April 5, 2002

Big Board Weighs Changes For Corporate Directors The New York Stock Exchange is considering taking steps to help shore up investor confidence in corporate governance in the aftermath of Enron's collapse. One change would require companies whose shares trade on the Big Board to limit participation on their audit and compensation committees to independent directors. The exchange is also discussing a requirement that would force companies to separate the job of chairman from chief executive. [Page C5.]

National competition regulators from around European Union gather in Brussels to consider European Commission's likely approval of $6.4 billion purchase by German chemicals company Bayer of agrochemical operations of Aventis of France (S)

Pres Bush thrusts his administration into central role in Middle East crisis, demanding that Israel withdraw from West Bank and telling Arab nations and Yasir Arafat that they must actively oppose terrorism if they hope to create Palestinian state, speech in Rose Garden; says he will send Secretary of State Colin L Powell to region next week; Bush aides say speech sets president on course of acting as central mediator in peace effort, role he previously sought to avoid; say he decided to intervene more directly because he fears that long-term allies in region like Egypt and Jordan are facing destabilizing protests over Israeli-Palestinian conflict; senior aide to Yasir Arafat says Arafat accepts Bush's remarks 'without conditions'; in Israel, Prime Min Ariel Sharon says military operation in West Bank will continue and that he will refuse to negotiate before terror is subdued; Bush's speech seeks to strike far more delicate balance than he has in comments of recent weeks, when he seemed to be giving Israel virtual green light to defend itself however it deems necessary; Bush now says Israeli settlement activity in occupied territories must stop and occupation must end; he calls on Israel to show respect for dignity of Palestinian people; Bush spares no one--not Israel, Palestinians or Arab nations--in his criticism or his challenges; photos (L)

Fairchild Dornier receives $20 million loan from its German creditor banks to ensure company's liquidity temporarily; Fairchild had to file for insolvency two days ago after negotiations with investors and banks failed; financing is reported to be first portion of $90 million loan package provided by HVB Group, state-owned Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau and semi-state-owned Bayerische Landesbank; part of it will be secured by guarantees from German government and state of Bavaria (S)

Road Map to Better Crops A Chinese team and a Swiss company are publishing two versions of the genetic sequence of rice, opening what experts believe will be a new era in plant breeding and food production. PAGE A21 Andersen and Rival in Deal Arthur Andersen reached a deal to sell the bulk of its tax business to a competing firm, Deloitte & Touche. Andersen also plans to eliminate as many as 7,000 jobs through layoffs. PAGE C1