Forecasters expect season of destructive hurricanes

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The recent surge in destructive hurricanes is expected to continue this year, with forecasters predicting at least seven hurricanes to approach North America in 2000.Forecasters attending this year's National Hurricane Conference on Wednesday also predicted 11 tropical storms -- one less than in 1999, when 12 formed and eight developed into hurricanes.

Storms must generate winds at least 74 mph before they are classified as hurricanes.

During the past five years, there have been more than 60 named storms in the Atlantic alone, 41 of them hurricanes.

Arafat arrives in U.S. for talks about Mideast negotiations

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Palestinian President Yasser Arafat arrived in the United States Thursday for talks with President Clinton on slow progress in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Clinton met Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak in Washington last week, and a U.S. official said he was encouraged by renewed momentum in the negotiations, which face a May target date for agreement on the framework for a final settlement.

But Palestinians have been less optimistic about prospects for an agreement, which has to cover some of the most difficult issues in the Arab-Israeli conflict, including borders, Jerusalem, refugees and Jewish settlements.

British leader briefs Clinton about his visit with Putin

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Clinton was briefed Wednesday by British Prime Minister Tony Blair on his talks with Vladimir Putin on his first visit to the West as Russia's president.

Clinton and Blair talked by telephone for 35 minutes, delaying Clinton's departure for Oklahoma City for a memorial ceremony on the fifth anniversary of the terrorist explosion that killed 168 people.

The two leaders discussed Russia's economic problems, White House press secretary Joe Lockhart said. They also discussed Northern Ireland and the violence in Zimbabwe by black squatters on white-owned farms.

Metallica no longer suing Yale over music on Internet

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- Metallica dropped Yale from a lawsuit after the university stopped its computer network users from connecting to an Internet site that allows people to trade copyright music.

Yale blocked access to the Napster site last week, after the heavy metal band sued the Ivy League school, two other universities and California-based Napster, which makes the popular Internet music sharing software.

"We appreciate the prompt and responsible reaction by Yale University in dealing with the gross violations of copyright laws and the protection of intellectual property," Metallica said in a written statement Wednesday, "We thank them for their quick response to the matter."

Metallica's lawsuit contends the universities allowed free trade of copyright songs by failing to block access to the Napster sharing program, which allows Internet users to search for and download music directly from each others' computer hard drives. The music is stored in a digital format known as MP3.

Yale spokesman Tom Conroy said the school blocked access to the Napster site during business hours a few months ago. In February, he said the school "alerted" students to federal copyright laws as they applied to Napster.

Anti-death penalty group lauds cast of 'The Practice'

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The cast of "The Practice" and others who have worked to outlaw capital punishment have been honored by an anti-death penalty group.

Writer-producer David E. Kelley, who created "The Practice," stood by as series star Camryn Manheim accepted the Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award.

The award, named for the late California Supreme Court Chief Justice, was presented Tuesday by Death Penalty Focus, a group headed by actor Mike Farrell.

"Death Penalty Focus shouldn't be giving awards; they should be getting them," Manheim said. "Thank you for your tireless work to eliminate this barbaric process."

Judge gives film critic chance to escape shoplifting charges

NEW YORK (AP) -- Shoplifting charges against film critic Rex Reed will be dismissed if he stays out of trouble for the next six months, a judge ruled.

"I'm very happy," Reed said as he left Criminal Court in Manhattan on Tuesday. "From now on I'm going to write nothing but good reviews."

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Reed, 61, was arrested in February and charged with petit larceny and possession of stolen property after he allegedly tried to steal three compact discs from a record store.

A store security officer told police he saw Reed take CDs by Mel Torme, Peggy Lee and Carmen McRae and put two in his pockets and one in the rear waistband of his pants.

Reed, a columnist for the New York Observer, denied the allegations.

Judge Suzanne Mondo said she will dismiss the charges and seal the record if Reed is not arrested again within the next six months. His next court date was set for June 20.

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