In Brief

HOMELESS – Over 40 000 people have been displaced in the southern Somalia district of Jamame because of flooding caused by heavy rains and the Juba river bursting its banks, an UN food agency official said.

* UPSET – The US state department expressed annoyance on Tuesday with the Egyptian government for refusing to grant timely access for the United States consular officials to an American being held for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks. * WARMING- The critical base of the ocean food web is shrinking as the world’s seas warm, new NASA satellite data show.The discovery has scientists worried about how much food will grow in the future for the world’s marine life.* REPLACED – The pope yesterday accepted the resignation of Cardinal Jozef Glemp as archbishop of Warsaw, submitted for reasons of age, and named the Bishop of Plock as his successor.Glemp, 76, who is Poland’s Roman Catholic primate, is a year beyond the normal retirement age for bishops.* FRAGILE – The Israeli army wounded two Palestinians on Wednesday as the men approached the Gaza-Israel border, the army said, raising concerns about the future of a shaky truce between the two sides.* TENSION – Hopes for an end to pre-election turmoil in Bangladesh dimmed yesterday as rival political groups again took to the streets and the country’s legal system was virtually paralysed by feuding lawyers.* NEW SYSTEM – The Philippine lower house of Congress has set itself on a collision course with the upper chamber by voting to exclude senators from plans to shift to parliamentary form of government.* BANNED- What was billed as a pleasing alternative to exhaust fumes at San Francisco bus stops ended after officials Tuesday ordered the removal of advertisements that gave off the scent of baked cookies.Nampa-AFP-AP -Reuters* WARMING- The critical base of the ocean food web is shrinking as the world’s seas warm, new NASA satellite data show.The discovery has scientists worried about how much food will grow in the future for the world’s marine life.* REPLACED – The pope yesterday accepted the resignation of Cardinal Jozef Glemp as archbishop of Warsaw, submitted for reasons of age, and named the Bishop of Plock as his successor.Glemp, 76, who is Poland’s Roman Catholic primate, is a year beyond the normal retirement age for bishops.* FRAGILE – The Israeli army wounded two Palestinians on Wednesday as the men approached the Gaza-Israel border, the army said, raising concerns about the future of a shaky truce between the two sides.* TENSION – Hopes for an end to pre-election turmoil in Bangladesh dimmed yesterday as rival political groups again took to the streets and the country’s legal system was virtually paralysed by feuding lawyers.* NEW SYSTEM – The Philippine lower house of Congress has set itself on a collision course with the upper chamber by voting to exclude senators from plans to shift to parliamentary form of government.* BANNED- What was billed as a pleasing alternative to exhaust fumes at San Francisco bus stops ended after officials Tuesday ordered the removal of advertisements that gave off the scent of baked cookies.Nampa-AFP-AP -Reuters