Retailers hope shoppers are finally ready to spend
Let the holiday shopping madness begin ... please? That is the silent plea coming from U.S. retailers, which are gearing up for Black Friday, the chaotic and competitive day after Thanksgiving (November 22) when stores offer eye-popping, limited-time deals to kick off the holiday shopping season.
Paulson: Strong dollar in U.S. interests but subprime mortgage market to worsen
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Friday said a strong dollar is in the nation’s industry, but noted that parts of the subprime housing market will likely worsen over the next few months.
Merger rumblings at Delta; investors lobbied: sources
Hedge fund Pardus Capital Management LP, lobbying for a merger between Delta Air Lines Inc and UAL Corp, plans to pitch its proposal to other investors on Friday, sources close to the situation told Reuters.
U.S. stocks draw bargain hunters amidst consumer concerns
U.S. stocks on Friday fell for a third day following lowered earnings forecasts by Starbucks Corp and FedEx Corp.,making investors uneasy about the outlook for consumer spending.
China too modern for filmmaker's taste
When movie director Roger Spottiswoode ventured to China two years ago to scout locations for The Bitter Sea, a drama set in the 1930s, he was surprised at the lack of suitable buildings from the period.
CBS files to dismiss far-fetched Rather suit
CBS Corp. filed a motion Thursday to dismiss the $70 million breach of contract lawsuit filed against it by Dan Rather, calling the former CBS Evening News anchor's claims far-fetched.
Spice Girls strut down Victoria's Secret runway
While difficult to upstage nearly nude supermodels strutting down a catwalk, the Spice Girls stole a share of the spotlight on Thursday as they kicked off a reunion tour with a warm-up at the Victoria's Secret fashion show.
India cos' M&As in Europe, U.S. to double in 3 yrs
Mergers and acquisitions by Indian firms in Europe and the United States are expected to double in three years, a survey said on Friday.
Telco revamp facing political discord-EC's Reding
European Union Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding said she does not expect political wrangling over her plans this week to shake up telecom rules to derail the creation of a single EU telecoms watchdog.
Canon sees annual China sales growth 30 pct to 2010
Camera and office equipment maker Canon Inc expects 30 percent annual sales growth in China until 2010, the chief executive for China said on Friday.
Japan's Aeon seeks closer CFS ties to fend off bid
Aeon Co Ltd, Japan's No.2 retailer, said it wants to increase its ties with drugstore operator CFS Corp as it seeks to scupper a $120 million takeover of CFS by rival Ain Pharmaciez Inc.
Gold recovers from slump; hovers below $800
Gold regained strength on Friday as bargain hunters and investors resurfaced to take advantage of the metal's sharp drop the previous day.
Credit jitters hit global stocks again
Fears that the credit crisis could deepen rattled global stock investors on Friday and boosted demand for traditionally less risky assets.
Yen benefits as softer stocks hit risk appetite
The yen strengthened on Friday as jittery investors took cues from falling stock markets to continue a move out of relatively risky carry trades funded by cheap borrowing in the Japanese currency.
Google gearing up for wireless spectrum bid: report
Google Inc is gearing up to make a serious run at buying wireless spectrum in a Federal Communications Commission auction in January, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday in its online edition.
Amazon to debut E-Book reader: WSJ
Online retailer Amazon.com Inc plans to introduce its highly anticipated electronic book device at a New York event Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing two people familiar with the company's plans.
Futures signal rebound heading to weekend
Stock index futures on Friday signaled a bounce-back after recent losses, while investor worries about weakening consumer spending and credit market losses could limit gains.
Oil rises above $94 a barrel
Oil rose above $94 a barrel on Friday, rebounding from losses the previous session after a surprise build in weekly U.S. crude stocks.
Sony PS3 weekly U.S. sales double after price cut
U.S. sales of Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 (PS3) more than doubled in the weeks following a price cut and the launch of a lower-priced version, the company said on Friday, in a sign of changing fortunes for the game console.
Opium windfall fuels Afghan insurgents: U.N.
Profits from opium cultivation are fuelling the insurgency in Afghanistan, the United Nations said on Friday, in a new call on NATO to crack down on the country's burgeoning drugs trade.
German amateur cracks WWII mega-code in 46 seconds
British computer experts acknowledged defeat on Friday after a German amateur radio enthusiast won a challenge to crack secret messages encoded by a World War Two cipher.
State TV advises Chinese to dump their dollars
Chinese lunchtime television on Friday gave ordinary people a basic tip on how to play the currency markets: sell the dollar!
Riyadh is boom town as Saudis enjoy oil bonanza
The malls are full, the cars are fast, the fashions are sharp -- conspicuous consumption is king as Saudis enjoy the benefits of oil at almost $100 a barrel.
Subprime's paper trail proves to be an obstacle
As banks work to clean up some of the subprime mortgage mess, they are finding new obstacles in unraveling the massive paper trail used to pool individual loans into mortgage-backed securities.
Vioxx plaintiffs can settle or lose lawyer: report
An unusual provision in Merck & Co Inc's settlement agreement concerning the painkiller Vioxx means many plaintiffs may have little choice but to accept the deal, the Wall Street Journal said Friday in its online edition.
BlackRock chief Fink says to stick with firm
Money manager BlackRock Inc's chairman Larry Fink said he intended to stay with the firm he co-founded, after news reports tipped him as a candidate to takeover the chief executive slot at Merrill Lynch.
Iran wants Western apology after IAEA report
Iran called on its Western foes on Friday to apologize to the Islamic Republic after the release of a U.N. nuclear agency report which Tehran said showed it had been telling the truth about its atomic plans, according to state media.
New WTO accord could encourage clean energy use
A new World Trade Organization (WTO) accord could improve access to clean-energy tools in poorer countries, but any deal making it easier to ship cargo internationally would also carry a heavy carbon footprint.
Clean coal test traps 95 percent carbon: Norway firm
Tests of a new technology for capturing greenhouse gases from coal-fired power plants have achieved 95 percent cuts in a step towards new ways to fight climate change, a Norwegian company said on Friday.
Iran says too early to call OPEC's Dec. meet
Iran Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari said on Friday it was too early to predict what action OPEC might take when it meets in early December, leaving the door open for a possible production rise to cool prices.
