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May 27, 2001

Russia Seeks to Store World's Nuclear Waste
May 27, 2001 -- A published report says Russia is taking steps to become the largest international repository for radioactive nuclear waste. Saturday's New York Times says the idea has strong backing from President Vladimir Putin. It says next month parliament is expected to approve importing 20,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel from 15 countries for storage in Siberia. The Times says Russia believes it could earn as much as $21 billion from the project, using the profits to clean up its environment and promote development of new nuclear reactors. Russia's plan calls for charging up to $1,600 per kilogram of spent fuel. Russia also wants to reserve the option to resell the material. The paper, however, says the move raises the issue of nuclear safety, since plutonium and uranium are separated when nuclear fuel is reprocessed. There are concerns the materials could be stolen and used in illegal nuclear weapons programs. The United States opposes the Russian plan because of concerns over proliferation and Moscow's nuclear cooperation with Iran.

Muslim Terrorists Kidnap 20 at Philippine Resort
May 27, 2001 -- Unidentified gunmen have abducted 20 people, including two Americans and a Spaniard, from a Philippine beach resort. Military officials said about 20 masked men stormed the Dos Palmas resort, about 600 kilometers southwest of Manila, at dawn Sunday . The gunmen escaped in two boats. Police say the abductors spoke in Tausog, a dialect used by Muslims on Jolo island where the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group operates. In addition to the foreign victims, 13 ethnic-Chinese Philippine citizens and four resort employees were taken. The incident came days after Abu Sayyaf Muslim terrorists hijacked a ferry in the southern Philippines, robbed the passengers and took four sailors hostage.

Russian, Tunisian Foreign Ministers Discuss Middle East Peace
May 26,2001 -- Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has met with his Tunisian counterpart for in Moscow. Ivanov says he and Habib Ben Yahia discussed the Middle East peace process, relations between Russia and African and Mediterranean countries, and bilateral issues. The two were expected to sign an agreement on cultural cooperation after Saturday's talks.

Shevardnadze Defuses Georgia Mutiny
May 26, 2001 -- A group of about 1,000 soldiers in the Caucasian country of Georgia has agreed to go back to their barracks after they mutinied Friday. The soldiers were protesting their low pay and wretched living conditions. Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze defused a revolt by the soldiers late Friday, just hours before the country began observances marking ten years of independence.

New Africa Union Replaces OAU
May 26, 2001 -- The Organization of African Unity gives way today to a new organization meant to bring political and economic integration to the African continent. The new African Union is modeled loosely after the European Union and will function on the principle of equality and interdependence among member states. Member states have promised to establish a common defense policy, find peaceful solutions to conflicts and prohibit the use of force among its members. The African Union is the brainchild of Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi, who proclaimed the new organization at a special summit in Sirte in March. The 53-member Organization of African Unity agreed to form the African Union at its annual summit in Lome, Togo last July.

India Formally Invites Pakistan to Talks
May 26, 2001 -- India has formally invited Pakistan's military ruler to visit New Delhi for talks on ending decades of tensions. In the letter to General Pervez Musharraf, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee says the common enemy of India and Pakistan is poverty, and that the two countries have no choice but to pursue reconciliation. Vajpayee says the talks should address all outstanding issues, including Kashmir. Pakistan has already said it will respond positively to the invitation. Other countries have hailed this as a major development in the troubled relationship between the two South Asian states. Both have carried out nuclear tests in recent years.

UN Delegation Ends Africa Tour
May 25, 2001 -- A UN Security Council delegation is expressing optimism about peace prospects in Central Africa as it ends an eight-nation tour. Delegation chief Jean-David Levitte of France spoke to reporters after the UN envoys met with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Kampala. Ambassador Levitte said his team is encouraged by their talks with regional leaders about long-running conflicts in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also paid tribute to Uganda's promise to withdraw most of its troops from Congo, as called for in the 1999 Lusaka peace agreement.

German Compensation to Nazi Slave Laborers to Begin
May 25, 2001 -- The German government says it expects to begin paying compensation in about five weeks to more than a million men and women in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Eastern Europe who were forced to work as slave laborers in German factories during the Nazi era. The survivors can expect to receive between $2,200-$7,000, depending on whether they worked in a concentration camp or in a factory. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said earlier this week that agreement had been reached with the US on the German demand that German companies that used slave labor be exempted from other lawsuits in the United States.

Albanian Commander In Southern Serbia Surrenders
May 25, 2001 -- The top commander of ethnic Albanian gunmen in southern Serbia has surrendered to NATO-led peacekeepers. A spokesman for the peacekeepers says Shefket Musliu gave himself up late Friday in Kosovo. Earlier this week, Musliu signed an agreement with NATO-led forces calling for his fighters to lay down their weapons by the end of the month. Peacekeepers say at least 300 gunmen have done so. The Albanian gunmen had occupied a five-kilometer wide buffer zone between Kosovo and the rest of southern Serbia for more than a year, using it as a base to launch attacks on Serb police. NATO returned the zone to Yugoslav control this month. Yugoslav forces entered the last part of the area Thursday.

North Korean A-Bomb Suspected
May 25, 2001 -- A high-level team from the International Atomic Energy Agency has opened negotiations in Pyongyang with demands for access to the nuclear weapons project that North Korea agreed to abandon seven years ago. At the heart of the demands, South Korean experts said, is pressure to verify that North Korea has fully complied with the Geneva agreement of 1994 under which it gave up the weapons project in return for the promise of twin nuclear reactors to fulfill its energy needs North Korea needs to go through a special inspection before crucial components of the reactors are installed. The negotiations, which began Wednesday and were to conclude Friday, assumed special importance after the North accused the United States of failing to live up to its obligation under the 1994 agreement for completing the reactors by 2003. American and South Korean analysts say they believe that the North's position is part of an elaborate cover-up to disguise its success in extracting the plutonium needed for nuclear warheads and possibly in building the weapons system for delivering a warhead to a target thousands of miles away. John McLaughlin, the deputy CIA director, said in April that North Korea "probably has one or two nuclear bombs," an assessment that jibes with estimates that intelligence experts have been sharing for nearly a decade.

Powell Calls for a Democratic and Prosperous Africa
May 25, 2001 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell is calling on Africans to create a democratic and prosperous continent, telling university students in South Africa that the United States will stand by governments that hold free elections and create open markets. Powell made the comments in a speech in Johannesburg, where he also was met by some angry demonstrators. Powell gave the Bush administration's most emphatic commitment yet to helping Africa, pledging as the first African-American Secretary of State to enthusiastically remain engaged with the continent. But he says it is Africans themselves -- like the people of South Africa where blacks could not even vote until seven years ago -- that will make the difference.

Cuba Lashes Out Against US
May 25, 2001 -- Cuba has lashed out against President Bush's comments last week on maintaining a tough stance against the communist-ruled island until it holds democratic elections. Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told reporters in Havana Thursday a proposed US law that would give $100 million in aid to activists in Cuba will prove Havana's long-held assertion that dissidents are financed by Washington. Roque says Havana will do whatever it takes to counter US initiatives to isolate Cuba. Supporters of the proposed legislation say the aid will help Cuban dissidents much in the same way US funding helped Poland's Solidarity movement in the 1980.

Russia Acknowledges Torpedo Blast in Kursk Tragedy
May 25, 2001 -- Russia's top naval commander has acknowledged that the explosion of a torpedo led to last August's sinking of the nuclear powered submarine Kursk in Arctic waters. Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov told reporters the vessel went down following an explosion of an incendiary mixture in the motor of a test torpedo. Two blasts shook the submarine, which sank in the Barents Sea, killing all 118 people aboard.

Ex-Soviet Countries to Form Rapid Reaction Force
May 25, 2001 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of three former Soviet Republics, meeting in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, have agreed to create a joint rapid-reaction force aimed at stamping out Islamic insurgency in the region. Putin and leaders of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan were joined at the summit by the presidents of Armenia and Belarus. Putin said the group had taken the first step toward setting up the force. He said the second step will take place in August when officials of the joint force meets to agree on the unit's future size and precise responsibilities.

China, Russia Oppose Iraq Sanction Changes
May 25, 2001 -- China and Russia say they reject proposed changes to United Nations sanctions against Iraq. The United States and Britain are circulating a list of so-called "smart sanctions" designed to ease restrictions on civilian goods sent to Iraq, while tightening the military embargo. They have been discussing the proposed changes with the other permanent members of the UN Security Council in the hope of having them approved before the current oil-for-food program expires on June 3. Russia and China say the new lists of acceptable and unacceptable goods under the US-British proposal are so complicated that it is impossible to understand them quickly enough to make the changes now. And a Chinese officials says the draft changes would serve to further consolidate the sanctions, not ease them.

UAE Wants Strong Stand Against US Support to Israel
May 25, 2001 -- The United Arab Emirates is urging other members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, OIC, to take a stand against what it sees as US support for Israeli aggression. Representatives from 56 OIC countries began arriving in Qatar Friday for a meeting to discuss the rising violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Last week, Israel used US made warplanes against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip for the first time. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al-Nahayan, the UAE's state minister for foreign affairs, said Thursday that Islamic states should take a "practical position" to make the United States respect Arab and Islamic demands and stop the shedding of Palestinian blood.

Japan To Establish New Military Role in Asia
May 24, 2001 -- Japan's new Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said he wants to amend the Constitution which limits military activities to self-defense. Some officials in Tokyo say it is time for Japan to join with its allies in international peacekeeping and other operations. The prime minister is pursing this controversial change just as Japan is assuming a higher profile in security relations with the United States. Japan's Constitution, written by US occupation forces after World War II, placed strict limits on the country's defense forces to prevent a repeat of decades of Japanese militarism in Asia.

Russia, Australia to Build Space Launch Center
May 24, 2001 -- Russian space agency officials say Russia and Australia will soon begin construction of a space launch center on an island in the Indian Ocean. The officials say the center will be used for commercial and civilian launches. It will be built on Christmas Island, to the northwest of Australia, and is expected to be completed by the year 2005. The two countries signed agreements in Canberra, Australia Wednesday outlining cooperation on the project. The center is expected to use Russian Start and Soyuz booster rockets.

Muslim Terrorists Hit Philippine Resort
May 24, 2001 -- Suspected Muslim terrorists armed with grenade launchers tried to storm a southern beach resort but were repulsed by guards in a clash that killed two beach workers and wounded three, police said yesterday. At least eight attackers commandeered a passing motorboat to flee after the failed assault late Tuesday on the Pearl Farms resort on Samal Island in Davao del Norte province, police said.

Clinton Urges N. Ireland to Continue on the 'Path of Peace'
May 24, 2001 -- Ex-president Bill Clinton has called on the people of Northern Ireland to stay on the path of peace. At an outdoor rally in Londonderry Wednesday, Clinton told a crowd of several thousand the 1998 Good Friday agreement is still the right path for the future as well as for reconciliation and fairness. Clinton helped forge the 1998 peace accord, which paved the way for a power-sharing government between Protestants and Roman Catholics in the British province. The former president, who is on a European tour, first visited Londonderry in 1995.

China Illegally Bought Circuits
May 24, 2001 -- Federal authorities have uncovered a major Chinese technology transfer program that illegally purchased thousands of U.S. radiation-protected computer chips for use in Chinese missiles and satellites. The military-related technology-buying program was revealed in court papers released in Orlando, Fla., earlier this month after a raid on a Chinese company involved in selling "radiation-hardened" integrated circuits to Chinese government missile and satellite manufacturers, including several that were sanctioned in the past by the U.S. government for their missile sales.

Annan To Meet With Congressional Leaders Washington
May 24, 2001 -- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan meets with key Congressional leaders Thursday in Washington for talks expected to cover foreign policy and other areas of mutual concern. Annan's visit comes amid tensions between Congress and the United Nations over Washington's ouster earlier this month from two important UN panels. Washington lost its seat on the UN Human Rights Commission and the UN International Narcotics Control Board. UN spokesman Fred Eckhard says the trip was planned before US lawmakers voted to withhold some UN dues until Washington is restored to the human rights panel. Annan is expected to meet on Capitol Hill with Henry Hyde, the chairman of the House International Relations Committee, and Jesse Helms, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Both Republican leaders have been instrumental in legislative efforts to withhold money owed to the United Nations.

Samaritan Priest Dies
May 24, 2001 -- The high priest of the tiny Samaritan community of the Middle East has died. The community says Levi Ben-Avishai Ben-Pinhas died of old age Wednesday. The Samaritans number only about 650 people. Half of them live on Mt. Gerizim near the Palestinian-ruled West Bank town of Nablus, and the rest in the Israeli town of Holon near Tel Aviv. Throughout the years of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Samaritan community has straddled the line. Most Samaritans carry Israeli identity cards, but some also hold positions in ministries of the Palestinian Authority. The community's new high priest, Yefet Shomroni is a member of the Palestinian legislature.

EU Concerned Over Egypt Court's Stiff Sentence of Rights Activist
May 24, 2001 -- The European Union's Executive Commission says it is "seriously disturbed" by Egypt's trial and sentencing of human rights activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim. A spokesman said jailing of Ibrahim and 27 co-defendants is a disturbing development since the EU Commission provided funds to Ibrahim's Ibn Khaldun Center for Democracy. The spokesman said the EU strongly supports both institutions in their efforts to monitor the transparency of elections in Egypt. The Egyptian-American rights activist was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison for his reports of electoral fraud and religious persecution.

Bush Meets Dalai Lama Over Chinese Objections
May 24, 2001 -- President Bush has pledged strong support for the Dalai Lama's efforts to start a dialogue with China. Bush met with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader Wednesday at the White House, despite strong objections form the Chinese government. In a statement after their meeting, the White House said Bush assured the Dalai Lama he would seek to encourage dialogue, and he expressed hope the Chinese government would respond favorably. Beijing has said it will not engage in talks with the Dalai Lama, whom it views as a supporter of Tibetan independence, until he publicly declares that Tibet is part of China. Wednesday's White House meeting coincided with the 50th anniversary of China's formal annexation of Tibet.

US, British Planes Raid Iraqi Air Defense Sites
May 23, 2001 -- The US European Command says its warplanes raided air defense sites in northern Iraq Wednesday after being threatened by Iraqi forces. A US statement says Iraqi antiaircraft artillery fired at coalition air patrols from sites north and west of Mosul, and that planes were also targeted by Iraqi radar. US and British planes, based in Turkey, have been enforcing a no-fly zone for Iraqi aircraft over northern Iraq for more than nine years. The last encounter between the planes and Iraqi ground forces was three weeks ago, on April 30.

UN Outraged Taleban is Ordering Hindus to Wear Identifying Badges
May 23, 2001 -- Top UN officials have expressed outrage at Taleban rulers in Afghanistan for deciding Hindus in the country must wear identifying yellow badges -- denoting they are non-Muslims. Secretary General Kofi Annan has issued a statement saying the decision constitutes a grave violation of human rights and is comparable to some of the most deplorable acts of discrimination in history. His colleagues say the Taleban move echoes practices of Nazi Germany in the 1930s and of the genocidal rulers of Rwanda in the 1990s.

CIS Plans Rapid-Reaction Force To Fight Terrorism
May 23, 2001 -- Two meetings of CIS (former Soviet Union) members over the next several weeks will be used to discuss collective security arrangements, including plans to develop a rapid-reaction force. A proposal to deploy the special force, which will target militant Islamic incursions into Central Asia from Afghanistan, has won both fans and detractors in Russia. CIS officials have presented the rapid-reaction force as the "operational" arm of the commonwealth's antiterrorist efforts, which primarily target Islamic extremism. Russia considers Islamic militants to be its adversaries both in Central Asia and in internal trouble spots like Chechnya. Last month, Security Council leaders from Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan met in Yerevan to outline how a joint rapid-reaction force should work. As envisioned, the force would comprise a battalion from each of the member states -- amounting to a total of about 1,700 men.

Reforming IMF, World Bank A Priority
May 23, 2001 -- US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill says reforming the International Monetary Fund and World Bank is a key Bush administration priority. O'Neill told a congressional committee the two international lending institutions must focus on adopting sound financial practices while closely monitoring economic developments and quickly responding to global financial crises. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund have been sharply criticized for failing to avert a financial crisis that began in Asian countries in 1997. The treasury secretary also called on the IMF to strengthen its ability to make timely assessments of national economies.

Russia, China Need Time on Iraq Sanctions Debate
May 23, 2001 -- Russia and China say they will need a long time to study a British-led proposal to re-focus United Nations sanctions against Iraq. The two countries have veto power at the U.N. Security Council, where on Tuesday Britain formally submitted its plan. The US-backed draft resolution would allow civilian goods to flow freely into Iraq while tightening the ban on military-related equipment. But Russia countered with its own draft resolution Tuesday - asking for a six-month extension of the existing oil-for-food program for Iraq to allow more time for debating the sanctions. China has also asked for an extensive period of time to review Britain's proposal.

Bombers Break Up Siberian Ice Jam to Ease Flooding
May 23, 2001 -- Russian bombers have destroyed a large block of ice jamming a river in the Siberian city of Yakutsk in an effort to ease flooding that has claimed the lives of five people in the region. Officials say water from the nearby Lena River began to recede after military planes bombed the ice patch on Tuesday. Earlier Tuesday, residents prepared to evacuate after floodwaters from the river came close to washing over a dam protecting the city of 200,000 people.

Taiwanese President's US Stopover Stirs Controversy
May 23, 2001 -- Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian is in New York for a private but controversial two-day stopover, on his way to Latin America. Chen is having a tough time keeping a low profile. Chen and his wife are stopping over in New York on their way to Latin America. The Taiwanese leader is spending much of his visit like a typical tourist, visiting sites like the New York Stock Exchange and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Chen's stopover in New York marks the first time a Taiwanese president has visited the city. He has avoided public events and news conferences. Still, the stopover has angered China, which believes the visit violates the US government's one-China policy. The policy, instituted by former president Jimmy Carter, recognizes one China, of which Taiwan is part, and insists that eventual unification between mainland China and Taiwan be accomplished in a peaceful manner. On his return trip from Latin America, June 2, Chen is scheduled to stop in Houston, Texas, where Tom Delay, the number two Republican in the US House of Representatives, will be his host.

Bush to Meet Tibet's Dalai Lama
May 23, 2001 -- President Bush is due to meet at the White House today with Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, a move that may further strain US-China ties. US officials are downplaying the political significance of the meeting, saying it does not reflect a change in US policy. They say the talks are being held with the Dalai Lama in his capacity as a religious leader and a Nobel Prize Laureate. Beijing has already criticized the meeting, which comes on the same day China is marking the 50th anniversary of its invasion of Tibet.

Suspected Muslim Rebels Attack Philippine Resort, Killing Two
May 23, 2001 -- Suspected Muslim rebels, armed with grenade launchers, have attacked a tourist resort in the southern Philippines, killing at least two people. Police say the gunmen arrived on two motorboats at the Pearl Farm resort on Samal Island late Tuesday and demanded entry. A security guard was said to have resisted, triggering a firefight that left the guard and another resort worker dead. After one of their boats was damaged, police say the attackers commandeered a passing fishing boat and fled. Police officials say they are looking into the possibility that the assailants are members of the Abu Sayyaf, the main rebel group fighting for an Islamic state in the south of the country. The group gained international notoriety last year when they kidnapped scores of foreigners.

Peru Runoff Election Set for June 3
May 23, 2001 -- Peruvian electoral officials have officially set June 3 as the date for the country's run-off presidential election. Recent voter opinion polls indicate centrist Alejandro Toledo has about a 10-percentage point lead over left-leaning Alan Garcia, who was Peru's president from 1985 to 1990. However, about one-third of voters recently surveyed say they plan to spoil their ballots to show their opposition to both candidates. Toledo has been plagued by recent charges of impropriety and sleaze. Garcia has been overshadowed by corruption allegations stemming from his presidency that caused him to live in exile in Colombia for years to avoid prosecution. The off-year election was called to replace former President Alberto Fujimori, who fled to Japan in November 2000 in the wake of civil unrest after he won a disputed election for a third 5-year term as president. An interim administration led by Francisco Paniagua was installed until a new president could be elected.

Britain to Formally Introduce UN Sanctions Against Iraq
May 22, 2001 -- Britain is preparing to formally present to the UN Security Council today a draft resolution re-focusing United Nations sanctions against Iraq. The US backed draft was discussed Monday during a closed door meeting of the permanent council members -- Britain, the United States, China, France and Russia. US and British diplomats say they would prefer to have the new proposals approved before June third, when the current six-month period of the UN Oil-for-Food Program for Iraq expires. The draft resolution would lift restrictions on all goods entering Iraq except for a list of restricted items. It would legalize passenger and cargo flights in and our of Iraq, and allow Iraq to use some of its oil money to pay its back UN dues. Iraq has rejected the new proposals. Britain and the United States say the aim of the new sanctions is to ease the plight of suffering on Iraqi civilians while maintaining restrictions on Iraq's government. Iraq has been under broad UN economic sanctions since it invaded Kuwait in 1990.

Airbus Starts Japanese Subsidiary
May 21, 2001 -- French aircraft manufacturer Airbus has set up a subsidiary in Japan. Airbus officials say the move will increase the company's business in a country where it only has 18 percent of the market. Airbus officials say they predict Japanese airlines will purchase an estimated 600 aircraft over the next 20 years, worth $88 billion. Analysts say the launch of Airbus' subsidiary in Japan will increase the company's competitiveness against rival US aircraft maker, Boeing.

Hong Kong Begins Massive Bird Kill
May 21, 2001 -- Health workers in Hong Kong working to stop the spread of bird flu have begun destroying poultry on farms, after slaughtering all fowl in markets. Lessie Wei, director of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, said all chickens, pigeons and quail that will reach marketable age within the next month, more than a million birds, will be killed. Officials said the massive cull is a precaution even though there is no evidence that the bird flu has spread to any farms and no people have become ill. In 1997, Hong Kong authorities destroyed almost one-and-a-half million chickens and other poultry to contain an outbreak that killed six people.

Cardinals Meet with Pope on Church Future
May 21, 2001 -- Pope John Paul has called on the world's cardinals to examine the challenges facing the Roman Catholic Church at the beginning of the third millennium. The pope issued his call as he opened the special session of the College of Cardinals to discuss the future of the Catholic Church. It is the sixth time the pope has called together all cardinals of the Catholic Church. Invitations were sent out to 183 prelates from around the world. The three-day closed-door meeting is expected to examine the church's relations with other Christian denominations and other religions. Reports say the meeting will also give cardinals a chance to scrutinize likely candidates to succeed John Paul, whose pontificate is now in its 23rd year. The pope's successor will one day be chosen by a conclave of cardinals below 80 years of age. John Paul turned 81 years old on Friday.

UN Delegation Continuing Efforts to End Congo War
May 21, 2001 -- A UN Security Council delegation is continuing its efforts to mediate an end to the civil war in Congo. The delegation has meetings Tuesday in Zambia, following high-level talks with officials in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa over the weekend. The 12-member delegation led by Jean-David Levitte of France has been shuttling around the region in recent days, in its drive to end a conflict that has drawn in six nations in what some refer to as Africa's first world war. Since 1998, the conflict has pitted rebels supported by Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi against the Kinshasa government backed by Angola, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. The UN delegation has been trying to get all parties involved to abide by the terms of a peace agreement signed in Lusaka in 1999. The agreement calls for all foreign nations involved in the war to withdraw their forces from Congolese territory. The effort hit a snag on Saturday, when Namibian President Sam Nujoma made a pointed accusation against Rwanda and Uganda, saying they are guilty of killing 2.5 million Congolese in the course of the war. The Namibian leader, speaking during a summit of the allies in Kinshasa, lashed out at the United Nations, saying the world body ignored what he referred to as genocide. He called for sanctions against Rwanda and Uganda.

EU Foreign Policy Chief Begins Mideast Trip
May 21, 2001 -- European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana is beginning a four-day Mideast trip today in Cairo, where he is to meet with Egyptian and Arab League officials to discuss efforts to end Israeli-Palestinian violence. Before leaving Brussels, Solana called for an immediate ceasefire between Israelis and Palestinians, saying political dialogue will be difficult, but it is the only alternative to more bloodshed on both sides. Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak said a joint Egyptian-Jordanian peace initiative is still alive, despite a call from Arab foreign ministers on Saturday to end political contacts with Israel.

Annan Warns US On Global Warming
May 21, 2001 -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan is calling on the United States to take greater action against global warming and resume its leadership on the issue. In a speech in Massachusetts Sunday, Annan warned that climate change could become, in his words, "the greatest global challenge." He said climate change brought about by global warming would hurt all nations. The U.N. chief said that the United States, as the world's most successful economy, is also the biggest producer of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. He said Washington bears special responsibility to take a leading role in international efforts to reduce such emissions and conserve energy. Last March, President Bush rejected the Kyoto climate treaty and its mandatory pollution reductions, calling them too faulty and too harmful to the US economy.

Venezuela President Calls for Strategic Alliance With Iran
May 20, 2001 -- In Iran, visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has called for a strategic alliance between the two countries. Chavez arrived in the Iranian capital, Tehran, late Saturday and was officially greeted by President Mohammad Khatami. Chavez, on his second visit to the Islamic republic in a year, is leading a delegation of cabinet ministers and business leaders, including the head of Venezuela's national oil company. He is expected to sign an agreement paving the way for a joint economic and industrial cooperation between the two nations. Iran's news agency says the two leaders would also discuss ways to stabilize world oil prices.

Downed US Spy Plane May Have To Be Shipped Back
May 20, 2001 -- Vice President Dick Cheney says the downed US surveillance plane held in China may have to be shipped out of the country in pieces due to damage it sustained in the April 1first collision with a Chinese fighter jet. Cheney said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that negotiations are still underway between Chinese and US authorities to secure the return of the plane. The downed US surveillance aircraft remains on China's Hainan Island, where it made an emergency landing following the April collision. China detained the plane's crew for 11 days. The pilot of the Chinese fighter jet was killed in the collision.

China Charges US Professor as Spy
May 20, 2001 -- China has formally charged an American business professor with spying for Taiwan, raising the stakes in an anti-espionage campaign that has angered Washington and ensnared at least five foreign-trained intellectuals. Li Shaomin, a US citizen who taught at the City University of Hong Kong, disappeared after crossing the border into China on Feb. 25 to visit a friend. His wife, Liu Yingli, said a State Security Ministry official informed her by telephone Tuesday of his formal arrest on charges of spying for Taiwan. "He is a scholar. What they accuse him of is pure nonsense," Mrs. Li told the Associated Press. "I want the world to know my husband has done nothing wrong."

EU urges Russia to Take Euros
May 20, 2001 -- European Union leaders yesterday urged Russia to start accepting euros instead of dollars for its exports, promising a boom in investments and trade. Romano Prodi, chairman of the European Commission, strongly pushed for the use of the euro, saying it would help bolster trade, attract investment and boost Russia´s hard-currency reserves. Russia now is paid in dollars for its oil and gas exports to Europe, and the EU wants to switch to euros instead. Russia hoped that yesterday´s talks would help cement its place in Europe, reflecting Moscow´s apparent desire to offset a chill in relations with the United States, strained over U.S. plans for a missile defense system, spy scandals and Russian arms sales to Iran.

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