Last Updated: 30, Monday, June, 2003 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Israel begins withdrawing from Gaza
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Last Updated: 29, Sunday, June, 2003 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
US forces in Iraq have found the bodies of two missing soldiers north of Baghdad, just hours after one serviceman was killed and four others wounded in the capital in a guerrilla-style attack. US Central Command gave no details on the circumstances of the deaths of the two soldiers who had been missing since Wednesday. Although President Bush declared major combat over nearly two months ago, a senior US officer said on Saturday: "The first clear message that we have to take out of here is that this war is not over. I think that is pretty clear to all of us." American troops arrested several Iraqis in a village on the edge of Baghdad, during a house to house search for weapons. Angry residents of another Baghdad district have accused US soldiers of shooting dead a 12-year-old boy on Friday night. They say soldiers broke into the house next door searching for weapons andfired randomly when they thought they heard somebody moving in the dark. US officials have attributed the recent attacks to die-hard loyalists of Saddam Hussein although grenade-launchers and AK-47 assault rifles are common accessories in parts of Iraq. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iraq row between Blair government and BBC intensifies
A row between Tony Blair's communications director Alastair Campbell and the British Broadcasting Corporation, the BBC, has intensified. On a rival channel, Channel 4, Campbell renewed his demand for an apology over claims the government exaggerated the case for war on Iraq. He told Channel 4 News: "This is an attempt by the government to get the BBC to admit a fundamental attack on the integrity of the government, the Prime Minister and the intelligence agencies, let alone the evil spin doctors in the dark who do their dirty works, in the minds of a lot of journalists. Let them accept for once that they have got it wrong." This week the BBC, citing an intelligence source, accused Campbell of sensationalising a September dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Campbell did apologise to a parliamentary committee for plagiarising an academic work in a separate dossier. But Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told the committee the war was justified even if banned weapons were never found. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Israel says its tanks and other forces in the Gaza Strip and Bethlehem will begin withdrawing on Monday as optimism grows over the roadmap peace plan for the Middle East. Fuelling talk of progress are reports three Palestinian militant groups will announce a halt to attacks this weekend. It comes amid intense pressure from Washington to begin implementing the peace deal both sides signed up to at the beginning of the month. US Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters, "We just are pleased with the progress we have seen and there's also been some progress on discussion with respect to the cessation of acts on the part of Hamas and other organisations." The latest moves do not address the concerns of some Palestinian families however. Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas left his weekly cabinet meeting to reassure them that relatives held in Israeli prisons would not be forgotten as the politicians push the process forward. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 28, Saturday, June, 2003 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
US forces are carrying out intensive searches for two American soldiers who went missing near Balad, 40 kilometres north of Baghdad, on Wednesday. US intelligence officials suspect Fedayeen militia loyal to Saddam Hussein may have abducted the pair. But there is considerable hostility among the population in central areas. "The Americans should quit our country and go home. We never wanted them here," said one man in Balad. The US military says a US soldier was killed on Thursday in an ambush near the southern city of Najaf, while clashes southwest of the capital left one soldier dead and eight wounded. Early today residents of a Baghdad suburb said they had seen an American serviceman shot in the head as he was buying DVDs before being taken away by fellow soldiers. They said they did not know whether he survived or not. Over 20 US personnel have been killed in Iraq since President Bush declared major combat in Iraq over on May 1. On Tuesday six British military policemen were killed in the south of the country after weapons searches. In what seems to be a deliberate campaign of sabotage, some oil pipelines have also been targetted. Britain's Financial Times says the Pentagon has sent an independent mission to Iraq to review operations. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Al-Sahaf gives TV interview after facing US questioning
Former Iraqi information minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf has appeared on an Arabic-language television channel saying he had given himself up to US troops, only to be freed after questioning. The 63-year-old became an unlikely media star during the war. In early April, as US troops battled to take control of Baghdad airport, he made this claim: "We crushed the forces in Saddam International Airport. We have cleaned the whole place of the airport." Another of his reality-defying statements was: "There are no British or American troops in Baghdad, none at all." It came as TV pictures showed US tanks in the capital. In the Abu Dhabi TV interview, he says he knew about the tanks but insists his military sources told him they were in control. Al-Sahaf is not on the US "most wanted" list. Just after Baghdad fell there were reports he was in hiding, fearing revenge attacks from the population. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Israel sceptical about Hamas ceasefire
The radical Palestinian group, Hamas, has announced
a suspension of attacks against Israelis, in a move that could significantly
boost the American-backed "road map" peace plan. He said the ceasefire carried conditions and a timeframe but gave no details about when the suspension would start. But an Israeli source said the truce from Hamas was "not worth the paper it's written on." The source repeated Israel's demand that Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas dismantle Hamas and other militant groups. The announcement by Hamas comes despite a pre-dawn Israeli raid on a house in the Gaza Strip during which three militants and a bystander were killed. The troops were looking for Adnan al-Ghoul, an alleged Hamas bombmaker on Israel's most-wanted list. In the firefight that ensued, Ghoul's son and nephew were among those who died, but the main target was apparently not at home. The Israeli assault had been expected to lead to retaliation but Islamic Jihad and other factions could themselves declare a ceasefire imminently. Palestinian officials say there has been remarkable progress in talks with Israel to withdraw forces from the Gaza Strip. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Massive tax cuts predicted after weekend summit
Germany's chancellor is holding a special brainstorming session this weekend - the first since 1978 - which is expected to agree major tax cuts to kick-start the economy. Talks between Gerhard Schroder and trade unions officials on his Agenda 2010 programme, which includes sweeping welfare cuts, have now re-started. Mr Schroder said he was happy to see trade unionists had accepted that reform was necessary. However, he acknowledged that while they had agreed to the principle, there were bound to be differences of opinion on the details. Meanwhile, talks between metalworkers unions and employers have broken down - just a day after they re-started for the first since May. Germany's export industry's been damaged by a four-week strike in east Germany's engineering sector. Workers there want to be paid the same as the counterparts in the west and to have their weekly working hours reduced from 38 to 35. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Human traffickers jailed after 58 die
The ringleader of a Chinese criminal gang has been jailed for six years for the trafficking of 58 illegal immigrants, who suffocated in a truck on the way to Britain three years ago. Six other gang members - five men and a woman - were sentanced to between four months and three years for smuggling people into Europe from China. The judge in Rotterdam told the ringleader he led to large numbers of Chinese people being brought secretly into the Netherlands for huge amounts of money and under miserable conditions. The 58 were found dead in the back of a tomato truck at the British port of Dover in June 2000. The case, which shocked Europe, highlighted the growing problem of people smuggling. Illegal Chinese migrants have been known to pay up to US$20,000 to seek a better life abroad - many though, end up working in sweatshops. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Row over plush prison for Balkan war criminal
A swish Swedish prison that boasts such luxuries as a sauna, massage room and horse riding paddock could soon be home to a convicted war criminal. It is believed former Bosnian Serb leader Biljana Plavsic will serve her 11-year sentence inside the high-security Hinsberg jail, which looks more like a chateau. It is a possibility that has outraged relatives of the Muslim men and boys massacred by Serb forces in Srebrenica. Plavsic pleaded guilty to justifying ethnic cleansing during the Bosnian war. Some critics of the war crimes court in The Hague say
it is sometimes too lenient in passing down judgements. Plavsic, 72,
earned the nickname the "Iron Lady" during her time in power. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drug could cut heart attack risk "by 80 per cent" Scientists in Britain are developing a new drug they claim can help us live a longer and healthier life. The "polypill" would contain a combination of aspirin, folic acid and at least three blood pressure lowering compounds. Researchers say eventually everyone over 55 might be prescribed with the drug which could cut the risk of having a heart attack by 80 percent and prevent invasive surgery faced by millions. But would not the "polypill" only encourage unhealthy lifestyles? Not according to Professor Nicholas Wald: " A third of us will die of cardio-vascular disease and about half of us will, if we live long enough, actually get clinical cardio-vascular disease, so it's not so much a question of whether, it's a question of when, unless we intervene to prevent it." Researchers claim the polypill could have a greater impact on heart disease prevention than any other medicine. It could also be given to people with existing high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes to prevent them suffering further ill health. It is estimated that one in three people could gain up to 20 years of life without a heart attack or stroke by taking it. However the developers of the drug say there is no substitute for a daily dose of exercise and a good balanced diet. But relatively few of us can maintain a rigid regime, making the idea of taking a single pill all the more attractive, especially if it costs less than two euros a day and causes minimal side effects. Asthmatics and people allergy to asprine cannot take the medicine, but even if 10 percent of people are unable to take the drug, scientists say it would still have considerable public health benefits. Trials of the "polypill" are now being planned. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thousands swamp Somerset for 25th Glastonbury Festival More than 100 thousand people have arrived in Somerset in Britain for the 25th Glastonbury Festival - three days of music, mayhem and mud. The huge tented city, which is home to festival-goers until Sunday, is a mile and half across and eight miles round. Glastonbury claims to be the largest performing arts festival in the world. Some 260 bands will play over the weekend with REM, Radiohead and Moby the biy crowd-pullers. While arrests for drugs are up, reports of robbery have more than halved on last year and new security precautions include a massive fence, more closed circuit TV cameras and a crackdown on ticket touts. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Italian author Pontiggia dies at 68 Italian author Giuseppe Pontiggia has died at the age of 68 at his home in Milan. Born in Como in 1934, he published his first novel in 1958 and his career,spanning over 4 decades, brought him several prizes. He was also well-known as a literary critic. His later works used a narrative style characterised by irony, often giving way to a deeply-felt existential bitterness. His major novels, including 1978's The Invisible Player, were translated into several languages. His best-known work internationally was the autobiographical Nati due Volte or Born Twice, a confessional memoir of the father of a disabled boy. The book recounts with absorbing precision how the father changed, coped and celbrated what he called his son's "birth in life." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 27, Friday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fears over EU farm reforms
European governments may be patting themselves on the back now that they have thrashed out a deal to reform the Common Agricultural Policy but many on the front line fear the radical changes could put rural communities under threat. The new agreement breaks the long-standing link between subsidies and the amount a farmer produces, something that has been blamed for causing the EU's notorious wine lakes and butter mountains. While some see that departure as a good thing, others in the farming community disagree. Normandy-based French farmer Guillaume Forzy, for instance, believes that a key incentive to work hard has been lost. "Today I am no longer encouraged to produce," he said. "They would like me to depend on assistance and not to try to optimise my produce, not to encourage rural expansion by creating jobs or local processing plants." There is no such talk in the corridors of power. EU leaders are overjoyed at having finally settled their differences, in a deal that will set the shape of European farming for the next 10 years. Flanked by the French Prime Minister, Germany's Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said that time was needed for a balanced compromise, which suited all of the different interest. This compromise, he said, will greatly help Europe at the World Trade Organization meeting in the Mexican city of Cancun. A change to the Common Agricultural Policy was indeed seen as essential in efforts to revive stalled world trade talks, but the United States says the EU must go further, warning that this reform is simply a first step. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US troops in Iraq targetted again
US troops have come under attack again from Iraqi militants. The blast, which wounded at least two American soldiers, and the reaction to it by local people provide more evidence of a growing hostility towards the western troops. Witnesses claimed four US servicemen were killed but that has not been confirmed. Elsewhere, in Baghdad there has been another attack. At least one person is known to have died when an explosion ripped through a convoy carrying Iraqi electrical workers. Such incidents are now happening on a daily basis. But it is not just the occupying forces which are being attacked. An oil pipeline has been blown-up north of the capital. It is the sixth time the oil industry has been targetted in two weeks. The man who would once have hailed these assaults as glorious Iraqi victories has appeared on Abu Dhabi TV claiming he has been interrogated and released by US military commanders. Saddam Hussein's former information minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, who is not on Washington's most-wanted list, became famous for his reality-defying statements on Iraq's performance in the war.
Bloodshed continues as hope grows for Palestinian truce
An EU diplomatic mission to the Middle East has taken place amid growing speculation about a truce declaration from Palestinian militants. The talks between Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowan and Palestinian officials came as the US put pressure on Europe to outlaw the group Hamas. The Palestinian leadership believes a ceasefire will be announced before the weekend visit to the region of US envoy Condoleezza Rice. But the conflict continues to claim lives. Two Palestinians who were reportedly carrying explosives were killed in a clash with Israeli troops in northern Israel. Elsewhere, three suspected militants have been killed in a raid on Gaza. If the recent upsurge in Israeli/Palestinian violence has cast a shadow over the tentative peace process, so too has the growing anger of Israeli settlers. The removal of some illegal settlements from Palestinian areas is a key element of the deal. But there was a last minute reprieve for one small group on a camp near Ramallah. The Israeli High Court granted the settlers a temporary injunction preventing Israeli police from evicting them. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have patched up their differences on Iraq. The two leaders met over lunch at Downing Street on the third day of Putin's state visit to the United Kingdom. Blair said disagreements about the Iraq war had not derailed bilateral relations. "Whatever the differences over Iraq, however, we are working immensely closely on the international stage to confront the issues before us - issues to do with international terrorism, to do with weapons of mass destruction, issues to do with bringing peace and stability to the world," he said during a joint press conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Last time the two men met, Putin mocked Blair over the lack of evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. This time, however, the president struck a conciliatory note. "For our part, we will do all we can to help the situation in Iraq," Putin said. "We are working together in a positive way. For example, cooperation between our intelligence services is growing every day. They're in constant contact, over Afghanistan and over the struggle against international terrorism." Closer economic ties, the Middle East peace process and the Chechnya conflict were also on the agenda. Putin's state visit is the first by a Russian leader since Tsar Alexander II visited the United Kingdom in 1874. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cutbacks at crisis-hit Fiat group
The troubled Fiat group has announced it will axe over 12,000 jobs, most of them abroad. The company is trying to reduce its running costs by 3.1 billion euro by 2006. It also wants to raise 19.5 billion euro to spend on new products and on research and development. CNH and Iveco, both parts of the Fiat group, are likely to be hardest hit by the cutbacks, which will see some 12 foreign factories close this and next year. Fiat hopes its operational costs will be out of the red by the end of 2004. The company faced mass layoffs and mounting debts in 2002, having overbuilt capacity just before demand bottomed out.
In what is being hailed as an historic ruling, the US Supreme Court has overturned a controversial state ban on homosexual sex between consenting adults in private. The court struck down a sodomy law in the state of Texas, delighting all those who defend gay rights. "It is a great day for all Americans because the Court has now recognized that all Americans are shielded from government intrusion into the bedroom and from their choices of sexual partners, sexual intimacy." said lawyer Paul Smith. The ruling is set to invalidate sodomy laws in more than a dozen US states, most of them spanning the so-called Bible belt. Conservative campaigners are outraged. "What the court has said today is that right and wrong, morality versus immorality, no longer matters in the law. That is wrong and it undermines our concept of justice and it demoralizes our culture," said Reverend Bob Schenk of the National Clergy Council. Gay rights activists however see it differently and for them the timing of the Supreme Court's ruling, in June, the month traditionally reserved for gay pride celebrations across the US, makes victory all the more sweet. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi has inaugurated his country's embassy building in Berlin. The restored neo-classical structure has a long and dark history. It was erected during the Nazi period and was central to communications between Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Bombed during the Second World War, restoration work began after the fall of the Berlin wall. Ciampi and his German counterpart Johannes Rau said the event symbolised their two countries' evolution from dictatorship to democracy.
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Last Updated: 26, Thursday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EU ministers agree major changes to CAP
EU farm ministers have agreed to a radical reform of the common agricultural policy. The deal was seen as essential to revive world trade talks due to continue in Mexico in September. EU Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler was forced to delay a key element in his plan: his idea of breaking the link between subsidy and production. In a gesture towards France, Fischler abandoned the idea of a five per cent cut in the price of cereals. For livestock, the deal offers member states a wide choice over which individual payments they wish to keep linked to the number of animals on the land. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reports of Middle East ceasefire dismissed
Rumours of an imminent ceasefire between Palestinian militant groups and Israel have been denied. It comes as two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli helicopter gunship attack in the Gaza Strip: one a taxi driver, the other a young female student. A member of Palestinian militant group Hamas was the intended target. Mohammed Seyam is reported to have had a leg amputated after being injured. The group has vowed revenge for this, the latest in a series of targeted attacks. Abdel Aziz Rantissi is spokesman for Hamas and is pessimistic about Israel's pledge to end violence. "This futile operation from the side of the Israelis said to the world that they are just speaking about peace and all the time looking for escalation and bloodshed," he said. It is just three weeks since the launch of the internationally-backed Middle East peace plan but hopes are fading day by day that the two sides will fight for peace instead of fighting each other. Meir Sheetrit is from the Israeli Finance Ministry. "The tools are in the hands of the Palestinians. I hope that (Palestinian Prime Minister) Abu Mazen and Dahlan will be serious about fighting the terror and uprooting the infrastructure of terror during this time," he said. In Hebron in the West Bank, Israeli forces destroyed the house of a suspected Hamas activist who is already in police custody. Neither side appears willing to halt the violence. More than 60 Palestinians and Israelis have been killed since the release of the so-called "road map" to peace. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bush urges EU to hit Hamas
The Middle East has made its mark at trans-Atlantic talks in Washington. Speaking at the annual summit between the US and the EU, President George W.Bush pressed European leaders to crack down on Hamas. He wants them to follow Washington's lead by outlawing the political wing of the Palestinian militant group. "I urge the leaders of Europe and around the world to take swift and decisive action against terror groups such as Hamas - to cut off funding and support as the United States has done," he said. Despite differences over issues such as genetically-modified food, both sides put on a united front, pledging to work together to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, believes Europe's relationship with the US does produce results. "It is of fundamental importance," he said. There was also room for humour from European Commission President, Romano Prodi, who reminded his host of the now notorious "old Europe" comment made by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during the bitter Iraq War debate. "Europe is too old and the US too young, to be able to bring peace in this world. And it is our duty to stick together to bring peace to the world," said Prodi, a former Italian prime minister. "You're looking pretty young these days," a chuckling Bush replied. "I am not," a good-natured Prodi added. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Truth behind British deaths in Iraq to be revealed in days
The mystery behind the deaths of six British soldiers in southern Iraq is not expected to be revealed for days. The Ministry of Defence has launched an investigation into the shootings, which happened in a Shi'ite area near Amara on Tuesday. The troops were in the town to train Iraqi police and had also been attempting to disarm local people. Iraqis, angry at the way soldiers have been carrying out searches for weapons, had staged a demonstration. Witnesses say troops fired plastic bullets to control the crowd and were then fired on themselves. A senior British officer called the attack 'unprovoked murder'. It is believed up to four Iraqis were also killed. "There is a background to do with the attempts by British forces to make sure the local population, who regularly carry machineguns and small firearms, were disarmed of those weapons. There had been problems in relation to this and it may form part of the background to it," said British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Meanwhile, Blair's powerful communications director has strongly denied accusations he 'sexed up' evidence in a dossier on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction. Alistair Campbell has been questioned by MP's in a parliamentary committee, which is investigating whether or not the government exaggerated the case for going to war in Iraq. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Italian prosecutors ask court to question Berlusconi's immunity
Should Silvio Berlusconi be immune from prosecution or not? The question has been thrown open again by events in a Milan courtroom. Parliament last week passed legislation protecting the Prime Minister and four other top officials from criminal prosecution for as long as they remain in office. Berlusconi's defence lawyer told judges in Milan that the legislation meant they had to halt his corruption trial. But the public prosecutor, Ilda Boccassini, urged them to question the validity of the law in Italy's constitutional court. Even if they do, a ruling will take months to arrive. Berlusconi has accused prosecutors of orchestrating the case to pour "tons of mud" on his reputation. But Boccassini today said she was the one who had suffered from mud-slinging, receiving "incredible threats" on a daily basis. She said that if the trial was frozen, Berlusconi would probably never face a final verdict because a statute of limitations in the case will be triggered in 2006. Berlusconi denies the charges of bribing judges to win favourable rulings in a 1980s company takeover battle. Opponents of Italy's new immunity law have started a campaign to force a referendum on the issue. The former anti-corruption judge Antonio Di Pietro, now leader of a political party, is one of those looking to raise the 500,000 signatures needed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fed cuts interest rate to 1%
The US Central Bank has cut interest rates to a 45-year low of 1 percent. The quarter of a percentage point trim was passed by 11 votes to one by policymakers at the Federal Reserve. It will cut the cost of borrowing to the lowest level since 1958. US stocks reacted badly to the news. At the end of trading yesterday, the Dow Jones and Nasdaq fell 1 percent and 0.19 percent respectively. The rate cut had been widely anticipated by financial markets for several weeks. The Federal Reserve indicated recently that there was some risk of deflation where price falls are significant enough to hit the economy. A recent weakening in the dollar was seen as benefiting the US export sector although the currency had been recovering some momentum during the last few days. Some economists had argued that with factory output up in May, the job market stabilising, mortgage refinancing booming and retail spending holding up, there would be little need for a cut. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ France clears the way for Presidential immunity
The subject of immunity from prosecution has weighed heavily on Jacques Chirac who's been implicated in several judicial inquiries regarding the illegal financing of his Rally for the Republic party. Chirac's always protested his willingness to testify while making it clear that much as he would like to his position prevents it. During his traditional Independence Day interview two years ago, Chirac said Constitutional reform was a good thing and he agreed with it, as long as it was carried out correctly by constitutional experts. Indeed, less than a year later while seeking a second term in office, Chirac created a commission to consider such reform. Constitutional expert, Pierre Avril, headed the group and the fruits of its six month labours will be presented this autumn to the Council of Ministers for approval. Avril's report suggests that the head of state cannot face prosecution for acts linked with his post. This also includes a notion of inviolability which prevents any him from standing trial before any judiciary or authoritative investigation. The proposal has been blasted by the socialist opposition who claim it gives the President complete protection. But conservative deputies have been quick to point out the reports other recommendation. UMP deputy, Yves Jego, said "it's the responsibility of France's highest authorities to relieve the President from his duties if rules are broken." That effectively means ultimate power lies in the hands of members of the National Assembly and the Senate. Only both houses of Parliament combined can form a court with sufficient power to suspend the President or in other words hold an impeachment trial. As Chirac enjoys an absolute majority in both houses, the chances of the legislation becoming law are very high, but the opposition will do their utmost to ensure it has a rough passage through Parliament. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Clooney helps overcrowded city with donation Too many people with too many cars - Rome. Like many cities, the Italian capital is overcrowded and over stressed. So, Hollywood heart-throb George Clooney has decided to do something about it. The former ER star, who played a doctor in the smash hit American series, has donated ten scooters to the city's medics so they can reach heart attack victims sooner. Clooney says driving in the capital can be a nightmare, "Rome is really difficult because there are no rules, it's just who ever seems to be occupying that space on the road, there are no such things as lines in the road or safety lanes or anything like them and they go 100 miles an hour. It's basically watch your back." Complete with defribilators, oxygen and adrenalin, the scooters will be able to zip through the city's streets faster than ambulances. Clooney has a soft spot for Italy, he owns a home in the Lake Como area. |
Last Updated: 25, Wednesday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pomp for Putin in historic UK trip
He may have kept Queen Elizabeth waiting, just a little, but she was clearly delighted to greet Russia's President Vladimir Putin as he embarked on the first full state visit by a Russian leader to Britain since the time of the Czars. Pomp and pageantry were the order of the day in a right royal reception that saw the Russian president inspecting the guard of honour under a blazing sun in central London. It came at the start of a four-day tour, which includes a lavish state banquet at Buckingham Palace and a trip to Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. The former KGB spy took his place alongside the British monarch in a glittering carriage procession along the Mall, direct to the best residence in town - Buckingham Palace. The red carpet treatment comes despite a recent spat between the Kremlin and Downing Street, over the war in Iraq. Both sides are hoping that this historic trip will help repair some of the diplomatic damage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Still on the front line: six British troops killed in Iraq
Six British troops have been killed by hostile fire in Iraq. They came under fire while on patrol near the eastern city of Al Amarah. In a separate attack in the same vicinity, eight soldiers were injured - three of them seriously - when their Chinook helicopter was targetted. These are the first serious incidents involving British troops since the end of the war in Iraq. Those loyal to ousted dictator, Saddam Hussein are not the only suspects. The strikes took place in a Shia heartland, home to several radical anti-coalition groups, allegedly supported by Iran. The attacks are a reminder that, nearly two months after the US declared the war officially over, coalition troops are still very much on the front line. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Israel rounds up 154 Palestinians
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- In what it said was a response to recent suicide attacks, the Israeli army overnight rounded up 154 Palestinians in the West Bank, 130 of them in the West Bank city of Hebron and suspected of having ties to Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday. All were detained overnight. The raids come as Hamas -- the Palestinian militant group whose military wing has claimed responsibility for many of the recent terror attacks against Israelis -- holds cease-fire talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. "The Hamas infrastructure in Hebron is responsible for the killing of 52 Israeli citizens in the last year, including the suicide bombing in Jerusalem on June 11," an IDF statement said. That suicide bombing, on an Israeli bus in Jerusalem, killed 17 people. Hamas leaders said the arrests and detentions are another factor complicating their decision on whether to accept the "hudna" or cease-fire. Hamas has been pressing Israel to give its guarantee that it will stop targeting and killing Hamas members. Israel has been reluctant to curtail its operations, even indirectly, diplomatic sources have said. Michael Tarazi, legal adviser to the Palestinian Authority, condemned the arrests, accusing Israel of a "clear attempt at undermining the Palestinian Authority and the road map" to a Middle East peace. "While the Palestinian Authority is pushing for prisoners to be released as a sign of good will, Israel is doing the opposite and taking more political prisoners," Tarazi said. "Israel is undermining the Palestinian Authority because, if there is a deal with Hamas and the group ends its violence against Israelis, it will mean Israel will have to meet its obligations under the road map. It doesn't want to do that." The U.S.-backed road map calls for steps on both sides toward ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing an independent Palestine by 2005. As part of the plan, Abbas has denounced the armed intifada and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has pledged to dismantle unauthorized outposts in Palestinian territory. No substantial resistance was encountered in the house-to-house raids that ended Tuesday morning, according to the IDF. "Some people are just needed for inquiry and will probably be released within hours," an army source said. In other West Bank sweeps, Israeli forces said they arrested five Palestinians in Nablus -- three reportedly from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and two from Tanzim. Tanzim is the term Israeli officials use to describe militia members of Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement. Palestinian Islamic Jihad is considered a terrorist group by Israel and the United States. Other arrests of Palestinians reported by IDF included: • Two in the Al Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem. • Two in Beit Sahur. • One Fatah militia member in Ramallah who allegedly was involved in shooting attacks. • One Islamic Jihad member in A-Til, near Tulkarem. • Nine in Tulkarem wanted for questioning. Israeli troops also demolished the house of Jalal Khalil Muhammad Mahmid in a village near Jenin. He is an Islamic Jihad activist who Israel said tried to drive a car bomb into the country last September. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 24, Tusday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Italy bears brunt of Europe's immigration nightmare
Another night, and another boatload of illegal immigrants arrives on Italy's Sicilian shores. The 150 men, women and children on board, plus a further 42 who arrived on another boat later in the day, are putting more strain on authorities - and on Italy's ruling coalition, bitterly divided over how best to tackle this problem. Most of the immigrants see Italy not as their final destination but rather as a gateway into Europe as a whole. Rome says it will offer a special bonus to the immigrants' countries of origin if they make an effort to stop the human tide at source. Italy already has an agreement with Tunisia which works reasonably well, although Rome says the north African state could do better. Italy is also asking for trade restrictions with Libya to be relaxed so it can supply the country with surveillance equipment. Currently, would-be immigrants from Tunisia and other countries often try to cross to Italy from Libya where controls are more lax. Meanwhile the search for survivors from Friday's shipwreck is being scaled down as hopes fade. Some 150 immigrants were missing at sea after their boat capsized off the Tunisian coast. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They have not released her details although it is understood she is Neda Hassani, 25, who reportedly lived in Canada and was on a visit to the UK. Three men also set themselves on fire last week outside the embassy in protest at France's crackdown on the Iranian dissident group, the People's Mujahideen, in Paris. Ms Hassani was the second person to die in the current wave of protests after Sedighieh Mohageri died after setting herself on fire outside the French internal security agency. Ali Safavi, a spokesman for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the political front of the People's Mujahideen, told the AFP news agency two of the London protesters were in a "serious" condition, and one was in hospital but was not in a life-threatening condition. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ US probes Syria bombing claim
A US attack on a convoy that is believed to have been
carrying Iraqi leaders may have taken place inside neighbouring Syria,
a Pentagon official has admitted. US military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Gary Keck said the US was working with the Syrian Government to determine precisely where the attack occurred. Syria has been under intense pressure from America not to provide sanctuary to Saddam Hussein or any other Iraqi fugitives following the war in Iraq. Saddam targeted? US special forces, backed by AC-130 gunships and helicopters, took part in the attack on the convoy, which was reported to have been travelling near the western Iraqi city of Qaim, near the Syrian border, five days ago. An unmanned aircraft, or drone, was also involved
in the operation. Iraq-Syria pipeline sabotaged in new challenge to postwar regime
The second blast to hit the Iraq-Syria oil pipeline in under 48 hours has posed a fresh challenge to US security in Iraq. An oil ministry official in Baghdad said unknown assailants attacked the pipeline near the Syrian border. The blast comes just two days after an explosion on the same route near the town of Hit north west of Baghdad, which has since been confirmed as an act of sabotage. The Iraq-Syria pipeline is the second largest export link after the northern route running to Turkey. It was damaged in the war and has not been repaired - perhaps a reflection on tense relations between Washington and Damascus. Meanwhile the US has unveiled plans to set up a new Iraqi army. Analysts say the project is an olive branch to angry soldiers laid off when the US disbanded the Iraqi military to uproot Saddam Hussein's legacy. Many of the thousands who lost their jobs are young,
armed and angry. America criticises Europe over GM food ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
Last Updated: 23, Monday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An explosion has taken place at an Iraq oil pipeline near the Syrian border. It comes just two days after a blast on the same pipeline near the town of Hit north of Baghdad, which officials called sabotage. The Iraq-Syria route is Iraq's second largest export link after the northern route running to Turkey. Saturday's attack has threatened supplies to Baghdad's main refinery and could spell more torment for the capital's drivers. Iraq was pumping some 200,000 barrels a day to Syria before the US invasion. The pipeline was bombed in the war and the US, at loggerheads with Damascus, has not moved to reactivate it since. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fresh optimism over Middle East truce Is Hamas about to announce a ceasefire? Despite fresh turmoil on the ground in the Middle East, including an Israeli incursion in southern Gaza, speculation is mounting that a breakthrough could be in sight. The Israeli army demolished buildings in Khan Younis that it claimed were being used as cover by Palestinian gunmen. Elsewhere in Gaza, four Palestinians died, apparently when a bomb they were planning to plant exploded prematurely. Despite this and Israel's killing of a senior Hamas commander at the weekend, sources within the Islamic militant group have indicated that a positive announcement concerning a ceasefire could be made on Monday. Such a move would give a boost to the so-called "road map" peace plan which has looked increasingly fragile against the backdrop of recent violence. However, reported comments by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that settlement building should continue, as long as it is not publicized, do little to move the process forward. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
Last Updated: 22, Sunday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ French put Iranian exile group members under formal investigation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Israelis shoot dead top Hamas official
Israeli soldiers have shot dead a senior official of the militant group Hamas in the West Bank city of Hebron. Witnesses said they saw troops shoot at a car and kill Abdullah Kawasme. Israel radio said the soldiers had tried to arrest him. Security sources in Israel say they believe Kawasme was responsible for a series of attacks against Israelis, including a suicide bombing last week in Jerusalem that killed 17 people. European Union summit ends
A landmark European Union three-day summit at Thessaloniki in northern Greece has drawn to a close with important steps taken to meet the challenges of an enlarged Europe. The highlight of the summit was the approval of Valery Giscard d'Estaing's draft EU constitution. The leaders still face the political challenges of making amendments to the draft which will eventually form a unifying treaty for an enlarged Europe. Spending more to fight illegal immigration was approved, as was Jean-ClaudeTrichet's candidacy to be president of the European Central Bank. On the last day of the summit European leaders welcomed western Balkan countries which are on the road to closer integration with the European Union. Although the final declaration warned Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro of the need to fight organised crime, the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi said the summit had determined the irreversibility of the process of the Balkan states' accession to the bloc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Balkan states accept reform responsibility for eventual EU membership
Bridging the gap between the western Balkans and the European Union will not be easy. Most of the five countries whose leaders attended the Thessaloniki summit have a long way to go before their political, economic and legal systems meet EU standards. But the prospect of European Union membership and the promise of billions of euro from Brussels is likely to accelerate the process of reform. Three months ago the region's political instability was underlined by the assassination of the Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. The killing was blamed on organised crime figures whose activities Djindjic had tried to suppress as part of his reform programme. Djindjic's successor, Zoran Zivkovik, told Euronews at the summit that Serbia deserves credit for the progress it has made. "It's not right to judge all this region together with the same criteria," he said. "We in Serbia have transformed the face of the country in the last three years since the fall of Milosevic. Since then we have made a big effort to change our country." At the summit, the EU pledged an extra 200 million euro in aid to the region, on top of 4.6 billion euro between 2000 and 2006. Croatia is so far the only western Balkan state to apply for EU membership. Foreign Minister Tonino Picula told Euronews his country was ready to accept its responsibilities. "I don't believe in miracles. I believe in hard work," he said. "And this year, particularly this first half of 2003, thanks to the Greek presidency, it was very successful for the European ambition of the Republic of Croatia. "We have applied for European membership and now we are waiting for the questionnaire coming from Brussels with 4,000 different questions about our capability to build European standards. But we are ready to do our part of the job." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Security forces in Thessaloniki have fired tear gas
to disperse around 200 violent protesters who had smashed shop windows
and set fire to a McDonald's restaurant in the city centre. Most of the demonstrations, though, passed off peacefully. Tens of thousands of anti-capitalist, pacifist and other activists had made their way to Thessaloniki to make their voices heard. The Greek government had taken the precaution of deploying 16,000 police and troops to contain protests and protect EU leaders. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ European Union summit ends
A landmark European Union three-day summit at Thessaloniki in northern Greece has drawn to a close with important steps taken to meet the challenges of an enlarged Europe. The highlight of the summit was the approval of Valery Giscard d'Estaing's draft EU constitution. The leaders still face the political challenges of making amendments to the draft which will eventually form a unifying treaty for an enlarged Europe. Spending more to fight illegal immigration was approved, as was Jean-ClaudeTrichet's candidacy to be president of the European Central Bank. On the last day of the summit European leaders welcomed western Balkan countries which are on the road to closer integration with the European Union. Although the final declaration warned Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro of the need to fight organised crime, the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi said the summit had determined the irreversibility of the process of the Balkan states' accession to the bloc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pope to visit Bosnian town of Banja Luka
The people of the town of Banja Luka in Bosnia are gearing up for Pope John Paul II's visit on Sunday. Up to 150,000 Catholics are expected to converge on the town. The pontiff is expected to make a fresh appeal for ethnic reconciliation in Bosnia, a country still recovering from three years of war that pitted religious ethnic groups against each other. The pope will also beatify a Catholic layman at an open air mass and pay a visit to the nearby Catholic community of Debeljaci. Security will be tight amid fears the gathering could spark renewed ethnic hostilities. Police say they have detained a number of people suspected of posing a security threat during the papal visit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tens of thousands celebrate summer solstice Tens of thousands of robed druids, spiritualists and partygoers sang around Britain's ancient Stonehenge monument to welcome the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. The crowds cheered and applauded under a clear sky as the sun rose at 3.46 am local time. Druids are a pagan religious order dating back to Celtic Britain are drawn to the ancient stone circle, believing it a centre of spiritualism. Scholars say the circle was built between 3000 and 1600 BC and the area was either a temple, a burial ground or an astronomy site. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Eiffel Tower back to Millennium glory The mayor of Paris has switched on the new set of lights adorning the French capital's most famous landmark. Around 20,000 bulbs now cover the Eiffel Tower. They replace the broken and faded display that was originally put on for the turn of the century celebration three years ago. The switching on ceremony marks the national Fete de la Musique- a sonic celebration in which everyone from amateurs with battered accordions to international stars take to the stage across France. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 21, Saturday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Balkan bid for membership tops EU summit
Fresh from two days of talks over how to manage the enlargement of the European Union, now the bloc's leaders are now devoting a day to the Balkans' bid to join the club. They will issue them with a list of political, economic and social reforms similar to those already undertaken by future members from eastern Europe. British European Affairs Minister Dennis Madchen, explained, "For the Balkan states to move on from the Milosevic era and their problematic past they have to follow the road towards the European Union. They have to improve their game and make sure they conform with European standards." Balkans aim to bridge gap to Europe Invited to an EU summit for the first time, the Balkan candidate countries will be hoping to persuade the bloc to speed up their planned accession between 2010 and 2015. But Brussels' foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, says the ball is firmly in their court. "They have an opportunity to be part of the EU if together with us they can produce reforms, adaptations, efforts, politically and economically which are necessary to be part of the EU." Aside from political instability, it is corruption and organised crime which are the balls and chains weighing down the young nations. The mafia was blamed for carrying out the assassination of Serb Prime Minister, Zoran Djindjic in March. For years, however, one man has being trying to establish Serbia's economic credentials. Harvard graduate, Bozidar Djelic, returned to Belgrade at the end of the Milosevic era to become finance minister. "It's not in Serbia's tradition to ask for aid, nor does Serbia desire it. We have no intention of going cap in hand to the European Union either. But we do need help like everyone else, like the Germans, Italians and French needed help after World War Two." Two hundred million euros was the response from Europe's foreign ministers. Following recommendations from the European Commission, they have also agreed to maintain that level of aid until 2006. Commission President Romano Prodi explains, "It was supposed to fade away and we would like to keep it (at the same level). I hope that it will be kept and to prepare for the future even better financial perspectives". Out of the five countries invited to the summit, only Croatia has officially requested EU membership in 2007. Macedonia also wants to be part of the intake, while Albania and Bosnia, will have to wait a lot longer. Economic regeneration is slow and security is also a major worry in both countries. Bosnia is undoubtedly the most problematic case with relations between the country's three main communities still extremely tense eight years after the war. There's been a mixed reaction from the various European Union leaders. Italy is about to take over the EU presidency next month and it will fall to them to push through the draft. Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said: "I want to say very clearly that the result obtained today by the summit is a good balance, rather than a watered-down compromise. It would be a mistake if the issue ends up being discussed again and the majority of European countries don't want that. The plans won't come in until 2009, which is good as it gives countries sufficient time to get used to the new rules, especially the important ones such as foreign policy and voting." Unsurprisingly, there's opposition from Poland, which will lose power under the new constitution. The country's votes will carry less weight than they do at the moment. Prime Minister Leszek Miller disagrees with the proposals: "It is not a good idea to change Nice's agreement. I don't understand what's happened in the time between Nice and today to make things change. I don't understand why we have to accept something different." Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt disagrees, calling today's discussion a gigantic step: "Three years ago it would have been impossible even to use the words European constitution. But now 90 or 95 per cent of the draft will provide a good basis for the final document." The Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson doesn't want to get his country involved in any European defence projects but can see some good in the draft. He said: "We want to be outside European defence. We don't want Europe to develop an alliance for defence. That is our main occupation. But about foreign policy, I think we will be much more efficient if we could co-ordinate more and do that inside the general affairs council or even together with a European foreign minister." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Powell shuttles for peace
Alone with the weight of his country on his shoulders ; the Palestinians' prime minister Mahmoud Abbas has met US secretary of state Colin Powell today hemmed in on all sides. Powell is engaged in shuttle diplomacy to get everyone back on the "road map" peace plan, but it seems Abbas is being asked to do the most ; Powell said transfer of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority would show the regionthe authority was capable of meeting its repsonsibilities , and that the primerepsonsibility was ending terrorist attacks. Abbas has his own demands ; freedom for Palestinian prisoners, a freeze on Jewish colonies, and freedom for Yasser Arafat. At least one of these may need to be satisfied before Abbas can get more grass-roots support. If Abbas can do everything everyone wants of him faced with mighty Hamas and no resources he will deserve the nobel prize for economics as well as peace. While Ariel Sharon insists on peace before a partnership few resources are being made available to the Palestinians. Powell has promised to help with security, without giving any details. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chechnya bomb blast
A truck packed with explosives has blown up near a government building in Grozny, the capital of the breakaway Republic of Chechnya. Emergency officials said at least 36 people were wounded in the blast and that the two suicide bombers were killed. There are also reports that six policemen could have died in the explosion. Russian troops have been fighting to quell separatist
rebel fighting in the region for over a decade. Last December an attack
on a local government headquarters gutted the building and killed
80 people. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Britain's Prince William comes of age Britain's Prince William turns 21 today. Already a photo call in Wales earlier in the week and a charity polo match with his brother Prince Harry and father Prince Charles have been organised to introduce the second-in-line to the throne to the full glare of the public eye. These carefully choreographed events showed William Wales, as he likes to be known, enjoying the company of his family and presenting a relaxed image to the gathered media. This is the beginning of his adult life proper, and he has had a long time to prepare for it. From the day he was born he was destined for the limelight, and as a toddler he began facing the press photographers alone. When his mother Diana died in August 1997 his public grief reflected a nation in mourning. But since then there have been happier times, and happier images of his youth.Before heading off to St Andrews University William spent a year doing voluntary work in Chile. Observers said he had his mother's gift for communication, playing with children as she did. Now the prince's life will be subject to more press scrutiny than at any time before, with the manner in which he carries out his selected royal engagements as important as where and when he chooses to appear.
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Last Updated: 20, Friday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ US troops targetted again in Iraq
There has been another fatal attack against US troops in Iraq. According to the Arabic-language television network, Al-Jazeera, one soldier was killed and two others were injured when a military ambulance was hit by a rocket propelled grenade. In a separate incident, a military vehicle was set on fire by Iraqis who ambushed an American military convoy passing through Dura, south of Baghdad. Security continues to be a major issue with American forces struggling to impose order and restore services. There have been a series of almost daily deadly attacks in recent weeks against U.S. forces trying to police and patrol the country. There has been loss of life among Iraqis, too. One of two men killed in Wednesday's demonstration when an American soldier opened fire on protesting ex-army officers was buried today. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EU Thessalonika summit opens
Over the next three days leaders from the European Union and the ten candidate countries' leaders meet in Thessalonika. Top of their crowded aganda will be the first talks on the proposed European constitution, but although it will not be on the table until tomorrow, everyone is already talking about it. Tonight, foreign policy issues dominate events, along with asylum and immigration questions. Greek Foreign minister, Georges Papandreou, says the legacy of Thessalonika will be memorable. Italy is due to take over the rotating EU presidency at the end of the month, The Greek city has prepared itself for the worst over the summit. Up to 100,000 anti-globalisation demonstrators and communists have promised to meet in parallel. Security in Thassalonika has been stepped up accordingly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Designer" baby makes front pages
A British family has crashed into the headlines with the news their third childJamie, born on Monday, is being called the world's first designer baby. His embryo was screened from all others and implanted because his tissue matched his sick elder brother Charlie's. Banned in the UK, the family had to go to America for the treatment that Dr Mohammed Taranissi insists is ethically sound. He responded to critics by denying such a thing as a "designer" baby existed, or could exist, and added Jamie's birth used widely-applied IVF techniques, and was nothing new. Brother Charlie suffers from a rare anaemia, but because it is not hereditary his parents were refused the treatment, as doctors said there was no certainty the resulting baby would be useful as a tissue donor. Even now six months and further tests are needed to see if the technique will pay off, even if the publicity surrounding the case is already paying off for a story-hungry media. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Powell puts weight behind road map peace plan
US Secretary of State Colin Powell is in the Middle East to play his part in propping up the flagging peace process. He is beginning four days of talks in which he will push for Israel to hand over security control of the northern Gaza Strip. It comes just hours after clashes between Israeli soldiers and Jewish settlers in the West Bank. It was the first attempt to clear an inhabited site under the terms of the road map peace deal. Radical nationalists decided to make this a showcase for their opposition to the plan, which demands all illegal settlements set up since March 2001 be torn down. It is likely to be a key topic for Powell, who is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas over the course of the day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 19, Thursday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ US considers Iraqi 'plea bargains'
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said that some
captured Iraqi officials could have their punishments reduced in return
for providing information. Earlier, the capture of Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti - Saddam Hussein's presidential secretary and one of his closest confidants - was announced. He was number four on the US list of the 55 "most wanted" Iraqis, and the most senior figure to be detained to date. Responding to a reporter's question about the possibility of "plea bargains" for former regime members, Mr Rumsfeld said: "We've thought about it a good deal and it is a perfectly reasonable proposal that those individuals are making, and the lawyers have been considering it. "Those judgments are the kinds of things that the Justice Department and the Central Intelligence Agency will make with respect to the people." The US administration built its case for war on Iraq around its contention that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and has recently faced increasing political and public questioning of its motives for war. But a senior Pentagon official, Douglas Feith, told the BBC's World Today programme that weapons of mass destruction would be found. Mr Feith said the fact that there was as yet no substantial evidence of a weapons programme did not mean that the war was wrong. Meanwhile, President George W Bush has defended the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, against accusations that he embellished intelligence reports to support his case for war. Tikrit raids Mahmud al-Tikriti is considered to have been third in power only to the president and his younger son, Qusay. The circumstances of his capture have not been disclosed. BBC Washington correspondent Justin Webb says Mahmud al-Tikriti can expect to be put on trial for alleged crimes against humanity. His detention brings to 32 the number of Iraqis on the US list of 55 "most wanted" members of the former regime who have been caught. Mahmud al-Tikriti's arrest is reported to have coincided with a series of raids around Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town north of Baghdad. US troops found $8.5m in cash, up to 400 million Iraqi dinars and an undetermined amount of British pounds and euros in swoops on two farmhouses, Major General Ray Odierno of the 4th Infantry Division told reporters. Attacks 'insignificant' Meanwhile, two protesters and a US soldier have been killed in continuing violence in Baghdad. US troops opened fire on a crowd of former Iraqi soldiers protesting against the non-payment of salaries, killing two people. The US military said its forces fired in self-defence after people in the crowd started throwing rocks. The BBC's Pentagon correspondent, Nick Childs, says American military commanders are trying to play down the impact of the opposition they are facing. General Odierno said the attacks on US forces have been unco-ordinated, ineffective and militarily insignificant. In a separate incident, also in Baghdad, a US soldier was killed as he guarded a petrol station. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Iranian exiles set themselves alight in protest
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Last Updated: 18, Wednsday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Microsoft slams spam
The Microsoft Corporation is coming to the aid of those not looking for 0% finance on their mortgages nor hoping to better their performance in the bedroom and who are tired of being asked. The world's largest software company has said it has filed 15 lawsuits in the United States and United Kingdom against spammers who have sent unsolicited email touting everything from get-rich-quick schemes to pornographic web sites. Microsoft vice president, Brad Smith, said: "Spammers today are working on a global basis, one of the things Microsoft are doing is putting the expertise we have gained over the years in fighting counterfeiting around the world, to now fight spam as well." Microsoft is suing the defendants under Washington State's anti-spam law, considered one of the toughest in America, for flooding the company's computer system with two billion unsolicited emails. Washington State Attorney Christine Gregoire said: "Today's lawsuits are the actions we need to put illegal spammers on our hit-list for various reasons. 45 percent of all email is spam, 2.7 trillion are sent each year. More than snail mail used by the US Postal Service." Washington State's anti-spam law bans bulk email with misleading information in the subject line, invalid reply addresses or transmission paths. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Demonstrator sets himself on fire
An Iranian man has set himself on fire outside the French Embassy in London. There were horrific scenes as the protester took the drastic step to mark his disgust at events on the other side of the Channel. He had been taking part in an angry rally against a police raid near Paris. More than 160 people were detained by French authorities targeting an Iranian opposition group in exile, known as the People's Mujahideen. The incident happened as pro-democracy protests in Tehran continue. The demonstrator, who is believed to have doused himself with petrol, suffered serious burns. His condition, however, is not thought to be life-threatening ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Iranian exiles in Hamburg rage at Mujahedeen clampdown
Iranian exiles have rampaged through their home country's consulate in the German city of Hamburg. They were protesting the French crackdown on the People's Mujahedeen. They were also expressing solidarity with the ongoing student protests in Tehran. The demonstrators ran amok after entering the building posing as visitors. They broke windows and furniture, sprayed the walls with graffiti and pulled down the Iranian flag. Outside the consulate protesters chanted slogans including "no Mullah pigs." Police said around 50 people were arrested after the unrest. Germany is home to a large number of Iranian exiles who fled after the 1979 Islamic revolution. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slow progress on the road map to peace
In another blow to the Middle East road map to peace, Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas has failed to convince armed militant groups to agree to a ceasefire at a meeting in Gaza. He was meeting with thirteen organisations including Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, responsible for many attacks on Israelis. Shortly after last night's talks, a seven-year old Palestinian girl was killed when the car she was in was ambushed by militants. More than 50 people have died in tit-for-tat violence since Abbas, his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon and US president George W. Bush agreed to the US-backed road map to peace two weeks ago. It calls on the Palestinian Authority to crack down on militants and on Israel to pull back from Palestinian land. Washington is asking both sides to show restraint. In a new sign of hope, Israel has agreed to curb its "track and kill" operations against Palestinian militants, targeting only those identified as likely to carry out attacks, not top political leaders. The demolition by the Israeli army of Palestinian homes suspected of harbouring terrorists continues: in the West Bank town of Rafah, several houses thought to contain tunnels used to smuggle arms from Egypt were torn down yesterday. US Secretary of State Colin Powel is expected to visit the region on Friday in a further effort to secure a ceasefire in the Middle East. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Italian Deputies vote on Berlusconi immunity
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi made his last court appearance yesterday on judge bribing charges before parliament meets today to vote on a new law granting him immunity from prosecution. Berlusconi is accused of bribing judges in 1985 to secure an aborted purchase of the public food group SME. "There was not any interference, no one exerted any pressure," said Berlusconi in court. "The judges didn't know anybody in any way related to me or to my company. And the testimonies in the documents are clear on that." Yesterday was only his second appearance at the three-year old trial. He probably will not have to return for the foreseeable future if, as expected, parliament approves a bill that will shield him from prosecution while he remains in high office. The prime minister's allies are rushing the immunity package into law at record speed in a bid to prevent a potentially devastating verdict falling during Italy's six-month presidency of the European Union which starts on July 1. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
Last Updated: 17, Tuesday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Berlusconi in high-stakes court appearance
The clock is ticking away for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. He is appearing in court today on bribery charges as parliament votes on a law that would give him immunity. Berlusconi, who stands accused of bribing judges in a 1980's company takeover, was hoping to be spared the embarrassment of a court hearing before the vote. But the prosecution has lost patience with what it sees as Berlusconi's delaying tactics, a recent trip to the Middle East among them, and insisted today's proceedings would go ahead. But the defence is widely expected to force a delay to give parliament time to approve the immunity bill. If parliament says "yes" today, the law will be adopted definitively on Wednesday and will freeze Berlusconi's trial until he leaves elected office. He's accused of manipulating the privatisation of a food company in the 1980's, but rebuffs the charges, claiming he's the victim of a left-wing vendetta. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Middle East road map to nowhere
Egyptian mediators have failed to achieve a breakthrough in talks with Palestinian militants in Gaza aimed at arranging a ceasefire with Israel, the first step in the US-backed "road map" to peace in the Middle East. Representatives from Hamas and other militant groups, including the Islamic Jihad and the Fatah faction, are demanding Israel halt its attacks on their leaders before they agree to stop their own assaults on Israelis. They are also demanding the Jewish state end its occupation of land claimed by the Palestinians. But Israel says it will be impossible to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians unless they crack down on militant groups. After three hours of talks, Hamas appeared to reject the idea of a unilateral ceasefire. In parallel talks, officials from both sides have been discussing a possible Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian-claimed land in exchange for a Palestinian pledge to rein in militants, as demanded by the road map. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
An inquiry opens on Tuesday into whether the
UK Government misled parliament on the threat posed by Iraq, as Washington
comes under fresh attack for allegedly manipulating evidence. Since the war was officially declared over, no such weapons have been located - although their alleged existence was a key reason cited by the US President George Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair for going to war. In Washington, Congress is to open inquiries this week into whether the government misread or inflated threats posed by Iraq before going to war. Such a finding is seen as having the potential to embarrass President Bush. On Monday, a senior member of the US Senate fuelled the debate with fresh allegations. Senator Carl Levin said he had evidence that the Central Intelligence Agency deliberately withheld crucial information from the UN arms inspectors deployed to Iraq before the war to find evidence of banned weapons. Mr Levin, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee - which is reviewing the information - told reporters that if the public had known that information about alleged top weapons sites was not being shared, there would have been "greater public demand that the inspection process continue". "Why did the CIA say that they had provided detailed information to the UN inspectors on all of the high and medium suspect sites with the UN, when they had not? Did the CIA act in this way in order not to undermine administration policy? Was there another explanation for this?" he asked. While Mr Levin has already made clear that he believes intelligence material may have been misused to make the case for war, the BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says this is the first time he has backed it up with one specific, and serious, allegation. Mr Bush defended his decision to go to war in a speech on Monday. "This nation acted to a threat from the dictator of Iraq. Now there are some who would like to rewrite history; revisionist historians is what I like to call them," the president said.
Two former UK cabinet ministers who resigned in connection with the war against Iraq, Robin Cook and Clare Short, are due to give evidence to the committee, whose job is to assess the role played by the Foreign Office in the affair. Both ministers were privy to confidential briefings given to the government before the war began. Ms Short has already said she believes the prime minister had "duped" the UK into joining the war, while Mr Cook has highlighted the coalition's failure to locate chemical or biological weapons in Iraq. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- EU joins fight for peace in Middle East
The European Union has sought to bolster the peace process with Israel by threatening to blacklist the political wing of Hamas. The 15 nations, gathered for talks in Luxembourg, are threatening to include the group's political wing in its list of banned "terrorist groups" unless it accepts a ceasefire. Its military wing, which is held responsible for numerous suicide attacks against Israelis, has already been blacklisted. However, the EU has backed away from calls by some members to deploy a peacekeeping force in the occupied territories to help monitor the implementation of the road map. This decision was backed by Palestinian foreign minister Nabil Shaath: "There will be no need now for an international force but if nothing else succeeds I would like this to be viable potential, as viable as possible, in order to save lives and move us forward towards the full imposition of peace." Israel has also ruled out any deployment of foreign peacekeepers in the territories. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- US says providing "moral support" for Iranian protesters
Washington has brushed aside accusations it is stirring up unrest in Iran by backing students who are protesting against their hardline clerical leaders. The US says it is merely providing moral support. Richard Boucher, State Department Spokesman, said: "We have been quite clear, I think, in this administration, that the United States stands with the students, with those in Iran who are asking for more rights, who are asking for more freedoms, who are asking for a chance to join the modern world." Tehran has officially protested Washington's endorsement of the students, who have clashed with police and conservative vigilantes for a week. US President George Bush has applauded the demonstrations as a fight for freedom by the Iranian people. The protesters say they are fed up with political deadlock where the conservative-dominated courts block moves by the more reformist-minded parliament. They are also worried Iran could be isolated further if the regime does not soften its stance on nuclear arms inspections. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iran urged to accept tough new nuclear inspections
Iran is under pressure to accept strict inspections of its nuclear programmes. At a meeting in Vienna, the International Atomic Energy Agency's director-general Mohammed El Baradei said the country had failed to report some of its activities. El Baradei wants Tehran to sign up to a deal giving the agency access to all of Iran's nuclear sites. Ali Akbar Slaehi, Iran's representative to the IAEA, was pessimistic about the situation, "I think it is very obvious that the whole issue has been politically motivated and politically charged and everybody knows that, every conscious person in this world knows that. I believe the situation will be resolved." The US accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons ; Iran says its nuclear programme is for producing electricity and has no policy of aggression. The European Union has called on Iran to urgently accept the agency's requests. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Long-awaited Jordanian elections open
"Better late than never." That is what many Jordanians may be thinking today as they go to the polls in parliamentary elections due to have been held in 2001. Yet analysts are talking of voter apathy. The tense climate in the region was a key reason for the delay, with the country's King Abdullah fearing a ballot could bring to the surface simmering conflicts and strengthen radical Muslim forces. But now the time is thought to be right for polling in this nation where many of the 5.3 million citizens are Palestinians whose families settled after successive Arab-Israeli wars. Needless to say, the Middle East conflict as well as the US presence in Iraq are key election issues, alongside domestic concerns such as unemployment and poverty. The country's largest organised political party, the Islamic Action Front, is fielding only 30 candidates in the battle for 110 parliamentary seats. And for the first time, there is an allocation of seats, six, exclusively set aside for women. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- World's largest dam passes first test
The first ship has passed successfully through the permanent lock of China's new controversial Three Gorges Dam. It is the world's largest water control project costing more than 20 billion euro. Beijing says it's needed to generate hydroelectric power and to control the rivers annual flooding. Shipping on the Yangtze had been banned since April because of construction work, it is one of China's main transport routes. More than 700,000 people have been forced to relocate as part of the project, that is just over half the total. The reservoir's water level will eventually rise to 175 metres, flooding an area covering more than 600 square kilometres. Critics of the dam say it could be disastrous for those living along the river - if it breaks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 16, Monday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Egyptian envoy meets Hamas members
Envoys from Egypt are trying to move the battered Israeli-Palestinian road map peace process forward. After a week of violence that has left more than 50 people dead Egyptian envoy General Moustapha al-Bouhiri is in Gaza meeting with members of the militant group Hamas. Al Bouhiri was hoping to persuade the group to resume talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. After the talks, a Hamas spokesman said proposals outlining an end to Palestinian attacks on Israelis would receive serious consideration. In an apparent challenge to the road map peace initiative Jewish settlers have set up five new outposts on the occupied West Bank. The road map, aims for a Palestinian state by 2005. It calls for a Palestinian Authority crackdown on militants and an Israeli pullback to positions held before the beginning of the Palestinian uprising for Independence in September 2000. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
US troops ambushed near Baghdad as soldiers hunt for Saddam loyalists
An American military convoy was ambushed on a road near Balad, north of the Iraqi capital on Sunday. A truck was apparently hit by a rocket propelled grenade. It is unclear how many people were injured or who was behind the attack. It comes as US forces carried out house to house raids in Falluja, west of Baghdad, in search of militiamen loyal to former leader Saddam Hussein. More than a thousand troops, backed by tanks and helicopters took part in the operation. Soldiers hunted for weapons which intelligence sources said were being stockpiled for use against the American military. Seven people were arrested at a single location. The raids were carried out just hours after a US deadline for Iraqis to hand in their weapons, expired. For two weeks, armed civilians found with weapons did not face prosecution. Meanwhile, in Basra, more than 500 kilometres south of Baghdad, thousands of Iraqis took to the streets demanding British troops leave the country. Protestors also called for an Iraqi governor to be appointed to rule the city, instead of a British official. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 15,Sunday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Czechs deliver resounding 'Yes' to Europe
Just over 55 percent of eligible voters have turned out for the Czech Republic's two-day referendum on EU membership and just over 77 percent chose to give Prague the green light to join the bloc in 2004. Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla got what he wanted, telling reporters, "These results clearly show that the Czech Republic wants to join the European Union. I think it's an excellent result." Many voters hope the EU spells a brighter future. One woman said, "We voted for European Union membership because we think it'll be better for our children". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Italians to the polls for two referendums
Italians are going to the polls to vote in two different referendums. The first vote deals with a law on worker redundancy. Article 18 of Italian law stipulates that large companies must reinstate workers unjustly laid off. Smaller companies with 16 or less employees are exempt. Voters will decide whether small businesses will have to fall into line with Article 18. Many feel that changing the law would damage the Italian economy as the large majority of businesses are small scale. The second referendum deals with the positioning of powerlines. Italians have no say on there whereabouts, even if they cross their properties, this referendum could change that. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cuba tells Spanish to leave cultural embassy in Havana
Cuban leader Fidel Castro has expressed his wrath at Spain once again. First he led a march past the Spanish and Italian embassies in Havana protesting against European criticism of a Cuban crackdown on dissidents. Now it looks like the Spanish cultural centre in Havana is in the line o fire. Amidst claims that the cetnre is being used to promote anti Castro propaganda, Cuban Foreign minister Felipe Perez Roque said authorities would take appropriate measures to restore it to its original purpose - spreading Spanish culture in Cuba. The centre, inaugurated in 1997, has always been viewed with suspicipon by authorities who have vetoed some of its cultural events over the last few months. And now Spanish officials have been given 90 days to quit the building. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Attack on US military compound in Iraq
US troops have come under attack at a military compound in Ramadi, west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Several US soldiers have been killed or wounded in the last two weeks in ambushes concentrated around Ramadi and around Tikrit - Saddam's home town in the north The US military has launched two big operations to the west and north of Baghdad to try and root out what they believe to be Saddam loyalists. And Hamid Raja Shalah al-Tikriti, who's number 17 on the US list of 55 most wanted Iraqis is now in their custody. Falluja, to the west of Baghdad, is a key centre of resistance and the US has set up a military camp to deal with unrest in the area. But American forces in Iraq are continuing to meet with stiff opposition. Angry demonstrators gathered in Kerbala to the south
of the capital as people called for a Sheik loyal to Saddam Hussein
to be released from US custody. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Plague of insects infests western United States. They are called Mormon Crickets here in the mountain states of Utah, Idaho and Nevada but they are actually a type of grasshopper. And now literally millions of them have infested thousands of hectares of land, leaving very little in their wake. They hop rather than fly, and are able to travel over 1.5 kilometres every day.They eat all kinds of vegetables and grasses and even each other. Insecticide is sprayed to kill them off but ranchers say they need more help to beat them. Farmer Elizabeth Mitchell said: "I wonder who will win. Is it going to be the crickets or the ranchers? I'm not sure." These waves of insects have been going on every few years for centuries. The creepy crawlies were considered a food source by the Native Americans, but modern-day residents, petrified by anything with six legs, are not so sure. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 14, Saturday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EU Constitution draft cleared for take-off
All four groups of Europe's Convention have given their approval for a draft constitution for an enlarged European Union. These are the representatives of the European and national parliaments, and delegates of the member governments and the European Commission. Convention chairman Valery Giscard d'Estaing opened the final plenary session. He said, "Our tortoise mascot has come a long way, as I had hoped, and as the people where it comes from (Auvergne in France) know, slowly but surely, it appears to be approaching its goal." He will present the proposal for institutional reforms to the European Council in Thessaloniki next Friday, for the leaders to study. They will have the last word on amendments, taking into account various factors, at an intergovernmental conference in the autumn. Giscard said: "We had to search ever-further to find a balance between the different demands and sensitivities." Spain's government representative, Foreign Minister Ana de Palacio, expressed certain reservations, but without blocking the Convention project, which needs a consensus to proceed. 'It's a success,' she said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Berlusconi facing further legal troubles
The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is reportedly under investigation for suspected tax fraud and false book-keeping. The politician, who is also Italy's richest man, is already on trial in Milan accused of bribing judges. Now two newspapers implicate Berlusconi in a probe into TV company Mediaset's business dealings. The broadcaster is controlled by Berlusconi's family. It is accused of using two offshore companies to inflate the purchase costs of rights to American films by around 170 million dollars. Berlusconi's lawyer Niccolo Ghedini had a swift reaction, "The transactions were certified as absolutely correct". "There's no way these deals can refer to Silvio Berlusconi in any case," he added, "Because he stepped down from all his company positions in 1993." Berlusconi has repeatedly been aquitted and absolved of a series of cases concering his business empire. He claims he is the victim of a witch-hunt by leftist magistrates. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 100 Iraqis dead in clashes with US forces
US troops have killed around 100 Iraqis, in the bloodiest clashes since President George W.Bush declared major combat to be over. The deaths came in two separate incidents at a time when the American army is intensifying its efforts to root out what it says are diehard Saddam Hussein loyalists, waging an organized campaign of resistance. It is still unclear whether Friday's fire and explosions at the main oil export pipeline linking Iraq and Turkey were part of that campaign. Ankara is investigating whether sabotage was to blame for the blaze at the pipeline leading from Kirkuk. US authorities, however, say a simple gas leak was responsible. Whatever the cause, tension remains high with many Iraqis growing increasingly restless. Hundreds took to the streets of Baghdad to protest after a US raid on a mosque. The crackdown continues however and in the latest incidents US commanders say 27 Iraqis were killed after ambushing a tank patrol while at least 70 others lost their lives in an American assault on what Washington is calling a "terrorist" training camp in the northwest of the country. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Turnout moderate in Czech EU referendum
Early indications suggest a moderate turnout in a referendum in the Czech Republic on joining the European Union. In the run-up to the vote, which takes place over two days, polls show more than 70 percent in favour of EU membership. President Vaclav Klaus says he expects participation in the ballot to be below average but stressed that it was "more important than any one election". He is known for his Eurosceptic views but did not disclose which way he voted. Former President Vaclav Havel is very firmly in the pro-EU camp. He has urged a "yes" vote, dismissing fears of a loss of sovereignty. With no minimum turnout required, the referendum is unlikely to fail, but a last-minute wave of Eurosceptic sentiment from some officials could nudge the undecided to opt against the proposal. While most Czechs approve membership, some fear being a small fish in a big EU pond. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heightened security on the streets of Jerusalem is an inevitible consequence of Israel's decision to go all out to target Hamas, the militant Palestinian group. But a survey shows most Israeli's do not agree with their Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's hardline approach while he is at the same time attempting to make peace with the moderate Palestiniaan leadership. The newspaper poll said 67 percent of people wanted a halt to what was termed the "assassination policy". After this week's suicide bombing in Jerursalem and Isreali helicopter reprisal attacks which left a total of 38 people dead, there has been more violence. Two Israeli settlers, both women, were shot and seriously wounded by suspected Palestinian extremists near Rammallah in the West Bank. With the "road map" peace initiative looking increasingly precarious the US has despatched envoy John Wolf to the region for talks with leaders on both sides. Amid the funerals and rising tensions the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has added his voice to appeals for calm. He has called for the deployment of an international peacekeeping force. Similar proposals have been previously rejected by Israel. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Europe swelters in early heatwave Across Europe the heat is on. The summer highs have come early, nowhere more so than in Spain where Madrid has been sweltering under 37 degrees celsius, and in Seville where temperatures have hit an astonishing 44 degrees. In Italy it is a similar story - 41 degrees in the town of Viterbo in the centre of the country. Much of the continent has been in the grip of a heatwave for more than a week and in some places it has intensified in the past few days. Milan is baking around the 40 celsius mark. The worst-affected region appears to be the Balkans. Temperatures in most Balkan capitals have been over 30 degrees for weeks with little relief at night. Health officials across the region have issued warnings to stay indoors. Thunderstorms are expected to bring respite to some parts of Europe this weekend. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 13, Friday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Violent clashes as Serbian war crimes suspect arrested.
After a fierce fight with hard-line Serbian nationalists police arrested a notorious Yugoslav army war crimes suspect. Veselin Sljivancanin is now expected to stand before the United Nations war crimes tribunal in the Hague. He is wanted on charges of complicity in the massacre of some 200 Croats and other non-Serb civilians in Vukovar, Croatia, in 1991. The arrest took place in the Serbian capital Belgrade after a tense ten hour stand-off with several hundred nationalists. Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the hostile crowd, then battered down the armoured door to Silvanchanin's flat and took him into custody. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As both Israelis and Palestinians bury their dead after a new upsurge in violence the US has stepped-in to bolster the precarious "road map" Middle East peace plan. President George W. Bush will despatch his envoy John Wolf to hold urgent talks with leaders on both sides at the weekend. Israel's missile strikes in Gaza, in response to a Hamas suicide bombing in Jerusalem on Thursday, proved equally deadly and left no-one in doubt that the region was once again in the grip of a cycle of attack and counter attack. It also demonstrated the fragility of the fledgling peace initiative, even though both the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships say they remain committed to it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Explosive device found on Alitalia flight
Italian police have neutralised an explosive device found under the seat of an Alitalia flight before it was due to take off. After being tipped off by an anonymous phone call, police discovered a cigarette packet wired to explosives hidden in a life jacket. The incident took place at Rafael Sanzia airport near the eastern Italian city of Ancona. The passenger flight was due to fly to Rome shortly after the device was found. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Organised resistance" plagues U.S. troops in Iraq: Bremer
US troops in Iraq are facing "organised resistance" from Saddam loyalists, according to Iraq's top civilian official, Paul Bremer. The latest in a slew of anti-US attacks was the shooting down of an Apache helicopter in western Iraq yesterday. Bremer believes resistance is being staged by five to ten men at a time. He blames members of the Fedayeen Saddam paramilitary group, Republican Guard officers and Baath party loyalists. Briefing U.S. officials by teleconference from Baghdad, Bremer said the attacks did not appear to have a central command, but urged vigilance to foil such a development in the future. He also blamed Baathists for acts reported as looting but which he said were pure political sabotage against the U.S. administration. US troops are currently in the thick of a massive sweep for Saddam loyalists north of Baghdad. They have vowed to aggressively pursue and destroy those who oppose their mission. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fresh violence in Gaza strip
Another powerful blow in Israel's war against Islamic militant group Hamas. A senior activist, his wife and their young child are among the seven people killed in the latest Israeli missile strike. Dozens have been wounded in the raid. Witnesses said the last of six rockets struck as bystanders rushed to help those inside the car. It comes as the Israeli Defence Ministry ordered the army to use "everything they have" against Hamas. Hamas claimed responsibility for yesterday's suicide bomb in Jerusalem that killed 16 people. In Gaza City an estimated 30,000 people joined the funeral of 10 Palestinians killed by Israeli strikes last night. Their calls for vengeance have been answered by Hamas. It has vowed to continue its suicide attacks, warning all foreigners to leave Israel. The bloodshed has placed an enormous strain on the "road map" peace initiative, even though the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships say they remain committed to it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dissent growing in Iran
After two nights of anti-government disturbances authorities in Iran are braced for more trouble. Several thousand people took part in the demonstration in the capital Tehran. It was against Iran's hardline clerical regime and moderate President Mohammad Khatami whom the protestor accused of doing little to bring about reform. The Iranian authorities take a tough line against dissent and around 80 people were reported to have been injured. The rioting comes in the run-up to the fourth anniversary of a clampdown on student unrest in which at least one person was killed. The regime fears Tehran University, where the violence occurred, could become the focal point of a new dissident campaign. It has accused Washington of stirring up trouble. US-based Iranian opposition groups have recently begun satellite broadcasts into the country. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Castro removes gloves in row with EU
Relations between Cuba and the EU worsened last night when President Castro went on national television to condemn European diplomatic sanctions announced last week. The Cuban leader spent hours criticising the EU and described as hypocritical the decision to reduce ties with his nation. He said the decision must have been reached in a drunken state and if not in a state of euro-centric narcissism. Still harsher language was reserved for Spain's President, Jose Maria Aznar, whom Castro called a "little fuehrer". It is not just the EU's move to cut down high level contact which has enraged Havana. The authorities are also angry over a decision to invite Cuban dissidents to EU embassies in the capital. It has been a rapid reversal of fortunes. Only three months ago, both sides were celebrating the EU opening its mission on the island. Development Commissioner, Poul Nielson, sounded optimistic about increasing dialogue. However only a month later relations with the EU tumbled when Havana executed three ferry hijackers who had tried to make it to the United States, and jailed 75 activists. To make matters worse, half the activists were members of the Varela Project, whose leader, Oswaldo Paya, last year won the Sakharov Prize for his work establishing the first major internal challenge to Castro's rule in four decades. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fresh violence in Gaza strip
Another powerful blow in Israel's war against Islamic militant group Hamas. A senior activist, his wife and their young child are among the seven people killed in the latest Israeli missile strike. Dozens have been wounded in the raid. Witnesses said the last of six rockets struck as bystanders rushed to help those inside the car. It comes as the Israeli Defence Ministry ordered the army to use "everything they have" against Hamas. Hamas claimed responsibility for yesterday's suicide bomb in Jerusalem that killed 16 people. In Gaza City an estimated 30,000 people joined the funeral of 10 Palestinians killed by Israeli strikes last night. Their calls for vengeance have been answered by Hamas. It has vowed to continue its suicide attacks, warning all foreigners to leave Israel. The bloodshed has placed an enormous strain on the "road map" peace initiative, even though the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships say they remain committed to it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Barcelo honoured as "outstanding contemporary european artist"
This year's winner of the prestigious Prince of Asturias prize for Art is Spanish sculptor and artist Miquel Barcelo. The prize, presented in collaboration with Euronews, is a natty Jean Miro trophy, and a 50 000 euro cheque. The jury was unanimous in picking Barcelo from a very strong field, that included to name just the best known competitors Britain's Trevor Nunn, the theatre director, Paul McCartney, and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber ; Ireland's Bono, Greek actress Irene Papas , American architect Frank Gehry, French designer Phillipe Starck, and Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar. Barcelo is an artist you may have seen before on Euronews's "Le Mag" cultural programme. Born in Majorca 46 years ago, he is a much travelled and exhibited artist, who paints with a mixture of elements, and not just paint. He enjoys working outdoors in all weathers, and in turn , he has been inspired by the sea, painting with sand and seaweed, and Africa, using local pigments and soil. In Mali he began his interest in pottery, where he now regularly returns to a workshop he has set up there. Many of his works are on public display around the world. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hollywood icon Peck dead at
87 Hollywood screen legend Gregory Peck has died at the age of 87. Peck acted in fifty-seven films in a career spanning over half a century. His trademark role - the decent, courageous man of action - and his rugged good looks made him one of America's most popular actors. Peck's commanding presence suited him to larger-than-life characters such as King David and Abraham Lincoln, but his versatility extended to romantic comedies such as "Roman holiday" and thrillers, notably Hitchcock's "Spellbound." He also played in war blockbusters, westerns, and horror films. Peck was noted for his liberal politics, embracing many good causes, and for kissing some of the most desirable leading ladies on screen. He recently topped the poll of all-time cinema good guys for his performance in "To kill a mocking bird," in which he played a crusading lawyer from the racially segregated south who goes against the grain by defending a black man accused of rape.
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Last Updated: 12, Thursday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Israel exacts revenge as Middle East violence continues
Violence begets more violence in the Middle East, after an Israeli helicopter gunship launched an attack in Gaza City killing two Palestinian militants. The strike followed an earlier suicide bomb attack on a bus in Jerusalem, which left 16 dead. The two men killed have been identified as members of Hamas' military wing the Izz-el-Deen al-Qassam brigade. The victims were standing by their car when they were hit by one missile. A second then destroyed the vehicle leaving nothing but a mound of charred and twisted metal. The incident took place in the Zaitoun district of the city and follows a pledge by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to track down and kill Islamic militants behind the suicide bombing campaign against Israel. The bloodshed is the worst since Israel and the Palestinians publicly endorsed a US-backed "Roadmap for peace" at a summit in Jordan held one week ago. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Road map to peace stained with blood
Sixteen people have been killed and more than 100 injured after a Palestinian suicide bomber, dressed as an Orthodox Jew, blew himself up on a bus in Central Jerusalem. The bomber boarded the number 14 bus at the height of the evening rush hour and detonated the bomb down the bustling Jaffa Road, wreaking the vehicle and killing many of the passengers and injuring dozens of passers-by, nearby shop windows were also blown out. The Palestinian group Hamas have claimed responsibility for the attack. Israeli authorities say the bomber boarded the bus a few meters from the site of the carnage as the bus pulled away the attacker standing at the front of the vehicle detonated his explosive belt. 51 people remain in hospital nine are said to be in a very serious condition. Israeli military responded quickly to the bloodshed. Attack helicopters took to the air and fired missiles at a car in which two senior Hamas members were travelling they have been named as Tito Massaoud and Sufil Abu Nahaz. According to eye witnesses the vehicle was stuck in a traffic jam when it was hit. Hundreds of people chanting revenge rushed to the scene as a fire engine doused the blaze. Six other Palestinians lost their lives in the attack with 25 injured, four of them seriously. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leaders deplore latest carnage in Middle East
Following the Gaza attacks, President Bush gave a longer and more detailed reaction to the deadly day in Israel, but his choice of words appeared to criticise Israelis and Palestinians alike. He called on everyone to withdraw support to groups hell bent on scuppering the peace process. Sidelined Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat attempted to return to centre stage, condemning the two attacks, calling for an immediate cease-fire, an end to the violence, and international monitors to police the ceasefire. EU Constitution on track for summit in Thessaloniki
Valery Giscard d'Estaing, former president of France and the man charged with drafting the European Union constitution, has said he is confident the bulk of the text will be agreed in time for the crucial summit meeting of EU leaders in Greece next week. However, the European commission has called for key amendments while Britain has vowed to block elements it does not like at a later date. Giscard said: "I hope we can get a result which we can all sign up to and which I can take to the summit at Thessaloniki. Meanwhile British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac met in Paris and put their differences over Iraq aside to discuss the future of the European Union. The two leaders also talked about the prospect of an integrated EU defence force, which Blair said would not hamper Britain's "special" transatlantic alliance with the United States. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cuba ups the ante against the EU
Cuba is preparing to launch rallies outside EU embassies to protest Brussels's stance on Havana's crackdown on dissidents. Demonstrations are planned for tomorrow outside the Spanish and Italian embassies after the EU decided to cut back political ties in response to the toughest clampdown on dissidents in decades. Cuban foreign minister Felipe Perez Roque said: "Cuba never heard a criticism form the EU about the 71 executions last year in the United States, including 2 women. Why is the EU condemning the death penalty in Cuba and not the US? " Havana has recently executed three people who had hijacked a ferry in a failed bid to flee to Florida. It has also jailed dozens of dissidents for long terms. Cuban leader Fidel Castro has accused Brussels of "disgracefully serving the Nazi-Fascist government of the United States." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Piles of garbage are mounting daily as refuse collectors strike in Marseille over government plans to overhaul the pensions system. One shopkeeper said: "It's very serious. I'm not opening the door anymore - there are no more customers coming in. It's a disaster." The strikes are taking their toll on the French economy, with small and medium-sized companies reporting their output down by 30 to 40 percent. The strikes have provoked mixed feelings of solidarity and frustration with seemingly interminable waits at bus and train stations. To top it all, the nail-biting nationwide high-school graduation exam, the baccalaureat, begins today. Last-minute concessions by the government foiled striking teachers' threats to shut down the exams. But it's unclear how long this reprieve for students will last. Teachers have warned they could still give everyone the same mark regardless of individual merit if the government doesn't backtrack on plans to decentralise education. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ariane 5 rocket powers into space from French Guyana
The Ariane 5 space rocket has blasted off into space without a glitch from the Arian launch pad Kourou, French Guyana. It is the third launch this year by the international space consortium. The rocket is carrying two satellites. One is the Optus and Defence C1, which will provide communications services for Australia, New Zealand, East Asia and Hawaii, as well as links for the Australian Department of Defence. The other satellite is the BSAT 2C which is to provide digital TV broadcast links throughout Japan over its lifespan of ten years. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
Last Updated: 11, Wednesday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bush upbeat on Mid-East peace plan
Rantissi was targeted by at least seven missiles
As Hamas vowed an "earthquake" of revenge for the attack on Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, Israel launched another missile strike on Palestinians near Jabaliya who had fired home-made rockets across the border from Gaza into Israel. Five Palestinians were killed in the attacks and dozens more - including Mr Rantissi and his son - were injured, Israel admitted trying to kill Mr Rantissi, whom it said was behind an attack on an army base in Gaza on Sunday in which four Israeli soldiers were killed. Correspondents say the violence is the most serious threat yet to the fledgling US-backed peace plan, which was endorsed by Israel and the Palestinians at a peace summit in Jordan on 4 June. Mr Bush warned that the Israeli missile strikes could undermine efforts by the Palestinian leadership to halt attacks by militants. "I also don't believe the attacks helped Israeli security," he said. However, he added: "I am determined to keep the process on the road to peace." This, he said, would require "responsible leadership" from Israel and the Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Israel would continue to "fight the heads of the extremist terrorist organisations - those who initiated, those who fund and those who send terrorists to kill Jews". Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack on Mr Rantissi as a "crime". Vow for revenge Mr Rantissi, a 55-year-old paediatrician and Hamas founder, leapt out of his vehicle seconds before it was hit by several missiles fired from at least two Israeli helicopter gunships. His bodyguard and a female bystander were killed. Speaking from his hospital bed in Gaza, Mr Rantissi vowed to continue fighting Israel and called on all Palestinian militant groups to "kill Israeli political leaders". Hours later, three Palestinians from the same family were killed in a missile strike near the town of Jabaliya. The Israeli army said it was targeting militants who fired Qassam rockets at Israel. Five rockets hit the border town of Sderot, but there were no reports of injuries. Outposts anger In the West Bank, Jewish settlers stepped up their attempts to stop the army removing any more unauthorised outposts after troops dismantled about 10 sites - as demanded by the roadmap. At an outpost near the settlement of Beit El, settlers furnished hitherto empty caravans and vowed to turn the hilltop into a proper neighbourhood. Israel's Supreme Court granted a temporary injunction blocking the demolition of the Havat Gilad outpost, after settlers launched a legal challenge against its removal. The Israeli Government has vowed to dismantle about five more outposts over the next few days. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 10, Tusday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Britain not ready for euro entry
Not yet - that is the conclusion from British Finance Minister Gordon Brown, who says the time is not right for euro entry. In a long awaited announcement in parliament, he said four out of five key economic tests have not yet been met. But, if conditions are right Brown said, "it is in the national interests to recommend to the British people in a referendum to say yes to joining the single currency." Foreign companies, which moved to Britain in the hope of more stability, are no longer so sure. Ian Moss is the Managing Director of German based company Voss and in an interview said, "the long term prospects are probably ok but if we were in the euro I could say the long term prospects are this, that and the other and give you a firm five year plan for investment. At the moment, I can't do that". The euro is currently used by 12 out of the 15 EU members. So to millions of people in Europe, it is a familiar sight. Not so in the UK, where some think the nation likes to be isolated, one woman said, "I think we like to be one group on our own. We like to have our own money and royalty. We're traditional". Although Britons will continue to use sterling, it may not be for long, the government's decision has left the way open for a referendum next year - before the next general election. Gordon Brown acknowledged that trade could grow dramatically over the next 30 years, up to 50 per cent if Britain joined the euro. But he also argued, there was need for further reform in the UK economy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Further defeat for Berlusconi in regional elections
Italy's north-eastern region of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia: a further loss for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's ruling centre-right in another round of regional elections. Two weeks ago, the government had lost control of the province of Rome. The defeat has caused deep divisions within the coalition, after the populist Northern League forced its own candidate onto its infuriated allies, enabling the opposition candidate, coffee magnate Riccardo Illy, to play on the split and secure a resounding victory. The right-wing National Alliance party has blamed the Northern League for the loss, as well as Silvio Berlusconi himself for endorsing the League's candidate. In the northwest in Valle d'Aosta, the centre-left regional party the Union Valdotaine, stayed in power alongside the national Democrats of the Left. Although the centre-right pulled off wins of its own, including in several northern cities such as Treviso and Vicenza, the centre-left emerged overall with bigger gains. In all, nearly a quarter of the Italian electorate was called over two weeks to vote in municipal, communal and regional elections. The head of the National Alliance has called for high-level talks between the coalition parties to try to iron out their differences. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strike threatens to cripple France
Catch them while you can: trains, planes and buses will be few and far between in France today, as public sector workers stage yet another day of strike action. Workers are unhappy at government plans to reform the pension system and are staging their third strike in as many weeks. Yesterday, people scrabbled to get onboard trains in Paris, returning home after a long holiday weekend. One commuter said: "They cause problems when I go to work and when I go on holiday, it's terrible." Another was more sympathetic: "It's annoying, but as a citizen I am happy people are still free to go on strike." Meanwhile, it is not just transport that is going to be affected: postal workers, hospital staff, police and teachers are joining in. There are fears the action will disrupt secondary school students taking exams this week. Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin is due to open a 10-day parliament debate on the proposal, starting today. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Radicals turn up heat on Abbas
Sunday's attack on the Israeli army at its border post in Erez was above all a message from Palestinian radicals aimed at their own prime minister Mahmoud Abbas. The target was significant because it was an entry point to the Gaza Strip that had been occupied by Israel since mid-April to stop Hamas activists launching rockets at neighbouring Israeli towns. The attack was unprecedented because it was claimed in a joint statement by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Brigades, the three most active Palestinian radical groups. This was their angry welcome to Abbas's promises after the Red Sea summit last week; and not only a reaction to his commitments, but also what he left unsaid. "The armed intifada must end, and we must use peaceful means in our determination to end the occupation, and the suffering of both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples," were his words on that occasion. Hamas, which had accepted a ceasefire, could not swallow Abbas's calling what they consider resistance terrorism, but the worst was Abbas not mentioning historical claims that only two days after the summit on 6 June Hamas's spiritual leader Shiek Yassine had forcefully reiterated. "We have ended any dialogue with the Palestinian authority because of this position, which ignored the right of refugees to return, forgot the prisoners, ignored Jerusalem, and ignored the rest of our fateful causes. Abu Mazen gave the Jews what they did not deserve," said the weak-voiced but determined Yassine. Added to remarks made in President Yasser Arafat's entourage that Abbas should have demanded the lifting of the blockade around Arafat's official compound in Ramallah and his de-facto house arrest, it is clear pressure is coming on Abbas from all sides. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hillary Clinton's memoirs go on sale
The former First Lady, now a New York senator, has been launching her memoirs, "Living History", in New York. An astounding one million copies have gone on sale. Hundreds of people queued up outside a Manhattan bookstore to get a signed copy of the book, for which Mrs. Clinton was paid eight million dollars. It contains her vision of her husband's affair with Monica Lewinsky, which she claims she knew nothing about until the eve of his impeachment. Hillary Clinton: "These were obviously personal and private moments that unfortunately were made public for partisan political purposes. I had to address what was public in my memoir and I tried to do so in a way that might provide some insight and information for the reader." As always, she was asked whether she plans to run for president. This time, Hillary Clinton avoided the question saying she had a wonderful job and wanted to continue doing it. In another interview with Time magazine, she said she had no intention of running. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mikhail Gorbachev gives exclusive interview to Euronews
Mikhail Gorbachev was recently in Paris at Chateau Forget, guest of honour at a fundraising event for his late wife Raisa's St Petersburg Hospital charity. The former leader of the Soviet Union and father of Perestroika and Glasnost found the time to talk to Euronews on events past and present: "Mr Gorbachev, recent events have shown us that the United States do not need to take into account the opinions of their strategic partners, the EU and Russia: how do you feel about this situation? "The term 'needn't take into account' is pretty mild. You know, I wouldn't want to talk about America. I know the country, and half of it is against war. It's simply a case of not letting their president down in such a situation, and the citizens feel obliged to lend him their support. I would say it's more a case of the administration acting in this way. By behaving like this with their allies and partners the administration is snubbing an already complicated world, where co-operation and dialogue are essential. What's more, and above all, they are acting in defiance of international law, and contradicting it at the same time. This has shaken the whole of Europe. It reminds me of the situation in Yugoslavia during the Clinton years. China's opinion was ignored, as was Russia's. They didn't care about getting a green light from the UN, and when things started getting more complicated, tragic, and bloody, what do you know? Suddenly the UN seemed necessary after all; partners like Russia became valuable again. If you remember, this is how things ended up. Now more recently, take the events of the September 11th. From this moment on it was only logical for a coalition to form. In fact, as soon as the political will had been forged, all the mechanisms began rolling. It's international mechanisms that move everything". "There's a lot of talk about a North-South conflict. Where could this lead us, and is the war in Chechnya part of it"? "This conflict has got worse with globalisation. If you remember, when the cold war confrontation and the arms race ended, we wanted to free up financial resources. It was necessary to give aid to these countries, to fight against poverty. We are, after all, talking about three billion people, or half of the world. It's a serious problem, a bomb that could explode, and if it does everyone will be damaged. Globalisation has developed in such a way as to impoverish the poor even more, and enrich the wealthy. The inability to control this process is a very serious collective danger, and so, in my opinion, this "southern" problem exists in every country. There are more poor people in the USA today than ever before, more poor people in Great Britain, and elsewhere. All this in less than 10 years; it's a global problem". "The foundation you lead has precisely just published an analysis of globalisation, but during the Evian summit we saw a powerful demonstration of anti-globalisers. What's your position in the debate?" "Globalisation is here. It's a reality, and a reflection of our technological and computerisation progress. The real question is how do we manage this, how do we understand, and correct it; what are the objectives, and what policies do we use? Current world politics are terribly behind these events, and are based on present interests, like in elections for example. So the priorities are built around the media's cameras more than a real vision for the future. "If today we were starting Perestroika, or restructuring, like in 1985, would you do it the same way?" "I think we would have to do everything I did. I have no regrets. It was in the spirit of the age, and the choices were logical. It's more the timetable that would be different ; this was the real problem then. Party reforms, and the treaty of union with the soviet republics fell behind schedule, so at the same time the forces who rejected Perestroika had time to gather strength. They didn't want to go down that road for a very simple reason ; they had their own privileges and interests to defend". ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archaelogists discover what is thought to be mummy of Nefertiti
A British Egyptologist claims to have found the remains of the long-lost Egyptian queen Nefertiti. The mummy was first discovered more than a hundred years ago, alongside the remains of a young boy and a middle-aged woman in a tomb near the town of Luxor. Modern technology has helped confirm the mummy was that of a young woman aged between 19 and 30, which would have been the right age for Nefertiti. Dr Joann Fletcher: "She is certainly a late 18th-dynasty royal woman who wielded incredible power. I do think that this was none other than Nefertiti herself." Nefertiti is considered to have been the most powerful woman in Ancient Egypt. Her tomb was found near her son-in-law's, King Tutankhamen. She is immortalised in a beautiful sculptured head found in 1912 and kept in the Berlin Museum. The Egyptologist believes the mummy could have been carrying a sceptre in her right arm, which would be a sure indication that it is Nefertiti. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
Last Updated: 9, Monday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poles say "yes" to the EU
It was party time in Warsaw last night after Poland voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the European Union. The weekend referendum ended with close to an 80 percent "yes" vote. And, crucially, turnout was almost 60 percent, well over the 50 percent needed to validate the vote. The result means Poland, the largest of 10 candidate countries, should join the 15 current EU members in May next year. Outside the Presidential Palace, Europhiles drank champagne while President Aleksander Kwasniewski breathed a sigh of relief. He told the crowds it was an "historic day" for his country, a date that would hold an "important place" in the history books. Joining the EU would allow Poland to speed up development and, he said: "We will be in the European family again." The result saves the government from having to win over a sceptic parliament on the issue. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Britain will not be joining the euro - at least not yet. That is the message expected to be delivered to parliament today following last week's cabinet meeting over whether to say goodbye to the pound. The decision means it is now unlikely the government will try and hold the promised referendum on the euro before the next election. Finance minister Gordon Brown does not feel the economic climate is right just yet. The "five tests" he set for adopting the euro have not been met. Furthermore, poll after poll shows the general public is strongly opposed to monetary union. The government is reluctant to hold a referendum until it is sure it can win it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Key ballot for Berlusconi
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will find out today whether his government has got the thumbs-up or the thumbs-down from voters in local elections. It is the second round of polling. In the first round two weeks ago, the billionaire politician's centre-right coalition shared the spoils more or less evenly with the left. Berlusconi's camp did, however, suffer an embarrassing defeat by losing control of the high-profile provincial government of Rome. This time round, he will be hoping to do better in a ballot that is being seen as a key indicator of the electorate's verdict on his two years in office. The vote comes at an important time for Italy, which is preparing to take over the rotating presidency of the European Union on July 1. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sharon jeered over peace moves
It was into the lion's den for Israel's Prime Minister as he defended his efforts to make peace with the Palestinians at a rowdy meeting of his own Likud Party. Speaking in Jerusalem, on a day when five Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks, Ariel Sharon was accused by some in the crowd of surrendering to terrorism. The man nicknamed the Bulldozer struggled to make his voice heard as he tried to assure the party faithful that Israel will only make concessions if the new Palestinian government takes firm action against those behind the violence. It is a testing time too for moderate Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, who is under pressure from hardliners on his side. He is trying to rein in militants and wants ceasefire talks to resume but extremist groups made their views on the latest peace moves more than clear by staging a rare joint attack that left four Israeli soldiers dead. It happened at a border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip. The gunmen from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades were then themselves shot dead. Later a fifth Israeli was killed in an ambush in the West Bank city of Hebron. The latest bloodshed emphasizes more than ever that for the much-talked about US-backed "road map" to peace, there is still a long way to go. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pope extolls family values in staunchly Catholic Croatia
Sceptics say he is too frail to keep up his punishing international schedule. But Pope Jean Paul II has defied them once again by braving 35-degree temperatures in full papal attire in the Croatian port of Riejka. The crowd was in high spirits as the trademark Popemobile came in and Jean Paul stepped out. He urged the 100,000-strong gathering to defend traditional family values in the face of a "tragically fragmented society." Pope Jean Paul II said God's "authentic plan" for the family was a "faithful and publicly recognised bond between man and woman." It was seen by some as a thinly veiled criticism of gay marriages. The 83-year-old Pontiff is on a five day visit to this staunchly Catholic republic where he has been preaching reconciliation between former Yugoslav nations torn apart by the Balkan wars of the early 1990's. After the open-air mass there was a blessing accompanied by folk music. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
Last Updated: 8 , Sunday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ German peacekeepers dead in suicide attack
What appears to be a suicide bomb attack on a military bus near the Afghan capital, Kabul, has killed four international peacekeepers. It is the deadliest strike against the 5,000 strong International Security Assistance Force, Isaf, so far. Witnesses say the strength of the blast sent the vehicle flying through the air. Around 30 other soldiers and several passers by were also wounded. It is thought that the bomber was driving a taxi packed with explosives. Isaf Brigadier General, Robert Bertholee, told reporters: "The investigations have started and are going on with close cooperation with the Afghan authorities." Suspicions are already centering on al Qaeda or the Taliban. The victims came from a German Isaf unit. They were
on their way to the airport, for a trip home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poland polls on EU membership
Polish president, Alexander Kwasnievski, has cast his vote in the country's two-day referendum on whether to join the European Union. By the end of the weekend the country of 38.6 million people could have overcome one of the last hurdles to joining the EU in a year's time. It is the largest of 10 candidates for adhesion and had been seen as strongly pro-Europe. But the mood has changed slightly since the Iraq war - the reaction of some EU members to Poland's support of the United States annoyed some Poles. Prime Minister, Leszek Miller, knows the size of voter turnout has now become almost as important as the vote itself. The referendum politely asks Sir/Madam whether they express their consent that Poland join the European Union. Prosperous city dwellers have lobbied hard for adhesion while Euro-sceptics include small farmers and workers in state-owned companies. Surveys still indicate around three quarters of voters want to join the EU. But a 50 per cent turnout is needed for the referendum to count. So the big question is how many Poles will leave the sunshine for the voting booth. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pope calls for reconciliation in Croatia
Pope John Paul II has celebrated open mass in the eastern Croatian city of Osijek. The 83-year-old pontiff is halfway through a visit to this heavily Roman Catholic former Yugosalv Republic, and he is currently close to areas where some of the fiercest fighting took place in the Balkan wars. As in previous trips, the Pope has urged ethnic reconciliation and tolerance and called on the country's leaders to heal wounds inflicted by war and communist rule. The Pope is planning to meet Orthodox leaders, as part of his efforts to ease tensions between the two branches of Christianity. Croatia borders mainly Orthodox Eastern Europe. This is the Pope's 100th foreign trip, and third visit to Croatia. Speaking in the native language, Pope John Paul said: "My biggest dream is for peace and prosperity for the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro." Up to 200,000 pilgrims from Croatia and neighbouring coutries have been taking part, standing in the blazing sunshine for hours on end in temperatures of almost 40 degrees. There are reports that at least two people have died from heart attacks. Many others fainted from heat exhaustion. The Pope, however, appeared to be coping well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Palestinian cabinet meet to discuss future of Middle East peace
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has been meeting his cabinet to discuss the future of peace negotiations in the Middle East. It follows the decision by Islamic militant group Hamas to break off talks, in protest at Abbas's promises to Israel and America that militant groups would be disarmed. Hamas has vowed to continue suicide attacks against Israeli targets. Following the meeting, Nabil Amr the Palestinian Minister of Information, said: "I think there is no way to reach an understanding, a national understanding, without dialogue. Whoever leaves the dialogue will lose. I am sure that we will succeed and we will achieve the essential agreement with our brothers Hamas and Al Jihad." Meanwhile close to the meeting, a number of demonstrators protested at, what they say, is the unfair treatment of Palestinians. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Deadly crash claims six lives
A double decker bus slammed into the wall of a tunnel in northern Italy, killing six people including two children. Around 50 people are believed to be injured, five of them critically. The victims were on board a double decker bus which left Dortmund, in Germany, on Friday morning. The 67 passengers were being taken to a holiday location near Venice. The accident, which involved no other vehicles, happened inside a tunnel near Vicenza just after dawn. It is understood the two drivers had switched places at a rest stop an hour before the crash. There are reports the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fighting has broken out in the Democratic Republic of Congo, just a day after French troops arrived to keep the peace. There has been heavy gunfire close to a United Nations compound, between armed rival militiamen, some of them children. Bunia, is in the north-east of the country. The UN estimates around 500 civilians have been massacred in the last two weeks in and around the area. Rebel groups are fighting for control of the town. Around 2,000 members of the Lendu ethnic militia and the rival Hema group have been involved in fierce clashes. The Lendu fighters are apparently trying to take over the city before peacekeepers stabilize the region. Around 1,400 UN mandated troops are being sent to the town. It is the first time EU peacekeeping forces have been deployed outside of Europe. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Battle of wills over Basque party
Spain is facing something of a constitutional crisis after members of the Basque Parliament defied orders from Madrid. The Spanish Supreme Court had called for the regional assembly to dissolve a political party accused of links to ETA, the separatist guerrilla group. However, members of the Basque Parliament, meeting to discuss the issue, had other ideas. They have upped the stakes in their stand-off with authorities in the capital, by saying a firm "no." The party in question is deemed to be the heir of Batasuna, a radical Basque nationalist party, banned earlier this year under Spanish law for supporting ETA. And Mariano Rajoy, number two in central government in Madrid, is warning that the Basque Parliament's refusal to comply with the order could lead to a constitutional conflict of grave proportions. The Supreme Court warned on Wednesday that unless the party, Sozialista Abertzaleak was dissolved within five days, then judicial steps would be taken against the Basque Parliament. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Two dead as plane hits Los Angeles apartments
A small aircraft has crashed into a block of flats in Los Angeles, killing the pilot and at least one resident. Several other inhabitants of the three-storey building were injured, some critically. The plane smashed into the apartment block just ten minutes after taking off from nearby Santa Monica airport. One eyewitness said it seemed to be having engine trouble. The crash happened just before four o'clock in the afternoon local time. The building, in the Hollywood district, houses at least 30 apartments and some of those who live there are said to have jumped from their windows to escape the flames. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sharon jeered over peace moves
It was into the lion's den for Israel's Prime Minister as he defended his efforts to make peace with the Palestinians at a rowdy meeting of his own Likud Party. Speaking in Jerusalem, on a day when five Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks, Ariel Sharon was accused by some in the crowd of surrendering to terrorism. The man nicknamed the Bulldozer struggled to make his voice heard as he tried to assure the party faithful that Israel will only make concessions if the new Palestinian government takes firm action against those behind the violence. It is a testing time too for moderate Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, who is under pressure from hardliners on his side. He is trying to rein in militants and wants ceasefire talks to resume but extremist groups made their views on the latest peace moves more than clear by staging a rare joint attack that left four Israeli soldiers dead. It happened at a border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip. The gunmen from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades were then themselves shot dead. Later a fifth Israeli was killed in an ambush in the West Bank city of Hebron. The latest bloodshed emphasizes more than ever that for the much-talked about US-backed "road map" to peace, there is still a long way to go. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pope extolls family values in staunchly Catholic Croatia
Sceptics say he is too frail to keep up his punishing international schedule. But Pope Jean Paul II has defied them once again by braving 35-degree temperatures in full papal attire in the Croatian port of Riejka. The crowd was in high spirits as the trademark Popemobile came in and Jean Paul stepped out. He urged the 100,000-strong gathering to defend traditional family values in the face of a "tragically fragmented society." Pope Jean Paul II said God's "authentic plan" for the family was a "faithful and publicly recognised bond between man and woman." It was seen by some as a thinly veiled criticism of gay marriages. The 83-year-old Pontiff is on a five day visit to this staunchly Catholic republic where he has been preaching reconciliation between former Yugoslav nations torn apart by the Balkan wars of the early 1990's. After the open-air mass there was a blessing accompanied by folk music. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 7, Saturday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ U.N. nuclear experts back in Iraq
Inspectors of the International Atomic Energy
Agency is escorted by a U.S. soldier as he arrives in Baghdad on Friday.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A small team from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived Friday in Iraq to assess damage to a nuclear research center looted after the war. The experts from the U.N. nuclear body are on their first visit since the end of the U.S-led war, but the team will not conduct weapons inspections, spokesman Mark Gwozdecky said. Residents of villages surrounding the Tuwaitha nuclear facility, about six miles (10 kilometers) south of Baghdad, said they used drums from the site to hold water. The drums had contained uranium oxide, or yellowcake, which the villagers said was dumped on the ground. Yellowcake is highly toxic if ingested but gives off only low levels of radioactivity. Workers poured concrete over piles of yellowcake to contain it. "We will determine how much of it was looted, get control of as much as we can, put our seals on it, secure the facility and come home," Gwozdecky said. "We have in the last month or more sounded the alarm that these radioactive materials shouldn't be on the loose." The U.N. agency has said there is not enough nuclear material at Tuwaitha for a nuclear bomb. But substances there could be used for a "dirty bomb," made by combining conventional explosives with radioactive material. U.S. soldiers wounded In Baghdad, two men, armed with pistols, wounded two U.S. soldiers guarding a bank in the center of the Iraqi capital, U.S. Central Command said. Soldiers returned fire, killing one of the assailants, a Central Command statement said. The other escaped. The motive of the attack is unknown. Officials also said a U.S. soldier was killed and five wounded Thursday in the central city of Fallujah, a hotbed of violence. An unknown assailant fired a rocket-propelled grenade at soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division in Fallujah, which is 43 miles (about 70 kilometers) west of Baghdad. In addition, two soldiers were killed and nine wounded in a firefight last week with hostile forces in Fallujah. On May 21, at least two Iraqis were killed when gunmen opened fire on a U.S. patrol in the city center with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles. At the end of April and the beginning of May, 17 Iraqi civilians were killed in three days of clashes with U.S. troops. Seven U.S. soldiers were wounded. Questions about weapons Bush vowed Thursday to "reveal the truth" about what he has described as former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. Speaking to troops in Qatar, Bush suggested it shouldn't be surprising that no such weapons have been found. (Full story) Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that inspectors found no evidence before the March invasion that Iraq had reconstituted its chemical, biological or nuclear weapons programs. But he also said that the Iraqi regime was unable to account for chemical or biological weapons it claimed to have destroyed and weapons inspectors couldn't clear up discrepancies before leaving Baghdad in advance of the invasion. (Full story) Other developments • A U.S. Navy "Seabee" was killed and one was wounded Thursday in an explosion in Kut, according to Pentagon officials. The seaman was killed while working on a construction site and operating heavy equipment when either a land mine or unexploded ordnance detonated under the vehicle, a Pentagon official said. Officials say they believe the incident was not a hostile act. Kut, about 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, is under Marine control. • Former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz experienced chest pains this week and may have suffered a mild heart attack while in custody, U.S. officials said Thursday. Aziz, who has a history of heart problems, has received medical treatment for his condition since surrendering to the U.S. military in April, officials said. • A former Iraqi general who was believed killed in an April airstrike on his Basra home may be alive, senior Pentagon officials said. Intelligence from Iraqi detainees and other sources have led U.S. officials to change the status of Gen. Ali Hassan al-Majeed from "believed killed" to "unknown" on the U.S. list of most-wanted Iraqis. Al-Majeed, a cousin of Saddam's, was given the moniker "Chemical Ali" because he is alleged to have ordered a deadly chemical weapons attack on Kurds in 1988. (Flash gallery: Iraq's most-wanted) • A senior Iraqi officer on active duty told the British government that Iraq was capable of firing chemical or biological weapons on 45 minutes' notice if Saddam gave the order, the Financial Times reported Thursday. Government officials told the newspaper they tried to find a second source for the information but were unable to do so. They relied on the information and distributed it because the official was a senior figure in Saddam's regime, not a defector, the British publication said. • In response to a news report, the British Home Office said Thursday it would not look favorably on an application to grant asylum to two of Saddam's daughters. A newspaper quoted a cousin, who lives in Leeds, as saying the women want to come to England. The Home Office said it had received no formal application and had "no evidence suggesting that Saddam Hussein's daughters would seek asylum in Britain." CNN Producer Bruce Conover contributed to this report. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two dead as plane hits Los Angeles apartments
A small aircraft has crashed into a block of flats in Los Angeles, killing the pilot and at least one resident. Several other inhabitants of the three-storey building were injured, some critically. The plane smashed into the apartment block just ten minutes after taking off from nearby Santa Monica airport. One eyewitness said it seemed to be having engine trouble. The crash happened just before four o'clock in the afternoon local time. The building, in the Hollywood district, houses at least 30 apartments and some of those who live there are said to have jumped from their windows to escape the flames. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Poles go to polls over EU membership
It is "make your mind up time" in Poland where nearly 30 million voters are being called on to cast their ballots this weekend. The all-important question is "do you want to join the European Union?" The answer is set to be a resounding "yes." If the latest surveys are to be believed, three in four voters will give the thumbs-up to a move which would once and for all shatter the old Cold War divide. Those pushing for a "yes" vote have been campaigning in earnest. They have gotbig names on their side including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and the Polish-born Pope John Paul. Poland is the largest of 10 countries invited to join the EU in May 2004. Malta, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and Lithuania have already said "yes" to signing up. Some, however, believe that Poland's best interests lie outside the bloc. "No"campaigners fear European Union membership could prove disastrous for the country's farmers. The nation's identity and culture, it is argued, could also come under threat. Meanwhile, concern remains that the turnout could be affected by public disillusionment with politics. At least 50 percent of voters are required to take part for the referendum to be valid. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Battle of wills over Basque party
Spain is facing something of a constitutional crisis after members of the Basque Parliament defied orders from Madrid. The Spanish Supreme Court had called for the regional assembly to dissolve a political party accused of links to ETA, the separatist guerrilla group. However, members of the Basque Parliament, meeting to discuss the issue, had other ideas. They have upped the stakes in their stand-off with authorities in the capital, by saying a firm "no." The party in question is deemed to be the heir of Batasuna, a radical Basque nationalist party, banned earlier this year under Spanish law for supporting ETA. And Mariano Rajoy, number two in central government in Madrid, is warning that the Basque Parliament's refusal to comply with the order could lead to a constitutional conflict of grave proportions. The Supreme Court warned on Wednesday that unless the party, Sozialista Abertzaleak was dissolved within five days, then judicial steps would be taken against the Basque Parliament. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Light at the end of the tunnel - Europe's constitutional convention takes leap forward
The core body of Europe's constitutional Convention has struck a deal on key institutional reforms, including a long-term president of the European Council of government leaders. It includes Convention Chairman Valery Giscard d'Estaing's proposed voting system in an enlarged EU, under which a decision would pass if backed by at least half of the member states representing at least 60 percent of the EU's total population. He said this was essentially a means of protection for small states, given that they are more numerous than the large. This meant that if they chose, there would be a possibility to either push legislation through or successfully block it. He explained the 60% population aspect of majority voting saying that, while the Nice Treaty stipulated a shade more and others said 50, this simple figure would represent people's support in passing legislation. A long-term European Council president, to replace a rotational system, would be elected by national leaders for a term of up to five years, and would not interfere in the work of the chief of a European Commission streamlined to 15 rotating members from all the states, or of a planned new EU foreign minister, these reforms to take effect from 2009. The Convention aims to present its draft constitution to EU leaders at a summit in Greece in two weeks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- First Croatian woman beatified by Pope in Dubrovnik
The Croatian city of Dubrovnik has played host to Pope John Paul II. During a ceremony to beatify the country's first woman, the pontiff praised women throughout the world. He paid a particular tribute to mothers, wives and daughters who suffered in the war that tore Yugoslavia apart. It is his third visit to the country, where around 80 per cent of the population are Roman Catholic. The Pope spoke in Croatian as he said mass in the old port city. One of the highlights of his five day trip is the beatification of sister Marija Petkovic. A 20th century Croatian nun, Petkovic founded the religious order 'The Daughters of Mercy', and dedicated her life to helping the poor and children. Beatification is the last step before sainthood. In temperatures of more than 30 degrees, around 70,000 people gathered for the occasion. It is the 83-year-old pontiff's 100th foreign trip,
making him the most travelled pope in history. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Limited amnesty for Chechen fighters
Russia's parliament has approved a partial amnesty for fighters in separatist Chechnya in a bid to bring peace to the troubled region. The Kremlin has refused to negotiate with Chechen rebels but devised a peace plan incorporating the amnesty. The pact, encouraging rebels to hand in their arms, was approved by an overwhelming majority despite a suicide attack a day earlier. A woman suicide bomber ambushed a bus carrying Russian airforce officers near Chechnya killing herself and 17 others. Some believe the attack was designed to scupper the amnesty. The deal does not cover Chechens guilty of serious violence, but does apply to at least 200 Russian soldiers, some of whom are in prison for abuses in Chechnya. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamas break off cease-fire talks
Islamic militant group Hamas has broken off its cease-fire negotiations with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas says Abbas made unacceptable commitments at Wednesday's peace talks with the Israeli and American leaders. Senior Hamas official Abdul Aziz Ramtise said, "Abu Mazen closed the door in front of Hamas when he committed himself in front of US President George W Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to fighting Palestinian resistance." His stark challenge to Mazen's authority comes as two Hamas militants were shot dead by Israeli troops in the West Bank. In what the army calls a "targetted killing", they surrounded a house in Tulkarem and ordered the men to surrender. When they refused a gunbattle ensued and the pair were killed. Later one of the mens mothers pulled out a bloodied bundled of clothing that she said was all she had left of her son. -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 6, Friday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pope to beatify nun in historic city of Dubrovnic
Croatia is celebrating: Church bells are ringing out across the former Yugoslav republic to welcome Pope John Paul II on his one hundredth trip abroad. It is his third visit to the small Balkan nation, where nine out of ten people are Catholic. The pope was warmly welcomed in the small coastal town of Rijeka, which he is using as a base. He plans to visit five cities in as many days. He was driven in his trademark white pope-mobile through the city. It will be a test for the 83-year-old pontiff who suffers from Parkinson's Disease and severe Arthritis, though he has appeared better in recent months. As on previous trips, he will be preaching ethnic reconciliation, urging Croatia's leaders to heal wounds inflicted by war and communist rule. The main purpose of his visit will be to beatify Maria Petkovic, a 20th century nun, in the historic city of Dubrovnic. The ceremony will be broadcast live on Friday on EuroNews ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Did disgraced German ex-minister deliberately plunge to his death?
"It was clear suicide." That is the verdict of one eyewitness after the death, in a parachute jump, of one of Germany's most controversial politicians. In death, as in life, former economics minister Juergen Moellemann has sent shockwaves through the country. At the centre of sleaze allegations, his fatal freefall followed a police search of his home. His doomed descent also came just hours after parliament lifted his immunity from prosecution, further fuelling speculation that the flamboyant 57-year-oldintended to take his own life. One witness has spoken of him detaching his parachute. The authorities are reserving judgement until an full inquiry is carried out. Speaking to journalists, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder expressed his appreciation of Juergen Moellemann as a human being, especially, he said, at times when Moellemann didn't make it easy to be liked. This was a reference, perhaps, to allegations of fraud and party funding irregularities surrounding the married father-of-three who also hit the headlines after allegedly making anti-Semitic remarks ahead of last year's parliamentary elections. But former foreign minister Hans Dietrich Genscher, who served in government alongside Juergen Moellemann, paid tribute to his former colleague. He said he was saddened by his death, adding that he and Moellemann had been through a lot together. Respects were also paid in the Bundestag, which held a minute's silence for Juergen Moellemann. He resigned from the centrist Free Democratic Party in the aftermath of the claims of anti-Semitism. He had remained, however, an independent member of parliament. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spain and Morocco on the path to reconciliation
The Spanish and Moroccan leaders have described their first meeting since a near military clash last year as an "optimistic moment." Meeting in central Spain, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and his Moroccan counterpart Driss Jettou reiterated their commitment to fighting terrorism following the Casablanca attacks in May, which hit both Moroccan and Spanish targets. However, issues that have strained relations between the two were not tackled. Morocco and Spain came close to a military clash last July in a conflict over the tiny uninhabited island of Perejil. Unease between the two countries had already been escalating over the status of Western Sahara, Spain's two North African enclaves, illegal immigration and fishing. But Spain has been swift to back Morocco's bid to host the 2010 soccer World Cup. The leaders have announced plans for high-level talks in Morocco in October. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EU cuts back on ties with Cuba
The European Union is imposing a range of sanctions against the communist island of Cuba over its record on human rights. It is a radical move by the EU, which, just three months ago, opened a new diplomatic office in Havana in a bid to strengthen relations. Such hopes were dashed however by a recent crackdown by the Cuban authorities on opposition activists. Dozens of dissidents were put on trial and jailed for up to 28 years. Then there was the execution of three members of a gang who hijacked a Cuban ferry in a failed bid to flee to Florida. The EU has condemned such punishment as "deplorable." President Fidel Castro, though, sees things quite differently. He says the executions were necessary to stop a mass exodus encouraged by the United States. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UN observers kidnapped in Georgia
Three United Nations observers, monitoring a truce between Georgia and its breakaway region Abkhazia, have been kidnapped. The two Germans and a Dane were in the remote Kodori Gorge region, dividing the two areas, when they were ambushed. The Russian troops accompanying them were disarmed and sent packing, leaving the three men and their Georgian translator held as hostages. It is the sixth time this has happened and so far those held have been released unharmed. "We hope that everything is okay but we don't have any clue yet. As far as the ransom is concerned, our policy is a very firm UN policy. We don't pay any ransom under any circumstances," said UN political advisor Marian Staszewsky. Abkhazia declared itself independent in 1993 following the break-up of the Soviet Union and a bloody war. The UN has drawn up a document to negotiate an agreement but so far Abkhazian leaders have failed even to discuss it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saddam's daughters to seek exile in Britain
A cousin of Saddam Hussein, living in exile in England, has reportedly started to petition British authorities on behalf of two of the former Iraqi leader's daughters. Unconfirmed reports say Saddam's daughters Rana and Raghad are planning to apply for asylum in Britain. British authorities have said they would consider the asylum claims if they are made but would almost certainly turn them down. Raghad and Rana defected to Jordan with their husbands in the 1990's but were lured back to Baghdad where Saddam had both their husbands executed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 5, Thursday , June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bush flies into Qatar on final leg of mammoth trip
President Bush has arrived in Qatar, the final stop in his effort to win support for his plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. The visit is also seen as a way of thanking Qatar for its support in the war against Iraq. US Central Command was based in the Gulf state. The president has been away from the White House for a week on a gruelling trip that took him to Poland, Russia and the G8 summit in France before three stops in the Middle East. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Colin Powell has been meeting the Qatari foreign minister for discussions about the situation in Iraq. They talked about efforts underway to restore security and stability to Iraq, as well as reinforcing trade and diplomatic links between the Emirate and the United States. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tony Blair faces tough session at the House of Commons
British Prime Minister Tony Blair braved tough questioning at the House of the Commons today. His government is under increasing pressure to justify claims made in an intelligence dossier about Saddam Hussein's banned weapons capability. Ian Duncan Smith leader of the opposition Conservative party made the most of the controversy saying it was no longer possible to trust Blair There will be two inquiries into the matter, but many in Blair's party and the opposition are demanding a full public inquiry. During his parliamentary grilling Blair brushed aside claims that his government put pressure on intelligence services to modify the dossier on Iraq. But as the alleged weapons of mass destruction continue to evade British and American forces in Iraq, it looks like this is an issue that will not go away quickly. It could lead to a long and embarrassing investigation for Blair. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tentative support for the "roap map" to peace
United States President George W.Bush has set in motion an American-backed plan drawn up by international mediators to bring a definitive settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At a summit in Jordan to give momentum to the so-called "road map" to peace, Bush won Palestinian assurances to crack down on terrorists and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon promised to uproot some Jewish settlements. "It is in Israel's interest not to govern the Palestinians, but for the Palestinians to govern themselves in their own state," Sharon said. "A democratic Palestinian state fully at peace with Israel will promote the long-term security and well-being of Israel as the Jewish state." The Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas said he would not let militants win: "We will use all of our means to end the armed Intifada, and we will succeed," he said. "We have to use peaceful means to end the occupation and suffering." The summit cemented Bush's role as the chief mediator in the conflict. Until recently, the president was reluctant to get involved. The summit ended on a cautiously optimistic note but doubts remain about the Palestinian Authority's ability to stop terrorist attacks and Sharon's resolve to evacuate settlements whose establishment he has long championed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- EU includes Batasuna on terrorism blacklist
Bad times for Batasuna, the political wing of the Basque terrorist group ETA: the European Union has decided to include it on a blacklist of terrorist organisations. It was already added to a similar list in the United States last month. It will mean the police and the judiciary in all 15 EU countries will be obliged to cooperate with Spain in Madrid's fight against Batasuna. Each country will also be responsible for freezing funds linked to the party. The decision was taken following a request by Spain, whose Supreme Court outlawed Batasuna in March. Shortly afterwards the party's headquarters was shut down. Like ETA, Batasuna wants to see the creation of an independent Basque nation made up of Spain's Basque country, the Navarre region, and the French Basque country. The word Batasuna, which means "unity" in Basque, is the latest in a string of names adopted by the party in order to bypass legal restrictions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pope's 100th trip is to Croatia
Final preparations are underway in the small coastal city of Rijeka in Croatia ahead of a visit by Pope John Paul II today. It is the ageing pope's 100th foreign visit and his third to the small Balkan nation, where nine out of ten people are Catholic. The main purpose of his visit will be to beatify a 20th century nun who founded a religious order to help the poor. As in previous visits, the pope is expected to call for co-existence and respect for all ethnic groups. Only a third of the minority Serbs who fled during the war have returned, and those who have complain of discrimination. The pope will be visiting five cities in as many days, including the old port town of Dubrovnik, which was heavily destroyed during the Balkans war. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 4,Wednesday , June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------- Several dead, dozens injured in Spain train
collision At least five people have been killed and around 40 injured in a train collision in Spain. The five were all train staff. Twenty-one passengers are missing and firefighters reported seeing bodies in the first three carriages destroyed by fire. The high-speed train had left Madrid and collided with a goods train near the southern city of Albacete. The goods train was originally thought to be carrying sulphuric acid, raising fears of contamination, but the Spanish state railway company said there was none on board. The injured have been taken to hospital in Albacete. "I was running and tried to open one of the doors but it was stuck. I tried another one opposite and got out. I saw everything was burning," one survivor said. The immediate cause of the crash was not known. Spain has been hit by 12 rail accidents this year. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Road map" and terrorism dominate Arab summit
US President George Bush has held talks with Arab leaders at a summit in Egypt dominated by the "road map" for Middle East peace. The leaders thanked Bush for his personal commitment to implementing the initiative. The gathering also discussed cooperation to cut off funding to terrorist groups. "Terror threatens my nation, terror threatens Arab states. Terror threatens the state of Israel. Terror threatens the emergence of a Palestinian state. Terror must be opposed and it must be defeated," Bush said. Later today Bush's shuttle diplomacy takes him to Aqaba in Jordan, where he is holding a landmark summit with the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers. The trilateral meeting has raised hopes of ending 32 months of Israeli-Palestinian violence, but doubts remain over each side's ability to implement the plan. The road map foresees a Palestinian clampdown on terrorism and a viable independent state by 2005. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chirac turns on charm for G8 ending
He may have felt uncomfortable at meeting George Bush, but Jacques Chirac's famous charm was back on display as he saw off world leaders at the end of the G8 summit. The summit host bade a warm farewell to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, and there were smiles for EU Commission President Romano Prodi. At the final press conference Chirac said the summit had been a dialogue with civil society, and condemned anti-globalisation violence. "I thank the Swiss authorities, and I offer my apologies to the inhabitants of Luasanne and Geneva who have suffered at the hands of the vandals and hope they will be reimbursed," Chirac told reporters. The summit ended on a note of optimism for a global economic recovery and peace in the Middle East. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G8 summit end brings more Swiss arrests
As the G8 summit ended, demonstrators in Geneva gathered to demand the resignation of the city's police chief, but after several days of violent clashes, security forces moved in quickly to disperse the protest. Some plain-clothes police officers wore masks and balaclavas as they rounded up and arrested several people. Anti-globalisation militants have caused millions of euro-worth of damage to Geneva's plush streets in the past few days. The demonstrators were unhappy about the way police handled anti-G8 marches in the Swiss city. Some local people have accused the police of being too soft and are demanding to know why so few people responsible for the vandalism have been arrested. The police have not said how many people have been detained. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Putin hints at abolition of visas for Russians
Speaking at the Evian summit, Russian president Vladimir Putin raised the question of abolishing visas for Russian citizens travelling in Europe. At the St Petersburg meeting last week, Putin talked about what he called a "Schengen Wall" being erected across Europe. "How can you limit the freedoms of a hundred and forty-five million people? How can you build a wall to encage them? It is quite impossible. We must understand that right now, and draw the right conclusions. If we don't, it'll reach its own conclusion whether we want that or not. And that conclusion won't be the right one. It is much better to think about the future now, in a civilized way, in a way that Russia would share certain responsibilities, would clearly understand what her partners want from her. That would be enough, nothing more would be needed. In this way, Russia wouldknow what she should do, and would be responsible for her behaviour. Such an approach to this problem, is offered - among others - by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, French President Jacques Chiraq and German Chancellor Shroeder along with some other European leaders." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EU to dispatch troops to war-torn Congo
European Union peacekeepers are due to be sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo later this month. EU states are likely to back a French plan to send 1,400 troops to Africa's third-largest country. Rival tribes fighting for control of the city of Bunia in eastern Congo are withdrawing ahead of the deployment. In the past two weeks, hundreds of people have been massacred in fighting between the Hema and Lendu tribes. The three-month EU mandate would be aimed at securing Bunia, the airport nearby and the refugee camps where hundreds of thousands of people have fled. The mission has the backing of the United Nations, which already has troops in the region. The UN Security Council has reacted to the surge in violence by calling for a larger, multinational peacekeeping force with greater authority. The deployment would be the European Union's second military operation following the launch of its peacekeeping mission in Macedonia last month. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Social unrest across France
It has been a day of misery for millions of commuters across France as public sector workers went on strike nationwide over government plans for pension reforms. Paris's peripherique, the main ring-road around the capital, was blocked from early morning, while many train stations remained empty: only one in three of France's renowned TGV high-speed trains were running. Regional rail services, underground systems and bus networks were also badly hit. France's teachers took to the streets as well, demonstrating over a series of proposed government measures, including pension reforms and cuts in the numbers of assistant teachers. Some unions are even threatening to block exams for the French baccalaureate to get their message across. Misery, too, for air travellers: many European carriers cancelled most of theirflights to France after Air France cancelled 80 percent of its flights in and out of the country. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DNA tests to resolve mystery over remains of Christopher Columbus'
Spanish Scientists delving into Christopher Colombus's tomb to discover whether the remains contained in it are authentic. For over 10 years now, both Spain and the Dominican Republic have been locked in a dispute with both nations claiming to hold the intrepid explorer's remains. Those in Seville Cathedral will undergo DNA testing, but the Dominican Republic hasn't decided whether to allow its remains to be examined. If it does, the two sets will be compared with DNA belonging to Colombus's son Diego. The tests could take up to six months. It had been believed that Colombus's final resting place was in Seville Cathedral, but that theory has been overshadowed by the discovery of an urn inscribed with the explorer's name in the Dominican Republic 12 years ago of. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 3, Tusday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- G8 leaders build bridges and target terrorism
at Evian summit US president George W. Bush and his French counterpart Jacques Chirac have seen eye to eye on several major issues at the G8 summit. It follows the two leaders' notorious fall-out over the conflict in Iraq. Questioned about their disagreement, Chirac said they now had a solid basis called UN resolution 1483, the latest resolution passed by the Security Council dropping all sanctions against Iraq, which France backed. Bush thanked Chirac for his support with the resolution. He added that they had been through a difficult time, but had been honest with each other all along, and that there were good relations between the two countries. Bush invited Chirac to the US whenever he wanted. The
meeting will probably take place in the autumn.
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Last Updated: 2, Monday, June, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- G8 gives platform to developing nations
While the G8 usually resembles a rich country club, this year the doors have been opened to a whole swathe of poorer nations who have been given licence not only to handle the silver at the top table but to put their points across. The leaders of a dozen developing nations were invited to give the G8 an alternative view of the planet's economic development needs. G8 leaders have discussed health, water, trade and aid with leaders from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Middle East. The G8 became, for an afternoon at least, a mini-United Nations. Brazilian President Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva challenged the wealthy G8 nations sitting down together at dinner to help create a fund to fight global hunger. He suggested paying for the fund by taxing the international arms trade or reinvesting debt repayments. South African President Thabo Mbeki also chided the G8 leaders at Evian. He said African countries felt development aid pledges from earlier summits had not been honoured. The rich states will also be urged not to give up precious foreign aid and debt relief to the world's poor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bush and Chirac meet under spotlight
Under the watchful eye of the world's media, French President Jacques Chirac and American President George W.Bush, met for the first time since the end of the war. Bitter rivals, they only had smiles for the cameras. Chirac was strongly opposed to the US led war on Iraq, relations between the two countries have been frosty ever since. Chirac and Bush later held a meeting which officials described as 'very positive'. Both insisted before the start of the summit that their aim was to focus on common goals: including curbing the spread of AIDS in Africa and combating famine in poor countries. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Demonstrators cause havoc in France and Switzerland during G8 summit
Anti-globalisation demonstrators have been on the rampage in Swiss and French cities, close to Evian where the G8 summit is being held. Police have detained hundreds of youths, mainly in the Swiss lakeside city of Lausanne. Leaders from the Group of Eight major industrial countries were protected from the disruption by a 15-kilometre exclusion zone placed around the summit venue. Organisers chose Evian, the French spa town close to Lake Geneva, because of its limited access, which made it easy to block off. But as a result, Geneva and Lausanne have been bearing the brunt of the protestors' anger. Police have used tear gas, rubber bullets and water canon to disperse protestors in Geneva, spending hours battling with them as they caused havoc. Meanwhile, a British man is in hospital after falling from a bridge into shallow water while he was staging a sit-down protest. Martin Shaw from London was dropped 20 metres into a river in Lausanne after police cut the rope he was attached to. He is in a serious condition with multiple fractures. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Italy to focus on peace in Middle East during EU presidency
Peace in the Middle East and a programme of reconstruction for the Palestinian Territories will be Italy's priorities when it takes over the EU Presidency next month. Answering questions at a press conference Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said, "I have spoken to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak about a sort of organised aid package or Marshall Plan, to reconstruct the Palestinian Territories. I don't know where exactly, but we will discuss it again because I have to give a response to the US about it. I will be personally involved in getting concrete results on this initiative." Meanwhile on Wednesday, American President George W Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas will hold a historic three-way summit to discuss implementation of the US backed peace plan for the Middle East. Israeli leaders have said Abbas's call for a truce by Palestinian militant groups falls short of the crackdown they had hoped for. But they welcomed the step all the same. The peace plan envisages an independent Palestinian state by 2005. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Schroeder pulls through crucial vote
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder headed to the G8 summit Sunday night a happy man, after an important domestic victory behind him. The ruling Social Democrats approved his plans for sweeping economic reforms by a 90 percent majority. Schroeder's Agenda 2010 envisages cuts in unemployment benefit - one of the most generous in Europe - and a more flexible labour market. Analysts say that, without reform, Germany risks lurching into recession and record jobless figures. But left-wingers in the party say the reforms betray the SPD's core principles and its electoral promises. These same left-wingers and trade unionists have written an open letter to Schroeder attacking the measures, which they see as unfair on workers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Europe reaches to outer space
European enlargement is reaching a little further than many, at first, thought. With the European made Mars Express due to fire off from Baikonur, Kazakhstan the frontiers of the continent may stretch as far as the red planet, that is if this mission avoids the sort of failures that have dogged the majority of previous Mars shots. It will take the 300 million Euro probe six months before it reaches its destination. It will parachute down, bounce on the planet's surface before splitting open like ripe seed. Samples of the planets surface will be taken. The aim of the mission is to find out whether Mars ever had life on it and if so, what happened to it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 1, Sunday,June , 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bush meets leading anti-war opponents at St Petersburg celebrations
US President George W Bush has come face to face with his war opponents. In St Petersburg, during celebrations to mark the city's 300th anniversary, Bush met Russian President Vladimir Putin who is hosting the lavish occasion. Russia, as well as France and Germany, was one of the leading opponents of the US led war on Iraq and this is the first time the leaders have met since their fallout. Bush has insisted now is the time for unity. Today, the American and Russian leaders will sit down for their first formal talks since the Kremlin tried to block the war. Afterwards, Bush will travel to France to take part in the G8 summit hosted by French President Jacques Chirac. During yesterday's EU-Russia summit, described as a resounding success by its 25 participants, terrorism and drug trafficking were discussed, which British Prime Minister Tony Blair called 'common problems'. Leaders from around 40 countries have been taking part in the city's celebrations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- World's poorest countries attend G8 summit
French President Jacques Chirac has invited leaders from 12 major developing countries to the G8 summit in France. On Saturday, Switzerlands President Pascal Couchepin welcomed the leaders in Lausanne, among them his Brazilian counterpart Lula da Silva and Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The so-called 'emerging countries', include Brazil, India, China and several Arab and African states. The G8 members make up the world's most industrialised nations. Chirac's decision to invite some of the globe's poorest countries alongside them is being seen as a slap in the face against the US. Chirac wants to make Africa a centre-piece of the summit, hoping that rich countries will give higher priority to tackling poverty. President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa is among the leaders attending. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan will join the leaders in talks with G8 leaders in Evian later today. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anti-globalisation protests continue ahead of G8 summit
Lake Geneva in Switzerland has become the target of
anti-globalisation demonstrators. With the French spa town itself sealed off, protestors have been targetting nearby Annemasse, and Lausanne and Geneva across the border. Protest organisers have vowed there will be no repeat of the mayhem seen in Genoa, Italy two years ago during that G8 summit. Despite the promise, a massive security operation has been set up by French and Swiss police in Geneva as hundreds of demonstrators created havoc in the city, smashing shop windows. Today has been designated as a "day of protest" by the anti-globalistion movement. Tens of thousands of people are expected to take part. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Israel eases restrictions on Palestinians
The Israeli government has approved the lifting of restrictions imposed on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. The move means 25,000 permit holding Palestinians will be allowed into Isreal to work every day. In May, following a wave of suicide attacks, a full closure was imposed on the areas. Israeli forces will remain in place. Meanwhile, US Assistant Secretary of State William Burns met Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas yesterday in Ramallah. It comes ahead of Wednesday's meeting between Abbas, his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon and American President George W Bush. A three way summit is being held in Jordan to discuss the implementation of the US backed 'road map' to peace. The plan envisages an independent Palestinian state by 2005. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The end of an aviation era as concorde bows out
The last scheduled flight by an Air France concorde touched down to great emotion this afternoon at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport. Thousands turned out to witness the landing of a plane that is being retired from the Air France fleet as it is no longer making an adequate profit for the airline. British Airway's concordes will continue flying for another five months, but are due to be withdrawn in the autumn. -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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