A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Plea on terms for Turkey's EU accession
The Italian government said yesterday that the European Union should not introduce new terms for the start of Turkey's accession talks due next month despite Ankara's refusal to recognise EU member Cyprus.
"It would be wrong to set new conditions for Ankara because [ last year's] European Council of heads of state agreed Turkey met all conditions that were set," Italian foreign minister Gianfranco Fini told reporters after a meeting with Greek counterpart Petros Molyviatis.
- (Reuters)
Muslim convert on terror charges
LONDON - A British Muslim convert who is charged with plotting acts of terrorism had socks with traces of explosive in his luggage when he was arrested in France, prosecutors told a court.
Andrew Rowe (34), who denies the charges, had been kept under surveillance by British police for about a year before they requested their French colleagues to hold him in Calais in October 2003 on his way back from a trip to Frankfurt. - (Reuters)
Death of US chief justice mourned
WASHINGTON - William Rehnquist's coffin was brought to the US Supreme Court yesterday as colleagues, family and his chosen successor took part in a ceremony mourning the death of the nation's 16th chief justice.
Judge Rehnquist's closed flag-draped coffin was carried up the court's marbled steps across from the Capitol by nine pallbearers, including John Roberts, a former Rehnquist law clerk and the nominee selected by President George W. Bush to succeed him. - (Reuters)
Sharon wipes out Netanyahu lead
JERUSALEM - Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon has erased much of Benjamin Netanyahu's once-
commanding lead in a Likud party leadership race triggered by the evacuation of Israel's Gaza settlements, a new poll has shown.
Mr Netanyahu, Mr Sharon's chief rival in their right-wing Likud, is trying to unseat the prime minister as head of their ruling party, a move that could bring down the government, force early elections and keep peacemaking with the Palestinians on hold.
- (Reuters)
Parliament warns mining firms
STRASBOURG - The European Parliament has rejected a bid to force EU states to clean up old mining sites but said mining firms should set aside more money to pay for pollution in new quarries.
The parliament voted against imposing deadlines on EU states to remove pollution from old and abandoned mining sites, which is a big issue in the new EU states in central and eastern Europe. - (Reuters)
Invasion of Polish plumbers 'a myth'
STRASBOURG - French fears of being overrun by Polish plumbers, which helped swing voters to reject the European Union's draft constitution, were built on a myth, an EU citizen rights' group has said.
France issued a mere 875 permanent work permits and 737 temporary work permits to Poles between May 1st, 2004, the date of EU enlargement to 10 mostly east European states, and March 31st this year, the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) said.
- (Reuters)