Wednesday, March 19, 2003

Diller Steps Down From Vivendi Universal. Barry Diller unexpectedly resigned as co-chief executive of Vivendi Universal Entertainment today. By The Associated Press. 11:31:06 AM

Technology Briefing: Telecommunications. BANKRUPTCY FILING FOR HUGHES UNIT;. 10:04:10 AM

Technology Briefing: Hardware. MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY LOWERS FORECASTS; CONCURRENT COMPUTER SHARES PLUNGE;. 10:04:10 AM

Technology Briefing: Software. PROGRESS SOFTWARE POSTS 72% RISE IN INCOME;. 10:04:09 AM

World Business Briefing: Americas. CANADA: Drop In Profit For Commercial Printer;. 10:04:09 AM

World Business Briefing: Europe. BRITAIN: Marconi'S Restructuring Delayed; GERMANY: Basf Posts A Profit;. 10:04:08 AM

World Business Briefing: Asia. INDIA: Bids For Oil Company; SOUTH KOREA: Credit Card Debt; JAPAN: New Bank Governor Testifies; JAPAN: Joint Venture Disciplined;. 10:04:07 AM

Germans Balk at the Price of Economic Change. Even rather small changes in the elaborate rules governing Germany's economic life inevitably provoke spirited opposition from some quarters. By Richard Bernstein. 10:04:06 AM

With Little Loans, Mexican Women Overcome. In Mexico, small business loans to women, known as microcredit or microfinance, represent a chance for the poor to acquire a little bit of wealth. By Tim Weiner. 10:04:05 AM

Pfizer to Sell Drug to Rival to Soothe Regulators. Pfizer has agreed to sell a new incontinence treatment to Novartis for $225 million. By Alison Langley. 10:04:05 AM

P.&G. Is Acquiring Wella, German Hair Care Company. The Procter & Gamble Company said that it would buy 77.6 percent of Wella of Germany for $3.4 billion. By Claudia H. Deutsch. 10:04:04 AM

Alcoa and Iceland Agree on Smelter Project. After nearly a year of talks, Alcoa and Iceland reached an agreement to build a $1.1 billion aluminum smelter at Reydarfjordur in the wild. By The New York Times. 10:04:04 AM

Troubles in U.S. for Irish Drug Maker. Elan, the troubled Irish drug company, is facing an F.T.C. investigation and a deteriorating relationship with the company to which it sold $850 million worth of drugs and other assets. By Brian Lavery. 10:04:03 AM

News Corp. to Raise Up to $1.5 Billion With Bond Issue. The News Corporation said that a subsidiary would raise as much as $1.5 billion in capital by issuing bonds. By Suzanne Kapner. 10:04:03 AM

Split on Iraq May Harm U.S.-Europe Trade Ties. Businesspeople in Europe are watching nervously for signs that the trans-Atlantic dispute will spill over into commerce. By Mark Landler with Eric Pfanner. 10:04:02 AM

Turner Jabs AOL Time Warner. Though full of criticism and antics, Ted Turner is still not ready for his exit from AOL Time Warner. By David D. Kirkpatrick. 10:04:02 AM

'Sopranos' Star Drops Suit Against HBO. The salary dispute between HBO and James Gandolfini, the star of "The Sopranos," ended as the network received notice Mr. Gandolfini had dropped his lawsuit against the network. By Bill Carter. 10:04:01 AM

2 New Campaigns Reflect War News. 2 New Campaigns Reflect War News As war against Iraq looms, Qwest Communications International is adding to a six-month-old campaign of commercials that feature some employees who are also military reservists. The reservists appear and speak along with other employees in two of four commercials that began running Monday night. The new commercials, which carry the theme 10:04:01 AM

Adoptive Families Get Starring Role. While adoption is not an especially foreign concept in American life, until now the advertising industry has done little to reflect the numbers. By Abby Ellin. 10:04:00 AM

Too Many Brennans Don't Spoil Broth, Judge Rules. A restaurateur in New York City successfully battled a New Orleans dining dynasty for the right to name his new restaurant after himself. By Susan Saulny. 10:03:59 AM

US Airways Restructuring Plan Is Approved. A United States Bankruptcy Court judge approved US Airways' restructuring plan yesterday, clearing the way for the airline to emerge from Chapter 11 protection by March 31. By Micheline Maynard. 10:03:59 AM

Scholastic Posts $500,000 Loss in Quarter. The Scholastic Corporation, the publisher of the Harry Potter books in the United States, posted a quarterly loss of $500,000 yesterday as sales rose less than 1 percent. By Bloomberg News. 10:03:58 AM

Calpers to Release Data. The board of the California Public Employees' Retirement System has voted unanimously to release quarterly performance data on the pension fund's venture and private-equity investments. By Dow Jones / Ap. 10:03:57 AM

Shares Rise Modestly in Choppy Trading; Bond Prices Fall. Stocks rose after bouncing between gains and losses. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index rose 3.66 points, to 866.45. By Bloomberg News. 10:03:56 AM

Priceline Buys 14% Stake in TravelWeb. Priceline, the online travel site that allows bargain hunters to bid for goods and services, yesterday aligned itself with TravelWeb, the upstart hotel reservation Web site, in a deal that will give Priceline a 14 percent stake in TravelWeb. By Bob Tedeschi. 10:03:55 AM

Among the Hospitals, a Mixed Project. A car wash on the Upper East Side of Manhattan will soon be replaced by an unusual hotel and office combination that is to be built in connection with a new residential building. By John Holusha. 10:03:55 AM

Tenet to Sell or Shut Hospitals and Cut Jobs. Tenet Healthcare said it would sell, close or shrink 14 of its 114 hospitals and cut jobs and expenses to cope with an expected decline in payments received from Medicare. By Andrew Pollack. 10:03:54 AM

New Housing Dropped Sharply in a Snowy Month. Starts on new housing fell 11 percent in February, the government said, the biggest decline in nine years as snowstorms hampered construction in the South and Midwest. By Bloomberg News. 10:03:53 AM

Corporations in Survey Say Banks Tie Loans to Other Business. Top financial officers of large corporations believe the willingness of banks to lend to them is linked to their willingness to do other business with banks, according to a survey. By Riva D. Atlas. 10:03:53 AM

Cargo Insurance Would End 48 Hours Into an Iraqi War. Insurance companies notified airlines and operators of cargo ships that their coverage for wartime cargo losses in the Middle East would be canceled within 48 hours of the start of hostilities in Iraq. By Joseph B. Treaster. 10:03:52 AM

Gasoline Prices, Near Record Highs, Don't Reduce Demand. Analysts predict that even if crude oil prices drop soon, gasoline prices will stay high, likely averaging $1.76 a gallon in April. By Neela Banerjee. 10:03:52 AM

BellSouth Official Can Go to Sprint. Trying to resolve a protracted tug-of-war between rival phone companies, a court-appointed arbitrator ruled that Gary D. Forsee could leave BellSouth to become chief of Sprint. By Patrick Mcgeehan. 10:03:51 AM

Oil Steady After 4 - Day Rout, on War Alert. LONDON (Reuters) - World oil prices steadied on Wednesday after a four-day rout that knocked 18 percent off the cost of a barrel, as dealers braced for an imminent U.S. invasion of Iraq. By Reuters. 10:03:51 AM

Tobacco Companies Pledge to Fight Justice Department. Tobacco companies pledged to fight Justice Department efforts to recover $289 billion from the industry for allegedly conspiring to defraud consumers. By Sherri Day and Jonathan D. Glater. 10:03:50 AM

Bayer Cleared of Liability in a Lawsuit Over a Drug. A Texas jury cleared Bayer, the German drug company, of all liability in a lawsuit brought by an 82-year-old retired oil company engineer. By Melody Petersen. 10:03:48 AM

Fed Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged. The Federal Reserve said that uncertainties surrounding a war in Iraq made it too difficult to assess the risks of a new economic slump. By Edmund L. Andrews. 10:03:46 AM

Houston Breaks Real Estate Cycle. There has long been a boom-and-bust real estate cycle in Houston, but the city has learned to diversify its economic base. By Michael Brick. 10:03:45 AM

Bear Stearns Profits Leap on Bond Results. Bear Stearns Cos Inc. said today its quarterly earnings rose 52 percent, soundly beating estimates, as the Wall Street firm posted record bond results. By Reuters. 10:03:44 AM

Airlines Announce Cutbacks as They Prepare for War. Airlines scrambled to prepare for a war with Iraq by suspending flights and warning employees to expect emergency wage cuts. By Micheline Maynard and Edward Wong. 10:03:43 AM

HealthSouth and Its C.E.O. Face S.E.C. Fraud Charges. The S.E.C. said that since 1999, "HealthSouth systematically overstated its earnings by at least $1.4 billion" in order to meet earnings expectations. By Reuters. 10:03:42 AM

In Broadband, Comcast Lets Users Find Their Own Flourishes. High-speed service may be the future of the Internet, but most companies involved haven't prospered. Comcast is the accidental exception. By Saul Hansell. 10:03:30 AM

Comcast Learned From Excite@Home Experience. Comcast's seemingly charmed life so far in its broadband business includes its profitable involvement with Excite@Home, now defunct. By Saul Hansell. 10:03:29 AM

Comcast's Second-Generation. For most of his five years as the president of the cable unit of Comcast, Stephen B. Burke has walked a respectful step behind the company's chief executive, Brian L. Roberts. But suddenly, Wall Street is asking Mr. Burke to step up and take a bow. By Geraldine Fabrikant. 10:03:28 AM

Like Online Dating, With a Political Spin. Hundreds of people turned out in New York last week to hear a presidential candidate at an event organized not by his campaign staff but by a Web site. By Lisa Napoli. 10:03:26 AM

Consumers Downloading Coupons. More consumers are using online coupons as companies begin to offer them for a wider array of products. By Bob Tedeschi. 10:03:25 AM

It's Broadway. Well, Virtually.. Virtual orchestras and other methods of streamlining a musical production are already common in touring companies. By Bruce Weber. 10:03:24 AM

Beyond the CD: A Bid to Burnish Records' Sheen. Discs with remastered, high-resolution digital sound many times the quality of regular CD's are going to become increasingly prominent in record stores. By Wilson Rothman. 10:03:23 AM

Big Screens for Less, Though Not Little. Big plasma TV screens are getting cheaper (if you call $3,000 or $4,000 cheap), but there is a catch: they will not provide true HDTV. By David Pogue. 10:03:22 AM

A Leap for Realism in a 'Matrix' Teaser. A nine-minute computer-animated film revisits the dark yet flashy science-fiction universe of "The Matrix." By Michel Marriott. 10:03:19 AM

In a Single Swipe, a Wealth of Data (Beware of Thieves). Readers that decode the stripe on a credit card help make the market go round, but there are pitfalls. By Roy Furchgott. 10:03:17 AM

Replacing Ailing Batteries. My old laptop works fine, but its battery can barely hold a charge. Is it possible to upgrade to one of the newer batteries, like lithium ion, that are supposed to last longer between charges? By J.d. Biersdorfer. 10:03:16 AM

Game Boy Grows Up (But Not Too Much). Companies like Mad Catz and Interact sell a lot of accessories for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance hand-held game console: attachable lights so you can play in a poorly lighted room, screen protectors to prevent scratches, and rechargeable battery packs to save you from going through hundreds of AA batteries. Now Nintendo has pulled the rug out from under these manufacturers with the introduction of the Game Boy Advance SP, which has it all. By Charles Herold. 10:03:15 AM

Tiny Transactions, Without the Coins. TOKYO. By Ken Belson. 10:03:13 AM

Recognizing the Dance on the Dotted Line. Soon, software that recognizes the rhythm of handwriting could reduce card fraud. By Ian Austen. 10:03:12 AM

Bar Code Company May Face S.E.C. Suit. Symbol Technologies Inc., the world's largest maker of bar code scanners, may face civil actions in connection with its accounting practices. By Bloomberg News. 10:03:12 AM

Better Mind Your Manners, or a Web Site Will. YOU certainly can't throw someone out the bus window for talking too loudly on his cellphone. And you may not want to get into a debate with him about the behavior, either. Don't you wish there was a better way to deal with rude people?. By Sam Lubell. 10:03:11 AM

Surfing E-Mail Alerts and Talent Shows. E-Mail Alert!. By Pamela Licalzi O'connell. 10:03:11 AM

Guarding Grass-Roots Privacy. THE World Wide Web is a powerful tool for political campaigns seeking to put out information about a candidate and in turn collect information about supporters. But managed incorrectly, it can also alienate those supporters and send the wrong message. By Lisa Napoli. 10:03:10 AM

Steady, Now: The Hand-Held Organizer as Roving Picture. Although Argus calls its PDA-1500 a camera, it might just as easily be categorized as an accessory. The device works only in conjunction with a Pocket PC. By Mark Glassman. 10:03:10 AM

A Lean and Mean Laptop as Wireless Networker. Less than an inch thick when closed, the new Toshiba Port/g/ R100 computer is thinner than many paper-based notebooks. And since the R100 has an integrated wireless-networking function that makes connecting to the Internet a snap, you won't miss paper when you need to pass someone a note. By J.d. Biersdorfer. 10:03:09 AM

For Action Films, a Screen That Constantly Refreshes. Several PC makers now offer what they call home entertainment devices for watching videos and listening to music. A new liquid crystal display from NEC-Mitsubishi, the LCD4000, eliminates screen size as a potential objection to watching DVD's on a computer monitor. At 40 inches, it is larger than most televisions. By Ian Austen. 10:03:09 AM

Listen to the Warm: A Growing Selection of Players and Titles. SINCE the introduction of the compact disc 20 years ago, audiophiles have complained that it drained the By Wilson Rothman. 10:03:08 AM

Dot-Com Saviors, Tilting at the World's Ills. In increasing numbers, high-tech entrepreneurs who grew wealthy during the dot-com boom of the late 1990's are working for the global good. By Katie Hafner. 10:03:07 AM

Italians Give Thumbs Up to Wireless Messages. SMS text messages sent via cellphones are now so pervasive in Italy that even Pope John Paul II recently joined the club. By Frank Bruni. 10:03:06 AM

Ease of Paperless E-Mail Sidelines the Forlorn Fax. As offices go paperless and rely more heavily on e-mail, the fax is beginning to seem quaint. By Eric A. Taub. 10:03:05 AM

A Pacifier for New Parents. For expectant parents, a "big-box" store may just be too big. The Web offers a helping hand. By Lisa Guernsey. 10:03:05 AM

China Works to Put Astronauts in Orbit. China intends to challenge the U.S. in space, where it has faced little competition since the collapse of the Soviet Union. By Joseph Kahn. 10:03:04 AM

WorldCom to Write Down $79.8 Billion of Good Will. WorldCom said that it was writing down $79.8 billion of its good will and other assets in a move acknowledging that many areas of its vast telecommunications network are worthless. By Simon Romero. 10:03:04 AM

At Play With DNA. The 50th anniversary of the discovery of the double helix is now being celebrated visually, with six different exhibitions in Manhattan. By Sarah Boxer. 10:03:03 AM

Face-Recognition Technology Improves. Facial recognition technology has improved substantially since 2000, according to results released from a test by four federal agencies involving systems from 10 companies. By Barnaby J. Feder. 10:03:03 AM

F.D.A. Requires Bar Codes on Drugs. Bar codes will soon be required on every medication given to patients to make sure they get the correct dose of the right drug. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 10:03:03 AM

From WorldCom, an Amazing View of a Bloated Industry. We now know in quantifiable, stupefying terms, just how much WorldCom overpaid for the telecommunications network it built. By Gretchen Morgenson. 10:03:02 AM

Pixels at an Exhibition. Museum Web sites provide a head start that saves time and shoe leather. By Bob Tedeschi. 10:03:02 AM

For Far Smaller Fuel Cells, a Far Shorter Wait. Fuel cell technology may power electronic devices like laptop computers, video cameras and cellphones by the end of this decade. By Barnaby J. Feder. 10:03:01 AM

Privacy Advocates Increase Efforts to Restrict Banks' Data Sharing. Privacy advocates are stepping up an effort to require California's banks to get consumers' permission before sharing or selling their financial data. By Adam Clymer. 10:03:01 AM

Technology Executives Assemble on a Muted Note. There is a long way to climb back from the peak of the bubble years, executives gathered at the CeBIT technology convention in Germany pointed out. By James Connell. 10:03:00 AM

Yahoo's Paid Video to Supply Sports, Finance and 'Survivor'. After spending more than a year trying to determine what sort of video programming Internet users will pay for, Yahoo will introduce its first subscription video service. By Saul Hansell. 10:03:00 AM

Microsoft Is Said to Shift Strategies for MSN Service. IDC, the technology research firm, said Microsoft had abandoned its goal of trying to overtake America Online as the largest online service. By Steve Lohr. 10:02:59 AM

At Telecom Research Firm, the Forecast Is Never Sunny. Probe Research issued its latest dose of hopelessness about the telecommunications industry in a new report titled "Debt, Demographics and Telecom." By Simon Romero. 10:02:59 AM

Gateway to Close Stores and Lay Off 1,900. Gateway, the personal computer maker whose shares have dropped 97 percent from their 1999 peak, will lay off 1,900 workers and close 80 retail stores. By Bloomberg News. 10:02:58 AM

Microsoft to Focus Effort on Corporate Data Centers. Microsoft plans to announce its data-center management strategy as part of its bid to accelerate into the lucrative market for corporate computing. By Steve Lohr. 10:02:57 AM

3 Are Accused of Swindling Visitors to Internet Sex Sites. Federal prosecutors accused three men of running an Internet pornography scheme that illegally billed Web users $230 million. By William Glaberson. 10:02:56 AM

Turner Jabs AOL Time Warner. Though full of criticism and antics, Ted Turner is still not ready for his exit from AOL Time Warner. By David D. Kirkpatrick. 10:02:54 AM

A Pervasive Dismay on a Bush School Law. How do you defend a law that is likely to result in 85 percent of public schools in America being labeled failing based on a single test score? By Michael Winerip. 10:02:51 AM

Republicans Scold Daschle for Criticism. WASHINGTON, March 18 Senator Tom Daschle, the Democratic leader, called President Bush's diplomatic efforts in the Iraq crisis a miserable failure on Monday, in a speech that drew strong criticism today from the White House and Congressional Republicans. By Carl Hulse. 10:02:51 AM

D-Day. The Bush team needs an "attitude lobotomy" it needs to get off its high horse and start engaging people on the World Street. By Thomas L. Friedman. 10:02:49 AM

National Briefing: Washington. ESTRADA FILIBUSTER HOLDS; OSPREYS BACK IN THE AIR;. 10:02:49 AM

Edgar Russell Fiedler, 73, Economist and Treasury Aide, Dies. Edgar Russell Fiedler was a former assistant secretary of the Treasury who later had major jobs at the Conference Board. By Wolfgang Saxon. 10:02:48 AM

Contradictory Clues in Columbia Debris. Engineers studying the wreckage of the Columbia are confronting a complex, almost capricious sequence of destruction. By Matthew L. Wald. 10:02:48 AM

Fund-Raising Gives G.O.P. a Big Lead in Last Cycle. Federal Election Commission statistics show that national Republican committees raised $441.6 million, as against $217.3 million for the Democrats. By Adam Clymer. 10:02:47 AM

Libertarians Join Liberals in Challenging Sodomy Law. The Supreme Court will take up a challenge to the Texas "homosexual conduct" law that has galvanized libertarians as well as advocates of gay rights. By Linda Greenhouse. 10:02:46 AM

Thoughts on Civil Disobedience Divide Antiwar Movement. The antiwar movement is splintered over how to respond to a conflict in Iraq: While some argue for acts of civil disobedience, others fear alienating the public. By Kate Zernike. 10:02:46 AM

Farmer Protest Shuts Offices and Stokes Capital Jitters. A disgruntled tobacco farmer who claimed to have explosives kept scores of police at bay for a second day from his tractor in a pond on the Mall. By Christopher Marquis. 10:02:45 AM

Administration's New Asylum Policy Comes Under Fire. The decision to begin detaining asylum seekers from Iraq and 33 other countries where Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups have operated met with harsh criticism. By Philip Shenon. 10:02:45 AM

Higher Alert and Tighter Budgets. As the nation returned to a high level of alert, state, local and federal officials increased security at sensitive sites, but many states did not activate the National Guard. By Jodi Wilgoren. 10:02:44 AM

Republicans Say They'll Push for Tax Cuts Regardless of War. Republican Congressional leaders said that they were determined to approve deep tax cuts regardless of the cost of a war against Iraq and its aftermath. By David E. Rosenbaum. 10:02:43 AM

U.S. Plans to Help Young Victims of Terrorism Are Criticized. Terrorism experts and health providers say the emergency system is ill prepared to rescue the softest targets of all children. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 10:02:40 AM

Divided Democrats Concerned About 2004. The rising voices of the Democratic Party's antiwar wing may strongly affect the Democrats' chances as they approach a national election that could focus on national security. By Adam Nagourney. 10:02:39 AM

Rumsfeld Seeks Consensus Through Jousting. Decisions reached by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld after months of fierce debate with his defense colleagues will soon be tested on the battlefields of Iraq. By Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt. 10:02:38 AM

U.S. Calls Decision by Hussein His 'Final Mistake'. The White House said that Saddam Hussein made his "final mistake" when he rejected an ultimatum ordering him to leave Iraq or face war. By Elisabeth Bumiller. 10:02:37 AM

Companies Pool Retired Talent. Procter & Gamble and three other companies are forming a network of retired scientists who can be hired for short-term assignments. By Karen Alexander. 10:02:36 AM

In Click Languages, an Echo of the Tongues of the Ancients. A new genetic study underlines the extreme antiquity of a special group of languages that may be part of the ancestral human mother tongue. By Nicholas Wade. 10:02:35 AM

Letters. Screening to Keep Colon Healthy To the Editor: It will take more than aspirin to help Americans keep healthy colons ("Aspirin, and Cousins, Take a New Role in the War on Cancer," March 11). 10:02:33 AM

Stealing, Ever So Gently. This week's column includes items on crows who resist stealing from relatives, the smaller eggs of hatchery salmon and the search for extraterrestrial life. By Henry Fountain. 10:02:32 AM

Double Yolks. This week's question: How does an egg end up with double yolks? What would happen if it hatched? By C. Claiborne Ray. 10:02:31 AM

Outdoor Cats Blamed in Otter Deaths. Three parasites are being blamed for an outbreak of an infectious disease that is killing California sea otters. By Chris Dixon. 10:02:30 AM

Amateur Tapes of Shuttle Provide Clues to Breakup. Videos, many provided by amateur astronomers, revealed that the shuttle Columbia shed debris even earlier than previously suspected. By Matthew L. Wald. 10:02:29 AM

To Test Evolution, Press the 'Undo' Button. Scientists working with yeast have in effect reversed the process of evolution in the laboratory. By Carol Kaesuk Yoon. 10:02:28 AM

This Tiny Bird Knows an Impostor When It Hatches. For millenniums, bird species around the world have been put upon by cuckoos, duped into tending the eggs these sly birds slip into their nests. By Carol Kaesuk Yoon. 10:02:27 AM

Bird Lovers Hope to Keep Cats on a Very Short Leash. A movement has begun to finally tame Felis catus, the domestic cat, and confine it to a life that is truly domestic. By James Gorman. 10:02:26 AM

'Lost City' Yielding Its Secrets. Working with new evidence, archaeologists have revised their thinking about the significance of Machu Picchu, the most famous "lost city" of the Incas. By John Noble Wilford. 10:02:25 AM

Contradictory Clues in Columbia Debris. Engineers studying the wreckage of the Columbia are confronting a complex, almost capricious sequence of destruction. By Matthew L. Wald. 10:02:24 AM

National Briefing: West. CALIFORNIA: Self-Counsel At Your Own Risk;. 10:02:23 AM

National Briefing: Rockies. COLORADO: Blizzard Paralyzes Region;. 10:02:22 AM

National Briefing: Washington. ESTRADA FILIBUSTER HOLDS; OSPREYS BACK IN THE AIR;. 10:02:21 AM

Edgar Russell Fiedler, 73, Economist and Treasury Aide, Dies. Edgar Russell Fiedler was a former assistant secretary of the Treasury who later had major jobs at the Conference Board. By Wolfgang Saxon. 10:02:20 AM

Houston Breaks Real Estate Cycle. There has long been a boom-and-bust real estate cycle in Houston, but the city has learned to diversify its economic base. By Michael Brick. 10:02:19 AM

Fund-Raising Gives G.O.P. a Big Lead in Last Cycle. Federal Election Commission statistics show that national Republican committees raised $441.6 million, as against $217.3 million for the Democrats. By Adam Clymer. 10:02:18 AM

Republicans Scold Daschle for Criticism. WASHINGTON, March 18 Senator Tom Daschle, the Democratic leader, called President Bush's diplomatic efforts in the Iraq crisis a miserable failure on Monday, in a speech that drew strong criticism today from the White House and Congressional Republicans. By Carl Hulse. 10:02:18 AM

Sibling Cities Issue a Plea for Decency Toward Frites. The city of Aix-en-Provence, France, has joined forces with its sister city, Coral Gables, Fla., to sign a solemn "proclamation" of solidarity. By Elaine Sciolino. 10:02:17 AM

A Pervasive Dismay on a Bush School Law. How do you defend a law that is likely to result in 85 percent of public schools in America being labeled failing based on a single test score? By Michael Winerip. 10:02:16 AM

Thoughts on Civil Disobedience Divide Antiwar Movement. The antiwar movement is splintered over how to respond to a conflict in Iraq: While some argue for acts of civil disobedience, others fear alienating the public. By Kate Zernike. 10:02:15 AM

U.S. Plans to Help Young Victims of Terrorism Are Criticized. Terrorism experts and health providers say the emergency system is ill prepared to rescue the softest targets of all children. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 10:02:14 AM

N.C.A.A. Tournaments to Go On, Even in War. The men's and women's basketball tournaments will go ahead as scheduled, but Major League Baseball has canceled the scheduled opening of its season in Japan. By Mike Wise. 10:02:13 AM

73 Million Watched Bush. More than 73 million viewers tuned in to see President Bush's speech to the nation on Monday night, a figure surpassed in recent years only by the Super Bowl telecast and the president's address after the terrorist attacks in September 2001. The networks that benefited most were ABC and the Fox News Channel. By Bill Carter. 10:02:12 AM

Republicans Say They'll Push for Tax Cuts Regardless of War. Republican Congressional leaders said that they were determined to approve deep tax cuts regardless of the cost of a war against Iraq and its aftermath. By David E. Rosenbaum. 10:02:11 AM

Divided Democrats Concerned About 2004. Public perceptions of the Democratic Party's antiwar wing may affect the Democrats' chances in next year's presidential elections. By Adam Nagourney. 10:02:10 AM

Left and Right Look for Signs of Bias in Reporting. Even before the likely onset of war in Iraq, the major television networks have come under increasing scrutiny by media watchdogs on the left and the right, looking for subtle and overt signs of journalistic bias. By Jim Rutenberg. 10:02:09 AM

Contradictory Clues in Columbia Debris. Engineers studying the wreckage of the Columbia are confronting a complex, almost capricious sequence of destruction. By Matthew L. Wald. 10:02:08 AM

U.S. News Organizations Tell Employees to Leave Baghdad. With reporters for American news organizations are streaming out of Baghdad, relatively few American journalists would remain to cover a battle for the city. By Jim Rutenberg. 10:02:07 AM

Farmer Protest Shuts Offices and Stokes Capital Jitters. A disgruntled tobacco farmer who claimed to have explosives kept scores of police at bay for a second day from his tractor in a pond on the Mall. By Christopher Marquis. 10:02:07 AM

War Risk Rolls Back Oscar's Red Carpet. LOS ANGELES, March 18 Celebrities will forgo the showy red carpet entrance at Sunday's Academy Awards ceremonies because of concern that such a display would be improper with the nation on the brink of a war or in one. By The New York Times. 10:02:06 AM

Rumsfeld Seeks Consensus Through Jousting. Decisions reached by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld after months of fierce debate with his defense colleagues will soon be tested on the battlefields of Iraq. By Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt. 10:02:05 AM

Tobacco Companies Pledge to Fight Justice Department. Tobacco companies pledged to fight Justice Department efforts to recover $289 billion from the industry for allegedly conspiring to defraud consumers. By Sherri Day and Jonathan D. Glater. 10:02:04 AM

Administration's New Asylum Policy Comes Under Fire. The decision to begin detaining asylum seekers from Iraq and 33 other countries where Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups have operated met with harsh criticism. By Philip Shenon. 10:02:03 AM

Texas Drug Sting Leader Defends Methods and Men. The leader of a narcotics task force that arrested more than a 10th of a town's black population in an undercover operation defended the task force in court. By Adam Liptak. 10:02:02 AM

Suspects in Kidnap Case Charged. Self-proclaimed prophet Brian Mitchell and his wife were charged with six felony counts, including two of aggravated sexual assault, in the abduction of Elizabeth Smart. By Michael Janofsky. 10:02:01 AM

Libertarians Join Liberals in Challenging Sodomy Law. The Supreme Court will take up a challenge to the Texas "homosexual conduct" law that has galvanized libertarians as well as advocates of gay rights. By Linda Greenhouse. 10:02:00 AM

Higher Alert and Tighter Budgets. As the nation returned to a high level of alert, state, local and federal officials increased security at sensitive sites, but many states did not activate the National Guard. By Jodi Wilgoren. 10:01:59 AM

Briefly Noted. FACING CENSURE IN PORTUGAL Portugal's conservative government will face a censure motion in Parliament for hosting a hastily called summit meeting on Iraq as Prime Minister Jos/ Manuel Dur--o Barroso came under heavy fire for his pro-American stance. 10:01:56 AM

U.S. Plans to Help Young Victims of Terrorism Are Criticized. Terrorism experts and health providers say the emergency system is ill prepared to rescue the softest targets of all children. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 10:01:55 AM

Administration's New Asylum Policy Comes Under Fire. The decision to begin detaining asylum seekers from Iraq and 33 other countries where Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups have operated met with harsh criticism. By Philip Shenon. 10:01:54 AM

Antiwar Movement Divided by Thoughts on Civil Disobedience. The antiwar movement is splintered over how to respond to a conflict in Iraq: While some argue for acts of civil disobedience, others fear alienating the public. By Kate Zernike. 10:01:53 AM

Higher Alert and Tighter Budgets. As the nation returned to a high level of alert, state, local and federal officials increased security at sensitive sites, but many states did not activate the National Guard. By Jodi Wilgoren. 10:01:52 AM

Air Patrols and Officers at TV Stations as City Goes on Alert. As the nation inched closer to war, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said yesterday that federal authorities had agreed to secure New York City's airspace and provide military air patrols as part of a broad Police Department plan to safeguard against attacks. By William K. Rashbaum. 10:01:51 AM

With Tighter Security, New Yorkers Tense Up for Life in Wartime. Wearily if not warily, New Yorkers began confronting the additional uncertainties that accompany the end of the long buildup to war. By James Barron. 10:01:50 AM

Farmer Protest Shuts Offices and Stokes Capital Jitters. A disgruntled tobacco farmer who claimed to have explosives kept scores of police at bay for a second day from his tractor in a pond on the Mall. By Christopher Marquis. 10:01:49 AM

Fearing an Iraqi Attack, Israelis Buy Tape and Masks. The military called on citizens to set up hermetically sealed "safe rooms" at home in case Iraq fires a missile loaded with chemical weapons. By Greg Myre. 10:01:49 AM

Japan Premier Supports U.S. on Iraq Stance. The Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, expressed strong support for the United States' ultimatum to President Saddam Hussein. By Howard W. French. 10:01:48 AM

A Sense of Gloom Is Felt Within the Arab World. A sense of gloom descended as both Arab governments and their peoples faced the fact that they had no way to influence events. By Neil Macfarquhar. 10:01:47 AM

War Risk Rolls Back Oscar's Red Carpet. LOS ANGELES, March 18 Celebrities will forgo the showy red carpet entrance at Sunday's Academy Awards ceremonies because of concern that such a display would be improper with the nation on the brink of a war or in one. By The New York Times. 10:01:46 AM

Left and Right Look for Signs of Bias in Reporting. Even before the likely onset of war in Iraq, the major television networks have come under increasing scrutiny by media watchdogs on the left and the right, looking for subtle and overt signs of journalistic bias. By Jim Rutenberg. 10:01:45 AM

73 Million Watched Bush. More than 73 million viewers tuned in to see President Bush's speech to the nation on Monday night, a figure surpassed in recent years only by the Super Bowl telecast and the president's address after the terrorist attacks in September 2001. The networks that benefited most were ABC and the Fox News Channel. By Bill Carter. 10:01:44 AM

U.S. News Organizations Tell Employees to Leave Baghdad. With reporters for American news organizations are streaming out of Baghdad, relatively few American journalists would remain to cover a battle for the city. By Jim Rutenberg. 10:01:43 AM

Rumsfeld Seeks Consensus Through Jousting. Decisions reached by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld after months of fierce debate with his defense colleagues will soon be tested on the battlefields of Iraq. By Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt. 10:01:42 AM

Republicans Scold Daschle for Criticism. WASHINGTON, March 18 Senator Tom Daschle, the Democratic leader, called President Bush's diplomatic efforts in the Iraq crisis a miserable failure on Monday, in a speech that drew strong criticism today from the White House and Congressional Republicans. By Carl Hulse. 10:01:41 AM

Divided Democrats Concerned About 2004. Public perceptions of the Democratic Party's antiwar wing may affect the Democrats' chances in next year's presidential elections. By Adam Nagourney. 10:01:40 AM

Making a Shaving Mug and Other Survival Tricks. The real tricks for surviving, body and soul, are carried off through the inch-at-a-time gumption of individual soldiers. By Jim Dwyer. 10:01:39 AM

A Woman Serving on the Blurred Edge of Combat. If an attack goes as planned, Sgt. Jennifer M. Raichle, an intelligence analyst, may be the first woman in the Army to cross the border. By Steven Lee Myers. 10:01:38 AM

Defiance From Baghdad, Troops on the Move, and Security Warnings. As Saddam Hussein spurned President Bush's demand that he leave Iraq, American and British forces advanced toward the Iraqi frontier in a broad arc of mechanized firepower pointed at Baghdad, waiting for final orders to attack. By Anthony Depalma. 10:01:37 AM

Blair Survives a Mutiny Over Joining U.S. in War. Shaken by the resignations of three government ministers, Prime Minister Tony Blair survived a parliamentary rebellion by members of his Labor party. By Warren Hoge. 10:01:36 AM

Chirac's View: 'A Heavy Responsibility'. PARIS, March 18 Following is the text of a statement made today by President Jacques Chirac of France as translated and issued by [infinity]lys/e Palace:. 10:01:35 AM

Chirac Denounces Bush's Ultimatum, but Shows Willingness to Offer Some Help. France is still America's ally, and now that war is imminent, it has made clear that it is prepared to help. By Elaine Sciolino. 10:01:33 AM

Saudi Arabia Says It Won't Join a War. Saudi Arabia said that it would take no part in an American-led invasion of "brotherly Iraq" and warned against a breakup of the country in the wake of a war. By The New York Times. 10:01:31 AM

Turkey Seeks Troops in Iraq and May Allow U.S. Flights. The Turkish government is insisting on its right to send troops into Iraq if it determines that it needs to. By Frank Bruni with David Rohde. 10:01:29 AM

World Briefing: Europe. RUSSIA: Rebel Leader Urges 'No' Vote; RUSSIA: A Call For More Money To Fight Aids; THE HAGUE: Milosevic Ill Again; GERMANY: Court Rejects Ban Of Far-Right Party; GERMANY: Politician Quits In Anti-Semitism Furor; SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO: New Premier;. 10:01:28 AM

World Briefing: Americas. COLOMBIA: Rights Abuses Growing, U.N. Says;. 10:01:27 AM

World Briefing: Africa. ZIMBABWE: Two Views Of Anti-Mugabe Strike; SUDAN: Agreement With Rebels On Civilians;. 10:01:25 AM

The Former Premier Who Ended China's 'Splendid Isolation'. Good or bad, everyone seems to have an opinion about Zhu Rongji, China's just-retired prime minister. By Joseph Kahn. 10:01:24 AM

Favoring Change, China's New Leaders Move Cautiously. President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao are signaling that they will move only cautiously to carry out their own agenda. By Joseph Kahn. 10:01:23 AM

Gunman Kills 3, Then Himself, at American Oil Rig in Yemen. The assault, which left an American, a Canadian and a Yemeni dead, ended when the assailant shot himself. By Jane Perlez. 10:01:22 AM

Hong Kong Officials Concede Other Carriers Are Out There. Officials hastened to add that the moderate rate of new infections around the world suggested that the disease is not as contagious as initially feared. By Keith Bradsher. 10:01:20 AM

Researchers Find Clues That a Virus Is Causing the Mysterious Illness, but Seek Proof. The World Health Organization cautioned that much more work needs to be done to be sure that a virus is the cause of the outbreak. By Lawrence K. Altman and Mark Landler. 10:01:19 AM

Egypt Clears Rights Activist Whose Jailing Drew World Protest. At a retrial ordered by Egypt's highest court, a nine-judge panel of the court acquitted Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim of defaming Egypt. By Susan Sachs. 10:01:18 AM

With Little Loans, Mexican Women Overcome. In Mexico, small business loans to women, known as microcredit or microfinance, represent a chance for the poor to acquire a little bit of wealth. By Tim Weiner. 10:01:16 AM

Sibling Cities Issue a Plea for Decency Toward Frites. The city of Aix-en-Provence, France, has joined forces with its sister city, Coral Gables, Fla., to sign a solemn "proclamation" of solidarity. By Elaine Sciolino. 10:01:15 AM

Germans Balk at the Price of Economic Change. Even rather small changes in the elaborate rules governing Germany's economic life inevitably provoke spirited opposition from some quarters. By Richard Bernstein. 10:01:14 AM

Failing to Dilute Premier Post, Arafat Accepts Its Creation. The Palestinian leader, accusing party members of betraying him, signed legislation to create a post of prime minister. By James Bennet. 10:01:12 AM

As Baghdad Empties, Hussein Is Defiant. Among many Iraqis, the mood seems to be that war, if it is inevitable, might as well come soon so the country can move forward. By John F. Burns. 10:01:11 AM

Turkish Leader to Ask for Approval for U.S. Flights. The government is asking Parliament to approve a resolution giving the American military the right to use Turkey's air space and air bases, but not to deploy ground troops. By Frank Bruni with David Rohde. 10:01:10 AM

South Korea May Provide Non-Combat Troops in Iraq. The South Korean government hesitantly indicated that it might support the United States in Iraq with non-combat troops. By Don Kirk. 10:01:08 AM

A Worried World Shows Discord. America's rationale for using force exposed an overwhelming opposition to war in many nations and a growing resignation as it approached. By Alan Cowell. 10:01:07 AM

U.S. Mobile Labs Are Poised to Hunt Iraqi Arms. The plan is to rapidly find, secure and ultimately destroy the caches of chemical, biological and other unconventional weapons. By Judith Miller. 10:01:06 AM

U.S. Calls Decision by Hussein His 'Final Mistake'. The White House said that Saddam Hussein made his "final mistake" when he rejected an ultimatum ordering him to leave Iraq or face war. By Elisabeth Bumiller. 10:01:04 AM

Sandstorm Envelops Forces as They Await Order to Advance. American and British armies are wheeling into final position to await the order to wage a war intended to topple Saddam Hussein. By Patrick E. Tyler. 10:01:03 AM