EASTERN EUROPE

CROATIAN PRESIDENT FORCED INTO RUNOFF

ZAGREB, Croatia – Croatia’s pro-Western president failed to win an outright majority for re-election yesterday, forcing him to face a runoff vote against the conservative government’s candidate in two weeks. President Mesic had 49.03% of the votes – just short of the majority needed to give him a second term, the state-run Electoral Commission said after more than 99% of the votes were counted.

The 70-year-old incumbent, who was backed by most opposition parties, declared the results a “brilliant victory” and voiced confidence that he would win the runoff on January 16. “I led Croatia to the doors of the Europe, and I will lead it to it,” Mr. Mesic said, to the euphoric cheers from his supporters.

His opponent, Jadranka Kosor, a minister of families and war veterans in the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union-led Cabinet, was trailing far behind with 20.18%.

– Associated Press

NORTH AMERICA

CANADA CONFIRMS SECOND MAD COW CASE

TORONTO – Canada yesterday confirmed its second case of mad cow disease, just days after America said it planned to reopen its border to Canadian beef.

A 10-year-old dairy cow from Alberta has tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, as mad cow disease is formally known, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The results confirmed preliminary tests released earlier this week. The border was closed 19 months ago when a cow in northern Alberta was discovered with mad cow disease, which attacks the animals’ nervous system. Concerns persisted after a Canadian-born cow in Washington state was found in December 2003 to have the disease.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday that the border could be opened in March. Despite learning of the new suspected case, the Bush administration said the next day that it would stand by its decision to renew Canadian cattle imports, expressing confidence that public health measures in both countries will protect American livestock and consumers.

– Associated Press

EAST AFRICA

DETAILS OF CEASE-FIRE IN SUDAN EMERGE

NAIROBI, Kenya – A peace accord ending Africa’s longest-running civil war requires Sudan’s government to withdraw at least 91,000 troops from the rebel-controlled south, a rebel official said yesterday, revealing new details of the deal signed last week.

The forces must pull out within 2 1 /2 years, while a proposed government for the autonomous southern Sudan will field a separate army using its share of oil and tax revenues as well as international aid, rebel spokesman Samson Kwaje said.

“It will be a legitimate department of the government of southern Sudan,” Mr. Kwaje told the Associated Press, detailing the peace accord signed Friday to resolve a conflict that has contributed to the deaths of 2 million people in the past two decades. The rebels, meanwhile, have eight months to withdraw their forces from northern Sudan. They must pull out 30% of their fighters within four months of a signing ceremony scheduled for January 9 in Kenya, said Ad’Dirdeiry Hamed, deputy Sudanese ambassador to Kenya.

– Associated Press

CENTRAL ASIA

U.S. SOLDIER, AFGHAN KILLED IN GUNFIGHT

KABUL, Afghanistan – An American soldier and a former Afghan militia leader were killed yesterday when American troops clashed with gunmen during a search operation in western Afghanistan, American and Afghan officials said.

The troops came under attack from “an unknown number of enemy forces” while searching a compound near Shindand Airfield in Herat province and returned fire, an American military statement said.

“The Afghan citizen died at the scene,” the statement said. “The U.S. soldier was wounded in the attack and…died a short time later at the airfield.”

The soldier’s name was being withheld until his next of kin could be notified.

The military also didn’t identify the dead Afghan, or say if he was a suspected insurgent or a bystander. But a local militia commander, Akhtar Mohammed Husseini, said the compound belonged to a former militia leader called Mullah Dost.

“There was fire from both sides. Mullah Dost was killed along with his wife, and two of their children were injured,” Mr. Husseini told the Associated Press by telephone. “The Americans wanted to search his house, but we don’t know who fired first.”

– Associated Press