A BBC reporter posing as a tourist in Zimbabwe reported that famine has crippled the country. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe last year forced white land owners to abandon their properties, and their farms have been shut down. The United Nations estimates that 7 million face starvation. (BBC)

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told the United Nations that Iraq is responsible for its own disarmament, and that if it fails to disarm itself promptly the U.N. must act. (Yahoo/AP)

A U.S. Army spokesman said some 16,500 soldiers of a task force that would total approximately 37,000 had received orders to deploy. The soldiers' destination was not disclosed but the mobilization constitutes part of America's preparations for a possible war with Iraq. (FOX News)

Following six hours of talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, a Russian envoy said he felt the conflict between the U.S. and North Korea over North Korea's nuclear weapons program could be resolved peacefully. U.S. officials suggested asking the United Nations Security Council to address the stand-off. North Korea wishes to resolve the situation with the U.S. directly, however, and has said that it would view sanctions (which the U.N. could impose) as an act of war. (Reuters)

The United Kingdom announced it would send an additional 26,000 troops to the Persian Gulf region over the next few weeks in anticipation of a possible conflict with Iraq. (BBC, Fox News/AP)

Microsoft Corp. said it would share the proprietary source code of its Windows operating systems with the Russian government. Access to their underlying code will help lower the cost of protecting the operating systems from attack. The source code for a competing operating system, Linux, is freely available. (Wired/AP)

Economic stability and growth in Russia have prompted banks to lend more to consumers. Russian consumers so far are more mindful of the benefits of borrowed money than of its costs. (NYT)

If Saddam Hussein voluntarily removed himself from power and went into exile, then the U.S. wouldn't invade Iraq to remove him from power forcibly, Bush administration officials said. Saddam has given no indication he is considering stepping down. (WaPost, NYT)

A U.S. Army spokesman said some 16,500 soldiers of a task force that would total approximately 37,000 had received orders to deploy. The soldiers' destination was not disclosed but the mobilization constitutes part of America's preparations for a possible war with Iraq. (FOX News)

Speaking on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President Bush said that King's dream hadn't been achieved, and that hearing King's words was important. The White House also announced a plan to propose increasing federal grants to historically black and Hispanic schools and educational programs by 5 percent. (CNN)

Secretary of State Colin Powell said he supports the University of Michigan's consideration of race in making admissions decisions. (WaPost, NYT)

If Saddam Hussein voluntarily removed himself from power and went into exile, then the U.S. wouldn't invade Iraq to remove him from power forcibly, Bush administration officials said. Saddam has given no indication he is considering stepping down. (WaPost, NYT)

Microsoft Corp. said it would share the proprietary source code of its Windows operating systems with the Russian government. Access to their underlying code will help lower the cost of protecting the operating systems from attack. The source code for a competing operating system, Linux, is freely available. (Wired/AP)

Kmart promoted its president, Julian Day, to CEO. Kmart chairman and former CEO James Adamson will stay on as non-executive chairman. The bankrupt retailer is in the process of reorganizing. (CBS MarketWatch)

Economic stability and growth in Russia have prompted banks to lend more to consumers. Russian consumers so far are more mindful of the benefits of borrowed money than of its costs. (NYT)

The Bush administration is pressuring American industries to "voluntarily" commit to specific, written commitments to limit emissions linked to global warming. The effort comes as political backing for more restrictive, mandatory emissions regulations appears to grow. (NYT)

A village in Switzerland conducted the country's first legally binding vote to tally ballots cast over the Internet. 323 of the 741 recorded votes were cast electronically. (IHT/AP)

Microsoft Corp. said it would share the proprietary source code of its Windows operating systems with the Russian government. Access to their underlying code will help lower the cost of protecting the operating systems from attack. The source code for a competing operating system, Linux, is freely available. (Wired/AP)

If Saddam Hussein voluntarily removed himself from power and went into exile, then the U.S. wouldn't invade Iraq to remove him from power forcibly, Bush administration officials said. Saddam has given no indication he is considering stepping down. (WaPost, NYT)