http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with news that matters. Covering current affairs, world news, environmental affairs and sport en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295515,newssix-names-that-will-make-or-break-van-rompuy--feature.html Brussels - Herman Van Rompuy has won the race to become the first-ever president of the European Union. Now he has to succeed in the job. Analysts say that his success or failure will largely depend on his relationsh... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:34:15 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295515,newssix-names-that-will-make-or-break-van-rompuy--feature.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295514,eu-leaders-pick-political-novices-for-top-jobs--summary.html Brussels - European Union leaders Thursday picked two skilled mediators from Belgium and Britain with low profiles and relatively little experience to head the bloc's top posts. Herman Van Rompuy, Belgium's prime min... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:28:26 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295514,eu-leaders-pick-political-novices-for-top-jobs--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295507,eu-urges-afghan-president-to-work-for-rapid-and-tangible-results.html Stockholm - The European Union Thursday welcomed remarks by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in his inauguration speech to tackle corruption and combat drug trafficking and other problems. The president and his new government must show the way forward ... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:16:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295507,eu-urges-afghan-president-to-work-for-rapid-and-tangible-results.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295505,eu-leaders-pick-belgian-premier-as-their-president--5th-update.html Brussels - European Union leaders agreed Thursday to appoint Herman Van Rompuy, a relatively inexperienced prime minister from Belgium, as their first-ever full-time president. Heads of state and government attending an extraordinary summit in Brusse... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:34:22 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295505,eu-leaders-pick-belgian-premier-as-their-president--5th-update.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295486,socialists-propose-ashton-as-eu-foreign-minister.html Brussels - European Union socialist leaders Thursday proposed Britain's Catherine Ashton as their choice for the post of EU foreign policy chief, sources at a summit in Brussels said. An economist and Labour politician, Ashton currently acts as the b... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:10:19 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295486,socialists-propose-ashton-as-eu-foreign-minister.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295488,2ndleadsocialists-propose-ashton-to-steer-eu-foreign-policy.html Brussels - European Union socialist leaders Thursday proposed Britain's Catherine Ashton as their choice for the post of EU foreign policy chief, top officials at a summit in Brussels said. The decision could clear the way for EU leaders to pick Belg... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:34:22 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295488,2ndleadsocialists-propose-ashton-to-steer-eu-foreign-policy.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295490,3rdleadeu-inches-towards-top-jobs-deal-as-brown-backs-ashton.html Brussels - European Union leaders moved closer to a deal on appointing the bloc's new top officials Thursday after British premier Gordon Brown dropped his long-held support for Tony Blair in favour of Catherine Ashton as EU foreign policy director. ... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:58:19 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295490,3rdleadeu-inches-towards-top-jobs-deal-as-brown-backs-ashton.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295494,consensus-on-eutop-jobs-near-diplomats.html Brussels - European Union leaders were close to a deal on appointing Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as the bloc's first full-time president and Britain's Catherine Ashton as its new foreign policy chief, diplomats in Brussels said Thursday.... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:28:23 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295494,consensus-on-eutop-jobs-near-diplomats.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295502,herman-van-rompuy-chosen-as-eu-president.html Brussels - European Union leaders agreed to appoint Herman Van Rompuy, prime minister of Belgium, as the bloc's first-ever full-time president on Thursday, diplomatic sources said. The post was created by the Lisbon Treaty, which comes into force on ... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:10:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295502,herman-van-rompuy-chosen-as-eu-president.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295504,catherine-ashton-chosen-as-eu-foreign-policy-chief.html Brussels - European Union leaders agreed to appoint Catherine Ashton, the bloc's trade commissioner, as its first-ever foreign policy director on Thursday, officials in Brussels said. The post was created by the Lisbon Treaty, which comes into force ... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:28:19 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295504,catherine-ashton-chosen-as-eu-foreign-policy-chief.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295480,1stlead-eu-leaders-arrive-in-brussels-for-top-jobs-summit.html Brussels - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday urged fellow European Union leaders to rally behind the most suitable candidates for the bloc's top posts. We need suitable candidates and broad consensus, Merkel said as she arrived in Bruss... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:28:16 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295480,1stlead-eu-leaders-arrive-in-brussels-for-top-jobs-summit.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295473,extrasweden-seeks-to-clarify-eu-presidents-role.html Brussels - The European Union's Swedish presidency on Thursday tried to clarify what the bloc's first-ever full-time president should do as EU leaders arrived in Brussels to nominate the new top official. EU member states are torn over whether the pr... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:40:23 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295473,extrasweden-seeks-to-clarify-eu-presidents-role.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289463,eu-arab-world-seek-cooperation-on-green-energy.html Brussels - The European Union and the governments of Egypt, Israel, Syria and much of the Arab world kicked off discussions Friday on the launch of a common green energy market. The occasion was a conference in Brussels organized by the European Comm... Energy,Environment Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:52:56 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289463,eu-arab-world-seek-cooperation-on-green-energy.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289462,klaus-may-want-opt-out-on-eu-treaty-rights-charter--update.html Prague - Czech President Vaclav Klaus signalled Friday his desire for an opt-out on the Fundamental Rights charter that is linked to the European Union's Lisbon Treaty before he ratifies the pact. As of Saturday, Klaus may be the last one whose signa... Europe,World Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:52:55 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289462,klaus-may-want-opt-out-on-eu-treaty-rights-charter--update.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291183,analysisbid-or-bluff-as-the-eu-plays-climate-change-poker.html Luxembourg - If you want poker players to show you their cards, you have to put your own hand on the table first. That was the philosophy which led the European Union on Wednesday to publish a near-complete set of demands for United Nations climate-c... Environment Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:16:44 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291183,analysisbid-or-bluff-as-the-eu-plays-climate-change-poker.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291181,brussels-seeks-end-to-eu-asylum-lottery.html Brussels - Officials in Brussels on Wednesday called for common and fairer asylum rules within the European Union in order to offer refugees a higher level of protection. The proposals put forward by the bloc's top justice official, Jacques Barrot, a... Finance,General Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:04:44 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291181,brussels-seeks-end-to-eu-asylum-lottery.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291167,backgroundthe-eus-partialrecipe-for-copenhagen.html Luxembourg - These are the main points which European Union environment ministers think should be covered by a deal on fighting climate change in Copenhagen in December:TARGETS: global warming should be limited to 2 degrees centigrade above pre-indus... Environment Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:04:54 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291167,backgroundthe-eus-partialrecipe-for-copenhagen.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291166,eu-shelves-150-billion-dollar-row-to-set-out-climate-stall--summary.html Luxembourg - European Union environment ministers on Wednesday shelved a bitter dispute over roughly 150 billion dollars' worth of greenhouse-gas emissions permits to begin setting out the bloc's demands for a global climate-change deal in December. ... Environment Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:04:52 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291166,eu-shelves-150-billion-dollar-row-to-set-out-climate-stall--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291159,gorbachev-and-bush-sr-to-mark-berlin-wall-anniversary-in-germany.html Berlin - The former presidents of the Soviet Union and the US, Mikhail Gorbachev and George HW Bush, are to attend German festivities marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, organizers said Wednesday. The two men will join former... World Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:04:43 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291159,gorbachev-and-bush-sr-to-mark-berlin-wall-anniversary-in-germany.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290315,pirates-hijack-container-ship-in-indian-ocean.html Brussels/London - A Singapore-flagged cargo ship has been hijacked in the Indian Ocean, the European Union Naval Force said Thursday. During the early morning of October 15 2009, a Singapore-flagged container ship, Kota Wajar, was hijacked in the In... Asia,World Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:16:46 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290315,pirates-hijack-container-ship-in-indian-ocean.html