March 20, 2000

Afghans celebrate new year under tight security
KABUL, March 20 (Reuters) - Under the watchful eyes of the ruling Taleban movement, tens of thousands of Afghans celebrated the traditional new year, a pre-Islamic practice known as Nauroz, in the capital Kabul on Monday, witnesses said.

Anti-Taliban alliance claims gains
The Nations
KABUL (AFP) - Afghanistan's anti-Taliban Northern Alliance Sunday claimed its forces had recaptured territories lost in a winter
offensive to the ruling militia in northern Sang Charak. Mohammad Mahdawi, spokesman for the opposition Hezb-i-Wahdat party, said

Afghan opposition launches offensive in Saripul
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Afghan opposition force launched an offensive in the province of Saripool overnight, succeeding in repelling the Taliban armies from various towns, an opposition commander said Sunday.

Iran denies mass deportation of Afghan refugees
Monday, March 20 1:52 AM SGT
TEHRAN, March 19 (AFP) - An interior ministry official categorically denied Sunday UN charges that Iran was deporting Afghan refugees on a mass scale, the official IRNA news agency said.

Iran denies deporting Afghan refugees
TEHRAN, March 19 (Reuters) - Iran denied on Sunday United Nations charges that it was deporting Afghan refugees, but said it had recently taken security measures against criminals, including some refugees.

Afghan elders back Zahir Shah peace plan
The Nation
PESHAWAR - To restore peace and sovereignty in Afghanistan, the leading Afghan elders have held traditional gatherings in three different refugees camp at North Waziristan Agency of tribal areas and the participants have unanimously announced their support in

Terrorist training camps in Afghanistan threat to US: Inderfurth
ISLAMABAD (NNI): The US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, Karl Inderfurth has said presence of terrorist training camps is a serious threat for the United States and said President Clinton will raise the issue with Chief

Taliban flay Russia for providing aid to Afghan opposition
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Afghanistan ruling Taliban have criticized the decision of Russian government pledging aid supplies to the areas being controlled by the ousted Afghan President Rabbani in Afghanistan.

Ex-Soviet states to hold ``anti-terrorist'' exercise
DUSHANBE, March 20 (Reuters) - Seven former Soviet republics will hold joint military exercises in Central Asia to coordinate their defences against the threat of international terrorism, a Tajik defence spokesman said on Monday.

Death penalty sought for Sharif - BBC
The prosecution in the trial of the ousted Pakistani prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, has asked for the death penalty.
The court should award "the maximum punishment", to all those accused in the case, chief public prosecutor Raja Qureshi told

Kremlin wives were murdered, raped, imprisoned or killed themselves
Vanora Bennett - Times
A Russian leader's wife's lot is not a happy one, and no one seems more acutely aware of that, these days, than Lyudmila Putin. Her husband is the runaway favourite in next weekend's presidential election, yet the blonde Mrs Putin, whose good