IN BRIEF.

VALLEY INDEX DROPS: The Daily News/Bloomberg News fell 0.18 to 127.62, led by Countrywide Credit Industries Inc. of Calabasas and Litton Industries Inc. of Woodland Hills. Countrywide fell $1.875 to $44.8125. Litton fell $1.75 to $64.625.

- Bloomberg News

OFFICES CLOSED: Government offices, many banks and the Treasury bond market will be closed today in observance of Veterans Day. Stock and commodity markets will be open.

- Associated Press 

DEAL DONE: Woodland Hills-based El Camino Resources International Inc., a privately held information technology resellers, said Tuesday that it has taken a majority position in Oak Brook International Ltd., a British supplier of information-technology outsourcing company. The transaction was completed Oct. 29, the company said.

- Daily News

BIG BET: Hollywood Park Inc. said it offered to buy Atlantic City-based Players International Inc. for a combination of cash and assumed debt totaling about $350 million. Under the proposal, Hollywood Park would acquire all the stock at $6 a share, a premium of about 50 percent over recent market prices.Hollywood Park said Players International responded to the Nov. 2 merger offer by indicating that various parties had shown interest.

- City News Service

K-TEL'S BIGGEST HIT: K-tel International Inc. stock almost doubled after Microsoft Corp. agreed to include the music retailer's online music and video service on its MSN Shopping channel, as K-tel expands its Internet presence. Terms weren't disclosed. K-tel rose $11.375, or 98 percent, to $22.9375 in trading of 20.2 million shares, about 27 times the three-month daily average. K-tel, through its Calabasas-based K-tel Express service, will have direct links to Microsoft's Internet sites, including MSN Shopping and Microsoft Plaza.

- Bloomberg News