News In Brief

I COULD ARRANGE AN AUDITION

When he finishes his duties as president, how else might China's Jiang Zemin occupy his time? Well, he could try his hand at writing. Or maybe become an opera singer. That's according to no less an authority than legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti, who appeared in concert last weekend in Beijing. Later, at lunch, he and Jiang broke into a duet of "O Sole Mio" that was "very good" and showed the potential to make his host "a big star," he told journalists afterward.

The wealthy among us rate A-list products and services

When the net value of your assets is at least $1.25 million, you probably can afford to pay more for the items and services you want than can most other people. On that premise, Worth magazine ("edited for the dynamic wealth market") asked its readers to rate "the very best" in products and services in 18 categories. Here are selected choices from the magazine's third annual survey, appearing in the July/August issue:

Luxury car Lexus

Airline Singapore

Wristwatch Patek Philippe

Hotel chain Relais & Chateaux

Laptop computer Dell

Personal data assistant Palm

Financial software TurboTax

Investment newsletter Value Line Investment Survey

Investment broker Vanguard

Mutual fund family Vanguard

Online bank Citibank

Life insurance USAA

Car/home insurance USAA

- Business Wire

(c) Copyright 2001. The Christian Science Monitor