Deutsche Welle English Service News 17. 09. 2003, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Report Blames School Failures for Dampening German Economy The latest OECD report assessing international education has not only given the German system poor marks, but also says it is partially responsible for the country's economic downturn. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1432_A_973056_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- US vetoes UN resolution on protecting Arafat A UN resolution calling for the condemnation of an Israeli plan to "remove" Palestinian President Yassar Arafat has been vetoed by the United States. Eleven of the 15 UN Security Council nations had voted in favour of the resolution which was sponsored by Syria, the Council's only Arab member. US ambassador John Negroponte read out a statement to the council explaining that he used his veto because the resolution did not condemn the actions of Hamas and other terrorist groups. He added though that the United States did not favour the expulsion of Arafat. But Palestinian negotiations minister Saeb Erakat called Washington's decision to use its veto a "black day" for the United Nations and for international relations. Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom however applauded the veto. Britain, Germany and Bulgaria abstained. Palestinian activist killed in Nablus There's been more violence in the Middle East this Wednesday. A Palestinian man was killed in a firefight with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank town of Nablus. Israeli media are reporting that the Palestinian was the first to open fire. He is reported to have been a member of the Palestinian militant group, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Israel delays fence decision The Israeli government has delayed a decision on whether to extend its security fence it has been building in the West Bank. This comes after a warning from the United States that it would withhold funding if Jewish settlement was expanded. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's security cabinet was to have considered a plan to place the fence around the settlements of Kedumin and Ariel. It lies 20 kilometres inside the Palestinian zone. On Tuesday, a White House spokesman warned that a portion of a $9 billion dollar loan guarantee to Israel could be withheld. Gilligan admits to making errors at Hutton Inquiry The BBC journalist who first reported allegations that the British government enhanced a dossier on the threat posed by Iraq, has been cross-examined by the Hutton Inquiry. This is the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the apparent suicide of British weapons expert David Kelly. Journalist Andrew Gilligan faced tough questions about stories he broadcast based on his conversations with Dr Kelly. During the questioning Gilligan admitted he made minor errors, and said he regretted not reporting carefully enough, although he still stood by his story. Kelly was found dead in July after being publically named as the source of allegations that the British government exaggerated the threat posed by Iraq, to make the case for war. Arab TV broadcasts new "Saddam" tape The Arabic television channel Al Arabiya has broadcast another audio tape supposedly made by the ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. The voice on the badly recorded tape demands that the United States unconditionally withdraws its forces from Iraq. It also encourages Iraqis to intensify attacks against US forces and to wage holy war by all means against the invaders. Numerous such tapes have been broadcast by Arab media in the past but authenticity is almost impossible to establish. The ex-dictator's whereabouts are not known. 35 reported dead as Nepalese army raid Maoist mountain stronghold The State radio of Nepal has reported that Nepal's army has attacked a Maoist hideout in the mountains killing at least 35 rebels. Dozens more were said to have been injured. The raid which took place in the Rolpa district, 460 kilometres west of Kathmandu, which is where the Maoists declared their "people's war" in February 1996. Since then fighting has claimed some 8,000 lives according to official figures. The rebels have called for a three day national strike to press their demands, namely the abolition of the monarchy which they claim only serves the Himalayan country's wealthy minority. General Clark announces US presidential candidacy Former NATO military chief, US General Wesley Clark has decided to seek the Democratic Party nomination for next year's presidential election. This increases the number of challengers for the Democratic nomination to 10. Clark made the announcement during a television broadcast earlier this Wednesday. He is expected to make an official announcement later in the day from his hometown of Little Rock Arkansas. Swedish police arrest suspect in Lindh killing Swedish police are waiting for the results of DNA tests following their arrest of a suspect in connection with the stabbing death of Foreign Minister Anna Lindh. Forensic specialists are hoping to compare DNA from the suspect with that of a sample they hope to get from the knife that killed Lindh. The knife has been sent to Britain for laboratory tests. Police said the suspect is very similar to the man whose image was captured on a video surveilance camera at the department store where Lindh was stabbed one week ago although they emphasisied that he was not the only suspect. They added the 35-year-old has an extensive criminal record. He was arrested in a restaurant in the north of Stockholm on Tuesday evening. Newspaper report says Dutchman to head NATO According to a report in one of Germany's national newspapers, Dutch Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer is to become NATO's new secretary-general. The report, in this Wednesday's edition of the Frankfurter Rundschau, quotes diplomatic sources at NATO headquarters in Brussels, which say de Hoop Scheffer's appointment is to be officially announced within the coming week. The 54-year-old De Hoop Scheffer is a career diplomat who strongly supported the US-led invasion of Iraq. He would replace current NATO secretary-general, Lord Robertson, whose term expires at the end of this year. Giordano wins Leo Baeck Prize The writer and publicist Ralph Giordano has been awarded this year's Leo Baeck Prize by the Central Committee of Jews in Germany. A statement released by the committee said Giordano had earned the award because of his writings which warn against the dangers of right-wing extremism and also help ensure that the Holocaust is not forgotten. The prize, which carries a cash award of 10,000 euros, was named after the rabbi Leo Baeck, a leading member of Germany's Jewish community in the first half of the last century. Driver killed by car bomb outside Danish hospital One person has been killed after a car bomb exploded outside hospital near the Danish capital, Copenhagen. According to police the man who died was named as 32 year-old Mickey Larsen who was known to have contacts with notorious biker gangs with links to organised crime. The bomb was under the driver's seat of the car. The blast took place at the parking lot of Glostrup Hospital, 15 kms west of Copenhagen. Hurricane Isabel threatens US east coast US authorities have ordered more than 150,000 people to leave the North Carolina coast, as Hurricane Isabel closes in on the American eastern seaboard. Winds of up to 180 kph are expected to lash the area when the storm hits land early on Thursday. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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