News Summary
Date: 15 April 1988
International A2-13 Afghan accords were signed in Geneva providing for the withdrawal of Soviet forces from the country and the creation of a nonaligned Government. Page A1 News analysis: Afghan chaos is expected to resume under the Geneva accords. More than one million Afghans have been killed and nearly one-half of the population has been uprooted. A1 The Afghan war changed the Soviet Union and its outlook on the world in subtle but significant ways. A1 A deep rift in the Honduran military contributed to the release of a major drug-trafficking suspect to Washington and that action has intensified the struggle, Government officials and foreign diplomats said. A1 A blast outside a G.I. club in Naples killed at least five people and wounded 15, including several American sailors. The police said the bombhad apparently been placed in or under a car. A3 A U.S. Navy frigate was damaged by an underwater blast in the central Persian Gulf that wounded at least 10 crew members and partly flooded the ship. However, she headed under her own power toward Bahrain. A3 Hijackers released one hostage but prospects for the release of other captives aboard a Kuwaiti airliner shifted as the hijackers held long talks with Algerian officials on the 10th day of the odyssey. A9 Sanctions against Mexico were voted overwhelmingly by the Senate on the ground that it has failed to cooperate fully in halting the flow of drugs across its borders. The measure must also be approved by the House. A6 National A14-22 The nation's trade deficit soared to $13.8 billion in February as imports surged more than twice as much as exports, the Commerce Department reported, surprising analysts. A1 The dollar plunged in reaction to the widening American trade gap, forcing world central banks to intervene to restore stability. D5 Stock prices also plummeted. The Dow Jones industrial average plunged 101.46 points, or 4.82 percent, to 2,005.64. It was the index's fifth-worst point loss in history. A1 The grumblings of taxpayers have increased as the filing deadline nears. The simplicity and relief promised by architects of the new system have eluded many people. D2 A Navy heart surgeon was freed after a military appeals court set aside his conviction. The surgeon, Comdr. Donal M. Billig, was found guilty in 1986 of responsibility for the deaths of three patients. A17 Richard Nixon is in greater demand than ever. The former President, who appeared on the NBC News program ''Meet the Press'' last Sunday, plans several other television appearances and at least five speeches around the country. A14 A jetliner engine exploded and sliced into the plane, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in Charleston, W. Va. No injuries were reported among the 60 people aboard the Piedmont Airlines craft. A14 Storm brewing over Cape Hatteras lighthouse A14 E.P.A. declines to toughen rule on sulfur dioxide A16 U.S. Catholic bishops on nuclear deterrence A18 Politics A20-21 Mayor Koch backs Albert Gore Jr., the underdog, for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Mr. Koch said it was irrevelent that his endorsement might aid his least favorite aspirant, Jesse Jackson. A1 Gov. Michael S. Dukakis staked out an ambitious arms control platform that is much more liberal than the views of many Democratic military experts, who accuse the Presidential aspirant of naivete. A20 Hopefuls vie for best endorsements A21 Washington Talk A22 Reagan aides' disharmony on minority pacts Regional B1-5, B28 Harry and Leona Helmsley evaded more than $4 million in income taxes by fraudulently charging such luxuries as a marble dance floor above a swimming pool to their hotel and real-estate empire, the authorities said. A1 A key prosecution witness recanted key parts of his testimony against three reputed Mafia figures on trial in the murder of a police detective. Prosecutors contended the witness, Frank Simone, was recanting because of intimidation. B1 The state is studying all bridges in New York City that have deterioration levels similar to those on the Williamsburg Bridge, which was closed on Tuesday because of safety hazards. B4 A masked rapist left only one clue, his voice, in a series of attacks on Long Island. Prosecutors are relying on a ''voice lineup'' as the main way to identify the suspect, Scott Carroll, 27 years old, of Staten Island. B1 An anti-terrorist task force is investigating whether a Japanese man arrested with three homemade bombs on the New Jersey Turnpike has links with the Japanese Red Army, a left-wing group, the authorities said. B3 Jersey Shore residents are fearful about a chemical company's plan to build a $90 million plant in Toms River. The company, Ciba-Geigy, has been fined $1.45 million for dumping hazardous waste on its land. B1 The Knickerbocker News of Albany is folding and the staff of the afternoon newspaper is merging with that of the morning newspaper, The Times-Union. Both are owned by a division of the Hearst Corporation. D16 The Albany pas de deux on the budget B3 New York official says U.S. energy agency is arrogant B3 Boy killed in house fire in Queens B3 Arborcide at Temple Square B3 Two ex-military contractors indicted in fraud B28