Deutsche Welle
English Service News
24. 01. 2006, 17:00 UTC
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Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
EU Investigator Says US Exported Torture Via Europe
A European investigator has said there's convincing evidence that
Washington sent detainees to third countries to be tortured but
there was no "irrefutable evidence" of the existence of secret
CIA prisons in Europe.
To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the
internet address below:
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1867838,00.html
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Germans are funnier than most people think. Here's 12 months of
quirkiness to prove it:
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1838347,00.html
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Two Germans abducted in Iraq
Two German engineers have reportedly been kidnapped in northern
Iraq. Police said gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms abducted the
two outside their workplace in Baiji, around 250 kilometres north of
Baghdad. A German government official said the two men are from the
eastern city of Leipzig. This comes after a German archaeologist was
kidnapped in Baghdad in November before being released last month.
Iraqi kidnappers are currently holding a number of westerners
including an American journalist.
Kuwait nominates new leader
Kuwait's cabinet has unanimously nominated Prime Minister Sheikh
Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah as new emir of the oil-rich nation. Kuwaiti
Justice Minister Ahmad Baqer said an official letter of nomination
would be sent to parliament on Wednesday. If confirmed by a
parliamentary majority, Sheikh Sabah will officially replace ailing
emir Sheikh Saad al-Abdulla al-Sabah, who was unanimously voted out
of office by parliament on health grounds earlier on Tuesday.
US outsourced torture to Europe: report
An initial report by a European investigator into allegations of
secret CIA prisons in Europe says there is evidence that the US sent
terror suspects to third countries for torture. Dick Marty said as
many as 100 suspects may have been flown out to countries for
interrogation and torture. However he said so far he had found
nothing to confirm that the CIA had secret prisons in Europe. In his
report to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Marty said it was
highly likely that European governments were aware of a network of
jails used by the CIA to relocate suspects. The European Commission
has urged EU governments to co-operate fully with the Council's
investigation.
At least eight dead in Iran blasts
At least eight people have been killed and more than 40 others
wounded in twin bomb blasts in the south-western Iranian city of
Ahvaz. State media said the first bomb went off outside a private
bank while the other exploded next to a government office. Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who had been due to visit the city
today, has cancelled the trip because of sandstorms which would have
wrecked his hallmark walks through the streets, according to his
office. Ahvaz, which is dominated by minority Arabs, has been the
scene of ethnic violence in the past.
DaimlerChrysler to cut 6,000 admin jobs
German-US car manufacturer DaimlerChrysler has announced that it
plans to axe up to 6,000 administrative jobs over the next three
years in measures aimed at saving more than 1 billion euros a year.
The company's new CEO, Dieter Zetsche, who took over the steering
wheel on January 1, said that Germany would bear the brunt of the
new job cuts. He also recently announced plans to eliminate 8,500
blue-collar jobs at German Mercedes plants.
44 dead in Montenegro train accident
The death toll from a train accident in Montenegro has risen to at
least 44. More than 180 others were injured when a passenger train
derailed and careered down a river canyon just outside the capital
Podgorica. The injured are said to include 75 children, many of whom
were returning from a skiing holiday. Around 200 people were in the
train at the time of the accident which is believed to have been
caused by faulty brakes. Rescue workers have had trouble reaching
the site of the accident due to the terrain and freezing
temperatures. The country's transport minister has resigned over the
accident.
Turkey proposes action plan on Cyprus
The Turkish Foreign Minister has announced a series of proposals
intended to help reunite the divided island of Cyprus this year.
Speaking at a news conference in Ankara Abdullah Gul said that
Turkey has submitted the plan to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan,
who said he would "closely study" its proposals. The Mediterranean
island has been divided since 1974 between an internationally
recognised Greek Cypriot south and a breakaway northern Turkish
republic recognised only by Ankara. The conflict remains a major
stumbling block in Turkey's efforts to join the European Union
Gunmen raid Italian oil firm in Nigeria
Unidentified gunmen attacked the offices of Italian oil company Agip
in Nigeria on Tuesday, sparking a gunfight that left seven people
dead. A company official said the gunmen raided Agip's offices in
the southern oil center of Port Harcourt and stole cash. Authorities
say it is unclear if the attack was by the same militant group which
is holding four foreign hostages and has staged a series of attacks
on oil facilities in Nigeria over the past month.
Conservatives win Canadian election
In Canada, Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party have ousted
Prime Minister Paul Martin in a general election, ending 12 years of
Liberal rule. The Conservatives won 124 seats out of a possible 308,
while Martin's Liberals gained 103 seats. The result means the
Conservatives failed to win an outright majority and will have to
rely on alliances to form a working government. The election is the
second in 18 months. It was forced last November when opposition
parties brought down Martin's Liberal government over a corruption
scandal.
Iran sentences German man to 18 months
The German embassy in Tehran has confirmed that a German man
arrested for illegally entering Iranian waters has been sentenced to
18 months in jail. 52-year-old Donald Klein was on a fishing trip
in disputed waters between the United Arab Emirates and Iran when he
was arrested, along with the boat's French captain, more than a
month ago. Iranian officials said the two men are healthy and have
been visited by consular officials from their embassies. The German
man's lawyer said he intended to appeal the verdict.
Congo to assume AU leadership
Congo Republic has been chosen by African nations meeting in the
Sudanese capital Khartoum to head the African Union this year
instead of Sudan. This comes after a dispute over whether Sudan
should have assumed the chairmanship. Traditionally, the summit's
host takes over as chairman, but critics said Sudan should not be
chosen as leader while it stands accused of fuelling a conflict in
the Darfur region. Rebels in Darfur had suspended peace talks in
protest at Sudan's candidacy. Sudan is to assume the AU's
chairmanship next year.
Saddam trial postponed until Sunday
The trial of Saddam Hussein which was due to resume on Tuesday has
now been postponed until Sunday. A spokesman for the court in
Baghdad said several witnesses were unable to attend the session
because they were abroad. This comes a day after a new chief judge
was appointed to chair the trial of the former Iraqi dictator, who's
been charged with the massacre of 148 people.
German court rules in favour of Kirch
In the long-running legal battle between Deutsche Bank and media
mogul Leo Kirch, Germany's Federal Court of Justice has ruled
partially in favour of Kirch. The court said Deutsche Bank was
liable to pay damages after reneging on a contract with one of
Kirch's companies. However judges said the bank was not responsible
for the collapse of the Kirch media group as alleged by Leo Kirch.
The dispute began in 2002 when the then Deutsche Bank chairman
publicly questioned Kirch's financial status. Kirch, who was heavily
in debt at the time, says those comments led to his empire's
insolvency.
Al-Jazeera memo leak: court appearence
In London two British men have appeared in court on charges of
leaking a government memo in which US President George W. Bush
reportedly discussed bombing the headquarters of the Arab satellite
news channel Al-Jazeera. The two men were charged in November with
breaching the Official Secrets Act. They were released on bail until
their next hearing set for April 25. They each face a maximum
sentence of two years in prison if found guilty.
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