June 20, 2000

Netherlands, where mercy killing and assisted suicide of terminally ill patients have been widely tolerated, will introduce legislation to decriminalize such acts if certain criteria are met, giving country least restrictive laws on mercy killing and assisted suicide in world; aim of new legislation is to make sure that what happens during patient's final hours happens in open, where it can be scrutinized and regulated; doctors' actions in helping patients die would no longer be routinely reviewed by prosecutors, but by committee of doctors, lawyers and ethicists; patient's request to die must be 'durable;' he or she must face unbearable suffering and have no reasonable alternative to death; doctor must also consult with at least one other independent physician before helping patient to die; movement toward legalization of mercy killing and assisted suicide elsewhere in Europe noted; chart; photo (M)

Family-owned Seagram Co empire is about to end as Seagram nears agreement to sell itself to Vivendi SA, a French conglomerate; origin of Seagram empire, which began in 1916 by Sam Bronfman, and is currently run by Edgar Bronfman Jr detailed; Seagram's holdings discussed; chart; photos (M)

Renewal is underway in high-energy physics, study of subatomic particles using powerful particle accelerators; young physicists are proposing radical ideas about how universe may be constructed and finding ways to test indirectly even some of wildest ideas with experiments; photos (M)

Los Angeles Lakers win NBA championship; defeat Indiana Pacers, 116-111, to win series, 4-2; Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal is named series most valuable player; photo (M)

This summer's big films make particularly heavy use of computer-generated special effects; growing number of filmmakers have moved beyond big stunts and bigger explosions, awakening to newfound ability of computer-effects specialists to transport audiences to dazzling places; photos (M)