Rallying troops after an overnight stay at an air base, Vice President Dick Cheney said Tuesday that as long as freedom is suppressed in the Mideast, the region will remain a place of “stagnation, resentment and violence ready for export.” “You and I know what it means to be free,” Cheney told the troops at an outdoor rally.
The top U.S. and Russian national security ministers pledged cooperation Tuesday as the two nations aired disagreements over a planned U.S. missile shield in Eastern Europe that has angered Russia. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she hoped a day of joint discussions she and Defense Secretary Robert Gates were holding with their Russian counterparts would “strengthen our partnership and perhaps overcome some of our differences.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia would do what it could to keep relations with the United States on an even keel as Russian President Vladimir Putin steps down this spring.
A Lloyd’s of London syndicate said Tuesday it is insuring the nose of winemaker Ilja Gort for $8 million. The Dutch winemaker and taster took out the policy after hearing about a man who lost his sense of smell in a car accident. Gort, 47, said his nose is essential for him to produce top quality wines at his Chateau de la Garde vineyard in the Bordeaux region of France. Among other things, he is barred from riding a motorcycle or working as a knife thrower’s assistant or fire-breather.
