Deutsche Welle English Service News 27. 08. 2005, 16:00 UTC ----------------------------------------------------------------------
As part of our coverage of the upcoming elections, DW-WORLD offers you a new service to keep up to date on what's been happening. You can subscribe to our new podcast, which allows you to listen to DW-RADIO features and news reports wherever you want. To find out more, please go to: www.dw-world.de/podcasting-election2005 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Iraq still in wrangle over constitution Iraq's Sunni Arab minority has demanded changes to the latest draft constitution agreed upon between majority Shiites and Kurds. Already two deadlines set by parliament have been missed in a two-month wrangle. Sunni negotiators in a revised text have again rejected the creation of federal regions, except for the Kurdish north. The Sunnis also want Islam to underpin most legislation. The current draft, however, says it would be "a main source" among several viewpoints. Parliament speaker Hajem al-Hassani said Shiites and Kurds had conceded to Sunni demands. Shiites and Kurds make up 80 of Iraq's population. The US military has said it has freed 1,000 prisoners, mostly Sunnis, from the infamous Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. A Sunni advocate said many had been held without trial. Israel humiliated says Hamas leader Israeli officials are pushing the Palestinian Authority to crack down on the Islamic militant group Hamas after it released a videotape allegedly recorded by Israel's most wanted man. On the tape Mohammed Deif, in hiding since surviving an Israeli air strike on his car two years ago, claimed that the Jewish state had been humiliated by its Gaza pullout and that it marked a victory for armed resistance. Deif, a master bomb-maker who is believed to be behind a series of suicide bombings that have killed hundreds of Israelis, has topped Israel's most wanted list for more than 15 years. Lafontaine challenges neo-liberalism In Germany, ahead of its election on September 18, the newly formed Left Party is holding its conference in Berlin. One of its key candidates, Oskar Lafontaine, said the new left must challenge "neo- liberal" policies harmful to the poor. Such policies, he said, had gripped established parties, including those in Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrat-Greens coalition. Lafontaine called for limits on international flows of capital. And, he accused the United States of staging warfare from airbases in Germany. In 1999 Lafontaine quit as Social Democrat leader. The new Left Party, comprising former east German ex-communists, has added Lafontaine and other leftists from western Germany on its candidate list. Merkel urges "no" to Turkey joining EU German opposition leader Angela Merkel has called on conservative European leaders to join her in offering Turkey a "privileged partnership" that falls short of European Union membership. In a letter to ten European leaders, Merkel argued that taking in Turkey would "overburden the EU" politically, economically and socially. She added that it would endanger the process of European integration. Merkel also cited Turkey's refusal to recognise the Republic of Cyprus as an obstacle to Turkish EU membership. Hurricane Katrina reaches > Hurricane Katrina which battered southern Florida on Friday has gathered strength over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Although classified as a relatively minor hurricane when it hit land, seven people are thought to have been killed as it flooded entire neighbourhoods, uprooted trees, and sent a highway overpass crashing down. Over a million people are currently without electricity. It has now been classified as a > In Chile authorities have seized control of a secretive German colony that has been accused of co-operating with the security services of General Pinochet during his military dictatorship. Police entered the colony called "Colonia Dignidad" on Friday to take over its assets and administration. There was no resistance from residents. The founder of the colony, Paul Schaefer, is facing charges of severe violation of human rights and of child sexual abuse. EU and China discuss textile quotas A second day of talks between China and the EU has ended with no deal on revising a two-month-old textile trade pact. Negotiators have agreed to continue talks over the weekend in hopes of hammering out an agreement. In June, the EU introduced tight quotas on textiles entering the EU from China. Negotiators are exploring solutions such as transferring quotas, or perhaps "borrowing" from next year's quotas or allowing importers to bring in goods ordered before the June 10 curbs. Based on the outcome of the talks, the European Commission could put a proposal to the 25-nation bloc next week. Ukraine cool on ex-Soviet trade zone Ukraine has backtracked on a plan drafted two years ago by four ex-Soviet states to form a free-trade zone. At a summit in the Russian city of Kazan, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said his country's parliament would reject the creation of a supervisory agency, seen as a first step to forming the zone. Russian President Vladimir Putin said his nation, plus Belarus and Kazakhstan, were ready to sign documents for the zone. Yushchenko, who became Ukraine's president early this year after an uprising, has made integration with western Europe a key goal. Kasan, in Russia's oil-rich Tatarstan region, is marking its 1000th anniversary. Australia trails England in fourth test In cricket England are leading Australia in the third day of fourth test for The Ashes at Trent Bridge in Nottinghamshire as Australia collapsed for 218 all out. England scored 477 runs in their first innings which means that Australia were forced to follow on. 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