NATO airstrikes continue over Bosnian positions

The Associated Press

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina Ÿ Sarajevo reverberated with heavy explosions today as NATO warplanes roared over the Bosnian capital.

The United Nations and NATO have warned that airstrikes would continue until the Bosnian Serbs removed heavy weapons from within 12 miles of Sarajevo.

''Airstrikes are continuing. There's been no pause,'' said NATO spokesman Capt. Jim Mitchell in Naples, Italy. He would not elaborate.

U.N. spokesman Jim Landale said about 10 explosions were recorded in the Sarajevo area early today, mainly around Vogosca on the city's northern edge, and Lukavica, a Serb-held suburb south of the city.

On Monday the Serbs, smarting from NATO airstrikes and cruise missile attacks, accused the alliance of aiding their enemies.

Bosnian Serbs reported heavy damage from an attack Sunday by 13 cruise missiles from the USS Normandy off the Adriatic coast. Television in the northern town of Banja Luka said five missiles hit communications relays on Kozara, a range of hills 30 miles north and northwest.

Rebel leaders warned that the attacks could damage prospects for peace. Just four days ago, foreign ministers from Serb-led Yugoslavia, representing the Bosnian Serbs, the Bosnian government and Croatia announced agreement in principle on how to end the 40-month-old war.

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WASHINGTON Ÿ U.S. negotiator Richard Holbrooke is returning to the Balkans as the Clinton administration accelerates its drive for a peace conference to end the war in Bosnia.

Holbrooke's schedule was scrambled Monday following a White House meeting with President Clinton in order to get him back to Europe faster, and to start his new round of shuttle diplomacy in Belgrade with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic.

By the weekend, Holbrooke intends to have met twice with Milosevic, once with Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and with Russian, French, German and British officials in Geneva, where a proposal was approved last Friday to partition Bosnia into two ethnic republics Ÿ one Serbian and the other jointly run by Muslims and Croatians.

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LOS ANGELES Ÿ It was the O.J. Simpson of old, smiling, laughing and doing sideline interviews with mike in hand Ÿ wearing snug leather gloves prosecutors claim were the same type he wore the night he killed.

Jurors, hearing the prosecution rebuttal case before the defense had even rested, stared Monday at Simpson's brown leather glove as soundless videotapes provided a retrospective of his TV career in the early 1990s. The tapes showed him joking with quarterback Boomer Esiason, bobbing his head during color commentary and chatting with his former NBC colleagues.

The prosecution said it would bring glove expert Richard Rubin back to court today to make the link between the gloves Simpson wore on the sidelines and the gloves a killer wore late the night of June 12, 1994. Earlier in the trial, Rubin said the evidence gloves were Aris Lights, extra large.

Judge Lance Ito ordered the start of the rebuttal case before the end of the defense case because he promised the restless jury Ÿ which has been sequestered eight months Ÿ that he would begin the rebuttal Monday.

The unusual juggling of the trial schedule came in spite of defense plans to present ''startling'' evidence involving a mystery witness and a vow to appeal rulings involving Detective Mark Fuhrman.

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WASHINGTON Ÿ As he considers entering the 1996 presidential race, retired Gen. Colin Powell is disclosing views that are bound to cost him some conservative support: He backs abortion rights and he sees a benefit in affirmative action programs, but rules out quotas.

Powell, in an ABC interview with Barbara Walters, also said he favors the death penalty and does not object to some gun controls or to a moment of silent prayer in schools Ÿ as long as it is not mandatory.

Because there is so much voter interest in him and his presidential prospects, Powell said, ''the country may well be ready for a black man ï or a black person.''

The former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman presented his views as part of his stated effort to reveal more of himself during his upcoming book tour, to get reaction and help judge whether he should try for the White House.

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