News In Brief

AN AWARD CONFERRED . . .

The Indian Army posthumously awarded the nation's highest medal for gallantry Sunday to Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav. Then, however, Yadav's wife pointed out a small problem: her husband is not dead. Newspapers in New Delhi say Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ved Prakash Malik and several senior officers went immediately to an Army hospital in the city to meet Yadav - who was recuperating from wounds received in Kashmir - and award him the Param Vir Chakra medal for bravery. The Army has ordered an inquiry into the source of the confusion.

. . . A TRIBUTE WITHHELD

There is word from England that Margaret Thatcher, an Oxford graduate, is raising sizable amounts of money for Cambridge University - and raising some eyebrows in the process. Her office isn't commenting, but London's Times newspaper said recently that the former premier is getting even for Oxford's decision to deny her one of its honorary degrees.

Giants joust for dominance in aluminum production

Aluminum-industry leader Alcoa is making news this week with a multibillion-dollar hostile bid for Reynolds Metal. This came on the heels of a planned merger of three other aluminum companies - Alcan, Alusuisse-Lonza Holding, and Pechiney. All but Alusuisse (No. 14) are among the world's 10 biggest aluminum firms:

1. Alcoa US

2. Alcan Canada

3. Reynolds US

4. Billiton UK

5. Pechiney France

6. Hydro Norway

7. Comalco Australia

8. Aluminum Bahrain Bahrain

9. CVG Venezuela

10. Kaiser US

Correction

An Aug. 17 list of Associated Press pre-season rankings of top college football teams inadvertently omitted Kansas State, which tied Alabama for No. 20.

- Reuters

(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society