October 17, 2001

Efforts of doctors to deal with public scare over anthrax discussed; they must diagnose disease they have only read about in textbooks, become public health officials and epidemiologists virtually overnight, reassure anxious patients and prescribe or deny antibiotics to clamoring public; comments by Drs Steven C Garner, Irwin Redlener and colleagues noted; photos (M)

Security experts and insurance analysts in London acknowledge lessons they have learned and defense they have developed for dealing with specific risk posed by extremists from Northern Ireland may be of little use against threat posed by radical Muslims; Paul Eskriett, security adviser to Corporation of London, which provides local government services to financial district, says IRA terrorists do not want to die for cause but that does not seem to trouble Islamic terrorists; recent concentration of much of London's financial district in high-rises at Canary Wharf has raised fresh concerns about security; photo (M)

Eleanor Ann McDonald, who bred a fabulously and famously cute marshmallow of a dog -- a bichon frisé judged best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this year -- died Oct. 11 in Port Chester in Westchester County, N.Y. She was 66. The cause was a stroke, her nephew Brian McDonald said. He said she had lived in the same house in Scarsdale her entire life.

Bush administration, in response to flood of call for bailouts from industries hurt directly or indirectly by terrorist attacks, from restaurants to theme parks to steel makers, says it will not offer further bailouts; is in awkward position of having to explain why it violated its own principle by granting or offering assistance to two economically important and politically powerful industries, airlines and insurers, in weeks after attacks; Pres Bush has already disbursed $5 billion in cash assistance to airlines and is offering loan guarantees, totaling as much as $15 billion, to some carriers; Bush has also proposed plan to have government pay at least 80 percent of claims for damage from any future terrorist attacks in next year and to cap insurance industry's liability in subsequent years (M)

Indications are growing that World Trade Organization's conference in November, meant to start new round of global trade talks and formally accept China as member, will be relocated to Singapore from Doha, Qatar, because of fears about security in Middle East; trade officials appear to be holding off announcing move until Qatar government can take first step, by formally withdrawing its offer to play host to conference; Qatar's cabinet will meet in Doha on Oct 17; report by Kyodo news service, citing unnamed Japanese Foreign Ministry officials, says move to Sinagpore is certain; concerns have been raised repeatedly, but unofficially, by trade envoys since Sept 11 terror attacks (M)