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I'm Susan Yackee from the VOA News Center in Washington.

Police in Iraq say gunmen have shot and killed six Sunni civilians in a raid on a house outside Baghdad. Authorities said today the six men, all members of the same family, had received death threats from Sunni insurgents for taking part in a reconciliation meeting with Shiites last month. In other developments, the US military says coalition forces today detained nine suspected terrorists in a raid targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq just north of Baghdad.

United States says the five permanent members of the UN Security Council have made rapid progress on a new agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program. A US State Department spokesman says Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States hope to finish a draft resolution during a conference call today. Although he would not discuss the contents of the pending measure, he said he thinks it will be substantive resolution. Officials say the draft resolution for consideration by the entire 15-member Security Council is expected next week. Iran ignored a UN Security Council deadline last week to suspend uranium enrichment or face new UN sanctions in addition to those imposed in December.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has arrived in Saudi Arabia for talks with the Saudi King Abdullah on a broad range of regional issues. In Riyadh today the two leaders are expected to focus on strengthening ties between the two countries and reducing tensions in the Middle East.

Israel is celebrating the biblical holiday of Purim under tight security. Robert Berger reports from Jerusalem.

It is a weekend of parties and celebrations as Israelis mark the holiday of Purim with costume parties in homes and community centers and on the streets. The holiday marks the deliverance of the Jews from annihilation in ancient Persia some 2,400 years ago, as told in the biblical Book of Esther. Security is extremely tight for the holiday. The army has sealed off the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Palestinians have been barred from entering Israel. Police say they have intelligence information that Palestinian militants could try to disrupt the holiday with terrorist attacks. It has happened before. A suicide bomber blew up on Purim parade in Tel Aviv in 1996, killing 13 people. But that hasn't stopped the celebrations this year. Robert Berger for VOA News, Jerusalem.

An advisory body to China's national legislature has opened its annual meeting in Beijing. The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference brings together Chinese political experts, scholars and celebrities to raise issues and make suggestions to Chinese legislators. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.

The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference has no power to enact laws or set policies. But the more than 2,000 delegates who gathered for opening ceremony Saturday at Beijing's Great Hall of the People do serve a social function. Like the legislators they advise, the delegates are selected and approved by the Communist Party rather than by the public. The leaders of the party and the government, including President and Party Chairman Hu Jintao, were present Saturday for the opening ceremonies. The delegates are meant to represent the voices of China's various social, political and ethnic groups when making suggestions and complaints to legislators. Among other things, NPC legislators are expected to approve a long-debated law granting private property the same status as state-owned property. They are also expected to approve a law unifying the level of taxes paid by foreign and domestic enteprises. Daniel Schearf for VOA News, Beijing.

Officials in eastern Indonesia say landslide triggered by days of heavy rain have killed at least 40 people, while scores more are believed to be buried under the mud. Rescue officials say 40 bodies have already been recovered, but another 29 people are still missing in villages in eastern Indonesia.

Russian riot police in Saint Petersburg have dispersed a banned demonstration by opposition protestors and make scores of arrests after activists tried to block main avenue. More than a thousand demonstrators turned out for today's non-sanctioned March of Dissent, which was organized by the opposition umbrella Group, Other Russia, to protest Russian President Vladimir Putin's government.

Danish authorities say riot police have detained 188 people while breaking up overnight violence by protestors angry about the recent eviction of squatters from a downtown Copenhagen building. Police say violence erupted after midnight in two neighborhoods when demonstrators began throwing Molotov cocktails and stones.

We invite you to visit out website anytime at voanews.com. I'm Susan Yackee, VOA news.