Deutsche Welle English Service News August, 29th 2002, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD: German Conservatives Join Chorus of U.S. Critics After providing initial support for the US, chancellor candidate Edmund Stoiber says he, like, incumbent Chancellor Gerhard Schr�der, will only support German participation in an Iraq invasion under a UN mandate. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1432_A_619215_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Indochina braces for more flooding Indochina is bracing for more flooding as a water crest from the rain-swollen Mekong River moves downstream from China. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said water levels in Cambodia and Vietnam were alarmingly high. In Cambodia, at least 18 people have been killed and thousands of families have been evacuated as monsoon rains finally eased. The government said 500,000 people could be affected by food shortages. In Vietnam, the Mekong Delta which is flood-prone has reached the level of last year's floods that claimed 58 lives. In Laos, the country least affected by flooding in Indochina this year the situation eased as the first of two flood crests passed by. However, meteorologists have issued heavy rain warnings for northern Laos. Italy and Greece hit by severe rainstorms Southern Europe was hit again by heavy rain on Thursday. Cloud bursts caused local flooding in Greece, and Italy. On the island of Korfu, traffic came to a standstill as roads turned into rivers. In Rome and Naples basements flooded and rural parts of central Italy were inundaunted with water. Meanwhile, in the Czeck Republic clean up operations continued as the EU pledged more money to help pay for the flood damage. Visiting Prague, Guenter Verheugen told Czeck officials, the EU candidate country would be eligible this year for money from the planned EU disaster relief fund. Germany's Bundestag debates how to finance flood aid Just 25 days before Germany's federal election, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his conservative challenger Edmund Stoiber debated how to finance aid for Germany's flood devastated regions. During a special parliamentary session, Schroeder dismissed opposition proposals to increase the government's deficit spending. Mr. Stoiber said the government's rush to increase taxes during a time of weak economic growth would be poison for Europe's largest economy. Flooding along the Danube, Mulde and Elbe Rivers this month inflicted damage to the infrastructure not seen since World War II. The government plans to create a "Reconstruction Help Fund" with �7 billion euros of start capital. Revenue realised from the postponement of personal income tax cuts and an increase in corporate capital gains taxes will be directly channeled into the fund next year. Iraqi opposition leaders to elect government in exile Iraqi opposition groups led by the Iraqi National Congress on Thursday said they will hold a conference in Europe at the end of September to elect a government-in-exile. Opposition sources said the conference, will likely be held in Amsterdam, and was agreed to during a meeting on the future of Iraq earlier in August between representatives of the Bush administration and six Iraqi opposition leaders. However, as the United States continues to ponder a possible military strike, Britain has introduced the idea of setting a deadline for Baghdad to allow UN weapons inspectors to return. The British proposal came as international criticism of the US plans grew louder. Here in Germany, both the government and members of the opposition have warned against an attack. Pakistan, Turkey, China, India and Saudi Arabia have all called on the Americans to seek a diplomatic solution. Middle East violence The Israeli government expressed its regret for the killing of four members of a Palestinian family in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, while Hamas militants vowed revenge. However, the apology from Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer did not appease Palestinian anger over the attack, which killed a mother, two of her sons and their cousin as they slept in an outdoor courtyard of their home. Palestinian President Yasser Arafat issued a statement in which he called the attack "a deliberate crime that aims to sabotage the peace efforts". Witnesses said Israeli tanks entered the village south of Gaza City and fired shells towards the al-Hajeen family home, killing the four and wounding at least three other family members. Norway police charge 150 in child porn crackdown Norwegian police on Thursday charged more than 150 people following a two-day crackdown against child pornography in Norway. The country's National Criminal Investigation Service said they had confiscated computer equipment, videos and pictures which document serious sexual abuse against children. Police across Europe have stepped up their efforts to smash child pornography networks over the last year, by launching coordinated operations. In July, police raided 50 premises in Belgium, Britain, Germany, Italy, Holland, Spain and Sweden following a one-year operation codenamed "Operation Twins". Eritrea sends the last PoWs back to Ethiopia Eritrea on Thursday released 279 Ethiopian PoW's as part of a prisoner exchange program. The prisoners were the last Ethiopian soldiers captured during the 1998-2000 border war to return home under a pledge made last week by the two countries to free all remaining captives. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), under whose auspices the handover took place, said the Ethiopian soldiers crossed the Mereb River bridge to freedom on Thursday morning. No date has been set for Ethiopia's hand-over of Eritrean prisoners of war, which the ICRC estimates to number about 1,300. Venice Film Festival Opens The 59th Venice Film Festival opened on Thursday with a screening of Frida, a film about surrealist Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Some 143 films, including 21 that are competing for the Golden Lion, will be shown at the festival, which runs until September 8th. This year's jury is headed by Chinese actress Gong Li, who won the Best Actress award at the festival in 1992. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For more information please turn to our internet website at http://dw-world.de/english Here you'll find out what's happening in Germany, Europe and the rest of the world. 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