June 4, 2001

On Hockey column discusses first four games of NHL Stanley Cup championship round; New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche are tied at 2 games each; photo (M)

Defense Sec Donald Rumsfeld cuts virtually all Pentagon contacts with Chinese armed forces in move prompting concern among China experts within US military establishment; is personally deciding which contacts should be allowed and has rejected overwhelming majority, despite Pentagon's claims that its is conducting case-by-case review and that no sweeping decisions have been made; no direct contact between American and Chinese military officers has been authorized in recent months; senior Defense Dept aides say decisions are aimed at signaling deep displeasure over China's handling of collision between Chinese fighter and US Navy reconnaissance plane over South China Sea, which resulted in 11-day detention of crew, loss of Chinese pilot and weeks of wrangling over return of aircraft; Bush administration had taken more skeptical approach to China, even before collision, but had maintained military-to-military ties (M)

Anna Kisselgoff reviews American Ballet Theater's new production of John Cranko's Onegin with two different casts; photo (M)

United Federation of Teachers will abandon decades-old opposition to mayoral control of New York City's public schools; change comes as union seeks sizable pay increase from Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani, who has long sought control of Board of Education; union will recommend giving mayor majority of appointees to expanded board, which would continue to select schools chancellor; concession falls short of Giuliani's demand that school system be turned into mayoral agency, with chancellor mayoral appointee named in consultation with City Council speaker; Giuliani rejects proposal, saying expanded board is mistake that would create less accountability, more bureaucracy and more confusion; others, including education officials, say union's new position could generate real debate in Albany once Giuliani leaves office; union president, Randi Weingarten, says mayors should have expanded accountability since in past they have ducked responsibility for education; photo (M)

Nepal's Comatose King Dies King Dipendra, who was said by officials to have killed eight members of the royal family, including his father, has reportedly died. Dipendra's uncle is the new king. PAGE A3