Ira Berkow Sports of The Times column discusses anti-Semitic statements made by New York Knickerbockers basketball player Charlie Ward; quotes from Bible to show Ward the errors in his reasoning; photo (M)

Sports of The Times; Countering The Terms Of Hatred

Investors pile back into growth-stock funds in April and turn away from bonds and cash; many fund managers and analysts fear this may be a so-called sucker's rally, a bear market phenomenon that comes before further declines (Market Place column) (M)

THE MARKETS: Market Place; Who's Afraid Of the Big, Bad Bear Market?

Article discusses how native plants in New York metropolitan region are becoming increasingly pushed out of their soil by development and aggressive nonnative plants; several botanists comment; photo (M)

The Invasion of the Soil Snatchers; Newcomers Push Out Native Plants

Germany's IFO index of business confidence dropped for ninth consecutive month in March and reached its lowest level in 12 months (S)

GERMANY: CONFIDENCE GAUGE FALLS

Formula for calculating maximum heart rate, standard in cardiology and in fitness programs, is being challenged by some physiologists and cardiologists, who say it is simplistic to rely on single formula to predict maximum heart rates of individuals; standard formula involves subtracting person's age from 220; Dr William Haskell, who devised formula in 1970, comment; photos (M)

'Maximum' Heart Rate Theory Is Challenged

Bond prices are down sharply after Argentine government calls off $750 million debt auction scheduled for April 24; credit market investors take it as sign that country, mired in long recession and strapped for cash, may be in danger of defaulting on its $128 billion debt; prices for floating-rate government bond falls 5.6 percent, pushing its yield 22.1 percent (S)

ARGENTINA: BOND MARKET TURMOIL

John Tierney The Big City column contends that while New York City has some of world's most spectacular waterfront property, its prime use often seems to be as battleground; latest fight is over power plants in Long Island City, Harlem and Brooklyn; state and city officials warn of blackouts and economic disaster unless plants are built; environmentalists and local officials are opposed because of environmental concerns (M)

The Big City; Striking Oil? My Backyard Is Just Fine

Hilton Group, which owns Hilton chain outside US, says it will buy Scandic Hotels of Sweden for $890 million, adding 133 hotels in Scandinavia and 21 in other parts of Europe; photo (S)

BRITAIN: HOTEL ACQUISITION

Grace Glueck reviews exhibition of paintings and drawings collected by comedian Steve Martin at Bellagio Hotel gallery, Las Vegas; photos (M)

In Vegas, Steve Martin Tries a Different Kind of Show

 Compaq to Cut More Jobs As Profit Comes Up Short  Compaq Computer reported first-quarter earnings that missed Wall Street's already lowered expectations by a penny. The company also said it would eliminate 2,000 more jobs than it had announced last month, increasing its cuts to 10 percent of its work force.     Compaq made the cuts because of a steep decline in sales in the United States. But it cited double-digit growth in Europe and Asia as a sign of encouragement. [Page C4.]

BUSINESS DIGEST

Pres Bush will offer Taiwan range of advanced weapons, including eight diesel submarines and four guided-missile destroyers that China has sought to block, but will not approve far more sophisticated class of ships whose advanced radar systems could counter China's growing military power; decision takes diplomatically cautious path advocated by advisers inside and outside administration who have warned about dangers of further escalation of tensions with Beijing, even though list of older yet sophisticated arms could vastly improve Taiwan's navy; list of weapons systems approved by administration (M)

BUSH IS OFFERING TAIWAN SOME ARMS BUT NOT THE BEST

Consortium led by Sir Anthony O'Reilly is preparing to bid for Ireland's formerly state-owned telephone company, Eircom PLC; includes Providence Equity Partners, Soros Private Equity Partners, Warburg Pincus and Goldman Sachs (M)

Consortium Of Investors To Offer Bid For Eircom

More than a dozen current or former employees of Worldcom are accusing brokers at Salomon Smith Barney, firm hired to oversee company's employee stock option program, of pressing them into risky investment business that left them with significant losses and onerous tax bills when WorldCom shares fell in 2000; claim Salomon's brokers pushed them to exercise their options and borrow against shares by placing acquired stock in margin account; say brokers discouraged diversification and did not fully explain risks should WorldCom's stock decline; all complaints focus on activities of handful of brokers in Salomon branch office in Atlanta (M)

Salomon Faces Complaints Over Options At WorldCom

Article discusses early success of Minnesota Twins this season; photo (M)

Surprising Twins Give Foes a Run for Their Money

Ann Powers reviews performance by singer Willie Nelson at Beacon Theater; photo (M)

Grizzled Baby All Grown Up to Be a Cowboy

Samsung Electronics says it earned 1.24 trillion won ($944.5 million) in first quarter of 2001, down 22 percent in won terms or, because of won's recent weakening, down 36 percent in dollar terms from first quarter 2000; sales rose in quarter to 8.6 trillion won ($6.55 billion), 10.2 percent rise in won terms from year earlier but decline in dollar terms (S)

Drop at Samsung Electronics Is Not as Steep as Expected

Charlie Ward, faced with continuing criticism over published comments he made about Jews, including rebuke from NBA Commissioner David Stern, issues apology; says that he did not intend to offend anyone with his remarks (M)

Ward Is Contrite After Stern's Rebuke

Delta Air Lines' contract agreement with its pilots leapfrogs agreement at United Airlines, making its pilots the highest paid in industry; Delta says increases will add more than $2 billion to its current pilot costs over life of four-year contract; average Delta pilot earned $188,038 in salary and benefits last year; such pattern bargaining is expected to raise labor costs across rest of industry by equal measures in coming years as pilots at American, Continental and Northeast also demand raises above current rates at Delta and United; analysts say airlines can do little to counter increases other than raise business fares (M)

A Leapfrog Pattern in Pay Pacts for Airline Pilots

Cabaret singer Karen Akers to appear at Oak Room; McCollough Sons of Thunder, gospel choir, to perform in program exploring relationship of jazz, religion and spirituality; Peabody Symphony Orchestra to perform under leadership of Hajime Teri Murai, with guitarist Manuel Barrueco; early paintings, drawings and murals by Marc Chagall to go on view at Jewish Museum; photos (M)

Footlights

SAirGroup, parent of Swissair, reaches agreement to sell its Swissotel chain of 23 luxury hotels to Raffles Holdings of Singapore for $170 million and some related assets to other buyers for another $655 million; Raffles, majority-owned CapitaLand, Singapore land developer, will also assume $72 million of debt (M)

Parent of SwissAir in Deal To Shed Some Hotel Assets

PetroChina says profit more than doubled in 2000, to 55.2 billion yuan ($6.7 billion) (S)

CHINA: PROFIT AT OIL CONCERN

AIDS experts are divided over whether generic drug manufacture in developing countries is best way to ease African AIDS crisis; some fear generic drugs of unreliable strength could spur growth of drug-resistant viruses; others question whether developing nations or international health groups acting for them can monitor safety and potency of drugs and enforce manufacturing standards, noting contaminated drugs for other illnesses have killed hundreds of people in developing nations in past decade; others cite desparate need to make drugs available (M)

Generic Medicine for AIDS Raises New Set of Concerns

Brazil's state-owned oil company, Petroleo Brasileiro, or Petrobras, is fined total of $8.9 million after recent accidents on two offshore rigs spilled nearly 400,000 gallons of oil into sea 120 miles off coast of Rio de Janeiro; is also cited for inappropriately using detergents while cleaning up smaller of two spilled, caused by uncontrolled gush of oil earlier this month (S)

BRAZIL: OIL COMPANY IS FINED

Sofia Imber, founder of Caracas Museum of Contemporary Art, is most prominent victim and symbol of Pres Hugo Chavez's purge of all 36 Venezuelan government cultural institutions; Chavez holds culture must serve development, not elite; photos (M)

Venezuela's Artistic Upheaval; President Attacks Elitism, and Museum Founder Is a Casualty

Article describes scene at Costume Institute's benefit gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art that marks opening of institute's clothes exhibition Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years; photo (M)

Negotiating Among the Powerful At a Gala That Recalls Camelot

Josef Peters was a racing driver from Düsseldorf, Germany. He participated in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, on August 3, 1952. He failed to finish, scoring no championship points.

Josef Peters, German racing driver (born 1914)

Josef_Peters_(racing_driver)

John Theodore Wisniski, better known by his ring name Johnny Valentine, was an American professional wrestler with a career spanning almost three decades. He has been inducted into four halls of fame for his achievements in wrestling. Wisniski is the father of professional wrestler Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.

April 24, 2001

Headlines from April 24, 2001

Sports of The Times; Countering The Terms Of Hatred

THE MARKETS: Market Place; Who's Afraid Of the Big, Bad Bear Market?

The Invasion of the Soil Snatchers; Newcomers Push Out Native Plants

GERMANY: CONFIDENCE GAUGE FALLS

'Maximum' Heart Rate Theory Is Challenged

Billboard 200

Now 6

Until The End Of Time

The Life

Hotshot

Live In New York City

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for April 24, 2001