EU EUROPEAN UNION TO DEPLOY POLICE MISSION TO KOSOVO INTERNATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES

EU EUROPEAN UNION DECIDES TO DEPLOY POLICE MISSION TO KOSOVO AS SERBIAN PROVINCE EDGES TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE INTERNATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES STORY

EUROPEAN UNION TO DEPLOY POLICE MISSION IN KOSOVO, BRUSSELS NEWS HEADLINES: -

European Union leaders decided Friday to deploy a vast police mission to Kosovo as the Serbian province edges toward independence, a move that could fuel tensions with Russia. "This is the clearest signal that the European Union could possibly give that it intends to lead on the whole issue of Kosovo's future, its status and its role in the region," Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates told reporters after an EU summit in Brussels.


EU EUROPEAN UNION PREPARING 1800 PERSONNEL TO DEPLOY

The EU European Union has been preparing the police and justice operation of around 1,800 personnel that was meant to be deployed under a UN proposal to grant Kosovo "supervised independence" but the move was blocked by Russia. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Serbia had "a future" in the EU European Union "if it respects human rights and the independence of Kosovo".

EU EUROPEAN UNION MAY DEPLOY POLICE AFTER CHRISTMAS IN KOSOVO

In a friendly gesture to Serbia, which implacably opposes Kosovan independence, the European Union EU leaders in their written conclusions also voiced confidence that Serbia's "progress on the road towards the European Union EU, including candidate status, can be accelerated." An EU European Union official said there was no exact date set but "that it could be decided at the council (of EU European Union foreign ministers)" on January 28. Socrates did not say when the police mission would be deployed, but Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said: "Not before Christmas but immediately after."

KOSOVO LEADERS WILL ANNOUNCE INTENTION TO DECLARE INDEPENDENCE IN DECEMBER

Kosovo has been administered by the UN since NATO bombed Belgrade in 1999 to end a crackdown on separatist ethnic Albanians, and the Albanian majority has been impatient for independence ever since. Western officials and experts believe that Kosovo's leaders will announce next month their intention to declare independence, and then break away by May in "coordination" with its EU and US allies. The mission would help ease the southern province's transition of power from the UN administration, which has been in place since 1999, to the local authorities.

EU EUROPEAN UNION READY TO RECOGNISE KOSOVO WHEN IT BREAKS AWAY

When asked whether the deployment of the mission meant that EU European Union nations were ready to recognise Kosovo when it does break away, Socrates said: "No." The EU European Union must also send a clear diplomatic signal ahead of the security council debate on its position and possible intentions in the weeks and months ahead. After failing to prevent the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the leaders want to show they can meet the credibility test posed by Kosovo. "What we are doing at the moment is undertaking negotiations in the (United Nations) Security Council," which meets on December 19 to debate Kosovo's status after the breakdown of talks between Belgrade and Pristina.

EU EUROPEAN UNION WILL PLAY LEAD ROLE TO STRENGTHEN STABILITY

"The EU stands ready to play a leading role in strengthening stability in the region and in implementing a settlement defining Kosovo's future status," the leaders said in their text of conclusions. "We will not recognise a declaration of independence by Kosovo which is made unilaterally," Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos said Friday. "We still believe there is room for a negotiated agreement." But while a core group of European countries and Washington are prepared to recognise eventual independence for Kosovo, EU member Cyprus, concerned about its own divisions, refuses to go along.

KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE NOT ACCEPTABLE TO BELGRADE

Kosovo's leaders, meanwhile, have been careful to underscore that they intend to break away in "close coordination" with EU European Union nations and the United States. But the EU official said: "The Cypriots could abstain, and abstaining would not be an obstacle. They could even make a declaration" to attach to any final EU European Union position. Serbian President Boris Tadic said Friday that Belgrade would never accept Kosovo's independence, but his country's defence minister has confirmed that no troops would be sent in if Pristina severs ties.

MALAYSIA FLOODS KILLS 12 AND 20 THOUSAND HOMELESS INTERNATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES

FLOODS IN MALAYSIA KILLS 12 AND 20,000 GO HOMELESS INTERNATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES

FLOODS IN MALAYSIA KILLS 12 NEWS HEADLINES: -

Floods in Malaysia have killed 12 people and left more than 20,000 homeless, and more rain is expected, which could push up food and palm oil prices in one of the world's top growers. The monsoon rains have cut off roads in several states including Kelantan and Terengganu in the east and Johor in the south, local media reported. The Meteorological Department has forecast more heavy rain.

Johor was the worst hit, with 13,000 residents fleeing to higher ground, the New Straits Times reported on Thursday. The state is a major oil palm and rubber growing region and a key source of vegetables and poultry. Some economists warn the floods could also drive up food prices, similar to the situation early this year when the country was hit by the worst floods in nearly 40 years.

Plantation officials say heavy rains have slowed down harvest and transportation of palm oil. Malaysia is one of the world's largest producers of the edible oil, which is used in products ranging from shampoo and ice-cream to biofuels.

SEHWAG VIRENDER RECALLED FOR TEST SERIES INDIA AUSTRALIA SPORTS NEWS HEADLINES STORY

INDIAN CRICKETER VIRENDER SEHWAG RECALLED FOR INDIA AUSTRALIA TEST SERIES NEWS HEADLINES STORY

SEWAG RECALLED FOR INDIA AUSTRALIA CRICKET TEST SERIES, SPORTS NEWS HEADLINES: -

India recalled attacking opener Virender Sehwag to a 16-player squad on Wednesday for the four-test series in Australia starting on Dec. 26. "Gambhir has a sore shoulder and it requires three weeks' rest," Indian board secretary Niranjan Shah told a news conference. Sehwag, discarded for the last two test series against England and Pakistan due to poor batting form, was included after an injury to his fellow Delhi batsman Gautam Gambhir.

The selectors retained Irfan Pathan, recalled for the drawn final test against Pakistan, and impressive teenager Ishant Sharma and called up uncapped Pankaj Singh while naming five specialist new ball bowlers. Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was ruled out with injury and Shah said Munaf Patel needs match practice before playing international cricket again. Left-armer Rudra Pratap Singh also returned after missing the home series against Pakistan due to an abdomen injury, shoring up the pace department which has been hit by fitness woes.

The Pakistan series saw almost all of the Indian batsmen come into form, prompting captain Anil Kumble to believe that his team can challenge top-ranked Australia. Second wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik retained his spot despite struggling as a makeshift opener against Pakistan, after hitting a half century in the final test which ended in a draw on Wednesday, giving India a 1-0 series win. "I think in terms of the players, the potential that we have, and the experience, yes, definitely it is probably the best-equipped side to go and compete in Australia," Kumble told a press conference. "We have done well there before."

India drew the test series 1-1 on their previous tour in 2003-04. Although Rahul Dravid's inability to convert starts since quitting the captaincy in September is a cause for concern, opener Wasim Jaffer, Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman and Yuvraj Singh were among runs in the Pakistan series. "We have a couple of injuries which I am sure will be fine by the time we land in Australia." "It's a great comfort to know that all your batsmen are in good form and in great nick," Kumble said.

India - Anil Kumble (captain), Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Vangipurappu Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ishant Sharma, Pankaj Singh, Dinesh Karthik. India play four tests in Melbourne (Dec. 26-30), Sydney (Jan. 2-6), Perth (Jan. 16-20) and Adelaide (Jan. 24-28). The series will be followed by a one-day tri-series also involving Sri Lanka.

SPANISH LANGUAGE DEBATE OF REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES NEWS HEADLINES

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES EMBRACE HISPANICS IN A SPANISH LANGUAGE DEBATE NEWS HEADLINES

SPANISH LANGUAGE DEBATE: -

CORAL GABLES: - The Republican presidential candidates sought to embrace Hispanics in a Spanish language debate Sunday, striving to mark common ground with a growing voter bloc while softening the anti-illegal immigration rhetoric that has marked their past encounters. The candidates avoided the harsh exchanges and name-calling of their most recent debate, while still emphasizing the need for border security and an end to illegal immigration. The polite debate came less than four weeks before the first votes are cast in Iowa and amid a topsy-turvy race in which former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has bolted to the lead in the state. "I think some of the rhetoric that many Hispanics hear about illegal immigration makes some of them believe that we are not in favor of or seek the support of Hispanic citizens in this country," he said. Only Sen. John McCain warned that harsh immigration views voiced by some Republicans have driven Hispanics away from the party. The Arizona senator has stood apart from most of his Republican rivals because he supported changing immigration laws and creating a path for citizenship for illegal immigrants.

Republicans have had trouble courting Hispanics, who have become an increasingly significant source of votes. A poll this week by the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center found Hispanic registered voters favor Democrats over Republicans by a margin of 57 percent to 23 percent, a wider gap than in July 2006. Univision, the Spanish language television network, and the University of Miami hosted the debate. The questions were posed in Spanish by Univision anchors Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas and simultaneously translated into English for the candidates. Their responses were then simultaneously translated into Spanish for broadcast.

IMMIGRATION CAUSED SPANISH LANGUAGE DEBATE

Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani were especially critical of each other over illegal immigration in a Nov. 28 GOP debate, with Romney accusing Giuliani of providing a sanctuary for illegal immigrants while he was mayor of New York. Giuliani shot back, reminding Romney that his landscaping firm had been found to hire illegal workers and dubbing Romney's house a "sanctuary mansion." But it was Huckabee who got better reviews for expressing a more compassionate view toward illegals. The lesson appeared to have been learned."Hispanic-Americans have already reached great heights in America. I saw that in my city. They pushed us to be better," Giuliani said. "They're coming here to be Americans and they're making us better by being here in America." Added Romney: "This is the land of the brave and the home of the free, and Hispanics are brave and they are free, as are all the people of this great nation."

SPANISH LANGUAGE DEBATE DISCUSS TAMPER PROOF ID CARD AND BORDER CONTROL.

Still, Fred Thompson, Giuliani, Huckabee and Romney made it clear they would not favor a special path toward citizenship for the estimated 12 million immigrants in the Unites States illegally. Giuliani stressed the need for a tamper-proof ID card and the need to control the borders."There can't be an amnesty policy, because that's an insult to all the people who waited, sometimes, ridiculously, for years, just to be able to make the transition here," Huckabee said. That prompted a retort from Ron Paul, who said that would lead to a national identification card for all Americans "which I absolutely oppose."

Said Romney, "Those who have come illegally, in my view, should be given the opportunity to get in line with everybody else, but there should be no special pathway for those that have come here illegally to jump ahead of the line or to be come permanent residents or citizens." "Right now, we have a situation where people can bring in spouses, children, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers and so forth," he said. "I think that people should be able to serve as a basis for the bringing in of their spouses and of their children, but I do not think there should be endless chain migration. So I think that is the issue to focus on, and not innocent children who are born here not of their own accord and who our courts have said are United States citizens." In this, the heart of Cuban-American country where Fidel Castro is still ostracized, Paul was loudly booed when he called for improved relations with Cuba. Thompson, asked if children born in the United States from illegal immigrants should be separated from their parents, said the greater issues is "chain migration." "We're at a time when we need to talk to Cuba and travel and trade with Cuba," he said.


SPANISH LANGUAGE DEBATE WAS TOO HEATED UP DISCUSSION

Asked how to deal with Chavez, both Giuliani and McCain made reference to Spain's King Juan Carlos recent retort to Chavez during a November summit in Chile of Latin American nations and Spain and Portugal: "Porque no te callas?" (Why don't you shut up?) As he spoke, other Republican presidential campaigns e-mailed reporters news releases pointing out that Huckabee has supported an end to the Cuban embargo. It's a position shared by a number of Republicans and Democrats, particularly in the Midwest, where farmers say a new opening with the island nation would provide an expanded market for their goods. The candidates, with the exception of Paul, denounced Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez as a a tyrant. But in his reply to a question about health care, Romney said: "You need to have health insurance for all of our citizens. And I've found a way to do that without requiring raising taxes, without a government mandate, without a government takeover." At one point Romney stumbled when describing the health care plan he helped institute while governor of Massachusetts. The plan requires individuals to obtain health insurance or face penalties. Initially scheduled for September, the debate had to be rescheduled because only McCain had agreed to appear. This time, the only candidate who refused to attend was Tom Tancredo, a long-shot candidate who has made a tough immigration stance the centerpiece of his campaign. He promptly corrected himself, to say he meant that the Massachusetts plan does not place a mandate on employers to provide health care. McCain, Romney and Giuliani voiced support for school choice for parents. Romney also stressed improving teacher pay, and Duncan Hunter, a California congressman, expressed dissatisfaction with what he called "old credentialing," calling for school systems to use people such as aerospace engineers to inspire students.

USA WINS DAVIS CUP AFTER 12 YEARS IN PORTLAND OREGON SPORTS NEWS HEADLINES

USA WON FIRST DAVIS CUP TITLE AFTER A LONG 12 YEARS SPORTS NEWS HEADLINES STORY

USA WINS DAVIS CUP IN 12 YEARS FIRST TIME SPORTS NEWS HEADLINES.

PORTLAND OREGON SPORTS NEWS HEADLINES: - The United States clinched their first Davis Cup title in 12 years on Saturday as a doubles win for Bob and Mike Bryan gave them an unbeatable 3-0 lead over Russia in the best-of-five match final. Andy Roddick and James Blake had put the United States ahead 2-0 on Friday with singles victories, Roddick downing Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 and Blake beating Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/3). The Bryan twins, who finished 2007 as the No. 1 doubles team in the world for the third straight year, delivered the third point with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-2 victory over Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev. The United States claimed their 32nd title in the international competition, but their first since a Pete Sampras-led side triumphed over Russia in the World Group final in Moscow in 1995.

ALL WOMEN NEWS CHANNEL IN BIHAR INDAI NEWS HEADLINES STORY

ALL WOMEN NEWS CHANNEL IN BIHAR FOCUSING ON DEVELOPMENT ISSUES CALLED AAPAAN SAMACHAR NEWS NETWORK IN RAMLILA GACHI VILLAGE

ALL WOMEN NEWS CHANNEL NETWORK IN BIHAR CALLED AAPAAN SAMACHAR: -

A unique news channel focusing on development issues is grabbing eyeballs in a small village in Bihar and is also challenging some stereotypes. "We look around for issues that affect the villagers, shoot them and then put them on air,” says the channel’s news anchor Khushboo. Aapaan Samachar is an all-women community news network located in Bihar’s remote Ramlila Gachi village. “We do stories on water and electricity problems, farmers’ woes, and women issues. We then telecast them in the village market so that everyone can watch and think,” says reporter Anita Kumari. This news network runs on minimum resources. Reporters, camerapersons and anchors, all move around on bicycles with their handycams, looking for stories of human interest.


AAPAAN SAMACHAR ALL WOMEN NEWS CHANNEL IS FREE TO AIR: -

“It’s a great move in the direction of women empowerment. The parents of these girls want their daughters to move ahead in life and venture into such initiatives," he says. In this age of pay channels, mad TRP races and cut-throat advertising, Aapaan Samachar is free to air. The network, in addition to providing news that is of use to these villagers, is also a vehicle for women empowerment. This makes Santosh Anand, who has funded the initiative, a proud man. Managing with bare minimum resources, the channel has far-reaching impact. The issues raised by these firebraPublish Postnd reporters concern everyone, making this news channel No. 1 in the race for eyeballs.

RAJIV GANDHI ORDERED KILLING PRABHAKARAN LTTE CHIEF IN SRILANKA NEWS HEADLINES STORY

FORMER INDIAN PEACE KEEPING FORCE COMMANDER SAYS
RAJIV GANDHI HAD ORDERED THE KILLING OF LTTE CHIEF PRABHAKARN

RAJIV GANDHI ORDERED KILLING OF PRABHAKARAN LTTE CHIEF

A former Indian Peace Keeping Force Commander has claimed in a book that Rajiv Gandhi had ordered the killing of LTTE chief Prabhakaran at the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord in 1987, well before the hostilities had broken out in October that year. The author, Major General Harkirat Singh, says, “I got a call from the High Commission telling me, ‘tomorrow you are meeting Prabhakran and we would like you to eliminate him.‘" According to the book, Intervention in Sri Lanka, the instructions for the hatchet job were conveyed by JN Dixit, India's envoy in Sri Lanka at that time.

After consulting his superiors, Singh refused to carry out the orders. He says that he reasoned that cold-blooded killings were not the business of the army. “We are an orthodox army and we do not indulge in shooting in the back,” he says. Singh believed it would be treacherous to kill someone under the white flag. The army had been acting in good faith and perhaps had no idea that the accord was still-born. 1,300 Indian Army troops were killed in Sri Lanka in 1987. The casualties could have been lower had the army been made aware by the government that the LTTE was not a willing party to the clumsily-hustled accord. “The surrender of the weapons was not complete,” says Singh.

Going by the book, it is clear that there was murder in the air, well before the tragic assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER PAID BY BILLIONAIRS FOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER'S LAVISH TRIPS NEWS HEADLINES STORY

SCHWARZENEGGER REVEALS MILLIONAIRES AND BILLIONAIRES LIST WHO PAY FOR HIS LAVISH TRIPS

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER REVEALS LIST OF BILLIONAIRES AND MILLIONAIRS NEWS HEADLINES STORY: -

For the first time, Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger released a list of the millionaires and billionaires who pay to send him on lavish overseas trips, offering a glimpse into the elite business and social circles that critics say have unfair access to his power. The little-known nonprofit is run under the auspices of the California Chamber of Commerce and has funded most of Schwarzenegger's international trade missions and other events since shortly after he took office. The Nov. 7 dinner at the de Young Museum raised nearly $400,000, according to the documents. To comply with open-records laws, Arnold Schwarzenegger released on Thursday a list of wealthy donors to the California State Protocol Foundation, an obscure nonprofit that has paid for millions of dollars' worth of overseas travel and other bills racked up by his office. Well-known California businessmen who have supported him publicly, such as winemaker Robert Mondavi and Gap founder Don Fisher, are on the list. But so are the names of both Republican and Democratic lawyers, developers, and others who have kept a low profile, or even remained anonymous, in supporting California's celebrity Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER REVEALS NAMES: - The names are on a list of donors who paid as much as $25,000 to attend a private fundraiser that Arnold Schwarzenegger headlined in San Francisco last month for the California State Protocol Foundation. Until that dinner, Arnold Schwarzenegger had been careful to maintain a public buffer with the group that funds his travel and to follow other rules governing fundraising disclosures. That allowed the Protocol Foundation to keep its donor lists private. "Finally, we're seeing the individuals who have been paying," said Bob Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles. By headlining the dinner, however, Schwarzenegger in essence solicited the donations on behalf of the group under California law, forcing the group and the governor to release the names of those who attended and contributed. The foundation turned the list of donors over to the governor's office last week. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office released the list of donors Thursday following a request from The Associated Press.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER MILLIONAIR LIST: - In a statement distributed by the governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's office on Thursday, Charlotte Shultz, chairwoman of the Protocol Foundation, said the group serves a vital role, allowing the governor to meet with foreign dignitaries, "thereby supporting business opportunities between California and their countries, as well as cultural and goodwill exchanges." Others on the list include Jeremiah Hallisey, a major Democratic donor and former appointee of Gov. Gray Davis; Charles Munger, Jr., an executive with Berkshire Hathaway; and George Jewett, former president of Potlatch Corp., a major timber harvester and wholesaler of wood and paper products. Shultz is married to former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, who contributed $10,000 at the November fundraiser.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER BILLIONAIR LIST: - According to annual reports filed with the Internal Revenue Service, the Protocol Foundation raised more than $4.2 million from 2003 to 2006. Besides the trade missions, the group has paid for several Capitol receptions, a luncheon for the consular corps and a barbecue for the news media. Foundation president Allan Zaremberg, who is also president of the California Chamber of Commerce, did not immediately return a call from the AP on Thursday, but has previously disagreed with characterizations of the trips as luxury vacations or opportunities for donors to press a particular point of view with dignitaries.

SOLAR WIND WHAT CAUSES SOLAR WINDS NEWS HEADLINES STORY

SOLAR WIND WHAT MAKES SOLAR WIND POSSIBLE

SOLAR WIND: - The solar wind, which whips off the sun and then the solar wind blows past Earth and through the solar system, is unleashed by powerful magnetic waves in electrically charged gas around the sun says the scientists. "The

magnificent thing about the success of Hinode is its unprecedented view of the dynamics of the sun," Jonathan Cirtain, a solar physicist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, who helped in the research, said in a telephone interview. The mechanisms that cause the solar wind had baffled scientists for decades, but were revealed in observations by a Japanese satellite called Hinode orbiting Earth, the scientists said in research published in the journal Science.

SOLAR WIND EXPERIMENT: -

The research was conducted by Japanese, European and U.S. scientists. The solar wind is a stream of electrically charged gas -- mostly hydrogen -- blown outward from the sun in all directions at a speed of about a million mph (1.6 million kph). Driving the solar wind are so-called Alfven waves -- strong magnetic waves -- that ripple through the plasma of the sun's atmosphere, or corona, transferring energy from the star's surface and into the solar wind, the researchers said. The solar wind buffets planetary atmospheres. On Earth, solar wind can disrupt satellites, power grids and communications, under certain circumstances. Earth's magnetic field protects against the solar wind, creating a bubble around which the wind must flow.

SOLAR WIND - HINODE THE SUNRISE: -

Hinode (pronounced hin-OH-day and named for the Japanese word for "sunrise") showed that two mechanisms appear to power the solar wind, Cirtain said. The waves are named after Swedish physicist Hannes Alfven, whose prediction of their existence helped earn him a Nobel prize in physics 1970. He died in 1995. The first involves the way the sun's magnetic field undergoes rapid changes in its shape, the researchers said. As the magnetic field changes shape, it generates these Alfven waves along its length that accelerate the charged gas and blow it into space, they said.

'SOLAR WIND IMPOSSIBLE TO OBSERVE'

The existence of the solar wind was first theorized about a half century ago. It existence was confirmed in the 1970s. Another mechanism powering the solar wind involves the sun's chromosphere, the region sandwiched between the solar surface and its corona. Images from Hinode's Solar Optical Telescope found that the chromosphere is filled with Alfven waves, which when they leak into the corona are strong enough to trigger the solar wind. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency leads the mission, with cooperation from NASA and the European Space Agency.
"Until now, Alfven waves have been impossible to observe because of limited resolution of available instruments," Alexei Pevtsov, Hinode program scientist for NASA, said in a statement. Hinode has three key pieces of equipment -- the largest optical telescope to observe the sun from orbit, an X-ray telescope and an ultraviolet imaging spectrograph, making continuous observations of the sun.

US INTELLIGENCE FAILS ON IRAN AND IRAQ WORLD NEWS HEADLINES STORY

US INTELLIGENCE FAILS ONCE AGAIN ON IRAN AND IRAQ INTERNATIONAL WORLD NEWS HEADLINES STORY

US INTELLIGENCE FAILURE ON IRAN WORLD NEWS HEADLINES: - The United States has operated under a cloud of faulty intelligence in both countries, Iran and Iraq. Where there once was certainty, there now is doubt. "We do not know whether it currently intends to develop nuclear weapons," the new estimate said Monday. In a bombshell intelligence assessment, the United States has backed away from its once-ironclad assertion that Tehran is intent on building nuclear bombs. Just last month, President Bush, at a news conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, said, "We talked about Iran and the desire to work jointly to convince the Iranian regime to give up their nuclear weapons ambitions, for the sake of peace." Compare that with what then-National Intelligence Director John Negroponte told Congress in January. "Our assessment is that Tehran is determined to develop nuclear weapons." Asked then if he definitely believed that Iran wanted to build a nuclear bomb, Bush said, "Yeah, I believe they want to have the capacity, the knowledge, in order to make a nuclear weapon." More ominously, Bush told a news conference Oct. 17, "I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."

Intelligence officials advised Bush several months ago that they were reevaluating their assessments about Iran. They came to the White House last Wednesday and briefed him on their new findings. Bush's National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said the president made comments like those "because he was describing the threat as the intelligence community itself had been describing the threat both publicly and in their briefings to him." Democrats on Monday did not hesitate to suggest an Iran-Iraq comparison. The intelligence flip-flop recalled the embarrassing reversal that Bush was forced to make on whether Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. The conviction that Saddam Hussein had such weapons was one of the factors behind Bush's decision to invade Iraq. It since has been determined that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction. "I hope this administration reads this report carefully and appropriately adjusts its rhetoric and policy vis-a-vis Iran," Reid said. "The administration should begin this process by finally undertaking a diplomatic surge necessary to effectively address the challenges posed by Iran." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Democrats had requested the new Iran assessment "so that the administration could not rush this Congress and the country to another war based on flawed intelligence."

In the case of Iran, though, the White House has not dropped its suspicions that Tehran could pursue a nuclear bomb. Iran continues to develop, test and deploy ballistic missiles, and its civilian uranium enrichment program is continuing. "It can readily use the same technology to produce weapons-grade uranium," Hadley said. "Tehran's decision to halt its nuclear weapons program suggests it is less determined to develop nuclear weapons than we have been judging since 2005," the new estimate said. In rewriting the conclusions about Iran, the new estimate said Tehran was pursuing a nuclear weapons program but halted that effort in the fall of 2003 under the weight of international pressure. Importantly, the estimate said Iran has not restarted the nuclear bomb program. The White House says it will continue to try to build pressure on Iran to prevent it from ever acquiring nuclear bombs. While key facts have changed, the administration's strategy has not. Some analysts believe the new conclusions will be a roadblock for Vice President Dick Cheney and other hawkish members of the administration to be more confrontational toward Iran. "The bottom line is that for that strategy to succeed, the international community has to turn up the pressure on Iran with diplomatic isolation, United Nations sanctions and with other financial pressure," Hadley said. "And Iran has to decide that it wants to negotiate a solution."

Wolfsthal said the conclusion that international pressure prompted Iran to halt its program "is the piece of information that we missed in Iraq" where Bush believed that Iraq's pursuit of WMD was continuing despite sanctions. He said the administration did not appear inclined to change its strategy toward Iran. He said that "suggests they can't take yes for an answer." "It's a good thing that we caught this before we marched headlong into another military conflict," said Jon Wolfsthal, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "This isn't the timebomb the administration made it out to be for the last several years."

MISS WORLD 2007 CHINESE BEAUTY WINS WORLD NEWS HEADLINES

CHINESE BEAUTY ZHANG ZI LI WINS MISS WORLD 2007 FROM 106 CONTESTANTS WORLD NEWS HEADLINES STORY

CHINESE BEAUTY CROWNED MISS WORLD 2007: - Miss China was crowned the new Miss World 2007 at the beauty pageant held in Sanya, China, on Saturday evening. Zhang Zi Li bagged the title from among 106 of the world s most beautiful women. Second in line was Miss Angola, followed by Miss Mexico. The event was held on the southern holiday island of Hainan.