News In Brief

A massive demonstration in Washington and a violence-marred protest in Moscow underscored concern on human rights on the eve of the superpower summit. In Moscow, hundreds of burly men who called themselves peace demonstrators disrupted Jews protesting against Soviet emigration policy yesterday.

Peter Arnett, a US newsman for the Cable News Network, was bundled into a van by police as his crew tried to film the event. He was later released, CNN said.

At least 27 Jews were detained en route to the Moscow demonstration. (At least 100 refusedniks - Soviets denied permission to emigrate - had planned to take part in a protest against Soviet restrictions on emigration.) The rally was planned several weeks ago to publicize the plight of Jews barred from emigrating.

In Washington, tens of thousands of marchers pressing for free emigration of Soviet Jews beseeched Soviet leader Gorbachev to ``let our people go'' in the largest demonstration planned for this week's summit.

Author and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel and Soviet 'emigr'e Natan Sharansky were among those leading the march from the White House to the Capitol.

The march drew about 60,000 people, according to police.

Among the marchers were Republican presidential candidates George Bush, Robert Dole, and Alexander Haig, and Democratic candidate Al Gore.

Several entertainers performed, including Paul Simon, Pearl Bailey, and Mary Travers of the Peter, Paul, and Mary folk group.

Similar demonstrations were held in Tel Aviv and London.

Mr. Gorbachev met British Prime Minister Thatcher yesterday before flying to Washington for his summit with President Reagan.

Meanwhile, Soviet sources said Friday the Soviet Union would grant exit visas to as many as 73 people who had appealed their emigration cases.

Haitians brace for strike called by top candidates

Haitians stocked up on basic supplies yesterday, bracing for a general strike planned for today. Haiti's four leading presidential candidates joined three major trade unions in calling for a general strike to force free elections under the independent electoral council.

Two of the top candidates - Louis Dejoie II and Sylvio Claude - called for an indefinite strike until the military-led junta steps down. All four demanded the junta rescind its Nov. 29 decree dissolving the electoral council.

South Africa announces pullout from Angola

The armed forces chief said Saturday that South African troops are withdrawing from Angola after intervening there in support of anti-Marxist rebels during heavy fighting. The intervention had been announced Nov. 11.

The announcement by Gen. Jannie Geldenhuys coincided with a report that Cuban reinforcements had arrived in Angola and might join government forces in an attack on the South Africans if Pretoria did not withdraw its troops.

Iranian speedboats attack tankers in Gulf

Iranian speedboats attacked two tankers in the Gulf yesterday, killing one crewman and injuring another, shipping sources said. The Iranian strikes on the Danish and Singapore tankers were in apparent retaliation for a string of Iraqi raids on Iranian tankers last week, the sources said.

Meanwhile, British, Belgian, and Dutch minesweepers finished a hunt for mines in the central part of the Gulf and moved to the southern end of the waterway, shipping sources said yesterday.

European summit ends on a note of discord

A key summit of the 12-nation European Community ended in discord Saturday with leaders deadlocked over financial issues. The leaders announced an emergency summit for Feb. 11-12 in another bid to resolve the monetary crisis.

In addition, the European leaders at the summit issued a joint plea Saturday for a Soviet troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 1988.

Drug lord killed in battle over Colombia drug trade

Rafael Cardona Salazar, one of the alleged kingpins of the Medell'in drug Cartel, was killed Friday in what police described as an execution in a war for control of Colombia's drug smuggling empire. The Drug Enforcement Agency listed Cardona Salazar as a lieutenant to Medell'in mafia chief Jorge Luis Ochoa. US Drug Enforcement Administration officials have blamed the Medell'in Cartel for as much as 80 percent of US cocaine imports.

Polish official promises gradual price hikes

Prime Minister Zbigniew Messner Saturday announced a partial rollback of steep price hikes planned for next year after voters rejected radical reforms that would have brought about the increases. Speaking to Poland's parliament, Mr. Messner said that 110 percent increases in prices for basic foodstuffs would be spread out over three years instead of carried out all at once.

Meanwhile, Solidarity said yesterday that last week's referendum defeat shows that political and economic reforms are impossible in Poland as long as communist authorities alone decide government policy.

Aquino calls for peace after vote-related violence

President Corazon Aquino appealed yesterday for peace in next month's local elections after nine people were killed in election-related violence barely a week after campaigning began. Four candidates in the Jan. 18 election and five of their aides have died in separate incidents throughout the country.

Also, the military ordered an investigation into allegations that its troops killed 11 villagers last week.

Bangladesh President dissolves Parliament

The government dissolved Parliament yesterday, almost a month after the opposition began a campaign of strikes and demonstrations to topple President Ershad. Ershad has offered to hold new parliamentary elections in an effort to halt the campaign for his own ouster, but opposition parties continue to insist on his resignation.

The opposition has called for another strike today despite a state-of-emergency decree issued Nov. 27 banning political activity.

For the record

The nation's job market ignored the stock market crash as a manufacturing boom helped put 315,000 more Americans to work last month and drop unemployment to 5.9 percent - the lowest in a decade. Fire broke out Saturday on a Panamanian-registered freighter off northwest Spain and 23 seamen perished after leaping into rough and icy seas, coast guard officials reported.

US banks and the lending institutions of other industrial nations gave $3 billion more to third-world countries than they got back during the first half of 1987, the International Monetary Fund said yester day.