Back to newsletter list
DEUTSCHE WELLE/DW-WORLD.DE Newsletter
English Service News
28.04.08, 16:00 Uhr UTC
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
If you like our newsletters, you will love our new web features
like RSS feeds, widgets and social bookmarking. Click on the link
below and jump into the world of DW-WORLD.DE 2.0!
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=evya98I4501ileI0
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Inflation Worries Top European Bank Agenda
The European Central Bank (ECB) defended its decision to hold
interest rates steady, saying the move will help control inflation,
which the bank has made its top priority.
To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the
internet address below:
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=evya98I4501ileI1
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Death toll expected to rise above 70 in Chinese train crash
The collision of two Chinese passenger trains has left at least 70
people dead. At least 420 were reportedly taken to hospital with 70 in
critical condition. Xinhua news agency said authorities had determined
the crash was caused by human error, and that one of the trains might
have been travelling much faster than the speed limit. One train was en
route from Beijing to the seaside resort of Qingdao when it hit a
second train travelling from the resort of Yantai, in Shandong.
Monday's accident was the worst in China since 1997, when more than 100
people were killed in a train crash in the central province of Hunan.
Candidates to vet Zimbabwe presidential poll
Zimbabwe's election officials say they expect to complete a partial
recount from the disputed presidential poll late on Monday. They said
the candidates would then have to vet the results. Morgan Tsvangirai,
leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, says he won
the vote outright and accuses President Robert Mugabe of using the
delay to rig a widely expected runoff. In a parliamentary vote recount,
Mugabe's ZANU-PF lost power for the first time since he took office in
1980. The MDC wants the United Nations to send an envoy to help resolve
the crisis. The political standoff which has developed following the
March 29 election has raised fears of bloodshed.
Iranian and Pakistani leaders meet over gas pipeline
Iran and Pakistan have reportedly settled all issues relating to plans
for a multi-billion euro gas pipeline. The announcement comes as
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad paid Pakistani leaders a brief
visit in Islamabad before travelling on to India on Tuesday. If all
goes according to plan, construction could start next year and the
pipeline, linking the world's second largest gas reserves to the fast
growing South Asian economies, could be completed by 2012. It would
initially transport 60 million cubic metres of gas per day to Pakistan
and India, half for each country, but capacity could be raised later to
150 million cubic metres. The project has been discussed and delayed
for years. It was given a new push after India and Pakistan embarked on
a peace process in 2004.
Austrian confesses to imprisoning daughter for 24 years
Austrian police says a 73-year-old man has confessed to holding his
daughter captive in a hidden cellar complex in their family home for 24
years. He also admitted to sexually abusing her and fathering seven
children by her. The 42-year-old daughter told police her father had
forcibly imprisoned her at the age of 18. She also said that three of
her children had been locked up in the basement with her since birth
and had never seen sunlight. The other three were raised in the house
above. It remains unclear whether anybody in the house knew about what
was happening in the cellar. The imprisoned woman, who had been missing
since 1984, was found Saturday evening in the town of Amstetten.
Austrian police launched an investigation earlier this month after one
of the children, now 19, was admitted to hospital in critical condition.
UN leaders meet to solve world food crisis
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has held talks with key development
agencies on how to tackle the world's soaring food and fuel prices. At
the two-day conference in the Swiss capital, Berne, the UN was to
construct a framework of emergency measures while also exploring
longer-term measures to solve the global food crisis. UN Secretary-
General Ban convened the heads of 27 international agencies including
the World Bank, World Food Programme and World Trade Organisation, to
coordinate their action to dampen the global food crisis. Officials
said the main priority was to ensure that food aid reached those
immediately affected by surging prices of grain and other dietary
staples.
Hungarian PM reshuffles cabinet
Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany has appointed seven new
cabinet ministers for his minority government. The reshuffle was
prompted by the collapse of the coalition between his Socialist Party
and the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ). The Free Democrats decided
to cancel the coalition agreement after months of bickering between the
parties about economic reforms. The Prime Minister abandoned the
reforms after losing a referendum on healthcare charges and tuition
fees. Hungary has been struggling to reduce its budget deficit, which
has been the largest in the European Union in the past few years. It is
also suffering from high inflation and low economic growth.
ECB chief defends monetary policy
European Central Bank (ECB) chief Jean-Claude Trichet has rebuked
criticism of the bank's interest rate policy, saying it would safeguard
price stability in the eurozone in the long term. Speaking at a
conference in Vienna hosted by Austria's central bank, Trichet said
safeguarding price stability was and remained a necessary condition for
economic growth and the creation of jobs. Trichet described the current
economic enviroment as "very challenging" but said he was convinced
that the Eurosystem would meet those challenges thanks to its monetary
policy. Other leading central banks such as the US Federal Reserve and
the Bank of England have cut borrowing costs to ward off an economic
slump. But the ECB has held its interest rates steady at four percent
in face of record inflation in the 15-country eurozone.
EU lifts 2008 eurozone inflation forecast
The European Commission has raised its 2008 inflation estimate for the
eurozone from 2.6 to 3.2 percent while slightly trimming its growth
forecast to 1.7 percent, down from 1.8 percent. The Commission said in
its spring Economic Forecast that record oil and food prices were
taking their toll on growth and inflation while financial market
turmoil and a US slump were proving to be worse than previously
expected. The Commission also raised its inflation estimate for the 27-
nation European Union from 2.9 to 3.6 percent. But it stuck to its
estimate for 2.0 percent economic growth.
UN to resume food distribution in Gaza
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees will resume
distributing food aid in Gaza on Tuesday, after a four-day interruption.
A spokesman for the UN agency said it had collected 55,000 litres of
diesel and would be able to resume our food distribution on Tuesday.
Last Thursday, UNRWA halted its food distribution to the besieged
Palestinian territory, saying it had no fuel for its aid trucks. Israel
claims the Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, had
prevented tankers from filling at the main fuel terminal on the Gaza-
Israeli border. Israel allows only limited basic supplies into the Gaza
Strip in an embargo it hopes will stop militants firing rockets into
Israel.
German consumer confidence high
A closely watched survey has shown that German consumer confidence has
soared to the highest level since last October, bolstered by a strong
labor market and new wage agreements. The forward-looking GfK index has
risen to 5.9 points in May, up from a revised 4.8 points in April, as
the research group's economic outlook indicator, income expectations
and the propensity to buy indicators all climbed. The Nuremberg-based
group said in a statement Monday that the upswing in the job market and
recent wage agreements have both contributed to overall expectations of
the economy, and to people assessing their personal financial
situations more positively.
North Korean Olympic torch relay without disruptions
The North Korean leg of the Olympic torch relay has reportedly been
completed without any disruptions. Video footage from broadcaster APTN
showed large crowds waving Chinese and Olympic flags. It was the first
time that the Olympic flame was carried through isolated Communist
North Korea. Previous legs of the Olympic torch had been accompanied by
protests against China's human rights policy and its crackdown in Tibet.
The torch's next leg of the relay takes place in Vietnam and then Hong
Kong.
French FM heads to Colombia to appeal for Betancourt release
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is visiting Colombia on Monday
to press for the release of French-Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt.
Betancourt, a former Columbian presidential candidate, has been held
captive by leftist FARC rebels for six years in the Colombian jungle.
Kouchner will also travel to Ecuador and Venezuela during his trip.
Political observers say Kouchner's visit offers an opportunity to work
out a "humanitarian agreement" with the FARC, one that might lead to
the release of Betancourt and scores of other hostages, as well as
hundreds of rebel fighters being held by the Colombian government.
Consolidation planned in German mobile phone sector
German mobile phone operator Freenet has agreed to take over rival
Debitel to create the third-largest company in the sector in Germany,
in a deal worth 1.6 billion euros. The agreement still needs approval
by Germany's cartel authorities. The new company will have 19 million
customers. Major Freenet shareholders United Internet and Drillisch
oppose the takeover and are planning a counter-offer.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
If you like our newsletters, you will love our new web features
like RSS feeds, widgets and social bookmarking. Click on the link
below and jump into the world of DW-WORLD.DE 2.0!
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=evya98I4501ileI2
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
For more information please turn to our internet website at
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=evya98I4501ileI3
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
current affairs, culture, business and science. And of course the
DW website also has information about DW-RADIO and DW-TV programmes:
topics, broadcast times and frequencies.
You can even listen to all programmes as audio-on-demand.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Copyright Deutsche Welle 2008
We're sorry to hear that you want to cancel your newsletter subscription.
nla_internal_2724660.jpg
