IBT Staff Reporter

Boston airport authorities cannot stop Continental Airlines from offering wireless Internet service in its frequent flier lounge under a proposed Federal Communications Commission ruling

The equity release market could treble in the next five years, according to the largest player in the sector.

FTSE 100 opened flat on Thursday as further weakness in crude prices hit oil heavyweights, but strong earnings boosted supermarket group Morrison .

Independent oil explorer Premier Oil reported a 64 percent rise in first half net profits on Thursday, as higher oil and gas prices more than made up for a fall in production.

German drugmaker Merck on Thursday unveiled a surprise 16.6 billion Swiss franc (7 billion pound) deal to buy Swiss biotech firm Serono

Wm Morrison Supermarkets posted a return to profit in its first half and said on Thursday the second half had started well, sending its shares up 4.3 percent to a 28 month high.

Japan's Sony Corp. will establish a new manufacturing site for LCD TV screens in Nitra, Slovakia, the company announced on Wednesday.

After the Russian government announced its withdrawal of environmental approval for the Sakhalin-2 liquefied natural gas (LNG) project on Sep. 18, Alexander Losyukov, Russia's ambassador to Tokyo, said on Wednesday that the construction continues as stated on their contract.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 gaming console will get a line of budget-priced software, the company announced today, following the precedent established by Sony's Playstation, as well as the previous Xbox console.

Earnings warnings are outpacing brighter outlooks at the end of this third-quarter at nearly the same rate they were last year when Hurricane Katrina jolted the U.S. Gulf Coast.

BP today announced that it had entered the final planning stage of a $3 billion investment in Canadian heavy crude oil processing at its Whiting Refinery in northwest Indiana.

Norwich Union has announced that it will be withdrawing its Immediate Care Plan to new business. The decision will take effect on the 20th November 2006.

The Lufthansa Supervisory Board today approved an order for 35 new aircraft from Airbus.

Dell and Symantec are teaming up to deliver protection for Microsoft Exchange-based e-mail systems, the companies said on Wednesday.

Market research firm, iSupply announced results of a tear-down of the new iPod - a processes where the firm takes apart the new product to discover what components and systems Apple used. The firm found that Apple has lowered costs without sacrificing functionality.

Thailand's military coup leaders faced international calls for a swift return to democracy on Wednesday, after vowing to choose a new prime minister within two weeks to replace ousted Thaksin Shinawatra.

President Mobutu Sese Seko was said to have sipped pink champagne daily, hired Concorde to fly his family to New York to shop and bought numerous friends in high places, much of it with the help of foreign aid.

Lockheed Martin Corp.'s $276.5 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, the costliest U.S. arms acquisition project, may be set back by moves in Congress to slow initial production, a top company official said on Wednesday.

The United States government announced that it is teaming up with internet video leader, YouTube, in an effort to reach a broader audience with its anti-drug video campaign.

The US Army signed a five-year contract with Computer Systems Center Incorporated for an estimated total amount of $10 million for application analysis and technical programming, the company said on Wednesday.

The World Bank announced on Wednesday that it would give a $70 million grant for a trust fund for Lebanon to support the country's reconstructions efforts in the aftermath of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Nissan Motor Co Ltd will start selling light commercial vehicles in North America soon, aiming for a market share at least as great as taken by the Japanese group's passenger cars.

Ethanex Energy Inc., a renewable energy company, said on Wednesday it has formed an alliance with the Industrial Investment Council, an investment agency funded by the German government. The IIC will work with the energy company to establish bio-ethanol facilities in Germany.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced on Tuesday that the United Arab Emirates agreed to adopt IATA Live Animals Regulations (LAR) for transporting live animals to and from the country.

ImClone Systems Inc. shareholders on Wednesday elected billionaire Carl Icahn and two of his associates to its board, according to CNBC.

Internet juggernaut Google Inc. gained search market-share over its rivals for the month of August, while its closest competitor Yahoo Inc. lost slight share, latest research indicates.

Three of the largest computer graphics manufacturers were pitted in intense competition through the first quarter of 2006, however latest data indicates that Nvidia Corp. rose above its rivals in the lucrative discrete graphics segment.

Ford Motor Co. will offer three buyout programs to U.S. salaried workers in an effort to cut 10,000 white-collar jobs by end of first quarter 2007, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Chrysalis Group Plc today announced its pre close period update ahead of its announcement for the group's preliminary results for the year ended 31st August 2006.