News In Brief

OPEC appears ready to hold prices level

Despite unsettled conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the 13 OPEC countries appeared ready to remain firm before a weakening oil market and are virtually certain to hold their oil to $29 a barrel.

The first day of an OPEC ministerial conference ended Wednesday in what delegates described as ''99 percent'' agreement on continuing a pricing and output accord hammered out in London last March.