Italian troopers repulse Taliban attacks in W Afghanistan.

ROME, January 3 (Itar-Tass) - Servicemen of the Italian contingent in
Afghanistan, acting in conjunction with Afghan government troops, repulsed
attacks and howitzer bombardment on the part of Taliban fighters in the
country's west on Saturday.
The ANSA news agency reports that fighting that continued over the
past several days has been aimed at seizing control over the fortified
areas on the outskirts of the town of Bala Murghab.
An operational base that is used jointly by US servicemen, Italian
paratroopers from among Regiment 151 of the Sassari Brigade, and Afghan
army troopers is located in that terrain. Neither side reported its
casualties.

.The Nutcracker ballet to be presented in Moscow Sunday.

MOSCOW, January 3 (Itar-Tass) - Maestro Sergei Stadler and the Chamber
Orchestra of the ST Petersburg Conservatoire presented the New-Year
programme "The Images of the Vienna Ball" here on Saturday. Music lovers'
traditional meeting with the favourite musicians in the Tchaikovsky Hall
of the Moscow Conservatoire was held in continuation of the Russian Winter
art festival.
Stadler wished the audience a Happy New Year and merry Christmas.
Maestro Stadler said, "It is not by chance that the Orchestra will play
music composed by Johann Strauss who is recognized worldwide as the symbol
of classical arts of his days. Strauss was admired in the past and in our
days, too, it difficult to find a person who would not like his works".
The gala concert programme also included works by Beethoven, Schubert,
Mozart, and Haydn. The Maestro's sister, pianist Yulia Stadler, was a
soloist in the concert. The audience has long been fond of this famous
duet.
People's Artiste of Russia Sergei Stadler has demonstrated his skills
on the Moscow stage in various special lines: as a violin playing soloist,
a conductor, and a commentator.
The prize-winner at prestigious international competitions, Stadler
has been engaging in dynamic concert activities. He has been on tours to
more than 50 countries. The virtuoso violin player performed in an
ensemble with Yevgeny Kisin and Mikhail Pletnyov. Stadler's conducting
skills have been highly esteemed by professionals.
A participant in numerous musicals reviews both in Russia and abroad,
Maestro Stadler organized the festival "The Paganini Violin in the
Hermitage (Museum)". He has also authored the project "Music in the
Hermitage Halls" and the founder of the Hermitage Academy of Music. He
cooperates with leading symphony orchestras of the world.
The virtuoso violinist is concerned with educational and charitable
activities. The Clef-C charity foundation was established on his
initiative in 1994. The purpose of the foundation is to popularize
classical music and support young talents. Stadler is the Rector of the St
Petersburg Academy named after Rimsky-Korsakov. Critics' opinion is that
Stadler's performing skills organically combine brilliant techniques and
an impeccable artistic taste.
The Russian Winter festival began in Moscow on December 20, 2009. The
leading soloists and performing collectives of Russia, Italy, Spain, and
France have been among its participants.
An official at the Moscow Philharmonic Society has told Itar-Tass that
a traditional Conservatoire with the participation of Eduard Grach and the Moscovia
Chamber Orchestra on Sunday. Pianists Nikolai Petrov and Alexander Ghindin
will present "A Music Soiree for Two Pianos" on Monday. Peter Tchaikovsky'
s fairy-tale ballet The Nutcracker will be presented in the Tchaikovsky
Hall on Sunday and Monday. Eliso Virsaladze will dedicate her performance
on January 8 to the bi-centenary of the birth of Chopin.

.Delay in Iraq polls not to affect US troops drawdown-cmdr.

WASHINGTON, January 3 (Itar-Tass) - The postponement of Iraq's
parliamentary elections from January 16, as was originally planned, to
March 7, will not slow down the pace of the American troops' withdrawal
from the country as scheduled at the end of August, General Ray Odierno,
the top US commander in Iraq, told the Associated Press in an interview on
Saturday.
Odierno said, "The plan that I put together originally gave me plenty
of flexibility, and part of that flexibility was that the election would
be delayed, so I built flexibility into our plan." "I feel comfortable
that we are on track," the American commander emphasized.
About 115,000 US servicemen are currently deployed in Iraq. According
to Odierno's forecast, their numerical strength will decrease to about
100,000 by March 7.
Approximately 60 days after Iraq's parliamentary elections, Odierno
intends to estimate the security situation in the country as a whole and
make a decision on whether to go ahead with the drawdown. All US combat
units are expected to leave Iraq before August 31, and the other units
towards the end of 2011.
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