News Currents

UNITED STATES

The Bush administration promised to go to the Supreme Court if necessary to restore its policy of intercepting Haitian refugees at sea and returning them to their homeland. A federal appeals court Wednesday ruled the policy illegal...

In Chicago, a judge Wednesday indefinitely stalled plans to resume elective abortions at the city's only public hospital. If service were reinstated, it would be the only facility in the area giving abortions regardless of the woman's ability to pay, a spokeswoman said...

Maryland announced Wednesday that public high school students must log 75 hours helping out in nursing homes, soup kitchens, and other settings in order to graduate - the first such statewide requirement in the nation...

In New York, former Defense Secretary Clark Clifford and law partner Robert Altman were named Wednesday in indictments stemming from the BCCI scandal.

ECONOMY

The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits shrank to 400,000 during the week ended July 18, the Labor Department said yesterday. It was the lowest level in 21 months...

Economic growth slowed from an annual rate of 2.9 percent to 1.4 percent during the April-June quarter, the Commerce Department said yesterday. It resulted from decreased consumer spending.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa will set an example for his workaholic countrymen by taking 20 days off this summer, Japan announced yesterday. Labor Ministry figures show the the average worker in 1990 took only 8.2 days of vacation...

The Nikkei, which fell to its lowest point this year on Wednesday, gained 459.65 points yesterday to close at 15,555.60.