Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- Deutsche Welle English Service News September 10th, 2001, 16:00 UTC A female suicide bomber has killed herself plus two others and injured at least 15 people in central Istanbul on Monday afternoon. A police spokesman told the Reuters news agency that the woman detonated the explosive as she approached a police patrol near Istanbul's main Taksim square. At least one of three dead people was a policeman, while 10 of the 15 injured are policemen. The blast occured during the suppertime rush hour traffic in front of a bank and only 100 meters from the German consulate. Israel and the Palestinians pressed ahead on Monday with plans for truce talks despite a weekend of suicide bombings and Israeli military reprisals. Israel's Foreign Ministry said Shimon Peres was determined to go ahead with plans to hold a series of meetings with Palestinian President Yassar Arafat. Nabil Abu Rdainah, an adviser to Mr. Arafat, said the Palestinians were ready to hold EU-brokered talks in Egypt as early as this evening. Israeli radio said the latest hitch in setting up a meeting was the location. Meanwhile, the violence continued on Monday asIsraeli soldiers shot and seriously wounded a 14-year-old Palestinian youth in southern Gaza. The Israeli army said troops shot back at Palestinian gunmen after coming under fire. Norwegian voters, tired of paying high taxes in a country enriched by North Sea oil, are poised to hand the ruling Labour Party its worst election result since 1924 in Monday's general election. Norwegians according to pre-election opinion polls have warmed to the tax cuts promised by the opposition. The polls indicate Labour's share of the vote is likely to skid to about 25 percent from 35 in the last general election in 1997, as voters believe it has not done enough to improve schools or healthcare despite high taxes and oil revenue The re-election of Alexander Lukashenko as President of Belarus now threatens to deepen the country's isolation from the West, as observers including the OSCE, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, described the poll as "not democratic". Official results show Lukashenko winning 75.6 percent of the vote, while his closest challenger Vladimir Goncharik took only 15%. In its report on the conduct of the elections, the OSCE said there were some positive signs that Belarus had begun to develop a civil society and the diverse opposition had agreed to unite behind a single candidate. Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters, answering a call from the opposition leader, gathered in downtown Minsk on Monday afternoon, braving cold weather and the public threat of a security force crackdown on any demonstration. Some carried the white and red nationalist flags banned by Lukashenko. Police presence was low-key. Three separate trials of seven men accused of atrocities during the 1992-5 Bosnian war opened Monday at the UN War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, in The Hague, Holland. The prosecution during opening arguments described events of murder, torture and babies burned alive as the five Bosnian Serbs and two Croats listened in silence. The tribunal's capacity was sharply increased with the arrival of extra judges recently, thus allowing it to start three trials on the same day for the first time. All defendants plead not guilty to charges including crimes against humanity. Horst Kohler, the head of the International Monetary Fund, told a press conference in Berlin that the IMF now expects a global economic growth rate of 2.7 percent. As recently as April, the IMF still expected 3.2%. Kohler made the comments ahead of a meeting with critics of economic globalisation. He also said that a tax on international currency exchange is unlikely. The so-called Tobin-tax, is being taunted as protection from wild course fluctuations created by speculators. Kohler said such a tax would have little effect. A special closed door meeting of the parliamentary defense committee, has ended in Berlin, at which Germany's embattled Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping answered questions about his use of military aircraft for private purposes. During a midday recess, Scharping told reporters he sees no reason to step down saying he has done nothing wrong. The opposition Christian Democratic Union has called for his resignation, however, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Scharping have both said there is no reason to step back. The trial of 8 foreigners accused by Afghanistan's ruling Taleban of promoting Christianity, continued on Monday behind closed doors in Kabul. The four Germans, two Australians, and two Americans were arrested five weeks ago and could be sentenced to death if they are found guilty. Dilpomats from Germany, the US, and Australia have again asked the Taleban for permission to visit the detainees to consult them in regards to a possible legal defence. The German foreign ministry has confirmed that the Taleban thus far have refused to allow the diplomats to meet with the detainees. Fuelled by tinder dry bush and strong winds, forest fires along the Cote d'Azur, in southern France have destroyed over 1000 hectarces of forest and olive plantations. Hundreds of firefighters on Monday managed to bring under control the largest blaze near Narbonne. Jacques Baudot spokesman for the fire department confirmed the blaze ignited near a roadway but refused to speculate that arson is the cause of the fires. ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: archive@jab.org T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
