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1.  FORMER MALACCA CHIEF MINISTER ABDUL RAHIM TAMBY CHIK IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE ON MONDAY WHETHER HE'LL ASSUME THE POST OF UMNO YOUTH HEAD. SPEAKING TO REPORTERS OUTSIDE THE SESSIONS COURT IN KUALA LUMPUR, MR ABDUL RAHIM SAID HE'LL MEET UMNO LEADERS BEFORE ANNOUNCING HIS DECISION. THE UMNO SUPREME COUNCIL LATE LAST NIGHT DECIDED HE HAD THE RIGHT TO RE-ASSUME THE POST BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN CLEARED OF THE CHARGES MADE AGAINST HIM. MR ABDUL RAHIM STEPPED DOWN AS CHIEF MINISTER AND UMNO YOUTH HEAD IN 1994 AFTER BEING LINKED TO A CONTROVERSY INVOLVING AN UNDERAGE GIRL. HE ALSO FACED TWO CORRUPTION CHARGES AND A CHARGE OF NOT DECLARING ALL HIS ASSETS AND THE ASSETS BELONGING TO HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN. HE HAS, HOWEVER, BEEN CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES.

2.  IN SYDNEY, A FIERCE FIRE BROKE OUT AT A MARINA THREATENING YACHTS WORTH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TODAY. HUNDREDS OF GAS CYLINDERS EXPLODED, FUELLING THE BLAZE AS IT RACED THROUGH OFFICES AT THE NEUTRAL BAY MARINA. FIREFIGHTERS HAD TO CALL IN AN AIRBORNE TEAM AND A FIREBOAT TO HELP PUT OUT THE BLAZE. THE MARINA'S OPERATORS WERE SPARED A POSSIBLE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR LOSS AS FIREMEN STOPPED THE FIRE JUST SHORT OF REACHING THE BOATS. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS NOT KNOWN.

3.  CAMBODIA'S FIRST PRIME MINISTER HAS ACCUSED VIETNAM OF INVADING THREE BORDER PROVINCES. PRINCE NORODOM RANARIDDH SAYS VIETNAMESE FARMERS BACKED BY TROOPS HAVE INVADED AS MUCH AS 300 OR 400 METRES OF CAMBODIAN TERRITORY. HE ADDS THERE'VE BEEN CLASHES BETWEEN VIETNAMESE AND CAMBODIAN BORDER PATROLS IN THE PAST WEEK. THE PRINCE HAS CALLED FOR AN URGENT MEETING OF SENIOR CAMBODIAN OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION. THE ACCUSATION SIGNALED ANOTHER DOWNTURN IN RELATIONS. VIETNAMESE TROOPS INVADED CAMBODIA IN 1979 AND OCCUPIED THE COUNTRY UNTIL 1989.

4.  RUSSIAN FORCES SAY THEY ARE CONDUCTING AN ALL-OUT ASSAULT TO END THE HOSTAGE CRISIS IN A DAGESTANI VILLAGE NEAR THE CHECHEN BORDER. THEY SAY THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BECAUSE CHECHEN REBELS HAVE STARTED KILLING THEIR HOSTAGES. ENDS:..THAN ONE YEAR. DUR: 47" ALONG THE TURKISH BLACK SEA -- ANOTHER HOSTAGE CRISIS IS BREWING FOR THE RUSSIANS... ENDS:...HIS DEMANDS. DUR: 34"

5.  THE THAT GOVERNMENT SAYS IT PLANS TO CONDUCT A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON BUILDING A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TO MEET THE COUNTRY'S ENERGY NEEDS. A THAI OFFICIAL SAID A COMMITTEE WOULD BE FORMED TO CONDUCT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDIES AND TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE PROPOSED PROJECT. APART FROM THAILAND INDONESIA AND VIETNAM HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN BUILDING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS FOR ELECTRICITY. ASEAN COUNTRIES ARE ALLOWED TO USE NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL PROGRESS UNDER THE SOUTHEAST ASIA NUCLEAR WEAPON FREE ZONE TREATY SIGNED LAST MONTH.

6.  INDONESIA AND CANADA HAVE SIGNED OVER 50 BUSINESS DEALS WORTH TWO BILLION US DOLLARS. CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JEAN CHRETIEN ACCOMPANIED BY A 300-STRONG TRADE DELEGATION WITNESSED THE SIGNING IN JAKARTA TODAY. AMONG THE DEALS SIGNED - A TECHNICAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT TO HELP INDONESIA BUILD A NUCLEAR ENERGY PLANT. A TOP INDONESIAN OFFICIAL SAID MR CHRETIEN ALSO OFFERED CANADA'S EXPERTISE AND INVESTMENT IN URBAN LIGHT TRAIN TRANSPORTATION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS. MR CHRETIEN ALSO HELD TALKS WITH PRESIDENT SUHARTO ON THE NEED TO ENHANCE BILATERAL TIES. TOMORROW, THE CANADIAN LEADER LEAVES FOR KUALA LUMPUR, THE LAST LEG OF HIS ASIAN SWING THAT'S ALREADY TAKEN HIM TO INDIA AND PAKISTAN.

7.  A BRIBERY SCANDAL IN INDIA HAS FORCED THE RESIGNATION OF THE MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER FROM PARLIAMENT. FEDERAL POLICE FILED CORRUPTION CHARGES AGAINST L K ADVANI, HEAD OF THE OPPOSITION BJP PARTY, AND SIX OTHER POLITICIANS. THREE CABINET MINISTERS WERE ALSO NAMED. THEY ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE TAKEN SOME 18-MILLION US DOLLARS FROM A BUSINESSMAN IN EXCHANGE FOR FAVOURS. MR ADVANI HAS DENIED THE CHARGES. HE SAID THEY WERE DESIGNED TO HARM HIS PARTY'S CHANCES IN GENERAL ELECTIONS EXPECTED IN APRIL.

8.  IT'S BEING SUGGESTED THAT ORGANISATIONS LIKE SINGAPORE POWER AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SHOULD PAY FOR DIGGING UP ROADS. MP FOR CHENG SAN, DR MICHAEL LIM, PLANS TO RAISE THIS PROPOSAL IN PARLIAMENT WHEN IT DEBATES THE WHITE PAPER ON LAND TRANSPORT TOMORROW. HIS REASON, HE SAYS IS THAT CHARGING WILL ENSURE TRAFFIC CONGESTION CAUSED BY ROAD WORKS TO BE KEPT TO A MINIMUM. OUT:...DUR: 1.20"

9.  THE 3-YEAR OLD GIRL FOUND CRYING OUTSIDE AN NTUC FAIR PRICE STORE IN CHUA CHU KANG ON MONDAY HAS BEEN REUNITED WITH HER GRANDMOTHER. POLICE SAY MADAM OONTONG SALIM CLAIMED NORRAINI ABDULLAH AFTER SHE SAW HE RON THE NEWS. OUT...INVESTIGATING THE CASE. DUR: 40"

10.  IN THE PHILIPPINES, A LIGHT AIRCRAFT CRASH-LANDED AT A SPORTS CLUB IN MANILA - HITTING A TREE AND A WALL - BUT MISSING A NEARBY SCHOOL BY ABOUT 200 METRES. THE PILOT AND ONE OF TWO PASSENGERS SUFFERED SLIGHT INJURIES. NOBODY ON THE GROUND WAS HURT. AN AIRLINE OFFICIAL SAID THE CESSNA PLANE DEVELOPED ENGINE TROUBLE SHORTLY AFTER TAKING OFF FROM MANILA'S DOMESTIC AIRPORT. IT BEGAN TO LOSE HEIGHT AND THE PILOT WAS TRYING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT WHEN IT CRASHED.

11.  THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT BOARD IS REPORTING A SLOWDOWN IN EXPORT GROWTH FOR SINGAPORE THIS YEAR. BUT THE TDB IS FORECASTING ANOTHER STRONG PERFORMANCE IN THE TRADE ARENA. IT FOLLOWS GROWTH IN EXTERNAL TRADE OF OVER 13 PERCENT LAST YEAR TO A NEW HIGH OF 344 BILLION DOLLARS. OUT:...HERE AND ABROAD. DUR: 1.20"

12.  THE ASSOCIATION OF MUSLIM PROFESSIONALS OR AMP, PLANS TO HELP MORE DISADVANTAGED MALAY MUSLIM FAMILIES THROUGH TIE-UPS WITH OTHER GRASSROOTS ORGANISATIONS. THIS WILL BE ITS MAIN FOCUS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. OUT: AND GOVERNMENT GRANT. VT DUR: 1.01"

13.  THE PORT OF SINGAPORE AUTHORITY REGISTERED A 14 PERCENT GROWTH IN ITS CONTAINER CARGO VOLUME IN 1995, ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY FIGURES. PSA SAID IT HANDLED 11.85 MILLION STANDARD-SIZE CONTAINERS LAST YEAR. - THE FIRST TIME IT HIT THE 11MILLIONTH MARK. PSA  ATTRIBUTES THE STRONG PERFORMANCE TO ADVANCES IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN ITS CARGO HANDLING OPERATIONS. THE FIGURE PLACES S'PORE SECOND ON THE LIST OF THE WORLD'S TOP CONTAINER PORTS, AFTER HONGKONG.

14.  LEGISLATORS IN HONGKONG HAVE VOTED IN FAVOUR OF A MOTION, CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE LAWS TO SAFEGUARD AGAINST A POLITICAL CLAMPDOWN AFTER 1997. THE MOTION WAS TABLED IN THE LIGHT OF THE 14-YEAR JAIL SENTENCE GIVEN OUT TO CHINESE DISSIDENT WEI JIN-SHENG. THAT INCIDENT LED TO WIDESPREAD DEMONSTRATIONS IN HONGKONG RECENTLY. THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY SPONSORED TODAY'S MOTION. PRO-CHINA AND PRO-BUSINESS PARTIES VOTED AGAINST IT SAYING IT WAS UP TO THE POST-97 HONGKONG LEGISLATURE TO ENACT SECURITY LEGISLATION.

15.  ROYALTIES TO THE SENIOR MINISTER FROM SALES OF HIS CD-ROM WILL GO TO THE DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE. IN A STATEMENT TODAY SENIOR MINISTER LEE KUAN YEW SAID HE HIMSELF IS MILDLY DYSLEXIC. AND HE SAID DYSLEXIC STUDENTS HERE SHOULD GET ALL THE SUPPORT THEY CAN TO OVERCOME THEIR DISABILITY. OUT:...3,600 A YEAR. DUR: 1.21"

16.  THE NEW COMMANDER OF THE TRAFFIC POLICE HAS SET AS HIS TOP PRIORITY THE LOWERING OF THE RATE OF ACCIDENTS IN SINGAPORE. MR LUM HON FYE REVEALED THIS IN AN INTERVIEW WITH NEWS 5. OUT: OF THE PAST. DUR: 1.15

17.  CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE MOVED TO CALM WORRIES OVER NEW CURBS ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF FOREIGN ECONOMIC INFORMATION. AN OFFICIAL SAID IT DOES NOT MEAN A SLOWDOWN IN REAL-TIME NEWS OR AN END TO THE SUPPLY OF ECONOMIC INFORMATION. HE SAID THE MOVE MEANS A CHANGE IN THE SYSTEM OF CONTROL IN ORDER TO PREVENT ATTACKS ON CHINA. YESTERDAY BEIJING ORDERED ALL FOREIGN NEWS AGENCIES TO DISTRIBUTE THEIR ECONOMIC NEWS THROUGH THE STATE-OWNED XINHUA NEWS AGENCY. AN OUTCRY OF PROTESTS FROM PUBLISHING, TRADE AND DIPLOMATIC CIRCLES FOLLOWED THE ANNOUNCEMENT. THE US GOVERNMENT HAS EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT AND CALLED ON BEIJING TO RE-EXAMINE THE MOVE.

18.  CHINA'S PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN HAS DELIVERED A STRONG ATTACK AGAINST CORRUPTION. HE'S WARNED SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS THAT THEY WOULD BE DISCIPLINED IF THEY SUCCUMB TO CORRUPTION. MR JIANG'S WARNING WAS CARRIED ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY MOUTHPIECE, PEOPLE'S DAILY. IT WAS PART OF AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE PARTY CHIEF IN SEPTEMBER, BUT MADE PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY. MR JIANG URGED PARTY LEADERS TO RETURN TO THE PURITAN LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDED BY THE LATE CHAIRMAN MAO-TSE-TUNG.

19.  PRIME MINISTER PAUL KEATING HAS OUTLINED WHAT HE CALLS THE RULES GOVERNING A NEW REGIONALISM IN THE ASIA PACIFIC. HE SAID REGIONAL COOPERATION IN PROBLEM SOLVING AND SHAPING OF INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS IS BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT .. AS THE GREAT POWERS ARE NOW PLAYING A LESS DOMINANT ROLE IN THE POST COLD WAR WORLD. MR KEATING WHO DELIVERED THE SINGAPORE LECTURE ON ASIA, AUSTRALIA AND THE NEW REGIONALISM ALSO HAILED APEC AS A MODEL OF THIS NEW REGIONAL COOPERATION. OUT:...PLANS OF ACTION. DUR: 1.26"

20.  PRIME MINISTER GOH CHOK TONG AND HIS AUSTRALIAN COUNTERPART, PAUL KEATING HAVE ANNOUNCED A NEW PARTNERSHIP IN ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND SECURITY CO-OPERATION. IT'S A DECLARATION GIVING: FORMAL RECOGNITION TO THE TIES WHICH HAVE GROWN BETWEEN BOTH COUNTRIES, AND A BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF THE PARTNERSHIP. OUT:..TURNS 52 TOMORROW. DUR: 2.09"

21.  FORMER SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT CHUN DOO-HWAN HAS CHALLENGED THE GOVERNMENT'S RIGHT TO JAIL HIM. HE SAYS THAT UNDER THE LAW CRIMINAL CHARGES MUST BE BROUGHT AGAINST A PERSON WITHIN A SPECIFIED TIME. IN MR CHUN'S CASE, THAT PERIOD HAS LAPSED. SHORTLY AFTER HIS ARREST THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HAD ABOLISHED THE LAW AND THIS MR CHUN SAYS IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THE ASSEMBLY THEN PASSED A SPECIAL LAW WHICH PAVED THE WAY FOR HIM TO BE INDICTED ON MUTINY CHARGES. IF CONVICTED MR CHUN FACES A POSSIBLE DEATH SENTENCE.

22.  THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN WUXI IS OPEN TO INVESTMENTS OF ABOUT 1.4 BILLION DOLLARS. THE CITY'S TOURIST ZONE WAS INTRODUCED TO POTENTIAL INVESTORS AT A SEMINAR HERE. OUT: NEW TOURIST ATTRACTIONS. DUR: 52"