Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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I. Mideast troops pull back by Barry Schweid Associated Press SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt — Mov ing to curb the bloodshed on the West Bank and Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yass er Arafat ordered military commanders to separate their forces at three flash points in the weeklong confrontation, a U.S. official said Thursday. The orders were issued simultane ously by Barak and Arafat, even as the death toll mounted, during 10 hours of discussions in Paris with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, said senior American mediator Dennis B. Ross. In Washington, President Clinton said Albright’s talks with Arafat and Barak were productive. “They made clear com mitments, which they communicated to their people, to shut this violence down.” He said those commitments now must be honored. “The most important thing is to stop people dying and then to get back to the negotiating table,” the president said. Clinton reiterated he would be avail able around the clock if the Israelis and Palestinians resume peace talks. “It’s ob vious that, on both sides, there are still underlying anxieties and fears and mis understandings,” he said. “We’vegot to just get beyond this. We’ve come too far.” As Albright flew to this Egyptian re sort for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Arafat, Ross told re porters, “Both sides were very clear in terms of each trying to focus on key flash points, trying to avoid trouble in those areas, and effecting a separation in those areas,” Ross said. The three flash points are the Net zarim junction in northern Gaza, Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus on the West Bank and the Circle area of Ramallah, also on the West Bank. • Barak flew home from Paris amid Israeli reports of a breakdown of ef forts to defuse tensions. “As a result of a certain position of France, this did not contribute to creat ing the appropriate atmosphere which would have made it possible to initial the security understandings,” said Danny Yatom, Barak’s political and security ad viser. Barak and Arafat failed to agree on a formula for investigating the causes of the renewed fighting. Arafat wanted an international inquiry, while Barak pre ferred a joint Palestinian-Israeli probe, said a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Albright said the Paris talks produced progress toward restoration of order. Barak and Arafat agreed to work to end the violence, she said, and CIA Director Geoige Tenet will assist them. “The best thing here is to make sure there is calm,” she said. Mubarak, who has a reputation for evenhandedness ;uid moderation, said he hoped wisdom mid reason would prevail. But, he said, “No peace can be durable if any party was coerced to surrender his rights and if Muslim sanctuaries in Jerusalem were under mined.” He spoke on the 27th anniversary of the 1973 war between Egypt and Israel. Mubarak called for an Arab summit this month to deal with “the worsening situation in the Palestinian territories and to discuss the future of the Middle East peace process,” Safwat al-Sherif, Egypt’s minister of information, told reporters. Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa angrily denounced Israel for what he termed “the shooting of the children” and called on Barak to prohibit all vis its by Israeli officials to a key site in Jerusalem that is sacred to Muslims and Jews. The new wave of violence be gan after Likud leader Ariel Sharon’s vis it to the Temple Mount and A1 Aqsa mosque compound. “Such a visit by Mr. Sharon should not happen again, by Sharon or any oth er official or nonofficial because of the seriousness of the situation,” Moussa said. At a joint news conference with Al bright, Moussa said Barak should have attended the Shami el-Sheik meeting. “What is going on in Jerusalem is unac ceptable,” he said. Israeli Transportation Minister Am non Lipkin-Shahak, one of the negotia tors in Paris, had told Army radio in Is rael earlier that Arafat had instructed his people in the field to stop the violence. “It’s a considerable step which could permit a return to calm, I hope with all my heart, in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem,” French President Jacques Chirac said in Paris. “On the funda mentals, progress was made and mea sures drawn up aiming to a ceasing of the violence, which was obviously a pre condition to the resumption of the necessary and inevitable peace process.” It wasn’t clear how the shaky ver bal agreements would translate on the ground. The Israeli army withdrew 23 tanks Wednesday from the outskirts of Nablus and planned to pull back addi tional tanks from outside Ramallah on Thursday. Israeli officials said they were waiting to see if Arafat kept his com mitments to contain the violence from the Palestinian side. “I really hope that (both sides’ promises) will be implemented today in the field, and then we will see things calm down in the field today,” said Lipkin-Shahak. At least 65 people have been killed and more than 1,800 others have been injured in the violence of the past week, most of them Palestinians. The Paris talks were described as in tense, and Palestine Liberation Organi zation official Laila Shaheed said Arafat stormed out — only to be stopped when Albright literally called guards to shut the residence’s gates to block him. Nabil Shaath, a top Arafat aide, said the Palestinian leader was angered by the Israeli and American refusal to set up an international inquiry into the recent bloodshed in Israel and the Palestinian areas. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who joined the talks late in the day, agreed to work with the Americans to devise a formula acceptable to both the Israelis and the Palestinians for such an investi gation, a U.N. official said. ‘The best thing here is to make sure there is calm.' Madeleine Albright Secretary of State Congress renews AIDS prevention, treatment legislation ■ HIV infections factor in funding for first time by Jim Abrams Associated Press WASHINGTON — Congress has agreed to provide more than $1 billion a year for AIDS prevention and treatment in a bill that, for the fust time, factors in HIV infection as well as AIDS cases in de termining how federal money will be dis tributed. The legislation, which the House passed 411-0 Thursday and sent to the president for his signature, reauthorizes for five years the Ryan White CARE Act, which expired when the new fiscal year began Oct. 1. The sponsor, Rep. Tom Cobum, R Okla., said the emphasis on AIDS victims rather than those infected with HIV has been “devastating.” “While our attention was placed on AIDS, the vims silently spread through communities of color and more and more women became unknowingly infected,” he said. Every year some 40,000 Amer icans become infected with HIV. Rep. Mike Bilirakis, R-Fla., chair man of the House Commerce health sub committee, said about the new funding formula, which will go into effect in 2005, “By targeting resources to the front line of the epidemic, we will be able to re duce transmission rates and ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to pro vide care to HIV-positive individuals as soon as possible.” Supporters say the new funding dis tribution will mean more money for pro grams that help infants, women, minori ties and people in rural areas. But it met some resistance from lawmakers repre senting districts with gay men, who were the first to be significantly affected by the AIDS epidemic and who feared losing funds. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she supported the bill after weeks of nego tiations to lessen the adverse affect on her San Francisco district. The original bill approved by the House would have cut the city’s funding by nearly $40 million over five years. She said in the final compromise the negative impact on San Francisco was reduced to only 15 percent, about $7.5 million, over five years. The legislation specifically approves $20 million for programs to reduce HIV transmission from mothers to their ba bies and $30 million for programs to en courage those infected with HIV to no tify their partners. It requires those receiving Ryan White funds to join coun seling programs. The .AIDS bill was first passed in 1990, the year 18-year-old Ryan White, a he mophiliac from Indiana who contracted AIDS after receiving a transfusion of taint ed blood, died. Hole in ozone layer grows to record size, covers Chilean city by Ray Lilley Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The hole in the ozone layer over Antarc tica stretched over a Chilean city when it ballooned to a record size last month, the first time it has reached a population center, scientists said Thursday. Previously, the hole had only opened over Antarctica and tire surrounding ocean. Citing data from the U.S. space agency NASA, atmospheric research scientist Stephen Wood said the hole covered 11.4 million square miles on Sept. 9 and 10. For those two days, the hole extended over Punta Arenas, a southern Cliile city of about 120,000 people, exposing resi dents to very high levels of ultraviolet radiation. Too much UV radiation can cause skin cmiccr mid destroy tiny plmits at the beginning of the food chain. Wood is a researcher with New Zealand’s respected National Institute of Water mid Atmospheric Research. Dr. Dean Peterson, science strategy manager of the Antarctica New Zealand research group, said Wood’s findings showed a city being exposed to the ozone hole for the first time. “The longer it gets, the greater the chances of populated areas being hit by low ozone levels,” said Peterson, who was not involved in the study. Peterson said smaller spots of low ozone could affect Argentina and even the tip of South Africa, Australia or New Zealand. “The hole won’t grow to that size,” he said. “But as it breaks apart, fingers of low ozone, or filaments as we call them, will go over major land mass areas. Those Ozone Hole seTpages New regulation closes loophole in Medicaid by Janelle Carter Associated Press WASHINGTON — Twenty states that have used a Medicaid loophole to inflate how much they are spend ing for medical services and generate laige federal reimbursements will soon have to operate under tighter restric tions. A proposed federal rule issued Thursday aims to eliminate the gap and save the government billions of dollars. “We cannot stand by while bil lions of taxpayer dollars are used with out the accountability that federal tax payers deserve,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Sha lala. “However well-intentioned some states may have been, the practice to day clearly constitutes tin abuse of the Medicaid system.” Sen. William Roth, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who has called on the administra tion to act for months, declared the proposal “inadequate.” “The regulation permits tire scam to continue while only modestly at tempting to contain its magnitude,” the Delaware Republican said. States involved are Alabama, Gil ifomia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Micliigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Caroli na, Tennessee, Washington and New Jersey. Several states apparently used the loophole unchecked for years. After a number of other states began taking advantage of the loophole last year, the government in July wrote states and asked that they stop the practice. Use of the loophole apparently cost the government $2 billion in the last fiscal year alone. The Congres sional Budget Office recently esti mated that more than $127 billion will be lost over the next decade un less the practice is ended. States apparently won't feel an immediate crunch from the regula tions. The proposed rule phases out the extra payments over five years, and no funding would be reduced in the current fiscal year, which began Oct. 1. Federal officials would continue a higher payments level for public hospitals, which often serve consid erably more lower-income patients. States and health-care providers now have 30 days to comment on the proposed rule. A final regilation will be published afterward. “We recognize that states will need time to adjust to these clianges,'' said Michael Hash, acting adminis trator of the Health Care Financing Administration. But, he added, “By making these changes, we will help to preserve tlie public tmst in the Med icaid program, which provides health care services to millions of Ameri cans.” The administration said it would also support congressional action to increase the Medicaid payments hos pitals receive. Here’s how the loophole works: The Medicaid pregram, the govern ment’s health care program for the poor, is a joint project, with the fed eral government paying at least 50 percent of the costs. States with larg er poor populations get a larger share from the federal government. States set the amount they will pay health providers, but the federal government provides a cap for payments. Under the loophole, a state could charge the maximum amount for ser vices at a local or county-owned fa cility even though the services may actually cost substantially lower. Tire additional money is then transferred back to the state and used for a number of projects. Many states have used the extra money for health-related projects, but federal officials said others have used the extra money to fill budget gaps, reduce the state debt and even pay for education programs. Because there is a loophole in the law, such practices are not considered illegal. The regulations have been an ticipated for months by anxious states. Just Monday, Sea Richard Durbin, D-lll., and the Rev. Jesse Jackson met with Shalala and White House chief of staff John Podesta over the issue. Illinois has received S500 million a year in excess payments that it has used in its health care budget. The Clinton administration has been roundly criticized by Republi cans, who say the administration has promised since May to deal with the situation. Time Warner, EMI cancel $20 billion music merger Associated Press LONDON —Time Winter Inc. and EMI Group have called off their $20 billion joint venture in the face of opposition front European regulators, removing a major obstacle to Time Warner’s larger combination with America Online Inc. The Wanter-EMI deal would have created a giant music company, re ducing the number of major record companies in the world front five to four. European regulators ltad expressed concent that the new company would have had a dominant position in the markets and in the emerging area of online music distribution. The two companies offered sev eral concessions, but in the end they were not sufficient. Those remedies were reported to have included the sale of Virgin, a major music label acquired from British mogul Richard Branson in 1992 for $960 million, as well as parts of the companies’ music pub lishing business. Time Warner said in a statement that the two companies have “tenni nated their current agreement” but have also agreed to pursue a new com bination that would be agreeable to the regulators. “The withdrawal of our applica tion allows additional time to re assess regulators’ concerns and to pur sue solutions simultaneously in Europe and the U.S.,” said Eric Nicoli, chair man of EMI. “We have been, and will contin ue to be, flexible in responding to the European Commission’s concerns,” he said. “However any concessions that are ultimately made must be con sistent with our shareholder value ob jectives.” Tire proposed deal would have cre ated a 50-50 joint venture rcpresent ing 2,500 musicians and accounting for 2,000 new albums a year. It also would have been in a very strong position in delivering music online through Time Warner seepages News Briefs ■ VP candidates prepare for debate in Kentucky DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Dick Ch eney and Joseph Lieberman square off in a campaign debate Thursday night to sell their White House tickets, their own leadership credentials — and perhaps deal with the echoes of scandal raised and dismissed by their bosses two nights earlier. After days of practice, the Republi can and Democratic vice presidential nominees meet here at Centre College for their one, 90-minute debate of the campaign. Vice President A1 Gore and Texas Gov. Geoige W. Bush still have two pres idential debates before them, on Oct. 11 in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Oct. 17 in St. Louis. ■ Former CIA spies say agency promised lifetime benefits SEATTLE (AP) — Lawyers for two Cold War spies who claim the CIA re neged on a promise of lifetime finan cial support say their case has been bol stered by a document in which the agency admits it “lias an obligation” to give some defectors cash for life. The spies are a former foreign diplo mat and his wife, now living in the Seat tle area, who agreed to cooperate with the CIA if the agency would help them defect to the United States. As part of the deal, the couple say, they were promised benefits including a permanent yearly stipend of up to $27,000. But in 1997, the agency cut off the money, leaving them impoverished and with increasing medical bills. ■ Driver files suit against employee of “Puffy” Combs NEW YORK (AP) - Sean “Puffy” Combs’ former driver has filed a $3 mil lion lawsuit claiming one of the rap mogul’s employees forced him to drive through red lights after a nightclub shoot ing last December. Wardel Fenderson, 40, says in court papers filed Wednesday that he picked up Combs, actress Jennifer Lopez, and Combs’ bodyguard, Anthony “Wolf” Jones, outside a nightclub on Dec. 27. Three people were shot in the club, allegedly by Jamal “Shyne” Barrow, 20, a rapper who had come to the club with Combs and Lopez. Barrow has been charged with attempted murder. ■ N.Y. Daily News names new editor NEW YORK (AP) — Robert Sapio, a 31 -year veteran at the Daily News, has been named senior managing editor. The promotion makes Sapio the third ranking news executive at the paper, be hind editor in chief Edward Kosner and executive editor Michael Goodwin. Sapio, who was named editor of the Sun day edition earlier this year, will con tinue to oversee the Sunday and Mon day papers. Sapio, 50, joined the Daily News in 1969 as an office boy in advertising be fore moving to the news side as an edi torial typist, taking dictation from re porters in the field. He later became a copy editor and rose through the ranks from assistant news editor, to executive news editor, deputy managing editor, executive edi tor, and then Sunday editor. ■ Yankees still alive OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Hold off those premature obituaries for the New York Yankees. The two-time de fending \Vbrld Series champions are very much alive, thanks to Andy Pettitte’s near-flawless pitciting ;utd a radically re vamped lineup. Pettitte allowed five hits in 7 2-3 scoreless innings, surviving a goofy prat fall by second baseman Luis Sojo, and the Yankees defeated the Oakland Ath letics 4-0 Wednesday night to tic their best-of-five AL division scries at 1 -1.