Dying Honecker to go on trial next month

BERLIN - Despite the fact that he has less than two years to live, Erich Honecker, the former East German leader, is to stand trial next month in connection with 12 killings at the Berlin Wall and along the former inner-German border, writes Adrian Bridge.

Announcing that the proceedings would open on 12 November, Bruno Rautenberg, a spokesman for the Berlin justice authority, said that Mr Honecker would be joined in the dock by five former senior East German leaders, including Willi Stoph, the ex-prime minister, Heinz Kessler, the former defence minister, and Erich Mielke, who headed the Stasi secret police.