May 20, 2003

News that Japan's Resona Holdings, one of country's five big bank groups, will ask for infusion of up to 2 trillion yen ($17.3 billion) in tax money barely creates ripple; government is prepared to use its power to print money and rewrite regulations to guarantee that Resona's depositors and borrowers lose little if any money; bank's poffices are operating normally, and most customers shrug off news that bank has one-third less capital than it had previously reported; chart (M)

Fifth Palestinian suicide bomber to strike against Israelis in less than 48 hours detonates shrapnel-packed bomb outside mall in northern town of Afula, killing security guard and two bystanders, wounding more than 50 others and delivering new blow to peace effort that is already reeling; blast so disfigures dead that hours later authorities are still trying to identify bomber among remains; police say they believe bomber was woman; latest attack is part of what Israeli police call 'wave of terror' that has greeted most intensive international effort to date to end 31-month conflict; Pres Bush says new international place plan 'still stands,' but Israeli officials say violence has strengthened their resolve to substantially change plan, which lays out reciprocal concessions to achieve peace and Palestinian state in three years; senior Israeli security official says new attacks are aimed both at Israel and at Mahmoud Abbas, first Palestinian prime minister, who has promised to disarm militant groups; photos (L)

Annika Sorenstam prepares for Colonial Tournament, where nearly 400 photographers and reporters are waiting to greet her; photo (M)

Signs of New Qaeda Plots Intelligence monitoring shows Al Qaeda has a deep foothold in Saudi Arabia with several cells plotting new attacks there or in North America, officials from Riyadh and Washington say. PAGE A17 Shift on Election Finance A federal appeals court suspended its ruling reversing parts of the new campaign finance law. The action, pending Supreme Court review, will prevent political parties from collecting soft money. PAGE A21

Supreme Court gives qualified approval to Maine's innovative effort to reduce prescription drug costs for uninsured state residents; 6-to-3 decision lifts injunction that has kept Maine Rx Program from taking effect since state's Legislature enacted it in 2000; decision is likely to shift drug pricing debate away from courts and back to executive branch and states; earlier ruling by Federal District Court, in suit brought by pharmaceutical industry, found program violates federal Medicaid statute and constitutional proscription against state interference with interstate commerce; other states are following Maine case closely; 29 states filed Supreme Court brief on Maine's behalf; about half the states have started experimenting with ways to hold down costs for various groups of consumers; photo (M)