Gasoline prices drop

Gasoline prices drop

CAMARILLO, Calif. — The national average price for gasoline dropped about 2.9 cents over the last two weeks, according to a survey released Sunday.

The average price of regular gasoline on Friday was about $2.75 a gallon, midgrade was $2.88, and premium was $2.99, oil industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said.

The nation’s lowest average price was in Phoenix, where a gallon of regular cost $2.51. The highest was in Honolulu at $3.12, according to the Lundberg Survey of 7,000 stations nationwide.

Dunkin’ to cut trans fat

BOSTON — Dunkin’ Donuts, the food-on-the-go chain whose name celebrates a treat that’s symbolic of unhealthy eating, is trying to refresh its image by largely eliminating trans fat across its menu.

Dunkin’ planned to announce today that it has developed an alternative cooking oil and reformulated more than 50 menu items — doughnuts included. The Canton, Mass.-based chain says its menu will be “zero grams trans fat” by Oct. 15 across its 5,400 U.S. restaurants in 34 states.

About 400 locations nationwide that took part in a four-month test already have made the switch to a new blend of palm, soybean and cottonseed oils. That includes all restaurants in New York City and Philadelphia, which are forcing restaurants to phase out their use of artery-clogging trans fat.

The ice cream chain Baskin-Robbins, another unit of Dunkin’ Brands Inc., plans to be zero grams trans fat by Jan. 1.

First lady cancels plans

CRAWFORD, Texas — Laura Bush has canceled plans to accompany the president on next month’s trip to Australia, citing a pinched nerve, her office announced Sunday.

President Bush is due to arrive in Sydney on Sept. 4, three days before he participates in the Sept. 7-9 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation annual leaders summit being held there, according to Australian Prime Minister John Howard. Bush is to have bilateral talks with Howard and take part in a state visit to Australia before the start of the summit.

Howard has said that the U.S. president is leaving the APEC meeting a bit early in order to be back for the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks and to prepare for a crucial Sept. 15 progress report on Iraq from the top diplomat and military commander there.

Mrs. Bush injured a nerve in her neck and shoulder earlier this year while hiking and has been treated with physical therapy since. Her doctors have strongly advised her not to travel overseas, saying such long flights could aggravate the problem and cause complications, she added.

Fires near Olympic site

ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece — The fires consuming southern Greece raced toward the site of the ancient Olympics on Sunday, engulfing entire villages and forests as it reached the hillside next to one of the most revered sites of antiquity.

At least 51 people were confirmed dead in three days of fires burning through the country’s southern Pelopennese region, and people fled in panic from hotels and villages near the Olympic site. The village of Ancient Olympia stood between the fire and the 2,800-year-old site itself. Police blocked roads, and firefighting planes flew overhead.

N. Korea building fence

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has started building a fence along parts of its border with China, a news report said Sunday, in an apparent move to prevent North Koreans from fleeing the impoverished communist country.

The North has put in place posts along a six-mile stretch along a narrow tributary of the Yalu River, which marks the border between North Korea and China, and has also built a road to guard the area, Yonhap news agency reported.

The North has yet to string barbed wire between the posts, Yonhap reported.

The fence comes less than a year after China built a massive barbed wire and concrete fence along its side of the same river.

North Korea and China share an 880-mile border.

Superferry links islands

KAHULUI, Hawaii — Loaded with people paying a discount fare of just $5, the $95 million Hawaii Superferry made its maiden run Sunday with a rushed launch for a three-hour voyage to Maui — the first passenger ferry service between the islands.

Legal problems threatened to beach the giant catamaran like one of the whales that environmentalists fear it will run over, so the company moved up the debut by two days.

More than 500 passengers and crew, and 150 cars, were aboard when the four-deck, blue-and-white vessel emblazoned with manta rays pulled away from the dock to a chorus of cheers.

Associated Press