News In Brief

Iraq was expected to make a full disclosure of its biological weapons program before the end of today, chief UN weapons inspector Richard Butler said. He spoke after meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz in Baghdad. Releasing the information would be a dramatic change for Iraq, which must convince the UN it has dismantled its weapons of mass destruction before UN sanctions, imposed after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, can be lifted.

Mir's crew fixed the latest series of problems aboard the space station, restarting its main computer and realigning solar panels to absorb maximum energy from the sun, Russian Mission Control said. The computer failed Monday, forcing the crew to shut down some systems.

A political scientist was chosen to lead South Africa's National Party, which began and then dismantled the policy of apartheid. Martinus van Schalkwyk, a member of parliament, will replace former President F.W. de Klerk, who announced last month he was quitting politics. Van Schalkwyk has been a strident critic of the ruling African National Congress.

About 2,500 unarmed Zapatista rebels and their supporters headed toward Mexico City in buses to demand greater Indian rights. The caravan, which left San Cristobal de Las Casas in the southern state of Chiapas, is due to arrive in Mexico City Friday. The trip comes more than 3- 1/2 years after the Zapatistas promised an armed march on the capital after launching a brief rebellion.

Red Cross officials from Japan and North Korea signed a detailed agreement in Beijing allowing Japanese women, who married North Korean men and live in the communist state, to begin home visits within a month. About 1,800 such women moved to North Korea between the 1950s and 1980s after marriage. The two countries agreed in principle to the visits last month in talks to normalize relations.

A plan to resolve Nicaragua's long-standing land disputes was agreed to by the government and the Sandinista opposition. The proposal announced by President Arnoldo Alemn aims to settle bitter feuds over ownership and compensation for nearly 2.5 million acres of property confiscated by the Sandinista government during the 1980s. It would give land titles to thousands of poor families occupying confiscated property, while allowing for their relocation when necessary to make way for public-improvement projects.

Tamil rebels set ablaze a car-go ship along Sri Lanka's northeastern coast, killing five government troops and leaving 12 soldiers and crew members missing, military officials said. Navy gunboats battled the rebels after the Panamanian-registered Cordiality and its Chinese crew were attacked before dawn.Tamil rebels have been fighting since 1983 for an independent homeland in northern Sri Lanka.

"This is a watershed. There is an expectation and an understanding out there of the importance of this moment."

- Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, as his IRA-allied party signed a document to gain entry to Northern Ireland peace talks.

Etceteras

What happens when you stage an endurance contest and the judges wear out before the finalists do? That happened in Los Angeles, where a boat company want-ed to give away one of its $15,000 models to the contestant who could sit with his or her lips pressed against it longest. Fifty-five hours later, 18 other competitors had quit, but neither Jesus Vega nor Maureen Huertas was willing to kiss off the prize. So the sponsors called it a draw and awarded each of them a boat.

What is 54 feet long, weighs a quarter of a ton, and had to be assembled in a rented railroad station? Answer: perhaps the world's largest braided rug. The Country Braid House of Tilton, N.H., didn't even want the assignment when a New York designer called with the request - because its shop was too small. But it now thinks its labors have set a record. The teal-colored rug required half a mile of wool, and 26 folding tables were needed to support it during construction.

The Day's List

'Fire Down Below' Soars To Top of Box Office List

In its first week in release, Steven Seagal's environmental thriller is the new No. 1 film at the box office, according to industry estimates - although analysts blame the start of the fall television season for a drop in overall movie earnings compared with those at the height of summer. The top-grossing films for the Sept. 5-7 weekend, with estimated revenues (in millions of dollars):

1. "Fire Down Below" $6.1

2. "G.I. Jane" 5.5

3. "Money Talks" 4.9

4. "Hoodlum" 4.3

5. "Air Force One" 4.1

6. "Conspiracy Theory" 3.5

7. "Excess Baggage" 3.0

8. "Copland" 2.5

9. "Mimic" 2.4

10. "Men in Black" 1.8

- Exhibitor Relations Inc./AP

CORRECTION

In a Page 1 story Sept. 8, "Doing Good in Camera's Harsh Eye," Mother Teresa's name was misspelled.

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