November 23, 1992

In the second hit-and-run accident in four days on a stretch of the Grand Concourse in the Bronx where residents say motorists routinely break the speed limit, a 2-year-old boy broke away from his adult cousin and stepped in front of a car that the cousin said had run a red light. The child, Alfuseny Dukurey, was taken to Bronx-Lebanon Hospital by police officers from the 46th Precinct. He was listed in critical but stable condition last night, the authorities said. His cousin, Daly Camara, 20 years old, was not injured.

By devaluing two currencies on Sunday, the European Community eased some monetary strains but did not address the underlying problem -- Germany's insistence on keeping its interest rates high. Page D1.

Confronting issues that threaten New York's social stability and his own re-election, Mayor David N. Dinkins said yesterday that he would address the city in a televised Thanksgiving Eve appeal for harmony in the face of growing racial and ethnic tensions. The Mayor's speech at noon on Wednesday -- the fourth time in his tenure that he has taken to the airwaves to ask New Yorkers directly for understanding and to quell criticism of his stewardship -- underscores the seriousness of tensions since the Crown Heights verdict last month, as well as the urgency Mr. Dinkins has assigned to dealing with the problem.

WORKING WITH AIDS As more people live longer and stay healthier because of advances in the treatment of the AIDS virus, many are trying to hold on to jobs. Some work despite symptoms of illness because they have no choice -- they need the income or the health insurance benefits. But many others work as long as they can for the vitality, camaraderie and sense of self-worth a job can provide. What these workers are finding in the workplace varies greatly. A1. NEW YORK CITY CUNY FAILS TO PUT JEFFRIES FIGHT BEHIND When Dr. Leonard Jeffries Jr. was removed last spring as head of City College's black studies department for his racially charged remarks about blacks and Jews, trustees of the City University of New York thought they had bought peace for the department by replacing him with Dr. Edmund W. Gordon, a mild-mannered scholar. But after four months on the job, Dr. Gordon is struggling to steer a department that appears paralyzed by the controversy over Dr. Jeffries. A1.

By devaluing the Spanish and Portuguese currencies early this morning, the European Community eased some immediate strains on its embattled monetary system, but the action did nothing to address the underlying financial problem afflicting Europe -- Germany's continuing insistence on keeping its interest rates high. With most of the Continent in the economic doldrums, Germany's rates have cast a pall over hopes for economic recovery any time soon.

After a merely mortal 36-year-old Martina Navratilova was pounded into submission by an 18-year-old phenomenon who wears a double-decker hairdo and keeps a double grip on her racquet, the loser referred to the winner as a "big, bad wolf." This was a compliment. Monica Seles, who used her special brand of radar to create a demoralizing new shot, the service-return ace, and who blithely splashed the sidelines with sonic winners, secured her third consecutive Virginia Slims Championships title yesterday, winning by 7-5, 6-3, 6-1.

If you were hoping the Giants would do well today against the Philadelphia Eagles, here's some good news. The Giants managed to score 34 points. They sacked Randall Cunningham four times, they held the ball for almost 35 minutes of the 60-minute game and Dave Meggett returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. Don't ask about the rest. The Giants lost, 47-34, and were victimized in bizarre fashion along the way. They allowed a 20-6 lead to dissipate. They allowed the Eagles to block one punt for a touchdown, return another for a touchdown and return an intercepted pass for a touchdown. They gave up 184 yards rushing. They allowed their quarterbacks to be sacked eight times, including three and a half sacks by their longtime nemesis, Reggie White.

Senate and Sex Harassment Senator Bob Packwood of Oregon is accused of sexual advances toward 10 women in a case that could test how the new Congress will handle such complaints. Page A10. Tornadoes Ravage South An unusual late-season series of tornadoes from Texas to Ohio has killed at least 16 people and injured hundreds more. Page A10. Yacht Found in Atlantic A racing sloop missing for three weeks was seen north of the Azores, but the sailor Mike Plant wasn't spotted. SportsMonday, page C1. Voters Back Peru's Leader Voter surveys and unofficial tallies showed strong backing for President Fujimori in electing a congress to write a new constitution. Page A3. Buyers Seek Spy Satellites In a sharp departure in U.S. policy, experts say, the Government is considering permits to sell spy satellites to other countries. Page A7. Yankee Ingenuity Wins One In a startling reversal, American companies are trouncing Japanese rivals in the design and marketing of portable computers. Page D1. U.S. Export: Patients Americans living near the Mexican border routinely go south for cheaper medical care and prescription drugs, a survey finds. Page A11.

The Tug-of-War in Europe The European Community's plan to allow people to travel among the 12 nations without showing a passport has been quietly postponed, in a new blow to the community's dream of unity. Britain and Denmark strongly oppose removing passport checks, and several other governments are demanding tighter controls to bar illegal immigrants, criminals and terrorists. [ Page A1. ] Does an apparent breakthrough in world trade negotiations really matter? Most economists, if not quite all, answer with a resounding yes. International trade has been a great engine of prosperity for the last century and shows every promise of remaining one in the next. Economic Watch. [ A1. ]

Fujitsu Ltd. would seem in an ideal position to become a dominant player in the booming portable computing market. The world's fifth-largest chip maker, Fujitsu is adept at precisely what the Japanese microelectronics companies are supposed to be best at: miniaturizing each new generation of computer parts and packaging it elegantly for the consumer market. But at the vast Comdex/Fall trade show in Las Vegas, Nev., last week, Fujitsu had very little new to offer in the way of portable computers. And the same was true for other Japanese computer makers. Indeed, in a startling reversal of the technology trend in recent years, the action in mobile computing was all American.

While the European Community is on course to become the world's largest customs-free market on Jan. 1, the plan to allow people to travel between the 12 nations without ever showing a passport has been quietly postponed. Britain and Denmark are strongly opposed to removing passport controls at their borders, Ireland is tied to Britain's regulations and several other governments are demanding tighter controls to keep out illegal immigrants, criminals and terrorists.

When Dr. Leonard Jeffries Jr. was removed last spring as head of City College's black studies department for his racially charged remarks about blacks and Jews, trustees of the City University of New York thought they had bought peace for the department by replacing him with Dr. Edmund W. Gordon, a mild-mannered scholar at the twilight of a distinguished career. But after four months on the job, Dr. Gordon is struggling to steer a department that appears paralyzed by the controversy over Dr. Jeffries's statements, in which he characterized whites as greedy, materialistic "ice people" and blacks as humanistic, communal "sun people."