The incident occurred on Friday morning 40 km south of Kabul on the road to Kandahar. The International Security and Assistance Force said the bus driver did not heed signals to slow down, warning gestures or shots in the air, so the soldiers were forced to fire on the vehicle.

Several other passengers were wounded and were given emergency medical assistance, the press service said, adding that some were flown to a military hospital.

Also on Friday, four British soldiers died in two separate explosions in southern Afghanistan, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said on Friday.

One of the Royal Marines was killed in an explosion while on a routine patrol in the Sangin area of Helmand province, while the other three were involved in operations against local militants south of Sangin.

Meanwhile, the bodies of two Afghan policemen captured earlier this week by Taliban forces in the northern Kunduz province were found on Saturday, a provincial security spokesman said.

The bodies were discovered on information from the insurgents, who staged an ambush when the Interior Ministry troops came to recover their colleagues. There were no casualties among the Afghan police involved in the encounter.

The whereabouts of the third captured policeman is unknown.

RIA Novosti

The top five finalists also included Miss India, Parvathy Omanakuttan, Miss Trinidad and Tobago, Gabrielle Walcott, Miss Angola, Brigith dos Santos, and Miss South Africa, Tansey Coetzee.

The competition’s TV broadcasting was watched by 1 billion viewers from 187 countries, the contest’s organizers said.

Twenty-one-year-old Sukhinova from the Tyumen Region in West Siberia is studying for an engineering degree. She won Russia’s beauty competition a year ago.

RIA Novosti

‘We hope the hostages will be released as soon as possible, without any more victims. We convey our condolences and compassion to the victims’ families and wish quick recovery to the wounded. According our information, there are no Romanian citizens among victims,’ the release reads.

The ForMin voiced concern over the escalating violence and increased frequency of terror attacks in India, the world’s most numerous democracy, and sent the country’s government a solidarity message. AGERPRES

‘I express my deepest sorrow for the mishap in the coal mine of Petrila where two blasts claimed the lives of twelve people and injured more others. Under such tragic circumstances I like to pass on my sympathy and support and the French people’s solidarity. I would be obliged and grateful if you offer my condolences for the families and the kin of the victims,’ reads President Sarkozy’s letter to Romania’s President.

Twelve miners died and other 14 were injured in the blast at the coalmine in Petrila, last Saturday. Officials of Petrila and Petrosani declared Tuesday a day of local mourning. Four of the miners killed in the blast are buried on Tuesday.

Four of the five miners at the Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery Hospital in Bucharest continue to be in a serious but stable condition, and the fifth is in a better, optimistic condition. AGERPRES

The accident occurred late on Saturday during the sea trials of a nuclear-powered submarine as a result of the unsanctioned activation of the submarine’s fire-extinguishing system. The incident is the worst for the Russian navy since the sinking of the Kursk submarine in 2000 when all 118 sailors died.

“According to preliminary information, the incident killed 20 people – 6 sailors and 14 civilians who were aboard the submarine while 22 people received injuries of various gravity,” Vladimir Markin said.

Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo, an aide to the Russian Navy commander said on Sunday that 208 people, including 81 service personnel had been onboard the submarine at the time of the incident. He said that the sub’s reactor had not been affected and radiation levels were normal.

All the injured had been evacuated on to the Admiral Tributs anti-submarine ship and later taken to hospitals in Vladivostok.

Meanwhile, the submarine arrived at 10:30 a.m. Moscow time (7:30 GMT) at a temporary base in the Primorye Region, Dygalo said.

A high-ranking source in the Pacific Fleet said the accident had occurred in the nose section of the submarine and confirmed that it had not damaged the submarine’s reactor.

The construction of the Akula II class Nerpa nuclear attack submarine started in 1991 but has been suspended for over a decade due to lack of funding. Akula II class vessels are considered the quietest and deadliest of Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines.

The Nerpa had started sea trials on October 27.

Meanwhile, Russian investigators said that Freon gas was the cause for the death of people on board the submarine.

Among the guests, there were, from Romania, literary critic Nicolae Manolescu and film director Radu Mihaileanu, who is also one of the 15 ambassadors of the Year of Inter-cultural Dialogue 2008.

The talks of the two officials of the European Union and of their guests were focused, mainly, on issues such as translation – key of the dialogue among cultures, the intellectual connection between languages of big countries and languages of small countries, or translation in all its forms and with all those participating in it.

‘Translation is often seen as a compensation of the lack of linguistic abilities. But we tend to forget that it also is a key instrument aimed at encouraging the study of languages. The more a reader is exposed to a culture, the more he or she develops an interest in the study of that language. A good literary translation can kindle the fire of curiosity, which rapidly changes into the flame of a lifetime passion for a certain language or culture,’ said Orban.

‘I believe that translation is one of the expressions of multilingualism, ‘ added Orban. ‘A society is multi-lingual not only when its citizens can speak several languages, but also when its languages keep constant communication through translation. Translation is, indeed, a continuous negotiation between the author, the translator and the reader. In Europe, we know that very well, because negotiation is the very essence of the fact that we are together.’

This lunch-debate is a fist step of an initiative in two stages, which will be completed in April 2009, in a more extended conference on literary translation. The target in view is the extension of the role of literary translation, in particular, of translation, in general.

As Umberto Eco used to say, ‘Translation is the language of Europe. Literary translation is a topic preoccupating both for writers and editors, and for critics, it plays a role also in other branches of culture, in cinematography and music, for example. Translation is important also in learning foreign languages, in the integration of migrant workers, in keeping the identity, in promoting alphabetization, in the competence to use the mother tongue, in the new technologies.

The European Union supports, in a community programme on ‘Culture’ (2007-2013), literary translation from a European language to another European language, with the aim to improve the knowledge of literature, of the literary heritage of the European countries, to contribute in this way to an improvement in the multilingualism policies, to the extension of the intercultural dialogue.

Among eligible candidates there are private publishing houses or publishing groups intended to publish a work of fiction (novels, stories, theater plays, poetry or cartoons).

Several thousand of books have already been translated with funding from previous community programmes in the field of literary translations, notably Culture 2000, and the action continues under a new programme, Culture (2007-2013). Editors publishing in languages not known by many people have been very active in the use of this action every year. AGERPRES

On this occasion, PM Tariceanu hailed the signing of the document by his counterpart from Montenegro, he voiced hope that Montenegro will have an important role in the region.

‘I am convinced that Montenegro will make a significant contribution to the most important political forum in South-Eastern Europe, at regional and international level. Our cooperation is very dynamic. Two years ago, the Republic of Moldova signed the same charter, and today PM Greceanii represents the chairmanship-in-office of the South-East European Cooperation Process, SEECP,’ said the Romanian prime minister after the signing ceremony.

Calin Popescu-Tariceanu said that, from the position of EU member of Romania, the meeting reflects for Romania, for its region, a few important coordinates of its foreign policy, namely ‘concern for the European future of our region, for the setting up of an area of security, stability, prosperity.’

Zinaida Greceanii said the her country supported Montenegro’s accession to SEECP, as early as 2007, during a summit of heads of state and government held in Zagreb, and the signing of the charter consolidates ‘Montenegro’s status as sure partner in the process of regional cooperation.’

‘I want to share the experience of my country, which, through admission to SEECP, has demonstrated not only its geographic status, but also its political one, in South-Eastern Europe, contributing to the sustainable growth of the Republic of Moldova, and advancement in the processes of European integration, ‘ said Greceanii.

The prime minister of Montenegro said that his country established as a priority its EU integration and the consolidation of its cooperation with the states in its area. AGERPRES

Speaking in a live interview with TV program Vesti on Saturday, Miller said that the energy giant’s revenues were expected at around $100 billion in 2008.

Miller said the ongoing global financial crisis was not a disturbing factor for Gazprom.

“We feel absolutely confident. I can say that today Gazprom is operating in price conditions that are very favorable for the company. The era of cheap oil and gas has ended. Even despite the financial crisis, the prices of hydrocarbons will all the same remain high. Moreover, experts say they are expected to rise in the medium term perspective,” Miller said.

Miller earlier said that Gazprom saw no risks for itself in spite of problems on global financial markets, adding that the price of natural gas supplied by the energy giant to Europe had hit a historical high of $500 per 1,000 cubic meters on October 1.

Ria Novosti

Iraq’s parliament has yet to vote on the agreement, under which the U.S. will require Iraqi permission to stay in the country beyond 2011.

Anti-American Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said at a meeting with lawmakers: “Do not vote for the agreement.” Under the pact, “the occupier will still remain. If you are told that it would give sovereignty to Iraq, it is a lie.”

The cleric’s supporters waved banners on the streets saying “No to the occupation!” and “No to America!”, and burned U.S. flags, along with effigies of President George W. Bush. However, no violence was reported.

A message from Sadr was read out to the crowed, saying: “I reject and condemn the continuation of the presence of the occupation force, and its bases in our beloved land.”

Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari has said the agreement is temporary, and non-binding.

The pact would oblige U.S. troops to end street patrols by mid-2009, and would allow Iraq to prosecute U.S. servicemen for severe crimes committed in Iraq while off-duty.

Ria Novosti

Karadzic, who has dismissed the charges, plans to defend himself at trial.

The Srebrenica massacre, where up to 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were killed by Serb forces in 1995, is one of two main charges facing the wartime leader.

Earlier reports said Karadzic would aim to prove at the Hague tribunal that no genocide took place in Srebrenica, and that fatality figures were deliberately exaggerated.

If Karadzic declines to plead, the Hague-based court will file not-guilty pleas for him. If he pleads guilty, there will be no trial.

Karadzic, 63, was arrested in late July in Belgrade after more than a decade on the run.

During his first appearance before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in late July, Karadzic cited a deal with former U.S. envoy to the Balkans Richard Holbrooke that he said guaranteed him immunity from prosecution if he disappeared from public life. Holbrooke has denied the deal.

Karadzic also said he will not get a fair trial and complained of “a media witch-hunt” against him.

Rian.ru