With New Jersey politicians set to vote Thursday, advocates on both sides of the gay marriage debate are uneasy about the proposed legislation.

Doubts Persist as N.J. Lawmakers Move Forward on Civil Union

The man said he would circulate private audiotapes and photographs and kill Ms. Ono's son if she didn't give him $2 million, the police said.

Yoko Ono’s Driver Is Arrested for Threat

A man charged in the death of the actress Adrienne Shelly gave the police an account of the woman’s final moments, according to police notes.

Murder Suspect Admitted Hanging Actress, Police Say

Speculation about a man with an extreme obsession could be a lead in a case that has baffled investigators for weeks.

Speculation About Foot Fetishist in Killings

With interest in the origin of diamonds fueled by the movie "Blood Diamond," and an advertising counterattack by the diamond industry, customers are asking questions about the iconic symbol of eternal love.

Diamonds Are for Never?

National Institutes of Health says circumcision appears to reduce man's risk of contracting AIDS from heterosexual sex by half; NIH halts two clinical trials in Kenya and Uganda, saying that not offering circumcision to all men taking part would be unethical; AIDS experts hail finding but caution that circumcision only lessens chances that man will catch virus and should be used with other prevention methods; they say procedure is expensive and has serious risks if performed under unsanitary conditions, as often happens in rural Africa; two largest funds for fighting AIDS say they will consider paying for circumcisions in high-risk countries (M)

Circumcision Halves H.I.V. Risk, U.S. Agency Finds

The Knicks, who led by 30 at one point in the fourth quarter, backed the owner’s vote of confidence for Coach Isiah Thomas with a thumping of the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

As Dolan Shows Faith, the Knicks Show Magic

Islamists in control of Mogadishu, Somalia, prepare for war with Ethiopia, which would further destabilize troubled Horn of Africa; Ethiopia, with tacit approval from US, has been assembling troops to try to hold off Islamists and shore up Somalia's weak, unpopular transitional government; analysts unanimously agree that full-scale conflict between Islamists and Ethiopia would be disastrous for Somalia and for entire region, because neighboring countries might join war; some analysts say US and United Nations approach misreads Islamists' power, rooted not in military strength but in their widespread popular support; they say Ethiopia may have strongest military in region, but attacking Islamist forces may only drive them underground, into guerrilla insurgency; map; photos (M)

Somalia’s Islamists and Ethiopia Gird for a War

Assistants to interior decorators, with low, entry-level salaries, have come up with numerous and clever ways to cut corners in furnishing and decorating their own spaces, turning them into their laboratories and showcases; photos (M)

For Designers' Disciples, Home as Homework

Microsoft’s new operating system, Vista, will soon be on sale to the public. But you may need a new computer to run it properly.

Vista Wins on Looks. As for Lacks ...

Koral Karsan, private chauffer for Yoko Ono for 10 years, is arrested, accused of threatening to kill Ono and her son Sean Lennon if she did not give him $2 million; Karsan says charges were invented by Ono to 'stop sexual harassment suit' he says he plans to bring against her; photo (M)

American officials and specialists on China have said Wu Yi, vice prime minister, might not have inclination, or influence, to challenge party apparatus that is tied to sprawling state-owned export industries; China appears to view dialogue between China and US less as vehicle for adjusting its policies than as means to air its opinion that US should alter its economy to end addiction to Chinese goods and loans that sustain huge American trade and budget deficits; Yu Yongding, director of Institute of World Economics and Politics at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says visit by US Treas Sec Henry M Paulson will have some influence on Chinese political leaders, but China always prefers gradualism; Yu says Wu is not seen in China as especially sympathetic to main American demand that China stop manipulating its currency in order to expand exports; photo (M)

In Beijing Talks, Issues of Will and Way

David Pogue column on advantages and disadvantages of Microsoft's new Windows Vista software program, which will be available to public on Jan 30; photos (L)

New York's 1,250 small-town justice courts are under scrutiny by state officials, who are taking steps to fix some of its most egregious flaws; some residents of Keeseville, NY, question propriety of Judge George J Head's actions; Head, retired state trooper with no college degree, often issues 'judge's probation' and meets defendants weekly alone and outside court; one man was discovered driving justice's car, another says he lived in justice's home for months; state judicial officials are asking people to speak up about judicial misconduct, though some are reluctant to publicly challenge justices because of their power in rural communities; map; photos (M)

Small-Town Judge’s Personal Justice Stirs Concern

New opera-inspired dance works are on display in Germany and Austria; Sophiline Cheam Shapiro's Pamina Devi is traditional Cambodian dance version of Mozart's Magic Flute, Johann Kresnik's company is offering first half of his version of Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen and John Numeier and Hamburg Ballet are presenting Parzival: Episoden und Echo at Hamburg State Opera; photos (M)

Flesh and Transgression: Choreographers Take on Opera’s Canon

Hewlett-Packard’s board is said to have ended a crucial advisory relationship with Larry W. Sonsini, the powerful Silicon Valley lawyer.

H.P. Board Cuts Its Ties With Lawyer

Federal prosecutors are trying to force the A.C.L.U. to turn over copies of a document it received from a source.

U.S. Subpoena Is Seen as Bid to Stop Leaks

The exposure of Montreal Canadiens icon Bob Gainey’s private sorrow has been a public inspiration. It’s the paradox of a visible life embraced and endured gracefully by a discreet man.

A Father’s Love Keeps Shining Through Pain

Democrats said that they would move toward integrating the war spending into the regular federal budget.

Democrats Plan to Take Control of Iraq Spending

Democrats plan to take more control over billions of dollars being spent on Iraq war when they assume control of Congress in January; Sen Kent Conrad and Rep John M Spratt Jr, incoming chairmen of Senate and House Budget Committees, say they will demand more accountability of war's cost and move to integrate spending into regular federal budget; lawmakers say Bush administration's approach of paying for war through series of emergency requests has limited Congressional scrutiny of spending and hidden true price of war; some lawmakers say emergency spending measures have helped lawmakers win approval for their own pet projects; they say Pentagon has used measures to win financing for projects that should receive full review; both Republicans and Democrats have objected to administration's refusal to add war costs to budget, particularly when conflict has lasted almost four years; chart of Defense Dept budget; photos (M)

Federal prosecutors want American Civil Liberties Union to turn over copies of classified document it received from source, raising speculation that government has found novel approach to protecting national-security secrets; subpoena issued to ACLU seeks all copies of document, and ACLU lawyers say such subpoenas, if upheld by court, would pose direct threat to journalists and endanger First Amendment rights; some legal experts say issuing subpoena in this case is improper way to enforce law; others say subpoena is unusual but not improper approach; ACLU says subpoena is example of Bush administration's efforts to suppress its critics; ACLU's lawyers have agreed for now not to disclose contents of document; ACLU has moved to quash subpoena and argues that government is also misusing grand jury that issued subpoena; photo (M)

Japanese look at blood type of their celebrities to explain personalities, and characterize O types, like baseball players Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Matsui, as ambitious and goal-oriented; photos (M)

Blood, Sweat and Type O

Interview with Steven Sater, playwright who did adaptation and lyrics for Broadway show Spring Awakening, in his idiosyncratic apartment in the Dakota; photos (M)

Storming Broadway From Atop a Fortress

The Securities and Exchange Commission issued deregulatory orders and proposals intended to lower costs to public companies.

S.E.C. Eases Regulations on Business

Description of foot fetishist on Stalk Inc, Web site that profiles serial killers, leads managers and several guests at Atlantic City hotel to speculate on connection between man described on site, hotel guest they had encountered and murders of four Atlantic City, NJ, prostitutes; Atlantic County prosecutor Jeffrey S Blitz says that task force investigating murders has not distributed Web-based profile; Stalk Inc president John Kelly comments (M)

Anton Balasingham Stanislaus was a Sri Lankan journalist, rebel and chief political strategist and chief negotiator for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a separatist Tamil militant organisation in Sri Lanka.

Anton Balasingham, Sri Lankan-English strategist and negotiator (born 1938)

Anton_Balasingham

Ahmet Ertegun was a Turkish-American businessman, songwriter, record executive and philanthropist.

Ahmet Ertegun, Turkish-American composer and producer, co-founded Atlantic Records (born 1923)

Ahmet_Ertegun

Michael Jonas Evans was an American actor and TV writer, best known as Lionel Jefferson on both All in the Family and The Jeffersons. Evans was a creator/writer of the series Good Times (1974–79). He was also a guest celebrity panelist on the TV game show Match Game.

December 14, 2006

Headlines from December 14, 2006

Doubts Persist as N.J. Lawmakers Move Forward on Civil Union

Yoko Ono’s Driver Is Arrested for Threat

Murder Suspect Admitted Hanging Actress, Police Say

Speculation About Foot Fetishist in Killings

Diamonds Are for Never?

Billboard 200

Light Grenades

Hannah Montana

Daughtry

NOW 23

Love

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for December 14, 2006