Deutsche Welle English Service News March 31st 2005, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
EU Mulls Compromise with Iran Are France, Britain and Germany considering a compromise that would allow Iran to continue some of its nuclear activities while angering the US? EU diplomats say they have not ruled it out. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1536790,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Brain-damaged woman dies The severely brain-damaged woman, Terri Schiavo, has died at a hospice in the US state of Florida. Schiavo, who had been in a vegetative state for 15 years following cardiac arrest, was at the centre of a politically-charged right-to-die controversy. Her death follows years of court battles and petitions, pitting her parents against her husband and legal guardian. Schiavo's parents had fought to save her life while her husband had always argued that Schiavo would not have wanted to be kept alive by artificial means. Her deaths comes 14 days after courts had ordered her feeding tube to be removed. Charges of fraud surround Zimbabwe vote Voters in Zimbabwe have stood in long lines to cast their ballots in parliamentary elections. President Robert Mugabe cast his vote earlier with the hope of tightening his ruling party's 25-year grip on power. But even before the polls opened on Thursday, there were accusations by the opposition and by international observers of wide-spread vote-rigging on the part of Mugabe's ruling government. Speaking to reporters, Mugabe dismissed international criticism that the election was unfair. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) also expressed confidence, but again charged that the vote had been rigged. Around six million Zimbabweans were eligible to cast their ballots. Report finds US intelligence still flawed A US report says that intelligence on Iraq was wrong in almost all cases before the Iraq war. The report also said the harm done to American credibility "will take years to undo." The 600-page report outlined 70 recommendations for changes in the intelligence community. President George W. Bush ordered the study after the controversy surrounding the Iraq war, which was fought over claims that Saddam Hussein had possessed weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons have yet been found. Romanian journalists kidnapped in Iraq Three Romanian journalists and a US citizen abducted in Iraq have been shown on video, broadcast by the Arabic television station Al Jazeera. The footage showed two armed men pointing guns at the four hostages. Al Jazeera said the fate of the three men and one woman remained unclear as the kidnappers had not yet made any demands. The US State Department confirmed that an American citizen was also taken hostage with the journalists. Further details were not released. Abbas orders crackdown on militants Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has ordered a crackdown on militants in Ramallah after gunmen opened fire at his headquarters. The incident occurred after militants were ordered to leave the battered presidential headquarters, where they had been given refuge under the late president, Yasser Arafat. After being thrown out of the compound, the militants went on a rampage in the West Bank, damaging several restaurants and shops. No casualties were reported in the incident, which is being viewed as a challenge to Abbas' authority. Aftershocks on Indonesian island Strong aftershocks have shaken Indonesia's earthquake-devastated Nias island. Seismologists at an observatory in Hong Kong said at least three tremors of varying magnitudes had occurred, complicating efforts to help survivors of Monday's major earthquake. In the meantime, rescuers have been finding people alive, buried under the rubble of their homes. A woman and a young boy were rescued some 48 hours after the 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck. Indonesian officials believe as many as 2,000 people may have died. The United Nations issued a statement late on Wednesday, saying at least 500 people were confirmed killed. Wolfowitz wins EU backing The European Union has given the green light to the controversial US nominee for World Bank president, Paul Wolfowitz. Wolfowitz's nomination has sparked widespread criticism because of his lack of development experience and his role in organising the Iraq war. Wolfowitz was in Brussels to ease EU concerns over his qualifications for the post. EU diplomats said they will back his nomination but they want a European to act as his deputy. The World Bank board votes later today for the successor to James Wolfensohn, who's retiring after a decade on the job. Monarch's condition fragile, doctors say Prince Rainier of Monaco is still in intensive care after suffering from lung, heart and kidney problems. Doctors have said his condition was very weak. The monarch has been in intensive care for several days, receiving breathing assistance. Doctors are due to issue another bulletin of his health by the end of this week. German unemployment drops in March The number of people looking for work in Germany fell in March, but still stands above the five-million mark. According to data released on Thursday by the Federal Labour Office, the number of jobless declined in March by 41,000. The unadjusted unemployment rate was 12.5 percent, down from 12.6 percent in February, but still a post-war record high. World's ecosystems under threat The most comprehensive report into the state of the planet has concluded that humans are damaging the environment at an unprecedented rate. The study by more than 1300 scientists from nearly 100 countries says that human activity is putting so much strain on the planet's ecosystems that the earth's ability to sustain future generations is under threat. The ecosystems most at risk are fresh water and fisheries. Although the report says significant shifts in policy could reduce many of the negative effects on ecosystems, its says these changes are not being undertaken. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. You can even listen to all programmes as audio-on-demand. 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