September 24, 1997

Ties, and Knots, With Japan The United States and Japan agreed to strengthen military ties, although China has warned that it might threaten Asian stability. Page A7. Fear Rules Afghan Capital Afghanistan's capital is a place of deepening fear and frustration under the repressive rule of the Taliban Islamic movement. Page A6. Power Sharing for Serbia Voting results show Yugoslavia's leader must share power, but it may be a nationalist alliance since many moderates stayed home. Page A8. Cable TV Rates Climbing Cable television rates are spiraling upward, and two consumer groups blamed the F.C.C., saying that it failed to curb the industry. Page D1.

Springfield, Mass, hometown of Theodor Seuss Geisel, known to millions of children as Dr Seuss, will create memorial to Geisel populated with six bronze sculptures of characters from his books (S)

Leif Ove Andsnes, widely acclaimed Norwegian pianist, is named recipient of 1998 Gilmore Artist Award by Irving S Gilmore International Keyboard Festival; award consists this year of out-and-out grant of $300,000, with immediate payment of $50,000 and remainder available to Andsnes at any time, to be used for whatever projects he may choose to enhance his career; photo (M)

Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union say Federal Communications Commission has allowed cable television rates to rise at three times inflation rate since new telecommunications law was passed in early 1996; groups, in petition filed with FCC, call on commission to freeze cable rates and to overhaul its formula for determining reasonable rates; they say FCC ought to clamp down on mergers between cable operators and cable programming services, which were relaxed in Telecommunications Act of 1996; FCC does not respond directly to demands; Meredith J Jones, chief of commission's cable services bureau, says most effective regulator of cable rates is more robust competition from television satellite services; graph (L)

Kiwi International Air Lines announces series of new routes, first expansion of service since troubled air carrier was saved from bankruptcy in July (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)