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Deutsche Welle English Service News September 23th 2002, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD: It's Back to the Economy Again Schr�der�s narrow victory is not music to the ears of business and industry leaders. They�re chanting for change and structural reforms of the ailing German economy. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1431_A_642104_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Social Democrats and Greens aim to begin coalition talks quickly The Social Democrats and the Greens have both said that they want to being negotiations toward a new coalition agreement as quickly as possible. The Red-Green coalition, as it is known was returned to power on the strength of the Greens, who took 8.6 percent of the vote, compared to 7.4 percent for the Free Democrats. They were the potential coalition partners for the Christian Democrats, who finished level with the Social Democrats on 38.5 percent. This has led to speculation that the Greens might demand a fourth seat at the cabinet table in the new coalition. However Greens leader Fritz Kuhn said on Monday that their focus in the coalition talks would be on issues, and that so far the party was not pondering making any cabinet post demands. Social Democrat cabinet minister steps down over alleged remark One cabinet post will definitely change hands following Sunday's election. Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin on Monday told Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in a letter that she would not be available to serve in cabinet in the new government. The Social Democrat had been under intense pressure, following remarks she make last week, in which she allegedly compared George W. Bush's methods regarding Iraq to those of Adolf Hitler. Rumsfeld refuses to meet German Defence Minister Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder may hope that the resignation of the justice minister will help smooth over recent strains on relations between the United States and Germany, but U.S. defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Monday made clear that all was not yet forgotten. Rumsfeld said he would not meet with German Defence Minister Peter Struck at an informal NATO meeting of NATO defence ministers in Warsaw. Speaking to reporters before the talks, Rumsfeld expressed displeasure at Schroeder and his government stating that Germany would not take part in any attack on Iraq. Rumsfeld made the remarks before Daeubler-Gmelin announced her resignation. Free Democrat Deputy leader resigns Following the liberal Free Democrats' disappointing showing in the federal election, the party's deputy chairman, Juergen Moellemann, has resigned. The party's presidency had called on him to step down Sunday evening, over a campaign brochure mailed out to voters in which he criticized Israel and a leading member of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. Moellemann said he was resigning to prevent a damaging showdown within the party. At the same time, however, he rejected suggestions that he was largely responsible for the party's poor showing. The Free Democrats got 7.4 percent of the vote, merely a fraction of their stated goal of 18 percent. Merz steps down to allow Merkel to take over as CDU parliamentary party leader The Christian Democrats on Monday expressed satisfaction that they had finished with an equal amount of support as the Social Democrats, even if they fell short of their goal of forming the next government. Prior to the election, the Christian Democrats' candidate for chancellor, Edmund Stoiber said that if he lost the election, he would return to his job as premier of Bavaria. There will be at least one change to the Christian Democrats' team in the Bundestag. Friedrich Merz, who until the election was their parliamentary party leader, announced on Monday that he was stepping down. Earlier, Christian Democrats chairwoman Angela Merkel expressed her wish to take on that job as well. Israeli forces continue siege of the headquarters of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat Israeli forces on Monday have been continuing their siege of the headquarters of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. The bulldozers, which leveled most of the Palestinian leader's Ramallah compound have left, but Israeli soldiers have placed barbed wire around the building in which Arafat and as many 250 supporters are trapped. Israeli and Palestinian official held their first talks since the Israeli army began the seige, but were unable to break the standoff. After the talks, the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat was allowed through the security cordon to brief Arafat in his headquarters. Israel says its aim is to force the surrender of about 50 Palestinian extremists believed to be with Arafat. The Palestinian leader has refused to comply with that demand. French troops set off to Ivory Coast Rebel soldiers in the Ivory Coast on Monday said they had repelled an attack by government soliders looking to retake the city of Bouake. Meanwhile, France has increased its troop deployment in the Ivory Coast to 700 personnel. Their task is to help protect French citizens and other foreigners in the former French colony. Among those caught in the middle of the fighting are more than 100 American and other foreign children hiding at a Christian school. The rebels had earlier called for talks to avoid further bloodshed but President Laurent Gbagbo rejected the offer. State television reported that at least 270 people have been killed and some 300 injured in the uprising which began last Thursday. Asian leaders demand Iraqi action on inspectors Asian and European Union leaders meeting in Copenhagen agreed on Monday that Iraq must re-admit arms inspectors as quickly as possible and allow them full and free access to its facilities. But EU diplomats said differences among the 25 leaders attending the two-day ASEM summit over how much pressure to put on Iraqi President Saddam Hussein ruled out any joint statement. The leaders were due later on Monday to discuss economic issues, including the EU's common currency. Two alleged members of al Qaida arrested in Pakistan Government sources in Pakistan say two more alleged members of the al Qaida terrorist organisation have been arrested. The said one of the arrested is a Pakistani and the other a citizen of Afghanistan. They said the two were arrested in Peshawar on Sunday evening by Pakistani police working together with FBI agents. Floods kill 55 in Vietnam Flash floods and landslides in central Vietnam have killed at least 55 people over the past four days. Local officials on Monday said worst hit was Ha Tinh province, about 250 kilometers south of Hanoi The government has warned of the possibility of floods in the coming days due to heavy rain that has been forecast for the flood-stricken provinces. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. News and background reports from the fields of current affairs, culture, business and science. And of course the DW website also has information about DW-RADIO and DW-TV programmes: topics, broadcast times and frequencies. 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