Polish parliament OKs farm group as a union

Poland's parliament passed a law authorizing Rural Solidarity to register as an independent farmers' union, and delegates expressed hope it would lead to increased agricultural production. The voting was televised live. The nearly unanimous support for the bill contrasted sharply with the bitter party opposition to the farmers' union last month, when the independent labor movement staged nationwide strikes to support the farmers.

In other developments, the army newspaper Zolnierz Wolnosci said "routine" training exercises by Soviet communications troops were under way in southeastern Pol and, but criticized Solidarity for reporting that Soviet airborne troops had landed there.