July 8, 1998

New York City detectives step up efforts to find Irene Silverman, 82-year-old Upper East Side socialite who mysteriously disappeared from her apartment on July 5; seek to question Silverman's tenant Kenneth Kimes and 63-year-old mother, Sante Kimes, who were arrested on unrelated Federal warrant on same day, and were found with Silverman's identification; Los Angeles also seek to question Kimeses, who have extensive criminal records, in connection with death of 63-year-old David Kazdin, whose body was found in garbage bin in Venice; photos (M)

Clinton Adminstration will for first time allow export of strong data-scrambling software without any promises of back-door access for law enforcement--but only for banks and financial institutions in 45 nations that have acceptable money-laundering laws; announcement marks victory of sorts for faction within Adminstration that favors unrestrained encryption as way of protecting personal privacy and encouraging growth of Internet as engine of new electronic commerce; Commerce Sec William M Daley presents change in rules as expansion of last year's decision to allow special treatment for encryption products that are used to secure financial communications and transactions (M)

Moshood K Abiola, Nigeria's most prominent political prisoner, dies of apparent heart attack during visit with American and Nigerian officials in capital of Abuja; US State Department spokesman James P Rubin says there is nothing to suggest that death was from other than natural causes; says Abiola fell ill during meeting with Under Sec Thomas R Pickering and Asst Sec Susan E Rice; Pickering says Abiola initially seemed in good spirits but that his condition quickly deteriorated; Pres Clinton praises him as distinguished citizen and patriot of Nigeria; UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan, who met with Abiola week ago, calls on Nigerian Government to unconditionally release all remaining political prisoners and to define credible process for transition to civilian rule; Abiola's two daughters voice suspicions about death; say Government is culpable since it denied him medical treatment during confinement; Nigerian Government promises full, prompt autopsy in cooperation with Abiola's personal physicians; some political implications of his passing discussed; photos (M)

Santa Monica, Calif, jury convicts 19-year-old Mikhail Markhasev for murder of Ennis Cosby, son of comedian Bill Cosby; he is found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted robbery in death of Cosby, who was fatally shot while changing flat tire off freeway on January 16, 1997; could receive life in prison without parole; will be sentenced on August 11; prosecutors laud verdict, but defense attorney Henry Hall says intense publicity and fame of Cosby's father turned attention away from somber analysis of evidence and brought about unfair verdict; Cosby family expresses satisfaction with judicial process; Ennis Cosby's murder recalled; photo (M)

Major exhibition on Sigmund Freud will open at Library of Congress in October; was postponed in 1995 after budget cuts and protests by critics, including Freud's granddaughter Sophie, who charged that it was too favorable to Freud; has been modified somewhat in response to criticism; curator, Michael S Roth, comments; photo (M)