Newsline 14 December 2009: African countries abandon negotiations at the UN Climate summit. Turkey bans a prominent Kurdish political party. Italy reacts to the attack on PM Berlusconi. A Christian tram conductor in Amsterdam is told not to wear his cross to work.

Africa walks out at Copenhagen
Africa's frustration at the UN Climate summit boiled over today. Delegates walked out of key talks and negotiations have been suspended. Listen to the Newsline report.

Kurdish political party banned in Turkey
Turkey's decision to ban the Kurdish Demcractic Society Party has caused outrage among human rights groups, who say Turkey urgently constitutional reform. Last week's decision was based on findings that the party had links to the PKK - a Kurdish separatist group  on the EU's list of terrorist organisations. Listen to an interview with Emma Sinclair Webb of Human Rights Watch.

Berlusconi attacked in Milan
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is to remain in hospital under observation after an attacker in Milan left him with a broken nose and two broken teeth yesterday. Mr Berlusconi  was hit in the face with a model of Milan cathedral by a 42-year-old man with a history of mental illness. Listen to people in Rome reacting to yesterday's attack on Prime Minister Berlusconi.

Tram conductor prohibited from wearing cross
Mikail Aziz, an Arab Christian tram conductor in Amsterdam, has lost his bid to be allowed to wear a visible cross while he is working. A court today ruled that Mr Aziz was not allowed to wear his cross for safety reasons, citing the rule that no employee is allowed to wear necklaces of any kind, with or without religious symbols. Despite the ruling that there was no religious discrimination, this latest case has reignited the debate over the right to wear religious symbols. Listen to an interview with religious philosophy Professor Henk Vroom.