Worldwide Business News

Oreo Cookie Cows
WCAX - NEW YORK Stocks closed higher for a third straight session today, giving Wall Street a gain for the week for the first time since early May. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 67 and a-half points at eleven-thousand-278, and up 134 points on

Efficient SUV Not an Oxymoron Just Yet
Ledger - Don’t give up on sport utility vehicles just because gasoline prices have spiked. Believe it or not, there are some SUVs out there that offer good utility and decent fuel economy. And they’re not just the new gasoline-electric hybrids that have come

Global Dispatches: EU Slow to Make Progress on ‘Digital Economy’
Computerworld - ” The Department of Veterans Affairs and the FBI are offering a Read more ” The Department of Veterans Affiars is starting to take steps to cover the costs of the recent loss of 26.5 ” Read more BRUSSELS — The European Commission has accused

Upfront: Debt, Dummies and dugouts
Wisconsin State Journal - This week’s episode is brought to you by my dad, who died years ago but gave me two of the three most important lessons in all of life: No. 1: You can’t drink yourself sober. No. 2: You can’t borrow yourself out of debt. Later, on my own, I learned

Volatility to create increased sensitivity to data
MSNBC - Heightened sensitivity to forthcoming economic figures is expected in global financial markets this week after the recent upswing in volatility. The US economy is forecast to decelerate in the second half of the year and this week’s data releases

For future reference
Republic - Lately, the idea of having a vision has taken on a negative connotation. This is a shame, but it s not surprising. Many business owners, key executives and community leaders feel a tremendous amount of anxiety in dealing with such a lofty concept

Plunging tiger, booming dragon? Don’t panic
Willits News - IT’S ALL a bit disorienting. Indian stocks, among Asia’s star performers, are plunging, while Chinese shares, those perennial laggards, are surging. It’s a startlingreversal of fortune by Asia’s sexiest markets, and raises a question: Are investors

U.S. ally is expected to roll to second term
Silicon Valley - BOGOTA, Colombia — If there’s such a thing as a safe bet in politics, it’s that President Alvaro Uribe will win Colombia’s presidential election today. Leading his closest rival by 30 points in the latest polls, the U.S. ally appeared headed toward

Remember And Resist
TomPaine.com - James Carroll’s column appears regularly in the Globe. Today’s observance has its origins in the laudable impulse to memorialize those who died in the nation’s wars. Because that impulse is tied to grief, however, the remembering is narrow. Its

Merchants come together to push for earlier rafting season
Sierra Sun - As far as Tahoe City businesses are concerned the message is clear: A decreased rafting season translates into a deflated economy. The North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce and the Tahoe City Downtown Association have plans to draft a letter on behalf

Aeroplan devising new way to cash in points
Globe and Mail - The heart of Aeroplan Income Fund’s new grid for redeeming rewards will be a $20-million computer system that scrutinizes supply and demand for Air Canada flights before luring consumers to cash in their points. Rupert Duchesne, Aeroplan’s chief

Ford CEO Weathers Criticism at Meeting
Associated Press - WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Ford Motor Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Bill Ford on Thursday reiterated his pledge not to accept a salary or bonus until the company’s automotive operations return to profitability, but the action didn’t satisfy every

Asimov’s First Law: Japan Sets Rules for Robots 
SPACE.com / LiveScience.com via Yahoo! News - May 26 8:00 AM
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is working on a new set of safety guidelines for next-generation robots. This set of regulations would constitute a first attempt at a formal version of the first of Asimov’s science-fictional Laws of Robotics, or at least the portion that states that humans shall not be harmed by robots.Save to My Web

Economy On Hot Pace 
CBS News - May 25 9:06 AM
The U.S. economy grew at a 5.3 percent annual rate in the first three months of this year, the fastest in 2? years and stronger than first estimated, the Commerce Department reported.Save to My Web

US economy wobble 
The Hindu - May 25 12:20 PM
The US economy is giving off quite a few negative signals: A huge current account deficit of around 6.3 per cent of GDP; the Fed hiking the benchmark rate; a relatively high level of uneployment; and the low domestic savings rate.Save to My Web

Economy booms in first quarter 
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat - May 26 4:18 AM
WASHINGTON - The economy showed even more pep than expected in the first quarter, zipping ahead at a 5.3 percent pace. But a less energetic housing market and high energy prices are now taking out some of the oomph.Save to My Web

European Stocks Rise for 2nd Day; Unilever, ThyssenKrupp Gain 
Bloomberg.com - May 26 9:45 AM
May 26 (Bloomberg) — European stocks rose for a second day, their first back-to-back gain in two weeks, on optimism that the global economy will expand fast enough to maintain earnings growth.Save to My Web

Hungarian press review 25/05/2006 - Government & Economy 
Interfax - May 24 11:44 PM
BUDAPEST. MAY 25. INTERFAX CENTRAL EUROPE - NEW CABINET TO GOVERN WITH 13 MINISTRIES. According to reports, the new cabinet of PM Ferenc Gyurcsany will have 13 ministries. As the talks stand, junior governing partner SZDSZ has been presented with the economy, environment and foreign departments.Save to My Web

Economy raced even faster in 1Q 
The Pueblo Chieftain - May 26 6:50 AM
WASHINGTON - The economy showed even more pep than initially thought in the first quarter, zipping ahead at a 5.3 percent pace. A slightly less energetic housing market and energy prices are now taking out some of the oomph, federal agencies reported Thursday. We will see softening in the economy, but theres no reason to be pessimistic, said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at Global Save to My Web

Housing market may slow economy 
The Clarion-Ledger - May 26 3:05 AM
WASHINGTON The economy sprinted during the opening quarter of 2006 but may slow to a more leisurely jog through the rest of the year. Economic activity zipped ahead at a 5.3 percent pace in the January-March period, even speedier than initially thought.Save to My Web

Gas prices push economy rental demand 
Lincoln Journal Star - 1 hour, 38 minutes ago
As gas prices have increased, rental demand for economy and mid-sized cars has increased, local car rental employees report. Michael Van Cleave was flying solo on a business trip, not a family vacation, when he landed in Lincoln after a red-eye flight a few days ago.Save to My Web

Economy Zooms in 1st Quarter 
San Francisco Chronicle - May 25 1:23 PM
The economy showed even more pep than initially thought in the first quarter, zipping ahead at a 5.3 percent pace. But a less energetic housing market and high energy prices are now taking out some of the oomph. “I think we sort of had the last hurrah… Save to My Web

INDUSTRY & ECONOMY 
The Hindu - 1 hour, 25 minutes ago
CLIMATE & WEATHER US expert sees drenchers ahead A well-known US meteorological expert says that prevailing weather indicators suggest persistent rainfall for the next five to seven days between a strong monsoon `low’ off southern Arabia and the Kerala (even Karnataka) coast. “This upper low …Save to My Web

Kroszner: Data need to evolve as economy does 
Reuters via Yahoo! News - May 24 9:05 AM
U.S. government statistical agencies need to be “nimble” to ensure their data respond to changes in the economy and should focus more heavily on the most dynamic sectors, Federal Reserve Board Governor Randall Kroszner said on Wednesday.Save to My Web

Euronext mulls options as D.Boerse merger opposed (Reuters)

Reuters - Euronext shareholders gave the pan-European exchange operator freedom to seek a better offer from suitors The New York Stock Exchange and Deutsche Boerse, after rejecting for now the latest proposal from the Frankfurt-based exchange.

Marks and Spencer says pre-tax profit up by half (AFP)

AFP - Marks and Spencer, the British clothing-to-food retailer, has confirmed its recovery under chief executive Stuart Rose with a 47.6-percent rise in annual pre-tax profits.

Leading index falls in April (Reuters)

Reuters - A key forecasting gauge for the U.S. economy fell an unexpected 0.1 percent in April, a report from a private research group showed on Thursday.

GameStop profit rises after acquisition (Reuters)

Reuters - GameStop Corp. , the No. 1 U.S. video game retailer, said on Thursday that quarterly profit rose 13 percent, beating forecasts, as sales of Xbox 360 consoles and games buoyed results after its purchase of rival Electronics Boutique.

Sears first-quarter profit beats estimates (Reuters)

Reuters - Sears Holdings Corp. on Thursday reported a much bigger-than-expected quarterly profit as it cut costs and eliminated clearance sales at Sears stores, sparking a 12 percent jump in the stock.

Burger King shares rise in market debut (Reuters)

Reuters - Shares of Burger King Holdings Inc. , the world's second-largest hamburger chain, rose as much as 6 percent on Thursday in their market debut, a sign of strength for IPOs despite a slump in the stock market.

Jobless claims jump (Reuters)

Reuters - New claims for U.S. jobless aid unexpectedly surged last week after a partial government shutdown in Puerto Rico led tens of thousands of workers to apply for benefits, a government report showed on Thursday.

Watch out: Your mutual fund could report you (USATODAY.com)
USATODAY.com - Under little-noticed rules that kick in this year, the Treasury Department is requiring mutual fund firms and insurers to report you to Uncle Sam if they note a “suspicious” transaction that might relate to money laundering or terrorism.

Lacker says must not stifle bank innovation (Reuters)

Reuters - Regulators need to take care not to stifle innovation as they seek to ensure new loan practices, such as "exotic" mortgages, do not put institutions or consumers at undue risk, a top Federal Reserve official said on Thursday.

Stocks little changed after rebound fizzles (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. stocks were little changed on Thursday after a short-lived rebound from Wednesday's heavy sell-off as concerns about inflation kept investors on edge.

Dell to triple size of new Canadian facility (Reuters)

Reuters - Dell Inc. , the world's top maker of personal computers, said on Friday it will triple the number of workers at a new customer center in Ottawa by adding 1,000 jobs.

Pepco Holdings 1st-qtr earnings rise (Reuters)

Reuters - Utility holding company Pepco Holdings Inc. on Friday reported higher quarterly earnings on strong performance at its merchant generation unit, Conectiv Energy.

Body Shop like-for-like sales up (Reuters)

Reuters - British beauty products chain Body Shop International Plc, which is being taken over by France's L'Oreal, said on Friday like-for-like sales were up 5 percent in the eight weeks starting February 26.

Stocks jump as mild jobs growth calms rate fears (Reuters)

Reuters - Stocks rallied on Friday after slower-than-expected job growth in April hinted at a possible pause in interest-rate increases.

Americans Borrow Less Freely in March (AP)

AP - Americans increased their borrowing in March at the slowest pace in four months as people cut back on their credit card charges.

Warner Music posts surprisingly narrow loss (Reuters)

Reuters - Warner Music Group Corp. , which earlier this week rejected a $4.2 billion takeover bid by EMI Group Plc. , on Friday posted a narrower-than-expected loss, helped by rising U.S. CD sales and digital music revenues.

US home loan demand rises despite higher rates (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. mortgage applications rose for the first time in four weeks, led by a rebound in home purchase loans despite interest rates hitting their highest this year, an industry trade group said on Wednesday.

Time Warner profit rises on cable; AOL disappoints (Reuters)

Reuters - Time Warner Inc. on Wednesday said quarterly profit rose, helped by strong cable subscriber growth, but revenues missed Wall Street expectations as its AOL Internet service lost customers.

Consumer spending, income top expectations (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. consumer spending and income rose more than expected in March, while an influential measure of inflation — the core price index — topped economists' expectations, the government reported on Monday.

Comverse founder, top execs resign amid options probe (Reuters)
Reuters - The founder and top management at software maker Comverse Technology Inc. resigned on Monday amid a probe into stock-option practices, the latest executives to be felled by greater scrutiny over the timing of options grants.

Stocks rise on factory data, Wal-Mart sales (Reuters)
Reuters - U.S. stocks rose on Monday, boosted by a robust April sales estimate from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and a report showing stronger-than-expected manufacturing activity.