Unix Timestamp: 1077148800
Thursday, February 19. 2004, 12:00:00 AM UTC

Reformist newspapers "Shargh" and "Yas-e-no" are shut down by the Iranian judiciary, only one day before the parliament elections.//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3502995.stm (BBC)

European Commission President Romano Prodi vows stronger action to combat anti-Semitism in Europe. Prodi states that some criticism of Israel was inspired by what amounts to anti-Semitic sentiments and prejudice. Youths from the large Arab immigrant communities in France, Belgium and other European countries are blamed for the rise in attacks against Jews in Europe. The European Union's //eumc.eu.int/eumc/index.php European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia in Vienna, Austria, found the increase of anti-Semitic attacks was committed above all either by right-wing extremists or radical Islamists or young Muslims mostly of Arab descent. //www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/396146.html (Haaretz)

One Dane and five of the nine Britons held without trial as terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay are to be released, probably within the next two weeks, according to British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. The soon-to-be-released captives have been amongst the 660 detainees at the US base in Cuba, held for the past two years as suspected Al-Qaida or Taliban 'combatants'. //news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3504221.stm (BBC) //news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3505365.stm (BBC)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear agency, finds undeclared components in Iran compatible with advanced uranium centrifuge designs, increasing Western concerns that it may be developing nuclear weapons. //www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/396159.html (Haaretz)

States of emergency are declared in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Canada, after a prolonged blizzard dumps 90 centimetres of snow on the provinces. This doubles the previous record, set in the 1950s. Roads are completely impassable, blocked with drifts of up to 3 to 4 metres. //www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/02/20/newweather_atl040220 (CBC)

San Francisco sues California to force the state to accept marriage licenses it altered to remove reference to bride and groom and recognize same-sex marriage. //www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/7995259.htm ("Kansas City Star")

The Kuwaiti newspaper "A-Siasa" reports that Palestinian and international terrorist organizations have decided at a recent Beirut conference to launch a wave of terror attacks against Israeli and Jewish interests worldwide. According to the report, there will also be similar attacks against coalition troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The conference, which took place at the start of February, was also said to have been attended by senior members of the Syrian, Lebanese and Iranian intelligence services who presented a list of Israeli intelligence officials to be assassinated. Organizations in attendance included: Al-Qaeda, Ansar al-Islam, Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad. //www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/396163.html (Haaretz) //www.albawaba.com/news/index.php3?sid=270760lang=edir=news (Al Bawaba)