21.   AIDS specialists and lobby groups are angry that Prime Minister Jean Chretien declined an invitation to open the conference.

22.   As she officially opened the conference, Irish President Mary McAleese issued a broad appeal for compromise.

23.   British Prime Minister John Major opened the conference with a public appeal for immediate decisions, and early action, to revive the U.N. mission in Bosnia.

24.   Clinton joined the leaders of Japan and South Korea for additional talks on North Korea after the dinner that opened the conference.

25.   Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Datuk Sabbaruddin Chik opened the conference.

26.   Dominican Vice President Jacinto Peynado opened the conference with a plea for more regional cooperation in the fight against the illegal drug trade.

27.   Developing nations on Friday opened a conference on economic cooperation with a call to combat global trade barriers that keep their exports out of Western markets.

28.   Democracy leader defies government to open conference.

29.   Earlier, Chancellor Helmut Kohl in a speech opening the conference, also touched on the subject of NATO and other international forces now in former Yugoslavia.

30.   Economists and World Bank officials opened a conference on fighting global poverty amid tight security as demonstrators gathered in the Norwegian capital Monday to protest the financial institution.