Deutsche Welle English Service News 18th February 2004, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Europe's Budding Ménage à Trois The leaders of Britain, France and Germany meet in Berlin on Wednesday to push for further European economic cooperation. But others in the EU fear the trio are trying to run Europe. 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_1117263_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Blair, Chirac, Schroeder start summit of EU's big three The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have started a three-way summit in Berlin to discuss reforming EU labor, economic and social policies. Opening the meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President jacques Chriac, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said it was vital for the bloc to become more streamlined and competitive. The summit has been the subject of criticism from other countries, notably Italy, which has said the European Union's big three are effectively creating a "directorate" at the head of the bloc. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw denied the claims, saying such proposals would be unconstitutional. Train carrying industrial chemicals explodes in Iran; more than 200 dead A train carrying fuel and industrial chemicals derailed Wednesday and caught fire, setting off explosions in northeastern Iran that killed more than 200 people, according to state television. There have been conflicting reports about the death toll. The explosion, which took place outside Neyshapur, 650 kilometers east of Tehran, injured hundreds and devastated five villages, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). Top Neyshabur city officials including the local governor, mayor and fire chief were among the dead, along with 182 fire and rescue workers, it said. At least 400 people were reported injured. According to IRNA most of the victims were rescue workers. At least 13 Iraqis killed in failed suicide truck bombing against international forces At least 13 people have been killed, including two suicide attackers and Iraqi civilians, when two explosives-laden trucks tried to enter a Polish military camp south of Baghdad. Officials said more than 64 people were injured in the blasts, including at least 31 Iraqis, 12 Filipinos, 10 Poles, 10 Hungarians and an American. Polish military officials said troops fired at the vehicles, causing one to explode. New UN chief in Afghanistan says too early to set a date for elections The top United Nations official in Afghanistan announced an accelerated plan to register voters for national elections planned for June, but said security concerns meant it was too early to set a date for the polls. Jean Arnault, the newly appointed U.N. special representative, said the world body was planning to set up 4,200 stations across the country to register the bulk of the estimated 10.5 million eligible voters during May. But he said international forces including NATO were needed to help Afghan police provide security amid fears of attacks from sympathizers of the former ruling Taliban regime. Pakistan and India agree on 'roadmap' for future peace talks Pakistan and India have laid out an aggressive timetable for peace talks on a wide-range of issues, including Kashmir and confidence-building measures regarding their nuclear arsenals. A series of mid-level meetings will begin directly after the Indian elections in April, culminating in a summit in August between Pakistan's Foreign Minister and India's External Affairs Minister. The announcement follows three days of preparatory talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, the first such meeting since India and Pakistan nearly went to war in 2002. Fifth German state proposes headscarf ban for teachers The southwestern German state of Saarland has became the fifth in the country to propose legislation that would ban Moslem teachers from wearing headscarves in public schools. Displaying Christian and Jewish symbols would be allowed under the law because the teaching of Western religions is part of the public school curriculum in Saarland. The ban has still to be approved by the state legislature. Unlike France, the German states are not trying to ban school students from wearing religious apparel. EU commission warns of risks to Germany's ability to honor Stability Pact The European Union's executive commission warned Wednesday that Germany might not be able to reduce its public deficit to under three percent of output by 2005 to comply with eurozone spending rules. Germany and France have both breached the public deficit limit and in principle should be subject to disciplinary measures by European Union finance ministers. But the ministers on November 25 suspended such measures, outraging members of the executive commission who subsequently challenged the decision at the European Court of Justice. Haiti asks for foreign help, US rebuffs call Haiti's prime minister has warned of an impending coup and appealed for international help to put down a violent uprising against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. US Secretary of State Colin Powell has ruled out military intervention in the Caribbean country, calling for a political solution to the crisis. France, however, has said it would consider sending peacekeepers. French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said that France, with overseas territories in the Caribbean and South America, was in a position to rapidly deploy humanitarian resources to Haiti. Meanwhile, US ambassador James Foley has warned Haitian rebels that the United States would not recognise a government that takes power by force. Thailand confirms seventh human fatality from bird flu A four-year-old boy who died in Thailand has become Asia's 21st human victim of the bird flu virus. The disease so far has jumped to humans only Thailand, where it has killed seven people, and in Vietnam, where it has killed 14. The illness is highly contagious among birds but has shown no signs yet of being easily transferrable between people, whose illnesses have largely been traced to contact with sick birds. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/
