13 May 2002

Arafat tours palestinian ruins

 

Yasser Arafat has wasted no time in responding to the Benjamin Netanyahu-led rejection of the principle of a Palestinian state, which he's free to tour again. He's reminded Netanyahu that he's bound by the terms of the Wye river agreement brokered by President Clinton, in which recognition is an integral part. Arafat began his first trip around his fragmented territory for five months by visiting Bethlehem, initially leaving Ramallah in a Jordanian army helicopter before arriving in Manger Square in a motorcade. He met both Moslem and Christian clerics, and visited the Church of the Nativity, which has just seen it's own siege lifted. Arafat's moved on to Jenin, and is due to tour Nablus in the West Bank later, both scenes of some of the worst fighting during Israel's recent re-occupation of the west bank's main towns. Arafat says the Likud party's decision represents a "destruction of the Oslo accords". Today he'll also see the physical destruction that's been wrecked by the Israeli army.

Stinging defeat for Sharon

In what is being seen as a bitter blow for Ariel Sharon and the Middle East peace process, the Israeli Prime Minister has lost a key vote within his own ruling Likud Party. The central committee of the party has said it will never agree to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Although he has been reluctant in the past to face the issue head on, Mr. Sharon has acknowledged that the existence of such a state is possible. At a heated party convention in which he was booed and heckled, he described Likud's rejection of the idea outright as dangerous for Israel, saying it would complicate its diplomatic efforts. The hardline resolution was put forward by former Israeli leader and Mr. Sharon's Likud rival Benjamin Netanyahu. "I don't think it was a personal contest. It was a policy issue where members of Likud expressed their desire to fight terror and not to create what they believe would be a terrorist state that would threaten Israel. That is all it was," he said. For Mr Netanyahu, the vote is a key victory, boosting his chances of regaining the party leadership, ahead of a general election scheduled for next year.

300 illegal immigrants arrive in Spain

A busy weekend for the Spanish coastguards, as the summer season for illegal immigrants taking advantage of the calm seas to hop over from Africa moves up a gear. 254 desperate migrants from sub-saharan Africa were picked up on the Spanish shores, from the Canary Islands to Algeciras, some 12 kilometres from Gibraltar. On Sunday alone nearly 100 were rescued from two tiny boats, the vast majority suffering from exposure, dehydration, and hypothermia. Over half of this weekend's haul were women, many of them pregnant, and there was also one baby who was immediately taken to hospital. Many of the refugees were unable to disembark unaided, as they were so weak after their ordeal. Police arrested several Moroccan smugglers in charge of the boats, and with another 60 picked up this morning, there's no sign of an end to the flood.

More German workers down tools

Germany's metalworker's strike is spreading. It's week two of the dispute, and from the southwest it's now hit the capital, Berlin, and the adjacent region of Brandenburg, formerly in East Germany. Their union's seeking to tap discontent of workers there, who earn less than their western colleagues. This worker's views are typical of the mood there; "The last time we made a pay deal we settled for only two point one percent, because we were told new jobs would be created. Well, they weren't, but the sackings have continued". It's Brandenburg's first strike in 70 years, affecting over 4500 employees in seven companies. Carmakers have again been hit particularly hard. The union claims over 100 000 workers struck last week.

Mafia boss "Joe Bananas" dies

Joseph Bonanno, one of original mafia bosses in New York, has died of natural causes, unlike many of his mob rivals. He was 97 years old. Sometimes known as Joe Bananas, he was born in Sicily and rose through the mob network to run one of the big five families alongside the Gambino and Colombo clan. Despite 40 years as head of the mob he only spent 8 months in jail for minor charges. He said he was really a venture capitalist who did some illegal things. His empire was involved in racketeering and drug trafficking. Joe Bananas said in his autobiography that he went into retirement of his own accord in his 1960s, but it was always assumed he was told to move to Arizona after an attempt to wipe out mafia rivals went wrong.

ITALIAN

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