Deutsche Welle English Service News September 2nd 2002, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD: German Chancellor Weighs in at Earth Summit Chancellor Gerhard Schr�der, in a quick appearance at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, pushed for the increased use of renewable energy and demanded a practical final agreement by the end of the conference. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1430_A_621259_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Act on poverty urges Annan at summit World leaders who've arrived at the sustainability summit in Johannesburg have been urged by U.N. chief Kofi Annan to act "courageously" to reduce poverty and safeguard the environment. All was far from well, Annan, said, pointing to the 13 million people facing famine across southern Africa as an example of failure. Non sustainable practices were deeply woven, he said, and current development models were flawed. Host South African President Thabo Mbeki said the summit would be judged by action, not rhetoric. Summit negotiators remain at odds over a deal on energy sources such as wind and solar power, but have agreed steps on sanitation, dwindling fisheries, deforestation and species depletion. German chancellor calls for urgent action to tackle problems facing the environment German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has appealed for a concerted effort in Johannesburg to tackle the destruction of the environment. Climate change is now bitter reality, said Schroeder during a speech to delegates from 190 countries at the UN Summit for Sustainable Development. The worst flooding in German history as well the devastation of vast swathes of land in Asia and America showed that urgent action was needed, said Schroeder. The German Chancellor urged the United States and Russia to ratify the Kyoto Protocol as soon as possible or to make an equal contribution to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. Zimbabwean President uses Earth Summit speech to attack British Prime Minister Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe stole the centre stage at the Earth Summit on Monday in a verbal attack on British Prime Minister Tony Blair. He used his speech to summit delegates to defend seizures of white-owned farms. The Zimbabwean President told world leaders: "we are prepared to shed our blood to protect the nation", triggering applause from the delegates. Mugabe also accused international organisations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of promoting the interests of the rich. The gap between rich and poor has increased since the Rio Summit, he added. Swedish hijacker received pilot training in the USA: Swedish security officials Reports coming out of Sweden suggest that Thursday's alleged hijacking attempt of a Ryanair passenger jet to London Stanstead could be linked to the al Qaeda terror network. Swedish national Kerim Sadok Chatty was seized as he boarded a plane with a loaded handgun in his luggage at Vasteras airport, near Stockholm. He was accused on Monday of planning to hijack the aircraft. Sweden's Sapo security police said Chatty, who has a series of previous convictions for theft, assault and petty offences, including an attack on a U.S. embassy Marine guard in Stockholm, was known to have taken flying lessons in the United States. Swedish newspapers quoted friends of Chatty as saying he had discovered religion in recent years and studied Islam, visiting Saudi Arabia. U.S. intelligence sources said Chatty's girlfriend has links with Osama bin Laden's terrorist organisation. Iraq "could consider" return of UN airms inspectors: Iraqi Vice President Aziz Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz told reporters Monday he would meet in Johannesburg on Tuesday with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to discuss his country's crisis with the United States. He added that Iraq "could consider" a return of UN weapons inspects to his country as (quote) "part of a comprehensive settlement" unquote. Meanwhile Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri has arrived in Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov as Baghdad steps up lobbying against U.S. threats of invasion. Sabri visited China last week. Germany's Joschka Fischer has reiterated German opposition to any possible U.S. war against Iraq, saying the risks were incalculable. Deadly typhoon aftermath in South Korea South Korea's worst typhoon in 40 years has left more than 200 dead. So far about the bodies of 88 victims have been recovered and many are still missing. Winds reaches 200 kilometers per hour. And, rescue officials warn that the toll could rise as teams scour still swollen rivers and mudslides. Losses include more than 8,000 homes, leaving 27,000 people homeless, as well as 85,000 hectares of inundated cropping land. Raging waters washed away 200 bridges, according to the transport ministry. Assisting in the clean-up are troops and police. Trains and flights are resuming. President Kim Dae-jung has also ordered repairs to facilities in Pusan where the Asian Games open on September the 29th. In Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of residents are trying to flee the flooded Mekong river. Israeli calls for probes into killings Israeli leaders have called for investigations into recent killings of Palestinian civilians - a move described as merely a media ploy by Palestinian cabinet member Saeb Erekat. One probe ordered by Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Elizier follows weekend operations that left 11 Palestinians dead, including two children killed by a helicopter's missile in the West Bank village of Tubas. Israeli President Moshe Katzav said an inquiry was needed into claims that Israeli troops had become "trigger happy" - a claim consistently denied by the army. On Sunday, Israeli troops shot dead four Palestinians near Hebron. Local witnesses said they were returning home from work. An Israeli military source, quoted by Reuters, said they had broken into a Jewish farm settlement. Ferry fire extinguished British coast guard officials say an engine room fire on board a large North Sea ferry has been extinguished. More than 600 passengers had been told to don lifejackets but were not evacuated as 10 rescue boats and at least two helicopters converged on the ferry "Norsea" off England's eastern coast. Its operator P & O said the ferry, en route from Hull, would continue its voyage to the Belgium port of Zeebrugge. None of the passengers had been hurt. The fire had been doused by sealing off the engine room and injecting carbon dioxide to starve the flames of oxygen. German president Johannes Rau arrives in Moscow for state visit German President Johannes Rau has arrived in Moscow for a four-day state visit. President Rau is scheduled to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. The central theme of his visit to Russia is to promote economic ties between the two countries. Also on the political agenda is Russia's relations with the NATO military alliance. Two billion euros for flood-hit firms Germany's regional state of Saxony, ravaged by flooding three weeks ago, has announced funding grants to hard-hit firms totalling two billion euros. Saxony's economics minister Martin Gillo said properties of 11,000 firms had been damaged, leaving many of them insolvent and unable to raise new loans, let alone pay back previous credits. Firms would get up to 80,000 euros each, he said, in a joint scheme with the federal government. Federal Economics Minister Werner Meuller will today inspect damage in Saxony's cities of Dresden and Chemnitz. German-speaking university officially opened in Budapest A German-speaking University opened today in Budapest. The Andrassy University is a joint project between Hungary, Austria and the German states of Bavaria and Baden Wuerttemburg. The University is the first cente of learning to offer post-graduate studies outside of Germany and Austria. The University was named after the Hungarian Duke Gyula Andrassy, who served as foreign minister from 1871-1879 during the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy. The project is supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Volleyball and hockey championships Finally sport and at the womens' volleyball world championships in Germany, seven teams remain undefeated:- Bulgaria, China, Greece, Italy, Pueuto Rico, South Korea and the USA. Still in the running is title defender Russia. It beat Kenya 3-0 on Sunday after a 2-3 defeat by the USA. At the champions trophy hockey series in Cologne, Germany leads on six points, followed by the Netherlands on four. On Sunday, German beat India 3-2 while the Dutch beat Australia 6-1. Pakistan beat South Korea 4-1, leaving both those teams with three points each. And in German DFB Cup soccer, most first division teams are through - with the exception of Hertha Berlin. It lost on Sunday to the regional team Holstein Kiel, nil-3. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For more information please turn to our internet website at http://dw-world.de/english Here you'll find out what's happening in Germany, Europe and the rest of the world. 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