December 31, 1994

The news release carried a startling announcement: the Microsoft Corporation had agreed to acquire the Roman Catholic Church in exchange for "an unspecified number of shares of Microsoft common stock." The release, distributed in the guise of an Associated Press news article to thousands of computers around the world, was a prank, its anonymous mastermind untraceable. But soon after Rush Limbaugh read it on his national television program, the company found itself fielding calls from outraged viewers.

A gunman dressed all in black stalked into two abortion clinics on the same street here this morning and started shooting, killing two receptionists and wounding five other people. "Is this the Preterm clinic?" the gunman asked calmly at the second abortion center, stunned witnesses said. Then he reached into a duffel bag, pulled out a rifle and opened fire.

Pilot Describes Korea Crash The pilot released by North Korea described how his co-pilot died, clearing the way to deal with political fallout from the episode. Page 3.

Responding to criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, the incoming House Speaker, Newt Gingrich of Georgia, today announced that he would forgo a $4.5 million book advance to avoid the appearance of cashing in on his party's victory in the November elections. Mr. Gingrich, who had earlier dismissed criticism of the advance for two books on conservative ideas as "silly," today defended the legality and ethics of the proposed contract. But he said he did not want to do anything that might detract from the historic Republican electoral gains and harm his party's ambitious legislative agenda.

Syria and Israel have held private, high-level peace negotiations under American sponsorship in Washington for the last six months in an effort to break their deadlock, senior American and Middle East officials said today. The face-to-face talks shifted to an even higher level last week, when the Army Chiefs of Staff of both countries met for the first time in publicly announced meetings in Washington, capped by a private 40-minute session at the White House with President Clinton.