Morning Coffee Edition for Friday, May 15, 1998
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U.S. Front Page Stories
-----------------------
*** Frank Sinatra dead of heart attack
*** Update: Starr wants Secret Service testimony in sex probe
*** Court throws out Ruby Ridge case against FBI agent
*** Update: Microsoft wins reprieve from antitrust suits
*** U.S. drunk driving deaths drop to record low
*** Update: Vietnam War remains moved with 'profound reluctance'
The U.S. Political Scene
------------------------
*** Update: Republicans in House stand by Burton
*** Sen. Helms proposes $100 mln in U.S. aid to Cuba
*** Senate adopts measure on Chinese army
*** U.S. seen unlikely to impose Total sanctions
*** House approves religious freedom bill
*** Tax hike gives Senate tobacco bill new momentum
The Courts
----------
*** Part of Minn. tobacco settlement in dispute
*** Trial of accused Zodiac killer opens in N.Y.
*** Calif. death row inmate found sane enough to die
*** Fla. OKs killer's extradition to Calif.
*** Texas school to appeal affirmative action ruling
*** Judge tells Calif. marijuana clubs to close
U.S. Business and Financial News
--------------------------------
*** Rate worries weigh on blue chips in day filled with corporate
news
*** U.S. faces rise in trade deficit as GATT is feted
*** Times Mirror invests in Los Angeles Times rival
World Front Page Stories
------------------------
*** Over 110 rioters killed in Jakarta fire
*** U.S. envoy to meet angry Pakistan on nuclear test
*** Sanctions-hit India to woo Western firms
*** Russia launches cargo spacecraft to Mir station
The World Political Scene
-------------------------
*** Albright, Netanyahu fail to break Mideast impasse
*** Albanian separatists divided over Kosovo talks
*** U.S. to target EU farm subsidies in WTO round
*** Fidel Fever hits Geneva as Castro takes a walk
The Americas
------------
*** Brazil slum fire kills baby, leaves 500 homeless
*** Bolivia's top fugitive Escobar arrested in Argentina
*** U.S. drug chief blasts Peruvian security official
*** Castro assails U.S., praises Clinton
*** Mexico seizes large supply of amphetamine base
*** Venezuelan beauty queen nominated for presidency
Europe and Russia
-----------------
*** Blair hardens demand for IRA to scrap arms
*** Clinton with bad back arrives early for G8 summit
*** Jail term urged in French skinhead murder case
*** UN renews its 70-member Tajikistan observer unit
*** Yeltsin, Kiriyenko want Russia to tighten belt
Africa
------
*** Eritrea blames Ethiopia for border dispute
India and the Middle East
-------------------------
*** Iraq gives UN new oil-for-food plan
*** Acting premier Iryani to form new Yemeni cabinet
The Far East
------------
*** Japanese firms halt operations in Indonesia
*** N. Korea refuses handover of U.S. soldier remains
*** Cambodian truce talks break down on first day
*** S. Korea premier asks workers to eschew violence
*** U.S. says it will not sacrifice Taiwan interests
Science and Medicine
--------------------
*** Gene mutation tied to some gastrointestinal tumors
*** Samples faulted in poor U.S. science test result
*** Some earthquake motion underestimated - U.S. study
*** U.S. disease experts want better 'superbug' watch
*** U.S. warns of blood thinners in some pregnancies
*** Vitamins cut fetal deaths in HIV-positive women
Technology
----------
*** Update: Gore wants to increase privacy on Internet
*** U.S. agency will not curb cable TV prices
*** Japanese theater goes hi-tech after 300 years
*** Accused Canadian juror gives up Internet 'diary'
The Environment
---------------
*** Senator urges U.S. to help with Mexico fires
*** Disney park animal death toll higher than reported
*** U.S. lawmakers' concern grows over food imports
Human Interest
--------------
*** Ga. official cries foul over Vidalia claim
*** Upscale N.J. town to sell $20 land parcels
*** Lost Mormon crosses Andes mountains on foot
*** Storm-damaged home of President Jackson to reopen
*** Survey: cheapest state to vacation is N.D.
*** Yemeni children work to live
----------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Front Page Stories
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Frank Sinatra dead of heart attack
Frank Sinatra died Thursday night of a heart attack. He was 82. He
had been in failing health in recent months and was hospitalized on
several occasions in recent years. He was pronounced dead at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center emergency room. His family, including his
wife Barbara, were with him. Known as "Old Blue Eyes" and "The
Chairman of the Board," Sinatra sang and appeared in movies over a
career spanning six decades. He made over 200 albums and starred in
numerous movies, winning an Oscar for best supporting actor for "From
Here to Eternity." He also won an Oscar nomination for "The Man With
the Golden Arm." He was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President
Reagan in 1985 and the Kennedy Center award in 1983.
*** Update: Starr wants Secret Service testimony in sex probe
Independent counsel Kenneth Starr said Thursday Secret Service agents
must testify in the probe of alleged White House sex and perjury, but
opponents argued this could risk the president's life. "The Secret
Service is a law enforcement agency; its officers are proud they have
been sworn to uphold the law," Starr said at a federal court hearing.
He argued the agents who guard President Clinton were obliged to
testify in an investigation of alleged crimes. But the Justice
Department maintained agents might lose the president's confidence
and might be kept dangerously distant from him if they could be
compelled to testify about him. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152963-0fd
*** Court throws out Ruby Ridge case against FBI agent
A federal judge dismissed charges Thursday against an FBI
sharpshooter who killed the wife of a white supremacist in a 1992
shootout, saying he had acted within the scope of his duties as a
federal agent. Judge Edward Lodge said the state had produced "no
evidence of malice or criminal intent" in its case against Len
Horiuchi, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the
shooting death of Vicky Weaver, wife of white supremacist Randy
Weaver, during an armed standoff at their cabin in Ruby Ridge, Idaho,
in Aug. 1992. Lodge said he agreed with Horiuchi's lawyers, who
argued under the "supremacy clause" of the Constitution, a federal
officer could not be subject to state criminal prosecution for
actions taken in the line of duty. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155154-5b2
*** Update: Microsoft wins reprieve from antitrust suits
Microsoft won a reprieve Thursday from major new government antitrust
lawsuits by agreeing to delay release of its upcoming Windows 98
program for a few days. The temporary ceasefire will allow the
Justice Department and 20 states to pursue a negotiated settlement
with Microsoft in a new round of face-to-face talks starting Friday.
But a source close to the talks warned against assuming a resolution
was near. "We are not close," the source said. "There is a lot of
lifting to do." The disclosure of the settlement talks came an hour
before federal and state officials were to announce one of the
biggest antitrust cases in U.S. history rivaling the breakup of AT&T
and Standard Oil. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153721-595
*** Related: Microsoft seen offering concessions on 'desktop,' See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153599-dc0
*** U.S. drunk driving deaths drop to record low
Drunk driving killed the least number of people on U.S. roads last
year since record-keeping began in 1975, the Department of
Transportation said Thursday. Alcohol was involved in 16,500 deaths
on the nation's roads in 1997, or 39.3% of the total 42,000 road
fatalities last year. That was down from 17,200 deaths, or 40.9% of
all fatalities in 1996, and the first time recorded alcohol-related
traffic deaths had dipped below 40%. The estimated 42,000 total
traffic deaths of all types in 1997 was little changed from 42,065 in
1996. Sixty-three percent of those killed were not wearing seat
belts. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152876-0c7
*** Update: Vietnam War remains moved with 'profound reluctance'
With "profound reluctance" the U.S. military exhumed the remains
Thursday of a Vietnam War serviceman from the Tomb of the Unknowns at
Arlington National Cemetery and took them away for identification
tests. Private contractors, working before dawn and under an
unprecedented order by Defense Secretary William Cohen, used a
diamond-tipped cutting tool to slice open thick granite slabs around
the marble cover of the Vietnam War crypt at the tomb. Then a crane
lifted the heavy cover and raised the casket out of the tomb. After
the private disinterment, the casket was honored in a public
ceremony, then taken to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to begin DNA
and other tests. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153095-705
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The U.S. Political Scene
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Update: Republicans in House stand by Burton
House Republicans stood by embattled Rep. Dan Burton Thursday, voting
to kill a Democratic resolution condemning his handling of the House
campaign finance inquiry. The largely party-line 223-196 vote came on
a measure charging Burton with abusing his investigative powers and
discrediting the House during his probe of President Clinton's 1996
election fund raising. The resolution was sponsored by House
Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt, but Republicans blocked general
debate by immediately moving to kill it. Gephardt asked the full
House to go on record as disapproving of Burton's handling of the
probe, saying Burton had brought discredit on the House. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155517-6e8
*** Sen. Helms proposes $100 mln in U.S. aid to Cuba
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jesse Helms proposed legislation
Thursday to send $100 million in U.S. government aid to the Cuban
people and back democratic change on the island. The Cuban Solidarity
Act would authorize direct flights to deliver the aid and order the
U.S. government to step up its support for dissident groups in Cuba.
The bill proposes sending food, medicine and medical supplies to Cuba
to be delivered directly to the Cuban people through the Roman
Catholic Church and other independent groups. Cuban leader Fidel
Castro has already rejected the offer for aid funded by U.S.
taxpayers and Cuban officials insist they must have a role in any aid
supplies. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153644-add
*** Senate adopts measure on Chinese army
The Senate approved measures Thursday to help prevent companies owned
by China's army from operating in the U.S. and to increase funding to
keep slave-labor products out of the country. The proposals were
adopted on voice votes as amendments to the Defense Department's
authorization bill, which will be voted on next week by the Senate.
Sen. Tim Hutchinson, an Arkansas Republican, sponsored the measures,
approved as separate bills by the House of Representatives last year.
One would require the development and maintenance by the secretary of
defense, the FBI, CIA and attorney general of a list of firms owned
by China's People's Liberation Army that operate directly or
indirectly in the U.S. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554157125-59d
*** U.S. seen unlikely to impose Total sanctions
The Clinton administration will probably not impose sanctions on
foreign companies investing in Iran, U.S. officials said Thursday.
"There will probably be a decision saying this ($2 billion gas
project in Iran involving France's Total and two other firms) is
sanctionable but will grant the companies specific waivers" from
sanctions, one official said. Officials stressed, however, a formal
decision had not yet been made by Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright. The administration is still negotiating with the European
Union over sanctions in an effort to achieve what it considers
acceptable cooperation in halting terrorism and curbing the spread of
weapons of mass destruction. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155360-497
*** House approves religious freedom bill
The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday for a proposal authorizing
U.S. sanctions against countries found to tolerate religious
persecution. Supporters hailed the bill, which passed by a 375-41
vote despite a possible White House veto, for sending a clear signal
of U.S. support for religious freedom and intolerance for
persecution. The bill was promoted by religious conservatives and
supported by a coalition of groups that praised it for raising the
profile of religious and human rights worldwide. But critics said it
elevated the importance of religious freedom above other human rights
and could interfere with U.S. diplomacy. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155030-dab
*** Tax hike gives Senate tobacco bill new momentum
Giving anti-tobacco legislation a powerful boost as it heads to the
Senate floor, a Senate panel backed raising cigarette taxes by $1.50
a pack over three years Thursday. Over the objections of its own
chairman William Roth, the Finance Committee by a 13-6 vote adopted a
modified and simplified version of the tobacco bill, bringing the tax
up from $1.10 per pack. With inflation, the tax would rise to $1.84
by the year 2007, according to Roth. The Finance bill will be offered
next week as an amendment to a main bill, drafted by Arizona
Republican John McCain and approved by the Commerce Committee last
month. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155939-a
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Courts
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Part of Minn. tobacco settlement in dispute
The $469 million settlement won by Minnesota Blue Cross-Blue Shield
from the tobacco industry last week should be returned to the
insurer's subscribers, a lawyer said Thursday. John Sheehy, a partner
in the Minneapolis firm of Meshbesher and Spence Ltd., said the money
did not belong to Blue Cross-Blue Shield, but to their subscribers.
His firm filed a suit Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court on
behalf of a company using Blue Cross-Blue Shield as its health
insurer and an individual smoker also insured by the company. A
similar suit was filed in Dakota County District Court by the
Minneapolis law firm of Heins Mills and Olson. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152272-1f5
*** Trial of accused Zodiac killer opens in N.Y.
A man accused of being the notorious Zodiac killer, whose crime spree
terrorized and intrigued New York City in the early 1990s, went on
trial Thursday on three counts of murder. The trial of Heriberto
"Eddie" Seda began on a dramatic note in the Queens borough
courtroom, when he disrupted the proceedings to demand new lawyers.
"I'm going to lose my mind here. I'm here for my life," the
distraught Seda, 30, said. "Get me out of here, Judge." State Supreme
Court Judge Robert Hanophy threatened to restrain Seda and the
outburst ended when the jury filed into the room. Seda faces three
charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder, part of what
authorities say was a four-year spree of violence. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155854-c7b
*** Calif. death row inmate found sane enough to die
A California jury found triple murderer Horace Kelly sane enough to
be executed Thursday, a day after his lawyers argued he was a "broken
brain" and had no idea what was happening to him. A Marin County jury
found 9-3 that Kelly, 38, met the legal standard of competency to be
executed for the vicious murders of three people, including a child,
in southern California in 1984. The jury of nine women and three men
deliberated for two hours after weeks of testimony in a trial that
forced prison officials to cancel Kelly's scheduled execution April
14. While not unanimous, the jury did reach the 9-3 majority required
to make its decision binding. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155538-8d7
*** Fla. OKs killer's extradition to Calif.
An alleged serial killer already sentenced to death in Florida can be
extradited to face another murder charge in California, the Florida
Supreme Court ruled Thursday. Glen Rogers, a former drifter, was
sentenced to death in Tampa a year ago for stabbing to death Tina
Marie Cribbs, a hotel maid who met him at a bar and offered him a
ride to a nearby carnival. Authorities say Rogers killed three other
women, all redheaded like Cribbs, in three states besides Florida.
They say Rogers killed Sandra Gallagher in Van Nuys, Calif., Linda
Price in Jackson, Miss., and Andy Sutton in Bossier City, La.,
between Sept. and Nov. 1995. Kentucky authorities also want to talk
to him about the 1993 death of Mark Peters, his former roommate. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153404-22a
*** Texas school to appeal affirmative action ruling
Texas Attorney General Dan Morales told the University of Texas
Thursday it could go ahead and appeal a 1996 court ruling barring it
from practicing affirmative action to boost admissions of minority
students. Morales said he had done so despite his personal conviction
racial preferences should not play any role in determining who is
allowed to study at the state college. Morales would normally
represent state agencies in legal matters, but he had made clear his
staff would not file an appeal in the so-called Hopwood case. Instead
he has approved a request from the university to be represented by an
outside law firm. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554154957-465
*** Judge tells Calif. marijuana clubs to close
A federal judge has ordered California's medical marijuana clubs to
close, saying the government would likely prove their operations
violate federal anti-drug laws. Judge Charles Breyer said he would
issue a preliminary injunction against the clubs despite their
arguments they staved off death and disease for thousands of people
suffering from AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses. "The only
issue before the court is whether the defendants' conduct violates
federal drug laws," Breyer said in his ruling. "The court concludes
the federal government has established it is likely that it does."
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554156878-aba
----------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Business and Financial News
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Rate worries weigh on blue chips in day filled with corporate
news
Late selling in the bond market hurt U.S. stocks Thursday, leaving
most major market indicators lower after a day filled with profit
warnings, bullish forecasts, and the possibility of a settlement in
one of the nation's largest antitrust investigations. The Dow closed
off 40 points at 9172. Mixed news from three bellwether computing
companies, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Microsoft ensured from the
opening bell that the tech sector would seize the spotlight. The
S&P500 shed 1.5 points to end at 1117. In keeping with the week's
trend, declining issues led advancers by a margin of 4 to 3 in
moderate volume of 579 million shares. The Nasdaq ended off less than
a point at 1865. The benchmark 30-year Treasury bond was off 19/32 to
yield 5.98%. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153061-0e1
*** U.S. faces rise in trade deficit as GATT is feted
President Clinton will help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the
global trading system next week amid growing concern the U.S. trade
deficit will reach new heights because of Asia's financial crisis.
The U.S. trade deficit in recent months has approached levels not
seen since the record deficits of the late 1980s, when a strong
dollar hurt U.S. industrial competitiveness and unemployment was
twice as high as it is now. Clinton administration officials have
told Congress and the public to expect the trade deficit to rise
substantially this year because of Asia's financial crisis. Some
economists have predicted a deficit as high as $200 billion, compared
with $114 billion in 1997. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152358-0e8
*** Times Mirror invests in Los Angeles Times rival
The Times Mirror Co., publisher of the Los Angeles Times, said
Thursday it made an unspecified investment in a newspaper group owned
by a major rival and agreed to a local joint advertising venture with
it. Times Mirror would not comment on the size or terms of its
investment in Dean Singleton's Garden State Newspapers, which has
been buying up suburban newspapers ringing Los Angeles. Times Mirror
said it made the investment to strengthen the relationship between
the two companies, which may identify other opportunities to work
together in the future. The companies would not detail what shape
future joint activities might take. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554156862-6ca
----------------------------------------------------------------------
World Front Page Stories
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Over 110 rioters killed in Jakarta fire
At least 110 people, mostly looters, were killed when a shopping
plaza was set on fire during riots in the Indonesian capital,
officials said Friday. Rioters set the East Jakarta shopping center
on fire Thursday but the bodies were not discovered until Friday.
Army Sergeant Fahruddin said 95 bodies were pulled out of the
smoldering five-storey building by midday and another 15 were
located. Further searches could reveal more bodies, he said. Riots
flared elsewhere in the city Friday as President Suharto, who
returned to Indonesia from an overseas trip shortly before dawn,
ordered ministers to stop the orgy of looting and arson. Witnesses
said a hotel in north Jakarta was set on fire, some foreigners'
houses were looted in the affluent southern suburbs and a huge
shopping mall set ablaze on the western edge of the city. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554161419-8b6
*** Related: Indonesia riot, protest toll rises to 160, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554161079-404
*** Related: Bank Indonesia says all banks shut, no rupiah traded,
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554158553-335
*** Related: Australian newspapers call for Suharto to quit, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554157912-aab
*** Related: ARCO to evacuate foreign workers from Jakarta, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554156199-672
*** U.S. envoy to meet angry Pakistan on nuclear test
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott arrived in Pakistan
Friday to try to persuade furious officials not to respond to India's
five nuclear tests with their own. Officials said Talbott was resting
before talks later with Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan, who has
complained bitterly Washington did not do enough to stop India's
tests. He was also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif,
whose cabinet was reported to be unanimous "barring a few meek
voices" in wanting Pakistan to go ahead with a test to retaliate for
India's five Monday and Wednesday. The English-language Nation said
the cabinet "stood for detonating a nuclear device" and established a
special six-man committee to study Islamabad's options. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554161117-215
*** Sanctions-hit India to woo Western firms
India plans to speed up approval of investments by Western
multinationals in the hopes of diluting sweeping economic sanctions
imposed after it conducted nuclear tests, a newspaper said Friday.
The Economic Times said key Indian departments of industry, trade and
finance have been asked to move quickly on investments by Western
firms, especially those from the U.S. President Clinton imposed
sanctions that Washington said could cover an estimated $20 billion
in loans, aid and credit guarantees after India carried out five
underground nuclear tests this week, ending a 24-year-old
self-imposed moratorium on such tests. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554161527-e19
*** India questions U.S. claims on impact of sanctions, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554162056-4e7
*** Photos show 1996 Indian nuke preparations - expert, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554154316-c09
*** Russia launches cargo spacecraft to Mir station
Russia launched a Progress cargo spacecraft Friday with fresh
supplies for the ageing Mir orbiting station and equipment for new
medical experiments, a spokesman for Mission Control said. "Heavy
Soyuz-U booster with Progress M-39 craft blasted-off from Baikonur
cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2:13 a.m. Moscow time," the spokesman
said. He said Progress M-39, which is expected to dock with Mir
Sunday, carried 1.5 tons of cargo, including a set of equipment for
experiments with proteins, part of research to find a cure for cancer
and malfunctions of the humane immune system. The Progress also
carries 60 snails for medical experiments in weightlessness. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554160198-bb1
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The World Political Scene
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Albright, Netanyahu fail to break Mideast impasse
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Israeli leader Benjamin
Netanyahu failed again Thursday to achieve a breakthrough in stalled
Mideast peace talks as violence escalated in Palestinian areas.
Albright and Netanyahu ended a second round of talks in a Washington
hotel Thursday with no deal on a U.S. proposal Israel withdraw from
13% of the West Bank; no further talks between the two were planned.
Albright, who has already changed her travel plans twice to meet with
the Israeli prime minister, will depart this weekend for a
U.S.-European Union summit as planned. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554157621-bc8
*** Related: Netanyahu finds Republican friends in U.S. Congress, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153845-2d8
*** Related: 9 Palestinians die in Israel anniversary unrest, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152132-e2f
*** Albanian separatists divided over Kosovo talks
Kosovo separatist leader Ibrahim Rugova meets Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic Friday for talks which his divided advisors insist
will not involve negotiations in the absence of a foreign mediator.
Rugova was pushed into the meeting by U.S. envoys anxious to prevent
the 2-1/2-month Kosovo crisis from degenerating into a full-blow war,
which could spread across the southern Balkans. His decision to go to
Belgrade split the so-called ethnic Albanian Group of 15 appointed by
Rugova to advise him on tactics and one resigned Thursday in protest.
The Kosovo Albanians made it a condition negotiations could only take
place with foreign mediation. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155033-f3c
*** Related: IMF optimistic about Albania if reforms continue, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554154751-425
*** U.S. to target EU farm subsidies in WTO round
The U.S. will make agricultural reform a top priority in the next
round of global trade talks, targeting the European Union's farm
export subsidies, an official said Thursday. Agriculture Secretary
Dan Glickman wants to send a clear message to the world agriculture
is a top priority for the U.S. and it remains committed to open
markets and fair trade, said Lon Hatamiya of the Department of
Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service. Hatamiya said Glickman
would be joining President Clinton in Geneva in a few days' time for
the World Trade Organization's ministerial session. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554151260-420
*** Fidel Fever hits Geneva as Castro takes a walk
Fidel fever came to Geneva Thursday as hundreds of UN workers, many
of them Latin Americans, turned out to shake the hand of the Cuban
leader. Castro, in Switzerland for a week to address the World Health
Organization and the World Trade Organization, seemed to enjoy
meeting the well-wishers as he broke off his tour of a UN art
exhibition to chat. Shouts of "Comandante, Comandante" filled the air
as workers, some who brought their children along, tried to catch the
attention of one of the world's best-known political leaders. "Do
they have unions here? Do they pay you well?" Castro asked a trio of
Brazilian women who had been working in Switzerland for 30 years. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152242-e10
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Americas
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Brazil slum fire kills baby, leaves 500 homeless
A 2-month-old baby was burned to death and 500 people were left
homeless when a fire swept through a slum in southeastern Brazil
Thursday, officials said. A police spokesman said the fire started
before dawn in a cluster of plywood and cardboard shacks under a
highway overpass in Sao Paulo's eastern district of Taubate. The
baby's mother said she had left him with a neighbor to rush back into
the blaze to rescue her other children but when she returned, fire
had already devoured the neighbor's home. The infant's charred body
was found two hours later. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152861-aa0
*** Bolivia's top fugitive Escobar arrested in Argentina
Bolivia's most wanted fugitive - his face and hair changed by plastic
surgery - was arrested in the Argentine coastal resort of Mar del
Plata after being on the run since last October, an Interpol official
said Thursday. Dante Benito Escobar Plata, 50, was picked up Thursday
as he entered a telephone call center in the middle of town by a
three-man team, Interpol's operations chief said. Escobar allegedly
stole $2 million from money he was administering as manager of
Bolivia's state pension fund in a case that blew up in March last
year. He is also accused of being involved in another scheme to
embezzle $10 million from the same retiree funds. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554157393-d61
*** U.S. drug chief blasts Peruvian security official
White House drug policy chief Gen. Barry McCaffrey accused a top
Peruvian security official Thursday of doctoring a videotape of his
visit to Peru last month in a bid to improve his shadowy public
image. McCaffrey said Vladimiro Montesinos, a security adviser to
President Alberto Fujimori, had tried to rehabilitate himself in the
eyes of Peruvians by being seen talking to the White House official
about Peru's counter-narcotics strategy. Montesinos is one of Peru's
most unpopular figures. He has been accused of involvement in human
rights violations, including the tapping of opponents' telephones.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155380-52c
*** Castro assails U.S., praises Clinton
A defiant Fidel Castro used a UN conference Thursday to assail the
U.S. and the evils of capitalism - then applauded President Clinton
and a health care appeal by his wife Hillary. The Cuban leader
accused Washington of trying to use genocide to make his country bend
to its will. Castro hit out fiercely against economic globalization
and "blind" market policies that were destroying the planet's ecology
and creating mass poverty. Hours after his speech Thursday, the Cuban
leader was enthusiastically applauding Mrs. Clinton's speech after
she received a prize for her work on behalf of women and children.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152154-9fa
*** Mexico seizes large supply of amphetamine base
Mexico seized four tons of a chemical used to make amphetamines at
the Pacific seaport of Manzanillo, the Attorney General's Office said
Thursday. The PGR said an anti-narcotics squad impounded the
phenypropanolamine which a chemical firm based in Taipei, Taiwan, had
sent to its Mexico City subsidiary. The statement did not name the
company. "The import of this chemical took place without the backing
of relevant authorization from the Health Ministry," the PGR added.
Phenypropanolamine, used to make amphetamines but also mainstream
drugs such as cold remedies, is a controlled substance in Mexico.
Officials seized 2,200 pounds of the drug at Mexico City airport May
3. (REUTERS)
*** Venezuelan beauty queen nominated for presidency
Former Miss Universe Irene Saez was nominated for the Venezuelan
presidency Thursday by the country's second largest political party.
Members of the Social Christian party Copei, which has not won a
presidential election in 20 years, chose the 1981 Miss Universe
winner over leading party figure Eduardo Fernandez at a national
convention in Caracas. Copei's nomination of Saez capped a long
courtship of her by the party's top officials. Political analysts
have described the alliance as a marriage of convenience between a
party desperate for power after almost two decades out of government
and a candidate lacking the political machinery to turn popular
support into votes. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554156207-e33
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Europe and Russia
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Blair hardens demand for IRA to scrap arms
British Prime Minister Tony Blair gave a veiled warning Thursday that
Sinn Fein could be blocked from seats in a new Northern Ireland
power-sharing executive if its IRA guerrilla ally refuses to scrap
vast hidden arsenals. Blair, hoping to win over suspicious
pro-British Protestants to the Northern Ireland peace deal, set out a
toughly-worded formula for judging whether the IRA and Sinn Fein were
genuinely committed to a new era of non-violence and democracy. David
Trimble, the province's chief Protestant politician and a firm
supporter of the peace accord, applauded his commitment to enshrine a
peace test into legislation giving effect to the accord. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153475-8c2
*** Clinton with bad back arrives early for G8 summit
President Clinton, suffering from a sore back, flew into Britain
Thursday to attend a summit of the Group of Eight industrial nations.
He was the first G8 leader to fly in. He arrived 90 minutes early
after hastily concluding a trip to Germany. Press spokesman Mike
McCurry said Clinton was bothered by a sore back. "He said, 'My back
is hurting me, it's killing me. Let's go.'" Upon arrival in
Birmingham, Clinton slowly backed into his limousine seat at the
airport and took several minutes to get out of the car at his hotel.
He waved to the crowd outside the hotel and told asking reporters his
back was "good." See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153509-e2f
*** Related: Clinton and Kohl stump in former East Germany, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152365-a7b
*** Jail term urged in French skinhead murder case
A state prosecutor recommended a jail sentence of 10 to 12 years
Thursday for a skinhead accused of killing a Moroccan man by pushing
him into the Seine River after a far-right Paris political rally.
Defendant Mickael Freminet, 22, denied murdering Brahim Bouarram, 30,
three years ago but admitted shoving him into the river and watching
him bob in the swift current before leaving the scene accompanied by
three other skinheads. A verdict was due Friday. In closing
arguments, prosecutor Philippe Bilger said Freminet could have saved
Bouarram after pushing him after the National Front party's annual
May Day rally and parade. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554150614-11d
*** UN renews its 70-member Tajikistan observer unit
The Security Council unanimously approved a six-month renewal
Thursday of a 70-member UN observer mission in Tajikistan helping
implement an accord ending a civil war in the former Soviet republic.
A 20,000-strong Russian-led peacekeeping force fielded by the
Commonwealth of Independent States is also stationed in the country,
where tens of thousands of people were killed after it gained
independence in 1991. The council resolution expressed regret
progress had been slow during the past three months in the peace
process between the government and the Islamist United Tajik
Opposition. It condemned renewed fighting, in violation of a
cease-fire and called on all concerned to refrain from acts of
violence. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554151147-d14
*** Yeltsin, Kiriyenko want Russia to tighten belt
President Boris Yeltsin met Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko Thursday
to discuss how to help Russia live within its means and later signed
a decree stepping up discipline in shaky state finances. Yeltsin's
move came as Russia faced western pressure to tighten its belt and
demands for cash from coal miners losing patience over huge wage
arrears. Interfax news agency quoted Yeltsin's press secretary as
saying Kiriyenko, approved by parliament April 24, had outlined to
Yeltsin his intention to keep government expenses strictly within
real revenues. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554151574-fa6
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Africa
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Eritrea blames Ethiopia for border dispute
Eritrea accused Ethiopian militiamen Thursday of invading its
territory and said both sides suffered casualties, as a border
skirmish threatened to develop into a full-scale crisis. Foreign
Minister Haile Woldensae said charges by Ethiopia that Eritrean
forces had invaded were "false and hurtful" and he urged
international mediation to settle the dispute. Haile later said it
was not the regular army but Ethiopian militias which were
responsible for the May 6 attack. Ethiopia started the war of words
by accusing Eritrea Wednesday of invading and warning of a firm
response unless it pulled back. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554151127-fba
----------------------------------------------------------------------
India and the Middle East
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Iraq gives UN new oil-for-food plan
Iraq gave the UN its long-awaited plan for distributing food,
medicine and other goods Thursday, a requirement before the new phase
of the UN oil-for-food program can begin June 4. Nizar Hamdoon,
Iraq's UN ambassador, said the plan was given to UN officials in
Baghdad and was expected to arrive in New York shortly.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan must approve the complicated
distribution plan before the next 6-month phase of the oil-for-food
deal can begin. The oil-for-food plan began in Dec. 1996, partly to
counter the outcry in the Arab world about the effects of sanctions
on ordinary Iraqis, imposed in 1990 after Iraq invaded Kuwait. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153613-fae
*** Acting premier Iryani to form new Yemeni cabinet
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh asked acting Prime Minister and
Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdul-Karim al-Iryani, 63, Thursday to
form a new government, the official news agency SABA said. Iryani, a
member of Saleh's ruling General People's Congress, was appointed
acting premier following the resignation April 29 of former prime
minister Faraj Said bin Ghanem after less than a year in office.
Analysts said Saleh was expected to appoint Iryani formally as
premier after the formation of the new cabinet. Officials said Bin
Ghanem, an independent, quit in a dispute over a cabinet reshuffle.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554151457-d7d
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Far East
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Japanese firms halt operations in Indonesia
Some of Japan's industrial giants and biggest banks said Friday they
had halted their operations in Indonesia and were taking steps to
protect employees and clients from the violence there. Some have
closed offices and factories, while others have advised their
Japanese employees to stay home and their families to evacuate from
Indonesia. Among the top Japanese firms affected are Toyota Motor
CorpHitachi Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Bank of
Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd. Travel agencies such as Japan Travel Bureau,
the nation's largest, have canceled tours to Indonesia, which has
been the scene of riots over President Suharto's leadership since
earlier this week. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554161532-827
*** Related: U.S. government, firms pull staff from Jakarta, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554160247-ec4
*** Related: Indonesia riots complicate Japan's G8 role on Asia, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554159023-9eb
*** N. Korea refuses handover of U.S. soldier remains
North Korea refused to hand over as scheduled Friday what are
believed to be the remains of U.S. soldiers killed during the Korean
war, the UN Command said. The handover was scheduled to take place at
11 a.m. in Panmunjom, the truce village on the border of the two
Koreas. "Approximately one hour ago, despite an agreement to do so,
the Korean People's Army failed to repatriate through Panmunjom the
remains of what are believed to be two American United Nations
Command personnel killed during the Korean War," Maj. Gen. Michael
Hayden of the U.S. Air Force said. This is the first time North Korea
has refused to adhere to a prior agreement for handing over the
remains of soldiers. For rest of Part 2 see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554160788-f65
*** Cambodian truce talks break down on first day
Ceasefire talks between the Cambodian government and a military team
under deposed co-premier Prince Norodom Ranariddh broke down soon
after opening Friday because of disagreement over a member of the
prince's team. The government side objected to the presence in
Ranariddh's five-member delegation of Long Sarin, a senior official
from the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok. Ranariddh's team arrived in
Cambodia Wednesday to discuss a formal end to their fight against the
government and the reintegration of the prince's troops into the
army. Long Sarin said he had been officially relieved of his post at
the embassy in Bangkok after Ranariddh was ousted in July. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554160293-bb7
*** S. Korea premier asks workers to eschew violence
South Korea's acting Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil appealed to workers
Friday not to resort to violence out of frustration over massive job
losses. "Illegal and violent demonstrations would only make the
country's situation worse and cost you workers more jobs," said Kim
in a televised speech to the nation. "The violent demonstrations on
May Day alone scared foreigners who wanted to invest in our country."
More than 20,000 workers and students took to the streets in Seoul
May 1 to protest soaring unemployment and demand the government
guarantee job security. Riot police used tear gas to quell the
violence. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554161190-f1d
*** U.S. says it will not sacrifice Taiwan interests
The U.S. will not sacrifice Taiwan's interests during President
Clinton's visit to China next month, the State Department's top
policymaker for the region, Stanley Roth, told Congress Thursday.
Despite what he called widespread rumors to the contrary, Roth said
there will be no fourth communique regarding U.S. arms sales to
Taiwan during the summit in late June. "Our position regarding Taiwan
is clear and unchanged." The U.S. cut formal ties to Taiwan when it
formally recognized China in 1979. Washington has recognized there is
only "one China" in three joint communiques with Beijing. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152010-9de
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Science and Medicine
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Gene mutation tied to some gastrointestinal tumors
Scientists said Thursday they had found a genetic mutation that can
cause a rare form of gastrointestinal tumor in patients as young as
6. Patients with the mutation in the gene SMAD4 are very likely to
develop polyps, or abnormal growths, in the gastrointestinal tract, a
report in the journal Science said. The condition, juvenile
polyposis, has been known to run in families and can lead to many
forms of cancer. But the researchers said they also had found
individuals with juvenile polyposis but no family history of the
condition. One was diagnosed at age 6 with 30 to 40 juvenile polyps
in the colon. They are not sure how the mutation comes about. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153645-43d
*** Samples faulted in poor U.S. science test result
The poor performance of American students on a recent international
math and science test may not reflect their true ability, an
education expert said Thursday. Iris Rotberg, a research professor of
education policy at George Washington University, said the Third
International Mathematics and Science Study was seriously flawed
because it did not compare like with like. It ranked American high
school seniors 18th out of the 21 countries that participated and the
results caused an outcry, from President Bill Clinton downwards, for
better science and math education. But Rotberg said the comparisons
may not have been fair. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153809-f40
*** Some earthquake motion underestimated - U.S. study
Certain types of earthquakes can cause the ground to shake up to
twice as hard as scientists had previously thought, researchers said
Thursday. Some experts said this means ground motion from a
thrust-fault earthquake - caused when different layers of the earth
push together, sliding one part over another - could exceed levels
used in current building codes in major population centers. In a
study published in the journal Science, seismologists at the
University of California at Santa Barbara showed many places in
Southern California could experience this unexpectedly hard ground
motion because they are located on or near thrust faults. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152745-f37
*** U.S. disease experts want better 'superbug' watch
Virtually all strains of the common staph bacterium are now resistant
to penicillin, other bugs are rapidly developing drug-resistant forms
and the costs are rocketing, yet no one is tracking these "superbugs"
in an organized way, disease experts said Thursday. They said
governments, doctors, drug companies and academic researchers must
join forces to find out where and why drug-resistant microbes are
emerging. "This is a global public health problem," said Dr. James
Hughes of the Center for Infectious Diseases at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. Despite repeated warnings that some
infections would emerge no drugs could treat, no one has taken
concerted action, he said, and the U.S. government is not helping.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155592-a2c
*** U.S. warns of blood thinners in some pregnancies
Women attempting test-tube pregnancies should be wary of blood
thinners. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said
Thursday it could not be sure if the death in 1996 of a 38-year-old
woman who was attempting in vitro fertilization was due to therapy to
help prevent blood clots. She had received a combination of aspirin
and heparin. Researchers have found the use of the two drugs can
prevent miscarriage early in pregnancy by reducing risk of
spontaneous abortion in some women. Aspirin and heparin, however, are
also known to increase the risk and severity of bleeding. The CDC
said the use of anticoagulants was more common among women undergoing
in vitro fertilization, even though data on risks and benefits are
limited. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153285-c24
*** Vitamins cut fetal deaths in HIV-positive women
Daily doses of multivitamins can reduce fetal deaths and premature
births and improve the immune systems of pregnant women infected with
the HIV virus, researchers said Friday. A four-year study of 1,075
HIV-positive pregnant women in Tanzania, reported in The Lancet
medical journal, showed vitamin supplements reduced fetal deaths, low
birth weights and severe pre-term births by approximately 40%. They
also significantly improved the immune status of the mothers. For the
90% of the world's 30 million HIV sufferers who live in the
developing world, the study could have a profound impact. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554151016-bf4
*** Related: AIDS-free babies may not have been infected, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155224-914
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Technology
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Update: Gore wants to increase privacy on Internet
Vice President Al Gore announced a plan Thursday to give people
greater protection over how personal information about them is
gathered and used via computer. "We need an electronic bill of rights
for this electronic age," Gore said in a commencement speech at New
York University. The plan is aimed at protecting medical records and
providing a way for Americans to stop receiving junk mail and halt
annoying phone calls from telemarketers. Gore, planning to run for
president in 2000, was taking up an issue Americans are increasingly
concerned about: their loss of privacy in a world increasingly
reliant on computers. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152411-e64
*** U.S. agency will not curb cable TV prices
The Federal Communications Commission will not freeze or roll back
rising cable television prices before congressionally ordered
deregulation begins next March, the agency's head said Friday. FCC
Commissioner William Kennard told the Washington Post his agency
would continue to study the problem, with an eye to influencing
debate in Congress. Cable prices have been rising at more than five
times the rate of inflation. Congress agreed in 1996 to phase out
most price rules by early next year. In December and January Kennard
raised the possibility of putting new controls on rates, prompting
intense lobbying against tougher regulations by the cable industry.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554160522-703
*** Japanese theater goes hi-tech after 300 years
Japan's traditional theater of Kabuki is moving in directions
Manjirou Ichimura's ancestors could have only imagined. From
productions for mainly non-Japanese-speaking audiences to live
performances on the Internet, the Kabuki actor is breathing new life
into an art form that has grown more distant from its roots as
theater of the common man. Ichimura, who inherited a family tradition
going back 18 generations, said the inspiration for the change is the
number of foreigners coming to catch a glimpse of Japan's culture
only to be disappointed that what remains is still inaccessible. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554149023-817
*** Accused Canadian juror gives up Internet 'diary'
A former Canadian juror on trial over an alleged romantic affair with
a murder defendant said Thursday she will comply with a court order
to drop her daily Internet campaign against her prosecution. "There
are many untruths being reported but I can no longer defend myself,"
said Gillian Guess in a message posted on her "Off With Her Head" Web
site. Guess previously condemned her prosecution and the treatment of
the case by the news media in daily updates in a column titled "Diary
of a Mad Juror." The judge ordered Guess to adhere to court rules
prohibiting defendants from discussing their cases directly or
indirectly with the media and said the order covered Internet
activity, court clerks said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554154744-a89
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Environment
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Senator urges U.S. to help with Mexico fires
A U.S. senator urged the White House Thursday to help Mexico and
Central American nations fight forest fires that have sent clouds of
smoke billowing over the U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas said in a
letter to President Clinton it was time for the U.S. to get involved
because the smoke posed a serious health threat. "It seems clear the
governments of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras are simply incapable of
combating these huge blazes," Gramm said. In Mexico, where 9,600
fires have burned this spring because of unusually hot, dry weather,
officials have thrown up their hands and said the blazes would not go
out until the summer rainy season arrives. The fires have been caused
by farmers clearing land and arsonists, officials said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554156721-b59
*** Related: No relief in sight for Mexico drought, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155270-589
*** Disney park animal death toll higher than reported
At least 31 animals have died at Walt Disney's new Animal Kingdom
theme park in Florida, not the roughly two dozen originally reported,
officials said Thursday. Animal Kingdom opened April 22 and was
greeted by animal rights protesters who accused the company of not
doing enough to prevent animal deaths. A spokeswoman for the theme
park said the company was not calling the media about every animal
death. She said eight of the deaths noted in a Department of
Agriculture report on its April inspection of the Disney property
were of newborn rabbits and two others were of other newborns. Some
other deaths involved animals that came to the park with pre-existing
conditions. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155096-5ba
*** U.S. lawmakers' concern grows over food imports
The most consumers can do to fight potential sickness-causing germs
in imported berries and lettuce is to soak produce in a
chlorine-water mixture, but even that won't guarantee safe eating, a
food expert told a Senate panel Thursday. As imports of fruits and
vegetables soar, there is growing bipartisan support for a Clinton
Administration proposal to give Food and Drug Administration
inspectors power to block imports from countries with unsafe
standards. FDA inspectors have been overwhelmed by a doubling in
produce shipments in the past five years and outmaneuvered by
unscrupulous food importers, the Senate subcommittee on
investigations was told. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554153837-d9c
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Human Interest
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Ga. official cries foul over Vidalia claim
A bitter battle brewing Thursday in the fields where Georgia's sweet
Vidalia onions are grown was enough to make a grown man cry. At least
one consumer, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin, said
there was no merit to a claim that some Vidalia onions were sweeter
than others. "The proof is in the tasting," Irvin said. "A Vidalia
onion is a Vidalia onion." The controversy in the 20-county region
where the $89 million crop is grown stems from claims by two major
growers who labeled this spring's produce "certified sweet" and
"certified extra sweet." See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554150871-e3f
*** Upscale N.J. town to sell $20 land parcels
You can buy a small piece of land for only $20 in upscale Bernards
Township, N.J., but you cannot live there. Bernards Township
Committee passed an ordinance Tuesday putting seven tiny parcels of
land up for sale in a region where publisher Steve Forbes and King
Hassan II of Morocco own property. However, some are along a roadway
or lie within existing backyards and none is large enough to build
on. Town officials said the purpose of the ordinance was to clean up
the township's tax rolls because ownership had not been reported.
Township clerk Denise Szabo warned the parcels measure only from
1/100th of an acre to three-quarters of an acre. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152115-c65
*** Lost Mormon crosses Andes mountains on foot
A young U.S. Mormon hiked blindly for a week crossed the Andes
Mountains before stumbling into western Argentina's Mendoza province.
"Without documents and having difficulties orienting himself in time
and space, the young man explained that he went missing from a camp
in the Chilean zone of San Bernardo," Mendoza police said Thursday.
Nathan Camp Kole, 20, a missionary in the Mormon congregation in
Concepcion, Chile, disappeared the beginning of May. Without a
backpack or food he trudged more than 120 miles on steep trails
surrounded by 13,000-foot mountains before arriving in Tunuyan. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554155169-a7c
*** Storm-damaged home of President Jackson to reopen
A month after tornadoes ravaged the Hermitage, the historic home of
former President Andrew Jackson, the keepers of the Tennessee estate
said Thursday they plan to reopen it to visitors next week. The third
most-visited presidential home in America, after Washington's Mount
Vernon and Jefferson's Monticello, the Hermitage lost 1,200 trees to
two twisters April 16. Damage to the warrior president's majestic
mansion, which recently had a $2 million renovation, was minimal.
Jackson died at the Hermitage in 1845. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554152862-d16
*** Survey: cheapest state to vacation is N.D.
Want to save some money? Vacation in North Dakota. The Midwestern
state will have the lowest average summer vacation costs at $131 a
day for meals and lodging for a family of four, according to the
American Automobile Association's vacation costs survey. Hawaii
topped the list at $383 a day in AAA's survey of 36,000 AAA-approved
accommodations and restaurants. The national average daily cost for
food and lodging for two adults and two children is projected at
$218, a $19 increase from 1997, said AAA. In addition to meals and
lodging, families who travel by automobile should plan to spend about
$4.40 for gasoline for every 100 miles of driving, 40 cents less than
a year ago. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554151014-056
*** Related: Americans to travel in record numbers this summer, See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554151050-c16
*** Yemeni children work to live
As soon as the traffic signal turns red, crowds of youths in dirty
clothes descend on drivers peddling water bottles, newspapers or
facial tissues. "I have to work to support my family," said Abdallah
Shajar, 12. "I sell water bottles for 25 rials (19 cents) each and I
make five rials from each bottle. I earn between 150 to 200 rials per
day. They are not worth the long hours under the sun." While children
around the world are in classrooms, Shajar and others are among
several hundred thousand Yemeni minors who spend most of their day
trying to earn a living for their families. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554149340-e68
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