Russia-Chechnya Akhmed Zakayev, a longtime ally and spokesman of Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov, confirmed that Maskhadov had been killed by Russian troops in the breakaway republic. Lebanon-Syria Some 6,000 Syrian troops began redeploying toward the eastern Bekaa Valley as Lebanon's pro-Syrian camp staged a massive show of force at a rally by some 400,000 demonstrators in Beirut. US US President George W. Bush warned Syria to quit Lebanon before the May parliamentary elections there, as he hailed a "thaw" he said was melting authoritarian rule throughout the Middle East. Italy-Iraq Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini ratcheted up the tension in Rome's dispute with the United States, telling parliament the US version of the events leading to the killing of a top Italian secret agent differed markedly from Italy's. Kosovo Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj resigned after being indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal over his role as a guerrilla commander in the Serbian province's 1998-99 conflict, sparking fears of renewed ethnic violence. Ireland-NIreland The Irish Republican Army (IRA) said it had offered to "shoot" members who killed a Catholic man following a pub brawl, but the victim's family rejected violence and wanted the case taken to court. China China lifted the veil on a much-anticipated anti-secession law which will give its military the legal basis for attacking Taiwan, prompting the island to warn peace in the region is under threat. Bolivia Bolivia's Congress voted unanimously to reject President Carlos Mesa's resignation amid a political crisis sparked by a proposed law to increase taxes on foreign oil companies. Mideast The Palestinian Authority said it was ready to assume control of the Gaza Strip after Israel's planned pullout, as leader Mahmud Abbas accused Israel of dragging its feet over peace.