BBC - Iran has rejected claims by Russian officials that it has failed to meet payments for work on the Bushehr nuclear plant in southern Iran.

[...] Under the Bushehr deal, Russia would have started the fuel shipments by March, launched the plant in September and begun to generate electricity by November.

Russia's Federal Nuclear Power Agency spokesman Sergey Novikov said the "launch schedule definitely could be affected" by the reported delay in payments.

One unnamed Russian official told Associated Press Iran was blaming "technical reasons" for the delay.

GIULIANI: I mean, you can look at the practical and common sense conclusion on that anyway you want. But there's something more important than that. We have a right of free speech in this country and we elect people to make decisions. Here's what I would prefer to see them do, though, if you ask me what's my view on that. The nonbinding resolution thing gets me more than are you for it or against it. I have tremendous respect for the people who feel that we either made a mistake going to war, who voted against the war, who now have come to the conclusion, changed their minds, they have every right to that, that it's wrong, you should, in a dynamic situation, keep questioning. What I don't like is the idea of a nonbinding resolution.

KING: Because?

GIULIANI: Because there's no decision.

KING: But it's a statement.

GIULIANI: Yes, but that's what you do. That's what Tim Russert does and that's what Rush Limbaugh does. That's what you guys do, you make comments. We pay them to make decisions, not just to make comments. We pay them to decide. The United States Congress does declarations, the war.

WASHINGTON — Breaking ranks, a small band of House Republicans declared their opposition to a troop buildup in Iraq on Wednesday, and President Bush appeared resigned to passage of a nonbinding measure disapproving of his decision.

H. CON. RES. 63
Disapproving of the decision of the President American Idol producers and Fox Television announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq continue the employment of Simon Cowell as an American Idol judge.

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring) JWookie (the blogosphere concurring), That--

(1) Congress The blogosphere and the American people will continue to support and protect the members citizens of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq pursuing their dream to be the next American Idol; and

(2) Congress The blogosphere and JWookie specifically disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush American Idol producers and Fox Television announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq employ Simon Cowell as a judge for American Idol.

BEIJING (AP) -- International negotiators reached a tentative agreement on initial steps toward North Korea's nuclear disarmament, the first concrete progress after more than three years of talks, the U.S. envoy said early Tuesday.

The draft agreement, worked out at the latest round of six-nation talks on the North's nuclear program, contained commitments on disarmament and energy assistance along with ``initial actions'' to be taken by certain deadlines, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said. He said working groups will be set up, hopefully in a month, laying out a framework for dealing with regional tensions. Hill declined to give further details of the draft.

The agreement could herald the first step toward disarmament since the talks began in 2003; the rounds have been marked by repeated delays and deadlock. The process reached its lowest point in October when North Korea conducted its first nuclear test explosion, alarming the world and triggering U.N. sanctions.

Hill said the draft agreement still must be reviewed by the home governments of the six countries at the talks, but he was upbeat about it. He said he was in ``constant communication'' with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. ``We feel it's an excellent draft, I don't think we're the problem,'' he said.

Have I gone mad? No. My roommate is of Christian-Jordanian descent, and lived there for some time. When it comes to discussions about the Middle East, I'm very open to what he has to say. And when compared to Middle Eastern people, we are too thin skinned. Americans see a man stripped of his clothes in an interrogation room and think that it is a heinous crime. True Arabs see that and think "Wow, he got off lucky. He didn't even lose a finger."

Loud, screaming, almost violent arguments are an every day thing in Arab countries. People get into an argument about how much they think an article of food should cost, and other simple things. The mindset there is that civility in an argument is a sign of weakness, and if you want to win the argument, you have to force your view. This goes for fighting as well; You have to have prove to your opponent that you are stronger, and make him beg for your mercy. Only then can you let off, because the battle is won.