News In Brief
THE US
The Clinton administration is expected to formally announce that US firms can bid on the $2 billion in crude oil Iraq is being allowed to sell. The UN decided Iraq can export 1.2 million barrels a day over six months.
Former Colorado Gov. Richard Lamm said he possibly would run as a third-party presidential candidate under the Reform Party, as long as Ross Perot doesn't run. He made the statement while in California addressing the party founded by Perot. The Federal Election Commission said Friday that Perot would qualify for about $32 million in government money because of his showing in the 1992 election. But the commission was unclear on whether anyone else could qualify for similar financing as the Reform nominee.
One of three armored vehicles brought in by the FBI during the standoff with the "freemen" antigovernment group in Jordan, Mont., was headed toward the ranch. Earlier, the FBI said the vehicles were on hand for emergency rescues or to occupy portions of the ranch.
Whitewater investigator Kenneth Starr gave the Senate Whitewater Committee access to FBI information about legal records found in the White House. They include information on whether fingerprints from the Clintons or their aides were found on the records. Also, the White House admitted notes taken by a key lawyer during the travel office affair are missing. Earlier, the White House said it gave a full accounting of documents to the House to avoid a contempt vote.
Ron Brown insisted on flying the day his flight crashed in Croatia, killing him and 34 others, a former business partner of the commerce secretary told The New York Times. Noland Hill, who spoke to Brown just minutes before he boarded the plane, said he overruled staff aides' concerned about inclement weather because he didn't want to delay the mission to rebuild the region. She decided to speak out after the Air Force fired three top brass responsible for the plane.
The stock market was expected to open warily after the Dow Jones industrial average fell 119.68 points last week. Investors were responding to speculation that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in July.
Despite guilty verdicts in the Whitewater trial, Clinton maintains a strong lead over presidential hopeful Bob Dole, a new Newsweek poll shows. If an election were held today, Clinton would lead Dole by 49 percent to 32 percent, with 10 percent voting for a third-party candidate, the poll indicates. Some 64 percent of respondents thought Whitewater had more to do with partisan politics than serious issues; 60 percent said the Clintons were guilty of at least minor offenses relating to Whitewater.
A judge proposed barring Chrysler Corp. from doing business in California for 60 days for allegedly reselling 116 "lemons" without telling the new buyers. The company said it complied with state laws to provide disclosure and a one-year warranty on cars bought back and resold. But Rosemary Shahan, head of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, said Chrysler never disclosed the cars were bought back as lemons.
President Clinton promised to veto welfare changes he says would jeopardize health care for the young or disabled. Thousands of children could lose some health care coverage under a Republican proposal to turn Medicaid programs over to states, he said. The statement came as tens of thousands of people descended on the Washington mall for a rally to spark debate over how to better protect children's welfare.
California's Republican-controlled Assembly passed a bill requiring repeat child molesters to begin chemical castration one week before being released from prison and keep up treatments. Opponents say it violates a Constitution ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The bill now goes to the state Senate.
Dredging began to find more parts of the ValuJet plane that crashed in Florida's Everglades May 11. Muck from the Everglades is being scooped out and dropped into a sifter. And only 24 passengers have been identified from the crash so far that killed all 110 people on board.
THE WORLD
Bosnian elections will be held this fall even if conditions aren't perfect, US Secretary of State Christopher said. But the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe seriously doubts Bosnia is ready to hold elections, The New York Times reported. The OSCE is concerned by the lack of Serb cooperation and a series of human rights abuses, says the US and other European countries are pressuring it to declare Bosnia ready for elections by fall. Also, Christopher told Balkan leaders that Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and Gen. Ratko Mladic should go on trial for war crimes, a US official said.
Israel's next prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will be responsible for pulling Israeli troops out of Hebron, a Cabinet statement from Prime Minister Shimon Peres's outgoing government said. Netanyahu has said in the past he opposes withdrawing from the West Bank town. Also, Netanyahu assured the US he wants to continue the peace process, but has not yet clarified his strategy, Christopher said.
Britain said Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing could join Northern Ireland peace talks June 10 before it began to disarm. But it insisted that the IRA renew its cease-fire, which Sinn Fein said was unlikely. Sinn Fein came in fourth in Thursday's peace forum elections in Northern Ireland, in its best showing ever.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard vowed to remain firm on a crackdown on gun possession, despite a protest march by 67,000 people in Melbourne. It was the latest in a series of nationwide protests by gun owners angry that they will be forced to surrender their weapons.
The Czech Republic seemed headed for a stalemate, after a surprisingly strong showing by the Social Democrats.With 98.8 percent of votes counted, Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus's Civic Democratic Party narrowly missed retaining its majority in parliament, Czech television said. The party is expected to win 99 of the 200 seats. Analysts differed on whether Klaus could rule with a minority, and said the deadlock may lead to new elections next year.
Four Russian soldiers were killed in an explosion in Grozny, Chechnya, on the second day of a cease-fire marred by accusations of violations on both sides. Also, Chechen separatists will resume peace talks with Moscow but want the Kremlin to commit within a week to withdrawing its troops from Chechnya, Interfax news agency reported.
India's H.D. Deve Gowda was sworn in as the second prime minister in three weeks.
Ukraine shipped the last of its nuclear warheads to Russia, where they are to be dismantled. The former republic gave up the weapons in exchange for nuclear fuel from Russia and US aid.
The Central African Republic's government and mutineers signed a peace deal under which French troops will help with disarmament. The rebel troops were granted amnesty by President Ange-Felix Patasse, who also promised to fire his deputy Army chief of staff - one of the mutineers' demands.
Democracy activists scuffled with police in Hong Kong as thousands of demonstrators marked the seventh anniversary of China's crackdown on Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.
Voting began in Chad's first democratic presidential election. Fourteen candidates are vying for the post with President Idriss Derby, who won power in a 1990 armed revolt. Results are due Thursday.
ETCETERAS
''Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum." -- Former Colorado Gov. Richard Lamm, who emerged as a possible third-party candidate, referring to the Republican and Democratic parties at a Reform Party speech in Los Angeles.
Ozone-destroying chemicals are declining in the lower atmosphere, US scientists say. The ozone layer in the stratosphere should start showing improvement in a few years. The use of ozone-depleting chemicals was limited worldwide by the 1987 Montreal protocol. This is the first decline measured since manufacture of such chemicals, used in refrigerators and other appliances, began.
Jeremy Mock was top in his class at Kelleys Island School. In fact, he was the only graduate in a senior class of one on the Lake Erie island off Ohio's coast. Between 100 to 150 people showed up to see Mock graduate Saturday in the village of 172 residents.
Visitors to Washington's National Building Museum are zigzagging through an unusual new exhibit. "Between Fences," which runs through Jan. 5, explores the structures as symbols of how people treat each other. "Fences are weapons, but they are also tools that help people live together," curator Gregory K. Dreicer says.
A white-tailed doe moseyed through Manhattan before being removed by a wildlife ranger. She probably visited the Big Apple via the railroad tracks, he said.
THE DAY'S LIST
1996 Hurricane Names
1. Arthur
2. Bertha
3. Cesar
4. Dolly
5. Edouard
6. Fran
7. Gustav
8. Hortense
9. Isidore
10. Josephine
11. Kyle
12. Lili
13. Marco
14. Nana
15. Omar
16. Paloma
17. Rene
18. Sally
19. Teddy
20. Vicky
21. Wilfred
- Associated Press
