DEUTSCHE WELLE/DW-WORLD.DE Newsletter English Service News October 15th 2006, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
German Navy Takes Control of Lebanese Waters The Italian navy Sunday handed over to German command the UN naval force tasked with intercepting arms shipments along Lebanon's coastline following Israel's war with the Shiite movement Hezbollah. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hm1faIfcha79I0&req=l%3D1hm1frIfcha79I0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Need a good laugh? Then check out DW-WORLD.DE'S From the Fringe Special, which regularly brings you quirky stories from and about Germany. To find out more, go to http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hm1faIfcha79I1&req=l%3D1hm1frIfcha79I1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- US welcomes sanctions against N Korea US President George W. Bush has welcomed the UN Security Council's unanimous decision to impose financial and weapons sanctions on North Korea for its claimed nuclear test. Bush said the clear vote showed that the international community was united in its stance against North Korea. The resolution allows nations to stop cargo going to and from North Korea and bars trade in weapons, luxury goods and allows funds to be frozen. North Korea's UN Ambassador, Pak Gil Yon, swiftly rejected the resolution and warned against further US pressure. Japan says the sanctions don't go far enough and is considering imposing further penalties. Iran accuses West of psychological warfare Iran's Foreign Ministry has described Western threats to impose sanctions over its nuclear ambitions as "psychological warfare". Iran's state television reported that the Iranian government was not intimidated by the threats and that Tehran was determined to continue its nuclear programme. The EU's 25 foreign ministers are set to meet Tuesday to discuss whether to ask the UN Security Council to impose sanctions. On Saturday, Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier reiterated that a package of incentives aimed at persuading Iran to halt uranium enrichment work was still being offered. Bombs kill 15 in Iraq Several car bombs in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk have killed at least eight people and injured dozens more. Earlier in the capital Baghdad two bombs hit the convoy of a senior interior ministry official killing seven people. On Saturday five US soldiers were killed south of Baghdad when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. Around 50 US troops have been killed in Iraq this month alone. German Navy takes charge of Lebanon mission The German Navy has officially taken charge of the maritime component of the UNIFIL international peacekeeping force off the coast of Lebanon. A festive ceremony was held on Sunday on board the Italian aircraft carrier "Garibaldi" in Beirut harbour. The German navy replaces the Italian and French contingents which have been guarding the coastline as part of a UN resolution that ended a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah fighters. Their task is to prevent weapons smuggling and help the Lebanese army protect its coast and border. In total, Germany has sent about 2,400 military personnel to Lebanon. Olmert says Abbas not interested in talks Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says his efforts to arrange a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have come to a standstill. Olmert said Abbas was demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners as a precondition for a meeting. However the Israeli leader said that was out of the question until the Palestinians released an Israeli soldier seized by militants in the Gaza Strip in June. Thousands of homes without power in NY More than 320,000 homes and businesses in the US state of New York are still without power a day after the region around Buffalo was buried in nearly 60 centimetres of snow. Authorities are now warning of severe flooding as the snow melts. Meteorologists said it was the heaviest snow fall in the region for the month of October in almost 140 years. Ecuador votes for new leader Voting is underway in Ecuador to find a new president. The contest pits a leftist ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez against a conservative billionaire. Opinion polls show Rafael Correa and Alvaro Noboa neck-and-neck making a run-off vote likely in November. More than nine million Ecuadorians are eligible to vote. Muslim scholars accept Pope's regrets Senior Muslim scholars, taking up Pope Benedict's call for a frank dialogue, have written him an open letter listing factual errors in his recent speech on Islam that sparked protest across the Muslim world. The 38 experts, including grand muftis and islamic scholars, said they accepted the Pope's stated regrets over the uproar and his expressions of respect for all Muslims. The Pope triggered protests throughout the Muslim world last month when he quoted an medieval text that said the Prophet Mohammed had sought to spread Islam by the sword. Benedict later said the quote does not reflect his own views. Four injured in attack in Beirut At least four people have been injured in an attack on a house near the United Nations building in the Lebanese capital Beirut. A Lebanese Interior Ministry spokesman said a grenade was launched early Sunday at the house, which is also next to a hotel. Last week, there was a similar grenade attack on a police station in Beirut. No one was injured in that incident, nor was there any information as to the motives behind the attack. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bundesliga is in full swing again! 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