NEW YORK, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The New York Times reported the following stories on its front page on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. * Iraqi death toll exceeded 34,000 in '06, U.N. says: The figure represents a vivid measure of the failure of the Iraqi government and U.S. military to provide security. * There are worries that Sunni-Shiite tensions in Iraq could start to balkanize the Middle East. * Paradox seems to define I. Lewis Libby Jr., who is charged with lying to a grand jury about his leaks to the news media in the battle over Iraq war intelligence. * Senator Barack Obama said he would formally declare his intention to run on Feb. 10 in Springfield, Ill. * Civil rights advocates say that ethnic and racial violence in Los Angeles grew at an alarming rate last year. * A top Interior Department official was told nearly three years ago about a problem with oil and gas royalties. * New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg plans to outline his proposals Wednesday in his annual address to the City Council.
