Vahid

BRAZIL Coach Dunga won the World Cup in 1994 as an uncompromising defensive midfielder. Now, he coaches the way he played, with an eye on results, not style. Brazil will be effective, not attractive. Even so, with the likes of Maicon , Kaka , Robinho , and Luis Fabiano , the goals should still flow. PORTUGAL The Portuguese finished fourth in 2006 but are in the toughest first-round group this time. Coach Carlos Queiroz has the world's most expensive player in winger/forward Cristiano Ronaldo , a useful understudy in Simao , a decent playmaker in Deco and a good defender in Ricardo Carvalho , but not much else.

Starline Sightseeing Tours on Monday drove away with its major competitor by buying the Los Angeles, Orange County and Santa Barbara operations of Gray Line Tours. The Hollywood-based bus charter and tour company said the purchase of the Gray Line operations will double the size of the company's bus fleet and allow it to reduce costs. Gray Line also has a strong presence in Orange County, where Starline had wanted to beef up its business.

General Motors Corp. awarded Alcan Aluminium Ltd. a 10-year, multibillion-dollar supply contract for aluminum, an important ingredient in auto makers' efforts to limit pollution by making vehicles lighter. The world's largest auto maker now uses about 1.7 billion pounds of aluminum annually--an average of 210 pounds per vehicle--making it one of the metal's biggest consumers worldwide. GM expects the per-vehicle average to rise by at least 7% a year.

In a sign of mounting frustration, students boldly demanded Saturday that Iran's reformist president take the offensive against conservatives blocking his drive for greater freedoms. "Show authority or resign!" some students shouted at President Mohammad Khatami during an address at Tehran University. Khatami promised that he would remain faithful to his reforms but said his hands were tied in the face of powerful Islamic hard-liners. "I may be criticized to have acted weakly and . . .

Something odd is happening down at Farid Niazi's snug, dimly lighted carpet shop. Though sales at many businesses have plummeted since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Niazi's Persian Rug Gallery in downtown Ventura is experiencing a bit of a renaissance. Day after day, people march in and burrow through stacks of Persian, Chechen, Indian and Chinese rugs until they spy their quarry--the dark, tribal rugs of Afghanistan. "The last few weeks have been amazing," said Niazi, a native of Kabul.

Alyssa Schechter seems ready for a bright college career. The San Diego County teenager has already aced a couple of university courses and displays a maturity level beyond her 17 years. But Alyssa lacks a common requirement for applying to universities: She never attended high school. For reasons that vary from religious convictions to a distrust of public schools, millions of parents nationwide school their children at home.

Despite the flying dust and noisy saws in the wood shop Saturday, the workers enjoyed their favorite annual project: making holiday toys for needy children. "It's fun making stuff out of wood," said Vahid Chitsaz, 17, of Van Nuys. That "stuff" included 180 wooden doll cradles and dump trucks assembled by the San Fernando Valley Woodworkers and other volunteers at El Camino Real High School. About 40 people, donning goggles and aprons, showed up at the school's wood shop to make the toys.

Few people look forward to jury service, but state officials have been working hard to make the civic obligation less onerous. A measure signed into law last month involves slowing down attorneys who seek out jurors for after-the-fact details about deliberations. The new law says lawyers who contact jurors after trials--often to find out what worked or what didn't in their strategy--must clearly state whom they represent and tell jurors they are not obligated to talk.

The Medical Board of California licenses physicians and other medical professionals. It also investigates medical complaints and issues disciplinary actions. The most serious penalties include license revocation, suspension and probation. These are the Los Angeles County physicians and surgeons subject to serious disciplinary actions between Feb. 1 and April 30, 1997, according to Medical Board documents. Generally final actions are published only after all appeals are exhausted.

Despite the worst terrorist attack in Spain's history Thursday, four Spanish league teams played in UEFA Cup matches throughout Europe. All four had asked that their matches be postponed, but UEFA, European soccer's governing body, did not honor the requests. Only Villarreal played at home, defeating AS Roma, 2-0, in a first-leg fourth-round match.