Sorry for the delay in getting this out. Due to my work load
the last few
days I have been very busy. Please forgive the slowness.
You will find here that this Communiqué covers the last few
days.
These are the main points that we are watching at the moment.
However there are many more area's that we are watching and has
things
happen in those area's we will keep you informed.
14/10/99 07:39hrs HBT
sorry for the typo
Rescuers desperately searched for survivors of mudslides in eastern
Mexico on Saturday, digging into collapsed hillsides in hope of
finding
signs of life from a disaster that killed nearly 300 by Friday night.
Mexico softened its stand on accepting foreign aid on Wednesday
as cloudy
skies threatened to bring more rain and misery to survivors of more
than a
week of flooding and mudslides.
The government rushed to clarify its position on foreign aid after
President
Ernesto Zedillo indicated earlier this week that Mexico did not
need outside
help in dealing with the natural disaster that has killed hundreds
and
driven over 200,000 from their homes.
As Russia faced growing criticism for its two-and-a-half week air
and ground
offensive in Chechnya, the campaign offered a new dilemma for Russia's
Western allies, whether the United States and European nations should
support a second Russian military operation in the breakaway republic
just
three years after the end of a devastating civil war.
Russian troops have seized one-third of Chechnya to establish what
Moscow terms a "security zone" to keep Chechen rebels from attacking
neighboring regions in southern Russia.
Russian forces stepped up air and artillery attacks against militants
in
breakaway Chechnya on Thursday and claimed to have surrounded a
rebel unit
after ground clashes.
The Russian air force launched 12 airstrikes in the last 24 hours
against
militant bases, including one in the central town of Urus Martan.
Artillery
strikes targeted militants along the southern bank of the Terek
river and
several villages just south of it, as well as in Chechnya's west.
In Grozny, the Chechen capital, explosions could be heard, but there
were no
bombs or artillery raids there so far Thursday.
Russian forces have occupied the plains that make up the northern
third of
Chechnya, stopping the advance of most of their armored columns
and heavy
guns at the northern banks of the Terek.
The federal forces had focused their attacks in recent days on western
Chechnya, but the latest attacks indicated they were stepping up
pressure on
the militants on other fronts.
Pakistani troops ousted the elected government of Prime Minister
Nawaz
Sharif "as a last resort" to save the nation from ruin, Pakistan's
army
chief announced early Wednesday. Soldiers seized control of key
government
buildings Tuesday, took control of state-run radio and television
and
surrounded the prime minister's residence, placing Sharif under
house
arrest.
Pakistani troops and riot police stood on alert in Islamabad on
Wednesday,
but the city remained quiet as the nation waited to hear what steps
the
military would take to restore the government in the wake of a coup
that
deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The army, however, delayed release of a statement outlining its
plans for
Pakistan's immediate future, leaving the country without an official
administration.
The Pakistani army sealed off the Islamic nation's stately parliament
building Thursday amid a calm concern over the country's future
after a
military coup toppled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif two days ago.
A session of the Pakistani parliament's lower house had been scheduled
for
Friday, but Thursday's military action was apparently designed to
prevent
that meeting.
JAKARTA, Indonesia Protesters demanding the resignation of Indonesian
President B.J. Habibie clashed with security forces on Thursday
near his 16
months in power in a speech.
Habibie arrived late at the top legislature because of the clashes,
despite
a bid by three leading reformist politicians to calm the protests
by
inviting a delegation in to hear the president's accountability
speech.
Amien Rais, the speaker of the top legislature that will vote on
whether to
accept the address, was accompanied by leading reformists Matori
Abdul
Djalil and Kwik Kian Gie. If the speech is rejected it will prevent
Habibie
seeking a second term in next week's presidential ballot.
BELGRADE, Yugoslavia A group of pro-democracy protesters demanding
the
ouster of President Slobodan Milosevic were beaten Wednesday by
stick-wielding attackers.
About 100 demonstrators were gathering in the New Belgrade municipality
for
a protest march toward the center of Belgrade when a group of more
than a
dozen young men appeared and began to beat some of those in the
group.
Israeli warplanes struck suspected guerrilla bases in southern Lebanon
for a
second day Wednesday following attacks on its forces, Lebanese security
officials said.
Israeli jets fired a total of 14 missiles on Zillaya valley and
the nearby
Yohmor valley, 20 kilometers (13 miles) north of the Israeli border,
officials said on customary condition of anonymity.
Israeli jets earlier fired two missiles on the village of Froun,
18
kilometers (11 miles) southeast of the port city of Tyre on the
Mediterranean, the officials said.
The first air raids followed attacks by Hezbollah guerrillas on
Israeli
forces near the Israeli-occupied border enclave in southeastern
Lebanon, the
officials said.
Thank You
Tia