News Currents

UNITED STATES

Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D) of Colorado introduced legislation July 21st that would legalize the French-made abortion pill RU-486 for personal use.... New Jersey received federal approval July 20th to become the first state to freeze welfare benefits for mothers who have more children while on public assistance. The law also allows welfare mothers to work and earn up to half of their monthly grant; to marry without jeopardizing welfare benefits, as long as the husband is not the children's father; and ex tends the time they can receive Medicaid and day-care benefits after getting off welfare. ECONOMY AND BUSINESS

British Airways will purchase $750 million of stock in the American air transport firm USAir. The purchase gives BA a 21 percent stake in the company. Executives say this paves the way for a global airline group. EUROPE

British police clashed July 20th and July 21st with youths throwing gasoline bombs in two further outbreaks of violence in run-down areas of cities across Britain. The clashes followed three nights of mob rampage in the western city of Bristol July 15-18. Much of the continuing trouble in the cities has been sparked by disputes between police and youths who steal cars and drive them for fun. Two Bristol youths were killed in a high-speed chase. ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Bao Tong, an aide to deposed Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Zhao Ziyang, was convicted yesterday of leaking state secrets and sentenced to seven years in prison. He was arrested for being too soft on protesters in the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy movement.