IBT Staff Reporter

AMR Corp, the bankrupt parent of American Airlines, on Wednesday proposed a plan to freeze pensions covering many of its workers, retreating from an earlier proposal to terminate them and leave them to government insurers, which could result in lower payouts.

The head of Qatar Airways, often an outspoken critic of Airbus and Boeing , expressed confidence on Wednesday that the two plane makers would resolve recent production problems.

Europe's carmakers, desperate to beat the overcapacity that hurts profits and leaves them vulnerable to overseas competitors, want the region's leaders to accept they must close plants and make politically toxic job cuts to survive.

Forbes magazine is due to release its annual list of the world's billionaires around midday on Wednesday, with Mexico's Carlos Slim poised to retain the top spot and attention focused on how far up the list Facebook's IPO has catapulted Mark Zuckerberg.

Retailers like Children's Place Retail Stores Inc and Brown Shoe Co Inc are struggling to protect their margins as they continue to discount heavily to drive sales, resulting in weak quarterly profit reports and bleak forecasts.

Stocks rose on Wednesday, a day after the worst selloff in three months for Wall Street, as a report showed the U.S. private sector added more jobs than expected last month.

Kuwait's low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways has cut the number of flights it operates in and out of Syria because turmoil in the country is making it difficult to operate a full service.

The Italian branch of the hackers group Anonymous took down the Vatican's website on Wednesday, saying it was an attack on the Roman Catholic Church's scandals and conservative doctrine.

The Nasdaq rose 1 percent on Wednesday a day after stocks suffered their worst selloff in three months as a report showed the U.S. private sector added more jobs than expected last month.

Apple Inc is betting a 4G-equipped iPad will tempt more U.S. consumers to pay extra to watch high-quality video on the go, and in turn, give Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc a revenue boost.

Starbucks Corp , the world's biggest coffee chain, is hoping to boost growth in Europe, the Middle East and Africa by opening so-called concept stores that tailor products and cafe interiors to local tastes, a senior manager told Reuters.

The controversial practice of banks forcing expensive homeowners insurance on borrowers could come to an end after Fannie Mae told lenders it would seek to oversee such policies itself.

U.S. companies increased their hiring in February, shoring up expectations that the labor market recovery has moved into a higher gear.

Wall Street stocks bounced back on Wednesday, a day after its worst selloff in three months, as a report showed the U.S. private sector added more jobs than expected last month.

General Electric Co expects sales to rise 20 percent to 25 percent this year in Australia and other resource-rich countries from Latin America to the Middle East, as they are big buyers of its heavy industrial equipment.

Stocks edged higher on Wednesday, a day after Wall Street suffered its worst selloff in three months and as a report showed the private sector added more jobs than expected.

The pace of job creation by U.S. private employers accelerated more than expected in February, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday.

The British pound will remain steady against the euro over the next year, perhaps more resilient but still tied to the euro zone's fortunes, according to a Reuters poll of foreign exchange analysts who mostly stuck to their views from one month ago.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Wednesday, a day after Wall Street suffered its worst selloff in three months and as a report showed the private sector added more jobs than expected.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Wednesday, a day after Wall Street suffered its worst selloff in three months and as a report showed the private sector added more jobs than expected.

Chrysler is recalling nearly 210,000 Jeep Liberty sport utility vehicles due to potential problems resulting from excessive corrosion that could lead to a loss of control by the driver.

Europe's carmakers, desperate to beat the chronic overcapacity plaguing the industry, are seeking a pan-European fix to a problem that is eating away at profits and leaving them vulnerable to leaner overseas competitors.

After taking the airline industry by storm last year with record sales of a revamped passenger jet, Airbus is quietly switching tactics by putting emphasis on sales of the preceding model to prevent unwanted gaps in production.

Stocks edged higher on Wednesday, a day after Wall Street suffered its worst selloff in three months and as a report showed the private sector added more jobs than expected.

Wynn Resorts Ltd said it would hold a special meeting of shareholders to remove Kazuo Okada from its board, less than two weeks after the Japanese billionaire was ousted as director of the company's Macau unit.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc will add more self-checkout lanes at Walmart and Sam's Clubs stores as it continues to look for ways to lower costs and prices, Chief Financial Officer Charles Holley said on Wednesday.

Stock index futures rose on Wednesday, a day after Wall Street suffered its worst selloff in three months and as a report showed the private sector added more jobs than expected.

Research In Motion's revenue and margins will continue to disappoint in the coming quarters due to a lack of clarity on the launch and impact of its latest version of BlackBerry, BMO Capital Markets said.

General Electric Co expects its sales growth in resource-rich countries in Latin America and the Middle East to outpace that in China and Asia, which has been a major focus for the largest U.S. conglomerate.