UNSC blacklists bin Laden's son

Pn, United Nations

The UN Security Council has designated Hamza bin Laden, the son of slain al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, under its sanctions list, subjecting him to a travel ban, assets freeze and an arms embargo. The UN Security Council's 1267 ISIS and al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee listed 29-year old Hamza bin Laden on Thursday, the day the US announced a reward of up to one million dollars for information about him.

2 more Aussie cabinet ministers quit politics Reuters, Sydney

Two more ministers in Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's cabinet said yesterday they will not contest elections due in May, adding to a flurry of high-profile resignations as opinion polls suggest the centreright government faces a heavy defeat. Defence Minister Christopher Pyne and Defence Industry Minister Steven Ciobo both announced morning that they would not stand in the coming election.

US, S Korea to scale down drills

REUTERS, Washington

The United States and South Korea are expected to announce that they will not carry out latge-scale spring joint military exercises, replacing them with smaller-scale drills, US officials said on Friday. The Foal Eagle field exercise, which usually involves thousands of combined ground, air, naval and special operations troops, takes place every spring. Key Resolve is a computer-simulated exercise.

BITS OF HISTORY (MARCH 02)

1962: The Burmese army, led by Ne Win, seized power in a coup.

2003: Haifa million Algerians gave French President Jacques Chirac a rousing welcome at the start of the first full state visit by a French president since Algeria won independence in 1962.