News Currents

UNITED STATES AND CANADA

Six General Motors plants have been shut down since Friday, and six others were threatened yesterday by a United Auto Workers strike at an Ohio parts plant.... In Florida, Sen. Bob Graham won the Democratic primary.... In Nevada, Democratic Sen. Harry Reid and Republican Rep. Barbara Vucanovich won primary races.... In Canada, an independent board ruled that the province of Ontario must pay survivor benefits to the partners of gay and lesbian government employees. EUROPE

Russia will abolish internal passports that dictate where citizens can live and travel, the Interior Ministry said yesterday. The passports will be replaced by identity cards that will no longer list an individual's ethnic background, marital status, or criminal record. ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

The devastation mounted in China's coastal province of Zhejiang as Tropical Storm Polly's heavy rains caused floods and landslides throughout the region, Xinhua news agency said yesterday. So far 122 people have been killed.... Authorities in Shenzhen, China, doubled to 1 billion the number of new stock shares to be issued following last month's riots by disappointed would-be investors.... A day after arresting Shen Tong, the first pro-democracy leader to return to China since the Tiananmen Square crackd own, China yesterday expelled an American scholar who advised the activist. LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

A powerful earthquake off Nicaragua's Pacific coast Tuesday triggered tidal waves that killed at least 27 people and injured hundreds more, government officials said yesterday.