Deutsche Welle English Service News 15. 08. 2005, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Iran Warns US, EU on Nuclear Program Iran on Sunday warned the United States that any use of force over its nuclear program would be a "mistake," and told Europe that its attitude would help determine whether it resumes uranium enrichment. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1680027,00.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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Israel begins Gaza withdrawal Israel has begun its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. Police and soldiers have been handing out eviction notices to Jewish settlers, telling them to leave within 48 hours or face being forcibly removed. Israeli officials say hundreds of Gaza settlers have signed state compensation deals to leave, but it's not clear how many have left so far. The Israeli army says around 5,000 opponents of the withdrawal have slipped into the territory, to help some settlers resist evacuation. Jewish settlers and other opponents have blocked some of the most hard-line enclaves, in an effort to prevent the delivery of eviction notices. Palestinian security forces in Gaza have also gathered on the outskirts of the settlements to ward off possible militant attacks. Assassinated Sri Lankan FM laid to rest The body of Sri Lanka's slain foreign minister has been cremated in a ceremony held in the capital, Colombo. Lakshman Kadirgamar's coffin was carried to Colombo's central square, where it was lit in the presence of Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and other dignitaries. Kadirgamar was gunned down at his Colombo home on Friday. Police are continuing to search for those responsible for his killing and have arrested scores of people for questioning. Sri Lankan authorities have accused Tamil Tiger rebels of being behind the assassination, but they have denied involvement. Deadline looming for Iraq constitution Iraqi lawmakers have extended the deadline for presenting the draft of a new constitution to parliament. Members of the drafting committee have not been able to reach an agreement on at least two fundamental issues; the role of Islam in the state and federalism. Kurds are anxious that any wording on federalism is strong enough to guarantee their existing de facto autonomy. Sunnis, meanwhile, have insisted they will not accept a federal Iraq and have asked for that issue to be shelved. Meetings are still underway but according to a Kurdish member of parliament, no final agreements have been reached. Cypriot air crash under investigation The two Black Box recorders from the Cypriot plane which crashed on Sunday have been recovered. The flight recorders will be sent to France for expert examination. All of the 121 passengers and crew onboard died in the crash. The pilot has been identified as a German national from Berlin. A transport official said early indications suggest all those onboard the flight may have already been dead when the plane went down. The Turkish prime minister has offered his condolences to Cypriots, despite strained relations between Turkey and the Greek-Cypriot-led government. Three-party coalition for Bulgaria Bulgaria's three largest political parties have formed a coalition government after seven weeks of stalemate. The Socialists won a general election held on June 25 but without a clear majority. They have now signed an agreement with the centrist National Movement for Simeon II (NMS) of ex-king Simeon Saxe-Coburg and the smaller ethnic-Turkish MRF. The new government will be led by Socialist leader Sergey Stanishev. The coalition is seen to be an important step closer towards the adoption of Brussels-required reforms ahead of the country's accession to the European Union planned for 2007. Indonesia signs peace deal with rebels The Indonesian government and Aceh rebels have signed a peace treaty to end nearly 30 years of fighting in the province. The deal was brokered by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who presided over the signing ceremony which took place in Helsinki. The Free Aceh Movement, GAM, agreed to give up its attempt to gain full independence. In exchange the rebels will receive an amnesty from the Indonesian government, and will be allowed to establish political parties. Iran hardliner to run nuclear policy Iran's new president, Mahmood Ahmadinejad, has named an outspoken hardliner to run the country's nuclear policy. Ali Larijani is known to be a staunch critic of troubled talks with the European Union on providing reassurances that Iran's nuclear programme is peaceful. The former director of the state broadcast media is a trusted aide of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Larijani's nomination is likely to intensify international concerns following Iran's rejection of EU incentives for abandoning sensitive nuclear work. It follows the unveiling of Ahmadinejad's new cabinet on Sunday, which includes a number of hardliners in key posts. Asia marks World War II anniversary Asia is commemorating the 60th anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender. Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi marked the event by issuing another apology for the suffering inflicted by the Japanese military. He also promised that Tokyo would never again go to war. Even as the leader promised his country would pursue peace, thousands of Japanese - including politicians from Koizumi's own party - thronged the Yasukuni shrine, where convicted war criminals are honoured along with Japan's 2.5 million war dead. Nearly 700 dead in Chinese mines The number of workers feared dead or missing at coal mines in China has risen to 700 in the last 6 weeks. 122 miners have been trapped in a flooded mine in China's southern Guangdong province for more than a week. Rescuers remain unable to locate the source of the flooding. Recent accidents have raised further questions about Chinese coal mines, many of which ignore safety regulations in order to meet high demands for coal. India celebrates independence day India is celebrating its independence day with parades, ceremonies and cultural events. Police and soldiers are on high alert across the country after intelligence warnings of militant attacks. A small bomb exploded outside a stadium in Indian Kashmir's main city, Srinagar, just before official celebrations were due to start there, but no one was hurt. Two Islamic groups claimed responsibility for the explosion. Militants fighting Indian rule in disputed Kashmir have frequently targeted Indian anniversary celebrations. India became free from British rule on August 15, 1947. Germany's central bank warns on deficit The German central bank has warned that reducing the country's public deficit had become a matter of urgency. At the end of June, Finance Minister Hans Eichel said Germany's public deficit would reach 3.7 percent of gross domestic product this year, then 3.4 percent in 2006 and 3.1 percent in 2007. According to these forecasts, Germany would break European rules on public spending for the fourth consecutive year in 2005. The EU's stability and growth pact, a fiscal rulebook that underpins the euro, requires governments to keep budget deficits below three percent of GDP. World Youth Day Begins World Youth Day gets underway in Cologne this week, and Pope Benedict XVI is expected to arrive in the city on Thursday. The four day trip will be the German Pope's first visit abroad since his election in April. Catholic youths have been gathering since Friday to celebrate the festival. Pope Benedict has issued a statement inviting all young people from across the globe to attend the event. Activists from the Roman Catholic Church are using the Pope's visit as an opportunity to call for the ban on condoms in the Catholic Church to be lifted. Officials have tightened up security measures for the duration of the event. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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