August 22, 2000

Genetic studies suggest that standard ways used to distinguish people by race, such as skin color or eye shape, have little biological meaning because human genes are virtualy the same the world round; scientists say human species is so evolutionarily young and its migratory patterns so wide that it has not had a change to divide into separate biological groups in any but most superficial ways; J Craig Venter, Harold Freeman, Eric S Lander and other scientists comment; photos; graph; Dr Alan Rogers warns that differences are there and can inform research; Dr Sonia Anand suggests considering not race but ethnicity, which encompasses both genetics and culture; gives example of heart disease in southern India, which may come both from genes and from fact that woman's status is directly proportional to her number of belly rolls (L)

Special report, Young and Condemned, on youthful offenders awaiting executions on death rows across America; 80 current cases comprise small percentage of all inmates on death row, but represent larger number of youthful offenders awaiting execution than at any other time since ban on capital punishment was lifted in 1978; only handful of such executions have been carried out in 23 of 38 states that have death penalty, underscoring complex attitudes about capital punishment in US; even many prosecutors who support death penalty, as well as national organizations neutral on issue, are concerned about sentencing to death those who were still children when crimes were committed; US is only one of seven countries that permit such executions, and one of two nations lax in ratifying lanugage prohibiting practice which is included in several humnan rights treaties, including UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; landmark 1989 Supreme Court decision upholding constitutionality of death penalty for 16- and 17-year-olds noted; case of Alexander Williams, who awaits execution on August 24 for murder committed in 1986 when he was 17, discussed; photos (L)

Russia's defense minister, Marshal Igor D Sergeyev, defends military's failure to rescue crew of stricken nuclear submarine Kursk, blaming it on budgetary problems of past decade that have 'robbed and stripped' military; suggests military may have erred in rescue attempts, but insists no fundamental mistakes were made; says foreign assistance may have helped save crew; reiterates strongly held theory that Kursk may have collided with another submarine, which suffered severe damage but eventually managed to escape; his less than contrite remarks are seen as partial attempt to quell political storm incident has wreaked on government of Pres Vladimir V Putin; Norwegian divers end rescue operations after opening inner and outer hatches of vessel's escape chamber and finding no signs of life, and after failing in attempts to open rear escape hatch; say entire vessel was flooded; Kursk sank in 350 feet of water after unexplained but powerful explosions sundered hull during military exercises in Barents Sea on August 12; US and British governments categorically deny any of their submarines or surface vessels were involved; photos (M)

New York Times is revising its stock market tables, listing prices in dollar and cents rather than in fractions; change is being made as stock markets move toward quoting prices of stocks and options in decimals (S)

Balkans have become latest gateway to Western Europe for tens of thousands of immigrants from China, South Asia and Middle Eastern countries like Iran and Iraq; Yugoslavia in particular, which has cultivated strong ties with China, has opened gates to thousands of Chinese intent on reaching Western Europe; its consulates in China freely grant tourist visas to Chinese, and legal passage into Yugoslavia eases way for illegal entry to rest of Europe; Bosnia has its own flow of illegal immigrants from Iran and Iraq and other countries with which Muslim-led government in Sarajevo has maintained strong ties, and Croatia is experiencing staggering increase in human traffic; influx underscores growing alarm among Western diplomats and migration officials that sophisticated and far-reaching network of human traffickers from Asia has switched attention from US and is looking to Europe; traffickers have found troubled and unruly countries of former Yugoslavia, with porous borders and lack of immigration laws and agreements, are ideal gateway to West; map; photos (M)

The Knicks were on the brink of trading Patrick Ewing, the cornerstone of their team for the past 15 years, but a four-team deal that would have sent him to Seattle unraveled last night. The Detroit Pistons, who were to acquire seven lesser-known players, called off the trade over contract considerations. The Knicks would have acquired Vin Baker from the SuperSonics and Glen Rice and Travis Knight from the Lakers. SportsTuesday, Page D1.

Anthony Tommasini Critic's Notebook on Salzburg Festival, where Russian conductor Valery Gergiev has been agitating to have Russian operas performed; Gergiev's Kirov Opera and Ballet has now made festival debut with concert performance of Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades, based on Pushkin novel; cast is mostly Russian, with notable exception of Placido Domingo in lead role as Hermann; photo (M)

Anonymous NBA official says New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing was on brink of being traded to Seattle SuperSonics before 4-team, 13-player deal fell apart; says Detroit Pistons, who were set to acquire seven marginal players, called off trade; proposed trade would have had Knicks acquiring forward Vin Baker from SuperSonics and Glen Rice and Travis Knight from Los Angeles Lakers; photo (M)

John Tierney, in Big City column, notes that Long Island neurologist Sean Kenniff was voted off Survivor island to satisfaction of many viewers, especially women; holds that Survivor seems rare female-friendly game show; says although men have advantage in physical contests requiring strength and speed, overall format of competition appears suited to women's subtle social skills at networking and cooperation (M)

The Genesis of a Slogan The term ''working families,'' which is increasingly popular with Democrats, was used by Vice President Al Gore as far back as 1988. PAGE A18 Ford to Idle 3 Plants Ford will close three plants for two weeks to make an extra 70,000 tires available as replacements for those recalled by Firestone. PAGE C1

Telecommunications union workers appear to have been victors in strike against Verizon Communications; agreement, which increases wages, improves pension benefits and reduces mandatory overtime, touches many of hot-button issues of new economy--including stock options, profit-sharing and relentlessness of long workdays; labor and management experts are marveling at settlement that is generous by almost any measure; investors welcome partial settlement of strike, but stock remains sharply lower than before strike because of concerns over cost of agreement; graph; photo (M)

UN assembles new team of arms inspectors to reenter Iraq within weeks, raising prospect of another confrontation with Pres Saddam Hussein over weapons programs; move comes two years after Iraq halted cooperation with previous group of inspectors, provoking diplomatic crisis and ongoing American and British air strikes; government has warned it will not cooperate with UN's new weapons commission, which Security Council ordered nine months ago in hopes of resolving objections to previous commission by Iraq, Russia and France; new team, with members from 19 countries, will be more accountable to UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan; will be headed by Hans Blix; members will work directly for UN, not for own countries as before; photo (M)