Monday, October 7, 2002

Bush Cites Iraqi Threat Posed to U.S. and Allies. President Bush delivered a purposeful argument for disarming Iraq, declaring that the U.S. or its allies could be attacked "on any given day." By David E. Sanger. 10:34:51 PM

Rights Groups Say Voter Bill Erects Hurdles. Civil rights groups say that provisions in a new bill intended to reform election procedures could make it harder to register and to vote. By Robert Pear. 10:34:50 PM

Candidates for California Governor Debate, at Least Once. Gov. Gray Davis and Bill Simon Jr. accused each other on Monday of being out of touch and ethically challenged in an hourlong debate. By John M. Broder. 10:34:50 PM

As Votes Approach on the Use of Force, Both Sides Make Adjustments. The Senate continued its debate on Monday, and the House prepared to open its debate, on a resolution to grant the president authority to use force against Iraq. By Alison Mitchell. 10:34:49 PM

No One Charged in Secret Taping About Iowa Race. Prosecutors said on Monday that they would not file criminal charges in the taping scandal that has disrupted the Senate campaign in Iowa. By Jodi Wilgoren. 10:34:49 PM

The New Jersey Senate Race Is On as Courts Reject G.O.P. Appeals. The Supreme Court said that it would not block the New Jersey Democratic Party from replacing Senator Robert G. Torricelli with Frank R. Lautenberg. By David Kocieniewski and Iver Peterson. 10:34:48 PM

Bush Moves Toward Halting Port Shutdown. President Bush took the first step on Monday toward seeking an injunction that would end the shutdown of 29 West Coast ports. By Steven Greenhouse. 10:34:48 PM

Senate Hears Bush Nominee for F.D.A.. President Bush's nominee for commissioner of food and drugs appeared before the Senate on Moday for a brief and cordial confirmation hearing. By Sheryl Gay Stolberg. 10:34:47 PM

Attack Is Mounted on Campaign Rules. WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 Sponsors of the new federal campaign-finance law plan to announce a two-pronged strategy on Tuesday to overturn rules written by the Federal Election Commission. The rules, the sponsors say, would seriously undermine provisions intended to eliminate the role in federal elections of unrestricted donations of soft money by unions, corporations and individuals. By The New York Times. 10:34:46 PM

House Passes Bill to Review Federal Agencies' Privacy Rules. WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 Without dissent, the House passed legislation today to require federal agencies to review the effects on personal privacy of any new regulations that they propose and to let individuals go to court to attack those reviews as inadequate. By Adam Clymer. 10:34:45 PM

House Republicans Push Bills to Benefit Small Investors. Republican leaders in the House began a push on Monday to help investors by giving them more flexibility with write offs and their retirement savings. By Richard W. Stevenson. 10:34:45 PM

Judiciary's Right to Punish Judges Is Affirmed. The Supreme Court turned back a constitutional challenge to the law that authorizes the federal judiciary to discipline its own misbehaving members. By Linda Greenhouse. 10:34:45 PM

Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Tire Appeal. The United States Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from a tire maker of a $3.3 million jury award in the 1995 highway death of a Mississippi woman. 10:34:44 PM

Congressman Defends Effort Against Paper. Representative Dick Armey defended his attempt to force the parent company of The Dallas Morning News to divest one of its media properties. By Felicity Barringer. 10:34:44 PM

Lapses Cited in Immigrant Deportation Program. The Immigration and Naturalization Service fails to identify and deport criminal immigrants in a timely fashion according to an audit released on Monday. By Christopher Marquis. 10:34:44 PM

F.B.I. Agent Tells of Ground Zero Crystal Theft. The Justice Department's inspector general is investigating an F.B.I. agent's complaint that an evidence recovery team stole a Tiffany crystal globe from the rubble of the World Trade Center. By David Johnston. 10:34:43 PM

Texas Republican to Join UBS After He Retires From Senate. Senator Phil Gramm said Monday that he would become a vice chairman of the UBS Warburg investment bank after retiring from the Senate. By Patrick Mcgeehan. 10:34:43 PM

S.E.C. Appears Split on Board to Oversee Accountants. Signs emerged that the S.E.C. is deeply fractured over the search for candidates to fill the new board that will oversee the accounting profession. By Stephen Labaton. 10:34:43 PM

Tough Standard Is Set for Avoiding Conflict. The long list of demands that the president laid out on Monday night in a purposeful speech set a very tough standard for avoiding war. By Todd S. Purdum. 10:34:42 PM

President Bush's Speech on the Use of Force. President Bush's speech last night about the use of force against Iraq 10:34:42 PM

Excerpts From Debate on Senate Floor on Use of Force Against Iraq. Following are excerpts from the Senate debate yesterday on the use of force against Iraq, as recorded by The New York Times. The speakers included Senators Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania; Max Cleland, Democrat of Georgia; Ted Stevens, Republican of Alaska, and Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska. 10:34:41 PM

Pechiney to Cut 202 Jobs. PARIS, Oct. 7 (Bloomberg News) ÷ The aluminum maker Pechiney announced today that it would cut 202 jobs at its unprofitable Ravenswood plant in West Virginia by the end of the year at a cost of about $9 million in the fourth quarter. By Bloomberg News. 10:34:40 PM

New Northwest System for Internet Bookings. Northwest Airlines announced a new Internet-based system that could provide the airline's lowest-priced Web fares directly to travel agents for the first time. By Joe Sharkey. 10:34:39 PM

World Business Briefing: Asia. CHINA: Airline Orders Jets; JAPAN: A Dim Outlook For Electronics;. 10:34:33 PM

Workingman President, Maybe. Luiz In[omega]cio Lula da Silva stands just a step away from becoming the first workingman to be elected president of Brazil. By Larry Rohter. 10:34:32 PM

World Business Briefing: Asia. CHINA: Airline Orders Jets; JAPAN: A Dim Outlook For Electronics;. 10:34:29 PM

A New Look at Old Data May Discredit a Theory on Race. Two physical anthropologists have reanalyzed data gathered by Franz Boas and report that he erred in saying environment influenced human head shape. By Nicholas Wade. 10:34:28 PM

A River of Ice Goes Into Reverse. This week's column includes items on an Antarctic ice river that reversed itself, a migration of Atlantic sturgeon and success restoring Atlantic swordfish. By Henry Fountain. 10:34:27 PM

Enforcement of Environmental Laws Has Slipped, Democrats Say. Congressional Democrats on Monday tried to revive the issue of the environment in a political atmosphere increasingly devoted to war. By Katharine Q. Seelye. 10:34:25 PM

Boy, 13, Wounded in Eighth Attack Linked to Sniper. Police intensified their manhunt as the public called in with information about a white vehicle that may have fled the area after the shooting. By Francis X. Clines. 10:31:55 PM

Boston Panel Urges Listing Abuser Priests. A commission recommended that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston compile a registry of priests accused of sexual abuse to warn possible employers. By Pam Belluck. 10:31:54 PM

Bush Moves Toward Halting Port Shutdown. President Bush took the first step on Monday toward seeking an injunction that would end the shutdown of 29 West Coast ports. By Steven Greenhouse. 10:31:53 PM

Bush Cites Iraqi Threat Posed to U.S. and Allies. President Bush delivered a purposeful argument for disarming Iraq, declaring that the U.S. or its allies could be attacked "on any given day." By David E. Sanger. 10:31:52 PM

Graying Black Panthers Fight Would-Be Heirs. A group of former Black Panthers fear that their legacy in African-American history is being sullied by a new and harsher brand of Pantherism. By Dean E. Murphy. 10:31:51 PM

Judiciary's Right to Punish Judges Is Affirmed. The Supreme Court turned back a constitutional challenge to the law that authorizes the federal judiciary to discipline its own misbehaving members. By Linda Greenhouse. 10:31:51 PM

A Second Look by Officers in Intern Case. The police say they want to question again a man interviewed previously about the killing of the former Congressional intern Chandra Ann Levy. 10:31:50 PM

Lapses Cited in Immigrant Deportation Program. The Immigration and Naturalization Service fails to identify and deport criminal immigrants in a timely fashion according to an audit released on Monday. By Christopher Marquis. 10:31:49 PM

F.B.I. Agent Tells of Ground Zero Crystal Theft. The Justice Department's inspector general is investigating an F.B.I. agent's complaint that an evidence recovery team stole a Tiffany crystal globe from the rubble of the World Trade Center. By David Johnston. 10:31:48 PM

One Bullet Extends the Fear to Children. LANDOVER, Md., Oct. 7 At the garden apartments near Dodge Park Elementary, the grassy mounds that usually ring with children's voices were silent this afternoon. Tense and fearful after a 13-year-old was shot at a middle school not far from here, parents scurried to pick up their children when school closed, shepherding them to the safety of home straight away. By Diana Jean Schemo. 10:31:47 PM

This Killer Doesn't Fit the Expected Profile. Experts in mass murder and the profiling of killers say the sniper who has killed six people in the Washington metropolitan area does not fit the usual categories, and that may make the case much harder to solve. By Fox Butterfield. 10:31:45 PM

Three Win Nobel for Work on Suicidal Cells. An American and two Britons won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday for their discoveries of how healthy cells are instructed to kill themselves. By Lawrence K. Altman. 10:31:44 PM

Shuttle Blasts Off for Space Station. A four-month hiatus in space shuttle flights ended on Monday when the shuttle Atlantis blasted off on a mission to expand the International Space Station. By Warren E. Leary. 10:31:43 PM

No One Charged in Secret Taping About Iowa Race. Prosecutors said on Monday that they would not file criminal charges in the taping scandal that has disrupted the Senate campaign in Iowa. By Jodi Wilgoren. 10:31:42 PM

House Republicans Push Bills to Benefit Small Investors. Republican leaders in the House began a push on Monday to help investors by giving them more flexibility with write offs and their retirement savings. By Richard W. Stevenson. 10:31:41 PM

Tough Standard Is Set for Avoiding Conflict. The long list of demands that the president laid out on Monday night in a purposeful speech set a very tough standard for avoiding war. By Todd S. Purdum. 10:31:40 PM

President Bush's Speech on the Use of Force. President Bush's speech last night about the use of force against Iraq 10:31:40 PM

Citing Lack of Request, 3 Networks Skip Speech. Three major broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC chose not to carry the president's speech live on Monday. By Jim Rutenberg. 10:31:38 PM

Excerpts From Debate on Senate Floor on Use of Force Against Iraq. Following are excerpts from the Senate debate yesterday on the use of force against Iraq, as recorded by The New York Times. The speakers included Senators Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania; Max Cleland, Democrat of Georgia; Ted Stevens, Republican of Alaska, and Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska. 10:31:37 PM

Candidates for California Governor Debate, at Least Once. Gov. Gray Davis and Bill Simon Jr. accused each other on Monday of being out of touch and ethically challenged in an hourlong debate. By John M. Broder. 10:31:36 PM

As Votes Approach on the Use of Force, Both Sides Make Adjustments. The Senate continued its debate on Monday, and the House prepared to open its debate, on a resolution to grant the president authority to use force against Iraq. By Alison Mitchell. 10:31:34 PM

Rights Groups Say Voter Bill Erects Hurdles. Civil rights groups say that provisions in a new bill intended to reform election procedures could make it harder to register and to vote. By Robert Pear. 10:31:33 PM

Congressman Defends Effort Against Paper. Representative Dick Armey defended his attempt to force the parent company of The Dallas Morning News to divest one of its media properties. By Felicity Barringer. 10:31:33 PM

Doctors Urge Caution on Smallpox Vaccinations. Leading medical groups are urging caution in the use of smallpox vaccine, particularly if no cases of the disease occur. By Denise Grady. 10:31:31 PM

Senate Hears Bush Nominee for F.D.A.. President Bush's nominee for commissioner of food and drugs appeared before the Senate on Moday for a brief and cordial confirmation hearing. By Sheryl Gay Stolberg. 10:31:31 PM

House Passes Bill to Review Federal Agencies' Privacy Rules. WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 Without dissent, the House passed legislation today to require federal agencies to review the effects on personal privacy of any new regulations that they propose and to let individuals go to court to attack those reviews as inadequate. By Adam Clymer. 10:31:30 PM

Attack Is Mounted on Campaign Rules. WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 Sponsors of the new federal campaign-finance law plan to announce a two-pronged strategy on Tuesday to overturn rules written by the Federal Election Commission. The rules, the sponsors say, would seriously undermine provisions intended to eliminate the role in federal elections of unrestricted donations of soft money by unions, corporations and individuals. By The New York Times. 10:31:29 PM

National Briefing: West. CALIFORNIA: Court Upholds Bilingual Ban;. 10:31:28 PM

National Briefing: Plains. NORTH DAKOTA: More Drug Raids;. 10:31:27 PM

National Briefing: Midwest. WISCONSIN: Arson At House Where Man Was Killed; MISSOURI: Drug-Watering Suits Settlement; OHIO: Plea Deal In Nursing Home Case;. 10:31:26 PM

National Briefing: New England. MAINE: Mayor Asks Somalis To Stay Away;. 10:31:24 PM

National Briefing: Washington. F.A.A. ORDERS NEW RUDDER CONTROLS;. 10:31:24 PM

Where Biking Blossomed, Now the Wheels Come Off. The closing of a bike lane between Mexico and San Diego has left lawmakers angry, entrepreneurs broke, and Mexican workers sleepless. By Charlie Leduff. 10:31:22 PM

AOL Latin America to Convert Stock. Struggling to keep enough equity in the open market, AOL Latin America said that its two largest shareholders would convert their preferred shares into common stock. By Bloomberg News. 10:31:21 PM

Environmentalists Identify New Menace: Discarded Cellphones. As the nation's fondness for cellphones grows, the environmental effects do, too. By Anahad O'connor. 10:31:21 PM

New Northwest System for Internet Bookings. Northwest Airlines announced a new Internet-based system that could provide the airline's lowest-priced Web fares directly to travel agents for the first time. By Joe Sharkey. 10:31:20 PM

Ex-Official of WorldCom Pleads Guilty to Fraud. WorldCom's former director of general accounting pleaded guilty to securities fraud, saying that he was following orders that originated "at the highest levels" of the company. By Robert F. Worth. 10:31:19 PM

Two Magazines Are Shut and a Third Revamps. Mutual Funds magazine and Upside magazine announced separately Monday that they were shutting down. And Red Herring announced that it was selling itself to a majority investor. By David Carr and Nat Ives. 10:31:17 PM

F.C.C. Asked to Put Off Merger Ruling. Scrambling to save their proposed merger, EchoStar Communications and Hughes Electronics urged the F.C.C. to delay a decision on the $26 billion deal. By Andrew Ross Sorkin. 10:31:16 PM

Technology Briefing: Hardware. PALM INTRODUCES $99 HAND-HELD MODEL;. 10:31:14 PM

Technology Briefing: Software. SCANSOFT TO BUY ROYAL PHILIPS BUSINESS;. 10:31:14 PM

Technology Briefing: Internet. HOUSE PASSES BILL ON NET RADIO; RUSSIAN HACKER GETS 3-YEAR SENTENCE;. 10:31:13 PM

Technology Briefing: Telecommunications. CISCO CHIEF PESSIMISTIC ON RECOVERY; NORTEL TO SELL UNIT TO BOOKHAM;. 10:31:12 PM

Japanese Masters Get Closer to the Toilet Nirvana. Toilets in Japan are far more than mere hygienic necessities: new models test biological samples, provide climate control and even soundtracks. By James Brooke. 10:31:11 PM

Bush Cites Iraqi Threat Posed to U.S. and Allies. President Bush delivered a purposeful argument for disarming Iraq, declaring that the U.S. or its allies could be attacked "on any given day." By David E. Sanger. 10:31:09 PM

As Votes Approach on the Use of Force, Both Sides Make Adjustments. The Senate continued its debate on Monday, and the House prepared to open its debate, on a resolution to grant the president authority to use force against Iraq. By Alison Mitchell. 10:31:07 PM

Tough Standard Is Set for Avoiding Conflict. The long list of demands that the president laid out on Monday night in a purposeful speech set a very tough standard for avoiding war. By Todd S. Purdum. 9:31:11 PM

Japanese Masters Get Closer to the Toilet Nirvana. Toilets in Japan are far more than mere hygienic necessities: new models test biological samples, provide climate control and even soundtracks. By James Brooke. 9:31:10 PM

F.C.C. Asked to Put Off Merger Ruling. Scrambling to save their proposed merger, EchoStar Communications and Hughes Electronics urged the F.C.C. to delay a decision on the $26 billion deal. By Andrew Ross Sorkin. 8:32:25 PM

S.E.C. Appears Split on Board to Oversee Accountants. Signs emerged that the S.E.C. is deeply fractured over the search for candidates to fill the new board that will oversee the accounting profession. By Stephen Labaton. 8:32:24 PM

Big Investors Push for More Disclosure From Venture Firms. Institutional investors are pushing for greater transparency and disclosure not just from public companies, but from private equity and venture capital firms. By Matt Richtel. 8:32:23 PM

Oil Markets Aren't Rattled by Explosion on Tanker. World oil markets, already reflecting jitters about a possible showdown in the Middle East, shrugged off an as yet unexplained explosion Sunday on a French tanker near the coast of Yemen. By Neela Banerjee with Craig S. Smith. 8:32:23 PM

House Republicans Push Bills to Benefit Small Investors. Republican leaders in the House began a push on Monday to help investors by giving them more flexibility with write offs and their retirement savings. By Richard W. Stevenson. 8:32:22 PM

Pechiney to Cut 202 Jobs. PARIS, Oct. 7 (Bloomberg News) The aluminum maker Pechiney announced today that it would cut 202 jobs at its unprofitable Ravenswood plant in West Virginia by the end of the year at a cost of about $9 million in the fourth quarter. By Bloomberg News. 8:32:20 PM

Senate Hears Bush Nominee for F.D.A.. President Bush's nominee for commissioner of food and drugs appeared before the Senate on Moday for a brief and cordial confirmation hearing. By Sheryl Gay Stolberg. 8:32:20 PM

Texas Republican to Join UBS After He Retires From Senate. Senator Phil Gramm said Monday that he would become a vice chairman of the UBS Warburg investment bank after retiring from the Senate. By Patrick Mcgeehan. 8:32:19 PM

First Boston to Cut 1,500 From Payroll. Credit Suisse First Boston told its employees late Monday that it planned to eliminate an additional 1,500 jobs in an effort to trim $500 million from its budget. By Patrick Mcgeehan. 8:32:18 PM

Ex-Official of WorldCom Pleads Guilty to Fraud. WorldCom's former director of general accounting pleaded guilty to securities fraud, saying that he was following orders that originated "at the highest levels" of the company. By Robert F. Worth. 8:32:17 PM

Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Tire Appeal. The United States Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from a tire maker of a $3.3 million jury award in the 1995 highway death of a Mississippi woman. 8:32:15 PM

A Region's Hospital Supplies: Costly Ties. Hospitals in the New York area may be overpaying millions for medical supplies because their trade group promotes a purchasing agent with financial ties to the group. By Barry Meier. 8:32:14 PM

Evidence Credit Suisse Linked Banking and Stock Ratings. Documents suggest Credit Suisse First Boston used its research analysts' rosy stock ratings to attract investment banking fees from companies hoping to raise money from investors. By Gretchen Morgenson. 8:32:13 PM

Manhattan Leads a Surge in Lower-Cost Hotels. All across the country, business travelers are choosing low-cost lodgings, and both the national hotel chains and local developers are moving to accommodate the demand. By Jane L. Levere. 8:32:13 PM

Deep Change Ahead for Corporations. Business travelers are drastically changing some of the ways they arrange and conduct their trips both domestically and around the world. By Joe Sharkey. 8:32:12 PM

There's the Country Music and Other Good Stuff, Too. Nashville is called Music City for its recording studios and music clubs, but is also an unexpected hub of the automobile industry. By Mark A. Stein. 8:32:11 PM

New Northwest System for Internet Bookings. New Northwest System For Internet Bookings. By Joe Sharkey. 8:32:11 PM

Wrigley Wants You to Forget Your Parents' Chewing Gum. Wrigley is accelerating efforts to convince its younger consumers that the company long ago put behind it hokey songs and spookily ever-smiling models. By Stuart Elliott. 8:32:09 PM

Two Magazines Are Shut and a Third Revamps. Mutual Funds magazine and Upside magazine announced separately Monday that they were shutting down. And Red Herring announced that it was selling itself to a majority investor. By David Carr and Nat Ives. 8:32:09 PM

Congressman Defends Effort Against Paper. Representative Dick Armey defended his attempt to force the parent company of The Dallas Morning News to divest one of its media properties. By Felicity Barringer. 8:32:08 PM

Coca-Cola to Start Harry Potter Promotion. Coca-Cola to Start Harry Potter Promotion. 8:32:06 PM

New Official Tells Japan's Banks to Prepare for Pain. Japan's newly appointed chief financial regulator said that cleaning up the mountain of nonperforming loans would inevitably increase unemployment and bankruptcies. By Ken Belson. 8:32:04 PM

Canada Economy Grows Where Others Falter. From Vancouver to Regina to Toronto to Montreal, it is easy to see that Canada is defying the slowdown throttling much of the world economy. By Clifford Krauss. 8:32:04 PM

In Battle for Cruise Line, More Is Likely to Beat Less. Several analysts and investors said they were betting on the Carnival Corporation to win the long-running bidding war for P&O Princess Cruises. By Suzanne Kapner. 8:32:02 PM

Bertelsmann Offers Regret for Its Nazi-Era Conduct. The German media conglomerate Bertelsmann expressed regret on Monday for its conduct under the Nazis as scholars issued a report documenting the companys collaboration. By Mark Landler. 8:32:02 PM

Japanese Masters Get Closer to the Toilet Nirvana. Toilets in Japan are far more than mere hygienic necessities: new models test biological samples, provide climate control and even soundtracks. By James Brooke. 8:32:00 PM

Canadian Phone Giant Trims Forecast. The telecom company BCE Inc. said that third-quarter earnings were at the bottom of its projected range because of slow sales of Internet services. By Bloomberg News. 8:31:59 PM

AOL Latin America to Convert Stock. Struggling to keep enough equity in the open market, AOL Latin America said that its two largest shareholders would convert their preferred shares into common stock. By Bloomberg News. 8:31:58 PM

World Business Briefing: Europe. BRITAIN: Exchange Chairman To Leave; GERMANY: Factory Orders Rise; GERMANY: Telekom Bidders Selected; ITALY: Agnellis Bid For Retailer; RUSSIA: Military Contract;. 8:31:57 PM

World Business Briefing: Americas. CANADA: Auto Strike Deadline;. 8:31:55 PM

World Business Briefing: Asia. CHINA: Airline Orders Jets; JAPAN: A Dim Outlook For Electronics;. 8:31:53 PM

Technology Briefing: Hardware. PALM INTRODUCES $99 HAND-HELD MODEL;. 8:31:53 PM

Technology Briefing: Software. SCANSOFT TO BUY ROYAL PHILIPS BUSINESS;. 8:31:52 PM

Technology Briefing: Internet. HOUSE PASSES BILL ON NET RADIO; RUSSIAN HACKER GETS 3-YEAR SENTENCE;. 8:31:51 PM

Technology Briefing: Telecommunications. CISCO CHIEF PESSIMISTIC ON RECOVERY; NORTEL TO SELL UNIT TO BOOKHAM;. 8:31:51 PM

A Nation Wary of War. We favor an effort to exhaust all forms of coercive diplomacy, including approval by the Security Council of a tough new resolution, before President Bush brings the nation to the brink of combat. 8:31:50 PM

Upgrading the Way We Vote. Congress now seems on the verge, at long last, of passing meaningful legislation to improve the reliability of American elections. 8:31:49 PM

'Game On' in New Jersey. A tumultuous week in New Jersey ended yesterday as it should have. 8:31:48 PM

Sniper at Large. The recent shootings in the Washington area, including an attack on a high school student yesterday that the police say is linked to them, has left the region nearly numb with fear. 8:31:46 PM

Shining a Light on the Court. Shining a Light on the Court To the Editor:. 8:31:45 PM

International Menace. International Menace To the Editor:. 8:31:43 PM

Fool Me Once. One can only hope that the media report what's happening, and that voters, as they look at their shrunken 401(k)'s, remember the false promises of summer. By Paul Krugman. 8:31:43 PM

An Iraqi Man of Letters. Iraq's best-selling novelist is also a poet who enjoys strumming the lute and is passionate about Hemingway. And if any book critic were rash enough to pan his novels, he would have the offender's tongue cut out and his entire family beaten to death. By Nicholas D. Kristof. 8:31:42 PM

Bargaining With Russia. What is driving Russia's actions at the United Nations? Self interest, of course. By Mark Brzezinski. 8:31:41 PM

The F.C.C.'s Duty. The F.C.C. should promptly determine whether the fraud at WorldCom should trigger the surrender of its licenses and authorizations. By J. Gregory Sidak. 8:31:41 PM

Launching of Atlantis Ends 4-Month Shuttle Hiatus. A four-month hiatus in space shuttle flights ended when the shuttle Atlantis blasted off into a blue Florida sky on a mission to expand the International Space Station. By Warren E. Leary. 8:31:40 PM

A New Intrusion Threatens a Tribe in Amazon: Soldiers. The Brazilian Armed Forces are building new bases in the territories set aside for the Yanomami, disrupting patterns of village life that have endured largely unchanged since the Stone Age. By Larry Rohter. 8:31:37 PM

Bush Cites Iraqi Threat Posed to U.S. and Allies. President Bush declared that Saddam Hussein could attack the U.S. or its allies "on any given day" with chemical or biological weapons. By David E. Sanger. 8:31:35 PM

Israelis, in New Strategy, Raid Gaza Town, Killing 13. The raid drew an unusual rebuke from the Bush administration, which said Israel was endangering civilians. By James Bennet. 8:31:32 PM

Arab Leaders Glumly Brace for Inevitable War. America's allies in the Arab world are positioning themselves to go along with a United States-led war against Iraq. By Jane Perlez. 8:31:31 PM

U.S. Envoy Angers North Korea. North Korea said on Monday that Washington had approached the talks with a "hard-line policy of hostility." By Howard W. French. 8:31:31 PM

Nationalists Appear to Regain Power in Bosnia. The three nationalist parties that led Bosnia into war 10 years ago were poised on Monday to regain power after winning the most votes in elections on Saturday. By Daniel Simpson. 8:31:30 PM

Court to Rule on Dutch Nurse Accused in 13 Deaths. Dutch prosecutors have accused Lucy de Berk of being a "classic psychopath" and a serial killer. By Marlise Simons. 8:31:29 PM

Dengue Fever in Hong Kong. The authorities confirmed two more cases of dengue fever on Monday and identified the first appearance of one type of the dengue virus. By Agence France-presse. 8:31:28 PM

Uzbek Militants' Decline Provides Clues to U.S.. The decline of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan is a major victory for the United States, helping to strengthen relations with a new ally and extend American influence in Asia. By C. J. Chivers. 8:31:26 PM

AOL Latin America to Convert Stock. Struggling to keep enough equity in the open market, AOL Latin America said that its two largest shareholders would convert their preferred shares into common stock. By Bloomberg News. 8:31:26 PM

Japanese Masters Get Closer to the Toilet Nirvana. In Japan, a nation famously addicted to gadgetry of any variety, several companies are conducting ferocious research to develop the high-tech toilet of the future. By James Brooke. 8:31:24 PM

Bertelsmann Offers Regret for Its Nazi-Era Conduct. The German media conglomerate Bertelsmann expressed regret on Monday for its conduct under the Nazis, and for later efforts to cover it up. By Mark Landler. 8:31:24 PM

In Olive Groves of the West Bank, a Harvest of Fear. The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is casting a shadow over the olive harvest, which sustains many villagers. By Joel Greenberg. 8:31:23 PM

Where Biking Blossomed, Now the Wheels Come Off. The closing of a bike lane between Mexico and San Diego has left lawmakers angry, entrepreneurs broke, and Mexican workers sleepless. By Charlie Leduff. 8:31:22 PM

World Briefing: Asia. NORTH KOREA: Talks With U.S. On M.I.A.'S;. 8:31:21 PM

World Briefing: Europe. IRELAND: Archbishop Apologizes; BRITAIN: Plan For Tighter Asylum Rules; BRITAIN: Blair Tries To Save Ulster Accord; RUSSIA: Putin Less Hawkish On Georgia; GERMANY: New Economic Official;. 8:31:20 PM

World Briefing: Middle East. LEBANON: Water Dispute With Israel;. 8:31:19 PM

Oil Markets Aren't Rattled by Explosion on Tanker. World oil markets, already reflecting jitters about a possible showdown in the Middle East, shrugged off an as yet unexplained explosion Sunday on a French tanker near the coast of Yemen. By Neela Banerjee with Craig S. Smith. 8:31:18 PM

Canadian Phone Giant Trims Forecast. The telecom company BCE Inc. said that third-quarter earnings were at the bottom of its projected range because of slow sales of Internet services. By Bloomberg News. 8:31:16 PM

New Official Tells Japan's Banks to Prepare for Pain. Japan's newly appointed chief financial regulator said that cleaning up the mountain of nonperforming loans would inevitably increase unemployment and bankruptcies. By Ken Belson. 8:31:15 PM

Canada Economy Grows Where Others Falter. From Vancouver to Regina to Toronto to Montreal, it is easy to see that Canada is defying the slowdown throttling much of the world economy. By Clifford Krauss. 8:31:14 PM

World Business Briefing: Americas. CANADA: Auto Strike Deadline;. 8:31:13 PM

World Business Briefing: Asia. CHINA: Airline Orders Jets; JAPAN: A Dim Outlook For Electronics;. 8:31:13 PM

World Business Briefing: Europe. BRITAIN: Exchange Chairman To Leave; GERMANY: Factory Orders Rise; GERMANY: Telekom Bidders Selected; ITALY: Agnellis Bid For Retailer; RUSSIA: Military Contract;. 8:31:11 PM

Paths for America, Other Than War. Paths for America, Other Than War To the Editor:. 7:31:11 PM

Mideast Destinies. Mideast Destinies To the Editor:. 7:31:10 PM

Checkpoints in Turkey. Checkpoints in Turkey To the Editor:. 7:31:10 PM

Aid to Egypt. Aid to Egypt To the Editor:. 7:31:10 PM

Subway Stair Workout. Subway Stair Workout To the Editor:. 7:31:09 PM

Our Moral Dilemma. Our Moral Dilemma To the Editor:. 7:31:09 PM

Visions of Ground Zero. Visions of Ground Zero To the Editor:. 7:31:08 PM

More Traffic Cops. More Traffic Cops To the Editor:. 7:31:08 PM

Noise and the Economy. Noise and the Economy To the Editor:. 7:31:08 PM

Israeli Raid Kills 13 in a Busy Area of a Town in Gaza. The Israeli Army sent dozens of tanks backed by helicopter gunships into Gaza early on Monday, killing at least 13 people. By James Bennet. 7:31:07 PM

Scandals and Squabbles Weigh Down Britain's Sinking Tories. Britain's Conservative party opened its annual conference on Monday against a backdrop of plummeting poll ratings, and speculation over efforts to oust its leader, Iain Duncan Smith. By Warren Hoge. 7:31:06 PM

Jealous? Maybe It's Genetic. Maybe Not.. Two new papers question evidence, assembled by evolutionary psychologists, for the notion that jealousy evolved differently in men and in women. By Erica Goode. 6:31:17 PM

Workingman President, Maybe Luiz In[omega]cio Lula da Silva. Luiz In[omega]cio Lula da Silva stands just a step away from becoming the first workingman to be elected president of Brazil. By Larry Rohter. 6:31:03 PM

Just Missing Victory, Brazil Leftist Faces Runoff in 3 Weeks. Luiz In[omega]cio Lula da Silva of the leftist Workers Party predicted on Monday that he would triumph in the Oct. 27 runoff against Jos/ Serra, the government's candidate. By Tony Smith. 6:31:02 PM

As Ads Dwindle, Mutual Funds and Upside Magazines Close. Two magazines that celebrated the prosperity of the late 1990's ÷ Mutual Funds and Upside ÷ announced Monday that they were closing. By David Carr. 5:31:20 PM

Telescopes Find a Miniplanet at the Solar System's Edge. Astronomers have seen and measured the largest object in the solar system to be detected since the discovery of Pluto in 1930. By John Noble Wilford. 5:31:11 PM

A New Look at Old Data May Discredit a Theory on Race. Undermining an oft-cited study from 1912 that found that head size is influenced more by environment than by heredity. By Nicholas Wade. 5:31:11 PM

Fox Hunting's Supposed Benefits Dismissed. A study by a longtime fox researcher and colleagues suggests that hunting with hounds does not have an effect the fox population. By Henry Fountain. 5:31:10 PM

Environmentalists Identify New Menace: Discarded Cellphones. As the nation's fondness for cellphones grows, the environmental effects do, too. By Anahad O'connor. 5:31:10 PM

A River of Ice Goes Into Reverse. This week's column includes items on an Artarctic ice river that reversed itself, a migration of Atlantic sturgeon and success restoring Atlantic swordfish. By Henry Fountain. 5:31:10 PM

Diving and Surfacing. This week's question: If a submarine has to release air in order to sink, how does it get it back in order to ascend? By C. Claiborne Ray. 5:31:09 PM

For the Ozone Layer, a New Look. Satellite observation of the hole in the ozone layer shows that it has split in two and has shrunk considerably. By The New York Times. 5:31:09 PM

Letters. Praise Must Be Earned To the Editor:. 5:31:08 PM

As Trees Die, Biologists Battle Back. The effort to surround a new and relentless plague that threatens oaks, redwoods and much more. By Carol Kaesuk Yoon. 5:31:08 PM

Despite Fraud at Bell Labs, Chip Research Barrels Ahead. Researchers have now created transistors whose switching components are literally single atoms. By Kenneth Chang. 5:31:07 PM

A Courtroom Champion for 4-Legged Creatures. Steven M. Wise, the animal rights lawyer, now teaches Harvard Law School's first ever course in animal rights law. By Claudia Dreifus. 5:31:07 PM

Grounded No Longer, Shuttle Atlantis Is Readied for Space. After a three-month grounding to repair cracks in the fuel systems, Atlantis is ready for a mission to continue construction of the International Space Station. By Warren E. Leary. 5:31:06 PM

Hard-Hit Monarch Butterflies Demonstrate Their Resilience. Monarch butterfly numbers plunged over large areas of the United States this summer, yet had a surprisingly average year in the Midwest. By Carol Kaesuk Yoon. 5:31:05 PM

Seeking Deeper Meaning in the Babbling of Babies. Scientists believe that if they can figure out how babies learn to talk, they can better understand how language came to exist in the first place. By Mary Duenwald. 5:31:05 PM

Connecting Green Dots. This week's column includes items on conservation corridors, young amphibians in the Midwest and the northern right whales. By Henry Fountain. 5:31:04 PM

For Sale: A DNA Test to Measure Racial Mix. A company is offering a DNA test to measure customers' racial ancestry and their ancestral proportions if they are of mixed race. By Nicholas Wade. 5:31:04 PM

Avoiding Ginkgo Fruit. This week's question: The female ginkgo tree on my street is dropping its smelly fruit on the pavement. Is there no way that the sex of a tree can be determined before it is planted? By C. Claiborne Ray. 5:31:03 PM

New Era of Consumer Genetics Raises Hope and Concerns. Scientists are beginning to apply genetics to diet, a new field known as nutritional genomics, or nutrigenomics. By Andrew Pollack. 5:31:03 PM

A Curtain Is Lifted on Faded Glory. The inner worlds of the once mighty, once secretive Russian space program are laid bare in "Kosmos," a book of beautiful photographs. By The New York Times. 5:31:03 PM

Brief and Cordial Confirmation Hearing for F.D.A. Nominee. President Bush's nominee for commissioner of food and drugs, Dr. Mark B. McClellan, appeared before the Senate today for a confirmation hearing that seemed to clear the way for his confirmation. By Sheryl Gay Stolberg. 5:31:02 PM

Police Link School Shooting With Other Sniper Attacks. The Washington-area sniper apparently struck again today, shooting and critically wounding a 13-year-old boy outside a school in Maryland, authorities said. By The Associated Press. 4:31:09 PM

Stocks Drop on Iraq Concerns and Profit Woes. Stocks closed at new multiyear lows today as a scheduled speech by President Bush on Iraq added to deepening worries over a possible war. By Reuters. 4:31:08 PM

With Ad Pages Down, Mutual Funds Magazine Is Closing. Mutual Funds, a monthly finance magazine published by Time Inc., is closing, the publication's staff was notified this afternoon. By David Carr. 4:31:08 PM

U.S. 'Troubled' by Israeli Raid That Killed 13 Palestinians. After a deadly Israeli raid in the Gaza Strip early today, the State Deptartment said it expects immediate steps by Israel to prevent a recurrence. By James Bennet. 4:31:05 PM

Bush's Speech to Stress Urgency in Case Against Saddam. White House aides said President Bush's speech tonight was intended to be educational, but he was not expected to reveal new intelligence data. By Reuters. 4:31:02 PM

Connection to Sniper Attacks Unclear in Maryland Shooting. A 13-year-old boy was shot and wounded today outside a school in Maryland. Police are investigating whether the shooting is related to a series of sniper attacks. By The Associated Press. 3:31:10 PM

Justices Refuse to Block Ballot Switch in N.J. Senate Race. The Supreme Court said today that it would not block the New Jersey Democratic Party from replacing Senator Robert G. Torricelli with Frank R. Lautenberg, a former senator. By The New York Times. 2:31:06 PM

White House Moves to Intervene as Port Talks Break Off. The Bush administration took preliminary steps toward seeking an injunction to reopen 29 West Coast ports, just hours after union negotiations broke off. By Steven Greenhouse. 2:31:05 PM

Justices Clear the Way for Lautenberg to Replace Torricelli. The Supreme Court refused today to hear the case involving New Jersey's Senate race, allowing the Democrats to replace their candidate. By The Associated Press. 1:31:07 PM

White House Moves to Intervene as Port Talks Break Off. The Bush administration took preliminary steps toward seeking an injunction to reopen 29 West Coast ports, just hours after union negotiations broke off. By Steven Greenhouse. 1:31:03 PM

U.S. Moves to Intervene as Port Talks Break Off. The Bush administration took preliminary steps toward seeking an injunction to reopen 29 West Coast ports, just hours after negotiations broke off between port operators and the longshoremen's union. By Steven Greenhouse. 12:31:09 PM

Stocks Mixed After Rally as Iraq Weighs. Stocks were mixed at midday on Monday as worries ahead of President Bush's scheduled speech on Iraq overshadowed hopes of an early resolution to the U.S. West Coast port lockout. By Reuters. 12:31:09 PM

13 Palestinians Killed in Gaza Raid. Israeli troops raided a town in the Gaza Strip early today, killing 13 Palestinians, including 10 who died when a missile hit a large crowd. By Joel Greenberg with Terence Neilan. 12:31:07 PM

Beleaguered Conservatives in Britain Open Conference. The meeting takes place amid plummeting poll ratings, fresh reminders of sex scandals and speculation over efforts to oust its new leader, Iain Duncan Smith. By Warren Hoge. 12:31:06 PM

Stocks Zigzag as Markets Await Bush Speech. Stocks seesawed across the break-even line on Monday as the wait for a scheduled speech by U.S. President George W. Bush on Iraq bumped tensions up a notch. By Reuters. 11:31:11 AM

Cable Conquered, What's Next for 'The Sopranos'?. HBO executives are pondering how best to seize the moment for a series that is a cultural phenomenon on par with the most successful television programs of all time. By Bill Carter. 11:31:10 AM

12 Palestinians Killed in Gaza Raid. Israeli troops raided a town in the Gaza Strip early today, killing 12 Palestinians, including 10 who died when a missile hit a large crowd. By Joel Greenberg. 10:31:16 AM

Child Shot in Maryland; Connection to Sniper Attacks Unclear. A 13-year-old boy was shot and critically wounded today outside a school. There was no word on whether the shooting was related to a series of sniper attacks. By The Associated Press. 10:31:09 AM

U.S. Moves to Intervene as Port Talks Break Off. The White House took a potential first step toward ordering dock workers back to their jobs after talks broke down between the union and management. By The Associated Press. 10:31:07 AM

Stocks Little Changed on Wary Wall Street. Stocks were little changed early today as a slump in global markets and a looming presidential speech on Iraq kept tensions running high. By Reuters. 10:31:06 AM

Police Investigate Shooting Outside Maryland School. A 13-year-old boy was shot and critically wounded today outside a school. There was no word on whether the shooting was related to a series of sniper attacks. By The Associated Press. 8:31:24 AM

U.S. to Intervene as Port Talks Break Off. The White House will take a potential first step toward ordering dock workers back to their jobs after talks broke down between the union and management. By The Associated Press. 8:31:21 AM

Stocks Mixed in Early Trading. Stocks were little changed early today as a slump in global markets and a looming presidential speech on Iraq kept tensions running high. By Reuters. 8:31:21 AM

Brazil Presidential Election Is Set for October Runoff. Leftist leader Luiz In[omega]cio Lula da Silva held a commanding lead in Brazil's presidential race, but will face Jos/ Serra in a second-round runoff on Oct. 27. By Larry Rohter. 8:31:10 AM

Stocks Expected to Fall in Early Trading. Stocks are set to head lower today as a slump in global markets and a looming presidential speech on Iraq keep tensions running high. By Reuters. 6:31:21 AM

Calibrating Next Step for 'The Sopranos'. HBO executives are pondering how best to seize the moment for a series that is a cultural phenomenon on par with the most successful television programs of all time. By Bill Carter. 6:31:20 AM

Brazil Presidential Election Headed for Runoff. Leftist leader Luiz In[omega]cio Lula da Silva held a commanding lead in Brazil's presidential race, but will face Jos/ Serra in a second-round runoff on Oct. 27. By Larry Rohter. 6:31:14 AM

N.Korea Terms U.S. Stance 'Hostile Policy'. TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea lashed out Monday at the United States for what it termed a ``hard-line policy of hostility'' and said U.S. special envoy James Kelly had taken a ``high-handed and arrogant attitude'' in talks with Pyongyang. By Reuters. 6:31:13 AM

12 Palestinians Killed in Gaza Raid. Israeli troops raiding the Gaza Strip with tanks and helicopters killed 12 Palestinians today, including 10 who died when a missile slammed into a large crowd. By The Associated Press. 5:31:13 AM

Crucial Issues Wait in Wings for the Justices. The Supreme Court that opens its new term today is likely to produce decisions on the war on terrorism, affirmative action and campaign finance. By Linda Greenhouse. 5:31:10 AM

Crucial Issues Wait in Wings for the Justices. The Supreme Court that opens its new term today is likely to produce decisions on the war on terrorism, affirmative action and campaign finance. By Linda Greenhouse. 5:31:06 AM

Israeli Raid in Gaza Kills 9 and Hurts 50. Israeli tanks backed by helicopters raided a neighborhood in the Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis overnight, killing 9 Palestinians. By Joel Greenberg. 4:31:06 AM

Port Talks Break Off Indefinitely. Labor talks broke off indefinitely late Sunday between longshoremen and shipping lines after the union rejected the latest contract proposal. By The Associated Press. 3:31:10 AM

Zimbabwe's Writers Explore Despair and Violence Under Black Rule. Once a silenced subject in Zimbabwe, recent novels confront the killings by black soldiers in the years after white rule ended in 1980. By Rachel L. Swarns. 1:31:01 AM

Judging McCall by the Numbers: Scrutinizing a Pension Fund. The fundamental question about H. Carl McCall's record is whether, as state comptroller, he managed New York State's enormous pension fund well. By Leslie Eaton. 12:31:13 AM

New Jersey Senate Race Begins Again With Quarrel Over Debates. The two main candidates in the United States Senate race bickered on Sunday over a proposed schedule for debates. By Richard Lezin Jones and Marc Santora. 12:31:13 AM

Court to Review Copyright Law. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments over the constitutionality of a 1998 law that extended copyright protection by 20 years. By Amy Harmon. 12:31:13 AM

Angered by U.S., Palestinians Act on Jerusalem. The Palestinian parliament on Sunday ratified a bill signed by Yasir Arafat designating Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. By James Bennet. 12:31:12 AM

Sharon Tells Cabinet to Keep Quiet on U.S. Plans. Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, warned his cabinet ministers on Sunday not to talk about American plans for Iraq. By James Bennet. 12:31:12 AM

McCall, Citing Report, Criticizes Pataki on Care for the Mentally Ill. H. Carl McCall seized on a news report about mentally ill people kept in locked wards in nursing homes to criticize Gov. George E. Pataki as lacking "care or compassion." By Randal C. Archibold and Michael Cooper. 12:31:11 AM

Following Divergent Paths in the Comptroller's Race. The two candidates for state comptroller are pursuing distinctive strategies to get the public to focus on a race that has been overshadowed by the campaign for governor. By Jonathan P. Hicks. 12:31:11 AM

As Polls Talk, Losers Walk, and Early. The decisions by Andrew M. Cuomo and Robert G. Torricelli to quit are departures from the hard-nosed, fight-to-the-finish tradition of politics. By Raymond Hernandez. 12:31:10 AM

Talks About Online Commissions. Software that "hijacks" links to online merchants is at the center of a war for sales commissions. By Bob Tedeschi. 12:31:10 AM

Israeli Raid in Gaza Kills 9 and Hurts 50, Witnesses Say. Israeli tanks backed by helicopters raided a neighborhood in the Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis overnight, killing 9 Palestinians. By Joel Greenberg. 12:31:09 AM

In a New South Africa, an Old Tune Lingers. Radio Pretoria in South Africa provides conservative Afrikaners with a nostalgic look back to the time when the white minority ruled the country. By Rachel L. Swarns. 12:31:08 AM

Trying to Quiet Another City That Barely Sleeps. A municipal campaign is under way in Madrid to silence residents in a city that may sleep (sometimes during the day) but rarely shuts up. By Emma Daly. 12:31:07 AM

J. P. Morgan Chase Plans Big Job Cuts. J. P. Morgan Chase is planning to cut as many as 4,000 employees, including many managing directors, from its investment banking operation. By Andrew Ross Sorkin with Riva D. Atlas. 12:31:05 AM

Talks About Online Commissions. Software that "hijacks" links to online merchants is at the center of a war for sales commissions. By Bob Tedeschi. 12:31:05 AM

A Little Off the Bottom Line. Faced with a sluggish economy, more New Yorkers are rethinking their spending on their hair. By Daisy Hern[omega]ndez. 12:31:04 AM

Zimbabwe's Writers Explore Despair and Violence Under Black Rule. Once a silenced subject in Zimbabwe, recent crop novels confront the killings by black soldiers in the years after white rule ended in 1980. By Rachel L. Swarns. 12:31:03 AM

In a New South Africa, an Old Tune Lingers. Radio Pretoria in South Africa provides conservative Afrikaners with a nostalgic look back to the time when the white minority ruled the country. By Rachel L. Swarns. 12:31:03 AM

Oyez! Oyez!. The new Supreme Court term starts on Monday. The justices must be mindful that if America is to remain a beacon of freedom to the world, it must remain one at home. 12:31:02 AM

The Hudson at Risk. Gov. George Pataki and his environmental conservation commissioner must stop a cement manufacturing plant proposed for a site on the Hudson River. 12:31:02 AM

New Jersey Redraws Party Lines. New Jersey is part of a nationwide swing toward the Democratic Party. By John B. Judis and Ruy Teixeira. 12:31:01 AM