Deutsche Welle
English Service News
Dec.31st, 2001, 16:00 UTC
Pakistani Authorities Detain Militants
Pakistan police raided the offices of two militant groups in the
southern city of Karachi and detained a second militant leader
opposed to India's rule in Kashmir as the nuclear-armed neighbours
engage in their biggest military buildup in almost 15 years. Police
arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad on Sunday night. Both
are blamed by India for involvement in the bloody December 13
attack in New Dehli that killed 14 people. Pakistan also detained
Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, who gave up the Lashkar leadership last week
amid Indian demands for action against the two groups. Both groups
have denied responsibility for the attact on India's parliament.
-In the divided and disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, India
said two of its soldiers had been killed and five wounded in an
overnight exchange across a volatile ceasefire line. Both India and
Pakistan have said that they do not want a fresh conflict.
U.S. Bomb kills Villagers
U.S. aircraft bombed a village in eastern Afghanistan and killed
more than 100 residents, villagers said on Monday. The attack, in
the early hours of Sunday morning, was believed to have involved
one B-52 bomber and two helicopters. Villagers said up to 107
people had been killed, but it was difficult to identify victims
because of the damage. At least 10 people were wounded. U.S. troops
had been invited to witness the damage caused by the attack.
Afghan Security Force Agreement
Afghanistan's interim government said an agreement has now been
reached on the deployment of a multinational security force in the
country. The first troops of the International Security Assistance
Force are expected to arrive in Afghanistan at the beginning of
January. Meanwhile, a senior US official said fresh intelligence
suggested that Osama bin Laden was probably still alive, despite
weeks of US efforts to destroy him and his al Qaeda terrorist
network. Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said Bin Laden
was probably still in Afghanistan, although other Afghan officials
have suggested that he may have fled to Pakistan. US bombing raids
have continued over the past few days against suspected Taliban
centres. The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press on Sunday quoted
witnesses as saying that at least fifteen people had been killed in
US bomb attacks in the last two days.
Forty-seven members of S.Africa family die in crash
At least 47 members of a single South African family were killed
when their truck overturned on the way to a family gathering.
Police said the accident occurred on Sunday night when the family
were travelling to visit ancestors' graves. About 120 people had
been on the truck, including children, and several family members
were rushed to local hospitals with injuries. Witnesses reported
that the driver lost control of the truck when he tried to change
gears on a downward slope and failed. The truck overturned when he
applied the brakes.
Accusations fly after Zambia's Election
Zambian opposition leaders, protesting against what they say is the
rigging of the country's close-fought presidential election, called
for mass action to force the chief justice not to recognise the
result. Reverend Nevers Mumba, speaking on behalf of Zambia's 10
opposition parties, said they had asked their supporters to come
to the Supreme Court. Latest results give Anderson Mazoka of the
opposition United Party for National Development a slim lead. The
swearing-in of the new president has been re-scheduled for
Wednesday.
Palestinians promise Revenge for Killings
Israel's killing of six Palestinians in the Gaza Strip drew
promises of revenge on Monday from militants defying President
Yasser Arafat's call to halt attacks on Israelis. The six men were
killed in confrontations on Sunday. The committee, which includes
members of Arafat's Fatah and the militant Hamas and Islamic Jihad
organisations, said Ismael Abu al-Qumsan, its leader in the
northern Gaza Strip, and two other gunmen were killed in a shootout
with Israeli soldiers. The Israeli army said they were killed
trying to cross into Israel. Israeli forces also killed three
Palestinians in a separate Gaza incident on Sunday. A senior
Palestinian security official accused Israel of "assassinating"
all six. The violence broke a two-week lull that began after
Arafat, under intense international pressure to rein in groups
behind suicide bombings in Israel, called for a ceasefire and his
security forces began rounding up dozens of militants.
At Least 290 Killed in Peruvian Fireworks Blaze
The blaze started by a fireworks explosion in Peru's capital, Lima
has claimed at least 290 lives so far. Police officials warned that
the death toll could rise to well over 300 as more bodies are still
being removed from the charred buildings. At least 180 people were
injured in the blaze, which took firefighters more than four hours
to contain. The fire started when a merchant set off firewowrks for
an interested customer, as crowds of shoppers stocked up in
preparation for the New Year's festivities. President Alejandro
Toledo has declared Monday and Tuesday national days of mourning
and placed a ban on the sale of all fireworks.
Out with the Old - In with the Euro
The countdown to the launch of Europe's common currency has entered
its last 24 hours. Beginning New Year's Day 12 member-states of the
European Union will replace currencies such as the German mark and
the French franc with the new harmonised coins and banknotes. The
move marks the biggest monetary changeover in history and is the
culmination of a long process, which began with a non-cash version
in January 1999. In a keynote speech in Frankfurt, the president of
the European Central Bank, Wim Duisenberg, hailed the launch as a
historic step towards deeper European integration. Three EU states
- Britain, Sweden and Denmark - have elected to keep out of the
euro.
Chancellor Stresses Germany's Responsible Role
In his annual New Year's address, German Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder's stressed Germany's increased responsibility in the
world. He said the world community looked to Germany to exercise
its economic and political influence to assist in finding solutions
to conflicts in other countries around the world. Schroeder said
that the achievements of the European Union should be a model for
other regions elsewhere aroudsn the globe. He also reaffirmed his
government's commitment to the continued global fight against
terrorism.
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