News Currents

NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA

President Bush met with Mexican and Canadian leaders yesterday to discuss ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which would dismantle trade barriers among the three countries..... Two new polls show Bill Clinton with a 14-point lead over Bush, while a third put the lead at 10 points. Ross Perot trailed far behind.... Iran-contra prosecutor Lawrence Walsh Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to reinstate the conviction of former National Security Adviser John Poindexter in the Iran-contra af fair.... A judge has ordered the shutdown of Brazil's only nuclear power plant for safety and environmental reasons. EUROPE

Georgian reinforcements yesterday reached the city of Sukhumi, where residents were dug in against an expected attack by Abkhazian separatists. Reinforcements were attempting to reverse defeats by separatists. Meanwhile, Russia has begun removing weapons and ammunition from Georgia.... Serbs Tuesday captured the strategic Bosnian city of Bosanski Brod. Meanwhile, the US is pressing allies to establish a "no fly" zone over Bosnia.... Irish voters will decide on Dec. 3 whether women can travel abroad for a bortion and whether they should have access to abortion information.... As some 15,000 people demonstrated for Emil Constantinescu, the opposition candidate who faces President Ion Iliescu in a Sunday runoff, Romanians Tuesday elected a parliament dominated by former Communists and extreme nationalists who favor slowing down reforms.... Boeing officials requested that airlines check pins holding engines onto airplane wings on Monday, the day after a 747 crashed in Amsterdam.