25 February 2004 Wednesday 04 Muharram 1425 Reformists' voice stifled: Bush WASHINGTON, Feb 24: US President George Bush on Tuesday accused Iran of trying to "stifle" reformist political forces in the runup to last week's parliamentary elections, saying this undermined the validity of the vote. ... Terrorists trying to buy WMDs: CIA chief WASHINGTON, Feb 24: CIA Director George Tenet on Tuesday warned lawmakers of significant risks from terrorist organizations trying to obtain technology to produce weapons of mass destruction. ... Sharon to ignore ICJ verdict TEL AVIV, Feb 24: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Tuesday vowed to finish his "security fence" regardless of the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). ... Questions remain about Iran's N-plan, says IAEA VIENNA, Feb 24: The UN's nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday it still had questions about Iran's nuclear programme despite what Tehran called a full disclosure in October, and diplomats said Iran was being difficult. ... Malaysia faces US sanctions: weekly KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24: Malaysia on Tuesday brushed off suggestions that the United States might impose sanctions over a local company's role in the nuclear weapons black market, and confirmed that a confessed middleman was free to leave the country. ... Libya wanted to 'buy peace': PM - Compensation over Lockerbie LONDON, Feb 24: Libya's prime minister said on Tuesday his country agreed to pay 2.7 billion dollars' compensation for the Dec 1988 bombing of a US airliner over Scotland in order to "buy peace" with the West. ... 4 doctors die as plane carrying heart crashes ROME, Feb 24: Four Italian doctors and two pilots died on Tuesday when their plane, carrying a heart for transplant, crashed in mountains on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, air safety officials said. ... Zawahri warns US of more attacks, slams France DUBAI, Feb 24: Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahri warned US President George Bush in an audiotape broadcast on Tuesday to prepare for more attacks in his country. ... Tribal tensions may benefit Taliban KHOST: Until now, the powers of Pushtun tribal leaders in the southeastern province of Khost have held Muslim fundamentalist Taliban forces at bay, but growing tensions within the tribes could upset this balance. ... Job creation: an uphill task in Iraq RAMADI: US Army Lt-Col Hector Mirabile is in charge of troops in one of Iraq's most dangerous areas. Each day, he must sort through a mass of intelligence reports and plan raids and other missions ... Two years on, Gujarat's scars are still unhealed AHMEDABAD: For the last two years, Salimbhai Jamumiya Sindhi has lived in a plastic tent with no running water and only intermittent electricity. ... Japan to to press N. Korea over kidnappings TOKYO: Backed by the threat of economic sanctions, Japan will use this week's talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions to pursue its agenda of resolving the question of Japanese kidnapped by Pyongyang's agents. ...

© The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2004