September 13, 2002

Shoppers in Italy stage nationwide strike against merchants, who many consumers say have exploited transition to common European currency by marking up price of everything; consumer groups in Greece call on shoppers there to refrain from buying fruit and vegetables next week; these are latest ripples in wave of anger that has swept across Continent since euro notes and coins became legal tender in 12 European countries in January; European Central Bank bank president Wim Duisenberg says effects of changeover are over and that inflation is not problem; photo (M)

Floyd Norris column on fraud indictment against former Tyco International executives, L Dennis Kozlowski and Mark H Swartz, questions whether company is worth its market value of $36 billion; cites Omega Advisors hedge fund manager Lee Cooperman's belief that new management is honest and stock is cheap based on forecasted earnings; also notes Tyco critic James Chanos of Kynikos Associates says, 'fact that these guys have looted the company on that scale does not mean they would have overstated earnings or cash flow or done anything else nefarious to the company's financial statements'; notes Swartz responded with fury to 1999 article in which he, Norris, said that company had used misleading--but legal--tactics to make performance of newly acquired companies look better than it really was; graph (M)

Jeniffer Dunning discusses dances developed in response to September 11 attacks; interviews choreographers Eric Underwood, Tai Jimenez, Arthur Mitchell and Michael Smuin; photos (M)

Article in series, Perspectives, explores Mexican Pres Vicente Fox's reflections on Sept 11 terrorist attacks and their effect on public life and policy; Mexico responded to attacks by taking up Pres Bush's call to make security foreign policy priority; now Fox wants United States to move ahead on foreign policy matters derailed by Sept 11 attacks, specifically America's relations with his country; his steadfast support for Bush has gained him little in Washington, where there has been little action on Mexico's proposals for immigration reforms; Mexico felt political and economic aftershocks from terrorist attacks on US; even harder hit was Fox's foreign policy agenda, which was based on new kind of relationship with US; Fox says he is frustrated that terrorist attacks have turned Bush's attention away from US-Mexican relations; photo; biographical data on Fox; excerpts from his interview (L)

3 Former Tyco Executives Charged in Corruption Case The former chief executive of Tyco International, L. Dennis Kozlowski, and the former chief financial officer were indicted on charges that they reaped $600 million through a racketeering scheme involving stock fraud, unauthorized bonuses and falsified expense accounts. The company's former general counsel was also indicted, on charges that he falsified company records to conceal $14 million in improper loans to himself. The state grand jury indictment contends that Mr. Kozlowski and Mark H. Swartz, the financial officer, created an elaborate system beginning in 1995 that allowed them to use millions of dollars in company money to pay for personal items. A federal regulator called the amounts in the case ''staggering.'' [Page A1.]

Brief description of movie Igby Goes Down; notes review appears on page 10; photo (S)

Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning is sidelined indefinitely because of continuing problems from kidney ailment; photo (M)

House Energy and Commerce Committee is widening focus of its inquiry into Global Crossing to include Qwest Communications International as investigators seek to learn more about complex deals that allowed both companies to bolster their financial results; Qwest may be forced to increase amount of revenue that it plans to restate because investigation's findings, which appear to include evidence of side deals that allowed company to inflate its revenue figures; committee releases two internal e-mail messages, one from Qwest and one from Global Crossing, that appear to suggest that companies may have sought to use creative accounting strategies to intentionally bolster their results; Rep Billy Tauzin has issued subpoenas to several executives in connection with its committee's investigation, including Global Crossing chairman Gary Winnick, and is planning to hold hearing on Sept 24; others who have received subpoenas to testify at hearing are former Qwest executive Greg Casey and former Global Crossing chief counsel Jim Gorton (M)

Enei SpA writes down value of its Wind telecommunications unit by 1.51 billion euros ($1.47 billion) and postpones sale of unit for at least two years (S)

United Federation of Teachers publishes step-by-step guide to teaching reading and writing, move that union leaders say will help students meet tough new standards but that others warn might serve as crutch for weak or lazy tachers in era of increased accountability; Schools Chancellor Joel I Klein praises it as providing 'rich resources'; union pres Randi Weingarten says it is first time that a teachers' union had created curriculum aligned with state academic standards (M)

Sergei Kukura, first vice president for finance of Russia's Lukoil, is abducted on his way to his office in Moscow; this is most prominent kidnapping case in years in country that is trying to live down lawless reputation of its past; photo (M)

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick arms team with versatile repertoire of defensive strategies; photo (M)