World Leaders

An unprecedented security net brought the Swedish capital to a near standstill as police took extraordinary measures to protect more than 100 world leaders attending the funeral today of assassinated Prime Minister Olof Palme. Private jets were still landing at Stockholm's Arlanda airport early today bringing late arrivals for the memorial service. Among the scheduled latecomers were U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and French President Francois Mitterrand.

TORONTO - While still concerned about slipping back into recession, world leaders signaled Sunday that they have a new fear - that the deficit spending they used to stimulate growth could produce a crippling debt crisis that also could stagger the world economy. They pledged Sunday to try to cut deficits in half within three years, their fear of debt outweighing warnings from President Obama that cutting back too quickly risks starving the economies just as they are starting to recover.

World leaders will seek ways to revive the sluggish global economy and halt the spread of weapons of mass destruction today at a summit marked by lingering tension between the United States and France. Before leaving the Group of Eight summit a day early for Middle East peace talks, President Bush will meet privately with French President Jacques Chirac, his severest critic over the invasion of Iraq in March. Chirac highlighted their continuing differences yesterday by arguing that the vast majority of people shared his vision of a "multipolar world," in which the United States would not be the sole dominant power.

Ken Pfister doesn't necessarily always think about world peace when he's doing the laundry, but on a Monday afternoon five weeks ago, he was. He had the day off, and as he folded towels and blankets, he mulled over a Sunday school lesson about peace. "I thought about how Saddam Hussein and George Bush both go to bed at night," Pfister said. "I wondered what they think about when they pull the covers up and begin to drift off. Do they think about how they're affecting the lives of people around the world?

We can't help feel a certain amount of sympathy for George W. "Don't Know Much About History" Bush. When asked recently to name the leaders of Chechnya, Taiwan, India and Pakistan, countries that have recently made the news, Bush could name only one - and not even the complete name at that. Chances are, you probably couldn't do much better. To see, take our test below. But it should also be noted that you, gentle reader, are probably not running for President of United States. And while it's way, way too early to decide who this paper is going to endorse next year, one criterion will be name recognition.

The dove, so it seems, has toppled from its peaceful perch in Pennsauken and been replaced by a much rarer winged emissary - the origami paper crane. No, it's not the kind of bird you'll find nesting in a neighbor's tree, and it's not available from local exotic pet shops. This bird, which is being used to bolster the struggle for world peace, has been hatched by Pennsauken fourth and fifth grade students enrolled in the Carson, Longfellow and Burling Schools. Under the direction of district librarian Maryann Murray, the students have been constructing the small white paper cranes using the intricate Japanese art of origami, or paper folding.

Last year, when the world's global power elite met in this small ski resort for the annual World Economic Forum, they celebrated the seemingly inexhaustible boom of America's high-tech economy. What a difference a year makes. In 2001, this gathering of 1,000 top executives, plus academics, ministers and world leaders, is unnerved by America's faltering economy. And everyone is buzzing uneasily about the capabilities (or lack thereof) of a new U.S. president who didn't come. Not one of George W. Bush's senior administration officials is here - because the meeting follows so closely after the inauguration.

Utopians, democratic socialists, anarchists, communists - all who believe passionately in an absolute system are probably unconsciously following youthful scripts that, once seeded, matured into adult beliefs. So says Ted Goertzel, a sociology professor at Rutgers University, Camden. In his new book, Turncoats and True Believers (Prometheus Press), Goertzel explains how childhood experiences shaped the lives of George Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev, Fidel Castro, Germaine Greer, Betty Friedan, Phyllis Schlafly and others.

It was a surprisingly quiet day at the unofficial Ozark White House yesterday, but the news should start flowing fast and furious now. President-elect Bill Clinton tried to keep a low profile as he met with his six-member transition team. Aides said he would name a chief of staff and other key appointments "rather soon. " Clinton donned a checked shirt and jeans for a stroll with wife Hillary to a neighbor's house for breakfast. But the media hubbub was so intense they ducked into his limousine.

The leaders of the G-20 nations meet today in Pittsburgh (yes, Pittsburgh) amid international skepticism that the gathering can achieve lasting solutions to the financial turmoil. When the world leaders met in London last April, they were focused on rescuing the global economy from collapse. They agreed to pump $1 trillion into markets to promote growth and save jobs, which seems to have prevented the crisis from getting worse. The question now is how to prevent another economic meltdown.

BEIRUT, Lebanon - As world leaders close ranks against Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, President Obama summed up the popular wisdom during a recent White House news conference: "Ultimately, this dictator will fall. " That prediction may be premature. Regime forces have retaken the major opposition strongholds, the rebels are low on money and guns, and the United Nations has ruled out any military intervention of the type that tipped the scales against Libya's Moammar Gadhafi.

In movies and TV shows, robots often resemble their human creators - with arms, legs, and a head sitting atop an upright body. In the real world, they almost never do. So it was with a certain amount of fanfare that Drexel University engineers assembled seven humanoid robots on a stage last week. Measuring 4 feet, 3 inches tall, they are among the most advanced such machines in the world, with precision motorized joints that mimic most features of the human body. Built by a partner university in South Korea and customized by Drexel engineers, the robots gyrated and swung their arms in time with a pulsating beat.

JERUSALEM - For the first time in nearly two decades of escalating tensions over Iran's nuclear program, world leaders are genuinely concerned that an Israeli military attack on the Islamic Republic could be imminent - an action that many fear might trigger a wider war, terrorism and global economic havoc. High-level foreign dignitaries, including the U.N. chief, have stopped in Israel in recent weeks, urging leaders to give the diplomatic process more time to work. Israel seems unmoved, and U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has reportedly concluded that an Israeli attack on Iran is likely in the coming months.

BEING president must be like being a mother. Of course, I've never been either, so this is just conjecture on my part. Still, it seems to me that the head of the country has a lot in common with the heart of a family, particularly when you consider that both of them have to deal with obstreperous characters. In the case of Mom, it's the kids. In the case of the president, it's Congress. Same thing, I suppose. My mother used to have a very hands-on approach to disputes in our household, and made the warring factions come to terms with a variety of maneuvers, including cajoling, coercing and, ultimately, commanding.

Bill Clinton event talks green energy NEW YORK - Former President Bill Clinton said Tuesday that the success of the alternative-energy movement is hampered by a lack of financing. His comments came as world leaders attending his annual philanthropic conference expressed fears about rising seas. His three-day Clinton Global Initiative for VIPs with deep pockets began Tuesday with a frank discussion about addressing global climate challenges. There was a sense of frustration among the world leaders over the failure to create a legally binding world agreement on carbon emissions.

UNITED NATIONS - The new Libya will join the international community as a nation committed to peace, security, and democracy, the head of the transitional government said Monday. World leaders pledged support for the nation emerging from over four decades of Moammar Gadhafi's rule. Transitional National Council chairman Mustafa Abdul-Jalil took the floor for the first time at the United Nations, speaking at a meeting attended by President Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and other world leaders to assess the path forward after Gadhafi's ouster in a civil war. The General Assembly voted Friday to transfer Libya's seat from Gadhafi to the former rebel movement.

KIEV, Ukraine - Tough new guidelines could help prevent accidents like the Chernobyl meltdown, Russia's president said Tuesday, defending nuclear energy during solemn ceremonies commemorating the 25th anniversary of the worst nuclear accident in history. Russian President Dmitry A. Medvedev and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych attended a religious service outside Chernobyl's damaged No. 4 reactor, laying the first stone of a monument to honor cleanup workers and placing red roses at another site honoring the victims.

As a U.S. Marine, he served in Vietnam, in the honor guard at President Dwight D. Eisenhower's funeral, and as sergeant of the guard for President Richard M. Nixon at Camp David. He went on to spend 25 years in the New Jersey State Police and, after that, worked for the department as a civilian weigh master at a truck-weighing station. Kenneth G. Wall, 62, of Gloucester City, was described by family and friends as a role model and patriot dedicated to his family, state, and country.

TORONTO - While still concerned about slipping back into recession, world leaders signaled Sunday that they have a new fear - that the deficit spending they used to stimulate growth could produce a crippling debt crisis that also could stagger the world economy. They pledged Sunday to try to cut deficits in half within three years, their fear of debt outweighing warnings from President Obama that cutting back too quickly risks starving the economies just as they are starting to recover.

WASHINGTON - When President Obama dashed onto the world stage at a London economic summit a little more than a year ago, he was greeted like a rock star. Leaders clambered to get a picture with him. Queen Elizabeth invited him to Buckingham Palace. All at the summit were largely in sync with his plea to stimulate and regulate the world economy. Now, when he arrives Friday in Canada for another round of summits, he'll find a more skeptical audience. Obama heads to back-to-back meetings of leaders of the eight largest industrial democracies, the Group of 8, then the 20 largest economies, the G-20.