News for Saturday, March 6, 2004
• China to Boost Military Spending China says it is boosting military spending by more than 11 percent. The announcement came on the second day of the annual session of the National People's Congress, where the issue of Taiwan has been high on the agenda.
• At Least 3 Palestinians Killed in Gaza Clash At least three Palestinians were killed and more than a dozen injured on Saturday during what the Israeli army said was an attempt by militants to attack its positions at the Erez border crossing in the Gaza Strip.
• Dispute Between Tamil Tiger Rebels, Prominent Commander Fuels Concerns About Sri Lanka Peace Process Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have expelled a prominent commander who broke away from the main rebel force and appointed a new man in his place, but the group appears to be facing a deepening crisis, with the commander reportedly refusing to relinquish control. The dispute among the guerrillas has fueled concerns for the country's fragile peace process.
• Iraq's Shi'ite Leaders to Meet on Constitution Delays Shi'ite Muslim members of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council plan to meet Saturday, with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to discuss problems that have delayed the signing of Iraq's interim constitution.
• 9 Suspected Militants Killed in Afghanistan U.S. military officials in Afghanistan say American-led forces have killed nine suspected militants in a gun battle near the border with Pakistan.
• Bush: 'We Will Defeat the Terrorists' in Iraq President Bush is vowing that coalition forces, along with the people of Iraq, will defeat the terrorists trying to plunge the country into "chaos and violence."
• Iraqi Shi'ite Leaders Discuss Constitution Shi'ite Muslim members of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council have met with a representative of Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric to discuss last-minute problems that have delayed the signing of the country's interim constitution.
• IAEA to Discuss Dangers of Nuclear Proliferation During Top-Level Meeting The International Atomic Energy Agency opens several days of top-level meetings Monday, and Iran and Libya will be high on the agenda. The agency's board of governors also is expected to discuss the nuclear technology network run by Pakistan's top nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan.
• Iraq Making 'Excellent Progress' Toward New Government, Bush Says President Bush says Iraqis are making excellent progress toward a new government, despite this week's failure to sign a new interim constitution. The president's presumptive Democratic opponent in this year's election says Mr. Bush is not adequately protecting U.S. troops in Iraq.
• US Beats Mexico in CONCACAF Regional Women's Qualifier The United States came back from a two-goal deficit to beat Mexico 3-2 in the championship game of the CONCACAF regional women's Olympic qualifying tournament.
• Golf: Goosen Has 1 Shot Lead at Ford Championship South African golfer Retief Goosen has a one-shot lead heading into Saturday's third round of the Ford Championship in Miami, Florida, after a bumpy second round.
• NBA: Marbury High Scorer as Knicks Beat Raptors In the National Basketball Association, New York's Stephon Marbury lit up the nets for 35 points Friday to lead the Knicks to a 109-103 win over the Raptors in Toronto.
• Tennis: Hanescu Advances to Franklin Templeton Classic Semifinals Following Surprise Victory Surprising Victor Hanescu of Romania has advanced to Saturday's semifinals of the Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic in Scottsdale, Arizona, by upsetting second-seed Martin Verkerk of the Netherlands.
• F1: Schumacher Breaks Own Track Record to Grab Pole for Australian Grand Prix World champion driver Michael Schumacher of Germany has broken his own track record to grab the pole for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
• Thousands Protest Yet Again in Venezuela Tens of thousands opposition activists are marching toward the center of Venezuela's capital to demand a recall referendum against President Hugo Chavez.
• Greek Election Likely to be Close Greeks go to the polls Sunday, in what likely will be a close election between the conservative opposition party and the socialists who have held power since 1993.
• 6 Palestinians Dead in Failed Gaza Border Attack Palestinian militants using jeeps disguised as Israeli military vehicles have made a failed attack on Israeli soldiers at the main border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel.
• NHL: Hurricanes Edge Thrashers in OT In the National Hockey League, Carolina's Kevyn Adams scored with just one second remaining in overtime to lift the Hurricanes to a 3-2 win over the Thrashers in Atlanta.
• Bush, Fox Discuss US, Mexico Border Issues President Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox concluded two days of meetings at Mr. Bush's ranch near Crawford, Texas, Saturday. The two leaders agreed to implement a system that would facilitate border-crossing for millions of Mexicans.
• UN Refugee Agency Renews Asylum Appeal for Palestinians Stuck in Jordanian Desert The United Nations refugee agency is renewing its appeal for asylum offers to nearly 400 Palestinian refugees stuck in the Jordanian desert after fleeing Iraq.
• More Troops Arrive in Haiti A multinational force in Haiti continues to expand, as the country's newly-appointed council tries to choose a new prime minister nearly a week after the president resigned.
• Russian Scientists Rescued from Crumbling Arctic Ice Floe A rescue operation to evacuate a team of Russian scientists from a crumbling Arctic ice floe some 600 kilometers from the North Pole has been successful. A dozen Russian researchers were trapped on the floe for three days, after it began to disintegrate, almost completely destroying their base.
• Bangladesh Dubbed Most Violent Asian Country for Journalists A media watchdog group has designated Bangladesh as the most violent country in Asia for journalists.
• Ashcroft Still Hospitalized with Gallstone Pancreatitis U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is still in the hospital for treatment of a painful abdominal illness known as gallstone pancreatitis.
• Iraqi Shi'ite Leaders Discuss Impasse on Constitution The president of Iraq's Governing Council says he believes delegates will be able to resolve objections to a draft interim constitution and sign the document on Monday.
• Bush Rejects Criticism of 9/11 Images in Campaign Ads President Bush is dismissing criticism of his use of footage from the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks in campaign commercials. Some families of those killed in that violence say the president is politicizing their loss.
• US Marines Secure Haiti's Main Port U.S. Marines have secured the main port in Haiti after a week of looting and violence caused its shutdown. Multi-national forces in Haiti could face their biggest test Sunday when opposing groups of demonstrators are expected to march through Port-au-Prince.
• Port Security Remains a Concern in War on Terrorism News that Pakistan's top nuclear scientist was engaging in nuclear arms sales sent shock waves around the world. What was alarming to security experts was how easily the sensitive materials slipped undetected through major ports. The sheer volume of goods shipped through seaports makes ferreting out contraband material a nightmare.
• Skiing: Downhill, Cross-County, Nordic Combined Downhill
• Poland's Ruling Party Choose New Leader to Replace PM Members of Poland's governing party meeting in Warsaw have chosen a new leader to replace Prime Minister Leszek Miller.
• World's Oldest Man Dies in Spain The world's oldest man has died in Spain.
• Russians Set World Records at World Indoor Athletics Championships Two Russians - triple jumper Tatynana Lebedeva and pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva - have set world records at the World Indoor Athletics championships in Budapest, Hungary.
• Alaska's Iditarod Dog Sled Race Starts in Anchorage The 1,700 kilometer Iditarod dog sled race began Saturday in Anchorage, Alaska.
• Could Next Election Be Crossroad for South Korean Politics? South Korean voters head to the polls next month to elect a new national assembly. The general election comes amid a wave of corruption scandals that have gripped the country.
• Presidential Campaign 2004 Spills Over on Capitol Hill With Senator John Kerry having effectively secured the Democratic Party nomination for president, Democrats in Congress say they will coordinate closely with him in the months leading to the November election. The contest between Mr. Kerry and President Bush has already spilled over into the House of Representatives, with Republicans and Democrats trading charges on key campaign issues.