April 28, 2000

Drought Ravages Southern Afghanistan
By KATHY GANNON
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Water wells were bone dry, camel carcasses rotted in the blistering sun and entire villages in southern Afghanistan talked of leaving the drought-ravaged area for neighboring Pakistan, a World Food Program official said

UN Afghan envoy visits Kabul
The United Nations Secretary General's special envoy for Afghanistan has urged the Taleban and the opposition not to start a new military offensive after reports of a military build-up by the warring Afghan factions.

U.S. says no movement seen on bin Laden issue
By Tabassum Zakaria
WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - The United States has not seen any movement in persuading the Taleban to eject Saudi-exile Osama bin Laden from sanctuary in Afghanistan to face charges related to two U.S. embassy bombings

Pakistan for direct US-Taliban talks on Osama
KARACHI (NNI): Advisor to the Chief Executive on Information and Media Development Javed Jabbar Thursday said the United States and Taliban should hold direct talks to settle Osama bin Laden issue.

UN steps up appeals to help Afghan mine survivors
By Tahir Ikram
ISLAMABAD, April 28 (Reuters) - The United Nations has stepped up its appeal for funds in a campaign to help hundreds of thousands of Afghans disabled by mines, polio and civil strife, U.N. officials said on Friday.

ECO mum over Afghanistan exclusion
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Secretary General Onder Ozar had no answer when journalists asked him as to why Afghanistan was not invited to the two-day ECO ministerial meeting on transport and

Afghan crisis settlement not to be expected soon
Friday, April 28, 2000 6:47 AM EST
DUSHANBE, April 28 (Itar-Tass) - The Afghan crisis may be settled "only on condition that the world community reaches agreement with 'sponsors' of Taliban fighters, with Central Asian countries and Russia taking part in that process," says an

ANALYSIS-No winner yet in new Caspian Great Game
By Mike Collett-White
ALMATY, April 28 (Reuters) - A gateway to the East was the prize in the 19th Century Great Game played out in Central Asia by Britain and Russia. Today, huge reserves of oil and gas are the spoils in a fierce competition between major powers.

Man shoots two dead in German hair salon
DUISBURG, Germany, April 28 (Reuters) - A man shot dead two people in a German hairdressing salon before turning his gun on himself on Friday, police said.

Protest at Quetta police killings
Thousands of people in the Pakistani city of Quetta have attended the funerals of five party activists who were shot dead during a police raid yesterday which turned into a ten-hour long gun battle.