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Yugoslav military bolsters forces

BUJANOVAC, Yugoslavia - Serb police said they would use all available means, including heavy weapons, to regain territory lost to ethnic Albanian militants as a yesterday evening deadline approached for NATO to crack down on the rebels.

The new democratic government of Vojislav Kostunica believes ethnic Albanian extremists operating from Kosovo launched attacks in southern Serbia, capturing four villages in the buffer zone between Kosovo and Serbia.

Belgrade is threatening to launch counterattacks on its side of the border if NATO cannot curb the infiltration by 7 p.m. yesterday. U.S. and other troops patrol the Kosovo side next to the buffer zone.

Serbian police said in a statement that if ethnic Albanian militants don't withdraw by the deadline, security forces will use "all available means" to drive out the insurgents.

"The Serbian government will do everything to resolve the crisis by political and peaceful means," one of Serbia's three co-ministers of the interior, Stevan Nikcevic, told The Associated Press. "At the same time, we have to protect the territorial integrity of the country so the terrorists don't jeopardize any lives of our citizens."

Liberal Party keeps majority in Canada

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Jean Chretien's gamble for a place in Canadian history paid off yesterday as his Liberal Party appeared to have won a third straight majority in nationwide elections, according to Canadian news organizations.

The Liberals won or had solid leads in more than 160 of the races for the 301 seats in the House of Commons, more than enough to guarantee them a majority, according to projections.