News In Brief

Albanians set fire to the national oil company headquarters and clashed with riot police in another day of protests that were first aimed at pyramid schemes but now are turning against the government. For more than a week, desperate citizens have protested in front of pyramid-scheme companies, demanding the return of their life savings. Some of the schemes have gone bankrupt; others have had their assets frozen by the government. Some government officials are accused of using money from the schemes to finance election campaigns.

The Orthodox patriarch of Serbia said he would lead a procession through Belgrade, a move that analysts warned would increase the risk of a violent confrontation between opposition protesters and police. Patriarch Pavle has led earlier processions that were joined by anti-government demonstrators without incident. But police clubbed at least 20 demonstrators Jan. 24-25, as tensions have grown in almost 10 weeks of protests.

Britain's opposition Labour Party retreated from its vow to vote against spending public tax money for a new royal yacht. Labour, which leads in public-opinion polls as Britain nears a new national election, had said there were more important priorities for the money. But a spokesman later said no such decision had been made yet, and that a new royal yacht "could be an asset for the country." The vessel, projected to cost $100 million, would replace the 44-year-old Britannia.

Delegates from 100 countries open a two-week UN conference on the environment today in Nairobi, Kenya. They are expected to discuss downsizing the agency's environmental programs because of ongoing financial difficulties.

The Taliban religious army boycotted a new attempt at negotiations over the political future of Afghanistan. Taliban officials said the talks - sponsored by Iran - were destined to go nowhere because there was no possibility of a cease-fire. They accused Iran of interference in Afghan affairs. Meanwhile, Taliban forces claimed to have captured a valley linking the capital, Kabul, with opposition-controlled zones to the north.

Protests against China's plan to weaken civil-liberties laws in Hong Kong grew into a march by hundreds of pro-democracy activists. They converged on China's de-facto diplomatic mission in the colony, with their leader saying: "The battle will be lost if we keep silent." China assumes control of the colony on July 1.

A powerful cyclone that tore through the African island nation of Madagascar was blamed for more than 100 deaths, state radio reports said. The 124-m.p.h. winds also destroyed several towns, leaving left thousands of other people homeless or missing.

ETCETERAS

This settlement really goes to breaking the glass ceiling in the promotion of women."

- Frederico Costales of Florida's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, on an agreement by Publix Super Markets to pay $81.5 million to settle a lawsuit by 150,000 women accusing the chain of sex discrimination.

San Diego Zoo officials have made their first stab at matchmaking between two giant pandas on loan from China. In the hope that they'll mate this spring, Bai Yun, a female, was introduced to Shi Shi, a male, last week. He touched her face with one paw, considered a good sign. Fewer than 1,000 giant pandas live in the wild, all of them in China. The only other panda in captivity in the US is a male, at the National Zoo in Washington.

Call it a self-fulfilling pro-phecy. In Albany, Ga., city commissioners voted to pull the plug on television coverage of their meetings because of too much grandstanding in front of the cameras. That's exactly the argument against such coverage that's always used by opponents. But in Albany, it seems, there was another dimension. The meetings had become so rancorous that rival cities were using the videotapes to show new businesses why they shouldn't locate in Albany.

THE DAY'S LIST

Who's Paid the Most at National Public Radio?

In the fiscal year spanning Oct. 1, 1994 - Sept. 31, 1995, records show that NPR paid more than $25 million in base salaries to its executives and staff. The network's best-paid people:

EXECUTIVES

Delano Lewis, president $170,660

Barbara Hall, vice president $112,455

Bill Buzenberg, vice president $112,355

ON-AIR STAFF

Bob Edwards, senior program host $148,506

Linda Wertheimer, senior host $101,723

Robert Siegal, senior host $101,460

Scott Simon, senior host $101,128

CONTRACTORS

Daniel Schorr, senior news analyst $105,581

Mary Kay Magistad, correspondent $81,388

Ray Dilley, projects director $75,240

- Public Broadcasting Report

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