January 30, 1999

Five Crown Heights, NYC, teen-agers are arrested in conection with stabbing death of basketball player Michael Bennett during clash over scoring of game; Yasser Ashburn is charged with the stabbing; David Forrest, Izzy Hill, Andre Mitchell and Derek Loper face related charges; photo of Ashburn (M)

Planning documents show that leaders of Salt Lake City's effort to win Olympics committed themselves as early as 1991 to four-year campaign that included financial assistance to people who could influence awarding of 2002 Winter Games; campaign, which called for use of hired lobbyists and payments to national Olympic committees around world, was outlined in detailed blueprint presented in Dec 1991 to board of business leaders that oversaw Olympic bid; internal committee documents portray aggressive program to use money to secure votes by city determined not to fail again in its efforts to bring Olympics to one of fastest-growing metropolitan areas in West; photos (M)

A Surge in 1998's G.D.P. Pushes Market Gauges Up The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index rose 14.27 points, or 1.13 percent, to a record 1,279.64, after the Government announced a surprising surge in United States economic growth. Other market gauges also soared. The Nasdaq composite index surpassed 2,500 points for the first time, increasing 28.55 points, to 2,505.89, and wrapping up its biggest monthly gain in 24 years. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 77.50 points, to 9,358.83, with I.B.M. and Hewlett-Packard accounting for almost half of the gain. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond fell to 5.08 percent, from 5.10 percent on Thursday. [Page C3.] The nation's gross domestic product increased at a 5.6 percent annual rate in the final quarter of 1998. This marked the fastest pace in two years and made 1998 the third consecutive year that the economy had expanded at a nearly 4 percent pace. [A1.] Several Airlines Increase Fares Several major airlines, including Delta and Northwest, announced across-the-board fare increases, which if successful would be the first in more than two years. But some airlines had not gone along with the price increases as of late yesterday, indicating that their success was far from assured. [C2.] Microsoft Data Public, Court Rules A Federal appeals court has decided that all the deposition transcripts and videotapes in the Microsoft antitrust trial must be made public. That includes the 20 hours of taped deposition testimony of William H. Gates, the chairman of the software giant, as well as about 100 other depositions taken by the Government or the company. [C2.] Breakthrough in Banana Fight After five days of intense wrangling, members of the World Trade Organization reached a compromise in a politically charged dispute over bananas between the United States and European Union, averting a major rift at least for now. [C2.] Vice President Al Gore told the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, that the financial crisis of 1998 could become ''the trade crisis of 1999,'' and said the United States would seek the elimination of enormous subsidies that European nations provide to their farmers. [A5.] S.E.C. Halts Trades of USA Talks The Securities and Exchange Commission suspended trading in the shares of the start-up Internet telephony company USA Talks.com after they almost quadrupled in less than a month, to a market value of $1.3 billion. The agency said questions had been raised about ''the accuracy and adequacy of public information'' about the company, including questions about the status and extent of its business operations. [C3.] Kellogg's Earnings Drop 40% Shares of Kellogg fell $1.4375, to $40.625, after it said fourth-quarter profit excluding one-time adjustments fell more than 40 percent, reflecting stiffer competition and less consumer appetite for cereal. The results were in line with analysts' estimates, which had been revised downward more than once. Kellogg's chief executive, Arnold G. Langbo, conceded that ''our financial results are disappointing.'' [C2.] Nokia Profits Rise 72% in Quarter The cellular phone maker Nokia reported a 72 percent increase in fourth-quarter earnings, topping analysts' expectations. The Finnish company's profit rose to 3.474 billion markkaa ($666 million), or 6.09 markkaa a share. Analysts had expected a net profit of 3.2 billion markkaa. [C2.] Sony May Sell Music on the Internet Sony Music Entertainment is studying a plan to allow Internet users to download music for a fee and record it onto minidisks. [C2.]

Signs of alarm deepen in Brazil as currency plunges again; real has fallen 43 percent in under three weeks, threatening to return nation to era of hyperinflation and economic stagnation; Government again raises interest rates, to 37 percent, in increasingly desperate bid to stabilize real and keep foreign investors from fleeing; congresional employees empty their bank accounts on rumor that Government will freeze personal savings; Pres Fernando Henrique Cardoso pledges he will not confiscate accounts; photo (M)

Atty Gen Janet Reno declines to appoint independent counsel to investigate whether former White House aide Harold M Ickes lied to Senate committee in 1997; decision is significant step toward bringing Justice Dept's campaign finance inquiry to close, leaving virtually no investigation open that can lead to independent counsel's examination of Pres Clinton's re-election fund-raising; Ickes says he is pleased that potential prosecution has been lifted after nearly year of inquiry into whether he testified falsely about his activities on behalf of teamsters union; his photo (M)