Hartford to purchase CNA benefits business

HARTFORD, Conn. -- The Hartford Financial Services Group hasagreed to purchase Chicago-based CNA Financial Corp.'s group benefitsbusiness for an estimated $500 million, the insurance companiesannounced Monday.

Under the deal, Hartford will buy CNA's group life and accidentinsurance operations and its short- and long-term disabilitybusiness. Some specialty businesses will also be sold, officialssaid. The combination could result in elimination of 10 percent ofthe combined work force of about 3,300 people in the operation'sbusiness, a Hartford spokeswoman said.

Hartford hopes to complete the deal by the end of the year. Thedeal requires regulatory clearance.

In …

Rolls-Royce thinks green.(NOTABLE)

You probably wouldn't expect folks who fork out upwards of $400,000 for a car to care about whether their vehicle is environmentally responsible, but that's not the case, according to Ian Robertson, CEO of Rolls-Royce. "Our buyers are very worldly people; they are affected by global trends and global thinking," he says. Never mind the fact that the Phantom sedan has an EPA rating of 11 mpg city and 18 mpg highway. Robertson contends his brand is one of the most environmentally conscious due to the fact that 70% of the cars produced since 1904 remain on the road: "A Rolls-Royce will be here for 30 or 40 years from now and therefore it has a far greener credential than the average …

VENUS VOWS MORE PRACTICE.(SPORTS)

Byline: STEVEN WINE Associated Press

WIMBLEDON, England -- Venus Williams loves reading, fashion design, her family and winning Wimbledon.

She does not love tennis.

Workouts bore her, and she admits to slacking off the second half of 2000. The more she won, the less she practiced.

But Williams said the next few months will be different, now that she has won Wimbledon for the second consecutive year.

``I'm going to practice more,'' she pledged. ``I think I can capitalize better, just really work on more things in my game -- moving forward, taking the ball early, just some new strategy that I can add. I didn't really do that last …

Two Select WRG's CU Integrator Solution.

Wescom Resources Group (WRG), a CUSO of Wescom Credit Union, said that two CUs have selected its CU Integrator Software Development Kit (SDK) for integration with Symitar's Episys system. Choosing the solution were …

American Pressel sets Royal Birkdale course record

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Morgan Pressel has set a new course record 7-under 65 at Royal Birkdale to get back up among the leaders in the British Women's Open.

After dropping shots at the first two holes Saturday, the American bagged eight birdies and an eagle and dropped …

LION, Bayer Form $100M Info Tech Venture In U.S.

LION Bioscience AG and Bayer AG entered in a $100 million, five-year partnership to create a research subsidiary in Cambridge, Mass., which will increase the speed and efficiency of Bayer's gene-discover and drug-discovery efforts. Bayer, AG, based in Frankfurt, Germany, will make an up-front equity investment in LION, which represents about 10 percent of the company. Durinq the five years, Bayer will fund all research and development efforts at LION's new subsidiary, LOPM Bioscience Research Inc (LBRI). In addition, Bayer will pay …

Gathering the troops for march across time; With period costumes in tow, British army re-enactors bring look of the past to Saratoga.(Capital Region)

Byline: MARC PARRY - Staff Writer

STILLWATER - When people ask Laura Lunde about her odd hobby, she tells them it's a bit like following the Grateful Dead. Eighteenth-century style.

Lunde and her merry band of historical re-enactors bounce from town to town like Deadheads. They trade news at gigs - an encampment in Rotterdam, a raid in Cooperstown, war weekend in Oswego. Only instead of Dead shows, the news is about battles.

The White Plains re-enactment was lousy. I saw so-and-so at Hubbardton. Dude, you plan to make Yorktown in two weeks? This weekend, the Lundes went truckin' to the Battle of Bemis Heights, the second of the two Battles of Saratoga in 1777.

Their 24th Regiment of Foot was the main …