Deutsche Welle English Service News 02.05.2005, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Germany Pressures US Over Nuke Removal Germany is using a meeting to review the effectiveness of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty on Monday to urge the United States to remove its nuclear missiles from German soil. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1570884,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- We'd like to introduce you to our latest newsletter: "Germany Light" give you a weekly look at Germany's cultural, peculiar and sometimes odd happenings. To sign up for regular dose of fun and entertainment, please go to our Newsletter section at http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1170241,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Annan calls for tougher nuke checks UN chief Kofi Annan has told 188 nations represented at a nuclear non-proliferation review conference in New York that controls set up by treaty in 1970 are out of date and must be improved. Opening a month-long meeting at UN headquarters, Annan referred to North Korea's withdrawal from the NPT treaty in 2002 and said such moves undermined the treaty's credibility. He said the UN's watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency or IAEA, should be given more authority to inspect suspected violators. IAEA director Mohamed ElBaradei said the tracing of nuclear materials was essential in determining whether they are used to make electricity or weapons. On the conference fringe, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer urged Iran to stick to its promise not to resume uranium enrichment. Baghdad car bombs kill at least 10 At least 10 people have died and 12 others wounded in a series of car bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. One bomb exploded in a shopping district, killing at least six people. In the Zayouna district police said another car bomb killed two policemen and wounded 10 people. A third bomb exploded in the Huriya district as a convoy was passing carrying a top police commander. Police said he and three of his bodyguards were wounded. There's been an upsurge in violence across the country since Iraq formed its new democratically elected government five days ago. Officials say the death toll stands at over 100, including at least 25 killed on Sunday in a car bombing at a funeral in the northern town of Talafar. Australian taken hostage in Iraq Australia says it will send an emergency team to Iraq to seek the release of kidnapped Australian contractor Douglas Wood. But Prime Minister John Howard has said he will not bow to the militants' demand to withdraw Australian troops from Iraq. The kidnapping was disclosed late on Sunday when Wood's captors released a videotape showing him pleading for his life and calling on Australia, the United States and Britain to withdraw their soldiers from Iraq. Abu Ghraib abuse soldier pleads guilty Lynndie England, one of the US soldiers at the centre of the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal, has pleaded guilty to seven charges at a court martial in Fort Hood, Texas. England was photographed holding a naked Iraqi prisoner on a leash at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Under a plea deal she could face a maximum sentence of 11 years in jail after two of the nine charges against her were dropped. A military court is expected to sentence her later this week. Koizumi wants China arms ban retained Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi says he has urged the European Union not to lift an arms embargo on China. Following talks with EU leaders in Luxembourg, Koizumi said he thought Japan's concern had been understood. Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who holds the EU presidency, said he had told Koizumi that if the EU did lift the ban, it would not increase arms exports in a way that would endanger Asian security. The ban was imposed on China following the Tianmen Square massacre in 1989. Kuwaiti women still unable to vote Efforts to allow Kuwaiti women to vote and stand in municipal elections for the first time have been unsuccessful after parliament failed to pass a law on Monday. Although 29 parliamentarians voted in favour the same number abstained and two opposed it. This comes after it was approved last week in the first round of voting. It's still unclear whether the bill will be voted on again. Current election law forbids women from voting or standing in elections even though Kuwait's constitution expressly stipulates equality of men and women. Many dead in Afghan ammo blast An explosion at an ammunition dump in northern Afghanistan has killed 28 people and wounded 70 others. A government spokesman said the depot in Baghlan province belonged to a militia commander who was killed in the blast. The explosion reportedly destroyed the entire neighbourhood around the munitions dump with many women and children among the casualties. The cause of the explosion is still being investigated. Erdogan offers support for Mideast Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country is prepared to do everything possible to help advance the Middle East peace process. He made his comments following talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, the first visit by a Turkish leader to the West Bank. Erdogan was also expected to offer support in rebuilding the Gaza Strip after Israel's pullout from the occupied territory later this summer. On Sunday Erdogan met his Israeli counterpart, Ariel Sharon. The two leaders agreed to strengthen their ties which have been strained since Erdogan last year publicly criticised Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. Israel's Sharansky resigns Israeli cabinet minister Nathan Sharanksy has resigned in protest at Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to pull out of the Gaza Strip. Sharansky is a former Soviet dissident who had served in the cabinet as minister without portfolio. Under Sharon's plan, all 8,000 Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip are due to be pulled out starting in either July or August. Sharansky said Sharon's pullout plans would only strengthen Palestinian militant groups and divide Israeli society. Sharansky is the sixth minister to be sacked or quit over the issue in less than a year. Israeli soldier, Palestinian killed Israeli military sources say that an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian militant have been killed in a clash in the West Bank. They said the clash took place in the village of Sida, near Tulkarm. Tulkarm is one of three cities that have been handed over to Palestinian Authority security control under a truce declared in February. The Palestinian Authority has condemned the dawn raid on Sida as a violation of trust-building measures agreed by both sides when the truce was announced. Darfur crisis could last till 2006: Oxfam The international aid agency Oxfam has warned that the humanitarian crisis in Sudan's western Darfur region could last until late 2006 if peace and security do not return. The agency's regional director for East Africa, Paul Smith-Lomas, said in a statement that many people were scared to return to their homes, and could miss this year's planting time. This would mean that the next harvest would be in October 2006. The warning came four days after the African Union decided to more than double its peace monitoring mission in Darfur within five months. This will increase its strength to almost 8,000 personnel. As many as 300,000 people have died since the conflict in Darfur began two years ago. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Place your bets on the World Cup qualifiers at DW-WORLD in our multilingual betting game, where you can win attractive prizes. Whether you want to compare your soccer knowledge with fans worldwide as an individual or in a team, this is the right address. Plus, DW-WORLD provides the results and tables for all continental groups: http://www.dw-world.de/qualifiers ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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