It is 15: 30 Universal Time. I'm Bob Doughty in Washington.
[1] A South Korean lawmaker says North Korea is ready to return to six-nation talks about its nuclear program. But the lawmaker says North Korea wants the United States to first show willingness to settle a financial dispute between the two countries. Last year, the United States accused North Korea of illegal financial activities. American officials say these charges are separate from the nuclear talks. In the United States' two Republican senators are calling for direct talks between the United States and North Korea.
[2] The deputy prime minister of Iraq says Iraqi government forces will control about half the country by the end of this year. Barham Salih spoke in London after meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Mr. Salih said foreign troops should not leave Iraq now. He said Iraq must have lasting cooperation with Britain and the United States.
[3] Officials in Iraq have ordered a curfew in the southern city of Amarah after clashes between security forces and Shiite fighters. Twenty-five people were killed in the fighting Thursday and Friday. Also American military officials have announced the death of another marine in fighting in Iraq. This brings the total number of American troops killed in the country this month to eighty-six.
[4] The government of Sri Lanka and the main opposition party have agreed on a plan for starting peace talks again with Tamil Tiger rebels. Reports in Colombo, Sri Lanka, say the agreement gives the government support to negotiate with the rebels. Agreement with the opposition party is important if the government wants to change the constitution to share power with the Tamil rebels. Opposition members of the parliament would have to approve any constitutional changes for them to take effect. Talks are to be held in less than one week in Geneva, Switzerland.
[5] Palestinian officials say Israeli troops have killed at least 7 Palestinians and wounded 20 other people in the Gaza Strip. Reports say the Israelis appeared to be looking for a member of the group Popular Resistance Committees in the town of Beit Hanun. The Israeli army says troops fired at Palestinian militants who were trying to launch rockets at southern Israel.
[6] Russia has expressed hope that Iran could return to international negotiations about its nuclear program. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is meeting with European Union External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. She says Iran has not expressed interest in offers from western countries in exchange for an end to uranium enrichment activity in Iran. In Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said again that Iran will not stop its nuclear program.
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[7] The United Nations diplomat in Sudan is leaving the country a day after Sudanese officials ordered his expulsion. A Foreign Ministry official in Sudan says Jan Pronk had bad view toward the Sudanese government and its military forces. A United Nations official says Mr. Pronk will go to New York for meetings. Last week, Mr. Pronk wrote that the Sudanese army had lost two major battles to rebels in Darfur. He also wrote that Sudan was not following the terms of the peace agreement that it signed for Darfur. These messages appeared on his Internet Website.
[8] The kidnappers of an Italian news photographer in Afghanistan say Gabriele Torsello is in good health. Mr. Torsello and his language assistant disappeared between October 12th and 14th. They had been traveling to the southern city of Kandahar at the time. The kidnappers have demanded that Italian forces be withdrawn from Afghanistan by Sunday night. Earlier, they had threatened to kill the hostages if the demand was not met.
[9] In Indonesia, two prisoners jailed for involvement in deadly bombings in Bali will be released from jail on Tuesday. Sirojul Munir had been sentenced to a five-year term for hiding one of the planners of the attack in 2002. But officials had reduced his sentence several times. Indonesian officials did not identify the other prisoner to be freed. The releases are time to mark the Muslim holiday Eid Al Fitr that comes at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
[10] The government of Bangladesh and its opposition have completed more talks without reaching an agreement. There was no explanation given to the media when the negotiators left the meeting after 20 minutes. The two sides are trying to avoid an opposition boycott of elections in January. A coalition led by the opposition Awami League has threatened the boycott unless the chief election official and his deputies are replaced. The Awami League says these election officials will give unfair support to the government.
[11] The head of the Church of England says Chinese leaders have changed the way they think about religion. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams says they now see it as a way to help society deal with an economy that is changing quickly. The archbishop made his comments in Beijing. He said many Chinese are becoming Christians as a way to find answers to social problems. Chinese Christians are only permitted to attend churches that the government has approved. Archbishop Williams is the first leader of the Church of England to visit China in 12 years.
Briefly here again is the major news of the hour.
A South Korean lawmaker says North Korea is ready to return to six-nation talks about its nuclear program. The deputy prime minister of Iraq says Iraqi forces will control about half the country by the end of this year. And the government of Sri Lanka and the main opposition party have agreed on a plan for starting peace talks again with Tamil Tiger rebels.
