Spiller av søndag 28. november 2004

Belgian and Italian Banks End Talks About Deal

Date: 29 November 2004

By Bloomberg News

Bloomberg News

Dexia, Belgian financial services company, drops merger talks with Sanpaolo IMI, Italian bank; says it will continue to seek partners (M)

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NEWS SUMMARY

Date: 29 November 2004

INTERNATIONAL A3-13 Iran Backs Off Demand For Uranium Enrichment Iran backed off a demand to operate uranium enrichment equipment that could be used either for energy purposes or in a nuclear bomb-making project. The Iranian retreat appeared to salvage a nuclear agreement between Iran and France, Britain and Germany to freeze all of Iran's uranium enrichment, conversion and reprocessing activities. A1 Scattered Violence in Iraq Four Iraqi civilians were killed by a car bomb in Samarra, and another was wounded. In raids in Mosul, troops detained 43 people suspected of being insurgents. Two marines were killed by a road side bomb in northern Babil Province, and in Baghdad, two soldiers were wounded when a car bomb exploded near their convoy. A10 Administration officials are standing firm in the face of a fresh round of demands from some respected Sunni leaders in Iraq that the elections be postponed. Administration officials say that they cannot guarantee that elections will occur on time, but that a decision on whether to delay them is unjustified at present. A8 Israel Withdrawal Settlement Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel and Mahmoud Abbas, the favorite to become the leader of the Palestinian Authority, said in separate interviews that they would be willing to meet and work on issues, including Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. A13 Taliban Attack on Aid Agency A large group of suspected Taliban fighters stormed the offices of an aid agency in southwestern Afghanistan, killing three Afghan workers and wounding three security guards. A Taliban spokesman said his group was behind the attack. A8 Ukraine Unity Under Threat Regional leaders supporting Prime Minister Viktor F. Yanukovich, the embattled president-elect of Ukraine, pushed back firmly against the opposition candidate's quest for the presidency, signaling an intention for the eastern section of the country to seek autonomy next month if the political impasse persists. A12 French Official Wins Party Post Nicolas Sarkozy, France's ambitious finance minister, became the president of France's leading political party. He was elected with more than 85 percent of the ballots cast by slightly more than half of the 120,000 party members. A4 170 Missing in China Mine Blast A gas explosion blasted through a coal mine in central China, leaving over 170 miners missing. The latest disaster comes on the eve of a Chinese government conference to address poor safety in coal mines. A6 Economic Fears in Asia Two of Southeast Asia's newest leaders called for faster economic integration at a summit meeting. The fear of being overcome by China has driven the previously somnolent group to make more vigorous moves toward economic integration. A6 NATIONAL A14-20 Behind the Veil Of Drug Research The academic institutions and researchers used to provide impartial testing of drugs and medical devices often to keep their unpublished findings confidential. In the wake of safety concerns about antidepressants and other drugs, the withholding of research is being criticized and scrutinized. A1 Dick Ebersol in Plane Crash A charter jet carrying Dick Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Universal Sports, and five other people crashed on takeoff from an airport in Montrose, Colo., killing the pilot and co-pilot, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Mr. Ebersol was taken to a hospital, but the extent of his injuries was not clear. A14 Chicago Raises Funds on eBay Lois Weisberg, commissioner of cultural affairs in Chicago, is facing a $220 million city budget deficit and cuts in civic arts financing. To address the situation, she is trying a new idea, holding what she said will be the first charitable eBay auction to be sponsored by an American city. A14 Whistle-Blowing Risk Pays Off After refusing to go along with his employer's phony bookkeeping, Jim Alderson told the government it was being cheated. When the government recovered $1.7 billion from Medicare fraud, Mr. Alderson was thanked with a share that was in the tens of millions of dollars. A17 Missing Pilot Found Alive Six days after his plane crashed in Alaska's wilderness, the pilot signaled rescuers with a radio transmission and a campfire. A19 EDUCATION U.S. Plans Student Database A federal government proposal to create a vast new database of enrollment records on all college and university students is raising concerns about eroding the privacy rights of students. The bid arises from efforts in Congress to extend school accountability to post-secondary education. A19 SCIENCE/HEALTH Controversy Over Caesareans Women around the country are finding hospitals that once allowed vaginal birth after Caesarean section are now insisting on repeat Caesareans. Hospitals that have prohibited the practice say it is riskier than once thought. Many women are willing to take the risk, and the hospitals' stance has become part of a battle over who controls childbirth. A1 NEW YORK/REGION B1-5 Long Island Roiled Over Illegal Immigrants As a new wave of Hispanic immigrants sweeps Long Island, residents say the issue of illegal immigration is rapidly gathering political force in the island's historically white suburban hamlets. And as the complaints grow, politicians are responding with crackdowns and new laws. A1 $448 Million Lake Cleanup New York State regulators will require Honeywell International to conduct a $448 million cleanup of Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, one of the nation's most polluted bodies of water, according to people who have seen the plan, to be announced today. B1 Oil Spill's Toll on Wildlife Federal officials said hundreds of birds, turtles and fish were thought to have died from the effects of the 30,000 gallons of crude oil that leaked into the Delaware River from an oil tanker near Paulsboro, N.J. The spill was the largest in a decade. B4 Speaker Strengthens Image Gifford Miller, the New York City Council speaker, who plans to run for mayor in 2005, has emerged as a more aggressive force after six months on the job, particularly in pushing through a series of bills that have angered the Bloomberg administration. B1 Neediest Cases B5 SPORTSMONDAY D1-9 Russia Wins First Fed Cup Title Russia won its first Fed Cup title by edging the defending champion, France, 3-2, when Anastasia Myskina and Vera Zvonareva beat Marion Bartoli and Emilie Loit in the deciding doubles match, 7-6 (5), 7-5. D2 Mets Court Pedro Martinez Pedro Martinez of the Boston Red Sox is being pursued by the New York Mets, and indications are that he will soon receive a contract offer from the Mets that is competitive with the one he has received from Boston. D1 ARTS E1-10 Ad Humor Stirs Trouble A classified advertisement reading ''No Artists or Canadians'' set off a gentrification dispute in a small Catskills town, pitting art against commerce and offending many longtime residents. E1 Diplomacy Comes to Reality TV Israel's newest reality television show features 14 young Israelis competing to win a job spreading a pro-Israel message around the globe. E1 OBITUARIES B6 Murray Schumach An award-winning journalist who harvested rich stories from New York's neighborhoods in 48 years at The New York Times, he was 91. A23 BUSINESS DAY C1-10 Year-End Bonus Increase Year-end bonuses that typically make up the majority of compensation for professional employees on Wall Street are expected to rise 10 percent to 15 percent over last year, Wall Street executives and compensation experts say. C1 Flat-Panel Prices May Fall Liquid crystal display flat-panel televisions are entering the market as a result of a boom in new production factories. Several manufacturers and analysts predict that the prices for L.C.D.'s may drop by as much as 30 percent by the end of 2005; prices of plasma flat-panel TV's are also expected to fall significantly. C1 Internet System From Above TowerStream, an ariel system that delivers broadband Internet connections through fixed antennas, will challenge phone companies for high-speed Internet business customers by delivering fast, cheap service without digging up streets to install cables. C1 Business Digest C1 World Business W1 EDITORIAL A20-21 Editorials: Preserving the power of Congress; NASA's budgetary gift horse; Verlyn Klinkenborg on the road atlas of memory. Columns: William Safire. Autos D9 TV Listings E9 Bridge E4 Weather D10 Crossword E4

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NEWS SUMMARY

Date: 28 November 2004

INTERNATIONAL 3-35 Ukraine's Election Disputed Ukraine's Parliament voted to declare last week's presidential run-off invalid, but failed to set a date for a new election. Parliament does not have the authority to overturn the results, but the vote signaled the swelling dissatisfaction over an election marred by accusations of fraud. 1 Shiites Want January Election Despite calls for a delay in elections scheduled for Jan. 30, Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric is opposed to the idea, Shiite leaders said, and the main Shiite political parties took the same view. The top American civilian official in Iraq, John Negroponte, also lent his support for the January elections. 1 Assassination Plan in Columbia Marxist rebels had planned to assassinate President Bush last Monday during his stopover in Colombia to meet President Álvaro Uribe, the Colombian defense minister said, without offering details or proof. 26 Standoff on Iranian Research Iran's foreign minister, Kamal Kharrazi, said the country had every right to keep, for research purposes, some centrifuges that can be used to enrich uranium -- an indication that a standoff on Iran's nuclear program will not be easily resolved. Iran agreed in talks in Paris on Nov. 15 to freeze all its nuclear activities. 14 Pakistan Qaeda Hunt Slowing Pakistan has withdrawn soldiers from the streets of Wana, the main town in a tribal area near the Afghan border, after months of offensives against militants who are suspected of having ties to Al Qaeda. Soldiers are still hunting insurgents in the rest of the tense region. 23 Revamping the United Nations A panel of international figures commissioned by the United Nations Secretary General will publish its recommendations on how to update the Security Council to face such 21st-century challenges as terrorism, nuclear proliferation, poverty, environmental decay and genocide. 26 NATIONAL 37-44 More Borrowing Expected The White House and Republicans in Congress are all but certain to embrace large-scale government borrowing to help finance President Bush's plan to create personal investment accounts in Social Security, according to administration officials, members of Congress and independent analysts. 1 Cultures Clash Among Hunters Many whites from Wisconsin and Asians from St. Paul share a love of hunting. During the traditional November deer season they have often met and sometimes clashed, and some there say they fear those tensions will now only grow after a Hmong man was accused of shooting and killing six hunters. 1 Pinning Hopes on Alpacas The fascination with alpacas, wooly, long-necked cousins of the llama, is gaining momentum. What started as a tiny niche in the world of the domestic livestock market, with a few hundred alpacas imported into this country from South America in the mid-1980's, has grown rapidly in the last several years. 1 Drug Case Before Court The Supreme Court will hear a case that will determine whether patients in 11 states can continue to use marijuana for medical purposes. At issue is whether Congress has the constitutional authority to enforce federal laws in states that allow the use of federally banned drugs. 40 OBITUARIES 56 SCIENCE/HEALTH Churches Try to Prevent Flu The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vt., is encouraging priests to refrain from using the communion chalice and urging parishioners to avoid the usual handshake, hug or kiss when they make the sign of peace during Mass until the end of flu season, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said. Other dioceses are taking precautionary measures, a conference spokesman said. 37 NEW YORK/REGION 47-54 A Struggle Between Traditions Afghan women in New York struggle to blend new freedoms and ancient traditions, dealing with issues like hip-hugging pants and arranged marriages, adding a new chapter to an old immigrant story. 47 Word of New Dean at CUNY Matthew Goldstein, the Chancellor of the City University of New York, will recommend Stephen B. Shepard, editor-in-chief of Business Week, as dean of CUNY's new graduate journalism school, according to a journalist involved in the search process who has talked to Mr. Shepard about the appointment. 49 Neediest Cases 54 Chess 54 Weather 57

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Where Have All the Chief Financial Officers Gone?

Date: 28 November 2004

By Claudia H. Deutsch

Claudia Deutsch

Push for better ethics and transparent accounting in corporate America, including drive to pass Sarbanes-Oxley law in 2002, has had unexpected side effect: more chief financial officers are leaving field to pursue other types of work; those remaining complain about increased pressure; many of them blame regulatory rules and staff cuts for their newly dismal work lives; they say they are more upset by their superiors' reactions to new rules than by rules themselves; say chief executives are demanding ever more information for planning and budgeting and are asking them to review their strategic decisions at ever-earlier stages; few chief financial officers are comfortable discussing their discomfiture in public; photo (M)

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Start-Up Television Venture Is Aiming Its Programming at American Muslims

Date: 29 November 2004

By Laurie Goodstein

Laurie Goodstein

Bridges TV, new television network, will offer English-language programming aimed at American Muslims; president and chief executive Muzzammil Hassan sees market among viewers looking for wholesome programs with Muslim themes; programming is intended to appeal to all generations of Muslims in United States and Canada; photo (M)

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Nov. 21-27

Date: 28 November 2004

By Scott Shane

Scott Shane

The Vote Is In, The Verdict Is Not CROWDS jammed the snowy central squares of Kiev all week, singing, chanting and freezing for Ukrainian democracy. Their protest against a presidential vote that American and European observers called flagrantly fraudulent evoked a sense of déjà vu and offered a sobering reminder of the difficulty of building democracy where it has never existed. Between 1987 and 1991, such demonstrations took place in cities throughout the Soviet Bloc, as Russia shrugged off Communist Party rule and other republics asserted their independence. In the heady autumn of 1991, as a crowd pulled down the statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of the Soviet secret police, in front of KGB headquarters in Moscow, there seemed no turning back.

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Blood Is Thicker Than Gravy

Date: 28 November 2004

By Maureen Dowd

Maureen Dowd

Maureen Dowd Op-Ed column notes that her sister and brothers are conservative Republicans who support Pres Bush (M)

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Randy Lebowitz, Jason Roth

Date: 28 November 2004

Randy Lynn Lebowitz, a daughter of Sylvia and Alan Lebowitz of Livingston, N.J., was married yesterday to Jason Robert Roth, the son of Helen and Elliot Roth of Boca Raton, Fla., at Crystal Plaza, a catering hall in Livingston. Cantor Wayne S. Siet officiated. The bride, 31, is a freelance television producer in New York. Most recently she has produced episodes for ''The Fabulous Life'' series on VH1, the cable network in New York. The bride has also produced programs for CNN and ESPN. She graduated from the University of Michigan. Her father is a senior partner in Maloof, Lebowitz, Connahan & Oleske, a law firm specializing in civil and insurance defense litigation in New York and Chatham, N.J.

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Mine Blast in China Leaves Over 160 Missing

Date: 28 November 2004

By Chris Buckley

Chris Buckley

A gas explosion may be the country's worst coal-mine accident in recent years.

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Murray Schumach, Neighborhood Storyteller, Dies at 91

Date: 28 November 2004

By Francis X. Clines

Francis Clines

Murray Schumach, New York Times reporter for 48 years, dies at age 91; photo (M)

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