Last Updated, 31 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- More Iraqis than expected braved the bombs
Voting has now officially ended in Iraq's historic elections, with indications that more people than expected braved the violence and the threats against them. The country's electoral commission says turnout was estimated to be about 72 percent - three hours before voting finished - but it has since revised that figure down to about 60 percent. It was reported that some polling booths may stay open longer because of earlier delays and long queues of people still waiting to cast a ballot. People defied expectations and turned out in flashpoint areas: "This is the day of victory," yelled one woman after voting. "I cannot describe my feelings. This is the first time in the history of Iraq - hopefully we'll continue to progress like this." The militants, however, have been just as determined as those who turned out to vote. There was a string of deadly bombings in Baghdad, as well as mortar attacks in Mosul, Baquba and Hilla, leaving at least 36 people dead and dozens of others hurt. At least nine suicide bombs exploded outside polling stations in the capital. Al Qaeda supporters are said to have claimed responsibility with a message on the internet. An explosive device also went off outside the Baghdad residence of the country's justice minister, killing a guard and wounding four others. Authorities say about 30 suspected militants have been arrested, including 26 Iraqis and three Egyptians. The interior minister has told reporters that the level of violence was much lower than expected. ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
Last Updated, 30 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ. Voting starts in Iraq with deadly bomb attacks
On the day of Iraq's historic elections, a suicide bomber has blown himself up in a queue of voters outside a west Baghdad polling station. A blast at another polling centre in Sadr City killed at least four people. Earlier, a bomb outside another voting centre in western Baghdad killed a policeman and wounded four people. A woman has also died and two other people have been injured in a mortar attack at Balad, about 70 kilometres north of the capital. Police say mortar attacks on several polling stations around Baghdad have killed and wounded several people but they do not have precise casualty figures. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- MO. Sharon and Abbas to meet for top level talks
Israel's Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, will hold talks with the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, next month in a bid to revive the Middle East peace process. The meeting, due to take place in the second week of February, coincides with a planned visit to the region by the new US Secretary of State, Condolezza Rice. The announcement follows Israel's pledge to reduce its military operations in Palestinian areas. There has also been a sharp drop in violence as a result of Abbas's efforts to secure a conditional ceasefire with Palestinian militants. The truce was the subject of talks last night between Israel's Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and the former Gaza security chief, Mohammed Dahlan. They also discussed further security coordination, such as Israel's withdraw from Palestinian towns. No decisions were made during but the pair agreed to talk again ahead of the meeting between Sharon and Abbas. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- World leaders press for reforms to help the poor
Leaders from the G20 developing countries have vowed to keep up the pressure on rich nations to change trade rules in favour of the poor. They were meeting on the fringes of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos. Their aim is to kickstart the Doha Round which aims at using trade liberalisation to promote economic growth in poor countries. The Doha Round has been dead-locked for years and despite a brief reprieve last summer, when WTO members agreed to end agricultural export subsidies, tough talks lie ahead if a final agreement is to be reached by 2006 as planned. On the streets of Davos meanwhile, a handful of anti-globalisation activists managed to gather to protest against the World Economic Forum which ends on Sunday. The event took place peacefully amid extra tight security. The business summit itself has attracted an unprecedented number of celebrities this year, including Tomb Raider star, Angelina Jolie and actress Sharon Stone - both of whom have used their undeniable pulling power to draw attention to humanitarian crises throughout the world. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- EU ministers agree on plan to tackle illegal immigration
At a meeting in Luxemburg, Europe's interior ministers have agreed on a common project to fight illegal immigration. EU Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security Franco Frattini said ministers had been in contact with countries in Africa and Eastern Europe where most refugees come from. The aim is for the EU to finance centres in nations that often border the refugees' home countries - for example Tanzania or Kenya, which harbour many people fleeing neighbouring Somalia and Sudan. It is hoped this would prevent illegal immigrants from travelling further to the EU. But the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has urged caution, warning the EU that some of these countries may not be safe. Some differences remain over a so-called "reinstalment programme" under which refugees rejected from some EU countries could be transferred to others that are willing to accept them. Spain was also strongly criticised by Germany for planning to legalise the presence of nearly one million refugees on its territory without consulting other members. Spain responded by saying the move was necessary to ensure good living conditions for those immigrants. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 29 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iraq's interim PM and president vote in fortified zone
The Iraqi President was one of the first people to cast his ballot inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone complex. He had one of his fingers on his right hand stained with bright blue ink that is being used to prevent multiple voting. More than a hundred parties and coalitions are competing for 275 seats in a transitional national assembly which will draw up a new constitution. The campaign unfolded in a climate of such violence and intimidation that most candidates have kept their names secret. In many areas, the locations of polling booths were only revealed at the last moment. After casting his ballot, Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawar, said he hoped all Iraqis would follow his lead "because free elections are the first step to joining the free world". The interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has also cast his ballot this morning. He is a former Baath party member who opposed Saddam Hussein from exile with help from the CIA and British intelligence. Observers say that even if his alliance of secular parties doesn't win, the Shi'ite politician will be a strong consensus candidate to stay on as Prime Minister. The main winners in the polls are expected to be from a list of Shi'ite religious parties aligned with the National Congress Party of Ahmad Chalabi. The polls will remain open until 5 o'clock local time this evening. Expatriates in 14 countries around the world will also continue to vote today. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 28 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Auschwitz horror remembered - 60 years on Never again.
That was the message from the former death camp Auschwitz at a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of its liberation. In freezing conditions, tribute was paid to the 1.5 million men, women and children - mostly Jews - slaughtered there by the Nazis. Those present in southern Poland included world leaders, survivors and ex-Soviet soldiers, who were among the troops who released the last remaining inmates from a place described as "hell on earth." The ceremony began with the chilling echo of a whistle, the sound of a stopping train and a door being flung open. The noises symbolized the arrival of victims in cattle wagons at Birkenau, the camp's main extermination centre. French survivor Simone Veil, a former President of the European Parliament, addressed those gathered: "What would have become of the one million Jewish children, murdered in their infancy or in their youth, here, or in ghettos or in other extermination camps?" she asked. "Would they have become philosophers? Artists? Great scientists? Or perhaps simple workers or mothers? "All I know is that I still cry when I think of these children and I will never be able to forget them." Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Polish counterpart Aleksander Kwasniewski also gave speeches at the ceremony - one of many commemorative events taking place across the globe. Israeli President Moshe Katzav also delivered an address, speaking with emotion about the creation of the state of Israel: "Here, in the heart of Auschwitz-Birkenau, a scream seems to burst from the depth of our soul," he said. "And yet there is a spark of pride. "The Jewish people have risen from the death camp ashes," he added. "We have returned to our homeland." Exactly 60 years since the ruthlessly efficient Nazi killing machine there ground to a halt, the world was warned that the atrocity that was Auschwitz must never be forgotten. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Europe commemorates Holocaust victims
In Germany, politicians gathered in Berlin for a special session to remember those killed at Auschwitz and other death camps. Speaking in front of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and members of parliament, Auschwitz survivor Arno Lustiger vividly described a spontaneous uprising by camp prisoners in October 1944. Members of the Bundestag rose to their feet. In London, a ceremony was held at Westminster Hall. More than 600 guests, including 300 survivors and British veterans who helped liberate the concentration camps, marked National Holocaust Memorial Day with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. And in Trieste in Italy, the homosexual victims of the Nazis were honoured with a torchlit march to the Italian Risiera di San Sabba concentration camp. At the end of the commemorations, a plaque for the camp's victims was unveiled. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 27 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Dr Death" probably killed 250
An inquiry has found that Harold Shipman, Britain's "Dr Death," probably murdered around 250 patients - more than was originally thought. The figure makes him one of the world's worst serial killers of the last few decades. The inquiry suggested a hospital in Pontefract in northern England was the focus of Shipman's lethal activities before his notorious killing spree in the 1990s. Shipman hanged himself in his cell last year after being jailed for killing 15 patients while working in Manchester. He denied the charges. The first public inquiry into the murders reported in 2002 and established that Shipman had killed at least 215 people. As a general practitioner he targeted mostly elderly patients, administering lethal heroin injections. He never showed remorse or explained his motives. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 26 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yushchenko's bridge-building trip to Moscow
In a bid to improve strained relations between their two countries the newly installed Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The visit, coming just a day after his inauguration, underlined how importantlinks with Russia are for Yushchenko. In his address yesterday he said he wanted relations with Moscow to be "rational, successful and mutually beneficial." He was elected on a promise to strengthen Ukraine's ties with the West - something that did not find approval in the Kremlin or in the east of the country. Many people there had backed the pro-Russian former prime minister Viktor Yanukovich. The fraught election was re-run because a first ballot which handed victory to Yanukovich was deemed fraudulent by the country's Supreme Court. The final outcome still appears to divide Muscovites. One man on the streets of the capital said: "I believe that Mr Yushchenko is correct in coming to Russia for his first visit, because it would dispel all the doubts that have arisen in the world. These are after all our brothers and neighbours." But one women said: "Yanukovich was elected president twice, you see. It's an obvious falsification. It's obvious that these young people were paid to demonstrate. This is how it is. Everyone knows it." Dispelling such attitudes among his opponents at home is also a priority for the Ukrainian president. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 25 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abbas "close" to truce deal
Dialogue is making very good progress - that is Mahmoud Abbas's assessment of talks aimed at bringing Palestinian militant groups to a truce with Israel. The new president says he is close to a deal that would restore calm to the occupied territories and pave the way for negotiations with Israel based on the "road map" peace plan. "We are ready to study the issue of a truce seriously," said a Hamas spokesman after meeting Abbas. "However, there has to be a clear Israeli commitment to fulfil our demands, first and foremost the release of prisoners." Abbas stressed that Israel had "many responsibilities" to make a truce work, such as ending incursions to detain wanted militants. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has welcomed the recent lull in violence, but he warned that his forces would respond swiftly and robustly if Palestinian attacks resumed. He made the comments at a cabinet meeting held in Sderot
in solidarity with the residents of the southern Israeli town which
has frequently been hit by rockets fired from Gaza. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ Al-Zarqawi claims Baghdad bomb blast
A group led by al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said it carried out a suicide car bombing near Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's Baghdad party office. At least 10 people including seven policemen were wounded. Allawi was not in the area at the time. It came a day after al-Zaqawi declared all-out war on the January 30 poll. He described it as a plot by the United States and Iraq's Shi'ite majority against Sunni Muslims. Elsewhere in the Iraqi capital insurgents struck again, this time at a school that was being used as a registration centre for Sunday's election. Mortars caused structural damage to the outer wall. Many Sunni leaders have called for an election boycott, fearing insurgent attacks in the Sunni heartland would prevent voting and skew the result in favour of the Shi'ites. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The United Nations has held a special session to commemorate the liberation of the Nazi death camps. Members held a minute's silence in memory of the six million Jews and countless others killed there. Secretary General Kofi Annan told the New York event that people should remember that the UN was formed to try to prevent a similar horror. "The UN must never forget that it was created as a response to the evils of Nazism and the horror of the holocaust helped shape its mission. That response is enshrined in our charter and the universal declaration of human rights." It is the first time the UN has marked the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and other concentration camps. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Winter storms tighten grip on Europe
The big freeze has enveloped Europe, extending its reach to Turkey with lethal consequences. Several people have lost their lives on treacherous roads returning from the religious holiday of Eid. The Konya intercity highway in the south of the country proved to be particularly deadly, with eight fatalities recorded. In Germany police have reported several hundred accidents since Sunday evening, leading to numerous injuries. Snow also took drivers by surprise in neighbouring Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Parts of eastern Britain were affected and several French regions have been blanketed in the white stuff. The conditions have proved especially dangerous for holidaymakers in the Alps. Three skiers and a snowboarder have died in avalanches in Austria, and hope is running out for a fifth person missing. In Switzerland there is no news of two snowboarders who disappeared on Sunday. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 24 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unity call from Yushchenko ahead of inauguration
Ukraine will today witness the inauguration of its new president. Viktor Yushchenko will take the oath in parliament after a ceremony yesterday in which he made a symbolic gesture. He took the oath used by Cossack leaders who ran Ukraine on democratic lines in the 17th and 18th centuries. A liberal, who is committed to ties with the European Union, he has urged his country to work towards unity after a divisive election. The new president is expected to address crowds of people in Kiev's Independence Square; this was the focal point of weeks of rallies by supporters who backed his allegation that the first round of the election had been rigged. The election highlighted the differences between nationalist western and central regions that supported Yushchenko, and the Russian speaking industrial east that was mostly behind the rival candidate, Viktor Yanukovich. As last minute preparations are made in parliament for the swearing-in ceremony, the presidents of at least seven countries are due to arrive, as well as the outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell. Euronews will be covering the day's events live from 1100 Central European Time. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abbas. Confusion over Palestinian ceasefire
There is confusion over reports that Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has struck a ceasefire deal with the Hamas group and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. The Israeli defence minister Shaoul Mofaz was quoted as saying he understood Abbas had won a 30-day ceasefire in return for a future role for the groups in the Palestinian Authority. But the main militant groups have since denied this account. A spokesman was reported to have said they could, however, accept a period of calm if Israel halts all attacks first. Hopes of a new peace deal received a boost yesterday with a ceasefire offer from the militant group the Al Aqsa Martyr's Brigades. But they set a number of conditions including an end to Israeli operations in Gaza and the targeting of militant leaders. Abbas's decision last week to deploy Palestinian security forces along the Gaza border was a crucial step. It signalled to many Israelis that he was intent on cracking down on militants, even though the action risked provoking conflict with the armed groups. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spanish defence minister focus of anger at rally
The Spanish government has accused far-right agitators of hijacking a march yesterday in memory of victims of terrorism. The row erupted after the Defence Minister, Jose Bono, and Euro MEP, Rosa Diez, were roughed up as they made their way through a 10-thousand strong crowd in Madrid. Afterwards, Bono denied the incident was an anti-government protest. "There was a lot of tension within the rally," he said, blaming a "small minority who prefer fanaticism to democracy." Some demonstrators chanted "where are you Zapatero" - a criticism of the Spanish Prime Minister's absence. The rally then weaved its way to the offices of Cadena SER, the radio station that first reported that al-Qaeda may have been behind the Madrid train bombing. Ten months after the attack, the affair remains a politically divisive issue. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Election promises outlined by Portuguese opposition
Portugal's opposition Socialists have officially outlined their election promises ahead of a ballot on February 20. The party is vowing to hold a referendum to relax abortion laws and also to reduce the number of civil servants by 75,000. The socialists are leading in the opinion polls by a big margin, although may struggle to win an absolute majority. Leader Jose Socrates vowed to change policies to create new jobs." There is another issue though that has to be included in the political agenda," he told his party faithful, "and that is poverty." The centre right Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes has promised not to increase taxes for the next four years. His party, the Social Democrats, currently have 27.5 percent support, compared to 42.8 percent for the Socialists. The party that won the third highest number of votes in elections in 2002, the Popular Party, have now been overtaken by the communist and green party bloc. The Popular Party's Paulo Portas is the current defence minister. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ moves to counter election terror attacks
With grim predictions of an upsurge in violence becoming a reality the Iraqi government is moving to shore up security ahead of elections on January 30th. In what appears to be an attempt to stoke internal tensions Shi'ites have been targeted. A suicide bomb attack on a wedding party, south of Baghdad killed 11 people. Earlier another blast at a mosque in the capital left 14 people dead. The Interior Minister, Falah al-Naqib, has announced further security measures. Baghdad's airport is to be closed from the 29th to the 30th. Border crossings will remain shut as well. Naqib said a large number of terrorists had been arrested. But he would not comment on speculation that the Al Qaeda-linked militant leader, Abou Moussab al-Zarqawi was among them. Elsewhere, eight Chinese nationals who were being held hostage in Iraq have been freed by their kidnappers. The group holding the men had threatened to kill them unless China - which opposed the war in Iraq - explained why they were in the country. The kidnappers' released a video apparently showing the release of the men. But 15 soldiers of the Iraqi National Guard have been killed by their captors. The insurgents who seized them last week said they had been shot for what they described as crimes "committed along with the crusader forces." ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 23 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blair puts Labour on centrist course for elections
Tony Blair has outlined his party's battle ground for Britain's forthcoming general election. In a speech to a Labour gathering in London, the Prime Minister said the party must occupy the political centre to remain in contact with the modern world. No date has yet been officially announced but speculation is growing that the contest will be held on the fifth of May. If Labour triumphs, Blair will be the first Labour leader to win three successive terms in Downing Street. But their campaign could be derailed by continuing reports of a feud between Blair and his Finance Minister, Gordon Brown, who is said to be closer to the unions and more left-leaning. Blair also used the occasion to attack the opposition Conservative's spending and tax cutting plans. He described them as a "ludicrous improbability" that would turn the clock back on Britain's progress and herald a new era of boom and bust economics ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air travel in US disrupted by snowstorms
There is a blizzard warning for New York City, as snowstorms caused havoc across the Midwest and Northeast of the US. Experts say that up to 50 centimetres of snow could fall in some places. It is reported that as many as 2500 flights have been cancelled from airports in the affected regions, the large majority in New York and Boston. Massachusetts has declared a state of emergency, with fears of coastal flooding and near hurricane strength winds. Already some deaths have been reported - one man is said to have died after falling through ice on a pond in Ohio, while two others died of apparent heart attacks while attempting to remove snow. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disaster talks agree action plan
A UN conference in Japan on disaster prevention has ended with delegates agreeing to set up a tsunami alert system. Experts and officials from around the world who have held talks over the last five days say it is essential to cut the number of deaths over the next decade. But the meeting failed to produce any specific targets or deadlines for implementing a plan of action. The death of more than 225,000 people in last month's Indian Ocean tsunami had made an early warning system a top priority. It made the world aware of the need for aid to reduce the risk from disasters. The main purpose of the meeting was convincing wealthy donor countries to invest small amounts of aid in the hope of reducing death and destruction when disaster strikes in developing nations. But the conference did outline an agreement to develop risk maps, the use of satellite technology to help with early warning and developing programmes to teach people in hazardous areas what to do when a warning is issued, something experts at the meeting said was especially needed. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 22 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Polls show close election race in Portugal
New opinion polls in Portugal show support for the opposition Socialists has fallen slightly ahead of a snap election next month. The result suggests the party will struggle to win an absolute majority in parliament, a problem that has hampered Portugal's last three governments. The Socialists currently have 42.8 percent support, compared to 27.5 for the ruling centre-right Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes. "Santana Lopes is someone that no one takes seriously," said the Socialist leader, Jose Socrates. "He's lost all credibility during the three months of his government." The Prime Minister launched his election manifesto yesterday, promising a freeze on taxes and help for business. "If we have the margins, during the second half of the legislature, we're going to reduce taxes for business to make them more competitive," said Lopes. "It'll create jobs and make a success of the fiscal changes my party promised in 2002." The nation's president dissolved parliament last month and called early elections, citing instability in Lopes' rightwing coalition government. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- EU Commission sworn in
Members of the European Commission have been sworn in at a ceremony in Luxembourg which holds the rotating EU presidency. Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso was the first to take the oath before the European Court of Justice. He pledged to act independently on behalf of the community and not be influenced by member governments or other bodies. Eleven ministers new to the commission were sworn in this morning, completing the line-up of 25. The body officially took up the reins on November 22. Its instalment was delayed under controversial circumstances when members of a European parliamentary committee objected to Barroso's choice as Justice commissioner, the Italian Rocco Buttiglione. The post was eventually given to Franco Frattini. The commission met for the first time on November 24. Having put its fraught debut behind it, Barroso's team is looking forward to a problem-free term in office. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Second Shi'ite Mosque struck by IRAQi insurgents
At least 13 people are reported to have been killed and up to 40 others injured by a car bomb outside a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in western Baghdad. The device went off as large crowds gathered for Friday prayers. It is the second attack on a Shi'ite mosque this week. Rebels bent on disrupting Iraq's elections in nine days have mounted several attacks on Shi'ite shrines and clerics in the past few months. Iraqi officials and Shi'ite leaders have blamed the attacks on Sunni militants they accuse of trying to drive the country towards civil war. Shi'ite leaders have called for restraint and say they will not retaliate so as to avoid inflaming sectarian tensions. Last night, al-Qaeda ally, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said his group was behind yesterday's blast at a logistics base in Basra in which five British soldiers and several Iraqi civilians were hurt. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 21 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bush begins 'ending tyranny' term
If President Bush is feeling a hangover from yesterday's inauguration festivities it is more likely to be in his feet than in his head. The non-drinker did a rapid tour of nine balls - he and wife Laura taking to the floor in each one. The serious business of the day saw Bush deliver an uncompromising speech after taking the oath. "So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements, and institutions in any nation and culture with ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world," he said in his inauguration address. Advancing freedom and democracy throughout the world was the overriding theme of the speech. He also pledged to heal a nation bitterly divided over the Iraq war, but he did not mention the country by name. Despite having a comfortable majority of the popular vote in November's election Bush has the lowest approval rating for a returning president since Richard Nixon in 1973. There was evidence of that on the streets of Washington yesterday as protestors did their best to make their presence felt. On several occasions the police sprayed pepper gas to prevent the demonstrators breaking through a security cordon onto the parade route. They were vastly outnumbered by Bush supporters, however, and did not succeed in seriously disrupting events. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abbas. The Palestinian Authority's action in deploying troops to secure the border with Israel has been praised by the Isreali deputy prime minister
Shimon Peres said the first steps taken by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were "truly impressive." Security forces were sent to the northern Gaza Strip in an effort to prevent militants firing rockets at Israeli targets. The operation is the clearest sign of renewed security cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority since the start of the intifada five years ago. The deployment also prompted Israel to abandon plans for a major ground assault. The moves are part of Abbas's plan to stop violence and revive peace talks. Aides to Abbas say he urged militant leaders in Gaza this week to show restraint He said it would help ensure Israel pulls Jewish settlers out of the territory this year as planned - a step it said it would not take "under fire". The Rafah border from Egypt to Gaza has also re-opened to incoming traffic. Israel says it has eased traffic restrictions on the main route running north. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Omagh bombing convict wins retrial
The only person jailed for taking part in Northern Ireland's deadliest attack has won his appeal against conviction and will be given a retrial. Olm Murphy, 52, was serving a 14 year sentence for supplying two mobile phones used in the 1998 Omagh bombing, in which 29 people died, one of whom was a pregnant woman, and more than 200 others were injured. Dublin's Appeal court ruled his conviction for conspiring to cause an explosion was unsafe because of the way a lower court dealt with information that police had changed interview notes and given false evidence. Earlier this month two detectives were charged with perjury relating to testimony given during the original trial. Murphy's right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty was breached too as previous convictions were taken into account. Families of the bomb victims have criticised the appeal court's decision. The Real IRA, a splinter faction of the Irish Republican Army guerrilla group, said it carried out the explosion. The Omagh bombing shook Northern Ireland's peace process, then seemingly on the road to resolution with the signing of the "Good Friday" peace deal a few months earlier. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 20 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spanish church condones use of condoms in fight against AIDS
In an apparent about-turn, Spain's Catholic Church has endorsed the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS. It is a change from the traditional teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, which encourages abstinence to prevent the disease. After a meeting with health minister Elena Salgado, the spokesman for Spain's Bishops' Conference quoted a recent study in medical journal the 'Lancet' which supported the use of condoms: "Contraception has a place in a global approach to tackling AIDS," said Juan Antonio Martinez Camino. The Spanish government, which encourages the use of contraceptives, has launched a series of adverts to raise awareness of their benefits. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abbas to deploy forces to smother anti-Israeli attacks
It was a familiar Israeli reprisal for a Palestinian attack, and another link in the chain of events which makes peace look ever more distant. Tanks and dozens of military vehicles rolled into the West Bank city of Nablus overnight in the largest operation there for weeks, ending with the arrest of 14 suspected militants. The raid was in response to last night's suicide bombing in Gaza - claimed by Hamas - in which a member of Israel's internal security service was killed and eight other Israelis were injured. The attack has been interpreted as a challenge to Mahmoud Abbas, the newly elected Palestinian president, who had arrived in Gaza earlier for talks to persuade armed factions to sign up to a ceasefire. Abbas has now ordered Palestinian security forces to deploy at Gaza's borders with Israel in an effort to stop anti-Israeli attacks. He is under increasing pressure from Ariel Sharon's government and from Washington to subdue militants. The Israeli prime minister meanwhile paid a rare visit to troops in northern Gaza to impress on them the need to stop Palestinian rocket and mortar attacks on Jewish settlements. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Claims Iran is next on America's hit list
George W. Bush's upcoming inauguration has been overshadowed by claims that his administration has its sights set on Iran. Award winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh from the New Yorker magazine claims Bush is convinced Iran poses a threat, and is prepared to take military action against the country: "What I found is simply this: since last summer the Bush administration has been running very extensive reconnaissance operations into Iran to collect intelligence on what it believes is pretty much a largely unrevealed and still hidden nuclear weapons programme." The Pulitzer prize-winning reporter claims that anonymous intelligence and military officials have told him that Iran is America's next strategic target. The US denies the reports. Although Tehran insists its nuclear activities are for peaceful energy purposes only, in 2002 Bush famously branded it a danger to the world: "North Korea is a regime armed with missiles and weapons of mass destruction, Iran is aggressively pursuing its weapons and it exports terror, while an unelected few repress the Iranian people's hope for freedom. States like these and their terrorist allies constitute and axis of evil." Iran, where demonstrations against the US have been staged, says it is ready and able to deter an attack and does not fear foreign enemies. Seymour believes it is just a matter of time before the possibility of war becomes reality. Last year, during talks with several European nations, Iran agreed to suspend uranium enrichment but the US said this was not enough and wanted the programme terminated. Whether Seymour's claims are true may be irrelevant - some analysts claim the decision to attack Iran may have already been made. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 19 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- French railways at standstill - schools are next
If you live in France, you would be forgiven for wanting to leave the country this week, as a series of strikes causes chaos across the nation. Rail services are being severely disrupted today as workers protest over the state railway firm SNCF'S plans to cut thousands of jobs. But it is not only train services which are being affected; electricity workers are also striking today, civil servants and teachers are expected to take part in industrial action tomorrow, and yesterday postal workers held a stoppage over possible privatisation plans. It is putting serious pressure on President Jacques Chirac's Conservative government which is trying to relax the 35 hour working week, introduced by the former Socialist-led government .----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Britain's Abu Grhaib? Three soldiers go on trial
Three British soldiers accused of abuse in Iraq have appeared at a British court martial in Germany, where their regiment is based. The charges relate to one incident near Basra and, unlike the Abu Ghraib scandal, there have been no allegations of systematic abuse. Lance corporals Darren Larkin and Mark Cooley, and Corporal Daniel Kenyon all pleaded not guilty to numerous counts of abuse. But Larkin admitted one charge of assaulting an Iraqi man. Among the pictures released is one that appears to show a soldier standing on a naked prisoner. The charges include disgraceful conduct and conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline. "We condemn utterly all acts of abuse. Where there's evidence of abuse this is immediately investigated," said the head of the British army, General Sir Mike Jackson. The offences are alleged to have taken place at an aid camp in May 2003, weeks after coalition troops had ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The court martial comes just days after a U.S. soldier, Specialist Charles Graner, was sentenced to 10 years in jail after he was found guilty of abusing inmates at Abu Ghraib prison. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 18 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abbas calls militants to join security force
Newly-appointed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has decided to integrate a high-profile militant group into his security services. The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which is the armed wing of Abbas's Fatah movement, has been behind many suicide bombings and assaults on Israeli targets. Abbas has called on his security services to prevent any more militant attacks. His decision to pull the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades into an official role is being seen as part of his drive to co-opt, rather than confront, radical groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. It is not a policy approved of by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. He has ordered the army to take any action necessary to prevent rocket, mortar and gun attacks on Israeli settlements and targets, refusing to grant Abbas a 'period of grace'. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ Violence Intensifies
A suicide car bomb and a checkpoint shooting have claimed at least eighteen lives as tensions mount ahead of the Iraqi elections at the end of the month. At least ten people, most of them members of the security forces, were killed in the blast outside a police station in Beiji. In Baquba, another town considered a stronghold for guerrilla fighters, gunmen mowed down eight Iraqi soldiers at a checkpoint. The area is home to many Sunni muslims, who say the violence and intimdation will stop them voting on January 30th. The US and Iraqi governments, however, insist the elections will go ahead. An estimated 300,000 men will be on duty for the ballot - half of them American soldiers. Iraqi forces will guard the polling stations, while foreign troops will be stationed nearby. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Croat president re-elected
Croatia's pro-Western president has won a second term in an election run-off. Stjepan Mesic scored an easy victory in the second and final round of voting with 66 per cent of ballots. He pledged to step up efforts to lead the former Yugoslav republic to European Union membership. Negotiations with Brussels are due to start in March, and the country's entry is slated for 2009. "I'm proud of the maturity of Croatia's democracy", said the president. Mesic said the country had come a long way, and that was why it was now standing on the EU's doorstep. "It's plain for the whole world to see", he said . A second round was held after Mesic, a liberal, failed to win more than 50 per cent of the vote two weeks ago. He was up against Jadranka Kosor, the deputy prime minister from the ruling conservative party After the results were announced she thanked her party for having the strength and courage to chose a female candidate. Western diplomats see Mesic as a useful counter-weight to the ruling party. And they praise him for denouncing war crimes committed by Croats during conflicts that tore socialist Yugoslavia apart. One of the conditions attached to talks is full cooperation with the UN's war crimes tribunal. Mesic has vowed to make sure the government does all it can to ensure Croatia's entry into the European bloc. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Romanian woman becomes world's oldest mum
Sixty-six year old Adriana Iliescu is now the proud mother of a baby girl. The Romanian university teacher and children's author is believed to be the world's oldest mum. She had been pregnant with twin girls - one died in the womb and doctors performed a caesarean section to save the other. The survivor is called Eliza-Maria and weighs just over 3lbs. The head of the Giulesti Maternity Hospital in Bucharest says that the baby is in good health though she is in the intensive care unit and needs respiratory support. He explained that the baby had her first meal late on Sunday - a few drops of glucose. Iliescu became pregnant via IVF treatment after nine years of fertility care and gave birth in the 33rd week. It was her third attempt to carry a pregnancy to term. This is not the first time a woman in her 60s has given
birth - a 65-year-old retired school teacher in India had a baby boy
two years ago. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 17 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Croatia decides next president in run-off vote
With voting underway in the Croatian presidential election, Stipe Mesic says he is ready to lead the country into European Membership. If he wins the run-off vote it will give the 70-year-old a second five year term in office. The woman he aims to beat is Jadranka Kosor, the ruling conservative's candidate to be head of state. She has appealed to female voters and tried to capture nationalist support by promising to protect Croatian interests. The victor is expected to oversee the process of Croatia's entry into the EU, with accession talks set to start in mid-March. The former Yugoslav state could become part of the Brussels club by 2008. An estimated 4.4 million voters will take part in today's ballot, with results expected late this evening. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ETA offers talks on Basque future
The Basque separatist group ETA has said it is ready to take part in negotiations with the Spanish government, but made no mention of laying down its arms. A statement said it backed peace proposals published by Batasuna, the party said to be ETA's political wing which has been banned for refusing to condemn violence. ETA said it welcomed Batasuna's plans for what are described as "exclusively political and democratic" talks on the future of the Basque country. But the Spanish leadership has ruled out any talks with ETA or Batasuna until they surrender their weapons and renounce violence. More than 800 people have been killed since ETA began its campaign for Basque independence in 1968. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 16 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tensions rise after Abbas inauguration
The Israeli leadership has accused the Palestinians of doing nothing to prevent militant attacks. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says he has told the army to take "any action" necessary to stop radical groups. It is reported the Israeli army could resume targeted killings and set up what it describes as "security zones" in the Gaza Strip. Sharon has already broken off ties with newly appointed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in response to a deadly strike on a border crossing. The upsurge in violence has seen repeated mortar and rocket attacks on Jewish targets in the Gaza Strip and Israeli towns nearby. An Israeli woman and a seven year old boy were injured in the Netzarim settlement. At the border area in southern Gaza two Palestinians were killed and ten others injured by Israeli tank and machinegun fire. Four of those hurt were Palestinian children. The chaotic scenes and deadly clashes have undermined Abbas' call for both sides to remain calm and work towards a truce. The 69-year-old, fresh from his inauguration yesterday, says he is going to meet with militant leaders this week to try to finalise a mutual list of conditions for a ceasefire. It will be a tough challenge, with radical leaders refusing to talk peace until Israel withdraws. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ten year sentence for Abu Ghraib soldier
A US soldier who played a lead role in the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq has been sentenced to ten years in jail. A military jury in Texas found Charles Graner guilty of ten charges including assault, maltreatment of detainees and committing indecent acts. He had faced a maximum 15 year jail term. As he was led away he told reporters he had no regrets about what had taken place The former prison guard was captured in photos that showed sexual humiliation of naked inmates at Abu Ghraib prison. Throughout the trial he maintained he was following orders. Outside the court his mother said the blame went right to the top "My son was convicted the day President Bush went on television and said seven bad apples disgraced a country. Well in my opinion, Donald Rumsfeld and President Bush disgraced the country. He got ten years for something he was told to do," Irma Jean Graner said. Four other soldiers were convicted last year on similar charges after pleading guilty. A further two are awaiting trail including Lynndie England who was Graner's lover at the time. She has since had a baby, Graner is believed to be the father.
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Last Updated, 15 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cosmic sounds beamed down from Titan
The first pictures from Titan have been released, revealing an orangy-gold haze rich in methane. European scientists have only just begun to investigate the wealth of information from the Huygens probe, which landed on Saturn's largest moon yesterday. But the initial images show dark ice rocks dotting the surface of what appears to be a former riverbed or the edge of a lake. The ground is said to have the consistency of wet sand, or even 'crème brulée'. Audio from the probe, which is the product of a joint European Space Agency and Nasa project, has also been released. The sounds of the descent is a slowly rising and falling buzz, a waveform which may help to describe the pattern of the fall and the density of the atmosphere around it. The sound of the radar as it falls towards the ground and begins to bounce waves off the surface of Titan has also been heard, a steadily increasing beat that one scientist compared to "the best kind of techno music". Slowed by parachutes, Huygens took more than two hours to float to the icy surface of Saturn's largest moon. It then defied expectations of a quick death and continued to transmit for at least two hours. Titan, believed to be the only moon in the solar system with an atmosphere, is larger than the planet Mercury. Scientists believe a study of the icy moon could yield clues about how life developed on Earth. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bloody end to commando raid in Dagestan
An operation against militants in Dagestan has left at least four Russian commandoes dead. The officers were storming two houses in the city of Makhachkala where five rebels were holed up. The militants, thought to have been hiding in the basements of the houses, are presumed to have been killed after the properties were destroyed by tanks and fire. Dagestan borders Chechnya and violence has often spilled over from there in years of fighting between Russian forces and separatist rebels. The militants barricaded themselves inside the houses after being tracked down by police. They let the occupants go, telling them they were fighters of islam. Also on Saturday, in a separate storming in a nearby
town, it is reported two soldiers and one rebel were killed and four
militants were captured. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 14 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deadly explosions in two Spanish cities
Terrorism has been ruled out as the cause of two explosions in Spain that have killed 10 people in Burgos in the north and the capital, Madrid. In Burgos, eight people died and another four were injured, one critically, when workers were moving a fuel drum in a warehouse just before beginning work for the day. In Madrid, it is believed a gas leak was the cause of a huge explosion that killed a young woman and a baby and injured another 11 people, one critically. The blast wrecked six flats in a block in the southern suburb of Getafe and badly damaged another 40. The explosion shook the city and caused some panic as the surrounding area was sealed off. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fatal train crash in Turkey
At least three people are dead after two freight trains collided in a central station in the Turkish capital Ankara. Several other people have been wounded. Reports say a cargo train approaching the station crashed into a waiting train. An investigation is underway, but Turkish media reports say that damaged tracks may have been to blame. 15 wagons were derailed. More than 20 people were killed in two separate train crashes in Turkey last year. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- US stops hunt for weapons in IRAQ
The United States has given up looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. President George W. Bush cited the grave threat posed by Iraq's alleged chemical and biological arms as justification for war. But he maintains the invasion was "absolutely" worth it, despite not discovering any such weapons. Instead he said Washington needed to find out what went wrong with intelligence gathering. The Iraq Survey Group, which was responsible for the search, will now try to help counter Iraqi insurgency. With elections due on January 30, both Iraqi security forces and coalition troops face deadly attacks every day. The US military death toll now stands at more than 1,350, with 10,000 wounded. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 13 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parliament approves EU Constitution
The European Parliament has overwhelmingly endorsed the European Union's first constitution. The EU legislature voted 500 to 137 for a resolution backing the constitutional treaty, with 40 abstentions. This is part of the lengthy ratification process expected to last up to two years. The treaty will only come into force if all 25 members states ratify it, several by referendums. The MEPs generally considered this is a good compromise and an improvement on the existing EU treaties which will benefit citizens and allow the functional machinery of the enlarged bloc to work effectively. Some eurodeputies showed their dissent, but if all goes well with efforts to sway the EU's more than 450 million people, the Constitution will go into force by November 1st. next year. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- New EU presidency outlines priorities
The Luxembourg European Union presidency has got off to a good start in parliament. Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker became the president-in-office of the European Council on January the first and has just presented the next six months' agenda. From Strasbourg, he gave reassurances about reform of the EU's Stability and Growth Pact: "Some things should be kept firm, namely the target levels for member states' budget deficits and debts -- 3% and 60%, respectively." Extreme adjustments to the Pact are out, as far as he is concerned. He rejects any idea of sacrificing stability, of bringing in unlimited flexibility, just as he rejects keeping the pact exactly the way it is now. "We need more stability and more flexibility following economic ups and downs," he said. Revamping the Lisbon strategy for economic competitiveness and nursing along ratification of the European Constitution are high on the to-do list; Financial planning for the next EU budget is another of the major challenges; Arrangements for further EU enlargement will take attention as well. Juncker also touched on a need to simplify. "We have too many processes", was one of his peeves. "The EU is more like a research bureau that doesn't get used than a factory for practically applicable and applied ideas. We have to change that by rationalising our strategy." Looking outward, he said energies would go into nurturing external relations, notably with Russia and the U.S. Luxembourg was one of the founding nations of the European Community, and Juncker has presided at the head of the European Council three times over the past twenty years. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bad weather lashes UK, USA
Scotland and Northern Ireland are the latest two British regions to be swept by appalling weather, with flooding and high winds killing three people, and causing chaos in Londonderry and Dundee. Tens of thousands of people are without electricity, although fears for a Spanish fishing trawler with a crew of 19 have eased after the RAF maritime patrol found the vessel off the west coast of Scotland. The crew appears to be safe. In the worst storms in the area for a decade hundreds of trees have been uprooted, and people are being advised to travel only if it is strictly necessary. Last weekend three people died in northern England when rivers burst their banks and the city of Carlisle was cut off. Extensive flooding caused widespread damage. In Ireland there are also flood warnings in the west, and rail and road links to the capital Dublin were cut by fallen trees. In the western United States mudslides and floods have crushed houses and caused extensive damage. At least 15 people have died as a result of storms in La Conchita, a coastal community in California. A frantic race is on to rescue 13 people who may still be alive under the debris of their homes. Nothing has been heard from them since faint stratching or tapping noises were heard on Tuesday morning. Slides were triggered by drenching rain, Southern California recording its 15 wettest days ever. Floods have also caused massive damage in the state of Utah. Thousands of homes have lost power in the affected regions. The only good news is that the torrential rain has stopped for now, giving emergency crews a new window of opportunity. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indonesia warns aid workers
Indonesia's military has announced it is to restrict aid workers' movements in the tsunami-ravaged region of Aceh. Foreign humanitarian staff will now need special permission to venture outside two large cities in the province, Banda Aceh and Meulaboh. Authorities say they can not guarantee relief workers safety in many parts amid fears of attacks by militants who have been waging a long-running insurgency in the area. Armed forces chief General Endriartono Sutarto stressed that the measures were being put in place because he did not want any of the helpers to be killed. The separatist Free Aceh Movement has said, however, that it is supporting efforts to deliver aid to those in need. But a different group, the Islamic Defenders' Front, warned foreign aid agencies not to stray from their humanitarian mission - saying a hidden agenda of colonialism, imperialism or missionary work could be "very, very dangerous." ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 12 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dakar rally champion dies after crash
The two-time Dakar Rally winner, Fabrizio Meoni, has died. The 47-year-old Italian KTM rider, who was lying second overall, suffered a heart attack during Tuesday's 11th stage between Atar and Kiffa in Mauritania. He was attended by paramedics at the scene but they were unable to revive him. Meoni is the eleventh motorcyclist to die in the history of the race. On Monday, Spanish motorcyclist, Jose Manuel Perez, died in a Spanish hospital after crashing out last week. The race organisers say the 41-year-old appears to have developed an infection after having his kidney and spleen removed in the Senegalese capital Dakar. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- UN tells donor countries to deliver aid now
"Hunger and disease do not wait, we need your money now" - the United Nations' stark warning to donor countries which have pledged billions to help victims of the Asian tsunami. The UN is hosting a conference in Geneva today to discuss a practical timetable for how, when and where to deliver aid to millions of people across the region. The countries hardest hit by the disaster say the resources of their armed forces are being severely stretched by the relief effort with supplies rotting at airports while awaiting clearance. In Indonesia, aid agencies say their work could be disrupted by a conflict between the government and rebels over the Aceh province. Relief groups in Sri Lanka have also expressed similar fears that commanders on the ground could seize much needed emergency equipment. The European Union's development commissioner, Louis Michel, and senior ministers from Britain, France and Germany are all attending the Geneva summit. UN officials believe the aid process is transparent, but many remain mindful of criticism over alleged mismanagement of the oil-for-food programme in Iraq. Delegates at the Geneva summit will also be warned of the dangers of neglecting a string of other humanitarian crises around the world. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 11 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abbas wins decisively in Palestinian Presidential poll
"A remarkably wonderful victory"... that is how former US President Jimmy Carter described Mahmoud Abbas's landslide win as new Palestinian president. The Fatah candidate picked up just over 62 percent of the vote. Carter was leading an international monitoring team to oversee the election. Echoing international opinion, he said Abbas's victory opens up an opportunity for renewed peace negotiations in the Middle East. The Palestinian Prime Minister, Ahmed Qurei, endorsed Abbas' victory saying: "The people have chosen the right person, they have chosen the path of peace, the path of democracy, to build national unity." On the streets of Ramallah last night, Abbas' supporters did not wait for the official results to start celebrating. Expectations are running high that Abbas will be able to bring years of bloody violence to an end. "Victory is beautiful," Abbas said, "but it will be more beautiful to fulfil the pledges," he added. Turnout was high despite a call by Islamic militants to boycott the vote. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ. Deputy Police Chief assassinated in Baghdad
Baghdad's deputy chief of police has been assassinated outside his home. Brigadier Amer Nayef was shot dead along with his son as they left the family home in the south of the Iraqi capital. At least three other Iraqis have been killed by a suicide bomber in a police car at a police station. Insurgents have stepped up their campaign of violence mainly against Iraqi security forces three weeks ahead of the country's first free elections. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sri Lanka's students go back to school
Thousands of children in Sri Lanka have returned to school today - ors as well as teachers were on hand to welcome them back. With nearly 200 schools destroyed by the giant waves, many of the children face a new beginning in different buildings with different classmates. The United Nations children's fund, UNICEF, has been providing some support. Kits containing sport, play and learning materials have been distributed to many of the schools to help the children return to some kind of normality. Tonnes of food, medicine, tents and drinking water are being flown to the country in a never-ending stream of aircraft. But it is feared the relief work in Sri Lanka could be disrupted by a cyclone. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the U.S. Defense Department has warned that the weather front is moving towards the country a week later than planned because of the tsunami disaster. Councill's south coast. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 10 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joy as Sudan peace deal is signed
There have been celebrations on the streets of Sudan to mark the end of Africa's longest-running civil war. A peace deal was completed after two decades of fighting that has left an estimated two million people dead. In southern Sudan, rebels have been fighting the government since 1983 when Khartoum tried to impose Islamic Sharia law on the entire country, including in those areas where most people are not Muslim. Under the accord, signed in Kenya, southerners will have the chance to vote on independence after a six-year interim period. The south will also receive half of Sudan's oil revenues, which mainly come from southern fields. The deal agreed by Sudan's government and the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement does not end a separate conflict in the western Darfur region of Africa's largest nation, where almost two years of fighting have created with the United Nations calls one of the world's worst humanitarian crisis. There are hopes, however, that this weekend's deal could pave the way for peace there. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Italy introduces controversial smoking ban
In Italy, it is now illegal to smoke in all public places including bars and restaurants. Health officials say cigarettes kill around 100,000 people a year in Italy. But although smokers are a minority, many Italians have criticised the move which they say is an attack on basic liberty. Even the defence minister said it represented a return to fascism when the state controlled everything. But others are delighted at the move by the health minister who says three quarters of Italians are behind him. One smoker in Rome said he was perfectly happy with the ban: "I always smoke outside, it's more relaxed, in a lovely place like this, why should I mind?" The new law relies on bar and restaurant owners to call the police if customers fail to obey it, or face a 2,000 euro fine. But many have said they refuse to be the state's sheriffs: "That is the most difficult part for us," says one restaurant owner, "being the enforcers, asking people to put out their cigarettes." Italy is the third country in Europe to introduce such a ban after Ireland and Norway. The country counts an estimated 14 million smokers. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 9 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Israel threatens to tighten security ahead of Palestinian poll
Just a day ahead of the Palestinian presidential election, Israel is threatening to withdraw an offer of easing its military presence in Palesitinian cities during the vote. This comes after a militant attack left one of its soldiers dead and several others wounded. Israel has already begun dismantle some checkpoints to ease access to polling stations set up across the territory. Mahmoud Abbas is expected to win tomorow's poll. He has revived peace hopes by pledging to try and put an end to militant violence and pursue talks with Israel. Trailing in second place, is Mustafa Barghouti who like Abbas is regarded as a relatively moderate politician. More than 500 international observers will monitor the poll, but now Israel may tighten its security grip, there are renewed fears violence could flare if voters cannot get to polling stations. If Abbas does win as expected, the eyes of the international community will be on him to see if he can deliver on his promise of reining in militants. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- UN Secretary General tours tsunami disaster zones
The UN Secretary General has been touring some of the areas worst hit by the tsunami catastrophe nearly two weeks ago. Kofi Annan's first stop was Indonesia which took the brunt of the natural disaster. He flew over the island of Sumatra where most Indonesians were killed by the waves. More than 100,000 people lost their lives in that country alone. The scale of the devastation means the fate of thousands will never be known and the death toll is expected to rise sharply. Annan appeared shocked by what he had been shown: "I have never seen such utter destruction, mile after mile. You wonder, where are the people?" Annan is now in Sri Lanka where more than 30,000 people were killed by the tsunamis. . The massive sea surge was caused by an underwater earthquake just off the coast of Indonesia. The overall death toll stands at more than 165,000. As the survivors try to rebuild their lives, the UN is calling on world leaders to honour their financial pledges to the southern Asian region. The G7 group of industralised nations has agreed to a debt moriturium for the stricken nations. Asian countries affected by the tsunamis owe about 200 billion euros. A global relief effort is underway and the most remote regions are beginning to receive desperately needed aid. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accused ring leader in the IRAQi prisoner abuse scandal has repeated a not guilty plea at his court martial.
American reservist Charles Graner who faces 17 years in jail tried to appear upbeat on leaving court. His lawyer insists Graner was only following orders from his superiors: "The entire case deals with obedience to orders. Personally I feel the orders were all lawful. But even if they were unlawful, if a reasonable person would not have known it is to be unlawful, it's a defence." The photos of US soldiers degrading Iraqi detainees at the notorious Abu Ghraib jail shocked the world. Graner and his girlfriend Lyndie England quickly became the faces of the scandal, she also faces a court martial though a trial date has not yet been set. Their superiors are unlikely to face justice. Military leaders have blamed the abuses on a small group of soldiers and say there was no policy of mishandling prisoners. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deadly train collision near Bologna in Italy
At least 14 people have been killed in a train crash in Italy. A passenger and a freight train have collided in thick fog near Bologna. Some reports say the death toll could be as high as 18. More than 50 people have been taken to hospital, some of them with serious injuries. The collision is said to have happened on the same track between Bologna and Verona, near a station called Bolognina di Crevalcore. The impact derailed one of the locomotives, while one carriage was thrust into the air and crashed down onto the other train. At least two passenger wagons were left crumpled, and firefighters had to cut victims from the wreckage. The thick fog hampered the rescue effort, making it difficult for emergency helicopters to land. The cause of the crash is not yet known, but when trains are using the same track, one usually waits in a station until the other has passed. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 8 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ. French reporter confirmed missing
There are fears of a fresh hostage crisis as the French foreign ministry confirmed reporter Florence Aubenas has gone missing in Iraq.Nothing has been heard from the 43-year-old since Wednesday morning when she left her hotel in Baghdad. It is feared she may have been abducted. "We've declared a state of alert," explained her editor at French daily Liberation, Antoine de Gaudemar. "We can now proceed with a series of verifications and use everything at our disposal locally, the French embassy, the Iraqi and US authorities, to work throught the different hypotheses." The disappearance of Aubenas comes just two weeks after the release of two French journalists held in Iraqi since mid August. It has prompted the French government to warn reporters not to travel there. "We know that Baghdad is very dangerous," said former captive Christian Chesnot. "We know that these people are in Baghdad itself and get into hotels or get you in the street." "Personally I feel it's become really difficult to work in Baghdad and the Sunni areas," argued former hostages George Malbrunot. "These groups go after journalists." Aubenas has been in Iraq since mid December. She is a highly experienced reporter who has worked in Kosovo, Algeria and Afghanistan. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sex abuse ongoing by UN peacekeepers in Congo
Sexual abuse of girls by United Nations peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo was widespread and ongoing according to the organisation's watchdog agency. The report concentrates on Bunia to the east of the country where fighting was intense earlier last year. Peacekeepers have been accused of gang rapes, sexual harrassment and bribing young girls with small amounts of food or money for sex. The UN's special representative for the Democratic Republic of Congo says it has to be stopped: "We have had and continue to have a serious problem of sexual exploitation adn abuse. We are shocked by it, we are outraged, we are sickened by it, peacekeepers who have been sworn to assist those in need, particularly those who have been victims of sexual violence, instead have been the cause of grievous harm. It is inexcusable behaviour, we are determined to stamp it out." There are over 10,000 military personnel in Congo to help keep peace after a civil war. Allegations have been made against soldiers from France, Uruguay, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Nepal. It is believed many will escape punishment due to lack of evidence. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 7 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leaders agree on tsunami recovery plan
At the end of a one-day summit on the Asian tsunami disaster, world leaders have agreed on the creation of an early warning system for the region to avert a similar catastrophe in the future. They also called for debt-relief for the countries affected by the tragedy, which is estimated to have claimed around 155,000 lives so far. The conference in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, was intended to chart the path to recovery for stricken nations. The United Nations is to oversee the long-term programme of assistance and reconstruction. Aid pledges have increased massively in recent days. But the UN has asked the world to provide an extra 737 million euros for victims. Secretary General Kofi Annan said the additional sum was needed for specific humanitarian programmes over the next six months. EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has said a billion and half euros in aid will be coming from the bloc. Australia has substantially increased its commitment, while Japan and the US are also among the largest donors. The summit also called on the UN to organise another international pledging conference to help sustain relief efforts. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tsunami leaves ghost town legacy
The town of Calang in Aceh province, Indonesia, was 99 percent wiped out in the Asian tsunami, and is just one example among many of the scale of the problems facing the relief effort. There is nothing left. Roads leading in are swept away, rail links are down, even the jetty and the port facilities are no longer available to unload aid coming by sea. That means military landing craft are about the only ships usable for those communities on the coast. Inland, everything has to come by air, and with airfields rudimentary or non-existent, that means helicopters, which can only carry limited payloads. The provincial capital Banda Aceh got knocked about too, and refugees from elsewhere have streamed into the suburbs where tented villages are the only immediate shelter. Heavy tropical rains are making life even more miserable for those under canvas, but the city's markets are well-stocked and life seems to be continuing much as normal for the locals. The Indonesian army now has to distribute aid and keep order as well as fight rebels, who despite the disaster continue to make what roads are left dangerous. Many of the refugees are saying they will never return to their islands and coastal villages. Across the ocean in Sri Lanka the situation is equally bad. Again it is the remote areas suffering the most, with many communities on the east coast still to be visited. Tamil rebels are accusing the army of appropriating private aid to their areas in the north-west, as they have the task of distribution, and want to control the flow of aid. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Senate grills US attorney general nominee
Even before his nomination as US Attorney General has been confirmed pressure is mounting on Alberto Gonzales, a close ally of President George Bush. He is expected to face tough questioning today in US Senate hearings which critics hope will take him to task over his role in policies linked to the abuse of prisoners in Iraq. In particular they want him to answer for policy advice to the White House in which he described the Geneva Convention's articles on prisoner treatment as "obsolete." Human rights campaigner Wade Henderson says his record on the issue is disturbing. "Aspects of Judge Gonzales' record are extremely troubling. We're particularly concerned about reports that we've seen and read and documented. About the role Judge Gonzales played in the development of policy regarding torture, detention and the interrogation of detainees in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo and elsewhere," he said. Meanwhile, the US military has announced it is to investigate new accusations of torture at Camp Delta - the base on Cuba where America is holding alleged Taliban and Al Qaeda suspects. The claims have come from the human rights organisation ACLU. Another pressure group, Moveon.org, has released a video calling for Gonzales' nomination to be rejected. But despite the opposition he is expected to be approved as the top US law enforcement official. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palestinian poll: three days to go
Palestinians are preparing landmark Presidential elections in which Mahmoud Abbas is almost certain to triumph. The Fatah candidate and PLO boss would succeed iconic leader Yasser Arafat who died in November. Abbas is well ahead of six other candidates in the opinion polls. Hitherto seen as a moderate by the international community, he has recently caused alarm in Israel by referring to the "Zionist enemy" and pledging to uphold Arafat's legacy. Ballot boxes are being stacked in school halls, which will be transformed into polling stations. Thousands of teachers have undergone training to facilitate the process. More than 800 international observers will be on hand to ensure that the vote is conducted freely and fairly. Michel Rocard, a former French Prime Minister who heads the EU monitoring mission, said the foreign presence was especially important given the fragility of Palestinian institutions. He also warned that some violence could be expected during the election. In a goodwill gesture, Israel has ended the solitary confinement of Marwan Barghouti, one of the most popular Palestinian politicians and a former Presidential candidate. He is in jail for his role in suicide attacks against Israelis. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 6 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Georgian & Ukrainian leaders sign declaration
Eastern Europe's two men of the moment, or at least of last year, Georgia's Mikhail Saakashvili and Ukraine's Viktor Yushchenko, have gone skiing together and have signed a declaration hailing the revolutions and democratic processes in their two countries. In the Tysovets resort in Ukraine they signed a document called the Carpathian Declaration, expressing their gratitude for the support they have received from democratic states and organisations for their non-violent struggle. They added they hoped this support would continue. Yushchenko, Ukraine's President-elect, gave a press conference in which he gave few details about the new direction in which he would be taking his country, although he did stress that the new government would be a sweeping out of the old names, to be replaced by new faces. "The main problem in Ukraine is corruption" he said. Both he and Georgia's leader came to power after contesting rigged elections. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- China greets 1.3 billionth bundle of joy
It was a moment of joy for a family and a nation. The baby boy had a very public entry into the world thanks to the fact that he brought China's population to 1.3 billion. Apparently hale and hearty, the as yet unnamed infant weighed-in at just over 3.5 kilos. China has had a one-child-per family policy for more than two decades but it is now facing severe challenges in supporting an aging population. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated,5 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thousands queue for water in Aceh
Thousands of Indonesians have been waiting for water as aid deliveries to the tsunami ravaged Aceh province faced fresh problems today. Hungry, filthy and tired, many Indonesians have lost access to clean water, meaning soldiers at one Australian military water purification station in Aceh have been working almost non-stop. The threat of deadly diseases like cholera and malaria looms large with survivors desperate to find water not contaminated by seawater and sewage. In other tsunami hit areas, volunteers have been able to hand out bags of rice, marking people's fingers with ink that will wash off after a day, allowing them to then collect more. Aerial relief efforts are up and running again, however, after Banda Aceh airport was forced to close early this morning when a plane loaded with supplies reportedly hit a cow on the runway. Its landing gear collapsed, leaving it resting on one wing. For about 15 hours no aid planes were able to get in or out of the region, much of which is only accessible by air. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Powell promises America's full support for tsunami victims
The US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has pledged America's full support in the Asian tsunami relief effort. He was speaking in Thailand at the start of a visit to the worst affected nations, before attending a summit on the crisis in Jakarta on Thursday. Powell said they will seek to draw lessons from the disaster. The world has mobilised an unprecedented relief operation to help the victims of Asia's tidal wave. As the death toll climbs to at least 150,000, and many more are left homeless and hungry, nations have pledged 1.5 billion euros. Japan has been the most generous country so far, followed by the United States, while Canada has doubled its commitment to 49 million euros. Earlier, the United Nations warned that the number killed in the disaster could rise sharply as aid has not yet reached some remote areas. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 4 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- EU boosts its aid pledge to tsunami victims
The European Union has almost doubled its aid pledge to victims of the Asian tsunami. The EU is now promising to give 436-million euros and that figure could still be increased. There exists an extra 221-million euros to spend on this type of disaster but nation states and the European Parliament must first agree to dip into the emergency budget. That decision may be taken as early as Friday when EU foreign, development and health ministers gather in Brussels to determine Europe's response to the growing relief crisis. In the meantime, ECHO, the European Commission's humanitarian aid co-ordinating unit, has been holding intense talks on how to divide up the money that is being donated by both nation states and private companies. Echo's Director General, Antonio Cavaco, told EuroNews that the unit has been looking at the health, medical and food requests coming from the region in order to determine which aid groups should get what, so that they can meet their needs on the ground. Meanwhile, there have been growing calls for governments to do more to help the stricken countries. Britain says it plans to use its G8 presidency to clinch a deal on debt relief. France and Germany are also in favour so a moratorium will largely depend upon the US and Japan. There will also be a Europe-wide day of mourning on Wednesday for victims of the tragedy. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 3 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tsunami death toll rises inexorably
Hungry and sick, survivors of last week's tsunami are increasingly desperate for aid. The United Nations has voiced optimism that the international community will meet the challenge, but that is small comfort for those still waiting for supplies. In Sri Lanka relief teams hope to reach the estimated 700,000 people still in need of help within three days. Disease, dehydration and hunger threaten the survivors, only local aid has reached the remote Sri Lankan village of Akbar. Nearly 30,000 people are estimated to have died in Sri Lanka. It was the second worst hit nation after Indonesia that counts more than three times that number of dead. In all at least 143,000 lives were lost. Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa saw at first hand the devastation wreaked by the killer tsunami. He did his best to comfort the bereaved and appealed for outside help: "They must come in, to build this up. This is the most important now. We have managed to keep them living, feeding them, giving them shelter, temporary shelter. But we need to rebuild this place. This is where the international community must come in very fast." Tropical rain in Indonesia and flooding in Sri Lanka have added to the misery creating more problems for relief workers. A sustained humanitarian effort will be needed if the region is to fully recover. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- EU fact-finding trip to disaster zone
European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Louis Michel has arrived in Sri Lanka to see for himself the extent of the devastation. The trip will help him gauge how best to target the EU's relief contribution. "The European Union is fully engaged, as you know, so we have rather high amounts to deliver but first we have to establish the needs," he said. Meeting EU officials who know the country and people is one way to achieve that aim. So is visiting the disaster zone, which is why Michel was to travel to coastal areas and then to the province of Aceh in Indonesia. European nations have already sent hundreds of relief workers to the stricken region as well as tonnes of essential supplies. Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey is in Thailand to visit her country's casualties. Officially, 16 Swiss nationals have died in the disaster but 550 others are unaccounted for. More than 7,000 foreigners remain missing across the region but, one week after the tragedy, holidaymakers are heading back. It is a welcome sight for some tourism chiefs who are encouraging travellers to return, saying the affected countries should not be punished by a boycott of their holiday industries. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Croatian presidential poll to go to second round
Croatia's presidential poll is to go to a second round, but for Stjepan Mesic victory in the run-off seems certain. Garnering 49 percent of the vote the pro-western leader narrowly missed winning outright. With his main rival trailing way behind, the 70 year old seems set for a second term in office. Jadranka Kosor, the conservative deputy prime minister came second with only 20 percent support. She will face Mesic in the second round that is due to take place on the 16th January. The president's post is largely ceremonial but comes at a crucial time for Croatia. The winner will oversee the former Yugoslav Republic's entry into the European Union that is planned for 2009. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palestinian. Gaza again swept by Israeli army
The Israeli army pushed into the northern Gazan town of Beit Hanoun on Sunday and stayed for several hours to try and stop rocket attacks into the Israeli town of Sderot, where two fell during the day injuring a woman. Two people were wounded in the operation, one of them a Palestinian cameraman working for Israeli television. Doctors say he was shot by Israeli soldiers. The incursion came just hours after the ending of a three-day occupation of the refugee camp of Khan Younis by the army for similar reasons. Militant Palestinians have escalated rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli targets despite Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas telling them to stop. Abbas is into the last week of his campaign to be elected President, and he slammed the incursions saying they would interfere with the January the ninth poll. He also promised he would not abandon the militants who he said deserved "safety and security and a dignified life". Abbas's honour guard of armed militants at his rally led to US Secretary of State Colin Powell saying he was disturbed by the spectacle, even if he recognised Abbas was obliged to reach out to all members of the community. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- End in sight to Peru seige?
Rebels who have captured a police station in southern Peru say they will lay down their arms today. A former army major and some 200 armed supporters are holding 10 policemen hostage, but the weekend siege will end if a public guarantee of their safety is issued by the government, they say. Parts of the town of Andahuaylas are also under rebel control, and there is some popular support for the rebels, who want President Alejandro Toledo to resign, accusing him of corruption. The rebels are led by Antauro Humala, who led an uprising in 2000 with his brother against former President Fujimori. He surrendered and went to jail before being pardoned. Four policemen have already died in the siege, but President Toledo says he will leave the crisis in the hands of professionals, and any action will be firm, but will respect the law and human life. The rebels say they will fight to the last bullet if they are attacked. The government says Humala and his men are subversives funded by drug smugglers. Many are former soldiers or policemen who fought against Ecuador and leftist guerillas in the 1990's. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 2 January, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Volunteers join in tsunami relief effort
One week after the tsunami struck southern Asia, many nations are struggling to cope with the sheer enormity of the disaster. While some tourists who survived have gone home, others are staying on to help with the clean-up operation. In the north of Phuket in Thailand, volunteers have been working alongside specialists - preparing the dead for burial. Alex Torikian from Britain has been carrying bodies to the morgue. "Behind every body here is a family," he said. "If it was someone in my family, I would like to know that if they were found and they were here that they were taken care of in some way." The death toll from the tsunami stands at about 127,000, In Thailand 4,812 people are confirmed dead. About half that number are tourists. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tsunami aid climbs to new high
The amount of aid being pledged to the disaster-struck regions of Asia has climbed to a new high. The United Nations says nearly one and a half billion euros worth of assistance has been promised. The figure brings together donations for emergency relief as well as reconstruction. A multi-national force of aid workers and military personnel has now descended on the coastal regions hit by the tsunamis. But with transport and communications hit, getting the supplies of food, water and medicines to those most in need is a logistical nightmare. In Indonesia's Aceh province, where 80,000 people died, US army helicopters have been dropping supplies to survivors. The drive is on to build overland supply networks to allow aid to be distributed more evenly. Meanwhile in Sri Lanka the thousands of pregnant women caught up in the disaster have to be cared for. It is feared many lack the basic health facilities needed to deliver a healthy baby. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Latest. Croatia votes for new president
It is decision time in Croatia as the nation votes today for a new president. Opinions polls show the man currently in the job, Stjepan Mesic, is set for victory. He is seeking a second term that would leave him to oversee European Union entry, planned for 2007. Surveys show the liberal politician could win outright - garnering more than 50 percent of the vote. With an estimated 20 percent support, his main rival is conservative Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor. The 51-year-old former journalist hopes to take today's battle at the ballot box to a second round that would take place in mid January. She faces a stiff challenge from Mesic who has been credited with spearheading Croatia's efforts to normalise relations with Serbia and Bosnia following the bloody wars that tore former Yugoslavia appart in the early 1990s. The 70-year-old succeeded the late leader Franjo Tudjman in 2000 who had led the country to independence and who was later ostracized by the West for his hardline nationalism. Polls are open for twelve hours and close at 7pm local time. The first official results are expected at about midnight. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Middle East. Warm reception for Abbas in Rafah
The man who looks set to become the next Palestinian president has received a hero's welcome in a Gaza militant stronghold. The people turned out in force at Rafah refugee camp to greet Mahmoud Abbas - so much so that the election frontrunner struggled for space in the crowd. He had almost cancelled the trip because of an Israeli army raid nearby that killed 12 Palestinians. Addressing a rally in a wedding hall, he said that Rafah suffered oppression and the humiliation of occupation, but would not be defeated. After his speech the crowd became so frenzied that Abbas was forced to leave by scrambling out through a window. Rafah has lost more lives and suffered greater destruction than any other place in the last four years of the Middle East conflict. The election to replace the late Yasser Arafat takes place on January 9th. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Updated, 1 January, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sombre New Year in Sweden
Sweden has seen in the New Year by candlelight, with thousands gathering in the capital to remember the victims of the Asian tsunami disaster. The nation is bracing itself for what could be the worst loss of human life in its modern history. And, in a park in central Stockholm, Prime Minister Goran Persson called for national solidarity. Some 1,000 Swedes are estimated to have died. Around 3,500 others are missing. January 1 is a day of mourning in the country, with flags flying at half mast. The gesture has been mirrored in Norway, Denmark and Finland, which are also missing hundreds of their nationals. Elsewhere, New Year was typically spectacular on the Champs Elysees but behind the bright lights, Paris paid tribute to the tsunami victims. Black crepe was draped on the trees lining the famous boulevard. France fears the number of its citizens killed could reach 250. In Germany too, the disaster was not forgotten. Near Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, flags flew at half mast. London also made sure it remembered the victims. UK authorities have raised the official death toll to 35. Hundreds more Britons are still missing ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tragic homecoming for Italian victims
Amid sombre scenes, the bodies of three Italians killed in the tsunami tragedy have been brought back to Rome. Officials and grieving relatives were there to receive them. Engineer Fabrizio Fanesi was among those who remains were repatriated from Phuket. His death was witnessed by his 14-year-old son, who survived the catastrophe. The teenager also saw his mother disappear before his eyes, carried away by the waves. Officially 14 Italians perished in the disaster. Some
700 others remain missing. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Political rainbow in Independence Square
A year after Georgia's rose revolution, President Mikhail Saakashvili rang in the New Year with the head of Ukraine's orange revolution, Viktor Yushchenko. Saakashvili joined the country's new leader in Kiev's Independence Square at midnight, which became the spirtitual home of the Yushchenko camp's battle to overturn November's rigged election result. West-leaning Yushchenko won last Sunday's ballot - which had been ordered by the Supreme Court - by eight points. Meanwhile, his rival Viktor Yanokovich has announced his resignation as prime minister. A sombre faced Yanukovich announced he was quitting
during a televised New Year address but refused to concede
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