Deutsche Welle English Service News 16. 11. 2005, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Future Foreign Minister Says Germany to Stay Out of Iraq Germany's incoming Foreign Minister Steinmeier has ruled out any major foreign policy changes in transatlantic ties, particularly on Iraq. But he's said better relations with Poland will be a top priority. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1778690,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DW-WORLD.DE's Redesigned Web site: More information at a glance! Deutsche Welle's online news service has a new outfit that's more compact, fresher and faster. It's the site's first re-design since 2001. To check it out, please visit http://dw-world.de ---------------------------------------------------------------------- First human cases of bird flu in China Officials in China say a 24-year-old woman in the country has died of bird flu. The death marks China's first human fatality from the virus. The news comes after three human cases of bird flu were confirmed in China. A spokesman for the World Health Organisation said the news showed that China like other countries that have bird flu in poultry can also have human cases. 4 dead in Indian Kashmir's capital At least four people have been killed and more than 100 others wounded in a car bomb attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The morning rush-hour blast in the city of Srinigar occurred in the main business district and close to Dal Lake, a tourist landmark. A little known Pakistan-based rebel group claimed responsibility. Islamic militants have been fighting for independence or merger with neighbouring Pakistan since 1989. More than 65,000 people have been killed in the violence. 3 die in attack on US, Afghan forces In the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, at least three civilians have been killed and four other people wounded in a suicide bombing on a US-Afghan military convoy. A purported Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the blast. In a separate incident late Tuesday, five Afghan policemen were killed when a bomb planted by suspected Taliban members was remotely detonated. The latest attacks come after two suspected suicide car bombings in Kabul on Monday killed at least eight people, including a German soldier with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. Nine people killed in southern Thai raid Suspected Muslim separatists in southern Thailand have raided two houses and killed nine members of one family. Authorities claimed the victims were targeted by militants because they had co-operated with the government in its crackdown on the ongoing Islamic insurgency. Residents blamed the killings on security forces and initially barred police and army officials from entering the village. About 1,000 people have died in the Muslim-majority south since early 2004. Iraqi Sunnis demand probe of abuse Sunni Arab politicians in Iraq are demanding an international probe into allegations that Shi'ite militias linked to Iraq's Interior Ministry abused prisoners in a secret Baghdad bunker. The underground bunker, near the ministry's compound in central Baghdad, was discovered by US troops. Inside they found 173 malnourished and in some cases badly beaten men and teenagers. Meanwhile in Washington, the Pentagon has confirmed that flammable white phosphorus was used against insurgents in Iraq last year, in the town of Fallujah. But it's denied that civilians were targeted as claimed by an Italian television documentary last week. A Pentagon spokesman, in an interview on British BBC television, described white phosphorus as a "conventional weapon" that could be used to drive "enemy combatants" from hideouts. 3 charged in plot to kill ex-Iraqi PM German federal prosecutors have charged three Iraqi men with plotting to kill Iraq's former prime minister Iyad Allawi during his visit to Germany last year. The three were arrested in December 2004 and charged with membership of a foreign terrorist group as well as conspiracy to kill Allawi. The men are also suspected of helping organise funds and recruits for Ansar al-Islam, which is closely linked to Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network. Germany's future FM to stay the course Germany's incoming centre-left foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has said there will be no major policy changes after he takes office later this month. Steinmeier also said that under the new government in Berlin, no German troops would be deployed to Iraq. But he added that Germany must continue its engagement in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led peacekeeping force there. Steinmeier will join a power-sharing government under conservative leader Angela Merkel. World summit on technology opens An international conference on control over the Internet has opened in Tunisia. Several countries like Iran, China and Brazil want more international control over certain aspects of the Internet. But in a latest agreement it's been decided that the most important technical aspects such as the domain-name system will remain with the United States. Critics say the Internet ought to be managed more by the international community rather than by just the United States. But the Americans argue that such a move will undermine the openness of the medium. EU to come up with airliner "black list" The European Parliament is creating a so-called "black list" of airliners considered unsafe for travel. The aim is to better protect citizens of the European Union from flying on planes on which their safety would be compromised. A first list should be ready by February and available at travel agencies and on the Internet. Deutsche Bahn to buy US logistics firm The German state-owned railroad operator Deutsche Bahn plans to buy the California-based logistics firm Bax Global for close €1 billion. In Berlin, Deutsche Bahn chairman Hartmut Mehdorn confirmed that a deal was taking place. The German company said the deal with Bax would make Deutsche Bahn the world's number one transport and logistics group. Australia qualify for World Cup Finally sport and Australia have beaten Uruguay 4-2 after a dramatic penalty-shootout to qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DW-WORLD is looking for the best Weblog. Our International Weblog Awards are in full swing and now it's time for you to cast your vote. 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