July 28, 2004

Initial public offering of Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Group unit that is India's premier software services firm, is expected to raise $935 million to $1.25 billion on sale of 55.4 million shares, or about 13.33 percent of its equity; road show to promote offering in Mumbai drew around 700 brokers and analysts, twice number company expected; Tata Group has been criticized for not taking TCS public during technology boom in 1990's, but Tata says making offering in overheated market goes against its principle of being fair to shareholders; Tata says it will use cash from TCS offering to retire debt and expand other businesses; photo (M)

In the moments leading up to every outing for the past two years, Tom Glavine has sought out the backup infielder Joe McEwing in the clubhouse and proclaimed: ''Biggest game of the year today. Biggest game of the year.'' There was only one variation to his message Tuesday night. He might have actually meant it.

Sen John Kerry calls for 18-month extension of Sept 11 commission, sharpening critique of Pres Bush's response to report by declaring that nation cannot afford 'backpedaling' on national security; tells Democratic campaign rally in Norfolk that commisssion should monitor progress on its recommendations for fighting terrorism; Vice Pres Cheney, campaigning at Camp Pendleton in California, also shows how commission report has been thrust to center of campaign, invoking it to boost claim that invasion of Iraq was essential part of fighting terrorism; Cheney says enemies of religious and political pluralism must be vanquished; Kerry says commission recommendations, such as naming one intelligence chief, would have been adopted long ago were he in office; photos; Cheney also continues asserting that Sept 11 attacks made Iraq war necessary (M)

Body of girl believed to be Brittney Gregory, 16-year-old from Brick Township missing for two weeks, is found in wooded area quarter-mile from high school she attended; Jack Fuller, family friend, has been charged with her murder; photo (M)

Fierce battle is emerging over Internet-based phone service, both among rival telephone and cable carriers, software providers and equipment makers and between federal and state regulators; supporters of service generally agree that shielding Internet calls from traditional telephone regulations would allow technology to flourish, leading to reduced costs for new providers and lower prices for consumers; disagreement arises over whether rules on 911 emergency service and payments to universal service fund should apply to Internet phones and over issues that have long dominated phone industry, like interconnection fees paid to local phone companies; FCC and big companies in field want to reduce state regulation, but states argue that they have critical role in protecting consumers and ensuring access for the underserved and disabled and argue that regional Bell phone companies, which dominate local market, are trying to use Internet-based calling to get around existing phone regulations that have valuable social purpose; photos; graph (M)