Deutsche Welle English Service News 02. 09. 2005, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Schröder Agrees to Release Oil Reserves While the aftermath of hurricane Katrina has become an election issue in Germany, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder announced Friday he would support releasing oil reserves to ease the situation. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1698714,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- It's playtime again! DW-WORLD's "Click Back" monthly review quiz for September is waiting for you and will test your knowledge of stories we've written. If you answer all questions correctly, you can also win a great prize. To play, please go to: http://www.dw-world.de/english ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Bush views hurricane aftermath President George W. Bush has begun a tour of hurricane-ravaged areas of the southern United States at Mobile in Alabama. He deflected accusations that his federal administration had reacted too slowly. Earlier on Friday, Bush had admitted that the situation was "not acceptable". He promised 10.5 billion dollars in emergency aid. From Alabama Bush will travel to Mississippi and fly over flooded New Orleans in a helicopter. Earlier, its mayor Ray Nagin, in a radio interview, had accused state and federal authorities of failing to adequately coordinate swift assistance. Nagin said there was not enough food or water for tens of thousands of city refugees. New Orleans chaotic, criticism mounts Four days after Hurricane Katrina, the mayor of flooded New Orleans has made a desperate call for help as the southern US city descends further into chaos, including looting. Blasts, reported to be exploding rail wagons, have been heard. Mayor Ray Nagin said there was not enough food or water for tens of thousands of refugees. And, in a radio interview he accused state and federal authorities of failing to adequately coordinate swift assistance. 80 percent of New Orleans is still under water. As officials moved to stave off mounting criticism, President George W. Bush is due to visit Alabama and Mississippi and take a helicopter flight. He's promised 10.5 billion dollars in emergency aid for the hurricane-affected regions. Foreign offers to southern US More offers of foreign hurricane relief have been made to the United States, including pledges from Sri Lanka and Indonesia. They were hit by last December's Indian Ocean tsunami. United Nations chief Kofi Annan said the damage across the southern US was "far worse" than first imagined. He said the UN had specialist disaster teams - from doctors to geologists - able to deploy within six hours. In New York, UN officials have been coordinating offers. The western military alliance NATO, Russia and Japan have also made offers. Germany offers oil reserves Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has offered to dip into Germany's oil reserves to alleviate fuel shortages in the US after its hurricane. Schroeder did not specify how much of Germany's 23 million tonnes of fuel were on offer. The International Energy Agency in Paris, comprising 26 nations, says it too is considering whether to release its reserves of crude and refined fuels to the United States. That news has lowered world oil prices to about 68 dollars a barrel for light sweet crude. Gasoline prices, however, have soared in the US Gulf Coast hurricane region because local refineries are shut or damaged. In Germany petrol prices have risen by several cents. Many oil rigs damaged by Katrina In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the American Petroleum Institute has estimated that 58 oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico have been damaged or lost. The Minerals Management Service said 95 percent of the Gulf's oil output was now out of service as well as more than 80 percent of its natural gas production. President George W. Bush urged American motorists to cut down on their petrol consumption. The US Department of Energy said the impact of Katrina on supplies would be felt more severely than from previous hurricanes. Putin promises tough Beslan probe Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised a group of mothers who lost children in the Beslan school siege one year ago a thorough investigation to establish whether official incompetence contributed to the deaths of 331 hostages. Thirty mothers from the southern Russian town met President Putin on Friday. The members of the Beslan Mothers' Committee have accused authorities of covering up and hampering investigations into who started the bloodshed. On Thursday residents in Beslan started three days of mourning to remember those killed after Russian troops stormed a school where suspected Chechen rebels had taken over 1,000 people hostage. Most of the dead were children. Al Qaeda claims London bombs: TV One of the London suicide bombers has appeared in a video tape, blaming the July bomb attacks on Britain's support for the war on Iraq. The Arabic-language network Al Jazeera aired the videotape in which Mohammad Sidique Khan warned of more strikes throughout Europe. The network also showed a second tape in which Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri claims responsibility for the attacks. It's not clear when or where the tapes were filmed. Fifty two people died in the four suicide bomb attacks on London's public transport network. Putin promises tough Beslan probe Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised a group of mothers who lost children in the Beslan school siege one year ago a thorough investigation to establish whether official incompetence contributed to the deaths of 331 hostages. Thirty mothers from the southern Russian town met President Putin on Friday. The members of the Beslan Mothers' Committee have accused authorities of covering up and hampering investigations into who started the bloodshed. On Thursday residents in Beslan started three days of mourning to remember those killed after Russian troops stormed a school where suspected Chechen rebels had taken over 1,000 people hostage. Most of the dead were children. Turkey could walk away from EU bid The Turkish foreign minister has been quoted as saying that his country would abandon its efforts to join the European Union if it's offered less than full membership. The Economist magazine quoted Abdullah Gul as saying that Turkey would walk away if new conditions were imposed on Ankara. Turkey is due to start accession talks with the EU on Oct. 3, however several EU leaders have raised the option of offering Turkey a special partnership instead of full membership. Israel halts plans to expand settlement The Israeli government says it will not for the time being expand its largest West Bank settlement, Maaleh Adumin. Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that move would only happen with US consent. The United States has urged Israel not to expand existing settlements in line with its commmitment to the Mideast road map peace plan. The Maaleh Adumin settlement is particulary controversial as its expansion would cut off east Jerusalem which is claimed by Palestinians as the future capital of an independent state. Pakistani radicals condemn Israel talks A number of Pakistani radical Islamic groups are planning to hold several rallies across the country to condemn yesterday's historic talks between the Israeli and Pakistani foreign ministers. The leader of the main fundamentalist Jammat-i-Islami party accused the Pakistani government of failing to inform parliament about such a major foreign policy shift. Pakistan and Israel have had no diplomatic ties for the past 50 years. Observers say the talks could lead to formal relations being established. However President Pervez Musharraf said his country would not recognise Israel until a Palestinian state had been created. Broadcasting fair IFA opens in Berlin The international consumer-electronics trade fair IFA has opened in Berlin with the focus on advances in digitalised broadcasting. Over the next six days 1,200 exhibitors from 40 nations will be showing off large flat television screens that deliver sharp images. Also featured will be new forms of digital radio, home cinema and multimedia services. Industry spokesman Hans-Joachim Kamp said surveys showed that one-in-five of consumers were ready to upgrade to the new devices over the next two years. Berlin's fair is expected to attract 350,000 visitors through to next Wednesday. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Germans will likely head to the polls to elect a new parliament on Sept. 18. Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is fighting an uphill battle to remain in office while his conservative challenger, Angela Merkel, has her eyes set on the chancellery. Get all the information about Germany's 2005 election at DW-WORLD. To find out more, go to http://www.dw-world.de/election05 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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