US-OBAMA: White House officials say President George Bush and President-elect
Barack Obama had a "good, constructive, relaxed and friendly"
discussion about major issues the incoming chief executive will face
during his administration.
Mr. Bush and Mr. Obama met Monday for the first time since Mr. Obama
won last week's presidential election. They took a short walk together
outside the White House before holding a private meeting in the Oval
Office.
Mr. Obama's campaign staff issued a statement saying it welcomes Mr. Bush's commitment to a smooth exchange of power.
Prosecutors in Taiwan have detained former President Chen Shui-bian in connection with a graft case.
Taiwan television showed the former leader being escorted from the prosecutor's office in handcuffs today (Tuesday) on the way to court, where authorities well seek a formal arrest warrant.
Mr. Chen faced more than five hours of questioning in connection with his role in an alleged money laundering scheme.
Mr. Chen is being investigated on allegations that he and his family
wired more than 30 million dollars to Switzerland and other foreign
countries last year. The alleged transfers from Taiwan are said to have
come from a special presidential expenses fund.
BURMA-DISSIDENTS: A court in Burma has sentenced at least 14 members of a well-known pro-democracy group to 65 years in prison.
Relatives and opposition political officials say the activists were sentenced today (Tuesday) during a closed hearing inside Rangoon's notorious Insein prison.
The dissidents are members of the 88 Generation Students, a group that
organized anti-government demonstrations in August of last year to
protest economic hardships and demand democratic reforms
AFGHANISTAN: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has condemned a U.S. attack Sunday that
killed 14 people, saying such attacks widen the gap between the Afghan
government and people, and their international allies.
Mr. Karzai and the governor of eastern Khost province (Arsala Jamal) said Monday the victims were private security guards protecting a road construction crew.
But the U.S. military said the soldiers were tracking three cars
believed to be carrying militants, and when U.S. troops tried to stop
and search the vehicles, gunmen opened fire.
VETERANS DAY: Today (Tuesday) is Veterans Day in the United States, a day to remember and celebrate those who have served in the country's military.
In Washington, many people are expected to observe the day by visiting
the Vietnam War Memorial on the National Mall. The polished black
granite wall at the memorial is engraved with the names of more than
58-thousand members of the U.S. military killed during that conflict,
and it honors the millions of Americans (two-point-seven million) who served in Vietnam.
