Our World News: Y2K, World Bank, Typhoon, E. Coli, Etcetera

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World Bank commitments hit record high in FY 1999: Y2K? http://home.kyodo.co.jp/cgi-bin/conciseStory#19990916808

Global assistance by the World Bank totaled a record $28.99 billion in its fiscal 1999 that ended June 30, reflecting lending for financial and natural crises and help for post-conflict recovery, the bank said in its annual report Wednesday. The sum compared with $28.59 billion in fiscal 1998, a previous high, the bank said.

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E. coli outbreak sickens 313 in Illinois http://www.tampabayonline.net/news/news101x.htm

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The number of people with symptoms linked to a central Illinois E. coli outbreak has reached 313, authorities said Wednesday.

Twenty-two people have been hospitalized. Of the 313 people with E. coli symptoms, 44 have been tested and confirmed as having E. coli, the state Public Health Department said.

Most of the people apparently were exposed to the bacteria at a party held Labor Day weekend in a cow pasture near Petersburg, about 25 miles northwest of Springfield. About 1,800 people attended the event.

The source of the E. coli contamination is still unknown. The health department has conducted more than 600 interviews so far.

Many people who contract this strain of E. coli experience intense cramps and bloody diarrhea. In severe cases, it can destroy red blood cells and interfere with kidney function.

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H.K. hit by strongest typhoon in 16 years, 18 injured http://home.kyodo.co.jp/cgi-bin/conciseStory#19990916808

At least 18 people have been hurt as the strongest typhoon in 16 years hit Hong Kong head-on Thursday.

Hong Kong came to a near standstill as hurricane signal No. 10, the most serious, was hoisted at 6:45 a.m.

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Eastern Europe Faces Potentially Dire Y2K Failures (NewsBytes) http://asia.yahoo.com/headlines/160999/technology/937426980-136311.html

The combination of an icy Eastern-European winter and poor Y2K planning could add up to frigid disasters in some former Eastern Block countries on or around Jan. 1, 2000, experts said at a congressional hearing today. But the State Department is defending its decision not to issue Y2K-related travel warnings to US citizens at this time.

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World Bank admits misguided policies http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/headlines/19990915/ftemkts/emkts.937441289.html

The World Bank said in its annual World Development Report that many of its past policies were misguided and that it needed help to succeed in the future. The report said developing countries had fallen even further behind rich nations despite the efforts of the bank over the past 50 years. It said simple solutions like investing in physical and human capital and liberalising markets would not work in isolation but governments, the private sector and donor organisations had to work together.

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Lycos Debuts Weekly Top 50 List of Search Terms http://asia.yahoo.com/headlines/160999/technology/937435140-136317.html

Users of the Web portal operated by Lycos Inc. [NASDAQ:LCOS] want to know more about Pokemon, Britney Spears and football and less about Ricky Martin, solar eclipses and Y2K.

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Hebrew University Cures Y2K Bug http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewGlobal.asp?Page=\Global\archive\GLO19990915b.html

It's a "bit late as far as Y2K" goes, but, outside of the Y2K bug Sapir 2000 provides an "efficient way to handle old COBOL code," Dunietz said.

The cost for the first system is $30,000, with a reduction for each additional system per customer. However, Dunietz points out, that compared to the millions that it has cost many companies, governmental agencies and organizations, "it is relatively cheap and can be done in a fraction of the time."

"It's not really the solution to the bug," Dunietz said, but it "makes the process to solving the problem easier."

However, due to the lateness of the hour, Dunietz said it will be a challenge to market the system to entities that already are way behind in preparations. It will initially be sold in Israel before it is marketed abroad.

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), September 16, 1999

Answers

PLAGUES'PESTILANCE'NATURAL-DISASTER,S-TERRORISM-ECONOMIC-CONFUSION'SABOTAGE'SENSLESS-KILLING-DEMONIC ACTIVITIES'FAMINE'INCURABLE-DISEASES'- LACK OF COMPASSION'APOSTATE CHURCH-THE BEAST-SYSTEM. just to name a few.THEN A FALSE-PEACE.---LAST-CALL FOLK,S.

-- IT,S JUST STARTING. (dogs@zianet.com), September 16, 1999.

Thanks, Stan. For the World Bank to say that "many of its past policies were misguided," is undoubtedly the understatement of the year. And to add that "...developing countries had fallen even [further] behind rich nations....,." Now why am I not surprised.. But I'll bet the major corporations, who invested in those countries, had nice rich profits to shore up the mega salaries of their fat, greedy overpaid CEO's

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), September 16, 1999.

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