November 12, 1994

Mirroring the party's huge gains in Congressional and gubernatorial elections on Tuesday, Republicans made striking advances in state legislatures, taking control of at least 15 chambers that had been in Democratic hands. Republicans also picked up enough seats to cause an even split between the two parties in three other chambers, according to figures compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures, a nonpartisan group based in Denver. In no case among the 50 states' 99 chambers did Democrats manage to wrest control from Republicans. Indeed, the party did not achieve a net gain of seats on Tuesday anywhere except a handful of Northeastern states and Hawaii.

Despite a decade of rulings barring the city from keeping the homeless overnight in offices and millions in fines levied for violating those orders, there was 1-month-old Nicholas Brian Gonzalez asleep in his stroller, packed in among the human steerage of New York City's overloaded homeless system. Sick with fever and diarrhea, Nicholas spent his fourth straight night earlier this week at the city's after-hours homeless office in the Bronx. On many nights, hundreds of people continue to take refuge in the office, where straight-back plastic chairs or a plot of dirty floor are luxuries for the weary.

The death of Rwanda's President in a plane crash last April touched off a frenzy of killing: several hundred thousand people, most of them Tutsi, were slaughtered, mostly by Hutu soldiers and militia. It was widely assumed, but never conclusively established, that the plane carrying President Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down. In any event, those responsible have never been identified.

Asia Trade Differences Pacific nations are meeting to talk about lowering trade barriers, but the United States opposes proposals to require industrialized nations to end their restrictions first. Page 6. Tough Contract for Legal Aid After steam-rolling over a strike by Legal Aid lawyers, Mayor Giuliani has offered the organization a new contract with a tight budget and a no-strike clause. Page 23. Death in 'Real World' Cast Pedro Zamora, who tested positive for H.I.V. at 17, spent his last years forcing youths, from church groups to MTV audiences, to confront their own vulnerability to AIDS. Page 8.

European allies expressed alarm today over the Clinton Administration's decision to end Washington's role in enforcing an arms embargo against the Bosnian Government, warning that the unilateral move undermined NATO and could diminish the chances for peace in the Balkans. The decision seemed to thrust the United States into its most serious diplomatic rift over the Balkan war since early 1993, when Washington failed to convince NATO partners to lift the embargo and to bomb Serbian forces who were trouncing Bosnia's mainly Muslim Government.