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Deutsche Welle English Service News Dec.31st, 2001, 16:00 UTC Pakistani Authorities Detain Militants Pakistan police raided the offices of two militant groups in the southern city of Karachi and detained a second militant leader opposed to India's rule in Kashmir as the nuclear-armed neighbours engage in their biggest military buildup in almost 15 years. Police arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad on Sunday night. Both are blamed by India for involvement in the bloody December 13 attack in New Dehli that killed 14 people. Pakistan also detained Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, who gave up the Lashkar leadership last week amid Indian demands for action against the two groups. Both groups have denied responsibility for the attact on India's parliament. -In the divided and disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, India said two of its soldiers had been killed and five wounded in an overnight exchange across a volatile ceasefire line. Both India and Pakistan have said that they do not want a fresh conflict. U.S. Bomb kills Villagers U.S. aircraft bombed a village in eastern Afghanistan and killed more than 100 residents, villagers said on Monday. The attack, in the early hours of Sunday morning, was believed to have involved one B-52 bomber and two helicopters. Villagers said up to 107 people had been killed, but it was difficult to identify victims because of the damage. At least 10 people were wounded. U.S. troops had been invited to witness the damage caused by the attack. Afghan Security Force Agreement Afghanistan's interim government said an agreement has now been reached on the deployment of a multinational security force in the country. The first troops of the International Security Assistance Force are expected to arrive in Afghanistan at the beginning of January. Meanwhile, a senior US official said fresh intelligence suggested that Osama bin Laden was probably still alive, despite weeks of US efforts to destroy him and his al Qaeda terrorist network. Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said Bin Laden was probably still in Afghanistan, although other Afghan officials have suggested that he may have fled to Pakistan. US bombing raids have continued over the past few days against suspected Taliban centres. The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press on Sunday quoted witnesses as saying that at least fifteen people had been killed in US bomb attacks in the last two days. Forty-seven members of S.Africa family die in crash At least 47 members of a single South African family were killed when their truck overturned on the way to a family gathering. Police said the accident occurred on Sunday night when the family were travelling to visit ancestors' graves. About 120 people had been on the truck, including children, and several family members were rushed to local hospitals with injuries. Witnesses reported that the driver lost control of the truck when he tried to change gears on a downward slope and failed. The truck overturned when he applied the brakes. Accusations fly after Zambia's Election Zambian opposition leaders, protesting against what they say is the rigging of the country's close-fought presidential election, called for mass action to force the chief justice not to recognise the result. Reverend Nevers Mumba, speaking on behalf of Zambia's 10 opposition parties, said they had asked their supporters to come to the Supreme Court. Latest results give Anderson Mazoka of the opposition United Party for National Development a slim lead. The swearing-in of the new president has been re-scheduled for Wednesday. Palestinians promise Revenge for Killings Israel's killing of six Palestinians in the Gaza Strip drew promises of revenge on Monday from militants defying President Yasser Arafat's call to halt attacks on Israelis. The six men were killed in confrontations on Sunday. The committee, which includes members of Arafat's Fatah and the militant Hamas and Islamic Jihad organisations, said Ismael Abu al-Qumsan, its leader in the northern Gaza Strip, and two other gunmen were killed in a shootout with Israeli soldiers. The Israeli army said they were killed trying to cross into Israel. Israeli forces also killed three Palestinians in a separate Gaza incident on Sunday. A senior Palestinian security official accused Israel of "assassinating" all six. The violence broke a two-week lull that began after Arafat, under intense international pressure to rein in groups behind suicide bombings in Israel, called for a ceasefire and his security forces began rounding up dozens of militants. At Least 290 Killed in Peruvian Fireworks Blaze The blaze started by a fireworks explosion in Peru's capital, Lima has claimed at least 290 lives so far. Police officials warned that the death toll could rise to well over 300 as more bodies are still being removed from the charred buildings. At least 180 people were injured in the blaze, which took firefighters more than four hours to contain. The fire started when a merchant set off firewowrks for an interested customer, as crowds of shoppers stocked up in preparation for the New Year's festivities. President Alejandro Toledo has declared Monday and Tuesday national days of mourning and placed a ban on the sale of all fireworks. Out with the Old - In with the Euro The countdown to the launch of Europe's common currency has entered its last 24 hours. Beginning New Year's Day 12 member-states of the European Union will replace currencies such as the German mark and the French franc with the new harmonised coins and banknotes. The move marks the biggest monetary changeover in history and is the culmination of a long process, which began with a non-cash version in January 1999. In a keynote speech in Frankfurt, the president of the European Central Bank, Wim Duisenberg, hailed the launch as a historic step towards deeper European integration. Three EU states - Britain, Sweden and Denmark - have elected to keep out of the euro. Chancellor Stresses Germany's Responsible Role In his annual New Year's address, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's stressed Germany's increased responsibility in the world. He said the world community looked to Germany to exercise its economic and political influence to assist in finding solutions to conflicts in other countries around the world. Schroeder said that the achievements of the European Union should be a model for other regions elsewhere aroudsn the globe. He also reaffirmed his government's commitment to the continued global fight against terrorism. ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================