Rome

Italian prime minister quits under pressure

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, his government reeling from recent electoral setbacks, resigned yesterday, technically ending the life of Italy's longest-lasting post-World War II government.

However, Berlusconi said he would form a new Cabinet as soon as the country's ceremonial president, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, gave him permission. Italian commentators said Ciampi was likely to do so, because Berlusconi is considered the only leader capable of putting together a government without holding new elections.

In early April, Berlusconi's coalition lost 12 of 14 local elections. His popularity has suffered as Italy's economy has stagnated, the rate of inflation has crept up and unemployment has hovered around 10 percent.

His decision to maintain 2,700 troops in Iraq has not been popular with Italian voters. His support for the United States became a political liability after March 4, when U.S. soldiers shot and killed an Italian intelligence agent who was escorting a freed Italian hostage in Iraq.

Gush Katif, Gaza Strip

Israelis begin moving equipment from Gaza

The Israeli army began removing nonessential gear from Gaza yesterday in a first step toward evacuating Jewish settlers from the coastal territory that it has occupied for 38 years.

It was the army's first transfer of large quantities of equipment from the Gaza Strip as part of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to "disengage" from conflict with Palestinians, a step diplomats hope will revive Middle East peace talks.

The evacuation of all 21 settlements in Gaza and four of 120 in the West Bank had been due to begin on July 20. But the government is considering a three-week delay to avoid clashing with a mourning period observed by religious Jews.

North Korea

U.S. group to search for MIA's remains

The Pentagon said yesterday it has sent a 27-man team to North Korea to search for remains of servicemen missing in action — a mission the United States has undertaken every year for a decade.

The civilian and military specialists entered North Korea last Saturday to survey two areas where some 1,300 Americans are believed to be missing from Korean War battles. About 300 U.S. soldiers are believed missing from fighting with Chinese forces in the battles of Unsan and the Chong Chon River at the end of 1950, and more than 1,000 are believed missing from the Chosin campaign fought around the same time, the Pentagon said.

Mexico City

Popular mayor faces criminal trial

Prosecutors charged Mexico City's popular leftist mayor with abuse of authority yesterday, moving closer to a criminal trial that could knock him out of the 2006 presidential race.

Prosecutors asked the court to order Andrés Manuel López Obrador to appear before a judge, who will decide whether to accept or dismiss the charges. On April 7, Congress voted to strip López Obrador of the immunity from prosecution he had as a public servant. Authorities allege the mayor ignored a court order in an obscure land expropriation case. López Obrador claims the charges were fabricated by his political enemies to keep him out of next year's race, which he leads in all public-opinion polls.

Also

India train crash: A passenger train slammed into a parked cargo train outside the city of Baroda in western India today, killing at least 24 people and leaving dozens more injured, news reports said.

Iran plane crash: An Iranian Boeing 707 carrying 157 passengers skidded off a runway at Tehran's airport and caught fire yesterday, killing a child and injuring several other people, state-run television reported.

Elephants escape: Six elephants escaped from a zoo and roamed around Seoul, South Korea, yesterday, briefly crashing their way into a restaurant before being rounded up, police and zoo officials said.