WORLD AT 1100 GMT UR; NEW: IRAQ-RADIO FREE IRAQ. SPAIN-PINOCHET. GERMANY-EURO PRESSURE. VENEZUELA-CHAVEZ'S CHALLENGER. RHONE POULENC-HOECHST. HONG KONG-ECONOMY. RUSSIA-ECONOMY. EU-FINANCE. INDIA-POLITICS. UR; MAIN SPOT NEWS: LONDON The hospital where Gen. Augusto Pinochet has been under police guard says he no longer needs medical care dealing a blow to any plan by the former Chilean dictator to plead he is too ill to stand trial on charges of genocide and torture. BRITAIN-PINOCHET. Has moved; developments will be expedited. By Maureen Johnson. ALSO: SPAIN-PINOCHET. Chilean Foreign Minister Jose Miguel Insulza says Tuesday a Spanish judge's attempt to extradite Augusto Pinochet has polarized his homeland but does not pose a threat to Chilean democracy. Expected by 1300 GMT. WASHINGTON The House Judiciary Committee is opening a carefully scripted hearing into the consequences of perjury. But behind the scenes political fireworks are exploding over Republican efforts to expand the impeachment inquiry from President Bill Clinton's private life to his campaign fund raising. US-CLINTON-IMPEACHMENT. Will be led after Judiciary Committee hearing begins at 1430 GMT. By Laurie Kellman. POTSDAM Germany Leaders of Germany and France agree Tuesday to strengthen efforts to fight unemployment and boost the economy a well-placed source says reflecting a stronger emphasis on a left-leaning agenda for Europe. FRANCE-GERMANY. Lead expected by 1200 GMT. By Tony Czuczka. AP Photo POT101-103/ BRUSSELS Belgium Less than a month before the launch of the euro European Union finance ministers seek to break months of deadlock over who should represent the single-currency zone internationally. EU-FINANCE. By Paul Ames. Expected by 1300 GMT. FRANKFURT Germany Even before Europe's single currency is launched politicians are challenging the independence of the central bank that will keep tabs on the new euro. GERMANY-EURO PRESSURE. Expected by 1200 GMT. By Didi Kirsten Tatlow. WASHINGTON An international conference to help determine the fate of Nazi-looted art and property is being urged to ``uncover the truth and seek justice'' for Holocaust victims. US-HOLOCAUST CONFERENCE. Will be led with Albright speech scheduled to begin at 1450 GMT. By Laura Myers. MONTREAL Quebec voters give their combative politicians a split decision: the pro-independence government gets another term in power but with support so tepid that a secession bid is unlikely any time soon. CANADA-QUEBEC ELECTION. Lead expected by 1200 GMT. By David Crary. AP Photos XQBC6811; LISB102107. MOSCOW A Russian helicopter Tuesday rescues a three-man television crew that had been stranded on a remote Arctic island by bad weather and was running out of food and other supplies officials say. RUSSIA-STRANDED CREW. Has moved; developments will be expedited. MOSCOW With Russia's leaders urgently seeking financial help International Monetary Fund chief Michel Camdessus plans to open two days of talks Tuesday on Moscow's frozen loan agreement with the IMF. RUSSIA-ECONOMY. Has moved; developments will be expedited. By Vladimir Isachenkov. BRUSSELS Belgium France's oil giant Total SA takes over Belgian petrochemicals company Petrofina SA to create the sixth largest oil company in the world and the third largest in Europe the companies announce Tuesday. BELGIUM-PETROFINA-TOTAL. Has moved; developments will be expedited. By Raf Casert. ALSO MOVED: RHONE POULENC-HOECHST. Two of Europe's largest drug makers Hoechst of Germany and Rhone-Poulenc of France announce agreement to merge. BAGHDAD Iraq Iraqi authorities say they are so unconcerned about new U.S.-sponsored broadcasts aimed at undermining President Saddam Hussein that they won't even bother to jam the transmissions. IRAQ-RADIO FREE IRAQ. Has moved. By Leon Barkho. ALSO MOVED: UN-IRAQ. Weapons inspectors note ``with satisfaction'' that Iraq is ready to cooperate in resolving several outstanding issues. BEIJING Police detain two of China's most prominent dissidents and three other democracy campaigners in a concerted crackdown apparently aimed at crushing a budding opposition party. CHINA-DISSIDENTS. Has moved. By John Leicester. JAKARTA Indonesia The death toll from a powerful earthquake that hit a remote island in Indonesia rises to 25 on Tuesday as rescue teams search for more victims and survivors officials say. INDONESIA-EARTHQUAKE. Has moved; developments will be expedited. By Geoff Spencer. KUPANG Indonesia Christian mobs burn two houses a car and a motorcycle Tuesday on the second day of unrest in a provincial capital where rioters burned and ransacked 15 mosques. INDONESIA-RELIGIOUS TENSION. Has moved. By Sam Martins. AP Photos JAK102-104. NEW DELHI India Sonia Gandhi began her tough journey as the inexperienced leader of an 112-year-old political behemoth this year taking over the Congress party. Indians pondering recent elections results have determined she has arrived. INDIA-POLITICS. Has moved. By Neelesh Misra. HONG KONG The beleaguered Hong Kong economy is hit Tuesday with another string of bad news the key stock index fell nearly 4 percent more companies announced layoffs and the financial secretary hinted at a second straight budget deficit in the next fiscal year. HONG KONG-ECONOMY. Has moved. By Priscilla Cheung. AP Photo HK102. BEIRUT Lebanon President Emile Lahoud begins a fresh round of consultations with Parliament on Tuesday in search of a new premier after incumbent Prime Minister Rafik Hariri bowed out. LEBANON-GOVERNMENT. Has moved. By Zeina Karam. GUATEMALA CITY In the first war-crimes convictions following Guatemala's civil war three former pro-government fighters are sentenced to death for their role in a 1982 massacre of Indian villagers. GUATEMALA-MASSACRE SENTENCES. Has moved. By Alfonso Anzueto. CARACAS Venezuela To critics he's an arrogant elitist who would rule Venezuela for the benefit of the rich. But to supporters Henrique Salas Romer is Venezuela's last hope of saving democracy and the only candidate with a chance of defeating former coup leader Hugo Chavez in Sunday's presidential election. VENEZUELA-CHAVEZ'S CHALLENGER. Expected by 1200 GMT. By Bart Jones. AP Photos CAR106-108. DURBAN South Africa A Cabinet minister in President Nelson Mandela's government on Tuesday tells a human rights panel how he organized vigilante groups to protect supporters of the African National Congress. SOUTH AFRICA-AMNESTY. Has moved; developments will be expedited. By Pat Reber. TOKYO People hand out condoms and wear red ribbons Tuesday as part of efforts on World AIDS Day to raise awareness about the spread of the disease especially in underdeveloped countries. WORLD AIDS DAY. Has moved; developments will be expedited. By Joji Sakurai. AP Photos BEJ101-103 BOM102; DEL101 TOK111 MAD101. ALSO MOVED: US-CLINTON-AIDS. President Clinton marks World AIDS Day by pledging assistance to AIDS orphans. Will be led with World AIDS Day event scheduled for 1715 GMT. LOOKING AHEAD: U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan visits Tunisia on Thursday. World Council of Churches opens assembly in Harare Zimbabwe on Thursday. UR; OTHER FEATURES MOVED: FEA-JAPAN-BRITTLE BANKS. Japanese banks rush to restructure amid rising tide of red ink. AP Photo NY300. FEA-US-HAYES MODEM. Computer industry pioneer who invented the personal-computer modem struggles for survival. FEA-US-AOL-NETSCAPE-GIZMOS. AOL-Netscape deal could spawn new means of Internet access. FEA-US-AOL-NETSCAPE-CULTURE CLASH. Critics fear end of 'free and open' Internet. YOUR QUERIES: The Associated Press World Service editors in charge are Charles Gans and Ian Mader. Suggestions and story requests to The Associated Press World Service are welcome. Contact your local AP bureau or the AP International Desk in New York telephone 1 212-621-1650 fax 1 212-621-5449. APW19981201.0697.txt.body.html APW19981201.1234.txt.body.html