Deutsche Welle English Service News 11. 08. 2005, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Conservative Gaffe Enrages East Germans Germany's first chancellor candidate from the east, Angela Merkel, ran into fresh electoral problems in the crucial ex-communist states Thursday after a key ally bashed the region's "frustrated" voters. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1676848,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The waiting is over for fans of German soccer as the Bundesliga starts again. Get it all on DW-WORLD.DE: We offer you results, tables and live tickers of the matches. Check out picture galleries of the best players and interactive features such as quizes and betting games where Chinese Bayern Munich fans get a chance to compete against Texan Schalke supporters. You'll find it all at www.dw-world.de/soccer ---------------------------------------------------------------------- IAEA studies EU draft on Iran The United Nations' nuclear watchdog is discussing a draft resolution that would call on Iran to suspend all nuclear enrichment activity. The draft being debated by the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors in Vienna expresses serious concern over Iran's resumption of uranium enrichment. But the European Union-sponsored text stops short of calling for the matter now to be taken to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions. The talks come a day after Tehran removed IAEA seals placed on the uranium conversion facility at Isfahan. The plant carries out the first step in making enriched uranium that can be used in the production of nuclear weapons. Foreigners arrested; cleric detained British authorities have detained 10 foreigners suspected of posing a threat to national security. A spokesman for the Home Office refused to identify the detainees but did say that they would be deported. Last week, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced measures designed to allow the government to deport radical Islamic extremists almost a month after the bomb attacks on London's transport system that killed more than 50 people. In a related development, Lebanese police have arrested the Islamic fundamentalist Omar Bakri. He is being investigated in Britain for his remarks on the London bombings but British officials said there was no warrant for Bakri's arrest. Security Council extends Iraq mission The United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to extend the organisation's mission in Iraq another 12 months. The vote reaffirms the UN's leading role in helping to promote a national dialogue which is crucial for the country's political stability and unity. The resolution, sponsored by the US, also calls on the UN to assist the Iraqi people and government in developing institutions for representative government. There are now 260 civilians and military working for the Iraq mission, whose current mandate expires on August 12. Iraqi Shiites want autonomous region In Iraq Shiites have called for their own autonomous region in the south of the country, similar to what the Kurds run in the north. The call from the head of Iraq's most influencial Shiite political party, Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, coincides with talks on a future Iraqi constitution. Correspondents say Iraq's minority Sunni Arabs in the west remain apprehensive about autonomy under federalism. They were once dominant under Saddam Hussein but lack mineral resources, in contrast to oil-rich regions in the Kurdish north and Shiite south. Crude oil reaches $65 per barrel Crude oil prices have hit another record high, breaking the 65 dollar per barrel barrier before retreating slightly. Experts point to high demand from China and the US along with bottlenecks at refineries and low spare production capacity in the OPEC oil-producing countires as the primary reasons for the rising prices. Pullout the limit, says Sharon Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said Israel will not make further concessions to the Palestinians beyond its Gaza pullout that's due to begin next week. His remarks on Israeli television came as Israeli pullout opponents prepare for a mass rally in Tel Aviv this Thursday. The main settler group Yesha predicts that 100,000 opponents will demonstrate. On Wednesday night, 40,000 gathered at Jerusalem's West Wall in mass prayer to protest against the evacuation of 21 Gaza settlements. In southern Israel, Israeli police and troops have been practicing how to forcibly evacuate settlers if they refuse to depart Gaza. Annan urges UN reform by year's end United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has moved back the target date for reaching an agreement on expanding the Security Council to December. He had originally wanted world leaders to agree on a package of sweeping reforms of the world body by September. But member states are still wrangling over differences on key proposals, including the Security Council expansion and a universal definition of terrorism. Kiir sworn in as Sudan's new VP Salva Kiir has been sworn in as Sudan's vice president in a ceremony held in the capital, Khartoum. He replaces former Vice President John Garang who was killed in a helicopter crash almost two weeks ago. Kiir has vowed to uphold the January peace deal aimed at ending the civil war between Sudan's north and south. About two million people died in more than two-decades of fighting. Malaysia declares pollution emergency Authorities in Malaysia have declared a state of emergency due to the high level of air pollution measured along the Asian country's west coast, including the capital, Kuala Lumpur. All schools have been closed and residents have been told to stay indoors as much as possible. Officials have blamed the choking smog on almost 1,000 forest fires set to clear land on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Helicopter crash off Estonia kills 14 Divers have descended to the wreckage of a Finnish helicopter that crashed off Estonia's coast on Wednesday, killing all 14 occupants. On board were eight Finns, four Estonians and two Americans. The Sikorsky helicopter crashed into the Baltic Sea just after leaving Tallinn bound for Helsinki while on commercial passenger flight. Estonia's interior minister ruled out terrorism. Officials said divers had recovered a first body after delays due to bad weather. German conservatives attacked Just over a month from expected early general elections, Germany's opposition conservatives are facing new accusations of insulting voters in the former communist east. Bavarian conservative leader Edmund Stoiber is the latest to have provoked strong criticism, some of it from his own side. He made remarks in which he appeared to characterise all easterners as "frustrated" and question their electoral judgment. In a statement, Stoiber's party said he was referring to leaders from the newly-formed Left Party as frustrated, and not to all east Germans. German economy stagnates Germany's economy has stagnated in the second quarter of this year. The Federal Statistics Office released figures for April through June that showed zero growth in GDP over the first quarter. German exports did show strength growing 5.9 percent over last year but high energy prices and a lack of consumer confidence dampened the economy. Despite the stagnation, economists still are sticking to their forecast of a modest 0.7 percent for the year 2005. Pakistan test fires cruise missile Military officials in Pakistan say they have test-fired a cruise missile, capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads. A military statement said the missile had a range of 500 kilometres and that the test was successful. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said it did not inform India, despite an agreement signed between the two countries over the weekend. It said the deal on informing each other prior to missile tests did not cover cruise missiles. New satellite for Asia-Pacific region The world's largest communications satellite intended for the Asia-Pacific regions has been put into orbit by a European Ariane-5 rocket from French Guiana. The satellite called IPSTAR belongs to the Thai firm Shin, cost 400 million dollars and weighs 6.5 tonnes. The US space agency NASA, meanwhile, has postponed the launch of its next probe to Mars until Friday. First bad weather and then a software problem in its launch rocket forced the postponement. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will search Mars for signs of water. Australians test waste plastic in steel Scientists in Australia say they have developed a way to use recycled waste plastics to make steel. The team at the University of New South Wales in Sydney says carbon contained in old plastic bags and bottles is fed into furnaces and gives steel its strength. The plastics can replace some of the coking coal, the usual source of carbon in steel-making. The team's head Professor Veena Sahajwalla said the environmental benefit was less plastic at landfill sites. In Australia she has won several awards for innovation. Basle down Werder 2-1 In sports: Bundesliga soccer club Werder Bremen have suffered a setback in their quest to advance to the group stage of the European Champions League. Werder dropped a 2-1 decision in Wednesday's qualifying round match against the Swiss champions, FC Basle. The return match is to be played in Bremen in two weeks' time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DW-WORLD offers you a special service for the Bundesliga. Get all the action on your mobile device and you'll never miss out on important news. For more information, please visit http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,1595,8733,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. And of course the DW website also has information about DW-RADIO and DW-TV programmes: topics, broadcast times and frequencies. You can even listen to all programmes as audio-on-demand. 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