Kosovo-talks

RAMBOUILLET, France: Having pulled back from the brink, world powers resumed their efforts to wring a peace accord on the embattled Yugoslav province of Kosovo from the rival Serbs and ethnic Albanians.

Kosovo-talks-arrivals

RAMBOUILLET, France: A determined US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright arrived here as rival sides and mediators in the Kosovo peace talks sought to agree a pact by the new deadline of Tuesday.

Kosovo-talks-Cook

LONDON: Britain's Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said that air strikes against Serbia are "not going to help" if the Kosovo Albanians refuse to sign a peace deal at the talks in Rambouillet.

Kurds-Turkey-Europe

ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit warned Europeans to mind their own business as Ankara prepares for the trial of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Kurds-Israel

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet praised Israeli security guards who shot and killed three Kurdish protesters who stormed Israel's consulate in Berlin last week.

Iran-Kurds

TEHRAN: Violent anti-Turkish demonstrations have erupted across western Iran in protest at the capture of Kurdish rebel leader Adbullah Ocalan, Iranian newspapers and Kurdish groups reported.

Iraq-toll-opposition

DAMASCUS: Fifteen people were killed in clashes between demonstrators and Iraqi security forces in Saddam City, a Shiite Moslem neighbourhood in northern Baghdad on Saturday, a Shiite opposition group based in Damascus said.

India-Pakistan

LAHORE, Pakistan: The prime ministers of Pakistan and India vowed to take immediate steps to reduce the risk of nuclear conflict and to intensify efforts to resolve all bilateral disputes, including the key issue of Kashmir.

Horn-fighting

ASMARA: Ethiopian warplanes dropped 12 bombs at dawn on the airport at Assab, in eastern Eritrea, breaking an undeclared truce in the border war between the two Horn of Africa neighbours.

Nigeria-vote

LAGOS: The centre-left Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was on course to win Nigeria's parliamentary elections and lead the country into civilian rule, according to early results gathered by AFP here.