August 12, 1998

Federal Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson orders that Government's pretrial questioning of William H Gates and other executives of Microsoft Corp must be opened up to news organizations; court ruling giving press and public access to depositions in major antitrust case is somewhat unusual, but it is not unprecedented; deposition from Gates had been scheduled to begin Aug 12, but it is postponed temporarily as company's lawyers decide whether to appeal Jackson's order (M)

Bell Atlantic employees return to work after reaching tentative agreement with management that insures that jobs in company's high-technology growth areas will go to union employees; two-day strike had begun to inconvenience telephone customers from Maine to Virginia; under proposed two-year contract, company guarantees that all installation, maintenance and repair work involving advanced data communications for residential and corporate customers, including access to Internet, will be performed by Communications Workers of America; company also agrees to phase out hundreds of mostly customer service jobs being handled by nonunion workers in Hampton, Va, and put them back into union's hands; wage increases played relatively minor role in Bell Atlantic dispute; proposed contract calls for increase of 3.8 percent in first year and 4 percent in second (M)

British Petroleum PLC announces that it will acquire American oil giant Amoco for $48.2 billion in stock in largest oil industry merger ever; deal would be largest takeover of American company by foreign concern if it is approved by regulators and shareholders of both companies; BP Amoco, as company is to be known, would be world's third-largest multinational oil company in terms of net income after Exxon Corp and Royal Dutch/Shell Group; Amoco and BP say that Chicago will be headquarters for new company's North American operations; BP chief exec Sir John Browne will head new company; photo of Browne, BP chmn Peter D Sutherland and Amoco chmn H Laurance Fuller (M)

Oxford Health Plans Inc reports loss of $507.6 million in second quarter, reflecting several large charges and continued operating losses; much of loss is result of nearly $300 million in unusual or one-time charges; company's cash flow losses are roughly $85 million this quarter, and it says it expects to have another $100 million in losses over next six months; company says it will drop all Medicare business outside of New York and all of its Medicaid business; it will also drop much of its commercial business outside of New York area, leaving such markets as Illinois and Florida; new chief executive, Dr Norman C Payson, says that company is already raising premiums and cutting costs sharply to achieve its goal of making money by middle of next year; chart; photo (M)

British Petroleum to Buy Amoco in $48.2 Billion Deal British Petroleum announced that it would acquire Amoco, the big oil company, for $48.2 billion in stock. The deal is the largest oil industry merger ever, as well as the largest foreign takeover of an American company. If approved by regulators and shareholders of both companies, BP Amoco, as the company is to be known, will be the world's third-largest multinational oil company in terms of net income after Exxon and the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies. [Page A1.]