August 2, 2002

New York City officials consider sweeping plan to change codes that govern how all high-rise buildings are protected against fire and structural damage and how they are evacuated in emergency; plan is one of first clear signs that fiery collapse of World Trade Center is going to transform construction and operation of high-rises around nation; possible changes would be among city's most comprehensive in three decades; changes are proposed by task force of building and fire officials, real estate leaders, engineers and construction executives; great loss of life in World Trade Center disaster is creating impetus for initial wave of changes that safety experts have long supported; task force's ideas will be aired in daylong public hearing on Aug 13; goal is to have completed plan ready by end of year, for swift consideration by City Council and Mayor Michael R Bloomberg; diagram illustrating suggested changes (M)

Barclays reports first-half profit fall by almost 6 percet as bank sets aside money for bad loans, particularly in Argentina; says net income slid to 1.23 billion pounds ($1.92 billion) (S)

Bayer does not expect to demand to recover for chemicals and plastics this year after profit drops 48 percent in second quarter; company's profit falls to 293 million euros ($288 million) (S)

Air Canada reports second-quarter profit of 30 million Canadian dollars ($18.8 million), or 23 cents a share (S)

Havens article on Basalt (Colo), Cathedral City (Calif), Hampton Bays (NY), Saugerties (NY) and Stuart (Fla), border towns that offer less expensive living alternatives than their more expensive and well known neighbors; photos (M)