WORLD IN BRIEF : GENEVA : U.S., Soviets Near Nerve Gas Accord

U.S. and Soviet negotiators reported major progress in Geneva toward an agreement on deep cuts in stockpiles of lethal nerve gas and other chemical weapons that could be signed at the June summit. The superpowers also agreed on mutual inspections of facilities for “safe, speedy and also economically and ecologically sound” destruction of stockpiled weapons. Another round of talks will begin around April 23 and the two sides are confident about having the accord ready for President Bush and Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev when they meet in late June in the United States, officials said.