May 14, 2003

Article on unlikely warm friendship between 93-year-old Margaret Oliver and Elvis Checo, 20-year-old Dominican-born youth who visits her regularly at Jewish Home and Hospital in Manhattan; photos; Checo, parentless and living on his own, signed up as volunteer and was hired by Oliver's family, although he spends many more hours with her as companion, exchanging conversation and wisdom across the generations (M)

Bush administration files suit at World Trade Organization to force Europe to lift its ban on genetically modified food; suit will further heighten trans-Atlantic trade tensions after several recent rulings against US in cases brought by Europe at WTO over US steel tariffs and tax shelters for overseas corporations; administration is backed by House Speaker J Dennis Hastert and other senior Republican and Democratic lawmakers who have been promoting lawsuit for months; American farmers have led complaints, saying they have invested in technology needed to raise genetically modified crops only to see Europe closed to their products; US trade representative Robert B Zoellick says administration has run out of patience waiting for European Union to lift what he calls five-year-old moratorium that blocked several hundred millions of dollars of American exports into Europe; Hastert estimates that American farmers lost $300 million in corn exports each year because of European policy toward genetically modified food and animal feed (M)

Harvey Araton Sports of The Times column contends that New York Yankees are study in monotony, as roster of talented players makes for predictable wins and genuine lack of excitement; photo (M)

French advertising group Havas says revenue fell 20 percent in first quarter, to 402 million euros ($465 million); sales fell 5.8 percent (S)

Orders for new machinery in Japan increased greater-than-expected 3.8 percent in March from February, pushing total orders 5.8 percent higher in first quarter (S)