Address to diplomats.(Vatican)(Brief article)

Vatican City -- Benedict XVI says diplomacy needs to give hope in a world where security and stability are fragile.

The Pope made this affirmation when he gave his traditional New Year's address to the members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See. The Holy See maintains diplomatic relations with 176 nations.

He gave an overview of some of the most notable signs of hope and concern as the new year began, including increasing cooperation among the peoples of Latin America with emphasis on Cuba which this year is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's visit to that country; he spoke of the courage and faith of the people affected …

CROATIAN PRESIDENT WINS RE-ELECTION.(MAIN)

Byline: -- New York Times

ZAGREB, Croatia -- After a campaign that outside monitors condemned as ``fundamentally flawed,'' Franjo Tudjman trounced his beleaguered opposition to win another five-year term as Croatia's president, according to official election results announced Monday night.

Tudjman, a former Communist general who has governed Croatia since its independence from the former Yugoslavia …

Mexico offers rewards for 33 drug gang suspects

Mexico's government unveiled a list of 33 wanted drug suspects Friday, including three men allegedly tied to a cartel responsible for much of the bloodshed in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez.

The Attorney General's Office did not specify the criminal bands affiliated with each suspect.

However, a security official in the northern state of Chihuahua, where Ciudad Juarez is located, said the three at the top of the list belong to La Linea, a gang tied to the Juarez cartel. Rewards of $1.1 million (15 million pesos) were offered for each.

One of the three, Juan Pablo Ledezma, is believed to be the head of La Linea, said the official, who …

COCOMPOST USED AS BIOFILTER TO REMOVE AMMONIA

Biofiltration has been gaining increased interest for removing odor and unwanted compounds in exhaust air from farms, biogas plants and composting sites. Ammonia is an important compound as it contributes to both odor emission and to atmospheric deposits of nitrogen which may disturb "delicate ecosystems." Now researchers at Aalborg University in Denmark have compared yard waste and sludge compost to their efficiency as biofilter material for removing ammonia from air. All filter columns using the compost were able to remove more than 95 percent of the ammonia in the inlet regardless of compost type and applied air …

IHEC re-examines 30 ballot boxes in Duhuk.

DUHUK / Aswat al-Iraq: The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) in Duhuk said it would re-check the data contained in 27 general ballot boxes and three special voting boxes.

Speaking to Aswat al-Iraq news agency, a source from the commission has attributed the process to technical problems related to the receipt of the boxes.

Each box includes at least 400 votes, the source noted. …

AFTER THIS JEFFERSONIAN AWARD CALL HIM `MAYOR MUZZLE'.(MAIN)

New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has the dubious distinction of winning the first lifetime Jefferson Muzzle, a tongue-in-cheek award given by a free-speech watchdog organization in Charlottesville, Va.

The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression awards the Muzzles annually to those who, in the opinion of the center's board, deserve censure for censorship. …

On2 vows to fight challenges to Google acquisition

Video software firm On2 Technologies said it will fight legal challenges to its planned acquisition by Google Inc.

The New York-based company agreed last week to a takeover by Mountain View, California-based Google in a deal valued at about $106 million, with shareholders receiving 60 cents worth of Google shares for each share of On2 stock.

But On2 shareholders filed separate lawsuits in Delaware and New York seeking class-action status this week, alleging that On2 directors breached their fiduciary duties. They claim the directors agreed to a deal that undervalues their shares and doesn't give them a significant premium in return for the change in …