July 12, 2004

Thousands of nurses in poorest countries in Africa, discouraged by low pay and grueling conditions, are leaving to take jobs in rich countries, primarily Britain; result of nursing crisis--neglect of the sick--is starkly apparent on wards of hospital in Malawi, where single nurse often looks after 50 or more desperately ill people while many former nurses there now minister to patients in private hospital rooms in Britain; African nurses are also migrating to United States and New Zealand, but in smaller numbers; human cost of nursing shortage in Malawi hospital described; because African governments paid to educate many health care workers who are leaving, African countries banded together at annual assembly of World Health Orgn in May to urge developed nations to compensate them for their lost investment; after intense debate, assembled countries resolved to search for ways to lessen damage of what they call increasing rates of emigration; photos; charts (L)

Article on Irish singer Ronan Tynan, member of Irish Tenors who will appear for last time in concert with group on July 17 in New Hampshire before pursuing solo career; Tynan, who says split is amicable, has signed contract with Universal Classics for new record of inspirational songs to come out next spring and will perform solo concert at Carnegie Hall in October; photo (M)

Nextel Communications's rapidly improving business has defied skeptics, who have long seen company as scrappy, but distant, contender in cellphone business; bigger carriers now covet its service that lets cellphones double as walkie-talkies, feature that has helped Nextel capture significant piece of lucrative corporate market; president and chief executive Timothy M Donahue comments on outlook, interview; graphs of cellphone industry financial data; photos (M)

Patchwork of unexpectedly soft economic reports is raising doubts about vigor of United States economic recovery; recent sluggish economic indicators have inspired note of caution in forecasts that have been bullish until now; most economists remain confident that economic growth is shifting to lower, more sustainable rate, not collapsing; graphs of economic indicators that have fallen or leveled off recently; photo (M)

Freedom Tower cornerstone is in place at Ground zero; deep within smoke-blackened ruins of underground parking garage, 30 workers are installing tendonlike bundles of steel cable, called tiebacks, to anchor concrete perimeter foundation wall to bedrock; this will permit demolition in coming months of last major structural vestige of old World Trade Center; photos (M)