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Show DIGEST SOUTHERN BAPTISTS TAKE ON MORMONS' CLAIM TO CHRISTIANITY: The decades-old-debate over Mormonism's claim to Christianity is gaining decibels as the Southern Baptist Convention prepares to bring 20,000 members into Salt Lake City. The Baptists say they hope for polite discussion when they gather in Salt Lake City for their annual meeting in June. But they have launched a campaign beforehand to educate their members about the doctrinal underpinnings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by producing a videotape and companion workbook to buttress their argument. Mormon church leaders are taking unusual pains to stress the chuch's Christian faith. ZION NATIONAL PARK CLIMBERS RESCUED AFTER MOTORIST HEARS HOLLERING: T wo rock climbers were rescued at Zion National Park after a Wyoming family driving through a rock tunnel heard one of them hollering for help. Leonard Wright of Salt Lake City was treated for cuts, bruises and a separated shoulder at Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George.after he fell 45 feet Friday while trying to help his 22-year old son, whose rappelling rope had become tangled. The son, Mike Wright of Salt Lake City, was not injured after dangling upside down from a rope. A DAY AFTER RELEASING RESEARCHER LEAVITT, AGE~S SEARCH IDS HOME: FBI agents searched the home of a researcher yesterday, even though the man was released from jail after tests showed he possessed a harmless animal vaccine, not a biological weapon. More than a dozen agents descended on William Leavitt Jr.'s L . W property in Logandale, Nev., SO miles northeast ;rr-y_ ayne of Las Vegas. Leavitt1s lawyer, Lamond Mills, ams called the search "a fishing expedition" and said he planned to visit the home to "see what kind of shape the house is in and what theyve taken." The search came on the eve of today's detention hearing for Leavitt's partner, Larry Wayne Harris, who stayed in jail this weekend on biological weapon charges. 'TITANIC' SURPASSES 'E.T.' AS NO. 2 DOMESTIC BEST SELLER: Titanic reigned at the box office for the 10th weekend in row, passing E.T. the Extra Terrestrial as the No. 2 domestic film of all time. The ocean-liner epic topped the North American box office with $21 million over the weekend, according to industry estimates yesterday by Exhibitor Relations Co. lnc. That gives Titanic - nominated for 14 Academy Awards - a 10-week total of $402.5 million, beating the E. T take of $399 .8 million. James Cameron's three-hour-plus film now lags only behind Star Wars, which took in $461 million at North American theaters. PEACE TALKS 'FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED,' SINN FEIN TELLS BELFAST RALLY: The IRA-allied Sinn Fein party denounced Northern Ireland's peace talks as " fundamentally flawed" yesterday and called for a sp eedy meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Si1rn Fein's demands came hours before the Belfast talks resume without the party, which has been ejected for two weeks as punishment for two Gerry Adams killings blamed on the Irish Republican Army. The IRA's adherence to a truce is the key condition for Sinn Fein's eligibility. Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams emphasized he expects Blair to meet him during the party's two-week expulsion, otherwise Sinn Fein may not return to negotiations that lacked "credibility." HIGHWAY AMBUSH IN EASTERN ALGERIA KILLS 19: An armed group attacked and killed 19 people riding in a transport truck on a deserted mountain road in eastern Algeria, newspapers reported yesterday. It was the second highway ambush reported in recent days. Both took place on Friday. No one claimed responsibility for the attack that occuned near Gijel,.but suspicion fell on Muslim milita.nts fighting a 6-yearold insurgency against the military-backed government. The other attack Friday took place near the town of Boghni in which 27 soldiers were killed. U .N. chief, Iraq agree on a deal The United States sent a naval armada and BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - U.N. chief Kofi Annan 2.5,000 troops to the region to mount air strikes and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein settled the last unless Iraq agrees to open all sites. major obstacle yesterday to opening presidential palaces to U.N. arms inspectors, the main But, meanwhile, as the Pentagon began the condition for avoiding a U.S. attack, Annan's process of calling up reserves, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said yesterday the U.S. will spokesman said. The agreement act alone against Iraq if a _f3llle during a U.N. brokered three-hour meeting between agreement with lraq jeopardizes Annan and U.S. interests. Saddam at the Republican Administration officials said Palace, one of they would be eight pleased if U.N. presidential sites Secretarythat Iraq had declared offGeneralKofi limits to U.N. ~ Annan returns weapons ~ from talks in inspectors, said 5ilraq with a U.N. spokesman ~ promise that g U.N. weapons Fred Eckhard. "We've ~ inspectors can reached an :i! resume their 1-< work free from agreement," Iraqi limits. Eckhard said. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, rigbt, meets U.N. SeoretaryBut "it is ''We have a General Kofi Annan, left, yesterday. possible that he text." will come with something that we don't like, in "We expect the text will be acceptable to all 15 members of the Security Council," including the which case we will pursue our national United States, he said. interests," Albright said on ABC's 'This Week Annan and Iraq's deputy prime minister, Tariq with Sam and Cokie.' Aziz, met last night to agree on the precise She said Saddam's ability to threaten the world wording of an agreement the secretary-general with weapons of mass destruction must be will take back to the Security Council. diminished, by military means if necessary. "We The crisis over weapons inspections had will pursue that, that's what our job is, that's brought the Persian Gulf to the brink of war. what we wil1 do," She said. India contpletes bulk of election for Parliantent NEW DELHI, India (AP) - Bloody political . clashes marred voting yesterday in India's parliamentary elections, which took place amid another distraction - the sudden collapse of the government in the cou.ntry's largest state. Twelve people were killed in factional violence. Nearly 40 others were injured across the nine states that voted. The turnout was 55 percent - slightly below average - on the second day of a six-day election, which completed voting for three fourths of the 543 districts at stake. More than 600 million Indians are eligible to vote. By Saturday, all but a few votes will be in, and ballot counting begins March 2. Most deaths yesterday were reported from the eastern state of Bihar, where 20 people were killed in the first round of voting Feb. 16. Gunmen shot and killed a communist supporter inside a polling booth. Seven other people were killed in shootouts between rival gangs fighting for control of polling booths in different parts of the state. One person caught stuffing bogus ballot papers was beaten to death with sticks by activists of a rival political group. "Is this democracy? Whoever has more activists around a booth captures and prevents genuine voters," said Mohammad Idris, of Hajipur town in Bihar, who was turned back by political activists who said his vote had already been cast. Widespread rigging of votes also was reported, forcing election authorities to s uspend polling in several booths. Suslrila Ray of Barraokpur Shripally, In dia, casts her vote with the help of her n ephew for the Parliamentary elections yesterday. More than 550 political activists, including two state government ministers, were arrested on charges of disrupting elections. As the voting proceeded, the country's attention was drawn to Uttar Pradesh, the largest state; where the government was suddenly toppled overnight. Uttar Pradesh sends 85 members to Parliament, more than any state. A new government led by a tiny splinter party was sworn in late Saturday. The vote continues today, Saturday, March 7 and, in a remote region, June 2.1. |