Longform

4 Western journalists missing, suspected dead in Afghanistan

JALALABAD, Afghanistan -- Four international journalists were missing and feared dead Monday after gunmen ambushed a convoy of reporters in a narrow mountain pass on the road to the capital, Kabul. The six gunmen stopped the cars and led the journalists away, then opened fire, witnesses said. Those missing included a television cameraman and a photographer working for the Reuters news agency; a journalist with the Spanish daily El Mundo; and a journalist with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

Iranian president blasts Bush

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's pro-reform president, responding to President Bush's comments in support of the reform movement here, denounced the American leader on Sunday as a "warmonger" with a false view of events in this country. The sharp comments by President Mohammad Khatami came as another top reformist told Bush to stay out of the movement's struggle with hard-liner clerics, who have tried to prevent change in Iran's Islamic government.

Wait... who are they again?

'Benjamins' just about the paycheck

Indiana plan designed to block international students dies in committee

INDIANAPOLIS - International student recruitment at Indianapolis University-Purdue University at Indianapois could have suffered a setback this year. But a measure that would limit the enrollment of non-citizens at state universities died in committee after a critical deadline passed last week. The author of House Bill 1286, Rep. Dennis K. Kruse, sought to keep higher education institutions from enrolling students from countries the U.S. Secretary of State has designated as sponsors of international terrorism.

Around The Campus

Aquatic Center to close temporarily Red Cross Offers Adult CPR Course OCM receives EPIC Award

Britain mourns Princess Margaret

LONDON -- Britons lined up at St. James's Palace Sunday to sign condolence books for Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II's vivacious younger sister who died at 71. People also were encouraged to leave messages on the royal family's Web site in memory of the princess who, in the words of her nephew Prince Charles, "loved life and lived it to the full."

'Ocean's' worth taking a gamble on

A remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film starring Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, "Ocean's Eleven" tantalizes the eyes with gorgeous, high-dollar movie stars carrying out a nearly impossible casino heist that boggles the mind. But while both eyes and brain are pleasured, this pretty movie by Steven Soderbergh ("Erin Brockovich," "Traffic") falls flat in true star power.

Israeli campaign halted

JENIN, West Bank -- With Israeli forces gone from most Palestinian cities in the West Bank, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared Sunday that Israel has completed the latest stage of its "war on terrorism" and will turn to new tactics as it presses the campaign. Israel withdrew troops from Nablus, the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank, and most of Ramallah, the Palestinian headquarters in the territory. But soldiers remained at two sensitive and volatile sites -- Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where armed Palestinians are holed up inside. The Israeli army also said its forces remain in several villages near Jenin, though Israeli forces Friday left Jenin city and the neighboring refugee camp, the scene of the heaviest fighting in three weeks of Israeli incursions aimed in the West Bank.

Go see a psycho Cameron Diaz

There are some movies that confuse for the sake of surprise. The filmmakers want you to scratch your head and ask yourself, "What the hell is going on?" Well, "Vanilla Sky" will, without a doubt, cause some confusion in the audience's mind throughout the screening.

Summer heat, prices could increase local fuel and flee thefts

Escalating prices at the pump seem to be the motive for the increasing amount of fuel and flee thefts at local gas stations. The increase in gas prices during the last few years results from a continuing energy crisis where the consumer demand for gasoline is surpassing the available resources of fuel.

Black Crowes, Oasis rock Indy

Despite the predictions of inclement weather Friday night, The Brotherly Love tour's stop at Verizon Wireless Music Center, featuring the Black Crowes and Oasis, went off without a hitch and without the rain. The nearly four-hour long concert flowed smoothly, and there was hardly any wait between the bands' sets.

Fall Fun

Cold weather, discomfort can't silence local protester

For the past three and a half weeks, Bloomington resident Steps to Freedom has been living with his fellow peace protesters in Dunn Meadow. Steps to Freedom is the spiritual name of Sean Bagley. He adopted his spiritual name and cast off his old one as "legal fiction."

The line to hell much less painful

Screw CDs. Collectors love vinyl.

Quit hiring for the short term

As administrators of any business must do, university administrators make hiring decisions based on costs and benefits. As many universities have done in the last few years, IU has moved from hiring full-time, tenure track professors to full-time, non-tenure track instructors. IU saw a 63 percent rise in non-tenure faculty teaching classes from 1991 to 2001. At the same time, the number of tenure track professors decreased by about 1.5 percent -- with enrollment rising 7 percent.

Administration right about alcohol

If you've been reading the IDS opinion page over the last few weeks, it might seem as if there is some "evil" empire headed by Chancellor Sharon Brehm and Dean of Students Richard McKaig that is intent upon (gasp!) decreasing alcoholism on campus and (perish the thought!) enforcing the law. While detractors from the administration's plan believe the policy is heavy-handed, they are simply ignoring that the plan put forth by the administration merely serves to both decrease alcohol-related deaths and enforce the law.

on the SIDELINES

Rain cancels three-game series Softball drops two games after delay Women's golf team begins spring season Bottom of lineup leads Hoosiers

Overturned car slows traffic, but causes no injuries

An automobile wreck Wednesday afternoon left a long line of traffic and a lengthy cleanup at the corner of 17th Street and Fee Lane. One car was flipped over while the other, a black Volkswagen, had its right-rear tire shoved into the backseat.