Britons lower guard British soldiers in Northern Ireland officially lowered their guard yesterday response to an IRA ceasefire, swapping helmets for berets and reducing the number of patrols. Reuter reports from Belfast
They could to have picked a worse day for it. Rain pured down, drenching the exposed necks and ears of the unfortunate "squaddies" on early morning duty.
Alija lashes out at UN: Bosnia's president, stung by Pope John Paul Il's decision not to visit Sarajevo, has lashed out at the United Nations for warning the Vatican the trip could be dangerous. AP reports from Sarajevo.
President Alija Izetbegovic on Wednesday also said the United Nations should do more to silence Serb guns around the besieged capital. The Vatican announced the cancellation of the Pope's visit Tuesday after it failed to win Serb guarantees of safety for those who turned out to see the pope. Crime on rise in China: Serious crimes in China rose by 20 per cent in the first six months of this year, the official press reported Thursday. AP reports from Beijing.
Overall, the crime rate was up 5.9 per cent compared with the same period last year, the China Youth News and China News Service reported, citing figures from the Ministry of Public Security. China does not release the number of criminal cases In reporting Its crime statistics.
2 N Koreans defect to South: two North Koreans. Including a student who had studied in China, defected to South Korea on Thursday, bringing to 42 the number of escapees from the impoverished communist country so far this year. AP reports from Seoul.
Papuan PM declares truce: Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan declared a ceasefire with rebels on Bougainville island from yesterday making another key step to ending a six-year-old secessionist conflict. AFP reports from Port. Moresby.
The indefinite ceasefire would take effect from midnight (1400 GMT). Chan told the Pacific nation's parliament.
Clinton to visit China: China- said yesterday US President Bill Clinton had accepted an invitation to visit Beijing, but no dates had been set. Reuter reports from Beijing
The visit would be the first by a US leader since George Bush came in February 18. shortly before a wave of Chinese democracy demonstrations.
Bees attack 140 Mexicans: A swarm of African killer bees attacked 140 people on Wednesday in the central Mexican state of Zacatecas, official news agency Notlmex said, Reuter reports from Mexico City.
Local police in the town of Concepcion Del Oro said the attack occurred at a funeral for one of the town's residents, the agency reported.
US rock pianist Hopkins dies: Pianist Nicky Hopkins, who played on rock if roll songs like "Jumping Jack Flash" by the Rolling Stones, has died at age 50. AP reports from Nashville.
Hopkins died on Tuesday at Saint Thomas Hospital, apparently of complications from Abdominal and heart ailments. As a studio musician, he also played on "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Tumbling Dice" by the Rolling StoacS. "Song Is Over" by the Who. Revolution by the Beatles and "Volunteers" by the Jefferson Airplane
US guards rescue 1029 Cubans: The US coast guard rescued Wednesday 1.029 Cuban asylum seekers in the Florida Straits, a spokesman said. AFP reports from Miami.
On Tuesday 68 were rescued and 1.129 the previous day. Some 27,000 Cuban refugees have been picked up since August 5, when Cuban President Fidel Castro lifted most restrictions on leaving. Mine kills 8 in Phnom Penh: E«h< people died after their taxi ran over an anti-tank mine thought to have been laid by Khmer Rouge guerillas, iti northwest Cambodia this week, the country’s mine action centre said yesterday. Reuter says from Phnom Penh
The taxi ran over the mine last Monday on a national highway near Battambang. said a spokesman for the centre. Author of Shogun dead: Hew w^itng author James Clavell. whose novels included Shogun and helped create the modern literary blockbuster has died of cancer at the age of 69 his publishers said Wednesday Reuter reports from New York
Claudia Riemer spokeswoman for publisher liell Lieiacorte press, said Clavell died Tuesday in Vevey Switzerland where he had a home
US marines begin exercises:
2.000 US marines began exercises ot> the tiny Puerto Rican lata nd of Vienna on Wednesday tn preparation of a possible US invasion of Hatti AFP reports from San Juan.
The troops were practising to evacuate the 3 500 Americans living in Haiti said spokeswoman Elizabeth Jones of the Roosevelt Roods naval base in Puerto Rico