Deutsche Welle
English Service News
23. 02. 2006, 17:00 UTC
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Win a trip to Germany! "A Time to Make Friends" is the motto of this
summer's World Cup in Germany. Tell us what you associate with the
host country and you could end up winning a trip for two to Germany.
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Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Germany's Media Tangle With Bird Flu
The media is liable to exaggerate the danger presented by bird flu
to increase newspaper circulation and TV quotas. Media experts warn
that inflammatory reports can provoke irrational reactions.
To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the
internet address below:
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1914171,00.html
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Sectarian violence in Iraq kills 100
More than 100 people have been killed in a wave of violence between
Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims across Iraq, since Wednesday's bombing of
a Shi'ite mosque. Attacks on several more mosques have been reported
and the bodies of dozens of people shot dead in and around Baghdad
have been found. The interior ministry has cancelled all police and
army leave and extended curfew hours in Baghdad in an effort to stem
the violence. Meanwhile, the main Sunni party in Iraq's parliament
has pulled out of negotiations on forming a coalition goverment. A
spokesman said they would not resume talks until they got an apology
from the main Shi'ite alliance for attacks on Sunni mosques. These
attacks were sparked by the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra,
which is one of Shi'ite Islam's holiest sites.
Bush and Blair condemn Iraq bombing
US President George W. Bush has denounced the bombing of the Shiite
shrine in Iraq as a political act meant to sow civil strife. He also
appealed for an end to reprisal attacks. Speaking at a news
conference in London British Prime Ministe Tony Blair condemned the
bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra as "an act of desperation
and desecration" and vowed to stand up against terrorists who want
to derail moves towards democracy.
31 dead in Moscow roof collapse
In Moscow, the roof of a market has collapsed killing at least 31
people. According to local officials, dozens have been injured, and
rescue teams are working with sniffer dogs to locate others still
trapped in the wreckage. The roof fell in before dawn on Thursday
morning, and the victims are largely traders who were working
inside. Investigators believe heavy snow buildup may have
contributed to the roof's failure.
Steinmeier meets China's Hu
Chinese President Hu Jintao says no decision has been reached on
whether Beijing will build a second line for the German-designed
Transrapid high-speed train. Earlier reports suggested a decision to
go ahead with the three-billion euro project had already been made.
President Hu made the statement following a meeting with German
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Beijing. Steinmeier told
reporters that Germany and China intended to continue to deepen
bilateral ties. He also said he had expressed the German
government's concerns about the state of human rights in China.
Beijing was the last stop on Steinmeier's five-day Asian tour.
German duck negative for bird flu
A duck that was suspected of being the first case of avian influenza
in a domestic bird in Germany has tested negative for the virus. An
official with the federal animal diseases institute said a second
test on the duck had turned up negative. An initial test on the body
of the duck, which was found on the Baltic Sea island of Ruegen had
been positive. As a precautionary measure, the entire flock that it
belonged to was culled. More than 100 wild birds have tested
positive for bird flu since the virus first reached Germany last
week. Most of them have been on the island of Ruegen.
EU trade chief calls for shoe tariffs
European Union trade chief Peter Mandelson has called for import
duties of up to 20 percent on shoes from China and Vietnam. This
came after an EU investigation said there was compelling evidence
that the two countries are exporting shoes for prices below their
normal value in order to grab market share, a practice known as
dumping. The EU probe was begun last July under pressure from
European shoe manufacturers worried about cheap imports, but
European retailers and importers have warned that tariffs will push
up retail prices. The dumping allegation has also been rejected by
Vietnam and China. If approved by EU governments, the tariffs are
likely to be phased in over 5 months beginning next April.
Rice talks about Hamas in Beirut
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Beirut on an
unannounced visit as part of her Middle East tour. She was expected
to meet with the anti-Syrian groups, which dominate Lebanon's
government. They've launched a campaign aimed at ousting pro-Syrian
President Emile Lahoud. Rice arrived from Saudi Arabia, where she
tried unsuccessfully to persuade the government to stop giving aid
to the new Hamas-led Palestinian government. Washington considers
Hamas a terrorist organisation.
British police hunt gang after heist
Police say they're looking for an armed and dangerous gang who stole
as much as 40 million pounds in a raid on a security depot in the
southern English county of Kent. Airports and ports have been put on
full alert in case the gang attempts to flee the country. Police say
six armed men gained access to the money by taking the manager of a
security depot and his family hostage. They threatened to kill them
unless he helped them get inside the compound. The Bank of England,
Britain's central bank has confirmed that 25 million pounds of its
money was stolen in the heist. Police said no one was injured in the
raid.
Israel sues Iranian president in Germany
An Israeli lawyer has filed a lawsuit in Germany charging Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with the crime of Holocaust denial.
Israeli lawyer Ervin Eran Shahar filed the suit on behalf of the
Civil Coalition, a civil rights non-governmental organisation active
in Israel and elsewhere. Ahmadinejad has repeatedly expressed doubt
that six million Jews were killed by the Nazis during World War Two.
Denial of the Holocaust is a crime in Germany punishable with up to
five years in prison.
138 dead in religious riots in Nigeria
At least 138 people have died in religious riots in the last five
days. The worst-hit city was Onitsha in southeastern Nigeria, where
85 people, mainly Muslims, have been killed in resprisal attacks for
attacks on Christians in the north. Religious leaders said the
violence was rooted in uncertainty over the political future of the
country and rumours that President Olusegun Obasanjo may stand for a
third term in 2007. The violence was sparked in the northern city of
Maduguri following protests over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.
Muslim rioters torched several churches and attacked Christians.
Voting ends in Ugandan elections
Polling stations have closed in Uganda's first multi-party elections
in 26 years. Thousands of soldiers were deployed in a nation-wide
security operation to protect nearly 20,000 polling stations. More
than 10.4 million people were eligible to vote. Incumbent President
Yoweri Museveni who is 62, faces a challenge to his 20-year grip on
power by 49-year-old doctor Kizza Besigye of the opposition Forum
for Democratic Change. If no candidate obtains more than 50 percent
of the vote, there will be a run-off. Results are expected on
Saturday.
Ifo index hits 15-year high
Business sentiment in Germany has risen to its highest level in
almost 15 years. The Munich-based Ifo institute of economics reports
that its index rose to 103.3 in February. That's up from 101.8 in
January. The last time it reached this level was in October 1991.
The institute's index of business sentiment is released monthly and
is based on a survey of about 7,000 executives.
Germany wins two more medals
In sports: Germany has won another couple of medals at the Winter
Olympics in Turin. Amelie Kober took the silver medal in the women's
snowboarding parallel giant slalom. Earlier, the German team of
Martina Glagow, Andrea Henkel, Katrin Apel and Kati Wilhelm took the
silver medal in the 4 x 6-kilometre biathlon relay.
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