Globe Watch

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have asked pop group Junoon to explain a slew of charges ranging from belittling the ideology of Pakis...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have asked pop group Junoon to explain a slew of charges ranging from 8220;belittling the ideology of Pakistan8221; to 8220;disagreeing with national opinion on nuclear tests8221;, hurled against them by the local media during their recent Indian tour. The three-member group, which made a highly successful visit to India in May, has been asked by the ministry of Cultural Affairs to explain several anti-Pakistan remarks allegedly made during their visit, media reports said here today. Salman Ahmed of Junoon said, 8220;I vehemently refute these charges. How can a group that sang Jazba-e-Junoon, the national anthem, and that composed Allama Iqbal8217;s poetry into songs, ever conceive of belittling Pakistan?8221; Ahmed further said, 8220;On the contrary Junoon went to India to promote Pakistani culture and art, and proved the relevance and popularity of our art form in the subcontinent.8221;

BRATISLAVA SLOVAKIA: Opposition parties have won enough seats in national elections to be able tooust Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar if they join forces as pledged, unofficial results released today showed. The results, based on full but unofficial tallies from all 5,000 precincts in Slovakia, may signal the end of the authoritarian rule that has dominated this country throughout its nearly six years of independence. The central election commission, which released the figures today morning, said they should remain virtually unchanged when official results are released on Tuesday.

SKOPJE MACEDONIA: US defence secretary William Cohen has signed an agreement establishing southeast European peace force and warned Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic of NATO intervention unless violence stops in Kosovo. Signing the agreement yesterday with Cohen were defence ministers of three other NATO countries 8212; Italy, Turkey and Greece 8212; and five prospective alliance members in the Balkans: Macedonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Albania. The new force is not meant for any military intervention, but toplay a humanitarian role, truce keeping, and aid relief, similar to the concept of UN multinational peace forces. Cohen called the signing 8220;historic8221;, and said, 8220;This new multinational peace force holds out hope that we can build a new era.8221;