|
|
 |
 |
News |
26.05.2003 12:00 UTC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
White House welcomes
Israeli approval of peace road map |
|
|
|
|
The White House
has welcomed the Israeli cabinet's acceptance of the so-called road
map for Middle East peace describing it as "an important step
forward." The Israeli cabinet approved the plan with 12 votes for,
seven against and four abstentions. However it attached a number of
conditions including the decision not to allow Palestinian refugees
to return to areas formerly occupied by Israel. The Palestinian
representative in Washington, Hasan Abdel Rahman, said he was
sceptical the plan could succeed. The Palestinian government had
already accepted the blueprint which foresees the creation of a
Palestinian state by 2005.
|
|
|
|
Summit between Bush,
Sharon, Abbas likely next week |
|
|
|
|
Meanwhile
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom has said that a three-way
summit between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, his Palestinian
counterpart Mahmoud Abbas and US President George W. Bush could take
place at the end of next week. Shalom said the meeting would
probably be held in Jordan. He was speaking at meeting of the
Euro-Mediterranean group of foreign ministers on the Greek island of
Crete. Also taking part is Syria's foreign minister, Farouq
al-Shara. It's the highest level meeting of Israeli and Syrian
officials outside the UN for years.
|
|
|
|
Powerful quake hits
northern Japan |
|
|
|
|
A powerful
earthquake has hit northern Japan causing some damage but there have
been no immediate reports of casualties. National broadcaster NHK
said the quake, which hit near the city of Sendai, measured seven on
the Richter scale. A number of fires have been reported from the
city. Tremors were reportedly felt in the capital Tokyo some 300 kms
away.
|
|
|
|
74 die in plane crash
in Turkey |
|
|
|
|
Spain's Defence
Ministry has confirmed that all 62 Spanish troops on board a
Ukranian plane have died when it crashed in Turkey. The plane was on
it way from Kyrgyzstan to Madrid when it came down near the
northeastern Turkish city of Trabzon. All 12 crew members also died.
Turkey's state-run Anatolian news agency said the plane was
attempting to land in heavy fog at Trabzon's airport to refuel when
it crashed. The troops were said to be part of the international
peacekeeping force in Afghanistan.
|
|
|
|
Iran says it is not
harbouring al Qaeda operatives |
|
|
|
|
Iran has said it
has arrested a number of al Qaeda members but rejected US reports
that it has been harbouring operatives of terrorist network. Iran's
ambassador to the UN, Javad Zarif, said the allegations were
unfounded. The Washington Post had reported that the US government
was considering breaking off all contact with Tehran following
intelligence reports that al Qaeda terrorists based in Iran were
involved in the recent suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia. According
to the report Pentagon officials are in favour of destablising
Iran's government through a popular uprising.
|
|
|
|
Ifo sees German
business climate warming unexpectedly in May |
|
|
|
|
A leading
economic research institute says the business climate in western
Germany picked up unexpectedly this month, improving the chances for
a slight recovery in the national economy later this year. The
widely watched industrial confidence index of the Ifo institute is
now at its highest since October. Gernot Nerb, author of the report,
said the confidence boost comes mainly from growing domestic demand
reflected in higher retail sales. Ifo polls around 7,000 companies
every month about their assessment of current business and their
expectations for the next six months.
|
|
|
|
Proposals on Europe's
future to be published |
|
|
|
|
The proposals on
Europe's future made by former French President Valery Giscard
d'Estaing are set to be published on Monday. The plans by the head
of the convention on the future of Europe include a European
Constitution and a vision of how the EU will function after 10 new
states join next year. Britain is concerned that the creation of an
EU superstate with a powerful president and common foreign minister
could hurt its national interests. At Prime Minister Tony Blair's
behest, references to a "federal" Europe have been dropped from the
draft. Britain's opposition Conservatives have called on Blair to
hold a referendum on the proposals, however the demand has been
dismissed by the government.
|
|
|
|
Canada's SARS-linked
death toll rises to 27 |
|
|
|
|
China says two
more people have died of SARS in the past 24 hours and another eight
were said to be infected. China, which has been hardest hit by the
flu-like virus, has now reported 317 SARS-related deaths and more
than 5,000 cases. Meanwhile Taiwan says it has managed to contain
the outbreak of the disease although health authorities reported 15
new suspected SARS cases on Monday taking its total to almost 600.
The death toll there remains at 72. There is concern in Canada of a
renewed SARS outbreak after health officials said three more deaths
had been linked to the virus in the Toronto area. This brings
Canada's death toll to 27. Officials also reported 26 suspected
cases. Only last week Toronto was cleared by the World Health
Organisation.
|
|
|
|
Amnesty says grave
rights abuses being reported from Aceh |
|
|
|
|
The human rights
organisation Amnesty International says grave human rights abuses
including the killing of children and other civilians are being
reported in Indonesia's Aceh province. A major military offensive
aimed at crushing the rebel Free Aceh Movement entered its second
week on Monday in the province, which has been placed under martial
law. Amnesty says civilians, including children, have been subjected
to extrajudicial execution, and many thousands of people have been
forced to flee their homes. Amnesty said the government must issue
clear and strongly worded directives to security forces to stick to
international human rights and humanitarian law.
|
|
|
|
Australia's
governor-general officially resigns |
|
|
|
|
Peter
Hollingworth has officially stepped down as Australia's
governor-general. He handed his resignation to Prime Minister John
Howard on Monday. The move comes following revelations that
Hollingworth had helped cover up child sex abuse cases involving
priests in the 1990s. At the time he was the Anglican Archbischop of
Brisbane. Hollingworth was also accused of raping a woman at a
church camp 40 years ago, although the case was dismissed last week.
Under the Australian constitution the prime minister appoints the
governor-general who acts as the official representative of
Britain's Queen Elizabeth.
|
|
|
|
Rwandans vote in
referendum on constitution |
|
|
|
|
Rwandans have
started voting in a referendum on a draft constitution for the
central African country. This is an attempt to advance democracy and
to stop the ethnic violence that culminated in 1994's mass genocide.
If the constitution is accepted it could pave the way for Rwanda's
first presidential election since 1988. It would also lead to the
first election of national assembly members by universal suffrage.
At least half of the country's 3.9 million eligible voters must take
part to make the vote valid. The draft constitution was adopted by
the transitional parliament last month.
|
|
|
|
Print
all news items 
.gif){kind=spacer}
