News In Brief
The US
Wrecking crews worked through the weekend to isolate an area of the former Oklahoma City federal building where they hope to find the last of the bombing victims. Trucks hauled nearly 800 tons of debris from the razed site Sunday and planned to haul another 1,200 tons yesterday. The bombing appears to be the work of a group of three or four amateurs from the far-right fringe, not a well-organized, well-financed extremist group, Newsweek magazine reported. Investigators believe the plotters financed the bombing by selling weapons, possibly stolen, at gun shows, the magazine said.
President Clinton turned up the pressure for his antiterrorism package, accusing congressional critics of trying to deny police expanded wiretap authority and other tools they need to fight terrorism. Clinton's criticism drew a swift rejoinder from Senator Dole, who said Clinton should direct his frustration at Democrats. The Democrats, Dole said, have delayed passage of the antiterrorism bill by offering more than 60 amendments to the budget resolution.
Political consultant Ed Rollins resigned from Senator Dole's presidential campaign after referring to two Jewish congressmen as ''Hymie boys.'' Rollins reportedly sent a resignation letter on May 22 to Dole's campaign manager. Rollins made the offending comment on May 15 at a dinner for Speaker Willie Brown of the California State Assembly. California Governor Wilson, meanwhile, in an effort to position himself as a leading opponent of affirmative action, will abolish a variety of hiring policies that help minorities and women, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The administration released ''model business principles'' designed to encourage respect for human rights abroad but without mentioning the country initially targeted -- China. Disclosure of the voluntary principles came as the president appeared headed to renew China's preferential trading status. Critics attacked the principles as a weak substitute for a tough policy on Chinese human-rights and labor abuses.
Police arrested 23 anti-abortion protesters outside a women's clinic near Los Angeles. The arrests were made under a Los Angeles city law enacted last week that bars disruptive protests within 50 feet of a clinic, its parking lot, or buildings and walkways leading to the facility.
Orders for US-made machine tools plunged in April, but export orders surged, signalling a recovery in overseas markets. Orders fell 41.98 percent to $335.1 million from a record-setting total of $577.5 million in March, the Association for Manufacturing Technology said.
With the threat of a strike set aside, negotiators for AT&T Corp. and its 110,000 union workers were to resume negotiations yesterday on wage, pension, and health-care issues.
Illinois National Guardsmen, volunteers, and prison inmates sandbagged the Illinois River to prepare levees for an expected flood crest this week Thunderstorms, hail, and a tornado hit the central Texas city of San Angelo, injuring 47 people.
The Chicago Housing Authority's board, which recently resigned, is set to hand control of its 1,500 buildings to HUD in the federal agency's largest takeover ever. (Story, Page 3.)
Yet another juror in the O. J. Simpson trial was dismissed last week after denying she was writing a book and had received a note from another juror. Now the juror who allegedly passed the note may be dismissed when the trial resumes today, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Police declined to speculate about a possible motive in Sunday's stabbing death of a Harvard University student by her roommate.
The World
The West stepped up pressure on rebel Serbs holding nearly 370 UN peacekeepers hostage, sending thousands more troops toward Bosnia and trying to salvage the confused UN mission. There were rumors of possible commando raids by the troops. UN Secretary General Boutros-Ghali was to present new plans to the Security Council within 24 hours. France has threatened to pull out its 3,800 peacekeepers if they aren't guaranteed more security. EU foreign ministers and representatives of the ''contact'' group met yesterday; NATO foreign ministers were to meet today. Bosnia's foreign minister was killed Sunday when his helicopter was downed by Croatian Serb forces, and Serb shelling of ''safe'' areas continued. The Bosnian Army launched an assault near Mount Ozren. (Stories, Page 1.)
Up to 2,000 people were killed in an earthquake that destroyed the Russian oil town of Neftergorsk on Sakhalin Island north of Japan Sunday. About 3,000 of the town's 3,500 residents were unaccounted for. In Japan, seismologists warned that the quake may signal a period of danger for the northwestern Pacific.
Japan said it would press for quick consultations with the US on the legality of sanctions under World Trade Organization rules. Washington has imposed the sanctions on imported Japanese luxury cars. Japanese official Jun Yokota said in Geneva that Tokyo might ask by mid-June for a WTO dispute panel on the issue if the US does not agree to quick talks. Most nations have criticized the US stance.
A follower of the Japanese sect accused of gassing Tokyo's subway reportedly told investigators that the group illegally manufactured drugs, possibly adding evidence of the sect's connections to the criminal world.
Amman suddenly banned a conference that was called to oppose Jordan's drive for normal relations with Israel. Scores of police tried to disperse the hundreds of people who arrived at a hall in Amman to hear speeches denouncing closer ties with the Jewish state. (Story, Page 7.) Israeli Prime Minister Rabin, meanwhile, said Israel won't give up the Golan Heights unless Israelis approve the move in a referendum.
China canceled meetings with US officials on nuclear cooperation in retaliation for Washington's granting a visa to the president of Taiwan. It was the fourth action by China on the matter.
Demonstrators chanted ''No way, Norway'' and ''Stop Japan'' as delegates arrived in Dublin for the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission. Japan and Norway want to ease the 1986 global ban on commercial whaling.
Belgian Prime Minister Dehaene said he would begin negotiations with the Christian Democrats and the Socialists to form a new government after last week's elections. The two parties together won 81 out of 150 seats in the lower house, probably enough to keep them in power.
A maverick businessman won the most lopsided election victory ever against Mexico's ruling party in Guanajuato state, with 45 percent of the vote counted. But PRI, the governing party, claimed victory in the governor's race in Yucatan.
In Spain, the center-right Popular Party soundly defeated the ruling Socialists in local elections, leaving Spain to assess a fundamental shift in the balance of power in its regions and cities. General elections are not due until 1997, but PP leader Aznar predicted his party's takeover.
Energy-hungry Armenia is pushing ahead with plans to recommission a nuclear power plant, despite US warnings that the area's history of violent earthquakes.
Etcetera
Awards given at the 48th annual Cannes Film Festival: Golden Palm: ''Underground,'' directed by Emir Kusturica of Bosnia. Jury Grand Prize: ''The Look of Ulysses,'' directed by Theo Angelopoulos of Greece. Best Actress: Helen Mirren of Britain in ''The Madness of King George.'' Best Actor: Jonathan Pryce of Britain in ''Carrington.'' Best Director: Mathieu Kassovitz of France for ''Hatred.''
Old castles, something Ireland has in abundance, are luring overseas buyers, says one Dublin auctioneer. As a so-called heritage property, a castle is exempt from inheritance taxes. It can also be free from property taxes.
Gary Larson, who created the popular comic strip ''The Far Side,'' has been named the Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year. Larson, who retired Jan. 1 after drawing the cartoon for 15 years, won the top award presented at the 49th annual ''Reuben'' awards in Boca Raton, Fla. ''The Far Side'' features talking animals, mad scientists, and other oddballs.
US immigration officials say they are finding it hard to keep up with the sudden surge in citizenship applications. Thousands of legal nonresidents are applying to become citizens in case Congress denies welfare benefits to noncitizens. The INS predicts that there will be 750,000 applicants this year, up from a total of 555,000 last year.
Top 10 Video Rentals
1. ''Forrest Gump,'' (Paramount)
2. ''The Shawshank Redemption,'' (Columbia TriStar)
3. ''Quiz Show,'' (Hollywood)
4. ''Terminal Velocity,'' (Hollywood)
5. ''The Specialist,'' (Warner)
6. ''Mary Shelley's Frankenstein,'' (Columbia TriStar)
7. ''Stargate,'' (Live)
8. ''The River Wild,'' (MCA-Universal)
9. ''Hoop Dreams,'' (New Line)
10. ''Blue Sky,'' (Orion)
Billboard Publications Inc.
''A lot of thought will have to go into our next step, because it will probably be the most important step the international community makes in this century.''
UN spokesman Alexander Ivanko on what action to take in Bosnia-Herzegovina
