Deutsche Welle English Service News March 9th 2005, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Ukraine's President Stresses Aim to Join EU At the start of his first official visit to Germany since taking office as Ukraine's president, Viktor Yushchenko emphasized in a DW interview that he sees his country's future in the European Union. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1513014,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DW-WORLD's "Click Back" monthly review quiz for March is waiting for you and will test your knowledge of stories we've written. If you answer all questions correctly, you can also win a great prize. To play, please go to: http://www.dw-world.de/english ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Italy wants collaboration from US Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has demanded that the United States assume responsibility for the killing of an Italian secret service agent by US forces. Berlusconi said the Italians also had the right to demand the truth behind the incident. Agent Nicola Calipari was shot dead as he was taking a freed Italian hostage to safety. The Americans and the Italians involved in the incident have given conflicting accounts of what happened. 30 Iraqis slain near Syria border Iraqi security forces have retrieved at least thirty bodies near the border with Syria. The dead were found dressed in civilian clothing, but are thought to be Iraqi soldiers killed by insurgents. In Baghdad, meanwhile, rebels have carried out a synchronised attack near a hotel housing Iraqi police and foreign contractors. Gunmen, some in police uniforms, killed two security guards before a garbage truck packed with explosives slammed into the parking lot. At least two people died in the blast and around 30 others were wounded. Former Kosovo PM surrenders to UN court Former Kosovo prime minister Ramush Haradinaj has surrendered to the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague and has been detained ahead of an upcoming court appearance. Haradinaj resigned as prime minister on Tuesday after being indicted by the UN court over his role in the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo. The 36-year-old leader is an ethnic Albanian who was a rebel commander during the uprising against Serbian rule. Haradinaj remains a hero to many Kosovo Albanians, but Kosovo Serbs and the government in Belgrade see him as a terrorist responsible for atrocities against Serb civilians. Syrians rally in support of Assad Thousands of Syrians have streamed into central Damascus to show support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Demonstrators denounced mounting foreign pressure on Syria and pledged to stand by Lebanon. The rally came a day after hundreds of thousands of Lebanese showed up to a pro-Syrian rally in Beirut called by the Hizbollah militant group. Meanwhile, Syrian troops continue to redeploy to eastern Lebanon in the first stage of a two-phase pullout agreed by Lebanese and Syrian leaders on Monday. Chechen rebels defiant after chief killed Chechen rebels are vowing to press on with their fight for independence after the death of guerrilla chief Aslan Maskhadov, who was killed on Tuesday by Russian special forces. His death is being viewed by Moscow as a triumph for the hardline policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Muslim North Caucasus territory. Analysts fear, however, that his death removes a moderate who could have negotiated peace with the Kremlin. In the meantime, officials at the European Commission in Brussels have called on Russia to work for a political solution to the Chechen conflict. Yushchenko addresses Bundestag Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has promised that the world would soon see a new, more democratic Ukraine. He made his comments in a speech to the German lower house of parliament. Yushchenko also thanked Germany for its support during the so-called "Orange Revolution", which brought him to power. But he called for more help for the former Soviet republic to transform itself into a modern European country. Continuing the theme of his two-day visit, Yushchenko said Ukraine's future lay in the European Union. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said after talks with Yushchenko earlier that Germany would support closer ties between Ukraine and the EU. 28 die from food poisoning in Philippines As many as 28 school children have died from apparent food poisoning in the Philippines. Elementary school students from the town of Mabini had reportedly eaten snacks made from cassava roots before falling ill. Experts say that certain types of cassava may contain substances that produce cyanide and are toxic to humans. 8 North Koreans seek refuge in Beijing Eight North Korean defectors who broke into a Japanese school in Beijing seeking refuge have been taken to the Japanese embassy. Officials said six women, a man and a child entered the school early on Wednesday morning, but had been taken away by the time students arrived for classes. A Japanese diplomat was quoted as saying they had informed the Chinese authorities about the development. In all, 32 people claiming to be North Korean defectors are believed to be under the Japanese embassy's custody, some of whom have been inside the compound since September. Split UN vote on human cloning The United Nations General Assembly has called for a world-wide ban on human cloning but its vote was split. The 191-nation assembly voted 84 to 34, with 37 abstentions, mainly from Islamic nations. The non-binding UN statement, sought by the US government, US anti-abortion groups and Roman Catholic countries, also recommended a ban on cloning of human embryos for stem-cell research. Nations such as Britain, Singapore and China said this technique offers potential cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's and cancer. Mesa's resignation rejected Bolivia's Congress has voted unanimously to reject President Carlos Mesa's resignation. This comes amid a political crisis sparked by a proposed law to increase taxes on foreign oil companies. President Mesa had offered his resignation to Congress Monday following two weeks of protests and strikes. He said he hoped this would end the protest actions that he said had rendered Bolivia "ungovernable." Restraints on neo-Nazis welcomed Jewish community representatives in Germany have welcomed plans by the government and opposition to restrain neo-Nazis by banning them from marching at memorials dedicated to Holocaust victims. The change to Germany's right to assembly laws will be put to parliament on Friday in a bid to stop the far-right NPD party marching at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on May 8 -- the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe. Paul Spiegel, the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany said the draft legislation would uphold the dignity of victims, protect minorities and prevent Germany's image from being blemished by neo-Nazis. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Join our latest forum: The EU intends to lift its 15-year arms embargo against China, much to the regret of the US which says resuming defense trade would upset the balance of power in the region. What do you think? 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