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Secretary of State Colin Powell tells the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the Iraqi weapons matter will be brought to conclusion "within weeks, one way or another." Meantime, there's skeptical reaction from France and many Muslim countries to Powell's U.N. presentation on Iraq Wednesday. Hear reports from NPR's Michele Kelemen, NPR's Nick Spicer and Khaled Al-Maeena, editor-in-chief of Arab News.

Prime Minister Tony Blair wins a plea to Britain's Parliament to support a British attack on Iraq without U.N. authorization. Blair didn't need Parliament's consent to send troops into battle, but it's the biggest political gamble of his career. Opposition is strong in his own party and across Britain. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports.

Syria's Interior Minister Ghazi Kanaan has committed suicide, Damascus reports. Formerly Syria's intelligence chief in neighboring Lebanon, Kanaan was among Syrian officials questioned by a U.N. envoy investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

As President Bush will meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Northern Ireland to discuss possible plans for post-war Iraq. Meanwhile, U.S. and British political differences over Iraq's reconstruction surface, with at least one British official pushing for a larger U.N. role in rebuilding Iraq. Hear NPR's Sylvia Poggioli.

Iran resumes operations at a key nuclear plant, ending two years of inactivity. The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Iran intended to undertake work on uranium enrichment, which could produce fuel for nuclear weapons. The move sparked sharp criticism from the United States and Europe.

The United States and France join China, Russia, Japan and a score of other nations to confront the crisis in Darfur, Sudan. They are at a conference in Paris to support a new peace force in the war-torn Sudanese region. The conference comes after Sudan agreed to let U.N. peacekeepers into the country.

As the U.S., Britain and Spain abandon efforts to win U.N. approval for a new resolution on Iraq, President Bush prepares to address the nation at 8 p.m. ET. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer says Bush will issue an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, that the Iraqi leader leave the country or face war. Meanwhile, all U.S. non-essential personnel are ordered to leave Israel, Syria and Kuwait. Hear NPR News.

As the U.S., Britain and Spain abandon efforts to win U.N. approval for a new resolution on Iraq, President Bush prepares to address the nation at 8 p.m. ET. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer says Bush will issue an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, that the Iraqi leader leave the country or face war. And Secretary of State Powell says the "time for diplomacy has passed." Hear NPR's Vicky O'Hara and Michele Kelemen.

The U.S. administrator for Iraq says it could take up to 15 months for a full transfer of power to an Iraqi goverment. Paul Bremer's remarks conflict with the wishes of Iraq's leading Shia cleric, who wants U.N. officials to establish a deadline for general elections. Hear NPR's Scott Simon and NPR's Deborah Amos.

The Bush administration has asked dozens of countries to contribute troops to help stabilize Iraq. Some countries, such as France and India, say they will not send troops without a clearer U.N. mandate. The administration has run into similar problems asking wealthy European nations to contribute money to rebuild Iraq. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.