Belgians bridle under legacy of Waterloo showdown

By Kevin Grieves
CNN World Report

Legacy of Waterloo fun for reenactors, oppressive for area farmers

In this story: Memorable wartime photo reunites reporters in South Korea Bahamians debate capital punishment Iran remembers 10 days that changed course of nation Boris Yeltsin's spitting image sold to highest bidder Whopper of a squid is pride of Galician fisherman RELATED STORIES, SITES

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At its height, Napoleon's conquered domain included large portions of Europe. History books record the decisive end of Napoleon's military ambitions in a battlefield near the village of Waterloo, in what is now Belgium: Napoleon's troops suffered defeat at the hands of the English Duke of Wellington and his armies. As a reward, the Duke was granted the rights to more than a thousand hectares of land near the battlefield.

As Belgium's Way Press International told viewers, the aftermath of the battle has not remained relegated to the annals of history. The descendants of the Duke of Wellington are still cashing in from some 70 farmers who live on the land near Waterloo, to the tune of around US $160,000 a year. The Belgian government has been making payments as well. Now it seems some taxpayers and farmers have had enough, and a lawsuit has been filed against the country's finance minister.

Way Press' Charles Verpoorten says the group of taxpayers bringing the suit argues that the arrangement is something that belongs in the Middle Ages. "How the Duke of Wellington and his descendants would react to all this remains unclear, but Napoleon might possibly consider a second Battle of Waterloo as not necessarily a lost cause," Verpoorten concludes.

Reunited photographers recall circumstances of famous wartime image

A South Vietnamese officer points a gun at the head of a captured man suspected of being a Vietcong spy. That image is arguably one of the most striking photos of the Vietnam War era, bringing the horror of the conflict to the public eye. The Pulitzer-Prize winning photograph was taken by an Associated Press photojournalist named Eddie Adams, who together with his colleagues covered the fighting and suffering on the ground in Vietnam.

A Korean photographer was among Adams' colleagues that day the Vietcong suspect was executed; Kim Yong-taek was working for the Donga Ilbo press agency. South Korea's Arirang TV met the two photographers recently as they were reunited at a photo exhibit in Seoul, seeing each other for the first time since the Vietnam War.

The two men share a strong bond dating back to that fateful day: Following the execution, the angry South Vietnamese police officer pointed his gun at Kim, but Adams stepped in and managed to defuse the situation. Kim says he's been waiting to express his gratitude to Adams in person. "I've always thought about him as someone who saved my life, and someone I wanted to meet again. Now, after 32 years, I finally got the chance."

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The Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas looks at the rise in crime at the popular vacation destination. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K

The death penalty has long been the target of human rights groups in countries such as the United States, and the recent acquittals of U.S. death row prisoners on the basis of DNA evidence have added fuel to the criticism of the practice. The Caribbean nation of the Bahamas is also engaging in a debate over putting convicted criminals to death, especially following the recent execution of a Bahamian prisoner.

The Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas gauged the public's reaction to the execution and to the feelings about capital punishment as a whole. The island nation is one of the few countries in the world that administers executions by hanging.

"Once the devil departs, the angel arrives." These are the words Iran's contributing broadcaster IRIB used to describe that country's 1979 revolution, which brought the end of Shah Reza Pahlavi's rule and ushered in an Islamic government under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Iranian children cheer Islamic revolution to accompaniment of band

Iran commemorated the anniversary of the Islamic revolution recently, filling 10 days with festivals and exhibitions to recall the 10 days that brought Khomeini to power over 20 years ago. IRIB correspondent Seyyed Wadoud Hosseiny described some of the athletic events and culture and art exhibitions held in conjunction with the anniversary. For example, the Kharazmi Festival highlights Iran's achievements in the scientific and industrial fields.

A mass demonstration in the streets of Tehran and other cities marks the culmination of the festivities. "Millions of Iranians throughout the country, by taking part in these processions, once again pledge their allegiance to the path of Imam Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution," says IRIB's Hosseiny.

Yeltsin's TV alter-ego receives finishing cosmetic touches before auction

Russia's former president Boris Yeltsin has largely remained out of the public eye since he announced his retirement this past New Year's Eve. Now one of his likenesses is being retired as well, as Russia's ORT reported to CNN World Report viewers.

Boris Yeltsin appeared in puppet form for years on the highly rated NTV program "Kukly" ("Puppets"). The show is a satirical look at Russian politics in the same vein as Britain's popular "Spitting Image." With a new generation of politicians in the Kremlin, "Kukly" has had to revamp its cast of characters, and is phasing out those politicians who no longer figure prominently in the news.

The Boris Yeltsin puppet found a new home with the highest bidder at a recent auction. The image of Russia's ex-president fetched the equivalent of US $4,000, with the profits going into the coffers of the NTV network. As ORT newscasters observed, "Yeltsin's time is over."

Catch of the day: Spanish dockworkers pitch in to hoist giant squid

If you've ever told a tall tale boasting of your fishing exploits, consider the reaction one Spanish fisherman must have gotten upon telling friends about his latest catch: A gigantic squid, measuring as long as two people, and tipping the scales at 140 kilograms.

Spain's TV Galicia told CNN World Report viewers that the enormous creature was hauled out of the ocean in the Bay of Biscay. After the fisherman brought it on shore, the unusual specimen was sold to a Galician shop owner for the equivalent of US $500, to use "as publicity" for his fish store. "There aren't many catches like this," the shopkeeper commented.

After being displayed for the cameras, the giant squid met its final fate: The cooking pot. Pieces of the squid were sold to hungry customers, who put their names on a waiting list to be able to sample a small piece of angling history on their own dining room table.