2 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 23, 1998 NATION/WORLD U.S. pre:hssure* 7s *apan over economy The Washington Post NEW YORK --Seeking a degree of stability in both their political and financial worlds, President Clinton and Japan's new prime minister, Keizo Obuchi, met yesterday for the first time in talks marked by U.S. pressure on Tokyo to take grander measures to strengthen its economy and repair its troubled banking system. "I think there is virtually unani- mous support in the world for the kind of financial reforms that would restore economic growth in Japan," Clinton said during a break midway through the talks. Clinton administration officials, reporting on the private meetings, sug- gested that the president encountered some resistance when he raised the touchy subject of Tokyo's halting- and widely criticized efforts to reform its banking system. Obuchi, at a solo news conference later, said he and Clinton had an "extremely useful exchange of views," but he didn't go beyond previous state- ments about what the Japanese govern- ment is prepared to do to turn around the world's second-largest economy. The Japanese leader cited plans for a "permanent tax cut," an economic stimulus package and continuing reform and market openings. Obuchi declined to specify what other measures the government is considering or to set a timetable for such actions as additional bank closures. 'The shaky status of many Japanese banks is considered central to Japan's overall economic decline. In turn, Japan will play a pivotal role in Asia's ability to recover from its current slump, with its global implications. The informal meeting, held as both leaders were in New York to attend the opening sessions of the UN. General Assembly, gave U.S. officials their first real opportunity to assess Obuchi and the measures he has taken to stabilize the Japanese economy. Among the most difficult issues facing Obuchi is the extent to which the Japanese Treasury will support the troubled banks. Making clear that Clinton did not receive the degree of commitment he had sought from Obuchi on this matter, U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said "the president believes the infusion of public money is crucial to an effective solution to the prob- lem." But that approach has encoun- tered political opposition in Japan, tying Obuchi's hands. "The prime minister made it clear to the president there were a set of very complex political discussions under way with respect to banking legisla- tion," Summers said. Addressing another contentious issue, Clinton reminded Obuchi, the sixth Japanese prime minister with whom he has dealt since taking office, of the ongo- ing trade tensions between the two nations. AROUND THE NATION Infected hemophiliacs get compensation WASI IINGTON 'Tcgovernment is poised to compensate hemophiliacs who contracted the AIDS virus when too little was being done to safeguard the ,lood supply. But legislation authorizing payments has caught a snag: Iemophiliacs weren't the only ones infected by tainted blood. Now the question is whether to add payments for people who picked up the vir through blood transfusions, which would more than double the cost of the bi Hemophiliacs were infected by blood products that allow clotting. The dispute, to be aired in a Senate committee today, has wound up pitting one group of victims against another. "I thought we were all in this together, and I quicklund out it was a commu- nity vs. community kind of thing," said Steve Grissom of Cary, N.C., who received a transfusion of infected blood in 1985 while being treated for leukemia. Hemophiliacs have been working for this legislation for five years. They fear the entire bill will die if another group of victims is added in the final days. "There are certain political realities, said Val Bias of the National Hemophilia Foundation, who was infected with IIV while using a clotting agent. Iemophiliacs and transfusion recipients were both infected during the eat years of the AIDS crisis with blood donated by people who carried the HIV virus. v .l L Iranian leader sends signal on Rushdie "N FOR JUNIOR NURSING STUDENTS A NURSING EXPERIENCE AT MAYO CLINIC & HOSPITALS - ROCHESTER, MN Here is your opportunity to work at Mayo Clinic for the summer. Summer IIl is a paid, supervised hospital work experience at Saint Marys Hospital and Rochester Methodist Hospital. You are eligible for Summer IIl after your junior year of a four year baccalaureate nursing program. It includes direct patient care experience in the inpatient or ambulatory care setting. Mayo Nursing was awarded the Magnet Hospital Recognition Status for Excellence in Nursing Service by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Application Deadline: December 1, 1998. For more information contact: [xos Angeles Tnes NEW YORK - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami told reporters yes- terday that "we should consider the Salman Rushdie matter completely fin- ished," his first direct, public comment on the decade-old death sentence for blasphemy against the author of a novel deemed insulting to Islam. Khatami, .who spoke for nearly two hours in a breakfast meeting and subse- quent formal interview with several jour- nalists, stopped short of invalidating the religious edict and accompanying bounty that has been one of Iran's most con- tentious points of division with the West. But he made several remarks that dis- tanced him from the call for Rushdie's assassination issued by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the spiritual leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. Iran's head of government also took appreciative note of President Clinton's Monday speech to the United Nations General Assembly and went slightly far- ther than he has done before in envision- ing government-to-government contacts. lie said the two nations had "taken important steps" in the past year that could "pave the way to remove the mis- understandings between the two govern- ments," which have had no diplomatic relations since American hostages were held in Tehran in 1979-80. The Clinton administration, in pub- lic and in secret channels through Switzerland, has called for direct talks to resolve outstanding disputes, among which it has cited Iran's support for ter- rorists and its nonconventional weapons programs. With a quarter million Iranian troops massed on the border with neighboring Afghanistan, Khatami expressed hope but no optimism that Iran's dispute with Afghanistan's dominant Taliban movement could be resolved peacefully. Senate denies wage increase proposal WASIIINGIDN -- A proposal to raise the minimum wage by $1 an hour was defeated yesterday in the Senate, and Democratic supporters vowed to cam- paign hard on the issue between now and the November elections. The measure, defeated by a 55-44 vote, would have raised the minimum wage earned by some 12 million Americans to $6.15 on Jan. 1, 2000. The first 50-cent increase would have taken efect next New Year's Day. Supporters said a minimum wage increase was needed to help hard-work- ing Americans struggling to get by. At a time of unparalleled prosperity, peo- ple who work in factories, restaurants, hotels, retail businesses and in other modest jobs actually have seen their purchasing power eroded, they main- tained. Opponents said an increase would hurt small businesses and cause unem- ployment, It "could actually have an adverse impact upon our economy" and could cause unemployment "that hurts the low-income workers the hard- est." Sen. Rod Grams (R-Minn.) said before the vote. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), chief backer of the increase, said the vote showed that the Republicans wO in the sway of business interests. Youth abortion bill stalls in Senate WAS!IINGTON A bill making it a crime to avoid parental involvement laws by taking a minor to another state for an abortion stalled yesterday in the Senate and its Republican sponsor conceded that the issue is probably dead for the year.* Given the crush of business pending before the Senate's Oct. 9 adjournment target, "the likelihood that we will be able to continue with respect to this legislation during this Senate session seems very unlikely," said Sen. Spencer Abraham (R- Mich.) the sponsor. ihe 54-45 procedural vote handed abortion opponents their second defeat in less than a week. h, rya o Mayo Clinic & Hospitals Summer IlI Program " HumansResources Ozmun East-3rd Floor *"200 First Street SW Rochester, Minnesota 55905 1-800-562-7984 of M Women's Basketball Walk-On Tryouts -44""N I AROUND HE WORL Mayo Foundation is an affirmative action and equal opportunity educator and employer. A smoke-free institution. K** October 19, 1998 7:00 pm Crisler Arena. 'N qw*ft mmmoop" * IIyo beev all 500-0b. r -n-h -W Y - these - -inL-.l-- Georges rips into Dominican Republic SANTO -DOMINGO, Dominican Republic --- After plowing through the northern Caribbean, Hurricane Georges carved into the Dominican Republic yesterday, uprooting trees and churning the sea as Dominicans and tourists alike fled to shelter. The mammoth storm was on a tra- jectory that could send it crashing into the Florida Keys by late tomorrow or early Friday. Authorities urged tourists to leave the island chain, as residents began boarding up windows in antici- pation of Georges' fury. The storm caught the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo almost entirely unprepared yesterday. Forecasters had expected it to hit only the northern coast, but Georges, which killed at least 10 people in its furious march across the Caribbean, changed course and headed straight for the tropical capital of 3 million people. Even more than in Puerto Rico, where Georges exploded shop and car windows, flipped small airplanes and whisked away satellitetdishes, the damage was expected to be exten- sive. In this poor country where the min- imun wage is about $140 a month, * wooden houses that line riverbeds and hillsides would be no match for the storm's 110 mph winds. South Africa sends troops into Lesotho JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - South Africa sent troops yesterday i the kingdom of Lesotho, a tiny indep- dent state surrounded by South Africa, to try to stop a violent rebellion. The South African contingent, which included armored personnel carriers, attack helicopters and mortar units; met strong resistance, authorities said. Ten South African soldiers and five civilians were killed and nine soldiers were injured in and around Maseru, Lesotho's capital, in gun battles with supporters of the country's political opposition and m nous soldiers of Lesotho's armed forc. -- Compiledfion Daily wire reports. .. Sl n wi eirTOTALLY consumed with theirsaLary - u)meuii nys Jv AND - ! i C- and incorporation timetables and everything . I mean, I know these people. Some of my best friends are these people. Well, people... Lf* Better yet, get Sure, I want to Butwant t e to work out, too. Where's it written that y ' running a company or rokC Climbing with with rniga 10 K.. sadder cimbmi' . What good is making a killing if its Li 11 TRY THIS LIFE AND LIFESTYLE. IT COMES WITH THE TERRITORY... SOME OF THE MOST DESIRABLE LOCATIONS IN AMERICA. AS WELL AS 10OF ITS 15 FASTEST-GROWING CITIES. GO WEST...U S WEST. PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR MBA INFORMATION SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13 FROM 4:30 - 6PM AT THE MICHIGAN BUSINESS SCHOOL, ROOM D1275. WE WILL BE CONDUCTING MBA INTERVIEWS, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6. VISIT THE CAREER CENTER FOR SIGN-UP INFORMATION. U S WEST - UNIVERSITY RELATIONS RESUME FAX LINE: The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms b students at the University of Michigan. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mal are " $85. Winter term (January through April) is $95, yearlong (September through April) is $165. On-campus sub. scriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. 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