News stories from Saturday November 28, 1981

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

The reduction of welfare benefits mandated by a new federal law has been delayed in at least 24 states, and as a result it will be impossible for the country to achieve the full savings predicted by the Reagan administration for welfare and Medicaid in the current fiscal year. [New York Times] A fire in Lynn, Mass., swept through its urban renewal area. It was believed to have been set by an arsonist. Damage estimates ran as high as $40 million. No one was killed, but several persons were treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries. Officials said the fire destroyed 17 buildings and damaaged nine others. [New York Times] Proper handling of weapons programs has caused serious concern in the Pentagon. These programs involve the development, production and testing of billions of dollars of new weapons and equipment and the use and maintenance of highly sophisticated arms systems. Difficulties are anticipated in excess costs and weapons and equipment maintenance, but Pentagon sources believe that the military has learned from its mistakes and that "safeguard" procedures will enable the services to avoid mismanagement of new programs. [New York Times] A law against strikes in Poland was reportedly among the "extraordinary measures" against labor unrest that the Communist Party leadership urged Parliament to take after a closed, two-day meeting in Warsaw. The right to strike was the basis of the August 1980 agreement on civil and labor rights between the government and Solidarity, the independent union. On Friday, Poland's leader, Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, told the party leadership that the Politburo had instructed the government to seek legislation banning strikes. [New York Times] National elections in New Zealand appeared to have cost Prime Minister Robert Muldoon's National Party its legislative majority. Mr. Muldoon said that "there will be no change of government." However the Labor Party leader, Wallace Rowling, said the country was heading "for a another election" because it is now "virtually without a government." [New York Times] A Sinai peacekeeping force is certain, and Sinai will be returned to Egypt as planned, Secretary of State Alexander Haig said. There is no doubt that a force will be put in place, he said, despite unresolved questions about its makeup. Mr. Haig made the statements at a meeting of the Freedoms Foundation in Valley Forge, Pa. The foundtion is a private, nonprofit group that promotes the study of the United States Constitutiion. It presented Mr. Haig with its American Patriots Medal. [New York Times]