AFP_ENG_19970409 O
. O
0547 O

NEW O
YORK O
, O
April B-T
9 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Orthodox O
Jews O
issue O
" O
summons O
" O
to O
Bronfman O
over O
Swiss O
banks O
effort O

Edgar O
Bronfman O
, O
the O
billionaire O
chairman O
of O
Seagram O
Inc O
. O
, O
has O
been O
issued O
a O
summons O
to O
face O
an O
Orthodox O
Jewish O
court O
and O
accused O
of O
" O
misrepresenting O
" O
Jewish O
efforts O
to O
recover O
assets O
from O
Swiss O
banks O
, O
Jewish O
officials O
said O
. O

A O
Hasidic O
group O
, O
the O
World O
Council O
of O
Orthodox O
Jewish O
Communities O
, O
issued O
a O
rabbinical O
court O
summons O
Tuesday B-T
for O
the O
World O
Jewish O
Restitution O
Organization O
( O
WJRO O
) O
, O
which O
Bronfman O
chairs O
, O
according O
to O
the O
president O
of O
the O
World O
Council O
, O
Rabbi O
Chaim O
Stauber O
. O

In O
the O
summons O
, O
known O
as O
a O
" O
beit O
din O
, O
" O
World O
Council O
members O
accuse O
Bronfman O
of O
" O
misrepresenting O
" O
the O
Jewish O
community O
and O
demand O
that O
he O
cease O
all O
current O
negotiations O
until O
their O
grievances O
are O
resolved O
. O

" O
We O
are O
dealing O
with O
the O
spoils O
of O
the O
war O
, O
the O
ashes O
of O
our O
forefathers O
, O
" O
Stauber O
said O
. O

" O
This O
is O
an O
uphill O
battle O
. O
It O
' O
s O
like O
fighting O
Goliath O
. O
" O

The O
WJRO O
- O
- O
a O
worldwide O
consortium O
of O
nine O
organizations O
- O
- O
is O
the O
group O
negotiating O
restitution O
issues O
with O
Switzerland O
, O
Poland O
and O
other O
European O
countries O
to O
regain O
property O
stolen O
from O
Jews O
during O
World O
War O
II O
. O

But O
the O
World O
Council O
, O
whose O
members O
are O
mainly O
comprised O
of O
survivors O
of O
pre O
- O
war O
European O
Jewry O
, O
complain O
that O
they O
have O
been O
unable O
to O
get O
their O
restitution O
claims O
addressed O
. O

The O
World O
Council O
is O
comprised O
of O
strictly O
Orthodox O
Hasidic O
Jews O
. O
They O
are O
forbidden O
from O
suing O
other O
Jews O
in O
a O
state O
court O
, O
and O
must O
instead O
seek O
to O
have O
their O
grievances O
addressed O
by O
a O
triumvirate O
of O
rabbis O
in O
a O
beit O
din O
. O

If O
the O
WJRO O
ignores O
the O
rabbinical O
summons O
, O
then O
the O
World O
Council O
is O
free O
to O
pursue O
the O
matter O
in O
a O
civil O
court O
. O

Elan O
Steinberg O
, O
and O
aide O
to O
Bronfman O
, O
said O
he O
had O
still O
not O
received O
the O
summons O
and O
had O
not O
decided O
how O
or O
if O
he O
would O
respond O
to O
it O
. O
The O
summons O
was O
issued O
by O
mail O
Tuesday B-T
. O

Various O
elements O
of O
the O
Jewish O
community O
are O
united O
on O
efforts O
to O
recover O
lost O
assets O
from O
Switzerland O
and O
elsewhere O
, O
but O
are O
frequently O
divided O
on O
how O
to O
do O
it O
and O
how O
to O
distribute O
the O
recovered O
monies O
afterwards O
. O

While O
the O
World O
Council O
represents O
thousands O
of O
Hasidic O
Jews O
, O
it O
has O
remained O
outside O
the O
fold O
of O
more O
mainstream O
Jewish O
organizations O
. O

The O
WJRO O
, O
on O
the O
other O
hand O
, O
is O
recognized O
by O
the O
government O
of O
Israel O
as O
the O
official O
organization O
to O
deal O
with O
the O
issue O
of O
Jewish O
restitution O
. O

Many O
of O
the O
World O
Council O
' O
s O
members O
are O
originally O
from O
eastern O
European O
countries O
where O
restitution O
of O
Jewish O
property O
is O
again O
becoming O
a O
key O
issue O
. O

The O
World O
Council O
claims O
to O
have O
lost O
synagogues O
, O
Torahs O
and O
other O
communal O
properties O
to O
the O
Nazis O
. O
But O
they O
complain O
that O
, O
because O
the O
WJRO O
is O
handling O
all O
negotiations O
, O
they O
cannot O
get O
their O
claims O
addressed O
. O

The O
World O
Council O
is O
also O
a O
plaintiff O
in O
a O
class O
- O
action O
lawsuit O
brought O
by O
Holocaust O
survivors O
against O
Swiss O
banks O
in O
federal O
court O
in O
New O
York O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051102 O
. O
0074 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
2 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

top O
legislator O

China O
' O
s O
coordinated O
, O
sustained O
socio O
- O
economic O
growth O
, O
in O
the O
final O
analysis O
, O
hinges O
on O
science O
and O
technology O
as O
well O
as O
talents O
. O
said O
top O
legislator O
Wu O
Bangguo O
in O
a O
meeting O
with O
noted O
entrepreneurs O
and O
scholars O
to O
the O
sixth O
meeting O
of O
the O
advisory O
council O
of O
the O
School O
of O
Economic O
Management O
( O
SEM O
) O
of O
Tsinghua O
University O
Wednesday B-T
. O

Wu O
, O
chairman O
of O
the O
Standing O
Committee O
of O
the O
National O
People O
' O
s O
Congress O
, O
voiced O
the O
hope O
that O
the O
SEM O
and O
its O
advisory O
council O
would O
increase O
innovation O
capacity O
and O
train O
more O
talented O
personnel O
on O
science O
and O
economic O
management O
. O

The O
advisory O
council O
, O
composed O
of O
41 O
members O
, O
was O
set O
up O
in O
2000 B-T
with O
the O
aim O
to O
increase O
the O
exchanges O
between O
Tsinghua O
University O
and O
world O
- O
renowned O
firms O
such O
as O
Goldman O
Sachs O
, O
Sony O
and O
Wal O
- O
Mart O
. O

Wu O
expressed O
his O
gratitude O
to O
the O
members O
of O
the O
Advisory O
Council O
for O
their O
support O
to O
China O
' O
s O
reform O
and O
modernization O
drive O
, O
as O
well O
as O
support O
for O
the O
development O
of O
the O
cause O
of O
education O
in O
the O
country O
. O

He O
spoke O
highly O
of O
a O
positive O
role O
the O
advisory O
council O
has O
played O
in O
introducing O
a O
new O
mode O
to O
run O
the O
SEM O
, O
raising O
the O
competency O
of O
teachers O
, O
and O
instituting O
an O
international O
cooperative O
platform O
. O

Wu O
also O
gave O
the O
guests O
a O
detailed O
account O
of O
China O
' O
s O
economic O
situation O
. O
During O
the O
period O
of O
the O
Eleventh O
Five O
- O
year O
program O
( O
2006 O
- O
2010 O
) O
, O
he O
noted O
, O
his O
country O
will O
strive O
to O
build O
a O
harmonious O
socialist O
society O
, O
and O
pay O
more O
attention O
to O
the O
overall O
development O
of O
economic O
society O
and O
to O
the O
mix O
, O
quality O
and O
effectiveness O
of O
economic O
growth O
, O
scientific O
advancement O
, O
and O
the O
harmonious O
coexistence O
between O
humans O
and O
the O
nature O
. O

John O
Browne O
, O
the O
chief O
executive O
officer O
( O
CEO O
) O
of O
the O
British O
Petroleum O
company O
, O
voiced O
his O
confidence O
for O
China O
' O
s O
economic O
and O
social O
growth O
, O
and O
said O
his O
company O
will O
enhance O
cooperation O
with O
the O
SEM O
in O
all O
fields O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061108 O
. O
0414 O

OTTAWA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
8 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Canadian O
Olympian O
attacked O
in O
Nigeria O

Canadian O
Olympic O
wrestling O
champion O
Daniel O
Igali O
was O
attacked O
and O
robbed O
in O
his O
native O
Nigeria O
two B-T
weeks I-T
ago I-T
, O
Canadian O
press O
said O
in O
a O
report O
Wednesday B-T
. O

Igali O
was O
confronted O
two B-T
weeks I-T
ago I-T
while O
watching O
television O
with O
his O
brother O
in O
his O
private O
residence O
in O
Yenagoa O
, O
Bayelsa O
State O
, O
four O
days O
after O
arriving O
from O
Canada O
. O
Four O
armed O
men O
burst O
into O
the O
apartment O
, O
demanding O
valuables O
before O
striking O
Igali O
, O
the O
report O
cited O
Nigerian O
media O
as O
saying O
. O

" O
I O
was O
stabbed O
at O
the O
back O
of O
my O
neck O
and O
beaten O
up O
with O
the O
butts O
of O
their O
guns O
, O
" O
Igali O
told O
the O
" O
Daily O
Sunsport O
" O
of O
Lagos O
. O
" O
They O
collected O
everything O
from O
me O
- O
- O
phones O
, O
laptops O
and O
cash O
. O
' O
' O

" O
The O
Daily O
Champion O
" O
, O
a O
Lagos O
- O
based O
newspaper O
, O
reported O
the O
stolen O
property O
was O
valued O
at O
1 O
. O
5 O
million O
naira O
( O
about O
122 O
, O
600 O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
) O
. O

Igali O
, O
who O
won O
gold O
in O
the O
69 O
- O
kilogram O
category O
at O
the O
2000 O
Olympics O
in O
Sydney O
, O
said O
he O
was O
traumatized O
by O
the O
robbery O
, O
and O
isn O
' O
t O
sure O
he O
wants O
to O
remain O
in O
Nigeria O
. O

" O
I O
thought O
I O
was O
doing O
a O
good O
thing O
, O
coming O
home O
and O
helping O
in O
community O
development O
, O
" O
said O
Igali O
, O
who O
commissioned O
a O
modern O
sports O
academy O
in O
September B-T
his O
home O
town O
of O
Enewari O
. O
" O
I O
have O
spent O
so O
much O
time O
and O
resources O
trying O
to O
uplift O
the O
quality O
of O
life O
here O
. O

" O
If O
this O
is O
how O
I O
want O
to O
be O
paid O
then O
I O
had O
better O
stay O
back O
in O
Canada O
, O
" O
the O
Olympian O
was O
cited O
as O
saying O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051107 O
. O
0034 O

CAIRO O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
7 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Xinhua O
Mideast O
news O
advisory O
- O
- O
Nov O
. O
7 O

The O
following O
major O
international O
news O
stories O
from O
the O
Middle O
East O
region O
are O
scheduled O
to O
be O
covered O
or O
pursued O
by O
Xinhua O
News O
Agency O
on O
Monday B-T
. O

- O
- O
US O
and O
Iraqi O
forces O
continued O
a O
major O
offensive O
, O
Operation O
Steel O
Curtain O
, O
to O
eradicate O
al O
- O
Qaida O
fighters O
in O
western O
Iraq O
near O
the O
Syrian O
border O
. O

- O
- O
UN O
Secretary O
General O
Kofi O
Annan O
arrived O
in O
Cairo O
on O
a O
three O
- O
day O
visit O
to O
Egypt O
as O
part O
of O
his O
tour O
which O
will O
also O
take O
him O
to O
Saudi O
Arabia O
and O
Tunisia O
. O

- O
- O
Palestinian O
Civil O
Affairs O
Minister O
Mohammed O
Dahlan O
will O
inspect O
Rafah O
crossing O
on O
the O
Egypt O
- O
Gaza O
border O
with O
some O
European O
officials O
and O
experts O
, O
who O
have O
been O
engaged O
as O
the O
third O
party O
in O
seeking O
the O
proper O
involvement O
in O
rerunning O
the O
cross O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061124 O
. O
0147 O

KUNMING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
24 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

SW O
China O
traffic O
accident O
leaves O
six O
dead O
, O
one O
injured O

Six O
people O
were O
killed O
and O
one O
was O
injured O
in O
a O
traffic O
accident O
happening O
on O
Friday B-T
afternoon I-T
in O
the O
county O
of O
Songming O
, O
Southwest O
China O
' O
s O
Yunnan O
Province O
. O

The O
local O
police O
source O
said O
the O
tragedy O
occurred O
at O
about O
2 O
: O
40 O
p O
. O
m O
. O
in O
the O
county O
' O
s O
Adalong O
village O
when O
a O
heavy O
- O
duty O
truck O
loaded O
with O
coal O
collided O
with O
a O
mini O
bus O
. O

Six O
people O
on O
the O
bus O
, O
including O
a O
two O
- O
year O
- O
old O
boy O
, O
were O
killed O
on O
the O
spot O
and O
the O
injured O
has O
already O
been O
hospitalized O
, O
said O
the O
police O
. O

Investigation O
into O
the O
cause O
of O
the O
accident O
is O
already O
underway O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061201 O
. O
0147 O

LEGASPI O
, O
Philippines O
, O
Dec B-T
1 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

Super O
- O
typhoon O
Durian O
ravages O
eastern O
Philippines O

Heavy O
rain O
from O
super O
- O
typhoon O
Durian O
caused O
mudslides O
that O
smothered O
dozens O
of O
villages O
in O
the O
eastern O
Philippines O
Friday B-T
, O
killing O
388 O
according O
to O
the O
Red O
Cross O
. O

The O
rain O
mixed O
with O
volcanic O
ash O
on O
the O
slopes O
of O
the O
Mayon O
volcano O
, O
located O
some O
350 O
kilometers O
( O
217 O
miles O
) O
southeast O
of O
Manila O
, O
creating O
a O
thick O
brown O
sludge O
that O
swept O
down O
the O
mountainside O
, O
local O
authorities O
said O
. O

The O
mudflow O
struck O
shortly O
after O
midnight O
, O
burying O
everything O
in O
its O
path O
and O
reaching O
the O
rooftops O
of O
the O
region O
' O
s O
bamboo O
houses O
. O

" O
We O
do O
not O
have O
exact O
figures O
, O
but O
we O
are O
looking O
at O
about O
200 O
dead O
. O
. O
. O
principally O
in O
the O
vicinity O
of O
Mayon O
volcano O
, O
" O
said O
Glenn O
Rabonza O
, O
the O
executive O
officer O
of O
the O
national O
disaster O
coordinating O
council O
. O

He O
said O
rescuers O
were O
concentrating O
their O
efforts O
on O
trying O
to O
save O
lives O
. O

The O
Red O
Cross O
later O
said O
some O
388 O
were O
killed O
and O
96 O
missing O
following O
the O
mudflow O
. O

Emmy O
Salgado O
, O
a O
local O
resident O
, O
said O
that O
a O
two O
- O
month O
old O
baby O
had O
been O
found O
alive O
on O
a O
buried O
hut O
' O
s O
rooftop O
. O

In O
Daraga O
town O
, O
just O
outside O
Legaspi O
city O
, O
over O
20 O
mud O
- O
covered O
bodies O
were O
brought O
to O
the O
local O
basketball O
court O
for O
identification O
. O

The O
typhoon O
, O
which O
hit O
the O
eastern O
region O
of O
Bicol O
before O
dawn O
Thursday B-T
, O
packing O
maximum O
winds O
of O
150 O
kilometers O
( O
93 O
miles O
) O
per O
hour O
, O
knocked O
out O
electrical O
services O
, O
telephone O
lines O
and O
water O
supply O
, O
further O
hampering O
rescue O
and O
relief O
efforts O
. O

People O
could O
be O
seen O
wandering O
around O
many O
of O
the O
worst O
affected O
areas O
outside O
Legaspi O
, O
bewildered O
and O
confused O
, O
as O
they O
sifted O
through O
the O
debris O
looking O
for O
personal O
effects O
. O

Some O
were O
seen O
repairing O
damaged O
roofs O
, O
ripped O
off O
by O
the O
typhoon O
during O
the O
night O
, O
with O
iron O
sheeting O
. O

Relief O
services O
were O
stretched O
to O
the O
limit O
trying O
to O
find O
survivors O
and O
investigating O
reports O
of O
villages O
swept O
away O
. O

The O
typhoon O
was O
initially O
expected O
to O
hit O
Manila O
but O
veered O
south O
and O
struck O
the O
Bicol O
region O
instead O
, O
before O
moving O
west O
towards O
the O
South O
China O
Sea O
. O

Local O
resident O
Wally O
Magkatok O
said O
in O
a O
radio O
interview O
that O
" O
the O
rain O
was O
really O
hard O
and O
the O
volcanic O
materials O
mixed O
in O
with O
it O
" O
in O
his O
village O
of O
Tagas O
. O

" O
It O
was O
only O
three B-T
minutes I-T
before O
the O
water O
level O
suddenly O
rose O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

" O
We O
had O
to O
rescue O
people O
in O
our O
village O
, O
especially O
those O
who O
had O
climbed O
onto O
the O
roofs O
, O
still O
hanging O
on O
to O
their O
children O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

They O
were O
taken O
by O
surprise O
as O
the O
area O
had O
rarely O
been O
hit O
by O
flooding O
before O
, O
he O
added O
. O

Carolyn O
Wilson O
, O
an O
English O
examiner O
with O
the O
British O
Council O
who O
was O
in O
Legaspi O
when O
the O
storm O
hit O
, O
said O
it O
struck O
with O
incredible O
force O
, O
tearing O
off O
roofs O
, O
blowing O
in O
windows O
and O
uprooting O
trees O
. O

The O
Pepperland O
Hotel O
where O
she O
was O
staying O
had O
roof O
damage O
, O
causing O
water O
to O
cascade O
in O
and O
flood O
most O
of O
the O
rooms O
, O
she O
said O
. O

She O
added O
many O
of O
Legaspi O
' O
s O
streets O
were O
flooded O
, O
with O
people O
wading O
through O
waist O
- O
deep O
water O
to O
check O
on O
relatives O
and O
friends O
. O

Those O
living O
around O
Mayon O
had O
been O
evacuated O
from O
their O
homes O
only O
recently O
, O
in O
mid B-T
- I-T
August I-T
, O
when O
the O
volcano O
began O
belching O
ash O
and O
oozing O
lava O
, O
raising O
fears O
of O
a O
major O
eruption O
. O

The O
volcano O
had O
calmed O
down O
by O
September B-T
and O
the O
residents O
were O
allowed O
to O
go O
home O
, O
thinking O
it O
was O
safe O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970416 O
. O
0311 O

TOULON O
, O
France O
, O
April B-T
16 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

More O
French O
troops O
head O
for O
Albania O

A O
second O
contingent O
of O
French O
troops O
left O
the O
southern O
port O
of O
Toulon O
on O
Wednesday B-T
to O
support O
the O
multinational O
military O
mission O
in O
Albania O
, O
officials O
said O
. O

Six O
hundred O
men O
left O
on O
board O
a O
chartered O
car O
- O
ferry O
and O
were O
due O
arrive O
off O
the O
coast O
of O
the O
Albanian O
port O
of O
Durres O
by O
Friday B-T
morning I-T
, O
to O
join O
some O
350 O
French O
troops O
who O
arrived O
in O
Durres O
on O
Tuesday B-T
. O

Eight O
countries O
have O
committed O
troops O
to O
Operation O
Alba O
, O
which O
has O
a O
UN O
- O
backed O
mandate O
to O
safeguard O
deliveries O
of O
relief O
aid O
to O
Albania O
in O
the O
wake O
of O
an O
armed O
uprising O
against O
President O
Sali O
Berisha O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061129 O
. O
0012 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
29 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Clippers O
, O
Dunleavy O
reportedly O
reach O
four O
- O
year O
deal O

The O
Los O
Angeles O
Clippers O
and O
coach O
Mike O
Dunleavy O
have O
reached O
a O
four O
- O
year O
contract O
extension O
worth O
more O
than O
21 O
million O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
, O
according O
to O
the O
Los O
Angeles O
Times B-T
Tuesday I-T
. O

The O
team O
and O
Dunleavy O
' O
s O
agent O
have O
worked O
out O
a O
deal O
that O
will O
pay O
him O
more O
than O
5 O
. O
3 O
million O
U O
. O
S O
. O
doallars O
a O
season O
. O
The O
Clippers O
have O
not O
made O
the O
deal O
public O
because O
bonuses O
tied O
to O
future O
playoff O
appearances O
were O
still O
being O
worked O
out O
, O
the O
Times O
said O
. O

The O
Clippers O
improved O
dramatically O
under O
Dunleavy O
last B-T
season I-T
, O
posting O
their O
best O
win O
total O
since O
the O
franchise O
' O
s O
glory O
days O
as O
the O
Buffalo O
Braves O
in O
the O
mid B-T
- I-T
1970s I-T
. O
The O
team O
reached O
the O
playoffs O
for O
the O
first O
time O
in O
nine B-T
seasons I-T
and O
came O
within O
one O
win O
of O
reaching O
the O
Western O
Conference O
final O
. O

The O
Times O
reported O
the O
offer O
is O
close O
to O
the O
6 O
million O
U O
. O
S O
. O
a O
year O
Dunleavy O
' O
s O
agent O
initially O
proposed O
and O
would O
make O
him O
among O
the O
highest O
- O
paid O
coaches O
in O
the O
NBA O
. O

Dunleavy O
, O
the O
NBA O
' O
s O
1999 O
coach O
of O
the B-T
year I-T
, O
currently O
earns O
2 O
. O
5 O
million O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
a O
season B-T
, O
and O
his O
deal O
expires O
at O
the B-T
end I-T
of I-T
this I-T
season I-T
. O

XIN_ENG_20051118 O
. O
0186 O

MACAO O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
18 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Roundup O
: O
Macao O
on O
high O
alert O
over O
bird O
flu O

Roundup O
: O
Macao O
on O
high O
alert O
over O
bird O
flu O

by O
Zhang O
Ning O

MACAO O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
18 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O
- O
- O
Macao O
is O
on O
high O
alert O
over O
the O
bird O
flu O
epidemic O
fear O
, O
as O
the O
body O
temperature O
scanning O
at O
border O
checkpoints O
was O
resumed O
Friday B-T
. O

The O
anti O
- O
bird O
flu O
temperature O
screening O
covers O
all O
border O
checkpoints O
including O
the O
Macao O
- O
Zhuhai O
Barrier O
Gate O
, O
linking O
the O
neighboring O
mainland O
city O
of O
Zhuhai O
. O

The O
fever O
check O
, O
initiated O
during O
the O
SARS O
crisis O
in O
2003 B-T
, O
is O
meanwhile O
continuing O
at O
the O
Macao O
International O
Airport O
. O

Xinhua O
reporter O
Friday B-T
witnessed O
a O
squad O
of O
technicians O
from O
the O
Macao O
Health O
Bureau O
( O
MHB O
) O
on O
watch O
of O
travelers O
through O
two O
image O
systems O
at O
the O
arrival O
hall O
of O
the O
Macao O
- O
Zhuhai O
Barrier O
Gate O
. O

MHB O
technicians O
said O
they O
started O
the O
surveillance O
mission O
Thursday B-T
to O
monitor O
the O
body O
temperature O
of O
all O
Macao O
residents O
and O
visitors O
. O

The O
systems O
automatically O
read O
all O
travelers O
' O
body O
temperature O
when O
they O
pass O
through O
. O

If O
the O
temperature O
exceeds O
the O
standardized O
34 O
to O
35 O
degree O
Celsius O
, O
health O
inspectors O
will O
re O
- O
check O
the O
travelers O
and O
possibly O
require O
them O
to O
undergo O
more O
follow O
- O
up O
health O
checks O
at O
a O
local O
hospital O
. O

Meanwhile O
, O
Zhuhai O
' O
s O
border O
checkpoint O
in O
Gongbei O
area O
has O
started O
temperature O
monitoring O
since O
Thursday B-T
. O

All O
departing O
passengers O
are O
also O
requested O
to O
fill O
out O
a O
form O
on O
their O
health O
condition O
at O
the O
Gongbei O
checkpoint O
. O

If O
passengers O
are O
suspected O
of O
displaying O
H5N1 O
symptoms O
, O
they O
will O
be O
banned O
from O
leaving O
Zhuhai O
. O

Foreign O
and O
Taiwan O
passport O
holders O
are O
demanded O
to O
fill O
out O
the O
health O
forms O
on O
their O
arrival O
to O
Zhuhai O
. O

Back O
in O
Macao O
, O
no O
measures O
against O
the O
import O
of O
poultry O
have O
been O
taken O
yet O
, O
Cheung O
So O
Mui O
, O
vice O
president O
of O
the O
Civic O
and O
Municipal O
Affairs O
Bureau O
( O
CMAB O
) O
, O
told O
local O
media O
on O
Friday B-T
. O

However O
, O
the O
Macao O
Post O
Daily O
quoted O
the O
official O
as O
saying O
that O
the O
CMAB O
will O
continue O
to O
pay O
close O
attention O
to O
the O
issue O
of O
the O
bird O
flu O
epidemic O
. O

Cheung O
also O
reportedly O
said O
the O
CMAB O
is O
considering O
ceasing O
the O
licenses O
of O
a O
number O
of O
poultry O
hawkers O
who O
are O
running O
their O
businesses O
on O
the O
open O
ground O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970414 O
. O
0499 O

ISLAMABAD O
, O
April B-T
14 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

16 O
Pakistani O
customs O
officers O
suspended O
in O
plam O
oil O
scandal O

The O
government O
has O
suspended O
16 O
customs O
officials O
from O
service O
for O
allegedly O
helping O
tax O
evasion O
on O
palm O
oil O
imports O
from O
Malaysia O
, O
the O
official O
Associated O
Press O
( O
APP O
) O
reported O
late B-T
Monday I-T
. O

The O
officials O
have O
been O
accused O
of O
causing O
revenue O
loss O
of O
hundreds O
of O
millions O
of O
rupees O
( O
millions O
of O
dollars O
) O
in O
collusion O
with O
a O
businessman O
, O
the O
agency O
said O
. O

Palm O
oil O
shipments O
from O
Malaysia O
had O
been O
unloaded O
directly O
to O
a O
private O
warehouse O
at O
the O
Karachi O
port O
and O
secretly O
moved O
out O
from O
there O
for O
many B-T
years I-T
until O
the O
affair O
came O
to O
light O
in O
1993 B-T
, O
APP O
said O
. O

The O
government O
is O
contacting O
Interpol O
to O
track O
down O
the O
businessman O
who O
is O
currently O
out O
of O
Pakistan O
, O
the O
agency O
said O
. O

Last B-T
week I-T
the O
government O
suspended O
87 O
senior O
officers O
in O
a O
drive O
initiated O
by O
newly O
elected O
Prime O
Minister O
Nawaz O
Sharif O
to O
purge O
the O
administration O
of O
corrupt O
elements O
. O

The O
government O
has O
also O
offered O
rewards O
for O
citizens O
for O
information O
leading O
to O
unearthing O
of O
ill O
- O
gotten O
wealth O
owned O
by O
any O
government O
official O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061109 O
. O
0283 O

ISLAMABAD O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
9 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Cases O
of O
suspected O
dengue O
fever O
rise O
to O
3 O
, O
640 O
in O
Pakistan O

A O
total O
of O
3 O
, O
640 O
patients O
with O
signs O
and O
symptoms O
similar O
to O
dengue O
fever O
have O
been O
admitted O
to O
different O
hospitals O
across O
Pakistan O
by O
Thursday B-T
evening I-T
, O
said O
a O
press O
statement O
from O
the O
ministry O
of O
health O
. O

About O
1 O
, O
410 O
patients O
have O
been O
found O
positive O
for O
dengue O
fever O
all O
over O
the O
country O
by O
Thursday B-T
, O
the O
statement O
said O
. O

There O
has O
been O
a O
total O
of O
37 O
deaths O
from O
the O
disease O
, O
of O
which O
35 O
were O
reported O
from O
the O
Sindh O
province O
while O
two O
were O
from O
North O
West O
Frontier O
Province O
( O
NWFP O
) O
. O
No O
death O
has O
been O
reported O
so O
far O
from O
other O
parts O
of O
the O
country O
. O

A O
total O
of O
559 O
patients O
were O
admitted O
to O
different O
hospitals O
of O
Islamabad O
and O
Rawalpindi O
with O
signs O
and O
symptoms O
similar O
to O
dengue O
fever O
. O

By O
Thursday B-T
evening I-T
the O
total O
number O
of O
positive O
cases O
in O
Islamabad O
and O
Rawalpindi O
stood O
at O
197 O
, O
according O
to O
the O
statement O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061227 O
. O
0136 O

YALA O
, O
Thailand O
, O
Dec B-T
27 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
ADDS O
two O
more O
deaths O
/ O
/ O
/ O

Two O
Muslims O
and O
a O
Buddhist O
were O
shot O
dead O
and O
an O
elementary O
school O
was O
burned O
by O
suspected O
Islamic O
militants O
in O
Thailand O
' O
s O
insurgency O
- O
torn O
south O
on O
Wednesday B-T
, O
police O
said O
. O

A O
47 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Muslim O
security O
volunteer O
was O
killed O
by O
four O
militants O
at O
a O
tea O
shop O
in O
Pattani O
, O
one O
of O
three O
Muslim O
- O
majority O
southern O
provinces O
bordering O
Malaysia O
. O

Also O
in O
Pattani O
, O
several O
insurgents O
set O
fire O
to O
a O
government O
- O
run O
elementary O
school O
, O
gutting O
its O
main O
building O
, O
police O
said O
. O
No O
one O
was O
injured O
in O
the O
arson O
attack O
. O

Later O
Wednesday B-T
in O
nearby O
Yala O
province O
, O
a O
47 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Buddhist O
man O
was O
shot O
dead O
by O
two O
suspected O
militants O
, O
and O
a O
52 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Muslim O
farmer O
was O
killed O
by O
gunfire O
as O
he O
travelled O
through O
Yala O
on O
his O
motorbike O
. O

The O
restive O
area O
was O
an O
independent O
sultanate O
until O
it O
was O
annexed O
by O
mainly O
Buddhist O
Thailand O
in O
1902 B-T
. O
Separatist O
violence O
has O
erupted O
periodically O
ever O
since O
. O

The O
latest O
violence O
has O
killed O
more O
than O
1 O
, O
700 O
people O
since O
January B-T
2004 I-T
. O

Thailand O
' O
s O
military O
- O
installed O
government O
, O
which O
came O
to O
power O
following O
a O
bloodless O
coup O
in O
September B-T
that O
ousted O
premier O
Thaksin O
Shinawatra O
, O
has O
offered O
a O
number O
of O
olive O
branches O
in O
a O
bid O
to O
forge O
peace O
in O
the O
troubled O
south O
. O

But O
deadly O
attacks O
have O
continued O
to O
rock O
the O
three O
provinces O
of O
Yala O
, O
Pattani O
and O
Narathiwat O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051215 O
. O
0694 O

SYDNEY O
, O
Dec B-T
16 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

Nineteen O
arrested O
in O
Sydney O
violence O
crackdown O

Australian O
police O
arrested O
19 O
people O
during O
a O
night O
of O
simmering O
unrest O
in O
Sydney O
as O
they O
prepared O
for O
a O
major O
crackdown O
on O
a O
feared O
new O
outbreak O
of O
racial O
violence O
at O
the B-T
weekend I-T
, O
officers O
said O
Friday B-T
. O

Armed O
with O
new O
powers O
granted O
by O
an O
emergency O
session O
of O
the O
New O
South O
Wales O
state O
parliament O
, O
police O
set O
up O
check O
points O
on O
a O
number O
of O
main O
roads O
in O
Sydney O
' O
s O
troubled O
southern O
suburbs O
. O

A O
wave O
of O
arrests O
followed O
after O
several O
incidents O
, O
including O
a O
Molotov O
cocktail O
thrown O
at O
police O
, O
an O
elderly O
man O
attacked O
with O
a O
crowbar O
and O
an O
officer O
injured O
in O
a O
brawl O
, O
Assistant O
Commissioner O
Dave O
Owens O
told O
the O
national O
AAP O
news O
agency O
. O

The O
arrests O
were O
made O
by O
a O
special O
task O
force O
set O
up O
after O
a O
mob O
of O
whites O
attacked O
people O
of O
Arab O
appearance O
at O
south O
Sydney O
' O
s O
Cronulla O
beach O
on O
Sunday B-T
, O
sparking O
days O
of O
retaliatory O
attacks O
by O
mainly O
ethnic O
- O
Lebanese O
men O
. O

Police O
used O
new O
powers O
granted O
by O
an O
emergency O
session O
of O
the O
New O
South O
Wales O
parliament O
Thursday B-T
, O
after O
lawmakers O
were O
recalled O
from O
their O
summer O
recess O
. O

The O
legislation O
gives O
police O
powers O
to O
" O
lock O
down O
" O
suburbs O
, O
close O
pubs O
, O
enforce O
alcohol O
bans O
and O
confiscate O
cars O
. O

The O
overnight O
display O
of O
force O
came O
ahead O
of O
an O
expected O
major O
clampdown O
at O
the B-T
weekend I-T
, O
when O
police O
will O
treble O
their O
numbers O
to O
up O
to O
1 O
, O
500 O
officers O
at O
troubled O
beaches O
and O
suburbs O
. O

Prime O
Minister O
John O
Howard O
, O
writing O
in O
Australia O
' O
s O
Daily O
Telegraph O
Friday B-T
, O
said O
the O
violence O
was O
a O
result O
of O
people O
who O
had O
" O
no O
regard O
for O
the O
law O
" O
and O
those O
who O
had O
" O
no O
respect O
for O
their O
fellow O
Australians O
" O
. O

" O
It O
is O
clear O
the O
best O
way O
to O
deal O
with O
the O
challenge O
is O
for O
everyone O
to O
calm O
down O
, O
" O
wrote O
Howard O
, O
who O
has O
dismissed O
suggestions O
that O
Australia O
is O
a O
racist O
society O
. O

" O
The O
most O
immediate O
- O
- O
and O
best O
- O
- O
solution O
is O
maintenance O
of O
law O
and O
order O
. O
" O

Despite O
the O
attacks O
, O
the O
overwhelming O
majority O
of O
Australians O
still O
had O
" O
the O
proper O
instincts O
and O
decent O
values O
" O
, O
he O
said O
. O

" O
In O
the O
long O
term O
we O
can O
reflect O
on O
whether O
there O
are O
some O
lessons O
to O
be O
learned O
or O
messages O
to O
be O
heeded O
, O
" O
he O
said O
of O
the O
events O
of O
the B-T
past I-T
week I-T
. O

Meanwhile O
, O
the O
prime O
minister O
encouraged O
Australians O
to O
enjoy O
the O
holiday B-T
season I-T
. O
" O
Let O
us O
celebrate O
Christmas O
and O
the O
long O
days O
of O
summer O
, O
" O
Howard O
wrote O
. O

" O
Celebrate O
the O
fact O
Australia O
is O
still O
the O
greatest O
place O
in O
the O
world O
to O
live O
. O
" O

XIN_ENG_20061120 O
. O
0222 O

JOHANNESBURG O
, O
Nov B-T
20 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Africa O
urged O
to O
improve O
aviation O
security O

African O
aviation O
will O
have O
to O
increase O
investment O
to O
reach O
international O
security O
standards O
, O
South O
African O
Transport O
Minister O
Jeff O
Radebe O
said O
on O
Monday B-T
. O

Speaking O
at O
the O
17th O
International O
Federation O
of O
Air O
Traffic O
Controllers O
Association O
( O
IFATCA O
) O
, O
Radebe O
said O
: O
" O
African O
aviation O
forms O
a O
small O
percentage O
of O
overall O
international O
activities O
, O
yet O
represents O
a O
high O
level O
of O
accidents O
at O
international O
level O
. O
" O

He O
cited O
an O
African O
Development O
Bank O
study O
which O
found O
that O
African O
countries O
must O
invest O
between O
150 O
billion O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
and O
200 O
billion O
dollars O
on O
aviation O
to O
bring O
them O
up O
to O
international O
security O
standards O
. O

The O
continent O
has O
about O
500 O
national O
airports O
, O
117 O
international O
airports O
and O
more O
than O
1 O
, O
000 O
airfields O
. O

Although O
Africa O
accounted O
for O
only O
4 O
. O
5 O
percent O
of O
global O
air O
traffic O
, O
25 O
percent O
of O
all O
accidents O
in O
which O
aircraft O
were O
lost O
in O
2004 B-T
occurred O
in O
Africa O
, O
according O
to O
the O
International O
Air O
Transport O
Association O
. O

" O
With O
the O
increased O
growth O
in O
international O
economies O
that O
aviation O
contributes O
, O
it O
is O
critical O
that O
the O
industry O
considers O
tightening O
up O
its O
safety O
and O
security O
infrastructure O
to O
enhance O
growth O
and O
development O
in O
travel O
, O
" O
Radebe O
said O
. O

With O
the O
2010 O
Soccer O
World O
Cup O
to O
be O
hosted O
by O
South O
Africa O
, O
the O
Air O
Traffic O
Navigation O
System O
( O
ATNS O
) O
was O
investigating O
ways O
to O
improve O
capacity O
, O
staffing O
and O
infrastructure O
locally O
. O

" O
The O
ATNS O
has O
invested O
786 O
million O
rand O
( O
109 O
million O
dollars O
) O
in O
projects O
and O
the O
continued O
renewal O
of O
infrastructure O
, O
radar O
upgrading O
and O
rescue O
navigation O
systems O
. O
A O
further O
125 O
million O
rand O
( O
17 O
million O
dollars O
) O
has O
been O
allocated O
to O
train O
50 O
new O
people O
every B-T
year I-T
for O
the B-T
next I-T
five I-T
years I-T
, O
" O
Radebe O
said O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061117 O
. O
0236 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
17 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

U O
. O
S O
. O
House O
Republicans O
elect O
leadership O

U O
. O
S O
. O
House O
Republicans O
elected O
Representative O
John O
Boehner O
of O
Ohio O
as O
the O
minority O
leader O
for O
the O
new O
Congress O
that O
convenes O
in O
early B-T
January I-T
2007 I-T
. O

Boehner O
, O
who O
succeeded O
Tom O
DeLay O
of O
Texas O
as O
the O
House O
majority O
leader O
in O
February B-T
, O
defeated O
Representative O
Mike O
Pence O
of O
Indiana O
in O
a O
vote O
of O
168 O
- O
27 O
. O
Texas O
Representative O
Joe O
Barton O
got O
only O
one O
vote O
. O

Boehner O
, O
currently O
the O
majority O
leader O
, O
would O
become O
the O
top O
Republican O
in O
the O
House O
, O
after O
the O
Republican O
Party O
lost O
control O
of O
the O
House O
in O
last B-T
week I-T
' O
s O
elections O
and O
would O
become O
the O
minority O
leader O
in O
the B-T
110th I-T
Congress I-T
. O

Republican O
House O
Speaker O
Dennis O
Hastert O
currently B-T
holds O
the O
top O
party O
post O
in O
the O
House O
, O
but O
he O
indicated O
he O
would O
not O
seek O
the O
top O
post O
after O
the O
party O
' O
s O
defeat O
in O
the O
elections O
. O

Representative O
Roy O
Blunt O
of O
Missouri O
, O
currently O
the O
House O
majority O
whip O
, O
was O
competing O
with O
John O
Shadegg O
of O
Arizona O
for O
the O
No O
. O
2 O
party O
post O
in O
House O
as O
minority O
whip O
. O

Democrats O
elected O
their O
House O
leadership O
on O
Thursday B-T
. O
Nancy O
Pelosi O
of O
California O
was O
selected O
as O
the O
speaker O
- O
elect O
, O
the O
first O
woman O
to O
become O
U O
. O
S O
. O
House O
speaker O
, O
and O
Steny O
Hoyer O
of O
Maryland O
was O
chosen O
as O
the O
majority O
leader O
- O
elect O
. O

Democrats O
won O
control O
of O
both O
the O
House O
and O
the O
Senate O
in O
the O
Nov B-T
. I-T
7 I-T
legislative O
elections O
, O
the O
first O
time O
in O
a O
dozen O
years O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061118 O
. O
0247 O

CARACAS O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
18 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Venezuelan O
army O
reserve O
to O
guard O
upcoming O
presidential O
vote O

Venezuelan O
army O
reserve O
troops O
were O
trained O
Saturday B-T
to O
guard O
polling O
stations O
and O
ballots O
during O
the O
presidential O
election O
scheduled O
for O
Dec B-T
. I-T
3 I-T
. O

The O
troops O
were O
joined O
by O
members O
of O
the O
country O
' O
s O
Territorial O
Guard O
, O
a O
special O
military O
division O
created O
by O
Venezuelan O
President O
Hugo O
Chavez O
. O

Army O
Col O
. O
Francisco O
Salcedo O
, O
who O
supervised O
training O
for O
about O
1 O
, O
000 O
reservists O
in O
Caracas O
said O
" O
We O
are O
charged O
with O
watching O
over O
the O
safeguarding O
of O
election O
materials O
and O
the O
security O
of O
the O
installations O
and O
people O
. O
" O

Chavez O
, O
who O
is O
running O
for O
re O
- O
election O
, O
has O
accused O
the O
opposition O
of O
working O
with O
the O
United O
States O
to O
disrupt O
the O
vote O
. O

" O
Don O
' O
t O
make O
me O
take O
drastic O
measures O
, O
" O
Chavez O
warned O
. O
He O
urged O
officials O
, O
prosecutors O
and O
the O
military O
to O
stand O
ready O
to O
ensure O
laws O
are O
upheld O
and O
to O
take O
action O
against O
the O
" O
conspirators O
. O
" O

XIN_ENG_20061114 O
. O
0312 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

U O
. O
S O
. O
trade O
deals O
in O
Colombia O
, O
Peru O
put O
to O
test O
: O
report O

The O
election O
of O
a O
Democratic O
- O
controlled O
Congress O
more O
skeptical O
about O
the O
value O
of O
free O
trade O
is O
forcing O
Colombia O
and O
Peru O
to O
decide O
whether O
they O
need O
to O
make O
additional O
concessions O
on O
labor O
issues O
to O
win O
congressional O
approval O
of O
trade O
deals O
they O
have O
negotiated O
with O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
, O
The O
Wall O
Street O
Journal O
reported O
on O
Tuesday B-T
. O

The O
report O
said O
the O
two O
South O
American O
nations O
have O
negotiated O
deals O
with O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
that O
liberalize O
trade O
in O
a O
host O
of O
areas O
, O
including O
industrial O
tariffs O
, O
textiles O
, O
and O
apparel O
and O
service O
industries O
. O

Peru O
already O
has O
ratified O
the O
pact O
; O
Colombia O
plans O
to O
sign O
its O
agreement O
next B-T
week I-T
and O
ratify O
it O
afterwards O
. O
Congress O
isn O
' O
t O
likely O
to O
take O
up O
either O
measure O
until O
next B-T
year I-T
, O
after O
the O
Democrats O
take O
control O
, O
according O
to O
the O
report O
. O

Democrats O
have O
long O
complained O
that O
the O
South O
American O
agreements O
- O
- O
as O
well O
as O
other O
deals O
signed O
by O
the O
Bush O
administration O
- O
- O
skimp O
on O
protections O
of O
labor O
rights O
. O
That O
has O
presented O
Colombia O
and O
Peru O
with O
a O
dilemma O
: O
Should O
they O
make O
concessions O
beyond O
what O
the O
White O
House O
has O
sought O
- O
- O
which O
is O
sure O
to O
be O
controversial O
at O
home O
- O
- O
or O
face O
possible O
rejection O
of O
the O
deals O
by O
Congress O
, O
said O
the O
report O
. O

On O
Monday B-T
, O
Colombian O
President O
Alvaro O
Uribe O
said O
he O
didn O
' O
t O
plan O
to O
accept O
changes O
in O
the O
deal O
. O
" O
I O
consider O
that O
the O
provisions O
we O
have O
included O
to O
protect O
workers O
in O
the O
agreement O
are O
clear O
provisions O
" O
and O
didn O
' O
t O
need O
to O
be O
augmented O
, O
he O
said O
, O
after O
a O
day O
of O
lobbying O
on O
Capitol O
Hill O
. O
" O
More O
than O
the O
provisions O
, O
we O
have O
the O
political O
will O
to O
protect O
our O
workers O
. O
" O

Earlier O
in O
the O
day O
, O
Hernando O
de O
Soto O
, O
a O
Peruvian O
economist O
appointed O
as O
special O
trade O
envoy O
, O
took O
a O
more O
conciliatory O
stance O
. O
He O
said O
his O
country O
had O
a O
" O
game O
plan O
" O
to O
present O
to O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
that O
" O
should O
put O
to O
rest O
the O
concerns O
many O
Democrats O
have O
concerning O
labor O
and O
other O
matters O
, O
" O
according O
to O
Reuters O
. O
But O
he O
wasn O
' O
t O
more O
specific O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061119 O
. O
0062 O

HANOI O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
19 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

3rd O
Ld O
: O
APEC O
economic O
leaders O
' O
meeting O
concludes O
in O
Hanoi O
, O
declaration O
issued O

Leaders O
of O
the O
21 O
member O
economies O
of O
the O
Asia O
- O
Pacific O
Economic O
Cooperation O
( O
APEC O
) O
wrapped O
up O
their O
two O
- O
day O
meeting O
here O
Sunday B-T
after O
issuing O
a O
Hanoi O
Declaration O
. O

The O
leaders O
, O
after O
two B-T
days I-T
of O
discussions O
under O
the O
theme O
of O
" O
towards O
a O
dynamic O
community O
for O
sustainable O
development O
and O
prosperity O
, O
" O
reached O
consensus O
on O
a O
range O
of O
issues O
including O
advancing O
free O
trade O
and O
investment O
, O
enhancing O
human O
security O
, O
and O
building O
stronger O
societies O
and O
a O
more O
dynamic O
and O
harmonious O
community O
. O

Vietnamese O
President O
Nguyen O
Minh O
Triet O
read O
out O
the O
Hanoi O
Declaration O
at O
the O
west O
entrance O
island O
of O
the O
National O
Convention O
Center O
. O

" O
With O
a O
strong O
commitment O
to O
achieving O
the O
vision O
of O
stability O
, O
security O
and O
prosperity O
for O
the O
Asia O
- O
Pacific O
region O
, O
we O
agreed O
to O
make O
every O
effort O
for O
realizing O
APEC O
' O
s O
goals O
of O
free O
and O
open O
trade O
and O
investment O
, O
" O
the O
declaration O
said O
. O

" O
We O
dedicated O
ourselves O
to O
preventing O
threats O
to O
sustainable O
development O
, O
to O
building O
a O
secure O
and O
favorable O
business O
environment O
and O
to O
enhancing O
human O
security O
, O
" O
it O
said O
, O
adding O
, O
" O
We O
pledged O
to O
continue O
our O
work O
towards O
a O
dynamic O
and O
harmonious O
Asia O
- O
Pacific O
community O
by O
building O
strong O
societies O
for O
the O
well O
- O
being O
of O
our O
peoples O
. O
" O

For O
advancing O
free O
trade O
and O
investment O
, O
the O
leaders O
reaffirmed O
in O
the O
declaration O
their O
resolve O
to O
revive O
the O
stalled O
Doha O
round O
of O
World O
Trade O
Organization O
negotiations O
, O
and O
endorsed O
the O
Hanoi O
Action O
Plan O
to O
implement O
the O
Busan O
Roadmap O
for O
realizing O
the O
Bogor O
Goals O
of O
free O
and O
open O
trade O
and O
investment O
in O
the O
region O
by O
2020 B-T
. O

Before O
concluding O
the O
meeting O
, O
the O
leaders O
posed O
for O
an O
official O
photographing O
, O
the O
highlight O
of O
the O
annual O
meeting O
, O
wearing O
traditional O
Vietnamese O
ao O
dai O
, O
or O
long O
dress O
, O
to O
show O
their O
solidarity O
. O

In O
the B-T
past I-T
one I-T
week I-T
, O
a O
series O
of O
APEC O
meetings O
, O
including O
Concluding O
Senior O
Officials O
' O
Meeting O
, O
Business O
Advisory O
Council O
meeting O
, O
Ministerial O
Meeting O
, O
CEO O
Summit O
as O
well O
as O
the O
APEC O
Economic O
Leaders O
' O
Meeting O
were O
held O
in O
the O
Vietnamese O
capital O
. O

Founded O
in O
1989 B-T
, O
APEC O
is O
a O
major O
regional O
forum O
for O
promoting O
open O
trade O
and O
practical O
economic O
and O
technical O
cooperation O
in O
the O
Asia O
- O
Pacific O
region O
. O

It O
represents O
the O
most O
economically O
dynamic O
region O
in O
the O
world O
, O
with O
its O
21 O
member O
economies O
accounting O
for O
more O
than O
one O
third O
of O
the O
world O
' O
s O
population O
, O
approximately O
60 O
percent O
of O
world O
GDP O
, O
and O
about O
47 O
percent O
of O
world O
trade O
. O

APEC O
members O
include O
Australia O
, O
Brunei O
, O
Canada O
, O
Chile O
, O
China O
, O
China O
' O
s O
Hong O
Kong O
, O
Indonesia O
, O
Japan O
, O
Malaysia O
, O
Mexico O
, O
New O
Zealand O
, O
Papua O
New O
Guinea O
, O
Peru O
, O
the O
Philippines O
, O
Russia O
, O
Singapore O
, O
South O
Korea O
, O
China O
' O
s O
Taipei O
, O
Thailand O
, O
the O
United O
States O
and O
Vietnam O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970427 O
. O
0300 O

NEW O
DELHI O
, O
April B-T
27 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

India O
' O
s O
federal O
detectives O
to O
prosecute O
senior O
politician O

India O
' O
s O
premier O
investigating O
agency O
said O
Sunday B-T
a O
senior O
government O
politician O
was O
to O
be O
prosecuted O
along O
with O
54 O
other O
bureaucrats O
and O
politicians O
in O
a O
multimillion O
dollar O
scandal O
. O

The O
politicians O
and O
bureaucrats O
are O
accused O
of O
siphoning O
off O
271 O
- O
million O
dollars O
in O
government O
funds O
meant O
for O
buying O
cattle O
feed O
, O
the O
Central O
Bureau O
of O
Investigation O
( O
CBI O
) O
said O
. O

Among O
those O
to O
be O
charged O
is O
Laloo O
Prasad O
Yadav O
, O
a O
senior O
member O
of O
Prime O
Minister O
Inder O
Kumar O
Gujral O
' O
s O
Janata O
Dal O
( O
People O
' O
s O
Party O
) O
. O

CBI O
director O
Joginder O
Singh O
took O
the O
decision O
to O
prosecute O
late O
Sunday B-T
after O
" O
considering O
evidence O
and O
material O
on O
record O
and O
reports O
of O
other O
investigating O
officers O
, O
" O
a O
CBI O
spokesman O
said O
. O

" O
We O
also O
took O
the O
opinion O
of O
legal O
officers O
of O
the O
CBI O
before O
going O
ahead O
with O
prosecuting O
the O
accused O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061106 O
. O
0079 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
6 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

( O
China O
- O
Africa O
) O
Egypt O
grants O
China O
full O
market O
economy O
status O

China O
and O
Egypt O
signed O
a O
memorandum O
of O
understanding O
here O
Monday B-T
on O
the O
acknowledgment O
of O
China O
' O
s O
full O
market O
economy O
status O
. O

In O
the O
MOU O
, O
signed O
between O
China O
' O
s O
Commerce O
Minister O
Bo O
Xilai O
and O
Egyptian O
Minister O
of O
Trade O
and O
Industry O
Rashid O
Mohamed O
Rashid O
, O
the O
African O
country O
announced O
it O
acknowledges O
China O
' O
s O
full O
market O
economy O
status O
and O
promised O
fair O
treatment O
to O
Chinese O
companies O
in O
international O
trade O
. O

The O
two O
countries O
also O
agreed O
to O
enhance O
all O
- O
round O
cooperation O
in O
trade O
, O
investment O
, O
contracted O
engineering O
projects O
and O
personnel O
training O
in O
an O
effort O
to O
elevate O
bilateral O
ties O
, O
according O
to O
a O
second O
MOU O
signed O
between O
the O
two O
ministers O
on O
further O
trade O
and O
economic O
cooperation O
. O

Egypt O
was O
the O
first O
African O
country O
to O
establish O
diplomatic O
ties O
with O
China O
on O
May B-T
30 I-T
, I-T
1956 I-T
. O

Today B-T
, O
the O
country O
is O
China O
' O
s O
sixth O
largest O
trading O
partner O
in O
Africa O
with O
last B-T
year I-T
' O
s O
bilateral O
trade O
hitting O
2 O
. O
145 O
billion O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
. O
The O
figure O
totaled O
1 O
. O
96 O
billion O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
in O
the B-T
first I-T
eight I-T
months I-T
of O
this B-T
year I-T
, O
up O
47 O
. O
6 O
percent O
over O
the B-T
same I-T
period I-T
of I-T
2005 I-T
. O
The O
Chinese O
side O
has O
said O
it O
will O
work O
to O
expand O
imports O
from O
Egypt O
. O

The O
two O
countries O
said O
they O
will O
also O
encourage O
their O
businesses O
to O
work O
together O
in O
tapping O
third O
country O
markets O
. O

To O
date O
, O
more O
than O
60 O
countries O
have O
granted O
China O
the O
full O
market O
economy O
status O
, O
including O
14 O
African O
countries O
. O

Algeria O
, O
Sudan O
, O
the O
Central O
African O
Republic O
and O
Sierra O
Leone O
signed O
MOUs O
with O
China O
on O
Sunday B-T
to O
acknowledge O
its O
full O
market O
economy O
status O
, O
after O
a O
landmark O
summit O
between O
China O
and O
48 O
African O
countries O
that O
have O
diplomatic O
ties O
with O
it O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061219 O
. O
0245 O

PARIS O
, O
France O
, O
Dec B-T
19 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
ADDS O
vets O
blame O
asphyxia O
/ O
/ O
/ O

The O
French O
agriculture O
ministry O
said O
Tuesday B-T
that O
bird O
flu O
is O
not O
responsible O
for O
the O
deaths O
of O
several O
thousand O
chickens O
on O
a O
farm O
in O
the O
east O
of O
the O
country O
. O

" O
Preliminary O
results O
show O
no O
sign O
of O
an O
influenza O
virus O
in O
the O
samples O
taken O
from O
the O
farm O
in O
the O
Haute O
- O
Marne O
( O
department O
) O
, O
" O
a O
statement O
said O
. O

Vets O
who O
examined O
the O
4 O
, O
000 O
chickens O
who O
died O
Saturday B-T
at O
a O
farm O
in O
Sarrey O
said O
they O
had O
been O
killed O
by O
asphyxia O
. O

" O
It O
was O
a O
problem O
of O
atmosphere O
control O
. O
They O
suffocated O
to O
death O
, O
" O
said O
Bernard O
Brocvielle O
, O
Haute O
- O
Marne O
' O
s O
chief O
vet O
. O

An O
emergency O
plan O
was O
set O
in O
action O
on O
Sunday B-T
because O
of O
fears O
the O
chickens O
might O
have O
been O
infected O
with O
the O
H5N1 O
flu O
virus O
which O
can O
be O
fatal O
to O
humans O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061119 O
. O
0002 O

YANGON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
19 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Ceremony O
held O
to O
pay O
respect O
for O
aged O
literati O
in O
Myanmar O

The O
Myanmar O
Writers O
and O
Journalists O
Association O
( O
MWJA O
) O
held O
a O
ceremony O
at O
the O
city O
hall O
here O
Sunday B-T
to O
pay O
respect O
to O
old O
- O
aged O
and O
doyen O
literati O
to O
mark O
the O
country O
' O
s O
Sarsodaw O
Day O
( O
Poets O
' O
Day O
or O
Literati O
' O
s O
Day O
) O

Information O
Minister O
Brigadier O
- O
General O
Kyaw O
Hsan O
, O
leading O
the O
ministry O
' O
s O
officials O
and O
younger O
literati O
, O
held O
the O
respect O
- O
paying O
ceremony O
, O
presenting O
71 O
doyen O
literati O
aged O
over O
80 O
, O
with O
donations O
of O
100 O
, O
000 O
Kyats O
in O
cash O
and O
gifts O
each O
on O
behalf O
of O
the O
government O
and O
individual O
wellwishers O
. O

The O
Poets O
' O
Day O
, O
which O
is O
falling O
on O
Monday B-T
, O
has O
been O
observed O
yearly O
since O
1944 B-T
, I-T
two I-T
years I-T
after O
the O
Myanmar O
Writers O
Association O
( O
MWA O
) O
was O
formed O
which O
was O
later O
re O
- O
established O
as O
MWJA O
in O
October B-T
1989 I-T
. O

In O
their O
message O
and O
speech O
at O
the O
ceremony O
, O
MWJA O
Chairman O
U O
Hla O
Myaing O
and O
Representative O
of O
doyen O
literati O
Daw O
Kyan O
called O
on O
younger O
literati O
to O
make O
their O
efforts O
to O
contribute O
to O
the O
development O
of O
literature O
and O
create O
better O
works O
for O
the O
country O
and O
the O
people O
. O

To O
encourage O
preservation O
and O
promotion O
of O
literacy O
and O
cultural O
heritage O
, O
Myanmar O
presents O
National O
Literacy O
Awards O
( O
NLA O
) O
to O
successful O
writers O
every B-T
year I-T
and O
in O
December B-T
2005 I-T
, O
Myanmar O
presented O
59 O
national O
- O
level O
literacy O
awards O
for O
the B-T
year I-T
2004 I-T
to O
winners O

The O
awards O
included O
one O
life O
- O
long O
National O
Literary O
Award O
( O
NLA O
) O
, O
10 O
NLAs O
, O
27 O
Sarpay O
Beikman O
( O
literature O
house O
) O
Manuscript O
Awards O
and O
21 O
National O
Motto O
Literary O
and O
Photo O
Awards O
. O

The O
NLA O
, O
the O
highest O
of O
its O
kind O
in O
the O
country O
, O
cover O
those O
in O
novels O
, O
short O
stories O
, O
poems O
, O
belles O
- O
letters O
, O
translation O
and O
literature O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970425 O
. O
0196 O

TOKYO O
, O
April B-T
25 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Daiwa O
and O
Nikko O
follow O
Nomura O
into O
the O
red O

Daiwa O
Securities O
Co O
. O
Ltd O
. O
and O
Nikko O
Securities O
Co O
. O
Ltd O
. O
, O
two O
of O
Japan O
' O
s O
Big O
Four O
stockbrokers O
, O
announced O
Friday B-T
net O
losses O
for O
the B-T
year I-T
to O
March B-T
, O
joining O
market O
leader O
Nomura O
Securities O
Co O
. O
Ltd O
. O
which O
disclosed O
its O
own O
net O
loss O
of O
243 O
billion O
yen O
( O
two O
billion O
dollars O
) O
on O
Thursday B-T
. O

Daiwa O
, O
the O
country O
' O
s O
second O
- O
largest O
broker O
, O
said O
it O
suffered O
a O
net O
parent O
company O
loss O
of O
84 O
. O
0 O
billion O
yen O
, O
reversing O
a O
net O
profit O
of O
43 O
. O
7 O
billion O
yen O
a B-T
year I-T
earlier I-T
. O
Pre O
- O
tax O
earnings O
fell O
29 O
. O
2 O
percent O
to O
44 O
. O
3 O
billion O
yen O
while O
operating O
income O
fell O
3 O
. O
3 O
percent O
to O
291 O
. O
8 O
billion O
yen O
. O

Nikko O
, O
ranked O
third O
, O
announced O
a O
net O
consolidated O
loss O
of O
116 O
. O
7 O
billion O
yen O
, O
reversing O
a O
net O
profit O
of O
38 O
billion O
yen O
with O
pre O
- O
tax O
earnings O
plunging O
60 O
percent O
from O
a B-T
year I-T
earlier I-T
to O
28 O
. O
5 O
billion O
yen O
. O
Group O
operating O
income O
was O
up O
17 O
percent O
at O
461 O
. O
1 O
billion O
yen O
. O

Following O
a O
similar O
move O
by O
NoMura O
on O
Thursday B-T
, O
neither O
company O
offered O
profit O
forecasts O
for O
the B-T
current I-T
year I-T
although O
Daiwa O
vice O
president O
Hiromitsu O
Sogame O
said O
his O
company O
' O
s O
projection O
was O
for O
higher O
earnings O
than O
the B-T
year I-T
just O
ended O
. O
But O
he O
declined O
to O
give O
figures O
. O

Daiwa O
blamed O
its O
poor O
result O
on O
" O
large O
losses O
amid O
a O
slack O
stock O
market O
" O
along O
with O
cutbacks O
in O
bond O
- O
trading O
activity O
. O

During O
the B-T
year I-T
, O
the O
company O
suffered O
an O
extraordinary O
loss O
of O
120 O
billion O
yen O
on O
the O
bailout O
of O
troubled O
affiliate O
Daiwa O
Finance O
Co O
. O
Ltd O
. O
, O
a O
Tokyo O
- O
based O
company O
in O
which O
the O
securities O
firm O
had O
a O
five O
percent O
stake O
. O

Sogame O
said O
costs O
were O
expected O
to O
rise O
further O
this B-T
year I-T
due O
to O
upgrading O
ahead O
of O
the O
planned O
" O
Big O
Bang O
" O
for O
the O
Tokyo O
financial O
market O
, O
modelled O
on O
British O
deregulatory O
reforms O
a B-T
decade I-T
ago I-T
and O
expected O
to O
be O
in O
place O
by O
2001 B-T
. O

" O
We O
will O
renew O
our O
bond O
trading O
room O
and O
build O
a O
personal O
computer O
network O
and O
proceed O
with O
global O
risk O
management O
projects O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

Referring O
to O
a O
recent O
scandal O
involving O
illegal O
trading O
by O
Nomura O
, O
Sogame O
said O
Daiwa O
was O
seeking O
to O
set O
up O
an O
operations O
administration O
department O
to O
strengthen O
internal O
supervision O
. O
" O
So O
far O
, O
we O
have O
not O
received O
a O
report O
that O
illegal O
trading O
and O
transactions O
have O
been O
found O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

Asked O
about O
trading O
by O
individual O
investors O
, O
he O
said O
: O
" O
I O
do O
not O
expect O
individual O
investors O
to O
stay O
away O
from O
the O
market O
because O
of O
Nomura O
' O
s O
illegal O
transactions O
. O
. O
. O
I O
hope O
the O
share O
will O
rise O
, O
as O
it O
has O
been O
at O
a O
low O
level O
. O
" O

Nikko O
vice O
president O
Masao O
Yuki O
said O
his O
company O
had O
not O
detected O
any O
incoming O
transfer O
of O
funds O
from O
Nomura O
following O
the O
scandal O
. O

Asked O
whether O
Nikko O
had O
conducted O
internal O
investigations O
, O
he O
said O
: O
" O
It O
is O
natural O
to O
conduct O
internal O
investigations O
, O
and O
if O
any O
problem O
emerges O
, O
we O
will O
disclose O
it O
. O
But O
we O
cannot O
disclose O
details O
of O
client O
trading O
. O
" O

Nikko O
said O
extraordinary O
losses O
during O
the B-T
latest I-T
year I-T
came O
to O
147 O
. O
5 O
billion O
yen O
, O
reflecting O
assistance O
to O
three O
companies O
within O
the O
group O
. O

Yuki O
said O
earnings O
were O
pressured O
by O
declining O
profits O
at O
subsidiaries O
in O
Europe O
, O
the O
United O
States O
and O
Asia O
in O
the B-T
year I-T
to O
March B-T
although O
banking O
units O
in O
the O
United O
States O
and O
Luxembourg O
booked O
firm O
profits O
. O

" O
Rising O
personnel O
costs O
such O
as O
hiring O
talented O
traders O
. O
. O
. O
are O
pressuring O
earnings O
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O

Refering O
to O
Nikko O
' O
s O
lower O
market O
share O
on O
the O
Tokyo O
Stock O
Exchange O
, O
Yuji O
said O
: O
" O
I O
think O
the O
weight O
of O
foreign O
securities O
has O
been O
rising O
. O
" O

Nikko O
' O
s O
share O
of O
trading O
on O
the O
exchange O
fell O
from O
8 O
. O
1 O
percent O
to O
7 O
. O
8 O
percent O
by O
volume O
and O
from O
8 O
. O
5 O
percent O
to O
8 O
. O
0 O
percent O
by O
value O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051119 O
. O
0164 O

TIANJIN O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
19 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

city O

Three O
people O
were O
killed O
and O
at O
least O
four O
others O
were O
injured O
in O
a O
traffic O
accident O
in O
north O
China O
municipality O
of O
Tianjin O
on O
Saturday B-T
. O

The O
accident O
happened O
on O
Saturday B-T
evening I-T
when O
a O
minibus O
carrying O
seven O
students O
collided O
with O
a O
truck O
at O
the O
highway O
in O
the O
city O
' O
s O
Xiqing O
District O
. O
Police O
confirmed O
three O
people O
died O
at O
the O
site O
. O

The O
injured O
have O
been O
hospitalized O
. O

Police O
is O
investigating O
cause O
of O
the O
accident O
. O

WSJ891101 O
- O
0018 O

= O
891101 O

891101 O
- O
0018 O
. O

Business O
Brief O
- O
- O
Cilcorp O
Inc O
. O
: O

@ O
Some O
Assets O
to O
Be O
Acquired O

@ O
From O
Hunter O
Environmental O

11 B-T
/ I-T
01 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

CER O
HESI O

BUYBACKS O
, O
REDEMPTIONS O
, O
SWAP O
OFFERS O
( O
BBK O
) O

TENDER O
OFFERS O
, O
MERGERS O
, O
ACQUISITIONS O
( O
TNM O
) O

Cilcorp O
Inc O
. O
, O
Peoria O
, O
Ill O
. O
, O
said O
it O
agreed O
to O
acquire O
the O
environmental O
consulting O
and O
analytical O
service O
businesses O
of O
Hunter O
Environmental O
Services O
Inc O
. O
of O
Southport O
, O
Conn O
. O

The O
utility O
holding O
company O
said O
Hunter O
will O
receive O
390 O
, O
000 O
shares O
of O
a O
new O
series O
of O
Cilcorp O
convertible O
preferred O
stock O
with O
a O
face O
value O
of O
$ O
39 O
million O
for O
the O
businesses O
. O

Cilcorp O
will O
also O
assume O
$ O
22 O
million O
of O
Hunter O
' O
s O
existing O
debt O
. O

As O
part O
of O
the O
agreement O
, O
Cilcorp O
said O
it O
will O
pay O
Hunter O
$ O
4 O
million O
in O
exchange O
for O
agreements O
not O
to O
compete O
. O

Cilcorp O
said O
the O
businesses O
to O
be O
acquired O
had O
revenue O
of O
$ O
76 O
million O
for O
the B-T
year I-T
ended O
March B-T
31 I-T
. O

Separately O
, O
Cilcorp O
said O
it O
plans O
to O
purchase O
as O
many O
as O
1 O
. O
4 O
million O
shares O
, O
or O
10 O
% O
of O
its O
common O
stock O
outstanding O
from O
time O
to O
time O
on O
the O
open O
market O
and O
through O
privately O
negotiated O
transactions O
. O

The O
company O
, O
which O
currently B-T
has O
13 O
. O
5 O
million O
common O
shares O
outstanding O
, O
said O
it O
has O
no O
specific O
plans O
for O
the O
shares O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970407 O
. O
0528 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
April B-T
7 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

US O
wants O
to O
meet O
Palestinians O
on O
Mideast O
peace O

President O
Bill O
Clinton O
said O
Monday B-T
the O
United O
States O
would O
talk O
next O
with O
the O
Palestinians O
about O
re O
- O
starting O
the O
Mideast O
peace O
process O
after O
he O
met O
Israeli O
Prime O
Minister O
Benjamin O
Netanyahu O
. O

" O
We O
had O
a O
very O
specific O
, O
frank O
, O
candid O
and O
long O
talk O
, O
" O
Clinton O
told O
reporters O
following O
his O
two O
- O
hour O
meeting O
at O
the O
White O
House O
with O
the O
Israeli O
leader O
. O

" O
It O
was O
a O
long O
and O
very O
thorough O
meeting O
. O
. O
. O
now B-T
it O
' O
s O
important O
for O
us O
to O
visit O
with O
the O
Palestinians O
, O
" O
Clinton O
said O
, O
adding O
he O
would O
do O
his O
best O
to O
get O
Israeli O
- O
Palestinian O
negotiations O
back O
on O
track O
. O

Clinton O
declined O
to O
give O
details O
on O
the O
substance O
of O
his O
meeting O
with O
Netanyahu O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061106 O
. O
0039 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
6 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

October O
: O
safety O
superviser O

URGENT O
: O
9 O
, O
007 O
people O
killed O
in O
53 O
, O
173 O
accidents O
in O
China O
this B-T
October I-T
: O
safety O
superviser O

WSJ891030 O
- O
0145 O

= O
891030 O

891030 O
- O
0145 O
. O

Waxman O
Industries O
Debentures O

10 B-T
/ I-T
30 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

WAX O

BUYBACKS O
, O
REDEMPTIONS O
, O
SWAP O
OFFERS O
( O
BBK O
) O

BEDFORD O
HEIGHTS O
, O
Ohio O

Waxman O
Industries O
Inc O
. O
said O
holders O
of O
$ O
6 O
, O
542 O
, O
000 O
face O
amount O
of O
its O
6 O
1 O
/ O
4 O
% O
convertible O
subordinated O
debentures O
, O
due O
March B-T
15 I-T
, I-T
2007 I-T
, O
have O
elected O
to O
convert O
the O
debt O
into O
about O
683 O
, O
000 O
common O
shares O
. O

The O
conversion O
price O
is O
$ O
9 O
. O
58 O
a O
share O
. O

The O
company O
said O
the O
holders O
represent O
52 O
% O
of O
the O
face O
amount O
of O
the O
debentures O
. O

Waxman O
sells O
a O
variety O
of O
hardware O
products O
for O
the O
home O
repair O
market O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970414 O
. O
0322 O

NEW O
DELHI O
, O
April B-T
14 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Factfile O
of O
leading O
candidates O
for O
Indian O
PM O
role O

Leading O
United O
Front O
candidates O
for O
the O
role O
of O
India O
' O
s O
12th O
prime O
minister O
after O
the O
fall O
of O
H O
. O
D O
. O
Deve O
Gowda O
: O

G O
. O
K O
. O
MOOPANAR O
: O
Leader O
of O
the O
regional O
Tamil O
Manila O
Congress O
( O
TMC O
) O
party O
, O
one O
of O
the O
members O
of O
the O
ousted O
United O
Front O
government O
. O
Moopanar O
' O
s O
party O
has O
20 O
members O
in O
parliament O
. O
A O
former O
Congress O
( O
I O
) O
veteran O
, O
known O
for O
long O
as O
the O
trouble O
shooter O
of O
former O
premier O
Indira O
Gandhi O
, O
he O
split O
from O
the O
Congress O
last B-T
year I-T
and O
floated O
the O
TMC O
, O
whose O
power O
base O
is O
confined O
to O
the O
southern O
state O
of O
Tamil O
Nadu O
. O
He O
is O
known O
to O
be O
close O
to O
most O
Congress O
leaders O
as O
well O
as O
Sonia O
Gandhi O
, O
widow O
of O
assassinated O
former O
premier O
Rajiv O
Gandhi O
. O
Speaks O
poor O
English O
and O
virtually O
no O
Hindi O
, O
the O
national O
language O
, O
and O
is O
at O
home O
only O
in O
Tamil O
. O
Has O
never O
held O
any O
government O
post O
. O

N O
. O
CHANDRABABU O
NAIDU O
: O
Chief O
minister O
of O
the O
southern O
state O
of O
Andhra O
Pradesh O
, O
the O
country O
' O
s O
third O
most O
populous O
state O
, O
and O
leader O
of O
the O
regional O
Telugu O
Desam O
party O
, O
floated O
by O
his O
late O
father O
- O
in O
- O
law O
, O
N O
. O
T O
. O
Rama O
Rao O
. O
Naidu O
' O
s O
party O
has O
17 O
members O
in O
parliament O
. O
Naidu O
was O
a O
key O
figure O
in O
the O
United O
Front O
coalition O
government O
' O
s O
negotiations O
with O
the O
Congress O
after O
the O
Front O
was O
ousted O
. O
Naidu O
' O
s O
party O
, O
which O
decimated O
the O
Congress O
in O
his O
home O
state O
last B-T
year I-T
, O
enjoys O
grass O
- O
root O
support O
across O
the O
coastal O
state O
. O
Naidu O
is O
believed O
to O
nurse O
high O
political O
ambitions O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051118 O
. O
0037 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
18 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

laborers O

A O
senior O
researcher O
with O
the O
State O
Council O
, O
or O
the O
central O
government O
, O
has O
called O
on O
cities O
to O
allow O
more O
rural O
people O
to O
take O
up O
residence O
in O
a O
bid O
to O
promote O
urbanization O
and O
maintain O
the O
country O
' O
s O
fast O
economic O
growth O
. O

Urbanization O
will O
help O
drive O
the O
economy O
and O
improve O
the O
people O
' O
s O
living O
standards O
, O
says O
Han O
Jun O
, O
head O
of O
the O
Development O
Research O
Center O
under O
the O
State O
Council O
. O
His O
signed O
article O
was O
published O
by O
People O
' O
s O
Daily O
on O
Friday B-T
. O

It O
' O
s O
expected O
that O
some O
289 O
million O
rural O
people O
, O
equivalent O
to O
the O
entire O
total O
population O
of O
the O
United O
States O
, O
will O
move O
to O
cities O
over O
the B-T
next I-T
15 I-T
years I-T
. O

He O
estimates O
by O
2020 B-T
, O
57 O
percent O
of O
China O
' O
s O
population O
will O
live O
in O
urban O
areas O
. O
By O
that O
time O
828 O
million O
will O
be O
living O
in O
cities O
, O
whereas O
in O
2002 B-T
urban O
dwellers O
numbered O
326 O
million O
. O

The O
researcher O
calls O
on O
the O
government O
to O
explore O
ways O
to O
help O
improve O
social O
security O
problems O
facing O
rural O
migrant O
laborers O
, O
who O
account O
for O
46 O
. O
5 O
percent O
of O
the O
workforce O
in O
second O
( O
or O
industrial O
production O
) O
and O
service O
industries O
, O
according O
to O
the O
nation O
' O
s O
fifth O
census O
in O
2000 B-T
. O

Migrant O
workers O
make O
up O
as O
much O
as O
80 O
percent O
of O
the O
total O
workforce O
in O
the O
construction O
sector O
, O
the O
census O
showed O
. O

Despite O
their O
contribution O
to O
urban O
economies O
, O
rural O
laborers O
have O
difficulties O
settling O
down O
in O
cities O
due O
to O
a O
lack O
of O
permanent O
housing O
and O
stable O
incomes O
, O
Han O
says O
. O

He O
acknowledges O
that O
rural O
workers O
face O
restrictions O
finding O
permanent O
employment O
and O
enrolling O
their O
kids O
in O
city O
schools O
. O
Han O
says O
this O
is O
because O
of O
the O
country O
' O
s O
decades O
- O
old O
household O
registration O
system O
which O
makes O
it O
hard O
for O
rural O
or O
migrant O
workers O
to O
integrate O
into O
urban O
society O
. O

If O
these O
problems O
areas O
' O
t O
solved O
, O
Han O
warns O
, O
it O
will O
be O
more O
difficult O
for O
the O
government O
to O
handle O
issues O
relating O
to O
the O
country O
' O
s O
agriculture O
and O
rural O
economy O
. O

He O
believes O
more O
should O
be O
done O
to O
create O
job O
opportunities O
for O
rural O
laborers O
in O
order O
to O
raise O
their O
income O
and O
protect O
their O
legitimate O
rights O
. O
This O
, O
says O
the O
researcher O
, O
will O
allow O
for O
a O
more O
" O
harmonious O
" O
urban O
society O
. O

Farmer O
peasants O
make O
up O
about O
70 O
percent O
of O
China O
' O
s O
population O
of O
1 O
. O
3 O
billion O
but O
agriculture O
contributes O
only O
15 O
percent O
to O
the O
country O
' O
s O
gross O
domestic O
product O
. O

Experts O
also O
point O
to O
the O
widening O
income O
gap O
between O
rural O
and O
urban O
residents O
, O
as O
an O
average O
farmer O
makes O
only O
a O
third O
as O
much O
as O
his O
urban O
counterpart O
. O

The O
National O
Bureau O
of O
Statistics O
said O
that O
average O
incomes O
for O
China O
' O
s O
farmers O
rose O
6 O
. O
8 O
percent O
in O
2004 B-T
, O
the O
biggest O
increase O
in O
seven B-T
years I-T
. O
Yet O
the O
average O
income O
for O
farmers O
stood O
at O
just O
2 O
, O
936 O
yuan O
( O
355 O
US O
dollars O
) O
per O
person O
, O
while O
the O
national O
average O
annual O
income O
exceeds O
1 O
, O
000 O
US O
dollars O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061118 O
. O
0080 O

HANOI O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
18 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

sustainable O
development O

Leaders O
of O
the O
21 O
member O
economies O
of O
the O
Asia O
- O
Pacific O
Economic O
Cooperation O
( O
APEC O
) O
began O
their O
annual O
meeting O
in O
Hanoi O
on O
Saturday B-T
to O
facilitate O
free O
trade O
and O
promote O
sustainable O
development O
in O
the O
region O
. O

The O
closed O
- O
door O
meeting O
opened O
Saturday B-T
afternoon I-T
at O
Hanoi O
' O
s O
National O
Convention O
Center O
after O
a O
welcome O
ceremony O
for O
the O
leaders O
by O
Vietnamese O
President O
Nguyen O
Minh O
Triet O
at O
the O
entrance O
of O
the O
center O
. O

The O
leaders O
were O
sitting O
in O
a O
round O
- O
table O
manner O
in O
the O
meeting O
room O
, O
according O
to O
a O
video O
tape O
footage O
shown O
to O
the O
press O
at O
the O
international O
media O
center O
. O

During O
the O
two O
- O
hour O
- O
long O
informal O
retreat O
, O
the O
leaders O
discussed O
issues O
relating O
to O
the O
World O
Trade O
Organization O
( O
WTO O
) O
and O
the O
Doha O
Development O
Agenda O
( O
DDA O
) O
, O
and O
issues O
on O
Regional O
Trade O
Agreements O
and O
Free O
Trade O
Areas O
, O
said O
a O
press O
release O
issued O
after O
the O
meeting O
. O

The O
leaders O
also O
discussed O
and O
endorsed O
the O
Hanoi O
Action O
Plan O
to O
implement O
the O
Busan O
Roadmap O
for O
realizing O
the O
Bogor O
Goals O
of O
free O
and O
open O
trade O
and O
investment O
in O
the O
region O
, O
and O
issued O
a O
statement O
on O
the O
Doha O
round O
of O
WTO O
negotiations O
, O
according O
to O
the O
release O
. O

Immediately O
after O
the O
retreat O
, O
the O
leaders O
had O
a O
one O
- O
hour O
dialogue O
with O
the O
APEC O
Business O
Advisory O
council O
. O

Speaking O
at O
the O
beginning O
of O
the O
dialogue O
, O
Triet O
described O
the O
leaders O
' O
discussions O
as O
" O
profound O
. O
" O

Later O
on O
Saturday B-T
evening I-T
, O
the O
leaders O
and O
their O
spouses O
will O
attend O
a O
formal O
dinner O
and O
cultural O
performance O
in O
the O
National O
Convention O
Center O
, O
hosted O
by O
the O
Vietnamese O
president O
and O
his O
spouse O
. O

A O
trip O
to O
the O
Temple O
of O
Literature O
, O
a O
site O
of O
interest O
in O
Hanoi O
, O
was O
also O
arranged O
for O
the O
spouses O
in O
the B-T
morning I-T
. O

The O
annual O
meeting O
of O
Pacific O
- O
Rim O
leaders O
is O
a O
forum O
of O
the O
highest O
level O
in O
the O
Asia O
- O
Pacific O
region O
, O
drawing O
the O
presence O
of O
such O
prominent O
figures O
as O
Chinese O
President O
Hu O
Jintao O
, O
U O
. O
S O
. O
President O
George O
W O
. O
Bush O
, O
Russian O
President O
Vladimir O
Putin O
and O
Japanese O
Prime O
Minister O
Shinzo O
Abe O
. O

Founded O
in O
1989 B-T
, O
APEC O
is O
a O
major O
regional O
forum O
acting O
as O
the O
primary O
regional O
vehicle O
for O
promoting O
open O
trade O
and O
practical O
economic O
and O
technical O
cooperation O
in O
the O
Asia O
- O
Pacific O
region O
. O

It O
represents O
the O
most O
economically O
dynamic O
region O
in O
the O
world O
, O
with O
its O
21 O
member O
economies O
accounting O
for O
more O
than O
one O
third O
of O
the O
world O
' O
s O
population O
, O
approximately O
60 O
percent O
of O
world O
GDP O
, O
and O
about O
47 O
percent O
of O
world O
trade O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061101 O
. O
0328 O

NEW O
YORK O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
1 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

U O
. O
S O
. O
stocks O
fall O
on O
sluggish O
economic O
data O

U O
. O
S O
. O
stocks O
ended O
lower O
Wednesday B-T
on O
housing O
sluggish O
housing O
and O
manufacturing O
report O
. O

In O
the O
closing O
trading O
, O
the O
Dow O
Jones O
Industrial O
Average O
was O
down O
49 O
. O
71 O
, O
or O
0 O
. O
41 O
percent O
, O
to O
12 O
, O
031 O
. O
02 O
. O
The O
Standard O
Poor O
' O
s O
500 O
index O
fell O
10 O
. O
13 O
, O
or O
0 O
. O
74 O
percent O
, O
to O
1 O
, O
367 O
. O
81 O
, O
and O
the O
Nasdaq O
composite O
index O
dropped O
32 O
. O
36 O
, O
or O
1 O
. O
37 O
percent O
, O
to O
2 O
, O
334 O
. O
35 O
. O

On O
the O
data O
front O
, O
the O
slowed O
housing O
market O
and O
cooling O
manufacturing O
raised O
concerns O
over O
economic O
growth O
. O
The O
Commerce O
Department O
said O
on O
Wednesday B-T
that O
spending O
on O
construction O
projects O
dropped O
by O
0 O
. O
3 O
percent O
in O
September B-T
. O
Meanwhile O
, O
the O
Institute O
for O
Supply O
Management O
said O
its O
manufacturing O
activity O
index O
fell O
to O
51 O
. O
2 O
in O
October B-T
, O
the O
lowest O
since O
June B-T
2003 I-T
. O

Oil O
prices O
fell O
slightly O
Wednesday B-T
as O
U O
. O
S O
. O
crude O
oil O
supplies O
rose O
but O
refined O
fuel O
stocks O
fell O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051114 O
. O
0072 O

JERUSALEM O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Urgent O
: O
Israeli O
PM O
begins O
meeting O
with O
Rice O
in O
Jerusalem O

Israeli O
Prime O
Minister O
Ariel O
Sharon O
and O
Foreign O
Minister O
Silvan O
Shalom O
began O
a O
meeting O
with O
visiting O
US O
Secretary O
of O
State O
Condoleezza O
Rice O
in O
Jerusalem O
on O
Monday B-T
morning I-T
. O

XIN_ENG_20051124 O
. O
0325 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
25 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Buyers O
of O
big O
cars O
to O
pay O
more O
tax O

Buyers O
of O
big O
cars O
will O
fork O
out O
more O
taxes O
and O
those O
who O
opt O
for O
smaller O
models O
will O
pay O
less O
under O
a O
revised O
auto O
consumption O
tax O
likely O
to O
come O
into O
force O
next B-T
year I-T
. O

China O
Daily O
quoted O
Zhang O
Jinhua O
, O
deputy O
director O
of O
the O
China O
Automotive O
Technology O
and O
Research O
Centre O
, O
as O
saying O
Thursday B-T
at O
the O
Fourth O
International O
Clean O
Vehicle O
Technology O
Conference O
and O
Exhibition O
. O

The O
current O
tax O
structure O
, O
which O
has O
three O
slabs O
for O
different O
engine O
sizes O
, O
is O
likely O
to O
have O
five O
. O
Vehicles O
with O
4 O
litre O
or O
higher O
engines O
would O
pay O
between O
20 O
- O
25 O
percent O
instead O
of O
the O
current O
8 O
percent O
, O
while O
those O
with O
engine O
displacement O
of O
1 O
litre O
or O
less O
will O
pay O
1 O
percent O
instead O
of O
the O
current O
3 O
percent O
. O

Industry O
experts O
see O
it O
as O
a O
government O
move O
to O
increase O
fuel O
efficiency O
and O
reduce O
emissions O
. O

" O
The O
consumption O
tax O
reform O
cannot O
have O
an O
immediate O
impact O
on O
the O
clean O
- O
vehicle O
market O
. O
But O
at O
least O
, O
it O
is O
an O
inspiration O
for O
car O
makers O
, O
" O
the O
newspaper O
quoted O
Zhang O
as O
saying O
. O

Zhang O
also O
pointed O
out O
that O
substantial O
support O
from O
the O
government O
is O
needed O
if O
emissions O
were O
to O
be O
cut O
significantly O
, O
because O
the O
price O
for O
hybrid O
vehicles O
will O
remain O
high O
without O
government O
support O
. O

Prius O
, O
jointly O
manufactured O
by O
Japan O
- O
based O
Toyota O
and O
the O
China O
FAW O
Group O
Corporation O
, O
will O
be O
the O
first O
hybrid O
car O
available O
in O
the O
Chinese O
market O
. O

Zhu O
Yanfeng O
, O
president O
of O
the O
joint O
venture O
, O
announced O
on O
Wednesday B-T
that O
Prius O
would O
be O
available O
from O
mid O
- O
December O
for O
250 O
, O
000 O
yuan O
( O
31 O
, O
000 O
US O
dollars O
) O
a O
price O
tag O
substantially O
higher O
than O
the O
average O
. O

Feng O
Fei O
, O
director O
of O
the O
industry O
department O
of O
the O
State O
Council O
Development O
Research O
Centre O
, O
also O
proposed O
early B-T
this I-T
month I-T
that O
tax O
be O
levied O
on O
buyers O
rather O
than O
on O
auto O
producers O
as O
is O
done O
now B-T
, O
so O
as O
to O
encourage O
sales O
with O
economy O
vehicles O
with O
lower O
emissions O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061228 O
. O
0348 O

AGEN O
, O
France O
, O
Dec B-T
28 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

Laporte O
looks O
to O
Irish O
strategy O
for O
World O
Cup O
success O

France O
coach O
Bernard O
Laporte O
revealed O
Thursday B-T
that O
he O
would O
be O
looking O
to O
emulate O
Ireland O
' O
s O
strategy O
as O
the O
hosts O
prepare O
for O
next B-T
year I-T
' O
s O
rugby O
World O
Cup O
. O

Laporte O
blamed O
the O
heavy O
club O
schedule O
of O
many O
of O
France O
' O
s O
internationals O
for O
their O
dismal O
autumn O
series O
which O
included O
two O
limp O
and O
uninspiring O
losses O
to O
World O
Cup O
favourites O
the O
All O
Blacks O
. O

And O
he O
said O
that O
the O
two O
- O
time O
world O
finalists O
would O
be O
using O
the O
Six O
Nations O
Championship O
as O
a O
springboard O
for O
their O
World O
Cup O
campaign O
. O

" O
We O
have O
to O
win O
the O
Six O
Nations O
, O
our O
reputation O
is O
at O
stake O
, O
but O
we O
want O
to O
use O
this O
big O
gathering O
to O
have O
a O
look O
at O
all O
the O
players O
, O
" O
said O
Laporte O
during O
the O
official O
presentation O
for O
the O
2007 O
Six O
Nations O
. O

And O
for O
the O
first O
time O
in O
the O
competition O
, O
all O
forty O
members O
of O
the O
France O
squad O
will O
be O
mobilised O
for O
the O
tournament O
from O
February B-T
3 I-T
to I-T
March I-T
18 I-T
. O

" O
Of O
prime O
importance O
will O
be O
physical O
freshness O
, O
enthusiasm O
and O
spirit O
of O
competition O
, O
" O
explained O
Laporte O
, O
adding O
that O
during O
the O
November B-T
Test O
series O
" O
( O
teams O
like O
Ireland O
) O
showed O
a O
totally O
different O
level O
of O
physical O
freshness O
than O
us O
" O
. O

" O
A O
player O
like O
( O
Ireland O
captain O
) O
Brian O
O O
' O
Driscoll O
plays O
half O
the O
matches O
of O
our O
centres O
and O
on O
the O
pitch O
that O
shows O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

Laporte O
pointed O
out O
that O
they O
will O
be O
looking O
to O
build O
physical O
fitness O
with O
a O
wide O
- O
ranging O
programme O
of O
activites O
scheduled O
for O
the O
week O
before O
each O
match O
, O
with O
players O
aware O
that O
their O
place O
in O
the O
World O
Cup O
is O
at O
stake O
. O

" O
All O
( O
of O
the O
40 O
players O
) O
will O
play O
at O
least O
one O
tournament O
match O
, O
but O
no O
- O
one O
will O
play O
all O
five O
matches O
, O
" O
said O
Laporte O
. O

Toulouse O
fly O
- O
half O
Frederic O
Michalak O
, O
who O
underwent O
knee O
surgery O
in O
November B-T
, O
will O
however O
not O
be O
among O
the O
group O
, O
Laporte O
added O
. O

France O
open O
their O
Six O
Nations O
campaign O
against O
Italy O
in O
Rome O
on O
February B-T
3 I-T
, O
followed O
by O
Ireland O
at O
Croke O
Park O
in O
Dublin O
on O
February B-T
11 I-T
. O

AFP_ENG_20051206 O
. O
0280 O

LJUBLJANA O
, O
Dec B-T
6 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

unchanged O

The O
55 O
member O
states O
of O
the O
OSCE O
have O
agreed O
to O
reform O
the O
organisation O
without O
changing O
the O
role O
of O
its O
election O
monitoring O
teams O
, O
but O
a O
joint O
declaration O
at O
the O
close O
of O
the O
summit O
is O
unlikely O
, O
US O
and O
European O
Union O
officials O
said O
Tuesday B-T
. O

US O
Under O
- O
Secretary O
of O
State O
Nicholas O
Burns O
said O
, O
hours O
before O
the O
end O
of O
the O
ministerial O
conference O
of O
the O
Organization O
for O
Security O
and O
Cooperation O
in O
Europe O
( O
OSCE O
) O
in O
Ljubljana O
, O
that O
all O
55 O
members O
of O
the O
pan O
- O
European O
organisation O
had O
agreed O
on O
a O
roadmap O
for O
reform O
as O
requested O
by O
Russia O
. O

He O
added O
most O
of O
the O
participants O
had O
agreed O
the O
Office O
for O
Democratic O
Institutions O
and O
Human O
Rights O
( O
ODIHR O
) O
, O
the O
OSCE O
' O
s O
election O
monitoring O
body O
, O
" O
should O
be O
strengthened O
instead O
of O
weakened O
. O
" O

Russian O
Foreign O
Minister O
Sergei O
Lavrov O
attacked O
the O
ODIHR O
Monday O
, O
saying O
it O
had O
an O
" O
unacceptable O
autonomy O
" O
in O
monitoring O
elections O
, O
mainly O
in O
the O
former O
Soviet O
states O
, O
and O
urged O
the O
organisation O
to O
set O
clear O
guidelines O
for O
its O
methodology O
, O
composition O
and O
work O
. O

While O
a O
compromise O
was O
reached O
over O
OSCE O
reforms O
due O
to O
start O
next B-T
year I-T
, O
Russia O
could O
not O
agree O
with O
the O
US O
and O
the O
European O
Union O
on O
a O
joint O
final O
declaration O
, O
which O
must O
be O
unanimously O
approved O
by O
participants O
before O
the O
end O
of O
the O
conference O
. O

" O
We O
are O
not O
ready O
to O
trade O
principles O
for O
a O
document O
, O
" O
Burns O
said O
, O
adding O
negotiations O
had O
failed O
because O
of O
Russia O
' O
s O
refusal O
to O
acknowledge O
the O
so O
- O
called O
Istanbul O
commitments O
to O
withdraw O
its O
military O
forces O
from O
Georgia O
and O
Moldova O
, O
which O
Moscow O
agreed O
to O
in O
1999 B-T
. O

" O
The O
great O
majority O
of O
countries O
believe O
we O
should O
reaffirm O
the O
commitments O
of O
Istanbul O
, O
" O
Burns O
said O
, O
adding O
all O
member O
states O
were O
ready O
to O
praise O
Moscow O
' O
s O
progress O
in O
pulling O
out O
of O
bases O
in O
Georgia O
, O
following O
an O
agreement O
signed O
last B-T
May I-T
. O

" O
But O
there O
has O
been O
no O
progress O
in O
Moldova O
since O
2003 B-T
in O
terms O
of O
reduction O
of O
the O
Russian O
forces O
, O
" O
Burns O
said O
. O

The O
head O
of O
the O
British O
delegation O
, O
John O
Sawers O
, O
said O
the O
European O
Union O
proposed O
a O
compromise O
over O
the O
final O
declaration O
that O
was O
initially O
accepted O
by O
Washington O
while O
the O
Russians O
were O
still O
considering O
it O
. O

" O
The O
Russians O
may O
object O
to O
it O
, O
in O
which O
case O
the O
language O
( O
declaration O
) O
may O
well O
be O
used O
by O
the O
chairman O
in O
office O
, O
" O
Sawers O
said O
, O
meaning O
the O
conference O
chairman O
, O
Slovenia O
' O
s O
Foreign O
Minister O
Dimitrij O
Rupel O
, O
would O
issue O
a O
final O
statement O
if O
a O
consensus O
cannot O
be O
reached O
over O
the O
document O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061110 O
. O
0120 O

HONG O
KONG O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
10 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

for O
karaoke O
bars O

by O
Xinhua O
writer O
Tian O
Sulei O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
10 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O
- O
- O
Karaoke O
bars O
in O
China O
' O
s O
main O
cities O
will O
have O
to O
pay O
12 O
yuan O
( O
1 O
. O
5 O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
) O
a O
day O
in O
royalties O
to O
music O
artists O
for O
each O
room O
, O
according O
to O
a O
new O
regulation O
set O
by O
China O
' O
s O
National O
Copyright O
Administration O
. O

A O
statement O
on O
the O
administration O
' O
s O
website O
said O
that O
royalties O
would O
first O
be O
collected O
in O
Beijing O
, O
Shanghai O
and O
Guangzhou O
on O
a O
trial O
basis O
. O
The O
practice O
will O
gradually O
be O
widened O
to O
cover O
other O
cities O
, O
with O
the O
payment O
rate O
varying O
according O
to O
local O
economic O
conditions O
. O

The O
move O
is O
another O
measure O
China O
has O
taken O
to O
improve O
its O
copyright O
protection O
in O
response O
to O
increasing O
pressure O
and O
is O
deemed O
vital O
in O
encouraging O
innovation O
. O

The O
China O
Audio O
and O
Video O
Association O
has O
been O
designated O
as O
the O
temporary O
agent O
to O
collect O
the O
royalties O
for O
music O
being O
played O
in O
karaoke O
bars O
. O
This O
function O
will O
be O
taken O
over O
by O
an O
association O
for O
the O
collective O
management O
of O
audio O
and O
video O
copyrights O
after O
it O
is O
granted O
official O
approval O
by O
the O
government O
. O

The O
size O
of O
the O
karaoke O
bars O
in O
China O
generally O
range O
from O
several O
rooms O
to O
more O
than O
100 O
rooms O
. O

Liu O
Wenhe O
, O
who O
is O
working O
to O
establish O
audio O
and O
video O
copyright O
association O
, O
said O
the O
charges O
collected O
from O
the O
karaoke O
bars O
will O
be O
paid O
to O
producers O
of O
the O
music O
works O
, O
including O
song O
writers O
and O
music O
companies O
. O

" O
We O
will O
leave O
our O
foreign O
counterparts O
to O
handle O
payments O
to O
foreign O
companies O
and O
individuals O
, O
" O
said O
Liu O
. O

He O
said O
a O
special O
team O
will O
be O
established O
to O
start O
collecting O
the O
fees O
from O
karaoke O
bars O
, O
possibly O
before O
the B-T
end I-T
of I-T
this I-T
year I-T
. O

XIN_ENG_20051117 O
. O
0009 O

NEW O
YORK O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
16 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

587 O

A O
native O
of O
the O
Dominican O
Republic O
was O
selected O
Wednesday B-T
as O
the O
designer O
of O
a O
memorial O
for O
victims O
of O
Flight O
587 O
, O
the O
plane O
that O
crashed O
in O
Queens O
, O
New O
York O
, O
shortly O
after O
takeoff O
on O
its O
way O
to O
Santo O
Domingo O
, O
the O
mayor O
' O
s O
office O
announced O
. O

Renowned O
artist O
Freddy O
Rodriguez O
was O
selected O
from O
a O
field O
of O
six O
finalists O
for O
the O
memorial O
honoring O
the O
265 O
victims O
of O
the O
Nov B-T
. I-T
12 I-T
, I-T
2001 I-T
tragedy O
, O
said O
Mayor O
Michael O
Bloomberg O
. O
The O
2 O
- O
million O
- O
dollar O
memorial O
, O
financed O
by O
public O
and O
private O
funding O
, O
should O
be O
completed O
by O
fall B-T
2006 I-T
- O
- O
in O
time O
for O
the O
fifth O
anniversary O
of O
the O
crash O
. O

The O
plane O
was O
leaving O
John O
F O
. O
Kennedy O
International O
Airport O
on O
its O
way O
for O
the O
Dominican O
Republic O
when O
it O
plunged O
into O
the O
Queens O
neighborhood O
of O
Belle O
Harbor O
in O
the O
Rockaways O
. O
All O
passengers O
and O
crew O
on O
board O
were O
killed O
, O
along O
with O
five O
people O
on O
the O
ground O
. O

" O
This O
process O
has O
brought O
us O
together O
to O
find O
the O
best O
way O
to O
honor O
and O
remember O
those O
we O
lost O
in O
a O
meaningful O
and O
enduring O
manner O
, O
" O
Bloomberg O
said O
. O

Family O
members O
of O
the O
victims O
have O
complained O
about O
the O
location O
of O
the O
site O
. O
On O
Saturday B-T
, O
at O
a O
service O
marking O
the O
fourth O
anniversary O
of O
the O
crash O
, O
family O
members O
questioned O
why O
the O
memorial O
was O
slated O
to O
go O
up O
about O
a O
mile O
from O
the O
crash O
site O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061127 O
. O
0110 O

SINGAPORE O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
27 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Creative O
industries O
forum O
kicks O
off O
in O
Singapore O

A O
global O
forum O
for O
creative O
industries O
, O
Beyond O
2006 B-T
, O
one O
of O
a O
series O
of O
events O
of O
month O
- O
long O
Creative O
2006 O
programs O
to O
showcase O
and O
promote O
Singapore O
' O
s O
creative O
sector O
, O
was O
kicked O
off O
here O
Monday B-T
. O

" O
Many O
countries O
see O
the O
creative O
industries O
as O
a O
key O
competitive O
advantage O
in O
the O
globalized O
economy O
. O
Ideas O
and O
imagination O
have O
become O
valuable O
assets O
and O
drivers O
of O
economic O
opportunities O
and O
growth O
, O
" O
Lee O
Boon O
Yang O
, O
Minister O
for O
Information O
, O
Communications O
and O
the O
Arts O
, O
said O
at O
the O
opening O
ceremony O
of O
the O
forum O
. O

" O
Singapore O
cannot O
be O
any O
different O
, O
" O
he O
said O
, O
adding O
" O
We O
must O
harness O
creativity O
and O
the O
power O
of O
innovation O
to O
forge O
ahead O
in O
a O
globalized O
economy O
. O
" O

The O
tow O
- O
day O
forum O
of O
Beyond O
2006 O
is O
a O
platform O
to O
provide O
opportunities O
for O
the O
domestic O
and O
international O
leading O
creative O
icons O
to O
exchange O
creative O
ideas O
. O

The O
creative O
industries O
, O
which O
comprise O
of O
the O
arts O
, O
media O
, O
and O
design O
, O
are O
among O
the O
fastest O
growing O
economic O
sectors O
globally O
. O
The O
global O
market O
value O
of O
the O
creative O
cluster O
was O
estimated O
at O
more O
than O
1 O
trillion O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
last B-T
year I-T
. O

Singapore O
launched O
the O
Creative O
Industries O
Development O
Strategy O
in O
2003 B-T
, O
starting O
to O
put O
in O
place O
many O
programs O
and O
supporting O
structures O
to O
drive O
this O
growing O
sector O
. O

In O
Singapore O
, O
added O
value O
of O
this O
sector O
had O
grown O
at O
7 O
percent O
compared O
to O
4 O
percent O
for O
the O
general O
economy O
from O
1995 B-T
to O
2003 O
, O
while O
employment O
grew O
by O
5 O
. O
5 O
percent O
per O
annum O
during O
the B-T
same I-T
period I-T
, O
according O
to O
the O
minister O
. O

Besides O
value O
add O
and O
employment O
, O
the O
creative O
industries O
have O
a O
wider O
reaching O
impact O
across O
the O
economy O
and O
other O
sectors O
such O
as O
people O
' O
s O
life O
, O
community O
and O
the O
culture O
. O

Lee O
pointed O
out O
that O
long O
- O
term O
success O
and O
sustainability O
of O
this O
sector O
will O
depend O
on O
balancing O
creativity O
and O
commercial O
viability O
with O
cultural O
and O
social O
capital O
building O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970413 O
. O
0227 O

SARAJEVO O
April B-T
13 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Pope O
' O
s O
peace O
appeal O
gets O
mixed O
hearing O
in O
Bosnia O

Pope O
John O
Paul O
II O
' O
s O
appeal O
Sunday B-T
for O
peace O
and O
understanding O
in O
Bosnia O
got O
a O
mixed O
hearing O
from O
the O
faithful O
here O
, O
hopeful O
that O
tolerance O
will O
emerge O
but O
doubtful O
if O
it O
will O
happen O
soon O
. O

Acknowledging O
the O
wounds O
caused O
by O
Europe O
' O
s O
bloodiest O
war O
in O
50 B-T
years I-T
, O
the O
pope O
told O
an O
open O
- O
air O
mass O
in O
Sarajevo O
Sunday O
: O
" O
Let O
us O
forgive O
and O
let O
us O
ask O
for O
forgiveness O
. O

" O
If O
Christ O
is O
to O
be O
our O
advocate O
with O
the O
Father O
, O
we O
cannot O
fail O
to O
utter O
these O
words O
. O
We O
cannot O
fail O
to O
undertake O
the O
difficult O
but O
necessary O
pilgrimage O
of O
forgiveness O
, O
which O
leads O
to O
a O
profound O
reconciliation O
, O
" O
the O
pontiff O
said O
. O

For O
some O
, O
the O
message O
itself O
would O
help O
spread O
peace O
. O

" O
This O
is O
a O
big O
event O
, O
it O
will O
bring O
peace O
, O
harmony O
and O
love O
to O
all O
of O
us O
, O
" O
said O
64 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Tilda O
, O
from O
the O
Croat O
- O
held O
town O
of O
Kiseljak O
. O

" O
I O
believe O
it O
is O
possible O
to O
forgive O
, O
I O
would O
not O
come O
if O
I O
did O
not O
think O
reconciliation O
was O
possible O
, O
" O
she O
said O
. O

Others O
thought O
tolerance O
and O
reconciliation O
might O
take O
time O
. O

" O
It O
will O
take O
some O
time O
before O
everyone O
forgives O
- O
- O
there O
were O
many O
victims O
, O
" O
said O
Anto O
Zlatun O
, O
48 O
, O
from O
the O
mixed O
Moslem O
- O
Croat O
town O
of O
Novi O
Travnik O
. O

" O
In O
myself O
lost O
my O
brother O
. O
Reconciliation O
is O
not O
possible O
right O
now B-T
, O
but O
in O
two B-T
or I-T
three I-T
years I-T
it O
will O
be O
necessary O
. O
" O

" O
I O
did O
not O
have O
any O
fears O
of O
coming O
to O
Sarajevo O
" O
said O
his O
wife O
, O
Antija O
. O
" O
If O
he O
( O
the O
pope O
) O
was O
ready O
to O
come O
, O
why O
should O
I O
not O
come O
as O
well O
? O
" O

Almost O
all O
Bosnia O
' O
s O
Catholics O
are O
Croats O
from O
outside O
Sarajevo O
, O
and O
most O
of O
the O
estimated O
30 O
, O
000 O
who O
attended O
the O
papal O
mass O
headed O
to O
more O
than O
400 O
buses O
and O
to O
trains O
for O
the O
journey O
home O
after O
the O
three O
- O
hour O
service O
. O

Jelena O
Glavas O
, O
a O
17 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
from O
the O
town O
of O
Osara O
agreed O
reconciliation O
could O
not O
happen O
soon O
. O
" O
Reconciliation O
is O
possible O
, O
but O
not O
now B-T
. O
Maybe O
later O
, O
" O
she O
said O
. O

" O
No O
, O
no O
, O
life O
together O
is O
not O
possible O
, O
" O
said O
her O
teenaged O
friend O
, O
who O
refused O
to O
be O
named O
. O
" O
I O
cannot O
forget O
what O
happened O
, O
or O
forgive O
those O
who O
did O
it O
. O
" O

For O
the O
pope O
, O
" O
Of O
course O
, O
forgiveness O
, O
far O
from O
precluding O
the O
search O
for O
truth O
, O
actually O
requires O
it O
because O
an O
essential O
requisite O
for O
forgiveness O
and O
reconciliation O
is O
justice O
. O
But O
it O
still O
remains O
true O
that O
asking O
and O
granting O
forgiveness O
is O
something O
profoundly O
worthy O
of O
man O
. O
" O

But O
for O
57 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Jelica O
, O
a O
Croat O
from O
Serb O
- O
held O
Banja O
Luka O
, O
the O
site O
of O
savage O
ethnic O
cleansing O
by O
Serb O
paramilitary O
units O
of O
Croats O
and O
Moslems O
during O
the O
43 O
- O
month O
war O
, O
while O
there O
will O
be O
peace O
, O
there O
will O
not O
be O
forgiveness O
. O

" O
We O
feel O
great O
, O
everything O
will O
be O
OK O
, O
there O
will O
be O
peace O
, O
it O
does O
not O
matter O
who O
you O
are O
, O
" O
she O
said O
. O
But O
, O
she O
added O
: O
" O
We O
can O
forgive O
but O
we O
won O
' O
t O
go O
to O
the O
houses O
of O
those O
who O
did O
something O
. O
" O

XIN_ENG_20061117 O
. O
0086 O

BERLIN O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
17 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

German O
stocks O
open O
lower O

German O
stocks O
opened O
lower O
Friday B-T
on O
the O
Frankfurt O
market O
. O

The O
30 O
- O
share O
DAX O
Index O
dropped O
0 O
. O
01 O
percent O
or O
0 O
. O
67 O
points O
to O
6 O
, O
442 O
. O
35 O
at O
09 B-T
: I-T
03 I-T
a I-T
. I-T
m I-T
. I-T
( O
0803 O
GMT O
) O
. O

The O
MDAX O
index O
of O
medium O
- O
sized O
companies O
was O
down O
0 O
. O
13 O
percent O
or O
11 O
. O
45 O
points O
to O
8 O
, O
931 O
. O
86 O
. O

The O
TecDAX O
index O
of O
technologies O
and O
science O
firms O
was O
down O
0 O
. O
29 O
percent O
to O
706 O
. O
31 O
points O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061211 O
. O
0497 O

TEHRAN O
, O
Dec B-T
11 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

Ahmadinejad O
government O
running O
out O
of O
cash O

President O
Mahmoud O
Ahmadinejad O
is O
to O
ask O
the O
Iranian O
parliament O
for O
a O
supplementary O
budget O
as O
his O
government O
' O
s O
coffers O
will O
run O
empty O
three B-T
months I-T
before O
the B-T
end I-T
of I-T
the I-T
current I-T
Iranian I-T
fiscal I-T
year I-T
, O
the O
ISNA O
news O
agency O
reported O
Monday B-T
. O

" O
The O
budget O
allocated O
to O
the O
government O
will O
run O
out O
by O
the B-T
end I-T
of I-T
( I-T
the I-T
Iranian I-T
month I-T
of O
) O
Azar O
( O
December B-T
22 I-T
) O
, O
" O
the O
agency O
quoted O
Ahmadinejad O
as O
saying O
. O

" O
We O
are O
going O
to O
put O
forward O
a O
supplementary O
budget O
bill O
to O
cover O
the O
three O
remaining O
months O
( O
of O
the O
Iranian B-T
year I-T
, O
ending O
on O
March B-T
20 I-T
, I-T
2007 I-T
) O
and O
the B-T
first I-T
two I-T
months I-T
of O
next B-T
year I-T
. O

" O
This O
will O
be O
the O
fuel O
so O
that O
the O
government O
can O
operate O
in O
the B-T
next I-T
five I-T
months I-T
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O
The O
president O
did O
not O
give O
a O
reason O
for O
why O
the O
budget O
had O
run O
over O
. O

The O
60 O
- O
billion O
- O
dollar O
government O
budget O
, O
which O
is O
about O
one O
third O
of O
the O
national O
budget O
, O
finances O
the O
public O
sector O
and O
covers O
current O
expenditures O
as O
well O
as O
development O
plans O
. O

It O
is O
the O
first O
time O
in O
years B-T
an O
Iranian O
government O
has O
asked O
parliament O
for O
such O
an O
additional O
sum O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970417 O
. O
0441 O

FARGO O
, O
North O
Dakota O
, O
April B-T
17 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Red O
River O
floods O
set O
new O
record O
high O
in O
North O
Dakota O
town O

Floodwaters O
from O
the O
swollen O
Red O
River O
soared O
to O
record O
high O
levels O
in O
this O
upper O
Midwest O
town O
Thursday B-T
and O
kept O
on O
rising O
as O
residents O
raced O
to O
shore O
up O
weakening O
sandbag O
dikes O
. O

Many O
residents O
shook O
their O
heads O
in O
disbelief O
as O
the O
water O
kept O
rolling O
in O
and O
officials O
said O
they O
could O
not O
say O
when O
the O
river O
would O
crest O
after O
nearly B-T
two I-T
weeks I-T
of O
the O
worst O
flooding O
this O
century O
. O

The O
water O
rose O
to O
13 O
. O
1 O
meters O
( O
39 O
. O
3 O
feet O
) O
, O
seven O
meters O
( O
22 O
feet O
) O
above O
flood O
stage B-T
, O
eclipsing O
the O
previous O
record O
of O
13 O
meters O
( O
39 O
. O
1 O
feet O
) O
set O
in O
1897 B-T
. O

Firemen O
and O
policemen O
evacuated O
four O
families O
in O
the O
dead O
of O
the O
night O
as O
between O
15 B-T
and O
20 O
homes O
were O
flooded O
. O

Two O
percent O
of O
the O
city O
was O
under O
water O
. O
Although O
there O
has O
been O
no O
precise O
estimate O
of O
the O
damage O
, O
the O
flooding O
is O
clearly O
taking O
its O
toll O
. O
Garbage O
collection O
has O
stopped O
and O
several O
areas O
are O
without O
water O
. O

Several O
districts O
are O
only O
accessible O
by O
boat O
. O

The O
floodwaters O
will O
delay O
planting O
of O
wheat O
and O
sugar O
beets O
causing O
an O
estimated O
one O
billion O
dollars O
in O
damages O
to O
farmers O
in O
the O
upper O
plains O
area O
. O

Protective O
dikes O
have O
been O
built O
to O
a O
height O
of O
13 O
. O
3 O
meters O
( O
40 O
feet O
) O
but O
many O
are O
being O
weakened O
by O
the O
relentless O
pressure O
from O
the O
floodwaters O
. O

One O
resident O
built O
a O
30 O
, O
000 O
- O
dollar O
concrete O
dike O
around O
his O
home O
only O
to O
see O
it O
crack O
Wednesday B-T
. O
His O
house O
was O
entirely O
flooded O
. O

In O
Fargo O
and O
in O
Moorhead O
, O
on O
the O
Minnesota O
side O
of O
the O
river O
, O
hundreds O
of O
volunteers O
worked O
throughout O
the B-T
night I-T
to O
shore O
up O
leaky O
levees O
and O
dikes O
or O
raced O
to O
pump O
water O
out O
faster O
than O
it O
came O
in O
. O

The O
Red O
River O
and O
its O
tributaries O
, O
swollen O
by O
rains O
and O
melted O
snow O
, O
spread O
some O
25 O
kilometers O
( O
15 O
miles O
) O
over O
highways O
and O
roads O
in O
rural O
areas O
here O
and O
covered O
the O
pancake O
- O
flat O
farmland O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061220 O
. O
0510 O

ABUJA O
, O
Dec B-T
20 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

2007 O
poll O

Nigeria O
' O
s O
electoral O
agency O
said O
Wednesday B-T
that O
it O
has O
started O
to O
revalidate O
2002 O
/ O
2003 O
voters O
cards O
for O
use O
in O
the O
April B-T
next I-T
year I-T
' O
s O
presidential O
and O
general O
elections O
. O

The O
revalidation O
of O
the O
2002 O
/ O
2003 O
voters O
cards O
is O
" O
to O
ensure O
that O
all O
eligible O
voters O
are O
able O
to O
vote O
during O
the O
forthcoming O
general O
elections O
, O
" O
the O
Independent O
National O
Electoral O
Commission O
( O
INEC O
) O
said O
in O
an O
official O
statement O
. O

INEC O
advised O
all O
those O
who O
registered O
in O
the B-T
2002 O
/ O
2003 O
exercise O
to O
take O
advantage O
of O
" O
this O
unique O
opportunity O
" O
by O
visiting O
the O
nearest O
INEC O
registration O
centre O
to O
obtain O
new O
voters O
cards O
containing O
their O
photographs O
in O
replacement O
of O
the O
old O
ones O
. O

Registration O
of O
voters O
the O
April B-T
2007 I-T
poll O
formally O
ended O
last B-T
December I-T
14 I-T
amid O
complaints O
that O
tens O
of O
millions O
of O
citizens O
were O
not O
recorded O
during O
the O
exercise O
. O

The O
electoral O
act O
stipulates O
that O
the O
registration O
of O
voters O
must O
have O
been O
completed O
120 B-T
days I-T
before O
the O
start O
of O
2007 O
gubernatorial O
and O
presidential O
poll O
, O
an O
INEC O
official O
told O
AFP O
. O

Governorship O
elections O
are O
scheduled O
for O
April B-T
14 I-T
while O
the O
presidential O
poll O
will O
be O
held O
a B-T
week I-T
later I-T
. O

A O
massive O
drive O
to O
put O
all O
over O
- O
18s O
on O
the O
electoral O
roll O
was O
beset O
by O
technical O
problems O
, O
a O
situation O
that O
drew O
the O
ire O
of O
the O
country O
' O
s O
lawmakers O
who O
twice O
recently O
summoned O
the O
INEC O
boss O
, O
Maurice O
Iwu O
, O
to O
explain O
what O
they O
said O
was O
his O
agency O
' O
s O
sloppy O
handling O
of O
the O
exercise O
. O

The O
lawmakers O
and O
most O
Nigerians O
criticised O
the O
use O
of O
hi O
- O
tech O
polling O
e O
- O
machines O
which O
store O
voters O
' O
thumbprints O
and O
photographs O
, O
but O
proved O
ineffective O
in O
a O
demonstration O
in O
October B-T
. O

Although O
33 O
, O
000 O
such O
machines O
were O
judged O
necessary O
to O
fulfil O
the O
demand O
of O
the O
populous O
nation O
' O
s O
mandatory O
registration O
, O
officials O
said O
that O
less O
than O
20 O
, O
000 O
were O
deployed O
for O
the O
exercise O
. O

They O
also O
cited O
poor O
mobilisation O
and O
sensitisation O
of O
the O
people O
for O
the O
exercise O
. O

The O
April B-T
2007 I-T
poll O
is O
expected O
to O
lead O
in O
May B-T
to O
the O
first O
democratic O
handover O
to O
a O
new O
government O
since O
Nigeria O
gained O
independence O
from O
Britain O
in O
October B-T
1960 I-T
. O

President O
Olusegun O
Obasanjo O
, O
who O
has O
been O
in O
office O
since O
May B-T
1999 I-T
, O
is O
expected O
to O
hand O
over O
power O
on O
May B-T
29 I-T
after O
the O
poll O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051207 O
. O
0294 O

LEIPZIG O
, O
Germany O
, O
Dec B-T
7 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

Pekerman O
only O
coach O
absent O
for O
World O
Cup O
draw O

The O
coaches O
of O
the O
32 O
nations O
that O
have O
qualified O
for O
the O
2006 O
World O
Cup O
will O
all O
be O
at O
Friday B-T
' O
s O
draw O
with O
the O
sole O
exception O
of O
Argentina O
manager O
Jose O
Pekerman O
. O

England O
' O
s O
Sven O
- O
Goran O
Eriksson O
, O
Australia O
' O
s O
Guus O
Hiddink O
, O
Japan O
manager O
Zico O
and O
other O
leading O
coaches O
will O
all O
witness O
the O
draw O
live O
, O
Wolfgang O
Niersbach O
, O
vice O
- O
president O
of O
the O
organising O
committee O
, O
revealed O
at O
a O
press O
conference O
. O

" O
All O
the O
managers O
will O
be O
in O
Leipzig O
expect O
for O
Pekerman O
, O
" O
said O
Niersbach O
. O

" O
The O
Argentina O
Football O
Federation O
did O
not O
give O
a O
reason O
for O
his O
absence O
. O
" O
Argentina O
are O
one O
of O
the O
eight O
seeds O
for O
Friday B-T
' O
s O
draw O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051115 O
. O
0042 O

BUSAN O
, O
South O
Korea O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
15 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Writethru O
: O
APEC O
rises O
to O
challenges O
, O
grasps O
opportunities O

Foreign O
and O
trade O
ministers O
of O
the O
Asia O
- O
Pacific O
Economic O
Cooperation O
( O
APEC O
) O
began O
their O
meeting O
Tuesday B-T
in O
the O
South O
Korean O
coastal O
city O
of O
Busan O
amid O
mounting O
gloom O
over O
trade O
liberalization O
and O
overshadowed O
by O
mounting O
terrorism O
and O
spreading O
avian O
flu O
. O

The O
meeting O
would O
pave O
the O
way O
for O
an O
APEC O
summit O
with O
the O
participation O
of O
21 O
economies O
in O
the O
Asia O
- O
Pacific O
region O
. O
The O
gathering O
would O
seek O
common O
ground O
on O
an O
open O
multilateral O
trading O
system O
and O
forge O
a O
unified O
response O
to O
terror O
attacks O
and O
health O
risks O
such O
as O
bird O
flu O
. O

A O
successful O
conclusion O
of O
the O
World O
Trade O
Organization O
( O
WTO O
) O
ministerial O
meeting O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
next O
month O
and O
rapid O
conclusion O
of O
the O
WTO O
Doha O
Development O
Agenda O
negotiations O
are O
expected O
to O
be O
the O
main O
business O
concern O
. O

On O
the O
sidelines O
, O
South O
Korea O
plans O
to O
spur O
discussions O
on O
bilateral O
free O
trade O
agreements O
with O
countries O
like O
the O
United O
States O
and O
Japan O
. O
It O
also O
plans O
to O
seek O
a O
reduction O
of O
duties O
applied O
by O
members O
of O
the O
Association O
of O
South O
East O
Asian O
Nations O
. O

The O
region O
has O
undergone O
dramatic O
changes O
characterized O
by O
the O
December B-T
tsunami O
in O
Asia O
and O
this B-T
year I-T
' O
s O
hurricanes O
in O
America O
, O
the O
earthquake O
in O
Pakistan O
and O
the O
bird O
flu O
in O
Asia O
. O
Last B-T
week I-T
' O
s O
bomb O
attacks O
in O
Jordan O
also O
alerted O
APEC O
members O
to O
promote O
anti O
- O
terrorism O
cooperation O
. O

All O
this O
may O
enlarge O
the O
dimension O
of O
cooperation O
among O
the O
21 O
APEC O
members O
and O
breathe O
new O
life O
to O
the O
grouping O
which O
includes O
seven O
of O
the O
world O
' O
s O
13 O
largest O
economies O
, O
represents O
more O
than O
a O
third O
of O
the O
world O
' O
s O
population O
, O
and O
constitutes O
60 O
percent O
of O
the O
global O
economy O
and O
nearly O
half O
of O
world O
trade O
. O

It O
might O
be O
easier O
for O
APEC O
members O
to O
find O
common O
language O
and O
common O
interests O
in O
coping O
with O
issues O
like O
terrorism O
, O
natural O
disasters O
and O
bird O
flu O
, O
APEC O
observers O
said O
. O

Unlike O
previous O
summits O
, O
this B-T
year I-T
' O
s O
APEC O
agenda O
would O
include O
natural O
disasters O
and O
bird O
flu O
and O
ways O
to O
enhance O
bilateral O
and O
multilateral O
cooperation O
in O
these O
fields O
, O
said O
the O
official O
, O
who O
refused O
to O
be O
named O
. O

As O
part O
of O
joint O
efforts O
, O
a O
special O
fund O
of O
2 O
million O
US O
dollars O
was O
envisaged O
by O
APEC O
senior O
officials O
to O
fight O
the O
spread O
of O
bird O
flu O
. O
Other O
concrete O
measures O
were O
expected O
to O
be O
hammered O
out O
. O

Removing O
trade O
barriers O
, O
however O
, O
remained O
a O
hard O
job O
for O
APEC O
, O
which O
puts O
free O
trade O
at O
its O
priority O
list O
. O

APEC O
members O
will O
renew O
their O
own O
commitment O
to O
the O
Bogor O
Goals O
made O
in O
1994 B-T
by O
forming O
the O
Busan O
roadmap O
. O
It O
calls O
for O
group O
members O
with O
developed O
economies O
to O
fully O
liberalize O
trade O
and O
investment O
by O
2010 B-T
with O
developing O
members O
to O
do O
so O
by O
2020 B-T
. O

Attempt O
to O
unlock O
the O
tangle O
in O
the O
WTO O
negotiations O
would O
dominate O
the O
APEC O
forum O
prior O
to O
next B-T
month I-T
' O
s O
WTO O
meeting O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
. O

In O
order O
to O
rescue O
the O
Hong O
Kong O
meeting O
, O
Asia O
- O
Pacific O
leaders O
were O
expected O
to O
plead O
with O
all O
nations O
involved O
in O
troubled O
global O
trade O
talks O
to O
make O
meaningful O
concessions O
. O

Global O
trade O
talks O
could O
collapse O
if O
the O
current O
impasse O
over O
agricultural O
subsidies O
and O
other O
issues O
were O
not O
resolved O
, O
trade O
experts O
said O
. O

The O
forum O
was O
concerned O
that O
" O
the O
current O
impasse O
in O
the O
negotiations O
may O
lead O
to O
a O
potential O
failure O
" O
of O
the O
Hong O
Kong O
ministerial O
meeting O
, O
said O
a O
draft O
statement O
prepared O
by O
senior O
officials O
for O
their O
leaders O
to O
sign O
off O
. O

" O
We O
all O
agree O
that O
the O
Hong O
Kong O
ministerial O
( O
meeting O
) O
will O
be O
a O
critical O
step O
in O
achieving O
this O
goal O
" O
of O
reducing O
subsidies O
and O
other O
barriers O
to O
free O
trade O
, O
said O
the O
statement O
, O
whose O
final O
wording O
may O
be O
changed O
. O

Throughout O
the B-T
past I-T
week I-T
trade O
officials O
have O
expressed O
gloom O
about O
the O
Hong O
Kong O
meeting O
, O
with O
EU O
Trade O
Commissioner O
Peter O
Mandelson O
saying O
the O
talks O
would O
fail O
. O

The O
so O
- O
called O
Doha O
round O
of O
WTO O
talks O
, O
launched O
in O
the O
Qatari O
capital O
of O
Doha O
in O
2001 B-T
, O
has O
bogged O
down O
in O
a O
bitter O
dispute O
over O
agricultural O
subsidies O
which O
has O
pitted O
mainly O
rich O
nations O
against O
developing O
nations O
. O

Developing O
countries O
also O
argue O
that O
farm O
subsidies O
in O
rich O
nations O
such O
as O
the O
United O
States O
and O
EU O
countries O
depress O
global O
prices O
and O
prevent O
growers O
in O
poor O
nations O
from O
competing O
. O

The O
European O
Union O
has O
rejected O
demands O
by O
the O
United O
States O
, O
Australia O
and O
some O
other O
APEC O
members O
to O
impose O
greater O
cuts O
in O
the O
subsidies O
. O

WTO O
members O
should O
" O
make O
further O
, O
meaningful O
contributions O
to O
move O
the O
negotiations O
forward O
, O
" O
said O
the O
APEC O
statement O
. O
" O
Doing O
this O
will O
require O
economically O
and O
politically O
difficult O
decisions O
by O
all O
WTO O
members O
. O
" O

Expectations O
were O
shrinking O
and O
hopes O
plummeting O
after O
negotiations O
earlier B-T
this I-T
month I-T
in O
Geneva O
and O
London O
failed O
to O
end O
the O
stand O
- O
off O
. O

The O
statement O
said O
that O
while O
the O
initial O
expectations O
of O
the O
Hong O
Kong O
meeting O
may O
not O
be O
achieved O
, O
" O
we O
should O
nonetheless O
not O
compromise O
the O
level O
of O
ambition O
for O
the O
whole O
round O
" O
launched O
in O
Doha O
, O
Qatar O
in O
2001 B-T
. O

Participants O
at O
the O
APEC O
ministerial O
meeting O
, O
were O
working O
hard O
to O
come O
up O
with O
a O
statement O
for O
their O
leaders O
to O
sign O
off O
. O

The O
statement O
was O
expected O
to O
support O
the O
WTO O
, O
thus O
giving O
a O
boost O
to O
the O
staggering O
trade O
talks O
. O

" O
What O
is O
needed O
at O
this O
moment O
is O
a O
strong O
message O
from O
leaders O
to O
keep O
spirits O
up O
, O
" O
said O
one O
participant O
, O
who O
refused O
identification O
. O

Some O
participants O
, O
however O
, O
were O
worried O
about O
the O
Hong O
Kong O
meeting O
becoming O
a O
repeat O
of O
the O
previous O
ministerial O
gathering O
in O
Cancun O
, O
Mexico O
, O
in O
2003 B-T
, O
which O
bogged O
down O
in O
acrimony O
and O
paralyzed O
the O
WTO O
for O
months O
. O

" O
APEC O
would O
like O
to O
change O
this O
message O
of O
crisis O
into O
a O
message O
of O
hope O
, O
" O
said O
Kim O
Jong O
- O
hoon O
, O
South O
Korea O
' O
s O
senior O
APEC O
official O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061120 O
. O
0003 O

JAKARTA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
20 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

12 O
bodies O
from O
Indonesian O
plane O
crash O
evacuated O

The O
Indonesian O
rescue O
team O
Monday B-T
evacuated O
the O
bodies O
of O
all O
12 O
passengers O
and O
crews O
of O
a O
plane O
that O
crashed O
Friday B-T
in O
the O
most O
remote O
province O
of O
Papua O
. O

Two O
helicopters O
were O
sent O
to O
support O
the O
evacuation O
, O
which O
was O
delayed O
for O
two B-T
days I-T
due O
to O
bad O
weather O
, O
police O
said O
from O
the O
scene O
. O

" O
The O
weather O
is O
perfect O
today O
, O
no O
wind O
no O
fog O
. O
The O
evacuated O
process O
was O
completed O
in O
just O
two B-T
hours I-T
, O
" O
Papua O
police O
spokesman O
Sen O
. O
Commr O
. O
Kartono O
was O
quoted O
by O
the O
Detikcom O
news O
website O
as O
saying O
. O

The O
Twin O
Otter O
plane O
belonging O
to O
the O
Trigana O
Air O
Service O
was O
reported O
missing O
Friday B-T
during O
a O
short O
- O
distance O
trip O
in O
Puncak O
Jaya O
regency O
, O
around O
3 O
, O
600 O
km O
east O
of O
Jakarta O
. O

The O
plane O
was O
found O
several O
hours O
later O
without O
any O
survivors O
among O
the O
nine O
passengers O
and O
three O
crews O
. O

Most O
of O
the O
passengers O
were O
officials O
of O
the O
local O
government O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051130 O
. O
0293 O

LONDON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
30 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Liverpool O
claim O
fourth O
place O
after O
2 O
- O
0 O
win O
over O
in O
Premier O
League O

Liverpool O
moved O
to O
the O
fourth O
place O
in O
the O
Premiership O
after O
a O
convincing O
2 O
- O
0 O
win O
over O
bottom O
- O
of O
- O
the O
table O
Sunderland O
on O
Wednesday B-T
. O

Liverpool O
went O
ahead O
in O
the B-T
30th I-T
minute I-T
when O
Luis O
Garcia O
collected O
Xabi O
Alonso O
' O
s O
pass O
and O
slipped O
a O
shot O
past O
Ben O
Alnwick O
. O

Alonso O
produced O
an O
even O
better O
pass O
for O
Liverpool O
' O
s O
second O
goal O
, O
freeing O
Steven O
Gerrard O
, O
who O
rounded O
Alnwick O
and O
then O
prodded O
the O
ball O
into O
the O
empty O
net O
. O

The O
only O
black O
mark O
for O
Liverpool O
was O
Mohamed O
Sissoko O
' O
s O
second O
- O
half O
red O
card O
. O

Sissoko O
was O
dismissed O
on O
65 O
minutes O
following O
two O
yellow O
cards O
for O
a O
couple O
of O
bad O
tackles O
, O
first O
on O
Liam O
Lawrence O
and O
then O
on O
Dean O
Whitehead O
. O

However O
, O
even O
when O
Liverpool O
went O
down O
to O
10 O
men O
, O
Sunderland O
were O
so O
poor O
they O
were O
unable O
to O
force O
Jose O
Reina O
to O
make O
a O
save O
until O
the O
closing O
stages O
of O
the O
game O
. O

Indeed O
, O
Liverpool O
contrived O
to O
produce O
the O
better O
chances O
, O
notably O
John O
Arne O
Riise O
' O
s O
remarkable O
run O
from O
inside O
his O
own O
half O
, O
an O
attack O
that O
saw O
the O
Norwegian O
strike O
the O
bar O
with O
a O
thunderous O
shot O
. O

The O
win O
was O
Liverpool O
' O
s O
fifth O
successive O
Premiership O
victory O
and O
leaves O
Rafael O
Benitez O
' O
s O
side O
12 O
points O
behind O
leaders O
Chelsea O
with O
a O
game O
in O
hand O
. O

Benitez O
had O
left O
striker O
Djibril O
Cisse O
out O
of O
his O
squad O
following O
the O
Frenchman O
' O
s O
petulant O
reaction O
at O
being O
substituted O
at O
Manchester O
City O
on O
Saturday B-T
, O
pairing O
Peter O
Crouch O
and O
Fernando O
Morientes O
in O
Liverpool O
' O
s O
attack O
. O

Before O
Liverpool O
went O
ahead O
, O
Crouch O
was O
played O
in O
on O
goal O
by O
Gerrard O
, O
but O
Alnwick O
did O
well O
to O
clear O
the O
danger O
. O

With O
Liverpool O
2 O
- O
0 O
ahead O
Crouch O
had O
the O
goal O
at O
his O
mercy O
again O
following O
a O
goalmouth O
scramble O
but O
he O
collapsed O
after O
Stephen O
Caldwell O
' O
s O
tackle O
, O
claiming O
a O
penalty O
. O

Crouch O
did O
better O
to O
head O
the O
ball O
into O
Riise O
' O
s O
feet O
following O
a O
Gerrard O
free O
- O
kick O
, O
but O
the O
Norwegian O
' O
s O
shot O
was O
well O
blocked O
by O
Justin O
Hoyte O
. O

Sunderland O
' O
s O
defeat O
was O
their O
seventh O
league O
loss O
and O
leaves O
them O
seven O
points O
behind O
fourth O
- O
from O
- O
bottom O
West O
Bromwich O
Albion O
. O

The O
home O
side O
' O
s O
play O
was O
riddled O
with O
mistakes O
and O
Chris O
Brown O
' O
s O
horrendous O
miskick O
and O
another O
woeful O
shot O
from O
Whitehead O
summed O
up O
the O
poor O
quality O
of O
their O
attacking O
play O
. O

It O
was O
Alonso O
who O
shook O
Liverpool O
out O
of O
their O
own O
early O
torpor O
, O
the O
Spaniard O
swivelling O
and O
hitting O
a O
half O
- O
volleyed O
pass O
from O
his O
own O
half O
. O

The O
pass O
went O
between O
Gary O
Breen O
and O
Hoyte O
to O
free O
Garcia O
, O
who O
rolled O
his O
shot O
past O
Alnwick O
. O

Another O
clever O
turn O
and O
pass O
, O
this O
time O
from O
Garcia O
, O
provided O
space O
for O
Gerrard O
, O
whose O
shot O
clipped O
the O
post O
as O
Liverpool O
tried O
to O
press O
home O
their O
advantage O
. O

Alonso O
having O
explored O
the O
space O
on O
the O
right O
of O
the O
Sunderland O
defence O
for O
the O
first O
goal O
, O
produced O
a O
pass O
to O
embarrass O
Caldwell O
and O
Danny O
Collins O
on O
the O
other O
flank O
. O

The O
Spanish O
international O
midfielder O
' O
s O
pass O
left O
Collins O
chasing O
Gerrard O
' O
s O
shadow O
and O
the O
Liverpool O
captain O
finished O
in O
style O
, O
skipping O
his O
way O
past O
Alnwick O
, O
before O
slipping O
the O
ball O
into O
the O
net O
. O

Alonso O
capped O
a O
fine O
performance O
with O
an O
outrageous O
attempt O
to O
score O
with O
a O
long O
- O
range O
free O
- O
kick O
after O
Sissoko O
' O
s O
dismissal O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061107 O
. O
0342 O

NEW O
YORK O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
7 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

New O
Yorkers O
concerned O
about O
what O
happens O
at O
WTC O
site O
: O
poll O

Most O
New O
Yorkers O
believe O
that O
construction O
should O
continue O
while O
an O
expanded O
search O
for O
human O
remains O
underway O
, O
according O
to O
a O
recent O
poll O
conducted O
by O
local O
media O
. O

About O
54 O
percent O
of O
the O
1 O
, O
500 O
registered O
voters O
argued O
that O
construction O
of O
the O
Freedom O
Tower O
and O
other O
buildings O
in O
the O
site O
should O
proceed O
while O
39 O
percent O
think O
it O
should O
stop O
until O
the O
search O
for O
remains O
is O
complete O
. O

The O
search O
for O
human O
remains O
resumed O
last B-T
month I-T
when O
a O
power O
supply O
crew O
came O
upon O
remains O
while O
doing O
routine O
work O
in O
a O
manhole O
. O
So O
far O
, O
more O
than O
200 O
remains O
have O
been O
found O
, O
leading O
some O
to O
believe O
the O
original O
search O
was O
not O
extensive O
enough O
. O

One O
respondent O
said O
he O
believed O
the O
construction O
should O
keep O
going O
and O
stick O
to O
the O
plan O
, O
as O
it O
will O
take O
a O
long O
time O
to O
actually O
to O
uncover O
everything O
. O
But O
another O
believed O
the O
workers O
should O
stop O
because O
they O
keep O
finding O
bones O
from O
people O
. O
" O
Out O
of O
respect O
for O
the O
people O
who O
died O
here O
, O
I O
think O
they O
should O
stop O
the O
construction O
and O
do O
a O
full O
, O
thorough O
search O
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O

Some O
criticized O
the O
authorities O
for O
failing O
to O
do O
a O
better O
search O
before O
they O
started O
building O
, O
but O
the O
poll O
found O
that O
47 O
percent O
were O
happy O
with O
the O
original O
search O
while O
42 O
percent O
wish O
more O
had O
been O
done O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051205 O
. O
0446 O

KINSHASA O
, O
Dec B-T
5 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

ATTENTION O
- O
UPDATES O
with O
one O
dead O
/ O
/ O
/ O

At O
least O
one O
person O
was O
killed O
and O
two O
injured O
in O
the O
eastern O
Democratic O
Republic O
of O
Congo O
( O
DRC O
) O
on O
Monday B-T
when O
a O
powerful O
earthquake O
hit O
eastern O
and O
central O
Africa O
, O
a O
hospital O
source O
said O
. O

The O
victim O
, O
an O
infant O
, O
died O
of O
injuries O
sustained O
when O
the O
quake O
caused O
the O
collapse O
of O
his O
family O
' O
s O
house O
on O
the O
outskirts O
of O
the O
town O
of O
Kalemie O
, O
some O
50 O
kilometers O
( O
30 O
miles O
) O
from O
the O
epicenter O
of O
the O
quake O
, O
the O
source O
told O
AFP O
. O

" O
The O
infant O
had O
been O
seriously O
wounded O
by O
the O
collapse O
and O
died O
of O
his O
injuries O
, O
" O
said O
the O
source O
at O
the O
Asia O
clinic O
in O
Kalemie O
. O

Earlier O
, O
Michel O
Bonnardeaux O
, O
spokesman O
for O
the O
UN O
Office O
for O
the O
Coordination O
of O
Humanitarian O
Affairs O
( O
OCHA O
) O
in O
Kinshasa O
, O
said O
at O
least O
three O
people O
, O
including O
the O
infant O
, O
had O
been O
hurt O
. O

" O
Two O
houses O
and O
a O
church O
collapsed O
on O
periphery O
of O
Kalemie O
and O
in O
the O
center O
, O
where O
there O
was O
a O
lot O
of O
panic O
, O
there O
are O
cracks O
in O
many O
buildings O
, O
" O
he O
told O
AFP O
, O
citing O
UN O
officials O
in O
the O
area O
. O

An O
AFP O
correspondent O
quoted O
eyewitnesses O
as O
saying O
several O
Kalemie O
residents O
had O
been O
injured O
and O
a O
number O
of O
buildings O
damaged O
in O
the O
town O
, O
when O
the O
quake O
that O
measured O
7 O
. O
5 O
on O
the O
Richter O
scale O
occurred O
. O

Residents O
of O
six O
east O
and O
central O
African O
nations O
reported O
feeling O
the O
tremors O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061115 O
. O
0120 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
15 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

U O
. O
S O
. O
warship O
arrives O
for O
joint O
search O
- O
and O
- O
rescue O
exercise O

ZHANJIANG O
, O
Guangdong O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
15 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O
- O
- O
The O
USS O
Juneau O
( O
LPD O
10 O
) O
arrived O
on O
Wednesday B-T
at O
Zhanjiang O
, O
a O
port O
city O
of O
South O
China O
' O
s O
Guangdong O
Province O
, O
to O
get O
ready O
for O
a O
joint O
search O
- O
and O
- O
rescue O
exercise O
with O
the O
Chinese O
navy O
. O

This O
is O
the O
third O
time O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
warship O
has O
visited O
Zhanjiang O
since O
this O
south O
China O
port O
opened O
to O
foreign O
warships O
in O
2003 B-T
. O

The O
USS O
Juneau O
, O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
navy O
' O
s O
only O
forward O
- O
deployed O
amphibious O
transport O
dock O
, O
is O
captained O
by O
Commander O
of O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
Pacific O
Fleet O
Gary O
Roughead O
. O
Roughead O
will O
oversee O
the O
joint O
search O
- O
and O
- O
rescue O
operation O
between O
the O
two O
navies O
. O

There O
are O
about O
650 O
crew O
members O
on O
the O
USS O
Juneau O
. O
They O
were O
warmly O
greeted O
by O
more O
than O
400 O
Chinese O
navy O
officers O
and O
sailors O
. O

Later O
Wednesday B-T
, O
Roughead O
will O
meet O
with O
Gu O
Wengen O
, O
commander O
of O
the O
South O
China O
Sea O
fleet O
of O
the O
Navy O
of O
the O
People O
' O
s O
Liberation O
Army O
. O

The O
exercise O
will O
be O
held O
in O
the O
South O
China O
Sea O
on O
Sunday B-T
, O
according O
to O
the O
Chinese O
Defense O
Ministry O
. O
The O
exercise O
will O
involve O
China O
' O
s O
guided O
missile O
destroyer O
" O
Zhanjiang O
" O
, O
fuel O
tanker O
" O
Dongting O
Lake O
, O
" O
the O
USS O
Juneau O
( O
LPD O
10 O
) O
and O
the O
USS O
missile O
destroyer O
Fitzgerald O
. O

" O
These O
exercises O
will O
help O
improve O
understanding O
and O
build O
mutual O
trust O
between O
the O
two O
militaries O
, O
particularly O
the O
two O
navies O
, O
" O
said O
a O
statement O
issued O
by O
the O
Chinese O
Defense O
Ministry O
. O

The O
event O
is O
the O
second O
phase O
of O
the O
first O
- O
ever O
joint O
Sino O
- O
American O
search O
- O
and O
- O
rescue O
exercises O
, O
agreed O
on O
by O
Chinese O
and O
U O
. O
S O
. O
military O
leaders O
. O

The O
first O
phase O
in O
September B-T
consisted O
of O
communications O
and O
passing O
exercises O
held O
in O
the O
waters O
off O
Hawaii O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051214 O
. O
0066 O

SINGAPORE O
, O
Dec B-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

Singapore O
awards O
tender O
for O
prime O
Orchard O
Road O
site O

Southeast O
Asia O
' O
s O
largest O
property O
developer O
and O
its O
Hong O
Kong O
partner O
have O
been O
awarded O
the O
tender O
to O
develop O
a O
prime O
plot O
of O
land O
in O
Singapore O
' O
s O
Orchard O
Road O
district O
, O
the O
government O
said O
Wednesday B-T
. O

Singapore O
- O
listed O
CapitaLand O
and O
partner O
Gresward O
Pte O
Ltd O
, O
a O
unit O
of O
Sun O
Hung O
Kai O
Properties O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
, O
won O
the O
tender O
with O
their O
bid O
of O
1 O
. O
38 O
billion O
Singapore O
dollars O
( O
825 O
million O
US O
) O
, O
the O
Urban O
Redevelopment O
Authority O
( O
URA O
) O
said O
in O
a O
statement O
. O

At O
more O
than O
double O
the O
valuation O
of O
the O
site O
, O
it O
was O
the O
highest O
of O
eight O
bids O
submitted O
, O
the O
URA O
said O
when O
bids O
closed O
last B-T
Thursday I-T
. O

Developing O
the O
coveted O
1 O
. O
8 O
hectare O
( O
4 O
. O
45 O
acres O
) O
site O
at O
the O
corner O
of O
Orchard O
and O
Paterson O
roads O
is O
part O
of O
a O
blueprint O
announced O
earlier B-T
this I-T
year I-T
by O
the O
government O
to O
spruce O
up O
the O
city O
- O
state O
' O
s O
prime O
shopping O
and O
tourist O
belt O
into O
one O
of O
the O
best O
retail O
strips O
in O
the O
world O
. O

It O
comes O
as O
Thailand O
, O
which O
opened O
Bangkok O
' O
s O
366 O
- O
million O
- O
US O
- O
dollar O
Siam O
Paragon O
mall O
on O
Friday B-T
, O
tries O
to O
position O
itself O
as O
a O
regional O
shopping O
rival O
to O
Singapore O
and O
Hong O
Kong O
. O

The O
URA O
said O
the O
tender O
allows O
for O
a O
commercial O
development O
with O
an O
underground O
shopping O
mall O
. O
At O
least O
40 O
percent O
of O
the O
total O
gross O
floor O
area O
must O
be O
for O
retail O
, O
food O
and O
beverage O
and O
/ O
or O
entertainment O
uses O
, O
it O
said O
. O

PRI19980303 B-T
. O
2000 O
. O
2550 O

NEWS O
STORY O

Tomorrow B-T
the O
board O
of O
supervisors O
of O
Loudon O
county O
, O
Virginia O
, O
will O
vote O
on O

whether O
a O
school O
now B-T
located O
in O
Mount O
Vernon O
can O
relocate O
to O
their O
county O
. O

In O
some O
respects O
, O
that O
' O
s O
typical O
county O
business O
, O
but O
tomorrow B-T
' O
s O
vote O
has O

international O
implications O
. O
The O
board O
will O
decide O
whether O
the O
Islamic O
Saudi O

Academy O
, O
funded O
by O
the O
government O
of O
Saudi O
Arabia O
, O
can O
move O
to O
Ashburn O
village O
, O

Virginia O
. O
But O
local O
residents O
have O
not O
exactly O
laid O
out O
the O

red O
carpet O
for O
their O
would O
be O
neighbors O
. O
The O
World O
' O
s O
Nancy O
Marshalll O
has O

our O
story O
. O

Inside O
the O
Islamic O
Saudi O
academy O
in O
Mount O
Vernon O
, O
Virginia O
, O
many O
of O
the O

girls O
wear O
head O
scarves O
and O
some O
of O
the O
neatly O
dressed O
children O
are O
in O
uniforms O
. O

The O
instruction O
is O
in O
English O
for O
most O
classes O
, O
in O
Arabic O
for O
language O
and O

religious O
studies O
. O
The O
school O
says O
it O
teaches O
the O
children O
to O
be O
good O

Muslims O
and O
good O
students O
. O
They O
' O
re O
learning O
a O
civics O
lesson O
from O
the O
residents O
of O

Loudon O
county O
. O
The O
Islamic O
Saudi O
Academy O
has O
twelve O
hundred O
mostly O
American O

students O
but O
would O
take O
thirty O
- O
five O
hundred O
if O
it O
had O
the O
room O
. O

The O
academy O
bought O
a O
hundred O
acres O
in O
Loudon O
county O
, O
Virginia O
, O
and O
asked O
for O
permission O

to O
build O
a O
fifty O
million O
dollar O
campus O
. O
In O
the O
nearby O
suburban O
housing O

tracts O
, O
someone O
dropped O
off O
leaflets O
warning O
the O
school O
could O
bring O

thousands O
of O
Middle O
Eastern O
strangers O
and O
terrorists O
. O
Some O
residents O
of O
the O
mostly O

white O
, O
mostly O
middle O
class O
area O
became O
alarmed O
. O
James O
Zogby O
of O
the O
Arab O

American O
Institute O
says O
it O
' O
s O
a O
familiar O
story O
. O

There O
is O
, O
a O
- O
at O
a O
very O
deep O
level O
in O
our O
culture O
, O
um O
I O
think O
, O
a O
sense O
of O
, O
of O

ignorance O
about O
Islam O
, O
a O
fear O
about O
who O
Muslims O
are O
and O
what O
they O
' O
re O
doing O
. O

Many O
local O
residents O
denounced O
the O
bigotry O
, O
but O
opposition O
to O
the O
school O

then O
shifted O
. O
Now B-T
critics O
of O
the O
academy O
are O
targeting O
its O
owner O
, O
the O
Saudi O

government O
. O
Pastor O
James O
Allmen O
of O
the O
fellowship O
church O
and O
school O
in O

Ashburn O
has O
led O
the O
anti O
- O
Saudi O
campaign O
. O
James O
Allmen O
says O
he O
has O
no O
problem O
with O
a O

privately O
funded O
academy O
, O
but O
he O
has O
a O
big O
problem O
with O
a O
Saudi O
funded O
school O
. O

The O
Saudi O
Arabian O
government O
has O
an O
atrocious O
record O
on O
human O
rights O
and O
is O
known O
to O
be O
one O
of O
the O
worst O
offending O
countries O
when O
it O
comes O
to O
religious O

persecution O
. O

That O
' O
s O
correct O
. O

And O
that O
is O
a O
condition O
of O
the O
application O
, O
then O
. O

That O
is O
a O
condition O
of O
- O

At O
a O
public O
hearing O
on O
the O
Islamic O
Saudi O
Academy O
' O
s O
application O
, O
the O
split O

in O
county O
opinion O
was O
obvious O
, O
supporters O
of O
the O
academy O
, O
including O
Ann O

Robinson O
, O
said O
the O
Saudis O
were O
just O
providing O
a O
service O
and O
it O
was O
unfair O

to O
penalize O
children O
. O

We O
do O
not O
further O
the O
purpose O
of O
human O
rights O
in O
the O
world O
by O
violating O

the O
human O
rights O
under O
our O
own O
constitution O
. O

But O
opponents O
said O
the O
school O
might O
be O
a O
target O
for O
terrorist O
attacks O
, O

complained O
about O
its O
tax O
exempt O
status O
, O
and O
wondered O
why O
the O
Saudis O
are O
not O
compelled O
to O
allow O
Christians O
to O
worship O
in O
their O
country O
. O
Virginia O
Welch O

delivered O
this O
message O
to O
the O
county O
board O
of O
supervisors O
. O

I O
urge O
you O
to O
do O
the O
right O
thing O
and O
send O
a O
message O
to O
the O
Saudis O
that O
the O

citizens O
of O
Loudon O
county O
embrace O
religious O
and O
human O
freedom O
. O

Loudon O
county O
officials O
say O
they O
' O
ll O
rule O
on O
the O
application O
based O
only O
on O

land O
use O
issues O
and O
ignore O
all O
the O
other O
objections O
. O
What O
' O
s O
really O
behind O
those O

objections O
, O
some O
say O
, O
is O
Loudon O
county O
' O
s O
collision O
with O
a O
new O
reality O
in O

America O
that O
the O
country O
is O
changing O
religiously O
as O
surely O
as O
it O
is O
racially O
and O
ethnically O
. O
According O
to O
the O
Arab O
American O
institute O
, O
Islam O
will O
one B-T

day B-T
be O
the O
second O
largest O
religion O
in O
the O
country O
. O
For O
an O
indication O
of O
the O

problems O
that O
could O
face O
Muslims O
as O
they O
integrate O
into O
American O
life O
, O
one O

need O
look O
no O
farther O
than O
Loudon O
county O
, O
Virginia O
. O
For O
The O
World O
, O
I O
' O
m O

Nancy O
Marshalll O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051113 O
. O
0233 O

MEXICO O
CITY O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
13 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

8 O
killed O
by O
unidentified O
men O
in O
Guatemala O

At O
least O
eight O
people O
, O
including O
a O
five O
- O
year O
- O
old O
girl O
, O
have O
been O
killed O
by O
unidentified O
men O
in O
Guatemala O
over O
the B-T
past I-T
24 I-T
hours I-T
, O
reports O
reaching O
here O
said O
on O
Sunday B-T

The O
National O
Civil O
Police O
of O
Guatemala O
( O
PNC O
) O
told O
reporters O
on O
Sunday B-T
that O
a O
group O
of O
men O
fired O
at O
a O
shop O
in O
the O
southeast O
of O
the O
capital O
Guatemala O
City O
, O
killing O
five O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Wendy O
Perez O
and O
Axel O
Acajabon O
, O
22 O
. O
Four O
other O
shoppers O
were O
wounded O
. O

The O
PNC O
said O
they O
had O
no O
idea O
of O
the O
attack O
' O
s O
motivation O
. O

Also O
in O
the O
capital O
, O
Juan O
Cotzajay O
, O
17 O
, O
was O
shot O
to O
death O
by O
four O
men O
in O
an O
armed O
robbery O
on O
a O
bus O
. O

The O
Volunteer O
Fire O
Service O
also O
found O
five O
male O
corpses O
in O
different O
areas O
of O
Guatemala O
City O
. O

One O
of O
the O
victims O
was O
found O
in O
a O
cardboard O
box O
in O
a O
market O
of O
the O
city O
. O
The O
other O
four O
, O
all O
in O
their O
20 O
' O
s O
, O
showed O
signs O
of O
having O
been O
tortured O
before O
death O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061128 O
. O
0468 O

BOGOTA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
28 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Gold O
mine O
collapse O
traps O
15 O
miners O
in O
Colombia O

A O
gold O
mine O
collapse O
in O
northern O
Colombia O
on O
Tuesday B-T
trapped O
15 O
miners O
, O
rescue O
workers O
told O
media O
. O

The O
accident O
took O
place O
in O
Barranco O
de O
Loba O
, O
in O
the O
Caribbean O
coast O
province O
of O
Bolivar O
, O
which O
has O
been O
suffering O
heavy O
rains O
this B-T
week I-T
. O

The O
town O
' O
s O
mayor O
, O
Victor O
Vasquez O
, O
told O
media O
that O
rescuers O
are O
supplying O
oxygen O
to O
the O
trapped O
miners O
through O
a O
hole O
on O
the O
ground O
while O
trying O
to O
dig O
them O
out O
. O
Local O
residents O
said O
that O
the O
mine O
has O
met O
basic O
security O
standards O
. O

A O
similar O
collapse O
trapped O
four O
gold O
miners O
in O
Remedios O
, O
a O
town O
in O
the O
northeastern O
Antioquia O
province O
. O
The O
miners O
were O
rescued O
alive O
after O
five B-T
days O
. O
They O
were O
able O
to O
breathe O
, O
but O
were O
forced O
to O
drink O
their O
own O
urine O
due O
to O
the O
lack O
of O
water O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970427 O
. O
0491 O

SUVA O
, O
April B-T
28 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Fiji O
family O
killed O
in O
landslide O

A O
16 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
girl O
was O
recovering O
in O
hospital O
Monday B-T
after O
seeing O
her O
sister O
and O
grandparents O
killed O
as O
their O
home O
was O
buried O
by O
a O
landslide O
, O
emergency O
authorities O
said O
. O

Raja O
Ram O
, O
61 O
, O
his O
wife O
Kala O
Wati O
, O
56 O
, O
and O
five O
- O
year O
- O
old O
granddaughter O
, O
Priya O
Bandana O
Lata O
, O
were O
buried O
when O
the O
corrugated O
iron O
house O
in O
the O
Fijian O
hillside O
village O
of O
Saweni O
was O
hit O
by O
the O
landslide O
that O
followed O
heavy O
rain O
on O
Saturday B-T
. O

They O
had O
just O
returned O
to O
the O
house O
from O
a O
family O
wedding O
, O
relatives O
told O
police O
. O

Priya O
' O
s O
sister O
, O
16 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Payal O
, O
probably O
owes O
her O
life O
to O
swift O
rescue O
effort O
from O
Constable O
Peni O
Verekauta O
who O
was O
on O
duty O
at O
the O
nearby O
Sawani O
police O
post O
when O
the O
landslide O
occurred O
. O

" O
I O
heard O
somebody O
screaming O
. O
When O
I O
located O
her O
she O
was O
half O
buried O
and O
a O
lemon O
tree O
had O
pinned O
her O
to O
the O
ground O
, O
" O
said O
Verekauta O
, O
who O
freed O
the O
girl O
with O
the O
help O
of O
neighbours O
and O
an O
emergency O
unit O
which O
was O
called O
to O
the O
scene O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061106 O
. O
0003 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
6 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Central O
SOEs O
' O
officials O
meet O
to O
discuss O
IPR O
protection O

A O
seminar O
on O
intellectual O
property O
rights O
( O
IPR O
) O
protection O
opened O
here O
on O
Monday B-T
, O
which O
aims O
at O
strengthening O
IPR O
protection O
effort O
in O
China O
' O
s O
State O
- O
owned O
enterprises O
( O
SOEs O
) O
. O

The O
seminar O
was O
attended O
by O
80 O
participants O
from O
SOEs O
under O
direct O
administration O
of O
the O
central O
government O
, O
the O
State O
Administration O
of O
Supervision O
and O
Inspection O
of O
State O
- O
owned O
Enterprises O
, O
China O
Banking O
Regulatory O
Commission O
, O
China O
Securities O
Regulatory O
Commission O
and O
China O
Insurance O
Regulatory O
Commission O
. O

The O
participants O
will O
discuss O
IPR O
cases O
and O
ways O
to O
strengthen O
and O
improve O
IPR O
protection O
in O
Chinese O
enterprises O
. O

The O
10 O
- O
day O
event O
was O
jointly O
sponsored O
by O
the O
Organization O
Department O
of O
the O
Communist O
Party O
of O
China O
central O
committee O
, O
the O
State O
Office O
of O
Intellectual O
Property O
Protection O
and O
the O
National O
School O
of O
Administration O
. O

China O
launched O
a O
100 O
- O
day O
nationwide O
intensive O
anti O
- O
piracy O
campaign O
, O
focusing O
on O
pirated O
audio O
and O
video O
products O
and O
computer O
software O
on O
July B-T
15 I-T
. O

An O
average O
of O
19 O
. O
46 O
million O
illegal O
publications O
were O
seized O
each B-T
month I-T
from I-T
July I-T
to I-T
September I-T
, O
more O
than O
double O
the O
monthly O
average O
for O
the O
January O
- O
June O
period O
, O
according O
to O
an O
official O
of O
the O
State O
Office O
of O
Intellectual O
Property O
Protection O
. O

The O
Chinese O
government O
had O
set O
up O
a O
task O
force O
on O
IPR O
protection O
and O
opened O
50 O
centers O
to O
handle O
complaints O
of O
IPR O
violations O
across O
the O
country O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051114 O
. O
0247 O

SHANGHAI O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Davydenko O
( O
updated O
) O

All O
- O
time O
great O
Andre O
Agassi O
unexpectedly O
decided O
to O
quit O
after O
losing O
his O
first O
match O
in O
the O
Shanghai O
Masters O
Cup O
here O
on O
Monday B-T
. O

" O
With O
the O
state O
of O
my O
ankle O
right O
now B-T
, O
there O
' O
s O
no O
chance O
for O
me O
to O
be O
able O
to O
play O
again O
, O
" O
said O
Agassi O
at O
a O
post O
- O
match O
news O
conference O
, O
after O
losing O
6 O
- O
4 O
, O
6 O
- O
2 O
to O
Russian O
tennis O
upstart O
Nikolay O
Davydenko O
in O
a O
Red O
Group O
round O
- O
robin O
matchup O
. O

" O
This O
is O
, O
for O
me O
to O
go O
out O
on O
the O
court O
to O
play O
like O
this O
, O
nobody O
wants O
to O
see O
it O
, O
" O
added O
the O
oldest O
player O
in O
the O
ATP O
finale O
. O
" O
It O
' O
s O
very O
dangerous O
and O
risky O
for O
my O
future O
to O
be O
ready O
for O
anything O
in O
the B-T
next I-T
four I-T
or I-T
five I-T
weeks I-T
. O
So O
this O
is O
just O
an O
unfortunate O
setback O
. O
" O

The O
35 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
played O
totally O
" O
un O
- O
Agassi O
" O
tennis O
in O
his O
first O
showdown O
on O
Monday B-T
of I-T
this I-T
year I-T
' O
s O
Masters O
Cup O
, O
being O
broken O
for O
three O
times O
against O
five O
aces O
from O
his O
24 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
opponent O
. O

His O
sluggish O
form O
, O
however O
, O
has O
no O
show O
in O
statistics O
of O
match O
, O
where O
Agassi O
committed O
3 O
double O
faults O
and O
23 O
unforced O
errors O
against O
14 O
winners O
and O
Davydenko O
cracked O
just O
two O
more O
winners O
against O
2 O
double O
- O
fault O
and O
27 O
unforced O
errors O
. O

Besides O
fitness O
problem O
, O
Agassi O
imputed O
his O
lack O
of O
form O
to O
long O
absence O
from O
the O
court O
. O

" O
When O
you O
haven O
' O
t O
played O
in O
so O
long O
, O
I O
couldn O
' O
t O
really O
hit O
balls O
for O
a O
couple O
of O
months O
because O
of O
my O
sprained O
ankle O
, O
" O
said O
the O
United O
States O
native O
, O
who O
qualified O
for O
his O
fifth O
Tennis O
Masters O
Cup O
in O
six B-T
years I-T
and O
finished O
in O
top O
ten O
for O
16th O
time O
this O
season O
in O
his O
20 O
- O
year O
career O
. O

" O
Just O
from O
serving O
, O
in O
the B-T
last I-T
week I-T
of O
trying O
to O
get O
ready O
, O
it O
was O
just O
a O
little O
stiff O
and O
sore O
. O
But O
the O
movement O
is O
more O
of O
an O
issue O
. O
" O

The O
eight O
- O
time O
Grand O
Slam O
winner O
, O
ranked O
5th O
in O
the O
ATP O
Entry O
Rankings O
, O
ruled O
out O
an O
unexpected O
bad O
status O
, O
and O
said O
: O
" O
Last O
few O
days O
, O
it O
' O
s O
arguably O
not O
getting O
worse O
, O
so O
I O
have O
to O
try O
and O
see O
and O
give O
it O
a O
chance O
to O
push O
through O
. O

" O
But O
it O
has O
way O
too O
much O
effect O
on O
my O
movement O
. O
I O
' O
m O
scared O
to O
hurt O
it O
worse O
. O
It O
' O
s O
still O
very O
painful O
, O
especially O
after O
35 B-T
, I-T
40 I-T
minutes I-T
of O
being O
on O
the O
court O
. O

" O
It O
doesn O
' O
t O
do O
anybody O
any O
good O
for O
me O
to O
be O
out O
there O
, O
except O
for O
my O
opponents O
. O
That O
' O
s O
it O
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O

Agassi O
' O
s O
withdrawal O
came O
just O
minutes O
after O
Spanish O
teenager O
Rafael O
Nadal O
pulled O
out O
due O
to O
left O
foot O
injury O
. O

" O
I O
just O
heard O
that O
tonight O
. O
That O
' O
s O
terrible O
. O
I O
hope O
his O
injury O
is O
something O
that O
doesn O
' O
t O
last O
very O
long O
, O
because O
it O
' O
s O
just O
been O
terrible O
this B-T
year I-T
for O
the O
amount O
of O
players O
that O
haven O
' O
t O
been O
ready O
to O
play O
here O
. O
" O

He O
complained O
the O
tough O
schedule O
of O
ATP O
Tours O
, O
saying O
that O
" O
It O
' O
s O
probably O
a O
sign O
that O
things O
need O
to O
change O
somewhere O
for O
guys O
to O
feel O
better O
about O
their O
physical O
ability O
to O
get O
ready O
for O
a O
tournament O
this O
big O
. O
It O
' O
s O
the O
end O
of O
a O
long O
year O
and O
it O
' O
s O
not O
easy O
. O
It O
' O
s O
very O
unfortunate O
. O
" O

WSJ891026 O
- O
0031 O

= O
891026 O

891026 O
- O
0031 O
. O

Business O
Brief O
- O
- O
Sotheby O
' O
s O
Holdings O
Inc O
. O
: O

@ O
Third O
- O
Period O
Loss O
Narrowed O

@ O
On O
Operating O
Revenue O
Gain O

10 B-T
/ I-T
26 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

BID O

EARNINGS O
( O
ERN O
) O

Sotheby O
' O
s O
Holdings O
Inc O
. O
, O
the O
parent O
of O
the O
auction O
house O
Sotheby O
' O
s O
, O
said O
its O
net O
loss O
for O
the O
seasonally O
slow O
third B-T
quarter I-T
narrowed O
from O
a B-T
year I-T
earlier I-T
on O
a O
leap O
in O
operating O
revenue O
. O

The O
New O
York O
- O
based O
company O
reported O
a O
third B-T
- I-T
quarter I-T
net O
loss O
of O
$ O
5 O
. O
1 O
million O
, O
or O
10 O
cents O
a O
share O
, O
compared O
with O
a O
year B-T
- I-T
earlier I-T
net O
loss O
of O
$ O
6 O
. O
2 O
million O
, O
or O
12 O
cents O
a O
share O
. O

Operating O
revenue O
surged O
54 O
% O
in O
the B-T
latest I-T
period I-T
to O
$ O
42 O
. O
9 O
million O
from O
$ O
27 O
. O
7 O
million O
. O

The O
company O
said O
80 O
% O
of O
its O
auction O
business O
is O
usually O
conducted O
in O
the O
second B-T
and O
fourth B-T
quarters I-T
, O
with O
the B-T
current I-T
quarter I-T
having O
begun O
" O
extremely O
well O
. O
" O

XIN_ENG_20051129 O
. O
0263 O

KHARTOUM O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
29 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Khartoum O
voices O
optimism O
about O
new O
round O
of O
Darfur O
peace O
talks O

Majzoub O
al O
- O
Khalifa O
, O
head O
of O
the O
Sudanese O
government O
' O
s O
delegation O
to O
the O
7th O
Abuja O
peace O
talks O
on O
Darfur O
, O
said O
his O
side O
was O
optimistic O
about O
the O
new O
round O
kicked O
off O
late B-T
Tuesday I-T
. O

Khalifa O
made O
the O
remarks O
at O
a O
press O
conference O
before O
his O
departure O
for O
the O
Nigerian O
capital O
Abuja O
for O
the O
talks O
. O

He O
told O
the O
reporters O
that O
his O
delegation O
has O
involved O
representatives O
from O
all O
Sudanese O
political O
parties O
of O
the O
national O
unity O
government O
in O
addition O
to O
the O
participation O
of O
the O
Darfur O
people O
through O
preparatory O
conferences O
which O
they O
had O
held O
on O
the O
issue O
. O

He O
said O
he O
was O
optimistic O
on O
the O
next O
peace O
talks O
despite O
difficulties O
which O
might O
be O
brought O
up O
by O
differences O
inside O
a O
main O
faction O
of O
the O
Darfur O
rebels O
, O
referring O
to O
conflicts O
between O
two O
leaders O
of O
the O
Sudan O
Liberation O
Movement O
( O
SLM O
) O
. O

The O
last O
round O
of O
the O
African O
Union O
( O
AU O
) O
- O
sponsored O
Abuja O
talks O
ended O
in O
October B-T
with O
a O
split O
in O
the O
SLM O
. O

Khalifa O
noted O
that O
after O
reaching O
the O
Declaration O
of O
Principles O
between O
the O
Darfur O
conflicting O
sides O
in O
the O
fifth O
round O
, O
negotiators O
discussed O
in O
the O
sixth O
round O
40 O
clear O
and O
decisive O
points O
and O
agreed O
on O
37 O
of O
them O
. O

The O
government O
has O
made O
positive O
efforts O
on O
internal O
, O
political O
and O
development O
levels O
as O
well O
as O
the O
voluntary O
return O
of O
the O
displaced O
people O
in O
the O
Darfur O
region O
and O
the O
acknowledgement O
of O
justice O
and O
the O
rule O
of O
law O
, O
which O
would O
contribute O
in O
the O
success O
of O
the O
new O
round O
, O
he O
added O
. O

The O
official O
hoped O
that O
the O
seventh O
round O
of O
peace O
talks O
would O
be O
well O
exploited O
by O
the O
Darfur O
parties O
taking O
into O
consideration O
positive O
factors O
that O
have O
been O
available O
such O
as O
the O
formation O
of O
the O
government O
of O
national O
unity O
in O
the O
country O
and O
the O
support O
by O
the O
AU O
, O
the O
European O
Union O
( O
EU O
) O
, O
the O
United O
States O
and O
the O
United O
Nations O
. O

Yassir O
Arman O
, O
representative O
of O
the O
former O
rebel O
the O
Sudan O
People O
' O
s O
Liberation O
Movement O
( O
SPLM O
) O
in O
the O
government O
delegation O
, O
said O
that O
the O
SPLM O
representatives O
in O
the O
talks O
were O
part O
of O
the O
government O
of O
national O
unity O
and O
would O
represent O
the O
whole O
country O
. O

" O
Our O
existence O
in O
the O
peace O
talks O
will O
contribute O
to O
build O
trust O
between O
the O
government O
of O
national O
unity O
and O
the O
armed O
movements O
in O
Darfur O
particularly O
the O
Justice O
and O
Equality O
Movement O
and O
the O
Sudan O
Liberation O
Movement O
because O
of O
our O
good O
relations O
with O
these O
movements O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

Abuja O
has O
been O
hosting O
several O
rounds O
of O
peace O
talks O
on O
Darfur O
, O
but O
conflicts O
still O
exist O
in O
Darfur O
. O

The O
7th O
round O
of O
Darfur O
talks O
will O
endeavor O
to O
strike O
a O
consensus O
on O
how O
to O
run O
Darfur O
over O
the O
long O
- O
term O
, O
particularly O
on O
power O
- O
sharing O
and O
wealth O
- O
sharing O
between O
Darfur O
' O
s O
inhabitants O
and O
Khartoum O
, O
according O
to O
AU O
officials O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061123 O
. O
0200 O

HONG O
KONG O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
23 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

China O
Enterprises O
Index O
close O
up O
- O
- O
Nov O
. O
23 O

Hang O
Seng O
China O
Enterprises O
Index O
slowed O
down O
its O
rising O
pace O
by O
up O
12 O
. O
84 O
points O
, O
or O
0 O
. O
15 O
percent O
, O
to O
close O
at O
8 O
, O
622 O
. O
88 O
on O
Thursday B-T
. O

The O
index O
, O
initiated O
in O
August B-T
1994 I-T
and O
readjusted O
on O
Sept B-T
. I-T
11 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
tracks O
the O
overall O
performance O
of O
37 O
Chinese O
mainland O
state O
- O
owned O
enterprises O
listed O
on O
the O
Hong O
Kong O
Stock O
Exchange O
. O

Hang O
Seng O
China O
- O
Affiliated O
Corporations O
Index O
rose O
15 O
. O
26 O
points O
, O
or O
0 O
. O
49 O
percent O
, O
to O
close O
at O
3 O
, O
146 O
. O
13 O
. O

The O
index O
tracks O
the O
performance O
of O
31 O
locally O
listed O
companies O
with O
a O
significant O
equity O
interest O
held O
by O
entities O
in O
the O
Chinese O
mainland O
. O

Hang O
Seng O
Mainland O
Composite O
Index O
closed O
flat O
with O
0 O
. O
46 O
points O
up O
, O
or O
0 O
. O
02 O
percent O
, O
to O
close O
at O
2 O
, O
957 O
. O
01 O
. O

Introduced O
on O
Oct B-T
. I-T
3 I-T
, I-T
2001 I-T
and O
readjusted O
on O
Sept B-T
. I-T
11 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
Hang O
Seng O
Mainland O
Composite O
Index O
gauges O
the O
performance O
of O
103 O
Hong O
Kong O
- O
listed O
companies O
with O
principal O
places O
of O
business O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
and O
the O
Chinese O
mainland O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051104 O
. O
0045 O

GUANGZHOU O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
4 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

China O
' O
s O
southern O
province O
recruits O
volunteers O
to O
Myanmar O

China O
' O
s O
southern O
province O
Guangdong O
started O
to O
recruit O
volunteers O
on O
Thursday B-T
to O
assist O
Myanmar O
' O
s O
agricultural O
and O
sports O
industries O
. O

Ideal O
candidates O
will O
be O
college O
graduates O
between O
25 B-T
and O
40 O
years O
old O
and O
proficient O
in O
English O
, O
said O
Huang O
Qinghui O
, O
a O
publicity O
official O
and O
head O
of O
the O
provincial O
volunteers O
' O
association O
. O

" O
We O
' O
ll O
recruit O
11 O
agrotechnicians O
and O
four O
sports O
professionals O
specializing O
in O
swimming O
, O
weight O
lifting O
, O
pingpong O
and O
badminton O
, O
" O
Huang O
said O
. O
" O
They O
will O
leave O
on O
Dec B-T
. I-T
5 I-T
, O
the O
International O
Volunteer O
' O
s O
Day O
, O
and O
will O
spend O
six O
months O
in O
Myanmar O
. O
" O

He O
said O
the O
volunteer O
agrotechnicians O
are O
expected O
to O
help O
Myanmar O
farmers O
raise O
silkworms O
, O
grow O
quality O
grapes O
and O
improve O
other O
plants O
' O
species O
. O

This O
is O
the O
first O
time O
for O
Guangdong O
Province O
to O
recruit O
volunteers O
for O
overseas O
services O
, O
entrusted O
by O
the O
Central O
Committee O
of O
the O
Chinese O
Communist O
Youth O
League O
and O
the O
Ministry O
of O
Commerce O
. O

The O
Central O
Committee O
of O
the O
Chinese O
Communist O
Youth O
League O
and O
the O
China O
Association O
of O
Youth O
Volunteers O
launched O
a O
long O
- O
term O
volunteer O
service O
project O
in O
May B-T
2002 I-T
to O
assist O
other O
developing O
countries O
. O

Chinese O
volunteers O
have O
since O
offered O
language O
and O
computer O
training O
as O
well O
as O
medical O
services O
to O
several O
countries O
including O
Laos O
, O
Myanmar O
and O
Ethiopia O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970430 O
. O
0408 O

PARIS O
, O
April B-T
30 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

French O
Socialists O
, O
Greens O
strike O
electoral O
deal O

Leaders O
of O
France O
' O
s O
small O
Greens O
party O
struck O
an O
electoral O
pact O
with O
the O
main O
opposition O
Socialists O
on O
Wednesday B-T
in O
a O
bid O
to O
bolster O
the O
left O
' O
s O
chances O
of O
victory O
in O
forthcoming O
snap O
elections O
. O

Socialist O
Party O
leader O
Lionel O
Jospin O
and O
Greens O
' O
leader O
Dominique O
Voynet O
ended O
months O
of O
joint O
talks O
on O
the O
terms O
of O
a O
pact O
with O
an O
agreement O
to O
run O
joint O
candidates O
in O
certain O
constituencies O
and O
avoid O
confrontation O
in O
others O
. O

" O
We O
are O
satisfied O
, O
" O
Voynet O
, O
who O
heads O
" O
Les O
Verts O
" O
( O
Greens O
) O
, O
said O
on O
emerging O
from O
the O
talks O
. O
Jospin O
described O
the O
deal O
, O
which O
comes O
on O
the O
heels O
of O
a O
pact O
the O
previous O
day O
with O
the O
Communists O
, O
as O
part O
of O
his O
drive O
" O
to O
assemble O
the O
forces O
of O
the O
left O
. O
" O

Barely O
10 B-T
days I-T
after O
President O
Jacques O
Chirac O
called O
the O
two O
- O
round O
ballot O
scheduled O
for O
May B-T
25 I-T
and O
June B-T
1 I-T
, O
opinion O
polls O
are O
forecasting O
victory O
for O
his O
ruling O
rightwing O
coalition O
but O
with O
a O
sizeable O
cut O
in O
its O
464 O
- O
seat O
parliamentary O
majority O
. O

The O
latest O
survey O
predicted O
296 O
seats O
for O
the O
governing O
coalition O
against O
258 B-T
for O
the O
left O
. O
The O
CSA O
polling O
institute O
gave O
the O
Socialists O
, O
Greens O
and O
small O
leftwing O
groups O
237 O
seats O
and O
the O
Communists O
21 O
. O
The O
extreme O
right O
National O
Front O
could O
win O
one O
1 O
, O
it O
said O
. O

At O
their O
talks O
, O
Voynet O
and O
Jospin O
agreed O
to O
refrain O
from O
fielding O
competing O
candidates O
in O
just O
over O
100 O
of O
France O
' O
s O
577 O
constituencies O
but O
need O
further O
talks O
with O
the O
Communists O
before O
reach O
agreement O
on O
how O
best O
to O
hinder O
candidates O
from O
the O
extreme O
rightwing O
National O
Front O
from O
winning O
election O
. O

The O
left O
, O
working O
hard O
to O
gather O
momentum O
ahead O
of O
the O
poll O
, O
on O
Tuesday B-T
also O
reached O
agreement O
with O
the O
Communists O
. O

The O
seven O
- O
page O
text O
, O
a O
joint O
declaration O
rather O
than O
a O
program O
for O
government O
, O
lists O
several O
points O
of O
convergence O
between O
the O
two O
parties O
and O
calls O
on O
French O
voters O
to O
assure O
victory O
for O
the O
left O
. O

Skirting O
the O
Communists O
' O
opposition O
to O
the O
contentious O
issue O
of O
the O
further O
integration O
of O
Europe O
, O
the O
document O
invokes O
a O
compromise O
, O
speaking O
of O
going O
" O
beyond O
the O
Treaty O
of O
Maastricht O
" O
and O
" O
redirecting O
European O
construction O
towards O
a O
social O
Europe O
" O
. O

The O
declaration O
vows O
that O
the O
left O
will O
make O
job O
creation O
" O
an O
absolute O
priority O
" O
, O
creating O
700 O
, O
000 O
jobs O
for O
young O
people O
and O
reducing O
the O
work O
week B-T
to O
35 O
hours O
while O
maintaining O
salary O
levels O
. O

The O
PS O
- O
PC O
text O
also O
calls O
for O
a O
halt O
to O
privatisations O
including O
those O
of O
France O
Telecom O
and O
Air O
France O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970411 O
. O
0145 O

SEOUL O
. O
April B-T
11 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Seoul O
shares O
close O
0 O
. O
9 O
percent O
higher O

Share O
prices O
rebounded O
0 O
. O
9 O
percent O
on O
the O
Korea O
Stock O
Exchange O
on O
Friday B-T
, O
with O
buying O
interest O
emerging O
on O
undervalued O
stocks O
after O
a O
short O
correction O
, O
dealers O
said O
. O

" O
Investors O
returned O
to O
the O
market O
after O
a O
correction O
, O
with O
individual O
stocks O
with O
respective O
themes O
at O
the O
centre O
of O
buying O
activity O
, O
" O
Cho O
Hung O
Securities O
analyst O
Choi O
Youn O
- O
Gun O
said O
. O

The O
composite O
index O
gained O
5 O
. O
90 O
points O
to O
finish O
at O
693 O
. O
94 O
. O

Turnover O
totalled O
44 O
. O
1 O
million O
shares O
worth O
627 O
billion O
won O
( O
704 O
million O
dollars O
) O
. O
Advancers O
led O
decliners O
530 O
to O
260 O
with O
117 O
shares O
unchanged O
. O

The O
market O
' O
s O
basic O
tone O
was O
strong O
largely O
due O
to O
expectations O
of O
inflows O
of O
fresh O
funds O
after O
the O
planned O
expansion O
of O
the O
foreign O
shareholding O
limit O
on O
May B-T
1 I-T
, O
the O
analyst O
said O
. O

The O
banking O
sector O
closed O
lower O
on O
rumours O
that O
Jinro O
Group O
had O
financial O
problems O
, O
dealers O
said O
. O
Commercial O
Bank O
Bank O
slid O
200 O
won O
at O
4 O
, O
000 O
won O
and O
Korea O
Exchange O
Bank O
went O
down O
130 O
won O
at O
5 O
, O
400 O
won O
. O

Jinro O
Industries O
was O
limit O
- O
down O
470 O
won O
at O
5 O
, O
410 O
won O
on O
rumours O
that O
Jinro O
Group O
' O
s O
unlisted O
construction O
unit O
was O
on O
the O
verge O
of O
bankruptcy O
, O
dealers O
said O
. O

Blue O
chips O
were O
mixed O
with O
Samsung O
Electronics O
unchanged O
at O
62 O
, O
900 O
won O
and O
LG O
Semicon O
up O
600 O
won O
at O
29 O
, O
800 O
won O
. O

Automakers O
performed O
well O
, O
with O
Kia O
Motors O
up O
300 O
won O
at O
15 O
, O
300 O
won O
and O
Ssangyong O
Motor O
adding O
190 O
won O
at O
5 O
, O
540 O
won O
. O
Hyundai O
Motor O
closed O
unchanged O
at O
23 O
, O
000 O
won O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970421 O
. O
0123 O

HONG O
KONG O
, O
April B-T
21 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

No O
need O
for O
concern O
as O
Chinese O
troops O
arrive O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
: O
official O

Hong O
Kong O
should O
not O
be O
concerned O
at O
the O
deployment O
of O
Chinese O
troops O
here O
71 B-T
days I-T
before O
the O
territory O
' O
s O
handover O
in O
July B-T
, O
a O
government O
official O
said O
Monday B-T
. O

Nicholas O
Ng O
, O
secretary O
for O
constitutional O
affairs O
, O
told O
Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
Legislative O
Council O
the O
arrival O
of O
the O
advance O
party O
of O
the O
People O
' O
s O
Liberation O
Army O
( O
PLA O
) O
on O
Monday B-T
" O
should O
not O
worry O
" O
people O
here O
. O

" O
I O
understand O
the O
public O
' O
s O
concern O
, O
" O
said O
Ng O
, O
but O
" O
I O
believe O
they O
will O
carry O
out O
their O
duty O
with O
discretion O
. O
" O

Ng O
' O
s O
remarks O
came O
as O
a O
convoy O
of O
eight O
cars O
and O
vans O
brought O
40 O
members O
of O
the O
PLA O
from O
the O
southern O
Chinese O
border O
city O
of O
Shenzhen O
into O
Hong O
Kong O
at O
Lok O
Ma O
Chau O
crossing O
point O
. O

The O
advance O
troops O
are O
the O
first O
unit O
of O
the O
Chinese O
army O
to O
be O
deployed O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
since O
Britain O
seized O
the O
territory O
in O
January B-T
1841 I-T
. O

Ng O
said O
the O
deployment O
was O
" O
appropriate O
for O
the O
task O
of O
preparing O
for O
the O
transfer O
of O
responsibilities O
, O
" O
when O
Hong O
Kong O
returns O
to O
China O
on O
July B-T
1 I-T
. O

He O
said O
the O
fact O
the O
PLA O
vehicles O
carried O
Hong O
Kong O
licence O
plates O
showed O
the O
Chinese O
army O
would O
heed O
the O
territory O
' O
s O
laws O
and O
would O
be O
granted O
no O
special O
privileges O
. O

The O
leader O
of O
the O
advance O
PLA O
party O
, O
Major O
- O
General O
Zhou O
Borong O
, O
was O
greeted O
by O
the O
commander O
of O
the O
British O
forces O
here O
, O
Major O
- O
General O
Bryan O
Dutton O
when O
he O
arrived O
at O
the O
high O
- O
rise O
barracks O
on O
the O
waterfront O
on O
Hong O
Kong O
Island O
. O

Dutton O
gave O
a O
veiled O
warning O
about O
deep O
- O
rooted O
fears O
among O
the O
many O
Hongkongers O
who O
associate O
the O
PLA O
with O
bloody O
images O
of O
tanks O
crushing O
student O
demonstrators O
in O
Tiananmen O
Square O
in O
June B-T
1989 I-T
. O

" O
We O
intend O
to O
give O
the O
future O
garrison O
every O
possible O
assistance O
as O
they O
prepare O
for O
their O
role O
, O
" O
he O
said O
, O
before O
expressing O
the O
hope O
that O
" O
their O
relationship O
with O
the O
local O
community O
will O
be O
as O
constructive O
and O
rewarding O
as O
ours O
has O
been O
. O
" O

China O
, O
implicitly O
acknowledging O
such O
concerns O
, O
has O
repeatedly O
promised O
its O
Hong O
Kong O
garrison O
will O
be O
drawn O
from O
the O
finest O
and O
most O
disciplined O
ranks O
of O
its O
armed O
forces O
. O

Up O
to O
10 O
, O
000 O
Chinese O
soldiers O
are O
expected O
to O
be O
based O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
after O
the O
handover O
, O
a O
figure O
roughly O
equal O
to O
British O
numbers O
before O
1994 B-T
. O

The O
British O
strength O
is O
now B-T
around O
1 O
, O
800 O
which O
will O
fall O
to O
around O
1 O
, O
600 O
by O
the B-T
end I-T
of I-T
May I-T
, O
leaving O
only O
a O
few O
to O
be O
withdrawn O
in O
the B-T
final I-T
few I-T
weeks I-T
before O
the O
handover O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061114 O
. O
0441 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
15 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Chain O
stores O
investigated O
for O
selling O
toxic O
clothes O

Beijing O
consumer O
watchdogs O
are O
investigating O
how O
Wal O
- O
Mart O
, O
Carrefour O
and O
other O
leading O
chain O
stores O
came O
to O
be O
selling O
clothes O
containing O
cancer O
- O
causing O
chemicals O
. O

Twenty O
- O
eight O
brands O
of O
clothes O
failed O
inspections O
by O
the O
Beijing O
Industry O
and O
Commerce O
Administration O
( O
BICA O
) O
, O
and O
four O
brands O
were O
found O
to O
contain O
excessive O
levels O
of O
toxic O
aromatic O
ammine O
or O
formaldehyde O
. O

The O
four O
brands O
were O
" O
Ming O
- O
Langdike O
" O
skirts O
( O
size O
11 O
) O
made O
by O
the O
Guangzhou O
Disheng O
company O
, O
" O
Pusheng O
" O
blouses O
( O
155 O
/ O
80A O
) O
by O
the O
Shanghai O
Pusheng O
, O
" O
Jeanberger O
" O
trousers O
( O
170 O
/ O
80A O
) O
by O
the O
Shenzhen O
Zhonghang O
and O
" O
Hafulu O
" O
trousers O
( O
size O
23 O
) O
by O
the O
Guangdong O
Hafulu O
. O

The O
full O
list O
of O
failed O
items O
has O
been O
published O
on O
the O
BICA O
website O
. O

Experts O
said O
aromatic O
ammine O
and O
formaldehyde O
were O
both O
carcinogenic O
substances O
. O
The O
former O
is O
banned O
in O
many O
other O
countries O
as O
a O
dye O
and O
the O
latter O
should O
be O
cleaned O
from O
end O
products O
. O

The O
BICA O
said O
it O
seized O
all O
failed O
clothes O
from O
the O
stores O
, O
and O
both O
the O
producers O
and O
sellers O
would O
face O
prosecution O
. O

" O
They O
could O
be O
fined O
up O
to O
three O
times O
the O
revenue O
they O
got O
from O
selling O
the O
goods O
, O
" O
an O
official O
with O
the O
administration O
said O
. O

" O
The O
problematic O
trousers O
are O
no O
longer O
sold O
in O
our O
stores O
, O
" O
a O
Wal O
- O
Mart O
representative O
said O
, O
adding O
he O
was O
unaware O
of O
the O
investigation O
. O

Carrefour O
' O
s O
Fangyuan O
chain O
store O
, O
Lotus O
Liuliqiao O
chain O
store O
and O
Wangfujing O
Women O
' O
s O
Collection O
were O
also O
listed O
for O
selling O
clothes O
that O
failed O
inspections O
. O

WSJ891026 O
- O
0048 O

= O
891026 O

891026 O
- O
0048 O
. O

Business O
Brief O
- O
- O
Lawrence O
Insurance O
Group O
Inc O
. O
: O

@ O
Houston O
Reinsurance O
Firm O

@ O
Is O
Acquired O
for O
$ O
28 O
Million O

10 B-T
/ I-T
26 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

LWR O

TENDER O
OFFERS O
, O
MERGERS O
, O
ACQUISITIONS O
( O
TNM O
) O

Lawrence O
Insurance O
Group O
Inc O
. O
said O
it O
acquired O
United O
Republic O
Reinsurance O
Co O
. O
, O
a O
Houston O
property O
and O
casualty O
reinsurance O
company O
, O
from O
United O
Savings O
Association O
of O
Texas O
for O
$ O
28 O
million O
. O

Lawrence O
Insurance O
also O
sold O
3 O
. O
2 O
million O
of O
its O
shares O
for O
$ O
7 O
. O
125 O
each O
to O
its O
parent O
, O
Lawrence O
Group O
Inc O
. O
Lawrence O
Insurance O
, O
based O
in O
Albany O
, O
N O
. O
Y O
. O
, O
plans O
to O
use O
the O
$ O
22 O
. O
5 O
million O
in O
proceeds O
to O
help O
finance O
the O
acquisition O
of O
United O
Republic O
. O

By O
acquiring O
the O
shares O
, O
Lawrence O
Group O
increased O
its O
stake O
in O
Lawrence O
Insurance O
to O
93 O
. O
2 O
% O
from O
91 O
. O
2 O
% O
. O

Lawrence O
Insurance O
underwrites O
mostly O
primary O
insurance O
, O
a O
company O
spokesman O
said O
. O

A O
reinsurance O
company O
effectively O
insures O
insurance O
companies O
that O
wish O
to O
spread O
the O
risk O
of O
a O
particular O
policy O
. O

Lawrence O
Group O
also O
owns O
Lawrence O
Agency O
Corp O
. O
, O
Schenectady O
, O
N O
. O
Y O
. O
, O
an O
insurance O
agency O
and O
brokerage O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970415 O
. O
0397 O

THE O
HAGUE O
, O
April B-T
15 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

The O
Hague O
vows O
to O
develop O
relations O
with O
China O
despite O
snub O

The O
Dutch O
government O
on O
Tuesday B-T
vowed O
to O
develop O
relations O
with O
China O
, O
despite O
Beijing O
' O
s O
rebuttal O
of O
a O
visit O
by O
the O
country O
' O
s O
economic O
minister O
, O
following O
European O
criticism O
of O
its O
human O
rights O
record O
. O

In O
a O
statement O
, O
the O
Netherlands O
, O
which O
holds O
the O
rotating O
European O
Union O
presidency O
, O
said O
it O
would O
" O
continue O
to O
commit O
itself O
to O
developing O
relations O
with O
China O
. O
" O

However O
, O
neither O
the O
Dutch O
foreign O
nor O
economic O
ministries O
would O
comment O
on O
China O
' O
s O
decision O
on O
Tuesday B-T
to O
postpone O
all O
exchanges O
of O
visits O
with O
Denmark O
and O
to O
block O
a O
trip O
to O
Beijing O
by O
Dutch O
Economic O
Minister O
Hans O
Wijers O
scheduled O
for O
June B-T
7 I-T
- I-T
14 I-T
. O

The O
move O
to O
postpone O
the O
trip O
, O
which O
had O
been O
set O
for O
June B-T
7 I-T
- I-T
14 I-T
, O
came O
after O
The O
Hague O
, O
current O
holder O
of O
the O
rotating O
EU O
presidency O
, O
sought O
to O
sponsor O
an O
EU O
resolution O
criticising O
China O
at O
the O
annual O
session O
of O
the O
UN O
Human O
Rights O
Commission O
in O
Geneva O
. O

Economics O
Minister O
Hans O
Wijers O
, O
who O
was O
to O
lead O
the O
delegation O
, O
" O
is O
not O
welcome O
, O
" O
the O
Chinese O
authorities O
told O
The O
Hague O
. O

The O
Netherlands O
reacted O
furiously O
early B-T
this I-T
month I-T
when O
France O
, O
Germany O
, O
Italy O
and O
Spain O
refused O
to O
back O
an O
EU O
motion O
, O
calling O
the O
affair O
" O
a O
serious O
reversal O
for O
the O
prospects O
of O
an O
EU O
foreign O
policy O
. O
" O

Denmark O
then O
took O
the O
initiative O
to O
put O
forward O
its O
own O
resolution O
damning O
Beijing O
' O
s O
rights O
record O
, O
which O
is O
due O
to O
go O
before O
a O
vote O
in O
the O
53 O
- O
member O
commission O
later O
Tuesday B-T
. O

Beijing O
retaliated O
immediately O
, O
a O
foreign O
ministry O
spokesman O
stating O
Tuesday B-T
that O
" O
China O
will O
postpone O
exchanges O
of O
visits O
with O
Denmark O
and O
stop O
further O
dialogue O
on O
human O
rights O
. O
" O

Denmark O
' O
s O
motion O
received O
support O
from O
nine O
fellow O
EU O
members O
, O
the O
United O
States O
, O
Norway O
, O
Switzerland O
, O
and O
Iceland O
. O

The O
EU O
has O
made O
a O
resolution O
condemning O
China O
to O
the O
commission O
every B-T
year I-T
since O
the O
Tiananmen O
Square O
massacre O
in O
Beijing O
in O
1989 B-T
, O
but O
each O
time O
China O
has O
managed O
to O
garner O
just O
enough O
support O
- O
- O
notably O
from O
developing O
countries O
- O
- O
to O
avoid O
formal O
censure O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051122 O
. O
0177 O

NAIROBI O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
22 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Kenya O
' O
s O
draft O
constitution O
rejected O
: O
Electoral O
Commission O

Kenya O
' O
s O
proposed O
new O
constitution O
has O
been O
rejected O
in O
Monday B-T
' O
s O
referendum O
, O
Chairman O
of O
the O
Electoral O
Commission O
of O
Kenya O
( O
ECK O
) O
Samuel O
Kivuitu O
announced O
on O
Tuesday B-T
. O

The O
latest O
results O
given O
by O
the O
ECK O
show O
that O
opponents O
of O
the O
proposed O
charter O
had O
won O
3 O
, O
548 O
, O
477 O
votes O
, O
or O
57 O
percent O
of O
ballots O
that O
had O
been O
counted O
by O
Tuesday B-T
afternoon I-T
, O
gaining O
an O
unassailable O
lead O
of O
more O
than O
a O
million O
votes O
. O
Supporters O
garnered O
2 O
, O
532 O
, O
918 O
votes O
, O
or O
43 O
percent O
. O

Kenyan O
President O
Mwai O
Kibaki O
Tuesday O
in O
a O
televised O
speech O
conceded O
defeat O
in O
the O
referendum O
on O
the O
draft O
constitution O
which O
was O
soundly O
rejected O
by O
his O
people O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061104 O
. O
0110 O

SAPPORO O
, O
Japan O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
4 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Pirates O
hijack O
commercial O
vessel O
off O
Somali O
coast O

Pirates O
hijack O
commercial O
vessel O
off O
Somali O
coast O

NAIROBI O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
4 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O
- O
- O
Somali O
pirates O
have O
hijacked O
a O
commercial O
vessel O
off O
the O
coast O
of O
the O
lawless O
nation O
, O
raising O
fears O
of O
resurgence O
of O
piracy O
after O
several B-T
months I-T
of O
lull O
activity O
. O

Reports O
from O
Mogadishu O
said O
Saturday B-T
the O
United O
Arab O
Emirates O
- O
flagged O
MV O
Veesham O
carrying O
charcoal O
with O
12 O
- O
member O
crew O
on O
board O
was O
seized O
near O
Adale O
, O
95 O
km O
northeast O
of O
Mogadishu O
on O
Thursday B-T
night I-T
. O

Abduarhman O
Olow O
, O
a O
businessman O
in O
Mogadishu O
who O
chartered O
the O
ship O
, O
said O
the O
vessel O
was O
traveling O
to O
Dubai O
after O
leaving O
El O
Maan O
natural O
harbor O
in O
northern O
Mogadishu O
with O
a O
12 O
- O
member O
crew O
from O
India O
. O

He O
said O
that O
the O
captain O
had O
contacted O
them O
and O
told O
them O
that O
Somali O
gunmen O
have O
hijacked O
the O
ship O
. O

The O
businessman O
said O
that O
the O
reasons O
for O
the O
hijacking O
are O
still O
unclear O
and O
that O
they O
had O
no O
idea O
of O
where O
the O
pirates O
took O
the O
ship O
. O
Olow O
said O
that O
he O
expected O
the O
pirates O
to O
contact O
his O
company O
soon O
. O

" O
I O
don O
' O
t O
know O
the O
number O
of O
gunmen O
but O
the O
captain O
told O
me O
that O
gunmen O
hijacked O
the O
ship O
around O
Adale O
coast O
and O
they O
have O
taken O
it O
to O
an O
unknown O
destination O
, O
" O
Olow O
was O
quoted O
as O
saying O
. O

The O
new O
hijacking O
comes O
after O
months O
of O
lull O
in O
piracy O
incidents O
off O
the O
Somali O
coast O
after O
powerful O
Supreme O
Council O
of O
Islamic O
Courts O
( O
SCIC O
) O
' O
s O
takeover O
of O
central O
Somali O
regions O
in O
June B-T
this I-T
year I-T
. O

" O
We O
thought O
the O
era O
of O
pirates O
ended O
. O
. O
but O
this O
shows O
us O
that O
there O
are O
still O
pirates O
in O
our O
waters O
, O
" O
Olow O
said O
. O

The O
latest O
seizure O
came O
after O
ten O
pirates O
who O
were O
captured O
early B-T
this I-T
year I-T
by O
the O
United O
States O
Navy O
off O
the O
coast O
of O
the O
lawless O
nation O
were O
sentenced O
for O
seven B-T
years I-T
in O
Kenya O
this O
week O
for O
piracy O
and O
hijacking O

The O
U O
. O
S O
. O
seizure O
of O
the O
alleged O
pirates O
came O
amid O
a O
surge O
in O
hijackings O
off O
the O
coast O
of O
Somalia O
, O
where O
the O
International O
Maritime O
Bureau O
( O
IMB O
) O
had O
reported O
about O
40 O
attacks O
on O
ships O
since O
mid B-T
- I-T
March I-T
of I-T
last I-T
year I-T
. O

Somalia O
' O
s O
coastline O
is O
one O
of O
the O
world O
' O
s O
worst O
areas O
for O
piracy O
, O
but O
incidents O
have O
declined O
since O
the O
Islamic O
courts O
rose O
to O
power O
in O
June B-T
. O

Somalia O
has O
been O
in O
the O
grip O
of O
warlords O
and O
militias O
for O
years B-T
and O
has O
not O
had O
a O
functioning O
national O
government O
since O
1991 B-T
. O

The O
decline O
in O
piracy O
has O
also O
been O
attributed O
to O
foreign O
navy O
patrols O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970415 O
. O
0396 O

PORT O
LOUIS O
, O
April B-T
15 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Mauritius O
, O
China O
sign O
accords O
on O
Hong O
Kong O

A O
top O
- O
level O
Mauritian O
delegation O
to O
China O
has O
signed O
two O
agreements O
pertaining O
to O
the O
future O
Special O
Administrative O
Region O
of O
Hong O
Kong O
, O
officials O
said O
here O
Tuesday B-T
. O

One O
accord O
waives O
visa O
requirements O
for O
Mauritians O
traveling O
to O
Hong O
Kong O
after O
the O
territory O
reverts O
to O
Chinese O
rule O
on O
July B-T
1 I-T
, O
and O
for O
Chinese O
citizens O
travelling O
to O
Mauritius O
. O

It O
was O
signed O
in O
the O
presence O
of O
the O
Chinese O
and O
Mauritian O
premiers O
, O
Li O
Peng O
and O
Navin O
Ramgoolam O
, O
by O
Mauritian O
Cabinet O
Secretary O
Philippe O
Yan O
Sin O
and O
Chinese O
Deputy O
Foreign O
Minister O
Tang O
Xiaxuan O
. O

China O
has O
also O
agreed O
to O
provide O
aid O
totalling O
five O
million O
yuan O
( O
600 O
, O
000 O
dollars O
) O
to O
Mauritius O
, O
and O
trade O
officials O
signed O
a O
cooperation O
agreement O
. O

Ramgoolam O
, O
who O
met O
Monday B-T
with O
Li O
, O
was O
due O
to O
meet O
Tuesday B-T
with O
Chinese O
President O
Jiang O
Zemin O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061123 O
. O
0341 O

TOKYO O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
24 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Tokyo O
stocks O
open O
lower O

Tokyo O
stocks O
opened O
lower O
Friday B-T
as O
exporters O
lost O
ground O
on O
a O
stronger O
yen O
. O

In O
the B-T
first I-T
15 I-T
minutes I-T
of O
trading O
, O
the O
225 O
- O
issue O
Nikkei O
Stock O
Average O
lost O
152 O
. O
68 O
points O
, O
or O
0 O
. O
96 O
percent O
, O
to O
15 O
, O
761 O
. O
55 O
. O

The O
broader O
Tokyo O
Stock O
Price O
Index O
of O
all O
First O
Section O
issues O
on O
the O
Tokyo O
Stock O
Exchange O
was O
down O
13 O
. O
22 O
points O
, O
or O
0 O
. O
85 O
percent O
, O
to O
1 O
, O
539 O
. O
65 O
. O
The O
Second O
Section O
fell O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051213 O
. O
0634 O

SYDNEY O
, O
Dec B-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

Survey O
finds O
surprise O
drop O
in O
Australian O
consumer O
sentiment O

Australian O
consumer O
confidence O
experienced O
a O
surprising O
fall O
in O
December B-T
, O
despite O
significantly O
lower O
petrol O
prices O
, O
according O
to O
a O
survey O
released O
Wednesday B-T
. O

The O
Westpac O
- O
Melbourne O
Institute O
index O
found O
that O
consumer O
sentiment O
dropped O
2 O
. O
7 O
percent O
in O
December B-T
to O
104 O
. O
7 O
points O
from O
the B-T
previous I-T
month I-T
. O

" O
The O
index O
surprisingly O
fell O
by O
2 O
. O
7 O
percent O
- O
- O
I O
say O
surprisingly O
because O
last B-T
month I-T
it O
rose O
by O
nine O
percent O
and O
that O
was O
following O
a O
six O
percent O
fall O
in O
petrol O
prices O
, O
" O
Westpac O
Banking O
Corp O
' O
s O
global O
head O
of O
economics O
Bill O
Evans O
said O
. O

" O
Since O
the O
last O
survey O
we O
' O
ve O
seen O
another O
5 O
. O
5 O
percent O
fall O
( O
in O
petrol O
prices O
) O
and O
yet O
the O
index O
actually O
fell O
, O
" O
he O
told O
ABC O
radio O
. O

The O
index O
has O
now B-T
settled O
at O
a O
point O
about O
six O
percent O
below O
the O
average O
level O
before O
higher O
global O
oil O
prices O
pushed O
up O
the O
price O
of O
petrol O
. O

Evans O
said O
it O
appeared O
that O
petrol O
prices O
were O
no O
longer O
as O
important O
in O
defining O
consumer O
sentiment O
and O
it O
was O
more O
likely O
that O
the O
fear O
of O
interest O
rate O
rises O
was O
weighing O
on O
consumers O
' O
minds O
. O

The O
Reserve O
Bank O
of O
Australia O
last B-T
lifted O
its O
key O
official O
cash O
rate O
25 O
basis O
points O
to O
5 O
. O
50 O
percent O
in O
March B-T
. O

Falling O
house O
prices O
in O
Sydney O
, O
Melbourne O
and O
Brisbane O
in O
the O
September B-T
quarter I-T
as O
well O
as O
reforms O
to O
labour O
laws O
could O
also O
be O
contributing O
to O
the O
negative O
sentiment O
, O
Evans O
said O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061229 O
. O
0486 O

BAGHDAD O
, O
Dec B-T
30 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

Rights O
group O
condemns O
Saddam O
execution O

US O
- O
based O
rights O
group O
Human O
Rights O
Watch O
( O
HRW O
) O
Saturday B-T
condemned O
the O
hanging O
of O
deposed O
Iraqi O
dictator O
Saddam O
Hussein O
, O
saying O
history O
would O
judge O
his O
trial O
and O
execution O
" O
harshly O
" O
. O

" O
Saddam O
Hussein O
was O
responsible O
for O
horrific O
, O
widespread O
human O
rights O
violations O
, O
but O
those O
acts O
, O
however O
brutal O
, O
cannot O
justify O
his O
execution O
, O
a O
cruel O
and O
inhuman O
punishment O
, O
" O
said O
HRW O
International O
Justice O
Programme O
director O
Richard O
Dicker O
. O

" O
The O
test O
of O
a O
government O
' O
s O
commitment O
to O
human O
rights O
is O
measured O
by O
the O
way O
it O
treats O
its O
worst O
offenders O
. O
History O
will O
judge O
the O
deeply O
flawed O
Dujail O
trial O
and O
this O
execution O
harshly O
, O
" O
Dicker O
said O
in O
a O
statement O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061204 O
. O
0292 O

LONDON O
, O
Dec B-T
4 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

Struggling O
Hull O
sack O
Parkinson O

English O
Championship O
strugglers O
Hull O
on O
Monday B-T
sacked O
manager O
Phil O
Parkinson O
. O

Hull O
chairman O
Adam O
Pearson O
decided O
to O
dismiss O
Parkinson O
, O
who O
was O
only O
appointed O
in O
June B-T
, O
after O
Saturday O
' O
s O
4 O
- O
2 O
home O
defeat O
against O
Southampton O
left O
his O
team O
in O
23rd O
place O
in O
English O
football O
' O
s O
second O
tier O
. O

Parkinson O
' O
s O
side O
had O
won O
just O
four O
of O
21 O
league O
matches O
this O
season O
and O
fans O
called O
for O
him O
to O
quit O
after O
Saturday B-T
' O
s O
loss O
. O

Hull O
coaches O
Colin O
Murphy O
and O
Phil O
Brown O
will O
take O
charge O
of O
the O
first O
team O
on O
a O
temporary O
basis O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970429 O
. O
0126 O

NEW O
DELHI O
, O
April B-T
29 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Yadav O
' O
s O
Bihar O
: O
India O
' O
s O
most O
violent O
state O
By O
Pratap O
Chakravarty O

Ruling O
and O
opposition O
leaders O
, O
bureaucrats O
, O
government O
clerks O
, O
doctors O
, O
vets O
, O
businessmen O
and O
even O
housewives O
are O
named O
as O
conspirators O
in O
a O
271 O
- O
million O
- O
dollar O
fraud O
in O
India O
' O
s O
Bihar O
state O
, O
the O
most O
crime O
- O
prone O
in O
the O
country O
. O

" O
The O
system O
has O
collapsed O
. O
Nothing O
works O
, O
" O
commented O
Uttam O
Sengupta O
, O
editor O
of O
The O
Times O
of O
India O
' O
s O
regional O
edition O
in O
Bihar O
, O
India O
' O
s O
second O
most O
populous O
state O
where O
some O
12 O
million O
educated O
youths O
are O
jobless O
. O

Sengupta O
and O
others O
do O
not O
blame O
Chief O
Minister O
Laloo O
Prasad O
Yadav O
for O
the O
virtual O
anarchy O
in O
the O
state O
. O

" O
Lawlessness O
is O
partly O
because O
the O
system O
has O
collapsed O
. O
All O
political O
parties O
patronise O
criminals O
and O
the O
police O
does O
not O
function O
. O
" O

Yadav O
, O
two O
of O
his O
cabinet O
colleagues O
and O
a O
federal O
minister O
from O
Bihar O
, O
are O
among O
56 O
others O
charged O
in O
the O
swindle O
, O
which O
federal O
investigators O
now B-T
say O
has O
been O
going O
on O
openly O
since O
1977 B-T
. O

Despite O
the O
spiralling O
lawlessness O
, O
economic O
chaos O
and O
rampant O
unemployment O
, O
Yadav O
was O
re O
- O
elected O
chief O
minister O
for O
a O
second O
time O
in O
1995 B-T
. O

But O
now B-T
, O
Yadav O
faces O
mounting O
demands O
for O
his O
removal O
in O
connection O
with O
the O
scandal O
which O
people O
in O
Bihar O
say O
is O
a O
symbol O
of O
the O
state O
' O
s O
malaise O
. O

Bihar O
, O
with O
a O
population O
of O
90 O
million O
, O
witnessed O
5 O
, O
193 O
murders O
last B-T
year I-T
, O
up O
by O
157 O
reported O
homicides O
over O
the B-T
previous I-T
year I-T
while O
5 O
, O
039 O
people O
were O
killed O
in O
non O
- O
political O
violence O
during O
1994 B-T
. O

The O
state O
' O
s O
75 O
, O
000 O
- O
member O
police O
department O
deployed O
across O
55 O
districts O
reported O
2 O
, O
603 O
robberies O
last B-T
year I-T
and O
2 O
, O
472 O
the O
previous O
. O
It O
also O
saw O
some O
12 O
, O
490 O
armed O
clashes O
during O
1996 B-T
and O
12 B-T
, I-T
000 I-T
a I-T
year I-T
before I-T
. O

Maoist O
guerrillas O
killed O
60 O
people O
last B-T
year I-T
while O
73 O
others O
lost O
their O
lives O
and O
88 O
were O
robbed O
on O
trains O
running O
across O
Bihar O
. O

On O
Tuesday B-T
, O
fed O
up O
with O
rampant O
crime O
, O
some O
5 O
, O
000 O
Bihari O
students O
smashed O
through O
police O
barriers O
in O
the O
Indian O
capital O
to O
protest O
the O
daylight O
murder O
earlier O
this B-T
month I-T
of O
a O
prominent O
university O
leader O
in O
the O
state O
, O
allegedly O
by O
a O
politician O
from O
Yadav O
' O
s O
party O
. O

Massive O
power O
breakdowns O
, O
annual O
droughts O
and O
floods O
have O
stunted O
industrial O
growth O
in O
Bihar O
, O
which O
accounts O
for O
a O
third O
of O
India O
' O
s O
mineral O
deposits O
. O
It O
also O
has O
two O
of O
the O
country O
' O
s O
biggest O
steel O
plants O
and O
is O
one O
of O
largest O
producer O
of O
fertiliser O
. O

The O
Times O
editor O
Sengupta O
describes O
the O
situation O
in O
Bihar O
, O
where O
per O
capita O
income O
is O
one O
of O
the O
lowest O
in O
India O
, O
as O
" O
paradoxical O
. O
" O

" O
The O
situation O
is O
complex O
here O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

Bihar O
is O
India O
' O
s O
second O
largest O
grower O
of O
vegetables O
, O
third O
largest O
exporter O
of O
fruits O
and O
accounts O
for O
a O
large O
number O
of O
professionals O
settled O
in O
Europe O
and O
the O
United O
states O
. O

" O
The O
situation O
appears O
bad O
because O
the O
population O
is O
so O
large O
and O
its O
density O
is O
very O
high O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970422 O
. O
0185 O

MANILA O
, O
April B-T
22 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Bounty O
offered O
for O
information O
on O
big O
firms O
using O
pirated O
software O

Software O
companies O
Tuesday B-T
launched O
a O
campaign O
to O
track O
down O
big O
Philippine O
firms O
using O
pirated O
software O
with O
a O
reward O
of O
50 O
, O
000 O
pesos O
( O
1 O
, O
900 O
dollars O
) O
to O
anyone O
giving O
incriminating O
information O
. O

The O
Business O
Software O
Alliance O
( O
BSA O
) O
, O
an O
association O
of O
information O
technology O
firms O
, O
said O
corporate O
end O
users O
account O
for O
two O
- O
thirds O
of O
software O
piracy O
losses O
in O
the O
Philippines O
. O

" O
We O
are O
committed O
to O
eradicating O
corporate O
end O
user O
piracy O
even O
as O
we O
continue O
to O
pursue O
our O
enforcement O
action O
against O
dealers O
" O
who O
sell O
pirated O
software O
, O
said O
Stuart O
Ong O
, O
vice O
- O
president O
of O
BSA O
. O

Ong O
said O
the O
alliance O
would O
encourage O
past O
and O
present O
employees O
of O
big O
companies O
to O
report O
use O
of O
pirated O
software O
. O

A O
BSA O
statement O
said O
those O
who O
assist O
them O
will O
be O
compensated O
while O
remaining O
anonymous O
. O
It O
estimated O
that O
90 O
percent O
of O
the O
software O
in O
use O
in O
this O
country O
was O
pirated O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061229 O
. O
0227 O

MADRID O
, O
Dec B-T
29 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

Troubled O
Basque O
situation O
will O
be O
better O
in O
a O
year O
: O
Spain O
' O
s O
PM O

Spain O
' O
s O
prime O
minister O
Friday B-T
confidently O
predicted O
an O
improvement O
during O
the B-T
coming I-T
year I-T
in O
the O
country O
' O
s O
troubled O
Basque O
region O
following O
a O
start O
to O
dialogue O
with O
the O
armed O
separatist O
group O
ETA O
. O

" O
The O
situation O
will O
be O
better O
in O
a B-T
year I-T
, O
" O
said O
Jose O
Luis O
Rodriguez O
Zapatero O
, O
reporting O
that O
negotiations O
were O
proceeding O
" O
discreetly O
, O
" O
despite O
the O
view O
of O
critics O
that O
the O
peace O
process O
is O
currently O
blocked O
. O

ETA O
declared O
a O
permanent O
ceasefire O
last B-T
March I-T
after O
nearly B-T
four I-T
decades I-T
of O
bombings O
and O
shootings O
claiming O
more O
than O
850 O
lives O
in O
pursuit O
of O
an O
independent O
Basque O
country O
. O

Despite O
recent O
incidents O
the O
situation O
had O
now O
improved O
, O
Zapatero O
assured O
a O
press O
conference O
. O

" O
It O
' O
s O
better O
with O
a O
permanent O
ceasefire O
than O
when O
bombs O
go O
off O
as O
was O
happening O
a B-T
year I-T
ago I-T
, O
" O
the O
Socialist O
prime O
minister O
commented O
. O

" O
It O
' O
s O
also O
better O
than O
four O
or O
five B-T
years I-T
ago I-T
when O
we O
had O
tragic O
lethal O
attacks O
. O
" O

ETA O
' O
s O
last O
killing O
was O
in O
May B-T
2003 I-T
. O

But O
many O
observers O
are O
sceptical O
about O
whether O
ETA O
really O
wants O
to O
negotiate O
an O
end O
to O
violence O
. O

Doubts O
have O
been O
prompted O
by O
various O
developments O
including O
an O
arms O
theft O
in O
neighbouring O
France O
for O
which O
ETA O
was O
held O
responsible O
, O
discovery O
of O
an O
arms O
cache O
in O
the O
Basque O
country O
in O
northern O
Spain O
, O
and O
a O
return O
to O
street O
violence O
in O
the O
province O
. O

Zapatero O
declined O
to O
comment O
on O
these O
developments O
or O
to O
confirm O
there O
had O
been O
a O
first O
official O
meeting O
this B-T
month I-T
between O
ETA O
and O
representatives O
of O
Spain O
' O
s O
national O
government O
. O

However O
, O
the O
prime O
minister O
said O
the O
banned O
separatist O
Basque O
political O
party O
Batasuna O
might O
be O
allowed O
to O
stand O
again O
in O
the O
next O
Basque O
regional O
elections O
if O
it O
showed O
respect O
for O
rule O
of O
law O
and O
distanced O
itself O
from O
violence O
. O

Spain O
' O
s O
main O
political O
opposition O
, O
the O
right O
- O
wing O
Popular O
Party O
, O
takes O
a O
harder O
line O
, O
saying O
Batasuna O
, O
seen O
as O
the O
political O
wing O
of O
ETA O
, O
should O
not O
be O
allowed O
to O
stand O
in O
local O
and O
regional O
elections O
until O
it O
expressly O
renounces O
violence O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061214 O
. O
0316 O

TOKYO O
, O
Dec B-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
ADDS O
quotes O
on O
nuclear O
issue O
/ O
/ O
/ O

Indian O
Prime O
Minister O
Manmohan O
Singh O
called O
Thursday B-T
for O
an O
" O
arc O
of O
prosperity O
" O
with O
fellow O
democracy O
Japan O
but O
pressed O
Asia O
' O
s O
largest O
economy O
to O
invest O
more O
and O
support O
nuclear O
cooperation O
. O

Singh O
is O
the O
first O
Indian O
premier O
in O
five B-T
years I-T
to O
visit O
Japan O
, O
whose O
conservative O
government O
has O
made O
improving O
ties O
with O
New O
Delhi O
a O
top O
priority O
to O
balance O
frequent O
friction O
with O
a O
rising O
China O
. O

" O
Strong O
ties O
between O
India O
and O
Japan O
will O
be O
a O
major O
factor O
in O
building O
an O
open O
and O
inclusive O
Asia O
and O
in O
enhancing O
peace O
and O
stability O
in O
the O
region O
, O
" O
Singh O
said O
in O
an O
address O
to O
a O
joint O
session O
of O
the O
Japanese O
parliament O
. O

" O
Our O
partnership O
has O
the O
potential O
to O
create O
an O
arc O
of O
advantage O
and O
prosperity O
across O
Asia O
, O
laying O
the O
foundation O
for O
the O
creation O
of O
an O
Asian O
economic O
community O
. O
" O

Japan O
' O
s O
ties O
with O
communist O
China O
remain O
strained O
by O
the O
legacy O
of O
its O
atrocities O
in O
the B-T
1930s I-T
and O
1940s O
, O
when O
it O
invaded O
neighboring O
countries O
in O
the O
name O
of O
creating O
a O
Greater O
East O
Asia O
Co O
- O
Prosperity O
Sphere O
. O

But O
both O
Singh O
and O
Japanese O
Prime O
Minister O
Shinzo O
Abe O
, O
with O
whom O
he O
will O
hold O
talks O
Friday B-T
, O
have O
been O
trying O
to O
repair O
relations O
with O
China O
. O
And O
India O
, O
despite O
warming O
ties O
with O
the O
US O
, O
has O
long O
called O
for O
a O
" O
multipolar O
" O
world O
. O

Singh O
is O
seeking O
Japan O
' O
s O
blessing O
for O
a O
controversial O
India O
- O
US O
pact O
that O
allows O
civilian O
nuclear O
cooperation O
even O
though O
New O
Delhi O
has O
developed O
nuclear O
weapons O
. O

In O
an O
aside O
from O
his O
prepared O
text O
, O
Singh O
told O
lawmakers O
that O
India O
' O
s O
commitment O
to O
stopping O
the O
spread O
of O
nuclear O
weapons O
was O
" O
unshakable O
" O
even O
though O
it O
refuses O
to O
sign O
the O
Non O
- O
Proliferation O
Treaty O
. O

The O
support O
of O
Japan O
, O
the O
only O
nation O
to O
be O
attacked O
by O
atomic O
weapons O
, O
could O
open O
the O
door O
for O
international O
nuclear O
cooperation O
with O
India O
and O
counter O
Singh O
' O
s O
critics O
, O
who O
say O
he O
has O
conceded O
too O
much O
to O
Washington O
. O

But O
Yohei O
Kono O
, O
the O
speaker O
of O
the O
lower O
house O
, O
offered O
a O
gentle O
rebuke O
as O
he O
welcomed O
Singh O
to O
the O
podium O
. O

He O
thanked O
the O
Indian O
parliament O
for O
offering O
an O
annual O
silent O
prayer O
to O
victims O
of O
Hiroshima O
and O
Nagasaki O
and O
added O
: O
" O
Again O
we O
call O
on O
your O
country O
to O
mutually O
cooperate O
to O
abolish O
nuclear O
weapons O
. O
" O

Despite O
Japanese O
conservatives O
' O
bid O
to O
ally O
with O
New O
Delhi O
to O
balance O
Beijing O
, O
Singh O
did O
not O
mention O
China O
by O
name O
in O
his O
address O
- O
- O
other O
than O
to O
point O
out O
disapprovingly O
that O
it O
conducted O
more O
trade O
with O
India O
than O
Japan O
did O
. O

" O
Economic O
ties O
must O
be O
the O
bedrock O
of O
our O
relationship O
and O
a O
strong O
push O
is O
required O
in O
this O
area O
. O
Our O
trade O
and O
investment O
ties O
are O
well O
below O
potential O
, O
" O
said O
Singh O
, O
who O
is O
accompanied O
by O
a O
high O
- O
level O
business O
delegation O
. O

India O
in O
2004 B-T
replaced O
China O
as O
the O
top O
destination O
for O
Japan O
' O
s O
low O
- O
interest O
loans O
, O
a O
key O
tool O
of O
Tokyo O
' O
s O
diplomacy O
and O
sign O
of O
its O
political O
intentions O
. O

But O
investment O
has O
not O
followed O
. O
Japan O
invested O
170 O
million O
dollars O
in O
India O
last B-T
year I-T
, O
less O
than O
three O
percent O
of O
the O
amount O
it O
invested O
in O
China O
, O
according O
to O
official O
Japanese O
figures O
. O

Japan O
had O
shown O
initial O
enthusiasm O
when O
India O
ended O
five B-T
decades I-T
of O
rigid O
protectionism O
in O
1991 B-T
. O
Singh O
, O
who O
as O
finance O
minister O
fathered O
the O
reforms O
, O
secured O
Japanese O
loans O
to O
end O
a O
balance O
- O
of O
- O
payments O
crisis O
. O

" O
I O
return O
to O
Japan O
as O
the O
prime O
minister O
of O
a O
new O
India O
, O
" O
Singh O
said O
, O
pointing O
to O
India O
' O
s O
breakneck O
macroeconomic O
growth O
. O

In O
talks O
with O
ministers O
Thursday B-T
, O
Singh O
sought O
Japanese O
financing O
for O
a O
proposed O
2 O
, O
800 O
kilometer O
( O
1 O
, O
700 O
mile O
) O
high O
- O
speed O
freight O
railway O
seen O
as O
vital O
to O
improving O
India O
' O
s O
creaky O
infrastructure O
. O

Japan O
will O
look O
at O
the O
proposal O
once O
details O
are O
set O
, O
Finance O
Minister O
Koji O
Omi O
told O
him O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061113 O
. O
0265 O

NAIROBI O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
13 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Interview O
: O
Africa O
needs O
support O
in O
adapting O
to O
climate O
change O

African O
countries O
need O
funds O
, O
the O
Clean O
Development O
Mechanism O
( O
CDM O
) O
and O
technology O
transfer O
to O
combat O
climate O
change O
, O
Kivutha O
Kibwana O
, O
president O
- O
designate O
of O
the O
UN O
Climate O
Change O
Conference O
has O
said O
. O

African O
countries O
are O
the O
least O
emitters O
in O
the O
world O
whose O
emission O
only O
accounts O
for O
about O
3 O
or O
4 O
percent O
of O
the O
world O
' O
s O
total O
. O
" O
They O
are O
impacted O
quite O
significantly O
by O
the O
climate O
change O
. O
Therefore O
they O
are O
frustrated O
that O
in O
this O
process O
they O
are O
not O
able O
to O
mobilize O
the O
funds O
that O
are O
required O
for O
particular O
adaptation O
. O
" O
Kibwana O
said O
in O
an O
exclusive O
interview O
with O
Xinhua O
. O

One O
of O
the O
most O
important O
issues O
in O
this O
meeting O
is O
what O
people O
are O
going O
to O
do O
regarding O
the O
adaptation O
to O
climate O
change O
. O
It O
should O
be O
made O
sure O
that O
the O
fund O
is O
substantial O
, O
said O
Kibwana O
, O
who O
is O
also O
Kenya O
' O
s O
minister O
for O
Environment O
and O
Natural O
Resources O
. O

" O
We O
think O
that O
in O
Nairobi O
, O
those O
positions O
are O
required O
to O
be O
taken O
so O
the O
least O
developed O
countries O
and O
African O
countries O
can O
all O
feel O
that O
they O
are O
being O
supported O
to O
deal O
with O
the O
challenge O
of O
climate O
change O
, O
" O
Kibwana O
said O
. O

There O
are O
three O
funds O
established O
under O
Climate O
Change O
Convention O
and O
Kyoto O
Protocol O
to O
help O
developing O
countries O
. O
In O
them O
, O
the O
Adaptation O
Fund O
, O
which O
will O
be O
discussed O
in O
the O
Nairobi O
meeting O
to O
reach O
political O
agreement O
on O
how O
to O
be O
managed O
, O
is O
designated O
to O
finance O
practical O
adaptation O
projects O
and O
programs O
in O
developing O
countries O
and O
support O
capacity O
- O
building O
activities O
. O

Kibwana O
also O
said O
that O
Africa O
emphasizes O
an O
equitable O
distribution O
of O
CDM O
projects O
. O
Part O
of O
the O
debates O
at O
the O
conference O
is O
on O
how O
to O
ensure O
the O
capacity O
of O
African O
and O
poor O
countries O
to O
develop O
CDM O
projects O
which O
permit O
industrialized O
countries O
to O
generate O
emission O
credits O
through O
investments O
in O
sustainable O
development O
projects O
which O
reduce O
emissions O
in O
developing O
countries O
. O

In O
addition O
, O
Kibwana O
called O
for O
technology O
transfer O
to O
African O
countries O
which O
will O
help O
them O
to O
deal O
with O
the O
effects O
of O
climate O
change O
. O

As O
the O
developed O
countries O
are O
discussing O
about O
the O
future O
while O
African O
and O
poor O
nations O
are O
concerned O
about O
immediate O
effects O
of O
climate O
change O
, O
the O
challenge O
of O
the O
meeting O
is O
to O
come O
up O
with O
a O
win O
- O
win O
situation O
for O
all O
blocks O
, O
the O
president O
said O
. O

" O
According O
to O
a O
report O
from O
Britain O
, O
it O
is O
clear O
that O
the O
climate O
change O
is O
an O
extremely O
serious O
matter O
. O
We O
can O
not O
postpone O
on O
how O
to O
deal O
with O
it O
because O
the O
cost O
for O
not O
dealing O
with O
it O
today B-T
is O
so O
high O
in O
the B-T
future I-T
. O
And O
that O
is O
why O
it O
is O
my O
hope O
that O
this O
meeting O
is O
going O
to O
come O
up O
with O
concrete O
solutions O
, O
" O
Kibwana O
said O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051211 O
. O
0463 O

SAN O
FRANCISCO O
, O
Dec B-T
11 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

ATTENTION O
- O
ADDS O
details O
, O
quote O
/ O
/ O
/ O

California O
Governor O
Arnold O
Schwarzenegger O
was O
expected O
to O
decide O
on O
Monday B-T
whether O
to O
spare O
ex O
- O
gang O
leader O
Stanley O
" O
Tookie O
" O
Williams O
, O
whose O
death O
sentence O
is O
to O
be O
executed O
early B-T
Tuesday I-T
. O

Williams O
, O
whose O
case O
has O
prompted O
an O
international O
campaign O
for O
clemency O
, O
faces O
the O
death O
penalty O
for O
murdering O
four O
people O
unless O
the O
governor O
intervenes O
before O
Tuesday B-T
. O

Hollywood O
celebrities O
, O
including O
Jamie O
Foxx O
and O
Danny O
Glover O
, O
African O
- O
American O
leaders O
and O
opponents O
of O
the O
death O
penalty O
have O
championed O
Williams O
' O
case O
, O
citing O
his O
work O
against O
gang O
violence O
. O

The O
governor O
is O
the O
only O
man O
who O
can O
halt O
the O
death O
of O
Williams O
, O
who O
has O
been O
on O
death O
row O
for O
two B-T
decades I-T
and O
who O
is O
sentenced O
to O
die O
by O
lethal O
injection O
at O
00 O
: O
01 O
( O
0801 O
GMT O
) O
Tuesday B-T
. O

The O
" O
Terminator O
" O
movie O
star O
turned O
politician O
heard O
final O
arguments O
on O
Thursday B-T
from O
prosecutors O
and O
defense O
lawyers O
, O
who O
had O
30 O
minutes O
each O
to O
make O
their O
cases O
in O
a O
private O
hearing O
at O
the O
governor O
' O
s O
office O
in O
Sacramento O
. O

Schwarzenegger O
' O
s O
office O
said O
no O
decision O
on O
the O
case O
was O
expected O
on O
Sunday B-T
, O
but O
was O
likely O
to O
be O
announced O
on O
Monday B-T
. O

Williams O
, O
51 O
, O
has O
insisted O
he O
is O
innocent O
of O
the O
murders O
but O
has O
renounced O
his O
gangster O
past O
, O
writing O
several O
children O
' O
s O
books O
. O

His O
lawyers O
argued O
that O
he O
has O
had O
a O
change O
of O
heart O
displayed O
by O
his O
work O
to O
turn O
others O
against O
gang O
violence O
and O
asked O
for O
his O
death O
sentence O
to O
be O
commuted O
to O
life O
in O
prison O
without O
parole O
. O

The O
founder O
of O
the O
notorious O
Crips O
gang O
in O
Los O
Angeles O
who O
has O
appealed O
to O
youth O
to O
avoid O
gangs O
has O
been O
nominated O
several O
times O
for O
the O
Nobel O
Peace O
Prize O
. O

The O
prosecutor O
who O
secured O
Williams O
' O
conviction O
in O
1981 B-T
, O
Robert O
Martin O
, O
said O
on O
US O
television O
Sunday B-T
that O
the O
former O
gang O
leader O
did O
not O
deserve O
clemency O
because O
he O
had O
failed O
to O
show O
remorse O
for O
the O
shotgun O
murders O
of O
four O
people O
during O
two O
robberies O
. O

" O
If O
he O
does O
not O
take O
responsibility O
for O
the O
four O
brutal O
murders O
that O
he O
committed O
, O
he O
can O
' O
t O
begin O
to O
be O
rehabilitated O
, O
and O
we O
can O
' O
t O
say O
that O
there O
' O
s O
a O
moral O
equivalency O
between O
four O
brutal O
murders O
and O
co O
- O
authoring O
some O
children O
' O
s O
books O
, O
" O
Martin O
told O
on O
" O
Fox O
News O
on O
Sunday B-T
. O
" O

" O
I O
think O
society O
is O
not O
going O
to O
accept O
that O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

Schwarzenegger O
said O
last B-T
week I-T
that O
the O
decision O
he O
faced O
was O
" O
very O
tough O
" O
. O

Decisions O
on O
whether O
to O
spare O
convicted O
killers O
such O
as O
Williams O
from O
execution O
" O
are O
very O
heavy O
responsibilities O
, O
" O
the O
one O
- O
time O
champion O
body O
builder O
said O
. O

The O
first O
- O
term O
governor O
has O
refused O
clemency O
appeals O
in O
two O
other O
death O
row O
cases O
. O

California O
' O
s O
highest O
court O
last B-T
month I-T
rejected O
a O
request O
to O
take O
a O
new O
look O
at O
evidence O
that O
put O
Williams O
on O
death O
row O
. O

The O
defense O
team O
for O
Williams O
says O
it O
has O
received O
" O
tens O
of O
thousands O
" O
of O
letters O
and O
e O
- O
mails O
contending O
that O
Williams O
' O
anti O
- O
gang O
message O
is O
reaching O
city O
streets O
and O
juvenile O
detention O
facilities O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970404 O
. O
0607 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
April B-T
4 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Albright O
meets O
with O
three O
leaders O
of O
Serbian O
opposition O

Secretary O
of O
State O
Madeleine O
Albright O
on O
Friday B-T
met O
with O
three O
leaders O
of O
the O
Serbian O
opposition O
, O
in O
a O
further O
US O
effort O
to O
distance O
itself O
from O
Serbian O
President O
Slobodan O
Milosevic O
. O

" O
The O
United O
States O
supports O
the O
efforts O
of O
the O
Zajedno O
coalition O
and O
the O
other O
democratic O
forces O
in O
Serbia O
to O
lead O
Serbia O
out O
of O
the O
dead O
end O
it O
currently B-T
finds O
itself O
in O
and O
to O
begin O
the O
process O
of O
developing O
a O
modern O
European O
country O
, O
" O
State O
Department O
spokesman O
Nicholas O
Burns O
said O
. O

Burns O
said O
the O
meeting O
was O
intended O
" O
to O
underscore O
the O
very O
strong O
support O
that O
the O
United O
States O
gives O
to O
democratic O
change O
in O
Serbia O
. O
" O

Albright O
met O
with O
the O
three O
members O
of O
the O
opposition O
Zajedno O
coalition O
, O
Vuk O
Draskovic O
, O
Zoran O
Djindjic O
and O
Vesna O
Pesic O
. O

It O
was O
the O
first O
time O
the O
leaders O
had O
met O
with O
State O
Department O
officials O
since O
recent O
political O
turmoil O
broke O
out O
in O
Serbia O
. O

The O
high O
- O
profile O
US O
support O
also O
comes O
at O
a O
crucial O
time O
when O
Serbia O
prepares O
for O
key O
legislative O
and O
presidential O
elections O
at O
the B-T
end I-T
of I-T
the I-T
year I-T
. O

AFP_ENG_20061218 O
. O
0244 O

BAGHDAD O
, O
Dec B-T
18 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
UPDATES O
kidnap O
details O
, O
ADDS O
prison O
escape O
/ O
/ O
/ O

Iraqi O
Red O
Crescent O
aid O
workers O
suspended O
work O
in O
war O
- O
torn O
Baghdad O
on O
Monday B-T
after O
two O
dozen O
of O
their O
colleagues O
fell O
victim O
to O
the O
latest O
mass O
kidnap O
to O
shock O
a O
city O
plagued O
by O
sectarian O
violence O
. O

At O
least O
14 O
Iraqis O
were O
killed O
in O
a O
string O
of O
bombings O
and O
shootings O
as O
new O
US O
Defence O
Secretary O
Robert O
Gates O
prepared O
to O
take O
office O
in O
Washington O
amid O
deepening O
US O
divisions O
about O
how O
to O
handle O
the O
crisis O
in O
Iraq O
. O

A O
former O
Iraqi O
cabinet O
minister O
, O
an O
Iraqi O
- O
US O
dual O
national O
who O
was O
jailed O
for O
corruption O
, O
staged O
an O
escape O
from O
jail O
in O
Baghdad O
' O
s O
highly O
fortified O
Green O
Zone O
, O
in O
a O
further O
sign O
of O
the O
rampant O
chaos O
engulfing O
the O
country O
. O

" O
We O
have O
frozen O
or O
stopped O
temporarily O
activities O
in O
Baghdad O
, O
but O
this O
is O
not O
affecting O
civilian O
needs O
. O
This O
was O
logical O
because O
our O
main O
staff O
is O
still O
kidnapped O
, O
" O
the O
Iraqi O
Red O
Crescent O
' O
s O
secretary O
general O
Mazen O
Abdallah O
said O
. O

" O
We O
are O
the O
only O
organisation O
working O
in O
all O
of O
Iraq O
. O
We O
don O
' O
t O
want O
to O
stop O
, O
" O
he O
added O
, O
emphasising O
that O
the O
closure O
applied O
only O
to O
the O
capital O
. O

In O
addition O
to O
the O
main O
branch O
targeted O
in O
the O
kidnapping O
, O
the O
Iraqi O
Red O
Crescent O
has O
closed O
another O
40 O
subsidiary O
offices O
in O
Baghdad O
, O
affecting O
more O
than O
600 O
staff O
, O
a O
large O
proportion O
of O
them O
security O
guards O
, O
Abdallah O
said O
. O

Seventeen O
of O
more O
than O
30 O
men O
snatched O
in O
Sunday B-T
' O
s O
brazen O
raid O
by O
gunmen O
dressed O
in O
police O
uniforms O
have O
been O
released O
, O
including O
three O
guards O
from O
the O
nearby O
Dutch O
embassy O
and O
10 O
Red O
Crescent O
guards O
and O
drivers O
, O
Abdallah O
added O
. O

But O
19 O
Red O
Crescent O
staff O
- O
- O
a O
mixed O
group O
of O
Shiite O
and O
Sunni O
disaster O
, O
relief O
and O
health O
workers O
- O
- O
are O
still O
missing O
following O
what O
was O
the O
second O
mass O
abduction O
to O
terrorise O
Baghdad O
in O
less B-T
than I-T
a I-T
week I-T
. O

The O
International O
Committee O
of O
the O
Red O
Cross O
, O
part O
of O
the O
same O
movement O
, O
has O
called O
for O
the O
immediate O
and O
unconditional O
release O
of O
the O
hostages O
, O
and O
condemned O
the O
kidnapping O
as O
a O
breach O
of O
international O
humanitarian O
law O
. O

Fully O
aware O
of O
the O
ugly O
sectarian O
tensions O
threatening O
to O
rip O
Iraq O
apart O
, O
Abdallah O
said O
he O
ordered O
his O
staff O
not O
to O
reveal O
their O
family O
names O
while O
at O
work O
, O
in O
order O
not O
to O
disclose O
their O
religious O
or O
ethnic O
background O
. O

With O
US O
experts O
and O
politicians O
increasingly O
anxious O
over O
how O
to O
manage O
the O
chaos O
in O
Iraq O
, O
where O
around O
129 O
, O
000 O
US O
troops O
are O
fighting O
insurgents O
and O
training O
local O
forces O
, O
a O
new O
defence O
secretary O
was O
to O
take O
office O
. O

Gates O
, O
a O
former O
Central O
Intelligence O
Agency O
director O
, O
was O
to O
be O
sworn O
in O
at O
the O
Pentagon O
just O
three B-T
days I-T
after O
his O
predecessor O
Donald O
Rumsfeld O
, O
blamed O
for O
the O
current O
mess O
in O
Iraq O
, O
was O
given O
a O
full O
honours O
send O
- O
off O
. O

His O
arrival O
precedes O
the O
announcement O
of O
a O
new O
policy O
on O
Iraq O
set O
to O
be O
unveiled O
by O
US O
President O
George O
W O
. O
Bush O
early B-T
next I-T
year I-T
- O
- O
a O
new O
strategy O
that O
Gates O
is O
likely O
to O
be O
involved O
in O
shaping O
. O

Options O
under O
consideration O
reportedly O
include O
boosting O
the O
number O
of O
US O
soldiers O
by O
between O
20 B-T
, I-T
000 I-T
and O
50 B-T
, I-T
000 I-T
to O
secure O
Baghdad O
, O
forging O
an O
alliance O
between O
moderate O
Iraqi O
Shiites O
and O
Sunnis O
at O
the O
expense O
of O
radicals O
on O
both O
sides O
, O
or O
even O
throwing O
the O
US O
lot O
in O
with O
the O
majority O
Shiites O
. O

Bush O
has O
effectively O
dismissed O
a O
report O
by O
the O
Iraq O
Study O
Group O
, O
a O
bipartisan O
panel O
of O
foreign O
policy O
luminaries O
, O
which O
recommended O
wrapping O
up O
US O
combat O
operations O
in O
the O
country O
by O
early B-T
2008 I-T
. O

Meanwhile O
, O
the O
violence O
continues O
unchecked O
. O

In O
Baghdad O
, O
five O
people O
were O
killed O
and O
19 O
wounded O
Monday B-T
when O
a O
car O
bomb O
exploded O
in O
a O
bustling O
marketplace O
in O
the O
mixed O
Shiite O
- O
Sunni O
neighbourhood O
of O
Saidiyah O
, O
a O
security O
source O
said O
. O

Three O
other O
people O
were O
killed O
in O
separate O
attacks O
and O
Iraq O
' O
s O
disgraced O
former O
electricity O
minister O
Ayham O
al O
- O
Samarrai O
escaped O
from O
a O
jail O
under O
joint O
Iraqi O
- O
US O
guard O
in O
Baghdad O
, O
two B-T
months I-T
after O
he O
was O
jailed O
for O
corruption O
. O

Five O
more O
civilians O
were O
killed O
in O
the O
Baquba O
area O
, O
north O
of O
Baghdad O
, O
with O
one O
attack O
targeting O
mourners O
accompanying O
bodies O
to O
the O
Shiite O
south O
of O
the O
capital O
for O
burial O
, O
police O
and O
medical O
sources O
said O
. O

In O
the O
northern O
city O
of O
Mosul O
, O
unidentified O
gunmen O
ambushed O
and O
shot O
dead O
Khayreddin O
al O
- O
Dabbagh O
, O
a O
member O
of O
the O
municipal O
council O
, O
police O
said O
. O

The O
US O
military O
also O
announced O
that O
two O
more O
troops O
were O
killed O
in O
action O
, O
bringing O
the O
number O
of O
US O
fatalities O
in O
Iraq O
since O
the O
2003 O
invasion O
to O
2 O
, O
946 O
, O
according O
to O
an O
AFP O
count O
based O
on O
Pentagon O
figures O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051110 O
. O
0077 O

DAMASCUS O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
10 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Iraqi O
election O

Syria O
and O
Iraq O
have O
singed O
a O
memo O
of O
understanding O
to O
give O
facilities O
to O
Iraqis O
living O
in O
Syria O
to O
cast O
ballots O
in O
the O
Iraqi O
election O
due O
in O
December B-T
, O
the O
Tishin O
newspaper O
reported O
on O
Thursday B-T
. O

According O
to O
the O
memo O
, O
10 O
voting O
centers O
will O
be O
established O
in O
and O
around O
the O
capital O
of O
Damascus O
to O
guarantee O
participation O
of O
a O
large O
number O
of O
Iraqis O
living O
there O
. O

" O
This O
move O
comes O
to O
assert O
Syria O
' O
s O
desire O
to O
make O
the O
current B-T
political O
process O
in O
Iraq O
a O
success O
, O
which O
aims O
at O
putting O
an O
end O
to O
bloody O
violence O
that O
kills O
innocent O
civilians O
and O
boosting O
Iraq O
' O
s O
stability O
and O
unity O
, O
" O
the O
paper O
quoted O
a O
foreign O
ministry O
statement O
as O
saying O
. O

Director O
of O
the O
Organizations O
and O
International O
Conferences O
at O
the O
Foreign O
Ministry O
Faisal O
Hamwi O
and O
Head O
of O
Iraqi O
Custody O
Service O
in O
Damascus O
Sabah O
Imam O
inked O
the O
memo O
, O
the O
paper O
said O
. O

The O
Iraqi O
election O
will O
be O
held O
in O
mid O
- O
December O
to O
choose O
members O
of O
the O
National O
Assembly O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051113 O
. O
0069 O

GAZA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
13 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Israeli O
army O
kills O
two O
Palestinian O
militants O

Two O
Palestinian O
militants O
were O
killed O
by O
Israeli O
forces O
overnight O
in O
two O
separate O
incidents O
, O
Palestinian O
medics O
said O
on O
Sunday B-T
. O

Israeli O
troops O
shot O
dead O
17 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Bilal O
Ashaar O
and O
wounded O
another O
Palestinian O
in O
the O
southern O
Gaza O
Strip O
late B-T
Thursday I-T
, O
said O
Moaweya O
Hasaneen O
, O
chief O
of O
emergency O
in O
the O
Palestinian O
Ministry O
of O
Public O
Health O
. O

In O
a O
separate O
incident O
, O
Israeli O
troops O
shot O
dead O
a O
member O
of O
al O
- O
Aqsa O
Martyrs O
' O
Brigades O
, O
armed O
wing O
of O
the O
dominant O
Fatah O
movement O
, O
in O
the O
northern O
West O
Bank O
city O
of O
Jenin O
early O
on O
Sunday B-T
. O

Israel O
Radio O
reported O
that O
Shujah B-T
al I-T
- I-T
Balawi I-T
, I-T
20 I-T
, O
was O
killed O
in O
an O
exchange O
of O
fire O
with O
Israeli O
troops O
. O
Two O
other O
militants O
were O
also O
wounded O
in O
the O
clash O
. O

Israeli O
forces O
have O
stepped O
up O
raids O
and O
hunts O
for O
Palestinian O
militants O
after O
a O
deadly O
suicide O
bomb O
attack O
killed O
six O
Israelis O
last B-T
month I-T
. O

XIN_ENG_20061116 O
. O
0416 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
17 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Health O
ministry O
orders O
inspections O
for O
harmful O
duck O
eggs O

China O
' O
s O
Ministry O
of O
Health O
has O
ordered O
local O
health O
authorities O
to O
inspect O
markets O
and O
restaurants O
, O
vowing O
to O
prosecute O
those O
who O
are O
still O
selling O
or O
serving O
red O
- O
yolk O
duck O
eggs O
. O

The O
move O
follows O
revelations O
that O
farmers O
had O
been O
feeding O
cancer O
- O
causing O
dyes O
to O
ducks O
in O
order O
to O
produce O
the O
valued O
red O
- O
yolk O
eggs O
. O

In O
an O
urgent O
circular O
to O
all O
provinces O
, O
regions O
and O
China O
Center O
for O
Disease O
Control O
and O
Prevention O
, O
the O
ministry O
said O
the O
Sudan O
range O
of O
industrial O
dyes O
was O
banned O
as O
a O
food O
additive O
under O
the O
national O
regulation O
on O
the O
use O
of O
food O
additives O
. O

It O
required O
local O
health O
inspection O
departments O
to O
launch O
immediate O
checks O
on O
the O
sales O
of O
eggs O
from O
Beijing O
and O
Hebei O
Province O
, O
where O
eggs O
containing O
the O
carcinogenic O
dye O
have O
been O
found O
. O

Anyone O
who O
continued O
serving O
or O
selling O
the O
eggs O
must O
be O
prosecuted O
, O
said O
the O
ministry O
, O
adding O
the O
inspections O
must O
be O
reported O
to O
the O
local O
governments O
and O
the O
ministry O
. O

Red O
Sudan O
dyes O
are O
used O
in O
the O
leather O
and O
fabric O
industries O
. O
The O
International O
Agency O
for O
Research O
on O
Cancer O
, O
part O
of O
the O
World O
Health O
Organization O
, O
assessed O
Sudan O
dyes O
as O
Group O
3 O
genotoxic O
carcinogens O
. O

Last B-T
year I-T
, O
the O
ministry O
reiterated O
the O
ban O
on O
production O
, O
sales O
and O
use O
of O
Sudan O
dyes O
in O
food O
, O
after O
it O
was O
found O
in O
some O
brands O
of O
pepper O
sauce O
, O
chili O
oil O
and O
fast O
food O
giant O
KFC O
' O
s O
New O
Orleans O
roast O
chicken O
wings O
. O

It O
was O
also O
found O
by O
the O
United O
Kingdom O
Food O
Standards O
Agency O
in O
February B-T
2005 I-T
in O
a O
batch O
of O
chili O
powder O
sold O
by O
Premier O
Foods O
, O
one O
of O
the O
country O
' O
s O
largest O
food O
and O
beverage O
companies O
. O

Chinese O
red O
- O
yolk O
salted O
duck O
eggs O
are O
commonly O
thought O
to O
be O
more O
nutritious O
than O
yellow O
- O
yolk O
eggs O
and O
so O
are O
usually O
more O
expensive O
. O

An O
investigation O
showed O
farmers O
in O
Hebei O
bought O
a O
" O
red O
drug O
" O
from O
a O
trader O
and O
used O
it O
in O
duck O
feed O
to O
make O
the O
ducks O
produce O
red O
- O
yolk O
eggs O
. O

The O
contamination O
was O
first O
disclosed O
in O
a O
weekly O
quality O
report O
program O
on O
China O
Central O
Television O
. O
The O
Beijing O
authorities O
immediately O
banned O
the O
sales O
of O
red O
- O
yolk O
eggs O
from O
Hebei O
and O
advised O
consumers O
to O
return O
them O
. O

The O
General O
Administration O
of O
Quality O
Supervision O
has O
launched O
nationwide O
inspections O
of O
egg O
products O
and O
poultry O
meat O
. O

Beijing O
officials O
have O
seized O
at O
least O
1 O
, O
159 O
kilograms O
of O
red O
- O
yolk O
eggs O
, O
and O
the O
eggs O
have O
been O
banned O
in O
markets O
in O
Chengdu O
in O
Sichuan O
Province O
and O
Guangzhou O
in O
Guangdong O
Province O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061120 O
. O
0268 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
20 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

U O
. O
S O
. O
says O
Syria O
should O
become O
" O
positive O
actor O
" O
in O
Iraq O

The O
United O
States O
said O
on O
Monday B-T
that O
Syria O
should O
become O
" O
a O
positive O
actor O
" O
in O
Iraq O
and O
take O
actions O
necessary O
to O
help O
improve O
the O
situation O
in O
Iraq O
. O

" O
What O
we O
would O
like O
to O
see O
the O
Syrians O
do O
is O
to O
take O
steps O
to O
become O
a O
positive O
actor O
in O
Iraq O
and O
not O
to O
do O
things O
that O
would O
foment O
violence O
or O
that O
would O
help O
support O
violence O
there O
, O
" O
State O
Department O
deputy O
spokesman O
Tom O
Casey O
said O
at O
a O
briefing O
. O

" O
And O
I O
think O
the O
most O
important O
thing O
for O
the O
Syrian O
government O
is O
to O
look O
to O
themselves O
and O
take O
the O
actions O
that O
are O
necessary O
to O
help O
improve O
the O
situation O
in O
Iraq O
, O
" O
Casey O
said O
. O

Syrian O
Foreign O
Minister O
Walid O
al O
- O
Moualem O
, O
who O
is O
paying O
a O
landmark O
visit O
to O
Iraq O
, O
has O
called O
for O
the O
withdrawal O
of O
foreign O
troops O
out O
of O
Iraq O
to O
end O
the O
violence O
in O
the O
country O
. O

However O
, O
the O
United O
States O
has O
accused O
Syria O
of O
allowing O
terrorists O
to O
go O
into O
Iraq O
to O
fight O
against O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
- O
led O
coalition O
troops O
in O
the O
country O
. O

The O
U O
. O
S O
. O
military O
has O
alleged O
that O
up O
to O
100 O
foreign O
fighters O
cross O
into O
Iraq O
from O
Syria O
every O
month O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061102 O
. O
0108 O

MOSCOW O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
2 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Russia O
to O
double O
price O
of O
gas O
to O
Georgia O
in O
2007 O
: O
report O

Russian O
gas O
giant O
Gazprom O
plans O
to O
hike O
the O
price O
of O
natural O
gas O
supplied O
to O
Georgia O
to O
230 O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
per O
1 O
, O
000 O
cubic O
meters O
next B-T
year I-T
from O
the O
110 O
dollars O
it O
is O
paying O
now B-T
, O
a O
company O
source O
said O
on O
Thursday B-T
. O

The O
new O
price O
was O
part O
of O
proposals O
sent O
to O
the O
Georgian O
side O
from O
Gazprom O
, O
the O
source O
was O
quoted O
by O
the O
Interfax O
news O
agency O
as O
saying O
. O

Gazprom O
nearly O
doubled O
the O
price O
of O
gas O
supplied O
to O
Ukraine O
at O
the O
start O
of O
this B-T
year I-T
, O
and O
deals O
reached O
this B-T
past I-T
month I-T
would O
allow O
Ukraine O
to O
import O
gas O
from O
Russia O
next B-T
year I-T
at O
a O
moderately O
higher O
price O
than O
this B-T
year I-T
. O

XIN_ENG_20051102 O
. O
0256 O

CAIRO O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
2 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Egypt O
moves O
against O
possible O
bird O
flu O
outbreak O

Egyptian O
authorities O
have O
worked O
hard O
to O
spot O
any O
sign O
that O
the O
bird O
flu O
disease O
might O
strike O
in O
the O
Arab O
world O
' O
s O
most O
populous O
country O
, O
state O
media O
reported O
Wednesday B-T
. O

Officials O
from O
various O
government O
ministries O
met O
Wednesday B-T
to O
discuss O
a O
comprehensive O
plan O
for O
fighting O
against O
the O
bird O
flu O
, O
according O
to O
the O
official O
MENA O
news O
agency O
. O

The O
ministers O
of O
agriculture O
, O
environment O
, O
civil O
aviation O
and O
transport O
have O
agreed O
to O
increase O
bird O
flu O
detection O
sites O
in O
Egypt O
to O
five O
, O
namely O
, O
in O
Cairo O
, O
Alexandria O
, O
Aswan O
, O
Ismailia O
and O
Gharbiya O
. O

They O
also O
called O
for O
coordination O
between O
the O
various O
ministries O
and O
the O
World O
Health O
Organization O
and O
the O
American O
Naval O
Research O
Unit O
( O
NAMRU O
) O
to O
detect O
any O
bird O
flu O
cases O
in O
the O
country O
. O

A O
national O
committee O
on O
fighting O
the O
bird O
flu O
issued O
a O
decree O
urging O
all O
fever O
hospitals O
across O
Egypt O
to O
heighten O
preventive O
measures O
against O
the O
disease O
. O

" O
Different O
scenarios O
were O
prepared O
for O
with O
a O
view O
to O
handling O
any O
possible O
outbreak O
of O
the O
viral O
disease O
, O
" O
Minister O
of O
Health O
and O
Population O
Mohammad O
Awad O
Afifi O
Tag O
Eddin O
was O
quoted O
by O
MENA O
as O
saying O
. O

The O
environment O
ministry O
had O
banned O
the O
hunt O
of O
migratory O
birds O
and O
1 O
, O
500 O
samples O
of O
migratory O
birds O
had O
been O
examined O
at O
the O
NAMRU O
laboratories O
for O
the O
bird O
flu O
but O
results O
were O
negative O
, O
Minister O
of O
State O
for O
the O
Environment O
Magid O
George O
Ilyas O
was O
quoted O
as O
saying O
. O

Egyptian O
authorities O
have O
said O
there O
was O
no O
sign O
of O
the O
bird O
flu O
in O
the O
country O
so O
far O
, O
but O
experts O
warn O
that O
pathways O
of O
migratory O
birds O
make O
an O
outbreak O
in O
the O
Middle O
East O
, O
including O
Egypt O
, O
almost O
" O
inevitable O
. O
" O

AFP_ENG_20061205 O
. O
0371 O

POTCHEFSTROOM O
, O
South O
Africa O
, O
Dec B-T
5 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

India O
face O
pace O
barrage O
in O
warm O
- O
up O
match O

India O
will O
have O
the O
benefit O
of O
playing O
on O
one O
of O
the O
best O
batting O
pitches O
in O
South O
Africa O
as O
they O
warm O
up O
for O
a O
Test O
series O
against O
the O
host O
nation O
- O
but O
they O
will O
also O
have O
to O
deal O
with O
another O
battery O
of O
fast O
bowlers O
. O

The O
Rest O
of O
South O
Africa O
team O
which O
faces O
the O
Indians O
in O
a O
four O
- O
day O
match O
starting O
Thursday B-T
includes O
Mornantau O
Hayward O
, O
one O
of O
the O
fastest O
bowlers O
in O
the O
country O
, O
and O
Morne O
Morkel O
, O
a O
rising O
star O
who O
has O
been O
tipped O
for O
Test O
honours O
soon O
, O
as O
well O
as O
Garnett O
Kruger O
, O
who O
has O
been O
on O
the O
fringes O
of O
the O
national O
squad O
for O
the B-T
past I-T
two I-T
seasons I-T
. O

The O
Indians O
go O
into O
the O
warm O
- O
up O
match O
low O
on O
confidence O
after O
being O
beaten O
4 O
- O
0 O
in O
a O
one O
- O
day O
series O
during O
which O
they O
failed O
to O
deal O
competently O
with O
the O
South O
African O
fast O
bowlers O
. O

Hayward O
, O
29 O
, O
played O
in O
16 O
Tests O
up O
until O
2004 B-T
. O
He O
fell O
out O
with O
the O
country O
' O
s O
administrators O
early O
in O
2003 B-T
when O
it O
was O
revealed O
, O
while O
he O
was O
playing O
in O
a O
Test O
against O
Pakistan O
, O
that O
he O
had O
signed O
a O
contract O
with O
English O
county O
Worcestershire O
which O
gave O
the O
county O
first O
call O
on O
his O
services O
, O
ahead O
of O
his O
country O
. O

One O
of O
South O
Africa O
' O
s O
more O
volatile O
cricketers O
, O
Hayward O
has O
been O
in O
good O
form O
for O
the O
Warriors O
franchise O
team O
this B-T
season I-T
and O
the O
Indians O
can O
expect O
to O
deal O
with O
plenty O
of O
fast O
, O
short O
- O
pitched O
bowling O
from O
him O
. O

Morkel O
, O
22 O
, O
is O
the O
taller O
and O
younger O
brother O
of O
Albie O
Morkel O
, O
who O
played O
for O
South O
Africa O
in O
a O
Twenty20 O
international O
in O
Johannesburg O
last B-T
Friday I-T
. O

Whereas O
Albie O
Morkel O
has O
become O
known O
for O
his O
big O
- O
hitting O
feats O
, O
Morne O
is O
an O
out O
- O
and O
- O
out O
fast O
bowler O
, O
who O
has O
been O
one O
of O
the O
most O
impressive O
performers O
in O
franchise O
cricket O
since O
being O
promoted O
to O
the O
Titans O
team O
midway O
through O
the O
domestic O
one O
- O
day O
competition O
this B-T
season I-T
. O

Kruger O
, O
29 O
, O
toured O
Australia O
with O
the O
South O
African O
team O
last B-T
season I-T
without O
playing O
in O
a O
Test O
match O
and O
has O
been O
a O
consistent O
wicket O
- O
taker O
at O
domestic O
level O
. O

Provided O
they O
can O
weather O
the O
first O
bursts O
of O
the O
fast O
men O
, O
it O
could O
be O
ideal O
preparation O
for O
the O
tourists O
, O
who O
play O
the O
first O
of O
three O
Tests O
against O
South O
Africa O
in O
Johannesburg O
from O
December B-T
15 I-T
to O
19 O
. O

The O
pitch O
at O
Potchefstroom O
consistently O
yields O
high O
scores O
and O
will O
be O
a O
chance O
for O
the O
Indian O
batsmen O
to O
play O
themselves O
into O
form O
. O

The O
Indians O
have O
been O
strengthened O
by O
the O
inclusion O
of O
experienced O
batsmen O
VVS O
Laxman O
and O
Sourav O
Ganguly O
in O
their O
Test O
squad O
. O
They O
will O
join O
Sachin O
Tendulkar O
, O
Virender O
Sehwag O
and O
the O
currently O
injured O
captain O
Rahul O
Dravid O
to O
form O
a O
potentially O
solid O
core O
of O
batting O
for O
the O
series O
. O

Teams O
: O

Rest O
of O
South O
Africa O
: O
Jacques O
Rudolph O
( O
captain O
) O
, O
Alviro O
Petersen O
, O
Morne O
van O
Wyk O
, O
Jean O
Paul O
Duminy O
, O
Vaughn O
van O
Jaarsveld O
, O
Justin O
Kemp O
, O
Vernon O
Philander O
, O
Paul O
Adams O
, O
Morne O
Morkel O
, O
Garnett O
Kruger O
, O
Mornantau O
Hayward O
. O

Indians O
( O
from O
) O
: O
Rahul O
Dravid O
( O
captain O
) O
, O
VVS O
Laxman O
( O
vice O
- O
captain O
) O
, O
Virender O
Sehwag O
, O
Wasim O
Jaffer O
, O
Gautam O
Gambhir O
, O
Sourav O
Ganguly O
, O
Sachin O
Tendulkar O
, O
Mahendra O
Singh O
Dhoni O
, O
Dinesh O
Karthik O
, O
Munaf O
Patel O
, O
Zaheer O
Khan O
, O
Shanthakumaran O
Sreesanth O
, O
VRV O
Singh O
, O
Irfan O
Pathan O
, O
Anil O
Kumble O
, O
Harbhajan O
Singh O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970430 O
. O
0520 O

BUJUMBURA O
, O
April B-T
30 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Burundian O
rebels O
' O
killed O
seminarists O
' O
: O
army O

Burundian O
Hutu O
rebels O
killed O
more O
than O
40 O
people O
during O
a O
raid O
on O
a O
seminary O
at O
Buta O
, O
in O
the O
south O
of O
the O
country O
, O
an O
army O
spokesman O
said O
here O
Wednesday B-T
. O

The O
rebels O
killed O
34 O
pupils O
and O
seven O
lay O
members O
of O
the O
seminary O
in O
the O
attack O
Tuesday B-T
, O
the O
spokesman O
told O
independent O
Ijambo O
radio O
. O

Another O
34 O
seminarists O
were O
seriously O
wounded O
, O
he O
said O
. O

The O
spokesman O
said O
the O
Tutsi O
- O
dominated O
army O
had O
killed O
almost O
300 O
Hutu O
rebels O
in O
Makamba O
province O
, O
in O
the O
far O
south O
, O
since O
the O
outbreak O
of O
fighting O
in O
the O
region O
on O
April B-T
4 I-T
. O

AFP_ENG_19970424 O
. O
0358 O

VATICAN O
CITY O
, O
April B-T
24 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Further O
studies O
may O
be O
done O
on O
Turin O
shroud O

The O
findings O
of O
official O
studies O
by O
the O
Roman O
Catholic O
Church O
on O
the O
Turin O
shroud O
, O
a O
strip O
of O
cloth O
traditionally O
held O
to O
have O
wrapped O
the O
body O
of O
Christ O
after O
his O
crucifixion O
, O
are O
not O
definitive O
, O
the O
archbishop O
of O
Turin O
announced O
here O
Thursday B-T
. O

An O
official O
commission O
appointed O
by O
the O
Vatican O
in O
1988 B-T
carbon O
- O
dated O
" O
with O
a O
95 O
- O
percent O
reliability O
rate O
" O
the O
cloth O
to O
between O
1260 B-T
and O
1390 B-T
. O

During O
a O
press O
conference O
about O
two O
exhibitions O
on O
the O
shroud O
which O
will O
take O
place O
in O
1998 B-T
and O
2000 B-T
, O
Cardinal O
Giovanni O
Saldarini O
, O
the O
Vatican O
' O
s O
official O
guardian O
of O
the O
shroud O
, O
said O
fresh O
scientific O
studies O
could O
be O
carried O
out O
. O

However O
, O
he O
added O
, O
such O
studies O
" O
are O
not O
planned O
for O
the O
moment O
. O
" O

The O
exhibitions O
will O
be O
for O
exclusively O
religious O
ends O
, O
the O
cardinal O
said O
, O
and O
do O
not O
imply O
the O
Church O
had O
taken O
a O
" O
position O
on O
the O
scientific O
discussions O
on O
the O
authenticity O
of O
this O
historic O
, O
unique O
and O
prestigious O
artifact O
evoking O
the O
death O
of O
Christ O
on O
the O
cross O
. O
" O

The O
4 O
. O
4 O
- O
metre O
( O
14 O
. O
5 O
- O
foot O
) O
by O
1 O
. O
1 O
- O
metre O
( O
3 O
. O
3 O
- O
foot O
) O
shroud O
was O
saved O
at O
the B-T
last I-T
minute I-T
on O
April B-T
12 I-T
when O
a O
blaze O
ravaged O
the O
chapel O
in O
Turin O
cathedral O
where O
it O
is O
normally O
housed O
. O
It O
had O
been O
transferred O
to O
another O
part O
of O
the O
cathedral O
earlier O
while O
restoration O
work O
was O
underway O
in O
the O
chapel O
. O

Three O
sections O
of O
one O
centimetre O
( O
0 O
. O
4 O
inch O
) O
by O
seven O
centimetres O
( O
2 O
. O
8 O
inches O
) O
each O
had O
been O
cut O
from O
the O
cloth O
for O
the O
carbon O
- O
testing O
by O
British O
, O
Swiss O
and O
US O
laboratories O
. O

According O
to O
another O
Vatican O
study O
of O
the O
Shroud O
by O
specialist O
Giulio O
Ricci O
, O
the O
man O
who O
was O
held O
in O
the O
cloth O
measured O
1 O
. O
62 O
metres O
( O
five O
foot O
four O
inches O
) O
. O

It O
is O
currently B-T
being O
held O
in O
a O
secret O
location O
. O

The O
last O
time O
the O
Shroud O
was O
shown O
, O
in O
1978 B-T
, O
more O
than O
three O
million O
pilgrims O
made O
the O
trip O
to O
Turin O
to O
view O
it O
. O

A O
negative O
imprint O
on O
the O
cloth O
suggesting O
a O
face O
and O
body O
bearing O
wounds O
was O
worshipped O
to O
be O
that O
of O
Christ O
. O

First O
reports O
of O
the O
Shroud O
go O
back O
to O
the O
seventh O
century O
in O
Jerusalem O
. O
It O
was O
transferred O
to O
Constantinople O
where O
it O
was O
put O
on O
show O
every O
Friday B-T
until O
the B-T
12th I-T
century I-T
. O

The O
relic O
disappeared O
during O
the O
fourth O
Crusades O
between O
1202 B-T
and O
1204 B-T
, O
carried O
off O
, O
according O
to O
legend O
, O
by O
crusading O
knight O
Geoffroy O
de O
Charny O
, O
after O
the O
fall O
of O
Constantinople O
. O

It O
is O
believed O
the O
current O
Shroud O
is O
not O
the O
one O
that O
disappeared O
from O
Constantinople O
. O

Without O
taking O
a O
stand O
, O
the O
Church O
nevertheless O
holds O
the O
cloth O
is O
valuable O
for O
the O
feeling O
it O
produces O
among O
the O
faithful O
. O

" O
This O
unique O
and O
unsettling O
image O
continues O
to O
call O
to O
all O
people O
as O
a O
gift O
made O
by O
God O
to O
the O
conscience O
of O
all O
those O
who O
want O
to O
reflect O
on O
the O
mysteries O
of O
God O
' O
s O
love O
, O
" O
Saldarini O
said O
. O

He O
added O
that O
while O
it O
was O
" O
completely O
understandable O
to O
want O
to O
know O
if O
this O
shroud O
really O
held O
Jesus O
after O
his O
death O
, O
it O
is O
necessary O
to O
note O
that O
the O
Shroud O
is O
not O
in O
any O
way O
Jesus O
, O
but O
only O
a O
sign O
which O
speaks O
to O
us O
of O
what O
he O
did O
for O
us O
. O
" O

AFP_ENG_20051206 O
. O
0149 O

TEHRAN O
, O
Dec B-T
6 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

level O
/ O
/ O
/ O

Schools O
in O
the O
Iranian O
capital O
were O
shut O
down O
and O
the O
sick O
or O
elderly O
told O
to O
lock O
themselves O
indoors O
Tuesday B-T
as O
the O
city O
continued O
to O
choke O
on O
a O
thick O
blanket O
of O
yellow O
- O
brown O
smog O
. O

Tehran O
' O
s O
Air O
Quality O
Control O
Unit O
said O
the O
Pollutant O
Standard O
Index O
( O
PSI O
) O
- O
- O
a O
standard O
measurement O
incorporating O
carbon O
monoxide O
, O
dust O
and O
other O
pollutants O
- O
- O
has O
hovered O
around O
the O
" O
very O
unhealthy O
" O
level O
of O
160 O
for O
several B-T
days O
. O

Such O
alerts O
are O
becoming O
increasing O
common O
, O
with O
increased O
traffic O
causing O
the O
sprawling O
city O
' O
s O
air O
to O
be O
deemed O
unhealthy O
for O
at B-T
least I-T
100 I-T
days I-T
of I-T
the I-T
year I-T
. O
This B-T
week I-T
the O
situation O
is O
worse O
due O
to O
a O
total O
lack O
of O
wind O
. O

" O
But O
you O
cannot O
just O
blame O
nature O
, O
" O
Elmira O
Parto O
, O
a O
Tehran O
pollution O
official O
, O
told O
AFP O
. O
" O
It O
is O
the O
cars O
that O
are O
the O
problem O
. O
" O

Many O
of O
the O
two O
million O
plus O
vehicles O
in O
the O
city O
of O
10 O
million O
are O
more O
than O
20 O
years O
old O
and O
consume O
cheap O
subsidised O
petrol O
at O
an O
alarming O
rate O
. O
Private O
car O
ownership O
has O
also O
exploded O
, O
with O
the O
public O
transport O
system O
failing O
to O
provide O
adequate O
coverage O
. O

The O
government O
has O
proposed O
various O
steps O
to O
resolve O
the O
problem O
, O
such O
as O
phasing O
out O
the O
old O
cars O
and O
restricting O
vehicle O
use O
on O
certain B-T
days I-T
of I-T
the I-T
week I-T
- O
- O
but O
so O
far O
none O
have O
been O
effectively O
applied O
. O

" O
There O
' O
s O
a O
huge O
demand O
for O
pain O
killers O
and O
anti O
- O
histamines O
at O
the O
moment O
. O
People O
are O
suffering O
from O
chronic O
headaches O
, O
allergies O
and O
nose O
irritation O
, O
" O
said O
Mahsa O
Vosouqi O
, O
a O
local O
pharmacist O
. O

Anti O
- O
asthmatic O
inhalers O
and O
face O
masks O
, O
manufactured O
locally O
and O
on O
open O
sale O
in O
most O
chemists O
, O
have O
also O
been O
selling O
out O
. O

And O
Tehran O
' O
s O
Darabad O
hospital O
, O
which O
specialises O
in O
respiratory O
ailments O
, O
said O
the O
number O
of O
visiting O
outpatients O
has O
tripled O
in O
recent B-T
days O
. O

According O
to O
a O
recent O
study O
, O
each O
resident O
of O
Tehran O
- O
- O
now B-T
considered O
one O
of O
the O
world O
' O
s O
most O
polluted O
cities O
- O
- O
inhales O
an O
estimated O
7 O
. O
1 O
to O
9 O
. O
3 O
kilograms O
( O
15 O
. O
6 O
to O
20 O
. O
5 O
pounds O
) O
of O
dust O
every B-T
year I-T
. O

AFP_ENG_19970415 O
. O
0335 O

SINGAPORE O
, O
April B-T
15 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Egyptian O
PM O
lands O
in O
Singapore O
under O
rain O
( O
picture O
) O

Egyptian O
Prime O
Minister O
Kamal O
Ahmed O
El O
- O
Ganzoury O
arrived O
here O
Tuesday B-T
for O
a O
three O
- O
day O
official O
visit O
to O
Singapore O
to O
boost O
political O
and O
economic O
ties O
, O
officials O
said O
. O

Kamal O
, O
who O
flew O
here O
from O
neighbouring O
Malaysia O
where O
he O
was O
on O
a O
three O
- O
day O
visit O
, O
was O
received O
on O
arrival O
in O
rainy O
weather O
by O
his O
Singaporean O
counterpart O
Goh O
Chok O
Tong O
. O

A O
ceremonial O
welcome O
for O
the O
Egyptian O
visitor O
was O
held O
under O
a O
shelter O
in O
front O
of O
the O
Changi O
airport O
' O
s O
VIP O
complex O
where O
he O
inspected O
a O
guard O
of O
honour O
. O

Goh O
will O
host O
a O
dinner O
for O
Kamal O
later O
Tuesday B-T
. O

Kamal O
would O
on O
Wednesday B-T
attend O
briefings O
on O
Singapore O
' O
s O
successful O
public O
transport O
, O
housing O
and O
port O
development O
systems O
and O
hold O
talks O
with O
President O
Ong O
Teng O
Cheong O
and O
former O
premier O
Lee O
Kuan O
Yew O
. O

On O
Thursday B-T
, O
he O
would O
be O
briefed O
on O
Singapore O
' O
s O
pension O
scheme O
at O
the O
Central O
Provident O
Fund O
office O
and O
visit O
the O
Trade O
Development O
Board O
before O
leaving O
for O
China O
on O
the O
last O
leg O
of O
his O
Asian O
tour O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051102 O
. O
0298 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
2 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

US O
files O
WTO O
case O
against O
Turkey O
over O
rice O
sales O
restrictions O

The O
United O
States O
has O
filed O
a O
trade O
case O
with O
the O
World O
Trade O
Organization O
( O
WTO O
) O
accusing O
Turkey O
of O
imposing O
unfair O
restrictions O
on O
US O
rice O
exports O
, O
US O
Trade O
Representative O
Rob O
Portman O
announced O
Wednesday B-T
. O

" O
Right O
now B-T
American O
rice O
exporters O
are O
being O
unfairly O
restricted O
. O
That O
' O
s O
wrong O
, O
" O
Portman O
said O
in O
a O
statement O
. O

The O
decision O
to O
file O
a O
case O
with O
the O
WTO O
came O
after O
discussions O
with O
Turkey O
had O
failed O
to O
resolve O
the O
dispute O
, O
he O
said O
. O

The O
trade O
case O
contends O
that O
Turkey O
' O
s O
import O
licensing O
system O
violates O
global O
trading O
rules O
by O
imposing O
significant O
barriers O
to O
the O
sale O
of O
US O
rice O
in O
the O
country O
, O
according O
to O
the O
statement O
. O

The O
United O
States O
said O
that O
its O
rice O
sales O
to O
Turkey O
had O
declined O
by O
two O
- O
thirds O
since O
2003 B-T
due O
to O
the O
restrictions O
with O
sales O
of O
US O
milled O
and O
semi O
- O
milled O
rice O
falling O
by O
91 O
percent O
over O
this O
period O
. O

As O
the O
first O
step O
after O
a O
case O
is O
filed O
, O
consultations O
are O
required O
under O
WTO O
rules O
. O
If O
those O
discussions O
do O
not O
resolve O
the O
issue O
, O
the O
dispute O
can O
proceed O
to O
a O
hearing O
before O
a O
WTO O
panel O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061119 O
. O
0216 O

JOHANNESBURG O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
19 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

S O
. O
Africa O
, O
India O
international O
called O
off O
due O
to O
rain O

The O
first O
MTN O
one O
- O
day O
international O
between O
South O
African O
and O
Indian O
cricket O
teams O
at O
the O
Wanderers O
in O
Johannesburg O
was O
called O
off O
on O
Sunday B-T
due O
to O
persistent O
rain O
. O

About O
30 O
, O
000 O
people O
had O
braved O
the O
elements O
, O
hoping O
to O
see O
some O
action O
. O
It O
was O
overcast O
in O
the O
morning O
, O
but O
rain O
started O
falling O
just O
before O
the O
toss O
at O
2 O
p O
. O
m O
. O
( O
1200 O
GMT O
) O
, O
and O
the O
covers O
were O
brought O
on O
. O

The O
main O
covers O
came O
on O
and O
off O
several O
times O
during O
the B-T
afternoon I-T
because O
of O
the O
rain O
. O
At O
6 O
. O
30 O
p O
. O
m O
. O
( O
1630 O
GMT O
) O
, O
it O
was O
announced O
that O
the O
match O
had O
officially O
been O
called O
off O
. O

The O
opening O
match O
had O
not O
been O
without O
its O
problems O
. O
Originally O
scheduled O
as O
a O
day O
match O
, O
the O
organizers O
had O
to O
change O
it O
to O
a O
day O
- O
night O
affair O
because O
of O
the O
Pick O
' O
n O
Pay O
94 O
. O
7 O
Cycle O
Challenge O
, O
which O
took O
place O
earlier O
in O
the O
day O
. O

Several O
major O
roads O
in O
Johannesburg O
were O
closed O
for O
the O
cycle O
race O
, O
in O
which O
28 O
, O
000 O
cyclists O
took O
part O
, O
and O
access O
to O
the O
Wanderers O
would O
have O
been O
difficult O
. O

The O
next O
match O
is O
a O
day O
- O
night O
match O
at O
Kingsmead O
in O
Durban O
on O
Wednesday B-T
afternoon I-T
. O

AFP_ENG_20051205 O
. O
0602 O

BERLIN O
, O
Dec B-T
5 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

Fight O
terror O
, O
Rice O
tells O
Palestinians O

US O
Secretary O
of O
State O
Condoleezza O
Rice O
Monday B-T
condemned O
a O
suicide O
bombing O
in O
which O
five O
Israelis O
were O
killed O
and O
called O
on O
Palestinians O
to O
" O
deal O
with O
the O
terrorist O
organizations O
" O
in O
their O
midst O
. O

" O
This O
kind O
of O
terrorist O
attack O
has O
to O
be O
condemned O
and O
condemned O
thoroughly O
, O
" O
Rice O
said O
aboard O
the O
plane O
bringing O
her O
to O
Berlin O
, O
where O
she O
began O
a O
five O
- O
day O
European O
tour O
. O
" O
The O
Palestinian O
Authority O
has O
done O
so O
. O
" O

" O
We O
call O
upon O
the O
Palestinians O
to O
fight O
terror O
and O
to O
begin O
to O
deal O
with O
the O
terrorist O
organisations O
that O
are O
in O
their O
midst O
, O
" O
she O
said O
. O
" O
Because O
clearly O
they O
are O
terrorist O
organisations O
who O
do O
not O
intend O
to O
be O
a O
part O
of O
a O
national O
consensus O
, O
but O
rather O
intend O
to O
continue O
to O
kill O
innocent O
people O
. O
" O

She O
said O
the O
blast O
at O
a O
shopping O
mall O
in O
the O
northern O
Israeli O
coastal O
town O
of O
Netanya O
was O
the O
work O
of O
" O
people O
who O
wish O
to O
arrest O
the O
potential O
progress O
for O
peace O
that O
Israel O
and O
the O
Palestinians O
are O
trying O
to O
make O
. O
" O

In O
Washington O
, O
State O
Department O
deputy O
spokesman O
Adam O
Ereli O
noted O
that O
responsibility O
for O
the O
attack O
was O
was O
claimed O
by O
the O
Palestinian O
Islamic O
Jihad O
, O
which O
has O
its O
offices O
in O
Syria O
and O
has O
been O
behind O
all O
suicide O
bombings O
since O
armed O
Palestinian O
factions O
signed O
a O
truce O
in O
March B-T
. O

" O
So O
if O
anybody O
needed O
a O
reminder O
, O
this O
is O
it O
, O
that O
the O
Syrian O
government O
should O
take O
immediate O
steps O
to O
crack O
down O
on O
this O
group O
and O
to O
inhibit O
its O
activities O
by O
shutting O
down O
Islamic O
Jihad O
offices O
and O
expelling O
its O
personnel O
, O
" O
Ereli O
said O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970406 O
. O
0166 O

MOSCOW O
, O
April B-T
6 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Two O
killed O
by O
avalanche O
on O
road O
in O
Caucasus O

Two O
people O
were O
killed O
and O
two O
others O
injured O
when O
their O
car O
was O
hit O
by O
an O
avalanche O
on O
a O
main O
road O
running O
through O
the O
Russian O
republic O
of O
Northern O
Ossetia O
, O
ITAR O
- O
TASS O
news O
agency O
reported O
Sunday B-T
. O

Several O
avalanches O
have O
hit O
the O
region O
this B-T
weekend I-T
following O
the O
Spring O
thaw O
, O
local O
official O
Boris O
Degoyev O
said O
. O

He O
said O
traffic O
has O
been O
banned O
during O
the B-T
day I-T
because O
of O
the O
warming O
temperatures O
that O
increase O
the O
risk O
of O
avalanches O
. O

WSJ891102 O
- O
0017 O

= O
891102 O

891102 O
- O
0017 O
. O

Business O
Brief O
- O
- O
Coleco O
Industries O
Inc O
. O
: O

@ O
Ailing O
Toy O
Maker O
Submits O

@ O
Chapter O
11 O
Revamp O
Plan O

11 B-T
/ I-T
02 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

CLO O

BANKRUPTCIES O
( O
BCY O
) O

Coleco O
Industries O
Inc O
. O
, O
a O
once B-T
high O
- O
flying O
toy O
maker O
whose O
stock O
peaked O
at O
$ O
65 O
a O
share O
in O
the B-T
early I-T
1980s I-T
, O
filed O
a O
Chapter O
11 O
reorganization O
plan O
that O
provides O
just O
1 O
. O
125 O
cents O
a O
share O
for O
common O
stockholders O
. O

Under O
the O
plan O
, O
unsecured O
creditors O
, O
who O
are O
owed O
about O
$ O
430 O
million O
, O
would O
receive O
about O
$ O
92 O
million O
, O
or O
21 O
cents O
for O
each O
dollar O
they O
are O
owed O
. O

In O
addition O
, O
they O
will O
receive O
stock O
in O
the O
reorganized O
company O
, O
which O
will O
be O
named O
Ranger O
Industries O
Inc O
. O

After O
these O
payments O
, O
about O
$ O
225 O
, O
000 O
will O
be O
available O
for O
the O
20 O
million O
common O
shares O
outstanding O
. O

The O
Avon O
, O
Conn O
. O
, O
company O
' O
s O
stock O
hit O
a O
high O
in O
1983 B-T
after O
it O
unveiled O
its O
Adam O
home O
computer O
, O
but O
the O
product O
was O
plagued O
with O
glitches O
and O
the O
company O
' O
s O
fortunes O
plunged O
. O

But O
Coleco O
bounced O
back O
with O
the O
introduction O
of O
the O
Cabbage O
Patch O
dolls O
, O
whose O
sales O
hit O
$ O
600 O
million O
in O
1985 B-T
. O

But O
as O
the O
craze O
died O
, O
Coleco O
failed O
to O
come O
up O
with O
another O
winner O
and O
filed O
for O
bankruptcy O
- O
law O
protection O
in O
July B-T
1988 I-T
. O

The O
plan O
was O
filed O
jointly O
with O
unsecured O
creditors O
in O
federal O
bankruptcy O
court O
in O
New O
York O
and O
must O
be O
approved O
by O
the O
court O
. O

WSJ891026 O
- O
0136 O

= O
891026 O

891026 O
- O
0136 O
. O

Kyle O
Technology O
Plans O
Sale O

10 B-T
/ I-T
26 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

KYLE O

TENDER O
OFFERS O
, O
MERGERS O
, O
ACQUISITIONS O
( O
TNM O
) O

ROISEBURG O
, O
Ore O
. O

Kyle O
Technology O
Corp O
. O
said O
a O
Seattle O
investor O
has O
signed O
a O
letter O
of O
intent O
to O
buy O
the O
company O
for O
about O
$ O
3 O
. O
1 O
million O
, O
or O
$ O
1 O
. O
20 O
a O
share O
. O

The O
investor O
, O
Donald O
A O
. O
Wright O
, O
plans O
to O
run O
the O
company O
, O
said O
a O
spokesman O
for O
Kyle O
. O

The O
transaction O
has O
been O
approved O
by O
Kyle O
' O
s O
board O
, O
but O
requires O
the O
approval O
of O
the O
company O
' O
s O
shareholders O
. O

Kyle O
manufactures O
electronic O
components O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051111 O
. O
0263 O

BERLIN O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
11 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

German O
Stocks O
end O
higher O

German O
stocks O
rose O
Friday B-T
in O
Frankfurt O
led O
by O
Siemens O
AG O
and O
DaimlerChrysler O
AG O
. O

The O
30 O
- O
share O
benchmark O
DAX O
Index O
jumped O
1 O
. O
50 O
percent O
to O
5090 O
. O
75 O
with O
29 O
stocks O
rising O
. O

Siemens O
AG O
rose O
0 O
. O
97 O
euros O
to O
63 O
. O
30 O
euros O
after O
the O
company O
sold O
its O
stake O
in O
Mitsubishi O
Motors O
Corp O
. O

DaimlerChrysler O
AG O
gained O
0 O
. O
69 O
euros O
to O
42 O
. O
65 O
euros O
after O
selling O
part O
of O
its O
holding O
in O
Juniper O
Networks O
Inc O
. O

The O
index O
of O
medium O
- O
sized O
firms O
, O
MDAX O
, O
rose O
0 O
. O
79 O
percent O
to O
6992 O
. O
74 O
points O
. O

The O
index O
of O
high O
- O
tech O
stocks O
, O
TecDAX O
, O
was O
up O
0 O
. O
77 O
percent O
to O
581 O
. O
41 O
points O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051113 O
. O
0223 O

DOHA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
13 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

China O
and O
Russia O
split O
golds O
at O
weightlifting O
worlds O

China O
and O
Russia O
split O
the O
two O
gold O
medals O
on O
offer O
as O
Liu O
Chunhong O
and O
Zarema O
Kasaeva O
won O
the O
women O
' O
s O
75kg O
and O
69kg O
category O
respectively O
at O
the O
World O
Weightlifting O
Championships O
here O
on O
Sunday B-T
. O

European O
champion O
Zarema O
Kasaeva O
beat O
Liu O
Haixia O
of O
China O
to O
win O
the O
women O
' O
s O
69kg O
category O
while O
breaking O
the O
world O
record O
of O
the O
jerk O
. O

Olympic O
champion O
Liu O
Chunhong O
, O
shifting O
from O
69kg O
to O
75kg O
after O
the O
Games O
, O
confirmed O
her O
supremacy O
as O
she O
beat O
strong O
challenge O
from O
Russian O
weightlifters O
to O
win O
the O
gold O
medal O
with O
a O
world O
- O
record O
- O
breaking O
result O
at O
285kg O
. O

European O
Champion O
Natalia O
Zabolotnaya O
of O
Russia O
and O
her O
compatriot O
Svetlana O
Podobedova O
challenged O
Liu O
from O
the O
very O
beginning O
of O
the O
competition O
, O
but O
the O
20 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
strongwoman O
showed O
her O
calmness O
to O
hoist O
126kg O
in O
the O
snatch O
, O
4kg O
less O
than O
Podobedova O
' O
s O
and O
jerked O
159kg O
, O
4kg O
more O
than O
the O
Russians O
. O

Both O
having O
a O
total O
result O
of O
285kg O
, O
Liu O
won O
the O
gold O
medal O
due O
to O
the O
body O
weight O
advantage O
. O

" O
My O
right O
shoulder O
was O
injured O
in O
the O
training O
last B-T
month I-T
. O
I O
just O
told O
myself O
to O
go O
all O
out O
in O
competing O
with O
Russian O
girls O
, O
" O
Liu O
said O
. O

" O
I O
did O
not O
feel O
nervous O
when O
they O
challenged O
me O
, O
but O
I O
did O
feel O
the O
pressure O
having O
arrived O
here O
. O
I O
competed O
in O
the O
National O
Games O
in O
October B-T
, O
and O
I O
was O
tired O
after O
that O
competition O
. O
I O
was O
afraid O
that O
I O
would O
not O
have O
a O
good O
result O
here O
, O
" O
she O
added O
. O

Liu O
also O
smashed O
the O
jerk O
world O
records O
and O
levelled O
the O
world O
record O
with O
a O
total O
of O
285kg O
, O
which O
was O
made O
by O
Podobedova O
in O
her O
sixth O
attempt O
Sunday B-T
. O

Zabolotnaya O
, O
at O
the O
same O
age O
with O
Liu O
, O
beat O
the O
world O
record O
of O
snatch O
twice O
, O
with O
her O
last O
attempt O
in O
the O
snatch O
reaching O
130kg O
. O

Svetlana O
Podobedova O
followed O
Zabolotnaya O
at O
279kg O
for O
the O
bronze O
. O

In O
the O
women O
' O
s O
69kg O
competition O
, O
the O
17 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Kasaeva O
, O
who O
lifted O
265kg O
at O
European O
Championships O
, O
did O
not O
took O
the O
lead O
in O
the O
snatch O
as O
she O
hoisted O
118kg O
, O
2kg O
less O
than O
the O
25 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
strongwoman O
Liu O
Haixia O
. O

Kasaeva O
pulled O
herself O
under O
her O
157kg O
world O
record O
clean O
and O
jerk O
, O
for O
a O
junior O
and O
a O
senior O
world O
record O
in O
the O
last O
attempt O
, O
3kg O
more O
than O
Liu O
Haixia O
' O
s O
final O
lift O
, O
thus O
claiming O
the O
first O
gold O
medal O
with O
a O
total O
result O
of O
275kg O
for O
Russia O
at O
the O
worlds O
. O

" O
I O
trained O
quite O
hard O
this B-T
year I-T
, O
so O
I O
succeeded O
, O
" O
Zarema O
Kasaeva O
said O
after O
the O
match O
. O

Liu O
Haixia O
followed O
Kasaeva O
with O
a O
total O
result O
of O
274kg O
for O
the O
silver O
medal O
, O
with O
Olga O
Kiseleva O
of O
Russia O
, O
the O
silver O
medalist O
European O
Championships O
, O
finishing O
third O
. O

" O
I O
have O
done O
my O
best O
, O
the O
result O
was O
9kg O
more O
than O
the O
weight O
I O
lifted O
in O
the O
National O
Games O
in O
October B-T
, O
" O
Liu O
Haixia O
said O
. O

Liu O
' O
s O
coach O
Ma O
Wenhui O
said O
that O
they O
are O
going O
to O
learn O
from O
the O
Russian O
weightlifters O
in O
this O
category O
. O

" O
Russian O
girls O
will O
become O
a O
huge O
threat O
to O
China O
in O
this O
category O
in O
the O
Bejing O
Olympics O
, O
" O
Ma O
said O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061126 O
. O
0107 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
26 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

China O
bans O
entertainment O
places O
in O
residential O
compounds O

Chinese O
Ministry O
of O
Culture O
on O
Sunday B-T
reiterated O
regulations O
on O
entertainment O
places O
, O
noting O
that O
new O
entertainment O
places O
can O
not O
be O
set O
up O
in O
residential O
compounds O
or O
historical O
buildings O
. O

During O
the O
enforcement O
of O
regulations O
on O
the O
administration O
of O
entertainment O
places O
, O
which O
took O
effect O
in O
March B-T
, O
several O
problems O
have O
emerged O
and O
need O
to O
be O
clarified O
, O
an O
official O
with O
the O
ministry O
told O
Xinhua O
. O

Newly O
- O
approved O
entertainment O
places O
can O
not O
be O
established O
in O
residential O
compounds O
, O
museums O
, O
libraries O
or O
historical O
buildings O
under O
cultural O
relics O
protection O
, O
said O
the O
official O
, O
quoting O
a O
guideline O
recently O
issued O
by O
the O
ministry O
on O
enforcing O
the O
regulations O
. O

Such O
places O
are O
also O
banned O
in O
crowded O
places O
such O
as O
railway O
stations O
and O
airports O
, O
or O
inside O
or O
near O
schools O
, O
hospitals O
and O
government O
departments O
. O
They O
can O
only O
be O
set O
up O
on O
the O
ground O
floor O
or O
the O
first O
floor O
underground O
. O

The O
guideline O
also O
sets O
minimum O
coverage O
of O
area O
for O
new O
KTVs O
and O
dancing O
places O
, O
which O
is O
200 O
square O
meters O
with O
each O
compartment O
of O
eight O
square O
meters O
. O

The O
establishment O
of O
any O
entertainment O
places O
must O
be O
known O
by O
the O
public O
and O
go O
through O
public O
hearings O
. O
Representatives O
from O
nearby O
residential O
committees O
or O
schools O
, O
hospitals O
, O
government O
departments O
and O
stores O
of O
dangerous O
chemicals O
should O
be O
informed O
to O
attend O
the O
hearings O
. O

Administrators O
of O
entertainment O
places O
would O
be O
punished O
if O
they O
failed O
to O
set O
up O
archives O
for O
their O
staff O
or O
keep O
business O
notes O
, O
or O
they O
are O
found O
to O
have O
been O
involved O
in O
illegal O
activities O
, O
noted O
the O
official O
. O

Apart O
from O
the O
guideline O
, O
in O
the O
regulations O
issued O
by O
the O
State O
Council O
, O
civil O
servants O
are O
prohibited O
from O
running O
or O
getting O
involved O
in O
the O
management O
of O
entertainment O
places O
. O

It O
also O
bans O
electronic O
gaming O
facilities O
possessing O
gamble O
functions O
in O
entertainment O
places O
, O
and O
the O
use O
of O
pirated O
audio O
and O
video O
products O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061224 O
. O
0073 O

LAGOS O
, O
Dec B-T
24 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

unconstitutional O

Nigerian O
vice O
president O
Atiku O
Abubakar O
' O
s O
new O
party O
, O
the O
Action O
Congress O
( O
AC O
) O
, O
Sunday O
slammed O
President O
Olusegun O
Obasanjo O
' O
s O
declaration O
that O
his O
former O
deputy O
' O
s O
office O
was O
now B-T
vacant O
as O
" O
unconstititional O
" O
. O

Obasanjo O
on O
Saturday B-T
declared O
vacant O
the O
office O
of O
his O
embattled O
deputy O
after O
he O
defected O
to O
the O
rival O
opposition O
AC O
party O
ahead O
of O
the O
April B-T
2007 I-T
elections O
. O

Presidential O
spokesman O
Uba O
Sani O
told O
reporters O
in O
Abuja O
Saturday B-T
that O
the O
decision O
had O
been O
taken O
in O
response O
to O
Abubakar O
' O
s O
defection O
early B-T
last I-T
week I-T
. O

The O
vice O
president O
was O
expelled O
from O
the O
ruling O
People O
' O
s O
Democratic O
Party O
( O
PDP O
) O
on O
Friday B-T
after O
he O
defected O
to O
the O
AC O
and O
was O
chosen O
as O
its O
presidential O
candidate O
for O
the O
2007 O
elections O
. O

In O
its O
reaction O
on O
Sunday B-T
, O
the O
AC O
described O
as O
" O
unconstitutional O
, O
null O
and O
void O
" O
the O
declaration O
that O
Abubakar O
' O
s O
seat O
had O
become O
vacant O
because O
he O
dumped O
the O
ruling O
party O
. O

" O
Just O
when O
we O
thought O
this O
lawless O
party O
and O
its O
visionless O
leaders O
have O
reached O
rock O
bottom O
in O
their O
acts O
of O
brigandage O
, O
they O
over O
- O
reached O
themselves O
by O
perpetrating O
the O
mother O
of O
all O
illegalities O
, O
" O
it O
said O
in O
a O
statement O
. O

Saturday B-T
, O
Abubakar O
said O
that O
he O
would O
challenge O
" O
this O
illegality O
in O
a O
competent O
court O
of O
law O
and O
I O
have O
also O
begun O
wide O
consultation O
with O
stakeholders O
in O
the O
nation O
to O
halt O
this O
sad O
and O
regrettable O
slide O
to O
tyranny O
and O
lawlessness O
" O
. O

However O
, O
the O
PDP O
had O
earlier O
cited O
constitutional O
rules O
stating O
that O
the O
vice O
- O
president O
must O
belong O
to O
the O
same O
party O
as O
the O
president O
. O

The O
PDP O
had O
already O
suspended O
Abubakar O
last B-T
September I-T
after O
he O
was O
indicted O
on O
corruption O
charges O
by O
the O
country O
' O
s O
anti O
- O
graft O
agency O
, O
the O
Economic O
and O
Financial O
Crimes O
Commission O
. O

Major O
local O
newspapers O
on O
Sunday B-T
, O
reported O
on O
their O
front O
pages O
, O
Abubakar O
' O
s O
sacking O
and O
the O
alleged O
invasion O
of O
his O
home O
by O
security O
agents O
who O
carted O
away O
his O
official O
cars O
. O

The O
Sunday B-T
Punch O
newspaper O
also O
reported O
that O
Abubakar O
, O
currently O
on O
a O
two O
- O
week O
vacation O
in O
the O
United O
States O
, O
might O
be O
arrested O
on O
his O
return O
to O
face O
corruption O
charges O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970418 O
. O
0252 O

HONG O
KONG O
, O
April B-T
18 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

I O
made O
contributions O
to O
British O
Tories O
, O
says O
Tung O

Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
future O
leader O
Tung O
Chee O
- O
hwa O
, O
who O
hopes O
to O
ban O
political O
donations O
from O
abroad O
, O
admitted O
Friday B-T
he O
had O
made O
" O
modest O
" O
contributions O
in O
the O
past O
to O
Britain O
' O
s O
ruling O
Conservative O
Party O
. O

Tung O
' O
s O
comments O
came O
amid O
a O
growing O
row O
with O
the O
democratic O
lobby O
over O
his O
plans O
to O
tighten O
human O
rights O
law O
, O
including O
banning O
donations O
from O
foreign O
individuals O
and O
political O
organisations O
. O

He O
has O
argued O
that O
such O
a O
move O
would O
prevent O
outside O
influence O
on O
local O
politicians O
. O

" O
As O
a O
person O
I O
have O
in O
the B-T
past I-T
made O
modest O
donations O
to O
the O
Conservative O
Party O
, O
that O
' O
s O
well O
known O
to O
everyone O
, O
" O
Tung O
told O
reporters O
Friday B-T
. O

" O
As O
a O
result O
of O
that O
I O
am O
particularly O
sensitive O
that O
this O
should O
not O
happen O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
. O
" O

Tung O
' O
s O
comments O
were O
rounded O
on O
by O
local O
legislators O
. O

" O
It O
looks O
like O
a O
question O
of O
' O
do O
as O
I O
say O
, O
not O
as O
I O
do O
, O
" O
said O
independent O
legislator O
Emily O
Lau O
. O

" O
Everyone O
understands O
that O
this O
is O
a O
sensitive O
matter O
. O
I O
think O
the O
overriding O
concern O
is O
that O
we O
should O
not O
make O
drastic O
changes O
. O
. O
. O
there O
is O
no O
public O
outcry O
for O
such O
drastic O
changes O
. O
" O

" O
He O
does O
it O
and O
now B-T
he O
wants O
to O
ban O
people O
from O
doing O
it O
" O
. O

" O
What O
a O
laugh O
, O
" O
said O
fellow O
legislator O
Christine O
Loh O
on O
hearing O
the O
news O
. O

" O
Why O
did O
he O
give O
it O
? O
In O
order O
to O
influence O
the O
British O
Government O
? O
" O

At O
the O
time O
of O
his O
donations O
Tung O
held O
a O
British O
National O
Overseas O
passport O
, O
which O
he O
has O
since O
rescinded O
. O

His O
proposed O
law O
changes O
do O
not O
cover O
political O
donations O
from O
Hong O
Kong O
residents O
to O
parties O
overseas O
. O

Tung O
was O
granted O
a O
Chinese O
passport O
by O
Beijing O
in O
January B-T
, O
shortly O
after O
he O
was O
confirmed O
as O
Chief O
Executive O
- O
designate O
. O
He O
will O
take O
over O
as O
Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
leader O
from O
Governor O
Chris O
Patten O
, O
a O
former O
Conservative O
MP O
, O
on O
July B-T
1 I-T
when O
China O
assumes O
sovereignty O
of O
Hong O
Kong O
from O
Britain O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051126 O
. O
0166 O

LONDON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
26 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Arsenal O
beat O
Blackburn O
3 O
- O
0 O

Thierry O
Henry O
became O
the O
first O
Gunner O
to O
net O
100 O
goals O
at O
Highbury O
when O
he O
led O
Arsenal O
to O
a O
3 O
- O
0 O
win O
over O
Blackburn O
on O
Saturday B-T
. O

Arsenal O
raced O
to O
a O
1 O
- O
0 O
ahead O
with O
Cesc O
Fabregas O
' O
shot O
but O
Rovers O
reacted O
strongly O
with O
Craig O
Bellamy O
a O
constant O
threat O
. O

Henry O
made O
it O
2 O
- O
0 O
just O
before O
half O
- O
time O
as O
Arsenal O
looked O
comfortably O
on O
top O
. O

Bellamy O
and O
David O
Thompson O
went O
close O
with O
headers O
as O
Rovers O
refused O
to O
give O
up O
, O
before O
Robin O
van O
Persie O
' O
s O
stunning O
late O
effort O
wrapped O
up O
the O
points O
. O

Arsenal O
led O
after O
four O
minutes O
when O
Fabregas O
was O
left O
unmarked O
to O
curl O
a O
low O
shot O
into O
the O
bottom O
corner O
from O
outside O
the O
box O
. O

But O
any O
thoughts O
that O
this O
would O
herald O
a O
stroll O
for O
Arsenal O
proved O
unfounded O
as O
Rovers O
responded O
positively O
. O

The O
combination O
of O
Shefki O
Kuqi O
' O
s O
physical O
presence O
and O
Morten O
Gamst O
Pedersen O
' O
s O
deft O
footwork O
kept O
Sol O
Campbell O
and O
Pascal O
Cygan O
on O
their O
toes O
. O

Rovers O
' O
best O
early O
chance O
came O
when O
Lucas O
Neill O
' O
s O
long O
ball O
bisected O
Campbell O
and O
Kolo O
Toure O
, O
but O
Bellamy O
had O
to O
stretch O
just O
that O
bit O
too O
far O
and O
his O
lob O
was O
off O
target O
. O

In O
the O
dying O
moments O
of O
the O
half O
Henry O
created O
another O
piece O
of O
history O
, O
clocking O
up O
his O
Highbury O
century O
when O
he O
stroked O
home O
Pires O
' O
through O
- O
ball O
. O

Shortly O
after O
the O
restart O
Kuqi O
and O
Steven O
Reid O
both O
went O
close O
for O
Rovers O
, O
and O
Bellamy O
' O
s O
header O
inches O
wide O
gave O
Arsenal O
another O
scare O
. O

But O
just O
when O
the O
home O
side O
were O
starting O
to O
worry O
, O
substitute O
Van O
Persie O
cut O
in O
from O
the O
right O
and O
produced O
a O
sweet O
shot O
into O
the O
far O
top O
corner O
to O
settle O
matters O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970417 O
. O
0042 O

MANILA O
, O
April B-T
17 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

ADB O
forecasts O
moderate O
recovery O
for O
battered O
Asian O
electronics O
exports O

Global O
demand O
for O
high O
- O
technology O
electronics O
products O
should O
make O
a O
moderate O
recovery O
in O
1997 B-T
but O
the B-T
boom I-T
years I-T
of O
the O
early O
1990s O
are O
unlikely O
to O
return O
, O
the O
Philippines O
- O
based O
Asian O
Development O
Bank O
( O
ADB O
) O
said O
Thursday B-T
. O

The O
ADB O
' O
s O
annual O
Asian O
Development O
Outlook O
report O
said O
the O
upturn O
would O
be O
good O
news O
for O
Asia O
, O
whose O
export O
success O
in O
the O
sector O
helped O
establish O
" O
from O
virtually O
nothing O
" O
the O
world O
' O
s O
newest O
economic O
miracles O
. O

" O
In O
the O
short O
term O
, O
Asia O
' O
s O
electronics O
producers O
will O
face O
a O
demand O
upturn O
following O
inventory O
adjustment O
, O
" O
it O
said O
. O

" O
However O
, O
growth O
is O
likely O
to O
be O
moderate O
in O
the O
absence O
of O
new O
watershed O
innovations O
of O
the O
magnitude O
of O
the O
compact O
- O
disc O
player O
or O
the O
PC O
. O
" O

This O
means O
the O
industry O
" O
is O
unlikely O
to O
return O
to O
its O
pre O
- O
1996 O
boom O
years O
, O
but O
with O
continuing O
growth O
in O
the O
global O
economy O
, O
demand O
and O
supply O
should O
come O
into O
line O
with O
each O
other O
and O
the O
basis O
for O
profitable O
business O
should O
be O
restored O
. O
" O

" O
New O
products O
like O
digital O
video O
discs O
may O
spark O
a O
renewed O
boom O
and O
the O
range O
of O
uses O
of O
electronic O
components O
is O
continually O
widening O
, O
which O
will O
make O
the O
industry O
less O
dependent O
on O
the O
PC O
, O
" O
the O
report O
said O
. O

The O
bank O
said O
the O
slump O
in O
world O
electronics O
trade O
last B-T
year I-T
, O
particularly O
the O
sharp O
decline O
in O
semiconductor O
prices O
, O
took O
their O
heaviest O
toll O
in O
Asia O
. O

The O
" O
biggest O
losers O
" O
were O
South O
Korea O
, O
Malaysia O
, O
where O
a O
third O
of O
the O
world O
' O
s O
microprocessor O
production O
is O
tested O
and O
packaged O
, O
Singapore O
, O
which O
makes O
40 O
percent O
of O
the O
world O
' O
s O
disk O
drives O
, O
and O
Taiwan O
, O
which O
makes O
eight O
out O
of O
10 O
circuit O
boards O
and O
half O
of O
all O
keyboards O
. O

The O
fall O
was O
caused O
by O
the O
interplay O
of O
a O
maturing O
PC O
market O
, O
a O
shift O
toward O
fewer O
end O
- O
product O
producers O
and O
the O
fast O
expansion O
of O
production O
capacity O
, O
it O
said O
. O

The O
second O
factor O
means O
" O
many O
input O
producers O
now B-T
compete O
to O
supply O
standardized O
products O
, O
rendering O
the O
market O
for O
inputs O
subject O
to O
instability O
similar O
to O
that O
of O
primary O
commodity O
markets O
, O
" O
it O
added O
. O

The O
ADB O
said O
the O
growth O
of O
the O
Internet O
and O
the O
resulting O
demand O
for O
faster O
processors O
and O
network O
access O
" O
will O
support O
continuing O
PC O
sales O
, O
even O
if O
there O
is O
a O
decline O
in O
new O
customers O
. O
" O

However O
, O
it O
said O
Intel O
Corp O
. O
' O
s O
launch O
this B-T
year I-T
of O
its O
MMX O
chip O
" O
may O
mean O
the O
market O
will O
be O
left O
with O
large O
quantities O
of O
discounted O
- O
price O
Pentium O
machines O
. O
" O

AFP_ENG_19970414 O
. O
0051 O

SINGAPORE O
, O
April B-T
14 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Top O
Singapore O
insurer O
sets O
up O
asset O
management O
arm O

Singapore O
' O
s O
top O
insurer O
Great O
Eastern O
Life O
Assurance O
( O
GE O
Life O
) O
has O
set O
up O
an O
asset O
management O
arm O
to O
handle O
two O
billion O
Singapore O
dollars O
( O
1 O
. O
4 O
billion O
US O
) O
in O
funds O
, O
the O
Straits O
Times O
reported O
Monday B-T
. O

GE O
Life O
chief O
executive O
Tan O
Beng O
Lee O
told O
the O
newspaper O
that O
the O
new O
firm O
, O
Straits O
Lion O
Asset O
Management O
, O
will O
initially O
handle O
GE O
Life O
' O
s O
own O
funds O
but O
would O
expand O
its O
activities O
later O
after O
establishing O
a O
track O
record O
. O

" O
Subsequently O
, O
we O
would O
consider O
the O
management O
of O
third O
- O
party O
funds O
, O
" O
Tan O
said O
. O

The O
new O
company O
is O
to O
be O
90 O
- O
percent O
owned O
by O
GE O
Life O
and O
the O
rest O
by O
Straits O
Trading O
Co O
. O
, O
a O
sister O
company O
under O
the O
Oversea O
- O
Chinese O
Banking O
Corp O
. O
group O
. O
Both O
are O
listed O
on O
the O
mainboard O
of O
the O
Stock O
Exchange O
of O
Singapore O
. O

The O
move O
is O
part O
of O
GE O
Life O
' O
s O
efforts O
to O
find O
better O
returns O
from O
its O
growing O
assets O
amid O
pressure O
on O
the O
Singapore O
insurance O
industry O
from O
declining O
investment O
income O
and O
low O
interest O
rates O
, O
the O
newspaper O
said O
. O

GE O
Life O
' O
s O
funds O
are O
currently O
being O
managed O
in O
- O
house O
. O

" O
Straits O
Lion O
will O
provide O
a O
more O
active O
and O
focused O
platform O
in O
managing O
our O
funds O
, O
" O
Tan O
was O
quoted O
as O
saying O
. O

GE O
Life O
, O
with O
about O
500 O
, O
000 O
policyholders O
in O
a O
nation O
of O
three O
million O
, O
had O
an O
asset O
base O
of O
9 O
. O
5 O
billion O
dollars O
in O
1996 B-T
, O
up O
from O
only O
four O
billion O
dollars O
in O
1992 B-T
. O

The O
report O
said O
that O
under O
insurance O
laws O
, O
life O
insurers O
can O
invest O
no O
more O
than O
35 O
percent O
of O
their O
assets O
in O
equities O
, O
20 O
percent O
in O
property O
, O
20 O
percent O
in O
foreign O
funds O
, O
and O
the O
rest O
in O
cash O
and O
near O
cash O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051101 O
. O
0326 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
2 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

CPPCC O
vice O
- O
chairman O
meets O
Austrian O
defence O
minister O

Wang O
Zhongyu O
, O
vice O
- O
chairman O
of O
the O
National O
Committee O
of O
the O
Chinese O
People O
' O
s O
Political O
Consultative O
Conference O
( O
CPPCC O
) O
, O
met O
here O
Wednesday B-T
with O
Austrian O
Defence O
Minister O
Gunther O
Platter O
. O

Platter O
and O
his O
party O
arrived O
in O
Beijing O
Monday B-T
for O
an O
official O
visit O
to O
China O
at O
the O
invitation O
of O
his O
Chinese O
counterpart O
Cao O
Gangchuan O
. O

CNN_20130322_1243 O

March B-T
22 I-T
, I-T
2013 I-T

Google O
Keep O
is O
a O
note O
- O
taking O
app O
with O
great O
potential O

Before O
the O
arrival O
of O
Keep O
, O
which O
Google O
launched O
this B-T
week I-T
, O
there O
was O
no O
default O
note O
- O
taking O
app O
for O
Android O
. O
It O
was O
a O
glaring O
hole O
, O
considering O
that O
Apple O
' O
s O
iPhone O
has O
built O
- O
in O
Notes O
and O
Reminders O
apps O
that O
can O
be O
powered O
by O
Siri O
. O

Instead O
of O
settling O
for O
a O
bare O
bones O
app O
to O
fill O
the O
void O
, O
the O
search O
giant O
took O
things O
one O
step O
further O
. O
Keep O
isn O
' O
t O
simply O
just O
a O
place O
to O
bank O
whatever O
random O
half O
- O
thoughts O
come O
to O
mind O
: O
Users O
can O
construct O
to O
- O
do O
lists O
, O
stash O
photos O
, O
and O
color O
code O
your O
notes O
- O
- O
all O
in O
one O
well O
- O
designed O
and O
easy O
- O
to O
- O
use O
interface O
. O

The O
second O
you O
log O
anything O
into O
your O
phone O
, O
it O
is O
also O
accessible O
from O
a O
PC O
Web O
browser O
via O
Google O
Drive O
. O
Alternatively O
, O
you O
can O
save O
things O
while O
working O
on O
your O
computer O
, O
and O
it O
will O
instantly O
appear O
on O
your O
phone O
, O
ready O
for O
use O
while O
on O
the O
go O
. O

The O
design O
may O
not O
be O
as O
progressive O
as O
the O
to O
- O
do O
app O
Clear O
, O
but O
Keep O
makes O
up O
for O
that O
in O
its O
simplicity O
and O
efficiency O
. O

Everything O
in O
Keep O
is O
presented O
like O
a O
Microsoft O
( O
MSFT O
, O
Fortune O
500 O
) O
Windows O
Phone O
- O
esque O
stream O
of O
tiles O
. O
Swiping O
left O
or O
right O
will O
archive O
those O
notes O
you O
no O
longer O
need O
( O
but O
don O
' O
t O
want O
to O
erase O
entirely O
) O
. O
At O
the O
top O
of O
the O
app O
is O
a O
text O
entry O
field O
that O
serves O
as O
your O
main O
point O
of O
entry O
for O
all O
new O
notes O
. O
And O
when O
viewing O
any O
specific O
note O
, O
tapping O
any O
part O
of O
that O
note O
( O
title O
, O
body O
, O
etc O
. O
) O
will O
allow O
you O
to O
edit O
it O
. O
The O
entire O
experience O
is O
frictionless O
. O

That O
said O
, O
it O
' O
s O
not O
going O
to O
conquer O
the O
world O
quite O
yet O
. O
Organization O
options O
are O
limited O
- O
- O
color O
coding O
is O
your O
only O
choice O
, O
and O
you O
can O
' O
t O
re O
- O
order O
your O
notes O
. O
Sharing O
with O
others O
is O
mostly O
limited O
to O
email O
and O
Google O
+ O
, O
and O
the O
desktop O
features O
are O
pretty O
bare O
bones O
. O

But O
that O
' O
s O
more O
a O
function O
of O
it O
being O
new O
, O
rather O
than O
poorly O
thought O
out O
. O
Like O
most O
things O
Google O
, O
expect O
the O
company O
to O
flesh O
out O
Keep O
over O
time O
and O
really O
turn O
it O
into O
our O
personal O
internet O
junk O
drawer O
. O

It O
' O
s O
easy O
to O
foresee O
the O
day O
the O
when O
users O
will O
be O
able O
to O
send O
anything O
from O
their O
Web O
browser O
or O
Maps O
directly O
to O
Keep O
. O
The O
prospect O
of O
Keep O
incorporating O
features O
of O
services O
such O
as O
Pinterest O
or O
Pocket O
, O
or O
even O
making O
it O
easy O
to O
catalog O
streaming O
media O
, O
could O
turn O
it O
into O
something O
big O
. O
That O
should O
scare O
Evernote O
. O

Keep O
is O
not O
the O
reinvention O
of O
the O
wheel O
in O
any O
aspect O
- O
- O
there O
are O
a O
plethora O
of O
third O
- O
party O
apps O
already O
available O
for O
Android O
. O
But O
it O
is O
a O
well O
- O
exectuted O
refinement O
. O

In O
filling O
a O
minor O
, O
but O
important O
gap O
in O
its O
mobile O
ecosystem O
, O
Google O
gives O
the O
competition O
one O
less O
claim O
of O
superiority O
over O
Android O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970425 O
. O
0129 O

COTABATO O
, O
Philippines O
, O
April B-T
25 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Philippine O
government O
, O
Moslem O
rebel O
truce O
talks O
stall O

Ceasefire O
talks O
between O
Moslem O
guerrillas O
and O
the O
Philippine O
government O
have O
stalled O
here O
with O
both O
sides O
agreeing O
to O
meet O
again O
next B-T
month I-T
, O
officials O
said O
Friday B-T
. O

The O
two O
- O
day O
talks O
which O
ended O
Thursday B-T
are O
aimed O
at O
forging O
a O
truce O
with O
the O
Moro O
Islamic O
Liberation O
Front O
( O
MILF O
) O
, O
the O
country O
' O
s O
last O
remaining O
major O
Moslem O
guerrilla O
group O
, O
to O
allow O
negotiations O
on O
a O
political O
settlement O
to O
the O
civil O
war O
to O
begin O
. O

The O
two O
sides O
scrapped O
a O
scheduled O
news O
conference O
Friday B-T
after O
failing O
to O
agree O
on O
the O
wording O
of O
a O
joint O
communique O
, O
but O
agreed O
to O
meet O
again O
at O
a O
Roman O
Catholic O
university O
here O
on O
May B-T
13 I-T
- I-T
14 I-T
to O
try O
to O
break O
the O
impasse O
. O

The O
MILF O
, O
founded O
in O
1978 B-T
and O
which O
commands O
around O
10 O
, O
000 O
guerrillas O
, O
wants O
a O
ceasefire O
agreement O
in O
place O
throughout O
the O
country O
' O
s O
south O
, O
known O
as O
the O
Mindanao O
region O
, O
with O
its O
forces O
being O
allowed O
to O
maintain O
their O
current O
positions O
. O

Before O
any O
Mindanao O
- O
wide O
truce O
, O
the O
government O
first O
wants O
to O
put O
to O
paper O
a O
three O
- O
month O
- O
old O
informal O
truce O
around O
the O
guerrilla O
stronghold O
of O
Buldon O
, O
where O
4 O
, O
000 O
Army O
units O
and O
an O
equal O
number O
of O
MILF O
guerrillas O
are O
locked O
in O
a O
standoff O
that O
has O
claimed O
around O
60 O
lives O
this B-T
year I-T
. O

" O
We O
failed O
to O
reach O
further O
understanding O
on O
the O
positioning O
of O
troops O
in O
Buldon O
but O
we O
will O
discuss O
it O
further O
, O
" O
the O
chief O
ceasefire O
negotiator O
for O
the O
government O
, O
Major O
General O
Joselin O
Nazareno O
, O
told O
AFP O
. O

The O
two O
sides O
discussed O
a O
" O
repositioning O
of O
forces O
" O
in O
Buldon O
, O
" O
and O
it O
was O
there O
unfortunately O
, O
( O
that O
) O
we O
failed O
to O
reach O
any O
agreement O
. O
" O

The O
rebel O
panel O
' O
s O
legal O
counsel O
, O
Lanang O
Ali O
, O
confirmed O
the O
impasse O
, O
saying O
: O
" O
We O
could O
not O
agree O
on O
the O
specific O
( O
disposition O
) O
of O
our O
forces O
in O
Buldon O
. O
We O
wanted O
one O
thing O
, O
the O
( O
government O
panel O
) O
wanted O
another O
thing O
. O
Even O
on O
compromise O
, O
we O
failed O
to O
agree O
. O
" O

As O
negotiators O
prepared O
for O
this B-T
week I-T
' O
s O
talks O
, O
an O
Army O
spokesman O
said O
an O
MILF O
unit O
ambushed O
a O
military O
- O
escorted O
crew O
of O
a O
road O
construction O
project O
near O
the O
town O
of O
Aliosan O
on O
Monday B-T
, O
killing O
one O
soldier O
and O
wounding O
another O
. O

The O
attack O
forced O
around O
2 O
, O
000 O
villagers O
to O
flee O
, O
Captain O
Noel O
Detoyato O
told O
AFP O
. O

The O
military O
deployed O
a O
Marine O
battalion O
and O
a O
" O
Rapid O
Deployment O
Force O
" O
of O
the O
Army O
in O
the O
area O
on O
Wednesday B-T
, O
he O
added O
. O

The O
MILF O
is O
a O
splinter O
of O
the O
Moro O
National O
Liberation O
Front O
( O
MNLF O
) O
, O
which O
last B-T
year I-T
signed O
a O
peace O
treaty O
with O
the O
government O
to O
end O
a O
24 O
- O
year O
guerrilla O
campaign O
aimed O
at O
setting O
up O
a O
separate O
Moslem O
state O
in O
the O
country O
' O
s O
south O
. O

The O
MILF O
, O
which O
had O
refused O
to O
join O
the O
negotiations O
, O
was O
left O
out O
in O
the O
political O
settlement O
, O
which O
installed O
MNLF O
chief O
Nur O
Misuari O
as O
the O
chief O
overseer O
of O
development O
funds O
which O
the O
government O
pledged O
to O
pour O
into O
Mindanao O
. O

President O
Fidel O
Ramos O
' O
government O
believes O
a O
peace O
settlement O
with O
the O
MILF O
would O
solve O
rampant O
crime O
in O
Mindanao O
, O
perpetrated O
by O
rogue O
guerrilla O
units O
who O
kidnap O
local O
businessmen O
for O
ransom O
, O
and O
improve O
the O
region O
' O
s O
attraction O
as O
an O
investment O
site O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061118 O
. O
0033 O

LUSAKA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
18 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Zambian O
oil O
refinery O
plant O
resumes O
production O
after O
maintenance O

Zambia O
' O
s O
sole O
oil O
refinery O
plant O
has O
resumed O
its O
full O
production O
after O
a O
one O
- O
month O
shutdown O
for O
annual O
routine O
maintenance O
, O
Saturday O
Post O
reported O
. O

The O
local O
newspaper O
quoted O
sources O
of O
Indeni O
refinery O
plant O
as O
saying O
, O
" O
the O
plant O
resumed O
full O
production O
this B-T
week I-T
. O
Of O
course O
this O
was O
after O
the O
crude O
oil O
we O
were O
waiting O
for O
from O
Dar O
es O
Salaam O
, O
Tanzania O
, O
was O
fully O
stocked O
. O
" O

Among O
the O
products O
it O
has O
begun O
supplying O
at O
the O
market O
are O
diesel O
, O
jet O
fuel O
, O
heavy O
fuel O
oil O
, O
petrol O
, O
liquefied O
petroleum O
gas O
and O
bitumen O
, O
said O
the O
report O
. O

Last B-T
month I-T
' O
s O
shutdown O
, O
which O
was O
postponed O
twice O
, O
has O
been O
without O
incident O
. O
Indeni O
Managing O
Director O
Luis O
Urbano O
said O
the O
country O
did O
not O
experience O
any O
disruption O
in O
fuel O
supplies O
. O

The O
country O
experienced O
a O
crippling O
fuel O
shortage O
last B-T
year I-T
when O
the O
Zambian O
- O
French O
joint O
venture O
in O
Ndola O
, O
capital O
of O
Copperbelt O
province O
, O
was O
shut O
down O
for O
maintenance O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061111 O
. O
0187 O

ADDIS O
ABABA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
11 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Aid O
agency O
airlifts O
supplies O
to O
Ethiopian O
flood O
victims O

The O
International O
Rescue O
Committee O
( O
IRC O
) O
said O
here O
Saturday B-T
it O
airlifted O
essential O
supplies O
to O
flood O
- O
affected O
communities O
in O
Gode O
Zone O
of O
Somali O
State O
in O
response O
to O
the O
recent O
deadly O
flash O
flood O
in O
southeastern O
Ethiopia O
. O

According O
to O
a O
news O
release O
from O
IRC O
Ethiopia O
, O
18 O
tons O
of O
cooking O
pots O
and O
plates O
, O
soap O
, O
and O
blankets O
were O
transported O
to O
Gode O
, O
some O
650 O
km O
southeast O
of O
the O
capital O
Addis O
Ababa O
, O
via O
U O
. O
S O
. O
military O
air O
carrier O
early O
on O
Saturday B-T
. O

The O
items O
will O
be O
distributed O
by O
the O
United O
Nations O
and O
other O
national O
and O
international O
NGOs O
working O
on O
the O
ground O
. O
IRC O
hopes O
to O
send O
an O
additional O
airlift O
of O
supplies O
in O
the O
following O
days O
. O

" O
Gode O
Zone O
is O
completely O
cut O
off O
by O
road O
to O
the O
outside O
world O
because O
of O
the O
flooding O
, O
" O
said O
IRC O
Country O
Director O
David O
Murphy O
. O

" O
We O
hear O
reports O
that O
there O
are O
trucks O
loaded O
with O
emergency O
relief O
stranded O
in O
the O
surrounding O
areas O
but O
unable O
to O
get O
through O
. O
We O
' O
re O
just O
lucky O
that O
we O
can O
airlift O
our O
emergency O
relief O
via O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
military O
. O
" O

Sixty O
- O
seven O
people O
have O
died O
and O
up O
to O
217 O
, O
000 O
people O
have O
been O
affected O
after O
the O
Wabe O
Shebelle O
river O
burst O
its O
banks O
after O
five B-T
days I-T
of O
heavy O
rain O
. O
It O
is O
not O
known O
how O
many O
people O
have O
been O
displaced O
by O
the O
latest O
flash O
flooding O
, O
which O
occurred O
ten B-T
days I-T
ago I-T
. O
It O
' O
s O
feared O
the O
situation O
will O
be O
further O
exacerbated O
with O
continuing O
heavy O
rains O
. O

" O
This O
region O
has O
already O
been O
hit O
hard O
. O
In O
mid B-T
- I-T
August I-T
, O
flooding O
in O
the O
same O
area O
killed O
four O
people O
and O
displaced O
approximately O
56 O
, O
000 O
, O
" O
said O
Murphy O
. O
" O
IRC O
will O
do O
everything O
it O
can O
to O
support O
this O
community O
. O
" O

IRC O
' O
s O
emergency O
intervention O
is O
supported O
by O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
Office O
of O
Foreign O
Disaster O
Assistance O
. O

The O
IRC O
serves O
refugees O
and O
communities O
victimized O
by O
oppression O
and O
violent O
conflict O
worldwide O
through O
the O
provision O
of O
emergency O
relief O
, O
post O
- O
conflict O
development O
, O
resettlement O
assistance O
and O
advocacy O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061222 O
. O
0139 O

WELLINGTON O
, O
Dec B-T
22 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

Rain O
ends O
Sri O
Lanka O
charge O
in O
Twenty20 O

The O
opening O
Twenty20 O
cricket O
international O
between O
New O
Zealand O
and O
Sri O
Lanka O
came O
to O
an O
early O
end O
here O
Friday B-T
with O
play O
abandoned O
because O
of O
rain O
as O
the O
tourists O
mounted O
a O
fiery O
run O
charge O
. O

Under O
the O
Duckworth O
- O
Lewis O
system O
, O
Sri O
Lanka O
won O
by O
18 O
runs O
after O
New O
Zealand O
made O
162 O
for O
eight O
and O
Sri O
Lanka O
were O
62 O
for O
one O
after O
5 O
. O
5 O
overs O
when O
the O
heavy O
rain O
forced O
players O
from O
the O
field O
. O

After O
a O
rollicking O
start O
by O
Stephen O
Fleming O
and O
Brendon O
McCullum O
produced O
80 O
runs O
in O
seven O
overs O
, O
New O
Zealand O
' O
s O
batting O
faltered O
and O
they O
added O
just O
82 O
runs O
in O
the O
remaining O
13 O
overs O
. O

Man O
- O
of O
- O
the O
- O
match O
Sanath O
Jayasuriya O
led O
Sri O
Lanka O
' O
s O
reply O
with O
a O
near O
- O
solo O
masterpiece O
, O
hitting O
a O
rapid O
51 O
in O
23 O
balls O
, O
including O
10 O
fours O
and O
one O
six O
, O
to O
score O
all O
but O
11 O
of O
Sri O
Lanka O
' O
s O
62 O
runs O
. O

New O
Zealand O
' O
s O
opening O
onslaught O
came O
to O
an O
end O
when O
Farveez O
Maharoof O
bowled O
Fleming O
for O
38 B-T
with O
a O
slower O
ball O
. O

Spin O
twins O
Muttiah O
Muralitharan O
and O
Jayasuriya O
applied O
the O
pressure O
and O
the O
run O
rate O
slowed O
to O
a O
crawl O
. O

Muralitharan O
was O
hit O
for O
two O
sixes O
in O
his O
first O
three O
balls O
before O
McCullum O
mistimed O
a O
slog O
and O
was O
caught O
by O
Upul O
Tharanga O
at O
deep O
midwicket O
for O
39 B-T
. O

James O
Franklin O
, O
sent O
in O
as O
a O
pinch O
hitter O
, O
was O
trapped O
leg O
before O
wicket O
by O
Jayasuriya O
for O
18 O
, O
and O
Ross O
Taylor O
went O
lbw O
to O
Muralitharan O
for O
21 B-T
. O

James O
Marshall O
lasted O
four O
balls O
and O
made O
one O
run O
before O
before O
being O
caught O
by O
a O
leaping O
Chamara O
Silva O
at O
midwicket O
for O
Jayasuriya O
' O
s O
second O
wicket O
. O

New O
Zealand O
turned O
to O
the O
veteran O
Nathan O
Astle O
to O
arrest O
the O
middle O
order O
collapse O
but O
he O
was O
bowled O
by O
Jayasuriya O
for O
19 B-T
. O

With O
New O
Zealand O
finding O
runs O
hard O
to O
come O
by O
and O
wickets O
falling O
regularly O
, O
Silva O
was O
called O
on O
to O
bowl O
and O
he O
removed O
debutant O
wicketkeeper O
Peter O
McGlashan O
for O
five O
. O

Shane O
Bond O
was O
back O
in O
the O
pavilion O
soon O
after O
, O
bowled O
by O
Chaminda O
Vaas O
without O
scoring O
. O

Jayasuriya O
finished O
with O
figures O
of O
four O
for O
21 O
from O
four O
overs O
, O
while O
Muralitharan O
took O
two O
for O
27 O
. O

The O
only O
wicket O
to O
fall O
in O
Sri O
Lanka O
' O
s O
run O
chase O
was O
that O
of O
Tharanga O
, O
who O
was O
caught O
by O
Fleming O
off O
the O
bowling O
of O
Bond O
for O
six O
. O

The O
second O
and O
final O
Twenty20 O
match O
is O
at O
Auckland O
on O
December B-T
26 I-T
and O
the O
first O
of O
the O
five O
one O
- O
day O
internationals O
is O
at O
Napier O
on O
December B-T
28 I-T
. O

AFP_ENG_20061219 O
. O
0256 O

BISHKEK O
, O
Dec B-T
19 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
ADDS O
details O
, O
quotes O
, O
background O
/ O
/ O
/ O

Kyrgyzstan O
' O
s O
Prime O
Minister O
Felix O
Kulov O
and O
the O
entire O
government O
of O
the O
Central O
Asian O
republic O
tendered O
their O
resignation O
Tuesday B-T
in O
line O
with O
a O
new O
constitution O
that O
requires O
formation O
of O
a O
fresh O
cabinet O
. O

" O
Today B-T
, O
I O
tendered O
my O
resignation O
to O
the O
president O
, O
" O
Kulov O
said O
in O
a O
national O
radio O
interview O
. O
" O
In O
that O
way O
we O
want O
to O
set O
the O
conditions O
for O
the O
full O
- O
blooded O
work O
of O
the O
new O
constitution O
. O
" O

The O
constitution O
was O
signed O
November B-T
9 I-T
, O
significantly O
reducing O
the O
powers O
of O
President O
Kurmanbek O
Bakiyev O
. O
Under O
the O
new O
basic O
law O
, O
parliament O
, O
not O
the O
president O
will O
appoint O
the O
next O
premier O
and O
government O
. O

Kyrgyzstan O
, O
an O
impoverished O
but O
strategically O
located O
republic O
that O
hosts O
both O
Russian O
and O
US O
air O
bases O
, O
has O
been O
struggling O
to O
stabilise O
since O
longtime O
president O
Askar O
Akayev O
was O
overthrown O
in O
a O
street O
revolt O
in O
March B-T
2005 I-T
. O

The O
country O
has O
been O
plagued O
by O
political O
unrest O
, O
contract O
killings O
and O
organised O
crime O
. O

In O
November B-T
, O
opposition O
demonstrators O
spent O
a B-T
week I-T
camped O
out O
in O
the O
main O
square O
of O
Bishkek O
demanding O
constitutional O
reform O
. O

After O
an O
outbreak O
of O
violence O
, O
Bakiyev O
finally O
gave O
in O
, O
signing O
the O
new O
constitution O
in O
what O
he O
said O
was O
" O
one O
more O
step O
towards O
democracy O
. O
" O

The O
new O
constitution O
limits O
the O
president O
' O
s O
powers O
to O
dissolve O
parliament O
and O
also O
gives O
the O
legislature O
the O
right O
to O
appoint O
the O
government O
. O

Kulov O
has O
been O
prime O
minister O
since O
the O
revolution O
, O
but O
his O
reappointment O
is O
not O
guaranteed O
in O
the O
deeply O
divided O
parliament O
. O

In O
May B-T
2006 I-T
, O
Kulov O
' O
s O
government O
tendered O
its O
resignation O
, O
but O
this O
was O
not O
accepted O
by O
Bakiyev O
. O

WSJ891101 O
- O
0032 O

= O
891101 O

891101 O
- O
0032 O
. O

International O
Brief O
- O
- O
Coates O
Brothers O
PLC O
: O

@ O
Orkem O
Bids O
$ O
7 O
. O
43 O
a O
Share O

@ O
For O
Stake O
It O
Doesn O
' O
t O
Own O

11 B-T
/ I-T
01 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

F O
. O
ORK O
EUROP O
U O
. O
CTB O

TENDER O
OFFERS O
, O
MERGERS O
, O
ACQUISITIONS O
( O
TNM O
) O

CHEMICALS O
, O
PLASTICS O
( O
CHM O
) O

Orkem O
S O
. O
A O
. O
, O
a O
French O
state O
- O
controlled O
chemical O
manufacturer O
, O
is O
making O
a O
friendly O
bid O
of O
470 O
pence O
( O
$ O
7 O
. O
43 O
) O
a O
share O
for O
the O
59 O
. O
2 O
% O
of O
U O
. O
K O
. O
specialty O
chemical O
group O
Coates O
Brothers O
PLC O
which O
it O
does O
n O
' O
t O
already O
own O
, O
the O
two O
sides O
said O
. O

The O
offer O
, O
which O
values O
the O
whole O
of O
Coates O
at O
# O
301 O
million O
, O
has O
already O
been O
accepted O
by O
Coates O
executives O
and O
other O
shareholders O
owning O
12 O
. O
4 O
% O
of O
the O
company O
. O

The O
acceptances O
give O
Orkem O
a O
controlling O
53 O
. O
2 O
% O
stake O
in O
the O
company O
. O

Orkem O
and O
Coates O
said O
last B-T
Wednesday I-T
that O
the O
two O
were O
considering O
a O
merger O
, O
through O
Orkem O
' O
s O
British O
subsidiary O
, O
Orkem O
Coatings O
U O
. O
K O
. O
Ltd O
. O

Orkem O
, O
France O
' O
s O
third O
- O
largest O
chemical O
group O
, O
said O
it O
would O
fund O
the O
acquisition O
through O
internal O
resources O
. O

The O
takeover O
would O
be O
followed O
by O
a O
restructuring O
of O
Orkem O
' O
s O
U O
. O
K O
. O
unit O
, O
including O
the O
addition O
of O
related O
Orkem O
businesses O
and O
possibly O
further O
acquisitions O
. O

Orkem O
said O
it O
eventually O
would O
seek O
to O
make O
a O
public O
share O
offering O
in O
its O
U O
. O
K O
. O
business O
. O

WSJ891102 O
- O
0034 O

= O
891102 O

891102 O
- O
0034 O
. O

Business O
Brief O
- O
- O
Tony O
Lama O
Co O
. O
: O

@ O
Equus O
Investment O
II O
Seeks O

@ O
To O
Change O
Offer O
for O
Firm O

11 B-T
/ I-T
02 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

TLAM O

TENDER O
OFFERS O
, O
MERGERS O
, O
ACQUISITIONS O
( O
TNM O
) O

Tony O
Lama O
Co O
. O
said O
that O
Equus O
Investment O
II O
Limited O
Partnership O
has O
proposed O
changing O
the O
offer O
for O
the O
company O
to O
$ O
13 O
. O
65 O
in O
cash O
and O
stock O
from O
an O
all O
- O
cash O
transaction O
. O

Under O
terms O
of O
the O
new O
proposal O
, O
Equus O
, O
managed O
by O
Equus O
Capital O
Corp O
. O
, O
Houston O
, O
would O
pay O
$ O
12 O
cash O
and O
one O
new O
preferred O
share O
with O
a O
liquidation O
preference O
of O
$ O
1 O
. O
65 O
a O
share O
for O
each O
of O
Tony O
Lama O
' O
s O
2 O
. O
1 O
million O
shares O
outstanding O
. O

Previously B-T
, O
it O
offered O
$ O
13 O
. O
65 O
a O
share O
in O
cash O
, O
or O
$ O
29 O
million O
. O

The O
El O
Paso O
, O
Texas O
, O
maker O
of O
Western O
boots O
and O
leather O
accessories O
said O
the O
preferred O
stock O
would O
accrue O
dividends O
at O
a O
12 O
% O
rate O
, O
but O
would O
n O
' O
t O
be O
paid O
for O
the B-T
first I-T
two I-T
years I-T
. O

The O
stock O
would O
be O
redeemed O
in O
five B-T
years I-T
, O
subject O
to O
terms O
of O
the O
surviving O
company O
' O
s O
debt O
. O

Neither O
Equus O
nor O
Tony O
Lama O
gave O
a O
reason O
for O
the O
changed O
offer O
and O
Tony O
Lama O
could O
n O
' O
t O
be O
reached O
for O
comment O
. O

However O
, O
Tony O
Lama O
said O
it O
would O
promptly O
submit O
the O
offer O
to O
a O
special O
committee O
of O
the O
company O
' O
s O
board O
. O

PRI19980205 B-T
. O
2000 O
. O
1998 O

NEWS O
STORY O

Thousands O
of O
people O
in O
Germany O
have O
been O
demonstrating O

today B-T
against O
the O
high O
level O
of O
unemployment O
in O
the O
country O
. O

Latest O
figures O
show O
a O
sharp O
rise O
, O
with O
nearly O
five O
million O

Germans O
out O
of O
work O
. O

Caroline O
Wyatt O
reports O
. O

Chanting O
Helmut O
Kohl O
must O
go O
the O
unemployed O
took O
to O
the O

streets O
of O
the O
German O
capital O
, O
Berlin O
, O
mirroring O
protests O

around O
the O
country O
. O

Joblessness O
is O
now B-T
at O
its O
highest O
level O
in O
Germany O
since O
the O

second O
world O
war O
. O

With O
the O
general O
election O
due O
this B-T
September I-T
, O
record O
figures O

could O
n O
' O
t O
have O
come O
at O
a O
worst O
time O
for O
Chancellor O
Kohl O
. O

His O
promise O
to O
half O
unemployment O
by O
the B-T
year I-T
two I-T
thousand I-T
has O
now B-T
been O
abandoned O
. O

And O
the O
German O
electorate O
appears O
increasingly O
eager O
to O
dispense O
with O
the O
services O
of O
Europe O
' O
s O
longest O
serving O
leader O
. O

Caroline O
Wyatt O
, O
BBC O
news O
, O
Bonn O
. O

WSJ891102 O
- O
0167 O

= O
891102 O

891102 O
- O
0167 O
. O

Duty O
- O
Free O
Status O
Cleared O

@ O
For O
Certain O
Watch O
Imports O

11 B-T
/ I-T
02 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

MONETARY O
NEWS O
, O
FOREIGN O
EXCHANGE O
, O
TRADE O
( O
MON O
) O

EXECUTIVE O
( O
EXE O
) O

WASHINGTON O

The O
White O
House O
said O
President O
Bush O
has O
approved O
duty O
- O
free O
treatment O
for O
imports O
of O
certain O
types O
of O
watches O
that O
are O
n O
' O
t O
produced O
in O
" O
significant O
quantities O
" O
in O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
, O
the O
Virgin O
Islands O
and O
other O
U O
. O
S O
. O
possessions O
. O

The O
action O
came O
in O
response O
to O
a O
petition O
filed O
by O
Timex O
Inc O
. O
for O
changes O
in O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
Generalized O
System O
of O
Preferences O
for O
imports O
from O
developing O
nations O
. O

Previously O
, O
watch O
imports O
were O
denied O
such O
duty O
- O
free O
treatment O
. O

Timex O
had O
requested O
duty O
- O
free O
treatment O
for O
many O
types O
of O
watches O
, O
covered O
by O
58 O
different O
U O
. O
S O
. O
tariff O
classifications O
. O

The O
White O
House O
said O
Mr O
. O
Bush O
decided O
to O
grant O
duty O
- O
free O
status O
for O
18 O
categories O
, O
but O
turned O
down O
such O
treatment O
for O
other O
types O
of O
watches O
" O
because O
of O
the O
potential O
for O
material O
injury O
to O
watch O
producers O
located O
in O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
and O
the O
Virgin O
Islands O
. O
" O

Timex O
is O
a O
major O
U O
. O
S O
. O
producer O
and O
seller O
of O
watches O
, O
including O
low O
- O
priced O
battery O
- O
operated O
watches O
assembled O
in O
the O
Philippines O
and O
other O
developing O
nations O
covered O
by O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
tariff O
preferences O
. O

U O
. O
S O
. O
trade O
officials O
said O
the O
Philippines O
and O
Thailand O
would O
be O
the O
main O
beneficiaries O
of O
the O
president O
' O
s O
action O
. O

Imports O
of O
the O
types O
of O
watches O
that O
now B-T
will O
be O
eligible O
for O
duty O
- O
free O
treatment O
totaled O
about O
$ O
37 O
. O
3 O
million O
in O
1988 B-T
, O
a O
relatively O
small O
share O
of O
the O
$ O
1 O
. O
5 O
billion O
in O
U O
. O
S O
. O
watch O
imports O
that O
year O
, O
according O
to O
an O
aide O
to O
U O
. O
S O
. O
Trade O
Representative O
Carla O
Hills O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061130 O
. O
0372 O

BUDAPEST O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
30 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Hungary O
opens O
new O
crossing O
stations O
for O
pedestrians O

Tourists O
arriving O
on O
foot O
, O
by O
bicycle O
or O
on O
horseback O
will O
be O
offered O
five O
new O
places O
to O
cross O
the O
border O
between O
Hungary O
and O
Austria O
, O
the O
spokesman O
of O
the O
border O
control O
authority O
told O
MTI O
on O
Thursday B-T
. O

The O
new O
crossing O
points O
at O
Pornoapati O
, O
Ronk O
, O
Szentgotthard O
, O
Agfalva O
and O
Harka O
, O
opening O
on O
Friday B-T
, O
will O
be O
open O
during O
the O
day O
, O
said O
Ivan O
Kovacs O
. O

He O
added O
that O
another O
crossing O
point O
is O
scheduled O
to O
open O
at O
Fertorakos O
next B-T
year I-T
, O
and O
negotiations O
with O
Austria O
are O
currently O
underway O
on O
a O
further O
10 O
tourist O
crossing O
stations O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970429 O
. O
0522 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
April B-T
29 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Peterson O
sworn O
in O
as O
ambassador O
to O
Vietnam O

Former O
congressman O
Douglas O
" O
Pete O
" O
Peterson O
, O
who O
spent O
six O
and O
half O
years O
in O
a O
Vietnamese O
prison O
camp O
, O
was O
sworn O
in O
Tuesday B-T
as O
Washington O
' O
s O
first O
ambassador O
to O
Hanoi O
. O

Peterson O
took O
the O
oath O
of O
office O
at O
a O
State O
Department O
ceremony O
attended O
by O
Secretary O
of O
State O
Madeleine O
Albright O
, O
a O
US O
official O
said O
. O

He O
is O
scheduled O
to O
arrive O
in O
Hanoi O
on O
May B-T
9 I-T
. O

Peterson O
' O
s O
confirmation O
" O
sends O
a O
very O
strong O
message O
that O
it O
is O
important O
to O
put O
the O
war O
behind O
us O
and O
get O
on O
with O
a O
friendly O
relationship O
, O
" O
State O
Department O
spokesman O
Nicholas O
Burns O
said O
. O

Burns O
said O
the O
new O
ambassador O
will O
" O
try O
to O
heal O
the O
wounds O
" O
of O
the O
Vietnam O
War O
that O
ended O
in O
communist O
victory O
in O
1975 B-T
. O
The O
conflict O
claimed O
the O
lives O
of O
about O
three O
million O
Vietnamese O
and O
nearly O
60 O
, O
000 O
Americans O
. O

But O
the O
State O
Department O
also O
put O
Hanoi O
on O
notice O
that O
Peterson O
will O
press O
Washington O
' O
s O
view O
that O
human O
rights O
should O
be O
upheld O
by O
the O
Vietnamese O
government O
. O

" O
We O
encourage O
US O
investment O
in O
Vietnam O
but O
it O
is O
still O
a O
communist O
country O
and O
we O
are O
disturbed O
by O
human O
rights O
problems O
there O
, O
" O
Burns O
said O
. O

" O
We O
intend O
to O
make O
it O
( O
human O
rights O
) O
part O
of O
the O
relationship O
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O

The O
US O
Senate O
approved O
Peterson O
' O
s O
appointment O
on O
April B-T
10 I-T
after O
a O
lengthy O
delay O
due O
to O
lingering O
Republican O
opposition O
to O
Washington O
' O
s O
restored O
ties O
with O
former O
enemy O
Vietnam O
. O

Republican O
lawmakers O
also O
questioned O
the O
constitutionality O
of O
the O
appointment O
as O
Peterson O
served O
in O
Congress O
when O
the O
decision O
to O
open O
an O
embassy O
in O
Hanoi O
was O
made O
, O
thus O
raising O
conflict O
of O
interest O
issues O
. O

Even O
after O
those O
issues O
were O
resolved O
, O
Republican O
Senator O
Bob O
Smith O
, O
a O
staunch O
opponent O
of O
President O
Bill O
Clinton O
' O
s O
1995 O
decision O
to O
normalize O
relations O
with O
Vietnam O
, O
again O
sought O
to O
delay O
his O
despatch O
to O
Hanoi O
. O

" O
We O
are O
delighted O
that O
he O
is O
sworn O
in O
after O
such O
a O
long O
wait O
, O
" O
Burns O
commented O
. O
" O
He O
is O
a O
terrific O
choice O
, O
" O
he O
added O
, O
stressing O
his O
experience O
as O
a O
prisoner O
of O
war O
. O

Peterson O
was O
the O
66th O
American O
taken O
prisoner O
during O
the O
bitter O
conflict O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061201 O
. O
0313 O

BEIRUT O
, O
Dec B-T
1 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
ADDS O
scene O
details O
/ O
/ O
/ O

Beirut O
was O
on O
high O
alert O
Friday B-T
as O
hundreds O
of O
thousands O
of O
opposition O
demonstrators O
, O
led O
by O
the O
pro O
- O
Syrian O
militant O
group O
Hezbollah O
, O
staged O
a O
massive O
show O
of O
force O
aimed O
at O
pressing O
the O
Western O
- O
backed O
government O
to O
resign O
. O

Lebanese O
troops O
and O
armored O
vehicles O
were O
heavily O
deployed O
in O
the O
capital O
as O
hordes O
of O
protesters O
packed O
streets O
and O
surrounded O
the O
offices O
of O
Prime O
Minister O
Fuad O
Siniora O
. O

Siniora O
, O
who O
heads O
a O
government O
backed O
by O
an O
anti O
- O
Syrian O
parliament O
majority O
elected O
in O
2005 B-T
, O
a B-T
day I-T
earlier I-T
vowed O
not O
to O
cave O
in O
to O
pressure O
from O
the O
opposition O
, O
which O
is O
made O
up O
of O
various O
factions O
including O
Shiites O
and O
Christians O
. O

In O
a O
capital O
which O
has O
been O
the O
scene O
of O
previous O
protests O
involving O
hundreds O
of O
thousands O
of O
pro O
- O
and O
anti O
- O
Syrian O
demonstrators O
, O
organizers O
called O
for O
" O
all O
Lebanese O
" O
to O
take O
part O
in O
the O
protest O
, O
to O
be O
followed O
by O
an O
open O
open O
- O
ended O
sit O
- O
in O
. O

" O
Out O
, O
out O
Siniora O
! O
" O
protesters O
shouted O
as O
the O
streets O
filled O
with O
people O
waving O
Lebanese O
flags O
and O
chanting O
patriotic O
slogans O
. O

" O
We O
have O
had O
enough O
ordeals O
and O
tears O
, O
" O
they O
chanted O
. O
" O
Siniora O
, O
out O
! O
We O
want O
a O
free O
government O
. O
We O
want O
a O
government O
that O
will O
feed O
our O
hunger O
. O
" O

Army O
troops O
and O
dozens O
of O
armored O
vehicles O
were O
heavily O
deployed O
around O
government O
offices O
in O
central O
Beirut O
and O
barbed O
wire O
reaching O
nearly O
two O
meters O
( O
seven O
feet O
) O
high O
encircled O
the O
premises O
. O

Earlier O
in O
the O
day O
, O
Druze O
chief O
and O
prominent O
anti O
- O
Syrian O
MP O
Walid O
Jumblatt O
denounced O
the O
impending O
protest O
and O
called O
for O
his O
supporters O
to O
stay O
calm O
. O

" O
This O
is O
an O
attempted O
coup O
but O
we O
will O
remain O
strong O
, O
" O
he O
told O
reporters O
. O

Organizers O
pledged O
that O
the O
event O
would O
be O
peaceful O
and O
Hezbollah O
deployed O
thousands O
of O
its O
own O
" O
discipline O
men O
" O
, O
who O
maintained O
tight O
crowd O
control O
and O
took O
up O
positions O
between O
army O
forces O
and O
protesters O
. O

The O
Lebanese O
military O
has O
instructions O
to O
maintain O
order O
and O
not O
take O
sides O
in O
the O
protest O
. O

" O
An O
attempt O
at O
a O
coup O
d O
' O
etat O
begins O
today B-T
" O
said O
the O
pro O
- O
government O
daily O
Al O
- O
Mustaqbal O
. O

The O
pro O
- O
Syrian O
Ad O
- O
Diyar O
proclaimed O
: O
" O
The O
moment O
of O
truth O
is O
upon O
us O
" O
. O

The O
planned O
demonstration O
is O
the O
latest O
by O
the O
opposition O
to O
push O
for O
a O
national O
unity O
government O
. O

As O
well O
as O
the O
Shiite O
Hezbollah O
, O
the O
opposition O
includes O
the O
Shiite O
Amal O
party O
of O
parliament O
speaker O
Nabih O
Berri O
, O
the O
Christian O
faction O
of O
former O
prime O
minister O
Michel O
Aoun O
and O
supporters O
of O
the O
Syrian O
- O
backed O
president O
. O

Hezbollah O
leader O
Hassan O
Nasrallah O
, O
whose O
political O
stock O
rose O
sharply O
after O
the O
resistance O
put O
up O
by O
his O
movement O
' O
s O
fighters O
to O
Israel O
' O
s O
devastating O
July O
- O
August O
offensive O
, O
has O
called O
for O
a O
massive O
turnout O
. O

" O
We O
appeal O
to O
all O
Lebanese O
, O
from O
every O
region O
and O
political O
movement O
, O
to O
take O
part O
in O
a O
peaceful O
and O
civilized O
demonstration O
on O
Friday B-T
to O
rid O
us O
of O
an O
incapable O
government O
that O
has O
failed O
in O
its O
mission O
, O
" O
he O
said O
in O
a O
television O
broadcast O
greeted O
with O
shots O
in O
the O
air O
in O
parts O
of O
the O
capital O
. O

Siniora O
also O
went O
on O
television O
to O
vow O
late O
on O
Thursday B-T
that O
his O
cabinet O
would O
not O
be O
cowed O
. O
It O
would O
fight O
the O
return O
of O
any O
foreign O
tutelage O
on O
the O
country O
, O
he O
said O
, O
in O
an O
apparent O
reference O
to O
Syria O
' O
s O
decades O
- O
long O
military O
domination O
which O
ended O
in O
April B-T
2005 I-T
. O

" O
The O
government O
of O
the O
independence O
. O
. O
. O
will O
continue O
to O
defend O
freedom O
and O
the O
democratic O
regime O
which O
are O
being O
targeted O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

" O
We O
will O
not O
allow O
any O
coup O
against O
our O
democratic O
regime O
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O

Tents O
, O
food O
, O
medical O
supplies O
and O
electrical O
generators O
were O
be O
distributed O
for O
the O
sit O
- O
in O
as O
many O
were O
expected O
to O
dig O
in O
for O
a O
long O
haul O
. O

" O
We O
cannot O
reveal O
details O
of O
what O
is O
going O
to O
happen O
next O
, O
" O
said O
one O
Hezbollah O
organizer O
, O
declining O
to O
be O
named O
. O

" O
All O
we O
can O
say O
is O
that O
there O
will O
be O
speeches O
. O
There O
will O
be O
a O
permanent O
sit O
- O
in O
afterward O
. O
Some O
people O
will O
start O
putting O
up O
tents O
on O
the O
two O
main O
squares O
. O
" O

Jumblatt O
said O
: O
" O
We O
will O
stay O
home O
, O
we O
will O
hang O
the O
Lebanese O
flags O
. O
. O
. O
and O
when O
they O
will O
decide O
to O
return O
to O
dialogue O
, O
we O
will O
welcome O
that O
, O
" O
Jumblatt O
said O
. O

Last B-T
year I-T
, O
a O
massive O
show O
of O
street O
power O
after O
the O
February B-T
assassination O
of O
five O
- O
time O
premier O
and O
Damascus O
critic O
Rafiq O
Hariri O
led O
to O
Syria O
withdrawing O
its O
troops O
from O
Lebanon O
. O

Lebanon O
' O
s O
feuding O
pro O
- O
and O
anti O
- O
Syrian O
factions O
have O
reached O
a O
dangerous O
deadlock O
that O
threatens O
to O
paralyze O
all O
state O
institutions O
. O
Tensions O
escalated O
after O
the O
street O
assassination O
last B-T
month I-T
of O
anti O
- O
Syrian O
industry O
minister O
Pierre O
Gemayel O
. O

The O
key O
pro O
- O
Syrian O
officials O
in O
Lebanon O
' O
s O
power O
- O
sharing O
regime O
- O
- O
the O
president O
and O
the O
parliament O
speaker O
- O
- O
do O
not O
recognize O
the O
rump O
anti O
- O
Damascus O
cabinet O
left O
after O
the O
pullout O
of O
six O
pro O
- O
Syrian O
ministers O
. O

President O
Lahoud O
told O
London O
' O
s O
Daily O
Telegraph O
in O
Friday B-T
' O
s O
edition O
that O
the O
government O
is O
" O
no O
longer O
legal O
" O
because O
it O
does O
not O
adequately O
represent O
the O
country O
' O
s O
religious O
make O
- O
up O
and O
said O
he O
was O
confident O
of O
a O
peaceful O
march O
. O

" O
The O
resistance O
( O
Hezbollah O
) O
is O
not O
going O
to O
shoot O
Lebanese O
people O
, O
and O
there O
will O
not O
be O
a O
civil O
war O
, O
" O
Lahoud O
said O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051111 O
. O
0065 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
11 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Shanghai O
stock O
index O
closed O
up O
- O
- O
Nov O
. O
11 O

The O
Composite O
Stock O
Index O
on O
the O
Shanghai O
Stock O
Exchange O
closed O
at O
1 O
, O
089 O
. O
42 O
points O
on O
Friday B-T
, O
up O
1 O
. O
12 O
points O
from O
the O
previous O
close O
. O

A O
Share O
Index O
: O
1 O
, O
145 O
. O
05 O
points O
, O
up O
1 O
. O
13 O
points O
; O

B O
Share O
Index O
: O
60 O
. O
86 O
points O
, O
up O
0 O
. O
30 O
points O
; O

Total O
Turnover O
: O
8 O
, O
182 O
, O
930 O
, O
000 O
yuan O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970408 O
. O
0178 O

TEHRAN O
, O
April B-T
8 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Mad O
cow O
wreaks O
havoc O
in O
Tehran O
neighboorhood O

A O
cow O
being O
slaughtered O
in O
front O
of O
a O
butcher O
shop O
in O
Tehran O
broke O
free O
and O
went O
on O
a O
rampage O
, O
damaging O
shops O
and O
injuring O
several O
people O
, O
before O
being O
shot O
dead O
by O
police O
, O
a O
newspaper O
reported O
Tuesday B-T
. O

The O
butcher O
had O
only O
made O
a O
small O
cut O
in O
the O
throat O
of O
the O
enormous O
cow O
, O
which O
was O
lying O
on O
the O
ground O
with O
its O
four O
legs O
tied O
up O
, O
before O
it O
managed O
to O
free O
itself O
, O
the O
daily O
Iran O
said O

The O
hysterical O
animal O
first O
attacked O
the O
butcher O
and O
then O
several O
shops O
and O
passers O
- O
by O
in O
the O
poor O
southern O
district O
of O
Yaftabad O
, O
the O
paper O
added O
. O

Panic O
- O
stricken O
residents O
sought O
help O
from O
the O
police O
, O
who O
after O
obtaining O
permission O
from O
a O
judge O
, O
shot O
the O
cow O
dead O
in O
a O
fruit O
and O
vegetable O
store O
. O

Several O
people O
suffered O
injuries O
and O
shops O
were O
damaged O
, O
the O
paper O
said O
. O

Although O
livestock O
are O
increasingly O
butchered O
in O
slaughterhouses O
in O
big O
cities O
, O
some O
people O
still O
prefer O
to O
do O
it O
themselves O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061124 O
. O
0042 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
24 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

cooperation O

A O
three O
- O
day O
symposium O
on O
Respecting O
and O
Promoting O
Human O
Rights O
and O
Constructing O
a O
Harmonious O
World O
ended O
on O
Friday B-T
with O
a O
wide O
- O
ranging O
consensus O
for O
more O
cooperation O
to O
develop O
human O
rights O
. O

More O
than O
70 O
delegates O
from O
19 O
countries O
submitted O
papers O
and O
delivered O
speeches O
covering O
almost O
every O
aspect O
of O
human O
rights O
, O
including O
basic O
concepts O
, O
national O
practices O
, O
individual O
freedoms O
, O
rights O
of O
different O
social O
groups O
, O
political O
rights O
and O
rights O
relevant O
to O
daily O
life O
. O

" O
The O
symposium O
set O
an O
example O
for O
exchanges O
and O
dialogue O
as O
delegates O
from O
different O
countries O
and O
cultures O
shared O
views O
with O
mutual O
respect O
, O
" O
said O
Jin O
Jian O
, O
vice O
- O
director O
of O
the O
China O
Society O
for O
Human O
Rights O
Studies O
. O

Jin O
said O
delegates O
to O
the O
Beijing O
event O
clarified O
standpoints O
of O
their O
respective O
countries O
. O
They O
all O
expressed O
the O
wish O
to O
safeguard O
and O
promote O
human O
rights O
by O
all O
countries O
and O
peoples O
. O

Delegates O
from O
China O
proposed O
the O
principle O
that O
the O
universal O
character O
of O
human O
rights O
must O
be O
implemented O
proceeding O
from O
the O
specific O
conditions O
of O
each O
country O
. O
The O
right O
to O
subsistence O
and O
development O
was O
the O
human O
right O
of O
paramount O
importance O
. O
All O
countries O
should O
promote O
dialogue O
and O
oppose O
antagonism O
. O

All O
delegates O
believed O
all O
people O
were O
entitled O
to O
human O
rights O
, O
irrespective O
of O
race O
, O
gender O
, O
religious O
belief O
and O
language O
. O
The O
elimination O
of O
poverty O
, O
and O
economic O
and O
social O
development O
were O
of O
special O
importance O
to O
the O
development O
of O
human O
rights O
. O

Jin O
said O
some O
countries O
promoted O
rights O
through O
their O
constitutions O
, O
some O
protected O
rights O
with O
the O
help O
of O
non O
- O
governmental O
organizations O
, O
and O
some O
promoted O
political O
democracy O
through O
eliminating O
illiteracy O
. O

Delegates O
hoped O
the O
United O
Nations O
Commission O
of O
Human O
Rights O
played O
a O
positive O
role O
in O
promoting O
international O
cooperation O
. O

Jin O
said O
the O
concept O
of O
a O
harmonious O
world O
was O
worthy O
of O
the O
joint O
efforts O
of O
all O
humanity O
. O
Insufficient O
respect O
and O
guarantees O
for O
human O
rights O
led O
to O
wars O
, O
increasing O
poverty O
, O
the O
widening O
of O
south O
- O
north O
disparities O
, O
terrorism O
, O
environmental O
degradation O
and O
other O
problems O
. O

Dong O
Yunhu O
, O
vice O
- O
director O
and O
general O
- O
secretary O
of O
the O
China O
Society O
for O
Human O
Rights O
Studies O
, O
said O
controversies O
were O
left O
unresolved O
after O
the O
meeting O
, O
and O
exchanges O
of O
different O
views O
would O
continue O
. O

" O
We O
all O
hoped O
that O
nations O
could O
strengthen O
international O
cooperation O
on O
both O
governmental O
and O
non O
- O
governmental O
levels O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970418 O
. O
0499 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
April B-T
18 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Lee O
wins O
assurance O
of O
Clinton O
support O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
handover O
by O
Gretchen O
Cook O

President O
Bill O
Clinton O
Friday B-T
assured O
Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
Democratic O
party O
leader O
Martin O
Lee O
that O
the O
United O
States O
will O
defend O
democratic O
freedoms O
in O
the O
territory O
once O
China O
takes O
it O
over O
. O

The O
president O
told O
Lee O
during O
their O
meeting O
that O
" O
there O
would O
be O
consequences O
if O
there O
are O
democratic O
erosions O
" O
after O
the O
July B-T
1 I-T
transition O
of O
the O
British O
colony O
to O
China O
rule O
, O
White O
House O
spokesman O
Michael O
McCurry O
said O
. O

Lee O
, O
Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
chief O
China O
critic O
, O
said O
Clinton O
gave O
him O
a O
warm O
reception O
despite O
a O
White O
House O
decision O
to O
downgrade O
the O
meeting O
to O
a O
" O
drop O
- O
by O
. O
" O

" O
I O
have O
no O
doubt O
at O
all O
after O
this O
meeting O
. O
. O
. O
that O
the O
US O
government O
will O
defend O
Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
freedoms O
, O
" O
Lee O
said O
following O
his O
25 O
- O
minute O
talks O
with O
Clinton O
and O
Vice O
President O
Al O
Gore O
. O

He O
said O
Clinton O
supported O
his O
view O
that O
the O
1984 O
Joint O
Declaration O
between O
Britain O
and O
China O
was O
an O
" O
international O
agreement O
, O
" O
a O
stand O
likely O
to O
irk O
China O
which O
insists O
it O
is O
a O
domestic O
matter O
that O
US O
leaders O
should O
stay O
out O
of O
. O

McCurry O
said O
Clinton O
also O
shared O
Lee O
' O
s O
concerns O
about O
the O
replacement O
of O
Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
elected O
legislature O
with O
a O
China O
- O
appointed O
body O
, O
calling O
it O
" O
contrary O
to O
the O
commitments O
" O
of O
the O
agreement O
on O
the O
transition O
. O

Lee O
said O
he O
asked O
Clinton O
to O
extend O
a O
White O
House O
invitation O
to O
Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
future O
leader O
, O
Tung O
Chee O
- O
hwa O
, O
which O
McCurry O
said O
was O
under O
consideration O
. O

Tung O
on O
Wednesday B-T
cancelled O
a O
US O
visit O
reportedly O
to O
avoid O
embarrassment O
should O
he O
be O
denied O
a O
White O
House O
meeting O
. O

Friday B-T
' O
s O
talks O
were O
specially O
choreographed O
to O
minimize O
tensions O
with O
China O
, O
with O
an O
official O
meeting O
between O
Gore O
and O
Lee O
which O
Clinton O
dropped O
in O
on O
while O
it O
was O
" O
in O
progress O
. O
" O

Tung O
had O
warned O
Lee O
Friday B-T
to O
be O
careful O
during O
his O
own O
trip O
to O
Washington O
, O
saying O
" O
please O
bear O
in O
mind O
that O
whatever O
he O
says O
it O
will O
be O
carefully O
read O
and O
interpreted O
. O
The O
worst O
thing O
is O
, O
at O
this O
juncture O
, O
to O
give O
people O
in O
the O
United O
States O
a O
wrong O
impression O
. O
" O

Lee O
said O
he O
also O
urged O
Clinton O
to O
extend O
China O
' O
s O
Most O
Favored O
Nation O
trade O
status O
again O
this B-T
year I-T
, O
saying O
that O
revoking O
the O
benefits O
would O
hurt O
Hong O
Kong O
the O
more O
than O
Beijing O
. O

Though O
the O
US O
administration O
has O
been O
issuing O
daily O
warnings O
about O
preserving O
democracy O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
, O
it O
has O
not O
threatened O
any O
concrete O
measures O
should O
China O
go O
ahead O
with O
plans O
to O
crack O
down O
on O
freedoms O
of O
expression O
and O
assembly O
. O

McCurry O
acknowledged O
the O
US O
threats O
were O
mostly O
lip O
service O
but O
defended O
the O
method O
. O

" O
A O
large O
measure O
of O
it O
is O
just O
jawboning O
but O
that O
' O
s O
important O
to O
the O
Chinese O
leadership O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

He O
pointed O
to O
this B-T
week I-T
' O
s O
mammoth O
effort O
by O
Beijing O
to O
block O
a O
UN O
resolution O
on O
condemning O
China O
' O
s O
human O
rights O
record O
, O
saying O
: O
" O
They O
clearly O
are O
sensitive O
to O
those O
in O
the O
international O
community O
who O
raised O
concerns O
. O
" O

As O
part O
of O
the O
US O
vigilance O
over O
the O
handover O
, O
Secretary O
of O
State O
Madeleine O
Albright O
will O
attend O
the O
ceremony O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
, O
where O
there O
are O
40 O
, O
000 O
American O
citizens O
and O
some O
13 O
billion O
dollars O
in O
investments O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970402 O
. O
0427 O

TIRANA O
, O
April B-T
2 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Albania O
, O
Italy O
agree O
on O
need O
for O
speedy O
deployment O
of O
force O

Albania O
and O
Italy O
agreed O
Wednesday B-T
on O
the O
need O
for O
the O
speedy O
deployment O
of O
an O
Italian O
- O
led O
force O
here O
, O
patching O
up O
their O
differences O
over O
a O
boat O
disaster O
in O
which O
dozens O
of O
Albanian O
refugees O
drowned O
. O

Italian O
Prime O
Minister O
Romano O
Prodi O
flew O
into O
southern O
Albania O
for O
talks O
with O
his O
Albanian O
counterpart O
Bashkim O
Fino O
. O

Fino O
said O
Albania O
wanted O
the O
proposed O
5 O
, O
000 O
- O
strong O
Italian O
- O
led O
international O
force O
to O
be O
sent O
immediately O
. O

" O
Albania O
is O
ready O
( O
for O
the O
force O
) O
, O
the O
other O
countries O
are O
ready O
, O
we O
must O
not O
waste O
any O
more O
time O
. O
Each O
day O
lost O
damages O
Albania O
, O
" O
he O
told O
reporters O
, O
after O
the O
meeting O
. O

Franz O
Vranitzky O
, O
the O
former O
Austrian O
chancellor O
heading O
the O
OSCE O
mission O
to O
Albania O
, O
told O
journalists O
that O
" O
the O
United O
Nations O
have O
given O
us O
three B-T
months I-T
, O
" O
adding O
that O
the O
soldiers O
should O
be O
on O
the O
ground O
" O
in O
the O
space O
of O
10 B-T
or I-T
14 I-T
days O
. O
" O

The O
force O
' O
s O
mission O
, O
approved O
by O
the O
UN O
Security O
Council O
March B-T
28 I-T
, O
involves O
securing O
roads O
, O
junctions O
, O
warehouses O
and O
aid O
depots O
, O
as O
well O
as O
in O
distributing O
the O
aid O
. O

Albania O
' O
s O
deputy O
defence O
minister O
, O
Alfred O
Moisiu O
, O
told O
AFP O
Tirana O
itself O
would O
set O
up O
a O
volunteer O
force O
of O
3 O
, O
000 O
" O
well O
armed O
" O
and O
" O
well O
paid O
" O
soldiers O
to O
support O
the O
international O
force O
. O

Prodi O
said O
he O
had O
asked O
Fino O
to O
confirm O
that O
" O
the O
Albanian O
government O
still O
wanted O
the O
international O
operation O
to O
start O
as O
soon O
as O
possible O
. O
The O
prime O
minister O
assured O
me O
that O
that O
was O
what O
the O
government O
wanted O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

After O
their O
meeting O
, O
Fino O
went O
on O
to O
Athens O
for O
talks O
with O
Greek O
and O
other O
European O
officials O
. O

The O
meeting O
seemed O
to O
clear O
the O
air O
clouded O
by O
the O
disaster O
Friday B-T
in O
which O
more O
than O
80 O
Albanian O
refugees O
were O
believed O
killed O
in O
the O
sinking O
of O
an O
Albanian O
boat O
which O
collided O
with O
an O
Italian O
navy O
vessel O
. O

Albanian O
anger O
at O
the O
drownings O
had O
raised O
doubts O
about O
whether O
Italian O
troops O
will O
be O
sent O
to O
southern O
Albania O
and O
military O
sources O
in O
Rome O
said O
Tuesday B-T
they O
believed O
Italian O
troops O
would O
not O
go O
to O
the O
south O
of O
the O
country O
. O

That O
seemed O
less O
certain O
however O
Wednesday B-T
as O
pressure O
mounted O
to O
get O
the O
mission O
on O
the O
ground O
quickly O
. O

" O
It O
has O
to O
be O
done O
quickly O
, O
" O
said O
Vranitzky O
, O
head O
of O
the O
Organization O
of O
Security O
and O
Cooperation O
in O
Europe O
humanitarian O
mission O
to O
Albania O
, O
after O
talks O
in O
Rome O
with O
Italian O
Foreign O
Minister O
Lamberto O
Dini O
. O

Vranitzky O
also O
told O
journalists O
" O
we O
have O
a O
chance O
to O
avoid O
" O
the O
errors O
committed O
in O
the O
former O
Yugoslavia O
, O
where O
there O
was O
an O
initial O
lack O
of O
international O
coordination O
. O

" O
Albania O
has O
need O
of O
aid O
, O
of O
restoring O
public O
order O
, O
of O
economic O
reconstruction O
and O
in O
restoring O
confidence O
in O
its O
political O
system O
, O
" O
Vranitzky O
said O
. O

Dini O
said O
the O
force O
' O
s O
deployment O
, O
which O
" O
not O
yet O
been O
decided O
, O
will O
be O
decided O
in O
common O
. O
" O

The O
comments O
came O
before O
a O
meeting O
in O
Rome O
of O
the O
countries O
which O
will O
supply O
the O
force O
' O
s O
troops O
, O
whose O
mission O
is O
to O
protect O
humanitarian O
aid O
channels O
in O
the O
chaos O
- O
worn O
country O
. O

In O
Brussels O
, O
EU O
Humanitarian O
Aid O
Commissioner O
Emma O
Bonino O
added O
to O
the O
calls O
with O
a O
warning O
that O
food O
supplies O
in O
Albania O
had O
reached O
alarming O
levels O
. O

" O
There O
is O
no O
famine O
yet O
but O
we O
are O
concerned O
that O
stocks O
have O
been O
reduced O
below O
safety O
levels O
, O
" O
she O
told O
the O
European O
Parliament O
' O
s O
foreign O
affairs O
committee O
. O

Bonino O
said O
EU O
food O
and O
medical O
aid O
could O
be O
sent O
to O
Albania O
quickly O
using O
logistical O
structures O
established O
in O
the O
former O
Yugoslavia O
. O
" O
But O
only O
if O
we O
can O
solve O
the O
protection O
problem O
. O
" O

The O
proposed O
international O
force O
' O
s O
role O
would O
be O
strictly O
confined O
to O
protecting O
the O
humanitarian O
convoys O
, O
Bonino O
noted O
. O
" O
There O
is O
no O
mandate O
for O
disarming O
rebels O
or O
anything O
else O
of O
that O
nature O
, O
" O
she O
said O
. O

Italy O
is O
expected O
to O
provide O
some O
2 O
, O
000 O
soldiers O
; O
France O
said O
Tuesday B-T
it O
was O
sending O
1 O
, O
000 O
; O
Greece O
has O
promised O
up O
to O
700 O
troops O
; O
Turkey O
, O
500 O
; O
Romania O
, O
400 O
. O
Hungary O
ruled O
out O
sending O
troops O
while O
Spain O
and O
Portugal O
are O
still O
considering O
their O
contribution O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051119 O
. O
0088 O

LUSAKA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
19 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Zambian O
gov O
' O
t O
projects O
2006 O
budget O

The O
Zambian O
government O
has O
proposed O
10 O
, O
133 O
billion O
kwacha O
( O
about O
2 O
. O
5 O
billion O
US O
dollars O
) O
for O
the O
2006 O
national O
budget O
, O
Saturday O
' O
s O
The O
Post O
reported O
. O

The O
newspaper O
cited O
the O
green O
paper O
on O
the O
2006 O
- O
2008 O
Medium O
Term O
Expenditure O
Framework O
as O
saying O
that O
total O
revenue O
and O
grants O
next B-T
year I-T
are O
projected O
to O
be O
9 O
, O
084 O
billion O
kwacha O
( O
or O
2 O
. O
3 O
billion O
dollars O
) O
. O

" O
Thus O
from O
the O
projected O
total O
revenues O
and O
the O
proposed O
expenditures O
for O
the O
period O
2006 B-T
- I-T
2008 I-T
, O
the O
overall O
financing O
requirement O
is O
estimated O
to O
stand O
at O
1 O
, O
049 O
billion O
kwacha O
( O
about O
262 O
million O
dollars O
) O
in O
2006 B-T
or O
2 O
. O
9 O
percent O
of O
Gross O
Domestic O
Product O
( O
GDP O
) O
, O
" O
said O
Secretary O
to O
Treasury O
Situmbeko O
Musokotwane O
. O

The O
2006 O
budget O
represents O
an O
increase O
of O
776 O
billion O
kwacha O
( O
about O
194 O
million O
dollars O
) O
from O
the O
2005 O
budget O
which O
stood O
at O
9 O
, O
357 O
billion O
kwacha O
( O
2 O
. O
3 O
billion O
dollars O
) O
. O

Musokotwane O
projected O
that O
between O
2006 B-T
and O
2008 B-T
the O
government O
anticipated O
external O
financing O
for O
capital O
projects O
to O
reduce O
steadily O
. O

" O
Approximately O
an O
average O
of O
68 O
. O
6 O
percent O
of O
the O
capital O
expenditures O
will O
be O
financed O
from O
external O
resources O
compared O
to O
the O
85 O
percent O
in O
2005 B-T
- I-T
2007 I-T
period I-T
, O
" O
Musokotwane O
stated O
. O

" O
In O
2006 B-T
, O
the O
government O
proposes O
to O
spend O
42 O
percent O
of O
the O
projected O
total O
expenditure O
on O
general O
public O
services O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

General O
public O
services O
include O
functions O
such O
as O
administration O
and O
operation O
of O
or O
support O
to O
the O
executive O
and O
legislative O
arms O
of O
government O
, O
administration O
of O
financial O
and O
fiscal O
affairs O
and O
services O
. O

He O
further O
said O
the O
government O
has O
projected O
to O
spend O
7 O
. O
8 O
percent O
of O
the O
total O
expenditures O
in O
2006 B-T
on O
defense O
. O

Health O
is O
anticipated O
to O
take O
up O
7 O
. O
6 O
percent O
of O
the O
total O
expenditure O
in O
2006 B-T
while O
education O
will O
consume O
15 O
. O
1 O
percent O
, O
according O
to O
Musokotwane O
. O

Also O
in O
the O
2006 O
- O
2008 O
Expenditure O
Framework O
, O
the O
Zambian O
government O
further O
proposed O
a O
budget O
of O
10 O
, O
459 O
billion O
kwacha O
( O
2 O
. O
6 O
billion O
dollars O
) O
for O
the B-T
year I-T
2007 I-T
and O
11 O
, O
153 O
billion O
kwacha O
( O
2 O
. O
8 O
billion O
dollars O
) O
for O
2008 O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061103 O
. O
0230 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
3 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

41 O
African O
leaders O
arrive O
for O
Beijing O
Summit O

With O
the O
touchdown O
of O
the O
airplane O
taken O
by O
Zimbabwean O
President O
Robert O
Gabriel O
Mugabe O
at O
Beijing O
airport O
on O
Friday B-T
evening I-T
, O
47 O
delegations O
of O
the O
48 O
African O
countries O
, O
including O
41 O
heads O
of O
state O
or O
government O
, O
have O
arrived O
for O
a O
landmark O
China O
- O
Africa O
summit O
due O
to O
open O
Saturday B-T
. O

Also O
arriving O
on O
Friday B-T
were O
leaders O
from O
16 O
African O
nations O
. O
Representatives O
from O
international O
organizations O
, O
including O
the O
African O
Union O
and O
the O
United O
Nations O
, O
have O
also O
arrived O
. O

The O
last O
delegation O
headed O
by O
Eritrean O
President O
Isaias O
Afwerki O
is O
expected O
to O
arrive O
early O
Saturday B-T
morning I-T
. O

The O
two O
- O
day O
Beijing O
Summit O
of O
Forum O
on O
China O
- O
Africa O
Cooperation O
, O
the O
grandest O
diplomatic O
event O
since O
1950s O
, O
will O
highlight O
" O
friendship O
, O
peace O
, O
cooperation O
, O
and O
development O
" O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051128 O
. O
0170 O

MANILA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
28 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Philippines O
enjoys O
early O
lead O
in O
23rd O
SEA O
Games O
( O
updated O
) O

The O
host O
Philippines O
enjoyed O
early O
lead O
in O
the O
medal O
standings O
with O
12 O
golds O
, O
eight O
silvers O
and O
12 O
bronzes O
for O
a O
total O
of O
32 O
medals O
as O
the O
23rd O
Southeast O
Asian O
Games O
( O
SEA O
Games O
) O
went O
into O
its O
second B-T
day I-T
. O

Mercedita O
Manipol O
gave O
the O
Philippine O
team O
its O
first O
gold O
medal O
of O
Monday B-T
, O
also O
the O
sixth O
gold O
since O
the O
start O
of O
the O
games O
, O
when O
she O
outlasted O
her O
rivals O
in O
the O
10 O
, O
000 O
meters O
athletics O
event O
. O
She O
finished O
in O
35 B-T
minutes I-T
and I-T
38 I-T
seconds I-T
, O
followed O
by O
her O
rivals O
from O
Myanmar O
and O
Vietnam O
. O
Thailand O
won O
the O
men O
' O
s O
10 O
, O
000 O
meters O
event O
. O

Local O
wushu O
bet O
Pedro O
Quina O
took O
another O
gold O
for O
the O
Philippine O
team O
by O
winning O
the O
Nanquan O
category O
in O
Wushu O
- O
Taolu O
event O
. O
He O
also O
beat O
rivals O
from O
Malaysia O
and O
Indonesia O
to O
get O
the O
coveted O
gold O
medal O
in O
the O
sword O
- O
wielding O
event O
. O

Quina O
' O
s O
victory O
came O
after O
Filipino O
karateka O
Gretchen O
Malalad O
defeated O
her O
Malaysian O
opponent O
to O
win O
a O
gold O
medal O
at O
the O
individual O
60 O
kg O
women O
' O
s O
kumite O
event O
. O

The O
Philippines O
on O
Monday B-T
defeated O
defending O
champion O
Thailand O
in O
the O
snooker O
team O
event O
. O
They O
upped O
the O
country O
' O
s O
gold O
medal O
tally O
to O
nine O
. O

Vietnam O
' O
s O
players O
got O
a O
sweeping O
victories O
at O
the O
track O
and O
field O
venue O
in O
the B-T
afternoon I-T
. O
Vu O
Thi O
Hung O
walked O
away O
with O
the O
gold O
medal O
in O
the O
women O
' O
s O
100 O
meter O
dash O
by O
clocking O
11 O
. O
61 O
seconds O
. O
They O
also O
won O
the O
gold O
and O
the O
silver O
in O
the O
men O
' O
s O
high O
jump O
. O

Bonban O
Pamang O
from O
Thailand O
won O
the O
gold O
in O
women O
' O
s O
javelin O
throw O
by O
setting O
a O
new O
SEA O
Games O
record O
at O
55 O
. O
6 O
meters O
. O
Singapore O
secured O
the O
bronze O
medal O
for O
the O
event O
. O

Suryo O
Agung O
Wibowo O
of O
Indonesia O
claimed O
the O
title O
in O
the O
men O
' O
s O
100 O
meter O
dash O
with O
a O
winning O
clocking O
of O
10 O
. O
57s O
. O

Malaysia O
secured O
the O
victory O
in O
the O
men O
' O
s O
110 O
meters O
hurdles O
at O
a B-T
time I-T
of I-T
14 I-T
. I-T
08s I-T
. O

Philippine O
President O
Gloria O
Macapagal O
Arroyo O
surprisingly O
arrived O
at O
the O
Rizal O
Memorial O
Sports O
Complex O
where O
the O
track O
- O
and O
- O
field O
competitions O
were O
held O
at O
about O
5 O
: O
00 O
p O
. O
m O
local O
time O
. O
Accompanied O
by O
mayor O
of O
Manila O
, O
she O
watched O
the O
final O
of O
the O
men O
' O
s O
3 O
, O
000 O
meters O
steeplechase O
. O
She O
was O
photographed O
together O
with O
the O
Philippine O
medal O
winners O
. O

According O
to O
the O
website O
of O
the O
23rd O
SEA O
Games O
as O
of O
5 B-T
: I-T
00 I-T
p I-T
. I-T
m I-T
. I-T
, O
Vietnam O
surpassed O
Malaysia O
with O
10 O
golds O
, O
five O
silvers O
and O
10 O
bronzes O
for O
a O
total O
of O
25 O
medals O
. O
Malaysia O
is O
third O
in O
the O
medal O
tally O
. O

PRI19980115 B-T
. O
2000 O
. O
0186 O

NEWS O
STORY O

Former B-T
savings O
and O
loan O
chief O
, O
Charles O
Keating O
, O
is O
facing O
more O
legal O

troubles O
in O
California O
. O

A O
federal O
appeals O
court O
has O
reinstated O
his O
state O
convictions O

for O
securities O
fraud O
. O

NPR O
' O
s O
Elaine O
Corey O
has O
more O
from O
San O
Francisco O
. O

In O
nineteen B-T
ninety I-T
- I-T
one I-T
Charles O
Keating O
was O
convicted O
in O
state O
court O
of O

helping O
to O
defraud O
thousands O
of O
investors O
who O
bought O
high O
risk O

junk O
bonds O
sold O
by O
Keating O
' O
s O
employees O
at O
Lincoln O
savings O
and O

loan O
. O

The O
bonds O
became O
worthless O
when O
the O
bankrupt O
thrift O
was O
seized O

by O
government O
regulators O
. O

Keating O
' O
s O
convictions O
were O
thrown O
out O
in O
nineteen B-T
ninety I-T
- I-T
six I-T
on O
a O

technicality O
. O

And O
on O
that O
basis O
Keating O
was O
released O
from O
prison O
before O
he O

was O
eligible O
for O
parole O
. O

Now B-T
the O
ninth O
US O
circuit O
court O
of O
appeals O
has O
ruled O
that O

the O
original O
appeal O
was O
flawed O
since O
it O
brought O
up O
issues O
that O

had O
not O
been O
raised O
before O
. O

That O
means O
the O
convictions O
stand O
, O
a O
ruling O
likely O
to O
send O

Keating O
' O
s O
lawyers O
back O
to O
state O
court O
where O
they O
must O
start O
over O
with O
a O
new O
appeal O
. O

Elaine O
Corey O
, O
NPR O
news O
, O
San O
Francisco O
. O

AP900815 O
- O
0044 O

AP O
- O
NR O
- O
08 B-T
- I-T
15 I-T
- I-T
90 I-T
1337EDT I-T

u O
i O
PM O
- O
GulfRdp O
8thLd O
- O
Writethru O
08 O
- O
15 O
1334 O

PM O
- O
Gulf O
Rdp O
, O
8th O
Ld O
- O
Writethru O
, O
a0605 O
, O
1368 O

Saddam O
Seeks O
End O
To O
War O
With O
Iran O
; O
Bush O
To O
Urge O
Jordan O
To O
Close O

Port O

Eds O
: O
SUBS O
28th O
graf O
pvs O
, O
Crown O
Prince O
. O
. O
. O
to O
CORRECT O
spelling O
of O

Hassan O
; O
pick O
up O
29th O
graf O
pvs O
, O
` O
A O
CBS O
. O
. O
. O
' O

LaserPhotos O
WX6 O
, O
7 O
, O
XSAV1 O
, O
NY5 O
, O
10 O
, O
TOK1 O
, O
XAAFB1 O
, O
AMM1 O
, O
LaserColor O
XAAFB1 O

By O
CHRISTOPHER O
BURNS O

Associated O
Press O
Writer O

Iraq O
' O
s O
Saddam O
Hussein O
, O
facing O
U O
. O
S O
. O
and O
Arab O
troops O
at O
the O
Saudi O

border O
, O
today B-T
sought O
peace O
on O
another O
front O
by O
promising O
to O

withdraw O
from O
Iranian O
territory O
and O
release O
soldiers O
captured O

during O
the O
Iran O
- O
Iraq O
war O
. O

Also O
today B-T
, O
King O
Hussein O
of O
Jordan O
arrived O
in O
Washington O
seeking O

to O
mediate O
the O
Persian O
Gulf O
crisis O
. O
President O
Bush O
on O
Tuesday B-T
said O

the O
United O
States O
may O
extend O
its O
naval O
quarantine O
to O
Jordan O
' O
s O
Red O

Sea O
port O
of O
Aqaba O
to O
shut O
off O
Iraq O
' O
s O
last O
unhindered O
trade O
route O
. O

In O
another O
mediation O
effort O
, O
the O
Soviet O
Union O
said O
today B-T
it O
had O

sent O
an O
envoy O
to O
the O
Middle O
East O
on O
a O
series O
of O
stops O
to O
include O

Baghdad O
. O
Soviet O
officials O
also O
said O
Soviet O
women O
, O
children O
and O

invalids O
would O
be O
allowed O
to O
leave O
Iraq O
. O

President O
Bush O
today B-T
denounced O
Saddam O
' O
s O
` O
` O
ruinous O
policies O
of O

war O
, O
' O
' O
and O
said O
the O
United O
States O
is O
` O
` O
striking O
a O
blow O
for O
the O

principle O
that O
might O
does O
not O
make O
right O
. O
' O
' O

In O
a O
speech O
delivered O
at O
the O
Pentagon O
, O
Bush O
seemed O
to O
suggest O

that O
American O
forces O
could O
be O
in O
the O
gulf O
region O
for O
some B-T
time I-T
. O

` O
` O
No O
one O
should O
doubt O
our O
staying O
power O
or O
determination O
, O
' O
' O
he O
said O
. O

The O
U O
. O
S O
. O
military O
buildup O
in O
Saudi O
Arabia O
continued O
at O
fever O

pace O
, O
with O
Syrian O
troops O
now B-T
part O
of O
a O
multinational O
force O
camped O

out O
in O
the O
desert O
to O
guard O
the O
Saudi O
kingdom O
from O
any O
new O
thrust O
by O

Iraq O
. O

In O
a O
letter O
to O
President O
Hashemi O
Rafsanjani O
of O
Iran O
, O
read O
by O
a O

broadcaster O
over O
Baghdad O
radio O
, O
Saddam O
said O
he O
will O
begin O

withdrawing O
troops O
from O
Iranian O
territory O
on O
Friday B-T
and O
release O

Iranian O
prisoners O
of O
war O
. O

Iran O
said O
an O
Iraqi O
diplomatic O
delegation O
was O
en O
route O
to O
Tehran O

to O
deliver O
Saddam O
' O
s O
message O
, O
which O
it O
said O
it O
would O
review O
` O
` O
with O

optimism O
. O
' O
' O

Saddam O
appeared O
to O
accept O
a O
border O
demarcation O
treaty O
he O
had O

rejected O
in O
peace O
talks O
following O
the O
August B-T
1988 I-T
cease O
- O
fire O
of O
the O

eight B-T
- I-T
year I-T
war O
with O
Iran O
. O

The O
move O
seemed O
aimed O
at O
heading O
off O
more O
trouble O
with O
Iran O
, O

which O
had O
condemned O
Iraq O
' O
s O
invasion O
of O
Kuwait O
on O
Aug B-T
. I-T
2 I-T
but O
also O

criticized O
the O
multinational O
force O
dispatched O
to O
Saudi O
Arabia O
. O

Saddam O
said O
he O
sought O
to O
` O
` O
turn O
the O
gulf O
into O
a O
lake O
of O
peace O

free O
of O
foreign O
fleets O
and O
forces O
that O
harbor O
ill O
intentions O

against O
us O
. O
' O
' O

In O
other O
developments O
: O

_The O
Pentagon O
said O
that O
Defense O
Secretary O
Dick O
Cheney O
is O

considering O
urging O
Bush O
to O
order O
a O
national O
callup O
of O
armed O
forces O

reserves O
for O
active O
duty O
because O
of O
the O
drain O
on O
units O
sending O

soldiers O
abroad O
. O
Bush O
can O
call O
up O
to O
200 O
, O
000 O
reservists O
for O
up B-T
to I-T

180 B-T
days I-T
without O
seeking O
congressional O
approval O
. O

_Soviet O
Foreign O
Ministry O
spokesman O
Yuri O
Gremitskikh O
said O
special O

ambassador O
Mikhail O
Sytenko O
left O
Tuesday B-T
for O
consultations O
with O
the O

governments O
of O
Syria O
, O
Jordan O
, O
Egypt O
and O
other O
Arab O
countries O
. O

Sytenko O
, O
a O
former O
deputy O
secretary O
- O
general O
of O
the O
United O
Nations O
, O

is O
also O
expected O
to O
visit O
Baghdad O
, O
Gremitskikh O
said O
at O
a O
regular O

news O
briefing O
today B-T
. O

_The O
outlook O
darkened O
for O
about O
3 O
, O
000 O
Americans O
caught O
in O
Iraq O

and O
Kuwait O
when O
Saddam O
sent O
his O
forces O
into O
the O
small O
, O
oil O
- O
rich O

sultanate O
. O

The O
Iraqi O
ambassador O
to O
Greece O
said O
in O
Athens O
the O
Americans O
and O

other O
stranded O
foreigners O
could O
leave O
` O
` O
as O
soon O
as O
the O
threats O
from O

the O
United O
States O
and O
its O
allies O
are O
eliminated O
. O
' O
' O
ABC O
quoted O
an O

Iraqi O
Foreign O
Ministry O
official O
in O
Baghdad O
as O
saying O
Americans O
in O

Iraq O
are O
` O
` O
restrictees O
' O
' O
who O
will O
stay O
there O
until O
the O
crisis O
ends O
. O

_The O
Soviet O
Foreign O
Ministry O
said O
Soviet O
women O
, O
children O
and O

invalids O
would O
be O
permitted O
to O
leave O
Iraq O
. O
Spokesman O
Yuri O

Gremitskikh O
said O
the O
first O
group O
of O
230 O
evacuees O
was O
assembling O
in O

Baghdad O
today B-T
, O
but O
evacuation O
plans O
were O
hampered O
by O
desert O
heat O

and O
lack O
of O
transportation O
. O

Nearly O
9 O
, O
000 O
Soviets O
were O
among O
the O
hundreds O
of O
thousands O
of O

foreigners O
trapped O
in O
Iraq O
and O
Kuwait O
. O
Iraq O
has O
agreed O
to O
allow O
all O

880 O
Soviets O
in O
Kuwait O
to O
leave O
, O
but O
only O
by O
a O
1 O
, O
200 O
- O
mile O
road O
route O

through O
Iraq O
and O
to O
the O
Iraq O
- O
Jordan O
border O
. O

_The O
British O
Foreign O
Office O
said O
today B-T
conditions O
in O
Kuwait O

appear O
to O
be O
deteriorating O
. O
There O
have O
been O
reports O
of O
wholesale O

looting O
but O
food O
and O
gasoline O
were O
still O
available O
, O
said O
a O

spokesman O
, O
who O
by O
custom O
was O
not O
identified O
. O
Banks O
remained O
closed O
. O

_The O
Iraqi O
ambassador O
to O
Venezuela O
said O
on O
Tuesday B-T
that O
Iraq O

would O
retaliate O
against O
Venezuela O
and O
other O
OPEC O
oil O
cartel O
members O

if O
they O
boost O
oil O
production O
to O
fill O
the O
gap O
created O
by O
blocked O

supplies O
from O
Iraq O
and O
Kuwait O
. O
With O
Kuwait O
now B-T
` O
` O
annexed O
, O
' O
' O
Iraq O

has O
control O
of O
20 O
percent O
of O
the O
world O
' O
s O
oil O
reserves O
. O
A O
steep O
rise O

in O
world O
oil O
prices O
followed O
the O
Kuwait O
invasion O
. O

The O
U O
. O
N O
. O
Security O
Council O
on O
Aug B-T
. I-T
6 I-T
ordered O
a O
global O
embargo O
on O

trade O
with O
Iraq O
as O
punishment O
for O
seizing O
Kuwait O
. O
Bush O
then O
sent O

U O
. O
S O
. O
troops O
and O
planes O
to O
Saudi O
Arabia O
, O
saying O
Iraqi O
troops O
massed O

nearby O
in O
Kuwait O
threatened O
Saudi O
Arabia O
and O
its O
vast O
oil O
reserves O
. O

Twelve O
Arab O
League O
nations O
voted O
for O
an O
Arab O
force O
to O
protect O

Saudi O
Arabia O
, O
with O
the O
vanguard O
of O
Syria O
' O
s O
contingent O
arriving O

Tuesday B-T
, O
according O
to O
diplomatic O
sources O
in O
Riyadh O
, O
the O
Saudi O

capital O
. O

Egyptian O
and O
Moroccan O
troops O
are O
already O
there O
. O

The O
predominantly O
Moslem O
nation O
of O
Bangladesh O
said O
today B-T
its O

troops O
would O
join O
multinational O
forces O
in O
Saudi O
Arabia O
. O
The O
size O
of O

the O
contingent O
was O
not O
disclosed O
. O

Turkey O
and O
Saudi O
Arabia O
in O
effect O
shut O
down O
Iraq O
' O
s O
major O
oil O

outlets O
through O
those O
countries O
, O
but O
according O
to O
Jordanian O

officials O
, O
a O
smaller O
line O
into O
Jordan O
remained O
operating O
. O

Truckloads O
of O
goods O
rolled O
into O
Iraq O
from O
Jordan O
on O
Tuesday B-T
and O

Iraqi O
- O
bound O
cargo O
was O
unloaded O
from O
ships O
at O
the O
Red O
Sea O
port O

ofAqaba O
despite O
the O
U O
. O
N O
. O
- O
ordered O
sanctions O
. O

King O
Hussein O
was O
reportedly O
carrying O
a O
message O
to O
Bush O
from O

Iraq O
' O
s O
Saddam O
, O
with O
whom O
the O
king O
met O
Monday B-T
. O
The O
monarch O
will O
meet O

Bush O
on O
Thursday B-T
in O
Kennebunkport O
, O
Maine O
. O

Crown O
Prince O
Hassan O
, O
King O
Hussein O
' O
s O
brother O
and O
political O

adviser O
, O
was O
asked O
today B-T
about O
the O
message O
the O
king O
was O
said O
to O
be O

carrying O
. O
In O
an O
interview O
from O
Jordan O
on O
ABC O
, O
he O
declined O
to O

discuss O
details O
, O
but O
said O
: O
` O
` O
I O
don O
' O
t O
think O
that O
his O
majesty O
would O

be O
traveling O
at O
this B-T
crucial I-T
moment I-T
if O
the O
Iraqi O
leadership O
did O
not O

have O
a O
rational O
approach O
to O
the O
future O
. O
' O
' O

A O
CBS O
News O
report O
citing O
unidentified O
Jordanian O
sources O
said O

that O
Saddam O
' O
s O
message O
called O
for O
an O
international O
conference O
to O
be O

convened O
to O
discuss O
an O
Iraqi O
withdrawal O
from O
Kuwait O
. O
In O
exchange O
, O

the O
buildup O
of O
U O
. O
S O
. O
forces O
in O
the O
region O
would O
halt O
. O
Bush O
, O
however O
, O

says O
he O
sees O
no O
short O
- O
term O
hope O
for O
a O
diplomatic O
solution O
to O
the O

gulf O
crisis O
_ O
at O
least O
until O
economic O
sanctions O
force O
Saddam O
to O

withdraw O
his O
army O
. O

Bush O
held O
out O
the O
prospect O
of O
more O
aid O
to O
Jordan O
if O
it O

cooperates O
with O
the O
trade O
embargo O
. O

On O
Tuesday B-T
, O
the O
United O
States O
and O
Soviet O
Union O
conferred O
in O

Washington O
on O
putting O
an O
anti O
- O
Iraq O
naval O
blockade O
under O
a O
United O

Nations O
umbrella O
. O

The O
United O
States O
has O
provided O
most O
of O
the O
naval O
vessels O
so O
far O

to O
block O
Iraqi O
trade O
, O
with O
Britain O
, O
West O
Germany O
and O
Australia O

among O
the O
other O
nations O
lending O
support O
at O
sea O
. O

The O
embargo O
is O
meant O
to O
cripple O
Iraq O
by O
cutting O
off O
its O
exports O

of O
oil O
and O
imports O
of O
food O
and O
military O
supplies O
. O
Iraq O
imports O

about O
three O
- O
quarters O
of O
its O
foodstuffs O
. O

U O
. O
S O
. O
allies O
and O
other O
U O
. O
N O
. O
members O
have O
objected O
that O
the O

Security O
Council O
embargo O
resolution O
did O
not O
specifically O
authorize O

such O
a O
naval O
operation O
. O

Bush O
told O
a O
news O
conference O
on O
Tuesday B-T
that O
the O
naval O
barricade O

now B-T
in O
force O
might O
be O
extended O
to O
Jordan O
' O
s O
Aqaba O
` O
` O
if O
it O
is O
a O
hole O

through O
which O
commerce O
flows O
' O
' O
in O
and O
out O
of O
Iraq O
. O

In O
Saudi O
Arabia O
, O
today B-T
is O
the O
eighth B-T
day I-T
of O
` O
` O
Desert O
Shield O
, O
' O
' O

the O
operation O
designed O
to O
confront O
an O
estimated O
200 O
, O
000 O
Iraqi O

soldiers O
now B-T
in O
Kuwait O
. O
Iraq O
boasts O
an O
army O
of O
1 O
million O
members O
. O

At O
least O
50 O
, O
000 O
U O
. O
S O
. O
troops O
are O
expected O
to O
be O
committed O
to O
Desert O

Shield O
within O
weeks B-T
, O
including O
Marines O
, O
Army O
air O
assault O
forces O
, O

paratroopers O
and O
infantry O
. O

Iraq O
said O
it O
invaded O
Kuwait O
because O
of O
disputes O
over O
oil O
and O

money O
. O
It O
accused O
Kuwait O
of O
deliberately O
slashing O
Iraqi O
oil O

revenues O
by O
overproducing O
oil O
and O
driving O
down O
prices O
, O
among O
other O

charges O
. O

Iraq O
has O
17 O
million O
residents O
, O
and O
Kuwait O
about O
1 O
. O
9 O
million O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051111 O
. O
0195 O

GUANGZHOU O
, O
South O
China O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
11 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Super O
Dan O
out O
of O
men O
' O
s O
singles O
at O
China O
Open O
badminton O

Current O
world O
No O
. O
1 O
Lin O
Dan O
of O
China O
was O
ousted O
from O
the O
men O
' O
s O
singles O
competition O
at O
the O
China O
Open O
badminton O
here O
on O
Friday B-T
. O

Lin O
Dan O
lost O
to O
his O
teammate O
Chen O
Hong O
, O
another O
china O
top O
player O
, O
in O
straight O
sets O
15 O
- O
5 O
, O
15 O
- O
8 O
. O

Both O
of O
them O
were O
not O
amazed O
to O
see O
the O
result O
, O
" O
Today O
Lin O
Dan O
is O
out O
of O
order O
, O
" O
Chen O
said O
, O
" O
That O
' O
s O
why O
I O
won O
the O
game O
. O
" O

" O
We O
know O
each O
other O
very O
much O
, O
and O
his O
style O
is O
not O
secret O
to O
me O
, O
which O
is O
another O
reason O
I O
beat O
him O
, O
" O
Chen O
said O
. O

Although O
losing O
the O
match O
surprised O
the O
spectators O
, O
Lin O
seemed O
still O
relaxed O
after O
the O
match O
. O

" O
Actually O
winning O
or O
losing O
is O
not O
very O
important O
for O
me O
, O
now B-T
I O
focus O
on O
adapting O
to O
new O
21 O
- O
point O
rule O
settled O
by O
International O
Badminton O
which O
will O
change O
the O
traditional O
15 O
- O
point O
set O
. O
" O

Chen O
Hong O
next O
will O
clash O
with O
sixth O
- O
seeded O
Peter O
Gade O
of O
Denmark O
in O
the O
semifinals O
, O
and O
China O
' O
s O
19 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
young O
player O
Chen O
Jin O
will O
face O
his O
teammate O
, O
third O
- O
seeded O
Bao O
Chunlai O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061214 O
. O
0660 O

NEW O
YORK O
, O
Dec B-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

Wall O
Street O
notches O
fresh O
highs O
as O
economic O
concerns O
ease O

Wall O
Street O
' O
s O
main O
indexes O
leapt O
to O
fresh O
highs O
Thursday B-T
as O
investors O
appeared O
encouraged O
by O
the O
latest O
economic O
news O
and O
shook O
off O
a O
jump O
in O
oil O
prices O
. O

The O
Dow O
Jones O
Industrial O
Average O
notched O
a O
new O
all O
- O
time O
record O
closing O
high O
with O
a O
gain O
of O
96 O
. O
46 O
points O
( O
0 O
. O
78 O
percent O
) O
to O
12 O
, O
413 O
. O
96 O
at O
the O
closing O
bell O
. O

The O
tech O
- O
heavy O
Nasdaq O
composite O
meanwhile O
climbed O
21 O
. O
44 O
points O
( O
0 O
. O
88 O
percent O
) O
to O
2 O
, O
453 O
. O
85 O
, O
its O
highest O
level O
since O
February B-T
2001 I-T
. O
The O
Standard O
and O
Poor O
' O
s O
500 O
advanced O
11 O
. O
95 O
points O
( O
0 O
. O
85 O
percent O
) O
to O
a O
preliminary O
close O
of O
1 O
, O
425 O
. O
16 O
, O
a O
new O
six O
- O
year O
high O
for O
the O
broad O
- O
market O
index O
. O

In O
economic O
news O
, O
the O
US O
Labor O
Department O
reported O
weekly O
jobless O
claims O
fell O
20 O
, O
000 O
to O
304 O
, O
000 O
in O
the B-T
past I-T
week I-T
, O
the O
latest O
in O
a O
string O
of O
stronger O
- O
than O
- O
expected O
data O
. O

While O
this O
highlighted O
concerns O
about O
a O
tight O
labor O
market O
and O
inflation O
, O
it O
also O
suggested O
economic O
growth O
is O
not O
faltering O
. O

" O
The O
two O
straight O
weeks O
of O
nice O
declines O
reinforces O
the O
belief O
that O
companies O
are O
holding O
on O
to O
employees O
in O
anticipation O
of O
an O
economic O
rebound O
, O
despite O
recent O
numbers O
showing O
a O
slowdown O
in O
activity O
, O
" O
said O
John O
Wilson O
, O
equity O
strategist O
at O
Morgan O
Keegan O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061106 O
. O
0202 O

LOS O
ANGELES O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
6 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Wildfire O
in O
southern O
California O
burns O
300 O
acres O
of O
brush O

A O
wind O
- O
fueled O
wildfire O
burned O
300 O
acres O
of O
brush O
in O
southern O
California O
Monday B-T
, O
threatening O
homes O
and O
choking O
the O
sky O
with O
gray O
clouds O
of O
smoke O
, O
officials O
said O
. O

Firefighters O
rushed O
to O
Fontana O
in O
San O
Bernadino O
Country O
, O
some O
80 O
km O
east O
of O
Los O
Angeles O
, O
after O
the O
fire O
began O
about O
7 B-T
: I-T
35 I-T
a I-T
. I-T
m I-T
near I-T
Ineterstate I-T
15 I-T
, O
the O
main O
road O
from O
southern O
California O
to O
Las O
Vegas O
. O

About O
150 O
firefighters O
were O
at O
the O
scene O
, O
where O
a O
golf O
course O
and O
a O
development O
of O
houses O
were O
nearby O
. O

The O
fire O
began O
in O
vegetation O
but O
spread O
south O
to O
a O
walled O
commercial O
lot O
used O
for O
the O
assembly O
and O
storage O
of O
wooden O
pallets O
, O
according O
to O
a O
Los O
Angeles O
Times O
website O
report O
. O

Exploding O
propane O
tanks O
in O
the O
pallet O
yard O
sent O
debris O
across O
the O
street O
, O
but O
no O
damage O
to O
the O
homes O
was O
reported O
, O
said O
Fontana O
Mayor O
Mark O
Nuaimi O
. O

The O
blaze O
came O
as O
southern O
California O
authorities O
issued O
a O
red O
flag O
warning O
indicating O
a O
high O
risk O
of O
wildfires O
because O
of O
strong O
winds O
, O
high O
heat O
and O
low O
humidity O
. O
The O
warning O
was O
due O
to O
expire O
at O
6 O
p O
. O
m O
. O

Four O
firefighters O
were O
killed O
last B-T
month I-T
in O
a O
rampant O
wind O
- O
driven O
wildfire O
, O
which O
was O
apparently O
caused O
by O
an O
arson O
and O
burned O
some O
40 O
, O
000 O
acres O
of O
rugged O
terrain O
and O
destroyed O
34 O
houses O
in O
the O
nearby O
Riverside O
County O
. O

Another O
firefighter O
died O
last B-T
week I-T
, O
failing O
to O
survive O
the O
burns O
over O
90 O
percent O
of O
his O
body O
when O
the O
flames O
swept O
over O
the O
National O
Forest O
Service O
fire O
crew O
in O
the O
Riverside O
fire O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051216 O
. O
0176 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
Dec B-T
16 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

by O
Stephanie O
Griffith O

The O
US O
Congress O
ends O
the B-T
year I-T
divided O
as O
never O
before O
, O
over O
issues O
ranging O
from O
the O
Iraq O
war O
, O
to O
immigration O
reform O
and O
a O
series O
of O
ethics O
scandals O
. O

Many O
political O
observers O
now B-T
say O
relations O
between O
ruling O
Republicans O
and O
rival O
Democrats O
on O
Capitol O
Hill O
are O
the O
worst O
they O
have O
ever O
seen O
. O
They O
predict O
the O
wrangling O
will O
not O
improve O
as O
the O
United O
States O
heads O
toward O
mid O
- O
term O
elections O
in O
November B-T
. O

" O
People O
naturally O
disagree O
about O
who O
is O
responsible O
for O
the O
partisan O
tone O
and O
tactics O
in O
Washington O
DC O
these O
days O
, O
but O
most O
agree O
on O
this O
- O
- O
its O
worse O
, O
its O
more O
intense O
, O
and O
its O
nastier O
, O
" O
said O
Nancy O
Roman O
, O
vice O
president O
at O
the O
New O
York O
based O
Council O
on O
Foreign O
Relations O
. O

Much O
of O
the O
bickering O
is O
over O
Iraq O
, O
which O
has O
caused O
sparring O
between O
the O
two O
political O
parties O
and O
among O
factions O
within O
them O
. O

The O
Republicans O
dominate O
the O
Senate O
and O
House O
of O
Representatives O
. O

It O
has O
been O
weakened O
by O
a O
number O
of O
scandals O
, O
particularly O
involving O
House O
leader O
Tom O
DeLay O
. O
But O
the O
rift O
in O
the O
party O
became O
evident O
when O
the O
Senate O
last B-T
month I-T
voted O
79 O
- O
19 O
in O
favor O
of O
a O
resolution O
calling O
on O
President O
George O
W O
. O
Bush O
' O
s O
administration O
to O
show O
clearer O
signs O
of O
progress O
in O
Iraq O
. O

Republicans O
were O
also O
divided O
over O
support O
for O
an O
anti O
- O
torture O
proposal O
that O
Republican O
maverick O
Senator O
John O
McCain O
has O
forced O
the O
White O
House O
to O
accept O
. O

The O
Democrats O
have O
also O
struggled O
to O
find O
a O
common O
voice O
on O
Iraq O
, O
torn O
between O
the O
public O
disenchantment O
with O
the O
US O
military O
campaign O
and O
the O
need O
to O
offer O
a O
viable O
alternative O
to O
the O
administration O
' O
s O
" O
stay O
the O
course O
" O
approach O
- O
- O
particularly O
after O
Democratic O
Representative O
John O
Murtha O
last B-T
month I-T
called O
for O
an O
immediate O
troop O
pullout O
. O

On O
most O
other O
issues O
, O
however O
, O
the O
political O
battles O
in O
Congress O
have O
been O
drawn O
along O
traditional O
lines O
- O
- O
with O
Republicans O
and O
Democrat O
squaring O
off O
against O
each O
other O
. O

Senator O
Lindsey O
Graham O
told O
US O
television O
this B-T
week I-T
that O
Iraq O
more O
than O
any O
other O
issue O
has O
given O
parties O
on O
both O
sides O
ammunition O
to O
attack O
each O
other O
. O

" O
There O
is O
no O
political O
consensus O
in O
this O
country O
. O
Democrats O
or O
Republicans O
are O
struggling O
. O
We O
' O
ve O
lost O
our O
national O
unity O
when O
it O
comes O
to O
Iraq O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

" O
I O
wish O
we O
would O
quit O
running O
ads O
against O
each O
other O
and O
try O
to O
find O
consensus O
. O
" O

In O
a O
letter O
to O
fellow O
lawmakers O
this B-T
month I-T
, O
leading O
Republican O
, O
Senator O
Richard O
Lugar O
, O
lamented O
the O
negative O
tone O
and O
called O
for O
greater O
comity O
. O

" O
The O
quality O
of O
congressional O
debate O
has O
an O
impact O
on O
events O
in O
Iraq O
and O
our O
prospects O
for O
success O
, O
" O
wrote O
Lugar O
, O
chairman O
of O
the O
Senate O
Foreign O
Relations O
Committee O
. O

" O
We O
should O
continually O
strive O
to O
elevate O
our O
debate O
by O
studying O
thoughtful O
sources O
of O
information O
and O
embracing O
civility O
in O
our O
discourse O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

The O
Council O
on O
Foreign O
Relations O
concluded O
in O
a O
study O
that O
the O
Congress O
wars O
were O
even O
weakening O
the O
United O
States O
on O
the O
world O
stage O
. O

" O
People O
in O
both O
parties O
are O
complaining O
that O
they O
do O
not O
know O
what O
the O
other O
side O
thinks O
on O
critical O
foreign O
policy O
issues O
. O
They O
say O
there O
is O
generally O
less O
engagement O
and O
ideas O
are O
not O
being O
sharpened O
through O
debate O
- O
- O
the O
tough O
questions O
are O
not O
being O
probed O
, O
" O
the O
report O
concluded O
. O

" O
The O
job O
is O
to O
diminish O
and O
destroy O
any O
chance O
at O
political O
success O
before O
the O
guts O
of O
the O
policy O
are O
even O
contemplated O
, O
" O
the O
document O
continued O
. O

" O
Over O
time O
, O
the O
political O
game O
has O
overtaken O
the O
deliberative O
- O
policy O
process O
, O
which O
results O
in O
a O
dumbing O
- O
down O
of O
policy O
. O
" O

Still O
, O
some O
in O
Congress O
said O
the O
complaints O
are O
overblown O
. O

" O
The O
people O
in O
this O
country O
think O
that O
everything O
that O
is O
done O
in O
this O
Congress O
is O
always O
so O
partisan O
- O
- O
Republicans O
and O
Democrats O
never O
get O
along O
, O
we O
never O
talk O
to O
each O
another O
, O
we O
never O
agree O
on O
anything O
, O
" O
Republican O
Chuck O
Grassley O
said O
on O
the O
Senate O
floor O
Tuesday B-T
. O

" O
As O
a O
practical O
matter O
, O
nothing O
gets O
done O
in O
the O
United O
States O
Senate O
that O
isn O
' O
t O
somewhat O
bipartisan O
, O
" O
Grassley O
said O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061116 O
. O
0415 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
17 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

China O
' O
s O
public O
servants O
branded O
rude O
slobs O
by O
Communist O
chief O

Rude O
, O
bad O
- O
tempered O
slobs O
: O
that O
was O
the O
verdict O
of O
a O
Chinese O
Communist O
Party O
chief O
when O
he O
posted O
a O
critique O
of O
government O
officials O
on O
the O
Internet O
. O

The O
posting O
by O
Zhang O
Xinshi O
, O
CPC O
secretary O
of O
Suqian O
city O
, O
or O
senior O
governor O
, O
was O
intended O
to O
upbraid O
junior O
officials O
who O
dealt O
with O
the O
public O
- O
- O
but O
it O
quickly O
attracted O
massive O
public O
support O
and O
sparked O
a O
nationwide O
debate O
over O
the O
behaviour O
of O
government O
officials O
. O

Posted O
on O
the O
government O
website O
, O
" O
Detailed O
Problems O
with O
the O
Deportment O
of O
Suqianers O
" O
criticized O
unreservedly O
the O
demeanor O
of O
the O
citizens O
, O
with O
special O
contempt O
for O
the O
bad O
example O
set O
by O
many O
public O
servants O
set O
in O
the O
city O
. O

" O
Some O
cadres O
totally O
disregard O
etiquette O
on O
public O
occasions O
. O
Some O
often O
talk O
unbearably O
loud O
as O
if O
there O
were O
no O
one O
else O
present O
or O
answer O
their O
phones O
in O
an O
abnormally O
high O
pitch O
for O
fear O
that O
others O
would O
not O
know O
he O
is O
talking O
on O
the O
phone O
, O
" O
Zhang O
wrote O
. O

He O
even O
detailed O
the O
stink O
caused O
by O
official O
who O
failed O
to O
flush O
the O
toilet O
after O
use O
. O

The O
essay O
struck O
a O
raw O
nerve O
with O
the O
public O
, O
who O
seemed O
to O
awaken O
from O
apathy O
. O

Nearly O
1 O
, O
000 O
comments O
were O
posted O
within O
one B-T
day I-T
of O
the O
essay O
' O
s O
release O
, O
mostly O
hailing O
Zhang O
' O
s O
self O
- O
examination O
while O
bitterly O
attacking O
the O
rudeness O
of O
his O
subordinates O
. O

A O
netizen O
named O
" O
Lan O
Keer O
" O
wrote O
: O
" O
Officials O
are O
representing O
the O
image O
of O
a O
place O
. O
If O
they O
are O
bad O
- O
mannered O
, O
how O
can O
the O
government O
ask O
the O
public O
to O
maintain O
a O
courteous O
environment O
in O
the O
city O
? O

" O
It O
really O
is O
a O
progress O
for O
the O
leader O
to O
realize O
the O
problem O
and O
his O
attention O
to O
detail O
shows O
a O
sense O
of O
responsibility O
. O
" O

" O
Miss O
Right O
" O
wrote O
: O
" O
I O
am O
touched O
by O
what O
the O
official O
did O
because O
he O
is O
a O
man O
speaking O
out O
from O
a O
real O
sense O
of O
justice O
. O
Many O
officials O
scorn O
such O
trifles O
, O
but O
they O
don O
' O
t O
know O
these O
trifles O
are O
actually O
what O
we O
people O
care O
about O
most O
. O
" O

The O
medium O
of O
Zhang O
' O
s O
critique O
also O
received O
praise O
. O

" O
He O
chose O
a O
proper O
channel O
to O
make O
the O
denouncement O
. O
If O
he O
had O
said O
this O
at O
a O
conference O
or O
via O
governmental O
publications O
, O
nobody O
would O
have O
responded O
, O
" O
said O
" O
Seagull O
" O
, O
adding O
the O
posting O
showcased O
the O
real O
function O
of O
a O
government O
website O
. O

It O
was O
more O
than O
a O
medium O
for O
releasing O
documents O
and O
investment O
information O
. O
A O
government O
website O
should O
be O
a O
communication O
platform O
between O
officials O
and O
the O
public O
, O
he O
said O
. O

However O
, O
a O
" O
coalition O
" O
of O
Internet O
users O
branded O
the O
critique O
" O
self O
- O
advertising O
" O
. O

" O
Without O
the O
posting O
who O
would O
know O
about O
the O
CPC O
leader O
in O
Suqian O
? O
The O
guy O
finally O
managed O
to O
bring O
himself O
nationwide O
fame O
and O
who O
knows O
whether O
he O
will O
get O
a O
promotion O
because O
of O
it O
? O
" O
one O
asked O
. O

Professor O
Yu O
Xianyang O
, O
with O
the O
People O
' O
s O
University O
, O
said O
Zhang O
had O
vividly O
reflected O
public O
perceptions O
of O
government O
officials O
, O
regardless O
of O
his O
real O
intentions O
. O

Many O
public O
servants O
in O
Suqian O
were O
sloppily O
dressed O
, O
spat O
and O
dropped O
litter O
and O
made O
a O
racket O
in O
public O
places O
. O
" O
Perhaps O
he O
has O
no O
choice O
but O
to O
do O
this O
, O
" O
Yu O
said O
. O

Codes O
of O
conduct O
, O
which O
should O
be O
taught O
in O
primary O
school O
, O
had O
become O
something O
that O
officials O
failed O
to O
abide O
by O
. O
Zhang O
said O
it O
shamed O
thousands O
of O
the O
bad O
- O
mannered O
government O
staffs O
. O

The O
majority O
of O
Chinese O
public O
servants O
were O
well O
- O
educated O
and O
had O
to O
undergo O
rigorous O
tests O
to O
acquire O
a O
post O
in O
the O
government O
, O
but O
their O
spirit O
and O
enthusiasm O
were O
ground O
down O
by O
routine O
drudgery O
, O
Yu O
said O
. O

Some O
even O
lost O
their O
sense O
of O
the O
most O
basic O
courtesy O
. O

All O
levels O
of O
government O
had O
made O
economic O
construction O
their O
main O
priority O
, O
but O
bad O
manners O
could O
eclipse O
economic O
growth O
in O
the O
minds O
of O
the O
public O
, O
said O
Yu O
. O

China O
has O
about O
five O
million O
public O
servants O
, O
90 O
percent O
of O
them O
a O
grassroots O
level O
. O

In O
Suqian O
, O
Zhang O
' O
s O
posting O
resulted O
in O
a O
series O
of O
measures O
to O
enforce O
courtesy O
in O
public O
servants O
- O
- O
just O
as O
it O
is O
enforced O
in O
China O
' O
s O
primary O
schools O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051203 O
. O
0420 O

BAMAKO O
, O
Dec B-T
4 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

= O
( O
PICTURES O
) O
= O

Africa O
' O
s O
woes O
from O
wars O
to O
fairer O
trade O
, O
illegal O
immigration O
to O
a O
brain O
drain O
, O
come O
under O
the O
spotlight O
at O
a O
second O
and O
final O
day O
of O
a O
summit O
of O
African O
and O
French O
leaders O
here O
on O
Sunday B-T
. O

French O
President O
Jacques O
Chirac O
and O
, O
for O
the O
first O
time O
at O
an O
Africa O
- O
France O
Summit O
, O
representatives O
of O
all O
53 O
African O
states O
, O
including O
more O
than O
20 O
heads O
of O
state O
, O
have O
gathered O
in O
the O
Malian O
capital O
, O
Bamako O
. O

With O
crunch O
global O
trade O
talks O
looming O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
, O
the O
need O
to O
ensure O
a O
better O
deal O
for O
poor O
African O
nations O
in O
world O
trade O
was O
one O
of O
the O
themes O
to O
focus O
leaders O
' O
minds O
here O
on O
the O
opening O
day O
. O

" O
African O
farmers O
must O
receive O
a O
fair O
reward O
for O
their O
work O
. O
We O
cannot O
accept O
a O
situation O
in O
which O
hasty O
and O
generalised O
liberalisation O
of O
agricultural O
trade O
ruins O
the O
efforts O
of O
the O
least O
developed O
nations O
, O
" O
Chirac O
said O
. O

Ministers O
of O
the O
148 O
World O
Trade O
Organisation O
members O
head O
to O
Hong O
Kong O
from O
December B-T
13 I-T
to O
take O
stock O
of O
the O
' O
Doha O
Development O
' O
round O
of O
negotiations O
, O
launched O
in O
the O
Qatari O
capital O
in O
2001 B-T
. O

The O
talks O
have O
largely O
stalled O
over O
the O
degree O
to O
which O
rich O
countries O
offer O
financial O
support O
to O
their O
agriculture O
sectors O
. O

Mali O
President O
Amadou O
Toumani O
Toure O
said O
cotton O
was O
" O
symbolic O
of O
inequitable O
trade O
" O
. O
" O
Are O
we O
going O
to O
continue O
in O
Africa O
sowing O
cotton O
to O
harvest O
deficits O
, O
while O
others O
, O
more O
affluent O
, O
sow O
the O
same O
cotton O
to O
harvest O
subsidies O
? O
" O
Toure O
said O
. O

West O
African O
governments O
want O
the O
WTO O
meeting O
to O
fix O
a O
date O
to O
eliminate O
all O
cotton O
subsidies O
, O
which O
they O
say O
price O
their O
top O
export O
earner O
out O
of O
world O
markets O
. O

The O
crisis O
in O
France O
' O
s O
former O
colony O
of O
Ivory O
Coast O
, O
divided O
since O
fighting O
broke O
out O
in O
2002 B-T
pitting O
President O
Laurent O
Gbagbo O
against O
rebels O
who O
control O
the O
north O
, O
is O
another O
source O
of O
concern O
. O

Chirac O
said O
, O
during O
talks O
with O
the O
leaders O
of O
South O
Africa O
and O
Niger O
here O
, O
that O
France O
, O
which O
has O
4 O
, O
000 O
troops O
deployed O
in O
Ivory O
Coast O
, O
wanted O
a O
new O
prime O
minister O
appointed O
in O
Ivory O
Coast O
soon O
, O
a O
French O
delegation O
source O
said O
. O

Ivorian O
political O
and O
rebel O
parties O
have O
been O
unable O
to O
agree O
on O
who O
should O
head O
an O
interim O
government O
. O

Summiteers O
have O
also O
addressed O
how O
to O
tackle O
immigration O
and O
the O
alleviation O
of O
poverty O
to O
keep O
Africans O
, O
tempted O
to O
seek O
better O
living O
conditions O
elsewhere O
, O
at O
home O
. O

" O
Together O
, O
we O
must O
encourage O
co O
- O
development O
and O
enable O
Africans O
to O
enjoy O
decent O
conditions O
for O
living O
and O
working O
in O
their O
own O
countries O
, O
" O
Chirac O
, O
73 O
, O
said O
. O

The O
Bamako O
summit O
is O
the O
first O
time O
he O
has O
travelled O
outside O
of O
Europe O
since O
his O
week O
- O
long O
hospitalisation O
in O
September B-T
for O
a O
vision O
problem O
that O
doctors O
said O
was O
caused O
by O
a O
minor O
vascular O
" O
incident O
" O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051215 O
. O
0058 O

MANILA O
, O
Dec B-T
15 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

ATTENTION O
- O
ADDS O
presidential O
reactions O
/ O
/ O
/ O

Philippine O
police O
detained O
Thursday B-T
a O
former O
defence O
secretary O
who O
had O
declared O
himself O
president O
and O
urged O
the O
armed O
forces O
to O
withdraw O
their O
support O
for O
President O
Gloria O
Arroyo O
. O

Retired O
general O
Fortunato O
Abat O
, O
80 O
, O
was O
bundled O
into O
an O
unmarked O
police O
van O
and O
taken O
in O
for O
questioning O
with O
two O
other O
members O
of O
his O
self O
- O
proclaimed O
cabinet O
to O
face O
possible O
charges O
of O
inciting O
sedition O
, O
the O
authorities O
said O
. O

There O
was O
no O
indication O
that O
either O
the O
military O
or O
the O
public O
were O
taking O
Abat O
' O
s O
call O
to O
overthrow O
Arroyo O
very O
seriously O
, O
although O
rumours O
of O
a O
coup O
plot O
have O
been O
rife O
for O
weeks B-T
in O
Manila O
. O

" O
There O
can O
only O
be O
one O
president O
, O
" O
said O
police O
spokesman O
Leopoldo O
Bataoil O
. O

Though O
the O
government O
had O
considered O
Abat O
more O
of O
a O
nuisance O
than O
a O
security O
threat O
, O
Arroyo O
' O
s O
chief O
aide O
, O
Executive O
Secretary O
Eduardo O
Ermita O
told O
reporters O
: O
" O
We O
have O
to O
do O
something O
because O
we O
cannot O
let O
the O
people O
feel O
there O
is O
a O
violation O
of O
law O
and O
nothing O
is O
being O
done O
. O
" O

Abat O
had O
urged O
the O
military O
and O
the O
public O
to O
support O
calls O
for O
the O
ouster O
of O
Arroyo O
, O
who O
survived O
an O
impeachment O
vote O
in O
the O
legislature O
in O
September B-T
over O
allegations O
she O
cheated O
to O
win O
the O
May B-T
2004 I-T
presidential O
election O
. O

Abat O
failed O
to O
rally O
popular O
support O
and O
the O
military O
said O
they O
stayed O
loyal O
to O
Arroyo O
, O
who O
survived O
a O
military O
uprising O
in O
2003 B-T
. O

Abat O
' O
s O
son O
, O
a O
middle O
- O
level O
officer O
in O
the O
Philippine O
Army O
, O
was O
relieved O
of O
his O
post O
as O
deputy O
commander O
of O
a O
brigade O
deployed O
north O
of O
Manila O
, O
the O
military O
said O
Thursday B-T
. O

Colonel O
Victor O
Abat O
was O
accused O
by O
superiors O
of O
sending O
mobile O
telephone O
text O
messages O
that O
supposedly O
urged O
other O
military O
officers O
to O
join O
acts O
of O
" O
destabilization O
" O
that O
the O
military O
would O
not O
specify O
. O

" O
I O
have O
deemed O
it O
proper O
to O
relieve O
him O
because O
he O
had O
been O
spreading O
text O
messages O
enjoining O
officers O
and O
men O
of O
the O
army O
to O
join O
the O
destabilization O
move O
, O
" O
said O
army O
chief O
Lieutenant O
General O
Hermogenes O
Esperon O
. O

Rumours O
have O
swirled O
in O
recent B-T
days I-T
that O
a O
new O
coup O
plot O
was O
being O
hatched O
against O
Arroyo O
whose O
approval O
rating O
has O
plunged O
to O
record O
lows O
due O
to O
a O
six O
- O
month O
campaign O
from O
the O
opposition O
to O
oust O
her O
. O

These O
rumours O
have O
grown O
after O
a O
Marine O
officer O
, O
Marine O
Captain O
Nicanor O
Faeldon O
, O
facing O
charges O
for O
a O
foiled O
mutiny O
against O
Arroyo O
in O
2003 B-T
, O
escaped O
Wednesday B-T
shortly O
after O
a O
court O
hearing O
. O

Arroyo O
spokesman O
Ignacio O
Bunye O
charged O
that O
his O
escape O
was O
" O
well O
- O
planned O
and O
well O
- O
coordinated O
. O
" O

" O
We O
believe O
that O
he O
is O
now B-T
being O
coddled O
by O
some O
shadowy O
groups O
and O
personalities O
for O
their O
self O
- O
serving O
destabilization O
activities O
, O
" O
Bunye O
said O
. O

He O
did O
not O
identify O
the O
groups O
although O
in O
the O
past O
the O
government O
has O
said O
members O
of O
the O
opposition O
had O
been O
involved O
in O
efforts O
to O
destabilize O
Arroyo O
. O

Meanwhile O
, O
Ermita O
said O
Arroyo O
met O
with O
senior O
military O
commanders O
late O
Wednesday B-T
on O
her O
return O
from O
an O
East O
Asian O
summit O
in O
Malaysia O
. O

" O
We O
cannot O
be O
too O
complacent O
about O
reports O
that O
we O
have O
received O
and O
( O
discussed O
) O
actions O
that O
have O
to O
be O
done O
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061220 O
. O
0508 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
Dec B-T
20 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

URGENT O
US O
wants O
vote O
on O
Iran O
sanctions O
resolution O
Thursday O

The O
United O
States O
is O
pushing O
for O
a O
UN O
Security O
Council O
vote O
imposing O
sanctions O
on O
Iran O
on O
Thursday B-T
despite O
remaining O
differences O
over O
details O
of O
the O
measure O
, O
the O
State O
Department O
said O
Wednesday B-T
. O

AFP_ENG_20061217 O
. O
0286 O

BAGHDAD O
, O
Dec B-T
17 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
UPDATES O
throughout O
/ O
/ O
/ O

The O
latest O
in O
a O
series O
of O
mass O
kidnappings O
spread O
terror O
in O
Baghdad O
on O
Sunday B-T
as O
peace O
talks O
between O
Iraq O
' O
s O
bitterly O
divided O
factions O
produced O
a O
limited O
agenda O
for O
constitutional O
reform O
. O

The O
violence O
in O
the O
war O
- O
torn O
capital O
also O
provided O
a O
grim O
backdrop O
to O
an O
unannounced O
visit O
by O
British O
Prime O
Minister O
Tony O
Blair O
, O
who O
flew O
in O
to O
offer O
support O
to O
his O
beleaguered O
Iraqi O
counterpart O
Nuri O
al O
- O
Maliki O
. O

At O
least O
25 O
aid O
workers O
were O
hauled O
off O
at O
gunpoint O
from O
a O
Baghdad O
office O
of O
the O
Iraqi O
Red O
Crescent O
aid O
agency O
by O
a O
gang O
of O
50 O
gunmen O
sporting O
police O
uniforms O
- O
- O
the O
second O
such O
mass O
abduction O
in O
Baghdad O
in O
three B-T
days O
. O

The O
hostage O
- O
takers O
, O
jumping O
out O
of O
around O
10 O
pick O
- O
up O
trucks O
, O
raided O
the O
Red O
Crescent O
building O
in O
the O
Karrada O
district O
in O
broad O
daylight O
, O
snatching O
at O
least O
two O
dozen O
men O
but O
leaving O
women O
behind O
, O
witnesses O
and O
officials O
said O
. O

Nada O
Doumani O
, O
a O
spokeswoman O
for O
the O
International O
Committee O
of O
the O
Red O
Cross O
( O
ICRC O
) O
, O
part O
of O
the O
same O
movement O
as O
the O
Red O
Crescent O
, O
said O
25 O
aid O
workers O
and O
an O
unknown O
number O
of O
visitors O
were O
taken O
. O

" O
We O
condemn O
such O
an O
attack O
against O
civilians O
and O
humanitarian O
workers O
. O
It O
is O
a O
breach O
of O
international O
humanitarian O
law O
. O
The O
building O
was O
clearly O
marked O
with O
the O
Red O
Crescent O
symbol O
, O
" O
she O
said O
. O

Meanwhile O
, O
a O
short O
distance O
away O
another O
gang O
- O
- O
again O
in O
the O
uniforms O
of O
the O
Shiite O
- O
dominated O
security O
forces O
- O
- O
shot O
dead O
one O
Sunni O
local O
councillor O
and O
kidnapped O
three O
more O
from O
their O
car O
, O
a O
security O
official O
said O
. O

The O
latest O
abductions O
came O
three B-T
days I-T
after O
gunmen O
wearing O
military O
uniforms O
snatched O
dozens O
of O
businessmen O
from O
a O
commercial O
street O
in O
Baghdad O
, O
before O
releasing O
around O
29 O
of O
their O
captives O
, O
all O
Shiites O
. O

Less O
than O
a O
kilometre O
from O
the O
site O
of O
the O
kidnapping O
, O
protected O
behind O
the O
high O
walls O
of O
the O
fortified O
Green O
Zone O
, O
Blair O
stood O
shoulder O
to O
shoulder O
with O
Maliki O
and O
gave O
strong O
backing O
to O
his O
efforts O
to O
reunite O
the O
country O
. O

He O
told O
the O
Iraqi O
leader O
that O
Britain O
will O
" O
stand O
four O
square O
behind O
you O
and O
the O
Iraqi O
people O
in O
ensuring O
that O
your O
democracy O
is O
not O
destroyed O
by O
terrorism O
, O
by O
sectarianism O
, O
by O
those O
who O
wish O
to O
live O
in O
hatred O
rather O
than O
peace O
" O
. O

British O
public O
support O
for O
the O
war O
has O
slipped O
amid O
mounting O
sectarian O
violence O
and O
military O
casualties O
, O
but O
Blair O
angrily O
dismissed O
the O
idea O
that O
the O
2003 O
US O
and O
British O
invasion O
of O
Iraq O
had O
triggered O
the O
chaos O
. O

Instead O
, O
he O
blamed O
" O
the O
same O
forces O
worldwide O
that O
are O
trying O
to O
prevent O
moderation O
, O
prevent O
modernisation O
, O
and O
prevent O
people O
expressing O
their O
will O
for O
democracy O
, O
through O
violence O
" O
. O

Blair O
flew O
from O
Baghdad O
to O
the O
southern O
port O
city O
of O
Basra O
where O
Britain O
has O
more O
than O
7 O
, O
000 O
soldiers O
fighting O
militias O
and O
training O
Iraqi O
forces O
. O
He O
met O
soldiers O
before O
flying O
on O
to O
the O
next O
leg O
in O
a O
Middle O
East O
tour O
. O

The O
visit O
, O
planned O
in O
secret O
to O
protect O
him O
from O
attack O
, O
came O
as O
the O
Iraqi O
government O
held O
fresh O
peace O
talks O
to O
fend O
off O
civil O
war O
. O

The O
national O
reconciliation O
conference O
began O
Saturday B-T
and O
marked O
the O
first O
attempt O
by O
the O
coalition O
government O
to O
draw O
former O
members O
of O
ousted O
leader O
Saddam O
Hussein O
' O
s O
armed O
forces O
and O
Baath O
party O
into O
the O
political O
process O
. O

But O
only O
a O
small O
number O
of O
representatives O
from O
movements O
outside O
the O
political O
process O
turned O
up O
, O
and O
the O
proposals O
which O
working O
groups O
suggested O
will O
have O
to O
be O
ratified O
by O
the O
cabinet O
or O
parliament O
. O

" O
The O
only O
important O
practical O
measure O
recommended O
by O
the O
conference O
is O
paying O
sizeable O
pensions O
to O
former O
soldiers O
, O
" O
Naseer O
al O
- O
Ani O
told O
AFP O
. O

" O
Other O
than O
that O
, O
participants O
reiterated O
slogans O
about O
national O
unity O
and O
expressed O
good O
intentions O
for O
reforms O
that O
will O
have O
to O
be O
approved O
( O
by O
government O
and O
parliament O
) O
, O
" O
said O
Ani O
. O

The O
four O
committees O
that O
compiled O
the O
string O
of O
recommendations O
, O
after O
two B-T
days I-T
of O
talks O
that O
Maliki O
hoped O
would O
isolate O
insurgents O
, O
will O
now O
work O
on O
implementing O
their O
suggestions O
with O
government O
and O
parliament O
. O

One O
recommendation O
would O
see O
Iraq O
reinstate O
compulsory O
military O
service O
, O
another O
suggests O
independent O
deputy O
ministers O
to O
be O
appointed O
alongside O
political O
appointees O
, O
and O
a O
third O
wants O
the O
Iraqi O
constitution O
reviewed O
. O

On O
Saturday B-T
, O
Maliki O
called O
on O
Saddam O
- O
era O
army O
officers O
to O
join O
his O
armed O
forces O
to O
fight O
the O
insurgency O
and O
urged O
parliament O
to O
review O
a O
law O
banning O
former O
Baathists O
from O
administrative O
posts O
. O

Iraq O
is O
in O
the O
grip O
of O
a O
dirty O
war O
between O
rival O
Sunni O
and O
Shiite O
factions O
battling O
for O
turf O
and O
political O
power O
in O
the O
chaos O
that O
has O
descended O
on O
the O
country O
as O
the O
government O
and O
US O
military O
battle O
Sunni O
insurgents O
. O

Besides O
the O
kidnappings O
, O
Iraq O
endured O
a O
fresh O
round O
of O
shootings O
on O
Sunday B-T
that O
left O
three O
security O
officials O
dead O
and O
at O
least O
21 O
bodies O
dumped O
in O
Baghdad O
, O
Baquba O
and O
the O
northern O
oil O
capital O
of O
Kirkuk O
, O
officials O
said O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970429 O
. O
0591 O

BIARO O
, O
Zaire O
, O
April B-T
29 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Refugees O
flow O
into O
Biaro O
, O
as O
aid O
trickles O
through O
by O
Christophe O
Parayre O

Around O
10 O
, O
000 O
exhausted O
and O
hungry O
Rwandan O
refugees O
flowed O
into O
Biaro O
on O
Tuesday B-T
, O
as O
humanitarian O
organisations O
managed O
to O
push O
through O
10 O
tonnes O
of O
aid O
for O
the O
first O
time O
in O
a B-T
week I-T
. O

Other O
refugees O
, O
meanwhile O
, O
continued O
to O
arrive O
in O
the O
camp O
, O
about O
40 O
kilometres O
( O
25 O
miles O
) O
to O
the O
south O
of O
Kisangani O
. O

Some O
30 O
, O
000 O
people O
had O
been O
housed O
in O
Biaro O
until O
the B-T
beginning I-T
of I-T
last I-T
week I-T
, O
but O
the O
refugees O
, O
along O
with O
55 O
, O
000 O
others O
at O
nearby O
Kasese O
, O
fled O
after O
reportedly O
being O
attacked O
by O
villagers O
and O
rebel O
forces O
. O

Groups O
of O
refugees O
have O
now B-T
begun O
emerging O
from O
the O
forest O
to O
head O
back O
for O
Biaro O
in O
search O
of O
humanitarian O
aid O
. O

On O
Monday B-T
, O
a O
humanitarian O
mission O
found O
more O
than O
5 O
, O
000 O
refugees O
in O
the O
Biaro O
camp O
. O

One O
man O
in O
a O
torn O
, O
filthy O
T O
- O
shirt O
and O
carrying O
a O
bundle O
on O
his O
head O
, O
described O
his O
flight O
. O

" O
I O
heard O
gunfire O
in O
the O
middle O
of O
the O
night O
and O
I O
fled O
into O
the O
forest O
, O
as O
far O
away O
as O
possible O
. O
I O
left O
everything O
in O
the O
camp O
, O
I O
' O
ve O
got O
nothing O
left O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

" O
Then O
some O
Zairean O
villagers O
told O
us O
peace O
had O
returned O
, O
that O
we O
could O
go O
back O
to O
Biaro O
. O
We O
walked O
for O
two B-T
days I-T
to O
get O
here O
. O
But O
there O
are O
still O
lots O
of O
people O
in O
the O
forest O
, O
they O
are O
afraid O
to O
come O
back O
. O
You O
often O
hear O
firing O
. O
" O

Tuesday B-T
' O
s O
aid O
shipment O
marked O
the O
first O
time O
since O
April B-T
20 I-T
that O
international O
organisations O
have O
been O
able O
to O
get O
supplies O
through O
to O
the O
starving O
, O
exhausted O
and O
often O
diseased O
refugees O
, O
as O
Kabila O
' O
s O
rebels O
have O
held O
back O
aid O
convoys O
for O
" O
security O
" O
regions O
. O

Even O
on O
Tuesday B-T
, O
rebels O
only O
allowed O
through O
three O
trucks O
- O
- O
compared O
with O
the O
11 O
requested O
by O
the O
UN O
High O
Commissioner O
for O
Refugees O
( O
UNHCR O
) O
- O
- O
and O
the O
humanitarian O
organisations O
were O
held O
up O
until O
midday O
at O
Lula O
, O
just O
outside O
Kisangani O
, O
until O
a O
military O
escort O
could O
be O
provided O
. O

Moreover O
, O
aid O
workers O
were O
only O
allowed O
to O
spend O
two O
hours O
in O
Biaro O
assisting O
refugees O
and O
they O
were O
prevented O
from O
travelling O
outside O
the O
camp O
, O
officially O
for O
security O
reasons O
. O

At O
various O
points O
on O
the O
route O
linking O
Kisangani O
and O
Biaro O
, O
as O
well O
as O
in O
the O
camp O
, O
there O
was O
a O
strong O
smell O
of O
decomposing O
bodies O
. O

The O
majority O
of O
rebels O
who O
spoke O
to O
AFP O
accused O
the O
mainly O
Tutsi O
rebels O
of O
massacring O
numerous O
Hutu O
refugees O
- O
- O
a O
charge O
vehemently O
denied O
by O
the O
rebels O
. O

Witnesses O
said O
that O
on O
Tuesday B-T
they O
saw O
a O
group O
of O
about O
15 O
rebel O
soldiers O
near O
Biaro O
order O
the O
weak O
and O
starving O
refugees O
to O
continue O
their O
trek O
to O
Ubundu O
, O
150 O
kilometres O
( O
90 O
miles O
) O
south O
of O
Kisangani O
) O
, O
a O
region O
to O
which O
rebels O
forbid O
access O
. O

There O
was O
also O
concern O
over O
the O
fate O
of O
more O
than O
500 O
refugees O
, O
mostly O
men O
, O
made O
by O
rebels O
, O
who O
promised O
food O
would O
be O
distributed O
, O
to O
board O
a O
train O
heading O
for O
Ubundu O
, O
which O
people O
in O
Biaro O
said O
they O
feared O
was O
" O
a O
train O
of O
death O
. O
" O

Earlier O
on O
Tuesday B-T
, O
Zairean O
rebels O
asked O
UN O
staff O
to O
prepare O
to O
fly O
home O
a O
first O
group O
of O
about O
1 O
, O
000 O
Rwandan O
refugees O
from O
Kisangani O
in O
eastern O
Zaire O
, O
the O
UN O
refugee O
agency O
said O
. O

Antonella O
Gesulfo O
of O
the O
UN O
High O
Commissioner O
for O
Refugees O
said O
in O
Kisangani O
that O
the O
rebels O
had O
told O
the O
UNHCR O
that O
the O
Hutu O
refugees O
were O
travelling O
to O
the O
city O
from O
Biaro O
by O
train O
. O

" O
This O
was O
a O
surprise O
for O
us O
, O
it O
wasn O
' O
t O
planned O
, O
but O
if O
it O
helps O
us O
speed O
up O
repatriations O
, O
why O
not O
? O
" O
Gesulfo O
said O
. O
The O
United O
Nations O
faces O
a O
monumental O
task O
if O
it O
is O
to O
find O
and O
fly O
home O
tens O
of O
thousands O
of O
exhausted O
and O
terrorised O
refugees O
within O
a O
60 O
- O
day O
rebel O
deadline O
starting O
Thursday B-T
. O

The O
ultimatum O
, O
imposed O
by O
rebel O
leader O
Laurent O
Kabila O
on O
Sunday B-T
, O
has O
already O
been O
rejected O
as O
unreasonable O
by O
both O
the O
United O
States O
and O
United O
Nations O
. O

French O
Foreign O
Minister O
Herve O
de O
Charette O
on O
Tuesday B-T
further O
denounced O
the O
ultimatum O
and O
urged O
that O
humanitarian O
organisations O
must O
be O
given O
immediate O
access O
to O
refugees O
. O

European O
foreign O
ministers O
meeting O
in O
Luxembourg O
also O
called O
on O
Kabila O
to O
guarantee O
humanitarian O
organisations O
access O
to O
conflict O
zones O
. O

In O
Biaro O
, O
the O
humanitarian O
lorries O
unloaded O
biscuits O
, O
powdered O
milk O
, O
medicines O
, O
covers O
and O
cooking O
utensils O
. O

Because O
of O
the O
limited O
supplies O
available O
, O
only O
children O
were O
allowed O
biscuits O
, O
amid O
disorderly O
scenes O
, O
with O
refugees O
, O
driven O
by O
hunger O
, O
jostling O
for O
food O
. O

Some O
170 O
unaccompanied O
children O
were O
among O
a O
group O
of O
refugees O
to O
be O
taken O
by O
the O
lorries O
which O
brought O
in O
the O
aid O
to O
a O
transit O
centre O
close O
to O
Kisangani O
, O
from O
where O
they O
were O
to O
be O
flown O
home O
to O
Rwanda O
on O
Wednesday B-T
, O
a O
UNHCR O
spokesman O
said O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051114 O
. O
0334 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Finland O
opens O
commercial O
mobile O
TV O
license O
for O
bidding O

HELSINKI O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
14 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O
- O
- O
The O
Finnish O
Ministry O
of O
Transport O
and O
Communications O
announced O
on O
Monday B-T
that O
it O
will O
start O
accepting O
applications O
for O
a O
license O
of O
commercial O
mobile O
TV O
license O
. O

Finland O
has O
thus O
become O
the O
first O
European O
country O
to O
issue O
a O
license O
for O
a O
commercial O
TV O
service O
for O
mobile O
phones O
. O

The O
service O
will O
be O
based O
on O
DVB O
- O
H O
( O
digital O
video O
broadcasting O
- O
handheld O
) O
transmission O
technology O
. O

Finland O
is O
one O
of O
many O
countries O
experimenting O
with O
TV O
on O
mobile O
phones O
. O
TV O
service O
for O
mobile O
phones O
has O
been O
tested O
last B-T
spring I-T
in O
a O
trial O
network O
in O
its O
capital O
, O
Helsinki O
. O
Around O
500 O
people O
were O
involved O
in O
the O
test O
, O
which O
showed O
mobile O
TV O
was O
favorably O
received O
. O

Susanna O
Huovinen O
, O
the O
transport O
and O
Communications O
minister O
, O
said O
that O
the O
government O
wants O
to O
promote O
the O
development O
of O
innovations O
, O
including O
mobile O
TV O
. O

The O
operating O
license O
will O
be O
awarded O
early B-T
next I-T
year I-T
. O

XIN_ENG_20061121 O
. O
0116 O

ABUJA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
21 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Nigeria O
to O
host O
food O
security O
summit O

Nigeria O
is O
to O
host O
a O
summit O
on O
food O
security O
in O
Africa O
from O
Dec B-T
. I-T
4 I-T
to O
7 O
to O
assess O
the O
implementation O
of O
resolutions O
on O
food O
security O
taken O
in O
the B-T
past I-T
, O
the O
official O
News O
Agency O
of O
Nigeria O
reported O
on O
Tuesday B-T
. O

Agriculture O
and O
Rural O
Development O
Minister O
Malam O
Adamu O
Bello O
was O
quoted O
as O
saying O
that O
forthcoming O
summit O
was O
" O
a O
follow O
- O
up O
action O
aimed O
at O
assessing O
the O
level O
of O
implementation O
of O
such O
past O
resolutions O
. O
" O

According O
to O
him O
, O
all O
member O
countries O
will O
be O
expected O
to O
present O
an O
update O
on O
the O
implementations O
of O
the O
recommendations O
of O
the O
African O
Union O
2003 O
Maputo O
Declaration O
on O
food O
security O
in O
Africa O
. O

Bello O
said O
" O
issues O
about O
availability O
, O
accessibility O
and O
affordability O
of O
food O
would O
feature O
prominently O
at O
the O
summit O
. O
" O

It O
will O
also O
review O
national O
programs O
and O
projects O
that O
are O
making O
significant O
progress O
in O
contributing O
to O
the O
attainment O
of O
national O
food O
and O
nutrition O
security O
, O
the O
minister O
added O
. O

In O
2003 B-T
, O
African O
heads O
of O
state O
and O
government O
committed O
their O
governments O
in O
the O
Maputo O
Declaration O
to O
allocating O
at O
least O
10 O
percent O
of O
their O
national O
budgets O
for O
agriculture O
and O
rural O
development O
within O
five B-T
years I-T
. O

XIN_ENG_20051111 O
. O
0309 O

RABAT O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
11 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Morocco O
: O
more O
kinds O
of O
poultry O
importation O
banned O

Morocco O
' O
s O
Agriculture O
Ministry O
announced O
on O
Friday B-T
that O
it O
had O
widened O
its O
ban O
on O
imports O
of O
poultry O
into O
the O
country O
to O
include O
wild O
birds O
such O
as O
pigeons O
and O
falcons O
. O

All O
Moroccan O
citizens O
, O
as O
well O
as O
importers O
, O
have O
to O
comply O
with O
the O
enacted O
regulations O
, O
and O
all O
banned O
poultry O
discovered O
at O
border O
checkpoints O
will O
be O
returned O
or O
slaughtered O
, O
according O
to O
a O
statement O
issued O
by O
the O
Agriculture O
Ministry O
. O

The O
statement O
also O
emphasized O
that O
no O
bird O
flu O
cases O
have O
been O
found O
in O
Morocco O
so O
far O
, O
and O
the O
country O
' O
s O
veterinary O
administration O
will O
continue O
to O
closely O
monitor O
domestic O
poultry O
as O
well O
as O
the O
latest O
development O
of O
worldwide O
bird O
flu O
pandemic O
. O

The O
ministry O
has O
announced O
a O
ban O
on O
the O
importation O
of O
live O
poultry O
and O
bird O
- O
related O
products O
from O
countries O
affected O
by O
the O
fatal O
strain O
of O
virus O
H5N1 O
on O
Oct B-T
. I-T
17 I-T
, O
and O
carried O
out O
more O
strict O
sanitary O
checks O
on O
poultry O
farms O
, O
border O
checkpoints O
and O
slaughterhouses O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061107 O
. O
0128 O

TEHRAN O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
7 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

1st O
LD O
: O
Iran O
urges O
Saddam O
' O
s O
death O
sentence O
to O
be O
carried O
out O

Iran O
here O
Tuesday B-T
described O
former O
Iraqi O
leader O
Saddam O
Hussein O
as O
a O
criminal O
who O
deserved O
to O
die O
, O
urging O
for O
the O
death O
sentence O
on O
him O
to O
be O
carried O
out O
. O

" O
We O
want O
the O
correct O
, O
fair O
and O
legal O
verdict O
against O
this O
criminal O
( O
Saddam O
) O
. O
. O
. O
could O
be O
enforced O
, O
" O
Iran O
' O
s O
government O
spokesman O
Gholam O
Hossein O
Elham O
told O
a O
news O
conference O
. O

" O
There O
' O
s O
no O
doubt O
that O
he O
( O
Saddam O
) O
is O
a O
criminal O
dictator O
, O
we O
hope O
no O
pressures O
will O
be O
made O
to O
pullback O
this O
verdict O
, O
" O
said O
Elham O
. O

The O
spokesman O
also O
refuted O
suggestions O
that O
the O
execution O
of O
Saddam O
may O
exacerbate O
the O
violent O
conflict O
between O
Iraq O
' O
s O
Shiite O
and O
Sunni O
communities O
. O

Iran O
wanted O
the O
former O
Iraqi O
leader O
would O
get O
further O
trials O
for O
other O
alleged O
crimes O
against O
humanity O
, O
including O
his O
waging O
war O
against O
Iran O
in O
1980 B-T
- I-T
1988 I-T
, O
Elham O
added O
. O

He O
stressed O
that O
" O
I O
think O
it O
' O
s O
quite O
clear O
such O
kind O
of O
suggestion O
is O
mischief O
- O
making O
, O
Saddam O
has O
both O
Shiite O
and O
Sunni O
blood O
on O
his O
hands O
, O
his O
very O
existence O
is O
anti O
- O
human O
. O
" O

AFP_ENG_20061213 O
. O
0284 O

ROME O
, O
Dec B-T
13 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
UPDATES O
with O
audience O
with O
pope O
/ O
/ O
/ O

Pope O
Benedict O
XVI O
, O
who O
hopes O
one B-T
day I-T
to O
visit O
the O
Holy O
Land O
, O
on O
Wednesday B-T
met O
Israeli O
Prime O
Minister O
Ehud O
Olmert O
, O
in O
Italy O
as O
part O
of O
a O
brief O
European O
tour O
mainly O
aimed O
at O
drumming O
up O
support O
for O
sanctions O
against O
Iran O
' O
s O
nuclear O
programme O
. O

The O
Israeli O
leader O
was O
given O
a O
private O
audience O
with O
the O
pope O
and O
was O
then O
to O
meet O
the O
Vatican O
head O
of O
government O
, O
Secretary O
of O
State O
Tarcisio O
Bertone O
. O
The O
head O
of O
the O
Roman O
Catholic O
Church O
said O
in O
August B-T
he O
hoped O
to O
visit O
the O
Holy O
Land O
, O
if O
possible O
" O
in O
times O
of O
peace O
" O
. O

Olmert O
, O
who O
flew O
to O
Italy O
on O
the O
second O
and O
final O
leg O
of O
a O
European O
visit O
, O
was O
then O
to O
meet O
his O
Italian O
counterpart O
Romano O
Prodi O
. O

In O
Germany O
, O
his O
previous O
stop O
, O
Olmert O
won O
backing O
for O
anti O
- O
Tehran O
sanctions O
from O
Chancellor O
Angela O
Merkel O
, O
who O
said O
that O
" O
unfortunately O
the O
time O
has O
come O
for O
sanctions O
" O
after O
Iran O
had O
turned O
its O
back O
on O
attempts O
to O
persuade O
it O
to O
stop O
enriching O
uranium O
. O

Olmert O
' O
s O
spokeswoman O
Miri O
Eisin O
told O
AFP O
that O
Rome O
too O
was O
expected O
to O
rally O
behind O
moves O
by O
Israel O
and O
the O
United O
States O
to O
try O
to O
bring O
Iran O
into O
line O
. O

Iranian O
President O
Mahmud O
Ahmadinejad O
, O
who O
has O
threatened O
to O
wipe O
Israel O
off O
the O
map O
, O
says O
his O
country O
' O
s O
nuclear O
programme O
is O
aimed O
at O
purely O
civilian O
use O
. O

Also O
during O
his O
talks O
with O
Prodi O
, O
Olmert O
will O
" O
underline O
the O
importance O
for O
Israel O
of O
Italy O
' O
s O
participation O
in O
the O
Interim O
United O
Nations O
Force O
in O
Lebanon O
( O
UNIFIL O
) O
, O
" O
Eisin O
said O
, O

Rome O
is O
to O
send O
2 O
, O
500 O
troops O
and O
take O
over O
command O
of O
the O
UN O
peacekeeping O
force O
in O
southern O
Lebanon O
, O
which O
was O
beefed O
up O
after O
a O
34 B-T
- I-T
day I-T
war O
between O
Israel O
and O
Hezbollah O
in O
July B-T
and O
August B-T
. O

As O
part O
of O
the O
UN O
force O
, O
German O
navy O
ships O
have O
been O
patrolling O
the O
Lebanese O
coast O
to O
prevent O
any O
arms O
smuggling O
into O
the O
country O
. O

Olmert O
will O
also O
raise O
possible O
ways O
of O
reviving O
dormant O
peace O
talks O
with O
the O
Palestinians O
, O
provided O
Europe O
continues O
to O
boycott O
the O
Hamas O
- O
led O
Palestinian O
government O
, O
Eisin O
said O
. O

" O
Germany O
, O
Italy O
and O
Europe O
in O
general O
have O
a O
role O
to O
play O
to O
advance O
the O
peace O
process O
, O
" O
Eisin O
said O
. O
" O
But O
there O
cannot O
be O
any O
recognition O
of O
the O
Hamas O
government O
as O
long O
as O
this O
movement O
does O
not O
recognize O
Israel O
and O
does O
not O
give O
up O
its O
mission O
to O
destroy O
it O
. O
" O

Although O
Olmert O
said O
in O
Berlin O
on O
Tuesday B-T
that O
Israel O
remained O
opposed O
to O
talks O
with O
Syria O
as O
" O
the O
time O
is O
not O
ripe O
" O
, O
Rome O
, O
which O
for O
its O
part O
favours O
dialogue O
with O
Damascus O
, O
is O
expected O
to O
discuss O
how O
European O
nations O
could O
play O
a O
role O
as O
an O
interface O
between O
the O
two O
camps O
. O

Italy O
too O
will O
urge O
Israel O
to O
agree O
to O
place O
the O
disputed O
Shebaa O
Farms O
area O
, O
a O
small O
corner O
of O
land O
sandwiched O
between O
Lebanon O
, O
Syria O
and O
Israel O
, O
under O
UN O
administration O
, O
Italian O
diplomatic O
sources O
said O
. O

The O
sources O
said O
this O
would O
bolster O
the O
hand O
of O
beleaguered O
Lebanese O
Prime O
Minister O
Fouad O
Siniora O
whose O
country O
has O
demanded O
sovereignty O
over O
the O
area O
since O
1967 B-T
, O
while O
Israel O
argues O
it O
is O
part O
of O
the O
Syrian O
Golan O
Heights O
annexed O
at O
the O
time O
. O

The O
UN O
has O
offered O
to O
administer O
the O
territory O
pending O
a O
settlement O
. O

" O
We O
will O
also O
seek O
how O
to O
develop O
the O
European O
observer O
mission O
at O
the O
Rafah O
border O
( O
between O
Gaza O
and O
Egypt O
) O
to O
guarantee O
better O
freedom O
of O
movement O
, O
" O
the O
Italian O
sources O
said O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051122 O
. O
0128 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
22 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Chinese O
FM O
has O
phone O
coversation O
with O
Syrian O
counterpart O

Chinese O
Foreign O
Minister O
Li O
Zhaoxing O
had O
a O
telephone O
conversation O
with O
his O
Syrian O
counterpart O
Faruk O
al O
- O
Shareh O
Tuesday B-T
night I-T
, O
according O
to O
the O
Chinese O
Foreign O
Ministry O
. O

The O
two O
exchanged O
views O
on O
regional O
issues O
, O
said O
a O
ministry O
press O
release O
without O
giving O
any O
details O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061201 O
. O
0018 O

BEIJING O
, O
Dec B-T
1 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

After O
2008 O
Olympics O
, O
China O
looking O
to O
host O
2014 O
World O
Cup O

China O
plans O
to O
apply O
to O
host O
the O
2014 O
World O
Cup O
as O
part O
of O
its O
efforts O
to O
continue O
attracting O
major O
international O
sporting O
events O
following O
the O
2008 O
Beijing O
Olympics O
, O
state O
press O
said O
Friday B-T
. O

" O
Following O
the O
2008 O
Beijing O
Olympics O
, O
our O
plan O
is O
to O
apply O
to O
host O
the O
2011 O
World O
Swimming O
Championships O
and O
the O
2014 O
World O
Cup O
, O
" O
the O
Beijing O
Times O
quoted O
Sun O
Kanglin O
, O
head O
of O
the O
Beijing O
Sports O
Bureau O
as O
saying O
. O

No O
other O
details O
of O
the O
bid O
were O
made O
available O
. O

Soccer O
' O
s O
ruling O
body O
FIFA O
has O
already O
announced O
that O
World O
Cup O
2014 O
, O
although O
a O
formal O
vote O
to O
determine O
the O
tournament O
hosts O
will O
be O
made O
at O
the O
FIFA O
Congress O
in O
2008 B-T
. O

Even O
if O
China O
has O
no O
chance O
for O
2014 B-T
, O
any O
potential O
bid O
could O
pave O
the O
way O
for O
the O
Asian O
nation O
to O
host O
a O
later O
World O
Cup O
event O
. O

China O
participated O
in O
the O
2002 O
World O
Cup O
in O
Japan O
and O
South O
Korea O
for O
the O
first O
- O
time O
- O
ever O
, O
but O
failed O
to O
qualify O
for O
the O
2006 O
edition O
in O
Germany O
. O

Under O
FIFA O
' O
s O
policy O
of O
rotating O
the O
World O
Cup O
between O
continents O
, O
South O
America O
is O
guaranteed O
the O
right O
to O
host O
the O
2014 O
finals O
, O
and O
Brazil O
has O
long O
been O
regarded O
as O
the O
front O
- O
runner O
. O

Argentina O
and O
Chile O
could O
co O
- O
host O
the O
2014 O
World O
Cup O
if O
Brazil O
was O
incapable O
of O
staging O
the O
greatest O
event O
in O
football O
, O
FIFA O
President O
Sepp O
Blatter O
was O
quoted O
as O
saying O
in O
April B-T
. O

China O
is O
fast O
gaining O
a O
reputation O
as O
being O
able O
to O
hold O
major O
world O
sporting O
events O
ahead O
of O
Beijing O
' O
s O
hosting O
of O
the O
2008 O
Olympics O
. O

The O
city O
has O
already O
won O
wide O
praise O
from O
International O
Olympic O
Committee O
chiefs O
for O
its O
preparations O
for O
2008 B-T
, O
while O
test O
events O
for O
the O
Games O
this B-T
year I-T
went O
smoothly O
. O

China O
also O
already O
hosts O
major O
golf O
, O
tennis O
and O
motor O
racing O
events O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051115 O
. O
0359 O

ATHENS O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
15 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

UN O
official O
urges O
Greece O
to O
protect O
rights O
of O
minors O

A O
UN O
senior O
official O
has O
warned O
Tuesday B-T
that O
some O
2 O
, O
000 O
children O
are O
drawn O
into O
child O
sex O
rings O
in O
Greece O
each B-T
year I-T
, O
adding O
that O
the O
Greek O
government O
must O
implement O
a O
national O
policy O
to O
protect O
the O
rights O
of O
minors O
. O

" O
Greece O
has O
made O
significant O
progress O
in O
the O
area O
of O
human O
rights O
during O
the B-T
last I-T
decade I-T
, O
but O
this O
has O
to O
be O
continued O
, O
especially O
as O
far O
as O
children O
' O
s O
rights O
are O
concerned O
, O
" O
said O
Juan O
Miguel O
Petit O
, O
the O
special O
rapporteur O
on O
the O
sale O
of O
children O
, O
child O
prostitution O
and O
child O
pornography O
for O
the O
UN O
High O
Commissioner O
for O
Human O
Rights O
, O
quoted O
by O
the O
local O
English O
- O
language O
daily O
Kathimerini O
. O

Concluding O
a O
six O
- O
day O
trip O
to O
Greece O
, O
the O
UN O
official O
highlighted O
shortcomings O
in O
Greece O
' O
s O
protection O
of O
minors O
, O
such O
as O
the O
conditions O
in O
which O
Gypsy O
children O
live O
near O
the O
center O
of O
Athens O
. O

The O
district O
is O
to O
be O
redeveloped O
into O
a O
new O
football O
stadium O
as O
home O
to O
Athens O
Panathinakos O
club O
, O
despite O
concerns O
of O
human O
rights O
groups O
over O
the O
forced O
relocation O
of O
families O
living O
in O
the O
area O
. O

The O
conditions O
children O
had O
to O
endure O
were O
unacceptable O
. O
Most O
of O
the O
400 O
children O
who O
left O
Albania O
on O
their O
own O
last B-T
year I-T
ended O
up O
in O
Greece O
, O
often O
with O
the O
help O
of O
traffickers O
, O
Petit O
said O
. O

The O
UN O
official O
recommended O
that O
the O
Albanian O
and O
Greek O
governments O
should O
cooperate O
more O
closely O
over O
the O
issue O
. O

He O
also O
advised O
the O
creation O
of O
a O
central O
body O
that O
would O
oversee O
the O
creation O
of O
a O
coherent O
policy O
on O
children O
' O
s O
rights O
in O
Greece O
, O
so O
the O
current O
overlapping O
between O
state O
organizations O
would O
be O
avoided O
. O

Meanwhile O
, O
Lambros O
Kanellopoulos O
, O
head O
of O
UNICEF O
' O
s O
office O
in O
Greece O
, O
revealed O
that O
research O
had O
shown O
some O
2 O
, O
000 O
children O
are O
being O
sexually O
exploited O
by O
organized O
gangs O
in O
various O
parts O
of O
the O
country O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051118 O
. O
0132 O

TIANJIN O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
18 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

China O
sees O
decline O
of O
computer O
virus O
infection O
ratio O

About O
80 O
percent O
of O
China O
' O
s O
computers O
have O
been O
infected O
with O
virus O
in O
2005 B-T
, O
8 O
percent O
lower O
than O
last B-T
year I-T
. O

This O
is O
the O
first O
time O
of O
drop O
for O
the O
PC O
virus O
infection O
ratio O
in O
China O
over O
the B-T
past I-T
five I-T
years I-T
, O
said O
sources O
with O
the O
Eighth O
International O
Conference O
of O
the O
Association O
of O
Anti O
Virus O
Asia O
Researchers O
( O
AVAR O
) O
here O
Friday B-T
. O

According O
to O
a O
latest O
survey O
conducted O
by O
the O
Ministry O
of O
Public O
Securities O
, O
China O
' O
s O
companies O
, O
institutions O
and O
government O
offices O
have O
more O
access O
to O
the O
information O
technology O
this B-T
year I-T
. O

They O
all O
strengthened O
the O
work O
concerning O
information O
network O
safety O
and O
are O
rewarded O
with O
a O
drop O
of O
virus O
infection O
ratio O
, O
said O
Zhang O
Jian O
, O
deputy O
director O
of O
the O
National O
Computer O
Virus O
Emergency O
Response O
Center O
. O

The O
survey O
also O
said O
that O
China O
is O
not O
hit O
by O
serious O
virus O
so O
far O
this B-T
year I-T
. O

According O
to O
the O
analysis O
of O
types O
of O
computer O
virus O
, O
the O
worm O
virus O
infection O
ratio O
is O
obviously O
higher O
than O
others O
, O
accounting O
for O
74 O
percent O
. O

Zhang O
said O
that O
China O
still O
lacks O
professionals O
of O
network O
safety O
maintenance O
. O

He O
urged O
the O
governments O
at O
all O
levels O
to O
provide O
more O
training O
chances O
for O
the O
related O
workers O
and O
specialists O
and O
increase O
investment O
for O
the O
development O
of O
anti O
- O
virus O
technologies O
and O
software O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970421 O
. O
0447 O

UNITED O
NATIONS O
, O
April B-T
21 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Baker O
launches O
new O
peace O
bid O
in O
forgotten O
West O
Sahara O
conflict O

UN O
envoy O
James O
Baker O
launches O
a O
fresh O
initiative O
on O
Western O
Sahara O
beginning O
Tuesday B-T
, O
in O
a O
bid O
to O
revive O
plans O
for O
a O
long O
- O
delayed O
political O
settlement O
for O
the O
disputed O
mineral O
- O
rich O
territory O
. O

Baker O
, O
who O
was O
named O
the O
personal O
envoy O
of O
UN O
Secretary O
General O
Kofi O
Annan O
for O
Western O
Sahara O
last B-T
month I-T
, O
made O
few O
predictions O
on O
what O
he O
hoped O
to O
achieve O
before O
his O
departure O
. O

During O
a O
visit O
here O
for O
consultations O
earlier O
this B-T
month I-T
, O
the O
former O
US O
secretary O
of O
state O
said O
it O
was O
premature O
to O
envisage O
changes O
to O
a O
UN O
peace O
plan O
providing O
for O
a O
referendum O
on O
the O
future O
of O
the O
territory O
claimed O
by O
both O
Morocco O
and O
the O
Algerian O
- O
backed O
Polisario O
Front O
. O

The O
UN O
- O
proposed O
referendum O
would O
determine O
whether O
Western O
Sahara O
should O
become O
part O
of O
Morocco O
or O
an O
independent O
state O
. O

With O
a O
UN O
- O
monitored O
ceasefire O
holding O
since O
1991 B-T
, O
a O
resolution O
to O
the O
conflict O
which O
has O
festered O
for O
22 B-T
years I-T
since O
Spain O
' O
s O
withdrawal O
from O
the O
territory O
has O
been O
put O
on O
the O
international O
community O
' O
s O
back O
burner O
for O
the B-T
past I-T
year I-T
. O

During O
his O
mission O
, O
the O
66 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Texan O
diplomat O
will O
hold O
talks O
with O
Moroccan O
and O
Polisario O
Front O
leaders O
and O
meet O
with O
officials O
in O
Algiers O
and O
in O
Nouakchott O
, O
the O
capital O
of O
neighboring O
Mauritania O
. O

UN O
spokesman O
Juan O
Carlos O
Brandt O
said O
Baker O
would O
make O
" O
a O
fresh O
assessment O
of O
the O
situation O
" O
during O
his O
mission O
, O
expected O
to O
last O
until O
the B-T
end I-T
of I-T
the I-T
month I-T
. O

Western O
diplomats O
here O
said O
Monday B-T
that O
Baker O
could O
assess O
the O
chances O
of O
a O
resumption O
of O
direct O
talks O
between O
the O
Polisario O
Front O
and O
Morocco O
, O
which O
could O
move O
forward O
the O
peace O
process O
. O

However O
Morocco O
publicly O
insists O
that O
developments O
must O
take O
place O
within O
the O
framework O
of O
the O
UN O
peace O
plan O
. O

UN O
plans O
for O
the O
identification O
of O
voters O
in O
the O
referendum O
have O
been O
on O
hold O
for O
the B-T
past I-T
12 I-T
months I-T
amid O
disagreements O
over O
who O
would O
be O
entitled O
to O
take O
part O
. O

Polisario O
stands O
by O
the O
1974 O
census O
carried O
out O
by O
Spain O
, O
the O
former O
colonial O
ruler O
, O
fixing O
the O
number O
of O
Western O
Sahara O
voters O
at O
around O
74 B-T
, I-T
000 I-T
. O
But O
Morocco O
wants O
to O
add O
tens O
of O
thousands O
of O
others O
who O
according O
to O
Moroccan O
officials O
fled O
the O
Spanish O
colony O
to O
seek O
refuge O
in O
Morocco O
. O

" O
If O
there O
could O
be O
a O
resolution O
of O
this O
problem O
, O
there O
could O
be O
not O
just O
economic O
benefits O
for O
the O
region O
and O
for O
the O
parties O
, O
involved O
but O
political O
benefits O
as O
well O
, O
" O
says O
Baker O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061204 O
. O
0579 O

MOSCOW O
, O
Dec B-T
4 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

URGENT O
Ex O
- O
Russian O
PM O
released O
from O
hospital O
: O
report O

Former O
Russian O
prime O
minister O
Yegor O
Gaidar O
, O
the O
victim O
of O
a O
suspicious O
poisoning O
last B-T
week I-T
, O
has O
been O
released O
from O
hospital O
in O
Moscow O
, O
the O
Interfax O
news O
agency O
reported O
late O
Monday B-T
quoting O
his O
spokesman O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051103 O
. O
0356 O

YANGON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
4 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Myanmar O
stresses O
eye O
care O
services O
in O
rural O
areas O

The O
Myanmar O
health O
authorities O
have O
stressed O
the O
need O
for O
eye O
care O
services O
in O
the O
country O
especially O
in O
the O
rural O
areas O
where O
the O
majority O
of O
the O
blind O
exist O
, O
a O
state O
- O
run O
newspaper O
reported O
Friday B-T
. O

It O
was O
emphasized O
at O
a O
conference O
of O
eye O
ophthalmologists O
which O
is O
underway O
, O
the O
New O
Light O
of O
Myanmar O
said O
. O

In O
Myanmar O
, O
there O
are O
some O
major O
eye O
diseases O
in O
prevalence O
such O
as O
cataract O
, O
trachoma O
and O
vitamin O
- O
C O
deficiency O
which O
can O
cause O
loss O
of O
sight O
. O

Meanwhile O
, O
Myanmar O
has O
since O
1999 B-T
launched O
a O
campaign O
aimed O
at O
bringing O
down O
the O
rate O
of O
avoidable O
blindness O
to O
less O
than O
0 O
. O
5 O
percent O
of O
its O
population O
as O
part O
of O
its O
efforts O
to O
eliminate O
such O
avoidable O
blindness O
by O
2020 O
set O
by O
the O
World O
Health O
Organization O
. O

Under O
a O
memorandum O
of O
understanding O
signed O
in O
2003 B-T
, O
a O
" O
Vision O
Myanmar O
Program O
" O
has O
also O
been O
established O
by O
the O
Myanamr O
health O
ministry O
and O
the O
Royal O
Adelaide O
Hospital O
of O
Australia O
to O
provide O
opportunities O
for O
Myanmar O
eye O
surgeons O
to O
receive O
post O
- O
graduate O
training O
at O
the O
Australian O
hospital O
. O

The O
program O
provides O
for O
Australian O
specialists O
to O
visit O
Myanmar O
annually O
to O
conduct O
training O
at O
two O
eye O
hospitals O
in O
Yangon O
and O
Mandalay O
where O
about O
7 O
, O
000 O
to O
1 O
, O
200 O
surgical O
operations O
on O
eye O
patients O
are O
respectively O
carried O
out O
each B-T
year I-T
. O

In O
fighting O
blindness O
, O
Myanmar O
has O
also O
since O
1964 B-T
launched O
trachoma O
control O
and O
blindness O
program O
to O
tackle O
the O
problem O
of O
blindness O
and O
the O
incidence O
of O
trachoma O
is O
being O
brought O
down O
from O
43 O
percent O
to O
less O
than O
4 O
percent O
. O

Official O
statistics O
show O
that O
a O
total O
of O
46 O
, O
530 O
eye O
patients O
were O
cured O
under O
Mynamar O
' O
s O
blindness O
control O
program O
which O
was O
implemented O
from O
1989 B-T
to O
1999 O
. O
Of O
them O
34 O
, O
440 O
were O
cured O
of O
cataract O
and O
12 O
, O
090 O
cured O
of O
glaucoma O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051216 O
. O
0335 O

ISTANBUL O
, O
Dec B-T
16 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

Turkey O
' O
s O
top O
mafia O
boss O
jailed O
for O
14 O
years O

Turkey O
' O
s O
most O
notorious O
mafia O
leader O
was O
sentenced O
Friday B-T
to O
more O
than O
14 O
years O
in O
jail O
for O
a O
gang O
- O
related O
attack O
on O
a O
cafe O
but O
told O
his O
relatives O
" O
it O
is O
not O
important O
, O
do O
not O
be O
sad O
, O
" O
the O
Anatolia O
news O
agency O
said O
. O

Alaattin O
Cakici O
was O
convicted O
of O
ordering O
an O
armed O
attack O
in O
2000 B-T
that O
injured O
15 O
people O
at O
a O
cafe O
frequented O
by O
a O
rival O
gang O
, O
and O
sentenced O
to O
14 B-T
years I-T
, I-T
nine I-T
months I-T
and O
20 B-T
days O
. O

" O
It O
is O
not O
important O
. O
Do O
not O
be O
sad O
, O
" O
the O
52 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
told O
relatives O
as O
he O
was O
being O
escorted O
out O
of O
the O
court O
building O
, O
Anatolia O
said O
. O

It O
was O
the O
second O
time O
the O
mafia O
boss O
had O
been O
tried O
over O
the O
attack O
. O

He O
had O
already O
spent O
three B-T
years I-T
in O
jail O
, O
but O
the O
appeals O
court O
overturned O
part O
of O
the O
ruling O
and O
asked O
that O
his O
sentence O
be O
increased O
. O

Cakici O
is O
a O
former O
far O
- O
right O
militant O
turned O
mob O
leader O
in O
the B-T
1990s I-T
. O
He O
claims O
to O
have O
links O
with O
the O
country O
' O
s O
intelligence O
services O
and O
to O
have O
enjoyed O
protection O
by O
politicians O
. O

Cakici O
, O
who O
was O
extradited O
from O
Austria O
last B-T
year I-T
, O
is O
indicted O
in O
five O
other O
cases O
. O

He O
risks O
life O
imprisonment O
for O
two O
of O
them O
- O
- O
for O
ordering O
the O
murders O
of O
his O
wife O
1995 O
and O
of O
four O
other O
people O
, O
including O
his O
former O
right O
- O
hand O
man O
, O
in O
1996 B-T
. O

He O
will O
also O
stand O
trial O
for O
his O
role O
in O
the O
failed O
privatization O
of O
the O
public O
Turkbank O
in O
1998 B-T
, O
which O
toppled O
the O
government O
then O
in O
power O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970411 O
. O
0052 O

SYDNEY O
, O
April B-T
11 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Quit O
or O
we O
' O
ll O
vote O
you O
out O
, O
Australian O
PM O
tells O
embattled O
senator O

Australian O
Prime O
Minister O
John O
Howard O
warned O
Friday B-T
that O
embattled O
senate O
deputy O
president O
Mal O
Colston O
would O
be O
voted O
out O
if O
he O
does O
not O
resign O
amid O
deepening O
scandal O
by O
the O
May B-T
6 I-T
resumption O
of O
parliament O
. O

Howard O
earlier O
this B-T
week I-T
bowed O
to O
intensifying O
pressure O
to O
dump O
the O
senator O
over O
fraudulent O
travel O
allowance O
claims O
and O
called O
for O
his O
resignation O
saying O
he O
had O
referred O
the O
allegations O
to O
police O
for O
investigation O
. O

But O
the O
prime O
minister O
went O
a O
step O
further O
Friday B-T
and O
told O
a O
television O
chat O
show O
audience O
: O
" O
I O
' O
m O
sure O
he O
' O
ll O
be O
gone O
as O
deputy O
president O
before O
the O
senate O
resumes O
and O
if O
he O
' O
s O
not O
we O
' O
ll O
vote O
him O
out O
. O
" O

He O
also O
promised O
to O
change O
the O
rules O
for O
travelling O
allowances O
to O
make O
the O
system O
more O
transparent O
, O
adding O
he O
was O
" O
quite O
serious O
" O
about O
devising O
a O
system O
that O
is O
as O
fraud O
- O
proof O
as O
possible O
. O

Clearly O
concerned O
about O
the O
damage O
the O
scandal O
appears O
to O
be O
causing O
the O
government O
, O
he O
said O
: O
" O
I O
repeat O
, O
99 O
percent O
of O
members O
of O
parliament O
on O
both O
sides O
are O
very O
honest O
, O
hardworking O
men O
and O
women O
. O
" O

Colston O
, O
whose O
Brisbane O
home O
has O
been O
besieged O
by O
media O
crews O
for O
two B-T
days I-T
, O
was O
taken O
to O
hospital O
late O
Thursday B-T
suffering O
from O
what O
doctors O
would O
describe O
only O
as O
" O
a O
medical O
condition O
. O
" O

" O
Senator O
Colston O
has O
allowed O
me O
to O
make O
a O
statement O
that O
says O
he O
' O
s O
here O
with O
a O
medical O
condition O
, O
and O
he O
' O
s O
here O
to O
rest O
, O
" O
a O
spokesman O
said O
. O

The O
ex O
- O
Labor O
senator O
turned O
independent O
was O
appointed O
to O
the O
key O
senate O
job O
eight B-T
months I-T
ago I-T
as O
a O
reward O
for O
giving O
Howard O
' O
s O
conservative O
coalition O
the O
majority O
it O
lacked O
in O
the O
upper O
house O
by O
quitting O
Labor O
and O
switching O
his O
vote O
. O

Howard O
' O
s O
decision O
followed O
a O
statement O
by O
Colston O
staffer O
Christine O
Smith O
retracting O
earlier O
evidence O
accepting O
responsibility O
for O
almost O
7 O
, O
000 O
dollars O
( O
5 O
, O
500 O
US O
) O
misclaimed O
for O
travel O
allowances O
" O
due O
to O
sloppy O
bookingkeeping O
. O
" O

Colston O
had O
to O
repay O
the O
cash O
, O
which O
had O
been O
claimed O
for O
43 O
nights O
in O
Canberra O
when O
he O
was O
actually O
at O
home O
in O
Brisbane O
. O

It O
also O
emerged O
that O
he O
was O
forced O
in O
1983 B-T
to O
repay O
more O
than O
6 O
, O
000 O
dollars O
misclaimed O
for O
charter O
air O
travel O
from O
a O
company O
owned O
by O
his O
wife O
, O
and O
in O
1982 B-T
repaid O
nearly O
4 O
, O
200 O
in O
misclaimed O
travel O
expenses O
. O

The O
Labor O
opposition O
and O
centrist O
Democrats O
, O
who O
along O
with O
a O
handful O
of O
independents O
hold O
the O
balance O
of O
power O
in O
the O
Senate O
, O
want O
Colston O
to O
resign O
from O
politics O
altogether O
- O
- O
which O
would O
rob O
Howard O
of O
his O
upper O
house O
majority O
. O

Howard O
refused O
for O
weeks B-T
to O
dump O
Colston O
, O
but O
explained O
Smith O
' O
s O
new O
statement O
changed O
" O
the O
basis O
on O
which O
the O
matter O
had O
been O
seen O
previously O
. O
" O

The O
prime O
minister O
' O
s O
announcement O
came O
only O
hours O
after O
the O
government O
admitted O
fraud O
charges O
had O
also O
been O
laid O
against O
a O
government O
MP O
and O
a O
former O
government O
senator O
over O
similar O
alleged O
irregularities O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051209 O
. O
0149 O

LONDON O
, O
Dec B-T
10 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

Santa O
sacked O
for O
being O
too O
nice O
to O
children O

A O
British O
Santa O
got O
the O
sack O
and O
was O
booted O
out O
of O
his O
grotto O
by O
bouncers O
for O
spending O
too O
long O
chatting O
to O
children O
, O
a O
newspaper O
reported O
Saturday B-T
. O

It O
was O
more O
" O
Go O
! O
Go O
! O
Go O
! O
" O
than O
" O
Ho O
! O
Ho O
! O
Ho O
! O
" O
for O
actor O
Alan O
Seymour O
, O
57 O
, O
who O
was O
told O
to O
clear O
off O
when O
he O
refused O
to O
stick O
to O
a O
strict O
30 O
- O
second O
time O
limit O
with O
each O
Santa O
- O
loving O
child O
, O
the O
Daily O
Mirror O
said O
. O

The O
sessions O
cost O
17 O
. O
50 O
pounds O
( O
26 O
euros O
, O
30 O
. O
70 O
dollars O
) O
each O
. O
The O
actor O
was O
accused O
of O
losing O
customers O
because O
bored O
children O
were O
spending O
too O
long O
queuing O
up O
for O
the O
grotto O
. O

Seymour O
, O
complete O
with O
white O
beard O
and O
red O
suit O
, O
claims O
he O
was O
frogmarched O
out O
by O
the O
heavies O
as O
he O
got O
one O
sack O
more O
than O
he O
bargained O
for O
. O

" O
There O
' O
s O
no O
way O
it O
can O
be O
done O
in O
30 B-T
seconds I-T
. O
People O
were O
complaining O
they O
didn O
' O
t O
have O
long O
enough O
with O
Santa O
, O
" O
he O
told O
the O
tabloid O
. O

" O
Children O
were O
bringing O
me O
lists O
they O
had O
written O
. O
They O
also O
wanted O
to O
have O
their O
picture O
taken O
, O
" O
he O
explained O
. O

" O
I O
was O
hustled O
out O
by O
bouncers O
. O
It O
was O
very O
humiliating O
. O
I O
was O
trying O
to O
do O
my O
job O
as O
best O
I O
could O
for O
the O
children O
. O
They O
' O
re O
being O
ripped O
off O
. O
" O

Seymour O
' O
s O
turn O
as O
Santa O
went O
up O
the O
chimney O
after O
just O
one B-T
hour I-T
at O
the O
Santa O
Land O
exhibition O
at O
Earl O
' O
s O
Court O
in O
central O
London O
. O

Promoters O
Dreamtime O
Events O
said O
: O
" O
He O
was O
taking O
about O
10 B-T
minutes I-T
with O
each O
family O
. O
We O
find O
people O
would O
rather O
have O
a O
brief O
visit O
than O
spend O
hours O
in O
a O
queue O
. O
" O

However O
, O
it O
seems O
the O
spirit O
of O
Christmas O
is O
not O
completely O
dead O
. O

The O
firm O
claimed O
Seymour O
had O
been O
offered O
alternative O
Santa O
shifts O
in O
the O
region O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061120 O
. O
0161 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
20 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

death O

The O
Chinese O
government O
will O
tighten O
safety O
provisions O
in O
elementary O
and O
secondary O
schools O
after O
six O
children O
were O
trampled O
to O
death O
at O
a O
school O
in O
east O
China O
. O

Local O
education O
departments O
should O
conduct O
thorough O
inspections O
of O
corridors O
and O
stairways O
and O
check O
school O
buildings O
, O
canteens O
, O
dormitories O
and O
bathrooms O
, O
Education O
Minister O
Zhou O
Ji O
said O
Monday B-T
at O
a O
teleconference O
on O
the O
school O
administration O
. O

Six O
middle O
school O
students O
, O
five O
boys O
and O
a O
girl O
aged O
12 O
and O
13 B-T
, O
died O
and O
39 O
were O
injured O
in O
east O
China O
' O
s O
Jiangxi O
Province O
on O
Saturday B-T
evening I-T
. O

" O
The O
root O
of O
the O
accident O
lies O
in O
the O
school O
' O
s O
faulty O
management O
, O
" O
Zhou O
said O
. O
" O
The O
accident O
has O
taught O
us O
a O
hard O
lesson O
, O
and O
exposed O
serious O
safety O
risks O
in O
schools O
. O
" O

The O
ministry O
would O
evaluate O
the O
work O
of O
school O
principals O
, O
who O
played O
a O
key O
role O
in O
safety O
and O
had O
ultimate O
responsibility O
for O
safety O
administration O
, O
Zhou O
said O
. O

Principals O
who O
failed O
to O
meet O
the O
standards O
of O
their O
posts O
would O
be O
demoted O
and O
those O
whose O
dereliction O
of O
duty O
or O
misconduct O
caused O
accidents O
will O
be O
seriously O
punished O
, O
he O
said O
. O

The O
local O
government O
of O
Jiujiang O
City O
, O
where O
the O
tragedy O
occurred O
, O
appears O
to O
be O
holding O
the O
school O
responsible O
for O
the O
incident O
. O
The O
school O
principal O
has O
been O
detained O
by O
the O
local O
authorities O
. O

According O
to O
the O
ministry O
, O
China O
has O
more O
than O
450 O
, O
000 O
elementary O
and O
secondAcoordingary O
schools O
with O
more O
than O
210 O
million O
students O
and O
more O
than O
120 O
, O
000 O
kindergartens O
with O
22 O
million O
children O
. O

Zhou O
also O
called O
for O
immediate O
measures O
to O
eliminate O
safety O
risks O
involving O
food O
poisoning O
, O
student O
fights O
and O
other O
mass O
incidents O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061122 O
. O
0253 O

LAGOS O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
22 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

One O
hostage O
killed O
in O
rescue O
operation O
in O
south O
Nigeria O

One O
foreign O
oil O
worker O
was O
killed O
and O
another O
injured O
on O
Wednesday B-T
in O
a O
hostage O
rescue O
mission O
launched O
by O
the O
Nigerian O
military O
. O

They O
were O
among O
the O
seven O
oil O
workers O
taken O
hostage O
by O
gunmen O
from O
an O
oil O
installation O
in O
south O
Nigeria O
on O
early B-T
Wednesday I-T
. O
The O
other O
five O
were O
freed O
in O
the O
operation O
. O

No O
details O
of O
the O
dead O
and O
the O
wounded O
were O
available O
now B-T
. O

Occupying O
oil O
facilities O
or O
taking O
oil O
workers O
hostage O
is O
common O
in O
southern O
Nigeria O
as O
local O
people O
are O
angry O
for O
not O
benefiting O
from O
oil O
exploration O
and O
instead O
suffer O
from O
pollution O
discharged O
from O
the O
industry O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061218 O
. O
0011 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
Dec B-T
18 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

by O
Maxim O
Kniazkov O

Newly O
- O
minted O
US O
Defense O
Secretary O
Robert O
Gates O
takes O
control O
of O
the O
Department O
of O
Defense O
Monday B-T
, O
facing O
deepening O
divisions O
among O
government O
officials O
and O
policy O
experts O
about O
handling O
violence O
- O
torn O
Iraq O
. O

Gates O
, O
a O
63 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
seasoned O
Washington O
insider O
who O
owes O
much O
of O
his O
career O
to O
president O
George O
Bush O
, O
the O
father O
of O
the O
current B-T
US O
leader O
, O
will O
be O
sworn O
in O
at O
a O
Pentagon O
ceremony O
just O
three B-T
days I-T
after O
his O
predecessor O
, O
Donald O
Rumsfeld O
, O
who O
is O
blamed O
for O
the O
current O
mess O
in O
Iraq O
, O
was O
given O
a O
full O
- O
honors O
send O
- O
off O
. O

The O
former O
Central O
Intelligence O
Agency O
director O
, O
known O
for O
his O
professionalism O
more O
than O
political O
skills O
, O
was O
offered O
the O
job O
one B-T
day I-T
after O
US O
voters O
, O
angry O
over O
the O
gruesome O
Iraqi O
carnage O
, O
stripped O
the O
Republican O
Party O
of O
its O
majority O
in O
both O
chambers O
of O
Congress O
in O
the O
November B-T
7 I-T
elections O
. O

Shortly O
thereafter O
, O
the O
Iraq O
Study O
Group O
, O
a O
bipartisan O
panel O
of O
foreign O
policy O
luminaries O
, O
declared O
that O
the O
situation O
in O
Iraq O
was O
" O
grave O
and O
deteriorating O
" O
and O
recommended O
wrapping O
up O
US O
combat O
operations O
there O
by O
early B-T
2008 I-T
. O

President O
George O
W O
. O
Bush O
, O
who O
has O
withheld O
a O
wholesale O
endorsement O
of O
the O
report O
, O
is O
expected O
to O
announced O
a O
new O
Iraq O
policy O
early B-T
next I-T
year I-T
. O

Gates O
, O
who O
was O
confirmed O
in O
his O
new O
job O
by O
an O
overwhelming O
95 O
- O
2 O
US O
Senate O
vote O
on O
December B-T
7 I-T
, O
is O
likely O
to O
be O
involved O
in O
shaping O
this O
new O
strategy O
, O
but O
how O
much O
exactly O
remains O
unknown O
. O

" O
There O
are O
a O
lot O
of O
people O
who O
are O
going O
to O
be O
involved O
in O
the O
process O
, O
" O
White O
House O
spokesman O
Tony O
Snow O
said O
evasively O
when O
asked O
on O
Friday B-T
about O
Gates O
' O
s O
future O
role O
. O

" O
But O
, O
ultimately O
, O
" O
added O
the O
press O
secretary O
, O
the O
president O
" O
is O
the O
one O
who O
has O
to O
make O
the O
important O
decisions O
. O
" O

Options O
under O
consideration O
reportedly O
include O
boosting O
the O
number O
of O
US O
soldiers O
in O
Iraq O
by O
between O
20 B-T
, I-T
000 I-T
and O
50 B-T
, I-T
000 I-T
to O
secure O
its O
chaotic O
capital O
, O
forge O
an O
alliance O
between O
moderate O
Iraqi O
Shiites O
and O
Sunnis O
at O
the O
expense O
of O
radicals O
on O
both O
sides O
, O
or O
even O
throwing O
the O
US O
lot O
with O
majority O
Shiites O
. O

But O
advocates O
of O
the O
" O
victory O
- O
still O
- O
possible O
" O
approach O
received O
a O
bucketful O
of O
cold O
water O
Sunday B-T
from O
one O
of O
the O
chief O
architects O
of O
the O
allied O
victory O
in O
the O
1991 O
Gulf O
War O
, O
former O
chairman O
of O
the O
Joint O
Chiefs O
of O
Staff O
Colin O
Powell O
. O

Powell O
, O
who O
later O
went O
on O
the O
become O
secretary O
of O
state O
when O
the O
United O
States O
invaded O
Iraq O
, O
said O
that O
" O
we O
are O
losing O
" O
the O
war O
because O
US O
troops O
have O
been O
unable O
to O
quell O
the O
insurgency O
and O
stave O
off O
sectarian O
violence O
. O

" O
If O
victory O
means O
you O
have O
gotten O
rid O
of O
every O
insurgent O
, O
you O
have O
peace O
throughout O
the O
country O
, O
I O
don O
' O
t O
see O
that O
in O
the O
cards O
right O
now B-T
, O
" O
the O
retired O
general O
told O
CBS O
News O
. O

And O
he O
dismissed O
as O
unrealistic O
plans O
for O
throwing O
more O
troops O
into O
Iraq O
, O
arguing O
that O
" O
the O
American O
army O
isn O
' O
t O
large O
enough O
to O
secure O
Baghdad O
. O
" O

Senate O
Democratic O
Leader O
Harry O
Reid O
for O
his O
part O
indicated O
he O
would O
be O
willing O
to O
support O
a O
troop O
increase O
only O
as O
a O
stop O
- O
gap O
measure O
tied O
to O
" O
a O
program O
to O
get O
us O
out O
of O
there O
. O
. O
. O
by O
this O
time O
next B-T
year I-T
. O
" O

Supporters O
of O
sending O
more O
troops O
to O
Iraq O
, O
which O
also O
include O
Republican O
Senator O
John O
McCain O
, O
a O
potential O
2008 O
presidential O
candidate O
, O
also O
face O
rising O
public O
opposition O
. O

A O
Los O
Angeles O
Times O
/ O
Bloomberg O
opinion O
pull O
conducted O
on O
December B-T
8 I-T
- I-T
11 I-T
found O
that O
59 O
percent O
of O
Americans O
believed O
that O
Bush O
should O
adopt O
the O
Iraq O
Study O
Group O
' O
s O
recommendation O
of O
reducing O
American O
troops O
by O
early B-T
2008 I-T
. O

A O
similar O
survey O
conducted O
by O
ABC O
News O
and O
The O
Washington O
Post O
showed O
that O
only O
17 O
percent O
of O
respondents O
supported O
the O
idea O
of O
boosting O
troop O
levels O
while O
52 O
percent O
opposed O
it O
. O

Some O
of O
non O
- O
governmental O
policy O
experts O
, O
meanwhile O
, O
have O
come O
to O
the O
conclusion O
the O
United O
States O
has O
now O
simply O
run O
out O
of O
good O
options O
. O

" O
US O
policy O
in O
Iraq O
must O
come O
to O
grip O
with O
two O
realities O
: O
Iraq O
is O
in O
a O
civil O
war O
, O
and O
Iraq O
is O
a O
failed O
state O
, O
" O
Carlos O
Pascual O
and O
Kenneth O
Pollack O
, O
two O
top O
Brookings O
Institution O
foreign O
policy O
experts O
wrote O
earlier B-T
this I-T
month I-T
. O

AFP_ENG_19970409 O
. O
0436 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
April B-T
9 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Hong O
Kong O
democracy O
leader O
scoffs O
at O
fundraising O
limits O

Hong O
Kong O
democracy O
leader O
Martin O
Lee O
scoffed O
at O
draft O
regulations O
Wednesday B-T
that O
would O
bar O
Hong O
Kong O
politicians O
from O
accepting O
funds O
from O
abroad O
after O
the O
territory O
reverts O
to O
China O
in O
July B-T
. O

Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
pro O
- O
China O
leader O
in O
waiting O
, O
Tung O
Chee O
- O
hwa O
, O
" O
is O
really O
the O
guilty O
party O
in O
this O
regard O
, O
" O
Lee O
, O
in O
Washington O
as O
part O
of O
a O
15 O
- O
stop O
North O
American O
speaking O
and O
fundraising O
tour O
, O
told O
reporters O
here O
. O

Lee O
also O
rejected O
any O
link O
between O
suspected O
Chinese O
efforts O
to O
funnel O
illicit O
donations O
last B-T
year I-T
to O
US O
congressional O
campaigns O
- O
- O
allegedly O
to O
influence O
US O
China O
policy O
- O
- O
and O
his O
own O
foreign O
fundraising O
for O
the O
Hong O
Kong O
Democratic O
Party O
. O

Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
future O
government O
, O
unlike O
the O
US O
Congress O
, O
" O
will O
have O
no O
say O
in O
defense O
and O
foreign O
affairs O
, O
" O
Lee O
said O
, O
noting O
that O
his O
party O
will O
have O
no O
role O
in O
government O
after O
Beijing O
regains O
control O
of O
Hong O
Kong O
on O
July B-T
1 I-T
. O

" O
They O
are O
so O
afraid O
of O
us O
. O
. O
. O
because O
we O
have O
the O
support O
of O
the O
people O
of O
Hong O
Kong O
, O
" O
the O
Democratic O
Party O
leader O
said O
. O
" O
They O
will O
do O
anything O
to O
stop O
us O
. O
" O

Lee O
estimated O
that O
his O
own O
foreign O
fundraising O
efforts O
since O
March B-T
in O
Canada O
and O
the O
United O
States O
had O
netted O
2 O
. O
5 O
million O
Hong O
Kong O
dollars O
( O
about O
320 O
, O
000 O
dollars O
US O
) O
. O

In O
Hong O
Kong O
, O
Tung O
' O
s O
office O
issued O
a O
" O
consultation O
document O
" O
arguing O
that O
Hong O
Kong O
faced O
a O
legal O
vacuum O
after O
the O
July B-T
1 I-T
handover O
and O
was O
" O
extremely O
vulnerable O
to O
external O
forces O
" O
that O
required O
firm O
laws O
. O

The O
paper O
proposed O
barring O
local O
political O
groups O
from O
" O
financial O
assistance O
or O
loans O
of O
any O
kind O
" O
from O
any O
alien O
or O
foreign O
organization O
, O
a O
reference O
that O
includes O
Taiwan O
individuals O
and O
groups O
, O
it O
said O
. O

It O
also O
proposed O
empowering O
the O
government O
to O
outlaw O
parties O
based O
on O
national O
security O
considerations O
and O
the O
police O
to O
bar O
political O
ralllies O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970401 O
. O
0099 O

BEIJING O
, O
April B-T
1 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

China O
warns O
US O
after O
Gingrich O
comments O
on O
Taiwan O

Beijing O
warned O
the O
United O
States O
Tuesday B-T
against O
interfering O
in O
Taiwan O
after O
US O
House O
of O
Representative O
speaker O
Newt O
Gingrich O
said O
Washington O
would O
defend O
the O
island O
against O
attacks O
from O
Beijing O
. O

" O
The O
controversy O
between O
China O
and O
the O
United O
States O
on O
the O
Taiwan O
issue O
revolves O
around O
one O
point O
which O
is O
US O
interference O
, O
" O
said O
Chinese O
foreign O
ministry O
spokesman O
Shen O
Guofang O
. O

" O
The O
US O
government O
and O
the O
Congress O
have O
expressed O
their O
support O
for O
the O
' O
one O
China O
' O
policy O
. O
. O
. O
and O
we O
hope O
that O
the O
United O
States O
will O
keep O
its O
agreements O
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O

Gingrich O
said O
Sunday B-T
in O
Shanghai O
after O
meeting O
Wang O
Daohan O
, O
a O
top O
Chinese O
official O
on O
relations O
between O
China O
and O
Taiwan O
, O
that O
the O
United O
States O
would O
defend O
Taiwan O
if O
China O
launched O
a O
military O
assault O
to O
recover O
the O
island O
. O

" O
We O
understand O
that O
in O
principle O
you O
will O
not O
renounce O
your O
right O
to O
use O
force O
. O
We O
want O
you O
to O
understand O
that O
we O
will O
defend O
Taiwan O
, O
" O
Gingrich O
said O
. O

" O
This O
is O
not O
waving O
a O
saber O
. O
It O
' O
s O
just O
a O
reminder O
that O
it O
is O
in O
the O
scabbard O
and O
available O
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O

Shen O
reiterated O
China O
' O
s O
hopes O
for O
a O
peaceful O
reunification O
with O
Taiwan O
, O
but O
warned O
: O
" O
If O
the O
question O
of O
independence O
arises O
on O
the O
island O
or O
a O
foreign O
force O
interferes O
in O
Taiwan O
issues O
, O
we O
will O
be O
forced O
to O
adopt O
other O
necessary O
measures O
. O
" O

He O
also O
attacked O
Washington O
for O
its O
continued O
arms O
sales O
to O
Taipei O
. O

" O
These O
give O
clear O
support O
and O
encouragement O
to O
separtist O
forces O
on O
the O
island O
and O
retards O
the O
process O
of O
peaceful O
reunification O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

However O
, O
Gingrich O
then O
toned O
down O
his O
statements O
Tuesday B-T
when O
speaking O
to O
journalists O
in O
Tokyo O
and O
emphasized O
that O
Washington O
would O
stick O
to O
its O
' O
one O
China O
' O
policy O
. O

Noting O
Chinese O
leaders O
had O
told O
him O
they O
would O
not O
resort O
to O
military O
force O
easily O
, O
Gingrich O
said O
: O
" O
So O
, O
we O
wouldn O
' O
t O
have O
to O
defend O
. O
" O

Gingrich O
is O
to O
pay O
a O
short O
visit O
to O
Taiwan O
Wednesday B-T
in O
which O
he O
is O
to O
meet O
with O
President O
Lee O
Teng O
- O
hui O
and O
Premier O
Lien O
Chan O
, O
a O
Taiwan O
presidential O
spokesman O
said O
Tuesday B-T
. O

They O
are O
to O
discuss O
US O
- O
Taiwan O
relations O
, O
cross O
- O
strait O
ties O
and O
other O
issues O
of O
mutual O
interest O
, O
he O
said O
. O

Taiwan O
split O
from O
mainland O
China O
in O
1949 B-T
when O
the O
defeated O
Nationalist O
government O
fled O
there O
after O
a O
bitter O
civil O
war O
. O

Last B-T
year I-T
, O
Beijing O
launched O
a O
series O
of O
intimidatory O
war O
games O
against O
the O
island O
, O
which O
ground O
to O
a O
halt O
when O
Washington O
dispatched O
two O
aircraft O
carriers O
to O
the O
region O
. O

While O
China O
says O
its O
policy O
towards O
Taiwan O
is O
eventual O
reunification O
, O
Shen O
refused O
to O
comment O
on O
reports O
over O
the B-T
weekend I-T
from O
Tokyo O
that O
Jiang O
would O
offer O
the O
post O
of O
vice O
- O
president O
to O
Taiwan O
' O
s O
top O
official O
upon O
reunification O
. O

" O
I O
also O
read O
these O
reports O
, O
but O
they O
were O
from O
the O
meeting O
between O
President O
Jiang O
and O
the O
Japanese O
foreign O
minister O
and O
I O
have O
nothing O
more O
to O
say O
about O
that O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

" O
What O
is O
more O
far O
more O
urgent O
is O
the O
organisation O
of O
high O
- O
level O
political O
meetings O
with O
Taiwan O
to O
resolve O
issues O
currently O
on O
ice O
. O
This O
would O
have O
positive O
effects O
on O
peaceful O
reunification O
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051114 O
. O
0074 O

RAMALLAH O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Senior O
Hamas O
leader O
killed O
by O
Israeli O
troops O
in O
W O
. O
Bank O

A O
senior O
leader O
of O
the O
Islamic O
Resistance O
Movement O
( O
Hamas O
) O
was O
shot O
dead O
by O
Israeli O
troops O
in O
the O
West O
Bank O
town O
of O
Nablus O
early O
on O
Monday B-T
, O
Palestinian O
sources O
said O
. O

The O
sources O
said O
Israeli O
troops O
backed O
by O
15 O
military O
jeeps O
raided O
eastern O
Nablus O
early O
on O
Monday B-T
and O
Israeli O
soldiers O
stormed O
a O
building O
where O
Amjan O
Hannawi O
, O
commander O
of O
Hamas O
' O
armed O
wing O
Ezzel O
Dein O
al O
- O
Qassam O
Brigades O
in O
Nablus O
, O
was O
hiding O
. O

Hannawi O
, O
32 O
, O
was O
shot O
in O
the O
head O
and O
died O
on O
the O
spot O
when O
he O
tried O
to O
flee O
the O
building O
, O
the O
sources O
added O
. O

Meanwhile O
, O
the O
Israeli O
army O
confirmed O
the O
killing O
, O
saying O
that O
Hannawi O
is O
one O
of O
the O
most O
wanted O
Palestinian O
militants O
, O
who O
is O
believed O
to O
have O
masterminded O
several O
suicide O
bombings O
in O
Israel O
in O
the B-T
1990s I-T
. O

In O
addition O
, O
eight O
other O
suspected O
Hamas O
militants O
were O
also O
arrested O
during O
the O
raid O
, O
the O
army O
added O
. O

Al O
- O
Qassam O
Brigades O
vowed O
revenge O
in O
a O
statement O
. O

A B-T
few I-T
hours I-T
after O
the O
incident O
, O
a O
Palestinian O
was O
killed O
and O
at O
least O
two O
others O
wounded O
by O
Israeli O
troops O
' O
gunfire O
in O
the O
Gaza O
Strip O
. O

Monday B-T
' O
s O
violence O
has O
cast O
pall O
over O
a O
visit O
to O
the O
region O
by O
US O
Secretary O
of O
State O
Condoleezza O
Rice O
to O
revive O
the O
stalled O
peace O
process O
. O

Israel O
has O
stepped O
up O
raids O
and O
targeted O
killings O
of O
Palestinian O
militants O
since O
a O
suicide O
bomb O
attack O
killed O
six O
Israelis O
in O
a O
seaside O
city O
last B-T
month I-T
. O

The O
recent O
worsening O
of O
violence O
has O
dampened O
peace O
hopes O
ignited O
by O
the O
Israel O
Gaza O
withdrawal O
in O
September B-T
. O

XIN_ENG_20061108 O
. O
0138 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
8 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

2nd O
Ld O
: O
China O
, O
U O
. O
S O
. O
hold O
third O
strategic O
dialogue O

China O
and O
the O
United O
States O
on O
Wednesday B-T
held O
their O
third O
round O
of O
strategic O
dialogue O
in O
Beijing O
, O
discussing O
bilateral O
ties O
and O
other O
issues O
of O
common O
concern O
. O

Chinese O
Vice O
Foreign O
Minister O
Yang O
Jiechi O
and O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
Undersecretary O
of O
State O
Nicholas O
Burns O
co O
- O
chaired O
the O
strategic O
dialogue O
. O

" O
The O
United O
States O
and O
China O
have O
very O
important O
relationship O
, O
" O
Burns O
said O
in O
the O
opening O
address O
. O

" O
The O
relationship O
focuses O
on O
bilateral O
issues O
that O
motivate O
us O
from B-T
day I-T
to I-T
day I-T
, O
and O
we O
also O
have O
other O
issues O
. O
( O
Because O
) O
together O
we O
have O
responsibility O
for O
global O
peace O
and O
global O
security O
, O
" O
Burns O
said O
. O

The O
two O
sides O
had O
a O
candid O
and O
in O
- O
depth O
exchange O
of O
views O
on O
bilateral O
ties O
and O
international O
and O
regional O
issues O
of O
common O
concern O
, O
according O
to O
a O
statement O
released O
by O
the O
Chinese O
Foreign O
Ministry O
. O

The O
dialogue O
also O
touched O
upon O
the O
Korean O
Peninsular O
nuclear O
issue O
. O
Burns O
said O
in O
a O
meeting O
with O
Chinese O
Vice O
Foreign O
Minister O
Dai O
Bingguo O
that O
" O
we O
will O
see O
what O
we O
can O
do O
with O
" O
the O
North O
Korea O
' O
s O
nuclear O
issue O
. O

Later O
Wednesday B-T
, O
Chinese O
Foreign O
Minister O
Li O
Zhaoxing O
also O
met O
with O
Burns O
. O

Burns O
arrived O
in O
Beijing O
Tuesday B-T
evening I-T
. O
This O
was O
his O
first O
time O
to O
lead O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
side O
in O
strategic O
dialogue O
with O
China O
. O

Two O
rounds O
of O
China O
- O
U O
. O
S O
. O
strategic O
dialogues O
had O
been O
held O
in O
August B-T
and O
December B-T
last I-T
year I-T
. O

VOA19980305 B-T
. O
1800 O
. O
2603 O

NEWS O
STORY O

International O
Women O
' O
s O
Day O
is O
this B-T
coming I-T
Sunday I-T
, I-T
March I-T
eighth I-T
. O

A O
major O
focus O
of O
International O
Women O
' O
s O
Day O
is O
the O
plight O
of O
Afghan O
women O
. O

Special O
events O
are O
being O
organized O
by O
the O
European O
Commission O
and O

individual O
nations O
in O
Europe O
, O
North O
America O
, O
and O
other O
parts O
of O
the O
world O
. O

Lisa O
Schlein O
reports O
from O
Geneva O
. O

Afghanistan O
has O
been O
at O
war O
for O
twenty B-T
years I-T
, O
leaving O
a O
large O
part O
of O
the O

country O
' O
s O
male O
population O
dead O
or O
in O
exile O
. O
The O
United O
Nations O
says O
women O

and O
children O
make O
up O
about O
seventy O
- O
five O
percent O
of O
the O
Afghan O
population O
. O
An O
Afghan O

refugee O
in O
Switzerland O
, O
Homira O
Atimadi O
, O
is O
a O
senior O
official O
of O
a O
group O
called O
the O

International O
Working O
Group O
on O
Afghan O
Women O
. O
The O
group O
has O
branches O
in O

Pakistan O
, O
Iran O
, O
Europe O
, O
Australia O
, O
and O
North O
America O
. O
Ms O
. O
Atimadi O
says O

Afghan O
women O
have O
been O
victims O
of O
severe O
violations O
of O
human O
rights O
for O
the B-T
past I-T
twenty I-T

years B-T
and O
she O
says O
she O
sees O
no O
end O
to O
the O
misery O
. O
She O
says O
security O
under O

the O
fundamentalist O
Taleban O
government O
is O
better O
, O
but O
everything O
else O
is O
worse O
. O

Women O
do O
not O
become O
victims O
of O
armed O
attack O
, O
but O
they O
do O
not O
have O
the O

right O
to O
work O
. O
And O
today B-T
, O
the O
right O
to O
work O
is O
equal O
to O
r O
- O
the O
right O
to O
survival O
. O

Ms O
. O
Atimadi O
says O
the O
war O
has O
created O
a O
nation O
of O
widows O
. O
Women O
have O
become O

the O
sole O
support O
of O
their O
families O
. O
Yet O
, O
the O
Taliban O
have O
forbidden O
them O
to O

work O
. O
She O
says O
this O
puts O
the O
very O
existence O
of O
women O
' O
s O
families O
at O
risk O
. O

She O
says O
the O
plight O
of O
women O
in O
urban O
areas O
is O
greater O
than O
that O
which O
exists O

in O
rural O
parts O
of O
the O
country O
. O
In O
cities O
, O
such O
as O
the O
capital O
Kabul O
, O
women O

are O
totally O
dependent O
on O
international O
aid O
for O
survival O
. O
Ms O
. O
Atimadi O
says O
the O

women O
of O
Kabul O
symbolize O
the O
suffering O
of O
all O
the O
women O
in O
Afghanistan O
. O

The O
aim O
is O
to O
bring O
in O
not O
only O
the O
focus O
on O
women O
' O
s O
right O
to O
education O
, O

access O
to O
work O
, O
but O
look O
beyond O
that O
and O
look O
at O
the O
roots O
of O
, O
uh O
of O
these O

problems O
. O
These O
are O
only O
the O
symptoms O
of O
the O
problems O
that O
are O
facing O

Afghanistan O
. O
For O
women O
in O
Afghanistan O
to O
be O
able O
to O
realize O
their O
rights O
, O

there O
have O
to O
be O
conditions O
of O
peace O
and O
justice O
. O

Ms O
. O
Atimadi O
says O
that O
is O
the O
primary O
focus O
of O
her O
group O
, O
peace O
and O

justice O
. O
She O
says O
her O
group O
is O
appealing O
to O
individuals O
, O
to O
the O
international O

community O
, O
and O
to O
the O
combatants O
and O
people O
of O
Afghanistan O
to O
stop O
the O

bloodletting O
which O
has O
torn O
the O
country O
apart O
. O

Lisa O
Schlein O
for O
VOA O
News O
, O
Geneva O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061106 O
. O
0193 O

BUCHAREST O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
6 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Romanian O
Press O
Club O
concerned O
about O
denigrating O
articles O
in O
British O
press O

The O
Romanian O
Press O
Club O
on O
Monday B-T
sent O
Great O
Britain O
' O
s O
Ambassador O
to O
Bucharest O
Robin O
Barnett O
an O
open O
letter O
, O
expressing O
" O
concern O
over O
the O
articles O
whereby O
the O
British O
public O
opinion O
is O
systematically O
manipulated O
and O
instigated O
against O
the O
Romanians O
as O
ethnics O
and O
nation O
. O
" O

" O
Since O
the O
British O
press O
is O
a O
model O
to O
Romanian O
journalists O
, O
we O
address O
you O
our O
concern O
that O
such O
manifestations O
will O
considerably O
decrease O
the O
confidence O
of O
our O
press O
in O
this O
model O
. O
Nor O
is O
the O
risk O
negligible O
, O
that O
the O
denigration O
and O
slander O
of O
Romanians O
might O
affect O
Great O
Britain O
' O
s O
image O
in O
the O
eyes O
of O
the O
Romanian O
public O
, O
which O
we O
believe O
nobody O
would O
desire O
, O
" O
writes O
the O
cited O
letter O
. O

A O
series O
of O
wide O
circulation O
British O
dailies O
started O
in O
summer B-T
this I-T
year I-T
a O
campaign O
in O
support O
of O
the O
London O
government O
' O
s O
decision O
to O
impose O
restrictions O
on O
the O
labor O
market O
for O
workers O
coming O
from O
Romania O
and O
Bulgaria O
, O
after O
the O
two O
countries O
join O
the O
EU O
on O
January B-T
1 I-T
, I-T
2007 I-T
, O
according O
to O
reports O
by O
Romanian O
media O
. O

The O
Sun O
, O
the O
journal O
with O
the O
broadest O
circulation O
in O
Great O
Britain O
, O
and O
other O
papers O
, O
published O
articles O
rendering O
a O
negative O
picture O
of O
Romania O
and O
her O
people O
, O
depicting O
her O
as O
an O
East O
European O
country O
where O
" O
hundreds O
of O
thousands O
" O
of O
pauperized O
citizens O
are O
waiting O
for O
accession O
to O
rush O
on O
Great O
Britain O
' O
s O
labor O
market O
, O
said O
the O
reports O
. O

The O
press O
campaign O
continued O
even O
after O
the O
British O
authorities O
announced O
the O
restrictions O
on O
Romanian O
and O
Bulgarian O
workers O
. O
Thus O
, O
The O
Sun O
on O
Friday B-T
warned O
that O
Romanian O
immigrants O
could O
spark O
a O
tuberculosis O
outbreak O
in O
Great O
Britain O
, O
a O
country O
where O
this O
plague O
was O
long O
before O
eradicated O
. O

Before O
this O
article O
, O
The O
Sun O
had O
published O
last B-T
week I-T
articles O
about O
the O
trafficking O
of O
persons O
and O
drugs O
and O
organized O
crime O
in O
Romania O
, O
warning O
against O
the O
gangs O
of O
Romanians O
involved O
in O
defrauding O
bank O
machines O
. O

The O
Romanian O
Press O
Club O
is O
the O
main O
professional O
organization O
of O
Romanian O
mass O
media O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061114 O
. O
0211 O

TAIYUAN O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Death O
toll O
in O
north O
China O
colliery O
gas O
blast O
rises O
to O
40 O

The O
death O
toll O
from O
a O
colliery O
blast O
in O
north O
China O
last B-T
week I-T
has O
risen O
to O
40 O
while O
seven O
people O
remain O
missing O
, O
rescuers O
confirmed O
on O
Tuesday B-T
. O

Search O
and O
rescue O
teams O
found O
five O
more O
bodies O
on O
Tuesday B-T
in O
the O
Jiaojiazhai O
Colliery O
in O
Xinzhou O
, O
a O
city O
in O
the O
central O
northern O
area O
of O
Shanxi O
Province O
, O
where O
a O
gas O
explosion O
occurred O
at O
11 O
: O
45 O
a O
. O
m O
. O
on O
Nov B-T
. I-T
5 I-T
. O

The O
death O
toll O
stood O
at O
35 O
on O
Monday B-T
. O

Altogether O
393 O
miners O
were O
working O
in O
the O
pit O
when O
the O
blast O
occurred O
, O
of O
whom O
346 O
escaped O
. O

Search O
and O
rescue O
efforts O
are O
continuing O
though O
rescuers O
believe O
the O
remaining O
seven O
miners O
have O
little O
chance O
of O
survival O
, O
given O
the O
high O
intensity O
of O
toxic O
gas O
and O
serious O
cave O
- O
ins O
following O
the O
blast O
. O

Families O
of O
the O
dead O
will O
each O
receive O
200 O
, O
000 O
yuan O
( O
25 O
, O
000 O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
) O
in O
compensation O
. O
Seven O
families O
have O
been O
compensated O
so O
far O
. O

Jiaojiazhai O
Colliery O
is O
owned O
by O
Xuangang O
Coal O
and O
Electricity O
Company O
under O
the O
Datong O
Coal O
Mine O
Group O
. O

The O
State O
Council O
, O
the O
cabinet O
, O
set O
up O
an O
investigation O
team O
on O
Friday B-T
to O
investigate O
the O
tragedy O
. O

Though O
the O
direct O
cause O
is O
still O
under O
investigation O
, O
the O
central O
government O
task O
force O
said O
it O
probably O
stemmed O
from O
ignorance O
of O
workplace O
safety O
and O
poor O
management O
. O

The O
gas O
monitoring O
system O
showed O
that O
the O
gas O
concentration O
was O
abnormal O
and O
that O
there O
was O
a O
risk O
of O
explosion O
, O
according O
to O
a O
report O
from O
the O
State O
Administration O
of O
Work O
Safety O
( O
SAWS O
) O
released O
on O
Monday B-T
. O

But O
the O
production O
managers O
did O
not O
take O
effective O
measures O
and O
did O
not O
order O
the O
miners O
to O
stop O
working O
, O
the O
report O
said O
. O

Li O
Yizhong O
, O
the O
SAWS O
head O
who O
is O
heading O
the O
task O
force O
, O
vowed O
to O
severely O
punish O
the O
individuals O
and O
company O
responsible O
for O
the O
accident O
, O
and O
urged O
all O
coal O
mine O
owners O
in O
the O
country O
to O
learn O
a O
lesson O
. O

Coal O
mine O
accidents O
have O
claimed O
104 O
lives O
from O
Nov B-T
. I-T
5 I-T
to I-T
Nov I-T
. I-T
13 I-T
, O
according O
to O
the O
SAWS O
' O
report O
. O

Analysts O
said O
the O
accidents O
were O
a O
warning O
of O
a O
possible O
surge O
of O
coal O
mine O
disasters O
as O
the O
demand O
for O
black O
coal O
rises O
in O
winter B-T
. O

In O
October B-T
, O
the O
number O
of O
coal O
mine O
accidents O
surged O
by O
26 O
. O
1 O
percent O
over O
September B-T
. O
The O
number O
of O
miners O
killed O
rose O
by O
44 O
. O
4 O
percent O
. O

The O
" O
infinite O
greed O
" O
of O
some O
mine O
owners O
, O
driven O
by O
the O
growing O
demand O
of O
the O
winter O
coal O
market O
, O
was O
the O
ultimate O
cause O
of O
the O
disasters O
, O
said O
Wu O
Jianming O
, O
professor O
with O
Taiyuan O
University O
of O
Science O
and O
Technologies O
. O

" O
Winter O
is O
hell O
for O
miners O
. O
Some O
of O
the O
small O
, O
hazardous O
mines O
that O
have O
been O
closed O
will O
probably O
resume O
production O
in O
the B-T
winter I-T
regardless O
of O
the O
threat O
to O
life O
, O
" O
said O
Wu O
, O
who O
also O
works O
for O
the O
State O
Administration O
of O
Work O
Safety O
as O
a O
consultant O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051128 O
. O
0223 O

GAZA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
28 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Urgent O
: O
Fatah O
primaries O
in O
Gaza O
Strip O
suspended O

Fatah O
primaries O
in O
the O
Gaza O
Strip O
were O
suspended O
, O
a O
poll O
official O
announced O
on O
Monday B-T
. O

XIN_ENG_20061126 O
. O
0141 O

DOHA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
26 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Journalists O
give O
thumbs O
up O
to O
Asian O
Games O
food O

With O
an O
aim O
to O
deliver O
a O
best O
ever O
Asian O
Games O
, O
Doha O
organizers O
are O
catering O
not O
only O
to O
the O
needs O
of O
athletes O
and O
officials O
, O
but O
also O
to O
more O
than O
4 O
, O
500 O
journalists O
from O
all O
over O
the O
world O
, O
including O
their O
palates O
. O

" O
A O
big O
Thank O
You O
to O
the O
organizers O
, O
who O
provide O
delicious O
food O
in O
the O
Main O
Press O
Center O
, O
" O
said O
Chinese O
reporter O
Xue O
Jianying O
, O
who O
has O
covered O
five O
Asian O
Games O
and O
as O
many O
Summer O
Olympics O
. O

" O
The O
organizers O
are O
hospitable O
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O

The O
organizers O
offer O
two O
meals O
to O
the O
journalists O
each O
day O
, O
one O
breakfast O
in O
hotels O
and O
one O
in O
the O
Main O
Media O
Center O
, O
where O
an O
international O
buffet O
is O
served O
during O
the O
Games O
. O

The O
buffet O
offers O
Arabian O
, O
Asian O
, O
continental O
and O
sub O
- O
continental O
dishes O
including O
salads O
, O
cheeses O
, O
cold O
cuts O
, O
pastries O
, O
fresh O
fruits O
, O
breads O
, O
preserves O
, O
cereals O
and O
beverages O
. O

" O
I O
' O
d O
rather O
say O
that O
I O
have O
the O
best O
food O
in O
a O
sports O
meet O
after O
covering O
so O
many O
events O
, O
" O
said O
another O
Chinese O
reporter O
Yang O
Ming O
. O

" O
It O
is O
out O
of O
my O
expectation O
, O
" O
said O
Yang O
' O
s O
colleague O
Pan O
Yi O
. O
" O
After O
talking O
to O
the O
catering O
service O
manager O
, O
I O
know O
that O
there O
are O
1 O
, O
200 O
dishes O
on O
the O
menu O
, O
which O
means O
that O
the O
journalists O
will O
have O
different O
food O
for O
at B-T
least I-T
one I-T
week I-T
. O
" O

Athletes O
will O
enjoy O
more O
variety O
of O
fine O
cuisine O
. O

Sun O
Yi O
, O
a O
Chinese O
reporter O
with O
Legal O
Mirror O
, O
wrote O
that O
he O
was O
impressed O
by O
the O
4 O
, O
800 O
- O
seat O
dining O
hall O
and O
5 O
, O
000 O
different O
dishes O
. O

" O
I O
spent O
10 B-T
months I-T
on O
making O
the O
menu O
. O
I O
am O
sure O
from O
the O
opening O
of O
the O
Athletes O
' O
Village O
to O
its O
closing O
, O
the O
daily O
menu O
will O
not O
repeat O
at O
all O
, O
" O
chef O
Chen O
Zhida O
, O
a O
Chinese O
Singaporean O
, O
was O
quoted O
by O
Sun O
. O

It O
seems O
that O
the O
organizers O
have O
determined O
to O
give O
all O
participants O
the O
best O
taste O
of O
the O
Games O
. O

" O
The O
organizing O
committee O
has O
employed O
a O
Master O
Caterer O
with O
extensive O
international O
and O
Olympic O
experience O
to O
work O
with O
us O
, O
to O
plan O
, O
liaise O
and O
deliver O
all O
catering O
requirements O
for O
the O
Games O
, O
" O
said O
Yousef O
M O
Al O
Othman O
, O
Deputy O
Director O
General O
of O
the O
Doha O
organizing O
committee O
. O

" O
The O
menus O
will O
not O
only O
meet O
the O
diverse O
cultural O
needs O
of O
our O
multi O
- O
national O
participants O
, O
but O
will O
also O
look O
at O
their O
vegetarian O
and O
medical O
considerations O
. O

" O
We O
are O
aware O
of O
the O
athletes O
' O
culinary O
likes O
and O
dislikes O
, O
thanks O
to O
extensive O
research O
already O
done O
. O
" O

AFP_ENG_19970415 O
. O
0457 O

GENEVA O
, O
April B-T
15 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

UN O
rights O
body O
condemns O
Iran O
killings O

The O
UN O
Human O
Rights O
Commission O
on O
Tuesday B-T
condemned O
the O
killings O
of O
Iranian O
opposition O
figures O
and O
called O
for O
legal O
action O
to O
be O
taken O
against O
the O
killers O
. O

The O
call O
came O
five B-T
days I-T
after O
a O
German O
court O
implicated O
Iranian O
leaders O
in O
the O
killing O
of O
four O
Iranian O
Kurd O
opposition O
figures O
in O
a O
Berlin O
restaurant O
in O
1982 B-T
. O

A O
motion O
presented O
by O
the O
Netherlands O
representing O
the O
European O
Union O
called O
on O
Tehran O
to O
" O
refrain O
from O
violence O
against O
members O
of O
the O
Iranian O
opposition O
living O
abroad O
. O
" O

Passed O
by O
26 O
votes O
to O
7 O
with O
19 O
abstentions O
, O
it O
also O
urged O
Tehran O
to O
cooperate O
with O
the O
authories O
of O
countries O
investigating O
the O
killings O
. O

Turning O
to O
the O
death O
sentence O
, O
or O
fatwa O
, O
issued O
by O
the O
Iranian O
authorities O
against O
British O
author O
Salman O
Rushdie O
for O
his O
allegedly O
blasphemous O
novel O
" O
The O
Satanic O
Verses O
, O
" O
the O
Commission O
demanded O
that O
Iran O
" O
provide O
satisfactory O
written O
assurances O
that O
it O
does O
not O
support O
or O
incite O
threats O
to O
the O
life O
of O
Mr O
Rushdie O
. O
" O

It O
deplored O
a O
recent O
decision O
by O
an O
Iranian O
foundation O
to O
increase O
the O
reward O
offered O
to O
an O
eventual O
killer O
of O
Rushdie O
from O
2 O
million O
to O
2 O
. O
5 O
million O
dollars O
. O

Last B-T
Thursday I-T
an O
Iranian O
and O
a O
Lebanese O
were O
given O
life O
sentences O
by O
a O
Berlin O
court O
after O
being O
convicted O
of O
the O
assassination O
of O
four O
Iranian O
Kurd O
opposition O
figures O
on O
the O
direct O
orders O
of O
the O
Iranian O
regime O
. O

The O
presiding O
judge O
said O
" O
the O
background O
( O
to O
the O
killings O
) O
reaches O
to O
the O
highest O
levels O
of O
the O
Iranian O
state O
. O
" O

XIN_ENG_20061107 O
. O
0260 O

ISLAMABAD O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
7 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

U O
. O
S O
. O
has O
no O
involvement O
in O
religious O
school O
attack O
, O
says O
Boucher O

The O
visiting O
U O
. O
S O
. O
Assistant O
Secretary O
of O
State O
Richard O
Boucher O
on O
Tuesday B-T
said O
the O
United O
States O
did O
not O
have O
any O
involvement O
in O
the O
attack O
on O
a O
religious O
school O
in O
Pakistan O
' O
s O
tribal O
region O
. O

" O
The O
Pakistani O
government O
has O
said O
they O
carried O
out O
initiative O
to O
deal O
with O
serious O
threats O
from O
fighters O
who O
were O
in O
that O
location O
, O
" O
Boucher O
told O
reporters O
at O
U O
. O
S O
. O
embassy O
. O

" O
The O
Pakistani O
government O
says O
it O
has O
carried O
out O
this O
action O
. O
And O
it O
was O
necessary O
because O
militants O
, O
terrorists O
created O
a O
training O
center O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

He O
supported O
Pakistan O
' O
s O
policy O
to O
engage O
tribal O
elders O
to O
establish O
peace O
in O
the O
tribal O
region O
. O

" O
Certainly O
our O
hope O
is O
that O
these O
areas O
can O
be O
more O
peaceful O
through O
combination O
of O
political O
steps O
, O
economic O
steps O
, O
political O
influence O
of O
people O
in O
the O
areas O
, O
the O
tribal O
leaders O
and O
others O
, O
" O
Boucher O
said O
. O

" O
But O
we O
also O
recognize O
there O
are O
militants O
and O
fighters O
in O
these O
areas O
. O
They O
need O
to O
be O
dealt O
with O
by O
other O
means O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

Boucher O
ruled O
out O
any O
change O
in O
American O
policy O
after O
the O
mid O
- O
term O
polls O
. O

" O
We O
want O
a O
long O
- O
term O
partnership O
with O
Pakistan O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

Boucher O
met O
President O
Pervez O
Musharraf O
and O
Prime O
Minister O
Shaukat O
Aziz O
on O
Tuesday B-T
and O
discussed O
with O
them O
bilateral O
and O
regional O
matters O
. O

He O
also O
met O
Foreign O
Minister O
Khurshid O
Kasuri O
, O
Foreign O
Secretary O
and O
other O
senior O
officials O
from O
the O
foreign O
ministry O
as O
well O
as O
people O
from O
business O
community O
. O

He O
said O
the O
United O
States O
is O
working O
together O
with O
the O
government O
of O
Pakistan O
for O
economic O
opportunities O
for O
the O
people O
who O
are O
living O
in O
the O
border O
areas O
. O

Asked O
if O
Pakistan O
is O
doing O
enough O
in O
the O
war O
on O
terror O
as O
media O
in O
the O
United O
States O
is O
critical O
to O
Pakistan O
' O
s O
role O
, O
he O
said O
it O
does O
not O
reflects O
facts O
. O

" O
Pakistan O
is O
a O
key O
ally O
in O
war O
on O
terror O
. O
The O
extremism O
, O
the O
violence O
, O
we O
are O
fighting O
against O
is O
the O
same O
violence O
threatening O
the O
people O
and O
the O
government O
of O
Pakistan O
as O
well O
as O
people O
in O
the O
neighborhood O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

" O
So O
we O
have O
common O
interests O
along O
with O
others O
in O
this O
region O
. O
If O
any O
body O
says O
it O
is O
enough O
, O
to O
me O
the O
question O
does O
not O
make O
any O
sense O
. O
None O
of O
us O
has O
done O
enough O
. O
We O
have O
to O
keep O
battle O
, O
" O
Boucher O
said O
. O

" O
This O
is O
strategic O
struggle O
for O
the O
future O
of O
this O
region O
. O
The O
future O
of O
this O
nation O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051213 O
. O
0031 O

HONG O
KONG O
, O
Dec B-T
13 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

G O
- O
20 O
says O
African O
cotton O
must O
be O
addressed O
in O
Hong O
Kong O

The O
World O
Trade O
Organisation O
talks O
here O
must O
come O
up O
with O
a O
firm O
commitment O
to O
help O
African O
cotton O
producers O
, O
who O
count O
as O
some O
of O
the O
poorest O
countries O
on O
earth O
, O
the O
Group O
of O
20 O
said O
Tuesday B-T
. O

The O
G O
- O
20 O
, O
which O
comprises O
developed O
countries O
and O
the O
largest O
emerging O
economies O
, O
said O
problems O
faced O
by O
African O
cotton O
producers O
reflect O
distortions O
in O
global O
trade O
of O
agricultural O
goods O
. O

" O
The O
plight O
of O
the O
African O
cotton O
producing O
countries O
and O
of O
other O
cotton O
producers O
in O
the O
developing O
world O
is O
evidence O
of O
the O
distortions O
in O
agriculture O
that O
we O
are O
committed O
to O
eliminate O
, O
" O
the O
G O
- O
20 O
said O
in O
a O
statement O
; O

" O
The O
G O
- O
20 O
ministers O
emphasise O
the O
need O
for O
a O
firm O
commitment O
to O
be O
made O
at O
Hong O
Kong O
to O
address O
the O
issue O
of O
cotton O
ambitiously O
. O
" O

The O
WTO O
meeting O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
, O
which O
opens O
later O
Tuesday B-T
, O
is O
tasked O
with O
keeping O
on O
track O
the O
faltering O
four O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Doha O
Round O
meant O
to O
tear O
down O
global O
trade O
barriers O
and O
spur O
growth O
in O
the O
world O
' O
s O
poorest O
nations O
. O

The O
key O
issue O
is O
farm O
trade O
, O
mainly O
the O
system O
of O
European O
and O
US O
subsidies O
which O
they O
say O
they O
will O
only O
surrender O
in O
exchange O
for O
a O
deal O
opening O
up O
markets O
in O
the O
developed O
world O
to O
their O
industrial O
goods O
and O
services O
. O

Africa O
' O
s O
cotton O
- O
producing O
countries O
have O
been O
on O
the O
offensive O
in O
the O
run O
- O
up O
to O
the O
meeting O
, O
insisting O
that O
rich O
countries O
, O
and O
the O
United O
States O
in O
particular O
, O
end O
subsidies O
to O
their O
cotton O
farmers O
. O

The O
African O
states O
say O
such O
subsidies O
depress O
prices O
globally O
and O
effectively O
shut O
them O
out O
of O
what O
should O
be O
major O
markets O
, O
undercutting O
their O
development O
efforts O
. O

Asked O
earlier O
Tuesday B-T
whether O
Washington O
would O
be O
willing O
to O
come O
to O
an O
agreement O
on O
cotton O
here O
, O
US O
Trade O
Representative O
Rob O
Portman O
said O
: O
" O
In O
July B-T
2004 I-T
we O
agreed O
to O
deal O
with O
cotton O
expeditiously O
, O
ambitiously O
and O
specifically O
, O
within O
the O
framework O
of O
the O
agricultural O
negotiations O
. O

" O
If O
we O
can O
resolve O
something O
this B-T
week I-T
with O
regards O
to O
cotton O
, O
that O
would O
be O
great O
, O
" O
he O
said O
, O
without O
elaborating O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051129 O
. O
0036 O

LUSAKA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
29 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Zambia O
' O
s O
sugar O
exports O
likely O
to O
reduce O
upon O
EU O
decision O

Zambia O
' O
s O
sugar O
exports O
will O
be O
dealt O
a O
heavy O
blow O
by O
the O
European O
Union O
' O
s O
decision O
to O
lower O
the O
prices O
of O
commodities O
such O
as O
sugar O
, O
industry O
insiders O
have O
said O
. O

Lovemore O
Sievu O
, O
Zambia O
Sugar O
corporate O
affairs O
manager O
, O
was O
cited O
by O
Tuesday B-T
' O
s O
The O
Post O
as O
saying O
the O
planned O
move O
by O
the O
EU O
which O
is O
expected O
take O
effect O
next B-T
year I-T
would O
likely O
reduce O
the O
company O
' O
s O
export O
receipts O
by O
as O
much O
as O
40 O
percent O
. O

Zambian O
President O
Levy O
Mwanawasa O
also O
complained O
during O
the O
just O
- O
ended O
Commonwealth O
summit O
in O
the O
Mediterranean O
island O
country O
Malta O
that O
price O
reduction O
would O
translate O
into O
reducing O
the O
standard O
of O
living O
for O
the O
people O
in O
countries O
like O
Zambia O
which O
are O
main O
providers O
of O
such O
commodities O
. O

Sievu O
said O
the O
company O
was O
also O
affected O
by O
the O
constant O
appreciation O
of O
the O
local O
currency O
kwacha O
against O
the O
US O
dollar O
, O
of O
which O
the O
devaluation O
entails O
that O
the O
value O
of O
each O
unit O
of O
sugar O
exported O
is O
lower O
when O
converted O
into O
kwacha O
. O

Trade O
Network O
of O
Zambia O
coordinator O
Stephen O
Muyakwa O
said O
the O
recent O
announcement O
by O
the O
EU O
would O
be O
disadvantageous O
to O
producers O
in O
countries O
such O
as O
Zambia O
. O

He O
said O
it O
would O
be O
very O
unfair O
especially O
for O
small O
- O
scale O
farmers O
who O
were O
selling O
their O
produce O
to O
companies O
like O
Zambia O
Sugar O
. O

Muyakwa O
thus O
urged O
the O
EU O
to O
come O
up O
measures O
to O
cushion O
the O
effects O
of O
the O
reduction O
so O
as O
to O
enable O
those O
affected O
countries O
to O
become O
more O
efficient O
in O
the O
production O
of O
sugar O
and O
other O
commodities O
. O

" O
We O
also O
need O
support O
to O
enable O
us O
develop O
capacity O
to O
diversify O
to O
other O
commodities O
such O
as O
beef O
so O
that O
we O
can O
compete O
favorably O
on O
the O
market O
, O
" O
Muyakwa O
was O
quoted O
as O
saying O
. O

During O
the O
summit O
, O
President O
Mwanawasa O
also O
called O
upon O
the O
EU O
to O
remove O
subsidies O
on O
agricultural O
commodities O
in O
favor O
of O
developing O
countries O
like O
Zambia O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051114 O
. O
0351 O

TOKYO O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
15 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

M6 O
. O
9 O
quake O
hits O
Japan O
, O
tsunami O
warning O
issued O

An O
earthquake O
with O
a O
preliminary O
magnitude O
of O
6 O
. O
9 O
jolted O
extensive O
areas O
on O
the O
Pacific O
side O
of O
north O
and O
east O
Japan O
Tuesday B-T
morning I-T
, O
with O
the O
Japan O
Meteorological O
Agency O
issuing O
a O
tsunami O
warning O
. O

The O
warning O
for O
a O
tsunami O
up O
to O
50 O
centimeters O
high O
was O
issued O
for O
the O
Pacific O
side O
of O
the O
Hokkaido O
and O
Tohoku O
areas O
in O
northern O
and O
northeastern O
Japan O
. O

The O
6 B-T
: I-T
39 I-T
a I-T
. I-T
m I-T
. I-T
( O
2139 O
GMT O
) O
quake O
measured O
3 O
on O
the O
Japanese O
seismic O
intensity O
scale O
of O
7 O
in O
those O
areas O
. O

There O
were O
no O
immediate O
reports O
of O
injuries O
or O
damage O
from O
the O
quake O
. O

The O
focus O
was O
at O
a O
shallow O
depth O
under O
the O
seabed O
in O
the O
Pacific O
some O
310 O
kilometers O
east O
of O
the O
Oshika O
Peninsula O
in O
Miyagi O
Prefecture O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061130 O
. O
0053 O

LHASA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
30 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Tibet O
steps O
up O
efforts O
to O
limit O
spread O
of O
AIDS O
/ O
HIV O

Southwest O
China O
' O
s O
Tibet O
Autonomous O
Region O
is O
taking O
measures O
to O
ensure O
that O
there O
are O
no O
more O
than O
300 O
AIDS O
/ O
HIV O
cases O
there O
by O
2010 B-T
, O
sources O
with O
the O
regional O
AIDS O
/ O
HIV O
control O
authorities O
said O
on O
Thursday B-T
. O

The O
measures O
include O
establishing O
a O
special O
lab O
for O
final O
diagnosis O
of O
AIDS O
/ O
HIV O
and O
labs O
for O
preliminary O
sample O
screening O
in O
seven O
prefectures O
and O
cities O
and O
22 O
counties O
. O
Bilingual O
AIDS O
/ O
HIV O
control O
publicity O
materials O
in O
Chinese O
and O
Tibetan O
are O
being O
distributed O
to O
peasants O
and O
herdsmen O
and O
the O
use O
of O
condoms O
is O
being O
promoted O
throughout O
the O
region O
. O

" O
There O
are O
fewer O
AIDS O
/ O
HIV O
cases O
here O
than O
in O
other O
regions O
of O
the O
country O
, O
but O
they O
are O
on O
the O
rise O
and O
the O
disease O
is O
spreading O
from O
high O
- O
risk O
people O
to O
the O
general O
public O
and O
from O
cities O
to O
rural O
areas O
, O
" O
said O
Jiang O
Zugang O
, O
an O
official O
with O
the O
regional O
AIDS O
/ O
HIV O
control O
authorities O
. O

Jiang O
said O
Tibet O
recorded O
its O
first O
AIDS O
patient O
in O
1994 B-T
and O
the O
first O
death O
from O
the O
disease O
in O
2001 B-T
. O
Two B-T
years I-T
later O
, O
it O
detected O
a O
first O
Tibetan O
AIDS O
patient O
. O

From O
1994 B-T
to O
Oct B-T
. I-T
31 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
40 O
HIV O
carriers O
were O
registered O
in O
Tibet O
, O
including O
five O
who O
developed O
into O
AIDS O
and O
two O
deaths O
. O
In O
2005 O
alone O
, O
there O
were O
18 O
new O
AIDS O
/ O
HIV O
cases O
, O
Jiang O
added O
. O

According O
to O
estimates O
by O
the O
Ministry O
of O
Health O
and O
the O
World O
Health O
Organization O
, O
China O
has O
about O
650 O
, O
000 O
people O
living O
with O
HIV O
/ O
AIDS O
, O
including O
75 O
, O
000 O
who O
have O
developed O
AIDS O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970424 O
. O
0099 O

BANGKOK O
, O
April B-T
24 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Thai O
ratings O
agency O
joins O
with O
US O
firm O

Thai O
Ratings O
and O
Information O
Services O
( O
TRIS O
) O
announced O
Thursday B-T
it O
was O
forming O
a O
three O
- O
year O
partnership O
with O
Fitch O
Investors O
Service O
of O
the O
United O
States O
. O

TRIS O
president O
Vuthipong O
Priebjrivat O
said O
his O
agency O
, O
which O
previously O
had O
a O
training O
arrangement O
with O
Standards O
and O
Poor O
' O
s O
, O
would O
sign O
the O
agreement O
to O
exchange O
staff O
and O
information O
with O
Fitch O
on O
May B-T
6 I-T
. O

He O
said O
Fitch O
had O
been O
chosen O
for O
the O
partnership O
due O
to O
its O
specialization O
in O
rating O
structured O
finance O
issues O
covering O
securitization O
, O
insurance O
businesses O
, O
bonds O
, O
mutual O
funds O
and O
pension O
funds O
. O

" O
This O
agreement O
will O
help O
TRIS O
upgrade O
to O
international O
standards O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

Vuthipong O
added O
that O
this O
specialization O
was O
in O
line O
with O
the O
Thai O
government O
' O
s O
efforts O
to O
boost O
the O
domestic O
bond O
market O
. O

While O
the O
two O
companies O
would O
work O
closely O
together O
in O
Thailand O
, O
they O
would O
be O
rating O
companies O
separately O
, O
giving O
clients O
two O
ratings O
for O
the O
price O
of O
one O
, O
Vuthipong O
said O
, O
adding O
that O
the O
grades O
would O
necessarily O
be O
the O
same O
. O

The O
TRIS O
president O
said O
the O
two O
companies O
would O
also O
promote O
each O
other O
' O
s O
ratings O
and O
analytical O
qualifications O
and O
adopt O
a O
joint O
rating O
process O
for O
both O
domestic O
and O
international O
issues O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061110 O
. O
0155 O

BANGKOK O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
10 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

for O
karaoke O
bars O

by O
Xinhua O
writer O
Tian O
Sulei O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
10 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O
- O
- O
Karaoke O
bars O
in O
China O
' O
s O
main O
cities O
will O
have O
to O
pay O
12 O
yuan O
( O
1 O
. O
50 O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
) O
a O
day O
in O
royalties O
to O
music O
artists O
for O
each O
room O
, O
according O
to O
a O
new O
regulation O
set O
by O
China O
' O
s O
National O
Copyright O
Administration O
. O

A O
statement O
on O
the O
administration O
' O
s O
website O
said O
royalties O
would O
first O
be O
collected O
in O
Beijing O
, O
Shanghai O
and O
Guangzhou O
on O
a O
trial O
basis O
. O
The O
practice O
will O
gradually O
be O
widened O
to O
cover O
other O
cities O
, O
with O
the O
payment O
rate O
varying O
according O
to O
local O
economic O
conditions O
. O

The O
move O
is O
another O
measure O
China O
has O
taken O
to O
improve O
its O
copyright O
protection O
in O
response O
to O
increasing O
pressure O
and O
is O
deemed O
vital O
in O
encouraging O
innovation O
. O

The O
China O
Audio O
and O
Video O
Association O
has O
been O
designated O
as O
the O
temporary O
agent O
to O
collect O
the O
royalties O
for O
music O
being O
played O
in O
karaoke O
bars O
. O
This O
function O
will O
be O
taken O
over O
by O
an O
association O
for O
the O
collective O
management O
of O
audio O
and O
video O
copyrights O
after O
it O
is O
granted O
official O
approval O
by O
the O
government O
. O

Karaoke O
bars O
in O
China O
generally O
range O
from O
several O
rooms O
to O
more O
than O
100 O
rooms O
. O

Liu O
Wenhe O
, O
who O
is O
working O
to O
establish O
audio O
and O
video O
copyright O
association O
, O
said O
the O
charges O
collected O
from O
the O
karaoke O
bars O
will O
be O
paid O
to O
music O
producers O
, O
song O
writers O
and O
music O
companies O
. O

" O
We O
will O
leave O
our O
foreign O
counterparts O
to O
handle O
payments O
to O
foreign O
companies O
and O
individuals O
, O
" O
said O
Liu O
. O

He O
said O
a O
special O
team O
will O
be O
established O
to O
start O
collecting O
the O
fees O
from O
karaoke O
bars O
, O
possibly O
before O
the B-T
end I-T
of I-T
this I-T
year I-T
. O

The O
Chinese O
government O
' O
s O
efforts O
in O
combating O
piracy O
and O
protect O
intellectual O
property O
rights O
( O
IPR O
) O
has O
resulted O
in O
more O
shops O
and O
restaurants O
signing O
up O
to O
pay O
royalties O
on O
the O
ubiquitous O
background O
music O
that O
had O
long O
been O
used O
for O
free O
. O

Standard O
international O
practice O
requires O
public O
venues O
to O
obtain O
permission O
and O
pay O
royalties O
for O
background O
music O
, O
according O
to O
China O
Music O
Copyright O
Protection O
Association O
( O
CMCPA O
) O
. O

More O
than O
5 O
, O
000 O
companies O
in O
China O
have O
signed O
up O
, O
including O
McDonald O
' O
s O
, O
KFC O
, O
Wal O
- O
Mart O
, O
and O
Carrefour O
. O
Internet O
portal O
Sohu O
. O
com O
signed O
with O
the O
CMCPA O
for O
the O
use O
of O
music O
on O
- O
line O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061106 O
. O
0181 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
6 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

U O
. O
S O
. O
urges O
six O
- O
party O
talks O
to O
resume O
as O
soon O
as O
possible O

The O
United O
States O
said O
on O
Monday B-T
that O
it O
hopes O
the O
six O
- O
party O
talks O
aimed O
at O
addressing O
the O
nuclear O
issue O
of O
the O
Democratic O
People O
' O
s O
Republic O
of O
Korea O
( O
DPRK O
) O
could O
resume O
as O
soon O
as O
possible O
. O

" O
Certainly O
, O
we O
' O
re O
looking O
forward O
to O
having O
those O
talks O
reconvene O
at O
the O
earliest O
possible O
date O
, O
" O
State O
Department O
deputy O
spokesman O
Tom O
Casey O
said O
at O
a O
briefing O
. O

However O
, O
" O
I O
don O
' O
t O
have O
a O
specific O
date O
yet O
to O
offer O
you O
, O
" O
Casey O
said O
. O

" O
I O
think O
we O
' O
re O
still O
looking O
to O
see O
when O
that O
' O
s O
going O
to O
be O
possible O
, O
" O
Casey O
added O
. O

The O
DPRK O
said O
on O
Nov B-T
. I-T
1 I-T
that O
it O
had O
decided O
to O
return O
to O
the O
six O
- O
party O
talks O
, O
but O
did O
not O
offer O
a O
specific O
date O
. O

The O
six O
- O
party O
talks O
, O
which O
involve O
the O
United O
States O
, O
the O
DPRK O
, O
China O
, O
Russia O
, O
South O
Korea O
and O
Japan O
, O
and O
are O
aimed O
at O
persuading O
the O
DPRK O
to O
abandon O
its O
nuclear O
programs O
, O
have O
been O
stalled O
since O
last B-T
November I-T
. O

XIN_ENG_20051129 O
. O
0112 O

TIKRIT O
, O
Iraq O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
29 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

1st O
lead O
: O
Gunmen O
release O
abducted O
Iranian O
females O

Gunmen O
on O
Tuesday B-T
released O
two O
Iranian O
women O
and O
an O
Iraqi O
female O
guide O
who O
were O
abducted O
Monday B-T
night I-T
north O
of O
Baghdad O
, O
a O
source O
of O
US O
- O
Iraqi O
coordination O
office O
in O
Tikrit O
told O
Xinhua O
. O

" O
Two O
Iranian O
Shiite O
pilgrims O
and O
an O
Iraqi O
female O
guide O
were O
released O
and O
found O
near O
the O
place O
where O
they O
were O
kidnapped O
Monday B-T
night I-T
, O
" O
the O
source O
said O
. O

The O
three O
were O
safe O
, O
the O
source O
said O
, O
quoting O
them O
as O
saying O
they O
were O
released O
shortly O
after O
their O
abduction O
Monday B-T
night I-T
. O

Earlier O
, O
the O
office O
said O
gunmen O
opened O
fire O
at O
a O
minibus O
and O
kidnapped O
four O
men O
and O
two O
women O
Iranian O
Shiite O
pilgrims O
in O
the O
town O
of O
Balad O
, O
some O
80 O
km O
north O
of O
Baghdad O
. O

An O
Iraqi O
female O
guide O
was O
kidnapped O
along O
with O
the O
Iranians O
and O
the O
Iraqi O
driver O
of O
the O
minibus O
was O
wounded O
in O
Balad O
, O
it O
said O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061130 O
. O
0029 O

SEOUL O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
30 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Seoul O
stock O
market O
ends O
up O

The O
benchmark O
Korea O
Composite O
Stock O
Price O
Index O
( O
KOSPI O
) O
rose O
9 O
. O
66 O
points O
to O
1 O
, O
432 O
. O
21 O
on O
Thursday B-T
with O
a O
volume O
of O
247 O
million O
shares O
worth O
3 O
. O
17 O
trillion O
won O
( O
3 O
. O
40 O
billion O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
) O
. O

The O
tech O
- O
rich O
KOSDAQ O
index O
gained O
4 O
. O
98 O
points O
to O
622 O
. O
17 O
with O
a O
volume O
of O
660 O
. O
756 O
million O
shares O
worth O
2 O
. O
121 O
trillion O
won O
( O
2 O
. O
281 O
billion O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
) O
. O

The O
local O
currency O
ended O
at O
929 O
. O
50 O
won O
against O
one O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollar O
, O
up O
1 O
. O
00 O
won O
from O
Wednesday B-T
' O
s O
close O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051215 O
. O
0020 O

KARACHI O
, O
Dec B-T
15 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

England O
win O
toss O
, O
put O
Pakistan O
into O
bat O
in O
third O
one O
- O
dayer O

England O
captain O
Marcus O
Trescothick O
won O
his O
third O
consecutive O
toss O
and O
put O
Pakistan O
into O
bat O
in O
the O
third O
day O
- O
night O
limited O
overs O
international O
at O
the O
National O
stadium O
here O
on O
Thursday B-T
. O

The O
series O
is O
levelled O
at O
1 O
- O
1 O
after O
England O
won O
the O
first O
match O
by O
42 O
runs O
, O
while O
Pakistan O
won O
the O
second O
by O
seven O
wickets O
- O
- O
both O
played O
in O
Lahore O
. O

England O
lost O
batsman O
Kevin O
Pietersen O
two B-T
days I-T
before O
the O
match O
when O
back O
and O
rib O
cage O
problems O
forced O
him O
to O
return O
home O
. O

His O
place O
was O
taken O
by O
Vikram O
Solanki O
, O
who O
was O
super O
- O
sub O
in O
Monday B-T
' O
s O
second O
match O
. O

Pakistan O
included O
allrounder O
Shahid O
Afridi O
in O
place O
of O
leg O
- O
spinner O
Danish O
Kaneria O
from O
their O
line O
- O
up O
of O
the O
first O
two O
matches O
. O

Afridi O
served O
a O
ban O
of O
one O
Test O
and O
two O
one O
- O
day O
matches O
over O
damaging O
the O
pitch O
during O
the O
second O
Test O
at O
Faisalabad O
. O

England O
: O
Marcus O
Trescothick O
( O
capt O
) O
, O
Andrew O
Strauss O
, O
Paul O
Collingwood O
, O
Andrew O
Flintoff O
, O
Vikram O
Solanki O
, O
Ian O
Blackwell O
, O
Geraint O
Jones O
, O
Matthew O
Prior O
, O
Steve O
Harmison O
, O
James O
Anderson O
, O
Liam O
Plunkett O
. O
Super O
- O
sub O
: O
Ian O
Bell O

Pakistan O
: O
Inzamam O
- O
ul O
- O
Haq O
( O
capt O
) O
, O
Salman O
Butt O
, O
Shoaib O
Malik O
, O
Younis O
Khan O
, O
Mohammad O
Yousuf O
, O
Abdul O
Razzaq O
, O
Kamran O
Akmal O
, O
Mohammad O
Sami O
, O
Shahid O
Afridi O
, O
Shoaib O
Akhtar O
, O
Rana O
Naved O
- O
ul O
- O
Hasan O
. O
Super O
- O
sub O
: O
Yasir O
Arafat O

Umpires O
: O
Rudi O
Koertzen O
( O
RSA O
) O
and O
Tony O
Hill O
( O
NZL O
) O

TV O
umpire O
: O
Zameer O
Haider O
( O
PAK O
) O

Match O
referee O
: O
Jeff O
Crowe O
( O
NZL O
) O

XIN_ENG_20051122 O
. O
0337 O

BRASILIA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
22 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Brazil O
to O
provide O
free O
AIDS O
tests O
to O
the O
poor O
in O
2006 O

Brazil O
' O
s O
Health O
Ministry O
will O
provide O
50 O
, O
000 O
free O
AIDS O
tests O
to O
pregnant O
women O
and O
adolescents O
in O
the O
poorest O
region O
in O
2006 B-T
, O
officials O
said O
here O
Tuesday B-T
. O

The O
tests O
will O
be O
sponsored O
by O
the O
United O
Nations O
Children O
Fund O
( O
UNICEF O
) O
. O

Last B-T
year I-T
, O
the O
country O
tested O
75 O
percent O
of O
pregnant O
women O
for O
HIV O
, O
the O
virus O
which O
causes O
AIDS O
. O
The O
tests O
next B-T
year I-T
will O
cover O
the O
majority O
of O
the O
remaining O
25 O
percent O
. O

" O
In O
spite O
of O
the O
alarming O
numbers O
, O
the O
policies O
to O
combat O
the O
epidemic O
haven O
' O
t O
given O
priority O
to O
children O
. O
Children O
are O
rarely O
mentioned O
when O
AIDS O
is O
discussed O
, O
" O
UNICEF O
Representative O
Marie O
Pierre O
Poirier O
told O
reporters O
. O

Early O
diagnosis O
of O
HIV O
could O
prevent O
99 O
percent O
of O
transmissions O
from O
mother O
to O
baby O
, O
said O
the O
health O
ministry O
. O

A O
United O
Nations O
report O
published O
on O
Monday B-T
said O
that O
around O
600 O
, O
000 O
of O
Brazil O
' O
s O
183 O
million O
citizens O
( O
or O
around O
0 O
. O
3 O
percent O
) O
suffer O
from O
HIV O
. O

UNICEF O
is O
also O
campaigning O
to O
provide O
AIDS O
education O
and O
expand O
access O
to O
anti O
- O
AIDS O
drugs O
in O
Bolivia O
, O
Cape O
Verde O
, O
Guinea O
Bissau O
, O
Paraguay O
, O
Sao O
Tome O
and O
Principe O
, O
and O
East O
Timor O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051123 O
. O
0314 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
23 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Christie O
considering O
retirement O
because O
of O
sore O
left O
ankle O

The O
Dallas O
Mavericks O
guard O
Doug O
Christie O
is O
considering O
retirement O
because O
of O
his O
recurring O
sore O
left O
ankle O
, O
reports O
from O
Dallas O
said O
. O

Christie O
went O
home O
to O
Seattle O
last B-T
week I-T
to O
have O
the O
surgically O
repaired O
ankle O
examined O
by O
his O
personal O
physician O
. O
He O
missed O
the O
final O
24 O
games O
last B-T
season I-T
for O
Orlando O
because O
of O
bone O
spurs O
in O
his O
ankle O
that O
were O
removed O
. O

Mavericks O
owner O
Mark O
Cuban O
said O
Tuesday B-T
that O
he O
expects O
to O
know O
within O
a O
few O
days O
what O
Christie O
will O
do O
. O
Retirement O
is O
an O
option O
, O
he O
said O
. O

The O
35 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Christie O
, O
in O
his O
14th O
NBA O
season O
, O
signed O
a O
three O
- O
year O
contract O
with O
Dallas O
in O
August B-T
, O
but O
only O
the O
$ O
3 O
. O
15 O
million O
for O
the O
first O
season O
is O
guaranteed O
. O

Christie O
played O
the O
first O
seven O
games O
this O
season O
for O
Dallas O
, O
averaging O
just O
3 O
. O
7 O
points O
and O
2 O
. O
0 O
assists O
a O
game O
. O
He O
got O
permission O
to O
go O
home O
and O
hasn O
' O
t O
been O
with O
the O
team O
the O
last O
three O
games O
, O
including O
Tuesday B-T
night I-T
' O
s O
102 O
- O
93 O
victory O
over O
Houston O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051102 O
. O
0112 O

LONDON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
2 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Britons O
warned O
possible O
attacks O
in O
coming O
months O

Metropolitan O
Police O
Commissioner O
Ian O
Blair O
is O
warning O
Britons O
of O
more O
attempts O
to O
attack O
the O
country O
in O
the O
coming B-T
months I-T
. O

The O
police O
chief O
of O
Britain O
said O
of O
the O
threat O
as O
he O
battled O
for O
more O
powers O
to O
deal O
with O
suspected O
terrorists O
while O
members O
of O
parliament O
debate O
the O
Terrorism O
Bill O
. O

Blair O
said O
in O
the B-T
last I-T
few I-T
weeks I-T
the O
security O
service O
and O
his O
force O
have O
prevented O
attacks O
on O
Britain O
. O

" O
The O
sky O
is O
dark O
. O
Intelligence O
exists O
to O
suggest O
that O
other O
groups O
will O
attempt O
to O
attack O
Britain O
in O
the O
coming B-T
months I-T
, O
" O
he O
was O
quoted O
by O
Sky O
news O
on O
Wednesday B-T
. O

Ian O
said O
police O
chiefs O
are O
united O
in O
their O
support O
of O
the O
90 O
- O
day O
detention O
proposal O
which O
has O
been O
highly O
controversial O
in O
the O
new O
Terrorism O
Bill O
. O

Opponents O
are O
lobbying O
for O
ministers O
to O
drop O
plans O
to O
allow O
police O
to O
hold O
terror O
suspects O
for O
up O
to O
90 O
days O
without O
charge O
, O
saying O
the O
Bill O
contains O
" O
sweeping O
and O
vague O
provisions O
that O
undermine O
the O
rights O
to O
freedom O
and O
expression O
and O
association O
. O
" O

Home O
Secretary O
Charles O
Clarke O
, O
a O
staunch O
supporter O
of O
the O
90 O
- O
day O
proposal O
, O
has O
been O
pressurized O
to O
compromise O
, O
saying O
he O
is O
prepared O
to O
be O
" O
flexible O
" O
. O

However O
, O
he O
warns O
that O
the O
government O
cannot O
fight O
terrorism O
with O
" O
one O
legal O
hand O
tied O
behind O
our O
back O
. O
" O

XIN_ENG_20051123 O
. O
0053 O

KHARTOUM O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
23 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Sudan O
' O
s O
ruling O
party O
starts O
general O
conference O

The O
general O
conference O
of O
Sudan O
' O
s O
ruling O
National O
Congress O
( O
NC O
) O
party O
kicked O
off O
in O
the O
Sudanese O
capital O
Khartoum O
on O
Wednesday B-T
. O

About O
6 O
, O
000 O
NC O
members O
, O
a O
number O
of O
leaders O
and O
representatives O
of O
other O
Sudanese O
political O
parties O
and O
civil O
and O
religious O
organizations O
as O
well O
as O
foreign O
ambassadors O
in O
Khartoum O
attended O
the O
opening O
ceremony O
of O
the O
conference O
which O
is O
expected O
to O
last O
three O
days O
. O

Sudanese O
President O
and O
Chairman O
of O
the O
NC O
Omar O
al O
- O
Bashir O
is O
expected O
to O
address O
the O
inaugural O
session O
, O
outlining O
the O
achievements O
the O
NC O
has O
made O
since O
it O
took O
power O
in O
1989 B-T
. O

The O
NC O
' O
s O
consultative O
council O
on O
Monday B-T
unanimously O
re O
- O
elected O
Bashir O
as O
the O
party O
' O
s O
chairman O
and O
candidate O
for O
the O
country O
' O
s O
upcoming O
presidential O
election O
. O

The O
consultative O
council O
stressed O
the O
importance O
to O
unite O
fronts O
in O
a O
bid O
to O
ensure O
unity O
and O
stability O
in O
Sudan O
. O

Bashir O
said O
at O
the O
council O
' O
s O
meeting O
that O
the O
NC O
would O
face O
the O
current O
challenges O
bravely O
and O
commit O
itself O
to O
a O
comprehensive O
peace O
agreement O
inked O
between O
the O
Sudanese O
government O
and O
the O
Sudan O
People O
' O
s O
Liberation O
Movement O
in O
southern O
Sudan O
, O
which O
ended O
the O
longest O
running O
civil O
war O
on O
the O
African O
continent O
. O

He O
also O
pledged O
to O
further O
the O
NC O
' O
s O
cooperation O
with O
all O
the O
other O
parties O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051123 O
. O
0056 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
23 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

northeastern O
river O

China O
' O
s O
State O
Environmental O
Protection O
Administration O
( O
SEPA O
) O
said O
here O
on O
Wednesday B-T
that O
the O
Songhua O
River O
in O
northeast O
China O
suffered O
a O
major O
water O
pollution O
incident O
owing O
to O
the O
explosion O
of O
a O
petrochemical O
plant O
at O
the O
upper O
reaches O
. O

" O
After O
the O
explosion O
at O
the O
Jilin O
Petrochemical O
Company O
under O
China O
National O
Petroleum O
Corporation O
, O
our O
observation O
showed O
pollutants O
containing O
benzene O
had O
flown O
into O
the O
Songhua O
River O
and O
caused O
water O
pollution O
, O
" O
said O
an O
official O
with O
SEPA O
. O

Benzene O
is O
a O
substance O
harmful O
to O
human O
health O
. O

The O
official O
said O
upon O
receiving O
the O
report O
, O
the O
administration O
immediately O
sent O
experts O
to O
Heilongjiang O
Province O
to O
assist O
local O
pollution O
- O
control O
efforts O
. O
Quality O
of O
the O
river O
water O
is O
under O
close O
observation O
for O
24 B-T
hours I-T
every I-T
day I-T
. O

The O
Jilin O
and O
Heilongjiang O
provincial O
governments O
have O
activated O
their O
contingency O
programs O
for O
environmental O
incidents O
, O
and O
have O
taken O
measures O
to O
ensure O
the O
safety O
of O
potable O
water O
, O
said O
the O
official O
. O

He O
said O
Jilin O
had O
quickly O
blocked O
entry O
of O
the O
pollutants O
into O
the O
river O
and O
discharged O
water O
from O
a O
reservoir O
to O
dilute O
pollutants O
in O
the O
river O
. O
It O
also O
organized O
environmental O
, O
water O
conservancy O
and O
chemical O
experts O
to O
discuss O
pollution O
control O
plans O
, O
and O
beefed O
up O
monitoring O
work O
. O

The O
finance O
department O
of O
the O
Heilongjiang O
provincial O
government O
has O
allocated O
10 O
million O
yuan O
( O
approximately O
1 O
. O
23 O
million O
US O
dollars O
) O
specially O
for O
handling O
the O
pollution O
incident O
, O
said O
the O
official O
. O

According O
to O
the O
official O
, O
observation O
data O
shows O
the O
degree O
of O
river O
water O
pollution O
has O
been O
declining O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970423 O
. O
0683 O

TOKYO O
, O
April B-T
24 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

US O
regrets O
alleged O
assault O
of O
Japanese O
woman O
by O
US O
officer O
in O
Okinawa O

The O
US O
Air O
Force O
on O
Thursday B-T
expressed O
" O
sincere O
regrets O
" O
about O
the O
alleged O
assault O
of O
a O
28 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
local O
woman O
in O
Okinawa O
by O
a O
US O
servicemen O
who O
has O
been O
arrested O
this B-T
week I-T
. O

Japanese O
police O
announced O
Wednesday B-T
that O
Air O
Force O
sergeant O
Danny O
Matlock O
, O
stationed O
at O
the O
Kadena O
base O
on O
the O
southern O
Japanese O
island O
, O
had O
been O
arrested O
for O
the O
Monday O
attack O
. O

" O
The O
commander O
of O
the O
353rd O
SOG O
( O
Special O
Operations O
Group O
) O
expressed O
his O
sincere O
regrets O
about O
this O
incident O
, O
" O
the O
US O
Air O
Force O
said O
in O
a O
statement O
. O

The O
statement O
was O
issued O
hours O
before O
Japanese O
Prime O
Minister O
Ryutaro O
Hashimoto O
' O
s O
scheduled O
departure O
for O
the O
United O
States O
, O
where O
he O
will O
hold O
a O
summit O
with O
President O
Bill O
Clinton O
in O
Washington O
on O
Friday B-T
. O

" O
The O
Air O
Force O
Office O
of O
Special O
Investigations O
and O
base O
officials O
are O
assisting O
in O
the O
investigation O
with O
the O
Okinawa O
City O
Police O
, O
" O
the O
statement O
said O
. O

No O
further O
details O
are O
available O
, O
it O
said O
, O
adding O
: O
" O
The O
incident O
is O
still O
under O
investigation O
. O
" O

The O
Jiji O
Press O
news O
agency O
said O
he O
was O
alleged O
to O
have O
entered O
the O
woman O
' O
s O
room O
through O
a O
second O
- O
floor O
window O
and O
assaulted O
her O
but O
escaped O
when O
she O
screamed O
. O

The O
rape O
of O
a O
12 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
girl O
by O
three O
US O
servicemen O
triggered O
anti O
- O
US O
base O
protests O
on O
the O
island O
in O
1995 B-T
, O
leading O
to O
a O
US O
pledge O
last B-T
year I-T
to O
return O
some O
20 O
percent O
of O
Okinawan O
land O
used O
by O
the O
US O
military O
. O

The O
US O
forces O
in O
Japan O
also O
vowed O
to O
tighten O
discipline O
among O
its O
personnel O
following O
the O
rape O
. O

The O
southern O
island O
prefecture O
is O
home O
to O
more O
than O
half O
of O
the O
47 O
, O
000 O
American O
troops O
in O
Japan O
and O
also O
accounts O
for O
about O
75 O
percent O
of O
US O
military O
facilities O
on O
the O
entire O
archipelago O
. O

Japanese O
parliament O
passed O
legislation O
last B-T
week I-T
allowing O
the O
US O
military O
to O
keep O
using O
land O
in O
Okinawa O
despite O
protest O
from O
landowners O
and O
their O
supporters O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061212 O
. O
0116 O

BEIJING O
, O
Dec B-T
12 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
UPDATES O
with O
quotes O
from O
Gao O
/ O
/ O
/ O

A O
Chinese O
journalist O
jailed O
for O
nearly B-T
eight I-T
years I-T
after O
exposing O
government O
corruption O
said O
Tuesday B-T
after O
being O
released O
early O
for O
good O
behavior O
that O
he O
should O
never O
have O
been O
sent O
to O
prison O
. O

" O
I O
have O
mixed O
feelings O
, O
" O
Gao O
Qinrong O
, O
51 O
, O
who O
was O
sentenced O
to O
13 O
years O
in O
jail O
in O
1999 B-T
, O
told O
AFP O
by O
telephone O
about O
how O
he O
felt O
to O
finally O
be O
free O
. O

" O
I O
' O
m O
very O
excited O
and O
happy O
to O
see O
my O
wife O
and O
daughter O
again O
after O
eight B-T
years I-T
. O
. O
. O
on O
the O
other O
hand O
I O
feel O
angry O
and O
indignant O
. O
" O

Gao O
, O
a O
journalist O
for O
the O
official O
Xinhua O
news O
agency O
, O
was O
jailed O
on O
what O
media O
rights O
groups O
have O
said O
were O
trumped O
up O
charges O
of O
corruption O
and O
pimping O
after O
he O
accused O
officials O
in O
northern O
China O
' O
s O
Shanxi O
province O
of O
graft O
. O

His O
expose O
about O
a O
sham O
irrigation O
project O
was O
reported O
in O
the O
Communist O
Party O
' O
s O
main O
newspaper O
, O
the O
People O
' O
s O
Daily O
, O
and O
made O
television O
news O
bulletins O
, O
according O
to O
the O
Committee O
to O
Protect O
Journalists O
. O

But O
instead O
of O
the O
officials O
being O
held O
to O
account O
, O
Gao O
was O
jailed O
. O

He O
maintained O
Tuesday B-T
that O
he O
was O
innocent O
and O
that O
he O
would O
continue O
trying O
to O
clear O
his O
name O
, O
although O
he O
held O
out O
little O
hope O
. O

" O
I O
plan O
to O
appeal O
. O
. O
. O
but O
I O
think O
this O
anti O
- O
corruption O
issue O
is O
very O
difficult O
. O
My O
hopes O
are O
dim O
but O
I O
will O
continue O
struggling O
. O
" O

Gao O
said O
he O
was O
not O
treated O
badly O
in O
jail O
because O
authorities O
also O
knew O
he O
had O
been O
set O
up O
. O

" O
When O
I O
was O
in O
prison O
, O
every O
officer O
and O
prisoner O
knew O
that O
I O
was O
innocent O
through O
media O
reports O
, O
so O
I O
was O
treated O
well O
there O
, O
" O
he O
said O
from O
his O
home O
in O
Shanxi O
. O

Gao O
was O
released O
on O
December B-T
7 I-T
after O
getting O
his O
term O
reduced O
for O
" O
good O
behaviour O
" O
, O
Reporters O
Without O
Borders O
said O
in O
an O
earlier O
statement O
. O

" O
We O
are O
delighted O
at O
his O
release O
but O
it O
is O
important O
to O
point O
out O
that O
this O
journalist O
has O
already O
spent O
eight B-T
years I-T
of O
his O
life O
in O
prison O
, O
" O
the O
international O
media O
rights O
group O
said O
. O

" O
Gao O
Qinrong O
, O
who O
was O
unfairly O
sentenced O
to O
a O
very O
harsh O
prison O
term O
, O
has O
already O
paid O
very O
dearly O
for O
his O
work O
as O
a O
journalist O
investigating O
the O
corruption O
which O
is O
poisoning O
China O
. O
" O

The O
group O
also O
highlighted O
the O
plight O
of O
31 O
other O
reporters O
it O
says O
are O
languishing O
in O
Chinese O
jails O
for O
simply O
carrying O
out O
their O
work O
. O

The O
group O
ranks O
China O
163rd O
out O
of O
167 O
countries O
on O
its O
global O
press O
freedom O
index O
. O

In O
one O
of O
the O
most O
high O
- O
profile O
cases O
recently B-T
, O
Zhao O
Yan O
, O
44 O
, O
a O
Chinese O
assistant O
for O
the O
New O
York O
Times O
, O
lost O
his O
appeal O
on O
December B-T
1 I-T
against O
a O
three O
- O
year O
sentence O
on O
what O
his O
family O
said O
were O
trumped O
up O
fraud O
charges O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061212 O
. O
0251 O

LONDON O
, O
Dec B-T
12 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
ADDS O
details O
, O
quotes O
/ O
/ O
/ O

Britain O
' O
s O
Princes O
William O
and O
Harry O
unveiled O
Tuesday B-T
plans O
for O
a O
huge O
pop O
concert O
next B-T
year I-T
to O
mark O
the O
10th O
anniversary O
of O
the O
death O
of O
their O
mother O
Diana O
, O
princess O
of O
Wales O
. O

The O
charity O
" O
Concert O
for O
Diana O
" O
- O
- O
featuring O
Sir O
Elton O
John O
among O
others O
- O
- O
is O
due O
to O
be O
held O
at O
the O
currently O
unfinished O
new O
Wembley O
Stadium O
on O
July B-T
1 I-T
, O
which O
would O
have O
been O
her O
46th B-T
birthday I-T
. O

In O
a O
rare O
interview O
, O
William O
, O
24 O
, O
and O
Harry O
, O
22 O
, O
also O
said O
a O
memorial O
service O
would O
take O
place O
in O
London O
on O
August B-T
31 I-T
- O
- O
exactly O
10 B-T
years I-T
on O
from O
the O
princess O
' O
s O
death O
in O
a O
Paris O
car O
crash O
. O

Top O
acts O
from O
Britain O
and O
the O
United O
States O
are O
expected O
to O
perform O
at O
the O
concert O
before O
up O
to O
90 O
, O
000 O
fans O
, O
with O
the O
event O
likely O
to O
be O
televised O
live O
worldwide O
. O

The O
acts O
are O
chosen O
by O
the O
princes O
, O
with O
many O
reflective O
of O
their O
late O
mother O
' O
s O
tastes O
. O

" O
It O
' O
s O
to O
remember O
her O
and O
to O
commemorate O
her O
life O
and O
celebrate O
it O
, O
" O
William O
said O
. O
" O
We O
want O
it O
to O
represent O
exactly O
what O
our O
mother O
would O
have O
wanted O
, O
how O
she O
was O
. O

" O
We O
wanted O
to O
have O
this O
big O
concert O
, O
full O
of O
energy O
, O
full O
of O
the O
sort O
of O
fun O
and O
happiness O
which O
I O
know O
she O
would O
have O
wanted O
. O

" O
And O
on O
her O
birthday O
as O
well O
, O
it O
' O
s O
got O
to O
be O
the O
best O
birthday O
present O
she O
ever O
had O
. O
" O

John O
, O
who O
performed O
at O
Diana O
' O
s O
funeral O
, O
will O
play O
, O
as O
will O
the O
princess O
' O
s O
favourite O
band O
Duran O
Duran O
. O

Singers O
Bryan O
Ferry O
and O
Joss O
Stone O
, O
plus O
US O
rapper O
Pharrell O
Williams O
will O
also O
appear O
as O
will O
further O
acts O
yet O
to O
be O
announced O
. O

Diana O
' O
s O
love O
of O
musicals O
and O
dancing O
will O
also O
be O
recognised O
with O
a O
performance O
by O
the O
English O
National O
Ballet O
while O
composer O
Andrew O
Lloyd O
Webber O
will O
put O
on O
a O
medley O
of O
songs O
from O
his O
stage O
shows O
. O

Harry O
said O
he O
and O
his O
brother O
would O
likely O
appear O
at O
the O
start O
. O

Royals O
and O
Diana O
' O
s O
relatives O
will O
attend O
the O
memorial O
service O
in O
a O
rare O
show O
of O
unity O
. O

" O
The O
service O
is O
going O
to O
include O
both O
sides O
of O
the O
family O
, O
our O
mother O
' O
s O
side O
and O
our O
father O
' O
s O
side O
- O
- O
everyone O
getting O
together O
, O
" O
Harry O
said O
. O

Diana O
' O
s O
brother O
Earl O
Charles O
Spencer O
ruffled O
feathers O
at O
her O
funeral O
by O
vowing O
his O
family O
would O
ensure O
the O
princes O
were O
not O
confined O
to O
stuffy O
royal O
circles O
. O

But O
Spencer O
and O
his O
sisters O
are O
to O
attend O
, O
along O
with O
Queen O
Elizabeth O
II O
, O
Diana O
' O
s O
former O
husband O
Prince O
Charles O
, O
and O
his O
second O
wife O
, O
Camilla O
, O
the O
Duchess O
of O
Cornwall O
. O
The O
pair O
had O
an O
affair O
while O
Charles O
and O
Diana O
were O
still O
married O
. O

Diana O
married O
Charles O
, O
the O
heir O
to O
the O
throne O
, O
in O
July B-T
1981 I-T
and O
was O
a O
hugely O
popular O
member O
of O
Britain O
' O
s O
royal O
family O
. O
The O
couple O
separated O
in O
December B-T
1992 I-T
and O
divorced O
in O
August B-T
1996 I-T
. O

Diana O
was O
killed O
in O
a O
Paris O
car O
crash O
in O
August B-T
1997 I-T
along O
with O
her O
boyfriend O
Dodi O
Fayed O
and O
his O
chauffeur O
Henri O
Paul O
. O

A O
long O
- O
awaited O
report O
into O
Diana O
' O
s O
death O
will O
confirm O
a O
French O
probe O
that O
it O
was O
an O
accident O
and O
refute O
theories O
of O
a O
plot O
by O
British O
intelligence O
, O
news O
leaks O
said O
Sunday B-T
. O

The O
new O
Wembley O
Stadium O
in O
northwest O
London O
has O
run O
vastly O
over O
- O
budget O
and O
been O
repeatedly O
delayed O
. O
The O
757 O
- O
million O
- O
pound O
( O
1 O
. O
5 O
- O
billion O
- O
dollar O
, O
1 O
. O
1 O
- O
billion O
- O
euro O
) O
venue O
is O
now B-T
scheduled O
to O
open O
in O
May B-T
. O

Tickets O
costing O
45 O
pounds O
( O
88 O
dollars O
, O
67 O
euros O
) O
go O
on O
sale O
from O
0900 B-T
GMT I-T
Wednesday I-T
via O
the O
www O
. O
concertfordiana O
. O
com O
website O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061108 O
. O
0119 O

HONG O
KONG O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
8 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Asia O
Culture O
Co O
- O
operation O
Forum O
2006 O
opens O
in O
HK O

The O
Asia O
Cultural O
Co O
- O
operation O
Forum O
2006 O
opened O
here O
Wednesday B-T
by O
holding O
a O
Chinese O
delegations O
' O
closed O
meeting O
. O

The O
meeting O
, O
entitled O
Opportunities O
for O
Culture O
and O
Creative O
industries O
under O
Closer O
Economic O
Partnership O
Arrangement O
between O
Hong O
Kong O
and O
the O
Chinese O
Mainland O
, O
was O
attended O
by O
government O
officials O
from O
Hong O
Kong O
and O
the O
Mainland O
. O

When O
delivering O
a O
welcoming O
speech O
at O
the O
meeting O
, O
Hong O
Kong O
Secretary O
for O
Home O
Affairs O
Patrick O
Ho O
said O
that O
the O
theme O
of O
this B-T
year I-T
' O
s O
Forum O
is O
" O
Asian O
Arts O
, O
Culture O
and O
Modernity O
" O
in O
which O
participants O
are O
expected O
to O
discuss O
a O
lot O
about O
the O
process O
of O
modernization O
in O
Asia O
and O
the O
characteristics O
of O
Asia O
modern O
art O
. O

Ho O
said O
that O
since O
Industrial O
Revolution O
in O
the B-T
18th I-T
century I-T
, O
Asia O
has O
lagged O
behind O
western O
countries O
in O
aspects O
like O
culture O
and O
art O
. O
But O
as O
economic O
takes O
off O
in O
Asia O
, O
the O
development O
pattern O
of O
Asian O
culture O
has O
become O
a O
hot O
discussing O
issue O
. O

The O
Asia O
Cultural O
Co O
- O
operation O
Forum O
2006 O
was O
organized O
by O
the O
Home O
Affairs O
Bureau O
of O
the O
Hong O
Kong O
government O
. O
Participants O
from O
different O
parts O
of O
the O
world O
discuss O
their O
experiences O
in O
the O
process O
of O
modernization O
, O
particularly O
reflected O
in O
culture O
and O
the O
arts O
, O
and O
explore O
the O
idea O
of O
an O
Asian O
concept O
of O
modernity O
. O

The O
five O
- O
day O
forum O
features O
a O
Chinese O
delegations O
' O
meeting O
and O
an O
Asian O
cultural O
ministers O
' O
meeting O
and O
a O
series O
of O
12 O
open O
forums O
around O
six O
thematic O
programs O
- O
- O
" O
Cultural O
Ecologies O
: O
Communicating O
Contemporary O
Art O
in O
the B-T
21st I-T
Century I-T
" O
, O
" O
Measuring O
Creativity O
, O
Happiness O
and O
Well O
Being O
" O
, O
" O
Creative O
Education O
Summit O
" O
, O
" O
Media O
Arts O
in O
the O
Contemporary O
Society O
" O
, O
" O
Experiencing O
Architecture O
" O
and O
" O
Asian O
Arts O
, O
Culture O
and O
Modernity O
" O
. O

Cultural O
ministers O
or O
their O
representatives O
from O
Asian O
countries O
and O
regions O
, O
including O
Singapore O
, O
Indonesia O
, O
Thailand O
, O
the O
Philippines O
, O
Malaysia O
, O
South O
Korea O
, O
Japan O
and O
Vietnam O
, O
as O
well O
as O
a O
large O
delegation O
of O
senior O
cultural O
officials O
from O
the O
Ministry O
of O
Culture O
and O
15 O
provinces O
and O
municipals O
of O
the O
Chinese O
Mainland O
joined O
the O
forum O
. O

The O
Asia O
Cultural O
Co O
- O
operation O
Forum O
was O
initiated O
by O
the O
Home O
Affairs O
Bureau O
in O
2003 B-T
. O
It O
aims O
at O
fostering O
and O
enhancing O
partnership O
between O
governments O
, O
facilitating O
and O
promoting O
private O
sector O
initiatives O
in O
cultural O
and O
creative O
industries O
, O
and O
enhancing O
Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
profile O
as O
the O
cultural O
and O
creative O
hub O
of O
Asia O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051114 O
. O
0420 O

MANILA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
15 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Typhoon O
Pepeng O
to O
enter O
Philippines O

The O
Philippine O
state O
weather O
bureau O
PAGASA O
Tuesday O
said O
typhoon O
Pepeng O
has O
entered O
the O
Philippine O
area O
and O
is O
threatening O
to O
bring O
rains O
over O
Surigao O
del O
Norte O
in O
Mindanao O
. O

At O
2 O
: O
00 O
a O
. O
m O
. O
local O
time O
Tuesday B-T
, O
the O
typhoon O
was O
located O
by O
surface O
and O
satellite O
data O
at O
330 O
kilometers O
east O
and O
northeast O
of O
Surigao O
City O
in O
Surigao O
del O
Norte O
province O
with O
maximum O
sustained O
winds O
of O
55 O
kilometers O
per O
hour O
near O
the O
center O
. O
It O
is O
forecast O
to O
move O
north O
at O
15 O
kilometers O
per O
hour O
. O

Pepeng O
is O
the O
16th O
typhoon O
to O
hit O
the O
country O
this B-T
year I-T
. O
Typhoons O
gather O
strength O
from O
warm O
sea O
water O
and O
tend O
to O
dissipate O
after O
making O
landfall O
. O

PAGASA O
said O
the O
central O
and O
southern O
Luzon O
, O
Visayas O
and O
Mindanao O
regions O
will O
experience O
cloudy O
skies O
with O
scattered O
showers O
and O
thunderstorms O
becoming O
widespread O
over O
the O
eastern O
part O
of O
the O
country O
. O
The O
rest O
of O
Luzon O
will O
have O
mostly O
cloudy O
skies O
with O
showers O
and O
thunderstorms O
. O

Meanwhile O
, O
moderate O
to O
occasionally O
strong O
winds O
blowing O
from O
the O
northeast O
will O
prevail O
over O
northern O
and O
eastern O
Luzon O
and O
eastern O
Visayas O
. O
Coastal O
waters O
of O
these O
areas O
will O
be O
moderate O
to O
occasionally O
rough O
and O
becoming O
light O
to O
moderate O
over O
the O
rest O
of O
the O
country O
. O

WSJ891102 O
- O
0119 O

= O
891102 O

891102 O
- O
0119 O
. O

Integra O
- O
A O
Rights O
Offering O

11 B-T
/ I-T
02 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

ITGR O
HWG O

IRVING O
, O
Texas O

Integra O
- O
A O
Hotel O
amp O
Restaurant O
Co O
. O
said O
its O
planned O
rights O
offering O
to O
raise O
about O
$ O
9 O
million O
was O
declared O
effective O
and O
the O
company O
will O
begin O
mailing O
materials O
to O
shareholders O
at O
the B-T
end I-T
of I-T
this I-T
week I-T
. O

Under O
the O
offer O
, O
shareholders O
will O
receive O
one O
right O
for O
each O
105 O
common O
shares O
owned O
. O

Each O
right O
entitles O
the O
shareholder O
to O
buy O
$ O
100 O
face O
amount O
of O
13 O
. O
5 O
% O
bonds O
due O
1993 B-T
and O
warrants O
to O
buy O
23 O
. O
5 O
common O
shares O
at O
30 O
cents O
a O
share O
. O

The O
rights O
, O
which O
expire O
Nov B-T
. I-T
21 I-T
, O
can O
be O
exercised O
for O
$ O
100 O
each O
. O

Integra O
, O
which O
owns O
and O
operates O
hotels O
, O
said O
that O
Hallwood O
Group O
Inc O
. O
has O
agreed O
to O
exercise O
any O
rights O
that O
are O
n O
' O
t O
exercised O
by O
other O
shareholders O
. O

Hallwood O
, O
a O
Cleveland O
merchant O
bank O
, O
owns O
about O
11 O
% O
of O
Integra O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061122 O
. O
0143 O

LAGOS O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
22 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Seven O
foreign O
oil O
workers O
confirmed O
hostages O
in O
southern O
Nigeria O

Gunmen O
have O
kidnapped O
seven O
foreign O
workers O
including O
one O
Italian O
from O
an O
Agip O
oil O
vessel O
off O
the O
Nigerian O
coast O
, O
industry O
and O
security O
officials O
said O
on O
Wednesday B-T
. O

According O
to O
a O
statement O
released O
by O
Italian O
oil O
company O
Eni O
, O
parent O
company O
of O
Agip O
, O
seven O
of O
its O
workers O
were O
taken O
hostage O
when O
10 O
armed O
men O
attacked O
the O
vessel O
where O
there O
were O
83 O
crew O
members O
aboard O
. O

The O
nationalities O
of O
the O
other O
hostages O
were O
not O
immediately O
known O
, O
the O
statement O
added O
, O
adding O
that O
" O
the O
remaining O
76 O
members O
of O
the O
crew O
are O
in O
good O
health O
and O
no O
damage O
to O
the O
ship O
was O
reported O
. O
" O

The O
vessel O
was O
about O
50 O
km O
off O
the O
coast O
of O
Nigeria O
' O
s O
southern O
Rivers O
State O
when O
attacked O
, O
Nigerian O
security O
officials O
said O
. O

The O
kidnappings O
were O
the O
latest O
in O
a O
series O
of O
attack O
on O
oil O
installations O
in O
the O
volatile O
Niger O
Delta O
, O
where O
most O
of O
the O
country O
' O
s O
oil O
is O
produced O
. O

Since O
the B-T
beginning I-T
of I-T
the I-T
year I-T
, O
militant O
groups O
have O
constantly O
attacked O
oil O
facilities O
and O
taken O
oil O
workers O
as O
hostages O
. O

Nigeria O
, O
Africa O
' O
s O
largest O
oil O
producer O
and O
the O
sixth O
largest O
oil O
exporter O
in O
the O
world O
, O
has O
a O
daily O
crude O
oil O
output O
of O
2 O
. O
6 O
million O
barrels O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970415 O
. O
0143 O

PORT O
MORESBY O
, O
April B-T
15 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

PNG O
prime O
minister O
angered O
at O
break O
down O
in O
military O
by O
Michael O
Field O

Former O
Prime O
Minister O
Sir O
Julius O
Chan O
expressed O
his O
dismay O
at O
the O
military O
' O
s O
breakdown O
in O
discipline O
, O
command O
and O
control O
five B-T
months I-T
before O
the O
Papua O
New O
Guinea O
Defence O
Force O
( O
PNGDF O
) O
staged O
a O
revolt O
in O
March B-T
, O
a O
commission O
of O
inquiry O
was O
told O
here O
Tuesday B-T
. O

Chan O
' O
s O
concern O
followed O
the O
killings O
on O
September B-T
8 I-T
last I-T
year I-T
of O
12 O
soldiers O
at O
Kangu O
Beach O
care O
centre O
in O
Bougainville O
, O
scene O
of O
a O
long O
- O
running O
civil O
war O
. O

Justice O
Warwick O
Andrew O
is O
holding O
an O
inquiry O
into O
the O
hiring O
of O
mercenaries O
to O
fight O
in O
Bougainville O
, O
prompted O
by O
sacked O
PNGDF O
commander O
Brigadier O
General O
Jerry O
Singirok O
who O
led O
the O
revolt O
by O
calling O
for O
Chan O
' O
s O
resignation O
. O

Chan O
" O
stepped O
aside O
" O
pending O
the O
outcome O
of O
the O
inquiry O
. O

Singirok O
threatened O
to O
walk O
out O
of O
the O
hearing O
earlier O
Tuesday B-T
if O
he O
was O
questioned O
over O
a O
political O
assassination O
. O

The O
inquiry O
was O
also O
told O
of O
a O
US O
embargo O
on O
the O
sale O
of O
military O
helicopters O
to O
PNG O
and O
of O
concern O
that O
a O
large O
slice O
of O
10 O
million O
kina O
( O
7 O
. O
2 O
million O
US O
dollars O
) O
allocated O
for O
a O
military O
operation O
was O
used O
to O
furnish O
Singirok O
' O
s O
home O
. O

Singirok O
was O
questioned O
by O
Marshall O
Cooke O
, O
counsel O
for O
the O
PNG O
State O
, O
over O
Operation O
High O
Speed O
2 O
, O
conducted O
last B-T
July I-T
in O
Bougainville O
to O
knock O
out O
the O
Bougainville O
Revolutionary O
Army O
( O
BRA O
) O
. O

Cooke O
produced O
a O
letter O
Chan O
wrote O
on O
October B-T
31 I-T
to O
Defence O
Minister O
Mathias O
Ijape O
which O
described O
High O
Speed O
as O
a O
fiasco O
which O
reflected O
a O
" O
lack O
of O
proper O
planning O
and O
coordination O
by O
the O
principal O
staff O
officers O
. O
" O
" O
The O
Kangu O
massacre O
was O
clear O
evidence O
of O
the O
total O
breakdown O
in O
command O
and O
control O
from O
the O
Headquarters O
PNGDF O
right O
down O
to O
the O
lower O
echelon O
of O
command O
and O
control O
on O
Bougainville O
operations O
and O
I O
fear O
and O
hope O
that O
this O
is O
not O
the O
same O
throughout O
the O
force O
, O
" O
Chan O
wrote O
. O

" O
The O
Kangu O
massacre O
and O
the O
latest O
capture O
of O
three O
soldiers O
continues O
to O
highlight O
the O
serious O
breakdown O
of O
discipline O
, O
command O
and O
control O
. O
" O

Singirok O
told O
the O
inquiry O
the O
breakdown O
was O
" O
a O
direct O
reflection O
on O
the O
lack O
of O
support O
, O
lack O
of O
direction O
by O
our O
politicians O
. O
" O
He O
rejected O
responsibility O
for O
the O
deaths O
. O

The O
commission O
also O
heard O
a O
preliminary O
audit O
of O
High O
Speed O
spending O
had O
found O
39 O
, O
335 O
kina O
had O
been O
spent O
on O
curtains O
and O
carpets O
, O
10 O
, O
875 O
kina O
for O
furnishings O
and O
45 O
, O
000 O
kina O
for O
cutlery O
at O
Flag O
House O
, O
the O
commander O
' O
s O
official O
residency O
. O
Also O
spent O
was O
13 O
, O
963 O
kina O
for O
overseas O
travel O
and O
28 O
, O
000 O
kina O
on O
two O
parties O
. O

Evidence O
produced O
Tuesday B-T
showed O
the O
US O
State O
Department O
turned O
down O
a O
request O
from O
the O
PNGDF O
to O
supply O
them O
with O
10 O
surplus O
US O
military O
Iroquois O
for O
240 O
, O
000 O
US O
dollars O
each O
. O

In O
the O
end O
the O
country O
agreed O
a O
deal O
with O
the O
mercenary O
company O
Sandline O
International O
, O
which O
included O
two O
Mil O
- O
17 O
former O
Soviet O
transport O
helicopters O
and O
two O
Mil O
- O
21 O
attack O
helicopters O
. O

Cooke O
raised O
the O
issue O
of O
the O
gunning O
down O
of O
Bougainville O
provincial O
premier O
Theodore O
Miriung O
on O
October B-T
12 I-T
last I-T
year I-T
. O

A O
coroner O
' O
s O
inquiry O
found O
elements O
of O
the O
PNGDF O
carried O
out O
the O
killing O
. O

Cooke O
asked O
Singirok O
whether O
he O
was O
cooperating O
with O
the O
police O
investigation O
. O

" O
All O
the O
way O
, O
" O
Singirok O
replied O
. O

" O
I O
will O
advise O
the O
commission O
that O
because O
the O
issue O
of O
the O
killing O
of O
Miriung O
is O
still O
under O
police O
investigation O
, O
I O
do O
not O
wish O
to O
make O
any O
comment O
. O
If O
I O
am O
probed O
I O
will O
leave O
the O
court O
room O
, O
" O
Singirok O
said O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061119 O
. O
0169 O

HANOI O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
19 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Vietnam O
, O
Japan O
to O
strive O
for O
economic O
partnership O
agreement O

Vietnam O
and O
Japan O
have O
decided O
to O
accelerate O
negotiations O
to O
sign O
a O
bilateral O
economic O
partnership O
agreement O
, O
Vietnam O
News O
Agency O
reported O
Sunday B-T
. O

The O
decision O
was O
made O
during O
the O
talks O
between O
Vietnamese O
Prime O
Minister O
Nguyen O
Tan O
Dung O
and O
his O
visiting O
Japanese O
counterpart O
Shinzo O
Abe O
in O
Hanoi O
capital O
on O
Sunday B-T
. O

The O
two O
prime O
ministers O
reached O
agreement O
on O
maintaining O
and O
strengthening O
high O
- O
level O
meetings O
and O
annual O
political O
, O
economic O
, O
diplomatic O
, O
security O
and O
defense O
exchanges O
; O
efficiently O
implementing O
the O
second O
phase O
of O
the O
Vietnam O
- O
Japan O
Joint O
Initiative O
; O
and O
establishing O
a O
joint O
cooperation O
committee O
led O
by O
the O
foreign O
ministers O
of O
the O
two O
countries O
. O

They O
also O
discussed O
the O
implementation O
of O
projects O
to O
build O
North O
- O
South O
railway O
and O
highway O
, O
and O
the O
Hanoi O
- O
based O
Hoa O
Lac O
Hi O
- O
tech O
Park O
. O

Dung O
welcomed O
the O
first O
visit O
to O
Vietnam O
by O
Abe O
, O
describing O
the O
trip O
as O
an O
important O
milestone O
marking O
a O
new O
stage O
of O
friendship O
and O
cooperation O
between O
Vietnam O
and O
Japan O
- O
the O
stage O
of O
strategic O
partnership O
. O

Dung O
expressed O
his O
wish O
for O
the O
Japanese O
government O
to O
continue O
boosting O
relations O
with O
Vietnam O
. O
He O
stressed O
Vietnam O
' O
s O
consistent O
policy O
of O
attaching O
importance O
to O
friendly O
and O
multi O
- O
faceted O
cooperation O
with O
Japan O
. O

Abe O
congratulated O
Vietnam O
for O
successfully O
organizing O
the O
14th O
APEC O
( O
Asia O
- O
Pacific O
Economic O
Cooperation O
) O
Economic O
Leaders O
' O
Meeting O
on O
Saturday B-T
and O
Sunday B-T
and O
attaining O
World O
Trade O
Organization O
membership O
. O

He O
affirmed O
Japan O
' O
s O
consistent O
policy O
of O
placing O
importance O
on O
relations O
with O
Vietnam O
and O
continuing O
to O
forge O
bilateral O
and O
multilateral O
cooperation O
with O
the O
country O
and O
to O
help O
it O
successfully O
realize O
the O
target O
of O
national O
industrialization O
and O
modernization O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061114 O
. O
0192 O

GAZA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Hamas O
says O
its O
stance O
on O
Israel O
unchanged O

Hamas O
spokesman O
Fawzi O
Barhoom O
said O
on O
Tuesday B-T
that O
the O
movement O
' O
s O
position O
on O
recognition O
of O
Israel O
remained O
unchanged O
. O

But O
such O
a O
position O
of O
Hamas O
, O
a O
political O
faction O
, O
has O
not O
to O
be O
identical O
with O
the O
position O
of O
a O
new O
Palestinian O
government O
, O
Barhoom O
said O
, O
referring O
to O
an O
Israeli O
report O
that O
the O
coming O
government O
would O
not O
recognize O
a O
two O
- O
state O
solution O
, O
because O
it O
includes O
recognition O
of O
Israel O
. O

He O
said O
that O
the O
new O
government O
would O
be O
formed O
based O
on O
a O
prisoners O
' O
document O
. O

Hamas O
refuses O
to O
recognize O
Israel O
and O
is O
sworn O
to O
the O
Jewish O
state O
' O
s O
destruction O
. O
The O
document O
, O
however O
, O
recognizes O
a O
two O
- O
state O
solution O
. O

Leaders O
of O
rival O
Hamas O
and O
Fatah O
movements O
are O
holding O
dialogue O
on O
details O
concerning O
formation O
of O
a O
new O
national O
unity O
government O
to O
end O
economic O
and O
political O
crises O
in O
the O
Palestinian O
territory O
. O

Recognizing O
Israel O
, O
honoring O
previous O
agreements O
with O
Israel O
and O
renouncing O
violence O
are O
requirements O
of O
the O
Quartet O
Committee O
to O
lift O
siege O
on O
the O
Palestinians O
and O
resume O
financial O
aid O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970407 O
. O
0521 O

KAMPALA O
, O
April B-T
7 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Museveni O
will O
not O
talk O
with O
rebels O
: O
adviser O

Ugandan O
President O
Yoweri O
Museveni O
will O
not O
answer O
a O
call O
by O
rebels O
for O
talks O
with O
Lord O
' O
s O
Resistance O
Army O
( O
LRA O
) O
leader O
Joseph O
Kony O
, O
the O
president O
' O
s O
press O
adviser O
said O
Monday B-T
. O

The O
adviser O
, O
John O
Nagenda O
, O
said O
Museveni O
' O
s O
position O
remained O
that O
he O
himself O
would O
not O
talk O
with O
Kony O
, O
but O
would O
not O
stand O
in O
the O
way O
of O
others O
who O
wanted O
to O
talk O
with O
the O
former O
Roman O
Catholic O
catechist O
. O

The O
call O
for O
talks O
came O
at O
a O
meeting O
in O
London O
at O
the O
weekend O
of O
northern O
Ugandans O
. O

The O
LRA O
has O
been O
fighting O
in O
the O
north O
for O
the B-T
past I-T
10 I-T
years I-T
in O
a O
bid O
to O
topple O
Museveni O
' O
s O
government O
and O
replace O
it O
with O
one O
based O
on O
the O
Biblical O
10 O
Commandments O
. O

Museveni O
has O
offered O
amnesty O
to O
the O
rank O
and O
file O
guerrillas O
, O
but O
not O
their O
leaders O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061126 O
. O
0159 O

LAGOS O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
26 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Nigeria O
' O
s O
communities O
, O
oil O
companies O
sign O
agreement O
on O
restarting O
oil O
production O

Ijaw O
communities O
in O
Nigeria O
' O
s O
southern O
state O
of O
Delta O
on O
Saturday B-T
reached O
an O
agreement O
with O
oil O
companies O
operating O
in O
the O
area O
to O
restart O
operations O
. O

The O
oil O
companies O
involved O
are O
Shell O
Petroleum O
Development O
Company O
( O
SPDC O
) O
, O
Pipeline O
Products O
and O
Marketing O
Company O
( O
PPMC O
) O
and O
the O
Nigeria O
Gas O
Company O
( O
NGC O
) O
. O

Secretary O
to O
the O
Delta O
State O
Government O
Emmanuel O
Uduaghan O
advising O
all O
parties O
to O
keep O
their O
promise O
. O

Uduaghan O
commended O
SPDC O
for O
keeping O
its O
promises O
under O
which O
the O
SPDC O
provided O
21 O
power O
generating O
sets O
for O
the O
indigenous O
communities O
. O

He O
explained O
that O
the O
generators O
which O
had O
been O
shipped O
to O
15 O
Ijaw O
and O
six O
Itsekiri O
communities O
were O
awaiting O
installation O
. O
However O
, O
the O
government O
still O
needed O
to O
involve O
the O
PPMC O
and O
the O
NGC O
to O
provide O
potable O
water O
for O
the O
communities O
, O
he O
added O
. O

He O
explained O
that O
the O
government O
would O
provide O
hospitals O
to O
Ijaw O
communities O
and O
health O
centers O
for O
Itsekiri O
communities O
at O
a O
cost O
of O
5 O
million O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
and O
1 O
. O
6 O
million O
dollars O
respectively O
. O

He O
noted O
that O
the O
government O
projects O
for O
the O
communities O
, O
including O
water O
and O
three O
extra O
generators O
, O
would O
cost O
14 O
million O
dollars O
and O
had O
been O
approved O
by O
the O
federal O
government O
. O

Oboko O
Bello O
, O
president O
of O
the O
Federated O
Niger O
Delta O
Ijaw O
Communities O
( O
FNDIC O
) O
, O
assured O
peaceful O
re O
- O
entry O
of O
the O
companies O
as O
the O
communities O
would O
meet O
their O
side O
of O
the O
bargain O
. O

Bello O
told O
the O
companies O
to O
keep O
to O
their O
own O
side O
of O
the O
accord O
since O
any O
breach O
in O
the O
agreement O
might O
cause O
problems O
, O
adding O
that O
FNDIC O
had O
already O
set O
up O
a O
committee O
that O
would O
work O
with O
the O
SPDC O
to O
ensure O
peaceful O
operations O
. O

Mutiu O
Sunmonu O
, O
director O
of O
SPDC O
Production O
Office O
, O
emphasized O
the O
importance O
of O
dialogue O
in O
conflict O
resolution O
and O
thanked O
the O
communities O
for O
their O
understanding O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061116 O
. O
0105 O

CANBERRA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
16 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Australian O
dollar O
closes O
lower O

The O
Australian O
stock O
exchange O
market O
closed O
lower O
Thursday B-T
as O
the O
benchmark O
S O
/ O
ASX200 O
shed O
37 O
. O
3 O
points O
to O
5 O
, O
392 O
. O
6 O
, O
while O
the O
all O
ordinaries O
gave O
up O
35 O
. O
2 O
points O
to O
5 O
, O
363 O
. O
9 O
. O

Market O
turnover O
reached O
1 O
. O
4 O
billion O
worth O
a O
total O
value O
of O
4 O
. O
9 O
billion O
Australian O
dollars O
( O
3 O
. O
75 O
billion O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
) O
with O
489 O
stocks O
moving O
up O
, O
668 O
moving O
down O
and O
327 O
unchanged O
. O

Among O
the O
resources O
stocks O
, O
BHP O
Billiton O
rose O
2 O
cents O
to O
26 O
. O
52 O
dollars O
and O
rival O
Rio O
Tinto O
dipped O
8 O
cents O
to O
75 O
. O
00 O
dollars O
. O

In O
the O
banking O
sector O
, O
ANZ O
fell O
20 O
cents O
to O
28 O
. O
65 O
dollars O
, O
the O
Commonwealth O
Bank O
dumped O
7 O
cents O
to O
48 O
. O
35 O
dollars O
, O
the O
National O
Australia O
Bank O
reversed O
44 O
cents O
to O
38 O
. O
80 O
dollars O
and O
Westpac O
slumped O
51 O
cents O
to O
24 O
. O
18 O
dollars O
. O

Among O
the O
media O
stocks O
, O
News O
Corp O
softened O
10 O
cents O
to O
28 O
. O
92 O
dollars O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051102 O
. O
0093 O

MANILA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
2 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Presidential O
term O
limit O
premature O
: O
Philippine O
gov O
' O
t O

The O
talks O
about O
the O
term O
limit O
of O
president O
Gloria O
Macapagal O
- O
Arroyo O
are O
premature O
, O
government O
officials O
said O
on O
Wednesday B-T
, O
in O
response O
to O
reports O
saying O
Arroyo O
agreed O
to O
hold O
elections O
for O
a O
new O
parliamentary O
government O
in O
2007 B-T
. O

The O
issue O
of O
term O
limit O
would O
depend O
on O
the O
transitory O
provisions O
of O
the O
amended O
constitution O
to O
be O
ratified O
by O
congress O
as O
well O
as O
the O
recommendations O
of O
the O
consultative O
commission O
, O
presidential O
spokesman O
Ignacio O
Bunye O
said O
in O
a O
radio O
interview O
. O

However O
, O
Bunye O
said O
that O
the O
proposal O
to O
shorten O
the O
president O
' O
s O
term O
would O
be O
covered O
by O
the O
amended O
constitution O
. O
" O
The O
congress O
must O
amend O
the O
constitution O
before O
we O
proceed O
to O
other O
matters O
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O

Earlier O
Wednesday B-T
, O
a O
report O
quoted O
an O
unnamed O
source O
as O
saying O
that O
Arroyo O
made O
the O
commitment O
to O
former O
president O
Fidel O
Ramos O
and O
house O
speaker O
Jose O
de O
Venecia O
during O
a O
private O
meeting O
Monday B-T
. O

Bunye O
neither O
confirmed O
nor O
denied O
the O
story O
. O

In O
a O
press O
briefing O
Wednesday B-T
afternoon I-T
, O
executive O
secretary O
Eduardo O
Ermita O
reiterated O
Arroyo O
' O
s O
support O
of O
charter O
change O
, O
saying O
she O
believes O
it O
is O
the O
solution O
to O
the O
political O
crisis O
. O

Arroyo O
has O
tasked O
the O
consultative O
commission O
to O
submit O
its O
recommendation O
of O
charter O
change O
by O
Dec B-T
. I-T
15 I-T
, O
Ermita O
said O
. O

The O
proposed O
amendment O
may O
render O
power O
to O
a O
prime O
minister O
as O
the O
head O
of O
the O
executive O
branch O
, O
shifting O
the O
country O
' O
s O
system O
to O
parliamentary O
. O
Former O
president O
Ramos O
is O
believed O
to O
be O
the O
mastermind O
of O
the O
proposal O
. O

The O
Philippine O
president O
enjoys O
a O
term O
of O
6 B-T
years I-T
under O
the O
present O
constitution O
, O
which O
sees O
Arroyo O
in O
her O
office O
until O
2010 B-T
. O

VOA19980501 B-T
. O
1800 O
. O
0355 O

NEWS O
STORY O

Israeli O
Prime O
Minister O
Benjamin O
Netanyahu O
says O
considerable O
gaps O
remain O

between O
Israeli O
and O
Palestinian O
positions O
before O
next B-T
week I-T
' O
s O
talks O
in O

London O
. O
He O
and O
Palestinian O
leader O
Yasser O
Arafat O
meet O
separately O
Monday B-T
with O

US O
Secretary O
of O
State O
Madeleine O
Albright O
. O

At O
a O
news O
conference O
with O
US O
Vice O
President O
Al O
Gore O
in O
Jerusalem O
, O
Mr O
. O

Netanyahu O
suggested O
Israel O
might O
be O
willing O
to O
move O
a O
little O
on O
issues O

holding O
up O
peace O
, O
but O
he O
said O
he O
expects O
an O
equal O
effort O
from O
the O

Palestinians O
. O

If O
Israel O
is O
asked O
to O
uh O
stretch O
itself O
on O
matters O
that O
are O
vital O
to O
its O

security O
concerns O
, O
then O
we O
must O
see O
an O
equal O
effort O
on O
the O
other O
side O
. O

Mr O
. O
Gore O
called O
on O
Israel O
to O
continue O
taking O
risks O
for O
peace O
. O

WSJ910225 O
- O
0066 O

910225 O
- O
0066 O
. O

Breakthrough O
: O

U O
. O
S O
. O
Hails O
Invasion O

Of O
Kuwait O
and O
Iraq O

As O
` O
Dramatic O
Success O
' O

- O
- O
- O

Troops O
Meet O
Little O
Resistance O

But O
Allied O
Forces O
Face O

Political O
, O
Military O
Risks O

- O
- O
- O

Long O
Columns O
of O
Iraqi O
POWs O

- O
- O
- O
- O

By O
Gerald O
F O
. O
Seib O

Staff O
Reporter O
of O
The O
Wall O
Street O
Journal O

02 B-T
/ I-T
25 I-T
/ I-T
91 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O
, O
PAGE O
A1 O

MDEST O
EUROP O
FREST O

EXECUTIVE O
( O
EXE O
) O

DEFENSE O
DEPARTMENT O
( O
DEF O
) O

STATE O
DEPARTMENT O
( O
STD O
) O

WASHINGTON O
- O
- O
With O
the O
ground O
battle O
to O
liberate O
Kuwait O

proceeding O
with O
surprising O
speed O
and O
success O
, O
Bush O

administration O
officials O
are O
optimistic O
the O
Persian O
Gulf O
war O

can O
begin O
winding O
down O
in O
a O
matter O
of O
days O
. O

The O
enormous O
ground O
offensive O
by O
U O
. O
S O
. O
Marines O
and O
Army O

troops O
, O
at O
least O
during O
its O
first O
24 O
hours O
, O
met O
only O
sporadic O

Iraqi O
resistance O
as O
it O
quickly O
penetrated O
deep O
into O
Kuwait O

and O
parts O
of O
Iraq O
, O
military O
officials O
said O
. O
According O
to O

press O
pool O
reports O
, O
U O
. O
S O
. O
Marines O
are O
already O
on O
the O
outskirts O

of O
Kuwait O
City O
. O

" O
So O
far O
, O
the O
offensive O
is O
progressing O
with O
dramatic O

success O
, O
" O
said O
a O
buoyant O
Gen O
. O
Norman O
Schwarzkopf O
, O
commander O

of O
U O
. O
S O
. O
forces O
. O
Similarly O
, O
while O
cautioning O
about O
the O

uncertainty O
of O
early O
battle O
reports O
, O
White O
House O
spokesman O

Marlin O
Fitzwater O
said O
late B-T
yesterday I-T
that O
" O
the O
operation O
has O
been O
very O
successful O
. O
" O
Amid O
reports O
that O
thousands O
of O
Iraqi O

soldiers O
had O
surrendered O
, O
administration O
aides O
were O
also O

upbeat O
in O
private O
, O
with O
one O
even O
talking O
of O
victory O
within O
a O

week O
. O

But O
even O
continued O
military O
success O
carries O
political O
and O

diplomatic O
risks O
for O
President O
Bush O
and O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
The O
allied O

rejection O
of O
the O
last O
- O
minute O
Soviet O
- O
led O
diplomatic O
effort O
to O
avoid O
the O
ground O
war O
enabled O
Mr O
. O
Bush O
to O
seize O
the O
initiative O

from O
an O
Iraq O
seemingly O
bent O
on O
dictating O
peace O
terms O
. O
But O
it O

has O
offended O
some O
, O
especially O
in O
Arab O
countries O
, O
who O
now O
believe O
that O
Mr O
. O
Bush O
' O
s O
real O
objectives O
are O
the O
demise O
of O

Saddam O
Hussein O
and O
the O
destruction O
of O
the O
Iraqi O
military O
, O
not O

just O
the O
liberation O
of O
Kuwait O
. O

" O
Why O
have O
a O
war O
? O
" O
asked O
Abdul O
Latif O
Shekar O
, O
a O
customs O

officer O
in O
Egypt O
, O
a O
country O
participating O
in O
the O
attack O
on O

Iraqi O
troops O
. O
" O
I O
think O
the O
Gorbachev O
plan O
was O
a O
good O
one O
. O

Iraq O
was O
ready O
to O
withdraw O
. O
" O
Now O
, O
he O
says O
, O
" O
it O
looks O
like O
the O

West O
just O
wants O
to O
destroy O
Iraq O
. O
" O

Despite O
the O
early O
indications O
of O
success O
, O
the O
allied O

forces O
could O
still O
suffer O
greater O
casualties O
and O
become O

bogged O
down O
militarily O
, O
especially O
when O
they O
encounter O
the O

tough O
Republican O
Guard O
, O
which O
is O
entrenched O
along O
the O

Iraq O
- O
Kuwait O
border O
. O
If O
so O
, O
and O
if O
it O
appears O
that O
the O

American O
goal O
actually O
is O
to O
destroy O
the O
Iraqi O
regime O
even O
at O

the O
cost O
of O
badly O
hurting O
Iraqi O
society O
, O
" O
the O
lingering O
cost O

of O
that O
could O
be O
high O
, O
" O
worries O
former O
national O
security O

adviser O
Zbigniew O
Brzezinski O
. O
But O
, O
he O
notes O
, O
" O
If O
everything O

crumbles O
totally O
, O
that O
won O
' O
t O
be O
such O
a O
problem O
. O
" O

American O
officials O
staunchly O
disavow O
any O
interest O
in O

driving O
through O
Iraq O
toward O
Baghdad O
, O
either O
in O
pursuit O
of O

Saddam O
Hussein O
himself O
or O
to O
set O
up O
some O
American O
- O
controlled O

government O
inside O
Iraq O
. O
The O
Americans O
say O
their O
battle O
plans O

call O
for O
operating O
against O
forces O
inside O
Iraq O
as O
far O
north O
as O

the O
city O
of O
Basra O
, O
about O
30 O
miles O
north O
of O
Kuwait O
, O
but O
say O

there O
is O
n O
' O
t O
any O
plan O
to O
drive O
beyond O
that O
. O

Indeed O
, O
French O
President O
Francois O
Mitterrand O
said O

yesterday B-T
that O
some O
allied O
forces O
are O
crossing O
Iraqi O

territory O
as O
part O
of O
a O
" O
pincer O
" O
movement O
to O
trap O
the O
soldiers O

occupying O
Kuwait O
, O
but O
insisted O
, O
" O
The O
purpose O
isn O
' O
t O
to O
invade O

Iraqi O
territory O
, O
that O
' O
s O
not O
the O
aim O
, O
that O
isn O
' O
t O
the O
mandate O
. O
" O

Nevertheless O
, O
American O
officials O
over O
the B-T
weekend I-T
became O

more O
open O
in O
declaring O
that O
by O
destroying O
Saddam O
Hussein O
' O
s O

military O
machine O
they O
hope O
to O
destroy O
his O
regime O
- O
- O
a O
goal O

likely O
to O
be O
supported O
by O
most O
Americans O
. O

In O
a O
pre O
- O
attack O
message O
, O
Lt O
. O
Gen O
. O
Walter O
Boomer O
, O
the O
top O

Marine O
in O
the O
Persian O
Gulf O
, O
told O
U O
. O
S O
. O
Marines O
that O
their O
goal O

is O
to O
" O
restore O
{ O
Kuwait O
} O
to O
its O
citizens O
. O
" O
He O
went O
on O
to O
add O

that O
" O
in O
so O
doing O
you O
not O
only O
return O
a O
nation O
to O
its O
people O
, O

but O
you O
will O
destroy O
the O
war O
machine O
of O
a O
ruthless O
dictator O
. O
" O

Secretary O
of O
State O
James O
Baker O
said O
on O
ABC O
- O
TV O
' O
s O
" O
This O
Week O

With O
David O
Brinkley O
" O
that O
the O
series O
of O
United O
Nations O

resolutions O
condemning O
Iraq O
' O
s O
invasion O
of O
Kuwait O
" O
imply O
that O

the O
restoration O
of O
peace O
and O
stability O
in O
the O
Gulf O
would O
be O
a O

heck O
of O
a O
lot O
easier O
if O
he O
and O
that O
leadership O
were O
not O
in O

power O
in O
Iraq O
. O
" O

Of O
course O
, O
it O
is O
still O
far O
too O
early O
to O
assume O
that O
the O

military O
situation O
on O
the O
ground O
will O
stay O
as O
smooth O
for O

allied O
forces O
as O
it O
appears O
to O
have O
been O
so O
far O
. O
Iraq O
still O

has O
the O
potential O
to O
cause O
significant O
problems O
by O
using O

forces O
and O
weapons O
that O
don O
' O
t O
yet O
seem O
fully O
engaged O
. O

For O
one O
thing O
, O
Iraq O
still O
apparently O
has O
n O
' O
t O
unleashed O
its O

stockpile O
of O
chemical O
weapons O
. O
Gen O
. O
Schwarzkopf O
said O
that O

some O
early O
reports O
that O
chemical O
weapons O
were O
used O
against O

allied O
troops O
turned O
out O
to O
be O
" O
bogus O
. O
" O
Iraq O
is O
believed O
to O
have O
the O
ability O
to O
deliver O
chemical O
weapons O
in O
artillery O

shells O
or O
, O
perhaps O
, O
atop O
Soviet O
- O
made O
Frog7 O
missiles O
. O

Perhaps O
more O
important O
, O
it O
appears O
that O
allied O
troops O

have O
n O
' O
t O
yet O
fully O
engaged O
Iraq O
' O
s O
vaunted O
Republican O
Guard O
, O

which O
has O
been O
sitting O
just O
north O
of O
the O
Iraq O
- O
Kuwait O
border O

and O
is O
considered O
the O
most O
potent O
element O
in O
the O
Iraqi O

defense O
. O
It O
remains O
to O
be O
seen O
how O
much O
damage O
the O
allied O
air O

campaign O
was O
able O
to O
inflict O
on O
the O
Guard O
, O
and O
whether O

President O
Hussein O
will O
commit O
his O
most O
valued O
troops O
to O
a O

fight O
- O
to O
- O
the O
- O
death O
finish O
. O

Certainly O
Saddam O
Hussein O
continues O
to O
implore O
his O
country O

to O
fight O
on O
. O
" O
Fight O
them O
, O
" O
he O
urged O
Iraqis O
in O
a O
radio O

address O
. O
" O
All O
Iraqis O
, O
fight O
them O
with O
all O
the O
power O
you O
have O
, O

and O
all O
struggle O
for O
everything O
. O
" O

American O
war O
planners O
have O
long O
assumed O
that O
the O
early O

stage O
of O
the O
ground O
attack O
, O
in O
which O
American O
forces O
would O
use O
their O
speed O
to O
sweep O
around O
Iraqi O
defenses O
and O
their O

strength O
to O
punch O
through O
the O
relatively O
weak O
Iraqi O
front O

line O
, O
would O
be O
the O
easiest O
part O
. O

Despite O
these O
early O
successes O
, O
the O
mere O
fact O
that O
a O
ground O

campaign O
has O
begun O
almost O
guarantees O
that O
the O
Bush O

administration O
will O
face O
fresh O
problems O
growing O
out O
of O
the O

military O
situation O
. O
There O
are O
likely O
to O
be O
additional O

American O
prisoners O
of O
war O
taken O
, O
and O
there O
are O
signs O
that O

President O
Hussein O
is O
taking O
Kuwaiti O
hostages O
. O
U O
. O
S O
. O
and O

Kuwaiti O
officials O
say O
there O
are O
reports O
that O
large O
numbers O
of O

civilians O
from O
Kuwait O
City O
are O
being O
rounded O
up O
and O
held O
by O

Iraqi O
troops O
, O
apparently O
either O
for O
use O
as O
human O
shields O
or O

for O
use O
later O
in O
bargaining O
once O
the O
war O
is O
over O
. O

President O
Bush O
' O
s O
political O
argument O
for O
going O
to O
a O
ground O

war O
has O
been O
strengthened O
by O
the O
growing O
stream O
of O
reports O
of O

wanton O
Iraqi O
destruction O
inside O
Kuwait O
. O
U O
. O
S O
. O
officials O
say O

that O
hundreds O
of O
Kuwaiti O
oil O
wells O
now O
may O
have O
been O
set O
afire O
. O
And O
Robert O
Gates O
, O
Mr O
. O
Bush O
' O
s O
deputy O
national O
security O

adviser O
, O
asserted O
in O
an O
interview O
on O
the O
Cable O
News O
Network O

that O
Iraqi O
troops O
have O
set O
fire O
to O
" O
large O
sections O
" O
of O
Kuwait O

City O
. O

Mr O
. O
Bush O
and O
his O
aides O
were O
leaning O
toward O
a O
military O

conclusion O
of O
the O
crisis O
even O
before O
the O
latest O
reports O
of O

Iraqi O
atrocities O
in O
Kuwait O
came O
to O
light O
. O
The O
president O
and O

his O
top O
aides O
tentatively O
decided O
on O
Feb B-T
. I-T
11 I-T
that O
a O
ground O

war O
would O
be O
necessary O
. O
The O
decision O
was O
made O
after O
Defense O

Secretary O
Dick O
Cheney O
and O
Gen O
. O
Colin O
Powell O
, O
chairman O
of O
the O

Joint O
Chiefs O
of O
Staff O
, O
returned O
from O
a O
visit O
with O
military O

commanders O
in O
Saudi O
Arabia O
, O
administration O
officials O
say O
. O

Then O
, O
a B-T
week I-T
or I-T
so I-T
ago I-T
, O
Gen O
. O
Schwarzkopf O
secretly O
picked O

Saturday B-T
night I-T
as O
the O
optimal O
time O
to O
start O
the O
offensive O
. O

The B-T
date I-T
was O
unaffected O
by O
the O
last O
- O
ditch O
Soviet O
peace O

initiative O
. O
The O
real O
problem O
with O
the O
Soviet O
proposals O
, O
U O
. O
S O
. O

officials O
now O
say O
, O
was O
that O
they O
all O
would O
have O
required O

lifting O
economic O
sanctions O
against O
Iraq O
. O
The O
Bush O

administration O
considers O
the O
sanctions O
essential O
to O
keeping O

Saddam O
Hussein O
under O
control O
should O
he O
survive O
the O
war O
. O

Mr O
. O
Bush O
forestalled O
further O
diplomatic O
maneuvering O
by O

issuing O
an O
ultimatum O
on O
behalf O
of O
the O
allies O
demanding O
that O

Iraq O
withdraw O
within B-T
a I-T
week I-T
, O
starting O
at O
noon B-T
Saturday I-T
. I-T

Administration O
aides O
said O
that O
the O
idea O
of O
the O
ultimatum O
was O

Gen O
. O
Powell O
' O
s O
. O
He O
argued O
setting O
an O
explicit O
deadline O
for O

Saddam O
Hussein O
to O
break O
would O
, O
when O
it O
was O
broken O
, O
give O
the O

U O
. O
S O
. O
military O
a O
clear O
green O
light O
to O
proceed O
. O

In O
setting O
out O
his O
final O
challenge O
to O
Saddam O
Hussein O
, O
Mr O
. O

Bush O
continued O
the O
intensive O
personal O
diplomacy O
he O
began O

after O
the O
invasion O
llast B-T
August I-T
. O
After O
cabling O
world O
leaders O

about O
his O
intention O
to O
give O
Saddam O
Hussein O
a O
final O
deadline O

to O
exit O
Kuwait O
, O
he O
offered O
him O
a B-T
week I-T
to O
withdraw O
fully O
, O
instead O
of O
the B-T
four I-T
days I-T
he O
originally O
considered O
, O
because O
of O

objections O
from O
some O
European O
partners O
that O
four O
days O
seemed O

punitive O
and O
unrealistic O
. O

And O
when O
he O
and O
President O
Gorbachev O
spoke O
about O
the O

decision O
in O
a O
talk O
lasting O
nearly B-T
an I-T
hour I-T
, O
the O
President O
took O

pains O
to O
listen O
to O
what O
his O
counterpart O
had O
to O
say O
, O
although O

he O
already O
had O
decided O
that O
the O
Soviet O
alternative O
to O
the O

allied O
deadline O
was O
unacceptable O
. O

Finally O
, O
when O
Iraq O
failed O
to O
respond O
to O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O

ultimatum O
, O
Mr O
. O
Bush O
let O
the O
ground O
offensive O
begin O
as O

previously O
planned O
Saturday B-T
night I-T
. O

The O
attack O
was O
lightning O
quick O
, O
as O
allied O
forces O
punched O

through O
tall O
sand O
berms O
on O
the O
border O
and O
pushed O
forward O
into O

Iraq O
and O
Kuwait O
. O
U O
. O
S O
. O
Marines O
were O
said O
to O
have O
breached O

troublesome O
mine O
fields O
along O
the O
Iraqi O
lines O
but O
Pentagon O

officials O
said O
no O
amphibious O
assault O
on O
Kuwait O
' O
s O
beaches O
had O
begun O
. O
Long O
columns O
of O
Iraqi O
prisoners O
of O
war O
could O
be O
seen O

trudging O
through O
the O
desert O
toward O
the O
allied O
rear O
. O
U O
. O
S O
. O

commanders O
said O
5 O
, O
500 O
Iraqi O
prisoners O
were O
taken O
in O
the O
first O

hours O
of O
the O
ground O
war O
, O
though O
some O
military O
officials O
later O
said O
the O
total O
may O
have O
climbed O
above O
8 O
, O
000 O
. O

The O
U O
. O
S O
. O
hopes O
its O
troops O
will O
drive O
Iraqi O
forces O
out O
of O

Kuwait O
quickly O
, O
leaving O
much O
of O
Iraq O
' O
s O
offensive O
military O

equipment O
destroyed O
or O
abandoned O
in O
Kuwait O
. O
It O
expects O
that O

tens O
of O
thousands O
of O
Iraqi O
soldiers O
will O
surrender O
to O
the O

U O
. O
S O
. O
and O
its O
allies O
over O
the O
the B-T
next I-T
few I-T
days I-T
. I-T

If O
the O
allies O
succeed O
, O
Saddam O
Hussein O
will O
have O
plunged O

his O
country O
first O
into O
a O
fruitless O
eight B-T
- I-T
year I-T
- O
long O
war O

against O
Iran O
and O
then O
into O
a O
humiliating O
war O
against O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O

and O
the O
allies O
to O
defend O
his O
conquest O
of O
Kuwait O
, O
leaving O
much O

of O
his O
country O
' O
s O
military O
establishment O
and O
modern O

infrastructure O
in O
ruins O
. O

Meanwhile O
, O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
hopes O
, O
economic O
sanctions O
and O
an O

international O
arms O
embargo O
will O
remain O
in O
effect O
until O
Iraq O

pays O
war O
reparations O
to O
Kuwait O
to O
cover O
war O
damages O
. O
That O

would O
undermine O
any O
chances O
of O
rebuilding O
either O
Iraq O
or O
its O

armed O
forces O
in O
short O
order O
as O
long O
as O
Saddam O
Hussein O
remains O

in O
power O
. O
The O
American O
hope O
is O
that O
someone O
from O
within O
Iraq O
, O

perhaps O
from O
the O
army O
' O
s O
professional O
ranks O
, O
will O
step O
forward O

and O
push O
Saddam O
Hussein O
aside O
so O
that O
the O
country O
can O
begin O

recovering O
from O
the O
disaster O
. O

Outside O
analysts O
think O
Saddam O
Hussein O
' O
s O
position O
is O
indeed O

precarious O
. O
" O
I O
think O
frankly O
Saddam O
is O
finished O
, O
no O
matter O

what O
happens O
, O
" O
says O
Christine O
Helms O
, O
a O
Middle O
East O
scholar O

who O
has O
written O
extensively O
about O
Iraq O
. O
" O
These O
guys O
simply O
do O
n O
' O
t O
retire O
to O
condos O
over O
the O
Euphrates O
. O
" O

Despite O
the O
lack O
of O
any O
obvious O
successors O
, O
the O
Iraqi O

leader O
' O
s O
internal O
power O
base O
appeared O
to O
be O
narrowing O
even O

before O
the O
war O
began O
. O
Some O
analysts O
say O
he O
appeared O
to O
be O
relying O
on O
a O
smaller O
and O
smaller O
circle O
of O
close O
advisers O
and O

relatives O
. O
If O
that O
' O
s O
true O
, O
the O
narrowing O
of O
his O
support O
would O
make O
it O
easier O
for O
someone O
to O
push O
him O
aside O
from O
within O
. O

Yet O
, O
paradoxically O
, O
the O
perception O
that O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
wants O
to O
destroy O
Iraq O
may O
increase O
Saddam O
Hussein O
' O
s O
support O
within O
the O

Iraqi O
military O
. O
And O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
now O
will O
face O
sharper O
questions O

in O
the O
Arab O
world O
since O
it O
did O
n O
' O
t O
back O
the O
peace O
proposals O

worked O
out O
in O
Moscow O
. O
" O
We O
looked O
to O
the O
United O
States O
, O
we O

expected O
you O
to O
have O
the O
moral O
edge O
, O
" O
says O
Nasser O
Tahboub O
, O
a O

Jerusalem O
- O
born O
Jordanian O
who O
has O
an O
American O
wife O
and O
a O

doctorate O
in O
political O
science O
from O
Duke O
University O
. O
" O
Now O
we O

see O
that O
edge O
eroded O
. O
For O
me O
, O
it O
is O
a O
great O
tragedy O
. O
For O
the O

first O
time O
in O
history O
, O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
has O
gone O
to O
war O
with O
an O
Arab O

and O
Muslim O
nation O
, O
and O
we O
know O
a O
peaceful O
solution O
was O
in O

reach O
. O
" O

- O
- O
- O

Geraldine O
Brooks O
in O
Amman O
, O
Jordan O
, O
and O
Craig O
Forman O
in O

Cairo O
, O
Egypt O
, O
contributed O
to O
this O
article O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051105 O
. O
0037 O

MACAO O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
5 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Japan O
stuns O
China O
in O
men O
' O
s O
basketball O

Underdog O
Japan O
stunned O
Asian O
champion O
China B-T
68 I-T
- I-T
60 I-T
to O
reach O
the O
men O
' O
s O
basketball O
final O
at O
the O
East O
Asian O
Games O
here O
on O
Saturday B-T
. O

Japan O
, O
who O
suffered O
a O
78 O
- O
62 O
loss O
to O
South O
Korea O
Friday B-T
, O
played O
a O
completely O
different O
game O
, O
leading O
from O
the O
very O
beginning O
and O
enlarging O
the O
gap O
by O
every B-T
quarter I-T
on O
the O
way O
. O

Japan O
' O
s O
coach O
Zeljko O
Pavlicevic O
said O
they O
deserved O
the O
win O
as O
they O
played O
better O
than O
the O
Chinese O
in O
both O
defense O
and O
offense O
. O

" O
We O
played O
a O
great O
game O
, O
" O
said O
Zeljko O
. O
" O
We O
led O
from O
the O
beginning O
and O
never O
looked O
back O
. O
It O
wasn O
' O
t O
a O
final O
- O
ball O
game O
and O
we O
won O
it O
by O
eight O
points O
. O
" O

" O
You O
see O
the O
scoreboard O
, O
we O
are O
good O
in O
almost O
every O
thing O
, O
points O
, O
assists O
, O
rebounds O
and O
steals O
, O
we O
did O
play O
a O
great O
game O
. O
" O

Leading O
the O
first O
quarter O
17 O
- O
14 O
, O
Japan O
ran O
away O
35 O
- O
27 O
at O
the O
half O
break O
thanks O
to O
point O
guard O
Igarashi O
Kei O
, O
who O
scored O
eight O
points O
in O
a O
row O
in O
the B-T
second I-T
quarter I-T
. O

Japan O
widened O
its O
advantage O
to O
close O
the B-T
third I-T
quarter I-T
54 I-T
- I-T
43 I-T
after O
China O
' O
s O
inside O
dominance O
Yi O
Jianlian O
was O
benched O
with O
four O
fouls O
in O
hand O
. O

China O
, O
who O
had O
the O
semifinals O
without O
a O
loss O
, O
fought O
hard O
to O
close O
the O
margin O
to O
five O
points O
in O
the B-T
fourth I-T
quarter I-T
but O
Japanese O
forward O
Amino O
Tomoo O
' O
s O
two O
shots O
ended O
China O
' O
s O
comeback O
dream O
. O

Igarashi O
led O
the O
Japanese O
side O
with O
19 O
points O
, O
seven O
assists O
, O
three O
steals O
and O
forward O
Amino O
added O
16 O
points O
and O
seven O
rebounds O
. O

Yi O
, O
who O
averaged O
more O
than O
20 O
points O
in O
the O
preliminary O
round O
, O
scored O
a O
team O
high O
of O
14 O
points O
yet O
only O
pulled O
down O
four O
rebounds O
. O
Guards O
Lu O
Xiaoming O
and O
Wang O
Shipeng O
each O
added O
10 O
points O
. O

In O
Saturday B-T
' O
s O
another O
semifinal O
, O
Chinese O
Taipei O
nipped O
South O
Korea O
61 O
- O
48 O
thanks O
to O
a O
solid O
defense O
that O
limited O
its O
rival O
' O
s O
shooting O
percentage O
to O
a O
poor O
22 O
percent O
. O

Chinese O
Taipei O
out O
- O
scored O
the O
South O
Korean O
side O
14 O
- O
6 O
in O
the B-T
fourth I-T
quarter I-T
to O
seal O
a O
final O
berth O
. O

Guard O
Zeng O
Wending O
scored O
a O
team O
high O
of O
22 O
points O
and O
grabbed O
nine O
rebounds O
for O
Chinese O
Taipei O
, O
while O
forward O
Tianlei O
added O
16 O
points O
and O
14 O
rebounds O
. O

Guard O
Park O
Ji O
Hyon O
led O
South O
Korea O
with O
20 O
points O
, O
forward O
Jung O
Hoon O
added O
11 O
points O
. O

" O
It O
' O
s O
surprising O
that O
Japan O
upset O
China O
today B-T
, O
but O
we O
are O
glad O
to O
have O
Japan O
as O
the O
final O
rival O
, O
" O
said O
Chinese O
Taipei O
coach O
Jin O
Hyo O
Joon O
. O

Chinese O
Taipei O
, O
who O
beat O
Japan O
89 O
- O
78 O
in O
the O
preliminary O
round O
, O
will O
play O
the O
final O
on O
Sunday B-T
, O
while O
South O
Korea O
plays O
against O
China O
for O
the O
bronze O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061215 O
. O
0062 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
Dec B-T
15 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

Cuba O
' O
s O
Castro O
is O
near O
death O
: O
US O
intelligence O

Cuban O
leader O
Fidel O
Castro O
is O
very O
ill O
and O
close O
to O
death O
, O
the O
US O
Director O
of O
National O
Intelligence O
John O
Negroponte O
told O
the O
Washington O
Post O
on O
Friday B-T
. O

" O
Everything O
we O
see O
indicates O
it O
will O
not O
be O
much O
longer O
. O
. O
. O
months O
, O
not O
years O
, O
" O
Negroponte O
told O
the O
Post O
. O

However O
Negroponte O
, O
the O
top O
US O
intelligence O
official O
, O
gave O
no O
details O
in O
the O
interview O
to O
back O
up O
his O
statement O
. O

Castro O
, O
80 O
, O
handed O
over O
the O
reins O
of O
power O
on O
July B-T
31 I-T
to O
his O
brother O
Raul O
Castro O
, O
the O
army O
chief O
, O
after O
undergoing O
intestinal O
surgery O
. O
He O
has O
not O
been O
seen O
in O
public O
since O
July B-T
26 I-T
. O

Raul O
Castro O
has O
reached O
out O
to O
the O
United O
States O
in O
the B-T
past I-T
four I-T
months I-T
, O
calling O
for O
negotiations O
. O

The O
United O
States O
and O
Cuba O
do O
not O
have O
full O
diplomatic O
relations O
, O
and O
Washington O
has O
an O
economic O
embargo O
on O
the O
only O
one O
- O
party O
communist O
state O
in O
the O
Americas O
. O

On O
Wednesday B-T
the O
top O
US O
diplomat O
for O
Latin O
America O
indicated O
that O
the O
United O
States O
had O
yet O
to O
find O
a O
reformer O
in O
the O
communist O
Cuban O
government O
, O
but O
did O
not O
flatly O
rule O
out O
dialogue O
with O
Havana O
in O
the O
context O
of O
a O
political O
opening O
. O

On O
Friday B-T
a O
bipartisan O
group O
of O
10 O
US O
lawmakers O
, O
all O
supporters O
of O
easing O
US O
sanctions O
on O
Cuba O
, O
were O
to O
depart O
for O
Havana O
to O
meet O
with O
top O
Cuban O
officials O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051104 O
. O
0292 O

MAR O
DEL O
PLATA O
, O
Argentina O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
4 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Riots O
continue O
in O
Argentina O
amid O
summit O
of O
Americas O

Riots O
and O
violent O
clashes O
between O
police O
and O
demonstrators O
were O
continuing O
in O
the O
Argentine O
beach O
city O
of O
Mar O
del O
Plata O
and O
the O
capital O
Buenos O
Aires O
on O
Friday B-T
. O

Dozens O
of O
people O
, O
including O
Mayor O
Daniel O
Katz O
of O
Mar O
del O
Plata O
and O
several O
policemen O
, O
were O
wounded O
in O
the O
clashes O
which O
began O
soon O
after O
the O
fourth O
Summit O
of O
the O
Americas O
began O
in O
the O
city O
, O
about O
400 O
km O
south O
of O
Buenos O
Aires O
. O

More O
than O
65 O
people O
have O
been O
arrested O
in O
Mar O
del O
Plata O
, O
well O
- O
informed O
sources O
told O
Xinhua O
. O

Heavily O
armed O
police O
fired O
tear O
gas O
to O
drive O
away O
demonstrators O
who O
gathered O
near O
the O
venue O
of O
the O
summit O
since O
Friday B-T
morning I-T
to O
protest O
against O
US O
foreign O
and O
trade O
policy O
, O
and O
the O
US O
- O
led O
war O
on O
Iraq O
. O

Some O
40 O
, O
000 O
people O
joined O
the O
organized O
demonstrations O
. O
The O
angry O
demonstrators O
threw O
stones O
at O
police O
, O
set O
American O
national O
flags O
on O
fire O
, O
and O
attacked O
banks O
and O
stores O
nearby O
. O

While O
the O
riots O
and O
violence O
in O
Mar B-T
del O
Plata O
were O
yet O
to O
be O
put O
under O
control O
, O
hundreds O
of O
protesters O
took O
to O
the O
street O
in O
downtown O
Buenos O
Aires O
. O

Several O
stores O
and O
commercial O
institutions O
were O
set O
ablaze O
and O
seriously O
damaged O
. O

Police O
detained O
a O
number O
of O
demonstrators O
to O
prevent O
the O
situation O
from O
swirling O
out O
of O
control O
. O

No O
death O
was O
reported O
so O
far O
. O

US O
President O
George O
W O
. O
Bush O
, O
who O
arrived O
here O
Thursday B-T
night I-T
, O
was O
attending O
the O
two O
- O
day O
summit O
which O
will O
be O
focusing O
on O
topics O
like O
free O
trade O
and O
fighting O
poverty O
. O

The O
Argentine O
authorities O
have O
mobilized O
some O
35 O
, O
000 O
policeman O
and O
government O
troops O
to O
guard O
against O
any O
possible O
terror O
attack O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051124 O
. O
0146 O

AMMAN O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
24 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

URGENT O
: O
Jordanian O
king O
orders O
to O
set O
up O
new O
cabinet O

Jordanian O
King O
Abdullah O
II O
asked O
the O
head O
of O
national O
security O
Maaruf O
Bakhit O
on O
Thursday B-T
to O
set O
up O
a O
cabinet O
, O
government O
sources O
said O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970401 O
. O
0541 O

TAIPEI O
, O
April B-T
2 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

US O
Speaker O
Gingrich O
meets O
Taiwan O
President O
Lee O

US O
House O
of O
Representatives O
Speaker O
Newt O
Gingrich O
met O
Taiwanese O
President O
Lee O
Teng O
- O
hui O
Wednesday B-T
for O
talks O
on O
bilateral O
ties O
at O
the O
start O
of O
a O
whirlwind O
visit O
to O
the O
nationalist O
island O
. O

Gingrich O
is O
the O
first O
speaker O
to O
visit O
Taiwan O
since O
Washington O
switched O
diplomatic O
recognition O
from O
Taipei O
to O
Beijing O
in O
1979 B-T
. O

" O
We O
are O
glad O
to O
have O
this O
good O
friend O
come O
for O
a O
visit O
, O
" O
Foreign O
Minister O
John O
Chan O
said O
after O
Gingrich O
' O
s O
arrival O
at O
10 B-T
: I-T
30 I-T
a I-T
. I-T
m I-T
. I-T
( O
0230 O
GMT O
) O
, O
adding O
that O
Taiwan O
had O
built O
a O
strong O
friendship O
with O
the O
US O
Congress O
. O

Gingrich O
and O
a O
23 O
- O
member O
delegation O
were O
greeted O
at O
the O
Sungshan O
Military O
Airport O
by O
Chang O
and O
Darryl O
Johnson O
, O
director O
of O
Washington O
' O
s O
quasi O
- O
embassy O
, O
the O
American O
Institute O
in O
Taiwan O
( O
AIT O
) O
. O

They O
were O
then O
escorted O
to O
limousines O
and O
whisked O
away O
to O
the O
presidential O
office O
, O
where O
the O
US O
speaker O
met O
Lee O
accompanied O
by O
11 O
delegation O
members O
. O

Gingrich O
is O
due O
to O
have O
lunch O
with O
Premier O
Lien O
Chan O
, O
who O
is O
also O
vice O
president O
, O
as O
well O
as O
other O
high O
- O
ranking O
Taipei O
officials O
before O
leaving O
for O
home O
at O
1 O
: O
00 O
p O
. O
m O
. O
( O
0500 O
GMT O
) O
. O

Chang O
stressed O
that O
Taipei O
would O
continue O
to O
show O
the O
world O
that O
cross O
- O
strait O
ties O
were O
not O
soley O
an O
internal O
Chinese O
issue O
. O

" O
Our O
existence O
must O
be O
recognized O
by O
the O
international O
community O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

Gingrich O
told O
President O
Jian O
Zemin O
during O
a O
visit O
to O
China O
last B-T
week I-T
that O
the O
United O
States O
would O
be O
prepared O
to O
intervene O
if O
China O
invaded O
Taiwan O
, O
which O
Beijing O
has O
regarded O
as O
a O
renegade O
province O
since O
the O
natinalists O
fled O
here O
in O
1949 B-T
. O

Jiang O
responded O
with O
a O
warning O
, O
saying O
: O
" O
We O
hope O
the O
US O
administration O
and O
the O
Congress O
will O
handle O
the O
Taiwan O
issue O
with O
caution O
. O
" O

On O
Tuesday B-T
, O
Beijing O
again O
told O
Washington O
to O
stay O
clear O
. O

" O
The O
controversy O
beween O
China O
and O
the O
United O
States O
on O
the O
Taiwan O
issue O
revolves O
around O
one O
point O
which O
is O
US O
interference O
, O
" O
said O
Chinese O
foreign O
ministry O
spokesman O
Shen O
Guofang O
. O

" O
The O
US O
government O
and O
the O
Congress O
have O
expressed O
their O
support O
for O
the O
' O
one O
China O
' O
policy O
. O
. O
. O
and O
we O
hope O
that O
the O
United O
States O
will O
keep O
its O
agreements O
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O

Gingrich O
toned O
down O
his O
remarks O
Tuesday B-T
in O
Tokyo O
, O
saying O
Washington O
would O
stick O
to O
its O
" O
one O
- O
China O
policy O
. O
" O

" O
Taiwan O
is O
a O
question O
of O
great O
concern O
. O
. O
. O
We O
favor O
a O
one O
- O
China O
policy O
. O
. O
. O
with O
voluntary O
dicussions O
between O
China O
and O
Taiwan O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061225 O
. O
0149 O

LISBON O
, O
Dec B-T
25 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

National O
squads O
play O
too O
many O
matches O
: O
Mourinho O

National O
teams O
are O
required O
to O
play O
far O
too O
many O
matches O
, O
Chelsea O
' O
s O
Portuguese O
coach O
Jose O
Mourinho O
said O
in O
a O
newspaper O
interview O
published O
on O
Monday B-T
. O

" O
There O
are O
too O
many O
matches O
with O
minor O
teams O
and O
because O
of O
this O
when O
there O
are O
serious O
matches O
players O
are O
at O
risk O
of O
not O
being O
at O
the O
level O
that O
people O
expect O
, O
" O
he O
told O
Portuguese O
sports O
daily O
O O
Jogo O
. O

" O
It O
is O
too O
much O
to O
have O
groups O
of O
seven O
to O
eight O
teams O
that O
play O
14 B-T
, I-T
15 I-T
, I-T
16 I-T
matches O
to O
qualify O
, O
which O
serve O
mostly O
to O
injure O
players O
, O
" O
he O
added O
. O

Mourinho O
, O
who O
has O
guided O
Chelsea O
to O
two O
successive O
Premiership O
titles O
after O
taking O
FC O
Porto O
to O
the O
Champions O
League O
triumph O
, O
suggested O
that O
qualifying O
groups O
should O
instead O
consist O
of O
just O
three O
or O
four O
national O
teams O
matched O
by O
their O
ability O
. O

" O
The O
best O
would O
play O
against O
the O
best O
and O
the O
worst O
against O
the O
worst O
. O
Instead O
of O
Portugal O
playing O
against O
Kazakhstan O
and O
England O
against O
San O
Marino O
, O
let O
Kazakhstan O
and O
San O
Marino O
play O
against O
Andorra O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

Mourinho O
, O
who O
is O
under O
contract O
with O
Chelsea O
until O
2010 B-T
, O
has O
said O
he O
would O
like O
to O
coach O
Portugal O
before O
retiring O
from O
football O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051124 O
. O
0266 O

BRUSSELS O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
24 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Over O
2 O
million O
problem O
drug O
users O
in O
EU O
: O
report O

There O
are O
up O
to O
2 O
. O
1 O
million O
problem O
drug O
users O
in O
the O
European O
Union O
( O
EU O
) O
today B-T
, O
of O
whom O
over O
1 O
million O
are O
likely O
to O
be O
drug O
injectors O
, O
said O
Europe O
' O
s O
drugs O
monitoring O
center O
on O
Thursday B-T
. O

Around O
9 O
million O
Europeans O
, O
or O
three O
percent O
of O
all O
adults O
, O
have O
used O
cocaine O
at O
some O
stage O
in O
their O
lives O
. O
Some O
2 O
. O
6 O
million O
adults O
in O
the O
EU O
have O
used O
ecstasy O
recently O
, O
said O
the O
European O
Monitoring O
Center O
for O
Drugs O
and O
Drugs O
Addiction O
in O
its O
2005 O
report O
. O

Over O
62 O
million O
Europeans O
, O
or O
over O
20 O
percent O
of O
all O
adults O
, O
have O
ever O
tried O
cannabis O
and O
around O
20 O
million O
- O
- O
six O
percent O
of O
all O
adults O
- O
- O
have O
used O
it O
in O
the B-T
last I-T
12 I-T
months I-T
, O
said O
the O
report O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051128 O
. O
0182 O

HONG O
KONG O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
28 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Chinese O
Taikonauts O
pay O
visit O
to O
HK O
Disneyland O

Chinese O
taikonauts O
Fei O
Junlong O
and O
Nie O
Haisheng O
on O
Monday B-T
made O
" O
shuttle O
tours O
" O
to O
Hong O
Kong O
Disneyland O
, O
Statue O
Square O
in O
the O
Central O
and O
some O
other O
places O
to O
meet O
with O
Hong O
Kong O
citizens O
. O

The O
two O
men O
toured O
Disneyland O
' O
s O
" O
Tomorrowland O
" O
which O
features O
space O
theme O
and O
took O
pictures O
with O
Disney O
movie O
space O
character O
Buzz O
Lightyear O
. O

Instead O
of O
a O
routine O
parade O
of O
Disney O
characters O
in O
the B-T
afternoon I-T
, O
the O
two O
taikonauts O
, O
in O
their O
blue O
uniforms O
, O
toured O
the O
Hong O
Kong O
Disneyland O
streets O
in O
an O
open O
old O
- O
styled O
Rolls O
- O
Royce O
. O

Thousands O
of O
visitors O
in O
the O
park O
excitedly O
called O
them O
by O
names O
and O
took O
pictures O
with O
cameras O
and O
mobile O
phones O
. O
Even O
Mickey O
wore O
a O
specially O
designed O
space O
uniform O
. O

The O
two O
men O
also O
watched O
3D O
computer O
digital O
fantasy O
film O
together O
with O
hundreds O
of O
audience O
there O
. O

During O
their O
visit O
to O
the O
Statue O
Square O
in O
the O
Central O
, O
they O
presided O
over O
a O
lighting O
ceremony O
for O
the O
newly O
arranged O
winter O
Christmas O
trees O
and O
put O
their O
cards O
for O
wishes O
on O
the O
Christmas O
trees O
there O
. O

Fei O
wished O
Hong O
Kong O
compatriots O
to O
live O
and O
work O
in O
peace O
and O
contentment O
while O
Nie O
wished O
Hong O
Kong O
a O
better O
tomorrow O
with O
great O
prospects O
. O

During O
their O
visit O
, O
they O
often O
waved O
to O
the O
Hong O
Kong O
citizens O
and O
shook O
hands O
with O
some O
of O
them O
. O

The O
two O
taikonauts O
and O
leading O
engineers O
of O
the O
Delegation O
of O
Shenzhou O
- O
6 O
Manned O
Space O
Mission O
met O
with O
university O
students O
at O
Chinese O
University O
of O
Hong O
Kong O
and O
visited O
Hong O
Kong O
Science O
Park O
earlier O
in O
the O
day O
. O

The O
delegation O
arrived O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
on O
Sunday B-T
for O
a O
three O
- O
day O
visit O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061106 O
. O
0156 O

TOKYO O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
6 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

talks O
begin O

Japanese O
Foreign O
Minister O
Taro O
Aso O
and O
visiting O
senior O
U O
. O
S O
. O
diplomats O
agreed O
on O
Monday B-T
that O
the O
Democratic O
People O
' O
s O
Republic O
of O
Korea O
( O
DPRK O
) O
should O
abandon O
all O
nuclear O
programs O
in O
line O
with O
U O
. O
N O
. O
resolutions O
and O
that O
U O
. O
N O
. O
and O
Japanese O
sanctions O
would O
remain O
in O
place O
even O
after O
the O
meeting O
started O
. O

The O
agreement O
was O
reached O
at O
a O
meeting O
between O
Nicholas O
Burns O
, O
who O
is O
U O
. O
S O
. O
Undersecretary O
of O
State O
for O
Political O
Affairs O
, O
Robert O
Joseph O
, O
the O
Undersecretary O
of O
State O
for O
Arms O
Control O
and O
International O
Security O
, O
and O
Aso O
. O

Japan O
and O
the O
United O
States O
are O
in O
agreement O
that O
Security O
Council O
Resolution O
1718 O
" O
must O
be O
fully O
and O
effectively O
implemented O
" O
until O
the O
DPRK O
" O
meets O
all O
of O
the O
demands O
of O
the O
Security O
Council O
, O
" O
Joseph O
was O
quoted O
as O
saying O
by O
Kyodo O
News O
. O

Aso O
said O
the O
two O
nations O
agreed O
that O
they O
would O
not O
accept O
the O
DPRK O
as O
" O
a O
nuclear O
state O
" O
and O
that O
sanctions O
in O
line O
with O
the O
resolution O
as O
well O
as O
Japan O
' O
s O
own O
sanctions O
" O
would O
not O
be O
relaxed O
" O
just O
because O
the O
six O
- O
party O
talks O
were O
being O
held O
. O

The O
foreign O
minister O
said O
he O
would O
propose O
holding O
five O
- O
nation O
talks O
with O
his O
counterparts O
from O
the O
United O
States O
, O
South O
Korea O
, O
China O
and O
Russia O
to O
discuss O
the O
DPRK O
' O
s O
nuclear O
program O
on O
the O
sidelines O
of O
the O
Asia O
- O
Pacific O
Economic O
Cooperation O
forum O
summit O
in O
Vietnam O
' O
s O
Hanoi O
next B-T
week I-T
. O

The O
DPRK O
nuclear O
test O
early B-T
last I-T
month I-T
sparked O
U O
. O
N O
. O
condemnations O
and O
sanctions O
. O
Japan O
had O
imposed O
its O
own O
sweeping O
sanctions O
before O
the O
nuclear O
test O
. O

Pyongyang O
agreed O
on O
Nov B-T
. I-T
1 I-T
to O
return O
the O
negotiation O
table O
on O
the O
premise O
that O
the O
issue O
of O
lifting O
U O
. O
S O
. O
financial O
sanctions O
against O
the O
DPRK O
would O
be O
discussed O
and O
settled O
within O
the O
framework O
of O
the O
six O
- O
party O
talks O
. O

Joseph O
and O
Burns O
also O
met O
with O
Japanese O
Defense O
Agency O
chief O
Fumio O
Kyuma O
. O
Joseph O
was O
also O
quoted O
as O
saying O
during O
the O
meeting O
that O
trilateral O
cooperation O
between O
Australia O
, O
Japan O
, O
the O
United O
States O
is O
necessary O
in O
operational O
and O
intelligence O
matters O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061220 O
. O
0703 O

SYDNEY O
, O
Dec B-T
21 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

AWB O
shrugs O
off O
ban O
from O
US O
government O
contracts O
, O
programmes O

Australia O
' O
s O
AWB O
on O
Thursday B-T
said O
a O
US O
decision O
to O
punish O
the O
disgraced O
wheat O
exporter O
for O
bribing O
the O
ousted O
Iraqi O
regime O
by O
barring O
it O
from O
government O
contracts O
and O
programmes O
would O
have O
no O
impact O
. O

US O
Agriculture O
Secretary O
Mike O
Johanns O
announced O
overnight O
the O
suspension O
of O
AWB O
and O
its O
affiliates O
, O
as O
well O
as O
11 O
former O
employees O
, O
from O
US O
government O
contracts O
and O
participation O
in O
programs O
such O
as O
export O
credits O
. O

However O
AWB O
spokesman O
Peter O
McBride O
said O
the O
US O
Department O
of O
Agriculture O
' O
s O
( O
USDA O
) O
move O
would O
have O
little O
practical O
effect O
as O
the O
company O
had O
not O
used O
US O
subsidies O
since O
early B-T
2004 I-T
. O

" O
As O
we O
haven O
' O
t O
used O
the O
program O
for O
over O
two O
and O
a O
half O
years O
and O
we O
are O
currently O
not O
using O
it O
, O
we O
will O
just O
continue O
to O
have O
discussions O
with O
them O
( O
USDA O
) O
going O
forward O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

" O
We O
have O
informed O
them O
recently O
that O
we O
would O
voluntarily O
step O
down O
from O
using O
the O
export O
program O
. O
We O
don O
' O
t O
envisage O
using O
it O
in O
the O
foreseeable O
future O
. O
" O

McBride O
said O
there O
seemed O
to O
have O
been O
some O
misunderstanding O
as O
AWB O
had O
yet O
to O
receive O
official O
notification O
of O
suspension O
from O
the O
USDA O
, O
despite O
ongoing O
discussions O
on O
the O
issue O
. O

Last B-T
month I-T
, O
an O
official O
inquiry O
here O
recommended O
that O
11 O
former O
executives O
of O
AWB O
face O
criminal O
prosecution O
over O
corruption O
linked O
to O
the O
United O
Nations O
oil O
- O
for O
- O
food O
program O
in O
Saddam O
Hussein O
' O
s O
Iraq O
. O

AWB O
, O
formerly O
the O
government O
- O
owned O
Australian O
Wheat O
Board O
, O
was O
found O
guilty O
of O
paying O
some O
220 O
million O
US O
dollars O
in O
bribes O
to O
secure O
wheat O
contracts O
from O
the O
regime O
before O
Saddam O
was O
ousted O
in O
the O
US O
- O
led O
invasion O
of O
March B-T
2003 I-T
. O

USDA O
spokeswoman O
Dana O
Johnson O
said O
the O
action O
was O
taken O
after O
the O
Foreign O
Agricultural O
Service O
scrutinised O
the O
Cole O
report O
. O

The O
final O
report O
of O
the O
10 O
- O
month O
Cole O
inquiry O
, O
an O
investigation O
by O
former O
judge O
Terence O
Cole O
, O
concluded O
that O
AWB O
knowingly O
paid O
bribes O
to O
Baghdad O
to O
win O
wheat O
contracts O
and O
then O
misled O
the O
Australian O
government O
and O
the O
United O
Nations O
. O

" O
We O
have O
taken O
this O
step O
based O
on O
the O
evidence O
and O
on O
our O
duty O
to O
protect O
the O
public O
interest O
and O
to O
ensure O
the O
USDA O
only O
does O
business O
with O
responsible O
individuals O
, O
" O
Johnson O
told O
the O
Australian O
Broadcasting O
Corporation O
. O

Although O
most O
of O
the O
personnel O
named O
in O
the O
Cole O
report O
were O
no O
longer O
involved O
with O
the O
company O
, O
the O
debarment O
still O
applied O
to O
AWB O
, O
Johnson O
said O
. O

She O
said O
the O
immediate O
suspension O
barred O
AWB O
and O
individuals O
from O
contracting O
with O
the O
US O
government O
and O
participating O
in O
most O
US O
programs O
. O

" O
AWB O
USA O
Limited O
had O
in O
the O
past O
in O
2002 B-T
- I-T
04 I-T
accessed O
some O
of O
the O
USDA O
export O
credit O
guarantee O
programs O
, O
" O
she O
said O
. O

AWB O
now B-T
has O
a O
month O
to O
announce O
whether O
it O
will O
contest O
the O
move O
, O
a O
decision O
that O
could O
spark O
a O
drawn O
- O
out O
hearing O
process O
. O

WSJ891102 O
- O
0031 O

= O
891102 O

891102 O
- O
0031 O
. O

Business O
Brief O
- O
- O
Savin O
Corp O
. O
: O

@ O
Office O
Products O
Firm O
Posts O

@ O
Net O
Loss O
for O
Third O
Quarter O

11 B-T
/ I-T
02 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

SVB O

EARNINGS O
( O
ERN O
) O

Savin O
Corp O
. O
reported O
a O
third B-T
- I-T
quarter I-T
net O
loss O
of O
$ O
35 O
. O
2 O
million O
, O
or O
31 O
cents O
a O
share O
, O
compared O
with O
year B-T
- I-T
earlier I-T
profit O
of O
$ O
3 O
. O
8 O
million O
, O
or O
one O
cent O
a O
share O
. O

A O
spokesman O
for O
the O
Stamford O
, O
Conn O
. O
based O
company O
said O
operations O
had O
a O
loss O
of O
$ O
5 O
. O
5 O
million O
for O
the B-T
quarter I-T
; O
in O
addition O
, O
the O
loss O
was O
magnified O
by O
nonrecurring O
charges O
totaling O
$ O
23 O
. O
5 O
million O
and O
$ O
8 O
. O
2 O
million O
in O
asset O
- O
valuation O
adjustments O
that O
he O
described O
as O
" O
unusual O
. O
" O

The O
charges O
were O
partly O
offset O
by O
a O
$ O
2 O
million O
gain O
on O
the O
sale O
of O
investments O
of O
two O
joint O
ventures O
, O
he O
said O
. O

Revenue O
declined O
8 O
% O
to O
$ O
85 O
. O
7 O
million O
, O
from O
$ O
93 O
. O
3 O
million O
a B-T
year I-T
earlier I-T
. O

Savin O
cited O
" O
a O
general O
softening O
in O
the O
demand O
for O
office O
products O
in O
the O
market O
segments O
in O
which O
Savin O
competes O
. O
" O

WSJ891026 O
- O
0043 O

= O
891026 O

891026 O
- O
0043 O
. O

Columbia O
SampL O
Posts O
$ O
226 O
. O
3 O
Million O
Loss O

@ O
After O
Writing O
Down O
High O
- O
Yield O
Portfolio O

@ O
- O
- O
- O
- O

@ O
By O
Pauline O
Yoshihashi O

@ O
Staff O
Reporter O
of O
The O
Wall O
Street O
Journal O

10 B-T
/ I-T
26 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

CSV O

EARNINGS O
( O
ERN O
) O

BEVERLY O
HILLS O
, O
Calif O
. O

Columbia O
Savings O
amp O
Loan O
Association O
, O
reeling O
from O
thrift O
- O
accounting O
changes O
mandated O
by O
Congress O
and O
the O
recent O
collapse O
of O
the O
junk O
- O
bond O
market O
, O
announced O
a O
loss O
for O
the B-T
third I-T
quarter I-T
of O
$ O
226 O
. O
3 O
million O
, O
or O
$ O
11 O
. O
57 O
a O
share O
. O

For O
the B-T
quarter I-T
a I-T
year I-T
ago I-T
, O
Columbia O
reported O
earnings O
of O
$ O
16 O
. O
3 O
million O
, O
or O
37 O
cents O
a O
share O
. O

Total O
assets O
increased O
to O
$ O
12 O
. O
7 O
billion O
in O
the B-T
latest I-T
quarter I-T
from O
$ O
12 O
. O
4 O
billion O
a B-T
year I-T
earlier I-T
. O

The O
loss O
stems O
from O
$ O
357 O
. O
5 O
million O
of O
write O
- O
downs O
on O
Columbia O
' O
s O
$ O
4 O
. O
4 O
billion O
high O
- O
yield O
investment O
securities O
portfolio O
, O
which O
includes O
about O
$ O
3 O
. O
7 O
billion O
of O
junk O
bonds O
, O
$ O
400 O
million O
of O
preferred O
stock O
, O
and O
Treasury O
securities O
. O

Columbia O
owes O
its O
spectacular O
growth O
in O
recent B-T
years I-T
to O
its O
junk O
- O
bond O
portfolio O
, O
the O
largest O
of O
any O
U O
. O
S O
. O
thrift O
. O

Much O
of O
Columbia O
' O
s O
junk O
- O
bond O
trading O
has O
been O
done O
through O
the O
high O
- O
yield O
department O
of O
its O
Beverly O
Hills O
neighbor O
, O
Drexel O
Burnham O
Lambert O
Inc O
. O

For O
the B-T
nine I-T
months I-T
, O
losses O
totaled O
$ O
212 O
million O
, O
or O
$ O
10 O
. O
83 O
a O
share O
, O
compared O
with O
net O
income O
of O
$ O
48 O
. O
7 O
million O
, O
or O
$ O
1 O
. O
11 O
a O
share O
, O
a B-T
year I-T
earlier I-T
. O

The O
results O
include O
a O
$ O
130 O
. O
2 O
million O
write O
- O
down O
of O
the O
securities O
in O
the O
high O
- O
yield O
portfolio O
to O
the O
lower O
of O
their O
cost O
or O
market O
value O
. O

Columbia O
also O
added O
$ O
227 O
. O
3 O
million O
to O
reserves O
for O
losses O
on O
the O
portfolio O
, O
increasing O
general O
reserves O
to O
$ O
300 O
million O
, O
or O
about O
6 O
. O
7 O
% O
of O
the O
total O
portfolio O
, O
as O
of O
Sept B-T
. I-T
30 I-T
. O

On O
June B-T
30 I-T
, O
loss O
reserves O
stood O
at O
$ O
108 O
. O
3 O
million O
. O

Thrift O
officials O
said O
the O
$ O
300 O
million O
reserve O
will O
be O
adjusted O
quarterly O
and O
will O
reflect O
the O
rate O
of O
dispositions O
and O
market O
conditions O
. O

The O
adjustments O
result O
from O
the O
recently O
passed O
thrift O
- O
industry O
bailout O
legislation O
, O
which O
requires O
thrifts O
to O
divest O
all O
high O
- O
yield O
bond O
investments O
by O
1994 B-T
. O

Previously O
, O
Columbia O
did O
n O
' O
t O
have O
to O
adjust O
the O
book O
value O
of O
its O
junk O
- O
bond O
holdings O
to O
reflect O
declines O
in O
market O
prices O
, O
because O
it O
held O
the O
bonds O
as O
long O
- O
term O
investments O
. O

Because O
Columbia O
now B-T
must O
sell O
the O
bonds O
within O
five B-T
years I-T
, O
accounting O
rules O
require O
the O
thrift O
to O
value O
the O
bonds O
at O
the O
lower O
of O
cost O
or O
market O
prices O
. O

For O
its O
future O
strategy O
, O
Columbia O
officials O
said O
the O
thrift O
may O
branch O
out O
into O
commercial O
lending O
or O
managing O
outside O
investments O
, O
as O
well O
as O
beefing O
up O
more O
traditional O
thrift O
activities O
. O

The O
quarterly O
results O
also O
reflected O
$ O
21 O
. O
4 O
million O
in O
non O
- O
recurring O
losses O
from O
commercial O
real O
- O
estate O
activities O
in O
California O
. O

Thomas O
Spiegel O
, O
Columbia O
' O
s O
chairman O
, O
said O
in O
a O
statement O
that O
the O
thrift O
was O
" O
disappointed O
" O
by O
the O
effects O
of O
the O
accounting O
changes O
. O

But O
he O
said O
Columbia O
remains O
" O
one O
of O
the O
most O
strongly O
capitalized O
thrifts O
in O
the O
industry O
, O
" O
based O
on O
the O
economic O
value O
of O
its O
assets O
and O
tangible O
capital O
. O

Columbia O
announced O
the O
results O
after O
the O
close O
of O
the O
stock O
market O
. O

Its O
shares O
closed O
at O
$ O
5 O
. O
125 O
each O
in O
composite O
New O
York O
Stock O
Exchange O
trading O
, O
down O
37 O
. O
5 O
cents O
. O

The O
price O
of O
Columbia O
shares O
has O
been O
cut O
nearly O
in O
half O
since O
August B-T
, O
when O
they O
traded O
at O
about O
$ O
10 O
, O
as O
investors O
apparently O
realized O
that O
the O
thrift O
would O
be O
forced O
to O
take O
a O
big O
write O
- O
down O
. O

The O
stock O
' O
s O
decline O
accelerated O
in O
the B-T
past I-T
two I-T
weeks I-T
, O
from O
a O
price O
of O
$ O
8 O
a O
share O
on O
Oct B-T
. I-T
9 I-T
. O

Columbia O
officials O
said O
they O
do O
n O
' O
t O
know O
how O
quickly O
they O
will O
dispose O
of O
the O
thrift O
' O
s O
junk O
bonds O
, O
because O
federal O
regulations O
, O
such O
as O
those O
that O
would O
allow O
thrifts O
to O
continue O
holding O
the O
bonds O
in O
separately O
capitalized O
subsidiaries O
, O
have O
n O
' O
t O
yet O
been O
completed O
. O

Columbia O
officials O
also O
said O
the O
thrift O
should O
n O
' O
t O
face O
problems O
meeting O
regulatory O
capital O
requirements O
, O
despite O
the O
large O
reserves O
and O
write O
- O
downs O
and O
stiffer O
regulatory O
requirements O
that O
should O
be O
in O
place O
by O
year B-T
' I-T
s I-T
end I-T
. O

Its O
ratio O
of O
tangible O
equity O
to O
total O
assets O
as O
of O
Sept B-T
. I-T
30 I-T
was O
3 O
. O
6 O
% O
, O
and O
total O
equity O
was O
$ O
457 O
. O
9 O
million O
. O

The O
thrift O
emphasized O
that O
it O
has O
a O
large O
portfolio O
of O
equity O
securities O
issued O
in O
connection O
with O
corporate O
restructurings O
and O
leveraged O
buy O
- O
outs O
, O
which O
has O
a O
book O
value O
of O
$ O
90 O
million O
. O

Although O
many O
of O
the O
transactions O
related O
to O
those O
securities O
have O
n O
' O
t O
been O
completed O
, O
Columbia O
said O
the O
ultimate O
gain O
on O
the O
sale O
of O
those O
assets O
will O
range O
from O
$ O
200 O
million O
to O
$ O
300 O
million O
. O

Columbia O
also O
has O
unrealized O
gains O
in O
its O
public O
equity O
securities O
portfolio O
of O
more O
than O
$ O
70 O
million O
. O

- O
- O
- O

David O
B O
. O
Hilder O
in O
New O
York O
contributed O
to O
this O
article O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061223 O
. O
0034 O

MANILA O
, O
Dec B-T
23 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ADB O
lends O
320 O
million O
dollars O
to O
help O
Pakistan O
' O
s O
poor O

The O
Asian O
Development O
Bank O
( O
ADB O
) O
said O
Saturday B-T
it O
was O
lending O
320 O
million O
dollars O
to O
help O
the O
poor O
in O
Pakistan O
obtain O
access O
to O
wider O
financial O
services O
, O
including O
microfinance O
. O

The O
loans O
would O
go O
to O
developing O
a O
legal O
and O
regulatory O
framework O
and O
removing O
bottlenecks O
that O
would O
allow O
more O
of O
the O
country O
' O
s O
poor O
access O
to O
financial O
networks O
, O
the O
ADB O
said O
in O
a O
statement O
from O
its O
headquarters O
in O
the O
Philippine O
capital O
. O

This O
would O
include O
improving O
technology O
for O
delivering O
financial O
services O
more O
efficiently O
and O
at O
lower O
cost O
and O
expanding O
the O
range O
and O
quality O
of O
financial O
products O
and O
services O
" O
including O
those O
for O
the O
Islamic O
market O
" O
, O
the O
ADB O
said O
. O

The O
bank O
would O
also O
work O
to O
set O
up O
public O
- O
private O
partnerships O
, O
including O
reliable O
business O
and O
credit O
information O
systems O
as O
well O
as O
improved O
, O
reliable O
and O
lower O
- O
cost O
remittance O
services O
for O
overseas O
workers O
. O

" O
There O
is O
a O
large O
potential O
demand O
for O
microfinance O
services O
among O
the O
poorest O
people O
in O
Pakistan O
, O
especially O
for O
savings O
and O
remittances O
facilities O
, O
" O
the O
ADB O
said O
. O

Microfinance O
reaches O
fewer O
than O
a O
million O
people O
in O
Pakistan O
, O
even O
though O
the O
potential O
market O
is O
about O
20 O
million O
people O
, O
the O
bank O
added O
. O

While O
the O
microfinance O
sector O
has O
improved O
, O
it O
still O
does O
not O
touch O
vast O
numbers O
of O
people O
. O
This O
could O
be O
addressed O
by O
expanding O
the O
financial O
sector O
' O
s O
coverage O
, O
making O
it O
more O
inclusive O
and O
by O
increasing O
quality O
and O
efficiency O
, O
the O
bank O
said O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061201 O
. O
0085 O

ADELAIDE O
, O
Australia O
, O
Dec B-T
1 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
UPDATES O
to O
stumps O
/ O
/ O
/ O

Kevin O
Pietersen O
won O
his O
battle O
with O
Shane O
Warne O
as O
England O
escaped O
from O
Australia O
' O
s O
clutches O
onto O
a O
sound O
position O
on O
the O
opening O
day O
of O
the O
second O
Ashes O
Test O
at O
Adelaide O
Oval O
on O
Friday B-T
. O

Paul O
Collingwood O
was O
poised O
for O
a B-T
century I-T
and O
Pietersen O
hoisted O
a O
lusty O
six O
over O
long O
- O
on O
off O
Warne O
in O
a O
hustling O
century O
stand O
for O
the O
tourists O
, O
fighting O
back O
after O
their O
punishing O
277 O
- O
run O
defeat O
in O
the O
first O
Test O
at O
the O
Gabba O
. O

England O
were O
266 O
for O
three O
at O
stumps O
. O
Collingwood O
followed O
on O
from O
his O
96 O
in O
Brisbane O
to O
be O
unbeaten O
on O
98 B-T
and O
Pietersen O
was O
on O
60 B-T
, O
after O
captain O
Andrew O
Flintoff O
won O
the O
toss O
. O

The O
pair O
rattled O
an O
unbroken O
108 O
runs O
for O
the O
fourth O
wicket O
in O
just O
115 B-T
minutes I-T
. O

Amid O
cautious O
field O
placements O
and O
curious O
bowling O
preferences O
by O
skipper O
Ricky O
Ponting O
, O
England O
wriggled O
out O
of O
Australia O
' O
s O
grip O
in O
the O
final O
session O
with O
Stuart O
Clark O
under O
- O
bowled O
despite O
taking O
two O
wickets O
in O
the B-T
morning I-T
. O

Pietersen O
' O
s O
one O
- O
on O
- O
one O
contests O
with O
his O
Hampshire O
county O
team O
- O
mate O
have O
been O
much O
- O
anticipated O
highlights O
of O
the O
series O
and O
he O
didn O
' O
t O
disappoint O
after O
their O
contretemps O
in O
Brisbane O
last B-T
week I-T
. O

It O
was O
Pietersen O
' O
s O
arrival O
at O
the O
wicket O
after O
the O
loss O
of O
Ian O
Bell O
for O
60 O
that O
quickened O
England O
' O
s O
scoring O
rate O
after O
it O
had O
dawdled O
along O
at O
2 O
. O
4 O
runs O
an O
over O
amid O
tight O
Australian O
bowling O
. O

Pietersen O
wasted O
little O
time O
raising O
his O
half O
- O
century O
off O
69 O
balls O
while O
Collingwood O
played O
more O
the O
anchor O
role O
to O
help O
restore O
the O
England O
innings O
after O
the O
loss O
of O
both O
openers O
before O
lunch O
. O

During O
Pietersen O
' O
s O
counter O
- O
attacking O
second O
innings O
of O
92 O
in O
the O
first O
Test O
, O
Warne O
hurled O
the O
ball O
at O
his O
head O
, O
forcing O
the O
England O
No O
. O
5 O
to O
knock O
it O
away O
with O
his O
bat O
and O
yell O
at O
Warne O
. O

Collingwood O
, O
who O
sacrificed O
a O
century O
in O
Brisbane O
when O
he O
charged O
Warne O
on O
96 B-T
and O
was O
stumped O
, O
had O
occupied O
the O
crease O
for O
277 B-T
minutes I-T
by O
the O
close O
in O
another O
influential O
innings O
for O
his O
country O
. O

Warne O
finished O
the O
day O
with O
0 O
- O
85 O
off O
27 O
overs O
. O

Collingwood O
and O
Bell O
played O
strait O
- O
jacket O
cricket O
to O
put O
on O
113 O
runs O
for O
the O
third O
wicket O
before O
Bell O
went O
to O
hook O
a O
short O
ball O
only O
to O
sky O
a O
catch O
to O
bowler O
Brett O
Lee O
13 O
minutes O
after O
tea O
. O

Bell O
, O
who O
hit O
50 O
in O
the O
first O
innings O
in O
Brisbane O
and O
wrestled O
with O
Warne O
' O
s O
tricks O
early O
, O
batted O
for O
just O
over O
three B-T
hours I-T
with O
six O
boundaries O
. O

Medium O
- O
pacer O
Clark O
followed O
up O
his O
seven O
wickets O
in O
Brisbane O
with O
the O
scalps O
of O
Andrew O
Strauss O
and O
Alastair O
Cook O
inside O
his O
first O
six O
overs O
in O
the O
morning O
session O
. O

Strauss O
continued O
his O
poor O
series O
after O
Gabba O
scores O
of O
12 O
and O
11 B-T
when O
he O
miscued O
a O
leading O
edge O
to O
a O
diving O
Damien O
Martyn O
at O
mid O
- O
on O
and O
then O
had O
Cook O
caught O
behind O
by O
Adam O
Gilchrist O
. O

But O
Clark O
only O
bowled O
two O
overs O
after O
tea O
and O
finished O
with O
2 O
- O
25 O
off O
15 O
overs O
. O

Australian O
pace O
spearhead O
Glenn O
McGrath O
was O
passed O
fit O
to O
play O
after O
concern O
over O
a O
heel O
injury O
, O
while O
left O
- O
arm O
spinner O
Monty O
Panesar O
was O
left O
out O
of O
an O
unchanged O
England O
eleven O
. O

McGrath O
had O
to O
convince O
his O
skipper O
Ponting O
that O
he O
would O
be O
able O
to O
complete O
a O
five O
- O
day O
match O
after O
needing O
painkillers O
to O
see O
out O
Australia O
' O
s O
win O
at O
the O
Gabba O
. O
He O
bowled O
18 O
overs O
for O
0 B-T
- I-T
51 I-T
. O

England O
decided O
against O
playing O
attacking O
finger O
- O
spinner O
Panesar O
, O
despite O
coach O
Duncan O
Fletcher O
' O
s O
comments O
this B-T
week I-T
that O
he O
was O
strongly O
considering O
using O
both O
spinners O
on O
an O
Adelaide O
pitch O
expected O
to O
take O
turn O
. O

The O
Adelaide O
Oval O
is O
traditionally O
a O
high O
- O
scoring O
ground O
with O
the O
Australians O
amassing O
500 O
- O
plus O
in O
three O
of O
their O
last O
four O
Tests O
here O
with O
four O
batsmen O
scoring O
double O
- O
centuries O
- O
- O
West O
Indies O
' O
Brian O
Lara O
( O
226 O
) O
last B-T
year I-T
, O
Justin O
Langer O
( O
215 O
) O
against O
New O
Zealand O
in O
2004 B-T
and O
Ponting O
( O
242 O
) O
and O
Indian O
Rahul O
Dravid O
( O
233 O
) O
in O
the O
2003 O
Test O
loss O
to O
India O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061127 O
. O
0217 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
27 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

China O
to O
tighten O
supervision O
of O
advertising O
for O
medical O
products O

Chinese O
authorities O
are O
to O
tighten O
the O
supervision O
and O
regulation O
of O
advertisements O
for O
medical O
products O
, O
and O
crack O
down O
on O
false O
and O
misleading O
advertising O
. O

The O
campaign O
will O
be O
jointly O
managed O
by O
the O
State O
Administration O
of O
Industry O
and O
Commerce O
( O
SAIC O
) O
and O
the O
Ministry O
of O
Health O
( O
MOH O
) O
. O

An O
official O
with O
the O
SAIC O
said O
Monday B-T
that O
the O
SAIC O
would O
inspect O
media O
that O
release O
large O
numbers O
of O
medical O
treatment O
advertisements O
, O
and O
the O
results O
would O
be O
publicized O
. O

Advertisements O
that O
have O
not O
been O
approved O
by O
the O
relevant O
monitoring O
department O
or O
that O
have O
been O
altered O
without O
authorization O
would O
incur O
prosecution O
for O
those O
responsible O
. O

The O
supervisory O
departments O
would O
strengthen O
inspection O
of O
media O
that O
release O
medical O
advertisements O
, O
and O
heads O
of O
media O
that O
release O
the O
illegal O
advertisements O
would O
face O
penalties O
. O

The O
regulatory O
departments O
should O
enhance O
their O
communication O
, O
the O
official O
said O
. O

The O
MOH O
, O
along O
with O
the O
State O
Administration O
of O
Traditional O
Chinese O
Medicine O
, O
plans O
to O
organise O
all O
local O
healthy O
service O
departments O
to O
clean O
up O
false O
medical O
advertising O
, O
said O
the O
official O
. O

China O
' O
s O
medical O
advertising O
market O
had O
grown O
rapidly O
in O
recent B-T
years I-T
. O
The O
country O
' O
s O
advertising O
business O
was O
worth O
7 O
. O
6 O
billion O
yuan O
( O
950 O
million O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
) O
in O
2005 B-T
, O
ranking O
sixth O
in O
the O
world O
. O

However O
, O
some O
ads O
for O
fake O
medicines O
have O
misled O
consumers O
and O
harmed O
their O
interests O
. O
In O
the B-T
first I-T
three I-T
quarters I-T
last I-T
year I-T
, O
11 O
, O
000 O
irregular O
medical O
advertisements O
were O
reported O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051115 O
. O
0253 O

SHANGHAI O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
15 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

win O
over O
Ljubicic O
( O
updated O
2 O
) O

World O
number O
one O
Roger O
Federer O
kept O
in O
low O
status O
Tuesday B-T
as O
the O
two O
- O
time O
defending O
champion O
of O
the O
season O
- O
ending O
Tennis O
Masters O
Cup O
was O
pulled O
into O
tiebreaker O
of O
decider O
before O
avoiding O
a O
defeat O
at O
just O
the O
second O
match O
in O
Shanghai O
. O

It O
took O
two O
hours O
and O
17 O
minutes O
of O
the O
24 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Swiss O
to O
defeat O
the O
in O
- O
form O
Croatian O
Ivan O
Ljubicic O
6 O
- O
3 O
, O
2 O
- O
6 O
, O
7 O
- O
6 O
( O
4 O
) O
, O
with O
a O
forehanded O
shot O
out O
of O
Ljubicic O
' O
s O
reach O
for O
the O
tiebreaker O
win O
. O

After O
Sunday B-T
' O
s O
stumble O
win O
from O
Federer O
against O
Argentina O
' O
s O
David O
Nalbandian O
, O
the O
last O
man O
having O
qualified O
for O
the O
elite O
eight O
- O
man O
field O
, O
nothing O
wrong O
from O
the O
tennis O
super O
star O
could O
be O
more O
shocking O
, O
even O
another O
rare O
fightback O
and O
a O
tiebreaker O
. O

With O
all O
the O
embarrassments O
of O
backhand O
errors O
, O
weak O
returns O
and O
slow O
paces O
, O
Federer O
just O
repeated O
his O
sluggish O
form O
shown O
in O
Nalbandian O
' O
s O
match O
, O
being O
broken O
twice O
in O
the O
second O
set O
after O
taking O
the O
first O
using O
an O
advantage O
of O
serving O
first O
. O

Forced O
the O
decider O
, O
the O
superlative O
, O
who O
has O
compiled O
another O
outstanding O
season O
with O
an O
ATP O
- O
best O
11 O
titles O
including O
two O
Grand O
Slam O
and O
a O
record O
four O
ATP O
Masters O
Series O
crown O
, O
should O
have O
shorten O
his O
work O
of O
Ljubicic O
in O
the O
ninth O
game O
before O
his O
two O
match O
points O
in O
hand O
were O
denied O
by O
the O
Croatian O
with O
some O
placement O
shots O
. O

Ljubicic O
, O
who O
enjoyed O
his O
best O
season O
by O
winning O
two O
ATP O
titles O
in O
eight O
finals O
and O
broke O
into O
top O
ten O
for O
first O
time O
, O
then O
continually O
moved O
Federer O
to O
play O
close O
to O
the O
net O
and O
transferred O
errors O
from O
the O
Swiss O
to O
his O
own O
benefit O
before O
holding O
on O
to O
force O
tiebreaker O
. O

With O
the O
victory O
, O
Federer O
saved O
his O
near O
- O
perfect O
record O
at O
the O
Tennis O
Masters O
Cup O
, O
increased O
his O
winning O
streak O
to O
33 O
, O
and O
extended O
his O
season O
- O
best O
match O
record O
to O
79 O
- O
3 O
. O

The O
Shanghai O
match O
was O
the O
first O
in O
six B-T
weeks I-T
for O
Federer O
, O
who O
has O
already O
clinched O
the O
world O
No O
. O
1 O
year O
- O
end O
ranking O
for O
the B-T
second I-T
year I-T
in O
succession O
. O
He O
last O
competed O
in O
Bangkok O
, O
winning O
his O
11th O
title O
of O
the O
season O
on O
October B-T
2 I-T
. O

Ljubicic O
, O
the O
26 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
sensation O
of O
the O
late O
- O
season O
, O
had O
earned O
in O
place O
in O
Shanghai O
thanks O
to O
his O
autumn O
efforts O
, O
including O
the O
indoor O
title O
win O
over O
the B-T
past I-T
month I-T
in O
Metz O
and O
Vienna O
as O
well O
as O
the O
final O
encounters O
in O
both O
the O
Masters O
Series O
Madrid O
and O
Paris O
two B-T
week I-T
ago I-T
. O

The O
Croatian O
struck O
10 O
aces O
and O
managed O
36 O
winner O
, O
but O
else O
committed O
5 O
double O
faults O
and O
41 O
unforced O
errors O
in O
his O
defeat O
to O
Federer O
. O

" O
It O
was O
very O
close O
match O
. O
I O
reel O
really O
upset O
because O
I O
felt O
I O
deserved O
this O
one O
, O
" O
said O
Ljubicic O
at O
a O
post O
- O
match O
news O
conference O
. O

" O
Today B-T
I O
felt O
like O
for O
the O
first O
time O
I O
was O
the O
better O
player O
on O
the O
court O
( O
against O
Federer O
) O
, O
and O
that O
' O
s O
why O
it O
feels O
frustrating O
because O
some O
shots O
just O
went O
out O
that O
they O
were O
not O
supposed O
to O
. O
" O

Before O
taking O
over O
control O
of O
the O
match O
, O
Ljubicic O
seemed O
to O
have O
problems O
moving O
during O
the O
first O
set O
. O

" O
I O
had O
problems O
with O
him O
because O
he O
was O
playing O
just O
unbelievable O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O
" O
I O
think O
he O
played O
really O
high O
- O
class O
tennis O
in O
the O
first O
set O
, O
but O
I O
was O
also O
expecting O
his O
pace O
is O
going O
to O
drop O
because O
he O
dropped O
against O
Nalbandian O
, O
and O
I O
know O
he O
' O
s O
not O
in O
top O
form O
physically O
. O

" O
So O
I O
was O
just O
waiting O
my O
chances O
, O
and O
they O
came O
, O
and O
I O
took O
them O
. O
" O

" O
But O
I O
mean O
, O
Federer O
is O
not O
struggling O
. O
I O
just O
think O
that O
he O
' O
s O
not O
top O
fit O
. O
He O
' O
s O
not O
sharp O
as O
he O
usually O
is O
. O
. O
. O
I O
just O
tried O
to O
play O
my O
best O
tennis O
. O
It O
was O
almost O
enough O
. O
Unfortunately O
, O
it O
wasn O
' O
t O
, O
" O
added O
the O
Croatian O
. O

The O
usually O
flawless O
Federer O
declined O
to O
agree O
with O
the O
negative O
comments O
on O
his O
performance O
, O
said O
: O
" O
I O
felt O
like O
this O
is O
exactly O
the O
match O
I O
expected O
. O
" O

" O
I O
expected O
a O
close O
match O
. O
I O
thought O
maybe O
he O
was O
even O
slightly O
the O
favorite O
because O
of O
what O
I O
' O
ve O
been O
going O
through O
the B-T
last I-T
few I-T
weeks I-T
. O
Obviously O
, O
I O
' O
m O
very O
pleased O
with O
the O
result O
because O
a O
win O
is O
a O
win O
no O
matter O
if O
it O
' O
s O
two O
or O
three O
sets O
. O
" O

Federer O
called O
physiotherapist O
coming O
on O
court O
to O
treat O
on O
his O
sore O
ankle O
at O
the O
beginning O
of O
the O
third O
set O
, O
which O
raised O
worries O
that O
he O
might O
retire O
. O
And O
the O
Swiss O
denied O
that O
he O
remained O
on O
court O
trying O
to O
imitate O
the O
other O
five O
players O
who O
left O
. O

" O
I O
did O
it O
for O
my O
well O
- O
being O
because O
I O
felt O
like O
my O
leg O
was O
starting O
to O
tighten O
up O
. O
Already O
I O
had O
that O
feeling O
against O
Nalbandian O
a O
little O
bit O
because O
maybe O
I O
' O
m O
compensating O
because O
of O
my O
injury O
. O
" O

He O
said O
" O
No O
" O
whenever O
asked O
whether O
to O
quit O
because O
of O
the O
injury O
, O
and O
also O
he O
emphasized O
that O
" O
it O
means O
very O
much O
to O
me O
( O
that O
I O
can O
play O
) O
. O
It O
' O
s O
also O
should O
show O
a O
message O
how O
much O
and O
how O
important O
this O
tournament O
means O
to O
tennis O
. O
For O
me O
, O
this O
is O
equaling O
like O
a O
Grand O
Slam O
. O
" O

The O
Swiss O
is O
building O
upon O
an O
imposing O
14 O
- O
1 O
record O
at O
the O
Masters O
Cup O
, O
with O
his O
only O
loss O
came O
to O
Lleyton O
Hewitt O
in O
the O
Shanghai O
2002 O
semifinals O
. O

Federer O
overcame O
the O
effects O
of O
the O
ankle O
ligament O
injury O
scare O
which O
threatened O
to O
keep O
him O
off O
the O
court O
at O
the O
Qi O
Zhong O
tennis O
center O
, O
and O
after O
American O
veteran O
Andre O
Agassi O
and O
second O
seed O
Rafael O
Nadal O
pulled O
out O
due O
to O
injuries O
on O
Monday B-T
, O
the O
Swiss O
has O
been O
left O
the O
only O
top O
- O
five O
player O
in O
the O
elite O
field O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051114 O
. O
0321 O

JOHANNESBURG O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

S O
. O
Africa O
' O
s O
ruling O
party O
denies O
inside O
rift O

South O
Africa O
' O
s O
ruling O
African O
National O
Congress O
( O
ANC O
) O
has O
denied O
reported O
differences O
between O
President O
Thabo O
Mbeki O
and O
his O
party O
deputy O
Jacob O
Zuma O
over O
ways O
to O
heal O
a O
rift O
within O
the O
party O
. O

The O
party O
' O
s O
powerful O
National O
Working O
Committee O
( O
NWC O
) O
said O
on O
Monday B-T
evening I-T
this O
emerged O
from O
its O
weekly O
meeting O
held O
in O
Johannesburg O
earlier B-T
in I-T
the I-T
day I-T
. O

" O
The O
NWC O
received O
and O
discussed O
the O
joint O
report O
of O
the O
ANC O
president O
and O
deputy O
president O
as O
mandated O
by O
the O
ANC O
national O
executive O
committee O
( O
NEC O
) O
on O
September B-T
9 I-T
, O
" O
the O
committee O
said O
in O
a O
statement O
, O
which O
was O
carried O
by O
the O
SAPA O
news O
agency O
. O

" O
Media O
reports O
to O
the O
effect O
that O
there O
were O
differences O
between O
the O
president O
and O
deputy O
president O
on O
the O
substance O
of O
the O
report O
are O
false O
and O
without O
basis O
, O
" O
it O
said O
. O

South O
African O
media O
has O
suggested O
that O
Mbeki O
and O
Zuma O
had O
been O
unable O
to O
come O
to O
an O
agreement O
on O
proposals O
to O
deal O
with O
tension O
in O
party O
after O
Mbeki O
sacked O
Zuma O
as O
the O
country O
' O
s O
deputy O
president O
in O
June B-T
and O
Zuma O
was O
prosecuted O
on O
two O
corruption O
charges O
. O

Zuma O
has O
repeatedly O
protested O
his O
innocence O
. O
His O
supporters O
hold O
that O
the O
corruption O
and O
the O
newly O
- O
emerged O
rape O
allegations O
were O
part O
of O
a O
political O
conspiracy O
by O
the O
ANC O
elite O
to O
block O
his O
path O
to O
the O
presidency O
in O
2009 B-T
, O
after O
Mbeki O
completes O
his O
second O
term O
. O

Zuma O
currently B-T
is O
still O
the O
No O
. O
2 O
figure O
of O
the O
ANC O
. O
Some O
political O
analysts O
in O
South O
Africa O
have O
said O
he O
could O
easily O
win O
the O
2009 O
elections O
if O
he O
can O
be O
acquitted O
of O
corruption O
charges O
and O
succeed O
Mbeki O
as O
the O
party O
' O
s O
president O
in O
2007 B-T
. O

The O
reported O
tensions O
inside O
the O
ruling O
party O
were O
described O
as O
the O
most O
serious O
one O
since O
ANC O
took O
power O
in O
post O
- O
apartheid O
South O
Africa O
11 B-T
years I-T
ago I-T
. O

ANC O
secretary O
- O
general O
Kgalema O
Motlanthe O
was O
reportedly O
tasked O
to O
facilitate O
a O
final O
report O
for O
the O
next O
weekend O
' O
s O
NEC O
meeting O
, O
described O
by O
local O
media O
as O
a O
" O
make O
- O
or O
- O
break O
" O
one O
. O

The O
NWC O
said O
the O
report O
it O
discussed O
at O
Monday B-T
' O
s O
meeting O
captured O
the O
substance O
of O
" O
interactions O
" O
between O
Mbeki O
and O
Zuma O
over O
the B-T
last I-T
two I-T
months I-T
. O

" O
The O
report O
was O
accepted O
by O
the O
NWC O
, O
" O
the O
committee O
said O
. O
" O
The O
working O
committee O
was O
satisfied O
that O
the O
report O
would O
form O
the O
basis O
for O
a O
substantive O
discussion O
at O
the O
NEC O
meeting O
scheduled O
to O
take O
place O
this B-T
weekend I-T
. O
" O

XIN_ENG_20061123 O
. O
0192 O

DHAKA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
23 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Bangladeshi O
former O
main O
opposition O
postpones O
nationwide O
blockade O

Bangladeshi O
former O
main O
opposition O
Awami O
League O
( O
AL O
) O
- O
led O
14 O
- O
party O
combine O
announced O
the O
postponement O
of O
the O
nationwide O
blockade O
from O
Thursday B-T
. O

President O
Sheikh O
Hasina O
at O
a O
press O
conference O
at O
her O
party O
' O
s O
office O
here O
announced O
sit O
- O
in O
demonstrations O
outside O
President O
House O
from O
10 O
: O
00 O
a O
. O
m O
. O
to O
2 O
: O
00 O
p O
. O
m O
. O
for O
November B-T
27 I-T
and O
Election O
Commission O
office O
from O
10 O
: O
00 O
a O
. O
m O
. O
to O
2 O
: O
00 O
p O
. O
m O
. O
for O
November B-T
28 I-T
. O

The O
14 O
- O
party O
combine O
enforced O
countrywide O
water O
- O
railway O
- O
road O
blockade O
on O
Nov B-T
. I-T
20 I-T
to O
press O
its O
11 O
- O
point O
demands O
that O
include O
removal O
of O
the O
controversial O
Chief O
Election O
Commissioner O
, O
Justice O
Aziz O
, O
and O
" O
depoliticization O
" O
of O
the O
administration O
for O
free O
and O
fair O
elections O
. O

To O
resolve O
the O
political O
crisis O
prevailing O
the O
country O
, O
Bangladeshi O
President O
Iajuddin O
Ahmed O
, O
who O
is O
also O
the O
chief O
advisor O
of O
caretaker O
government O
, O
requested O
Aziz O
to O
take O
a O
three O
- O
month O
leave O
and O
Aziz O
agreed O
the O
request O
Wednesday B-T
night I-T
. O

Justice O
Mahfuzur O
Rahman O
, O
one O
of O
the O
three O
election O
commissioners O
, O
who O
became O
Chief O
Election O
Commissioner O
( O
CEC O
) O
Thursday B-T
, O
said O
the O
main O
challenge O
before O
him O
is O
to O
hold O
free O
, O
fair O
and O
acceptable O
general O
elections O
due O
in O
January B-T
next O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061231 O
. O
0059 O

LJUBLJANA O
, O
Dec B-T
31 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

by O
Bojan O
Kavcic O

All O
is O
ready O
for O
Slovenia O
to O
at O
midnight O
on O
New B-T
Year I-T
' I-T
s I-T
Sunday I-T
become O
the O
first O
former O
Communist O
state O
to O
adopt O
the O
European O
Union O
' O
s O
common O
currency O
, O
officials O
here O
said O
. O

Five B-T
years I-T
after O
euro O
bills O
and O
coins O
were O
introduced O
, O
almost B-T
three I-T
years I-T
after O
Slovenia O
acceded O
to O
the O
EU O
, O
and O
15 B-T
years I-T
after O
Slovenia O
declared O
independence O
from O
the O
former O
Yugoslavia O
, O
a O
new O
stage O
in O
the O
East O
- O
West O
integration O
of O
Europe O
is O
to O
be O
reached O
on O
January B-T
1 I-T
. O

" O
We O
are O
replacing O
something O
good O
( O
the O
Slovenian O
currency O
, O
the O
tolar O
) O
with O
something O
even O
better O
( O
the O
euro O
) O
, O
" O
Slovenian O
Finance O
Minister O
Andrej O
Bajuk O
said O
on O
Friday B-T
as O
he O
announced O
that O
preparations O
for O
the O
changeover O
had O
concluded O
. O

As O
of O
January B-T
1 I-T
, O
the O
euro O
will O
replace O
the O
tolar O
, O
a O
currency O
introduced O
in O
1991 B-T
as O
a O
symbol O
of O
the O
tiny O
country O
' O
s O
independence O
and O
an O
instrument O
aimed O
at O
cutting O
Belgrade O
' O
s O
monetary O
control O
over O
the O
Slovenian O
economy O
. O

Under O
the O
exchange O
rate O
, O
one O
euro O
will O
equal O
239 O
. O
64 O
tolars O
. O

" O
The O
euro O
isn O
' O
t O
important O
only O
for O
our O
economy O
, O
we O
also O
expect O
psychological O
benefits O
. O
. O
. O
we O
are O
coming O
closer O
to O
the O
most O
developed O
part O
of O
the O
EU O
and O
this O
will O
give O
( O
citizens O
) O
confidence O
, O
" O
Slovenian O
Prime O
Minister O
Janez O
Jansa O
told O
AFP O
in O
a O
recent O
interview O
. O

The O
accession O
to O
the O
eurozone O
is O
a O
coup O
for O
Slovenia O
as O
it O
is O
the O
only O
one O
of O
the O
10 O
countries O
- O
- O
eight O
former O
Communist O
states O
plus O
Malta O
and O
Cyprus O
- O
- O
that O
joined O
in O
2004 B-T
to O
have O
met O
the O
tough O
Maastricht O
criteria O
on O
public O
finances O
, O
inflation O
, O
interest O
and O
exchange O
rates O
that O
are O
required O
for O
eurozone O
newcomers O
. O

After O
EU O
finance O
ministers O
gave O
Slovenia O
the O
green O
light O
last B-T
July I-T
to O
join O
the O
euro O
, O
the O
government O
and O
central O
bank O
had O
to O
carry O
out O
wide O
preparations O
for O
the O
switch O
, O
such O
as O
minting O
Slovenian O
euro O
coins O
and O
distributing O
bills O
to O
banks O
. O

" O
I O
believe O
we O
are O
well O
- O
prepared O
, O
" O
central O
bank O
governor O
Mitja O
Gaspari O
said O
on O
Friday B-T
. O

" O
There O
will O
be O
no O
trouble O
concerning O
cash O
in O
circulation O
, O
" O
Gaspari O
said O
. O

He O
said O
the O
central O
bank O
planned O
to O
put O
into O
circulation O
around O
one O
billion O
euros O
( O
1 O
. O
3 O
billion O
dollars O
) O
in O
bills O
and O
coins O
to O
replace O
the O
215 O
billion O
tolars O
( O
some O
900 O
million O
euros O
) O
currently O
circulating O
in O
the O
two O
- O
million O
- O
population O
central O
European O
state O
. O

Banks O
will O
be O
closed O
from O
December B-T
30 O
- O
January O
3 O
, O
with O
the O
exception O
of O
52 O
bank O
offices O
in O
42 O
cities O
and O
towns O
that O
will O
open O
on O
January B-T
1 I-T
and O
2 O
to O
change O
tolars O
into O
euros O
. O

The O
changeover O
to O
the O
single O
European O
currency O
foresees O
that O
tolars O
and O
euros O
will O
circulate O
simultaneously O
for O
only O
the B-T
first I-T
two I-T
weeks I-T
of I-T
January I-T
. O

To O
prevent O
a O
rounding O
upward O
of O
prices O
as O
has O
happened O
when O
other O
nations O
changed O
over O
to O
the O
euro O
, O
the O
government O
introduced O
last B-T
March I-T
the O
double O
labelling O
of O
prices O
, O
in O
euros O
and O
tolars O
, O
and O
this O
will O
remain O
in O
force O
for O
six B-T
months I-T
. O

Despite O
this O
measure O
, O
inflation O
in O
December B-T
increased O
by O
0 O
. O
4 O
percent O
from O
the B-T
previous I-T
month I-T
pushing O
12 O
- O
month O
inflation O
, O
in O
unadjusted O
terms O
, O
to O
end O
at O
2 O
. O
8 O
percent O
, O
compared O
to O
2 O
. O
3 O
percent O
registered O
in O
December B-T
2005 I-T
. O

But O
Gaspari O
said O
: O
" O
We O
can O
' O
t O
blame O
the O
euro O
for O
any O
increase O
of O
prices O
in O
December B-T
, I-T
January I-T
or I-T
February I-T
, O
and O
there O
is O
no O
justification O
for O
any O
raising O
of O
prices O
. O
" O

Slovenia O
' O
s O
Consumer O
Association O
reported O
on O
Friday B-T
that O
during O
the B-T
last I-T
week I-T
before O
the O
changeover O
prices O
in O
some O
fast O
- O
food O
restaurants O
of O
capital O
Ljubljana O
increased O
between O
six O
and O
20 O
percent O
and O
prices O
for O
parking O
in O
the O
center O
of O
the O
city O
are O
also O
expected O
to O
rise O
. O

Another O
problem O
Slovenian O
banks O
will O
face O
on O
New B-T
Year I-T
' O
s O
Eve O
will O
be O
the O
switch O
to O
euros O
on O
1 O
, O
300 O
ATMs O
( O
automatic O
teller O
machines O
) O
. O
These O
are O
expected O
to O
be O
out O
of O
use O
during O
the O
transition O
for O
only O
three B-T
hours I-T
( O
between O
9 O
pm O
and O
midnight O
) O
. O

Meanwhile O
, O
Cyprus O
and O
Malta O
are O
expected O
to O
follow O
Slovenia O
into O
the O
eurozone O
in O
2008 B-T
and O
Slovakia O
is O
aiming O
to O
adopt O
the O
single O
currency O
in O
2009 B-T
. O

The O
Czech O
Republic O
is O
now B-T
aiming O
to O
join O
the O
euro O
in O
2012 B-T
and O
Hungary O
in O
2013 B-T
. O

AFP_ENG_20051204 O
. O
0479 O

AMSTERDAM O
, O
Dec B-T
5 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

= O
( O
PICTURE O
) O
= O

Fourteen O
men O
accused O
of O
belonging O
to O
a O
radical O
Muslim O
terrorist O
group O
, O
including O
the O
convicted O
killer O
of O
filmmaker O
Theo O
van O
Gogh O
, O
go O
on O
trial O
Monday B-T
at O
Amsterdam O
' O
s O
high O
security O
court O
. O

The O
murder O
of O
outspoken O
Islam O
critic O
Van O
Gogh O
and O
the O
subsequent O
arrests O
of O
the O
alleged O
members O
of O
the O
terror O
ring O
dubbed O
the O
Hofstad O
group O
have O
heightened O
fears O
that O
the O
country O
is O
a O
target O
for O
Islamic O
terrorists O
. O

However O
, O
prosecutors O
have O
already O
suffered O
setbacks O
, O
being O
forced O
to O
drop O
charges O
the O
group O
was O
specifically O
planning O
to O
kill O
several O
Dutch O
politicians O
, O
and O
losing O
a O
similar O
case O
against O
another O
accused O
terrorist O
. O

Prosecutor O
Koos O
Plooy O
has O
admitted O
that O
they O
have O
insufficient O
evidence O
to O
proceed O
with O
charges O
the O
group O
was O
planning O
specific O
attacks O
, O
but O
said O
they O
were O
definitely O
heading O
that O
way O
. O

The O
prosecution O
alleges O
that O
27 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
Mohammed O
Bouyeri O
, O
convicted O
to O
life O
in O
prison O
for O
murdering O
Van O
Gogh O
, O
was O
a O
leading O
member O
of O
the O
Hofstad O
group O
. O

Despite O
the O
fact O
that O
he O
already O
has O
the O
maximum O
sentence O
given O
in O
the O
Netherlands O
, O
the O
prosecution O
also O
wants O
Bouyeri O
to O
appear O
in O
the O
Hofstad O
group O
trial O
because O
if O
his O
alleged O
key O
role O
. O

Prosecutors O
say O
that O
the O
majority O
of O
the O
group O
' O
s O
meetings O
were O
held O
in O
Bouyeri O
' O
s O
Amsterdam O
home O
and O
that O
he O
spread O
radical O
Islamic O
texts O
among O
its O
members O
. O

Some O
of O
the O
others O
charged O
have O
been O
linked O
to O
a O
radical O
Islamist O
jailed O
in O
Spain O
for O
the O
May B-T
2003 I-T
bombings O
in O
Casablanca O
, O
Morocco O
that O
left O
45 O
people O
dead O
. O

The O
group O
was O
dubbed O
the O
Hofstad O
( O
court O
city O
) O
group O
as O
some O
of O
its O
members O
were O
active O
in O
The O
Hague O
, O
the O
seat O
of O
the O
Dutch O
government O
and O
the O
royal O
house O
. O

Besides O
the O
accusations O
of O
membership O
in O
a O
terrorist O
organisation O
, O
the O
prosecution O
has O
filed O
additional O
charges O
against O
two O
of O
the O
group O
' O
s O
members O
for O
throwing O
a O
grenade O
at O
the O
police O
team O
coming O
to O
arrest O
them O
in O
The O
Hague O
in O
November B-T
2004 I-T
. O

A O
weapons O
charge O
has O
been O
pressed O
against O
one O
member O
who O
was O
arrested O
in O
Amsterdam O
last B-T
June I-T
with O
a O
loaded O
gun O
. O

According O
to O
NOS O
Dutch O
public O
television O
there O
was O
some O
concrete O
evidence O
that O
this O
suspect O
, O
Nourredine O
El O
Fatmi O
, O
was O
planning O
an O
attack O
. O
Quoting O
from O
prosecution O
documents O
they O
obtained O
the O
NOS O
said O
Fatmi O
apparently O
told O
a O
fellow O
inmate O
that O
he O
was O
looking O
for O
two O
Dutch O
politicians O
known O
for O
their O
criticism O
of O
Islam O
in O
the O
days B-T
before O
his O
arrest O
. O

The O
judges O
of O
the O
court O
in O
The O
Hague O
handling O
the O
trial O
will O
exceptionally O
sit O
in O
Amsterdam O
' O
s O
high O
security O
court O
, O
nicknamed O
the O
bunker O
, O
during O
the O
trial O
set O
to O
last O
at O
least O
two B-T
months I-T
. O

The O
first B-T
two I-T
days I-T
of O
the O
case O
will O
be O
taken O
up O
with O
the O
prosecution O
' O
s O
opening O
statement O
and O
the O
questioning O
of O
( O
expert O
) O
witnesses O
relevant O
to O
all O
cases O
. O

The O
trial O
is O
set O
to O
close O
February B-T
10 I-T
after O
all O
the O
suspects O
have O
gotten O
a O
change O
to O
make O
a O
final O
declaration O
and O
the O
judges O
are O
expected O
to O
hand O
down O
a O
verdict O
on O
February B-T
24 I-T
. O

AFP_ENG_19970412 O
. O
0154 O

HONG O
KONG O
, O
April B-T
12 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Pro O
- O
democracy O
group O
sets O
Thatcher O
demo O
to O
protest O
" O
lip O
service O
" O
to O
HK O

A O
Hong O
Kong O
pro O
- O
democracy O
group O
on O
Saturday B-T
turned O
its O
wrath O
on O
Britain O
, O
saying O
it O
would O
stage O
protests O
at O
an O
upcoming O
visit O
by O
ex O
- O
premier O
Margaret O
Thatcher O
in O
anger O
at O
British O
" O
lip O
service O
" O
on O
the O
territory O
' O
s O
future O
. O

The O
announcement O
was O
made O
by O
the O
United O
Front O
Against O
the O
Provisional O
Legislature O
, O
a O
loose O
alliance O
of O
politicians O
and O
grass O
- O
roots O
activists O
opposing O
the O
assembly O
set O
up O
by O
China O
to O
legislate O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
after O
the O
July B-T
1 I-T
handover O
. O

Thatcher O
is O
an O
architect O
of O
the O
1984 O
Sino O
- O
British O
Joint O
Declaration O
, O
the O
treaty O
that O
set O
down O
the O
terms O
for O
Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
return O
to O
Chinese O
rule O
and O
Beijing O
' O
s O
promises O
to O
grant O
it O
wide O
- O
ranging O
autonomy O
for O
the B-T
following I-T
50 I-T
years I-T
. O

She O
is O
due O
to O
make O
a O
visit O
to O
the O
territory O
in O
two B-T
weeks I-T
, O
when O
she O
will O
officiate O
at O
the O
opening O
of O
the O
Tsing O
Ma O
Bridge O
- O
- O
part O
of O
the O
project O
to O
build O
Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
new O
airport O
- O
- O
on O
April B-T
27 I-T
. O

" O
It O
is O
obvious O
that O
the O
British O
Hong O
Kong O
government O
has O
made O
too O
many O
compromises O
with O
communist O
China O
to O
betray O
democracy O
and O
the O
human O
rights O
of O
Hong O
Kong O
people O
, O
" O
the O
United O
Front O
said O
in O
a O
statement O
. O

" O
Recently O
, O
the O
Hong O
Kong O
government O
has O
taken O
steps O
to O
suppress O
peaceful O
demonstration O
by O
prosecuting O
a O
number O
of O
protestors O
during O
the O
selection O
of O
the O
( O
future O
) O
chief O
executive O
and O
the O
establishment O
of O
the O
Provisional O
Legislature O
. O
" O

It O
said O
the O
bridge O
ceremony O
, O
and O
a O
scheduled O
fireworks O
display O
that O
will O
commemorate O
the O
opening O
, O
" O
is O
nothing O
worthwhile O
, O
but O
an O
indication O
of O
the O
so O
- O
called O
glory O
withdrawal O
of O
the O
British O
government O
. O
" O

The O
statement O
called O
on O
Governor O
Chris O
Patten O
to O
withdraw O
the O
invitation O
to O
Thatcher O
and O
added O
it O
would O
organise O
" O
various O
protests O
" O
to O
show O
" O
the O
' O
lip O
service O
' O
of O
British O
commitment O
to O
Hong O
Kong O
. O
" O

The O
United O
Front O
gathers O
individuals O
from O
Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
beleaguered O
pro O
- O
democracy O
faction O
, O
including O
the O
Frontier O
group O
and O
Democratic O
Party O
. O
Its O
demonstrations O
are O
small O
but O
vocal O
. O

Critics O
of O
Britain O
' O
s O
156 O
- O
year O
rule O
over O
Hong O
Kong O
say O
the O
colonial O
power O
moved O
too O
late O
to O
set O
down O
democratic O
institutions O
here O
. O

The O
Legislative O
Council O
( O
LegCo O
) O
, O
which O
will O
be O
replaced O
by O
the O
Provisional O
Legislature O
, O
is O
a O
fully O
- O
elected O
body O
. O

But O
only O
a O
third O
of O
its O
60 O
seats O
are O
chosen O
by O
universal O
suffrage O
. O
The O
others O
are O
chosen O
by O
local O
councils O
and O
by O
organisations O
representing O
Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
various O
professions O
. O

In O
the O
last O
LegCo O
elections O
, O
in O
September B-T
1995 I-T
, O
democrats O
triumphed O
in O
the O
seats O
chosen O
by O
universal O
but O
mainly O
lost O
in O
the O
functional O
constituencies O
, O
which O
are O
dominated O
by O
pro O
- O
China O
figures O
. O

WSJ891101 O
- O
0035 O

= O
891101 O

891101 O
- O
0035 O
. O

Business O
Brief O
- O
- O
Coda O
Energy O
Inc O
. O
: O

@ O
Oil O
and O
Gas O
Firm O
Arranges O

@ O
$ O
50 O
Million O
Credit O
Facility O

11 B-T
/ I-T
01 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

CODA O

BUYBACKS O
, O
REDEMPTIONS O
, O
SWAP O
OFFERS O
( O
BBK O
) O

TENDER O
OFFERS O
, O
MERGERS O
, O
ACQUISITIONS O
( O
TNM O
) O

Coda O
Energy O
Inc O
. O
said O
it O
arranged O
a O
$ O
50 O
million O
credit O
facility O
with O
NCNB O
Texas O
National O
Bank O
, O
a O
unit O
of O
NCNB O
Corp O
. O
, O
of O
Charlotte O
, O
N O
. O
C O
. O

The O
Dallas O
oil O
and O
gas O
concern O
said O
that O
$ O
10 O
million O
of O
the O
facility O
would O
be O
used O
to O
consolidate O
the O
company O
' O
s O
$ O
8 O
. O
1 O
million O
of O
existing O
bank O
debt O
, O
to O
repurchase O
4 O
million O
of O
its O
4 O
. O
9 O
million O
shares O
outstanding O
of O
Series O
D O
convertible O
preferred O
stock O
, O
and O
to O
purchase O
a O
10 O
% O
net O
- O
profits O
interest O
in O
certain O
oil O
and O
gas O
properties O
from O
one O
of O
its O
existing O
lenders O
, O
National O
Canada O
Corp O
. O

The O
remaining O
$ O
40 O
million O
can O
be O
used O
over O
three B-T
years I-T
for O
oil O
and O
gas O
acquisitions O
, O
the O
company O
said O
. O

Ted O
Eubank O
, O
Coda O
' O
s O
president O
, O
said O
the O
loan O
carries O
an O
interest O
rate O
of O
prime O
plus O
one O
percentage O
point O
, O
with O
85 O
% O
of O
the O
company O
' O
s O
net O
oil O
and O
gas O
revenue O
each B-T
month I-T
dedicated O
to O
repayment O
. O

The O
company O
put O
up O
" O
virtually O
all O
" O
of O
its O
oil O
and O
gas O
properties O
as O
collateral O
, O
he O
said O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061222 O
. O
0175 O

TOKYO O
, O
Dec B-T
22 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
ADDS O
quotes O
on O
Japan O
' O
s O
involvement O
/ O
/ O
/ O

Jordan O
' O
s O
King O
Abdullah O
II O
warned O
Friday B-T
chances O
were O
running O
out O
for O
peace O
in O
the O
Middle O
East O
, O
with O
" O
disastrous O
" O
consequences O
in O
store O
unless O
progress O
is O
made O
in O
the O
first O
half O
of O
the B-T
new I-T
year I-T
. O

Speaking O
on O
a O
visit O
to O
Japan O
, O
a O
key O
donor O
to O
the O
region O
, O
Abdullah O
made O
an O
impassioned O
call O
for O
the O
world O
to O
restore O
hope O
for O
Palestinians O
amid O
chaos O
in O
the O
Palestinian O
territories O
and O
elsewhere O
in O
the O
region O
. O

" O
I O
believe O
that O
the O
window O
of O
opportunity O
is O
diminishing O
and O
it O
won O
' O
t O
be O
long O
before O
we O
can O
say O
that O
the O
futures O
of O
the O
Palestinians O
are O
gone O
, O
" O
he O
told O
the O
Japan O
Institute O
of O
International O
Affairs O
. O

" O
2007 O
is O
a O
very O
critical O
year O
, O
and O
if O
we O
don O
' O
t O
create O
a O
process O
to O
move O
forward O
in O
the B-T
next I-T
six I-T
or I-T
seven I-T
months I-T
, O
then O
I O
don O
' O
t O
think O
we O
ever O
will O
. O
And O
the O
outcome O
of O
that O
will O
be O
disastrous O
for O
all O
of O
us O
, O
Israel O
included O
. O
" O

He O
said O
the O
international O
community O
needed O
to O
prove O
to O
both O
the O
Palestinian O
and O
Israeli O
people O
that O
a O
two O
- O
state O
solution O
of O
an O
independent O
Israel O
and O
Palestine O
was O
" O
irreversible O
" O
. O

" O
If O
we O
don O
' O
t O
move O
forward O
, O
I O
fear O
we O
will O
find O
ourselves O
in O
a O
situation O
where O
we O
will O
never O
have O
a O
two O
- O
state O
solution O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

" O
Therefore O
we O
will O
never O
have O
peace O
between O
Israelis O
and O
Palestinians O
, O
therefore O
we O
will O
never O
have O
peace O
between O
Israelis O
and O
Arabs O
, O
and O
therefore O
we O
will O
condemn O
our O
region O
for O
another B-T
decade I-T
or O
two O
of O
violence O
, O
which O
none O
of O
us O
can O
afford O
. O
" O

Abdullah O
, O
who O
held O
talks O
Friday B-T
with O
Japanese O
Prime O
Minister O
Shinzo O
Abe O
, O
is O
seen O
as O
a O
key O
Western O
ally O
in O
the O
Middle O
East O
, O
with O
his O
kingdom O
straddling O
Israel O
, O
the O
Palestinian O
territories O
and O
Iraq O
. O

He O
visited O
Japan O
amid O
turmoil O
in O
the O
region O
, O
with O
clashes O
in O
the O
Palestinian O
territories O
between O
rival O
factions O
, O
pressure O
on O
the O
Western O
- O
backed O
government O
in O
Lebanon O
and O
daily O
carnage O
in O
Iraq O
. O

Abdullah O
said O
he O
told O
US O
President O
George O
W O
. O
Bush O
, O
who O
visited O
Jordan O
last B-T
month I-T
for O
talks O
with O
Iraqi O
Prime O
Minister O
Nuri O
al O
- O
Maliki O
, O
that O
the O
world O
needed O
to O
look O
at O
the O
three O
Middle O
Eastern O
crises O
all O
at O
once O
. O

" O
We O
have O
to O
know O
how O
to O
walk O
and O
chew O
gum O
at O
the O
same O
time O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O
" O
We O
cannot O
focus O
on O
just O
one O
issue O
. O
" O

Abdullah O
said O
he O
supported O
Japan O
' O
s O
bid O
for O
greater O
involvement O
in O
the O
region O
. O
Japan O
, O
the O
world O
' O
s O
second O
largest O
economy O
, O
relies O
almost O
entirely O
on O
Arab O
countries O
and O
Iran O
for O
its O
oil O
. O

" O
You O
can O
' O
t O
afford O
instability O
in O
our O
part O
of O
the O
world O
, O
" O
Abdullah O
said O
. O

" O
You O
are O
in O
a O
very O
unique O
position O
as O
a O
strong O
member O
of O
the O
international O
community O
because O
you O
have O
not O
involved O
in O
politics O
. O
Therefore O
you O
are O
considered O
an O
honest O
broker O
and O
that O
is O
increasingly O
important O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

On O
a O
visit O
to O
the O
region O
in O
July B-T
, O
Japan O
' O
s O
then O
prime O
minister O
Junichiro O
Koizumi O
proposed O
building O
a O
" O
peace O
and O
prosperity O
corridor O
" O
in O
the O
West O
Bank O
. O

Under O
the O
initiative O
, O
Japan O
would O
work O
with O
Israel O
, O
Jordan O
and O
the O
Palestinians O
to O
develop O
the O
West O
Bank O
' O
s O
broken O
economy O
, O
including O
designing O
an O
agro O
- O
industrial O
park O
. O

Abdullah O
said O
he O
supported O
the O
initiative O
but O
that O
it O
was O
no O
substitute O
for O
a O
political O
solution O
. O

" O
The O
people O
living O
on O
the O
ground O
won O
' O
t O
buy O
in O
into O
any O
economic O
formula O
or O
initiative O
unless O
they O
are O
guaranteed O
that O
the O
political O
process O
is O
moving O
forward O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061125 O
. O
0136 O

HONG O
KONG O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
25 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

PLA O
forces O
in O
HK O
conduct O
ninth O
routine O
rotation O

The O
Chinese O
People O
' O
s O
Liberation O
Army O
( O
PLA O
) O
garrison O
troops O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
Special O
Administrative O
Region O
( O
HKSAR O
) O
Saturday B-T
conducted O
its O
ninth O
troop O
rotation O
since O
it O
assumed O
Hong O
Kong O
' O
s O
defense O
responsibility O
on O
July B-T
1 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
. O

The O
annual O
rotation O
started O
at O
00 O
: O
00 O
Nov B-T
. I-T
25 I-T
when O
a O
number O
of O
military O
vehicles O
of O
the O
ground O
troops O
rolled O
across O
the O
Lok O
Ma O
Chau O
checkpoint O
into O
Hong O
Kong O
under O
the O
escort O
of O
the O
Hong O
Kong O
police O
. O

Six O
military O
helicopters O
landed O
at O
the O
Skek O
Kong O
Barracks O
in O
the B-T
morning I-T
. O
The O
last O
part O
of O
the O
rotation O
was O
carried O
out O
at O
the O
Stonecutters O
Island O
Naval O
Base O
. O

The O
naval O
rotation O
involved O
a O
missile O
escort O
vessel O
, O
a O
landing O
ship O
. O

The O
annual O
rotation O
was O
conducted O
in O
accordance O
with O
the O
HKSAR O
Garrison O
Law O
of O
the O
People O
' O
s O
Republic O
of O
China O
. O

The O
size O
of O
the O
forces O
remained O
unchanged O
in O
both O
personnel O
and O
weaponry O
after O
the O
rotation O
, O
said O
Lieutenant O
Colonel O
Cheng O
Dongfang O
, O
spokesman O
for O
the O
PLA O
garrison O
troops O
in O
Hong O
Kong O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061212 O
. O
0392 O

KANDAHAR O
, O
Afghanistan O
, O
Dec B-T
12 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
ADDS O
ISAF O
soldier O
killed O
/ O
/ O
/ O

A O
suicide O
bomber O
blew O
himself O
up O
at O
a O
governor O
' O
s O
house O
in O
southern O
Afghanistan O
Tuesday B-T
, O
killing O
eight O
people O
, O
in O
the O
latest O
bloodshed O
linked O
to O
a O
spiralling O
Taliban O
insurgency O
. O

Separately O
, O
US O
- O
led O
security O
forces O
shot O
dead O
four O
suspected O
Taliban O
militants O
and O
a O
teenage O
girl O
, O
while O
elsewhere O
a O
soldier O
from O
a O
NATO O
- O
led O
force O
was O
killed O
in O
a O
firefight O
with O
insurgents O
. O

The O
violence O
came O
as O
President O
Hamid O
Karzai O
attended O
a O
high O
- O
level O
security O
conference O
in O
Kandahar O
, O
the O
birthplace O
of O
the O
Taliban O
regime O
, O
to O
urge O
foreign O
forces O
to O
do O
their O
best O
to O
avoid O
civilian O
casualties O
. O

Six O
bodyguards O
, O
a O
district O
chief O
and O
a O
civilian O
were O
killed O
when O
the O
suicide O
bomber O
sneaked O
into O
the O
heavily O
guarded O
residence O
of O
the O
governor O
of O
troubled O
Helmand O
province O
, O
provincial O
police O
chief O
Mohammad O
Nabi O
Mullahkhil O
told O
AFP O
. O

" O
Governor O
Mohammad O
Daud O
was O
about O
to O
leave O
and O
as O
his O
motorcade O
and O
bodyguards O
were O
prepared O
the O
attacker O
penetrated O
into O
the O
governor O
' O
s O
house O
and O
tried O
to O
approach O
the O
governor O
, O
" O
Mullahkil O
said O
. O

" O
The O
bodyguard O
suspected O
he O
might O
be O
an O
attacker O
and O
stopped O
him O
but O
then O
the O
man O
exploded O
himself O
, O
" O
he O
said O
, O
adding O
that O
eight O
other O
bodyguards O
were O
injured O
. O

The O
interior O
ministry O
also O
said O
eight O
people O
were O
killed O
in O
the O
attack O
, O
which O
took O
place O
during O
working O
hours O
at O
the O
house O
in O
Lashkargah O
, O
the O
provincial O
capital O
, O
but O
said O
seven O
of O
the O
victims O
were O
policemen O
and O
one O
was O
a O
civilian O
. O

NATO O
troops O
rushed O
to O
the O
governor O
' O
s O
house O
after O
the O
explosion O
but O
there O
were O
no O
casualties O
among O
foreign O
troops O
, O
said O
Jason O
Chalk O
, O
a O
spokesman O
for O
the O
NATO O
- O
led O
International O
Security O
Assistance O
Force O
( O
ISAF O
) O
. O

" O
All O
we O
can O
say O
is O
that O
the O
governor O
is O
safe O
, O
" O
Chalk O
said O
. O

More O
than O
30 O
, O
000 O
NATO O
- O
led O
troops O
are O
currently O
hunting O
Taliban O
insurgents O
and O
their O
Islamic O
extremist O
allies O
, O
mainly O
in O
southern O
Afghanistan O
. O
Another O
10 O
, O
000 O
US O
- O
led O
troops O
are O
operating O
in O
the O
conflict O
- O
ridden O
country O
. O

ISAF O
said O
one O
NATO O
soldier O
was O
killed O
in O
a O
gunbattle O
with O
insurgents O
in O
Helmand O
on O
Tuesday B-T
. O
It O
did O
not O
give O
the O
soldier O
' O
s O
nationality O
or O
any O
more O
details O
but O
most O
of O
the O
troops O
in O
the O
province O
are O
British O
. O

Separately O
on O
Tuesday B-T
, O
the O
US O
- O
led O
coalition O
and O
the O
Afghan O
army O
killed O
four O
suspected O
Taliban O
militants O
in O
eastern O
Afghanistan O
, O
the O
coalition O
said O
in O
a O
statement O
. O

A O
13 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
girl O
was O
killed O
and O
an O
eight O
- O
year O
- O
old O
girl O
injured O
in O
the O
incident O
, O
when O
the O
soldiers O
raided O
a O
house O
near O
the O
village O
of O
Darnami O
in O
restive O
Khost O
province O
, O
where O
the O
alleged O
insurgents O
were O
hiding O
out O
, O
it O
said O
. O

The O
wounded O
girl O
was O
taken O
to O
a O
coalition O
hospital O
, O
escorted O
by O
a O
family O
member O
, O
the O
coalition O
said O
. O
There O
were O
no O
casualties O
among O
the O
Afghan O
soldiers O
or O
coalition O
troops O
. O

Karzai O
said O
he O
discussed O
the O
issue O
of O
civilian O
casualties O
when O
he O
held O
a O
meeting O
on O
security O
and O
reconstruction O
with O
NATO O
and O
US O
commanders O
, O
key O
foreign O
diplomats O
and O
government O
ministers O
in O
Kandahar O
, O
which O
borders O
Helmand O
. O

" O
We O
discussed O
it O
. O
It O
was O
one O
of O
the O
very O
serious O
and O
main O
topics O
. O
We O
take O
it O
very O
seriously O
. O
NATO O
takes O
it O
very O
seriously O
, O
" O
the O
president O
told O
reporters O
after O
flying O
into O
the O
restive O
city O
by O
US O
helicopter O
. O

It O
was O
the O
first O
meeting O
of O
the O
so O
- O
called O
Policy O
Action O
Group O
that O
the O
beleaguered O
Afghan O
leader O
has O
attended O
and O
the O
first O
outside O
Kabul O
. O
Security O
was O
tight O
for O
the O
meeting O
, O
an O
AFP O
correspondent O
said O
. O

Karzai O
said O
NATO O
commanders O
were O
holding O
a O
meeting O
later B-T
Tuesday I-T
to O
discuss O
ways O
to O
avoid O
civilian O
losses O
during O
their O
operations O
. O

At O
least O
1 O
, O
000 O
civilians O
have O
died O
in O
Afghanistan O
' O
s O
worst O
year O
of O
violence O
since O
the O
Taliban O
regime O
fell O
in O
late B-T
2001 I-T
- O
- O
most O
through O
insurgent O
action O
but O
some O
in O
NATO O
and O
coalition O
operations O
, O
according O
to O
an O
official O
report O
. O

The O
2006 O
death O
toll O
- O
- O
taking O
into O
account O
civilian O
, O
militant O
, O
police O
, O
and O
Afghan O
and O
foreign O
troop O
casualties O
- O
- O
is O
more O
than O
3 O
, O
700 O
, O
four O
times O
the O
number O
in O
2005 B-T
. O

XIN_ENG_20061119 O
. O
0263 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
20 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

China O
launches O
long O
- O
term O
biodiversity O
protection O
plan O

China O
has O
launched O
a O
long O
- O
term O
protection O
plan O
of O
biological O
diversity O
in O
the O
upper O
reaches O
of O
the O
Yangtze O
River O
, O
reports O
Monday B-T
' O
s O
China O
Youth O
Daily O
. O

The O
project O
, O
jointly O
initiated O
by O
the O
State O
Environmental O
Protection O
Administration O
and O
Nature O
Conservation O
China O
, O
will O
gradually O
be O
implemented O
across O
the O
country O
. O

According O
to O
the O
plan O
, O
experts O
will O
begin O
by O
evaluating O
the O
biological O
diversity O
of O
southwest O
China O
' O
s O
Sichuan O
Province O
and O
submit O
their O
recommendations O
to O
the O
provincial O
government O
. O

The O
long O
- O
term O
protection O
plan O
will O
provide O
comprehensive O
and O
systematic O
support O
for O
biological O
diversity O
protection O
in O
China O
and O
help O
governments O
at O
various O
levels O
to O
take O
biological O
diversity O
protection O
into O
consideration O
when O
making O
decisions O
, O
according O
to O
the O
plan O
. O

The O
deterioration O
of O
the O
biological O
environment O
, O
caused O
by O
rapid O
economic O
development O
and O
population O
growth O
, O
has O
harmed O
China O
' O
s O
biological O
diversity O
and O
threatened O
China O
' O
s O
sustainable O
development O
. O

The O
National O
Development O
and O
Reform O
Commission O
, O
State O
Forestry O
Administration O
, O
State O
Oceanic O
Administration O
, O
Wildlife O
Conservation O
Society O
and O
World O
Wildlife O
Fund O
are O
all O
cooperative O
partners O
in O
the O
plan O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051108 O
. O
0110 O

FALLUJAH O
, O
Iraq O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
8 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Gunmen O
kill O
two O
Iraqi O
soldiers O
near O
Fallujah O

Gunmen O
ambushed O
an O
Iraqi O
army O
patrol O
in O
a O
flashpoint O
town O
near O
Fallujah O
, O
west O
of O
Baghdad O
, O
on O
Tuesday B-T
, O
killing O
two O
soldiers O
and O
wounding O
five O
others O
, O
a O
local O
journalist O
told O
Xinhua O
. O

The O
attack O
took O
place O
in O
the B-T
morning I-T
when O
unknown O
armed O
men O
opened O
fire O
at O
the O
army O
patrol O
in O
Ameriyat O
al O
- O
Fallujah O
town O
, O
south O
of O
Fallujah O
, O
Abdul O
Rahman O
said O
. O

In O
a O
separate O
incident O
, O
a O
suicide O
car O
bomber O
drove O
his O
explosive O
- O
laden O
car O
into O
a O
US O
military O
patrol O
late B-T
last I-T
night I-T
in O
the O
Garma O
town O
, O
east O
of O
Fallujah O
, O
Rahman O
said O
. O

The O
suicide O
attack O
destroyed O
a O
US O
Humvee O
, O
causing O
casualties O
among O
the O
soldiers O
aboard O
, O
he O
said O
. O

The O
powerful O
blast O
prompted O
the O
US O
soldiers O
to O
open O
fire O
haphazardly O
, O
wounding O
two O
civilians O
and O
causing O
damage O
in O
several O
nearby O
houses O
, O
he O
added O
. O

Fallujah O
, O
a O
city O
some O
50 O
km O
west O
of O
Baghdad O
in O
the O
restive O
Anbar O
province O
, O
along O
with O
nearby O
towns O
and O
villages O
, O
has O
witnessed O
frequent O
insurgent O
attacks O
against O
the O
US O
and O
Iraqi O
forces O
in O
the B-T
past I-T
two I-T
and I-T
a I-T
half I-T
years I-T
of O
violence O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970402 O
. O
0208 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
April B-T
2 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Chinese O
reporter O
commits O
suicide O
after O
planned O
defection O
foiled O
: O
daily O

The O
Washington O
bureau O
chief O
of O
the O
New O
China O
News O
Agency O
, O
Xinhua O
, O
committed O
suicide O
over O
the B-T
weekend I-T
in O
Beijing O
after O
a O
collague O
discovered O
he O
was O
planning O
to O
defect O
, O
The O
New O
York O
Times O
said O
Wednesday B-T
. O

China O
' O
s O
state O
- O
run O
agency O
made O
no O
public O
mention O
of O
Wei O
Guoqiang O
' O
s O
death O
, O
but O
it O
was O
confirmed O
by O
several O
of O
his O
colleagues O
in O
the O
Chinese O
capital O
, O
the O
daily O
said O
. O

A O
Xinhua O
employee O
said O
Wei O
, O
47 O
, O
was O
called O
back O
to O
Beijing O
in O
late B-T
March I-T
, I-T
only I-T
one I-T
month I-T
after O
his O
usual O
yearly O
visit O
to O
the O
agency O
' O
s O
headquarters O
. O

" O
I O
heard O
he O
was O
back O
to O
discuss O
something O
with O
his O
superiors O
, O
and O
I O
was O
surprised O
because O
I O
had O
just O
read O
one O
of O
his O
articles O
from O
Washington O
, O
" O
said O
Wei O
' O
s O
colleague O
, O
who O
, O
like O
the O
others O
, O
asked O
not O
to O
be O
identified O
. O

Another O
colleague O
said O
Wei O
was O
recalled O
after O
he O
had O
been O
discovered O
by O
a O
co O
- O
worker O
in O
Washington O
preparing O
documents O
to O
support O
a O
political O
asylum O
application O
for O
himself O
, O
his O
wife O
, O
and O
his O
17 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
daughter O
. O

Once O
in O
Beijing O
, O
Wei O
was O
put O
under O
close O
watch O
at O
his O
home O
by O
a O
relative O
, O
but O
was O
left O
briefly O
alone O
over O
the B-T
weekend I-T
. O

He O
chose O
that O
moment O
to O
hang O
himself O
in O
the O
bathroom O
of O
his O
apartment O
, O
the O
colleague O
said O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061109 O
. O
0107 O

JAKARTA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
9 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Indonesian O
shares O
close O
higher O

Share O
prices O
on O
the O
Jakarta O
Stock O
Exchange O
ended O
higher O
Thursday B-T
led O
by O
gains O
in O
banking O
shares O
. O

The O
composite O
index O
rose O
by O
14 O
. O
2 O
points O
to O
close O
at O
1 O
, O
660 O
. O
26 O
points O
. O

Turnovers O
totaled O
1 O
. O
5 O
billion O
shares O
worth O
1 O
. O
85 O
trillion O
rupiah O
( O
203 O
. O
1 O
million O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
) O
. O

Advancers O
beat O
decliners O
69 O
to O
40 O
, O
with O
83 O
other O
issues O
left O
unchanged O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051214 O
. O
0121 O

ATHENS O
, O
Dec B-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

General O
strike O
shuts O
down O
Greek O
public O
and O
private O
sectors O

A O
24 O
- O
hour O
general O
strike O
on O
Wednesday B-T
paralysed O
the O
Greek O
public O
and O
private O
sectors O
and O
severely O
restricted O
air O
, O
sea O
and O
rail O
travel O
across O
the O
country O
, O
as O
the O
country O
' O
s O
two O
biggest O
trade O
unions O
took O
to O
the O
streets O
to O
protest O
against O
government O
fiscal O
policy O
. O

All O
aircraft O
were O
to O
be O
grounded O
for O
four B-T
hours I-T
on O
Wednesday B-T
from O
noon O
( O
1000 O
GMT O
) O
because O
of O
action O
by O
air O
traffic O
controllers O
. O

Flight O
disruptions O
were O
to O
continue O
until O
Thursday B-T
, O
with O
national O
carrier O
Olympic O
Airlines O
expecting O
to O
cancel O
35 O
flights O
to O
foreign O
destinations O
and O
75 O
internal O
flights O
over O
the B-T
next I-T
two I-T
days O
. O

Olympic O
said O
it O
would O
operate O
one O
flight O
a O
day O
to O
each O
domestic O
destination O
and O
one O
flight O
a O
day O
to O
each O
foreign O
destination O
. O

Another O
Greek O
carrier O
, O
Aegean O
Airlines O
, O
said O
it O
will O
cancel O
a O
flight O
to O
Cyprus O
and O
seven O
domestic O
flights O
and O
will O
change O
the O
timings O
of O
27 O
of O
its O
departures O
on O
Wednesday B-T
. O

The O
Wednesday B-T
strike O
by O
the O
General O
Confederation O
of O
Workers O
( O
GSEE O
) O
and O
the O
Union O
of O
Civil O
Servants O
( O
ADEDY O
) O
- O
- O
which O
number O
some O
800 O
, O
000 O
members O
among O
them O
- O
- O
was O
also O
expected O
to O
cripple O
shipping O
, O
ground O
intercity O
trains O
and O
halt O
Athens O
' O
public O
transport O
systems O
. O

The O
Athens O
metro O
was O
to O
operate O
between O
11 B-T
am O
and O
4 O
pm O
to O
enable O
people O
to O
join O
demonstrations O
planned O
for O
1 O
pm O
. O

Banks O
, O
hospitals O
and O
schools O
would O
also O
remain O
closed O
because O
of O
the O
strike O
, O
which O
also O
brought O
a O
four O
- O
hour O
break O
in O
media O
coverage O
. O

The O
unions O
are O
protesting O
against O
government O
spending O
plans O
and O
proposals O
to O
alter O
the O
status O
of O
staff O
working O
for O
large O
public O
companies O
. O

Police O
and O
firefighters O
carried O
out O
their O
own O
street O
protest O
on O
Tuesday B-T
evening I-T
, O
marching O
on O
parliament O
to O
demand O
a O
hazardous O
pay O
bonus O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051216 O
. O
0393 O

THE O
HAGUE O
, O
Dec B-T
16 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

War O
crimes O
court O
extends O
gag O
on O
Kosovo O
ex O
- O
PM O
indefinitely O

A O
gagging O
order O
on O
former O
Kosovo O
prime O
minister O
and O
ex O
- O
guerrilla O
commander O
Ramush O
Haradinaj O
has O
been O
extended O
indefinitely O
, O
the O
International O
Criminal O
Tribunal O
for O
the O
Former O
Yugoslavia O
( O
ICTY O
) O
said O
Friday B-T
. O

Haradinaj O
, O
37 O
, O
remains O
barred O
from O
making O
public O
speeches O
or O
participating O
in O
political O
meetings O
after O
an O
appeals O
chamber O
ordered O
the O
ban O
to O
be O
continued O
until O
they O
have O
issued O
a O
ruling O
on O
the O
matter O
. O

In O
October B-T
12 I-T
a O
lower O
court O
had O
ruled O
that O
Haradinaj O
could O
have O
a O
limited O
return O
to O
public O
life O
, O
which O
was O
supported O
by O
the O
UN O
peacekeeping O
mission O
in O
Kosovo O
. O

The O
prosecution O
appealed O
the O
decision O
and O
as O
the O
matter O
was O
pending O
the O
decision O
was O
stayed O
three O
times O
to O
allow O
the O
appeals O
chamber O
to O
reach O
a O
decision O
. O

The O
last O
stay O
was O
to O
end O
on O
November B-T
21 I-T
but O
the O
appeals O
chamber O
has O
now B-T
extended O
it O
indefinitely O
until O
they O
reach O
a O
decision O
. O

Haradinaj O
, O
a O
Kosovo O
Liberation O
Army O
commander O
during O
the O
war O
against O
Serbian O
forces O
in O
1998 B-T
- I-T
99 I-T
, O
is O
charged O
with O
war O
crimes O
, O
including O
murder O
and O
rape O
, O
committed O
against O
Serbian O
and O
Albanian O
civilians O
. O

He O
resigned O
as O
prime O
minister O
and O
surrendered O
to O
the O
tribunal O
in O
March B-T
this I-T
year I-T
. O

AFP_ENG_20061210 O
. O
0525 O

TEHRAN O
, O
Dec B-T
11 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

= O
( O
PICTURE O
) O
= O

Iran O
has O
for O
the O
first O
time O
approved O
a O
non O
- O
cleric O
to O
run O
for O
the O
key O
body O
that O
supervises O
and O
selects O
the O
supreme O
leader O
, O
although O
he O
remains O
a O
pillar O
of O
the O
Islamic O
republic O
' O
s O
establishment O
. O

Mohsen O
Esmaili O
, O
a O
41 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
law O
professor O
, O
is O
a O
member O
of O
the O
conservative O
electoral O
watchdog O
the O
Guardians O
Council O
that O
vetted O
495 O
candidates O
for O
December B-T
15 I-T
poll O
, O
disqualifying O
two O
- O
thirds O
of O
them O
. O

Esmaili O
, O
as O
well O
as O
an O
unspecified O
number O
of O
candidates O
, O
had O
to O
take O
an O
exam O
to O
ascertain O
whether O
he O
was O
sufficiently O
qualified O
in O
Islamic O
jurisprudence O
to O
be O
termed O
" O
mojtahed O
" O
and O
thus O
qualify O
to O
serve O
in O
the O
Assembly O
of O
Experts O
. O

The O
Iranian O
constitution O
does O
not O
require O
candidates O
to O
be O
a O
" O
mojtahed O
" O
, O
but O
the O
body O
, O
which O
has O
autonomy O
in O
tailoring O
requirements O
for O
membership O
, O
has O
made O
that O
mandatory O
. O

Esmaili O
believes O
the O
Assembly O
needs O
to O
open O
its O
doors O
to O
non O
- O
clerical O
experts O
in O
politics O
, O
the O
economy O
, O
international O
law O
and O
administration O
to O
play O
a O
more O
effective O
role O
as O
an O
advisor O
to O
the O
leader O
, O
Ayatollah O
Ali O
Khamenei O
. O

" O
Those O
who O
enter O
the O
Assembly O
of O
Experts O
should O
be O
able O
to O
understand O
the O
complicated O
issues O
of O
modern O
world O
and O
present O
solutions O
to O
the O
leader O
and O
the O
policy O
- O
making O
bodies O
, O
" O
he O
told O
a O
press O
conference O
, O
dressed O
in O
a O
smart O
three O
- O
piece O
suit O
. O

" O
The O
leader O
has O
shown O
he O
is O
willing O
to O
hear O
different O
views O
, O
" O
Esmaili O
said O
, O
adding O
he O
would O
seek O
to O
boost O
links O
between O
non O
- O
clerical O
consultants O
and O
the O
Assembly O
members O
if O
elected O
. O

" O
We O
have O
more O
accurate O
information O
about O
people O
' O
s O
needs O
because O
of O
our O
presence O
in O
universities O
, O
" O
said O
Esmaili O
, O
who O
has O
formed O
a O
coalition O
with O
five O
other O
candidates O
in O
Tehran O
, O
and O
is O
working O
to O
have O
40 O
other O
candidates O
representing O
20 O
provinces O
join O
the O
group O
. O

Several O
non O
- O
clerical O
figures O
, O
most O
notably O
President O
Mahmoud O
Ahmadinejad O
and O
parliament O
speaker O
Gholam O
Ali O
Hadad O
- O
Adel O
, O
have O
won O
key O
posts O
in O
recent B-T
years I-T
, O
in O
a O
change O
of O
the O
trend O
that O
prevailed O
the O
late O
1980s B-T
and I-T
1990s I-T
. O

However O
the O
term O
non O
- O
cleric O
is O
not O
synonymous O
with O
reformist O
and O
both O
Ahmadinejad O
and O
Hadad O
- O
Adel O
are O
conservatives O
seen O
as O
close O
to O
the O
supreme O
leader O
. O

Himself O
a O
former O
student O
of O
Khamenei O
, O
Esmaili O
said O
" O
of O
course O
we O
see O
the O
leader O
as O
the O
best O
person O
for O
navigating O
Iran O
through O
the O
turbulence O
of O
today O
' O
s O
world O
but O
it O
does O
not O
mean O
that O
nobody O
has O
the O
right O
to O
comment O
or O
criticize O
. O
" O

The O
86 O
- O
member O
Assembly O
- O
- O
which O
is O
only O
elected O
once O
every B-T
eight I-T
years I-T
- O
- O
is O
in O
charge O
of O
supervising O
, O
dismissing O
and O
electing O
the O
Supreme O
Leader O
, O
who O
is O
appointed O
for O
life O
. O

Esmaili O
stopped O
short O
of O
commenting O
on O
the O
Assembly O
' O
s O
past O
record O
as O
it O
" O
has O
not O
published O
an O
official O
report O
, O
so O
we O
cannot O
judge O
" O
. O
The O
Assembly O
does O
not O
publish O
details O
of O
its O
discussions O
, O
only O
its O
opening O
and O
closing O
statements O
. O

He O
believes O
the O
Assembly O
, O
which O
meets O
twice O
a B-T
year I-T
, O
should O
be O
more O
transparent O
, O
providing O
the O
public O
with O
regular O
reports O
of O
its O
decisions O
and O
activities O
. O

" O
We O
will O
take O
a O
step O
forward O
. O
The O
sessions O
should O
be O
open O
unless O
the O
law O
prevents O
making O
something O
public O
to O
protect O
national O
interests O
" O
. O

Esmaili O
expressed O
regret O
that O
some O
clerical O
hopefuls O
snubbed O
the O
Islamic O
jurisprudence O
exam O
in O
the O
run O
- O
up O
to O
the O
election O
and O
consequently O
were O
excluded O
from O
the O
race O
. O

" O
We O
should O
submit O
to O
the O
instruments O
of O
democracy O
. O
When O
there O
is O
a O
condition O
we O
should O
use O
it O
, O
" O
he O
said O
of O
those O
who O
regarded O
the O
prerequisite O
as O
an O
insult O
. O

Among O
those O
who O
boycotted O
the O
test O
were O
leading O
reformist O
clerics O
Majid O
Ansari O
, O
who O
is O
an O
incumbent O
member O
of O
the O
Assembly O
, O
and O
Hadi O
Khamenei O
, O
brother O
of O
the O
supreme O
leader O
. O

" O
We O
should O
have O
members O
representing O
different O
views O
, O
but O
the O
ones O
who O
put O
national O
interests O
before O
personal O
leanings O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

" O
It O
' O
s O
our O
duty O
to O
prove O
a O
theocracy O
is O
efficient O
and O
capable O
of O
responding O
to O
modern O
questions O
. O
" O

XIN_ENG_20061118 O
. O
0076 O

HANOI O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
18 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

bilateral O
ties O

Chinese O
President O
Hu O
Jintao O
and O
Japanese O
Prime O
Minister O
Shinzo O
Abe O
met O
here O
on O
Saturday B-T
with O
both O
leaders O
expressing O
the O
willingness O
to O
maintain O
the O
good O
momentum O
of O
the O
development O
of O
relations O
between O
the O
two O
countries O
. O

" O
The O
Sino O
- O
Japanese O
ties O
are O
now O
at O
a O
crucial O
juncture O
, O
" O
Hu O
said O
when O
he O
met O
Abe O
before O
the O
beginning O
of O
the O
14th O
Economic O
Leaders O
' O
Meeting O
of O
the O
Asia O
- O
Pacific O
Economic O
Cooperation O
( O
APEC O
) O
forum O
slated O
for O
Saturday B-T
and I-T
Sunday I-T
. O

The O
talks O
, O
the O
second O
between O
the O
two O
leaders O
since O
early B-T
October I-T
, O
demonstrated O
their O
common O
aspiration O
to O
improve O
relations O
between O
China O
and O
Japan O
and O
marked O
a O
new O
era O
in O
the O
Sino O
- O
Japanese O
relations O
, O
Hu O
said O
. O

At O
their O
Beijing O
meeting O
last B-T
month I-T
, O
both O
leaders O
agreed O
that O
they O
should O
view O
the O
Sino O
- O
Japanese O
ties O
from O
the O
long O
- O
term O
and O
strategic O
perspective O
so O
as O
to O
achieve O
the O
great O
objective O
of O
peaceful O
coexistence O
, O
friendship O
for O
generations O
, O
cooperation O
of O
mutual O
benefit O
and O
common O
development O
, O
the O
Chinese O
president O
said O
. O

" O
The O
two O
sides O
also O
reached O
wide O
- O
ranging O
consensus O
on O
enhancing O
political O
trust O
, O
boosting O
cooperation O
of O
mutual O
benefit O
, O
expanding O
exchanges O
of O
personnel O
and O
promoting O
cooperation O
in O
international O
and O
regional O
affairs O
, O
" O
Hu O
said O
. O

To O
further O
promote O
bilateral O
cooperation O
, O
President O
Hu O
put O
forward O
a O
five O
- O
point O
proposal O
- O
- O
charting O
the O
direction O
of O
the O
development O
of O
bilateral O
ties O
, O
deepening O
friendship O
between O
the O
two O
peoples O
, O
promoting O
mutually O
beneficial O
cooperation O
, O
making O
joint O
efforts O
to O
promote O
peace O
, O
stability O
and O
development O
in O
Asia O
, O
and O
properly O
handling O
the O
sensitive O
issues O
related O
to O
Taiwan O
and O
the O
history O
of O
Japanese O
invasion O
. O

The O
sensitive O
issues O
are O
closely O
related O
to O
the O
political O
foundation O
of O
bilateral O
relations O
between O
the O
two O
countries O
, O
Hu O
said O
. O

The O
two O
countries O
should O
also O
speed O
up O
consultation O
on O
the O
East O
China O
Sea O
issue O
in O
line O
with O
the O
principle O
of O
mutual O
benefit O
and O
reciprocity O
, O
and O
make O
it O
the O
" O
sea O
of O
peace O
, O
cooperation O
and O
friendship O
, O
" O
Hu O
said O
. O

Abe O
said O
Japan O
and O
China O
have O
agreed O
to O
build O
a O
strategically O
reciprocal O
relationship O
during O
his O
October B-T
visit O
to O
China O
, O
and O
he O
hoped O
to O
maintain O
high O
- O
level O
exchanges O
so O
as O
to O
push O
the O
Japan O
- O
China O
relations O
to O
a O
new O
high O
. O

The O
Japanese O
prime O
minister O
suggested O
the O
two O
sides O
hold O
a O
ministerial O
meeting O
at O
the O
earliest O
to O
coordinate O
their O
cooperation O
in O
economy O
and O
trade O
, O
to O
strengthen O
cooperation O
in O
energy O
saving O
and O
environmental O
protection O
, O
as O
well O
as O
to O
promote O
exchanges O
of O
personnel O
and O
boost O
cooperation O
in O
tourism O
. O

He O
also O
recommended O
both O
sides O
launch O
a O
joint O
study O
on O
the O
historical O
issues O
, O
intensify O
consultation O
on O
the O
East O
China O
Sea O
issue O
, O
and O
boost O
cooperation O
among O
Japan O
, O
China O
and O
South O
Korea O
in O
investment O
, O
environmental O
protection O
and O
tourism O
. O

President O
Hu O
Jintao O
is O
in O
Hanoi O
for O
a O
state O
visit O
to O
Vietnam O
, O
where O
he O
and O
other O
leaders O
or O
representatives O
from O
the O
21 O
APEC O
members O
will O
attend O
the O
Nov B-T
. I-T
18 I-T
- I-T
19 I-T
APEC O
economic O
leaders O
' O
meeting O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061221 O
. O
0605 O

HAVANA O
, O
Dec B-T
21 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

by O
Isabel O
Sanchez O

Interim O
Cuba O
leader O
Raul O
Castro O
could O
signal O
a O
passing O
of O
the O
torch O
to O
a O
newer O
generation O
of O
Communist O
leaders O
when O
Cuba O
' O
s O
national O
legislature O
opens O
its O
annual O
meeting O
here O
Friday B-T
. O

Raul O
' O
s O
role O
as O
top O
leader O
since O
he O
took O
over O
from O
his O
ailing O
older O
brother O
Fidel O
Castro O
on O
July B-T
31 I-T
will O
likely O
be O
made O
clearer O
at O
the O
meeting O
. O

But O
the O
probable O
absence O
of O
Fidel O
, O
unseen O
in O
public O
since O
he O
underwent O
surgery O
in O
July B-T
, O
will O
spotlight O
the O
big O
question O
about O
the O
future O
of O
Cuba O
and O
who O
will O
lead O
it O
, O
beyond O
the O
Castro O
brothers O
. O

Raul O
, O
75 O
, O
strongly O
suggested O
during O
a O
35 O
- O
minute O
speech O
late O
Wednesday B-T
to O
the O
University O
Students O
' O
Federation O
( O
FEU O
) O
that O
the O
time O
had O
come O
for O
a O
changing O
of O
the O
guard O
. O

" O
Whether O
we O
like O
it O
or O
not O
, O
we O
' O
re O
already O
coming O
to O
the O
end O
of O
our O
duties O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O
" O
We O
have O
to O
yield O
to O
the O
new O
generations O
. O
. O
. O
or O
continue O
to O
lead O
the O
way O
for O
the O
new O
generations O
, O
gradually O
of O
course O
. O
" O

Raul O
spoke O
from O
a O
table O
where O
three O
generations O
of O
Cuban O
leaders O
were O
sitting O
, O
including O
Jose O
Ramon O
Machado O
Ventura O
, O
76 O
, O
chief O
of O
the O
Organization O
Department O
of O
the O
Communist O
Party O
Central O
Committee O
; O
Vice O
President O
Carlos O
Lage O
, O
55 O
; O
and O
his O
25 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
son O
and O
FEU O
chairman O
Carlos O
Lage O
Codorniu O
. O

After O
the O
students O
said O
in O
a O
final O
statement O
that O
they O
would O
" O
defend O
the O
martial O
, O
Marxist O
- O
Leninist O
, O
socialist O
and O
antiimperialist O
revolution O
, O
" O
Raul O
replied O
that O
he O
was O
proud O
Cuba O
would O
be O
led O
" O
by O
the O
new O
generations O
you O
represent O
. O
" O

On O
what O
style O
of O
government O
they O
should O
follow O
, O
Raul O
, O
also O
Cuba O
' O
s O
defense O
minister O
, O
recommended O
the O
leadership O
should O
always O
include O
exhaustive O
debate O
. O

He O
offered O
a O
little O
insight O
in O
his O
own O
way O
of O
doing O
things O
: O
" O
I O
confer O
with O
a O
group O
of O
12 O
generals O
of O
one O
or O
more O
stars O
. O
They O
all O
give O
their O
opinions O
, O
they O
all O
discuss O
, O
and O
in O
the O
end O
, O
if O
I O
don O
' O
t O
see O
a O
true O
majority O
consensus O
, O
no O
conclusion O
is O
reached O
, O
unless O
it O
' O
s O
an O
emergency O
. O
" O

With O
609 O
members O
, O
the O
National O
Assembly O
of O
People O
' O
s O
Power O
( O
ANPP O
) O
gives O
some O
hints O
at O
the O
future O
leadership O
. O
It O
is O
presided O
over O
by O
one O
of O
the O
leading O
figures O
of O
the O
regime O
, O
Ricardo O
Alarcon O
, O
69 O
, O
Cuba O
' O
s O
former O
representative O
to O
the O
United O
Nations O
. O

The O
legislature O
comprises O
now B-T
three O
generations O
of O
Cuban O
leaders O
, O
all O
bound O
together O
by O
" O
Fidelism O
" O
- O
- O
from O
the O
old O
guard O
who O
rose O
up O
behind O
Fidel O
Castro O
in O
the O
1959 O
revolution O
, O
to O
the O
newest O
generation O
of O
30 O
- O
40 O
year O
- O
olds O
. O

In O
between O
are O
rising O
figures O
like O
Lage O
; O
Felipe O
Perez O
Roque O
, O
41 O
, O
Cuba O
' O
s O
top O
diplomat O
; O
and O
Francisco O
Soberon O
, O
61 O
, O
president O
of O
the O
central O
bank O
. O

All O
were O
named O
by O
Fidel O
Castro O
to O
back O
his O
brother O
in O
the O
interim O
. O

Since O
its O
creation O
in O
December B-T
1976 I-T
, O
the O
ANPP O
has O
always O
been O
Fidel O
Castro O
' O
s O
venue O
for O
laying O
out O
in O
detail O
the O
country O
' O
s O
direction O
. O
His O
long O
speeches O
dominated O
debates O
and O
usually O
led O
to O
unanimous O
votes O
backing O
his O
views O
. O

It O
will O
be O
only O
the O
second O
time O
in O
its O
30 O
- O
year O
history O
that O
Fidel O
will O
miss O
a O
session O
of O
the O
ANPP O
. O

With O
a O
more O
conservative O
, O
quieter O
style O
, O
Raul O
Castro O
will O
preside O
over O
the O
second O
of O
the O
two O
annual O
ANPP O
sessions O
. O
In O
December B-T
2002 I-T
, O
his O
absence O
was O
attributed O
to O
complications O
from O
a O
mosquito O
bite O
. O

In O
the B-T
days I-T
ahead O
of O
the O
meeting O
, O
there O
has O
been O
no O
indication O
that O
he O
will O
break O
from O
the O
normal O
routine O
. O
The O
deputies O
will O
review O
, O
for O
instance O
, O
the O
state O
housing O
construction O
program O
and O
the O
" O
revolutionary O
" O
program O
to O
protect O
the O
environment O
, O
themes O
already O
discussed O
Monday B-T
and O
Tuesday B-T
by O
ANPP O
committees O
. O

Even O
so O
, O
all O
attention O
will O
be O
focused O
on O
any O
signal O
about O
Fidel O
' O
s O
health O
and O
Raul O
' O
s O
future O
. O
The O
meeting O
takes O
place O
with O
Fidel O
unseen O
in O
public O
for O
more B-T
than I-T
four I-T
months I-T
and O
questions O
about O
the O
country O
' O
s O
future O
looming O
. O

" O
We O
cannot O
exclude O
the O
possibility O
that O
Fidel O
will O
choose O
this O
moment O
to O
make O
important O
announcements O
through O
his O
brother O
, O
such O
as O
laying O
down O
the O
formal O
process O
for O
a O
transition O
, O
" O
said O
a O
diplomat O
from O
a O
friendly O
Latin O
American O
country O
. O

The O
diplomat O
said O
Fidel O
Castro O
' O
s O
" O
political O
wisdom O
" O
could O
inspire O
an O
announcement O
. O

However O
, O
he O
cautioned O
, O
" O
His O
temperament O
as O
a O
fierce O
fighter O
doesn O
' O
t O
suggest O
that O
he O
would O
announce O
his O
withdrawal O
from O
politics O
prematurely O
. O
" O

With O
a O
personal O
appearance O
generally O
ruled O
out O
, O
the O
country O
must O
hold O
its O
breath O
in O
wait O
for O
a O
surprise O
move O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061218 O
. O
0530 O

GENEVA O
, O
Dec B-T
19 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

" O
Heart O
of O
Borneo O
" O
reveals O
astonishing O
array O
of O
new O
species O
: O
WWF O

In O
the O
second O
remarkable O
biodiversity O
find O
this B-T
year I-T
, O
researchers O
announced O
on O
Tuesday B-T
they O
had O
identified O
at O
least O
52 O
new O
species O
of O
animals O
and O
plants O
on O
the O
island O
of O
Borneo O
. O

The O
new O
discovery O
including O
30 O
unique O
species O
of O
fish O
, O
two O
new O
species O
of O
tree O
frog O
, O
16 O
species O
of O
ginger O
, O
three O
tree O
species O
and O
a O
large O
- O
leafed O
species O
of O
plant O
seen O
nowhere O
else O
in O
the O
world O
, O
the O
wildlife O
group O
WWF O
said O
in O
a O
press O
release O
. O

Many O
of O
the O
species O
were O
found O
in O
the O
so O
- O
called O
Heart O
of O
Borneo O
, O
a O
thickly O
forested O
mountainous O
region O
covering O
around O
220 O
, O
000 O
square O
kilometers O
( O
85 O
, O
000 O
square O
miles O
) O
in O
the O
centre O
of O
the O
island O
. O

The O
finds O
include O
the O
world O
' O
s O
second O
smallest O
vertebrate O
, O
a O
tiny O
species O
of O
fish O
that O
measures O
less O
than O
one O
centimetre O
( O
1 O
. O
25 O
inches O
) O
in O
length O
and O
thrives O
in O
the O
island O
' O
s O
highly O
acidic O
blackwater O
peat O
swamps O
. O

There O
is O
also O
a O
catfish O
with O
a O
protruding O
teeth O
" O
and O
an O
adhesive O
belly O
which O
allows O
it O
to O
literally O
stick O
to O
rocks O
, O
" O
as O
well O
as O
six O
species O
of O
Siamese O
fighting O
fish O
, O
including O
one O
species O
with O
a O
gorgeous O
iridescent O
blue O
- O
green O
colouring O
. O

The O
52 O
new O
species O
have O
been O
covered O
in O
the B-T
past I-T
year I-T
alone I-T
. O

In O
February B-T
, O
scientists O
said O
they O
had O
had O
found O
a O
" O
Garden O
of O
Eden O
" O
in O
the O
Foja O
Mountains O
, O
on O
the O
island O
of O
New O
Guinea O
, O
where O
they O
recorded O
dozens O
of O
new O
species O
of O
butterflies O
, O
frogs O
, O
palms O
and O
rhododendrons O
. O

They O
also O
found O
a O
unique O
local O
species O
of O
honeyeater O
bird O
- O
- O
the O
first O
new O
bird O
to O
be O
sighted O
on O
New O
Guinea O
for O
more B-T
than I-T
60 I-T
years I-T
- O
- O
and O
determined O
that O
the O
mountains O
were O
the O
home O
of O
one O
of O
the O
most O
elusive O
bird O
species O
of O
all O
, O
a O
creature O
called O
the O
Berlepsch O
' O
s O
bird O
of O
paradise O
. O

WWF O
said O
many O
more O
species O
waited O
to O
be O
discovered O
in O
Borneo O
, O
which O
is O
divided O
between O
Brunei O
, O
Indonesia O
and O
Malaysia O
, O
but O
expressed O
deep O
concern O
about O
the O
loss O
of O
equatorial O
rainforest O
, O
which O
is O
being O
cleared O
for O
rubber O
, O
oil O
palm O
and O
pulp O
production O
. O

" O
The O
more O
we O
look O
, O
the O
more O
we O
find O
, O
" O
said O
Stuart O
Chapman O
, O
international O
coordinator O
for O
WWF O
' O
s O
Heart O
of O
Borneo O
programme O
. O
" O
These O
discoveries O
reaffirm O
Borneo O
' O
s O
position O
as O
one O
of O
the O
most O
important O
centres O
of O
biodiversity O
in O
the O
world O
. O
" O

XIN_ENG_20051111 O
. O
0143 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
11 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Chinese O
vice O
premier O
encourages O
oil O
, O
gas O
prospecting O

Chinese O
Vice O
Premier O
Zeng O
Peiyan O
Thursday B-T
highlighted O
the O
prospecting O
of O
petroleum O
and O
gas O
as O
an O
important O
task O
of O
geological O
survey O
work O
. O

Efforts O
should O
focus O
on O
prospecting O
of O
strategic O
mineral O
resources O
, O
especially O
oil O
, O
natural O
gas O
, O
uranium O
, O
iron O
, O
copper O
and O
aluminium O
, O
Zeng O
said O
at O
a O
conference O
on O
geological O
work O
held O
by O
the O
State O
Council O
in O
Taiyuan O
, O
capital O
of O
northwest O
China O
' O
s O
Shanxi O
Province O
. O

Zeng O
stressed O
the O
importance O
of O
the O
geological O
survey O
work O
, O
considering O
it O
key O
to O
easing O
the O
impact O
of O
resource O
shortages O
on O
economic O
growth O
. O

He O
noted O
that O
major O
projects O
in O
geological O
surveying O
should O
be O
launched O
in O
accordance O
with O
the O
overall O
layout O
of O
national O
economic O
and O
social O
development O
. O
Enterprises O
are O
encouraged O
to O
take O
part O
in O
mineral O
prospecting O
. O

He O
urged O
to O
continue O
the O
comprehensive O
survey O
and O
assessment O
of O
the O
geological O
environment O
in O
key O
economic O
zones O
and O
mineral O
belts O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061109 O
. O
0396 O

ATHENS O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
9 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Report O
sees O
rise O
in O
domestic O
demand O
, O
investments O
in O
Greece O

The O
economic O
climate O
in O
Greece O
has O
returned O
to O
a O
growth O
course O
similar O
to O
that O
of O
the O
EU O
- O
25 O
, O
while O
the O
Greek O
economy O
significantly O
reduced O
a O
" O
shortfall O
of O
optimism O
" O
that O
prevailed O
after O
the O
Athens O
2004 O
Olympic O
Games O
, O
a O
report O
said O
. O

Economic O
growth O
is O
expected O
to O
exceed O
3 O
. O
4 O
percent O
this B-T
year I-T
, O
boosted O
by O
domestic O
demand O
and O
rising O
investments O
, O
said O
the O
report O
issued O
on O
Thursday B-T
by O
the O
Institute O
for O
Economic O
and O
Industrial O
Research O
( O
IOBE O
) O
. O

It O
attributed O
the O
rising O
consumption O
to O
an O
expanding O
consumer O
credit O
and O
stressed O
that O
the O
increasing O
investments O
reflected O
an O
improving O
business O
climate O
and O
a O
recovery O
in O
public O
investments O
. O
The O
economic O
sentiment O
index O
kept O
rising O
for O
the B-T
last I-T
12 I-T
months I-T
. O

Consumers O
, O
however O
, O
remained O
gloomy O
over O
economic O
developments O
, O
the O
report O
said O
. O
The O
consumer O
sentiment O
index O
was O
the O
third O
lowest O
in O
the O
EU O
- O
25 O
and O
the O
lowest O
in O
the O
Eurozone O
, O
a O
trend O
prevailing O
for O
the B-T
last I-T
15 I-T
years I-T
even O
in O
rapid O
growth O
periods O
for O
the O
Greek O
economy O
. O

It O
underlined O
a O
systematic O
difference O
between O
real O
economic O
development O
and O
how O
consumers O
viewed O
them O
, O
the O
IOBE O
report O
said O
. O

The O
report O
also O
blamed O
the O
out O
- O
of O
- O
date O
laws O
and O
regulations O
, O
and O
as O
for O
the O
new O
legislative O
initiative O
, O
it O
remained O
uncontrolled O
as O
far O
as O
its O
impact O
on O
the O
economy O
was O
concerned O
. O

The O
report O
said O
spending O
on O
the O
country O
' O
s O
social O
insurance O
system O
would O
grow O
rapidly O
in O
the B-T
future I-T
, O
warning O
that O
if O
the O
problem O
was O
not O
timely O
dealt O
with O
, O
it O
could O
undermine O
efforts O
for O
a O
sustainable O
reduction O
of O
public O
spending O
. O

AFP_ENG_20051206 O
. O
0284 O

BRUSSELS O
, O
Dec B-T
6 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

ATTENTION O
- O
RECASTS O
with O
meeting O
ending O
in O
failure O
/ O
/ O
/ O

EU O
finance O
ministers O
failed O
to O
agree O
Tuesday B-T
on O
a O
list O
of O
services O
to O
benefit O
from O
exceptionally O
low O
value O
added O
tax O
, O
with O
the O
incoming O
German O
government O
blocking O
a O
deal O
particularly O
important O
to O
France O
. O

After O
two B-T
and I-T
a I-T
half I-T
years I-T
of O
talks O
on O
the O
list O
, O
the O
ministers O
decided O
to O
let O
heads O
of O
state O
and O
government O
work O
out O
at O
a O
summit O
next B-T
week I-T
such O
issues O
as O
whether O
hairdressers O
and O
restaurantiers O
should O
benefit O
from O
low O
VAT O
rates O
. O

The O
European O
Union O
' O
s O
current O
British O
presidency O
has O
been O
struggling O
to O
broker O
a O
deal O
on O
which O
industries O
should O
be O
included O
, O
but O
time O
is O
running O
out O
before O
the O
existing O
list O
expire O
at O
the B-T
end I-T
of I-T
the I-T
year I-T
. O

" O
We O
will O
try O
our O
best O
to O
get O
an O
agreement O
on O
an O
important O
dossier O
which O
matters O
to O
a O
large O
number O
of O
states O
, O
" O
said O
British O
finance O
minister O
Gordon O
Brown O
, O
who O
chaired O
the O
ministers O
' O
meeting O
. O

Brown O
, O
who O
is O
known O
to O
have O
little O
appetite O
for O
lengthy O
negotiations O
with O
EU O
counterparts O
, O
was O
upbeat O
about O
the O
prospects O
for O
a O
deal O
at O
the O
December B-T
15 I-T
- I-T
16 I-T
summit O
in O
Brussels O
. O

" O
We O
think O
there O
is O
a O
good O
chance O
of O
reaching O
an O
agreement O
at O
the O
council O
next B-T
week I-T
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

Like O
all O
issues O
regarding O
tax O
harmonisation O
in O
the O
EU O
, O
the O
list O
must O
be O
unanimously O
accepted O
by O
the O
25 O
member O
states O
. O
Exceptions O
aside O
, O
EU O
rules O
do O
not O
allow O
a O
minimum O
VAT O
rate O
of O
less O
than O
15 O
percent O
. O

The O
stakes O
are O
high O
for O
the O
sectors O
concerned O
and O
the O
current O
deadlock O
has O
left O
business O
leaders O
on O
the O
existing O
list O
- O
- O
which O
includes O
activities O
like O
building O
renovation O
, O
hair O
cutting O
and O
window O
- O
washing O
- O
- O
in O
limbo O
, O
wondering O
if O
they O
will O
benefit O
from O
a O
VAT O
tax O
break O
next B-T
year I-T
. O

Hoping O
to O
pave O
the O
way O
for O
an O
agreement O
, O
Britain O
has O
put O
forward O
a O
compromise O
list O
taking O
up O
member O
states O
' O
main O
wishes O
for O
reduced O
VAT O
on O
services O
carried O
out O
at O
a O
local O
level O
and O
which O
, O
therefore O
, O
do O
not O
affect O
cross O
- O
border O
competition O
in O
the O
EU O
' O
s O
single O
market O
for O
goods O
and O
services O
. O

Germany O
' O
s O
newly O
installed O
government O
is O
widely O
seen O
as O
holding O
the O
key O
to O
a O
deal O
because O
progress O
so O
far O
has O
been O
held O
up O
by O
opposition O
from O
Berlin O
. O

" O
I O
think O
it O
' O
s O
true O
to O
say O
that O
the O
new O
German O
government O
wants O
to O
look O
at O
its O
position O
on O
this O
matter O
and O
I O
think O
that O
it O
was O
right O
to O
leave O
this O
up O
to O
the O
council O
( O
summit O
) O
so O
that O
the O
German O
government O
, O
which O
has O
just O
come O
into O
the O
administration O
, O
can O
examine O
this O
in O
more O
detail O
, O
" O
Brown O
said O
. O

Paris O
has O
been O
working O
its O
close O
relations O
with O
Berlin O
- O
- O
but O
with O
little O
success O
so O
far O
- O
- O
in O
hope O
of O
breaking O
the O
deadlock O
and O
getting O
reduced O
VAT O
for O
building O
renovation O
prolonged O
and O
securing O
lower O
rates O
for O
restaurants O
as O
both O
industries O
are O
huge O
employers O
in O
France O
. O

" O
Our O
German O
colleague O
, O
Peer O
Steinbrueck O
, O
the O
new O
finance O
minister O
, O
was O
not O
able O
at O
this O
point O
to O
offer O
his O
support O
, O
" O
said O
French O
Finance O
Minister O
Thierry O
Breton O
. O

However O
, O
Breton O
said O
he O
had O
the O
impression O
Germany O
was O
ready O
to O
make O
a O
gesture O
to O
help O
reach O
a O
deal O

" O
The O
German O
minister O
is O
ready O
to O
embrace O
some O
of O
the O
British O
package O
, O
which O
he O
considers O
to O
be O
too O
broad O
. O
He O
is O
ready O
to O
make O
proposals O
, O
" O
Breton O
said O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061124 O
. O
0221 O

ISLAMABAD O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
24 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Writethru O
: O
China O
, O
Pakistan O
sign O
free O
trade O
agreement O

China O
and O
Pakistan O
signed O
a O
free O
trade O
agreement O
( O
FTA O
) O
on O
Friday B-T
, O
which O
is O
projected O
to O
triple O
their O
current O
bilateral O
trade O
to O
15 O
billion O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
within O
five B-T
years I-T
. O

Under O
the O
agreement O
, O
China O
and O
Pakistan O
will O
begin O
to O
reduce O
or O
eliminate O
tariffs O
on O
all O
products O
in O
two B-T
phases I-T
from O
July B-T
1 I-T
, I-T
2007 I-T
. O

During O
Phase O
I O
, O
both O
sides O
will O
reduce O
the O
tariffs O
on O
85 O
percent O
of O
the O
products O
based O
on O
different O
extents O
of O
tariff O
reduction O
within O
five B-T
years I-T
of O
the O
agreement O
entering O
into O
force O
, O
and O
36 O
percent O
of O
the O
products O
will O
be O
tariff O
free O
within O
three B-T
years I-T
. O

During O
this B-T
phase I-T
, O
China O
will O
mainly O
reduce O
tariffs O
on O
livestock O
, O
aquatic O
products O
, O
vegetables O
, O
mineral O
products O
and O
textiles O
, O
while O
Pakistan O
will O
mainly O
reduce O
tariffs O
on O
beef O
and O
mutton O
, O
chemicals O
and O
machinery O
products O
. O

Phase O
II O
starts O
from O
the B-T
sixth I-T
year I-T
of O
the O
entry O
into O
force O
of O
the O
agreement O
. O
Both O
sides O
will O
further O
reduce O
tariffs O
on O
the O
products O
on O
the O
basis O
of O
a O
review O
of O
the O
implementation O
of O
the O
agreement O
. O
The O
aim O
is O
to O
eliminate O
tariffs O
on O
no O
less O
than O
90 O
percent O
of O
products O
, O
both O
in O
terms O
of O
tariff O
lines O
and O
trade O
volume O
, O
within O
a O
reasonable O
period O
of O
time O
on O
the O
basis O
of O
friendly O
consultation O
and O
accommodation O
of O
the O
concerns O
of O
both O
sides O
. O

The O
Free O
Trade O
Agreement O
also O
covers O
investments O
, O
including O
investment O
promotion O
and O
protection O
, O
treatment O
of O
investments O
, O
expropriation O
, O
compensation O
for O
damages O
and O
losses O
and O
dispute O
settlement O
. O

China O
and O
Pakistan O
launched O
negotiations O
on O
the O
agreement O
in O
April B-T
2005 I-T
. O
Over O
the O
past O
a B-T
year I-T
and I-T
a I-T
half I-T
, O
the O
two O
sides O
have O
had O
six O
rounds O
of O
negotiations O
. O

The O
deal O
would O
further O
upgrade O
bilateral O
trade O
and O
economic O
cooperation O
and O
inject O
new O
vigor O
into O
the O
traditionally O
friendly O
relations O
between O
China O
and O
Pakistan O
, O
Chinese O
officials O
said O
. O

China O
- O
Pakistan O
trade O
volume O
exceeded O
4 O
. O
3 O
billion O
dollars O
in O
2005 B-T
, O
representing O
a O
year O
- O
on O
- O
year O
increase O
of O
39 O
percent O
. O
The O
officials O
said O
the O
trade O
deal O
could O
triple O
bilateral O
trade O
to O
15 O
billion O
dollars O
within O
five B-T
years I-T
. O

China O
mainly O
exports O
high O
- O
tech O
products O
, O
chemicals O
, O
plastics O
products O
and O
household O
appliances O
to O
Pakistan O
, O
and O
imports O
textiles O
, O
leather O
and O
aquatic O
products O
from O
the O
south O
Asian O
country O
. O

The O
conclusion O
of O
the O
FTA O
came O
after O
one O
and O
a O
half B-T
years I-T
of O
negotiations O
between O
the O
two O
countries O
on O
market O
access O
for O
goods O
, O
rules O
of O
origin O
, O
trade O
remedies O
, O
sanitary O
and O
phytosanitary O
measures O
, O
technical O
barriers O
to O
trade O
, O
investments O
and O
dispute O
settlement O
. O

The O
agreement O
is O
the O
third O
of O
its O
kind O
reached O
between O
China O
and O
foreign O
countries O
after O
the O
China O
- O
ASEAN O
FTA O
and O
the O
China O
- O
Chile O
FTA O
. O

The O
deal O
was O
signed O
by O
Chinese O
Commerce O
Minister O
Bo O
Xilai O
and O
his O
Pakistani O
counterpart O
Jumayun O
Akhtar O
Khan O
, O
in O
the O
presence O
of O
Chinese O
President O
Hu O
Jintao O
and O
his O
Pakistani O
counterpart O
Pervez O
Musharraf O
. O

Hu O
arrived O
here O
on O
Thursday B-T
for O
a O
state O
visit O
at O
Musharraf O
' O
s O
invitation O
. O
Pakistan O
is O
the O
last O
leg O
of O
Hu O
' O
s O
four O
- O
nation O
Asia O
tour O
, O
which O
has O
already O
taken O
him O
to O
Vietnam O
, O
Laos O
and O
India O
. O

The O
visit O
also O
coincides O
with O
the O
55th O
anniversary O
of O
the O
establishment O
of O
diplomatic O
ties O
between O
China O
and O
Pakistan O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051127 O
. O
0222 O

YANGON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
28 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Indonesia O
launches O
direct O
trade O
route O
with O
Myanmar O

Indonesia O
has O
established O
the O
first O
direct O
sea O
trade O
route O
with O
Myanmar O
with O
its O
vessel O
MV O
Forkus O
operating O
between O
Jakarta O
and O
Yangon O
in O
a O
bid O
to O
broaden O
its O
network O
in O
the O
Southeast O
Asian O
region O
, O
business O
circle O
said O
on O
Monday B-T
. O

The O
route O
, O
inaugurated O
recently O
, O
will O
enable O
Myanmar O
export O
goods O
to O
be O
shipped O
directly O
to O
Indonesia O
without O
requiring O
to O
transit O
through O
intervening O
ports O
. O

Having O
a O
cargo O
handling O
capacity O
of O
over O
8 O
, O
000 O
tons O
, O
the O
vessel O
arrived O
in O
Yangon O
from O
Chennai O
Port O
in O
India O
and O
would O
proceed O
to O
Vietnam O
after O
picking O
up O
Myanmar O
goods O
, O
a O
vessel O
official O
said O
, O
adding O
that O
the O
new O
route O
would O
also O
facilitate O
export O
of O
Myanmar O
goods O
to O
Malaysia O
, O
Singapore O
, O
China O
and O
India O
. O

There O
are O
24 O
international O
shipping O
lines O
which O
stop O
at O
four O
ports O
of O
Yangon O
- O
- O
Thilawa O
, O
Bo O
Aung O
Kyaw O
, O
Asia O
World O
and O
Myanmar O
Industrial O
Port O
, O
of O
which O
the O
Thilawa O
stands O
the O
largest O
to O
accommodate O
the O
176 O
- O
meter O
- O
long O
MV O
Forkus O
. O

Meanwhile O
, O
the O
two O
countries O
' O
business O
organizations O
are O
also O
seeking O
direct O
trade O
link O
between O
Bandung O
and O
Yangon O
, O
business O
circle O
said O
. O

Indonesia O
is O
Myanmar O
' O
s O
fourth O
largest O
trading O
partner O
among O
members O
of O
the O
Association O
of O
Southeast O
Asian O
Nations O
after O
Thailand O
, O
Singapore O
and O
Malaysia O
, O
having O
a O
bilateral O
trade O
with O
Myanmar O
standing O
at O
104 O
. O
78 O
million O
US O
dollars O
in O
the B-T
fiscal I-T
year I-T
of O
2004 O
- O
05 O
which O
ended O
in O
March B-T
, O
according O
to O
official O
statistics O
. O

Indonesian O
investment O
in O
Myanmar O
so O
far O
went O
to O
over O
241 O
million O
dollars O
since O
late B-T
1988 I-T
when O
Myanmar O
opened O
to O
such O
investment O
, O
the O
figures O
also O
show O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051129 O
. O
0208 O

PARIS O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
29 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

URGENT O
: O
French O
parliament O
adopts O
new O
anti O
- O
terrorism O
law O

France O
' O
s O
lower O
house O
of O
parliament O
on O
Tuesday B-T
adopted O
a O
new O
terrorism O
law O
, O
that O
would O
increase O
the O
use O
of O
video O
surveillance O
and O
allow O
police O
more O
time O
to O
question O
terror O
suspects O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051108 O
. O
0156 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
8 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

upcoming O
nuke O
talks O

All O
sides O
will O
express O
views O
and O
concerns O
in O
the O
upcoming O
nuclear O
talks O
, O
and O
will O
discuss O
the O
implementation O
of O
the O
consensus O
already O
reached O
, O
said O
Chinese O
Foreign O
Ministry O
spokesman O
Liu O
Jianchao O
here O
Tuesday B-T
. O

Liu O
said O
at O
a O
regular O
press O
conference O
that O
the O
first O
phase O
of O
the O
fifth O
round O
of O
the O
six O
- O
party O
talks O
is O
for O
all O
sides O
to O
express O
their O
political O
will O
and O
to O
show O
flexibility O
and O
sincerity O
. O

He O
said O
the O
Chinese O
side O
hopes O
the O
talks O
will O
provide O
a O
platform O
for O
all O
sides O
to O
exchange O
views O
, O
increase O
mutual O
understanding O
and O
listen O
to O
the O
concerns O
of O
each O
other O
in O
an O
equal O
and O
candid O
atmosphere O
. O

As O
for O
how O
long O
the O
upcoming O
talks O
will O
last O
, O
Liu O
said O
3 B-T
days I-T
would O
be O
an O
appropriate O
choice O
, O
and O
the O
Chinese O
side O
still O
needs O
to O
consult O
with O
other O
delegations O
on O
the O
form O
, O
theme O
, O
contents O
and O
goals O
of O
the O
fifth O
round O
of O
the O
talks O
. O

He O
said O
the O
six O
- O
party O
talks O
can O
be O
conducted O
in O
various O
forms O
, O
which O
would O
help O
the O
talks O
make O
progress O
, O
as O
past O
experences O
have O
demonstrated O
. O
He O
hopes O
the O
six O
parties O
exchange O
views O
on O
relevant O
issues O
and O
concerns O
through O
different O
forms O
of O
contact O
. O

When O
asked O
to O
define O
the O
success O
of O
the O
six O
- O
party O
talks O
, O
Liu O
said O
the O
talks O
are O
just O
a O
process O
before O
the O
final O
goal O
of O
denuclearization O
of O
the O
Korean O
Peninsula O
is O
realized O
, O
in O
which O
all O
sides O
are O
strengthening O
mutual O
understanding O
and O
accumulating O
consensus O
on O
relevant O
issues O
. O

He O
said O
it O
needs O
common O
efforts O
from O
all O
sides O
to O
step O
forward O
to O
the O
final O
goal O
of O
denuclearization O
of O
the O
Korean O
Peninsula O
. O

Liu O
said O
difficulties O
and O
problems O
are O
inevitable O
in O
this O
process O
, O
and O
all O
sides O
need O
to O
show O
enough O
patience O
, O
sincerity O
and O
flexibility O
on O
the O
nuclear O
issue O
of O
the O
Korean O
Peninsula O
to O
push O
forward O
the O
six O
- O
party O
talks O
towards O
its O
final O
goal O
. O

The O
six O
- O
party O
talks O
aiming O
at O
resolving O
the O
nuclear O
issue O
of O
the O
Korean O
Peninsula O
includes O
China O
, O
the O
Democratic O
People O
' O
s O
Republic O
of O
Korea O
( O
DPRK O
) O
, O
the O
United O
States O
, O
the O
Republic O
of O
Korea O
( O
ROK O
) O
, O
Russia O
and O
Japan O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061126 O
. O
0012 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
26 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhu O
) O

China O
' O
s O
young O
netizens O
reaches O
18 O
. O
3 O
million O

By O
the O
end O
of O
the O
first B-T
half I-T
of I-T
this I-T
year I-T
, O
China O
' O
s O
netizens O
totaled O
123 O
million O
, O
and O
those O
under O
the O
age O
of O
18 O
, O
18 O
. O
3 O
million O
, O
accounting O
for O
14 O
. O
9 O
percent O
of O
the O
total O
. O

" O
The O
Internet O
has O
become O
an O
important O
facility O
in O
Chinese O
youth O
' O
s O
daily O
life O
, O
" O
an O
official O
with O
the O
Central O
Committee O
of O
the O
Communist O
Youth O
League O
said O
Sunday B-T
. O

" O
Through O
the O
Internet O
, O
the O
young O
people O
can O
get O
information O
for O
study O
, O
work O
and O
entertainment O
, O
" O
he O
said O
, O

China O
' O
s O
Internet O
industry O
is O
on O
the O
upswing O
and O
minor O
netizens O
are O
both O
beneficiaries O
and O
a O
driving O
force O
of O
the O
industry O
' O
s O
development O
, O
he O
said O
. O

" O
We O
can O
cultivate O
more O
talents O
and O
experts O
from O
them O
through O
proper O
guidance O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

Meanwhile O
, O
the O
official O
also O
pointed O
out O
several O
problems O
that O
need O
to O
be O
resolved O
concerning O
the O
influence O
of O
the O
Internet O
' O
s O
rapid O
development O
on O
minors O
. O

" O
The O
most O
typical O
problem O
is O
the O
network O
addiction O
, O
" O
he O
stressed O
. O

About O
13 O
. O
2 O
percent O
Chinese O
netizens O
are O
network O
addicts O
, O
according O
to O
a O
report O
released O
in O
November B-T
2005 I-T
by O
China O
Youth O
Association O
For O
Network O
Development O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061117 O
. O
0392 O

BRUSSELS O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
18 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Dutch O
troops O
mired O
in O
scandal O
of O
abuse O
of O
Iraqi O
prisoners O
: O
paper O

Dutch O
military O
interrogators O
in O
Iraq O
were O
involved O
in O
abusing O
dozens O
of O
Iraqi O
prisoners O
after O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
- O
led O
invasion O
of O
the O
country O
in O
2003 B-T
, O
a O
Dutch O
newspaper O
said O
on O
Friday B-T
. O

The O
detainees O
were O
allegedly O
subjected O
to O
bright O
lights O
, O
soaked O
with O
water O
and O
exposed O
to O
high O
- O
pitched O
sounds O
, O
according O
to O
the O
Dutch O
newspaper O
De O
Volkskrant O
. O

The O
abuses O
, O
involving O
members O
of O
the O
Dutch O
Military O
Intelligence O
and O
Security O
Service O
, O
occurred O
in O
Samawah O
in O
the O
southeastern O
Iraqi O
province O
of O
Al O
Muthanna O
in O
November B-T
2003 I-T
, O
it O
reported O
. O

Dutch O
Defense O
Minister O
Henk O
Kamp O
, O
however O
, O
denied O
the O
accusation O
, O
saying O
that O
an O
investigation O
into O
the O
alleged O
case O
in O
2003 O
did O
not O
reveal O
any O
wrongdoings O
. O

But O
Prime O
Minister O
Jan O
Peter O
Balkenende O
said O
the O
allegations O
would O
be O
" O
shocking O
" O
if O
proved O
true O
. O

He O
said O
an O
independent O
commission O
had O
been O
set O
up O
by O
the O
coalition O
government O
to O
re O
- O
investigate O
the O
case O
. O

The O
controversy O
erupted O
just O
five B-T
days I-T
before O
the O
Dutch O
national O
parliamentary O
elections O
. O

Opposition O
politicians O
have O
demanded O
a O
recall O
of O
Parliament O
to O
question O
Kamp O
about O
the O
allegations O
, O
and O
raised O
suspicion O
that O
the O
government O
were O
trying O
to O
cover O
it O
up O
. O

The O
Netherlands O
had O
about O
1 O
, O
400 O
troops O
stationed O
in O
the O
southern O
province O
at O
the O
time O
, O
but O
most O
were O
withdrawn O
last B-T
year I-T
. O

XIN_ENG_20061113 O
. O
0109 O

KUALA O
LUMPUR O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
13 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Malaysia O
' O
s O
IPI O
up O
3 O
. O
6 O
pct O
in O
September O

Malaysia O
' O
s O
Industrial O
Production O
Index O
( O
IPI O
) O
for O
September B-T
rose O
by O
3 O
. O
6 O
percent O
to O
136 O
. O
8 O
on O
a O
year O
- O
on O
- O
year O
basis O
, O
the O
Department O
of O
Statistics O
said O
Monday B-T
. O

The O
positive O
growth O
was O
driven O
by O
the O
increases O
in O
the O
manufacturing O
and O
electricity O
indices O
, O
which O
grew O
by O
5 O
. O
9 O
percent O
to O
143 O
. O
7 O
and O
by O
4 O
. O
2 O
percent O
to O
154 O
. O
3 O
respectively O
. O

The O
mining O
index O
, O
however O
, O
declined O
by O
5 O
percent O
to O
111 O
. O
3 O
, O
the O
department O
said O
in O
a O
statement O
released O
here O
. O

Compared O
with O
the B-T
previous I-T
month I-T
, O
IPI O
for O
September B-T
decreased O
by O
1 O
percent O
. O

The O
decrease O
was O
due O
to O
the O
lower O
indices O
in O
all O
sectors O
, O
with O
the O
electricity O
index O
down O
3 O
percent O
, O
mining O
index O
down O
2 O
. O
7 O
percent O
and O
manufacturing O
index O
, O
down O
0 O
. O
4 O
percent O
. O

For O
the B-T
third I-T
quarter I-T
this I-T
year I-T
, O
the O
IPI O
rose O
by O
5 O
percent O
to O
137 O
. O
2 O
compared O
with O
the O
same O
period O
last B-T
year I-T
. O

From O
January B-T
to I-T
September I-T
2006 I-T
, O
the O
IPI O
surged O
by O
5 O
. O
6 O
percent O
to O
133 O
. O
7 O
as O
compared O
with O
the O
same O
period O
last B-T
year I-T
. O

The O
IPI O
is O
the O
measure O
of O
the O
rate O
of O
change O
in O
the O
production O
of O
industrial O
commodities O
in O
real O
terms O
over O
time O
. O
These O
commodities O
are O
obtained O
from O
the O
manufacturing O
, O
mining O
and O
electricity O
sectors O
. O

CNN_20130321_821 O

March B-T
21 I-T
, I-T
2013 I-T

How O
Obama O
has O
weaponized O
wit O

Barack O
Obama O
would O
make O
a O
great O
stand O
- O
up O
comic O
, O
not O
because O
he O
' O
s O
the O
funniest O
president O
ever O
but O
because O
he O
uses O
jokes O
the O
same O
way O
many O
of O
us O
comedians O
do O
: O
as O
a O
weapon O
. O

Traditionally O
, O
the O
( O
intentionally O
) O
funny O
lines O
by O
our O
presidents O
have O
had O
one O
thing O
in O
common O
: O
They O
were O
self O
- O
deprecating O
. O
Sure O
, O
some O
presidents O
have O
used O
jokes O
to O
take O
jabs O
at O
their O
opponents O
, O
but O
not O
to O
the O
extent O
of O
Obama O
. O

During O
his O
tenure B-T
, O
he O
has O
increasingly O
unleashed O
biting O
comedic O
barbs O
against O
his O
critics O
and O
political O
adversaries O
. O
These O
jokes O
are O
intended O
to O
do O
more O
than O
simply O
entertain O
you O
. O
They O
have O
an O
agenda O
. O

Obama O
' O
s O
humor O
is O
often O
delivered O
the O
way O
a O
comedian O
dealing O
with O
a O
heckler O
would O
do O
it O
. O
He O
tries O
to O
undermine O
his O
opponents O
with O
it O
and O
get O
the O
crowd O
- O
- O
in O
this O
case O
the O
public O
- O
- O
on O
his O
side O
. O
I O
can O
assure O
you O
that O
having O
a O
crowd O
laugh O
at O
your O
critic O
/ O
heckler O
is O
not O
only O
effective O
in O
dominating O
them O
, O
it O
' O
s O
also O
very O
satisfying O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051130 O
. O
0202 O

WASHINGTON O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
30 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

US O
economy O
up O
4 O
. O
3 O
percent O
in O
third O
quarter O

The O
US O
economy O
increased O
at O
an O
annual O
rate O
of O
4 O
. O
3 O
percent O
in O
the B-T
third I-T
quarter I-T
of I-T
this I-T
year I-T
, O
higher O
than O
the O
3 O
. O
8 O
percent O
rate O
announced O
at O
the B-T
end I-T
of I-T
last I-T
month I-T
, O
the O
Commerce O
Department O
said O
on O
Wednesday B-T
. O

The O
strong O
gain O
followed O
an O
increase O
of O
3 O
. O
3 O
percent O
in O
second B-T
quarter I-T
and O
is O
the O
best O
showing O
of O
the O
US O
economy O
in O
more O
than O
a B-T
year I-T
- O
- O
it O
is O
equal O
to O
the O
growth O
rate O
in O
the B-T
first I-T
quarter I-T
of I-T
2004 I-T
. O

Analysts O
said O
that O
the O
performance O
offered O
a O
fresh O
testimony O
that O
the O
overall O
US O
economic O
situation O
had O
managed O
to O
improve O
despite O
the O
destructive O
hurricanes O
which O
hit O
Gulf O
coastal O
areas O
in O
August B-T
and I-T
September I-T
. O

The O
report O
showed O
that O
US O
consumer O
spending O
, O
which O
accounts O
for O
about O
two O
- O
thirds O
of O
the O
US O
gross O
domestic O
product O
( O
GDP O
) O
and O
is O
the O
lifeblood O
of O
economic O
growth O
, O
grew O
at O
an O
annual O
rate O
of O
4 O
. O
2 O
percent O
in O
the B-T
third I-T
quarter I-T
, O
stronger O
than O
the O
3 O
. O
9 O
percent O
growth O
rate O
previously O
estimated O
. O
The O
revised O
figure O
marked O
the O
fastest O
pace O
in O
consumer O
spending O
since O
the B-T
final I-T
quarter I-T
of I-T
2004 I-T
. O

US O
nonresidential O
fixed O
investment O
increased O
at O
a O
rate O
of O
8 O
. O
8 O
percent O
in O
the B-T
third I-T
quarter I-T
, O
the O
same O
as O
in O
the B-T
second I-T
quarter I-T
. O
However O
, O
businesses O
spending O
on O
equipment O
and O
software O
increased O
at O
a O
10 O
. O
8 O
percent O
annual O
rate O
during O
the B-T
quarter I-T
. O
That O
was O
better O
than O
the O
8 O
. O
9 O
percent O
growth O
rate O
first O
estimated O
for O
the O
period O
and O
close O
to O
the O
10 O
. O
9 O
percent O
growth O
rate O
seen O
in O
the B-T
second I-T
quarter I-T
. O

Investment O
in O
housing O
construction O
and O
other O
residential O
projects O
grew O
at O
a O
brisk O
8 O
. O
4 O
percent O
pace O
in O
the B-T
third I-T
quarter I-T
. O
That O
was O
up O
considerably O
from O
the O
4 O
. O
8 O
percent O
growth O
rate O
initially O
estimated O
but O
was O
down O
from O
the O
10 O
. O
8 O
percent O
pace O
registered O
in O
the B-T
second I-T
quarter I-T
. O

US O
export O
of O
goods O
and O
services O
increased O
0 O
. O
8 O
percent O
in O
this B-T
quarter I-T
, O
compared O
with O
a O
strong O
gain O
of O
10 O
. O
7 O
percent O
in O
the B-T
previous I-T
quarter I-T
. O
Imports O
increased O
2 O
. O
1 O
percent O
in O
the B-T
July I-T
- I-T
September I-T
quarter I-T
in O
contrast O
to O
a O
decrease O
of O
0 O
. O
3 O
percent O
in O
the B-T
second I-T
quarter I-T
. O

AFP_ENG_20051214 O
. O
0099 O

WIESBADEN O
, O
Germany O
, O
Dec B-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T

German O
inflation O
steady O
at O
2 O
. O
3 O
pct O
in O
November O

Inflation O
in O
Germany O
, O
the O
eurozone O
' O
s O
biggest O
economy O
, O
remained O
steady O
at O
2 O
. O
3 O
percent O
in O
November B-T
, O
way O
above O
the O
European O
Central O
Bank O
' O
s O
ceiling O
of O
2 O
. O
0 O
percent O
, O
final O
consumer O
price O
data O
showed O
on O
Wednesday B-T
. O

The O
German O
consumer O
price O
index O
( O
CPI O
) O
declined O
by O
0 O
. O
5 O
percent O
in O
November B-T
from O
the O
figure O
for O
October B-T
, O
but O
was O
2 O
. O
3 O
percent O
higher O
than O
it O
had O
been O
in O
November B-T
2004 I-T
, O
the O
federal O
statistics O
office O
, O
Destatis O
, O
said O
in O
a O
statement O
. O

The O
final O
November O
CPI O
data O
confirmed O
a O
preliminary O
estimate O
published O
late B-T
last I-T
month I-T
. O

Using O
the O
harmonised O
index O
of O
consumer O
prices O
( O
HICP O
) O
, O
which O
is O
the O
ECB O
' O
s O
yardstick O
for O
inflation O
, O
the O
annual O
rate O
of O
inflation O
in O
Germany O
also O
stood O
at O
2 O
. O
3 O
percent O
in O
November B-T
, O
the O
statisticians O
found O
. O

The O
ECB O
defines O
price O
stability O
as O
consumer O
price O
increases O
of O
close O
to O
but O
just O
under O
2 O
. O
0 O
percent O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061101 O
. O
0264 O

SOFIA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
1 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

plant O
shutdown O

Bulgaria O
would O
inform O
the O
European O
Union O
of O
an O
electricity O
shortage O
in O
the O
Balkan O
region O
due O
to O
its O
nuclear O
power O
plant O
shutdown O
, O
the O
BTA O
newa O
agency O
reported O
on O
Wednesday B-T
. O

Bulgarian O
Energy O
Minister O
Rumen O
Ovcharovis O
told O
the O
Southeast O
Europe O
Economic O
Forum O
that O
Bulgaria O
was O
expected O
to O
inform O
the O
European O
Energy O
Commissioner O
Andris O
Piebalgs O
of O
the O
decommissioning O
of O
units O
3 O
and O
4 O
of O
the O
Kozloduy O
Nuclear O
Power O
Plant O
. O

Bulgaria O
asked O
the O
European O
Commission O
( O
EC O
) O
to O
take O
actions O
to O
guarantee O
electricity O
supply O
in O
the O
region O
, O
" O
as O
we O
will O
not O
be O
able O
to O
do O
it O
any O
more O
, O
" O
the O
minister O
said O
. O

The O
Kozloduy O
plant O
the O
biggest O
plant O
on O
the O
Balkan O
Peninsula O
, O
is O
used O
to O
generate O
power O
for O
the O
region O
. O
However O
, O
the O
EC O
had O
showed O
concerns O
about O
the O
security O
of O
the O
facility O
, O
since O
part O
of O
the O
units O
in O
Kozloduy O
were O
of O
the O
same O
type O
of O
those O
in O
Ukraine O
' O
s O
Chernobyl O
plant O
, O
which O
witnessed O
the O
world O
' O
s O
worst O
nuclear O
disaster O
in O
1986 B-T
. O

As O
part O
of O
the O
criteria O
for O
Bulgaria O
' O
s O
bid O
for O
entering O
the O
European O
Union O
, O
Bulgaria O
has O
already O
shut O
down O
units O
1 O
and O
2 O
in O
Kozloduy O
in O
2003 B-T
, O
and O
is O
to O
shut O
the O
other O
two O
units O
by O
the B-T
end I-T
of I-T
the I-T
year I-T
. O

Also O
due O
to O
delayed O
deliveries O
of O
coal O
for O
some O
thermal O
plants O
, O
Bulgaria O
' O
s O
electricity O
exports O
for O
the O
Balkan O
Peninsula O
would O
be O
ceased O
to O
secure O
the O
local O
electricity O
supply O
, O
the O
minister O
said O
, O
adding O
that O
the O
EC O
had O
promised O
to O
do O
its O
best O
to O
plug O
the O
power O
shortfall O
in O
the O
region O
. O

Currently O
, O
Bulgaria O
' O
s O
National O
Electricity O
Company O
has O
received O
requests O
for O
electricity O
supply O
from O
Kosovo O
, O
a O
Serbian O
province O
which O
is O
currently O
under O
international O
administration O
, O
Greece O
and O
Macedonia O
, O
but O
tenders O
for O
electricity O
exports O
to O
Greece O
and O
Kosovo O
in O
2007 B-T
had O
been O
turned O
down O
, O
the O
minister O
said O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061204 O
. O
0211 O

PARIS O
, O
Dec B-T
4 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

ATTENTION O
- O
ADDS O
Gallois O
quotes O
on O
capital O
increase O
/ O
/ O
/ O

European O
aircraft O
manufacturer O
Airbus O
is O
holding O
talks O
with O
partner O
European O
governments O
but O
no O
decision O
on O
state O
finance O
for O
the O
new O
A350 O
airliner O
programme O
is O
imminent O
, O
the O
head O
of O
Airbus O
said O
on O
Monday B-T
. O

Airbus O
chief O
executive O
Louis O
Gallois O
, O
who O
is O
also O
co O
- O
chief O
executive O
of O
parent O
company O
EADS O
, O
told O
a O
press O
conference O
that O
" O
no O
decision O
has O
been O
taken O
or O
is O
imminent O
" O
concerning O
a O
contribution O
by O
partner O
countries O
to O
the O
A350 O
programme O
. O

Gallois O
said O
: O
" O
We O
do O
not O
have O
an O
imminent O
need O
for O
finance O
. O
" O

He O
also O
said O
: O
" O
The O
board O
of O
EADS O
has O
asked O
us O
to O
study O
all O
possible O
instruments O
for O
financing O
. O
. O
. O
A O
capital O
increase O
is O
one O
of O
them O
, O
but O
only O
one O
possibility O
. O
" O

A O
short O
time O
earlier O
French O
Economy O
and O
Finance O
Minister O
Thierry O
Breton O
had O
said O
that O
the O
four O
partner O
countries O
behind O
the O
Airbus O
programme O
, O
France O
, O
Germany O
, O
Spain O
and O
Britain O
, O
would O
accompany O
financing O
of O
the O
A350 O
programme O
. O

The O
board O
of O
the O
European O
Aernoautic O
Defence O
and O
Space O
Company O
EADS O
decided O
late O
on O
Friday B-T
to O
go O
ahead O
with O
the O
programme O
to O
build O
the O
A350 O
series O
of O
airliners O
. O

The O
aircraft O
was O
considered O
to O
be O
crucial O
to O
the O
future O
of O
Airbus O
as O
the O
main O
competitor O
to O
US O
manufacturer O
Boeing O
, O
but O
Airbus O
is O
in O
difficulties O
over O
delays O
of O
up O
to O
24 O
months O
in O
its O
other O
key O
new O
programme O
, O
for O
the O
A380 O
superjumbo O
airliner O
. O

Airbus O
has O
announced O
ambitious O
plans O
to O
save O
money O
, O
in O
part O
to O
release O
funds O
for O
the O
A350 O
project O
, O
but O
has O
yet O
to O
provide O
full O
details O
of O
how O
it O
will O
restructure O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970429 O
. O
0207 O

LONDON O
, O
April B-T
29 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O
- O

As O
Britain O
' O
s O
general O
election O
campaign O
enters O
its O
final O
48 O
hours O
we O
plan O
to O
file O
the O
following O
stories O
and O
portraits O
of O
leading O
figures O
: O

LONDON O
: O
Despite O
their O
mutual O
hostility O
during O
the O

British O
election O
campaign O
, O
the O
ruling O

Conservatives O
and O
the O
main O
opposition O
Labour O

party O
have O
only O
one O
stark O
policy O
difference O
: O

constitutional O
reform O
. O

Britain O
- O
vote O

660 O
words O
moved O

by O
Jean O
- O
Louis O
Pany O

LONDON O
: O
British O
opposition O
leader O
Tony O
Blair O

has O
managed O
to O
break O
the O
ruling O
Conservatives O
' O

traditional O
stranglehold O
on O
the O
press O
, O

reinforcing O
his O
Labour O
party O
' O
s O
support O
in O

Thursday B-T
' O
s O
general O
elections O

Britain O
- O
vote O
- O
press O

600 O
words O
around O
1115 O
GMT O

By O
Henry O
Meyer O

LONDON O
: O
The O
Monster O
Raving O
Loony O
Party O
, O
the O
Elvis O

Presley O
Party O
, O
the O
Legalise O
Cannabis O
Party O

and O
a O
host O
of O
eccentrics O
have O
all O
been O
locked O

in O
intense O
campainging O
for O
elections O
they O
know O

they O
cannot O
win O
. O

Britain O
- O
vote O
- O
outsiders O

540 O
words O
moved O

by O
Olivier O
Thibault O

LONDON O
: O
Once O
nicknamed O
" O
Bambi O
, O
" O
today O
measured O
against O

US O
President O
Bill O
Clinton O
, O
Labour O
leader O
Tony O

Blair O
, O
43 O
- O
year O
- O
old O
barrister O
, O
appears O
likely O

to O
be O
Britain O
' O
s O
next O
prime O
minister O
. O

Britain O
- O
vote O
- O
Blair O

600 O
words O
around O
1200 O
GMT O

LONDON O
: O
Although O
Tony O
Blair O
has O
transformed O
the O
face O

of O
his O
party O
into O
" O
New O
Labour O
, O
" O
there O
are O

still O
plenty O
clinging O
to O
the O
party O
' O
s O

socialist O
roots O
, O
and O
to O
avoid O
losing O
those O

votes O
, O
Blair O
has O
John O
Prescott O
at O
his O
side O
. O

Britain O
- O
vote O
- O
Prescott O

500 O
words O
around O
1030 O
GMT O

LONDON O
: O
With O
his O
flame O
- O
red O
hair O
, O
permanent O
frown O

and O
frequent O
and O
fiery O
proclamations O
, O
Robin O

Cook O
, O
chosen O
by O
Labour O
leader O
Tony O
Blair O
as O

his O
foreign O
secretary O
if O
the O
party O
wins O
. O

Britain O
- O
vote O
- O
Cook O

550 O
words O
around O
1040 O
GMT O

LONDON O
: O
Gordon O
Brown O
, O
a O
46 O
- O
year O
old O
Scotsman O
who O
will O

become O
Chancellor O
of O
the O
Exchequer O
if O
the O

Labour O
Party O
wins O
May O
1 O
elections O
, O
has O

fostered O
the O
image O
of O
a O
" O
safe O
pair O
of O
hands O
" O

in O
running O
the O
British O
economy O
. O

Britain O
- O
vote O
- O
Brown O

500 O
words O
around O
1045 O
GMT O

LONDON O
: O
Marjorie O
" O
Mo O
" O
Mowlam O
, O
who O
will O
become O

Northern O
Ireland O
Secretary O
if O
Labour O
wins O

Thursday B-T
, O
is O
seen O
as O
more O
dynamic O
than O
her O

Tory O
predecessor O
, O
but O
she O
will O
have O
little O

room O
for O
manoeuvre O
in O
the O
embattled O
province O
. O

Britain O
- O
vote O
- O
Mowlam O

600 O
words O
moved O

by O
Philippe O
Bernes O
- O
Lasserre O

LONDON O
: O
Cherie O
Blair O
, O
the O
wife O
of O
the O
man O
tipped O
to O

become O
Britain O
' O
s O
next O
premier O
, O
has O
tried O
hard O

to O
avoid O
the O
reputation O
that O
dogs O
Hillary O

Clinton O
, O
seen O
by O
many O
Americans O
as O
the O
real O

power O
behind O
the O
throne O
. O

Britain O
- O
vote O
- O
Cherie O

450 O
words O
around O
1100 O
GMT O

LONDON O
: O
His O
colleagues O
call O
him O
" O
Honest O
John O
, O
" O
his O

opponents O
label O
him O
" O
Gray O
Man O
. O
" O
Prime O
Minister O

John O
Major O
, O
all O
but O
dismissed O
as O
loser O
of O
the O

general O
elections O
, O
leaves O
a O
legacy O
of O

transition O
in O
Downing O
Street O
. O

Britain O
- O
vote O
- O
Major O

600 O
words O
around O
1300 O
GMT O

We O
have O
also O
moved O
: O

Britain O
- O
vote O
- O
quotes O

Britain O
- O
vote O
- O
Downing O

XIN_ENG_20061107 O
. O
0055 O

TOKYO O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
7 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Tornado O
kills O
9 O
in O
Hokkaido O
of O
northern O
Japan O

A O
tornado O
hit O
eastern O
Hokkaido O
town O
of O
Saroma O
Tuesday B-T
afternoon I-T
, O
killing O
at O
least O
nine O
people O
and O
injuring O
10 O
others O
at O
a O
tunnel O
construction O
site O
, O
Kyodo O
News O
said O
. O

About O
20 O
people O
were O
buried O
under O
collapsed O
prefabricated O
houses O
at O
the O
work O
site O
, O
police O
and O
firefighters O
said O
, O
adding O
that O
at O
least O
six O
other O
people O
are O
missing O
. O

Some O
10 O
buildings O
collapsed O
in O
the O
town O
when O
the O
tornado O
took O
place O
at O
1 O
p O
. O
m O
. O
, O
and O
electricity O
to O
part O
of O
the O
town O
and O
to O
the O
neighboring O
city O
of O
Kitami O
was O
cut O
off O
, O
local O
officials O
said O
. O

Prime O
Minister O
Shinzo O
Abe O
' O
s O
official O
residence O
has O
set O
up O
a O
liaison O
office O
at O
its O
crisis O
management O
center O
to O
deal O
with O
the O
accident O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970429 O
. O
0086 O

NEW O
DELHI O
, O
April B-T
29 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

India O
' O
s O
ruling O
coalition O
stunned O
as O
party O
leader O
scandal O
by O
Pratap O
Chakravarty O

India O
' O
s O
new O
ruling O
coalition O
was O
left O
reeling O
Tuesday B-T
by O
plans O
to O
prosecute O
the O
leader O
of O
its O
largest O
government O
partner O
for O
corruption O
amid O
doubts O
over O
its O
future O
stability O
, O
alliance O
leaders O
said O
. O

Prime O
Minister O
Inder O
Kumar O
Gujral O
' O
s O
nine O
- O
day O
- O
old O
fledgling O
government O
has O
been O
rocked O
by O
the O
Central O
Bureau O
of O
Investigation O
' O
s O
( O
CBI O
) O
plans O
to O
prosecute O
Bihar O
state O
Chief O
Minister O
Laloo O
Prasad O
Yadav O
. O

" O
This O
has O
come O
as O
a O
bolt O
from O
the O
blue O
to O
us O
, O
" O
Jaipal O
Reddy O
, O
spokesman O
of O
the O
13 O
- O
party O
United O
Front O
administration O
, O
told O
AFP O
. O

Reddy O
said O
the O
Front O
, O
which O
assumed O
office O
April B-T
21 I-T
after O
the O
coalition O
replaced O
former O
prime O
minister O
H O
. O
D O
. O
Deve O
Gowda O
with O
Gujral O
, O
was O
assessing O
the O
fallout O
of O
the O
CBI O
' O
s O
decision O
. O

" O
We O
are O
still O
trying O
to O
come O
to O
grips O
with O
things O
, O
" O
he O
said O
as O
leftist O
partners O
of O
the O
centre O
- O
left O
coalition O
and O
the O
media O
mounted O
pressure O
on O
Yadav O
to O
quit O
his O
political O
posts O
and O
face O
prosecution O
. O

Another O
senior O
Front O
leader O
asking O
to O
remain O
anonymous O
said O
the O
possible O
prosecution O
of O
Yadav O
, O
who O
also O
heads O
the O
centrist O
Janata O
Dal O
( O
People O
' O
s O
Party O
) O
, O
could O
effect O
the O
new O
government O
' O
s O
stability O
. O

" O
Yadav O
is O
an O
important O
man O
in O
the O
Front O
and O
this O
will O
have O
an O
impact O
on O
the O
government O
' O
s O
image O
and O
stability O
, O
" O
he O
said O
, O
but O
ruled O
out O
a O
split O
in O
the O
Janata O
Dal O
, O
which O
accounts O
for O
46 O
of O
the O
Front O
' O
s O
180 O
members O
of O
parliament O
. O

The O
Congress O
( O
I O
) O
party O
, O
which O
has O
given O
its O
parliamentary O
support O
to O
keep O
the O
coalition O
in O
office O
, O
however O
, O
said O
the O
crisis O
could O
herald O
the O
disintegration O
of O
the O
United O
Front O
. O

" O
There O
never O
was O
any O
unity O
in O
the O
Front O
and O
now B-T
it O
will O
fall O
apart O
, O
" O
Congress O
leader O
Rajesh O
Pilot O
told O
AFP O
. O

Yadav O
, O
a O
wily O
politician O
, O
Monday O
refused O
to O
step O
down O
after O
the O
CBI O
on O
Sunday B-T
implicated O
him O
and O
55 O
other O
politicians O
and O
bureaucrats O
in O
the O
271 O
- O
million O
- O
dollar O
financial O
corruption O
scandal O
. O

Reports O
Tuesday B-T
said O
the O
Indian O
home O
ministry O
will O
rush O
federal O
troops O
to O
the O
crime O
- O
prone O
eastern O
state O
because O
of O
fears O
of O
a O
backlash O
. O

Yadav O
has O
also O
warned O
he O
would O
" O
govern O
Bihar O
from O
prison O
" O
if O
he O
is O
arrested O
. O

India O
' O
s O
main O
opposition O
Bharatiya O
Janata O
Party O
( O
Indian O
People O
' O
s O
Party O
or O
BJP O
) O
and O
other O
political O
rivals O
of O
Yadav O
have O
called O
a O
general O
shutdown O
in O
Bihar O
on O
May B-T
3 I-T
to O
demand O
his O
ouster O
. O

National O
dailies O
Tuesday B-T
said O
Yadav O
must O
step O
down O
and O
warned O
Gujral O
to O
face O
his O
first O
crisis O
as O
premier O
with O
wisdom O
. O

" O
Yadav O
must O
resign O
, O
" O
The O
Pioneer O
said O
. O

" O
To O
cling O
on O
limpet O
- O
like O
to O
the O
seat O
of O
power O
smacks O
of O
autocratic O
disregard O
for O
established O
norms O
, O
" O
it O
said O
. O

But O
The O
Pioneer O
warned O
: O
" O
The O
other O
half O
of O
the O
story O
in O
the O
decline O
of O
Yadav O
is O
the O
impact O
it O
will O
have O
on O
the O
United O
Front O
. O

" O
The O
knives O
in O
the O
United O
Front O
will O
soon O
be O
out O
, O
and O
the O
crisis O
may O
well O
prove O
impossible O
to O
contain O
, O
" O
it O
said O
. O

The O
Times O
of O
India O
said O
Yadav O
' O
s O
prosecution O
would O
lead O
to O
political O
in O
- O
fighting O
. O

Several O
of O
the O
55 O
charged O
by O
the O
CBI O
are O
already O
in O
jail O
in O
connection O
with O
the O
scandal O
, O
which O
surfaced O
January B-T
27 I-T
, I-T
1996 I-T
. O

The O
CBI O
has O
claimed O
that O
a O
coterie O
of O
politicians O
, O
bureaucrats O
and O
firms O
in O
Bihar O
had O
been O
siphoning O
huge O
sums O
since O
1977 B-T
from O
a O
state O
government O
fund O
set O
aside O
to O
buy O
cattle O
feed O
. O

AFP_ENG_19970429 O
. O
0693 O

TOKYO O
, O
April B-T
30 I-T
, I-T
1997 I-T
( O
AFP O
) O

Tokyo O
shares O
sharply O
higher O
on O
Wall O
Street O
upsurge O

Japanese O
share O
prices O
got O
off O
to O
a O
strong O
start O
in O
post O
- O
holiday O
trading O
Wednesday B-T
, O
following O
a O
surge O
on O
Wall O
Street O
the O
previous O
day O
, O
brokers O
said O
. O

The O
Nikkei O
stock O
average O
gained O
307 O
. O
83 O
points O
, O
or O
1 O
. O
6 O
percent O
, O
from O
Monday B-T
in I-T
the I-T
first I-T
one I-T
hour I-T
to O
stand O
at O
18 O
, O
978 O
. O
20 O
at O
10 B-T
a I-T
. I-T
m I-T
. I-T
( O
0100 O
GMT O
) O
. O

" O
The O
upsurge O
in O
New O
York O
encouraged O
market O
participants O
here O
, O
" O
Harushige O
Kobayashi O
of O
Yamaichi O
Securities O
Co O
. O
Ltd O
. O
said O
, O
adding O
the O
Tokyo O
market O
would O
probably O
hold O
firm O
for O
the B-T
day I-T
. O

" O
The O
next O
target O
for O
the O
Nikkei O
will O
be O
around O
19 O
, O
200 O
points O
scored O
in O
late B-T
February I-T
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

The O
Dow O
Jones O
index O
in O
New O
York O
gained O
179 O
. O
01 O
points O
Tuesday B-T
- O
- O
its O
second O
biggest O
one O
- O
day O
rise O
in O
terms O
of O
points O
- O
- O
to O
close O
at O
6 O
, O
962 O
. O
03 O
. O

A O
broker O
with O
a O
mid O
- O
sized O
securities O
house O
here O
said O
: O
" O
Declines O
in O
volume O
amid O
the B-T
holiday I-T
week I-T
is O
having O
a O
positive O
effect O
on O
the O
market O
, O
with O
a O
smaller O
number O
of O
investors O
turning O
sellers O
on O
the O
upside O
. O
" O

Harushige O
said O
overall O
share O
prices O
also O
got O
a O
boost O
from O
Mitsubishi O
Chemical O
Corp O
. O
' O
s O
share O
buy O
- O
back O
plans O
. O

The O
nation O
' O
s O
largest O
chemicals O
maker O
announced O
on O
Monday B-T
it O
would O
outlay O
40 O
billion O
yen O
( O
315 O
million O
dollars O
) O
on O
a O
buy O
- O
back O
of O
100 O
million O
shares O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051113 O
. O
0292 O

TAIYUAN O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
14 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

At O
least O
10 O
killed O
in O
road O
accident O
in O
north O
China O
province O

A O
road O
accident O
in O
north O
China O
' O
s O
Shanxi O
Province O
killed O
at O
least O
10 O
people O
, O
mostly O
students O
and O
teachers O
, O
early B-T
Monday I-T
morning I-T
, O
local O
police O
said O
. O

A O
heavy O
- O
duty O
truck O
veered O
to O
one O
side O
of O
a O
village O
highway O
in O
Qinyuan O
county O
at O
around B-T
6 I-T
: I-T
00 I-T
a I-T
. I-T
m I-T
. I-T
Monday B-T
, O
hitting O
a O
group O
of O
students O
and O
teachers O
who O
were O
on O
their O
way O
to O
a O
nearby O
school O
, O
said O
Nan O
Xinyan O
, O
a O
spokesperson O
with O
the O
county O
' O
s O
traffic O
police O
headquarters O
. O

Nan O
said O
investigation O
is O
going O
on O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061113 O
. O
0209 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
13 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

China O
, O
France O
hail O
agricultural O
cooperation O

Chinese O
Vice O
Premier O
Hui O
Liangyu O
on O
Monday B-T
met O
with O
visiting O
French O
Minister O
for O
Agriculture O
and O
Fisheries O
Dominique O
Bussereau O
and O
hailed O
the O
agricultural O
cooperation O
between O
the O
two O
countries O
. O

The O
agricultural O
sectors O
of O
China O
and O
France O
complement O
each O
other O
and O
boast O
huge O
potential O
for O
cooperation O
, O
Hui O
said O
. O

It O
is O
in O
the O
fundamental O
interests O
of O
the O
two O
peoples O
to O
step O
up O
China O
- O
France O
agricultural O
cooperation O
, O
Hui O
said O
. O

Hui O
said O
that O
he O
hoped O
the O
Chinese O
and O
French O
agricultural O
sectors O
would O
build O
closer O
links O
. O

XIN_ENG_20061129 O
. O
0098 O

DOHA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
29 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Factbox O
: O
Athletics O
in O
Asian O
Games O

Athletic O
events O
represent O
sport O
at O
its O
purest O
and O
are O
often O
the O
centerpiece O
of O
major O
international O
sporting O
games O
. O
They O
are O
the O
embodiment O
of O
the O
Olympic O
motto O
, O
Citius O
, O
Altuis O
, O
Fortius O
- O
or O
Faster O
, O
Higher O
, O
Stronger O
- O
with O
athletes O
pushing O
themselves O
to O
the O
limit O
against O
their O
opponents O
and O
the O
record O
books O
. O

Athletic O
events O
can O
be O
split O
into O
four O
main O
categories O
: O
track O
events O
, O
field O
events O
, O
road O
events O
and O
combined O
events O
. O

Track O
events O
are O
running O
races O
that O
take O
place O
on O
a O
400m O
outdoor O
track O
in O
the O
main O
stadium O
. O
The O
sprint O
races O
provide O
instant O
excitement O
, O
but O
look O
out O
for O
clever O
tactics O
and O
fast O
finishing O
in O
the O
longer O
races O
. O

Field O
events O
are O
throwing O
and O
jumping O
competitions O
that O
usually O
take O
place O
inside O
the O
track O
. O
Strength O
, O
speed O
and O
agility O
are O
key O
, O
while O
tactics O
also O
come O
in O
to O
play O
in O
the O
jumping O
events O
. O

Road O
events O
are O
long O
running O
and O
walking O
races O
that O
take O
place O
on O
public O
roads O
, O
although O
they O
often O
finish O
on O
the O
track O
inside O
the O
stadium O
. O
The O
men O
' O
s O
and O
women O
' O
s O
marathon O
races O
will O
take O
place O
along O
Doha O
' O
s O
city O
streets O
and O
Corniche O
. O

Combined O
events O
feature O
a O
selection O
of O
track O
and O
field O
events O
that O
take O
place O
over O
two B-T
days I-T
and O
are O
designed O
to O
find O
the O
best O
all O
- O
round O
athlete O
. O
As O
such O
, O
the O
decathlon O
and O
heptathlon O
are O
two O
of O
the O
most O
respected O
gold O
medals O
. O

Track O
and O
field O
athletes O
are O
often O
the O
main O
stars O
of O
any O
major O
Games O
, O
and O
the O
15th O
Asian O
Games O
. O

History O

The O
word O
athletics O
comes O
from O
the O
Greek O
" O
athlos O
" O
meaning O
" O
contest O
" O
. O
A O
track O
running O
race O
, O
known O
as O
the O
" O
stade O
" O
, O
was O
the O
first O
and O
only O
event O
at O
the O
first O
ancient O
Olympics O
in O
776BC O
. O

Later O
, O
more O
running O
distances O
were O
added O
, O
along O
with O
the O
long O
jump O
and O
a O
pentathlon O
event O
which O
introduced O
the O
discus O
and O
javelin O
. O

The O
end O
of O
the O
ancient O
Olympics O
in O
AD393 O
also O
saw O
the O
end O
of O
organized O
athletics O
for O
more B-T
than I-T
1 I-T
, I-T
400 I-T
years I-T
. O
Running O
, O
jumping O
and O
throwing O
competitions O
continued O
, O
however O
, O
on O
an O
informal O
basis O
in O
most O
civilized O
cultures O
, O
often O
as O
a O
part O
of O
military O
training O
. O

Interest O
in O
the O
Olympics O
was O
revived O
when O
archaeologists O
excavated O
ancient O
Olympia O
towards O
the B-T
end I-T
of I-T
the I-T
19th I-T
century I-T
. O
Baron O
Pierre O
de O
Coubertain O
founded O
the O
International O
Olympic O
Committee O
in O
Paris O
in O
1894 B-T
, O
and O
the O
first O
modern O
Olympics O
followed O
in O
Athens O
two B-T
years I-T
later I-T
. O

Track O
and O
field O
athletics O
was O
a O
major O
part O
of O
Athens O
1896 O
, O
although O
women O
did O
not O
compete O
until O
the B-T
1928 I-T
Amsterdam O
Games O
, O
and O
then O
only O
in O
five O
events O
. O
The O
men O
' O
s O
program O
has O
varied O
, O
but O
has O
become O
relatively O
standardized O
at O
all O
major O
games O
since O
1928 B-T
. O
Women O
' O
s O
events O
, O
however O
, O
have O
gradually O
increased O
in O
number O
to O
almost O
match O
the O
men O
' O
s O
. O

The O
recent O
addition O
of O
women O
' O
s O
pole O
vault O
, O
triple O
jump O
and O
3 O
, O
000m O
steeplechase O
means O
the O
only O
exclusively O
male O
event O
is O
now O
the O
50km O
race O
walk O
, O
although O
the O
women O
run O
over O
a O
shorter O
distance O
in O
the O
sprint O
hurdles O
, O
over O
lower O
hurdles O
in O
both O
events O
, O
and O
take O
part O
in O
a O
seven O
- O
event O
heptathlon O
rather O
than O
a O
10 O
- O
event O
decathlon O
. O

The O
International O
Amateur O
Athletics O
Federation O
was O
formed O
in O
1912 B-T
as O
a O
world O
governing O
body O
. O
IAAF O
has O
staged O
its O
own O
World O
Championships O
since O
1983 B-T
, O
allowing O
prize O
money O
from O
1982 B-T
. O
In O
2001 B-T
, O
it O
changed O
its O
name O
to O
the O
International O
Association O
of O
Athletics O
Federations O
. O

Athletics O
has O
been O
a O
part O
of O
every O
Asian O
Games O
, O
starting O
at O
New O
Delhi O
, O
India O
, O
in O
1951 B-T
. O

Sources O
: O
Doha O
Asian O
Games O
Organizing O
Committee O
, O
International O
Association O
of O
Athletics O
Federations O
, O
Xinhua O
Database O

XIN_ENG_20061129 O
. O
0486 O

AMMAN O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
29 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Jordanian O
king O
, O
U O
. O
S O
. O
president O
probe O
regional O
situation O

Jordanian O
King O
Abdullah O
II O
on O
Wednesday B-T
held O
talks O
with O
visiting O
U O
. O
S O
. O
President O
George O
W O
. O
Bush O
at O
Raghadan O
Palace O
Wednesday B-T
night I-T
to O
discuss O
regional O
conflicts O
and O
the O
situation O
in O
Iraq O
. O

During O
the O
talks O
, O
the O
king O
explained O
Jordan O
' O
s O
position O
, O
" O
namely O
underlining O
the O
need O
to O
make O
real O
progress O
on O
the O
Palestinian O
issue O
because O
regional O
complications O
and O
challenges O
are O
due O
to O
the O
Palestinian O
problem O
, O
" O
Jordanian O
Foreign O
Minister O
Abdul O
Ilah O
Khatib O
said O
. O

A O
just O
solution O
to O
the O
Palestinian O
- O
Israeli O
conflict O
will O
help O
stem O
violence O
in O
the O
region O
, O
and O
Palestinian O
- O
Israeli O
peace O
could O
be O
a O
catalyst O
for O
achieving O
a O
lasting O
peace O
between O
Arabs O
and O
Israelis O
, O
Khatib O
quoted O
the O
king O
as O
saying O
. O

During O
the O
talks O
, O
the O
king O
urged O
Bush O
to O
work O
on O
moving O
the O
peace O
process O
forward O
by O
bringing O
together O
Palestinian O
and O
Israeli O
points O
of O
views O
in O
a O
bid O
to O
resume O
negotiations O
as O
soon O
as O
possible O
. O

The O
establishment O
of O
a O
viable O
, O
independent O
Palestinian O
state O
on O
Palestinian O
soil O
living O
alongside O
a O
secure O
Israel O
is O
the O
only O
logical O
and O
internationally O
acceptable O
solution O
to O
the O
conflict O
, O
the O
king O
said O
. O

He O
urged O
the O
international O
community O
and O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
administration O
to O
help O
alleviate O
the O
Palestinians O
' O
suffering O
and O
ease O
economic O
pressure O
on O
the O
Palestinians O
to O
enable O
Palestinian O
President O
Mahmoud O
Abbas O
to O
maintain O
national O
unity O
and O
reinforce O
security O
. O

For O
his O
part O
, O
Bush O
said O
that O
the O
United O
States O
was O
committed O
to O
a O
two O
- O
state O
solution O
to O
the O
conflict O
, O
adding O
that O
it O
is O
necessary O
to O
create O
appropriate O
circumstances O
to O
move O
the O
peace O
process O
forward O
. O

The O
two O
leaders O
also O
discussed O
sectarian O
violence O
in O
Iraq O
, O
Khatib O
said O
. O

" O
The O
Iraqi O
matter O
was O
also O
a O
central O
issue O
during O
the O
discussions O
and O
the O
talks O
focused O
on O
the O
importance O
of O
working O
to O
rebuild O
stability O
in O
Iraq O
, O
" O
he O
said O
. O

The O
two O
leaders O
agreed O
that O
the O
Lebanese O
should O
be O
allowed O
to O
resolve O
political O
tension O
in O
their O
country O
without O
outside O
influence O
. O
They O
also O
discussed O
Iran O
' O
s O
nuclear O
standoff O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051105 O
. O
0158 O

BRASILIA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
5 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Roundup O
: O
US O
faces O
daunting O
challenges O
in O
Latin O
America O

by O
Li O
Xuejun O

MAR O
DEL O
PLATA O
, O
Argentina O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
5 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O
- O
- O
The O
United O
States O
, O
having O
long O
regarded O
Latin O
America O
as O
its O
backyard O
, O
had O
huge O
difficulty O
in O
getting O
its O
message O
through O
concerning O
free O
trade O
, O
fight O
against O
corruption O
and O
democracy O
to O
the O
region O
at O
the O
4th O
Summit O
of O
the O
Americas O
. O

Moreover O
, O
the O
country O
is O
facing O
gloomy O
prospects O
as O
its O
policies O
are O
failing O
and O
its O
influence O
further O
declining O
in O
the O
region O
, O
once O
Washington O
' O
s O
close O
political O
and O
economic O
partner O
. O

In O
a O
big O
setback O
to O
US O
President O
George O
W O
. O
Bush O
, O
the O
summit O
concluded O
on O
Saturday B-T
after O
adopting O
a O
final O
declaration O
that O
failed O
to O
clearly O
support O
the O
resumption O
of O
stalled O
talks O
on O
establishing O
a O
hemisphere O
- O
wide O
Free O
Trade O
Area O
of O
the O
Americas O
( O
FTAA O
) O
, O
which O
Washington O
had O
demanded O
. O

This O
is O
regarded O
as O
an O
ominous O
signal O
to O
Washington O
that O
the O
US O
ambition O
to O
set O
up O
the O
FTAA O
might O
eventually O
end O
up O
in O
failure O
. O

What O
is O
worse O
, O
Bush O
is O
suffering O
an O
image O
crisis O
as O
his O
presence O
here O
drew O
tens O
of O
thousands O
of O
protesters O
and O
violent O
clashes O
erupted O
between O
demonstrators O
and O
police O
here O
and O
across O
the O
country O
on O
Friday B-T
. O
Polls O
in O
many O
Latin O
American O
nations O
show O
Bush O
as O
the O
least O
popular O
US O
leader O
in O
decades O
. O

President O
Bush O
' O
s O
father O
, O
former O
President O
George O
Bush O
, O
first O
proposed O
the O
establishment O
of O
the O
FTAA O
in O
the B-T
1990s I-T
and O
at O
the O
first O
Summit O
of O
the O
Americas O
in O
the O
United O
States O
in O
1994 B-T
, O
leaders O
from O
34 O
countries O
who O
attended O
the O
summit O
agreed O
to O
set O
up O
such O
a O
free O
trade O
zone O
, O
setting O
January B-T
2005 I-T
as O
the O
deadline O
. O

However O
, O
talks O
on O
such O
a O
zone O
have O
bogged O
down O
because O
of O
sharp O
disagreement O
between O
the O
United O
States O
and O
countries O
like O
Brazil O
, O
Argentina O
, O
Paraguay O
and O
Uruguay O
. O

President O
Bush O
has O
insisted O
that O
free O
trade O
is O
the O
best O
way O
to O
reduce O
poverty O
and O
create O
employment O
and O
he O
pushed O
for O
resuming O
such O
trade O
talks O
at O
the O
summit O
. O
However O
, O
Bush O
' O
s O
call O
fell O
on O
deaf O
ears O
. O

Argentina O
and O
Brazil O
, O
both O
major O
food O
exporters O
in O
Latin O
America O
, O
have O
made O
it O
clear O
that O
they O
do O
not O
want O
to O
join O
the O
FTAA O
as O
long O
as O
the O
United O
States O
does O
not O
remove O
agricultural O
subsidies O
. O
They O
complain O
that O
Washington O
' O
s O
agricultural O
subsidies O
would O
eliminate O
the O
competitiveness O
of O
farm O
products O
from O
other O
American O
countries O
and O
increase O
poverty O
in O
Latin O
America O
. O

Venezuelan O
President O
Hugo O
Chavez O
, O
an O
outspoken O
critic O
of O
the O
United O
States O
, O
has O
said O
the O
FTAA O
is O
" O
dead O
" O
as O
it O
only O
helps O
large O
US O
companies O
at O
the O
expense O
of O
Latin O
American O
workers O
. O

Historically O
speaking O
, O
Latin O
America O
, O
especially O
South O
America O
, O
has O
been O
cool O
to O
the O
US O
proposal O
of O
free O
trade O
and O
economic O
privatization O
as O
those O
Latin O
American O
governments O
that O
endorsed O
the O
Washington O
- O
backed O
policies O
were O
toppled O
one O
after O
another O
. O
To O
the O
dismay O
of O
Washington O
, O
key O
Latin O
American O
countries O
such O
as O
Argentina O
, O
Brazil O
, O
Chile O
and O
Venezuela O
have O
been O
shifting O
toward O
the O
left O
since O
then O
. O

Likewise O
, O
Bush O
' O
s O
call O
for O
fighting O
corruption O
and O
strengthening O
democracy O
, O
a O
central O
theme O
in O
his O
second O
term O
, O
has O
drawn O
lukewarm O
response O
from O
his O
Latin O
American O
counterparts O
at O
the O
Summit O
of O
the O
Americas O
. O

Argentine O
President O
Nestor O
Kirchner O
, O
in O
a O
joint O
press O
appearance O
with O
President O
Bush O
on O
Friday B-T
, O
warned O
that O
any O
US O
involvement O
in O
Latin O
America O
should O
be O
" O
positive O
and O
constructive O
, O
" O
a O
demand O
that O
Bush O
might O
find O
hard O
to O
accept O
. O

Bush O
' O
s O
call O
for O
strengthening O
democracy O
and O
fighting O
corruption O
has O
little O
market O
in O
Latin O
America O
where O
poverty O
reduction O
is O
more O
urgent O
than O
corruption O
and O
democracy O
. O

Moreover O
, O
Latin O
America O
has O
been O
complaining O
that O
the O
United O
States O
neglected O
the O
region O
due O
to O
the O
Iraq O
war O
and O
the O
war O
on O
terrorism O
. O

Observers O
point O
out O
that O
the O
United O
States O
, O
to O
restore O
its O
image O
and O
influence O
in O
its O
traditional O
backyard O
, O
must O
first O
make O
genuine O
efforts O
to O
help O
Latin O
America O
fight O
poverty O
as O
nearly O
40 O
percent O
of O
the O
500 O
million O
people O
in O
the O
region O
are O
living O
in O
poverty O
and O
some O
100 O
million O
of O
them O
are O
living O
on O
only O
1 O
US O
dollar O
a B-T
day I-T
. O

XIN_ENG_20061107 O
. O
0113 O

JAKARTA O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
7 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Indonesian O
shares O
extend O
gain O

Share O
prices O
on O
the O
Jakarta O
Stock O
Exchange O
ended O
higher O
Tuesday B-T
after O
the O
central O
bank O
announced O
further O
cut O
of O
the O
benchmark O
rate O
to O
continue O
making O
record O
. O

The O
index O
rose O
by O
13 O
. O
3 O
points O
to O
close O
at O
1 O
, O
654 O
. O
15 O
points O
. O

Turnovers O
totaled O
2 O
. O
3 O
billion O
shares O
worth O
2 O
. O
5 O
trillion O
rupiah O
( O
274 O
. O
6 O
million O
U O
. O
S O
. O
dollars O
) O
. O

Losers O
led O
gainers O
69 O
to O
55 O
, O
with O
91 O
other O
issues O
left O
unchanged O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051108 O
. O
0091 O

BEIJING O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
8 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Press O
center O
for O
six O
- O
party O
talks O
ready O
for O
reporters O

The O
press O
center O
for O
the O
fifth O
round O
of O
the O
six O
- O
party O
talks O
on O
the O
Korean O
Peninsula O
nuclear O
issue O
will O
be O
open O
to O
reporters O
from O
8 B-T
: I-T
00 I-T
a I-T
. I-T
m I-T
. I-T
Wednesday B-T
morning I-T
. O

The O
new O
round O
of O
talks O
, O
involving O
China O
, O
the O
Democratic O
People O
' O
s O
Republic O
of O
Korea O
, O
the O
United O
States O
, O
Republic O
of O
Korea O
, O
Russia O
and O
Japan O
, O
is O
to O
start O
on O
Wednesday B-T
morning I-T
at O
the O
Diaoyutai O
State O
Guesthouse O
, O
the O
venue O
of O
previous O
rounds O
of O
talks O
. O

The O
press O
center O
, O
located O
at O
the O
Diaoyutai O
Hotel O
, O
will O
be O
available O
to O
reporters O
from O
home O
and O
abroad O
from O
8 B-T
: I-T
00 I-T
to I-T
21 I-T
: I-T
00 I-T
everyday I-T
. O
It O
is O
equipped O
with O
ten O
desktop O
computers O
and O
four O
wires O
for O
broadband O
Internet O
, O
as O
well O
as O
facilities O
such O
as O
telephones O
, O
printers O
, O
duplicating O
machines O
and O
fax O
machines O
. O

More O
than O
100 O
overseas O
correspondents O
have O
registered O
to O
report O
the O
talks O
, O
sources O
said O
. O

XIN_ENG_20051125 O
. O
0065 O

SINGAPORE O
, O
Nov B-T
. I-T
25 I-T
, I-T
2005 I-T
( O
Xinhua O
) O

Singapore O
shares O
end O
lower O

The O
shares O
prices O
in O
Singapore O
ended O
lower O
on O
Friday B-T
with O
the O
benchmark O
Strait O
Times O
Index O
( O
STI O
) O
falling O
10 O
. O
6 O
points O
to O
close O
at O
2 O
, O
295 O
. O
7 O
points O
. O

The O
overall O
volume O
stood O
at O
615 O
million O
shares O
worth O
456 O
. O
3 O
million O
Singapore O
dollars O
( O
about O
269 O
. O
6 O
million O
US O
dollars O
) O
. O

Losers O
led O
gainers O
by O
236 B-T
to O
194 O
with O
another O
715 O
remaining O
unchanged O
. O

On O
Thursday B-T
, O
the O
benchmark O
Strait O
Times O
Index O
rose O
9 O
. O
8 O
points O
to O
end O
at O
2 O
, O
306 O
. O
3 O
points O
. O

AFP_ENG_20061205 O
. O
0349 O

HELSINKI O
, O
Dec B-T
5 I-T
, I-T
2006 I-T
, O
2006 O

= O
( O
GRAPHIC O
) O
= O

The O
world O
' O
s O
richest O
two O
percent O
of O
adults O
own O
more O
than O
half O
of O
global O
household O
wealth O
, O
while O
half O
the O
world O
' O
s O
population O
own O
only O
one O
percent O
, O
a O
UN O
report O
published O
on O
Tuesday B-T
showed O
. O

" O
The O
study O
finds O
wealth O
to O
be O
more O
unequally O
distributed O
than O
income O
across O
countries O
, O
" O
Anthony O
Shorrocks O
, O
director O
of O
the O
Helsinki O
- O
based O
World O
Institute O
for O
Development O
Economics O
Research O
of O
the O
United O
Nations O
University O
( O
UNU O
- O
WIDER O
) O
that O
published O
the O
report O
, O
said O
at O
a O
press O
conference O
. O

The O
report O
, O
entitled O
" O
The O
World O
Distribution O
of O
Household O
Wealth O
" O
, O
found O
that O
assets O
of O
2 O
, O
200 O
dollars O
( O
1 O
, O
650 O
euros O
) O
or O
more O
placed O
a O
household O
in O
the O
top O
half O
of O
world O
wealth O
distribution O
in O
2000 B-T
. O

To O
be O
among O
the O
most O
affluent O
10 O
percent O
of O
adults O
required O
61 O
, O
000 O
dollars O
in O
assets O
, O
while O
more O
than O
500 O
, O
000 O
dollars O
was O
needed O
to O
belong O
to O
the O
richest O
one O
percent O
. O
This O
group O
of O
the O
most O
well O
off O
was O
made O
up O
of O
37 O
million O
people O
. O

The O
study O
said O
it O
was O
the O
first O
of O
its O
kind O
to O
include O
major O
components O
of O
household O
wealth O
, O
including O
financial O
assets O
and O
debts O
, O
land O
, O
buildings O
and O
other O
tangible O
property O
, O
and O
to O
cover O
all O
the O
world O
' O
s O
countries O
. O

The O
report O
did O
not O
measure O
income O
, O
in O
the O
form O
of O
salaries O
, O
pensions O
and O
benefit O
payments O
. O

A O
quarter O
of O
the O
world O
' O
s O
wealthiest O
10 O
percent O
of O
adults O
lived O
in O
the O
United O
States O
while O
a O
fifth O
resided O
in O
Japan O
, O
the O
study O
showed O
. O

Eight O
percent O
of O
the O
world O
' O
s O
wealthiest O
10 O
percent O
of O
adults O
lived O
in O
Germany O
, O
seven O
percent O
in O
Italy O
, O
six O
percent O
in O
Britain O
and O
four O
percent O
each O
in O
France O
and O
Spain O
. O

The O
concentration O
of O
wealth O
within O
countries O
was O
also O
found O
to O
vary O
significantly O
. O

" O
The O
share O
of O
the O
top O
10 O
percent O
( O
of O
wealth O
) O
ranges O
from O
around O
40 O
percent O
in O
China O
to O
70 O
percent O
in O
the O
United O
States O
, O
and O
higher O
still O
in O
other O
countries O
, O
" O
the O
report O
authors O
said O
. O

In O
2000 B-T
, O
the B-T
year I-T
data O
for O
the O
survey O
was O
collected O
, O
there O
were O
499 O
dollar O
- O
billionaires O
and O
13 O
million O
millionaires O
throughout O
the O
world O
. O
These O
numbers O
were O
set O
to O
" O
rise O
fast O
in O
the B-T
next I-T
decade I-T
, O
" O
the O
report O
said O
. O

WSJ891030 O
- O
0115 O

= O
891030 O

891030 O
- O
0115 O
. O

BellSouth O
, O
LIN O

@ O
Sweeten O
Plan O

@ O
To O
Merge O
Lines O

@ O
- O
- O
- O

@ O
Accord O
Involves O
Huge O
Debt O

@ O
And O
May O
Fail O
to O
Thwart O

@ O
Rival O
Suitor O
McCaw O

@ O
- O
- O
- O
- O

@ O
By O
Julie O
Amparano O
Lopez O

@ O
Staff O
Reporter O
of O
The O
Wall O
Street O
Journal O

10 B-T
/ I-T
30 I-T
/ I-T
89 I-T

WALL O
STREET O
JOURNAL O
( O
J O
) O

BLS O
LINB O
MCAWA O

TENDER O
OFFERS O
, O
MERGERS O
, O
ACQUISITIONS O
( O
TNM O
) O

TELEPHONE O
SYSTEMS O
( O
TLS O
) O

MEDIA O
, O
PUBLISHING O
, O
BROADCASTING O
, O
ELECTRONIC O
PUBLISHING O
( O
MED O
) O

The O
bolstered O
cellular O
agreement O
between O
BellSouth O
Corp O
. O
and O
LIN O
Broadcasting O
Corp O
. O
carries O
heightened O
risks O
and O
could O
fail O
to O
fend O
off O
McCaw O
Cellular O
Communications O
Inc O
. O
, O
the O
rival O
suitor O
for O
LIN O
. O

Moreover O
, O
the O
amended O
pact O
shows O
how O
McCaw O
' O
s O
persistence O
has O
pushed O
LIN O
and O
BellSouth O
into O
a O
corner O
, O
forcing O
huge O
debt O
on O
the O
proposed O
new O
company O
. O

The O
debt O
, O
estimated O
at O
$ O
4 O
. O
7 O
billion O
, O
could O
mortgage O
the O
cellular O
company O
' O
s O
future O
earning O
power O
in O
order O
to O
placate O
some O
LIN O
holders O
in O
the B-T
short I-T
term I-T
. O

The O
plan O
still O
calls O
for O
LIN O
to O
combine O
its O
cellular O
telephone O
properties O
with O
BellSouth O
' O
s O
and O
to O
spin O
off O
its O
broadcasting O
operations O
. O

But O
under O
new O
terms O
of O
the O
agreement O
, O
announced O
Friday B-T
, O
LIN O
holders O
would O
receive O
a O
special O
cash O
dividend O
of O
$ O
42 O
a O
share O
, O
representing O
a O
payout O
of O
about O
$ O
2 O
. O
23 O
billion O
, O
shortly O
before O
the O
proposed O
merger O
. O

LIN O
said O
it O
expects O
to O
borrow O
the O
money O
to O
pay O
the O
dividend O
, O
but O
commitments O
from O
banks O
still O
have O
n O
' O
t O
been O
obtained O
. O

Under O
previous O
terms O
, O
holders O
would O
have O
received O
a O
dividend O
of O
only O
$ O
20 O
a O
share O
. O

In O
addition O
, O
New O
York O
- O
based O
LIN O
would O
exercise O
its O
right O
to O
buy O
out O
for O
$ O
1 O
. O
9 O
billion O
the O
55 O
% O
equity O
interest O
of O
its O
partner O
, O
Metromedia O
Co O
. O
, O
in O
a O
New O
York O
cellular O
franchise O
. O

That O
money O
also O
would O
have O
to O
be O
borrowed O
. O

In O
effect O
, O
McCaw O
has O
forced O
LIN O
' O
s O
hand O
by O
bidding O
$ O
1 O
. O
9 O
billion O
for O
the O
stake O
earlier B-T
this I-T
month I-T
. O

" O
We O
' O
re O
taking O
on O
more O
debt O
than O
we O
would O
have O
liked O
to O
, O
" O
acknowledged O
Michael O
Plouf O
, O
LIN O
' O
s O
vice O
president O
and O
treasurer O
. O

Although O
he O
expressed O
confidence O
that O
the O
proposed O
new O
company O
' O
s O
cash O
flow O
would O
be O
sufficient O
to O
cover O
interest O
payments O
on O
the O
debt O
, O
he O
estimated O
that O
the O
company O
would O
n O
' O
t O
be O
profitable O
until O
1994 B-T
or I-T
later I-T
. O

Analyst O
estimate O
the O
value O
of O
the O
BellSouth O
proposal O
at O
about O
$ O
115 O
to O
$ O
125 O
a O
share O
. O

They O
value O
McCaw O
' O
s O
bid O
at O
$ O
112 O
to O
$ O
118 O
a O
share O
. O

The O
previous O
BellSouth O
pact O
was O
valued O
at O
about O
$ O
98 O
to O
$ O
110 O
a O
share O
. O

McCaw O
, O
the O
largest O
provider O
of O
cellular O
telephone O
service O
in O
the O
U O
. O
S O
. O
, O
already O
owns O
about O
9 O
. O
4 O
% O
of O
LIN O
' O
s O
stock O
. O

In O
response O
to O
BellSouth O
' O
s O
amended O
pact O
, O
the O
Kirkland O
, O
Wash O
. O
, O
company O
extended O
its O
own O
offer O
to O
buy O
22 O
million O
LIN O
shares O
for O
$ O
125 O
apiece O
, O
which O
would O
give O
McCaw O
a O
50 O
. O
3 O
% O
controlling O
interest O
. O

Over O
the B-T
weekend I-T
, O
McCaw O
continued O
to O
call O
for O
an O
auction O
of O
LIN O
. O
Analysts O
said O
they O
expect O
McCaw O
to O
escalate O
the O
bidding O
again O
. O

" O
This O
game O
is O
n O
' O
t O
over O
yet O
, O
" O
said O
Joel O
D O
. O
Gross O
, O
a O
vice O
president O
at O
Donaldson O
, O
Lufkin O
amp O
Jenrette O
Securities O
Corp O
. O

" O
At O
some O
point O
, O
it O
will O
become O
non O
- O
economical O
for O
one O
company O
. O

But O
I O
do O
n O
' O
t O
think O
we O
' O
re O
at O
that O
point O
yet O
. O
" O

Under O
its O
revised O
proposal O
, O
Atlanta O
- O
based O
BellSouth O
would O
have O
a O
50 O
% O
interest O
in O
the O
new O
cellular O
company O
and O
would O
be O
responsible O
for O
half O
of O
its O
debt O
. O

To O
sweeten O
the O
pact O
further O
- O
- O
and O
to O
ease O
concerns O
of O
institutional O
investors O
- O
- O
BellSouth O
added O
a O
provision O
designed O
to O
give O
extra O
protection O
to O
holders O
if O
the O
regional O
Bell O
company O
ever O
decides O
to O
buy O
the O
rest O
of O
the O
new O
cellular O
company O
. O

The O
provision O
, O
described O
as O
" O
back O
- O
end O
" O
protection O
, O
would O
require O
BellSouth O
to O
pay O
a O
price O
equivalent O
to O
what O
an O
outside O
party O
might O
have O
to O
pay O
. O

McCaw O
' O
s O
bid O
also O
has O
a O
similar O
clause O
. O

Only O
McCaw O
' O
s O
proposal O
requires O
the O
company O
to O
begin O
an O
auction O
process O
in O
June B-T
1994 I-T
for O
remaining O
shares O
at O
third O
- O
party O
prices O
. O

To O
mollify O
shareholders O
concerned O
about O
the O
long O
- O
term O
value O
of O
the O
company O
under O
the O
BellSouth O
- O
LIN O
agreement O
, O
BellSouth O
also O
agreed O
to O
pay O
as O
much O
as O
$ O
10 O
a O
share O
, O
or O
$ O
540 O
million O
, O
if O
, O
after O
five B-T
years I-T
, O
the O
trading O
value O
of O
the O
new O
cellular O
company O
isn O
' O
t O
as O
high O
as O
the O
value O
that O
shareholders O
would O
have O
realized O
from O
the O
McCaw O
offer O
. O

" O
We O
' O
re O
very O
pleased O
with O
the O
new O
deal O
. O

We O
did O
n O
' O
t O
expect O
BellSouth O
to O
be O
so O
responsive O
, O
" O
said O
Frederick O
A O
. O
Moran O
, O
president O
of O
Moran O
Asset O
Management O
Inc O
. O
, O
which O
holds O
500 O
, O
000 O
LIN O
shares O
. O

BellSouth O
' O
s O
" O
back O
- O
end O
protection O
was O
flawed O
previously O
. O

We O
think O
this O
is O
a O
superior O
deal O
to O
McCaw O
' O
s O
. O

We O
' O
re O
surprised O
. O

We O
did O
n O
' O
t O
think O
a O
sleeping O
{ O
Bell O
} O
mentality O
would O
be O
willing O
to O
take O
on O
dilution O
. O
" O

But O
Kenneth O
Leon O
, O
a O
telecommunications O
analyst O
with O
Bear O
, O
Stearns O
amp O
Co O
. O
, O
finds O
the O
BellSouth O
proposal O
still O
flawed O
because O
the O
company O
does O
n O
' O
t O
have O
to O
wait O
five O
years O
to O
begin O
buying O
more O
LIN O
shares O
. O

" O
How O
many O
shares O
will O
be O
around O
in O
1995 O
? O
" O
he O
asked O
. O

" O
There O
' O
s O
nothing O
preventing O
BellSouth O
from O
buying O
up O
shares O
in O
the O
meanwhile O
. O
" O

BellSouth O
' O
s O
revised O
proposal O
surprised O
many O
industry O
analysts O
, O
especially O
because O
of O
the O
company O
' O
s O
willingness O
to O
accept O
some O
dilution O
of O
future O
earnings O
. O

William O
O O
. O
McCoy O
, O
president O
of O
the O
company O
' O
s O
BellSouth O
Enterprises O
Inc O
. O
unit O
, O
said O
the O
revised O
agreement O
with O
LIN O
would O
dilute O
BellSouth O
earnings O
by O
about O
9 O
% O
in O
both O
1990 B-T
and O
1991 B-T
and O
by O
significantly O
less O
thereafter O
. O

Indeed O
, O
BellSouth O
' O
s O
cellular O
operations O
were O
among O
the O
first O
in O
the O
country O
to O
become O
profitable O
. O

For O
1988 B-T
, O
BellSouth O
earned O
$ O
1 O
. O
7 O
billion O
, O
or O
$ O
3 O
. O
51 O
a O
share O
, O
on O
revenue O
of O
$ O
13 O
. O
6 O
billion O
. O

Analysts O
were O
predicting O
1990 B-T
BellSouth O
earnings O
in O
the O
range O
of O
$ O
3 O
. O
90 O
a O
share O
, O
or O
$ O
1 O
. O
9 O
billion O
, O
but O
now B-T
those O
estimates O
are O
being O
scaled O
back O
. O

In O
composite O
trading O
Friday B-T
on O
the O
New O
York O
Stock O
Exchange O
, O
BellSouth O
shares O
fell O
87 O
. O
5 O
cents O
to O
$ O
52 O
. O
125 O
. O

In O
national O
over O
- O
the O
- O
counter O
trading O
, O
LIN O
shares O
soared O
$ O
4 O
. O
625 O
to O
closed O
at O
$ O
112 O
. O
625 O
, O
while O
McCaw O
fell O
$ O
2 O
. O
50 O
a O
share O
to O
$ O
37 O
. O
75 O
. O

The O
proposed O
BellSouth O
- O
LIN O
cellular O
company O
, O
including O
the O
newly O
acquired O
Metromedia O
stake O
, O
would O
give O
the O
new O
entity O
55 O
million O
potential O
customers O
, O
including O
about O
35 O
million O
in O
the O
nation O
' O
s O
top O
10 O
markets O
. O

Mr O
. O
Leon O
of O
Bear O
Stearns O
speculated O
that O
McCaw O
, O
in O
an O
attempt O
to O
buy O
time O
, O
might O
consider O
filing O
an O
antitrust O
suit O
against O
BellSouth O
with O
the O
Justice O
Department O
and O
U O
. O
S O
. O
District O
Judge O
Harold O
Greene O
, O
who O
oversees O
enforcement O
of O
the O
consent O
decree O
that O
broke O
up O
the O
Bell O
system O
in O
1984 B-T
. O

Indeed O
, O
McCaw O
seemed O
to O
hint O
at O
that O
option O
in O
a O
brief O
statement O
. O

Urging O
LIN O
directors O
to O
conduct O
" O
a O
fair O
auction O
on O
a O
level O
playing O
field O
, O
" O
McCaw O
asked O
how O
well O
the O
public O
interest O
would O
be O
served O
" O
with O
the O
Bell O
operating O
companies O
controlling O
over O
94 O
% O
of O
all O
cellular O
{ O
potential O
customers O
} O
in O
the O
nation O
' O
s O
top O
10 O
markets O
. O
" O