11.   In closed-door talks late Thursday, the United States and Japan seemed close to a compromise after the initial rejection of the proposal.

12.   Some sites also allowed children to change their year of birth after an initial rejection.

13.   The initial rejection marks a setback for Kuchma and the government of Prime Minister Valery Pustovoitenko, who are under pressure to push the budget through parliament.

14.   The initial rejection marks a setback for Kuchma and the government of Pustovoitenko, who are under pressure to push the budget through parliament.

15.   U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry has reassured the Baltic nations that their prospects for joining NATO remain bright despite their initial rejection, an official said Wednesday.

16.   This referred to a decision by the contact group that sponsored the plan to seek tougher sanctions against Serbia following the Bosnian Serbs initial rejection of the blueprint.