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Brazilian
students protest against US-led war on Iraq
Hundreds
of Brazilian students threw stones on Monday
at the US Consulate at this city, in protest
against the US-led war on Iraq, shattering
glasses and injuring a police officer.
During the
demonstration, a Molotov cocktail was also
hurled against the consulate building, without
causing damage, witnesses said.
The military
police that reinforce security around the
diplomatic representation were even forced to
take out their guns to face the rage of the
demonstrators, but did not fire on them.
The
demonstrators restrained from throwing stones
against commercial establishments and cars
parked on the streets. Later on, they headed
for Rio Branco Avenue, the main road in
downtown Rio, where they broke the windows of
fast-food restaurant MacDonald's, which has
been considered a US symbol.
The
demonstrators dispersed after the intervention
of the police agents.
US stocks
fall on fear of prolonged war
US
stocks closed lower as investors realized that
the war with Iraq might not be so quick as
they had expected. The Dow Jones industrials
ended their eighth-straight winning sessions
and dropped by more than 300 points.
The Dow Jones
industrial average dropped 307.29 points, or
3.6 percent, to close at 8,214.68, after
having gained 997 points for the last eight
sessions.
The broader
market indexes also moved lower. The
technology heavy Nasdaq composite index fell
52.06 points, or 3.7 percent, to close at
1,369.78. The Standard & Poor's 500 index
declined 31.56 points, or 3.5 percent, to end
at 864.23.
On Monday,
US-led forces marched toward Baghdad, meeting
resistance from sandstorms and Iraqi troops.
Iraq claimed to have shot down two US
helicopters and captured two pilots, a day
after more than 20 US soldiers were killed or
taken prisoners.
Saddam Hussein,
meanwhile, sought to rally Iraqi people with a
televised speech, over the weekend. Iraqi
television showed five captured US soldiers.
The war news
pulled the market heavily down as Wall Street
investors realized that the conflict could not
be so fast as they had anticipated.
Altria dropped
1.45 dollars to 33.59 dollars. AMR, parent of
American airlines, declined 30 cents to 2.08
dollars. Continental fell 1.17 dollars to 5.65
dollars and Delta dropped 1.73 dollars to 9.52
dollars, while Lockheed Martin advanced 1
dollars to 46.41dollars and Northrop Grumman
gained 2.08 dollar to 84.43 dollars.
The NYSE
composite index fell 169.36 points to 4,801.58
points, the American Stock Exchange index
dropped 8.08 points to 817.45 points, and the
Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks
declined 8.99 points to 367.25 points.
Declining
issues outnumbered advancers 4 to 1, with 727
issues up, 2554 issues down and 144 issues
unchanged. Trading volume on the NYSE came to
1.61 billion shares, compared with 2.28
billions traded Friday.
Australian
special forces active in Iraq
Totaling
150 Australian air special forces were active
behind the Iraqi lines, Australian Army Chief
Lieutenant-General Peter Leahy said Tuesday.
The troops had
destroyed Iraqi military camps and had gained
significant intelligence about Iraqi troop
movements and intentions, said Leahy, who was
quoted by the Australian Associated Press as
saying.
"The
operations they have been conducting have
provided invaluable information on enemy
movements, on bases and on likely
intentions," said Leahy, adding
"Special forces have been active
destroying enemy installations either using
their own resources, or directing coalition
air support for destruction mission."
Describing the
Australian forces' operation as "shoot
and scoot," he said, "They are
generally creating havoc and uncertainty
behind lines, and are constantly redeploying
in their area of operations."
Leahy said the
squadron of 14 F/A-18 Hornets had been engaged
in new defensive and strike missions over Iraq
overnight while the navy was finding and
destroying mines in the port city of Umm Qasr.
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