The Week May 15-21

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On the 40th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark school- desegregation decision, the Justice Department went to court to oust Hulond Humphries, the Alabama high school principal who made headlines earlier this year by reportedly trying to stop interracial dating at his school's prom. Justice accused the school district of engaging in discriminatory practices.

Head Starting Head Start

Surrounded by dozens of children at a buoyant White House ceremony, President Clinton signed into law an expansion of Head Start that would permit the popular preschool program to reach out to children under three and provide full-day, year-round classes. Where the President's proposed $700 million increase to fund the more ambitious Head Start will come from is unclear.

Amtrak Crash

A packed New York-to-Florida Amtrak passenger train derailed in North Carolina, apparently after crashing into a cargo container jutting out from a passing northbound freight train. The engineer was killed and hundreds were injured, most slightly.

WORLD

Rwandan War Rages On

Heavy fighting rocked Rwanda's capital, Kigali, as shells hit a hospital, killing 30 people, and artillery blasted the airport. Diplomatic efforts to establish a cease-fire in the civil war have amounted to nothing more than "handwringing," an American official said. Meanwhile, the U.S. recommended that the deployment of 5,500 African peacekeeping troops as authorized by the U.N. Security Council be delayed until the U.N. provides more detail on the extent, purpose and cost of the mission.

No Breakthrough on Golan

Talks inched forward between Israel and Syria. Secretary of State Warren Christopher shuttled between the two states, trying to advance a deal whereby Israel would trade the occupied Golan Heights for full peace with Syria. Progress looked possible when Tishrin, the mouthpiece of the Syrian ruling party, wrote that Damascus would consider accepting a withdrawal from the Golan in phases. Until now, Syria has rejected a staged pullout, which Israel prefers in order to build trust gradually. Christopher left the Mideast without any tangible achievement to boast of. Late last week, in a move which may further imperil Mideast negotiations, Israeli commandos abducted the leader of a militant Shi'ite faction in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, in Gaza ...

Ending 27 years of occupation, Israel completed its withdrawal from a self- rule enclave in the Gaza Strip. The pullout "corrects a tremendous mistake," said Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres. A rump force of Israeli soldiers will remain to protect the 19 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip. At week's end, Islamic militants killed two Israeli soldiers at a border checkpoint.

France Raises Bosnia Ante

Reflecting its increasing frustration with the continuing war in Bosnia, France said it would withdraw 2,500 of its soldiers from the U.N. peacekeeping force in the former Yugoslavia within months if there is no progress toward peace. France's 6,800-member contingent -- largest in the 28,000-strong U.N. force -- is costing the country billions, a commitment French Defense Minister Francois Leotard said he is unwilling to keep up without seeing results: "No one is obliged to do the absurd."

Malawi Elects New Prez