Second production unit opens in Iraq's Najaf refinery

Iraq's oil minister opened an expansion to a refinery in Najaf on Saturday that increases capacity by roughly 10,000 barrels of oil per day.

The refinery, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Baghdad, was constructed in October 2006 to help meet increasing needs in central Iraq for petroleum products, including kerosene. It currently produced about 20,000 barrels per day.

Hussein al-Shahristani, Iraq's oil minister, also pledged further expansions across the country, including new refineries in Nasiriyah, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Baghdad, and Karbala, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad.

Iraq has the world's …

pounds6,700 total from charity shoot event

The annual charity clay pigeon shoot by a North-east club raised arecord pounds6,700.

The money was made for Macmillan Cancer Relief by the ParkhillClay Pigeon Club in tribute to its former organiser, who diedrecently.

This year's event at Broadbog Farm, Alford, had been postponedafter the death of long-serving secretary …

ON AND OFF THE WALL: MEDITATIONS ON BEAUTY; Paintings and Drawings by Geoff Krueger at J Crist Gallery

When it comes to paintings and drawings, there's nothing like the real thing. Reproductions--posters and postcards--just don't do them justice. That's especially true for Geoff Krueger's paintings and drawings on view at J Crist Gallery through January 24.

Krueger, a recent housing-market refugee from Orange County, California, moved to Boise two years ago. The paintings in this exhibition focus on the land--the foothills and woodlands scenery of both California and Idaho. The beauty of the scenes--soft light, swirling clouds and muted colors--captivates you. They're beguiling. One quick glance and you think you've seen it all before, but when you look a second time you see …

Ex-Bangladesh PM charged in jet-purchase case

An anti-corruption court Wednesday formally charged an ex-Bangladeshi prime minister in a case involving the purchase of fighter jets from Russia during her 1996-2001 tenure, a government prosecutor said.

Judge Golam Mortuza Mazumdar of the special court set Sept. 3 to begin ex-Premier Sheikh Hasina's trial, prosecutor Syed Shamim Ahsan said.

Hasina and five others, including former military and government officials, have been charged with financial irregularities in the purchase of eight Russian MiG-29 fighter planes for US$924 million, according to the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Hasina, who was arrested in July 2007 to face …

Uganda lawmaker refuses to withdraw anti-gay bill

A Ugandan lawmaker on Friday refused to withdraw proposed legislation that would impose the death penalty for some gays and lesbians despite international condemnation and presidential opposition to a measure that could scare off foreign investors.

Lawmaker David Bahati said he will not heed a call late Thursday from the government to drop the proposed bill, as he feels such a measure is necessary in the conservative East African country.

On Thursday, Minister of State for Investment Aston Kajara said the government would ask Bahati to scrap the bill because they fear backlash from foreign investors. The bill, which Bahati proposed in September, has …

`Repositioning' has advantages

Before long, cruise ships will begin making their annualmigrations to their winter homes - and taking passengers along forthe ride.

These "repositioning" journeys often include more relaxeditineraries than the average cruise, with more days at sea. TheCruise Lines International Association points out these otheradvantages: One-of-a-kind itineraries and exotic ports as ships movefrom one geographic area to another. Crystal Cruises sails fromAthens to Sydney; Silversea from Athens to Bombay; Norwegian andRoyal Caribbean from Vancouver to Hawaii, and Regal from PortCanaveral, Fla., to the eastern Caribbean. …

Forecasters see continued recovery in ad spending

NEW YORK (AP) — The amount of money spent on advertising will continue to rebound over the next few years after a sharp drop during the recession, according to several new forecasts.

The continued growth is a positive sign for the economy as a whole, suggesting businesses are feeling more confident that they can lure new customers.

But the recovery in ad spending is not showing up across the board. Instead, forecasters expect advertisers will continue to shift dollars to the Web and away from traditional media such as newspapers. And, reflecting broader economic trends, they expect emerging economies to grow much faster than their developed counterparts.

The key takeaway …

Biden: US seeks new ways to address Gaza problems

Vice President Joe Biden says the U.S. and its allies are looking for new ways to address a range of problems in the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Biden spoke Monday at a Red Sea resort in Egypt after meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. He said the U.S. is closely consulting with Egypt and other partners on how to "address the humanitarian, economic, security, and political aspects of the situation in Gaza."

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

JERUSALEM (AP) _ Israel's navy killed four Palestinian militants in diver suits off the coast of Gaza early Monday in the first violence …

Localscoreboard

Basketball

College

USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II women's poll

Rank, school, points

1. Grand Valley (Mich.) 656

2. North Dakota 613

3. Emporia State (Kan.) 577

4. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 558

5. Cal-State Chico 493

6. Washburn (Kan.) 468

7. Henderson State (Ark.) 438

8. Glenville State 402

9. American Intl (Mass.) 387

10. Drury (Mo.) 369

11. West Texas A&M 356

12. So. Connecticut State 347

13. Delta State (Miss.) 339

14. Charleston 313

15. Northern Kentucky 273

16. Western Washington 267

17. Wingate (N.C.) 263

18. Shaw (N.C.) 250

19. …

More women reported KBR/Halliburton assaults in Iraq

Several women have joined a Texas woman in coming forward with reports of sexual harassment and assault while working in Iraq for Halliburton's former subsidiary, military contractor KBR, a Texas congressman told a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee Wednesday.

The women have given lawyers and a congressman accounts similar to the allegations of Jamie Leigh Jones, whose allegations of rape have gained media attention across the United States.

"This problem goes way beyond just me," Jones told the House Judiciary subcommittee Wednesday.

Jones said she was raped in July 2005 by a co-worker who drugged her. She said she awoke groggy …

Physical foes are sitting pretty after taking it to Hawks in Game 3

The Nashville Predators' energy was overwhelming, their emotion overpowering, their hits punishing and their home crowd deafening.

And the end result was absolutely crushing for the Blackhawks.

The Hawks lost to the Predators 4-1 on Tuesday in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators lead the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Thursday.

''Certainly tonight, we can't be pleased with the way we played,'' Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. ''They were the harder-working team, more resilient, more desperate. We know that each and every game it is going to escalate, and today, for whatever the reasons, …

Hezbollah Politicians Back Peace Package

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah politicians, while expressing reservations, have joined their critics in the government in agreeing to a peace package that includes strengthening an international force in south Lebanon and disarming the guerrillas, the government said.

The agreement - reached after a heated six-hour Cabinet meeting - was the first time that Hezbollah has signed onto a proposal for ending the crisis that includes the deploying of international forces.

The package falls short of American and Israeli demands in that it calls for an immediate cease-fire before working out details of a force and includes other conditions.

But European Union officials said Friday the proposals form a basis for an agreement, increasing the pressure on the United States to call for a cease-fire.

President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Friday they too want an international force dispatched quickly to the Mideast but said any plan to end the fighting - to have a lasting effect - must address long-running regional disputes.

"This is a moment of intense conflict in the Middle East," Bush said after his meeting with Blair in Washington. "Yet our aim is to turn it into a moment of opportunity and a chance for broader change in the region."

By signing onto the peace proposals, Hezbollah gave Western-backed Prime Minister Fuad Saniora a boost in future negotiations.

Going into Thursday night's Cabinet session, Hezbollah's two ministers expressed deep reservations about the force and its mandate, fearing it could turn against their guerrillas.

"Will the international force be a deterrent one and used against who?" officials who attended the Cabinet meeting said in summing up Hezbollah cabinet ministers concerns. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the debate.

But afterward, Information Minister Ghazi Aridi announced that the package had been agreed on by consensus in a rare show of unity by a divided administration.

While all sides seemed to be looking for a way to stop the fighting, details of plans taking shape on all sides were still fuzzy. And it was not at all certain Hezbollah would really follow through on the Lebanese government plan that would effectively abolish the militants' military wing. It may have signed on to the deal convinced that Israel would reject it.

But the agreement presents Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice with a package she might find hard to ignore when she returns to the region.

The plan approved by the Cabinet was an outline that Saniora presented at an international conference in Rome on Wednesday.

It starts out with an immediate cease-fire. Following that would come:

- the release of Lebanese and Israeli prisoners; Israeli withdrawal behind the border; the return of Lebanese displaced by the fighting.

- moves to resolve the status of Chebaa Farms, a small piece of land held by Israel and claimed by Lebanon. The proposal calls for the U.N. Security Council to commit to putting the area under U.N. control until a final demarcation of the border.

- the provision by Israel of maps of minefields laid during its 18-year occupation of the south.

- "the spreading of Lebanese government authority over the entire country," meaning the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south, with the strengthening and increasing of the small, lightly armed U.N. peacekeeping force currently there.

The provisions do not spell out the order in which the steps must take place, but Saniora has said the government cannot spread its authority in the south unless the Chebaa farms issue is resolved. Israel's hold on Chebaa has provided Hezbollah with a rationale to maintain its arsenal and its "resistance" against Israel.

U.N. experts have previously determined that the territory is part of Syria's Golan Heights, now held by Israel. But Syria has said the patch of land is Lebanon's.

Also left undetermined is the contentious issue of the size and mandate of a peacekeeping force in the south. The current nearly 2,000-member force, deployed since 1978, is virtually ineffectual and its main task now is to patrol the Blue Line, monitor and report violations and deliver aid. Four U.N. border observers were killed in an Israeli airstrike this week.

The Lebanese government has previously rejected international demands that it disarm Hezbollah and move the army into the south. Without Hezbollah consent, the move could tear the country apart due to the movement's deep support among Shiite Muslims.

The rare united stand between Hezbollah and anti-Syrian politicians who dominate the government could give Lebanon a stronger say in any resolution of the conflict. A divided government may encourage unilateral U.N. Security Council action on the Lebanon crisis without consulting Beirut.

Visiting EU envoys, led by Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, met Friday with Saniora and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, the de facto negotiator for Hezbollah.

Tuomioja, representing the EU Finnish presidency, said the troika appreciated the Lebanese government's plan which "we think forms a good basis for a regional agreement."

Half of famed Motown duo Ashford & Simpson

NEW YORK — Nick Ashford, one-half of the legendary Motown songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson that penned elegant, soulful classics for the likes of Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye and funk hits for Chaka Khan and others, died Monday at age 70, his former publicist said.

Mr. Ashford, who along with wife Valerie Simpson wrote some of Motown's biggest hits, died in a New York City hospital, said Liz Rosenberg, Mr. Ashford's longtime friend. He had been suffering from throat cancer and had undergone radiation treatment, she said.

Though they had some of their greatest success at Motown with classics like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Reach Out And Touch Somebody's Hand" by Ross and "You're All I Need To Get By" by Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Ashford & Simpson also created anthems for others, like "I'm Every Woman" by Khan (and later remade by Whitney Houston).

"They had magic and that's what creates those wonderful hits," Verdine White of Earth, Wind and Fire said after learning of his friend's death. "Without those songs, those artists wouldn't have been able to go to the next level."

Ashford & Simpson also had success writing for themselves: Perhaps the best-known song they sang was the 1980s hit "Solid As A Rock."

Their relationship stretched more than four decades. They met in 1964 in a New York City church. Mr. Ashford, a South Carolina native, had come to the city to pursue a dance career; Simpson was a music student, and after connecting with her, they decided to start to write songs together.

"They were always comfortable with each other and they made all of us comfortable, because they were comfortable," White said.

Their first major success occurred when they came up with "Let's Go Get Stoned" for Ray Charles. That song became a huge hit, and soon, they came to the attention of Motown Records and began penning hits for their artists. They started out writing for Gaye and Terrell; in fact, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" was originally their hit, until Ross later rerecorded it and made it her signature song.

"The thing is, they were married and working together. That was what was special about them. Everybody admired that," White said.

The duo, who were married for 38 years, helped sell millions of records for several artists. They also had success as their own entity, but despite "Solid As a Rock," their songs were dwarfed by those they penned for others.

In recent years, the pair continued to perform. They also were owners of the New York City restaurant Sugar Bar, where many top names and emerging talents would put on showcases.

Mr. Ashford is survived by his wife and two daughters.

AP

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson (shown in 2007) were married 38 years and were singing and songwriting partners. | AP PhotoEvan Agostini

Report: McQuaid says EPO bans should be 4 years

PARIS (AP) — International cycling federation president Pat McQuaid has renewed his call for first-time doping offenders who test positive for EPO to be suspended for four years instead of two.

McQuaid, who also said there won't be a decision before next year on Tour de France champion Alberto Contador's doping case, told L'Equipe newspaper on Monday he would look to take his campaign for a tough line on EPO to national cycling federations.

"Personally, I'm in favor of increasing the length of the suspension," said McQuaid, who supported the tougher punishment in an interview with The Associated Press last month. "There should be a four-year ban for those who take EPO. We're going to propose that soon to the national federations and they will need to be on the same line as us. Because if we need to ask for CAS arbitration too often, it wouldn't go ahead."

The Spanish cycling federation is set to determine whether Contador is banned for two years after testing positive for clenbuterol during the Tour. Contador, a three-time Tour champion, blames contaminated meat for his positive test.

"At the end of August, along with WADA, we gave Contador the chance to explain himself," McQuaid said. "Twenty-four hours later, he told us this story of the contaminated meat. We asked experts to conduct a study to see if his version is credible. There won't be a decision before the end of the year."

Contador risks losing this year's Tour title and could face a two-year ban if found guilty of using clenbuterol, a banned muscle-building and weight-loss steroid.

McQuaid also spoke about the possibility of handing reduced suspensions to riders convinced of using "lighter" substances.

"We should make a difference between light and heavy products," McQuaid said. "EPO is serious, that should be a four-year ban. Ventolin, for example, could be six or nine months."

McQuaid also claimed that cycling is the cleanest of all sports and that most of the riders are not taking performance enhancing substances.

"Through our biological passport (program), we have noticed that the parameters were improving," McQuaid said. "Most of the riders are clean."

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`Close call' for Earth // Large asteroid detected after just missing planet

WASHINGTON An asteroid big enough to wipe out cities whizzedpast the Earth last month before astronomers even knew it was there,showing how hard it is to forecast a natural disaster from space, aNASA scientist said Thursday.

The asteroid, a collection of rock and dust a half-mile or morein diameter, flashed by at a speed of 46,000 m.p.h. and was not evendetected until days after it had become only a receding point oflight, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced.

Astronomers reported that the object missed Earth by only ahalf-million miles - about twice the distance between the Earth andmoon. In cosmic terms, this is considered "a close call."

Had it hit the Earth, said Bevan French, a scientist in NASA'ssolar system exploration division, the asteroid would have created acrater the size of the District of Columbia and spread destructionfor 100 miles in all directions. Other effects would be feltthousands of miles away, he said.

"The object would be packing the equivalent of 40 billion tonsof TNT," said French. "That would be equal to about 40,000 hydrogenbombs all going off at the same time."

Henry Holt, a retired U.S. Geological Survey scientist nowworking on a NASA-funded project to detect and track asteroids thatcross Earth's orbit, found the asteroid in photographs taken almost aweek after it had flown past.

French said the fact that the asteroid, called 1989FC, was notseen earlier comes as no surprise.

"These detections are made because you can photograph a trail oflight as it moves against a background of fixed stars," French said."That means the asteroid is moving across your path and not on acollision course.

"An asteroid that was heading right for you would look just likeanother small fixed star and might be very difficult to detect untilit was too late to do anything about it," he said.

There have been several federally funded studies to determinehow to protect Earth from being bombed by outer space rocks, butlittle else has been done, French said. "Your best bet would be toidentify these several hundred or thousand Earth crossers (asteroids)and calculate their orbit," he said. "Then you would know when youare in danger."

Once the approaching object was sighted, French said, "You couldlaunch a large nuclear device to explode near the asteroid and nudgeit out of the way."

But, said the NASA scientist, "We don't really have the kind ofdetection capability or launch capability to do that at the moment."

French said Holt found the object in photos taken on March 31 byan 18-inch telescope at the Mt. Palomar Observatory in California.The photos were processed several days later, and the asteroid wasdiscovered by comparing views taken an hour apart.

By the time the object was photographed, French said, it hadalready made its closest approach to Earth and was streaking outward,away from the sun. Scientists plotted the trajectory backward anddetermined that the asteroid passed within a half-million miles ofEarth on March 23. That is closer to Earth than any other object solarge has passed since 1937, when an object called Hermes went byEarth at about the same distance.

French said that if 1989FC had struck dry land on Earth "itwould be a very major catastrophe for which we have had noexperience."

If the asteroid had hit the ocean, he said, it would havecreated tidal waves that would wash over vast areas of coastalregions.

French said there may be "hundreds to thousands" of suchEarth-crossing asteroids, and an object the size of 1989FC couldreasonably be expected to strike Earth every 5 million to 20 millionyears.

He said there is a crater in Ghana and one in the Soviet Unioncreated by such objects hitting Earth.

The Soviet crater is thought to be less than a million yearsold.

Scientists also believe that an object about 6 miles in diameterhit the Earth about 65 million years ago and ejected so much debrisinto the atmosphere that it caused the planet to cool.

A popular theory blames this event for the extinction of thedinosaurs.

French said the asteroid is moving away from the sun now, butwill pass within 20 million miles of the Earth early in October.

Experts are tracking the asteroid to gain a more refinedestimate of its orbit. French said 1989FC passed close enough to theEarth for its orbit to be affected by the planet's gravitationalinfluence. Scientists will have to take this into account whencalculating the asteroid's new orbit.

Greeting cards are examples of pop art

Carlton Cards, a division of American Greetings, gives consumersthe opportunity to own reproductions of some of the most renownedcontemporary works of art with its new pop culture line.

The Peter Max collection features 67 of the artist's paintings,including one of his most recognizable prints, "Umbrella Man."

Other popular Max motifs include "cosmic jumpers" in space, angelsand his patriotic/flag series and love/heart series.

Colorful works of art with a conscience, Max's prints range fromspiritual to sensual and incorporate a wide range of imagery. Frombold graphics to minimalism, the artist creates a world of magic.

It's not strange that Max's favorite quote comes from one of thegreatest scientific geniuses of our times: "Imagination is moreimportant than knowledge," said Albert Einstein.

Max, whose work is said to evolve with the times, has painted forfive U.S. presidents and has served as the official artist of theGrammys, six Super Bowls, Woodstock and its 30th anniversary event,World Cup USA, the U.S. Open and other events.

Portraits by the artist include: President Clinton, NelsonMandela, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Princess Diana, the Dalai Lama andMikhail Gorbachev. Max has also used his talent to make socialstatements by creating works symbolic of causes such as human rights,animal rights, ecology and peace.

For more information on the card line, visit Carlton's Web site,www.carltoncards.com.

London's FTSE 100 unchanged at 6,087.3

The London Stock Exchange's main share index was unchanged Thursday.

The FTSE 100-share index closed at 6,087.3, the same as Wednesday's.

Hard-Luck Days Over for Angels' Escobar

ANAHEIM, Calif. - After consecutive starts in which his teammates have totaled 20 runs of support, Kelvim Escobar is starting to feel that his hard-luck days with the Los Angeles Angels are over. Escobar breezed to his ninth victory and Vladimir Guerrero punctuated a 17-hit attack with a two-run homer, helping the Angels rout the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-1 Saturday night. The victory came six days after the right-hander beat the Dodgers 10-4.

"Everybody knows how tough it was for me last year, pitching well and not getting good results. But it seems like everything is starting to turn around and I'm very happy," Escobar said. "I've always said, when you work hard, it's going to pay off someday. You just have to be patient and wait for your time."

The Angels, vying for their third AL West title in four years, are off to the best start in franchise history at 48-27 and are 21 games over .500 for the first time since finishing 95-67 in 2005. They increased their division lead to a season-high eight games over Oakland, which lost 1-0 to the New York Mets.

"I'm very happy about the way the offense is going," Escobar said. "We're playing with a lot of confidence. And one of the things that we're doing that is going to keep us on top and competing for that division is winning series."

By taking the first two games of this three-game set, the Halos have won nine consecutive series and 13 of the last 14. But they lost center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. in the third inning with tightness in his left hamstring after he legged out an infield single to short.

Matthews, who signed a five-year, $50 million contract with the Angels in November after leaving the Texas Rangers for free agency, is hitting .286 with 10 homers and 42 RBIs in 73 games.

"Just running down the line, it felt a little tight - but it didn't pull or grab or anything," Matthews said. "They yanked me, but I could have finished it out. It feels OK right now. I want to go out and play tomorrow."

Escobar (9-3) sent the Pirates to their fourth straight loss, allowing a run and five hits over eight innings and striking out four. The right-hander, who became a full-time starter in 2004 after joining the Angels from Toronto as a free agent, is only two wins shy of last season's total.

"I'm very happy the way things are going," said Escobar, who turned Chris Duffy's line drive back to the box into an inning-ending double play in the eighth. "It's always been a goal for me to win 20 games and I know that I can do it, but it doesn't come easy."

Ian Snell (6-5) gave up five runs and 10 hits over six innings in his first career appearance against the Angels, making the right-hander 0-3 with a 4.05 ERA in his last six road starts.

Snell pitched for the first time in 10 days since recording his first complete game in the majors with an 8-1 victory over Texas. He missed his scheduled turn last Tuesday at Seattle because of a blister on his index finger, which he burned while cleaning his stove.

Howie Kendrick triggered the Angels' five-run second inning with a two-run bloop single to center and Shea Hillenbrand drove in another with a fielder's choice grounder. Reggie Willits and Chone Figgins capped the rally with RBI singles, but Snell couldn't exhale until Guerrero's bid for a three-run homer died in Bay's glove on the warning track.

"Obviously, it's not the performance Ian Snell wanted," manager Jim Tracy said. "But for him to maintain his composure in the manner in which he did after that tough second inning and basically save our bullpen, you've got to give him credit for that."

Hillenbrand drove in another run with an infield single in the seventh and Guerrero highlighted a four-run eighth with his 14th homer, a two-run shot against Tony Armas.

Xavier Nady doubled in the seventh, extending Pittsburgh's streak to 30 consecutive games with an extra-base hit, and Ronny Paulino singled him home for his second hit of the game. It was the 21st time this season that the Pirates scored fewer than three runs, and they have lost all 21.

"That's not very good," shortstop Jack Wilson said. "We're running into some guys that are throwing really well right now. Escobar had some really filthy stuff tonight. That team is very good at what they do - taking the extra base and getting the clutch hits. We're definitely not doing that right now, and it's definitely a tough thing to take."

Notes:@ Angels 1B Casey Kotchman missed his sixth straight game because of a concussion. ... Snell didn't have to bat because the DH rule was in effect. He has nine sacrifice bunts, tying Roy Oswalt for the major league lead - but six of the baserunners Snell has advanced have been stranded.

OPEC to Decide on Oil Production Quota

VIENNA, Austria - OPEC was deciding Tuesday whether to maintain its production quota or give it a modest and symbolic boost to calm oil markets worried that there may not be enough crude to meet global demand by year's end.

Despite resistance by Venezuela and a few other members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, key oil ministers said they were discussing the possibility of raising the cartel's current official output target by another 500,000 to 700,000 barrels a day.

If approved, it would be a purely token increase, since the 12-nation group - which supplies about 40 percent of the world's crude - already is pumping at least 1 million barrels a day over its current official quota of 25.8 million barrels a day.

OPEC President Mohamed Al Hamli, who doubles as energy minister for the United Arab Emirates, conceded in his opening address that there were "continuing uncertainties about the world oil demand outlook, exacerbated recently by financial markets turmoil."

But he added: "OPEC will continue monitoring oil market developments and will act in a timely and adequate manner, should there be indications of a shortage of crude."

Analysts said a small but symbolic increase would send a message to jittery markets that OPEC is paying attention to stubbornly high prices and expectations that global demand will spike as winter approaches in the Northern Hemisphere.

"We're in a different market than we were in a few months ago," Algeria's energy minister, Chakib Khelil, said before the cartel began its closed-door consultations.

Iran's acting oil minister, Gholam Hossein Nozari, told reporters Tuesday that OPEC can't be held responsible for the world's economic woes.

"The economic situation does not depend only on OPEC," he said.

Although OPEC feels generally confident it can keep current production and prices in balance, it is weighing a host of factors that "may compel them to turn the spigot up a notch," said Anthony Sabino, a professor of business law at St. John's University in New York.

Light, sweet crude for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 3 cents to $77.52 a barrel in electronic trading, while October Brent crude fell 13 cents to $75.35 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

Saudi Arabia, OPEC's No. 1 producer and the member with the most sway, was the wild card. The oil-rich kingdom made no public statements, adding a touch of suspense heading into Tuesday's deliberations.

Libya's oil minister said Tuesday there was no consensus on an output increase, and Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez stuck by his contention that production targets should not be changed.

Even if OPEC boosts crude output, a 2-3 percent higher quota would not necessarily mean an increase in actual oil on the market because the cartel already is pumping well over its target.

And crude oil needs refining, which can mean a holdup of at least 40 days, said Eshan Ul-Haq, chief analyst for Vienna's PVM Oil Associates.

"It all takes time," said Ul-Haq, who estimates OPEC has a spare capacity of up to 3.15 million barrels a day.

Ul-Haq also noted that the United Arab Emirates is scheduled to perform maintenance on its oil fields this autumn, and that the work would force it to cut production by roughly 400,000 barrels a day - at least temporarily negating any 500,000-barrel increase.

With oil prices hovering around $77 a barrel, pressure has built on OPEC to intervene. Crude traded as high as $78.77 a barrel in early August on the Nymex, and many market-watchers see $80 as the new threshold.

The Paris-based International Energy Agency repeatedly has urged the group to raise crude output at this week's meeting, arguing that global demand is likely to outstrip supply with the advent of winter.

Many OPEC members said they felt no compulsion to act quickly, since demand for gasoline and diesel fuel has slackened with the end of the summer driving season.

Others said they were still assessing the impact on the global economy of the slump in the U.S. housing market.

With mortgage defaults rising, lenders have tightened conditions on loans to prospective U.S. home buyers, and the slowdown has stoked fears of a recession and reduced demand for oil and gasoline.

The 12 OPEC members are Algeria, Angola, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

---

On the Net:

OPEC: http://www.opec.org

NCAA: Morgan State leads West Virginia

Morgan State has scored the first 10 points against the Mountaineers, bringing up the question: Can the Big East really lose another first-round game?

West Virginia can't afford to get behind by too much, either. It shoots only 43.7 percent from the field, making it difficult to fight back into a game.

___

Todd Bozeman finally gets the feeling of the NCAA tournament again, now that Morgan State has tipped off against second-seeded West Virginia. He was banned by the NCAA for eight years after he admitted to paying a recruit while coaching at California, where he led those Bears to three tournament appearances.

Already Reggie Holmes has knocked down a 3 for the Bears' first basket. He's the school's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Marvin Webster earlier this season.

___

Minnesota came out for its shootaround before playing sixth-seeded Xavier in Milwaukee wearing shirts that say "RESPECT" on the back.

The Gophers have won seven of their last 10 games to play their way into the first round, but lost to Ohio State by 29 in the Big Ten tournament finals.

___

Cornell forward Alex Tyler has his right calf heavily taped for the Temple game in the East Regional. He practiced Thursday for the first time in two weeks, then said, "They'll have to kill me to keep me off the court."

___

The opening day of the NCAA tournament shocked the Big East _ three teams lost and another won in overtime. It thrilled double-digit seeds _ three of them won. And it wore out fans with three games going overtime, including BYU's 99-92 double-overtime win against Florida.

Can the second day live up to the madness?

Things get started with Morgan State and West Virginia in the East Regional, followed by Minnesota-Xavier in the West and the game a lot of folks are keeping an eye on: fifth-seeded Temple against No. 12 seed Cornell, two teams that most people consider under-seeded.

Let the games begin.

YOUR FAVORITE?

What is your favorite style of pizza, and where do you go to getit? Drop me a line: Pat Bruno, Favorite Pizza, Chicago Sun-Times, 401N. Wabash, Chicago 60611; or e-mail Brunoeats@aol.com. One winner,picked at random, will receive two of my pizza cookbooks, TheUltimate Pizza and The Great Chicago-Style Pizza.

Public to have say on bus changes

Bus passengers are to have their say on how to improve thenetwork.

Stagecoach Bluebird is planning a new network of services betweenElrick, Westhill and Aberdeen early next year.

The firm is holding public open days on the proposed timetableand route changes.

The changes include a 15 minute X17 service linking Aberdeen citycentre, Woodend with Westhill and Elrick, with improved evenings andSunday frequency.

The open days are on October 30 and November 8 at WesthillShopping Centre car park between 10am and 2pm.

Bob Hall, Operations Director, Stagecoach Bluebird said: "I wouldurge service users to have a look at these proposals. "

Meningitis in infant is easy to miss

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My 6-month-old infant has recovered from HIBmeningitis. Although he was diagnosed early, I had no idea he was sosick. His only symptom was a persisting temperature (103 degrees).Please discuss this. G. T.

DEAR G. T. : HIB meningitis is an infection of the meninges, thebrain coverings. If not treated quickly, brain damage, even death,can occur. It is spread by droplets of nose and throat secretions.The HIB organism is the most common meningitis-causing bacterium upto age 6.

Meningitis is not easily diagnosed in infancy. The symptoms,chiefly fretfulness, fever, perhaps vomiting, are so common ininfants that the infection can easily be missed. In older children,a severe headache is almost always the suspect symptom. In any case,a sample of spinal fluid provides conclusive evidence of infection.

While prompt antibiotic treatment almost always brings a cure,an unfortunate few youngsters have residual neurologic damage. Don'tconfuse it with influenza, which is virus-caused. HIB is not avirus.

My real purpose here is to inform parents of a new anti-HIBvaccine, and I emphasize the word new. It is more effective inprevention than the previous one.

Send questions to Dr. Donohue, Box 19660, Irvine, Calif.92713-0660.

Bank robber a suspect in new heists // `Lunchbag bandit' is charged

The "lunchbag bandit" can't seem to keep his hands out of thecookie jar - or the paper bags he's known to stuff his loot in,police said. He's had more success staying out of jail.

Sharkey Elam - the man known for using lunchbags during allegedone-man robbery sprees, then getting out of jail to do it again - isback, authorities said.

This time, authorities have charged him with the July 21 robberyof Superior Bank at 150 S. Wacker. He also is suspected of robbingthree other banks - two on Thursday, U.S. Attorney James Burns said.

The slightly balding, slightly graying man with theplastic-framed prescription glasses was in court Friday to answer thenew charges in U.S. District Court.

In 1993, he robbed five banks in one week - while on parole forrobbing four others in a three-week stretch. He was given the"lunchbag bandit" nickname because he put the cash he stole in paperbags.

He was known as the "pot-bellied bandit" when he was convictedin a string of noon-hour robberies in 1989.

Elam, who is also charged with parole violations, was deniedbail Friday and will likely face a detention hearing Tuesday. U.S.Magistrate Joan Lefkow agreed that Elam was a flight risk.

Prosecutors said it is too soon to say if they will charge Elamunder the federal "three-strikes" law. The law mandates a lifesentence for a person convicted on three charges involving violence.

Elam could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine onthe current robbery charge.

Elam had been in a Salvation Army halfway house after servingpart of a nearly four-year sentence for the five Chicago bankrobberies in 1993.

He could have been sentenced to more than seven years then, buta judge said he went light on Elam for reasons he could not discuss.

According to the FBI, a man matching Elam's description enteredSuperior Bank on July 21, placed a paper bag on the counter and kepthis hand in the bag.

"Hurry up, give me the money," the robber said, according to anaffidavit. "If anything goes off, I'll kill you."

Video captured the suspect and the teller told police that thesuspect placed a paper bag on the counter and kept his hand in it.

The robber fled with $8,670. FBI officials arrested Elam at theNew Ritz hotel, 300 N. Central, at 11 p.m. Thursday. Agents saidthey recovered $3,400 in cash in the hotel room. They did not saywhat happened to the rest of the money.

Elam is suspected in three other bank jobs: one on Monday atCitibank, 539 N. Michigan, and two on Thursday: at Water Tower Bank,717 N. Michigan, and at North Community Bank, 3180 N. Broadway.

FROM BURUNDI TO BOISE

Zoo Boise to open African Plains exhibit this fall

Dust swirls around hard hats and jackhammers in the blanketing early afternoon haze. Monica Hopkins, communications director for Zoo Boise, excitedly points to various half-poured foundations and piles of rocks, trying to paint the picture of an East African village in the middle of downtown Boise. Hopkins is part of a team that has helped raise $3.6 million for the zoo's biggest exhibit to date, the African Plains Exhibit. It's scheduled to open this October, but has been five long years in the making. From hiring zoological design specialists to contracting with an East African cultural expert, the zoo hasn't cut corners or spared expenses in bringing this massive project to fruition.

Hopkins explains that the zoo decided to focus its new permanent exhibition on East Africa-Kenya, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Burundi, Somalia, Uganda-primarily for the region's awe-inspiring native animal species, but also because zoo officials hope to shed light on the conservation issues that have become major concerns in the area. From poaching to habitat destruction to water depletion, East Africa's ecological problems are having a marked effect on area wildlife.

"East Africa is one of the places where people still live with some of the largest animals'on the planet and come into contact with them on a daily basis. They have figured out how to preserve species in certain ways and keep numbers up-sometimes for economic reasons, like safaris," explains Hopkins. "This exhibit gives us an opportunity to focus on the animals but then to also say that people are a part of this as well."

The zoo hopes to present constructive solutions and ways for community members to make a positive impact on the region. For example, Hopkins explains that the zoo will have a cell phone recycling program to help raise awareness about coltan mining (a mineral that's used to make consumer electronics), which has resulted in "bushmeat" harvesting and gorilla habitat destruction in the Congo.

"Our motto is no tragedies before age 3," jokes Hopkins. "If we overwhelm people, they shut down, and that's not our goal. It's to present information in a way that brings attention to something, educates people, and then gives them an actionable item to go on."

Zoo Boise has collaborated with some of the best architectural minds to design an exhibit that does just that. The zoo first contacted WuM Architects, a firm from Kansas that has experience designing for Oklahoma City Zoo and Denver Zoo, to create a basic concept for the 3.5-acre space. The firm drafted a plan that begins with a travel agency, where visitors embark on a boat journey that leads them into the East African village. Upon entry, guests are greeted by a schoolhouse, a game preserve, and a ranger's station, all of which encourage visitors to ponder how the village relates to its local landscape and abundant indigenous animal species. After the initial design phase, the African Plains project was then passed to local firm, Erstad Architecture, to hammer out the minutia.

"When you pursue a project like this, there are a lot of different things that come up," notes Andy Erstad, principal architect at the firm. "Funny things like a giraffe having an 18-inch-long tongue that will strip a tree. You start to learn a lot of these things."

The Erstad team has been faced with a flurry of logistical setbacks in the process of integrating their design concepts with the zoo's necessary safety and educational demands. All of the structures in the exhibit have to not only be culturally accurate and meet certain International Building Codes, they also have to stand up to the 150,000 school-age children who visit the zoo every year. From figuring out the best height for a giraffe viewing platform, to determining the most natural contours for Pride Rock in the lion's exhibit, the Erstad team has collaborated with the zoo staff, East African experts, and the Boise State theater production department to ensure a flawless visitor experience.

"Our goal is to be more of a backdrop," explains Cheryl Pearse, senior project manager at Erstad Architects. "We provide the safety elements, but also provide a canvas for the Boise State group to come in and put those African touches onto the buildings and to bring them to life."

Michael Baltzell, professor and technical director of Theatre Arts at Boise State, has been working closely with Maasai tribesman Kakuta Hamisi to perfect the artistic flourishes that will realistically transform the exhibit's architectural structures. Their additions will range from decorating the ranger's station with kente cloth and fake animal heads to chipping paint and applying rust to the exhibit's brightly colored buildings. Baltzell has spent more than 20 years working in production and set design for many of Boise's prominent theater companies, including Idaho Shakespeare Festival and Boise Contemporary Theater. His background in creating inspiring, yet functional stage environments has lent him the experience necessary to build a permanent stage for Zoo Boise's newest animal performers.

"My job is to make it feel like when you go there that it wasn't just put up yesterday. That it has some authenticity and looks like something from Africa," notes Baltzell.

And though cultural components have figured prominently in the zoo's plans, at the heart of the African Plains exhibit are the animals. The new exhibit will house more than 32 animals from 17 different species, including lions, zebras, giraffes, rock hyrax, lemurs, weaver birds and even dung beetles. The giraffes and zebras will be in a special grasslands enclosure while the lions, for obvious reasons, will be housed separately. This is the first time that Zoo Boise will have animals of this size on display and the community has rallied to make the exhibit possible. Area schools in Boise and Meridian have helped raise more than $50,000 to cover the transportation costs involved in bringing the animals to the zoo. For the giraffes alone, transporters will have to use a special telescoping trailer with a compartment that can be lowered when traveling under highway overpasses.

A short week after tiptoeing around wet foundations and jutting rebar, the zooboise.com African Construction Camera reveals new gray-bricked buildings, and yellow scaffolding. The exhibit is progressing daily at a pace that keeps the myriad people involved-zoo staff, architects, designers, landscapes, construction crews-constantly occupied. Though the African Plains Exhibit pre-opening tours don't begin until September 18 and doors don't officially open until October 4, to all concerned, these dates seem to be fast approaching. Standing with Hopkins in the sweltering sun, it's difficult to imagine exactly how different the space will look in a few short months. It's also difficult not to catch her infectious enthusiasm for what she jokingly calls, "the City of Boise's largest public art project."

Spain eyes joint World Cup bid with Portugal

Spain would prefer to launch a joint-bid with Portugal for the 2018 World Cup, according to the head of the country's football federation.

President Angel Maria Villar has already said that Spain would bid for the event, but Tuesday's edition of Marca sports daily reported that he favored a joint bid.

"We need to present a strong, consistent and winning bid for the 2018 World Cup. Personally, I think it should be with Portugal," Villar was reported to have said at a federation function.

Candidates to host the 2018 World Cup include Mexico, the United States, England, Russia, Qatar, China, Australia, Japan and a combined Netherlands-Belgium bid.

Spain won its second European Championship in June, shedding its underachievers tag in the process.

Surrogate Dad Defends Teen Murder Suspect

Donald Cikauskas hired Eric Robles to help him out with asnowplowing business over the winter and ended up as a kind ofsurrogate father figure for the 17-year-old Bartlett youth.

Cikauskas said he knew Robles came from a troubled home. Evenso, Cikauskas, who has had several telephone conversations withRobles in the last few days, said Monday that he remains as baffledas anyone over murder charges that say the teen killed his parentsSaturday.

"There is no reason why someone does something like this," saidCikauskas, who said Robles' account of what happened and why seemedconfused. Cikauskas said he was trying to arrange legal counsel forthe teen.

Police …

Japan central bank leaves interest rate unchanged

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged at effectively zero Tuesday as the country struggles to keep its economic recovery alive.

In a widely expected decision, the Bank of Japan's nine-member policy board voted unanimously at a two-day meeting to keep the overnight call rate target at zero to 0.1 percent.

The central bank maintained its assessment of the world's No. 3 economy.

"Japan's economy still shows signs of a moderate recovery, but the recovery seems to be pausing," the central bank said in its statement.

Japan has been battered by slowing overseas demand, a strong yen and persistent deflation. Exports are losing momentum, and the employment rate remains high by Japanese standards.

A key central bank survey last week showed that business sentiment fell for the first time in seven quarters.

In a recent survey of 42 economists, the government-affiliated Economic Planning Association forecast Wednesday that gross domestic product would shrink 1.9 percent in the fourth quarter.

Many economists expect the slowdown to force the central bank to once again ease monetary policy.

Goldman Sachs, however, says that Japan is on track to grow next year. On Tuesday, it raised its forecast for the country's gross domestic product growth in 2011, saying it now expects a 1.6 percent expansion from 1.4 percent in its previous estimate. The change was prompted by a brighter outlook for the U.S. after lawmakers extended tax cuts.

"A strong U.S. economy would translate into growth in exports to the U.S. and a pause in the yen's rise," said Chiwoong Lee, Japan senior economist, in note to clients.

For now, the central bank refrained for making any moves while it evaluates the effectiveness of monetary easing schemes announced in October.

It established a 5 trillion yen ($61 billion) fund to purchase financial assets such as government securities and commercial paper in an attempt to lower longer-term interest rates and risk premiums. The central bank is offering another 30 trillion yen through a loan program.

The central bank said it would "steadily" buy assets and provide longer-term funds "so that the effects of comprehensive monetary easing spread."

It pledged to continue supporting the economy through a three-pronged approach of "powerful" monetary easing, financial market stability and "providing support to strengthen the foundations of economic growth."

Japan central bank leaves interest rate unchanged

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged at effectively zero Tuesday as the country struggles to keep its economic recovery alive.

In a widely expected decision, the Bank of Japan's nine-member policy board voted unanimously at a two-day meeting to keep the overnight call rate target at zero to 0.1 percent.

The central bank maintained its assessment of the world's No. 3 economy.

"Japan's economy still shows signs of a moderate recovery, but the recovery seems to be pausing," the central bank said in its statement.

Japan has been battered by slowing overseas demand, a strong yen and persistent deflation. Exports are losing momentum, and the employment rate remains high by Japanese standards.

A key central bank survey last week showed that business sentiment fell for the first time in seven quarters.

In a recent survey of 42 economists, the government-affiliated Economic Planning Association forecast Wednesday that gross domestic product would shrink 1.9 percent in the fourth quarter.

Many economists expect the slowdown to force the central bank to once again ease monetary policy.

Goldman Sachs, however, says that Japan is on track to grow next year. On Tuesday, it raised its forecast for the country's gross domestic product growth in 2011, saying it now expects a 1.6 percent expansion from 1.4 percent in its previous estimate. The change was prompted by a brighter outlook for the U.S. after lawmakers extended tax cuts.

"A strong U.S. economy would translate into growth in exports to the U.S. and a pause in the yen's rise," said Chiwoong Lee, Japan senior economist, in note to clients.

For now, the central bank refrained for making any moves while it evaluates the effectiveness of monetary easing schemes announced in October.

It established a 5 trillion yen ($61 billion) fund to purchase financial assets such as government securities and commercial paper in an attempt to lower longer-term interest rates and risk premiums. The central bank is offering another 30 trillion yen through a loan program.

The central bank said it would "steadily" buy assets and provide longer-term funds "so that the effects of comprehensive monetary easing spread."

It pledged to continue supporting the economy through a three-pronged approach of "powerful" monetary easing, financial market stability and "providing support to strengthen the foundations of economic growth."

Ghost of a chance - Sports journalists in general receive... [Derived headline]

Ghost of a chance

- Sports journalists in general receive low salaries so anyopportunity to supplement their income is considered a bonus. Forone Daily Examiner reporter a late-evening interview at Minnie Waterinvolving the Grafton Ghosts deprived him of $300.

The interview took longer then expected and after a mad rush toget back to the member's draw at his local haunt it was quicklybrought to his attention by the bar staff that he missed out on themoney by 15 minutes.

The journalist said he will be sending a $300 bill to the Ghosts.

Bah, humbug

- A cicada, most annoyed that its sleeping place had beendisturbed inside a car at …

Ghost of a chance - Sports journalists in general receive... [Derived headline]

Ghost of a chance

- Sports journalists in general receive low salaries so anyopportunity to supplement their income is considered a bonus. Forone Daily Examiner reporter a late-evening interview at Minnie Waterinvolving the Grafton Ghosts deprived him of $300.

The interview took longer then expected and after a mad rush toget back to the member's draw at his local haunt it was quicklybrought to his attention by the bar staff that he missed out on themoney by 15 minutes.

The journalist said he will be sending a $300 bill to the Ghosts.

Bah, humbug

- A cicada, most annoyed that its sleeping place had beendisturbed inside a car at …

China: Polyester purchases shift to Taiwan

INSIDE ASIA

China

Because local polyester fiber producers have made dumping charges against Korean producers of cotton-type polyester fiber (CTPF), Chinese textile enterprises are shifting their purchases of CTPF to Taiwan.

Although China is one of the largest man-made fiber producers in the world, the supply of MMF, …

TRAI says service providers are set to stop unwanted calls and messages.(Telecom Regulatory Authority of India)(Brief article)

Telecom service providers said that they are set to stop unsolicited mobile-phone calls and messages. According to TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), service providers are now expecting the DoT (Department of Telecom) to announce the new landline number series for telemarketing companies. In December 2010, the regulator had announced its proposals to prevent unsolicited commercial calls and text …

CONCILIATOR IN TEACHER TALKS.(Local)

A Public Employment Relations Board conciliator is scheduled to meet tonight with the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Board of Education and its teachers union to aid slowed contract talks.

Donald Prockup, president of the teachers union, announced the meeting and said he is "optimistic but not hopeful" about the 7 p.m. negotiation session at board of education headquarters.

Part of the reason, he said, is that district teachers have been working without a contract since …

AMA analyzing court decision that blocks Bush administration's "roadless" land management plan.(American Motorcyclist Association, George W. Bush)

A California federal court judge has tossed out the Bush administration's plan that governs activities in so-called roadless areas in national forests and grasslands nationwide, replacing it with an earlier plan put together by the former Clinton administration.

While the almost 60 million acres is called roadless, it contains thousands of miles of dirt roads and trails used by motorcyclists, ATV users, horse riders, hikers and others. At stake, potentially, is exactly how off-highway vehicles will be allowed to use trails in roadless areas. In some cases, those trails are currently open to off-highway uses. In others, the chance of new trails ever opening is in …

Manuscript page of Napoleon's fiction sells for euro24,000

A single manuscript page from a love story written by Napoleon Bonaparte sold at auction in France on Sunday for euro24,000 (US$35,400), an auction house said.

The item up for sale was the first page of the final draft of Napoleon's 1795 short novel "Clisson and Eugenie," said the Osenat auction house, based in Fontainebleau outside Paris.

The page had been part of a private French family collection. The identity of the buyer was not disclosed.

The novel, never published in Napoleon's lifetime, was loosely based on the author's brief romance …

Immigration's impossible mission

This is where the American dream becomes a reality or is dashedforever for thousands of Eastern Europeans, Middle Easterners andAfricans.

The United States embassy in Rome, where the hard-pressedImmigration and Naturalization Service has its regional headquarters,is trying to fulfill an impossible mission: granting entry to peoplefleeing the violence of war or religious, political or racialpersecution.

Only a miniscule percentage of the uprooted, often destitutehuman beings who have become refugees can be accommodated by theAmerican refugee program despite its recent expansion. Even if theintake were doubled, the effect on the overall problem still would …

CBI'S Brokerage Business Hits Record Daily Transaction Value of RMB 100 Million.

CBI Group recently announced that the brokerage service run by its subsidiary Etong achieved a record daily transaction value of RMB 100 million ($15.37 million).

Etong's brokerage service was launched in July 2010 as a result of CBI Group's decision to become a leading trading expert in China's commodities industry. The spot commodities brokerage service designed for regional clients has been well received by the market, which helps reduce trading costs, improve deal efficiency, provide more business options and increase deal rates.

Compared with other electronic trading platforms, Etong features over 100 experienced and knowledgeable professionals. In addition, …

Al-Sadr orders extension of ceasefire.(News)

Anti-US cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his feared Mehdi Army yesterday to maintain its six-month ceasefire as members of the militia clashed with US and Iraqi soldiers in Baghdad.

Authorities in Italy and the United States conducted raids codenamed "Old Bridge" yesterday, targeting dozens of alleged members of Mafia clans who controlled drug trafficking between the two sides of the Atlantic, officials said. The operation targeted Mafia figures who were strengthening contacts between mob groups in Italy and the United States.

Attacks and threats against Sri Lanka's media are creating a culture of silence and lack of dissent just as abductions, killings and …

`SARATOGA' PLAQUE BACK IN HOME PORT.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: KENNETH C. CROWE II Staff writer

The 1929 commissioning plaque for the USS Saratoga, CV-3, is back home at the corner of Broadway and Grove Street, fastened to the side of the Saratoga Springs City Center.

The commissioning plaque was first placed at the site in 1949 when it was affixed to the Veterans Memorial Home in the company of the Saratoga's ship's bell.

``This was presented by the U.S. Navy in 1946 to the city. The bell is out at the Saratoga National Cemetery. We're a very fortunate community to have both the bell and the plaque,'' said Supervisor Philip Klein of the USS Saratoga Welcome Home Committee.

The plaque was …

Living up to the hype: insurance CEOs see significant competitive advantages--and a new role for CIOs--as technology aligns with business.(Information Systems: Technology)

Technology has come a long way from its primary role of storing data. It's burgeoned into nearly every corner of insurance companies--all while building a critical bridge with customers and agents. Now chief executive officers have one more thing to be excited about as technology extends its reach even farther by aligning with the business side of many organizations' operations.

Robert Senkler, CEO of Securian Financial Group, based in St. Paul, Minn., knows the changes in technology first-hand. He's seen numerous technological advances over his 32 years in the industry. While technology has always been a critical function to Securian, he said it's now becoming much more integrated at both the business and customer levels. "Thirty years ago, customers really didn't touch our technology, but today in some of our business units, more than 90% of service transactions are customer-initiated," he said.

Much of that customer inter action has been revolutionized with the Internet. Senkler said companies that do the best job of using and energizing personal computing devices via the Internet excel. "Companies literally get in and out of business based on their ability to manage customer interface via the Web."

The Web revitalizes companies' connections both internally and externally. Many CEOs are recognizing significant return on investment from their company Web sites. "One of the things we acknowledged early on when the Web was becoming a powerful tool was that it gives all companies very cost-effective access to [it]. That almost worked in the favor of companies of all sizes; they had to be big enough but didn't have to be too huge to effectively use the tool," said Senkler.

Technology--along with the Web--has opened the door to enhancing the customer experience. For Assurant Health, technology's role is an essential part of its value proposition to both customers and agents, said President and CEO Don Hamm. "And every year that role gets even bigger" he said. Historically, technology was used primarily for processing parts of the Milwaukee-based company's business, such as paying claims and collecting premiums, but now technology is progressing into an even larger part of the company's business. For instance, he said, many of Assurant Health's technology dollars recently were spent to improve the issue and application process.

A Vital Role

Reinsurance is also reaping technology's rewards. Because the group reinsurance business is unique, said Mike Emerson, …

UN envoy: no Cyprus peace deal that won't work

A United Nations official said Friday there would be no point in rushing negotiations to reunify Cyprus if the agreement could unravel.

U.N. Cyprus envoy Alexander Downer said a deal must be reached "that will hold in place for the duration."

Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias, a Greek Cypriot, and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have been negotiating for six months.

Cyprus was divided into a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north and an internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south in 1974, when Turkey invaded in response to a coup by supporters of union with Greece.

Downer said the leaders of the island's rival Greek …

Toyota slashes '98 Corolla cost

And designs a car to match the capabilities of American suppliers. by.John McElroy

Look at this," exclaims Suguya Fukusato as he dashes over to a new Corolla, pops open the hood and holds up the prop rod. "This support bar only has five bends in it. The old one had 14. By eliminating nine bends we were able to reduce the cost."

That. in a nutshell, captures the spirit with which Toyota designed the 1998 Corolla. Though it's still selling strongly in its fifth year in the U.S. market, Tov-ota recognized it needed to redesign and cut the cost of the car to remain competitive.

"When we set out to establish our cost target, we asked customers what they thought about …

Tennessee group elects Mike Brewer president

Mike Brewer of Refreshments of Tennessee of Jackson, Tenn. was elected president of the Tennessee Automatic Merchandising Association at its annual meeting in Nashville. …

MUSEUMS TO DELIGHT ANY TASTE OR INTEREST.(Saratoga Style)

Whether your interests run to horses or hoofers, bottles or bayonets, the greater Saratoga region has museums and galleries to delight the eye and stimulate the intellect. A few examples:

Adirondack Museum. Route 30, Blue Mountain Lake. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. $15; free to kids 12 and younger in July and August; other months, $8 for kids 6-12; free for children 5 and younger. 352-7311; http://www.adirondackmuseum.org. Surrounded by 6 million acres of preserved land, the Adirondack Park is the crux of the museum's exhibits, lectures and workshops. Exhibits range from an entire building devoted to boats and boating in the Adirondacks, to Sunset Cottage, a one-room building covered entirely with split-wood decorative patterns. New this season are a series of exhibits on rustic design and furniture. Also this season, look for "A Celebration of Community History: The Adirondack Museum at 50," which reveals the stories behind the objects collected by the museum with showcasing its past, present, and future direction. Kids will love the museum's newest interactive exhibit "The Great Outdoors: Adirondack Play and Adventure," featuring artifacts such as a Gore Mountain gondola, a …

ALBANY WATER AUTHORITY SEEKS LOAN TO OFFSET RATE HIKE.(Capital Region)

Byline: JAY JOCHNOWITZ Staff writer

Faced with the threat of several years of double-digit rate hikes, the Albany Municipal Water Finance Authority wants to borrow an extra $9.7 million to pay for repairs and improvements.

If the deal goes through, the authority and the Albany Water Board still would have to raise rates an estimated 6 percent annually just to cover property tax and sewer fee increases they now face, said the authority's chairman, Arthur Roth. But more severe rate hikes, projected at over 11 percent this year, would be at least delayed and, water officials hope, avoided altogether.

"I don't feel right hitting ratepayers with a …

Aid groups, UN want to visit Sri Lanka battlefield

Aid groups and the U.N. pushed for access to Sri Lanka's former battlefields Wednesday to treat and evacuate any wounded civilians stranded there, as the country celebrated a holiday to honor the military's victory over the Tamil Tiger rebels.

Though the president declared the country free from terror Tuesday, government forces shot and killed two squads of rebel fighters _ a total of eight insurgents _ who were preparing ambushes in eastern Sri Lanka, the military said.

Pockets of rebel fighters are presumed still active in the east and officials suspect that sleeper cells are hidden in several cities _ raising fears the war could continue in the form of …

SUNDAY ROUNDS

Northwestern Memorial Hospital received a $2.3 million award in athree-year contract to create "NetReach," a $26 million nationalprogram to enhance computer and communications technology at 12health care institutions. The funding comes through the NationalLibrary of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Besideslinking Northwestern to 11 other institutions, NetReach alsoeventually will link computers at 12 Northwestern sites into onecomprehensive clinincal information system. The goal of the nationalHigh Performance Computing and Communications Program is to improvehealth care by improving information technology.

Also at Northwestern Memorial, Dr. Paul Tang, …