December 22, 2000

Federal Communications Commission orders AT&T Corp to sell its interest in Time Warner Entertainment, after officials conclude that company has been trying to wriggle out of earlier commitment it made to win government's approval of MediaOne; if AT&T fails to overturn order, it would untangle partnership that consumer groups have been criticizing for months because it combines nation's two largest cable companies, which together control 50 percent of market; ruling throws into question AT&T's plans to sell its stake in Liberty Media, company that owns stakes in programming companies and is controlled by entrepreneur John C Malone (M)

Eni SpA, Italy's state-controlled oil company, offers $3.96 billion for Lasmo PLC, topping bid from its American rival Amerada Hess; last-minute all-cash bid from Eni underscores urgency among energy companies to increase production through consolidation; that desire is especially acute among European oil and gas companies as local monopolies are opened to competition (M)

Camden, NJ, Mayor Milton Milan is convicted by federal jury of 14 of 19 corruption charges against him, including accepting bribes from organized crime figures, money laundering and fraud; Gov Christie Todd Whitman says verdict clears way for state to begin rescue of Camden from effects of years of mismanagement and insolvency; Milan faces 9-12 years in prison; photo (M)

Republican officials say Pres-elect Bush has delayed naming defense secretary because he is not entirely satisfied with two principal candidates and has broadened search; his second thoughts ignite spirited debate between backers of former Sen Daniel Coats, favored by conservatives and Sen Trent Lott, and Paul Wolfowitz, former Pentagon official backed by influential Republican foreign policy experts; photos; Bush reportedly fears Wolfowitz could not manage sprawling Pentagon bureaucracy, but Wolfowitz backers suggest amiable Coats might be no match either for generals or for Colin Powell at State Department (M)

European Union's competition commissioner, Mario Monti, confirms that union is actively considering combining two antitrust investigations of Microsoft Corp's business practices (S)