Deutsche Welle English Service News 28. 01. 2006, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Clock Ticks in Iran Nuclear Standoff Unless Iran changes its stance on nuclear enrichment, it has little chance of avoiding a UN Security Council referral, said British Foreign Secretary Straw ahead of talks aimed to get Iran to cooperate. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1875390,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Kicking News" -- DW-WORLD's Soccer Newsletter: Get all the news about the World Cup and Germany's Bundesliga on DW-WORLD.DE at the end of every month. To subscribe, go to: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1170241,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Fatah supporters protest over defeat Political tensions in the Palestinian territories are growing following the election victory of the Islamic militant group Hamas. Thousands of supporters of the former ruling party, Fatah, took to the streets across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, demanding the resignation of party leaders. They also called for a boycott of any new Hamas-led government. In Ramallah, gunmen from the Fatah Party briefly took over the roof of the parliament building, apparently in protest at their party's defeat. Fatah militants joined by police also seized the parliament building in the Gaza Strip. Wednesday's vote saw Hamas emerge as the strongest party, taking 76 of the 132 seats in the assembly. US may cut Palestinians' aid The United States says it may suspend aid to the Palestinian Authority in light of Wednesday's parliamentary election, which was won by the Islamic militant group Hamas. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters in Washington that this could apply to all US aid to the Palestinians. Later, President George W. Bush reiterated the US position. Bush told a US television network that Washington would not be providing help to a government that wants to destroy a US ally and friend. Hamas does not recognise Israel's right to exist. Germany urges Hamas to reject violence The German government has said once more that the election victory by the Palestinian militant group Hamas must be recognised. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told the German weekly Der Spiegel that the elections had been fair. He added, however, that Hamas had to reject violence and recognise Israel's right to exist. His remarks come one day before Chancellor Angela Merkel makes her first visit to the Middle East since taking office. Merkel will meet in Israel with interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Moshe Katsav. She is to travel on to the Palestinian territories on Monday, where she will meet with President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. No meetings are scheduled with the leadership of Hamas. Britain favours diplomacy on Iran Iran's nuclear programme has been on the agenda of the World Economic Forum being held in the Swiss resort of Davos. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told the conference that his country was still determined to resolve the dispute with Iran through diplomatic means. But he said negotiating with the Tehran government was not easy. Straw said that military action against Iran was not on the table as far as Britain was concerned. The United States has accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran insists that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only. The International Atomic Energy Agency has called a special meeting to discuss the possibility of referring Iran to the United Nations Security Council. Iran to supply gas to Georgia Iran has reached an agreement to supply natural gas to Georgia. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said Energy Minister Nika Gilauri made the deal on the second day of his visit to Tehran. Saakashvili said Iranian natural gas could begin flowing to Georgia as early as Sunday. He added that the deal would end Georgia's dependence on Russia for natural gas. Georgia has been suffering from an energy crisis since the main pipelines from neighbouring Russia were damaged in explosions a week ago, severely disrupting supplies in the middle of a severe winter. Bird flu unlikely in Romanian woman Romanian doctors say it is very unlikely that a woman currently being tested for bird flu has the disease. The 81-year-old woman comes from one of the 26 villages where the deadly disease has been found in poultry since October. She was admitted to hospital on Saturday. Romania has tightened safeguards against bird flu such as increasing disinfection measures on major roads and introducing luggage checks at airports, train stations and sea ports. Scientists have warned that if the virus mutates and spreads among humans, it could cause a worldwide pandemic. Eastern Indonesia hit by earthquake An earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale has rocked eastern Indonesia. The quake occurred deep under the Banda Sea, about 195 kilometres south of Ambon city in the Maluku Islands. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said no tsunami threat existed. Germany mourns Rau's passing German President Horst Koehler and Chancellor Angela Merkel have signed the condolence book in Berlin's Bellevue Palace for former president, Johannes Rau, who died on Friday. Both have described the former president as a great statesman and democrat. Rau will be honoured at an official state ceremony on February 7. The Central Council of Jews in Germany issued a statement highlighting Rau's efforts at promoting reconciliation between Germans and Jews. Before becoming president in 1999, Rau was premier of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia for two decades. He was also the Social Democrats' candidate for chancellor in the 1986 federal election. Mauresmo wins Australian Open final In sports: Defending German soccer champions Bayern Munich have won the first match of the second half of the Bundesliga schedule, beating Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-1. In tennis, Third seed Amelie Mauresmo of France has won the women's title at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Mauresmo took the first Grand Slam event of her career after her opponent, Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium, was forced to retire after falling ill. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Receive DW-WORLD headlines and news reports straight on your desktop as RSS feeds: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1137115,00.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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