1 Iff Smom “WELCOME BACK tints / aggies ^ohigi^v-^ Best Prices in Town on Supplements EAS Phosphagen Myoplex Plus Myoplex-DIx Betagen Precision Protein HMB Phosphagen HP 714 g 20 serving 42 serving 20 serving 90 serving 2 lb. 360 g 4 lb. LaBrada Lean Body 20 serving $33.99 TWIN LAB Ripped Fuel Diet Fuel 60 cap 180 cap $13.95 $29.95 Northgate 601 University Dr. Between Papa Johns & Subway 268-7668 Kroger Center 2416 Tx Ave. S Near Gold s Gym 696-5464 ^tudy Abroad m (exico <2sdtv tko wamjj j*a<2<2> of tvkfla ^r. "Pouglas ^tarr and tiynnc Walters invite you to join them lor 9 or tCJ weeks in ^Mlcxico CSrity studying international Public delations Summer SCJOlO 521 552 >W p»1) The Ladies of Alpha Phi invite you to be a part of & A New Millennium of Sisterhood 'tn urn M Ui Event Schedule: Monday, January 24 th -lnformational Meeting 7:00 Rudder 308 Tuesday, January 25 th -lnterviews* 9am-5pm MSC138 Svt Informational Meeting 8:30 MSC 292 B •'tfK ■ ' {\ Wednesday, January 26 th 'lnterviews !f 12pm-9pm ^ ☆ MSCI38 ☆ ^ S\i Thursday, January 27 th -lnvitation Only Party 'fry 'h Monday, January 31 st -Bid Day Z l Vvt . 7f> Tables with information will be in the MSC Hallway January 18 th through w.^k> > the 21 st and January 24 th and 25 th . A table will also be at the MSC Open House Sunday, January 23 rd . V *Ypu must attend an Informational Meeting before you sign up for an Interview. M m $f i mtifa 0 0 $ /% C % /* t \ /* t V /*. v /*! C /*. < /•> s /*. WORLD Thursday, January 20,20(K) THE BATTALION Russia pushes Grozny assault Turks ir f : .v. Januai GROZNY, Russia (AP)—The Russ ian military redoubled its drive to eon- quer Chechen rebels yesterday, with troops fighting street by street in the cap ital Grozny while helicopter gunships and cannons relentlessly pounded the southern mountains. Lt. Gen. Gennady Troshev, Russia’s deputy chief commander in Chechnya, announced Wednesday that the war was expected to be over by Feb. 26, although “nobody is giving the forces any firm deadlines for ending the operation,” the Interfax news agency reported. He did not explain how he arrived at that date. Federal forces pushed toward the cen ter of Grozny from several directions, try ing to squeeze rebel fighters into an ever- tightening circle, the military said. It was impossible to verify the army’s claims of progress. Reporters are con strained from moving freely about the capital because of the danger and the re strictions imposed by both the Russian and Chechen sides. But an Associated Press reporter watched yesterday as Russian forces in a northwestern neighborhood called Mikrorayon-3 seized several shell-punc tured, five-ston apartment buildings. They failed to take nearby nine-story buildings, from which Chechen snipers kept up a steady barrage of bullets. Russian jets rained bombs on the city throughout the day, sending deafening roars echoing through empty streets. Grozny has been a bastion of rebel resistance throughout the war, which has entered its fifth month, and its cap ture would give the Russian forces a boost after a series of surprise counter attacks by the rebels. But control over Grozny could backfire, as it did during the 1994-96 bloodshed in Chechnya. During that war, Russians took the city and held it for more than a year, but lost it to the Chechens in a humiliating and bloody defeat. After facing relatively little resistance in Chechnya’s northern lowlands, Russ ian forces have been stalled at Grozny for months and only recently began pressing into rebel strongholds in the southern mountains. On Wednesday, Russian helicopter gunships and artillery pounded the steep, wooded mountain slopes near the mouth of the strategic Argun Gorge, about 30 miles south of Grozny. An AP reporter took shelter behind some rocks on the edge of the village of Dachu-Borzoi as helicopters swooped down to strafe the woods. Eleven civilians were killed Tuesday in an air raid against Dachu-Borzoi, in cluding seven members of the family of local administrator Alu Khasayev. At the edge of the nearby village of Duba-Yurt, a knot of elders crowded around Russian officers yesterday, plead ing for an end to shelling. Adam Akhya- zov, chief administrator of the village. 5 km Russian troops push to capture city CHECHNYA Ayvazovs RUSSIA CHECHNYA Grozny AP said three civilians had been killed in Dubd-Yurt over the past two da> **. “When people want to leave the vil lage. the Russians prev ent them, promis ing not to target the \ illage," he said. Meanwhile, a pro-Moscow Chechen leader claimed Wednesday to be mediat ing in talks between several Chechen warlords and federal authorities. Oil at highest prices since Gulf War LONDON (AP) — Petroleum prices surged Wednesday to the highest levels seen since the Persian Gulf War, raising concerns about worsening inflation and a possible threat to the economies of poor, oil-importing nations. Prices turned lower later in the day for North Sea Brent oil but continued a rally for the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude. The rebound in oil reflects signs that OPEC is planning to extend production limits as well as a cold snap in the northeastern United States that stoked demand for heating oil and natural gas. Industry analysts said that even though crude oil prices have more than doubled in the past year, countries dependent on imported oil should he able to avoid severe economic pain, barring another big and sustained spike in prices. Before the late retreat, crude contracts in London reached their highest prices since Jan. 16, 1991, on the eve of the air and missile offensive launched against Iraq by U.S.-led forces in the Gulf. Much of the speculative buying is a result of expectations that ministers of the Organization of the Petroleum I vpon- ing Countries will agree in March to extend the production limits adopted last year. Evidence of tight supplies came in an industry report ves- terday of the steepest annual decline in U.S. crude oil in ventories in at least a half century. The Amen can Petroleum Institute said U.S. oil inventories de clined by more than 136 million barrels in 1999, a 12.7 percent plunge from the prev ious year and the biggest drop for a full cal endar year in API records going back to 1950. Contracts for Brent oil for March deliver) jumped 25 cents per barrel to peak at $26.30 in early trading on the London Inter national Petroleum Exchange, before slipping a hit. In late inkl ing yesterday, Brent was down 10 cents from Tuesday at $25.95. V Texas A&M University Women’s Week Awards Nomination Women’s Week 2000 Committee is accepting nominations for Women's Week Awards. The awards are designed to honor Texas A&M University students, staff, faculty, and administrators who encourage and promote the sensitivity to and awareness of issues that relate to women. Award recipients will receive public recognition, an award piece and a $100 U.S. Savings Bond. The awards will be presented at the Women's Week Awards Luncheon on March 21 at the Bush Conference Center. For more information and nomination forms, check the Women's Week website at womensweek.tamu.edu. Send nomination letters and nomination forms to: Nicole Pottberg, Chair, TAMU Women’s Week Awards Committee, Engineering Program Office - MS 3126. Nomination deadline is February 7. Rockin’ with the Stones! n Ugast year, an innovative band of percussionists wowed audiences across the world when they opened for the Rolling Stones! They are The Drummers of West Africa. * And thanks to MSC Town Hall, their next stop is Rudder Auditorium. The Drummers of West Africa Direct from Dakar, Senegal The Drummers of West Africa Doudou N’Diaye Rose, Artistic Director Company of 35 Saturday, January 29 at 3:00 PM • Rudder Auditorium Tickets available now! Call 845-1234 Presented by MSC Town Hall iiiiiMiiiiiaTniimM uncovei bodies L f fa n the e \\k \RA. Iurkey(APi JiN'-.'M.rid D bodies)n^| |||| |^ ||| Kunul h.iml and I'Mtt. siran^gf a j rC( j a left m a coal bin and gardci 7h e y ^ l.inhul lunisc, reportedly F jfTu Year try m. n> form an Islam:, ttilns in the kindl'd) rev ion o! Inrkev. nil cities ae I he K'dies. believed to >h|. such as "I kidnapped business);, ns. 1 ondon tier police question. ^ s '■' n, -' s rmbers ofthetnilitt»" ih. captured fotop" it in Istanbul thistyta! s not related to ft Hind nior rt He/bt Jgs of CCS lir hands. nes am eted Idis ing for JB' 1 'he' e'er esei. ! Hni .illcnli i the san> enanfrYH ,. v , ,,| (, c said they su$|X0|d|o treat \ i who had been mi util .nul gru ) ere kidnappedsni uci of the ri .ih for snpponme esJ unlucky ,lions. I led uiici I' \natolia news mg 'N 1 u omuls ih.* Kwi.rv cn Aif I'l’ou'.'li 1 •. .i| m I other businessmen were L u j . i 1 • . 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Just as n )n uted up to ’2K paranoia Suiting fin ewj ;ige ofpo ow offering ’ Ruivity ir;ii JjVhether tl oilk shops” 0 1 program! tlly consis 10)1 lectures, ala-playing s jVpparentl; ess world be elihg techniq iently to alio lines of hi e\V afternoon re games. St iscover that 1 ’■t is obvio ✓.eaeiic Basel ■cent magt The Battalion fraves pitch lammatory Online Bus of the offers access to ion Inamf ik$ they are «Hl ollrance, Ri 11 k. he euminiss * 4 * ^^^^Isitivity tr I videntl' I Hcball bell news from The AssociatedMfc'iai „,n dsed treatm 1 inlbrtim The WIRE provides contW updated news coverage from of the world’s oldest, largest ifl ie y in ^ services via The Battalion's^ ^ w ^ c - page. BAIthougl A comprehensive, up lo Hie ininulenewsfep«U» 1 '•gilt directi) Ihe latest AP slones with pholos. graphics, s«wir> iapaeity, SCI HeaiiiH and bulletins delivered as so«usiieK>^ wei . j () ^ ; aii ;e it doe: ■ U.S., World, Business, Sports. Science, lechr Arts, and Special Seclions. % real wa; http://battalion.tamu.^ s ^ h c . l ; adults to aba