World

The US and Israel dangled new incentives to the Palestinians in a bid to bring violence to a halt. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he'd allow Yasser Arafat to travel outside Palestinian-controlled areas once a truce is in place. Arafat (above, leaving a meeting with special US envoy Anthony Zinni, r.) wants to go to Lebanon next week for an Arab summit. Meanwhile, Vice President Cheney, rejecting Palestinian complaints about not meeting with Arafat during his brief stop in Israel, said such a get-together was possible after a cease-fire takes hold. But Cheney added: "I would expect a 100 percent effort to begin immediately." (Stories, page 1.)

Saying President Robert Mugabe has "embarked on a massive retribution," the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change refused to discuss a role in helping to address Zimbabwe's economic and social challenges. Morgan Tsvangirai, whom Mugabe defeated in last week's disputed election, said "no" to talks until the government cracks down on political violence. He also demanded a new vote under conditions that would be widely accepted as legitimate. Meanwhile, however, police warned the nation's main labor federation not to stage a planned three-day strike in protest against the breakdown in law and order. (Stories, pages 8, 9.)

Police appeared content to let thousands of angry and unemployed people in northeastern China let off steam in Day 2 of a noisy protest over unpaid wages. The demonstration in the "rust belt" city of Liaoyang attracted as many as 30,000 Monday; Tuesday's turnout was estimated at perhaps 10,000. The protesters also demanded the release of a laid-off worker who'd been appointed to speak for them but apparently was arrested. The city has been especially hard-hit by the closure of bankrupt state-owned factories.

A shelf almost the size of Rhode Island collapsed off eastern Antarctica and broke into thousands of icebergs. It was estimated to be 733 feet thick and to weigh 720 billion tons. The area, south of Cape Horn, had been monitored closely by scientists concerned about global warming. But the breakup was believed likely to have little, if any, effect on global sea levels.

Van Tien Dung, who died late Sunday, commanded the North's capture of Saigon in April 1975 – the final campaign of the Vietnam war. He was promoted to defense minister of the unified nation in 1980. But he also was rumored to have been reprimanded for taking too much credit for the North's victory and was dropped from the Communist Party Politburo in 1986.