DEUTSCHE WELLE/DW-WORLD.DE Newsletter English Service News 23. 10. 2006 16:00 Uhr UTC
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Starting today, you can vote for your favorite weblog as part of Deutsche Welle's annual Best of the Blogs weblog awards. Check out the jury's nominees and cast your vote at www.thebobs.de. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD: Germany to Get Tougher on Foreign Students Germany is planning to tighten vetting procedures for foreign students as a consequence of a failed train bomb attack three months ago. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hm3bdIfcha79I0&req=l%3D1hm3bcIfcha79I0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Violent clashes as Hungary marks 1956 Violent anti-government protests in Hungary have marred commemorations marking the failed uprising against Soviet rule fifty years ago. Police have used rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon to try to break up protests. Local media report that several protestors were arrested while others were beaten as police sought to move them away from parliament, where official celebrations are taking place. Delegations from more than 50 countries attended a ceremony in front of the parliament building. Germany was represented by President Horst Koehler. He and the other foreign guests joined Hungary's leaders in paying their respects at the nearby memorial to the uprising. Iraqi Deputy PM visits Tony Blair Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh has met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London. Talking to reporters afterwards, Saleh declined to comment on remarks made over the weekend by a senior US diplomat, who told Arab media that US policy in Iraq displayed "arrogance and stupidity". The diplomat, Alberto Fernandez has since issued a written apology explaining that he seriously "misspoke". When questioned about the eventual timetable of a handover of power to Iraqi forces, Deputy Prime Minister Saleh said that Iraq hoped to command nearly half of its provinces by the end of the year. Iran vows no retreat on nuke programme Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has once more reiterated that his country will not back down over its nuclear programme despite the threat of UN sanctions. Speaking on state-run television he said the whole nation demanded the full use of nuclear energy. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has called on the international community to ostracise President Ahmadinejad, saying the world must react when the Iranian leader calls for the destruction of Israel. His comments came as Britain, France and Germany draw up a draft sanctions resolution to put to the UN Security Council after Iran refused to obey repeated deadlines to suspend uranium enrichment. Israeli army kills several Palestinians At least seven Palestinians have been killed and fourteen others wounded during an incursion by the Israeli army in northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli army said it targeted militants on a mission to fire rockets at southern Israel. In another development at least four Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip in a shooting that residents blamed on Israeli forces but Palestinian security sources said may have been a gun battle between feuding local families. Bangladesh ferry accident kills 15 Police say at least 15 people died when an overcrowded ferry collided with a goods boat on a river in Bangladesh. Several people are still missing. The accident occurred on the Meghna River in central Narayanganj district, about 20 kilometres from the capital Dhaka. The ferry was carrying about 150 people home to the western town of Comilla for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr festival. Ferry accidents are unfortunately common in Bangladesh, which is criss-crossed by a network of about 230 rivers. Croatian court issues warrant for MP A Croatian court has ordered the arrest of a senior parliamentarian suspected of war crimes against Serb civilians during Croatia's independence war in the early 1990s. State news agency Hina reports the county court in Zagreb issued a warrant for Branimir Glavas, who is accused of abducting, torturing and murdering Serbs in the eastern city of Osijek when he was in charge of the city's defence. Glavas, who has denied wrongdoing, is the highest ranking Croat official to be investigated for war crimes. Low turn-out forces Bulgarian run-off vote Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov has won the first round of voting in Sunday's presidential election. Official results give him more than 60 percent of the vote. The outcome is being seen as a boost for Parvanov's plans to take Bulgaria into the European Union next January. But low voter turnout means that he still has to face a run-off election next Sunday against his nearest rival, far-right candidate Volen Siderov, who polled about 22 percent. UN envoy to leave Sudan The head of the United Nations mission in Sudan, Jan Pronk, is expected to leave the country after being ordered out by the government. The expulsion was ordered after Pronk wrote in his web log that Sudan's army had suffered defeats in the Darfur region and its morale was low. Pronk is to return to New York for consultations with UN chief Kofi Annan. Sudan has been resisting a UN decision to deploy 20,000 UN peacekeepers. That mission would take over from a 7,000-member African Union force. More than 200,000 people are thought to have died and 2.5 million have been displaced as a result of the three-year conflict in Darfur between rebels and pro-government militias. Oil and gas deposits found in Zambia Zambia is planning to invite foreign firms to conduct exploratory drills for oil and gas after the first-ever reserves were found near the border with Angola. Government officials said samples taken at a dozen sites in the northwestern provinces of Zambezi and Chavuma over the weekend confirmed the presence of gas and oil residues. The impoverished southern African country has previously looked to copper reserves as its main source of foreign currency. German frigate rescues 12 sailors A German naval force has rescued 12 crew members from a Syrian commercial ship after it caught fire in the eastern Mediterranean. The German naval group operating with the United Nations force in Lebanon dispatched a helicopter to ferry two injured crew members from the Syrian vessel to a hospital in Cyprus. A frigate then rescued the ship's remaining 10 crew members. Two German frigates, two supply ships and four fast patrol boats arrived in the Cypriot port of Limassol earlier this month to support the UN mission to Lebanon. Police clash with youths in Paris suburb There has been a clash between police and youths in a suburb of Paris ahead of the first anniversary of the unrest that shocked France last year. Police moved into Grigny after a group of some 50 youths set several vehicles on fire. A police spokesman said some of the youths threw rocks. Riots in October and November last year resulted in an estimated 200 million euros of damage and more than 2500 arrests. Voters approve Panama Canal expansion Voters have overwhelmingly approved plans to enlarge the Panama Canal in a national referendum. About 79 percent of Panamanians voted in favour of the expansion plans, according to preliminary results released by the country's electoral tribunal. Nearly 21 percent opposed the plan. The referendum was marred by a low turnout of 40 percent among the country's more than 2.1 million voters. Macquarie Bank plans Techem takeover Australia's Macquarie Bank has said it plans to buy out the German energy and IT services company Techem. Macquarie intends to make an unsolicited 1.09 billion euro bid for Techem shares at 44 euros per share. Techem has refused to comment on the proposal, but the Australian bank said it would seek support from Techem's management for the takeover. The bank said it would maintain Techem's brand and offices. Techem operates electricity and water meters in over seven million households. Last week, Macquarie bought Britain's Thames Water for almost 12 billion euros. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Starting today, you can vote for your favorite weblog as part of Deutsche Welle's annual Best of the Blogs weblog awards. Check out the jury's nominees and cast your vote at www.thebobs.de. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For more information please turn to our internet website at http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hm3bdIfcha79I1&req=l%3D1hm3bcIfcha79I1 Here you'll find out what's happening in Germany, Europe and the rest of the world. News and background reports from the fields of current affairs, culture, business and science. And of course the DW website also has information about DW-RADIO and DW-TV programmes: topics, broadcast times and frequencies. You can even listen to all programmes as audio-on-demand. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can cancel our newsletter at: http://newsletter.dw-world.de/public/unsubscribe.jsp?gid=90003210&uid=927954 405&mid=90050377&sig=AHHCFDHMBNCFGDPO Serbian News Network - SNN [email protected] http://www.antic.org/
