News Currents

MIDDLE EAST

Danielle Mitterrand, wife of French President Francois Mitterrand, narrowly escaped a car bomb attack yesterday that killed four other people in northern Iraq, officials said. AFRICA

New fighting has broken out in western Liberia between guerrillas loyal to rebel chief Charles Taylor and rival militia ULIMO, refugees said yesterday. It is a setback for the West African peacekeeping force ECOMOG. ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Faced with a protracted stock market slump and sweeping financial reforms, Japan's largest securities house, Nomura, has decided to cut its work force by almost 20 percent over the next five years, a spokeswoman said. The cutback in staff will target back-office female staff and be accomplished through attrition and a reduction in new recruitment.... Two of the three funds investing in Vietnam that were launched by Western financial institutions last year have folded. LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Sixto Duran, a Boston-born former mayor of Quito, defeated Jaime Nebot in Sunday's election runoff for the presidency of Ecuador. SPORTS

American Andre Agassi defeated Croatian Goran Ivanisevic Sunday to win the Wimbledon men's singles title. On Saturday, German Steffi Graf defeated Yugoslavian Monica Seles to win the women's singles title.... Americans John McEnroe and Michael Stich won the men's double title in the longest doubles match in Wimbledon history.