July 18, 2002

Samyuktha Verma, star of Indian movies who is on tour of US, and her family are taken into custody for several hours of questioning by joint terrorism task force at LaGuardia Airport after American Trans Air Flight 204 from Chicago is escorted by two fighter jets to airport after passenger on flight became alarmed by behavior of members of group and alerted flight attendant; Verma's father Ravi says what occurred was comedy of errors worthy of most ingenious screenwriters of Bollywood, India's film industry (M)

Though Tiger Woods is favored to win British Open, shortness of course at Muirfield could level playing field for rest of competitors; photo (M)

Brazil's central bank lowers its crucial interest rate to 18 percent from 18.5 percent, dropping its anti-inflationary posture and saying it believes inflation next year will remain below its 4 percent target (S)

Americans Express Concern On Corporate Tug on Bush Americans worry that President Bush and his administration are too heavily influenced by big business, fear that Mr. Bush is hiding something about his own corporate past and judge the economy to be in its worst shape since 1994, the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll shows. The survey suggests that the unfolding disclosures about corporate misconduct and inflated earnings hold considerable peril for the White House and Mr. Bush's party in this Congressional election year. [Page A1.]

Intel Computer Clubhouse Network is program designed to foster computer skills, collaboration and leadership; program began in 1993 with grant from Intel to establish 'clubhouses' where children with limited resources turn their own ideas into games, Web pages and other technologically advanced applications; program is making effort to narrow so-called digital divide by not only providing access to equipment, but fostering more active involvement with and knowledge of technology; photos (M)

A G Edwards stockbrokers Ernest Raab and Emilio Valdes discuss what it like to have one of most nerve-racking jobs in America as stock market continues to decline, corporate America is awash in financial scandal and Congress is trying to pass legislation to regulate corporate accounting and governance; photo (M)

Lawrence Van Gelder reviews musical Sarah, Plain and Tall, book by Julia Jordan, lyrics by Nell Benjamin, music by Laurence O'Keefe; photo (S)

European corporate chief, long protected by cozy politicians, boardroom cronies and compliant shareholders, is suddenly endangered species; outsider of Ron Sommer as chief executive of Deutsche Telekom is strongest evidence yet that web of ties that once shielded European bosses from wrath of market is fraying; from Percy E Barnevik, patrician former chairman of ABB Ltd to Jean-Marie Messier, head of Vivendi Universal SA, heads of European companies are being ushered out of their jobs at rate that would have been unthinkable few years ago; photos (M)

Montreal Expos, team that was threatened by contraction last season, is surprising other teams and baseball fans by contending for playoff spot, holding on to second place spot in National League East division; photos (M)

Corporate executives, lobbyists and sympathetic lawmakers, campaigning against legislation that would force companies to account for cost of stock options, proclaim options to be pillar of middle class; defenders appear to have greatly exaggerated spread of options; researchers say overwhelming number of stock options go to top executives, who are primary ones likely to be affected by any legislation; some supporters, in defending stock options, have contended that as many as 10 million Americans received them last year, often citing National Center for Employee Ownership; center's director Corey Rosen says that only about three million people received options in 2001; Labor Department study finds that about two million people received options in 1999; Senate has blocked two amendments, one from Sen Carl Levin, that could have required companies to deduct estimated cost of stock options from their reported profits; accounting rules consider most options to be free as far as bottom line is concerned; Sen Phil Gramm says more than six million nonexecutive workers in America receive stock options every year; Sen Joseph I Lieberman, longtime opponent of any accounting change, says 'a lot of people are getting a lot of stock options'; adds options allow people to 'buy a house and send their kids to college'; chart; photos (M)

Charges of boating while intoxicated that were brought against Robert Arnold, 18-year-old driver of boat that collided with another in Little Neck Bay, will be dropped; Arnold's lawyer says test shows Arnold did not have drugs in his system; crash killed George Lawrence and John Kondogianis; Kondogianis's wife Marisa Rodgers was rescued and taken to area hospital where shehas been in critical condition ever since (M)

European Commission agrees to drop cartel proceedings against major Norwegian gas companies including Statoil and Norsk Hydro in exchange for their commitment to sell their gas separately in future, and to make available additional supplies to European Union; European Union's Comr Mario Monti says Russia's Gazprom agrees to commission's demands that it drop territorial restriction clauses in future contracts with European Union importers (S)