Deutsche Welle English Service News 11. 05. 2005, 17:00 UTC ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Blair Critics Muted British Prime Minister Tony Blair received a standing ovation and broad support Wednesday from his Labor Party for his election victory as critics demanding his resignation were silenced, party members said. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1580574,00.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- At least 3 dead in Afghan riot In Afghanistan, at least 3 people were killed and 60 others injured after police opened fire on angry protesters. The protesters tried to set fire to several key buildings in the eastern city of Jalalabad after hearing allegations that US soldiers had desecrated the Koran at the US detention centre in Guantanamo Bay on Cuba. Meanhwhile, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Afghan President Hamid Karzi urged the alliance to provide long-term security for his country. NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer did guarantee more protection in the run-up to Afghan parliamentary elections, due to take place in September. North Korea raises nuclear tensions Amid rising tensions over North Korea's nuclear threats, Pyongyang has announced it had taken steps that will allow it to reprocess enough plutonium for six atomic bombs. The announcement comes as the US Ambassador to Japan, Thomas Schieffer, was reported saying that North Korea has also begun preparations to conduct a nuclear test. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned last week that such a test would have grave political and environmental consequences. South Korea expressed "serious concern" about the North Korean statement, while China urged restraint from all sides. Six nation talks on the issue have been suspended since North Korean pulled out last June. Scores killed in bomb attacks in Iraq At least 66 people have been killed in a wave of bomb blasts throughout Iraq. The deadliest attack was in Tikrit where a car bomber targetted a crowd of mainly Shi'ite migrant workers in a busy market area. In another blast in the town of Hawija, southwest of Kirkuk, a man strapped with explosives walked into an army recruitment centre where he blew himself up. Insurgents also detonated three car bombs and an explosive charge in Baghdad. The militants appear to be stepping up their campaign of violence in a continuing effort to destabilize the country. Washington approves Iraq funding The US Senate has approved US$82 billion in additional spending for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The spending package includes funding for weapons, ammunition, medical supplies and body armor. Since September 11th, 2001, the US has spent more than US$300 billion on anti-terror measures. Two die in blast in Kashmir, 35 wounded Two people have been killed and over 30 others wounded in a massive explosion in Srinagar, the summer capital of India-administered Kashmir. The blast also destroyed a two storey building and blew out windows of nearby shops and houses. The pro-Pakistan Al Nasireen group has claimed responsibility for the bomb blast and warned it would stage more attacks. The Islamic group is also one of four rebel groups opposed to last month's historic trans-Kashmir bus service. Illegal immigrants found off Italy More than 600 illegal immigrants have landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa, near the North African coast. A coastguard spokesman said it was the largest influx of migrants this year and that human traffickers were taking advantage of calmer waters to ferry refugees across the Mediterranean. It was not clear if Italy would try to send any of the latest arrivals back immediately. Cheap labour demand creates slave work The United Nations' International Labour Organisation (ILO) says that global demand for cheap labour has forced at least 12.3 million people, many of them children, into slave-like labour. In a new report, the ILO said the vast majority of these people were in Asia and Latin America, many working in agriculture or imprisoned in camps. It also said that sex workers recruited and shipped against their wills comprised the single biggest money-makers in the human-trafficking industry. EU constitution approved in Austria Austria's lower house of parliament has ratified the European Union constitution. The near unanimous vote with only one 'no' comes after the government rejected calls by far-right politician Joerg Haider to hold a referendum. The ratification is expected to be rubber-stamped by Austria's upper house of parliament. The constitution must be ratified by all 25-member countries. France is holding a referendum on May 29th and polls indicate that the Yes and No camps are close. Five dead in South African gold mine South African rescuers have found the bodies of five miners deep underground a day after a small earthquake caused tunnels at a gold mine to collapse. At least 10 people were trapped approximately 2,000 metres below ground at the mine near Johannesburg. An investigation into the safety of the mine owned by the company, Gold Fields has been launched. Bulgaria on road to Europe Bulgaria's parliament has overwhelmingly approved the European Union accession treaty and could join the EU as early as 2007. 234 deputies were on hand for the vote. All but three of them voted for the treaty. Bulgaria expects billions of Euros in EU aid once it joins the bloc. It must first however push through a number of major reforms, including an improvement of the justice system, to avoid triggering a safety clause that could delay entry by a year. Nuclear reactor shut down in Germany Germany has shut down a second nuclear reactor on Wednesday as part of its policy to phase out nuclear power. The closure of the 340 megawatt plant at Obrigheim in southern Germany will be followed by the winding up of the remaining 17 reactors over the next 16 years. The facility was in operation for 37 years. Top EU official slams Germany A top EU official in Strasbourg has said that Germany's former rules for granting visas to foreigners were not in line with European Union laws. EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini said Germany's consular regulations in Ukraine between 2000 and 2002 were not up to standard. He added that the German rules did not provide for sufficient checks of a visa applicant's wealth and intentions to return to the home country. Last month, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer took responsibility for the country's visa policies during that period. The German opposition claims that those policies gave waves of criminals easy entry into Germany. Strike averted in German steel sector It appears that an all-out strike in the German steel sector has been averted after an agreement was reached for higher wages for the industry's 85,000 west German steelworkers. The union side had been demanding wage hikes of 6.5 percent but it seems to have settled on a 3.5 percent increase. The head of the employers association, Helmut Koch, said the deal was something the employer side could live with, stressing that it was important to avoid an all-out labor dispute. Standoff ended at Greek university Greek police say a standoff between two top opposition politicians and a group of anarchists at an Athens university has ended peacefully. Anarchists had trapped former culture minister Evangelos Venizelos and former transport minister Cristos Verelis while they were attending a book-launching ceremony inside the Athens Polytechnic campus. The two politicians barricaded themselves inside the university buildings, after up to 150 self-styled anarchists armed with baseball bats and rocks began attacking cars. Police surrounded the campus but were prohibited from entering. Cannes Film Festival begins The 58th annual Cannes Film Festival has got underway in France. The event lasts for 12 days and is the world's top cinema showcase. Competing for the main prize, the coveted Palme d'Or, are a total of 21 films. One of the films in the competition, "Don't Come Knockin," was directed by Germany's Wim Wenders. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Send us your favorite picks for sight-seeing, museum hopping, historical edification � whatever you�ve got to share with others heading to Germany. Restaurants, hotels, back-country hideaways � write to us with your insider tips and tell us about what you liked best about traveling in Germany. 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