Deutsche Welle English Service News 19.11.2003, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Row over Prestige Oil Spill Continues One year after the oil tanker Prestige sank off the coast of Spain spilling thousands of tons of oil onto Europe's coastline, the dispute over responsibility goes on. 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_1036218_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- US forces increase operations against Iraqi insurgents US forces have struck suspected guerrilla targets across Iraq. Heavy bombing has been launched on the town of Kirkuk, 250 km north of Baghdad. Other fighter planes dropped 2,000 lb bombs around Baquba about 65 km north of Baghdad, and Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit was pounded with mortars, tanks and Hellfire missiles. A US military spokesmen said the attacks formed part of operations Iron Hammer and Ivy Cyclone Two, campaigns intended to break guerrilla resistance. Meanwhile diplomats at the UN Security Council say the United States is planning a new UN resolution that would endorse the creation of a provisional Iraqi government next June. The Iraqi Governing Council has until Dec. 15 to present a timetable for a power transition. The United States, backed by Britain, then wants the 15-member Security Council to pass a resolution before the end of the year. Russia to submit draft resolution on peace roadmap Russia says it will present to the UN Security Council a draft resolution on the Mideast roadmap peace plan. Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov was quoted as saying the draft would be formally presented by Russia's UN ambassador. He added that he hoped the resolution could be adopted by the end of this week. Israel is concerned a resolution would put it under undue pressure over the stalled peace process. Sri Lankan parliament clashes with president Sri Lanka's political crisis deepened as parliament reopened after President Chandrika Kumaratunga suspended it and declared a brief state of emergency. Speaker Joseph Michael Perera said the legislature could disregard the President if she ordered another suspension to paralyse the work of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government. Perera is from Wickremesinghe's United National Party, but the office of the speaker is officially neutral. His rulings are binding on the legislature and cannot be challenged in court. There was no immediate reaction from the president to the challenge to her authority, but officials at her office said the president would study the ruling. The President had criticised the Prime Minister's leniency in peace talks with the Tamil Tiger rebels. Koizumi reelected as Japan's prime minister Japan's Junichiro Koizumi has been re-affirmed for a second term as prime minister by the lower house of parliament. He said economic reforms were necessary but would be less painful to sticking to the status quo. He retained the 17-member cabinet which emerged from a reshuffle shortly before Japan's parliamentary elections 10 days ago. Koizumi now heads a coalition, dominiated by his Liberal Democratic Party, but which also includes two small parties. China threatens Taiwan with military action The Chinese government has threatened Taiwan with military action should the island nation continue to push for full sovereignty. In an unusually frank warning, a high-ranking Chinese official was quoted as saying that the drive for independence by Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian could trigger a war. Chen has based his reelection campaign on an aggressive pro-independence stance. He said he would hold a referendum on Taiwan's status if he was reelected. Officially, China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since 1949, however Beijing considers the island as part of its territory. Arrest warrant issued for Michael Jackson There are reports that US police have issued an arrest warrant for the popstar Michael Jackson. It follows a search of his Neverland Ranch after allegations that he abused a 12-year-old boy. Around 70 officers raided Jackson's property near Santa Barbara in California. Jackson has been caught up in similar allegations in the past. Ten years ago he was accused of sexually abusing a 13-year old, a case he settled out of court by paying a multi-million dollar sum. Turkish police identify synagogue bombers Turkish police say they've identified the two bombers who carried out suicide attacks on two synagogues in Istanbul last weekend. The city's governor said the two men aged 22 and 29 were Turkish nationals. Twenty-five people died and some 300 were wounded in the blasts. The Turkish government has said it believes the al Qaeda terror network was behind the attacks. Schroeder's SPD backs reform course Delegates of Germany's governing Social Democrats have ended their annual conference with a resolution that largely backs Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's package of social welfare and labour reforms. Delegates inserted, however, added calls for Germany's statutory pension system to be extended to civil servants and the self- employed; for a new tax on persons who get large inheritances; and for penalty fees on firms that don't provide apprenticeships. Revenues gained would help finance economically innovative research, childrens' education, and to better support families with working parents, including all-day care for kids. The opposition CDU conservatives' general-secretary Laurenz Meyer accused Schroeder of wrecking the last hopes for growth in Germany's sluggish economy. The CDU and sister CSU party, meanwhile, continue to argue internally over their concepts for pension and health reform. Zimbabwe unions call strike over arrest of leaders In Zimbabwe a two-day strike has been called for Thursday to protest against the arrest of union leaders. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) said police had arrested over 360 people in the capital Harare and several other towns, but police said they had detained only 88 people who would be charged with staging illegal demonstrations. The ZCTU said in a statement people should stay at home to press President Robert Mugabe's government to cut taxes, respect human and trade union rights and to keep transport and consumer prices at affordable levels. EMI plans takeover of Warner Music British music group EMI is planning to takeover rival Warner Music. The group, home to the Rolling Stones and Robbie Williams, said it had made a "firm proposal" to US media giant Time Warner over its recorded music division. Although talks are said to be at an advanced stage, no further details were provided. The deal is thought to be worth about 1.26 billion euros in cash and shares. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/
