Sin Be Damned, French Say; Let's Eat [1]. A French petition aims to have gourmandise (gluttony in English) removed from the list of the Seven Deadly Sins. By Mary Blumeinternational Herald Tribune.
Studies Find Aspirin Can Lower Risk of Precancerous Colon Polyps [1]. In two clinical trials, researchers have shown that that they can reduce the risk of developing colon and rectal polyps, the precursors of almost all colon cancer, with aspirin. By Gina Kolata.
NASA's Work With Contractors Is a Focus of the Columbia Investigation [1]. The independent panel investigating the loss of the shuttle is looking at how strictly the space agency supervised its contractors and their work standards. By Edward Wong.
M.T.A. Expected to Approve $2 Subway Fare [1]. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board is scheduled to vote on the fare hike, as well as approve a number of token booth closings on Thursday. By Randy Kennedy.
Suicide Bomber on Bus in Israel Leaves 15 Dead [1]. Following the attack, the Israeli military moved into the Gaza Strip. At least one person was reported killed. By James Bennet.
Pakistanis Say Suspect Described Recent Meeting With bin Laden [1]. Osama bin Laden was in Pakistan as recently as last month and met there with his chief operational lieutenant, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. By Raymond Bonner with David Johnston.
France, Germany and Russia Vow to Stop Use of Force Against Iraq [1]. The declaration came as Secretary of State Colin L. Powell reiterated the view that Washington would go it alone if necessary. By John Tagliabue.
Roger Needham, Computer Security Expert, Dies at 68 [1]. Roger M. Needham led Cambridge University's computer science laboratory for 15 years and started Microsoft's first overseas research lab. By Steve Lohr.
China Steps Up Its Output of Metals [1]. Thanks to the combination of subsidies, cheap credit and lax environmental controls, China is becoming the most important actor in the market for one metal after another. By Bernard Simon.
Congress Clings to a Pager Made in Canada [1]. American lawmakers have an affinity for Canadian BlackBerrys, the popular e-mail devices made by a Waterloo, Ontario-based company. By Jeffrey Selingo.
France Télécom Announces $23 Billion Loss for Year [1]. France Télécom joined a parade of companies that have taken huge write-offs on investments made during the telecommunications boom of the 1990's. By Kerry Shaw.
Awash in Oil Dollars, Russia Tries to Steady Economy [1]. While many countries are beginning to feel the pinch of high oil prices, Russia is suffering from a very different problem too much money. By Sabrina Tavernise.
Online Newspaper Shakes Up Korean Politics [1]. OhmyNews, an Internet news service that has revolutionized the news business in South Korea, played an important role in the victory of Roh Moo Hyun in December. By Howard W. French.
Shares Up as a Couple of Earnings Reports Stir Optimism [1]. More than two-thirds of the companies in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index advanced on Wednesday on investor optimism that profit growth may pick up. By Bloomberg News.
Firefighters 'to get 16% pay rise' [1]. Firefighters are to be offered a 16% pay rise over three years as part of an improved pay deal, the BBC learns.
Smuggling threatens corner shops [1]. Bootleg tobacco and alcohol cost UK corner shops more than £20,000 each last year, putting many in peril, research says.
War fears burden US economy [1]. "Geopolitical uncertainties" have undermined US economic growth, but stimulated the sale of home protection goods, a key report says.
Iran-backed forces join those vying for influence in N. Iraq [1]. Prepping for post-Hussein power grab, Shiite soldiers are building a large camp in Kurdish-controlled areas.
The Fed Says Economic Activity Remains Subdued [1]. The Federal Reserve today said economic activity remained subdued in 2003 as concerns about a possible war in Iraq slowed spending by consumers and businesses. By The Associated Press.
Two U.S. Aerospace Companies Agree to Fines Over Helping China [1]. Hughes Electronics Corp. and Boeing Satellite Systems agreed to pay $32 million to settle civil charges that they unlawfully transferred data to China in the 1990's. By Jeff Gerth.
Two U.S. Aerospace Companies Agree to Fines Over Helping China [1]. Hughes Electronics Corp. and Boeing Satellite Systems agreed to pay $32 million to settle civil charges that they unlawfully transferred data to China in the 1990's. By Jeff Gerth.
Supreme Court Affirms Stringent 'Three Strikes' Law [1]. In two 5-to-4 rulings, the Supreme Court held that state legislatures can prescribe long terms for repeat offenders. By David Stout.
Turkey's Military Signals Support for Aiding U.S. Troops [1]. The measure, blocked by the Turkish Parliament last week, would allow the U.S. to open a northern front against Iraq. By Dexter Filkins.
Powell urges UN to confront Saddam [1]. The US secretary of state says Iraq shows no real sign of disarming and urges the UN to stand united against Saddam Hussein.
Lawsuit filed over US club fire [1]. Relatives of two people killed in a nightclub fire in Rhode Island sue the club owners and the band playing there.
Insults traded at Islamic summit [1]. An Iraq crisis summit of Islamic countries is marred by the Kuwaiti and Iraqi delegates embarking on a fierce slanging match.
Satellite Radio Company Revamps Its Troubled Finances [1]. Sirius Satellite Radio said today that investors had approved a plan that would enable it to avoid bankruptcy. By Barnaby J. Feder.
'Significant' pay offer in firefighter dispute [1]. Local authority leaders are to offer firefighters a "significantly" improved pay offer, it is announced.
Dollar Hits 4-Year Low After Treasury Chief Rattles Market [1]. The dollar, down 4.5 percent against the euro this year, hit its low after the Treasury Secretary said he was "not particularly concerned" about the recent slide. By Eric Pfannerinternational Herald Tribune.
Millions Raised for Qaeda in Brooklyn, U.S. Says [1]. A Yemeni cleric apprehended in Germany on charges of financing terrorism used a Brooklyn mosque to help funnel millions of dollars to Al Qaeda. By Eric Lichtblau with William Glaberson.
U.S. Reassures Seoul After Deploying Bombers in Region [1]. South Korean officials said today that they were reassured by U.S. pledges not to stage a surprise attack against North Korea. By Don Kirk.
Court Finds 'Three-Strikes' Laws Constitutional [1]. A divided Supreme Court today ruled that the nation's toughest three-time offender law does not lead to cruel and unusual punishment. By The Associated Press.
Dollar Hits 4-Year Low After Treasury Chief Rattles Market [1]. The dollar, down 4.5 percent against the euro this year, hit its low after the Treasury Secretary said he was "not particularly concerned" about the recent slide. By Eric Pfannerinternational Herald Tribune.
Blair 'confident' of UN backing [1]. Tony Blair remains hopeful the UN will pass a second resolution despite Russia, France and Germany opposing such a move.
Hong Kong Makes Biggest Budget Policy Changes in a Generation [1]. The new budget calls for raising personal and corporate income taxes for the first time in nearly two decades. By Keith Bradsher.
A Prescription Plan Hailed as a Model Is a Budget Casualty [1]. To cover budget shortfalls, Oregon will cut off medications to schizophrenics, manic-depressives, drug addicts and others who are poor and have no health care. By Timothy Egan.
Top General Sees Plan to Shock Iraq Into Surrendering [1]. The plan calls for unleashing 3,000 precision-guided bombs and missiles in the first 48 hours of the campaign. By Eric Schmitt and Elisabeth Bumiller.
Blair 'hopeful' over UN vote [1]. Tony Blair says the world must stand firm and back a new UN resolution - but Russia, France and Germany oppose such a move.
Nigerian leader blamed for killing [1]. The opposition ANPP says it holds President Obasanjo responsible for the killing of one of its senior officials.
France and allies rally against war [1]. France, Germany and Russia threaten to block any second resolution authorising war with Iraq after emergency talks in Paris.
Court Upholds Sex Offender Registration [1]. The Supreme Court ruled today that states may put pictures of convicted sex offenders on the Internet without unconstitutionally punishing them twice. By The Associated Press.
At Least 10 Die as Bomb Shreds Bus in Israel [1]. The attack coincides with an Israeli military offensive against Hamas strongholds in the Gaza Strip in which dozens of Palestinians have been killed. By James Bennet with Terence Neilan.
Diplomatic Lines Harden Before Crucial U.N. Meeting on Friday [1]. French, German and Russian foreign ministers said today that they would not permit passage of a U.N. measure to authorize an Iraq war. By John Tagliabue.
Stocks Rise in Early Trading [1]. Investors waded through a wave of earnings reports from top-tier retailers and braced for developments on the international front. By Reuters.
Millions Raised for Qaeda in Brooklyn, U.S. Says [1]. A Yemeni cleric apprehended in Germany on charges of financing terrorism used a Brooklyn mosque to help funnel millions of dollars to Al Qaeda. By Eric Lichtblau with William Glaberson.
At Least 8 Die as Bomb Shreds Bus in Israel [1]. The attack coincides with an Israeli military offensive against Hamas strongholds in the Gaza Strip in which dozens of Palestinians have been killed. By James Bennet with Terence Neilan.
Final breakthrough 'possible' [1]. A final breakthrough is possible following talks to restore devolution in Northern Ireland, says Prime Minister Tony Blair.
France and allies rally against war [1]. France, Germany and Russia say they will block any second resolution authorising war with Iraq after emergency talks.
Malpractice Insurance: No Clear or Easy Answers [1]. President Bush is urging Congress to limit medical malpractice lawsuits. But a look at California's experience shows mixed results. By Joseph B. Treaster.
Glaxo Loses Ruling in Patent Trial for Depression Drug [1]. GlaxoSmithKline has lost a critical patent trial over its top-selling drug, Paxil, raising the risk that it will face generic competition for the medicine earlier than expected. By Reed Abelson.
Study Raises Estimate of the Nation's Uninsured [1]. WASHINGTON, March 4 An estimated 75 million Americans were without health insurance at some point during the last two years, amounting to nearly a third of all Americans younger than 65, a study has found. By Robin Toner.
For Elderly, Fear of Falling Is a Risk in Itself [1]. Of the nagging, minute-by-minute worries of old age, none seems to eclipse the fear of falling. By N. R. Kleinfield.
Bush Medicare Proposal Urges Switch to Private Insurers [1]. President Bush opened a fractious new round in the Medicare debate by proposing comprehensive drug coverage for the elderly, if they switch to private insurance plans. By Robert Pear and Robin Toner.
A Prescription Plan Hailed as a Model Is a Budget Casualty [1]. To cover budget shortfalls, Oregon will cut off medications to schizophrenics, manic-depressives, drug addicts and others who are poor and have no health care. By Timothy Egan.
Europe Hacker Laws Could Make Protest a Crime [1]. The new laws intended to deter computer hacking could pose problems because the language could also outlaw people who organize protests online. By Paul Meller.
Luis Marden, 90, Adventurer and Journalist, Is Dead [1]. Luis Marden prowled the globe for National Geographic for 64 years, sometimes vanishing for months with little more than a medical kit. By Douglas Martin.
John Mellencamp Records Antiwar Song [1]. John Mellencamp's "From Washington" is one of the first new antiwar songs recorded by a multimillion-selling rocker. By Jon Pareles.
Crisis in Italy's State Network Stirs New Claims Against Premier [1]. Silvio Berlusconi is facing new accusations of conflict of interest, brought on by a crisis at the state broadcasting network RAI. By The New York Times.
F.T.C. Moves to Stop $2.8 Billion Ice Cream Deal [1]. The Federal Trade Commission voted to seek a preliminary injunction to block the $2.8 billion merger of Nestle's United States ice cream business with Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream. By Sherri Day.
Ruling on Victor vs. Victoria Offers Split Victory of Sorts [1]. The Supreme Court offered something for both sides in its first interpretation of a new federal law intended to protect famous brand names. By Linda Greenhouse.
Philip Morris to Leave New York [1]. Philip Morris USA intends to end a 101-year relationship with New York City by moving its headquarters to Richmond, Va. By Janny Scott.
Study Raises Estimate of the Nation's Uninsured [1]. An estimated 75 million Americans were without health insurance at some point during the last two years, amounting to nearly a third of all Americans younger than 65. By Robin Toner.
Unocal Is Sued by F.T.C. Over California Gas Patent [1]. The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint accusing the Unocal Corporation, of fraudulent and anticompetitive practices in obtaining patents for the production of cleaner-burning gasoline. By Neela Banerjee.
Dollar Hits Its Lowest Point in 4 Years [1]. The dollar fell to its lowest point in almost four years against the euro today after Treasury Secretary John W. Snow said that he was "not particularly concerned" about the dollar, which has dropped 20 percent in the last year against the euro. By Bloomberg News.
Law Firms Move to Cut Costs, but Spare the Senior Partners [1]. In law firms across the country, rainmakers and kingpins are hanging on to their expansive offices, even as they attack their real estate costs. By Michael Brick.
Advancing Technology Tightens Building Security [1]. Computerized systems in office buildings are now being widely deployed to ensure security. By Edwin Mcdowell.
Bush Medicare Proposal Urges Switch to Private Insurers [1]. President Bush opened a fractious new round in the Medicare debate by proposing comprehensive drug coverage for the elderly, if they switch to private insurance plans. By Robert Pear and Robin Toner.
Martha Stewart Company Posts First Loss and Blames Inquiry [1]. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia reported a loss of 3 cents a share from continuing operations for the fourth quarter. By Constance L. Hays.
S.E.C. Chief Has Plan to Pick Audit Board Head [1]. William H. Donaldson, the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, has outlined the process to select the leader of a new accounting oversight board. By Stephen Labaton.
Exxon Chief Says Oil Industry Is Already Jarred by Fears of War [1]. The oil industry is already feeling powerful repercussions from the current economic and political volatility spawned by fears of war in the Persian Gulf, according to Lee Raymond, the chairman and chief executive of Exxon Mobil. By Neela Banerjee.
Glaxo Loses Ruling in Patent Trial for Depression Drug [1]. GlaxoSmithKline has lost a critical patent trial over its top-selling drug, Paxil, raising the risk that it will face generic competition for the medicine earlier than expected. By Reed Abelson.
Rules Are Loosely Defined in Food Service Industry [1]. Food service is a shadowy business, where accounting for rebates and promotions is loosely defined and the competition is fierce. By Constance L. Hays with Suzanne Kapner.
Malpractice Insurance: No Clear or Easy Answers [1]. President Bush is urging Congress to limit medical malpractice lawsuits. But a look at California's experience shows mixed results. By Joseph B. Treaster.
U.S. Budget Deficit Rising Fast [1]. The deficit is growing much more quickly than expected, even before Congress takes up President Bush's tax plan and without factoring in the costs of a war in Iraq. By Edmund L. Andrews.
Biotech Mergers: Cash Talks Louder Than Technology [1]. There have been many mergers in the biotechnology industry, but some companies are bought for their cash rather than their technology. By Andrew Pollack.
Credit Suisse Banker Quits Amid Inquiries [1]. Frank P. Quattrone, Credit Suisse First Boston's star investment banker, resigned after refusing to cooperate with an investigation into his banking practices. By Landon Thomas Jr..
For Elderly, Fear of Falling Is a Risk in Itself [1]. Of the nagging, minute-by-minute worries of old age, none seems to eclipse the fear of falling. By N. R. Kleinfield.
Police Dept. Indictments Rattle San Francisco [1]. The case of three off-duty police officers accused of beating two men in November has escalated into a nasty war among some of the city's most powerful politicians. By Dean E. Murphy.
In the Man-Ravaged West Bank, a Petrified Zoo [1]. A macabre transformation is under way at the zoo in Qalqiliya in the West Bank. As the animals vanish from the tidy cages, they are reappearing, stuffed, in the zoo's museum. By James Bennet.
U.S. Budget Deficit Rising Fast [1]. The deficit is growing much more quickly than expected, even before Congress takes up President Bush's tax plan and without factoring in the costs of a war in Iraq. By Edmund L. Andrews.
Blast rocks Israeli city [1]. A bomb is reported to have gone off on a bus in the northern Israeli port city of Haifa, leaving at least eight people dead.
Final breakthrough 'possible' [1]. A final breakthrough is possible in Northern Ireland following talks to restore devolution, says Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Hospitals 'fiddled' waiting list figures [1]. A spot-check of hospitals has found over half wrongly reported how many people are waiting for treatment - some deliberately.
Davies admits he was in woods [1]. Ex-Welsh Secretary Ron Davies changes his account of events which form the basis of gay sex allegations which he still denies.
Move to curb sex trade travel [1]. Measures are to be introduced to stop paedophiles travelling abroad to indulge in 'sex tourism', ministers reveal on Wednesday.
Senior politician killed in Nigeria [1]. A leading opposition politician is shot dead in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, ahead of general elections in April.
Uproar over Kuwait slur [1]. A summit of Islamic countries on Iraq opens with the Iraqi representative calling the Kuwaiti delegate "an agent and a monkey".
South African Phone Giant Offers Shares [1]. Telkom South Africa, the national telephone monopoly, went public with the sale by the government of a quarter of its shares. By Nicole Itano.
Canada Raises a Major Interest Rate a Quarter Point [1]. The Bank of Canada raised its benchmark interest rate for the fourth time in a year. By Bernard Simon.
South Korea to Open Inquiry Into 6 Large Conglomerates [1]. The Korean government is conducting an investigation of six of the nation's largest conglomerates on suspicion of illegal securities transactions. By Don Kirk.
Sales Slow as Germans Pile Up Empty Soda Cans [1]. Germany's new deposit law on cans and bottles has sharply reduced beverage sales, causing hardship in a $15 billion industry. By Otto Pohl.
Some Reality-Show Mutations Have Survival Value [1]. Like dung beetles, Fox reality shows have an ingenious ability to put embarrassing material to use. By Alessandra Stanley.
CBS Plans Expanded Coverage of the Tonys [1]. CBS, which has split the Tony Award broadcast with PBS for five years, will carry all three hours of the ceremony in June. By Bill Carter.
New Executives at Hill, Holliday [1]. New Executives At Hill, Holliday Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos in Boston has hired four executives for its offices in New York and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. By The New York Times.
A TV Campaign for Grey Goose Vodka [1]. Grey Goose's path to vodka popularity has taken an unusual turn: extensive advertising on cable TV. By Patricia Winters Lauro.
Stocks Fall on War Fears [1]. Renewed fears about war and terrorism tormented Wall Street today, sending the Dow Jones industrials to their lowest level in nearly five months. By The Associated Press.
Ahold Shares Fall 10% as Questions About Company Grow [1]. Analysts questioned the supermarket operator's ability to survive as investigations broadened into accounting irregularities at the company. By Eric Pfannerinternational Herald Tribune.
Blair delays NI elections [1]. Northern Ireland Assembly elections will be postponed until the end of May to allow time for more talks on the peace process.
Rumsfeld denies Iraq disarming [1]. The US defence secretary tells the BBC that Iraq is deceiving the UN as Moscow warns it might veto a new resolution.
Hospitals 'fiddled' waiting list figures [1]. A spotcheck of hospitals has found over half wrongly reported how many people are waiting for treatment - some deliberately.
Blair prepares for Russian talks [1]. Tony Blair prepares for crucial talks over the Iraq crisis with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov at Downing Street.
Runaways 'facing abuse and violence' [1]. Thousands of child runaways are being exposed to sexual abuse and violence, according to the biggest ever UK survey of why people go missing.
China congress looks to future [1]. China's parliament opens for its annual session, at which a new generation of leaders is due to take the reins of power.
Bombing Kills an American and 20 Others in Philippines [1]. The bomb exploded just outside an international airport in the southern Philippines, a region at the center of a Muslim insurgency. By Seth Mydans.
A Prescription Plan Hailed as a Model Is a Budget Casualty [1]. To cover budget shortfalls, Oregon will cut off medications to thousands of schizophrenics, manic-depressives, drug addicts and others who are poor and have no health care. By Timothy Egan.
Millions Raised for Qaeda in Brooklyn, U.S. Says [1]. A Yemeni cleric apprehended in Germany on charges of financing terrorism used a Brooklyn mosque to help funnel millions of dollars to Al Qaeda. By Eric Lichtblau with William Glaberson.
U.S. Sending 2 Dozen Bombers in Easy Range of North Koreans [1]. President Bush said that if diplomacy failed, he might be forced to turn to military options to prevent the North from making nuclear weapons. By David E. Sanger and Thom Shanker.
U.S. General Sees Plan to Shock Iraq Into Surrendering [1]. Military officials have said the plan calls for unleashing 3,000 precision-guided bombs and missiles in the first 48 hours of the campaign. By Eric Schmitt and Elisabeth Bumiller.
Why US is reacting quietly to N. Korea's provocations [1]. Administration hopes lack of response to hostile acts will force others in the region to shoulder responsibility.
