Some News Briefs

Gun Ban Would Hurt Illinois Economy, Critics Say
Several Illinois-based gun manufacturers are mobilizing opposition to a bill dubbed the “Blagojevich Assault Weapons Ban.” Second Amendment supporters say the bill is designed to stop a major hunting/fishing retailer, Cabela’s, from opening a superstore in suburban Chicago...

Taiwanese Leader Scraps ‘China Unification’ Committee
Taiwan’s president has scrapped a committee set up 16 years ago to work towards the island nation’s eventual reunification with the communist mainland. Chinese media predicted the move would “fuel tensions” across the Taiwan Strait...

Utah Town’s Pro-Family Resolution Sparks Debate
The government council in the heavily Mormon town of Kanab, Utah, is under attack for a resolution it passed in January that defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman, “ordained of God.” A critic on the East Coast says the Utah resolution contains “religious language...that doesn’t belong in a government setting.”

Free Trade Deal With Colombia Viewed As Win for Both Countries
The United States has struck a major trade agreement with Colombia – part of a U.S. effort to engage economically with Latin America at a time when a growing number of Latin American countries are tilting to the political left...

Indian PM Takes Flak Over Nuclear Deal Ahead of Bush Visit
New Delhi – As political temperatures rise here ahead of President Bush’s first visit to India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has tried to fend off domestic criticism by insisting that India’s nuclear weapons program would not be compromised by a proposed nuclear cooperation deal with the United States...

Democrats Use Port Deal to Strike Back at Republicans
In what's widely viewed as "payback time," Democrats are suggesting that the Bush administration is weak on national security for approving a deal that would allow a Dubai-owned company to manage some of the terminals at six major U.S. ports...