Private pleasure boats are charging up to 800 euros (1,200 dollars) to ferry people into Lebanon from Cyprus, but officials say that shipping law forbids unlicensed craft being used for commercial purposes for safety reasons.

"A directive has been given to marine police that private boats can't take passengers to Lebanon," Cyprus merchant shipping department senior inspector Yiannis Karitzis told state television.

"Pleasure boats for private use are exploiting the situation and charging Lebanese and other nationals... It's not just a question of exploitation... We monitor issues of safety," he added.

For the past week, Lebanon has been rocked by sectarian fighting in which at least 65 people have died after a government move against Hezbollah prompted the Shiite militant group to block access to Beirut airport, halting nearly all flights.

Karitzis said those bringing people to Cyprus from Lebanon was not an issue because it came under the jurisdiction of the Lebanese authorities.

More than 300 people, including the Saudi ambassador in Beirut, have fled Lebanon's violence for the safety of the Mediterranean holiday island, which is part of the European Union and just 130 miles (210 kilometres) away.

Since Saturday, 34 private yachts or speed boats have docked at Larnaca marina on the island's south coast while more people are expected if the conflict worsens.

In 2006, a devastating 34-day summer war between Israel and Hezbollah prompted Western governments to undertake a mass evacuation of tens of thousands of nationals through Cyprus but so far there has been no repeat.

The fighting between supporters of the Western-backed government and the Iranian- and Syrian-backed opposition is nonetheless Lebanon's worst sectarian violence since the 1975-90 civil war.

Some of the boats were dropping people off before going back for more, while other people were docking at the marina for a short period in their luxury yachts.

On Monday, Saudi ambassador to Lebanon Abdul Aziz al-Khoja and his family arrived at marina and were escorted directly to the nearby Larnaca international airport.

Cyprus says it is closely monitoring the unrest in Lebanon and has drawn up contingency plans in the event that a new mass evacuation is required.

Civil defense and other officials met on Wednesday to review the island's preparations to deal with a new influx of evacuees. In 2006, more than 55,000 flooded the island.

Photo: A Lebanese private yacht is seen from Larnaca marina after arriving from Lebanon, Monday, May 12, 2008. Private yacht owners making illegal earnings out of people desperate to return to strife-stricken Lebanon in the absence of normal flights. What a shame !!! Photo courtesy AP

The paper sent a reporter disguised as a foreign tourist on the 4-hour, $55 (28 pound) tour of Rocinha, the city's largest slum, that included visits to the "bocas de fumo" where traffickers sell drugs to Rio residents.

It said the traffickers told the tourists stories about their time in prison, described the life of a Rio drug dealer, and would then pose for pictures with their guns -- as long as their faces were not photographed.

Rio tourism chief Rubem Medina said the firm could lose its license if the story was accurate.

"It's not necessary to do this kind of tour in Rio; there are a lot of wonderful attractions," he told Reuters.

Pedro Novak of the Private Tours firm acknowledged that he ran that kind of tour but that "I'm not the only one."

Several companies have for years offered tours of the city's more than 600 slums, offering tourists a controversial alternative to the city's beaches and an insight into the lives of the more than 1 million people who live there.

The slums, or favelas, are largely controlled by heavily armed drug gangs with names such as "Red Command" and "Friends of Friends" that fight each other for control of the lucrative cocaine market.

The registration number 23 G came second after going for 2.92 million dirhams (795,600 dollars), while the number 32 G was sold for 2.5 million dirhams (681,000 dollars).

Triple-digit plate number 700 F was sold for 1.3 million dirhams (354,000 dollars), while four-digit plate 8000 G got 690,000 dirhams (188,000 dollars).

Auctions for car registration plates have become a fashion in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates with auction organizations frequently netting millions of dollars.

In February, a wealthy Emirati splashed out a record 52.2 million dirhams (14.2 million dollars) on an Abu Dhabi registration plate bearing number "1". In May last year, another one spent more than five million dollars for the number "5".

Oil-producing Gulf states such as the UAE have seen their economies boom in recent years on the back of record-high crude prices.

" Follow the Women are proud to announce the 2008 Pedal For Peace in the Middle East, which will take place on 3rd to 14th May this year.

Nearly 400 women representing more than 30 nationalities will arrive in Beirut on 2nd May for the fourth 'Follow the Women' bike ride, which winds through Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine.

* The 2008 bike ride will start in Beirut with the formal opening ceremony at the UNESCO Palace. The women will ride to the Sabra and Shatilla Refugee Camps before riding from Mount Lebanon to Saidon (Saida) and on to Tyre (Sour)

* They will then cross the Lebanese / Syrian border and cycle in Damascus and Qunaitra before riding in the Golan Heights. The women then journey to Jordan and take part in a Peace Advocacy cycle ride in Amman and in the evening they will meet Jordanian women and Iraqi and Palestinian refugees at the Cultural Palace. The following day those who are still able to sit on a saddle will ride along the Dead Sea before attending an International Evening there!

* All being well the 'Follow the Women' group will cross the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge into the Palestine where they will ride in Jericho, Ramallah and Nablus.

Top picture: American Kim Mander, left, talks with Iranian Shiva Marangi, right, as they prepare to ride with more than 300 other women from about 30 countries, in Baakleen, Shouf region of mount Lebanon outside Beirut on Sunday May 4, 2008, as they begin their Middle East cycle tour for peace. The peace cycling tour 'Follow the Women', attract people from across Europe, America and Arab countries, starting in the Lebanese capital and will take them to Damascus, Amman, Jerusalem

More than 300 women from about 30 countries, ride in Baakleen, Shouf region of mount Lebanon outside Beirut on Sunday May 4, 2008, as they begin their Middle East cycle tour for peace.

This is the first church in the Muslim Gulf state which opened only in March.

Sfeir who left on a private jet intends to travel from Qatar to South Africa on an eight day visit on Tuesday

From there he intends to travel to the United States to discuss Lebanon's presidential vacuum.

On his way back to Lebanon he plans to make a stop in Spain where he is due to meet King Juan Carlos

Sfeir is expected to make a stop in New York on May 15 to meet UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Moon is expected to honor the cardinal on his birthday. May 15 happens to be the 88 th birthday of Patriarch Sfeir.

Sfeir is also expected to meet with President George W. Bush at the White House on May 22 . He is also expected to meet several US officials

Sfeir told reporters that he hoped the United States could contribute to efforts to ease the political crisis in Lebanon, which has been without a president since November 23 amid wrangling between feuding leaders.

"The American officials know about the situation in Lebanon. If they can contribute to promoting the security that we want in our country, their efforts will be welcome", the cardinal said.

Lebanon's ruling alliance and the Hezbollah-led opposition which is supported by Iran and Syria, are deadlocked over power-sharing in a new national unity government and the electoral law that should be applied in 2009 parliamentary elections . This crisis has prevented the election of a president for the Lebanese republic.

Commenting on the presidential elections prior to departure he said: "According to the constitution 2/3 quorum of the parliament is needed for the first round of the presidential . The second round could be based on half plus one majority." He cautioned the ruling majority against reverting to half plus one majority on first round, saying "such an action is against the constitution and could force the opposition to elect their own president. This will result in two presidents for Lebanon which is very bad "

Sfeir encouraged dialogue but said "unfortunately dialogue so far has not resulted so far in any tangible results in Lebanon"

Sfeir called for a smaller electoral district in which 3 or maximum four members of the parliament will be elected. He said this is what all civilized democratic countries do , so that the constituents and the MPs get to know each other.

Sfeir repeated his opposition to the naturalization of Palestinians in Lebanon saying " Lebanon is too small to absorb such a large number of Palestinians. It is already too small for the Lebanese themselves and that is why so many are emigrating " He added "besides we have a document that says the Palestinians themselves do not want to remain in Lebanon"

"I wanted to leave something for my children and tell them about their Dad," said Habib in explaining his motivation for authoring a work of non-fiction. He and his wife, Mona Sadek (also a physician at Lewis-Gale) have two young children that attend North Cross School. "In addition many of my patients and my friends ask me every day where I am from."

Habib, who likes to oil paint for relaxation, set out to describe what life was like in the war torn Lebanon of the '70's and '80's. Every day he is asked for his spin on the problems in the Middle East, and some are surprised that despite having an Arabic name he is indeed a Christian - not a Muslim. "Regardless of where we live - all humans can get along. Life is so unpredictable," says Habib, who has learned to enjoy fishing, camping and other outdoor pursuits in Virginia. "That's what life is all about.'

In his book Habib explains that Christians and Muslims "were always friends...we went to the same school, we always get along. In reality the majority get along just fine. The minority are fighting. Its all about leadership and other reasons." In Lessons in Times of War and Peace, Habib recalls his father waiting on bread lines for hours while soldiers were fed right away. "That war had an impact on millions of Lebanese," he recalls, "and every day I remember that war and what I went through." He learned not to take things like safety, freedom, education, even electricity for granted. Habib does go back to his homeland every year or so and calls it a beautiful place, caught up again in recent years by the fighting between Israelis and Palestinians.

"The sound of a rifle or the explosion of a bomb in a nearby street did not stop these children from learning," writes Habib, who recounts the daily bombings he remembered as a child in Tripoli, when the aroma of flowers and sweet baklava were replaced by the smell of war. "I had a dream about a peaceful country, a safe home, a happy family and a good future." He has found all of that in America and will be happy to share sentiments from his book at Barnes & Noble-Tanglewood this Saturday from 1-4pm. "I want [readers] to get an idea of what an immigrant has to go through, to understand that this person is a human being like them and went through a lot," said Habib. "Life is short - lets get along, lets enjoy it."

Source: Our Valley

Bernard Khoury, Lebanon's most famous architect, takes locations and buildings associated with the Civil War and gives them a Blade Runner retro-fit. My friend Karim Ben Khelifa took this morning-after photograph (above) of a Khoury designed nightclub -- B018 -- that used to be a bunker and that now blows the brain cells of ecstasy and techno loving teenagers with a moving ceiling that open up to the stars in summer. Khoury's other work includes an underground sushi restaurant near what used to be a main checkpoint on the Greenline that separated Christian East Beirut from Muslim West Beirut, and a proposal to paint a tubular sixties era concrete movie theatre half destroyed by artillery fire a bright shade of pink.

Nada Debs, a Lebanese furniture designer who grew up in Japan, uses the the ornate Levantine and Damascene style -- mother of pearl inlays and arabesques -- refined to a minimal, modernist essence.

On the more-is-more side of the furniture design spectrum, Maria Hibri and Hoda Baroudi have given dumpster-diving a Levantine makeover. They find pieces of antique and modernist furniture and then upholster them in Oriental textiles, and sometimes, Maria's daughter's, corduroy pants.

And just for fun, here's a nargileh, a traditional water pipe for smoking flavored tobacco that's a standard fixture in Arab cafes, designed by Sybille Abillama.

If Beirut remains an incubator for creative talent despite its wars and upheavals, avant-garde design in Lebanon remains an elite pastime, the purview of a secular, hipster scene. A country interested in nation-building would be using these people -- and like-minded intellectuals -- to transform its cities, its institutions, and curriculum. But Lebanon has no president, its parliament rarely meets, and most civil society organizations have a sectarian agenda. The re-imaginative power of Lebanese art ends up merely decorating the homes of wealthy foreign patrons, rather than transforming how people live in the Middle East.

Article reprinted from The TIME Middle East Blog. Top photo credit: Karim Ben Khelifa, Bottom photo credit: Atelier S/Z

"My sister can't say she is a Lesbian," said Dimitris Lambrou. "Our geographical designation has been usurped by certain ladies who have no connection whatsoever with Lesbos," he said.

The three plaintiffs are seeking to have the group barred from using "lesbian" in its name and filed a lawsuit on April 10. The other two plaintiffs are women.

Also called Mytilene, after its capital, Lesbos is famed as the birthplace of Sappho. The island is a favored holiday destination for gay women, particularly the lyric poet's reputed home town of Eressos.

"This is not an aggressive act against gay women," Lambrou said. "Let them visit Lesbos and get married and whatever they like. We just want (the group) to remove the word lesbian from their title."

He said the plaintiffs targeted the group because it is the only officially registered gay group in Greece to use the word lesbian in its name. The case will be heard in an Athens court on June 10.

Sappho lived from the late 7th to the early 6th century B.C. and is considered one of the greatest poets of antiquity. Many of her poems, written in the first person and intended to be accompanied by music, contain passionate references to love for other women.

Lambrou said the word lesbian has only been linked with gay women in the past few decades. "But we have been Lesbians for thousands of years," said Lambrou, who publishes a small magazine on ancient Greek religion and technology that frequently criticizes the Christian Church.

Very little is known of Sappho's life. According to some ancient accounts, she was an aristocrat who married a rich merchant and had a daughter with him. One tradition says that she killed herself by jumping off a cliff over an unhappy love affair.

Lambrou says Sappho was not gay. "But even if we assume she was, how can 250,000 people of Lesbian descent -- including women -- be considered homosexual?"

The Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece could not be reached for comment.

Several hundred Palestinians protested at the edge of Shatila camp in south Beirut on 30 April ahead of the 1 May Labor day holiday, traditionally a time for workers' to air their grievances.

"We are humans, we have the right to live," shouted the protesters. "We are half humans in Lebanon."

Palestinians in Lebanon are barred from working in 70 professional vocations. They cannot work as lawyers and doctors, and cannot own or inherit property. Unemployment is rife, particularly inside the dozen refugee camps which are home to just over half the country's 400,000 Palestinian refugees. In Ain al-Hilweh, the largest and most dangerous camp, leaders of factions estimate unemployment at 70 percent.

The rise in the minimum monthly wage from US$200 to $300 is the first increase in a decade, but local researchers InfoPro estimate that only 10 percent of Lebanon's 650,000 wage earners take home the minimum wage or less.

Half a million Lebanese are self-employed and would not benefit from the wage increase, while Palestinians do not qualify as they are considered refugees, not citizens in Lebanon.

Lebanese salaries average $500, while the actual minimum wage is around $320, according to figures from InfoPro. Citizens' wages are further supplemented by a de-facto government set of subsidies estimated at $150 a month, through price controls on electricity, gas, fuel and wheat.

Rising prices

Inflation in 2007 hit 16 percent, according to the Central Administration for Statistics.

The General Federation of Labour Unions says a family of four needs a minimum of $640 a month to secure the necessary basket of goods and services needed for a decent livelihood. The figure is based on joint research conducted with the help of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Workers' unions are demanding that the minimum wage be tripled to around $600 and that wages above the minimum and up to $1,000 also be raised across the board, at a rate that beats inflation. Though widely disputed, estimates put average annual inflation over the past 10 years at around 25 percent. The unions have called a nationwide strike for 7 May.

Fuel prices have been climbing steeply over the past year, with a litre of diesel doubling to $1, while petrol that used to be 60 US cents per litre in 2007 has increased to 90 US cents today. A year ago one US dollar used to buy a kilo of flour for bread. Today it buys 700 grams.

With electricity rationed in Beirut for three hours a day, utility bills for running a generator have quadrupled while in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs, where power cuts are more extensive, residents say they spend around $100 a month paying for their generators, on top of regular utilities.

Fears of violence

One of the Palestinian protesters, Mazen al-Habit, said he was shocked at his treatment when trying to find work having graduated in engineering.

"I was full of hope before graduation but I have no hope now," he said. "No Lebanese companies accepted me and I tried to teach but they didn't give me more than $167, half of which I ended up spending on transport. I worked double shifts but now I would prefer to join one of the Palestinian factions where I will be paid more."

Wisal al-Jishi, from the Palestinian non-governmental organization Najde, said studies show that unemployment and lack of health insurance among Palestinians were key drivers of social unrest.

"Unemployment among Palestinians is causing social violence and we are worried that it also helps to radicalize younger generations," she said. "Some radical groups try to attract young guys with money."

In Nahr al-Bared, Islamist radical group Fatah Islam gained a foothold by distributing money on religious holidays to the young unemployed.

With a third of the cabinet still resigned, the decision to raise the minimum wage was not passed in the 30 April government meeting. Even when it gains cabinet approval, the new law will have to be passed by parliament which has been closed since late 2006 when the Hezbollah-led opposition walked out of the government..

Picture: This Palestinian refugee family of 12 live in a house with only two rooms. Palestinians say they continue to be marginalized in the labor market

Top picture: Children in Shatila camp play among rubble and piles of rubbish

This Palestinian refugee family of 12 live in a house with only two rooms. Palestinians say they continue to be marginalized in the labor market

The fair first sounded like a book lover's dream: 200,000 titles on an enticing variety of topics put on display for those with a voracious appetite for reading.

But fans of steamy romance novels were sorely disappointed.

Here's what Saffar Harandi, Iran's Minister of Islamic Guidance and Culture, told reporters a few days ago:

If a book is describing the private life of a man and a woman in their domicile or their bedroom, or even worse, discussing their extramarital affairs, and is openly talking about sexual intercourse, then it is obvious that it will not be published.

He also reminded writers to self-censor their books about other topics if they want to be published in Iran, where literature undergoes rigid vetting before appearing on shelves.

He said no books will be allowed that challenge religion or the Islamic Republic's strict moral codes

The book fair includes 50,000 titles from Iran in addition to books from 74 countries. And foreign books must also respect Iran's "religious, moral and national" sensitivities.

Mohsen Parviz, an Iranian culture ministry official, acknowledged past mistakes in letting books through the vetting process. "Every year we have to remove some foreign or Persian books from the shelves because they were not compatible with our established Islamic and national values," he said.

But the heightened censorship imposed by authorities since conservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005 has angered publishers in Iran.

The Iranian Student News Agency reported griping from publishers. "The publishers complained about the lack of a clear law to define the red lines, revoking of publication permits and books being lost when submitted for screening," the report said.

"I am a performer and not a politician," Haifa said. "I know my fans want me and I am there for them. I am not concerned with the other issues."

Haifa Delivers a PG Rated Performance

Wearing far more fabric than she is normally accustomed to, Wehbe was dressed in a long green gown with a low V-neckline during the performance (pictured right).

One fan, thirty seven year old Adel Surour, commented on the event: "Her performance was measured compared to her usual demeanor. Haifa Wehbe was dressed modestly. She was almost veiled."

"We thoroughly enjoyed the show," added Surour, who attended the Wednesday night show with his family, alongside an audience consisting mainly of families, including Gulf Arabs from neighboring countries.

"I have received a lot of love from the people of this country and can already feel the warmth," she said. "I am sure this will be an event that will capture the hearts of fans."

Buzzkill Bahrain

Sunni and Shiite Islamist lawmakers approved an urgent motion in parliament asking the Bahraini government to ban the show two days prior to Thursday's May Day celebrations.

The move by the 40-member parliament, where Islamists hold three-quarters of seats, came despite assurances by organizers that Wehbe would dress modestly during the show, which would be reserved for families and respect Bahraini traditions.

Islamist MPs in Bahrain regularly campaign to ban shows and other entertainment deemed to violate Islamic tenets, which has been relatively liberal by the standards of the conservative Gulf region.

Four years ago, Sunni Islamist lawmakers close to the government forced Saudi-owned MBC satellite television to suspend the production of an Arabic version of the reality TV show Big Brother, that was being filmed in Bahrain, charging that it flouted Islamic traditions.

Ahmad Soleimani-Nia has been playing Jesus for seven years, keeping his hair long and lightly dyed, his beard knotty and vibrant.

He is the star of "Jesus, the Spirit of God," a new film from Iran that depicts the man Christians believe to be the messiah and son of God as a tormented Judean prophet heralding the coming of Muhammad, the founder of the Muslim faith. Nia's Jesus is at once serene, devout, driven and passionate.

Jesus sat and peeled an orange as his companion, Nader Talebzadeh, began to speak, precisely, so as not to be misunderstood on a matter so sensitive. The Iranian director's new film is based on the Islamic version of the life of Jesus, depicting the man Christians believe to be the messiah and son of God as a tormented Judean prophet foretelling the coming of Muhammad, the founder of the Muslim faith.

One might imagine such a tale may not screen well in the red states of America. The film, nearly 10 years in the making, draws on the Koran and the putative Gospel of Barnabas, considered by many Western scholars a medieval fable. The premise of "Jesus, the Spirit of God" is that Jesus was compassionate and performed miracles, but was not crucified or resurrected from the dead. The message implies that Christianity, a faith of 2 billion people and the core of much Western philosophy, is based on a falsehood.

"I pray for Christians. They've been misled. They will realize one day the true story," said Talebzadeh, whose film has been screened at international film festivals and is being marketed for wider release.

"People might use this film as a strategy to further demonize Iran," he said. "They may succeed. But I hope once you see that the focus of the film is sacred, it will overwhelm. No one would have imagined that an Iranian would make a film to glorify Jesus."

Not to mention an Iranian who supports President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and believes 9/11 was partly a U.S. government conspiracy. "Someone masterminded something," he said. "And this is the cause for a lot of evil America is doing in this part of the world."

There is another irony. The actor who plays Jesus, Ahmad Soleimani-Nia, once was a soldier in the Iranian army and later a welder for Iran's Atomic Energy Agency, which the Bush administration accuses of pursuing nuclear weapons. Such footnotes don't seem odd when talking with Talebzadeh, who has kept Nia in Jesus character -- flowing hair, beard, mystic pose -- for seven years because he never knows when he might shoot new sequences for the film.

"Jesus, the Spirit of God" comes out of Iran at a time of hostile rhetoric between Washington and Tehran and a divide between Islam and the West that has produced jihad websites, DVDs on the apocalypse, editorial cartoons lampooning Muhammad and a recent Osama bin Laden tape condemning Pope Benedict XVI for a "new crusade" against Islam.

Religion has long been at the heart of tensions between East and West, but it is being swept into a wider cultural war played out on the Internet, film and satellite TV in which icons and sacred texts have been attacked and manipulated. A new Dutch film by a right-wing politician, who compares the Koran to Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf," depicts Islam as a violent faith. In response, a Saudi blogger posted a video suggesting that the Bible could be read as a document for war.

Talebzadeh knows that his Jesus walks on volatile terrain; one wonders, given the tenor of the times, how many fatwas would be issued if a Western director made a film suggesting that Muhammad, whose depiction is forbidden under Islamic tradition, was someone other than the prophet.

"There is so much wrong with this man's understanding of Jesus and Christianity," wrote an incensed Christian blogger, referring to Talebzadeh in a conversation about the film that is unfolding in cyberspace. "It's another piece of Satanic propaganda intended to accomplish no meaningful purpose in this world."

The rough, choppily edited $5-million film, condensed from a 1,000-minute-long series that will soon air on Iranian TV, reveres Jesus as a blessed prophet speaking parables and moving through soft light and angelic chants amid a ruckus of zealots and conspiring Pharisees. The narrative and dialogue are attributed to Islamic teachings and Jesus' disciple Barnabas, whose gospel the director said was hidden by church authorities so as not to undermine the established Christian faith.

Scholars believe that the gospel, not included in the canon of the early Catholic Church, was written by others centuries later and ascribed to Barnabas. It overlaps with the stories of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but it does not present Jesus as the son of God. Barnabas' tale resonates with Muslims who believe that it supports the Koran's teaching that Jesus, though born of a virgin, was not divine, but one of the last great prophets. Talebzadeh's film shows Jesus ascending to heaven before Roman soldiers come for him; Judas, the disciple who betrays him, is transformed into the likeness of Jesus and crucified. According to Islamic traditions, Jesus is alive and will return to defeat evil.

"Barnabas is a missing link the world is not ready to accept. It's a piece of literature we should look into," said Talebzadeh, a man with a graying beard who sat in his office the other day before a bowl of fruit.

Draped in a shawl and legs crossed as if in meditation, Nia-as-Jesus lingered behind Talebzadeh looking very much like a 1970s rock star. He was quiet, serene, a former welder with a thespian calling drifting between the Koran and the New Testament. He had never acted before, but his light skin and angular features mixed with Middle East repose conjured an aura of Western aesthetics and Eastern spirituality.

"I've never been able to resolve why I am so drawn to Jesus," said Nia, a Muslim born in the western mountains of Iran near Iraqi Kurdistan. "It goes back to when I was a boy of 7 or 8. I saw a painting of Leonardo da Vinci's 'Last Supper' and I identified with Jesus. He has always been with me. In my neighborhood, with my long hair and beard, I am known as Jesus."

Talebzadeh grew up in Iran under the reign of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. In 1970, he moved to the United States, where he says he studied at American University in Washington, D.C., and Columbia University in New York. He witnessed a convulsive American decade of antiwar protests over Vietnam and the resignation of Richard Nixon.

For much of that time, Iran was a U.S. ally. That changed in 1979, when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini led an Islamic revolution that toppled the shah and resulted in 52 Americans being held hostage for 444 days.

"I returned to Iran feeling there was a huge misunderstanding in the West about my country," he said. "Iran was being demonized."

Talebzadeh directed a number of documentaries on themes such as the Bosnian conflict and the Iran-Iraq war. In 1999, he began filming "Jesus, the Spirit of God," which grew out of a passion that began decades earlier when he attended a school in Tehran with Christians and continued over his fascination with the purported writings of Barnabas.

"If there's one thing in my life I wanted to do, this film is it," said the director, whose Jesus movie won an interfaith dialogue award at the 2007 Religion Today Film Festival in Italy. "I didn't say Jesus wasn't crucified, God did. It's in the Koran. . . . The film is made with faith. I tried to do it as beautifully as I could."

He added that he hoped his 35-millimeter film would start a conversation between religions: "In the 21st century, the arts and the media have to create an area for more cordial discussions between faiths at a time when information is moving in the blink of an eye. . . . We should be joining people together, not giving distortion and misunderstanding. We have to say, 'Have you looked at this door to know the truth about Jesus?' "

Some Americans have peeked through Talebzadeh's door. He showed the movie to four audiences in the United States, and it was recently screened at the Philadelphia Film Festival. He said many people were open-minded and intrigued by the historical and religious questions it raised.

"The truth has a whole, different vibration to it," he said. "If you enhance it with artistry, you can create a discussion."

Not according to the website of the Worldwide Church of God in Fairfield, Calif.: "Attempts by the Iranians or anyone else who try to deny that Jesus Christ is the true messiah will ultimately fail. The Holy Bible confirms the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth in numerous ways, and no amount of filmmaking or lecturing or rhetoric to the contrary can defeat that fact."

Nia-as-Jesus finished his orange. Talebzadeh, whose office was warm in the afternoon sun, kept talking about the film, about divinity, about how to capture truth.

He turned in his chair toward Jesus, and was still, after all these years, amazed at the likeness, the highlighted hair, eyes of fervor. He joked that he had been searching for his lead character for a long time when his assistant director spotted Nia on the street one day and said, "I found your Jesus."

Nia-as-Jesus liked this story, happenstance leading, as he sees it, to destiny.

The AC Milan player, in Brazil recovering from a knee surgery, canceled two TV appearances, and local media said he will continue physiotherapy at his home.

Police said Ronaldo committed no crime, but he was accused by one prostitute of using drugs and not wanting to pay.

Prostitution is legal in Brazil.

"It is necessary to clarify that no formal accusations were made against Ronaldo," read a statement on the player's Web site. "An advocate of social causes, Ronaldo has never used drugs and has always been admired by children in Brazil and around the world. There are indications of an extortion attempt in which the Milan striker is the only victim."

Ronaldo, a three-time FIFA player of the year, acknowledged to police he knew they were prostitutes but did not realize they were cross-dressers until getting to a motel early Monday morning, according to police.

Police released more details Tuesday, and the AP reviewed witnesses' accounts to authorities.

The motel manager -- identified only as Luisa -- said Ronaldo, who was dressed and appeared to be sober, tried to get rid of the prostitutes after realizing they were men.

She told police Ronaldo offered the prostitutes $600 to end the incident but they would not accept dollars. The manager then converted the money into reals for Ronaldo, but before he made the payment one prostitute asked for 50,000 reals ($30,000) to keep the story from the media, according to the police document.

A motel waiter, who was not identified in the police documents, told police the prostitute went to the street and yelled "the Phenomenon didn't want to pay."

Witnesses also told police the prostitute who asked for 50,000 reals ripped out the phone wires to keep Ronaldo from calling for help, and broke into his car to steal his belongings, according to police documents. That prostitute later showed local media a car document belonging to Ronaldo.

Police inspector Carlos Augusto Nogueira said there was no evidence drugs were involved in the incident.

But he said Ronaldo and the prostitutes must return to the police station for further questioning next week. Nogueira added the one prostitute might be charged with extortion. Ronaldo will not be charged, Nogueira said, unless he threatened to physically assault the prostitutes, as one hinted.

The case made front-page headlines in several Brazilian newspapers Tuesday. And a brief video clip of Ronaldo at the motel, apparently taped by one of the prostitutes, became a big hit in Brazil after being uploaded on YouTube.

"It's really a soap opera," said 48-year-old Luiz Mendes, a private chauffeur. "Ronaldo has money to fill mattresses. He can afford the best and most beautiful women in the world. Why would he want to go out with these (prostitutes)."

Some Brazilians defended the star.

"It's no surprise they are on the front page of all newspapers," said 27-year-old Catia Lopes, a bakery-shop worker. "But I don't think Ronaldo's image was hurt. For me he is still the same person."

Ronaldo's spokesman did not immediately return an e-mail from The Associated Press.

Ronaldo went out Sunday night reportedly to celebrate Flamengo's 1-0 victory over rival Botafogo in the first leg of the Rio de Janeiro state final. Ronaldo is a fan of Flamengo and has said he wants to play for the Brazilian club before retiring. He was at Maracana stadium to watch Sunday's match.

The player told reporters during the match that he could be back in action in six months if his recovery continues to go as planned.

Ronaldo has won two World Cups with Brazil, including in 2002 when he scored eight goals, including two in the final against Germany.

Another drain on Le Pen's finances was the 10,000 euro fine he incurred in February when a court found him guilty of "contesting crimes against humanity" for saying the Nazi occupation of France was "not particularly inhumane".

Asked why the car was up for sale, a National Front spokesman said: "Money, money, glorious money."

With a little more than nine days left before the eBay auction finishes, the 1991 Peugeot that has ferried Le Pen around during his campaigns has been bid up from the one euro starting price to 3,510 euros. The auction has received 56 bids at the time of publication.

"Following its replacement, we are putting up for sale Jean-Marie Le Pen's armoured Peugeot 605, used daily by him, including during his last presidential campaign," the posting on the ebay site said.

"To be considered as a collector's item, no jokers."

Someone forgot to tell Haifa that Lebanon remains plagued by crisis, and has been without a president for over six months.

"I have received a lot of love from the people of this country and can already feel the warmth," she said. "I am sure this will be an event that will capture the hearts of fans."

Haifa said she was aware of the proposal by MPs to ban her from performing at the concert but chose to ignore their petty attempts to silence the diva.

"I know my fans want me and I am there for them. I am not concerned with the other issues."

Reinforcing her commitment to children, Haifa met earlier in the day with three children from the Alia Centre for Early Intervention.

"I have a very special place in my heart for these very special children. They are challenged but they are special. They deserve our love, affection and our support."