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HAWAII
Military forum details business opportunities

The combined military forces in Hawaii are sponsoring their third annual DOD Hawaii Small Business Forum on Thursday at the Honolulu Country Club in Salt Lake.

Starting at 8 a.m. and running until 2:40 p.m., the forum is an opportunity for local businesses to learn what the military needs in terms of goods or services and to learn about how contracting with the government is conducted.

Admission is $30, which includes lunch.

To register or for more information, call Newton Yuen at 438-1953 or e-mail him at Newton.Yuen@us.army.mil.

Job-training classes start Monday

A new round of career-development classes sponsored by the state Employment Training Center starts next Monday at Honolulu and Leeward community colleges.

"Essential Skills for the Workplace Success," at Honolulu Community College, is a 13-week course with classes held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The course will focus on communication and math skills, using lab activities and computer-assisted instruction. The cost is $820 and includes books and supplies.

An eight-week class called "Essential Skills" will start the same day at Leeward Community College, with classes on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 to 11 a.m. The cost is $660, including books and supplies.

A spokeswoman for the center said that if students cannot afford the tuition, they can check with Oahu Work Links, which helps job-seekers pay for their training and can also help them find new jobs. Visit www.oahuworklinks.com for more information.

For more information on Employment Training Center programs, go online to etc.wcc.hawaii.edu or call the center's student services office at 844-2365.

NATION
Dollar gains against euro and yen

The dollar rose to the highest since May 2004 vs. the euro on expectations a report today will show factory orders climbed the most in 14 months, increasing the likelihood the Federal Reserve will keep raising interest rates.

The U.S. currency also climbed to a more than 10-month peak against the yen after reports Friday showed manufacturing and consumer confidence exceeded expectations. The dollar has risen in 2005 as the Fed lifted rates nine times in the past year, while the central banks of Europe and Japan have kept rates on hold.

"The dollar just looks much better than anything else," said Lawrie Dryden, head of currency and asset allocation in Sydney at State Street Global Advisors, which manages about $32 billion. "The U.S. economy looks good, and rates are going to keep going up. The yield advantage favors the dollar."

Against the euro, the dollar strengthened to $1.1903 at 12:16 p.m. in Tokyo, the strongest since May 20, 2004, from $1.1959 per euro at 5 p.m. in New York on Friday, according to currency-dealing system EBS. It might rise to $1.15 per euro in the next few months, Dryden said.

The dollar also was at 111.65 yen, from 111.78, having traded as high as 111.88, the strongest since Aug. 13.