Deutsche Welle English Service News 08.03.2004, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Germany Struggles to Close Gender Gap Germany joins the world in celebrating International Women's Day on Monday, but the country is still far from reaching gender equality: The income gap between German men and women is among the largest in Europe. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1432_A_1134372_1_A,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The East is Calling! On May 1st the EU expands to include 10 new members. Join DW-WORLD on a cultural and political journey across thousands of kilometers by participating in our online quiz. You'll come out a winner -- whether it's picking up a prize or expanding your mind. http://dw-world.de/go-east ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Iraq's top Shiite cleric says constitution is obstacle Iraq's leading Shiite cleric has criticised the country's new interim constitution. Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, whose word carries immense weight among Shiites, said the law could block efforts to find a permanent charter. The interim consitution was signed earlier in a ceremony in Baghdad after its 25 members unanimously approved the document. It was to have been signed on Friday but was held up by last-minute objections from Shia leaders acting on al-Sistani's orders. The document is seen as a key step towards full Iraqi sovereignty. Tamil Tiger rebels offer amnesty to renegade commander Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers have offered an amnesty to an expelled renegade commander. In an interview with The Associated Press the rebel group's political chief said the dispute would not lead to factional fighting with the eastern-based renegade leader, known as Karuna. Karuna announced last Wednesday that he and 6,000 fighters were breaking away from northern-based Tamil Tigers in a dispute over troop deployments. The development comes on the heels of a new bid by Norway to keep alive Sri Lanka's peace process, which may be threatened by the rebel split, as well a snap parliamentary election triggered by infighting between Sri Lanka's president and prime minister. IAEA rejects Iran's calls for end to nuclear scrutiny The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog has said that both Iran and Libya have been in breach of the Non-Proliferation Treaty for many years. Speaking at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Mohammed ElBaradei urged both to fully disclose their nuclear activities. Earlier he rejected calls by Iran for an end to the scrutiny of its nuclear programme. Mr ElBaradei said Tehran would remain under investigation as long as questions remained about its nuclear ambitions. Iran had demanded that the files on its nuclear agenda be closed completely. A senior official said on Sunday Iran wanted to reassure the world that its nuclear programme was peaceful. Iran declares women's rally illegal Plans by Iranian rights groups to stage a rally in Tehran condemning violence against women to mark International Women's Day have been branded "illegal" by local authorities. To commemorate the day, seven Iranian women's groups, including the Women's Cultural Center and the Independent Women's Association, had called for a gathering at Tehran's downtown Laleh park. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iranian women have been subject to tough social restrictions, including a strict dress code, exclusion from some professional jobs and fewer rights than men when it comes to divorce, inheritance or insurance. Aristide appears in public for first time since revolt For the first time since his ouster, former Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide has made a public appearance. He attended a news conference in the Central African Republic's capital Bangui where he fled to a week ago following the revolt in Haiti. He insisted he was still Haiti's president and called for peaceful resistance against the occupation. Meanwhile a US military spokesman said that marines in the capital Port-au-Prince shot and killed a gunman who fired on a crowd celebrating Aristide's ouster on Sunday. The spokesman said the man was trying to attack the marines when he was shot. Zimbabwe seizes US cargo plane with suspected mercanaries Zimbabwean authorities say they've seized a US cargo plane allegedly carrying over 60 suspected mercanaries and military equipment. Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mahadi said the plane was detained Sunday night at Harare's main airport after its owners reportedly made false statements on the nature of its cargo. It's not known where the plane arrived from or whether Zimbabwe was the final destination. U.S. Embassy officals said they had not been informed of the incident and were seeking details from the Zimbabwean authorities. German court approves extradition of terror suspect A German court has approved the extradition of an Algerian terror suspect to Italy. He's wanted there by authorities for allegedly recruiting militant suicide bombers for Iraq. Abderrazak Mahjoub was arrested in Hamburg last November at the request of Italian authorities. It's now up to the German government to decide whether and when he should be handed over to Italy. Central banks see global economic recovery The 10 leading central banks say the world economy is picking up strongly. After a meeting in Basel, the president of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, said there were strong signals of a global economic rebound. In the past, the high US trade balance deficit and the strong euro had dampened growth expectations. Mr Trichet said a current rise in the prices of raw materials signalled a global economic recovery. German opposition challenges Schroeder to slash taxes Germany's main conservative opposition Christian Democrats have challenged Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to cut taxes further, presenting a plan that would slash €10.7 billion in revenues and simplify the tax system. The plan is part of a CDU drive to exploit the left-wing government's weak approval ratings in a year of 13 local and regional elections. The changes would streamline Germany's tax system to three basic tax brackets by 2008 and close a large number of loopholes. Finance Minister Hans Eichel has called the plan unaffordable. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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