Deutsche Welle English Service News 08. 11. 2005, 17:00 UTC ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1769992,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- French government brings in curfew The French government has invoked a rarely-used law to declare a state of emergency to combat the nation-wide wave of riots. The 1955 law allows local authorities to impose curfews, conduct raids without warrants, and prohibit public meetings. Three municipal authorities have declared overnight curfews for teenagers in a move separate from the emergency laws. French Prime Minister Dominque de Villepin told parliament that it would take some time to restore order, as rioting continued for a 12th straight night. He also acknowledged the racial discrimination in France that has inflamed feelings in heavily immigrant suburbs. French violence spills into Belgium Authorities in Belgium are concerned about spill over violence from France. Vandals torched several more cars in Brussels overnight and protestors scuffled with police. Police patrols have been stepped up in the areas. Isolated incidents of violence were also reported in the German cities of Berlin and Bremen. Defence lawyer in Saddam trial killed A lawyer for a co-defendant in the trial of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has been shot dead in the capital, Baghdad. Another lawyer was wounded in the ambush. It is the second assassination of a lawyer since the trial of Saddam and his seven co-defendants opened last month. Meanwhile, an Iraqi journalist has been shot dead in the northern city of Mosul. Ahmed Hussein Malek worked for an independent publication covering events in the largely Sunni region, an insurgent stronghold. The US military also reported that four soldiers were killed in a suicide bomb attack on their checkpoint south of Baghdad. Protests at Chinese leader in London Chinese President Hu Jintao has arrived in Britain for a three-day state visit. During his stay he will hold trade talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair and attend an official dinner with the Queen. Members of the Free Tibet Campaign lined Hu's procession route to Buckingham Palace to protest against Chinese rule in the Himalayan country. Prime Minister Tony Blair made a point of allowing protesters to demonstrate. Activists had complained that during a 1999 visit by Hu's predecessor, heavy-handed policing was used to keep protesters out of view. 'No' vote for head of German Left Party The leader of the German Left Party, Lothar Bisky, has once more been voted down in his attempt to gain the position of vice president of parliament. Opponents of Bisky had criticised that he would lack sufficient objectivity in the job. Each party is entitled to supply at least one vice president, the other five vice presidents were elected without trouble. The new Left Party is made up of successors to East Germany's Communist Party and western German Social Democrats disgruntled with acting Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's reforms. The Left Party got over eight percent of the vote in September's general elections - making it the fourth largest party in parliament. Australian police foil terrorist attack Australian police have raided another home in Sydney as part of an ongoing anti-terrorism operation. Police arrested 17 people in a series of raids in Sydney and Melbourne earlier in the day, seizing chemicals and weapons. Police said the men were part of a terrorist cell, which was planning an attack of catastrophic consequences. The members had been under surveillance for several years. An alleged terror suspect was also shot and critically wounded by Sydney police as he left a mosque. The raids come after the government passed controversial anti-terrorism laws last week. Trial of German Holocaust denier opens The trial of a right-wing extremist has opened in the German town of Mannheim. Ernst Zuendel faces charges of denying the holocaust and inciting racial hatred. He is charged with broadcasting his views through the Internet and has claimed that Israel invented the Holocaust as a way of forcing Germany to pay compensation. Denying the Holocaust is a criminal offence in Germany and Zuendel faces up to five years in prison if found guilty. The 66-year-old runs a publishing house that distributes Nazi and neo-Nazi memorabilia and books. In March, Zuendel was deported back to Germany from Canada, where he had been living since 1959. Renewed calls for aid for quake victims The United Nations has renewed its call for emergency relief for the victims of last month's earthquake in Pakistan. Relief officials from the UN, the Red Cross and other aid organisations say that if the international funds pledged for relief don't get to Pakistan more quickly, thousands of earthquake victims will die as winter sets in. Officials are also calling for more tents and ovens. US and China strike textile deal China and the US have reached an agreement over the import of textiles. The two countries have signed a three-year deal to limit 34 categories of Chinese exports of textiles and apparel to the US market. China's textiles exports have accelerated this year after a global quota system was scrapped on January 1. Speaking in London, the US Trade representative, Rob Portman, claimed the deal was "fair to both countries." Liberians pick president in runoff Polls in the west African country of Liberia have opened for the first presidential election after 14 years of civil war. The soccer icon and political newcomer George Weah is being challenged by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a veteran economist, formerly with the World Bank. Analysts say turnout among Liberia's 1.3 million mainly young, voters, will be a decisive factor. Results are expected to take two weeks to trickle in from 3,000 polling stations. UN chief Kofi Annan has urged Liberians to vote peacefully and accept the poll outcome. Germany has 'til 2007 to rein in deficit The European Commission has given the incoming German government until the end of 2007 to bring its budget deficit within EU limits. Eurozone finance ministers meeting in Brussels said it was crucial for the new German government to stick to the rules of the EU's Growth and Stability Pact. Germany is set to break the three-percent deficit limit this year for the fourth year running. Germany's top parties working out a coalition deal said they had agreed on more than 20 billion euros in budget savings. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bundesliga is in full swing 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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