William C Rhoden Sports of The Times column discusses Texas Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez, who seems to be weathering team's losing seasons with ease and optimism; Rodriguez's exorbitant contract and personal successes have likely made dealing with team's struggles easier; photo (M)

Sports of The Times; No Losing Sleep Over Losing Games

InterActiveCorp reports earning $92.2 million in second quarter, down from $2.27 billion in 2002 period; reports operating income of $111.8 million, up from $25.4 million in 2002; failure to sharply exceed expectations spurs stock price drop; stock price graph (M)

Diller's Company Grows, but Not Enough for Investors

New York City tourism numbers this summer are up slightly from last year, but not as robust as they were in summer of 2000; reports show that, for example, hotel occupancy is up but hotels are charging less for rooms; photos (M)

In New York City, a Tourism Glass Half Full

General Electric to buy most of Transamerica Finance Corp's commercial lending business from Aegon, Transamerica's Dutch parent, for $1 billion in cash (M)

G.E. Will Buy Transamerica Lending Unit From Aegon

Charges of sexual assault against Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant could cause advertising companies that he represents, including McDonald's and Nike, to cut their ties swiftly and completely, even if he is eventually cleared of charges; photo (M)

With Bryant in Court, Marketers Might Flee

Credit Suisse Group reports second-quarter profits surged 1.35 billion francs, compared with year-earlier loss of 579 million francs; stock price graph (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Switzerland: Credit Suisse Profit Soars

New York City officials say detective Martin H Kane shot unarmed Vivian Rodriguez by accident while struggling to open bathroom door of Brooklyn (NYC) apartment, which was housing alleged fencing operation; photos (M)

City Officials Suggest a Shot In a Police Raid Was Accidental

Bart Potenza and Joy Pierson are opening restaurant, Candle 79, on East 79th St and Lexington Ave; it will be building's fifth tenant in 20 years; owners recruited feng shui consultant to help with design of restaurant, which will have vegan menu; photos (M)

Feng Shui and Vegan Fare Battle a Neighborhood Curse

 Cisco's Profit Climbs a Bit, But Sales Slowed in Quarter  Cisco Systems reported a higher profit but slightly lower revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter as it continued to weather the downturn in corporate technology spending.    Its president and chief executive, John T. Chambers, said that corporate spending remained constrained and that Cisco's gains were due more to internal efforts and cost-cutting than to an improving sales environment. After declining 40 cents, to $18.86, shares of Cisco fell sharply after hours. [Page C5.]

BUSINESS DIGEST

Eric Lipton Political Memo discusses New York City Mayor Michael R Bloomberg's announcement that he was reasonably certain he could repeal three of city's major tax increases this year; announcement has prompted fiscal conservatives to applaud Bloomberg and city's economic recovery; many city officials, however, say such repeals will most likely be impossible given city's budget crisis (M)

Political Memo; As Mayor Misspeaks, City Runs To the Bank

Toyota Motor Corp, Japan's largest automaker, reports earning 222.6 billion yen ($1.9 billion) from Apr to June, down 9.7 percent from year-earlier period; global sales rose 5.6 percent, to 4.1 trillion yen ($34.2 billion) (M)

Profit Falls By 9.7% At Toyota

American Heart Association's new recommendation that some cardiac arrest victims be chilled may give lift to startup companies developing new ways to cool patients; several companies have developed systems to cool blood, chilling body from inside out; others favor cooling from outside in; chill therapy is currently used for some types of surgery, but is rare outside operating room; current therapies are cumbersome and take hours to work; devices now being developed could eliminate some hazards and open up market; photos (M)

Hope Rises for Patient Cooling Therapy

Royal Bank of Scotland Group reports pretax profit jumped 25 percent in 2003 first half, to 2.9 billion euros ($4.6 billion) (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Scotland: Royal Bank Reports Profit Rise

Creditors of bankrupt KirchMedia empire accept Haim Saban's $1.3 billion offer for control of ProSiebenSat.1; Saban will pay 525 million euros ($593 million) for Kirchmedia's 72 percent voting stake in leading German television broadcaster; reportedly will also buy out second, smaller shareholder, inject fresh capital into broadcaster and guarantee high-yield bond of 200 million euros ($226 million) by banks; faced last-minute competition from Apax Partners, which filed own bid (M)

German TV Group's Creditors Accept Hollywood Mogul's Offer

Hanaro Telecom shareholders narrowly defeat takeover bid by LG Group (S)

World Business Briefing | Asia: South Korea: LG Bid For Hanaro Is Blocked

France, showing its continued willingness to bail out struggling French businesses, confirms it plans to buy up to 30 percent of Alstom industrial group to prevent it from going bankrupt; trading in Alstom shares is suspended until details of 600 million euro ($681.8 million) refinancing package are announced; France will fund about half of refinancing; photo (M)

France Confirms Plan To Help Rescue Alstom

Itau, Brazilian private bank, posts first-half profit of 1.49 billion reais ($460 million), up 52 percent from 2002 period; second-quarter net profit was 776 million reais, compared with 544 million reais a year ago (S)

World Business Briefing | Americas: Brazil: Itau Posts 42% Profit Rise

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines cancels flights to Iraq in its reservation system for Sept because American authorities says security situation is too unstable; over 20 airlines from around world have applied to start service to Baghdad; KLM had begun accepting reservations before any carrier got permission to fly there; photo (M)

KLM Delays Start of Baghdad Flights

Sides of Monrovia held by Liberian government and by rebel forces are divided by bridges, composing bleak landscape of haves and have-nots; photos; Pres Charles Taylor's side has little food or fuel but sufficient supply of drugs and doctors dispatched by international aid agencies; rebel side holds port and has plenty of food and fuel, but no drugs or doctors; commander of what is to be West African 'interposition force' visits rebel zone, where leaders say they will not release port until Taylor leaves country; individual soldiers on both sides and ordinary people rejoice in streets at prospect of peace (M)

The Haves and Have-Nots Reside On Both Sides of Liberian Capital

Ryanair, low-cost airline, reports after-tax profit for Apr-June quarter grew 4 percent, to 40.5 million euros ($46 million); revenue rose 26 percent from year-earlier quarter, to 245.2 million euros ($278.3 million); photo (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Ireland: Ryanair Posts Rise In Revenue

Vehicle packed with explosives blows up in front of Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, killing at least ten people and wounding nearly 150 in hotel, restaurant and office building; photos; map; sites were frequented by Americans, but dead are all Indonesian except for Dutch banker Hans Winkelmolen; Indonesian court is about to announce verdicts in trials of accused Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists charged with Bali bombing that killed 202 people, many Australian; Prime Min John Howard links latest attack to group (M)

INDONESIA BOMBING KILLS AT LEAST 10 IN MIDDAY ATTACK

United States housing has cleaved over last 20 years into two very different markets; home prices in areas that were already the most expensive, California and Boston-to-Washington corridor, have often doubled or tripled, creating nest eggs for longtime owners; but boom has bypassed most of country's vast middle, where prices have ridden just ahead of inflation, leaving owners with little housing bounty; dynamic is reversed for young adults, who are struggling to afford houses on coasts, while their counterparts elsewhere are buying bigger, better homes than in past; some economists warn that price boom in some cities could be bubble, which could burst and leave some people with mortgages larger than resale value of their homes; many analysts expect housing gap to narrow eventually because prices have outpaced incomes on coasts in last two decades, but this may not begin to occur until people decide that mansion in Fort Wayne is more appealing than small apartment in New York; photos; chart of regional housing prices (M)

In Most of the U.S., A House Is a Home But Not a Bonanza

People of Radford, Va, recount battle to oust hundreds of black, beady-eyed, smelly vultures that suddenly arrived to roost in town from last November to March, when they left to lurk in woods nearby; photos; local officials map strategy for their return; spread of suburban development in rural areas across southern Virginia has brought vultures along other unwelcome animals and number is growing; vultures like being near people, their roadkill, livestock and landfills; Florida and Virginia have largest populations in east; vultures are protected under 1918 law restricting killing of migratory birds, and conservationists accuse Agriculture Department of exaggerating vulture damage and health threat (M)

Beady-Eyed Stinkers Feast on Urban Fringes

New York City teachers weigh in on plans to implement new literacy program for sixth and ninth graders whose reading levels are behind national averages, with some concerned about logistics of program's integration and time alotted to train teachers; photos (M)

One Curriculum, Many Skeptics

Verizon Communications indicates it is near accord with Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; Communication Workers says little progress is being made; conflicting statements confuse many workers (M)

Two Sides Differ On State of Talks For Verizon Pact

Julius Baker was one of the foremost American orchestral flute players. During the course of five decades he concertized with several of America's premier orchestral ensembles including the Chicago Symphony and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

August 6, 2003

Headlines from August 6, 2003

Sports of The Times; No Losing Sleep Over Losing Games

Diller's Company Grows, but Not Enough for Investors

In New York City, a Tourism Glass Half Full

G.E. Will Buy Transamerica Lending Unit From Aegon

With Bryant in Court, Marketers Might Flee

Billboard 200

Bad Boys II

Now 13

Moodring

Strays

Dangerously In Love

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for August 6, 2003