Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.inter From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: inter Thu, Mar 19 1992 Date: Thu, 19 Mar 92 05:57:39 EST Message-ID: 03-19 0000 DECISIONLINE: International News USA TODAY Update March 19, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network REFERENDUM ON APARTHEID PASSED: South Africa has closed the book on apartheid. President F.W. de Klerk called for a special referendum three weeks ago to test white support for continuing his apartheid reforms - and 68.7% of whites voted their approval Tuesday. African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela said the one-sided vote meant political reform was "definitely on course." UKRAINE LEADER GIVES UP NUKES: Russian President Boris Yeltsin told parliament Wednesday that Ukraine has reversed its position and will transfer its tactical nuclear weapons to Russia for destruction, the Interfax news agency said. Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk spoke to Yeltsin by telephone and Yeltsin told parliament the Ukrainian leader had "rethought" his position and returned to the original agreement. ARMENIAN SITUATION WORSENS: Armenia declared a state of emergency Wednesday because of a worsening economic situation caused by a blockade by Azerbaijan. They're clashing over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, populated mainly by Armenians, but located inside Azerbaijan, which has administered it since 1923. U.S. BUSINESSMAN RESCUED: Philippine police said they rescued a kidnapped U.S. businessman held for 61 days by communist guerrillas demanding a $20 million ransom. Michael Barnes, 41, of Long Beach, Calif., was freed when police raided the hideout where he was being held near Manila airport. Police hunting his kidnappers raided several locations. COURT SLOWS DOWN AUTOBAHN: The brakes may be applied to Germany's freewheeling autobahns. A German court decision gave new strength to the "recommended" limit of 130 kilometers - 80 miles - per hour. Germany is the only country in Europe without legal speed limits on stretches of its superhighways. It is resisting European Community pressure to lower speed limits to conform with its neighbors. BRAZIL LANDSLIDE: Thirty people were reported killed Wednesday and 60 injured when a landslide buried part of a shantytown in the Brazilian industrial city of Belo Horizonte. Civil defense officials said the disaster had been triggered by pressure from a waste deposit piled up on a hill overlooking the Barraguinha slum. LORDS COULD BE EVICTED: Britain's opposition Labor Party plans to scrap the 300-year-old House of Lords, the upper house of Parliament, if it wins a general election on April 9, replacing it with an elected upper chamber. Ermine-clad members of the House of Lords, some with inherited titles going back 1,000 years, are appointed for life and enjoy power to delay laws put forward by the elected House of Commons. USA STILL BEHIND ARISTIDE: Secretary of State James Baker assured deposed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide the United States fully supports his return to power, from which he was ousted last Sept. 30 by a military-led revolt. Aristide, returning Thursday to his Venezuelan exile, met with Baker at the State Department for about 40 minutes. IRAQI SHORTAGES HIT HARD: Several witnesses painted a graphic portrait of Iraqi suffering before the House Committee on Hunger, although a State Department official said Wednesday plentiful supplies of food were getting through to Iraq. "Countless Iraqi women and children are dying from infectious disease and malnutrition each day," said Charles la Muniere of UNICEF. CHINA VOTE VETO SURVIVES: China's most-favored-nation trade status will remain. The Senate Wednesday fell seven votes short of overriding President Bush's veto of a bill placing conditions on renewal of benefits. Bush has survived 26 veto override threats and lost none. Critics cite China's poor human rights record and weapons sales among reasons to end its lower tariffs on goods sold in the USA. GODZILLA WITHOUT APPAREL: Japanese police are on the lookout for a 132-pound Godzilla suit, stolen from a Tokyo movie studio by enthusiastic fans. The suit is needed to begin filming the 19th Godzilla film. In it, the giant lizard battles to the death with Mosura the moth-monster. DOW JONES OPENS ON DOWNSWING: The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials opens Thursday at 3254.25, after closing down 1.79 Wednesday. The New York Stock Exchange composite opens at 225.94, down 0.07. The American Stock Exchange market value opens at 400.97, down 4.67. The NASDAQ OTC composite opens at 624.94, up 1.67. DOLLAR OPENS MIXED OVERSEAS: The dollar opens mixed on Thursday. It opens at 0.5780 British pounds, up from 0.5757; 5.6030 French francs, down from 5.6390; 1.6500 German marks, up from 1.6455; and 131.95 Japanese yen, down from 132.85. (As of 3 p.m. Wednesday. Source: First American Bank of New York.) International News Editor: Michele Coleman. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM