June 28, 2002

French court dismisses petition by shareholder activist Colette Neuville to name independent expert to examine whether Vivendi Universal chief executive Jean-Marie Messier properly informed board about his $100 billion of acquisitions that contributed to record 2001 loss (S)

Shakespeare's tale of a sprite-infested forest and the foolish mortals who invade it takes a darker, more disturbing turn than usual in the Royal Shakespeare Company's new staging of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream,'' directed by Richard Jones.

Look at some intriguing vacation homes for sale or rent around country finds unusual offerings, such as restored ark in Sausalito and Homes in the Earthship 'green' community in Taos; photos; advice on finding unusual buildings to remodel (M)

Federal prosecutors in Enron investigation file criminal complaint against three Britons, Gary Mulgrew, Giles Darby and David Bermingham, accusing them of defrauding their employer, National Westminster Bank, of $7.3 million through dealings with partnership related to company; describe plan hatched by bankers and Enron executives to trick National Westminster into selling valuable investment to another entity for far less than it was worth; unknown to bank, that entity--partnership known as Southamption--was owned by Enron executives, and British bankers indirectly held stake in it as well; executives and bankers pocketed tens of millions of dollars in profits within weeks of sale; Southampton partnership was used by group of Enron insiders, including former chief financial officer Andrew S Fastow, to make millions of dollars that arguably should have gone to Enron; transaction in question found its genesis in entity known as LJM Cayman, partnership controlled by Fastow that was created to do deals with Enron (M)

Investigators are apparently finding no records to support the shifting of billions of dollars on WorldCom's books. Business Day, Page C1.

Article on Wildwood, New Jersey, beach town where motels, boardwalk and amusement rides retain air of 1950's, luring vacationers who thrill to meeting of modernism and kitsch; photos (M)

Financial meltdown of WorldCom leaves Pres Bush and fellow Republicans struggling to limit political risk from public opinion of business and the economy after string of corporate financial scandals; Bush, at Group of Eight summit in Canada, turns aside suggestion of political risk and voices concern about economic impact of corporate leaders who 'have not upheld their responsibility'; pitfalls seen if stock market continues to fall or Bush is seen as out of touch with popular disgust; Democrats, sensing opportunity, step up efforts to highlight themes of corporate abuse; Rep Richard Gephardt points to corporate deregulation pushed by Republicans in 1990's; Sen Tom Daschle will bring to floor legislation to tighten oversight of accounting industry; photos (M)

China is rapidly strenthening economic presence across Asia, gobbling up foreign investment and chipping away at US position as region's economic engine, while assuring countries that it is offering cooperation, not competition; many countries have rushed to China's embrace, nimbly shifting economic alliances at time when US is making its own way through tentative economic recovery; analysts say China's thrust, more apparent with new WTO membership, begins inescapable process of replacing US as dominant power in Asia; note that China is already economic and political threat to Japan; examples include Indonesia, where Pres Megawati Sukarnoputri has buried age-old hostilities in hopes of getting $9 billion liquid natural gas contract to power industries of southern China; China is also grabbing much of new foreign investment in Asia, leaving once-glittering Thailand, South Korea and Singapore with but crumbs; graphs showing rising Chinese share of ASEAN trade (M)

Taiwan's central bank cuts all three interest rates it controls by quarter of percentage point in bid to stop rise in Taiwan dollar, which has been inching up against United States dollar despite huge daily central bank interventions (S)

Victims relive 1982 rampage at Seacrest Diner in Old Westbury, NY -- one of most disturbing crimes ever to have unfolded on Long Island -- on learning that one of five men who terrorized them is about to be released from prison; men stole car in Brooklyn on Friday of Memorial Day weekend, drove to Plainview, where they raped, beat, robbed and urinated on people at a house party, and then invaded Seacrest, where they held about 80 people hostage for more than an hour, robbing them, demanding that they strip and have sex with each other, shooting two young men and pistol-whipping several others; some of victims have made peace with experience, but others bristle when topic is raised; Robert Williams, who pleaded guilty to more than 100 felonies, is being released now because he has served two-thirds of 30-year maximum sentence, complied with prison rules and participated in treatment programs; accomplices are still in prison; photo (M)

Bankers Accused in Enron Prosecutors have accused British bankers of defrauding their employer of $7.3 million through dealings with an Enron-related partnership. BUSINESS DAY, PAGE C1 An Aid Deal for Africa The big industrial countries ended their meeting by agreeing to give billions of dollars to African nations that reform their economies and governments. PAGE A8

People of Clinton, Miss, headquarters of WorldCom Inc, and in Jackson area are in shock over WorldCom scandal; lots of people in town and area have large holdings in telecommunications company; shares that were worth $64.50 each in 1999 are almost worthless after company admitted it failed to record $3.8 billion in expenses properly; some 2,000 Mississippi employees could be among 17,000 people to be laid y off; photos (M)