November 26, 1996

Industries Set Standards For Crystal-Clear TV The nation's broadcasting, consumer electronics and computer industries have agreed in principle on a technical standard for the next generation of television. The accord opens the door to the crystal-clear pictures and expanded services promised by digital television. $(Page A1.$) Asians Back Clinton on Trade President Clinton persuaded the leaders of 17 Asian-Pacific nations to endorse efforts to ''substantially eliminate'' tariffs on computers and other data technologies by 2000. $(A12.$) Kessler to Quit As F.D.A. Chief Dr. David A. Kessler plans to resign as F.D.A. Commissioner, officials said. In six tumultuous years he has fought for regulation of tobacco, worked to standardize nutrition labeling and moved to speed the Federal drug approval process. $(A1.$) Keycorp to Make Big Cutbacks Keycorp will sell more than 140 rural branches, close another 140 and eliminate 10 percent of its work force in a vast cost-cutting effort. The move is intended to take advantage of new interstate banking laws that will take effect in April. $(D2.$) House Sales Drop by 1.5% Sales of existing houses dropped by 1.5 percent in October to an annual rate of 3.97 million, the fifth consecutive monthly drop, the National Association of Realtors said. $(D3.$) Prices of Treasury securities rose in reaction to the weak housing report and the strong dollar. The yield on the 30-year bond slipped to 6.42 percent. $(D17.$) Iraq and U.N. Agree on Oil Sales Iraq and the United Nations agreed on the long-delayed deal to allow Iraq to sell oil for food and other emergency goods for the suffering civilian population. Oil could start flowing as early as next month. $(A3.$) Oil futures prices retreated, with January crude off 26 cents, to $23.49 a barrel. $(D8.$) Disney Faces Chinese Displeasure The Walt Disney Company, which has big plans for business in China, now faces a problem: the Chinese Government takes exception to a film it is shooting about the life of the Dalai Lama. Its choice is to protect its business or its free expression. $(A1.$) Italian Lira Back in Currency Grid The Italian lira, returning to Europe's currency grid after four years out in the cold, inched closer to the goal posts set for the first currencies eligible for European monetary union in 1999. $(D5.$) Visa Sues American Express Visa has sued American Express, accusing it of trademark infringement over a new Visa card that gives customers points in an American Express program. $(D3.$) Software Glitch at Bell Atlantic A software problem at Bell Atlantic prevented thousands of callers in the Northeast from reaching directory assistance for most of the business day yesterday. $(A17.$) Apple Beaten On System Deal Power Computing, the largest maker of Macintosh clones, has agreed to license a new computer operating system by Be Inc., jumping ahead of Apple Computer, which is seeking an alliance with Be. Apple wants to use or acquire Be's fast, simple system that is steps ahead of both Apple and Microsoft systems. $(D4.$) Everen Denies It Trades Ahead The Nasdaq stock market no longer allows a market maker to trade ahead of his customers. Why did Everen Securities say it did so in a confirmation slip? An error, Everen avows. Floyd Norris: Market Place. $(D10.$) MCA to Acquire Talk Shows MCA will acquire virtually all the talk shows owned by Multimedia Entertainment, including ''Sally Jessy Raphael'' and ''The Jerry Springer Show.'' Analysts valued the deal at $50 million. $(D9.$)

New York City Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew plans to gradually shift thousands of children from special-education classes to regular classrooms and to prevent thousands more from being labeled as special-education students; stresses need for students with minor learning disabilities and behavorial problems to get early intervention and extra help from teachers or therapists while remaining in regular classrooms; some parts of plan hinge on changes in state and Federal law to eliminate financial incentives for segregating such students; graphs (M)

Four houses seized from Camden drug dealer Walter Holland will be used to fight drugs as Internal Revenue Service turns over two of buildings to Camden Police to serve as substations; other buildings are given to community groups that work to keep young people from drugs (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Federal regulators say that they plan to inspect all of nation's 200 or so moving railroad bridges after misaligned rail on moving bridge across Hackensack River knocked Amtrak train off tracks and sent it careening into marshlands in Secaucus, NJ; diagram (M)

Over 100,000 Serbs demonstrate, Belgrade, protesting ruling that invalidated opposition election victories in local races; opposition leaders vow to shut down city until Pres Slobodan Milosevic is ousted; call for daily protests; Government, which has barred state-run press from covering protests, plans to press ahead with final round of local voting, which opposition plans to boycott; photo (M)