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DEUTSCHE WELLE/DW-WORLD.DE Newsletter
English Service News
27.01.08, 17:00 Uhr UTC
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Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
German Conservatives Suffer Loses in Key State Election
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU)
suffered major loses in a key vote in the state of Hesse, exit
polls indicated.
To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the
internet address below:
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=evxh9rI4501ileI0&req=l%3Devxh9qI4501ileI0
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Voters turn away from German conservative party in two state
elections
Voters in the two west German states of Hesse and Lower Saxony have
turned away from Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian
Democrats (CDU) in key state elections on Sunday. In Hessen, the CDU
suffered the more serious setback, with the final outcome remaining
unclear shortly after the polls closed at 6pm. Exit polls conducted
by Germany's major broadcasters.
saw Roland Koch's conservative party decline from 49 per cent in
2003 to around 36 per cent, behind the Social Democrats (SPD) led by
Andrea Ypsilanti on around 37 per cent. The provisional results
scored by their potential partners among the minor parties meant it
was uncertain how a governing coalition might be formed. In
neighbouring Lower Saxony, the CDU also saw a decline in support,
although by a lower margin, to around 43 per cent from 48 per cent.
Christian Wulff will continue in government with his liberal
coalition partner, the FDP. Here the SPD scored its worst result in
recent years, declining to around 30 per cent from 33 per cent in
2003. The closely watched Left Party entered the state parliament
for the first time with 6 per cent.
Violence continues in Kenya despite mediation efforts
New fighting has erupted in another town in western Kenya. Reports
suggest at least nine people have been killed in inter-tribal
violence in Naivasha raising the death toll in the western Rift
Valley province since Thursday to 116. Violence has continued to
flare in the wake of President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election in
December. Meanwhile former UN chief Kofi Annan is continuing
mediation efforts to end the deadlock between President Kibaki and
opposition leader Raila Odinga. The opposition accuses Kibaki of
stealing December's presidential election. Post-election unrest has
left nearly 800 people dead and more than a quarter of a million
people homeless. Annan has urged an inquiry into what he calls gross
human rights abuses, saying the crisis had gone far beyond a dispute
over election results.
Egypt intensifies efforts to close breached Gaza border
Egypt has intensified efforts to close its breached border with the
Gaza Strip. On Sunday Egyptian forces began stopping vehicle traffic
and further tightened their security cordon around the small
frontier town of Rafah. The border breaches were made by Hamas
militants in response to Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israel
cut off supply routes to Gaza ten days ago in response to rocket
attacks on its territory. The United Nations estimates that at least
700,000 Gazans, nearly half the population of 1.5 million, have
crossed the border with Egypt since last Wednesday, most of them to
stock up on supplies. Meanwhile Palestinian and Israeli leaders have
met in Jerusalem to discuss the Gaza crisis. Palestinian President
Mahmud Abbas wants the passage to remain open and for his forces to
assume control of the Gaza side of the crossing. Both Israel and
Hamas are cool to Abbas' proposal.
Indonesia's former leader Suharto dies
Former Indonesian leader Suharto has died at the age of 86 after
suffering multiple organ failure. Suharto was a former army general
who ruled Indonesia with an iron fist for over three decades,- a
period of dictatorship that saw up to one million political
opponents killed. He left office in 1998 amid mass protests over
corruption and human rights abuses under his long rule. Although he
was accused of embezzling huge sums from state funds during his rule,
his lawyers always successfully pleaded that his failing health
meant he should not stand trial.
Obama takes South Carolina primary
In the US presidental race, Democratic candidate Barack Obama has
won an easy victory, scoring a decisive 55-percent in the South
Carolina primary ballot. Hillary Clinton received 27 percent, ahead
of John Edwards with 18 percent. The win is essential for Obama to
stay in the race, after Clinton scooped up the Nevada caucuses and
New Hampshire primary. This is the final contest for the Democrats
before Super Tuesday in ten days' time, when more than 20 states
will vote in primary ballots. Republicans are campaigning for their
next contest in Florida on Tuesday.
Kremlin opponent barred from Russian poll
Russia's election officials have barred former Prime Minister
Mikhail Kasyanov from running as an opposition candidate in the
March presidential election. The Central Election Commission refused
to register him, because they said there were many invalid
signatures in Kasyanov's list of supporters. Kasyanov was prime
minister under President Vladimir Putin, but has become one of the
Russian leader's staunchest critics. Putin's chosen successor,
Dmitry Medvedev, is expected to win in March.
Lebanese troops clash with demonstrators in Beirut
Lebanese troops and demonstrators have clashed in the country's
capital Beirut. Lebanese television stations said one person was
killed but the police and the army could not immediately confirm the
report. According to security officials, shooting started after
demonstrators set ablaze tyres, blocking a main road in the
southeast of Beirut in a protest over chronic power shortages.
Demonstrators have faced off with security forces on several
occasions in the past days over power cuts in Beirut's southern
suburbs. Meanwhile Lebanese opposition group Amal has called on its
supporters to halt protests in Beirut on Sunday.
International memorial services mark Holocaust Remembrance Day
On the occasion of Sunday's international Holocaust Remembrance Day,
politicians and church leaders have urged to continue the fight
against anti-semitism and race hatred. Numerous memorial services
were held in Germany and other countries to remind of the tragedy of
the Holocaust, which was unleashed by Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime.
The Holocaust, the murder of millions of Jews during World War II,
is commemorated annually on January 27, on the anniversary of the
liberation of the Auschwitz death camp in 1945.
Police interrogate "rogue trader"
The French share trader alleged to be at the centre of a massive
fraud unveiled at France's second biggest bank, Société Générale has
been detained by Paris police. Jerome Kerviel is being interrogated
at the headquaters of the financial police. It's alleged he lost his
employers nearly five billion euros after making huge, risky bets on
stocks and then seeing the markets plunge in the wake of the US
mortgage crisis. Prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation
and shareholders have filed a suit against the bank for misconduct.
As the recriminations continue, many question how the rogue trader
was able to operate alone. In an additional twist, the bank has said
Kerviel might not have personally benefited from his alleged
fraudulent transactions.
At least nine dead in Turkish train accident
At least nine people have been killed in a train accident in western
Turkey. Turkish media said that the Pamukkale Express travelling
between Istanbul and Denizli derailed on a bend in the district of
Kutahya. Initial reports suggested that speed may have been
responsible for the crash but officials said it appeared the rails
had cracked, for as yet unknown reasons. The five-carriage train was
carrying around 450 passengers. Turkish authorities said 37 people
were being treated at local hospitals with three listed as being in
a critical condition. No foreigners are believed to be among the
dead or injured.
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