Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from June 2003

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from June 2003

Govt to up N. Korean ship checks.
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) Govt to up N. Korean ship checks Yomiuri The government is considering significantly increasing inspections of all North Korean ships that dock in Japan, government sources said Saturday....

N. Korean ship visit raises police worries.
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) N. Korean ship visit raises police worries Yomiuri NIIGATA The North Korean cargo-passenger ship Man Gyong Bong 92 is scheduled to dock at a port in Niigata Prefecture on June 9 and...

MPD cracks down on debtor list sellers.
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) MPD cracks down on debtor list sellers Yomiuri The Metropolitan Police Department has decided to crack down on agencies selling lists of names of people saddled with multiple consumer loans...

Nation's Korean schools to revise texts.
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) Nation's Korean schools to revise texts Yomiuri As abduction and nuclear development issues have made international society critical of North Korea, Korean schools in Japan are revising...

Typhoon deluge disrupts transport.
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) Typhoon deluge disrupts transport Yomiuri Typhoon No.4, the first typhoon to strike Japan in May since 1965, weakened into a temperate depression in Kagawa Prefecture at about 9 a.m....

Govt, FSA get their man for Resona job Banking group's lis.
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) Govt, FSA get their man for Resona job Banking group's list of preferred chairmen ignored, railway executive chosen Yomiuri In appointing Eiji Hosoya, vice president of East Japan Railway...

Wahid: Attack will force Aceh rebels to negotiate.
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) Wahid: Attack will force Aceh rebels to negotiate Shigefumi Takasuka Yomiuri A military operation in Aceh Province, Indonesia, has been launched as a necessary evil to force separatist...

Quit-smoking program for kids launched.
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) Quit-smoking program for kids launched Yomiuri To mark World No-Tobacco Day on Saturday, a doctor in Nara Prefecture launched an Internet program that aims to help primary, middle and high...

Secret agent-san.
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) Secret agent-san Margaret Layman Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer Yomiuri Secrets of the Ninja DH Publishing, 96pp, 30 dollars Kids in probably every country of the world fantasize...

90 Shinkansen support pillars unreinforced despite order.
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) 90 Shinkansen support pillars unreinforced despite order Yomiuri SENDAI About 90 viaduct support pillars on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line in Miyagi Prefecture have not been reinforced,...

Yakuza tale roughly told.
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) Yakuza tale roughly told Sonia O'Regan Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer Yomiuri Ashes By Kenzo Kitakata Translated by Emi Shimokawa Vertical, 224 pp, 23.95 dollars If a...

New Paperbacks.
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) New Paperbacks Colin Donald Special to The Daily Yomiuri Yomiuri Almost There: The Onward Journey of a Dublin Woman By Nuala O'Faolain Penguin 10.99 pounds After a...

Editorial / Is China changing under Hu?
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) Editorial / Is China changing under Hu? Yomiuri It could be interpreted as a sign that the new leadership in China is getting ready to embark on new relationships with other countries. ...

Run Silent, run fast: Take aims for 4th victory in Japan D.
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) Run Silent, run fast: Take aims for 4th victory in Japan Derby Yomiuri There are good signs ahead of today's Japan Derby for Yutaka Take. And it's coming from the other side of the Pacific....

Whose Constitution?
June 1, 2003... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) Whose Constitution? Vicki Beyer Special to The Daily Yomiuri Yomiuri Whose Constitution?By Vicki Beyer Special to The Daily Yomiuri Partners for Democracy: Crafting the...

ANDERSON DIPLOMATIC AFTER VIDEO REF DENIES WARRIORS.
June 1, 2003... (From New Zealand Press Association) NZPA Correspondent Sydney, May 31 - New Zealand Warriors coach Daniel Anderson reacted cautiously when asked if a try ruled out by video referee Phil Cooley was decisive in the Penrith Panthers...

NSW-HARNESS-RESULTS 1-9 COLLATED.
June 1, 2003... (From New Zealand Press Association) Wellington, May 31 - The weather was fine and the track fast for the NSW Harness meeting tonight. RACE 1 RIVERINA FUEL C1-C2 MOBILE PACE TREBLE, $A4000, MOBILE, 2165m 1-1 Go Like Lyal (6)...

QUEENSLAND-HARNESS-RESULTS 1-9 COLLATED.
June 1, 2003... (From New Zealand Press Association) Wellington, May 31 - The weather was overcast and the track firm for the Queensland Harness meeting at Albion Park tonight. RACE 1 ABC AUTO GEAR M1 MOBILE PACE TREBLE, $A8750, MOBILE, 2138m ...

VICTORIA-HARNESS-RESULTS 1-7 COLLATED.
June 1, 2003... (From New Zealand Press Association) Wellington, May 31 - The weather was fine and the track firm for the Victoria Harness meeting tonight. RACE 1 MELTON SADDLERY C7-C9 MOBILE PACE TREBLE, $A8000, MOBILE, 2100m 5-11 Flying...

SOUTH-AUSTRALIA-HARNESS-RESULTS 1-6 COLLATED.
June 1, 2003... (From New Zealand Press Association) Wellington, May 31 - The weather was overcast and the track firm for the South Australia Harness meeting at Globe Derby Park tonight. RACE 1 EDINBURGH PARKS C1-C2 MOBILE PACE TREBLE, $A4000,...

Bonus compensates cut in EPF interest.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, May 31. The interest rate on Employees Provident Fund remains 'unchanged' at 9. 5 per cent at least for the current financial year 2003-2004 despite a cut of 0.5 per cent...

Suzuki to penetrate Indian markets / Govt unveils Maruti IPO.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, May 31. - Suzuki Motor Corporation appears poised to make deeper inroads into the Indian car market with the parent company of Maruti Udyog Limited today unveiling an...

Food production takes a dip for 3rd year.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) MOHAN SAHAY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, May 31. Foodgrain production is expected to fall for the third successive year this time. The fall is likely to be in the range of 1.5 million tons due to drought...

SPICE OF LIFE By PJO TAYLOR.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) COURT ROOM HUMOUR Although one might think that the trial of a man for a serious offence, say for murder, is hardly an occasion for levity, the fact is that many cases, including criminal ones, frequently...

IN DEFENCE OF SAVARKAR.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) The NDA has undone the wrong done to Savarkar by installing his portrait in Parliament because his sacrifices were not less than those of other leaders By BK BHATTACHARYYA Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883-1966)...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) USA no better than Taliban Sir, - Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) is where civilisation was built on the basin of the twin rivers of Tigris and Euphrates in the historic period of 3600 BC. The dramatic advent of...

Say you, say me.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) And in between Manipur runs to rot Manipur's Congress-led Secular Progressive Front government seems to be losing its grip on law and order. Petty criminals and kidnappers seem to be thriving since Okram Ibobi...

Quit pro quo.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) Vajpayee must stay even if peace fails THE Prime Minister's interview to a German newspaper is, in many ways, vintage Atal Behari. He says he'll retire if the current Indo-Pakistani peace process fails. What...

Riviera nights.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) Who wants to market Bollywood? The Cannes film festival has never been a happy hunting ground for India and if Devdas was a major draw last year, it was primarily to allow a bit of Indian glamour to grace the...

Migration dominates EU-Russia summit.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) ASSOCIATED PRESS STRELNA, May 31. - The leaders of Russia and the European Union today focussed on allaying Russian fears about the Western Bloc's eastward expansion and solving common problems ranging from...

WMD found in Iraq, claims Bush.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) Press Trust of India WASHINGTON, May 31. - US President Mr George W Bush has claimed that weapons of mass destruction and biological laboratories were found in Iraq, and warned European powers not to "bully"...

Singapore officially off SARS blacklist.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) Agencies SINGAPORE, May 31. - SARS has finally loosened its grip on Asia. Singapore was officially removed today from the list of countries with recent local transmissions of SARS, boosting the city-state's...

More contenders in fray for Nepal PM's post.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) Sudeshna Sarkar STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KATHMANDU, May 31. - Though not as gory as Friday the 13th, Friday nevertheless seems to be an unlucky day for Nepal. The massacre in the royal palace in June 2001...

The price of 'guarding' the nation.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) ALOKE TIKKU STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, May 31. - Security forces may be ready to kill the enemy and if need be, die for the country but for now, they are tired. Dead tired. They have been on the job...

Sonia readies party for battle of ballots.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service SRINAGAR, May 31. - Mrs Sonia Gandhi today asked the 15 chief ministers from her party to gear up for the forthcoming electoral battles by keeping communal forces at bay. The Congress's...

Dr Kalam takes Bihar's leaders to the classroom.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) Press Trust of India patna, May 31. - Dr Kalam today narrated his vision for the development of the country over the next 20 years and motivated the Bihar legislators to work tirelessly for the development of...

Sridevi facade comes tumbling down!
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE CHENNAI, May 31. - Chennai Corporation workers today began pulling down three floors of the eight-storeyed building on Bishop Wallers Avenue. The corporation has issued show-cause notices...

BJP smells a row, reneges again.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) NEW DELHI, May 31. - The BJP today asserted that it favoured construction of a grand Ram temple at the makeshift temple site in Ayodhya and also clarified that it wanted the mosque, in place of the disputed...

Scientists too are stifled by babus!
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, May 31. - India's top scientists want freedom from red-tape and their requests for a better work environment is already with the Centre. On Technology Day, a few weeks ago,...

Upper caste quota on hold.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) Maharashtra CM for discussions STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE SRINAGAR, May 31. - The Maharashtra government has decided to keep the issue of reservation for the economically weak among the upper castes on hold for...

The Monk as a ladies' man!
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) BERLIN, May 31. - Numerous women have over the years offered to marry the Dalai Lama, the celibate spiritual leader told a German magazine. The Nobel Laureate told the weekly Die Welt am Sonntag that many...

C A V E A T.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) How much longer! CR Irani The awesome duo, Bush and Blair have had their way, substantially at any rate over Iraq - sanctions are lifted and oil flows for the benefit of the Iraqi people! Blair has said it and...

Campus rampage comrade seeks votes.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) SUBHENDU MAITI STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, May 31. - Freedom of choice is all very well, but when it extends to the CPI-M nominating Mr Alokesh Das, a DYFI leader, for the forthcoming by-election to the...

Cong pact plans.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) SRINAGAR, May 31. - Shifting from its Panchmari resolution, the Congress today said that it was open to alliances with "secular-minded parties" for Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. - SNS Details, more reports on...

UK, France word on Pak.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) ST PETERSBURG, May 31. - Prime Minister Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee ended a day of hectic diplomatic activity with talks with leaders of four of the five UNSC permanent members - Russian President Mr Vladimir...

New Vistas.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) JEREMY SEABROOK Soldiers of empire THE invasion of Iraq provoked some stormy passages between the British and US military. In Britain, distinctions were made from the very beginning between the gung-ho machismo...

Pride goeth before a fall?
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) Who's not going to get any jam tomorrow? This is what ANATOLE KALETSKY asks G-8 finance ministers who met recently to discuss global capital's future THE recent G-8 finance ministers' meeting in Deauville,...

100 YEARS AGO TODAY.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) JUNE 1, 1903 (News Items) FOOTBALL League Competition Rangers vs Howrah THE first match between the Rangers and Howrah in the League Competition was played yesterday on the Rangers' ground. After their victory...

Bhupathi, Paes surge ahead.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) PARIS/ NEW DELHI, May 31. Mahesh Bhupathi won back-to-back matches at the Roland Garros to progress to the pre-quarter-finals in the men's doubles and mixed doubles competition in Paris today. Leander Paes...

India upstage Pak.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) Press Trust of India PERTH, May 31. India blanked Pakistan 2-0 in their last league match here today, setting up a final date against Australia tomorrow. Unperturbed by the loss they suffered in their previous...

Kevin Jackson optimistic.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service KOLKATA, May 31. Mr Kevin Jackson newly appointed physical trainer of East Bengal was optimistic about improving the fitness level of the players significantly. At a Press meet in the...

Spotters go incognito.
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) Pulakesh Mukhopadhyay Statesman News Service KOLKATA, May 31. The Indian Football Association has decided not to let on who its talent-spotters are this time around. This will ensure that team selection in...

Boost for Indian coaches?
June 1, 2003... (From The Statesman (India)) Shyam Sundar Ghosh Statesman news service KOLKATA, May 31. Salgaocar coach Mr Savio Medeira is like to receive a special certificate from the Asian Football Confederation to coach any professional team abroad....

Seize the moment to foster unity, Anson Chan urges government.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Klaudia Lee After three months out of the public spotlight, former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang told a packed hall at the University of Hong Kong last night that the government should...

Rowers dig in for Bali bomb victims.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Gwyneth Roberts The Bondi Diggers dragon boat team will pay tribute to two of their members who died in the Bali bombings last year as they power through the waters off Stanley at Wednesday's...

Mainland tour groups put plans on hold Operators say they are unsure of Sars guidelines.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Chow Chung-yan Today's long-awaited return of organised tours from the mainland to Hong Kong is mired in confusion, and a delay looks certain because agreement cannot be reached on how to treat...

Fair trials at risk, argue legislators.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Klaudia Lee Legislators yesterday criticised government plans to allow closed-door court hearings when appeals are brought by members of organisations banned under proposed national security...

Tragic tale shines through in lavish production.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: REVIEW Kevin Ng Emperor Qianlong and Fragrant Concubine, Hong Kong Dance Company Cultural Centre, Grand Theatre Ends today Yang Mei, the company's assistant artistic director,...

George Lam recovering after stage fall.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Veteran actor and singer George Lam Chi-cheung is recovering from head injuries he suffered after falling down a hole on stage during a live performance on Friday night. The 55-year-old Canto-pop singer...

Child porn laws 'could threaten political rights' Law Society voices 'major concerns' over bill.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Niall Fraser New legislation intended to outlaw the possession of child pornography could open the door to political material being banned, the Law Society has warned. But Security Bureau...

HK is set for record rise in welfare claims.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Stanley Leung The number of new claims for welfare payments last month may have set a record, the government warned yesterday. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the Director of Social Welfare, said...

Bitter feud blights tranquil Lantau village Hon Ching-yeung has owned land in the community for 11 years but some villagers consider him an outsider. They say he has used their water and blocked paths and a bar run by his friend attracts drunks.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Chow Chung-yan A village on Lantau Island has been plunged into turmoil after a simmering row between a group of established residents and a major landowner boiled over last week into a barrage...

Adviser sued over 'secured' investment.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Sara Bradford The businessman who brought the Ikea franchise to Hong Kong is suing his investment advisers for US$1.25 million, claiming they negligently told him to contribute to a suspect...

Hospital chiefs accused of admitting healthy patients.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Marcal Joanilho Hospital chiefs are admitting relatively healthy people to keep patient numbers up and maintain funding levels after the Sars outbreak, a source said yesterday. Admissions...

Sixth medic dies after contracting virus As Hong Kong mourns the loss of another frontline worker, the Health Authority is accused of failing to protect its staff following news that three more have fallen sick.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Patsy Moy Hong Kong lost its sixth medic to Sars yesterday when nose and throat specialist Thomas Cheung Sik-hin died after taking care of patients with the virus. Cheung, 58, was among four...

Capital moves to counter fears of air-cons.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Michael Jen-siu in Beijing As summer heats up in Beijing, city officials are using the media and a telephone hotline to reassure a sceptical public that air-conditioners do not normally spread...

NT taxi fares poised for 20pc cut.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Marcal Joanilho Taxi fares in the New Territories could be 20 per cent cheaper within months if Legco's transport panel gives its backing tomorrow. An official of the Environment Transport...

State radio broadcasts news in the language of hope.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Harry Doran in Beijing The mainland propaganda machine goes to extraordinary lengths to present the official spin on developments, including broadcasting daily news bulletins around the world in...

Undercover staff to patrol estates.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Patsy Moy Undercover security staff will operate in public housing estates across Hong Kong in a further attempt to crack down on tenants who litter and breach hygiene regulations. The...

Just one new infection for the mainland.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Josephine Ma in Beijing The mainland reported only one new Sars case yesterday - the lowest since the government began accurate reporting more than a month ago - but officials vowed to be...

We're ready and safe for business, says Guangzhou Campaign aims to reinvigorate the economy.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Marcal Joanilho Guangzhou is to follow Hong Kong's example by launching a massive campaign to reinvigorate its economy. This week's campaign will start with a Hong Kong media delegation...

Argentina's stolen babies struggle with the truth.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Reed Lindsay in Buenos Aires Cesar Castillo grew up feeling something was wrong. He looked nothing like any of his relatives. They were short, with dark skin and mestizo features. Mr Castillo...

Japan's death row draws fire Amnesty International accuses the government of timing hangings to minimise publicity and keeping the condemned in isolation for years without any rights.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Julian Ryall in Tokyo Amnesty International has condemned Japan's treatment of its death row inmates as being brutal, inhumane and degrading. In its annual report on the human rights...

Shanghai tycoon quizzed over property deals.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Mark O'Neill in Shanghai A business newspaper yesterday broke the silence in the official press over the controversy surrounding flamboyant Shanghai tycoon Chau Ching-ngai. Business Post,...

Do we really want cleanliness at any cost?
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Anthony Lawrance Is it just my perception, or are we taking seriously the notion that Singapore is the model for our cleaner, brighter post-Sars future? Let's see: we have had a bad scare with...

Tiananmen: the healthy memories we must not forget.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: CHRIS YEUNG AT LARGE To describe it as the most sensitive date in Beijing's calendar would invite little comment. But as the anniversary of 1989's June 4 crackdown draws near, a feeling of...

If you don't fight, you're a loser Turkey lost out on US$30 billion by not supporting the US in the war with Iraq. Now, with mounting debts and many people out of work, the Islamist government faces rumblings from the military, Lynne O'Donnell reports.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) THE MILLIONS of barrels of Iraqi oil being pumped on to massive ocean-going vessels moored off a southern Turkish port are serving as a bitter reminder to the pro-Islamist authorities in Turkey of what might...

Budget promises made to be broken The impact of Sars on economic growth means the government is unlikely to balance the books by 2007, write Kelvin Chan and Ambrose Leung.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) When Financial Secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung stood before the cameras in Legco on March 5 to announce the 2003-04 budget, he had no idea that in less than two weeks a deadly virus would come along and...

Dictator's downfall is a disaster for Palestinians in Iraq.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Sarah Smiles in Baghdad Darweesh Fatayar, 64, sits downcast on a fraying sofa outside his new family home, a tent, in a Palestinian refugee camp in Baghdad. "My whole life has been a...

Persevering against the odds As George W. Bush embarks on a round of Middle East talks, Peter Kammerer looks at the US president's chance of brokering a lasting peace where previous efforts have consistently failed.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) If circumstances determined whether the Middle East peace plan known as the "road map" succeeded, the process would be doomed. The most yet pro-Israeli American administration is attempting to bring together...

Business Briefs.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Wall Street is riding a wave of optimism for a strong US economic rebound that has pushed stocks to their highest levels of the year. In a holiday-shortened week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 2.89...

Zimbabwe readies for a bloody showdown.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Jen Redshaw in Harare The teenage opposition supporter wordlessly handed out fliers face-down in central Harare last week. "Prayer for action," it said, calling on Zimbabweans to take part...

Business Briefs.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) The Hang Seng Index rose 1.97 per cent, or 183.65 points, over the week to close at 9,487.38 on Friday. The government reported better than expected first-half GDP growth numbers of 4.5 per cent after the...

Business Briefs.
June 1, 2003... (From South China Morning Post) CITIC KA WAH BANK'S new "seed" card offers women a range of added-value options. Besides a variety of offers each month - including discounts from selected dining and shopping merchants - those who use the...