November 23, 2000

Promises of tighter security are given to irate parents at meeting in Queens with school and police officials and local politicians after four students were molested by man lurking in stairwell; questions arise about allegation that similar incident had occured recently and was ignored by principal, Cleonice LoSecco, who claims police investigated and found no cause for accusation; photo (M)

Lightning-fast pace of computer obsolescence creates a backlog of equipment that is not being used and raises questions about who is responsible for the expensive collection, transportation, dismantling and recycling of old computers; federal government and computer industry are closely watching developments in Europe, which is finalizing a directive that puts responsibility for computer recycling squarely on producers' shoulders; similar law in Japan will become fully enforceable early in 2001; photos (M)

Collapse of Coca-Cola Co's $16 billion bid to acquire Quaker Oats prompts rival bidders to re-evaluate their acquisition strategies and raises discussion about implications for Coke's chairman-chief executive, Douglas N Daft; Danone of France issues statement signaling its renewed interest in acquiring Quaker and its most prized brand, Gatorade; lingering question among analysts is whether PepsiCo, which bid $14.8 billion three weeks ago for Quaker Oats and was rejected, will return with new offer (M)

Russia notifies Clinton administration of its withdrawal from 1995 agreement negotiated by Vice Pres Al Gore limiting Russian sales of tanks and other conventional weapons to Iran; Pres Clinton protests Russian action during recent meeting with Pres Vladimir V Putin, and Secretary of State Madeleine K Albright warns Russian foreign minister, Igor S Ivanov, of economic sanctions against Russia if it makes new sales of advanced conventional weapons to Iran; at issue is confidential deal Gore reached with Viktor S Chernomyrdin, then Russian prime minister, to exempt Russia from sanctions for selling weapons to Iran in exchange for Moscow's pledge to end all deliveries of sophisticated conventional arms to Tehran by end of 1999; that deal seemingly undercut 1992 law sponsored by Gore and Sen John McCain that mandated sanctions against countries that sell such weapons to nations on State Dept list of state sponsors of terrorism; Iran is on list (M)

David Pogue column on Sony's Mavica MVC-CD1000, a digital camera with a CD-R burner that records each photo permanently on a CD; drawing (M)