PRICE INCREASES ACCOMPANY SIGNS OF GROWTH.(Business)

Byline: DAVE SKIDMORE Associated Press

The worst increase in consumer prices in two years accompanied signs of a resurgent economy, including fewer layoffs and the highest level of industrial production since early in the recession, the government said Thursday.

The Labor Department's Consumer Price Index shot up 0.5 percent in January, the biggest increase since January 1991. If prices continued rising at that rate through the rest of the year, inflation would total 6.1 percent in 1993, more than double the 2.9 percent of 1992.

Most economists dismissed the January price report as mostly an aberration, but they warned that stronger economic growth …

Lectures to Cover Engineering Challenges of 'Hard Rock' Science.

Byline: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

PASADENA, Calif., April 25 (AScribe Newswire) -- Scientists and engineers don't always dance to the beat of the same drum, especially when it comes to "hard rock" science -- the study of intact, crystallized rocks on other planets, which may provide clues to how these other worlds formed.

But how do we get to these rocks and other interesting sites? "These scientifically rich spots pose many technological challenges for robots and require engineering designs capable of going where no human or robot has gone before," said Brian Wilcox, robotics engineer and manager of the Solar System Exploration Mobility Technology Program …

India: Time for new chapter in Pakistan relations

ADDU, Maldives (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says the time has come to write a new chapter in relations with rival Pakistan.

Singh and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani met for nearly an hour …

Chicago bishop considered for Milwaukee Archdiocese

The first black president of the U.S. Conference of CatholicBishops and an auxiliary bishop for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese ofChicago are among candidates being considered by the Vatican toreplace Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland, who reached themandatory retirement age of 75 this week, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.

Citing sources in Italy, the newspaper said the pool of leadingreplacement candidates includes:

*Bishop Wilton Gregory of Belleville, who was elected to the toppost in the U.S. Conference last year. Gregory was born and ordainedin Chicago and served 10 years as an auxiliary bishop to the lateCardinal Joseph Bernardin.

*Auxiliary …

One Best Hike: Mount Whitney.(Brief article)(Book review)

One Best Hike: Mount Whitney

Elizabeth Wenk

Wilderness Press

1345-8th Street, Berkeley CA 94710

9780899974644, $12.95 www.wildernesspress.com

California hikers who want a challenge will find everything they need to know about such a challenge in ONE BEST HIKE: MOUNT WHITNEY. It covers a very …

SIENA MAKES LOYOLA PAY IN BLOWOUT.(SPORTS)

Byline: TIM REYNOLDS Staff writer ALBANY -- They broke the 100-point barrier for the first time all season, and they had their largest margin of victory in 76 games. But the Siena Saints maintain they still aren't in peak form. -

Corey Osinski's 15 points led five Siena players in double figures Thursday night, as the Saints, in resounding fashion, avenged an earlier loss at Loyola with a 100-67 victory over the Greyhounds before 5,947 at Pepsi Arena.

It was the fifth straight win and 10th in the last 12 games for Siena (11-2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, 17-6 overall), which stayed two games up on Iona and 2 ahead of Fairfield in the race for the …

Telecommunications Conversion Review in Thailand to Take Two Months.

Jan. 8--The telecommunications concession conversion framework proposed by Chulalongkorn University was generally acceptable in practice, the State Enterprise Policy Committee said yesterday.

But the committee agreed that the Transport Ministry should review the framework again over the next 60 days before a formal decision was made.

The framework, drafted by the university's Intellectual Property Institute, has been criticised by consumer groups and some economists as overly benefiting existing telecom operators.

Some claim that the framework, if adopted, could lead to lost revenues for the state of up to 410 billion baht.

Under the new …