World Business
Pressure on China's yuan needs to come from Asia
WILLIAM PESEK 2:34pm The rest of Asia needs to prod China to raise the value of its currency since the US has no credibility when it comes to imbalances.
ECB chief rejects idea of expelling eurozone sinners
8:03am European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet said it would be "absurd" to think that a eurozone nation could leave the bloc if it shirks its obligations, an idea Germany floated on Wednesday.
Italy sees self as resilient to economic collapse
8:03am As Greece wins at least temporary respite from its debt troubles, will Italy be the next to face a crisis?
US, India ink deal to tap limitless trade potential
8:04am The United States and India launched a new blitz to boost economic, trade and financial cooperation, the latest sign of deepening ties between the two economic giants.
Blockbuster shares plunge on bankruptcy warning
8:04am Blockbuster shares plunged almost 30 per cent overngiht after the heavily indebted movie rental chain said it may be forced to declare bankruptcy.
Forcing China to revalue currency may boomerang - analysts
8:04am The US may be barking up the wrong tree by trying to force China to revalue its currency as it could fuel a rise in prices of favourite American products such as the iPhone and even plunge the Asian giant into social unrest, some analysts warned on Wednesday.
Fed doesn't want to be 'too big to fail' regulator: Bernanke
7:12am Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said the central bank shouldn't be relegated to the role of regulating only the largest financial firms, as proposed by a draft bill in the Senate.
Harvard's Feldstein sees Greek euro-exit pressure as plan fails
6:53am Harvard University Professor Martin Feldstein, who warned almost two decades ago that the euro would prove an "economic liability," said Greece's austerity plan will fail and the country may quit the single currency to fix its fiscal crisis.
Bank regulators issue guidelines on liquidity risk
6:54am The US Federal Reserve and five other bank supervisory agencies released guidelines for liquidity risk management to deter the funding practices that contributed to the financial crisis.
US producer prices worse than expected
6:55am Wholesale prices in the US fell in February more than anticipated, led by a drop in fuel costs and signaling there are few inflation pressures building in the early stages of the economic recovery.
World crop output must increase to meet growing need
6:55am Global crop production must rise 86 per cent to meet world food needs by 2050, according to a study sponsored by businesses including Monsanto Co, DuPont Co, Archer Daniels Midland Co and Deere & Co.
OPEC decides leave oil output unchanged
6:56am OPEC oil ministers have agreed to keep their output targets unchanged.
Porsche forecasts net loss in current fiscal year
6:56am German luxury car maker Porsche said on Wednesday that it expected to suffer a net loss in its current fiscal year even though it turned a profit in the first six months.
BMW forecasts notable increase in 2010 profit
6:56am The world's leading luxury car maker, BMW, said on Wednesday it expected a "notable" increase in net profit this year after managing to end 2009 in the black despite a global sector crisis.
Facebook beats Google for visitors: tracker
7:01am Social-networking star Facebook surpassed Google to become the most visited website in the United States for the first time last week.
Nissan may join Renault-Daimler tie-up talks
Nissan Motor may join talks between Renault and Daimler on a possible longer-term partnership.
Portugal announced mass privatisation to fight rising debt
Portugal, under strong EU pressure to correct its public finances, announced sweeping privatisation measures affecting its airline, rail transport, postal, energy and paper industries, on Tuesday to fight a rise in debt.
Shell will slash another 1000 jobs by 2011
Global energy giant Royal Dutch Shell revealed on Tuesday that it will axe another 1000 positions by 2011, on top of the 1000 job losses already earmarked for this year.
S&P decides against Greek debt downgrade for now
Standard & Poor's on Tuesday lifted its threat of an immediate downgrade of Greece's debt rating but warned the credit score could fall in the medium term if Athens failed to carry out budget cuts.
Stocks to watch
Possible market movers
Insurers may see disaster costs surge this year: Swiss Re
Natural disasters may cost insurers as much as $US110 billion worldwide in 2010, five times more than last year when the U.S. escaped hurricane damage, Swiss Reinsurance Co. said.
Levin targets tax shelter that benefited Verizon, Disney, Kraft
Representative Sander Levin of Michigan has proposed ending a tax transaction used by companies including Verizon Communications Inc. to spin off some operations tax-free.
India proposes fund to snap up energy assets
India may create a sovereign fund to help state companies compete for overseas energy assets with rivals from China, a government official said.
Luxury rebounds
Luxury hotel rates rise as demand for butlers, views jumps
Julian Saipe is finally taking his family on the dream vacation he put off amid last year's recession. Apparently, so are plenty of other people.
Revival of beleaguered US housing market hits snowstorm
Construction of new houses in the United States slumped in February on freezing temperatures across the nation, breaking a rally that spurred hopes of a rapid recovery for the battered sector.
Markets cautious about EU aid pledge to Greece
European countries' pledge to help Greece with loans received a lukewarm welcome from markets on Tuesday as investors remained worried that the form and timing of the aid remains unclear.
China criticises US pressure over currency
China has rejected US calls to ease currency controls and said criticism would not help efforts to end the global crisis.
Fed pledges - again - to keep rates low for extended period
Federal Reserve officials retained their pledge to keep the main interest rate near zero for an "extended period" and confirmed that $US1.25 trillion in purchases of mortgage-backed securities will end this month.
$US drops on Fed rates news
The US dollar fell against most major currencies as Federal Reserve officials retained their pledge to keep the main interest rate near zero for an "extended period," encouraging demand for riskier assets.
EU agrees on rescue plan for Greece
Finance ministers from the 16-country euro zone have agreed to mobilise financial aid for Greece rapidly if needed but revealed little of how their standby plan for the debt-stricken nation would work.
