Deutsche Welle
English Service News
September 8th, 2001, 16:00 UTC
Delegates at the United Nations Racism conference in Durban, South
Africa have reached agreement on the text of a final accord. The
conference adopted two documents -- a declaration of principles and
an action plan to combat discrimination. The dispute over the Middle
East conflict had threatened to derail the conference. Syria failed
to get the final text to implicitly accuse Israel of racism. The
text includes reference to the plight of the Palestinian people but
with no reference to Israel. On the subject of slavery and
colonialism the text stopped short of making an explicit apology but
instead spoke of "profound regret". There was also no mention of
direct reparations. Host South Africa said the EU and other rich
nations would pledge aid and debt relief, but not linked to past
wrongs. Last Monday, Israeli and U.S. delegations pulled out of the
conference because of anti-Israeli language.
In Kabul, eight foreign members of the German-based aid group
"Shelter Now" have appeared in a Taliban court for the first time in
five weeks, with one of them denying charges of proselytising.
Goerg Taubmann, Shelter Now's local director, said he and his
detained colleagues had never tried to convert anybody to
Christianity as alleged by Taliban police. The accusations was untrue
he said. Diplomats were also able to witnessed proceedings, which
were adjourned after two hours. The trial had begun on Tuesday behind
closed doors. Also under arrest are 16 Afghan "Shelter Now" workers.
Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles at an office of
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction on Saturday,
despite efforts to arrange ceasefire talks. Palestinian witnesses
said the helicopters fired three missiles at the office in the
al-Bireh suburb of the West Bank city of Ramallah. No casualties
were reported in the air strike. The Israeli army said it carried
out the raid to retaliate for several attacks in the West Bank
recently, specifically a shooting on Thursday in which an Israeli
soldier was killed. Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres
are due to meet next week.
European Union foreign ministers meeting near Brussels have voiced
support for a longer-term international force in Macedonia after the
current NATO mission ends. NATO says its 4,500 troops will pull out
of the former Yugoslav Republic when they have finished collecting
arms from ethnic Albanian rebels. Operation Essential Harvest is due
to end on September 26. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer
called for a NATO-led force with a United Nations mandate to take
over then. In an interview with the New York Times Fischer said they
would be in favour of a mandate given by the U.N. Security Council
and executed by NATO plus some others. He called for a "robust but
limited" force to back up civilian monitors in Macedonia. EU Foreign
Policy Chief Javier Solana said the EU wanted to avoid a security
vacuum after NATO forces have completed their mission. Macedonian
President Boris Trajkovski meanwhile has reaffirmed his demands for
a withdrawal of NATO forces once the weapons collecting mission is
over.
An Australian naval ship already carrying 433 asylum-seekers towards
Papua New Guinea has picked up another 200 people from an Indonesian
vessel in the Timor Sea.
Prime Minister John Howard said the interception took place in
international waters as the 200 were heading for Australia's Ashmore
Reef. The navy carrier "Manoora" was already carrying asylum-seekers
who last week were denied refuge by Australia as they waited on
board a Norwegian freighter off Christmas Island. The fate of the
extra 200 is uncertain. New Zealand, which last week agreed to take
150, says it won't take any more. Indonesia's justice minister has
urged boat owners not to transport refugees to Australia. His call
follows a visit to Jakarta by three Australian cabinet ministers.
Lawyers appointed by the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague to
act for former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic will ensure he
gets a fair trial even though he has rejected their help, according
to one of the team. Milosevic is accused of crimes against humanity
for atrocities committed against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and is
set to face a charge of genocide in the 1992-95 Bosnia war. He has
refused to recognise the Tribunal or to appoint a defence team. A
statement issued by his own attorneys called the court-appointed
lawyers (quote) "accomplices in a staged trial based on sheer force
and not on the law".
Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko's main election opponent
said on Saturday he feared the authorities would go to any lengths
to rig the result of Sunday's presidential poll. Facing a smear
campaign, Vladimir Goncharik, a trade unionist standing as a joint
opposition candidate in this autocratic and isolated former Soviet
state, said he would not withdraw his candidacy and still hoped he
might win. The United States and the Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a Western rights body, have both
said they fear that the poll will not be free or fair.
Rezzo Schlauch, the Greens' caucus leader in Germany's government
has warned of a coalition split if Interior Minister Otto Schily
proceeds with draft immigration legislation.
Under Schily' draft, only children 12 years or younger would be
allowed to join immigrant parents already residing in Germany. The
Greens, backed by human rights groups, insist on 18 as the age
limit. They also want a better status for foreigners granted so-
called "toleration" visas to reside temporarily. The Federation of
German Industry, which often highlights Germany's shortage of
skilled workers, has called on opposition conservatives who regard
Schily's package as too liberal, to seek compromise. The tabloid
newspaper "Bild" says that Chancellor Schroeder's cabinet plans to
adopt legislation later this month, with or without opposition
CDU-CSU votes in parliament's upper house, the Bundesrat.
Finally sport, and the sisters Venus and Serena Williams will
contest the women's singles final at the U.S. tennis open.
During Friday's semi-finals, Serena beat Martina Hingis, and Venus
defeated Jennifer Capriati. Saturday's men's semi-finals will be
fought out between Pete Sampras and Marat Safin, and Yevgeni
Kafelnikov and Lleyton Hewitt. And, the semifinals of the European
basketball championships will be contested by the host team Turkey
versus Germany, and Yugoslavia versus Spain.
Serbian News Network - SNN
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.antic.org/
