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Northwest pilots give OK on strike vote call
Feb 3 2006 10:40PM (CT)
NEW YORK (AP) - Northwest Airlines pilots have given their union leader authority to conduct a strike ballot if there is no progress in negotiations over wage and benefit cuts the airline is seeking, the union head told a New York bankruptcy court Friday.
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PG&E to settle water contamination suits
Feb 3 2006 10:26PM (CT)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on Friday agreed to pay $295 million to settle a series of lawsuits alleging the utility sickened hundreds of people by contaminating the water in three California counties.
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Judge: Doctor can't testify in Vioxx case
Feb 3 2006 8:08PM (CT)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A physician called to testify that Vioxx caused a blood clot which killed a Florida man cannot do so, the judge in the first federal Vioxx lawsuit ruled Friday.
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Petrobras to buy stake in Texas refinery
Feb 3 2006 7:52PM (CT)
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - Brazil's state-owned oil company announced Friday it will pay $370 million (306.8 million euros) for a 50 percent stake in a Texas refinery as part of its plan to expand into the United States.
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Pentagon document forecasts end to C-17s
Feb 3 2006 7:30PM (CT)
WASHINGTON (AP) - A Pentagon defense review Friday forecast shutting down C-17 production after the completion of the 180 planes currently planned, despite congressional objections to such a move when it became public several months ago.
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Cuba invites U.S. cos. to fight embargo
Feb 3 2006 6:44PM (CT)
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Cuban officials invited U.S. corporations Friday to lobby against the U.S. trade embargo and invest in the communist nation's energy sector, as they announced plans to double their drilling capacity and explore for oil in the island's Caribbean waters.
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Landlords become targets in knockoff war
Feb 3 2006 6:08PM (CT)
NEW YORK (AP) - Things move fast on the grubby, half-mile strip of Canal Street on the edges of the city's Chinatown, famous as a black market for counterfeit designer handbags, fake watches and pirated compact discs.
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BNP Paribas launches BNL takeover offer
Feb 3 2006 5:56PM (CT)
PARIS (AP) - French bank BNP Paribas SA on Friday launched a takeover offer to buy Italy's Banca Nazionale del Lavoro SpA for a total of about 9 billion euros ($10.85 billion).
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FDA, Boston Scientific to resolve issues
Feb 3 2006 5:41PM (CT)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration said Friday it would work with Boston Scientific Corp. to quickly resolve corporate-wide regulatory deficiencies.
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Friday's commodities roundup
Feb 3 2006 5:38PM (CT)
NEW YORK (AP) - Gold and silver prices edged lower Friday, but palladium outshone its precious metal counterparts, reaching a fresh two-year high.
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Oil prices climb on Iran-related fears
Feb 3 2006 5:38PM (CT)
NEW YORK (AP) - Oil prices rose Friday on the possibility that the International Atomic Energy Agency will refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program.
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Sales at Wendy's fall 3.7 percent in 2005
Feb 3 2006 5:29PM (CT)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - For the first time in 18 years, annual sales at Wendy's hamburger restaurants open more than a year fell in 2005 _ partly because of fallout from a woman who planted a human finger in a bowl of chili, a story that took a few weeks to discredit.
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Delta Air Lines replaces auditor
Feb 3 2006 5:10PM (CT)
ATLANTA (AP) - Delta Air Lines Inc., the nation's third-largest carrier, said Friday it is replacing its independent auditor with another firm, a decision that is subject to bankruptcy court approval.
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HealthSpring shares up in trading debut
Feb 3 2006 5:03PM (CT)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Shares of managed care company HealthSpring Inc. rose in their first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange Friday.
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Weekly U.S. oil, gas rig count up by 26
Feb 3 2006 5:03PM (CT)
HOUSTON (AP) - The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the United States increased by 26 this week to 1,513.
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British Airways third-quarter profit up
Feb 3 2006 4:55PM (CT)
LONDON (AP) - British Airways PLC reported a 1.7 percent increase in third-quarter profit Friday on the back of an increase in business passengers.
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Volvo 4Q earnings drop on higher costs
Feb 3 2006 4:54PM (CT)
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - Swedish truck and bus maker AB Volvo said Friday its fourth-quarter profit fell 15 percent to 2.99 billion kronor ($388 million) as higher costs for product launches offset rising sales.
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ThyssenKrupp buys Canadian, British cos.
Feb 3 2006 4:53PM (CT)
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - Steelmaker ThyssenKrupp AG said Friday it acquired a Canadian-based copper and brass company and a British aluminum business as it expands its international operations.
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Allianz plans to eliminate 700 jobs
Feb 3 2006 4:49PM (CT)
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - Insurer Allianz AG said Friday it plans to eliminate 700 jobs at its local sales offices in Germany.
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Amazon.com shares decline on 4Q earnings
Feb 3 2006 4:47PM (CT)
SEATTLE (AP) - Shares of Amazon.com Inc. sank Friday after the Internet retailer disappointed investors with a fourth-quarter earnings report that missed Wall Street's revenue expectations and showed the company continues to make heavy investments in areas such as technology and marketing.
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American Power Conversion shares decline
Feb 3 2006 4:44PM (CT)
NEW YORK (AP) - American Power Conversion Corp. shares fell sharply Friday after the maker of surge protectors posted a 67 percent plunge in fourth-quarter profit, citing logistics and supply chain problems.
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Movie Gallery shares slip 20 percent
Feb 3 2006 4:43PM (CT)
NEW YORK (AP) - Shares of Movie Gallery Inc. fell sharply Friday after a major shareholder said it cut its stake in the video-rental company.
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Electronic Arts profit drops 31 percent
Feb 3 2006 4:43PM (CT)
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Electronic Arts Inc. saw its net income fall by nearly a third as consumers' waited to switch to new models of game consoles, helping to curb sales and profits.
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Maytag posts wider fourth-quarter loss
Feb 3 2006 4:40PM (CT)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Maytag Corp., reporting a bigger loss for the fourth quarter on Friday, said it is seeking permission from its prospective buyer Whirlpool Corp. to sell its Hoover floor care and vending machine businesses.
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Weyerhaeuser reports 4Q loss on charges
Feb 3 2006 4:36PM (CT)
SEATTLE (AP) - Weyerhaeuser Co. posted a steep fourth-quarter loss Friday on hefty charges, as company executives conceded that the forest products giant is grappling with difficult business conditions and big industry changes.
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Medical distributor admits cheating J&J
Feb 3 2006 4:10PM (CT)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - A medical device supplier from Louisiana admitted Friday in U.S. District Court that he cheated Johnson & Johnson of $777,000 in rebates that his company did not merit.
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Enron trial seen as marathon, not sprint
Feb 3 2006 4:00PM (CT)
HOUSTON (AP) - The first government witness in the fraud and conspiracy trial of two former Enron chiefs said Jeffrey Skilling gave misleading information to Wall Street analysts. But he stopped short of saying Skilling or Kenneth Lay explicitly ordered the books cooked.
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Mylan stock up on strong results, upgrade
Feb 3 2006 3:47PM (CT)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Shares of Mylan Laboratories Inc. jumped Friday, after the generic-drug maker reported higher quarterly earnings and an analyst upgraded the stock rating.
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Tyson to spend up to $650M on expenditures
Feb 3 2006 3:35PM (CT)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) - Tyson Foods Inc., the world's largest meat producer, said Friday it plans to spend up to $650 million on capital expenditures and look into overseas acquisitions, despite a slip in earnings.
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Fed to hold swearing-in for Bernanke
Feb 3 2006 3:09PM (CT)
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush will become only the third president to visit the Federal Reserve's imposing headquarters on Constitution Avenue when he attends the ceremonial swearing-in for new Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Monday.
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Navistar gets notice from note holders
Feb 3 2006 2:51PM (CT)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Creditors of Navistar International Corp. claim that the heavy-duty truck maker defaulted on $220 million of 4.75 percent notes, Navistar said Friday.
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Envirocare buys BNG America, changes name
Feb 3 2006 1:57PM (CT)
LONDON (AP) - British Nuclear Fuels PLC has sold its U.S. nuclear clean-up business BNG America to Envirocare of Utah LLC for $90 million, a person close to the deal said.
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Corning sees LCD-TVs as big factor in '07
Feb 3 2006 1:42PM (CT)
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - Corning Inc., the world's largest maker of liquid-crystal-display glass, predicted Friday that flat-panel LCD televisions will account for at least one-quarter of all TV sales next year.
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Bagged salads become $2.8 billion industry
Feb 3 2006 1:30PM (CT)
CARMEL, Calif. (AP) - When Myra and Drew Goodman first stuffed their organic baby greens in plastic bags two decades ago, they were just trying to keep their farm afloat and create a quick, healthy alternative to a steady diet of pizza and meals on the go.
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Spain gives conditional OK to Endesa bid
Feb 3 2006 11:57AM (CT)
MADRID, Spain (AP) - The Spanish government gave conditional approval Friday to Gas Natural's 22 billion euros ($26.5 billion) takeover bid for the larger, rival utility Endesa, paving the way for creation of a new European energy giant.
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Total SA to go on trial for '99 oil spill
Feb 3 2006 11:33AM (CT)
PARIS (AP) - French oil company Total SA will go on trial in Paris for its suspected role in a 1999 oil spill that blackened large swaths of the coast of western France, judicial officials said Friday.
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ATA, flight technicians in tentative pact
Feb 3 2006 11:29AM (CT)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - ATA Airlines and its 200 flight technicians have reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract, both sides said Friday.
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China's patent applications rocket in 2005
Feb 3 2006 11:20AM (CT)
GENEVA (AP) - The number of patent applications from China rocketed in 2005, boosting the country to 10th from 13th place in the number filed, the U.N. agency that oversees intellectual property said Friday.
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Nation's service sector expands in Jan.
Feb 3 2006 11:06AM (CT)
NEW YORK (AP) - The nation's service sector grew again in January, but the pace of growth slowed while extending an expansion that has stretched for nearly three years.
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Virus delays stock trading in Russia
Feb 3 2006 10:58AM (CT)
MOSCOW (AP) - Trading was suspended for an hour at Russia's main stock exchange because of a computer virus, officials said Friday.
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Telstra proposes split into three parts
Feb 3 2006 10:55AM (CT)
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Australian telecommunications provider Telstra Corp. on Friday proposed to split its operations into three parts ahead of the planned sale of the government's majority stake later this year.
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Proton renews alliance with Mitsubishi
Feb 3 2006 9:49AM (CT)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia's national carmaker Proton on Friday renewed its alliance with Japan's Mitsubishi Motors Corp. with a technical pact that involves jointly developing new vehicles.
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Indian PM meets striking airport workers
Feb 3 2006 9:03AM (CT)
NEW DELHI (AP) - India's prime minister on Friday assured striking airport employees that their jobs would remain secure despite government plans to privatize the country's two largest airports, officials said.
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Euro-zone inflation jumps in January
Feb 3 2006 8:39AM (CT)
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - Inflation in the 12 nations using the euro accelerated to 2.4 percent in January from 2.2 percent the previous month, according to a preliminary estimate Friday from the EU statistical agency Eurostat.
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Japan's NTT reports lower profit
Feb 3 2006 8:12AM (CT)
TOKYO (AP) - Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp., Japan's largest telecom company, said Friday its net profit in the nine months to December dropped 32 percent, dented by continued declines in income from its fixed-line business.
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Norske Skog posts 4Q loss on costs
Feb 3 2006 7:42AM (CT)
OSLO, Norway (AP) - The world's largest newsprint maker, Norske Skog, said Friday it lost 997 million kroner ($151 million) for the fourth quarter of 2005 due partly to restructuring costs.
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ConAgra to sell $1.9B cold meat business
Feb 3 2006 6:32AM (CT)
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - ConAgra Foods Inc., one of the nation's largest packaged-foods companies, said Thursday that it will sell off its refrigerated meats business. The unit generated about $1.9 billion in sales last year.
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Del Monte to stop Hawaii pineapple growing
Feb 3 2006 5:23AM (CT)
HONOLULU (AP) - Pineapples have long been a proud symbol of Hawaii, along with hula dancers, palm trees, Diamond Head, surfers and the spirit of aloha.
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Hitachi's profit plunges 79 percent
Feb 3 2006 4:53AM (CT)
TOKYO (AP) - Hitachi said Friday its net profit plunged 79 percent in the quarter through December due to losses at a plasma display subsidiary and because of a big gain the previous year from securities sales.
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Japanese stocks slip
Feb 3 2006 4:29AM (CT)
TOKYO (AP) - Japanese stocks drifted lower Friday following Wall Street's drop overnight as investors sold technology, bank and auto shares after the previous day's rally. The dollar was little changed against the yen.
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U.S-South Korea free trade talks begin
Feb 3 2006 3:33AM (CT)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States and South Korea have embarked on formal free trade negotiations, part of a strategic U.S. attempt to boost business with an ally while combating China's huge presence in the region.
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Hooters opens Vegas casino just off Strip
Feb 3 2006 1:59AM (CT)
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Hooters, the tongue-in-cheek eatery that parlayed spicy chicken wings and busty waitresses in skimpy outfits into an international restaurant chain, is opening its first ever casino and hotel a stone's throw from the Las Vegas Strip.
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Judge tentatively OKs Exxon settlement
Feb 3 2006 1:38AM (CT)
MIAMI (AP) - A federal judge tentatively approved a $1.075 billion agreement between Exxon Mobil Corp. and thousands of service station dealers that sued the company, settling a 14-year fight that also went to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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U.S. retail sales post gains in January
Feb 3 2006 1:37AM (CT)
NEW YORK (AP) - The nation's retailers reported better-than-expected sales in January, as shoppers armed with holiday gift cards and lured by mild weather returned to stores and malls in search of clearance and spring merchandise. The shopping surge wasn't expected to last, however, as consumers face higher interest rates, a cooling housing market and high energy costs in the months ahead.
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