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 Fri, Mar 27 1992 Date: Fri, 27 Mar 92 05:43:21 EST Message-ID: 03-27 0000 DECISIONLINE: International News USA TODAY Update March 27-29, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network THOUSANDS KILLED IN SOMALIA: A clan war in Somalia's capital has killed or wounded 41,000 people, two human rights groups said Thursday in warning that the horn of Africa nation faces a devastating famine. Africa Watch and Physicians for Human Rights said a severe drought and the cutoff of food deliveries because of the fighting has left nearly 5 million Somalis threatened with starvation. SOUTH AFRICAN PACT NEAR: The white minority government and the African National Congress, negotiating black majority rule, were reported close Thursday to an accord to bring former black guerrillas into the ranks of the white-led South African security forces within months. Also, the ANC's top economic official said the ANC would increase taxes on the rich. LIBYA FACING AIR EMBARGO: Libya tried Thursday to argue its way out of a looming confrontation with the U.N. Security Council, set to impose an air embargo against Moammar Gadhafi for not handing over two Pan Am bombing suspects. Libya made a new extradition offer Thursday, while arguing it was the victim of "illegal and arbitrary blackmail" from the West. GERMAN ARMS TO TURKEY CUT: Germany has suspended arms supplies to NATO partner Turkey because of reports that Ankara was using the weapons against minority Kurds. Turkish officials Thursday denied the charge. Also: Chancellor Helmut Kohl's Christian Democrats fear a strong showing by the extreme right in Baden-Wuerttemberg's parliamentary elections on April 5 could cost them their absolute majority. U.N. PEACEKEEPERS WANTED EARLY: Yugoslavia, disintegrating amid civil war, urged the United Nations Thursday to deploy peace-keeping troops earlier than April 5 after reports of renewed violence in Bosnia Hercegovina and Croatia. NOREIGA TRIAL WRAPPING UP: Prosecutors in Manuel Noriega's Miami federal drug and racketeering trial ended their rebuttal case Thursday after a former Panamanian attorney general tearfully testified he was forced at gunpoint to resign during a probe of military corruption. Rafael Rodriguez's testimony was intended to show how the military ran Panama's legal system. GRAHAM TO VISIT NORTH KOREA: Evangelist Billy Graham said Thursday he's accepted an invitation to visit North Korea March 31-April 4, marking the first time an evangelist has been allowed to preach in the tightly controlled communist nation. MCCONDOMS NOT PART OF CHAIN: The fast food giant McDonald's obtained a court order blocking a Montreal sex shop from peddling McCondoms. The court injunction, handed down on Wednesday, also requires La Capoterie to turn over all unsold McCondoms, or prophylactics, for destruction. NO APOLOGY FROM STATE DEPT.: The State Department made clear Thursday that even if a 15-member investigating team finds Israel blameless of charges, leaked to the Washington Times, that it sold Patriot missiles to China, there will be no official apology. U.S. Ambassador to Israel William Harrop told Israel TV that if Israel is innocent, Washington should apologize. FOREIGNERS CAN BUY NTT SHARES: Japan plans to lift a ban on foreigners owning stock in communications giant Nippon Telephone and Telegraph. Officials expect Japan's cabinet to approve letting foreigners own up to 20% of Japan's largest company. Analysts say NTT needs foreign investors. In addition to the recent declines in the general stock market in Tokyo, NTT's shares have been hurt by a bribery scandal. DOW JONES OPENS ON UPSWING: The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials opens Friday at 3267.67, after closing up 8.28 Thursday. The New York Stock Exchange composite opens at 225.49, up 0.10. The American Stock Exchange market value opens at 398.86, down 1.43. The NASDAQ OTC composite opens at 615.40, down 4.08. DOLLAR OPENS UP: The dollar opens up on foreign markets Friday. It opens at 0.5804 British pounds, up from 0.5780; 5.6125 French francs, up from 5.6060; 134.01 Japanese yen, up from 133.37; and 1.6620 German marks, up from 1.6528. (As of 3 p.m. Thursday. 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