Deutsche Welle English Service News 28. 02. 2006 17:00 Uhr UTC ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Today's highlight on DW-WORLD: Bird Flu Strain Makes Jump to Mammals in Germany A dead cat in Germany has tested positive for the H5N1 type of bird flu in the first case in the country of the virus spreading from birds to mammals, the national veterinary laboratory said on Wednesday. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1918748,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Sign up for our new podcast! In "Correspondents report," Deutsche Welle journalists provide coverage of the top stories on the world and European news agenda. Every day, you will be able to listen to at least two stories from Newslink, DW-RADIO's news journal. For more information and to sign up, please go to http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,,9541,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Lab confirms bird flu virus in dead cat Germany has its first known case of bird flu in a cat. Tests conducted by the federal institute for animal health have confirmed that a cat that was found dead on the northern island of Ruegen had the H5N1 strain of the virus. That's the strain that can be fatal for humans. This is not the first time a cat has been infected with bird flu. A number of infections have been reported in Asian countries. Klaus Stoehr of the World Health Programme in Geneva says this latest case in Germany is no reason for panic. More than 100 cases of the virus in wild birds have been confirmed since the disease first surfaced in Germany earlier this month. The majority of them have been found on Ruegen. Three bombs kill 30 in Baghdad Three bomb attacks have killed at least 30 people and injured 130 in Baghdad, only a day after the lifting of a curfew imposed to stem violence. In the eastern New Baghdad district, 20 people were killed and 100 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a petrol station. Two car bomb attacks in New Baghdad and in the central Karrada district left 10 others dead and wounded 30. The attacks came as the trial of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein resumed briefly before being adjourned until Wednesday. Saddam and seven co-defendants are charged with killing 148 people in Dujail after a failed assassination attempt against him. Committee to discuss BND affair A parliamentary committee is to hold a special session on Monday to discuss allegations that German intelligence agents provided assistance to the US-military prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The New York Times on Monday reported that German BND agents obtained a copy of Iraq's plan for the defence of Baghdad and passed it on to the United States, one month ahead of the US-led invasion. Both the German government and the BND have denied the allegations. The Left Party and the Greens, who were part of former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's coalition government at the time of the invasion, have both called for a full parliamentary investigation into the affair. Chechnya's prime minister steps down The Kremlin-backed prime minister of Chechnya, Sergei Abramov, has resigned. But there are conflicting reports as to what led to his decision. Chechen President Alu Alkhanov told reporters in Moscow that Abramov had been forced to step down due to health problems resulting from a car accident last November. Abramov, though, issued a statement saying he was stepping down on the condition that Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov would replace him. Kadyrov has been prime minister on a caretaker visit since November. He's also the son of former Chechen President Akhmat Kadyrov, who was assassinated two years ago. Besigye challenges election result Uganda's main opposition party, the Forum For Democratic Change, has said it will challenge the results of last week's presidential election in court. The party said the ballot, which saw President Yoweri Museveni returned to power for a third term, was marred by 'multiple irregularities'. The main challenger to President Museveni's 20 year rule, Dr Kizza Besigye, won 37 percent of the vote compared to Museveni's 59 percent. Speaking at a press conference in the Ugandan capital Kampala, Dr Kizza Besigye refused to accept defeat. Besigye said his team would file a petition challenging the election results in court within the next 10 days. Germany's jobless rate decreases Seasonally unadjusted unemployment figures just released by the federal labour office show a month-by-month rise but a year-by-year recovery. About 5.048 million people or roughly 12.2 per cent of the workforce were officially looking for jobs in February. That's an increase of 36,000 over January's figures but a decrease of 240,000 over the same period last year. Iran forges ahead with uranium enrichment The head of the UN's Atomic Energy Agency says Iran is forging ahead with efforts to expand its uranium enrichment programme. In a new report ahead of next week's IAEA board meeting, agency director Mohamed ElBaradei said Tehran is still not co-operating entirely with the inquiry. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has again rejected that allegation. Speaking during a visit to Kuwait, Ahmadinejad said the Middle East and the whole world would be better off without nuclear weapons. He added that Iran also wanted peace, security and progress for the region. Iran recently reached a basic agreement with Moscow on a deal to enrich uranium in Russia. Foreign ministers from France and Germany say the deal represents no significant progress since Iran was still insisting on its right to enrich a limited amount of uranium at home. Ethiopia tests dead chicken for 'bird flu' Ethiopian officials have announced that tests were underway at a southern poultry farm after thousands of chickens died of a "bird flu-like" disease. Samples from over 6,000 chickens that died in the Endibir area of the country were being sent to an Italian laboratory for further study. Ethiopia, along with other east African Rift Valley nations like Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, are considered at high risk for the spread of the virus as millions of migratory birds flock there during the European winter. Afghan prison siege enters fourth day A siege at the Afghan capital's main jail has entered its fourth day. But the government in Kabul has expressed hope a peaceful solution to the bloody revolt by inmates could be achieved. Four prisoners have been killed and 38 wounded since more than 1,000 inmates took over parts of the Pul-i-Charkhi prison on Saturday night. Troops have surrounded the jail. Nader Nadery of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, who has been involved in talks with the prisoners, said some Taliban suspects who were being held without trial were demanding to be tried or freed. Prisoners also demanded an end to a new rule requiring them to wear uniforms. Earthquake hits southeast Iran, no damage A moderate earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter Scale has struck southeastern Iran but there have been no reports of casualties or damage. State media reported the quake hit the town of Orzuyieh in Kerman province, which has been plagued by earthquakes in recent years. Some 31,000 people were killed when an earthquake razed the city of Bam, in Kerman province in 2003. More than 600 people were killed in February last year when an earthquake hit the village of Zarand, also in Kerman province. Leipzig residents continue vigil Residents in the eastern German city of Leipzig continue to hold vigils for the two German engineers kidnapped in Iraq. Thomas Nitzschke and Rene Braeunlich were abducted on January 24. There has been no news of them since their captors released a video two weeks ago threatening to kill them if Germany fails to stop cooperating with the Iraqi government. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Sign and Sight signandsight.com is the English version of the prize-winning online cultural magazine perlentaucher.de. 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