Last Updated: 31, Saturday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Israel announces good will measures on road to peace
There is renewed optimism in the Mid-East peace process as Israel announces a series of goodwill measures ahead of a key trilateral summit. Israel is relaxing the closure of the Palestinian territories and allowing thousands to return to work in Israel. The total closure of the territories has devastated the Palestinian economy.Israel has also promised to release two high-profile Palestinians from prison. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has insisted his Palestinian counterpart Mahmud Abbas must reciprocate the goodwill by forcing terrorist groups to disarm. But extremists are reluctant to lay down their weapons, and seem unlikely to accept even a truce. They say an end to Israeli incursions and arrests of suspected militants is a pre-condition to a ceasefire. Israel has rejected such an understanding.Meanwhile US Mideast envoy William Burns is meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom to prepare the ground for Wednesday's landmark summit in Jordan. At the summit US President George Bush will meet his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts to discuss the "road map" for peace. -------------------------------------------------------------------------
ETA blamed for fatal bomb blast in northern
Spain -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 30, Friday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Security stepped up ahead of G8 summit
Thousands of demonstrators against this weekend's G8 summit in Evian have begun making their way to the French spa town near Lake Geneva. Meetings of the world's leading industrial powers always attracts attention from large and small anti-capitalist groups and this gathering looks like being no exception. For the moment, they are congregating at Annemasse in France where they are finalising protest plans. France picked Evian as the venue because the twisting roads leading to it should be easy to defend against anti-globalisation protestors. Nevertheless, a heavy police presence means the demonstrators will be some way from the town itself. Evian has effectively been cordoned off to all but local residents, with demonstrations banned within a ten kilometre radius to avoid the possibility of violent demonstrations. Some say it is the Swiss who are facing the real security headaches. Many fear scenes similar to those during the 2001 G8 meeting in Genoa, which was marred by violence. To avoid a repetition, a thick security blanket is in place in Lausanne - the Swiss city where the world leaders will be staying lies directly across from the summit venue. The anti-capitalist protestors will also have company
from nearly a thousand German police officers have been called in
by the Swiss government for extra help in maintaining security. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Blair praises "courageous" armed forces.
British Prime Minister, Tony Blair touched down this morning in Basra, southern Iraq - the first western leader to visit the country since the end of the conflict there that toppled former Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein. Blair gambled his premiership backing the US-led invasion of Iraq and so it is more important than ever that this trip and the continuing British operation inIraq is seen to be successful. After visiting a local school where he met some very happy looking children, he then met with British troops gathered in a former palace of Saddam Hussein. But even as he was basking in the applause of the British Army Blair was facing fresh criticism at home over the US and British justifications for going to war with Iraq. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did Blair lie about Saddam's Weapons of Mass Destruction?
On the plane which brought him to Iraq and a hero's welcome, last night Tony Blair again repeated to the press on board that he had no doubt that sooner or later Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction would be found. Stubborn insistence or blind faith? Two months since the war ended nothing has yet been uncovered, and the Americans are now revising their position. As Tony Blair touched down, US Defence Minister Donald Rumsfeld admitted as much, without exactly saying it; "It is also possible that they decided that they would destroy them, prior to the conflict, and I don't know the answer". Yet WMD's were on all the allies' lips before the war, cited as the main reason for intervening...remember? President Bush used other arguments, notably the dictatorship that had to end;but Blair insisted WMD's and the threat to peace was paramount. Today he is ina delicate position, says Christopher Hitchens for one; "I don't think it matters very much to the American public opinion whether weapons are found or not because I think they prefer to discover mass grave sites, and the secret prisons and the torture chambers as a retrospective moral justification or let's say pre-existing moral justifications. I think the person who would be most embarrassed if nothing is found would be Tony Blair" Blair is accused today of exaggerating the September report on Iraq's weapons. "Iraq could deploy certain WMD's in 45 minutes" is a phrase a Downing Street source now says was added by Blair to spice it up. Robin Cook, who resigned from the government over the war, wants an inquiry; "We now have the United States Defence Secretary effectively saying that they can't find the weapons and they may never find the weapons. That blows a enormous gaping hole through the case for war that was made on both sides of the Atlantic and I think that has to be investigated." Is this going to blow up in hitherto "Teflon" Tony's face? Are his troop's efforts to find WMD's just a smokescreen in the Iraqi sands? Will Britons decide they have been had, or just accept it was an honest mistake? The next elections will tell... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Everest celebrations on roof of the world
Nepal has today taken a break from its internal conflicts to celebrate the first ascension of Everest. Crown Prince Paras Shah awarded a jubilee medal to the sole survivor of the historic expedition, Edmund Hilary, and other conquerers of the "roof of the world". The ceremony was attended by hundreds of mountaineers, and Prince Paras Shahplanted an ice-axe in a replica of the world's highest mountain. It is the nation's most potent symbol ; a myth whose unveiling opened up the mountain kingdom to the outside world. In fact the Hilary-Tensing expedition took the southern face of Everest simply because they had no choice ; Communist China had closed Tibet's frontiers, barring all other approaches. On the morning of May the 29th. 1953 the two climbers got back to their team in base camp nine. They had taken five hours to climb the last 300 metres, getting to the top at 11.30 in the morning. The expedition had taken seven weeks. Since 1921 13 other teams had tried and failed, the mountain claiming 13 lives in the process. Tensing and Hilary succeeded because of military planning , and equipment. It had global impact, comparable to reaching the North Pole. The pair were projected into celebrity, as was Nepal, and the world discovered the hardy Sherpa people. "Tenzing and I always agreed ; we have done it once, we have done it first, we had proved it was possible to do it", said Hilary on the anniversary. Since that day Everest has lost none of its charm, or its attraction. It may not be the world's most beautiful, nor most difficult summit, but since its identification in 1852 as the highest, it has enflamed mountaineer's ambitions. A great mystique suurounds Sagarmatha , as the Nepalese call it, or Chomolungma in Tibetan ; a mystique that comes from its height, and the view from the top with Nepal to the south and Tibet to the north, and of course the long history of its conquest. The mystique remains today, unblemished by the increasing numbers of climbers who follow in Tensing and Hilary's footsteps. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Last Updated: 29, Thursday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Emotional return for dead Spanish soldiers --------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 28, Wednesday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Green light for massive European defence project
Seven European countries have signed a contract to buy 180 of the new A400M military transport planes from manufacturer Airbus. It is a major step in building up the European rapid reaction force, and guarantees the future of many EU defence contractors. The deal had suffered a series of delays while Germany, the biggest customer, secured financing for its fleet. France, Spain, Britain, Turkey, Belgium and Luxembourg have all agreed to the project, valued at 20 billion euro. It is a significant political decision. After the first Gulf War and the Kosovo conflict Europe felt it had relied too much on American military hardware to move its men and equipment around the world. The A400M, which can carry twice the payload of the C-130 Hercules it replaces, fulfils that demand for a European multi-role military transport plane. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Algeria hit by second quake in a week
At least nine people are believed to have been killed and hundreds have been injured in a second earthquake in Algeria. Many buildings already empty following last week's quake were flattened. The epicentre of the tremours, which measured 5.8 on the Richter scale, was in the same region as the last one, in Zemmouri, some 50 kilometres east of the capital Algiers, on the Mediterranean coast. Algiers was also hit as was Boumerdes to the east, which suffered nearly half the deaths in last Wednesday's quake, the worst to hit the country in over two decades. More than 2,200 people were killed and over 9,000 injured. At least 15,000 people were left homeless. The second quake last night was caught live on Algerian TV. In the studio, the anchor remained calm, reminding his audience it was a live broadcast. Authorities have urged people to stay calm, telling them it is a strong aftershock from last week's tremours. Health and aid workers have now replaced rescue teams as the search for survivors of last week's quake is over. No hope remains of finding anyone alive. The fear now is the spread of disease amid growing temperatures in the squalid camps where many Algerians have been given temporary shelter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- US announces meeting with Israelis and Palestinians early June
The Israeli and Palestinian leaders will meet today ahead of a summit with US president George W. Bush in Jordan next month. It follows earlier delays which Israeli premier Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas put down to scheduling problems. Both denied rumours of a rift. Bush is currently preparing for a European tour which starts on Friday. On the agenda of the Israel-Palestinian talks is a US-backed road map for peace in the Middle East which envisages the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005. While some progress appears to have been made on the diplomatic front, there have been familiar scenes of violence on the ground. Clashes broke out between Palestinian youths and the Israeli army in the West Bank town of Jenin yesterday when soldiers tried to impose a curfew. A Palestinian boy was killed in similar unrest in Tulkarm. Both the Palestinians and the Israelis have accepted the road map, though Israel has expressed reservations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bush administration appears split over Iran
The Bush administration is reportedly in the grip of a debate on relations with Iran. It is thought suspected Al Qaeda activity within the country has persuaded the Pentagon to call for all contacts to be suspended. But US Secretary of State Colin Powell said low-level relations will continue despite Washington's concerns: "Our policy with respect to Iran has not changed. We do not approve of their support of terrorist activity, have made it clear over the years that we disapprove of their efforts to develop nuclear activity." Meanwhile, the US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, has repeated a warning to Iran not to try to influence the situation in Iraq: "Interference in Iraq by its neighbours or their
proxies will not be permitted. Indeed, Iran should be on notice that
efforts to try to remake Iraq in Iran's image will be agressively
put down." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ESA members approve plans to revive Ariane rockets
Ministers from the 15 member countries of the European Space Agency or ESA have approved proposals for a major revamp in rocket launchers. The ESA has been badly hit by the slump in the market for commercial satellites , a knock-on effect of the crisis in global telecommunications and the popping of the internet bubble. The agency has also faced a major headache in the form of the Ariane-5 launcher series. The larger 10-tonne version self-destructed on its maiden flight last December, even if it has since flown successfully. Now the ESA ministers, meeting in Paris, have agreed to cut costs by handing European aerospace giant EADS sole responsibility for making the rockets. German education and research minister Edelgard Bulmahn said: "I'm very pleased it was possible to take a decision which will ensure Ariane will be, once again, a competitive and I hope a very successful launcher." The agency is hoping Ariane can compete against its rivals in the US. At the same time it is launching an alternative to the Americans' GPS or Global Positioning System. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 50 years on, Nepal celebrates first man who climbed Everest
It has been half a century since the first man climbed to the top the world's highest peak, Mount Everest. 50 years on, the tiny Himalayan kingdom is celebrating the man who made it, Sir Edmund Hillary, who has since been given honorary Nepalese citizenship. Just as he did 50 years ago, 83-year old Hillary rode through the lanes of the capital Kathmandu in a horse-driven carriage, cheered by thousands of Nepalis. Hillary's ascent of Mount Everest kicked off tourism in the impoverished nation, which had only opened to the outside world a few years earlier. However, one crucial participant was missing from the celebrations: Tenzing Norgay, the Nepali who climbed with Hillary to the 8,850 metre summit. He died in 1986. Also missing were the nationalistic posters of 1953 showing Tenzing hauling a limp Hillary to the summit. Hillary insists he reached the top a few metres ahead of Tenzing. 450 summeteers are in Nepal for the official anniversary on Thursday. --------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 27, Tuesday, May, 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IsraeliCautious hopes for Middle East "Road Map" to peace
Little by little, the latest initiative for Middle East peace appears to be gathering momentum. The mere presence of Israeli and Syrian delegates at the Euromed conference of Mediterranean nations in Crete is being interpreted as a positive sign for the so-called "road map" plan. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said it indicated things were moving in the right direction: "What we cannot afford is that the road map become another document which is good but not implemented. This has to be implemented." It is the first time in three years that Damascus has sent a representative to a non-UN meeting attended by Israel. Earlier, the French Foreign Minister, Dominique de Villepin, met his Isreali counterpart and the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, to urge them to implement the plan. The conference was also told that US President George Bush is to hold a summit with the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers in Jordan next week. The road map, drafted by the US, the EU, Russia and the UN envisages the creation of a Palestinian state and security guarantees for Israel as part of an overall regional settlement. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- US soldier killed in Iraq ambush
The war may be over but Iraq is still far from being a safe place for US troops. One American soldier has been killed and four wounded in four separate ambushes around the country. The fatal attack occurred in a town north of Baghdad. In the capital itself an armoured vehicle was destroyed in a suspected landmine blast which injured three servicemen. There has been an upsurge in such incidents recently across Iraq as Washington struggles to fill a power vacuum following the defeat of Saddam Hussein's regime. It is presumed Saddam loyalists have been behind the attacks. The priority for US forces and their British allies at the moment is re-imposing law and order. --------------------------------------------------------------------------
The EU's 15 farm ministers are meeting for a second day of talks before a crucial summit in Luxemburg next month. They are bitterly divided over radical changes in Europe's agricultural policy. Bickering over Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler's plans has lasted over a year: his reform package aims to overhaul the EU's costly Common Agricultural Policy which eats up nearly half the annual EU budget of 100 billion euro. The proposal has met fierce resistance particularly with farmers in Spain and France, who are reluctant to give up their lavish subsidies. Thousands of farmers took to the streets of France to protest yesterday. It is a delicate balancing act for the French government which is eager not to antagonise the powerful farming lobby while it faces social unrest over proposed pension reforms. Leader of the farmers' union, the FNSEA, Jean-Michel Lemetayer said Fischler's reforms would mark the demise of French agriculture: cutting subsidies would lead to cutting prices and the whole market would collapse. Half the country's farmers would be out of work, he said. A pro-reform coalition made up of Germany, Britain, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands has given Fischler its backing. They mostly pay more into the EU than they get back. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Berlusconi loses Rome in local elections
Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right has suffered an embarrassing defeat in a provincial election in Rome, but has held on to power elsewhere across Italy. The vote was widely seen as a referendum on Berlusconi's popularity after two years in office. The prime minister is currently engaged in an acrimonious court battle against bribery charges. Losing the Rome region will come as a serious blow to Berlusconi. But government parties appeared to have held their ground in other provinces and even made some modest gains. Secretary General of the Democratic Left Piero Fassino said it was Berlusconi's choice to heat up the political climate, it was clear the public did not appreciate his confrontational approach and chose to give their votes to the centre-left candidates. Nearly 12 million Italians, or one quarter of the electorate, were eligible to vote on Sunday and Monday in some 12 provinces and nearly 500 cities. Turnout was high at more than 66 percent. A second round will be held on June 8th and 9th in provinces where no candidate won an absolute majority. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- French airports hit by one-day strike
France is braced for more travel chaos today as air traffic controllers go on strike in an ongoing dispute over planned pension reforms. It is expected around 80 percent of flights in and out of the country will be cancelled during the one-day stoppage. French public sector workers have been taking to the streets to protest against the centre-right government's proposal to make people work longer for the right to retire on a full pension. Teachers, who have been to the fore of the demonstrations, are also campaigning against a shake-up of the education system. But their actions have not been universally supported. Hundreds of students marched through the city of Toulouse yesterday in opposition to a teachers' strike which will prevent them from taking their exams. The government says pension reforms are needed to cope with growing funding strains. It says it is trying to head of a crisis later this decade when the so-called "post-war baby-boomer" generation comes into retirement. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fury rages in quake ravaged Algeria
Looting and disease have become the main worries following Algeria's worst earthquake in two decades. More than 2,200 people are now known to have died. While rotting corpses abound combined with a lack of clean water and heat, there is a high risk of death for survivors crowded into makeshift tent cities on the north Africa country's Mediterranean coast. There is nothing more the international rescue teams can do. After several days of frantic searching for survivors, they are now backing their bags and preparing their dogs for their flight home. Although a 13-year-old girl and a woman were pulled alive from the rubble on Sunday, authorities say there is little or no hope of finding any more survivors. Meanwhile, shock and grief are giving way to anger as more and more people blame the government for doing nothing to help the homeless and turning a blind eye to shoddy construction in a quake-prone area. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spain's right avoids left's horns in election
Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar's Popular Party has done better than expected in the double municipal and regional elections held yesterday. Spain's voters have hardly changed the country's political map less than a year ahead of the general election. "Above all a party like the Popular Party, which some people thought only a fewdays ago would be wiped off the map remains a big party, the great party that it always has been" , said Aznar in Madrid. The proof is there on the ground ; the PP won the most municipal council seats, scooping 365 more than the main opposition PSOE Socialists. Above all the Popular Party retained control of Madrid City council, led by Alberto Ruiz Gallardon, the centrist so long sidelined by his more rightwingleader, who stood alongside Aznar last night in victory, and now seems well-placed to succeed him. However it is far from a clear victory for the government. The Socialists point to their votes victory, which thanks to the system did not translate into seats; 200 000 votes more, the first time they have been ahead of the PP since 1995. This, says Socialist leader Jose Rodruigez Zapatero, means it is looking good for next year's general election; "These are the first national elections of any kind we've had since I became leader, and the result is a clear and decisive victory for our party". The only changes nationally came in the region around Madrid, which looks likely to be governed by a Socialist/Neo-Communist coalition, and the Balearic islands, which went the other way and will now be governed by the Popular Party, led by the former Environment minister during the Prestige oil spill. All Spain's analysts agree that the perceived poor handling of that disaster by the government, and its unpopular policy over Iraq finally had little effect in this poll. The vote was dominated by local issues, and turnout was high ,over 67% , up over three percent on four years ago. The government may draw some comfort from this. The idea now gathering pace is that these results point to no absoulte majority emerging from the general election in 2004 , although of course there is plenty of time between now and then for that to change. Whatever happens, Jose Maria Aznar will not be leading his party next spring ; he has fought his last national battle for the Spanish right. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan rocked by strong quake
A powerful earthquake has hit northern Japan near Sendai city. The quake which measured seven on the Richter scale struck around 6.30 p.m. The tremors were felt even as far south as Tokyo, some 300 kilometres away, where workers scurried on to the streets as buildings shook strongly and swayed from side to side. The earthquake, the largest to hit Japan in three years, shattered windows in other buildings close to the centre of Sendai and knocked objects from store and office shelves. The government has set up an emergency task force. For the moment there is no word on casualties and no reported danger of a tsunami or giant wave, although some people have lost part or all of their homes to fire. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eurovision Winner Turkey celebrates
In stark contrast with the British duo and its historical "Nul Point", Eurovision Song Contest Winner Sertab Erener was given a hero's welcome in Istanbul. With a rythmic mix of belly dancing and Middle East flair, Turkey won the contest for the first time ever since it was launched in 1956, with "Everything that I can". A classically-trained soprano, Erener is already one of Turkey's most popular singers. She helped score its previous best position when it finished third in 1997. Celtic Belgian band Urban Trad came in second. The Russian duo T.A.T.U., hotly tipped to win, got the bronze medal. --------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 26, Monday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Socialists gain in Spanish local polls as ruling PP hangs on to cities
Spain's municipal elections have produced a mixed bag of results, leaving both the ruling PP and the opposition Socialists claiming a good night for themselves. The Socialists took an early lead, but the PP kept its grip on Spain's major cities. The PP looks likely to hang on to the capital Madrid but lose the region to a left-wing coalition. The Socialists have made the most of Prime Minister Aznar's questionable handling of the Prestige oil disaster in November and his widely pilloried support for George W. Bush's "war on terror" and the US attack on Iraq. Aznar's hard line on Basque nationalism - he succeded in making Washington add the Basque separatist party Batasuna to its list of terrorist organizations - has increased the vote of moderate Basque parties such as the PNV. This is the first municipal election where Batasuna has been barred from standing. The Spanish judiciary has ruled it promotes terrorism through its links to the outlawed armed group ETA. In Galicia, the region worst hit by the Prestige disaster, the Socialists increased their share of the vote. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Israeli cabinet approves peace blueprint
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has won cabinet approval for a US-backed "road map" for peace that includes a groundbreaking call for a Palestinian state. The vote was carried 12-7 with four abstentions. Sharon accepted the "road map" after Washington said it would take into account a list of Israeli reservations. There could now be an Israeli-Palestinian summit attended by President Bush. Infrastructure minister Yoseph Paritzki represents Shinui, the second largest party in the governing coalition, which officially backs the peace plan. He said: "What needs to be done is to communicate with the United States and to start implementing the stages specified in the first phase. We're of course looking to the Palestinian Authority to fulfil its part, especially fighting terrorism as indicated in the road map." Sharon faces opposition from some parts of his own Likud party and from the two more radical parties in his government. Tourism minister Benny Elon, of the National Union, warned: "It will be again bloodshed. We are trying to prevent it and to learn from the mistakes of Oslo. Don't forget the Oslo accords started with high expectations and concluded with disappoinment and bloodshed. " The first phase of the "road map" requires Israel to withdraw from areas which it has occupied over the last three years and freeze settlement-building. It also demands concrete measures by the Palestinian Authority to end militants' attacks on Israelis. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Algerian rescue workers lose hope of finding quake survivors
The search for survivors of Wednesday's earthquake in Algeria has now become a search for bodies. Tireless efforts to rescue an 11-year-old girl, thought to be trapped in a collapsed appartment block, appear to have come to nothing. The government says over 2,000 people were killed, mostly in areas east of the capital Algiers. This French rescue worker says "The chance of finding anyone alive gets less by the hour. We're increasingly pulling out dead bodies." Rescue teams from around the world have been using sniffer dogs and sound probes to search the rubble. Thousands of residents of the Mediterranean provinces of Algiers and Boumerdes are spending a fifth night in the open. Many lost their homes in the quake while others are too scared to return to buildings still standing. A series of aftershocks has done little to reassure them. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was jeered as he visited the worst-hit areas on Saturday. Many believe the authorities allowed unscrupulous contractors to put up flimsy public buildings. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ One million on the march in Morocco.
The people of Morocco have been sending an anti-terrorism message. Taking to the streets of Casablanca, thousands of Moroccans of all religious persuations joined a mass rally in protest against the suicide bombings there which killed 43 people and injured more than 100. The protestors waved Moroccan flags and chanted "No terrorism" as they marched through the streets of the country's biggest city. Islamic, Jewish and Christian groups were involved in organising the demonstration, which Morocco's Minister of Human Rights said would help the people vent their anger against terrorism. The country - which is generally seen as moderate in the Islamic world - has been greatly shocked by the bombings. The Moroccan government said the anti-terror rally was intended to send a strong message to those who plot against the country's stability and traditions. The authorities say a small Islamic group calling itself "The Righteous Path" was behind the five almost simultaneous bombings. Morocco says the bombers were linked to "international terrorism." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Protests over French pension reforms.
Before the day's demonstrations began police estimated
there would be as many as 500,000 people on the streets of Paris and
there are similar marches in large cities throughout France. The main French CGT union has organised the demonstrations and is planning a series of strikes to try to break the French government's resolve. It is shaping up to be a major battle of wills with Raffarin's government determined not to suffer the fate of a previous conservative administration which was voted out of office in 1997 after trying to introduce similar reforms. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turkey has scored its first victory at the Eurovision Song Contest. Sertab Erener, one of the country's most popular singers, beat off the competition with the song "Every Way That I Can." The event took place in the Latvian capital Riga. A huge crowd gathered in one of the city's squares, perhaps encouraged by rumours that Russian duo Tatu would perform naked. In the end the clothes stayed on and the provocative popsters trailed in third behind Belgium's Urban Trad. Sertab Erener, who stood out among the usual mixture of soggy ballads and disco-kitsch, says it could not have been closer, with everything hingeing on the final set of results: "It was very hard to go against the Belgian competitors. It was very exciting. I can't speak English any more." The UK entry- Liverpudlian duo Jemini- scored the dreaded
"nul points", prompting allegations that they were punished
for their country's participation in the Iraq conflict. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 25, Sunday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spaniards prepare to vote in litmus test for Aznar
Spain is poised to vote in a municipal and regional ballot widely seen as a litmus test for next year's general election. Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, who is stepping down next year, has much at stake. His staunch support for the US war in Iraq and his handling of the Prestige environmental disaster have been roundly criticized. Aznar's hard line against Basque nationalism is unpopular in the northern Basque region. The banning of Basque separatist party Batasuna is expected to benefit the moderate nationalist PNV party, despite Aznar's calls for local alliances with Socialists to keep Basque nationalists out. Voting will take place in over 8,000 municipalities nationwide, and 13 of Spain's 17 autonomous regions. The opposition Socialists, led by Jose Zapatero, are trying to capitalise on Aznar's unpopular support for George Bush and his perceived ineptitude over the Prestige disaster. Zapatero told a rally that Spanish foreign policy should not be dictated by Washington but decided by Spaniards. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Algerian quake toll rises above 2,000
The official death toll in the Algerian earthquake has climbed to 2,047, with 8, 626 injured. Aid workers are switching their attention to helping the homeless as hopes of finding survivors have all but evaporated. International aid agencies are flying tents, blankets, food and medicines. They are also trying to head off potential epidemics, as corpses rot in thirty degrees temperatures. An after-tremor measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale struck Thenia, east of Algiers, vindicating the fears of many who refuse to return to their homes. Foreign aid workers have played a vital role in setting up emergency shelter for the homeless, who number some 15,000. Efforts also continued apace to restore damaged phone lines, power and water supplies. Many survivors are furious at the government for allowing cowboy contracts to put up flimsy buildings in a quake-prone area. They also accuse the government of responding too slowly to the disaster. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was heckled when he toured the worst-hit areas. Crowds shouted "assassin" and pelted his motorcade with stones. The government said protest was "natural" given the overwhelming needs of survivors. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Medio OrienteMideast clashes contiune as Sharon presents road map to cabinet
Palestinian youths have clashed with the Israeli army in the West Bank city of Nablus. The youths pelted tanks and armoured cars, drawing Israeli fire which wounded five Palestinians. Earlier in the day Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in the West Bank and detained four suspected terrorists. They also shot dead a reportedly unarmed Palestinian in the Gaza strip. Meanwhile in Hebron, Israeli troops detained the local leader of the extremist group Islamic Jihad, which has killed dozens of Israelis in suicide attacks. Islamic Jihad has ruled out ending suicide bombings, saying that would weaken the Palestinian uprising. While the violence shows no signs of subsiding, the diplomatic outlook looks brighter. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has presented the US road map for peace to his cabinet. Political sources say Sharon has a good chance of securing approval despite resistance from far-right cabinet members. Sharon decided to present the plan after securing assurances from Washington that Israeli reservations will be taken into account as the road map is implemented. The Palestinian cabinet has also been discussing Israel's acceptance of the road map. Their biggest challenge now is how to deal with militant groups such as Hamas who reject ending violence as set out by the road map. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nein Danke - German unionists reject government reform
Tens of thousands of trade union members have been holding rallies across Germany to protest at Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's pro-business reform plans. Agenda 2010 is an attempt to pull the country back from the brink of recession through radical cuts to social benefits. But the Federation of Trade Unions opposes the scheme. Federation leader, Michael Sommer, told the crowds the cuts were a way of filling government coffers emptied by the economic crisis. Fellow unionist, Frank Bsirske, accused the government of breaking election promises. Worse, he said, the government had gone further, doing the very opposite of what it was voted in to do. Schroeder's putting on a brave face. He says he does
not agree with his critics but respects their right to hold a different
opinion. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Finally part of the European family: Tureky wins Eurovision song contest
Turkey's charismatic Sertab Erener has powered her country to victory in the annual Eurovision song contest in Latvia. Turkey's entry "Every Way That I Can" was a raunchy explosion of rhythm and belly dancing, mixing Turkish and Western musical styles. It is Turkey's first victory in the competition. The Slovenian vote was decisive in a tight race which gave Turkey 167 points over Belgium's 165. There was disappointment for Russian lesbian duo Tatu, who had been hot favourites to win the contest. They gave an unusually muted performance. One of the girls apparently had a throat problem. For Britain, the heady days of Cliff Richard's victory seemed very far away as the country bombed with nul points - the only entry this year to walk away with nothing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
Last Updated: 24 , Saturday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Euro's surge poses many questions.
How high can the euro go? That is the question being asked as the single European currency continued to gain against the US dollar and this week pushed above its launch level for the first time It is in stark contrast to the euro's early life. Virtually from its birth in 1999 it lost ground against the dollar. By October 2000 it had fallen in value by 30 per cent to just over 82 cents. But then the dollar underwent a sustained slide in value. So, now at 1.18 is the euro too strong? European Commission spokesman Gerassimos Thomas doesn't think so. He told reporters: "Strengthening of the euro has positive and negative effects. Obviously at first sight it has negative effects on exports, but we have to remember that we depend on the import of specific products." In particular he said the strong euro had compensated for higher than expected oil prices. But in the long-term vital euro zone exports could suffer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aznar put to test in local elections
Jose Maria Aznar will find out the political price for backing the US-led war on Iraq as Spain goes to the polls on Sunday in nationwide municipal elections. The Spanish prime minister strongly supported his American counterpart, although 90 percent of the countries were against military action. He will also see what comes of his zero tolerance approach to Basque separatist violence with a radical party banned from the ballot. However, while on the campaign trail, Aznar defended his stance on both issues, saying that Spain could not be part of the fight against international or Basque terrorism if it did not stand side-by-side with the Americans in their battle against Islamic terrorists. The contest for control of Spain's major cities will also be a litmus test for the ruling Popular Party's handling of the Prestige oil disaster last November. Support for the government tumbled when the leaking tanker was ordered to sea rather than to port. Less than a week later it split in two, fouling beaches and fishing grounds vital to the western Galicia region. With 33 million Spaniards eligible to vote in 13 of the country's 17 autonomous regions, the election will also be a chance for Aznar to measure the popularity of his clampdown on immigration. It could all favour the opposition Socialists, whose leader, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, heads his first campaign. The Socialists came within 0.2 percentage points of the PP in 1999 but lost by more than 10 percent in the general election a year later. However many analysts say Aznar's performance in the war and his popular hard line approach to domestic difficulties with ETA may swing votes in his favour. In the troubled Basque region, this will be the first election since Madrid moved to ban the radical separatist Batasuna party on the grounds that it formed part of ETA, an organisation listed as a terrorist group by the European Union and the United States. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Show of unity as divided G8 comes together again
There were plenty of smiles for the cameras and even some horseplay between US secretary of state Colin Powell and France's foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin, as they met journalists for a press conference ahead of the G8 summit next month in Evian. The gathering of foreign ministers in Paris has been partly about building bridges. De Villepin, the host, said it was important that countries had been able to get together like this given how difficult the last few months had been for everyone. G8 members France, Germany, Russia and Canada all opposed the US-led war on Iraq, while Britain, Italy and Japan supported it. It is far from clear whether the nations will be able to find consensus on some other issues to be dealt with in Evian, such as the Middle East peace process and the war against terror. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sharon accepts road map for Middle East peace
Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, says Israel is ready to accept the Washington-backed road map to peace. The plan will now be presented to his cabinet for approval. Sharon's comments came after the White House said Israeli concerns over the initiative would be taken into consideration but the road map wouldn't be changed. The news is a major breakthrough in the peace process, and comes despite a series of Palestinian suicide bombings over the last week. The latest took place on Friday morning - a home made anti-tank missile struck a bus carrying Jewish settlers near the Netzarim settlement in the Gaza Strip. No-one was killed although several people are reported injured. The spate of attacks prompted Sharon to cancel plans to travel to the United States for a meeting with President George W. Bush. The Islamic militant group, Hamas, claimed responsibility for Friday's blast during a rally in the Palestinian refugee camp, Jebaliya ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Death toll rises but baby girl rescued from rubble in Algeria
A baby girl has been rescued from the rubble following a powerful earthquake in Algeria, momentarily raising hope of finding more survivors. But time is running out. The death toll has topped 1,600 and is expected to exceed 2,000. Hundreds are still missing. The capital Algiers and the surrounding area were worst hit by Wednesday night's quake which measured 6.7 on the Richter scale. Medical and rescue aid has been flown in from all over Europe and northern Africa, including Morocco, Egypt, France and Britain. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent have appealed for two million Swiss francs for food and shelter for the estimated 10,000 victims of the disaster. But anger is growing among the survivors, many of whom say the help is coming too late. Thousands are preparing to spend a third night in the open for fear of after-shocks. They are asking why some new buildings collapsed like houses of cards, trapping entire families inside, while older ones remained standing. Some are blaming shoddy building work in an area known to be prone to earthquakes. It has been reported the tremours could be felt as far away as Spain. It is the worst earthquake in Algeria since 1980, when 3,000 people died in the region of Chlef, west of Algiers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Clint woos Cannes with controversial child abuse film
Clintmania hit the Cannes film festival on Friday as the Hollywood legend presented his latest directoral offering, Mystic River. The movie shows how child abuse can come back to haunt its victims in later life. Eastwood, who turns 73 later this month, says it is a harrowing subject but he has always wanted to explore how victims are affected by its devastating consequences. "I've always been curious about victims of crime and child abuse, which seems to be one of the most hideous crimes on the planet, and how it affects the victims and those close to them," he said. The film, which thankfully does not show the things that two men do to a boy they lock in a cellar for four days, is filled with suspense from start to finish. Senn Penn stars as a volatile ex-con whose young daughter's murder sparks an eerie reflection on the abduction of one of his three childhood friends. Kevin Bacon, one of the trio, is now a tough Boston cop forced to accept the possibility that the killer may be the third member of the group, played by Tim Robbins. Mystic River is a suspense filled drama, and also an outside favourite to win the prestigious Palme d'Or on Sunday. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 23 Friday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Algeria struggles with quake aftermath
Tens of thousands of Algerians have spent a traumatic night in the open as the search for survivors from an earthquake that killed over 1,000 people continues. In a rare success story, one man was pulled out of the rubble alive after spending 17 hours trapped. But hundreds could still be under the debris a day after the quake struck a heavily populated coastal strip. The tremor measured 6.7 on the Richter scale and was felt as far away as Spain. While rescue efforts continue at a frantic pace - many are digging with their bare hands - food and water are running low for the homeless. Hospitals in many towns are finding it difficult to cope, with many of the injured being treated in the open. And shock turned to anger as some blamed shoddy construction work for apparent flimsiness of new buildings. One man called the owners of a construction firm "criminals who should be brought to justice." Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has declared three days of national mourning. France, Germany, Spain, Britain and Morocco are among countries who have dispatched search and medical teams. Algeria has appealed for blood donors. French interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Algiers to discuss terrorism but cut short his visit because of the quake. Before leaving he met a group of French rescuers and pledged France's full support to help the victims. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Blair and Schroeder mend fences at socialist meeting
A get-together of Europe's centre-left leaders provided an occasion for British Prime Minister Tony Blair and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to patch-up differences over Iraq. They met in Berlin at a ceremony to mark the 140th anniversary of Schroeder's Social Democratic Party. The Chanceller's fierce opposition to the war in Iraq placed a heavy strain on relations between German and the UK, which was America's chief ally in the conflict. Efforts to revive German's ailing economy may have officially dominated the talks but Iraq was also high up the agenda. Blair praised Schroeder's involvement in securing agreement on a UN resolution on the country's future. "I would like to pay tribute to the very constructive role that the German chancellor has played in bringing that situation about. I think it's very important that we put the past behind us now and move forward as one unified international community. Today's resolution gives us the opportunity of doing that," he said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Iraq: End of UN sanctions
There may be a new-found consensus over Iraq, but those who opposed the war still fear the US may have too much power in rebuilding the country. Russia, France and Germany, who led opposition to the war, are concerned that resolution 1483 leaves Washington and London firmly in charge of Iraqi oil until the country holds elections - whenever that is. But they welcome the international legality that the resolution has conferred on the post-war situation. Russian UN ambassador Sergei Lavrov said: "I do not see anything in this resolution which would be legitimising the war. The resolution, rather, draws a line under the attempts to act in relation to Iraq bypassing the United Nations charter, and it clearly brings the situation back within the international law area." However, Russia is worried about getting back the 8 billion dollars of debt owed by Iraq. Moscow is also concerned it could lose out on oil contracts during and after a US interim administration. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ G8 meeting edges allies towards reconciliation over Iraq
The remaining differences over Iraq are also under discussion among the foreign ministers of the Group of Eight nations. They have gathered in Paris for preparatory talks ahead of a G8 summit at the beginning of next month. In a possible sign of efforts to improve US/French relations the American Secretary of State Colin Powell was expected to meet France's foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin, this morning. And in another potential bridge building exercise the French President Jacques Chirac telephoned US President George Bush to discuss the forthcoming summit in the Alpine resort of Evian. However Powell has stressed France may still face consequences for its opposition to Washington over Iraq. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Israel foils gun smuggling operation as trilateral summit in the wings
Israel foiled a gun smuggling run to the Palestinians but said a high-level US-Israeli-Palestinian summit could still take place. Israel intercepted a boat manned by alleged Hizbollah guerrillas from Lebanon on their way to the Gaza strip. The cargo included fuses for Katyusha rockets, detonator kits and various remote control units. There were also 36 CD Roms with instructions for making bombs, preparing suicide bomber vests and carrying out kamikaze attacks on buses. Hizbollah alleged master bomb maker Hamad Abu Amra was among the eight crew members arrested. He was reportedly going to teach advanced explosives techniques in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom linked Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to the smuggling plan. But he said a possible summit between Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas, Israeli premier Ariel Sharon and US President George Bush could still go ahead. Bush mooted the summit during his first conversation with Abbas this week, when he also urged Abbas to reign in Palestinian extremists. But Hamas has rejected pleas to demilitarise the intifada, saying it will only end bombings if Israel withdraws from reoccupied territories. Israel has rejected such a truce. That leaves Abbas between a rock and a hard place. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ St Petersburg ready to celebrate 300 years as a city
The Russian city of St Petersburg knows how to throw a party as its New Year celebrations testify. So the citizens have high expectations of forthcoming festivities to mark their hometown's 300th anniversary. From this coming weekend over the next two weeks St Petersburg, the birthplace of President Vladimir Putin, will stage a variety of events to mark its tri-centenary. The city boasts numerous treasures including the State Hermitage, a vast sprawling museum that houses masterpieces by many of the world's greatest artists. It will take pride of place among the attractions, which foreign dignitaries are sure to visit. In the coming weeks Putin will welcome US President George Bush and EU leaders who will be attending summits in the former Russian capital. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tatu strip to put X into Eurovision?
The Latvian capital, Riga, is approaching fever pitch for the 48th Eurovision song contest this weekend. The artists have all arrived and are tuning up their shows, and all is ready for this exceptional occasion for the tiny baltic republic to star on the international stage, on the eve of its joining the european union. Saturday night will be hosted by last year's winner Marija Naumova, and Renars Kaupers, singer with the group Brainstorm. The show will be broadcast to tens of millions of televisions viewers worldwide. "If something goes wrong this will give us a chance to improvise, otherwise we go with the script", said Kaupers. There will be 26 nations bidding for glory, chosen by their domestic audiences in national knockout competitions. Russia is cheating sort of, by picking the already massive, Tatu, to represent them, but will they tone down their act for the eurovision family audience? For the Spanish entry, Beth, it is the opposite. She has just recorded her first album. Latvian TV's also had a shock ; staging the extravaganza's cost them over four million euros to upgrade their equipment. The contest's not just showbusiness for Latvia's 2.3 million people. It could have a real effect on September's referendum on EU membership, injecting a feelgood atmosphere in the most eurosceptical of the 10 candidate nations. After neighbouring Estonia hosted the event last year, there will also be some friendly rivalry to see who can put on the best show. The spotlight will be on Latvia, a great chance to broadcast the nation's identity to a worldwide audience - now all they need is a decent tune. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 22 Thursday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Agreement expected at UN on Iraq resolution
A US bid to end UN sanctions against Iraq looks set to go ahead after the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Russia indicated they supported the idea. Dominique de Villepin, Joschka Fischer and Igor Ivanov met in Paris ahead of a vote at the UN on the American draft resolution today. The three countries had expressed concerns about earlier versions of the resolution. But Washington's UN ambassador, John Negroponte, is confident the revised draft will be passed. "Our impression is that the council members have welcomed this resolution and that it enjoys strong support. But I would hesitate to predict exactly what precise vote count will be," he said. France, Germany and Russia were the Security Council's most vocal opponents of the US-led war in Iraq. Agreement today would go some way in healing the rifts the conflict caused within the UN. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hundreds killed in Algerian earthquake
Frantic searches are going on in Algeria after a powerful earthquake struck the north African country killing over 500 people. Emergency services and volunteers have been digging through the rubble of shattered buildings in the capital Algiers and other northern areas in a desperate hunt for survivors. Close to half of the fatalties occurred within Algiers itself. Most of the rest were in Boumerdes province to the east of the city, where the town of Rouiba was badly hit. The quake, which struck yesterday evening, measured 6.7 on the Richter scale. It was felt as far away as Spain. Some 200 aftershocks hit northern Algeria in the first two hours after the initial tremor and authorities warned many more would follow. Officials have also spoken of entire families being trapped in the debris of their homes and warned the nation to expect the death toll to rise. Hospitals in the affected regions have been struggling to cope as several thousand people have been reported injured so far. It is not yet known how many people have been made homeless by the disaster. It is the biggest earthquake to hit Algeria since 1980, when an even stronger one claimed around 5,000 lives. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Explosion rocks top US college
What is being described as an "explosive device" has gone off at Yale University Law School. Investigators from the Joint Terrorism Task Force have been despatched to the scene of the blast in New Haven, Connecticut. There are no reports of casualties. The explosion reportedly hit a a classroom at the university. Much of the campus has been sealed off and evacuated. Reporters at the scene say the area was already quiet as the exam period was over and most students were away. Yale is an Ivy League unversity and one of the most prestigious in the United States. US President Bush's daughter Barbara is a student there. The blast comes as Washington raised its terror alert status across the country from "elevated" to "high" amid renewed fears of terrorist attack. US President George W Bush meanwhile has sought to reassure anxious Americans over the threat to their country. He said al-Qaeda may still remain active, but his forces would "hunt it down in every dark corner of the Earth". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Britain's Prime Minister has come under fire over his stance on joining the euro. With a long-awaited decision due in less than three weeks, Tony Blair denied opposition claims that his Cabinet is split from top to bottom over the issue. "What is required in Europe is not half-hearted acquiescence, but whole-hearted engagement and I think when the June 9th statement comes, you'll find it corresponds with that vision," he told the House of Commons. But Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said he believed "the Prime Minister's real problem wasn't the economic circumstances, but the political conditions set by the Chancellor." The Liberal Democrat leader's comments came after Chancellor Gordon Brown, the finance minister, reiterated that patience and prudence were needed. In an address to the Confederation of British Industry he said: "We reject those who urge us to join irrespective of the five tests which will safeguard Britain's long-term interests." However, reports of a growing rift between Brown and Blair is threatening to railroad the debate. The latest row comes as former International Development Minister Clare Short claimed a decision to delay euro entry had already been made. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 21 Wednesday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Turkish bomb heightens terror fears
A suicide attack or an accidental detonation: two theories Turkish police are considering after a bomb exploded at a cafe in Ankara. It happened shortly after 9.00 a.m. local time in the capital's main business district at a cafe popular with students. The woman carrying the device was killed and another person was injured. Bomb squad units sifted through the wreckage and police cordoned off the area. Other shops and buildings in the vicinity were damaged by the bomb. Witnesses said a woman was seen entering a toilet where the blast is believed to have occurred. Police said they thought the dead woman worked for an extreme-left group, the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front. The organisation is the largest of Turkey's far-left factions and admitted to being behind a series of small blasts in Istanbul last month to protest against the war in Iraq. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Britain and Morocco discuss joint tactics against terrorists
Britain's Foreign Minister, Jack Straw, has met his Moroccan counterpart, Mohammed Benaissa, in the wake of the Casablanca bombing, which claimed 41 lives. Afterwards, Benaissa said although proof remains elusive he believed the 14 men who carried out the attacks must have had help from a foreign source. French police, meanwhile, have arrived in Morocco to assist the inquiry as security sources are now said to be questioning a second survivor of the bombing. A search of a laboratory thought to have been used to produce explosives is also continuing. Investigators believe the material they found suggests the bombers were out to maim or kill as many people as possible. Small steel balls that would easily tear and rip skin apart were placed inside the bombs to maximise the effect of the blast. Officials have established that many of the suicide bombers had recently returned to the Moroccan capital. They were all from Casablanca's impoverished Sidi Moumen district - the heartland of the banned fundamentalist Islamist group known as the Righteous Path. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- US wants vote on Iraq sanctions by week's end
The United Nations Security Council is discussing the latest American draft resolution to lift sanctions against Iraq. The plan has been widely revised by America's UN ambassador John Negroponte to include a greater role for the UN. "The resolution defines a vital role for the secretary-general and the United Nations, it lifts sanctions and it phases out over a six-month period the oil-for-food programme," he said. The draft will abandon a demand for the Security Council's endorsement of the Anglo-American occupation of Iraq. It will also give a UN special representative an independent role in helping to build a new Iraqi government. But Russia's foreign minister Igor Ivanov said any new resolution had to include details about peacekeeping forces and how sanctions will be removed. Russia was firmly opposed to the American-led war against Iraq. However, the resolution would still give America and Britain wide-ranging powers to run the country. Anglo-American forces and administrators would run Iraq and its oil industry until Baghdad has an internationally-recognised government, which could take years. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Taiwan upsurge dampens SARS hopes
A steep rise in the number of suspected SARS cases in Taiwan has diminished hopes that the worldwide spread of the disease has been contained. The country has reported its largest increase in a single day with 39 new infections bringing the total to 383. After China and Hong Kong it is the world's third worst affected state. Authorities in Beijing claim they are beginning to win the battle against the virus. But a World Health Organization warning against travel to Hong Kong remains in place. In Singapore the government is going all-out to have the country declared SARS-free. It has jointly set up a TV station dedicated to SARS issues. Despite its deadly nature the subject matter is, at times, given a light treatment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Everest hopes for a rubbish-free future
The 50th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's ascent of Everest, has become a sprint for the peak by several teams looking to make their mark on the world's highest mountain on May 29. Among them is a Chinese team, which has been tackling the North Face of the mountain the Nepalese call Chomolungma since May 11th. They hope to reach the top on Wednesday. At the moment, they have just over 1000 metres left to scale of Everest's 8848 metres. The photo of the New Zealander Hillary on the peak, taken by Tenzing Norgay 50 years ago went around the world. Their conquest made them internationally famous heroes. Since then Everest has become almost a tourist destination ; over 1200 people from 63 countries have made it to the top of the "Mother Goddess of the World", as the locals call it. Hundreds of others have turned back in failure, or have lost their lives. This procession by Uncle Tom Cobley and all has opened up Nepal to tourism in general, but has left scars on the unspoilt wilderness, too. Now Sir Edmund Hillary, present at the 50th anniversary celebrations in New Delhi, has hit out at the damage being done; "With an enormous increase in expeditions, Everest is becoming littered with empty oxygen bottles and other rubbish", the 83 year-old said. A mountain of rubbish. Between 300 and a thousand tons of the stuff defile the virgin snows on and around Everest. A thousand tons at the most used camp on the peak itself, at over 6000 metres. An 18-man team of Americans and Nepalese are going to mark the anniversary with their own homage, this time to the mountain itself, by bringing down the waste...but plenty will remain, a clean-up far less glamorous than climbing Everest itself. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Medio Oriente.Israel withdraws from town in Gaza
The Israeli army has withdrawn from a town in the north of Gaza, which it seized in an operation to counter rocket attacks by Palestinian militants. A number of houses were heavily damaged during the raid on Beit Hanoun. Israel says it is considering handing over control of security in the area to Palestinian authorities as a test of Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas's leadership. Israel regards his government's ability to rein in extremist groups as essential for progress to be made in peace talks. There has been an upsurge in suicide attacks by Palestinians since Abbas began talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. At least three people were killed and 47 injured in the latest bombing at a shopping mall in Afula in northern Israel on Monday. It was the fifth such incident in five days. The recent violence has been condemned by the new Palestinian government but Israel wants to see action rather than words before it will push ahead with the so-called "road map" peace plan. A young Palestinian woman has been identified as the bomber in Afula. Both the Al Aqsa Brigades and Islamic Jihad have said they were responsible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Earth's newest nation celebrates a year of independence
It was a time for reflection in East Timor as the world's youngest country celebrated its first anniversary as an independent state. The occasion was highly poignant for the country's 800,000 citizens but the build-up to the celebration seemed relatively low-key. A referendum in 1999 paved the way for independence from Indonesia which had annexed the territory in 1975 after colonial power Portugal pulled out. East Timor now has its own parliament and is progressing towards stability. President Xanana Gusmao has expressed optimism for the future but says the nation must learn from the mistakes of the past - a reference to the wave of violence and destruction that engulfed East Timor after the independence vote. More than 1,000 people are believed to have died in fighting between militia groups. Gusmao has indentified economic growth as a top priority in the years to come. East Timor is Asia's poorest state and aid agencies say around 40 percent of its inhabitants are unable to meet basic daily needs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nicole Kidman premieres likely winner "Dogville" at Cannes
Nicole Kidman arrived on the Cannes red carpet looking like Hollywood's leading lady but the premier of her film "Dogville" felt was far removed from Tinseltown. Filmed using only one bleak theatre set by Danish director Lars von Trier - many expect it to come away with the coveted Palme D'Or. Although three hours long, the film took just six weeks to shoot. It is the first in a trilogy of films about the States despite von Trier admitting he has never actually visited the country. And at the news conference von Trier had some harsh words for America, "I would love to start a free America campaign. We just had a free Iraq campaign. That is how I feel. You can say that I am a communist, but I am not. I would like a "free America" campaign because I see a lot of shit in America. Yes, I do come from over here. I'm sorry, I don't know how it comes to me. Maybe from journalists who are lying?" Kidman won a Best Actress Oscar for The Hours in which she played a genius British novelist plagued by mental illness - hardly a conventional Hollywood script. In "Dogville" Kidman plays another troubled woman on the run from gangsters in the American Rocky Mountains. In the film the town agrees to hide her but only if she wears a chain, a collar and a bell. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 20 Tuesday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Suspected Suicide Bomb in Northern Israel
It was gruesome scene in the immediate aftermath of a suspected suicide bomb attack on a commercial centre in Afoula in the north of Israel. At least two people, including the suspected bomber, are reported to have been killed. Another 15 people were hurt in the blast. If confirmed as a suicide bombing it will be the fifth such attack in three days by militants sworn to wreck the so-called "road map" to peace. The plan has been embraced by a new reform-minded Palestinian leadership but not by Israel's right-wing government. Israeli radio has said that police believe the attack in Afoula was carried out by a woman. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Non-stop bloodshed follows Middle East peace talks
There has been no let up in the bloodshed since the highest-level Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in almost three years were held on Saturday night. The latest loss of life came in a commercial centre in Afoula in northern Israel. Two people including a suspected suicide bomber were killed in an explosion. Earlier, a Palestinian teenager on a bike killed himself by detonating a 30-kilo bomb next to an Israeli army jeep. No one else was killed but three soldiers were injured in the blast, which, like those before it, was claimed by the militant Islamic group, Hamas. On Sunday a suicide bomber disguised as a religious Jew killed seven passengers on a Jerusalem bus. Later another Palestinian blew himself nearby but no one else was hurt, and onSaturday night two Jews were killed by another suicide bomber - again wearing Jewish religious clothing. Meanwhile forensic experts say the body of a man washed up on Tel Aviv beach is that of a British man suspected of aiding a fellow Briton in a suicide bombing in the city last month in which three died. It is thought Omar Khan Sharif planned a simultaneous attack but fled when his explosives failed. Israeli Prime Minister, Arial Sharon has launched a number of crackdown measures in the wake of the attacks. However, he says he is prepared to continue talks with Palestinian premier, Mahmoud Abbas, over the peace initiative. The two men held inconclusive talks on Saturday night, the first bombing coming just as the discussions ended. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hostage release rumours denied by Algiers
The Algerian government has denied local press reports claiming the remaining 15 European hostages believed held captive by rebel groups in the Sahara, had been rescued. The reports claimed the armed forces had launched a commando operation near Tamanrasset in the south of the country. The hostages, held since mid-February, are thought to include Germans, Swiss and Dutch nationals. On Wednesday, another group of 17 tourists were freed following an Algerian army assault. They had been captured whilst on an adventure holiday in Algeria. Now back home, they have been describing their ordeal. At a press conference in Vienna, Austria, today, one said his thoughts were with those still in Algeria. Algerian authorities said the tourists were being held by the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat - a Moslem organisation believed to have links to Ossama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Verhofstadt looks to lead Belgium for a second term
Liberal Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt looks set to rebuild a coalition government with the socialists after they took 97 of the 150 seats between them in the Belgium general election. Verhofstadt expressed his delight at the victory. "The Government emerges stronger with a mandate to continue the modernisation of the country over the next few years," he said. Verhofstadt now faces his second term at the helm of the country divided between the more prosperous Flemish speaking region in the north and French speaking Wallonia to the south. One party to suffer in polls were the Greens who were part of the previous three-way government. The Flemish Socialist party performed well in Flanders and leader Steve Stevaert said the result was a "dream come true." The Socialists also performed well in Wallonia with leader Elio di Rupo enjoying popular support as part of the previous coalition that legalised gay marriages, euthanasia and decriminalised cannabis. The far right Vlamms Blok boosted the number of its seats from 15 to 18 after increasing its share of the vote by around 4 percent nationwide 19 percent in its native Flanders. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pension protests continue in France
More than 10,000 people have been marching in Paris, in protest at the French government's plans for pension reform. Most of today's demonstrators were teachers; the reforms are aimed at the public sector, which makes up a quarter of France's workforce. The Communist Party leader, Marie George Buffet, was out too, calling for full pensions at 60 years of age. The government says the pensions system will simply collapse unless France's civil servants work longer than the current 37.5 years, but while most accept the theory, many do not like the practice. Strikes last week crippled public transport and closed schools. Some unions have reached a compromise with the government but more strikes are planned over the coming week in what is the biggest test so far of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin's administration. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ More SARS cases as Hong Kong's schools reopen
A four-month-old baby has contracted the dealy SARS virus says the Hong Kong government. The news came as the territory reopened schools following a steady decrease in new cases. Some 380,000 children went back to the classroom today. But with the crisis far from over, the authorities remain cautious. On arrival, primary school children's hands were disinfected and their temperatures checked. They were all still wearing masks, and much of the day was spent reinforcing the health and hygiene message. Mainland China has also seen figures decline although authorities are warning the public not to drop their guard. However the disease is still on the increase in Taiwan and will be on the agenda at the World Health Organisation's annual meeting today. Hospitals in Taiwan have introduced extra measures including screening stations to monitor suspected patients, and staff are routinely sprayed with disinfectant after coming into contact with patients. Taiwanese shops have also installed special screens to check customers. Worldwide, the virus has now claimed 642 lives.
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Last Updated: 19 Monday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Belgian Prime Minister remains in power but coalition will change
Belgium's ruling Liberals and Socialists look set to stay in power despite the collapse of their coalition with the Greens in today's election. The far right party Vlaams Blok has made big gains according to initial results although technical hitches are delaying counting. Elio di Rupo, the leader of the French speaking wing of the Socialist party sounded a victorious note:"Today with certainty we can say that we have won for the first time in our 15 year history as a coalition party. We're strengthening our position as the top French party." The Liberals as well as the Socialists are expected to win a clear parliamentary majority in both the Dutch and French halves of the country. Over seven million Belgians were expected to vote in a country where voting is compulsory but apathy has been rising fast. By lowering taxes and balancing the budget Prime Minister Guy Vehofstadt has remained popular in his first term in office. But the rise of the Vlaams Blok - predictions suggest they may boost their 15 percent share of the vote. Flemish Socialist leader Steve Stevaert sounded a cautious but confident note ashe waited for the final results:"The polls always said we would do well but I always prefer to wait for the result. At the moment we are strnengthing our position as the primary party in Walloonia. With the Greens out of the government coalition Belgium is likely to see some hard political bargaining in the next few days over which mix will make up the next coalition. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Palestinian authority blames Israeli intransigence for bombings
Palestinian leaders have blamed the latest suicide bombings in Jerusalem on Israel's failure to react positively to Washington's peace initiative for the Middle East. Palestinian Authority spokesman, Ghasan Khatib, said: "What is,unfortunately, creating a fertile atmosphere for the increase in violence is the failure of the attempt to renew the peace process and part of that is the Israeli refusal to accept the Palestinian request in the meeting between (Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud) Abbas and (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon to support the American proposal that is called the road map." The bloodshed came just hours after the two prime ministers had held inconclusive talks. A key Palestinian request is for the tanks and soldiers to be withdrawn from occupied territories but the bombings have had the opposite effect. Israel has instead sent more forces in and a Palestinian has been shot dead as, predictably, youths turned out to show their anger with sticks and stones. And Sharon's demands that the new reformist government do more to stop militant groups before Israel will give any ground, are likely to be strengthened now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dozens arrested over Casablanca blasts
As investigators hunt those behind a series of bloody bombings in Morocco, King Mohammed VI has been visiting the scenes of Friday night's blasts. The death toll has now risen to 41, including three French and three Spaniards. Most of the victims were locals. Their funerals have already begun. The bombers hit foreign targets in Casablanca - a luxury Kuwaiti-owned hotel, a Spanish club, a Jewish community centre, and the Belgian consulate, just across the road from a Jewish-run restaurant. As well as the loss of life, the attacks will damage Morocco's tourist industry - a major source of income for the country. The suicide bombings are being blamed on radical Islamic groups, while all of the country's mainstream Muslim parties have condemned the attacks. So far some 33 suspects have been arrested, including several linked to the extremist Salafist Jihad group. Authorities say some of the bombers had recently returned to Morocco from abroad. Among the hundred or so wounded is one surviving bomber, however he is too seriously injured to answer police questions yet. Around the country, Moroccans have been taking to the streets to protest at the bombings, insisting terrorism has no place in the country. Meanwhile, Saudi authorities say they have arrested four suspected members of the Al Qaeda network in connection with suicide bombings in Riyadh on Monday. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Swiss voters decide to keep nuclear power and modernise the army
Swiss voters made one big decision in a variety of ballots today. The nation's nuclear power stations, which provide two fifths of the country's energy needs won't be scrapped. This will please the government, as will a decision to modernise Switzerland's military. In another referendum voters decided that the legendary army could be streamlined into a more effective fighting force. In its role as the defender of a neutral state the Swiss army may be the only army in the world never to have seen action. It was the biggest ballot since 1866 giving, or inflicting on voters, two government referendums, seven people's initiatives and countless local government issues. Results on some of the smaller issues, such as whether to have car free Sundays, have yet to come in. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Relatives mourn those who died in French road crash
In the small town of Lymonest near Lyon, where France's worst road accident in fifteen years occurred, the coffins of those who died are being readied for their return to Germany. All the victims are here except for the driver's which is undergoing forensic tests. Out of the 28 victims 9 have still not been identified. A party of German pensioners had been on a trip won in the lottery to the Spanish Costa Brava when their speeding coach crashed in the rain. Sixteen out of the 46 injured still remain in hospital in Lyon - some of those with minor injuries came to pay their respects to fellow passengers who won't be returning home with them. An inquiry has been launched - so far human error has been blamed for the accident. The driver of the speeding coach is believed to have been trying to overtake a car when he lost control and veered over an embankment at five in the morning. It was the second major crash involving German tourists this month. In Hungary a train sliced another coach in half killing 33 people. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pope celebrates 83rd birthday with sanctifications
Pope John Paul II celebrated his 83rd birthday at the
Vatican by sanctifying four new saints. But the Vatican insists it is due to faith in God and the Madonna. In June the pope will embark on his 100th foreign trip to Croatia and in October will celebrate a quarter century as pontiff. In that time the pope has created over 470 saints - on Sunday it was the turn of two Italian and two Poles. He has also beatified over 1300 people meaning they are one step away from becoming saints. The Pope who is polish attracted thousands of his countrymen for the sanctificaton ceremony in St Peters Square including Poland's presidnent Aleksander Kwasniewski. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 18 Sunday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morocco reels after kamikaze attacks
Morocco was in shock after its worst terrorist attacks in living memory. 41 people, mostly Moroccans, have died and at least 65 injured, 17 of them seriously, in suicide bombings carried out by Al Qaeda suspects in Morocco's largest city, Casablanca. Three suspects have been arrested. The bombers struck sites deemed symbolic of western or Jewish interests. These included the Casa Espana, the Belgian consulate, an old Jewish cemetery and a Jewish cultural centre. The attack on the Safir hotel was especially ironic - it was hosting a meeting of US and Moroccan anti-terrorism experts. Most of the victims were killed at the Casa Espana, a social club popular with businesspeople and diplomats.Two Spaniards were killed and three seriously hurt. An Italian was also reported killed. There is speculation the centre may have been targeted because of Spain's strong support for the US war in Iraq. Al Qaeda mastermind Osama Bin Laden has listed Morocco as one of the Muslim countries most eligible for "liberation from the American yoke." The attacks have shattered Morocco's image of a relatively stable country. The bombings are likely to wreak havoc with the countrys lucrative tourist industry. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ France's worst road crash in over 20 years kills 29
At least twenty nine people have been killed and 47 injured in a road accident in the south east of France. A coach carrying about 80 Germans who had all won the trip in a lottery and were headed to Spain, crashed on the motorway near the town of Dardilly. The double decker which seemed to be speeding, hit an embankment and overturned in wet conditions at five o'clock in the morning. Only five passengers escaped unhurt in what was France's worst road accident in over 20 years. No other vehicles were involved in the crash. One eyewitness described the accident:"It happened very very quickly in front of us. It seems he lost control and then the coach aquaplaned. He went through the guard rail and completely turned over." Many of the injured received emergency treatment on the roadside as firecrews struggled to free passengers from the wreckage. It was the second accident involving German tourists this month. In Hungary nine days ago a train sliced a bus in half killing 33 mainly elderly passengers. In 1982 a tourist coach in France caught fire after an accident killing 53 people. The latest road crash occurred as traffic levels were returning to normal after three days of strikes over pension reforms. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Road clear for Slovak entry into EU
The Slovakian referendum on EU membership has achieved the 50 percent needed to make the vote valid. Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda made the announcement in Bratislava. A failure to reach the 50 percent mark would have been a major embarrassment for the staunchly pro-European government. Slovakia is the fifth country to vote on EU accession this year after Malta, Slovenia, Hungary and Lithuania. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ G8 Finance Ministers meet to discuss agenda for world summit
The G8's finance ministers gathered in the Normandy town of Deauville inadvance of a brainstorming summit on the world economy. Economically speaking the US is faring well but it will be looking for considerable amounts of reconstruction money to rebuild war torn Iraq. Deflationary Japan is in worst shape - it has yet to register any growth at all - whilst Germany's 10 percent unemployment rate has pushed it to the verge of recession. The developing world looks to the G8 for help but groups such as the Jubilee Debt Campaign say only a fifth of the debt which further impoverishes it has been forgiven. The decline of the dollar, which this week hit a new four year low against the euro, is also likely to be discussed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ark Royal returns from Iraq war
The pride of the British fleet, the Ark Royal, has returned from action in Iraq to a hero's welcome. The ship led Britain's largest naval task force in twenty years when it sailed from Portsmouth in January. Ark Royal played a key role during the amphibious assault on the Al Faw peninsula early on in the war. Thousands of family members and friends lined the docks to cheer the 850 servicemen and women on board. But the mellow tone mixed with sad memories. A helicopter stationed on the Ark Royal crashed during the war, claiming the lives of six British soldiers and an American marine. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Funeral held for legendary anti apartheid figure Walter Sisulu
Thousands of South Africans have attended the funeral of Walter Sisulu, one of the oldest heroes of the apartheid struggle, in his hometown Soweto. Former president and anti apartheid comrade Nelson Mandela led the funeral service, which was attended by other African independence leaders including Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe. Walter Sisulu died in the arms of his wife Albertina at the age of 90, leaving 84 year old Mandela as one of the last pioneers of the apartheid struggle. Mandela gave a special tribute to his former comrade:
"Our paths first crossed in 1941. During all of those years since
our lives have been intertwined we shared the joy of living and the
pain. Together with our shared ideas we forged a common commitment,
we worked side by side." Sisulu was tried in 1963 with Mandela
and other activists. He spent the next 26 years in prison. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 17 Saturday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Germany, US try to mend fences over Iraq at Berlin summit
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has ended talks with US Secretary of State Colin Powell in Berlin. He said Germany wanted consensus in the UN Security Council when it came to putting forward a UN resolution to lift sanctions off Iraq. But Fischer said Germany's relationship with the US would endure. "The weather today is a symbol of our good relationship. The relationship is not easy, there is openness about the sanctions but there is also agreement. They are also marked by the deep rooted relationship with America. We will never forget what the USA did for Germany and Berlin. That is the basis of our relationship. That is all I have to say." The US wants a resolution passed lifting sanctions off Iraq so that oil revenues can be used to fund its reconstruction. It has faced heavy criticism for the continued lack of basic services in Iraq such as water and electricity. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slovaks go to the polls in EU referendum
The prospect of EU membership was music to the ears
of Slovaks voting in a referendum. They may have their grievances in post-Communist Slovakia, but for them the EU is the future. Opinion polls say over three quarters of voters back entry. But despite this, there are fears of a low turnout. By law, there must be a 50 per centturnout for the vote to be valid. It is the fifth referendum on EU enlargement this year. Malta, Slovenia, Hungary and Lithuania are all set to join. Approxiamately 4.2 million Slovaks are eligible to vote. The country has one of the fastest growing economies of EU candidate nations. The government of Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda is strongly pro-Europe, and will be highly embarrassed if voters fail to turnout. Results are expected around lunchtime on Sunday. But even if the vote is deemed invalid, the government plans to pass enabling legislation, which will allow the country to join the EU next year. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Putin praises Russian achievements, says more to do in key address
Russian President Vladimir Putin fired the opening salvo in his re-election bid next year by praising Russia's achievements over the last three years at his annual State of the Nation address.. He said Russia's most pressing domestic problems were on the way to being solved, even though much remained to be done. He made the most of modest economic successes, pointing to healthy growth and arguing that the lot of the ordinary Russian had imrpoved. He vowed to double the size of the economy in a decade and reduce poverty. But the shadow of Chechnya loomed large. "We have seen that terrorist acts perpetrated by bandits are increasingly directed against the civilian population. But we do everything in our power to stopt it.Chechens will lead a normal life", Putin said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chief Palestinian negotiator steps down
Saeb Erekat, the top Palestinian negotiator has resigned. He handed in his letter of resignation on Thursday, but his motive remains a mystery as well as whether or not he will return. Some reports say he was infuriated after being left out of the Palestinian delegation, set to meet Isreali Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Saturday, where discussions will be held on the internationally backed Middle East peace plan. Mahdi Abdul-Hadi is a Palestinian political analyst, "the issue is - the minister is defending his job description, he's in charge of negotiations, he thinks the road map to peace will be discussed with Sharon, and it seems he wants to take part. It's the decision of the prime minister to keep him in or out of negotiations". The discussions, which include the new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, represent the first Israeli-Palestinian summit since September 2002. Erekat had been involved in top negotiations with Israeli's for the last decade. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EU fraud investigators probe Eurostat officials
It has been confirmed that the European Union's anti-fraud office - OLAF - is looking into suspected fraud at the EU statistical office Eurostat. The allegations were first reported by the Financial Times which named two high ranking French Eurostat officials. European Commission spokesman Reijo Kemppinen explained that while OLAF is looking into this he can say very little: "These allegations - which seem to refer to activities pre-dating the Prodi Commission - are currently the object of an OLAF investigation, in regard to certain aspects of which OLAF has submitted a file to the French public prosecutors." His reference to the Prodi Commission is to the initiative launched by European Commission President Romano Prodi who took office in 1999 vowing to root out financial mismanagement and nepotism. Eurostat has been the subject of six previous investigations, four by the anti-fraud office and two by prosecutors in Luxembourg where Eurostat is based. The allegations have surfaced at an embarrassing time just as Eurostat is in the midst of celebrations for its 50th anniversary. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ France is not happy with one of its allies and its not often in the discreet world of diplomacy that an ambassador comes out on national television to say so.
Especially so when he accuses the United States of dirty tricks. The French envoy has sent out a letter accusing people within the Bush Adminstration of smearing France's reputation because it didnt support the war in Iraq. France says officals are sending untrue stories to the US media. The American Defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld who famously referred to France as" old Europe" says it has nothing to do with him. France is going on the attack to point out the lies and insults its faced in the American press like one photograph accusing of France of behaving like a weasle. There has been a significant backlash against all things French in the United States, french fries renamed "freedom fries" and some cheaper French wine has been poured down gutters in various stunts. At an official level its President Chirac who is the target. Just before the war started he said France would vote no to a UN resolution authorising an attack. He said there was no reason for going to war at that moment to get Iraq to give up its weapons of mass destruction. Since then both Bush and Chirac have barely been on speaking terms. When they did speak for the first time on the phone after the war in April, the conversation was not warm. One said it was professional another pragmatic. While President Bush may not be booking a holiday in France other Americans seem to be doing so.Many are still in love with Paris and the Eiffel Tower. 11 percent of visitors to the tower are American, the same percentage as the Brits. And in the United States the Eiffel Tower is the most well known tourist attraction abroad, better known than the Tower of Pisa and Big Ben. Incidentally the Statue of Liberty is the most popular attraction for French tourists in America - and it was a present from the French government ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 16 Friday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Powell seeks German backing for UN resolution
US Secretary of State Colin Powell is the most senior American official to visit Germany since September, when US-German relations froze over following Chancellor Schroeder's opposition to the war in Iraq. The visit is taking place under high security. Today the two men will discuss how to break that ice, notably over a common approach to reconstructing Iraq, and obtaining a UN Security Council resolutioneither suspending or lifting sanctions on the country. The US favours the latter, which would mean Iraq's oil revenues being managed by the occupying powers, but Powell has indicated that, in the interests of getting unanimous approval at the UN, suspension followed by a total lifting could be acceptable to Washington. This would give the UN a bigger role in allocating funds, but lifting the sanctions would needs the UN weapons inspectors' go ahead, and for that they will need to be readmitted to the country. US forces are currently chasing the elusive weapons of mass destruction alone. Chancellor Schroeder is keen to repair relations with Washington. Apart from a brief handshake at the NATO summit in Prague last autumn, the last time the two met was on Bush's visit to Berlin, a year ago ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ German economy on brink of recession
The German economy - which is Europe's largest - has taken a down turn raising concerns that it is sliding into recession with the risk that it could take the entire euro zone with it. The latest figures reveal how hopelessly optimistic were German government forecasts of the country's economic growth. Germany's gross domestic product shrank 0.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2003 following on from a very slight fall in the final quarter of last year. The figures show that the country is very close to technically being in recession which is defined as the economy contracting for two consecutive quarters. The Statistics office blamed a faster increase in imports compared with exports. Finance Minister Hans Eichel is already in trouble after he conceded that Germany will break the European Union's budget deficit rules setting Berlin up for a hefty fine. Speaking on Tuesday - after the EU finance ministers meeting - he admitted that Germany is not able to meet the EU deficit limit of three per cent of GDP this year for the second year running. At the same time he also spoke of German economic growth of 0.75 per cent this year which now seems very unrealistic. The growth slowdown in Germany is being blamed partly on high labour costs and an inefficient social welfare system. The government is struggling with a major tax revenue shortfall. Germany last suffered a recession in 2001 and has experienced low growth ever since. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Talks continue on plans to reform French pensions
The French government and the country's leading unions are holding crunch talks aimed at resolving their dispute over planned pension reform. Under the new proposals, public sector workers will pay more into their pensions and over a longer period. The government says the move is urgently needed to shore up a growing deficit. Unions agree the country faces problems with the disproportionate ratio of workers to pensioners, but insist there are other ways to find the money. On Wednesday, ministers and union members failed to reach an agreement in talks which continued into the early hours of the morning. Meanwhile, commuters in Paris are continuing to suffer. A 24-hour strike organized by trade unions on Tuesday is still affecting public transport; people determined to ride must cram into trains. The dispute is being seen as the biggest challenge to face the centre right government since it came to power one year ago. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date at last for Britain to decide on the Euro.
Britain will make up its mind on the Euro on June 9th. A spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair said the House of Commons will decide then whether to recommend that Britain should adopt the Euro. Newspaper reports suggest differing views between the pro-Euro stance of Tony Blair and the more cautious approach of his Chancellor. Opinion polls show a majority of Britons reluctant to lose the pound. Before the decision is made, there will be an initial discussion in the Cabinet on 22nd May. This will be followed by a special Cabinet meeting on 5th or 6th June. Only after that will any announcement be made on whether or not Britain has fulfilled the five economic tests, the criteria laid down by Chancellor Gordon Brown for Euro entry ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Putin to address nation amid heightened terrorism fears
Russian President Vladimir Putin is to give his state of the nation address to the Federal Assembly in Moscow tomorrow. The annual address had been postponed because of the Iraq war. Experts say they do not expect a lot of new military or economic initiatives to be announced. It is seen more as the start of hustings for the Presidential elections next March. One thorn in Putin's side is Chechnya. Over 70 people have been killed and hundreds injured in twin suicide bombings there over the past two days. Despite this, Putin has offered freedom to the rebels if they lay down their arms by August. He underlined that the amnesty did not extend to criminals guilty of murder, kidnapping, rape or serious assault. Putin said the amnesty was a humane act to help restore peace to the war-ravaged region. The move is seen as carrot-and-stick tactics. While talking tough on terrorism, Putin offered Chechnya a referendum on its future in March. But the "peace and security" in Chechnya promised by the referendum seems to be further away than ever. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kenya terror scare grounds UK flights
Britain has banned flights to and from Kenya amid fears of an "imminent" terror attack. The move follows warnings from America of potential attacks throughout East Africa and south-east Asia. On Monday, a suicide bombing in Saudi Arabia killed 34 people. Kenyan authorities have responded by saying the action is "extreme" and is playing into the hands of any would-be attackers. It comes as Kenya stepped up security, following the sighting of one of the FBI's most wanted al Qaeda suspects in neighbouring Somalia. The man is accused of being behind the 1998 bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi as well as other attacks. Kenyan Security Minister Chris Murungaru said: "He was one of the chief architects of the Mombassa bombing in November last year and is still at large. The name of the individual is Fazul Abdullah Mohammed but he is more commonly known as Harun." Officials believe he could be operating in Kenya. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ America criticised over handling of discovery of mass graves
Washington has been strongly criticised by human rights groups for failing to send forensic experts to Iraq. It follows the discovery of several mass graves in the country. At a site in Mahawil, 90 kilometres south of the capital Baghdad, thousands of skeletons have been recovered. Family members have been searching desperately for the remains of their loved ones. Reports say some people were buried alive, and the remains of children as young as ten have been found. Mechanical diggers are being used to exhume remains, but Human Rights Watch says this method of searching will destroy vital evidence, which could be used against former President Saddam Hussein. Saddam's regime is accused of murdering thousands of political prisoners during a Shi'ite Muslim uprising in 1991. As the names of people who have been identified were read out over a loudspeaker, witnesses recalled buses bringing people to the site every day during the spring of 1991; by night, they say they heard gunfire. Meanwhile in Washington, Carla del Ponte, the Chief Prosecutor at the International War Crimes Tribunal for Rwanda and Yugoslavia, said Saddam's alleged crimes - dating back 10 years - could be tried in a similar way as indicted former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who's currently on trial at the Hague. Carla del Ponte added that the protection of witnesses would be vital. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
Last Updated:15 Thursday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tourists freed in Algeria ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated:14 Wednesday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Saudi ruler vows tough response to terrorism
As Saudi Arabia comes to terms with Monday's suspected Al Qaeda attacks its de facto ruler has vowed to crack down on terrorism with an iron fist. Crown Prince Abdullah met some of the victims of the bombings at a hospital in Riyadh. The high profile visit and strong words appeared to send out a message of a new stance by the Saudi regime. It has previously seemed reluctant - at least to the US - to tackle Islamic extremism within its own borders. At least 29 people including at least seven Americans died in the series of coordinated attacks on residential compounds in the Saudi capital. The huge bombs caused such devastation that the clear-up is likely to take sometime and it is feared the death toll will rise. The attacks delivered a bloody reminder to Washington that despite its conquest of Iraq, its so-called "war on terror" is far from over. US President George Bush, on a visit to tornado-damaged areas of Missouri, vowed that the perpetrators would be hunted down. The Saudi ambassador to London blamed members of a group of 19 Al Qaeda suspects who evaded capture in Riyadh last week. Meanwhile, a London-based Saudi magazine claims it received an email last week purportedly from Al Qaeda which warned of a forthcoming attack in the Kingdom. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Colin Powell arrives in Russia as bomb attacks dominate talks agenda
US Secretary of State Colin Powell has arrived in Moscow on the latest leg of a tour designed to promote the United States' Middle East policy. But the visit is likely to be overtaken by the issue of terrorism. Powell flew in from the Saudi capital Riyadh where he visited the site of the bomb attacks. Just three days ago Russian President Vladimir Putin was also faced with a bomb attack on Russian officials in Chechnya, which killed 56 people. Chechen rebels are suspected, whom Putin labels as terrorists and in the same league as Al Qaeda. A summit in two weeks time between Putin and US President George Bush will also be discussed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Striking unions and French government remain opposed over pension reforms
More than a million protestors took to the streets of France on Tuesday as strikes over pension reforms crippled public transport and shut schools. Despite the chaos resembling strikes in the 1990s which forced the government into retreat Labour Minister Francois Fillon said that it wouldn't back down: The government must save the pensions, its a social duty and the government won't be stopped." Prime Minister Jean Pierre Rafarrin has staked his future on pushing the reforms through in a bid to head off a funding crisis. But top union leader Bernard Thibault remains opposed: "No government can decide on pensions without any negotiations with the unions, he said. Limited strike action may still affect some train services today. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Will Carlos Menem remain in Argentina's presidential race?
There are conflicting reports over whether former Argentine President Carlos Menem will withdraw from the presidential election campaign. If Menem does confirm he is to withdraw it probably won't change the result - polls indicate Governor Nestor Kirchner is a massive forty percent ahead. But withdrawing from the race would reduce the scale of Kirchner's victory to 22 percent - the lead he gained over Menem in the first round. Kirchner, who is a fellow Peronist, will assume the presidency as long as Menem's vice presidential candidate also steps down. This however is expected to be a formality. Whilst Menem is regarded as pro Washington Kirchner is critical of both the United States and the International Monetary Fund. Argentina is currently in economic crisis with unemployment at 25 percent and poverty at 60 percent. And many voters blame Menem's free spending and pro market reforms for the hardships they now endure. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Red carpet rolled out for 56th Cannes Film Festival
The event, which thrusts the southern French city of Cannes under the world's gaze every year, gets underway today. The final preparations for the 56th Cannes Film Festival have been completed and all that is needed now is for the stars to come out. The red carpet has been unfurled outside the Palais du Festival. Many pairs of celebrity feet will tread along its path in the coming days. Luxury hotels can expect to do brisk business as the leading lights of the film world descend on the coastal resort. But the streets will also throng with hordes of fans hoping to catch a glimpse of a famous face. 13 countries are represented in the main competition, with five films from France. Organisers say the festival will have a lighter feel in comparison to last year, which was dominated by hard-hitting works. It opens with " Fanfan la Tulipe" starring Penelope Cruze - a remake of a 1952 classic featuring Gina Lollabrigida. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Famous 'Amber Room' reconstruction complete
Painstaking work to reconstruct the legendary 'Amber Room' in the Katharina Palace near St Petersburg, Russia was officially completed on Tuesday. The room was a present from King Friedrich I of Prussia to Tsar Peter the Great, but in World War II it was completely dismantled by the German Army during the siege of Leningrad. Most of the original panels are still missing. In a sign of reconciliation, Germany and Russia have been working together to bring it back to its former glory. Iwan Sautow is Director of the Palace Museum ; "We have constructed a new masterpiece in the 21st century which is unique in the world," he said. The reconstruction has taken more than two decades and cost around 10 million euro. The room is made up of 100,000 pieces of amber and is often referred to as the 'eighth wonder of the world'. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated:13Tuesday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Truck loaded with explosives rammed into government building in Chechnya
More death and destruction in Chechnya after a huge truck packed with as much as one tonne of expolsives was rammed into a government building killing at least 40 people and injuring up to 200 hundred, many seriously. The attack, claimed by Chechen rebels, happened in the town of Znamenskoye, north of the regional capital Grozny near Chechnya's border with Russia,in an area of the province long under Moscow's control.The truck, thought to have been driven by two men smashed through concrete security barriers before exploding in a fireball. The blast gutted the building and destroyed eight village houses nearby. Emergency services converged on the scene of the carnage to try to free people trapped beneath the fallen masonary and woodwork. The attack is the most serious since a march referrendum tied Chechnya firmly to Moscow, while giving the republic a degree of autonomy. In a televised address Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed not to allow the fatal bomb blast derail the Kremlins efforts to bring peace to the troubled province. He said the actions were directed at stopping the process of bringing about a political settlement to the situation in Chechnya he stressed he would not allow that to happen. The terror strike will be seen as set back for Moscow, which claimed that a sembalance of normailty was returning to the war hit province. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Top British spy flees Northern Ireland after cover blown
The identity of a British spy, who penetrated deep into the IRA, has been revealed by several newspapers. Freddie Scappaticci, whose codename was 'Stakeknife', infiltrated the Irish Republican Army to become one of Britain's top agents. To protect his identity, he is alleged to have been involved in dozens of murders, authorised by British officials, accusations which are sure to cause controversy. His cover was blown by several newspapers in the UK and Ireland on Sunday. He immediately fled Northern Ireland amid fears for his safety. He was allegedly paid around 120,000 euro a year by Britain and was active for around 30 years. He is believed to have been at the top of the IRA in Belfast, at times working with Gerry Adams, leader of the IRA's political wing Sinn Fein, with whom he forged a close friendship when they were interned together in Long Kesh prison in 1971. The British Army has not commented on the reports.
Britain changes law on terror suspects
British police will be allowed to hold terror suspects without charge for twice as long under new proposals unveiled by the government. The changes will increase the time suspects held under terrorism legislation can be kept in custody from 7 to 14 days. Interior Minister David Blunkett said the measure was necessary to allow time for a comprehensive investigation into members of often loose knit networks spread across the globe. The new rules will enable the authorities to apply to the courts for the maximum 14 day extension after which those held must be charged or released. The proposals will form an amendment to the criminal justice bill to be debated in parliament next month. Britain has arrested hundreds of terror suspects since the September 11th attacks on the US with the vast majority freed or charged with lesser offences. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Washington's new administrator for Iraq has arrived in the capital Baghdad.
Paul Bremer, a 61 year old former terrorism expert, is replacing retired US General Jay Garner, who has been in the job for just three weeks. The shake up is being seen by many as a sign of dissatisfaction with the American post war team's work so far, but Bremer only had praise for his predecessor. "We intend to have a very effective and efficient, well organised handover. General Garner and I pledge to work closely together. General Garner has doneoutstanding work with his team. I don't anticipate any problems." Iraqis are frustrated that water, electricity and other basic services have still not been restored by the Americans. Mr Bremer is also responsible for choosing which Iraqi's will join the interim administration. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
US Secretary of State Colin Powell is hoping for stronger support in Egypt for the Quartet's "road map" peace plan between Israel and the Palestinians than the muted amber light he got yesterday in Tel Aviv. Meeting President Mubarak,Powell is looking for Egypt to play its now established bridging role, as the first and one of the only Arab nations to make peace with Israel Representatives from Europe, one of the US's Quartet partners also met Mubarak on Monday. The EU's Foreign Policy head Javier Solana said there was no time to waste in implementing the road map, but the Egyptian press has been scathing in what it claims is Israel's gutting of the plan's substance, and crippling it with conditions and amendments. The warmest response to the plan so far has come from the Palestinian's new Prime Minister, who Powell met in Jericho yesterday, but Mahmoud Abbas insisted on a full, not piecemeal implementation of its proposals immediately, something that for the moment seems unlikely. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Westerners targetted in suspected Al Qaeda bombings
Up to four bombs have exploded in western compounds in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, wounding at least 40 US citizens and possibly killing some foreigners. Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef was quoted as saying the attacks were carried out by suicide bombers. An Arabic TV network said cars packed with explosives were driven into three compounds north east of the city. The blasts occurred just hours ahead a visit to the country by the US Secretary of State Colin Powell. On May 1, Washington renewed a warning for US citizens to avoid travel to Saudi Arabia. Days later Saudi police recovered a huge arms cache after a shoot-out in Riyadh with suspected Al Qaeda guerrillas. They are currently hunting 19 men. A U.S. official said there were suspicions this morning's bombings could be an Al Qaeda operation, but that it was "too early to tell". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated:12 Monday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lithuanians vote a huge yes to joining the EU in referendum
Lithuanians are out celebrating after early results of a referendum show voters massively in favour of joining the European Union. Lithuania is now due to join the EU in May 2004 - and is expected to encourage other Baltic states to hold referendums. It's one of ten mostly communist states hoping to join the EU after Malta, Slovenia and Hungary all voted yes earlier this year. President Rolandas Paksas said the day Lithuania joins the EU would be celebrated in the same way as in 1991 when it gained independence from Moscow. Voter apathy is a common feature of the political landscape in reform weary eastern Europe, but frantic campaigning seems to have paid off with a much higher than expected turnout. Next week it will be Slovakia's turn to hold a referendum. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ First talks on Middle East road map end without result
US Secretary of State Colin Powell has ended talks with both the Israeli and Palestinian leaders with little sign that the US inspired road map to peace will move forward. Both sides say they want the other to make a first move in putting the plan into action - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared that the Palestinians would get very little until the government cracked down on the militants. "I think that the time of promises and declarations is behind us. What we expect are steps that should be taken, real steps," Sharon said. Powell echoed Sharon when he met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, urging him to disarm the militants who are behind the attacks on Israel. But Abbas chose to comment on what he hoped the Israelis would do: "We look forward to the complete cessation of the settlement activity, stopping the closure and stopping the building of the fence, he said. So far that hasn't been done - the only sign of action from either side has been the re-opening of the Israeli border to Palestinians in the West Bank who work in Israel. In the next push for peace by the US Colin Powell will meet the Russian, EU and UN envoys from the Peace Quartet, which is also supporting the road map. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ US shake up in Iraq as officials fail to restore public services
There's been a shake up in the US administration in Iraq as criticism mounts as to when public services will be restored. Paul Bremer, who is a former terrorism expert, will be the new civilian administrator for Iraq, pushing retired general Jay Garner from the post. For now Bremer will remain in Qatar but top US General Richard Myers said he would be headed to Baghdad soon. So far no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq - despite hundreds of US technicians scouring the country since the end of the war a month ago. Myers hinted that WMDs may have been given to Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard and said that it was a line of enquiry. The key outgoing US official is Barbara Bodine, who was effectively the mayor of Baghdad. She'll be followed in June by the team of WMD experts as they end their search for weapons. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Washington wary of al-Hakim
Hundreds of Iraqis staged long delayed symbolic funerals on Sunday for relatives executed secretly by Saddam Hussein's death squads more than twenty years ago. Meanwhile the US dollar is rapidly establishing itself as Iraq's national currency, albeit temporarily, with workers there being paid by the US Army's interim administration in greenbacks. But despite these tentative steps towards re-establishing a make-shift economy there are still signs of looting and lawlessness in the country. And uncertainty also persists about the shape of what will follow Saddam Hussein politically. The arrival of Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim in the country has raised eyebrows in Washington. America is wary of the Iranian-style theocracy being advocated by the leader of Iraq's largest Shiite Muslim group. Al-Hakim has been living in exile in neighbouring Iran since for more than twenty years. al-Hakim's ties to Iran's Shiite clerics has led Washington to accuse Tehran of now meddling in Iraqi affairs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iceland's Conservatives take wafer thin lead
Initial results in the Icelandic general elections suggest that current prime minister David Oddsson is close to winning a fourth term in office. Oddsson's centre right Independance Party, has governed the volcanic island for five of the past seven decades. The poet, novelist and playwright, has privatised and deregulated the economy since taking power in 1991 has seen Iceland become a fashionable tourist attraction and overtake most European nations in terms of income. The social democrats led by former mayor of Reykjavik Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir seem to have failed to exploit what they called the voter apathy surrounding Europe's longest serving prime minister. Although the final result is still too close to call. Fishing accounts for a quarter of Iceland 9 billion euro economy and a jump in the price of cod has helped the ecomomy setting it on course for strong growth again this year. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
300 000 people come together tonight in a free concert at the Coliseum in Rome by Paul McCartney. Last night 400 hundred music lovers paid over a quarter of a million euros in a ticket auction for a concert in the ancient building itself, the money going towards McCartney's wife's Anti-Landmine charity. Sunday's crowd will gather outside, where giant screens will help everyone get a good view of the boss bassman. "It takes me back to my youth, thirty years ago", said one Italian fan ahead of the show. Tonight McCartney will play 36 songs for an estimated three hours, and by the time his current "Back in the World" tour ends, in Liverpool, where else, he will have played to more than two million people since April 2002. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated:11 Sunday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ayatollah Hakim returns to Iraq
After twenty three years in exile in Iran the leader of Iraq's largest Shi'ite group has returned home to tens of thousands of supporters. Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim is the head of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. In a packed stadium in Basra he told a crowd of around one hundred thousand to work for an independent government and not one imposed by foreigners. Jailed and tortured for opposing Saddam Hussein, Hakim also lost around thirty members of his own family under the regime. His links to Iran and threats of armed resistance against the US have caused alarm in Washington. However Hakim claims he favours a democratically elected coalition government to rule post Saddam Iraq. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Powell on road to peace in Middle East
US Secretary of State, Colin Powell has arrived in the Middle-East to push the new Washington-backed "road map" for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Touching down in Tel Aviv late in the afternoon, he immediately made his way by motorcade to Jerusalem. He is reported to have told journalists that he aims to press both sides to start implementing security and humanitarian steps outlined in the plan before moving onto other details. Envisage in the road map - a Palestinian state by 2005 in the West Bank and Gaza strip. Both are territories seized by Israel during the 1967 war. While the plan has received backing from Palestinian leaders, Israel's right-wing government has raised objections on the grounds of security. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Turnout could make or break Lithuanian vote
Voting is underway in Lithuania in a referendum to join the European Union. Among the first at the polling stations was President Rolandas Paksas. Although a yes vote is almost a foregone conclusion a low turnout could delay accession. All major political parties are in favour of entering the EU as are about two thirds of the population, according to opinion poles. If voter turnout does not reach fifty percent Lithuanians may not have another chance to vote until 2007. The former Soviet state is one of ten countries hoping to join the Union in 2004. Analysts claim the result here could have a knock on effect in upcoming referenda in Slovakia and Poland. EU politicians have visited Lithuania's main cities urging people to vote yes as they did in Malta, Slovenia and Hungary earlier this year. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Iceland election on knife-edge.
Europe's longest serving head of government is struggling to stay in power this weekend as a left-wing challenger makes an electoral bid to become Iceland's first woman prime minister. Incumbent David Odsson's Independence Party is set to win 34 to 35% of the vote according to pre-election opinion polls. The same polls put Social Democrat Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir within striking distance a few points behind. Analysts say voter fatigue with Odsson, who is looking to serve a fourth consecutive term, has given a boost to the Social-Democratic alliance. That...and fish. Resourceful candidates have been reeling voters in by giving away frozen fish at campaign rallies. Not that Icelanders are experiencing a shortage. The country's tiny population of 262,000 enjoys a high income thanks to rich fish stocks in the North Atlantic. It's why, perhaps, another party has adopted an alternative strategy... bribing voters with barbeque bratwurst ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ETA suspects arrested in French sting
Police in France have arrested four suspected members of the basque seperatistgroup ETA. Among them Ainhoa Garcia Montero who is accused of involvement in three assassinations in 2000 and 2001. All four were detained in the French town of Saintes, north of Bordeaux. Spain's Interior Minister praised police on both sides of the border for the arrests which he claimed had dealt a fierce blow to the very core of the terrorist organisation. Yesterday Spanish police arrested another presumed member of the outlawed group. Oier Imaz was taken to a prison in Madrid on suspicion of planning ETA's campaign against tourist sites. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Neapolitan cry foul over stinking mountains of rubbish
Mounting Neapolitan fustration with the piles of rubbish strewn across the city's streets following the breakdown in local waste disposal services has finally reached flashpoint. During a night of mayhem residents of the Italian city set light to the stinking waste in an attempt to push local authorities into action. Firefighters put out more than 100 blazes started by angry locals, while health officials sprayed disinfectant on the huge piles of rotting rubbish. Neapolitan dustmen stopped collecting rubbish two weeks ago after the closure of the local waste disposal site. Residents are demanding local authorities to open up emergency rubbish dumps. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Italy to screen air travellers for SARS
Breaking ranks with the rest of Europe, Italy has decided to screen all passengers arriving from countries effected by the SARS virus. Travellers who made connections elsewhere in the EU but originally flew in from high risk areas will also be checked. The move means Italy will temporarily withdraw from the Schengen agreement which allows citizens travel through the Union without border checks. Since its discovery, SARS has killed around five hundred people and infected over seven thousand. Today new deaths are reported in Taiwan and Hong Kong. EU states have been advised to issue questionnaires to incoming passengers but Rome is calling on Brussels to reconsider the need for a regional crackdown. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The families of those killed in Hungary in a collision between a train and a coach at a level crossing on Thursday have been visiting the site of the accident to pay their respects to the dead. Laying flowers at the site of the accident, the mourners were visibly distraught at the sudden loss of their loved ones and the unanswered questions that remain about the causes of the crash. Thirty three people were killed in the accident, when a train travelling at around 100 km per hour smashed into a coach full of mainly elderly German tourists. The coach had been making its way across an unmanned crossing. As the families of the dead continue to ask why the driver apparently failed to heed the red stop lights at the signal, the Hungarian Prime Minister has described the collision as one of the worst accidents in the country's history. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated:10 Saturday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Euro's strength could hit economy.
The euro has continued to go from strength to strength as the US dollar has succumbed to gravity. But is it good news for the European economy? In a week in which it has rocketed above 1 dollar 15 cents, up a stunning 9% in the last six weeks some are warning that it could hit the tourist industry and export markets. Jurgen Pfister Head of Economic Research at Germany's Commerzbank: "What worries us is the speed with which these changes are happening. There is a danger of further upgrading which would make companies uncertain. They would postpone investments because they can no longer count on profitable exports." Major companies such as consumer products group Henkel and Europe's largest car manufacturer Volkswagen have complained about the euro's strength which is reducing demand for their goods. But the guardian of the euro, the European Central Bank in Frankfurt says the current strength of the single currency is not a problem for economic growth. Whilst people in the eurozone may find it comforting to think they have, at last, a strong currency, several leading economists believe the Bank is too complacent. But there seems no sign yet they think things are spinning out of control. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Weimar Triangle talks up unity despite divisions over Iraq
The leaders of Poland, Germany and France put on a show of unity at their meeting of the so- called Weimar Triangle in the Polish town of Wroclaw, despite deep rifts over Iraq. Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schroeder of Germany were given a warm welcome by Polish crowds and by their Polish counterpart, Alexander Kwasniewski, before huddling for nearly 90 minutes of talks. They emerged with a joint declaration to step up cooperation in matters of European defense and foreign policy. They also undertook to intensify contacts in the cultural and educational sphere.But despite the smiles and the pleasanteries, the thorny issue of Iraq could not be avoided. In an apparent diplomatic slap to Poland, Jacques Chirac said that Europe did not need a bridge to America. He said Europe had its own deep historical, political and institutional links to America. France has bristled at Polish willingness to take control of one of the stabilisation zones which the US plans for Iraq. The zones would be established without a UN mandate, an idea firmly opposed by France and Germany. Chirac said the UN role in post-war Iraq would be the subject of further trilateral consultations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Putin calls for vigilance against terrorism on war commemoration day
It has always been an emotional day for Russia, both during the Soviet era and since. The 9th of May marks the victory of Soviet forces over Nazi Germany in 1945. Russia suffered by far the biggest body count of all the allies, losing 9 million soldiers in four years of ferocious combat. Including civilians, Russia lost a total of 20 million people. Russian President Vladimir Putin drew parallels between the war and the present day fight against global terrorism. He said there was a dangerous and worldwide threat - that of international terrorism. To combat this threat effectively, civilised countries must unite, Putin added. He pointed out that Fascism could have been defeated earlier if the international community had acted with resolve, and that the same mistake must not be made with terrorism. The Russia-wide celebrations were marred by a bomb in Grozny, capital of the breakaway republic of Chechnya where Moscow has fought a bitter guerrilla war for ten years. The Grozny parade was cancelled after the bomb injured three people, according to the TASS news agency. It was not the first time a bomb had overshadowed the 9 May celebrations. Last year over 40 people died when terrorists attacked a parade in Kaspiisk, in the republic of Dagestan where, like Chechnya, resentment of Russia runs high in some quarters.
UN discusses proposal to end sanctions on Iraq
Punitive sanctions imposed on Iraq by the United Nations 12 years ago could soon be lifted. UN Security Council members have been discussing a draft resolution, proposed by the US and co-sponsored by the UK and Spain, which would end sanctions, and allow the country's oil revenues to fund reconstruction. Sanctions were imposed after the 1991 Gulf War. But negotiations are likely to be problematic, there are divisions within the council concerning the role the UN should play in post-war Iraq. Under American proposals Britain and the US would decide how income from the sale of Iraqi oil would be used. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "We haven't forgotten about you!" says US to Afghanistan
The message is clear: Washington wants to let Kabul know that although it is occupied in Iraq, it is not going to forget its responsibilities in Afghanistan. US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, on a visit to Kabul, assured Afghan leader Hamid Karzai that U.S. troops would not leave the country until people felt safe: "We'll withdraw forces once we are sure that the government of Afghanistan feels perfectly secure - the people of Afghanistan have found necessary stability." But stability still seems far off in some parts of the country. The Arabic news channel Al Jazeera recently broadcast pictures taken by Taliban fighters showing them attacking an Afghan military base in the east of the country. Attacks of this kind are growing increasingly frequent. Security concerns have prompted the United Nations to withdraw its personnel from southern Afghanistan following the third attack on aid workers in as many weeks. Washington has said it does not back a request by the U.N. special representative to Afghanistan for peacekeepers to be deployed beyond Kabul. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Confusion over Congo air tragedy
There is confusion over an incident in the Democratic Republic of Congo in which a number of people were sucked out of a plane in mid-flight. It happened after a cargo door opened accidentally, causing the plane to suddenly depressurise and the other doors, including the aircraft's ramp at the rear, to blow out. Earlier reports indicated around 160 people were feared dead. But the country's information minister has spoken only of seven victims. Forty people were reported to have survived the accident. The pilot managed to turn the plane around and land it at Kinshasa airport. It is understood to have been carrying a mixture of Congolese military personnel and civilians. A Russian official said the plane was an Ilyushin 76 and had been chartered by the Congolese army to fly from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi, Congo's second biggest city. The four-engined Ilyushin is a versatile transport aircraft widely used in Africa, the Middle East, India and China. It remains in service despite its age because of the shortage of cargo aircraft worldwide. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Investigators reconstruct fatal Hungarian train-bus collision
Investigators in Hungary are trying to piece together why a coach, packed full of tourists, was struck by a train as it crossed the tracks. On Friday, a reconstruction took place at the railway crossing where 33 people were killed on Thursday. Passengers on the coach were mainly elderly German tourists who were staying in Siofok, close to one of Hungary's top tourist attractions, Lake Balaton. The train, travelling from the capital Budapest, slammed into the double decker coach, sliced it in half and dragged it 200 metres along the track. The crossing had no safety barriers and according to the head of the local disaster unit the coach driver failed to see the red stop lights. He was among the dead. Young German tourists have been visiting the scene, laying flowers in memory of the dead. In a similar accident 21 years ago, 18 people were killed at the same crossing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Erdogan calls for dialogue on visit to northern Cyprus
At the start of his first visit to Northern Cyprus the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated his support for UN efforts to re-unite the island. He was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd near Nicosia airport. Erdogan also called for the lifting of international embargoes imposed on Northern Cyprus. He told the gathering that efforts to resolve the conflict on the island should be based on the understanding that it involves two separate peoples with different languages and religions. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish forces invaded the north in response to an uprising by Greek nationalists. Last month, authorities in the northern half opened the border for the first time to allow people to cross over from both directions. Erdogan's visit comes amid increasing international pressure to work for a reunification of the island, the Greek half of which which will be admitted into the EU in 2004. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: 9 Friday, May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unfit to lead Europe May 8th 2003 From The Economist print edition
ON JULY 1st, Italy becomes president of the European Union. It is a six-monthly handing over of the baton that elicits no excitement at all in normal circumstances, but these days the circumstances are not quite normal. Politically, Europe is split. Economically, it is sputtering. The war in Iraq has lacerated relations with its main ally, the United States. Ten newcomers are about to join the club and, if the expanded Union is not to find itself paralysed, agreement must be reached on a new constitution. It is plainly time for clear-sightedness, diplomatic finesse and the exercise of the sort of moral authority that comes with ungrudging respect. Can Italy offer such leadership? Or, rather, can its prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi? Our answer is no. Two years ago, when Mr Berlusconi was campaigning for the Italian prime ministership, we explained why we thought he was unfit for that job. We argued that, in addition to the many conflicts of interest between his own businesses and the affairs of state that would arise were he to be elected, he also had a compelling case to answer on a string of grave charges. Though Italy's highest criminal court has not definitively convicted him on any of those charges, he has yet to lay to rest all the concerns about his probity. One reason for that is the manner in which the cases against Mr Berlusconi have been concluded. Most have owed less to clear-cut acquittals based on the evidence than to Italy's statute of limitations, or to recent changes in legislation apparently designed to benefit the prime minister as a defendant. These changes, pushed through a parliament dominated by a pro-Berlusconi majority, have included a law on judicial co-operation with foreign jurisdictions (with implications for at least one case against Mr Berlusconi), a measure to reduce the seriousness of some types of false accounting by making them civil rather than criminal offences (another three cases), and a law to let defendants seek to have their trials moved to another jurisdiction if they have a “legitimate suspicion” that the court handling their case may be biased (which could be used to spin out a trial and thus to help defendants benefit from a statute of limitations). This last law was unsuccessfully invoked by Mr Berlusconi in the one criminal case that is still outstanding, which explains why he was in court this week denying accusations of bribing judges back in 1985. The allure of immunity Instead, parliament might usefully be turning its attention to Mr Berlusconi's conflicts of interest. These have been a real or potential embarrassment since before his first prime ministership nine years ago, and it seemed incredible that simple decency had not ensured a resolution by the 2001 election. But Mr Berlusconi seems to find it hard to distinguish between propriety and proprietor. Nearly two years after taking office for the second time, a promised law to tackle his conflicts of interest has yet to be enacted. In the meantime, though Mr Berlusconi exercises huge influence over the state broadcaster, RAI, his family has yet to divest itself of Italy's three largest private television channels. Mr Berlusconi says he is the victim of a communist plot (The Economist, which he is suing for libel, is apparently a part of it), and the judiciary is biased against him. Some Italian magistrates are no doubt left-wingers; it would be odd if that were not so, in a country in which political partisanship has long permeated almost every public institution. But Italy also has right-wing magistrates, and in any event it is possible to hold political views and yet dispense impartial justice. If Mr Berlusconi is indeed the victim of a plot, he needs to show the world his evidence. The proper way to do that, for a man in his position, is to step down from his public post and defend himself in court. If and when he has fully cleared his name, Europeans may feel easier about having him speak for Europe.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dozens killed in bus-train collision in Hungary
In Hungary, an investigation has been launched into how a bus carrying mainly elderly German holidaymakers was hit by a train killing at least 32 people. Aeriel footage of the accident showed the severity of the impact, the bus waswrapped around the front of the train. The packed coach was crossing a railway line in Siofok, close to one of Hungary's top tourist attractions, Lake Balaton. But as it did, a train travelling from the capital Budapest slammed into it, slicing it in half and dragging it for 200 metres along the track. The bodies of many of the dead, who had been pulled from underneath the train, were laid out beside the track, waiting to be identified. The coach driver is among the dead. The train driver and dozens of people were injured, many seriously. No passengers on the train are thought to have been hurt though. The accident happened at around 8.30 local time Thursday morning. There are conflicting reports that lights at the crossing were not working, others say the bus tried to cross the railway line despite warnings of a train approaching. The tourists are believed to be from the northern states of Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. The Hungarian Prime Minister, Peter Medgyessy, and the German ambassador visited the scene and expressed their shock. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The American Senate has voted to enlarge NATO,
the second admission of new members in four years, and the two-thirds majority opening their way was easilyattained, with a unanimous vote. The Foreign Ministers and Ambassadors from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Slovenia were present to witness the historic event. They will also have lunch with Secretary of State Colin Powell followed by a Rose Garden ceremony with President Bush. The new members bring NATO to 26 nations allied militarily, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, and adds some 200,000 troops to the total manpower available. The vote came a day after Wednesday's house debate on NATO, during which some robust comments were made about France by Senator John McCain, and two major reforms were put forward to the White House for consideration by the President. One proposed ending the need for concensus votes within the alliance and moving to majority votes for NATO initiatives, the other would install a process to suspend members if they broke fundamental NATO principles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poland walks a diplomatic tightrope between Europe and America
It may not be a leading world military power, but Poland's close alignment with Washington has assured it a high degree of influence in post war Iraq. Historically menaced from the East, Poland cemented its Atlanticist leanings in 1999 by joining NATO. Warsaw's staunch backing of Washington's war on Saddam raised French and Germanfears of an American trojan horse in Europe. Poland signed a letter before the war, along with seven other EU hopefuls, supporting George Bush unequivocally despite fierce opposition from Paris and Berlin. Washington rewarded Polish loyalty by signing a strategic partnership on April 18, dubbed the deal of the century by Poles. Poland shunned French and British weapons companies chasing contracts and instead bought 48 American F 16s. In return, Washington undertook to pour twelve billion dollars worth of investment into Poland's coffers. When US troops attacked Iraq, Poland was delighted to have chosen the war camp early on during the diplomatic run up. 200 Polish soldiers served in the US-British coalition. Hungry for a reward for its early show of loyalty, Warsaw sidestepped its European partners and accepted Washington's offer of a leading role in post war Iraq. The US intends to divide Iraq into three or four stabilisation zones, where multinational troops will be deployed to keep the peace. Warsaw was offered control of the northern zone which contains a large Kurdish population and where ethnic tensions are simmering. But the Polish defence Minister Jerzy Szmadjinski failed to persuade his German and Danish counterparts to contribute to the Polish zone at a Copenhagen meeting. Poland, Germany and Denmark have a joint military force based at Stettin in northern Poland, which they can use for UN and NATO peacekeeping operations. But German defence minister Peter Struck made it clear his country would not take part in any Iraq operation without a UN mandate. However, he said he had no objection to Polish troops delploying under a US umbrella. While Poland's defense minister insisted it was possible to have good relations with the US and Europe, Polish society is feeling the strain. Poles look to American for their security and to Europe for their prosperity as future EU members. There is a lingering fear that France and Germany could put the screws on after EU entry as a result of Warsaw's cosying up to Washington in defiance of Old Europe. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Palestinian militants are opposed to the project, like Hamas's Abdel Aziz Rantissi;
"They are really implementing the road map now. The map means the killing of Palestinians, saving of Israelis, and keeping peace for Israelis on the expense of the blood of Palestinians", he said ahead of Powell's arrival. The Israeli army insists the child died only when they responded after the colony of Gadid they were guarding came under mortar fire from the area around his home. In a seperate incident a Hamas commander in Gaza, Iyad al-Beik diedwhen an Israeli helicopter fired three rockets into his car, killing him instantly. The wrecked vehicle was surrounded by an angry crowd, and Hamas promised its response would not be long in coming. The crowd called on Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas to support them with his arms, and if not, to leave office. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Russia: 30th country hit by SARS
Russia's first suspected case of SARS remains unconfirmed. But news of a possible contamination has prompted authorities to take drastic measures such as training exercises at major airports to practice evacuating casualties and disinfecting planes. The 3,600-kilometre long border with China has been virtually closed for a month. The Russian aviation authority has suspended the sale of all plane tickets to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan and has warned airline carriers it is planning to halt all flights to those countries. Tests are being carried out on a 25-year old man from a region near the Chinese border suspected of having SARS. Anyone there who shows any symptoms of the virus is immediately put in quarantine. A clean-up operation is underway in the hotel where the young man worked. All the personnel and residents have been quarantined inside. SARS or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome has killed more than 500 people worldwide and infected more than 7,000.
McCarthy archives finally revealed
Newly discovered documents have shed light on one of the darkest chapters in American history. Some 4,000 pages of transcripts made public by the US Senate recount the famous hearings conducted by senator Joseph McCarthy at the height of anti-communist hysteria in the 1950s. McCarthy, a fanatical anti-communist, chaired the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on investigations in 1953 and 1954 when the Cold War with the Soviet Union was at its zenith. Donald Ritchie, the Senate Associate Historian who assembled the volumes, saidthey were the first new material on the subject in literally fifty years. The documents show how McCarthy examined suspected communists in closed session. Those who were articulate enough to stand up to him would be left alone, while more vulnerable victims would be dragged into a public court session for brownbeating. The senators who oversaw the project, Susan Collins and Carl Levin, unveiledthe documents in the same room where the original hearings riveted America. "I think we have learned from that chapter of our history, but I think whenever America is under threat we have to be especially protective of our constitutional rights," Collins said. Parallels are being drawn between McCarthyism, which hit the American intelligentsia hard, and the fate of present day actors and film stars who opposed the war on Iraq. Prominent Americans such as Madonna, Susan Sarandon and Martin Sheen have found themselves blacklisted by some Hollywood producers for their supposedly unpatriotic stance. Madonna is particularly bitter. "It's ironic we're fighting for democracy in Iraq because ultimately we're not celebrating democracy here. Anybody who has anything to say against the war is punished and that's not democracy," she said. Madonna withdrew her single American Life after repeated attacks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morocco has new Crown Prince
Morocco's King Mohammed VI has a son and heir destined to become the north African kingdom's 16th sovereign in a dynasty that stretches back to the middle of the 17th century. Hassan III takes the name of his late paternal grandfather. His arrival was announced by a 101-gun salute, and the King also granted full or partial pardons to nearly 49,000 prisoners in Morocco's jails. Big official and popular celebrations are planned, and for the last 10 days the decorations have been going up in the capital, Rabat, where musicians and dancers are gathering to serenade the King and Queen and add to their joy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Putin remembers victims of Second World War
On the eve of 'Day of Victory', Russian President Vladimir Putin has laid a wreath at the tomb of the 'Unknown Soldier'. The memorial was erected 36 years ago today, in memory of those who died fighting in the Second World War. The position marks the place where the remains of an unidentified soldier were buried, he perished in fighting near the village of Kryukov. The epitaph reads 'Your name is unknown, but your feat is immortal'.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Italian residents suffer as waste piles up on streets
The Italian city of Naples is under siege... from rubbish. Thousands of tonnes of garbage are littering the streets. With temperatures rising, many people are finding it unbearable. For 11 days in and around the city, it has been piling up, waiting to be collected. The reason is unclear, some blame bad organisation: three nearby rubbish tips have been shut and workers have nowhere to dump it. Local authorities are threatening to close schools and shops if nothing is done. Emergency measures are being taken, extra lorries are being deployed to collect the rubbish and people are being told the situation will be under control soon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: , 8 Thursday May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Italian Prime Minsiter Silvio Berlusconi has
launched a campaign to
stop a corruption trial against him and to reintroduce judicial immunity for membOps of parliament.AtOp court appearance earlier in the week, Berlusconi denied bribing judges Opring a 1980's business deal.Writing a letter in the influential Corriere della Sera newspaper, Berlusconi said: "I am not acting for any presumed personal interests but for those of the nation."He said parliamentary immunity would protect lawmakers from politically motivated judges.Immunity was removed in the early 1990's after a turbulent period of scandals involving senior politicians.Many opposition figures in parliament are against bringing it back, which they say is intended to let Berlusconi off the hook.The Prime Minster has complained of an unprecedented legal assault over the last decade with magistrates filing 87 law suits against him."My group has been put on the stake," he said.With his close political ally Cesare Previti already in jail, Berlusconi is fighting the legal battle of his life. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ France enters second phase of EU disciplinary action over budget deficit
A crack of the whip for France as the European Commission tells the centre-left government to get its budget deficit back into line. Brussels has officially warned Paris it must take steps by this October; By 2004, the deficit that broke the euro stability and growth limit last year, has to return within it once more. Large fines are the ultimate sanction against states that repeatedly break the 3% of GDP cap. France is the third to do so. Projections by the Commission, which polices national budgets to keep monetary union firm, estimate that France will run a 3.7% deficit next year, 3.6 the year after. The French finance ministry is optimistic it can beat the prediction and attain a 2.9% score in 2004. French officials say work is already under way; Paris said it would keep 2004 spending capped at 2003 levels but press on with planned tax reductions. Paris is promoting pension system changes as part of wider reforms to help bring the budget deficit under control. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Raffarin government has gone on the offensive in France today, with full page press adverts of a letter from the prime minister explaining the necessity of pension reform. The letter is in all papers, with Jean Pierre Raffarin, the former advertising executive, calling for an effort from the French to save a system he says "no longer corresponds to demographic reality". Teachers, furious at the thought of having to teach increasingly unruly pupils until their late 60s, struck yesterday, and French unions have called for a general strike next week. Across Europe, workers face the prospect of longer working lives: "We start working relatively late, because of our long studies. We're in our late 20s sometimes after finishing doctorates and so on, so having to work 42 years to qualify for a full pension means we could be giving lessons when we're 68. I don't know what state we'll be in at that age, and the quality of teaching might not be the same", said one interviewed on a march through Paris. It is not just a French problem: Italy, Germany, Austria, and most of the EU has its back to the wall on the issue. The Council of Europe has given EU members a target: raise the retirement age by five years. Compared to the average American, Europeans work shorter hours, take more holidays, are unemployed for longer, and retire earlier, which complicates the pensions issue. Over 70% of Americans between 60 and 65 work. In the EU, justunder 49% do. The Americans are also having to bite the pensions bullet: retirement age has been raised from 65 to 68 there, whereas in Europe it is being pushed towards 65. Demographics are also against europe. The old continent is just that compared to the states, which also has a more active youth immigration policy compared to "fortress" Europe's attitude towards immigrants. America's birthrate is also better, with over two children per family on average compared to Europe's less than one and a half. The result is the over 60s only account for just over 16% of the American population, when in Europe it is over 21.5 percent. This generational imbalance is leading sociologists to predict a pensions meltdown for around 2040, when there will be 10 citizens in work for every seven inactive people, leading to, in France for example, pension rights being slashed by 50 percent. This may be bad news for state sector workers, but at least they can be sure of keeping their jobs until the new retirement ages, and so their pensions, even if less generous than before, are guaranteed. What will happen in the private sector, where companies are not exactly slow to sack workers once they get older and are deemed to be be less productive while more expensive to employ? Will the state make up the difference? What about companies who raid their pension funds to the detriment of their workers? The spectre is emerging of a new "grey" underclass, on breadline pensions and with little political clout beyond their votes emerging in the not too distant future. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Saudi police hunt for suspected militants on the run
Saudi Police are hunting for 19 suspected militants following a shootout in the capital, Riyadh. The men, who are mainly Saudi, are believed to be in hiding in the city. Police say explosives, hand grenades, ammunition and machine guns were seized at what they called the 'terrorists lair'. Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Osama Bin Laden, the head of al Qaeda, and 15 of the suspected suicide hijackers in the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks on America. Bin Laden has many followers in the Kingdom, which is a key US ally, but anti-American sentiment is running high following the US led war on Iraq. Recently, there have been a number of attacks against westerners. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
France has announced it has two more probable cases of Sars. As the killer flu like virus continues to claim victims across the world, Europe has been discussing ways to prevent it spreading throughout the continent. Following a meeting of Health Ministers, European countries are to increase checks on air passengers coming from Sars infected areas, particularly Asia and Canada. In Taiwan, screening has already been stepped up. So far, 13 people have died from Severe acute respiratory syndrome on the Island. Symptoms from Sars, which scientists now believe can kill up to 10 percent of patients, are high fever, a dry cough and pneumonia. Meanwhile, in China, the death toll is rising daily. Despite this, Beijing says the number of cases in the capital, the hardest hit area in the world, will start to fall in seven to 10 days. The World Health Organisation however says the worst is not over. In total, there have been around 220 deaths and more than 4,500 cases in China. That compares with the more than 100 confirmed or suspected infections across Europe, where, so far, no one has died. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Batasuna added to US terrorist blacklist
Washington has decided to add the Spanish Basque seperatist party Batasuna and its predecessors to a blacklist of "terrorist" groups. It follows a request by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar whose country is the new chair of the United Nations Security council committee. The committee was set up after the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, to monitor and help countries fight terrorism. Aznar, a vocal supporter of Bush's war against terrorism, was an important ally of the US in its attempt to win the UN Security Council's approval of the invasion of Iraq. Aznar, who is holding talks with President George W. Bush today, has long urged action against Batasuna and its predecessors, Euskal Herritarrok and Herri Batasuna. The party, considered to be the political wing of the terrorist group ETA, has been changing its name to bypass legal restrictions on its activities. Aznar also suggested the UN draw up its own list of terrorist suspects. But the proposal drew reservations from Britain which is insisting on a clear definition of the word "terrorist". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last Updated: ,Wednesday 7 May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Europe slips on
greenhouse targets
Cold weather boosted fuel consumption Emissions of greenhouse gases from the European
Union increased in 2001 for the second year running. The EU as a whole is committed to reducing emissions by 8% on their 1990 levels by between 2008 and 2012. On present trends, it appears to stand almost no chance of keeping its promise. The 8% cut is the commitment made by the EU under the terms of the Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement on tackling climate change. Not enough signatories have yet ratified the protocol to allow it to enter into force. Two years ago President Bush said the US would not ratify it, and Australia has followed suit. Lukewarm leaders There are now doubts about the willingness of Russia to do so, because some of its prominent scientists apparently believe climate change could be beneficial to the country. It is organising a world climate conference in Moscow in late September, to re-examine the science of climate change.
Hydropower faltered in 2001 EU emissions of the principal gas covered by the protocol, carbon dioxide (CO2), rose by 1.6% from 2000 to 2001. Germany, France and the UK saw the biggest CO2 rises from homes and small businesses. The EEA says the main reasons for the 2001 increase in all six gases were a colder winter in most EU countries, which meant householders burnt more heating fuel. Coupled with this were higher emissions from transport, and greater use of fossil fuels in electricity and heating.
The future for a warmer Europe?
The agency says its emissions inventory "represents best estimates and is subject to annual revision". It says the big 2001 increases in Austria (up 4.8%)
and Finland (7.3%) were caused partly by the cold winter, but also
by lower rainfall. The EEA says: "The latest figures show that 10 of the 15 member states are heading towards overshooting their agreed share by a wide margin - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain." Although the EU as a whole is committed to an 8% greenhouse gas cut, individual member states have their own targets. Up not down Some of the less developed countries are actually allowed to emit more rather than less: Ireland, for example, is permitted a 13% emissions increase. The agency says the three countries furthest from keeping to their share of the overall target are Spain, Portugal and Ireland: its emissions in 2001 were 31% higher than in 1990. Luxembourg showed the biggest reduction of all, cutting emissions by 44% between 1990 and 2001. It is on course to keep its Kyoto promise, as are Germany, Sweden and the UK. France looks at present likely to fail by a very narrow margin. The prominent UK global warming sceptic Professor Philip Stott commented: "One of the most galling things about the whole climate change debate has been European duplicity. "While lecturing everybody else, especially America, on the morality of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it has been abundantly clear from the start that most European countries didn't have a snowflake in hell's chance of meeting their own Kyoto targets." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jewish settler killed in West Bank
The death of Gideon Lichterman near the West Bank town of Ramallah came as the state of Israel prepared to mark its 55th anniversary. In other incidents, two Palestinians were wounded when Israeli forces entered a refugee camp in the town of Tulkarm, Palestinian sources said. Israeli troops have stepped up security in the West Bank and Gaza Strip ahead of Israel's festivities which begin at sundown on Tuesday and last through Wednesday. Palestinians call Israel's creation "al naqba" - the catastrophe - and blame the Jewish state for usurping their land. Settlements After nightfall on Monday, Palestinian gunmen opened fire on a car in the West Bank, killing Mr Lichterman and wounding his daughter. A 25-year-old Israeli reservist who was hitchhiking with them was also injured. Jewish settlements and Israeli forces occupying the West Bank and Gaza Strip have been the main focus of Palestinian anger since the intifada against Israel began 31 months ago. On Sunday, US Middle East envoy William Burns urged Israel to ease its clampdown on Palestinians and freeze the expansion of Jewish settlements. Israeli forces maintain a stranglehold on Palestinian cities and towns across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in an attempt to prevent attacks by militants. In an operation on Tuesday, the Israeli army arrested a local militant leader who was accused of planning a number of attacks in the West Bank city of Hebron. Soldiers then used bulldozers to demolish the home of Nur Jaber, said to belong to Islamic Jihad. Mr Burns has been touring the region ahead of a visit later this week by US Secretary of State Colin Powell, as American efforts to get both sides to accept the internationally-backed "roadmap" for Middle East peace intensify. But in a snag for peace moves, Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz has decided to suspend the dismantlement of around 10 Jewish outposts in the West Bank, the French news agency AFP reports. There would be no dismantling until their status was clarified, a defence ministry spokeswoman said. However, she stressed that in the end "all the illegal settlements will be dismantled." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bush names new Iraq administrator
Counter terrorism expert and career diplomat Paul Bremer has been handed the job as the top civil administrator in Iraq. US President George W Bush said he had total confidence in Bremer, known to his friends as Jerry. He will outrank Jay Garner, the former general who is currently in charge, and will report to Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, something analysts say proves the Pentagon is really in the driving seat over Iraq. It is rumoured the Department of Defence has been in a tug-of-war with Colin Powell's State Department over Iraq. Bremer will oversee those Iraqi groups that are beginning to form the core of a new civilian leadership. Five groups, including prominent exile organisations, Shi'ites and Kurds have met in Baghdad. They are said to be laying the groundwork for nationwide elections. As the new administration takes shape there have been further revelations about the exploits of the old regime. It is reported Saddam's son Qusay made off with over one billion dollars in cash from Iraq's central bank on the day before the war began. It is not clear what prompted him to do it at that time, or where the money went. The sum represents around a quarter of Iraq's foreign currency reserves. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Austrian strike sends warning to coalition government
Public and private sector workers in Austria have staged the country's largest general strike in decades. The trade union association called the stoppage to defend the current pensions system. Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel's coalition government plans extensive reforms.Schuessel wants to put the changes to a parliamentary vote on June 6. Hans Sallmutter, head of GPA, Austria's largest union, said "we are striking because the government came up with a pension-destroying bill which they presented last Tuesday. It's like an attack on the people, or a robbery. The age for pensions is going up." Although the strike failed to create major transport disruptions today, the reform plans could split the coalition. Officially the far-right Freedom Party, junior partner to Schuessel's conservatives, backs the legislation. But former leader Joerg Haider, still influential, has urged his deputies to vote against it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ French teachers protest government cuts
French teachers have begun a new wave of strikes over government plans for layoffs, budget cuts and sweeping pension reforms. The education ministry intends to axe nearly ten thousand school supervision jobs next year and freeze spending at 2003 levels. Teachers are being asked to pay into their pensions for two and a half years longer than at present, in line with the private sector. Protesters said that government plans to decentralise teacher recruitment spelt the end of the national education system, as poorer regions would try to save money by hiring fewer staff. But education minister Luc Ferry was defiant, saying the only way of avoiding strikes was to reform nothing at all. Ferry did however try to allay fears that his plans to decentralise the system would not lead to regional disparities. He reiterated that he was one hundred percent committed to high standards in public education. But Ferry's detractors are not impressed. One critic said he should go back to reading out his books in Parisian salons ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is now estimated that over half of people over 60-years-old who contract the pneumonia-like SARS virus will die. The mortality rate among under 60s is around one in eight. When SARS first appeared it was thought just six per cent would die. It comes as the World Health Organisation said the worst may still be to come in China, which has the highest number of cases. In Brussels EU health ministers have decided to ask travellers from SARS-infected countries to fill out questionnaires when they arrive. They turned down an Italian proposal to screen such passengers after the WHO told them it would provide "false security". But the health commissioner said the outbreak shows the need for the EU to have greater powers to tackle similar problems in the future. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ashcroft was speaking at a conference in Lyon, France, organised by Interpol, the international police cooperation agency. Both vowed to work alongside each other to recover the treasures. "It is our goal to return parts of the Iraqi people's past, in doing so, we hope to return pieces of Iraqi people's future" Mr Ashcroft said. The Iraqi National Museum was ransacked when security collapsed after the US led invasion in Iraq. The museum held thousands of rare objects and artefacts mapping the history of mankind in ancient Mesopotamia, one of the world's earliest civilisations. Ashcroft believes the thieves knew what they were looking for,"from the evidence that has emerged, there is a strong case that the looting and theft was perpetrated by organised criminal gangs." Interpol has launched a worldwide hunt, warning collectors not to obtain artefacts they suspect had been stolen. Ahscroft is the most senior American official to visit France, since the diplomatic rift over Iraq damaged relations between the two countries. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Blair and Ahern take stock of Northern Ireland's stalled peace process
Where do we go from here? The question dominated talks in Dublin between the British and Irish prime ministers on the Northern Ireland peace process. It came after Tony Blair postponed elections in the region over accusations that the IRA is not fully committed to peace. After the meeting Blair reiterated his belief that all paramilitary activity must stop. He said there must be a clear commitment to peace and that while the postponement of the election was frustrating much progress had been made since the start of the peace process. Northern Ireland's majority unionists had vowed they would not return to government with the IRA's political allies, Sinn Fein, until the military group proved its commitment to peace. Both sides have been sharing power in a home-rule government established under a 1998 agreement. But the IRA maintains that its disposal of some of its arsenal and other gestures should be enough to keep the process moving forward. The elections scheduled for the end of May have been
put back until the autumn. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Tuesday, 6 May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Blair steps up 'super hospital' fight
The prime minister will outline the case for public service reform and the 'super hospitals' in particular at a speech in central London. He is facing stiff opposition from Labour MPs over the introduction of the elite hospitals which will be free from Whitehall control and have their own fund-raising powers. More than 130 Labour backbench MPs have signed a motion against their introduction, fearing it will create a two-tier NHS. Health Secretary Alan Milburn has pledged to resign if patients end up having to pay for treatment in the new hospitals but time is running out to get the rebel MPs on side before a crucial Commons vote on Wednesday. In his speech the prime minister will again reject claims that the proposals will lead to a two-tier health service and is expected to warn his critics it would be a huge mistake to turn their backs on reform. Also on Tuesday, ministers release a document - NHS Improvement Programme - which details how they intend to help all hospitals in England to achieve foundation status within five years. It is about levelling up, not levelling down Alan Milburn The publication is being seen as another attempt to persuade Labour's backbench rebels to back down. But it is unlikely to impress those opposed to the policy. TGWU general secretary Bill Morris has written to Mr Milburn warning that foundation hospitals could wreck a deal on pay and conditions agreed last November after four years of negotiations. And the Labour chairman of the influential Commons Health Committee David Hinchliffe condemned the scheme as "directly contrary to everything the Labour Party has stood for since it created the NHS in 1948". Tory vote in doubt In a report due for publication on the morning of Wednesday's vote, Mr Hinchliffe's committee is expected to warn that foundation trusts will attract staff, patients and funding away from other hospitals, with harmful consequences for the rest of the NHS. The government had been counting on the Conservative vote to push the motion through on Wednesday, but leader Iain Duncan Smith has indicated they might not support it. Mr Duncan Smith has said that the prime minister "cannot and should not" rely on Tory support for its "messy" legislation. Speaking on the release of the NHS Improvement Programme, Mr Milburn said: "This is a policy for all and not just for some. "It is not about elitism or two-tierism. It is about levelling up, not levelling down. It is about raising standards in every hospital so that no NHS hospital is left behind. "This NHS Improvement Programme is about making sure standards rise everywhere in hospitals and in primary care too." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Saint's town angry over Vatican move
The Vatican has angered Capuchin monks in the southern Italian town of San Giovanni Rotondo by removing the sanctuary from their control. The move also sparked protests among local residents who blocked the square in front of the church where the mystic Padre Pio is buried. Italian media reports suggested the Vatican was concerned about excessive commercialisation of the saint's image, which generates millions of dollars. The shrine at San Giovanni Rotondo is a popular pilgrimage site which receives some eight million visitors a year. Protests At the weekend, Pope John Paul gave the bishop of the nearby city of Manfredonia ultimate authority over the shrine. The provincial leader of the Capuchin monks said he could not understand the decision.
A view apparently shared by town residents who parked cranes, earth movers and bulldozers in front of the church in protest. Others blew whistles and threatened to hold more protests during a planned visit by the new overseer of the site. Controversial saint Padre Pio died in 1968, at the age of 81, after living for decades with bleeding wounds on his hands and feet like those Christ suffered at the crucifixion. Doctors never found a medical explanation for his bleeding hands and feet which never healed but never became infected. The Pope - who is said to be a great admirer of the mystic monk - made him a saint last year. The approval of Padre Pio's sainthood took place in record time, but during his lifetime many in the Church doubted claims of his miracles and suggested he was a fraud. He was said to have known what penitents would confess to him and reportedly wrestled with the devil in his cell. In granting him sainthood, the Church officially recognised two of his miracles - the curing of an 11-year-old boy who was in a coma and the medically inexplicable recovery of a woman with lung disease. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Berlusconi in court over corruption
charges Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, defended himself in a Milan court on Monday against corruption charges connected to a 1985 business deal. The billionaire businessman is accused of bribing judges in an attempt to gain control of the state-owned food and catering company SME. SME was sold by IRI, which, at the time, was run by Romano Prodi. Berlusconi accused Prodi of secretly negotiating a low sale price to Carlo De Benedetti, the owner of Buitoni. In an hour-long speech in court, Berlusconi claimed that Bettino Craxi, the Italian Prime Minister at the time, asked him to make a higher bid for SME because a previous agreed deal was too low. Berlusconi said Craxi begged him to intervene, because such a low offer for the company would be damaging to the state. When Craxi ordered the original deal to be scrapped, Benedetti went to court in an attempt to reinstate it. The appeal was rejected by a judge who is now accused of taking alleged bribes from Berlusconi. Romano Prodi, who went on to become Italian Prime Minister and is now EU Commission President, has told reporters he is not worried, adding it is not his trial. Berlusconi denies the allegations, saying he acted in the state's best interests, while also claiming he is the target of a politically motivated witch-hunt by judges. The trial continues, with a verdict expected in the summer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ US forces arrest female weapons expert
Huda Salih Madhi Ammash, number 53 on the list of most wanted Iraqis and one of only two women hunted by the Pentagon, is in US hands. She appears on the five of hearts in the deck of cards issued to US forces to help them hunt down the members of Saddam's inner circle. According to American defence officials she worked as
a scientist on Saddam's alleged weapons of mass destruction programme
as head of natural sciences at Baghdad university. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Garner...
The US civil administrator of Iraq, Jay Garner, has said a collective interim leadership should be up and running in the country by mid-May. The retired general said he expected nine Iraqis to form a leadership group that would be a point of contact for the US led coalition. He said the group would reflect Iraq's diverse religious and cultural spectrum. Meanwhile in the northern city of Mosul rival ethnic groups have elected a transitional council to govern the country's third largest city. The new administrators were sworn in by Mosul's chief judge in the presence of US general David Petraeus. The 24 council members stood together and chanted they were prepared to "preserve the unity of the land and protect it's interests." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Algerian Government has said, for the first time, that a group of 31 European tourists who vanished deep in the Saharan desert over the past two months are being held captive and officials are in contact with the kidnappers. Mohammed Gerrout from the tourist commission said he was not authorised to comment on the case, but there are negotiations currently on going. The identity of the hostage takers is as yet unknown. The hostages include 15 Germans, 10 Austrians, four Swiss, a Swede and a Dutchman. The tourists travelling in separate groups, some in four wheel drive vehicles others on motorbikes, were heading to the south of the country, an area known for its ancient grave sites and renowned for bands of drug traffickers. The tourists are thought to have been located in the Tamelrik mountain range, about 1,500 kilometres south-east of Algiers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The World Health Authority has uncovered new information on the SARS virus which may shed light on the rampant spread of the disease. Researchers have discovered that genetic material from the virus can live in human faeces and urine. Scientists have long thought that the virus was being carried in sewage and this new information may assist public health officials in their battle against the disease. Meanwhile in China, the country worst hit by the epidemic, nine more deaths have been announced bringing the total to 206, 458 worldwide. In a new move, sufferers in the capital Beijing have been transferred to a newly-built hospital on the outskirts of the city. One thing on the health officials side is that standard disinfectants such as chlorine bleach kills the bug within five minutes. The WHO has reported 14,000 people are under quarantine in Beijing. Entire buildings are under wraps, including 27 SARS dedicated hospitals, two building sites and three apartment buildings belonging to universities. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tornadoes wreak havoc in American midwest
A state of emergency has been declared in seven counties in Kansas, as three midwestern American states have been hit by violent tornadoes. Missouri and Tennessee also suffered, a state of emergency also being declared across Missouri as the deadly twisters left wide corridors of destruction.At least 28 people have died, as 82 tornados were counted cutting a swathe through the region, reducing to matchwood everything that stood in their way. Eight people died in Kansas, and like in all the other areas scores of houses were destroyed, power and telephone lines were brought down, and trees were uprooted and thrown through the air like straws. The winds were so strong they derailed a frieght train in Crawford, and Kansas City in Missouri was struck by four tornadoes simultaneously, where one resident said they were the worst storms he had seen in over 51 years. One of the worst-hit areas was Pierce City, where at least nine people were missing feared dead after they took refuge in the town's traditional tornado shelter,the National guard state armory. The brick and wood building took a direct hit and was totally destroyed. The large storm system also claimed lives in Tennessee, and swept through South Dakota and Nebraska, where the drought-hit state at least got some welcome rain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Monday,5 May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ UK's man in Baghdad flies in
Christopher Segar will be joined by three staff in re-establishing the embassy vacated during the first Gulf War in 1991. The team will initially work in three large containers which will be constructed on a cricket pitch in the grounds of the embassy building - the first ever "flat-pack" British embassy. The Foreign Office has said it hopes to reopen the embassy over the next few weeks. After relations were broken off just before the Gulf War, the Baghdad embassy became a local Iraqi football ground and the building has been slowly falling apart. Mr Segar was the deputy head of mission prior to the embassy being vacated. He will now lead a mission which will only have full ambassadorial status once Iraq's interim government is in place. Reconstruction work As well as establishing a diplomatic presence, the team will assist in the programme to rebuild Iraq. Members will be co-operating closely with the US-led Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance. Security is still fragile in the capital. By setting up the embassy, Britain is keen to show that Iraq is once again within the international fold and life is returning to normal. Foreign diplomats have also been returning to a number of other embassies for inspection visits. The deserted British Embassy building will have to undergo various improvements before it can be deemed structurally safe, by which time more diplomatic staff will have arrived in Baghdad to take up their posts. Mr Segar is intending to get in touch with the Iraqis who worked at the embassy, including the caretaker who has looked after the building and its grounds in the years following the first Gulf War. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Saddam's weapons of mass destruction will be found: Bush
It is only a matter of time - US President George Bush's verdict on the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. He was speaking in the company of Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a war ally. Bush said the conflict had been about freedom, but he seemed unclear about for whom. "We ended the rule of one of history's worst tyrants, and in so doing we not only freed the American (sic) people, we made own people more secure." Securing Iraq is the immediate priority and Paul Bremer is the man whom it is expected will lead US efforts to achieve that. The former diplomat will, according to White House sources, act as civilian administrator in post-war Iraq. He will out-rank General Jay Garner who is currently Washington's figurehead in the country. It has also emerged that ten US allies are to provide troops for a stabilisation force in Iraq. They will come under the control of the US, Britain and Poland in three in three separate sectors. The UN has not yet been given a role. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A million Spaniards flowed into central Madrid to see the Pope create five Spanish saints at an open air mass ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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SUNDAY,4 May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EU plays down Iraq force divisions
One proposal envisages Iraq divided into three sectors - to be commanded by the United States, Britain and Poland - with troops from at least seven other European countries also involved. The EU was bitterly divided over the war in Iraq, with France and Germany in particular refusing to sanction military action by US and Britain. Some of the anti-war countries are opposed to setting up any new force in Iraq without a clear United Nations mandate. But Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou insisted: "We have in no way felt this as an issue to divide us. "Our overriding concern should be what we can do now for Iraq. "At the same time, we must prepare for later involvement as and when political and legal conditions permit. 'Unnecessary confrontation' He was speaking after two days of informal talks between foreign ministers of the EU's 15 members and the 10 countries - including Poland - that will enter the organisation next year. At the talks, held on the Greek island of Kastellorizo, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told reporters that no final decision had been made on the deployment of a multinational force to stabilise Iraq. However, he added, it was clear that several current and future EU member states would take part. In a BBC interview, Mr Straw said: "What we want is a self-confident common foreign and security policy within Europe. That will obviously if we have it enhance our relationship wth the United States. "But we have to work as an effective and positive partner with the United States and aim to minimise and explain differences rather than seeking unnecessary confrontation." His Polish counterpart, Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, said it was hoped that troops from several countries, including Poland, would be on the ground by the end of this month. But he added: "It depends on many conditions - legal conditions, financial conditions, organisational." Protests A Bush administration official said the proposed stabilisation force in Iraq would be under the overall control of General Tommy Franks, the commander of US forces in Iraq. France, Germany and Russia - which also vehemently opposed the war - will not take part, the official was quoted as saying. The three countries were excluded from an initial planning conference which took place in London on Wednesday. Follow-up meetings will be held later this month. The disclosure of the plans came after US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Iraq was not yet "a fully secure, fully pacified environment". Speaking in the UK following talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair, Mr Rumsfeld said it was "not knowable" how long US troops would have to stay in Iraq. There have been almost daily protests in Iraq against the presence of American troops in the country since US-led forces defeated the former Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein last month. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Powell pushes for Syria action
Speaking after talks in Damascus and Beirut, Mr Powell said he had made it clear to the Syrian and Lebanese leaders that there was a "new strategic situation" following the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and the publication of a new peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians. He said Syria had already closed the offices of some anti-Israel groups in Damascus but he expected Syria "to do more". The Syrian Arab News Agency (Sana) said the talks between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Mr Powell had been "constructive, candid and positive". Earlier, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Sharaa said Syria would listen to Mr Powell but would not respond to any ultimatums. Action on Hezbollah Mr Powell told reporters in Beirut on the final stage of his four-nation trip that Mr Assad had said only that the points he raised would be considered. The BBC's Lyse Doucet says Mr Powell adopted a tough tone and made it clear that the US expects Syria and Lebanon to comply with Washington's plans for the region. It is time for the Lebanese army to deploy to the border and end the armed Hezbollah militia presence Colin Powell "It is time we believe for the Lebanese army to deploy to the border and end the armed Hezbollah militia presence," he said. But while the offices of some anti-Israeli militants in Damascus have been shut, our correspondent warns that Syria may be less amenable to demands over Hezbollah which it considers legitimate. Mr Powell said there were opportunities to resolve long-standing issues - such as Syrian troops in Lebanon and Israel's capture from Syria of the Golan Heights - but all sides had to take action. The US also want Syria to crack down on the presence in Damascus of groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad which launch attacks on Israel. After his talks with Mr Assad, Mr Powell said the US "will be watching [Syria] very carefully and [will be] anxious to engage with Syria on various performance measures as we go forward." Bush warning Relations between Washington and Damascus deteriorated last month as the US accused Syria of trying to undermine it during the war in Iraq. Mr Powell stressed there were no plans for any military action against Syria. But in his weekly radio address, US President George W Bush made what correspondents say was another warning to countries like Syria and North Korea who are accused by Washington of aiding terrorists or developing weapons of mass destruction. "Our government has taken unprecedented measures to defend our homeland and, more importantly, we will continue to hunt the enemy down before he can strike," Mr Bush said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sars outbreak worsens in Taiwan
At least eight people have died of the pneumonia-like illness in Taiwan, and the number of cases has soared following outbreaks in two hospitals in the capital, Taipei. Taiwan's president Chen Shui-bian has postponed an official visit to Central America to deal with the worsening outbreak. On Friday, China dropped its earlier opposition to Taiwan receiving direct help from World Health Organisation experts, with the Chinese health ministry saying Beijing was concerned about the health and wellbeing of the people of Taiwan. China considers the island part of its territory awaiting reunification . Taiwan was last week identified with China as a place where cases of the Sars virus had yet to peak. Sars has killed more than 400 people around the world, although China remains the worst-hit country with 181 deaths and more than 3,800 people infected.
The outbreak has hurt the tourist trade Beijing is likely to continue seeing new cases of Sars at the current high rate of more than 100 a day, a city health chief has said. But officials believe the outbreak is nearing its peak and the rate of infection could start to slow within 10 days. Students flee Five more deaths reported on Friday took Taiwan's death toll to eight, with 102 cases. President Chen Shui-bian's office announced he had put
off visits to Costa Rica, Belize, Haiti and Dominican Republic due
this month to stay at home and deal with the crisis. Although Taiwan has not suffered dramatic disruption, its economy relies on factories in mainland China and regular travel by business people to visit them. Quarantine broken In Singapore, police also arrested a man who violated a home quarantine order. A police statement said the 50-year-old man was found on Friday in a coffee shop after a tip-off from the public. He is being held in isolation while under investigation. While the Sars virus continues to spread in China, other badly affected regions such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Canada have now got the outbreak under control, according to the World Health Organization. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pope addresses almost a million young Catholics in Spain
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, a strong supporter of the war on Iraq, has had an audience with the 82-year-old pontiff, who was outspoken in his opposition to the conflict, praying today that the world would finally see lasting peace. This is the Pope's first foreign trip since he went to his native Poland last August. Although he turns 83 in two weeks, and has Parkinson's disease and arthritis, he appears to be in relatively good condition. On Saturday evening he addressed a youth rally at an airbase on Madrid's outskirts. Almost a million people gathered to hear him. Earlier, when a crowd chanted "John Paul II. Everybody loves you", the Pope departed from his prepared text to joke: "That may be true in Spain!" He also referred to the insistence by Roman Catholics and other religious groups that Europe's Christian roots and God find a mention in the European Union Constitution that is being drafted. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Saturday, 3 May, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ violence Palestinian anger at Gaza funeral
Militants fired into the air and mourners shouted slogans hostile to new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas - also known as Abu Mazen. The funeral comes two days after he was sworn in. Abu Mazen - a moderate - has criticised radical groups and expressed support for the so-called roadmap to peace drafted by foreign mediators. Friday's funeral procession - which stretched about three kilometres (2 miles) through Gaza City - was described by the Associated Press news agency as the biggest show of force by militants in nearly a year. Some fired rifles into the air, as mourners chanted "No to Abu Mazen". Supporters of the militant group Hamas, using loudspeakers, shouted slogans such as: "Our men will strike Israeli cities" and "Revenge is coming soon". The raid was launched a day after a suicide bomber killed three Israelis outside a cafe in Tel Aviv. Hamas and another group, the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades - an offshoot of Abu Mazen's Fatah faction - said they had jointly carried out the attack. Observers say the surge in violence in the 31-month-old Palestinian uprising is a blow to efforts by the Quartet - the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union - to bring peace to the region. 'Contamination'? The roadmap drafted by the Quartet calls for the creation of a Palestinian state as early as 2005. It initially requires Palestinians to crack down on militants and the Israelis to start removing their restrictions on Palestinian life. US Secretary of State Colin Powell - who is on a tour of Europe and the Middle East - is expected to hold talks with both Palestinian and Israeli leaders next week. On Thursday, he urged both sides to put aside their differences and start implementing the roadmap. Mr Powell said Palestinian attacks and Israeli military retaliation should not be allowed to "contaminate" the peace process. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Powell in Syria to push Washington's Middle East agenda
The US Secretary of State Colin Powell has arrived in Syria for talks during which it is expected he will call on Damascus to stop supporting anti-Israeli guerrillas. It is expected he will press Washington's view that the overthrow of Saddam Hussein together with a renewed Isreali/Palestinian peace drive have created what is described as a "new strategic dynamic" in the region. Ahead of his arrival the Syrian government warned Powell not to set demands. It said Syria wanted dialogue not ultimatums. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Angry worker blamed for Sicilian shootings
A disgruntled worker has gone on a shooting spree in eastern Sicily, killing five people before turning the gun on himself. His first victim was his boss, the mayor of Aci Castello, near Catania. The gunman then shot dead a fellow municipal employee, an old man resting on a bench, and two more women who worked for the town council. It is reported the 32-year-old suspect had gone to see mayor Michele Toscano to complain about working conditions for those, like him, who were on short-term contracts. When Toscano refused to meet him he reportedly returned with a pistol in each hand and began shooting. Armed police launched a huge manhunt for the presumed attacker, named as Vittorio Rocca, who had a history of mental illness. But officers say the body of a man who committed suicide in a church a hundred kilometres away is Rocca. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Former Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti has been cleared of complicity
with the Mafia by an appeals court in the Sicilian capital Palermo. Eighty-four year old Andreotti, seven times prime minister of Italy, was acquitted in a first trial in 1999, but the prosecution appealed the verdict. The prosecution's main evidence rested on a testimony from Mafia turncoats. Andreotti has always protested his innocence and claims to be the victim of a Mafia plot to punish him for crackdowns on organised crime by governments he headed. Andreotti was sentenced to twenty four years in prison in a seperate trial last year for ordering the murder of journalist Mino Pecorelli in 1979. He is free while appealing THAT verdict. Pecorelli, who specialised in political scandals, had been planning to publish damaging information about Andreotti. The journalist was shot in the head and back four times
as he left his Rome office. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Violence follows Turkish earthquake
There have been scenes of intense violence on the streets of Bingol in southeastern Turkey following an earthquake that killed more than 100 people. Anger surfaced when more than 1,000 people marched on the governor's office, demanding food and tents. Relations between security forces and the mainly Kurdish population in this impoverished mountainous area have been tense for years due to the Kurdish separatist movement in the region. Police tried to break up the crowd by firing in the air, but that did little to suppress the fear and anger of people afraid they will not receive adequate care from Turkish authorities following Thursday's quake. Bingol's chief of police has been sacked but Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan defended the state's rapid response to the crisis, blaming troublemakers for the unrest. Meanwhile rescue workers are continuing to dig through the rubble of a collapsed building in the town. Already the bodies of around 40 children and a teacher have been found. A pile of masonry is all that remains of a dormitory for young students from poor outlying villages. It crumbled when the earthquake, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, struck on Thursday morning. Shoddy workmanship is being blamed. The government says it will hold construction firms found responsible to account in court.Up to 70 children are still missing. It is hoped some may still be alive,protected by the metal bunk beds they had been sleeping in. Despite the protests over the speed and scale of the Turkish government's response to the crisis there is evidence aid is getting through. But locals say the medical facilities and tents are barely enough to deal with their needs. In a country criss-crossed by seismic faultlines where earthquakes are all too common they say Ankara needs to have a better organised emergency reaction force. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bush relishes end of Iraq conflict
George W Bush has staged a dramatic entrance to a planned speech on board the USS Abraham Lincoln. A former pilot himself, he flew a small navy jet onto the deck of the aircraft carrier off the coast of California. The US president drew a line under the combat phase of the war in Iraq, but significantly he did not claim overall victory. To do so could trigger international laws that demand the release of prisoners of war and designate the US forces in Iraq as an occupying power. Instead Bush chose again to link Saddam to international terrorism, telling navy personnel, "The liberation of Iraq is a crucial advance in the campaign against terror. We have removed an ally of al Qaeda and cut off a source of terrorist funding. This much is certain: no terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime because the regime is no more". As one battle ends, another begins. Bush and his advisors are now preparing to fire the opening shots of the 2004 presidential election campaign
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Blair's Labour Party loses local seats as Liberal Democrats score well
The Labour Party of British Prime Minister Tony Blair has suffered moderate losses in municipal elections. Labour took only 30 per cent of votes cast, but governing parties traditionally fare badly in mid-term polls. The opposition Conservatives did better than expected, taking 35 per cent of the total vote. Leader Ian Duncan Smith hailed a "spectacular victory." But it was the centre-left Liberal Democrats who made the biggest breakthrough, with 27 per cent of the total vote. Party leader Charles Kennedy said: "British politics is confirmed as a 3-way fight and the Liberal Democrats are in there as equal competitors with the other two." Kennedy was the only leader to oppose Tony Blair's hawkish stance on the war in Iraq. Labour lost control of several multi-ethnic cities in England, but remains the largest party in both the Scottish parliament and the Welsh assembly.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ US troops face still facing hostility in Iraq
The aim which President Bush initially stated for going to war in Iraq was getting rid of illegal weapons of mass destruction- chemical, biological or nuclear. So far only conventional arms have turned up. In Baghdad, around 150 arms and ammunitions sites have been found. In Mosul in the north, US soldiers have discovered over a million mortar rounds and 65,000 artillery shells. As American troops continue to destroy such dumps, thousands of small arms are still in circulation. Rifles are being sold openly on the streets of Baghdad for 75 dollars or less. Still, Brigadier General Daniel Hahn, Chief of Staff of the 5th Corps, was upbeat: "It's hard to categorise what's the start point of war and what's the end point of war, but the bottom line is that if you look at the country as a whole, it's pretty stable." Around 4,000 extra US troops are being sent to Baghdad where tensions remain high. Yesterday, when troops arrived to help deal with a blaze at a petrol station in the capital that killed several Iraqis, there were scuffles and locals shouted abuse. In the town of Fallujah, US soldiers killed 16 anti-US protestors this week after allegedly coming under fire.
Pope's visit to Spain seen as test of Catholic fervour
Madrid is getting ready to receive the Pope. 82-year-old John Paul II arrives on Friday for a two-day trip, his first foreign visit since last August when he travelled to his native Poland. Spain is still viewed as one of the world's most Catholic countries, and the Church hopes up to 1.5 million people will greet "el Papa" at the weekend. On Sunday the Pope will proclaim five new Spanish saints at the capital's Plaza de Colon. This will be something of a litmus test. While most new-borns are still baptised and many couples get married in church, only around one in four self-professed Catholics in Spain actually attend Sunday mass. It is also a test for the security forces. Assuring the safety of the pontiff and the hundreds of thousands of people being bussed in from around the country requires a carefully-planned operation. Last month, giving his Easter greeting, he appeared
better than he has done for some time, despite suffering from Parkinsons
disease. Many put this down to his using a wheeled throne that spares
him from wallking.
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2 May 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bush declares victory in Iraq
He explicitly linked the conflict in the Gulf to the 11 September 2001 terror attacks on the United States. He spoke of victories in Afghanistan, but warned that the al-Qaeda network was "wounded, not destroyed". "We will continue to hunt down the enemy before he can strike," he told the cheering officers and sailors aboard the ship. Mr Bush landed on the aircraft carrier in a small navy plane, making him the first sitting US president to take part in a so-called tailhook landing. Earlier, Mr Bush's spokesman Ari Fleischer warned that the president's speech would not mark the end of hostilities "from a legal point of view". There are legal implications to declaring a war officially ended: under the Geneva Conventions, once war is declared over, the victorious army must release prisoners-of-war and halt operations targeting specific leaders. The US is not prepared to do that, the BBC's Matt Frei in Washington says. The United States never formally declared war on Iraq. In other developments:
The US formally closes its operation mounted out of Turkey to monitor northern no-fly zone in Iraq
Mr Bush's announcement was based upon an assessment given to him on Tuesday by General Tommy Franks, the top US military commander in the Gulf. He said "difficult work" remained to be done in Iraq.
He linked the war in Iraq to the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. "The Battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on 11 September 2001, and still goes on," he said. 'Terrorists failed' "By seeking to turn our cities into killing fields, terrorists and their allies believed they could destroy this nation's resolve, and force our retreat from the world. They have failed," he said to the cheers of the ship's crew. Mr Bush said that although the war on terror was still going on, it would not be endless. "We do not know the day of final victory, but we have seen the turning of the tide... Free nations will press on to victory," he said. And he thanked the other nations that contributed troops to the US-led war, the UK, Australia and Poland. The BBC's Rob Watson in Washington says Thursday's speech is probably as close as the president will ever get to saying that the war is over and won. 'Thrilling ride' Mr Bush arrived in a US navy jet on board the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is heading back home after 10 months of operations in the Gulf region. For the flight Mr Bush - a former National Guard pilot - sat next to the pilot and emerged in full flight suit to shake hands with staff on the carrier deck. With his helmet tucked under his arm, he told reporters he had taken the controls and enjoyed the flight. "Of course I liked it, " he said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Combat in Iraq over, says Bush
However he cautioned that much work remained to be done in securing Iraq and rebuilding the country. "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended," he said. "In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country." "The liberation of Iraq is a crucial advance in the campaign against terror," he said. "We have removed an ally of al Qaeda and cut off a source of terrorist funding and this much is certain - no terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime because the Iraqi regime is no more." Officials said the address was not meant as a formal end to hostilities. Under international law, that would trigger the release of Iraqi prisoners of war and bar U.S. forces from killing Saddam if he's still alive. The speech is likely to provide powerful images for Bush's re-election campaign next year. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Daily protests pile pressure on US forces in Iraq
Often the demonstrators are few in number but their message is a powerful one - "leave our country". Up to seventeen people taking part in recent protests have been killed by US troops who opened fired after reportedly being shot at themselves. "The Americans claim that they came here to liberate Iraq" said one man taking part in a demonstration in Falluja. "If this is liberation what are theydoing.... we know what's going on. They must give us a share of the oil." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Search teams not giving up hope of finding more quake survivors in Turkey
For a second night running rescue workers in eastern Turkey have been digging gingerly through a collapsed boarding school looking for survivors. The death toll from the powerful earthquake now stands at around 100. The tremor struck during the early hours of Thursday morning while everyone was sleeping. Occasionally rescue teams realise their efforts are worth it as a young boy was plucked alive from the rubble. Around a hundred other children are still trapped no-one knows what kind of condition they are in. Around 200 pupils were asleep in their dormitory when the quake hit. Search parties are hoping their metal bunk beds have created air pockets that will mean there are more survivors. The quake which measured 6.4 on the Richter scale struck the mainly Kurdish town of Bingol. The region has a history of powerful earthquakes. A quake four years ago in the north of the country killed 20,000 people. Once again similar questions are being asked about the quality of the local building work. Did tower blocks and the school collapse because they were built on the cheap? Survivors are shell-shocked. One man said, "We are all afraid and cannot enter our houses. We took our beds from our homes. We will sleep on them tonight outside because there are so many aftershocks." The army has begun putting up shelters and camps for those now homeless. The new government aware of how slow the previous administration was to react to the earthquake of 1999 has vowed to provide help swiftly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mideast "road to peace" paved with violence
At least 15 Palestinians have been killed in 24 hours in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Eight died when Israeli forces backed by helicopter gunships made an incursion into a Gaza neighbourhood where they said Palestinian militants were hiding. Among them was a senior member of the Islamic militant group Hamas and a toddler whose father said was he killed by a bullet to the head. The latest raids come in response to a Palestinian suicide attack and despite the release of a so-called road map for peace backed by the United States. Britain's ambassador to Israel has visited the site of Wednesday's suicide bomb attack at a Tel Aviv nightclub which Israeli authorities say was carried out by a British citizen. Hamas and an offshoot of Palestinian president Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction have claimed responsibility. Israeli newspapers have been publishing pictures of passports alleged to have belonged to the suicide bomber and another British man believed to be an accomplice who fled the scene. As always, retaliation was swift: the Israeli army has destroyed eight houses in the town of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, and another house in the West Bank town of Ramallah alleged to have belonged to a Palestinian militant. The peace proposal calls for a series of confidence-building steps, including a halt to Palestinian violence and the suspension of Israeli settlement building on occupied land, leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair's ruling Labour Party has suffered big losses in local elections across the country. However they are unlikely to cause much lasting damage to the Prime Minister's hold on power. Historically the government in office loses seats in mid-term local elections. For the Conservative opposition the results are far better than expected and could give some breathing space to its leader Iain Duncan-Smith.He has many critics within his party who say he is not up to the job. The far right anti-immigration BNP party also did well picking up council seats in rundown towns where relations between the white and Asian communities are poor. The big loser is the election process itself, voter turnout was less than 50 percent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ May Day violence in some cities, unions flex their muscles in others
Anarchists took to the streets of the city attacking symbols of capitalism - whether cars or businesses. Riots in the German capital on May Day have become a sorry tradition. The German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder received a rough reception when addressing trade unionists near Frankfurt. Normally loyal supporters of his party - hecklers say the centre left government is out to dismantle the German welfare system. In France the unions have launched a warning shot against the government too with around 200 rallies across the country. Feelings are running very high this year because the government wants to reform the retirement system and get people in the public sector to work longer.A series of strikes are planned in the coming weeks. In London the May Day protests started in a carnival atmosphere. However many demonstrators are still seething over Britain's role in the war in Iraq.Groups of demonstrators picketed American companies they accuse of profiting from the conflict. Scuffles occured as police moved in to break up the demonstrators into smaller groups. In Spain traditional concerns over workers rights brought unionists out. But the parade in Madrid was marred by an attack on the leader of one of the biggest Spanish unions. Jose Maria Fidalgo was taken to hospital after being hit on the head by a man with a stick.His attacker said he had been betrayed by the union when he lost his job. There were also large rallies in Barcelona. Peace was the theme at a huge open air concert in Rome. Around 700,000 people packed into the city centre to hear the music and calls to help rebuild Iraq. Some of the biggest peace protests before the war took place in the Italian capital. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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1 May 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Children trapped in Turkey quake
At least 150 people are reported to have been killed and many more injured by the tremor of magnitude 6.4, which was centred near the city of Bingol at 0337 local time (0037 GMT). Among the buildings that collapsed is a boarding school where over 100 children were trapped when their four-storey dormitory building fell down. The BBC's Turkey correspondent, Jonny Dymond, says the death toll could rise much further - the remote location of tremor makes it difficult to get precise information out and rescue workers and equipment in. Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen saidthat at present the death toll was 150, with 300 injured. Frantic rescue efforts are under way at the collapsed school, in Celtiksuyua 12 kilometres (seven miles) from the provincial capital of Bingol, with local residents clawing at the rubble with their bare hands. The children's parents, who rushed to the scene of the devastation, had to be held back by soldiers as rescuers dug through the wreckage, Anatolia news agency reported. Children's cries Television pictures show that the four-storey dormitory has been completely flattened by the force of the quake. Reports from the region say there were 230 children enrolled at the school. It is not known how many were inside when the earthquake hit. A seismologist in Istanbul told the BBC between 50 and 60 children had already been rescued. But many are trapped and there are reports that children's cries can be heard coming from the among the debris. Thursday's quake lasted 17 seconds, according to the head of Istanbul's Kandilli seismology centre. "We woke at exactly half past with everything in the house shaking, from the pictures to the windows in their frames," one resident of the city of Diyarbakir, 115 km south of the epicentre in Bingol, said. Officials say the timing of the tremor - when people were at home asleep - could contribute to the death toll. Rescue difficulties In the centre of Bingol, where apartment blocks have collapsed, rescuers are desperately trying to dig their way through the rubble using pickaxes and mechanical diggers, with crying women anxiously looking on. Our correspondent says this is a scene which will be being replicated right across the sparsely populated region. Rescue workers he has spoken to talk of massive devastation with buildings destroyed throughout towns and villages. It is difficult to get clear information because electricity and telephone lines to the remote region have been cut. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has gathered senior ministers for a crisis meeting in Ankara. Our correspondent says that Turkey is used to mounting earthquake rescue operations quickly and has equipment that can be flown to the region. But once there the poor roads in the region will hamper efforts to get to outlying villages and towns. Turkey lies on the North Anatolian fault, and tremors are common. Two earthquakes in August 1999 killed more than 17,000 people in the north-west of the country. An earthquake in Bingol in 1971 killed about 900 people.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dozens feared dead in SA bus crash
The bus was taking some 90 people to a May Day rally in Free State when the driver apparently took a wrong turn at 0500 local time (0300 GMT) when it was still dark. The coach went down a gravel path into a reservoir near the town of Bethlehem. The bus was completely submerged but Sergeant Sharon Tau from Bethlehem Police told the BBC that it was now being pulled out of the water. Police say that five bodies have been recovered and 10 people have been taken to hospital. Unsafe roads Those travelling in the coach were all members of South Africa's main labour federation the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu). "I am utterly shocked," said Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven. South Africa's roads have a reputation for being unsafe. More than 9,000 people are killed on the roads every year, reports Associated Press news agency. Alcohol, police corruption and unroadworthy vehicles are some of the causes for the high death toll, officials say.
US peace efforts in the Middle East are restarting with a trip to the region by American Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Highlight of Powell's tour is visit to Syria Mr Powell's visit follows the publication of the roadmap, which was delivered to the Israelis and Palestinians on Wednesday. The secretary of state is visiting Spain on Thursday, before making his way to Syria and Lebanon. A year after his last visit to the region, Colin Powell is beginning this round of peacemaking extremely cautiously. A trip to see the Israelis and Palestinians has been postponed for at least a week. Mr Powell does not want to damage the new Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Mazen, by smothering him with support. Reshaping region Instead, the highlight of this tour will be a visit to Syria. It is intended partly to warn Syria to end what Washington says is its support for terrorism. But it is also a reward to Syria for listening to American demands not to harbour fleeing Iraqi leaders. And it is part of a wider American strategy to try to reshape the region and to reassure Israel of Washington's intentions. First Mr Powell will visit Madrid. It is highly symbolic - the site of the first major Middle East peace conference in 1991 and the place where the United States teamed up last year with the United Nations, European Union and Russia to form the Quartet, the driving force behind this peace plan. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rumsfeld reviews Afghanistan
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is due in Afghanistan
shortly where he will hold talks with President Hamid Karzai. The troops have been involved in frequent encounters with suspected remnants of the Taleban and the al-Qaeda network, with four US troops killed since March. Mr Rumsfeld's visit comes after he told US troops in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, that they were doing a superb job after ousting Saddam Hussein. Taleban regrouping The US has said it expects its troops to remain in Afghanistan for years. Security is a constant problem for President Karzai's government. A number of his ministers have been killed and the president himself survived an assassination attempt in the southern city of Kandahar last September. In late April two US troops were killed in an attack there in a clash with suspected Taleban fighters. And in March, two US special forces soldiers were killed and another wounded in an ambush blamed on the Taleban. Both the US and the Afghan Government are concerned by the ability of enemy fighters to move across the border from Pakistan. Hours before Mr Rumsfeld's visit, a US military spokesman in Afghanistan conceded that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network was still able to strike at US targets. But Colonel Roger King said the US had limited al-Qaeda to only carrying out cross-border raids. "They would still like to portray themselves as carrying on the fight in Afghanistan, but if you look at the reality they can't even live here," Colonel King told the Associated Press news agency. "They have to come in across the border, conduct an attack and leave immediately because this is no longer a place where they can hide." And Colonel King said the only way that al-Qaeda could re-establish based in Afghanistan would be "if we go". "There is no external threat in most of the country. Reconstruction will just make it more stable. So let's focus on it," he said. Last year Mr Rumsfeld urged the international community to do more to support President Karzai, although he insisted that the overall security situation in Afghanistan was better than it had been for 25 years.
Palestinians and Israelis consider peace plan
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