WESTPOINT WINS APPROVAL TO AUCTION ASSETS
Date: 23 April 2005
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
WestPoint Stevens wins approval from bankruptcy court to auction its assets in June to raise funds for creditors owed $2 billion; financier Wilbur Ross and group of creditors and another investor Carl Icahn have made offers to buy company (S)
Full Article
SPIEGEL TO GET LOAN TO EXIT BANKRUPTCY
Date: 23 April 2005
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Spiegel agrees to borrow $300 million from J P Morgan Chase, General Electric and Credit Suisse First Boston to pay creditors under plan to exit bankruptcy (S)
Full Article
METLIFE DROPS PLAN TO SELL STAKE IN REINSURER
Date: 23 April 2005
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
MetLife, raising more cash than expected in sale of two New York office buildings, drops plan to pay for part of its acquisition of Citigroup's Travelers Life and Annuity unit by selling its stake in Reinsurance Group of America (S)
Full Article
JOHNSON'S DEAL FOR GUIDANT FACES EUROPEAN SCRUTINY
Date: 23 April 2005
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
European Union regulators will undertake four-month review of Johnson & Johnson plan to purchase Guidant Corp (S)
Full Article
CONFLICTING ROLES PROMPT RESIGNATION FROM G.M. BOARD
Date: 23 April 2005
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
General Motors, following assessment required under antitrust law, says Alan Lafley, who is also director of General Electric and chief executive of Procter & Gamble, has resigned from GM board; Erskine Bowles is nominated to board (S)
Full Article
The Media and the Vatican: Opposing Goals
Date: 23 April 2005
By David Carr
David Carr
Analysis of difference between how Vatican expects media to cover tenure of Pope Benedict XVI and how media is likely to do so; Vatican, by virtue of doctrinal assumption, views Pope as infallible while media, for most part respectful of both institution and man, must discern and describe every public figure's weaknesses; photo (M)
Full Article
NEWS SUMMARY
Date: 24 April 2005
INTERNATIONAL 3-23 Journey to the Papacy For all Pope Benedict XVI's decades as a Vatican insider, it may have been the crucible of a university town swept by student radicalism in the late 1960's that definitively shaped the man who now rules the Roman Catholic Church. 1 The new pope introduced himself to the world's news media, and if he was concerned about hard-edged headlines that focused on his years as enforcer of the faith, he did not show it. 23 Plight of Tsunami Amputees Of the survivors of the tsunami in Indonesia, amputees face singular hardships. Indonesia has few facilities that produce artificial limbs. Those it has make old-fashioned, expensive prostheses that do not meet international standards, foreign specialists who have tried to help the tsunami amputees say. 3 Six Captured in Morning Raid Acting on a tip from an Iraqi, United States soldiers from Task Force Baghdad captured six men during a raid who are suspected of shooting down a civilian helicopter on Thursday and killing 11 people, according to military officials. 8 Report Seeks Abuse Action A human rights group issued a report calling for a special prosecutor to examine the conduct of Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and the former director of central intelligence, George J. Tenet, in issues related to the abuse of detainees. 14 China and Japan Try to Mend Rift After a 55-minute meeting on the sidelines of an Asia-Africa summit conference in Jakarta, the leaders of Japan and China pledged to improve ties after weeks of escalating disputes, but did not appear closer to resolving the critical problems besetting relations between East Asia's two big powers. 20 NATIONAL 24-35 New Medicare Policy A new federal policy will make it significantly more difficult for Medicare beneficiaries to get hearings in person before a judge when the government denies their claims for home care, nursing home services, prescription drugs and other treatments. 1 No Surge in Assault Weapons Despite predictions that the streets would be awash in military-style guns, the expiration of the assault weapons ban has not brought a sustained surge in the weapons' sales, gun makers and sellers say. 1 The Burden of the Acela Despite lofty goals, Amtrak's Acela fast rail system has failed to be the financial savior once predicted, and instead has become a frustrating burden. 1 Microsoft Defends Message The chief executive of Microsoft sent an e-mail to its employees to defend the company's decision not to support an antidiscrimination bill for gay people in Washington State. Company officials had been inundated by internal messages from angry employees, attacks on the Web and criticism from gay rights groups. 35 OBITUARIES 45-46 Robert R. Granville An F.B.I. agent in New York who headed the team that arrested Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, he was 89. 46 NEW YORK/REGION 37-45 Asking if Dad is a Killer The arrest of a Brooklyn man, Roscoe Glinton II, in the death of his former girlfriend has revived suspicions over the mysterious death of his first wife. 37 Chess 44 Weather 47 Cong. Vote 41
Full Article
World Business Briefing | Europe: France: Slow Sales At L'Oréal
Date: 23 April 2005
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
L'Oreal posts rise in first-quarter sales to 3.54 billion euros ($4.6 billion) (S)
Full Article
World Business Briefing | Europe: France: Financier Nominates Havas Slate
Date: 23 April 2005
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
French financier Vincent Bollore nominates Marc Bebon, Cedric de Bailliencourt, Therry Marraud and himself to board of Havas; calls for replacement of chief executive Alain de Pouzilhac; photo (S)
Full Article
Defibrillators Recalled
Date: 23 April 2005
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Medtronic voluntarily recalls 396 LifePak 500 external defibrillators, manufactured in 1997, used to shock heart to restore normal rhythm; plans to update or upgrade recalled devices by May 31 (S)
Full Article