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Turkish election victors begin task of forming Government
It is the dawn of a new political era in Turkey. But as the celebrations continued, the work began for the victorious Justice and Development Party, or AKP. Founded only a year ago, it has little experience of power, and a leader who is banned by the courts from taking up any post in the new government. With Turkey bordering Iraq, its support is vital to Washington for any forthcoming attack on Saddam Hussein's regime. But the man who led the AKP party to victory, is refusing to be drawn on whether Turkish forces will be involved. AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan says: We are bound by the United Nations on that decision. We cannot say anything before hearing what the UN has to say. The huge scale of the AKP's victory is spelt out in detail in today's Turkish newspapers. The only other party to muster the 10 percent vote needed to enter parliament was the Republican People's Party. Leader Deniz Baykal admitting here, we fought to be the only party in power, but ended up the only party in opposition. As well as speedily forming a new Government and choosing a Prime Minister the AKP has its work cut out. A raft of urgent issues must be tackled in the coming months in pursuit of Turkey's European Union membership ambitions. Turkish election winners seek to reassure sceptics
The AKP is already trying to address the uncertainty about its plans for government and the scepticism of its political opponents. The party has been at pains to stress its support for Turkey's pro-Western foreign policy, in particular its aspiration to join the European Union. Turkey was disappointed last month by the EU's refusal to set a date to start negotiations for the country's accession. But the AKP says it intends to accelerate political and economic reforms that satisfy Brussels and reassure the markets and foreign investors. The party has also insisted it will respect the country's 16 billion euro International Monetary Fund programme with only minor refinements. The AKP's pro-Western overtures extend to defence, with the party keen to reassure Turkey's Nato allies. The prospect of an American-led military campaign against Turkey's neighbour Iraq is more problematic. The party says it will take its lead from the United Nations, although diplomats say it is unlikely an AKP government would deny military assistance to the United States in the event of war. But the AKP, like other parties in the campaign, has said it would seek financial compensation for the likely economic disruption that a regional conflict would cause. Moscow theatre camera footage released
The moment that was not in the script, but was the beginning of a new drama, was captured on the Nord-Ost theatre's technical camera. Pictures just released show the start of the three days of the hostage crisis in Moscow, and the confusion as the audience wondered if the onstage action was part of the show. When the leading man was kicked out of backstage and forced, along with the rest of the cast, to join the audience, and the orchestra pit was cleared it was obvious something was seriously wrong. The public's fear was even more acute when they were joined by masked terrorists with bombs strapped to them, who sat down in their midst, apparently ready to die, and take the audience with them. The crisis would only be ended by a Russian Special forces assault in which 119 hostages were killed. Elf four try to avoid prison
Former French Foreign Minister Roland Dumas is back in court, to try and avoid going to prison. He, along with three other co-accused in the Elf corruption scandal, is appealing against severe punishment handed down in the first trial last year. His former mistress, Christine Deviers-Joncour is accused of obtaining financial gains for Dumas, and in turn being rewarded for her efforts to the tune of nearly 10 million euros. The former boss of Elf, the giant oil company, Loic Le Floch Prigent will also be giving evidence at the appeal, but the most interest is focussing on his number two, Alfred Sirven. When the fugitive Sirven was arrested in the Phillipines this key figure in the scandal promised he had evidence that could "sink" the French Republic, and this may be his last chance to name names. The scandal came to light after revelations about extravagantly expensive shoes bought for Dumas by Deviers-Joncours, just one in a host of luxuries the Elf cash cow provided for the couple. If the appeal fails all four will go to prison.
Three fresh tremors hit earthquake struck Italian town
Just hours after the child victims of last week's earthquake in Italy were buried, the grieving town of San Giuliano Di Puglia has been hit by further tremors today. The series of aftershocks struck in the early hours. There are no reports of injuries. Thousands of people in the south central Molise region are still living in the relative safety of makeshift camps amid fears further quakes could strike and dislodge damaged buildings. Coming so soon after twenty-six children, were laid to rest following yesterday's emotional funeral service, these fresh tremors can only mean the reliving of nightmares for so many. Meanwhile grieving relatives are hoping a promise from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is followed by action. He has pledged 50 million Euro in aid. That money is urgently needed in San Giulliano, where locals face the gruelling task of rebuilding a school and homes as well as their shattered lives.
New Harry Potter film premieres in UK
Hundreds queued for hours in London's wind and rain to see the all-star cast of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" arriving for the film's premiere. Based on JK Rowling's second novel, the latest movie sees the famous child wizard back for his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The premiere was tinged with sadness following the recent death of Richard Harris, who starred as Professor Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. Among the new characters added to the school's eclectic and eccentric teaching staff is the pompous buffoon Gilderoy Lockhart, the new teacher of Defence against the Dark Arts, played by Shakesperian actor Kenneth Branagh. Robbie Coltrane and Maggie Smith also feature in this film. Rowling has written four Potter books in her planned seven-volume series, with the fifth expected to the published next year. So far, 175 million copies of Potter books have been sold. The first film grossed one billion euro at the box office worldwide, second only to "Titanic Posh Spice "in shock" at alleged kidnap plot
Pop star Victoria Beckham says that she is "in absolute and total shock" afterlearning that she was the target of an alleged kidnap plot. Nine people have been arrested after Scotland Yard was tipped off by a tabloid newspaper. The "News of the World" splashed the sensational story across its front page this Sunday. The paper claims the gang, said to include a number of Albanians and Romanians, planned to use a chemical spray to sedate the former Spice Girl. It says a ransom equal to several million euro would have been demanded. The report also claims that Victoria Beckham's sons Brooklyn and Romeo could also have been seized. Three-year-old Brooklyn has himself been at the centre of a kidnap plot, leading to Victoria and her soccer star husband David Beckham hiring a bodyguard. He has said that, in the light of this latest episode, their security arrangements will be reviewed. |
