HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------
Deutsche Welle English Service News March 16th 2003, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD: New Peace Initiative Unveiled Before Crisis Summit Last-ditch diplomatic efforts are underway as leaders Bush, Blair and Aznar meet for a crisis summit on Iraq later on Sunday. France, Germany and Russia have floated a new proposal to resolve the conflict peacefully. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1430_A_809162_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Azores prepare for summit, Iraq goes on war footing The leaders of the United States, Britain and Spain will meet later on Sunday for a crisis summit on Iraq. President George W. Bush, and Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Jose Maria Aznar have said their meeting in the Azores is not a war council. However, UN officials have played down hopes of a last-minute diplomatic breakthrough. Before leaving for the Azores, Bush said he saw little chance of Iraq disarming peacefully. US officials said there was no fixed timetable but added that Bush would in the near future address the nation issuing a final ultimatum to Saddam Hussein and allowing civilians to leave Iraq. The Iraqi leader has meanwhile stepped up his war preparations by dividing the country into four military zones in anticipation of an assault by US and British troops. Cheney, Powell warn time is running out US Vice President Dick Cheney has said that President George W. Bush would make a "difficult decision" on Iraq in the next few days. He also said that diplomatic efforts to avert a military showdown were coming to an end. Meanwhile Secretary of State Colin Powell has said he sees little point in holding a new UN Security Council meeting on Iraq given the current differences among council members. He has also urged arms inspectors and journalists to leave Baghdad describing the situation as very dangerous. He said there was not only the danger of military action but also the possibility they could be taken hostage. Germany urges nationals to leave Iraq Germany has urged all its nationals to leave Iraq immediately. The Foreign Ministry said it would close the German embassy in Baghdad as soon as evacuation plans for some remaining 40 nationals had been finalised. A spokeswoman did not say why Germans were being asked to leave now but she said the German government was still seeking a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis. Belgium threatens to block access to US forces Belgium has threatened to block its airspace and the vital port of Antwerp to US forces if Washington attacks Iraq without a UN mandate. Belgium says such a move would be unlawful. US military planners have been using the port of Antwerp to ship equipment from neighbouring Germany to the Gulf region. Key Djindjic ally nominated as new prime minister The party of the assassinated Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic has nominated his senior ally to be the new premier. The Democratic Party's choice, Zoran Zivkovic, will have to be approved by parliament. Observers say that Zivkovic would carry on from where Djindjic left off and continue political and economic reforms. His nomination comes a day after the slain prime minister was laid to rest with full military honours following a funeral procession attended by hundreds of thousands mourners. Djindjic was hit by sniper bullets on Wednesday outside a government building in Belgrade. Police believe he was killed by criminal gangs in response for his crackdown on organised crime. Singapore Doctor in bad condition The condition of a Singapore doctor suspected of contracting a deadly type of pneumonia is said to be worsening. The 32-year-old man was taken off a flight to Singapore at Germany's Frankfurt airport and placed in an isolation unit. Doctors there said he was in a bad way. Experts say the unknown pneumonia strain has already killed at least nine people and infected hundreds of others. On Saturday the World Health Organisation issued a global health alert saying the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome had spread beyond Asia where it first broke out last month. Rebels say they are in control of capital Rebel forces in the Central African Republic say they are in control of the capital Bangui after seizing the city's airport and the presidential palace. The coup attempt began on Saturday after heavy gunfire was heard near the home of President Ange-Felix Patasse who was out of the country at the time. The rebels loyal to former army chief Francois Bozizé said there had been little resistance by government forces. They urged the military to return to their barracks. A rebel spokesman said Bozizé, who was sacked by Patasse in 2001, would address the nation soon. At least 6 dead in Assam bomb blast At least six people have been killed and 55 others injured in a bomb blast in the Indian state of Assam. Police believe the explosion to be the work of suspected separatist rebels belonging to the United Liberation Front of Asom. A spokesman said the bomb went off alongside two buses near the town of Goalpara. Paerson wins giant slalom world cup by one point In skiing, Sweden's Anja Paerson has won the women's giant slalom world cup by one point from Italian Karen Putzer. She won the season's final race in Lillehammer ahead of her teammate Denise Karbon. Austria's Nicole Hosp finished third. Paerson went into the race with a 56-point lead over Putzer. She finished fifth which was just enough to claim the overall trophy with 514 points to Putzer's 513. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^^=============================================================== This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^^===============================================================
