Al Zabroski uncovers human skull while digging at Harlem construction site and proceeds to wonder about life of skull's owner and how it ended (About New York column) (M)

About New York; Conjuring Hamlet In a Hard Hat

South Korean railroad union members vote overwhelmingly to return to work after half system's 22,000 workers refuse to strike; union recognizes unpopularity of strike, which had forced cancellation of more than half passenger trains and more than 90 percent of freight trains for four days; union leader Chun Hwan Kyu announces settlement (S)

World Business Briefing | Asia: South Korea: Rail Strike Ends

Brazil's trade surplus fell to $2.4 billion in June from record $2.5 billion in May; exports fell to $5.87 billion from $6.37 billion in May while imports fell to $3.52 billion from $3.87 billion (S)

World Business Briefing | Americas: Brazil: Trade Surplus Slips

Bank of Korea reports that foreign direct investment for first five months of year totaled only $412 million, about half $812 million invested in same period year earlier; Pres Roh Moo Hyun asks his cabinet to work out program for bringing in foreign investment (S)

World Business Briefing | Asia: South Korea: Foreign Investment Falls

Amanda Hesser article on blueberry pie as ideal Fourth of July dessert; recipes; photos (L)

Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blueberry

Russian oil producer Lukoil sets up joint venture with country's natural gas monopoly Gazprom to develop large oil and gas field in Caspian Sea; each company will own half of new concern, which will work together with Kazakhstan's natural gas company Kazmunaigaz to develop field (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Russia: Oil Venture

Article on Buenos Aires-born singer-songwriter Kevin Johansen and Louisiana-born novelist Anna Kazumi Stahl, who are both experiencing success in Argentina; Johansen returned to Buenos Aires after living for decade in New York; has hit CD that includes popular English-language single and is slated to perform in New York and tour Spain; Stahl, who spoke no Spanish when she arrived in Buenos Aires 15 years ago, has written novel, Flores de un Solo Dia; photos (M)

2 Artists Follow Muses to Success in Argentina

New York Rangers president Glen Sather announces that he will return as head coach next season; photo (M)

Sather Staying As Coach Of Rangers

The woman answering the phone yesterday at the old Community School District 26 in Queens was a little confused. ''I'm really not sure what this office is called at this time,'' she said.    A call seeking the new superintendent of District 25 was also met with confusion. ''I don't know her name or his name,'' said Ernest Clayton, a parent representative, who picked up the phone at what is now Instructional Division 3 in Queens.   

In Day 1 of School Restructuring, Tricky New Math

Cabin Fever, Irish reality television show on boat, goes back on air more than two weeks after its ship ran aground and sank on June 13; Coco Television, which is producing show for Irish broadcaster RTE, recruits two new contestants after some of shipwrecked cast members refuse to participate (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Ireland: Reality Show Resumes

New York Mets defeat Montreal Expos, 7-6; photos (M)

Mets' Clark Retrieves Lead Lost By Benitez

Wal-Mart Stores, nation's largest private employer, expands antidiscrimination policy to protect gay and lesbian employees; Pride Foundation, which has lobbied company, discloses decision; company vice president Mona Williams says store managers will convey policy to more than one million workers (M)

Wal-Mart Sets a New Policy That Protects Gay Workers

Trade and Investment Framework Agreement that was sign last month between US and Pakistan came into being largely as result of political expediency, rather than familiar economic motivation that trade helps both sides; Pakistan may realize few tangible benefits in short term, and its further progress up ladder could depend more on politics than on economics; some analysts believe Bush administration's actions follow pattern of putting political back-scratching ahead of economic considerations in trade arena; Fauver Associates head Robert C Fauver says administration wanted to see how Pakistan's Pres Gen Pervez Musharraf helpeed out in search for Al Qaeda members; graph; photos of American trade representative Robert B Zoellick and Pres Bush and Musharraf at Camp David, Md (M)

Trade Pact With Pakistan Reflects Politics, Not Economics, Critics Say

Jack Curry Baseball Analysis discusses New York Mets' trade of second baseman Roberto Alomar to Chicago White Sox after disappointing season and half prompts questions about how much Cleveland Indians knew when Alomar was traded from Cleveland to Mets; photo (M)

BASEBALL: Baseball Analysis; A Mistake Is Erased, But a Mystery Remains

Pipeline, estimated to cost $3.5 billion, to carry gas from Papua New Guinea's rugged southern highlands as far south as Brisbane, Australia, nearly 2,000 miles away, has been put off until at least 2007 because Exxon Mobil and its partners have failed to sign up enough customers to make it worthwhile; gas rests from populated areas that need it; since 1996, group of companies, led first by ChevronTexaco and now Exxon Mobil, has been planning to build pipeline; map (M)

Troubles Plague Plans for a Pipeline to Australia

List of some major stories on inside pages

INSIDE

 Companies Lobby to Shift Part of Drug Costs to U.S.  The bills to provide drug benefits through Medicare that were passed by the House and the Senate last week offer some of the country's largest employers a long-sought prize: shifting at least some of their burden of soaring drug costs to the federal government.    With billions of dollars at stake, those companies are lobbying hard to make sure that those gains survive in the final version of the law. [Page A1.]

BUSINESS DIGEST

Scottish & Newcastle PLC says full-year profit fell 29 percent; net income for fiscal year ended April 27 fell to 140.1 million pounds ($232 million) from 196.5 million pounds ($325 million) year earlier; operating profit at British beer division fell 8.9 percent; photo (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Britain: Brewer's Profit Falls

Bishop Sean P O'Malley is named by Pope John Paul II to lead Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, dispirited by scandal of sexual abuse by priests; 59-year-old Franciscan friar and veteran troubleshooter for church succeeds Cardinal Bernard Law and moves immediately to convey new tone of episcopal humility and contrition, meeting with abuse victims and hospital patients and emphasizing task of listening; will not take charge until installation Mass but suggests he will try to reach financial settlements with hundreds of people suing church, citing moral obligation even without legal requirement; O'Malley comes from Palm Beach, where bishop was accused of abuse, and left Fall River, Mass, only nine months ago after handling similar issues; Vatican names Bishop Gerald M Barbarito to Palm Beach post; photos; Dr Jim Muller, co-founder of Voice of the Faithful, calls O'Malley 'inspired' choice for changing church leadership styles; O'Malley offers kind of emphatic public apology that Boston victims often begged of Law (M)

'A People's Bishop'

Serena Williams will face Justine Henin-Hardenne in Wimbledon semifinals; Venus Williams will face Kim Clijsters; photos (M)

Wimbledon Semifinals: It's Williamses vs. Belgians

Eurostat says unemployment in 12-member euro zone stayed at 8.8 percent in May; Germany and France had rates of 9.4 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively, while Spain had highest jobless rate, 11.3 percent (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Unemployment Steady

Sam Sifton comments on barbecue authority Chris Schlesinger's method of cooking pulled pork, a 14-hour project; recipes; photos (L)

Barbecue? You Could Do It in Your Sleep

Vivendi Universal's board eliminates investor group led by Marvin Davis as one of six bidders for its entertainment business and decides to pull its record group Universal Music off auction block; five remaining contenders for entertainment group are Liberty Media, NBC, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Viacom and investor group led by Edgar Bronfman Jr that includes Cablevision Systems; NBC and Viacom have not submitted formal offers, but all parties have been instructed to submit second-round offers in two weeks with minimum bid of $11.5 billion (M)

Vivendi Snubs Bidder as It Moves to Keep Record Group

Yell Group, which publishes British yellow pages, says it will try again to go public in 850 million pound ($1.4 billion) stock offering that, if successful, would be world's largest this year; Yell Group, which is 90 percent owned by Hicks, Muse, Tate and Furst and Apax Partners, plans to list on London Stock Exchange about July 9; estimates that its shares will trade at 250 to 300 pence ($4.16 to $4.99); company cancelled initial offering last July few days before offering date, citing deterioration in market for new stocks; photo (M)

British Yellow Pages' Owner Revives Stock Offering Plan

Article on collection of nearly 20 statues of leaders and heroes of authoritarian regimes in private garden of Dallas real estate investor Harlan R Crow; fellow Texan Tie Sosnowski acquired many of statues from sculptors or from public officials as regimes crumbled; collection includes statues of Lenin, Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu and Serbian assassin Gavrilo Princip; photos (M)

Collecting Despots, Assassins And Such

Briggs Swift Cunningham II was an American entrepreneur and sportsman. He is best known for skippering the yacht Columbia to victory in the 1958 America's Cup race, and for his efforts as a driver, team owner, and constructor in sports car racing, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

July 2, 2003

Headlines from July 2, 2003

About New York; Conjuring Hamlet In a Hard Hat

World Business Briefing | Asia: South Korea: Rail Strike Ends

World Business Briefing | Americas: Brazil: Trade Surplus Slips

World Business Briefing | Asia: South Korea: Foreign Investment Falls

Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blueberry

Billboard 200

After The Storm

Dance With My Father

St. Anger

Hail To The Thief

Bare

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for July 2, 2003