Deutsche Welle English Service News 01. February 2004, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Schröder’s Party Staying the Reform Course Germany’s Social Democrats and Greens have reasserted they’re sticking to the reform course amid fears Chancellor Schröder, facing record lows in opinion poll ratings, could be slowing the pace of unpopular reforms. 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_1102120_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Twin suicide bombings kill 56 at Kurdish party offices US army sources in Iraq say at least 56 people have been killed and more than 200 wounded by twin suicide attacks on the offices of Kurdish political parties in the northern part of the country. Among the dead in the city of Arbil were several officials including the region's governor and ministers in the local administration. At a press conference shortly after the bombings, the US army's Brigadier General Mark Kimmit said it was still unknown who was responsible for the attacks. The bombings took place as Kurdish party leaders were receiving hundreds of visitors to mark the start of a four-day Muslim holiday. About 20 Iraqis killed in munitions dump explosion About 20 Iraqis were killed early on Sunday when they set off an explosion while looting a former army ammunition dump. A spokesman for the Polish-led peacekeepers said the blast, apparently accidental, occurred in an array of munitions bunkers in the desert. The dump, formerly used by Saddam Hussein's army, contains heavy munitions such as artillery shells and rockets. It is guarded by Polish troops but spread over a large area, making it difficult to patrol. Saudi Hajj Ministry: 244 dead in stampede, similar number wounded A stampede during a stoning ritual at the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca has killed 244 worshippers. A Saudi Hajj Ministry official said Sunday that a similar number of pilgrims was also wounded during the stampede, which lasted about 27 minutes. The disaster happened after two million pilgrims flocked to Jamarat Bridge in nearby Mina to throw stones at pillars representing the devil. The site has also been the scene of stampede-deaths in the past. BA, Air France and Continental cancel flights British Airways, Air France and Continental Airlines have cancelled nine flights between Europe and the United States due to secuity concerns. The cancellations occurred after the U.S. department of Homeland Security spoke of credible terrorist threats targeting specific flights to the US. A Homeland Security spokesman said that despite the cancellations, Washington did not plan to raise its terror alert level. US deputy defense secretary in Baghdad U.S. deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz flew into Baghdad on Sunday on an unannounced visit to gauge security in the country. The Pentagon's number two, who was one of the chief architects of the US-led war on Iraq, said the inability of inspectors to find weapons of mass destruction did not mean the war was unnecessary. The last time Wolfowitz was in Baghdad a rocket pounded the Rashid Hotel while he was in the building. The attack killed one US soldier and wounded 17 other people. 117 Iranian reformist MPs resign More than a third of Iran's parliament has resigned in an escalating political dispute. The move follows a hard-line body's decision to bar hundreds of candidates from this month's parliamentary elections. President Mohammed Khatami's reformist government has said it may refuse to hold the vote as a result of the latest deadlock. Reformist parties say they will boycott the election. Bird flu may have passed between humans Health experts are examining the possibility that bird flu may have passed between humans for the first time in the current outbreak in Asia. A World Health Organization spokesman said on Sunday two sisters in Vietnam died after possibly contracting the flu from their brother. The brother died from a respiratory illness which was not identified. At least 10 people have died from bird flu, but only from direct contact with infected birds. Health experts have been worried that if the virus mixed with a regular human influenza strain, it might create a mutant form that was able to pass between humans, triggering a human flu pandemic. More than 33 million chickens, ducks and other poultry have been culled across the region to curb the further spread of the virus. Pakistan sacks "father" of nuclear program The founder of Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme has been removed from his post as a government adviser. Abdul Qadeer Khan was sacked after the Nuclear Command Council reviewed a probe into the alleged illegal sale of nuclear technology to Iran and Libya. The decision confirms speculation that he was a prime suspect in the two-month old inquiry. More than 15 people from the country's premier nuclear enrichment facility, Khan Research Laboratories, have been questioned so far and five scientists and officials are still in custody. The family of Dr Khan says the scientist - now in effect under house arrest - is being made a scapegoat. US envoy hopes for next NKorea nuclear talks this month US envoy James Kelly said Sunday he was optimistic about holding a new round of talks this month on ending the North Korean nuclear crisis. Upon arriving in Seoul on Sunday for talks, Kelly met his South Korean counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Su-Hyuck. He will meet Foreign Minster Ban Ki-Moon and Unification Minister Jeong Se-Hyun Monday before going on to Japan for a US-Japan strategic dialogue. The U.S. wants verifiable pledges by North Korea to eliminate its nuclear weapons program. North Korea recently offered to freeze its nuclear drive in return for concessions, including an end to US sanctions and a resumption of energy assistance. Pyongyang also wants a legally binding security guarantee from Washington. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/
