Millions of voters in Ethiopia are choosing between a powerful government which has close ties to the West but is considered by some to be totalitarian, and a coalition of little-known opposition parties that has promised greater political freedom and economic development. The democratic ballot is only the third in the country's history.
A small crowd of supporters enthusiastically greeted Prime Minister Meles Zenawi as he arrived at the polling station in Adwa. The town of Adwa, located about 25 kilometers east of the ancient city of Axum, i
President of Mexico Vicente Fox spoke out on Friday in defense of Mexican workers headed North. Fox claimed that United States actions to halt illegal immigration are a step back from bilateral relations. Fox also said that the anti-immigration movement building in America is not "the road we should be building between friends and partners."
In the past year, U.S. Senators John McCain and Edward Kennedy have proposed a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain legal jobs and provide the option of becoming U.S. citizens. Others are
Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov blamed Islamic militants for the violence in the eastern city of Andijan. The unrest led to government troops firing on civilan protesters and rebels, killing at least fifty according to local hospital sources. Independent sources count the number of dead over 100.
Today, President Karimov denied directing his troops to open fire, blaiming the outlawed Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir for the deaths following their insurrection.
"I know you want to know who gave the order to fire at them ... No one ordered
Meetings are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in Kaesong, North Korea, between vice-ministers of South and North Korea. The talks are the result of telephone messages between the two countries on Saturday and are the first official talks between the countries in 10 months.
The initial element in the discussions is a humanitarian aid request for 500,000 tons of fertilizer. South Korea's government has indicated it can supply this. Annual requests for fertilizer run from 200,000 to 300,000 tons.
South Korea has also indicated they can use the
During a meeting of the Democratic Party of Serbia on Saturday, the Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica said that he will not agree to Kosovo's independence, and that the solution for Kosovo is wide autonomy. "When I say autonomy, that's more than autonomy Kosovo had prior to 1999, but it is still just autonomy and not independence," Koštunica said.
After the war in 1999, Kosovo was put under UNMIK's administration, but it still officially remains a province in Serbia. The province's Albanian majority wants full independence from Serbia.
Koštun
German parliament's lower house, the Bundestag, passed the European Union Constitution yesterday, with 569 yes votes, 23 against and 2 abstentions.
Two-thirds majority was required to pass it.
The Constitution still needs to be passed through the Bundesrat, the upper house, before it is officially ratified by Germany.
The overwhelming support did not come as a surprise, since Germany, one of the founders of the pact, is one of the biggest EU supporters amongst all members. The German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, was quoted by Der Spiegel a
Protesters in the city of Andijan, Uzbekistan have been fired on by government troops after taking over the Mayor's office and releasing some 2,000 prisoners overnight. Voice of America news is reporting nine dead, and 34 injured, while ten police officers are being held as hostages.
Uzbekistan president Islam Karimov arrived in Andijan this morning to oversee operations, and is expected to make an announcement on national television. Security forces are being deployed, and sporadic automatic gunfire was reported in the city.
President Islam
Legislation
Council Directive 93/104/EC of 23 November 1993 "concerning certain aspects of the organization of working time"
United Kingdom Statutory Instrument 1998 No. 1833: The Working Time Regulations 1998
By a majority of 378 to 262, Members of the European Parliament have voted to abolish the right of European Union countries to opt out of Working Time Directive. If the Council of Ministers agrees, the right to opt out of the directive will be phased out over a period of three years.
Under the "derogation" provision of the directive
Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio) provided a critical vote today to send John R. Bolton to the Senate for a vote on his nomination. Bolton is President Bush's nominee for United States ambassador to the United Nations.
The highly controversial and contested nominee has come under scrutiny from members of both parties for his political stance concerning the United Nations. Senator Voinovich previously voted "no", stopping the nomination from leaving the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Now that Voinovich is voting "yes", the nomination can
The New Zealand Government has been forced to act because of a letter sent to Prime Minister Helen Clark which claimed that the disease Foot and Mouth is being intentionally spread on Waiheke Island.
The letter, which is assumed to be a hoax, could have a major impact on New Zealand's meat industry. Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton went so far as to say that the suspension of meat exports by some countries was a real possibility.
The incubation period of foot and mouth disease is such that if animals have been infected, signs should be eviden
A recent survey carried out by the National Broadcasting Council of Romania has shown that the largest Romanian opposition party, the Social Democrats, made a greater number of TV appearances than members of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance. However, the politician with the most TV appearances remained the Prime Minister, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu.
The opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) made 350 TV appearances in the past month, followed by the governing Justice and Truth Alliance, with 270 appearances, the Great Romania People's P
Two men were taken into custody for violating the no-fly zone surrounding the U.S. national capital in Washington D.C.
The Capitol Building, the Supreme Court, the Department of the Treasury and the White House were evacuated around noon Wednesday. People in the vicinity were told to head to a rail station approximately a half mile south of the White House. Reporters in the White House itself were told to move into the basement.
President Bush was not in the White House at the time. CNN and Bloomberg have reported that the President was on
