 | Merkel chides Pope for Holocaust controversy
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on the Pope to give a clear rejection of Holocaust denial, following the controversial rehabilitation of a bishop. Merkel said she was not satisfied with a clarification of the Vatican's position on the matter. Late last month, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunication on British bishop Richard Williamson after he apologised for inflammatory comments made on Swedish TV. Williamson had questioned whether six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust and denied the use of gas chambers. Several leading German bishops have condemned the German-born Pope's decision and called for Williamson's rehabilitation to be revoked. |  | | France "concerned" by Iranian satellite launch
France has expressed concern about the launch of Iran's first domestically built satellite. A French foreign ministry spokesperson said it was difficult to separate the launch from fears that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. Iranian state television said the satellite was designed for research and telecommunications. It was sent into space as Iran marks the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution this month. The long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit can also be used for launching weapons, although Iran says it has no plans to do so. On Wednesday, senior officials from six major powers will meet to discuss the nuclear dispute with Iran. It will be the first such meeting since Barack Obama became US President last month.
| | | Steinmeier to meet with US secretary of state in Washington
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is to hold talks with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington this Tuesday. A foreign ministry spokesman in Berlin said their discussions would focus on a broad range of trans-Atlantic issues, including the global economic crisis as well as the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Steinmeier and Clinton are also expected to discuss the possibility of Germany taking in detainees released from the US military prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The US, which is looking to close the camp by the end of the year, has made no formal request to Germany, and Chancellor Angela Merkel's grand coalition government remains divided on the issue. | | | EU protests US stimulus bill
The European Union has protested against planned elements of the United States economic stimulus package. Writing to senior members of President Barack Obama's administration, the EU's top diplomat in Washington, John Burton, objected to so-called Buy American provisions in the rescue plan. The provisions would require major public works projects to favour US suppliers over foreign competitors. In a separate letter to Senate leaders, Canada's ambassador to the US also criticised the provisions, saying they would damage America's moral authority and encourage other countries to adopt protectionist policies. The House of Representatives demanded the inclusion of the Buy American provisions in the stimulus bill last week. The Senate began debate on a $900 billion version of the plan on Monday. | | | Sweden unveils bank package to free up credits
The Swedish government says it is prepared to inject the equivalent of 4.7 billion euros into the country's banks. The move is aimed at freeing up more funds for credit-starved households and companies. Any banks receiving state aid would have to agree to freeze executive and board salaries and halt all bonuses over a period of two years. The state would also be entitled to take up to 70 percent of new shares issued by the banks. The Swedish government launched a guarantee programme for bank lending last autumn but with little success. All the country's major banks, with the exception of struggling Swedbank, said they would not participate due to the strict conditions involved. | | | German public sector employees stage wildcat strikes
Public sector workers are staging strikes across Germany today ahead of key contract negotiations. Unions representing civil service employees, teachers, police and public transport workers have called on members to press demands for an eight percent wage hike. Disruptions for several hours are expected across many states and cities. | | | More bad weather forecast for Britian
Icy conditions in Britain are causing delays for commuters following a snow storm on Monday. Many schools remain closed in London for a second day and some rail and flight services have also been cancelled. The storms, which swept much of Western Europe earlier this week and late last month, are forecast to move north across Britain. Insurance companies say the storms caused up to 1.4 billion euros of property damage in France. On Monday, two mountain climbers died in Wales and three people were killed in accidents in Italy. | | | Spanish media report terrorism arrests
Spanish media say the country's police have arrested at least 10 people suspected of forging documents for the al-Qaida terrorist organisation. Spain's main radio broadcaster, SER, reported that 10 arrests were made in the northeastern city of Barcelona early on Tuesday. Police have not yet commented on the reports. | | | Afghan police arrest suspects in German embassy bombing
Afghan intelligence agents have arrested a group of 17 men, including a foreign national, allegedly connected to a suicide bomb attack against the German embassy two weeks ago. The bombing in Kabul on January 17 killed 20 people, mostly civilians, and injured 20 others, including a German diplomat. A spokesman for the National Directorate of Security said one of the suspects included a Pakistani national. The spokesman also said that a militant group Harakat ul-Mujahideen, based in Pakistan, was responsible for the attack and had links to six other bombings in Kabul over the last two years. | | | Sarkozy and Abbas discuss Gaza crisis
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, have met in Paris for talks on the crisis in the Gaza Strip. Sarkozy earlier met with the US Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, while Abbas was in Cairo for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. International mediation efforts to secure a durable truce in Gaza are being hampered by violations of an informal ceasefire from both sides. In the latest breach, a longer-range Palestinian rocket, fired from the Gaza Strip, struck the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon early Tuesday. The missile landed in an open area and no damage or casualties were reported. | | | | |
Merkel's Voice Joins Chorus of Criticism Over the Pope
