EVENTS

HANI KILLERS CONVICTED IN S. AFRICA A South African court in Johannesburg yesterday convicted a senior official of the right-wing Conservative Party and a Polish immigrant in the assassination of popular black leader Chris Hani on April 10. After an eight-day trial, Judge C. F. Eloff found politician Clive Derby-Lewis and immigrant Janusz Waluz guilty of murder and illegal possession of a firearm. Gaye Derby-Lewis, Mr. Derby-Lewis's wife, was acquitted on all charges. Messrs. Waluz and Derby-Lewis were acquitted of conspiring to murder eight other prominent public figures who appeared on a list found in the automobile used by Waluz before he shot Hani outside his Boksburg home near Johannesburg. The list included the name of African National Congress (ANC) President Nelson Mandela, among others. Nobel for South Africa?

Mr. Mandela and South African President Frederick de Klerk appear to be the front-runners for a joint Nobel Peace Prize. The only other serious contender for award whose winners will be announced today in Oslo is believed to be the Salvation Army, the Christian social-work group. The ANC's Mandela gave a speech in Paris yesterday in which he said he was ready to share the Nobel Prize. Death sentences in Egypt

Two Egyptian military courts in Alexandria condemned three Muslim militants to death and sentenced 30 to prison yesterday on charges of plotting to overthrow the government, court sources said. The two groups had been charged with reviving the jihad, or holy struggle, that assassinated former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The verdicts bring the number of death sentences passed on militants in the last year to 30. A total of 15 militants were hanged in June and July. Earthquake toll

Landslides following Wednesday's earthquake in Papua New Guinea have killed four people, left more than 40 missing and presumed dead, and wiped out an entire village, officials said yesterday. Iran denies allegations

Iran's embassy in Oslo rejected allegations that it was responsible for the shooting in the Norwegian capital this week of the Norwegian publisher of Salman Rushdie's controversial book ``The Satanic Verses.'' A former Iranian diplomat, now a dissident, said he was certain that Iran was behind the shooting. S. Korea mulls missiles

South Korea is considering taking part in a project for a joint antiballistic missile defense system being discussed by the United States and Japan, Foreign Ministry officials said yesterday. The so-called Theater Missile Defense to shield Japan from possible North Korean missile attack would use satellites or early-warning aircraft to detect attack missiles and guide ground-based interceptor missiles. Firebombs in Sacramento

Two firebombs were thrown early yesterday at the office of the California state agency in Sacramento that handles discrimination claims, state police said. One ignited but caused only slight damage. The same white supremacy group that has claimed responsibility for a string of racial attacks since July also called television stations this morning. House backs school bill

President Clinton won House approval for his plan to set up voluntary national school standards and spend $420 million implementing them. The House, by a 307-to-118 margin, approved the legislation Wednesday over objections that it would allow the federal government to dabble too much in local education. The legislation now goes to the Senate. Tailhook scandal sequel

McDonnell Douglas Corporation billed the government for its expenses at the Navy's notorious Tailhook convention and for the expenses of employee groups, including the Beer Can Collectors Club, the General Accounting Office reported Wednesday. The GAO said that the defense contractor improperly billed the government $1.6 million in 1991. There were charges for liquor, golf outings, symphony tickets, banquets, and a hospitality suite.