China Plan for Rare Earth Reserve Worries Tech Sector

China will create a reserve for rare earths next year to prevent waste of the exotic metals used in computers and clean-energy products

Jump in U.S. Home Resales Boosts Asia, Europe

Asian and European stock markets were higher Wednesday after a jump in U.S. housing sales suggested the world's biggest economy is picking up speed.

Louisiana Rice Hopes to Replace Thai Jasmine in U.S.

The U.S. rice industry is making way for the Jazzman. It's a new variety of aromatic rice developed at Louisiana State University and being sold ...

A-Power Wins Biomass Power Plant Contract in Thailand

A-Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd. said Tuesday that it has signed a deal worth $86 million with Thailand's Biomass Electricity Co. Ltd. to develop a ...

Microsoft Ordered to Change Word Software Code

A federal appeals court ordered Microsoft Corp. to pay a Canadian software company $290 million for violating a patent, upholding the decision of a lower ...

Home Sales Rose Again in November

Home resales are expected to have risen to their highest level in nearly three years in November, as an extraordinary level of federal support has ...

Economic Growth Accelerates in 4th Quarter

The economy started the year in free-fall but is on track to end 2009 on stronger footing.

Carmakers Can't Meet China's Exploding Demand

Minivan salesman Zhu Yi has a problem that most auto dealers elsewhere would happily swap for their own — he doesn't have enough vehicles

Second Boeing 787 Set for Tuesday Test flight

Boeing says its second 787 will take to the skies on Tuesday. The company has scheduled a test flight for the second jetliner at 8:45 ...

Retail Data Hearten Stock Investors

U.S. stock futures crept higher Monday as investors returning from a long holiday weekend were heartened by good news on retail sales.

JAL Shares Dive on New Bankruptcy Fears

Japan Almost Makes Up for Plunge in U.S. Hawaii Visits

The number of visitors traveling to Hawaii fell 1.4 percent in November from the same month a year earlier as the weak economy continued to ...

GMAC Gets $3.5 Bil. More Federal Aid

GMAC Financial Services is expected to receive $3.5 billion more in federal aid to further stabilize the automotive lender

Nokia Claims All Apple Products Infringe Patents

Nokia Corp. is broadening a legal dispute it already has with Apple Inc. over the iPhone, saying almost all of the company's other products also ...

Consumer Confidence Up in December but Still Weak

Americans are ending 2009 feeling better about the economy than when the year began, buoyed by optimism that job prospects will improve

Networks May Ditch Broadcast TV As Ad Profits Shrink

For more than 60 years, TV stations have broadcast news, sports and entertainment for free and made their money by showing commercials.

Asia Markets Mixed in Very Light Holiday Trading

Asian stocks markets were narrowly mixed in dwindling holiday trade Tuesday after Wall Street posted muted gains.

Google Faces China Lawsuit Over Book Scanning

A Chinese novelist is suing Google Inc. over its project to scan books into its online library.

Thin Inventory Means Fat Profits for Retailers

Retailers have thin inventories after coming out of Christmas with slightly better-than-expected sales.

Prius Japan Sales Tripled to Top Spot in 2009

The Toyota Prius was the top-selling car in Japan last year — the first time a gas-electric hybrid has clinched that spot.

Movie Theater Chains See Strong Sales

U.S. movie theater chains should see a jump in box office revenue for the fourth quarter after moviegoers flocked

2012 Breaks China Box Office Record

A second Hollywood movie has shattered the Chinese box office record in a year, as Beijing faces increased pressure to ease its annual quota of ...

Ace Investment Manager Bets on Stock Market Plunge

Homes are selling at their fastest clip in nearly three years, the unemployment rate is falling and stocks are up 66 percent since their March ...

Exploding Cellphone Use Sets Off War for Radio Spectrum

Wireless devices such as Apple's iPhone are transforming the way we go online, making it possible to look up driving directions, find the nearest coffee ...

High Unemployment Likely to Continue Well into Recovery

Call it the Terrible Teens. The decade ahead could be a brutal one for America's unemployed — and for people with jobs hoping for pay ...

Shoppers Return Strong for Post-Christmas Spree

Shoppers returned to malls Saturday, rummaging through thinly stocked shelves hunting for deals, next year's Christmas gifts and, for most, gifts for themselves.

Senate Health Care Plan May Hurt Insurers Initially

Health insurers get some big presents in the Senate's health overhaul bill — about 20 million new customers and no competition from a new government ...

Loan Modification Program Turns Blind Eye to Lying

The government shouldn't reward liars. But that's the effect of changes to the Obama administration's failing program to help homeowners modify their mortgages.

Google Looks to Dominate Mobile Ads with AdMob

Four years ago, Omar Hamoui was just another ineffectual entrepreneur trying to spruce up his resume in graduate school.

JPMorgan Profits Soar Despite Rising Consumer Loan Losses

JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s profit rose more than four-fold to $3.28 billion in the last three months of 2009, but the results released Friday

Marriage Elevates Economic Status of More Men

Historically, marriage was the surest route to financial security for women. Nowadays it's men who are increasingly getting the biggest economic boost

Cadbury Agrees to $18.9 Bil. Kraft Takeover Offer

British candy maker Cadbury PLC on Tuesday accepted and recommended to shareholders Kraft's improved takeover offer worth $18.9 billion

Citigroup Repays TARP Despite $7.6 Bil. Q4 Loss

Citigroup said Tuesday it lost $7.58 billion during the final three months of 2009 as consumers still struggled to repay loans and the bank repaid

Google Cancels China Cell Phone Launch Amid Row

Google on Tuesday postponed the launch of its mobile phone in China, adding to the potential commercial fallout of its dispute with Beijing over Internet

JAL Files for Bankruptcy with $25.6 Bil. Debt

Japan Airlines filed for bankruptcy Tuesday in one of the nation's biggest corporate failures ever, entering a restructuring

Singapore Exports Jumped 26% in December

Singapore's exports jumped in December for the second straight month as global demand for the city-state's electronics surged.

Saudi Tycoon Seeks Broader Ties with News Corp

The Saudi billionaire whose investment firm is one of the biggest stakeholders in Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. said he is looking to expand his alliances

Alibaba Calls Yahoo Stand on Google Reckless

China's e-commerce giant Alibaba turned on major shareholder Yahoo Inc. on Saturday, calling the American company's support of Google

L.A. Film Production Fell 19% in 2009

Movie and TV filming on the streets of Los Angeles plummeted last year but a new state tax credit program helped stop some runaway production.

Baidu Shares Drop on Departure of CTO Yinan Li

Shares of Baidu Inc. fell Tuesday after China's leading search engine operator said its chief technology officer has resigned

China's Mobile Web Population Doubled in 2009

China's population of Internet users, already the world's largest, soared nearly 30 percent last year to 384 million as the number of people surfing the ...

Role As Media Activist Creates Dilemma for Google

Google Inc. is enjoying an avalanche of good will because of its threat to leave China over e-mail hacking attacks against dissidents.

Intel Earnings, Outlook Confirm PC Sector Recovery

Intel's fourth-quarter earnings breezed past Wall Street's expectations, and its rosy profit outlook for 2010 was another sign that a lasting recovery

Foreign Investment in China Doubled in December

Foreign direct investment in China more than doubled in December from a year earlier as companies poured money

Shiseido to Buy Bare Essentials for $1.7 Bil.

Shiseido Co. said Friday it will buy San Francisco-based Bare Escentuals Inc. for $1.7 billion, a step forward in the Japanese cosmetic giant's plan

P&G Launches Online Retail Site

The maker of Tide detergent, Pampers diapers and Gillette shavers is taking hundreds of its popular consumer products directly to shoppers

Kodak Sues Apple, RIM for Infringing Camera Patents

Eastman Kodak Co. said Thursday it is suing Apple Inc. and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. over technology related to digital cameras

Retail Sales Fall, Jobless Claims Rise

Retail sales unexpectedly fell in December, leaving 2009 with the biggest yearly drop on record and highlighting the formidable hurdles

World Markets Rise As China Cooling Fears Ease

World stock markets rebounded Thursday as receding worries about credit-tightening in China bolstered companies across Asia

Toyota Takes Stake in Argentina Lithium Mining Venture

A key supplier of Toyota Motor Corp. has formed a partnership to mine lithium in Argentina, securing greater access to a metal critical to the ...