Top US officer: Taliban harder to defeat

KABUL — The top U.S. military officer said the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan is harder to defeat now than it was a year ago, and said he will take up concerns about strengthening ties to al-Qaida with government leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was touring U.S. bases in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday. He will also be in Pakistan this week.

"I remain deeply concerned by the growing level of collusion between the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida and other extremist groups taking refuge across the border in Pakistan," Mullen said at the start of his visit Monday.

"Getting at this network, which is now more entrenched, will be a far more difficult task than it was just one year ago," Mullen said in the Afghan capital.

"As part of this trip, I intend to discuss with Afghan and Pakistani leaders the extent to which we all can better cooperate and coordinate our activities to eliminate the safe havens from which these groups plan and operate."

He said he was headed to Islamabad and will have another meeting, his 14th, with Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani as well as other top Pakistani officials.

Painting a grim picture, Mullen said Afghan insurgents were dominant in one-third of Afghanistan's 34 provinces and "the insurgency has grown more violent, more pervasive and more sophisticated."

Mullen's reference to militants based in Pakistan appeared aimed at U.S. efforts to press the Pakistani government to step up its crackdown on extremists who have long used their country as a refuge. The U.S. believes most of al-Qaida's top leadership has moved from Afghanistan to the lawless border area just inside Pakistan.

Mullen said he believed, however, that Pakistan was addressing the threat.

"I have seen Pakistan increase its commitment fairly dramatically over the past 12 to 18 months," he said, adding: "I am completely convinced that the government of Pakistan and the Pakistani military are very focused on this. They are going after this threat, as they have very clearly over the last year."

A military official who briefed members of Mullen's staff and reporters on Monday said the Haqqani network of Afghan fighters has become the biggest threat to U.S. forces in the eastern part of the country.

That official and others who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive operations said the Haqqani area of sanctuary in Pakistan has gotten somewhat smaller, which is a good sign.

Pressure on the fighters from the Pakistani military has forced some over the border to Afghanistan, where they are easier for U.S. forces to kill, the officials said.

Last week, U.S. officials in Washington said the Obama administration was considering widening missile strikes on al-Qaida and other militants inside Pakistan and planning to bolster the training of Pakistan's forces in the key border areas. Those officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information was sensitive.

Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this story.

Group contends popular Zhu Zhu Pets toys unsafe

ST. LOUIS – A consumer group contends one of the holiday season's must-have toys is unsafe.

But the maker of the robotic Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters defended its product Saturday against a study by San Francisco-based GoodGuide that said higher-than-allowed levels of the chemical antimony were found in the toy.

Good Guide named Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters one of the top-selling toys with low ratings after finding antimony, which can cause health problems, on the hair and nose of one of the toy hamsters, called Mr. Squiggles.

The group assigned the toy, aimed at 3- to 10-year-olds, a rating of 5.2 on a 10-point scale.

But the toy's maker, St. Louis-based Cepia LLC, insisted in a statement that its product is safe and has passed rigorous testing. The company said it was contacting GoodGuide to share its testing data and determine how the report was founded.

"I have been in the toy industry for more than 35 years, and being a father of children myself, I would never allow any substandard or unsafe product to hit the shelves," Russ Hornsby, Cepia's CEO, said in the statement.

Zhu Zhu Pets, which retail for about $10, have become this season's toy craze, following in the footsteps of Tickle Me Elmo and Cabbage Patch Kids. The items fetch $40 or more on resale Web sites like eBay and Craigslist.

That's what brought it to GoodGuide's attention. GoodGuide CEO Dara O'Rourke told The Associated Press on Saturday that his group bought three of each of the year's 30 hottest toys and tested them multiple times.

Antimony was measured at 93 parts per million in the hamster's fur and at 106 parts per million in its nose. Both readings exceed the allowable level of 60 parts per million, said O'Rourke, an associate professor of environmental science at the University of California, Berkeley.

O'Rourke said GoodGuide's test results, released Friday, also indicated the possibility that some toys contained phthalates, chemicals that were subject to tougher standards in the Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act passed last year.

Poverty cut doomed unless disabled empowered: UN

GENEVA — The United Nations warned Wednesday that attempts to halve global poverty will be doomed unless the world's estimated 650 million disabled people are pulled out of neglect and discrimination.

In an appeal to mark International Day for Persons with Disabilities on Thursday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said disabled people formed "one of the world's largest and most neglected groups."

About 20 percent of the world's poorest people have some kind of disability, while 90 percent of disabled children in developing countries do not attend school, according to UN data.

"These statistics shock our conscience," said Pillay.

"Unless persons with disabilities are brought into the development mainstream, it will be impossible to cut poverty in half by 2015 or to give every girl and boy the chance to achieve a primary education," she added in a statement.

The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, formed this year, said many national censuses simply failed to account for the disabled, effectively hiding the issues of care, support, opportunities and their rights.

Yet the number of people with physical and mental disabilities is thought to be growing, while forcible internment remains a major concern and the disabled are often stigmatised in some cultures, committee members warned.

"Disability is a cross-cutting issue and it must be included in the mainstream in our journey from darkness to light, from isolation to inclusion, from despair to hope," said committee member Monsur Ahmed Choudhuri, who is blind.

The UN expert spearheading the nascent global drive for disabled rights revealed that even he and his colleagues experience hurdles and discrimination, including in wealthy countries that are regarded as more progressive.

Mohammed al-Tarawneh, head of the committee overseeing the 2008 UN Convention on the rights of the disabled, said he was recently forced to fill in medical forms stating he was fit to fly on an airliner.

"This happened in two countries that are not only signatories but have ratified (the convention). I would like to mention the names Austria and Italy," said Tarawneh, who is physically disabled.

"This was so degrading, in the past 34 years of my life since I had my car accident, I have never been asked this question before.

"I was asked this question in Vienna, and they almost did not let me board the plane coming to Geneva, and leaving Geneva to Amman via Rome, the Alitalia representative refused to let me on board until I filled a claim (form)," he said.

One of his colleagues on the committee, Jia Yang, said she would be keeping check on her travel experience as she flew back to China.

"It's ironic, because he was on his way to Austria to receive a prize for his achievements for this committee, but he was hindered by those airlines," she added.

Jia, who is visually impaired, added: "On the other hand, Mohammed can fly, he took flying lessons."

Micheletti steps aside for Honduras poll

TEGUCIGALPA — Hundreds of Hondurans took to the streets Wednesday to encourage participation in weekend elections after the interim leader briefly stepped down in a bid to legitimize the post-coup polls.

"Honduras free, sovereign, independent," chanted the demonstrators gathered by the Democratic Civic Union (UCD), a group favorable to the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti.

The interim leader, who was propelled to the head of government in the wake of the June 28 military-backed coup that ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, said he was stepping down to "guarantee free, spontaneous and transparent" elections on Sunday.

The demonstrators, mostly dressed in white -- the UCD's color -- waived a huge Honduran flag and released white balloons into the air.

UCD member Jimmy Dacarett said the march leading from the presidential palace to the center of the capital aimed to "encourage men, women and the youth to participated in the 2009 elections, which will without a doubt be a moment of great importance for Hondurans who love this country."

De facto leaders behind Zelaya's ouster hope the elections will turn the page on months of political turbulence that saw several deaths and dozens of arrests under a military crackdown on dissent.

Zelaya's supporters sought to boycott the vote following four months of political crisis, as thousands of security forces pressed on to distribute ballot boxes and order citizens to turn in their weapons ahead of national elections across the impoverished Central American nation.

The cowboy-hatted deposed president remains holed up in the Brazilian embassy after failing to be reinstated before the elections as he had hoped under a US-brokered crisis accord with Micheletti's interim regime.

Micheletti said he would step down through December 2, when Congress is due to vote on Zelaya's return. The Council of Ministers will rule the country in the meantime.

Two explosive devices caused minor damage earlier Wednesday, including one targeting a pro-Micheletti television station, according to police sources cited by local radio.

More than 30 attacks with explosive devices have targeted institutions and media outlets from both sides of the conflict since the June coup, without causing serious damage.

Khmer Rouge prison chief could get 40 years

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Prosecutors in the genocide trial of a former Khmer Rouge prison chief demanded a 40-year jail sentence Wednesday for a man who they described as snuffing out innocent lives and spreading terror across Cambodia.

Kaing Guek Eav commanded the notorious S-21 prison, where those accused of disloyalty to the xenophobic communist regime were held. He oversaw the torture and execution of about 16,000 men, women and children during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 rule.

Some 1.7 million Cambodians died of torture, execution, disease and starvation during the Khmer Rouge's rule, during which the Maoist ideologues emptied cities and forced virtually the entire population to work on farm collectives.

Co-prosecutor William Smith told the court that Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch (pronounced DOIK), acknowledged his guilt and had given evidence against other Khmer Rouge leaders. But he said Duch must be held accountable for his "unrelenting brutality" at S-21.

"The sentence to be imposed by this trial chamber should be 40 years imprisonment," Smith said, adding that five years had been taken off the request for his cooperation and five more for time already served.

"Your honors should be mindful of the dreams and opportunities that were denied, also keep in mind the S-21's unrelenting brutality that was meted out with no mercy to all prisoners including hundreds of children — the most defenseless of victims," he said. "Finally, bear in mind the loss and suffering of the families of the victims who are still suffering to this very day."

Duch, scheduled to take the stand later Wednesday in his defense, is expected to be sentenced early next year.

He showed no reaction when the sentence recommendation was read.

If the tribunal finds him guilty, the former schoolteacher could still face a maximum penalty of life in prison. Cambodia has no death penalty.

Duch is charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes, murder and torture. He has denied personally killing or torturing the S-21 prisoners, and testified that he acted with reluctance on orders from his superiors, saying he feared for the safely of his family and himself.

Survivors of the S-21 have described how they were routinely beaten, received electric shocks, had their toenails torn out, and were waterboarded. Surgeries were performed on detainees without anesthetics.

Duch believed in communist and revolutionary ideals and the Khmer Rouge trusted him to carry out the grisliest of orders, Smith said.

In his testimony, Duch has accepted responsibility for his role in overseeing the prison and asked for forgiveness from victims' families. He also told the court he was ready to accept heavy punishment for his actions.

Duch is the only accused Khmer Rouge leader to acknowledge responsibility for his actions. Four other senior Khmer Rouge leaders are in custody awaiting trial.

EU leaders split over president going into summit

BRUSSELS — European leaders gather Thursday in an effort to overcome political differences and unite behind a single candidate for the European Union's first-ever president.

The leaders, meeting in Brussels for a working dinner from 1700 GMT, will also seek to name a foreign policy supremo, as part of a duo to represent the new-look EU on the world stage from next year.

But the task is far from simple, given the different visions among the 27 nations about what the role the new president should play over what could be a five year term.

On the eve of the talks, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency until the end of the year, appealed to the leaders to keep the horse-trading to a minimum.

"I need of course the collaboration of my colleagues to try to get this through," he said, adding that the summit "might take a few hours, it might take all night."

According to the dinner plan, the meeting is supposed to run three hours.

The secretive process has provided fodder for eurosceptics while exasperating supporters of the union who warn that it could sully the EU's image as a beacon of democracy.Related article: EU under fire over secrecy

"This is the end of the Eurocracy doing it like this, electing one of their own in this manner. I don't think they'll be able to get away with this ever again," Britain's former Europe minister Denis MacShane was quoted as saying in the Guardian newspaper.

"These secret negotiations are distressing," Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the deputy leader of the Greens at the European parliament, told the French daily Liberation.

"It is a caricature of democracy. We have the feeling that the 27, especially (German Chancellor) Angela Merkel and (French President) Nicolas Sarkozy are looking for people who won't overshadow them," he said.

Experts agree the president should be a technocrat who can build consensus among countries and the EU's main institutions -- the council of nations for the 27 member states, the European Commission and the European parliament.

Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy remains the favourite, but no candidate has emerged who strikes the delicate balance required for either of the key posts, created by the new Lisbon reform treaty.

In recent months a score of names has been raised, and many discarded, as EU leaders sought a personality with charisma yet modest enough not to hog the limelight.

Ahead of the dinner, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who have pledged to push for a common candidate, have planned a press conference for 1630 GMT.

"I'm optimistic that we will have an agreement (Thursday) evening," Merkel said Wednesday.

Former British premier Tony Blair has been the most high-profile name floated, but his key role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq divided Europe and despite continued backing from London, his star has faded.

Typically, a number of candidates have emerged from mid-sized pro-European nations, such as Van Rompuy and Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.

Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, Europe's longest-serving leader, is also in the running, as is former Irish premier John Bruton.

Calls have mounted for women to be nominated, but only former Latvian president Vaira Vike-Freiberga has come forward, and analysts say she may be too pro-American and anti-Russian.

While it is not set in stone, it is widely accepted that the president should come from the centre-right, which dominates the European parliament, and the foreign affairs chief be a socialist, the second formation.

For the latter, Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband was widely touted, but he insists he is not available.

Former Italian premier Massimo D'Alema appears to have the right credentials, and Spain is pushing Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, while Britain's EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton is another possibility.

After months of speculation, Swedish officials hope for real movement once the leaders are alone at dinner, away from the interest groups driving debate. If consensus proves elusive, the decisions could be made by qualified majority.

Few call Venice home, but it's not history, either

VENICE, Italy — A dozen gondolas snaked down the Grand Canal on Saturday in a mock funeral procession bemoaning Venice's approach to the dreaded status of living museum, with a population now below 60,000.

While the largely symbolic threshold is considered by some to signal the end of the city's viability, Venetian officials say reports of Venice's demise are premature, and even Saturday's somber funeral ended with a surprise, bright hope for rebirth.

In fact, while native Venetians have been fleeing the expensive lagoon city for cheaper and easier living on the mainland, the population of the historic center was officially 60,025 as of Thursday, up from the 59,992 it had fallen to in recent weeks.

"They will have the funeral in a living village, not yet dead. And it won't die, even if it goes to 59,999," Mara Rumiz, the city official in charge of demographics, said in a telephone interview Friday.

She said the numbers don't take into account the inhabitants of Venice's islands — including glassmaking Murano and the Lido beach — nor the many who are not officially registered, including students. Together, they add another 120,000 souls.

But Venice must still resist becoming merely a tourist destination, Rumiz said.

"It is evident that Venice has to safeguard its residents and attract new inhabitants. If not, we risk that Venice becomes only a tourist mecca, and this is a destiny that we don't want," Rumiz said.

While wandering the narrow alleys and waterways of Venice is a tourist's delight, life in Venice is for the hardy and financially resilient.

Housing costs and rents drop to as much as a third in the nearby city of Marghera. And consider the logistics of an everyday errand like grocery shopping. One would likely need a water taxi ride to a supermarket, another to get home with the groceries, and then with few elevators in residential buildings, there is a heavy load to lug upstairs. Historic Venice does not permit the comfort of a car parked outside the door.

Yet as if to echo Rumiz's optimism about Venice's fate, Saturday's mock funeral ended with an unexpected bright look to the future.

The ceremony kicked off with an aquatic procession of gondolas — led by a pink one carrying a flower-draped coffin — down the inverted S-shaped canal. The boats docked in front of Ca' Farsetti, the palazzo housing Venice's City Hall, where hundreds of Venetians joined the procession.

But after a black-caped actor read poetry in Venetian dialect bemoaning the problems of life in the lagoon city, the funeral's "pallbearers" smashed open the coffin and pulled out a flag of La Fenice — phoenix in Italian — the mythical winged creature that rises from ashes and is a symbol of rebirth.

The significance of the phoenix is particularly acute for Venetians, since their own La Fenice opera house rose from its own ashes and reopened in 2003 after being destroyed by a fire set by electricians in 1996.

After the surprise ending, participants uncorked sparkling wine to toast Venice's rebirth and hope for the future.

Venetians themselves would like to see more money put toward retaining natives, and are critical of such projects as the new Calatrava Bridge over the Grand Canal. Building the bridge, designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, ran well over projected costs while doing little to ease the lives of average Venetians.

"People go to live where you don't have to spend too much," city resident Alberto Gallo said. "Many would like to remain, but they can't."

The city's population declined by a steep 100,000 from the 1950s to the 1980s, making today's fluctuations minimal by comparison.

"In all, fewer people are leaving than those who are arriving," Rumiz said, but "fewer children are being born in respect to the people who die."

"What is changing is the social base of Venice," she said, explaining that most of the people who are leaving are older while those arriving are "more educated and with better skills."

But who is a Venetian, really? Genetically, a National Geographic Study being conducted by experts from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts intend to find out.

They took advantage of Saturday's "funeral" to take saliva swabs to determine where most of the natives of Veneto — the larger region of which Venice is the capital — came from, northern Europe or lands around the Caspian Sea.

"It will be an opportunity to find a few Venetians," said Gallo, who is helping to organize the study.

Associated Press Writer Colleen Barry reported from Milan.