Chinese School - Iran-EU nuclear talks progressing

WORLD / Middle East

Iran-EU nuclear talks progressing

(AP)
Updated: 2007-04-26 17:04

ANKARA, Turkey - Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Thursday that talks
with a senior EU official had brought them closer to "a united view" of
how to break a deadlock over Tehran's defiance of a UN Security Council
demand to freeze uranium enrichment.

Iran's top nuclear envoy Ali Larijani, left, Javier Solana, the European
Union's senior Foreign Policy official, center, and Turkey's Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul look toward cameras before a meeting in Gul's
residence in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, April 26, 2007. [AP]

The upbeat comments by Ali Larijani boosted expectations that he and
Javier Solana, the European Union's top foreign policy official, had
chipped away at differences over enrichment - a potential pathway to
nuclear arms - in two straight days of talks.

"In some areas we are approaching a united view," Larijani told reporters
after a breakfast meeting with Solana and Turkish Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul. "We are aiming to reach out for a common paradigm."

Solana spoke of a "good meeting," adding: "We cannot make miracles, but
we tried to move ... the (nuclear) dossier forward.

"The fact that we are together again is itself a very important
development," he said, alluding to the last time the two men met - in
September talks that collapsed over the enrichment issue.

Neither revealed details of their talks. But a government official based
in a European capital said the two touched on possible new discussions of
what constituted a suspension of enrichment and related activities.

A new definition of an enrichment freeze acceptable to both sides was
"the key issue," said the official, who demanded anonymity in exchange
for discussing the confidential information with The Associated Press.

There also was mention of a "double time out" - a simultaneous freeze of
such activities in exchange for a commitment not to impose new UN
sanctions, said the official, who was briefed on the outcome of the
meeting.

The "double time out" concept is supported by International Atomic Energy
Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei and is part of a confidential document
shared on Wednesday with the AP.

The one-page document, based on a Swiss initiative, proposes that during
such a double-moratorium "Iran will not develop any further its
enrichment activities," and the six powers "will not table any additional
UN resolutions and sanctions."

Diplomats said that the document is opposed by the United States, Britain
and France but that parts of it could nonetheless serve as the basis of a
later agreement that could lead to formal negotiations.

Solana was meeting with Larijani on behalf of the United States, Russia,
China, Britain, France and Germany - the countries at the forefront of
international efforts to pressure Iran to make nuclear concessions.

1 2 

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Chinese Online Class - Facing up to violence in America

WORLD / Reactions

Facing up to violence in America

By Jonathan Zimmerman (Christian Science Monistor)
Updated: 2007-04-19 09:07

New York - "Turn on your TV," a friend instructed via e-mail. "Right
now." So I did. And then I saw the murder and mayhem at Virginia Tech,
where more than 30 people were gunned down Monday morning. I watched
police officers storming buildings, rifles ready. Medics carried away the
wounded and the dead. Dazed students embraced each other or looked
blankly at the scrum of cameras, wearing empty stares of shock.

But I wasn't shocked. Upset, yes �C but not shocked. And that should
shock all of us.

We have been here before, of course. The sites of prior school massacres
are etched on our minds, a symbolic shorthand for the violence and
malevolence that none of us can comprehend. Paducah, Ky. Springfield,
Ore. And, most of all, Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.

So it's hard to be shocked when you see it all again, unfolding in real
time on television and the Internet. And it's hard to avoid the same
facile questions �C and the same superficial answers �C that followed the
other tragedies.

Whenever something like this happens, of course, everyone wants to know
why. So they seize upon the particulars of the case, probing the killers'
backgrounds and psyches: this one was bullied, that one used drugs, and
so on. Or they make enormous generalizations about American culture, to
suggest that we're all going to hell in a handbasket.

In the wake of Columbine, for example, prominent conservative Tom DeLay
linked youth violence with the teaching of evolution in schools and
"working mothers who take birth control pills." No less absurdly, some
commentators tried to make violent video games the culprit, as if playing
a few rounds of Grand Theft Auto makes you shoot up a school.

It's hard to know why a specific killer acted in the way he did. Rather
than focusing narrowly upon this awful event, then, we should declare a
National Day of Mourning and Reflection on Violence in America. Besides
memorializing the dead, at Virginia Tech and elsewhere, this annual
federal holiday would also seek to spark a national conversation about
Americans as a people: who we are, and who we would like to become.

Why, we should ask, are the gunmen in school massacres almost always
male? What does that tell us about the ways we socialize boys in America?
About relations between the sexes? About the relationship between
violence and manhood?

Second, why are most of these gunmen also white? (Yes, reports indicate
the Virginia Tech gunman was Asian; but almost every other mass shooter
has been white.) Black and Latino boys commit plenty of violence in
school, of course, but they're more likely to assault an individual whom
they know. White shooters more often kill en masse and randomly: They're
aiming for high body counts, not for a particular target. Why?

Third, why do so many American men �C and, increasingly, many American
women �C own guns? Between 40 percent and 50 percent of American
households own a gun, one of the highest percentages in the Western
world. We can and should debate the best ways to regulate guns, but we
simply cannot deny their prevalence in our society. And even though
Virginia Tech was nominally a "gun-free zone," the shooter had no trouble
bringing weapons there. Why do so many Americans own guns? Which
Americans choose to purchase them? And how do guns influence the nature
of violence in America?

Fourth, what messages do our various mass media transmit about men,
women, and violence? In the recent imbroglio over racist comments by Don
Imus, many commentators observed �C correctly �C that similarly bigoted
language suffuses America's mainstream media. But US airwaves are
saturated with violence, too, ranging from shoot'em-up movies to rape and
torture. And most of this on-screen violence is committed by men, as
well. I'm not saying that the mass media cause violent behavior, because
we can't be sure of that. But these images do make violence more "normal"
and acceptable in US society. And that can't be a good thing.

Last, and most important, what can we do to change? How, as a nation, can
we become less violent? Is it even possible?

I'd like to say it is, because I believe deeply in our nation's potential
for renewal and transformation. But in darker moments, I'm not so sure.

And, surely, the Virginia Tech massacre is one of the darkest moments of
all. That's precisely why we need to shed light, right now, upon the
larger patterns of violence that surround us. We must transcend the
particulars of this awful event so that we can see it in its wider
national context. And we must not look away.

So I propose this Thursday, April 19, as National Day of Mourning and
Reflection on Violence in America. That day marks the 12th anniversary of
the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, where 168
innocents lost their lives to a homegrown American fanatic. As I said,
we've been here before. And none of us should rest until we're all
shocked by it.

--- Jonathan Zimmerman teaches history and education at New York
University. He is the author of "Innocents Abroad: American Teachers in
the American Century."

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Chinese Mandarin - Professor blocked door to stop gunman

WORLD / Photo

Professor blocked door to stop gunman

(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-04-18 07:23

NEW DELHI: Families in India and Israel yesterday mourned two professors
among the 32 people killed in the shooting rampage.

Liviu Librescu, a professor from Virginia Tech's Engineering Science &
Mechanics department, is seen in this handout released April 17, 2007.
Librescu was identified as one of those killed by Cho Seung-Hui, a
student from South Korea who killed 32 people at the university on Monday
in the worst shooting rampage in US history. [Reuters]

Liviu Librescu, 75, an engineering science and mathematics lecturer,
tried to stop the gunman from entering his classroom by blocking the door
before he was fatally shot, his son said Tuesday from Tel Aviv, Israel.

"My father blocked the doorway with his body and asked the students to
flee," Joe Librescu said in a telephone interview from his home outside
of Tel Aviv. "Students started opening windows and jumping out."

Librescu immigrated to Israel from Romania in 1978 and then moved to
Virginia in 1985 for his sabbatical, but had stayed since then, said Joe
Librescu, who himself studied at the school from 1989 to 1994.

Another foreign professor was also killed. Indian-born G.V. Loganathan,
51, a lecturer at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
was felled by the gunman, his brother G.V. Palanivel told the NDTV news
channel from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Palanivel said he was informed by Loganathan's wife, who had identified
the body. "We all feel like we have had an electric shock, we do not know
what to do," Palanivel said. "He has been a driving force for all of us,
the guiding force."

Loganathan, who was born in the southern Indian city of Chennai, had been
at Virginia Tech since 1982.

Indian officials said they were trying to assist families and determine
how many Indian students were involved.

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Learn mandarin - British military personnel arrive home

WORLD / British Sailors Freed

British military personnel arrive home

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-04-05 21:00

One of the 15 released British military personnel smiles on board a
military helicopter at Heathrow Airport in London April 5, 2007. The 15
British military personnel freed by Iran after a two-week diplomatic
stand-off arrived back in England on Thursday to cheers and to questions
about the incident and its implications. [Reuters]

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Chinese School - Iranian official: Sailors may be tried

WORLD / Middle East

Iranian official: Sailors may be tried

(AP/Agencies)
Updated: 2007-03-31 17:38

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's ambassador to Russia renewed a threat Iranian
officials made earlier this week, saying 15 British sailors held by Iran
could be tried for violating international law, Iran's state news agency
IRNA reported Saturday.

An image taken from Iranian television Friday March 30, 2007 showing
three British service personnel, at left a serviceman whose name was
given in Farsi as Nathan Thomas Summers, Faye Turney, 26, the only woman
amongst the British navy personnel, centre, and a man believed to be Adam
Sperry, some of the British personnel being held captive by Iran. [AP]

Gholam-Reza Ansari told Russian television Friday that Iran had launched
a legal investigation of the British sailors and said: "They will be
tried if there is enough evidence of guilt," IRNA reported on its Web
site.

Special coverage:
British Sailors Detained 
Related readings:

Iran airs second British's apologyUN urges resolution of Iran seizure
UK turns up heat on Iran over sailors
Iran TV shows footage of UK sailors
Brit presses Iran; woman may be freed
Blair warns Iran standoff could escalate
Iran: Sailors being treated humanely
MOD: Iran seizes 15 Royal Navy personnel

Iran aired television footage on Friday of another British sailor
"confessing" to trespassing in its waters, escalating a dispute over
Tehran's seizure of 15 navy personnel, as the EU deplored Tehran's action.

EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Germany deplored the seizure of the
Britons as a breach of international law and threatened to take measures
if they were not released soon.

Firing off new volleys in the propaganda war, Iran also released a third
letter attributed to the sole woman among those seized, saying she had
been "sacrificed" to the policies of Britain and the United States.

The EU move came after Britain, which on Thursday secured a less strident
UN Security Council condemnation of the Iranian action, vowed it would
work to further isolate Tehran over the crisis.

Prime Minister Tony Blair voiced his "disgust" at the latest broadcast of
the captive Britons and Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said she saw
no sign that Iran was seeking to solve the crisis.

"We've got to pursue this with the necessary firmness and determination
but also patience," Blair said.

Tehran has so far refused to bow to mounting world pressure to release
the 14 men and one woman seized in the northern Gulf a week ago and now
being held in a secret location.

Britain insists they were on a routine anti-smuggling patrol in Iraqi
waters under a UN mandate but Iran says they were in its territorial
waters.

"I would like to apologise for entering your waters without any
permission," the Royal Navy serviceman, identified as Nathan Thomas
Sommers, said in an interview broadcast on Iran's Arabic-language Al-Alam
television.

The interview was interspersed with images of the sailor sitting with two
of his comrades, including the only woman, Faye Turney, smiling, and with
bowls of fruit and flowers in front of them.

Turney's latest letter, released by Iranian authorities in London, calls
for British troops to withdraw from Iraq.

Paul Beaver, a leading defence expert, said Turney's pullout call
suggested the letters were written under duress. "She knows that as a
serving member of the armed forces she has no public opinion on that," he
explained.

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Learn Chinese - US Navy flexes muscles in Persian Gulf

WORLD / Middle East

US Navy flexes muscles in Persian Gulf

(AP)
Updated: 2007-03-28 09:16

ABOARD THE USS JOHN C. STENNIS - American warplanes screamed off two
aircraft carriers Tuesday as the US Navy staged its largest show of force
in the Persian Gulf since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, launching a mammoth
exercise meant as a message to the Iranians.

A flight deck director signals moments after an F/A 18 C plane leaves the
flight deck aboard of the USS John C. Stenniis Tuesday March 27, 2007,
while sailing in Persian Gulf waters. [AP]

The maneuvers with 15 warships and more than 100 aircraft were sure to
heighten tensions with Iran, which has frequently condemned the US
military presence off its coast and is in a faceoff with the West over
its nuclear program and its capture of a British naval team.

Special coverage:
Iran Nuke Issue 
Related readings:
Blair calls capture of sailors 'serious'
Iran seizes 15 British sailors
Khamenei: Iran would retaliate if attackedMajor powers closer to Iran
sanctions
Iran denies halt to uranium enrichment
FM calls for Iran, IAEA cooperation

While they would not say when the war games were planned, US commanders
insisted the exercises were not a direct response to Friday's seizure of
the 15 British sailors and marines, but they also made clear that the
flexing of the Navy's military might was intended as a warning.

"If there is strong presence, then it sends a clear message that you
better be careful about trying to intimidate others," said Capt. Bradley
Johanson, commander of the Stennis.

"Iran has adopted a very escalatory posture with the things that they
have done," he added.

The exercises began four days after Iranian forces detained the 15
Britons for allegedly being in Iranian territorial waters near the
northern end of the Gulf. US and British officials insist the team was
properly searching cargo vessels inside Iraqi waters.

F/A-18 fighter jets roared off the Stennis' flight deck all day, mounting
a dozen rapid-fire training sorties against imaginary enemy ships and
aircraft. A second task force with the carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower
also took part in the drills.

"These maneuvers demonstrate our flexibility and capability to respond to
threats to maritime security," said Navy Lt. John Perkins, 32, of
Louisville, Ky., as the Stennis cruised about 80 miles off the United
Arab Emirates after entering the Persian Gulf overnight.

"They're showing we can keep the maritime environment safe and the vital
link to the global economy open."

At the headquarters of the Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain, Cmdr. Kevin
Aandahl said the maneuvers would last several days. He said US warships
would stay out of Iran's territorial waters, which extend 12 miles off
the Iranian coast.

None of America's naval coalition partners in the region joined the
maneuvers.

A French naval strike group, led by the aircraft carrier Charles de
Gaulle, was operating just outside the Gulf in the Arabian Sea. But the
French ships were supporting NATO forces in Afghanistan and not taking
part in the US maneuvers, Aandahl said.

At the Pentagon, spokesman Bryan Whitman said the Navy routinely conducts
exercises when its forces are deployed near each other.

"The exercise should reassure our friends and allies of our commitment to
security and stability in the region," Whitman said. "We are not
interested in confrontation in the Gulf."

The war games involve more than 10,000 US personnel mounting simulated
attacks on enemy aircraft and ships, while hunting submarines and looking
for mines.

"What it should be seen as by Iran or anyone else is that it's for
regional stability and security," Aandahl said. "These ships are just
another demonstration of that. If there's a destabilizing effect, it's
Iran's behavior."

The US drills were the latest in a series of competing American and
Iranian war games. Iran conducted naval maneuvers in November and April,
while in October the Navy led a training exercise aimed at blocking
nuclear smuggling.

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Learn Mandarin online - World snooker top 32 rankings

Sports / Games Info

World snooker top 32 rankings

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-03-23 18:06

Rank Player Provisional 2005/2006 2006/2007
1 Ken Doherty 31,900 20,250 11,650
2 Graeme Dott 31,375 19,100 12,275
3 John Higgins 29,750 19,150 10,600
4 Peter Ebdon 29,050 15,550 13,500
5 Shaun Murphy 28,800 16,350 12,450
6 Stephen Hendry 27,975 15,100 12,875
7 Neil Robertson 27,425 12,575 14,850
8 Ding Junhui 26,600 14,475 12,125
9 Ronnie O'Sullivan 26,300 12,850 13,450
10 Mark Williams 25,025 18,300 6,725
11 Stephen Lee 24,050 13,500 10,550
12 Steve Davis 22,850 13,100 9,750
13 Stephen Maguire 22,250 11,000 11,250
14 Ryan Day 21,125 10,050 11,075
15 Joe Perry 20,550 11,750 8,800
16 Mark King 19,875 10,100 9,775
17 Barry Hawkins 19,150 14,600 4,550
18 Stuart Bingham 19,100 12,300 6,800
19 Joe Swail 18,650 12,600 6,050
20 Allister Carter 18,400 9,550 8,850
21 Mark Selby 17,500 9,125 8,375
22 Michael Holt 17,413 11,275 6,138
23 Jamie Cope 17,350 10,375 6,975
24 Nigel Bond 17,313 10,350 6,963
25 Matthew Stevens 16,650 8,600 8,050
26 Dave Harold 16,125 9,625 6,500
27 Gerard Greene 15,850 8,600 7,250
28 David Gray 15,438 9,713 5,725
29 Dominic Dale 15,325 8,700 6,625
30 James Wattana 15,138 11,150 3,988
31 Marco Fu 15,125 11,500 3,625
32 Alan McManus 14,800 6,200 8,600
32 Michael Judge 14,800 7,475 7,325

Notes

* Stephen Hendry, despite having not had the best of seasons, regains
  the number one spot after nine years from second place.
* Paul Hunter dropped out of the top 32, down from number five to
  number 34, shortly before his death from colon cancer. His drop was
  mainly caused by his illness.
* Jimmy White drops out of the top 32 after his worst season ever, down
  from number eight to number 35.
* Alan McManus drops out of the top 16 (having been in it for a decade)
  after his worst season ever as well, down from number 12 to number 19.
* Ian McCulloch drops out of the top 16 after just one season, down
  from number 16 to number 26.
* Anthony Hamilton re-enters the top 16 after gaining two places, from
  number 17 to joint number 15.
* Barry Pinches drops out of the top 32, down from number 18 to number
  33.
* Allister Carter finally makes it to that much coveted top 16 spot
  after 4 seasons coming very close indeed inside the top 20 after
  gaining four places, from number 19 to joint number 15.
* Neil Robertson enters the top 16, from number 27 to number 13.
* John Parrott (a former longtime top 16 player) drops out of the top
  32, down from number 28 to number 43.
* Ryan Day officially enters the top 32, from number 33 (just outside
  the top 32, although he replaced Quinten Hann, officially in 22nd place
  at the time, during most of the season) to number 17 (just outside the
  top 16).
* Stuart Bingham enters the top 32, from number 37 to number 24.
* Mark Selby re-enters the top 32, from number 38 to number 28.
* Joe Swail (a former longtime top 16 player) re-enters the top 32,
  from number 40 to number 30.
* Ding Junhui enters the top 32, from number 62 to number 27.

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Learn Chinese - Working group starts meetings in Beijing

WORLD / Photo

Working group starts meetings in Beijing

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-03-17 11:52

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill (front, C) chats with
U.S. Ambassador to China Clark Randt (R) at the opening of the six-party
denuclearisation working group talks in Beijing's Diaoyutai State
Guesthouse March 17, 2007. North Korea's chief nuclear envoy said on
Saturday his country would not stop its nuclear development programme if
the United States did not first lift financial curbs on North Korean
accounts in a Macau bank. At left, partly obscured, are members of the
North Korean delegation to the talks. [Reuters]

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Chinese School - At least 82 dead in Indonesia quake

WORLD / Asia-Pacific

At least 82 dead in Indonesia quake

(AFP)
Updated: 2007-03-06 21:17

At least 82 people were killed Tuesday and hundreds injured in a
6.3-magnitude earthquake that rocked Indonesia's Sumatra island,
officials said.

Indonesians flee to the streets after strong earthquakes hit the city of
Padang in West Sumatra March 6, 2007. Two strong earthquakes hit
Indonesia's Sumatra island on Tuesday, killing at least 82 people,
flattening buildings and sending emergency operations into full swing to
deal with the injured and displaced. [Reuters]

"The toll won't stop rising because the quake happened in a relatively
populated region," said Damien Personnaz, a spokesman for children's
agency UNICEF, who gave the figure of 82 dead.

Two UNICEF teams are in Sumatra monitoring the situation.

Hundreds of others were injured, Rosmini Savitri, an official in the
disaster zone, told AFP by phone.

"The number of people injured has become 257," she said.

The quake hit at 10:49 am (0349 GMT), the US Geological Survey said,
about 50 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of the West Sumatra capital
Padang. Tanah Datar, Solok and Padang were among the worst hit areas in
Sumatra.

It appeared to have been followed by an aftershock almost as strong.

Hospitals in Solok and other areas on Sumatra were already working at
full capacity and unable to treat more people, rescue coordinator Suryadi
told AFP by telephone from the disaster zone.

A spokesman for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had earlier said at
least 70 were killed and scores injured.

He said the president may go to the disaster site and had ordered police,
military, local authorities and government ministers to coordinate to do
all they could to bring relief to the stricken areas.

Many people were trapped in collapsed buildings and there was no official
information about the situation at the quake's epicentre because phone
lines were down, Utjin Sudiana, West Sumatra's police chief, told AFP.

"The epicentre is in Batusangkar but communication is disconnected from
there so we don't know what the damage is," he said.

Solok mayor Samsurahim said there was widespread damage.

"Several houses have collapsed. There are hundreds of victims," he told
ElShinta radio, adding that a school had burnt to the ground after the
quake.

Indonesia, an archipelago of some 17,000 islands, sits on the so-called
Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates meet -- and where
earthquakes are a regular and often deadly occurrence.

Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered Indian
Ocean tsunami in December 2004, which killed some 168,000 people in Aceh
province on the northern tip of Sumatra.

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Chinese Mandarin - Athlete and actress give New Year blessing

Sports / Celebrity

Athlete and actress give New Year blessing

(sina)
Updated: 2007-02-14 11:16

Shuttler Bao Chunlai (L) and actress Liu Tao pose for a group of photos
for Power Sports, a Chinese language sports newspaper before the Chinese
Lunar New Year comes to give readers New Year blessing. [sina]

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

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Learn Chinese - Security crackdown in Baghdad

WORLD / Middle East

Security crackdown in Baghdad

(AP)
Updated: 2007-02-08 07:34

US soldiers from the 2-325 82nd Airborne Division move their equipment
into a combat outpost set up in the restive Adhamiyah neighborhood of
northern Baghdad. [AFP]
BAGHDAD - Baghdad's streets were electric with tension Wednesday as U.S.
officials confirmed the new security operation was under way. U.S. armor
rushed through streets, and Iraqi armored personnel carriers guarded
bridges and major intersections.

New coils of barbed-wire and blast barriers marked checkpoints that
caused traffic bottlenecks. U.S. Apache helicopters whipped the air over
parts of the capital where they hadn't been seen before.

But gunfire still rang out across the city, and some residents said they
doubted life would get better. "Nothing will work, it's too late," said
Hashem al-Moussawi, a resident of the Sadr City Shiite enclave who was
badly wounded in a bombing in December.

Underlining the dangers, a U.S. Marine transport helicopter crashed
northwest of Baghdad, killing all seven on board �� the fifth American
aircraft lost in Iraq in just over two weeks. A military statement did
not give a cause for the crash, but a senior U.S. defense official in
Washington said the CH-46 Sea Knight did not appear to have been hit by
hostile fire. An Iraqi air force officer, however, said the chopper was
downed by an anti-aircraft missile. An al-Qaida-linked Sunni group
claimed in a Web statement that it was responsible.

At checkpoints that seemed to have been thrown up overnight �� some of
them blocking half the lanes of traffic on wide streets �� Iraqi police
and army soldiers searched cars at random. Drivers and passengers had to
get out and show identity papers.

Adding to the tension, Iraqi army and police convoys fired rounds into
the air above motorists, warning them to make way for passing forces. The
security troops drove over traffic medians and into incoming traffic.

In a sign of just how dangerous the security mission will be, a
three-vehicle Western security company convoy came under fire near Haifa
Street, a Sunni insurgent stronghold just north of the Green Zone.

The security men in the armored cars returned fire and quickly exploded
green and white smoke bombs for concealment. Minutes later, after the
smoke cleared, they sped away. An Associated Press reporter could see
bodyguards in the convoy leaning out the car windows and pelting
surrounding vehicles with water bottles to persuade drivers to clear the
way.

At about the same time, four guards at a nearby building housing state
television were shot and killed on the rooftop. An official at Iraqiya
television said the men were hit by fire from security company personnel
escorting foreign visitors to the Justice Ministry across the street. The
television official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not
authorized to speak to the media.

In parts of the city only a few shops were open, a reminder of the fear
people have of more car and suicide bombings, which have hit Baghdad with
regularity in recent weeks.

Lines outside gas stations stretched for more than a mile, as the city is
experiencing its worst fuel crisis in months. Supplies are very low
because refining capacity is down, a problem compounded by hoarding.

Gunfire rang out across the capital, and the wail of police and ambulance
sirens seemed incessant. The buzz of low-flying U.S. helicopters and
growl of fighter jets was nonstop above a new crop of government posters
and billboards speaking of Baghdad's struggle.

"Our streets are deserted and our blood is fair game," declared one that
showed an empty street strewn with debris from a bombing.

Another billboard showed a young man weeping because he had not reported
suspicious activity to authorities. "I should have done the right thing,"
he says.

Still another billboard message implored: "Be a hero and report
suspicious behavior."

Most taxi drivers were refusing to take passengers to areas dominated by
the other Muslim sect. Minibus drivers were demanding passengers prove
they live in the region to which they wanted to travel.

The streets became nearly deserted well before nightfall, a surprising
sign of fear among a population that has lived through wars for much of
the past 25 years. Those with money to spare, residents say, are stocking
up on fuel for generators and on basic foodstuffs like flour, grains and
potatoes.

With electricity available only about two hours a day in much of the
city, residents also were buying candles and lanterns. The rickety stands
of some outdoor food markets, a favorite target for suicide bombers,
stood empty.

"We live hand-to-mouth and don't have money to stock up on anything,"
said Ibrahim Mohammed, a 78-year-old retired engineer from the Azamiya
district. The predominantly Sunni area in north Baghdad was likely to be
high on the list of targets in the Baghdad security plan.

"No one goes to work anymore," Mohammed said.

Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell, the top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq,
said Wednesday that the much-awaited Baghdad security operation was
finally under way. "The implementation of the (Iraqi) prime minister's
plan has already begun and will be fully implemented at a later date,
having all the parts and pieces that he wants," he told a news briefing.

The operation is the third attempt by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and
his U.S. backers to pacify Baghdad since the Shiite leader came to office
in May. The operation, which will involve about 90,000 Iraqi and American
troops, is seen by many as a last chance to curb Iraq's sectarian war.

On Tuesday, however, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told U.S. lawmakers
the buildup in troops is "not the last chance" to succeed in Iraq and "I
would be irresponsible if I weren't thinking about what the alternatives
might be."

Many Baghdad residents said they weren't hopeful.

"If this security plan is the same as those we had before, with
checkpoints delaying the traffic for hours, then I can tell you now that
it will be a failure," said Murtadha Mahdi, a 35-year-old unemployed
father of two who lives in Hurriyah, now a predominantly Shiite district
in northern of Baghdad that saw some of the worst sectarian fighting late
last year.

The security sweep in Baghdad comes nearly a year after the city became
the main battlefield of sectarian violence following al-Qaida's bombing
of a major Shiite shrine north of Baghdad. Thousands have since died in
the capital, victims of Shiite militiamen or suicide bombings blamed on
Sunni militants. Thousands more have been displaced from their homes.

"Sunni and Shiite politicians pretend to work for reconciliation, but
they curse each other when the news cameras are gone," said al-Moussawi,
the Sadr City resident who was hospitalized for two months with severe
wounds to his chest, right arm and leg.

The main entrance to the district now has four checkpoints manned by
Iraqi police and army troops backed by armored personnel carriers mounted
with large caliber guns. Hundreds have been killed in Sadr City in
suicide bombings and mortar attacks in recent months.

A giant billboard near the site of a series of attacks �� including the
one that wounded al-Moussawi �� displays the pictures of more than 40
victims, many of them children. A woman clad in black is shown weeping,
her face buried in her hands.

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Learn Chinese - Bayern ditch Magath's law of minimum spectacle

Sports / Feature and Column

Bayern ditch Magath's law of minimum spectacle

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-02-01 09:26

BERLIN, Jan 31 - In two-and-a-half years as Bayern Munich coach Felix
Magath won two consecutive league and cup doubles, re-establishing the
club as Germany's most efficient title-winning machine.

His sacking on Wednesday, followed by the reappointment of former trainer
Ottmar Hitzfeld, demonstrated that Bayern remain as ruthless in the
boardroom as they are on the pitch.

"It was not a pleasant day, as you can imagine," Bayern chairman
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said at a news conference. "But these are things
that you have to do for the best of the club."

Bayern's two poor performances since the resumption of the Bundesliga, a
3-2 defeat by Borussia Dortmund and a goalless draw with Bochum, left
them dangling in fourth place, in danger of missing out on a Champions
League spot for next season.

German media portrayed the change as an act of panic but the decision to
bring back Hitzfeld was not just a knee-jerk reaction to an unusually low
league position.

The move is recognition by the club that winning by the rule of minimum
possible spectacle is no long-term strategy, especially when there is a
new 70,000 stadium to fill.

A large chunk of the capacity crowd at the Allianz Arena whistled the
players off the field on Tuesday after Bayern had once again spent much
of the Bochum game passing the ball around aimlessly.

Captain and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn backed their reaction.

"It's absolutely normal for fans to whistle after a match like that,"
Kahn told reporters. "They should be expecting a clear win from a fixture
like this."

DRESSING-ROOM DISCIPLINE

When Hitzfeld was forced out in 2004, Magath was asked to restore order
in the dressing room and re-establish Bayern as the top team in Germany,
after Werder Bremen had done the double in 2003/04.

Magath, the former Hamburg forward and son of a Puerto Rican U.S.
soldier, had no trouble bringing back discipline but under his guidance
the team hardly ever did anything as extravagant as play entertaining
football.

When results were going well Bayern were prepared to put up with
uninspiring performances.

Since the departure of Michael Ballack at the end of last season there
have been too many defeats -- five already in the league this term -- and
no improvement in the style of play.

"What's important is that we quickly get back on track and get better
times and hopefully play better football," Rummenigge said.

It is unlikely that Hitzfeld will be able to inspire an immediate change
of style, but he will hope to see more from talented youngsters like
Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski and Philipp Lahm.

Hitzfeld joined Bayern in 1998 after winning two German titles and the
Champions League with Borussia Dortmund.

He guided Bayern to another European Cup win in 2001, as well as four
more Bundesliga titles and two German Cups.

That track record was enough to earn him another shot after his final
season ended in disappointment, and he will be on the bench for the
club's next game at Nuremberg on Friday.

"It's important that we get back to our winning ways and we're confident
that Ottmar Hitzfeld will do that for us," Rummenigge said.

Winning would be a start, but the coaching switch will only be judged a
success if the whistling stops as well.

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Learn Chinese - Iran takes tough stand over nuclear row

WORLD / Middle East

Iran takes tough stand over nuclear row

(AP)
Updated: 2007-01-19 08:29

TEHRAN, Iran - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed back over the US
military buildup in the Gulf, saying Thursday that Iran is ready for any
possibility in the standoff over its nuclear program.

Nicolas Burns, the US Undersecretary of State listens to a question
during a news conference after his meeting with Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, not seen, at the parliament in Ankara, Thursday,
Jan. 18, 2007. [AP]

The president made clear he was not backing down in his tough rhetoric
toward the United States, despite criticism at home. Conservatives and
reformists alike have openly challenged Ahmadinejad's nuclear diplomacy
tactics, many saying his fiery anti-Western remarks are doing more harm
than good.

Ahmadinejad said their calls for compromise echo "the words of the enemy."

At the same time, Ahmadinejad's top national security official, Ali
Larijani, sharply denounced US policy in Iraq, saying Washington is
fueling Shiite-Sunni hatred.

Washington has accused Iran of backing militants fueling Iraq's violence,
increasing tensions amid the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, which
the US says aims to produce nuclear weapons.

The United States sent an aircraft carrier to the Gulf this week - the
second to deploy in the region - a buildup that Defense Secretary Robert
Gates said was intended to impress on Iran that the four-year war in Iraq
has not made America vulnerable.

In an apparent reaction to the deployment, Ahmadinejad vowed Thursday
that Iran would not back down over its nuclear program, which Tehran says
is being developed only to produce energy.

Special coverage:
Iran Nuke Issue 
Related Readings:
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Iran gets army gear in Pentagon sale
Iran president sends note to Saudi king
US push to strip Iran of aid resisted
Iran gets army gear in Pentagon sale
Gates: Iran sees US as bogged down

"Today, with the grace of God, we have gone through the arduous passes
and we are ready for anything in this path," state-run television quoted
the Iranian leader as saying.

The UN Security Council recently imposed limited sanctions to punish Iran
for defying a resolution demanding that it suspend uranium enrichment, a
process that can produce material to fuel nuclear reactors or, at purer
concentrations, the core of nuclear weapons.

In Paris, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency, Mohamed ElBaradei,
said he was concerned the sanctions could escalate Iran's standoff with
Western powers.

"I don't think sanctions will resolve the issue ... Sanctions in my view
could lead to escalation on both sides," he warned.

ElBaradei said the pressure has failed to break a consensus in Iran that
the oil-rich nation needs to master the complex process of uranium
enrichment. Iran this week said it is moving toward large-scale
enrichment involving 3,000 centrifuges, which spin uranium gas into
enriched material.

A diplomat and a UN official in Vienna said Thursday that much, but not
all, of the hardware needed for the installation of the centrifuges was
now in place at the Natanz facility designated to house Tehran's
industrial-scale enrichment program.

The two - who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to
discuss confidential information - emphasized that the facility had been
ready for some time, and there was no sign that actual work on putting in
the centrifuges would begin at any particular date.

1 2 

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Free Chinese Lesson - Indian killer suspect admits sex with dead bodies

WORLD / Asia-Pacific

Indian killer suspect admits sex with dead bodies

(AFP)
Updated: 2007-01-11 15:49

NEW DELHI - A suspect in the gruesome murders of 17 people, mostly
children, near the Indian capital has told investigators he had sex with
the dead bodies and ate their organs, a report has said.

The Times of India said Surender Koli admitted to carrying out the crimes
alone and that his employer, businessman Moninder Singh Pandher who has
also been arrested and charged, was unaware of the killing spree.

The grisly revelations emerged after the two accused were subjected to
"narco-analysis" -- including truth drugs, polygraph tests and brain
mapping -- at a national forensic laboratory.

Results of the tests are not admissable as evidence in court, but are
designed to help police with their investigation.

The two were arrested on December 29 from New Delhi's affluent Noida
suburb after an overwhelming stench led to the discovery of carefully
chopped-up body parts in a drain next to Pandher's home.

But Pandher was apparently unaware that his servant used sweets and
chocolates to lure the victims to the house, before killing them and
raping their bodies, the Times of India said.

Koli, who previously worked as a cook in a hotel, narrated how and when
he killed his 17 victims with precision. He also remembered the names of
15 victims, the newspaper said, quoting unnamed investigators involved in
the tests.

"Sahab (master) did not know," Koli was quoted as telling investigators,
adding the murders were committed when Pandher was away.

Asked what he had done with the missing torsos of the victims, Koli
disclosed that he ate some of the organs and cut up others and flushed
them down the toilet. The dismembered parts were disposed of separately.

Koli said his first victim was a four-year-old girl. He admitted to
trying eating the child's liver, but said he vomited immediately.

His co-accused, meanwhile, emerged from the tests as a womaniser who used
Koli as a pimp to find him prostitutes.

Pandher's family says reports of the results of the narco-analysis test
were a relief.

"I had always thought Surendra (Koli, the servant) was behind all this.
My father used to be out of town for long periods on business," Pandher's
23-year-old son, Karan, told the newspaper.

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Chinese Mandarin - 'Iran intervention would be unwise'

WORLD / Middle East

'Iran intervention would be unwise'

Updated: 2006-12-20 09:14

United Nations - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Tuesday a
negotiated settlement with Iran over its nuclear program should be
sought, and he warned that military intervention would be "unwise and
disastrous."

Secretary-General Kofi Annan speaks to the media during a news conference
at United Nations headquarters in New York, Dec. 19, 2006. This is
supposed to be Annan's last news conference, as he will be passing the
Secretary-General title to Ban Ki-moon at the beginning of 2007. [AP
Photo]

Annan, who steps down as UN chief Dec. 31, issued the warning as the
Security Council debated a resolution that would impose sanctions on
Tehran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment. The United States is
considering sending a second aircraft carrier to Persian Gulf as a show
of force against Iran.

He addressed concerns about a possible military operation in Iran at a
farewell news conference in response to a question about how the Security
Council should deal with crises after the Iraq war. The council refused
to authorize a war against Saddam Hussein in 2003 and Annan called the
UN's failure to stop the conflict "the worst moment" of his 10 years as
secretary-general.

"You mentioned Iran, which implies that there is concern that there may
be another military operation there," Annan told a reporter. "First of
all, I don't think we are there yet, or we should go in that direction."

"I think it would be rather unwise and disastrous," he said.

"I believe that the council, which is discussing the issue, will proceed
cautiously and try and do whatever it can to get a negotiated settlement
for the sake of the region and for the sake of the world," he said.

The Bush administration has repeatedly declined to rule out the use of
force in Iran, although senior officials have also said their first
choice is to rely on diplomacy.

A senior US defense official said the idea of building up US Navy forces
has been discussed for some time and one proposal is to send a second
aircraft carrier to the region. The official, speaking on condition of
anonymity because the idea has not been approved, said it's unclear when
a decision will be made.

Iran insists its nuclear program is aimed solely at the peaceful
production of nuclear energy, but the Americans and Europeans suspect
Tehran's ultimate goal is the production of nuclear weapons

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated Tuesday that possible
Security Council sanctions would not stop Iran from pursuing uranium
enrichment, a technology that can be used to produce nuclear fuel for
civilian purposes or fuel for a nuclear bomb.

Special coverage:
Iran Nuke Issue 
Related readings:
Iran issues warning on sanctions
Iran makes headway on nuke weapons
Talks on Iran sanctions delayed

Annan expressed concern that because of Iran's nuclear program and the
situation in Israel, which is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons,
several governments in the Middle East have said recently they are going
to explore facilities to produce nuclear energy.

"What I'm worried about is we may see competitive development of these
devices," Annan said. "And we need to take time -- we need to take real
effort to assure that we don't get into that situation in the region."

The latest draft resolution being discussed by key Security Council
members would order all countries to ban the supply of specified
materials and technology that could contribute to Iran's nuclear and
missile programs. It would also impose a travel ban and asset freeze on
key companies and individuals in the country's nuclear and missile
programs who are named on a UN list.

Russia and China remain at odds with the United States and key European
countries over the travel ban and a list of companies and individuals
that should be subject to a freeze of their financial assets.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Monday there had been "some
progress" during talks among the six key nations trying to negotiate with
Iran -- Britain, France, Germany, the US, Russia and China. But he called
the travel ban "unnecessary" and said that while Moscow accepts the
concept of having some financial restrictions related to prohibited
nuclear-related activities, "we have not agreed with the list."

Ambassadors from the six countries met again Tuesday, with the United
States and Britain pushing for adoption of the resolution this week, but
the same problems remained, with Churkin reiterating his opposition to
the travel ban.

Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya said there were still differences.

"I would say sometimes it looks like a technical difference, sometimes it
looks like a political difference," Wang said.

The full 15-member council was scheduled to discuss the proposed
resolution later Tuesday.

"We are very close, we think," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack
said in Washington. "This should be easy; there should be a 15-0 vote."

Acting US Ambassador Alejandro Wolff said Monday the US views the travel
ban as "a priority and an important element of this resolution and we
will continue to push for it."

The six countries offered Iran a package of economic incentives and
political rewards in June if it agreed to consider a long-term moratorium
on enrichment and committed itself to a freeze on uranium enrichment
before talks on its nuclear program.

With Iran refusing to comply with an Aug. 31 council deadline to stop
enrichment, Britain and France circulated a draft sanctions resolution in
October.

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Learn Mandarin online - Commander: Lebanese unrest may spiral

WORLD / Middle East

Commander: Lebanese unrest may spiral

(AP)
Updated: 2006-12-06 09:32

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Shiite Muslims on Tuesday buried a man killed in street
clashes in a Sunni Muslim neighborhood as Lebanon's army commander warned
the military may not be able to contain further protests linked to the
country's tense political standoff.

Lebanese supporters of Hezbollah and their allies light candles on a
barbed wire near the Government House, after the funeral of Ahmed Ali
Mahmoud who was killed Sunday during clashes which erupted between groups
of Shiites and Sunnis, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday Dec. 5, 2006.
[AP]

Army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman urged politicians to compromise,
according to comments quoted by several Beirut newspapers.

After another night of unrest in the capital, Prime Minister Fuad Saniora
warned the situation could get out of control.

"No one can impose control on the streets and this has been proven," he
told hundreds of supporters who converged throughout the day on his
office complex, which was ringed by barbed wire, combat troops and riot
police.

Outside, thousands of opposition protesters were gathered near Saniora's
offices and in several other downtown squares in yet another evening of
rallies aimed at bringing down the government. Many have been camped out
near the prime minister's headquarters since Friday.

In a new tactic Tuesday night, they aimed two powerful floodlights at the
government complex. Troops installed more barbed wire and other
fortifications.

Lebanon's political confrontation breaks down on dangerous sectarian
lines. The US-backed government is supported largely by Sunnis, while the
opposition - led by the pro-Syrian Hezbollah - enjoys wide support among
Shiites. Lebanon's Christians are split between the two camps. Hezbollah
is demanding the formation of a new government giving it and its allies a
larger share of power.

The standoff shows no sign of waning despite calls from the two sides for
dialogue to resolve their differences. The Arab League secretary general
has visited to try to help, as did Jordan's foreign minister. Egypt's
Beirut envoy also has been making the rounds.

After several days of trading accusations in the media, rival Lebanese
leaders opened direct channels. A Sunni scholar in the opposition went to
the government headquarters to discuss ideas on resolving the crisis and
the government gave him its own proposals, including the possible
expansion of the current Cabinet to satisfy opposition demands, youth and
sports minister Ahmed Fatfat told reporters.

Shiite leaders tried to put the lid on the boiling sectarian tension and
prevent revenge attacks after the killing of 21-year-old Shiite protester
Ahmed Mahmoud, who was shot while walking Sunday with other protesters
through the Sunni neighborhood of Qasqas. Twenty one people were wounded
in the violence.

In a Shiite district not far from the shooting scene, Mahmoud's comrades
from the Shiite Amal party and relatives took turns carrying his coffin.
About 2,000 people, many holding Lebanese and green Amal flags, marched
behind. A band played martial music. Some of the Shiites beat their heads
with their hands in a traditional sign of mourning.

The funeral march made its way to the Rawdat al-Shahidein cemetery, where
Sheik Abdul-Amir Kabalan, a senior Shiite cleric, led the prayer over the
coffin amid wails of relatives and calls of "God is great."

"It is (religiously) prohibited for a Shiite to kill a Sunni, a Sunni to
kill a Shiite, a Druse to kill a Shiite, a Shiite to kill a Druse and a
Christian to kill a Muslim," said Kabalan, deputy leader of the Supreme
Shiite Council, the religious governing body of the 1.2 million Shiites,
Lebanon's largest sect. "It is prohibited to fight each other, to provoke
and curse each other."

1 2 

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Chinese School - Olmert urges Palestinians to seek peace

WORLD / Middle East

Olmert urges Palestinians to seek peace

(AP)
Updated: 2006-11-28 09:46

JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reached out to the Palestinians on
Monday in one of his most conciliatory speeches yet, saying he was
prepared to grant them a state, release desperately needed funds and free
prisoners if they choose the path of peace.

Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert looks through a pair of binoculars
during a meeting with former Gaza Strip settlers near Avshalom, in the
Negev Desert, November 27, 2006 in this picture released by the Israeli
Government Press Office (GPO). [Reuters]

Olmert's remarks sealed a dramatic policy shift and built on a day-old
truce meant to end five months of violence in the Gaza Strip. But new
rocket attacks by Palestinian militants threatened the latest
rapprochement.

"I hold out my hand in peace to our Palestinian neighbors in the hope
that it won't be returned empty," Olmert said.

"We cannot change the past and we will not be able to bring back the
victims on both sides of the borders," he said. "All that we can do today
is stop additional tragedies."

Olmert appealed to the Palestinians to form a new, moderate Cabinet
committed to carrying out a U.S.-backed peace plan and securing the
release of a captured Israeli soldier.

Once such a government was established, Olmert said, he would call for an
immediate meeting with the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas,
"to have a real, open, honest, serious dialogue between us."

Palestinian legislator Saeb Erekat, a top Abbas aide, said the
Palestinians were ready to negotiate a final peace deal.

"I believe Mr. Olmert knows he has a partner, and that is President
Abbas. He knows that to achieve peace and security for all, we need to
shoot for the end game," Erekat said.

But the Palestinian Cabinet, led by Hamas militants who reject Israel's
right to exist, accused Olmert of posturing.

"This is a conspiracy. This is a new maneuver. Olmert is speaking about
the Palestinian state without giving details about the borders," said
Ghazi Hamad, a government spokesman.

Olmert's speech raised the diplomatic stakes ahead of President Bush's
scheduled trip to neighboring Jordan this week for talks with Iraqi
leaders.

Erekat said it was possible Abbas would meet with Bush there, but Israeli
officials denied that Abbas and Olmert might meet on the sidelines of the
Bush visit.

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Chinese School - Tom, Katie wed in Rome ancient castle

WORLD / Europe

Tom, Katie wed in Rome ancient castle

(AP)
Updated: 2006-11-19 09:33

BRACCIANO - In a fairy-tale setting fit for royalty, Tom Cruise and Katie
Holmes exchanged wedding vows Saturday evening in a glowing 15th-century
castle in a lakeside Italian town.

Actor Tom Cruise arrives at Castello Odescalchi for his wedding to Katie
Holmes in the Italian lakeside town of Bracciano November 18, 2006.
[Reuters]

Cruise's publicist Arnold Robinson confirmed that the ceremony had taken
place, and later said in a statement that it was performed by a
Scientology minister before more than 150 relatives and friends.

Actress Katie Holmes watches from a window of Castello Odescalchi as her
fiance Tom Cruise arrives for their wedding in the Italian lakeside town
of Bracciano November 18, 2006. Cruise and Holmes chose the 15th century
castle just outside of Rome as the location for their celebrity wedding.
[Reuters]

Holmes wore a fitted Giorgio Armani off-the-shoulder bridal gown with a
train in ivory silk cadis adorned in Valenciennes lace and Swarovski
beaded crystal embroidery.

The designer, Giorgio Armani, was a guest at the wedding. Armani said
Holmes looked "very sweet, and at the same time modern."

"Hollywood people are very demanding. They know they are being watched
and they need a certain security," Armani said.

Cruise also wore a handmade Armani suit. The two men are longtime friends.

Armani said Cruise first, and then Holmes, came down a stone ramp lined
with flag bearers in medieval costumes and to the roll of drums.

Holmes' father, Martin Holmes, walked her down the aisle, and she carried
a bouquet of flowers made by Armani.

It included calla lilies wrapped in leaves of galax and steelgrass,
Robinson said.

The couple's baby daughter was also dressed in Armani, the designer said,
describing a little, white wool bloomer dress, decorated in tulle. The
72-year-old designer said he made the outfit simple, not wanting to
exaggerate the dress of a child.

Cruise and Holmes were married in a former stable decorated simply with
white flowers, and exchanged vows under an awning, Armani said.

American guests awed
"For the Americans this was very special, because Americans do not have
this kind of thing back home, and they dream of such things in our
beautiful country, and you can see the surprise and the awe on their
faces," Armani said.

Cruise's best friend, David Miscavige, was best man, and the matron of
honor was Holmes' sister, Nancy Blaylock.

The 20-minute ceremony ended with "a never-ending kiss" that prompted
some of the guests to shout "stop, stop!" Armani said.

In his statement, Robinson said Cruise and Holmes "officialized their
marriage" in Los Angeles before coming to Italy.

He did not immediately reply to an e-mailed question about whether that
meant they had been married in a civil ceremony.

Outside, fans and residents hoped for a glimpse of the celebrity couple,
as oil-fed torches glowed from the battlements of the Odescalchi castle,
which towers over the town on the shores of Lake Bracciano.

Tiny candles, placed in the castle's windows, flickered romantically as
the couple and fellow stars gathered in the town about 25 miles northwest
of the Italian capital.

Following the ceremony, Cruise and Holmes were serenaded at the reception
with a special performance by Italian singer Andrea Bocelli.

Guests were treated to Italian hors d'oeuvres followed by a multi-course
meal. Cruise and Holmes cut a five-tiered white chocolate wedding cake
decorated with marzipan roses and studded with white chocolate chips.

J Lo subtle, Posh sexy

Armani said Jennifer Lopez looked "very attractive" in a pink dress, and
Victoria Beckham was clad in black and wore a wide brimmed, matching hat
he said was "more appropriate for an event at Longchamps," Paris race
track.

"The look was provocative, in fact very sexy," the designer added.

Earlier, Holmes wore a black dress and boots before she changed into her
gown.

Cruise came from Rome, where the family had been staying in a luxury
hotel near the Spanish Steps, in a van and, sporting dark shades, waved
to fans.

When the groom drove up, Holmes, anxiously gesturing with a hand, watched
from a castle window.

Other VIPs arriving in limousines or vans through the castle gates
included Brooke Shields, Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Jim Carrey.

Pouring rain had forced Holmes and her baby to take shelter under large,
green umbrellas as they left their limousine. But the sun was shining on
the castle when Cruise arrived.

As the sun began to set, candles were placed in pots along the road to
the castle. Men wearing tuxedos and women holding up the hems of their
long gowns walked up the steep path to the castle.

Police patrolled the castle's walls and all vehicles were banned from
Bracciano's center. The flag of the Odescalchi family, whose ancestors
include Benedetto Odescalchi, the 17th century pope Innocent XI,
fluttered over the castle's towers.

"When I first walked here, I didn't know why they chose this place," said
Emily Roeder, 19, of Atchison, Kansas, who came to Bracciano for the day
from Florence, where she is studying. "Then I saw the castle and the
streets all around, and it's really romantic."

Hundreds of the town's 14,000 residents and fans of the stars braved
intermittent rain to catch a glimpse of the arrivals.

"I want to see at least one of them -- even if it's not Tom Cruise,"
15-year-old Erica Bandiera said.

The first guest to drive through the castle's gates was Roberta Armani,
niece of the fashion designer.

Holmes was giving Cruise a wedding gift of a Vacheron Constantin watch
engraved simply, "I Love You," the watch company said in a statement. It
said she bought the gift in Los Angeles last week.

Scientology ceremonies contain many elements of traditional weddings,
including rings and vows. But they also include certain Scientology
fundamentals, including vowing never to go to bed without communicating
about any differences.

A spokesman for the Church of Scientology for Rome, Fabrizio D'Agostino,
said an exchange of vows with a Scientology rite was not legally
recognized in Italy, and would have to be preceded or followed by a civil
union.

Bracciano Mayor Patrizia Riccioni said her office had not received a
request to celebrate a civil wedding as of midday Friday.

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Learn mandarin - Iran's top nuclear negotiator may meet with Putin - report

WORLD / Middle East

Iran's top nuclear negotiator may meet with Putin - report

(AP)
Updated: 2006-11-11 15:46

MOSCOW - Iran's top nuclear negotiator was to continue talks in Moscow on
Saturday, and Russian news agencies reported that he might meet with
President Vladimir Putin.

On Friday, Ali Larijani insisted Tehran would push ahead with its
controversial nuclear program, and suggested it could break off ties with
the UN nuclear watchdog if the world inflicts punishments proposed by
European nations.

In a familiar mix of threats and offers, Ali Larijani said Iran wanted
negotiations to ease the mounting standoff over fears it is seeking
nuclear weapons, but that it would not abandon what he insisted was a
peaceful nuclear energy program.

He was to meet again Saturday with Igor Ivanov, the head of Russia's
Security Council. The ITAR-Tass and RIA-Novosti news agencies reported
that Putin might also receive him.

Special coverage:
Iran Nuke Issue  

That suggested that Russia was making a strong diplomatic push to get
Iran to shift its position on its nuclear program. Moscow is seeking to
revive its proposal to move Iran's uranium enrichment work to Russian
soil to assuage international concerns that Iran could use the process to
develop weapons. Larijani said Friday that the proposal remains on the
table, but there was no evidence of movement toward Iranian acceptance.

"We want to use our rights under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and
in this context there will be no retreat, but we are ready for
negotiations," Larijani said Friday. He said Iran was prepared to renew
negotiations with the European Union's top diplomat, Javier Solana, or to
hold talks "in any other format," according to Russian news agencies.

The European draft resolution that would impose UN sanctions on Iran
"will not promote a political solution of the problem," Larijani said.
"Those who support adopting the resolution want to aggravate the problems
of the region."

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Chinese School - Ariel Sharon out of intensive care

WORLD / Middle East

Ariel Sharon out of intensive care

(AP)
Updated: 2006-11-06 18:41

JERUSALEM - Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was taken out of
intensive care Monday morning, four days after he was admitted for a
dangerous infection, the Chaim Sheba Medical Center announced.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon spreaks during the weekly cabinet
meeting at his Jerusalem office, Sunday, July 17, 2005. Former Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon was taken Friday to an intensive care unit after
his overall condition and heart function deteriorated, a spokesman for
the hospital said Friday Nov. 3, 2006. [AP]

Sharon, comatose since suffering a stroke in January, had been moved to
intensive care on Thursday when the infection attacked his heart.

Related readings:
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The hospital said Monday that doctors treated the infection and
transferred Sharon back to the respiratory ward, where he has been
hospitalized since being moved to Sheba from a Jerusalem hospital in May.

Sharon had a small stroke in December and was put on blood thinners
before experiencing a severe brain hemorrhage on January 4 and falling
into a coma.

Sharon, 78, has undergone several extensive brain operations to stop
cerebral hemorrhaging, in addition to several minor procedures. He was
rushed to intensive care in July for dialysis after his kidneys began
failing, but was transferred back to Sheba after his condition improved.

Experts have speculated that because of the severity of his stroke,
Sharon, Israel's prime minister from 2001 to 2006, is unlikely to regain
consciousness.

Sharon's stroke came just months after he ended Israel's 38-year
occupation of the Gaza Strip and bolted his hard-line Likud Party to form
the centrist Kadima faction. After the stroke, Sharon's successor, Ehud
Olmert, led Kadima to victory in a March 28 vote and became prime
minister.

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Learn Mandarin online - South Korean Unification Minister resigns

WORLD / Photo

South Korean Unification Minister resigns

(Agencies)
Updated: 2006-10-26 09:43

South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok (L), Foreign Minister Ban
Ki-moon (C) and Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung take part in a special
session of the unification and foreign affairs committee at the National
Assembly hall in Seoul in this October 4, 2006 file photo. South Korea's
point man on North Korea has offered to resign, South Korean media
reported on October 25, 2006, the third national security minister to be
replaced soon if the offer is accepted. Yoon has also offered to resign,
a Blue House official said on Tuesday. [Reuters]

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Chinese Mandarin - US aims to pass resolution on N.Korea

WORLD / Asia-Pacific

US aims to pass resolution on N.Korea

(AP)
Updated: 2006-10-12 10:31

UNITED NATIONS - The United States hopes to pass a new draft UN Security
Council resolution on Friday to punish North Korea over its claimed
nuclear test, US Ambassador John Bolton said.

The new draft, which the US will formally introduce on Thursday, is part
of American and Japanese efforts for a quick Security Council rebuke to
North Korea for its alleged test Monday, which raised tension surrounding
Pyongyang's nuclear program and drew near-universal condemnation from
around the world.

"There are still a lot of comments that have been made, and areas of
disagreement, but as we've said repeatedly, we think this requires a
strong and swift response," Bolton said Wednesday after a meeting with
the ambassadors of Britain, France and Japan.

"Now, we're certainly prepared for further discussion but today is late
Wednesday and to have a vote by the end of the week, we need to move
expeditiously tomorrow, which we're going to try to do," he said.

Earlier Wednesday, Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the United States
to hold bilateral talks with North Korea and called on North Korea not to
escalate an "extremely difficult" situation.

"I have always argued that we should talk to parties whose behavior we
want to change, whose behavior we want to influence, and from that point
of view I believe that ... (the) US and North Korea should talk," Annan
said.

The United States has refused to talk one-on-one with North Korea except
on the margins of six-party talks aimed at persuading North Korea to
abandon its nuclear program. Bolton was quick to dismiss Annan's remarks,
saying only: "I think we've expressed our view on that."

The Americans' new offering introduces significant changes to a previous
draft resolution, circulated by the US on Tuesday. The latest draft was
expected to be circulated later Wednesday, when details were likely to be
made known.

The previous draft would prohibit trade in materials that could be used
to make or deliver weapons of mass destruction, and require states to
ensure that North Korea not use their territory or entities for
proliferation or illicit activities. Financial transactions that North
Korea could use to support those programs would also be banned, under the
previous draft.

However, China wants a far more limited package of sanctions, connected
solely to the North's nuclear program. While it says its neighbor should
be punished, officials want the scope of the sanctions to be focused more
narrowly.

Another issue of dispute is how strongly to enforce the resolution. The
United States and Japan want the resolution passed under Chapter 7 of the
UN Charter, which would allow the council to enforce it with sanctions, a
blockade or even military force.

Yet China wants to invoke only Article 41 of Chapter 7, which removes the
threat of a blockade or military force. Article 41 would allow "complete
or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air,
postal, telegraphic, radio and other means of communication, and the
severance of diplomatic relations."

China's UN Ambassador Wang Guangya left a morning meeting with only one
comment -- that Chapter 41 "serves our purpose."

A UN Security Council diplomat said the latest draft would probably
retain the full mention of Chapter 7 -- clouding prospects that the
document could be passed on the American schedule. The diplomat spoke on
condition of anonymity because the document has not been released.

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, the Security Council's nominee
for the secretary-general, backed a quick resolution. He was in New York
to meet with diplomats before the General Assembly vote that will
formally name him Annan's successor.

"My government has expressed our strong support for the speedy action to
be taken by the Security Council and we'll have a close consultation with
the members of the Security Council," he told The Associated Press.

The debate - with the US, Britain and France facing off against China and
Russia - echoes the arguments made during Security Council negotiations
over how sternly to rebuke Iran for its suspect nuclear program. In that
case, because of Chinese and Russian resistance, the council agreed to
invoke Chapter 7's Article 40, which is even weaker.

The Chinese stance drew frustration from Japan which, more than anyone
else, wants tougher sanctions.

"We do recognize, acknowledge that they have made some effort, but in our
view, we would have to ask them to make further efforts," Japan's UN
Ambassador Kenzo Oshima said.

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