AFP_ENG_20051204.0116

BAGHDAD, Dec 4 , 2005

= (PICTURE) =

The trial of Iraq's former dictator Saddam Hussein resumes on Monday with mounting pressure for the process to accelerate after two earlier adjournments limited court time to just two brief sessions.

Officials close to the court are hoping that this time a full four days of hearings is possible before the court adjourns again in time for Iraq's parliamentary elections on December 15.

Several witnesses are set to appear in the trial of Saddam and seven of his deputies for the massacre of 148 people from the Shiite village of Dujail in 1982, for which all the accused could face the death penalty.

With the trial yet to hit its stride, no witness has yet given testimony in person in the court. Amid fears over their security, tribunal sources say some witnesses could appear masked or hidden to protect their anonymity.

Saddam's lawyers, who now include former US attorney general Ramsey Clark and former Qatari justice minister Najib al-Nuaimi are looking to force further delays in a bid to give the defense more time to prepare its case.

They hope to schedule a court briefing "to discuss key issues in the case like the legality of court, independence of court and the impartiality of judges," said Clark.

The whole process, which is closely watched around the world and was called the "Trial of the Century" by one Iraqi paper, has had a slow beginning with a brief opening session on October 19, followed by a 40 day delay and then a two hour session on November 28, and then a week-long adjournment.

The trial has been plagued by a range of problems since its inception, including minor ones like intermittent sound in the first session and a broken elevator in the second session, to the more serious issues of security.

Between the first two sessions, police announced they discovered a plot to assassinate the court's top investigative judge, while two of the defense lawyers were assassinated.

The latest delay came after Taha Yassin Ramadan, a close associate of Saddam and his former vice president, refused to use the lawyer the court appointed after his advocate was shot dead.

The trial takes place in an unfinished palace once used as the headquarters for Saddam's Baath party inside the Green Zone and amid very heavy security. Attendees receive full body X-rays and are not allowed to bring their own paper and pens.

The previous session was dominated by Saddam Hussein's complaint to the judge that his American guards had taken away his pen and paper. When the judge said he would tell them to return it, Saddam exploded into a nationalist speech.

"Don't tell them, order them. You are an Iraqi, you have sovereignty, they are in your country, they are foreigners, they are invaders," said Saddam.

But the chief judge, Rizkar Mohammed Amin, a Kurd, has largely taken these outbursts in his stride.

Aside from Saddam and Ramadan, the defendants include Barzan al-Tikriti, Saddam's half brother and head of intelligence at the time of the massacre, and Awad Ahmed al-Bandar, head judge of the revolutionary court.

There are also four little known Baath officials who worked in Dujail at the time of the massacre, which took place after an assassination attempt against Saddam's convoy. All have pleaded not guilty.

As the defense complains they have not had enough time to prepare for the case, there is growing frustration among Iraqis, especially among Shiites and Kurds who suffered the most under Saddam, at the constant delays.

Both Iraqi and US officials have accused the defence team of playing for time in a bid to derail the landmark trial, but the judges are under strong international pressure to ensure that Saddam enjoys the justice he is accused of denying his compatriots for so long.

In the last session, the court was shown testimony from wheelchair-bound Waddah Ismail al-Sheikh, a former intelligence official, who implicated Barzan in the Dujail massacre. The official died after the recording was made.

Iraqi officials have said they chose to start with the Dujail case because it is relatively straightforward and well documented.

But critics charge the case was chosen because it lacked the potential of the other cases for stirring up political controversy for Washington which backed Saddam's regime through the 1980s.

Dec 4 , 2005

Monday

full four days

December 15

October 19

November 28

the first two sessions

the 1980s

trial

resumes

mounting

accelerate

hoping

adjourns

elections

set

appear

trial

massacre

face

trial

hit

given

say

appear

masked

hidden

protect

looking

force

delays

give

prepare

hope

schedule

briefing

discuss

said

watched

called

Trial

session

followed

trial

plagued

inception

session

announced

discovered

assassinate

assassinated

delay

came

refused

use

appointed

shot

trial

takes

used

receive

allowed

bring

session

dominated

taken

said

tell

return

exploded

speech

tell

order

said

taken

stride

include

massacre

worked

massacre

took

attempt

convoy

pleaded

complains

had

prepare

suffered

accused

playing

derail

trial

ensure

enjoys

accused

denying

shown

implicated

massacre

died

made

said

chose

start

documented

charge

chosen

lacked

stirring

backed


XIN_ENG_20061109.0299

ABUJA, Nov. 9 , 2006 (Xinhua)

GAVI to boost Nigeria's immunization activities

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) is to inject 13 million U.S. dollars into Nigeria's immunization activities in 2007.

Edugie Abebe, chief executive of Nigerian National Program on Immunization, said on Thursday the money would be sent to deserving Nigerian states, based on the number of additional children they had immunized.

Abebe told a press conference that Nigeria is qualified for the movement because it has passed a "data quality audit" which was conducted by international auditors sent by the GAVI.

She explained that the auditors who assessed immunization activities observed that additional 650,000 children were immunized in Nigeria between 2004 and 2005.

The GAVI, an alliance of many organizations concerned with immunization activities, was formed in 2001 with its headquarters in Geneva. The GAVI Fund now has over 3 billion U.S. dollars in commitments over the next ten years.

Nov. 9 , 2006

Thursday

now

the next ten years

inject

said

sent

immunized

told

conference

movement

passed

conducted

sent

explained

assessed

observed

immunized

concerned

formed


XIN_ENG_20061114.0295

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 , 2006 (Xinhua)

U.S. Democrats elect Senate leadership

One week after their victories in the midterm elections, U.S. Senate Democrats elected their leadership for the 110th Congress that convenes early January next year.

Senator Harry Reid, a moderate Democrat from Nevada, was elected unchallenged as U.S. Senate majority leader for the new Congress, to succeed Republican Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, who did not seek a third term in this year's elections.

Speaking to reporters after the election, Reid said Democrats " must do everything we can to move the country forward. We're going to do it in a spirit of bipartisanship."

Reid has served as the Senate minority leader for the past two years, since his predecessor, Tom Daschle of South Dakota, lost his reelection bid in 2004.

Richard Durbin of Illinois was elected as the Senate majority whip, Patty Murray of Washington was elected as party conference secretary, and Charles Schumer remained as chairman of the party's Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Republicans would elect their leadership Senate leadership Wednesday.

On Thursday, Democrats would elect their House leadership, and on Friday, Republicans would select their leadership in House.

Democrats retook control of both chambers of Congress in last week's elections, the first time in 12 years.

Nov. 14 , 2006

One week

January next year

this year

the past two years

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

last week

12 years

victories

elections

elected

convenes

elected

succeed

seek

election

said

do

move

do

served

lost

bid

elected

elected

remained

elect

elect

select

retook


XIN_ENG_20061116.0130

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 16 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Malaysia stock market ends higher

The Malaysia stock market ended higher Thursday, led by gains on telecommunication companies ' shares.

The benchmark Composite Index (CI) closed 9.22 points higher at 1,037.60, a record high since July 1997.

The Second Board Index rose 0.71 of a point to 89.27 and the Industrial Index advanced 10.20 points to 2,150.55.

The Mesdaq Index went up 1.10 points to 120.16 and the Emas increased 60.94 points to 6,744.49.

Gainers led losers by 562 to 293, with 294 other counters unchanged, 232 untraded and 29 suspended.

Turnover improved to 1.20 billion shares valued at 1.55 billion ringgit (418.92 million U.S. dollars compared with Wednesday's closing of 969.25 million shares valued at 1.35 billion ringgit ( 364.86 million U.S. dollars

Nov. 16 , 2006

Thursday

July 1997

Wednesday

ended

led

gains

closed

rose

advanced

went

increased

led

suspended

improved

closing


XIN_ENG_20061118.0057

CANBERRA, Nov. 18 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Gronholm leads New Zealand rally

Finland's Marcus Gronholm established a big lead after the second day of the Rally of New Zealand in Hamilton on Saturday.

Gronholm won three of Saturday's six stages around Waikato to head into Sunday's final leg with a commanding 50.3 second lead over his Finnish team mate Mikko Hirvonen.

Austria's Manfred Stohl, driving a Peugeot, finished the day in third place with Spain's Dani Sordo fourth in a Citroen. Both were more than two minutes behind Gronholm.

Italian MotoGP ace Valentino Rossi climbed 10 places to finish the day 13th, but is almost 17 minutes off the pace.

The 27-year-old Yamaha rider failed to progress beyond the first day at his only previous appearance in the British round of the 2002 world rally championship but has been driving more cautiously this time.

Gronholm, who is assured of finishing second behind Senastien Loeb in this year's driver's championship, is bidding to join Frenchman Carlos Sainz as the only four-time winners of the New Zealand Rally.

Nov. 18 , 2006

the second day

Saturday

Saturday

Sunday

the day 13th

17 minutes

this year

established

won

head

driving

finished

climbed

finish

failed

progress

driving

assured

finishing

bidding

join


XIN_ENG_20061130.0382

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Metro train kills one, injures another in Washington area

A Metro train struck two employees working on the track near the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C., on Thursday, killing one and critically injuring another, officials said.

The workers, both men, were walking the tracks doing routine inspections when the accident took place in the morning.

They were hit by an empty four-car train from Huntington to the Alexandria rail yard, which was near the Eisenhower Station, in Alexandria, Virginia, Metro spokeswoman Cathy Asato said.

A section of the Yellow Line was shut down following the accident, and shuttle buses were used to transport passengers in several stations. Officials said the accident was under investigation.

Thursday's fatality was the 14th for the Metrorail system in its 30-year history and the third serious one involving Metro trains and its workers, media reports said.

Also on Thursday, two freight trains derailed in North Baltimore, a small town in Ohio. One of the trains derailed, sending wreckage into another train nearby knocking some of its cars off the track.

It was not known immediately how many people were injured in the accident and what caused the first train to derail, reports said.

Nov. 30 , 2006

Thursday

the morning

Thursday

Thursday

struck

working

killing

injuring

said

walking

doing

took

hit

said

shut

accident

used

transport

said

accident

fatality

said

derailed

derailed

sending

known

injured

caused

derail

said


XIN_ENG_20051127.0133

KABUL, Nov. 27 , 2005 (Xinhua)

News analysis: Abuse of detainees creates chance for Taliban

The ongoing reported abuse of detainees by US military in Afghanistan would facilitate Taliban- linked militants to exploit the situation for their own propaganda to mobilize local support, local observers said Sunday.

At least two suspected Afghan terrorists have died at the US military detention center in Bagram, 50 km north of capital city, the headquarters of over 20,000 strong US-led coalition forces in the post-Taliban nation.

In addition to the reported activity of detainees' maltreatment at the US holding facilities, the US military, according to media reports, has burned the bodies of Taliban militias, which are forbidden in Islam, the ruling religion in Afghanistan and the region.

A footage broadcast by SBS, an Australian television network last month indicated the US troops burned two corpses of Taliban fighters in a village in southern Kandahar province, the former stronghold of Taliban, and taunt other militias. The act sparked outrage in the conservative Afghanistan.

Afghan leaders including President Hamid Karzai strongly denounced the act and called for investigation into the subject.

"Abusing detainees' rights, or torturing prisoners, would bring opposing effect and definitely facilitate Taliban and terrorism to exploit the situation for their own propaganda in order to mobilize local support," renown political observer Qasim Akhgar maintained.

He noted that Afghans did not expect human rights violation from the US military in Afghanistan as they had helped Afghans to get rid of the Taliban and terrorists' clutches.

"Violating human rights and torturing people is the emblem of Taliban and terrorists, but not the emblem of soldiers of US army," Akhgar pointed out.

The US military, he said, had come here to root out the Taliban and terrorism.

"The trend, if goes unchecked, would also affect Afghan law enforcing personnel to follow the same policy in tackling law breakers," the analyst opined referring to the training by US instructors to Afghan law enforcing agencies particularly the police.

Piling complaints over the reported detainees abuse forced the US military to initiate a thorough investigation early last year, and the outcome of the probe, carried out by General Jacoby has yet to be made public.

Some 400 suspected Taliban and al-Qaida Afghans reportedly have been languishing in the 23 holding facilities run by the US military in Afghanistan.

"Tactic of highhandedness and torture of prisoners adopted by the US military would cause distrust between Afghan people and government and finally benefit Taliban and al-Qaida terrorists to boost their ranks," eminent journalist Syed Najibullah Hashimi observed.

Taliban's recent violent attacks, Hashimi went on to say, was the counter productive result of the treatment applied by US military to poor Afghan detainees at the detention centers.

Usually the US army denies the reported detainees abuse in Afghanistan. It has refused the Afghan rights to visit the holding facilities by saying the International Committee of Red Cross ( ICRC) regularly visits the detention centers.

The US military has denied that its soldiers committed any crimes by burning two bodies of Taliban fighters in Kandahar last month.

"Our investigation found there was no intent to desecrate the remains, but only to dispose of them for hygienic reasons," operational commander of the US forces General Jason Kamiya told newsmen in Kandahar city on Saturday.

However, he added that disciplinary action would be taken against four soldiers involved in the case.

"Continued violation of human rights by US military in Afghanistan would change the minds of Afghans in favor of Taliban as they did not expect rights violation from the US military when they respect them as their liberators," Hashimi added.

The reported rights violation by the US servicemen is also a matter of concern among the official circles in the Afghan government.

"Burning human body or maltreating prisoners is an offence, and the offenders should be punished," deputy speaker of Presidential Palace Siamak Herawi told Xinhua.

"US troops present in Afghanistan should respect Afghan culture and those who violate the culture should be punished, and this is the stance of the government of Afghanistan," Herawi emphasized.

Nov. 27 , 2005

Sunday

last month

early last year

last month

Saturday

abuse

facilitate

exploit

mobilize

said

died

activity

maltreatment

according

burned

forbidden

broadcast

indicated

burned

village

sparked

denounced

called

Abusing

torturing

bring

opposing

facilitate

exploit

mobilize

maintained

noted

expect

helped

get

Violating

pointed

said

come

root

goes

affect

enforcing

follow

opined

referring

training

forced

initiate

investigation

outcome

carried

made

languishing

run

torture

adopted

cause

benefit

boost

observed

attacks

went

say

result

applied

denies

refused

visit

saying

visits

denied

committed

found

desecrate

dispose

told

added

taken

involved

violation

change

expect

respect

added

Burning

maltreating

offence

punished

told

respect

violate

punished

emphasized


AFP_ENG_19970422.0382

NEW DELHI, April 22 , 1997 (AFP)

Four die as Indian police fire on mob following suicide row

Four people were killed and three others injured when Indian police fired on a rampaging mob, the United News of India reported Tuesday.

At least five policemen were also hurt in the fighting on Monday in Lingotam village, in the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh.

Reports say the mob gathered to attack the house of a man whose wife committed suicide after a domestic quarrel.

When police went to the man's rescue, the mob turned on them.

April 22 , 1997

Tuesday

Monday

killed

injured

fired

reported

hurt

fighting

say

gathered

attack

committed

quarrel

went

rescue

turned


AFP_ENG_19970424.0618

TOKYO, April 25 , 1997 (AFP)

Unarmed Peruvian rebels were executed: Japanese hostages

The hostages freed from the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima Friday reiterated claims elite Peruvian troops executed rebels captured alive and unarmed during the assault, according to press reports here.

According to several ex-hostages held for four months by the Tupac Amaru (MRTA) revolutionary movement, at least two rebels were executed by the soldiers after being taken prisoner.

One of the two was first led into a building next to the Japanese ambassador's residence in the assault in Lima Tuesday, according to a front page report in the Mainichi Shimbun daily.

The former hostages, whose names have not been given, said the two rebels were disarmed when they were captured. When the assault started one of the two, Ernesto "Tito" Cruz, took off his jacket, which had attached to it several handgrenades.

He then lay on the floor alongside the hostages as the elite troops stormed the residence. He was taken prisoner and his hands were tied with cord as he was taken away, according to the former hostages.

A young female rebel was also captured alive on the first floor of the residence.

She shouted "Don't shoot him!" but the hostages said those around her did not understand what this meant.

On Thursday the freed hostages told the daily Asahi Shimbun they saw rebels killed by the Peruvian forces after they had given themselves up.

"I saw a murder," one of the hostages said. He told how one rebel put his hands in the air but was nevertheless shot.

Another hostage said he saw a rebel captured alive by the Peruvian forces who led him away.

"I realised the rebel they had taken had been shot when I heard all 14 rebels died in the assault," he said.

All 14 rebels, two soldiers and one hostage died during the assault.

April 25 , 1997

Friday

four months

Tuesday

Thursday

freed

reiterated

claims

executed

captured

unarmed

assault

held

executed

led

assault

according

given

said

disarmed

captured

started

took

attached

lay

stormed

taken

tied

taken

according

captured

shouted

shoot

said

understand

meant

told

saw

killed

given

saw

murder

said

told

put

shot

said

saw

captured

led

realised

taken

shot

heard

died

said

died

assault


AFP_ENG_19970410.0299

NEW DELHI, April 10 , 1997 (AFP)

India's tottering government given more breathing time

India's Congress (I) party Thursday gave the ruling coalition government until Friday to sack Prime Minister H.D. Deve in return for its support in a vote of confidence.

Congress spokesman Ved Prakash said: "We have told the United Front (government) that if it does not come to a viable solution before 11 a.m. (0530 GMT) tomorrow the Congress will vote against it.

"Then the government will fall."

Prakash's comments came after final peace talks between the two sides failed Thursday.

Prakash, however, said a rapprochement could not be ruled out until the last minute.

The Congress last month withdrew its parliamentary backing to the minority centre-left alliance, accusing the government of misrule.

It said Deve Gowda should be sacked and announced it wanted to form its own coalition. Neither group, however, is strong enough to govern without outside backing.

Prakash added: "In politics, you cannot say anything has failed until the very end. There are still lots of possibilities and scope for compromise."

April 10 , 1997

Thursday

Friday

11 a.m.

Thursday

the last minute

last month

gave

return

vote

said

told

come

vote

fall

came

talks

failed

said

rapprochement

ruled

withdrew

accusing

said

sacked

announced

wanted

form

govern

added

say

failed


AFP_ENG_19970423.0077

GAZA CITY, April 23 , 1997 (AFP)

Arafat heads for talks with King Hussein

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat headed for Jordan on Wednesday for talks with King Hussein on the stalemated peace process, Palestinian officials said.

Before leaving for the Red Sea resort of Aqaba where the Jordanian monarch is recovering from prostate surgery, Arafat received an "urgent" telephone call from US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, official Palestinian radio said.

It said the conversation concerned the peace process, but it provided no further details.

Nabil Abu Rudeina, a senior Arafat aide, said the Palestinian and Jordanian leaders "are meeting to consult and coordinate their actions to confront the challenges facing the peace process, which is still in a real crisis."

King Hussein was expected to brief Arafat on his talks last month in Washington with President Bill Clinton which focused on trying to resolve a major crisis in the Israel-Palestinian peace process.

Abu Rudeina said Arafat would in turn inform King Hussein about his talks earlier this month with US Middle East peace envoy Dennis Ross, who met with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders in an unsuccessful bid to revive negotiations between the two sides.

The peace process has been frozen since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered construction to begin last month on a new Jewish neighborhood in disputed east Jerusalem.

Netanyahu also infuriated the Palestinians by slowing the transfer of West Bank land to Arafat's Palestinian Authority.

The decisions sparked widespread violent protests in the Palestinian territories and a string of anti-Israeli bombings.

King Hussein has been highly critical of Netanyahu's policies, and has met twice with the Israeli leader, including once earlier this month in the United States, in an effort to convince him to soften his stand.

Netanyahu has refused Palestinian demands to freeze construction of new Jewish settlements or to speed up the extension of self-rule, insisting that the peace process can resume only once Arafat cracks down on anti-Israeli violence.

April 23 , 1997

Wednesday

last month

this month

last month

this month

headed

talks

said

leaving

recovering

received

said

said

concerned

provided

said

meeting

consult

coordinate

actions

confront

facing

crisis

expected

brief

talks

focused

trying

resolve

crisis

said

turn

inform

talks

met

revive

negotiations

process

frozen

ordered

construction

begin

infuriated

slowing

transfer

decisions

sparked

protests

bombings

met

effort

convince

soften

refused

freeze

speed

extension

insisting

process

resume

violence


XIN_ENG_20061123.0326

JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 23 , 2006 (Xinhua)

S. African wheelchair basketball coach confident for Beijing

New South African wheelchair basketball team coach Viv Sierra came through the opening day of the Wheelchair Basketball Challenge on Thursday confident that the core of his squad for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics is in place.

Sierra watched the opening match of the Wheelchair Basketball between local league outfit the Pumas and a visiting Angola team, which the Pumas won 72-40, at the Vodacom Mandeville Indoor Center in Johannesburg on Thursday evening.

Thereafter Sierra oversaw the first of two national trial matches he has arranged during the Challenge as part of his final selection process for the Paralympics.

The second trial match will take place on Saturday, after which Sierra will announce his final squad of 15 players for Beijing.

"I've got a fairly good idea of my squad. I know the core of the team. Players like Marius Papenfuss, Justin Govender, and the oversees-based players like Richard Nortje, David Curle and Nick Taylor basically pick themselves," Sierra was quoted as saying by the SAPA news agency.

"But this tournament will give me a good chance to look at some of the guys I think are fighting for places," Sierra said.

As the newly-elected coach of the South African wheelchair basketball team, Sierra said he will use this event to bring a different focus to the national side.

"I'm looking for team players, not individual stars. That's what I want in order to build for the next two years for Beijing. We've certainly got the players. It's now just a question of getting them to play a particular style that works for them as a team," he said.

Nov. 23 , 2006

the opening day

Thursday

Thursday evening

Saturday

the next two years

now

came

watched

Basketball

visiting

won

oversaw

matches

arranged

take

announce

got

know

pick

quoted

saying

give

look

think

fighting

said

said

use

bring

looking

want

build

got

getting

play

works

said


XIN_ENG_20061122.0321

BEIJING, Nov. 23 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Xinhua international news advisory -- Nov.23

The following are some of the major international news stories scheduled to be covered or pursued by Xinhua on Thursday.

-- Hu Jintao delivers speech in India.

-- Chinese president arrived in Islamabad.

-- WTO chief calls for relaunch of Doah Round talks.

-- Uruguay legislators ratify protocol of Mercosur Parliament.

-- Argentina condemns assassination of Lebanese minister.

Nov. 23 , 2006

Thursday

scheduled

covered

pursued

delivers

arrived

calls

relaunch

talks

ratify


XIN_ENG_20051125.0253

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 25 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Annan calls for strong action to eliminate violence against women

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called on states on Friday to take strong action to eliminate violence against women.

The United Nations on Friday marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women with calls for states to take legal action against the global scourge, for societies to change a mindset that permits such abuse, and for women themselves to stand up and speak out against a culture of shame.

In a message on the Day, Annan pointed out that "violence against women remains pervasive worldwide."

"It is the most atrocious manifestation of the systemic discrimination and inequality women continue to face, in law and in their everyday lives, around the world. It occurs in every region, country, and culture, regardless of income, class, race or ethnicity," he said.

Noting that leaders at September's UN World Summit pledged to redouble efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and the girls, he stressed that this required a change of the mindset, still all too common and deep-seated, that violence against women is acceptable.

"That means leadership in showing, by example, that when it comes to violence against women and girls, there are no grounds for tolerance and no tolerable excuses," the Secretary-General declared.

Nov. 25 , 2005

Friday

Friday

September

called

take

action

eliminate

violence

marked

Elimination

take

action

change

permits

stand

speak

pointed

violence

remains

manifestation

continue

face

occurs

said

Noting

pledged

redouble

efforts

eliminate

violence

stressed

required

change

showing

violence

declared


AFP_ENG_19970413.0227

SARAJEVO April 13 , 1997 (AFP)

Pope's peace appeal gets mixed hearing in Bosnia

Pope John Paul II's appeal Sunday for peace and understanding in Bosnia got a mixed hearing from the faithful here, hopeful that tolerance will emerge but doubtful if it will happen soon.

Acknowledging the wounds caused by Europe's bloodiest war in 50 years, the pope told an open-air mass in Sarajevo Sunday: "Let us forgive and let us ask for forgiveness.

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

For some, the message itself would help spread peace.

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

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

Others thought tolerance and reconciliation might take time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

April 13 , 1997

Sunday

50 years

now

two or three years

now

appeal

got

hearing

emerge

happen

Acknowledging

caused

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AFP_ENG_20051215.0505

KABUL, Dec 15 , 2005

Donkey used to attack German aid group in Afghanistan

Explosives strapped to a donkey were detonated near a German aid agency's vehicle in northern Afghanistan but the blast caused no human casualties, police said Thursday.

The explosives, stuffed into a pressure cooker strapped to the donkey's back, detonated near the car belonging to the aid group in Faizabad, capital of northeastern Badakhshan province, police commander Shah Jahan Noori said.

He blamed the attack, which took place Wednesday, on "terrorist organisations who do not want Afghanistan's stability".

"We're investigating whether it was a remote-controlled bomb or one of those time bombs," Noori told AFP.

The car of the aid group, GTZ, was slightly damaged in the explosion.

While the police chief did not name any particular group for the blast, most bombings in Afghanistan are blamed on remnants of the ousted Taliban regime although they occur largely in the insurgency-hit south and east.

It appeared to be the first time a donkey was used to carry out an attack since the Taliban launched an insurgency against the new US-backed government.

Insurgents in Iraq have used the animals to pull a cart from which rockets were fired.

Noori said an investigation into the bombing would reveal if the use of donkeys was a new tactic of the Taliban, who frequently use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in their attacks.

"An investigation has been launched. We will in future check donkeys laden with suspicious items," he said.

The animals are plentiful in mountainous Badakhshan.

The Taliban were overthrown in a US-led invasion in four years ago and are trying to claw their way back into power with regular but usually small-scale attacks on government and foreign forces, and groups allied with the administration, including aid organisations.

There has been an increase in the number of bombings blamed on the Taliban, with about 10 suicide attacks since late September which analysts say suggest the militants are adopting some of the techniques used by insurgents in Iraq.

The latest was in a mosque in the main northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif Wednesday which caused no casualties besides the bomber. It was unclear if the attacker was linked to the Taliban and other insurgents, or driven by personal enmity.

Dec 15 , 2005

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XIN_ENG_20061103.0394

BEIJING, Nov. 4 , 2006 (Xinhua)

years

China will train 15,000 African professionals, send 100 senior agricultural experts to Africa, and set up 10 special agricultural technology demonstration centers in Africa in the next three years.

Chinese President Hu Jintao made the remarks here Saturday when addressing the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

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XIN_ENG_20061111.0100

BEIJING, Nov. 11 , 2006 (Xinhua)

lambastes "selling of official posts"

Buying and selling government posts and official titles have become one of the main corruption in China, said a former head of the CPC's organization department.

Zhang Quanjing, who headed the department for five years until 1999, said, "It's appalling to hear that a Chinese official killed his superior in order to get a higher post," Zhang told the Southern Weekly this week.

Zhang, who was in charge of the country's high-level appointments, said since 1982 a new generation of higher-educated, less ideological officials have replaced the older cadres who had earned their jobs fighting for the socialist cause.

"The older senior officials who survived wartime were different than the younger officials who tend to think about themselves and are mainly after power, salary, status, housing and medical care. This thinking triggers jealousy and encourages the buying of official posts to get promoted," the South China's Guangzhou-based newspaper quoted Zhang as saying.

Zhang said more open hiring practices by the party's disciplinary and organization bodies would help stop the practice of buying or selling government posts.

In 2005, 334 CPC officials were criticized for seeking illegal promotions and 97 were punished according to organizational or disciplinary rules, statistics show.

Zhang said the public has helped crack down on official misconduct. By visiting or writing letters whistle blowers have reported a large number of official corruption cases in recent years.

In July, eight CPC officials were punished, some with long jail terms, for buying or selling government jobs.

Cao Yongbao, former Deputy Secretary of Liangshan Prefectural Committee of the CPC in Southwest China's Sichuan Province was expelled from the Party and sentenced to 13 years in jail.

In an infamous scandal involving officials of Chenzhou, Central China's Hunan Province, buying and selling government posts was so popular that Li Dalun, the former secretary of the Chenzhou municipal CPC committee, was found to have accepted 13.25 million yuan (about 1.65 million U.S. dollars) in bribes that included free overseas tours and free overseas education for his family members.

"Officials who do this must be severely criticized," said Wu Guangzheng, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection earlier in a speech.

"We need to be tough on people who buy and sell official posts, " he said.

"Government department with too many officials is also a big problem" Zhang said, adding that departments should be streamlined with fewer officials who are more efficient.

He suggested that China's provincial governments should reduce the number of official posts to one governor and two vice-governors.

"Fewer official posts would shift the attention of officials from thinking about getting a promotion to the actual doing their work," Zhang said.

Nov. 11 , 2006

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