DEUTSCHE WELLE/DW-WORLD.DE Newsletter
English Service News 16. 06. 2006 16:00 Uhr UTC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD: EU Leaders Postpone Constitution Decision Until 2008 European Union leaders on Friday left the bloc's moribund constitution in limbo until 2008 and set tougher terms for the admission of new member states to the 25-nation bloc. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hlgreIfcha79I0&req=l%3D1hlgrdIfcha79I0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FOLLOW THE WORLD CUP WITH DW-WORLD.DE! Get all the latest news, background analysis, interviews and service information with DW-WORLD.DE's special coverage of the big event at http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hlgreIfcha79I1&req=l%3D1hlgrdIfcha79I1 You can also subscribe to "Instant Replay," DW-WORLD.DE's soccer newsletter, which will update you daily during the Cup. To subscribe, go to: http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hlgreIfcha79I2&req=l%3D1hlgrdIfcha79I2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 40 insurgents killed in Afghanistan The US military says coalition and Afghan forces have killed about 40 militants in a remote mountain province in southeastern Afghanistan. The insurgents were killed Wednesday and Thursday during air and ground strikes in Paktika province, near the border with Pakistan. The strikes came as the US-led coalition and Afghan forces launched Operation Mountain Thrust, the largest offensive against Taliban militants since the 2001 invasion toppled the former extremist regime. Suicide bomber kills 10 in Iraq mosque In the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a suicide bomber has killed at least 10 people and wounded 25 others inside a Shi'ite mosque. A man with explosives strapped to his body blew himself up at the Buratha mosque as worshippers were gathering for Friday noon prayers. Just after that attack, police say mortar rounds slammed into a neighbourhood on the northern outskirts of the city, killing at least three people and wounding 16. The latest violence comes just two days after tens of thousands of international and Iraqi security forces launched a massive security crackdown in Baghdad. Ahmadinejad calls atom offer 'positive' Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called the latest international incentives package aimed at curtailing his nation's nuclear programme a "step forward". The Iranian leader said his nation would look at the proposal, but did not say when Iran would respond to the offer. Ahmadinejad made the comments on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional security grouping. His announcement came a day after Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the Islamic regime would not bow to pressure over its atomic programme. Nepal to form new interim government Nepal's government has agreed to dissolve parliament and set up an interim administration including Maoist rebels. The move comes after a day of top-level peace talks between government and rebel leaders in the capital Kathmandu. Rebel leader Prachanda said the interim government would be formed within one month. The announcement is seen as a victory by the Maoists, who have long wanted to re-draft Nepal's constitution and scrap the nation's monarchy. In April mass protests forced King Gyanendra to end his absolute rule and reopen parliament. Until a recent ceasefire, 13,000 people had been killed in 10 years of conflict in Nepal. South Africa marks Soweto uprising South Africa has been holding commemorations to mark the 30th anniversary of the Soweto uprising, which proved pivotal in the fight against apartheid. The uprising started when schoolchildren protested against being taught in Afrikaans, the language of apartheid South Africa's white minority. Police beat and opened fire on the unarmed students. Hundreds later died in clashes as the protest movement spread across the country. Police records show 575 people died in clashes with police by February 1977, but independent estimates are much higher. Somalis say no to foreign peacekeepers In Somalia, thousands of supporters of an increasingly powerful Islamic militia have been protesting against foreign interference in the country's affairs. The demonstration came as the Islamists consolidate their authority in much of southern Somalia, which they seized from warlords believed to be US-backed. Demonstrators gathered in the battle-torn capital Mogadishu to protest against plans by the transitional government to deploy African peacekeepers to help impose order in the region. Somalia has not had an effective national government for 15 years, during which time it has been fought over by a host of different armed factions. 100 mln euros in EU aid for Palestinians European Union leaders have endorsed an aid package worth about 100 million euros for the Palestinians, to be paid via a new funding mechanism from next month. The European Commission said the aid would focus on health, power supply and support for needy families, while maintaining a funding freeze on the Hamas-led government. The EU is by far the biggest aid donor to the Palestinians but it froze some of those funds in April when Hamas came to power but refused to renounce violence or recognise Israel. The Islamic militant group is considered a terrorist organisation by both the EU and the United States. EU sets 2008 constitution deadline European Union leaders have set a 2008 deadline for deciding what to do about the bloc's stalled constitution. EU leaders and heads of state have agreed on a "pause for reflection" and insist that the setback must not block reforms or further expansion. French and Dutch voters rejected the proposed constitution last year. Its aim is to streamline the decision-making process in the EU which expanded from 15 to 25 members in 2004. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is keen to rescue the constitution, plans to put forward a proposal to do so when Germany takes over the EU rotating presidency next year. Slovenia 13th member of Eurozone European Union leaders meeting in Brussels have given the go-ahead for Slovenia to become the eurozone's 13th member from January 1 next year. The Eastern European country was able to meet entry requirements to join the euro currency by decreasing inflation, its the budget deficit, public debt and interest rates. A fixed exchange rate between Slovenia's current currency, the tolar and the euro is expected to be set by the middle of next month. Lithuania, which had also applied to be be admitted to the Eurozone was rejected due to its excessive inflation rate. German doctors each wage agreement Doctors at state-run clinics in Germany have agreed to a new wage deal, ending the biggest healthcare strikes in the country's history. The head of the Tdl-Chef group, which represents the clinics, said he was pleased the Marburger Bund union, representing the doctors, accepted the agreement. Details of the agreement were not immediately available. Some 12,000 doctors have been staging strikes for the past three months, forcing state-run and university clinics to provide only emergency care. German Bundesrat passes tax hike Germany's upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, has agreed to legislation from Chancellor Angela Merkel's government to increase the value-added tax from 16 percent to 19 percent next year. Business groups have opposed the tax hike, saying it will dampen recovering domestic demand and hurt the economy. But the government insists the money is needed to cut the budget deficit. About a third of the proceeds will be used to cut payroll taxes paid by employers, reducing high non-wage labour costs that are widely seen as a drag on the German economy. Argentina thrash Serbia Montengro Looking at day eight of the football World Cup here in Germany now: the Netherlands and Ivory Coast have kicked off their match in Stuttgart. Earlier, Argentina crushed Serbia and Montenegro 6:0 in Gelsenkirchen. Later on Friday Angola is set to take on Mexico. In Thursday's matches, Sweden defeated Paraguay 1:0, England beat Trinidad and Tobago 2:0 to secure its place in the final 16, as did Ecuador with its 3:0 victory over Costa Rica. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Receive DW-WORLD headlines and news reports straight on your desktop as RSS feeds: http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hlgreIfcha79I3&req=l%3D1hlgrdIfcha79I3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For more information please turn to our internet website at http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hlgreIfcha79I4&req=l%3D1hlgrdIfcha79I4 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. 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