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DEUTSCHE WELLE/DW-WORLD.DE Newsletter
English Service News
19.03.08, 17:00 Uhr UTC
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Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Germany's Top Court Curtails Disputed Data Storage Law
In a blow to Berlin's efforts to boost anti-terrorism measures,
Germany's highest court on Wednesday, March 19 blocked parts of a
sweeping data-collection law that had prompted large protests by
civil liberties
To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the
internet address below:
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=evxyebI4501ileI1&req=l%3DevxyeaI4501ileI1
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Chinese PM open for dialogue with Dalai Lama
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says that Chinese Prime Minister
Wen Jiabao is prepared to hold talks with the Dalai Lama if certain
conditions are met. Speaking in parliament, Brown said the Chinese
premier had told him via telephone that he was ready for dialogue
with Tibet's exiled spiritual leader under the condition that he
renounced violence and did not support full independence of Tibet.
The Dalai Lama has emphasised he remains committed to a peaceful
solution. Tibetan exiles say more than 100 people have died in
clashes with police, since protests against Chinese rule broke out
in the regional capital, Lhasa, last week. Meanwhile Chinese state-
run media claim that 105 protesters have surrendered to police as
the authorities launched a major security operation to round up
regime opponents in Lhasa.
Croatia, Hungary recognise Kosovo
Croatia and Hungary have become the first of Serbia's neighbours to
recognise Kosovo since the former Serbian province unilaterally
declared independence last month. Both countries announced the move
in statements released to reporters. Bulgaria said that it would do
the same on Thursday. The three Balkan countries have also released
a joint statement saying that they had taken the decision following
careful consideration. They also highlighted the importance of
protecting the Serb minority in the overwhelmingly ethnic-Albanian
territory. So far around 30 countries have recognised Kosovo.
Belgrade and its strongest ally, Moscow, vehemently oppose the
province's independence.
Bush defends war on Iraq
US President George W. Bush has marked the fifth anniversary of the
invasion of Iraq by defending his decision to go to war. In a speech
to senior military brass at the Pentagon, Bush said that removing
the regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was the right
move. He added that the troop surge that the US launched in Baghdad
last year was working to reduce violence and stabilise the entire
country. But Bush indicated that there would be no major withdrawal
of US soldiers from Iraq for the foreseeable future. The US
president, who is to leave office next January, admitted that the
war in Iraq had come at a high cost, but he argued that it was
essential to win in order to stop the al-Qaeda terror network and
contain Iran.
Nationwide strike brings Greece to a halt
Millions of Greeks have taken to the streets in a 24-hour nationwide
strike against planned pension reforms. The strike action has
grounded flights, confined ships to port and closed schools,
ministries and banks. Trade unions say the planned pension reform
bill will curb benefits and raise the retirement age. The government,
which was re-elected last September on a pledge not to curtail
pension rights, needs the backing of all its 151 deputies in the
300-seat assembly to pass the legislation. The bill goes to
parliament for a final vote on Thursday.
At least eight killed in new clashes in Mogadishu
Somali officials say that at least eight people have been killed in
heavy clashes between government troops and Islamist rebels in the
capital Mogadishu. The renewed hostilities come a day after United
Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said peacekeepers could only
be sent to Somalia if certain conditions, like an agreed ceasefire,
were met. Somali government soldiers backed by Ethopian troops
managed to expel Islamist insurgents from the capital early last
year. This unleashed an insurgency that has displaced more than
600,000 people in what the UN calls the world's worst and most
neglected humanitarian crisis.
Human Rights Watch criticises Zimbabwe's elections
Human Rights Watch says that Zimbabwe's elections scheduled for
March 29 will neither be free nor fair. The New York-based
organisation accuses the government of President Robert Mugabe of
vote buying and restricting freedom of association and assembly. The
international watchdog also points to biased pre-election coverage
in Zimbabwe's state media and of the use of violence by state agents
against human rights activists and opposition supporters. Almost six
million Zimbabweans are registered to vote in this month's
presidential, parliamentary and local elections. The 84-year-old
Mugabe is seeking to extend his 28-year leadership by five years.
Court restricts German data gathering law
Germany's highest court has ruled to restrict the scope of a law on
the use of telephone and internet data. The decision, handed down by
the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe says that such data
may be saved for up to six months, but that it may only be passed on
to the authorities to help in investigations involving major crimes.
Under a law that came into effect at the start of this year,
telecommunications companies were also required to pass on
information relating to minor crimes. The decision comes after the
law was challenged by a member of parliament from the opposition
liberal Free Democrats and a number of private citizens. They argued
that the law restricted their right to privacy.
Displaced persons memorial centre approved
Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet has approved the construction of
a memorial centre in Berlin to document the plight of the more than
12 million Germans and others who were forced to leave their homes
at the end of the Second World War. The proposed memorial centre has
faced stiff opposition from many people in neighbouring Poland in
particular. They say they fear the documentation of mass expulsions
in the 20th century could be an attempt by Germany to rewrite
history. The main organisation representing German displaced persons
argues that their expulsion should be recognised as a criminal act.
UN envoy disappointed after latest visit to Myanmar
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special adviser on
Burma has said mediation efforts have failed to convince the
military regime to implement democratic reforms. Ibrahim Gambari
expressed his disappointment but insisted that it was still
important to engage in dialogue with Burma's military rulers.
Gambari met with detained opposition leader Aung Suu Kyi during a
March 6-10 visit, his third to the former British colony since
authorities crushed pro-democracy marches in September. Burma has
been under military rule since 1962.
European shares dipped after US interest rate cut
Shares have dipped on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange after initially
climbing on news of a steep interest rate cut by the US Federal
Reserve. European stock markets fell on concerns about financials
and telecoms. The U.K.'s benchmark FTSE 100 fell 0.7 percent, while
Germany's DAX slipped 0.48 percent. France's CAC fell by 0.84
percent. Meanwhile shares of Deutsche Telekom were down by 12
percent after the Bonn-based company announced that it expected the
company's pre-tax earnings to fall between 5 and 8 percent.
Sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke dies
British science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke has died at the age
of 90. Clarke was the author of more than 100 books, including a
short story that was made into the 1968-film "2001 - A Space
Odyssey." He passed away at his home in Sri Lanka, where had lived
since 1956.
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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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Copyright Deutsche Welle 2008
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