Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- Deutsche Welle English Service News September 8th, 2001, 16:00 UTC Delegates at the United Nations Racism conference in Durban, South Africa have reached agreement on the text of a final accord. The conference adopted two documents -- a declaration of principles and an action plan to combat discrimination. The dispute over the Middle East conflict had threatened to derail the conference. Syria failed to get the final text to implicitly accuse Israel of racism. The text includes reference to the plight of the Palestinian people but with no reference to Israel. On the subject of slavery and colonialism the text stopped short of making an explicit apology but instead spoke of "profound regret". There was also no mention of direct reparations. Host South Africa said the EU and other rich nations would pledge aid and debt relief, but not linked to past wrongs. Last Monday, Israeli and U.S. delegations pulled out of the conference because of anti-Israeli language. In Kabul, eight foreign members of the German-based aid group "Shelter Now" have appeared in a Taliban court for the first time in five weeks, with one of them denying charges of proselytising. Goerg Taubmann, Shelter Now's local director, said he and his detained colleagues had never tried to convert anybody to Christianity as alleged by Taliban police. The accusations was untrue he said. Diplomats were also able to witnessed proceedings, which were adjourned after two hours. The trial had begun on Tuesday behind closed doors. Also under arrest are 16 Afghan "Shelter Now" workers. Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles at an office of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction on Saturday, despite efforts to arrange ceasefire talks. Palestinian witnesses said the helicopters fired three missiles at the office in the al-Bireh suburb of the West Bank city of Ramallah. No casualties were reported in the air strike. The Israeli army said it carried out the raid to retaliate for several attacks in the West Bank recently, specifically a shooting on Thursday in which an Israeli soldier was killed. Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres are due to meet next week. European Union foreign ministers meeting near Brussels have voiced support for a longer-term international force in Macedonia after the current NATO mission ends. NATO says its 4,500 troops will pull out of the former Yugoslav Republic when they have finished collecting arms from ethnic Albanian rebels. Operation Essential Harvest is due to end on September 26. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer called for a NATO-led force with a United Nations mandate to take over then. In an interview with the New York Times Fischer said they would be in favour of a mandate given by the U.N. Security Council and executed by NATO plus some others. He called for a "robust but limited" force to back up civilian monitors in Macedonia. EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana said the EU wanted to avoid a security vacuum after NATO forces have completed their mission. Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski meanwhile has reaffirmed his demands for a withdrawal of NATO forces once the weapons collecting mission is over. An Australian naval ship already carrying 433 asylum-seekers towards Papua New Guinea has picked up another 200 people from an Indonesian vessel in the Timor Sea. Prime Minister John Howard said the interception took place in international waters as the 200 were heading for Australia's Ashmore Reef. The navy carrier "Manoora" was already carrying asylum-seekers who last week were denied refuge by Australia as they waited on board a Norwegian freighter off Christmas Island. The fate of the extra 200 is uncertain. New Zealand, which last week agreed to take 150, says it won't take any more. Indonesia's justice minister has urged boat owners not to transport refugees to Australia. His call follows a visit to Jakarta by three Australian cabinet ministers. Lawyers appointed by the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague to act for former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic will ensure he gets a fair trial even though he has rejected their help, according to one of the team. Milosevic is accused of crimes against humanity for atrocities committed against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and is set to face a charge of genocide in the 1992-95 Bosnia war. He has refused to recognise the Tribunal or to appoint a defence team. A statement issued by his own attorneys called the court-appointed lawyers (quote) "accomplices in a staged trial based on sheer force and not on the law". Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko's main election opponent said on Saturday he feared the authorities would go to any lengths to rig the result of Sunday's presidential poll. Facing a smear campaign, Vladimir Goncharik, a trade unionist standing as a joint opposition candidate in this autocratic and isolated former Soviet state, said he would not withdraw his candidacy and still hoped he might win. The United States and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a Western rights body, have both said they fear that the poll will not be free or fair. Rezzo Schlauch, the Greens' caucus leader in Germany's government has warned of a coalition split if Interior Minister Otto Schily proceeds with draft immigration legislation. Under Schily' draft, only children 12 years or younger would be allowed to join immigrant parents already residing in Germany. The Greens, backed by human rights groups, insist on 18 as the age limit. They also want a better status for foreigners granted so- called "toleration" visas to reside temporarily. The Federation of German Industry, which often highlights Germany's shortage of skilled workers, has called on opposition conservatives who regard Schily's package as too liberal, to seek compromise. The tabloid newspaper "Bild" says that Chancellor Schroeder's cabinet plans to adopt legislation later this month, with or without opposition CDU-CSU votes in parliament's upper house, the Bundesrat. Finally sport, and the sisters Venus and Serena Williams will contest the women's singles final at the U.S. tennis open. During Friday's semi-finals, Serena beat Martina Hingis, and Venus defeated Jennifer Capriati. Saturday's men's semi-finals will be fought out between Pete Sampras and Marat Safin, and Yevgeni Kafelnikov and Lleyton Hewitt. And, the semifinals of the European basketball championships will be contested by the host team Turkey versus Germany, and Yugoslavia versus Spain. ------------------------------------------------- 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 ==^================================================================
