Deutsche Welle English Service News September 20th 2003, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Berlin Summit Scores High for Attempt at Compromise Despite remaining differences over the transfer of power and the role of the UN in the reconstruction of Iraq, the meeting between the leaders of Germany, France and Britain marked a step in the direction of compromise. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1430_A_975523_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Three-way summit in Berlin German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder hosted a summit meeting in Berlin with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac this Saturday. The meeting was called in in a bid to resolve Europe's rift over Iraq, ahead of a debate at the United Nations General Assembly next week. Following their talks, Chancellor Schroeder said they had agreed that power should be transferred to a new Iraqi government as quickly as possible. He said they'd also agreed that the the United Nations should be given a central role in the country's reconstruction. President Chirac said the three leaders had not agreed on all issues. But Prime Minister Blair whose troops took part in the US-led invasion of Iraq, stressed that they had agreed on the need to co-operate on foreign policy issues. Next week, Schroeder and Chirac are to have separate talks in New York with US President George W. Bush. Iraqi Governing Council member wounded A member of Iraq's US-appointed Governing Council has been shot and seriously wounded in Baghdad. Akila al-Hashemi was operated on for stomach wounds and moved under guard to a US army medical centre. She is listed in serious condition. Police say gunmen fired at her car shortly after she left her home in western Baghdad. A hospital spokesman said three bodyguards were also wounded. Hashemi is a Shi'ite Muslim and a career diplomat. She was planning to travel to United Nations headquarters in New York later this month as part of an Iraqi delegation. UN condemns Israeli threats to Arafat The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution that calls on Israel to drop its threats against Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. One hundred and thirty-three voted in favour of the resolution, with only four countries, including the United States and Israel voting against it. All 15 European Union member nations supported the resolution, voting as a bloc in opposition to the United States for the first time. Arab and non-aligned states had asked the assembly to act after Washington vetoed a similar text at the UN Security Council on Tuesday. Israel has been widely criticised for a decision in principle to expel Arafat. Koizumi re-elected as LDP leader Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has re-elected Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi as its leader. This has raised speculation of a cabinet shake-up and a renewed push for economic reform. Koizumi defeated three LDP challengers in a landslide, taking 60 percent of the votes. Observers say Koizumi will now likely reshuffle his cabinet. There's also speculation that he might call a snap election for November amid signs of an emerging recovery of the Japanese economy. Srebrenica memorial unveiled Thousands of Bosnians on Saturday attended the inauguration of a memorial in Srebrenica to the 7,000 Muslim men and boys massacred by Serb troops in July of 1995. Former US President Bill Clinton was invited to the ceremony, where he laid a wreath. Two key suspects in the Srebrenica massacre remain at large, former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic and former Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic. Latvia - last EU entry referendum The people of Latvia are voting in a referendum on whether to join the European Union as part of EU enlargement due in May next year. The ex-Soviet nation is the last of ten mainly eastern European countries to vote. Estonia agreed on entry last weekend. Pre- referendum surveys indicate that between 53 and 63 percent of Latvians will vote "yes". To be valid, Latvian law requires a turnout of at least half-a-million voters or half the number who cast ballots in Latvia's parliamentary election last year. Private funeral for murdered Swedish foreign minister A private funeral ceremony has been held in a Stockholm church for murdered Swedish foreign minister Anna Lindh. The ceremony was attended by Lindh's family and a few friends. She was due to be buried later this Saturday at an undisclosed location. World leaders joined hundreds of mourners on Friday at a public memorial service in front of Stockholm's city hall. On the same day, a Swedish court extended the detention of a man being held in connection with the stabbing attack on Lindh in a Stockholm department store nine days ago. UN creates peacekeeping operation for Liberia The United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved up to 15,000 peacekeepers for Liberia. The new operation is to include 250 military observers and more than 1,000 international police as well. It would integrate some of the West African soldiers already there into the UN force by the start of next month. The council created the mandate for a year, but it is subject to renewal. An estimated 200,000 people have died in 14 years of fighting in Liberia. Bus-train collision in Pakistan, 27 killed In Pakistan a bus and a train have collided at a level crossing without signals, killing at least 27 occupants. A rail spokesman said the dead, including school children, had been in the bus. It was dragged several hundred metres by the impact. The accident happened near Malak Wal, a town 150 kilometres south of Islamabad. At least six other occupants were injured. Jewish leader calls for vigilance in Germany Paul Spiegel, the head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, has called for greater vigilance against neo-Nazis in Germany. This follows the arrests last week of nine suspects accused of plotting to attack a Jewish cultural complex in Munich. Federal prosecutors took over the case after police found 14 kilograms of explosives during raids on some of the suspects' flats. Beer flows in Munich's Oktoberfest Munich's annual Oktoberfest has opened in the Bavarian capital. Mayor Christian Ude performed the keg-tapping ceremony that official opens the event. Six million guests are expected between now and October 5th. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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