Claire Smith Sports of The Times article New York Yankees 17-13 defeat of Oakland Athletics; cites Yankees' lack of consistent middle relief; photo (M)

Sports of The Times; Opening Day A Nightmare For Pitching

Securities and Exchange Commission has brought spate of insider-trading cases involving clinical drug trials; charges some researchers and their friends trade drug stocks on results of trials before results are made public; graphs; photo (L)

Insider Traders In White Coats; Drug Researchers in Rare Position to Exploit Stocks

New York City installs traffic signals and crosswalks in middle of two blocks, steps from where it has erected barriers to keep pedestrians from blocking flow of turning cars; pedestrians hail move, latest phase in shifting struggle for control of midtown's busiest streets; photos (M)

Barricade-Weary Pedestrians Welcome New Midblock Crosswalks

Article profiles Sanford I Weill, 65-year-old chairman of Traveler's Group who orchestrated $70 billion mega-merger with Citicorp; at time when many of his peers are retiring, Weill will have to prove he has personality and skills, in addition to drive, to make success of unlikely, seemingly unwieldy combination; photo (M)

Travelers Chief, at 65, Lands 'The Deal' of a Life of Deals

 Internet Phone Fees Sought  The Federal Communications Commission proposed that some companies that provide phone service over the Internet pay fees. Page D1.    Overture to China on Pol Pot  The United States asked the longtime Khmer Rouge backer to help arrange a war-crimes trial. Page A6.

INSIDE

Confidential New York City report on 1997 murder of Daytwon Bennett, 5, holds caseworker who checked on abusive mother regularly after children were returned to her from foster care never looked for signs of danger; holds she never failed to talk with him alone, check him for bruises or notice he was starving; report offers rare glimpse at challenges facing Children's Services Administration two years after promised reforms; mother, Jocelyn Bennett, awaits trial (M)

Signs of Abuse Escape Notice Of an Agency

Article on months of haggling between Clinton Administration and Republican Senate in shaping anti-tobacco bill; negotiations since January 15 are partly tale of recalculations of industry's political power by Administration and Senate, and manufacturers' miscalculations of their own power and of whom they needed to appease; while few people doubt legislation is only one step in process that has uncertain ending, bill is framing escalating debate over nation's tobacco policy, and has become target of tobacco industry's anger; five largest companies have announced that they will not longer work for comprehensive legislation to regulate tobacco, and will vigorously fight Senate bill (M)

Cooperation and Miscalculations On Shaping Tobacco Legislation

New York Yankees defeat Oakland Athletics, 17-13, in home opener; table; photos (M)

Babe, Mickey and Joe D Never Saw One Like This

Federal Communications Commission proposes charging small group of companies offering low-cost long-distance phone service via Internet fees charged traditional carriers; Internet advocates fear proposal, at odds with Clinton Administration's 'hands-off' policy toward cyberspace, is first step toward more Government regulation of digital world (M)

F.C.C. Urges Policy Change In Cyberspace

 Bank of Japan Continues Rescue Effort for the Yen  The dollar tumbled against the yen in Asian trading as the Bank of Japan sold dollars for a second day. Traders estimated that the central bank sold several billions of dollars yesterday, after selling more than $1 billion on Thursday.  

BUSINESS DIGEST

Knoll Pharmaceutical Co faces tough time winning acceptance of prescription diet pill Meridia because of health concerns about predecessor drugs dexfenfluramine (Redux) and fenfluramine (Pondimin), part of drug cocktail known as fen-phen; Knoll holds Meridia is as effective, but safer, than predecessors; some diet centers that enlisted doctors to prescribe earlier drugs say they will not offer Meridia; consumer advocates and doctors groups are advising overweight people to carefully weigh possible side effects; graphs (M)

Predecessors' Woes Make Diet Drug a Tough Sell

David Gonzalez About New York tribute to Richard Ellner, amateur dancer and businessman who ran Manhattan dance studio; Ellner died recently at age 69; photo (M)

About New York; Missing a Man Who Tapped Their Dreams

Special Report, Critical Lessons, examines regulatory crackdown on nuclear power industry that is aimed at setting new standards for safety; effort is forcing many companies to reassess operations and to pay more attention to worker-management relations; ambitious $750 million recovery effort is under way at Northeast Utilities' Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Waterford, Conn, where operations had become so shoddy that managers routinely broke Federal rules, and where workers who complained were not only ignored but also punished; while Federal regulators have forced other utilities to update machinery and operations to meet strict Federal standards, they have saddled Millstone with additional requirements; have not allowed utility to restart reactors until management completely changes its culture and proves that workers feel comfortable when they raise warnings about nuclear safety; aware that many of safety problems came from corporate culture that had stifled whistleblowers, regulators in October 1996 added special condition that Millstone had to be workplace where criticism could flourish; photos; maps (L)

CRITICAL LESSONS: A special report.; A Push for a New Standard In Running Nuclear Plants

News analysis of landmark settlement reached between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland; despite settlement and hopes of many that barriers between both groups can be torn down, there are others whose common objective is to see peace proposals voted down; challenge of obtaining support from war-weary but mistrustful people of Northern Ireland in May 22 referendums is as fraught with peril as peace talks (M)

Now for the Hard Part: Making It Work

Masters golf tournament continues, Augusta, Ga; table; photo (M)

Couples and Duval Lead After Steady Play

Northern Ireland peace talks produce landmark settlement that forged concessions from fiercely antagonistic Catholic and Protestant figures in effort to settle enduring conflict; agreement is announced by former US Sen George J Mitchell, mediator in talks, at end of marathon negotiations which required personal intervention of British Prime Min Tony Blair, Irish Prime Min Bertie Ahern, and behind-the-scenes maneuvering by Pres Clinton; representatives of eight political parties finally agree to fundamental reshaping of province's political institutions; framework for power-sharing addresses fears and demands of Catholics and Protestants, who will govern jointly in 108-seat National Assembly, which will in turn cooperate with Irish Republic in new North-South Council of lawmakers; Blair expresses hope that pact will lift burden of province's tortuous past and Ahern that it will exorcise demons of history; Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams says it is part of collective journey from failures of past, and that he is still committed to ultimate goal of united Ireland; says he is still concerned about huge gap of mistrust between Catholics and Protestants; settlement will be put to referendums in Irish Republic and Northern Ireland on May 22; photos; map (L)

IRISH TALKS PRODUCE AN ACCORD TO STOP DECADES OF BLOODSHED WITH SHARING OF ULSTER POWER

President Clinton, whose 1994 overture to the leader of Sinn Fein helped bring the political wing of the I.R.A. to the peace table, was deeply involved as the Ulster talks concluded, urging both Catholics and Protestants to take risks for peace.    Article, page A4.

Coaxing From Clinton

Interview with Hikaru Nakamura, 10, youngest person ever to achieve rank of chess master in United States, and his parents; Hikaru's brother, Asuka, 12, is also top player; diagram; photo (M)

Pawns With King-Size Dreams; Boy, 10, Is Youngest Master, Vaulting Past His Brother

Accountants are using public's frustration with Internal Revenue Service to push bill that would give them same privileges that lawyers have in keeping tax advice confidential; measure, approved by House and by Senate committee as part of broad IRS overhaul bill, would give tax accountants boost in their battle for business with tax lawyers; lawyers complain it would move accounting firms closer to being able to practice corporate law (M)

Accountants Want Lawyers' Secrecy Rights

''It doesn't take courage to shoot a policeman in the back of the head, or to murder an unarmed taxi driver. What takes courage is to compete in the arena of democracy as these men and women are tonight.''    GEORGE J. MITCHELL, who headed the Northern Ireland peace talks.  [A1]  

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

Irish and Irish-Americans New Yorkers express skepticism about Northern Ireland peace accord (M)

In New York, Irish Accord Prompts Skepticism

Correction: caption of April 9 photo misidentified Marrakesh, instead of Rabat, as site of protests by Moroccan students

Corrections

Correction of April 10 article on Croat living in Argentina who is accused of running Nazi death camp during World War II

Correction of April 10 article on UN suspension of investigation of possible war crimes in Congo

Doug Mansolino, Milwaukee Brewers first-base coach, admits he was shocked when New York Mets forced him to resign as manager of Class A affiliate last year in wake of outfielder Tim Bishop's death in alcohol-related highway accident; Mets felt coaches were unaware players were drinking alcohol on team bus, but were upset with way coaching staff handled matter (M)

April 11, 1998

Headlines from April 11, 1998

Sports of The Times; Opening Day A Nightmare For Pitching

Insider Traders In White Coats; Drug Researchers in Rare Position to Exploit Stocks

Barricade-Weary Pedestrians Welcome New Midblock Crosswalks

Travelers Chief, at 65, Lands 'The Deal' of a Life of Deals

INSIDE

Billboard 200

Titanic

Let's Talk About Love

The Pillage

Ray Of Light

Savage Garden

Historical Context for April 11, 1998