News In Brief
The US
Two polls conducted in South Carolina showed Senator Dole with 11 and 16 point leads over Pat Buchanan in tomorrow's 37-delegate Republican presidential primary. Surveys also found Lamar Alexander and Steve Forbes trailing behind with about 10 percent each. Alexander resisted calls from Republicans to drop out of the race. Forbes campaigned in Pennsylvania and won a federal appeals court ruling that kept him on the primary ballot in all of New York's 31 congressional districts. Next in line: Puerto Rico, which holds its primary Sunday. (Editorial, Page 20.)
About 30 TV executives were scheduled to meet with President Clinton to pledge support for a system to rate programs on violent and, possibly, sexual content. Clinton was also expected to discuss requiring TV stations to air educational programming for children at least three hours a week. The broadcast industry opposes the idea. (Story, Page 3.)
The House and Senate agreed on a tough Cuban sanctions bill, and Clinton signed off on compromise language. The bill allows Cuban-Americans and others to sue foreign companies that make use of commercial property confiscated during Fidel Castro's rule. The bill faces certain House and Senate approval. Also, the FBI denied a Cuban double agent's claims that it knew two planes flown by exiles would be shot down by Cuban fighter jets.
Federal prosecutors fined Japan's Daiwa Bank Ltd. a record $340 million for hiding $1.1 billion in trading losses from banking regulators. The largest fine ever for a US criminal case was levied after the bank pleaded guilty. (Related Story, Page 8.) Also, antitrust regulators approved Wells Fargo & Co.'s acquisition of First Interstate Bancorp after the banks agreed to sell 61 California branches. The agreement involves an exchange of stock valued at $13.5 billion - the biggest in banking history.
The Housing Department spent $300,000 to send its officials and low-income tenants of federal housing developments to a costly conference last year in Puerto Rico. A HUD audit found the final tab was more than double original estimates. Most events dealt less with training and more with ''social activity'' or ''political rallying against GOP housing proposals.''
The Whitewater investigation is temporarily stalled after Democrats boycotted a Rules Committee meeting. Because Senator Dole was campaigning in South Carolina, the panel lacked a quorum to act on an additional $600,000 appropriation for more Whitewater hearings.
Israeli-Syrian peace talks in Maryland are focusing on security and anxiety in Israel after deadly bombings last weekend. Participants are discussing protection against surprise attacks across the border if Israel withdraws from the Golan Heights.
NASA dismissed the idea of trying to recover its electricity-generating satellite. The shuttle Columbia doesn't have enough fuel to chase down the half-ton satellite, which broke loose when deployed. (See list at right.)
President Clinton asked Congress to amend a bill outlawing a type of late-term abortion. He wants the bill to permit the procedure when a woman's life or health is at risk. He said he had ''studied and prayed'' about it for months. Antiabortion groups said Clinton's proposal would render the bill meaningless.
In a San Diego, Calif., Navy harassment case, Chief Petty Officer George Powell was sentenced to three months in jail and demoted for assaulting 3rd-Class Petty Officer Michelle Hawkins on a commercial airline flight.
CBS News doesn't have to give Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. material from ''60 Minutes'' interviews with a former executive, a judge ruled. The judge also refused to compel ''60 Minutes'' employees to give pretrial depositions.
A loophole in US telephone accounting rules will force the seven regional Bell companies to provide AT&T's Internet customers with free local connections for its coming Internet network, The New York Times reported. Bell companies contend the exemption for data communications subsidizes their competitor in a business they plan to enter.
The World
Bosnia's Muslim-Croat Federation police moved into Ilijas, the second of five Sarajevo suburbs to be transferred from Bosnian Serb control to the federation under the Dayton accord. The transfer of power in Ilijas also gave the Bosnian government control of a vital stretch of road connecting Sarajevo and the suburbs. Above, Britain's Royal Artillery tanks participate in field exercises near Split, Croatia.
Palestinian police searched for unlicensed weapons in the West Bank and Gaza. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Peres told Palestinian President Arafat that the area must be purged by disarming militant Islamic groups. Also, polls indicate Peres is running even with hard-line challenger Binyamin Netanyahu in the run-up to May 29 parliament elections. Peres' popularity has plummeted since Sunday's bombings, which killed 25 people. (Opinion, Page 20.)
A judge ordered the arrest of 10 Indian politicians charged in an $18 million bribes-for-favors scandal. Among the 10 were four former Cabinet ministers and the leader of the largest opposition party. Some 24 politicians have been charged since the Supreme Court, acting on a petition by activists, ordered intelligence authorities to investigate the diaries of two businessmen. The diaries listed the initials of officials who allegedly received bribes to win government contracts.
The IRA and Gerry Adams, leader of the IRA's political wing, Sinn Fein, met to discuss the latest Anglo-Irish peace moves for Northern Ireland that set a June 10 date for peace talks. Moderate Catholic leader John Hume also attended the talks in Dublin. The IRA has not yet said whether it would restore its cease-fire, which is a precondition for Sinn Fein's participation in all-party talks. (Story, Page 5.)
Spain's conservative Popular Party is widely expected to end 13 years of Socialist rule in Sunday's parliamentary elections. Jose Maria Aznar is expected to replace Felipe Gonzalez as premier. Aznar campaigned to balance the budget, root out corruption, and crush the armed Basque separatist movement. Gonzalez's government has been hit by scandals of financial improprieties.
Leaders of 25 nations arrived in Bangkok for a historic two-day Asia-Europe summit expected to create a new economic relationship between the regions. The summit of 15 EU and 10 Asian nations starts today. (Story, Page 1.)
Russian troops and Chechen rebels reportedly engaged in heavy fighting in Grozny, capital of the breakaway republic. The fighting was one of the worst clashes in a year, reports said. And former Soviet Union President Gorbachev strongly hinted that he will run for the Russian presidency in June elections. Recent polls put Gorbachev's popularity rating at about 1 percent.
Bangladeshi troops fired at rioting opposition activists in Chittagong, killing two people and injuring at least 10. Police said the activists, who were protesting the arrest of the city's mayor, hurled bombs.
A Tunisian court sentenced opposition leader Mohamed Moada to 11 years in prison on charges that he spied for Libya. Moada called the charges politically motivated.
Italian caretaker Premier Lamberto Dini launched a new party - Italian Renewal. The movement of moderates joined election forces with the nation's former Communists. Dini, a former central banker who has led Italy's nonaligned government for 14 months, calls the party a centrist-reformist movement.
Australian Premier Paul Keating battled a political storm over forged letters that threaten to destroy his already-dwindling chances in tomorrow's election. Senior minister Ralph Willis released the letters he said exposed an opposition plan to slash funding to state governments. The opposition proved the letters are forgeries, forcing Willis to apologize. (Story, Page 5.)
Etceteras
Lawyers for Diana, Princess of Wales, and her estranged husband, Prince Charles, prepared to begin thrashing out the thorny details of a divorce settlement. Diana's surprise agreement to Charles's divorce request caught even Buckingham Palace off guard.
Punch, the British humor magazine that ceased publication in 1992, is coming back. Mohamed Al Fayed, chairman of Harrods department store, said it will be the first title of his new media company. Punch hits newsstands in September.
Rogue Satellite Sightings
The satellite that broke away from shuttle Columbia last week will be visible for 1 to 3 minutes above some cities next week. Even the 12-mile tether should be shining brightly as the probe travels from west to east. Below are cities, dates, and times.
Atlanta: 3/6: 6:15a.m.; 3/8: 5:16 a.m.; 3/9: 5:30 a.m.
Charleston, S.C.: 3/5: 5:57a.m.; 3/7: 5 a.m.; 3/8: 5:16 a.m.; 3/9: 5:30 a.m.
Dallas: 3/7: 5:31 a.m.; 3/8: 5:47 a.m.; 3/9: 6:01 a.m.
Houston: 3/4: 6:08 a.m.; 3/6: 5:14 a.m.; 3/7: 5:31 a.m.; 3/8: 5:47 a.m.; 3/9: 6:01 a.m.
Las Vegas: 3/7: 5:04 a.m.; 3/8: 5:19 a.m.
Los Angeles: 3/7: 5:02 a.m.; 3/8: 5:18 a.m.; 3/9: 5:32 a.m.
Memphis: 3/7: 5:32 a.m.; 3/8: 5:48 a.m.
Miami: 3/4: 5:34 a.m.; 3/5: 5:55 a.m.; 3/8: 5:16 a.m.; 3/9: 5:30 a.m.
Norfolk, Va.: 3/8: 5:17 a.m.; 3/9: 5:31 a.m.
Oklahoma City: 3/8: 5:47 a.m.; 3/9: 6:01 a.m.
Phoenix: 3/6: 5:46 a.m.; 3/7:6:03 a.m.; 3/8: 6:19 a.m.
San Francisco: 3/9: 5:33 a.m.
- Associated Press
'' It should be an absolutely awesome sight because the 20 kilometers of tether, assuming that it's all strung out, will be definitely visible to the naked eye.''
- Shuttle astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman, on sighting NASA's runaway satellite in the dawn sky. (See list below.)
