February 23, 2004

Jerusalem Bus Bomb Kills 9 A bomber killed himself and at least eight other people as an international court prepared to hear a challenge to the West Bank barrier Israel says it needs for security. PAGE A3 Pakistan to Move on Taliban Pakistani officials said they were preparing a major military offensive against Taliban and Al Qaeda forces along the country's border with Afghanistan in coming weeks. PAGE A4

Software industry executives and technologists contend that Microsoft has been moving behind the scenes to undercut support for set of business-to-business electronic transaction standards jointly developed by United Nations and industry-sponsored international standards group; Microsoft and senior United Nations officials deny accusation, saying that company's contributions are relatively modest, comply with United Nations guidelines and do not unduly influence decision making; Klaus-Dieter Naujok, who works with United Nations, says it is difficult to avoid Microsoft's influence; photo (L)

Harvey Araton Sports of The Times column discusses former New York Yankees teammates Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens, who are reunited as pitchers for Houston Astros, and contends that Pettitte is following in Clemens's workout-centric footsteps; photos (M)

Court records and dozens of interviews and documents about funeral stele excavated in Akhmim, Egypt, in 1994 and seized by federal agents in New York two years ago provide rare, detailed account of smuggling, marketing and selling of high-end antiquities; worldwide trade in looted antiquities usually begins and ends in silences, with few questions asked; stele's progress shows how seamlessly looted objects can blend into legitimate market, whether dealers are aware of it or not; stele was key prosecution weapon in conviction of American dealer Frederick Schultz for conspiring to sell stolen artifacts, even though he never sold, or even saw, stele; stele is now in Cairo Museum, trophy of Egypt's drive to reclaim its stolen treasures; photos (L)

Spread to East Coast of illegal home laboratories for manufacture of methamphetamine poses serious health threat to children living in homes; new study shows toxic chemicals released in cooking process permeate buildings where cooking is done; Drug Enforcement Administration says 8,000 such labs were seized nationwide in 2003 and 3,300 children were found in them; 48 children were burned or injured and one killed lab accidents; photos (M)