NATIONAL
Denfense rests in abouse case
The defense for Spc. Charles Graner Jr. rested its case yesterday without the accused ringleader of abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison taking the stand. The jury of four Army officers and six senior enlisted men is expected to begin deliberating after closing arguments today. [Page 3a]
FBI computer overhaul
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is on the verge of scrapping major parts of a $170 million computer overhaul that is considered critical to the campaign against terrorism but has been riddled with problems, officials acknowledged yesterday. [Page 3a]
Group predicts global trends
The National Intelligence Council yesterday predicted a future in which a diminished al-Qaida was replaced by murky and scattered new terror cells. It also forecast the emergence of new global players - almost certainly China and India. [Page 5a]
WORLD
Prince seen in Nazi costume
Britain's Prince Harry - no stranger to trouble with the tabloids - has sparked a media firestorm after photos surfaced showing the 20-year-old at a costume party wearing a Nazi uniform. [Page 1a]
Aide to revered cleric slain
An aide to Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric was gunned down yesterday south of Baghdad in an attack that threatened to unleash a new wave of sectarian violence ahead of the Jan. 30 elections. [Page 11a]
MARYLAND
Apartment tower plans unveiled
Baltimore officials announced plans yesterday for an apartment tower a block from the Inner Harbor that they say will boost the city's efforts to transform downtown into a place where people will live. A $71 million development called Cityscape, with 300 luxury apartments, retail and a 542-space parking garage, beat out two hotel-oriented projects to win a prime city-owned parcel at the intersection of Calvert and Lombard streets. [Page 1a]
Poll sees tough race for Ehrlich
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. is deadlocked with Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley in a potential match-up for governor in 2006, and nearly four in 10 registered voters say they are likely to vote against the incumbent regardless of his opposition, according to a Sun poll released today. [Page 1a]
TODAY
Movie tells story of real-life hero
In Hotel Rwanda, filmmaker Terry George tells the real-life story of Paul Rusesabagina, manager of a four-star hotel in Kigali who used his wits, as well as Cuban cigars and good Scotch whisky, to save lives during the genocide in 1994. [Page 1c]
What's in a name?
When various businesses around the country, including a restaurant in Annapolis, wanted a powerful-sounding name, they chose "Tsunami." With the disaster in South Asia, some are rethinking its use. [Page 1c]
`Baby' leaves Swank on the ropes
Director Clint Eastwood does Hilary Swank no favors when he puts her in the ring in Million Dollar Baby, in which he also stars. But he's no Sergio Leone, and the bathos and banality soon have Swank on the ropes. Morgan Freeman, however, plays another welcome character. [Page 3c]
SPORTS
Baseball sets steroid policy
Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced a new, tougher policy on steroids and performance-enhancing drugs that calls for every player to be tested at least once every year. In the new agreement, a first-time offender would be suspended for 10 games without pay and results would be made public. [Page 1a]
Fassel interested in Ravens job
Jim Fassel is contemplating whether to become the Ravens' offensive coordinator, a source close to the situation said. The former New York Giants head coach has shown interest in the job during discussions with Ravens coach Brian Billick. [Page 1f]
Vikings' Moss fined $10,000
Randy Moss was fined $10,000 by the NFL for pretending to pull down his pants and moon the Green Bay crowd during Minnesota's playoff win Sunday. The Vikings wide receiver was disciplined for unsportsmanlike conduct. [Page 5f]
BUSINESS
Vendors charged in fraud case
Nine vendors whose companies included some major names in the U.S. food industry were charged in federal court in New York yesterday with helping Columbia-based U.S. Foodservice Inc. perpetrate an $800 million accounting fraud that illustrated the pressure on suppliers to engage in a cover-up to maintain lucrative business relationships, attorneys said. [Page 1a]
Hooked on Phonics bought
The company that owns the frequently advertised Sylvan tutoring centers is buying another as-seen-on-TV name: Hooked on Phonics. Educate Inc., Sylvan Learning Center's Baltimore-based parent, said yesterday that it has agreed to pay $13 million for Gateway Learning Corp., which owns the well-known - and occasionally controversial - company. [Page 1d]
Wal-Mart fights criticism
