December 23, 1997

South Africa, rife with crime, is in midst of fierce debate over gun laws, which are very strict on paper but are only haphazardly enforced; Afrikaners have frontier tradition of gun ownership and blacks were long forbidden to own guns; infusion of weapons during antiapartheid struggle fostered political killings and huge crime wave in black townships; about 10,500 South Africans were shot to death last year; gun control movement, foundered by whites, is rejected as 'racist' by many blacks (M)

American Electric Power Co to acquire Central & Southwest Corp in stock deal worth $6.6 billion; merger would create major low-cost producer of electricity to sell power as states open utilities to competition; analysts cite possible regulatory obstacles to merger; graph (M)

After more than a month of jury selection, nine women and three men were chosen to determine whether Theodore J. Kaczynski was the Unabomber, and if he was, whether he should be put to death. Under order of the judge the jurors will not be named, but the extensive questioning showed that they hold conservative attitudes that reflect those of the small towns and midsized cities of the area around Sacramento, Calif., where the trial is being heard.

There is speculation that quarterback Neil O'Donnell that will not return to New York Jets next season and that Glenn Foley will be team's starting quarterback; New York Giants are expected to release their backup quarterback, Dave Brown (M)

Federal authorities break up conspiracy in which scores of Mexicans were smuggled into US to work at Atlantic Finishing, T-shirt factory in Trenton, Ga; INS and Justice Department announce indictment of nine people, including company president Fred Parrish, for smuggling in Mexican illegals for at least three years; each Mexican paid smugglers $1,000; case is first uncovered in which workers were recruited in Mexico for sweatshop work; Parrish denies charges; company makes shirts for several retailers and reportedly has had problems finding workers; US agents were tipped off to ring last year when they stopped van crammed with 11 illegals at New Mexico checkpoint; investigation then uncovered scheme to house and smuggle illegals along interstate routes to Georgia (M)