EVENTS

CLINTON TO DECIDE ON VIETNAM EMBARGO President Clinton said yesterday that he will decide ``within several days'' whether it is time to end the 19-year US trade embargo on Vietnam. Administration officials said Tuesday that the president is encouraged by progress on the MIA issue and has been urged to end the ban by top advisers, senators, and US business interests. Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said it would have no immediate comment, but American businessmen in Hanoi were expressing relief. (More on US businesses, Page 2.) The executive director of the biggest US veterans' group, however, warned Mr. Clinton Tuesday that he will have to ``answer to the voters.'' John Sommer of the American Legion said that scrapping the ban would be breaking a vow to hold Hanoi to the fullest possible accounting for missing Americans. Mexican peace talks

Rebels in southern Mexico agreed on Tuesday to open face-to-face talks with the government on ending their uprising. A Zapatista National Liberation Army communique said talks were ``imminent.'' It was the first concrete word from the rebels they are serious about negotiating an end to the uprising that has been simmering since New Year's Day. Leaders visit Bosnia

The prime ministers of Turkey and Pakistan arrived in Sarajevo yesterday in a show of support for Slavic Muslims. The airport in Tuzla, the largest enclave controlled by the Muslim-led government, was shelled yesterday, apparently to prevent relief flights. Volkswagen legal victory

A German court yesterday handed German car giant Volkswagen AG a legal victory in its feud with General Motors. But GM's Opel unit said it did not see the decision as a major setback in its battle with VW over controversial production chief Jose Ignacio Lopez de Arriortua. A judge rejected Opel's charges that VW won an unfair competitive advantage by hiring seven GM managers after Mr. Lopez left GM to join VW. Opel had asked the court to issue a two-year employment ban for the seven. Monitoring TV violence

Viewers will be able to block out violent programs on cable television under a system announced Tuesday by the industry. The cable industry also said it would set up an independent monitoring system and issue public reports. Sen. Paul Simon (D) of Illinois said he is sufficiently satisfied with the monitoring proposal to drop legislation mandating federal monitoring. But he left the door open to renew the effort. The four major broadcast networks said they will join in the independent monitoring program, but they declined to join in proposals for a rating system or the show-blocking technology.