IRA Shoots, Kills Two Police

Irish Republican Army guerrillas shot dead two Northern Ireland policemen in an ambush Monday, fueling fears the British-ruled province could face a return to sectarian violence. Britain, Ireland and the United States condemned the attack and London re-imposed a ban on contact with the IRA's Sinn Fein political arm that had been eased recently. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who's tried to galvanize the province's peace efforts since coming to office May 1, ruled out any fresh meeting between government officials and Sinn Fein.

Mideast Toll Rises

Israeli soldiers shot and wounded at least 38 Palestinians in the third day of clashes with stone-throwing Arabs in the divided West Bank city of Hebron, witnesses and hospital officials say. The violence underscored Israeli-Palestinian tensions over a deadlock in peace efforts and what Palestinians view as an Israeli drive to expand Jewish settlements in Gaza and the West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Palestinian Authority of ordering the violence in Gaza and of doing nothing to stop unrest in Hebron.

UN Cancels Mission to Israel

The United Nations says it's canceling a planned mission to Israel on the settlements in East Jerusalem because of what it called unacceptable conditions imposed by Israel. In April, the General Assembly demanded a halt to the construction of an Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem and called for an end to all assistance to "illegal Israeli activities" in the occupied territories. U.N. sources say Israel wants no reference to the resolution in the talks with Israeli officials and any discussions the U.N. envoy would have with officials outside the Israeli government, such as Palestinians, could not be included in a report to the General Assembly.

Tudjman Wins Croatian Election

President Franjo Tudjman has won Croatia's presidential election. In an unofficial tally, Tudjman had 61.2 percent support with 90 percent of the votes counted. Final results will be made official at a later date. Zdravko Tomac of the Social Democratic party was in second place with 21 percent and Vlado Gotovac of the Social Liberal party was in third place with 17 percent. Tudjman is now sure of five more years in power and has pledged to dedicate himself to improving living standards for the whole population.

French Army Pulls Out of Congo

The French army began pulling out of the Congo Republic capital as talks on settling a bloody political dispute in France's former colony were due to start in the neighboring West African state of Gabon. The 1,200 French soldiers had helped evacuate more than 5,000 foreigners since June 5, when fighting flared between the Congo army and supporters of former military leader Denis Sassou Nguesso. Yesterday, Paris rejected an appeal from Congo President Pascal Lissouba to leave its troops in the capital, Brazzaville, as a buffer force between the opposing factions.

Pol Pot's Fighters Desert Him

Most of Khmer Rouge strongman Pol Pot's remaining fighters have deserted him but the reviled leader escaped toward the Thai border with other top figures in the collapsing Maoist movement. That's according to a Cambodian leader. About 95 percent of the hardline Khmer Rouge from the movement's camp at Anlong Veng and from Pol Pot's own division, including four unnamed top officials, have decided to join the Cambodian government, First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh said. Pol Pot, mastermind of the 1975-79 "killing fields" reign of terror that left at least a million people dead, was reported to have fled his stronghold after the guerrilla movement split over whether to make peace with Phnom Penh.

Kidnapping in Philippines

Authorities in the Philippines say gunmen seized a Japanese businessman on a beach in that country and shot dead the man's Filipino companion in the latest of a wave of abductions. News of the abduction broke as President Fidel Ramos was leaving Manila on a nine-day trip to Britain, Greece and Oman to try to attract foreign investors. Six armed men, after shooting the Filipino woman, took away Senichi Takayama and five other Filipinos yesterday while they were having a beach party in a resort on Sarangani island, 695 miles southeast of Manila. Police say troops killed one of the gunmen in a shootout later but Takayama's fate was not immediately known.

Invitation to Taiwan

Hong Kong has invited Beijing's arch-rival Taiwan to celebrate the British colony's handover in two weeks' time, setting the stage for possible Taiwan-China reunification talks. Diplomats predicted officials from Beijing and Taipei would confer on the sidelines of the gala despite strained ties and military exercises later this month. Stephen Lam, the Hong Kong government's coordinator of the handover ceremonies, said 60 Taiwan officials had been invited. No senior officials of Taiwan's exiled Republic of China are expected to attend.

EU Monetary Dispute Diffused

European Union leaders defused a dispute over the future of the bloc's plans for monetary union, agreeing on a pact to put action for jobs and growth on a par with stringent limits on budget deficits. The deal, hailed as a breakthrough by France, Britain and the Netherlands, lifted the clouds which had surrounded the summit and paved the way for agreement on a treaty designed to prepare Europe to welcome new members from the East.

Cohen Visits Kuwait

Responding to a critical congressional report on Gulf War illnesses, U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen promised to pursue all possible links between biological weapons and complaints by thousands of U.S. veterans. He also assured Kuwait of Washington's commitment to its security and to containing former occupier Iraq and neighboring Iran. Cohen later visited U.S. troops aboard ships in Bahrain and told them they were helping protect half the world's oil supply.

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