PM says UK recovering but fragile

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to tell the TUC that Britain is recovering from recession but the country faces "tough choices".
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 13 Sep 2009 | 4:34 am

American Airlines in talks to invest in JAL: source

TOKYO (Reuters) - American Airlines is in talks to take a minority stake in Japan Airlines (JAL) and to form a joint venture to expand their business partnership, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 13 Sep 2009 | 4:34 am

UPDATE 1-Russian, Turkmen leaders fail to reach new gas deal

* Turkmenistan still suffers from lack of export revenues
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 3:48 am

Hypo Real Estate may need more capital: report

MUNICH (Reuters) - German property lender Hypo Real Estate (HRE) , whose financial troubles forced Germany to nationalize it, has billions of euros in unrealized losses that may swell its need for fresh capital, a newspaper reported.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 13 Sep 2009 | 3:28 am

Hypo Real Estate may need more capital - paper

MUNICH, Sept 13 (Reuters) - German property lender Hypo Real Estate (HRE) , whose financial troubles forced Germany to nationalise it, has billions of euros in unrealised losses that may swell its need...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 3:27 am

Lehman Brothers one year on: how have your banking shares fared?

Only the shares of Barclays and Standard Chartered are higher today.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news stocks and shares from the UK and world | 13 Sep 2009 | 3:13 am

Chevron, partners give OK to Gorgon project-source

PERTH, Sept 13 (Reuters) - U.S. oil major Chevron Corp and partners have given the green light to develop the Gorgon liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Australia, a source briefed on the decision...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 3:09 am

Cadbury chairman: Kraft bid undervalues candy firm

The chairman of Cadbury Plc rebuffed Kraft Foods Inc.’s takeover bid, saying the proposal asks the candy maker’s holders to swap their shares for "a company with a considerably less focused business mix and historically lower growth."

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 13 Sep 2009 | 3:02 am

Cadbury spurns 'low growth' Kraft

UK confectioner Cadbury explains its reasons for rejecting a proposal from Kraft for the two firms to join forces.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 13 Sep 2009 | 2:55 am

Russian, Turkmen leaders fail to reach new gas deal

TURKMENBASHI, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Russian and Turkmen leaders failed on Sunday to set a timeframe to restore Turkmen gas flows to Russia, halted since April after a pipeline blast which left the Central...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 2:16 am

Controlling illegal use of copyrighted material on the Web

Fines for the misuse of a copyrighted photo are too high, critics say. Though agencies deserve a fair fee, negotiating with users is preferable to big penalties. ...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

Mortgage problems are walloping Americans' credit scores

Late payments, delinquencies, short sales and foreclosures are on the rise -- and so are the number of borrowers seeing their credit scores plummet, according to scoring company VantageScore Solutions...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

Saving for your first home? Choose low-risk investments

Shun investments promising high rates of return -- more return means more risk of losing your money. Instead, stash your cash in a savings account, money market mutual fund or certificates of deposit...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

A Malibu modern that lets in the sky

A 5,000-square-foot contemporary built for an artist is restored to its 1960s condition. Poured-concrete walls,...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

The fashion industry's old business model is out of style

The Internet is bringing high fashion to the masses, and the recession is making retailers and designers put the consumer first, not the brand. ...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

Environmentalist chief looks for bright future at DWP

Former lawyer David Nahai has led efforts to conserve water and shift the utility to renewable sources of energy. The gig: As chief executive...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

A Malibu modern that lets in the sky

A 5,000-square-foot contemporary built for an artist is restored to its 1960s condition.

Poured-concrete walls, skylights and automated clerestory windows give an atrium feel to this restored contemporary in Malibu.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

No law can substitute for credit discipline

New federal rules help protect consumers, but prudent use, including paying off balances monthly, is always the best route. ...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

Planning a late career switch? Put yourself in the right light

Older workers seeking a job in a new industry need to prune their resumes and interview answers to show only the most relevant, applicable experience. ...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

U.S. sweetens tax credits for higher education expenses

The incentives have been bumped up to as much as $2,500 per student and are now available to families earning up to $180,000. But the tax break is good only through 2010. ...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

Obama tries to coax the middle class into saving for college

The president is pushing for changes in so-called 529 savings plans to make them more appealing to middle-income families, which have largely shunned them. ...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

Mortgage problems are walloping Americans' credit scores

Late payments, delinquencies, short sales and foreclosures are on the rise -- and so are the number of borrowers seeing their credit scores plummet, according to scoring company VantageScore Solutions

When you do a short sale of a house, or modify the mortgage, is there much of an effect on your credit score? What if you walk away from the mortgage altogether?

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

Planning a late career switch? Put yourself in the right light

Older workers seeking a job in a new industry need to prune their resumes and interview answers to show only the most relevant, applicable experience.

By desire or economic necessity, jumping into a new career not long before retirement is increasingly common.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

Saving for your first home? Choose low-risk investments

Shun investments promising high rates of return -- more return means more risk of losing your money. Instead, stash your cash in a savings account, money market mutual fund or certificates of deposit.

Dear Liz: I am 27 and make a great salary and commission for my age. I recently set a personal goal of having $30,000 saved by the time I turn 30 as a down payment to buy my first home. But I am at a loss about the best way to make the most of this money.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

Obama tries to coax the middle class into saving for college

The president is pushing for changes in so-called 529 savings plans to make them more appealing to middle-income families, which have largely shunned them.

Dismal college savings statistics among middle-income families have the Obama administration pushing for a series of changes to so-called 529 plans, the cornerstone of tax-favored higher education savings accounts.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

U.S. sweetens tax credits for higher education expenses

The incentives have been bumped up to as much as $2,500 per student and are now available to families earning up to $180,000. But the tax break is good only through 2010.

Parents: Save those education receipts.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

Recession may forge a housing shift in California

Tight financial times may have a lasting effect on home buyers and alter the state's real estate landscape.

Mollie Bell has a plan the next time a real estate infomercial flashes on her TV: She's "flipping to the cartoon channel."

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

No law can substitute for credit discipline

New federal rules help protect consumers, but prudent use, including paying off balances monthly, is always the best route.

Credit card users with money smarts and discipline can protect themselves better than any legislation can.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

Environmentalist chief looks for bright future at DWP

Former lawyer David Nahai has led efforts to conserve water and shift the utility to renewable sources of energy.

The gig: As chief executive and general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Nahai, 56, heads the largest municipal utility in the country. It supplies electricity and water to residents, employs more than 8,500 workers and has an annual budget of more than $4 billion. He's led efforts to conserve water and shift the utility to renewable sources of energy.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

Controlling illegal use of copyrighted material on the Web

Fines for the misuse of a copyrighted photo are too high, critics say. Though agencies deserve a fair fee, negotiating with users is preferable to big penalties.

The letter arrived at Dave Formella's Long Beach travel agency the other day. It's fair to say it freaked him out.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 13 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

Cadbury chairman Carr says Kraft bid unappetizing

LONDON (Reuters) - Cadbury turned up the heat in its defense against a takeover from Kraft as its Chairman Roger Carr said it was an "unappealing prospect" being absorbed into Kraft's low growth conglomerate business model.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 13 Sep 2009 | 12:39 am

American Airlines in talks to invest in JAL: source (Reuters)

Reuters - American Airlines is in talks to take a stake in Japan Airlines (9205.T) and to expand their business partnership, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Source: Yahoo! News: Business | 13 Sep 2009 | 12:13 am

CORRECTED - CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-Dubai exchange merger a 'possibility' - pap

(Corrects paragraphs 2 and 6 to remove references to DFSA)
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 13 Sep 2009 | 12:07 am

JAL considers raising $2.76 bln by end March-Nikkei

TOKYO, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Japan Airlines Corp is considering raising about 250 billion yen ($2.76 billion) by March through measures including new shares issuances and borrowings, the Nikkei business...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:51 pm

CORRECTED - WRAPUP 1-Private equity firms look to take cos public

(Corrects to remove reference in ninth paragraph to special dividend)
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:49 pm

Financier Danny Pang, 42, has died: family

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Financier Danny Pang, who was accused by U.S. securities regulators of perpetrating a massive Ponzi scheme on mainly Taiwanese investors, has died, a family spokesman said on Saturday.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:28 pm

Tina Fey wins Emmy award for Sarah Palin spoof

LOS ANGELES, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Actress Tina Fey won an Emmy on Saturday for her uncanny portrayal of former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live," while pop star Justin...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:12 pm

Economic Preview: If you give people $4,500, they will spend it

American consumers can't ignore a deal, even in the middle of a horrendous slump.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:01 pm

September 13, 2008 (Saturday): Fears of Broader Meltdown Grow; Fey Lampoons Palin

Feds, Wall Street Worry About Lehman Shock Waves

In emergency sessions, government officials and top Wall Street executives gather at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in Manhattan. With Lehman Brothers near death, financial leaders are concerned that the crisis will grow and devastate other financial institutions. Among the biggest names generating anxiety: insurer AIG and big brokerage Merrill Lynch. Both could need massive capital infusions. But who will provide it? (For more on this news, click here.)

Tina Fey Strikes Gold

Talk about career changers. In a skit portraying a winking, finger-wagging Alaska governor Sarah Palin, actress Tina Fey vaults onto the A+ list of stars. She appears on “Saturday Night Live” with Amy Poehler, who plays Hillary Clinton, but steals the moment with her uncanny resemblance to Palin. (For more on this news, click here.)

SMARTMONEY ® Layout and look and feel of SmartMoney.com are trademarks of SmartMoney, a joint venture between Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and Hearst SM Partnership. © 1995 - 2009 SmartMoney. All Rights Reserved.

Source: SmartMoney.com | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:00 pm

India airline pilots end strike

Pilots for India's second-largest private airline, Jet Airways, end a five-day strike which led to the cancellation of some 800 flights.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:24 pm

Bank launches probe into parties at foreclosed Malibu mansion

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A community watchdog group expressed outrage and Wells Fargo said it was launching an investigation after a newspaper reported that a senior exec threw lavish parties at a beachfront Malibu house owned by the bank.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:22 pm

Fight looms over state aid to Magna-led Opel

FRANKFURT/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Canadian-Russian consortium's plan to buy automaker Opel from General Motors faced more hurdles as scrutiny of German state aid intensified and labor leaders demanded a veto over job cuts.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:15 pm

Pierre Pringuet, CEO of Pernod Ricard

The boss of Pernod Ricard is a man on a mission: Paris, Edinburgh, London, Boston, New York and Paris again, all in one week. Such are the perils of running the world’s second-largest drinks business in the results season.


Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:00 pm

Cadbury boss Roger Carr blasts £10bn Kraft bid in open letter

Roger Carr, the Cadbury chairman, delivered a stinging rebuke to Kraft Foods this weekend, insisting the American rival’s plan to absorb the chocolate maker into its “low growth, conglomerate business” was an “unappealing” and “unattractive prospect”.


Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:00 pm

£4m incentive package for Candover Investment boss Malcolm Fallen

The new chief executive of Candover Investments, Malcolm Fallen, has been handed a £4m incentive package to turn round the struggling private-equity firm.


Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:00 pm

American oil group Noble Energy joins UK exodus from North Sea

The American oil group Noble Energy has put its North Sea business up for sale with a price tag of $350m ($£210m).


Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:00 pm

Estate agent Knight Frank insists property market is bouncing back

Knight Frank has shrugged off a 66% drop in full-year profits, insisting the stricken property market is bouncing back and its business remains in rude health.


Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:00 pm

George Davies, founder of Next, to open 25 new clothing stores

George Davies, the founder of Next, has ploughed £20m of his own money into a new fashion chain called Give, which aims to offer affordable luxury on the high street.


Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:00 pm

Lord Paul Myners looks back at an extraordinary year as City minister

Lord Myners is sitting on a sofa in his office in the Treasury, drinking coffee from a mug with the slogan Keep Calm and Carry On, the wartime message from the Ministry of Information.


Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:00 pm

Cadbury’s survival rests on Todd Stitzer’s vision

Ever since Todd Stitzer, chief executive of Cadbury, demerged the group’s drinks business last year, he has done everything he can to become the City’s investor pin-up. He has followed the rule book, turning it into a focused company with international reach and an exposure to emerging markets.


Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:00 pm

Logica's David Tyler to become next chairman for Sainsbury

The board of J Sainsbury, the £6 billion food retailer, has picked David Tyler to become its next chairman.


Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:00 pm

Carbon-trading market hit by UN suspension of clean-energy auditor

The legitimacy of the $100 billion ($£60 billion) carbon-trading market has been called into question after the world’s largest auditor of clean-energy projects was suspended by United Nations inspectors.


Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:00 pm

Product placement for TV approved

A lifting of the ban on product placement on British TV shows is expected to be announced next week, but it will stay for the BBC.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 12 Sep 2009 | 5:59 pm

Disney to expand Fantasyland at Walt Disney World

ANAHEIM, California (Reuters) - Mickey Mouse's house and his Toon Town world will make way next year for a vastly larger Fantasyland, in the biggest-ever expansion of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida, Walt Disney Co said on Saturday.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 12 Sep 2009 | 5:34 pm

Disney to expand Fantasyland at Walt Disney World (Reuters)

Reuters - Mickey Mouse's house and his Toon Town world will make way next year for a vastly larger Fantasyland, in the biggest-ever expansion of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida, Walt Disney Co said on Saturday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 5:34 pm

Insiders sell like no tomorrow

Can hundreds of stock-selling insiders be wrong?
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 12 Sep 2009 | 5:33 pm

Florida: Tops for home haggling

If you're a house hunter in Florida, prepare to haggle. The Sunshine State is the easiest place to negotiate a price cut on your new home.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 12 Sep 2009 | 5:26 pm

Plea to help stop jobs blackspot

Former Scottish Secretary Des Browne calls for urgent action to be taken to stop Kilmarnock becoming a jobs blackspot.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 12 Sep 2009 | 5:26 pm

Bailouts: The big windup

As government regulators switch from crisis-mode to rescue mode, many of the biggest and most successful bailout programs are well on their way to extinction. But there are plenty of others that are gaining momentum as the economy heads toward a recovery.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 12 Sep 2009 | 5:25 pm

Apple's 'incredible' exec

Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 12 Sep 2009 | 5:19 pm

Why your kid can't get a vaccine

Parents who bring their kids to Dr. G. Andrew McIntosh for the chicken pox vaccine are out of luck.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 12 Sep 2009 | 5:12 pm

Obama: More uninsured than you think

In an effort to cast health care reform as helpful to more Americans, President Obama on Saturday pounded home a new statistic: Nearly 50% of people under 65 have gone without coverage for at least one month over a decade.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 12 Sep 2009 | 5:06 pm

White House makes case for stimulus

The nation's economy started to turn around after the passage of President Obama's $787 billion stimulus package in February, his chief economic adviser said Thursday.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 12 Sep 2009 | 4:59 pm

Sainsbury's appoints David Tyler as chairman

David Tyler an experienced retailer with strong finance credentials has been chosen to become the next chairman of supermarket group J Sainsbury.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news stocks and shares from the UK and world | 12 Sep 2009 | 4:51 pm

Don't be tricked into increased debt by 'recovery'

High debt levels and an exceptional interest rate environment will soon trip home buyers vulnerable to interest rate rises.With interest rates at their lowest levels since the 1960s, experts are warning that home buyers with high...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 4:34 pm

Calif. financier under investigation dies

Danny Pang, an Orange County financier who was the subject of a fraud investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, has died. The Orange County coroner's office says the...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 12 Sep 2009 | 4:10 pm

Disney to expand Fantasyland at Walt Disney World

ANAHEIM, Calif., Sept 12 (Reuters) - Mickey Mouse's house and his Toon Town world will make way next year for a vastly larger Fantasyland, in the biggest-ever expansion of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 12 Sep 2009 | 4:07 pm

NewsWatch: U.S. stocks get retail, inflation test next week

Investors will use retail-sales and other data reports next week to fine-tune expectations about the recovery.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 12 Sep 2009 | 3:00 pm

American Airlines considers stake in JAL

American Airlines told Japan Airlines it would consider making an equity investment in its Asian ally as part of a sweeping transpacific joint venture agreement between the two carriers.
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 12 Sep 2009 | 2:57 pm

Gazprom concern at Ukraine bill

The head of Russian gas giant Gazprom expresses concern Ukraine might not be able to pay its gas bills beyond 2010.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 12 Sep 2009 | 2:52 pm

Disney's A Christmas Carol will be theme for London's Christmas lights

The Walt Disney Company the US entertainment giant has signed a deal with the City of London Oxford Street and Regent Street to provide this year's Christmas lights across the capital.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news stocks and shares from the UK and world | 12 Sep 2009 | 1:57 pm

Wells Fargo probing Malibu property after report

Wells Fargo & Co. said it has launched an investigation in response to a media report alleging a Wells executive used a bank-owned, $12 million beachfront home in the exclusive Malibu Colony for personal purposes, including at least one lavish summer party.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 12 Sep 2009 | 1:39 pm

Sour note as agents and artists clash over music file sharing

A fight has broken out in the music industry as managers behind artists from Arctic Monkeys to Pink Floyd have attacked moves by a leading industry body to oppose a government crackdown on internet piracy.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news stocks and shares from the UK and world | 12 Sep 2009 | 1:13 pm

Government asset scheme 'paralysing' private equity

Heavily indebted companies are being hamstrung by the impact of the Government's asset protection scheme say private equity experts.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news stocks and shares from the UK and world | 12 Sep 2009 | 1:09 pm

JJB investor welcomes OFT inquiry into deals with Sports Direct

One of the biggest shareholders in JJB Sports the retail chain has welcomed an investigation by the Office of Fair Trading OFT into alleged cartel activity between JJB and its rival Sports Direct.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news stocks and shares from the UK and world | 12 Sep 2009 | 12:49 pm

Gloves off as Cadbury fights Kraft's takeover bid

A war of words has erupted between Cadbury and its US suitor Kraft after the British confectioner branded its rival a "lowgrowth conglomerate" and dismissed its proposed £9.6bn takeover as "unappealing".
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news stocks and shares from the UK and world | 12 Sep 2009 | 12:43 pm

TMobile owner eyes multibillion dollar bid for Sprint

Deutsche Telekom has called in banking advisers to study a possible multibillion dollar bid for Sprint Nextel.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news stocks and shares from the UK and world | 12 Sep 2009 | 12:36 pm

25 Best Places to Retire

Thinking about your post-work home? You'll get huge bang for your buck -- plus lots of other perks -- in these towns.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 12 Sep 2009 | 12:19 pm

Yell investors back £500m cash call

Institutional investors in Yell Group the debtburdened directories firm have agreed to stake as much as £500m to revive the company on the condition that banks agree to relax lending terms.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news stocks and shares from the UK and world | 12 Sep 2009 | 12:14 pm

Sir Ronald Cohen: using private equity to prevent 'rioting in the streets'

Sir Ronald Cohen founder of Apax Partners has used his business instincts to promote social goals.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news stocks and shares from the UK and world | 12 Sep 2009 | 11:46 am

The Magic of Disney

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment announced this week the launch of their new Diamond Collection, which they hail as the ‘definitive collection of the Walt Disney Studios most historic and beloved animated classics’. These gems will debut beginning with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on October 6 on Blu-ray Hi-Def.

“Walt Disney’s gift of telling captivating and engaging stories was matched only by his passion for presenting them in the most spectacular way,” commented The Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook.

While Walt may have had the gifts of crafting and presenting stories, the marketing department at Disney has a magical way of making consumers believe they must buy whatever digital format are currently hot right now – right now – or risk losing the chance forever.

Remember the Disney Vault?

As in – buy these VHS tapes while you can, before Snow White or Cinderella or Princess Whoever is waltzed back into the Disney Vault for who knows how long. They said that on all the commercials.

But then we got DVDS…..

And now it’s Blu-Ray …..

From Disney’s press release:

Two titles will be selected each year, including Beauty and the Beast and Fantasia in 2010, as Blu-ray Diamond editions, each title will be released from the Disney vault for a limited time.

And that, children, is the magic of Disney.

Image Credit: Raymond Brown, Flickr

Source: Business Pundit | 12 Sep 2009 | 11:45 am

French unease at telecom suicides

France's labour minister is to meet the head of France Telecom to discuss a number of suicides among its staff.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:54 am

Major Earnings on Deck This Coming Week (ADBE, BBY, KR, ORCL, DFS, FDX, PALM, PIR, JAVA)

We have a little flurry of key earnings coming this week.  We have provided detailed earnings estimates with Thomson Reuters consensus figures, but we have also added in our own color for the recent performance, the charts, options, and other critical data when and where it stood out.  The companies covered for this coming week [...]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:29 am

When Wall Street nearly collapsed

One year after the Lehman collapse, the people who struggled to cope with the financial crisis share what they were thinking as chaos broke out.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:20 am

Big week ahead for stocks

Reports of the stock rally's demise have been greatly exaggerated, with September so far managing to eschew a much-predicted selloff. A torrent of economic news this week could turn the tide.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:20 am

Obama steps up full-court press on health care

Obama continues to push his health-care reform plan, citing a Treasury Department report predicting roughly half of all Americans under 65 will lose their coverage at some point over the next decade.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:10 am

Afghan official promises to obey recount order

Afghanistan’s top electoral officer pledged to obey an order by a UN-backed watchdog to hold a partial recount of disputed presidential elections, a move that could erode President Hamid Karzai’s early lead
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:08 am

Kiwis buying up over in Oz

Kiwis living "across the ditch" have until the end of the month to get an Australian government grant of up to $21,000 to buy a house there. And they are able to get the handout - given under the First Home Owner Scheme - even...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:00 am

Salons affected by DIY beauty

Cost-cutting Kiwi women have turned away from salons in the recession and are taking their beauty regimes into their own hands at home, supermarket chains say.Rather than splurging on a professional cut-and-colour or waxing, women...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:00 am

Do you prefer a strong kiwi against the US dollar? Why?

There is bad news for New Zealand exporting companies this morning as the New Zealand dollar breaks through the 70 US cent mark, to trade at 70.34 US cents. The kiwi is also up against the euro (48.19 euro cents) and sterling (42.20...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:00 am

Martin Hawes : Tomorrow's road to wealth paved in cleantech

Climate change will lead to transformation in how and where we live. What does that have to do with building wealth?Well, everything - whenever there is great change in the world, there is a transfer of wealth.There will be...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:00 am

Bid for info on bank fraud lawsuit rejected

ASB Bank and the employee it fired for alleged fraud tried to keep under wraps details of the High Court case that has been taken to recover the money.Justice Simon France said while possible fraud on a large retail bank is "a...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:00 am

NewsWatch: U.S. stocks get retail, inflation test next week

Investors will use retail-sales and other data reports next week to fine-tune expectations about the recovery.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:00 am

Sour taste for family driven out of dairying

In rural Reporoa, a winding 45-minute drive up unsignposted roads from Rotorua, the Crafars gather for lunch in their single-storey farmhouse. The fare is simple, but ample: Pickled onions, bread and jam and, of course - given this...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:00 am

Happy to entice drinkers

Happy hours are fashionable again as pubs and bars battle to lure back punters.Customers who want a cheap drink - in moderation of course - haven't had it so good for a long time, with venues cutting prices and offering free snacks.One...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:00 am

Kiwi apprentices face firing line

They've become famous the world over for uttering the two words no budding business mogul wants to hear - you're fired.Now the boardroom bombshells delivered by Donald Trump and Sir Alan Sugar in The Apprentice are getting a...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:00 am

Search on for NZ's 'Donald Trump'

The Herald on Sunday approached some of New Zealand's top businesspeople to see if they would consider filling Donald Trump's shoes in a local version of the hit reality TV show The Apprentice .Emerald Group boss Diane Foreman...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 10:00 am

Iran signals no compromise on nuclear issue

Iran said it would not back down in its nuclear row with the West, a day after the United States said it would accept Tehran’s offer of wide-ranging talks with six world powers
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 12 Sep 2009 | 9:32 am

Cadbury chairman says Kraft bid unappetising

Cadbury turned up the heat in its defence against a takeover from Kraft as its Chairman Roger Carr said it was an ‘unappealing prospect’ being absorbed into Kraft’s low growth conglomerate business model
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 12 Sep 2009 | 9:15 am

Fortis to create 1,500 new jobs

Financial services company Fortis is set to create 1,500 new jobs after agreeing a deal with the financial arm of Tesco.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 12 Sep 2009 | 9:06 am

Skype founders' Joost ousts chairman Mike Volpi

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Web TV firm Joost, owned by the founders of Skype, removed its high-profile chairman Mike Volpi by shareholder vote, it said in a statement late on Friday.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 12 Sep 2009 | 9:05 am

Skype founders' Joost ousts chairman Mike Volpi (Reuters)

Reuters - Web TV firm Joost, owned by the founders of Skype, removed its high-profile chairman Mike Volpi by shareholder vote, it said in a statement late on Friday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 9:05 am

Fight looms over state aid to Magna-led Opel (Reuters)

Reuters - A Canadian-Russian consortium's plan to buy automaker Opel from General Motors faced more hurdles as scrutiny of German state aid intensified and labor leaders demanded a veto over job cuts.

Source: Yahoo! News: Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 8:31 am

Obama broadens healthcare appeal

President Barack Obama used his weekly radio address to warn Americans that they had a high risk of losing their health insurance under the current system as he made the case for reform
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 12 Sep 2009 | 8:30 am

Cadbury chairman Carr says Kraft bid unappetizing (Reuters)

Reuters - Cadbury turned up the heat in its defense against a takeover from Kraft as its Chairman Roger Carr said it was an "unappealing prospect" being absorbed into Kraft's low growth conglomerate business model.

Source: Yahoo! News: Business | 12 Sep 2009 | 7:42 am

NewsWatch: Obama slaps tariff on Chinese tires

The Obama administration will sklap a special tariff on Chinese-macde tires.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 12 Sep 2009 | 7:00 am

Government To Pay For GM Managers To Get Higher Pay

GM will restore the full salaries of management workers who were forced to take pay cuts last spring. Of course, because GM losses money and is relying on $50 billion in US loans to continue operating, the American taxpayer is covering the compensation increases. The salary cuts had ranged between 3% and 10%. As of September [...]

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Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:01 am

Personal Finance Daily: The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories

In case you missed them, here are the top 10 Personal Finance stories from MarketWatch for the week of Sept. 7-Sept. 11:

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 12 Sep 2009 | 6:01 am

US Government Slaps China On Tire Imports

A good old-fashioned trade war may be heating up between the US and China with the Administration firing the first shot. A number of global think tanks have worried that the recession could cause protectionist actions. China’s economy has come out of the downturn more quickly than expected. US growth is expected to be very [...]

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Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 12 Sep 2009 | 5:38 am

Three More Bank Closings Brings 2009 Total To 92

The FDIC became receiver for three more US banks, which means a total of 92 have been closed this year. The agency announced that Corus Bank of Chicago would close. Its eleven branches will become part of MB Financial Bank. As of June 30, 2009, Corus Bank had total assets of $7 billion and total deposits [...]

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Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 12 Sep 2009 | 5:28 am

Auto Review: Four cars for $4 gas, if we get there again

In recent weeks, I have had the chance to sample some economy cars that might attract consumer attention if the price of gas goes up again, as many expect it will. Here are four gas sippers for your consideration:

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 12 Sep 2009 | 4:01 am

Auto Review: 2010 Toyota Prius V: Best gas sipper of the year

Rolling down a deserted interstate very early in the morning at a legal 65, it struck me how far the Prius had come over the years

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 12 Sep 2009 | 4:01 am

Bank boss wary of quick recovery

RBS chief executive Stephen Hester warns that the UK must not seek an over-rapid recovery from recession.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 12 Sep 2009 | 3:57 am