January 29, 2003

Some 350 American, European and Afghan forces fought a fierce battle through the night against a large group of rebel fighters in a mountainous region of southeastern Afghanistan, in the heaviest fighting they have encountered in nine months, the American military spokesman said here today. As many as 80 fighters aligned with the former mujahedeen commander Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a warlord who once battled Soviet occupation but has now joined forces with the remnants of the Taliban to oust the Americans, were thought to be lodged in caves and mountain hideouts near the border with Pakistan, said the spokesman, Col. Roger King. Those forces fired on Apache helicopters that went to investigate their presence in the Adi Ghar, a mountain range just north of Spinbaldak, the border crossing between the southern Afghan town of Kandahar and the Pakistani city of Quetta.

Nasty war of words breaks out between The Source, magazine regarded by many as bible of hip-hop, and its younger competitor, XXL, and industry executives and rappers are taking sides; Elliott Wilson, former Source editor and now editor in chief of XXL, admits he started it; has ally in Eminem, who has been at war with Raymond Scott, rapper and co-owner of The Source, since November; photos (M)

Exhibition of works by French Post-Impressionist and modern masters, assembled from Hermitage in St Petersburg, goes on view at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; Vincent La Selva and his New York Grand Opera present Verdi's Alzira; Daryl Watson play Prime Time opens at Abingdon Theater Complex; New York Flamenco Festival 2003 begins at City Center on January 30; photo (M)

In an assertive speech that covered the main themes of his administration, President Bush tonight combined an unflinching threat of military action against Saddam Hussein with sweeping proposals on the key domestic issues of health care and tax relief. Mr. Bush, delivering his second State of the Union message before Congress, sought to assure Americans that he could deal with their economic troubles and foreign crises simultaneously and with compassion and resolve.

The discount Irish airline Ryanair said it would set up a new hub at Skavsta Airport, 60 miles southwest of Stockholm, in April and add six routes to the two it has now linking Skavsta with Frankfurt and London. Ryanair's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, said his airline's fares were 84 percent less than those of the dominant Scandinavian airline, S.A.S.. Brian Lavery (NYT)