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DEUTSCHE WELLE/DW-WORLD.DE Newsletter
English Service News
26.12.07, 17:00 Uhr UTC
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Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Afghanistan Expels High-Level UN, EU Diplomats
Two high-level United Nations and European Union diplomats face
expulsion from Afghanistan for allegedly holding talks with the
radical Islamist Taliban. The organizations are working to clear
up the "misunderstanding."
To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the
internet address below:
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=evx8ebI4501ileI0&req=l%3Devx8eaI4501ileI0
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UN, Afghanistan in talks over banned diplomats
The United Nations says it is in talks with the Afghan government
aimed at resolving a dispute that has led Kabul to order two senior
European diplomats to leave the country. One is an Irish national
employed by the European Union, the other is a British citizen who
works as a UN political advisor. A UN spokesman in Kabul said the
row was the result of a misunderstanding that arose after the men
visited the volatile southern province of Helmand. The Afghan
government has accused them of meeting Taliban rebels without its
consent. The spokesman said the UN official would leave Afghanistan
within the next 48 hours. It's not clear when the EU official is
planning to leave.
Musharraf, Karzai pledge increased co-operation
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and his Afghan counterpart,
Hamid Karzai, have agreed to increase co-operation in the fight
against Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgents along their nations' shared
border. Speaking at a joint press conference in the Pakistani
capital, Islamabad, Musharraf said extremism and terrorism were
threatening to destroy both countries. The two US-backed leaders
have often accused each other of not doing enough to rein in
militants.
South Korean president-elect to face fraud probe
South Korea's cabinet has agreed to launch an inquiry into new
allegations that President-elect Lee Myung-bak has links to a US
investment company that is suspected of defrauding investors of 60
million dollars. South Korean prosecutors had cleared Lee earlier
this month, but he has admitted to having been involved with the
firm. The results of the probe are expected to be released just days
before Lee is to be sworn into office in late February. After he
takes office, Lee will be immune from prosecution.
Serbia to debate Kosovo resolution
Serbian parliamentarians are set to debate a resolution that could
lead to Belgrade severing diplomatic ties with the United States and
European Union countries if they recognise an independent Kosovo.
The resolution also rejects the idea of the EU setting up a mission
in Kosovo until a row over the Serbian province's permanent status
has been resolved. The leaders of Kosovo's ethnic-Albanian majority
have said that they would declare independence early next year, and
Washington and several EU countries have said that they would
support the move.
Dozens dead or missing after Java landslides
Landslides in Indonesia's central Java province have left dozens of
people dead or missing. Thousands of people have been moved to
shelters after their homes were buried or washed away by torrential
rains. Some main roads have been blocked, making it difficult for
rescue workers to reach the affected areas. Landslides occur
frequently in Indonesia, but local officials say these are the worst
that Java has seen in more than two decades.
Turkish p***s again bomb PKK sites
Turkish warp***s have again bombed deserted Iraqi Kurdish villages
along the border targeting rebel bases. Iraqi Kurdish security
officials said there were no casualties. Turkish warp***s have been
regularly targeting rebel hideouts of the Kurdistan Workers' Party,
or PKK, who use the region as a springboard to launch attacks inside
Turkey. Turkey says it has hit more than 200 Kurdish rebel targets
in northern Iraq in the last ten days, killing hundreds of rebels.
The PKK, which is classed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the
United States and the European Union has been fighting for self-rule
in south-eastern Turkey since 1984.
Dozens die in oil pipeline explosion in Nigeria
In Nigeria, up to 40 people have died in a fire which erupted at a
vandalized oil pipeline near the main city of Lagos. Dozens of
people who had been trying to scoop oil gushing from the leak were
engulfed in flames. Local Red Cross officials say many of the
victims were women and children. Vandals often damage oil pipelines
in Nigeria in order to siphon off petrol which they sell on the
black market. Hundreds of people have died scooping petrol from
burst pipelines in Nigeria in recent months.
Somali police launch hostage rescue mission
Somali police have launched a rescue mission to free two female,
foreign aid workers who have been abducted by armed gunmen in the
north-western region of Puntland. A local minister said the gunmen
have been surrounded and two have been captured so far. The Spanish
and Argentine nationals are employees of the international aid group
Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Doctors Without Borders. The kidnappers
ambushed the minibus the two were travelling in, taking them hostage
but releasing their driver and translator.
Barak to ask Egypt to crack down on arms smuggling into Gaza
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak is visiting Egypt for the first
time since taking office in June for talks with President Hosni
Mubarak and other top Egyptian security officials. The meeting in
the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh comes amid renewed tensions
over alleged arms smuggling into Gaza. Barak is expected to demand
that Egypt crack down on arms smuggling from the Sinai desert into
the Gaza Strip which has been controlled by the Islamist group Hamas
since June. Cairo has played a key role in negotiations to secure
the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit who seized by Gaza militants in
June 2006 and is still being held captive. It's believed that Israel
may release 450 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the soldier.
Sri Lankan navy sinks four rebel boats
The Sri Lankan navy has sunk four boats used by separatist Tamil
Tiger rebels in a sea battle off the island's northwest coast. A
military spokesman said this came after the navy attacked a flotilla
of rebel boats that were transporting weapons off Mannar district.
He said one navy vessel was also severely damaged in the battle,
which lasted several hours. There was no immediate comment from the
Tamil Tigers.
India unrest over Christian conversions
Hundreds of police have been deployed to India's eastern state of
Orissa, one day after Hindu hardliners torched 12 Christian churches
in communal clashes. One person was killed and least 24 others were
wounded since unrest broke out there on Monday. Hardliners accuse
Christian groups of attempting to convert low-caste Hindus to their
faith. Christians say the converts are glad to escape the oppressive
Hindu caste system. Meanwhile extra police officers have also been
deployed to the tourist haven of Goa. Activists who are opposed to
industrial development there have told tourists to leave the popular
beach resort by the end of the week or face violent protests.
Mauritanian police hunt killers of French tourists
Prosecutors in Mauritania say they are treating the brutal murder of
four French tourists on Christmas Eve as a terrorist act and that
security forces were hunting three suspects who they say belong to a
regional al Qaida-linked terror network. Five people have so far
been arrested over Monday's shooting near the small town of Aleg and
other suspects are believed to have made a run for the Senegalese
border to the south. The sole survivor of the shooting who was
seriously injured, has been flown to the main hospital in Senegal's
capital, Dakar.
More Iranian Jews reach Israel
A group of 10 Jewish families has arrived in Israel from Iran. It's
the largest group to emigrate from the Islamic republic since the
1979 revolution. The 40 apparently left everything they owned behind,
and flew in via a third country in a covert operation. A record
number of 200 Jewish people left Iran for Israel this year alone.
Iran's Jewish community numbers around 25,000. Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has on several occasions called for the
destruction of Israel.
German owned business p*** explodes in Kazakhstan
A German-owned business jet has exploded during take-off at
Kazakhstan's Almaty airport, killing the sole passenger and injuring
the three crew on board. The nationality of the passenger has not
been identified. The German pilot and co-pilot, as well as the
Turkish stewardess, were taken to hospital with severe injuries. The
Interfax news agency, quoting local defence sources, reports the
p*** had left the runway and hit a wall before exploding. The p***
was on a trip from Hanover in Germany and was making a stopover in
Kazakhstan before its final planned destination of Hong Kong.
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