"Boris Nikolayevich, however difficult it was for him and whatever difficulties the country was going through, always believed in Russia's revival and transformation, respected the talent and power of the Russian nation," Putin said at a mourning reception in St. George's Hall, the biggest and most solemn hall of the Kremlin palace.

"He sincerely tried to do everything possible to make the life of millions of Russians worthy of such a proud title," the Russian leader said, adding that this was Yeltsin's dream. "We will walk toward this goal." .................

By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer 53 minutes ago

ANKARA, Turkey - The United States and other world powers are willing to consider an Iranian proposal that would allow the country to keep some of its uranium enrichment program intact instead of dismantling it completely, foreign government officials said Tuesday.

On the eve of talks between top Iranian envoy Ali Larijani and Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy chief, the officials — some of them diplomats, others based in their capitals — said the discussions were key because for the first time they could try to sidestep the deadlock over enrichment by trying to agree on a new definition of the term.

The officials were familiar with the negotiations with Iran or specialized in non-proliferation issues......

In both places yesterday, polling stations had been set up in primary schools. In both places, the voters chose from piles of slips of paper pre-printed with the 12 candidates' names.

In both places, the electors retired behind the same kind of flimsy, grey curtains in the same kind of portable voting booths. They placed the name of their chosen candidate in the same sky-blue envelopes, marked "Republique Francaise"....

Barely days after the government of Sudan agreed on the deployment of United Nations troops in the war-torn Darfur region, President Paul Kagame has called for a quick transfer of the mandate. Addressing a press conference at Village Urugwiro last week, Kagame observed that the current situation demands for a prompt transfer the mandate of the peace keeping mission from the African Union to United Nations to facilitate the successful lobbying process of both troops and logistics.

"It is true that the Sudan government has allowed the deployment of UN troops in Darfur.

However, if the process is to become more proactive and effective, the parties need to sit and agree on how the mandate of overseeing the peace mission can be transferred from AU to UN," he said, adding that if the dialogue to make such a fundamental shift in the Darfur peace mission comes in time it would undoubtedly give a speedy platform for the mobilisation of troops and financial resources from UN contributing member countries.

by Stephane Ghazarian 

BUCHAREST (AFP) - The Romanian parliament voted Thursday to suspend President Traian Basescu in a first step to impeaching him, throwing the country into turmoil less than four months after it joined the EU.

Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu, who has been in a long-running feud with the president, said: "I ask Traian Basescu to honour his own decision to resign and cut all ties with the presidency."

The president has said he would resign if parliament voted to suspend him. This would force a new presidential election in which he would stand.

Basescu was accused of 19 constitutional violations, including "controlling through those close to him all state institutions, of interfering in the law and protecting the interests of the mafia in the Romanian economy."

Opposition members also blame him for the country's political crisis, especially through his criticism of Tariceanu and his threats to call legislative elections.

The 55-year-old, who remains a popular figure in Romania and could win back his post, struck a combative note telling thousands of his supporters who had gathered in front of the university: "We will see each other at the polls."

His supporters in turn shouted "Do not resign," and "We love you."

The embattled president said: "I assure you that after my return I will continue to speak openly and tell the truth about the government."

Basescu's close collaborators have said he would announce his resignation after his suspension has been made official, which should occur within 48 hours of the vote.

The leader of the opposition Social Democrats who spearheaded the move against Basescu, Mircea Geoana, said the vote was "a victory for Romanian democracy even if it is a difficult moment."

Opposition members, led by the Social Democrats, say Basescu violated the constitution by acting in a partisan way.

Basescu's impeachment must be approved in a referendum, which must be held within 30 days of Thursday's vote.

A total of 322 members of Romania's 469-seat parliament voted for his suspension, while 108 voted against and 10 abstained. The motion needed the backing of 235 MPs to be adopted.

The three opposition parties that filed the motion against Basescu and which hold 228 parliamentary seats, said they would vote for his impeachment.

MPs from Tariceanu's National Liberal Party and its coalition partner in the minority government also supported the motion after their leaders told them Wednesday to vote as they chose.

Basescu's Democrats, who have 71 seats in parliament, have opposed the impeachment request since it was launched.

Basescu, in power since 2004, has been in a long-running feud with the prime minister who sacked ministers from the president's Democrat party in a government reshuffle several weeks ago.

But the conflict seems to have escalated since Romania joined the

The political crisis has not improved the country's image abroad. EU experts are set to visit next week to assess the country's progress in implementing reforms, especially in the judicial area.

Basescu is the first Romanian president to be suspended since the fall of communism in 1989. In 1994, Ion Iliescu avoided suspension following accusations that he had involved himself in judicial matters.

The Social Democrat head of the senate, Nicolar Vacaroiu, will take over presidential duties until a referendum is held. In the event Basescu resigns, Vacaroiu would fulfil his functions until presidential elections are held in three months' time.

Kuwaiti Attorney General Bader Abdullah Al-Musead, who was elected chairman of the meeting, said representatives agreed on a comprehensive anti-corruption draft law that will be sent to Arab Justice and Interior ministries for inspection, KUNA, the Kuwait News Agency, reported Thursday.

Al-Musead said the meeting was aimed at helping Arab countries ensure their anti-corruption measures line up with the U.N. charter on anti-corruption. He said the anti-corruption concerns of Arab nations include stopping the financing of terrorism, money laundering and organized crime.