WORLD at 1700 GMT

2009-07-04 19:22:01 -

NEW THIS DIGEST
INDONESIA-BEYOND DEMOCRACY. Indonesian focused on democratic stability in vote.
AFGHAN-HOT HELMAND. Marines march in Afghan sun on July 4, dreaming of lakes.
GUANTANAMO DETAINEES WELCOME. A few US cities seek Guantanamo transplants.
US-MICHAEL JACKSON THE FATHER. Friends call Jackson loving and attentive father.
US-JACKSON CHILDREN-MENTAL HEALTH. Jackson kids face hurdles coping with his death.
US-POWELL-MICHAEL JACKSON. Colin Powell says celebrate Michael Jackson's art.
BULGARIA-ELECTIONS. Right-wing party expects win in Bulgarian elections.
VATICAN-FINANCES. Vatican runs deficit amid global economic crisis.
TOP STORIES
IRAN-ELECTION
TEHRAN, Iran _ A top aide to Iran's supreme leader accuses the country's main opposition leader of being a U.S. agent who should be tried for treason, boosting pressure on reformists disputing the outcome of last month's presidential election. By Ali Akbar Dareini. AP Photos.
NKOREA-MISSILE
SEOUL, South Korea _ North Korea fires seven ballistic missiles off its eastern coast, South Korea says, violating U.N. resolutions and an apparent message of defiance to Washington on U.S. Independence Day. By Kwang-Tae Kim. AP Photos.
INDONESIA-BEYOND DEMOCRACY
JAKARTA, Indonesia _ Just over a decade ago, mobs torched buildings across Indonesia's capital in an uprising that toppled a 32-year dictatorship. Today the world's fourth largest country is relatively peaceful as it heads toward presidential elections. By Anthony Deutsch. AP Photos.
AFGHANISTAN
KABUL _ Taliban militants fire rockets and mortars at a U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan, killing two American troops and wounding several more in a two-hour battle, officials said. By Fisnik Abrashi and Rahim Faiez. AP Photos.
WITH: AFGHAN-HOT HELMAND.
PAKISTAN
PESHAWAR, Pakistan _ Pakistani warplanes and helicopter gunships pound Taliban positions in the country's volatile northwest, killing at least 12 suspected insurgents as the government pressures Islamist militants along the Afghan border. By Riaz Khan.
HONDURAS-COUP
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras _ Honduras rebuffs demands by the international community to reinstate President Manuel Zelaya and withdraws from the Organization of American States slipping deeper into political crisis and isolation. By Will Weissert and Marcos Aleman. AP Photos.
IRAQ
BAGHDAD _ U.S. Vice President Joe Biden celebrates the Fourth of July with his son and other American troops in Iraq a day after warning Iraqi leaders that U.S. assistance will be jeopardized if the country reverts to ethnic and sectarian violence. By Kim Gamel. AP Photos.
RUSSIA-US-FIRST LADIES
MOSCOW _ Michelle Obama brings her glamor to Moscow as she accompanies her husband on his summit with the Russian president. But the U.S. first lady may face a challenge winning over a Russian public that has scant respect for women seen as stealing the limelight from their powerful husbands. By Catrina Stewart. AP Photos.
WITH: RUSSIA-US, RUSSIA-US-SUMMIT.
US-MICHAEL JACKSON
LOS ANGELES _ The powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson's home, a law enforcement official says, as Los Angeles readies for a massive crowd at the singer's upcoming memorial service. By Michael R. Blood. AP Photos.
WITH: US-MICHAEL JACKSON THE FATHER, US-JACKSON CHILDREN-MENTAL HEALTH, US-POWELL-MICHAEL JACKSON.

US-PALIN RESIGNING
WASILLA, Alaska _ Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin defies political logic with her sudden resignation from office. Supporters and critics call the move inexplicable for a former Republican vice presidential candidate widely seen as White House contender in 2012. By Rachel D'oro. AP Photos.
WITH: US-PALIN RESIGNING-GLANCE.
MYANMAR
YANGON, Myanmar _ U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he was «deeply disappointed» after Myanmar's military ruler rejected his second and final request to meet jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. By John Heilprin. AP Photos.
GUANTANAMO DETAINEES WELCOME
MARION, Illinois _ Once the nation's most secure prison, the federal lockup in southern Illinois has housed everyone from spies to a Colombian druglord and dapper mob boss John Gotti. Now the town of Marion is seeking to welcome Guantanamo Bay detainees _ and the money and jobs they might bring. By Jim Suhr. AP Photos.
BULGARIA-ELECTIONS
SOFIA, Bulgaria _ Voters angry over corruption and a worsening economy are expected to oust Bulgaria's Socialist-led coalition and elevate the center-right party of Sofia's popular mayor to power in parliamentary elections. By Veselin Toshkov. AP Photo.
WITH: BULGARIA-ELECTIONS-CANDIDATES, BULGARIA-ELECTIONS-FACTBOX.
VATICAN-FINANCES
VATICAN CITY _ The Vatican says it ran a second straight budget deficit in 2008 as its finances and donations from across the world were affected by the global economic crisis.
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