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Ito ©amEcock Tobacco companies accept regulations by Clare Nullis Associated Press GENEVA (AP)— Conceding that cigarettes are addictive and deadly, top tobacco companies said Thursday they would accept some form of global con trol, but not advertising bans or tax hikes. “We agree that smoking is addic tive and causes disease in smokers,” David Davies, vice president of corporate af fairs for Philip Morris Europe, said at the start of World Health Organization hear ings on a planned convention to control tobacco. It was one of the most explicit ad missions to date by a Philip Morris ex ecutive that cigarette smoking is not a matter of free choice, as tobacco com panies traditionally have argued. Davies sought to ally Philip Morris, which makes Marlboro cigarettes, with WHO, saying: “The message of the pub lic health authorities is our message.” A key representative of British Amer ican Tobacco also acknowledged the addictive nature of cigarettes and the world’s largest maker, Chinese National Tobacco Corp., agreed that smoking is harmful to health. Anti-smoking campaigners dismissed the comments as a public relations dIov. “The tobacco industry will stop at nothing,” said Matt Myers of the U.S. based Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “It has staged the most devastating cover-up of scientific evidence. It has preyed on our kids and lied to the gov ernments. It has manipulated nicotine and our political system.” Cigarettes kill more than 4 million people each year, a figure that is estimated to reach 10 million annually by 2030, WHO said in making it a top priority to battle smoking. Nearly 180 oiganizations, including medical associations, health campaign ers and tobacco growers, were invited to address the hearings. Three hundred more submitted written evidence. WHO’s 191 member governments get down to the nitty-gritty on a global anti-tobacco treaty starting Monday. Options for the convention in clude: —a total ban on advertising and spon sorship by tobacco companies. — tougher measures to prevent young people from starting. — bans on smoking in public places. —: tax hikes to make cigarettes more expensive. — measures to discourage produc tion. Myers joined the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, American Medical Association and Amer ican Public Health Association in ap pealing to the Clinton administration to take the lead in pushing for a global con vention. “As home to the laigest multinational tobacco company on the globe, Philip ' Morris, we believe the United States has a special responsibility to take a leader ship role,” the organizations said. Major tobacco manufacturers said they were willing to work with WHO on some anti-smoking measures such as un rlnporro cmr\l/inrr -D--O’ But the bottom line was clear; In ternational regulation should be limited. Global regulations must be balanced with “the right of responsible manufac turers to sell, and adults to consume a le gal product,” Davies said. WHO should not overstep its re sponsibilities, said Christopher Proctor, head of science and regulation at British American Tobacco. “Imperialis tic approaches that try to impose the val ues and priorities of one country on an other are invariably unworkable,” he said. U.S. Surgeon General David Satch er said the U.S. delegation would “work to significantly restrict advertise ments — especially those directed to ward children” — but stopped short of advocating a total ban. Testimony came Thursday from Jean van der Welde of the Dutch Nonsmok ers Association. “The story of my life is as a tobac co victim,” said van der Welde, whose parents were smokers. “I was a low birth weight baby; I rejected my mother’s milk; I had my first asthma attack at 3 months. ” Sony produces new robot pet, hopes to use for movies, games BY YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — The new robot pet from Sony Corp. doesn’t shed fur, eats only batteries and can even remember its master’s birthday. Sony’s cat-size robot is a smarter version of the original AIBO, which was introduced in June 1999 and modeled after a pet dog. Aibo even means “pal” in Japanese. The new AIBO wig gles, waddles, blinks its light eyes and warbles in an electronic melody like the original version. But this one, modeled after a lion cub, recognizes its own name and 50 other words, imitates the tones of human voices and can be programmed through a personal computer. While Sony wouldn’t say how many of the new AIBO it planned to sell, it is banking on its robot technology, fore seeing a future when much of home elec tronics would be computerized like robots. The company, which also has music, movie and video-game business es, hopes the AIBO will grow into a widely known character Sony can put in films, games and other products. Sony said only that it could start breaking even if it starts selling at the maximum productive capacity of60,000 a month. It will be available by order in Japan, the United States and Europe from mid-November for about $1,500 — down from $2,500 for the original AI BO. They will arrive at homes starting in early December. Satoshi Amagai, president of Enter tainment Robot Co., Sony’s robot unit, compared the potential of Sony’s robots with the Walkman — a product that on ly a few, even in Sony, expected to sell at first. “Ten years from now, we want to become one of the pillars of Sony’s busi ness,” Amagai said. Masayuki Yonezawa, an analyst with BNP Paribas Securities in Tokyo, said AIBO has already proved a plus for Sony’s corporate image, although whether it grows as a business remained to be seen. “Its main impact is to show off Sony’s technology,” Yonezawa said. “It’s impressive how robots have become so close to the real thing.” The machine doesn’t have any ob viously catlike mannerisms and struts around like a mechanical dog. It has a sensor beneath its chin so it acts happy by lighting up its green eyes when pet ted there. It also doesn’t have the long, wag ging tail or the floppy ears of the old one, and instead has a stump for a tail and perky ears. In a demonstration for reporters, AI BO rested its hips on the floor when told > to “sit,” lifted a paw when ordered to “shake,” and shook its hips when some one said “dance” into its ear. Shootings from page 3 hesitate to continue their march to Jerusalem, their capital of the indepen dent Palestinian state,” he said. Arafat was also shown on TV visit ing wounded in hospital. While-Israelis and Palestinians trad ed sharp words, Annan made a seem ingly futile plea for calm. “I appeal to all — leaders and cit izens alike — to stop and think about what they are doing today and what kind of tomorrow they want for their chil dren,” he said. After a brief trip to Lebanon on Thursday, Annan re turned to Israel to deal with the crisis. The violence had been waning this week, but erupted anew when Is raeli reservist soldiers made a wrong turn and ended up near the center of the West Bank town of Ramallah, a flash point of fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian rioters. The soldiers, traveling in a civilian car, were chased by Palestinians and sought shelter in the Ramallah police station. Word of their presence spread, and more than 1,000 Palestinians surged toward the building. Palestinian forces tried to keep the mob at bay, but about 10 men broke through a second-floor window where the Israelis were held. The attackers soon emerged with blood-covered hands as the crowd roared with approval. The body of one Israeli soldier was thrown into the street, and a second was dangled down by a rope, where the corpse was stomped and beaten with iron bars. From the window, Palestini ans shook their fists and flashed glee ful “V for victory” signs. Both bodies were soaked in blood. There was continued confusion about the number of Israeli soldiers killed. The army said two bodies were handed over to Israel. However, Barak later told CNN that three soldiers were “lynched and mutilated.” Before Thursday, only one Israeli soldier had been killed in the fighting. “The brutal lynching in Ramallah is a very grave incident,” said Israel’s acting foreign minister, Shlomo Ben Ami. “More than just escalating the ex plosive situation, the event shows a lack of respect for human life.” Israel’s army said the helicopter strikes were a “limited action designed to respond to the barbaric act Pales tinians conducted this morning. ” Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said Is rael did not intend to “conquer” terri tory in the West Bank and Gaza Strip under Palestinian security control. Still, the assault showed Israel was prepared to use heavy weaponry the Palestinians do not possess. The Israeli forces first targeted the police station and the Palestinian TV headquarters in Ramallah. Black columns of smoke rose from the city, and at least 12 people were injured, the Palestini ans said. In Gaza City, Arafat’s headquarters and buildings near it were hurriedly evacuated. Shortly afterward, a guard house next to the residence was hit, and smoke rose above the compound. Res idents sprinted from nearby buildings. Barak said Arafat himself was nev er a target in the helicopter attacks. Palestinian officials said the attack came shortly after Tenet, the CIA chief, met with Arafat in Gaza City. Palestin ian Justice Minister Freih Abu Medein said the Israelis waited for Tenet to leave Gaza before they unleashed the rockets. However, U.S. officials in Wash ington said Tenet was en route to the meeting, but canceled when told it may be unsafe. In Ramallah, the Palestinian po lice station was reduced to rubble af ter being hammered by the rockets, and flames poured out of a second building. An angry mob gathered outside the sta tion, shouting “God is great,” and raising a Palestinian flag on a damaged wall. Presidential candidates polite in debate by Tom Raum Associated Press WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) George W. Bush held his own on for eign policy, his weakest issue, and man gled his words just once. The vice pres ident wasn’t condescending and apologized for past embellishments. In their mostly polite debate, both candidates sought to fix and overcome perceived weaknesses in style and substance. And while debate professionals tend ed to give the bout to Gore, quick polls conducted after the second presidential faceoff showed that voters generally gave Bush the edge. There were no knockout punches in the debate on the campus of Wake Forest University. Analysts suggested that those who supported Bush before continue to support him and likewise with Gore supporters. That leaves a relatively small, but significant, band of undecided voters— with fewer than four weeks to go. “I thought that Bush did well. So did the vice president. But Gore did n’t do well enough to overcome what he lost by his behavior in the first de bate,” said Henry Graff, a presidential historian at Columbia University. In the first debate, Gore wrongly asserted that he had traveled to Texas with the head of a federal agency to in spect flood and fire damage. He also overstated the plight of a 15-year-old Florida girl he said was forced to stand in an overcrowded classroom. The misstatements allowed Repub licans to wage a weeklong assault on Gore’s credibility “I got some of the details wrong,” Gore conceded. “I’m sorry about that and I’m going to try to do better.” Bush for the most part did not go after Gore on the credibility issue until he was asked about it at the end of the debate by host Jim Lehrer. Then, he said he believed it was fair game as an issue. He had been leaving most of the as sault on Gore’s integrity to others. GOP strategists had not wanted Bush to ap- ; pear too negative — for fear of turn ing off voters. In fact, at one point Bush observed, “It seems like we’re having a great love festnow.” Instant surveys after the debate by ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and LNN-USA Today-Gallup showed that viewers believe Bush did better in the iebate. Five high school and college de rating coaches, judging the contest for rhe Associated Press, split 4-1 in call ng Gore the winner. Wayne Fields, an expert on presi iential debates and speeches at Wash ngton University in St. Louis — site of text Tuesday’s concluding debate — aid he thinks Gore did better, “but Gore tad the most to gain.” “Gore demonstrated self-control,” te said. He suggested many undecided voters “have their minds almost made tp” but are waiting for the third debate ’or a final decision. Republican pollster Frank Luntz, vho conducted a focus group session luring the debate for MSNBC, said in in interview that while his group was generally evenly divided on who won, 3ush scored high on foreign policy is ;ues. “I clearly believe that Bush ex :eeded expectations on foreign policy, rhis is one of Gore’s strengths,” ^untz said. Bush at times seemed a little shaky on foreign policy, but he was able to dis cuss tensions in Yugoslavia and the Mid dle East, his views on Saddam Hussein and his skepticism toward overseas deployments While insisting U.S. forces are overextended, he struggled to provide specifics on which troops he would bring home, mentioning those in the Balka ns and Haiti. But he wouldn’t set a timetable for the Balkans — Kosovo and Bosnia. And, actually, the Clinton administration brought nearly all U.S. troops home from Haiti earlier this year. Bush, who has a reputation for ver bal flubs when he’s tired or stressed, got through the 90-minute session with few such problems. However, he did misstate the acronym for a federal tax program to benefit low-income wage earners, call ing it “IETC instead of ETTC.” Bush poked fun of himself. “I’ve been known to mangle a sil-lable,” he said. Aides said there was a one-liner he was prepared to use in the first debate, but never did. Tacos recalled, corn not approved by Philip Brashner Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Safeway Inc. has removed taco shells from its stores after tests showed they might contain a variety of genetically engineered com that isn’t approved for food use. It is the same biotech corn that prompted a nationwide recall of taco shells Sept. 22 by Kraft Foods. Safeway pulled its shells Wednesday night after learning of the test results that were per formed for a coalition of environmen tal groups that are opposed to biotech food. “In something like tliis, we’re very close to our customers and we wanted to act out of an abundance of caution,” Safeway spokesman Brian Dowling said Thursday. The Kraft and Safeway taco shells were produced by different manufac turers but contained the same variety of corn developed by Aventis Crop Science. Safeway’s product was made by Mission Foods Co. of Irving, Texas. Safeway’s action applied to shells sold under both its private label and the Mission name. Customers who pur chased the shells are being offered re funds. Safeway had been assured by Mis sion Foods that the com was not in its products, Dowling said. Officials with Mission Foods did not immediately return phone calls Thursday. The com, known as StarLink, has n’t been approved for human con sumption because of unresolved ques tions about whether it could cause allergic reactions in people. The com is allowed only in animal feed. FEA officials say there is no known health risk front the com but that they are testing a variety of com products for its presence. “This is the second contamination incident in the past couple of weeks,” said Mark Helm, a spokesman for the environmental group Friends of the Earth. “It seems pretty clear that the (Food and Drug Administration) is do ing a miserable job ensuring the safety of the American food supply.” Aventis has suspended sales of the com and has agreed to reimburse the government for buying and handling all of this year’s crop to ensure that it does not get into the food supply. The StarLink com was grown on about 300,000 acres this year nation wide, or about 0.4 percent of the total U.S. com acreage. T«A< (LOTUS ^ RESTAURANT ^ - TOAD & JAPANESE CUISINE Lunch (Buffet j days a week Sunday Seafood buffet 10:30am - 3:00pm *10% Off with USC I. 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