world

House OKs accounting oversight bill

By Alyson Brodsy and Marcy Gordon · Wednesday, April 24,2002 11:39 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- The House on Wednesday adopted Enron-inspired legislation to tighten oversight of the accounting industry and toughen corporate disclosure rules. The vote was 334-90, with some Democrats accusing House Republican leaders of bowing to financial interests by passing a weak bill.

Bethlehem standoff talks wear on

By Alyson Brodsy and Ibrahim Hazboun · Wednesday, April 24,2002 11:39 p.m.

BETHLEHEM, West Bank -- Two Palestinians inside the Church of the Nativity compound were shot Wednesday and one of them died as Israeli and Palestinian negotiators gathered next door for a second round of talks to end the standoff at one of Christianity's holiest sites.

Pope speaks out against sexual abuse: a sin and a crime

By Victor L. Simpson · Wednesday, April 24,2002 2:07 a.m.

VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II told American church leaders Tuesday that there was no place in the priesthood "for those who would harm the young," saying sex abuse by priests in the United States was both a sin and a crime. The cardinal of Los Angeles said the pontiff had taken a strong step in favor of "zero-tolerance" for abusive priests. But he and other Americans at the meeting said there was no discussion of the possible resignation of Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law, accused of mishandling sex abuse cases.

Train collision kills 2

By Leom Drouin Keith · Tuesday, April 23,2002 11:59 p.m.

PLACENTIA, Calif. -- A mile-long freight train plowed head-on into a commuter train during rush hour Tuesday, killing two people and injuring at least 260 people, officials said.

Protesting for peace

By Alyson Brodsy and Allison Ezell · Tuesday, April 23,2002 2:04 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Rallying for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, racial discrimination and corporate globalization, tens of thousands of people from across the United States and abroad converged in Washington, D.C., last Saturday for one common goal: Peace. Police estimate about 75,000 marchers. Organizers put the number at more than 100,000.

Gates: Anti-trust will cripple Windows OS

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, April 23,2002 2:04 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- For the first time in Microsoft's four-year antitrust battle, Bill Gates took the witness stand yesterday and personally chastised states for seeking penalties he said would cripple the American software giant. With a mix of computer slide shows and short, calm answers, Gates sought to rebut the arguments of nine states that have asked a court to further punish Microsoft for operating an illegal monopoly that hurt competitors and consumers.

Scandals prompt meeting

By Victor L. Simpson · Tuesday, April 23,2002 12:44 a.m.

VATICAN CITY -- Even before formal talks begin Tuesday, American prelates are already at odds on how to deal with the sex abuse scandal. A main source of division appears to be the question of whether Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law should resign.

Controversial politican making waves in France

By Alyson Brodsy and Elaine Ganley · Monday, April 22,2002 1:06 a.m.

PARIS -- Extreme-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, bombastic, fiery and theatrical, has been a fixture on the political scene for decades, playing on fears of immigration and vowing to keep France French.

Cardinal addresses crisis

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, April 22,2002 1:02 a.m.

BOSTON -- The Vatican needs to understand that the clergy sexual abuse scandal in America is "a very serious issue undermining the mission of the church," Cardinal Bernard Law told parishioners Sunday as he and the nation's other cardinals prepared for a rare meeting this week at the Vatican.

Andersen not prepared to talk

By Alyson Brodsy and Ted Bridis · Friday, April 19,2002 1:11 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Arthur Andersen LLP abruptly broke off talks Thursday with the Justice Department on settling criminal obstruction charges related to the destruction of documents in the financial collapse of Enron Corp. The lawyer for the Andersen accounting firm notified government lawyers that the company was not in position to make a decision on any criminal settlement, a Justice official said.

U.S bomb falls on Canadians

By Ken Guggenhiem · Thursday, April 18,2002 2:41 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- An American fighter jet mistakenly dropped at least one laser-guided bomb on Canadian forces in Afghanistan during a live-fire training exercise Wednesday. Canadian officials said four soldiers were killed and eight were injured.

Powell returns without peace

By Barry Schweid · Thursday, April 18,2002 1 a.m.

JERUSALEM -- Secretary of State Colin Powell failed to get the cease-fire he sought as he ended his 10-day peace mission Wednesday, leaving Israel and the Palestinians mired in violence and recrimination.

Cease-fire talks still underway

By Barry Schweid · Wednesday, April 17,2002 1:17 a.m.

JERUSALEM -- Secretary of State Colin Powell is trying to expand Israel's withdrawal on the West Bank and persuade Yasser Arafat to commit to some version of a cease-fire -- limited results as he concludes a mission aimed at halting 18 months of escalating violence.

Child porn law overturned

By Alyson Brodsy and Anne Gearan · Wednesday, April 17,2002 1:14 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The government went too far in trying to ban computer simulations and other fool-the-eye depictions of teen-agers or children having sex, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. Youthful sexuality is an old theme in art, from Shakespeare to Academy Award-winning movies, the court found in striking down key provisions of a 1996 child pornography law on free speech grounds.

Sharon: Troops will withdraw soon

By Alyson Brodsy and Susan Sevareid · Tuesday, April 16,2002 1:40 a.m.

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Monday that troops will be out of all West Bank cities except Ramallah and Bethlehem within a week. "Altogether, we are on our way out," Sharon said in an interview with CNN. Israel, he said, has no intention to stay in "cities of terror."

Pope summons U.S. cardinals following sex scandals

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, April 16,2002 12:27 a.m.

ROME -- Pope John Paul II has summoned American cardinals to the Vatican for an extraordinary meeting to talk about sex abuse scandals in the U.S. church. The talks will take place early next week, a senior Vatican official said Monday. The official said the cardinals would meet with some Vatican officials as well as the pope.

Florida Democrats' hearts with Gore

By Alyson Brodsy and Will Lester · Monday, April 15,2002 12:04 a.m.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Florida Democrats' hearts were with Al Gore this weekend, but many delegates said they're keeping an open mind about their preferences for the 2004 presidential race.

Powell in Israel to meet Sharon

By Alyson Brodsy and Barry Schweid · Friday, April 12,2002 1:57 a.m.

JERUSALEM -- Secretary of State Colin Powell challenged Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's limited withdrawal of troops from Palestinian areas Thursday, saying President Bush "wants to see more progress." On his way here, Powell said the pace of the Israeli pullback from West Bank cities and villages would be part of a "very long conversation" he would have with Sharon Friday. Powell talked with the Israeli prime minister by telephone Thursday.

Serbian shoots himself

By Alyson Brodsy and Dusan Stojanovic · Friday, April 12,2002 1:12 a.m.

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia -- A former Serbian police chief indicted for war crimes shot himself in the head outside Yugoslavia's parliament Thursday, hours after the legislature adopted a law that allows arrests and extraditions to the U.N. tribunal.

Sharon will continue activity

By Alyson Brodsy and Susan Sevareid · Friday, April 12,2002 1:11 a.m.

JERUSALEM -- Israel pulled out of two dozen small West Bank towns and villages Thursday but swept into others and rounded up more Palestinian men despite U.S. calls and international pressure to end the 2-week-old campaign to root out militants.