Deutsche Welle English Service News 20. 02. 2006, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
German Calls to Ban Controversial Turkish Movie on Iraq German political leaders and Jewish community representatives have demanded the boycott of a hit Turkish action movie that casts US soldiers in Iraq as villains. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1909933,00.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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Bird flu reaches German mainland The German military has sent 250 troops to help the cleanup effort in the bird flu-affected Baltic Sea coastal region. This comes after scientists confirmed that bird flu has now reached the mainland. The bodies of two infected birds were found along the Baltic coast after numerous cases of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus were found on the island of Ruegen. Authorities hope preventive measures can stop the disease from spreading to farm animals. The government has also ordered a cull of domestic poultry in affected areas. Meanwhile Bosnian authorities have confirmed the first cases of bird flu in the country. It's still unclear whether the strain found in four dead swans is the H5N1 virus. Russia hosts Iranian nuclear talks Talks are underway in Moscow between Iranian and Russian officials on a possible compromise over Iran's controversial nuclear programme. Moscow is offering to enrich the uranium Iran needs for nuclear power stations on Russian soil, an arrangement that would help ease international concerns that Tehran could use the material for nuclear bombs. The talks in Moscow come as Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met EU officials in Brussels where he said his country reserves the right to pursue nuclear research activities regardless of the outcome in Moscow. Iran resumed small-scale uranium enrichment earlier this month, after the UN nuclear watchdog reported Tehran to the Security Council. Irving pleads guilty at Holocaust trial Right-wing British historian David Irving has pleaded guilty to criminal charges of denying the Holocaust at his trial in Vienna. Irving has been in Austrian custody since his arrest last November. He was charged on offences relating to a speech and an interview he gave in Austria in 1989, in which he denied the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz. Speaking to reporters before going into court he said the law was a farce. Holocaust denial is a criminal offence in Austria which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. Merkel renews criticism of Iran's president German Chancellor Angela Merkel has renewed her criticism of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's dismissal of the Holocaust, describing his remarks as unspeakable. Merkel was speaking at a party conference of her conservative Christian Democrats where she launched a two-year review of foreign and security policy. President Ahmadinejad provoked outrage in Europe when he said Israel should be wiped out and that the Holocaust was a myth. The German Chancellor also addressed widespread Muslim anger over European newspapers' publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Merkel said violence was not the answer to caricatures, but discussion was needed to learn about the feelings of others. Afghan students burn US, Danish flags Students in Afghanistan have burnt Danish and US flags as well as photos of American President George W. Bush during protests against cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad. Police said around 2,000 students took part in the demonstration in Jalalabad city. A series of riots earlier this month in Afghanistan left 11 people dead. Meanwhile Denmark and Norway have condemned a Pakistani cleric who offered a reward for anyone who kills any of the 12 Danish cartoonists who satirised Mohammad. Denmark's foreign minister said the reward offer of more than one million dollars was incitement to murder. Rescuers search for landslide survivors US Marines have yet to recover any survivors from a central Philippine village, three days after it was buried in a landslide. A US military spokesman contradicted an earlier report from a local government official who said US soldiers had unearthed 50 survivors from the rubble of a school. Local rescue teams, as well as specialists from Taiwan, Malaysia and the US are continuing to search for survivors under the mud. Seventy-two people have been confirmed dead, but about 1,000 residents are still believed to be missing. Steinmeier arrives in Japan German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has arrived in Japan for the next stop on his Asian tour. He's due to hold talks with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Earlier he concluded his two-day visit to South Korea with a meeting with President Roh Moo Hyun. A central theme of the talks was the re-unification of Korea. Steinmeier called upon the international community to help North Korea out of its political isolation. Steinmeier and his South Korean counterpart also called on Iran to accept a Russian compromise aimed at resolving the international dispute over Iran's nuclear programme. Hamas talks to militants about coalition The Islamist group Hamas has opened talks with other militant factions, including the Islamic Jihad, about forming a new Palestinian government. Hamas, who defeated the Fatah ruling party in last month's parliamentary elections, said its goal was to establish as broad a coalition as possible. Meanwhile Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that the Palestinian Authority is facing a financial crisis, following Israel's decision to halt tax and customs payments to the Palestinians. Israel had previously transferred funds totalling 50 million dollars a month. The Palestinian Authority, however, has received offers of support from the Arab League and Iran. Serbs, Albanians begin Kosovo talks Serbs and Kosovo Albanians have begun their first face-to-face talks in Vienna on the future of Kosovo. The negotiations are scheduled to last until the end of the year and are expected to lead to independence for the Serb province. Kosovo has been under control of the UN since 1999 after a NATO bombing campaign drove out Serb forces accused of committing atrocities against Albanian civilians. The talks are being chaired by UN special envoy, Martti Ahtisaari. Italian police find incriminating material Austrian media say that Italian police have found a large amount of suspicious medical equipment following their raid on the accommodation of the Austrian winter Olympic team in Turin. Austrian public radio said hundreds of syringes and blood-testing equipment had been found. Two biathletes were kicked off the team following the raid. It followed a tip off that Walter Mayer, a coach banned from the Olympics for previous doping offences, was visiting the team. He's been charged with civil disorder after crashing his car into a police barrier in southern Austria on Sunday. Meanwhile on the sporting side, Austria's Benjamin Raich has won gold in the men's skiing giant slalom event. Silver went to Frenchman Joel Chenal while another Austran, Hermann Maier, won the bronze medal. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Win a trip to Germany! "A Time to Make Friends" is the motto of this summer's World Cup in Germany. 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