Iran Plans Defense of Nuclear Program
Washington Post - 3 hours ago By Dafna Linzer. Iran is planning to mount a staunch defense of its nuclear energy program at an international conference beginning today and will insist on rights to the same technology afforded to all members

Cos. negotiate $5B deal for Neiman Marcus
BusinessWeek - 1 hour ago MAY. 1 11:57 PM ET Texas Pacific Group and Warburg Pincus are negotiating to purchase the Neiman Marcus Group Inc., which includes a chain of 37 luxury department stores, for about $5 billion, according to published reports.

New threat to Egypt's peace
Newsday - 1 hour ago BY MOHAMAD BAZZI. BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Two attacks against tourists in Cairo on Saturday prompted fears of a renewed wave of violence by Islamic militants similar to a bloody campaign in the 1990s, which nearly

Iraq Mayhem as Australia Refuses Hostage Negotiations
Scotsman - 1 hour ago A car bomb obliterated a tent packed with mourners at the funeral of a Kurdish official in northern Iraq yesterday, killing 25 people and wounding more than 50. It is the single deadliest attack since insurgents

Charges not ruled out for US runaway bride
China Daily - 2 hours ago A suburban Atlanta prosecutor said Sunday he would be less likely to bring charges against runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks if authorities determine she left spontaneously rather than planning her disappearance.

Iraq hostage's family 'extremely concerned'
ABC Online - 34 minutes ago The brother of an Australian man being held hostage in Iraq says the family is extremely concerned about his situation but trusts the Government will do all that is reasonably in its power to help. Douglas

Buffett Says Chastened Insurers Are Making Changes
New York Times - 2 hours ago By TIMOTHY L. O'BRIEN. OMAHA, May 1 - Warren E. Buffett, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said here Sunday that insurers had been "sensitized" by disclosures of unseemly practices and financial manipulation

Ashcroft forms security firm in Washington
Reuters - 45 minutes ago WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former US Attorney General John Ashcroft, a chief architect of the Bush administration's anti-terrorism policies, is going into the security business. Ashcroft is starting a company

South Korea, Japan Play Down Missile Testing by North
Reuters - 2 hours ago By Jack Kim and Masayuki Kitano. SEOUL/TOKYO (Reuters) - A suspected North Korean missile test at the weekend does not appear to pose a threat to regional security but would strain efforts to restart talks

A Tonic for Bush's Ailing Second Term
BusinessWeek - 2 hours ago One hundred and one days into his second term, President George W. Bush is near the low point of his four-and-a-half-year Presidency. His party is struggling mightily, too. Despite an aggressive marketing campaign, public support for the President's No.