IBT Staff Reporter

A top U.N. trade official said suspended World Trade Organization trade talks hurt the poor and that it was imperative that they resume in order to avert a resurgence in protectionism.

CEMEX said on Thursday it will begin construction on a new $460 million kiln at its Tepeaca Cement Plant in Puebla, Mexico.

Ford Motor Credit Company said on Thursday it will reduce costs in the U.S and Canada by cutting 2,000 jobs and will consolidate most of its servicing operations.

China Central Huijin, owning more than HK$1,000 billion in three Chinese asset banks in Hong Kong, plan to open an account of company's investors in Hong Kong Stock Exchange & Clearing (HKex)'s subsidary - Central Clearing.

New vehicle sales for September are expected to exceed 1.38 million units, an increase of 4.1 percent from the same period last year, according to an online automotive study. Estimages of Mid-size SUV sales are already up for the month.

A new study released on Thursday shows that U.S consumers have spent almost 20 percent more on gifts so far this year compared to the same period last year. Continued gift spending is expected to reach over $2,250 this year once the Christmas season is in full swing.

Mortgage war among local banks might upgrade following the lastest moves in polices of mortgage rate between HSBC and BOC(HK).

The central parity rate of the Renminbi (RMB) yestoday broke 7.9 mark against US dollar, closing at 7.8998 yuan, more and more approaching the level......

Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd board members copped a barrage of criticism from shareholders at the pharmacy retailer's annual general meeting on Thursday.

A cooling housing market helped slow US economic growth in the second quarter more than earlier estimated, the government reported on Thursday, and may curb expansion for the rest of the year.

The resource boom is causing demand for executives to reach record levels, and could trigger an executive skills shortage and higher executive wages, new research shows.

National Australia Bank's (NAB) head of retail operations says the bank is considering setting up shop in smaller retail outlets as it looks to diversify its customer facing channels.

Industry superannuation funds were the best performers in the last quarter as total super assets rose by 1.3 per cent to $913.9 billion.

Healthscope Ltd says it will sell five of its non-core hospital assets to privately owned Healthe Care Australia (Healthe Care Australia) for $63.2 million as it seeks to reduce its debt.

Nigeria, the world's eighth biggest oil exporter, is trimming supplies from October 1 after discussions with fellow OPEC members on how to stem a price fall, a senior Nigerian oil industry source said on Thursday.

HP today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire VoodooPC, a leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance and personalized gaming computer systems.

Sony Ericsson is partnering with watch maker Fossil Inc to create a new line of watches that have the ability to synchronize with cell phones via Bluetooth wireless technology.

IBM Corp. and Lenovo Inc. are recalling over half a million battery packs for its ThinkPad notebook computers equipped with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries manufactured by Sony Corp.

Microsoft Corp. in Japan began distribution of digital certificates that the central and local governments issue, using its Microsoft Update system, the company said on Thursday.

Japan's agricultural ministry graded the current rice crop situation index as rather bad on average nationwide, the ministry said on Thursday.

Japan expects the amount of domestic crude steel production for 2006 to reach the third-most in its history, the government reported on Thursday.

Electronics maker Sanyo Electronic Co. will consolidate its production of household appliances into its commercial appliance production and dismantle its household appliance division, the maker said on Thursday.

Hewlett-Packard Co.'s top lawyer resigned on Thursday as U.S. House of Representatives lawmakers scolded current and former top executives for invading individuals' privacy to find the source of boardroom leaks. The scandal has claimed the jobs of four senior executives technology firm.

Research in Motion's popular Blackberry mobile device has been the undisputed market leader since its start, however the company now faces challenges as rivals offer similar devices, a new report indicates.

Intel Corp. has introduced new wireless reference designs on Thursday, making way for wireless universal serial buses (USB) in the future.

The age requirement for the Kiddie Tax,” rose from 14 to 17 or younger, following the introduction of a new law. The tax is currently placed on children who earn over $1,700 or more in non-wage income.

Minority home buyers in the U.S. formed the fastest growing group obtaining new home mortgages last year, according to a survey released on Thursday.

Tenet Healthcare Corporation said on Wednesday it had secured a five year, $800-million revolving credit facility with a group of banks led by Citigroup and Bank of America.

The National Association of Realtors expressed concern on Wednesday over the expansion of banking powers by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, an agency within the Department of the Treasury.