News Currents
MIDDLE EAST
Algeria's presidency appointed Belaid Abdesselam as prime minister yesterday, following the resignation of Sid Ahmed Ghozali. Official news agency APS said the presidency, headed by Ali Kafi since former leader Mohamed Boudiaf was assassinated last week, asked Abdesselam to form a new government. UNITED STATES
Laurance Rockefeller, environmental lawyer and nephew of former New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, announced yesterday that he will challenge formerly unopposed Sen. Alfonse D'Amato in a Republican congressional primary.... Defense Department Comptroller Sean O'Keefe was named to a 120-day term as acting Navy secretary Tuesday.... In New York, the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy Tuesday sued to overturn the government ban on the French abortion pill RU-486. It argues that the government violated it s own policy by not asking for public comment before prohibiting import of the pill. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
A $30 million reward was announced Tuesday for the US manufacturer who designs a refrigerator that eliminates ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons and cuts energy use in half. It is sponsored by a consortium of 23 utilities.... South Korea has pledged to invest $4.68 billion by the year 2000 to bring its high-tech industries on a par with those of Japan and the United States. EUROPE
French truckers ended a week-old strike against tougher driving regulations yesterday. The strike involved barricading roads, which threw European travel into chaos.
