BELFAST - Authorities in Northern Ireland delayed a crucial decision on a controversial parade on Monday as British and Irish leaders prepared for a last-gasp attempt to kickstart the province‘s stalled peace accord.

LUSAKA - Crucial ministerial talks aimed at ending the 11-month-long war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo looked set to start in the Zambian capital on Monday, raising hopes for peace in Africa‘s third largest country.

AUCKLAND - U.S. trade officials held informal talks with Chinese officials on Monday but later stressed that restarting talks on China‘s WTO membership application was Beijing‘s responsibility.

MOSCOW - President Boris Yeltsin discussed the situation in Yugoslavia with his defence minister on Monday and Russia sent mores planeloads of equipment and supplies for its peacekeepers in Kosovo.

BONN - Germany said on Monday it was confident its candidate for a key European Union job in the Balkans would win broad support from EU leaders despite foreign ministers‘ reservations.

LONDON - British Prime Minister Tony Blair has agreed to head a cross-party „Britain in Europe“ campaign after organisers brought their position on the euro into line with the government‘s.

CANBERRA - Australian Prime Minister John Howard won a long personal battle for tax reform on Monday when the Senate approved his legislation for a 10-percent goods and services tax or GST.

RIO DE JANEIRO - European and Latin American leaders meeting in Brazil are due to reiterate a commitment to regional integration Monday but stop short of the widely expected launch of free trade talks.

BEIJING - Chinese and Taiwan negotiators agreed on Monday that a top China envoy would make a landmark visit to the island this year as part of rapprochement between the rivals.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Monday voiced „the utmost concern“ that one of its embassy staff in New Delhi had been missing since Sunday night and urged the Indian government to help trace him.

JERUSALEM - Leaders of Israel‘s right-wing Likud urged its acting chief Ariel Sharon on Monday to keep the party out of a coalition Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak must form in the next 10 days.

ANKARA - Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan will have one final chance to address a Turkish court when it reconvenes on Tuesday to decide whether to order his hanging on treason charges.

JERUSALEM - Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon snubbed a French Middle East envoy on Monday to protest at France‘s „one-sided“ reaction to Israel‘s recent air attacks in Lebanon.