Deutsche Welle English Service News 03. 12. 2005, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Reports: Deadline Has Passed for German Hostage Held in Iraq The first deadline set by the kidnappers in Iraq of a German woman has passed, German news magazines reported Saturday. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1800489,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- G7: open up global markets The Group of Seven wealthiest nations, the G7, has said that all countries participating at the World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong later this month must help international markets become more open. The G7 just finished two day talks in London. The comment was aimed primarily at developing countries. Many of them have said they will only allow developed economies access to their markets if they give ground on agricultural subsidies and tariffs. The G7 also said they expected the global economy to grow, but that high oil prices are slowing it down. The World Trade Organisation meeting takes place from December 13 to 18. Britain: EU budget compromise may fail Britain has said there is a chance that the European Union may not reach an agreement on a budget for 2007-2013 at its summit two weeks from now. Britain is in charge of negotiating the deal, because it currently holds the European Union presidency. British Europe Minister Douglas Alexander said it was not clear that EU countries could compromise on a budget. There are two main sticking points: First, Britain does not want to give up a rebate it originally secured over two decades ago. Second, France is refusing to reform the farm subsidy system, from which it greatly benefits. On Monday, some details were leaked of the compromise Britain plans to offer, which involves cutting funding to new members in central and Eastern Europe. The EU Commission suggested that would be equivalent to taking from the poor to give to the rich. Ukraine declares bird flu emergency Ukraine has declared a state of emergency in the region where bird flu was confirmed. Agriculture Minister Olexander Baranivsky said that the four villages where bird flu was found, on the Crimean peninsula, are now under quarantine. He also announced a ban on all live poultry sales in the region. Some 1,600 domesticated birds have died there during the past three days. Tests are pending to see if the bird flu which killed is indeed the H5N1 strain which has also killed more than 60 people in Asia and spread to Europe. This was Ukraine's first reported case of bird flu. Report: CIA planes landed in Germany German newsmagazine Der Spiegel has reported that the government has a list of more than 400 monitored flights which could have been secretly conducted by the US Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA. The opposition Green party has demanded an explanation from Washington. The magazine reported that air traffic controllers found two planes, used by the CIA, which had each landed at US military or other airports in Germany 100 times in 2002 and 2003. There are numerous media allegations that the CIA has been running secret prisons for terror suspects in Eastern Europe. The flights transporting those prisoners are reportedly held secret. US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is visiting Europe next week, in part to address the allegations. Abbas invites Pope to Holy Land Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has invited the Pope for a visit. Abbas was at the Vatican for a private audience with Pope Benedict. A member of the President's party gave the Pope a passport from the Palestinian Authority as an invitation to visit Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, which is in the occupied West Bank. Abbas said Benedict was very welcome in Jerusalem and the holy places. Benedict thanked him. The Pope met last month with Israeli President Moshe Katsav, who also invited him for a visit. Benedict's predecessor, the late John Paul II, went to Israel and the Palestinian territories five years ago. He asked Jews for forgiveness for past Roman Catholic persecution, and called for the creation of a Palestinian state. 20 dead found at Syrian post in Lebanon Residents of a village in Lebanon have discovered 20 bodies buried there, near the former headquarters of Syrian intelligence. The mass grave was on a hillside; the remains were at least 12 years old. The bodies were in bags and not buried according to any religious rites. One report says one body had the uniform of a Lebanese soldier. The grave is close to a prison which held Lebanese on their way to jails in Syria. Syria had much control in Lebanon until a popular uprising in April forced Syrian troops out of the country. Kuomintang takes Taiwan local elections Taiwan's nationalist Kuomintang has won local elections by a landslide. It took 14 of 23 constituencies, an increase of six. The Democratic Progressive Party of President Chen Shui-Bian won only six, losing three. The remaining three seats were taken by the People First Party, the New Party and an independent candidate. The Kuomintang chairperson, Ma Ying-jeou, said the result was a victory for democratic development in Taiwan. Much media attention has focused on these elections as a test of popular support for President Chen. Recently his poll numbers have gone down because of a corruption investigation. Chen backs Taiwanese independence from China, unlike the Kuomintang. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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