - which also targets luxury goods and imposes a travel ban on some North Korean officials - was reached after lengthy negotiations. It allows the inspection of cargo vessels going in and out of North Korea for banned materials, something that worries China. Its UN envoy, Wang Guangya, said immediately after the vote that China urged countries to "refrain from taking any provocative steps that may intensify the tension". Both Russia and China are concerned that inspections could spark naval confrontations with North Korean boats. Mr Bolton told American television that China had voted for the sanctions and had an obligation to enforce them. "China's got heavy responsibility here," he said. North Korea's test "had to be humiliating to China... and I think we are still seeing that play out," he said. He said that most of the planned cargo inspections would take place at ports and land crossings and said that the UN was not proposing a sea blockade of North Korea. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, meanwhile, said she was certain China would "live up to its responsibilities" under the resolution. "I understand that people are concerned about how it might work so it doesn't enhance tensions in the region, and we're perfectly willing to have those conversations," she said. Ms Rice is due to travel to the region later in the week for talks with North Korea's neighbours.
US 'detected radioactivity' near North Korea test site
By Mark Chris,WNS Washington CorrespondentWASHINGTON - The United States said it had detected traces of radioactivity in North Korea, apparently confirming Pyongyang's nuclear test, as the drive for a UN Security Council response on Saturday stalled. As the new UN leader-designated called for a "clear and strong" Security Council resolution, a US official said preliminary analysis of air samples was consistent with a nuclear blast. "There is a preliminary analysis that suggests that the event in North Korea was consistent with a nuclear explosion," the official said late Friday. The findings are the strongest evidence yet that North Korea detonated a nuclear device on Monday as it claimed. The US official said a final result was expected in several days. South Korea said it was treating the test claim as genuine. "The government has been mapping out measures on the assumption that the announced nuclear test was genuine," said Yoon Tae-young, a spokesman for President Roh Moo-Hyun. "Therefore, there is no change in the way the government is handling the situation just because radioactivity was detected," he told the national news agency Yonhap. While military scientists pored over the samples, frantic diplomacy continued as world powers struggled to reach agreement on how to respond. Russia and China voiced last-minute objections to a US draft Security Council resolution, throwing into doubt an expected vote on Saturday. The compromise text specifically rules out the use of force in what was seen as a key concession to China, North Korea's closest ally and its biggest provider of aid. "I thought we had agreed to go to a vote tomorrow morning (Saturday)," said US ambassador John Bolton. China is key to agreeing a unified response but has cautioned that "punishment is not the goal" of sanctions. Russia also maintains close ties with Pyongyang and said on Friday that North Korea wanted to revive six-party talks on its nuclear programme "in the near future". The five veto-wielding powers - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - plus Japan would meet Saturday ahead of private consultations by the full 15-member Security Council.
Army chief defends Iraq comments
By Paula White,WNS UK Senior CorrespondentLONDON - The chief of the British Army has called for a pullout of British troops from Iraq "sometime soon" and said that post-invasion planning for that war was "poor, probably based more on optimism than sound planning."Gen. Richard Dannatt London's Daily Mail newspaper that he had "more optimism" that "we can get it right in Afghanistan."Dannatt said that Britain's continued presence in Iraq had made the country less secure.Britain should "get ourselves out sometime soon because our presence exacerbates security problems," he told the newspaper in an interview published Thursday. "I don't say that the difficulties we are experiencing round the world are caused by our presence in Iraq, but undoubtedly our presence in Iraq exacerbates them."Dannatt, who took over as the Army's chief of general staff in August, said the U.S.-led coalition's plan to establish a democracy in Iraq that would be "exemplar for the region" is unlikely to happen. "That was the hope. Whether that was a sensible or naive hope, history will judge," he said. "I don't think we are going to do that. I think we should aim for a lower ambition."
Dannatt's views directly contradict the position of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is a staunch supporter of the war and U.S. President George W. Bush's closest ally in the fight. Blair and Bush both insist that troops must stay in Iraq until Iraqi security forces are able to stand up on their own. But with the country edging nearer to civil war -- if not already immersed in it -- Dannatt said the strategy for implementing an Iraqi democracy was ill-prepared. "I think history will show that the planning for what happened after the initial, successful war-fighting phase was poor, probably based more on optimism than sound planning," he said.Dannatt said that Britain had essentially overstayed its welcome in Iraq."The military campaign we fought in 2003 effectively kicked the door in," he said, noting that was a far cry from being invited into the country. "Whatever consent we may have had in the first place may have turned to tolerance and has largely turned to intolerance."
Chinese, South Korean presidents to weigh moves to punish North Korea
By Tony White,WNS Asia Bureau ChiefBEIJING - The Chinese and South Korean presidents will hold a summit in Beijing on Friday to discuss how to respond to North Korea's shock announcement of a nuclear weapons test. Chinese President Hu Jintao and his South Korean counterpart Roh Moo-Hyun are seen as the world leaders with the greatest sway over the reclusive communist country that sits between their nations.The Beijing summit, only the third meeting between the two presidents, comes as regional players are striving to put aside historic differences. When Pyongyang announced its atomic bomb test on Monday, Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had just arrived in Seoul from Beijing on a fence-mending trip to soothe tensions over how Japan has dealt with its wartime past. Hu and Roh will discuss joint countermeasures against the North, said Roh's spokesman Yoon Tae-Young. "Summit discussions will be focused on an effect-oriented method of crisis settlement, rather than an emotional one," a senior official was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying. China, North Korea's former wartime ally, major aid donor and trade partner, is seen as the lynchpin in UN Security Council discussions on how to punish the hermit regime. Beijing wields veto power. China has also hosted the six-party talks -- also involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia -- that have since 2003 tried but failed to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions. South Korea, though still technically at war with North Korea since their 1950-53 conflict, has also tried to engage its neighbour with its "sunshine" policy of diplomacy, industrial cooperation and tourism. Both countries have now voiced deep frustration with the North over its atom bomb test and signalled the regime should be punished, although they have not said what sanctions they would support.
UN ponders North Korea sanctions
By George Dave,WNS US Bureau ChiefWASHINGTON - Diplomats have not yet agreed on the sanctions North Korea should face, two days after the country reportedly carried out a nuclear test. The UN Security Council is considering a US proposal which would impose a range of tough measures on Pyongyang. But China and Russia are arguing against any sanctions that would be backed by military force. Earlier, reports of a second apparent nuclear test were dismissed by senior officials in South Korea and the US. A Japanese TV channel had said Tokyo officials were investigating reports of a further test following earth tremors in the area. But US and South Korean officials said they had detected no seismic activity in that area.
The US has proposed a 13-point draft resolution and wants to see the sanctions brought under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter, which means they would be mandatory and ultimately enforceable by military means. The American Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, has warned North Korea that it faces sanctions unlike any it has experienced before, because it had crossed "an important line" when it claimed it launched a nuclear test. In an interview on American television, Ms Rice again ruled out direct talks between Washington and North Korea. "Why are the North Koreans so insistent that there be bilateral talks? "It's because they don't want the pressure of having China and South Korea and Russia and Japan at the table too. "They would like nothing better than to have all of the pressure be on the United States to deliver a deal." The US has suggested there should be a ban on military trade with North Korea and stringent inspections of cargo going into and out of the country. But the Japanese want a complete ban on planes or ships from North Korea crossing their territory.
N Korea 'facing tough measures'
By Raymond Lim,WNS South Korea Bureau ChiefSEOUL - North Korea faces tough international measures and further isolation over its claim to have tested a nuclear bomb, diplomats have said. Pyongyang's closest ally China has refused to rule out the possibility of UN sanctions, but described the chance of military action as "unimaginable". The US has described the reported test as a "provocative act". The UN Security Council is considering a draft resolution that proposes strict financial and trade sanctions. The response of China - the country that holds the most influence over the isolated regime - is seen by many analysts to be key in moving the crisis forward. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said: "This will no doubt have a negative impact on China and North Korea's relations." He said the UN should take "appropriate action" but added that China was still considering the nature of that action. However, when asked what China thought of the possibility of military action, Mr Liu told a news conference: "I think this is an unimaginable way." North Korea's neighbours remain tense in the wake of Monday's announcement. China has reportedly cancelled leave for troops along part of its border with the North, and South Korean forces have been ordered to stay alert. South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun feared the move could "spark a nuclear arms build-up in other countries" but Japan, the only nation to suffer atomic attack, has pledged that it will not develop nuclear weapons in response. New Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the Japanese parliament: "Possession of nuclear arms is not an option at all for our country." Meeting in New York, the UN Security Council has strongly condemned North Korea over its claimed test.
On Tuesday the Security Council will continue to weigh up options for punitive action, and is considering a 13-point draft resolution proposed by the US, seeking targeted sanctions. The proposals include: Halting trade in material that could be used to make weapons of mass destruction; Inspections of cargo going in and out of North Korea; The ending of financial transactions used to support nuclear proliferation; A ban on the import of luxury goods.US ambassador to the UN John Bolton said that while the US would never rule out the use of force, they were seeking a diplomatic solution to the crisis through the UN. The US wants to see the sanctions brought under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter, which means they would be mandatory and ultimately enforceable by military means. In his first public statement since the reported test, US President Bush said the North Korean claim "constitutes a threat to international peace and security." Only Iran, which also faces Security Council action over its failure to suspend its uranium enrichment programme - has voiced support for North Korea.
North Korea conducts its first nuclear test
By Huang Zhi Xuan,WNS Northeast Asia Bureau ChiefBEIJING - Defying worldwide appeals and threats of sanctions, North Korea on Monday announced it had carried out its first nuclear weapons test, calling it a "historic event". The communist state's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the underground test was carried out safely and successfully and there was no radiation leak. A South Korean defence ministry official quoted by Yonhap news agency said the test was carried out at Hwadaeri near Kilju on North Korea's northeast coast at 10:36 am (0136 GMT). There was no immediate official confirmation in the South of the test. But the presidential office said the state intelligence agency had detected a 3.58 magnitude seismic tremor in North Hamgyong Province, where Kilju is located.
China condemned Pyongyang for "brazenly" carrying out the test. The test took place around the time Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Seoul for talks on handling the nuclear crisis and just three days after a UN Security Council statement was issued against North Korea. The council unanimously adopted a non-binding statement that urged the North to drop plans for a test and to return to six-party disarmament talks. "We detected the explosive sound from Hwadaeri near Kilju in North Hamgyong Province at 10:36 am," Yonhap quoted the defense ministry official as saying. "The intelligence was immediately reported to President Roh Moo-hyun," Roh's spokesman Yoon Tae-Young said. "Related countries are in consultation on the issue." Roh immediately called an emergency ministerial meeting to discuss countermeasures. The White House believes the test was carried out, the Fox News television network reported, quoting a senior US government official. The test is believed to have been conducted in a horizontal tunnel, a lawmaker quoted intelligence officials as saying. The officials told parliament it appeared to have been conducted in a 360 metre-high (1,188 feet) mountain northwest of its Musudanri missile base in Hwadaeri, according to lawmaker Chung Hyong-Keun. He quoted an intelligence official as saying: "In consideration of the height of the mountain, the test appeared to have been done in a horizontal tunnel."
KCNA issued a brief statement announcing the test, saying: "The field of scientific research in the DPRK (North Korea) successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions on October 9... It has been confirmed that there was no such danger of radioactive emission in the course of the nuclear test as it was carried out under scientific consideration and careful calculation. "The nuclear test was conducted with indigenous wisdom and technology, 100 percent. "It marks a historic event as it greatly encouraged and pleased the KPA (North Korean army) and people that have wished to have powerful self-reliant defence capability. "It will contribute to defending the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the area around it."
A South Korean expert told AFP there was "a massive explosion with a tremor of 3.58 to 3.7". Chi Heon-chul, of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, said the tremor originated at Kilju. No excessive radioactivity was detected in South Korea after North Korea announced it had successfully carried out an underground nuclear test on Monday, experts said. The military raised its vigilance along the border with North Korea, officials said. "A crisis task force was activated, with our troops ordered to raise their vigilance and watch North Korea's movements," an official with the joint chiefs of staff told AFP. Abe said he would work together with South Korea to consider their response to North Korea's reported nuclear test. "I am going to meet South Korean Prime Minister Han Myeong-Sook now," said Abe, who will also meet Roh later in the day. "I want to coordinate with the South Korean side about our future response."
Mass Venezuela opposition rally
CARACAS (BBC) - Tens of thousands of people have marched through the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, in support of the main opposition candidate, Manuel Rosales. Mr Rosales will face President Hugo Chavez in December's presidential poll. The march, which filled the main avenues of the city centre, was the biggest opposition rally Venezuela has seen since early 2004. Then, protesters made an unsuccessful bid to oust Mr Chavez from power in a recall referendum. Young and old took to the streets to throw their weight behind the campaign of Mr Rosales, a middle-class Social Democrat who governs the state of Zulia, on the Colombian border.
Many claimed that they were seeking liberty and democracy and that made Mr Rosales their only option: "The problem of the opposition is that before we had a lot of candidates and people couldn't make up their minds whom to support," one woman said. "Right now we have just one candidate and I believe that we have a better shot if we have just one candidate against Chavez." For some it was simply a day out to enjoy the sunshine, but for most it was a chance to listen to a speech by Mr Rosales, who declared that Venezuela was "at a crossroads". Mr Rosales condemned what he called the cheque book diplomacy of Mr Chavez, accusing him of giving away Venezuela's oil wealth to foreign powers. If Mr Rosales can keep up this kind of pressure against his rival, the election results may not necessarily be a foregone conclusion. But for now, Mr Chavez still enjoys a clear lead in opinion polls because of a sense of loyalty that poor and working-class voters feel towards him.
Shots fired amid Korean tension
By Raymond Lim,WNS South Korea Bureau ChiefSEOUL - South Korean troops have fired warning shots at soldiers from the North amid rising tension over North Korean plans to test a nuclear weapon. Early reports suggest that about 40 shots were fired when soldiers crossed into the demilitarised zone. Meanwhile, South Korea has welcomed a statement by the United Nations Security Council urging North Korea to abandon plans to test a nuclear weapon. Seoul joined in calling on the North to return to six-party talks. Some observers have warned that a nuclear test could come as early as this weekend. After intruding some 30 metres (yards), the Northern troops returned to their side of the military demarcation line, it added.
One Southern military source, speaking anonymously to The Associated Press, said it was unclear whether the intrusion was "intentional or whether it was to catch fish". In its statement, the Security Council warned of unspecified action against North Korea if it went ahead with a test explosion. A nuclear test would "jeopardise peace, stability and security in the region and beyond" and, in the event of a test, the Security Council would "act consistent with its responsibility under the Charter of the United Nations". South Korea said it supported and welcomed the "UN Security Council's clear and strict position" against the threatened test. "North Korea must scrap its plan for a nuclear test and return to the six-party talks immediately and without any pre-conditions," its foreign ministry said.
South Korea is sending its top delegate to the six-party negotiations, Chun Yung-Woo, to Beijing on Monday for talks with his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei. North Korea has been boycotting the six-party talks - which involve the two Koreas, the USA, China, Russia and Japan - in protest at US sanctions against it. Japanese Vice-Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi told Japanese TV after talks with US officials in Washington that it was possible a test could come this weekend. "Based on developments so far, it would be best to view a test as possible this weekend," he told Japan's Asahi TV channel.
Sudan letter draws condemnations
By Dennis Louis,WNS Africa Bureau ChiefCAPE TOWN - UN Security Council members have branded "offensive" a letter sent by Sudan warning African and Arab nations not to send peacekeepers to Darfur. The US called an emergency meeting of the council, saying the letter represented "a direct challenge". However, there is no agreement about how to react to Sudan's warning. Some members say it should be ignored. UN chief Kofi Annan said Darfur, which has endured a three-year conflict, was "on the brink of catastrophe".
A 7,000-strong African Union (AU) force has failed to end the conflict - in which 200,000 people have died and two million people have fled their homes. The president of the Security Council for October, Japanese Ambassador Kenzo Oshima, said some members felt "the language [in the letter] was inappropriate and offensive". Mr Oshima said a resolution condemning the letter had been considered, but it was decided to concentrate on how to restore peace in the troubled region.Sudan's letter said that contributing to a proposed UN peacekeeping force would be seen as "a hostile act".
Sudan does not want the UN to take control of the peacekeeping force from the AU, saying that would be an attack on its sovereignty. The council has approved plans to send a 20,000-strong force with a tough mandate but says it will only do so if Sudan agrees. US envoy John Bolton said it demanded "a strong response". Mr Bolton added that if Khartoum was allowed "to intimidate troop-contributing countries", this would mean the failure of UN plans to deploy a robust UN force in Darfur. The council said it was seeking "clarification" of the letter from Sudan's UN ambassador.
Funerals for Amish school victims
By Peter Matthew,WNS Eastern US CorrespondentPENNSYLVANIA - Funerals for four of the five Amish girls killed in a schoolroom massacre on Monday have taken place in the US state of Pennsylvania. Hundreds of mourners gathered as the four, aged seven to 12, were laid to rest in the small town of Nickel Mines. Each girl was buried in a plain pine coffin. The fifth victim will be laid to rest on Friday. The girls were gunned down by a local man, Charles Roberts, who then killed himself. Five more girls were injured.
Doctors treating the survivors have reportedly taken one girl off a life-support machine and allowed her to be taken home to die. Roads into the village were closed off to maintain privacy during Thursday's funerals. The first girl to be buried was Naomi Rose Ebersole, seven, who was carried to Nickel Mines' hill top cemetery at the head of 32 horse-drawn coaches. Similar processions were later held for Marian Fisher, 13, and the Miller sisters, Lena, seven, and Mary Liz, eight. The funeral of Anna Mae Stoltzfus, 12, is scheduled to take place on Friday.
The Anabaptist denomination eschews technology and preaches isolation from the modern world to varying degrees. Amish burial customs call for simple wooden caskets - and a girl is typically laid to rest in a white dress, cape and white prayer-covering on her head, the victims' funeral director said.
China calls for calm over N Korea
By Huang Zhi Xuan,WNS Northeast Asia Bureau ChiefBEIJING - China has appealed for calm following North Korea's announcement that it planned to test a nuclear bomb. "We hope that North Korea will exercise necessary calm and restraint," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said, urging other states not to escalate tensions. North Korea announced the test on state TV, saying it would boost security in the face of US hostility. The US said such an action would be "provocative", while Japan said it would be "unacceptable".The US has already indicated it would raise the issue with the UN Security Council, but Beijing says the issue should be handled by ongoing six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear aThese talks have been stalled for almost a year, with Pyongyang refusing to return to the table unless the US first lifts financial sanctions.
Despite a flurry of diplomatic activity in recent months, after the North conducted internationally condemned missile tests, little progress has been made. China, the nearest the North has to an ally, has often advocated quiet diplomacy in efforts to get Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme. But other countries involved in the six-nation talks - notably the US and Japan - have frequently taken a harder line. North Korea said that its nuclear test would prove its claim, made publicly last year, that it had nuclear weapons. Pyongyang did not give a date for its planned nuclear test, but North Korean diplomat Pak Myong-guk told WNS that the country had been forced to act because of Washington's stance. "These kinds of threats of nuclear war and sanctions and pressure by the United States compel us to conduct a nuclear test," he said. But there was little sympathy among the international community for Pyongyang's reasons. Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told parliament on Wednesday that Tokyo "simply could not accept if North Korea were to conduct a nuclear test". "It would be a very provocative act by the North Koreans," added US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice . South Korea warned that it might abandon its long policy of pursuing engagement with the North if the tests went ahead. Russia and various other European nations have also expressed concern, and a spokesman for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said a test would only provoke universal condemnation and do nothing towards strengthening North Korea's security. But China said it would be better to revive the six-nation talks, which stalled almost a year ago. "If the six-party talks cannot do anything about it, I don't think the Council is in a position to do it," China's envoy to the UN, Wang Guangya, told reporters.
Militants threaten Hamas leaders
By Geraldine Chris,WNS Israel CorrespondentGAZA - A militant group linked to former Palestinian governing party Fatah has threatened to kill leaders of political rival Hamas. The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said it held Hamas officials responsible for deaths during violent clashes between gunmen from both factions. Three senior Hamas officials had been marked out for "execution", a statement from the group said.
Clashes between gunmen from the two rival groups began on Sunday in Gaza. Eight people died in the violence and more than 60 were injured. Two more people died on Monday in further clashes. "We in al-Aqsa announce, with all might and frankness... [that we will] execute the head of the sedition, Khaled Meshaal, Said Siyam and Youssef al-Zahar, and we will execute this ruling so those filthy people can be made an example," the statement from the group said. Mr Meshaal is Hamas' Damascus-based political chief, Mr Siyam the interior minister and Mr Zahar a senior interior ministry official. The latest violence is believed to mark the most serious round of internecine fighting since Hamas came to power in March. Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniya, have appealed for calm and said the violence must stop.
Brazil set for election run-off
By Serra John,WNS Brazil CorrespondentSAO PAULO - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil has narrowly failed to win re-election outright in the first round of the presidential election. Lula needed at least 50% of the vote to avoid a run-off on 29 October, but fell about 1% short, officials say. He will now go head to head with former Sao Paulo governor Geraldo Alckmin, who took 41.4% of the vote. Mr Alckmin gained ground late in the campaign, after President Lula's party was accused of dirty tricks. He emerged from his Sao Paulo apartment to thank voters for their support. "I'm heading to the second round with a great chance of winning the election," a beaming Mr Alckmin told reporters. There was no immediate comment from the president - but his aide Tarso Genro told reporters: "We were ready for the first round and we also will be ready for the second round." With four more weeks of campaigning ahead, he remains the favourite, but suddenly the race looks much more competitive. The president had a comfortable lead in the weeks leading up to the election, but opinion polls showed a dip in support for him amid scandals involving his Workers' Party. Two weeks ago two men with links to the party were arrested carrying $800,000 dollars in cash, which detectives believe was to have paid for a dossier of corruption allegations against the president's rivals. The scandal led Lula to sack his campaign manager, but it resurfaced over the weekend with newspapers publishing photographs of the wads of banknotes. The president denies ever engaging in smear tactics.
Amazon air crash 'was collision'
By Serra John,WNS Brazil CorrespondentBRASILLIA - A passenger plane which crashed in a remote Amazon region collided with another aircraft, Brazilian aviation officials have confirmed. The Boeing 737, flying from Manaus to the capital, Brasilia, crashed in the Amazon rainforest on Friday. All 155 passengers and crew are presumed dead after rescuers reported finding bodies but no survivors.
Aviation officials had been investigating the possibility the plane hit a smaller executive jet.
Denise Abreu, director of the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), told reporters on Sunday that a mid-air collision occurred, but did not release any other details. Earlier, another aviation official said it was "highly probable" that a collision between the two aircraft caused the crasAn executive jet made a forced landing with a damaged wing near the crash site on Friday. Everyone on it survived, but its pilot reported seeing a shadow and hearing a noise. Aviation officials were interviewing the jet's passengers and crew, while investigators had removed the aircraft's black box for analysis, another aviation official said. With no survivors located, the crash becomes Brazil's worst-ever air disaster. President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva has declared three days of national mourning. Search and rescue efforts have been hampered by the remote location of the crash site and the dense rainforest. The first rescuers on the scene had to rappel down from helicopters and then clear an area for the vehicles to land.
The plane was operated by the budget airline Gol, which has expanded rapidly since it was establish in 2001 to become Brazil's number two carrier. Gol says the plane involved was new, having come into service this month.
By Malenie Judy,
