Clyde Haberman NYC column scores Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chmn Peter Kalikow for his seeming indifference to plight of New Yorkers faced with steep transit fare increases, and lack of candor about his agency's finances (M)

Rare Sighting: Transit Chief Facing Public

J P Morgan Chase dismisses investment bankers Palden Gyuimed Namagyal, managing director and son of onetime king of Sikkim, and Norman Gretzinger after fellow banker complained that they sexually accosted in bar woman who worked for them; some Wall Street people say swift and severe action against high-ranking and highly paid employees shows how seriously some big investment banks treat complaints of sexual harassment; photo (M)

2 Wall St. Firings Said to Be Linked To Harassment

World Business Briefing: The Netherlands: Insur

World Business Briefing | Europe: The Netherlands: Insurer Cuts Dividend

Floyd Norris column urges US Treas Sec John W Snow to open serious discussions on weakness of US dollar, disputing Snow's assertion that he is 'not particularly concerned' about dollar's recent weakness; says foreign direct investment in US in 2002 was just $46 billion, down 85 percent from 2000; holds American direct investment in foreign countries is greater than foreigners' investment in US for first time since 1995; graph (M)

It's Time for Serious Talk About the Dollar

San Antonio Spurs defeat New Jersey Nets, 92-78; photo (M)

With Kidd In Town, Point Guard Lifts Spurs

New York Jets will play season opener against Washington Redskins in Washington on Thursday night to open NFL season; Redskins make offer for Jets kick returner Chad Morton (M)

Jets' Opener Set for Washington as Redskins Make Morton an Offer

The image that haunts ''Carnage,'' a viscerally unsettling comedy written and directed by Delphine Gleize, a 29-year-old French filmmaker of astonishing originality, is the rippling body of a 1,000-pound black Andalusian bull. In an early scene of the movie, which is the find of this year's Rendez-Vous With French Cinema series at Lincoln Center, the beast gores a young matador at the climax of one of the most suspenseful bullfighting sequences ever filmed.    The animal in the ring is photographed so that you feel menaced by the crushing power massed in its glistening body and tremble before the blind fury driving its charges.   

Bodies Imperfect, Images Ideal

NASD, regulatory body for Nasdaq market, files two complaints against former Credit Suisse First Boston banker Frank P Quattrone, saying he breached host of securities regulations during stock market boom; says Quattrone improperly pressured his analysts and passed hot offerings to clients in return for banking business; also suggests that Quattrone had significant knowledge of civil and federal investigations at time he endorsed suggestion by David Brodsky, firm's chief legal counsel at time, to clean out files in December 2000; Quattrone is being investigated by US attorney's office in Manhattan, which is trying to determine whether he obstructed federal probe; New York State Atty Gen Eliot L Spitzer is also investigating his practices (M)

NASD Files 2 Complaints Against Star At First Boston

World Business Briefing | Asia: Hong Kong: DHL Raises Cargo Airline Stake

St Bonaventure basketball program comes under fire when players forfeit final two games of season in response to ban from conference tournament and revocation of six Atlantic 10 victories by NCAA for use of ineligible transfer student Jamil Terrell; photos (M)

Sorrow and Anger at St. Bonaventure

Harvey Araton Sports of The Times column contends that skipping college in favor of NBA is increasingly better option in wake of various NCAA violations and athletic program scandals tainting college basketball; photos (M)

Sports of The Times; When Skipping College Is a More Savory Option

Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group bids for Softbank Corp's 49 percent stake in Aozora Bank; sale is being closely watched because Cerberus Partners' bid; Cerberus already owns 11.5 percent of bank; Cerberus, which has accused Japanese regulators of trying to thwart its bid, has until end of March to meet or beat Sumitomo Mitsui's offer (M)

Sumitomo Mitsui Makes Offer For 49% of Another Bank

European Central Bank trims interest rates by quarter point, to 2.5 percent, disappointing those who had hoped for more vigorous response to Continent's lingering economic malaise; bank president Wim Duisenberg leaves door open for more cuts, saying uncertainty of war with Iraq and how it might reverberate makes it impossible to set longer-term monetary policy; Bank of England holds its benchmark interest rate at 3.75 percent; Swiss central bank unexpectedly cuts its benchmark rate by half point; graph; photo (M)

European Central Bank Cuts Rates a Quarter Point

Bloomberg administration proposes broad revamping of Lower Manhattan Development Corp, agency overseeing rebuilding of Lower Manhattan, to give city more authority over reconstruction of World Trade Center site and billions of dollars of federal money; proposed changes would leave agency with little real authority and would create new commission on memorial chaired by Gov Pataki; city would have responsibility for rebuilding subject to approval of advisory board composed of city, state and Port Authority officials and chaired by Roland Betts, effectively making process exempt from public review; additional details of plan discussed (M)

City Is Seeking Bigger Role In Rebuilding

 European Central Bank Cuts Rates by a Quarter Point  The European Central Bank lowered interest rates by a quarter point, disappointing those who had hoped for a more vigorous response to the Continent's lingering economic malaise.    In reducing the benchmark rate to 2.5 percent -- its second cut in three months -- the bank said it was reacting to persistent signs of weakness in Europe's major countries and to the war clouds gathering over Iraq, which have driven the euro up sharply against the dollar. [World Business, Section W.]

BUSINESS DIGEST

New York City's Bukharan Jewish community, made up of immigrants from several central Asian nations, is wrestling with issue of domestic violence, fueled by upheaval of transplantation; problem of spousal abuse arises in other immigrant communities as well and is said to relate directly to stresses of immigration; Bukharans' have held conference on issue and are planning another, airing problem publicly, to chagrin of many who are intensely private and tribal; photos (M)

Old Ways Bring Tears In a New World; Immigrants Face Family Violence

Last-minute differences between Switzerland and European Union are threatening to disrupt compromise reached in January among union's 15 members and Switzerland, which is not member, over problem of tax evasion using foreign bank accounts; compromise would allow Switzerland and European Union members--Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria--to keep their bank secrecy laws at least for time provided they impose withholding tax on foreign account holders' interest earnings; council of union finance ministers chairman Nikos Christodoulakis meets with Swiss Finance Min Kaspar Villiger, and union's commissioner for tax issues, Frits Bolkestein without resolving questions raised by Switzerland over agreement; photo (M)

Some Last-Minute Differences Threaten European Tax Pact

World Business Briefing | Europe: France: Profit Up At Luxury Retailer

Vivendi Universal reports more than $25 bilion loss in 2002, largely result of huge write-offs on investments made in heady years of 1990's; loss is largest corporate loss in French history; says operating profit at Vivendi's six core business units rose 18 percent, to 3.2 billion euros; Vivendi's board gives chairman Jean-Rene Fourtou authorization to explore shedding its American entertainment assets; graph; photo (M)

Vivendi Posts $25 Billion Loss; Will Explore Shedding Assets

Alessandra Stanley reviews The Pentagon Papers, movie on FX channel in which James Spader plays Daniel Ellsberg; photos (M)

One Man's Antiwar Crusade

Analysis: Pres Bush, in televised news conference, reminds nation that Sept 11 attack that invested his presidency with mission to fight terrorism has brought his administration to brink of war with Iraq and also to brink of estrangement with longstanding allies and, perhaps, with United Nations; indicates that he recognizes how important it is to make every effort to gather more international support; signals that he is consulting closely with allies; there is hint of compromise in his words and in reports earlier in day from diplomats in Washington and at UN they they are talking with Bush aides about giving weapons inspectors few more weeks to test whether peaceful path to disarmament is possible in Iraq; Bush's remarks are mostly aimed at domestic audience; Robert S Strauss, Democratic strategist and fellow Texan, says Bush's frequent references to Sept 11 attacks are aimed at shoring up flagging support for war option in United States (M)

A Reminder Of a Mission

World Business Briefing | Europe: The Netherlands: Loss At Nutrition Concern

Article on tiny fishing village of Sayulita, Mex, whose way of life may change dramatically as development hastens; photos; map (M)

Their Little Secret, But for How Long?

Another snowstorm blankets New York City metropolitan area, leaving residents pining for spring; photos (M)

More Snow, Just the Thing Nobody Wanted

Benetton's founder-chairman Luciano Benetton says he and his brothers will give up daily control of clothing empire to new, unidentified chief executive to be named at annual shareholders' meeting in May; chief executive Luigi de Puppi will step down at meeting, with Luciano Benetton retaining what he calls almost honorary chairmanship; photo (S)

March 7, 2003

Headlines from March 7, 2003

Rare Sighting: Transit Chief Facing Public

2 Wall St. Firings Said to Be Linked To Harassment

World Business Briefing | Europe: The Netherlands: Insurer Cuts Dividend

It's Time for Serious Talk About the Dollar

With Kidd In Town, Point Guard Lifts Spurs

Billboard 200

Chocolate Factory

Get Rich Or Die Tryin'

Come Away With Me

Home

Cocky

Historical Context for March 7, 2003