From NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Raum.

 

　　Vice President Joe Biden said today the United States is prepared to hold direct talks with Iran and its nuclear program if that country shows its serious ... in such negociations. Biden spoke in Unik where he's atending an international conference on security.

 

　　The five men accused in the brutal gang rape of a young woman in New Deli who subsequently died from injuries in the attack have pleaded not guilty in a special court set up to expertize the case, NPR's Jully Macacy reports.

 

　　The five men are charged with a range of offenses including criminal conspiracy, gang rape, kidnapping and murder. The accused now face a judge trial which is set to begin Tuesday. The maximum penalty under the charges they face is death, police say that the young victem who died and her male companion had been attacked with an iron rod and the chee had been gang raped. The assult proked national outrage and caused to overhall the laws reguarding sex crimes. The ....... approved an order Friday that include the death penalty for grave sex affenses but women's groups say it fails to bar those charge with sexual assult from seeking office or bringing the arm forces charge with sex crimes under indian criminal law. Jully Macacy, NPR News, New Deli.

 

　　In an interview with NPR outgoing Defense Secratary Lion Penada says while there may be some reluctance he expects the millitary will allow women to serve in ground combat posts, much like firefighters and police have accepted women into their ranks. NPR's Tom Borman has more.

 

　　Penada has scrapped the so-called ground combat exclusion policy, the move that can open up as many as a quarter million jobs to women. But the marine court ... general James Amens says some jobs might be closed to women if too few can meet the standards, that didn't sit well with Penada,

 

　　I think getting rid of the barrier makes it a little tougher for them to come back, in the acceptions and I don't think that's going to be that easy to do if you know want to know about the truth.

 

　　Penada says it's important that the millitary maitain tough standards. Tom Borman, NPR News, Washington.

 

　　A hostage situation is in its fifth day in world Alabama where negociations continue to try and free a five-yera-old boy being held in an undergound bunker. From member WBA Cam Dan Carson reports authorities say they have been in constant contact with the suspect about the safty of the boy.

 

　　They found out that there is a heater, an electric heater and some blanks down the banker where the Jan D.s's holding the five-year-old boy. And for sure thanks to the suspect that might be negocianting tech to thank the suspect because he has allowed authorities to pass medication and colouring books through down through the PBC pipeline that they are using to communicate down to the boy.

 

　　Dan Carson reporting from Midland City  Alabama.The boy had been taken from a school bus Tuesday the bus driver was shot dead during the kidnapping.

 

　　This is NPR News.

 

　　Federal mediators say they worked out a tentative agreement between longsure men and the operators of fifteen ports along the east coast. Geoge Coan head of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service says the proposed new contract must be rightified by both parties, but pot operations will continues during that process. He did not provided any details of the deal. Both sides have been in intensive negociantions since the previous contract ended in September.

 

　　A former fist dog has died. Geoge W. Bush and his wife Laura issued a statement annoucing the passing of their twelve-year-old scotish terie Barney. NPR's Jully Rownar the cause was reported as ....

 

　　The former president said Barney was a "fiece ... hunter whoes favorite activity in camp divid was chasing golf balls on the cheaping green. Around the White House, he was best known for his annual stense as host Barney camp, troding through the rooms, decrated the holidays with the camara strip to his head. The dog was the star of several vedio made by the White House. He was also know to nip the occational visitor although he was mostly well behaved. According to the Dalace News, Barney has survied by the family's other scotish terie Spely and Bob, the cat. Jully Rownar, NPR News, Washington.

 

　　It's Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney's Phil reportedly did not see its shadow today meaning spring is on its way. But the Pennsylvania rollen has a competetion. There are two groundhogs in New York, and they disagree. Mill of Long Island did see its shadow meaning another six weeks of winter. But Staten Island Chuck agreed with his Pennsylvania counterpart.

 

　　I'm Nora Raum, NPR News in Washington.