Deutsche Welle
English Service News
July 22nd, 2001, 16:00 UTC
The G-8 summit in Genoa, Italy has concluded with an agreement to
take decisive global action to tackle poverty, plus a 1.3 billion
dollar committment for a U-N health fund to fight Aids, TB and
malaria, plus a promise to launch a detailed development plan for
Africa. The leaders of the world's most powerful nations failed to
agree on the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, but did agree on
the need to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Early Sunday morning, Italian police raided a school which served as
the headquarters of the umbrella group behind the anti-globalization
riots in Genoa. Witnesses said at least 80 people were injured in
the raid including a police officer who was stabbed. Police
officials said 15 activists were arrested, while an arsenal of
baseball bats, steel rods and a potpourri of items that could be
used as weapons were confiscated.
At the conclusion of the G-8 summit, Russian President Vladimir
Putin met his American counterpart, George W. Bush. The two agreed
on a broad format of talks on a new strategic arms relationship and
would link their discussions to include both offensive and defensive
weapons. Statements by the two leaders indicated Bush had moved
toward Putin's aims of negotiating mutual reductions in offensive
weapons while Putin had not shut the door to Bush's aim of deploying
a missile defence system. Putin said an agreement on a new strategic
relationship would mean Russia would never have to increase its
deployment of nuclear warheads as he had threatened to do if the
United States unilaterally abandoned the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile
treaty.
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien picked a two hotel town in the
foothills of the Rocky Mountains on Sunday for next year's G-8
summit. In light of the violent protests and the huge delegations,
Chretien picked Kananaskis, Alberta, some 80 km (50 miles)west of
Calgary to host the summit in 2002. Chretien's decision will force
participants to cut the number of delegates attending the summit
from over 2000 in Genoa to less than 400 next year.
The climate conference in Bonn, Germany appears on the verge of
collapse as Canada, Japan, and Australia have rejected a compromise
proposal. Conference chairman Jan Pronk presented the comprehensive
proposal early on Sunday, urging the 185 nations to endorse it or
risk failure. EU ministers quickly accepted the paper while Canada,
Japan, Russia and others resisted. The EU said it was being generous
in conceding countries such as the three mentioned could claim big
credits for forests as "carbon sinks". Tokyo was also reported to
be upset about the tough mechanisms to enforce the treaty.
Meanwhile, U-S officials in Genoa, travelling with the American
President were quick to deny that the U-S would present a counter
proposal any time soon. There had been reports that the U-S would
put forth a plan in time for the next conference scheduled for
October in Marrakesh.
Heavy machine-gun, artillery and small arms fire echoed for almost
two hours from the hills above Tetovo, Macedonia on Sunday as ethnic
Albanian guerillas and Macedonian government forces battled. At
least two government soldiers were wounded in what is being
described as the most serious violation of the 17 day old ceasefire.
The ceasefire agreement has been holding by just a thread as the
local politicians have been unable to agree on a permanent peace
deal.
Lava from Europe's highest and most active volcano, Mount Etna is
now within four kilometres (2.5 miles)of the first homes in the
village of Nicolosi, Sicily. The creeping magma spouted from five
fissures that have opened up is moving about a 500 meters per day
towards the village of 5,000, halfway up the southern slope of the
11,000 foot volcano.
Japanese officials have opened an investigation into the deaths of
10 people, including eight children, crushed by panicked crowds at a
fireworks display on Saturday night. The tragedy happened as the
crowd of some 130,000 people tried to leave via the only pedestrian
bridge connecting the beachfront and a nearby train station at the
conclusion of the fireworks display. The ensuing chaos also left 113
people injured, some seriously.
Rivers in the flood ravaged areas of eastern India have started to
recede, however an estimated 500,000 people remain marooned. In
Orissa a poverty striken state, at least 45 people are dead and more
than 7 million people have been affected by the monsoon rains as
muddy waters have contaminated the drinking water wells in some
10,000 villages. Officials fear the spread of water borne disease as
the number of confirmed cases of diarrhoea and dysentery is already
over 1900.
Bulgaria's prime minister designate, former King Simeon II, has
unveiled the composition of his future government. Most of the
ministers are little known officials, from the National Movement for
Simeon II, who won a resounding victory in a June 17 general
election. Like the 64-year-old ex-monarch, they have little
experience in politics. Parliament is due to approve Simeon's
government on Tuesday.
The Basque separatist group, ETA, has announced the continuation of
their campaign of violence. A proposal by the organization's
leadership, at a secret meeting in Belgium, to end the terror was
categorically rejected by the movement's more radical faction.
Serbian News Network - SNN
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http://www.antic.org/
