Afternoon Edition for Friday, August 07, 1998
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U.S. Front Page Stories
-----------------------
*** Car bombs blast U.S. Africa missions, up to 80 dead
*** No lack of candidates for embassy bombings - experts
*** Lewinsky tells of presidential sex - reports
*** Clinton says jobs data 'good news' for economy
*** Words rage over NYC black youth rally plans
The U.S. Political Scene
------------------------
*** 'Mea culpa' bid touted for Clinton in Monica case
*** Clinton signs credit union bill
*** House puts off tobacco debate indefinitely
*** Japan foreign minister to meet Albright Aug. 14
*** N.J. senator in hospital with pneumonia
U.S. Business and Financial News
--------------------------------
*** WorldCom sees huge MCI charge, may restructure
*** Wall Street shows strength
*** IBM pulling out as worldwide Olympics sponsor
*** McKesson, Cardinal Health scuttle planned takeover deals
World Front Page Stories
------------------------
*** Rescuers dig through night for bomb survivors
*** Solana says NATO ready to protect Kosovo civilians
*** Kabila in Zimbabwe for talks, revolt bubbles
*** German insurers deny conspiring with Nazis
*** Iraq said to 'contravene' but not 'violate' accord
The World Political Scene
-------------------------
*** Annan in Portugal to discuss East Timor, Angola
*** Myanmar gov't offers opposition concessions
*** Cambodia party leaders meet amid vote row
*** Israel weighing position on nuclear 'cut-off'
*** Turkey urges end to U.S. missile sales to Greece
*** Jordan king says progressing in cancer treatment
The Americas
------------
*** Colombia's Samper reaches end of political odyssey
*** Peru's PM says Fujimori accepts his resignation
*** Mexico's opposition calls for central banker's head
*** Battle against British Columbia wildfires continues
*** Jamaican officials seek to avert water workers' strike
Europe and Russia
-----------------
*** Russia vows tax crackdown, sees more revenue
*** Funding probe setback for French opposition
*** Police probe overnight blast near N. Irish border
*** Dutch to boost battle against internet child porn
*** German FDP pitches for small business support
*** Havel watches TV as health improves
Africa
------
*** Sudan peace talks collapse, but aid plan on agenda
*** Angola meeting, envoy's return revive peace hope
*** Nigeria prepares way to civilian rule in May
*** S. Africa's Mandela warns against majority tyranny
*** Doctors say Gaddafi recovering well from broken hip
India and the Middle East
-------------------------
*** Kashmir border quiet for 2nd consecutive day
*** Analysts see few changes after Pakistan cabinet shuffle
*** UN still on standby after Tajik slayings
*** Iranian cleric urges support for economic plan
*** Israel denies entry to 4 PLO officials
*** Vatican, Israel lock horns over Palestinian bishop
The Far East
------------
*** Japan PM recovery plan fails to impress
*** China sets curfew in flood area, to blow up dikes
*** S. Korea rains death toll 196 with 91 missing
*** Indonesia to end military operations in Aceh
*** China nabs 2 more in death of Taiwan politician
World Business and Financial News
---------------------------------
*** HK index drops 3.3% as currency worries mount
*** European stocks advance as investors focus on U.S.
*** Saab reports loss despite higher sales
*** Russia threatens to seize oil firms' assets
Science and Medicine
--------------------
*** Japan satellites fail in 2nd docking
*** Russia to meet space commitments despite cash woes
*** The old ways really are best, for health
Technology
----------
*** SyQuest to layoff 950, cut manufacturing
*** Compaq cuts prices up to 14% on 2 servers
*** E-mail security flaw found in Eudora software -WSJ
The Environment
---------------
*** Bangladesh floods kill 306 people, start receding
*** Protesting Venezuelan Indians close road to Brazil
*** Micmac Indians urge intervention in Quebec standoff
*** Forest fire near Athens subsides, others rage on
*** French ferry damaged by collision with whale
Human Interest
--------------
*** Lawyer for lucky 13 U.S. lottery winners collects
*** Int'l team to hunt monster in Swedish lake
*** Japanese woman sells daughter for pinball stake
*** Vietnamese restaurant tries look-alike gimmick
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U.S. Front Page Stories
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Car bombs blast U.S. Africa missions, up to 80 dead
Two car bombs tore into the United States embassies in Kenya and
Tanzania on Friday, killing about 80 people, and President Bill
Clinton vowed to do everything in his power to bring the perpetrators
to justice. The U.S. Defense Department announced it was sending a
special team of FBI agents to Africa and the U.S. Air Force said it
was sending at least two military aircraft with medical evacuation
staff. "We are determined to get answers, and justice," Clinton said.
An embassy spokesman in Nairobi said at least eight U.S. embassy
staff or citizens were confirmed dead and seven others still missing.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555443322-591
*** Related story: U.S. sending FBI agents to investigate explosions.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555443284-b12
*** Also: State Dept. sets up hot-line for Africa blasts info. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555442566-f53
*** No lack of candidates for embassy bombings - experts
Counter-terrorism experts said Friday they could not begin to guess
who was behind bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania from
among a host of enemies of the United States. "We have kind of
forgotten that there is a strata of people out there who do not like
us, who will never like us and who view us as everything bad in their
world," said Charles Engelhart, director of international
investigations at Kroll Associates, a business intelligence firm. He
said decades of small wars had created a class of mercenaries who
have the means, and the motivation, to attack U.S. targets. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555442279-216 ***
Also: Muslim extremists main suspects in embassy bombings, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555443144-6a4
*** Lewinsky tells of presidential sex - reports
Reports of Monica Lewinsky's graphic grand jury testimony about her
alleged affair with President Clinton seeped out Friday, as a poll
showed most Americans wish the scandal investigation had never begun.
As various versions of Lewinsky's day-long testimony Thursday were
splashed across newspaper front pages, Clinton appeared in the Rose
Garden to preside over a carefully scripted event on job training and
to express outrage at a pair of bombings at U.S. embassies in Kenya
and Tanzania. Clinton made no reference to his scheduled testimony
before the grand jury, to be made on video in an extraordinary Aug.
17 White House interview with independent counsel Kenneth Starr. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555441150-c80
*** Clinton says jobs data 'good news' for economy
New figures on unemployment are "good news" for the U.S. economy,
which is blessed with strong growth, low inflation and rising wages,
President Clinton said Friday. Clinton, speaking in the White House
Rose Garden, said real wages had risen more than twice as fast as
inflation in the last year. Unemployment - an unchanged 4.5% in July
- had been below 5% for 13 months. But Clinton said Asia's financial
crisis was already having an impact on the U.S. economy and said the
U.S. had to support international efforts to revive Asian economies.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555441717-4bf
*** Words rage over NYC black youth rally plans
Plans for a black youth rally in New York modeled after the 1995
Million Man March have become a war of words between Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani and the organizers led by a former Nation of Islam official.
Although the rally is a month away, the rhetorical heat has risen in
recent days with the mayor labeling the event "a hate march" and
organizers calling him "Adolf" Giuliani, an official bent on denying
their constitutional rights. The leaders of the Million Youth March
have vowed to defy the mayor, who has cited concerns about the large
number of people and what he considers threats of gangster violence,
in denying a permit to stage the Sept. 5 rally in Harlem. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555441708-ac4
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The U.S. Political Scene
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** 'Mea culpa' bid touted for Clinton in Monica case
It worked for evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, sportscaster Marv Albert and
political strategist Dick Morris - the public mea culpa, weapon of
last resort when powerful men are caught in sexual transgressions.
Could it work for President Clinton? If he lied about his
relationship with Monica Lewinsky, could he save himself - and stop
the country's collective squirming - by admitting he made a mistake?
Many think so. But others believe it unlikely unless Clinton is truly
cornered by his Aug. 17 video appearance before independent counsel
Kenneth Starr's grand jury, boxed in by witness testimony and
physical evidence. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555440621-159
*** Clinton signs credit union bill
President Clinton signed into law Friday legislation making millions
of Americans eligible to participate in credit unions. The new law
allows credit unions to take in unrelated groups as long as each
group has less than 3,000 people. It also adds some bank-like
regulations to ensure the financial safety of these organizations.
For example, outside audits would be required at larger credit
unions. In February, the Supreme Court ruled credit unions had been
expanding illegally for the past 16 years by taking in various groups
as members. That ruling, a short-term victory for banks, put millions
of current credit union memberships in jeopardy, credit union leaders
said. (Reuters)
*** House puts off tobacco debate indefinitely
The House began its month-long summer break Friday without acting on
teen-age smoking, an issue that Republicans say has faded from the
political radar screen. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas,
said this week that Republicans decided against bringing up a tobacco
bill before the summer break, and that Americans appear to have lost
interest in congressional action on the issue. He said Republicans in
the House of Representatives still planned to draw up a bill. But
Congress has a very busy agenda for September and plans to break for
the year in early October. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555443151-911
*** Japan foreign minister to meet Albright Aug. 14
Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura will visit Washington Aug.
14 to meet U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the State
Department said Friday. It said they would discuss bilateral,
regional and global issues including measures announced Friday by
Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to stimulate Japan's flagging economy.
(Reuters)
*** N.J. senator in hospital with pneumonia
Sen. Robert Torricelli has been admitted to a New Jersey hospital
with pneumonia but should be released Saturday, a spokeswoman said.
Torricelli, D-N.J., began feeling ill and developed a fever Thursday
morning after attending the funeral of his brother-in-law,
communications director Joy Howell said. He was diagnosed with
pneumonia and admitted to a hospital in his hometown of Englewood,
N.J., Thursday evening, she said. He was expected to be released
Saturday. "He'll be back in fighting form in no time," she said.
(Reuters)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Business and Financial News
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** WorldCom sees huge MCI charge, may restructure
Worldcom said it expects to record charges of $6-$7 billion in
connection with its $37 billion purchase of MCI, and other big
one-time costs could follow as the company ponders a post-acquisition
restructuring. In an 8-K report filed with the SEC late Thursday,
WorldCom said it was conducting a valuation study of MCI assets in
order to allocate a purchase price to net assets being acquired in
the deal. WorldCom expects the charge to be related to purchased
in-process research and development projects. WorldCom also said it
is developing a plan to integrate MCI's operations into its own upon
completion of the deal, a move that "may include certain exit and
restructuring costs." See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555438679-644
*** Wall Street shows strength
Wall Street enjoyed a steady rally in afternoon trading Friday,
helped by a July employment report that contained no inflation
signals, as well as improving sentiment in the broader market led by
rallies in technology and small cap stocks. Shortly before 2:15 p.m.
ET, the Dow Jones industrial average was 38 points higher at 8,615.
Market breadth on the New York Stock Exchange was positive, with
advances leading declines 1,947 to 934 as 567 million shares were
traded. The Nasdaq Composite gained 11 to 1,840 and the S&P 500 index
fell 2 to 1,087. The benchmark 30-year Treasury note rose 19/32 of a
point in price for a yield of 5.63%. (CNNfn)
*** IBM pulling out as worldwide Olympics sponsor
(AP) - IBM is ending its 38-year marketing relationship with the
Olympics, deciding after months of negotiations not to sign an
eight-year deal, the company said Friday. IBM, which spent more than
$100 million to sponsor the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and
provided much of the behind-the-scenes technology for free, wanted
local Olympic organizing committees to share the technology costs.
But the two sides never agreed on how much money should be paid to
IBM or how much the company should do for free in exchange for
marketing rights. IBM executives were upset by an International
Olympic Committee decision to seek a more profitable sponsorship deal
for upcoming games' Internet services and sites, a role IBM held in
the last two Olympics, in Nagano and Atlanta. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555440916-f7f
*** McKesson, Cardinal Health scuttle planned takeover deals
Bowing to antitrust concerns, the nation's two largest drug
wholesalers officially scuttled planned takeovers of smaller rivals,
a week after a federal judge sided with regulators who had sought to
block the deals. As expected in the wake of the judge's decision,
McKesson Corp. dropped its purchase of AmeriSource Health Corp.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Health Inc. abandoned an acquisition of Bergen
Brunswig Corp. The all-stock deals were announced within weeks of
each other late last summer. McKesson planned to buy AmeriSource for
$1.79 billion. Then Cardinal agreed to buy Bergen for $2.62 billion.
The mergers would have concentrated the power of McKesson and
Cardinal, which already had national reach in an industry long made
up of regional companies. The Federal Trade Commission charged that
the acquisitions would give the two control of nearly 80% of the $53
billion drug-wholesale market. (Dow Jones)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
World Front Page Stories
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Rescuers dig through night for bomb survivors
Two huge bomb blasts at U.S embassies in east Africa on Friday killed
up to 80 people, injured about 1,200 and brought morning rush-hour
carnage to the streets of Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. Hundreds of
blood-covered workers at the two embassies and nearby buildings ran
screaming into the streets after the coordinated attacks in the
Kenyan and Tanzanian capitals, which were barely 10 minutes apart.
Passengers in a bus caught by the Nairobi blast were incinerated in
their seats. President Clinton denounced the attacks as cowardly and
inhuman and vowed to bring the bombers to justice. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555443204-d8c
*** Solana says NATO ready to protect Kosovo civilians
NATO Secretary General Javier Solana said Friday the alliance was
ready to take steps to ensure the safety of the civilian population
in the Serbian province of Kosovo. Solana, in a statement made with
Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, expressed a readiness to
back international efforts to bring an end to the conflict. The
16-nation alliance, whose ambassadors will meet formally next week
have voiced "grave concern" about continuing Serb offensives in the
mainly ethnic Albanian province, pointing to the impact on civilians.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555442328-097
*** Also: Is Kosovo intervention more bark than bite? See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555440417-bdb ***
Also: Russian envoy rejects NATO Kosovo strikes, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555443038-777
*** Kabila in Zimbabwe for talks, revolt bubbles
Tutsi-led rebels claimed new advances in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo Friday as Laurent Kabila, the president they are trying to
topple, arrived in Zimbabwe for a summit of African leaders. Kabila,
who accuses neighbor Rwanda and regional power broker Uganda of
fomenting and fighting in the revolt, made little comment on arrival
in the resort town of Victoria Falls. "Not now. Tomorrow," he told
reporters when asked of his hopes for the summit, which will focus on
the conflict and is expected to include the leaders of both Rwanda
and Uganda. Rwanda, whose Tutsi-led army fought in the bush war that
overthrew veteran dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and propelled Kabila to
power in May 1997, once again denied involvement. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555442917-2a0
*** German insurers deny conspiring with Nazis
The German insurance industry denied Friday a claim by a U.S.
researcher that it had conspired with the Nazis to withhold insurance
claims worth billions in today's dollars from Jewish policyholders.
The GDV Federation of German Insurers said insurers had been forced
by the Nazis during the Third Reich to pay outstanding Jewish
insurance claims to the government instead. But those claims were
then settled after World War II as part of German government
compensation payments which totaled up to 150 billion marks (US$85
billion) over time, GDV spokeswoman Gabriele Hoffmann said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555441334-be1
*** Iraq said to 'contravene' but not 'violate' accord
The United Nations so far regards Iraq as only having "contravened"
an accord signed in February, a senior U.N. Security Council source
said Friday. Iraq earlier this year was warned of the "severest
consequences" in the event of any "violation" of the agreement it
concluded with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. But Iraq had so far
only "contravened" the pact because its announcement Wednesday that
it was suspending cooperation with U.N. weapons inspectors had not so
far led to any concrete action by Baghdad, the source said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555442631-92f
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The World Political Scene
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Annan in Portugal to discuss East Timor, Angola
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan began five-day visit to
Portugal Friday during which he will have talks on East Timor, Angola
and Guinea-Bissau, officials said. He will hold talks with Portuguese
President Jorge Sampaio and Prime Minister Antonio Guterres, they
said. Annan, who delayed his trip to Portugal for 24 hours because of
fresh international tension with Iraq over weapons inspections,
arrived in the northern city of Oporto from New York. Under the
auspices of the United Nations, Portugal and Indonesia signed a
ground-breaking agreement Wednesday to study a plan for autonomy for
East Timor, a former Portuguese colony annexed by Indonesia in 1976.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555437425-16e
*** Myanmar gov't offers opposition concessions
Myanmar's military government offered concessions to the opposition
led by Aung San Suu Kyi Friday, the day before the 10th anniversary
of a bloody army crackdown on pro-democracy campaigners. The
government invited the National League for Democracy for talks with
deputy Minister for Home Affairs Myint Maung at the ministry
Saturday. But the invitation excluded Suu Kyi and two other senior
NLD members from the talks without giving an explanation. The NLD
said it could not accept the conditions and turned down the talks, a
spokesman for the ruling State Peace and Development Council said.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555439832-14c
*** Cambodia party leaders meet amid vote row
Leaders of Cambodia's three main parties met for the first time since
last month's elections Friday as authorities rejected opposition
terms for accepting the vote result and agreeing to a new government.
Opposition leaders Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Sam Rainsy attended a
dinner with Chea Sim, president of the ruling Cambodian People's
Party, which won the July 26 polls. The party leaders declined to
discuss their talks but their host, top U.N. official Lakhan
Mehrotra, told reporters after the two-hour dinner the leaders met in
a "friendly ambience." See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555439775-9ef
*** Israel weighing position on nuclear 'cut-off'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday Israel was carefully
weighing its response to a U.N. initiative on halting production of
nuclear bomb-making fissile material. A front-page story in the
newspaper Ha'aretz said Netanyahu wanted the United States to
guarantee Israel would not face pressure to give up its reported
nuclear arsenal if it joined the initiative. Israel is the only
country in the 61-member United Nations Conference on Disarmament yet
to accept a 3-year-old bid to revive stalled "cut-off" talks on
ending production of plutonium and highly enriched uranium. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555435987-102
*** Turkey urges end to U.S. missile sales to Greece
Turkey will try to persuade the United States to halt anti-aircraft
missiles sales to its neighbor and ancient rival Greece, state-run
Anatolian news agency said Friday. It said Turkey would present
evidence to U.S. officials allegedly showing Greek government support
for Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas and expressing its
concern that the portable "Stinger" missiles would fall into Kurdish
rebel hands. A Turkish foreign ministry spokesman declined to comment
on the agency report. More than 28,000 people have been killed since
the PKK launched its campaign for Kurdish self-rule in 1984. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555437569-4ff
*** Jordan king says progressing in cancer treatment
King Hussein of Jordan said Friday he was responding positively to
cancer treatment and was taking a few days' break from a U.S.
hospital before resuming chemotherapy this week. The monarch told
Crown Prince Hassan in a letter released on Jordanian state
television his doctors had allowed him to leave the Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minn., Friday for an undisclosed Washington location
before resuming a second chemotherapy session. Nearly two weeks ago
the 62-year old monarch underwent the first session of chemotherapy
after doctors diagnosed he had B-cell lymphoma, a type of cancer
which they said was curable by treatment. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555442955-14c
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Americas
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Colombia's Samper reaches end of political odyssey
Colombian President Ernesto Samper, who hands over to his successor
Andres Pastrana Friday, has reached the end of his odyssey through
political hell and high water. Many political observers doubted
Samper would ever reach the end of his four-year term amid a scandal
sparked by claims he bankrolled his 1994 election campaign with $6
million from the Cali drug mob. But he toughed it out despite the
threat of impeachment, a military-backed coup and intense U.S.
pressure that virtually turned Colombia, the world's top cocaine
producer and a leading heroin exporter, into a pariah state. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555441037-125
*** Peru's PM says Fujimori accepts his resignation
Peru's outspoken prime minister confirmed Friday President Alberto
Fujimori had accepted his resignation, offered because of clashes
with the leader's allies. "The president has had the kindness to
accept my irrevocable resignation," Prime Minister Javier Valle
Riestra said, adding his replacement would be sworn in before
Tuesday. For part 2, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555443082-57f
*** Mexico's opposition calls for central banker's head
Opposition party leaders and debtor groups are calling for the head
of Mexico's central bank governor Guillermo Ortiz, but the question
on investors' minds is: will President Ernesto Zedillo listen or
stand by his man. As the debate over the government's $65 billion
bailout of the country's banks - known as Fobaproa - grows more
strident, Ortiz has been singled out as a potential fall guy. His
critics cite his role at the head of Mexico's bank privatization
commission under the administration of former President Carlos
Salinas, and his subsequent orchestration as Zedillo's finance
minister of the bank bailout following the 1994 peso crash. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555440773-97b ***
Also from Mexico: Massive traffic snarl adds to Mexico City woes. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555442236-602
*** Battle against British Columbia wildfires continues
Wildfires kept hundreds of British Columbia residents away from their
homes and scores of others were poised to evacuate as firefighters
struggled Friday to contain some of the larger blazes. Firefighting
teams from across Canada and Alaska have been brought in to battle
the scores of forest fires that have destroyed or damaged at least 20
homes and are blamed for at least one death. British Columbia
officials said the worst problems were in the area of Kamloops and
Salmon Arm in the southern interior of the province, where crews were
fighting to contain some of the bigger fires. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555442430-ba5
*** Jamaican officials seek to avert water workers' strike
Jamaican state water company officials held talks with workers Friday
in a bid to avoid a threatened strike that could disrupt the
country's water supply. Unions representing the majority of the 2,200
workers at the National Water Commission have threatened a strike as
early as this weekend because they are unhappy with management
proposals for their next two-year contract. Company and union
officials did not immediately release terms of the proposed
agreement. The employees have been working under a contract that
expired on Dec. 31, 1996. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555441288-e7d
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Europe and Russia
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Russia vows tax crackdown, sees more revenue
Russia's new tax chief Boris Fyodorov Friday forecast a fresh wave of
swoops on suspected tax dodgers and promised to keep revenues
increasing month by month so the government could stay afloat. "We're
planning a large number of new actions on both individuals and
corporations, though I won't name names yet," the former finance
minister told a news conference marking his first two months in
charge of the State Tax Service. The International Monetary Fund made
better tax collection a condition of the $22.6 billion bail-out it
led for Russia last month after the state came close to collapsing
under its debts. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555441864-21f ***
Also from Russia: Death toll in gas blast rises to 6, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555437798-d7c
*** Funding probe setback for French opposition
Former French defense minister and UDF party chief Francois Leotard
was hit with a judicial probe on money laundering charges Friday in
the latest setback for France's hapless conservative parties. An
investigating magistrate ordered the inquiry into Leotard and close
ally Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres because of a 1996 loan from an
Italian bank for their Republican Party, judicial sources said. The
judge suspected a link between that 5 million franc (US$850,000) loan
and a mysterious cash deposit for the same amount their party made to
a bank in Luxembourg on the same day as it received the credit, they
added. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555439610-1de ***
Also from France: Parties, Jews outraged at far-right paper, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555439359-96e
*** Police probe overnight blast near N. Irish border
Irish police said Friday they suspected republicans opposed to
Northern Ireland's peace process caused a blast on a hillside near
the border overnight in which no one was believed to have been
injured. "It is more than likely that this was the work of dissident
republicans," police said. He said police helicopters failed to get
to the scene of the explosion, which shook houses in the village of
Omeath south of the border and in the town of Warrenpoint to the
north of it. Three groups of republicans oppose the Irish Republican
Army ceasefire and Northern Ireland's peace process for its failure
to bring about Irish unity. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555438585-255 ***
Also from the region: Mountbatten's IRA bomber released from prison,
see http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555437218-55d
*** Dutch to boost battle against internet child porn
The Dutch justice ministry, stung by criticism over its handling of
child pornography on the internet, is to increase the number of
investigators working on it and boost cooperation between Dutch
authorities. "More detailed agreements have been made on how to
handle reports of child porn on the net...the Central Research and
Information service will put more people on the matter," ministry
spokesman Wijnand Stevens said Friday. Three weeks ago, the Dutch
police launched an investigation into a suspected international child
abuse ring after thousands of pornographic computer and video images
were found in a flat in the seaside town of Zandvoort. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555439817-8f9
*** German FDP pitches for small business support
Germany's Free Democrats, fighting to win reelection to parliament in
September's general election, unveiled pro-business policies Friday
the party said could create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. The
Free Democrats, junior partners in Chancellor Helmut Kohl's
center-right coalition, are languishing in opinion polls near the 5%
threshold required to gain election under Germany's system of
proportional representation. Targeting its traditional support base,
the party launched proposals for tax cuts, welfare reforms and cuts
in red tape to help the smaller companies which make up the backbone
of Europe's largest economy. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555438046-a44
*** Havel watches TV as health improves
Czech President Vaclav Havel, whose life was threatened earlier this
week by a severely accelerated heartbeat, is on the mend and watching
television, his doctors said Friday. Havel, 61, is breathing
spontaneously and the inflammation which led to his heart problems is
receding, his medical team said in a statement. On Monday night,
Havel's heartbeat surged to 200 beats a minute, causing his blood
pressure to fall, the third time his life has been in danger in the
past 19 months. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555439094-4d9
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Africa
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Sudan peace talks collapse, but aid plan on agenda
Peace talks aimed at ending Sudan's 15-year civil war have collapsed,
but the government and rebels will meet again soon to discuss ways to
keep aid flowing to millions of people hit by famine, a rebel
spokesman said Friday. Pa'gan Amum, speaking for the Sudan People's
Liberation Army, said the two sides had disagreed on key issues at
the latest round of talks, which ended on Friday in Ethiopia. Amum
said the two sides had agreed to meet within the next two weeks in
Nairobi to establish aid corridors and means of transport.
Representatives from the government, the SPLA, and the United Nations
Operation Lifeline Sudan would attend. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555442019-7d7
*** Angola meeting, envoy's return revive peace hope
Angola's fragile peace process, which had looked increasingly
threatened, took a step toward recovery Friday when the Joint
Commission which oversees the troubled procedure convened for a
plenary session. It was the first such meeting in several weeks and
followed the return to Luanda late Thursday of Isaias Samakuva, the
head of the delegation of the former rebel UNITA. "This is a time for
calm and reflection," the UNITA negotiator said when he touched down
in Luanda. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555438838-705 ***
Also: UN names new envoy for Angolan peace mission, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555441242-d9a
*** Nigeria prepares way to civilian rule in May
Nigeria's ruling generals have appointed a 14-member Independent
National Electoral Commission to oversee preparations for a return to
civilian rule next May. A retired judge, Ephraim Akpata, 71, will
head the electoral body, the independence of which is crucial to
making credible military ruler Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar's plan to
restore democracy to Africa's most populous nation. "The decree
establishing that commission was considered thoroughly and details of
the content of the decree have been given sufficient consideration so
as to ensure that the new electoral commission is fully independent,"
Maj. Gen. Godwin Abi said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555436558-2d6 ***
Also: Former Nigerian secessionist Ojukwu forms party, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555442126-0b1
*** S. Africa's Mandela warns against majority tyranny
South African President Nelson Mandela said Friday his ruling African
National Congress had achieved miracles since it swept to power in
all-race elections in 1994 but warned against possible tyranny of the
majority. "We have confounded the predictions of the prophets of doom
who thought that there would never be this transformation without
rivers of blood flowing across the country," he told parliament's
second house, the National Council of Provinces. "The entire world
regards this country as a miracle." Mandela said he had been on the
road with an eye on South Africa's second democratic elections due
between May and July next year and told people on the ground his
government wanted to create jobs, build schools, houses and
hospitals. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555436866-4b7
*** Doctors say Gaddafi recovering well from broken hip
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is recovering well after breaking his
hip last month, his doctors said after carrying out a check-up on
Thursday night. In a bulletin read on state-run Libyan television,
monitored in Tunis, the medical team said the check-up showed Gaddafi
was making an "excellent" recovery. "We recommend that he (Gaddafi)
continues a natural treatment," said a doctor who read the statement
and showed X-ray. The Libyan leader broke his hip while exercising a
month ago. (Reuters)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
India and the Middle East
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Kashmir border quiet for 2nd consecutive day
The Kashmir border was relatively calm for the second straight day
Friday after a week of heavy artillery exchanges between Pakistani
and Indian troops. An Indian defense spokesman said there had been
shelling in the Kargil region, but the rest of the 450 mile military
control line dividing Kashmir was quiet. "Late last evening Pakistani
troops started heavy shelling in the Kargil sector killing at least
four people," said Major P. Purushottam. "This morning there was also
intermittent firing going on in Kargil sector but the rest of the
frontier is calm," he said. Kargil, a border town 10,000 feet up in
the mountainous Ladakh region, is 140 miles northeast of Srinagar,
the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir state. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555439937-ca4
*** Analysts see few changes after Pakistan cabinet shuffle
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, facing mounting public pressure
over crippling international sanctions, has reshuffled his cabinet
but most analysts said the move would have little effect on policy.
Sharif took the key finance ministry portfolio himself and replaced
tough-talking Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan with soft-spoken
Finance Minister Sartaj Aziz. The reshuffle, Sharif's first since
winning power in February 1997, occurred late Thursday, the official
APP news agency said Friday. No information was immediately available
as to why the changes were made. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555437949-ced
*** UN still on standby after Tajik slayings
The United Nations has yet to restore its operations in Tajikistan
after four employees were killed in a remote region of the former
Soviet republic last month, the head of the U.N. mission said Friday.
"At the moment I do not see how it is possible to resume normal
operations in the country," Jan Kubis said in an interview. "But as
the special representative of the Secretary-General of the United
Nations in Tajikistan, I will continue to meet with representatives
of all sides." The four U.N. workers were shot dead on a road from
Tavildara to Labidzhar some 125 miles east of Dushanbe. Their bodies
were found the next day, and Tajik officials initially thought they
had died in a road accident. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555439524-22a
*** Iranian cleric urges support for economic plan
A senior cleric urged the Iranian people Friday to support President
Mohammad Khatami's economic reform program, which he said was firmly
grounded in the laws of Islam. Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani told
the weekly Friday prayers at Tehran University that respect for the
law and self-sacrifice were needed during troubled times. Last week
Khatami, a moderate Shiite cleric, presented the broad outlines of
his economic program. However, he said details of new policies would
be released later. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555437819-4f5
*** Israel denies entry to 4 PLO officials
Israel said Friday it would bar Farouk Kaddoumi and three other top
PLO officials from entering the West Bank and Gaza Strip because they
opposed Israeli-Palestinian peace deals. Palestinian President Yasser
Arafat's self-rule administration governs most of Gaza and parts of
the West Bank but Israel controls border crossing into the areas.
"Now there is no reason to let them in because they are figures not
contributing to peace accords. Security officials also advised not to
let them in for the same reason," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's spokesman Aviv Bushinsky said. Palestinian officials
asked Israel last June to allow the PLO officials to move to
Palestinian-ruled areas. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555436219-112
*** Vatican, Israel lock horns over Palestinian bishop
The Vatican issued a sharp response Friday to Israeli attempts to
hinder the appointment of a Palestinian bishop to Galilee, stating
that the nomination of senior Catholic clergy was the sole reserve of
the Pope. Vatican deputy chief spokesman Father Ciro Benedettini
issued a terse statement recalling that an accord between Israel and
the Holy See provided for the autonomy of the church and state within
their own spheres. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he
was unhappy with the nomination of Bishop Boutros Mouallem, a
Palestinian refugee in Brazil, to become archbishop in the northern
Israeli region of Galilee. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555438555-ddb
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Far East
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Japan PM recovery plan fails to impress
Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi vowed Friday to revive the flagging
Japanese economy, but markets and even some in his own party were
unimpressed by the plan he said would take up to two years. "I have
resolved to stake the fate of my administration on making utmost
efforts to getting our nation's economy back on the recovery track in
one or two years," Obuchi said in his debut policy speech to
parliament. He promised tax cuts for next year worth "substantially
more than 6 trillion yen" (US$41.3 billion), a stimulative extra
budget of more than 10 trillion yen and a clean-up of the mountain of
bad loans at the nation's banks. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555437859-3e2 ***
Related: U.S. says Japan stimulus 'promising,' more needed, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555440997-e87
*** China sets curfew in flood area, to blow up dikes
Authorities in China's central Hubei province have evacuated 500,000
people and imposed a curfew as they prepared to blow up dikes along
the Yangtze River to divert floods, officials and state media said
Friday. Meanwhile in central Jiangxi province, authorities urged
residents to evacuate Jiujiang city after the Yangtze breached a
major dike, the official Xinhua news agency said. Torrential rains
which have lashed central and eastern China for weeks have pushed
rivers and lakes to their highest levels since 1954, triggering
devastating floods that have killed more than 2,000 people, according
to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555439771-272
*** S. Korea rains death toll 196 with 91 missing
Some of the worst rains and floods on record in South Korea this week
killed at least 196 people and left 91 missing and feared dead,
officials said Friday. Record rainfalls in Seoul and northern areas
of the country Wednesday and Thursday killed 130 people and left 62
missing, the defense ministry and the National Disaster Prevention
Countermeasures Headquarters said. This added to last weekend's
misery when floods and mudslides in the south killed 66 people, with
29 missing and feared dead. Yonhap Television News said 28 bodies
were uncovered in a mudslide which buried a motel in Changhung, a
popular resort north of Seoul. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555437662-036
*** Indonesia to end military operations in Aceh
Armed forces chief Gen. Wiranto said Friday Indonesia would end
military operations in Aceh and remove its combat troops from the
province amid accusations of army atrocities. The troops would be
withdrawn over the next month, Wiranto said. He spoke to local
officials during a visit to the north Sumatran province to
investigate reports of torture and killings during a crackdown
against a separatist insurgency over the last decade. The respected
Legal Aid Foundation in the Acehnese capital of Banda Aceh said this
week that 10 mass graves had been found at three sites in the
province. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555437862-f70
*** China nabs 2 more in death of Taiwan politician
Police arrested two more Chinese men in connection with a bungled
kidnapping during which a Taiwan opposition politician died, bringing
to four the number held in connection with the case, Xinhua news
agency reported Friday. Police in the northern port city of Dalian
arrested Yang Songxi Thursday afternoon. One hour later, Zhao Chuang
"succumbed to pressure" and gave himself up in nearby Haicheng city,
where the victim's body was found last week, Xinhua said. Police
Thursday reported the arrests of two other suspects in the abduction
and death of Lin Ti-chuan, a member of Taiwan's main opposition
Democratic Progressive Party. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555437003-913
----------------------------------------------------------------------
World Business and Financial News
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** HK index drops 3.3% as currency worries mount
Stocks dropped in most Asia-Pacific markets Friday on currency
jitters in Hong Kong and China as well as concerns about the region's
economic outlook. In Hong Kong, the blue-chip Hang Seng Index plunged
3.3% to 235.95, its lowest close since Jan. 25, 1995. Rising interest
rates and lingering speculation of an imminent yuan devaluation in
China continued to weigh on the market. In Japan, the Nikkei 225
average slipped for the fifth straight session on concerns about the
value of the yen against the dollar. Jitters over the political
situation in Indonesia pushed down the index 2.4%. The market was
rife with rumors that there might be riots ahead of the country's
Independence Day holiday on Aug. 17. Thai shares fell on uncertainty
over the future of the country's banks. Australia's All Ordinaries
Index slipped in light trading on caution that Wall Street and Asian
markets will see more losses, while China and Indian shares followed
the region's slide. (WSJ)
*** European stocks advance as investors focus on U.S.
European stocks moved mostly higher Friday as investors awaited Wall
Street's response to data on U.S. employment and wage levels. British
shares were little changed, as investors waited for Wall Street's
opening. The U.S. Labor Department reported that nonfarm payrolls
increased 66,000 last month, while average hourly earnings rose three
cents to $12.79. Investors also focused on Asian markets. Stocks in
Hong Kong and Japan fell earlier Friday amid concern that China is
about to devalue its currency. Dutch shares were mixed, as a sharp
drop by Unilever dragged prices down but the recovery of Royal
Dutch/Shell Group pushed them up. Shares in Belgium, France, Spain
and Switzerland rose in thin volume. (WSJ)
*** Saab reports loss despite higher sales
Saab Automobile on Friday reported a 63% increase in its net loss for
the first half of the year, as costs to launch two new models offset
higher sales. Saab, jointly owned by General Motors and Sweden's
Investor, lost 978 million kronor (US$122 million) in the first half
of 1998. The automaker lost 600 million kronor in the first half of
1997. Sales increased 18% to 12.97 billion kronor (US$1.62 billion),
while the number of sold cars rose 14% to 58,077. (USA Today)
*** Russia threatens to seize oil firms' assets
The government on Thursday threatened to seize the assets and
possibly reduce export quotas of three large oil companies that have
failed to pay back taxes. Desperate to increase tax revenues, the
government has toughened its stance toward tax-dodging oil companies,
which are among the country's biggest export earners. According to
the Federal Tax Sevice, oil companies Sidanko, Slavneft, Eastern Oil
Company and Onako have not paid taxes incurred between May and July.
(USA Today)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Science and Medicine
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Japan satellites fail in 2nd docking
The threat of another fiasco was hanging over Japan's problem-plagued
space program Friday after two satellites failed to dock without the
help of astronauts, space officials said. It is vital that the two
manage to link within the next several days as the smaller satellite
has an independent lifespan of only 72 hours, added Hironobu Takada,
a spokesman for the National Space Development Agency (NASDA).
Although the satellites managed to link successfully in their
history-making maiden attempt at the maneuver a month ago, this time
their docking failed due to a misalignment, an agency spokeswoman
said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555439273-407
*** Russia to meet space commitments despite cash woes
Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov on Friday said Russia would meet
its commitments to the new International Space Station despite
financing woes but would have to resort to some creative ways to
raise funds. The new station, bringing together Russia, the U.S.,
Europe, Canada and Japan, is already more than a year behind schedule
because of Russian delays due to cash shortages. The first of many
modules is scheduled for launch in November, with the first crew
going up next July. The Russians need about $200 million to finish
the project. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555441737-46d
*** The old ways really are best, for health
Hard labor may be saving Mennonites from high cholesterol, even
though they eat as much fat as other Americans, researchers reported.
They said the Mennonites were leaner than most other Americans,
apparently because they work hard on their farms. Dr. Myron Glick of
the State University of New York at Buffalo and colleagues questioned
more than 200 Old Order Mennonites living in Yates County, N.Y. Most
live on dairy farms, do not use motorized vehicles and abstain from
alcohol and tobacco. To get around they use carriages or bicycles,
ride horses and walk. They eat plenty of red meat and dairy products
- all loaded with cholesterol. But they are less prone to be
overweight than the average American and do not have high cholesterol
levels. (Reuters)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Technology
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** SyQuest to layoff 950, cut manufacturing
Computer disk-drive maker SyQuest Technology Inc said Thursday it
will lay off about 950 employees and end manufacturing at its
Fremont, Calif., plant as part of restructuring designed to cut costs
by half. SyQuest, known as a pioneer of popular removable disk-drives
and cartridges, said market conditions affecting the PC and data
Storage industries forced its hand in the sweeping restructuring.
Once nearly bankrupt, SyQuest has fought a pitched battle with rival
Iomega Corp for market share in a removable disk-drive market
expected to grow 40% a year through to the year 2000. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555435948-c90
*** Compaq cuts prices up to 14% on 2 servers
Compaq Computer Corp. cut prices up to 14% on its ProLiant, ProSignia
servers and up to 43% on select options. Compaq also slashed prices
on hard drives by up to 33%. The savings in servers range from 5% for
the PS200-SB on Pentium III 233 megahertz processors to 14% on the
PL800 for the Pentium II 350 megahertz processor, which is now priced
$2,869, down from $3,317. The company said in a press release Friday
that the lower prices will benefit customers who are looking to
invest in their information technology infrastructures. (Dow Jones)
*** E-mail security flaw found in Eudora software -WSJ
A troubling vulnerability has been discovered in Eudora, the most
widely used of all e-mail software, the New York Times reported. The
Eudora flaw makes it possible for a malicious computer user with
little or no programming expertise to booby-trap an e-mail message by
inserting a seemingly harmless link to an Internet location that in
fact executes malignant code, the newspaper reported. Qualcomm Inc.,
which makes Eudora, announced that a repaired version of the software
would be made available on it Web site on Friday afternoon, the New
York Times reported. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555436682-15a
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Environment
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Bangladesh floods kill 306 people, start receding
Monsoon floods that have killed more than 300 people across
Bangladesh have been receding, but officials warned on Friday of more
rain in some northern districts. The official death toll from
drowning, collapsed houses and mudslides stood at 270 while
water-borne diseases had claimed at least 36 lives, a disaster
management official said. Nearly 50,000 people have contracted
diarrhea, caused by polluted water and rotten food in the 37
flood-hit districts. The floods set off by heavy rains have inundated
more than half of the country, leaving some 20 million people
marooned or homeless. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555439737-d89
*** Protesting Venezuelan Indians close road to Brazil
Some 800 Indians bolstered log barricades blocking Venezuela's only
road to Brazil Friday, strengthening their 10-day protest against a
high voltage power line being built through their Amazon homeland.
"We've decided to completely close the road. We hope the National
Guard doesn't take action, but...it's a possibility," Jose Luis
Gonzalez, spokesman for the Indigenous Federation of Bolivar, told a
news conference. Indian leaders say construction of the 430 mile
energy link to Brazil will level forests, destroy their livelihoods
and ravage southeastern Venezuela's delicate tropical savannah. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555442831-eb3
*** Micmac Indians urge intervention in Quebec standoff
Micmac Indians holed up behind a sand barricade erected across a busy
highway in Quebec called Friday for Canada's federal government to
intervene to end a tense standoff over logging rights. The unarmed
natives who have staged a four-day protest on the Gaspe peninsula on
Canada's east coast are demanding the right to log in area they
believe belonged to their ancestors - although these lands are
outside the limits of the Indian reserve. The barricade, which has
paralyzed traffic in the region and shut down a sawmill in nearby
village of Pointe-Ga-la-Croix, marks another flare-up in the uneasy
relations between local aboriginals and Quebec's provincial
government. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555442161-955
*** Forest fire near Athens subsides, others rage on
A huge forest blaze that killed a man, destroyed more than 100 homes
and razed thousands of acres of woods near Athens subsided Friday but
other fires raged on across Greece, police said. Authorities declared
a state of emergency and dispatched teams of lookouts overnight at
the site of the fire on Mount Pendeli, north of Athens, fearing it
might be revived by strong winds. Public access to the charred area
was banned. The fire ravaged the region northeast of Athens for four
days. On Wednesday it was briefly under control but was rekindled by
gales. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555437691-129
*** French ferry damaged by collision with whale
A hydrofoil sailing between mainland France and the Mediterranean
island of Corsica was damaged when it hit a whale, the SNCM ferry
operator said Friday. The hydrofoil struck the whale late on Thursday
some 60 miles south of Nice. The collision broke one of the
hydrofoil's stabilizers and the boat had to be escorted into dock,
arriving two hours behind schedule. None of the 413 passengers were
injured but port officials believe the whale was killed. Its corpse
has not been found. (Reuters)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Human Interest
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Lawyer for lucky 13 U.S. lottery winners collects
The attorney for Ohio's "Lucky 13" Powerball winners showed up Friday
with winning ticket in hand and security guards in tow to collect the
group's record $161 million jackpot. A gigantic mock check - the
actual money will be wire-transferred to the winners' newly created
Lucky 13 Trust next week - was made out for $161,496,959.30. After
taxes are taken out, each of the 13 machinists in the group will
receive about $6.5 million. "They're calling it the Lucky 13 Trust,"
said attorney Larry Sturtz, who arrived in Indianapolis in a white
Lincoln Continental sedan accompanied by three plain-clothes guards.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555442497-d87
*** Int'l team to hunt monster in Swedish lake
An international team of monster-seeking specialists is to explore
the Great Lake at Ostersund in central Sweden later this month to try
to solve a centuries-old mystery. A fleet of 16 boats will set off
Aug. 16 equipped with state-of-the-art sonar equipment to try to
track a horse-like creature that has been reportedly spotted on 150
occasions by 450 people since 1635. "So many people have seen
something very big out there, with sightings recorded...since the
17th century," said Kennet Kristiansson, a search team member. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555440066-0c7
*** Japanese woman sells daughter for pinball stake
Japanese police arrested a woman for selling her 16-year-old daughter
to a geisha house so she could get money to play the popular game
pachinko, police said Friday. Keiko Ueno, 46, took her daughter to a
geisha house in northwest Japan and borrowed one million yen
(US$6,800) from them in exchange for having her daughter work there
as a geisha, said a police spokesman for the Shizuoka prefectural.
Ueno, who collaborated with her sister and her elder daughter in
abandoning the girl, told police they wanted to use the money to play
pachinko. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2555436175-786
*** Vietnamese restaurant tries look-alike gimmick
Customers at the Sinh Doi restaurant in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City
could be forgiven for seeing double. In fact, all the serving staff
are twins. Even the restaurant spans two almost identical French
colonial-era villas. Thanh Tung, a popular songwriter who opened the
restaurant in early July, said he hit upon the concept of "Twins" -
or Sinh Doi in Vietnamese - last year while trying to decide what to
do with the two villas located in a compound near the city center. He
said, "Guests are very curious about the twins and when they see a
new pair, it's like they have discovered something." (Reuters)
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