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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 9, 2007

Westfield In South Florida

Australian mall company Westfield added two South Florida malls to its Florida portfolio Friday. Broward Mall in Plantation and Westland Mall in Hialeah join Westfield centers in Brandon, Citrus Park, Clearwater and Sarasota. The malls were purchased from Simon Property Group. The sale price was not disclosed.

Air Communications Lost

Flights scheduled to travel through Jacksonville airspace may have been delayed around the region Friday afternoon as air traffic controllers lost communication with some pilots after a Bell South technician worked on the wrong communications line, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Brenda Geoghagan, public information officer for Tampa International Airport, said some flights coming to Tampa from the Northeast may have been delayed because they fly through Jacksonville's airspace. But there appeared to be few or no delays for departures from Tampa because of the Jacksonville problems.

NATION

Airlines' Holiday Pledge

To avoid further problems in what already is a record year for travel delays, commercial airlines have pledged to increase staffing and take other steps during the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period. The industry plans to hire seasonal employees to help out at check-in kiosks and gate areas, among other plans for dealing with the holidays, David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, said Friday.

Record High Exports

A falling dollar boosted U.S. exports to record highs, pushing down the trade deficit to its lowest level in 28 months. The Commerce Department said Friday that the trade deficit dipped 0.6 percent in September to $56.5 billion, the smallest imbalance since May 2005. The improvement came from a 1.1 percent jump in U.S. exports, which climbed to a record $140.1 billion. The dollar's decline against many major currencies has made U.S. goods cheaper and more competitive in foreign markets. American producers also are benefiting from stronger growth overseas.

More Children Sickened

Seven more U.S. children were sickened after ingesting Chinese-made toy beads that were recalled this week because of a toxic chemical coating, the government said Friday. The reports of the sickened children, six of whom were hospitalized, came from at least five states: Texas, Delaware, New Hampshire, Illinois and Utah, said the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

A staff and wire report

Watch the Tribune's Business report at 5, 6 and 11 a.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. Saturdays on WFLA-TV.

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