Deutsche Welle English Service News 23. 06. 2005, 17:00 UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow all Confederation Cup matches with DW-WORLD's live ticker. We'll bring you all the games of the "World Cup dress rehearsal" between now and June 29: http://www.dw-world.de/worldcup ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD:
Blair Urges EU to Accept Change Ahead of taking over the EU presidency, Tony Blair addressed the European Parliament Thursday, amid criticism -- including from Germany -- that his EU policy is motivated by a desire for a free trade area. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1626304,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rumsfeld, Meyers in Congress over Iraq US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and top military officers have appeared before a Congressional hearing over the American military strategy in Iraq. Both Rumsfeld and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Meyers, said they were on the right track and that leaving Iraq now would be catastrophic. But neither of them would indicate when US troops would be pulled out of Iraq. Surveys in the US show that 59 percent of Americans want at least a partial withdrawal of the 135,000 US troops currently stationed in Iraq. Blair calls for reform of EU In an impassioned address to the EU parliament in Brussels, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the European Union was facing a "crisis in political leadership." He added that the bloc must change to win back public support. In his address, he outlined his vision for Britain's upcoming EU presidency and appealed for far-reaching reforms. He denounced those claiming that Britain was pushing for the EU to become simply an economic free trade zone, saying that he backed a modern social Europe. Blair's statements came in the wake of a failed EU budget summit last week which many blame on him for not willing to compromise. Bomb attacks kill 17 in Iraq A series of bomb attacks in Iraq this Thursday have killed at least 17 people and wounded over 60 others. In the densely populated district of Karradah, a car blew up outside of a Shiite mosque. US troops who had rushed to the area after the attacks said they found 200 pounds (90 kilograms) of explosives rigged with a timing device and packed inside a van. North of Baghdad, three Iraqis, including two soldiers, were killed when a suicide bomber driving a tractor blew himself up against a military convoy. Separately, another car bomb blew up outside of a male bath complex, and a fourth exploded outside another mosque in Karradah but caused only damage. Filipino ex-hostage returns home A Filipino accountant freed after being held hostage for eight months in Iraq has flown home to Manila. Roberto Tarongoy said his eyes still hurt. His unidentified kidnappers kept him in the dark, blindfolded, for eight months. The Philippines government denies paying a ransom. In Iraq Tarongoy had worked for a Saudi firm. Last year the Philippines pulled out its token military contingent serving US-led forces to save the life of a Filipino truck driver. Lebanon leaders urge president to quit Lebanon's newly elected anti-Syrian coalition has called on President Emile Lahoud to resign saying it held him responsible for a series of political assassinations. The Pro-Syrian president denied he was involved. The coalition led by Saad al-Hariri called for a general strike on Friday in protest over Tuesday's killing of George Hawi, a former head of the Lebanese Communist Party and critic of Syria. He was the second anti-Syrian figure to be assassinated this month. The killings followed the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in February. Protests over him murder led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon after a nearly 30-year presence. UN says US stalling Guantanamo visit United Nations human rights investigators have accused the United States of stalling on their request to visit suspects held at US-run prisons in Iraq, Afghanistan and at Guantanamo Bay. The UN said for over a year there had been no response to its requests to check on the condition of detainees. Their request followed a scandal sparked by photographs taken in the US-run Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. The pictures showed inmates being sexually humiliated by soldiers and intimidated with dogs. Activists have expressed alarm that many of those arrested since the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on the US are still being held without charge. NRW's new premier to name cabinet In the German state of North Rhein Westphalia, newly-elected premier, Christian Democrat Juergen Ruettgers, has presented his new cabinet. It's the first time in 40 years that the CDU has governed the region once considered the strong-hold of Germany's governing Social Democrats (SPD). The SPD was dealt a major blow in the state's election last month due to voter frustration over painful labour and economic reforms. That heavy loss led Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to call for early elections for Germany's federal parliament. German book prize for Turkey's Pamuk The German book publishers industry says it will award its peace prize this year to the Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk. Last February Pamuk was heavily criticised by Turkish nationalists for highlighting massacres of Armenians in 1915 during the Ottoman Turk empire. Pamuk's best-sellers, including his latest novel "Snow", examine rifts within and between the cultures of Turkey and Europe. His works are widely read by Turkey's younger generation and have been translated into 34 languages. Pamuk will receive the 25,000 euro prize in Frankfurt in October. EU sugar reforms cop sharp criticism Sugar-producing countries from the developing world have slammed European Union plans to reform its controversial sugar policy. They say the reforms will have devastating impacts on many African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The European Commission has proposed cutting the guaranteed price of sugar imported by the EU by around 40 percent. The reform package includes a voluntary compensation scheme for sugar producers forced out of business by the price cut. The reforms come two months after the World Trade Organisation ruled that EU sugar policies were illegal, in response to a complaint from Australia, Brazil and Thailand. Australia deputy premier resigns Australia's Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson has resigned, revealing that he a prostate health problem. Trade Minister Mark Vaile is expected to replace him. Anderson, aged 48, said he would remain in parliament as a backbencher. For the past six years he has led the National Party, the junior partner in the coalition government under Prime Minister John Howard. China bids for US oil firm In a sign of China's growing quest for energy sources, one of its state-run oil firms CNOOC has announced a bid to buy the American firm Unocal based in California. The Chinese cash offer of 18.5 billion dollars exceeds a bid by the major US concern Chevron. Unocal said it was evaluating the Chinese bid but still recommended that its shareholders accept the Chevron offer. About 70 percent of Unocal's proven oil and gas reserves are in Asia and the Caspian region. China's booming economy has left gaps in energy supplies. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Get all the info on the "World Cup dress rehearsal" on DW-WORLD: For the Confederations Cup, we offer you reports, results, rankings, live ticker of all the games, a Web blog with personal views on the competitions, picture galleries, a forum, a quiz and more. Get it all at http://www.dw-world.de/worldcup ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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