News analysis of ongoing partisan battle over federal budget; despite rancorous disagreements, economic prosperity has brought Republicans and Democrats closer on fiscal policy than either usually admits (M)

Budget Rift, Not a Chasm

Sophmore Erick Barkley, who brought agent Andy Miller with him when he spoke to St John's coach Mike Jarvis, is expected to decide today whether he will return to school for junior year; Miller says he serves as adviser, not agent (M)

Barkley's Decision Is Expected Today

Pentagon survey finds that antigay remarks and harassment are commonplace in American military, especially in form of offensive speech and gestures and that overwhelning majority of service members believe superiors and colleagues tolerate it to some extent; suggests that despite repeated efforts to prohibit such behavior, disparaging and even hostile attitudes toward gay men and women remain pervasive part of military culture; findings surprise many senior military officials, who have publicly played down extent of harassment; Defense Sec William Cohen appoints committtee of civilian and military officials to review findings; says military leaders must do more to make it clear that harassment based on sexual orientation violates military values; photo; chart (M)

SURVEY OF TROOPS FINDS ANTIGAY BIAS COMMON IN SERVICE

Oklahoma State defeats Seton Hall, 68-66, at NCAA basketball tournament; photo (M)

Scrappy to the End, Seton Hall Finally Tumbles

Florida defeats Duke, 87-78, in NCAA basketball tournament; photos (M)

Off-Target Duke Is Latest No. 1 To Get Dismissed

 Pope Stays Above the Fray  Despite violence and interfaith disputes during his visit to the Holy Land, Pope John Paul II has stayed above the fray, and offered what some see as a model of brotherly discourse.   NEWS ANALYSIS, PAGE A8    Ultimatum in Nassau County  Standard & Poor's threatened to downgrade Nassau County's bond rating to junk, county legislators said, unless they agree to raise taxes this year if other measures fail to close a budget gap.   PAGE B1

INSIDE

US Airways and its 10,000 flight attendants continued to negotiate as the deadline passed at 12:01 a.m. today. The airline had said it would suspend operations if no settlement were reached or if talks were not extended to avoid disruptions that the union had threatened. Passengers were awaiting the outcome nervously and trying to switch airlines.    Business Day, Page C1.

Talks at US Airways Go On Past Deadline

Nintendo remains uncontested champion of hand-held computer games, boasting more than 99 percent of market despite increasing number of competitors; has sold nearly 88 million Game Boys, industry's greatest 'bit' player, over past decade, and new color version introduced in 1999 has inspired new generation of games-to-go that promises to extend company's market domination well into future; carry-with-you personal computer engenders fierce customer loyalty and has thus far been impervious to competition; is probably one of most profitable consumer electronics devices ever developed; photos; charts (M)

88 Million and Counting; Nintendo Remains King of the Handheld Game Players

OPEC gropes toward consensus on eve of crucial meeting in Geneva to discuss extent and timetable of any oil production increase; Saudi Arabia, largest producer and most powerful OPEC member, favors reducing prices to about $25 per barrel from peak of $34 on March 8, but Iran and Libya remain opposed and positions have hardened in recent days; charts (M)

OPEC Divided On Increase In Production

Russia's state-owned television broadcasts reports that Grigory A Yavlinsky, leading challenger to Acting Pres Vladimir V Putin, is supported by Jews, homosexuals and foreigners; prime-time reports by ORT television are intended to exploit anti-Semitism, homophobia and suspicion of foreigners that still pervade Russian society, as well as its enthusiasm for conspiracy theories; Yavlisnky, who is running distant third in field of 11 candidates, stands to siphon most votes from Putin; poses greatest danger to Putin's chances of winning mandate in first round of voting; Putin implores Russians to go to polls and to pick leader who can restore country's prestige; photos (M)

State TV Ties a Putin Rival To Jews, Gays and Foreigners

Baseball officials say New York Yankees plan to give pitcher Roger Clemens, 37, two-year contract extension after his current contract expires in fall; Yankees have informed Detroit Tigers of their interest in outfielder Bobby Higginson (M)

Yanks and Clemens Appear to Get Jump on Future

Microsoft reportedly presents formal written proposal to settle antitrust suit filed by Justice Department and 19 states that would restrain some of its business practices; proposals are reportedly for changes in conduct; issues in case reviewed; range of remedies proposed by plaintiffs, notably breakup of company, discussed (M)

Microsoft Said To Offer Plan For Settlement

Nassau County legislators say Standard & Poor's threatened to downgrade county's bonds to junk status if they did not agree to raise taxes this year if government failed to close budget gap (M)

Rating Agency Gives Nassau An Ultimatum

Negotiators for US Airways Group and Association of Flight Attendants continue contract talks past strike deadline on request by Ernest W DuBester, chairman of National Mediation Board; threat of shutdown of nation's sixth-largest carrier sows tension and chaos in airports nationwide; thousands of passengers rush to change reservations or seek refunds on tickets; photo (M)

US Airways and Union Talking as Strike Deadline Passes

Edifice Rex, Web site billed as world's first Internet portal for residents of specific co-ops and condominiums, is introduced in 300 high-end apartment houses in New York City managed by Insignia Residential Group; service offers to over 200,000 apartment dwellers in 65,000 co-ops and condominiums one-stop access to abundance of services that range from building maintenance to grocery deliveries; photo (M)

Where Is That Super? Try the Web; A New Site Links Co-Op and Condo Tenants to Services

Martha Argerich, reclusive and tempestuous Argentine-born pianist who inspires cultlike devotion among ordinary concertgoers and admiration from many of world's most respected musicians, discusses tumultous career in interview with Anthony Tommasini; is celebrated for her interpretations of Romantics; gave up solo recitals in 1981 because of emotional problems; her recent concert with Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, which elicited frenzied ovation including 10 curtain calls, noted; photo (M)

An Enigmatic Pianist Reclaims Her Stardom

Fatal shooting of Patrick Dorismond, unarmed man, during scuffle with members of New York City's undercover narcotics squad in midtown on March 16 raises questions about effectiveness, tactics and training of officers involved in expended narcotics efforts; police officials say ambitious $24 million narcotics enforcement drive is unqualified success; say great care is taken to ensure that officers involved are properly trained and adequately supervised; some community leaders voice misgivings; say use of aggressive tactics to arrest people for often minor crimes has only increased tensions in city where many black and Hispanic residents already view police with suspicion and fear; say antidrug program has had little impact on major crimes, producing only tide of arrests made up almost entirely of misdemeanors; chart (M)

Shooting Raises Scrutiny Of Police Antidrug Tactics

John Tierney satirical column on movies that claim to be true stories even though they are not (M)

The Big City; Small Statues And Tall Tales (A Love Story)

Sen Joseph I Lieberman, two-term Democrat, is running for re-election in Connecticut; he has sky-high approval ratings, overflowing campaign coffers and no opponent as yet; Waterbury Mayor Philip A Giordano, one Republican who has expressed interest in mounting challenge, has been discouraged from doing so by Gov John G Rowland and state Republican chmn Chris DePino; Lieberman is considered as possible running mate for Al Gore; photo (M)

Despite Talk of Vice Presidency, a Senator Focuses on His Day Job

More Bodies Found From Uganda Cult** Ugandan police discover 153 additional bodies of members of doomsday cult Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God in shallow graves on land belonging to sect outside headquarters in Kanungu, where hundreds recently died in fire in makeshift church; say victims, including at least 59 children, were murdered; say mounting mounting evidence indicates fire at church was not mass suicide as first believed (M) previously believed (M)

More Bodies Found From Uganda Cult; Murder Is Suspected

William C Rhoden Sports of The Times article on Seton Hall basketball team's success at NCAA tournament as welcome diversion for school traumatized by fatal dormitory fire; Msgr Robert Sheeran, university president, comments on integrating sorrow and joy; photos (M)

Sports of The Times; Grappling With Elusive Bottom Line

FBI assists British and Canadian law enforcement officials in arrest of two 18-year-old British youths for theft of more than 26,000 credit card accounts over Internet; estimates losses connected with thefts could exceed $3 million; an individual claiming responsibility for obtaining and publishing credit card data has been in contact with American and European journalists in recent months, telling them that break-ins were aimed at exposing common insecurities in commercial Web sites (M)

2 British Youths Held in Theft of Credit Card Accounts on Internet

 Microsoft Said to Offer Plan  To Settle Antitrust Case  Microsoft presented a proposal in an attempt to settle the antitrust case filed by the Justice Department and 19 states against the company. Lawyers were studying the plan to decide whether it was promising enough to warrant weekend negotiations.     Representatives of the government said Microsoft agreed to restrain some of its business practices but the document contained so many technical details that they could not analyze it quickly. Judge Richard A. Posner, chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals in Chicago who is acting as a mediator in the case, has urged the two sides to resolve the case quickly. [Page A1.]    Dow Falls, but Nasdaq Rises Again  A volatile week on Wall Street ended quietly, as the Dow Jones industrial average fell slightly and the technology-laden Nasdaq composite index crept closer to the record it set earlier in March. The Dow was down 7.14 points, to 11,112.72, while the Nasdaq rose 22.42 points, to 4,963.03. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index rose 0.11 point, to 1,527.46. The real action yesterday was in bonds, with the price of the benchmark 30-year Treasury bond falling, sending the bond's yield, which moves in the opposite direction from its price, up to 5.99 percent from 5.91 percent on Thursday. [C3.]

BUSINESS DIGEST

 The ambassador to the United Nations wants to re-engage America in the world, to advance the cause of Africa and, most of Washington believes, to get on the fast track for secretary of state. A report by James Traub in The Times Magazine.  

HOLBROOKE'S CAMPAIGNS

Canadian Airlines Corp, threatened by group of creditors, is given protection by government while Air Canada, its new owner, begins financial restructuring (S)

CANADIAN AIRLINES GETS PROTECTION

Ozan Muhammed Kabak is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim and the Turkey national team.

Ozan Kabak, Turkish footballer

Ozan_Kabak

Helen Dorothy Martin was an American actress of stage and television. Martin's career spanned over 60 years, appearing first on stage and later in film and television. Martin is best known for her roles as Wanda Williams on the CBS sitcom Good Times (1974–1979) and as Pearl Shay on the NBC sitcom 227 (1985–1990).

March 25, 2000

Headlines from March 25, 2000

Budget Rift, Not a Chasm

Barkley's Decision Is Expected Today

SURVEY OF TROOPS FINDS ANTIGAY BIAS COMMON IN SERVICE

Scrappy to the End, Seton Hall Finally Tumbles

Off-Target Duke Is Latest No. 1 To Get Dismissed

Billboard 200

Supernatural

Latest Greatest Straitest Hits

Life Story

Dr. Dre -- 2001

BTNHResurrection

Notable Births

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for March 25, 2000