Deutsche Welle
English Service News
01st January, 2001, 16:00 UTC
Introduction of Euro Currency Successful say Banks
The introduction of euro banknotes seems to have got off to a good
start, with demand for the new bills strong and banks reporting barely a
hitch in the logistics. EU Commission President Romano Prodi hailed the
launch of the euro, saying the identity of the new currency will be
strong, leading to more growth, efficiency and competition. Every
citizen of the Euroland's 12 member countries will have "a piece of
Europe in the palm of the their hands", said Prodi. The euro currency
became legal tender overnight for more than 300 million residents.
Opting out are Britain, Denmark and Sweden. Europen Central Bank
president Wim Duisenberg said the euro launch would generate up to one
per cent in additional economic growth. Even threats of strikes at banks
in France and Italy when business resumes on Wednesday after the New
Year holiday failed to dampen confidence that the change would go
smoothly. Meanwhile some major department stores in the United Kingdom
have said they will accept the new euro currency, and in even in
Switzerland residents were queueing to swap their Swiss Francs.
India Offers Peace Talks, Pakistan says Situation Highly Explosive
India on Tuesday offered peace talks if Pakistan dropped its
"anti-Indian mentality" but Islamabad said New Delhi was still massing
forces and the situation remained "highly explosive". Despite fears of
war, the nuclear rivals renewed a 1991 pact not to attack each other's
nuclear facilities. In a new year message to his nation, Indian Prime
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said he did not want war and would
consider talks on disputed Kashmir -- at the heart of the latest
tensions -- but only when Pakistan acted against cross-border terrorism.
Pakistan said British Prime Minister Tony Blair planned a peacemaking
visit to both countries next week, while accusing India of continuing
its military build-up along the border. India denied the charge, saying
its defensive build-up was "more or less complete". The stand-off has
raised fears of a fourth war between the nuclear rivals, who have
already gone to war twice over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, India's
only Muslim-majority state.
Argentina calls Emergency Meeting to Pick New Leader
Argentina's Peronist Party called an emergency session of Congress on
Tuesday to name another new president to try to lead the nation out of a
chaotic four-year recession. After Sunday's shock resignation of the
second president in barely a week, the Peronist senator Eduardo Duhalde
is seen as the favourite. On Sunday, Adolfo Rodriguez Saa, who'd
replaced Fernando De la Rua, resigned after serving only one week as
interim president. Duhalde, if picked, could see out De la Rua's
intended term in office until December 2003. Argentine police are
girding for more unrest, especially outside banks, judicial and public
transport centres. On Friday there were renewed protests in Buenos Aires
and other cities when the courts upheld limits on bank customers' cash
withdrawals. A week ago Argentina suspended repayments on massive
foreign loans.
Thousands Protest Zambian Election Results
Zambian police fired teargas on Tuesday to disperse thousands of
protesters who tried to march on President Frederick Chiluba's official
residence, demanding that he nullify last week's election result. The
clashes came as 10 opposition parties went to court to pursue their
claim that Chiluba's ruling party rigged last week's presidential poll
in favour of its candidate Levy Mwanawasa. Latest results from the
Electoral Commission showed Mwanawasa of the Movement for Multiparty
Democray (MMD) strengthening his lead, despite widespread accusations
the MMD is to blame for graft, mismanagement and divisive tribalism. The
Zambian authorities are expected to announce the winner of the
cliffhanger elections later today, in what has been the closest since
Zambia's independence from Britain in 1964.
Advance ISAF Team Flying to Afghanistan
An advance team of the U.N. peace force for Afghanistan, ISAF, has
flown from London, heading for an as-yet-unnamed Afghan airport after
days of delay. The German defence ministry said an Airbus was carrying
150 personnel, including nine Bundeswehr officers. In Oman, they would
switch to a British aircraft. This follows agreement between ISAF's
designated British commander John McColl and Afghan interior minister
Yunis Kanuni on an ISAF force to comprise 4,500 soldiers from 17
nations. Tribal forces in Helmand province claim to be nearing Taliban
leader Mullah Mohammad Omar near Baghran. The U.S. military has denied
that U.S. planes killed 107 civilians while bombing a village in the
eastern Afghan Paktia region on Sunday. A U.S. spokesman said it was a
"known" al-Qaeda-Taliban compound.
Sharon Blocks Katzav Speech
An invitation to the president of Israel's parliament, Moshe Katzav,
to address the Palestinian parliament in Ramallah has been rejected by
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The U.S. embassy, meanwhile, says
the U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni will return to the region later this week.
Zinni was called back to Washington in mid-December as
Israeli-Palestinian unrest escalated. President Yasser Arafat,
meanwhile, has renewed plans to declare a Palestinian state within the
Gaza Strip and West Bank during 2002. He's been under pressure to
dismantle militant groups blamed for bombings. Palestinian sources cited
by Reuters say Israeli forces arrested four men in a raid on a West Bank
village overnight.
Fireworks Controls After Lima's Blaze
Peru's President Alejandro Toledo has said he will enforce tough
measures on fireworks sales following Saturday's shopping centre blaze
that killed at least 270 people in Lima. Toledo said sales would be
restricted to authorised large-scale merchants in the future. Breaches
could result in jail terms of up to ten years. Witnesses said Saturday's
blaze in old buildings in Lima's historic quarter was sparked when a
dealer lit a firework to demonstrate it for a customer, setting off a
chain reaction.
At Least 20 Killed in Attack on Nigerian Village
More than 20 people were killed and scores injured in an attack on a
central Nigerian village by an ethnic Hausa-Fulani militia, police said
on Tuesday. Police said the miltia attacked Dagwom Turu village in Jos
South local government area of Plateau State on Sunday. They said it was
an apparent reprisal attack for the killing of ethnic Hausa-Fulani in
religious riots in the state in September, when more than 500 people
were killed in three days of Christian-Muslim fighting in the city of
Jos, Plateau state capital, and surrounding districts.
Berliner and New Yorkers Welcome New Year
Ceremonies for the euro included a spectacle of fireworks and music
in Athens in Greece, and the unveiling of a 15-metre-high euro sculpture
in Frankfurt, outside the European Central Bank. At Berlin's Brandenburg
Gate, the new year was greeted by 1.2 million midnight revellers.
Elsewhere in Germany, New Year's house fires overshadowed festivities.
Around Hamburg, four people died in blazes. In New York, hundreds of
thousands gathered in Times Square for that city's biggest event since
the September 11th attacks by suicide hijackers who killed more than
3,000 people in Manhattan.
Schroeder Stresses Germany's Role
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder - in his annual New Year's
address - forecast an upturn in economic fortunes in 2002 after last
year's global slowdown. He also stressed an increased responsibility for
Germany in a world looking for solutions to conflicts. Models tried out
by the European Union could be emulated in other world regions, he said.
Deutsche Welle's new Director-General Erik Bettermann said this radio
and television station had what he called a "bridge-building" function
in promoting dialogue among cultures.
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