Chirac response to Mahathir comments 'a shame', Israel says:

Chirac response to Mahathir comments 'a shame', Israel says: Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom criticized on Sunday French President Jacques Chirac's reaction to controversial comments about Jews made by Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as "a shame". Shalom "expressed his disappointment regarding President Chirac's refusal to condemn the Malaysian prime minister's anti-Semitic remarks" at a cabinet meeting, a foreign ministry spokesman said. "It's a shame that France, a leading country, has even the slightest understanding or acceptance of such anti-Semitic remarks," the spokesman quoted Shalom as saying. "We cannot accept from any country less than a full dismissal and condemnation of remarks of this kind." -- AFP

Palestinians head to U.S. to press truce demands: Three senior members of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement left for Washington on Sunday for talks with officials and Congress members on arranging a truce with Israel. Israel has repeatedly ruled out a cease-fire until the Palestinians rein in militants spearheading attacks on Israelis during the three-month uprising against Israeli occupation. -- Reuters

Romania scrambles to woo votes for constitution: Romania's ruling ex-communists launched a last-ditch campaign on Sunday to lure more voters to a referendum on bringing the constitution in line with EU law, after many abstained to protest against poverty and corruption. Out of more than 16 million voters, 45.5 percent had cast ballots two hours before polls closed on Sunday, the second day of the weekend referendum touted by the government as a vote for the European Union, which Romania hopes to join in 2007. -- Reuters