Schools in China say they weren’t behind hacking
Two prominent schools in China dispute allegations that hacking attacks on Google and other firms originated from them, a report said Saturday.
The New York Times reported late Thursday that security investigators traced the hacking to computers at Shanghai Jiaotong University and Lanxiang Vocational School in China.
The official Xinhua News Agency cited an unnamed university spokesperson Saturday as saying the allegation against it is baseless, and an official at the vocational school said its investigation found no evidence the attacks originated there.
Li Zixiang, a Communist party official in the Lanxiang school in the eastern Shandong province, said students there are currently on their winter break. He also disputed the Times report that some evidence linked attacks to one computer science class taught by a Ukrainian. "We have never employed any foreign staff," Xinhua quoted Li as saying.
Another official at the vocational school disputed the Times' report that Lanxiang had close ties to the military.
Zhou Hui, director of the school's general office, told Xinhua that some students had joined the military after school, but it was natural for citizens to do so.
Google revealed Jan. 12 that digital thieves had stolen some of its computer code and tried to break into the accounts of human rights activists opposed to China's policies. The sophisticated theft also targeted the computers of more than 30 other companies, according to security experts.
The digital assault was serious enough to prompt Google to confront China's government about censorship rules that weed out politically and culturally sensitive topics from search results in the country. Google says it's prepared to shut down its China-based search engine and the company and the government are still discussing a possible compromise.
China has denied involvement in Internet attacks and said in January its anti-hacking policy is transparent and consistent.
Obama keeps all-Democratic health care option open
The White House signaled Thursday that an aggressive, all-Democratic strategy for overhauling the nation's health care system remains a serious option, even as President Barack Obama invites Republicans to next week's televised summit to seek possible compromises.
The administration's stance could set the stage for a political showdown, with Democrats struggling to enact the president's top domestic priority and Republicans trying to block what many conservatives see as government overreach.
A senior administration official said Democratic congressional leaders have nearly finished efforts to reconcile two health bills, which the House and Senate passed separately last year with practically no Republican help. Obama will use their legislation to expand coverage to some 30 million and require most Americans to carry insurance as the basis for a proposal that the White House will post online by Monday, three days before the Feb. 25 summit, said the official.
He spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations.
Obama says he is open to Republican ideas for changing the health care system. But many Democrats seriously doubt GOP leaders will support compromises that could draw enough lawmakers from both parties to create a bipartisan majority.
If next week's meeting does not break the logjam, congressional Democrats will face a tough choice. They can pass a highly diluted health care bill or nothing at all, which would send them into the November elections with a high-profile failure despite their control of Congress and the White House.
Or they can use an assertive and contentious tactic, known as reconciliation, to pass a far-reaching health care bill in the Senate without having to face GOP delaying tactics. Democrats lost their ability to block filibusters when Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown won a Senate seat last month.
Both parties have used reconciliation rules in the past. But Republicans have practically dared Democrats to do so on health care, citing polls showing significant opposition to the legislation.
It's unclear whether the House or Senate can muster the necessary votes. Democrats, who now hold 255 of the House's 435 seats, drew only one GOP ally when the House passed its health care bill, 220-215, last November. Since then, one Democrat who voted for the bill has resigned, one has died and a third plans to leave office Feb. 28. Moreover, changes meant to meet Senate demands could peel away enough liberals on one end, and party centrists on the other, to cause the revised bill to fail.
In the Senate, Democrats control 59 seats, and reconciliation rules require only a simple majority. But several Democratic senators have expressed discomfort or outright opposition to using the rules to thwart filibusters on health care.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Thursday that Obama plans to have a health care proposal that "will take some of the best ideas and put them into a framework" ahead of the Feb. 25 summit. The White House has invited Republicans to bring their own proposals, but GOP leaders have treated the event warily at best.
House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said Thursday, "a productive, bipartisan conversation on health care starts with a clean sheet of paper." His office labeled next week's meeting the "summit of all fears."
But at least one moderate Republican was optimistic about the session.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said if the summit succeeds, a bipartisan bill could be put together and passed within six weeks. "My advice to our Republican leadership is we should view this as a good faith effort and go in there with a consensus list of provisions that we could support and that would make a difference," she said in an interview with The Associated Press.
House Democrats are insisting on several changes to the bill the Senate passed on Christmas Eve, before Brown was elected to succeed the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The changes include reducing or eliminating a proposed tax on generous employer-provider health plans, and eliminating a Medicaid subsidy aimed only at Nebraska.
Also, some House Democrats who oppose legalized abortion are demanding that the Senate's more permissive language on the topic be replaced by the House provisions. It was unclear Thursday how that might be achieved.
The cost of the legislation — about $1 trillion over 10 years — would be paid for through Medicare cuts and a series of tax increases. House officials said Democratic leaders are not yet pressing wary colleagues to back a health care bill under the special procedural rules. That could happen soon, however, if next week's summit fails to produce a bipartisan breakthrough.
House congressional aides said they expect leaders such as Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to tell colleagues that using all their parliamentary muscle to pass a health care bill — even if it triggers withering criticism from the right — is preferable to facing voters empty-handed this fall.
Vegas hotel unveils Elvis extravaganza
Three decades after Elvis Presley took his last bow on the Las Vegas Strip, where he once reigned as king, the magicians of Cirque du Soleil have tried to summon back the power of this supreme entertainer in a show titled, "Viva Elvis."
They have mixed a dizzying array of dance, acrobatics, live musicians, over-the-top stage sets, and glitzy costumes with gigantic videos of Elvis in his most legendary performances and memorable life events.
In the words of an Elvis song, the result is "Too Much."
It's as if we're watching two different shows — the circus performances that are the Cirque franchise and a tribute to Elvis that would have stood on its own.
The 45 candy-colored, whimsically designed jumpsuits worn by a dance troupe are fun to watch. And the show has 120 costume changes, including a Follies-like Las Vegas number.
But for all the energy, skill and effort evident on stage, the most riveting segments of "Viva Elvis" are the videos in which the Presley charisma is as mesmerizing as ever. When Elvis is on the huge screen in simple black and white, you can't take your eyes off of him. And the nearby live performers trying gamely to get attention with their colorful dances and acrobatics are seriously upstaged.
Only when Elvis disappears entirely, as in a beautifully staged trampoline act featuring comic book super heroes (a comparison to Elvis that's a stretch), do the acrobats have a chance to shine.
Friday night's premiere before a star-studded audience of 1,800 at the specially designed Elvis theater in the new Aria Hotel got off to a rocky start when, in the middle of the first number, house lights went on, the stage went dark and there was an announcement that an alarm had gone off.
After a five-minute break, the show resumed to sighs of relief. Videos were projected in a gigantic juke box frame as Elvis' voice filled the theater singing "Blue Suede Shoes." Scenes from his concerts, the hysteria of his fans, and his TV appearances set the stage for a retrospective of his life.
But as the video rolled, dancers cavorted on stage, a pink Cadillac rolled in, and a gigantic blue suede shoe appeared with acrobats hanging from it.
Other extravagant numbers included a medley of Elvis' early songs with monument-sized recreations of Elvis in cowboy garb aiming a pistol — the same image from the movie "Flaming Star" seen in a classic Andy Warhol painting. But the size was befitting an Egyptian pharaoh. The famous "Jailhouse Rock" dance was performed on a 40-foot-high cell block by dozens of dancers and acrobats, some dancing upside down.
The silliest production number of all involved a mammoth wedding cake for Elvis and Priscilla. A woman on top sang "Can't Help Falling in Love," while couples performed ballet at the base and dancers on roller skates whirled around them. As if there wasn't enough going on, a voluminous bridal train enveloped the cake and reflected blurry photos of Elvis and Priscilla on their wedding day. It gave new meaning to the term over the top.
Among the most successful segments was one dealing with Elvis' time in the Army. Male dancers in uniform swing danced with girls dressed as love letters, while newspaper headlines about Elvis' draft were projected on the back wall. Videos of his induction, including a shot of his mother in tears, provided the kind of emotion that makes Elvis' personal story so compelling.
But the only attempt at a narrative came from a caricature of Elvis' manager, Col. Tom Parker — a poor choice for this kind of insight, since his role in Elvis' story remains a subject of controversy.
The recordings of Elvis classics have been skillfully remixed, making them sound more contemporary than ever, and the decibels are cranked up high.
Before the show began, Priscilla Presley, who was an adviser on the production, said in a brief interview that she hoped, "This tribute will help to tell a new generation about Elvis. The younger kids will get to know Elvis."
She may be right. The show provides enough sensory overload to lure young audiences. The rest of us can hope that it is a work in progress and will be refined as months go by.
We can also be thankful for small mercies: at least there are no Elvis impersonators.
“Shutter Island” drives moviegoers crazy
Insanity prevailed at the weekend box office in North America as Martin Scorsese's suspense thriller "Shutter Island" opened at No. 1 with better-than-expected sales, its distributor said on Sunday.
The Paramount Pictures release sold an estimated $40.2 million worth of tickets across the United States and Canada since launching on Friday, setting personal bests for both the director and his long-time collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio.
The actor stars in the $75 million picture as a federal marshal stranded at a prison hospital for the criminally insane off the coast of Massachusetts in 1954. Pundits had forecast an opening in the $25 million to $30 million range.
The picture was supposed to come out last October in time for awards season. But cash-strapped Paramount stunned the industry last August when by announcing a delay until 2010 because the studio did not have enough money to promote it.
The Viacom Inc unit instead devoted its Oscar marketing dollars to "The Lovely Bones," which received only one nomination for the March 7 awards show, and to six-time nominee "Up in the Air," which is only likely to pick up an Oscar in the adapted screenplay category, Hollywood insiders say.
Scorsese's previous opening record was $26 million for "The Departed" in 2006. The crime drama went on to make $132 million domestically, and netted Scorsese the first Oscar of his career. DiCaprio's old record was $30 million for "Catch Me If You Can" in 2002.
Last weekend's champion, director Garry Marshall's romantic comedy "Valentine's Day," slipped to No. 2 with $17.6 million; the film, from Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros., has earned $87.4 million after 10 days.
All-time box office king "Avatar" rose one spot to No. 3 with $16.1 million, taking its total to $687.8 million. James Cameron's sci-fi smash should hit $700 million next weekend, said its News Corp-owned distributor 20th Century Fox.
U.N. official ElBaradei eyes run for Egypt’s top job
Nobel Peace Prize winner and former United Nations nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei is shaking up Cairo's entrenched political elite by eyeing a run for the presidency of this authoritarian state.
Hundreds of Egyptians chanting "We want change!" welcomed ElBaradei at Cairo's airport on Friday as the former head of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency returned to Egypt for the first time since leaving his U.N. post.
As arguably Egypt's best-known international public face, ElBaradei represents the stiffest challenge yet to President Hosni Mubarak , 81, who has been at the helm of the Arab world's most populous country for the past 28 years.
Most Egyptians expect Mubarak's son Gamal to "inherit" the presidency; the government has conducted a series of well-documented political manipulations that all but assure the younger Mubarak the seat while excluding any serious challengers.
Opposition newspapers and activists, however, are urging ElBaradei to run, painting him as the symbol of hope for democratic change.
"Oh Baradei, we want change, we want a new constitution, long live Egypt !" chanted an estimated 400 people who showed up to greet the diplomat at the main airport in Cairo .
Prominent academics and writers mingled with ordinary Egyptians at the rally, which, though small, entailed great risk for participants in a country where activists and dissidents of all stripes are monitored — and often intimidated or imprisoned.
"We have a terrible constitution, made especially for the president and his sons," said the best-selling novelist Alaa al Aswani , author of the hit " Yacoubian Building ." "We need real change in Egypt , we are seeking real democracy."
Many among the crowd said ElBaradei appealed to them because he is an internationally known figure with a respected record and because he is widely viewed as untainted by the rampant corruption in Egypt's government.
An independent group calling itself "ElBaradei for Presidency of Egypt 2011" has more than 65,000 members on its Facebook page. Members of that group held posters on Friday that proclaimed them to be from cities across Egypt , and not just from cosmopolitan Cairo .
Perhaps wary of appearing too concerned about ElBaradei, the Egyptian security apparatus kept its notorious riot police far from the scene and there was no violence.
Airport officials ushered demonstrators and journalists onto a sidewalk, but couldn't contain the throng once ElBaradei arrived. A small stampede broke out as supporters rushed the arrivals gate, forcing ElBaradei to leave through another exit, where relatives bundled him away in a waiting car.
"By entering the political arena, ElBaradei has given strength and momentum to the current political movements," said Hassan Nafaa , a political science professor and analyst who opposes Mubarak's son becoming the next president.
Nafaa said several activists are scheduled to meet with ElBaradei on Tuesday to discuss Egypt's political future. Their main desires, Nafaa said, were free elections, free choice of candidates and revisions to the constitution to achieve these goals.
Current electoral rules prohibit ElBaradei from running because he's not a member of a political party. Some political analysts speculate that the Egyptian government will offer ElBaradei a consolation post such as foreign minister or prime minister as a way to contain him and weaken his popularity.
Leaders of the ruling National Democratic Party repeatedly have said there'll be no change to the constitution ahead of elections. Parliamentary elections are to be held at the end of this year, followed by presidential elections in 2011.
Pro-reform groups fear Mubarak will either extend his rule for a fifth term or pass the mantle to his son. Apart from ElBaradei, the only other candidates mentioned are close cronies of the Mubaraks.
France wants Middle East peace talks kick-start: PM
France is considering recognizing a Palestinian state before its borders have been negotiated in an effort to kick-start Middle East peace talks, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Sunday.
France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told French weekend newspaper Journal du Dimanche he was "tempted" by the idea of international recognition of a Palestinian state even before its borders were negotiated.
Kouchner's proposal showed France's willingness "to accelerate the (peace) process, to take initiatives which will kick off negotiations which are taking too long to start," Fillon told a news conference in Jordan.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Fillon plan to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris on Monday.
Peace talks were halted more than a year ago over the war in the conflict in the Gaza Strip and have not resumed, due largely to a Palestinian demand that Israel first impose a complete freeze on building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and Israel's refusal to do so.
Japan says Australia whaling threat ‘unfortunate’
Japan's foreign minister Sunday described Australia's threat of legal action against its controversial whaling activities as "unfortunate" but said he did not believe it would hurt ties.
"It's very unfortunate the Australian side has indicated it will take action in an international court," Katsuya Okada told reporters on the second and final day of a visit to Australia.
"Should court action become a reality, then Japan will seek to represent its case to the IWC (International Whaling Commission) supporting the fact that its activities are legal and within the convention."
Okada, the first official from the new Japanese government to visit Australia, said however that the dispute should not affect relations between the two major trading partners.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Friday bluntly warned Japan that it had until November to reduce its whale catch to zero, or face action in the International Court of Justice.
Australia, along with New Zealand, has consistently opposed Japan's killing of hundreds of whales each year, which it carries out via a loophole in an international moratorium that allows "lethal research".
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Australia remained hopeful of a diplomatic solution but he reiterated Rudd's vow that Canberra would seek redress in the ICJ if talks failed.
"It's quite clear that we have a disagreement on whaling," Smith said after meeting Okada in the Western Australian capital of Perth.
"I made clear to Foreign Minister Okada in the course of our conversations (that) Australia believes that time is running out," he added.
Smith said Canberra had "in the last week or so" decided to bring a proposal before the IWC that whaling in the Great Southern Oceans be phased out over a reasonable period of time.
The case would be taken to the IWC in the very near future, Smith added, "potentially as early as tomorrow (Monday)."
Okada insisted before leaving Tokyo that Japan's whaling activities were legal, carried out in public waters and in accordance with international conventions.
He and Rudd had a "frank discussion on whaling" during their meeting in Sydney on Saturday.
For the past six years Japanese harpooners have been pursued by militant environmental activists from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and this year clashes have been particularly fierce.
Okada and Smith both condemned the violence, which has seen a Sea Shepherd powerboat sunk, and the detention of one of their activists.
A group of about 10 Sea Shepherd campaigners confronted the pair during an official wreath-laying in Perth's war cemetery, staging a silent protest against the annual whale hunt.
"For the past two years, by its lack of action, the Rudd government has effectively given Japan the green light to ram and sink ships and kill endangered species," a Sea Shepherd spokesman said.
Rudd had previously threatened Japan with legal action, and the spokesman said it was "hard to believe" he was serious this time.
Okada and Smith also discussed free trade, security and nuclear disarmament, issuing a joint statement affirming their close cooperation on non-proliferation, and expressing serious concern over Iran's atomic drive.
The statement also condemned "in the strongest terms" North Korea's latest nuclear test and missile launches last year and said the reclusive state remained a "major threat" to peace and stability in the region and the world "which cannot be tolerated."
Japan is Australia's top export market, with sales worth 55 billion Australian dollars (49 billion US) in the year to June, dominated by coal and other commodities.
Japan is also Australia's third-largest source of imports -- mostly cars and petroleum -- with two-way trade accounting for 15.7 percent of Australia's total trade.
Next up for Woods: Working his way back to tour
Tiger Woods suddenly appeared through a door-sized gap in the blue curtains as the room fell silent. He had been out of the public's eye for three months. Fifteen minutes later, he was gone again.
Essentially, what happened Friday was that Woods was seen and heard — in tightly controlled circumstances.
The next big step comes when Woods gets back to golf, a landscape he once dominated but may no longer control.
Golf's biggest star spoke before a friendly crowd of 40 people in Florida, most of whom he had not seen since the Nov. 27 car accident that exposed the dirty side of a squeaky-clean image with sordid tales of sex.
Supporters thought his televised apology for cheating on his wife and letting his fans down was sincere. Critics found it to be scripted.
Either way, it was clear just how differently Woods is viewed now.
Another example: Two employees from a local strip club were chased off the property Friday morning at the Sawgrass Marriott, where dozens of satellite trucks and some 300 media gathered to watch Woods' appearance on short-circuit TV. And about an hour before Woods was to speak, a pair of women not dressed for the chilly weather stood along the side of the road holding signs with suggestive comments.
"Hopefully, as he makes progress with these issues — today would have to be characterized as progress — people will react to that in a positive way," PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said. "He's the biggest name in sports in the world, and people like that bring people out of the woodwork who have different opinions. It's hard to predict how that's going to play out."
Three wire services — The Associated Press, Reuters and Bloomberg — were allowed in the room at the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse to observe Woods' talk, with no opportunity for questions.
That time comes when he steps fully back into public life, which in his case is the golf course.
"I don't rule out that it will be this year," said Woods, who confirmed he received therapy and was headed back for more on Saturday. "When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game."
It was an indication that along with trying to make good at home, Woods is taking responsibility for how he acts at work.
His temper has been a topic throughout his 13-plus years on the PGA Tour, particularly his language. Tom Watson sent Woods a letter last summer about his cursing, urging him to knock it off. Watson shared those thoughts earlier this month in Dubai when he said Woods has not carried the same stature as the greats who came before him, such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Byron Nelson.
"I think he needs to clean up his act and show the respect for the game that other people before him have shown," Watson said.
What's unclear is whether being "more respectful of the game" means Woods will consider changing his schedule to compete in some of the 11 tournaments on the main PGA Tour schedule that he has never played as a pro.
Also noteworthy was the location Woods chose for golf's biggest media showcase ever.
It would have been just as easy for Woods to set up shop in the clubhouse at Isleworth, tucked away behind secured gates not far from his house. In a letter to the PGA's policy board, Finchem said the tour made Sawgrass available as it would for any player, even though no other player could command this much worldwide attention.
It appeared to be a statement by Woods that he knows he has damaged his sport and his tour, and staging such an important event at PGA Tour headquarters was an indication of his support when he returns.
What kind of support will Woods himself get?
Ernie Els was among those furious that Woods chose the Friday of the Accenture Match Play Championship here in Marana to speak — Accenture was the first sponsor to drop him — although that was before he knew Woods had a one-week break from therapy and was going back.
Players are no different from the public. They either like Woods and hope for the best, or don't think much of him and will delight in his failures. The former outnumber the latter by a large margin.
"For me, it's water under the bridge," Sergio Garcia said. "I'm just looking forward to having him back on tour. I'm actually excited to see him back. So it's good to see that he's doing well and hopefully he gets everything sorted out."
Woods has many friends on the PGA Tour, but he is close to hardly any of them. One exception is Notah Begay, who withdrew from the PGA Tour event in Mexico to be at the TPC Sawgrass.
Begay compared Woods' delivery — measured, uncomfortable — to when Woods spoke before a private gathering at his father's memorial service in May 2006. "This is as emotional as I've ever seen him in public," said Begay, Woods' teammate at Stanford.
Looking forward, he believes Woods will find a reception like never before on the PGA Tour.
"There will be a mixture of cheers and boos," Begay said. "Not everybody is going to say, 'Go Tiger.' There's going to be some criticism, things he's not used to hearing. And he understands that it's his fault."
The tour has rarely dealt with so much anger directed at one of its players — there was some heckling of Vijay Singh for saying he hoped Annika Sorenstam missed the cut at the Colonial, and at Bethpage in the 2002 U.S. Open when Garcia saluted the fans with his middle finger after they made fun of his pre-shot routine.
Woods' star power dwarfs the rest of golf, however, and the nature of his sins make him an easy target.
"It's going to be a big deal when he comes back out and resumes his career," Finchem said. "But we can be reasonably prepared for that on short notice."
Finchem is hopeful that notice comes soon, although no one knows when Woods will play golf again. There were apologies and confessions in his 13 1/2-minute speech, just not much information.
The commissioner was far more optimistic about whether Woods can succeed.
"If there's anything about Tiger Woods that's been evident over the last 14 years, it's that when he sets his mind to do something and he brings the attention and focus that he can to do something, he's been successful," Finchem said. "And certainly, that includes improvement in almost every area, whether it's his game, his business acumen, his presentation, his ability to talk on his feet."
Woods actually has proven to be somewhat clumsy in spontaneous speech. That time is coming, and it will be another big step. Only then will it be known if it's a step forward or back.
Niger junta promises new polls but gives no date
Niger's new military leaders promised Saturday to hold elections, but specified no date, as thousands rallied in support of the coup that ousted the strongman of the uranium-rich west African nation.
"Our intention is to stabilise the political situation... We plan to organise elections but first we have to stabilise the situation," Colonel Djibrilla Hamidou Hima, one of the junta leaders told journalists in Mali.
Hima, speaking in Bamako, said: "The deadline will be announced at the right moment... It has been hardly 48 hours. We want to rally the people and create conditions" for an election.
Chronology: Political crisis in Niger
He said he had "explained" the reasons for the coup to the region's leaders gathered in the Malian capital for a regional summit, adding: "They have understood us."
Niger's opposition also called for polls at a mass rally in the capital Niamey as they threw their weight behind the ouster of president Mamadou Tandja on Thursday. Related article: Mamadou Tandja, ex-soldier who casts shadow over Niger
Supporters crammed into buses, cars, took lifts on motorbikes or simply walked to gather in front of parliament for a demonstration called by the Coordination of Democratic Forces for the Republic opposition alliance.
"We urge the soldiers to be fair and organise free and democratic elections and then withdraw," Doudou Rahama, an aide to the head of the dissolved parliament told the 10,000-strong crowd.
Captain Harouna Djibrilla Adamou, one of the junta leaders, vowed never to "let down" the people.
"What we did was in the best interest of Niger... we ask you to stay calm, we're here for you, we're listening and we assure you that we will never let you down," he told the rally.
"The Sixth Republic is dead, it came through the back door and has gone out in shame," Mohamed Bazoum, vice president of the Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS) said.
"We came to thank the Supreme Council, we wish it the best," he said, referring to the junta.
Soumana Sanda, a former lawmaker and one of the thousands attending the rally, said they were "celebrating the end of Tandja's dictatorship."
The alliance behind Saturday's rally groups opposition parties, human rights organisations and trade unions that had in recent months fiercely opposed Tandja's refusal to step down after his mandate expired in December.
Many people were seen shaking the hands of soldiers guarding the rally venue.
The 15-nation Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) also pressed for credible elections during a meeting with the leader of the military junta.
"We want a transition ... to be driven by credible, transparent elections open to all," the bloc's outgoing president Mohammed Ibn Chambas said after the talks late Friday.
Factfile: Niger
On Friday, thousands of people spontaneously took to the streets to celebrate the coup.
Soldiers stormed the presidential palace on Thursday as the 71-year-old Tandja chaired a cabinet meeting. They seized the president, took him to a military camp and detained his ministers.
Hours later the new rulers, who call themselves the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD), suspended the constitution that Tandja forced through in a contested August referendum and dissolved his government.
Tandja had changed the constitution last year to hold on to his post beyond a 10-year-limit, tightening his grip on power in a move that infuriated democratic forces and widened the chasm between him and the opposition.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was the latest to add his voice to the condemnation of the coup, but urged the junta to "proceed swiftly with these efforts through a process that is consensual and that includes all segments" of society in Niger.
The African Union suspended Niger. The United States called for a "speedy return to democracy" and former colonial ruler France demanded fresh elections "in the coming months" as the European Union also condemned the coup.
Niger's new military leaders promised Saturday to hold elections, but specified no date, as thousands rallied in support of the coup that ousted the strongman of the uranium-rich west African nation.
"Our intention is to stabilise the political situation... We plan to organise elections but first we have to stabilise the situation," Colonel Djibrilla Hamidou Hima, one of the junta leaders told journalists in Mali.
Hima, speaking in Bamako, said: "The deadline will be announced at the right moment... It has been hardly 48 hours. We want to rally the people and create conditions" for an election.
Chronology: Political crisis in Niger
He said he had "explained" the reasons for the coup to the region's leaders gathered in the Malian capital for a regional summit, adding: "They have understood us."
Niger's opposition also called for polls at a mass rally in the capital Niamey as they threw their weight behind the ouster of president Mamadou Tandja on Thursday. Related article: Mamadou Tandja, ex-soldier who casts shadow over Niger
Supporters crammed into buses, cars, took lifts on motorbikes or simply walked to gather in front of parliament for a demonstration called by the Coordination of Democratic Forces for the Republic opposition alliance.
"We urge the soldiers to be fair and organise free and democratic elections and then withdraw," Doudou Rahama, an aide to the head of the dissolved parliament told the 10,000-strong crowd.
Captain Harouna Djibrilla Adamou, one of the junta leaders, vowed never to "let down" the people.
"What we did was in the best interest of Niger... we ask you to stay calm, we're here for you, we're listening and we assure you that we will never let you down," he told the rally.
"The Sixth Republic is dead, it came through the back door and has gone out in shame," Mohamed Bazoum, vice president of the Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS) said.
"We came to thank the Supreme Council, we wish it the best," he said, referring to the junta.
Soumana Sanda, a former lawmaker and one of the thousands attending the rally, said they were "celebrating the end of Tandja's dictatorship."
The alliance behind Saturday's rally groups opposition parties, human rights organisations and trade unions that had in recent months fiercely opposed Tandja's refusal to step down after his mandate expired in December.
Many people were seen shaking the hands of soldiers guarding the rally venue.
The 15-nation Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) also pressed for credible elections during a meeting with the leader of the military junta.
"We want a transition ... to be driven by credible, transparent elections open to all," the bloc's outgoing president Mohammed Ibn Chambas said after the talks late Friday.
Factfile: Niger
On Friday, thousands of people spontaneously took to the streets to celebrate the coup.
Soldiers stormed the presidential palace on Thursday as the 71-year-old Tandja chaired a cabinet meeting. They seized the president, took him to a military camp and detained his ministers.
Hours later the new rulers, who call themselves the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD), suspended the constitution that Tandja forced through in a contested August referendum and dissolved his government.
Tandja had changed the constitution last year to hold on to his post beyond a 10-year-limit, tightening his grip on power in a move that infuriated democratic forces and widened the chasm between him and the opposition.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was the latest to add his voice to the condemnation of the coup, but urged the junta to "proceed swiftly with these efforts through a process that is consensual and that includes all segments" of society in Niger.
The African Union suspended Niger. The United States called for a "speedy return to democracy" and former colonial ruler France demanded fresh elections "in the coming months" as the European Union also condemned the coup.
UK regulator files $3.3 billion Nortel claim: report
A British pension-fund regulator has filed a claim for 2.1 billion pounds ($3.3 billion) against failed telecom equipment giant Nortel Networks Corp, Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Saturday.
The report said the move sets the stage for a potential international tug of war between the fallen company's far-flung creditors.
The article said a filing to an Ontario court showed the UK Pensions Regulator set a March 1 deadline for action that could lead to an order against Nortel's assets.
Officials with Nortel and Britain's Pension Regulator could not immediately be reached for comment on the report.
Once North America's biggest telecommunications equipment maker, Nortel filed for bankruptcy protection in January 2009 and is auctioning off its assets in an effort to pay back debtholders, rather than restructuring the business.
