Seoul (Agencies): North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, who U.S. President George W. Bush says is blackmailing the world with a nuclear arms program, has agreed to consider Seoul's plea to end the crisis, a South Korean envoy said on Wednesday.

Abidjan (Reuters): Ivory Coast's French-brokered peace deal edged closer to collapse on Wednesday as the army ruled out key points of an accord which has triggered clashes between Muslims and Christians and huge anti-French protests.

Phnom Penh (Reuters): Thousands of Cambodian students set the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh on fire on Wednesday, angry about remarks apparently mistakenly ascribed to a Thai soap star about Angkor Wat temple, Cambodia's top cultural icon.

Tokyo (Associated Press): U.S. President George W. Bush's call 'for America to brace for a possible war with Iraq — and his indication Washington may act alone — prompted cheers from some allies but also deepened doubts from a world not yet convinced war is the only answer.

Washington (Agence France-Presse): As many as 20,000 U.S. ground troops will be able tomove through Turkey into northern Iraq under a tentative agreement worked out with Ankara in preparation for a possible war with Iraq, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.

Kuwait (Reuters): Aclandestine Islamist group that claimed responsibility for last week's attack on Americans in Kuwait vowed to carry out more operations to "liberate Kuwait from colonialism", a pan-Arab newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Washington (Agence France-Presse): The United States said on Tuesday it could not accept Iraqi leadership of a UN disarmament commission and is looking at ways to prevent Baghdad from assuming the chair of the body as scheduled in May.

Washington (Reuters): U.S. President George W. Bush used his state of the nation speech to say Iraq had shown "utter contempt" for the United Nations, but key allies urged him on Wednesday not to bypass the world body in his march toward war.

Washington (Agence France-Presse): U.S. President George W. Bush confronted doubters over the economy on Tuesday, vowing to the nation he would boost growth and create jobs with a US$674-billion stimulus package.

New York (Agence France-Presse): Washington's Michael Jordan and Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal were named Tuesday as reserves chosen by league coaches for the National Basketball Association All-Star Game.

La Quinta, California (Agencies): Defending champion Phil Mickelson will be hoping to capitalize on the absence of Tiger Woods and Ernie Els from this week's Bob Hope Classic.

Tokyo (Agence France-Presse): Indonesia's rising tennis star Angelique "Angie" Widjaja won her first Pan Pacific Open match on Wednesday, taking out South Korean qualifier Jeon Mi-Ra to book a second-round appointment with Yugoslavian Jelena Dokic.