USA
John Walker Lindh pleaded not guilty to a 10-count indictment at his arraignment before an Alexandria, Va. federal court. Judge T. S. Ellis III will decide tomorrow on a date for his trial, which the defense and prosecution both would like to begin in November. Lindh is accused of conspiring to kill Americans while fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan and with aiding the Al Qaeda terrorist network, among other charges. If convicted, he could face life in prison. (Related story, page 7.)
On his first official White House visit, Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf was expected to win a pledge of economic help, in the form of debt relief, at a meeting with President Bush as the Monitor went to press. Despite US gratitude for Pakistan's support against counterterrorism, however, Bush wasn't considered likely to promise assistance on another front: the dispute with India over Kashmir, on which Musharraf said "There is a requirement for mediation" because the two sides cannot solve the dispute themselves.
In a move key to passage of campaign-finance reform legislation this year, the House was to vote on three different versions. After a debate expected to last well into the night, lawmakers were to choose among the Shays-Meehan bill, similar to one approved last spring by the Senate, and two Republican-backed alternatives.
Adding to the growing list of inquiries into bankrupt Enron Corp., the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said it will investigate whether the onetime energy giant and other power marketers manipulated prices in California last year. A tenfold jump in rates triggered some rolling blackouts in the state and bankrupted its largest electric utility. Enron announced Tuesday that six of its 14 board members are resigning.
Retail sales dropped 0.2 percent last month, mainly due to a decline in buying new cars, the Commerce Department reported. Excluding that volatile area, overall consumer spending - which accounts for two-thirds of US economic activity - rose 1.2 percent in January.
At the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, debate raged over a Russian gold medal in pairs figure skating that critics contend should have gone to Canadians Jamie Salé and David Pelletier. The International Skating Union was to hold a news conference, after agreeing to a rare internal assessment. Meanwhile, in other events, Andrus Veerpalu of Estonia won gold, Frode Estil of Norway silver, and Jaak Mae, also of Estonia, the bronze in the men's 15-kilometer cross-country skiing event. Above, Masaaki Kozu of Japan rests on the snow after finishing that race.
Firefighters had 90 percent contained a blaze north of San Diego that destroyed 36 homes and 5,000 acres, including prime avocado groves, and injured 13 people. The cause is under investigation.
A miniature poodle named Surrey Spice Girl was chosen best-in-show at the 126th annual Westminster Kennel Club show in New York's Madison Square Garden. She beat out 2,500 entries representing 159 different breeds and varieties of dogs.
