World briefs 10/26/05

Riot police clash with students in Rome

ROME -- A student protest in Rome turned bloody as police in riot gear charged demonstrators Tuesday in the streets near Premier Silvio Berlusconi's office. The students, who sent up clouds of red smoke and chanted slogans, were protesting university reforms sponsored by Berlusconi's conservative government. Sky TG24, a private Italian TV channel, reported that some students were taken away by ambulance from the protest. Rome police headquarters said it had no immediate reports of arrests.

BBC formally announces plans for Arabic TV

LONDON -- The BBC World Service said Tuesday it would launch an Arabic TV and information service, and end radio services in 10 other languages to help pay for the venture. The Arabic service will be the first publicly funded international television service launched by the British Broadcasting Corp. Its BBC World TV service is a commercial venture. The BBC said it would end radio broadcasts in Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Kazakh, Polish, Slovak, Slovene and Thai by March. Online services in these languages will continue.

Rice: U.S., Canada can resolve lumber fight

OTTAWA -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said "apocalyptic language" will not help resolve a trade fight over Canadian lumber but offered no promise Tuesday that the United States will repay billions in tariffs that Canada claims were collected improperly. Asked whether she came to the Canadian capital with a check for the disputed $3.5 billion, Rice said, "I don't travel with that kind of money." Rice said the United States prefers a negotiated settlement in the standoff over cheap lumber imports. "I think it's extremely important not to speak in apocalyptic language on this," Rice said, noting that lumber is only a small part of U.S.-Canadian trade. About a quarter of all U.S. exports go to Canada each year.

-- From wire reports