April 17, 1998

Federal investigators say that about 80 rare fish found in warehouse in Brooklyn and in shipping crates in Port Elizabeth, NJ, are endangered dragon fish from Southeast Asia; arrest Zhi Lin Chen, employee of Chinatown acquarium shop, and charge him with selling rare fish on black market to collectors for up to $6,000 each; Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation curator Dr Dennis A Thoney says dragon fish, also known as Asian arowana, is probably most expensive aquarium fish sold on black market in US; photo (M)

Clyde Haberman column notes that Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani wants to set aside most of $1.2 billion surplus in his proposed 1998-99 budget to help cover future deficits, but knowledgeable organizations like Citizens Budget Commission and Independent Budget Office want to use surplus to repair city's aging infrastructure (M)

Report by United Nations chief arms inspector, Richard Butler, concludes that Iraq is no closer to meeting requirements for lifting of sanctions than it was last fall, when Baghdad began to disrupt efforts to locate and destroy its remaining weapons of mass destruction; evidence in report of Iraq's failure to provide any new information on its weapons, coupled with new outburst of defiance from Baghdad, raises once again prospect of confrontation between Iraq and United States, which has twice threatened military action against Iraq for impeding weapons inspections; Butler's report is turned over to Sec Gen Kofi Annan and is likely to go to Security Council by weekend; Iraqis step up pressure to have sanctions lifted, a move diplomats did not expect in earnest until next sanctions review in October (M)

Black empowerment deals are thriving in South Africa, but skepticism is mounting as to whether such deals help blacks; in last four years, so many deals have been struck that blacks now control 28 companies worth total of more than $13 billion, about 6 percent of Johannesburg Stock Exchange; blacks and whites are surprised and pleased that it has gone so well; but there is growing dissatisfaction with mega-deals that enrich only few fortunate and well-placed blacks; Jimmy Manye, who heads Black Management Forum, questions whether black empowerment deals truly empower blacks; some specific mergers deals detailed; chart lists largest South African businesses in which blacks have significant roles in running companies; photo (L)

Albany Still Has Pet Projects New York's budget process was touted this year as the end of the back-room deal. Apparently, that didn't cover old-fashioned pork. Page B1.