News stories from Sunday November 8, 1981

Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:

Tax incentives for businesses that would be used by the Reagan administration to attract them to cities, and that Mr. Reagan has called a keystone of his urban policy, are leading to a policy fight between liberals and conservatives. While the concept of "urban enterprise zones," which is being tried in Britain, drew bipartisan support last year, disputes over details of how the program would work have since driven the two sides apart. In addition, administration officials believe that the main legislation for the zones would place too much restriction on business and be too expensive for the government. [New York Times] The "ballot security" precautions sponsored by the Republican National Committee in the New Jersey elections last Tuesday did not intimidate any voters, committee officials insisted, and would be used again in other states. Calling the effort a success in New Jersey, they said their aim was to prevent potential election fraud. Democrats, including the party's national chairman, Charles Mallet, have accused the Republicans of using "vigilantes" to scare bonafide voters away from the polls. Mr. Manatt has asked the Justice Department to investigate. A few armed off-duty police officers took part in the security patrols, a New Jersey Republican official said. [New York Times] Certification of unofficial tallies of the vote for Governor in New Jersey was scheduled to be announced at noon tomorrow by the state's Board of Canvassers, clearing the way for a probable recount. The State Supreme Court was also expected to decide whether emergency ballots cast when voting machines broke down in Essex County should be counted. The Essex County ballots, believed by election officials to be fewer than 500, were unlikely to change the lead to be shown in the unofficial certified tallies. [New York Times] Student protests over a tuition rise have disrupted the Rio Piedras campus of the University of Peurto Rico. The campus of 23,145 students has been in turmoil since August over the first tuitiion increase since 1947, which has raised the fee to $15 from $5 per credit hour for undergraduates. The university, which fears it will lose its accreditation because of inadequate facilities, increased the tuition to supplement its budget. [New York Times] The destruction of a key bridge in El Salvador has severed the best route to the eastern third of the country, where some of the larger cities and major ports are situated. The Golden Bridge over the Lempa was wrecked by guerrillas in October. The guerrillas have since had increased freedom to move in eastern areas, where the army had previously undertaken several operations to disloge them from mountain strongholds. [New York Times] Guidelines for Egypt's future were given by President Hosni Mubarak in his first major address since taking office in early October. He called for economic improvement at home for all Egyptians, and he affirmed Egypt's commitment to a foreign policy of non-alignment, while supporting the Camp David peace process with Israel. [New York Times] The American aid program for Haiti will be reshaped, according to administration aides and Haitian cabinet ministers who met in Washington last week. The United States will also support Haiti's request for a World Bank development study that is intended to bring Haitian needs to the attention of donor nations and private investors. The actions are part of a larger Carribean initiative announced in July by the United States, Canada, Mexico and Venezuela. The cost of the American program was not announced. The United States provides Haiti with $26 million a year in food and development funds and $750,000 in military assistance. [New York Times] Belgium's left and right advanced while the center slid badly in the third general election in less than five years. During a period of severe economic stress, the Socialists appear to have become Belgium's largest single political group for the first time. But the makeup of the next government remained unclear, and the divisions of between French-speaking southern Belgium and the Flemish-speaking north were re-emphaszied by the election results. [New York Times] A new code of canon law has been drafted for the Roman Catholic Church and will replace one promulgated in 1917. The revision, begun by Pope John XXIII, is an attempt to make official many practices and viewpoints that have become generally accepted in the church since 1917, especially changes that occurred after the Second Vatican Council of 1962-65. Among the major changes are said to be the redefinition of the procedure and grounds for granting marriage annulments, and a reduction in the number of offenses to be punished by excommunication. [New York Times]