Video game publisher Atari Inc said on Friday it signed a deal to sell its Humongous Entertainment studio business for $10.3 million to Atari's controlling parent, France's Infogrames Entertainment.
China is trying to make the yuan more flexible to reflect market supply and demand, but any sharp rise in the currency will be dangerous to the fast-growing economy, an influential Chinese economist said on Friday.
Australia urged the United States and Europe on Friday to tackle the issue of farm subsidies now or risk putting off a new global trade pact into the next decade and delaying a fairer deal for developing nations.
Russia's highly leveraged state oil firm Rosneft, which is negotiating multi-billion-dollar loans with Western banks, borrowed $1.8 billion from Sberbank state savings bank to help it buy Yugansk, a newspaper said on Friday.
The Swiss federal office for civil aviation (BAZL) will publish a blacklist of airlines that will be forbidden from landing at Swiss airports due to safety concerns, the bureau said in a statement on Friday. The blacklist will be published on September 1
Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH), the container terminal arm of Hutchison Whompoa Ltd, said on Friday it will invest in a roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) vehicle transport terminal in Laem Chabang port in Thailand. The company did not disclose the investment amount
Mid-sized Indian software and business service firm Hinduja TMT Ltd plans to spend its cash to grow through acquisition, its chief executive said on Wednesday. K. Thiagarajan, who runs a firm nearly 70 percent controlled by the British Asian Hinduja famil
Sri Lankan skipper Marvan Atapattu on Friday said Bangladesh were an improving side and deserved respect in the international arena. "Over the years they have shown potential and are improving. We will play our normal game and give our best," Atapattu sai
US veteran Lindsay Davenport and Frances Amelie Mauresmo, the first and second seeds, posted victories here on Thursday to rech the semi-finals of a 600,00-dollar WTA hard-court tournament. The 26-year-old Frenchwoman had an easy day at the office, dispat
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Friday named six teams for the inaugural Super Hockey League which commence from September 8. Six Indian players Dilip Tirkey, Sandeep Singh, Viren Resquina, Adrian D'Souza, Arjun Halappa and Gagan Ajit Singh will be fe
Unseeded American James Blake clawed his way to a three-set victory over sixth-seeded German Tommy Haas here on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of a 675,000-dollar ATP Hard-court event.
The second annual International Cricket Council awards will be held in Sydney on October 11, the ICC announced here on Friday. The inaugural event was held last year in London with the cream of world cricketers attending the gala ceremony.
New Zealand beat India by 51 runs in the second one-day international at the Queens Sports Club here on Friday. It was the second win for the Kiwis who defeated hosts Zimbabwe by 192 runs in the opening match of the triangular tournament earlier in the we
Expect tennis's big guns to be booming when the US Open begins on Monday, despite a rash of injuries that saw many of them sidelined for significant stretches since Wimbledon. Men's world number one Roger Federer has played just once since claiming his Wi
Andrew Flintoff's maiden Test hundred against Australia was the centrepiece of an impressive England total in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge here on Friday. At tea, on the second day, England had been bowled out for 477 after Flintoff had made 102.
British Airways' caterer Gate Gourmet was granted an extension on Friday to a court order restraining protests by dismissed workers, as it moved closer to ending a crippling staff dispute.
A second day of talks between China and the EU ended on Friday with no deal on revising a two-month-old textile trade pact, but negotiators agreed to meet at the weekend in hopes of hammering out an agreement.
Japanese consumer prices meandered marginally below year-ago levels in July, as expected, supporting a view in financial markets that the economy will soon emerge from seven years of deflation, though it is not quite there yet.
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Friday the US central bank was paying increasing attention to asset price rises since these were having a growing impact on world economic activity. He warned also that buying power fuelled by higher prices
A federal bankruptcy judge on Friday gave bankrupt United Airlines another extension of its exclusivity, though November 1, for filing a bankruptcy reorganisation plan without interference from creditors or other parties.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said record oil prices are hurting the German economy and crimping consumer spending, a magazine reported on Friday. "It's clear that high (gasoline) prices are a burden for consumers and the economy," Schroeder said in
They are unskilled and unhappy, but China's hordes of rural migrants are a big reason why China is likely to remain the workshop of the world. Last month's 2.1 percent revaluation of the yuan, coming on top of labour bottlenecks in southern China that hav
A list of airlines banned from flying in the EU due to safety concerns could be available to passengers within six months, the European Commission said on Friday, urging a rapid adoption after a spate of crashes. France and Belgium have pre-empted the tou
US consumer optimism fell more than expected in August from July due to record gasoline prices at the height of the summer driving season, a report said on Friday. The University of Michigan said its reading on consumer confidence at the end of August was
Europe's biggest cross-border banking takeover kicked off on Friday with the launch of Italian bank UniCredito's 20 billion euro ($24.6 billion) all-share bid for Germany's HVB Group. UniCredito is offering five new shares for every HVB share, and is also
Malaysia has declared some Australian beef no longer fit for Muslims to eat, saying slaughtering methods designed to ease an animal's suffering do not comply with Islamic strictures.
The British economy grew more quickly in the second quarter of 2005 but the rise in consumer spending slowed to its weakest annual pace in more than 10 years, official data showed on Friday. Second-quarter growth was revised up a tenth of a point to 0.5 p
The Polish centre-right parties expected to take power next month on Friday rejected calls for a quick compromise over top insurer PZU with Dutch-based minority investor Eureko, despite a court ruling against Poland. An international arbitration court sai
Shares in Belgacom jumped 4 percent on Friday after the Belgian telecom operator reported better-than-expected results in its mobile phone unit, Proximus, which is facing stiff competition. Proximus had warned on sales and profits in May in the face of st
Shares in Belgacom jumped 4 percent on Friday after the Belgian telecom operator reported better-than-expected results in its mobile phone unit, Proximus, which is facing stiff competition. Proximus had warned on sales and profits in May in the face of st
IBM is set announce plans on Friday to sell software that helps small businesses recover from computer crashes, expanding a technology it first developed for large companies. The software, called IBM Tivoli Continuous Data Protection for Files, automatica
Bank of Italy Governor Antonio Fazio defended himself on Friday from accusations of bias in a takeover battle for a local bank, saying he had always "scrupulously" followed EU and Italian laws in the affair.
Chinese state oil firm CNPC may face Kazakh government opposition to its planned $4.2 billion takeover of Canada's PetroKazakhstan, possibly over ownership of the Central Asian nation's largest refinery, industry sources said.
Britain's WPP Plc, the world's second-biggest advertising and marketing company, posted a 6 percent rise in like-for-like first-half revenue and raised its margin target amid strong growth in the sector.
Britain's WPP Plc, the world's second-biggest advertising and marketing company, posted a 6 percent rise in like-for-like first-half revenue and raised its margin target amid strong growth in the sector.
The Bosnian Serb government on Friday invited Swiss-based oil trader Vitol to form a joint venture with its sole oil refinery, which has production problems beacuse of mounting debts. Vitol helped the refinery restart production in 2003 with $2 million of
Russia is reaping the economic benefits of sky-high world oil prices, but appears uncertain how to translate its energy riches into lasting international political influence.
New Zealand share prices fell 0.98 percent Friday with market heavyweight Telecom leading the way lower, dealers said. The benchmark NZSX-50 index closed down 32.57 points at 3,332.97 on turnover worth 131.5 million dollars (91.8 million US). Falls outnum
Telefonos de Mexico said on Friday it has agreed to take a majority stake in Colombia Telecomunicaciones (Telecom), Colombia's state-owned telephone company, with a $350 million investment in the fixed-line company.
Nigeria has given two Asian companies preferential rights over five oil exploration zones due to be offered in a licensing round on Friday, ruffling the feathers of US rivals, Nigeria's top oil official told Reuters on Thursday.
Australia's Finance Minister said the government would start seeking tenders this weekend for banks to handle the planned A$30 billion ($23 billion)-plus sale of the country's biggest phone company, Telstra Corp Ltd.
BOE Technology posted a second quarter loss on Friday as global prices for its core TV and PC displays fell, and warned it also expected to post a fifth consecutive quarterly loss in the third quarter.
BOE Technology posted a second quarter loss on Friday as global prices for its core TV and PC displays fell, and warned it also expected to post a fifth consecutive quarterly loss in the third quarter.
A chemical company is taking legal action to stop planes taking off from Frankfurt from flying over one of its plants, in a move that could influence airport owner Fraport's plans to expand the hub.
US computer maker Sun Microsystems Inc won permission on Friday from the European Commission to purchase Colorado-based Storage Technology Corp for $4.1 billion in cash.
Malaysian share prices closed 0.16 percent lower on extended selling on Friday after disappointing second-quarter economic data and concern over high oil prices, dealers said.
Singapore share prices closed 0.1 percent higher Friday on gains in selected blue chips, dealers said. The Straits Times Index added 2.15 points to 2,286.55. Volume traded totalled 880 million shares worth 707 million Singapore dollars (426 million US), d
Hong Kong stocks rose 0.6 percent on Friday with a post-earnings jump in property developer Cheung Kong Holdings spurring a larger buying spree after a recent market drop.
US Treasury debt prices were narrowly mixed on Thursday as investors awaited a speech from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan shortly. As he takes the podium, the Fed chief might be wondering about what he called the "conundrum" of persistently low l
US Treasury debt prices were narrowly mixed on Thursday as investors awaited a speech from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan shortly. As he takes the podium, the Fed chief might be wondering about what he called the "conundrum" of persistently low l
Thai share prices gained 0.54 percent Friday due to late buying in large banking stocks, dealers said. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) composite index rose 3.75 points to 695.89 points and the blue chip SET 50 index gained 3.34 points to 494.74.
Taiwan stocks staged a rebound on Friday from their lowest level since June, with fresh gains on Wall Street encouraging investors to hunt tech bargains like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC).
China's stocks slipped 0.3 percent on Friday after funds unloaded big caps like Three Gorges Dam joint-operator Yangtze Electric Power Co Ltd, as investors focused again on fears that state share sales would sap cash from the market.
Seoul shares fell nearly 1 percent on Friday, as heavy foreign selling of financial stocks and concerns about the impact of high oil prices on the economy eclipsed gains among tech issues such as Highness Semiconductor.
Tokyo's Nikkei share average rose 0.28 percent on Friday as investors scooped up steel and auto shares on earnings prospects, though some recent winners such as Fast Retailing Co Ltd fell on profit-taking.
Philippines share prices closed 0.46 percent higher on Friday with bargain-hunters chasing select stocks, amid an easing in oil prices and modest gains on Wall Street overnight, dealers said. They said the rise was an improvement given the slightest of ga
The Hong Kong dollar rose on Friday afternoon, tracking a rally in the Chinese yuan, on market rumours that Beijing would soon revalue its currency again. But the local currency gave up some gains after a denial from China's central bank that it was poise
The Swiss franc was steady against the dollar in early European trade on Friday as market players kept the currency in a narrow range ahead of economic data and events coming in September.
China's yuan closed near a post-revaluation high versus the dollar on Friday as the central bank kept out of the market, a day after its vice-governor repeated that the currency's value would be decided by market forces.
The dollar was confined to tight ranges on Friday as many market players refrained from making big bets ahead of a series of potentially market-moving events in September.
The dollar sagged broadly on Thursday as traders continued to lighten their bets on further strength in the currency, ahead of what is expected to be a risk-prone September.
Asian currencies recouped early losses on Friday on renewed speculation China was about to let its currency appreciate for a second time in five weeks just ahead of President Hu Jintao's visit to the United States.
The rupee recovered to end marginally firm on Friday with traders eyeing the US currency's fall overseas amid speculation that China might again revalue its yuan. The partially convertible rupee closed at 43.6925/6975 per dollar, off an early low of 43.75
Hurricane Katrina killed four people, cut power to 2.4 million and left Florida's densely populated south-east coast littered on Friday with branches and fallen trees. Katrina had been downgraded to a tropical storm as it churned across the swampy Evergla
Burundi's former Hutu rebel leader Pierre Nkurunziza became president on Friday with a pledge to honour the peace accord that brought him to power and ended a 12-year civil war which killed 300,000 people.
A long-awaited CIA inspector general's report on the agency's performance before the September 11, 2001, attacks includes detailed criticism of more than a dozen former and current agency officials, the New York Times reported on Friday.
The Uzbekistan Senate gave final approval Friday to an order evicting US military forces from the country and many lawmakers demanded financial compensation from Washington for alleged environmental damage caused by the US military presence in the country
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court ruled Friday that President Chandrika Kumaratunga's final term expires in December, ending her controversial 11-year reign and clearing the way for a vote before November 21.
Military allies Russia and India will hold their largest-ever wargames in October with a focus on anti-terrorism combat using airborne commandos and ground forces, India's defence ministry said Thursday. They said the joint military exercises would be hel
A controversial Patriot Act clause allowing the US government to demand information about library patrons' borrowing habits is being challenged in federal court for the first time by a library. The lawsuit was filed against US Attorney General Alberto Gon
Iran said on Friday it hoped to present within a month a plan to head off EU preparations to refer it to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions, but diplomats interpreted the move as stalling.
French President Jacques Chirac criticised Turkey on Friday for saying its signing of a key European Union protocol did not change its stance on Cyprus, increasing pressure on Ankara over its EU membership bid.
Al Qaeda is preparing an attack on a big financial centre in Asia, such as Tokyo, Singapore or Sydney, to undermine investor confidence in the region, France's top terrorist investigator says. In an interview with the Financial Times newspaper Friday, Jea
The population of Jewish settlements in the West Bank has grown this year by more than the 9,000 settlers evacuated under a plan to cede some occupied land, an Israeli government official said on Friday.
Sweden, which is to chair a United Nations summit on sweeping reform of the world body in September, on Friday called a US proposal to scrap ambitious goals to reduce world poverty "not acceptable".
Insurgents sabotaged an exporting oil well in Iraq on Friday, stepping up pressure on the US-backed government struggling to steer Iraq through a political crisis over a draft constitution.
Failed Iraqi asylum seekers accused the British government of recklessness on Friday for threatening to send them back to their homeland despite its admission that the country is dangerous.
US President George W. Bush stepped in to resolve a row over Iraq's constitution, calling a key Shia leader to warn him not to alienate Sunni Arabs whose resistance to the draft showed no sign of weakening on Friday.
European corporate bonds held steady on Friday amid subdued trading as the holiday period drew to a close and investors looked to prospects for the coming weeks. Speculation over new supply in September focused on so-called hybrid deals, the fashionable n
European corporate bonds held steady on Friday amid subdued trading as the holiday period drew to a close and investors looked to prospects for the coming weeks. Speculation over new supply in September focused on so-called hybrid deals, the fashionable n
Indian shares inched up on Friday but investors remained concerned about rich valuations and high oil prices. India's 30-issue BSE Sensex closed 0.26 percent higher at 7,680.22, coming off its day high of 7,732.31 points.
US stocks slumped on Friday after remarks by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan pushed housing shares lower and a report showing a surprising drop in US consumer sentiment pushed down retailers. His remarks knocked the Dow Jones US home-builders inde
Britain's top share index ended the week on a sour note, with concerns over US consumer spending adding to worries over sky-high oil prices, with services firm Rentokil the top faller after it said a potential suitor was not ready to make a proper bid.
Sterling held within recent trading ranges on Friday in line with a quiet mood on global currency markets, briefly hitting a one-week low versus the euro. Data showed the British economy grew more quickly in the second quarter of 2005 than originally esti
The dollar was flustered on Friday by market speculation that China might again revalue its yuan currency, but retraced losses after a swift denial from the Chinese central bank.
Germany's sugar beet harvest will be down this year after plantings were cut but overall the crop is developing well in favourable weather, the head of Germany's sugar industry association WVZ said on Wednesday.
China's major state-owned soya crusher Jiusan said on Friday it had launched another plant in the northern port city of Tianjin to prevent the entire industry from being taken over by foreign companies.
Oil prices slumped more than $1 on Friday as dealers bet that Hurricane Katrina would miss the heart of oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, home to a quarter of US domestic output.
Oil prices slumped more than $1 on Friday as dealers bet that Hurricane Katrina would miss the heart of oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, home to a quarter of US domestic output.
Oil prices slumped more than $1 on Friday as dealers bet that Hurricane Katrina would miss the heart of oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, home to a quarter of US domestic output.
Soybean rust was discovered in new counties in Georgia and Florida, two states already heavily infected by the disease, the US Agriculture Department said on its rust-monitoring web site.
Cotton futures settled near session highs Friday on mixed trade and speculative buying as the uncertain storm track of hurricane Katrina kept the sellers at bay, brokers said. The New York Board of Trade's December cotton contract gained 0.35 cent to fini
London's robusta coffee futures fell more than five percent on Friday to the lowest level in six months on speculative and fund selling, traders said. "Every time London hits new lows there's forced liquidation," a dealer said.
London Metal Exchange (LME) three months copper prices ended a little stronger on short covering on Friday, although sentiment remained edgy after last week's sell-off, dealers said. The three-months price closed at $3,600 a tonne from $3,577 at Wednesday
Gold bullion was steady from overnight levels during low-key European trading on Friday, with the market seen staying trapped within its week-long $435.00/440.00 an ounce band, traders said.
US coffee futures ended down after setting a fresh nine-month low Friday, pressured by speculators exiting their long positions for the third straight session amid limited roaster buying, traders said.
