April 18, 2000

World finance ministers and central bankers, trying to show sensitivity to poverty as protests against World Bank and International Monetary Fund meeting wind down in driving rain, Washington, DC, pledge to pay more attention to globalization's victims and to commit 'unlimited money' to fight AIDS in poor nations; hold World Bank should intensify its fight against AIDS because disease is as much problem of poverty as public health; pledge to accelerate debt relief for developing world and press rich nations to agree to import certain products from poorest ones duty free; United States waters down language on duty-free market access to bar Congressional backlash; Mayor Anthony A Williams says police handled protests properly, news conference; protests close down normal business in city, with many city and federal workers told to stay home and many streets closed, but are unable to disrupt IMF and IBRD meetings; World Bank president James D Wolfensohn complains IBRD is being accused of causing poverty when its workers are devoted to easing poverty; map; photo (M)

Harvey Araton Sports of The Times column contends that New York Mets general manager Steve Phillips overreacted to statements made by manager Bobby Valentine; photo (M)

Aspirin proves to be immensely complicated medication, with unsuspected dimensions to both its powers and its limitations; its benefits for men and women with heart disease remain unchallenged, but it is not clear whether it benefits people who do not have heart disease, and one study has associated a daily aspirin tablet with elevated risk of strokes caused by bleeding into the brain; aspirin also shows promise in preventing dementia, stroke and cancer of digestive tract, a property that may be related to the intestinal problems it sometimes causes; photo (M)

New York Yankees defeat Texas Rangers, 5-4; photo (M)

Michiko Kakutani reviews Joe Klein novel The Running Mate; photo (M)