"The Chinese side does not advocate using this kind of language in international relations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told a news conference. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iran: Commentary says Iran a victim not sponsor of terrorism [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 29, 2002
BBC Monitoring Service

The statement made by George Bush at the American Congress contained several important and fundamental points which are closely related to the aims and intentions of the White House statesmen. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iran: Daily says Bush statement "not unusual" [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
BBC Monitoring Service

US President George W. Bush's harsh statements against Iran, Iraq and North Korea, in his State of Union address on Tuesday [30 January], are neither strange nor surprising. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iran: Paper on development of South Pars gas field [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
BBC Monitoring Service

Iran's marine borders are stretched over 2,700 km along the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman to the south, and the Caspian Sea to the north. Despite possessing enormous oil and gas reserves ... [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Many Arabs Say Bush Misreads Their History and Goals [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
The New York Times

CAIRO, Jan. 30 — Charlotte Beers, the advertising executive hired by the State Department to improve America's image abroad, spent three days in town last week talking to Arabs about mending fences. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Many in Europe Voice Worry U.S. Will Not Consult Them [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
The New York Times

PARIS, Jan. 30 — The three countries pinpointed by President Bush as an "axis of evil" — Iran, Iraq and North Korea — reacted angrily today while commentators in many other nations, including European allies ... [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Hizbollah Fires on Israeli Jets Over South Lebanon [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
Reuters

KFAR SHOUBA, Lebanon (Reuters) - Hizbollah guerrillas fired anti-aircraft guns at Israeli jets over south Lebanon on Thursday, drawing shells and machinegun fire along the frontier with Israel, the group and witnesses said. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Economic news making headlines in Thursday's press in Tehran [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
IRNA

Tehran, Jan 31, IRNA -- Following are major economic news stories highlighted in Iranian dailies on Thursday: [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Peres: Iran widening its missile threat [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
Jerusalem Post

JERUSALEM (January 31) - Iran has supplied Hizbullah in Lebanon with some 10,000 missiles, enough that could ignite a regional conflagration, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said yesterday. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iran reaches agreement with India on joint mechanism to fight terrorism [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
BBC Monitoring Service

New Delhi, 30 January: India and Iran Wednesday [30 January] decided to create a joint institutional mechanism to fight terrorism and work on an extradition treaty and an accord on providing mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Kuwait reportedly interested in purchasing gas from Iran [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
IRNA

Kuwait : Kuwait Minister of Oil Adil [Khalid] al-Sabih said here Wednesday [30 January] that his country welcomes a quickened pace of negotiations to purchase gas from Iran. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Hizbullah 'not intimidated' by Washington's rhetoric [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
Daily Star

Hizbullah on Wednesday angrily rejected charges by US President George W. Bush that the party belongs to a "terrorist underworld" and accused Washington of granting unlimited support to Israel, "the most shocking terrorist state in history. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] New threat to kill kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
The Boston Globe

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) The Wall Street Journal appealed Thursday to the kidnappers of journalist Daniel Pearl to spare his life after an e-mail purportedly sent by the abductors threatened to kill him within 24 hours. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Let asylum seekers go [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
The Guardian

The Australian Labour party's call for the release of women and children from privately managed detention centres is a policy reversal which can be directly attributed to escalating opposition to the government's detention policy. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] 'Break-in' before Lockerbie bombing [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 27, 2002
BBC

A breach of security occurred at London's Heathrow Airport 18 hours before a bomb exploded on a Pan Am jumbo jet over Scotland, the Lockerbie appeal has heard. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Falling satellite bound for Persian Gulf [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
Associated Press

The satellite, the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer, fell into lower and lower orbits through the day yesterday, and NASA spokeswoman Dolores Beasley said that pieces of the craft were expected to hit Earth before midnight. She said the impact was predicted for ''the northeast side of the Persian Gulf,'' but she did not know whether it would be in international waters or whether any of the expected impact area extended onto land. The impact region is near the coasts of Iraq, Iran, and Kuwait. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Nuclear plants targeted [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
The Washington Times

U.S. intelligence agencies have issued an internal alert that Islamic terrorists are planning another spectacular attack to rival those carried out on September 11. The detailed warning was issued within the past two weeks in a classified report that said one target was a U.S. nuclear power plant or one of the Energy Department's nuclear facilities. The alert was based on sensitive intelligence gathered overseas that revealed discussions among terrorism suspects. The latest warning was similar to other terrorist threats that prompted public alerts in October and December. Officials familiar with the report said it contained six potential methods and targets of attack, among them: A bombing or airline attack on a nuclear power plant or other U.S. nuclear facility, such as a weapons storage depot, designed to cause mass casualties and spread deadly radiological debris. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Sharon regrets sparing Arafat [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
BBC

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says he regrets not having killed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Lebanon 20 years ago. He made the comments in excerpts of an interview with the Israeli newspaper Maariv, which is to be published in full on Friday. Mr Sharon was Israeli defence minister at the time Israeli troops invaded Lebanon in 1982 in an attempt to drive Mr Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation out of Lebanon. His comments come as Mr Arafat remains under virtual house arrest inside his headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah and as Israel debates cultivating an alternative Palestinian leadership. In his interview, however, Mr Sharon said the Palestinian leader could still be his negotiating partner if he arrested Palestinian militants Israel blames for organising attacks against it. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Christian and Muslim spiritual leaders sign historic agreement [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) The spiritual heads of the Church of England and Sunni Islam on Wednesday signed a joint initiative to promote greater understanding and respect between Christians and Muslims. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey, and Dr. Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, the grand imam of Sunni Islam's Al-Azhar University in Cairo, said they hoped the agreement for greater dialogue would make a real contribution to achieving peace in the Middle East. The initiative establishes a joint committee comprised of three clerics from both Sunni Islam and the Anglican Communion that will meet at least once a year in Egypt and Britain alternatively. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Factional fighting erupts in eastern town, killing at least 43 [an error occurred while processing this directive] January 31, 2002
Associated Press

GARDEZ, Afghanistan (AP) Heavy explosions, mortar and machine gun fire rocked an eastern Afghan town Thursday in the worst factional fighting since the new government took power five weeks ago. At least 43 people were killed and dozens wounded, officials said. The fighting in Gardez, a strategic provincial capital, added urgency to calls by Afghan leader Hamid Karzai for a multinational force to expand out of the capital, Kabul, and help keep the peace other cities. American warplanes circled overhead but did not intervene in the artillery and mortar battles, which sent plumes of smoke billowing over Gardez. The battles also complicate U.S. efforts to root out fugitive Taliban and al-Qaida fighters in Paktia province. The running battle pitted troops loyal to Bacha Khan, a local warlord aligned to Afghanistan's interim administration who has been aiding U.S. special forces, against fighters aligned with the town's governing council, or shura. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]