The Michigan Daily - Thursday,_October 27, 1994 - 11
,Hubble sets
sights on
astrononical
questions
NEW YORK (AP) - The Hubble
Space Telescope has yielded observa-
tions that show it can achieve two of
astronomy's biggest goals: establish-
ing a cosmic yardstick and determining
how fast the universe is expanding,
scientists say.
The results also renew along-stand-
ing paradox in which the universe ap-
pears to be younger than some of its
stars. That impossibility suggests sci-
entists will have to revise their theories
of the cosmos.
One goal of the Hubble telescope is
to make observations that would let
scientists accurately measure the dis-
tances to faraway objects in the uni-
verse. The cosmic map now is like a
roadmap without a distance scale; sci-
entists know how various distances
compare but don't knowjustwhatthose
distances are.
With an accurate distance scale,
scientists could determine how fast the
universe is expanding. And that rate
could be combined with some scien-
tific assumptions to estimate the age of
the universe.
A team of scientists led by astrono-
mer Wendy Freedman of the Carnegie
Observatories in Pasadena trained the
Hubble telescope on a distant galaxy
*called M 100. They hoped the telescope
would get sharp images of a particular
kind of star used to estimate distance.
To their delight, the Hubble suc-
ceeded easily, said Barry Madore,a
member of Freedman's team.
IF I ONLY HAD A BRAIN (AND WENT TO MICHIGAN)
U.N. vote condemns U.S.
trade embargo of Cuba
Los Angeles Times
UNITED NATIONS - Abandoned by close
allies such as Canada and Denmark, the United
States found itself more isolated than ever yester-
day as the U.N. General Assembly voted over-
whelmingly to condemn the continuing American
trade embargo against Cuba.
The vote was 101-2 with 48 abstentions, the
most lopsided vote against the United States since
the General Assembly began voting on the issue
two years ago.
Only Israel voted with the United States this
time.
In 1993, the vote against the embargo was 88-
4 with 57 abstentions; in 1992, it was 59-3 with 71
abstentions.
Although the resolution calls for an end to the
embargo "as soon as possible," General Assem-
bly resolutions are not binding on U.N. members,
and no one expects the Clinton administration to
comply.
Victor Marrero, one of the deputy American
ambassadors to the United Nations, insisted the
embargo was a bilateral matter between the United
States and Cuba.
"We have made it clear, on many occasions,
that reviewing our embargo depends upon whether
the Cuban regime moves toward democracy and
observes international norms regarding human
rights," he said. "The human rights situation in
Cuba remains grim. It has not improved."
Marrero cited the recent exodus of "boat
people" as evidence of the lack of hope in Cuba,
and he denied the embargo is the cause of Cuba's
economic troubles. He said the real economic
problem of Cuba "lies with the failed economic
policies of the regime."
The American diplomat contended a vote in
favor of the resolution was an endorsement of
Cuban repression. But this argument was clearly
rejected by the vast majority of members.
The most astounding shift in voting came from
American allies who abstained under U.S. pres-
sure last year but decided to vote for the Cuban
resolution this year.
Those included Canada, Denmark, Panama,
Luxembourg and Thailand. Russia, which had
abstained last year, changed its vote to "yes" this
time, accompanied by Ukraine and Belarus.
Other countries that shifted from an abstention
to a vote in favor of the resolution included
Antigua, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Finland, Malawi,
Niger, Rwanda, Samoa and Sri Lanka.
Court stops
U S. from
E''::
Y
;. .
<. 1:
sending Cuban
refugees back
The Washington Post
A federal judge in Miami cut short an
effort yesterday by the United States to
return Cuban refugees to their communist-
ruled country from the U.S. naval base at
Guantanamo Bay.
The decision forced U.S. officials to
cancel a flight of 23 refugees just a minute
before it was to take off for Havana from
Guantanamo, which is located in eastern
Cuba.
An official from the Immigration and
Naturalization Service used a pay phone to
halt the takeoff right after U.S. District
Judge C. Clyde Atkins issued his order to
stop the flights, Associated Press reported
from Miami. Another hearing on the issue
is scheduled today.
Cuban American lawyers sued Mon-
day to force the U.S. government to free
more than 30,000 Cuban boat people being
held indefinitely at Guantanamo and in
Panama. President Clinton barred them .
from the United States, saying the only way
they can win entry is to return home and
apply through newly created U.S. immi-
gration procedures.
The United States has guaranteed Cuba
that it will grant entry visas to at least,
20,000 Cuban citizens annually. The,-
stranded boat people are being urged to
return to Cuba and use the new channel tor
get into the United States.
The United States promised to provide
the visas in return for a pledge from Cubana'd
President Fidel Castro to stop Cuban boat
people from taking to the sea, using force if
necessary. Human rights groups criticized
the deal with Castro on the grounds that it
encourages Cuban authorities to restrict
the freedom to travel.
A scarecrow peers over a field on the outskirts of Ann Arbor.
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Government troops seize strategic plateau
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) a mortar shell. through as much as 40 square miles of Serb-
- Government troops captured a strategic Hospital officials said the wounded chil- held territory on the plateau east of the gov-
plateau yesterday as their Serb foes fled, aban- dren had been sitting outside a high-rise apart- ernment-held town of Bihac.
doning weapons and equipment, U.N. peace- ment building. A 14-year-old girl was under- "The Bosnian Serb army crumbled," said
keepers reported. going emergency surgery for serious head and a U.N. spokesman, Lt. Col. Tim Spicer, citing
Any government cheer at the news was stomach injuries. reports from U.N. observers. "Their com-
tempered by injuries to seven people, five of In northwestern Bosnia, Muslim-led gov- mand and control system is gone. They're
them children, when a shell exploded in ernment forces followed up the capture of a abandoning a lot of equipment."
Sarajevo. Government television said it was
Serb barracks late Tuesday by sweeping
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Food Gatherers is the food rescue program serving Washtenaw county since 1988.
It distributes roughly a ton of food every day to 70 different community agencies
serving people experiencing hunger.
Show your support and help make this holiday season a happy one for all!
Non-perishable food items are being collected now through November
21, 1994, at the Daily (2nd floor of the Student Publications Bldg.,
420 Maynard) from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
For every 5 items brought in, The
Michigan Daily Classified Dept. is
giving a coupon good for a free
3-line ad.
(No limit. All ads must be placed by 11:30 a.m. December 12, 1994.)
RUSSIAN ITELEVISION via Associated P-ress
A hijacked Russian Yak-40 aircraft sits on the runway at the Makhachkala airport, about 960 miles southeast of
Moscow, yesterday. Two hijackers armed with a grenade and a knife seized the Russian passenger jet with 27
people aboard and demanded $2 million in ransom.
Grenade-armed hijackers
seize Russian passenger jet
MOSCOW (AP) -- One of two
men who commandeered a Russian
passengerjet surrendered yesterday and
24 hostages were freed, but the other
hijacker held the crew members even
after negotiators handed over $500,000.
The Yak-40 jet was parked at the
end of a runway in Makhachkala in
southernRussia, andcommandos stood
by "ready to storm the plane," the lTAR-
Tass news agency said.
Officials in Moscow said three crew
members were still held hostage; the
ITAR-Tass and Interfax news agen-
cies said just two pilots were being
held.
Armed with a grenade and a knife,
the hijackers seized the plane Tuesday
night just afterit left Makhachkala, 960
miles southeast of Moscow.
The hijackers ordered the plane to
return to Makhachkala, where they
demanded $2 million, said Vladimir
Tomarovsky of the Federal Counterin-
low the plane to land. Azerbaijan re-
fused but Georgia agreed, Tomarovsky
said.
Iran said it would not allow the
hijackers to enter the country, Iranian
radio reported Wednesday night.
Makhachkala is capital of the au-
tonomous republic of Dagestan and
is located on the shore of the Caspian
Sea.
Dagestan is close to many Caucasus
areas now torn by civil and ethnic
conflicts, such as Chechnya, Georgia
and Azerbaijan.
THURSDAY NO COVER AT
RESTAURANT V VSPORTS EAR
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