Deutsche Welle English Service News February 23rd 2005, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Bush, Schröder Say Past is Past During bilateral talks in Mainz, Schroeder said Germany's disputes with the United States over Iraq were in the past. The two leaders found common ground even on divisive issues such as Iran and global warming. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1498446,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- In light of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in 2005, DW-WORLD has put together a special site marking the occasion. Our coverage looks at the effect of World War II on countries around the world and includes interviews with scholars as well as picture galleries. To view the site, please go to http://www.dw-world.de/english ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Bush, Schroeder reconcile differences US President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder have met in the western German city of Mainz. Their talks came as part of Mr Bush's five-day tour of Europe, aimed at mending fences with America's European allies. This is the US leader's first visit to Germany since the start of the Iraq War. The two leaders reaffirmed that their differences over the Iraq war have now been reconciled. Bush and Schroeder discussed a range of issues from climate change and Iran to a controversial German call to overhaul NATO. At a joint news conference Bush said the United States must have good relations with Germany. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said he was "delighted" that the United States backs EU efforts to persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear enrichment program. The US president visited US troops based in Wiesbaden. On Thursday he will hold talks in the Slovak capital with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Protesters march against Bush Several thousand people in Mainz have demonstrated against US President George W. Bush's visit to Germany. Protesters held up plackards with slogans such as "Master of war go home", and "God bless America with reason". Speeches mainly criticised the US foreign policy in Iraq. The demonstration took place just a couple of hundred metres from where Bush met with Chancellor Gerhart Schroeder. Earlier, Greenpeace activists made several attempts to break through the security cordon along the Rhine river with rubber boats. Two Greenpeace activists who attepted to roll out a giant placard on the train station roof were removed by police officers. About 10,000 police officer sealed off the centre of Mainz in an extensive security operation. British soldiers guilty of Iraqi abuse Two British soldiers have been found guilty of abusing Iraqi civilians by a court martial while a third was convicted of failing to report the mistreatment to his officers. The military court case took place at a British army barracks in the German city of Osnabrueck. Judge Advocate Michael Hunter said the most senior of the three, Corporal Daniel Kenyon, who was found guilty on two charges of failing to report that soldiers under his command had abused Iraqis, would face a jail sentence of up to two years. Sentencing has been postponed until Friday. Car bomb explodes in Mosul At least 12 people have been killed in a spate of attacks in Iraq including a Shi'ite politician. A car bomb exploded in the northern Iraq city of Mosul, killing two passersby and wounding 14 other people. The US military said the bomb exploded in a western district of the city, which has been a focus of insurgent activity in recent months. Meanwhile US Marines fought their way into the insurgent stronghold of Haqlaniya as they intensified a campaign to bring the restive Iraqi Sunni Muslim province of Anbar under control. A column of tanks and armoured vehicles rolled into the town, about 240 km west of Baghdad, before dawn and were immediately ambushed. Marines' forces responded with heavy machinegun fire. Qurei revising cabinet line-up Reformers among Palestinians have forced Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei to reconsider his cabinet line-up. A parliamentary vote due last Monday has again been postponed until Thursday as lawmakers demand more newcomers and technocrats and fewer members of the old guard once led by the late president Yasser Arafat. Correspondents say it was widely seen as corrupt. Sources say Qurei's revised line-up could include 10 new faces, compared with four in his previous list. He was still expected to include Arafat loyalists such as Nabil Shaath, who's tipped to become deputy prime minister, and Saeb Erekat. Ukraine calls for EU membership Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko has again called for his country to be admitted to the European Union. Making his first speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Yuschchenko said the former Soviet republic could implement the necessary reforms sooner than expected. He emphasised his aim of starting negotions for EU membership by 2007. Yuschenko, the leader of the "orange revolution", was greeted with enthusiastic applause and a standing ovations by EU parliamentarians. Earlier in the day, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana advised the Ukrainian people not to expect too much from Brussels too soon. The EU currently has no plans to admit Ukraine. Earthquake in Iran kills hundreds The death toll from a powerful earthquake in Iran continues to rise with at least 420 people reported dead and a thousand more injured. The number of fatalities is expected to climb as aid agencies reach remote villages. The quake, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, struck early on Tuesday morning in the province of Kerman, 700 kilometers south-east of Teheran. Thousands of people in villages in the mountainous area have been left homeless. The region is in the same province as the city of Bam where an earthquake in 2003 killed more than 30,000 people. Pandemic from bird flu, warn experts UN officials at a disease conference in Vietnam have again warned that the world faces an influenza pandemic if a virus endemic among birds becomes transmissable human-to-human. Health and veterinary experts of the UN's health and agriculture agencies urged rich nations to do far more to research and contain the virus known as H5N1. WHO official Dr Shigeru Omi said the risk far exceeded the impact of SARS that killed nearly 800 people two years ago. Since 2003 bird flu has emerged in eight mainly Asian countries, with 46 people dying from infection through direct contact with poultry. No breakthrough in Aceh peace talks The Indonesian government and Aceh separatists have finished a second round peace talks in the Finnish capital Helsinki. Indonesian communications minister Sofyan Djalil said the rebels were more open to the government's offer of special autonomy, but there was still no agreement on a ceasefire. The Free Aceh Movement has been fighting for independence for the province for more than three decades. New negotiations are scheduled for April. The renewed efforts for a cease-fire are being driven by a need for international aid to reach Aceh, which bore the brunt of the catastrophic earthquake and tsunamis in December. Iraqi Shi'ite list chooses PM candidate The Shi'ite Alliance has named Ibrahim Al-Jaafari its candidate for the post of Iraq's prime minister. The Shi'ite religious list also known as the United Iraqi Alliance won a majority of seats in last month's elections. Party officials announced the candidacy after the main challenger, US-backed Ahmed Chalabi, dropped his nomination bid. Al-Jaafari is currently one of Iraq's two vice presidents. The 58-year-old doctor heads the Dawa Islamist party and spent several years in exile in Iran. The United States has said it will work together with whoever the democratically elected prime minister might be. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- When the ball gets rolling on the first day of the second half of the Bundesliga season, it’s time to place your bets at DW-WORLD again. Bet, score and win is the name of the game. 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