Bangladesh-India border tense over deportations: Bangladesh and

Bangladesh-India border tense over deportations: Bangladesh and
India strengthened their border security forces and hundreds of
fearful villagers left their homes on Wednesday as a standoff
over deportations heightened tensions along the border. Indian
authorities have tried to deport hundreds of Bengali-speaking
Muslims it says are illegal Bangladeshi migrants. Bangladeshi
border guards have turned back the deportees, saying they are not
Bangladeshis but Muslims from India's West Bengal state who are
physically similar to Bangladeshis and speak the same Bengali
language. --AP

Fischer said Iraq can be disarmed without war: German Foreign
Minister Joschka Fischer said on Wednesday he was confident that
Iraq could still be disarmed without military action. Speaking
just hours before a meeting of the UN Security Council Fischer
told Germany's ZDF television channel that UN weapons inspectors
needed more time and warned of the consequences of military
action. --Reuters

Arabic-language U.S. TV takes aim at 'CNN of the Arab world':
The United States is preparing to launch an Arabic-language
television station in the Middle East, as part of a media
counterattack aimed at boosting the U.S. image in the region and
reducing the influence of Al-Jazeera, the "CNN of the Arab
world." --AFP

Blair phones Koizumi to discuss Iraq: British Prime Minister Tony
Blair called Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on
Wednesday to coordinate their policies toward Iraq, just hours
before U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell was to present
Washington's case to the UN Security Council. Koizumi's
spokeswoman, Misako Kaji, said Koizumi told Blair he continues to
support U.S. efforts to unite the international community. --AP