News In Brief

IT DOESN'T SHOW ME MUCH

Even the staff of a prominent art gallery in Birmingham, England, admits its new exhibition is nothing special. That's because all visitors see when they enter the Custard Factory Centre are the bare walls and scattered pieces of paper inviting them to visualize the paintings and sculptures that a show normally would include. It is, explained one of the organizers of "Exhibition to Be Constructed in Your Head," an experiment "to see how people react." At least one patron didn't react well. "It's dreadful," Rebecca James said.

ISN'T ANYTHING ELSE ON?

If you happened to be busy elsewhere Monday night and missed Turkmenistan President Saparmurat Niyazov's address to the nation, there's still time to catch it. Lots, in fact. His two-hour-long vision of the spiritual code that the former Soviet republic's 5 million people should live by will be rebroadcast on state telelvision every Monday between now and October. After that, for those who still want more, it will be published in book form.

Car thieves' favorite targets: Toyota Camry, Honda Accord

Toyotas and Hondas again were the most-stolen vehicles in the US last year - holding 17 of the top 25 spots, according to CCC Information Services, which tracks thefts for the insurance industry. Thieves favor Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords, its report says, because of their long lifespans and high demand for their spare parts. But, overall, reported thefts fell 8.5 percent in 2000, following a 15 percent decline in 1999. The most-stolen vehicles last year and their 1999 ranking (in parentheses), according to the CCC list:

1. 1989 Toyota Camry (1)

2. 1990 Toyota Camry (2)

3. 1991 Toyota Camry (3)

4. 1988 Toyota Camry (4)

5. 1994 Honda Accord EX (6)

6. 1996 Honda Accord LX (8)

7. 1994 Chevrolet C1500 4x2 pickup (11)

8. 1990 Honda Accord EX (9)

9. 1997 Ford F-150 4x2 pickup (5)

10. 1995 Honda Accord EX (7)

- Associated Press

(c) Copyright 2001. The Christian Science Monitor