Economy

Laclede Group to buy 2 Southern Union utilities
Laclede will buy two of Southern Union Co.'s utilities, Missouri Gas Energy and New England Gas Co., for $1.02 billion. Energy Transfer Equity's ...
Trim gender gap to boost economies, OECD says
Governments looking to boost growth should focus on further narrowing the "gender gap" that continues to hold women back in education, employment and ...
KPN shares fall after 4G deal prompts dividend cut
Shares in Dutch telecommunications company Royal KPN NV have fallen sharply Monday over fears the company has once again paid too much in a mobile ...
Santander to absorb 2 units, close 700 branches
Spain's Banco Santander, the biggest bank by market value in the 17-country eurozone, said Monday it will absorb two subsidiaries, Banesto and Banif, ...
Australian court: Worker's comp covers sex mishap
An Australian court has ruled that a bureaucrat who was injured while having sex on a business trip is eligible for worker's compensation benefits.
BP sells stake in North Sea gas field for $28 mln
Oil company BP has sold its half interest in a North Sea gas field to SSE PLC for $288 million. BP said Monday that the disposal of its 50 percent ...
Japan, China stocks higher on stimulus hopes
Stock markets in Japan and China, Asia's two biggest economies, rose Monday after Japanese conservatives who favor greater economic stimulus returned ...
Massive Napa do-over prompts grape plant shortage
A massive replanting in Napa Valley of some of the world's priciest vineyards is so widespread a critical shortage of grapevine root stock has ...
Palestinian premier: Boycott Israeli goods
The Palestinian premier called on his people Sunday to boycott Israeli products, the latest step in an economic battle between Palestinians and ...
Economic implications of Japan's election
Many in Japan are hoping that the landslide victory of the opposition Liberal Democrats and trouncing of the Democratic Party in Sunday's ...
Spanish savers fall victim to friendly bankers
When Felix Valls followed his bank manager's advice and invested his entire savings in the bank's stocks, he did it without thinking. It was a simple ...
UN court orders release of Argentine ship in Ghana
A United Nations court ordered the immediate release Saturday of an Argentine navy training ship seized by Ghana two months ago at the request of an ...
Myanmar gov't apologizes for crackdown violence
Myanmar's government formally apologized Saturday to the country's Buddhist monks for its recent crackdown on protesters at a copper mine that injured ...
United Continental pilots OK joint union contract
United Airlines pilots have agreed to a new joint union contract, bringing the airline closer to finalizing its merger with Continental. The new ...
Boeing delivers first new jet to Iraq in decades
The first new Boeing Co. jetliner sold to Iraq in 30 years touched down in Baghdad on Saturday, signaling the country's determination to rebuild its ...
2 dead after shooting at Las Vegas Strip hotel
A man shot and fatally wounded a woman, then killed himself Friday at the Excalibur hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip, sending many patrons fleeing ...
Discovery to buy Nordic TV networks for $1.7B
The parent company of the Discovery Channel said Friday that it is buying 12 TV networks in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland in a deal worth about ...
Stocks edge lower; Apple sinks 4 percent
Apple, the most valuable company in the U.S., slumped Friday, helping to drag down the stock market. A lack of progress in federal budget talks also ...
Best Buy shares fall on Schulze bid extension
Best Buy shares fell on Friday after the struggling electronics retailer said it extended the window for co-founder Richard Schulze to make a buyout ...
Gasoline prices soon to hit low point for 2012
Gas prices will soon drop to their lowest level of the year. By Monday, the national average should fall below the $3.28 a gallon that drivers paid ...
Stocks slip on Wall Street; Best Buy drops
Stocks are ending lower on Wall Street, putting the market into the red for the week. Traders were discouraged by a lack of progress on budget talks ...
Some of the deadliest school shootings in the US
A gunman at a Connecticut elementary school killed more than two dozen people, including children, on Friday. Here is a look at some other recent ...
THE RESET: Obama also facing a personnel 'cliff'
The beginnings of presidential second terms usually bring major personnel changes. For President Barack Obama, the shuffling in top positions comes ...
Merkel: Crisis could weigh on Europe for years
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says Europe will continue to suffer from slow or no growth and high unemployment next year — and maybe beyond.
Stocks slip in midday trading on Wall Street
Stocks are edging lower on Wall Street after a drop in U.S. consumer prices and a strong survey of Chinese manufacturing failed to excite investors.