"Muslim nations can progress and be on par with the developed non-Muslim states if they get rid of the cannon ball in their mind, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamadtold participants of the 2004 Jeddah Economic Forum yesterday. Believing the recipe for progress is to rid oneself of the cannon ball in the mind and that one can do what others can do, he said Muslims must be prepared to try and to do things over and over again until they succeeded. Brushing aside the notion that a Muslim country could not be governed well and progress, he said the Muslim civilisation was once greater than all others in the history of mankind," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Being a Muslim country that has great ambition to become a developed country by the year 2020, he said Malaysians had to work very hard to achieve this ambition and be able to think, act and react to overcome any obstacle. Dr Mahathir said Malaysia, with its multiethnic population, was very tolerant of the different races and religions. Saying that Muslim rule must be seen to be fair and just, especially in the enforcement of the laws of the country, he said it was necessary that everyone felt assured of fair and just treatment under the laws of the country, for them to feel secure in going about their daily lives and contributing to the economy of the country," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"A suicide bomber blew up a car laden with half a tonne of explosives outside the main US headquarters in Baghdad yesterday morning, killing at least 20 people and wounding about 60 as they waited to enter the base. Two of the dead were US Department of Defence employees. The wounded included six Americans – three soldiers and three civilians," reported the news Agencies.
"US forces in Baghdad briefly detained two Iranian journalists when they tried to reclaim film footage confiscated from the scene of a bomb attack that killed 20 people, Iran's state television reported yesterday. Shortly afterwards, television news announced the men had been released," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Israeli leaders yesterday discussed possible changes to the snaking route of a huge barrier being built inside the occupied West Bank to make it easier to defend at the World Court. There have already been minor tweaks to the route. Israelis said they were to make life easier for Palestinians. Changing of the route is just talk. What we need to see is an actual halt of the work, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said. But Israel has also done little so far to meet its commitments to remove unauthorised Jewish outposts, freeze settlement building and ease security restrictions," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Prime Minister Ariel Sharon praised the Israeli ambassador to Sweden yesterday for vandalising a Stockholm art exhibit that allegedly glorifies Palestinian suicide bombers, saying I called our ambassador in Sweden Zvi Mazel last night and thanked him for his strength in dealing with increasing anti-Semitism, and told him that the entire government stands behind him. I think Ambassador Mazel behaved in an appropriate way. Dror Feiler, the Israeli-born artist who created Snow White and the Madness of Truth, said it was supposed to call attention to how weak, lonely people can be capable of horrible things. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said yesterday it was summoning the Swedish ambassador in Israel to protest the display of Feiler's piece. ," reported the news Agencies.
"Saddam Hussein's ousted regime stashed US$200mil in Syrian banks, President Bashar al-Assad said yesterday, but he insisted the money would not be returned until Baghdad settled its debts with Damascus," reported the AFP news service.
"An advance team of Japanese soldiers crossed into southern Iraq yesterday in a controversial humanitarian mission marking Japan's most dangerous overseas deployment since World War II. The advance group, escorted by Dutch forces, moved overland from the US military base Camp Virginia in the Kuwaiti desert to southern Iraq," reported the AP news agency.
"Israel's prison director said yesterday he would forbid the killer of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin to marry in prison, after reports of his wedding plans stirred a national uproar. Rabin's daughter, Dalia Rabin-Pelosoff, was hospitalised with an irregular heartbeat after hearing media reports that Yigal Amir was planning to marry an ultra-Orthodox divorcee in the spring, a family friend said on Army Radio," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Tens of thousands of Shi'ite Muslims marched peacefully here yesterday to demand an elected government, as US and Iraqi officials prepared to seek the UN secretary-general's endorsement of American plans for transferring power in Iraq. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has been reluctant for the United Nations to play a greater role in Iraq until Washington agrees to greater responsibility in Baghdad and until he is convinced the country is safe," reported the AP news agency.
"President George W. Bush, wrapping the themes of his re-election campaign in his State of the Union address, asserted Tuesday night that America is strengthening its economy and successfully combatting terrorism," reported the AP news agency.
"UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Monday he would consider sending a UN team to Iraq in a move the United States hopes will quell opposition to its plans for the future Iraqi government. Annan's cautious offer marked a breakthrough in the months-long bid by US and Iraqi officials to get the UN chief to play a role in Iraq's political transition despite being largely sidelined by the US-led coalition," reported the AFP news service.
"Israeli army bulldozers yesterday flattened 13 homes and the remains of a mosque in a frequently targeted Gaza Strip refugee camp on the Egyptian border, Palestinian witnesses said. The Israeli army had no comment on the raid in the Rafah camp near the border with Egypt. Israel has demolished hundreds of houses in the camp in three years of fighting, saying the buildings give cover to gunmen and weapons smugglers. The Palestinians say Israel is systematically clearing large swaths of land in the camp to distance the built-up areas from the narrow strip Israeli troops patrol along the Egyptian border," reported the AP news agency.
"Israeli planes attacked Hizbollah guerilla targets in south Lebanon yesterday after an Israeli soldier was killed a day earlier, threatening escalation on a border that has been calm for nearly four years. The air strike followed a border incident on Monday. Hizbollah guerillas fired an anti-tank missile at an Israeli bulldozer clearing explosives, killing an Israeli soldier and seriously wounding another," reported the AP news agency.
"Britain's Tony Blair said on Monday he was confident he would survive what could be the toughest week of his premiership. In eight days' time, Blair may suffer the first major parliamentary defeat since he became prime minister in 1997, over controversial plans to make students pay more for higher education," reported the Reuters news agency.
"US President George W. Bush's public approval rating is holding steady but more Americans believe Democrats would do a better job on domestic issues, according to an ABC News/ Washington Post poll released yesterday. The poll takers said that Bush, who delivered his annual State of the Union address to Congress yesterday, had an overall approval rating of 58%, in the same range it had been since July," reported the AFP news service.
