News In Brief

The Kosovo peace resolution - worked out by Group of Eight diplomats - was circulating in the UN Security Council, where action awaited only agreement on the details of a withdrawal by Serb forces and the deployment of peacekeepers. Meanwhile, Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, a key negotiator in the Kosovo peace process, was in Beijing, trying to persuade China not to veto the deal.

Sensing defeat, the ruling party in Indonesia announced it was ready to function as the opposition and would respect the outcome of Tuesday's national election. Early returns showed Golkar, which has dominated Indonesian politics for three decades, in third place, with about 13 percent of the vote. The Democratic Party for Struggle of Megawati Sukarnoputri was leading, with just under 40 percent.

Peace talks with Pakistan at the foreign-minister level were offered by India's government for Saturday. But Pakistan delayed in accepting until its senior leaders could confer. Skeptics noted that India's foreign minister was due in China Sunday, leaving little time for a discussion on the conflict in Kashmir.

Prosecutors closed their arguments in the treason trial of Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan by demanding his execution for leading the violent 15-year campaign for independence in southeastern Turkey. The court then adjourned until June 23 to give Ocalan's lawyers time to prepare their final defense. His followers have vowed to intensify their attacks if he is hanged. Ocalan has offered to work for peace if his life is spared.

Members of Prime Minister Wim Kok's Cabinet returned to work in the Netherlands, ending an almost three-week-old governmental crisis. The government collapsed May 19 when parliament failed to pass a bill sponsored by one of Kok's coalition partners, leading to the withdrawal of all three allied parties. Late last week, a mediator appointed by Queen Beatrix talked them into piecing the alliance together again.

In a move to protect vital summer tourism, the government of Canada was preparing to forbid air-traffic controllers from going on strike, reports said. Contract negotiations between the controllers union and NavCan, the nonprofit company that operates the national air-traffic system, collapsed Sunday. The union is seeking higher pay, a shorter workweek, and additional break time. Without the prohibition, controllers could walk off the job by mid-month.

Public anger and indignation boiled over at the spreading crime wave in Mexico City after unidentified gunmen killed the host of a national TV program as he left a restaurant. Francisco "Paco" Stanley was the latest victim in a series of attacks on celebrities. A bystander also died and two others were wounded. One TV news anchor called on the air for city authorities to resign because of their failure to stem the violence.

At least 94 people died and 25 others were taken to hospitals in southern India after an inter-city bus in which they were riding blew a tire and plunged into a lake. Authorities said as many as 128 passengers were aboard.

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