DEUTSCHE WELLE/DW-WORLD.DE Newsletter
English Service News
17. 10. 2006 16:00 Uhr UTC
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Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Germany's Far-Right Rolls Up Its Sleeves
The Federal Police Office (BKA) has revealed that the far-right
threat is a very real one, with the number of violent offenses
committed by neo-Nazis climbing steeply.
To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the
internet address below:
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hm1vfIfcha79I0&req=l%3D1hm1veIfcha79I0
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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=1hm1vfIfcha79I1&req=l%3D1hm1veIfcha79I1
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Increasing signs of 2nd N Korea test
North Korea says that the sanctions imposed by the UN Security
Council are a "declaration of war" and vowed to act against any
nation that enforces them. This comes as US, South Korean and
Japanese sources said the communist regime might be preparing a
second nuclear test after US spy satellites picked up activity near
the site of the first blast on Oct. 9. Following talks in South
Korea, US envoy Christopher Hill said a second test would be
regarded by the US as a belligerent act. US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice, who is also due to visit South Korea, Japan and
China later this week, has warned Iran that it should regard the UN
sanctions on North Korea as a deterrent.
EU calls for resumption of nuke talks
EU foreign ministers have appealed to both North Korea and Iran to
abandon their nuclear programmes and return to internationally
sponsored talks. Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier
said he and his colleagues would support the UN Security Council's
stance against North Korea. The 25 ministers meeting in Luxembourg
are expected to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for possible
sanctions. The ministers also formally endorsed a recommendation that
Romania and Bulgaria join the bloc next January rather than being made
to wait until 2008. The move would increase the EU's membership to
27 countries.
Sri Lanka, rebels commit to talks
Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels have said they remain
committed to planned peace talks just a day after a deadly suicide
attack blamed on the rebels. The talks are due to be held on Oct.
28-29 in Geneva, however observers say they look doomed due to the
worsening violence even before negotiations get underway. Sri Lankan
warplanes raided rebel areas in the northeast of the island in the
wake of Monday's truck bombing that killed 103 people and wounded
150 others. The military said the warplanes struck a rebel base,
however the Tamil Tigers said they targeted a village killing three
people.
Bush signs anti-terror bill
US President George W. Bush has signed into law a counter-terrorism
bill that allows tough interrogation of terror suspects. The
controversial bill also allows the government to try them swiftly
before military commissions. Bush said the law would help to protect
national security interests. The bill becomes law just six weeks
after Bush acknowledged that the CIA had been secretly questioning
terror suspects overseas. Bush had asked Congress for swift approval
of the bill after the Supreme Court had initially rejected it.
Two dead, many hurt in Rome train crash
Two trains have collided in Rome's underground system, killing at
least one person and injuring up to 200 others, some of them
seriously. The accident happened during rush hour at the Piazza
Vittorio Emanuele subway station, near the capital's central
terminal. A witness said one train rammed into the back of the other
after failing to stop for a red light. Rescue teams combed wreckage
to free trapped passengers. Unconfirmed reports said that an
electrical panel exploded when the trains crashed.
Germany ends probe into former Guantanamo inmate
German prosecutors have dropped their investigations into a former
Guantanamo Bay inmate after failing to find proof that he belonged
to a terrorist organisation. Murat Kurnaz, a German-born Turk, was
released from the US prison in Cuba in August after spending four
years there following a deal between the US and Germany. US
investigators had claimed he had links to al Qaeda prompting German
authorities to launch their own investigation. Kurnaz had always
insisted that he was innocent.
British troops pull out of Afghan district
British troops have pulled out of a volatile district in southern
Afghanistan following a request by local tribal leaders. Musa Qala,
in the province of Helmand, has been one of the most troubled areas
in the region and the scene of heavy fighting between NATO troops
and Taliban militants. A spokesman for the NATO-led International
Security Assistance Force said the move was in accordance with the
wishes of the district's governor.
Airbus announces German cuts
European aircraft maker Airbus said it would cut staff and reduce
working hours at its German operations to cut costs following delays
to its A380 super-jumbo project. Airbus Germany said it would not
renew contracts for about 1,000 of its 7,300 temporary workers
across seven locations. A company statement also announced a raft of
measures affecting its regular staff in Germany, including cutting
working hours to as little as 28 hours a week for some staff, though
without reducing their pay.
EU approves further development aid
The European Union has approved two further aid packages worth 28
billion euros to be allocated to developing nations in Asia, Latin
America and the Middle East from 2007-2013. EU officials said the
money would go towards meeting urgent needs in areas such as
migration, education and health. The funds are in addition to 23
billion euros already approved specifically for Africa, Caribbean
and Asia Pacific countries.
Prosecutors draft charges against Katsav
Prosecutors in Jerusalem have begun to draft a charge sheet against
Israeli President Moshe Katsav after police said they had evidence
he committed rape. Israeli media report that the state
attorney-general is likely to decide within two weeks to press
charges against Katsav over sex crimes involving female employees.
The Justice Ministry has refused to comment on the reports.
Meanwhile, 60-year-old Katsav has denied any wrongdoing and said he
is the victim of a "public lynching without trial". His lawyer said
the president would resign his post if an indictment is brought
against him.
US population hits 300-million mark
The population in the United States has reached the historic figure
of 300 million, 39 years after it reached the 200-million mark. The
US census bureau said the 300 millionth resident was born early in
the morning somewhere in America. The US is the fastest-growing of
the world's richest nations, while most other western countries have
stagnant or falling populations.
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