From the International Desk
Published 5/29/2003 12:57 PM
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Al-Qaida threat to U.S. water supply

Iraqi group formed to resist coalition

BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 29 (UPI) -- An Iraqi group that claims to have elected its command committee from most of the country's provinces has been formed to fight and prevent cooperation with U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq. The group, called the "Unification Front for the Liberation of Iraq," announced its existence with a statement published Thursday by the Lebanese newspaper As Safir. The group said its principal mission was to "liberate the Iraqi territories from foreign occupation," using "all adequate political and military means." It called on all Iraqi national political forces for quick resistance action, preventing cooperation with the occupation and boycotting its "agents."

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U.K. dossier on Iraq weapons 'unreliable'

LONDON, May 29 (UPI) -- Britain's dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was rewritten on orders from Prime Minister Tony Blair's government to make it look more dramatic in the months leading up to the U.S.-led war against Baghdad, a top intelligence official said Thursday. Blair's office rejected the British Broadcasting Corp.'s report, which cited an intelligence source. "Not one word of the dossier was not entirely the work of the intelligence agencies," it said in a statement.

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Bush to push Arabs, Israelis on peace

WASHINGTON, May 29 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush will challenge Arab, Israeli and Palestinian leaders next week to aggressively assume their individual responsibilities in helping lay the groundwork for peace in the region lest an "opportunity of hope" be lost. National security adviser Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday a key part of Bush's message would be that each participant should do their part -- whether reforming security services or freezing settlements -- without constantly checking whether others are doing the same.

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Troops kill 15 rebels in Kashmir

NEW DELHI, May 29 (UPI) -- Indian troops Thursday clashed with suspected Islamic rebels in the restive Kashmir region. At least 15 rebels were killed in Anantnag district in southern Kashmir.

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U.N. needs $90M for Ethiopia relief

UNITED NATIONS, May 29 (UPI) -- United Nations officials said Wednesday they need $90 million in donations this year if they are to be able to feed 12.5 million people in Ethiopia who face starvation. The U.N.'s world food program said the additional donations are needed because of an increase in the number of people facing starvation. They expect to run out of supplies by September unless more donations are received now.

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Video games improve visual skills

ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 29 (UPI) -- A study that targets the latest cultural phenomenon suggests playing action-packed video games, such as last year's blockbuster, "Grand Theft Auto 3," enhances certain visual skills, with marked improvements noted in as few as 10 hours at the computer controls. The researchers, at the University of Rochester who conducted the experiments with 18-to-23-year-old college undergraduates, said their surprising findings carry a range of implications, from sharpening the skills of drivers or soldiers to helping stroke victims recover some of their lost visual capacity.

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Mom in court for washing machine incident

POMONA, Calif., May 29 (UPI) -- A Los Angeles-area woman, whose relatives have defended as a good mother, made her initial court appearance Wednesday on a felony child endangerment charge filed after her 2-year-old daughter was rescued from a water-filled Laundromat washing machine last Saturday. Erma Osborne, 35, did not enter a plea to the felony charge during a brief hearing Wednesday during which her formal arraignment was postponed until June 4. Osborne, who appeared in a Pomona courtroom clad in a blue jail jumpsuit provided by the Los Angeles County sheriff, will remain jailed on $50,000 bail.

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Asian stocks extend gains further

SINGAPORE, May 29 (UPI) -- Further bolstered by another strong performance of Wall Street overnight, most Asian markets extended on their previous day's gains Thursday. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 average rose 1.71 percent to 8,375.36, with strong buying interest on exporters after the yen fell to a 4-week low against the U.S. dollar, thus making their products cheaper. Matsushita Electric Industrial rose 4.65 percent, Toshiba soared 6.4 percent, Canon jumped 3.13 percent and Toyota added 2.65 percent. Sony Corp gained 3.33 percent after unveiling an all-in-one games device Wednesday.

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Student won't sing 'edited' religious song

MILWAUKEE, May 29 (UPI) -- An 18-year-old high school senior is suing school administrators demanding she be allowed to sing a religious song praising God at graduation ceremonies in June. Officials at Winneconne High School asked Rachel Honer to substitute "he, him and his" for three references to God in the Christian song "He's Always Been Faithful." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said Honer told officials that dropping God from the lyrics of the song by Sara Groves would make her feel like a "liar and a hypocrite."

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Help-wanted drops

NEW YORK, May 29 (UPI) -- The Conference Board said Thursday its measure of help-wanted advertising fell in April as corporate America continued to lay off workers and scale back plans to hire. The group said its help-wanted index, which measures advertising volume in 51 major newspapers across the country, dropped 3 points to 35 from 38 in March. The board noted the index stood at 47 one year ago. Wall Street economists were expecting the index to remain unchanged during the month. In addition to providing insight on the general strength of the economy, the report gives a sense of how many jobs employers are trying to fill.

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United on track despite $375M April loss

CHICAGO, May 29 (UPI) -- UAL Corp., parent of bankrupt United Airlines, posted a net loss of $375 million in April because of SARS and war in Iraq. But Chief Executive Officer Glenn Tilton said the carrier may still be able to emerge from Chapter 11 protection earlier than mid-2004. "We don't see any impediment to an exit from Chapter 11 earlier than the 18 months that we initially forecast but it is essential that we make the right choices," Tilton told employees in a taped message this week. "We're discussing timing with our lenders, the creditors committee, the board of directors and others who have an interest in providing United exit financing."

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GDP expands 1.9 percent

WASHINGTON, May 29 (UPI) -- The Commerce Department said Thursday the nation's economy as measured by the gross domestic product expanded at a revised 1.9 percent annual rate during the first three months of year, faster than the 1.6 percent pace previously thought. The GDP is the broadest measure of aggregate economic activity and encompasses every sector of the economy. GDP, or the total output of goods and services produced in the United States, expanded at a 1.4 percent annual pace during the fourth quarter of 2002 and a much faster 4 percent clip in the third quarter of last year. The GDP expanded at a 1.3 percent annual pace during the second quarter of 2002 and expanded 5 percent in the first quarter of last year.

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Stocks headed higher for 6th session

NEW YORK, May 29 (UPI) -- Stocks rose on the Commerce Department's gross domestic product report showing the economy grew by 1.9 percent in the first quarter. In early afternoon trading Thursday, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 22.05 points, or 0.25 percent, at 8,815.17 while the tech-heavy Nasdaq was up 22.92 points, or 1.47 percent, at 1,586.16. Commerce also reported profits were up an estimated 2.5 percent between January and March, following a 4.1 percent increase the previous quarter. Since the start of 2001, the United States has lost 2 million jobs.

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Spurs try again to close out Dallas

DALLAS, May 29 (UPI) -- The Dallas-San Antonio series goes to an unexpected Game Six Thursday night in the NBA's Western Conference Finals. The Mavericks extended the series with an improbable 103-91 win at San Antonio Tuesday night without sharpshooter Dirk Nowitzki, who is hobbling with a sprained left knee. He is likely out for Game Six as well, but his teammates proved Tuesday that they can win without him. The Spurs could have clinched a spot opposite New Jersey in the NBA Finals, but squandered a 19-point second-quarter lead and scored only 10 points in the fourth quarter. They now will have to beat the Mavericks in Dallas to avoid a Game Seven.

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