April 18, 1998

U.S. Exports to Japan Fall, And Trade Gap Widens American exports to Japan plummeted in February and helped send the United States trade deficit to its widest gap in a decade.

Orlando Magic defeat New Jersey Nets, 121-109; photos (M)

General Motors Co posts first-quarter net income of $1.6 billion, down 10.7 percent from $1.796 billion in 1997 quarter; sharp rise in cost of rebates and other sales incentives raises concerns about earnings later in year; table (M)

Ira Berkow Sports of The Times article lauds New Jersey Nets coach John Calipari and New York Knickerbockers coach Jeff Van Gundy; cites Calipari's handling of Sam Cassell's refusal to complete game; sees young Nets on their way up and old Knicks declining; photo (M)d

Federal judges in Manhattan have jailed two men for refusing to testify before a grand jury that is investigating fund-raising in the United States by the militant Islamic group Hamas, one of the men and a lawyer for the other said yesterday. One of the men, Abdelhaleem Ashqar, who was jailed on Feb. 23, said by phone that he refused to answer questions posed to him about several Palestinian advocates in the United States and abroad. One of those advocates is Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook, the Hamas political leader who was jailed in New York during an extradition battle with Israel before he was released to Jordan last year.