October 9, 1997

California has begun nation's most ambitious experiment in single-sex education, pilot program encouraging school districts to offer separate but equal boys' and girls' 'academies' as option for middle and high school students; students laud single-sex classes they attend at San Francisco middle school; photo (M)

Pres Clinton defends his fund-raising practices, while current and former aides carry same message to Congress and Federal grand jury; seeks to calm political tempest over belatedly discovered White House videotapes of his meetings with Democratic donors; holds tapes contain nothing to alter Atty Gen Janet Reno's decision that independent counsel was not needed to probe White House coffees; White House lawyer Lanny A Breuer reportedly tells grand jury that tapes were found only last week; photo (M)

Indonesia asks World Bank and International Monetary Fund for help in overcoming emerging financial crisis as economic problems continue to spread through Southeast Asia; request is relatively modest one, asking two institutions to provide consultation and assistance in stabilizing plummeting currency, the rupiah, and reorganizing financial industry; chart (L)

Makers of some 80 percent of handguns made in United States, after quiet talks with Clinton Administration, agree to add child-safety locks to new guns by end of 1998; will announce accord at White House news conference with Pres Clinton; two large companies have already begun providing locks; deal averts expected battle in Congress over bill mandating locks; photo (M)

University of North Carolina schedules Oct 9 news conference amid speculation that Dean Smith will step down as basketball coach; Smith's 879 career victories are most of any major college basketball coach (M)