June 19, 1999

Russia and United States sign military agreement that integrates 3,600 Russian troops into Kosovo peacekeeping force, dividing them among three of five sectors led by NATO countries; accord comes after three days of grueling negotiations, breaking tense stalemate over Russia's role in Kosovo; control of airport is to be shared: Russian commanders will be in charge of ground operations, while NATO will oversee air traffic control; Russian negotiators had originally demanded separate Russian sector, as had Pres Boris N Yeltsin; photo (M)

New York City Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew decides to remove at least five superintendents because he has lost confidence in their ability to lead and to improve student achievement; Crew's top aide, Chiara Coletti, who makes announcement, says superintendents will be identified next week, and other removals might follow; other aides to Crew say superintendents to be removed include two of five boroughwide superintendents who oversee high schools, along with several of 32 district superintendents who supervise elementary and middle schools; Coletti says removals will not be based solely on test scores; says Crew is looking at factors such as districtwide achievement gaps between white and Asian students, on one hand, and black and Hispanic students, on other (M)

Path Clears for Holbrooke Richard C. Holbrooke could soon become chief delegate to the United Nations, after Jesse Helms suggested as much in the Senate. PAGE A3 A Mirror on Gambling A commission on gambling released a study that advocates and foes both immediately seized on as supporting their views. PAGE A9

Soccer Women's World Cup is set to open before sell-out crowd at Giants Stadium, largest audience ever to attend female sporting event in United States; photos (M)

Brotherhood/Sister Sol seeks to put off its eviction from Teachers College at Columbia University, where it has provided an after-school program for disadvantaged students from minority groups; students can use college's facilities and be tutored by student volunteers at the college; program say it needs time to find a suitable new location; college says it is being forced to reclaim space by rising enrollment and demand for more faculty and research space (M)