Grasso pay case headed to state court
Federal judge rules Spitzer suit to be heard in New York
By Alistair Barr, CBS MarketWatch
Last Update: 7:35 PM ET Dec. 9, 2004



SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- A federal judge ruled Thursday that the case involving the compensation of former New York Stock Exchange Chief Executive Richard Grasso should be heard in state court rather than in federal court, according to a spokeswoman for New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.

The decision by Judge Gerald Lynch of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York is a victory for Spitzer, who is suing Grasso to return at least $100 million of a $189 million compensation package....


http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/archivedSt...D%26minisite%3D

Spitzer adds $2M to war chest
Analysts say early announcement and fund-raiser is attempt to ward off potential Democratic opponents

BY ERROL A. COCKFIELD JR
ALBANY BUREAU CHIEF

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/state/ny...enews-headlines

IAEA Leader's Phone Tapped

By Dafna Linzer

The Bush administration has dozens of intercepts of Mohamed ElBaradei's phone calls with Iranian diplomats and is scrutinizing them in search of ammunition to oust him as director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, according to three U.S. government officials.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

White House Puts Blame on Kerik

By Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen

White House officials yesterday blamed Bernard B. Kerik for repeatedly failing to disclose potential legal problems to administration lawyers vetting his nomination to be homeland security secretary, as President Bush prepared to quickly name a replacement and try to put the controversy over the former New York police commissioner's background behind him.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Campaign for DNC Chief Begins

By Dan Balz

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Dec. 11 -- The race for chairman of the Democratic National Committee opened here Saturday with prospective candidates asserting that Democrats will continue to lose elections until they develop a message that resonates across the country, rebuild broken state parties and quit conceding territory to the Republicans.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Bush's References to God Defended by Speechwriter

By Alan Cooperman

KEY WEST, Fla. -- Like many evangelical Christians, President Bush believes that God is at work in his life. But he has avoided claiming that God is behind his presidency or U.S. foreign policy, his chief speechwriter said.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Civil Rights Lightning

By Michael Kinsley

Sometime during the late 1980s, some guy (I don't remember who) from some conservative think tank (CATO? Hoover?) asked me at some Washington reception whether the New Republic, where I worked as the editor, would be interested in publishing an article advocating gay marriage. It was the first that I had heard of the idea.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Iraqi Fighters Keep Up Attacks

By Anthony Shadid

BAGHDAD, Dec. 11 -- A series of car bombings, ambushes and assassinations across the country's most restive regions Saturday killed several civilians, police and clerics. An insurgent leader said a day earlier that fighting in the western Iraqi city of Fallujah had drawn hundreds of fighters to rebel ranks.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Yushchenko Was Poisoned, Doctors Say

By Peter Finn

KIEV, Ukraine, Dec. 11 -- The illness that disfigured the face of opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko resulted from poisoning by the toxic substance dioxin, which might have been placed deliberately in his food, Austrian doctors who treated him told reporters in Vienna on Saturday.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

In an Iraqi ER, Doctors Attend to Disaster

By Anthony Shadid

BAGHDAD -- It was morning, the skies tinted gray by a winter storm, when the station wagon careered toward Yarmouk Hospital. Crowds scurried from its path before it screeched to a halt at the emergency room. Desperately, the driver pulled the bloodied body of Firas Abdel-Hassan from the back seat, which was littered with broken glass. Then he crumpled to the ground.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

25 Years Later, a Different Type of Revolution

By Robin Wright

TEHRAN -- Victoria's Secret has arrived in Tehran. So have the Gap, Diesel, Benetton and Black & Decker. A quarter-century after a mass movement inspired by Islam ended 2,500 years of monarchy, Iran's revolutionary society is moving on.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Middle East Stirrings

THE MONTH since Yasser Arafat's death has seen an encouraging flurry of movement on all sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians have scheduled elections for president next month, and polls show a surge of support for the moderate leadership that succeeded Mr. Arafat. The Israeli government quickly agreed to facilitate the elections, and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon won approval from his Likud Party to form a centrist government to implement his proposed withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Violence has tapered off, though not ceased, and there are reports that Egyptian efforts to broker a formal cease-fire by Palestinian militants may at last succeed. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and other Arab leaders have signaled an intent to promote a settlement more actively than before. Remarkably, Mr. Mubarak launched a frontal attack on the Arab world's conventional wisdom by publicly endorsing Mr. Sharon's "ability to move along the peace process."

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle


Would you like to send this article to a friend? Go to
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/a...er=emailarticle

Yushchenko: Regime in Ukraine in its Last Days

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=A66695:2F72C9D

Opposition leader compares recent events with scenes that accompanied
the collapse of the Soviet Union, fall of Berlin Wall

Victor YushchenkoUkrainian opposition leader Victor Yushchenko says
the people of Ukraine have already made the choice for a new country,
as he prepares to resume campaigning for a re-run of presidential
elections later this month.

A choir from the Crimea greeted the Ukrainian opposition leader in the
hospital where he was treated.

Mr. Yushchenko, whose wife, Katya, translated his remarks into
English, said a new Ukraine is emerging.

"I want to tell you, over the last three weeks, you have seen a
different country, a different nation," he said. "The regime that was
in place for 14 years in the Ukraine is now living its last days."

Mr. Yushchenko compared the recent events in the Ukraine with the
scenes that accompanied the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall
of the Berlin Wall. He said the country had not seen such protests in
more than 100 years.

Mr. Yushchenko said, during the demonstrations, old and young had
shown that the choice had already been made for a new country, in
which the people would stand up to defend their rights.

On Saturday, doctors at the Vienna clinic confirmed the politician's
lingering illness was the result of dioxin poisoning.

Dr. Michael Zimpfer told reporters that Mr. Yushchenko was physically
fit enough to fight his election campaign, and that his condition is
not contagious. He said it was a complicated illness to track down,
because routine forensic tests at first showed no evidence of
poisoning.

But Dr. Zimpfer said new research had made it possible to confirm
without any doubt that the illness was caused by dioxin poisoning.

The case will now be treated as a criminal matter by the authorities
in the Ukraine.

Romanians Vote in Tense Runoff Ballot

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=A66699:2F72C9D

Opposition expressing concern about fairness of ballot

Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, left, with his wife DanaVoters
in Romania are going to the polls in the final round of a presidential
runoff which will determine who will lead the former Communist nation
into the European Union in 2007. The opposition is expressing concern
about the fairness of the ballot.

The polls opened early Sunday for a presidential runoff which is being
closely watched by the international community after human rights and
non governmental groups reported "grave irregularities" during the
first round of the election on November 28.

That round of voting was plagued by allegations that voters were able
to cast several ballots in parts of the country, in favor of the
government's presidential candidate, outgoing prime minister Adrian
Nastase, who election officials claimed won with roughly 41 percent of
the vote.



Following the example of neighboring Ukraine, people dressed in orange
colors took to the streets of Bucharest this week to protest what they
called a "fraudulent vote."

Mr. Nastase and his ruling former Communists turned Social Democrats
have denied opposition charges that they encouraged the transport of
supporters to multiple polling stations.

Bucharest Mayor Traian Basescu The 54-year-old prime minister is
running against Traian Basescu, the 53-year-old popular Bucharest
major who is backed by center and liberal parties of his Justice and
Truth Alliance.

Both men have pledged to fight poverty and corruption, key issues that
will have to be addressed for Romania to join the EU in 2007.

Millions of people still live up or below the poverty line in Romania
where average monthly incomes hover around $150 and horse carts still
compete with cars.

Opposition candidate Traian Basescu, a colorful former sea captain,
has promised to become "the first president who will crush" what he
called "the corrupt system and the mafia."

Prime Minister Nastase says he is the right man to become president,
and already has experience in dealing with organizations such as the
EU.

In an apparent effort to boost his election chances, the government
announced this week it had successfully concluded Romania's
negotiations on membership of the Union.

Whoever wins the ballot will replace Ion Illiescu, who led Romania
through most of the 15 often turbulent years, since a bloody
revolution ended decades of Communist dictatorship.

The new president will also appoint the next government. Mr. Nastase's
Social Democrats, who slightly edged out the opposition in the
November parliamentary election, announced they are prepared to form a
coalition with a party representing Romania's up to two million ethnic
Hungarians.

But with none of the parliamentary parties having an outright
majority, difficult negotiations are expected.

US Troops, Iraqi Police Detain 50 Suspects in Baquba

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=A6669C:2F72C9D

Statement says weapons found during raids around towns of Buhriz, Hib
Hib U.S. military officials in Iraq say American soldiers and Iraqi
police have detained more than 50 people during raids in search of
insurgents around the city of Baquba, north of Baghdad.

A statement Sunday says a number of weapons were also found during
Saturday's raids, around the towns of Buhriz and Hib Hib.

Elsewhere Saturday, at least 10 Iraqis and a U.S. Marine were killed
in several insurgent attacks across the country.

In another development, Dinesh Dharmendra Rajaratnam, a Sri Lankan
truck driver set free by Iraqi militants last week after he was
kidnapped in October, returned home Sunday, where he was reunited with
his family.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict Should Not Impede Arab Reforms, US says

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=A66691:2F72C9D

Secretary of State Colin Powell expresses view after meeting with
senior officials from more than 20 predominately Muslim countries

Colin Powell (l) and Mohammed Benaissa The United States says social,
political and economic reforms in Muslim countries should not be
deterred because of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the
Palestinians. Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed the view after
a meeting in Morocco to promote modernization in the Middle East,
North Africa and South Asia.

The Morocco meeting brought together senior officials from more than
20 predominately Muslim countries stretching from Mauritania to
Pakistan, along with ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized
nations.

The meeting has produced broad agreement on a reform agenda to promote
human rights, democracy and free market economies. But some
differences remain over the impact the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
exercises over the reform project.

The Moroccan foreign minister, Mohammed Benaissa, indicated the
commitment to reform will be linked to progress on creating a
Palestinian state.

"The participants affirmed that their support to reforms in the region
will occur in parallel with their support to finding a solution to the
Palestinian conflict," he said.

Secretary of State Powell said the Palestinian issue should not stand
in the way of the reform agenda.

"What we heard in the conference was that we very much want to see
progress toward the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,"
Secretary Powell said. "We also want to see reform take place. And
reform does not have to wait for that. Obviously as that situation
improves, and if we start moving down that track, then I think
conditions are created for faster reform."

Mr. Powell also has stressed the threat of Islamic terrorism to the
region and the world. He says the West must work with Muslim countries
to address the despair and frustration that extremists exploit.

U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow also attended the conference, and
announced a $60 million project to provide training and technical
assistance for small businesses. He said the best way to stimulate
development is to create jobs in the region, where 50 percent of the
working age population is unemployed.

Burma Announces New Prison Releases, but Few Political Prisoners Are
Included

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=A6669D:2F72C9D

Critics say most of those released are petty criminals, and very few
are political prisoners Burma's military government has freed another
group of several hundred prisoners. Critics say most of those released
are petty criminals, and very few are political prisoners.

The releases are part of a third group of more than 5,000 prisoners
whom the government said it would release, bringing the total number
released in the past month to more than 14,000. Opposition leaders say
several dozen of these were political prisoners, but most were common
criminals.

A government statement read on state-owned television said these
detainees had been arrested inappropriately by the Military
Intelligence Bureau, which was disbanded in an October purge that saw
the dismissal of its head, then-Prime Minister Khin Nyunt.

The military government says that despite the leadership change, it
will continue with a "roadmap toward democracy" announced by Khin
Nyunt last year. And it will reconvene a national convention in
February to draft a new constitution and organize elections. However,
authorities have indicated they do not intend to release pro-democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for the past
18 months.

Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said after meeting with
the military leadership Friday in Rangoon that the junta told him
releasing the Nobel Peace Prize winner could lead to political
instability.

It was one of the clearest indications in many months that the
democracy activist's release is not imminent, despite persistent
international calls for her freedom. The European Union and Unites
States recently issued new calls for her release.

The developments come amid reports of new attacks against ethnic Karen
villages that some fear could signal a new offensive against the Karen
National Union (KNU), the country's largest rebel group.

KNU Secretary-General Padu Mannshar told VOA that Burmese troops in
the past month have burned about 100 homes and several thousand
hectares of rice fields.

"From November 17 up to now they have some activity," he said. "About
four battalions of the military regime make operations in our area."

He said he had no information on possible casualties. Civic groups
working with Karen refugees in Thailand say nearly 8,000 people have
been made homeless.

Mr. Mannshar notes that the attacks come in spite of a "gentleman's
agreement" on a ceasefire between the KNU and the Burmese government.

"The fighting is not stopped," he added. "So it is a problem. So in
the future what will happen is not sure."

Ousted Prime Minister Khin Nyunt advocated negotiations with rebel
groups, offering them some autonomy in exchange for peace. However,
the hard-line generals who consolidated their power in the recent
shakeup are said to advocate a military solution.

Bomb Kills 13 in Southern Philippines

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=A66696:2F72C9D

Blast in city of General Santos apparently caused by homemade bomb
Police investigators inspect the meat section of a public market in
General Santos city in southern Philippines following an explosionThe
death toll in an explosion at a crowded market in the southern
Philippines has risen to 13, with at least 52 others injured.

The blast Sunday in the city of General Santos was apparently caused
by a homemade bomb.

Three people were killed at the scene and 10 others died later in
hospitals.

Shoppers and merchants fled the market in panic after the explosion.
Police cordoned off the area.

Despite a crackdown by the military and police, Muslim terrorists have
staged bomb attacks, and have a presence in General Santos, a port
city 1,000 kilometers south of Manila.

Taiwan Voters Move Away From Chen's Agenda

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=A66693:2F72C9D

Result means Taiwan's president may have trouble pursuing his
agenda of distancing Taiwan from mainland China

Nationalist Party supporters cheer after winning a majority in the
legislative electionTaiwan's opposition parties defeated the
pro-independence coalition in the island's legislative elections. The
result means the island's president may have trouble pursuing his
agenda of distancing Taiwan from mainland China.

Election officials say the Kuomintang-led opposition coalition will
end up with 114 seats in Taiwan's 225-member legislature - one more
than it had going into Saturday's vote. The coalition favors stronger
ties with Beijing and leaving unchanged the island's political status.

The pro-independence coalition led by President Chen Shui-bian's
Democratic Progressive Party, failed again to secure control of the
Legislative Yuan. It captured 101 seats.

The election was seen as a referendum on the president's efforts to
distance Taiwan from China and move toward greater independence.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war divided the country.
Beijing considers the island its territory and says Taiwanese
independence moves would be considered grounds for war.

Chen Shui-bian at the pollsPresident Chen may find it difficult to
push forward his key platform issues. They include legislative
approval of an $18 billion arms purchase from the United States;
replacing the name "Republic of China" with "Taiwan" for some
government offices, and a referendum on a new constitution.

Hsiao Bi-Khim, a member of the president's Democratic People's Party,
says those issues are important to the island.

"These issues, they're actually reflecting the popular sentiment here
and are a pragmatic step forward," said Hsiao Bi-Khim. "It's a process
of natural evolution here in Taiwan."

Beijing says the proposals could provoke Chinese intervention but Ms.
Hsiao says the president will not push Taiwan toward formal
independence.

"President Chen has laid out what we will not touch upon, and mainly
issues related to sovereignty, independence and national name change,
these issues will not be dealt with in the constitutional reform
process," she said.

Washington strongly opposes Mr. Chen's agenda and favors maintaining
the status quo.

Saturday, it appeared that by leaving control of the legislature in
the hands of the president's opposition, Taiwan's voters did just
that.

Russian War in Chechnya Marks 10 Year Anniversary

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=A6669A:2F72C9D

Conflict has ushured in new era in post-Soviet Russia

A Russian soldier looks on while patrolling Grozny - File PhotoTen
years ago Saturday, three armored columns, carrying thousands of
Russian troops and weapons, roared into the southern region of
Chechnya, attempting to crush a bid for independence. The first war in
Chechnya ushered in a new era in post-Soviet Russia.

Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin ordered troops into the small
Caucasus Mountain republic, after Chechnya's leader refused to rescind
a declaration of full independence from Moscow.

Saying he had to defend Russia's territorial unity, Mr. Yeltsin hoped
what he called a small victorious war would quickly bring the
majority-Muslim region to heel.

It did not turn out that way.

Russian soldiers stand near a checkpoint in central Grozny while a
large explosion shakes the shattered Chechen capital - File
PhotoHighly-motivated Chechen fighters managed to resist the Russian
onslaught, mostly with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, killing
or capturing young Russian conscripts, as they fled from their burning
tanks in disarray.

Russian fighter jets flew constant sorties over the capital city,
Grozny, and other towns, the start of a steadily-mounting toll on the
civilian population.

The fierce Chechen resistance also showed how far the once-mighty
Soviet military had fallen since the earlier, disastrous conflict in
Afghanistan, due to low morale and inexperience.

Russian troops ultimately withdrew from Chechnya. A peace deal was
signed, after rebels retook control of Grozny in August 1996.

But three years of de facto independence led to lawlessness, rampant
kidnappings for ransom and terror attacks.

In 1999, then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sent tens-of-thousands of
troops back into Chechnya, after rebels made an incursion into a
neighboring region.

Mr. Putin also blamed Chechens for bombing several apartment blocks in
Moscow that killed hundreds of people, earning him widespread
popularity that helped propel him into the presidency.

Human rights groups have repeatedly charged Russian troops with
employing brutal tactics, amid signs the conflict has attracted
foreign fighters.

And the Kremlin's tight control over major broadcast media keeps the
conflict largely out of the public eye, in spite of an almost-daily
death toll among Russians and Chechens alike.

President Putin rules out negotiating with Chechen separatist leaders,
whom he calls terrorists.

Alexei Malashenko with the Carnegie Center is one of Russia's leading
experts on Chechnya and the Caucasus. He says there is little hope the
long-running war will end anytime soon. "I don't believe in the
possibility to solve the conflict by military means. Also, I don't
believe in negotiations, because nobody knows with whom and about what
to negotiate," he says.

Mr. Malashenko says any attempt to talk with moderate Chechen
separatists would probably bring little result, as hard-liners would
continue their fight against Russia.

In recent years, there have been suicide bombings and hostage-taking
incidents, like the siege at a school that killed over 330 people in
September.

Mr. Malashenko says most people in the war-shattered republic now just
try to survive as best they can, knowing that little is likely to
change soon.

Congo Instability Continues as Army Units Clash in East

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=A66692:2F72C9D

Rival units within newly unified Congolese army clash south of Goma

Rival units within Democratic Republic of Congo's supposedly unified
national army have yet again clashed in eastern part of the country.
Reports reaching the capital in Kinshasa suggested heavy fighting
broke out on Saturday morning, but by late afternoon, the local based
U.N. officials said that calm had returned to the volatile region,
just south of the border town of Goma.

As if to underline an increasingly fragile political and military
situation in eastern Congo, rival units within the newly unified
Congolese army clashed in area some 35 kilometers south of the border
town of Goma.

A Congolese security source said the fighting had been heavy and a
spokeswoman for the U.N. mission in Goma said she had heard similar
reports, but by the time a U.N. helicopter flew over the area late in
the afternoon, calm appeared to have returned.

The U.N. and government sources said that the fighting was probably a
continuation of in-fighting between elements of a local militia known
as the Mai Mai, which has officially been integrated into the newly
unified Congolese army.

There is no word on casualties yet.

The soldiers are from the mineral rich North Kivu province, which is
ostensibly controlled by the new army following a peace deal that
officially ended Congo's five year civil war. Over three-million
people were killed in that war.

But there is still a lack of trust between the former foes, who
continue to fight over military and economic control over the lawless
region.

And fears that the region could slip back into war have been
heightened during the last two weeks after neighboring Rwanda has
apparently sent its troops into eastern Congo to hunt down Hutu
rebels.

Many of the rebels took part in the 1994 genocide, killing some
800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus, before fleeing into Congo.

Kinshasa reacted angrily to the threats and announced plans to send
some 10,000 more troops to its border.

Both the United Nations and the United States have warned Rwanda and
Congo not to renew the conflict in the region

WFP: Refugees in Ethiopia Lack Food

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=A66698:2F72C9D

World Food Program says it will be forced to cut food rations unless
donors urgently contribute more than $4 million The World Food Program
(WFP) says more than 100,000 refugees in camps in Ethiopia are facing
a serious shortfall of food. The WFP says it will be forced to cut
food rations unless donors urgently contribute more than $4 million.

Most of the 118,000 refugees in camps in Ethiopia are from southern
Sudan. The rest are from Somalia and Eritrea. Many of these people
have lived in exile for the past 20 years. A World Food Program
spokesman, Simon Pluess says these refugees are almost entirely
dependent upon international food assistance.

"To become self-reliant in this very arid region, very desert-like
region is difficult and access to arable land to cultivate is almost
impossible," he said. "Some of the refugees do, of course, try to find
some earnings and collect wood, but this is always hampering and
creating tensions with the resident population."

The World Food Program says it needs an additional 8,500 tons of
cereals, vegetable oil, salt, and blended foods. It notes cereal
stocks are expected to run out by April. But, warns food rations for
the refugees will have to be cut by 30 percent as of January if the
agency does not receive $4.2 million immediately.

It says this money would provide complete food rations for the
refugees for the next six months. The agency says many people are
likely to fall ill and some may die if they do not get enough to eat.
In particular, the health of young children, women and the elderly is
likely to deteriorate.

Mr. Pluess says the lack of food also is adversely affecting the
repatriation of Somali refugees to their country.

"This commodity shortfall could also delay the repatriation program of
some 6500 Somali refugees in eastern Ethiopia since WFP would just
simply not be able to provide repatriation food packages prior to
their departure," he added.

The World Food Program says most of the food it needs for the refugees
could be bought quickly in local markets if donors provided cash,
rather than in-kind contributions.

Report: US Officials Tap IAEA Chief's Calls With Iran

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=A6669B:2F72C9D

The Washington Post  quotes three officials, speaking on
condition of anonymity, as saying White House looking for material to
strengthen its argument that Mohamed ElBaradei should be retired

Mohamed ElBaradei

A U.S. newspaper reports the Bush administration has been monitoring
telephone conversations between Iranian diplomats and the head of the
International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, in search of
material to use for his ouster.

The Washington Post quotes three officials, speaking on condition of
anonymity, as saying the White House is looking for material to
strengthen its argument that the 62-year-old Mr. ElBaradei should be
retired.

The White House has not commented on the report.

The newspaper says some U.S. officials believe the phone intercepts
may show Mr. ElBaradei has been soft on the Iranians, while others
believe the transcripts show only standard diplomacy.

The <i>Post</i> quotes an IAEA spokesman
as saying the U.N. agency "always assumed" eavesdropping occurs.

Bush Calls For Urgent Social Security Reforms

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=A66694:2F72C9D

President warns US retirement benefits system will be bankrupt in
coming decades unless action is taken soon

George W. BushPresident Bush is warning that the U.S. retirement
benefits system will be bankrupt in the coming decades unless action
is taken soon.

In his weekly radio address Saturday, the president urged lawmakers to
work with him to re-vamp the system, known as Social Security. He said
the U.S. work force has changed since the program was established in
1935, with people living longer and receiving more retirement
benefits.

The president ruled out raising payroll taxes for the reforms.
Instead, his plan would give younger workers the option of diverting a
portion of their payroll taxes into private savings accounts.

He said if action is not taken to reform Social Security, the system
will be bankrupt when workers who are now in their mid-20s retire.

Some Democrats question the need to re-haul Social Security and they
decry the costs of such a plan. Critics say Mr. Bush's plan for
reforming the system could require up to $2 trillion in transition
costs.

Some information for this report provided by Reuters.

Forbes Lists 40 Wealthiest Indian Business People

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=A66697:2F72C9D

Technology and pharmaceuticals have created many of the country's
largest fortunes Forbes Magazine has issued an inaugural list of
India's 40 wealthiest business people. Two high-growth industries,
technology and pharmaceuticals, have created many of the country's
largest fortunes.

Forbes says nearly half of the mega-wealthy on its list started
entirely from scratch. Working from home garages, or starting with
loans as small as $100, these people carved out fortunes of at least
$300 million.

Dilip Cherian, a former business editor and now head of the publicity
firm Perfect Relations, says the liberalization of India's protected
economy in 1991 dramatically changed a country dominated by family
businesses and a socialist mindset - and created a new generation of
corporate tycoons. "There was a structural change in the mindset of
the younger generation, saying we will go out, search for new areas,
and we are as good as anybody else. In the new environment you are
allowing the unleashing of new forces of growth," he said.

Eleven of India's 40 richest made it big in the high-profile
technology sector, and nine are from India's thriving pharmaceuticals
industry. The rest come from a range of industries - manufacturing,
petrochemicals telecommunications, entertainment.

The group ranges from Azim Premji, with a $10 billion net worth based
largely on his highly successful IT company called Wipro, to Desh
Bandhu Gupta, a former teacher who bought the tiny vitamin company
Lupin and turned it into a leading pharmaceuticals firm. Forbes lists
his worth at $305 million.

The list of 40 wealthiest includes one woman - Kiran Mazumdar Shaw,
who has established one of India's most successful biotechnology
companies, Biocon.

Forty percent of the richest live in Bombay, others in emerging
economic centers such as Bangalore and New Delhi.

Industry watchers say India's rapidly expanding economy is creating a
rising tide of prosperity. The number of dollar millionaires in India
is still far smaller than those in China, but according to Merrill
Lynch, 11,000 Indians reached that benchmark in 2003.

Mr. Cherian says many more successful entrepreneurs will emerge in
India, one of the world's fastest growing economies, and perhaps even
more rapidly than in the recent past. "So change is in the air, and
the kind of change involves a compression of the time frame that we
are used to seeing in the past. Having said that, the essential story
to watch is to see whether these people who have become these
enormously rich and influential tycoons have the ability to stay the
course, and survive," he says.

India is also home to nearly one-quarter of the world's poorest
people: nearly 300 million in the country live on less than $1 a day.

OPEC upshot: Pricey oil here to stay
The cartel moves to cut production, which could end recent declines in
petroleum prices. By Peter Grier and Kris Axtman
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p01s01-usec.html?s=hns

KGB legacy of poison politics
Doctors confirm that dioxin poisoned Ukraine's opposition candidate
Viktor Yushchenko. By Scott Peterson and Fred Weir
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p01s02-woeu.html?s=hns

Cellphones: once a status symbol, now a necessity
Their use in US triples in 10 years, to 172 million, changing
lifestyles from the campus to the highway. By Daniel B. Wood
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p01s03-ussc.html?s=hns

When saving the world with song, mind the lyrics
Critics have raised an eyebrow at the revival of the fundraising
anthem, citing its outdated, insensitive lyrics. By Mark Rice-Oxley
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p01s04-wogn.html?s=hns

US pushes for more economic reform in Mideast
This week the US and Egypt plan to sign a trade agreement worth $500
million annually. By Dan Murphy
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p04s01-wome.html?s=hns

Drug 'cartelitos' hit Mexico resorts
Seventeen Mexican drug agents were picked up last week for alleged
involvement in trafficking in CancAºn. By Danna Harman
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p06s01-woam.html?s=hns

Spanish leader makes bid to reshape the war on terror
Prime Minister Zapatero testifies Monday before the commission
examining the March 11 terror attacks. By Geoff Pingree
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p07s01-woeu.html?s=hns

Critics lash out at UN, but Annan survives
US ambassador to UN says White House is confident in the secretary
general amid probes of Iraqi oil-for-food program. By Howard LaFranchi
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p02s01-usfp.html?s=hns

Race for Democratic chair: a proxy fight over party identity
At least eight people are vying to hold a job crucial to the Democrats'
future direction. By Liz Marlantes
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p03s01-uspo.html?s=hns

Frank Luntz
Excerpts from a Monitor Breakfast with the Washington pollster, who
discusses trends in the American electorate. By David T. Cook
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p20s02-usmb.html?s=hns

A Beef Tax That Doesn't Cut It
The US government should get out of its role in promoting beef and
other food products.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p08s01-comv.html?s=hns

Tectonic Trends in Trade
The US game of creating free-trade areas won't help further open global
trade.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p08s03-comv.html?s=hns

Math teacher pay doesn't add up
What will it take to lure math and science majors into teaching?
Salaries closer to private sector. By Louis V. Gerstner Jr.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p09s01-coop.html?s=hns

One Christian feeling hijacked by politics
Praying in public suddenly felt like an ideological statement. By Gena
Caponi Tabery
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p09s02-coop.html?s=hns

Just like in the movies, but in kids' hands
Replicas of movie weapons are marketed and sold to young fans who
sometimes wield them in play. By Gloria Goodale
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p11s02-lifp.html?s=hns

Less bang for the boomers
Many baby boomers could face a reduced standard of living in the
proverbial golden years. By Marilyn Gardner
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p13s02-wmgn.html?s=hns

The finer points of e-mail etiquette
Efficient and effective use of e-mail requires writing skills and
online savvy. By Christa Case
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p14s01-wmgn.html?s=hns

Income levels help identify big holiday shoppers
High-end retailers are doing a banner business, but sales at Wal-Mart
stores have been relatively sluggish. By David R. Francis
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p17s01-cogn.html?s=hns

What to do with insurance premiums when money gets tight
Our personal-finance expert tracks down the answers you need. By Steve
Dinnen
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1213/p17s02-wmgn.html?s=hns

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/...1006643,00.html

How Safe Are Our Troops?
Why the Pentagon ended up with a shortage of armored vehicles for US soldiers in Iraq
Mark Thompson
Time Magazine

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/...1006668,00.html

Whither the Dollar
A weak dollar should be good for US exports. But it's already causing pain overseas, and in the long run it could drive up the cost of living at home.
Daniel Kadlec
Time Magazine

http://www.time.com/time/yip/2004/

Year in Pictures 2004
Time Magazine

http://www.time.com/time/subscriber/cover/...1006591,00.html

Why we Sleep
You may think its for your body, but it's really for your brain. The latest research is full of surprises.
Time Magazine
Christine Gorman

http://www.time.com/time/columnist/karon/a...00.html?cnn=yes

Iraq Civilian Casualties? Who Knew?
Does America prefer its media to ignore deaths caused by US actions.
Tony Karon
Viewpoint
Time Magazine

Pentagon Weighs Use of Deception in a Broad Arena
By THOM SHANKER and ERIC SCHMITT
The Pentagon is engaged in bitter debate over how far it
should go in managing information to influence opinion
abroad.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/13/politics/13info.html?th