December 13, 2001

Several conservation groups promote variety of 'citizen science' projects that make use of amateur observations of nature to compile interactive online databases; projects exploit Web's capacity to receive data from just about anywhere and to display it quickly and clearly to spur outdoor activities; backyard bird count, designed for absolute beginners, described; photos (M)l

Julie Salamon reviews TV documentary Promises, part of PBS series POV; film looks at Palestinian-Israeli conflict from vantage point of even children living in or near Jerusalem (M)

Overview of events in war on terrorism, including shifting deadlines for Al Qaeda forces hidden in Tora Bora caves, contradictory reports from Pakistan about whether Taliban or bin Laden forces might have crossed border, crash of B-1B bomber into Indian Ocean near Diego Garcia, immigration authority's new crackdown on Middle Easterners with invalid visas, and scientific probe of what caused collapse of twin towers (M)

Jai alai fronton in Milford, Connecticut closes after nearly quarter century; photo (M)

The legacy of Nirvana is being threatened by infighting between the band's members and Courtney Love. Page 3.

Australia's Securities and Investment Commission accuses bankrupt One.Tel's former managing directors Jodee Rich and Bradley Keeling and former chairman John Greaves of breaching their duties and withholding information; commission starts civil proceedings against three former executives; says evidence shows that other directors, including Rupert Murdoch's son, Lachlan, James Packer and Rodney Adler did not know 'true financial position of One.Tel until shortly beefore it failed; photo (S)

Herbert Muschamp's Critic's Notebook article on Raf

J D Biersdorfer State of the Art column assesses new and improved features of American Online's and Microsoft's MSN's Internet software; drawing; photo (M)

BT Group, formerly British Telecommunications, says Ben Verwaayen will be its chief executive, succeeding Sir Peter Bonfield, who will leave on Feb 1; chairman Sir Christopher Bland comments; photo (M)

Article on photo exhibit, Manuel Alvarez Br

The place was not full. That was clear. When the Celtics beat the Knicks on Tuesday night -- just as when the Knicks defeated Houston last week -- Madison Square Garden was pocked with hundreds, if not thousands, of empty seats. The higher the eye went, the more no-shows there were. It has been like that many nights this fall at the Garden, when the aesthetic void of empty seats has only sometimes been obscured by cheering fans leaping from their perches.

Shoshana Berger and Grace Hawthorne art starting crafts magazine for MTV generation called ReadyMade; Berger and Hawthorne comment; photos (M)