DEVCON WINS APPROVAL TO BUY ADELPHIA UNIT
Date: 29 January 2005
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Devcon International Corp wins court approval to buy electronic security business of bankrupt cable television operator Adelphia Communications for $42.8 million (S)
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Heavy Trading in Gillette Call Options
Date: 29 January 2005
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Trading in Gillette stock options that increase in value as share price rises surges hours before Procter & Gamble agrees to buy company for $57 billion (S)
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NEWS SUMMARY
Date: 30 January 2005
INTERNATIONAL 3-19 Voting Begins in Iraq Iraqis began casting ballots in the country's first free elections in more than 50 years, a day after a deadly rocket strike on the American Embassy in Baghdad killed two Americans , wounded five and heightened fears of further attacks. 1 Many Iraqis do not accept that fundamental choices about the shape of their future political system should be made by a foreign power, but questions over the election go far beyond the American stewardship. 1 Strained Relations With Qatar The normally warm relationship between the United States and the tiny state of Qatar has been strained by its sponsorship of Al Jazeera, the television station that is a big source of news in the Arab world. Bush administration officials have complained that Al Jazeera's broadcasts are inflammatory. 1 OPEC May Slow Production Oil ministers gathered in Vienna for the OPEC meeting signaled that they would leave production targets unchanged but suggested that they might cut output in April to fend off a seasonal slowdown in demand after the winter ends in the Northern Hemisphere. OPEC is finding it hard to justify a reduction in production with oil trading close to last year's record highs in New York. 6 Clashes in Sudan At least 14 people have been killed in clashes between supporters of an armed rebel group in eastern Sudan and security forces in Port Sudan, on the Red Sea, the local governor said. 8 C.I.A. Holds Documents The Central Intelligence Agency is refusing to provide hundreds of thousands of pages of documents sought by a government group under a 1998 law that requires full disclosure of classified records related to Nazi war criminals, say Congressional officials from both parties. 10 Karzai Urged to Seek Justice The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission urged President Hamid Karzai to make a commitment to bring war criminals to justice after a long era of human rights abuses. The commission's conclusions were that more than 70 percent of Afghans had suffered a loss or injury in the last two decades of war and that Afghans urgently wanted to see war criminals brought to justice and removed from public office. 8 NATIONAL 20-27 States Battle Drug Problem Twenty states are trying to fight the growing crisis of methamphetamine addiction through legislation that would impose tight restrictions on common cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, an essential ingredient in making meth. 20 Mental Test Added for Soldiers To better identify soldiers suffering serious psychological problems as a result of combat duty in Iraq, the Defense Department plans to perform an additional health assessment of servicemen and women after they come home, officials said. 20 Debate Over Meaning of Values Many religious leaders across the theological spectrum are trying to shift the politicial focus on moral values away from abortion and gay marriage and toward promoting world peace and eliminating global poverty. 26 Fugitive Extradited to U.S. Federal officials said that they had reached an agreement with the Mexican government to extradite Agustín Vásquez Mendoza, a man suspected of orchestrating the killing of an undercover American drug agent in Arizona in 1994. 25 SCIENCE/HEALTH AIDS in Infants Drops Sharply AIDS among infants has dropped so sharply in the past decade that public health officials say it may be on the verge of being eliminated in the United States. In 1990, as many as 2,000 babies were born infected with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS; now, that number has been reduced to a bit more than 200 a year, according to health officials. 1 NEW YORK/REGION 29-34 Conflict Delays Execution The lawyer who delayed the execution of Michael Bruce Ross, the convicted serial killer who was scheduled to be the first person put to death in Connecticut in 45 years, acted hours after a conference call in which a federal judge criticized his handling of the case. 33 Neediest Cases 34 OBITUARIES 35-36 Consuelo Velázquez A songwriter whose 1941 Latin hit ''Bésame Mucho,'' took on a life of its own worldwide, she was believed to have been 88. 36 Patsy Rowlands A British actress who regularly appeared in the ''Carry On''comedy films, she was 71. 35 Chess 34 Weather 24
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World Business Briefing | Europe: Britain: Harrods Executives Leave
Date: 29 January 2005
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Harrods, London department store, says chief executive Richad Simonin and its strategy director, Eric Decouvelaere, left company after 18 months in their positions (S)
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NEWS SUMMARY
Date: 29 January 2005
INTERNATIONAL A2-13 A Shiite Cleric's Silence Signals Quiet Iraqi Polls Less than 48 hours before nationwide elections, Nasir Al Saedy, one of Baghdad's most popular Shiite clerics, stood before a crowd of 20,000 Iraqis and uttered not a single word about the vote. Mr. Saedy's silence possibly foreshadowed a day of low voter turnout in many parts of Iraq. A1 Fear of election violence is so profound that candidates have relied on a stealth campaign and many are afraid to make their names public, much less go on the stump. Iraqi officials have yet to announce the locations of polling places, and a government ban on motor traffic imposed for the election will force voters to walk to the centers. A12 Israel Reduces Military Action In Israel's most significant response yet to new Palestinian policies against violence, Israel ordered its army to stop offensive operations in the Gaza Strip and scale them back sharply in the West Bank. A1 China Open to Tiawan Talks China offered to restart diplomatic talks with Taiwan, an overture that came on the eve of the first direct flights between the island and the mainland since the Communist Party took power in 1949. A2 Bolivia's Path to Independence Leaders of the affluent western state of Santa Cruz, which functions as Bolivia's economic engine, claimed an important victory in their fight for regional autonomy, naming a provisional assembly to prepare the legal framework for independence. A3 Discord Over Iran Strategy Conflicting pronouncements by President Bush and his national security team have left Iran frustrated and angry about the direction of American policy and the Europeans more determined than ever to push Washington to embrace their engagement strategy. A3 U.S. Lobbies U.N. on Darfur In a fresh strain on relations between the United States and the United Nations, the Bush administration is vigorously lobbying the Security Council against assigning the judgment of atrocities in Sudan's conflicted Darfur region to the International Criminal Court. A8 NATIONAL A14-17; 20 Nominee Advised C.I.A. On Interrogation Methods Michael Chertoff, who has been picked by President Bush to be the homeland security secretary, advised the Central Intelligence Agency on the legality of coercive interrogation methods on terror suspects under the federal antitorture statute, current and former administration officials said. A1 Iraqis Abroad Savor Vote Thousands of Iraqi expatriates across the United States and 13 other countries opened three days of voting to help choose a 275-member national assembly in Iraq's first democratic election in half a century. A1 Abuse Accuser's Legal Moves A day after he says he recovered memories of being abused by a priest, a 27-year-old man talked to a lawyer about pursuing a suit against the Roman Catholic Church, according to testimony and documents in the criminal trial of the now-defrocked priest. A14 Smuggling Plea Change Denied A federal judge refused to allow a woman who had confessed to leading the nation's worst smuggling debacle to withdraw her guilty plea, despite defense efforts to raise the possibility that the government turned a blind eye to the smuggling. A14 Bush's Social Security Tour The White House said that President Bush would begin traveling next week to build support for his plan to overhaul Social Security, and his itinerary suggested that he was intent on pressuring a few Democratic senators to back his approach. A16 U.S. Paid a Third Columnist The Bush administration acknowledged paying a third columnist to promote its policies, and at least two departments said they were investigating if other journalists were under government contract. A17 SCIENCE/HEALTH Research Fails to Support Bush While President Bush has suggested that children are worse off being raised by gay or lesbian couples than by heterosexual parents, experts say there is no scientific evidence to support that conclusion. A16 NEW YORK/REGION B1-6 State to Certify Students Who Are Ready for Work New York is expected to become the first state in the nation to issue a ''work readiness'' credential to high school students who pass a voluntary test measuring their ability to succeed in entry-level jobs, state officials said. A1 Father Charged in Murder The son of a former police chief in Highland Falls, N.Y. has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his 7 year-old daughter, who was found with multiple stab wounds in the bathroom of the Roman Catholic school she attended. B1 Actress Confronted Killer Nicole duFresne, an actress and playwright who was shot and killed on the Lower East Side, confronted one of the attackers in defense of her boyfriend moments before her death, according to a friend. B1 Housing Boom in the City The city approved the construction of 25,208 housing units in New York City in 2004, more than in any year since 1972, according to newly released census figures. B1 Beliefs B6 Neediest Cases B4 OBITUARIES B7 ARTS B9-24 SPORTSSATURDAY D1-6 Serena Williams Wins Serena Williams, who had not won a grand slam crown since Wimbledon in 2003, fought back from a set down to defeat world number one Lindsay Davenport, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, in an all-American final of the Austrialian Open. D1 Lleyton Hewitt defeated American Andy Roddick, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, in the Australian Open semifinals and will now face the Russian Marat Safin, the No. 4 seed who took on overwhelming favorite Roger Federer in his semifinal on Thursday night. D1 BUSINESS DAY C1-11 Lockheed Team Wins Contract After a contest that had pitted domestic pride against global politics, the Pentagon chose an international team, headed by Lockheed Martin, to build the next fleet of Presidential helicopters over Sikorsky Aircraft, which had positioned itself as the ''All-American'' choice. C1 Kaiser Bans Pfizer Drug Kaiser Permanente, a managed-care organization, has ordered its pharmacies to stop dispensing Bextra, an arthritis and pain drug made by Pfizer that some tests have indicated may increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. C1 Deal Almost Didn't Happen Procter & Gamble and Gillette almost walked away from the $57 billion deal that could give them a lock on the average American household's laundry room, medicine cabinet and cosmetic drawer. The two sides reached an impasse on several issues, including the exchange ratio for the deal's stock swap. C1 Economy Slowed in 4th Quarter The American economy slowed to an annual rate of 3.1 percent in the final three months of 2004, the Commerce Department reported. C1 Business Digest C1 EDITORIAL A18-19 Editorials: Editorials: Iraq's election gamble; the vaccine balance; Verlyn Klinkenborg on rereading the landscape of an essay by Joan Didion. Columns: David Brooks, Nicholas D. Kristof. Bridge B16 Crossword B20 TV Listings B24 Weather C12
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EARNINGS CLIMB 3% AT HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL
Date: 29 January 2005
By Dow Jones; Ap
Dow Jones
Honeywell International posts 3 percent increase in fourth-quarter profit, to $419 million (S)
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VERIZON TV SERVICE TO USE MICROSOFT PRODUCT
Date: 29 January 2005
By Ken Belson (NYT)
Ken NYT
Verizon Communications says it will use program guide designed by Microsoft in television service it expects to introduce in second half of this year (S)
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