March 16, 2004

New York City's Panel for Educational Policy approves Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to impose strict promotion rules for third-graders, but only after he and Staten Island Boro Pres James P Molinaro fire and replace three members just before vote; photo of Chancellor Joel Klein and others at vote; Bloomberg defends unusually muscular use of power now that education administration is accountable to mayor, saying his representatives must vote for what he believes in; students scoring at lowest level in English and math tests will have to repeat third grade unless they improve after summer school or teachers appeal; 15,000 of 74,000 students could be affected; Bloomberg emphasizes determination to end social promotions; critics say retentions most affect black and Hispanic children, who often lag behind whites and Asians (M)

Ulster County, NY, Dist Atty Donald A Williams files criminal charges against Unitarian ministers Kay A Greenleaf and Dawn Sangrey for performing same-sex weddings in New Paltz after court barred Mayor Jason West from doing so; denies action is violation of constitutional separation of church and state because ceremonies have legal significance; issue at hand is whether ministers confirmed that couples had marriage licenses, but it also raises larger issue of criminalization of clergy who perform such weddings (M)

Maurice Watkins, who came to Iraq as contractor fumigating army bases, is now in charge of Iraq's Olympic boxing team, quixotic bunch of teenage boys and lumpy men who hope to bring their country's flag back to Olympics; 47-year-old Chevrolet salesman from Houston, nicknamed Termite, is onetime boxer who gave up Olympic hopes to turn professional; photos of Iraqi hopefuls training at Hilla Sports Club (M)

Thailand delays for at least two months plans to privatize Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand because of protests by labor unions; government of Prime Min Thaksin Shinawatra planned to sell 25 percent stake in utility this spring for as much as 70 billion baht ($1.8 billion) (S)

A Distant Neighbor Is Found Far beyond Pluto, out where the Sun is only a pinpoint of pale light, a frozen world has been found on the dark fringes of the solar system. The discovery pushes back the point once considered the planetary system's edge. PAGE A20 Stewart Resigns Two Posts Martha Stewart resigned as an executive and board member of the company she founded. She remains the largest stockholder and continues as a creative adviser. PAGE C1