New York Yankees defeat Kansas City Royals, 6-0; photos (M)

Yanks Enjoy Nice Game of Pitch and Catch

Anthony Tommasini reviews world premieres of Rage d'Amours, one-act opera by Robert Zuidam, and Ainadamar, one-act opera by Osvaldo Golijov, at Tanglewood Music Center; photos (M)

New Operas Remember The Agony Of Lovers Left Behind

Williams Grimes Critics Notebook on Jeremiah Tower's new book Calfornia Dish, memoir that recounts origins of California cuisine, heavily reliant on grilling and fresh flavors; photos; drawing (M)

Raising a Glass to Himself: Jeremiah Tower Grills His Peers

Alan Riding reviews book Marianne in Chains: Daily Life in the Heart of France During the German Occupation by Robert Gildea; photos (M)

Survivors, Not Heroes Or Villains, In Occupied France

World Business Briefing | Asia: Hong Kong: Telecom Profit

Two Palestinian teenagers blow themselves up in separate suicide bombings, killing two Israelis and inflicting new blow to fragile American-led plan to forge peace between Palestinians and Israeli; attacks jar Israelis after over month of relative calm; Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade claims responsibility for first attack, Rosh Haayin; Hamas claims responsibility for second, near entrance to Ariel, Jewish West Bank settlement; Prime Min Ariel Sharon again calls for Palestinian Authority to crack down on militants; has yet to launch military reprisal; White House spokeswoman echoes Sharon's call to disarm militants; State Sec Colin L Powell pledges attacks will not derail peace efforts; Hamas leaders deny its attack marks end to self-imposed cease-fire; call it retaliation for killing of two Hamas members in Israeli raid in Nablus; Palestinian Authority condemns attacks; blames Israel for violating terms of peace plan; photo (M)

2 ISRAELIS KILLED IN SUICIDE ATTACKS BY ARAB BOMBERS

Merrill Lynch moves to repair damage from its latest burst of management turmoil by rehiring Robert J McCann as vice chairman overseeing its brokerage and money-management operations; McCann, who left five months ago and joined Axa Financial in June, will rank second only to chairman-chief executive E Stanley O'Neal; photo (M)

Looking for Calm, Merrill Rehires Popular Executive

Dan Barry column says New Yorkers have occasion every day and in countless ways to remember what happened on Sept 11, 2001 (M)

About New York; Remembering What a City Can't Forget

Suffolk County, NY, District Atty Thomas J Spota reports grand jury has indicted 567 people in insurance-fraud ring that staged thousands of auto accidents and then employed own network of doctors, therapists and fake medical clinics to bilk State Farm Insurance of $48 million, news conference; prosecutors and insurance experts say ring was largest of its kind ever broken in state; Spota says ring used 'runners' and 'crash dummies' in cars that would cut in front of other cars, often driven by women with children or by elderly drivers, slam on brakes and cause crash; accidents were staged mainly in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and Westchester County; probe began in 2001, when insurers notified authorities that same names were popping up over and over on insurance claims; one runner was involved in about 1,000 accidents; ring is based in Brooklyn's heavily Russian Brighton Beach section; insurance-fraud lawyer sees link to Russian organized crime; some profits were channeled to businesses in Russia and others were withdrawn by Russians from Swiss bank accounts (M)

Investigators Say Fraud Ring Staged Thousands of Crashes

 Fed Holds Steady  The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1 percent, but it cheered financial markets by strongly suggesting that it will not increase rates until next year.   BUSINESS DAY, PAGE C1    Libya to Admit to Bombing  Libya is expected this week to end 14 years of resistance and accept responsibility for the downing of Pan Am Flight 103, while paying $2.7 billion into a fund for the victims' families.   PAGE A7

INSIDE

Harvey Araton Sports of The Times column discusses ongoing lawsuit against Oakland Coliseum Commission by Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis over moves from Oakland (Calif) to Los Angeles, and back to Oakland again (M)

Sports of The Times; Al Davis's Other Game

Martin R Leach, president and chief operating officer of Ford of Europe for about year, resigns; Ford Europe reported pretax loss of $525 million in second quarter, compared to $18 million loss year earlier; David W Thursfield, chairman and chief executive of Ford of Europe, will oversee operations until successor is named for Leach; photo (M)

President of Ford of Europe Steps Down Amid Losses

Unidentified British arms dealer is arrested, Newark, NJ, on charges he tried to sell Russian made surface-to-air missile to American undercover agent posing as Al Qaeda operative; American investigators, acting with extensive help from Russia and Britain, seize shoulder-fired missile and launcher, which had been made inoperable as part of complex sting operation; Pres Bush and Russian Pres Vladimir V Putin were regularly briefed on case, which involved exchange of agents between FBI and Russian internal security service; table of data and drawing of missile system; photo (M)

U.S. HOLDS BRITON ON MISSILE CHARGE

Britain's NTL Inc says its net loss for second quarter dropped to 159 million pounds ($255 million) from 284.8 million pounds ($456 million) year ago; revenue was 551 million pounds, about even with year earlier; founder-chief executive Barclay Knapp will step down on Aug 15; photo (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Britain: TV Concern Posts Loss

World Business Briefing | Europe: Britain: Broadcaster Has Profit

A leading European insurer, AXA, reported an unexpected increase in operating earnings in the first half as higher premiums and cost-cutting increased profit in its property and casualty business. Operating profit, which excludes one-time items and acquisition-related costs, increased 6 percent from the period a year earlier to 1.09 billion euros ($1.24 billion), the chief executive, Henri de Castries, said at a news conference in Paris. Net income fell 75 percent to 209 million euros, hurt by losses on equity investments.  

World Business Briefing | Europe: France: Insurer Posts Profit

British government pushes back release of report weighing bidders for Safeway grocery chain after unnamed bidder asks for another meeting with regulators; report will be released on Aug 18; grocers Tesco, J Sainsbury and Asda, which is part of Wal-Mart Stores, expressed interest in Safeway and it agreed to deal in January with William Morrison Supermarkets (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Britain: Delay In Grocer Bidding

Seventh article in Human Nature series on Long Island Sound focuses on shifting debate between farmers, developers, environmentalists and town government over uses of farm and shore land in Riverhead, NY; tentative balance is reached, largely through mediacy of Richard Wines, farmer and businessman, that allows for development as high as six units an acre away from Sound and preserves more farmland than town's original plan; photos; map (L)

Saving the Farm On Long Island Sound; Agriculture Boomlet Revives Debate

Julie Powell is trying to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking within one year; keeps amusing daily Weblog of her progress; project is reminiscent of how many young women taught themselves to cook decades ago, working their way through cookbooks; some of her successes and failures noted; photos (M)

A Race To Master The Art Of French Cooking

Labor officials involved in contract talks at Verizon plan to announce campaign to collect names of people who would be willing to switch their service to AT&T, competing provider of local, long-distance and wireless phone services; union officials say that AFL-CIO, which is coordinating effort to appeal to millions of Verizon customers, would not yet urge them to switch phone companies; threat is seen as effort to increase bargaining position of unions representing 78,000 Verizon technicians and operators who have worked without contract for 10 days and also sign that there may be more rancor in talks than had been indicated earlier; photo (M)

Unions May Ask Verizon Customers to Try AT&T

Iraqi officials and others say United States presence in Iraq is spurring rising tide of Muslim militants to slip into nation to fight foreign occupier; officials say fighters steal over largely unpoliced borders in small groups, beardless and dressed as civilians, go to safe houses and await instructions; expect broad spectrum of militants to flood nation; say Ansar al-Islam, small fundamentalist group with suspected links to Al Qaeda, forms backbone of underground network; Barham Saleh, prime minister of Kurdish-controlled part of northern Iraq, says US success in Iraq would be blow to terrorists; photo (M)

Rising Tide of Islamic Militants See Iraq as Ultimate Battlefield

Federal Reserve leaves its overnight interest rate unchanged at 1 percent and suggests it will not raise interest rates until at least some time next year; stock market climbs modestly; photo (M)

Fed Maintains Its Key Rate And Suggests No Shift Soon

Ex-Pres Clinton reportedly has become one of California Gov Gray Davis's key strategic advisers as Davis battles recall; reportedly met privately with him in Chicago last week, speaks regularly with him by phone and has offered to campaign for him; sees parallel between effort to oust Davis and own impeachment battle; photo (M)

California's Embattled Governor Gains a New Adviser: Bill Clinton

 Bar Association in Shift On Corporate Disclosure  The American Bar Association approved a change to its model code of conduct to allow a lawyer advising a company to disclose client confidences to protect the company from harm caused by an employee's crime.    The vote approved the second significant change to the model code, which state judiciaries draw on in defining lawyers' responsibilities, at the bar association's annual meeting in San Francisco. [Page C4.]

BUSINESS DIGEST

Article on work of Sen Christopher Dodd, Connecticut Democrat, in seeking to promote diversity in displays of artwork in Capitol building in Washington, DC; portrait of Blanche Kelso Bruce, first African-American to serve full Senate term, now hangs just outside entrance to visitors' seats overlooking Senate chamber; sculpture in Rotunda depicts pioneers of women's suffrage; advocates support change as way to highlight feminist and civil rights movements while critics say it places political correctness above historical accuracy; photos (M)

Face Value at the Capitol; Senator Wants to 'Promote Some Diversity' in Congressional Artwork

Edward Benjamin Townsend was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He performed and composed "For Your Love", a rhythm and blues doo-wop classic, and co-wrote "Let's Get It On" with Marvin Gaye.

August 13, 2003

Headlines from August 13, 2003

Yanks Enjoy Nice Game of Pitch and Catch

New Operas Remember The Agony Of Lovers Left Behind

Raising a Glass to Himself: Jeremiah Tower Grills His Peers

Survivors, Not Heroes Or Villains, In Occupied France

World Business Briefing | Asia: Hong Kong: Telecom Profit

Billboard 200

Bad Boys II

Now 13

Dangerously In Love

Fallen

Jackpot

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for August 13, 2003