| 19 February 2004 | Thursday | 27 Zilhaj 1424 |
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Taliban's warning to Afghans over polls
KANDAHAR, Feb 18: A top Taliban commander warned on Wednesday that Afghans who take part in elections this year will face attack, the first direct threat the guerillas have issued to the UN-backed polls. ... 
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Hand over in Iraq on June 30, says Powell
WASHINGTON, Feb 18: US Secretary of State Colin Powell confirmed on Tuesday US plans to return Iraq's sovereignty to its people by June 30. We still believe that June 30 is the appropriate time to have a transition to an interim government of the people of Iraq. ...
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Iraqi Kurds reject call to disband militia
SULAIMANIYA: Kurdish leaders in the northern autonomous area are refusing to disband their military forces, the peshmerga, and are pushing for a veto over any deployment of the Iraqi army in their region. ...
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Cyprus edges closer to reunification
ANKARA: The stage has been set many times before in Cyprus but this time a solution is almost guaranteed. When the leaders of Greek and Turkish Cyprus sit down for reunification negotiations on Thursday there will be no turning back. ...
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US sanctions on Pakistan ruled out
WASHINGTON, Feb 18: The State Department said on Wednesday that the US administration would first like to see how Pakistan tackles the current crisis before deciding whether to re-impose nuclear-related sanctions on the country. ...
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EU 'Big 3' push for economic reforms: 'Domination' denied
BERLIN, Feb 18: The European Union's "Big Three", Germany, France and Britain, called on Wednesday for urgent EU economic reforms, but rejected charges they were seeking to dictate to other member states. ...
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Dean ends bid for White House
BURLINGTON, Feb 18: Former Democratic front-runner Howard Dean ended his roller-coaster White House bid on Wednesday but vowed to turn his Internet-based operation into a new force for progressive change. ...
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Basic schooling is foundation of development: study
WASHINGTON, Feb 17: Investing in universal primary education is one of the best ways for poor nations to boost economic growth, their citizens' health and other indicators of development ...
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Staff suspended after jailbreak by Phoolan's 'killer'
NEW DELHI, Feb 18: Three senior officials at a high-security New Delhi jail have been suspended amid claims by police that prison staff helped the killer of India's famous bandit queen to escape, officials said Wednesday. ...
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Sri Lanka's opposition for free enterprise
COLOMBO, Feb 18: Leaders of Sri Lanka's new opposition alliance, in a bid to allay fears of the business community, have assured the private sector would be allowed to play a vibrant role under a future government. ...
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N-trading: focus on 'middleman'
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18: Malaysia on Wednesday welcomed a statement by a senior US official that the government was not implicated in a nuclear black market scandal, as attention turned to a shadowy Sri Lankan businessman living here. ...
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Russia to match US in strategic weapons: Putin
MOSCOW, Feb 18: Russian President Vladimir Putin, eying the votes of the growing nationalist lobby, promised on Wednesday to equip the armed forces with a new generation of long-range weapons matching those of the United States. ...
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S. Arabia to stop fencing border with Yemen
RIYADH, Feb 18: Saudi Arabia has agreed to stop construction of a fence on the border with Yemen aimed at stemming cross-border smuggling of weapons. ...
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Israel's Gaza plan has tacit US backing
AL QUDS: The US has tacitly approved Ariel Sharon's plan for "unilateral disengagement" from the Palestinians but set a series of conditions, including a refusal to let Israel formally annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank. ...
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China-Taiwan ties to remain tense for a very long time
TAIPEI: Analysts say no matter who becomes Taiwan's next president, relations with China could remain tense for a long time. President Chen Shui-bian is running for a second four-year term in the March 20 election against opposition leader Lien Chan. ...
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Intellectuals condemn French govt
PARIS: More than 20,000 French artists, thinkers, film- makers, scientists, lawyers, doctors and academics have signed a petition accusing the centre-right government of "waging war on intelligence" and instituting "a new state anti-intellectualism". ...
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