Japan, which must import almost all its oil, is more dependent on Middle East crude than it was in 1973 despite spending decades of developing other sources of energy; disruption of oil flow from Middle East because of new Middle East war, could idle Japanese factories and throw Japan back into recession; Japan's Prime Min Junichiro Koizumi, reluctant to alienate oil-producing countries, has hedged his support for Pres Bush's campaign to attack Iraq; analysts say Japan may offer only moral support; Japan remains confident that it can secure enough oil to offset any temporary loss of Middle East crude; country has formidable stockpile of fuel, enough to last 171 days; graph (M)

Why Japan Steps Gingerly in the Middle East

Caryn James reviews ABC TV program Push, Nevada, featuring Derek Cecil; photo (M)

Sex in Unison: Just One Quirk Among Many

Six people in New York City metropolitan area die this summer of food-related illness listeriosis; health officials issue warnings to elderly, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems, advising them to avoid soft cheeses and deli meats; four of deaths are in New Jersey, and two in New York City (M)

6 in Metropolitan Region Die of Food-Borne Illness

National Aeronautics and Space Administration selects design team led by TRW Inc to build Next Generation Space Telescope; new observatory, half as big as Hubble telescope, will have light-gathering mirror six times the size of Hubble and suite of more sensitive instruments; launch is planned for 2010; drawing; diagrams (M)

New Eyes in Space, Even Sharper Than Hubble's

French electronics group Alcatel has been approached by European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co with proposal to merge satellite businesses (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: France: Satellite Venture Talks

John Rockwell interviews composer John Adams, chosen by New York Philharmonic to create score memorializing Sept 11 attacks; work is entitled On the Transmigration of Souls; photo (M)

Challenge of the Unthinkable; John Adams Delivers a Commissioned Work on 9/11

Georgetown University study finds that 21 percent of 354 prescription drugs released from 1980 to 1999 had their recommended doses corrected at later date, almost always to lower dose; finds that drugs released in last five years are even more likely to have instructions changed than older ones; findings support longstanding concerns among some experts that drugs are being studied at excessively high doses to emphasize their effects and marketed at same high doses to maximize profits; photo; chart (M)

Caution: That Dose May Be Too High

Frank J Prial profiles Robert A Caro, author of multi-volume Lyndon Johnson biography, and wife Ina, author of Road From the Past, guide through historical France; photo; third volume of Caro biography, Master of the Senate, was published this year, and he is working on fourth (M)

One to Go On Johnson But No Rush

Orlando Magic center Patrick Ewing, credited with revitalizing New York Knicks, will announce retirement, which comes after hugely productive career conspicuously devoid of NBA championship title; photos (M)

Ewing, Forever Linked to Knicks, Will Retire With All but a Title

Samsung Sees Strong Earnings Even as Chip Prices Decline

Russian beer producers, fastest-growing segment of Russian economy, are dealt blow by Russian legislators, who vote to significantly tighten restrictions on beer advertising; bill, which faces final vote, would ban beer advertising on prime-time television, and would restrict advertising content (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Russia: Beer Ads Restricted

 TV Shows Start This Week, Hoping to Get Early Jump  No fewer than 12 new television series are beginning this week, a week before the official start of the new season. The networks are hoping to find viewers willing to give the new shows an early look. ''These are shows we're trying to get sampled before they have to go against the behemoths,'' said Susan Lyne, the president of ABC Entertainment.     For ABC, which is facing one of the toughest challenges this television season, the tactic is one born of desperation as it struggles to rebuild prime-time ratings on the back of mostly new series. Advertising. [Page C16.]

BUSINESS DIGEST

Loose fiscal policies in Thailand have fueled surge in consumer spending that has helped Thailand produce jobs despite sluggish exports, putting its economy on course to grow 4 percent this year; government says economy grew at annual rate of 5.1 percent in second quarter; fastest rate in two years; exports rose for first time in 10 months, rising 3.4 percent; consumer confidence is at its highest level since financial crisis in 1997 and 1998, and retail sales are rising as much as 10 percent per year; photo (M)

Spending by Consumers Is Surging in Thailand

 A Successor to Hubble  As a follow-up to the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA has announced that it will launch a telescope that is smaller, but can see far dimmer objects.   SCIENCE TIMES, PAGE F1    Vaccine Shortage  More than 40 states have reported taking steps to ration vaccines for children because of shortages, and some have eased immunization requirements.   PAGE A26

INSIDE

Cantor Fitzgerald, bond trading company which lost more people than any other company in World Trade Center terrorist attack, charges federal fund to compensate survivors of victims is unfair, violates several laws and threatens to shortchange families of its 658 slain employees by hundreds of millions of dollars; will submit formal report to federal government, charging fund administrator with settting cap on awards in violation of legislation that created fund; will argue that decision to make awards based on after-tax projections of lost income is illegal under New York State law and will deprive families of third or more of total payment to which they are entitled; report represents most substantive and serious challenge yet to basic rules underlying fund that some attorneys and family members say could plunge it into total disarray; fund administrator Kenneth R Feinberg comments; photo (M)

Worst-Hit Firm Faults Fairness Of Sept. 11 Aid

Nationwide gubernatorial races set records for campaign spending, driven by wealthy, self-financed candidates, tight contests, donors seeking access in statehouses and aggressive fund-raising by incumbents; some populous states may see total spending by candidates double, or even triple, from four years ago as incumbents face strong opponents; challengers in many states have been forced into expensive primaries, leading to more spending than usual early in campaigns; about $208 million has been spent on television advertising thus far in 2002 in races for governor in nation's 100 largest media markets; spending on gubernatorial contests in Texas, New Hampshire, California and Pennsylvania discussed; photos (M)

GOVERNORS' RACES REACH NEW HIGHS IN EXPENDITURES

Several AOL Time Warner directors are seeking to oust chairman Stephen M Case and he is resisting challenge; directors may seek Case's removal as early as board meeting in New York on Sept 19; Case wants to remain chairman and he will probably have enough support to forestall open challenges at meeting; shareholders will have opportunity to vote on his position at company's annual meeting in spring; photo (M)

Some Directors Said to Seek Ouster at AOL

PPL Therapeutics will close its stem cell research unit to cut costs by about $1 million; company had hoped to find buyer; reports it narrowed its loss for six months ended June 30 to 5.5 million pounds ($8.4 million) from 6.6 million pounds year earlier; revenue declined 52 percent, to 134 million pounds (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Britain: Cloning Research Unit For Sale

Alan Riding Arts Abroad column reviews British Museum exhibition Queen of Sheba: Treasures from Ancient Yemen; photos (M)

Out of Sheba Came a Queen (Maybe Not)

Aftermath of New England Patriots rout of New York Jets leaves Jets coach Herman Edwards dissecting offense, hoping to find explanation for 44-7 loss; photos (M)

Humbling Loss Has Edwards Searching for Answers

John H Harrison shoots and kills two colleagues at Times Square offices of Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield and then shoots himself; police believe that Harrision, 53-year-old former FBI agent, acted out of anger toward one of his victims, Isabel Munoz, after their relationship cooled; third person killed is Vincent LaBianca; photos (M)

Shooting at Midtown Company Leaves 3 Co-Workers Dead

Bill Pennington Sports of The Times column contends that New York Giants play best football when discounted by other teams and media; photo (M)

Sports of The Times; The Giants Aren't Out When Down

Clyde Haberman comments on possible changes United States Mint is planning for penny and dime (M)

Brother, Can We Spare The Penny?

Philadelphia Eagles defeat Washington Redskins, 37-7; photos (M)

McNabb and Eagles Take the Initiative

Footlights column; Jazz at Lincoln Center celebrates drummer and bandleader Art Blakey in five concerts; Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles shows work of Maurice Sendak; Spain's Prince of Asturias Award is given to Israeli pianist-conductor Daniel Barenboim, Columbia University Prof Edward Said, playwright Arthur Miller, filmmaker Woody Allen and German writer Hans Magnus Enzensberger; Frick Museum presents French touring exhibition of 17th-century drawings; photos (S)

Footlights

Elina Araratovna Avanesyan is a Russian-born Armenian tennis player. She has career-high WTA rankings of No. 36 in singles, achieved on 17 March 2025, and 163 in doubles, achieved in August 2024. Avanesyan has won five singles and nine doubles titles at tournaments of the ITF Circuit.

September 17, 2002

Headlines from September 17, 2002

Why Japan Steps Gingerly in the Middle East

Sex in Unison: Just One Quirk Among Many

6 in Metropolitan Region Die of Food-Borne Illness

New Eyes in Space, Even Sharper Than Hubble's

World Business Briefing | Europe: France: Satellite Venture Talks

Billboard 200

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A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Notable Births

Historical Context for September 17, 2002