June 18, 2001

Bookscan, VNU unit, is set to announce accord to pay Borders Group for sales data from its bookstore chains after four-year effort to build system for disseminating book sales data; has similar deal with Barnes & Noble and Barnesandnoble.com sibling, some big retailers and independent stores; system will make it hard for publishers and authors to dissemble about disappointing sales and challenge established best-seller lists, which are based on statistical samples rather than numerical count; could help publishers sharpen marketing and sales forecast (M)

Article examines growth of Buddhism and Buddhist monasteries in Catskill area of New York State; photo (M)

Spate of corporate bankruptcies increases likelihood that it may be years before grandiose, Internet-inspired fiber optic telecommuniucations networks are ever fully used, even though in last two years 100 million miles of optical fiber has been laid around world; there is glut of capacity of high-speed, long-haul information pipelines, but shortage of high-speed, local-access connections that consumers and businesses need to gain access to Web; few consumers have fast Internet connections, and prices are rising for those who do; computer users with common dial-up Internet connections find Web browsers stalled, while those trying to make regular phone calls complain increasingly of busy signals; investment in communications industry, especially in fiber optic networks, has sharply declined, leaving companies with systems that may never be 'lit;' only about 5 percent of fiber optic lines are operational; lighting fiber to make it operational can cost large corporate clients about $500 million and can take 15 months; photo (M)

Three New York City firefighters die in explosion in burning building in Astoria, Queens; one suffers critical injuries; at least 48 other rescue workers and two civilians are also injured; blast in Long Island General Hardware Company tossed bodies onto street and buried two of fatalities under bricks and debris; third died of smoke inhalation; dead identified as Brian Fahey, Harry Ford and John J Downing; devastation described; fire officials say blaze started in basement of store, where propane gas tanks were stored; Mayor Rudolph Giuliani expresses grief; praises 'very brave and dedicated' firefighters; fire is one of worst disasters to hit city since December 1998, when three firemen died in Brooklyn blaze; photos; map (M)

Number of leading California law firms have quietly responded to economic slowdown with job cuts, pay cuts and other cost-saving moves; some medium-size East Coast firms have also made cuts; some firms are forcing departing associates to say they are leaving voluntarily or to promise not to discuss departure terms; industry experts say firms fear discussing problems would hurt recruiting efforts (M)