beijing sars death is confirmed

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BEIJING
SARS death is confirmed
On Friday, China confirmed the world's first death from SARS this year as millions of people were screened for symptoms of the contagious disease before boarding trains and planes for the May Day holiday.

The victim, a 53-year-old woman from the eastern province of Anhui, died last week. She was the mother of a Beijing laboratory employee who contracted the virus on the job. China has confirmed five cases of SARS.

World Health Organization experts said the cases didn't pose a public health threat, stressing that they were all linked to employees of Beijing's Institute of Virology, which had SARS samples.

SEOUL, South Korea
North apparently OKs aid
North Korea reportedly agreed Friday to open its heavily armed border for relief goods from the South, countering criticism it would rather remain isolated than accept aid for victims of a recent deadly train explosion.

North Korea's Red Cross sent a telephone message to its South Korean counterpart Friday, saying it would allow relief trucks to travel to the town of Kaesong just across the countries' border, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

In its message, North Korea said it would take over the South Korean trucks loaded with school supplies -- including blackboards, desks and chairs -- at Kaesong, the reports said.

The school supplies are part of $25 million in aid South Korea is donating. Most of the goods will be delivered by ship.

JERUSALEM
Sharon sticks with plan
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon warned Friday that rejection of his Gaza Strip withdrawal plan could force early elections, and said he would push ahead with the proposal regardless of the outcome of a vote in his Likud Party.

Polls forecast rejection of the plan in Sunday's referendum among 193,000 party members.

Sharon said it would be difficult for Likud to remain the ruling party if party members reject his plan to withdraw from Gaza Strip settlements and four West Bank enclaves.

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