"World leaders on Saturday reacted with shock and grief to the loss of the space shuttle Columbia, stressing the contribution the victims had made to conquering the dangerous realm of space. Schroeder also sent a telegram to Sharon, expressing his sincere condolences over the loss of Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut. Israel's Ambassador to the United States Daniel Ayalon said the loss of Columbia, with seven astronauts including Ramon, was a tragedy for his country and the United States," reported the AFP news service.
"US President George W. Bush on Saturday declared emergencies in Texas and Louisiana, freeing up federal funds to help in the cleanup from the Columbia space shuttle disaster," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Collective shock and grief gripped Americans on Saturday when, in a searing streak of white across a blue Texas sky, seven of their heroes perished as the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry. In the security mindset of the day, many thoughts turned first to terrorism. Nasa quickly discounted that possibility," reported the AFP news service.
"Germany's secret service has information that Iraq is developing weapons in mobile laboratories disguised as ordinary goods vehicles," reported the Reuters news agency.
"No senior Iraqi official will attend a Feb 5 session of the UN Security Council during which Washington has said it will provide proof that Iraq is pursuing prohibited weapons," reported the AFP news service.
"The US military began training Iraqi volunteers at a Hungarian air base on Saturday to be guides and support for international troops in the event of any war against Iraq," reported the Reuters news agency.
"A defiant Iraq threatened to unleash suicide attacks against US nationals in the Middle East and to wipe out any invading force should Washington wage a new war against it. Demonstrations against a US-led war on Iraq went ahead in Europe and the Middle East as Britain and the United States said they would seek United Nations backing for military action against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein," reported the AFP news service.
"US troops and equipment continued to pour into the Gulf region for a looming war with Iraq pushing up troop levels last week to at least 87,000, almost half of them in Kuwait," reported the AFP news service.
"The eyes of the world will be focused squarely on Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday when he lays out the US case against Iraq at a high-stakes special meeting of the UN Security Council. Faced with growing public opposition at home and abroad to military action against Iraq as well as deep concern in the Security Council over the use of force, Powell is under intense pressure to deliver convincing evidence of Iraqi malfeasance," reported the AFP news service.
"Immediate popular reaction in Baghdad on Saturday to the loss of the US space shuttle Columbia and its seven-member crew - including the first Israeli in space - was that its was God's retribution on Americans," reported the Reuters news agency.
"At least 20 people were feared dead yesterday after an explosion ripped apart a block of shops and apartments here and triggered hours of chaos and looting in Nigeria's economic capital," reported the AFP news service.
"Fifteen anti-war protesters were arrested yesterday outside the United States Embassy in New Zealand after they tried to inspect it for weapons of mass destruction. Around 150 people were outside the embassy compound where they were met by a large police contingent. A number of protesters tried to scale the fence and were arrested while others were arrested for blocking a police van taking away protesters," reported the AFP news service.
"Israelis mourned yesterday the death of their country's first astronaut on the space shuttle Columbia with a weary sense of familiarity with dashed dreams," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Afghanistan has been rocked by a resurgence of violence over the past few days, as an apparent rise in anti-American sentiments in the troubled country exploded into heavy fighting and deepening insecurity," reported the AFP news service.
"North Korea threatened yesterday to scrap inter-Korean reconciliation projects if South Korea took action over an alleged secret cash payoff to the Stalinist country ahead of an historic summit in 2000," reported the AFP news service.
"President George W. Bush will propose a nearly US$470mil boost in Nasa's budget for fiscal 2004, an administration official said on Sunday, promising investigators would look into whether past cutbacks played any part in the space shuttle Columbia disaster," reported the Reuters news agency.
"At least three separate probes have put the US space programme under intense scrutiny after the loss of the space shuttle Columbia revived longstanding concerns about safety," reported the AFP news service.
"Every Australian household from this week will receive a government-sponsored anti-terrorism kit designed to help citizens identify terrorists, under a scheme launched yesterday. But the kits have drawn criticism, particularly from the main opposition Labor Party which has also spearheaded opposition to the government's staunch support of the US stance on Iraq. Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said the money would be better spent on improving airport security while Greens party Senator Bob Brown accused the government of using fear to win votes," reported the AFP news service.
"Baghdad has agreed to hand back swords and paintings belonging to the Kuwaiti ruling family, recently seized in Iraq which had invaded Kuwait in 1990," reported the AFP news service.
"Roaring up as rear guard for his F-16 formation and exposed to anti-aircraft fire as Iraq's nuclear reactor went up in flames below - that is how a select few in Israel's top brass will remember astronaut Ilan Ramon," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Iraq's chief arms monitoring body said on Sunday Baghdad was keen to resolve any pending disarmament issues when top UN inspectors visit next weekend. But Hussam Mohammad Amin, head of the National Monitoring Directorate, gave away little on two main issues - U-2 spy plane overflights and private interviews with Iraqi scientists. Amin dismissed satellite photographs that US Secretary of State Colin Powell intends to present to the Security Council tomorrow on Iraq's alleged banned weapons as fabricated space and aerial photos," reported the Reuters news agency.
"British Labour politician Tony Benn said he had filmed an hour-long television interview with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Sunday, the first in over a decade. He said his current visit was to explore possibilities of a peaceful solution to a problem that might lead to the most catastrophic war with long-term consequences," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Iraq’s breakaway Kurds appealed on Saturday for aid to prevent a repeat of the 1991 exodus of refugees across the mountains during which thousands died from cold, starvation, or government forces’ gunfire. Many ordinary Kurds have already stocked up on essentials, and are closely following news of US preparations for a possible war against Iraq to decide when to quit their homes and head for their only traditional ally - the mountains," reported the Reuters news agency.
"North Korea's official media said yesterday its troops were in full combat readiness in case of US aggression, amid signs of rising tensions over the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula. North Korea repeatedly accused the US of preparing to attack, including deploying an aircraft carrier in waters off the peninsula," reported the Reuters news agency.
"An American tourist was knifed and wounded by a German man in the central Philippines in a bar brawl over the raging issue of Iraq," reported the AFP news service.
"In his first Western television interview in more than a decade, Saddam Hussein said the United States wants to conquer Iraq so it can control the world and insisted his regime does not have weapons of mass destruction," reported the AP news agency.
"NASA was warned nine years ago that the space shuttle could fail catastrophically if debris hit the vulnerable underside of its wings during liftoff - the very scenario that may have brought down Columbia," reported the AP news agency.
"Secretary of State Colin Powell will be joined by top CIA officials Wednesday as he presents the U.N. Security Council with evidence culled from classified material to try to convince wavering allies and other nations that Iraq has defied calls to disarm," reported the AP news agency.
"Two designs that would put the tallest buildings in the world at the site of the World Trade Center were selected Tuesday as the finalists in the plan to redevelop ground zero," reported the AP news agency.
"A man who sold fake identification to two of the Sept. 11 hijackers tearfully accepted a plea bargain Tuesday and was freed after declaring he was not a terrorist.Mohamed el-Atriss, 46, pleaded guilty to a single state count of selling simulated documents. He had been charged with racketeering and numerous counts of selling false documents following his arrest last summer," reported the AP news agency.
"Consumer advocate Ralph Nader led a group of U.S. peace activists Tuesday in accusing the Bush administration of letting its ties to the oil industry influence the government's war strategy against Iraq. Nader, along with Greenpeace USA and other peace activists at the news conference, criticized Bush for refusing to meet with retired military officers, former intelligence agents, academics, clergy and business leaders who support reaching a diplomatic resolution over Iraq," reported the AP news agency.
"A former Enron Corp. trader admitted to manipulating the California energy market to enrich his company during that state's recent energy crisis and then lying about it to officials, the US Justice Department said. Jeffrey Richter pleaded guilty in US district court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and making material false statements to FBI agents and federal prosecutors," reported the AFP news service.
"Sharon failed to persuade Labour's dovish leader Amram Mitzna to join a broad national unity coalition, throwing the newly re-elected premier back on right-wing groups which made it into parliament in the January 28 elections," reported the AFP news service.
"Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, in remarks broadcast on Tuesday on the eve of a key Security Council session on the U.S. case against Iraq, denied that Baghdad had weapons of mass destruction or links to al Qaeda," reported the Reuters news agency.
"North Korea accused the United States of pursuing a policy of evil yesterday, as US aircraft and warships were put on alert for possible deployment near Korea, now gripped in a nuclear crisis. The flurry of international attention to the four-month-old face-off came as Washington prepared to make its case for war against Iraq," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Secretary of State Colin Powell, presenting his case in a rapid-fire delivery, moving from tape recordings to photos and other evidence without pause and relying on a stream of U.S. intelligence, urged the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to move against Saddam Hussein because Iraq has failed to disarm, harbors terrorists and hides behind a web of lies. Lt. Gen. Amir al-Saadi, an adviser to Saddam, said What we heard today was for the general public and mainly the uninformed, in order to influence their opinion and to commit aggression on Iraq," reported the AP news agency.
"Iraq dismissed as lies and a typical American show with special effects a presentation on Wednesday by Secretary of State Colin Powell to the U.N. Security Council on alleged Iraqi weapons of mass destruction," reported the Reuters news agency.
"France's foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin, called on the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to strengthen its inspection regime in Iraq and said military action against Baghdad should be considered only as a last resort. Asked his opinion of Powell's briefing, de Villepin told reporters it was no substitute for absolute proof, arguing that we cannot base our analysis on only suspicions. We need facts, and that is very important," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Saudi Arabia said Wednesday it had made a proposal to the U.N. Security Council to solve the standoff with Iraq peacefully to avert bloodshed and prevent the disintegration of its neighbor," reported the Reuters news agency.
"After days of analysis, NASA backed away Wednesday from the theory that a piece of foam that struck Columbia during liftoff was the root cause of the space shuttle's disintegration over Texas," reported the AP news agency.
"North Korea said Wednesday it has reactivated its nuclear facilities, a surprise announcement that raised questions whether it was trying to take advantage of Washington's preoccupation with Iraq to ratchet up pressure in its own standoff with the United States. Even as it presses toward war with Iraq over alleged hidden weapons of mass destruction, the United States has insisted it wants a peaceful solution in its standoff with North Korea," reported the AP news agency.
"Al-Qaida is weakened and scattered but remains the top threat to commit terrorist attacks in the United States, the FBI says in a first-of-its-kind national assessment for Congress. The government official declined to discuss whether the FBI assessment describes a greater danger of terrorism if the United States goes to war with Iraq. But German Interior Minister Otto Schily, his country's top counterterrorism official, told reporters Wednesday that such a war would inflame Muslim extremists worldwide and increase the terror threat," reported the AP news agency.
"The United States must temporarily stay the execution of three Mexican citizens on death row in Texas and Oklahoma. Sandra Babcock, a lawyer for Mexico, said she expects America to comply because these types of orders are binding on the United States. By ignoring the decision, she said, the United States would send the impression that it didn't care about the rule of law," reported the AP news agency.
"Three Palestinians, including an elderly woman, were killed in Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The latest violence came as Israel sounded the alarm over its ever-deepening economic crisis after posting a record budget deficit in January, and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon struggled to form a new government," reported the AFP news service.
"AMR, owner of the world's largest carrier American Airlines, faces bankruptcy unless it can cut labor costs by its target of 1.8 billion dollars," reported the AFP news service.
"The dollar rallied as US Secretary of State Colin Powell sought to drum up international support for military action on Iraq, while a global stock rally ran out of steam," reported the AFP news service.
"Bombs caused the weekend blast that killed at least 44 people and flattened buildings in Nigeria's commercial capital of Lagos," reported the AP news agency.
"Edging closer to war, President George W. Bush declared that the game is over for Saddam Hussein and urged skeptical allies to join in disarming Iraq. Bush said Thursday that he would welcome a new U.N. resolution on Iraq if it made clear the world body was ready to use force if Saddam refuses to reveal and give up weapons of mass destruction as demanded in an earlier resolution," reported the AP news agency.
"The United States said it had robust plans for any contingencies, including military action, after North Korea defied international pressure to give up its nuclear ambitions and retched up talk of war. But President George W. Bush still believes the nuclear dispute can be curbed peacefully," reported the AP news agency.
"A Georgia priest convicted of sexually abusing two brothers while a student at a Washington seminary in the 1970s was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday," reported the AP news agency.
"In a bizarre case of one journalist deceiving another, an Internet news site published - then embarrassingly retracted - a story that claimed a radical Islamic group was behind a virus-like attack that clogged the Internet," reported the AP news agency.
"Britain is likely to introduce a new U.N. resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, but not until after top weapons inspectors return from Baghdad and report to the Security Council on Feb. 14. Whether the rest of the council would approve such a resolution remains in serious doubt," reported the AP news agency.
"Despite the possibility of a United States-led invasion of Iraq in the near future, Prime Minister Helen Clark said Friday that war against Baghdad was not necessary," reported the AP news agency.
"The America's retailers struggled again with a difficult sales climate during January, although they were able to clear out winter leftovers thanks to deep discounts and frigid temperatures. Kurt Barnard, president of Barnard's Retail Trend Report, based in Montclair, N.J., said the economy continues to be sluggish, with productivity down and failure of hiring to take place. Unemployment remains a serious problem," reported the AP news agency.
"The productivity of U.S. companies dipped at an annual rate of 0.2 percent in the final quarter of 2002, the worst showing in more than a year, as the nation's economic recovery faltered," reported the AP news agency.
"A tepid productivity report gave investors more reasons to sell Thursday, sending stocks moderately lower and carrying the Dow Jones industrials and Standard & Poor's 500 index to levels not seen in nearly four months," reported the AP news agency.
"US Secretary of State Colin Powell failed to persuade key Security Council members to back an early war in Iraq as attention shifted to a weekend trip to Baghdad by top UN arms inspectors," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The US military, getting ready for a possible war with Iraq, said on Wednesday it had activated nearly 17,000 more Reserve troops, bringing the total number of reservists on active duty to more than 111,000. The latest mobilisation means that nearly 10% of the total of about 1.2 million US reservists now have been summoned to active duty," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Deploying US forces for a possible war with Iraq has cost the United States US$2.1bil so far. Donald Rumsfeld said the cost of the Iraq deployment was in addition to an estimated US$1.6bil a month the Pentagon is spending on operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere that are related to the war on terrorism," reported the AFP news service.
"Double Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman accused US President George W. Bush's administration on Wednesday of manipulating the grief of the country post Sept 11 to win backing for a possible war with Iraq, arguing that this war is about what most wars are about: hegemony, money, power and oil," reported the AFP news service.
"Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday the country's troops would not fight in any US-led war in Iraq. Turkish forces are already inside northern Iraq and more are expected to join them in the coming months but Turkey says the deployment is aimed at providing aid for refugees and preventing the break-up of Iraq," reported the news Agencies.
"Palestinians killed two Israeli soldiers in a shooting attack on an army post in the West Bank early yesterday, and random machinegun fire from an Israeli helicopter killed two Palestinian nurses in the Gaza Strip," reported the AP news agency.
"Two people have been indicted for stealing debris from the space shuttle Columbia, federal authorities said on Wednesday, giving others who may have picked up pieces until Friday to return them," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Nasa has backtracked from a theory that protective foam that hit Columbia's left wing eventually caused the disintegration of the space shuttle, and said it was still searching for the missing link," reported the AFP news service.
"British police said they arrested seven people yesterday in the latest of a series of counter-terrorism raids around the country. The six men and one woman were arrested in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow, in an operation that police said was linked to the arrest of seven North African men in Edinburgh and London in December," reported the news Agencies.
"Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf denied yesterday US claims that Iraq's embassy in Islamabad served as a liasing point between Baghdad and Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network," reported the AFP news service.
"To talk or not to talk: For the United States, the issue of how to resolve the latest North Korean nuclear crisis boils down to little more than those two choices. The longer the US postpones what analysts say is the inevitable, the weaker its negotiating position becomes. Each time North Korea raises the stakes by taking one more step towards reviving its frozen nuclear arms programme, it reduces the number of options open to the US," reported the Reuters news agency.
"US pre-emptive attacks on North Korea's nuclear facilities will trigger a total war,the communist state warned yesterday after US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld labelled the North's government a terrorist regime," reported the AP news agency.
"Signalling that war with Iraq is approaching, President George Bush says the game is over for President Saddam Hussein and the United Nations should not permit itself to be mocked by a dictator. But France and Russia are holding out for extended UN weapons inspections in Iraq and cling to hope for a diplomatic settlement. Both countries resisted Bush's call for a new UN resolution to reinforce demands that Saddam get rid of weapons of mass destruction," reported the AP news agency.
"The United States already has sufficient forces in the Gulf to launch a war against Iraq, Israel's army chief said in comments published yesterday," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Australia deployed another 150 military personnel to the Persian Gulf yesterday as the debate over Canberra's support for US-led military action against Iraq heated up," reported the AP news agency.
"Britain said on Thursday it stood by an intelligence dossier on Iraq, after academics said whole passages had been lifted from magazine articles, complete with spelling mistakes. Several academics came forward on Thursday saying they recognised most of the British dossier as lifted, verbatim, from articles published in the US journal Middle East Review of International Affairs and in Jane's Intelligence Review," reported the Reuters news agency.
