September 24, 2004

China plans to ease restrictions on overseas investors buying yuan-denominated shares, seeking to attract funds after Shanghai and Shenzhen stock indexes slumped to five-year low in early September; State Administration of Foreign Exchange will make it easier for institutions to transfer money out of and into China and will also increase number of approved yuan investors; yuan-denominated Class A shares traded on Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges are open only to handful of approved foreign institutions under quota system; Class B shares trade on both exchanges in foreign currencies, and are open to overseas investors; ABN Amro Holding and Societe Generale win approval to invest combined $125 million in yuan shares, bringing to $2.85 billion total investment permitted under market-opening plan; photo (M)

New York City Police Dept fires veteran narcotics detective Luis Nieves-Diaz, who was about to retire with lucrative disability pension, after concluding that he helped another detective steal $250,000 in drug money in 1995; theft was one of series of crimes uncovered in broad corruption investigation that began last last year; it is being conducted by US Atty Roslynn R Mauskopf, Police Dept's Internal Affairs Bureau and FBI; Nieves-Diaz, who will forfeit his tax-free disabiilty pension, denies any wrongdoing (M)

Saving a Few Belongings in a Shattered Haitian Town Haitians in Gonaïves, a town in the north devastated by Tropical Storm Jeanne, struggled through calf-deep, foul-smelling water. Clean water and food were precious commodities, and health workers said they feared the spread of disease. The storm killed more than 1,100 people, Haitian officials said, most of them in Gonaïves. PAGE A3 Journalist Held Hostage Recalls Ordeal in Iraq A young Turkish journalist, Zeynep Tugrul, who was freed last week by kidnappers in northern Iraq after being held for four days along with a Canadian colleague, gave a harrowing account of her captivity. Ms. Tugrul, a diplomatic affairs correspondent with the daily newspaper Sabah, argued with her captors for her own life while trying to protect Scott Taylor, the publisher of a military affairs magazine in Canada. Mr. Taylor was also released. PAGE A12 Congress Backs Tax Cuts Democrats joined Republicans in both houses of Congress to pass legislation extending provisions of last year's tax cuts for families as well as about 20 business tax cuts, at a cost of about $146 billion over 10 years. The cuts would have expired at the end of the year. PAGE A17 Panel Warns of Troop Limits A panel appointed by the Pentagon says the American military lacks the forces to cover all its current and potential missions. PAGE A12 Yankees Make It Official The Yankees clinched a berth in the postseason for the 10th straight year when they defeated Tampa Bay yesterday. PAGE D1 Hurricanes Reborn Two storms thought to have spent themselves have revived, with Hurricane Ivan lashing Louisiana again and Hurricane Jeanne appearing to head for, yes, Florida. PAGE A16 Singer Criticizes Deportation Yusuf Islam, the British singer once known as Cat Stevens, and the British foreign secretary criticized the decision to bar Mr. Islam from entering the United States for national security reasons. PAGE A6 CBS Bets on Rob Lowe He plays the raffish but good-hearted in-house doctor at a Las Vegas casino in ''Dr. Vegas,'' which starts tonight. Reviewed by Alessandra Stanley. WEEKEND, PAGE E1

Article on visit to Rainforest Car Wash in Lafayette, Ind, one in growing number of independent theme car washes that are cropping up around country; photos (M)

Sen Hillary Clinton says she is perplexed that Bloomberg and Pataki administrations in New York do not appear interested in saving counseling program for Sept 11 responders, using $4.45 million in federal funds that she persuaded Senate to allocate from FEMA; lack of communication appears exacerbated by partisan mistrust; photos (S)