May 23, 1999

Molly Haskell article on mysterious chemistry between stars cast as lovers that makes some movies hits; cites tangibles, such as economics of casting, and intangibles that go into mix; photos (L)

NATO bombed an important Kosovo Liberation Army base, thinking it was still in the hands of Yugoslav troops. The Kosovo rebels said 7 fighters were killed and 25 wounded. Article, page 10.

17-story Art Deco building at 90 Franklin Street in Tribeca East Historic District in lower Manhattan is being converted into 25 luxury condominiums by Robert A Levine; photo (M)

Release of Congressional investigation report on China's suspected theft of United States nuclear technology is likely to alter US national security and foreign policy, slow the export of technology and reshape Clinton Adminstration's commercial diplomacy toward China; investigating panel, led by Repr Christopher Cox, has reportedly concluded, secretly and unanimously, that China has been systematically stealing information on US nuclear warheads and missiles from 1970's until today; panel was created by former Speaker Newt Gingrich to look into possible misconduct in Clinton Administration policy of encouraging commercial exports to China, but took turn to become decade's deepest look into post-cold war espionage after security leak at Los Alamos nuclear laboratory was revealed (M)

Challenges facing new Israeli leader Ehud Barak discussed; photo; his victory has allowed kind of public catharsis of repressed grief over slain Yitzhak Rabin, although Barak's role will be more of a consensus builder; Barak himself is very model of Zionist pioneer, born on kibbutz to Ashkenazi Jews and resolutely secular; he reads Jewish history as struggle between fanatics and pragmatists, and observes that purists have ended up dead, like Zealots who killed themselves at Masada (M)