Deutsche Welle English Service News 15. 04. 2005, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you interested in German soccer? Then DW-WORLD has just the thing for you: On Saturday, we offer you a live ticker of a Bundesliga match. The game starts at 15:30 CET, so be sure not to miss it. Follow all the action by clicking on the LIVE SOCCER banner at DW-WORLD's new Bundesliga Web site: http://www.dw-world.de/soccer ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Joschka Fischer Gets Ready for his Close-Up On April 25, television history will be made in Germany when the parliamentary committee investigating the visa affair lets the cameras in on its grilling of Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1553361,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Twenty die in Paris hotel fire French police have confirmed that 20 people have been killed in a Paris hotel fire, among them 10 children. Firefighters said nearly 60 people were injured, 13 of them seriously. The blaze broke out in the early hours of Friday at the Paris-Opera hotel near the historic Garnier opera house in the centre of the French capital. Some people jumped out of the windows of the building to escape the flames. It is still not clear what caused the fire. WHOS says virus samples missing The World Health Organisation says that the majority of the 3,700 laboratories world-wide involved in a deadly flu virus scare have destroyed their samples of the H2N2 Asian virus. However, the agency's chief scientist said there was concern about reports that some samples were unaccounted for. Klaus Stohr said that two laboratories in Mexico and Lebanon that had been listed had not received samples. Most of the affected laboratories are in the United States. The H2N2 virus is similar to the 1957 flu virus that killed up to four million people around the world. The samples were inadvertently sent to the labs by the US College of American Pathologists. Italian party resigns from coalition In Italy, the Union of Christian Democrats party, UDC, has decided to pull out of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition government. Four ministers left the cabinet, including Deputy Prime Minister Marco Follini. The party said it would continue to support Berlusconi's government. However observers say the prime minister will likely have to resign and seek a new mandate to govern. This follows the government's devastating defeat in regional elections last week after which the UDC had urged Berlusconi to form a new government with new policies. Lebanon holds talks on new PM Lebanese President Emile Lahoud is holding talks with parliamentarians aimed at choosing a new prime minister to lead the country to next month's parliamentary election. Political sources said the frontrunners for the job appeared to be staunchly pro-Syrian Defence Minister Abdel Rahim Mrad, and the more moderate former minister Najib Mikatti. The opposition has thrown its support behind Mikatti. Lebanon has been without a government since the end of February when Prime Minister Omar Karami's government resigned. He stepped down two weeks after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, which plunged the country into turmoil. On Wednesday, Karami abandoned an attempt to form a new government. More anti-Japan protests expected Major cities across China are preparing for more anti-Japanese protests this weekend. Demonstrations are expected to take place in Beijing, Guangzhou and Wuhan among others. Japanese diplomats have warned their citizens in China to be careful and avoid hotspots while Chinese police have told locals not to take part in the protests. Last weekend thousands of people took part in protests in Beijing that turned violent. The demonstrations were triggered by Japan's approval of a textbook which critics say ignores Japanese atrocities committed in China during World War II. 5,000 jobs to go at Rover Administrators involved in trying to save UK carmaker MG Rover have said that up to 5,000 workers of the company's 6,000-strong workforce will lose their jobs. This comes after a deal to save the bankrupt company fell through leaving it on the verge of complete collapse. China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp said earlier it would not consider buying Rover as a whole. However analysts say the company may buy up Rover assets if it's broken up. This is a blow to the Labour government which has put the strength of the British economy at the heart of its election campaign. Prime Minister Tony Blair is due to visit the company's Birmingham headquarters later today to present details of a rescue package. Prince Rainer laid to rest in Monaco A funeral service for the late Prince Rainier III of Monaco has been held in the principality's cathedral. Earlier members of the royal guard carried his coffin from the royal palace. He's to be laid to rest next to his wife, the late Hollywood actress Grace Kelly. The funeral was attended by royalty and political leaders from around the world. Prince Rainier died on April 6 after a month in hospital battling heart and breathing problems. Prince Albert, Rainier and Grace's only son, has succeeded his father as the ruler of the Mediterranean principality. Sixtieth anniversary of Bergen-Belsen Holocaust survivors are marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The Nazi camp, near the northern German city of Hanover, was the first to be liberated by British soldiers on 15th April, 1945. An official British commemoration will take place in Hyde Park in London later today. The main German memorial service takes place on Sunday at Bergen-Belsen. The first British soldiers who entered the camp found piles upon piles of dead and rotting corpses and thousands of sick and starving prisoners. An estimated 70,000 people died at Bergen-Belsen from malnutrition and diseases such as typhus and tuberculosis. Convictions in Russian plane bombings A Russian court has convicted two men for their role in the bombing of two Russian airliners last year. A baggage handler and ticket scalper were sentenced to 18 months in prison for having taken bribes and allowing the suspected Chechen suicide bombers to board the planes. Both planes on internal flights exploded almost simultaneously last August. The attacks claimed the lives of all 90 people on board both flights. A police captain has also been accused of negligence in the case after he let the two female suicide bombers on board without checking their belongings. UN peacekeeper killed in Haiti A United Nations peacekeeper has been killed in Haiti. The soldier from the Philippines was shot dead in a neighbourhood considered loyal to ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Meanwhile, Haiti's interim President Gerard Latortue has assured visiting members of the UN security council that elections will go ahead as scheduled in November. Earlier in the week, the Haiti election commission said the elections could be delayed because of continuing violence in the Caribbean country. Turkish forces kill 21 Kurdish rebels Twenty four people have died in clashes between the military and rebels in south-east Turkey. Local officials have confirmed that 21 Kurdistan Worker's Party, or PKK rebels and three Turkish soldiers died in fighting on Thursday in the Sirnak province. It is believed to be the highest number of PKK rebels killed since the end of a five-year-old cease-fire between the group and Turkey last June. Security forces have been carrying out a multi-day operation in the region to flush out suspected rebels. Turkish authorities say PKK rebels are entering Turkey from neighbouring Iraq. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Inter given six-match home ban UEFA, Europe's football governing body, have ordered Inter Milan to play their next six European cup games behind closed doors. The club were also fined around 250,000 dollars. This follows the crowd trouble at Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final game against Milan rivals, AC. The match had to be abandoned with AC leading 1-0 after Inter supporters threw flares onto the pitch, one of which hit AC's goalkeeper. AC Milan won the first leg 2-0 and were awarded the match 5-0 on aggregate. They now face PSV Eindhoven in the semi-finals. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tell us what you think! DW-WORLD wants to hear your opinion of our Web site. 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