Barbara Plett: China's state news agency says the seven men were abducted near Fallujah while travelling on the main road between Jordan and Baghdad. They're the latest foreigners to be kidnapped during a week of fierce fighting in Iraq. A British man has been released. But the fate of three Japanese hostages threatened with execution still hangs in the balance. Meanwhile, residents of Fallujah are burying their dead and trying to get out of the city during the lull in fighting. Local hospital officials say more than six hundred people have been killed, most of them civilians. The marines insist most of the dead are fighters. The Americans have failed to crush the insurgents despite the use of massive force. Mediators continue efforts for a negotiated solution. But the US military is reinforcing its troops to resume the offensive if talks fail. VOCABULARY to abduct, to kidnap - unést kidnapper - únosce hostage - rukojmí fate - osud to hang (lie) in the balance - být nejasné, nejisté lull - klid to insist - trvat na něčem to crush - rozdrtit resume the offensive - znovu zaútočit, obnovit boje