INDONESIA: Amid escalating tension in strife-torn Aceh, an army

INDONESIA: Amid escalating tension in strife-torn Aceh, an army
soldier was stabbed to death on Saturday, allegedly by members of
the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), at Glumpang Payong
cattle market in Jeumpa district, Bireuen regency, some 210
kilometers east of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh.

The dead soldier, identified as First Private Sukri, was a
member of the Sriwijaya Military Command's 144th Infantry
Battalion. The incident took place at 5 p.m., and the victim died
in a nearby hospital, the Indonesia Military's information task
force's deputy commander Maj. Eddy Fernandi said as quoted by
Antara.

Besides killing the soldier, Eddy said, the three assailants
also made off with an SS1 rifle belonging to the victim.

GAM had been attacking and ambushing military and police
personnel for the last few days, Eddy said without elaborating.

As of late Saturday, GAM had not responded to the military's
allegations. --Antara

;AFP;
ANPAf..u..
Oil-OPEC-Iran lead
Iran tones down calls for cut in OPEC oil output
JP/2/HIGH

Iran tones down calls for oil output

IRAN: The country wants a reduction in OPEC oil output from May 1
only if there is an urgent market need for one, Oil Minister
Bijan Namadar Zanghaneh said Saturday in an apparent toning down
of earlier calls for a second quarter cut.

"A May 1 date for a cut in OPEC production would be too soon
unless there is an emergency situation," Zanghaneh told reporters
on the sidelines of a Tehran oil and gas conference.

On Thursday the minister had caused jitters on world oil
markets by suggesting that Iran would push for an immediate cut
at the OPEC cartel's next meeting in Vienna on Thursday.

"We need a decrease in production... starting the second
quarter of 2003," Zanghaneh said then.

"Currently there is a surplus in the oil market, and if it is
not controlled in the long term, oil prices will slide." --AFP

;AFP;
ANPAi..u..
India-wildlife-leopard
Woman kills leopard with sickle in north India
JP/INDIA

Indian woman kills leopard with sickle

INDIA : A woman in north India killed a leopard with a sickle
after it pounced on her while she was cutting grass near her
village, police said Saturday.

Nirmala Devi, 30, suffered severe injuries to her hands, arms,
shoulder, head and hip and was being treated in hospital in
Shimla, the capital of the Himalayan province of Himachal
Pradesh, a doctor said.

The attack occurred Friday near Mandi village, some 160
kilometers (100 miles) from here.

Witnesses said the woman and the leopard battled for about 10
minutes during which Devi managed to wound the animal in the eye.
She later struck the blade of the sickle into its heart, killing
it.

"Villagers did attempt to rescue her from the beast but the
cat wouldn't allow them close, and also did not give a chance for
the woman to run," said Devi's sister-in-law, Shakuntala Devi.

After she had killed the animal, Devi was taken to hospital in
Mandi but because of the severity of her injuries, was moved to
Shimla. --AFP

GetAFP 2.10 -- APR 19, 2003 18:22:23
;AFP;
ANPAi..r..
US-animals
Rescuers struggle to save pilot whales stranded off Florida
JP/US

Rescuers struggle to save stranded whales

UNITED STATES: Experts were struggling Saturday to understand
what went wrong for two groups of pilot whales that swam too
close to the coast of Florida and got stranded.

At least five of the 27 whales had died by nightfall Friday.
"They're going downhill fast," said Kevin Kirsch, a specialist
with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Fisheries Service.

Fishermen discovered the ailing whales, including males,
females and calves, shortly after dawn Friday, sparking a frantic
campaign to rescue them.

Some 75 volunteers -- including tourists and boaters who
happened by, Coast Guard officers and animal scientists --
struggled to help the animals by holding them aloft and keeping
them wet.

The whales appeared to revive somewhat after being moved to
deeper water but grew more lethargic, and smelly, as the day wore
on.

The smell indicated gastrointestinal distress, rescuers said.
--AFP

GetAFP 2.10 -- APR 19, 2003 17:45:35

;AFP;
ANPAi..u..
India-Kashmir-firing
Girl killed in India-Pakistan shelling in Kashmir
JP/INDIA

Girl killed in shelling in Kashmir

INDIA: A seven-year-old Muslim girl was killed overnight in
artillery and mortar shelling between Indian and Pakistani troops
along the de facto border in Kashmir, police said Saturday.

The exchanges between the two hostile armies took place in the
northwestern Uri sector of Indian-administered Kashmir, a police
spokesman said.

Police accused Pakistani troops of opening "unprovoked fire"
that killed the girl, Nazneen Akhter, in Gawalata village, about
100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Srinagar, the summer capital.

One house was also damaged when it received a direct hit.

The shelling by Pakistani troops lasted for several hours,
police said, adding the Indian troops also returned fire.

No exchanges were reported since Saturday morning.

The shelling came as Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee is on a two-day trip to Kashmir.

Vajpayee kicked off his tour with an offer of friendship to
arch-rival Pakistan on Friday, and is to wind-up his trip with a
news conference in Srinagar later Saturday. --AFP

GetAFP 2.10 -- APR 19, 2003 16:13:00
;AFP;
ANPAi..r..
Sweden-eurozone-poll
Swedish opposition to euro entry on the rise: poll
JP/SWEDEN

Swedish opposition to euro entry on the rise: poll

SWEDEN: The number of Swedes opposed to adopting the European
single currency, the euro, is on the rise, an opinion poll
published Saturday showed.

Opposition to euro entry now runs at 47 percent, according to
a Temo poll published in Dagens Nyheter, with 39 percent in
favour and 13 percent undecided.

This compares with a previous Temo poll in March, when the
"no"-camp had 45 percent and the europhiles 42 percent.

Sweden, which is a member of the European Union but not the
12-member euro zone, will hold a referendum on the euro on Sept.
14.

If Swedes vote to swap the krona for the euro the country
would adopt the currency on Jan. 1, 2006. --AFP