News Currents

UNITED STATES

Hurricane Andrew became faster and more powerful yesterday as it swirled over Caribbean waters and headed toward Miami. Emergency officials planned for the evacuation of coastal residents.... The Federal Communications Commission ruled Friday that television stations cannot ban political campaign advertisements showing aborted fetuses, but they can run warnings before the commercials. The controversy began earlier this month when Senate candidate Matt Noah, a member of the Christian Pro-Life Party, ran s uch an ad on two Colorado stations. Broadcasters plan to appeal....In New York, a federal judge ruled that the Resolution Trust Corporation does not have the power to evict tenants from rent-regulated apartments it acquires from failed thrifts. It had attempted to evict tenants of such apartments in New York in order to increase their market value....An unmanned Atlas rocket carrying a cable-television satellite on a $150 million mission was destroyed Saturday after its booster failed and it tumbled out of control over the Atlantic. It was the second such failure for rocketmaker General Dynamics Corporation in less than two years. EUROPE

Thousands of Greek workers begin strikes this week, but the government vowed there will be no retreat from a tough austerity program. The workers are protesting recent tax hikes, layoffs in the public sector, and a bill increasing contributions for health care and pensions. AFRICA

South Africa's white liberal Democratic Party launched its drive to recruit black members by opening a branch office in Soweto on Saturday.