May 30, 2003

Philippine economic growth slowed to 4.5 percent in first quarter compared with year earlier, falling from 5.8 percent growth in fourth quarter (S)5

San Antonio Spurs defeat Dallas Mavericks, 90-78, to win Western Conference finals, 4-2; advance to NBA finals against New Jersey Nets; photo (M)

Conchita Link and husband Edward Hayes are arrested and charged with conspiring to sell photographs she stole from her former husband, photographer O Winston Link; investigators found photos for sale on eBay site for minimum price of $5,000; Link won $5 million judgment against his ex-wife, who was convicted in subsequent criminal trial and spent five years in prison for stealing 1,400 of his prints, maintaining all along that she did not know where they were; photos (M)

Brazil's economy contracted 0.1 percent in first quarter from fourth quarter of 2002, but grew 2 percent from year earlier (M)

Profile of recent Palestinian suicide bomber Fuad Qawasmeh defies stereotypical profile of bomber as poor, desperate young man with deep involvement in militant Islamic groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad; relatives claim he was radicalized by his months in Israeli jail; say Qawasmeh, factory worker in Hebron, was not interested in politics and not particularly religious before he and his brother were put in administrative detention, status that allows suspects to be held without trial; as Israel's security forces fill prisons, there has been unintended consequence: with all suspects packed together, camps and jails have become natural recruiting ground for militant groups; family says that when Qawasmeh was released from jail he began reading Koran and listening to tapes, many of them extolling jihad, or holy war, and Palestinians who die fighting Israel; on May 17 he blew himself up in Hebron, killing Jewish settler and his wife; his two fellow bombers that day were college students in Hebron who had never been arrested; photos; map (L)

Investigators say piece of insulating foam shot at mocked-up shuttle wing opened long slit in its leading edge, which may help to explain what caused loss of space shuttle Columbia; experiment was conducted for independent board investigating Columbia disaster; test sought to recreate circumstances at Columbia's launching, although it was not as realistic as possible because material used in shuttles, reinforced carbon-carbon, is in short supply; it will be used in later test; one investigator says main value of first test would be to calibrate testing mechanism, getting speed right and angle of impact, without using up scarce carbon-carbon samples; photo (M)

Actresses featured in Broadway revival of musical Nine say their sense of being part of ensemble is as satisfying as their moments in spotlight; photos of Nell Campbell, Chita Rivera, Saundra Santiago, Mary Stuart Masterson, Jane Krakowski, Deirdre Goodwin, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Mary Beth Peil and Laura Benanti; photos (M)

Ingersoll-Rand shareholders show surprisingly strong support for idea of bringing company's official headquarters back from tax haven of Bermuda; proposal at annual meeting that company reincorporate in US receives 41 percent of votes cast; representatives of shareholders say vote should cause company's directors to reconsider move; company spokesman calls 59 percent opposition reaffirmation of decision to incorporate in Bermuda; Ingersoll-Rand was based in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, until it reincorporated in Bermuda at end of 2001 to reduce its tax bills (M)

Article on fishing trip to Oquossoc, Maine, to experience 'ice-out,' first day when Rangeley Lake is free of winter's ice; drawings; photos; map (M)

Use of little-known visa category known as L-1 to bring in foreign workers--with large percentage from India--has become popular strategy among technology companies seeking to cut labor costs; number of these temporary visas granted rose nearly 40 percent to 57,700 in 2002 from 41,739 in 1999; visas are intended to allow companies to transfer employees from foreign branch or subsidiary to company offices in US; visas are now routinely used by companies based in India and elsewhere to bring their workers into US and then contract them out to American companies--in many instances to be replacements for American workers; some immigration experts are questioning legality of use of visa; officials at Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, division of Homeland Security that oversees granting of L-1 and other work visas, says bureau is conducting assessment of L-1 visa to determine whether there is misuse; Rep John L Mica has introduced bill to prevent companies from hiring foreigners with L-1 visas; India-based Wipro, InfoSys, Tata Consultancy Services and Satyam Computer Services are using L-1 visas to get workers into US; Wipro plans to lobby against Mica's bill; John Bauman, president of Organization for the Rights of American Workers, which opposes visa loophole for foreign technology workers, comments; graph; photos (M)

New Jersey Devils defeat Anaheim Mighty Ducks, 3-0, to lead Stanley Cup final series, 2-0; get shutout aganst Mighty Ducks for second straight game; photos (M)

Alessandra Stanley reviews Out of Order, Showtime series about troubled Hollywood marriage; photo (M)