December 9, 1998

Zeneca Group PLC, third-largest British drug maker, and Astra AB of Sweden are discussing merger of equals that would be worth at least $30 billion and create world's fourth-largest pharmaceutical company; deal would divide key management positions between the two companies; photo (M)

Union officials say that Albert A Diop, president of Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549, has long been dominant figure in District Council 37 because of his influence with exec dir Stanley Hill; district council is mired in broad criminal investigation; prosecutors are investigating Diop's use of union money for penthouse, his frequent travels, and his possible role in tainted 1996 ratification of council's five-year city contract, which included unpopular two-year pay freeze; Diop photo (M)

Federal District Court Judge Anne E Thompson strikes down New Jersey law banning what abortion opponents call partial-birth abortion, saying that measure is unconstitutional because it would threaten health of women by denying them access to safest medical procedures; rules that measure is so vaguely worded that it would ban some of most common abortion procedures at any point during pregnancy and fails to make exceptions for cases in which health or life of mother is at risk (M)

House Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing lasts 11 hours as Pres Clinton's defenders send in waves of panelists who denounce majority Republicans as cowardly partisans and 'vindictive' lame ducks; Republicans accuse witnesses of defending indefensible in Clinton's sex-and-mendacity scandal; clearly, no committee vote shifts either way as issue moves toward expected party-line impeachment vote by committee; photo (M)

National Basketball Association cancels its All-Star Game because of lockout; no new bargaining talks are scheduled; game had been scheduled to be played on Feb 14 in Philadelphia (M)