August 8, 2004

American intelligence officials and outside nuclear experts say nuclear arms programs in Iran and North Korea have advanced significantly in past year despite Bush administration's diplomatic efforts with European and Asian allies; senior administration and intelligence officials say they seek ways to step up unspecified covert actions intended to disrupt or delay Iran's efforts; other experts say covert efforts are harder now because aid Iranians and North Koreans got from Abdul Qadeer Khan's network has made them increasingly self-sufficient; officials say desire to pursue broader strategy against Iran is driven in part by private warnings from Israeli officials about possible military move to block Iranian nuclear arms development (M)

William McDonald column on bench in front of 175 East 93rd Street in Manhattan, which serves as social focal point of the block; notes that it was placed there by co-op in 1999 to accommodate John Lebda, resident, who died in August 2003 at age 79; drawing (M)

American marines say they have cleared Moktada al-Sadr's Shiite rebel militiamen from ancient cemetery in heart of old city, Najaf, Iraq, after fierce, hand-to-hand fighting; say more fighting lays ahead in nearby streets and alleyways; American commanders, who say they act under orders from new Iraqi government, apparently give little heed to cease-fire appeals from clerics and others claiming to represent Sadr; their forces pull back from cemetery's edges overnight to more secure positions; city, now largely deserted, is mostly quiet; map; photos (M)

Athletes from all over world arrive in Athens (Greece) and settle into Olympic Village in preparation for 2004 Games (M)

Some New Yorkers have found cheaper route to buying one-family town house: buying house that has been broken down into apartments and restoring it to original layout; such houses usually sell for less than their one-family neighbors; difficulties involved in converting house back to single-family noted; photos; drawing (M)

Young women increasingly are taking their style cues from film stars, rejecting fads of just years ago where role models reflected street-tough glamour of women like Jennifer Lopez; are turning their backs on track suits, tank tops and bling, putting their money instead on seed-pearl-studded camisoles, streamlined flats and unabashedly flirtatious party frocks currently favored by young film and television stars; photos (M)

General Motors wheel-test engineer Lynne Nurkala oversees biggest pothole at company's proving grounds in Milford, Mich; photo (S)

One historical fact that Sen John Kerry cannot be fond of is that just two of scores of sitting senators who have sought Oval Office actually got there, Warren G Harding and John F Kennedy; photos (M)

DuPont's Teflon Problem The E.P.A. has accused DuPont of withholding evidence of its own health and environmental concerns about a chemical used to make Teflon. DuPont plans to file a formal response this week. SUNDAYBUSINESS New Agent Orange Lawsuits A new cast of plaintiffs has gone to the court in which an Agent Orange settlement was reached with Vietnam veterans in 1984. PAGE 25

Juan Diaz, who became youngest active champion at age 20 when he defeated Lakva Sim to win World Boxing Association lightweight championship, is also student at Houston University; photos (M)

Special report, The Precint, on New York City's Fifth Police Precinct, which includes Chinatown and Little Italy, 10 years after crime in city began its precipitious drop; police officers are now able to pursue variety of tasks that decade ago would have seemed unimaginably minor; drop in crime has reshaped face of policing in ways small and large, obvious and surprising; Compstat, means of statistically analyzing where and when crimes are occuring, has transformed crime-fighting and is at heart of changes; graph of crime drop; map; photos (L)

Chicago Cubs defeat San Francisco Giants, 8-4; Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux wins 300th game; photos (M)