Deutsche Welle English Service News 26. 09. 2005, 17:00 UTC ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Germans have voted, but political parties are not scrambling to find a majority in parliament to form a governing coalition. Get all the news and background analysis on DW-WORLD'S election site: www.dw-world.de/election05 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD: EU Ready to Punish Germany Over Deficit Germany's continued violation of the EU stability and growth pact has once again raised hackles in Brussels. The Union's monetary commissioner now said he is serious about punishing Europe's largest economy. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1722226,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Monitors say IRA has disarmed The independent commission monitoring the Irish Republican Army's disarmament process in Northern Ireland has confirmed that the organisation has destroyed all of its weapons. Gerry Adams, the leader of the IRA's political arm, Sinn Fein, said it was a very brave move while Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern described it as a landmark development. Retired Canadian General John de Chastelain, who led the commission, told reporters in Belfast that the number of destroyed weapons precisely corresponded to the estimates of IRA arsenals provided by authorities. An independent church witness involved in the process also confirmed that the organisation had disarmed. However pro-British Unionists are unhappy that there has been no photographic evidence of decommissioning. Terror suspects convicted in Spain Spain's High Court has sentenced the alleged leader of the terrorist network al Qaeda in Spain to 27 years in prison. Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas was convicted of conspiring with the planners of the September 11 attacks in the United States, but cleared of murder charges in connection with the events. He was among 24 people accused of al Qaeda membership in Europe's biggest trial of suspected Islamic militants. Eighteen of the defendants were convicted. Suicide attack in Baghdad kills 10 Police say at least ten people have been killed and around 30 others wounded in a suicide car bombing in Iraq. The blast targeted a bus carrying employees of Iraq's oil ministry as it passed a police academy in Baghdad. In Hilla, south of the Iraqi capital, gunmen disguised as police officers have entered a school and shot dead five Shi'ite school teachers. In a gesture of goodwill to coincide with the holy month of Ramadan next week, Iraqi and US authorities have begun releasing around 1,000 prisoners from Abu Ghraib prison. The first group of 500 left on buses early on Monday, with the rest to follow later this week. Polish centre-right parties win poll In Poland, results in the parliamentary elections show that the centre-right parties have defeated the ruling left. With over 60 percent of the votes counted, the electoral commission said the conservative Law and Justice party had nearly 27 percent while the Civic Platform had won just over 24 percent. The parties have started talks on forming a coalition government. Both parties promise to create more jobs, lower taxes and weed out corruption that tainted the four-year rule of the Democratic Left Alliance, led by former communists. Israel attacks Gaza militant targets Israeli helicopters have carried out further airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, targeting what the army said were buildings used to either manufacture or store weapons. There were no reported casualties in the strikes, which were launched after Gaza-based militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel over the weekend. The offensive continues despite a pledge by the Palestinian militant group Hamas to hold its fire. In the West Bank, 50 Palestinians were detained by Israeli forces overnight. This comes ahead of a key vote in Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud Party. The party's decision on when to hold a primary election is widely seen as a test of Sharon's leadership. SPD, CDU refuse to budge on leadership Here in Germany, the conservative Christian Democrats have called on Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of the ruling Social Democrats to recognize the CDU's right to lead a possible grand coalition. CDU leader Angela Merkel says this is a precondition to holding coalition talks. The demand comes after Chancellor Schroeder said he was in favour of a coalition between his party and the CDU. Neither side is prepared to back down over who should be the country's next chancellor following the inconclusive election outcome on September 18. The CDU has dismissed the idea that the two leaders could share the job. Rescue continues for Rita victims As waters recede two days after Hurricane Rita struck the US coast on the Gulf of Mexico, the damage is becoming more apparent. Officials say up to 90 percent of homes have been destroyed in some Louisiana towns. US President George W. Bush has urged people who fled ahead of the storm not to rush back, warning that the area remains dangerous due to flooding. Bush also said that Congress should think about giving the military the lead role in coordinating a response to natural disasters. Powerful typhoon hits southern China Typhoon Damrey has pounded China's southern island province of Hainan, leaving at least six people dead. Packing winds of almost 200 kilometres an hour, Damrey made landfall in the early hours of Monday after authorities had ordered the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people. Officials in Vietnam, meanwhile, said 100,000 people were being evacuated there, with the storm expected to hit a dozen Vietnamese provinces later in the day. French police net 9 terror suspects French police have arrested nine people on suspicion of plotting attacks in France. Investigators believe the men are linked to the armed Algerian group GSPC. They were detained in dawn raids outside Paris. In Italy, authorities have conducted raids of homes and offices of 11 Algerians suspected of providing financial support for the GSPC, which has declared its allegiance to the al Qaeda network. Four of those under investigation are already serving prison sentences for arms trafficking. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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