Farecast, an airfare search engine, predicts how much the price of an airline ticket will rise or fall over the coming days.

Airfares Made Easy (or Easier)

Congo's biggest challenge will be getting its competing groups to recognize and respect the election results.

Congo Nears Historic Election, Praying for Peace

The investigation is the fourth into suspected killings of unarmed Iraqis by American soldiers announced by the military in June.

G.I.'s Investigated in Slayings of 4 and Rape in Iraq

Five Yankees pitchers held the Mets to one hit to get a victory in the 63-minute rain-delayed game.

Yanks Leave Mets Guessing

The race will go off without the favorites for this year's race — Jan Ullrich of Germany and Ivan Basso of Italy.

Top Cyclists Are Out of Tour in Doping Case

Videotapes of the seven men arrested in Miami did not provide evidence that they had any ties to Al Qaeda.

Two Views of Terror Suspects: Die-Hards or Dupes

Expectations changed dramatically for American riders after a doping scandal led to the withdrawal of four riders who finished second through fifth behind Lance Armstrong last year and left three leading teams with less than a full roster of nine riders.

Withdrawals Clear a Path for Americans and Discovery

A drug maker can license what has come to be called an "authorized generic" of its drug once its patent is broken.

Generic Drugs: The Window Has Loopholes

Residents of Hancock, N.Y., located in the Catskills, are beginning to tally the losses from this week's flooding.

A Tiny Town Ravaged by Flood Confronts the Big Job Ahead

The most anticipated match of the World Cup recovered from a tedious start to provide a dramatic finish as Germany defeated Argentina on penalty kicks.

Stretched to Limit, Germany Ousts Argentina

The judge tossed out the racketeering convictions because the statute of limitations had run out.

Judge Acquits 2 Ex-Detectives in Mob Killings

Under a proposal by the billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, Renault and Nissan would pay $3 billion for a 20 percent stake in G.M.

G.M. Is Pressed to Form Alliance With Two Rivals

Increasingly, investors want their hometown dailies free of absentee corporate owners.

Yearning to Put Papers Back in Local Hands

Kirk Kerkorian, General Motors' largest shareholder, is pressing company to speed up its turnaround effort by forming alliance with Nissan and Renault, which would pay $3 billion for 20 percent stake in GM; alliance would offer Kerkorian opportunity to enlist help of Carlos Ghosn, hard-charging executive who oversees Nissan and Renault; photos (M)

Former New York City Police Comr Bernard B Kerik pleads guilty to accepting gift in form of renovations on his Bronx apartment in 1999 and 2000 worth $165,000; plea is made to Justice John P Collins in New York State Supreme Court; renovations were done by Interstate Industrial Corp, company accused of having ties to organized crime; Kerik will pay fines of $221,000; is also accused of accepting $28,000 loan from real estate developer Nathan Berman; photo (M)

Former Police Commissioner Pleads Guilty to Taking Gift

Doping scandal that could end up being most widespread in cycling's history brought havoc to Tour de France with several of top contenders implicated and removed from field on eve of prestigious race; race will go off without riders who finished second, third, fourth and fifth behind Lance Armstrong last year--including this year's favorites, Jan Ullrich of Germany and Ivan Basso of Italy; Ullrich, Basso and at least seven other riders were suspended after meeting of race organizers and team directors in Strasbourg, France; photo (M)

You squeeze into your seat in the airliner, buckle up and then, against your best judgment, you start asking your seat mates what they paid for their airfare.      That's what Oren Etzioni did on a flight in 2002 and he discovered that, of course, others paid less for their tickets. Even worse, said Mr. Etzioni, a professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington, ''they bought later than I did.''  

A WEEK ago yesterday, Zocor's United States patent protection expired. Zocor, of course, is Merck's big cholesterol-lowering drug, which last year generated $4.4 billion for the company. As Alex Berenson pointed out in The New York Times, that makes Zocor ''the largest-selling drug yet to be opened to generic competition.''     Not long ago, a big pharmaceutical company like Merck would have rolled over and played dead once its ''branded'' drug lost patent protection. For the first six months after the patent's expiration, the company would probably have maintained its old monopoly price, while a single generic drug maker, which had gained the right to sell its version exclusively for 180 days, undercut it by, say, 20 percent. After the six months were up, and half a dozen generic companies started making their own versions of the drug, the price would ''fall off the cliff,'' in the words of the generic drug expert Tim Van Biesen of Bain & Company. At which point, the branded drug would fade into oblivion.  

South Bronx native Dolores Munoz learns to become female professional boxer at neighborhood's Fort Apache Youth Center; is also mother and senior at Fordham University; female boxing is growing but remains rare in many gyms; George Hankins runs gym to nurture talent and provide escape for Bronx youths growing up amid violence; photos (M)

When Other Fighters Call Her Pretty, They Learn to Duck

If the real estate billionaire Eli Broad had his way, The Los Angeles Times would run more photographs of donors at charity events. There would be fewer stories on movies and more about the city's museums and classical arts. And it would champion civic projects, becoming, in his view, the glue to unite a diverse and fractured city.     Newspapers are the soul of a community and they should be locally owned, Mr. Broad said one recent afternoon on the 12th floor of an office tower here overlooking acres of million-dollar homes. And that is why he would like to see The Los Angeles Times, now owned by the Chicago-based Tribune Company, acquired by a group of local organizations, including his own $2 billion foundation.  

Carlos Ghosn has never recoiled from big challenges, and the auto industry has none bigger than fixing General Motors.     As the head of Nissan Motors, Mr. Ghosn rapidly transformed an also-ran to one of the most profitable major automakers. Since he added the title of chief executive of Nissan's lagging French partner, Renault, a year ago, he has taken steps to begin a similar turnaround there.  

Big Holder Looks to Turnaround Artist to Transform G.M.

New York Yankees defeat New York Mets, 2-0; photos (M)

William C Rhoden Sports of The Times column discusses New York Mets third baseman David Wright and New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who are both subject of major media attention; photos (M)

Lessons Learned on New York's Hottest Corner

US riders at Tour de France could contend now that number of high-profile riders have withdrawn because of doping allegations; photos (M)

US military is investigating accusations that soldiers raped Iraqi woman in her home and killed her and three family members, including child; alleged rape and killings took place March 12 in vicinity of Mahmudiya, insurgent stronghold near Baghdad; US officials say investigation involves five soldiers from 502nd Infantry Regiment; say one soldier has admitted his role and has been arrested, and others are confined to their base; two soldiers from unit were abducted in town of Yusufiya and killed by insurgents in early June; Russian government offers $10 million for information leading to killers of five embassy workers in Baghdad (M)

Ryutaro Hashimoto  was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1996 to 1998.

Ryutaro Hashimoto, Japanese politician, 53rd Prime Minister of Japan (born 1937)

Ryutaro_Hashimoto

Robert Lepikson was an Estonian politician, businessman and rally driver/co-driver.

Robert Lepikson, Estonian race car driver and politician, Estonian Minister of the Interior (born 1952)

Robert_Lepikson

Frederick Sewards Trueman, was an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the England cricket team. He had professional status and later became an author and broadcaster.

Fred Trueman, English cricketer and sportscaster (born 1931)

Fred_Trueman

The Qinghai–Tibet railway or Qingzang railway, is a high-elevation railway line in China between Xining, Qinghai Province, and Lhasa, Tibet. With over 960 km (600 mi) of track being more than 4,000 m (13,123 ft) above sea level, it is the highest railway line in the world.

The first operation of Qinghai–Tibet Railway is conducted in China.

July 1, 2006

Headlines from July 1, 2006

Airfares Made Easy (or Easier)

Congo Nears Historic Election, Praying for Peace

G.I.'s Investigated in Slayings of 4 and Rape in Iraq

Yanks Leave Mets Guessing

Top Cyclists Are Out of Tour in Doping Case

Billboard 200

The Big Bang

Taking The Long Way

Decemberunderground

High School Musical

One - X

Notable Deaths

Historical Events

Historical Context for July 1, 2006