News Currents

MIDDLE EAST

The Arab League has given Libya limited support in its confrontation with the West over airliner bombings. Diplomats say the organization may offer Tripoli a face-saving way of surrendering two suspects for trial. The league asked the UN Security Council to delay considering sanctions against Libya until the International Court of Justice rules on where the trial of the two Libyans should be held. But China, a member of the five-nation Security Council, said yesterday the Council should not impose sancti ons on Libya for failing to turn over the two suspects.... Trials of Kuwaitis suspected of collaborating with Iraq during its occupation of Kuwait will resume in April.... Anti-Semitism is experiencing a global revival, an investigation commissioned by the Israeli Cabinet has concluded, saying that many Nazi collaborators had been rehabilitated in Eastern Europe and mentioning the campaign policies of US presidential candidates Patrick Buchanan and David Duke. UNITED STATES

President Bush, in a strong indication that he believes the economy will help his reelection bid, has told Congress it was better to do nothing than approve a growth package that includes a tax increase.... Investigations are under way to learn why a USAir jet, attempting to take off from LaGuardia Airport during a snowstorm Sunday night, skidded off the runway, caught fire, and slid into a bay, killing at least 26 people. The short runway, the timing of the plane's de-icing, and possible pilot error wil l be among the considerations.... Mysterious fuel leaks erupted aboard the space shuttle Atlantis early yesterday, forcing NASA to postpone launch of its atmospheric research mission for at least one day. EUROPE AND AFRICA

Albania's opposition Democratic Party rode a wave of anti-communist sentiment to a landslide victory in the country's parliamentary elections, according to preliminary returns yesterday. With ballots from 25 major districts counted, the Democrats racked up 72.5 percent of the votes.... Outraged human rights activists attacked the planned resumption of hangings in South Africa, saying "barbaric" executions were particularly inappropriate at a time of political change. ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Vietnamese searchers found the remains of three American airmen believed downed over central Vietnam nearly 29 years ago, the official Vietnam News Agency reported yesterday.... China might hold talks with South Korea next month on normalizing diplomatic relations, Foreign Minister Qian Qichen said yesterday.... Nepal's Prime Minister G. P. Koirala returned home yesterday from a week's visit to China and praised "economic reforms and openness" there. He described the position of Tibet as "an autonomous r egion of China" and detailed assistance China will provide Nepal.