December 20, 2001

Dr Michael C Iott, Manhattan dentist, discusses his passion for decorating, especially wallpapering; photos of office and home (M)

Comment on minor, or obscure, college football bowl games; quiz on which corporations sponsor which of traditional bowl bowl games; photo (L)

Star TV unit of News Corp is granted rights for new Chinese-language entertainment channel in small area of Guangdong Province (S)

There is some speculation that Barrick Gold of Canada may enter fray with Newmont Mining of Denver and South Africa's AngloGold as they battle for control of Australia's largest gold producer, Normandy Mining; Barrick has highest market and strongest balance sheet of any gold producer in world has just completed $2.3 billion acquisition of Homestake Mining Co of Walnut Creek, Calif, which made it world's second-largest producer, after AngloGold and just ahead of Newmont; photo of Randall Olphant, president of Barrick; photo of goldminers at work (M)

Gen Tommy R Franks, commander of American forces in Afghanistan, proposes that US marines or Army troops be deployed to comb wild terrain of Tora Bora to determine fate of Osama bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders; his proposal stems from recognition that Afghan allies may not have ability or will to establish control over Tora Bora; American military officials say final decision might come in several days, and first troops could arrive soon after; dispatching troops could entail political complications; unlike in northern Afghanistan, this conservative Pashtun region of country is suspicous of Americans, and senior Northern Alliance commanders routinely refuse to acknowledge help they receive from American Special Forces; Defense Sec Donald H Rumsfeld makes no reference to Franks's proposal, but indicates he has assurance from Hamid Karzai, Afghan leader, that American military could continue to operate in Afghanistan until 'pockets of resistance' are eliminated; photos; map (M)