CNN - News Briefs - June 9, 1996

News Briefs

June 9, 1996
Web posted at: 9:00 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT)

Iraq, U.N. begin dismantling biological weapons factory

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.N. experts and Iraqi officials have begun dismantling a factory that a U.N. commission found was of "no use" other than for manufacturing biological weapons.

Sanctions imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait called for destruction of such plants, but the Iraqis had denied it was used for weapons production. A high-level Iraqi defector, however, confirmed the plant's purpose, and destruction began in mid-May.

Croatian police arrest war crimes suspect

ZAGREB, Croatia (CNN) -- Croatian police have arrested a man the U.N. war crimes tribunal believes responsible for the deaths of Muslims in the Lasva Valley of central Bosnia.

Zlatko Aleksovski was one of six Croats indicted for the mistreatment of Muslims in 1993. Another of the six, Gen. Tihimor Blaskic, surrendered in April, maintaining his innocence.

Aleksovski was the head of a prison camp in the Lasva Valley in 1993, and later became commander of the notorious Helidrom detention camp near Mostar.

Child labor is a worldwide problem, U.N. says

GENEVA (CNN) -- A United Nations report says that over 13 percent of the world's children between the ages of 10 and 14 are employed. It said most of them work without pay, within their families.

The U.N. labor agency says 73 million such children are known to be working, and estimates that the actual number may be in the hundreds of millions.

The report was to be released Monday, two days before the start of the International Labor Organization's ministerial conference to discuss ways to eliminate child labor.

The report said about 13 percent of children in Asia are employed, 26 percent in Africa and 9 percent in Latin America.

Ghana vice president opposes incumbent for president

KUMASI, Ghana (CNN) -- Ghana's vice president has been chosen as the opposition candidate in presidential elections scheduled for December.

Nkensen Arkaah, nominated by the People's Convention Party, has had an antagonistic relationship with President Jerry Rawlings since the November 1992 elections.

Their disagreements erupted into a physical scuffle during a cabinet meeting last December.

British power company considers burning mad cow carcasses for electricity

LONDON (CNN) -- National Power in Great Britain is doing a feasibility study to determine whether the carcasses of cattle slaughtered because of the mad cow disease crisis can be used to generate electricity.

The company said it was looking to substitute the carcasses - - ground into pellets -- for coal in its power stations.

British slaughterhouses and incinerators have been overwhelmed by the cattle slaughter, which has already topped 100,000 head of cattle.

Another Chinese dissident released

BEIJING (CNN) -- Chinese dissident Ren Wanding was released Sunday after seven years in prison for his participation in 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations.

Ren, 51, returned home but then left with a relative. Early reports said he left under police escort for a seaside resort in northern China. The Associated Press later quoted his wife, Zhang Fengying, as saying he left Beijing willingly, without a police escort, to rest and was expected back in two weeks.

According to police regulations, Ren cannot leave Beijing without police permission.

Earlier in the weekend, China released another dissident, Zhang Xianliang, who had served in a labor camp since 1993.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related stories:

Chinese dissident released - June 8, 1996
Some changes evident in China 7 years after Tiananmen massacre - June 4, 1996
Chinese dissident: Life in China became unbearable - May 3, 1996

Netanyahu meets with possible cabinet members

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu summoned potential cabinet members Sunday and told them he will stick to a hard-line stance on peace, members of his Likud Party said.

The announcement defies Arab leaders who are hoping Netanyahu will take a conciliatory approach toward peace. After a summit, leaders of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria released a statement Saturday stressing that the only way to secure peace is a complete Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab land.

Netanyahu said he will comment on the summit only after he has formed a government. He seeks to present a coalition to parliament on June 17.

Related stories:

Damascus meeting calls for large Arab summit - June 8, 1996
Pivotal Elections: Israel

Russians stranded in Antarctica hope for safe rescue

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- A U.S. vessel, loaded with food and supplies, is en route to Antarctica where 38 Russians are stranded.

The U.S. National Science Foundation has sent its top research ship, the Nathaniel B. Palmer, to bring emergency rations to the Russians, who may run out of food on June 15. Satellite photos and radar analysis are helping the ship navigate the icy seas.

The ship hopes to reach the Antarctic research base by Monday or Tuesday.

The Russians were stranded when their supply ship lost power. It is now running at 70 percent propulsion capacity, National Science Foundation officials reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related site:

Antarctic Support Associates

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