Spain Shuts a Basque Newspaper, Accusing It of Aiding Separatists
Date: 21 February 2003
By Emma Daly
Emma Daly
Spanish police order Basque-language newspaper to shut down and arrest 10 members of its staff, including its editor, accusing them of helping violent separatist group ETA in its campaign for independent Basque country; accusations are strongly denied by paper's deputy editor, who was not arrested; actions are part of new government crackdown on ETA and its supporters (M)
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EUROPE SEEKS ADDITIONAL STUDIES ON BIOGEN TREATMENT
Date: 21 February 2003
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Biogen, which won Food and Drug Administration approval for psoriasis medicine Amevive last month, fails to obtain European clearance for drug; European regulators ask for more studies of drug (S)
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UNIVERSAL HEALTH OFFICIAL DRAWS S.E.C. INQUIRY
Date: 21 February 2003
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Universal Health Services says Philadelphia office of Securities and Exchange Commission has begun informal inquiry into departure of company's chief financial officer Kirk Gorman, who was fired last week after he told auditors KPMG that he did not have expertise to verify details of company's financial records; KPMG took matter to Univeral Health's board because auditors were concerned Gorman could not sign off on results as required by Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which Congress passed last year after string of corporate scandals (S)
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JUDGE DISMISSES RETAILERS' SUIT AGAINST BLOCKBUSTER
Date: 21 February 2003
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Victoria Chaney dismisses lawsuit accusing Blockbuster Inc of trying to drive independent retailers out of business by negotiating exclusive contracts with movie studios (S)
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SPORTS AUTHORITY AND GART SPORTS AGREE TO MERGE
Date: 21 February 2003
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Sports Authority agrees to merge with rival Gart Sports in transaction valued at $182.6 million (S)
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BARNES & NOBLE SALES WERE MOSTLY DOWN IN QUARTER
Date: 21 February 2003
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Barnes & Noble says sales at its large bookstores open at least one year fell 3 percent in fourth quarter ended Feb 1; total sales at large stores rose 4 percent, to $1.2 billion (S)
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MORGAN STANLEY CUTS THE PAY OF ITS CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Date: 20 February 2003
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Morgan Stanley cut compensation of chairman-chief executive Philip J Purcell by 27 percent last year as profit slumped; paid Purcell $11 million in 2002, down from $15 million in 2001; Purcell received $775,000 in salary and cash bonus of $5.6 million; was awarded restricted stock, which Morgan Stanley valued at $2.3 million, and $2.3 million in stock options (S)
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KRISPY KREME ACQUIRES MARKETING RIGHTS IN 4 AREAS
Date: 20 February 2003
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts acquires marketing rights to four Kansas and Missouri areas from partnership, whose operating partner is former company employee; financial terms undisclosed (S)
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PRE-PAID LEGAL SERVICES SAYS MEMBERSHIP IS INCREASING
Date: 20 February 2003
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Pre-Paid Legal Services, under investigation by Securities and Exchange Commission over trading in its stock before company disclosed decline in subscribers, expects first-quarter increase in its customer base (S)
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MBNA, CREDIT CARD ISSUER, SAYS ITS LOAN LOSSES ROSE
Date: 20 February 2003
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
MBNA Corp says loan losses rose in January and will not subside until second half of 2003; uncollectable loans rose in January to annualized 5.59 percent of loans, compared with 5.04 percent in fourth quarter 2002 (S)
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