Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from January 2003, page 9

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from January 2003

Partners boost car venture's coffers.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Winston Yau Brilliance China Automotive Holdings and its mainland partner plan to boost their joint venture coffers by US$273 million to tap the country's fast-growing sedan market. ...

Russian guards seize over 0.5 t of drugs on Tajik-Afghan border in January 2003.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Dushanbe, 31 January: Russian border guards' predictions about "criminal groups of drug smugglers intensifying their activities on the Tajik-Afghan border" in 2003 are coming true, the head of...

Lok Ma Chau checkpoint could be overwhelmed.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Gary Cheung The Lok Ma Chau border checkpoint could become overcrowded after midnight during the Lunar New Year holidays, the commissioner for transport warned yesterday. Robert Footman...

Madagascar: Foreign mercenaries reported in northwest - army officer.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Madagascar web site on 31 January Following a first meeting in Mahajanga [northwestern port town] between incoming PDS [special delegation chairman: province chief] Col Vincent Toto and...

Ghanaian commentator says "flawed" peace better than war for Ivorians.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Controversy rages in Cote d'Ivoire following the Paris peace deal between the government and the rebels. In commentary, Affail Monney of our radio newsroom looks at the path of peace in Cote...

`FBI agents told me to go fishing for drugs and guns' Terror suspect says he was the innocent victim of a sting by undercover agents.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Peter Michael Terror suspect Ilyas Ali recalled yesterday how he was given air tickets, hotel rooms and thousands of US dollars by the FBI, and then told to go on a "fishing trip" for drugs...

Nepal: US embassy welcomes cease-fire.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) The US embassy Thursday [30 January] welcomed the cessation of military activities by Maoists. "We welcome the immediate cessation of all Maoist military activities and terrorist attacks as...

Nepal: Political leaders welcome cease-fire, doubt Maoists' ability to adhere.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Political leaders despite welcoming the cease-fire between the government and the Maoists have expressed doubts whether the Maoists would really stick to their commitments as they had failed to...

Loan demand likely to remain sluggish this year Borrowing could be stifled by deflation, high real interest rates, an overhang of negative equity mortgages and cautious banks.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Raymond Ma Latest banking figures confirm continued weak loan demand and a preference for cash among Hong Kong depositors. December monetary statistics released by the Hong Kong Monetary...

France urges its nationals to leave Cote d'Ivoire.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) January Paris has advised all French people whose presence is not essential in the Cote d'Ivoire to leave the country. But as around 300 French nationals tried to leave from Abidjan airport...

Spending totals $177 billion but with income from salaries tax still being collected, revenue amounts to only $100 billion Deficit hits a record $77.3b as income drops.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: May Sin-mi Hon The fiscal deficit soared to a record high of $77.3 billion at the end of last month, causing the government's reserves to drop below $300 billion. Public expenditure...

Civil servants paid `up to 60pc more' than private sector As the preliminary results of the commerce chamber's study are released, James Tien says a 6 per cent cut is reasonable.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: May Sin-mi Hon Civil servants earn 30 to 60 per cent more than employees with similar jobs in the private sector, according to the preliminary results of a survey by a leading business group....

French nationals told to leave Cote d'Ivoire as soldier wounded in airport clash.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) January Paris has advised all French people whose presence is not essential in the Cote d'Ivoire to leave the country. But as around 300 French nationals tried to leave from Abidjan airport...

UN to hear of alleged deterioration in rights.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Ambrose Leung Local human rights and community groups will petition the United Nations over what they claim is a deterioration of rights and freedom in Hong Kong. They intend to lobby the...

Azeri interior minister says reports on Kurdish separatists libellous.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) [Presenter] Today's meeting between Azerbaijani Interior Minister Ramil Usubov and members of the board of the Union of the Turkish Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, TUSIAB, focused its...

Security chief apologises for `insults' during debate After heated arguments over the Article 23 proposals, Regina Ip softens her tone.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Ambrose Leung The Secretary for Security has apologised for saying "taxi drivers, restaurant waiters and McDonald's staff" would not be interested in the details of the anti-subversion...

Ukrainian court lifts ban on opposition protest in capital.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) The [12 October 2002] ban on "Arise, Ukraine!" [opposition] protests in Kiev was illegal, the Kiev Court of Appeal has ruled. The Shevchenkivskyy district court ruling banning the protests is...

Special court rules may be needed to handle sensitive national issues.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Cliff Buddle Special rules for court cases concerned with whether organisations should be banned on national security grounds might be needed once new anti-subversion laws are in place, the...

Israel: Final vote count gives Likud 38 seats, NRP 6, Hadash, One Nation 3 each.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) The official results of the elections are in, after the tally was completed of the votes of the soldiers and civilians who cast their ballot slips in double envelopes. The Likud received an...

Acid used to murder HK-born man Australian police have few clues and no motive for the attack.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Nick Squires in Sydney Australian police are investigating a gruesome murder in which two men forced acid down the throat of a Hong Kong-born accountant who later died of horrific internal...

Almost third of Georgian ruling party's candidates in elections to be women.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Tbilisi, 31 January: For the autumn parliamentary elections, the [government-backed] Citizens' Union is to have a quota of 30 per cent for women on its party list. This was announced by...

Arrest after children are left alone.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Tommy Lewis A mother who left her children - aged four and two - home alone in a flat for nearly eight hours was arrested by police yesterday for alleged child cruelty. Police went to the...

Argentina: Highlights of Todo Noticias TV news 0000 gmt 31 Jan 03.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Figures in brackets indicate length of time of each item 1. Announcer-read report over video on Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva forecasting that the next Argentine president...

Russian justice minister encouraged by developments in Zakayev case.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) [Presenter] The Russian Ministry of Justice and Prosecutor- General's Office have expressed their hope that a court in London will make an objective and just decision in respect of Akhmed...

EVA Airways returns to profitability Cost cutting and increased flights on the Hong Kong route have helped the Taiwanese airline turn around its fortunes.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Joseph Lo EVA Airways has returned to profitability after a year of aggressive cost cutting and a jump in sales owing largely to new services to Hong Kong. The airline, Taiwan's largest...

Portuguese premier speaks out against "false neutrality" over Iraq.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) In the wake of a letter of support for the USA on the Iraq crisis signed by eight European leaders, Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso defended his stance in parliament, saying...

Putin addresses Security Service on Chechen poll, objecives.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) [Presenter] The Russian president today addressed an expanded session of the Federal Security Service [FSB]. Vladimir Putin described last year as an exceptionally busy one for the Russian...

Fung shui master jailed for `mystical rites' sex.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Magdalen Chow A fung shui master yesterday was jailed for 4.5 years for twice having sex with a 14-year-old girl under the guise of performing "mystical rites". Deputy Judge Alan Wright, in the...

Nardaran protesters demand fair trial for Azeri Islamic Party official.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) [Presenter] A rally by residents of the village of Nardaran village demanding a fair trial for [deputy chairman of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan] Haciaga Nuriyev is currently under way in Imam...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) FEBRUARY 25-27 Hong Kong: TOC 2003 Asia, organised by Informa Maritime & Transport. Contact Gemma Silvey (44) 20 7553 1439 MARCH 19 Singapore: Asian Freight and Supply Chain Awards, organised...

"Emir" of Da'wah and Jihad group threatens new attacks on Kuwaitis, Americans.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of interview via the internet with Abu-Usamah al-Kuwaiti, who introduced himself to Al-Sharq al-Awsat as emir of the "Da'wah and Jihad" group, by Mahmud Khalil in Dubai; date not given;...

Tradeport close to clinching FedEx as first customer The express delivery giant's commitment in Singapore bodes well for Hong Kong.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Russell Barling Federal Express (FedEx) is in late-stage negotiations with Tradeport about becoming the HK$530 million logistics facility's first customer as it nears a March launch date,...

Putin's fans in Ukraine plan to sue Harry Potter film makers.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) In Ukraine, a special initiative group "Poetiki" has launched a large-scale action "In support of the dignity of Vladimir Putin". Agency Rosbalt reported that the group plans to take the...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) DAUGHTER FINDS FATHER HANGED, MOTHER DEAD A couple were found dead in their Po Kan House flat in Tseung Kwan O last night. Their bodies were found by their daughter, who went to the flat at 6pm....

Dominican minister calms fears about threat to contaminate water supply.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) on 30 January Roseau, Dominica: Communications and Works Minister Reginald Austrie has sought to allay the fears of Dominicans that the island's water supply may be contaminated, after...

Fujian plans two natural gas-fired power plants.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Eric Ng Fujian province plans to build two natural gas-fired power plants which will use gas imported from Indonesia from 2006. One plant would be in north Quanzhou Bay, with a generating...

Chile: Highlights of TV Nacional de Chile news 1700 gmt 30 Jan 03.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Figures in brackets indicate length of time of each item 1. Headlines. (und 1 min) 2. Live relay with Rodrigo Cid in Melipilla, Metropolitan Region, where three forest fires have the...

Emily Lau's maid claims $40,000 for sacking The legislator's husband counters that the helper owes him $20,000 and she refused to return from holiday on time.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Mary Ann Benitez Legislator Emily Lau Wai-hing and her husband are being taken to the Labour Tribunal by their domestic helper, who claims she is owed more than $40,000 after being dismissed....

Chief of Indian-administered Kashmir to work towards return of Hindus.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Jammu, 31 January: Exuding confidence that peace and normalcy would soon return to Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said on Friday [31 January] it was "shameful" that...

Nina Wang is facing a heavier legal bill in probate case A judged ruled she unnecessarily prolonged the trial, warranting punitive costs.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Magdalen Chow Asia's richest woman, Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum, will have to pay out more for her failed multimillion-dollar legal battle with her father-in-law over her late husband's fortune. ...

Cuba: Highlights of Cubavision TV news 1800 gmt 30 Jan 03.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Figures in brackets indicate length of time of each item 1. Headlines. (under 1 min) 2. Commander in Chief Fidel Castro addressed the closing ceremony of the World Equilibrium...

Upmarket steakhouse shuts as downturn devours profits.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Mary Ann Benitez and Klaudia Lee Upmarket American steakhouse Morton's of Chicago has shut its Lan Kwai Fong restaurant after less than two years, blaming the sluggish economy. The 20...

Cuba: Highlights of Radio Rebelde news 1800 gmt 30 Jan 03.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Figures in brackets indicate length of time of each item 1. Headlines. 2. A modern three-dimensional guide system for neurosurgery is being used at the International Centre of...

Cuba: Highlights of Cubavision TV news 0100 gmt 31 Jan 03.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Figures in brackets indicate length of time of each item 1. Headlines. (under 1 min) 2. Announcer-read report - Commander in Chief Fidel Castro attended the inauguration of the 12th...

Tourism revenue surges to $523b; arrivals up 9pc.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Peggy Sito China's tourism industry continued its robust growth last year, with revenue surging 11.4 per cent to 556.6 billion yuan (HK$523.2 billion). The main factors behind the increase...

Lithuanians stage protest against war in Iraq.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) [Presenter] Protests against a possible war in Iraq were staged outside the US embassy in Vilnius and the President's Office. Giedrius Galdikas has more: [Correspondent] The Lithuanian...

Virgin eyes increased flights on London-Shanghai route.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Annette Chiu Virgin Atlantic Airways is hoping to expand its London-to-Shanghai direct route to a daily service, in the face of surging traffic between the two cities. Britain and China...

Russian oil official urges cooperation to secure share of Iraqi oil.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Moscow, 31 January: To protect its interests in Iraq Russia should cooperate more closely with Western countries to launch joint economic projects, the president of the Russian Oil and Gas...

Crackdown after fireworks deaths The safety order is made as factories increase production for the holidays.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Ray Cheung A spate of accidents in fireworks factories has prompted the central government to order officials across the mainland to tighten their safety measures. The command came after a...

Kyrgyz electoral commission dismisses international concern over referendum.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Interfax Bishkek, 31 January: Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Commission head has denounced international organizations' concerns over the dates for the referendum as interference in domestic...

Taiwan opens the door to mainland fishermen As part of a trial to mark the festive season, workers are allowed ashore to celebrate.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Joe Tang in Taipei Taiwan has for the first time allowed more than 400 mainland fishermen working for Taiwanese fishing boats to come ashore to celebrate the Lunar New Year. "Out of...

Putin greets first congress of Russian lawyers.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Moscow, 31 January: Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a message of greeting to the delegates to and guests of the first All-Russia Congress of Lawyers. In part, the message says:...

Lawmakers angry over illegal recruitment by Peking University Members of the island's ruling party say the government is ignoring the practice.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Joe Tang Lawmakers from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday criticised the government for turning a blind eye to the illegal recruitment of students by the mainland's...

Iran: Official says family of slain political activist spared murderers.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Tehran, 31 January: An official of the Iranian military court on Thursday [30 January] said that the family of the slain political activists Daryush Foruhar and his wife Parvaneh Eskandari had...

Police fail to deter ticket touts seeking a prosperous new year Baton-wielding security personnel are keeping the Guangzhou queues orderly, but 1,000 scalpers are operating freely.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Leu Siew Ying in Guangzhou Dressed in a well-cut light grey Western suit, Mr Li does not look like the average migrant worker waiting at the main Guangzhou railway station to go home for the...

Gabonese radio Africa No 1 plans to install new transmitter in Chad.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) President Idriss Deby this morning met with the chief executive officer of the [Gabonese-based] Africa No 1 radio station, Louis-Barthelemy Mapangou. Mr Mapangou came to brief the head of state...

Competition remains intense for professional positions - especially in Shanghai - despite years of economic growth Workers still facing a jobs shortage.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Allen T. Cheng Despite years of super-charged economic growth, there are still more workers than jobs on the mainland and competition for prime professional positions remains as intense as...

POLICE CHIEF TESTED FOR HIV/AIDS.
January 31, 2003... (From SAPA (South African Press Association)) Fourteen members of police management underwent voluntary HIV/Aids tests in Pretoria on Friday, encouraging other police officials to do the same. Among those tested was national commissioner...

Malaysia's moral crusaders caught robbing the poor tin.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Baradan Kuppusamy in Kuala Lumpur The squeaky clean leaders of Malaysia's Islamic opposition party, who daily raise the Koran and rail against government corruption, have been shamed into...

DIDIZA'S ZIM VIEWS UNDERMINE FAITH IN SA LAND REFORM: DA.
January 31, 2003... (From SAPA (South African Press Association)) Agriculture minister Thoko Didiza's views about the land reform in Zimbabwe undermined farmers' confidence in South Africa's own land restitution process, the Democratic Alliance said on...

Border fears overstated: report The 24-hour opening is unlikely to hurt Hong Kong stocks as it fundamentally changes very little, say analysts.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) While Iraq may be front and centre on most investors' radar screens, those putting their money to work in Hong Kong have got a new factor to worry about - how the 24-hour opening of the mainland border...

ENGEN REFINERIES APOLOGISES AFTER DURBAN GAS LEAK.
January 31, 2003... (From SAPA (South African Press Association)) The Engen refinery in the Durban south area issued an apology on Friday after a gas leak left a pungent odour in the air the previous day. The factory is situated between Wentworth and...

MURDER ACCUSED CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY.
January 31, 2003... (From SAPA (South African Press Association)) Bernard Cloete, who allegedly brutally murdered a young mother from Bloemfontein and dumped her half-naked body next to a road, told the High Court on Friday that he became a converted...

Ruddock denies claim that boat people are going hungry.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Roger Maynard in Sydney Australia's immigration minister yesterday hit back at criticism of conditions in a detention centre on the remote Pacific island of Nauru, where asylum seekers were...

BBC, SABC SIGN RADIO NEWS AGREEMENT.
January 31, 2003... (From SAPA (South African Press Association)) The South African Broadcasting Corporation's radio channels will get daily access to the British Broadcasting Corporation's news, according to an agreement signed in Johannesburg this week....

Ill spy avoids jail for passing documents.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) A would-be spy who gave top-secret Australian defence documents to a prostitute in the hope of selling them to a foreign embassy was given a suspended 15-month jail sentence yesterday. Simon Lappas,...

After communal violence helped win them power in Gujarat, they try to stir up Muslims in Rajasthan ahead of polling Hindu radicals focus on a new target.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Amrit Dhillon in New Delhi Muslims are being vilified in the Indian desert state of Rajasthan, where Hindu extremists have drawn inspiration from the violence in Gujarat to plot victory for the...

Slovenia completes NATO accession negotiations.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Slovenia has completed NATO accession negotiations and will have to contribute about 3m dollars per year into the Alliance's budget. This was said by the head of the Slovene delegation and...

Angola: Race for successor of slain Savimbi reportedly on in UNITA.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) The third UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) political commission session will no longer end on 30 January as scheduled, but tomorrow. This has been prompted by the need...

Kyrgyzstan welcomes Ukrainian president's election as CIS chairman.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Bishkek, 31 January: Kyrgyz Deputy Foreign Minister Lidiya Imanaliyeva has said that the election of Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma to the post of chairman of the council of the CIS heads of...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) LEFT MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN BUSH, OR IRAQ'S INTERNATIONAL PARIAH US President George W. Bush's hardline policy towards Baghdad has been the subject of much scorn. Ever since the mutterings of...

Upgrades and downgrades.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) BYD Merrill Lynch said it believed the stock was unlikely to "decline significantly from current levels as valuations are fair". The stock was hammered 27.7 per cent from HK$18 to $13 last week after the...

Controversial Azeri general to head Defence Ministry's information section.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Baku, 31 January: Azerbaijani Maj-Gen Vaqif Rasulov, who until recently represented Azerbaijan in the CIS military cooperation coordination headquarters in Moscow, has been appointed head of the...

War against Iraq may stir up a whirlwind PRAY FOR PEACE C. P. HO.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Ido not purport to speak for my fellow Asians, but from what I hear and see, the prayer in this part of the world is for the United States to rein in their dogs of war before it is too late. Talk of a...

Albania: President, premier discuss reforms.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) President [Alfred] Moisiu and Prime Minister [Fatos] Nano have had a meeting at which they discussed the course of reforms in the country. The meeting took place only one day before EU...

Taiwan president calls for "'diligence, caring" in Chinese New Year message.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) News Agency web site Taipei, 31 January: President Chen Shui-bian encouraged his fellow countrymen to usher in the new Chinese lunar year with more diligence and caring in his televised...

STILL WAITING FOR MEANINGFUL DEBATE.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) The domestic helper debate has been going on for far too long without a rational basis. Philippine Consul-General Victoria S. Bataclan waded in ("Minimum wages serve as safety nets", South China...

US group accuses Venezuela's Chavez of reportedly financing Al-Qa'idah.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Venezuelan pro-government VENews web site on 30 January In a Miami court, the Washington-based Judicial Watch organization has formally accused President Hugo Chavez Frias and Venezuelan...

Indian security forces report recovery of Pakistan mines on border.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) New Delhi, 31 January: Security forces along the international border with Pakistan in the Punjab sector have found repeated instances of Pakistani forces sneaking across to lay mines in the...

How Europe's intelligence services are closing al-Qaeda down PAPER TRAILS CHRIS DOBSON.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) The threat of an al-Qaeda terror campaign involving chemical or biological weapons has galvanised Europe's anti-terrorist services. The danger is thought to be so great that old rivalries have been swept...

Ecuador: National Defence Council appoints ex-army commander as its director.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) January; subheadings as published Quito - Ecuadoran President, Colonel Lucio Gutierrez, chaired his first National Defence Council (JDN) meeting at the Defence Ministry at 0930 [local times...

OPPORTUNITY BECKONS NAYAN CHANDA While war looms in Iraq, North Korea may be arming.
January 31, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) The postponement of the International Atomic Energy Agency board meeting and the talk about a negotiated settlement to the North Korean crisis have created a false air of calm. Unless the United States...

Japan: Political parties react to premier's speech.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Tokyo, 31 January: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's policy speech to the Diet Friday [31 January] was mostly praised by ruling parties for clearly expressing his determination on reforms but...

Ukrainian arms exporter reveals strategy for boosting sales.
January 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Ukraine's system of control over arms exports is one of the strictest in the world, Valeriy Shmarov, director-general of the Ukrspetseksport state arms exporter, has said, according to a...