Deutsche Welle English Service News September 12th 2003, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Sweden Presses Ahead with Euro Vote Sweden has decided to go ahead with a referendum on whether to join the euro this weekend despite the murder of the country's foreign minister, Anna Lindh. A new poll suggests her death Thursday may help the 'yes' vote. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1433_A_969115_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Israel warned not to expel Arafat Israel's decision to expel Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has brought warnings from around the world that such a move could fuel increased violence across the Middle East. The United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia, members of the so-called "quartet" of mediators seeking a Middle East peace settlement, have all cautioned Israel against driving out the Palestinians' elected president. Israel's security cabinet on Thursday vowed to "remove" Arafat, saying it would decide on the method to be used at another date. It called Arafat an obstacle to peace, following two suicide bombings that killed 15 Israelis on Tuesday. In response to Israel's announcement, thousands of Palestinians gathered at Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah, and tens of thousands took to the streets in other cities in the West Bank and Gaza in a show of popular support for their leader. UN lifts sanctions on Libya Fifteen years after the bombing of Pan Am 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, the U.N. Security Council has lifted sanctions against Libya, triggering the release of up to $2.7 billion to the families of the attack's 270 victims. France and the United States, which has its own separate sanctions on the Tripoli government, abstained in the 13-0 council vote to end the embargoes imposed on Libya after the 1988 mid-air attack. Passage was assured on Thursday when France withdrew a threat to veto the measure after relatives of the victims of a separate 1989 bombing of a French UTA airliner won a promise of additional compensation from the Libyan government. CIA believes voice of bin Laden authentic The CIA said on Friday further analysis of an audio recording broadcast this week indicated it "probably" was the voice of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. A CIA official however told Reuters news agency that the CIA could not determine when the tape was made as there was no time-specific reference in the message. The audio recordings accompanied a video, also broadcast this week, showing bin Laden and his main deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, walking on rocky terrain. The voice purporting to be bin Laden praised the hijackers involved in the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11 2001, but made no reference to any recent events. IAEA decides in favour of deadline for Iran nuclear programme The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has decided to impose an October 31 deadline on Iran to prove it is not secretly developing atomic weapons. The move could lead to UN sanctions on the Islamic republic if the deadline is not heeded. The United States, which accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons under cover of a nuclear energy programme, lobbied strongly in favour of the deadline, firmly supported by France and Germany. A diplomat at the meeting told reporters that Iran's delegation to the board meeting in Vienna left in protest just before the board made its decision. Manhunt underway in Sweden for Lindh's killer Sweden is pushing on with plans for a referendum on the euro despite the murder of foreign Minister Anna Lindh by an unknown assailant, with politicians vowing that a "madman" would not stop democracy. Political leaders around the world have paid tribute to Lindh, with German foreign minister Joschka Fischer calling her a great European and a good friend. The motive for the killing,- in which 46-year-old Lindh sustained knife injuries to the chest, stomach and arms,- is still unknown. Swedish police have started a manhunt to find Lindh's killer. The foreign ministry has said that Lindh received an e-mail on August 27 threatening her and her family and denouncing her for teaming up with big business in favour of the European Union's single currency. German police foil far-right anti-Jewish attack German police say they have foiled a suspected far-right bomb attack against a Jewish centre currently under construction in Munich. The statement followed a number of arrests this week of people with connections to the far right and skinhead scene, as well as the seizure of large quantities of explosive materials, weapons and neo-Nazi literature in police raids. A spokesperson for the German federal prosecutor's office confirmed reports that the suspects were planning to detonate a bomb during the foundation-laying ceremony at the Jewish cultural centre on November 9. The ceremony is to coincide with the 65th anniversary of the so-called "Reichskristallnacht" pogrom of 1938, in which 91 Jews were murdered and thousands of synagogues and Jewish-owned shops destroyed. Incumbent Kagame sworn in as president of Rwanda Paul Kagame was today sworn in as president of Rwanda for a seven-year term. At least nine African presidents, including South Africa's Thabo Mbeki, Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda were present at the inauguration, which was attended by around 30,000 people in the national stadium in the capital Kigali. 45-year-old Kagame has been in charge of Rwandan politics since leading the rebel army that ended the country's 1994 genocide and seized the capital in July that year. He became president in 2000 and was re-elected by an overwhelming majority last month. European Union observers said the election, the country's first multiparty presidential poll since the genocide, was not entirely free and fair, but an important step to democracy. Rwanda has rejected the EU report as one-sided. Country music legend Johnny Cash dies at 71 Country music icon Johnny Cash has died at the age of 71. His manager said he had died due to complications from diabetes in Nashville, Tennessee. Known as country music's "Man in Black," Cash was credited with being the inspiration for a generation of Nashville upstarts. Most recently, Cash was given the award for Best Cinematography in a Video at last month's MTV Video Music Awards for his video "Hurt." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/
