In Brief

HANG ON – Egypt’s long-serving President Hosni Mubarak is to advise his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to seek a third term in office, he said in an interview published yesterday.

“He is familiar with both the situation in Russia and with the situation in the world. He understands it all,” Mubarak, who is to meet with Putin on Thursday, told the daily Vremia Novosteï.”He should stay.”* DISARM – Sudan said yesterday that a plan had been set up to disarm Darfur’s infamous Janjaweed – the pro-government militia accused by Washington of genocide – and all other militias within two months.President Omar al-Beshir said in a televised speech marking the opening of the new parliamentary session that they had put in place a plan for disarming the militias in Darfur in two months, in cooperation with the African Union.* NO VIOLENCE – Bangladesh’s national police chief vowed yesterday there would be “zero tolerance” of violence following a political crisis that sparked deadly clashes between rival parties.His comments came as the country braced for further bloodshed after the opposition called nationwide protests over President Iajuddin Ahmed’s decision to name himself head of a caretaker government to oversee elections due in January.* ASSURANCE – Thailand’s military-installed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont reassured Chinese and Southeast Asian leaders on Monday that his nation would return to democratic rule within a year.Newly appointed Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram said Surayud told his counterparts during a China-ASEAN summit here that Thailand wanted to hold parliamentary elections as soon as possible.* POLLUTION – Greenhouse-gas emissions by the industrialised world are still rising, with the United States firmly entrenched as the biggest polluter, a UN report said yesterday.In an annual update on global-warming pollution, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said that, compared with the benchmark year of 1990, the 41 industrialised countries it monitors trimmed their emissions by 3,3 percent by the end of 2004.* UNDER CONTROL – Dying winds and cooler temperatures helped firefighters begin to get the upper hand on Sunday on a 161km wildfire blamed on arson that killed four firefighters in southern California, although the blaze was still threatening a wilderness area.* I WILL NOT QUIT – A defiant Israeli President Moshe Katsav dismissed a call from the attorney general to step down while an indictment on rape and other serious charges is taking shape, instead hanging on to his ceremonial post.Nampa-AP-AFP-ReutersHe understands it all,” Mubarak, who is to meet with Putin on Thursday, told the daily Vremia Novosteï.”He should stay.”* DISARM – Sudan said yesterday that a plan had been set up to disarm Darfur’s infamous Janjaweed – the pro-government militia accused by Washington of genocide – and all other militias within two months.President Omar al-Beshir said in a televised speech marking the opening of the new parliamentary session that they had put in place a plan for disarming the militias in Darfur in two months, in cooperation with the African Union.* NO VIOLENCE – Bangladesh’s national police chief vowed yesterday there would be “zero tolerance” of violence following a political crisis that sparked deadly clashes between rival parties.His comments came as the country braced for further bloodshed after the opposition called nationwide protests over President Iajuddin Ahmed’s decision to name himself head of a caretaker government to oversee elections due in January. * ASSURANCE – Thailand’s military-installed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont reassured Chinese and Southeast Asian leaders on Monday that his nation would return to democratic rule within a year.Newly appointed Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram said Surayud told his counterparts during a China-ASEAN summit here that Thailand wanted to hold parliamentary elections as soon as possible. * POLLUTION – Greenhouse-gas emissions by the industrialised world are still rising, with the United States firmly entrenched as the biggest polluter, a UN report said yesterday.In an annual update on global-warming pollution, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said that, compared with the benchmark year of 1990, the 41 industrialised countries it monitors trimmed their emissions by 3,3 percent by the end of 2004.* UNDER CONTROL – Dying winds and cooler temperatures helped firefighters begin to get the upper hand on Sunday on a 161km wildfire blamed on arson that killed four firefighters in southern California, although the blaze was still threatening a wilderness area.* I WILL NOT QUIT – A defiant Israeli President Moshe Katsav dismissed a call from the attorney general to step down while an indictment on rape and other serious charges is taking shape, instead hanging on to his ceremonial post.Nampa-AP-AFP-Reuters