CP violation and flavour mixing in the standard model — 1996 update

We review and update the constraints on the parameters of the quark flavour mixing matrix VCKM in the standard model (SM) and estimate the resulting CP asymmetries in B decays, taking into account recent experimental and theoretical developments. With the updated CKM matrix we present the currently-allowed range of the ratios |Vtd/Vts| and |Vtd/Vub|, as well as the SM predictions for the Bs0−B¯s0 mixing parameter xs (or, equivalently, ΔMs) and the quantities sin 2α, sin 2β and sin2 γ, which characterize CP asymmetries in B-decays.