China ire on Taiwan

Beijing, Feb. 28 (Reuters): Chinese President Hu Jintao accused Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian today of provoking confrontation by scrapping a council on unification, and China warned the US not to offer Chen any leeway.

Chen declared an end to the National Unification Council and its 15-year-old unification guidelines yesterday.

Kabul prison

Pul-i-Charkhi, Afghanistan (Reuters): Gunfire was heard on Tuesday from a prison on the outskirts of Kabul taken over by inmates, and officials said a deal to resolve the standoff had failed.

Code copy

London (Reuters): Author Dan Brown did not copy material from an earlier book when he wrote The Da Vinci Code, a lawyer said.