Deutsche Welle English Service News February 22th, 2001, 16:00 UTC ----------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Peace Efforts in Tatters U N Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for a new approach in efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East, saying Israeli security measures alone are not enough. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1434_A_447485_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------- Mideast violence eases off, security chiefs talk The violence that has raged for days in the Middle East eased off solmewhat on Friday at the start of the holy Moslem feast of sacrifice. After the deaths of 48 Palestinians and Israelis in the past week, the security chiefs of both sides are trying to get a cease-fire. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has announced his intention to build buffer zones between the two nations to protect Israelis better against attacks by militant Palestinians. In an attempted suicide bombing in the Jewish settlement of Efrat, the Palestimnian attacker died and an Israeli woman was hurt. Annan - Mid-East Conflict Nearing an "Abyss" The U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for third party mediation, saying events are nearing an "abyss." He told the U.N. Security Council it was "imperative" that the world community seek "imaginative" solutions. Leaving the Israelis and Palestinians alone would not work. Israel has often rejected outside intervention. Ceasefire Documents Signed in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels have agreed to a ceasefire by exchanging documents via a Norwegian diplomat, raising hopes that unilateral truces since Christmas will hold. The papers were signed by rebel leader Velupillai Prabharakan and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who today visited the frontier town of Omanthai. They did not meet. Earlier, the premier had said he expected face-to-face talks within two months. A draft cited by Reuters said a start date would be fixed followed by a 60-day period for the separation of forces. Two decades of conflict have cost more than 64,000 lives. Bush calls for Chinese trust US President George Bush has appealed in China for trust in America. Addressing students in Beijing at the end of his visit he called on the Chinese people to open up to values like tolerance and religious freedom. He also appealed for a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan dispute. During Bush's visit, the Chinese authorities arrested 47 Christians. Madagascan Crisis Deepens Madagascar's opposition leader Marc Ravalomanana has ignored OAU and U.N. warnings by having himself inaugurated as president after weeks of dispute over elections held in December. Veteran incumbent president Didier Ratsiraka did not respond initially today, but the head of Madagaskar's senate declared the move "illegal". Up to 100,000 supporters of Ravalomanana gathered in a football stadium of the Indian Ocean island as a judge led the ceremony. Ravalomanana, who regards himself as December's winner, has refused to take part in a run-off election wanted by the government and postponed to March the 24th. The OAU recently offered to mediate. So far Madagaskar's armed forces have declared themselves neutral. Pearl Reportedly Murdered American and Pakistani officials say they've viewed a videotape sent to the U.S. consulate in Karachi showing the murder of missing Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl by his shadowy captors. No date was given and no body has yet been found. Pearl was kidnapped in Karachi on January the 23rd as he tried to make contact with Islamic radical groups. Visiting China, President Bush described the reported killing of Pearl as "barbaric". Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf ordered a widened manhunt for further suspects. Wall Street Journal executives said they were "heartbroken" by the news. Business leader says German conservatives thwarting immigration law for tactical reaons A business leader has accused the German conservative opposition parties, CDU and CSU, of trying to thwart a new immigration law for election tactical reasons. Georg Ludwig Braun, president of the federation of chambers of industry and commerce, said he finds no convincing arguments in the parties' rejection. He said he feared that at least two years would be lost if a new consensus was sought in parliament, time Germany could not waste in the worldwide competition for the best brains. German labour office due for big revamp Germany's federal labour office is about to undergo the biggest structural reform in its 40-year-history. The government wants to turn what is now its biggest agency into a customer-oriented service enterprise. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his labour minister, Walter Riester, outlined the plans in Berlin on Friday. The labour office is at the centre of a row over faking job placement statistics. Its head, Bernhard Jagoda, a member of the opposition CDU party, is being replaced by Florian Gerster of Schroeder's Social Democrats. Egyptian transport minister, rail chief dismissed In Egypt, the transport minister, Ibrahim el Dumeir, and the head of the state railways have been dimissed two days after the country's worst train disaster. Fire broke out in a 3rd class compartment on Wednesday, killing 373 people as the train sped on. Russia Team Threatens Pullout The Salt Lake City Winter Olympics have hit crisis, with Russian chiefs threatening a team pullout, citing unfair decisions, and South Korea bitter at the disqualification of its star speedskater. A Russian press attache said President Vladimir Putin has decided the team would remain for the Olympic's final three days after being sent a letter by IOC President Jacques Rogge. Russia's Olympic committee chief Leonid Tygachev had complained of "non objective" decisions in figure skating, ice hockey and cross-country skiing. He also hinted at a boycott of the 2004 Athens summer games. Russia didn't compete in Thursday's women's cross-country relay after disputed blood tests of two of its athletes. Germany subsequently won. After last week's ice skating pairs, won by Russia, Canada was awarded a second gold. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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