Last Updated 30 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Portuguese nominated EU Commission chief - bursting with pride
Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, Portugal's prime minister, has been designated the new President of the European Commission from November 1, subject to the European Parliament's approval. The European Union's leaders ended their quarrel over who should succeed Romano Prodi in Brussels. Barroso says this decision by the European Council by unanimity is a challenge and an honour for him as a Portuguese and a European. He also takes this as a homage to Portugal and its contribution to the European communal project. The leaders also reappointed as EU foreign policy chief Spaniard Javier Solana, putting him in line to become the bloc's first foreign minister when the constitution is ratified. Barroso conducted the summit's concluding press conference in Portuguese, French and English. This brings to a successful end the Irish EU presidency, which over the past six months headed the European Council during the EU elections, adoption of the constitution and ensuring the Commission post is filled. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Barroso's nomination as EC president throws Portugal into chaos
Durao Barroso's nomination has thrown his country into political chaos. Portugal's President Jorge Sampaio, a Socialist, must now decide whether to call early elections or appoint a new prime minister. The next parliamentary elections are scheduled for 2006. Barroso's ruling Social Democrats - the PSD - lost heavily to the opposition Socialists in the recent European elections and trail behind them in opinion polls. The man widely tipped to be named by his party to replace Durao Barroso without any elections is Lisbon mayor and PSD number two Pedro Santana Lopes. He enjoys public approval as mayor, but it remains unclear how the Portuguese would view his sudden rise to head of government. Santana Lopes already sparked a huge political debate a couple of years ago when he expressed an interest in standing for president of Portugal. The Socialists have called for early elections, saying the appointment of Santana Lopes would be tantamount to a coup d'état. Several hundred demonstrators gathered before the presidential palace on Monday demanding elections be held. Further protests are planned for the weekend. According to one survey, more than half the Portuguese would back an early vote. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Cresson EC embezzlement case dismissed
The embezzlement case against former French Prime Minister Edith Cresson has been dismissed due to a lack of evidence. The public prosecutor in Brussels decided not to proceed further with the charges, which relate to business trip costs when Cresson was a member of the European Commission between 1995 and 1999. The Socialist politician was at the centre of the allegations of nepotism and mismanagement that rocked the EU executive in 1999. The scandal led to the resignation of the entire Commission. Reacting to the decision today, Cresson said she had been expecting the case to be dismissed because a thorough examination of the evidence "could not lead to any other conclusion". Cresson, who has always denied any wrongdoing, still faces administrative proceedings that could yet lead to a case in the European Court of Justice. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Bush urges EU to accept Turkey
The US president has repeated his call for Turkey to be allowed to join the European Union. George W. Bush came in for sharp criticism from Jacques Chirac over the matter yesterday - with the French president arguing the Americans have no right to dictate EU policy on enlargement. But Bush, speaking on the margins of the Nato summit, insists Turkish EU membership is a logical step to take. "Now the European Union in considering the admission of Turkey, and you're moving rapidly to meet the criteria for membership," he told the crowd near Galataseray University. "America believes that, as a European power, Turkey belongs in the European Union." "Your membership would also be a crucial advance
in relations between the Muslim world and the West because you're
part of both." "Including Turkey in the EU would prove that
Europe is not the exclusive club of a single religion," he concluded. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Afghanistan is at the forefront of talks on the second and final day of a NATO summit in Istanbul. The Afghan President Hamid Karzai addressed leaders of the alliance. But they appear set to disappoint him by offering far fewer extra troops than he wants. Only 2,200 soldiers are to be sent to boost a force of 6,500. "We welcome yesterday's decision to send security forces to help with elections. But they (the elections) are coming in September and we need security today in Afghanistan... to provide a secure environment for elections for the Afghan people," Karzai told the delegates. Taliban militants have vowed to disrupt the elections. Before Karzai arrived his spokesman had complained that NATO planned to deploy forces only to Kabul and the relatively stable north of the country. Internal divisions within the alliance over Iraq surfaced again yesterday in the opening session. Leaders agreed to provide troops to train Iraq's new security forces but French President Jacques Chirac objected to any formal role for NATO in the country. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein will be transferred to Iraqi legal custody on Wednesday. He will remain in a US-run jail for now until his government has a suitable prison to detain him securely. The same goes for 11 other high profile detainees. Saddam, who is accused of ordering the killing of thousands of Iraqis during his rule, will appear before Iraqi judges later this week. Iraq's interim Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, says he will get a fair trial: "It will be a full legal proceeding. We don't think they will be able to stage a propaganda coup, but it will be an open trial, it will be an open court and he is entitled to any representation". Completing the transfer of power, Iraqi soldiers have
been raising their flag over what used to be a US military base in
Baghdad. He faces a tough task to complete the United States' mission in violence-ridden Iraq - a job he has described it as the biggest challenge of his career. -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Last Updated 29 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sovereingty transferred to IRAQ 2 days early
In a surprise move the US-led coalition has transferred sovereingty in Iraq to the country's interim government. The handover, which was originally scheduled for Wednesday, took place in a closed ceremony in Baghdad this morning. The interim government said the transfer had been brought forward to avert attacks by militants opposed to the US-led occupation and the new Iraqi leadership. Outgoing US administrator Paul Bremer handed a letter of empowerment to Iraqi officials including the President Ghazi Yawar, and Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. Although the new government will have "full sovereignty", according to a U.N. Security Council resolution there are important constraints on its powers. It is barred from making long-term policy decisions and will not have control over more than 160,000 foreign troops who will remain in Iraq. The government has the right to ask them to leave -- but has made clear it has no intention of doing so. Allawi said on Monday his government was committed to holding elections in January next year and planned a date of January 2. Last week he was quoted as saying instability in the country might cause the elections to be delayed to February or March. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Barroso set to be named in top EU job
Today he is the Portuguese prime minister, representing his country at the NATO Summit in Turkey. But tomorrow Durao Barroso looks set to be named the next European Commission President - a post that he would take on later this year - after EU leaders ended weeks of wrangling to give him their support. Germany's Gerhard Schroeder is among those to publicly endorse Durao Barroso. This is despite the conservative Portuguese premier's backing for the US-led invasion of Iraq - something Berlin was firmly opposed to. The German Chancellor, however, told reporters that a few issues still need to be cleared up. The choice of Barroso is expected to be confirmed by European leaders at a special summit tomorrow. But not everyone is happy. In Portugal, there have been protests by people demanding new general elections if Durao Barroso quits as prime minister. Many fear that that will not happen and that instead a new premier will automatically step into Durao Barroso's shoes. Elsewhere, there has been criticism about the method of Durao Barroso's selection, with claims that he is the "lowest common denominator" after other names fell by the wayside or pulled out of the running. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 28 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQi citizens awake to a new era
Few of its citizens were aware of the historic change which had come over the country. The transfer of power, two days before the scheduled date, was announced after the ceremony had been performed. In the streets of Baghdad there was a general welcome for the news. One man said: "With the transfer to the new government in Iraq, we have a lot of belief that Iraq is looking forward to better prosperity, looking forward to a better future. That's all Iraq is waiting for." "We congratulate the Iraqi people on this day," another man said. "We hope the new government will provide us with security and put affairs on the right path." After the announcement, in a symbolic gesture, US troops began removing some concrete blocks and barbed wire from areas of the city. However much of the country will remain under tight security while militants continue to be a threat to foreign troops and Iraq's new leadership. --------------------------------------------------------------------- NATO leaders agree to train Iraqi troops
The news of the transfer of power came as a NATO summit got underway in Istanbul this morning, where leaders started by formally agreeing to offer training to Iraq's security forces. Members put differences behind them when they reached a compromise on what was viewed as one of the meeting's main issues. The deal over the exact nature of NATO's involvement remains vague, however, according to one Turkish diplomat. Washington initially hoped the Alliance would deploy troops in Iraq. But France and Germany, which opposed the U.S.-led war there, were against such plans. Afghanistan is also on the agenda. NATO faces accusations that "bare minimum" efforts have let violence thrive there. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the Alliance "has to see the job through" in Afghanistan. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Balkan. Reformists celebrate presidential election win
There was jubilation in the streets of Belgrade as supporters of pro-western politician Boris Tadic celebrated his victory in Serbia's presidential election. Analysts say it clears the path to a return to the European mainstream and a reform process begun four years ago with the ousting of President Slobodan Milosevic. Tadic, candidate of the centre-left Democratic Party, defeated hardline nationalist Tomislav Nikolic 53.7 percent of the vote to around 45 percent. He will be working with a centrist government led by conservative Prime Minister Vojislav Kustinca, a rival with a shaky minority coalition. But questions remain about how effectively the president and the coalition will be able to cooperate. Tadic said priorities would be to prepare a new constitution, join the EU and resolve the Kosovo problem, raise the standards of living and boost ties with Montenegro. "I'm a pro-European candidate, which means that I'm for new political values here and during the campaign we didn't do anything which would send the wrong message to our citizens and really believe that dirty campaigning belongs to the past," he said. Nikolic had tried to cool hardline rhetoric for the campaign but in a concession statement said Tadic "won thanks to the votes of ethnic minorities". Sunday's vote was Serbia's fourth bid to choose a head of state in two years. After ex-President Milan Milutinovic surrendered to the U.N. war crimes tribunal in late 2002, three subsequent elections failed due to low turnout, before that rule was scrapped. ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 27 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Middle East. Heavy blow to Palestinian militants
Israeli troops have shot dead seven Palestinian militants - including three senior faction leaders - in the West Bank city of Nablus. It was the deadliest raid into that area for months. Among the dead was Nayef Abu Sharkh - the West Bank leader for the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Others were identified by doctors as the local leader of the military wing of Hamas and the top commander for Islamic Jihad in Jenin, who had been holed up in Nablus for two years. The killings overshadowed a visit by US Assistant Secretary of State Williams Burns, who urged both sides to take advantage of what he called the moment of opportunity offered by Ariel Sharon's Gaza pullout plan. The Jewish state launched its latest raid into Nablus three days ago, shortly after announcing it had prevented a bombing by militants based there. --------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ. New hostage nightmare unfolds in Iraq
Three Turkish men have been taken hostage in Iraq by militants loyal to thesuspected al Qaeda operative, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. They are threatening to behead them unless Turkey stops working with the US-led coalition forces. Zarqawi's group beheaded a South Korean captive earlier this week. According to Al Jazeera TV they have threatened to kill the men within 72 hours. Meanwhile in Hilla, 100 kilometres south of Baghdad, at least 40 Iraqis have been killed by a car bomb. And in Arbil - 350 kilometres north of Baghdad - a shopkeeper was killed and dozens of people were injured by another car bomb. They are the latest attacks aimed at derailing the transition to an interim government on June 30. Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has warned violence could delay national elections due to be held by the end of January. --------------------------------------------------------------------- EU-US summit ends with American boost for Turkey
US President George W. Bush has guaranteed he will receive a warmer welcome from the government in secular Muslim Turkey than he has received from protesters in Ireland. At the end of the EU-US summit hosted by the Irish EU presidency, he made a statement supporting Turkey's ambitions to join the European Union. Bush is to hold talks with Turkish leaders next, ahead of attending Monday and Tuesday's NATO summit in Istanbul. "Turkey is a proud nation that successfully blends a European identity with Islamic traditions. As Turkey meets the EU standards for membership, the European Union should begin talks that will lead to full membership for the Republic of Turkey." At Dromoland Castle, a joint declaration condemned Iran for pressing on with nuclear development. And Sudan was urged to stop Arab militias driving thousands of Africans from their homes. On Iraq, Bush says differences between Washington and many European states have ended. Washington is about to cede control of Baghdad to an interim government. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern says the transatlantic partners must stick together, yet Europe has offered little concrete support for U.S.-led plans in Iraq. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Presidential visit sparks outburst of anger in Turkey
Tension in Turkey is at fever pitch ahead of the NATO summit, starting on Monday. There were violent scenes in Ankara when US President George W Bush arrived on Saturday night. Several members of the security forces were injured in clashes with anti-Bush protestors. The riot police were just one part of a massive security operation surrounding three days of intense international diplomacy. A spate of bomb blasts has further increased anxiety. On Thursday, four people were killed, including the bomber, when an explosion tore through a bus in Istanbul - where the gathering of over 40 world leaders is being held. That attack was blamed on left-wing radicals. And Turkish police have arrested dozens of suspected Islamist militants in recent days. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Still no word on new EC president
The next European Commission president could be named as early as next week. Favourite for the job is Portugese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso. Amid reports France and Spain have dropped earlier reservations, he is now front runner to take over from Romano Prodi. If Barroso accepts, he will have to stand down as Portugal's premier. He hasalready discussed the job offer with the country's president, Jorge Sampaio. He is giving little away: "We must be prudent for the moment. While there has been talk of compromises and agreements, I don't have anything to say about them," he said. EU leaders failed to agree on a successor at a summit last week. Britain and Italy blocked the Franco-German choice of Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt because of his opposition to the war in Iraq. Berlin and Paris, in turn, refused the camp's other candidate - EU External Affairs Commissioner Briton Chris Pattern. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite navigation deal clinched at EU-U.S. summit
Beyond the polite talk, the one practical achievement sealed at the summit was an accord on technical compatibility between Europe's future Galileo satellite navigation system and the Americans' existing GPS. The Pentagon has worried for years that the EU system would interfere with military signals. The agreement promises that Galileo "will not harm U.S. warfare capabilities" or those of NATO. The Europeans changed their preferred radio frequency to limit potential interference. Transatlantic harmonization over Europe's most lucrative infrastructure project could open up vast private-sector investments for manufacturers and service providers. The 30-satellite Galileo system is scheduled to begin operations in 2008. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 21 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Ex-Vivendi boss taken into custody in Paris
The former chairman and chief executive of the French media and telecoms giant Vivendi Universal has been taken into custody. Jean-Marie Messier is being held by officers investigating allegations relating to the selling-off of 21 million . Vivendi shares in 2001. Officials say the former executive will be detained for up to 24 hours, but that could be extended to two days. Investigators earlier said they were looking into complaints of share-price manipulation at the company. --------------------------------------------------------------------- South Korean captive in IRAQ threatened with decapitation
Iraqi militants holding a South Korean interpreter hostage are threatening to behead him unless Seoul reverses its decision to send more troops to Baghdad. Chilling images of Kim Sun-il pleading for his life, standing in front of the hooded rebels, have been broadcast around the world. There are unconfirmed reports the militants are holding about ten other foreigners, including a European journalist and workers from a unit of the US firm Halliburton. South Korea is rejecting the militants' demands and says it will go ahead with its troop deployment. "Our government is doing its best to seek the release and safe return of Kim Sun-il," says deputy foreign minister Choi Young-Jin. "He is an innocent citizen." The abducted man's parents are pleading for quick action to rescue him. They say they spoke to their son in April, and he reassured them he was fine. The latest threat is a sombre reminder of Friday's beheading of an American engineer in Saudi Arabia and last month's decapitation of American hostage Nick Berg in Iraq. Kim Sun-il was kidnapped on June the 17th, the day before South Korea announced it was sending an extra 3000 troops to Iraq in August. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hearings begin into Abu Ghraib abuse
Three US soldiers accused of abusing Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison face initial hearings at a military court in Baghdad today. It is the beginning of a trail that could call the policies underlying America's "War on Terror" into question. The lawyer defending soldier Javal Davis has already been granted permission to quiz the US Army's top man in Iraq, General Ricardo Sanchez. Paul Bergrin even wants George W.Bush and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to take the stand. "Everything that Javal Davis did was legal, standard operative procedure and he was told to do that by military intelligence as well as by other intelligence agents," he said. The images of naked Iraqis being humiliated and mistreated triggered widespread shock and anger when they first surfaced in April. Washington maintains it was the work of an isolated minority. But some critics claim the abuse was sanctioned higher up the command chain. Abu Ghraib was infamous under Saddam Hussein, a place where the former dictator tortured his opponents. Now families of those inside gather every day to wait for news, hoping their loved ones will be one of the many detainees released every day. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Algerian Islamic rebel leader killed by army
The leader of a major Islamic group in Algeria has been killed by the army there. The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat is considered one of North Africa's most prominent militant organisations. Nabil Sahraoui was shot dead with other members of his organisation in the Bejaia region, some 260 kilometres east of Algiers. His death is expected to weaken the group he has been leader of for the past year. The militants are believed to have ties to al Qaeda. In 2003, the organisation reportedly offered its support to the network. But whatever its affiliations, the group is responsible for attacks across the country, particularly against the army, as it fights to establish an Islamic state within in Algeria. Last year, it won international notoriety after it claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of 32 European tourists who were exploring the Sahara desert. --------------------------------------------------------------------- World first in space exploration planned in California.
Media and onlookers are flocking to the Mojave desert in California to witness the first ever flight of a privately funded rocket-propelled aircraft to go beyond the Earth's atmosphere. The project has been funded by the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen. Michael Melville, who will pilot the aircraft, said: "I'm very very flattered to have been chosen for this. The other two guys are as good as me or better. And I just got the short straw or the long straw. I'm delighted to do it. "I enjoyed the last flight, I'm hoping this will be an exact repetition, just a little higher and a little faster and I'm looking forward to it very very much. And I'm ready to go. Boy, I'm ready to go," he said. Costing more than 17 million euros, SpaceShipOne is a rocket plane that is launched from a larger transport aircraft. Designer of SpaceShipOne Burt Rutan said: "The new private space entrepreneurs have a vision - I'm one of them. We want our children to go to the planets. "We are willing to seek breakthroughs by taking risks. And if the business-as-usual space developers continue their decades-long pace they will be gazing from the slow lane as we speed into the new space age," he said. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 20 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- EU leaders face uphill battle in selling constitution at home
After the euphoria of clinching a landmark deal on the EU constitution, harsh reality sets in for European leaders on Monday. They face a protracted battle to convince a eurosceptic public. Rejection of the agreement by any one of the nations due to hold referendums could still torpedo it. Opposition parties at home are also likely to turn up the heat. Angel Acebes, deputy secretary general of Spain's conservatives, said: "We were deeply concerned about how the negotiations would affect Spain's influence in the EU. On that issue, it's obvious that the results obtained by Prime Minister Zapatero are unsatisfactory." The opposition socialists in France have also been scathing. The Polish government was blasted at home for giving ground on voting powers, while Britain's opposition conservatives and right-wing press were quick to urge rejection in a referendum. The document's failure to mention Europe's religious identity was one gripe voiced by Germany's Christian Democrats. Their leader Angela Merkel said: "We think Europe should recognise its Christian heritage and it's regrettable that it didn't on this occasion. We're going to make sure the issue stays on the agenda." Triumph over the adoption of the EU charter in Brussels was tempered by a rowover the future president of the European Commission - a feud which exposed divisions between supporters of closer EU integration and those against. Those differences will not make it any easier to sell the constitution to a public which amply demonstrated its Euroscepticism and apathy in EU elections last week, analysts say. --------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ. US defends lethal Iraq air strike
The United States has defended an air raid which killed more than 20 people in Iraq. The US said it had significant intelligence that the target - a house in the city of Falluja - was used by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a senior Al Qaeda operative. Women and children are reported to be among the victims. It is not clear how many militants were killed. Washington has portrayed Zarqawi as the mastermind behind a string of suicide attacks in Iraq which have claimed hundreds of lives. Militants bent on sabotaging the handover of power on June 30 have focused on oil pipelines this week. Exports were frozen after attacks on two key routes in the south of the country. Prime Minister Iyad Allawi inspected the damage, calling the attacks a "crime against the Iraqi people." --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 19 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Europe wakes up to first ever constitution
European leaders have hailed the formal agreement on the first EU constitution. The 25 heads of state of the European Union wrapped up the landmark deal at the end of a two-day summit in Brussels. The document will serve as the rulebook for the institutional machinery in an enlarged community of more than 450 million people. Irish premier Bertie Ahern, head of the rotating EU presidency, said: "The constitution treaty brings the Union's basic law into one document for the first time. It reflects the need of a community of nations which has dramatically broadened its membership and this constitution treaty will enable the EU to become more transparent and more democratic." The accord ends months of tortuous negotiations which collapsed at the Brussels summit in December. But member states could still sink the constitution by rejecting it in national referendums. And relief over the deal was tempered by the failure to find a successor to Commission President Romano Prodi. Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt - the Franco-German candidate - has dropped out of the race. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hunt for new EC chief continues
There is still no sign of a consensus over who will replace Romano Prodi as the new European Commission president. But a new name has emerged - that of Portuguese Prime Minister, Jose Miguel Durao Barroso. He has come from behind to feature hotly in the search for a compromise candidate but there is a slight problem. He says he does not want the job. Sounds familiar? Neither does Luxembourg premier, Jean-Claude Junker. Although the two men both seem to have that rare quality - of being acceptable to the pro and anti-Iraq War factions in the European Union - they say they are committed to their current posts. The issue is proving more and more divisive with Britain and Italy apparently lined up against France and Germany - opposing each other's choices in turn. London and Rome rejected the Franco-German favourite, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, largely because of his stand against the war on Iraq and his federalist views. Berlin and Paris retaliated by blocking Briton Chris Patten for the post. Irish premier Bertie Ahern's diplomatic skills are being put to the test to resolve the matter.Leaders must reach agreement within a matter of weeks. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Al Qaeda's top man in Saudi Arabia killed
Saudi Arabia's most wanted Al Qaeda leader has been killed by the country's security forces. Abdelaziz Al-Muqrin was trying to dispose of the body of beheaded US hostage Paul Johnson when he was surrounded and gunned down. Two other top militants were killed with him. Johnson was an engineer who worked for a leading defence company. He was the third American killed in the capital Riyadh in the last 10 days. The murders have rattled thousands of foreigners vital to the economy of the world's biggest oil exporter. US President George W.Bush said the killing was carried out by people who want America to "retreat from the world." "America will not retreat from the world and will not be intimidated by these extremist thugs," he said. Muqrin's killing, however should win Saudi Arabia brownie points in Washington, which has in the past accused the kingdom of being soft on terrorism. --------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ.. Bush insists Saddam was working with al Qaeda
On the campaign trail - George W Bush has been giving a speech at Takoma military base in the state of Washington. The US president is on the defensive over the Iraq war following revelations by the commission probing the September 11 attacks. "On September 11, 2001, we learnt that threats gathering on the other side of the world can arrive suddenly and bring tragedy to our great nation. On that day, the enemy declared war on the United States of America, and war is what they got," he said. Bush has been forced to defend his claim that there were links between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda after the 9/11 commission reported earlier this week there was no evidence of collaboration between the two prior to the strikes. The alleged links were given as one of the reasons for going to war with Iraq. Earlier, Russian president Vladimir Putin backed Bush's claims. He said his intelligence services had repeatedly received information after September 11 that Saddam Hussein's special forces were preparing terrorist attacks in the US targets and had warned Washington on several occasions. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 18 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Institutional tango for EU-25 in Brussels - the beat goes on
The EU leaders have begun the second day of a crucial summit in Brussels with no consensus candidate to head the executive European Commission but with rising prospects of agreement on a first European constitution. EU president Ireland has proposed tougher conditions for deciding Europe-wide policy: most decisions would need the approval of 55 percent of member states and 65 percent of the population - higher for justice, home affairs, and foreign and economic policy. Foreign Minister Brian Cowen puts this in perspective: "There is a simplification inherent in all of this, in the sense that everybody agrees that the double majority system is the system we should move to... It's certainly a simpler system than the Nice system." Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern is chairing the summit. He says the 25 leaders have made "very good progress". Diplomats say chances of a deal on the constitution have improved, partly because mass abstentions and eurosceptic gains in the European Parliament elections should motivate leaders to shore up public confidence in the EU. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Croatia a step closer to joining EU
Croatia could join the European family soon. EU chiefs have given the country the status of candidate for accession. To the delight of Croatian prime minister Ivo Sanader, European Commission President Romano Prodi said the former Yugoslav republic should start entry negotiations early next year. Sanader vowed to do all he could to speed reforms to allow the country to join the EU in 2007, along with Bulgaria and Romania. But many analysts believe that is unrealistic. It is more likely Zagreb will have to wait until 2009, if only because the signing procedure takes about 18 months. Croatia would be the second Balkan state after Slovenia to join the European bloc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alcatel and Finmeccania create Europe's No.1 satellite firm
French firm Alcatel and Italy's Finmeccanica are merging to form the Space Alliance. They have created two sister firms, to which they will contribute their respective satellite industrial and service activities. The first company, Alcatel Alenia Space, of which Alcatel will be the principal owner, combines Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio's industrial activities. With sales expected to reach 1.8 billion euros this year, it will be the leader on the European global satellite market. The second company, of which Finmeccania will be a majority holder, will combine Telespazio with Alcatel Space's operations and services activities. The creation of the new companies is expected to be completed by the end of the year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iraqi insurgents have stepped up their bloody campaign to sabotage the handover of power to the interim government less than two weeks away. Prime Minister Iyad Allawi had this to say on attacks which killed 41 people: "This is an escalation that we have been expecting. We are going to face these escalations, we are going to face the enemies of Iraq and the Iraqi people will prevail." In the first incident, a suicide strike on an army recruiting base in Baghdad, 35 people were killed and around 140 were injured. Six people died in another attack on Iraq's fledgling and vulnerable security forces. The bloodshed prompted UN boss Kofi Annan to reiterate that blue helmets would not be going to Iraq anytime soon. "I'm grateful to the Security Council that they inserted the phrase that we could go in as circumstances permit," he said. "As of today circumstances do not permit and we are monitoring the situation extremely carefully." Meanwhile Iraqi guerrillas released a Turkish truck
driver and an Egyptian man taken hostage earlier this month. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 17 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- EU leaders meet in Brussels to thrash out new constitution
It might bring an end to two years of tortuous negotiations. European leaders are meeting for a two-day summit in Brussels in a last-ditch attempt to agree on the Union's first constitution. While diplomats say much wrangling lies ahead, the EU president Ireland has put forward a compromise package to narrow differences between member states and save the document from the waste-paper basket. The main stumbling blocks are the distribution of voting powers, the bloc's budget rules and which policy areas national governments can veto. And while hopes of agreement on the constitution have risen with Ireland's compromise package, there is still no sign of a breakthrough on who should become the European Commission's new president. --------------------------------------------------------------------- EU parliament centrists defect to form new party
French and Italian centrists in the European Parliament have regrouped to form a new party. They have defected en masse from the European Popular Party to team up with the parliament's liberals to form the European Democratic Party. Francois Bayrou from France's UDF said that by working with the liberals the European Democratic Party will become the third most important group in the parliament. Other alliances being mooted in Strasbourg include a political bloc made up of Greens, socialists and centrists. But all this horse-trading has to be completed by the opening session of the new parliament on July 20th. --------------------------------------------------------------------- As many as 35 die in suicide bombing in Baghdad
It is reported that as many as 35 people have died in a car bomb explosion near a military base in Baghdad. At least 70 people have been wounded. The suicide blast went off at an Iraq army recruiting base in the city's heavily fortified Muthanna airport. US troops are also based there. This morning's blast came as a U.S. soldier died of wounds sustained during a rocket attack yesterday on a military base at Balad, north of Baghdad. This brings the number of American troops killed in that strike to three. --------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ. As many as 35 die in suicide bombing in Baghdad
It is reported that as many as 35 people have died in a car bomb explosion near a military base in Baghdad. At least 70 people have been wounded. The suicide blast went off at an Iraq army recruiting base in the city's heavily fortified Muthanna airport. US troops are also based there. This morning's blast came as a U.S. soldier died of wounds sustained during a rocket attack yesterday on a military base at Balad, north of Baghdad. This brings the number of American troops killed in that strike to three. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 16 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ. No oil out of Iraq after pipeline hit
Iraqi oil exports have ground to a halt after suspected sabotage of pipelines to the south and north of the country. This as the industry reels from another blow - the shooting and killing of a senior official running the country's northern oil fields. Ghazi Talabani worked for Iraq's North oil company. The sabotage strikes in Kirkuk and Basra have hit pipelines that feed the nation's only export terminals. Iraq had been exporting more than 1.6 million barrels a day from its southern ports - most of it was loaded at the Basra terminal. But now, industry sources say repairs to get the exports up and running again could take up to ten days. They predict that the stoppage could cost Baghdad nearly 60 million dollars a day - that is close to 50 million euros. Oil revenue is the country's main independent source of foreign currency - and prices have surged following news of the attacks. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Trial begins of Russian billionaire facing fraud charges
Russia's richest man, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has arrived in court for the start of his trial on charges of fraud and tax evasion. Security is tight at the Moscow tribunal for the case against the main owner of the oil giant Yukos. Critics slam the trial as a government-inspired campaign to stop the businessman from using his wealth to challenge their policies and authority. The opening of the trial, which is before a panel of three judges, has seen shares in Yukos slump to record lows. Khodorkovsky is in the dock with another of the company's major shareholders, Platon Lebedev. Later this week a court will hear an appeal by Russia's tax ministry aimed at forcing Yukos to immediately pay a multi-million euro bill for back taxes. It is feared the company could collapse if the court finds in favour of the tax authorities. If convicted, Khodorkovsky faces up to ten years in prison. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Afghan. Al-Qaeda threatens to kill American hostage in Saudi Arabia
Video footage has been released on an Islamist website showing US engineer Paul Johnson, who was kidnapped in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday, giving his name and saying he "worked for Apache helicopers." On the same website, a statement signed "the al-Qaeda Organisation" says the kidnappers will kill the American unless Saudi authorities release jailed militants within 72 hours. An adviser to Crown Prince Abdullah immediately rejected the ultimatum, saying Saudi Arabia would not negotiate with terrorists. Al-Qaeda has also claimed responsibility for killing American Kenneth Scroggs, who was shot dead the same day that Johnson was kidnapped. Al-Qaeda said it seized Johnson because the "gunfire of Apache helicopters was killing Muslims in Afghanistan and Palestine". The move followed a spate of suicide bombings and shootings in Saudi Arabia. Crown Prince Abdullah, the kingdom's de facto ruler, said yesterday: "We have forces and until now they have not appeared but you will see them in the coming days." --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 15 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Chirac and Schroeder expect Commission president to be named "soon"
When Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder greeted French President Jacques Chirac in the western German city of Aachen on Monday, there were hugs and smiles all round, despite both men's political parties taking a beating the night before. At their 19th such informal meeting since 2001, the pair promised to improve industrial co-operation- a sticking point in relations since the Paris-backed rescue of French engineering firm Alstom. But they are also rumoured to have agreed on who should be the next head of the European Commission. "Concerning the search for the new President of the European Commission, the election results make it neither easier nor more difficult," said Gerhard Schroeder. "The reason for that is simple: those in government in Europe have similar difficulties as far as approval is concerned - in votes between national elections." Both leaders said they expected a successor to Romano Prodi to be named soon. European politicians have been stressing that there is no continent-wide consensus. Meanwhile Jacques Chirac expressed his regret over the record low turnout in the European Parliament vote. "Yesterday's elections were a disappointment for us all and for Europe," he said. The centre-right European People's Party is set to remain the parliament's biggest grouping, with 272 out of 732 seats. The EPP says it does not support the front-runner for the Commission presidency- Belgium's premier Guy Verhofstadt- and wants a candidate from its own ranks. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Schroeder sticks with reforms despite election rout
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is vowing to carry on with unpopular welfare cuts despite a disastrous performance in the weekend elections. He spoke to his Social Democrats after the party's worst result in 50 years. "We must continue these policies because, from an objective point of view, they are necessary," said Schroeder. "I can only continue this policy, and only want to continue this policy." The Social Democrats slumped 9.2 points to 21.5 per cent, while the opposition conservatives scored 44.5. Together with heavy losses in local elections, the European result continued an 18-month run of election disasters. The Greens doubled their vote from the last European elections. "We are the only party in Government that won," said Greens leader Daniel Cohn-Bendit. "We doubled the result, while other parties lost." The Christian conservative opposition's strong showing has boosted Angela Merkel's dreams of becoming Germany's first woman chancellor at the next general election. --------------------------------------------------------------------- French socialists look to the future
Two years after they were ousted from power, French socialists, led by Francois Hollande, have reason to smile again. They were runaway winners in the election, which confirmed the deep unpopularity of the conservative UMP government. The centre right party was humiliated in a regional poll in March. The question of the leadership of the UMP now comes to the fore more than ever. After the regional vote President Jacques Chirac reshuffled his cabinet but that appears not to have convinced the voting public. With less than 17 per cent of the vote the Conservatives were left a poor second behind the Socialists who won almost 29 per cent. Some of the UMP's votes went to the centrist UDF who claimed a 12 per cent share. UDF leader Francois Bayrou has already rejected a call from the UMP to come on board and broaden the appeal centre right. He said the vote justified his party's decision to remain autonomous. It was not a good election for small parties except the sovereignist MPF led by Philippe de Villiers. It now has three deputies in the parliament. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 14 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ. Saddam in Iraqi hands 'within two weeks'
Saddam Hussein will be handed over to the new Iraqi government for trial "within two weeks", according to the country's Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. The news follows calls from the International Committee of the Red Cross for the former Iraqi president to be charged or released. Spokeswoman Nada Doumani said: "If occupation effectively ends, what international and military law says is that prisoners of war and civilian internees who are not formally charged should be released". It is not just Saddam who is set to see the end of his spell in legal limbo. The US military says that as many as 1,400 detainees will either be set free or transferred to Iraqi authorities by June 30th, the date set for the official handover of power. Hundreds of inmates have already been released from the notorious Abu Ghraib jail near Baghdad since the scandal over the abuse of prisoners by American soldiers broke. Meanwhile Britain has announced it is going to court martial four soldiers from the Royal Fusiliers over their treatment of detainees. The assault charges reportedly include making victims engage in sexual acts with each other. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Jury considers verdict in Dutroux trial
Marc Dutroux is waiting to hear his fate after the jury in Belgium's paedophile and murder trial retired to consider its verdict. His ex-wife and two other men charged over the kidnap, rape and killing of six girls will also hear if they have been found guilty. The 12-strong jury has been dispatched to a Belgian army base near the court in the south-eastern town of Arlon. They will be in complete isolation, according to court officials, who say the jury members and their official replacements will not have access to mobile phones, television or radio. The judge has set them 243 questions to answer before they reach their conclusions. In a final plea to the jury last week, Dutroux admitted kidnap and rape but denied killing the girls, repeating his claim that he was a reluctant accomplice to a wider paedophile ring. A verdict is likely before Friday, with sentencing expected next week. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 13 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 of 25 EU states vote in parliamentary elections
It is billed as the largest trans-national democratic election ever held. Voting is under way in 19 of the European Union's 25 states in elections for the bloc's parliament. Nearly 349 million people are eligible to vote in the first EU-wide ballot since the Union expanded to include ten new members last month. They will select 732 politicans to represent them at the parliament in Strasbourg for the next five years. Figures from Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Latvia, Malta and the Czech Republic, where voting has already taken place, suggest apathy could be the biggest winner. It also looks like ruling parties in some of those countries could be in trouble, according to exit polls. Voting which started yesterday in Italy resumes today. Final results are scheduled for release tonight. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Low voter turnout a problem for most of the EU states
As well as casting ballots in regional elections, Germans are voting for the largest number of seats in the European parliament, 99 out of the 732 up for grabs. Latest polls suggest the opposition conservatives will win the highest number of seats, although with a slightly reduced majority. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder today admitted that he was sceptical that a high number of people would turn out to vote. The number casting ballots is expected to be about 42 percent, three points lower than in 1999. In France, some 41 million people are eligible to vote for 78 seats in the European parliament. Turnout is expected to be low, and polls suggest there is likely to be further erosion of support for the ruling conservatives. People in Spain are choosing candidates for 54 seats. The socialist party looks certain to win the majority, according to the polls. At the moment the conservative Popular Party has a slight majority. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, meanwhile, is expected to suffer during local and European polls for his support of the Iraq war. The head of the centre right dismissed as impossible defeat in the elections, saying he aims to get at least 25 percent of voters to back his Forza Italia Party. Also confident, however, is Romano prodi, who is leading
the list for the opposition centre left. |
----------- Italy:
Italians, taking Saturday and Sunday to vote in the
European elections, appear Rome's backing of the war in Iraq has angered many Italians. James Walston is a professor at the American University of Rome: "The one point that is not significant, the one issue that is not there is Europe itself. Italians are electing members of the European Parliament but almost none of the European issues have actually been faced. It is definitely a rehearsal for next year's regional elections and the general elections of 2006. It also is a form of referendum on Berlusconi." The prime minister has put his name on every Forza Italia (Go Italy) party list in the country's five constituencies, even though he himself will not take up one of Italy's 87 allotted seats in Strasbourg. He has his hands full at home. It is no longer certain he is in sole charge of the four-party centre-right coalition. --------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ. Baghdad suicide bomber 'kills 12'
Four policemen were killed in the bomb blast Earlier, a senior official at Iraq's ministry of education was shot dead outside his home in west Baghdad. Director of cultural relations Kamal al-Jarrah was the second government official to be killed in as many days. In a morning of chaos on Sunday, the US-led coalition headquarters in Baghdad was also hit in a suspected rocket attack. There were no casualties. A US military spokesperson said that, according to initial reports, 12 people were killed by the car bomb that exploded outside a base of the 1st Cavalry Division. Emergency services had rushed to the scene to deal with the casualties, said the spokesperson. Police Captain Abdul Razzak Kadhem said the explosion happened after two police cars tried to stop the suicide bomber. As well as the police cars, eight civilian cars were badly damaged, he said. Chilling message A couple of hours earlier, senior government official Kamal Jarrah was ambushed by unknown gunmen outside his home. The 63-year-old died in hospital shortly after the attack at 0730 local time (0330 GMT). A few days earlier, deputy health minister Ammar Safar escaped an attempt on his life in the same district while he was on his way to the ministry. The head of Iraq's border guards, General Hussein Mustapha, says he narrowly escaped an ambush on Saturday as his two-car convoy was shot at on a Baghdad highway. The BBC's Barnaby Phillips in Baghdad says the message from the gunmen to anyone involved in the interim government is clear and chilling - that they are all targets and their lives are in danger. In other developments:
The US says it will close Camp Cropper - one of its three main detention centres, located at Baghdad airport - after 30 June A prominent Kurdish cleric, Iyad Khorshid, is killed by gunmen as he visited his neighbours in Kirkuk A university professor is gunned down moments after
leaving a Baghdad campus, say a witness and a medical official Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, the coalition's deputy director of operations, said two or three rockets may have been fired but only one exploded. "No-one [was] hurt or wounded," he said. The zone - Saddam Hussein's former palace on the west bank of the River Tigris - has frequently been attacked by insurgents. But this is the first time the heavily fortified facility has taken a direct hit. --------------------------------------------------------------------- European elections D-Day
Voters in 19 out of the bloc's 25 members are going to the polls today to elect those who will represent them in the European parliament for the next five years. With the enlargement of the European Union from 15 to 25 members, and a population that has swelled to 450 million, this year's European elections are bigger than ever. But figures from countries where voting has already taken place suggest apathy could be the biggest winner. It also looks like some ruling parties could be in trouble according to exit polls in Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Latvia, Malta and the Czech Republic, where voting has already taken place. Voting which started yesterday in Italy resumes today. Final results are scheduled for release tonight once all countries have voted - The Netherlands were sharply reprimanded by the European Commission when they published results early, immediately after polls closed on Thursday. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 12 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Irish PM: democracy is not a spectator sport
The Irish Prime Minister has cast his ballot in the country's local and European elections, taking the chance to plead for a high turnout. Bertie Ahern said the decisions being taken at the moment were important. He said democracy was not a spectator sport, it was something that required participation and commitment. Turnout for local and European elections in 1999 was just over 50 percent, but there were fears it could be lower this year. More than three million people are eligible to vote. A referendum is also being held on controversial proposals to tighten citizenship laws. A Yes vote would mean that children born in Ireland, whose parents are not themselves Irish citizens, would not be entitled to citizenship. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last chance for Poland's Belka
Poland's President Aleksander Kwasniewski has re-appointed Marek Belka as prime minister, giving his left-wing ally a final chance to win a parliamentary mandate and avoid a snap general election in August. The president used the occasion to urge Poles to vote in European elections on Sunday. Poland is one of the new member states where turnout threatens to be embarrassingly low. Belka now has two weeks to gain enough support to win a confidence vote in parliament. He lost a similar vote last month but stayed on as caretaker leader. EU partners are keen for Belka to secure parliament's backing before a crunch European summit next week. They say without that mandate, he will find it hard to accept compromise on a charter aimed at streamlining decision-making in the enlarged bloc. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 'New' Europe heads for the polling booths
Czechs have begun voting in European Union elections - becoming the first among the 10 countries who joined the EU in May to go to the polls. Booths will be open until 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon. More than eight million Czechs are eligible to vote but turnout is only expected to be about 40 percent. Pre-vote polls predict the election will deliver a blow to Social Democrat Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla, and a boost to President Vaclav Klaus's right-wing opposition. Former president Vaclav Havel, the man who was so instrumental in bringing his country out of the Eastern bloc and turning it westwards, has cast his vote. While most member states go to the polls on Sunday, the UK and the Netherlands voted yesterday amd the Irish joined the Czech Republic in casting their ballot today. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 11 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Angry Britons punish Blair through the ballot box
Britain's ruling Labour Party is heading towards its worst electoral results in living memory as the final votes in local polls are counted. Tony Blair's government looks set to become the first ever to be pushed into third place in a mid-term vote. The count so far gives the opposition Conservatives a clear lead, while the Liberal Democrats are firmly in second place. Labour has lost well over 400 seats. The prime minister admits public anger over the Iraq war is largely to blame. "I think I said during the course of the election campaign, Iraq and the worries over Iraq have been a shadow over our support," he said. However, his health minister, John Reid, says the wounds inflicted by the Tories will not prove fatal. "There is no sign of any great momentum or breakthrough or big idea from the Conservatives," he commented. However, Tory leader Michael Howard was delighted with the results, saying:"We had excellent results last night. We are now represented up and down the country and in the cities where we want to play an important part." Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said the results marked a "return to three party politics" in the UK. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 10 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- British and Dutch open mammoth EU poll
Britain and the Netherlands have started voting in the European elections, kicking off the largest cross-border poll in history. In the UK, people are choosing not only 78 representatives for the EU parliament but also a mayor for London and local councillors in 166 districts nationally. The European ballot is set to embarrass governments across the 25-nation bloc and Britain is no exception. Here, the elections are seen as a litmus test of premier Tony Blair's leadership and his record on Iraq in particular. The Conservative opposition, led by Michael Howard, has found it difficult to harness discontent over Labour. It also appears to have lost ground to the hardline anti-European UK Independence party. The main gainers from the poll are expected to be the UKIP and the Liberal Democrats, who have been buoyed by disgruntled Labour voters and British Muslims upset about Iraq. --------------------------------------------------------------------- G8 meet African leaders on last day of summit
The G8 summit is drawing to a close with Africa on the agenda. Leaders of the world's major powers were today discussing debt relief and development with six heads of state from the continent. The discussion winds up a gathering that has produced agreement on reform in the Middle East and on a plan to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. But, not for the first time, Iraq has sparked divisions. Summit host George W. Bush has mooted the idea of a NATO role in the country. However, The US president's suggestion is not to the liking of his French counterpart, Jacques Chirac. Elsewhere, environmental activists faced off with riot police on the mainland in the southern US state of Georgia. The rally passed off peacefully despite being one of the most heated demonstrations since the summit began. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 9 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ. Unanimous approval at UN for Iraq plan
The UN Security Council has given its unanimous backing to a US/British resolution that formally ends the occupation of Iraq on June 30 and authorises American-led troops to keep the peace. The agreed text was the result of weeks of negotiations and no little compromise. The resolution is expected to help patch up deep divisions on the Security Council which sprang from the US-led invasion of Iraq. It endorses the interim government which will lead the country from the end of June. Washington's UN ambassador, John Negroponte said: "With today's vote, we acknowledge an important milestone. By June 30, Iraq will reassert its sovereignty, a step forward on the path towards a democratically elected government." Britain's ambassador, Sir Emyr Parry Jones also stressed the importance of the resolution to Iraq: "The resolution gives this (interim) government the best possible start as it leads Iraq out of occupation and proves itself to the Iraqi people through its action," he said. --------------------------------------------------------------------- G8 discuss Iraq's security, oil, debt
The UN vote has been welcomed at the G8 summit in the US state of Georgia, which was attended by Iraqi President Ghazi Al Yawer as a specially invited participant. Iraq has been the dominating theme at the conference of the world's richest nations plus Russia. US President George Bush hailed the Security Council's decision as "a great victory for the Iraqi people." The resolution was formulated by the US and Britain, whose Prime Minister Tony Blair said it provided a chance for divisions over Iraq to be healed. "The world community has spoken with one voice," he said. The question of cancelling Iraq's debt also arose at the summit and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said his country was willing to make a "substantial" contribution, although he refused to be specific. The idea has received varying degrees of support within the G8. --------------------------------------------------------------------- At least 14 die in Iraq explosions
It has been another bloody day on the ground in Iraq after two car bombs have claimed the lives of at least 13 Iraqis and an American soldier. In the northern city of Mosul a taxi blew up near the mayor's office. The US military said at least nine Iraqis were killed and 25 wounded. Apparently, the target was a convoy carrying members of the provincial council and Mosul's deputy police chief. Mosul - Iraq's third largest city - has seen frequent violence over the past year, with several senior local officials killed. An hour before the Mosul blast, a car bomb exploded outside a US base in Baquba, a town 65 kilometres north of Baghdad. Four Iraqis and an American soldier died in that attack. A further 10 troops, a foreign worker and six Iraqis were injured. Insurgents have carried out several attacks on the US military and the American-backed Iraqi police in and around Baquba. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Special forces free Iraq hostages
Three Italian hostages kidnapped in Iraq have been liberated by special forces from the US-led coalition. Held south of Baghdad, the trio had spent almost two months in captivity. A Polish businessman, held with them after being abducted last week, was also released. In the Iraqi capital, there were expressions of relief from both Italian and Polish diplomats and confirmation from the US army that all four men are in good shape. "At this point in time, the hostages are in coalition control, in good hands and in good health," said Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, who stressed that no deal had been struck. But this is not a story with an altogether happy ending because, back in April, four Italians were kidnapped. Hostage Fabrizio Quattrocchi, a private security guard like the other three men, was shot dead by his captors, after Rome refused to bow to demands to pull its troops out of Iraq. Arrests have been made among the kidnappers. The three surviving Italians are due to fly home on Wednesday --------------------------------------------------------------------- Middle East. Israeli government teeters as two cabinet ministers quit
The Israeli Prime Minister's coalition government has been plunged further into crisis after the resignation of two cabinet ministers. Plans to pull out of Gaza prompted Housing Minister Effi Eitam, who is head of the National Religious Party, and his deputy to quit. "We, me and my colleague Rabbi Yitzhak Levy, we resigned from the government today and next Monday, we shall vote against the government in the parliament." This is bad news for Ariel Sharon who has now lost his parliamentary majority in the 120 seat Knesset. The departure of the two ministers leaves him with 59 seats. His coalition though is at least intact for now. Despite the actions of its leader, the pro-settler National Religious Party says its not made any immediate decision to leave the government. Analysts say the opposition labour party is likely back Sharon to ensure plans for the Gaza pull out to move ahead. Plans to withdraw from Gaza have bitterly divided the ruling coalition and reaped the wrath of Jewish settlers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 8 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Car bombs kill Iraqis in Mosul and Baquba
A suspected suicide attack in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul has killed at least 9 Iraqis and wounded at least 25 others. A statement by the US military says a bomb was hidden inside a taxi carrying three people. It blew up in front of Mosul's city hall, causing substantial damage to the building and destroying at least nine vehicles in the area. The mayor of Mosul, Salem al-Hadj Isa, who is also the province's police chief, appears to have been the target of the attack but escaped unharmed. Mosul, Iraq's third-largest city, has seen frequent outbreaks of violence over the past year and several senior local officials have been killed. This morning's bombing in Mosul coincided with a car bomb blast in front of an American base in Baquba, 65 kilometres north of Baghdad. That attack killed at least five people- one US soldier and four Iraqis - and wounded at least 11 others. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 7 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Schroeder receives warm welcome for D-Day celebrations in France
The first German chancellor ever to visit France on a D-Day anniversary was given a warm welcome. Along with other world leaders, Gerhard Schroeder paid tribute yesterday to the thousands of Allied troops who fought and died in Normandy 60 years ago. He said Germany would never forget its debt and vowed to keep working with France in their campaign for peace. "The soldiers' cemeteries and the scars of two world wars have left behind a permanent legacy for the people of Europe and especially the German people: to resist racism, anti-semitism and totalitarian ideologies," said Schroeder. The chancellor, whose own father died in combat four months after D-Day, said the Allies not only liberated France but also Germany, labelling the defeat a victory for the Germans. "No one will ever forget the terrible record of Hitler's 12-year tyranny," he said. "My generation grew up in its shadow. My father's grave was found only four years ago. He was a soldier killed in Romania. I never got a chance to know him." Schroeder's visit has stirred debate in Germany, raising once again the question of whether the country will ever be able to draw a line under its past. He came under fierce criticism for shunning a cemetery containing the graves of more than 20,000 German soldiers, including many high-ranking SS officers. He chose instead to lay a wreath at a cemetery in Ranville, where more than 300 Germans lie next to soldiers from other nations. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Middle East. Approval for Gaza pullout, but Sharon faces government infighting
News that Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon has finally convinced his cabinet to back his revised plan for a pull-out from Gaza has been warmly welcomed at a youth rally. However, the internal problems of the Israeli government are far from over. Ministers voted 14 to 7 in favour of the plan, but put off any vote on dismantling Jewish settlements for at least nine months. In a compromise, all four stages of the withdrawal will have to be voted on. Pro-settlers minister Efraim Etham said: "It's one of the most bitter, horrible decisions made by any government since the establishment of the state of Israel." Polls have shown most Israelis support a withdrawal from Gaza where Jews live in 21 settlements heavily protected by the Israeli army. But many of the settlers say they feel betrayed. One of them said: "I think what we've seen here is that no-one cares very much about the destiny of the state of Israel and the Jewish people. What they care about is who is going to stay in the cabinet and who's going to stay in his job." The pro-settler National Religious Party, on which Sharon's parliamentary majority depends, is now considering its position in the government. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 6 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Celebrations on Normandy's legendary "Pegasus" bridge
Revellers have celebrated the 60th anniversary of the first Allied triumph of the D-Day campaign. At exactly 16 minutes past midnight on the day of the Normandy landings, British forces captured an important bridge, a mission that was vital before the coastal invasion began. Gliders carrying 150 men swooped on the legendary crossing that was later named the Pegasus Bridge. Overnight veterans were joined by crowds of visitors to mark that historic moment. A massive series of firework displays also lit up the Normandy coast. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Ronald Reagan's quirkiness and humour made him popular
The former US President Ronald Reagan, who has died at the age of 93, was born in the state of Illinois on February 6, 1911. The son of an alcoholic shoe salesman, he was always keen on drama and sport.He became a radio sports presenter before winning a contract in Holywood in 1937, going on to make 53 films. He was married twice and fathered four children. His first wife was the actress Jane Wyman. Four years after divorcing her in 1948, he married a much less famous star of the screen, the then Nancy Davies. After a time as California Governor, he went on to win the presidency for the Republicans. Within ten weeks there was an attempt to assassinate him.He pulled through though, his quirkiness making him popular, and he won a second term in 1984. Reagan was characterised by his strong opposition to the Soviet Union, which he called the " Evil Empire." He worked well with the reform-minded Mikhail Gorbachev but always believed that his determination to stand up to the Russian Bear proved crucial in the collapse of Communism across Eastern Europe.That was a view supported by his staunchest ally, Britain's Margaret Thatcher. Reagan backed anti-Communist insurgencies in Asia, Africa and Central America, leading to one of the greatest stains on his Presidential record, the Iran Contra Affair. In 1994, in a letter to " my fellow Americans " Ronald Reagan revealed that he had Alzheimer's. He spent his last years quietly, with Nancy, in Los Angeles. Former colleagues say he will be remembered for his infectious good moods and eternal optimism. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 5 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Bush , Berlusconi repeat their mutual support
US President George Bush has finished his visit to Italy in talks with the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi which focused on Iraq.Bush was in Italy to take part in commemorations marking the liberation of Italy from the Nazis in 1944. Despite strong domestic opposition Berlusconi has been one of America's staunchest supporters over Iraq. Bush expressed his gratitude. "Our countries will continue to rebuild Iraq's infrastucture and help Iraq's economy grow and prosper. These efforts deserve the full support of the international community. More importantly a free Iraq deserves our best efforts and hard work. Members of the UN security Council and Iraq's new leaders are working toward a new resolution that will express international support for Iraq's interim government. The Security Council resolution will reaffirm the world's security commitment to the Iraqi nation." Berlusconi reiterated there was no question of Italy withdrawing its 2,700 troops from Iraq. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lethal bomb blast at Russian market
At least 11 people have been killed and around 50 injured in a bomb blast at a Russian market. It was previously thought to be an accident, but investigators have found traces of plastic explosives. The blast ripped through stalls at the Kirov market in Samara, 800 kilometressoutheast of Moscow, at around midday local time. Some 300 people were there. Local authorities say the toll would have been much higher had a wall next to a railway not absorbed some of the shock. They believe the incident was either a terrorist attack or a settling of scores among rival gangs. --------------------------------------------------------------------- French Mayor attacked for marrying gay couple
France has its first married gay couple. They attended a civil ceremony in the town hall of the southwestern town of Begles, where the mayor, green party leader and former journalist Nöel Mamère heard Stephane Chapin and Bertrand Charpentier say "yes" to their union. However the marriage has been legally challenged, and condemned by members of the conservative government. Only minutes after the ceremony Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin said he was beginning diciplinary proceedings against Mamère who as an officer of the state, he said, had broken the law. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 4 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- US President meets the Pope at the Vatican
The US president, George W Bush, has met Pope John Paul in the Vatican. It us part of Bush's three-day European tour to mark D-Day celebrations which will culminate in Normandy on Sunday. Bush - who is a born-again Christian - made special adjustments to his schedule to fit in a meeting with the pontiff. Relations between the two have generally been good. But the Pope's vocal opposition to the US-led war in Iraq considerably strained ties. The Pope threw the weight of the Catholic Church against the Iraq war and spoke out against the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers. In a speech in English after their meeting, the pope called for a speedy return of Iraq's sovereignty: "It is the evident desire of everyone that this situation now be normalised as quickly as possible with the active participation of the international community and, in particular, the United Nations organisation, in order to ensure a speedy return of Iraq's sovereignty, in conditions of security for all Iraqis", he said. After the Vatican, Bush will pay a visit to the Ardeatine Caves memorial - a tribute to the 300 Italians executed by the Nazis in Italy's worst civilian massacre during World War Two. The US president will then meet war veterans at the US embassy before dinning with Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Protests in Rome against Bush visit
Given the general opposition to the war in Iraq in Italy, protests against the visit by President George Bush had been anticipated. Hundreds of activists have gathered in the capital and demonstrations have already begun. A massive security operation is underway amid fears the protests could turn violent, as they did three years ago at the G8 summit in Genoa. While the vast majority of demonstrators are expected to act peacefully, a small number seemed determined to use more aggressive methods. A number of fireworks were fired at a military aviation college by a group of masked youths. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Rome remembers the horrors of World War Two
The US president may receive a mixed welcome but sixty years ago the entry of American troops into the Italian capital unleashed a wave of celebration and thanksgiving. In the months leading up to the defeat of the Nazis the citizens of Rome, and elsewhere in Italy, had endured extreme hardship. The city had been devastated by continuous air raids. And the population also suffered the wrath of the retreating Germans. Rome saw one of the worst atrocities of the Second World War in Italy. More than 300 were shot in Fosse Ardeatine in reprisal for the killing by partisans of 33 Germans --------------------------------------------------------------------- France on top security alert ahead of D-Day ceremony
In Arromanches in France - the scene of the culmination of D-Day commemorations - final preparations for the 60th anniversary events are being made. The country is on nationwide scarlet alert, which is the maximum security level, ahead of the arrival of hundreds of dignitaries, war veterans and media. An extra 4,000 troops and 1,000 police officers have been mobilised. A ring of steel has been thrown round the American embassy in Paris. Between Friday night and Sunday evening all vehicles will be banned from the area. Meanwhile, three American veterans have already paid tribute to their fallen comrades. A French navy vessel took them, and the relatives of those who died, to the spot where their boat, the US Corry, was sunk. Twenty-two men died in the attack. In a moving ceremony, flowers were thrown into the water. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Middle East. Sharon sacks two ministers over Gaza plan
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has sacked two ministers in a bid to defeat opposition within his cabinet to his plan to withdraw from Gaza. It gives him a slim majority ahead of a showdown cabinet meeting on Sunday. Before the sackings, 12 cabinet members opposed the plan with 11 supporting it. Avigdor Lieberman, who had been transport minister, was one of the two to lose their jobs. He and his National Unity party colleague, Benny Elon, were given letters of dismissal after they declined to show up for a meeting with Sharon. National Unity is a hardline supporter of settler communities in Gaza and the West Bank. Sharon's proposal to pull some settlements out of Gaza has also been opposed by his own Likud party. The cabinet will be voting on Sunday on a compromise version of the plan. Polls show a majority of Israelis support the idea. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 3 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQ. Hostage video appeals for protests
A video of three Italians being held hostage in Iraq has been broadcast on Arabic TV station Al Jazeera. Apparently filmed on May 31, the tape was aired shortly before US President George W.Bush was due to arrive in Italy ahead of D-Day commemorations. Al Jazeera quoted one of the three captives as saying they had been treated in an excellent manner and were well. But the three used to be four. Two days after they were taken hostage in Baghdad in April, one was shot dead after Italy refused to withdraw its troops. The hostage takers have called on Italians to demonstrate against Bush and the war on Iraq. But opponents of the conflict had already taken to the streets of Rome, as political leaders attended the annual Republic Day military parade. Most Italians were against the US-led invasion and there have been many calls for leader Silvio Berlusconi to pull out troops. One activist said: "We want peace and we don't want Bush to come here because he represents the war." Amid rainbow peace flags in the capital, a black hood was placed over a statue of an angel - in a mock representation of the prisoner torture scandal in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib jail. Some 100,000 police will be on hand for the Bush visit, which marks the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Rome from the Nazis. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All eyes are on Beirut today, where amid tight security, members of the OPEC oil cartel are meeting. They will be discussing whether to increase production of the black stuff to help ease prices and soothe anxiety over the economic impact of increased energy costs. Irrespective of official policy, Saudi Arabia has already said it will significantly step up its output. The kingdom's oil minister Ali al-Naimi, however, stressed that there is only so much OPEC can do. "Today's price has really nothing to do with fundamentals of the oil market," he said. "The price is heated today because of many, many, reasons." Amid fears that the situation will affect the growth of European economies, EU finance ministers called for OPEC to take action. They may have been reassured by a price fall that followed the prospect of more crude coming onto the market, with the United Arab Emirates joining Saudi Arabia in pledging to increase output. But the finance minister of the Republic of Ireland, current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, urged OPEC to do more. "In line with the initiative of the G8, finance ministers call on oil producers to provide adequate supplies so that oil prices would remain consistent with stable sustained growth in the world economy," said Charlie McCreevy. The world will be watching as OPEC makes its next move. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soaring fuel costs take toll on motorists
As OPEC members meet to discuss oil prices, motorists are increasingly feeling the pinch as they fork out more for their fuel. The effect has been hard-hitting, particularly for those who use their vehicles for work. Eager to make savings, some canny consumers are even crossing borders. With energy costs soaring in Germany, many motorists there are heading into neighbouring Luxembourg to make the most of lower prices at the pumps. Drivers then set off home taking with them all the petrol they can carry. And it is not just continental Europe that is feeling the ill-effects. In Britain, increased prices have sparked threats of protests by lorry drivers and others, including go-slow demonstrations on the roads. Adding to the sense of unease, the UK government is planning to raise tax on fuel in September. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saudi police shoot down suspected terrorists
Two terrorosts supspected of involvement in last weekend's attack on a foreigners' compound in Saudi Arabia have been killed by police. They were shot dead in a remote mountain area near the town of Ta'if, not far from Mecca. Saudi forces had been hunting three militants who had escaped after the weekendshooting rampage in the eastern city of Khobar in which 22 people were killed including many foreigners. A manhunt had been launched across the kingdom. Elsewhere, suspected militants opened fire on American military personnel in the capital Riyadh early on Wednesday, adding to fears over stability in the world's biggest oil exporter which have sent oil prices soaring. The Al Qaeda terrorist network, which has claimed responsibility for the Khobar assault, has vowed to drive Americans out of Saudi Arabia which harbours some of Islam's holiest sites and is one of America's allies in its so-called war against terror. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TV "censorship" row erupts in Russia
Russian journalists have expressed concern media censorship is on the rise in Russia after a leading broadcaster fired its top anchorman for refusing to cut a sensitive interview. Leonid Parfyonov is one of country's best-known faces. His bosses at NTV ordered him to kill a piece featuring the widow of a top Chechen rebel assassinated in Qatar. He rejected the company's claims the interview could cause legal problems for Russian security agents currently on trial for the murder. Parfyonov insisted the special services had pressured NTV to cut the interview. He said: "I couldn't disgrace myself by taking my piece off the air and hiding the fact that the management ordered it to be taken off." NTV was Russia's first independent television station. In 2001, it was bought out in a debt scandal by state giant Gazprom. The takeover happened against the backdrop of a vicious feud between the company's first owner, Vladimir Gusinsky, now living in exile, and the Kremlin. The government claimed the dispute was commercial, but critics have persistently accused it of clamping down on freedom of expression. Parfyonov's dismissal will do nothing to allay those concerns. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An exhibition of photographs of daily life in the West Bank city of Hebron taken by Israeli soldiers stationed there for compulsory military service has opened in Tel Aviv. Called 'Breaking the Silence', the exhibition is the work of about 80 troops. "This is something no one has ever talked about," said the exhibition co-ordinator Yehuda Boimfeld. "What happens to soldiers over here. "I think that this is the best example," he went on. "It is a boy through a telescopic sight. This is how we see our reality." Cuffed and blindfolded, a Palestinian detainee is pictured inside an army jeep. Living with constant violence affects people of all ages. "It takes a moment to grasp what is going on here," said the curator, displaying a photograph of Palestinian boys frisking each other. "Children playing at soldiers, body-searching each other. That is the way they live, what they absorb. It is insane." The ex-soldiers have spoken of their confusion at serving in Hebron, saying that while they were there to protect Jewish settlers from the Palestinians, sometimes it needed to be the other way round. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 2 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Security Council to examine new resolution on Iraqi sovereignty
The United States and Britain have revised their United Nations resolution on restoring Iraqi sovereignty, offering a rough timetable for foreign troops to withdraw. The new text says the mandate of the US-led multinational force will expire when there is a constitutionally-elected government. That is expected to be in December 2005 or early 2006. James Cunningham, US ambassador to the UN, said: "We think the amendments that we have proposed focus the resolution text more clearly on the objective that is before the Council, which is to mark the end of the occupation and the restoration of full sovereignty to Iraq." There are currently around 160,000 foreign soldiers in Iraq. The new draft says their presence is "at the request of the incoming interim government". But it does not specifically give the new leaders the right to ask the troops to leave. The resolution anticipates further agreements on such issues as whether Iraq's fledgling army could refuse to take part in a military operation. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Iraqi interim government and president sworn in
Iraqi leaders have forced Washington and the United Nations to back down on their choice of interim president. Ghazi al-Yawar, a 46-year-old US-trained civil engineer, will take up the symbolic post after the transfer of power at the end of this month. Yesterday in Baghdad he told his compatriots: "I promise that I will be an honest Iraqi defender of your aspirations to re-establish total sovereignty in our country and to reinstate a political system which is pluralist and democratic." Last week the Iraqi Governing Council named Iyad Allawi - one of its members - as interim prime minister, catching the Coaliton Provisional Authority and UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi off guard. Now some are saying the council has scored another victory, resisting pressure to back Washington's favourite for president, Adnan Pachachi, a former foreign minister. Ghazi al-Yawar has already criticised the way the US military has handled security in Iraq, saying troops have unnecessarily provoked the population. Within hours of him being named as president, the interim cabinet was sworn in. Most are technocrats nominated by the UN. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Bush and Blair welcome Iraq's new government
Much of the international community has welcomed the investiture of Iraq's interim government. The European Union wished the body every success. US President George W. Bush said the government had the skills and talents to lead Iraq, although he warned of difficult times ahead. "Many challenges remain," he said, speaking after fresh bloodshed in Iraq. "Today's violence underscores that freedom in Iraq is opposed by violent men who seek the failure not only of this interim government but of all progress toward liberty. We will stand with the Iraqi people." British Prime Minister Tony Blair hailed what he called a truly historic day for Iraq. "It is important that we get a United Nations Security Council resolution which endorses this process and makes it quite clear that the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi government is the transfer of full sovereignty and that after June 30, the multinational forces remain there but only with the consent of the Iraqi government," he said. The process of choosing the government got bogged down in political wranglings, a fact UN boss Kofi Annan did not shy away from: "I think we all have to recognise that the process wasn't perfect and it is a difficult environment. And I think, given the circumstances, I believe Mr. Brahimi did as best as he could." Meanwhile Russia has called for an international conference on Iraq before June 30. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Several killed in Baghdad bomb blast
Iraqi police say at least four people have died and 20 have been injured in what may have been a car bomb explosion in northern Baghdad. The blast rocked the mainly Sunni district of Aadamiya, going off in a busy street packed with pedestrians and workers. A car was ripped apart and its wreckage was strewn everywhere but it is not known if this is because it was carrying a charge or was just passing by when a roadside device went off. It is the latest explosion in a deadly series that has come as the new Iraqi government has been named. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Mandela retires in style - and with a smile
"Don't call me. I'll call you." So said Nelson Mandela as he bowed out of public life, with his customary grace and good humour. South Africa's first post-apartheid president, who turns 86 next month, is stepping out of the limelight to spend more time with his family and friends. He will also work on his memoirs. Since leaving office in 1999, Mandela has kept up a punishing schedule. He has led efforts to combat HIV and Aids and campaigned hard for the recent re-election of the ruling ANC and his successor as head of state, Thabo Mbeki. Mandela also backed his country's bid to host the 2010 soccer World Cup and was ecstatic when his efforts were rewarded. So now real retirement beckons for the man who spent 27 years in jail for fighting apartheid. He remains a hero to many, including Oscar-winning South African actress Charlize Theron. At a recent meeting, she told Mandela she loved him, describing him as "an inspiration to all human beings, not just South Africans but to the rest of the world." ----------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated 1 June, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Iraqis win battle of wills
Iraqi leaders have won the tussle over who will become the country's new president. Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawer - the choice of the Iraqi Governing Council - will take on the role but only after Washington's favoured candidate Adnan Pachachi was first appointed, then refused the position He said he saw it as his duty to turn down the post of president, defusing a potentially damaging situation. Council members had accused the Americans of trying to install him against their wishes However the real power will rest with the new prime minister, British educated surgeon Iyad Allawi. With little sign of an end to the rampant insurgency in Iraq he now has the unenviable task of trying to nudge the country back to normality. But with the Governing Council enjoying little support among ordinary Iraqis, there is a danger the new body will be seen as no more than a clone, whoever isin charge. -------------------------------------------------------------------- New government greeted with Baghdad bombs
Several explosions have been heard from the green zone in central Baghdad, the US headquarters in the Iraqi capital where senior US and Iraqi officials are meeting to name a new Iraqi interim government. At least 25 people have been killed in the attack, most damage taking place around a Kurdish political office close to the green zone's limits. Some sources say this was a car bombing. The blasts were heard just minutes after the new president was announced. Witnesses speak of at least four mortar-like explosions, followed by two columns of smoke coming from within the heavily-protected green zone, and a second barrage some 20 minutes later with gunfire. In a separate attack a suicide car bomber died when his vehicle exploded attacking a US military base in Baiji, north of Baghdad. Local hospitals say at least two people died and several were injured, but there are reports of many casualties being taken into the base. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bush salutes US war dead
George W. Bush has marked Memorial Day, when the United States honours fallen members of its armed forces. At Arlington National Cemetery, the US president paid his respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, acknowledging what he called the "great costs" of American military deaths since September 11, 2001. "Since the hour this nation was attacked, we have seen the character of the men and women who wear our country's uniform in places like Kabul and Kandahar and Mosul and Baghdad," he said. The Democratic challenger hoping to replace Bush in the White House also marked Memorial Day. John Kerry visited the Vietnam Veterans' memorial, where he laid a wreath with the family of a soldier who died in 1976 of battle injuries he suffered in 1968. As a decorated Vietnam veteran himself, Kerry's war record is often contrasted with that of his Republican rival. President Bush did not fight in Vietnam. He was serving as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. All weekend, the US has been paying tribute to its servicemen and women. A new World War II memorial was unveiled in the capital. George W. Bush is to cross the Atlantic for further war-related appearances as Europe prepares to mark the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Georgia sends soldiers to protect South Ossetia checkpoints
Georgia stepped up the pressure on the South Ossetia region on Monday, briefly sending troops to its border. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said it was part of a drive to "restore order in the country and eradicate smuggling." South Ossetia swiftly condemned the dispatch of Georgian soldiers, saying that Tbilisi wanted to restart the war of the early 1990s that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mikhail Saakashvili has vowed to bring South Ossetia and another breakaway region, Abkhazia, back under Georgian control. President Saakashvili says Georgia will increase its peacekeeping forces in South Ossetia from 100 to 500, in line with the number already deployed by local authorities and by Russia. The Georgian prime minister has accused Russian troops stationed there of trying to frustrate efforts to stop smuggling. Earlier this month, Georgia reasserted central control in the rebel province of Adzharia. ----------------------------------------------------------- |
