Importance of planning for summer vacation discussed; photos (M)

Beach Dreaming, House Scheming. Summer Ahead.

Fujitsu lost 102 billion yen ($787 million) in its fourth quarter ended in March, compared with profit of 60 billion yen year earlier; sales fell 12 percent, to 1.56 trillion yen; company expects to cut 140 billion yen in fixed costs by slashing jobs and closing plants; graph (S)

World Business Briefing | Asia: Japan: Fujitsu Posts A Loss

In ''The Mystery of Charles Dickens,'' Simon Callow enacts both the life and the works of England's most beloved novelist. The play by Peter Ackroyd, adapted from his Dickens biography, opened last night on Broadway.    A theater review by Ben Brantley, Page 3.  

Dickens, Abridged

Article in series Watching Movies With describes director Barry Levinson watching Elia Kazan's 1954 movie On the Waterfront, starring Marlon Brando; Levinson says movie had profound effect on him as boy; maintains that today's movies lack fullness and character development of earlier ones; photos (L)

Telling Complex Stories Simply

Fomento Economico Mexicano, Mexico's largest beverage company, says first-quarter profit rose 29 percent; net income grew to 628 million pesos ($68 million), from 488 million pesos year earlier; sales rose 6 percent, to 11.36 billion pesos (S)

World Business Briefing | Americas: Mexico: Beverage Profit Up

Stacy Royster, only girl involved in 2000 murder of Chinese restaurant deliveryman Jin-Sheng Liu, must decide whether to accept 17-year prison sentence in plea deal or go to trial where she could face much longer sentence; case and sentences given to four boys involved in Queens murder reviewed; Royster's role was crucial: ordering food and greeting Liu when he arrived, only to be ambushed by boys hidden in area; her lawyer Robert DiDio ascribes her participation to Royster's history of mental illness; photos (M)

Weighing Her Life's Options; 19 and Accused of Murder: Accept a Plea Deal, or Go to Trial

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co says first-quarter net income fell 22 percent, to $189 million, compared with profit of $241 million year earlier; chief financial officer Harvey Chang says profit and orders will increase in second quarter from first quarter; graph (S)

World Business Briefing | Asia: Taiwan: Profit Down At Chip Maker

Securities and Exchange Commission begins formal investigation into Wall Street analysts and their potential conflicts of interest; SEC chairman Harvey L Pitt, one day after meeting with New York State Atty Gen Eliot L Spitzer, says commission will join forces with Spitzer and other state and federal regulators in 'formal inquiry'; Spitzer says he welcomes involvement of federal regulators but that he will proceed with his investigation; photo (M)

S.E.C. Begins Investigation Into Analysts

NHL Southeast Division champions Carolina Hurricanes carve out niche in North Carolina where hockey previously could not capture audience; playoff presence this year leads to increased attendance at games; photo (M)

In North Carolina, Hurricanes Have Gathered Force

Sony Corp reports 15.3 billion yen ($118 million) net profit for year ended March 31, 8.6 percent less than last year, on 3.6 percent sales increase, to 7.58 trillion yen ($58.3 billion; attributes gains to strong sales of its PlayStation 2 game console and weakness of Japanese yen; forecasts 5.5 percent growth in sales for new fiscal year, to 8 trillion yen ($61.5 billion) and net profits 10 times most recent level; chief financial officer Teruhisa Tokunaka comments (M)

Sony Defies Downturn, Thanks to PlayStation 2

House votes, 405 to 9, to abolish Immigration and Naturalization Service and divide its functions between two new bureaus, one for immigration services and one for enforcement; lopsided vote reflects lawmakers' frustration over agency' missteps before and after Sept 11; bill's sponsors say this measure is beginning of long process to overhaul way nation protects its borders, enforces its immigration laws and provides services to millions of immigrants; two new bureaus called for in bill would report to new associate attorney general for immigration affairs at Justice Dept; role of new official appears certain to be contentious issue, because official would have broad authority over immigration policy, but no direct budgetary or personnel authority; parallel Senate bill is expected to be introduced next week; White House abandons its official neutrality to House bill, sensing momentum for legislative solution, and endorses it; Atty Gen John Ashcroft says administration still objects to relative lack of authority vested in new associate attorney general; photo (M)

Vote in House Strongly Backs An End to I.N.S.

Few top female executives seem to share their male colleagues' view of high-ticket sports cars as reward for reaching career goal; luxury car makers are seeking to convince women, who now buy 44 percent of all new cars, up from about 30 percent ten years ago, that their cars are high-class fashion accessories; drawing (M)

Do Women Have The Zoom Gene?

James Gorman article on visiting Okefenokee Swamp of southern Georgia and northern Florida; photos (M)

In the Gator's House: No Wrestling, Please

New York Court of Appeals is set to consider challenge to state's death penalty law and rules under which it is imposed; case comes when national attitudes about capital punishment appear to be shifting, with some polls showing softening of support, although two-thirds of Americans say they support death penalty; case arises from 1996 Brooklyn's Club Happiness murders by Darrel K Harris; article reviews history of New York's death penalty law and details of case; photo (M)

Club Happiness Case Is First Test of State's Death Penalty

AstraZeneca, leading European drug maker, says US regulators have forced it to delay sale of Crestor, cholesterol-lowering pill with potential annual revenue of $5 billion; Food and Drug Administration has asked for more data on higher doses of drug (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Switzerland: Drug Delay

Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia tells Pres Bush bluntly that United States must temper its support for Israel or face grave consequences throughout Arab world; Saudi officials at meeting at president's ranch in Texas say Abdullah warned that US would continue to lose credibility in Middle East and create more instability there unless it did more to stop Israel's incursions into Palestinian areas; Adel al-Jubeir, Abdullah's foreign policy adviser, says Prime Min Ariel Sharon wants to drag region 'over a cliff'; American officials offer far more positive account of meetings; Pres Bush says he and crown prince formed 'strong personal bond'; both Bush and Jubeir say crown prince did not threaten in any way to reduce Saudi oil exports to US; Bush, who infuriated Arab world week ago by calling Sharon 'a man of peace,' says he told Abdullah he is counting on Israel to withdraw forces from Palestinian areas, including resolving standoffs in Ramallah and Bethlehem; photo (M)

SAUDI TELLS BUSH U.S. MUST TEMPER BACKING OF ISRAEL

Federal Emergency Management Agency has doled out less than $65 million to help needy families in World Trade Center disaster area pay their bills, fraction of what agency has distributed in months after other major catastrophes; agency officials decided to limit benefits to those who could prove their lost income was 'direct result' of Sept 11 attacks, standard that some FEMA officials now say may have been ill defined; some agency officials say their efforts have been plagued by management blunders and poor coordination with vast array of private charities that responded to terrorist attack; note 15,000 people got faulty aid applications that increased risks they would be denied help; say hundreds of other victims were turned down because their claims were judged under outdated eligibility requirements; agency officials say they cannot say exactly how many people might have been unfairly denied aid, but that thousands of deserving families in disaster zone in New York may lose their homes or apartments if they do not get FEMA's help; chart (L)

Change in Rules Barred Many From Sept. 11 Disaster Relief

Oakland Athletics defeat New York Yankees, 6-2; photo (M)

Mussina Falters Being Too Fine With A's Hitters

 Tyco Shifts Its Course  Tyco International abruptly changed business strategies, saying it would not split into four pieces as planned but would break off only one business. The company will also lay off 7,100 workers.   PAGE C1    Senators Back Fraud Bill  A Senate panel voted for legislation that would make it easier to prosecute securities fraud and that would extend the time limit for bringing related civil suits, reopening a contentious battle.   PAGE C1

INSIDE

Prospect of promising young Arabs in countries surrounding Israel being drawn to Palestinian cause and seeking 'martyrdom' has become very real in recent weeks; Egyptian officials confirm that six young men and women have been stopped trying to sneak into Israel in last week, apparently to carry out attacks; in response, Egypt has tightened control of border, hoping not to provoke any incidents; explosive response of young Arabs to call to 'open the doors to jihad' is largely rooted in secular concerns; young Arabs frustratred by lack of opportunity at home identify with plight of Palestinians; photos (M)

Young Egyptians Hearing Call of 'Martyrdom'

Harvey Araton Sports of The Times column predicts that in few years Oakland Athletics pitcher Barry Zito will be picked up by New York Yankees, rejoining former teammate Jason Giambi; photo (M)

Sports of The Times; Zito Shows His Stuff To the Yanks

P&O Princess Cruises reports 78 percent decline in first-quarter net income, to $25.7 million compared with $114.8 million year earlier; revenue declined 6 percent, to $512 million (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Britain: Income Down At Cruise Line

John Tierney The Big City column expresses skepticism about impact of Take Our Daughters to Work Day; says image of career woman teetering between work and home is exaggerated; cites statistics that show only half of women living with husbands work outside home; says result of poll of younger women who say they want to stay home and raise children belies purpose of annual ritual (M)

The Big City; The Truth Of the Myth About Mom

Intel Corp will resume construction of its $2 billion Fab 24 project, microchip manufacturing plant in Leixlip, Ireland, one year after it was postponed; project is expected to be completed in 2004; it will add 1,000 employees to 3,000 Intel already employs in Ireland (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Ireland: Intel Resumes Expansion

Taiwanese government, concerned about losing its technological edge over China, intends to require some Taiwan engineers to get permission before accepting jobs in China; initiative has already angered computer companies in Taiwan and in US and stirred controvery in Taiwan's national legislature; at issue is whether new rules will unfairly limit personal freedom of engineers, and whether regulations will be so onerous that they will discourage high-technology companies from locating or investing in Taiwan; especially troublesome is government's plan to prevent some engineers from private sector from taking jobs at all on mainland, on suspicion that they might then pass on technological secrets; Tan Sun Chen, co-chairman of legislature's Science and Technology Committee and senior member of ruling Democratic Progressive Party, says issue of engineers going to China is much too politically contentious to handle with executive order; says legislature will not allow itself to be bypassed; Ing-Wen Tsai, chairwoman of Mainland Affairs Council, government ministry that oversees relations with China, says prompt action is needed to protect Taiwan's technological edge; Frank Huang, chairman of Taipei Computer Association, says new rules take away democratic freedoms (M)

Taiwan Is Trying to Limit Its Engineers' Work in China

The Erfurt school massacre was a mass shooting that occurred on 26 April 2002 at the Gutenberg-Gymnasium, a secondary school in Erfurt, Thuringia, Germany. 19-year-old expelled student Robert Steinhäuser shot and killed 16 people, including a police officer before killing himself. One person was also wounded by a bullet fragment. According to students, he ignored them and aimed only for the teachers and administrators, although two students were unintentionally killed by shots fired through a locked door.

Robert Steinhäuser kills 16 at Gutenberg-Gymnasium in Erfurt, Germany before committing suicide.

April 26, 2002

Headlines from April 26, 2002

Beach Dreaming, House Scheming. Summer Ahead.

World Business Briefing | Asia: Japan: Fujitsu Posts A Loss

Dickens, Abridged

Telling Complex Stories Simply

World Business Briefing | Americas: Mexico: Beverage Profit Up

Billboard 200

Ashanti

A New Day Has Come

Now 9

Gutterflower

Southern Hummingbird

Historical Events

Historical Context for April 26, 2002