European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 stars an stripes tuesday March 20 2007 groups protest upcoming vote in Hong Kong by Dinky sinn the associated press Hong Kong pro Democrat by groups marched through Hong Kong on sunday to protest an up coming election that they say is not democratic enough the protesters chanted one Man one vote to choose chief executive and carried banners read ing March for equal and univer Sal suffrage As they marched for two hours toward Hong Kongs government Headquarters the protest organizer civil human rights front said 5000 people took part police put the Fig ure at 1800 Hong Kongs Leader called its envoys talk timetable on n Korea disarmament Beijing envoys worked sunday to negotiate a schedule for dismantling North Korea nuclear programs amid efforts to resolve the thorny Issue of us financial sanctions Christopher Hill the Ameri can envoy said he met with representatives from the North Korea delegation Over the week end to explain the us position on the funds in Macau Banco Delta Asia Bank and said he was hopeful the Issue was resolved Pearl murder convict to use Mohammes claim Islamabad Pakistan a claim by the alleged Mastermind of the sept 11 2001 attacks in the United states that he personally beheaded american reporter Daniel Pearl will be used in an a peal of Ahmed Omar Saeed sheikhs conviction in the slaying in Pakistan a lawyer said Rai Bashir a lawyer for sheikh said he will use Khalid sheikh Mohammes recent Testi Mony at a us military hearing at Guantanamo Bay Cuba that he beheaded As evidence that his Cli ent did not kill Pearl 2 dead 16 Hurt in Somalia mortar attacks Mogadishu Somalia so Mali insurgents battled ethiopian and government troops with mor tar and artillery fire on sunday killing two people and wounding at least 16 others who were caught in the crossfire witnesses and medics said from the associated press chief executive is chosen by an 800seat election committee which is scheduled to meet next sunday to choose the Leader for an other five year term the panel stacked with Beijing loyalists is widely expected to support the incumbent Veteran civil servant Donald Tsang critics say the process includes Only elites and Beijing loyalists and insist Hong Kong deserves full democracy because it is one of asias most affluent stable and Well educated societies a political analyst said the pro test turnout did not indicate a Lack of interest in democracy in Hong Kong people who support Democrat pro democracy groups March through Hong Kong on sunday to protest an upcoming leadership election they claim is not democratic enough by do not necessarily join the March said a Ngok at chinese University in Hong Kong de spite the Low turnout opinion polls have shown Peoples desire for uni Versal suffrage remain High Hong Kong a former British col ony was returned to chinese Rule a decade ago under an arrange ment that promised it a wide de Gree of autonomy Beijing has said the City will eventually get full democracy but the communist government has yet to say when pro democracy Hong Kong Law maker Lee Cheu Kyan said Sun Day that the fight for direct elections will continue we must stand firm until the end until we win Victory Lee said tangs Only challenger in the election pro democracy lawmaker Alan Leong has said he Hopes Hong Kongs people will be Al Lowed to directly elect their Leader in five years Tokyo protest Marks fourth anniversary of Iraq invasion Shizuo japanese righting activists tussle with police officers in Tokyo on sunday As Antiwar protesters stage a rally against War in Iraq More than 2000 protesters rallied in Central Tokyo on sunday to Mark the fourth anniversary of the us invasion of Iraq organizers said 3 killed in attack on Thailand school the associated press Sabayon Thailand attackers hurled explosives and opened fire on an islamic school in South Ern Thailand killing three students and sparking a riot by angry Muslim villagers officials said sunday shortly after the attack three buddhists were shot dead in the same District raising fears that a fester ing insurgency that has already taken More than 2000 lives could erupt into open combat Between the Muslim and Buddhist communities the Bam Rungsarit Pondok boarding school was at tacked saturday evening As 75 boys were sleeping at tackers lobbed explosives and sprayed dozens of bul lets into a dormitory killing a 12yearold and two 14yearolds police col Thammasack Wasak Siri said seven other teenagers were wounded in the at tack he said an estimated 500 protesters gathered outside the school sunday carrying the dead childrens bodies and setting fire to two buildings at a nearby govern men owned school some hurled stones at police during the protest which lasted several hours police chief maj Gen Paitoon Pattan Sophon said Thammasack said police believe Muslim insurgents staged the school attack in an attempt to con Vince villagers that authorities were responsible and win them Over to the insurgents cause Villag ers however refused to believe muslims were be Hind the violence and blamed government Security forces he said after the school attack suspected Muslim insurgents stormed a nearby charcoal factory sunday killing two Buddhist workers and wounding at least two others separately a Buddhist Man Riding a motorcycle was gunned Down us Israel hold missile interception exercise the associated press Jerusalem thousands of american and israeli troops con ducted an operation sunday to test new ways of intercepting missiles Able to carry nuclear chemical and biological War Heads american and israeli Mili tary officials said Israel and the us Are concerned that Iran could be devel Oping nuclear weapons and bal Listic missiles Able to threaten is Rael but both sides said the Tim ing of the operation in Southern israels Negev desert was Rou Tine and unrelated to those fears this is the fourth time the two countries have conducted the joint exercise codenamed Juni per cobra which is held every two years the United states is israels closest ally providing about billion a year in Mili tary assistance it is a computer simulation exercise designed to test the interoperability of the air defense system said Stewart Tuttle the us embassy spokesman in Tel Aviv who declined to provide de tails the air defense can protect you against whatever Hap pens to be on the warhead both Israel and the us Are wary of Iran nuclear program suspecting that the goal is to pro Duce nuclear weapons despite Iran claims that it wants nuclear Energy Only for civilian use the current Drill began last week and is set to end tuesday israeli aerospace the Arrow antimissile system is fired during a test launch on feb 11 Israel and the us Are conducting a missile defense exercise this week id you know tars and stripes offers its unique collection of images online in photo of the Day featuring 50 years of us military 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