BERLIN (AFP) - German peacekeepers were woefully unprepared for the inter-ethnic strife that erupted in Kosovo in March, according to a leaked internal Defense Ministry report cited yesterday in the German press. The report found that the units had no crisis plan for the outbreak of violence between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority, were poorly trained in using weapons, were not proficient in English and had insufficient protective equipment. The investigation noted that many of the problems had since been tackled, including providing troops with tear gas to deal with riots. Defense Minister Peter Struck has been under pressure for the German troops’ apparent failure to recognize the extent of the clashes where they were stationed, amid opposition calls for a formal parliamentary probe.

The Albanian government said yesterday it would raze 300 hotels, restaurants and cafes that have been built illegally along the Ionian coast. The demolition plans are part of a 10-year project to turn its tourism sector into a main source of income. (AP)

A Kurdish group calling itself the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons claimed responsibility Tuesday for a blast near a concert hall in Mersin, southern Turkey on Sunday which left 13 people injured, the pro-MHA news agency reported. The blast was caused by a hand grenade hurled at a police car. (AFP)