November 8, 1995
Web posted at: 1:55 p.m. EST 1855 GMT
SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- Government prosecutors questioned six top South Korean business leaders on Wednesday and summoned another five in an investigation into former President Roh Tae-Woo and secret bank accounts totaling $654 million. Roh, whose term ran from 1988 to 1993, used some of the money to buy two buildings in Seoul, prosecutors said. Search warrants were being sought for four commercial banks to track down money that Roh allegedly used in property transactions.
There is no dispute that most of South Korea's major conglomerates helped build up Roh's slush fund. In a nationally televised speech in early November, the former president himself admitted the money came mostly from the corporate world, in the form of donations. Now prosecutors want to know how the money was collected and if the companies were rewarded for their contributions in the form of lucrative government contracts. During his televised speech, the former president said the corporate donations were a routine practice in South Korea.
BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) -- The United States and Russia compromised Wednesday on a plan to send Russian peacekeeping troops to Bosnia.
Russian officials had objected to having that country's troops under direct NATO command. Under the compromise, Russian troops would take orders from a Russian general, who would report to NATO's top commander, Gen. George Joulwan, an American.
The compromise was announced by U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry and Russia's defense minister, Gen. Pavel Grachev, at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
The conditions under which the forces would operate have yet to be worked out. Russian and NATO forces, including U.S. troops, would not be sent until the warring factions agree on a peace treaty. Leaders of the factions are meeting at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Moderate Tamil groups called Wednesday for an immediate cease fire in the Sri Lankan separatist war fought since 1983. A joint statement by leaders of nine Tamil political parties said the exodus of refugees from the rebel-held northern part of the island was out of control and could be compared only to the suffering in Bosnia. The statement urged the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan government to stop fighting. The rebels seek an ethnic homeland in the northern part of the island off the southern coast of India.
Residents fleeing the north report a line a mile long outside
the hospital at Chavakachcheri, a refugee destination south
of Jaffna, with people suffering sores, diarrhea and fever.
Government troops are now massed in the northern Jaffna
peninsula for an expected assault on Jaffna itself.
SARAJEVO, Yugoslavia (CNN) -- Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic appeared to be optimistic Tuesday about the outcome of Bosnian peace talks in the United States.
Izetbegovic was quoted as saying that an agreement with Croats on basic ground rules could be signed within a week. However, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic was said to be much more pessimistic about the talks under way at an air base near Dayton, Ohio.
Milosevic opposes demands that he dismiss Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic, and the military commander, Gen. Ratko Mladic, both of whom have been indicted for war crimes.
UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The U.N. Special Commission on Iraq confirmed Tuesday that the Baghdad regime was working on a radiological weapon that would scatter radioactive material without causing a nuclear weapon-style explosion.
The commission says it had no idea how much work Iraq had done on the weapon, but that it was fully within their capabilities. The Iraqi plan would take irradiated material produced inside a reactor then establish a delivery system to scatter the particles.
BAIDOA, Somalia (CNN) -- The Somali town once dubbed the "City of Death" is living up to that name. At least 10 people were reported killed and more than 15 wounded Tuesday in factional fighting in Baidoa.
Somali warlord Mohamed Farah Aideed's men came under attack Monday night from a rival faction at the southwestern town's airport. Aideed's men regained control of their airport stronghold after several hours of fighting. Aideed's main rival, Ali Mahdi Mohamed, is believed to be arming the group that launched the attack.
Aideed was elected president of Somalia by his supporters, but the international community has not recognized him as head of state.
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (CNN) -- In Western Africa, rival politicians in the Ivory Coast are setting aside the political violence of the past to clear the way for elections.
After meeting with the president and his cabinet on Tuesday, opposition parties agreed to cancel a planned election boycott.
Opposition leaders boycotted last month's presidential election, accusing the ruling party of fraud. Tuesday's agreement calls for a revision of voter lists and extensions of registration deadlines for both voters and candidates.
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