The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 8

Nation THE TIMES 8A SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1 997 to aid Would Bank Inter-American Development Bank $150 million and the Peruvian government up to $130 million. "litis is the first time the bank has made a loan for emergency prevention and the first loan involving El Nino," said Isabel Guerrero, World Bank director for Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay. El Nino hit South and Central America hard in 1982-1983. In Peru alone it caused more than 200 deaths and losses estimated at $1 billion. It was Peruvian and Ecuadorian fisherman who named the warm ocean climate phenomenon El Nino, in 1982-83, its worst incidence this century.

Some experts have predicted that this year the severity of El Nino may rival or surpass that of 15 years ago. Bank officials said the first Latin American country to benefit will be Peru followed by Ecuador and eventually Argentina, Bolivia and Central American nations. The Peruvian project includes an estimated $430 million in flood and drought prevention measures as well as money for reconstruction in the event of a disaster. The World Bank is providing $150 million, the ing and constructing storm drains. Drought relief involves improving water management, building wells and storing food for humans and feed for cattle.

'Hie bank allocated $130 million of its loan for reconstruction. In the event of a disaster this money would pay for rebuilding hospitals, health stations, schools, roads and electric power stations. Eugene McCarthy, the bank's El Nino emergency project leader, said the loans had conditions covering spending if the effects of El Nino were not as severe as anticipated. By HARRY DUNPHY Tha Associated Press WASHINGTON To combat severe floods and droughts that the Pacific Ocean weather pattern known as El Nino may produce, the World Bank is preparing emergency assistance for a number of Central and South American countries. Bank officials said Friday they also were studying how the lending institution could help countries in Asia and southern Africa combat the effects of El Nino.

It caused hundreds of deaths and 14 billion in damages which is Spanish for the Christ child, because it occurred around Christmas. i To get ready for this year's El Nino, Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori declared a state of emergency in 14 of the country's 24 departments in June. Guerrero said $30 million of the bank's loan will be used for flood prevention measures in the northern coastal region and drought relief in the southern Andean highlands known as the Altiplano. Flood prevention measures include dredging riverbeds and clean Louise Woodward works for her lawyers f.OSTON Louise Woodward, British au pair convicted in tho (Heath of an 8-month-okl boy in hor ijjre, has taken a job working tho ljjjv firm that defended her. Woodward, who is under orders ffom a judge to stay in Massachusetts durin her ajx'als.

has been doing some filiiv.c vrk at the Silverglate and Cnxxl la linn. Tlie 19-year-old has also Uvn abl? to travel on the subway and shop id efit in restaurants without attracting much attention. i Woodward was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder for Matthew Happens death last February. Judge Hiller Zobel reduced the verdict to manslaughter aiid set her free, sentencing her to nine months already served. Prosecutors are expected to apxal the reduction and sentence and defense lawyers plan to seek a new trial in the hope of getting an acquittal.

'Since her release from jail. Woodward has been staying with an unidentified family in Marblehead. GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS! atellite malfunctions; A I astronauts can't snag it WBSS Ml rt BIRKENSTOCK The original comfort shoe." FREE LF ATHFRMAN -SrC IE OPEN SUNDAYS 1-5 PM KaMPER'S ICoRNER In Uptown Cvntar 5822 UNE AVE. 861-6996 mm Candy s1.80 vv Desirable s2-80 Forkert AP s2.40 Gloria s2.80 (t) Moreland The robot arm of the space shuttle Columbia goes in to try to grab the solar-observation satellite shortly after releasing it Friday in this image from television. SO AA Mixed Mnn -Fri.

Astronauts may have to perform a spacewalk to grab it. By MARCIA DUNN The Associated Press CAPE CANAVERAL Fla. Space shuttle Columbia's astronauts struggled in vain to capture a sun-watching satellite Friday after the craft malfunctioned moments after its release. Within an hour, NASA had lost any chance of conducting solar observations with the satellite, now or later in the mission. The space agency still wanted the satellite back, however, for the trip home.

Mission Control told the astronauts that they might have to perform a spacewalk Sunday night to grab the satellite with their gloved hands. The crew's two designated spacewalkers trained before the flight for just such an emergency. The orbital drama began a few minutes after astronaut Kalpana Chawla released the satellite. Realizing it wasn't turning the way it should, Chawla tried to grab the satellite with Columbia's 50-foot robot ami. But the arm would not latch onto the satellite, and when she pulled back on the arm, she inadvertently sent the craft into a slow spin.

Columbia stayed at a safe distance from the $10 million reusable satellite, but within grabbing distance, as the two spacecraft zoomed around the world. "We're trying the best we can," pilot Steven Lindsey assured Mission Control. Chawla waited for the grapple fixture on the satellite to face the robot arm before trying to latch onto it again. Mission Control, meanwhile, debated what to do as the minutes slipped by. After an hour, flight controllers instructed the six astronauts to give up.

at least for the day. By that time, NASA had lost any chance of performing solar observations later in Stuarts .2.00 8 AM -4 PM Prices per lb. Min. Purchase 5 lbs. SAT.

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If all had gone well, Columbia's U.S., Japanese and Ukrainian crew would have retrieved Spartan with the shuttle robot arm on Sunday night and then geared up for a space-walk on Monday night to test equipment for the future international space station. The 16-day mission ends Dec. 5. Spartan was supposed to be released Thursday, but was delayed one day because of problems with another solar observatory, that one 1 million miles away. The two spacecraft were supposed to make simultaneous measurements of the sun so scientists could compare the results.

Spartan has flown several times before in space without any major problems. Chawla, the first Indian-bom woman in space, is making her first spaceflight the flight an internal clock turned off the pointing system for good 60 minutes after the satellite's release. Commander Kevin Kregel pushed for more time, saying the satellite was close and easily accessible if only it would slop spinning. But eventually, he had to stop chasing the satellite as the shuttle fuel reserves dwindled. He steered the ship away.

Chawla released the Spartan satellite 5-foot-square with the ends" of an 1 1-foot telescope protruding from opposite sides just after 4 p.m. with ease. It was supposed to perform a pirouette within 90 seconds to demonstrate its systems were working, but never did. The cause of the malfunction was not immediately known. "We plan to regrapple," Chawla immediately informed Mission Control.

Flight rules dictate that the satellite be retrieved immediately if no pirouette is performed. Spartan was supposed to observe for two days the sun's ionized outer Dt'pai tmeiit biore Rtgtujr Prius Save s160 to s180 on Natural Down Comforters 863 pounds of cocaine found buried in asphalt CHARLESTON. S.C. On a hunch, federal agents drilled into a shipment of hardened asphalt from Colombia and found a buried treasure M3 pounds of cocaine with a street value of $20 million. ''Hie drugs found last month were crammed inside plastic pipes surrounded by hardened asphalt inside iyttal drums.

VThe conceal method was brilliant." Frank Alguzzini, resident in charge of U.S. Customs Service investigations, said Friday, a The drugs could not be detected by -X-rays or drug-sniffing dogs. But agents were suspicious that a low-vjilue commodity like asphalt was be-jng transported by ship from Colombia through Charleston and on to Europe. School roof falls, kills demolition worker GRAND FORKS. Minn.

-The roof of a flood-damaged school killing a worker who was preparing it for demolition. The (death of Brian Keith Anderson, 29, is Relieved to be the first in the area to recovery from the devastating April flood. Authorities said Anderson was cleaning out rubble from the second fiopr of the three-story school Tljursday when the roof and floor above him collapsed. Police said another worker had just stepped out to U4 tools. en.

Kennedy marks anniversary of death WASHINGTON Sen. Edward Kennedy visited Arlington National Cemetery Friday to mark the 34th Anniversary of President John V. ivennedy's assassination. -'-Kennedy, accompanied by his wife, Vicki, left white roses at graves of President Kennedy and (lis wife, Jacqueline. They are buried near the graves of their first child, an unnamed daughter stillborn in 195(i, Jnd an infant son, Patrick, who died three days after his birth in -jennedy also visited the grave of further Robert Kennedy, who was aSSassinated in 18.

Thursday $quld have been his 72nd birthday. Ex-soldier convicted In deaths of 4 workers Tenn. A second former soldier was convicted of murder Friday in the shooting deaths of fourTaco Bell workers dur-2ig a robbery in 1994. David llousler, who confessed to ljeing the getaway driver and lookout man, faces a mandatory sentence (if life in prison. The jury began deciding whether he should be given tjie opportunity for parole.

I lousier, of Radclifl, was found guilty of helping gunman and fellow fort Campbell soldier Courtney IJlathews. 23. 1 Mathews, who had worked at the Taco Bell for 10 days as a part-time dishwasher and food handler, forced bis co-workers to lie on the floor after the restaurant closed, then shot tliem. i Neb. couple accused of faking wife's cancer 1 1ASTINGS, Neb.

A woman and tier husband are accused of pretending she had cancer in order to put.on a fund-raising benefit in April at the City Auditorium. Kerri lbato. 32, and Tim Lobato, tK were arraigned Thursday on a tl targe of felony theft by deception. Bond was set at HVe have reason to believe that his not suffering from cancer and flial these proceeds were used for Otlf'T reasons," said prosecutor Sat han Cox. -i Die Dibaios staged a benefit April III fit the City Auditorium to raie money for Mrs.

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