29 February 2004 Sunday 08 Muharram 1425 Council fails to meet deadline for constitution: Move to scrap Iraq's family law defeated BAGHDAD, Feb 28: Iraq's Interim Governing Council (IGC) failed to meet its Saturday deadline for completing a basic law but pressed on as the diverse body looked to move beyond the nation's ethnic and religious faultlines. ... Three killed in northern Iraq MOSUL, Feb 28: An Iraqi policeman was shot dead on Saturday and two people were killed on Friday night in the north of the country, local police and US military sources said. A US patrol in Mosul "responded to a drive-by shooting directed at an Iraqi police traffic control point by four assailants in a car and a motorcycle", an army statement said. ... Saddam sons' death: informant gets reward WASHINGTON, Feb 28: The 30-million-dollar reward promised to the Iraqi informant who helped US forces find and kill former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's sons, Uday and Qusay, in July, has been paid in part, the State Department said on Saturday. ... London rejects Greenpeace plea on report LONDON, Feb 28: The British government said on Saturday it would not disclose a key report on the legality of the Iraq war, as requested by the opposition and anti-war militants ... Fatah favours 'peaceful struggle' RAMALLAH, Feb 28: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement opposes attacks on Israeli civilians and supports a "peaceful struggle" with Israel, according to a draft resolution released here on Saturday following a three-day meeting. ... Why the Israeli wall is different WASHINGTON: The issue of the Israeli barrier, which winds through the Judaean foothills like some misplaced Chinese Wall, has wound up in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague. ... WMDs can't protect states: Qadhafi SIRTE, Feb 28: Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Qadhafi on Saturday suggested his decision late last year to abandon all weapons of mass destruction was motivated by self-preservation. ... US goes back on landmine pledge WASHINGTON, Feb 28: The United States on Friday abandoned a sweeping land mine ban envisioned by the Clinton administration and announced it will keep using "smart" mines even though it pledged not to use other mines after 2010. ... Blix says he suspects US spied on him LONDON, Feb 28: Former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix said on Saturday he suspected the United States bugged his office and home in the run-up to the Iraq invasion, but had no hard evidence. ... Blair's supporters hit back at Short LONDON, Feb 28: Supporters of Prime Minister Tony Blair hit back on Saturday at Clare Short, the former minister who alleged that British spies bugged the office of the UN chief during the tense weeks leading to the invasion of Iraq. ... Anarchy engulfs Haiti as rebels encircle capital PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 28: At least eight bodies lay in the streets of the Haitian capital on Saturday after a day of violence blamed on supporters of embattled President Jean Bertrand Aristide. ... Clashes erupt during G15 summit CARACAS, Feb 28: Two people were killed and 54 injured in clashes between supporters and opponents of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as the Group of 15 developing nations met here. ... 200 picked up during strike in Bangladesh DHAKA, Feb 28: Leaders and workers of the Awami League were hardly seen to picket and bring out processions on the main thoroughfares of the capital of the country during an opposition-called strike on Saturday. ... BD rejects US report DHAKA, Feb 28: Dhaka on Saturday rejected Washington's annual human rights report that rated Bangladesh's rights record as "poor" as a US envoy held talks with Foreign Minister Morshed Khan. ... 3 BD ministries faulted for inefficiency DHAKA, Feb 28: The World Bank (WB) has recently identified lack of adequate management capacity in three ministries of Bangladesh government, i.e. the ministry of finance, the ministry of planning and the ministry of establishment. ... Philippines ferry fire: 110 still missing MANILA, Feb 28: Philippine divers on Saturday searched a ferry that caught fire at sea, fearing some of the 110 missing victims might have been trapped in their cabins. ... Taiwanese form 'human chain' TAIPEI, Feb 28: Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian and up to two million of his supporters formed a human chain down the length of the island on Saturday in its biggest ever protest against China. ... Multi-nation force proposed for Africa SIRTE, Feb 28: African leaders agreed on Saturday to set up a multinational force empowered to intervene across the troubled continent to end civil wars or genocide. ... Qadhafi seeks united African army SIRTE, Feb 28: Libyan leader Moamer Qadhafi's insistence that all African armies should merge into a single military force delayed the closing ceremony of a major African Union summit by several hours on Saturday, delegates said. ... Lankan PM accused of 'war mongering' COLOMBO, Feb 28: Sri Lanka's new opposition alliance on Friday accused Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of trying to create a 'war psychosis' ahead of April 2 polls. ... US pushes plan to go after suspected WMDs UNITED NATIONS: The United States is pressing the UN Security Council to endorse a draft resolution that would allow the use of force against "entities and individuals" suspected of trying to develop ... Of free markets and democracy LONDON: In May 1998, Indonesian mobs swarmed through the streets of Jakarta, looting and torching more than 5,000 ethnic Chinese shops and homes. A hundred and fifty Chinese women were gang-raped and more than 2,000 people died. ...

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