News digest: Sept. 17, 2001

The day's events | Losses

THE DAY'S EVENTS

• FBI Director Robert Mueller said 49 people have been detained for questioning in the investigation of last week's terrorist attacks.

• Afghanistan's Taliban leaders said a group of senior Islamic clerics will meet Tuesday to discuss the fate of Osama bin laden.

• Attorney General John Ashcroft said numerous federal agents will be flying on commercial airliners for added safety.

• President Bush visited the Pentagon and received an update on preparations for the looming war on terrorism. "We will win the war and there will be costs," he said.

• The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank announced they have canceled this year’s annual meetings, scheduled in Washington for September 29 and 30.

• The stock market reopened for the first time since last week's terrorist attacks. The New York Stock Exchange observed two minutes of silence before members of the New York Police and Fire Departments and rescue crews rang the opening bell. Stocks plunged despite the Federal Reserve's cut in interest rates. At 1:40 p.m., the Dow Jones industrial average was down 654 points and the Nasdaq was down 101 points.

• The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a half point prior to the stock market's reopening.

• Pakistani officials met with the leader of the Afghan Taliban to try to persuade him to hand over Saudi exile Osama bin Laden or face U.S. retaliation.