1.   Ministers close to Peres said he decided to push the elections forward after concluding the two sides would be unable to reach a peace deal by October.

2.   Nabil Shaath, a Palestinian Authority minister close to Arafat, defended recent Palestinian measures.

3.   In a development thought linked to a power struggle within the authority, a minister close to Arafat was beaten by masked men in Ramallah late Monday.

4.   The popularity of Tapie, a former minister close to socialist President Francois Mitterrand, has not been affected by his other legal problems.

5.   Last month, the government revoked licences from three popular weeklies -- Tempo, Editor and DeTIK -- which had criticised a minister close to President Suharto.

6.   The government less than two weeks ago revoked the licences of popular weeklies Tempo, Editor and DeTik, which had criticised a minister close to the president.

7.   The popularity of Tapie, a former minister close to socialist President Francois Mitterrand, has not been affected by his legal problems.