30 May 2002

 

Illegal immigration: EU ministers set down new border control plan

European ministers have set down the foundations for a new joint border police force between European Union countries to crack down on illegal immigration. 28 interior ministers have been meeting in Rome to discuss the pilot project which still needs regional approval. It is part of a broader plan to create a common EU border guard which will be the focal point of an EU summit in Seville at the end of June. Internal security has become a priority for EU countries since a rise in popularity of far-right parties using immigration as a political tool. Italy's Interior minister Claudio Scajola says the intention is not to turn Europe into a fortress, but to promote cooperation between EU countries. "We don't want to eliminate national border policies, he says, what we want is better coordination when it comes to training and the use of equipment for better security in Europe." As talks were underway in the capital, gondoliers in Venice staged a strike to demonstrate against the number of immigrants in the city. Immigrants represent just over 2.5% of the population of Venice, in line with Italy's average, but the gondoliers say there are too many of them and too much of their merchandise, and claim this is affecting their business.

 

Germany to cull tens of thousands of chickens in food scare

After the mass slaughter of animals during the mad cow and the foot and mouth crises, a new food scare has hit the animal world: this time, in Germany. Tens of thousands of chicken are going to be culled amid concerns they ate feed contaminated with a cancer-causing pesticide. Agriculture minister Renate Kuenast says the crisis has only strengthened her conviction Germany needs to change its farming methods. She says if state ministers had supported her rather than criticised her, things wouldn't have got this bad. More than 550 tonnes of tainted feed has been delivered to over a hundred farms throughout Germany which produce chicken and eggs using ecological farming methods. There are also concerns it has gone to organic pig and cattle farms. Food expert Bernd Luckas explains the health risks linked to the chemical nitrofen suspected of being in the feed: he says it weakens the liver, attacks the blood cells, stimulates the growth of tumours, and raises the risk of malformation in unborn babies. An investigation is underway to determine how the feed was introduced in the food chain. Several major supermarkets have removed organic food from their shelves

Low turn out expected in three days of voting in Algeria

There was a rush in some areas of Algeria as polling stations opened, but overall turnout is expected to be low due to a call to boycott from opposition parties who predict widespread fraud. Many refuse to accept the legitimacy of this election. The last parliamentary elections in 1992 in which radical islamists had taken a commanding lead were cancelled While President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika cast his vote, this morning a village west of Algiers was in shock following the slaughter of 23 nomads staying there. Islamic rebels are being held responsible. As well as the opposition, the whole region of Kabylie where many ethnic Berbers live is boycotting the election. Barricades have been erected to stop anyone who dares to try to cast their vote. There have already been clashes in the main city Tizi Ouzou. Riot police used tear gas to deal with the unrest. Ethnic berbers are demanding official recognition and use of their language. They also want greater social and economic rights claiming they are currently discriminated against. People living in Kabylie find it hard to forget those who have died in their battle for equality, around 600 since the beginning of this year alone. It is clear they are not going to give up without more of a fight.

No job, no entry - Italy gets tough on immigrants

Getting tough on immigration, Italy has passed a new law, which it hopes will stem the tide of foreigners attempting to move to Italy to start a new life. The conditions of entry will now be considerably harder, and if there are any infringements, immigrants face immediate expulsion. A residence permit will now only be given to those who have already got an employment contract. One union chief said, "The only question is the regulation of foreign workers who are already in Italy, and are contributing to the national wealth. It's not possible to leave the situation as it is". Residence permits will last for two years. However if immigrants find themselves out of work before that time, they will then have to leave the country. The changes to the law means the government will decide the exact number of immigrants allowed into Italy each year, and in effect, it could say none.

FBI shifts agents to focus on terrorism

America's Federal Bureau of Investigations has announced widespread reform following growing criticism that it might have prevented the September 11th attacks. The FBI's been under fire over claims it failed to act on a July memo by one of its own agents warning that Middle Eastern men linked to Osama bin Laden were taking flight lessons in US schools. The US Attorney General, John Ashcroft, says the crime fighting agency's top priority will now be to protect the country from terrorist attacks. The bureau now has a list of ten top priorities, which will see thousands of agents move from breaking drug rings and fighting white collar and violent crime. Other top priorities include protecting the country from foreign intelligence operations and espionage, and from cyber-based attacks and high-tech crimes. Another crucial area of change is the creation of an Office of Intelligence that will be led by a CIA agent. The CIA will lend 25 analysts to the FBI to boost its analytical capacities. But critics say the agency will face a difficult balance between centralizing intelligence at headquarters and giving field agents the freedom they need.

Dublin pays dearly for Joyce manuscripts

A cultural coup for the writer's homeland, the National Library of Ireland has paid a massive 12.6 millions euro to buy hundreds of pages of previously unseen notes and manuscripts of literary giant James Joyce. The library bought the collection after 18 months of secret negotiations with Alexis Leon, the son of Joyce's former Jewish aide. The acquisition makes the National Library of Ireland the world's foremost repository of Joyce manuscripts. The new papers will be officially unveiled at the library in Dublin later today.

ITALIAN

Homepage

28 May 2002

2 killed in latest Middle East suicide bombing

At least two people have been killed in an explosion in the central Israeli town of Petah Tikva near Tel Aviv. They include a three-year-old girl and a suicide bomber. Dozens more have been injured. The explosion reportedly took place at the entrance of a busy shopping mall in what police described as a terrorist attack. The mayor of the city says the bomber arrived in a car packed with explosives and blew himself up. This latest assault comes in the wake of new Israeli incursions into West Bank towns in response to last week's suicide attacks. Israeli security services had been on maximum alert since receiving warnings of planned attacks on Israeli civilians by Palestinian militants.

NATO World leaders gather for historic Rome summit

The American President, George W Bush, has arrived in Rome on the last leg of his week long European tour. He's in the Italian capital for tomorrow's historic NATO-Russia summit which will mark the formation of a joint council. Bush will also meet Pope John Paul at the Vatican before returning to Washington. He's the first NATO world leader to land in Rome. Many others, including French President Jacques Chirac and Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair, are scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning. The Allies and Russia will sign a partnership deal giving Moscow a greater say in areas such as counter terrorism, arms control and maritime safety. Concerned that militants may try to target the site, the Italians are leaving nothing to chance. An imposing security shield has been set up at Europe's second largest military airbase, Practica di Mare. Measures have been taken to protect the base and its guests from attack by land, air and sea. Helicopter gunships will also be available to shuttle visiting VIPs to safety in case of an attack.

Pakistani President says he does not want war

In an address to his nation Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said his country did not want war with India, but he said he was ready to respond with full force if Indian forces attack. "If it is thrust upon us" he said "We will respond with full might." The nuclear-armed neighbours have moved towards the brink of war in recent months, following a series of attacks in India blamed on Pakistani based militants. Heavy fire was traded throughout last the night along the line of control dividing Kashmir. In the latest incident Pakistanis were the victims. Four were killed and twelve wounded when mortar bombs were fired on a village in the Punjab province.

Anti-American protests in France greet Bush's arrival

Demonstrators took to the normally quiet streets of Normandy in western France to protest against the arrival of President Bush in the region today. Jose Bove, one of the leaders of the anti-globalization movement in France was there too. He said it was time to point out that America's way of doing business worldwide was wrong. Several thousand people took to the streets of Paris too. Many were Palestinians angry at Washington's support for Israel. However far fewer people showed up in the French capital than expected. President Bush said he had no problem with the protests. He said it was a sign of democracy at work.

ITALIAN

Homepage

26 May 2002

THE Thorns in Berlusconi's Regime

BY a group of students

Report card for Berlusconi as Italians vote in local elections

Italians are voting in local elections widely seen as a referendum on Silvio Berlusconi's government one year after its big election victory. The parties in the ruling centre-right coalition government want to do well to boost their own positions. As many as 12 million people can vote for mayors and town councils. The people of Rome are not participating but several big cities in the north are. The Prime Minister hasn't campaigned much but aware that his promised labourreforms could hurt his party at the polls he has gone on television to reassure voters. He said he was prepared to delay legislation if a deal could be reached in parliament on a compromise bill. Berlusconi has pledged to cut back the role of the state and free up the private sector but faces stiff opposition from unions. Star power rather than national politics dominates the race for mayor in the northern city of Monza. Former porn actress Cicciolina is trying to make a political comeback there. A key part of her election manifesto is to legalize brothels.

Bush and Putin go sightseeing but Pakistan-India conflict in background

The Russian President and his American guest tried to unwind on Saturday but the tense situation on the India - Pakistani border loomed in the background. After their nuclear arms reduction treaty signing ceremony, Saturday was set aside for sightseeing and a night at the opera in St Petersburg. The US and Russian President have spent nearly four days together and will meet again in Rome next week. And the two leaders believe good personal chemistry will enable them to overcome obstacles when their countries pursue policies where they don't see eye to eye. But the problems in southern Asia where Pakistan is now testing its missiles concerns both Washington and Moscow. Bush urged Pakistan's leader to stop militants causing trouble in Indian- ruled Kashmir the origin of the current standoff. President Bush faced some anti-American demonstrations in St Petersburg however he can expect far more street protests in Paris when he arrives there later today. His relationship with President Chirac is also likely to be far more formal and businesslike

Pakistan test fires another missile

Despite international pressure to cool it, Pakistan has test fired another ballistic missile this morning. It launched another one yesterday. The missiles with a range of 290 kilometers could easily land in India if fired in anger. Already India and Pakistan have more than a million soldiers amassed on their common border. The Indian government has dismissed the missile tests as domestic politics - a populist gesture by the Pakistani President to win support from his own population

Israeli army hunts down militants in night time raids

The Israeli army carried out overnight raids in several parts of the Occupied Territories including the town of Bethlehem. They were looking for militant hideouts used to make bombs for suicide attacks. A Palestinian woman and her niece were killed by Israeli tank fire in the Gaza Strip. The army apologized. The Israelis say dozens of Palestinians suspected of plotting fresh attacks were rounded up. This week there have been four suicide attacks in Israel killing five people. Quick thinking by one security guard appears to have averted carnage when a Palestinian tried to ram his car bomb into a nightclub. The guard shot him.

 

Baltics the big winner in Eurovision Song Contest

Latvia has won this year's Eurovision song contest. Marija Naumova came top with a song " I wanna" beating Malta into second place. As many as 160 million people watched the event on television. Marija who keeps her age secret is a household name in her native Latvia. Fluent in five languages she studied law before going into showbiz. Last year's winner who came from Estonia handed her the trophy. Under Eurovision song contest rules, the winner's country hosts the next year's event. So its staying in the Baltics - and the contest has turned into a symbol of the region's move to the heart of Europe.

"Smallest baby in the world" discharged from hospital

Doctors in Italy claim they have been treating the smallest baby ever born. Four-month-old Pearl weighed 285 grammes when she came into the world and measured just 25 centimeters. After a twenty-seven week pregnancy Pearl's mother had problems with her circulation. That prevented the fetus growing any larger and specialists decided to perform a Caesarian section. One pediatrician said Pearl would be completely normal and would not differ in any way from other children her age. Medical staff at a clinic in Florence had to invent minuscule tubes to feed Pearl through a drip. For the first few weeks she was so fragile her mother could not even touch her skin. But now there will be nothing but hugs and cuddles as Pearl has been discharged from hospital to begin life like a normal baby in her own home.

ITALIAN

Homepage

23 May 2002

Top security in Berlin ahead of Bush visit

German police have turned the centre of Berlin into a virtual fortress ahead of a visit by US president George W Bush. The largest security mobilisation in post-war history has sealed off the government quarter where Bush will be staying. A police spokesman says snipers will be in position while 5,000 police reinforcements have arrived from around Germany. They will make up half the total number of officers drafted in to combat the threat of violent demonstrations. Yesterday, at least 17 000 protestors marched peacefully in Berlin, mostly denouncing US foreign policy. Some members of the centre-left government are set to urge Bush to back-pedal on his stance over attacking Iraq. Out on the streets, security measures have been painstaking - checking inside lamp-posts for explosive devices and welding shut sewers.

Israel struck by suicide bombing again

There's been another suicide attack in Israel - the second in three days. A Palestinian man blew himself up last night in a packed public garden at Rishon Letzion, killing two people and wounding 27 others. It is the second time that the town's been hit. Two weeks ago, 16 people died when a local snooker hall was targetted. It now seems clear that a lull that followed Israel's military offensive last month is over and some sort of retaliation may well take place. The al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed group linked to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, says it carried out the attack. It claimed responsibility just two hours after it lost a senior commander and two subordinates in an Israeli missile strike in the West Bank. Israel didn't wait for its admission to accuse the Palestinian Authority again of orchestrating "terrorism". But the Palestinian leadership also condemned it as a terrorist act and repeated its claim that such carnage worked against Palestinian aspirations for statehood.

UK Government rejects calls to relax drugs laws

The British government is being urged to relax controls on ecstasy, the drug commonly used in nightclubs. The radical parliamentary report recommends a new Dutch-style regime on illegal substances. Its findings are based on recent studies which show drugs use is on the increase. Ecstasy is currently ranked alongside heroin under British law. The MP's also recommend offering medical heroin to addicts and setting up safe so-called "injecting rooms", - measures which are already in place in the Netherlands and Switzerland. The government is considering relaxing its stance on the use of cannabis but is set to retain its hard line against ecstasy.

Clucking, but no plucking for designer fowl

An Israeli scientist is certain to make feathers fly in the poultry industry with the introduction of featherless chickens. The new hybrid fowl appears to be able to walk into a plastic bag and be hermetically sealed ready for the supermarket shelf - but they have been bred for environmentally friendly production in tropical climates. Geneticist, Avigdor Cahaner, explained that "by removing the feathers, the chickens will withstand the heat better. Conditions will be better, their welfare will be better, they will grow more, there will be lower mortality and therefore more efficient production in tropical regions." The environmental savings come in the reduction of energy for chicken shed ventilation and in the plucking process, however, animal welfare experts are unlikely to be impressed.

ITALIAN

Homepage

20 May 2002

Palestinian killed in car bomb blast

The son of Palestinian guerilla leader, Ahmed Jibril, has been killed by a car bomb blast in Beirut. Jibril heads the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The explosion occurred in a crowded business district, causing minor damage to some buildings. Security forces rushed to seal off the site to all but medical emergency teams. For the moment there are no reports of any other injuries. There have been frequent car bomb killings in Lebanon since its 15-year civil war ended in 1990. The most recent being the assassination in January of a former warlord whose pro-Israeli militia killed hundreds of Palestinian refugees in Beirut after Israel's 1982 invasion

Beirut blast kills guerrilla leader's son

The Palestinian Authority is under fresh pressure to step up security after a second suicide bombing in Israel in less than twenty-four hours. A Palestinian blew himself up near a patrol in southern Galilee this morning. He detonated his explosives after trying to board a private bus. No-one else was hurt. The attack raises the possibility of a strong military response from Israel. Overnight, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, authorized the army to carry out several brief raids in the West Bank, including one into the city of Tulkarm. They had originally gathered to discuss a peace plan amid hopes that regular bombing might be over. But such hopes were dashed yesterday. A man dressed in an Israeli soldiers' uniform blew himself up and killed three people at a market in the coastal city of Netanya. Thirty-five other people were injured. The Palestinian Authority has condemned the attacks and stressed that it's carrying out all possible measures to curtail the activities of extremists.

Cheney warns fresh attack is "almost certain"

US Vice-President Dick Cheney has warned a fresh attack by Al Qaede against the United States or US interests abroad is "almost certain." "We don't know if it will be tomorrow, next week or next year," he told an American television program, adding "it's no longer a question of if but when." His comments came as the "New York Times" reported several messages between members of the terrorist group had been intercepted. They indicate further strikes are planned. However there was no information on where, when or how the attacks might be carried out. Meanwhile a new video of Osama bin Laden has been released. It has been claimed the footage was shot just two months ago. If that date is confirmed, it would be the first proof the Saudi dissident survived the US-led war in Afghanistan. As the operations in Afghanistan continue, in the east of the country, one American soldier has been killed in a gun battle with suspected Al Qaede fighters.

French launch parliamentary campaign

French president Jaques Chirac, sworn in for a second term, is now hoping his party can win enough seats in next month's parliamentary elections to gain control. Officially the campaign begins today, but the political deal making is already underway. Chirac's RPR has joined with two smaller right-wing parties to form a united force - aiming to win a parliamentary majority. This means they will field one candidate between them in over 530 of the 577 constituencies. UDF leader Francois Bayrou is rejecting that plan and deciding to go it alone. The French Socialists have struck a similar deal with the Greens, Communists and Radical Left parties. But they are fielding only a 170 candidates under that agreement, with former presidential hopeful Jean Pierre Chevenement, a prominent left winger, not taking part. Looking to throw a spanner in the works is far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen. His National Front has 560 candidates and hopes to make big gains.

Carneval of Cultures

Germany's capital was invaded by musicians and dancers from all over the world this weekend. Up to half a million onlookers packed the streets of Berlin to watch a four-kilometer march. The "Carnival of Cultures" as it's known is a copy of the Notting Hill festival in London. Participants from over 80 countries made this year's one of the most spectacular parades to date. A handful of anti-globalization protesters used the event to voice their opposition to the US President, George W. Bush's arrival in the city on Wednesday. Security will be at a maximum during the President's visit as huge demonstrations are planned. Already this week peace activists managed to lower a banner from a Church which read "peace for the world, pretzels for Bush" a reference to an incident when Bush almost choked on the snack while watching television in the White House.

ITALIAN

Homepage

19 May 2002

Irish elections see huge losses for opposition Ireland's opposition party Fine Gael seemed headed for a crushing defeat in elections to the lower house of Parliament or Dail on Saturday. With most of the votes counted Micheal Noonan announced he was retiring as head of the Party. Several senior Fine Gael figures including the deputy leader and former ministers have lost their seats. Bertie Ahern on the other hand was celebrating gains for his party, Fianna Fail. The Taoiseach or Prime Minister had been expected win a second term in office. It remained to be seen however if Fianna Fail could win an overall majority, something no party has achieved since 1977. Sinn Fein, seen as the political wing of the Irish Republican Army are expected to increase their number of seats from 1 to 5 or even 6. Their winners include Martin Ferris. He spent ten years in jail for running guns to the IRA. The Greens also made significant gains and over a dozen independent candidates were elected. The Progressive Democrats and the third largest party Labor did not look like taking many extra seats. Counting to decide the remaining 17 out of a total 166 seats will resume on Sunday

EU six and Cyprus to take in Palestinian militants

The current holder of the EU presidency, Spain, has reportedly brokered a deal on the final destinations of 13 exiled Palestinians. The men, who are regarded by Israel as wanted "terrorists", were transferred from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to a hotel in Cyprus. Diplomatic sources told Spanish state radio that Spain and Italy will each take three of the militants, Ireland and Greece two each, one will be sent to Portugal, another to Finland and the last man will stay on the Mediterranean island. It was not clear when the Palestinians would leave for their new countries although Cyprus has said it wishes them to be moved by Tuesday.

Schilly calls for cancellation of Benesh decrees

Germany's Interior Minister Otto Schily called on the government of the Czech Republic on Saturday to symbolically cancel the Benesh decrees. The decrees were demands made soon after World War II that all Sudeten Germans leave their homes in what is now the Czech Republic. Schilly found noisy support for his demands from the descendants of the displaced people at a meeting in Nuremberg. Signed in 1945, the Benesh decrees could remain an obstacle to EU membership for the Czech Republic. They required millions of Germans to leave Sudetenland and deprived them of Czech citizenship. The majority then settled in Bavariawhere Schilly has turned their plight into an election issue. The Czech Republic fears that canceling the Benesh decrees could prompt a flood of claims for compensation or the return of former property.

East Timor facing testing times ahead ù

He has the future of the world's newest country in his hands but East Timor's President-elect Xanana Gusmao is facing no easy task in turning his people's fortunes around. The tiny territory is just hours away from independence but behind the excitement about a future free of occupation, harsh facts remain. East Timor will become one of the poorest nations on the planet. It is a land where most die before they reach the age of sixty. Unemployment is a major problem and over half the population does not know how to read or write. In an effort to make ends meet, some have set up stalls in the capital Dili, hoping to sell their wares to delegates from over ninety countries, who are arriving to celebrate East Timor's independence day. "What they need now is money. Money to send their children to school, money to build their own houses, money to do everything and they don't have it," said Xanana Gusmao. Sergio Vieira de Mello, head of the United Nation's Transitional Administration in East Timor, is certain that independence won't provide a quick fix. "A lot remains to be done. The Timorese must realise that they will have to go through very difficult years before they enter this new phase, probably in the second half of this decade," he said. East Timor voted to break free from Indonesia's iron rule in a 1999 referendum. But three years on, Indonesia has cast a cloud over its neighbour's independence party, by sending six naval vessels to the territory in a move that East Timor has described as an "ostentatious display" of military might.

 

The Pope celebrates 82nd birthday

The Pope, 82 today, has been joined by 7,000 Catholic schoolchildren for his birthday celebrations at the Vatican. But his failing health showed as he read the start and end of his speech - but left the rest to an aide. In the last few days some cardinals had suggested that Pope John Paul II might resign. But he is still carrying on his work, and has planned a five-day visit to Azerbaijan and Bulgaria next week.

 

ITALIAN

Homepage

14 May 2002

Russia gets stronger voice within NATO

Final preparations are underway for a NATO-Russia meeting in Iceland's capital Reykjavik. Talks are expected to centre on a new treaty announced by US president George W Bush yesterday on reducing both countries' nuclear arsenals. By throwing his weight behind America's war on terrorism following the September 11th attacks, Russian president Vladimir Putin opened the way for the creation of a new NATO-Russia council: for the first time, Russia will be put on an equal footing with the 19 allies. The arms deal, to be signed at the end of the month, has been welcomed by both sides: while it gives Moscow legitimacy within NATO, it provides Washington with the flexibility to store weapons rather than dismantle them. The new relationship is a prize that Vladimir Putin can hold up for domestic critics of his pro-Western policy. Although he cannot stop NATO's eastwards expansion - mainly onto the soil of the former Soviet Union - he has at least won Russia a stronger voice inside NATO.

U.S. and Russia in disarmament pact

The United States and Russia have taken another major step towards nuclear disarmament with an agreement to sharply reduce their respective arsenals. The plan envisages the two countries' cutting their combined stockpile of weapons by a third to somewhere between 1,700 to 2,200 each. The deal was clinched by American and Russian negotiators in Moscow. U.S. President George Bush had been seeking a less formal arrangement than a treaty, but he welcomed the development nonetheless. "This treaty will liquidate the legacy of the Cold War. When I sign the treaty with President Putin in Russian we will begin a new era of U.S.-Russian relationships." Bush is due to sign the pact during a three day trip to Russia beginning on May the 23rd. He remains committed to the scrapping of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in order to develop the controversial nuclear defensive shield. However, the project face strong opposition from the Russians.

Arafat heads out of Ramallah to inspect Palestinian territory Yasser

Arafat left Ramallah for the first time in five months on the same day that both Israel and the United States said they were committed to one day seeing a Palestinian state set up. The Palestinian leader headed out to see what remains of his dream of statehood. He travelled by helicopter on loan from Jordan since his own was destroyed by the Israelis. He visited Bethlehem and then Jenin the scene of a huge Israeli offensive to root out militants. Arafat's hopes of one day turning it all into statehood was dealt another blow when Israel's governing Likud party cornered its own leader by saying no to a Palestinian state ever. But Ariel Sharon said it was domestic politics talking - he remained committed to a peaceful settlement. Meanwhile the European Union has the tricky task of working out what to do with 13 Palestinians forced into exile by the Israelis as the price for lifting the blockade of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity last week. Israel says they are terrorists, the EU Commission President Romano Prodi says the EU agreed to take them in and they will be distributed amongst half a dozen countries. Their exact status also has to be resolved. In the meantime they stay in a beachfront property in Cyprus which has made clear it wants them to leave as soon as possible.

German election campaign upstaged by new fundraising revelations

The investigation into illegal fundraising within Germany's CDU party has moved to Canada with sensational revelations. KarlHeinz Schreiber an arms dealer living in Toronto and refusing to return home to face legal authorities appears to know all. So a German parliamentary team flew to Canada to question him about his role in illegal fundraising for the centre right party when Helmut Kohl was chancellor. And he didn't stay silent. At a meeting at the German consul's residence he said he had raised 2.6 million euro for the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the CSU, which had so far been untarnished by the ongoing scandal. A conservative official on the investigating panel said no-one should jump to conclusions too soon - the arms dealer has been called untrustworthy by some. Last night no-one from the party was prepared to talk about the charges. The revelations are likely to cause big difficulties for the centre right leader Edmund Stoiber ahead of the general elections in September. He is also head of the CSU.

Cuba is NOT engaged in biological wafare, says Carter

On a historic visit to Cuba, former US president Jimmy Carter has firmly denied allegations that Cuba is working to develop biological weapons. He was given unprecedented access by Cuban leader Fidel Castro to visit any of the island's famed research laboratories. Following a tour of a biotech research centre, Carter denied the existence of any warfare activity. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Colin Powell appears to be distancing himself from earlier remarks by a senior official accusing Cuba of developing biological weapons: "We do believe that Cuba has a biological offensive research capability. We didn't say it actually had such weapons but it has the capacity and capability to conduct such research", said the Secretary of State on Monday. Castro rejects the accusations as a lie intended to counter growing support in the US for a lifting of the 40-year embargo on Cuba.

Protestors block Mont Blanc tunnel

At least a thousand environmental protestors have blocked the French side of the Mont Blanc tunnel. From today, heavy trucks weighing more than 19 tonnes are, in theory, allowed to use the route linking France and Italy. The tunnel was re-opened to cars in March, and to smaller trucks and buses last month. One campaigner said "Today we're blocking the road and we'll continue to do so, we'll make their life impossible." The Mont Blanc tunnel, almost 12 kilometres long, was closed three years ago after a fire inside killed 39 people. Campaigners say pollution levels created by the renewed traffic through the Chamonix Valley will exceed accepted European levels. They have urged lorry drivers to use the alternative Frejus tunnel route

Woman who campaigned for assisted suicide dies

The British woman, Diane Pretty, who went to the European Court of Human Rights to fight for the right to die has died from her terminal illness. She was 43 years old. She suffered from a disease, which attacks the nervous system causing muscles to seize up. The disease left her paralysed from the neck down and unable to look after herself or kill herself. Pretty went to court in London to get permission for her husband to help her die in an assisted suicide. In effect she was asking the court to give permission to a person to kill someone else. The court refused. She then took her battle to the European Court in Strasbourg. It took up her special case urgently but last month it also refused to approve assisted suicide. She said the judges had deprived her of her right to die. Throughout her legal struggle she had been supported in her action by her husband and her children.

ITALIAN

Homepage

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

Homepage

 

12 Maggio 2002

Carter oggi a Cuba. E' la prima volta di un ex presidente Usa nell'isola di Castro

Jimmy Carter alla conquista di Cuba. Oggi, per la prima volta nella storia del castrismo, un ex presidente americano metterà piede a Cuba e incontrerà Fidel Castro. Fu Carter, nell'80 ad aprire le porte dell'America al popolo delle barche in fuga dall'isola per richiuderle un mese dopo quando ormai 120mila cubani erano in territorio americano. La Casa Bianca con riluttanza da dato l'autorizzazione al viaggio. Una visita tanto criticata negli Usa quanto attesa a Cuba. All'ospite Castro ha preparato un'accoglienza regale. Ha promesso che raccoglierà un milione di persone sulla piazza della rivoluzione dell'Avana, che lo farà parlare in diretta alla tv e che, in cinque giorni, gli mostrerà le conquiste del castrismo. "Potrà fare tutte le critiche che riterà opportune", ha garantito il lìder maximo. Carter incontrerà anche i dissidenti, tra cui Vladimiro Roca, scarcerato in anticipo in suo omaggio.

USA: dopo l'11 settembre, più attenti agli studenti

Visti studenteschi addio, gli USA del post-11 settembre si adeguano anche al rischio, per la verità piuttosto elevato, che dei terroristi possano circolare negli USA come studenti. È il ministro della giustizia americano, John Ashcroft, ad annunciare le nuove procedure per schedare gli studenti. "Sono qui - dice - per annunciarvi un nuovo sistema per registrare oltre un milione di studenti stranieri che frequentano i nostri college, università e scuole d'affari" Il nuovo sistema parte su base volontaria, poi diverrà obbligatorio: in pratica, a partire dal luglio prossimo, i vecchi visti studenteschi, ormai anacronistici secondo Ashcroft, saranno rimpiazzati da un sistema informatizzato. Le scuole raccoglieranno le informazioni sugli studenti e le invieranno ad un database centralizzato. Gli istituti dovranno, in particolare, segnalare eventuali sospensioni degli studenti, espulsioni, oppure esami d'ammissione falliti. Un sistema più moderno, insomma, anche se nulla imoedisce ad un vero studente di essere terrorista nel tempo libero.

USA: all'asta "La fontana" di Marcel Duchamp

Se avete qualche milioncino di euro, e non sapete cosa farne, pensate a buttarli nel... cioè, investirli. Perché lunedì va all'asta, a New York, l'opera più celebre di Marcel Duchamp. In effetti può sembrare un urinale, 'pisciatoio' per gli amici un po' volgari, ma è invece una fontana, con tanto di firma dell'artista, Marcel Duchamp. Il gallerista che l'ha in custodia, Michael McGuinness di 'Phillips de Pury & Luxemburg', dice addirittura che questo pezzo è una pietra miliare dell'arte concettuale, non solo dell'epoca prebellica - fu concepito nel 1917 -, ma anche per le generazioni successive. "Per esempio, - aggiunge - molta della produzione del 1945 si rifà alle idee di Duchamp" Idee che forse non rappresentano appieno il genio e la follia di un artista poliedrico come Duchamp, ex dadaista, amico personale di Salvador Dali e da lui ispirato, ma lunedì a New York, insieme alle opere di altri artisti, sarà battuta di Duchamp solo la serie dei quattordici oggetti qualunque che lui reinterpretò come opere d'arte. E che valgono milioni di euro. Fino a due e mezzo solo per "La fontana"

ENGLISH

Homepage

 

10 May 2002

Church of Nativity standoff over as militants begin life in exile

13 Palestinian men hold up in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem for 38 days have arrived in Cyprus. They are banned from setting foot in Palestinian-run territory ever again. Under a complicated deal which took days to cobble together, the 13 militants headed out of the church peacefully and onto a waiting British plane. They will end up dispersed across the EU. The Israeli government accused them of being terrorists. Many of them had held posts within the Palestinian Authority's intelligence service. More than a hundred other people including clerics and peace activists who had stayed in the church during the standoff also emerged one by one. Some headed to the Gaza Strip others into the arms of anxious family members. Even though the Israeli government had accused the 13 men sent into exile of being hardened terrorists at one point the men seemed to be in face-to-face conversation with Israeli soldiers as they emerged. Just hours ago soldiers had their guns trained on the Nativity Church prepared to shoot. For more than five weeks the group huddled inside the church had endured hardship with little food and water as gun battles raged just outside the doors. The standoff outside one of the world's most well known holy sites had sparked outrage within the Christian world and led to the European-mediation effort.

Israel is preparing a new front in its war on terrorism

More and more soldiers are heading towards the Gaza Strip for what is likely to be a drawn out offensive against Palestinian extremists there. Israeli reservists have been ordered to report for duty as the generals figure out how to take on Hamas in one of the most populated strips of land anywhere on earth. The Israeli government gave the order to take on Hamas in Gaza after it claimed responsibility for this week's deadly suicide bombing near Tel Aviv. The Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has condemned the attack and ordered his forces to round up militants but its probably not enough to prevent Israeli reprisals.Arafat admitted some Palestinians are deliberately trying to undermine him and the peace process. US President George W Bush appeared to give Arafat the benefit of the doubt during comments at the White House. Unlike the Israeli government, Washington still believes Arafat has a vital role to play in any future peace talks.

Silicon chip offers hope for blind

They're those beautiful banalities that we all take for granted: colourful flowers; the reassuring haven of a porch-light at night. But for former sailor, John Croker, blind for fifteen years, these everyday sights are a miracle. "I'd like to see kids," he says. "I forgot what they looked like. That's what I want to see." He's talking this way because John's one of six patients taking part in a pilot study that's using video-chip technology to give hope to the blind. In the research, carried out by the Illinois-based private company, Optobionics, an artificial silicon retina is implanted behind the real retina. The chip is photosensitive and according to scientist Alan Chow has repaired damaged retinas. "When implanted inside the eye, underneath the retina, when light strikes it, it produces tiny electrical signals which then stimulate the retina," he says. John and five others were operated on several months ago. While doctor Chow has presented his findings to his ophthalmic peers, it is John who is the most persuasive advocate of the research. "I looked and I could see the lights on our Christmas tree, which is the first time that's every happened for a long time." There are as yet no signs of infection or the body rejecting the implant. And research continues into the chip that could offer a high-tech way out of a world of darkness.

ITALIAN

Homepage

 

 

5 May 2002

France goes to the polls

It is the time to decide for the French, as voters go to the polls today to elect their president in one of the most divisive and controversial election campaigns in the history of France. With the extreme right Jean Marie Le Pen through to the second round, the unthinkable has already happened. Now the world will be watching to see if he can go one step further. Polls suggest he cannot, but the fact he is still in the contest means they hardly proved reliable two weeks ago. With no candidate of their own in the running, and keen to keep Le Pen out of office, some left wingers had been planning extravagant displays of dissent in the polling booth, like wearing rubber gloves as they vote for conservative Jacques Chirac, or putting a clothes peg on their nose. Both protests though have been strictly forbidden. All polling stations will be closed by 8 pm, and a result will be known later tonight.

Death toll approaches 200 after Nigerian plane crash

The death toll continues to rise in Nigeria after an airliner crashed into a residential area in the north of the African country. At least 180 people are now reported to have been killed in what is being described as a calamity. The BAC 111 was heading for the commercial capital Lagos. It came down shortly after take off from Kano, hitting homes and a mosque before bursting into flames. 76 people were on board the plane, including the country's minister for sport. It is thought all perished in the crash. With Nigeria's shambolic health services ill equipped to deal with such emergencies, it is feared the death toll will rise even more with many people reported to be in a critical condition.

Negotiations continue to end Bethlehem standoff

The search for a solution goes on in Bethlehem. Hopes for a swift end to the siege around the Church of the Nativity have faded, but negotiators say they are still confident of bringing an end to the standoff. It all began on 2nd April, when thirty wanted militants shot their way into the church to escape Israeli soldiers invading Bethlehem as part of an anti-militant sweep through the West Bank. Scores of civilians, including clergymen are also trapped inside. Late last night a European negotiator visiting the site, managed to secure a list of all of those currently in the church. Israel has demanded the gunmen be exiled or stand trial in the Jewish state. Palestinian officials have rejected that, but have said they would accept the men's detention under foreign supervision. An end to the standoff could boost hopes for lasting peace in the Middle East. Egypt's foreign minister is heading for Ramallah today for talks with Arafat, while the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon is heading for the US, with what he says is a serious peace proposal.

Space tourist returns to earth

All good things must come to an end, and for Mark Shuttleworth, that meant his trip of a lifetime. After eight days on board the International Space Station, the dot.com millionaire, and world's second space tourist, has returned home. His Soyuz module successfully separated from the ISS, ahead of its journey back down to Kazakhstan. It was from there ten days ago that the 28-year-old South African blasted off, after he paid a reported twenty million dollars for the trip. There may have been eight months of intensive preparations, but there were only eight days on board, and not long after saying hello he was preparing to say goodbye. Shuttleworth is the second man, after American businessman Denis Tito, to have paid Moscow for a trip to the ISS, providing Russia with some much needed funds for its cash strapped space programme, and Shuttleworth, with the chance to fulfill a childhood dream.

ITALIAN

2 May 2002

Arafat free to leave West Bank headquarters

Members of the Palestinian security forces have been celebrating the departure of Israeli soldiers from the compound housing Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's headquarters. At least a dozen Israeli tanks and armoured troop carriers have left the compound in Ramallah in the West Bank. Witnesses also said Palestinian bulldozers began clearing roadblocks set up by the army on the surrounding streets. The withdrawal began shortly after the Palestinian Authority transferred six men wanted by Israel from Arafat's headquarters to the custody of U.S. and British officials. They will be jailed in the town of Jericho. In his first remarks after the Israel pullout, a furious Arafat said what mattered was not what happened to him but events at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity: "This is a holy sacred site not only for Christians but also for Muslims." Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen have battled near the church in some of the worst fighting since a siege of the site began one month ago. Two fires broke out inside the church compound, where around 30 militants have taken refuge with scores of civilians and clergy. The blazes later died out. Palestinians inside the compound accused the Israelis of attempting to storm the church.

Annan aborts Jenin mission

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called off a fact-finding mission into events at the Palestinian Jenin refugee camp. The 20-member team, headed by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, is being disbanded after Israel failed again on Tuesday to give it the green light to go to the region. Israel denies accusations it carried out a massacre during eight days of fierce fighting that left most of the camp in ruins. It insisted on an overhaul of the UN team's procedures and said the mission's final report should omit conclusions. The US has been drafting a resolution at the United Nations that would ward off a stronger Arab-initiated text demanding Israel accept the mission and threatening undefined future measures.

France marches en masse against

Le Pen May Day festivities ended peacefully in Paris after hundreds of thousands of people crowded onto the streets of the French capital. The International Labour Day parade was also a mass rally against the far-right. Police reported few disturbances and the crowds dispersed without the violence some had feared. The Place de la Bastille was flooded with people marching to the spot where the French Revolution began, championing its principles of liberty, equality and fraternity. They came to denounce National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, whose success in the first round of the presidential election has sparked a wave of opposition across the country. The numbers have been disputed, with the organisers claiming more than a million people took part and police putting the figure at 400,000. Hundreds of thousands gathered in towns and cities across the country in similar anti-National Front marches. Le Pen's success has rallied an alliance of mainstream left and right parties behind incumbent president Jacques Chirac, who is expected to win Sunday's second round easily.

Extraordinary pictures from new space camera

Astronomers are expressing delight at the first batch of pictures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope's newest camera. The "out of this world" images feature galaxies hundreds of millions of light years away. They come courtesy of the so-called Advanced Camera for Surveys, which was installed by a space shuttle servicing team in March. It is an instrument, which scientists say provides a 10-fold improvement in Hubble's capacity to comb the cosmos, enabling them to look back to almost the beginning of time. And, with one of the new images showing a spectacular collision between two galaxies, nicknamed the Mice, experts have pointed out that the same fate may lie ahead for our own Milky Way, which is likely to collide with its nearest galactic neighbour, in the constellation of Andromeda. Though no-one is expected to start worrying just yet, with the crash set to take place several billion years from now.

Italian

Homepage