Deutsche Welle English Service News September 9th 2003, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Controversial Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl Dead at 101 German filmmaker and photographer Leni Riefenstahl -- highly controversial for her propaganda films on the Nazi regime -- died Monday, one week after her 101st birthday. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1441_A_966560_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- At least 3 killed in Tel Aviv blast Reports are coming in of an apparent Palestinian suicide bomb attack outside an army base in Tel Aviv. Israeli radio says at least 3 people have been killed and up to 30 wounded, some of them seriously. The blast reportedly occured at the entrance to the Tzrifin army base, southeast of Tel Aviv. The latest incident comes after last week's attack by Israel on leading Hamas militants in which the group's spiritual leader was slightly wounded. US soldier killed in Iraq Another US soldier has been killed in Iraq. Acording to an Iraqi policeman at the scene, the soldier's fuel truck was hit by an explosion as his convoy drove along the main road north out of Baghdad. Iran given ultimatum on nuclear compliance France, Britain and Germany have given Iran until the end of October to fully comply with the UN non-proliferation treaty. A draft resolution submitted by the three Security Council members to the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency calls on Iran to fulfill all its nuclear obligations. Iran has refused UN nuclear inspectors to conduct snap inspections of its facilities. The United States has accused Tehran of pursuing its nuclear programme with the aim of developing nuclear weapons. Korei seeks backing from US, EU The Palestinian Authority's nominee for the post of Prime Minister, Ahmed Korei, has demanded the backing of the United States and the European Union to implement the international roadmap peace plan before accepting the job. He also called on Israel to end the isolation of President Yasser Arafat and the targeted killing of militants. US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that the US needs to know which powers the new prime minister would have before offering support. Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz has reportedly told a closed cabinet meeting that Israel would never co-operate with someone who "took orders" from Mr. Arafat. Arab League recognises Iraqi FM A delegate of Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council has been allowed to provisionally represent Iraq at Arab League talks this week in Cairo. Arab foreign ministers had previously debated the issue for several hours amid concerns that the move would legitimize the U.S.-led administration in Baghdad. Iraqi Governing Council Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari, who is of Kurdish origin, has now taken up his seat at the Arab League assembly, causing Libya to boycott the meeting in protest. The recognition at the Arab League could also set a precedent for Iraqi Governing Council represenatatives to take up Iraq's vacant seats at the UN and OPEC. SARS case suspected in Singapore Health officials have confirmed a new case of SARS in Singapore. A 27-year old ethnic Chinese microbiologist has now twice been tested positive for the virus. Singapore's acting Health Minister told a press conference that the case was being taken seriously. The World Health Organisation says it expects this to be an isolated case but has warned Singapore to be on guard. Three wards in the city's largest hospital have now been sealed off. SARS first appeared in southern China earlier this year, spreading to around 30 countries. More than 800 people died of the disease and over 8,000 were infected in the six month outbreak. North Korea defends nuclear programme Top North Korean officials have defended the regime's right to develop nuclear weapons during a parade celebrating the country's 55th anniversary. However, the parade was unusual in the absence of armoured vehicles or rockets on display. Many observers had expected Pyongyang to use the occassion to unveil a new ballistic missile with a range of up to 4,000km - far enough to endanger US bases in the Pacific. North Korea says it needs nuclear weapons to deter potential US aggression. Libyan sanctions could be lifted Britain has asked the UN Security Council to lift sanctions on Libya, imposed for its now admitted role in the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland. According to the British Ambassador to the UN, Sir Emyr Jones Parry, London has now reached an agreement with Tripoli in a compensation settlement thought to be worth $2.7 billion. France has asked for the Security Council vote to be postponed until a similar agreement can be reached with Libya over the 1989 bombing of a French aircraft above Niger that killed 170. Sharon starts first-ever visit to India Amidst protests from Muslim and left-wing groups, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has started talks in India with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. It is the first-ever visit of an Israeli prime minister to the country. India's neighbor and nuclear rival, Pakistan, has expressed concern that closer co-operation between Israel and India could destabilize the region. The talks are to cover political, economic and military co-operation, including anti-terrorism measures and India's hoped-for purchase of Israeli radar and anti-ballistic missile systems. Sweden set for "No" vote on euro Judging by the latest opinion polls a majority of Swedes will vote against joining the euro in Sunday's referendum. Several polls gave the "No" vote a lead of up to 11 percentage points over the "Yes" camp. Opponents say joining the eurozone's common currency could jeapordise Sweden's generous welfare system and hand over too much political control over the economy. Supporters of the euro say the economic benefits would far outweigh the potential risks. Along with Sweden, Denmark and Britain have also so far remained outside the euro. Peacekeepers deploy outside Liberian capital West African peacekeepers in Liberia have begun deploying outside the capital Monrovia, amidst continued reports of rebel attacks. 600 troops from Guinea-Bissau have been sent to Kakata, 50 kilometers northeast of Monrovia, after the town was allegedly attacked by LURD rebels. Nearly three weeks after the signing of a peace pact between government and rebel forces, numerous ceasefire violations have been reported from the interior of the country. Peacekeepers had previously only been deployed in Monrovia and on major roads. Bundestag reconvenes with budget debate The German parliament has reconvened in Berlin with a debate on the government budget. An extra 28 billion Euros in new debt is now foreseen for the 2004 budget, 10 million Euros more than originally planned. The budget assumes the German economy will grow by 2% in the coming year, a figure opposition politicians and economic experts have rejected as overly optimistic. German minister hopes for agreement at WTO In the run-up to the World Trade Organisation's fifth ministerial conference, which begins on Wednesday in Mexico, German agriculture minister Renate Kuenast has again called for a radical cutting of export subsidies. The minister also called for a change in the rules which govern access to agricultural markets. Campaigners have widely criticised US and EU agricultural subsidies, which they say artificially exclude poorer producers from exporting to the West. German doctor wins case on working hours In a key ruling that could effect healthcare across Europe, the EU's highest court has decided that time spent by doctors on standby at hospitals should count as normal working time. The case was filed by a German doctor in Kiel who sued his employer for only counting the time he was actually treating patients as working hours. The government says the ruling could cost another two billion euros and require around 20,000 additional medical staff. However the doctor who won the case says it means shorter hours for doctors and as a result better care for patients. Leni Riefenstahl dies aged 101 The legendary German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl has died at the age of 101. Though widely-regarded for their aesthetic innovations, Riefenstahl's films have often been condemned as vehicles for Nazi propaganda. Her best-known works were "Olympia," which covered the 1936 Berlin Olympics and "Triumph of the Will," on the infamous 1934 Nuremburg rally. The director never apologised for her past, maintaining her films were apolitical and her close relationship with Hitler was purely platonic. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. You can even listen to all programmes as audio-on-demand. Serbian News Network - SNN [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.antic.org/
