Briefly
N. Koreans threaten more ‘deterrent force’
Seoul, South Korea North Korea, which insists it needs a nuclear deterrent against a U.S. invasion, threatened today to strengthen its “deterrent force” if the United States pursues policies the communist state deems hostile.
A spokesman condemned the North Korean Human Rights Act, a recent U.S. law aimed at improving human rights in the country. North Korea has repeatedly cited that law as an example of what it claims is Washington’s hostile policy toward it.
Efforts are under way to persuade North Korea to return to six-party nuclear talks aimed at persuading Pyongyang to give up its nuclear ambitions. However, the North has repeatedly insisted it won’t return to the negotiating table until the United States abandons its “hostile” policy toward the country.
Soprano Renata Tebaldi dies at home at age 82
Rome Renata Tebaldi, an Italian soprano renowned for her angelic voice, her stardom at New York’s Metropolitan and Italy’s La Scala and her media-fueled rivalry with Maria Callas, died Sunday at age 82.
The opera singer died at her home in San Marino, a tiny, independent republic in north-central Italy, after a long illness, said her doctor, Dr. Niksa Simetovic.
Tebaldi was considered to have one of the most beautiful Italian voices of the 20th century, relying on rich, perfectly produced tones. The late conductor Arturo Toscanini once said she had “the voice of an angel.”
La Scala music director Riccardo Muti praised Tebaldi as “one of the greatest performers with one of the most extraordinary voices in the field of opera.” At Venice’s La Fenice theater, the audience observed a minute of silence in her memory.
Ukraine convoy makes trip amid security fears
Kiev, Ukraine A convoy of supporters of Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko on Sunday moved deeper into the hostile eastern strongholds of his rival, who has ignored their requests for safe passage.
The convoy – dubbed the “friendship journey” – of some 50 cars draped with Yushchenko’s orange campaign colors headed to the industrial city of Zaporizhia, said Natalya Shypovalova, a convoy member and journalist.
Carrying about 150 people, mostly artists and musicians, the convoy is traveling around this nation of 48 million people trying to sow support for Yushchenko ahead of the Dec. 26 presidential rerun.
Much of the traveling has been in the country’s Russian-speaking eastern and southern regions from where his Moscow-backed rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, draws his support.
Police foil plot against president of Colombia
Bogota, Colombia Police said Sunday they found a cache of explosives in the coastal city of Cartagena that rebels planned to use to assassinate President Alvaro Uribe.
It was the second time in four days that police have announced they foiled a plot to kill the president, who already has survived several assassination attempts, including a rocket attack as he was being inaugurated in 2002 and a bomb attack as he was campaigning months earlier. Authorities said the latest attempt involved blowing up Uribe’s plane.
Uribe has directed an unprecedented military campaign to wipe out the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, or force them to the negotiating table.
The police in Cartagena, a Spanish-colonial city on the Caribbean shores where the official presidential guest house is located, said that in four early morning raids Sunday at sites near the city’s airport, they discovered 150 kilograms of explosives, documents describing Uribe’s previous visits to Cartagena and communications gear.