11.   In August, Saddam fired his planning minister following publication of a report that inflation had skyrocketed.

12.   In Kabul, planning minister Khalid Din Mohammed promised an announcement on the dispute Wednesday.

13.   It unanimously approved a text stating that they do, said Nabil Shaath, the Palestinian planning minister and senior Palestinian representative to the conference.

14.   Kandir, a former planning minister and champion of the bill, pushed the wrong button, and his vote counted as an abstention.

15.   Nabil Shaath, Palestinian planning minister, blamed Israel for causing the incident by blocking Palestinian traffic.

16.   Nabil Shaath, the Palestinian planning minister, met with Vedrine, and told reporters later that Palestinians will not accept anything less than the U.S.-proposed withdrawal.

17.   Privatization plans for the semi-state telephone company are going ahead despite protests that the government may lose millions on the deal, the planning minister said Thursday.

18.   Press reports here said the prime minister was considering naming Ziad Fariz, a former planning minister, as successor to Nabulsi.

19.   Qaridin Mohammed, the Taliban planning minister, now says the dormitories will be repaired first.

20.   Shaath, the Palestinian planning minister, accused Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of trying to sabotage a possible Peres-Arafat meeting.