The News in 2 Minutes

From The Associated Press

Saudi oil chief to discuss increase reports

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia’s oil minister on Sunday will address reports that the world’s largest oil-producing country is set to raise production by about 500,000 barrels per day, his adviser said.

The increase would bring Saudi Arabia’s oil production to 10 million barrels a day, the country’s highest ever, according to reports by The New York Times and the Middle East Economic Survey, an industry publication.

Adviser Ibrahim al-Muhanna told The Associated Press on Saturday that he could not confirm the reports, but added: “Minister Ali al-Naimi will clarify this tomorrow.”

Saudi Arabia has called for a meeting of oil producing and consuming countries on June 22 in the port city of Jiddah to discuss ways of dealing with soaring energy prices.

Companies get OK to annoy polar bears

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Less than a month after declaring polar bears a threatened species because of global warming, the Bush administration is giving oil companies permission to annoy and potentially harm them in the pursuit of oil and natural gas.

The Fish and Wildlife Service issued regulations this week providing legal protection to seven oil companies planning to search for oil and gas in the Chukchi Sea off the northwestern coast of Alaska if “small numbers” of polar bears or Pacific walruses are incidentally harmed by their activities over the next five years.

Environmentalists said the new regulations give oil companies a blank check to harass the polar bear.

About 2,000 of the 25,000 polar bears in the Arctic live in and around the Chukchi Sea, where the government in February auctioned off oil leases to ConocoPhillips Co., Shell Oil Co. and five other companies for $2.6 billion. Over objections from environmentalists and members of Congress, the sale occurred before the bear was classified as threatened in May.

Polar bears are naturally curious creatures and sensitive to changes in their environment. Vibrations, noises, unusual scents and the presence of industrial equipment can disrupt their quest for prey and their efforts to raise their young in snow dens.

McDonald’s returns tomatoes to menu

OAK BROOK, Ill. — McDonald’s Corp. says it will begin serving sliced tomatoes again after a multistate salmonella outbreak caused the world’s largest restaurant chain to yank the vegetable from its sandwiches.

Spokeswoman Danya Proud said Saturday that the fast food chain’s U.S. restaurants will reintroduce sliced tomatoes in the next seven to 10 days.

McDonald’s was among several restaurant chains and grocery stores that stopped serving sliced tomatoes last Monday as a precaution.

At least 228 illnesses in 23 states, including Arizona, were linked to salmonella-tainted tomatoes.

Shuttle Discovery crew glad to be back

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven returned to Earth on Saturday and capped a successful expansion job at the international space station, more spacious and robust thanks to a new billion-dollar science lab.

The shuttle descended through a few puffy clouds and landed under the control of commander Mark Kelly. [Kelly is the husband of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz.]

“It’s great to be here on the runway in sunny Florida,” Kelly said. “It was really an exciting mission.”

Discovery’s flight spanned 14 days, 217 orbits and 5.7 million miles, and was described by NASA as being about as smooth as it gets.

Kelly and his crew accomplished everything they set out to do in orbit. They delivered and installed Japan’s Kibo lab, now the space station’s biggest room and most sophisticated science workshop, and dropped off a new pump that the two Russians on board used to fix their toilet.