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Deutsche Welle English Service News April 22nd, 2001, 16:00 UTC ------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD: The EU Takes Israel To Task The European Union has warned Israel not to assault Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's West Bank headquarters. The Middle East conflict is expected to dominate this weeks's Euro-Mediterranean Conference in Spain. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1430_A_503117_1_A,00.html ------------------------------------------------------------------- Results from First Round French Presidential Elections Send Shockwaves Far-right French politician Jean-Marie Le Pen advanced into the final round of presidential elections in France on Sunday, sparking shock and protests in Europe. Several thousand anti-Le Pen demonstrators took to the streets in France to protest against racism, while social democratic leaders across Europe voiced worries at the popularity of Le Pen's outspoken right-wing platform. He now faces French President Jacque Chirac in the final election scheduled for May 5th. Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin has announced that he would leave politics following the run-off elections. The announcement came shortly after Jospin lost second place to Le Pen. German Social Democrats Suffer At Weekend Polls In Germany, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats suffered a loss at the polls in Sunday's regional elections in the eastern federal state of Saxony Anhalt. The SPD picked up only 20 percent of the vote, which put it behind the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the party of reform Socialists (PDS). The CDU won more than 37 percent of the vote. The elections were seen as a test of Schroeder's popularity before the September general election. German Foreign Minister Calls Djerba Blast an Act of Terrorism German Interior Minister Otto Schily said he had concrete evidence that the April 11 explosion on the Tunesian island of Djerba was a terrorist attack. Schily made the statements at the end of a two-day visit in the north African country. The explosion of a liquid gas delivery truck at a synagogue killed 16 people, 11 of them Germans. Tunesian authorities, who initially regarded the blast as an accident, said last week that they were investigating the incident as an act of terrorism. Israel Withdraws from West Bank Cities but Miantains Blockade Palestinian President Yasser Arafat told US Middle East Envoy William Burns he was not prepared to begin cease-fire talks until Israel ends its blockade. Israel withdrew tanks and troops from the West Bank cities of Nablus and Ramallah after three weeks of occupation, but maintained its military presence around Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah and at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. US and European Union representatives continue to appeal to both sides to seek a cease-fire and begin talks aimed at creating a Palestinian state and establishing peace. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he would not discuss dismantling Jewish settlements in occupied areas before the next parliamentary elections in October 2003. In continuing violence Monday, Israeli soldiers shot dead two gunmen on the outskirts of a refugee camp and the Israeli army said it killed a man who had tried to enter a Jewish settlement in northern Gaza. State of Emergency in Southern Philippine City Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has declared a state of emergency in General Santos City in response to a series of bomb attacks. At least 14 people were killed and some 60 injured in a powerful explosion in a department store Sunday in the southern Philippine city. Local authorities, who arrested two Muslim guerrillas Monday, said they expected to arrest more suspects in a sweeping crackdown. A man claiming to represent the Muslim guerrilla group Abu Sayyaf, which the US believes is linked to the terrorist network al Qaeda, said Abu Sayyaf had carried out recent attacks in response to the current US-Philippine military operations aimed at stopping rebel activities. About 1,000 US Special Forces are involved in training Fillipo troops in counter-terrorism in the southern Philippines, where Abu Sayyaf has been holding an American couple hostage for almost 11 months. Curfew Imposed after Renewed Violence in Gujarat India's ruling Hindu Nationalist party has come under renewed pressure in parliament over its failure to control Hindu-Muslim violence. At least 17 people were killed and 100 injured in weekend clashes in Gujarat state, where some of the heaviest religious violence has taken place. Angry opposition deputies have called for the firing of the state's chief minister, Nahendra Modi, who has failed to control the clashes. Meanwhile, army and paramilitary forces remained on the streets of Gujarat's main city Ahmedabad to quell rioting. Police opened fire on rioters Sunday night, as Hindus and Muslims fought each other with home-made bombs. Officials have since imposed a fresh curfew in parts of the city. Four Men in Pakistan Charged in Pearl Murder A court in Pakistan has formally charged Islamic militant Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three other men with the murder of U.S. reporter Daniel Pearl. A court official at the proceedings in Karachi said all four men had pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping, murder and terrorism. A verdict from the trial is expected within one week after the case begins. Meanwhile, Washington has also indicted Sheikh Omar for hostage-taking and requested his extradition, but Islamabad says the case must first be resolved under Pakistani law. ------------------------------------------------------------------- For more information please turn to our internet website at http://dw-world.de/english 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. 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