WESTERN EUROPE

IRAN CALLS FOR ACCELERATED TALKS WITH EUROPE ON NUCLEAR ISSUE

Iran’s vice president urged Europeans yesterday to speed up talks with Tehran on its nuclear program, trade, and regional security – comments that reflected possible frustration at the lack of progress amid reports that negotiations are deadlocked.

The statement by Gholamreza Aghazadeh, who also serves as head of Iran’s atomic energy organization, came a week after a leaked summary of the talks showed no progress in getting Iran to scrap its uranium enrichment activities.

America and several other countries fear Iran is enriching uranium to be used for nuclear weapons instead of generating power.

Mr. Aghazadeh suggested Iran was not happy with the progress of the talks, telling reporters: “We have to take the negotiations seriously and accelerate them.” European officials acknowledged the complexity of the negotiations but said talks were going at a good pace and a diplomatic solution remained on track.

“The European Union is committed to the continuation of this dialogue,” said the spokeswoman for Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Cristina Gallach. “The main challenge is to find what we call the objective guarantees that the Iranian program is of a peaceful nature.”

– Associated Press

SOUTH ASIA

PROTESTS DURING FIRST MUNICIPAL VOTE IN 25 YEARS

SRINAGAR, India – Violent protests erupted yesterday as thousands of people voted yesterday in municipal elections held for the first time in 25 years in Indian-controlled Kashmir amid threats by rebel groups to attack those who participate in the polls.

A mob attacked one polling station in Srinigar, throwing bricks and shattering its windows, said police officer Rashid Ahmad. Elsewhere in the city, crowds of young men burned tires, attacked police vehicles, and pelted officers with stones until police chased them away.

More than 440,000 people were eligible to vote in the ballot, which is for municipal agencies in Jammu-Kashmir state’s two main cities, Srinigar and Jammu.

The turnout was about 17.5% in Srinagar, an election official said on condition of anonymity. In Jammu, the turnout was 75%, elections officials said.

Separatist and rebel groups called for a boycott of the polls, which had not been held for 25 years because of fears of violence. At least two rebel groups, Al-Mansoorain and Hezb-ul-Mujahedeen, have threatened to target people participating in the elections. Dozens of soldiers in bulletproof jackets were deployed around polls to thwart rebel attacks. None was reported.

– Associated Press

NEPAL’S KING CUTS NATION OFF FROM WORLD

KATMANDU, Nepal – King Gyanendra dismissed Nepal’s government yesterday and declared a state of emergency, closing off his Himalayan nation from the rest of the world as telephone and Internet lines were cut, flights diverted, and civil liberties severely curtailed.

Britain and India both expressed concern, saying the king’s actions undermined democracy.

This was the second time in three years the king has taken control of the tiny South Asian constitutional monarchy, a throwback to the era of absolute power enjoyed by monarchs before King Birendra, King Gyanendra’s elder brother, introduced democracy in 1990.

King Gyanendra denied his takeover was a coup, although soldiers surrounded the houses of the prime minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and other government leaders.

The king also suspended several provisions of the constitution, including freedom of the press, speech and expression, peaceful assembly, the right to privacy, and the right against preventive detention, according to a statement from the Narayanhiti Palace.

“We will oppose this step,” Mr. Deuba, who was not allowed to leave his home, told reporters. “The move directly violates the constitution and is against democracy.” Nepali Congress, the country’s largest party, said the king had “pushed the country toward further complications” and called for a demonstration.

– Associated Press

NORTH AMERICA

ANNAN SELECTS PRESIDENT CLINTON TO SPEARHEAD TSUNAMI RELIEF

Secretary-General Annan has selected former President Clinton to be the U.N. point man for tsunami reconstruction and ensure that the world doesn’t forget the immense needs of the countries devastated by the December 26 disaster, a U.N. diplomat said yesterday.

U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard refused to confirm the appointment, but said his office would release a statement later yesterday. Mr. Clinton’s office had no immediate comment. Mr. Annan wants to appoint a special envoy not only to focus on the cleanup and reconstruction but to try to make progress on resolving conflicts with rebels in the two worst-hit countries – Indonesia and Sri Lanka, Mr. Eckhard said. The U.N. diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the appointment of Mr. Clinton as Mr. Annan’s top envoy for the rehabilitation of tsunami-devastated countries would expand on the former president’s efforts to raise money in America.

– Associated Press

WEST AFRICA

COUNCIL AUTHORIZES U.N. PEACEKEEPERS TO MONITOR IVORY COAST

The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution yesterday authorizing U.N. peacekeepers and French forces to monitor implementation of an arms embargo against Ivory Coast.

The resolution gives troops the right to search for weapons in the cargo of any aircraft, vehicle, or boat at any airport, port, or border crossing – without advance notice.

Ivory Coast has been split into a rebel-held north and loyalist south since a September 2002 coup attempt propelled the world’s largest cocoa grower into civil war.

A resolution adopted by the council on November 15 imposed an arms embargo on Ivory Coast and gave the government and the rebels until December 15 to get the peace process back on track – or face a travel ban and asset freeze against those considered to be blocking peace, violating human rights, and preventing the disarmament of combatants.

The council action was in response to violence that erupted on November 6 when President Gbagbo launched surprise attacks on the rebel-held north for three days, citing insurgents’ failure to disarm.

– Associated Press

EAST ASIA

AGENCIES: NORTH KOREA SOLD URANIUM TO LIBYA

North Korea sold processed uranium to Libya for atomic weapons, according to American intelligence agencies and scientists, the New York Times reported last night on its Web site.

The conclusion has led to a secondary investigation of whether North Korea sold uranium to other countries, such as Iran and Syria, the report stated.

Previously, some administration officials said there was no evidence that North Korea was exporting processed uranium abroad.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun

SOUTH AMERICA

REBELS KILL 14 COLOMBIAN SOLDIERS IN BATTLE

BOGOTA, Colombia – Leftist rebels, in a struggle for control of a jungle river used for cocaine trafficking, fired rockets into a Colombian marine post early Tuesday, killing at least 14 soldiers and wounding 25, the Colombian navy commander said.

The assault on the outpost in the southwestern village of Iscuande was the bloodiest rebel attack in two years. It came as government forces were waging an offensive in south-central Colombia against the guerrillas.

The defense minister, Jorge Uribe, said he grieved for the slain soldiers, but assured the nation the government would prevail.

“We are in mourning for the deaths of our marines,” Mr. Uribe said. “But we must look at the medium and long-term and see that the pendulum remains swinging in favor of peace and security for Colombians.”

Government forces, including American-trained counter narcotics troops, used river gunboats, helicopters, and an airplane outfitted with machine guns to pursue the fighters of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, who carried out the pre-dawn attack.

A lieutenant who commanded the jungle outpost and 13 other marines were killed, said the Colombian navy commander, Admiral Mauricio Soto.

– Associated Press