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/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/291188,swedish-premier-believes-czech-president-will-sign-lisbon-treaty.html Stockholm - Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said Wednesday he believed Czech President Vaclav Klaus will ratify the Lisbon Treaty, but could not say when it will take place. We have agreed to get this (the treaty) in place, Reinfeldt told ... Europe,World Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:46:42 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291188,swedish-premier-believes-czech-president-will-sign-lisbon-treaty.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293401,czech-premier-to-deposit-treaty-ratification-in-rome-next-week.html Prague - Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer plans to hand over his country's ratification papers of the European Union Lisbon Treaty in Rome next week, thus ensuring that the text can come into force on December 1, the premier's office said Thursday. T... Europe,World Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:10:15 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293401,czech-premier-to-deposit-treaty-ratification-in-rome-next-week.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293380,russia-praises-arms-reduction-talks-with-us.html Moscow - Russia praised Thursday the constructive atmosphere in nuclear disarmament talks with the United States. The progress achieved meant there could be a successor agreement in place when the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) expires on ... Europe,World Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:04:21 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293380,russia-praises-arms-reduction-talks-with-us.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289995,barroso-piles-pressure-on-czech-president-to-sign-lisbon--summary.html Prague/Brussels - The Czech Republic's failure to promptly ratify the European Union's Lisbon Treaty could cost the country dearly, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso warned Tuesday. It is in the interest of nobody, and certainly not ... Europe,World Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:16:49 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289995,barroso-piles-pressure-on-czech-president-to-sign-lisbon--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292231,czech-premier-klaus-guarantees-eu-treaty-signature-if-terms-met.html Prague - Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer said Wednesday that President Vaclav Klaus verbally pledged to sign the European Union's reform treaty if the country's top court clears it and his latest condition is met. I have this guarantee. I have this... Europe,World Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:34:39 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292231,czech-premier-klaus-guarantees-eu-treaty-signature-if-terms-met.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292214,background-the-eus-reforming-lisbon-treaty.html Brussels- The Treaty of Lisbon, whose entry into force faces a final obstacle in Vaclav Klaus, the Czech Republic's eurosceptic president, is the fourth major reform of the European Union since its creation by the Treaty of Rome, in 1957. The treaty'... Europe,World Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:28:44 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292214,background-the-eus-reforming-lisbon-treaty.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295461,background-the-european-unions-new-top-leadership-posts.html Brussels - European Union leaders were set to hold an informal dinner summit in Brussels on Thursday evening to reach a final decision on who should take the top three positions created by the Lisbon Treaty, which takes effect December 1. The three p... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:46:22 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295461,background-the-european-unions-new-top-leadership-posts.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292612,un-agrees-to-begin-talks-on-first-arms-trade-treaty.html New York - The UN General Assembly's disarmament committee agreed on Friday to begin discussions aimed at establishing an arms trade treaty with the support of some the world's biggest arms traders. The committee voted 153-1 to adopt a timetable wher... World Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:28:41 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292612,un-agrees-to-begin-talks-on-first-arms-trade-treaty.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292597,sarkozy-expects-lisbon-treaty-to-enter-into-force-december-1.html Brussels - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday that he expected the European Union`s oft-delayed Treaty of Lisbon to come into force as soon as December 1. All institutional problems should be solved by December 1, Sarkozy told reporters a... Europe,World Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:40:45 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292597,sarkozy-expects-lisbon-treaty-to-enter-into-force-december-1.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292587,sarkozy-expects-lisbon-treaty-to-enter-into-force-december-1.html Brussels - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday that he expected the European Union's oft-delayed Treaty of Lisbon to come into force as soon as December 1. All institutional problems should be solved by December 1, Sarkozy told reporters a... Europe,World Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:16:36 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292587,sarkozy-expects-lisbon-treaty-to-enter-into-force-december-1.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292564,background-the-benes-decrees.html Hamburg - The Benes Decrees have been mentioned often in the protracted European Union wrangling over the Lisbon Treaty and the Czech Republic's reluctance to ratify it. The decrees which had been issued by President Edvard Benes (1884- 1948) and the... Europe,World Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:52:42 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292564,background-the-benes-decrees.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292023,czech-court-wont-rule-on-lisbon-treaty-before-eu-summit.html Prague- The Czech Republic's Constitutional Court will not rule on a challenge against the European Union's reform Lisbon Treaty before the bloc's top-level summit starting Thursday. The court, based in the Czech Republic's second-largest city Brno, ... Europe,World Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:46:39 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292023,czech-court-wont-rule-on-lisbon-treaty-before-eu-summit.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294279,miliband-says-he-is-not-a-candidate-for-top-eu.html London - British Foreign Secretary David Miliband Wednesday reiterated that he will not stand as a candidate for the new job as European Union (EU) foreign policy chief to be created under the Lisbon Treaty. When I said I am not a candidate, I meant... UK,World Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:28:16 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294279,miliband-says-he-is-not-a-candidate-for-top-eu.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294422,interview-vike-freiberga-makes-pitch-for-eus-top-job.html Riga - Two-time Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga spelled out Thursday her priorities if she is named president of the European Council, a new position created by the European Union's Lisbon Treaty. The position calls for someone who can help m... Europe,World Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:10:35 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294422,interview-vike-freiberga-makes-pitch-for-eus-top-job.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294406,problems-arise-in-us-russian-disarmament-talks.html Moscow - Differences between the US and Russia over the follow-up to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty that expires on December 5 are greater than previously disclosed, Russia media reported Thursday. Russian Military Chief of Staff Nikolai Makarov... World Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:46:19 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294406,problems-arise-in-us-russian-disarmament-talks.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293207,cameron-says-conservatives-are-not-in-turmoil-over-europe.html London - Britain's opposition Conservative Party insisted Wednesday that it was not in turmoil over its relations with the European Union (EU) following the final ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. Tory leader David Cameron was expected later Wedne... UK,World Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:28:30 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293207,cameron-says-conservatives-are-not-in-turmoil-over-europe.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293091,klaus-signs-eu-reform-treaty-criticizes-court-decision--summary.html Prague/Brussels - Czech President Vaclav Klaus signed the European Union's Lisbon Treaty on Tuesday, removing the final obstacle to a major reform of the 27-member bloc after weeks of uncertainty. I am informing you that I signed the Lisbon Treaty t... Europe,World Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:28:31 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293091,klaus-signs-eu-reform-treaty-criticizes-court-decision--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293084,brown-hails-czech-signing-of-lisbon-treaty-as-historic-step.html London - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Tuesday hailed the signing of the Lisbon Treaty by Czech President Vaclav Klaus as an historic step for all of Europe. Today is a day when Europe looks forward, when it sets aside years of debate on its ... UK,World Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:52:30 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293084,brown-hails-czech-signing-of-lisbon-treaty-as-historic-step.html