Deutsche Welle
English Service News
9th January, 2001, 16:00 UTC
Palestinians kill four Israeli soldiers
Palestinian militants killed four Israeli soldiers in a raid on their
outpost in southern Israel on Wednesday, ending a three-week lull in
more than 15 months of bloodshed. The militant Islamic group Hamas
claimed responsibility for the assault,in which the two militants were
also killed. Their statement, faxed to Reuters in Gaza, said Israel's
seizure last week of an alleged Palestinian arms ship in the Red Sea was
a main factor behind their decision to strike. The attack the most
serious violence in the region since Palestinian President Yasser
Arafat's December 16th call to end attacks on Israelis. The Palestinian
Authority condemned the latest assault and said it feared Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon would use the incident as an excuse to continue
his military escalation and siege against the Palestinian people.
Germany says coalition does not plan Iraq attack
German Defence Minister Rudolf Scharping said on Wednesday the U.S.-led
anti-terrorism coalition did not plan to attack Iraq after the focus on
Afghanistan turned elsewhere. But the defence minister, citing U.S.
President Bush, said the fight against terrorism could last for a long
time and take a different focus in the future. Mr. Scharping's comments
sparked controversy last month when he appeared to predict U.S. strikes
on Somalia.But he later clarified his position and the government said
he had been misunderstood. German troops participating in the
international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan were due to arrive early
on Wednesday, but were held up by snow storms in Turkey and are now
scheduled to arrive early on Thursday, weather permitting.
Bulgaria set to send troops to Afghanistan
NATO-aspirant Bulgaria is set to send some 40 troops to take part in a
British-led security force in Afghanistan, the Defence Ministry said on
Wednesday. Bulgaria had received a request from Britain on whether it
could contribute some 40 troops to the multinational force.The ministry
will recommend this to the government, a ministry spokeswoman told
Reuters. Sofia has fully backed a campaign against terrorism launched by
the Unites State and its NATO allies. In November, it allowed U.S.
forces to use an airbase near the town of Bourgas on the Black Sea as
part of the U.S. campaign against the Taliban.
U.N. sends team to assess security in Somalia
The United Nations said on Wednesday a U.N. team would visit Somalia
this month to assess the security of its staff and operations in the
lawless Horn of Africa country.It said the January 15th to 24th tour by
a seven member team would assess the need for access to airports and
seaports and review safety guarantees for U.N. staff made by various
groups in authority. Somalia has been in the grip of rival warlords
since it descended into chaos after the ousting of former dictator
Mohammed Siad Barre in 1991. Somalia has been named as one of the
countries the United States could target in a widening war on terror,
because it is a lawless patchwork of fiefdoms ruled by rival militias.
Pakistan seizes record haul of heroin from Afghanistan
Pakistani anti-narcotics agents have seized 630 kg of heroin from a
camel caravan in what is believed to be one of the world's biggest ever
hauls of heroin, officials said on Wednesday. The seizure of the drugs
from Afghanistan was made after a gunbattle with smugglers in which one
trafficker was killed and one wounded. Four other drug smugglers were
arrested after the clash on Tuesday near the town of Turbat, in the far
southeast of Pakistan close to the border with Iran. In addition to the
heroin, 250 kg of morphine were seized. Pakistan's western neighbour
Afghanistan was the world's biggest producer of heroin, which is refined
from opium poppies, until two years ago, when the fundamentalist Taliban
banned production and destroyed all poppy fields under their control.
Zimbabwe's Mugabe orders party to pass new law
Zimbabwe's ruling party,dismissing possible suspension from the
Commonwealth and sanctions from the European Union, moved on Wednesday
to ram through legislation, which will muzzle the media and the
opposition as President Robert Mugabe seeks re-election. His ZANU-PF
party ordered its parliamentary members to attend the chamber to pass a
public order and security bill that would give the government
wide-ranging powers against the activities of its opponents. The move is
expected to lead former colonial ruler Britain to demand Zimbabwe's
suspension from the Commonwealth, because of government political
violence and human rights violations. Zimbabwe is gripped by its biggest
political and economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1980,
symbolised by the violent seizure of white-owned farms and attacks on
opposition supporters, the judiciary and media.
Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic appears in court for final
hearing before trail
Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has again appeared at the
United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague for his final hearing,
before trial for alleged crimes against humanity in Kosovo in 1999.
Legal officials discussed the technicalities of the trial, which is due
to begin in February, including the number of witnesses allowed. Mr.
Milosevic still refuses to recognise the authority of the court and opn
this occasion too showed contempt for the proceedings. He has been
indicted for atrocities committed during the wars in Croatia, Bosnia and
Kosovo. Meanwhile Chief U.N. war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte has
accused Yugoslav authorities of failing to cooperate with her court and
accused the federal army of protecting war criminals, including wartime
Bosnian Serb commander General Ratko Mladic.
Russia says 92 rebels killed in Chechnya crackdown
Russian troops have killed 92 Chechen rebels in a month-long crackdown
in the secessionist province, Russian news agencies quoted a senior
Kremlin official as saying on Wednesday.Last week, the Russian military
said it had killed more than 100 rebels in a comprehensive operation,
including several Chechen field commanders. Human rights groups have
been vocal in condemning the notorious mopping-up operations carried out
by Russian troops , saying soldiers routinely round up hundreds of men
in villages and beat and torture them. More than 3,000 Russian
servicemen have died in the current campaign, launched in October 1999.
Number of asylum-seekers in Germany surges
The number of asylum-seekers in Germany last year rose by more than 12
percent, as a surge in applications from Iraq, offset declining requests
for asylum from former Yugoslav states. The Interior Ministry said
around 90,000 people sought asylum in 2001 -- almost 10,000 more than in
2000, when a decline in the number of refugees from the wars in the
Balkans helped cut requests for asylum to a 13-year low.Germany received
over 43 percent of all asylum applications to the European Union between
1990 and 2000, official figures show. The high number of refugees has
turned into an explosive political issue in recent years.
Serbian News Network - SNN
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.antic.org/
