Deutsche Welle English Service News 03. 04. 2005, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- We'd like to introduce you to our latest newsletter: "Germany Light" give you a weekly look at Germany's cultural, peculiar and sometimes odd happenings. To sign up for regular dose of fun and entertainment, please go to our Newsletter section at http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1170241,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
John Paul II: Passing of a Papal Giant The Vatican announced Saturday evening that the pope died at 2027 CET. For more than a quarter of a century John Paul II steered the affairs of the Catholic Church and changed the face of the papacy. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1477302,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- World leaders pay tribute to the Pope Tributes to Pope John Paul II have been pouring in from all parts of the globe. US President George W. Bush led world leaders in mourning Pope John Paul saying that the world had lost a champion of human freedom. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan described the Pope as a man of peace and someone who shared his belief that ''in war all are losers''. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said the Pope had "influenced the peaceful integration of Europe during his pontificate in many ways." Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi expressed his gratitude for the pontiff's struggle against totalitarianism, violence and oppression. French President Jacques Chirac said the Pope "touched spirits and hearts" with his courage and determination. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that throughout his life Pope John Paul had ''stood for social justice and on the side of the oppressed''. Top religious leaders from all faiths have also paid tribute to the late head of the Roman Catholic Church. US troops hurt in Iraq jail attack Dozens of insurgents have attacked Abu Ghraib prison near the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. A US military spokesman told reporters in Baghdad that the attackers detonated two suicide car bombs and fired rocket-propelled grenades at the facility, before US troops repelled the assault. At least 44 US soldiers and 12 detainees were injured. Iraqi assembly elects speaker The Iraqi parliament has elected a speaker more than two months after historic polls in the country. In an open ballot, members of the 275-seat National Assembly voted overwhelmingly to elect Hajem al-Hassani, a Sunni Arab and current industry minister, to the post. Lawmakers also picked a Shiite and a Kurd as deputy speakers. The formation of the government has been held up due to differences between the Shiite alliance and the Kurds over key cabinet posts. Lawmakers are yet to reach agreement on the posts of president and two deputies. ZANU-PF wins two-thirds majority Zimbabwe's main opposition party has rejected the results of Thursday's parliamentary elections. Morgan Tsvangirai, who heads the Movement for Democratic Change, has accused President Robert Mugabe of election fraud and said the polls do not reflect the will of the people. President Mugabe's ZANU-PF party secured a two-thirds majority in the vote, which gives it the power to amend the constitution. Nine die in Australian chopper crash All nine people on board an Australian navy helicopter have been killed after it crashed on the Indonesian island of Nias. An Australian military spokesman said the helicopter was part of an aid mission to the region when it came down. Hundreds of people in the region are feared dead following Monday's earthquake, which registered 8.7 on the Richter scale. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DW-WORLD's "Click Back" monthly review quiz for April is waiting for you and will test your knowledge of stories we've written. If you answer all questions correctly, you can also win a great prize. To play, please go to: http://www.dw-world.de/english ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Serbian News Network - SNN [email protected] http://www.antic.org/
