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DEUTSCHE WELLE/DW-WORLD.DE Newsletter
English Service News
29.08.07, 16:00 Uhr UTC
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Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Germany Wants to Use Spying Software for Private Computers
According to two German daily newspapers, Germany's interior
ministry plans police-controlled spying of private computers to
combat terrorism. Keyboard movements and password entry could
also be monitored.
To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the
internet address below:
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=evw42lI4501ileI1&req=l%3Devw42kI4501ileI1
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Taliban release 12 S. Koreans, rest Thursday
The Taliban have released 12 South Korean hostages in three batches
into the care of the International Red Cross. The remaining seven
are to be freed on Thursday, according to the AFP news agency. On
Tuesday, the Taliban said it would free all 19 hostages which they
kidnapped six week ago, after Seoul agreed to withdraw all of its
troops and suspend all Christian missionary activities in
Afghanistan within the year. Two South Koreans were killed shortly
after the group of Christian aids workers was kidnapped. A
62-year-old German engineer was taken hostage in a separate Taliban
kidnapping last month. Chancellor Angela Merkel said Berlin was
working on his release but stressed German policy had not changed.
Germany, Japan agree on Afghan support
Japan and Germany have agreed that they should continue to support
the ongoing mission to stabilise Afghanistan. Currently in Tokyo
for talks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Japanese
counterpart PM Shinzo Abe said their countries would not yield to
terrorism. On the second leg of an Asian tour, Merkel thanked
Japan for its naval support in the Indian Ocean, where its ships
refuel coalition vessels. Abe's government is preparing to submit
a bill extending the mission to parliament next month but sentiment
against an extension has been rising in Japan.
Al-Sadr suspends Mahdi Army activities for six months
Iraq's radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has announced the
suspension of all activities by his Mahdi Army militia for six
months. Sadr issued the order after two days of gunbattles in the
Shi'ite holy city of Karbala which claimed more than 50 lives
and saw thousands of pilgrims flee. Correspondents say the
fighting appeared to be between gunmen loyal to the cleric and
police linked to the rival Shi'ite political movement, the
Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council. Meanwhile Iraqi Prime Minister
Nuri al-Maliki has imposed a curfew on the city and sent troop
reinforcements. Further south, six people were killed in
fighting between rival Shi'ite factions in the city of Hilla.
Turkey's new president approves new cabinet
Turkey's new president Abdullah Gul has approved a cabinet
proposed by ally and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The
cabinet comprises a mix of figures with Islamist and secular
backgrounds. Former economics minister Ali Babacan has assumed
Gul's former post as foreign minister. Babacan is an advocate
of European Union membership. Opponents of Gul, who once
belonged to an Islamist party, are saying they will watch the
freshly-elected for signs of bias in favour of the
Islamic-oriented government.
Iran protests US arrest of 8
Iran has summoned a diplomat from the Swiss embassy, which
represents US interests in the Islamic republic, to protest
the seizure of eight Iranians, including two diplomats by US
forces in Baghdad on Tuesday. Iran said the delegation was in
Iraq for talks on building a power plant there. US forces took
the eight into custody in blindfolds and handcuffs at a Baghdad
hotel late Tuesday evening but freed them early on Wednesday at
the request of the Iraqi government. US troops carried out a
similar action in January, involving five Iranians in the northern
Kurdish city of Arbil who were said to be aiding anti-American
insurgency. They are still in US custody.
No prison for Abu Ghraib officer
A US military jury has reprimanded the only court-martialed
officer in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. Lt. Colonel
Steven Jordan was handed the lowest possible sentence after
being acquitted on Tuesday of all charges directly related to
the abuses. He avoided a possible five year prison sentence for
being found guilty of disobeying orders. 11 lower ranking
soldiers have already been convicted for their roles in the abuse
scandal in 2003.
Musharraf on verge of power deal
Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf and exiled opposition leader
Benazir Bhutto are on the brink of completing a power-sharing
deal. A cabinet minister close to Musharraf said all the important
issues were settled. The sticking point in negotiations in
London, where Bhutto currently lives, was Musharraf laying down
his post as army chief. Bhutto told The Daily Telegraph that was
no longer an issue. She said she's now waiting for the president
to announce his resignation which could clear the way for Bhutto
to return to Pakistan to run for the prime minister post.
Greek firefighters say battle almost won
Forest fires that have been sweeping across southern Greece since
Friday have reduced in intensity after a sharp drop in wind speeds.
Firefighters are battling around 30 fires but say no townships are
currently in danger. Thousands of people rushed to banks to claim a
3000 euro emergency government handout. The Greek government
estimates fire damage at 1.2 billion euros and said it will apply
for EU emergency funding. The fires have killed at least 63 people,
destroyed almost 200,000 hectares of land.
Illegal 15-storey building collapses in Azerbaijan, 5 dead
In Azerbaijan, rescue workers are trying to reach up to ten people
trapped under a 15-storey office building that collapsed in the
capital Baku on Tuesday. At least five people were killed when the
building caved in. The mayor of Baku said the building did not have
permission and was built illegally. The oil-rich ex-Soviet republic
has been experiencing a construction boom but local media say
developers bribe corrupt officials who turn a blind eye to building
safety standards.
Nelson Mandela joins Winston Churchill
A 2.75 meter statue of former South African president Nelson Mandela
has been unveiled in Britain's Parliament Square in London. Mandela's
statue joins that of other political elites including Winston
Churchill and Abraham Lincolm and recognizes the apartheid fighter
as one of the greatest leaders of his age. Nelson Mandela, who
turned 89 last month said it was an honour to be invited to the
ceremony. The Nobel Peace Prize winner spent 27 years in jail and
went on to become President in 1994.
Franka Dietzsch wins discus gold
At the World Athletics Championships in Osaka, Japan, German discus
thrower Franka Dietzsch has captured her third gold medal when she
retained her title. The 39-year-old's first attempt of 66.61 metres
was good enough to hold off the competition. Russia's Darya
Pischchalnikova finished second and Cuban Yarelis Barrio ended in
third.
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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
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You can even listen to all programmes as audio-on-demand.
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Copyright Deutsche Welle 2007
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