COMPANIES

Major U.S. corporations often increase executive pay to ensure it is higher than the median in their industry, according to a report.

Underwear Bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab trial began today in Detroit as the terror suspect yelled al-Awlaki's name.

The leading Mexican restaurant operator in the United States filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday and put its El Torito, Chevys Fresh Mex and Acapulco Mexican Restaurant chains up for sale.

Private sector companies working on sending people into space, but progress is slow.

Gary Knell is about to find out it's a lot easier to stick up for Bert and Ernie than All Things Considered.

Facing concerns of bankruptcy, American Airlines will continue contract negotiations with pilots.

Sprint stock fell 10 percent to $2.73 Monday after the Wall Street Journal reported that the wireless carrier has committed to ordering at least 30.5 million iPhones, costing $20 billion, in preparation for the new phone's launch. On Tuesday, the stock fell an additional 12 percent to $2.40 by 11 a.m.

Apple is hosting a press conference at its headquarters later Tuesday, where it is expected to end 15 months of speculation and anticipation with the unveiling of its next smartphone -- the iPhone 5.

Paramount Pictures is closing its New York-based film distribution office, according to a studio insider.

Producer Saul Zaentz has sued distributor Miramax and its former owner, the Walt Disney Co., for $20 million, claiming the defendants hid profits to the Oscar-winning drama The English Patient.

Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N) has agreed to buy at least 30.5 million iPhones over the next four years, involving a commitment of about $20 billion, whether or not its customers want to buy the devices, according to a Wall Street Journal story.

The Fox News Channel marks its 15th anniversary this week having changed the face of television news in the United States, yet still considering itself an underdog.

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito are free, guilty verdict is overturned

Starbucks announced Monday that it was teaming up with Opportunity Finance Network to launch Create Jobs for USA, which will pool donations for Starbucks customers, partners (employees) and concerned citizens into a nationwide fund for community business lending. This follows a trend that other companies, such as McDonald's, have taken to give back to the community while also boosting sales .

AOL unveiled a slate of 15 web series on Monday boasting partnerships with the likes of Michael Eisner's Vuguru and Mark Burnett.

Westinghouse Solar Inc expects to start posting profits next year after years of losses, as a deal to buy cheaper solar panels should help it cut prices and increase sales, its chief executive told Reuters.

The fate of Michael Ovitz at sports talent giant IMG remained in the balance with senior management having conferred with legal counsel over the weekend as to how to remove him from the board.

Yahoo! and ABC News announced Monday that they will join forces on a news alliance to deliver content to more than 100 million U.S. users each month. The deal increases the reach of Yahoo! News, which already reaches more unique users than any other news site.

Starbucks Corp CEO Howard Schultz, decrying a lack of leadership in Washington, said his chain of coffee shops is helping to launch a nationwide fund designed to stimulate U.S. job creation.

Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz has teamed up with Operation Finance Network to establish the Create Jobs for USA, a fund for job growth.

The Detroit Lions are undefeated. And it's already October. The team had a big 34-30 win on the road at Dallas Sunday after it had appeared early in the game that it was back to the business of old for the Lions.

Malawi has awarded oil exploration licences to UK-based firm Surestream Petroleum to search for oil in the country's main lake, the minister of energy said on Monday.

Democratic Republic of Congo is in talks with Malaysia Smelting Corporation over the construction of a foundry in the eastern Maniema province, the central African country's mines minister said.

Zimbabwe's Econet Wireless, the country's largest mobile phone operator, has reported a 16 percent increase in half-year earnings, mainly driven by subscriber growth.

What's the lowdown on gasoline prices for U.S. motorists? By and large the story remains encouraging -- a 7-cent drop in prices in a week, and a roughly 21-cent plunge from a month ago, in early September.

Hybrid cars aren't totally in right now, but with fuel-economy standards kicking in, there may be a wave by 2025.

Chinese gold miner and smelter Lingbao Gold Co. Ltd. said it would apply to issue up to 300 million Shanghai-listed A-shares to expand its business and repay debt.

Global Equities Research has downgraded shares of LinkedIn (NASDAQ:LNKD) to equal weight from overweight, saying that the company may probably lose revenue to Google+.

American student Amanda Knox made a tearful plea to an Italian court Monday to be acquitted of murdering her British roommate during a brutal erotic game, saying she was paying with her life for a crime she did not commit.