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| # | Title | Dateline | Author | Category | Country | Posted | Transcript | Keywords | |
| 5020 | BRUSSELS | UN Deadline On Kosovo Status Expires | Patricia Kelly, Neil Macdonald; Jeta Xharra | News | Belgium | 10 December 2007 10:57 Mon | A UN deadline for agreement on the future of Kosovo is to expire today, after months of talks have failed to reach an agreement on the status of the breakaway Serbian province. "Neither party was willing to concede its position on the fundamental question of sovereignty on Kosovo," a report by mediators from the "troika" of the EU, US and Russia concludes. Foreign ministers from the European Union are meeting today in Brussels to discuss Kosovo ahead of an EU summit on Friday. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, speaking to reporters, said that all but one of the EU's 27 member states are now ready to accept independence for the province. Nato - fearing a violent Serb reaction - says it will keep 16,000 troops in Kosovo to deter any clashes. | ||
| 5021 | JERUSALEM | Israeli Tanks And Bulldozers In Gaza Strip | Emily Winterbotham | News | Israel | 11 December 2007 11:20 Tue | Three Palestinian militants have been killed in fighting with the Israeli army in the southern Gaza strip, local media reports. Israeli military officials report two soldiers were wounded after Israeli tanks and bulldozers entered the Gaza Strip in what reports say is the biggest incursion into the territory in months. 30 or more tanks are reportedly involved. This comes a day before Israel and the Palestinians are to hold a first round of talks following the US-hosted Annapolis conference on the Middle East in November. The militant group Hamas, who run the Gaza strip, was excluded from the summit and from the negotiations about to be launched. | ||
| 5022 | MOSCOW | Putin Successor Calls For Social Programme | Emily Winterbotham | News | Russia | 11 December 2007 11:22 Tue | Russian Presidential candidate Dmitry Medvedev says recent economic gains must fund "a real social programme". Mr Medvedev, who is current President Vladimir Putin's chosen successor, says if elected president he would devote a large part of his attention to social issues. Mr Medvedev made the comments whilst addressing the leaders of four pro-Kremlin parties that back his presidential bid. Russia has made huge economic gains as a result of soaring international oil prices. | ||
| 5023 | SEOUL | Korean Trains Resume After Half Century | Emily Winterbotham | News | Korea | 11 December 2007 11:23 Tue | A regular train service has started operating for the first time in over half a century across the heavily fortified border between North and South Korea. Cargo trains will cross the border every week day, reducing the cost of goods transportation. President of Korea Railroad Lee Chul says the economic benefits of the link are countless. Rail lines between the two sides were cut during the 1950-53 Korean War, but in recent years Seoul has worked to ease tensions and pursue economic cooperation. The resumption of the rail service was agreed at an October summit between leaders of the Koreas, only the second since the peninsula was divided more than five decades ago. | ||
| 5024 | KABUL | Afghan President Wants To Build Army | Emily Winterbotham | News | Afghanistan | 11 December 2007 11:25 Tue | Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai says that he needs greater international assistance to help build his country's armed forces. An Afghan ministry of defence statement recently said that the Afghan armed forces should be 200,000 strong to deal not only with the Taliban insurgency, but to project a more assertive posture in the region. In 2001 the international community agreed to fund an army of 70,000 men. Mr Karzai's comments come as Afghan troops take the lead in retaking the town of Musa Qala from the Taliban with Nato troops. UK and US troops are now trying to secure the town. The Taliban took over Musa Qala in February, which has since become the main centre of drugs trading in Afghanistan. | ||
| 5025 | ALGIERS | At Least 40 Die In Algerian Bomb Blast | Emily Winterbotham | News | Algeria | 11 December 2007 11:26 Tue | At least 40 people have died in two explosions which have rocked the Algerian capital, Algiers, on Monday. The first blast is reported to have taken place in in the city centre, near the country's Supreme Court. Another bomb exploded at the United Nations offices in the Hydra neighbourhood, GRN correspondent Haitham Rabani reports. The Algerian interior minister, Yazid Zerhouni, says the blasts were caused by two car bombs. No one has yet claimed responsbility. Algeria has experienced a series of bomb attacks throughout 2007 which have killed scores of people. These have been claimed by members of al-Qaeda's North Africa wing, calling themselves al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. | ||
| 5026 | THE HAGUE | Bosnian Serb General Jailed | Stephanie van den Berg and Tim Judah | News | Netherlands, The | 12 December 2007 10:59 Wed | The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has jailed a former Bosnian Serb general for 33 years for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Dragomir Milosevic was found guilty of directing sniper and shell attacks on civilians during the siege of Sarajevo. Prosecutors had demanded a life sentence for the 65-year-old, who pleaded not guilty to the charges. Milosevic became commander of the Sarajevo Romanija Corps (SRK) unit of the Bosnian Serb army in 1994, taking over from Stanislav Galic, who has already been jailed for life by The Hague for his role in the siege. Thousands of Sarajevo's civilians died in the siege between 1992-1995. Hague correspondent Stephanie van den Berg and regional expert Tim Judah are available for 2-ways. |
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| 5027 | BALI | UN Secretary General Calls For Enviornmental Action | John Aglionby and Kitty Logan | News | Indonesia | 12 December 2007 11:03 Wed | United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for action in the face of drought, famine and rising sea levels as high-level talks begin at the climate change conference in Bali on Wednesday. Delegates are hoping to agree a "Bali roadmap" which will result in further greenhouse gas emission cuts to replace the Kyoto Protocol targets when they expire in 2012. The UN wants developed countries to commit to cuts of 25-40% from 1990 levels by 2020, but the US and Canada are among countries opposed to further binding targets. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today confirmed his government's ratification of Kyoto, leaving the US as the only industrialised nation outside the Kyoto process. John Aglionby and Kitty Logan in Bali are reporting from the conference. |
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| 5028 | ALGIERS | UN Secretary General Orders Security Review | Haitham Rabani | News | Algeria | 12 December 2007 11:07 Wed | UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has ordered a security review in the Algerian capital, Algiers, on Wednesday, following the most deadly attack on a UN office since 2003. At least 11 UN employees were killed when a car bomb exploded in front of the UN refugee agency building on Tuesday. An Algerian government office was destroyed in a second bomb, which reportedly killed and wounded students in a passing bus. At least 26 people were killed and nearly 180 were injured by both explosions. A group claiming to be Al-Qaeda's North African branch has claimed responsibility for both attacks. Mr Ban, speaking at the UN environment conference in Bali, called the attack "an abjectly, cowardly strike". Haitham Rabani in Algiers is across this event. |
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| 5029 | AMARA | 30 People Killed In Car Bomb Attacks In Southern Iraq | Said Rifai | News | Iraq | 12 December 2007 11:10 Wed | At least 30 people have been killed and at least 40 others injured after three car bombs exploded in the southern Iraqi city of Amara. Police say two bombs exploded in a busy car park and the third was detonated as people were fleeing the area. Amara, in Maysan Province, 50km south of the capital, is a mainly Shia area. It is the scene of intense political rivalry between several different Shia factions. However, officials say it is rare for the area to experience car bomb attacks of this kind. British troops handed over responsibility for security in Amara to Iraqi forces last April. Said Rifai in Baghdad is covering this story. |
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| 5030 | BEIRUT | Lebanese General Killed in Explosion | Delphine Minoui and Hugh Macleod | News | Lebanon | 12 December 2007 11:15 Wed | A Lebanese army general has been killed in an explosion near the presidential palace on the outskirts of Beirut. At least three others were killed and dozens wounded in the attack in the Christian town of Baada on Wednesday. General Francois al-Hajj was tipped to become army chief if General Michel Suleiman takes over as president. Gen Suleiman is the chosen candidate of both the pro-West ruling bloc and pro-Syrian opposition, led by Hezbollah, to succeed former President Emile Lahoud. Lebanon is currently suffering a deep political crisis as the factions cannot agree on the formation of a new government. Reports from Lebanon suggest that Gen Hajj was meant to be the target of the bomb. Delphine Minoui and Hugh Macleod in Beirut are across this event. |
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| 5061 | JOHANNESBURG | Winnie Mandela Advocates ANC Compromise | Emily Winterbotham | News | South Africa | 13 December 2007 10:36 Thu | JOHANNESBURG - The ex-wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela has suggested a compromise to ease rifts in the leadership of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party. In a letter to ANC secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela said current President Thabo Mbeki should remain head of the party until elections in 2009. His rival and ex-Deputy President, Jacob Zuma should then become presidential candidate in 2009, she suggests. The move is seen as a face-saver for Mr Mbeki who is behind Mr Zuma in the polls. The two men fell out publicly in 2005 when Mr Zuma was sacked as deputy president over corruption allegations. On Sunday, the ANC will hold its 52nd National Conference in Polokwane to choose a new head and presidential candidate for elections in April 2009. Gretchen Wilson in Johannesburg is across this story and GRN correspondents will be attending the ANC Congress. |
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| 5062 | BEIJING | China Marks Nanjing Massacre | Emily Winterbotham | News | China | 13 December 2007 10:38 Thu | China is holding ceremonies on Thursday marking the 70th anniversary of the Nanjing massacre, in which Beijing says 300,000 Chinese civilians were killed. The massacre was carried out by Japanese soldiers in the weeks after they captured the city on 13 December 1937. Offials, residents and a number of survivors attended the re-opening of a refurbished memorial hall, which details the violence, in Nanjing. The Nanjing murders, also known as the Rape of Nanjing, have come to symbolise imperial Japanese aggression in China. The anniversary is not being commemorated officially in Japan. | ||
| 5063 | BALI | UN Climate Leader "Concerned" By Talks Progress | Emily Winterbotham | News | Indonesia | 13 December 2007 10:40 Thu | The head of the UN climate convention Yvo de Boer told reporters on Thursday he is "very concerned" about the slow pace of talks. The US, Canada and India are among nations opposing attempts to set binding targets for reducing emissions. The EU wants developed countries to commit to a reduction of greenhouse gas emmissions by 25-40% below 1990 levels by the year 2020. On the penultimate day of the environment conference, delegates say hard work lies ahead on many key issues before the scheduled close on Friday. EU delegates blame US intransigence for the talks' slow progress. | ||
| 5064 | LISBON | EU Leaders To Sign Landmark Treaty | Emily Winterbotham | News | Portugal | 13 December 2007 10:41 Thu | European Union leaders will today sign an EU reform treaty in Portugal's capital, Lisbon, which they hope will end the crisis brought about by the death of the constitution. The Lisbon treaty creates an EU president and a far more powerful foreign policy chief for the Union's 27 nations, replacing the EU constitution which was abandoned in the face of French and Dutch opposition. Despite EU leaders insisting that the two documents are in no way similar, the treaty includes some of the draft constitution's key reforms, whilst leaving out references to EU symbols such as the flag and anthem. Several governments face domestic pressure over the document. | ||
| 5073 | BEIRUT | Funeral of General Francois al-Hajj | Hugh Macleod and Delphine Minoui | News | Lebanon | 14 December 2007 10:51 Fri | Lebanon is observing a day of national mourning today as the funeral of General Francois al-Hajj, the army's head of operations, assassinated on Wednesday, is underway in the capital, Beirut. Gen Hajj is the latest in a series of Lebanese public figures to be murdered, but the first from the military. Three men are being questioned about the killing. Lebanon is experiencing its worst political crisis since its civil war ended in 1990. Parliament has failed to elect a president and the opposition has refused to recognise the government for over a year. Observers say the attack on Gen Hajj, who was chief of operations when Lebanon's army fought Islamic militants from Fatah al-Islam in Nahr al-Bared refugee camp earlier this year, could further destabilise the country. Hugh Macleod and Delphine Minoui are covering this event. | ||
| 5074 | BRUSSELS | Serbian EU Memborship | Francoise Tihon, Neil MacDonald and Jeta Xharra | News | Belgium | 14 December 2007 10:54 Fri | EU leaders meeting in Brussels today are expected to offer Serbia a faster path towards EU membership as part of a plan to stabilise the Balkans. The plan to speed up Serbia's EU candidate status is controversial; many argue that the EU needs to encourage reformers in the country ahead of presidential elections next month. However, the Dutch insist that all indicted war criminals need to be delivered to The Hague first. The summit comes as the EU prepares for a major role in the Serbian breakaway province of Kosovo, which is set to declare independence against the wishes of Serbia. According to a draft summit statement, leaders are likely to commit to stepping up preparations for a mission for Kosovo involving up to 1,800 police, judges and prosecutors - the biggest ever undertaken by the bloc. It will also promise economic assistance to the Kosovars. The future of Kosovo is widely seen as the biggest test to date of EU foreign policy. Francoise Tihon in Brussels, Neil MacDonald in Belgrade and Jeta Xharra in Pristina are available for 2-ways. |
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| 5075 | TOKYO | Controversial Oil Refuelling Bill | Richard Freeman and Liz Noh | News | Japan | 14 December 2007 10:57 Fri | Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has extended the parliamentary session into the New Year for the first time in 14 years to get a controversial bill passed allowing Japan to renew its refuelling operation in the Indian Ocean in support of US-led operations in Afghanistan. The legislation has been blocked by the opposition, which controls Japan's upper house, but Fukuda is determined to secure a renewal of the mandate. The opposition can only delay the bill for a 60-day period, which runs out in mid-January. After that Mr Fukuda intends to force it through parliament. The mandate for the Japanese support mission ended in October and Japanese ships returned home. Some in Japan fear the withdrawal is damaging the security alliance between the US and Japan. Richard Freeman and Liz Noh in Tokyo are across this event. |
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| 5076 | BALI | EU Members Threaten US Boycott | John Aglionby and Kitty Logan | News | Indonesia | 14 December 2007 11:00 Fri | EU leaders are threatening to boycott a US-led environment conference next month amid disagreements over greenhouse gas emission targets at the Bali conference. EU states and their allies want industrialised countries to agree to cuts of 25%-40% in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2020. The US, which has not ratified the Kyoto treaty, Canada and Japan favour letting governments set their own voluntary targets. The conference is supposed to produce a roadmap, that documents the parameters for negotiating a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, whose current emissions targets expire in 2012. Indonesia is working on a compromise proposal that would remove reference to a numerical target for emissions cuts by 2020, but would maintain a longer-term ambition of more than halving emissions by 2050. The US is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases and most parties agree climate change talks without it would be meaningless. John Aglionby and Kitty Logan are reporting from the conference. |
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| 5109 | POLOKWANE | ANC Leadership Vote | Emily Winterbotham | News | South Africa | 17 December 2007 10:27 Mon | Delegates from South Africa's ruling party are due to vote on Monday on who will be the leader of the African National Congress. The vote was expected on Sunday evening at the congress in Polokwane, Limpopo, but was reconvened for today. The ANC is facing its first leadership content in 58 years between President Thabo Mbeki and former ally Jacob Zuma. Mr Mbeki has to step down as national president in 2009, but the ANC's leadership choice is likely to determine South Africa's next leader. If Mr Mbeki were to remain ANC leader he would be well placed to decide who succeeds him as national leader in 2009. Tomasz Hartleb and LA Times correspondent Robyn Dixon are at the Congress in Polokwane. |
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| 5110 | ISLAMABAD | 9 Soldiers Killed In Pakistan | Emily Winterbotham | News | Pakistan | 17 December 2007 10:30 Mon | Nine soldiers have been killed and four wounded in a suicide bomb attack in the town of Kohat in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), according to military sources. This comes two days after President Pervez Musharraf lifted the state of emergency imposed in November, citing improved security and progress in the battle against extremists. Bomb attacks on the security forces have become a regular occurrence in the NWFP area. Graham Usher in Islamabad is covering this story. |
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| 5111 | SANA'A | 180 African Migrants Die In Red Sea | Emily Winterbotham | News | Yemen | 17 December 2007 10:31 Mon | Around 180 African migrants are believed to have died in the Red Sea over the past few days whilst attempting to reach Yemen, a Somali diplomat in Yemen said today. Hussein Haji Ahmed said two boats had capsized off the Yemeni coast. Medecins Sans Frontieres said its staff in Yemen had found the bodies of 56 Africans who had died trying to cross the Gulf of Aden near the southern town of al-Irqah on Saturday. Almost 600 people are believed to have died this year and another 650 have gone missing attempting to cross to Yemen say international aid agencies. Jennifer Steil in Sana'a is available for 2-ways. |
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| 5112 | MOSCOW | Russia Delivers Nuclear Fuel To Iran | Emily Winterbotham | News | Russia | 17 December 2007 10:33 Mon | Russia has delivered its first shipment of nuclear fuel to a plant it is assisting Iran in building in Bushehr, Russia's foreign ministry reports on Monday. The two countries agreed a schedule last week to complete the plant after years of delays. Some Western countries fear Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons but Russia's foreign ministry says Tehran had given assurances that the fuel will only be used at Bushehr. The UN Security Council has already imposed two sets of sanctions on Iran for refusing to stop enriching uranium. Kevin O'Flynn in Moscow and Robert Tait and Martin Ebbing in Tehran are across this event. |
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| 5113 | PARIS | France Hosts Major Palestinian Donor Conference | Emily Winterbotham | News | France | 17 December 2007 10:34 Mon | France is hosting a one-day Middle East donor summit bringing together officials from over 60 countries in the capital, Paris. The conference, which follows last month's US-sponsored Middle East talks in Annapolis, will address an aid package for the Palestinians. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is seeking $5.6bn (£2.8bn) over three years to help lay the foundations for a viable Palestinian state. The new envoy of the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are among the attendees, which is the biggest meeting of its kind since 1996. Hugh Schofield and Rory Mulholland are covering this event. |
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| 5114 | HAVANA | Castro Suggests Retirement | Emily Winterbotham | News | Cuba | 18 December 2007 10:39 Tue | Cuba's communist leader, Fidel Castro, has declared publicly that it is his duty not to hold on to power or obstruct the rise of younger people to leadership. The letter, read on state TV, is the first suggestion that the 81-year-old president may be considering giving up his position as Cuba's leader. GRN’s Juan Jacomino in Havana is following events in Cuba. |
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| # | Title | Dateline | Author | Category | Country | Posted | Transcript | Keywords | |
| 5115 | POLOKWANE | ANC To Elect New Leader | Emily Winterbotham | News | South Africa | 18 December 2007 10:41 Tue | South Africa's governing African National Congress Party (ANC) are electing a new party leader today. The candidates are President Thabo Mbeki and his arch-rival Jacob Zuma. Two days of discussions prior to the vote have revealed the deep division between the two. Mr Zuma is seen as a favourite to win, though Mr Mbeki is determined to win the party’s confidence for a third term. Should Mr Zuma be elected he would be in a front-running position for the presidential elections in 2009. According to the constitution, Mr Mbeki will be obliged to step down after two terms, but should he win the party leadership contest, he could be obstructive to Mr Zuma’s presidential aspirations. | ||
| 5116 | KABUL | Taliban Kill Afghan Security Guards | Emily Winterbotham | News | Afghanistan | 18 December 2007 10:42 Tue | Taliban militants have killed at least 15 Afghan security guards working for a US firm in an ambush in The Farah province in western Afghanistan. According to Afghan police nine other guards were injured in the attack. A police spokesperson said that the guards were attacked while escorting a civilian convoy of fuel tankers to a military base. | ||
| 5117 | RIYADH | Thousands Of Muslims Arrive In Mecca | Emily Winterbotham | News | Saudi Arabia | 18 December 2007 10:44 Tue | Thousands of Muslims have arrived the holy site of Mecca in Saudi Arabia on the traditional pilgrimage to celebrate Id El Adha – the Holiday of Sacrifice, which is starting today. Goats and Sheep are traditionally sacrificed in memory of Abraham's sacrificing of his son and to symbolize values of sacrifice and dedication. GRN’s Raid Qusti in Riadh is covering the celebrations in Mecca. |
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| 5118 | KURDISTAN | Turkish Troops Enter Iraq | Emily Winterbotham | News | 18 December 2007 10:47 Tue | Some 300 Turkish troops have crossed the border into northern Iraq, according to an Iraqi Kurdish spokesman. The lightly-armed soldiers entered Iraq overnight and moved up to three kilometres inside. Ankara is yet to confirm the reports. The Turkish Cabinet approved the measure last month in a bid to hunt Kurdish rebels. The Turkish army accuses rebels from the Kurdistan's Workers' Party (PKK) of launching attacks into Turkey from bases inside Iraq. GRN’s Kameel Ahmady in Turkish Kurdistan and Susan Güsten in Istanbul are covering the story. |
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| 5119 | ISTANBUL | Turkey Vows To Continue Action Against PKK Rebels | Emily Winterbotham | News | Turkey | 19 December 2007 10:18 Wed | ISTANBUL - Turkey has defended military raids into Iraq, saying it had inflicted "heavy losses" on Kurdish rebels. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to continue action against PKK rebels. Tuesday's raid came two days after Turkey used air strikes for the first time to target alleged positions deeper inside Iraqi territory. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, who is a member of the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), has expressed concern that "unilateral actions" could harm Iraqi and Turkish interests. David O'Bryne in Istanbul and Kameel Ahmady in Bait Al Shabab on the Iraq-Turkey border are following developments in this story. |
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| 5120 | WASHINGTON, D.C. | Clinton And Obama Deadlocked In Iowa Polls | Emily Winterbotham | News | United States of America | 19 December 2007 10:20 Wed | Two weeks before the Iowa state-by-state nominating contest in the presidential election, Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are deadlocked in a new state poll, The Washington Post reports on Wednesday. Thirty-three percent of Iowa Democrats likely to participate in the caucuses support Obama, 29 percent back Clinton and 20 percent support former North Carolina senator John Edwards, according to the Washington Post-ABC News poll. A month ago, Clinton had 30 percent support compared to 26 percent for Obama. Eight Democrats and eight Republicans are battling for the right to participate in November 2008 presidential elections to choose a successor to Republican President George W. Bush, who will leave office after two terms. Washington Post correspondent, Ed O'Keefe is available for 2-ways. |
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| 5121 | POLOKWANE | Zuma Victorious In ANC Leadership Battle | Emily Winterbotham | News | South Africa | 19 December 2007 10:21 Wed | Jacob Zuma has been elected as the new leader of South Africa's governing party, the African National Congress, defeating President Thabo Mbeki. Mr Zuma and his supporters also won a clean sweep of five other top positions in the ANC. Following the results Mr Mbeki embraced Mr Zuma in a public display of unity, demonstrating the need to heal the huge rifts in the party. The battle between Mr Mbeki and Mr Zuma was the ANC's first leadership contest in 58 years. Mr Zuma is now in a strong position to become the country's next president when Mr Mbeki's term ends in 2009. Tomasz Hartleb and Robyn Dixon are reporting from the ANC Congress in Polokwane. |
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| 5122 | SEOUL | Lee Myung-bak Set To Win Presidency | Emily Winterbotham | News | Korea | 19 December 2007 10:26 Wed | Exit polls in South Korea's presidential election suggest that conservative candidate Lee Myung-bak has won a landslide victory. Exit polls showed Mr Lee winning more than 50% of the vote, easily defeating ruling party candidate Chung Dong-young and independent Lee Hoi-chang. Mr Lee had been widely tipped to take over Roh Moo-hyun, whose five-year term ends in February, despite being under investigation for alleged stock market fraud. The economy appeared to be the main factor for many of the country's 37 million voters. Mr Lee seems to have convinced many that he can attract investment and boost the job market. Anna Fifield in Seoul is following the election. |
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| 5123 | ISLAMABAD | 50 Die In Pakistan Train Crash | Emily Winterbotham | News | Pakistan | 19 December 2007 10:27 Wed | At least 50 have been killed after a passenger train packed with people returning home for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha derailed in Southern Pakistan. A further 100 were injured when the 12 carriages of train travelling between Karachi and Lahore came off the rails near the city of Mehrabpur in Sindh province shortly after 0200 (2100 GMT). Initial reports blamed the "extreme cold", which caused a welded joint on the track to break, Pakistan Railways operations manager Asad Saeed told reporters. Pakistan has a history of deadly accidents on its ageing railway system. Graham Usher in Islamabad is covering this event. |
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| 5124 | LONDON | Guantanamo Bay Detainees Arrested | Emily Winterbotham | News | United Kingdom | 20 December 2007 10:25 Thu | Three UK residents freed from Guantanamo Bay prison have been arrested under Britain's Terrorism Act on Thursday, hours after returning to Britain. Jordanian Jamil el-Banna was arrested in connection with a Spanish extradition request and is being held under a European arrest warrant and two other inmates Libyan Omar Deghayes and Algerian Abdennour Sameur are also being held for questioning. Chris Walker in London is available for 2-ways. |
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| 5125 | BELFAST | Verdict Expected In Omagh Bombing Trial | Emily Winterbotham | News | United Kingdom | 20 December 2007 10:27 Thu | A judgement is expected in the trial of the man accused of involvement in the Omagh bombing, 10 months after the end of one of the largest murder trials in UK legal history. Sean Hoey denies a total of 56 charges, including the murders of 29 people killed in Omagh in August 1998. The families of many of those who died in Omagh on 15 August 1998 are expected to travel to Belfast Crown Court to hear the verdict. Others will watch a video link set up in Omagh College. The oldest victim in the Omagh bomb was 66 and the youngest just 18-months-old. Alan Murray in Belfast is covering the verdict. |
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| 5126 | SEOUL | New Korean President Promises Firm Hand With North | Emily Winterbotham | News | Korea | 20 December 2007 10:30 Thu | The new President of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak, says increased economic cooperation with the North Korea will be dependent on it abandoning its nuclear weapons programme. Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, he added that Pyongyang must improve its human rights record, whilst pledging to boost the South's economy and attract foreign investment. Final results show the conservative Lee achieved a landslide victory in Wednesday's poll, handing power back to the Grand National Party (GNP) for the first time in a decade. Anna Fifield in Seoul is across this event. |
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| 5127 | POLOKWANE | Zuma Faces Prosecution | Emily Winterbotham | News | South Africa | 20 December 2007 10:32 Thu | South Africa's top prosecutor says there is enough evidence to charge the new leader of the governing African National Congress, Jacob Zuma, with corruption. The acting head of the National Prosecuting Authority, Mokotedi Mpshe, said a decision on when to take action against him was "imminent". The charges relate to an arms buying scandal, that saw his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik convicted of fraud and corruption. Mr Zuma, who was elected leader on Tuesday, is due to deliver his acceptance speech and discuss his plan for South Africa at the ANC party conference in Polokwane on Thursday. As the new leader of the ANC, Mr Zuma is in a strong position to take over the presidency when Thabo Mbeki's term ends in 2009. Robyn Dixon and Tomasz Hartleb are reporting from the congress in Polokwane. |
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| 5128 | ROME | Sarkozy Visits The Vatican | Emily Winterbotham | News | Italy | 20 December 2007 12:03 Thu | French president Nicolas Sarkozy is scheduled to visit the Vatican in Rome on Thursday for the first time since he took office in May. Discussions with Pope Benedict XVI are expected to include Lebanon and the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. In the evening Sarkozy is to meet with the Italian prime minister, Romano Prodi, and the Spanish prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, to discuss his idea for a union of Mediterranean countries. Vatican correspondent Susan Hodges will be covering the visit. |
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| 5129 | N'DJAMENA | French of Trial for Chad Children Kidnaps | Stephanie Hancock | News | Chad | 21 December 2007 10:49 Fri | Six French nationals are going on trial in Chad for the alleged attempt to kidnap 103 children and take them out of the African country. The Charity Zoe's Ark, whose stuff is involved in the case, argues that the children were orphans from Darfur who were being taken to be fostered in France. The six defendants, who have gone on hunger strike, could face 20-year hard labour terms if found guilty. The French government has appealed for leniency on their behalf. The court will try to establish whether the children were victims of child trafficking, or merely the beneficiaries of a humanitarian project that went very wrong. | ||
| 5130 | WASHINGTON, D.C. | Condoleeza Rice Calls to Close Guantanamo Bay Down | Ed O'Keefe | News | United States of America | 21 December 2007 10:53 Fri | US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is calling for countries that have nationals who are detained at Guantanamo Bay to help the US close the prison camp. Rice said that US President George W Bush's administration wished to shut the camp. She stressed, however, that it must not be done at the expense of the safety of Americans and other people around the world. Rice added that the detention centre contained dangerous men who had been caught on the battlefield in Afghanistan and had been plotting against capitals in the US, Europe and South East Asia. | ||
| 5132 | BUDAPEST | Nine states join EU Free Border Zone | Kested Eddy | News | Hungary | 21 December 2007 10:59 Fri | 48 hours of celebrations are taking place to mark nine European states joining the European border-free zone just after midnight on Friday. Twenty four nations are now included in the Schengen agreement, which allows passport-free travel across the area. The new joiners are The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. | ||
| 5133 | ISLAMABAD | 38 Killed in pakistan Musk Suicide Bombing | Graham Usher | News | Pakistan | 21 December 2007 11:02 Fri | A suicide attack on a mosque in north-west Pakistan has killed at least 50 people. Up to 1,000 people had been praying at the Peshawar Mosque, marking the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, as the bomb tore through the building. Aftab Sherpao, interior minister in the outgoing government, was at the mosque, but survived the attack in which his son was injured. | ||
| 5134 | TOKYO | Japan Cancels Annual Whale Hunt | Rich Freeman | News | Japan | 21 December 2007 11:13 Fri | A controversial Japanese mission to hunt humpback whales in the Antarctic has been temporarily abandoned. Senior Japanese official Nobutaka Machimura said the humpback hunt would not go ahead - although the fleet will still hunt about 1,000 other whales in the area. Japan has decided to cancel the hunt in response to pressure from the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Japan is often criticized for its annual whale hunting expedition, but this year's planned mission was more controversial than usual because of the intention to kill up to 50 humpbacks, in addition to 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales. This was the first time Japan had targeted the humpbacks since a moratorium was introduced in the mid 1960s when the species was in danger of extinction due to excessive hunting. | ||
| 5135 | NORTHERN IRAQ | Two Suicide Bombings Kill Over 30 People | Said Rifai | News | Iraq | 26 December 2007 06:07 Wed | More than 30 people have been killed and many injured in suicide bombings in northern Iraq. A car bomber killed more than 20 people when he was stopped by police and local militias in Baiji, about 250km north of Baghdad. The Iraqi Interior Ministry fired the Baiji police chief after the attack. Later, a suicide bomber killed 10 people in Baquba, during the funeral of a father and son who were part of a Sunni group allied to US forces. Said Rifai in Baghdad is available to cover this story. |
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| 5138 | JAKARTA | Death Toll Rises in Indonesia landslides | Michel Mass | News | Indonesia | 26 December 2007 06:18 Wed | At least 80 people have been killed or are reported missing after floods caused landslides in the central Java region of Indonesia. Officials in Indonesia say they fear the death toll could get higher. Thousands ran for shelter after their homes were buried or washed away. Landslides and floods are regular in Indonesia and many blame deforestation for worsening the situation. The latest flood came on the third anniversary of the tsunami that left 220,000 Indonesians dead or missing. |
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| 5139 | KABUL | Two Diplomats Face Deportation | Jon Boone | News | Afghanistan | 26 December 2007 06:20 Wed | Diplomatic efforts are ongoing in Afghanistan in an attempt to prevent the expulsion of two senior foreign officials based in Kabul from the country. The two are accused of posing a threat to national security. The men are Mervyn Patterson, a high ranking UN official and Michael Semple, the head of the EU mission in Afghanistan. The expulsion orders were issued following claims the two held talks with the Taliban in the Helmand province in the south of the country. |
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| 5140 | KATHMANDU | Monarchy To Be Abolished in Nepal | Tom Bell | News | Nepal | 26 December 2007 06:24 Wed | Nepal's most powerful parties have agreed to abolish the 240-year-old monarchy in the country, yielding to a demand made by the Maoists when they walked out of the interim government three months ago. The historic decision diverts from a clause of last year's peace agreement which stated the fate of the royals would be decided by a popularly-elected assembly. Parliament must now change the temporary constitution. The assembly, once elected, will be left with the task of actually scraping the monarchy. The move concludes a year of continuing violence, new militant ethnic sentiment and endless political strife. |
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| 5141 | DAKAR | French Family Killed in Mauritania During Robbery | Tidiane Sy | News | Mauritania | 26 December 2007 06:27 Wed | Four members of the same French family have been shot dead while on holiday in Mauritania, police say. At least two children were among the dead, the French embassy in Mauritania told the AFP news agency. Police officials say that the four were killed during a robbery. A fifth person - said to be the father of the family - was seriously injured in the attack, which took place in the town Aleg, about 250km (160 miles) east of the capital, Nouakchott. Tidian Sy in Dakar is covering this story. |
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| 5142 | RAWALPINDI | Benazir Bhutto Assassinated | Graham Usher | News | Pakistan | 28 December 2007 02:25 Fri | GRN is continuing to provide coverage of the death of Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Ms Bhutto's death in a presumed suicide attack in Rawalpindi has been confirmed by a military spokesman and members of her Pakistan People's Party (PPP). At least 15 other people are believed to have been killed in the attack. Ms Bhutto had been campaigning in an election rally in Rawalpindi when gunfire and an explosion occurred. | ||
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