3/5 International Herald Tribune - World News, Analysis, and Global Opinions

India rejects deal to halt Gandhi auction March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am The owner of Mohandas Gandhi's eyeglasses and other items had offered them to India in return for a commitment to fighting poverty and promoting peace. Iran is on Clinton's agenda, if not on her itinerary March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am Hillary Rodham Clinton is not stopping in Tehran on her first swing through the Middle East and Europe as U.S. secretary of state. But Iran is clearly on her mind. U.S. shows signs of opening toward Havana March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am A congressional spending bill has become a platform for debate about U.S. policy toward Cuba. Horton Foote, great American storyteller, dies at 92 March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am Horton Foote, whose screenplays included "Tender Mercies" and "The Trip to Bountiful," won a Pulitzer and two Oscars for his wistful chronicles of 20th-century America. Keeping politics in the family is hurting Japan March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am A tradition of political dynasties is holding Japan back at a time when it needs to be planning for the future. Stocks falter in Europe March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am Prices slipped Thursday in Europe after a mixed session in Asia, as investors awaited decisions on interest rates later in the day from the European Central Bank and Bank of England. Wine is seen as guarding against esophageal cancer March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am Scientists have been trying to understand what may protect against conditions leading to esophageal cancer, and have identified an unlikely agent: wine. Airstrikes in Gaza kill 4 militants March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am Israeli airstrikes killed at least four Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza late Wednesday and early Thursday, and Palestinians fired three more rockets at southern Israel. For a Karzai sibling, an Afghan business empire March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am Mahmoud Karzai's swift rise has stirred suspicion among Afghans, who resent his brother's seeming tolerance for unsavory activities. 50 years after revolt, clampdown on Tibetans March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am Chinese authorities have imposed unofficial martial law in areas where ethnic Tibetans live, with troops occupying areas they fear could erupt. Sudan leader defies arrest order on war crimes charges March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am Jabbing the air with a walking stick and flanked by aides and bodyguards, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir called the court's decision a conspiracy designed to recolonize his country. Bank of England cuts rates and sets out on a new policy path March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am The central bank on Thursday pushed its benchmark interest rate down by half a percentage point and announced new steps to create money and pump it into the economy by buying assets. China outlines ambitious plan for stimulus March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am Premier Wen Jiabao did not explicitly announce any new stimulus spending beyond what was committed in November. U.S. sets big incentives to head off foreclosures March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am The Obama administration began the most ambitious effort since the 1930s to help troubled homeowners, offering lenders and borrowers big incentives and subsidies. Car bomb at market kills 14 south of Baghdad March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am A bomb in a parked car exploded in a livestock market in a Shiite area of Babil Province, killing at least 14 people and injuring 38, according to police and health officials. Abruptly, expatriate bankers are cut loose March 5, 2009 at 6:14 am The salaries and bonuses were great, the lifestyle grand. The party's over, and expats are joining the ranks of the jobless. Asian stocks extend gains, pinning hopes on China March 4, 2009 at 10:19 pm Asian stocks rose on Thursday after Premier Wen Jiabao said China will achieve 8 percent growth this year, a level considered key to maintain employment growth in the country, For some borrowers in U.S., trouble but no relief March 4, 2009 at 9:46 pm President Barack Obama's housing rescue plan does little for borrowers who have had significant jolts to their income, or who owe more than their home's value on loans that exceed $729,750. U.S. House to try again to let judges alter mortgages March 4, 2009 at 8:28 pm The measure would allow bankruptcy judges to change mortgage terms to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, granting new authority some lawmakers say is central to easing the housing crisis. Infighting in Ukraine behind raid on gas firm March 4, 2009 at 4:51 pm Armed national security agents raided the offices of Ukraine's state energy company Wednesday in what appeared to be an escalation of a power struggle between the country's president and prime minister. Please hold, the president is calling March 4, 2009 at 4:51 pm President Barack Obama may like his Blackberry, but he loves the telephone. In Spain, a tireless search for Franco's "lost children" March 4, 2009 at 4:51 pm Historians and associations that represent Franco's victims say hundreds of children were taken from Republican families and adopted or sent to religious schools and state-run homes. Fed sees more tough times ahead March 4, 2009 at 4:51 pm Unemployment rose across the United States as businesses laid off workers and imposed hiring freezes. Manufacturing fell, companies earned less, and credit remained tight. Global markets snap back with a blitz March 4, 2009 at 4:51 pm From Asia to Europe to Wall Street, indexes bounced back on signs that China will increase its stimulus spending beyond the $585 billion already proposed. As UBS saga continues, Swiss banking is shaken March 4, 2009 at 4:51 pm With UBS staggering beneath a tax scandal, the Swiss reputation for stability is threatened, and with it, and the industry that made Switzerland one of the world's wealthiest countries. Muslims seek to build future in Italy March 4, 2009 at 4:51 pm On one side of a drab street in working-class Milan, a squat structure houses a conservative mosque linked in the past to suspected Islamic terrorists. Brown urges U.S. leaders to 'seize the moment' March 4, 2009 at 4:51 pm Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged lawmakers to work closely with their European allies through the economic crisis. Iran a recurring theme in Clinton's Mideast trip March 4, 2009 at 4:51 pm Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was struck by the depth of fear about Iran, and the extent to which officials say it meddles in their affairs. <b>Breakingviews.com</b>: Outgoing UBS chairman leaves a solid foundation March 4, 2009 at 1:17 pm Peter Kurer was installed as chairman in anticipation of a legal onslaught against the bank. But the main battle now is focused on Swiss bank secrecy, a political issue. U.S. private sector bleeds jobs March 4, 2009 at 12:10 pm By Burton Frierson British pound is poised to decline gain March 4, 2009 at 12:09 pm As the British government prepares to unleash a flood of cash in a bid to restart the economy, the pound may stagger to lows against the dollar not seen for a quarter-century. Scandal threatens Japan's opposition March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am A scandal over campaign donations is threatening the Japanese opposition leader, Ichiro Ozawa, just as his party appears poised to unseat the long-governing Liberal Democratic Party. France and Germany at odds on budget deficits at a crucial time March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am With the financial crisis showing no signs of bottoming out, the opportunity for Paris and Berlin to promote unity should have been ideal. Thomas L. Friedman: Obama's ball and chain March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am I fear that Obama's term could be eaten by Citigroup, AIG, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and the whole housing/subprime credit bubble. Maureen Dowd: This great stage of fools March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am This is the first pork-filled federal budget from a new president who promised to go through the budget "line by line" and cut pork. Roger Cohen: One France is enough March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am Obama must be careful not to dampen America's spirit through recourse to the state. Tracing Darwin's impact on visual arts March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am The exhibition "Endless Forms: Charles Darwin, Natural Science and the Visual Arts" at the Yale center shows how art has been influenced by Darwin's theories. A home on the Internet shelters Beijing's homeless March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am A Beijing blogger has come to the aid of the homeless in a neighborhood south of Tiananmen Square, by raising awareness of their plight. Ben Jilian, pictured, lives in a shelter for transients. A sign of hope for China's economy March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am A closely watched index of manufacturing activity in China edged up in February, an early sign that the economy may have seen the worst of the downturn. Security service raids Ukraine's state energy company Naftogaz March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am <p>Armed men burst into the headquarters of Ukraine's state energy firm Naftogaz on Wednesday in what the SBU security service said was part of a criminal inquiry.</p> After overture to Syria, Clinton meets West Bank leaders March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am At a news conference with President Mahmoud Abbas, Clinton called his administration "the partner on the road to a comprehensive peace which includes a two-state solution." For U.S. debt collectors, the dead are a healthy bet March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am In the U.S., next of kin often have no legal obligation to assume the debt of the deceased, but they often respond to the gentle touch of a growing breed of debt collectors. A promising sign in Congo's blood-stained jungles March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am If the endangered mountain gorillas are any sign, things may finally be looking up, as Congo and Rwanda team up to battle rebels who have destroyed both human and animal lives. Pakistani police make arrests in attack on cricket team March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am A police official said that about 20 people had been arrested in the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers. Many have denounced the "total security lapse" in which eight people were killed. For Swiss banks, an uncomfortable spotlight March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am A wealth haven in the Alps is confronting attention from investigators and a potential threat to a critical industry. Trade finance shrivels, pushing downturn deeper March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am Skittish banks are pulling back on financing for international commerce, contributing to the first fall in global trade in decades on top of the drop in demand. U.S. job losses show breadth of a recession March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am Every U.S. state, with the exception of a band stretching from the Dakotas down to Texas, is shedding jobs at a rapid pace. International Criminal Court Arrest issues warrant for Sudan president March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am Judges charged President Omar Hassan al-Bashir with war crimes and crimes against humanity for a concerted government campaign against civilians. Optimism on China lifts European stocks March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am European and Asian stocks advanced Wednesday and U.S. futures rose on speculation that China would broaden efforts to lift growth. Karzai decree to hold election early is rejected March 4, 2009 at 10:58 am Afghanistan's elections commission insisted that the presidential election should be held in August, but the Afghan Constitution says that President Hamid Karzai must step down on May 21, with elections 30 to 60 days before then.