Home Updated on October 29, 2002  

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Breaking News/Newswire:

* Anti-US Islamic parties makehuge gains in Paksitan polls (AFP): Radical Islamic parties virulently opposed to the US-led war on terror have made stunning gains in Pakistani elections, and look certain to hold the balance of power in parliament. Of 102 national assembly seats announced by 0740 GMT Friday, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) alliance of six fundamentalist parties had won 31 and were set to control a provincial legislature near the Afghan border. Results for the assembly's 272 general seats are being announced by the Election Commission as they come in from across Pakistan, and full results are not expected until late in the day. http://in.news.yahoo.com/021011/6/1wde4.html

* US asks Pakistan to stop infiltratio and lauds Kashmir elections (PTI): The United States has asked Pakistan to follow through its commitment to stop infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir "in a concerted and pro-active manner" and said the successful completion of elections in the state is the first step in bringing peace to the region. "We welcome the successful conclusion of elections in Kashmir today," Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca said yesterday. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's "personal commitment in making them transparent and was a critical factor in taking the democratic process forward, Rocca said in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute. http://in.news.yahoo.com/021011/20/1wdc0.html

* US for preservation of multi-party democracy in Nepal (PTI): US believes that preservation of constitutional monarchy and multi-party system in Nepal was crucial to countering Maoist insurgency which is the "biggest challenge" to the emerging democracy, Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca said here. "As a friend of Nepal we believe the preservation of constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy is crucial to resolving this national crisis. We firmly believe the actions of the King and political parties need to be in accordance with Nepal's constitution," she said while addressing a gathering at the American Entreprise Institute here.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/021011/20/1wdcj.html

--- South Asian News, October 11, 2002 ---

In Pakistan, elections bring unexpected results with the Islamic and religious parties gaining momentum. In Indian Kashmir, voters oust the ruling party leaving the remaining political parties to set up a new coalition government. The editorial section discusses about the consequences of Pakistan elections results which raise serious doubts about the country's future role in the war against terror. In Nepal, the King names the new prime minister and in Sri Lanka, a grenade explosion in the eastern part of the country raises concern over the peace process.

Top Stories

* Pro-Taliban parties gain in Pakistan (Wall Street Journal) (Houston Chronicle) (LA Times) (Washington Post) (CNN) (ABC News) (ABC News) (Las Vegas Sun) (Boston) (News Day) (MSNBC) (San Francisco Chronicle) (Orange County Register) (Star Tribune) (NY Post) (Dallas Fort Worth News)
* Collated Pakistan election results at 0820 GMT (Boston) (Voice of America) (MSNBC)
* Musharraf allies inch ahead in Pakistan polls (NY Times) (LA Times) (Mercury News) (Philadelphia Inquirer) (ABC News) (Seattle Times) (MSNBC)
* Fiery Pakistan Islamic groups brim with confidence (Wall Street Journal) (Wall Street Journal) (NY Times) (Washington Post) (ABC News) (Chicago Sun Times) (Philadelphia Inquirer) (MSNBC)
* Pakistan poll too close to call as counting begins (LA Times) (Washington Post) (MSNBC)
* Pakistan's Musharraf to transfer power to new PM Nov 1 (Wall Street Journal)
* Seven killed in Pakistan election violence (MSNBC)
* Exit poll shows tight race in Pakistan vote (Washington Post) (ABC News) (MSNBC)
* Pakistan Bhutto's party unlikely in pact with Islamists (Wall Street Journal)
* In Pakistan tribal area, women vote for first time (MSNBC)
* U.S. welcomes Pakistani elections (Wall Street Journal) (NY Times) (Washington Post) (Voice of America) (MSNBC)
* International observers: Pakistan polls well organized, transparent (Wall Street Journal)
* Pakistan votes, for what it's worth (Philadelphia Inquirer)
* Skepticism taints Pakistani voting (Philadelphia Inquirer) (Columbus Dispatch News)
* Main events in Pakistan's political history (NY Times) (MSNBC)
* U.S. endorses Kashmir elections (NY Times) (LA Times) (Washington Post) (MSNBC) (CNN) (Voice of America) (ABC News) (Star Tribune)
* EU and India disagree over disputed Kashmir (Wall Street Journal) (Voice of America) (MSNBC)
* Fifteen feared killed in Indian mine collapse (MSNBC)
* Kashmir voters oust pro-India party (Wall Street Journal) (Houston Chronicle) (NY Times) (LA Times) (Washington Post) (Las Vegas Sun) (Mercury News) (Boston) (San Francisco Chronicle) (Star Tribune) (South Florida News) (Indianapolis Star News) (Seattle Times)
* Kashmir ruling party suffers setback (Wall Street Journal) (NY Times) (LA Times) (Washington Post) (Chicago Sun Times) (Reuters Alert) (San Francisco Chronicle) (Monterey Herald) (ABC News)
* Kashmir coalition talks begin amid new hope (Washington Post) (Reuters Alertnet) (ABC News) (Dallas Fort Worth News)
* Indian Kashmir premier quits after poll rout (Wall Street Journal) (Washington Post) (ABC News) (CNN)
* Kashmir voters opt for change (Philadelphia Inquirer) (NJ Star Ledger)
* Vote may usher in new era in Kashmir (Orange County Register)
* Indo-Pakistan standoff over Kashmir (Dallas News)
* Nepal King appoints Lokendra Bahadur Chand as PM (Wall Street Journal) (News Day) (Star Tribune) (Sacramento Bee) (Dallas Fort Worth News)
* Week into crisis, Nepal parties to meet king (NY Times) (MSNBC)
* Three dead, 20 injured in E.Sri Lanka grenade explosion (Wall Street Journal) (Voice of America) (MSNBC) (Orange County Register)
* Sri Lanka ready to sign International Land Mine Treaty (Wall Street Journal)

Editorial/Op-Ed

* Pakistan: Religious shadow on terror war (Washington Times)
* Election shocks to leave Pakistan, India at odds (Reuters Alertnet)

Business/Technology

N/A

Other Stories

* Indian musicians remember slain American reporter on his birthday (Wall Street Journal) (NY Times) (LA Times) (Washington Post) (San Francisco Chronicle) (Star Tribune) (MSNBC)
* New Delhi climate justice summit (CorpWatch)
* Disney a target in sweatshop fight (Orange County Register)
* Local collegian will study in India (Charlotte Observer)

Top Stories

* Pro-Taliban parties gain in Pakistan

Islamabad -- A coalition of pro-Taliban religious parties swept the frontier provincial legislature near the Afghan border in the first solid results Friday in Pakistan's election. Campaigning on a strong anti-U.S. platform that called for an end to Pakistan's support for the U.S.-led war on terror in Afghanistan, the coalition of six hard-line parties had a clear majority in Pakistan's North West Province legislature, the election commission said.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,BT_CO_20021010_009608,00.html
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/world/1612908
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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-pakistan-elections1011oct10,0,6325001.story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/AOct11.html
http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/10/10/pakistan.elections/index.html
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20021011_428.html
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20021011_73.html
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-asia/2002/oct/10/101006032.html
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/284/nation/Pro_Taliban_parties_log_early_gains_in_Pakistan_election+.shtml
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-pakistan-elections1011oct11,0,2575594.story
http://www.msnbc.com/news/819591.asp
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2002/10/10/international0103EDT0406.DTL
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=6524§ion=NATION_WORLD&year=2002&month=10&day=11
http://www.startribune.com/stories/670/3358777.html
http://www.nypost.com/apstories/V6381.htm
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/world/4257331.htm

* Collated Pakistan election results at 0820 GMT

Islamabad -- Pakistan's Election Commission had declared the results of 117 parliamentary seats on Friday by 0820 GMT. Thursday's poll formally marked the transition from military to civilian rule in the country of 140 million people, although President Pervez Musharraf, who took over power in a bloodless coup in 1999, will continue to have a major political role.

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/284/nation/Pakistan_elections_marred_by_low_turnout_fatal_shootings+.shtml
http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=A97-B8485F1DECDE92F4
http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters.asp?reg=ASIA

* Musharraf allies inch ahead in Pakistan polls

Islamabad -- Early results on Friday in Pakistan's first election since a military coup in 1999 showed the party seen as closest to President Pervez Musharraf edging ahead of that led by one of his fiercest critics. Returns from Thursday's violence-hit poll also revealed strong gains for a hardline Islamic coalition which has successfully tapped anti-U.S. sentiment in Pakistan since Washington launched its ''war on terror.''.

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http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-pakistan-election.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakelect11oct11,0,4242858.story
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/4260517.htm
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/breaking_news/4258707.htm
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/reuters20021011_7.html
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=pakistan11&date=20021011&query=pakistan
http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters.asp?reg=ASIA

* Fiery Pakistan Islamic groups brim with confidence

Islamabad -- A coalition of hardline Islamic parties, which tapped strong anti-U.S. sentiment in Pakistan in its election campaign, is brimming with confidence that it has finally broken into the political mainstream. As results trickled in early on Friday, the Mutahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) alliance of six parties from the religious right took an early lead, although it was not expected to maintain that position as the count progressed.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/AOct11.html
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/reuters20021011_60.html
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-pak11.html
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/local/4258707.htm
http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters.asp?reg=ASIA

* Pakistan poll too close to call as counting begins

Islamabad -- Counting began early on Friday in Pakistan's first election since a military coup in 1999, with a contest between parties opposed to and broadly supportive of President Pervez Musharraf too close to call. A hardline Islamic coalition of religious parties, which usually fare poorly at polls, was also confident of success in Thursday's violence-hit vote after tapping into broad anger at Musharraf's support of the U.S.-led ''war on terror.''

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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-pakistan-elections1010oct10,0,5866248.story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8810-2002Oct10.html
http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters.asp?reg=ASIA

* Pakistan's Musharraf to transfer power to new PM Nov 1

Karachi, Pakistan -- Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said Thursday he will handover executive power to the new prime minister on Nov. 1, state television reported. "We have worked out everything and this is a legal process...finally by Nov. 1 is when I will handover chief executive authority to the new government," Musharraf told Pakistan Television.

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* Seven killed in Pakistan election violence

Karachi, Pakistan -- Seven Pakistanis were killed and at least 50 people injured in clashes linked to Thursday's general election meant to return the country to civilian rule, government and medical officials said. Three people were killed and at least 10 wounded when supporters of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and the small National People's Party (NPP) clashed in various parts of southern Sindh province.

http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters.asp?reg=ASIA

* Exit poll shows tight race in Pakistan vote

Islamabad -- An exit poll showed the Pakistan People's Party of exiled former prime minister Benazir Bhutto narrowly ahead of the Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam, or PML(QA), in Thursday's general election. Early findings had given the PPP a healthy lead in the election, but that lead narrowed sharply as further results came in from around 50 constituencies around the country, in a poll conducted by the Pattan Development Organisation.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7514-2002Oct10.html
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/reuters20021010_459.html
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* Pakistan Bhutto's party unlikely in pact with Islamists

Islamabad -- Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's political party is unlikely to be in a coalition with the anti-U.S. right-wing religious alliance to form a national government, a spokesman said Friday. "We probably can never join hands," Farhatullah Babar, a spokesman for Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party told Dow Jones Newswires. "My gut feeling is no - we have very differing world views."

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* In Pakistan tribal area, women vote for first time

Miranshah, Pakistan -- Dressed in burqas, a few Pakistani women in the deeply conservative tribal areas defied a centuries-old taboo to cast their votes for the first time in their lives in Thursday's general election. But elsewhere in the rugged region, which borders Afghanistan and yielded many supporters of the Taliban, other women stayed at home, forbidden by male family members or local elders from attending the polls.

http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters.asp?reg=ASIA

* U.S. welcomes Pakistani elections

Washington -- The United States on Thursday hailed Pakistan for holding elections, calling them an important milestone toward returning democracy to the country, now led by a military coup leader. The Bush administration has found an ally in the war on terrorism in Pakistan's leader, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup. But Washington is urging Musharraf to return the country to civilian rule, and called legislative elections on Thursday a big step.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6584-2002Oct10.html
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http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters.asp?reg=ASIA

* International observers: Pakistan polls well organized, transparent

Islamabad -- Pakistan's elections were "well organized and for the most part transparent," a team of Commonwealth observers said Friday, a day after the country voted in general elections for the first time since the military took power three years ago. The Commonwealth observers, along with European Union and Japanese government representatives, were among 210 international monitors observing the race for the National Assembly, or lower house of Parliament, and four provincial legislatures.

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* Pakistan votes, for what it's worth

Islamabad -- For the first time since a military coup three years ago this month, Pakistanis yesterday voted for a new parliament in elections hailed by President Pervez Musharraf as the start of a new democratic era. But enthusiasm was muted at best, with many Pakistanis dismissing the exercise as little more than window dressing for continued army rule. The first results saw an anti-American coalition winning in the North West Province legislature.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/4257651.htm

* Skepticism taints Pakistani voting

Taxila, Pakistan -- Sitting in a grimy shop churning out traditional rope beds, Amjad Charpay says he will vote today in the first elections since the military seized power in Pakistan in 1999. But his expectations are low."People are not interested. No one in the past has done anything for anyone, but when they send the transportation to take us [to the polls], we'll go. Why not?" Nearly 72 million Pakistanis are eligible to vote in the general elections for parliament and provincial assemblies. Information Minister Nisar Memon said yesterday that he expected about 40 percent would turn out. In the last election, in 1997, turnout was 38 percent.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/nation/4249129.htm
http://libpub.dispatch.com/cgi-bin/documentv1?DBLIST=cd02&DOCNUM=44405&TERMV=224:8:293:8:382:8:26134:8:36612:8

* Main events in Pakistan's political history

Islamabad -- Counting began on Friday after Pakistan's first election since a military coup in 1999, with the race between opponents and supporters of military President Pervez Musharraf too close to call. Following is a chronology of key events in Pakistan's political history since independence from Britain in 1947. Aug 14, 1947 - Pakistan gains independence.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/10/opinion/L10STAN.html
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* U.S. endorses Kashmir elections

Washington -- The United States on Thursday endorsed elections in Indian Kashmir as successful and credible despite violence and allegations of intimidation and voting irregularities. India and Pakistan, at odds over the disputed Himalayan territory, should now try to resume a dialogue on all their differences, including Kashmir, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a daily briefing.

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http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-US-Kashmir-Elections.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-kashmir-elections1010oct10,0,6590566.story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8032-2002Oct10.html
http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters.asp?reg=ASIA
http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/10/10/india.kashmir.us.reut/index.html
http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=4C6321D4-5399-4CC1-9FBD694B8D4B202E
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20021010_1482.html
http://www.startribune.com/stories/670/3357644.html

* EU and India disagree over disputed Kashmir

Cagen -- The European Union and India failed on Thursday to agree on a common text on the disputed Kashmir region, which has led to a military standoff between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan. Instead the 15-nation bloc urged India to improve relations with Pakistan, which have remained tense since an attack on India's parliament last December which New Delhi says was carried out by Pakistan-based militants.

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http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters.asp?reg=ASIA

* Fifteen feared killed in Indian mine collapse

Ranchi, India -- At least 15 people were feared dead after an abandoned coal mine collapsed in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand on Thursday, a government official said. A police official said three bodies had been retrieved so far. He did not give details. The government official said the mine in Bokaro, 120 km (75 miles) east of the state capital Ranchi, was being used by nearby villagers to illegally extract coal.

http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters.asp?reg=ASIA

* Kashmir voters oust pro-India party

Srinagar, India -- Kashmiri voters ousted the ruling pro-India party -- the dominant force in the Indian-controlled province for more than 50 years, demanding economic and social reforms and an end to the Islamic militancy that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. Final results Thursday showed the National Conference party, which is closely tied to the Hindu-nationalist government in New Delhi, lost half the seats it held in the last state assembly, maintaining only 28 constituencies -- far below the 44 needed to form a majority government.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,BT_CO_20021010_009401,00.html
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/world/1612821
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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-kashmir-elections1011oct10,0,6592978.story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8155-2002Oct10.html
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-asia/2002/oct/10/101005833.html
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/4260510.htm
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/284/nation/Kashmir_rejects_pro_India_party+.shtml
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2002/10/10/international1458EDT0764.DTL
http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/3358492.html
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/search/sfl-akashmir11oct11.story
http://www.indystar.com/article.php?kashmir11.html
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=kashmir11&date=20021011&query=india

* Kashmir ruling party suffers setback

Srinagar, India -- Kashmir's pro-India ruling party failed to win enough seats to form a majority government, and may end up in the opposition if it cannot form an alliance, nearly complete election results showed Thursday. With almost all the ballots counted from the monthlong election for the Jammu-Kashmir state assembly, the National Conference, which has dominated the state since independence in 1947, fell far short of the 44 seats it needed to hold a majority in the 87-seat legislature.

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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-kashmir11oct11,0,2026208.story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6839-2002Oct10.html
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-india11.html
http://www.newsalert.com/bin/story?StoryId=CpAt7qbebAw5KAweTA2fZAg1PCI1ZCg90
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2002/10/10/international0801EDT0550.DTL
http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/4253442.htm
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20021010_665.html

* Kashmir coalition talks begin amid new hope

New Delhi/Srinagar, India -- Indian political parties were trying on Friday to set up a new administration to run turbulent Kashmir after a state election that has raised hopes of peace and reconciliation in the region. The country's main opposition Congress party started talks with Kashmir's People's Democratic Party on a possible coalition after voters threw out the Abdullah family dynasty that has dominated disputed Kashmir for decades.

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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP197300
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/reuters20021011_58.html
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/world/4260471.htm

* Indian Kashmir premier quits after poll rout

Srinagar, India -- Indian Kashmir's chief minister quit on Friday a day after his party was routed in a state assembly election, ending decades of dynastic rule in the disputed region. "I have tendered my resignation, I want to take a rest. After that, I will decide what to do," Farooq Abdullah told reporters after meeting the state governor.

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http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/reuters20021011_37.html
http://asia.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/10/11/kashmir.count/index.html

* Kashmir voters opt for change

Lar Village, India -- The party that ruled Jammu and Kashmir state for the last half-century was humiliated at the polls yesterday, sparking calls for a new style in governing the region, which has been racked by a Muslim insurgency. No party earned a majority in the 87-seat local legislature, ensuring a coalition will have to be formed to replace the old guard. There were hopes that fresh faces would bringess and pave the way for talks between nuclear powers India and Pakistan, which have fought two wars over the disputed territory in a half-century.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/4257652.htm
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-4/.xml

* Vote may usher in new era in Kashmir

Srinagar, India -- Voters in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir appear to have ejected from power the family dynasty that has dominated their politics for more than five decades, a verdict that could substantially alter the dynamics of both this troubled border region and a tense subcontinent.The unexpected results, tallied Thursday after state assembly elections that concluded Tuesday, may pave the way for negotiations with Kashmiri militants who have waged a 13-year insurgency against Indian rule. The two parties most likely to form a new state government both support talks with militants.

http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=6516§ion=NATION_WORLD&year=2002&month=10&day=11

* Indo-Pakistan standoff over Kashmir

Tensions between India, predominantly Hindu, and Pakistan, predominantly Muslim, have escalated. The two countries have fought over the area called Kashmir ever since they were established in 1947 (see a map). India, whose troops outnumber Pakistan's by a more than 2-to-1 ratio, has watched as Pakistan tested missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads

http://www.dallasnews.com/graphics/05-02/indiapakistan/index.html

* Nepal King appoints Lokendra Bahadur Chand as PM

New Delhi -- Nepal's King Gyanendra, who has avoided meeting with political leaders since he sacked the government a week ago, named the head of a pro-monarchy party as the Himalayan kingdom's new prime minister on Friday, the Press Trust of India reported. The Indian news agency, quoting highly placed party sources, reported from the Nepalese capital, Katmandu, that the king had formed a six-member caretaker Cabinet headed by former Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

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http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-bc-nepal-politics1011oct11,0,4423212.story
http://www.startribune.com/stories/670/3359071.html
http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/world/story/571698p-4480387c.html
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/world/4261372.htm

* Week into crisis, Nepal parties to meet king

Kathmandu -- Nepal's King Gyanendra, who sacked the government last week and took over running the world's only Hindu kingdom himself, agreed on Friday to hold talks with the main political parties on how and when to hand back power. The king's move last Friday plunged the poverty-stricken nation into new crisis while it reels under a bloody Maoist revolt and tries to heal the scars of last year's palace massacre in which Gyanendra's brother was killed by a drunk crown prince.

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http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-nepal.html
http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters.asp?reg=ASIA

* Three dead, 20 injured in E.Sri Lanka grenade explosion

Colombo -- A grenade explosion killed three people and injured 20 in eastern Sri Lanka on Friday, prompting authorities to send troops onto the streets and impose a curfew, a defense official said. The grenade exploded in a village near Trincomalee, a town 240 kilometers northeast of Colombo, where earlier this week police troops fired on a crowd that stormed a police base.

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http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters.asp?reg=ASIA
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=6317§ion=NATION_WORLD&year=2002&month=10&day=11

* Sri Lanka ready to sign International Land Mine Treaty

Colombo -- Sri Lanka is ready to sign an international convention against land mines, but it needs a pledge from the Tamil Tiger rebels before going ahead with it, a government minister said Thursday. "We are making every effort to become a signatory to the Ottawa Convention on land mines during a conference in December," Constitutional Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris told reporters.

(Subscription Required)
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,BT_CO_20021010_003708,00.html

Editorial/Op-Ed

* Pakistan: Religious shadow on terror war

Islamabad -- A religious alliance opposed to the U.S. presence in the region further consolidated its position Friday by winning 30 seats in Pakistan's parliamentary elections, creating serious doubts about the country's future role in the war against terror. The Election Commission of Pakistan has already confirmed its win in 25 of these seats while unofficial reports say the alliance may make more gains as results are announced.

http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/r.htm

* Election shocks to leave Pakistan, India at odds

Singapore -- The people spoke and were heard in elections in Pakistan and in Indian-held disputed Kashmir and that makes it more difficult for their leaders to talk about how to avoid a nuclear-armed war. Pakistani military strongman President Pervez Musharraf looks weaker after elections in which his opponents scored surprise victories even as his proteges did not fare too badly.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ISL243032

Business/Technology

N/A

Other Stories

* Indian musicians remember slain American reporter on his birthday

Bombay, India -- Indian jazz musicians performed Thursday to mark what would have been the 39th birthday of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Led by Joe Alvarez, an Indian singer, the musicians played compositions that Pearl enjoyed playing and listening to - including ''Sensitive Kind,'' ''Autumn Leaves'' and ''Somewhere Over the Rainbow.''

(Subscription Required)
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,BT_CO_20021010_007990,00.html
(Registration Required)
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-India-Slain-Reporter.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-india-slain-reporter1010oct10,0,46154.story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8065-2002Oct10.html
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2002/10/10/international1553EDT0800.DTL
http://www.startribune.com/stories/670/3357655.html
http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/ap.asp?reg=ASIA

* New Delhi climate justice summit

Climate change is real. It is no longer a question of whether the climate is changing, but rather how bad the impacts are going to be. Recent extreme weather patterns in India, China and Europe, for example, are just initial reminders of what we, as a global community, will face if nothing is done to address climate change. The burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas) results in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse (heat trapping) gases, leading to a rise in temperatures (Global Warming).

http://www.corpwatch.org/campaigns/PCD.jsp?articleid=4392

* Disney a target in sweatshop fight

Lisa Rahman, a 19-year-old garment worker from Bangladesh, is touring the United States for two seemingly contradictory reasons: to publicize working conditions at her factory and to urge the Walt Disney Co. to continue making shirts there. Rahman said she works 14 hours a day, seven days a week at the Shah Makhdum factory in Dhaka, where, she said, managers sometimes hit workers and women are forced to quit if they become pregnant. She said workers receive no vacation, holiday or sick days and earn about 14 cents an hour, meaning they earn about 5 cents for a shirt that sells for $17.99 in the United States.

http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=6014§ion=BUSINESS&year=2002&month=10&day=9

* Local collegian will study in India

Davidson College student Jacqueline "Muna" Musiitwa of Concord has been chosen to participate in the college's Semester-in-India Program.Musiitwa is the daughter of Frederick Musiitwa of Concord and is a 1999 graduate of Northwest Cabarrus High School.Davidson has conducted its Semester-in-India Program every two years since 1979, and more than 150 students have participated. This year's participants arrived on the Davidson campus two weeks before their departure and attended classes to prepare them for the trip.Their experience abroad includes nine weeks at Madras Christian College near the city of Madras (Chennai), where they are taking four courses in Indian history, public health, art and politics.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/4250315.htm

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--- South Asian News, October 11, 2002 ---


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