RUGBY UNION - GRIQUALAND WEST AND NEW ZEALAND DRAW IN TOUR MATCH .


and New Zealand drew 18-18 ( halftime 6-10 ) in their rugby union


Griqualand West - Tries : Andre Cloete , Leon van der Wath .


New Zealand - Tries : Scott McLeod , Glen Osborne .


SOCCER - BALL RESIGNS AS MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER .


Former England midfielder Alan Ball resigned as manager of first division side Manchester City on Monday night , the club said .


Ball , appointed in July 1995 , was unable to prevent City being relegated from the premier league last season and his record read 13 wins , 14 draws and 22 losses in 49 games .


They have lost two of their three matches so far this season .


Club secretary Bernard Halford said in a statement : " The chairman and Board would like to place on record their appreciation of his endeavours and efforts whilst in his period of office and wish him well in the future . "


after Tuesday 's matches ( tabulated under played , won , drawn ,


Postponed : Charlton v Birmingham , Sheffield United v


Postponed : Peterborough v Notts County , Wrexham v Bristol


CRICKET - ENGLAND AND PAKISTAN TEST AVERAGES .


after their three-match series which ended on Monday :


Batting ( tabulated under matches , innings , not outs , runs ,


Bowling ( tabulated under overs , maidens , runs , wickets ,


CRICKET - GOOCH TO PLAY ANOTHER SEASON FOR ESSEX .


Graham Gooch , the 43-year-old former England captain , is to continue playing county cricket for at least another season , his club Essex announced on Tuesday .


Opener Gooch 's decision comes towards the end of a season in which he has underlined his consistency by becoming the leading scorer in Essex 's history , beating Keith Fletcher 's aggregate of 29,434 .


Gooch , who retired from test cricket after the 1994-95 tour of Australia but is now an England selector , is seventh in this season 's first-class averages with 1,429 runs at 64.95 , having hit five centuries and one double century .


Essex secretary-general manager Peter Edwards said : " He is a remarkable batsman and still the best in this country .


You just have to look at his record to appreciate that fact . "


SOCCER - ROMANIA CLUB BOSS BANNED FOR HEADBUTT .


The Romanian Soccer Federation has banned first division club Jiul Petrosani 's president Miron Cozma for two years for headbutting a visiting team player , a federation statement said .


Romania 's soccer bosses also fined Cozma , a well-known miners ' union leader , 10 million lei ( $ 3000 ) for the half-time attack on Dinamo Bucharest 's Danut Lupu last Sunday .


Miners led by Cozma rioted in Bucharest in 1990 and 1991 , bringing down the reformist government of premier Petre Roman .


Cozma is awaiting trial for assault and criminal damage in a bar in his home town of Petrosan , 300 kms west of Bucharest .


The attack on Lupu came during a tunnel skirmish between opposing players as they left the field .


" Cozma 's blow was not too painful because I 'm a tall man , " Lupu told Reuters on Tuesday .


Lupu is one of the tallest players in Romania 's first division , towering over Cozma by some 17 cms ,


Jiul Petrosani , promoted to the first division this year , won the league game 1-0 .


Cozma is barred from taking part in any official soccer activity during the ban .


SQUASH - HONG KONG OPEN FIRST ROUND RESULTS .


Kong Open squash tournament on Tuesday ( prefix denotes seeding ) :


1 - Jansher Khan ( Pakistnn ) beat Jackie Lee ( Hong Kong ) 15-8 15-8


3 - Brett Martin ( Australia ) beat David Evans ( Wales ) 14-17 15-1


Mark Cairns ( England ) beat 6 - Del Harris ( England ) 15-12 7-15


Anthony Hill ( Australia ) beat 8 - Mark Chaloner ( England ) 15-11


Simon Frenz ( Germany ) beat Martin Heath ( Scotland ) 12-15 15-6


Joseph Kneipp ( Australia ) beat Ahmed Faizy ( Egypt ) 15-8 12-15


Mir Zaman Gul ( Pakistan ) beat Stephen Meads ( England ) 10-15


Dan Jensen ( Australia ) beat Anders Thoren ( Sweden ) 8-15 15-12


TENNIS - EDBERG EXTENDS GRAND SLAM RUN , TOPPLES WIMBLEDON CHAMP .


Stefan Edberg produced some of his vintage best on Tuesday to extend his grand run at the Grand Slams by toppling Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek in straight sets at the U.S. Open .


Edberg , competing in the 54th consecutive and final Grand Slam event of his illustrious career , turned back the clock at Stadium Court with a flowing 6-3 6-3 6-3 serve-and-volley victory over the fifth-seeded Dutchman .


" It 's a win that I can be proud of , " said the 30-year-old Swede , winner of two U.S. Opens and six Grand Slam titles in all . "


It 's never easy to beat the Wimbledon champion . "


Edberg , who has said he will retire at season 's end , made it look easy under gray skies at the National Tennis Centre .


The unseeded Swede struck quickly , breaking Krajicek in the first game and never let loose his grip on the one hour 44 minute match as he served and volleyed with the grace that made him one of the dominant players of his time .


" There 's not doubt about it , Richard was definitely off his game and I took advantage , " said Edberg .


" I still have my days where I feel great out there . "


Also reaching the second round were top-seeded defending champion Pete Sampras , a 6-2 6-2 6-1 winner over last minute replacement Jimy Szymanski of Venezuela , called on after Adrian Voinea of Romania withdrew because of a sprained ankle .


Third seed Thomas Muster of Austria also charged into the second round with a 6-1 7-6 ( 7-2 ) 6-2 romp over Javier Frana of Argentina .


Marcelo Rios of Chile , the 10th seed , also advanced .


Rios claimed a 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-2 victory over Romania 's Andrei Pavel .


On the women 's side , second seed Monica Seles got off to a strong start by beating fellow-American Anne Miller 6-0 6-1 and was joined in the second round by Spain 's Arantxa Sanchez Vicario ( seeded third ) , Olympic champion Lindsay Davenport ( 8 ) and Karina Habsudova of Slovakia ( 17 ) .


The women 's draw lost another seed when Austrian Judith Wiesner overcame Iva Majoli of Croatia 2-6 6-3 6-1 .


The fifth- seeded Majoli joined Anke Huber ( 5 ) and Magdalena Maleeva ( 12 ) on the sidelines .


TENNIS - TUESDAY 'S RESULTS FROM U.S. OPEN .


Results of first round matches on Tuesday in the U.S. Open tennis championships at the National Tennis Centre ( prefix denotes seeding ) :


Rita Grande ( Italy ) beat Alexia Dechaume-Balleret ( France ) 6-3 6-0


Judith Wiesner ( Austria ) beat 5 - Iva Majoli ( Croatia ) 2-6 6-3 6- 1


3 - Thomas Muster ( Austria ) beat Javier Frana ( Argentina ) 6-1 7-6 ( 7-2 ) 6-2


Jiri Novak ( Czech Republic ) beat Ben Ellwood ( Australia ) 6-2 6- 4 6-3


Mariaan de Swardt ( South Africa ) beat Dominique Van Roost ( Belgium ) 1-6 6-2 7-6 ( 7-4 )


Florencia Labat ( Argentina ) beat Kathy Rinaldi Stunkel ( U.S. ) 6 - 2 6-2


Nathalie Tauziat ( France ) beat Angelica Gavaldon ( Mexico ) 7-6 ( 7-4 ) 6-2


Paola Suarez ( Argentina ) beat Marianne Werdel Witmeyer ( U.S. ) 6 - 4 6-3


Ann Grossman ( U.S. ) beat Silvia Farina ( Italy ) 6-4 6-3


Alex Corretja ( Spain ) beat Byron Black ( Zimbabwe ) 7-6 ( 8-6 ) 3-6 6-2 6-2


Scott Draper ( Australia ) beat Galo Blanco ( Spain ) 6-3 7-5 6-3


Petr Korda ( Czech Republic ) beat David Caldwell ( U.S. ) 6-3 3-6 6-3 7-5


Bohdan Ulihrach ( Czech Republic ) beat 14 - Alberto Costa ( Spain ) 2-6 6-4 7-6 ( 7-2 ) 3-6 6-1


8 - Lindsay Davenport ( U.S. ) beat Adriana Serra-Zanetti ( Italy ) 6 - 2 6-1


Elena Wagner ( Germany ) beat Gigi Fernandez ( U.S. ) 6-1 6-4


Kristie Boogert ( Netherlands ) beat Joannette Kruger ( South Africa ) 6-1 6-0


Stefan Edberg ( Sweden ) beat 5 - Richard Krajicek ( Netherlands ) 6- 3 6-3 6-3


10 - Marcelo Rios ( Chile ) beat Andrei Pavel ( Romania ) 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-2


3 - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario ( Spain ) beat Laxmi Poruri ( U.S. ) 6-2 6-1


Andrei Olhovskiy ( Russia ) beat Pat Cash ( Australia ) 6-4 6-3 6-2


Filippo Veglio ( Switzerland ) beat Christian Ruud ( Norway ) 1-6 6


Tim Henman ( Britain ) beat Roberto Jabali ( Brazil ) 6-2 6-3 6-4


Pablo Campana ( Ecuador ) beat Todd Woodbridge ( Australia ) 6-2 4-


Herman Gumy ( Argentina ) beat Martin Damm ( Czech Republic ) 7-5 6


Jacob Hlasek ( Switzerland ) beat Nicklas Kulti ( Sweden ) 6-3 6-4


17- Karina Habsudova ( Slovakia ) beat Radka Bobkova ( Czech


Annabel Ellwood ( Australia ) beat Jennifer Capriati ( U.S. ) 6-4 6


Nicole Arendt ( U.S. ) beat Sandra Cacic ( U.S. ) 6-2 7-6 ( 8-6 )


Elena Likhovtseva ( Russia ) beat Kyoko Nagatsuka ( Japan ) 7-6 ( 7-


Sandrine Testud ( France ) beat Pam Shriver ( U.S. ) 7-5 6-2


Kimberly Po ( U.S. ) beat 10 - Kimiko Date ( Japan ) 6-2 7-5


Natasha Zvereva ( Belarus ) beat Virginia Ruano-Pascual ( Spain ) 6


- 2 6-7 ( 5-7 ) 6-2 Tina Kirzan ( Slovakia ) beat Rika Hiraki ( Japan )


Petra Langrova ( Czech Republic ) beat Karina Adams ( U.S. ) 6-4 6-2


Tami Whitlinger Jones ( U.S. ) beat Sandra Cecchini ( Italy ) 6-2 6-0


7 - Jana Novotna ( Czech Republic ) beat Francesca Lubiani ( Italy )


13 - Thomas Enqvist ( Sweden ) beat Stephane Simian ( France ) 6-3 6-1 6-4


Mikael Tillstrom ( Sweden ) beat Tamer El Sawy ( Egypt ) 1-6 7-6 ( 9


Roberto Carretero ( Spain ) beat Jordi Burillo ( Spain ) 6-3 4-6 6-


Thomas Johansson ( Sweden ) beat Renzo Furlan ( Italy ) 4-6 2-6 7-5


Mark Knowles ( Bahamas ) beat Marcelo Filippini ( Uruguay ) 6-3 7-5


Jared Palmer ( U.S. ) beat 15 - Marc Rosset ( Switzerland ) 6-7 ( 7-9 )


Amy Frazier ( U.S. ) beat Larisa Neiland ( Latvia ) 6-1 6-3


Lisa Raymond ( U.S. ) beat Lori McNeil ( U.S. ) 7-6 ( 8-6 ) 6-3


Sandra Dopfer ( Austria ) beat Zina Garrison Jackson ( U.S. ) 2-6 6-3 7-5


4 - Conchita Martinez ( Spain ) beat Ruxandra Dragomir ( Romania ) 6-2 6-0


Naoko Sawamatsu ( Japan ) beat Rennae Stubbs ( Australia ) 6-4 6-3


Miriam Oremans ( Netherlands ) beat Radka Zrubakova ( Slovakia ) 6-2 4-6 6-1


Doug Flach ( U.S. ) beat Gianluca Pozzi ( Italy ) 7-5 7-6 ( 7-5 ) 2-6 7-6 ( 8-6 )


16 - Cedric Pioline ( France ) beat Francisco Clavet ( Spain ) 6-4 7-6 ( 7-3 ) 6-4


Javier Sanchez ( Spain ) beat David Skoch ( Czech Republic ) 6-2 7-6 ( 7-0 ) 6-3


Women 's singles , first round 1 - Steffi Graf ( Germany ) beat Yayuk Basuki ( Indonesia ) 6-3 7-6 ( 7-4 )


BASEBALL - MAJOR LEAGUE STANDINGS AFTER MONDAY 'S GAMES .


standings after games played on Monday ( tabulate under won ,


lost , winning percentage and games behind ) :


William VanLandingham pitched eight scoreless innings and Glenallen Hill drove in the game 's only run with a first-inning single as the San Francisco Giants claimed a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday .


VanLandingham ( 8-13 ) , who entered the game with one complete game in the first 56 starts of his career , limited the Phillies to two hits and two walks with four strikeouts .


" We 've been working all year on my follow-through , and I really concentrated on that , " VanLandingham said . "


It gave me more life in all of my pitches , so the ball moved more . "


At Colorado , Andres Galarraga homered and drove in three runs as the Colorado Rockies had 10 extra-base hits and Billy Swift won his first game in almost a year in a 9-5 rain-shortened seven-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds .


Swift ( 1-0 ) , who made his first start since June 3rd and underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder earlier in the season , allowed five runs and six hits in five innings .


In Houston , Andy Benes allowed two runs over seven innings and Royce Clayton had a run-scoring single in the seventh to lift the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros .


Benes ( 14-9 ) allowed five hits , walked five and struck out 10 for his 11th win in 12 decisions .


The Cardinals moved within one-half game of first-place Houston in the National League Central Division .


Cal Ripken 's bases-loaded walk scored Brady Anderson with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th as the Baltimore Orioles regained control of the top spot in the wild-card race with a wild 12-11 victory over the Oakland Athletics .


Trailing by a run entering the 11th , the Orioles rallied against Oakland reliever Mark Acre ( 0-2 ) with a walk and a triple by Brady Anderson to tie the game .


Then Oakland manager Art Howe decided to intentionally walk Rafael Palmeiro and Bobby Bonilla to load the bases but Acre was nowhere near the plate to Ripken .


The decisive pitch nearly hit Ripken and gave the Orioles a one-half game lead over the Chicago White Sox in the wild-card race .


In Seattle , Jay Buhner 's eighth-inning single snapped a tie as the Seattle Mariners edged the New York Yankees 2-1 in the opener of a three-game series .


New York starter Jimmy Key left the game in the first inning after Seattle shortstop Alex Rodriguez lined a shot off his left elbow .


The Yankees have lost 12 of their last 19 games and their lead in the AL East over Baltimore fell to five games .


At California , Tim Wakefield pitched a six-hitter for his third complete game of the season and Mo Vaughn and Troy O'Leary hit solo home runs in the second inning as the surging Boston Red Sox won their third straight 4-1 over the California Angels .


Boston has won seven of eight and is 20-6 since August 2nd .


The Red Sox are two games over .500 for the first time this season .


In Chicago , Cal Eldred pitched 5-1/3 scoreless innings and John Jaha scored one run and doubled in another as the Milwaukee Brewers held off the slumping Chicago White Sox , 3-2 .


Eldred ( 6-5 ) walked one and struck out three .


Angel Miranda retired one batter and Bob Wickman retired the next four but loaded the bases in the eighth .


In Detroit , Jim Thome 's solo homer in the ninth inning snapped a tie and Charles Nagy pitched a three-hitter for his first win in over a month , leading the Cleveland Indians to their 11th straight victory over the Detroit Tigers , 2-1 .


With the score tied 1-1 in the ninth , Thome hit a 2-2 pitch from starter Felipe Lira ( 6-11 ) over the left-field fence for his 29th homer .


In Toronto , Juan Guzman allowed three runs over seven innings to make homers by Joe Carter and Carlos Delgado stand up as the surging Toronto Blue Jays held off the Minnesota Twins , 5-3 .


Toronto returned home from a 10-game road trip and won for the eighth time in nine games as Guzman ( 11-8 ) allowed nine hits and struck out eight without a walk .


BASEBALL - MAJOR LEAGUE RESULTS MONDAY .


played on Monday ( home team in CAPS ) :


TENNIS - CHANG , WASHINGTON ADVANCE , TWO WOMEN 'S SEEDS FALL .


Michael Chang is playing in his 10th U.S. Open and enjoying his highest seeding ever , but the 24-year-old American had to overcome a case of the jitters Monday before winning his first-round match on opening day .


Chang , seeded second behind defending champion Pete Sampras , took two hours 40 minutes to defeat 186th-ranked Jaime Oncins of Brazil 3-6 6-1 6-0 7-6 , 8-6 in the tiebreaker .


" I was pretty tight the whole match , " conceded Chang , one of the hottest players on tour this summer with a 16-2 record on hardcourts that included two titles and a runner-up finish .


" Everyone has moments when they get tight .


Hopefully , this will have been my nerves for the whole tournament . "


Joining Chang into the second round was Wimbledon runner-up MaliVai Washington , the 11th seed , who also needed four sets to get past talented Moroccan Karim Alami 6-4 2-6 7-6 ( 7-5 ) 6-1 .


Washington 's win was not comfortable , either .


The 27-year-old American hurried off the Stadium Court for treatment of an upset stomach after his two and a half hour struggle against Alami .


" Towards the end of my match my stomach felt like week-old sushi , " said Washington . "


Maybe it was a combination of the heat and something I ate . "


Chang and Washington were the only men 's seeds in action on a day that saw two seeded women 's players fall .


Australian Open runner-up Anke Huber of Germany , the sixth seed , was undone by an unlucky draw that put her against 17th ranked South African Amanda Coetzer in her opening match .


Coetzer claimed revenge for the semifinal defeat she suffered to Huber in Melbourne by taking a 6-1 2-6 6-2 victory .


Last year 's Wimbledon junior champion , Aleksandra Olsza of Poland , removed another seed from the draw by eliminating number 12 Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria 6-4 6-2 .


Other men 's winners included a pair of former Grand Slam tournament champions whose victories set up a showdown in the second round .


Germany 's Michael Stich , the 1991 Wimbledon champion , and two-time French Open winner Sergi Bruguera of Spain will face each other next after beating German Tommy Haas 6-3 1-6 6-1 7-5 , and Belgian Kris Goossens 6-2 6-0 7-6 ( 7-1 ) , respectively .


Alex O'Brien , who scored his first professional title eight days ago in New Haven , advanced to the second round with a 6-4 1-6 6-4 6-3 win over Ecuador 's Nicolas Lapentti .


Wimbledon bad boy Jeff Tarango caught a break Monday when he advanced after the retirement of German Alex Radulescu due to heat exhaustion .


Chang blamed breezy conditions for some of the erratic play in his match with Oncins , who had beaten him in the round of 32 at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics .


Chang committed an untidy 53 unforced errors , though he made seven fewer than the Brazilian , who also walloped a woeful 24 double faults .


The most deflating double fault came when Oncins was serving to force a fifth set , leading 6-4 in the tiebreaker .


The set point came after confusion at the net on the point previous , which was awarded to Oncins after the two exchanged shots at close quarters at the net .


First Chang approached the umpire , then Oncins , then Chang again before play finally resumed .


" Those little seconds were like an hour to me , " said Oncins , who promptly fired two serves barely contained by the baseline as he frittered away his best chance .


Chang ran off the next three points to close out the match but for Oncins , the contest was a personal victory .


The 26-year-old Brazilian had risen into the top 30 in 1992 .


The next year a close friend was struck by a stray bullet while riding home in a car from a soccer game in Sao Paulo .


He died slumped against Oncins , who subsequently lost interest in tennis .


" Two months ago I started talking about quitting , " said Oncins , who decided to give it one last try and made it through the Open qualifying tournament last weekend .


" I believe in my game again , " he said .


At the end of the day , a spate of withdrawals from the tournament were announced .


Eighth seed Jim Courier withdrew because of a bruised right knee , and 1988 Open champion Mats Wilander bowed out due to a groin pull , organisers said .


Women 's ninth seed Mary Joe Fernandez pulled out because of tendinitis in her right wrist .


SOCCER - FRENCH FIRST DIVISION SUMMARY .


Summary of a French first division soccer match on Tuesday :


SOCCER - MARSEILLE HOLD AUXERRE TO GOALLESS DRAW .


Former European champions Marseille held French champions Auxerre to a goalless draw in a lacklustre league match on Tuesday .


The bill looked promising but both sides , struggling to find their form early in the season , were disappointing .


Auxerre , who start their European Cup campaign next week against Ajax Amsterdam , dominated the match but were unable to score .


Unbeaten in four matches , they still trail leaders Lens by one point .


Lens , who have won all their three league matches so far , host Montpellier on Wednesday night .


Despite another dismal performance , especially in defence , Marseille restored some pride by keeping the reigning champions at bay after losing 2-1 at home to Metz last Saturday .


After two seasons in the second division and after taking on half a dozen new recruits this season , some of whom do not speak a word of French , Marseille are not playing with any fluidity .


But German international goalkeeper Andreas Koepke again proved a sound investment when under pressure from the Auxerre strikers , saving his team with a number of fine parries .


Marseille now lie seventh in the league on five points .


SOCCER - GERMAN FIRST DIVISION SUMMARIES .


Borussia Dortmund 3 ( Riedle 8th minute , Heinrich 29th ,


Tretschok 77th ) Freiburg 1 ( Decheiver 51st penalty ) .


Werder Bremen 1 ( Schulz 31st ) Borussia Moenchengladbach 0 .


Schalke 1 ( Thon 2nd ) Bochum 1 ( Donkow 86th ) .


SOCCER - GERMAN FIRST DIVISION RESULTS .


Werder Bremen 1 Borussia Moenchengladbach 0


Bundesliga standings after Tuesday 's games ( tabulate under


played , won , drawn , lost , goals for , goals against , points ) :


Fortuna Sittard 2 ( Jeffrey 7 , Roest 33 ) Heerenveen 4 ( Korneev


division soccer match played on Tuesday :


ICE HOCKEY - FINLAND BEAT CZECH REPUBLIC IN WORLD CUP MATCH .


7-3 ( period scores 4-1 1-1 2-1 ) in their ice hockey World Cup ,


Finland - Ville Peltonen ( 10th minute ) , Juha Ylonen ( 10th ) ,


Teemu Selanne ( 11th ) , Jyrki Lumme ( 13th and 51st ) , Janne Ojanen


Czech Republic - Radek Bonk ( 7th ) , Robert Reichel ( 33rd ,


Standings ( tabulate under played , won , drawn , lost , goals


SOCCER - NEUCHATEL TO APPEAL AGAINST CYPRIEN 'S NINE-MONTH BAN .


Swiss league leaders Neuchatel Xamax said on Tuesday they would appeal against a nine-month ban imposed on French international defender Jean-Pierre Cyprien for his part in a post-match brawl .


Cyprien , also fined 10,000 Swiss francs ( $ 8,400 ) , traded punches with St Gallen 's Brazilian player Claudio Moura after a match on Saturday .


When officials and coaching staff tried to intervene , Cyprien launched a flying kick at Moura , but only succeeded in kneeing St Gallen coach Roger Hegi in the stomach .


Moura , who appeared to have elbowed Cyprien in the final minutes of the 3-0 win by Neuchatel , was suspended for seven matches and fined 1,000 francs ( $ 840 ) by the Swiss league disciplinary committee .


Club president Gilbert Facchinetti said he was astonished the committee had arrived at its decision so quickly and vowed the club would appeal .


Neuchatel coach Gilbert Gress described the incident as " shocking " , but said Moura was also to blame .


" Moura physically and verbally provoked Cyprien during the match .


The referee could not have seen it or he would have punished him , " Gress said .


" During the scuffle , Moura threw the first punch .


Tomorrow , if someone punches me , I would not know how to react . "


Cyprien , who won his one French cap against Italy in February 1994 , cannot play in Switzerland or elsewhere until May next year .


Veteran Italian Gianni Bugno has been cleared of doping after testing positive for high levels of testosterone during the Tour of Switzerland in June , the Italian cycling federation said on Tuesday .


The case is closed , " a spokesman said .


Bugno tested positive for the banned hormone after the fifth stage of the Tour , in which he finished third overall .


But the spokesman said subsequent tests in Cologne proved his body produced higher-than-average testosterone levels naturally .


Bugno , who won the Giro d'Italia in 1990 and two successive world titles , was banned for three months in 1994 after testing positive for the stimulant caffeine .


CYCLING - COLONNA WINS FIRST STAGE OF TOUR OF NETHERLANDS .


Leading results and overall standings after the 161 kilometre first stage of the Tour of the Netherlands between Gouda and Haarlem on Tuesday .


1. Federico Colonna ( Italy ) Mapei three hours 43 mins five secs


4. Sven Teutenberg ( Germany ) US Postal


10. Michael van der Wolf ( Neths ) Foreldorado all same time .


Leading overall standings after first stage .


5. Wim Omloop ( Belgium ) Collstrop same time


6. Lance Armstrong ( USA ) Motorola 0:08


7. Tristan Hoffman ( Neths ) TVM same time


8. George Hincapie ( USA ) Motorola 0:09


9. John Talen ( Neths ) Foreldorado same time


COFINEC SLIPS ON BUDAPEST BOURSE BUT FUTURE STRONG .


Expectations that Cofinec S.A. , the Hungarian bourse 's first foreign listing , will report a disappointing first half have depressed the stock below its issue price , but analysts expect a rebound in the long term .


" The first half of the year is unlikely to be as strong as expected so the company will probably be unable to reach its annual plan in 1996 , " said Gabor Sitanyi , a London-based analyst for ING Barings .


The French-registered packaging materials company , which floated its shares in Hungary in July , for most of the past two weeks hovered below the 6,425 forints / Global Depositary Receipts price of its initial offering , which was oversubscribed .


The company , which asked for a two-week delay from the usual August 15 deadline for reporting first-half results , closed on Tuesday at 5,800 forints , down 300 .


" Cofinec 's first-half figures will be ...


between one-third of two-fifths of its annual plan , " said Tamas Erdei , a Budapest-based analyst for ABN-AMRO Hoare Govett .


Analysts blame , at least partly , Hungary 's macroeconomic environment for the weaker figures for Cofinec which , operating in Hungary , Poland and the Czech Republic , now generates about 55 to 60 percent of its annual sales from Hungary .


Hungary 's Gross Domestic Product fell one percentage point in the first quarter while real wages plunged 7.2 percentage points in the first half of 1996 .


Both will have their impact on Cofinec 's figures , the analysts said .


Despite the current difficulties , however , analysts were convinced that Cofinec 's outlook was strong .


" The eastern European market offers good chances , " said Erdei . "


Just like many other companies on the bourse , Cofinec has big growth opportunities . "


" At the same time , it 's an advantage for Cofinec that it has a foreign management which perhaps understands the market better , " Erdei added .


" Cofinec is a very good story in the long-term as the per capita packaging consumption is still so low in east Europe that a very strong increase can be expected ( long-term ) , " Sitanyi said , saying that several recent moves by Cofinec boosted its position .


Among them , he noted that Cofinec had acquired the outstanding stake in its Czech folding company Krpaco a.s. , increasing its ownership to 100 percent , so in the second half the whole of Krpaco 's figures will be consolidated .


The company also repaid some $ 21 million of debt , well above the originally planned $ 8 million to $ 9 million .


In addition , its Polish operation began with some six weeks of delay due to cold winter weather and the test run was also longer than planned .


DIRECT EQUITY TRADES ON THE CZECH PSE - AUG 27 .


direct equity trades made on the Prague Stock Exchange :


( CZK ) ( CZK ) ( shares ) ( CZK 000 's )


AFTER THE BELL - After hours slows in light volume .


Traders said on Tuesday after-hours activity was light .


Both WorldCom Inc and MFS Communications Co Inc were trading but they moved in line with their close .


WorldCom , which said it will buy MFS , shed 1-3/4 to close at 21 while MFS lost 3-8/16 to close at 41-5/16 .


The New York Stock Exchange said its session one volume was 5,700 shares compared to 53,400 shares Monday .


Session two volume was 4,153,800 shares compared to no volume Monday .


The American Stock Exchange said there was no after-hours activity .


The Chicago Board Options Exchange ( CBOE ) said on Tuesday it was doing a routine investigation into trading in options on MFS Communications Co Inc shares .


On Monday , the company said it had agreed to be acquired by WorldCom Inc in a deal valued at $ 14 billion .


MFS shares surged on the news while WorldCom fell on fears of dilution .


The New York Times said on Tuesday some of the options trading in MFS last Friday may suggest insider trading .


MFS options also trade on the American Stock Exchange and the Pacific Stock Exchange .


A spokesman for the American Stock Exchange would neither confirm or deny whether the exchange was looking into trading .


" If there is unusual activity , certainly we look at it , but that 's not to say we 're doing anything official , " he said .


Pacific Stock Exchange officials were not available .


One trader said trading in MFS options had increased steadily from about mid-August , and doubted whether any of last Friday 's activity was insider trading .


- Derivatives desk , 312 408-8750 / E-mail : derivatives@reuters.com


Faulding Inc said on Tuesday Purdue Frederick Co filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Faulding and its Purepac Pharamceutical unit .


The suit was filed because of Purepac 's manufacture of Kadian , a sustained release morphine product , Faulding said .


Faulding said the claims in the lawsuit are without merit and will not impact upon the launch of Kadian in the United States .


Kadian was approved for sale in the United States last month , Faulding said .


Zeneca Group Plc , which will market Kadian , was named in the lawsuit with F.H. Faulding & Co , the majority shareholder of Faulding Inc , the company said .


McGrath left out of Ireland World Cup squad .


Ireland 's most experienced player , defender Paul McGrath , was left out of the national squad for the first time in 11 years on Tuesday when new manager Mick McCarthy named his side to face Liechtenstein in a World Cup qualifier .


The 36-year-old Aston Villa player won the last of his Irish record of 82 international caps against the Czech Republic in Prague in April .


He has n't played any first-team games for Villa this season and he 's not the type of player I would have brought on as a substitute , " McCarthy said . "


But he surprised me in training over the last two days because of his involvement .


He 's certainly is still very much part of my plans for the future .


" At 24 , 25 or 26 you could get away with it , not having played first-team games .


But at 36 it would be asking too much of Paul , " he said .


Also omitted from the 20-man squad which will travel to Vaduz for Saturday 's group eight match are central defenders Alan Kernaghan and Liam Daish .


Leeds United defender Gary Kelly is unable to travel because of a knee injury picked up in Monday 's 1-0 victory over Wimbledon at Elland Road .


Since taking over from Jack Charlton in February , McCarthy has played largely experimental sides and seen them lose five times , draw twice and win just once .


Squad : Alan Kelly , Shay Given , Denis Irwin , Phil Babb , Jeff Kenna , Curtis Fleming , Gary Breen , Ian Harte , Kenny Cunningham , Steve Staunton , Andy Townsend , Ray Houghton , Gareth Farrelly , Alan McLoughlin , Jason McAteer , Alan Moore , Keith O'Neill , Tony Cascarino , Niall Quinn , David Kelly .


S. African apartheid killer convicted of six murders .


South African apartheid killer Eugene de Kock was found guilty of murder and attempted murder on Tuesday , a day after he was convicted of five other murders .


De Kock , 48 , a former police colonel who commanded a hit-squad that wiped out opponents of apartheid , is the most senior servant of white rule yet to face justice .


Sudanese rebels say missionaries should be freed .


The main rebel group in south Sudan said on Tuesday it was trying to arrange the release of six Roman Catholic missionaries , including three Australian nuns , held for nearly two weeks .


George Garang , Nairobi spokesman for the Sudan People 's Liberation Army ( SPLA ) , said it was urgently trying to contact SPLA commander Nuour Marial at Mapourdit in the south to free the six .


" The movement is making arrangements for them to be set free .


This is a decision of the leadership , " Garang said .


" Commander Nuour Marial is a soldier so he must accept the leadership 's decision .


But communications at this time of year are very difficult because of rains and a lack of power , " he added .


The Catholic Information Office in Nairobi said on Monday that four of the six had been charged by the SPLA with spying , spreading Islam and hindering recruitment into the rebel group .


" These charges are the interpretation of the church , " Garang said on Tuesday . "


We have no idea why they are being held .


We are still trying to establish contact with the local commander . "


Asked whether this meant the commander was out of control , Garang said the rebel movement was working on the problem .


He said he believed all six were being held in the mission compound at Mapourdit and were reported to be in good health .


The Catholic Information office in Nairobi said on Monday that Australian Sisters Moira Lynch , 73 , and Mary Batchelor , 68 , American Father Michael Barton , 48 , and Sudanese Father Raphael Riel , 48 , were held in a prison in south Sudan by the SPLA .


It said Australian Sister Maureen Carey , 52 , and Italian Brother Raniero Iacomella , 28 , were held inside the compound .


The church in Australia said on Monday Lynch , Batchelor , Barton and Riel were held in a prison until the weekend , when they were moved to join the other captives at the compound .


The Catholic Information Office said the SPLA in the Kenyan capital had attributed the detentions of the six to a local commander and had promised they would be freed by August 23 .


But the church learned in a recent meeting with the local commander that no instructions to release the prisoners were received and they would be held until investigations were completed .


It said last Friday they were visited by Monsignor Caesar Mazzolari , apostolic administrator of the diocese of Rumbek in southern Sudan , and an SPLA administrator and appeared in good condition .


" On August 17 the mission was surrounded ( by the SPLA ) and sealed off .


The evening of the same day the missionaries were put in prison or isolation .


Later the mission was looted , " it added .


An Australian foreign ministry official said the charges against them were " fairly bizarre " and a matter for concern .


He said Australian diplomats in Nairobi were working with the Roman Catholic church in southern Sudan and with U.S. and Italian diplomats in the region to help free the missionaries .


The SPLA has fought Khartoum 's government forces in the south since 1983 for greater autonomy or independence of the mainly Christian and animist region from the Moslem , Arabised north .


OSCE postpones Bosnian municipal elections .


The U.S. diplomat in charge of elections in Bosnia announced on Tuesday that voting for municipal assemblies would be postponed because of irregularities by the Serbs in registering voters .


Ambassador Robert Frowick , representing the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) , told reporters that municipal polls due on September 14 with other Bosnian elections would be put off .


" I have made a chairman 's decision that it is not feasible to hold municipal elections on September 14 , " said Frowick .


He said no exact date had been set but it was possible the local elections would take place in the spring of 1997 .


According to OSCE officials , Serb authorities have pressed their refugees to register to vote in towns now under Serb control , but which used to have Moslem majorities .


Human rights workers say authorities in Serbia and Bosnian Serb territory have conducted a well-organised campaign to coerce refugees into registering only on Serb territory and failed to inform them of their rights under the Dayton peace agreement .


Diplomats say the effect of the electoral engineering would be to establish political control over districts they conquered and ethnically cleansed in war .


The response of the Bosnian Serbs to the OSCE 's announcement was not immediately clear .


But Bosnian Serb leaders have hinted they would boycott the poll if the municipal elections were postponed , or go ahead with their own .


The Bosnian Serb cabinet , in a letter to the OSCE , said on Monday that any delay of local elections would be " a direct and flagrant violation fo the Dayton agreement " .


The Serbs , who administer half of Bosnia in a Serb republic , said they had met all conditions for holding the September elections .


Diplomats fear that the crisis could cast doubt over the entire election process , which already appears set to confirm Bosnia 's ethnic partition rather than its reintegration as the Dayton peace agreement had planned .


New talks in Chechnya as Lebed waits for Yeltsin .


Russian and rebel military commanders finally met in Chechnya on Tuesday for delayed talks aimed at finalising a ceasefire arranged last week by President Boris Yeltsin 's envoy Alexander Lebed .


The Russian army commander in the region , General Vyacheslav Tikhomirov , arrived at the rebel-held village of Novye Atagi , some 20 km ( 12 miles ) south of the Chechen capital Grozny for discussions with rebel chief-of-staff Aslan Maskhadov .


But Lebed himself , the Kremlin security chief , is still waiting back in Moscow to meet Yeltsin over his plans for a lasting political settlement in Chechnya .


Itar-Tass news agency quoted the Kremlin press service as saying Yeltsin , who left for a state holiday home near Moscow on Monday , would hold no working meetings on Tuesday .


Lebed interrupted talks with Chechnya 's separatists on a political deal on Sunday , saying he had to consult with Yeltsin .


After a meeting failed to materialise on Monday , Lebed 's spokesman said he might meet the president on Tuesday .


But Yeltsin 's spokesman rebuffed the suggestion , saying the president had left Moscow for a holiday near the capital .


The Russians postponed the talks after a Chechen band disarmed a column of interior ministry troops on Sunday .


The Chechens said a renegade group seized the weapons and said on Monday they had all been returned .


The Russian command insisted that not all the weapons were the same as those taken .


Tass said the weapons and the practical implementation of the ceasefire signed by Lebed and Maskhadov last Thursday would be on the agenda of today 's talks .


Neither spoke to reporters before the meeting , which started around 10.45 a.m. ( 0645 GMT ) .


Also in Novye Atagi on Tuesday morning , was Tim Guldimann , the Swiss diplomat who heads the Chechnya mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) .


Guldimann , who helped broker an earlier truce in May , was not taking part in the Tikhomirov-Maskhadov talks .


Lebed 's peace mission this month has stopped some of the worst fighting of the 20-month-old conflict .


However , tension on the ground indicates that it could falter if the momentum for a settlement is not maintained .


Three Russian servicemen were wounded in a total of six shooting incidents overnight , Itar-Tass news agency quoted the Russian military as saying on Tuesday morning .


RIA news agency quoted an army source accusing rebel fighters of failing to turn up for joint Russian-Chechen police patrols in some districts of the capital Grozny on Tuesday .


But the separatist command told Interfax news agency the patrols , part of the truce brokered by Lebed last week , would begin on Tuesday after delays for " technical reasons " .


Yeltsin 's spokesman said he might meet officials during his break , but indicated Lebed was low on the list by saying Yeltsin would need time to study the proposals before talking to him .


Russian news agencies also quoted the Kremlin spokesman as saying that Lebed 's representatives had not sought a meeting , hinting at an attempt by the president to put his popular and outspoken protege in his place with a lesson on protocol .


Yeltsin , 65 , has kept a low profile since he was reelected in July , prompting new speculation that the two heart attacks he suffered last year and a rumoured drinking problem could be taking their toll , weakening his grip on affairs of state .


Aides have dismissed such speculation , insisting that he simply needs a rest after his energetic election campaign .


Some analysts say the Kremlin leader , whose order sending troops and tanks into Chechnya in 1994 started Russia 's ill-fated military campaign , could merely be reluctant to put his name to a peace process which might fall apart .


But Lebed , who has no real power without his boss and has hinted at dark forces in Moscow working against him , appears to think a deal will not stick without strong backing from Yeltsin .


His proposals have not been spelled out but are expected to involve a compromise between the separatists ' demand for independence and Moscow 's insistence that Chechnya remain part of the Russian Federation .


Slovenia and Poland target EU , NATO membership .


Slovenia and Poland pledged to intensify cooperation on Tuesday and reinforced their determination to join the European Union and NATO at the earliest possible date .


Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and his Slovenian counterpart , Milan Kucan , met for talks at the start of a two-day visit to Slovenia by Kwasniewski .


They said in a statement they agreed to have regular telephone contact to discuss progress in strengthening ties with the West .


" We expect our cooperation will help both countries towards entering the European Union and NATO , " Kwasniewski said .


" We have similar ambitions as far as our internal development and international life is concerned , " Kucan said .


Poland and Slovenia are hoping to be among the first group of former eastern bloc countries to join the European Union and NATO .


They have already signed an association agreement with the European Union and are both part of the Central European Free Trade Area , which also comprises Hungary , Slovakia and the Czech Republic .


Slovenia 's trade with Poland rose to $ 142.3 million in 1995 from $ 118.8 million in 1994 .


During his visit to Slovenia , Kwasniewski is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek , representatives of Slovenian political parties and representatives of the Chamber of Economy .


Nationalists want Iliescu ousted for Hungary pact .


Junior Nationalist members of Romania 's ruling coalition called on Tuesday for the impeachment of President Ion Iliescu for backing a friendship treaty with neighbouring Hungary .


Iliescu 's Party of Social Democracy , the senior coalition partner , immediately dismissed the National Unity Party ( PUNR ) demand as crude electioneering .


" It is a desperate move by the PUNR , which is losing its only reason for existing ahead of the electoral campaign , " said PDSR executive president Adrian Nastase .


" This treaty is both necessary and good , " Nastase said , adding that the PUNR 's stance was threatening its position in the government .


The treaty agreed unexpectedly two weeks ago will end years of disputes over the status of Romania 's large ethnic Hungarian minority .


It will also boost both countries ' chances of admission to NATO and the European Union .


" If they ( the PUNR ) are so vexed , they could leave the government ...


We might also help them to do it , if they go on like this , " he said .


The PUNR holds four key ministries -- justice , transport , agriculture and communications .


PUNR leader Gheorghe Funar said in a statement Iliescu , in power since the fall of communism in 1989 , should be impeached for treason for compromising on the issue of ethnic Hungarian minority rights in the treaty due to be signed next month .


Funar 's call came on the eve of the official launch of Iliescu 's campaign for a new term at November 3 polls .


His appeal to the opposition to back his attempt to oust Iliescu was unlikely to succeed , analysts said .


Iliescu has invited political leaders to a meeting on Thursday to discuss the final form of the pact which both Romanian and Hungarian nationalists oppose for different reasons .


Presidential officials were not available to comment on the call for Iliescu 's impeachment .


Estonian MPS see little hope of electing president .


Estonia 's parliament failed for a second time to elect a president on Tuesday , dealing a blow to incumbent Lennart Meri and pushing the country towards stalemate in its choice of a new head of state .


Neither Meri , who oversaw Estonia 's first steps into statehood after the collapse of the Soviet Union , nor his arch-rival , former communist Arnold Ruutel , have secured the 68 votes necessary from the 101-member parliament .


Meri garnered 49 votes and Meri 34 in Tuesday 's ballot for the five-year presidency of Estonia .


A third and final vote was due to be held when parliament reconvened on Tuesday but legislators were not expecting a clear result .


If there is no result the decision will be ceded to an electoral college .


" The votes are a strong message to Meri that he is not favoured by some politicians any more , " Reform Party head Heiki Kranich told Reuters .


Under a constitution agreed in 1992 , a year after independence , the president has no executive powers .


His only political role is to smoothe the functioning of government in periods of crisis .


But Meri , 67 , has been accused in parliament of taking too much power and not always consulting parliamentarians before making decisions .


His relations with a leftist-led government have sometimes been tense .


His support in the first round of voting on Monday was much lower than expected , scoring only 45 votes , which political analysts put down as a vote of no confidence in his performance .


This support only inched up to 49 in the second vote .


Support for Ruutel , 68 , remained constant at 34 votes .


If the third vote fails to give either Meri or Ruutel 68 votes , the parliamentary speaker will convene an electoral college of 101 MPs and 273 local goverment representatives to hold a new poll that could include new nominations .


This would be the first time that the former Soviet republic has had to call together an electoral college .


In its first presidential election in 1992 Meri won the necessary votes in in a parliamentary election against Ruutel .


Parliamentary organisers said the exact timetable remained unclear but it would probably take about a month to organise an electoral college which could also hold several rounds of voting before a clear winner emerges .


Estonia assembly fails to elect state president .


The Estonian parliament failed for a third and final time to elect a new state president on Tuesday , refusing a second mandate for incumbent Lennart Meri .


Neither Meri nor his rival Arnold Ruutel could garner the 68 votes needed from the 101 members of parliament to become president .


In the third vote Meri won 52 and Ruutel won 32 votes .


The final decision will now be made by a larger assembly .


Meri won 49 in a second vote earlier on Tuesday and 45 in the first on Monday .


Ruutel won 34 votes in the first two secret ballots .


Enn Markvart , chairman of the National Election Commission said 96 members of parliament cast votes , with one ballot paper invalid and 11 abstentions .


The election will now go before an electoral college involving MPs and local government representatives that will be convened by the parliamentary Speaker in the next day or so .


It could take up to a month before a new vote but the timetable is not yet clear .


This is the first time the former Soviet republic has had to convene such a group .


Albania charges Briton with child sex abuse .


Albanian authorities have arrested and charged a British man for sexually abusing two young boys , a Tirana prosecutor said on Tuesday .


" We have arrested him and charged him with these shameful acts of sex abuse of little children , " prosecutor Adnan Xhelili told Reuters .


Xhelili said Paul Thompson , 34 , from Wiltshire , was arrested on Sunday in a hotel in the Adriatic resort of Durres , 45 km ( 30 miles ) west of Tirana .


He could face up to five years in jail if convicted .


Xhelili said Thompson , who is divorced , said he befriended the boys , both aged under 10 , because they reminded him of his own children who live with his former wife in London .


The prosecutor 's office said no date had yet been set for a trial to begin as investigations had first to be completed .


The British embassy in Tirana said it had sent an embassy official to talk to Thompson who is being held in jail .


The age of consent for heterosexual and homosexual sex in Albania is 14 .


A large number of destitute children can be seen begging in the streets of impoverished Albania , especially in towns and resorts visited by foreigners .


Estonia assembly again fails to elect president .


Estonia 's parliament again failed to elect a new state president on Tuesday when neither of two candidates secured a majority in second-round voting .


Incumbent president Lennart Meri won 49 votes compared to 34 won by his rival , deputy Parliamentary Speaker Arnold Ruutel .


But Meri 's support was not enough for the 68 needed for election and a third secret ballot will take place later in the day ( 1300 GMT ) , parliamentary officials said .


To win a clear mandate for the five-year presidential term , a candidate must secure 68 votes from the 101-member parliament .


Enn Markvart , Chairman of the National Election Commission , said 96 members of parliament voted in the second round , with 12 abstentions and one ballot paper invalid .


On Monday , in the first round of voting , Meri secured 45 votes and Ruutel 34 .


Meri 's popularity has suffered in recent years , with politicians criticising him for taking too much power and acting without consulting parliament .


If a third round of voting fails to give either candidate 68 votes , the parliamentary speaker has to convene an electoral college of all 101 MPs and 273 local government representatives for a new vote that could take up to a month .


Slovak women visited Dutroux , police say .


Marc Dutroux , the chief accused in Belgium 's sensational child murder and sex abuse case , visited Slovakia a number of times and about 10 young Slovak women went to Belgium at his invitation , police said on Tuesday .


But they have difficulty remembering what happened there , perhaps because of drugs , and are unsure whether they were filmed for pornography , Rudolf Gajdos , head of the Slovak office of Interpol , told Reuters .


Although Gajdos spoke of " girls " his deputy , Eva Boudova , said the case involved about 10 young women in their early 20s .


" The police interrogated several Slovak girls who said that they had been invited by Mark Dutroux to visit Belgium , " Gajdos said .


" The girls said they went to Belgium voluntarily and the police suspect that they were used to act in pornographic films . "


" The police suspect ( the girls ) were under the influence of drugs as some girls admitted they took unspecified pills . "


" We have suspicions of a rape , but the police still have to find the victim , " Gajdos added .


Dutroux 's last visit to Slovakia was reported to have been as recent as July .


Slovak police are also cooperating with Belgium in the search for An Marchal and Eefje Lambrecks , who went missing last August .


Dutroux , 39 , who was charged last week with the abduction and illegal imprisonment of two other girls aged 14 and 12 , is one of several suspects in the Marchal and Lambrecks case .


Last Saturday he led police to the bodies of two other girls , aged eight , who died of starvation this year after their abduction in June , 1995 .


The Czech office of Interpol said on Friday it would neither confirm nor deny that Dutroux had been in the Czech Republic , Slovakia 's western neighbour and former federation partner .


Belgian police said an officer had visited Bratislava to talk with Slovak detectives about An and Eefje and other disappearances , and he planned to go also to Prague .


WEATHER - Conditions at CIS airports - August 27 .


No closures of airports due to bad weather are expected in the Commonwealth of Independent States on August 28 and August 29 , the Russian Weather Service said on Tuesday .


Russian police in the Urals city of Perm are on the trail of a serial killer who has claimed his seventh victim in just a few months , Itar-Tass news agency said on Tuesday .


In the latest attack , the killer raped and stabbed a young woman in a lift , leaving her body on a landing .


Tass did not say exactly when it took place .


Police earlier released a suspect after women who had survived an attack failed to identify him .


Russian army , Chechens open new round of talks .


Russia 's military commander in Chechnya began new talks with separatist chief-of-staff Aslan Maskhadov on Tuesday , Itar-Tass news agency said .


Tass said the talks were taking place in the settlement of Novye Atagi , some 20 km ( 12 miles ) south of the Chechen capital Grozny .


The talks had been postponed while the Russians waited for the rebels to return arms and ammunition seized from Russian soldiers at the weekend .


The Chechens said on Monday they had returned all the weapons , which they said were seized by a renegade group .


The talks between Maskhadov and Russia 's Vyacheslav Tikhomirov are aimed at putting the finishing touches to a ceasefire sealed last week in talks with Russian security chief Alexander Lebed .


Lebed , who met Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin on Monday to discuss the progress he made on a political settlement for the breakaway region , has been seeking a meeting with President Boris Yeltsin , who started a holiday near Moscow on Monday .


Argentine bishop reminds cabinet of Commandments .


The Archbishop of Buenos Aires said on Tuesday the first thing he would do if elected president of Argentina would be to put up posters of the Ten Commandments in government offices .


" They asked me what would be the first thing I would do if I were president , and I said the first thing I would do would be to resign straight away , " Archbishop Antonio Quarracino said at a sermon attended by several cabinet ministers .


" But before going , I would have big signs put up in all government offices , those to do with justice , in all sectors , with the Ten Commandments , " he added .


Argentina 's top Roman Catholic cleric said the Biblical commandment " Thou shalt not steal " would get special emphasis " because it has to be about the most common thing these days . "


Quarracino and other Church leaders are regular critics of the government 's free-market economic policy .


Brazil 's Eletropaulo names new president .


Sao Paulo state power firm Eletropaulo said it has named Eduardo Bernini as new president , replacing Emmanuel Sobral , who will head a secretariat at the Transportation Ministry .


Bernini is expected to take office Thursday , a Eletropaulo spokeswoman said .


-- Romina Nicaretta , Sao Paulo newsroom , 5511 232 4411 .


Dutch government wo n't pay ransom for kidnap victims .


The Netherlands government has ruled out paying ransom money for a Dutch couple kidnapped from their farm , while Costa Rican authorities said on Tuesday they had no leads in the case .


" We have not had contact with the kidnappers nor do we have any leads to take us to where they might be held , " Chief of Judicial Police Manuel Alvarado told Reuters .


Hurte Sierd Zylstra and his wife , Jetsi Hendrika Coers , both 50 , were abducted from the teak plantation they managed late Saturday or early Sunday by at least two men demanding $ 1.5 million ransom , authorities said .


Costa Rican officials on Monday had given different names for the couple .


Anton Schutte , an official with the embassy for Belgium , the Netherlands and Luxembourg , said the Dutch government had ruled out paying any money in ransom . "


We 're looking at a criminal act that has no political aspect as far as what we can tell , " Schutte added .


A note with the ransom demand was left in the couple 's car , which was used in the kidnapping , Schutte told a news conference on Monday .


He said the note , believed to have been hand-written in Spanish and signed by the victims , was addressed to Ebe Huizinga , another Dutch citizen who owns the tree plantation . "


Depending on you , we will either live or die , " it said .


Alvarado said the car was abandoned about 40 miles ( 60 km ) north of the couple 's house but said that did not indicate the kidnappers intended to take their victims into neighbouring Nicaragua .


The farm is in the border region where a German tourist and a Swiss tour guide were kidnapped last New Year 's Eve by a heavily armed band led by a former Nicaraguan guerrilla .


The two were held for 71 days until relatives paid a ransom .


Two of the suspected abductors have since been arrested .


Venezuela unions harden towards CVG privatization .


A swell of protest is growing within Venezuela 's trade unions at the proposed year-end privatization of the state-owned holding company Corporacion Venezolana de Guayana ( CVG ) , CVG union leaders said Tuesday .


" We oppose the way the government is proceeding with the sale , " Ramon Machuca , Sidor trade union Secretary General and member of union-based opposition party Radical Cause , told reporters .


" We do n't believe the government will make its timetable , " he added .


Sidor is the CVG 's steel-producing arm , slated for a December sale worth an estimated $ 1.5 billion .


The CVG 's aluminum companies Venalum and Alucasa are also scheduled to be sold early 1997 .


Arguing that CVG 's privatization would result in some 13,000 layoffs , compared to the government 's estimated 1,500 , CVG 's union leaders told reporters they would strike and stage protests if their concerns were not addressed .


" We oppose any privatization that hurts workers ' welfare and does not take into account its social impact , " they said .


The opposition party Radical Cause controls all of the unionized workers at the CVG heavy industry complex and has systematically opposed all government legislation in congress .


-- Omar Lugo , Caracas newsroom , 582 834405


Nicaraguan drunks fear " lovebite " bandit .


Heavy drinkers in a Nicaraguan city were searching for someone who has covered them in " lovebites " while they were passed out in a drunken stupor , a local newspaper reported on Tuesday .


The dreaded " chupabolos " -- " drunksucker " -- preys on men who have passed out in the streets of Matagalpa , 80 miles ( 130 kms ) north of Managua , placing hickey-like " lovebites " on various parts of their bodies , El Nuevo Diario reported .


Enraged drunks and street people in this town known for its machismo have organised a so-far unsuccessful search for the culprit who finds victims in the dark streets surrounding a local market .


The total number of victims was still unknown .


The first of the victims were two vagrants who slept in an abandoned car in front of a local bank , the newspaper said .


In spite of the collective fear gripping Matagalpa 's drinkers , local women expressed little sympathy .


" Its just desserts for all the ' bolos ' ( drunkards ) who sleep in the streets of our beautiful town , " said a woman who worked in the local market .


Brazil likely to turn Banespa federal bank - paper .


Brazil is likely to turn Sao Paulo state bank Banespa into a federal bank in a prior step to privatization , according to unnamed government sources , O Globo daily said .


The newspaper said the Central Bank special administration of Banespa ends in December 30 and after that the bank has to be liquidated or turned into a federal bank since there are no conditions to return Banespa to Sao Paulo state government .


A Central Bank spokesman said he could not confirm or deny the report .


Banespa has been under central bank special temporary administration since December 1994 .


The central bank management could be lifted if Sao Paulo state decided to take part in the recent federal government 's plan to restructure state banks .


Under the plan , the federal government would provide 100 percent of the financing needed to restructure debt of state banks being privatized , liquidated or turned into development banks .


It also offers to refinance up to 50 percent of the debt held by state banks whose governments decide to keep control of their banks .


Although the plan was designed under terms proposed by Sao Paulo state governor Mario Covas , he has showed no interest in taking part in the plan because Sao Paulo 's debt with Banespa has increased sharply , O Globo said .


Sao Paulo state 's debt is now estimated at 19 billion reais .


O Globo also said another delicate case to be solved involves private bank Bamerindus .


The newspaper said Bamerindus has sent to the Central Bank a proposal for restructuring combined with a request for a 90-day credit line , paying four percent a year plus the Basic Interest Rate of the Central Bank ( TBC ) .


O Globo also said the loan would give Bamerindus time to sell assets .


Bamerindus , Brazil 's fourth-largest private bank , has been facing liquidity troubles .


Bamerindus declined to comment on negotiations being held with the Central Bank .


-- Fatima Cristina , Sao Paulo newsroom , 55-11-2324411


Czech Republic 's Havel to tour Brazil in September .


Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel is scheduled to make an official visit to Brazil Sept .


15-21 , Brazil 's Foreign Relations Ministry said on Tuesday .


Havel is due to meet with his Brazilian counterpart Fernando Henrique Cardoso in the capital Brasilia and will visit the cities of Manaus , Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro .


Also due to visit Brazil in September are South Korean President Kim Young Sam and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl .


Former Argentine benevolent dictator Alejandro Lanusse dies .


Alejandro Lanusse , the former dictator who ruled Argentina for two years , died at age 78 on Monday .


Lanusse died after being brought to a hospital a week ago following a fall at home that resulted in a blood clot in the brain .


He was operated on earlier in the week but failed to recover from surgery .


The former dictator , who ruled from 1971 to 1973 , was best known for allowing Juan Domingo Peron , Argentina 's famed populist leader , to return to Argentina after 17 years of forced exile .


Lanusse took over the leadership of the country after five years of dictatorship .


But unlike his two predecessors , Juan Carlos Ongania and Marcelo Levingston , who ruled Argentina with an iron hand , Lanusse steered the country toward democracy .


That resulted in general elections in March 1973 when the Peronists led by Hector Campora and Vicente Solano Lima returned to power .


Lanusse was a candidate in the election but failed to defeat his old adversories and never returned to public office .


He was imprisoned for four years in 1951 for taking part in a coup attempt to overthrow Peron led by General Benjamin Menendez .


Lanusse 's rule saw the gradual rise of left-wing activism which culminated in another period of brutal Argentine dictatorship from 1976 to 1983 , during which the military launched its " dirty war " that resulted in 10,000 missing people .


In his autobiography published in 1990 , Lanusse described himself as a military man with " democratic ideas . "


He was born in Buenos Aires in 1918 and married Ileana Bell with whom he had nine children .


He entered the Military College in 1935 .


Ten missing in north China ship collision .


Ten people were missing after a fishing boat collided with a passenger liner and sank off China 's northeastern province of Liaoning , state radio said on Tuesday .


The fishing boat sank and its entire crew was missing after a collision with the " Tiantan " liner off the port of Dalian early on Monday , the report said .


It said the liner was heading to Dalian from the northern port of Tianjin , it said .


Dalian port officials , contacted by telephone , confirmed the collision but gave no further details .


Indonesian department store operator PT Matahari Putra Prima said on Tuesday that it had revised down its 1996 net profit target .


Matahari 's finance director , Hanifah Komala , said they revised down net profit for 1996 to 46 billion from its original target of 50 billion rupiah .


" We have to revised down our target due to weak sales performance in the third quarter , " said Komala .


He also said the company expect to record a 83 billion rupiah of net profit in 1997 .


S. Korea asked to stop China-bound missionaries .


Beijing has called on Seoul to stop South Korean missionaries from travelling to China , a South Korean embassy spokesman said on Tuesday .


The appeal was made on Sunday during talks between South Korean deputy Foreign Minister Lee Ki-choo and his Chinese counterpart Tang Jiaxuan , the spokesman said .


It is not known why China raised the issue .


Atheist China officially bans missionary activities but often turns a blind eye to religious activities of people nominally employed as foreign language teachers , particularly in remote areas that are unable to attract other candidates .


Hong Kong nabs blind 10-year-old illegal immigrant .


A blind 10-year-old boy from China sneaked over the border into Hong Kong and was arrested as an illegal immigrant , Hong Kong police said on Tuesday .


He was caught by police trying to force his way into a home in the rural New Territories , a police spokesman said .


" The boy came from China 's eastern province of Jiangsu .


He was spotted by a passerby trying to climb into an apartment in the early hours of Monday morning , " the spokesman said .


No decision has yet been made on how to deal with the boy .


Hong Kong police regularly catch hundreds of illegal immigrants and people who have overstayed their visas from mainland China and send them back .


Hong Kong , a British colony , reverts to Chinese control next year but will remain sealed off from the mainland except to a tiny trickle of legal immigrants and people with special visit permits .


Bosnian premier in Turkey for one day visit .


Bosnian Prime Minister Hasan Muratovic arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for an official visit where he is due to discuss Turkey 's aid to the former Yugoslav republic .


The premier , who is due to meet his Turkish counterpart Necmettin Erbakan on Tuesday , will also be discussing the postponed Bosnian elections , a foreign ministry official said .


A small number of Bosnians had also begun to vote in Turkey .


Muratovic is also due to meet with President Suleyman Demirel , Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller and Turkish businessman , the ministry official said .


A U.S. diplomat in charge of elections in Bosnia announced earlier that municipal polls due on September 14 with other Bosnian elections would be put off because of irregularities by the Serbs in registering voters .


" Turkish people are watching closely the developments in Bosnia .


We have seen elections as a step in the normalisation process , " the foreign ministry official said .


New U.N. relief coordinator arrives in Iraq .


A new U.N. relief coordinator has arrived in Baghdad to take up the task of organising humanitarian goods distribution and to face Iraq 's continuing opposition over the number of international monitors to be involved .


U.N. and diplomatic sources said on Tuesday that Secretary- General Boutros Boutros-Ghali had appointed Italian Gualtiero Fulcheri and sent him to Iraq last week to replace Moroccan Mohamed Zejjari .


One diplomat said Iraq and U.N. were still in disagreement on how many international observers would be required to ascertain the equitable distribution of humanitarian supplies that will be procured under Baghdad 's oil deal with U.N .


" The United Nations would like to employ hundreds of foreign monitors .


Baghdad says it can only accept a few dozens , " said the diplomat .


Baghdad holds that the Iraq-U.N. memorandum of understanding on partial oil sales signed last June does not specify how many foreign observers should be stationed in Iraq .


" Observation of food supplies and their distribution are still a major issue and seems the two sides have not yet filled the gap separating them , " said another diplomat .


Iraq 's partial oil sales pact with U.N. , allowing crude exports worth $ 2 billion every six months , gives U.N. the right to supervise the purchase and distribution of food supplies in the country .


The deal is a humanitarian exception to the U.N. sanctions imposed on Iraq for invading Kuwait in 1990 which include a ban on its oil exports .


Fulcheri declined comment on the differences between the U.N. and Iraq , saying only : " There are several different things which still need to be done . "


Fulcheri started his U.N. career in 1960 and has long experience in U.N. emergency relief in Congo , Angola , Sudan and Somalia .


Kansas feedlot cattle market quiet , no sales - USDA .


Trade was quiet , with no sales slaughter steers or heifers confirmed .


Sales confirmed week to date on 4,200 head , mostly previously contracted or formulated cattle .


Anti-abortion speaker praises Democrat tolerance .


An anti-abortion politician addressed the Democratic convention on Tuesday , but praised the overwhelmingly pro-abortion rights party for its tolerance of his minority views .


Tony Hall of Ohio said he and other Democrats who opposed abortion had always felt left out in their own party .


For the first time , the Democratic Party has included in our platform a conscience clause , " he said .


The clause recognizes and welcomes Democrats with divergent views on abortion and states they have a full part to play at all levels of the party .


" The Democratic Party is indeed the party of true inclusiveness , " Hall said .


At its convention four years ago , organizers prevented then Pennsylvania Gov .


Robert Casey , a vehement opponent of abortion , from speaking .


Republicans have used their decision as an example of Democrat intolerance ever since .


Casey told a news conference in Chicago on Tuesday he had asked to speak again this year but was turned down .


Democratic leaders said there was not room on the program for every retired governor to speak .


" I believe the Democratic party ought to be pro-woman , pro-child and pro-life , " Casey said .


" I asked for the opportunity to deliver this message from the podium of the Democrat National Convention .


For the second time in four years , my request fell on deaf ears , " he said .


The Republican Party , whose platform calls for making all abortions illegal , faced a similar dilemma this year when Massachusetts Gov .


William Weld asked to deliver a speech defending abortion rights and was turned down .


Bob Dole , the Republican presidential nominee , tried and failed to insert a tolerance clause in his party 's platform recognizing the validity of those within the party who supported abortion rights .


Democrats also heard Tuesday two passionate speeches defending abortion rights .


Kate Michelman , president of the National Abortion Rights Action League , described how she had an abortion at a time when the procedure was illegal after her husband abandoned her with three young children .


" I 'm here to speak up for choice and to speak for truth .


The message from the Republican Party is one of disdain .


Their answer to choice is control and punishment .


Our answer is trust , compassion and respect , " she said .


Cynthia McKinney said : " You make your moral decisions .


I 'll make mine and let 's leave ( Republican House Speaker ) Newt Gingrich out of it . "


U.S. Spring / White Wheat - Bids mostly steady .


Dark northern spring and white wheat bids were mostly steady on Tuesday but a few locations quoted weaker values as newly harvested spring wheat flooded the market , several cash grain dealers said .


" There 's too much nearby wheat coming into the market so we 're backing off the basis to slow it down , " a Montana dealer said .


Bids there dropped 10 cents per bushel .


Harvest was also progressing well in parts of North Dakota , but one dealer there said new crop movement remained limited to a steady trickle . "


We 're seeing some new crop coming in now but it 's slow going , " the dealer said .


Elsewhere , basis values were mostly steady in quiet conditions with little noteworty domestic or export business , dealers said .


Durum bids were steady after jumping 50 cents per bushel in some areas on Monday .


Price per bushel for 14-pct protein dark northern spring , durum and white wheats , in dollars per bushel :


note : nc=acomparison , na=not available


The United States on Tuesday welcomed a deal aimed at resuming a troop withdrawal from the embattled Chechen capital , Grozny .


We urge both sides to continue their dialogue aimed at reaching a political settlement " of the 20-month conflict between Russian troops and Chechen rebels , State Department spokesman Glyn Davies said .


The commander of Russian troops in Chechnya , Vyacheslav Tikhomirov , and Chechen rebel chief-of-staff Aslan Mashadov signed the deal under which the troop withdrawal is to resume on Wednesday .


Akron , Ohio , $ 6 mln bonds rated single-A - Moody 's .


NEW YORK , Aug 27 - Moody 's Investors Service - Rating


Actor Sylvester Stallone and his fiancee , model Jennifer Flavin , had a baby girl on Tuesday , Stallone 's publicist said .


The 7-pound , 4-ounce ( 3.3 kg ) girl , named Sophia Rose , was born shortly after midnight at South Miami Hospital , publicist Paul Bloch said .


" Both mother and baby are doing fine and are in wonderful health , " he said , adding that it was the couple 's first child .


He said Stallone , best known for the " Rocky " and " Rambo " movies , left the set of " Copland , " which is filming in New York and New Jersey , to be with Flavin for the birth .


Poll shows Clinton lead over Dole jumps to 15 pts .


An ABC News poll released on Tuesday showed President Bill Clinton 's lead over Republican challenger Bob Dole stretching to 15 points in advance of the Nov. 5 election .


The poll , taken on Sunday and Monday as the president engaged in a whistle-stop train trip to the Democratic Convention in Chicago , put Clinton at 51 percent , Dole at 36 percent and Ross Perot of the Reform Party at 8 percent .


A similar poll conducted on Saturday and Sunday had showed a nine point lead for Clinton , ahead by 47-38 percent .


Dole , down by around 20 points in early August in ABC polls , had closed to within four percentage points immediately after the Republican convention in San Diego earlier in August .


Other polls also showed a strong Dole bounce after San Diego but Clinton then rebuilding his lead .


Tuesday 's poll involved 1,002 registered voters and had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points .


ABC said a parallel poll of 824 likely voters showed the president ahead by 11 points , with Clinton at 50 percent , Dole at 39 percent and Perot at 6 percent .


The poll of registered voters showed a shift in favor of the Democrats in the elections for House of Representatives , with 51 percent saying that if the vote were today they would go for a Democrat and 41 percent opting for a Republican .


That compared with the previous poll 's 48-43 lead for the Democrats .


The poll gave Clinton a 53 percent to 39 percent lead over Dole if Perot were not in the race .


The poll indicated a fall in the number of people who believed Dole would be able to fulfil his promise to cut the federal budget deficit and cut income taxes by 15 percent at the same time .


It showed 23 percent believed it possible compared to 70 who believed it was n't .


That compared to 26-57 in the previous poll .


U.S. bulk millfeeds - Immediate supply tight .


Millfeed supplies for prompt shipment remained tight and prices continued to move higher , millfeed dealers said .


High-priced corn and increased demand for livestock feed continued to support millfeed prices in nearly all sectors .


Flour mills sold much of their production through September leaving little available for prompt shipment .


Portland sources said feed mixer demand was keeping pace with millfeed production and driving prices higher .


Portland sources said with corn priced there at $ 200 per ton and barley at $ 140 , the millfeeds at $ 125 represent a good value .


In the southeast U.S. , dealers said feed mixers continued to be steady buyers with demand increasing for October to March positions .


The closely-watched Kansas City rail market was steady at $ 115 per ton bid and $ 118 offered .


Puerto Rico girl has surgery for hairy face .


A two-year old Puerto Rican girl began surgical treatment on Tuesday for a rare condition that has left half of her face covered with a hairy , dark-brown patch of skin .


The girl , Abyss DeJesus , suffers from a " hairy nevus " on the right side of her face , a condition that has only been reported a few times in medical journals , the St. Christopher Children 's Hospital said .


In addition to social ostracism , the condition also carries a high risk of cancer .


It will be corrected by gradually expanding healthy skin with a surgical balloon , then transplanting that skin to the afflicted side of her face .


" She is doing well , " hospital spokeswoman Carol Norris said . "


Norris said Tuesday 's surgery involved placing five balloons in DeJesus 's forehead , shoulders and the back of her neck and partially filling them with a saline solution .


More saline solution will be inserted in 16 weekly treatments .


The girl , who was accompanied to Philadelphia by her parents , will need more surgery later to correct the condition on her chest , back and legs , the hospital said .


, Inc. , said it won $ 1 million of Eau Claire , Wisc .


, waterworks system mortgage revenue bonds , Series 1996 , with a true interest cost of 5.2893 percent .


Massachusetts home sales dip in July - report .


Home sales across Massachusetts were down 2.3 percent in July , compared to a month earlier , but up 21 percent for the year , according to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors .


The association said a total of 4,464 single-family homes were sold in July , compared to 4,570 in June .


The average selling price , $ 206,464 , was up 10.6 percent over July 1995 .


Condominium sales edged up 6.0 percent for July and 24.8 percent for the year , the group said , while prices for condos nudged up less than 1.0 percent to an average of $ 123,394 .


In July , the average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage was 8.25 percent , below June 's 8.32 percent but still higher than February 's 7.03 percent , the report noted .


Amtrak train derails , three injured - officials .


At least three people were injured when an Amtrak passenger train slammed into an empty logging truck and derailed Tuesday , officials said .


The Vermonter , which runs between St. Albans , Vermont , near the Canadian border and Washington , D.C. , collided with the truck at 7:51 a.m. EDT near the rural town of Roxbury some 15 miles southeast of the state capital Montpelier , Amtrak spokeswoman Maureen Garrity said .


Vermont Central Hospital spokesman Dan Pudvah said two of the injured were treated there -- the truck driver , who was suffering from multiple trauma injuries , and a passenger .


Pudvah said he understood other people with minor injuries were being treated at the scene .


Garrity said a train conductor was also injured .


The train 's engine and its six cars derailed but were still standing , state police said .


The exact number of passangers on the train was not known . "


We had 70 reservations for the train , but that does n't mean there were 70 passengers aboard , " Garrity said .


Uninjured passengers were to be taken by bus to Springfield , Massachusetts , where they will be put aboard another train to continue their journey to New York City and Washington , Garrity said .


She said the train was travelling at 54 mph when it crashed into the truck , which was crossing the tracks onto a dirt road in the rural area bordering the Northfield Mountains .


Paralympics an example for gloomy France-Juppe .


Prime Minister Alain Juppe on Tuesday hailed handicapped athletes who took part in Atlanta 's Paralympic Games as an example for gloom-stricken France .


" What we hear every morning is gloom , resignation and scepticism ...


You are the opposite , " Juppe told a successful French team at Paris airport as he welcomed them back from the games which followed the July-August Olympics .


by the disease of scepticism , gloom and resignation , you would not be here .


You are a true example for the nation , " he said .


The French team won 95 medals in Atlanta , 35 of them gold .


Opinion polls consistently show French voters pessimistic and fed up as the economy stagnates and unemployement lingers at near-record levels .


French shares ended fractionally weaker as unease about union unrest slated for the autumn and a weaker franc got the better of a slight rise on Wall Street .


The blue-chip CAC-40 index ended 2.43 points or 0.12 percent lower at 2,017.99 points after a brief foray into positive territory when the New York stock market opened higher .


The broader SBF-120 index closed 1.19 points or 0.08 percent lower at 1,421.90 points .


Market turnover was 3.8 billion francs , about average for the quiet August period , including 2.6 billion on the most actively traded CAC-40 shares .


The Socialist CFDT union warned of " tension and conflict " when France returns to work after the summer break and called for a drive to create up to 500,000 jobs in nine months .


A teachers ' union , the Federation Syndicale Unitaire ( FSU ) , called for members to protest against job cuts expected in the government 's austerity budget due to be unveiled in September .


Anxieties over the budget niggled the currency markets where the franc lost around half a centime from Monday 's late European levels to 3.4211 per mark .


Index heavyweights Elf and Rhone Poulenc both ended slightly weaker while active Eurotunnel was unchanged on nearly a million shares traded .


" People are morose and it 's not the post-holiday period or the budget or company results that are going to lift anyone 's spirits , " a broker said .


* UIC , part of insurer GAN , slid 12.19 percent to 55.1 francs after reporting a net attributable first-half loss of 758 million francs after the close on Monday .


Markets were disappointed by a recapitalisation of 800 million francs which commentators said was larger than expected .


* Supermarkets group Carrefour gained 2.19 percent to 2,616 francs after brokers Cheuvreux de Virieu confirmed the stock on their buy list , a fund manager said .


* Reinsurance group Scor gained 2.1 percent to 202 francs on news that British insurer Prudential had sold its Mercantile & General reinsurance business to Swiss Re .


* Conglomerate Bollore lost 2.4 percent to 521 francs after a morning trading suspension during which it said it had approved plans to buy out its 73.83 percent owned transport unit Scac Delmas Vileujeux ( SDV ) and invited shareholders to tender their shares .


* Alcatel Alsthom fell 1.7 percent to 395.0 .


* Opthalmic products manufacturer Essilor gained 2.6 percent to 1,328 francs after Oakley Inc of the United States said it had been granted an option to buy the non-prescription lens production unit of Gentext Optics Inc , an Essilor International subsidiary .


PRESS DIGEST - Sri Lankan Newspapers - August 27 .


Following are some of the main stories in Tuesday 's Sri Lankan newspapers :


Bomb blast in TELO office in Trincomalee kills one , wounds six .


One officer and a soldier killed in accidental clash between two groups of soldiers near Chavakachcheri in Jaffna .


Army sentries thought a group of soldiers approaching them were Tamil rebels and opened fire .


TULF leader M. Sivasiththamparam says it is meaningless to talk to UNP about peace package and that the government should submit peace plan to parliament very soon .


Bread and flour prices have been raised with immediate effect but government will provide relief to underpriviledged sections of society .


Excise Commissioner W.N.F. Chandraratne denies allegations that new guidelines in issue of liquor licences are aimed at forcing large number of liquor licence holders out of business for political reasons .


Tamil Tiger rebels have sent 12 female suicide bombers to stage simultaneous attacks on President Chandrika Kumaratunga 's motorcade in Colombo .


Cultural Ministry planning to spend large sum of money to buy silver crown believed to have been worn by ancient king and now in Australia .


Government closes Ruhunu University indefinitely after big clash between two groups of students in which eight were wounded and hospitalised .


Mother Teresa turns 86 but still in danger .


Mother Teresa spent her 86th birthday in a Calcutta hospital bed on Tuesday as tributes to the legendary missionary poured in from around the world .


Doctors said that later in the day they would try to wean the Nobel Peace Prize laureate from the respirator that has aided her breathing for the past six days .


" Her condition seems to be better , but the danger remains as long as she is on respirator , " an official at Woodlands Nursing Home said . "


She is conscious but her breathing is irregular . "


The revered Roman Catholic nun was admitted to the Calcutta hospital a week ago with high fever and severe vomiting .


She later suffered heart failure and was diagnosed with malaria .


Her fever has since abated and the heart failure has been brought under control , but her heart continues to beat irregularly , doctors said .


" Unless she breathes on her own , I would advise you to keep your fingers crossed , " said a doctor who was familiar with her case but not part of the six-member team treating Mother Teresa .


The nun 's birthday prompted greetings , bouquets and prayers from around the world .


Pope John Paul II and Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy sent her get-well messages , the Press Trust of India said .


Happy Birthday to our Dearest Mother , " read a placard at the Shishu Bhavan children 's home in central Calcutta run by Mother Teresa 's Missionaries of Charity .


On Monday , both houses of India 's parliament wished the nation 's adopted sister a happy birthday and speedy recovery from her illness .


Prayers continued in Calcutta , one of the world 's poorest cities , where Mother Teresa 's Missionaries of Charity runs several homes for the poor and destitute .


Street children , some of them born to prostitutes , held prayers on the street . "


She is like a goddess , " said Raju , 8 , who has a mother but no father .


The Statesman newspaper quoted 40-year-old Mangala Das , paralysed from her waist down and a resident of the Prem Dan ( Gift of Love ) home for the destitute , as saying she and her friends had been praying incessantly for Mother Teresa 's recovery .


Tarak Das , 70 , was picked up from a Calcutta footpath a week ago by passers-by who took pity on him and brought him to Nirmal Hriday ( Immaculate Home ) .


I have never seen her , but I can only bless her for what she has done for people like me , " Das told The Statesman .


Mother Teresa 's condition improved on Sunday as her fever abated , and on Monday she was able to scribble notes to doctors and nuns .


Thousands in Calcutta , where she founded her Missionaries of Charity religious order in 1949 , prayed for her recovery .


Ministers of the communist government of West Bengal state and people of different religions joined Catholics to pray for Mother Teresa 's recovery at Mother House .


" We joined the prayer to express our solidarity with her work for the cause of the poor and downtrodden , " said Nanda Gopal Bhattacharya , a communist minister in West Bengal .


Islamists can meet in London , minister .


British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind said on Tuesday that his government would only take action against a planned conference of Islamist groups in London if British law was broken .


" People who wish to hold conferences of course do n't need to seek permission from the government in Britain , " Rifkind , in Pakistan for a visit , told Reuters . "


As long as they obey our laws then that is not something the government would normally interfere with . "


The Islamist conference , due to be held in London on September 8 , has caused concern in countries such as Algeria and Egypt , which are fighting armed Islamic militants .


British Jewish groups have also protested because they say members of Algeria 's Islamic Salvation Front ( FIS ) and the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas are on the guest list .


Rifkind said it was for the home secretary ( interior minister ) to act by denying visas to participants if he felt there was reason to believe that they might break the law .


" Our policy has to be fundamentally based on respect for the rule of law and insistence that it be observed , " he said .


Rifkind was in Pakistan at the start of an Asian tour that will also take him to India , Sri Lanka , Japan and Mongolia .


Afghan leader tells U.S. Congressman of peace plan .


Afghan government military chief Ahmad Shah Masood briefed visiting U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher on Tuesday on a peace plan for his wartorn country .


A spokesman for Masood said he had told the California Republican at a meeting in northern Kabul that President Burhanuddin Rabbani 's government favoured talks with all Afghan factions to set up an interim government .


The factions should agree to appoint a transitional leader , draft a new constitution , collect heavy weapons , create a national army and hold free elections in which the transitional leader would be barred from standing , he added .


Rohrabacher flew into Bagram military airbase north of Kabul in a Red Cross plane on Tuesday after meeting northern opposition militia leader General Abdul Rashid Dostum .


Masood 's spokesman Amrollah ( one name ) said Rohrabacher had recently visited Italy , Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as part of a mission to promote peace in Afghanistan .


" We are certainly serious more than before to find a solution to the Afghan problem and support every U.N. plan , " Amrollah quoted Rohrabacher as saying .


However , a spokesman for Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar , a long-time rival of Masood , expressed concern at signs of renewed U.S. interest in Afghanistan .


" America wants to block the establishment of a strong Islamic government in Afghanistan and the U.S. intends to neutralise the Afghan peace process initiated by the Afghans themselves , " said the spokesman , Hamid Ibrahimi .


" A great game has been started in Afghanistan as America feels that Tehran and Moscow have got stronger in the Afghan picture -- something Washington wants to change , " he said .


Rohrabacher was expected to visit neutral faction leaders in the eastern city of Jalalabad and meet leaders of the rebel Islamic Taleban militia in the southern city of Kandahar .


Afghan guerrilla factions have been locked in a bloody power struggle since the fall of the communist government in April 1992 .


Hekmatyar , once Rabbani 's main rival , made a peace pact with him and rejoined the government as prime minister in June .


Pakistan state bank sells 1.38 bln rupees of bonds .


The State ( central ) Bank of Pakistan auctioned three- , five- and 10-year federal investment bonds worth 1.38 billion rupees on Tuesday .


The bank said it had accepted bids of 250 million rupees at par for three-year bonds , 3.5 million rupees at par for five-year bonds and 1.126 billion at par for 10-year bonds .


The auction is set for settlement on Thursday .


In the previous auction on July 11 , it accepted bids worth 300 million rupees at par for three-year bonds , 44.5 million rupees at par for five-year bonds and 782.6 million rupees at par for 10-year bonds .


Nepal offers to talk to Maoist insurgents .


Nepal 's centre-right coalition government has offered to meet the country 's hardline Maoist communists for talks in a bid to end an insurgency in Nepal 's western districts , officials said on Tuesday .


The Maoists oppose multi-party democracy and want to establish a communist state .


But the Nepali government said the insurgents must give up violence before it negotiates with them .


" They ( the insurgents ) should first give up their violent activities , " Home ( Interior ) Minister Khum Bahadur Khadga said .


About 54 people have died in Maoist insurgent activity and in police action against them since February , officials said .


Nepali opposition parties have accused the police of having killed more people than the insurgents .


Some human rights groups have criticised the government 's handling of the situation .


In a speech in parliament on Tuesday , Khadga challenged the Maoist communists to " win the people 's confidence " and win election to parliament .


On Monday , he had offered to talk to leaders of the United People 's Front Nepal ( Bhattarai ) , the Maoist faction which leads the insurgency .


" The government is ready to guarantee security of the Maoist representatives who want to take part in peaceful dialogue , " Khadga said .


A multi-party democracy was set up in Nepal six years ago , after a popular movement by the centrist Nepali Congress party jointly with the Communist United Marxist-Leninist ( UML ) party .


The Nepali Congress leads the three-party coalition government while the UML is the main opposition party .


Indian soy prices end steady ahead of holiday .


Indian soybean prices on Tuesday remained steady at 12,900-13,100 rupees per tonne in plant delivery condition , dealers said


They said arrivals were poor due to the festival season .


Markets in central India would be closed for a local religious holiday on Wednesday .


Soyoil prices fell on increased selling against poor demand .


Soyoil solvent was down by 400 rupees per tonne and soyoil refined was down by 400 rupees .


Soyoil refined fell by 200 rupees on weak undertone .


Soymeal yellow was $ 276-277 and soymeal black was $ 246-248 per tonne in export .


Rapeseed extraction was $ 115 per tonne in export .


Export demand was good but availability was limited .


Rapeseed extraction was 3,850 rupees FOR Bedibunder and was 3,800-3,825 rupees FOR Bhavnagar .


Soyoil solvent plant delivery 30,300-30,400


Soyoil solvent market delivery 30,700-30,800


Soyoil refined plant delivery 32,700-32,800


Soyoil refined market delivery 32,900-33,000


Soymeal ( in rupees per tonne , free on rail-FOR )


Bangladesh Speaker says he received death threats .


The Speaker of Bangladesh 's parliament , Humayun Rasheed Choudhury , said he had received death threats from anonymous callers after opposition parties threatened to boycott proceedings chaired by him .


He told the Bengali newspaper Banglabazar Patrika on Tuesday that such threats were possibly coming from " those who want to push the country into chaos and unrest . "


The callers said his life could be cut short , the newspaper said .


The speaker was not immediately available for comment .


Choudhury , a former foreign minister and veteran diplomat , was appointed speaker of the 330-member parliament on July 13 , a month after general elections returned the Awami League of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to power after 21 years .


Choudhury also was president of the 41st session of the U.N. General Assembly in 1986-87 .


Former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia , now the opposition leader in parliament and head of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( BNP ) , said her followers might boycott assemby sessions chaired by the " partisan " speaker .


" The ruling Awami league is making parliament ineffective and the speaker is contributing to that by not allowing the opposition MPs enough time to speak , " she told a rally in northern district of Bogra on Monday .


Hasina , speaking to a group of engineers in Dhaka on Monday , accused the BNP of resorting to " terrorism " as part of its plan to create instability and chaos in the country .


and we will deal with such designs sternly , " the prime minister said .


Bangladesh June M2 up 3.8 pct m / m , up 8.2 pct y / y .


Bangladesh 's M2 money supply rose 3.8 percent in June to 456.8 billion taka after a 0.27 percent rise to 439.9 billion in May , central bank officials said .


The year-on-year rise was 8.2 percent to June , 1996 .


HELIBOR INTEREST RATES LARGELY UNCHANGED .


were largely unchanged at the Bank of Finland 's daily fixing on


The key three-month rate was steady at 3.40 percent .


Barrick Gold Corp said on Tuesday its takeover offer for Arequipa Resources Ltd was successful , with 93 percent of the 36.3 million shares not already owned tendered under the bid , which expired overnight .


" We are pleased that Arequipa shareholders ahave chosen so overwhelmingly to accept this offer .


We now have the opportunity to realize the potential of Arequipa 's excellent assets , " Barrick chairman and chief executive Peter Munk said in a statement .


The C$ 30-a-share deal means Barrick will own Arequipa 's attractive Pierina gold deposit in Peru .


Barrick said details involving the allocation between Barrick shares and cash will be available shortly .


Barrick 's offer of C$ 30 a share or part cash , part share offer was Barrick 's second attempt to swallow the small Vancouver-based gold prospector .


Toronto-based Barrick , the world 's third largest gold producer , sweetened its July 11 bid to C$ 30 a share from C$ 27 on August 16 after a fresh batch of drill results from the Pierina deposit .


Experts have speculated the deposit has potential reserves of up to 12 million ounces .


More drilling results are expected soon .


The Barrick bid took observers by surprise , since Arequipa 's exploration was still in its early stages .


Arequipa shareholders had the option to choose C$ 30 cash or 0.79 Barrick shares plus 50 cents for each Arequipa share .


Shares were to be pro-rated if more than 14.4 million were requested .


Penn Treaty terminates acquisition pact .


Penn Treaty American Corp said Tuesday it terminated a previously announced non-binding letter of intent to purchase Merrion Insurance Company Inc , a New York licensed company .


In announcing its decision , Penn Treaty said it " will continue to actively pursue entering into the New York long-term care market through licensing or by acquisition . "


It explained the " addition of a New York license will enable Penn Treaty American Corp to conduct business in all 50 states , following the company 's acquisition of Health Insurance of Vermont , a Vermont domiciled insurer , scheduled to close on August 30 , 1996 . "


VNU details first-half operating profits .


Publisher VNU gave the following breakdown of its first-half results :


NOTES - Sales and operating profit are given in millions of guilders .


Commercial TV includes pro rata share of sales and operating profits in Dutch group HMG and Belgium 's VTM .


AOL Europe forms online advertising agency .