2 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 16, 2001 NATION/WORLD Chechens hijack Russian plane AL-KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Chechen a nen wielding knives and claiming to have a bomb 'hijacked a Russian plane carrying 174 people after it eft Turkey yesterday and forced it to land in the holy Saudi city of Medina. Reports said 45 hostages were :freed or escaped the plane.. Security forces surrounded the aircraft and a Saudi team was negotiating with the hijackers, said Abdul Fatah Mohammad Atta, the Medina airport manager. 4 The standoff continued into the early hours today, about 12 hours after the hijacking began. After ariving in Saudi Arabia, the hijackers freed -all the women and children, airport officials said. They didn't give a number, but the official Saudi Press Agency reported 17 were freed. The agency said 15 others passengers escaped from the airplane's rear 'exit. By early today, state Saudi television reported that a total of 45 hostages had left the plane, but it did not give a breakdown on how many had escaped or been freed. Television footage showed women and children boarding a bus near the aircraft and arriving at an air- port building, where they were given food. Most looked healthy, with some smiling. The hijackers said they wanted to fly to Afghanistan, Saudi officials at the airport said on con- dition of anonymity. Abdul-Hamid Mishrif, operations manager at Med- ina airport, said "a young man who was hurt by the hijackers" was among those freed. Russian state RTR television in Moscow quoted deputy director of the Federal Security Service Vladimir Ponichev as saying the man was a steward who suffered serious wounds. There were conflicting reports over the number of hijackers. Turkish officials said there were two. But according to RTR, Ponichev said radio contact between Saudi authorities and the hijackers showed there were four. The airport officials said the hijackers allowed food and beverages to be taken aboard the plane. The pas- sengers were tired and uncomfortable, but appeared to be otherwise well, the officials said. Negotiations were proving difficult, because the hijackers spoke neither English nor Arabic, Atta said, adding Russian diplomats had been called from the city of Jiddah, 200 miles south of Medina, to help.' A Saudi security official said there was no intention of raiding the plane. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, according to a Russian report, spoke to his Saudi counterpart Saud al-Faisal by telephone, asking for the plane and hijackers to be returned to Russia. .5 UK 1 .} NEWS IN BRIEF.{ WAS IENGTON Bush outlines campaign finance goals President Bush urged Congress yesterday to approve campaign reform legisla- tion that would ban soft money donations by corporations and labor unions, pro- tect the rights of individuals and groups to express their views, and prohi unions or corporations from using shareholder or member funds for politi activity without permission. Bush's statement of principles differs in some key ways with the main reform vehicle that will be debated next week in the Senate, a measure sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.). But McCain said he was heartened that Bush stopped short of threatening to veto their bill. Bush has long opposed the McCain-Feingold bill but sought to avoid being blamed if campaign reform legislation fails this year. By issuing the statement of principles, Bush attempted to influence the debate in Congress while avoiding any veto threats that might cast him, at this stage of the debate, as an opponent of reform. White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said Bush believes prospects passage of reform legislation have brightened after a decade of legislative gi lock. "I think the dynamic has changed this year," Fleischer told reporters. "The presideht is determined to take advantage of that and to get it signed into law" WASHINGTON Summer blackout- inevitable' inCali Power blackouts "appear inevitable" in California this summer and could spill into neighboring Western states, the Bush administration says, even as stocks of a gasoline additive raise concerns of another summer of price spikes at the pump. Energy Secretary Spence Abraham told a Senate hearing that the adminis* tion is trying to find ways to increase power supplies in the West, where prices have soared because of shortages. The administration strongly opposes price con- trols, he said. "The problem will get worse, and blackouts this summer appears inevitable," Abraham said. The administration's hope is that "California doesn't start a wave of blackouts that go beyond its borders," he said. Abraham announced no specific actions to ease the Western electricity crunch, although he said he has discussed the possibility of a small amount of additional power being obtained from Mexico. He said the administration opposes price controls on wholesale power sales in the West, despite pleas from California and the Northwest that federal interven- tion in "a broken market" is essential. i . . I " ., -. ' $7 prior/ $8 at thec 1405 Hill Stree Sigma Delta Tau Pasta Dinner benefit for Market stable after 3 days of volatility Prevent Childlb useyfmerica Sunday March 18 door 5pm-8pm - all you can eat buffet Ca Si /n/a imp Michiiai - -- U Alumni Association of the University of Michi(an Working at the University of Michigan Alumni camp is a rewarding and exciting opportunity. Since 1961, Camp Michigania has been a treasured experience for thousands ,of alumni and their families. Those who serve as staff members have countless opportunities for personal and professional growth. Work in specialized program areas: NEW YORK (AP) - The stock market stabilized yesterday following three days of volatile trading, but tense investors traded cautiously amid continuing uncertainty about the economy in this country and overseas. Although investors were hoping that the 317-point plunge blue chips took Wednesday would inspire a rally, they saw little reason to do much buy- ing. The Dow advanced 57.82 to close at 10,031.28 after rising more than 100 points early in the session. The Dow fell below 10,000 on Wednesday for the first time in five months and fluctuated above and below that mile- stone throughout yesterday's dealings. Broader market indicators were mixed. The Nasdaq composite index slipped 31.38 to 1,940.71 after falling below 2,000 Monday for the first time in more than 27 months. Wall Street's broadest measure, the Standard & Poor's 500, rose 6.85 to 1,173.56. However, the S&P 500 is down nearly 25 percent from its closing high of 1,527.46, reached a year ago. The dive blue chips took Wednes- day was particularly unsettling because such upsets had for months been largely reserved for the Nasdaq. Investors had taken comfort in think- ing the slowing economy was hurting mostly the tech sector, leaving the broader market relatively intact. "A lot of people were looking at the staple stocks as sort of immune to the bubble popping that happened in the Arts and Crafts Ropes Course Store Ceramics Riflery Teen Program Child Care Sailing Tennis If you are interested in sharing your knowledge and skills with adults and children of all ages, and want to have one of the best summers of your life... email: michigania@umich.edu phone: 231-582-9191 tech stocks. (But) it has carried over to a limited degree," to blue chips, said Richard A. Dickson, technical analyst at Scott & Stringfellow Inc. in Richmond. While the market expected the Nas- daq to test the 2,000 level, the Dow's falling below 10,000 was "a yellow flag being raised that the rest of the market isn't immune," Dickson said. Yesterday's slim gains followed a positive session in Japan, in which stocks finished up 2.6 percent. Eco- nomic instability in Japan, where the government admitted that the country is in a state of deflation, helped send shares skidding in the United States and in Europe Wednesday. Most analysts doubt the market here will move substantially higher anytime soon. They say investors are still grappling with fears that earn- ings and the economy will be weak for the foreseeable future. "The real question that is smacking us in the eyeballs is, has the stock mar- ket reached a level that can be stabilized and investors can be encouraged?" said Hugh Johnson, chief investment officer for First Albany Corp. Unfortunately, "this is not an inspir- ing stock market today," Johnson said. "I'm not impressed." Yesterday's session mirrored the meager bump-up stocks made Tues- day after the Nasdaq's big slide the day before. Analysts said that lack of commitment by investors doesn't bode well for a rally. Abraham campaign tries to erase debt WASHINGTON (AP) - Energy Secretary Spence Abraham's political advisers are raising rxloney to cover debt from his failed Senate re-election campaign in Michigan, but he is dis- tancing himself from the effort to avoid a conflict of interest as a Cabinet member. Abraham Senate 2000 owes $228,767.82 for campaign expenses, according to records filed Jan. 31 with the FEC. Federal ethics rules prevent federal employees, including Cabinet offi- cials, from directly raising funds, although Abraham could help in a passive role, such as attending fund- raising events. His advisers say he will not take any part. Susan Nelson, a Washington fund- raiser working for Abraham, said the team will not solicit or accept dona- tions from the energy interests Abra- ham now oversees. Abraham spent about $12 million on the race. The first-term Republican lost to Democrat Debbie Stabenow in a close race. President Bush nominat- ed him as Energy Secretary less than two months after the loss. Nelson said raising money is not easy now that the race is over. "People are really nice, but it's slow going," she said. "People went above and beyond to give to him during the campaign, so I think a lot of people maxed out or gave him all that was in their budget." Groups that advocate changes in the campaign finance system say Abra- ham's case highlights the problems of fund-raising in Congress. While Abra- ham cannot solicit donations from energy interests with issues before hi a canraftnmi nfnthi .n enlA hova NEW YORK Population New York tops 8 million New York's population topped 8 million in the 2000 Census, a record for the nation's biggest city and a vivid illustration of the impact of surging immigration that is transforming the nation. According to census figures released yesterday,, the city grew only because of increasing numbers of Asians and Hispanics. The black pop- ulation is stable and the number of non-Hispanic whites fell over the past decade. New York is the biggest urban bene- ficiary of a wave of immigration that is producing a split picture among the nation's older big cities, where deterio- ration and flight have been dominant themes for decades. Cities that attract immigrants have turned around decades of loss. Those include Chicago, whose population grew for the first time since 1950, TETOVO, Macedonia Leader threatens to declare all-out war Special police units pounded ethnic Albanian rebel positions near here with mortar rounds yesterday as-Mace- donia's prime minister threatened to send -in the army to wage all-out war against the guerrillas. When the police barrage peaked midafternoon, heavy blasts rattled Tetovo every few seconds as mortar rounds exploded in the mountains overlooking the city. An escalating rebel insurgency spread this week from border clashes to this city on the outskirts of western Macedonia's ethnic Albanian heart- land, further undermining NATO's peacekeeping efforts in the region. The ethnic Albanian rebels, who call themselves the Nationai Lib* tion Army, openly admit that they cross into Macedonia from NATO-pro- tected Kosovo, a mainly ethnic Alban- ian province of Serbia. WASHINGTON Congress toughens bankruptcy laws The Senate voted yesterday to make it harder for people to erase their do in bankruptcy courts and close a loop- hole in present law that allows wealthy debtors to shield their assets in luxury homes. The 83-15 vote in favor of the most sweeping overhaul of bankruptcy laws in 20 years occurred just two weeks after the House passed a similar bill, but one that left wealthy homeowners in some states protected. Personal bankruptcy filings have declined in the last two years, but the legislation comes against the backdrop of a sagging economy and shaken stock market. It was the second business-friendly measure to pass both houses of the new Congress. Last week, Congress voted to repeal workplace rules aimed at curbing repetitive motion injuries. - Compiled from Daily wire repos r- The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $100. Winter term (January through April) is $105, yearlong (September through April) is $180. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a membei of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press. ADDRESS:'!he Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1327. 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