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   December 19, 2001   QUOTE OF THE DAY "This is what Afghanistan is. We kill each other."  FAQIR MUHAMMAD, military chieftain.   TolkienArchives Examine the World of J. R. R. Tolkien - This sponsored feature includes articles from the New York Times archives, slide shows of Tolkien's artwork, multimedia presentations from New Line Cinema, weekly trivia quizzes and more.    Explore Tolkien Today .     NATIONAL U.S. Will Offer Anthrax Shots for Thousands  Health officials said they would offer the military's anthrax  vaccine to thousands of Capitol Hill workers and postal employees who were exposed to the disease.   Death Sentence Overturned in 1981 Killing of Officer  A federal judge in Philadelphia threw out the death sentence for Mumia Abu-Jamal, a former journalist and Black Panther convicted of a 1981 police shooting, but upheld the murder conviction.   Ex-Lawmaker From Jordan Is Held in Chicago  A retired Jordanian lawmaker who was leading  local Muslims in a celebration to mark the end of Ramadan is being held on immigration charges.     MORE NATIONAL NEWS   Advertisement    Buy a Gemstar eBook(tm) before 1/31/02 and get $300 worth of current bestsellers, popular classics & 14 periodical subscriptions - FREE!  The Gemstar eBook, a lightweight, portable reader, holds dozens of books and lets you access thousands more from any standard phone line. Available in monochrome or full color screen. Get yours now at skymall.com   [IMAGE]   INTERNATIONAL Hundreds of Qaeda Fighters Slip Into Pakistan  Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters have crossed into Pakistan through frozen mountain passes to disappear into remote tribal areas, Western and Pakistani officials said.   Bedouin Soldiers in the Israeli Army Find They Are Always on Guard  In Rafah, the clash between Palestinians and youthful Israelis has its own particular twist: the combatants on both sides are Muslims.   Rumsfeld Asks NATO to Shift to Wide Fight Against Terror  Declaring that the war on terrorism will continue, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Tuesday urged NATO to shift its focus to fighting terror around the world.     MORE INTERNATIONAL NEWS    BUSINESS UBS Ousts President After 7 Months in Job  UBS A.G., the Swiss banking giant with an expanding presence on Wall Street, unexpectedly fired its president, Luqman Arnold, just seven months after he took the top job.   The Danger in a One-Basket Nest Egg Prompts a Call to Limit Stock  Plunges in retirement accounts that were heavily   invested in company stock are prompting some calls   for change by employee rights groups and lawmakers.   LTV Seems on the Verge of a Shutdown  After more than half a century in business, the LTV Corporation will soon shut its doors, barring a government-supplied miracle.     MORE BUSINESS NEWS    TECHNOLOGY A Bright Spot in a Bleak Holiday Retailing Season  Internet sales, while growing more slowly than in past years, are expected to increase by about 30 percent, according to recent surveys.   U.S. Expands Investigation Into Piracy of Software  Investigators say the inquiry into thrill-seeking software piracy has expanded exponentially since it was announced late last week with raids at several universities.   AT&T Board to Meet on Sale or Spinoff of Cable Unit  Amid a late push by AOL Time Warner, AT&T's board is to meet in Manhattan Wednesday to decide whether   to sell the company's cable television operation or instead spin it off as an independent company.     MORE TECHNOLOGY NEWS    POLITICS Senate Approves Bill to Expand Federal Role in Public Education  The Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that sets a 12-year timetable for closing gaps in student achievement, and mandates annual testing for grade-school children.   Congress Agrees on Emergency Relief for New York  Negotiators for the House and the Senate agreed to provide New York with an additional $8.2 billion in emergency recovery aid.   Talks in Congress Break Down Over Health Benefit for Jobless  Democrats and Republicans in Congress remained divided over how best to deliver health insurance subsidies to the unemployed.     MORE POLITICS NEWS    SPORTS Duke-Kentucky Classic Has Familiar Ending  Jason Williams carried Duke back from a blowout, and the Blue Devils remained undefeated with a win over Kentucky in the Jimmy V Classic.   Martinez and Knoblauch Land on Their Cleats  Two core members of the recent Yankees' championships  Chuck Knoblauch and Tino Martinez   found work elsewhere on a busy day in baseball.   Hill's Season Ended Again  Grant Hill, who has missed all but 18 games the   past two seasons, will undergo season-ending surgery for the second time in a year.     MORE SPORTS NEWS    ARTS A Heroic Quest Through Middle-Earth  The director Peter Jackson has done an altogether heroic job in tackling perhaps the most intimidating nerd/academic fantasy classic ever.   To Stay or Go? City Opera Is Deciding on Its Home  The New York City Opera's future is now the center of attention in the debate about Lincoln Center's proposed $1.2 billion redevelopment plan.   As City Ticket Plan Grows, Some Off Broadway Grouse  Some Off Broadway producers have voiced concerns that their theaters are missing out on the city's purchase of tickets to Broadway shows.     MORE ARTS NEWS    NY REGION Congress Agrees on Emergency Relief for New York  Negotiators for the House and the Senate agreed to provide New York with an additional $8.2 billion in emergency recovery aid.   Fire Damages North Wing of St. John the Divine  A wing of the Cathedral Church of St. John   the Divine erupted in flames Tuesday morning after the blaze spread from the gift shop.   Radio Used on Sept. 11 Is Questioned  Fire Department officials are investigating whether some firefighters engaged in rescue efforts on Sept. 11 did not hear an order to evacuate the buildings due to faulty radios.     MORE NY REGION NEWS    OP-ED  All Alone, Again   By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN  Anyone in Washington planning to take the war on terrorism to Iraq after Osama bin Laden is eliminated should not count on the rest of the world's help.   The Prettiest of Them All   By MAUREEN DOWD  Muhammad Ali stumbled into being a symbol of many things  faith, defiance, athletic courage, racial pride.   Equity for All Victims   By PETER H. SCHUCK  America's dedication to justice for   the victims of Sept. 11 is admirable. Even more inspiring would be a commitment to treat all accident victims with equal justice and compassion.     MORE OP-ED  NEWS    Contribute to The Neediest Cases Fund Make an online donation this Holiday Season to The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund to help thousands of people.   Donate now    About This E-Mail You received these headlines because you requested The New York Times Direct e-mail service. To sign up for other newsletters, cancel delivery, change delivery options or your e-mail address, see http://www.nytimes.com/email .   Check or un-check the headlines you would like to receive or cancel and remember to go to the bottom of the page and click on "Save Selections."  Suggestions and feedback are welcome at feedback@nytimes.com .   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