EVENTS
EUROPE DEVALUES TWO CURRENCIES
The European Community agreed to devalue the Spanish peseta and the Portuguese escudo by 6 percent yesterday to try to halt the battering of its system of semifixed exchange rates by currency traders around the world. But after an emergency meeting in Brussels, top European monetary officials had nothing to say about Germany's interest rates, blamed by many for the rising tensions within the system. Violence in Germany
Anarchists fought skinheads with knives, pounded restaurant patrons with baseball bats, and torched a law school in three German cities that left one man dead and injured at least six, police said Saturday. It was the latest sign of a leftist counteroffensive to an alarming surge in neo-Nazi activity in Germany. Ireland abortion vote
Irish voters are likely to reject a referendum this week on lifting the predominantly Roman Catholic country's blanket ban on abortion, an opinion poll showed Saturday. Forty-two percent told the Irish Times they planned to vote "No" Wednesday on permitting abortion in some circumstances. Peru's election
Peru President Alberto Fujimori appeared to be certain of a resounding vote of support in yesterday's congressional elections, aimed at restoring democracy. The election took place amid police claims that the Shining Path guerrilla movement's military command was badly damaged by a series of arrests last week. Storms lash US
Typhoon Gay roared toward Guam and threatened to lash the United States's Pacific island with strong winds at dawn today. Gov. Joseph Ada placed Guam on the highest alert Sunday and said the international airport may be closed at night. Tornadoes ripped through central Mississippi late Saturday night, killing at least 15 and injuring many others. A tornado killed one person in Tennessee early yesterday. US wetlands rules
The Bush administration won't weaken wetlands protection rules, leaving the issue for President-elect Clinton when he takes office next yerar, says Michael Deland, chairman of the White House Council on Evironmental Quality. He added that the National Academy of Sciences had been asked to review the controversial wetlands rules. Twitchell appeal accepted
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court last week agreed to hear the appeal of a Christian Scientist couple, David and Ginger Twitchell, who were convicted of manslaughter in 1990 following the 1986 death of their young son. The boy was receiving spiritual treatment through prayer, which the defense says is permitted under a Massachusetts law. The prosecution maintains that the law is unconstitutional. Defense lawyers hope the case will be heard sometime in late spring 1993. Pakistani demonstration
Pakistani officials said Saturday they would ban opposition leader Benazir Bhutto from starting a cross-country train ride aimed at drumming up support for her campaign to oust the government. Ms. Bhutto vowed to go anyway.