June 6, 1996

Barely three months after Bertelsmann A.G. of Germany, Canal Plus of France and B Sky B of Britain joined forces in the race to develop digital television broadcasting across Europe, the alliance is under severe strain as a result of a separate television deal negotiated by Bertelsmann, reportedly without consulting its two original partners. The crisis has been brewing since early April when it was announced that Bertelsmann's audiovisual division, Ufa, would merge with Audiofina Cie.'s Luxembourgoise de Telediffusion, or CLT, to create a powerful broadcasting venture with interests in several European countries, including France.

Ken Druse stood on the back porch of his little handyman's special in the northwest corner of New Jersey, talking about drought and flood. "We had the worst drought of the century here last summer, followed by 120 inches of snow," he said. Then came the January thaw, and the river rose nine feet and sent 16 inches of water into the basement. And just a few weeks ago, a mini-tornado blew up and took down three red maples.

Starting July 3, New Jersey drivers will be able to get a 5 percent reduction or better on their car insurance rates in exchange for taking a defensive driving course approved by the state Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Insurance announced yesterday.

Generation X" cannot complain that it is being ignored in the Russian presidential election. Young Russian voters are being wooed American-style -- to the sound of heavy metal. In a recent episode of the MTV-style get-out-the-vote show "Choose or Lose," Yevgeny Kemerovsky, a rock star, solemnly explained why he intends to vote for President Boris N. Yeltsin: "I won't be able to make my music videos if the Communists come to power."

Harold P. Weingold has a Ph.D. in psychology, but a Superior Court judge in Essex County had doubts about his credentials as a self-proclaimed "lottery doctor." Dr. Weingold was ordered to pay $500,000 to more than 2,000 people who sent him money in the hope that he could cure their bad luck, the state Division of Consumer Affairs announced yesterday.