December 28, 2002

New York City Police Comr Raymond Kelly visits site of brutal rape in Flushing, Queens, shack hidden by brush which appears to have served as base for gang of low-level thugs cruising community for two years; squalid scene described; more is known about men's activities in nearby Corona than how they lived on site, which appears to have fallen between bureaucratic cracks, with no agency claiming ownership or even knowledge of it; photos; map (M)

Major study, conducted by researchers at Arizona State University and financed by teachers unions, concludes that rigorous testing, already in place in at least 28 states and backbone of Pres George Bush's educational reforms, does little to improve student achievement and may worsen academic performance and dropout rates; chart (M)

Increasing number of Japanese are declaring bankruptcy, which was once almost inconceivable in nation that places such a high value on savings, after five consecutive years of falling wages and rising unemployment; about 220,000 people are expected to seek protection from creditors this year, up more than third from 2001; charts show rise in personal bankruptcies in Japan; photo (M)

Demetrius James is charged in murder of 13-year-old Brandon Marcus in Bronx; witnesses say they argued in elevator and James later shot Marcus and fled scene; photos (M)

In another major sign of preparations for a possible war against Iraq, the Navy has activated one of its two 1,000-bed hospital ships, the Comfort, to be sent for possible duty in the Persian Gulf. Activating the Comfort signals that the Bush administration is preparing for large numbers of American casualties, and is ready to take the risk to back up its threat to use military force to disarm Iraq. The Comfort has 12 operating rooms and is equipped to deal with major trauma cases and casualties from chemical and biological weapons.