brussels bureau EU summit open on Turkey talks The European Union’s leaders are in Brussels to decide the terms for the start of membership negotiations with Turkey, but everyone still has to 16/12/2004
world news D-day for Turkey as debate over EU membership talks begins Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in Brussels ahead of a landmark summit which could see his country win a date for opening 16/12/2004
world news Campaign starts for Iraqi elections There was no let up in violence in Iraq as campaigning for the country’s first multi-party elections in half a century got underway. Interim Prime 16/12/2004
world news Italian aid worker reported kidnapped in Iraq It is reported an Italian working for a non-governmental organisation has been kidnapped in Iraq. The Italian news agency Ansa reports the man works 16/12/2004
world news Romania's Iliescu pardons leader of miners' riots A jailed miners’ leader has been pardoned in a controversial parting gesture by Romania’s outgoing president, Ion Iliescu. In the early 1990s, Miron 16/12/2004
world news Blair's re-election hopes hit by Blunkett fall With Interior Minister David Blunkett’s resignation and a censure from the law lords this will have to go down as down a bad news week for Tony 16/12/2004
world news Iraqi miltants show alleged corpse of Italian Fear is mounting for the safety of Salvatore Santoro, an Italian working in Iraq. A militant group there claims to have killed him and has escorted 16/12/2004
world news Italian president vetoes legal reforms The Italian president has issued a challenge to Silvio Berlusconi by blocking an overhaul of the legal system. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi vetoed the bill 16/12/2004
world news 60th anniversary of Battle of the Bulge Allied veterans have gathered near the Belgian city of Bastogne to commemorate one of the key turning points of the Second World War. Today is the 16/12/2004
world news UK anti-terror laws 'against European human rights legislation' Britain’s highest court has ruled that anti-terrorism legislation breaks European rules on human rights. The Law Lords said terror suspects could not 16/12/2004
world news EU to rule on Turkey entry talks “Let’s start talking!” That is what the European Union is poised to say to Turkey, which hopes its long stay in the wealthy bloc’s waiting room is 16/12/2004