The US seems to be ahead in the bidding to provide Turkey with 1,000 new main battle tanks. Italy has pulled out of the contest, German manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann cannot get an export permit from the German government, the Ukrainian T-84 was not considered mechanically reliable, and the French Leclerc was thought to be too expensive and complex. Turkey is expected to make a decision in July 2000. The US has offered to lease the Turks 250 existing M1A1s so they can begin training.--Stephen V Cole

In Croatia's Budim mountain region, an anti-tank land mine exploded beneath a tractor-pulled trailer and killed six hunters. Four of the hunters killed were Austrian. The hunters were after wild boar. Croatian government spokesman estimate that 860 people have been killed by land mines since the fighting ended in 1995.