12 February 2004 Thursday 20 Zilhaj 1424 N. Korea's uranium plan to be on agenda: S. Korea's insistence SEOUL, Feb 11: North Korea must be prepared to discuss its uranium-based nuclear arms programme in negotiations this month with the United States and neighbouring countries ... Seoul firm faces sanctions SEOUL, Feb 11: The South Korean government on Wednesday filed a complaint against a local company, accusing it of exporting to Libya materials that could be used to make weapons of mass destruction. ... Tel Aviv threatens to boycott ICJ hearing NEW DELHI, Feb 11: Visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Wednesday the Israeli government may not participate in an upcoming hearing of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the security barrier it is constructing in the West Bank. ... Israel urges India to rethink UN voting NEW DELHI, Feb 11: Israel's Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom Wednesday wrapped up a three-day visit to India with an appeal to New Delhi to reconsider its voting patterns on resolutions against Israel at the United Nations. ... Israeli commandos turn to dissent REHOVOT: When Zohar, Avner and Moshe sent their letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon some weeks ago, it triggered an uproar in Israel. With 10 other commandos of the army's most elite unit ... Ershad's party boycotts parliament DHAKA, Feb 11: The Jatiya Party, the second largest opposition bloc in the Bangladesh parliament with 14 MPs in a 300-strong House, began a boycott of the parliament session this week in protest against the government's "failure to ensure rights of the opposition". ... Bush trying to deflect charges on mly duty WASHINGTON: US President George W. Bush on Tuesday sought to quiet a damaging election year controversy by making public documents aides said proved the president fulfilled his military duties at the height of the Vietnam War. ... No point in searching for WMDs: Kay WASHINGTON, Feb 11: The former chief of the group of experts responsible for finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, David Kay, said on Tuesday there was no point in continuing to hunt for arms, saying these "really did not exist". ... Kerry scores big wins in South; Clark quits race WASHINGTON, Feb 11: Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry rolled to dominating wins in Virginia and Tennessee on Tuesday, scoring a Southern sweep that knocked rival Wesley Clark out of the race and put the nomination within reach. ... US diplomat starts working in Libya WASHINGTON, Feb 11: A US diplomat is working full-time in Libya for the first time since the United States broke off diplomatic relations in 1981, a State Department spokesman said on Tuesday in a new sign of a thaw between the two. ... 200 killed in ethnic rivalry in Ethiopia ADDIS ABABA, Feb 11: Attackers from the Anuak ethnic group killed 200 people in a single day in western Ethiopia late last month, the government said on Wednesday. ... 39 ministers of premier's party dismissed: Chandrika's decision deepens crisis COLOMBO, Feb 11: Sri Lanka's president sacked junior ministers in a deepening political crisis on Wednesday, but named a new panel to review a truce with Tamil Tiger rebels amid fears the country could slip back to war. ... Saudi Arabia, Yemen hold talks on border RIYADH, Feb 11: Saudi Arabia and Yemen are holding emergency talks on what Riyadh calls a "security screen" and what some in Yemen believe to be a concrete wall coming up along the long border. ... US can't afford to fail in Iraq: Cost of occupation WASHINGTON: The failure thus far to find chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Iraq is at the center of Washington attention, and with good reason. The breakdown or misuse of pre- war intelligence, or both, has large implications, political and strategic ... Japan's Iraq deployment furthers break with pacifism SAPPORO: Fresh-faced soldiers in crisp camouflage and new black boots eagerly bounded onto towering blocks of hard snow. Armed with shovels and sculpting tools, they were deploying on one of the trademark missions for Japanese troops ... Delhi to deploy big paramilitary force in Valley CHANDIGARH, Feb 11: India plans to increase its paramilitary force in occupied Kashmi to make it the largest in the world, a top official said on Tuesday. ...

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