London/Vienna (Agencies): British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Sunday that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein faced a clear choice — either to disarm or face further action against him.

Belgrade (Reuters): Serbs voted for a new head of state on Sunday in the tirst nationwide election since they dismantled Slobodan Milosevic's administration at the polls nearly two years ago.

Dhaka (Agence France-Presse): Police said on Sunday they had detained six people for questioning in connection with blasts at a crowded cinema and circus in southwestern Bangladesh that injured around 100 people.

Ramallah, West Bank (Reuters): Israel moved tanks and troops out of Yasser Arafat's compound on Sunday after saying it would lift its 10-day-old siege of the Palestinian leader's headquarters under pressure from Washington.

Manila (Agencies): Chinese Defense Minister Chi Haotian and his Philippine counterpart Angelo Reyes vowed on Sunday to use "peaceful consultations and negotiations" in dealing with territorial conflicts in the South China Sea.

Dakar (Agence France-Presse): More than 700 people were feared dead Sunday following the sinking of a ferry off West Africa, including nationals from at least 10 countries.

London (Agence France-Presse): Protesters from London to Rome took to the streets on the weekend to voice opposition to a war with Iraq, while Russia held firm in its support for "the quickest possible return" of United nations arms inspectors despite increasing belligerence from the U.S.

Washington (Dow Jones): The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the private sector have moved no closer to narrowing the. wide gulf between them on the Fund's controversial Chapter 11-style restructuring plan for indebted nations.

Beijing (Agence France-Presse): The Chinese government will from Oct. 15 allow firms to open foreign exchange' (forex) accounts to a limit not exceeding 20 percent of their forex revenue from the previous year, a report said Saturday.