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CNN Live At Daybreak

Euro Edition: Morning Papers

Aired December 31, 2003 - 05:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: New Year's security is also making headlines in Europe.
Hala Gorani live for us in London with a look at the morning papers.

Good morning.

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello. Good morning, again, Carol.

Well no clear consensus today on the front pages of the U.K. papers. We have "The Independent." They are leading with a story that they say they have sources on saying that the police force in the U.K. is ill equipped to deal with a massive terrorist attack that would involve weapons of mass destruction.

And that as a result, the police in the U.K., according to "The Independent," have signed agreements or at least reached gentlemen's agreements with some private firms that would deal with any kind of aftermath of a WMD terrorist attack. This, of course, as a state of heightened alert is the word of the day for the New Year's celebrations in the U.K. and other countries.

Now I found some interesting stories within the newspapers there. A journalist in France was fired from a Catholic daily for writing a book criticizing the French media for systematically opposing the U.S. war in Iraq. According to this journalist at "The Daily LaQua (ph)," he was saying that over three weeks during the war, French papers, the four main French papers, carried 29 headlines that were critical of the Iraq regime and 135 damning for President Bush and Tony Blair. Well he was fired for doing that, apparently.

COSTELLO: Wow!

GORANI: And here is another interesting one. Do you remember, and I'm sure many of your viewers do, the controversy in France over banning Muslim headscarves?

COSTELLO: Yes.

GORANI: Now even the head of the Anglican Church here in the U.K. said it's not a state's --government's business to ban ostentatious or overt signs of belonging to a religion or a religious practice.

Well interestingly, the Al-Azhar Mosque (ph) is the highest authority in Sunni Islam. And the head of the Al-Azhar Mosque is saying you know if a non-Muslim country wants to ban headscarves, it's their choice. They have a perfect right to do so.

So you have the Anglican head of the Anglican Church saying no, it's not right, and the actual highest authority in Sunni Islam saying you know what, it's actually their right to do so. A woman living in non-Muslim -- in a non-Muslim country does not have to comply to this type of a rule wearing a headscarf.

Quick last word on Princess Anne's dog.

COSTELLO: No. No.

GORANI: Apparently they are very -- yes, they have -- they have quite a temper, Princess Anne's dogs. Florence, one of her bull terriers, and I'm reading off of "The Sun" here because it's front page news, of course, for "The Sun." Florence, one of her bull terriers was accused of biting to death one of Queen Elizabeth's prized and cherished corgis. Five days later, the same, circled here, bull terrier, bit a maid of one of the most loyal servants of Queen Elizabeth. And so the big debate is should she be put down this poor Florence. And the word is that she won't be put down, that she's still very much a beloved and cherished pet of Princess Anne.

COSTELLO: Well where is Princess Anne and why can't Princess Anne control her dog?

GORANI: Well, yes, she did have a problem with her dogs a few years ago. One of her dogs bit children a few years ago. She was fined a few hundred dollars for it. But I don't think that dog got into any trouble either after that. I think that dog is still alive and well and healthy and running around in Princess Anne's dog or garden or wherever she keeps her dogs. So a big dog story headline news here in the U.K. on this New Year's Eve.

COSTELLO: Well I hope the maid is OK. And happy New Year to you -- Hala Gorani.

GORANI: And to you as well.

COSTELLO: Thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired December 31, 2003 - 05:45   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: New Year's security is also making headlines in Europe.
Hala Gorani live for us in London with a look at the morning papers.

Good morning.

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello. Good morning, again, Carol.

Well no clear consensus today on the front pages of the U.K. papers. We have "The Independent." They are leading with a story that they say they have sources on saying that the police force in the U.K. is ill equipped to deal with a massive terrorist attack that would involve weapons of mass destruction.

And that as a result, the police in the U.K., according to "The Independent," have signed agreements or at least reached gentlemen's agreements with some private firms that would deal with any kind of aftermath of a WMD terrorist attack. This, of course, as a state of heightened alert is the word of the day for the New Year's celebrations in the U.K. and other countries.

Now I found some interesting stories within the newspapers there. A journalist in France was fired from a Catholic daily for writing a book criticizing the French media for systematically opposing the U.S. war in Iraq. According to this journalist at "The Daily LaQua (ph)," he was saying that over three weeks during the war, French papers, the four main French papers, carried 29 headlines that were critical of the Iraq regime and 135 damning for President Bush and Tony Blair. Well he was fired for doing that, apparently.

COSTELLO: Wow!

GORANI: And here is another interesting one. Do you remember, and I'm sure many of your viewers do, the controversy in France over banning Muslim headscarves?

COSTELLO: Yes.

GORANI: Now even the head of the Anglican Church here in the U.K. said it's not a state's --government's business to ban ostentatious or overt signs of belonging to a religion or a religious practice.

Well interestingly, the Al-Azhar Mosque (ph) is the highest authority in Sunni Islam. And the head of the Al-Azhar Mosque is saying you know if a non-Muslim country wants to ban headscarves, it's their choice. They have a perfect right to do so.

So you have the Anglican head of the Anglican Church saying no, it's not right, and the actual highest authority in Sunni Islam saying you know what, it's actually their right to do so. A woman living in non-Muslim -- in a non-Muslim country does not have to comply to this type of a rule wearing a headscarf.

Quick last word on Princess Anne's dog.

COSTELLO: No. No.

GORANI: Apparently they are very -- yes, they have -- they have quite a temper, Princess Anne's dogs. Florence, one of her bull terriers, and I'm reading off of "The Sun" here because it's front page news, of course, for "The Sun." Florence, one of her bull terriers was accused of biting to death one of Queen Elizabeth's prized and cherished corgis. Five days later, the same, circled here, bull terrier, bit a maid of one of the most loyal servants of Queen Elizabeth. And so the big debate is should she be put down this poor Florence. And the word is that she won't be put down, that she's still very much a beloved and cherished pet of Princess Anne.

COSTELLO: Well where is Princess Anne and why can't Princess Anne control her dog?

GORANI: Well, yes, she did have a problem with her dogs a few years ago. One of her dogs bit children a few years ago. She was fined a few hundred dollars for it. But I don't think that dog got into any trouble either after that. I think that dog is still alive and well and healthy and running around in Princess Anne's dog or garden or wherever she keeps her dogs. So a big dog story headline news here in the U.K. on this New Year's Eve.

COSTELLO: Well I hope the maid is OK. And happy New Year to you -- Hala Gorani.

GORANI: And to you as well.

COSTELLO: Thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com