World church panel due to adopt antiracist plan

Leaders of the World Council of Churches representing 295 non-Roman Catholic churches in more than 100 countries opened an eight-day conference here Thursday. The council is likely to back recommendations of its International Conference on Racism two months ago that it should step up the fight against racism, particularly apartheid in South Africa and Namibia. Delegates are also expected to adopt resolutions aligning the church with the world's poor and with moves to halt the arms race, especially in nuclear weapons.