BBC News with Lopaco Tary.
President Bush has praised a new law in Iraq that will allow former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party to return to public life. The Baath party, formed mainly from Iraq's Sunni minority, was declared illegal after the American-led invasion of 2003. Thousands of its members lost their jobs, a move that was later blamed for much of the collapse in public services and law & order. Mr. Bush called it /an important step towards peace in Iraq.
"I know you've been concerned about Iraq and the politics of Iraq. The Iraqi Council of representatives passed a de-Baathification law today. It's an important step toward reconciliation. It's an important sign that the leaders of that country understand that they must work together till they meet the aspirations of the Iraqi people. So I come with an upbeat message, a hopeful message, a message that peace will prevail here in Middle East. "
The President of Taiwan Chen Shuibian has resigned from the leadership of his governing party after he was routed in the island's parliamentary elections. Mr. Chen said the result was the worst of history of the Democratic Progressive Party and he felt shamed by it. A spokeswoman for the DPP Xiao Bikham said that Mr. Chen resigned after his party failed to reach the goal of fifty seats. "In the scenario when we've came short of actually meeting even half of the goal that we have laid out, of course it is seen as a tremendous defeat. In actual performance of the government, it shows that we have not met the expectations of people and thus President Chen does take responsibility for that. And we need to make further examinations as to how we can improve the expectation."
The main opposition party the Kuo Ming Tang or KMT, won the elections by a landslide. The KMT, which favors closer ties with mainland China, is now well placed to win the Taiwanese presidential election in March.
The most powerful political figure in Iran the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said that the continuing dispute of Iran's nuclear program should be handled by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and not the United Nations. The UN Security Council has already imposed sanctions on Iran for refusing to halt its sensitive nuclear work, which several western countries fear could be used to build nuclear bombs. Ayatollah Khamenei told the visiting Chief of the IAEA Mohammad ElBradei that the US was using the nuclear issue to try to bring Iran to its knees.
The Croatian parliament has approved the new government led by Ivo Sanader, the country's first with an ethnic Serb in a key position. The Croatian Serb Zlatko Uzelac is in charge of regional development, reconstruction and the return of refugees. Croatia fought a bitter war against Serbian-led Yugoslav forces after declaring independence in 1991.
World news from the BBC
In his first address to South Africa's governing Africa National Congress as its new leader, Jacob Zuma has issued a strong call for party unity. Addressing at annual Party rally, Mr. Zuma acknowledged that his contest with President Thabo Mbeki for the leadership of the party had caused severe strains, but he said he would strive to ensure a smooth working relationship between the party and the government.
"ANC members outside of government will not be allowed to undermine those in government. Equally, those deployed in government can not undermine comrades working in the ANC."
The navy in Mozambique is trying to rescue thousands of villagers left trapped by rising flood waters. Forecasters say that some of the heaviest rains on record could raise the river Zambezi to levels last seen eighty years ago when Mozambique suffered catastrophic floods. The BBC's Peter Greste has been on the river with one of the rescue teams.
The emergency service is struggling to reach those most in need. Outside the main channel it's simply too shallow to move boats big enough for a massive evacuation. And helicopters are simply too few to use for anything other than reconnaissance and planning. That's left thousands stranded on ever-shrinking islands in pockets of high ground. The World Food Program is still feeding a quarter of a million Mozambiquans after last year's flood, and they are expecting that number to rise now.
The governing Socialist Party in Spain says it will field almost equal numbers of men and women candidates in the general election due in March. In a statement, the party said 49% of its candidates would be women, 7% more than last national election in 2004. The leader of the opposition Popular Party Mariano Rajoy accused Prime Minister Zapatero of setting gender quotas.
And that’s the latest BBC news.