June 7, 2004

Kirk Kerkorian makes unsolicited $4.5 billion bid to buy Mandalay Resort Group, deal that would give his MGM Mirage a virtual hammerlock on Las Vegas's best-known and most upscale hotels and casinos; price represents 13 percent premium over Mandalay's share price, but that may not be enough because most analysts now have 12-month target price for Mandalay of between $68 and $80 a share; Mandalay's shares rose 10 percent on June 4 after it reported near doubling of first quarter earnings, to $87.3 million and cited surge in popularity for Las Vegas; investment banks seek to interest MGM Mirage rivals in Mandalay; antitrust experts suggest that MGM Mirage could be forced to sell some hotels on Strip to placate regulators; Kerkorian photo (M)

Alessandra Stanley TV Watch column reviews season finale of HBO series The Sopranos; photo (M)

Avenue Q, show about band of puppets and their human cohorts, pulls stunning upset at 58th annual Tony Awards by winning prizes for best musical, best book and best score; Doug Wright's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama I Am My Own Wife wins for best play and its sole actor, Jefferson Mays, wins as best actor; revival of 1991 Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman musical Assassins leads all productions with five Tonys, including best revival of musical and best director Joe Mantello; photos (M)

Jockeys Alex Solis and Jerry Bailey, aboard Rock Hard Ten and Eddington, pressured Smarty Jones at beginning of Belmont race and had impact on Birdstone's victory; photo (M)

Prime Min Ariel Sharon coaxes Israel toward evacuation of some settlements next year, winning approval from right-wing coalition government to begin preparing for what he calls 'disengagement' from Palestinians of West Bank and Gaza; government decision falls short of original evacuation plan, but through mix of compromise and cajoling, including abrupt dismissal of two far-right ministers before vote, Sharon appears to be advancing toward goal despite fervent right-wing opposition; advisers say vote will permit him to pursue plan while preserving coalition and forestalling parliamentary elections, buying him months to build more support; plan has opened fissures within Likud party as well as provoking outrage from many right-wingers; Palestinian Prime Min Ahmed Qurei says Palestinians welcome Israeli withdrawal if it is total and comprehensive and Bush administration calls plan 'courageous'; Sharon's actions come without seeking peace agreement; asserts Palestinian leadership is not credible negotiating partner but says Israel must act now to avoid ceding more land in eventual internationally imposed solution; Israeli court sentences Marwan Barghouti to five consecutive life terms, plus 40 years, for his involvement in attacks that killed four Israelis and Greek monk; on entering court, Barghouti calls for Palestinian uprising to continue; map; photos (M)