News In Brief

ZIP CODES: WHO NEEDS 'EM?

"Wow! Sometimes we do things that amaze ourselves," Tad Kelley said. What was it that so impressed the Postal Service official in Pittsburgh? Just a letter delivered to Joyce Scholl in nearby Cabot, Pa. No doubt, its arrival Feb. 3 after being mailed seven days earlier in Gloucestershire, England, did show good work. But what made it truly remarkable was the way the sender addressed the envelope: with only Ms. Scholl's name, apartment number, and street. It's unclear why the letter correctly crossed the Atlantic. But the street has the same name as a neighboring town that once had its own post office, a fact that computerized US sorters may have recognized.

THAT'S WHY HE DIDN'T SHOW UP

Tek Bahadur Gurung should be so fortunate. He never got a letter telling him when to report for work in Butwal, Nepal, even though it was registered by his new employer. It was returned to the sender's post office 70 miles away last month - four years after being mailed.

Investors feel safest putting dollars into US, survey finds

Foreign investors are as bullish as ever on North America, but now favor Europe over Latin America for their second choice, a survey of senior executives in 1,000 corporations worldwide found. It also revealed that many executives have reservations about emerging Asian nations - apparently more fallout from the financial crisis there. The survey, released by London-based consulting firm A.T. Kearney last month, found 58 percent of the respondents were more positive about the global economy than six months ago, and that 92 percent planned to maintain or increase investments abroad. Their top choices:

1. US

2. United Kingdom

3. China

4. Brazil

5. Poland

6. Germany

7. Mexico

8. Italy

9. Spain

10. Australia

- Associated Press

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