Israel
JERUSALEM -- An Israeli-Palestinian summit failed to clear the way for a handover of more West Bank land on Monday, confronting U.S. troubleshooter Dennis Ross with an immediate challenge as he flew to the Middle East.Ukraine
KIEV -- Ukrainians overwhelmingly rejected a return to the communist past and re-elected President Leonid Kuchma at the weekend, despite his unpopularity after years of economic decline, preliminary results showed.
Netherlands
AMSTERDAM -- Europe must bolster defense capabilities and rebalance its security relationship with the United States, officials attending a gathering of legislators from NATO member states said.
Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR -- The sodomy trial of Malaysia's jailed former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim has been postponed indefinitely, possibly removing a political headache for Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad during an election campaign.
Pakistan
ISLAMABAD -- A parliamentary ally of ousted Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif contested last month's coup before the Supreme Court.
Bahrain
MANAMA -- Two U.S. Navy airmen were killed on Sunday when their S-3B Viking aircraft crashed into the Gulf immediately after takeoff, the U.S. naval forces based in Bahrain reported.
Algeria
ALGIERS -- Hardline Moslem rebels slashed the throats of six Algerian peasants and killed an army officer and a policeman in three separate attacks, local newspapers reported.
South Africa
DURBAN -- Commonwealth leaders, expressing determination to make the group relevant for the 21st century, closed their summit with decisions to suspend Pakistan and to lobby for a fairer trade regime.
Russia
MOSCOW -- Fifteen people froze to death on the streets of Moscow last week when the temperature dipped below freezing, officials said.
MOSCOW -- Russian police seized $1 million in stolen diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and other gems and several weapons from a criminal group, a news report said Sunday.
Japan
TOKYO -- A fairly strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 jolted northern Japan Monday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
England
LONDON -- A northern English town is sending a message to Mars -- thanks to NASA. When a rocket blasts off for the red planet on the Mars 2001 Lander Mission, a CD-ROM guide to Bedlington in the county of Northumberland will be packed on board. The town hopes it will become be the prime destination for any Martians tempted to land on Earth.
India
HYDERABAD -- An outbreak of Japanese encephalitis has killed 99 people, all of them children, in the past two months in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh, health officials said.
France
MARSEILLE -- A French court passed a jail sentence on a former regional leader of the Church of Scientology for fraud in connection with courses offered by the organization.
PARIS -- Workers attempted to clear roads and repair railway tracks following fierce rainstorms in southern France that killed at least 27 people. Lawmakers in the French parliament stood for a minute of silence in honor of the victims of the torrential rains this weekend in three French regions. Several people were still believed missing.
China
HONG KONG -- An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7 struck the seabed of the Indian Ocean, the Hong Kong Observatory reported.