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The Battalion ORLD Friday • August 29, China bans electronic pets from schools tridl BEIJING (AP) — Worried that a craze over hand-held video games will distract children from their studies, China has banned electronic pets from schools, state- run media reported today. The State Education Commission is sued the ban Wednesday, noting that the games had already adversely affected some students, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Effective Sept. 1, the start of the semester, the toys will be banned from all schools, it said. School officials will confiscate any games they find, and students caught car rying them to exams will have their test scores canceled, it added. The government also plans educational activities to convince children of the disad vantages of the electronic pets, which “die” if not given constant attention. Some schools in Thailand, the Philip pines, Hong Kong and South Korea also have banned the games for the same reason. While the original Tamagotchi was an electronic chicken, its wild success has led Japanese toymaker Bandai to produce elec tronic cats, dogs and dinosaurs as well. The State Education Commission’s or der prohibits sales people from marketing the electronic pets or any other types of video games or toys in schools, Xinhua said. la JAR| I lure 1 ihis 1| Inbj M The! Ihis ul leats i| “Erl I-yell I Ilnu I It\v| l pre| FILE PHOTO/Assw-i A MicroChimp virtual pet, programmed and cared for by its owner, is displayed in New York. SchooliMp cials in China are confiscating the toy, and students caught carrying them to exams will have theirtesi| scores canceled. Police in Stockholm discount connection between attacks, letters STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) — Police say claims of re sponsibility for bombs at two Swedish stadiums apparently did not come from the perpetrator. But failure to catch the person threatening more attacks has anxiety high a week before the decision is made on who will host the 2004 Olympics. The bombs — one Monday at New Ullevi Stadium in Goteborg and one Aug. 8 at Stockholm’s old Olympic Stadi um — are widely believed to be protests of the Swedish cap ital’s bid for the game. At least 10 arson fires, most against sports facilities, also are believed by many to be related to the Olympics. Two letters sent from Sweden to The Associated Press bu reau in London claimed the bombs and fires were the work of a shadowy extremist group called “We Who Built Sweden.” Police say it is not clear if it exists as an organized group. The latest letter, received Wednesday, threatened to turn Stockholm into a “war zone” if the city wins next Friday’s vote by the International Olympic Committee. Stockholm is one of five finalists for the games. “Our assessment is that in all likelihood this has nothing to do with the fires or the explosions,” Stockholm police spokesman Claes Cassell told the newspaper Dagens Ny- heter for a story Thursday. "These are racists who are seizing the chance to get their confused thoughts publicized,” he said. The letters have in cluded inflammatory racial terms. The letters also have complained that hosting the Olympics would be a waste of taxpayer money at a time of declining social services and high unemployment. Guard levels have been increased at major sports facili ties throughout the country — including at the bomb- scarred Olympic Stadium, where tens of thousands of peo ple are to gather next Friday to await word on the IOC decision. Prime Minister Goeran Persson expressed confidence in the police Wednesday despite their failure to solve the crimes. But frustration clearly is high and only was aggravated by the announcement that a key machine needed to analyze the bomb residue was broken. Officials also were dismayed that news of the attacks has received wide attention overseas. “A contact I have in Buenos Aires thinks the whole damn city has blown up,” Mayor Mats Hulth was quoted as saying in Thursday’s Aftonbladet newspaper. Buenos Aires, Argentina, is one of Stockholm’s competi tors for the games, along with Rome; Athens, Greece; and Cape Town, South Africa. Russia launches communications satelli MOSCOW (AP) — Russian space forces launched an American communi cations satellite yesterday, sending it into orbit on a Proton-K booster from the Baikonur cosmodrome. The rocket carrying the 3.6-ton satellite blasted off before dawn today from the Cen tral Asian launching site, Russian news agen cies said, citing the space forces’ command. The PASS satellite was construct^ the U.S. Hughes and the Swedish icsson companies for the Americans Sat company. American PanAmSat plans to use satellite for TV broadcasts to Latin the Caribbean and some southern of the United States, the Interfax agency said. Arafat praises lifting of Bethlehem siej HEBRON, West Bank (AP) — Yasser Arafat welcomed yesterday Israel’s lifting of the monthlong siege of Bethlehem and said Israel must now end its blockade of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In Bethlehem, a Palestinian security of ficial said two suspects have been arrest ed in connection with a July 30 suicide bombing by Islamic militants in a Jerusalem market. However, the report was later denied by another Palestinian official. He said Pales tinian police in Bethlehem have arrested suspects in connection with a bomb fac tory discovered in the area last month, but said the detainees had no links to the Jerusalem blast. Israel’s closure was imposed after the bombing and bars all Palestinians, includ ing some 100,000 workers, from entering Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Ne tanyahu has said he would only ease the travel ban once the Palestinians did more to rein in the militants, particularly the Hamas group that Israel blames for the market bombing. It was likely, however, that Israel would ease the restrictions to improve the cli mate before next month’s visit to the re- SixJal gion by U.S. Secretary of Madeleine Albright. In one conciliatory step. Israelliftf monthlong siege of Bethlehem on day. During that time, Bethlehem's60. residents were barred from leaving and many pilgrims could not visit the l| cal birthplace of Jesus. Israel had imposed thesiegeon lehem amid suspicions that Hamasiii terminds of the bombing were hi( the city. The two bombers were r identified. The first Palestinian, a securityof who spoke on condition of anonymity, Palestinian police arrested twosuspeC in the bombing in the past mkinBt lehem. The information was passedoni the Americans, who relayed it to the raelis, he said. Israel has said that even ifthebom!) came from abroad, they were likely W by Hamas activists in the West Bank. Asked yesterday about the liftingoft Bethlehem siege, Arafat said: TsagP ' ^ step, but it is not enough.” 0 , j The Palestinian leader, whotouredal ^ 1 bron factory today, complained overall closure constituted collective!! ishment of the Palestinians. Mexican stocks post second sharpest fa MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican stocks posted their second sharpest fa)) this year as investors rejected the local stock mar ket, which fell below an important resis tance level amid Wall Street losses and growing concern over emerging markets. The market’s key )PC index closed down 123.50 points or 2.5 percent to 4,789.33 points. At the end of 1996, the IPO stood at 3,361.03. Volume totaled 1.54 billion pesos on 75.5 million shares traded. The Dow Jones Industrial A Wall Street, meanwhile, slipped 12(1 cent to 7,694.43 points. Traders said in Thursday's session, important technical level of 4,800po*J| ut was broken. Trader blamed the IPC’s tumbled cern about emerging markets, sharpest fall this year was July 21,^ the IPO fell 2.8 percent to 4,590.22F amid nervousness over Brazil and Asiaf' 1 rency concerns. Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra 1997-1998 Concert Season Marcelo Bussiki, Music Director c Attention All Texas A&.M University Students The Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra will audition musicians for the following instruments: French Horn Clarinet Trumpet Oboe Trombone Flute Bassoon ^ Percussion and All Strings Auditions will be held on: Tuesday, September 2, 1997 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Room 402, Academic Building Audition Requirements: The appli cant will be asked to perform two works of bis or her choice, as well as sight read an orchestral excerpt. NOTE: Credit information: (Muse 286- Symphony Orchestra) can be applied towards fulfilling the require ments for Music Minor, or as 1 hour of general electives. For information please contact: Penny Zent, Orchestra Committee Chair p-zent@tamu.edu (409) 845-5670 CraftMasters’ Matt, “A Year Round Arts and Grafts Show” 1857 Briarcrest Drive • Bryan Over 170 liooths of Handcrafted Items • Ceramics • Needlecrafi • Stained Glass • Baity Items Floral Arrangements • Woodcrafts • Wearable Art • Jewelry • Aggie Commemorative Coins • Aggie Items Decorate that Dortn or Apartment! New Fall Hours: Mon.- Sat. 10 a.in. - 6 p.m. Thurs. til 8 p.m. Sun. 12-6p.m. Stop by and get that perfect gift for any masim. 776-0870 The Battalion’s now offering access to The WIRE A 24-hour, multimedia news service for the Internet from The Associated Press The WIRE provides continuously updated news coverage from one( world’s oldest, largest news services via The Battalion’s web page, -A comprehensive, up-lo-ttie-minute news report conbrng jjSgl 1 \ Is ’ll Hie latest AP stones with photos, graphics, s http://bat-web.tamu.edu Id ays ou)i