Rumsfeld feels South Asia tension waning
NEW DELHI, June 12 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld Wednesday said tensions between India and Pakistan, which were running high because of conflicts in Kashmir, were declining following months of buildup. Rumsfeld, after meeting with Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes, said, "We feel that there are steps being taken which are constructive." Rumsfeld's India visit is part of the U.S. diplomatic efforts to bring India and Pakistan back from the brink of war. In addition to Fernandes, Rumsfeld is to meet Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh and Home Minister L.K. Advani. Rumsfeld was scheduled to fly to Islamabad later Wednesday to meet Pakistani officials to urge them to meet India's concerns about ending violence in Kashmir.
Confusion and tight security mark jirga
KABUL, Afghanistan, June 12 (UPI) -- German soldiers with the International Peacekeeping Force arrested four Afghans in a pick-up truck who aimed an AK-47 at the soldiers Wednesday near the site of the loya jirga, according to ISAF spokesman Lt. Col. Thomas Lobbering. Security remains tight at the assembly, where Hamid Karzai is expected to be elected for another 18-month term as head of the transitional authority. Afghan National Guard and police and ISAF soldiers line the streets leading to the Intercontinental Hotel and the Polytechnic Institute where the political convention is being held.
EU may push for more Afghan peackeepers
KABUL, Afghanistan, June 12 (UPI) -- Despite U.S. and U.N. insistence the International Security and Assistance Force in Afghanistan be confined to the Kabul area, the issue may not yet be dead, according to European Union Special Envoy to Afghanistan Klaus Peter Klaiber. Klaus said the matter of extending peacekeepers beyond the capital currently is being debated in several European capitals. His comments about the need for more of an international presence stem from his visits last month with two warlords in northern Afghanistan, Atta Mohammed and Gen. Abdur Rashid Dostum. "They told him they were very pleased not to have ISAF in their area," so they could continue fighting, building their armies and levying taxes, a European Union official told United Press International.
Thai police killed by suspected militants
BANGKOK, Thailand, June 12 (UPI) -- Unidentified attackers armed with pistols and an AK-47 assault rifle shot and killed two Thai police officers in the latest of a series of attacks suspected of being carried out by Muslim militants, police said Wednesday. The youths and the police were on motorcycles.
Colo. wildfire burns nearly 86,000 acres
DENVER, June 12 (UPI) -- The largest wildfire in Colorado history is inching closer to the Denver metro area, sending 100-foot flames into the air as officials ordered more precautionary evacuations southwest of the city. The Hayman Fire, the highest firefighting priority in the nation, burned through nearly 9,000 acres of timber Tuesday. At 6 p.m. the U.S. Forest Service estimated its size at 85,925 acres and there were no signs it would be halted soon. Firefighters said the blaze burned back on itself Tuesday because of erratic winds and they lost the 5 percent containment they had achieved since the fire began Saturday. Authorities in Douglas and Teller counties south of Denver urged residents of several subdivisions to evacuate as a safety precaution.
Poll: US-Mexico border opinions differ
WASHINGTON, June 12 (UPI) -- Nearly three out of five Mexicans believe there should be no border control for Mexican nationals crossing into the United States, while two-thirds of U.S. citizens do not believe illegal aliens in the country should be granted amnesty, a poll released Tuesday stated. The poll was commissioned by Americans for Immigration Control Inc., which issued a statement saying the poll results show there is little support among Americans for a relaxation of border crossing policies between the United States and Mexico. The poll was conducted by Zogby International. The group, over the period May 25-26, asked a series of questions of 801 Mexicans. A total of 1,015 U.S. citizens were questioned between May 28-30. The data have a margin of error of 3.5 percent.
Stocks decline in Tokyo and Hong Kong
TOKYO, June 12 (UPI) -- Stock prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended lower Wednesday as concerns over the outlook for Wall Street deepened following its fall on Tuesday. Japan's blue-chip Nikkei Stock Average of 225 selective issues index, which rose 79.23 points Tuesday, fell 122.38 points, or 1.1 percent, to 11,327.06. Stocks also lost ground in Hong Kong, Taipei, Taiwan and in Sydney, Australia, but rose slightly in Seoul, South Korea.
England 0, Nigeria 0
OSAKA, Japan, June 12 (UPI) -- England, behind a shutout by David Seaman, played to a 0-0 draw Wednesday against Nigeria and earned a second-round berth in the World Cup Tournament. England, which beat Argentina and drew with Sweden earlier in group play, finished second in Group F -- the so-called "Group of Death" -- and advanced to a Round of 16 meeting Saturday with Denmark. Nigeria dropped games to Sweden and Argentina before earning the point against England. Just needing a draw to advance, England played with reserve against World Cup rookie goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama of Nigeria. Paul Scholes had a 30-yard blast touched on the post just before halftime in one of the best chances for England to notch a goal.
