November 5, 2002

Former Vice Pres Walter Mondale, who replaced late Democratic Sen Paul Wellstone in Minnesota's US Senate race week ago, takes part in televised election-eve debate with Republican challenger Norm Coleman in St Paul; both stake out distinct positions on major issues in last-minute showdown that pits iconic older statesman against can-do up-and-comer; Mondale portrays opponent as right-wing tool of White House who cannot be trusted; Coleman recites record as jobs-builder and says Mondale's is precisely kind of tone he hopes to change in Washington; debate described; photos (M)

Milwaukee Bucks defeat New York Knicks, 97-88; photos (M)

William H Webster, who became head of Public Company Accounting Oversight Board last week, has impeccable resume as public servant, but outside Washington, Webster's record is less than perfect; Webster has repeatedly taken positions that critics say have been at odds with his reputation since he retired from CIA 11 year sgo to build lucrative second career as corporate lawyer; lawyer who sued General Motors for making unsafe pickup trucks says that after GM hired Webster, he permitted GM to shelve his report into whether company had improperly destroyed documents relating to case; some labor leaders say Webster has not devoted enough time to his $100,000-a-year position on government-created board that monitors Teamsters union; former chief economist with Federal Communications Commission says Webster's involvement in NextWave, which defaulted on billions of dollars of payments to FCC, should disqualify him from being accounting board's next chairman; photo (M)

Researchers from Field Museum, Chicago, find 28 species of wildlife unknown to science during three-week inventory of Peru's mountains and high-altitude wetlands; Peruvian government declares area national park; museum's goal is to find and preserve earth's last remaining wild places; photos (M)

Ryanair, no-frills Irish airline, again surpasses market's profit expectations, but warns against expecting similar earnings gain during second half of year; reports that profit increased by 71 percent, to 150.9 million euros, or $150.5 million; revenue rose 35 percent, to 464.6 million euros ($463.3 million); company increases its full-year profit forecast to 230 million euros ($229.4 million), up from 200 million euros it expected previously; photo (M)