Saudi Arabia announced an initiative calling for increased political participation and reform within Arab nations.
(BBC, Ha'aretz)

Pope John Paul said political leaders should make more effort to avoid war in Iraq. It was the first time since the current crisis began that he made a statement about Iraq directly. (Globe&Mail)

The month-long cold spell in Nepal, Bangladesh and Northern India has claimed almost 1,000 lives. (CNN)

U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was certain that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, and that if Iraq does not surrender them then it should be forcibly disarmed, even if the United Nations fails to approve military action. (BBC)

Arms experts at the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said they "need to take a few months" to complete their work in Iraq. (Reuters)

Venezuelan troops used tear gas and rubber bullets to break up an opposition march on a military base in Caracas. (BBC)

The Los Angeles Times, saying that analysts and activists are concerned about U.S. oil interests there, reported that West African countries have oil, but their regimes are oppressive and corrupt. (LATimes)

The U.S. Navy will deploy seven ships from California, complementing seven ships that left the United States' east coast earlier today. The ships will carry up to 7,000 U.S. Marines to the Persian Gulf region. (Yahoo News)

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Republicans in the U.S. Senate complained to White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card that they feel ignored and insulted by the Bush administration, particularly with regard to plans for a possible war with Iraq. (ChiSun-Times)

Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) announced he would seek the Democratic Party nomination for president in 2004. He said he thinks he could do a better job than current president George W. Bush. (CNN)

The Los Angeles Times, saying that analysts and activists are concerned about U.S. oil interests there, reported that West African countries have oil, but their regimes are oppressive and corrupt. (LATimes)

The Washington Post reported that Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives have been maneuvering to "dramatically [tighten] their hold on power" by appointing chairmanships by political allegiance instead of seniority in the House; revising internal rules; and voiding the eight-year term limit on House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.)'s position. (WaPost)

The U.S. Department of Defense said it believes the U.S. military cannot properly prepare for war if it is subject to existing environmental regulations. (WaPost)

The New York Times reported that the American military shared intelligence, concerning a specific plan to bomb a civilian airliner carrying U.S. troops and supplies, directly with the airline company, "rather than risk any delays from working through domestic law enforcement authorities or federal transportation safety agencies." The Times said that U.S. military officials are more alert than ever to the risks of possible terrorist attacks on U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf. (NYTimes)

Defense contractor Raytheon Co. announced that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had begun an informal review of accounting practices in its commuter aircraft business from 1997 to 2001. (IHT)

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 8,785.98, up 0.01 percent. The Nasdaq fell 0.1 percent to 1,446.04. And the Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 0.1 percent, to 926.26. (Yahoo News)

A federal judge ruled that two trade associations had failed to justify an appeal of the settlement between Microsoft Corp., the U.S. federal government and several U.S. state governments. (Yahoo News)

OPEC's decision to increase oil output by 6.5 percent failed to move oil prices significantly lower. The United States' depleted oil reserves, combined with a drop in oil shipments from Venezuela, have raised concerns about a shortfall in the event of war. (BBC)

Dell Computer announced a plan to sell electronic cash registers (including touch screen, bar code scanner and thermal printer). Its new product line will compete with offerings from IBM and NCR. (CNet)

The Los Angeles Times, saying that analysts and activists are concerned about U.S. oil interests there, reported that West African countries have oil, but their regimes are oppressive and corrupt. (LATimes)

Steve Case, who founded America Online and oversaw the company's 2001 merger with Time Warner, will step down in May, prior to AOL/TW's annual shareholder meeting. The company's AOL unit has been performing poorly. (WaPost)

The combination of the declining stock market and low interest rates has forced many large corporations to pour cash into their pension plans in order to comply with regulations. General Motors and IBM are particularly hard hit, as are the steel, airline, auto and telecommunications industries. A number of the companies are trying to find a way around the legal regulations. (NYTimes)

Dell Computer announced a plan to sell electronic cash registers (including touch screen, bar code scanner and thermal printer). Its new product line will compete with offerings from IBM and NCR. (CNet)

Steve Case, who founded America Online and oversaw the company's 2001 merger with Time Warner, will step down in May, prior to AOL/TW's annual shareholder meeting. The company's AOL unit has been performing poorly. (WaPost)

Pope John Paul said political leaders should make more effort to avoid war in Iraq. It was the first time since the current crisis began that he made a statement about Iraq directly. (Globe&Mail)

The Los Angeles Times, saying that analysts and activists are concerned about U.S. oil interests there, reported that West African countries have oil, but their regimes are oppressive and corrupt. (LATimes)