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* The European Commission has launched a far-reaching antitrust probe into the proposed merger of U.S. telecommunications giants MCI WorldCom and Sprint, delaying its final verdict by four months. The investigation will focus on the merger’s impact on competition in the market for Internet connectivity, global telecom services to multinational companies and termination in the U.S. of international voice telephone calls. The EU executive body said it expects to make a final decision on the $115-billion merger by early July.

* U.S. sales of North American-built cars and light trucks are expected to rise by about 5% this month over February 1999, spurred by discounts and rising demand for Asian and European auto makers’ vehicles. Sales at No. 1 auto maker General Motors Corp. are expected to rise 2%, helped by $500 discounts that expire this month. Ford Motor Co. sales are expected to rise 1%. But DaimlerChrysler’s Chrysler sales are expected to slip 0.6% on tough year-earlier comparisons and a lack of fresh models.