August 1, 2001

World Trade Organization, meeting, Geneva, seeks to rescue foundering negotiations on new global round of trade talks by offering concessions to developing-nation members;poorer nations have been insisting that they need relief from some commitments they made in 1994 Uruguay Round of talks before new talks can start; photo (M)

Courts are giving more sympathetic ear to newly hired employees whose jobs are cut before they even start work; experts say it is not illegal to lay off new hires, unless employees can prove company misled them; photo (M)

Workplace experts urge increased employer vigilance against 'layoff rage,' growing phenomenon of employee retaliation after being laid off; destruction of company property, including computer hardware and data stored on it, has become commonplace; security guard escorts for dismissed employees increases their resentment and likelihood of retribution; photos (M)

Gazprom directors order managers to keep closer watch on Gazprom's property and end privileged ties gas trading company Itera has enjoyed with Gazprom; discuss results of PricewaterhouseCoopers audit of links with Itera; investors suspect Itera is secretly partly owned by Gazprom managers, charge both companies deny; audit reportedly found Gazprom has let assets slip away; auditors say they lack data to determine if managers benefited from asset transfers; outline way Gazprom can retake control of Purgaz, which it sold cheaply to Itera in 1999; board votes to buy back control of Zapsibgazprom (M)

Budget that leaders in New York State Legislature intend to pass later in week will be hard on most state agencies and nonprofit organizations dependent on state help; will eliminate $150 million fund for buying new parkland, cut about $58 million in block grants to communities and make it impossible for New York State Urban Development Corp to underwrite more than $100 million in capital projects (M)