Algeria's Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) guerrilla group said that Belgium is responsible for the death of one of its leaders. Said Ben Othman was expelled from Belgium, returned to Algeria, and died under torture, according to the group. The FIS is conducting a terrorist, anti-government campaign in Algeria and has struck in France as well.

Nobel Prize Winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar governments leading opponent, has charged that French oil company Total is the principal supporter of the Myanmar government. Since boycott calls have been frequent in the Myanmar case, Total may be exposed in countries where human rights and anti-Myanmar junta sentiments run high.

Fighting has apparently broken out in the northwest Chinese province of Xinjiang. A separatist Moslem group, the United National Revolution Front of the Uygurs, reports that 450 Chinese troops have been killed since early April.

For the first time in Chinese history, the number of people in the service sector is greater than in agriculture and industry. A question to be considered is: does this represent the maturation of the Chinese economy, or the emergence of a serious economic imbalance?

Wages in Malaysia have begun to grow faster than productivity. The average salary rise was 11.7% compared to a 6.1% rise in productivity. It is obvious that the dramatic performance of the Malaysian economy is coming to an end. The structural problem is a labor shortage in high growth industries.

Questions on how the new Indian government is going to treat foreign investors have been cleared up suddenly. Last week, the new government gave approvals to more that $2 billion worth of foreign investment. It also cleared up issue stalling a $2 billion American power project by Enron.

Tensions are rising along the border of these two countries. Tajikistan has accused the Afghan Ministry of Defense of supporting Tajiki opposition forces and allowing them to use Afghan territory. They also are charging a buildup of rebels along the Badakhshan sector of the border. Tajikistan has closed all border crossings with Afghanistan.

Taiwan has further liberalized rules on Taiwanese investment in China's financial sector, permitting investment in China's securities and insurance sector. For its part, China has offered to supply water to a Taiwanese controlled island, Quemoy, that has been a historical flashpoint between the two-governments.

Russia has vetoed an arms deal in which Israel would upgrade Chinese Air Force Illyushin aircraft. China needed Russian approval of the deal, worth $250 million. Under prior arrangements, 20% of the deal would go to Russia. The deal was apparently vetoed by the Foreign and not the Defense Department.

China has resumed the practice of 'friendly prices' to North Korea — low cost sales of goods that were abandoned in 1992. In addition, China is shipping food products to Korea in an attempt to head off starvation. A Chinese flotilla is making a call to a North Korean port. Chinese-N.