Hurricane Otis' outer bands lashed the coast of western Mexico yesterday as the storm crawled toward the Baja California peninsula, forcing hundreds of families to evacuate their homes and flooding roads in this resort city.

The Category 1 hurricane weakened but still had winds up to 85 mph as it headed northward off the coast of Baja. Forecasters expected Otis to skirt past Cabo San Lucas and move ashore along a sparsely populated stretch of desert far north of here as early as this evening, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

Illegal liquor sold;

at least 14 die

At least 14 people died after drinking illegal home-brewed liquor sold at unauthorized shops in India's remote northeast, police said yesterday.

The death toll will probably rise because 61 others were hospitalized after drinking the noxious brew Friday night in Tezpur, a town 110 miles north of Gauhati, the capital of Assam state, police said.

Many of those hospitalized were in critical condition, a doctor said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

The liquor deaths triggered violence, with angry residents attacking government offices and torching half a dozen motorbikes and some shops.

Government

accused in attacks

The African Union accused the Sudanese government yesterday of coordinating with Arab militias in attacks on civilians in Darfur, and said all parties to the conflict were violating cease-fire agreements.

Despite peace talks and a cease-fire, violence has spiraled over the past two weeks as rebel forces attacked a government garrison and Arab militias, known as Janjaweed, rampaged through a refugee camp, killing at least 32, the A.U. said.

An A.U. official said government helicopters had been seen flying in the area at the time of at least one of the attacks.

"This apparent land and air assault gives credence to the repeated claim by the rebel movements of collusion between the government of Sudan (GOS) forces and the Janjaweed," said Baba Gana Kingibe, head of the A.U. mission in Sudan.

Volcano erupts,

killing 2 farmers

A volcano in western El Salvador erupted yesterday, sending a column of ash 50,000 feet into the air and killing two farmers buried by chunks of earth and boiling water that tumbled down the slopes.

Authorities ordered the evacuation of three communities in the shadow of the Ilamatepec volcano. It towers near Santa Ana, the country's second largest city, 40 miles from San Salvador, the capital.

Austria warned

on E.U. proposal

Turkey's prime minister said yesterday his nation will only accept full membership in the European Union, warning Austria's ambassador to drop talk about an associate partnership in the group.

The E.U. foreign ministers meet today in Luxembourg to discuss Austria's insistence that Turkey be offered something less than full membership in the 25-nation E.U., calling into question whether the bloc will open accession talks with the mostly Muslim nation tomorrow.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Austria its proposal was not an option, Turkish media said. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul also urged European leaders to keep their promises and open talks next week on Turkey joining the union, warning that the country will accept no new conditions.

Compiled from The Associated Press and Reuters