BRIEFCASE HEALTH NET GROUP GETS NEW LEADER.

Byline: - Staff and Wire Services

WOODLAND HILLS - Health Net Inc. on Thursday named Douglas A. King president of Health Net Life Insurance Co.

King joined Health Net in May 2000 as chief financial officer of Health Net Dental and Vision. He was later promoted to senior vice president and general manager.

King is based in Orange County and reports to Chris Wing, executive vice president of Health Net Inc.

CSC signs 10-year deal with ISS A/S 

EL SEGUNDO - Computer Sciences Corp. announced Thursday that it has signed a 10-year information technology outsourcing agreement valued at $450 million with ISS A/S, a global provider of facility services.

CSC will assume responsibility for the full range of information technology services at more than 800 ISS sites throughout Europe, including the delivery and management of mainframe, midrange, desktop, help desk, network and application development and support services.

About 120 ISS employees will transfer to CSC in Europe starting June 1.

Also Thursday, CSC announced that it has signed a five-year, $17 million agreement with Barclaycard, the largest independent card processor in Europe.

30-year mortgage rates at new low

WASHINGTON - Rates on 30-year mortgages have dropped to a new low, the eighth time this year that has happened.

Average interest on a fixed-rate 30-year mortgage fell to 5.31 percent this week, the third week in a row this benchmark mortgage hit a record weekly low, Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported Thursday in its nationwide survey.

Last week's 5.34 percent had been the previous low in figures going back to 1971. Records that reach back earlier indicate that the rate is the lowest in more than four decades, economists said.

Firm recalls weed cutting blades

WASHINGTON - A California based company is recalling about 1.1 million metal weed cutting attachment blades because the blades can break off and injure consumers, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.

Conceptual Marketing & Development Inc., of Lincoln has received 16 reports of the blades breaking, resulting in a dozen injuries.

The commission advises consumers to stop using the blades immediately. Consumers can contact CMD at [phone] for free replacements.

Mazda to call back cars for fog lamps

TOKYO - Japanese automaker Mazda Motor Corp. will recall 382,505 vehicles sold in the United States and other countries to repair faulty fog lamp parts, a transport ministry official said Thursday.

Hiroshima-based Mazda told Japanese authorities that it will recall Atenza sedans and station wagons, MPV minivans and Roadster sports cars, ministry official Tokuhiko Kude said.