May 25, 2002

Pakistan risks setting off new crisis with India by beginning series of missile tests; Pakistani government denies any provocative intent, and Indian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman dismisses 'missile antics' that she says are targeted at domestic audience in Pakistan; United States says it is 'disappointed' by Pakistan's decision to test missiles, coming day after Pakistan said it would move troops toward India; State Dept issues warning to Americans to defer travel to India and Pakistan because of risk of war; even with Pakistani decision, tensions appear to have lessened; Indian government officials say they will give Pakistan more time, perhaps few weeks, to demonstrate its commitment to stopping infiltration of armed militants into India's side of Kashmir before undertaking any punitive military strikes; photo; map (M)

The boos started descending from the stands with about two minutes left in the third quarter, with the deficit at 24 points and the home team looking oddly disheveled. The public address announcer referred to them as the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers before Game 3, but there was little to back up that claim tonight. Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and the standard-bearers for basketball excellence over the last three years were almost blown out on their own floor, embarrassed by a team that was hungrier and healthier.

For seven innings last night at Shea Stadium, the Mets' offense consisted of half swings, checked swings and half-hearted swings. In other words, more of the same. But the Mets' hitters finally calmed down in the eighth inning, and good things began to happen. Jeromy Burnitz clubbed a two-run homer to give the Mets a 4-3 lead over Florida. Tim Raines, 42, hit a game-tying pinch-homer off Armando Benitez in the top of the ninth, but Jay Payton drew a bases-loaded walk to force home Roberto Alomar in the bottom of the 10th inning, and the Mets edged the Marlins, 5-4.

Bush administration moves to gather documents from almost 2,000 staff members about their contacts with Enron Corp in effort to avert legal confrontation with Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, which has issued subpoenas seeking information; directive applies to staff of Vice Pres Dick Cheney as well; administration officials also say Pres Bush appointed Glenn L McCullough as chairman of Tennessee Valley Authority last year on recommendation of Kenneth L Lay, Enron's former chairman; Craven Crowell, previous TVA chairman, says that he had clash with Lay in February and that Lay had threatened in early 2000 to use his political connections to obtain favorable action from authority; White House on May 22 released summary of contacts with Enron that showed more extensive communications with executives of company than had been previously disclosed; Democrats, including Sen Tom Daschle move to capitalize on disclosures, suggesting that they raised questions about whether White House had misled Congress; administration officials vigorously dispute that (M)

Merrill Lynch & Co's 14,000 brokers are caught in cross-fire as brokerage firm prepares to defend itself in court against angry investors; Merrill still faces lawsuits from customers who contend that they lost money because they were misled by recommendations of firm's analysts; estimates of Merrill's liability in those cases run as high as $5 billion and are weighing heavily on Merrill's stock price, which has dropped nearly 30 percent since April; graph (M)