USA

At the beginning of a five-day European trip, President Bush Monday dismissed the rift with some of the Continent's leaders over the war in Iraq as a "passing disagreement of governments" and urged greater trans-atlantic cooperation, including more support for the fledgling Iraqi government. Bush began his tour in Brussels, home to both the European Union and NATO. He also planned to dine privately with French President Jacques Chirac, one of his most outspoken critics on the Iraq war.

In California, eight coastal counties from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, were under a landslide advisory after the latest series of storms turned deadly. Authorities reported that a teenage girl in Orange County was killed when large, rain-loosened boulders crashed into her home, and a city worker died after falling into a huge sinkhole caused by heavy rains. Forecasts called for up to five more inches of rain in the region, with as much as two feet of snow in the higher elevations.

The White House said Bush was disappointed to learn that author George Wead had shared tape recordings of their private conversations from 1998 to 2000. On the tapes, comments by Bush, who was governor of Texas at the time, appear to acknowledge past experimentation with marijuana. White House officials did not dispute the veracity of the tapes, made without Bush's knowledge. Portions of the tapes aired Monday on ABC's Good Morning America" and were published Sunday by The New York Times.

Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, leaders of the private US aid effort to tsunami-ravaged southern Asia, visited children Monday in the Sri Lankan fishing village of Weligama. Besides watching the child survivors dance, sing, and draw pictures of their experiences, the two ex-leaders toured facilities built with US government aid to house those who lost their homes in the Dec. 26 disaster. The pair earlier toured Thailand and were to fly to the Maldives later Monday.

Baritone John Raitt, who died Sunday in Pacific Palisades, Calif., achieved stardom for his roles in "Carousel" and other Broadway productions, plus the 1954 movie hit "Pajama Game." Above, Raitt is shown attending a 2000 Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame dinner with his blues-singing daughter and new inductee, Bonnie Raitt.

Sandra Dee, who died in Thousand Oaks, Calif., was best known for her starring role in "Gidget" and other teen films of the 1960s. She was once married to pop singer Bobby Darin.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
QR Code to USA
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0222/p24s03-nbgn.html
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe