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Deutsche Welle English Service News January 19th, 2001, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD: Denglish Invades Germany Language purists may cringe at the relentless march of English in Germany, but the global lingua franca is now making worrying forays into the German scientific and research landscape. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1441_A_411555_1_A,00.html ---------------------------- Israel Demolishs Voice of Palestine Israeli troops blew up the Voice of Palestine radio station offices on Saturday in retribution for a Palestinian attack. Half the five-story complex in the West Bank city of Ramallah collapsed after Israeli troops detonated explosives they had planted in the building. The army said in a statement that it had "carried out the operation as a reaction to the murderous attack" on a Jewish birthday party in the northern Israeli city of Hadera on Thursday which left six people dead and injured 33 others. The Palestinian attacker was shot and killed by police. Later, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an arm of Yasser Arafat's Fatah Movement, claimed responsibility for the attack. The European Union condemned the Hadera shooting as "brutal and unjustified". Israel accuses the Voice of Palestine radio station of inciting violence, while Palestinians say Israel is only trying to silence the media. In December, Israel demolished one of the radio station's transmission towers, but the station continues to broadcast locally. Thousands Flee Volcano In Congo A massive flood of lava from Thursday's eruption of the Nyiragongo Volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo has destroyed more than half of the eastern town of Goma. UN officials estimated at least 45 people died since molten rock began forking from the volcano through 14 villages on its slopes, down through Goma itself and into Lake Kivu on the Rwandan border. Accompanied by ongoing earth tremors, the lava mass, which swallowed entire buildings in its path, continues to flow and emit toxic fumes. Aid organisations estimate up to half a million people have fled to Rwanda. Authorities in the neigbouring Rwandan city of Gisenyi, which is also threatened by the continuing flow, have appealed for international aid for the refugees. They lack food, shelter, and drinking water, after the lava flow made the water of Lake Kivu unfit for drinking. Germany has pledged 300,000 euros for aid efforts, which have meanwhile begun. Afghan Leader Calls on Germany to Lead Peace Force Afghanistan's interim government leader, Hamid Karzai, has called on Germany to take the helm of the international peace force in his country, if Britain decides not to extend its role in six months time. In an interview with the German news magazine "Der Spiegel", Karzai said Germany should take on the leadership role because it had always supported Afghanistan's anti-Taliban forces. Karzai also said he was disappointed with Western aid efforts so far. He warned that promises must be put into action or Afghanistan would fall back into chaos. India and Pakistan Trade Fire Across Border Pakistani and Indian troops traded heavy mortar and gunfire through the night across their tense border in Pakistan's central Punjab province, witnesses said on Saturday. There was no report of casualties. By contrast, no exchange of fire was reported for the third consecutive night along the two countries' ceasefire line separating the disputed Himalyan region of Kashmir. Tensions have been high since a December 13th attack on India's parliament which New Delhi blames on Kashmiri separatist based in Pakistan. Sudanese government signs ceasefire agreement with rebels The Sudanese government and rebels signed an agreement on Saturday in Switzerland for a ceasefire in a key guerrilla stronghold in the 19-year civil war that has claimed two million lives, the Swiss government said. In a statement, the Swiss, who jointly mediated the deal with the United States, said the ceasefire in the Nuba mountains region would take effect within 72 hours and would be supervised by a joint military commission from the two sides. It would initially be for six months. Sudan has been racked by a civil war since 1983. German Chancellor Urges Vigilance in Fight Against Terrirosm German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has urged continued vigilance in the international fight against terrorism. Following a meeting in Madrid with the Spanish Prime Minister and current EU president, Jos� Maria Aznar, Mr. Schroeder praised the efforts undertaken so far to combat terrorism, such as the creation of the new standardized European arrest warrant. Both leaders said they also agreed that the European Union needed to undergo key economic reforms to generate more jobs and make Europe more competitive. Two suspected al Qaeda militants arrested in Spain Spanish police have arrested two suspected members of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terror network. The authorities said the two suspects were an Moracccan and an Algerian. The arrests followed a police raid on a terror cell of suspected bin Landen associates in November. At that time 11 people were arrested in Madrid and in Granda. Malaysian Dragnet Scoops Up More Islamic Militants Malaysian police have arrested seven more Islamic militants suspected of having links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network. Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the men were part of the Afghan-trained Kumpulan Militan Malaysia group. The government blames the KMM for bombings, robberies and murders and says their aim is to establish a purist Islamic state in mostly-Moslem but secular Malaysia. The latest arrests brings to 47 the number of Islamic extremists detained in the past few months. Czech premiers blasts Austria's Haider as 'populist pro-Nazi' in nulcear row Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman attacked Austrian far-right leader Joerg Haider as a "populist pro-Nazi" on Saturday, stepping up their war of words over a controversial Czech nuclear power plant. Haider's Freedom Party has launched a petition demanding that Austria veto the Czech Republic's entry to the European Union, expected in 2004, unless Prague closed the Temelin plant, 60 km from their common border. The Czechs insist the plant is safe and say the non-binding petition is simply an attempt to prevent them from joining the EU. Elite Russian Troops Killed in Bomb Attack Seven Russian soldiers belonging to an elite commando unit have been killed and three others seriously wounded in a bomb blast in the mainly Moslem Caucasus republic of Dagestan. News agency reports say unknown attackers in the capital Makhachkala detonated a bomb as the truck carrying the troops drove by. Russia's FSB security police said they had launched an investigation. Dagestan borders Chechnya where separatists have been fighting Moscow rule for years. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- For more information please turn to our internet website at http://dw-world.de/english Here you'll find out what's happening in Germany, Europe and the rest of the world. News and background reports from the fields of current affairs, culture, business and science. And of course the DW website also has information about DW-RADIO and DW-TV programmes: topics, broadcast times and frequencies. You can even listen to all programmes as audio-on-demand. ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
