WORLD IN BRIEF

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Head of Burma's Junta Appears at Ceremony

NAYPYIDAW, Burma -- The head of Burma's ruling junta made a rare public appearance Tuesday at a ceremony in the country's new capital, reviewing thousands of troops under a blazing sun for nearly an hour despite reports of ill health.

Gen. Than Shwe was the only speaker at a ceremony marking Armed Forces Day, which commemorates the day when the Burma Independence Army revolted against Japanese occupation forces during World War II.

Although the 74-year-old leader has been suffering from an undisclosed illness, Than Shwe stood steady and straight in the tropical heat as he spoke to about 500 invited dignitaries, diplomats and journalists, then reviewed the troops as they marched past.

It was the second time the ceremony was held in the country's new capital of Naypyidaw, after years of being observed in a park in the former capital, Rangoon.

Than Shwe, who is head of the military and junta chief, said at the ceremony that building a "strong, efficient, modern and patriotic" military and cementing the unity of the military and the people were the two essential elements for defending Burma, also known as Myanmar.

He warned that the nation still faces danger from "powerful countries" that are trying to undermine its unity and weaken the military.

The ruling junta frequently warns that the pro-democracy movement of detained Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, which was denied its landslide election victory in 1990, seeks to destabilize Burma with the backing of Western nations.

THE MIDDLE EAST

· CAIRO -- Voters overwhelmingly approved a set of controversial amendments to Egypt's constitution, the government said, a day after opposition groups massively boycotted a referendum.

Turnout in Monday's balloting was low -- 27 percent -- but the yes vote was 75.9 percent, Justice Minister Mamdouh Marei said at a news conference broadcast live on state television.

Egyptians are likely to be extremely skeptical of the figures because many polling stations stood virtually empty for hours in the capital, Cairo.

Two local rights groups accused the state of widespread ballot stuffing, with the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights estimating that only 2 to 3 percent of the electorate had voted five hours before polls closed.

When President Hosni Mubarak addressed the nation on television about an hour after the figures were announced, he said he was pleased. Avoiding any mention of the low turnout, he said, "The people are the real winners in this referendum."

The vote on the 34 amendments was held only seven days after the parliament approved them, leaving many voters uninformed.

AFRICA

· ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -- Ivory Coast's main rebel leader, Guillaume Soro, will be prime minister in a new government called for in the country's latest peace plan, rebels and mediators said.

ASIA

· BEIJING -- U.S. Treasury officials and North Korean diplomats met to work out the transfer of funds frozen in a Macau bank and smooth the way for the resumption of arms talks, the U.S. Embassy said.

The U.S. delegation, led by Daniel Glaser, met the officials Monday in Beijing to discuss implementation of a deal in which $25 million was to be released into a North Korean account at the Bank of China.

In a move to advance six-party nuclear disarmament talks, the U.S. Treasury said it would release the funds, but the transfer has not been executed. The delay caused North Korea to walk away from negotiations last week.

Complicating matters, a British firm linked to a North Korean bank with money frozen in Macau opposes the transfer of the funds to Pyongyang and has said it will take whatever steps are needed to protect its clients' money.

Colin McAskill, chairman of the investment advisory Koryo Asia, which is in a deal to buy a controlling stake in North Korea-based Daedong Credit Bank, said he wrote to the Macau Monetary Authority making it clear he opposed "taking Daedong's money without its consent." McAskill said he has not ruled out legal action.

· COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- A Tamil Tiger suicide bomber tried to blow up an army camp in Sri Lanka, killing seven people, a day after rebels carried out their first airstrike since fighting began in 1983.

· TOKYO -- An electrical glitch has knocked out a satellite in a spy network Japan had hoped to use to gather intelligence on North Korea and other trouble spots around the world, a cabinet official said.

· NEW DELHI -- A court has banned smoking while driving in India's capital in what is believed to be the first ban of its kind in any major city worldwide, police said.

· MANILA -- Two armed men took over a bus in Manila on Wednesday and were holding 31 nursery school children and two teachers hostage, apparently to highlight corruption in the country.

· KABUL -- A suicide bomber trying to blend in with street beggars exploded himself near a top intelligence official in a crowded part of Kabul early Wednesday, wounding five people, police said.

EUROPE

· BELGRADE -- Serbian President Boris Tadic and other senior politicians Tuesday rejected a proposal drafted by U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari for supervised independence of disputed Kosovo.

· PARIS -- Riot police firing tear gas and brandishing batons clashed with bands of youths who shattered windows and looted shops at Paris' Gare du Nord train station, officials said. Youths at the station said the clashes started when police manhandled a young person of North African origin. Nine people were arrested.

· BORDEAUX, France -- A court struck down a ruling that French railways must compensate the family of a Jewish man transported to an internment camp in Nazi-occupied France, dealing a blow to hundreds more such claims.

-- From News Services