Suspected kidnapper surrenders after holding TV magnate hostage

Associated Press: SAO PAULO, Brazil

A man wanted for kidnapping the daughter of TV baron Silvio Santos and killing two police officers broke into the magnate's mansion early yesterday and held the 70-year-old hostage for seven hours before surrendering to police.

The man, identified as Fernando Dutra Pinto, surrendered to police after lengthy negotiations involving his family, a judge and, finally, State Governor Geraldo Alckmin. Dutra left Santos' sprawling mansion in Sao Paulo's wealthy Morumbi district dressed in a bulletproof vest and was driven away in a police truck.

Dutra, 22, had been on the run since Tuesday, when he released Santos' 24-year-old daughter, Patricia Abravanel, in exchange for a $200,000 ransom. He and at least three others had kidnapped Abravanel a week earlier.

As police closed in on him late Wednesday in a western Sao Paulo suburb, Dutra killed two police officers in a shootout before escaping from a multi-story hotel by climbing down the outside of the building.

Early yesterday, Dutra climbed over the electrified fence at Santos' mansion. Armed with two guns, he took the owner of the Sistema Brasileiro de Televisao hostage in his kitchen, said police Cmdr. Ruy Cesar Mello. SBT is Brazil's second-largest TV network.

Dutra let the other members of Santos' family leave the house, still dressed in pajamas and bathrobes, neighbors said.

Santos emerged from the house shortly after Dutra was driven away. He appeared weary but in good health.

As well as being the owner of SBT, Santos is one of Brazil's best-known TV presenters.

He shot to fame by presenting a televised lottery show and today hosts the local version of the game show ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?''

Spokesman rejects demands by protesters planning IMF demonstrations

Associated Press: WASHINGTON

The International Monetary Fund's chief spokesman rejected demands by protesters yesterday planning demonstrations late next month against the IMF and World Bank.

Thomas Dawson, the IMF director of external relations, also said it was regrettable that the threat of violence hanging over the annual meetings of the two organizations would limit discussions on serious world economic problems.

Mobilization for Global Justice, one of the main groups planning demonstrations, urged the IMF and World Bank on Tuesday to open their meetings to the public, cancel all debt for the world's poorest nations, help make education and heath care more available in these countries and stop funding projects that harm the environment.

"These demands are crucial and urgent," said Liz Butler, one of the demonstration organizers.

Dawson said both organizations consider their meetings open, with thousands of journalists and hundreds of nongovernmental organizations attending.

"It is true that some meetings are not open," he said referring to two committee sessions that provide policy guidelines for the IMF and World Bank. "This is not at all unusual when governments get together to discuss market-sensitive information and decision-making."

He said what committee members planned to discuss was known in advance and speeches by Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and other participants were made available as they were delivered.

Federal judge rules Florida's ban on homosexual adoptions is valid

Associated Press: MIAMI

A federal judge ruled yesterday that Florida's law banning homosexuals from adopting children is valid, accepting the state's argument that married couples provide the most stable households for raising children.

The 1977 law is considered the nation's toughest ban on gay adoptions, prohibiting adoptions by any gay or lesbian individual or couple.

Mississippi and Utah also ban adoptions by same-sex couples.

U.S. Judge James Lawrence King accepted the state's argument that the law was in children's best interests because married heterosexuals provide children with a more stable home.

"Plaintiffs have not asserted that they can demonstrate that homosexual families are equivalently stable, are able to provide proper gender identification or are no more socially stigmatizing than married heterosexual families," said King, senior judge for the Miami-based U.S. Southern District of Florida.

Steven Lofton and Douglas Houghton filed the lawsuit after being told they could not adopt children in their care. Lofton, a foster parent, wanted to adopt a 10-year-old boy he has raised since infancy. Houghton is the guardian of a 9-year-old boy.

The men challenged Florida's adoption laws, arguing that they discriminate against homosexuals.

King, however, said in his ruling that "given there is no fundamental right to adopt or be adopted, there can be no fundamental right to apply for adoption."

The judge did discount the state's argument that the law is legitimate because it reflects the state's disapproval of homosexuality.

"The Court cannot accept that moral disapproval of homosexuals or homosexuality serves a legitimate state interest," he wrote.

New affordable-housing plan aimed at helping minorities

Associated Press: PHOENIX

A new affordable-housing program was unveiled yesterday that will funnel $15 billion into Arizona over the next five years in an effort to increase minority home ownership.

The plan was announced by Fannie Mae, the nation's largest source of U.S. home financing, and the Arizona Mortgage Lenders Association. It's part of a $2 trillion American Dream Commitment to increase home ownership nationwide.

"Increasing the availability of affordable housing across the state is one of my top priorities," said Gov. Jane Dee Hull.

Fannie Mae, which has provided $4.4 billion in home financing to Arizona since 1997, said home ownership among Hispanics in the state is 55 percent with black families at 44 percent.

That compares with an overall state home ownership rate of 73 percent.

The new program will provide assistance for first-time homebuyers and low- to moderate-income buyers throughout the state with low down payments for mortgages and below-market interest rates.

It also will help public school teachers and people with disabilities buy homes, continue the financing of affordable rental units, and give lending options to help families refinance predatory loans and avoid foreclosure.