March 15, 2002

Four months after a young Minnesota man died from routine knee surgery, federal officials said they had turned up 25 more cases of serious bacterial infections in people who received similar operations in recent years. The officials, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said a single tissue-processing company was involved in 14 of the 26 cases, including the fatal one.

New York City's fiscal crisis forces Police Dept to reduce overtime spending in programs that Giuliani administration once described as essential to reducing crime; but Comr Raymond W Kelly says that even with cuts, force will be able to police city effectively; photo (M)

Russian government gives signs that it plans to extend limits on its oil exports; Deputy Prime Min Viktor Khristenko says government is setting export allotments for second quarter 'based on reductions of first quarter' that were adopted at OPEC's behest, though decision may be altered after Prime Min Mikhail Kasyanov meets next week with oil executives (S)

Fear and stress on both sides in Mideast is being felt even by household pets; Jerusalem veterinarian has taken to prescribing Valium for pet dogs so nervous from days and nights pierced by gunfire, explosions and sirens that they shake and will not eat; psychic shakiness of some pets is sign of how fear, and coping with it, has become stitched into daily life; in Ramallah, families sleep in basements, order their children not to go outside, and stretch out groceries to last until crossfire dies away; people on both sides are sick of living in fear, and that is chief resource for Anthony C Zinni, Bush administration envoy who arrived in hopes of arranging cease-fire; but along with fear has come anger, and that is Zinni's foremost obstacle; photos (M)

Japanese government raises its assessment of economy for first time in almost two years, encouraged that recovery in markets overseas would increase demand for Japanese exports (S)

In first round of Midwest Regional NCAA basketball tournament Kansas University defeats Holy Cross University, 70-59; Tulsa University defeats Marquette University, 71-69; Stanford University defeats Western Kentucky University, 84-68; Kentucky University defeats Valparaiso, 83-68; photos (M)

Leaders of 15 European Union nations gather in Barcelona for two-day summit that begins March 15; Spain's Prime Min Jose Maria Aznar, whose economic policies favor free markets and less regulation, identifies union's main priorities as job creation, education and training, development of single market in financial services and integration of European energy, transportation and communications networks; most attention has been paid to energy; European Parliament approved draft legislation this week that would allow crossborder energy competition by 2005; analysts say it is unlikely that national leaders will reach agreement on energy liberalization at meeting; photos (M)

Bush administration officials say Secretary of State Colin L Powell delivered blunt private demand to Prime Min Ariel Sharon of Israel on Mar 12 to withdraw from Palestinian-controlled areas to help American efforts to broker cease-fire, and that Amb Daniel C Kurtzer followed up with oral message to Sharon on following day, before American envoy Anthony C Zinni arrived in Jerusalem; Sharon has announced that army will begin staged withdrawal from Ramallah, but State Dept spokesman responds by saying US expects 'complete withdrawal' from all Palestinian-controlled areas; these demands, plus Pres Bush's stern reprimand to Israel on Mar 13, mark distinct policy shift after months of giving Israel virtual green light to move against Palestinians while blaming only Yasir Arafat for violence; Israelis say Sharon wants to avoid any confrontation with Washington, especially given rifts in his own government; photo; map (M)

New York's nine public television stations, still reeling from World Trade Center attack and drop in charitable giving, win support from legislators in Albany for aid in converting to digital signals, plan that could cost taxpayers more than $50 million (M)

Fox network scores some of its highest ratings for year with special called Celebrity Boxing; about 15.5 million viewers tuned into special, more viewers than watched almost any other entertainment show on Fox this television season; advertisers got their money's worth as rating for show exceeded all expectations; photo (M)

''Ice Age'' features a large cast of animal characters, including Scrat, the squirrel/rat, above, who are trying to cope with cataclysmic temperatures. In this animated adventure, a human baby is left behind by his tribe, which is fleeing south. Sid the sloth convinces Manfred, a woolly mammoth, that they have to return the child to his family. Elvis Mitchell's film review, Page 22.

Moe Ginsberg, family-owned men's clothing store in Manhattan's Flatiron District that fell on hard times, and filed for bankruptcy protection, is given good odds of surviving under management of Paul Ginsburg, third-generation of his family to run store; company and its leading creditors work out reorganization plan (M)