IBT Staff Reporter

Energy network operator National Grid said on Tuesday it expected to deliver strong growth in first half pretax profit and earnings.

Britain on Tuesday was left with more gas than it knew what to do with as extra supplies pumped through a new pipeline from Norway flooded Europe's biggest market and wholesale prices fell below zero.

The European Central Bank's preference for making interest rate decisions by consensus rather than a majority vote by policymakers, like most central banks, has been criticized for being clumsy and slow.

Great Portland Estates said it was in talks to buy London Merchant Securities, which would form the country's sixth biggest listed property company with a speciality in office property.

Ireland's dominant telephone company, Eircom PLC, shut down services Tuesday to smaller rival Smart Telecom leaving 40,000 households and businesses unable to make calls in a row over unpaid bills.

Powerleague Group, then operator of five a side football centres, is searching for a financial partner to help expand into Europe

Pepsi Bottling Group Inc., the largest bottler of Pepsi drinks, on Tuesday said quarterly net profit rose about 1 percent, helped by strong sales in Europe, and raised the bottom end of its full-year earnings forecast. Pepsi Bottling said net income increased to $207 million, or 86 cents per share, for the third quarter ended September 9, from $205 million, or 82 cents per share, a year ago.

Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's pledge to put people's happiness above economic growth may not be a sign for foreign investors to hit the panic button.

Swiss based miner Xstrata launched one of the world's largest ever rights issues on Tuesday, raising 2.9 billion pounds to fund its acquisition of Canadian miner Falconbridge Ltd.

The board of Airbus parent EADS is expected on Tuesday to decide on a cost cutting programme and assess the impact of the latest delay in its A380 superjumbo plane

Construction activity growth slowed slightly in September, despite a bounce in housebuilding, a survey showed on Tuesday.

Sony Corp. said on Tuesday it will launch its Blu ray high definition optical disc recorders in Japan in December

Companies may pay women less than their male colleagues if their length of service is shorter because of taking time off to look after children

Severn Trent said on Tuesday trading during the six months to end September was consistent with its expectations for the full year.

Energy generator International Power is seeking a stake in a $3 billion (1.6 billion pound) project to build a power and water desalination plant in the United Arab Emirates

Tesco topped analysts' average forecast with a 12.5 percent rise in underlying first half profit on Tuesday and said its plans to expand in non food and the United States were on track.

India's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the takeover of ailing United Western Bank (UWB) by IDBI, setting aside reservations of the Satara-based bank to the amalgamation scheme.

Calvin Klein (CKI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Phillips-Van Heusen, has announced an exclusive distribution agreement and retail store license for India with Murjani India.

Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's three-day visit to South Africa is expected to benefit India Inc. as the two nations will sign a number of bilateral agreements aimed to strengthen economic and commercial relationships.

India's Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry received a serious jolt when a TV channel promised to telecast the issue of growing concern over vulnerability of data security in BPOs and call-centers in India.

Chinese solar power equipment maker LDK Solar Hi-Tech plans to raise about US$300 million in a listing on the Nasdaq stock market next year, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday.

For the Standard Chartered Bank's acquisition for Taiwan Hsinchu International Bank with $1.2 billion last week, JP Morgan said......

Harrah's Entertainment Inc. , the world's biggest casino operator, on Monday said it had received a $15 billion buyout offer......

Sony Corp said on Tuesday it will launch its Blu-ray high-definition optical disc recorders in Japan in December, in time for......

Hong Kong's tourist industry is drawing more overseas tourists, showing it is not solely dependent on Mainland visitors, Secretary for Economic Development & Labour Stephen Ip said.

Lee Kee Holdings Limited, color metals stock and distribution company, announced the result of IPO - 200 million shares offered for HK investors got a 266 times......

US investment bank Morgan Stanley announced yestoday it has acquired the Zhuhai Nantong Bank owned by Macau branch of Bank of China.

Microsoft is working to hamstring software companies trying to overcome inherent weaknesses in Windows security, rival McAfee Inc. charged in a full-page ad in Monday's Financial Times.

A U.S. court on Monday denied a Qualcomm Inc. request for a preliminary injunction in a legal dispute with rival chip maker Broadcom Corp., Broadcom said.