November 21, 1996

The head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's inquiry into the crash of Trans World Airlines Flight 800 said yesterday that he now believes it is ''less likely that a bomb or a missile'' caused the plane to explode, killing all 230 people on board. The statement, by the F.B.I.'s assistant director, James K. Kallstrom, represents the first time that the F.B.I. has backed away from its long-held position that a criminal act was as likely a cause for the crash as a mechanical failure.

Advice on quirky holiday gifts with personalized twist; photos; drawings (L)

New Jersey State Supreme Court rules that Morristown's ordinance restricting taxpayer-supported garbage collection to property owners did not on its face violate State or Federal Constitutions (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Joyce Purnick Metro Matters column on year anniversary of murder of Elisa Izquierdo by her mother Awilda Lopez in one of worst case of child abuse that New York City authorities have ever seen; says that Eliza's death tramatized New Yorkers and led to significant changes in child welfare agency's handling of child abuse cases (M)

Young Saudis born during oil boom of 1970's and reared in world of nearly unrivaled wealth are coming of age in time of diminished oil revenues, and are steeling themselves for lifetime of once unexpected work; burning question is how they will confront present less flush than past; for Saudi monarchy and its Western allies, most pressing concern is that increasing complexity, and dashed expectations it will inevitably engender, may breed resentment like that already being expressed by country's religious militants; population, both native and foreign-born, is growing faster than economy, resulting in shortage of especially desirable jobs in Government ministries that Saudis have been willing to accept; after more than two decades of hiring out, and with half of Saudi citizens under age of 16, country faces challenge of finding way to take back jobs that have long been disdained; chart; graph (M)