Smith's constituency started over a bid to deny Sen. Terry Lister a top job, an insider claimed yesterday. ---- Page 2 BANK CUTS BASE RATE AGAIN BUC Bank cuts base rate again Responding to a second rate cut by the US Federal Reserve, the Bank of N.T.

Butterfield and Son Ltd. yesterday reduced its Bermuda dollar base rate by one quarter of one percent to 5.75 percent. ---- Page 2 LEGAL ARGUMENTS CENTRE STAGE CTS Legal arguments centre stage The jury in the Llewellyn Peniston trial were ushered in and out of the courtroom several times yesterday as lawyers spent the majority of the day wrangling with legal arguments. ---- Page 2 LES MISERABLES A HIT WITH KIDS YO THR Les Miserables a hit with kids A special performance of a sell-out play has been given the thumbs up by some of the Island's harshest critics -- schoolchildren. Some 200 middle school students packed out the Civic Hall to watch a special matinee performance of the hit play `Les Miserables', performed by the Bermuda Gilbert and Sullivan Society. ---- Young Observer, Page 7 VAN DER VELDE STAYS HOT GLF Van der Velde stays hot Chris Van der Velde hit his second 68 of the week to take a one-stroke lead in the Bermuda Open yesterday. But he looks set to be pushed every inch of the way in his bid to carry off the $12,000 first prize, after the Nike Tour's PJ Cowan, beaten here in a three-way play-off last year, also carded 68 to leave him on 137 for two rounds. ---- Sport, Page 15