Croatia

He might not bow and kiss the ground upon arrival anymore, but history's most traveled pope marked one more milestone Thursday as he launched his 100th foreign trip. John Paul II sailed the Adriatic from the isle of Krk to reach this Croatian port, telling a predominantly Roman Catholic nation that it must adhere to a Christianity that is both tolerant and traditional if it is to secure its place in the West.

The cease-fire declared two weeks ago in an attempt to halt ethnic violence between Serbians and Croatians in Yugoslavia has been violated more than 200 times, the national commission monitoring the truce said Friday. The commission, which was appointed by the collective presidency of the divided nation, said 70 people had died in fighting since the cease-fire was declared on Aug. 7.

A truce declared in battle-scarred Croatia five days ago appeared to be falling apart Sunday after renewed fighting claimed six lives over the weekend. Mistrust between Serbs and Croats also thwarted a full exchange of prisoners and the deployment of cease-fire monitors to prevent further violence in the republic where more than 200 have been killed in ethnic clashes in recent weeks. Five prisoners were exchanged between Croatian police and Serbian rebels on Saturday.

Ethnic violence flared in Croatia on Wednesday after the republic's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia, killing at least four people and pitting Serbs against Croats in a conflict that many fear could escalate into civil war. In neighboring Slovenia, tensions were high a day after the republic also announced its secession, but no violent confrontations were reported.

As the pubs and sports bars of central London heaved with patrons Wednesday night, the England-raised lads on the national soccer team heaved with a soaring excellence up north at Wembley Stadium. England's players made yard mulch of Croatia, 5-1, with two goals each from Frank Lampard and Steve Gerrard, to qualify for South Africa's World Cup finals next year, and what also promises to be one of the rowdier English summers come 2010. On Wednesday, England's team resembled some frightful, beautiful storm as it finished stamping out the residue of some bad vibes from 22 months ago. On that November night in 2007, Croatia beat England, 3-2, to ensure that the European championship of 2008 would proceed without the nation of the game's birthplace.

Like the fictional Dr. Frankenstein, done in by a monster of his own creation, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic is now endangered by the nationalist rebels he brought to political life. His surrogates, such as Milan Babic in Croatia's Krajina region and Goran Hadjic from the Serbian occupational government in eastern Croatia, have defied their master's orders and taken on lives of their own.

Bosiljka Juzbasic's voice quivers as she recalls when the trouble began, when she and other Serbs scratching an existence from this ragged edge of Croatia began to fear the republic's new government was plotting to kill them. "It was when they put up those flags and shields at the police station," says the bent-backed peasant, who looks 70 but is only 52. "I don't remember much of the war. I was too young. But I remember my mother carrying me, running with me away from that same shield."

A funny thing happened to France, Portugal, Argentina and Italy on the way to the World Cup semifinals. All of them, consensus favorites to contend for the title, have already been defeated--and the first round has six days to go. A day after Argentina lost to England, Italy fell victim to the upset wave sweeping across Japan and South Korea, losing to Croatia in controversial fashion, 2-1, Saturday at Ibaraki.

Serbia's prime minister reportedly resigned Wednesday amid an escalating economic crisis in the republic and growing conflicts with Germany and other members of the European Community. Studio B TV said Dragutin Zelenovic, a moderate, described himself as a "peacetime premier" in the resignation letter he read during a private session of Parliament.

An ethnic Serb seen killing Muslims in a video that was nationally televised was convicted of war crimes Thursday and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Serbian paramilitary member Slobodan Davidovic "actively participated in inhuman treatment, humiliation and liquidation" of six young Muslim men from Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, in 1995, Zagreb district Judge Miroslav Sovanj said in his ruling.