16 June 2002
Crime is the bottom line for Arthur Andersen
The future of the international accounting and consultancy firm Arthur Andersen looks bleak after a United States Federal Court jury found the company guilty of obstructing justice. But Arthur Andersen lawyers reject the verdict that the company acted criminally by destroying audit records. Arthur Andersen initially came to the attention of investigators after one of its senior employees ordered a massive shredding operation of the records of the Enron corporation, over a two week period, as Enron's finances went into meltdown. But that was not the only factor that lead to a guilty verdict. Complicity in the concealement of Enron's multi-billion dollar black hole of debt, in the United States biggest ever corporate bankruptcy, was deemed more damning.
Czech election results
A 51 year old academic, Vladimir Spidla, is likely to be the next prime minister of the Czech Republic, after his Social Democrat party topped the poll in this weekend's elections. But the main surprise was a strong showing from the Communists, despite widespread voter apathy and a record low turnout of under 60 percent. The Social Democrats polled just over 30 percent. Their Centre Right rivals the Civic Democrats took around 24 percent and the Communists topped 18 percent. The result was a bitter blow for Vaclav Klaus, the eurosceptic leader of the Civic Democrats. Opinion polls had placed the party almost neck and neck with the Social Democrats. Czech Republic President, Vacla Havel will meet party leaders today to discuss formation of a new government. The probable outcome will be a coalition between Spidla's Social Democrats and a mixed centre grouping that includes Christian Democrats.
Bilbao protest backs Batasuna
In the Spanish city of Bilbao, in the northern Basque region, tens of thousands of people marked the 25th anniversary of the demise of the fascist regime of General Fransisco Franco and the birth of Spain's modern democracy, by marching against government plans to ban the Basque political party Batasuna. The banning is mainly directed at the armed Basque separatist group ETA, responsible for a violent campaign of bombings and shootings over four decades, in a fight for Basque independence. The Spanish government claims that Batasuna is its political wing and effectively supports terrorism. The show of support for Batasuna came as a major embarrassment for Spain's prime minister, José Maria Aznar, who said he was ashamed of the support for an anti-democratic organisation. However, democracy celebrations continued throughout the rest of the country and in the capital, Madrid, the parliament building was thrown open to the public.
Pilgrims gather for new Saint
Three hundred thousand Roman Catholic faithful are expected to throng St Peter's Square in Rome today for the canonisation ceremony of Father Pio. Father Pio joins a list of 462 Saints canonised by Pope John Paul the Second, who has single handedly created more Saints than all his papal predecessors put together. As Archbishop of Cracow, Pope John Paul wrote to Pio asking him to pray for a Polish woman with throat cancer. Wanda Poltawska was healed and today joins pilgrims from around the world at the Vatican. Father Pio was born in 1887, but never left his friary from 1918, eventually dying in 1968. He was reputed to have stigmata wounds on his hands and body, which bled a cupful of blood every day. San Giovanni Rotondo in southern Italy, where he spent his monastic life, has now overtaken Lourdes and Assisi as a pilgrimage destination.
Germany's construction workers set to strike.
Members of Germany's IG Bau construction workers union have voted overwhelmingly in favour of calling a strike. The union said more than 98 per cent of ballots cast were for industrial action over the issue of pay. Workers whose contracts ended in March are fighting for a 4.5 per cent pay rise. The head of the IG Bau Union Klauss Wiesehuegel said in reaction "The vote of 98,63 % does not really surprise me. The mood of the workers is very bad and all signs now point towards a storm." The looming construction strike coupled with rolling stoppages organised by the service sector union mean the prospect of a Summer of labour unrest in the run up to Germany's general election in September.