Deutsche Welle English Service News 05. 04. 2005, 16:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Masses Pay Respects to Pope An estimated 100,000 mourners lined up near the Vatican on Tuesday to file past the body of Pope John Paul II at his lying-in-state in St Peter's Basilica. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1542457,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Thousands pay last respects to Pope In Rome, crowds of tens of thousands of people continue to fill the streets around the Vatican, queuing to see the body of Pope John Paul II lying in state in St Peter's Basilica. Scores of world leaders are expected on Friday to attend the funeral of one of the longest- reigning leaders of the Roman Catholic Church. The dignitaries are to include US President George W. Bush making it the first time ever that a sitting US president has attended a papal funeral. In keeping with Vatican tradition, the Pope will be buried in St Peter's Basilica and not in his native Poland. The requiem mass will be celebrated by German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Vatican cardinals have meanwhile met again to discuss arrangements for the gathering, known as a conclave, that will elect a new Pope at the end of this month. Berlusconi suffers election defeat Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has suffered a crushing defeat in regional elections. The final vote count has confirmed that Berlusconi's centre-right coalition has lost in 11 of the 13 regions up for stake. The outcome is being seen as a huge boost for centre-left leader Romano Prodi. The centre-left coalition took six of the regions previously in the governing coalition's hands, including the capital Rome. The ballot is seen as a key test for next year's general election. Opinion polls show voters are especially dissatisfied with the sharp increase in the cost of living and with the Italian military presence in Iraq. Blair announces election date British Prime minister Tony Blair has set May 5 as the general election date. Speaking after asking the Queen to dissolve Parliament next week, Blair said Labour had a "driving mission" for a third term in office. The Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders pre-empted the announcement by starting nationwide tours of key seats. Michael Howard accused Blair's government of "losing the plot" while Charles Kennedy said he would focus on people's hopes, not their fears. The government must now rush to get its remaining legislation through Parliament. Opinion polls suggest Labour's lead over the Tories has slipped to between two and five percent. They suggest the Liberal Democrats trail the Tories by between 10 and 16 points. Death penalty 'at record levels' A report from human rights organisation Amnesty International says the number of worldwide executions reached its highest rate for a decade last year. In 2004, China executed at least 3,400 people, more than any other country in the world. Iran had the second highest number with at least 159 people put to death, including at least three children. Vietnam was third with 64 executions and in the United States, 59 people were given the death penalty. The report said the true number of worldwide executions could be much higher because many states do not give official figures. ICC gets to work on Darfur war crimes The International Criminal Court has been handed documents outlining allegations of war crimes committed in the Darfur region of Sudan. Later, the court will also be given a sealed list of 51 suspects accused of participating in the crimes. A United Nations inquiry identified a number of government and army officials, militia and rebel leaders. Last week, the UN Security Council ordered that suspects should appear before the court in The Hague. Sudan is refusing to hand any of its citizens over, preferring local justice. The UN says at least 180,000 people have died and more than two million have sought refuge from the violence since the two-year conflict began. General kidnapped in Iraq Two car bombs have exploded in Baghdad, reportedly killing two people and leaving at least five wounded. In one of the incidents a car bomb exploded near an Iraqi army patrol close to Baghdad's international airport killing one civilian and wounding two others. US soldiers blocked off the area after the blast, which was heard across the south-western part of the Iraqi capital. A US soldier was reported killed in an earlier attack. Meanwhile Iraqi police say an Iraqi general who commands a special armoured unit has been kidnapped by gunmen in Baghdad. Brigadier General Mohammad Jalal Saleh was pulled from his car along with his bodyguards in the west of the city. Neo-Nazis sentenced in Munich In Germany, a group of five neo-Nazis, made up of three women and two men, have been given suspended sentences of between 16 and 22 months for their roles in plans to carry out a bomb attack on a ceremony at the construction site of a synagogue in Munich. The target of the attack, which was foiled in advance, would have been a corner stone laying ceremony at the new Jewish community centre in Munich. The event was attended by then German President Johannes Rau, Bavarian State Premier Edmund Stoiber and high-ranking members of Germany's Jewish Community. The alleged leader of the plot is being tried separately. Yushchenko calls immigrants home Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has called for Ukrainian emigrants in the United States to return and help their homeland. On a visit to Chicago, he urged the city's 100,000-strong Ukrainian community to continue to support the blossoming democratic movement in their homeland. Yushchenko met with US President George W. Bush on Monday, where the two leaders discussed Ukraine's entry to the World Trade Organisation and NATO. The Ukrainian President is to address a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday. The pro-Western Yushchenko has drawn his country closer to the US since his inauguration in January. US holds terror excercise The United States is undertaking its largest ever anti-terrorism drill. Mock chemical and biological attacks will be staged during the week long exercise. The department of homeland security says the 16 million dollar drill is intended to fine-tune the emergency services' planned responses. A total of 10,000 people are involved in the drill. Koehler kicks off German Year in Japan German President Horst Koehler is in Japan, where he's formally inaugurated what's being called the German Year. The project is designed to deepen bilateral relations and spark interest in all things German - especially among the young. President Koehler and his wife Eva were given a reception at the imperial palace in Tokyo by Emperor Akihito and his wife Michiko. Koehler formally opened an art exhibition in Tokyo entitled "Germany in Japan", featuring masterpieces on loan from Berlin's most important museums. It's one of the centrepieces of a year of shows and events aimed at bringing Germany closer to the Japanese people. Haider forms new Austrian party Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel says he will not call early elections despite a split in the government's junior coalition party, the Austrian Freedom Party. Controversial far-right politician Joerg Haider, who is not a member of the government, formed the new party, the Alliance for Austria's Future, on Monday: all Freedom Party ministers and parliamentarians have defected to the new grouping. The formation of the party was announced by Ursula Haubner. She's currently Austria's Social Affairs Minister,- as well as being outgoing Freedom Party chairwoman,- and Joerg Haider's sister. The creation of the new party is being seen as an indication that Haider might now being moving towards a more moderate approach to politics. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Place your bets on the World Cup qualifiers at DW-WORLD in our multilingual betting game, where you can win attractive prizes. Whether you want to compare your soccer knowledge with fans worldwide as an individual or in a team, this is the right address. 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