SOUTH AMERICA

PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIA QUITS

LA PAZ, Bolivia – President Mesa resigned last night,offering to do so for the second time since March as he sought to quell weeks of anti-government protests that have paralyzed La Paz and shaken his government. The offer followed a day of demonstrations as tens of thousands of Indians, miners, and labor members protested in downtown La Paz in their largest anti-government march in weeks. “This is as far as I can go,” Mr. Mesa said in a nationally televised address. “It is my decision as president to present my resignation.” Protesters had been calling for Mr. Mesa’s resignation as well as demanding early elections.Yesterday’s protest in La Paz was largely peaceful, but riot police fired volleys of tear gas canisters and fought sporadic battles against rock-throwing protesters on the fringes of the demonstration.

– Associated Press

MIDDLE EAST

PALESTINIANS HIRE THOUSANDS TO PREPARE FOR GAZA PULLOUT

JERUSALEM – Palestinian Arabs are recruiting thousands of police in the Gaza Strip to prevent attacks on Jewish settlers and soldiers during Israel’s planned pullout from the area this summer, a security official said yesterday, a significant step toward coordination after months of deadlock and years of bloody conflict. The new signs of cooperation, including a meeting of technical experts late yesterday, came despite a confrontation at a disputed holy site in Jerusalem in which Israeli police hurled stun grenades to disperse Palestinian stone-throwers.

– Associated Press

SOUTHEAST ASIA

LAOS RELEASES THREE OF FOUR AMERICAN ACTIVISTS

BANGKOK, Thailand – The Laotian government released three of four American activists detained after witnessing the surrender of Hmong rebels – Vietnam War-era allies of America – and deported them yesterday to Thailand, one of the freed activists said.

Ed Szendrey of Oroville, Calif., who was released along with his wife, Georgie, and Hmong-American Nhia Yang, told the Associated Press he was elated at being freed but concerned for Hmong-American Sia Cher Vang, the group’s driver, who remained in jail.

– Associated Press

CARIBBEAN

HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS SEARCH FOR MISSING AMERICAN TEENAGER

ORANJESTAD, Aruba – About 700 volunteers joined police, soldiers, and FBI agents yesterday, combing scrubland and beaches on Aruba’s southeastern tip in an unprecedented search for an Alabama teenager who vanished a week ago on a trip to the Dutch Caribbean island. Aruba’s government let 4,000 civil servants off work early at 2 p.m. to hunt for Natalee Holloway, 18, of Mountain Brook, Ala. The expanded search began a day after police charged two men in her disappearance.The honors student vanished May 30 while on a five-day trip with more than 100 classmates celebrating their high school graduation.

– Associated Press

EAST AFRICA

PROTESTS OVER ELECTION LEAVE ONE DEAD, HUNDREDS IN CUSTODY

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Clashes between police and student demonstrators left one girl dead and hundreds arrested in protests yesterday against disputed Ethiopian election results, police said. Students at Addis Ababa University campuses had defied a government ban against demonstrations. Police charged into crowds to grab protesters and beat some with batons during the first public protest against the May 15 legislative elections in which the ruling party retained power. Public protests have been banned since election day. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s party retained control of parliament, according to official election results that have not yet been ratified, but opposition parties alleged there was widespread fraud.

– Associated Press