People's Daily (China):

Beijing's imports of medical apparatus and medicines skyrocketed in the first four months of this year, according to statistics from Beijing Customs. Statistics show that Beijing imported 106 million US dollars worth of medical apparatus and instruments during the period, an increase of 54.6 percent over the same period last year. Affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, the imports consisted mainly of medical equipment such as respirators, monitors and X-ray machines.

12:45:44 AM    

The World Health Organization, anxious to repair weaknesses exposed by the global struggle to contain the SARS epidemic, is seeking strong, new powers to fight future international threats.

A second-order effect from the SARS outbreak.

-Tim
12:36:40 AM    

Mercury News

Oracle hired a prominent Wall Street analyst, Morgan Stanley's Charles Phillips, to a top strategy and business-development position, the Redwood Shores company said Friday.

"An analyst moving to a top position at a company like Oracle is unheard of,'' said Ron Glantz, a former director of research at PaineWebber.

12:31:21 AM    

New York Times by Diana Nyad

(Annika) Sorenstam is a self-effacing, dignified, understated Swedish champion out of the Bjorn Borg mold. This woman is the center of the show, but she's no showwoman. She's teeing it up with the men in Fort Worth this week to find just where the ceiling stops at the top of that beautiful swing of hers.

12:07:06 AM