 | | | | | | | Newsletter | 18.01.2009, 17:15 UTC | | | Newsline | | | World news: international | | | | | | | | | News | | | | | Current Article | | | | Rockets hit despite Israeli cease-fire
The United States has welcomed Israel's ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the limited truce announced afterwards by Hamas. Washington said it expected all parties to stop hostile actions immediately. Despite the unilateral ceasefire declared by Israel, Palestinian militants have continued to launch rockets. Israel says 18 struck without injury near the southern town of Sderot. Israeli warplanes replied by hitting a rocket launch site at Beit Hanun. Announcing the Israeli ceasefire early Sunday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said troops involved in Israel's three-week offensive would initially remain inside Gaza. Hamas has demanded a full pullout. |  | | EU welcomes Israeli cease-fire in Gaza
The European Union has welcomed Israel's announcement of a unilateral cease-fire in Gaza. EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said the halt was "indispensible" to allow the EU and other donors to resume humanitarian aid to Gaza residents. She added that the EU's priority was for a permanent peace. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said, similarly, that Israel's cease-fire had raised the prospect of an end to the conflict. He also called on Hamas to refrain from all acts of violence, including rocket attacks aimed at Israel. United Nations chief Ban Ki-Moon told reporters in Beirut that he was relieved about the cease-fire. Egypt has said it will host peace talks in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh this Sunday. Among those due to attend are German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicholas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. | | | Gas resumption "shortly", say Russia, Ukraine
After crisis talks in Moscow, the prime ministers of Russia and Ukraine have said jointly that natural gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine will resumed "shortly." Vladimir Putin and Yulia Tymoschenko met under mounting pressure from the European Union to end an 11-day cut in gas transits that have crippled heating and factories in eastern European nations such as Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania. Tymoschenko said the heads of the Russian and Ukrainian gas companies, Gazprom and Naftogaz, had been ordered to prepare by Monday "all" documents needed. Putin said Russia had agreed to grant Ukraine a 20 percent gas price discount this year compared to what Europe pays, if Kiev keeps its gas transit tariffs at last year's levels. But, from 2010, he said, full European prices on gas and gas transits would apply. The deal, if implemented, would cap nearly a month of brinkmanship between the ex-Soviet rivals. | | | Video threat against Germany
Germany's federal police investigations bureau, the BKA, says it's examining a threatening video directed at Germany and purportedly from the al-Qaeda terror network. On the 30-minute recording, a German-speaking man, his face concealed and holding a weapon, threatens reprisals over Germany's 3,400 troops in Afghanistan. As the third largest NATO force in Afghanistan, says the speaker, "time is running out" for the Germany. The video was made public late Saturday by a US centre for surveillance of Islamist websites known as SITE. It says the video, with Arab subtitles, bears an al-Qaeda-related logo. Germany's interior ministry says German intelligence agencies had known of the video. -- On Saturday a bomb attack near Germany's embassy and a US base in Kabul killed five people. The attack was condemned by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier as an act of "cowardly barbarism." Responsibility from the car bombing was claimed by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. | | | German engineer kidnapped in Yemen
A German engineer has reportedly been kidnapped by armed tribesmen in eastern Yemen. The oil and gas contractor was working for the Yemeni oil firm, LNG. Two other local workers for the company were also said to have been abducted. Yemeni authorities have launched a manhunt. Tribal sources say the kidnappers were demanding the release from prison of one of their clansmen. | | | Hesse state opens election year in Germany
Germany has begun its marathon election year with a regional state poll this Sunday in the western German state of Hesse, home to Germany's financial capital Frankfurt. Electioneering will culminate in September with the federal Bundestag election, pitting conservative chancellor Angela Merkel against her current coalition partner, Social Democrat foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Preceding that in June will be municipal polls and the European parliament election. And, in August there will be three regional state elections in Saxony, Thuringia and Saarland. In this Sunday's Hesse poll, caretaker premier Roland Koch of Merkel's party the CDU is being challenged by the region's Social Democrats, the Greens and a leftist party. Koch, who's been caretaker since an inconclusive vote a year ago, favours a coalition with Hesse's liberal Free Democrats. Some 4.4 million people are entitled to vote. | | | French helicopter downs off Gabon, troops missing
A French military helicopter has crashed into the sea while on manoeuvres off the central African nation of Gabon. Initial reports says three survivors have been rescued, and one body has been found. Six other soldiers and crew remain missing. The Cougar helicopter ditched shortly after leaving a French naval ship, about 50 kilometres off the coast. The French military says vessels of the French oil company Total joined the search. The manoeuvres involved 600 French soldiers and 120 Gabonese troops. Gabon, a former French colony, hosts one of four permanent French bases in Africa. | | | Volkswagen finishes one-two at Dakar Rally
In sports: Germany have opened their bid to defend their world handball title with a 26-26 tie against Russia. The Germans blew a five-goal lead in the last few minutes of the game, which was played in Varazdin in Croatia, which is hosting this year's World Handball Championship. And South African Giniel de Villiers has clinched a first Dakar Rally victory for Germany's Volkswagen team after winning Saturday's final time stage. De Villiers and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz of Germany finished almost nine minutes ahead of fellow Volkswagen driver Mark Miller of the United States. This year's event was moved to South America due to security concerns in parts of Africa. | | | | | |  | | |  Up-to-date news at DW-WORLD.DE | | | | | | |  | | | Note
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EU, World Leaders Pledge Aid for Gaza, Call for Durable Peace
