When invoked without arguments, news prints the contents of all current files in /usr/news, the most recent first, with each preceded by an appropriate header. news stores the ``currency'' time as the modification date of a file named .news_time in the user's home directory (the identity of this directory is determined by the environment variable $HOME); only files more recent than this currency time are considered ``current.''
The -a option causes news to print all items, regardless of currency. In this case, the stored time is not changed.
The -n option causes news to report the names of the current items without printing their contents, and without changing the stored time.
The -s option causes news to report how many current items exist, without printing their names or contents, and without changing the stored time.
All other arguments are assumed to be specific news items that are to be printed.
If the INTERRUPT key is struck during the printing of a news item, printing stops and the next item is started. Another INTERRUPT within one second of the first causes the program to terminate.