Deutsche Welle English Service News September 14th 2003, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Swedes Vote in Euro Poll Overshadowed by Lindh Murder Swedes vote in a referendum Sunday on whether to join the 12-member euro zone with the outcome wide open after the shock murder of former foreign minister and pro-euro campaigner Anna Lindh. 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_970374_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Powell visiting Baghdad Visiting Baghdad, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has described the security situation in Iraq as "challenging" - within hours of the killing of another U.S. soldier at Falluja, whose vehicle ran over a roadside bomb. After talks with U.S. overseer Paul Bremer and the American-appointed interim Iraqi Governing Council, Powell said the USA was determined to stay until a legitimate and capable Iraqi government was established. Provisional Iraqi foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari said he hoped Iraqis could elect a sovereign government by late next year. Powell had attended talks in Geneva on Saturday hosted by UN chief Kofi Annan, with France, backed by China, Russia and Germany, pushing for a faster transition in Iraq and a greater role for the UN. Killing Arafat an "option, says Olmert Israel's deputy prime minister Ehud Olmert has stated that killing Palestinian President Yasser Arafat was a possible alternative to banishment. Olmert, a mainstream member of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's cabinet told Israel Radio the Israeli government was determined to eliminate all of the heads of terror and that this included Arafat. Olmert has also suggested that further isolating Arafat in what he called "prison-like conditions" in his headquarters in Ramallah was another option. US secretary of State Colin Powell has again warned of the negative impact Arafat's removal would have on the peace process, predicting rage throughout the Arab world. Thousands of people have gathered outside Arafat's offices in Ramallah in recent days to express their support for the Palestinian leader. Typhoon Maemi kills 85 in S. Korea The official death toll from South Korea's worst typhoon in a century has risen to 85, with 25 others reported missing according to emergency relief authorities. Typhoon Maemi crashed into South Korea's southern provinces before dawn Saturday, bringing record 215 kilometer (135 mile) per hour winds and heavy rains that caused landslides and floods. Some 5,600 soldiers have been mobilised to help with relief work as President Roh Moo-Hyun approved a special budget of 1.5 trillion won (1.28 billion dollars) to aid recovery efforts. The government's Central Anti-Disaster Headquarters has warned that casualty figures could rise as communications were restored to areas cut off by the storm, which has destroyed 475 houses and left 25,000 people homeless. Five nuclear power stations were also forced to suspend operations, cutting off electricity to about 1.5 million people. Slash subsides, say poor nations in Cancun At Cancun in Mexico, WTO world trade talks have entered their final day, with poorer nations fiercely opposed to a draft communique as they again press the EU and USA to slash subsidies paid to farmers. India's Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley said a demand by the rich to export more to vunerable poor nations was "incomprehensible". EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy, however, said the text provided an "acceptable basis". It calls for the removal of subsidies on farm produce deemed by poor nations as vital for their livehoods. Mark Vaile, the trade minister of Australia, a member of the Cairns Group of 17 major farming nations, said the text fell far short of the WTO's so-called Doha round of 2001. Three German anti-globalisation groups say a nil result in Cancun would the best for poor nations. Coup in Guinea-Bissau After a military coup in the tiny West African nation of Guinea-Bissau, army chief of staff General Verissimo Correia Seabra on Sunday declared himself interim president in an interview with Portuguese state television (RTP). In an earlier statement, General Correia said that the army had dissolved all state institutions and set up a military committee to restore democracy. The army has accused ousted President Kumba Yalla of violating the constitution and other electoral laws. Guinea-Bissau, a small west African state of 1.5 million people is one of the world's poorest countries. Swedes vote on euro In Sweden the referendum on whether to adopt the euro currency has been underway, with first results expected later this evening. Before the murder of popular Foreign Minister Anna Lindh it was thought that the majority of Swedes would vote for retaining the Krone, however most recent Gallup polls indicate that the outcome is now too close to predict. Police hunting Lindh's killer have released security video footage of a dark-haired man in a baseball cap and grey sweatshirt whom they are seeking for questioning. His face however was disguised to avoid witnesses being influenced. If the vote is "yes", Sweden would adopt the euro from 2006. Estonia holds referendum today on EU membership A referendum is being held today in the ex-Soviet country of Estonia on whether to join the European Union. The small Baltic state of 1.4 million people is expected to vote overwhelmingly in favour of accession. A simple majority is needed with no turnout requirements to begin the process of joining the EU next May along with nine other new members. Portugal again ravaged by forest fires Forest fires have flared up again in Portugal including two that blanketed the capital Lisbon in smoke. Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso blamed arsonists for the rampant destruction, the worst in the country's history. Some 11 percent of Portugal's forest land was destroyed during this year's summer heatwave and fires that caused an estimated one billion euros worth of damage. New blazes were fanned by heat that neared 37 decrees Celsius in Lisbon on Saturday. At least 18 people have died in the fires this year. Duesseldorf Airport evacuated after threats Germany's third-largest airport, Duesseldorf, was evacuated on Sunday after telephone bomb threats - on a busy end-of-holiday weekend. Airport officials said police were searching for possible explosives. Approach roads and parking buildings were also shut, causing traffic chaos outside. Dozens of incoming flights were diverted, mainly to the Cologne-Bonn, nearby. Duesseldorf had been due to handle 64,000 passengers. Thousands of them were instead left stranded. Duesseldorf's last major evacuation happened in 1996, when one of its terminals caught fire, killing 17 people. Ailing Pope beatifies Slovaks An ailing Pope John Paul-the-second has ended his visit to Slovakia by beatifying two Catholic victims of communism during the 1950s in the then-Czechoslovakia. Today's mass - held outdoors in Bratislava was attended by 200,000 people, including Poles who'd crossed into Slovakia from the Pope's native Poland. The Pontiff read only part of his sermon. The rest was read by a Slovak cardinal. John Paul also sent his condolences to victims of Typhoon Maemi in South Korea. Win returns Schumacher to form Finally motor-racing, and Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari has returned to form by winning Formula One's Grand Prix at Monza in Italy. Second in a Williams was Juan Pablo Montoya, who now trails Schumacher by three points. Third was Rubens Barrichello. At the world judo championships in Osaka, Japan leads with six gold medals, followed by South Korea on 3, and China on 2. The final event, the men's open class, was won by Japan's Keiji Suzuki. He beat Estonia's Indrek Pertelson. The women's open class went to China's Tong Wen. She beat Karina Bryant of Britain. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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