Interesting Week...........

1. Twenty-six Americans and six Italians are accused of kidnapping a Muslim cleric from Italy and sending him to Egypt, where he was allegedly tortured...

The American CIA agents and military personnel will be tried in absentia. Italy has not announced if it will seek their extradition to the Milan trial.

2a. The CIA has dismissed a Council of Europe report alleging that it ran secret jails for terror suspects in Europe after the 11 September attacks.

A CIA spokesman said the report was biased and distorted, and that the agency had operated lawfully.

2b. Human rights groups have asked the US to reveal the whereabouts of 39 people who have allegedly been held in secret CIA-run prisons.

A report compiled by six human rights groups listed the names of people who remain unaccounted for after having passed through US custody.

3. President George W Bush has described as "interesting" a proposal by Russia's president for resolving the row over the planned US missile defence shield.

Mr Putin has repeatedly scoffed at US claims the defence shield is targeting rogue states, and has said Moscow may in response aim its missiles at Europe.

4. US Defence Secretary Robert Gates is to recommend Adm Michael Mullen as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the country's top military post....

Gen Pace has been involved in all the controversial decisions surrounding the US military presence in Iraq.

5. And finally, from the news of the day: More than 200 people in various states of undress have cycled through Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, for another leg of the World Naked Bike Ride.
The naked cyclists - and others with strategically-placed body paint, sticky tape or bum bags - were highlighting the damage caused by car dependency.