June 25, 1999

Harvey Araton, in Sports of The Times column, contends that Tim Duncan of San Antonio Spurs has dominated New York Knicks in NBA finals with his bank shot off backboard; photo (M)

Current and former commanders in Kosovo Libveration Army, and some Western diplomats, say that senior commanders of rebel army, which signed disarmament agreement with NATO, carried out assassinations, arrests and purges within their ranks to thwart potential rivals; say that campaign, in which as many as half dozen top rebel commanders were shot dead, was directed by Hashim Thaci and two of his lieutenants, Azem Syla and Xhavit Haliti; Thaci denies, through spokesman, that he was responsible for any such killings; photo (L)

Microsoft Corp plans to introduce feature in its Windows operating system allowing users to determine what kinds of games can be played on computer; such a feature could enable parents to keep a game with violence, offensive language or nudity from being played, based on game's content rating; Microsoft multimedia group product manager Kevin Bachus says option, to be included in next release of Windows, will be similar to feature on Microsoft's Web browser that can be used to block access to some sites; Microsoft's offering could represent most widespread program available for parents to use to limit their children's exposure to games they consider unsuitable; new release of Windows will be available sometime next year; it is to be installed on all new personal computers that run Windows operating system and will be available for purchase as upgrade for most of nation's more than 60 million home computers (M)

Economists and investors are shifting focus to Federal Reserve's long-term agenda as most are certain that Fed will push its benchmark lending rate up by modest quarter of percentage point next week in pre-emptive strike against possibility of resurgent inflation; odds now seem to favor in-between scenario in which Fed tightens Federal funds target rate by quarter-point, to 5 percent, and then perhaps once more by another quarter-point later in summer, before shifting back into neutral; Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Board Gov Laurence H Meyer, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas president Robert D McTeer Jr and Federal Reserve Bank of New York president William J McDonough comment on state of economy and monetary policy; AFL-CIO president John J Sweeney says if we make monetary policy on basis of fear of inflation, we will inevitably forgo very benefits that have been so crucially important to working families these last three years, news conference on Capitol Hill; photos of Sweeney at news conference with members of Congress and other organizations and of members of Federal Reserve System; graphs on inflation, gross domestic product, worker productivity and unemployment (M)

Union Victory a Milestone Workers in North Carolina appeared to have ended a 93-year epoch, voting to allow a union inside the nation's largest textile plant. PAGE A16 Democrats' Medicare Worry House Democrats say they are nervous that the President's Medicare plan, with higher premiums, could alarm elderly voters. PAGE A21