San Francisco-based Bank of the West said...

San Francisco-based Bank of the West said it completed its $42.8-million purchase of troubled Central Bank’s 46 branches and $900 million in assets from Central Banking System Inc . . . UAL Corp. said the French government has agreed to allow its United Airlines unit to operate nonstop flights between Chicago and Paris beginning Aug. 1 . . . The number of working U.S. oil and natural gas rigs rose for the third straight week, increasing by 31 to total 972, Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. reported. A year ago the rig count totaled 737 . . . California’s Public Employees Retirement System backed a substantial increase in retirement benefits for top General Motors Corp. executives but voted against keeping outgoing Chairman Roger B. Smith on GM’s board.