QUITO, Ecuador Ecuador says annual inflation slowed to 9.1 percent in November from 9.9 percent the previous month.
As much as they hate the idea, one or more of the big U.S. automakers might end up filing for bankruptcy as they struggle with growing debt, plummeting sales and a tough sell on a $34 billion rescue package they want Congress to pass.
People's shopping binges - fueled by deep discounts - on the day after Thanksgiving didn't prevent retailers from having a terrible November, which turned out to be the worst month since at least 1969. The biggest exception was Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which reported a solid sales gain.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. When shareholders vote on Bank of America Corp.'s acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co. on Friday, they are expected to transform the bank into a business befitting its name and change the face of Wall Street.
WASHINGTON Commercial banks borrowed slightly less from the Federal Reserve's emergency lending program over the past week, while investment firms stepped up their loans.
DUBLIN, Ireland Debt-ridden crystal and china maker Waterford Wedgwood PLC reported falling sales and increasing first-half losses Thursday and warned it could be forced to shut down if a major new investor cannot be found to bail it out.
CHESTER, Va. It started with the gnats. Then came the dragonflies and mice.
NEW YORK An environmental group that put out a list of chemical-laden toys is reevaluating one component of the Nintendo Wii which tested positive for bromine, the group said Thursday.
SAO PAULO, Brazil Argentine stocks rose on the government's announcement of an economic stimulus package, while other Latin American markets were flat in midday trading Thursday.
DUBLIN, Ireland Dutch brewing giant Heineken NV announced Thursday it is closing one of Ireland's oldest breweries, Beamish & Crawford in the city of Cork, just weeks after taking control of the operation.
WASHINGTON Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox said Thursday the government must start to build an "exit strategy" that includes taxpayer protections for its massive financial rescue plan.
BERLIN Knut the superstar polar bear turns two on Friday looking nothing like the button-eyed ball of white fluff who captured hearts around the world.
VENICE, Italy The luxury Bauer hotel was inundated by calls of concern and cancellations this week - but was spared the floodwaters that swamped most of the city.
QUITO, Ecuador Ecuador's finance minister is insisting the nation will not pay off foreign debts it considers illegal, with a $30.6 million payment due on Dec. 15.
DENVER The Rocky Mountain News, Colorado's oldest newspaper, was put up for sale Thursday after its owner, E.W. Scripps Co., said it lost about $11 million on the business in the first nine months of the year.
DUBLIN, Ireland Ryanair dramatically strengthened its sales pitch Thursday for rival Aer Lingus, offering key assurances to the airline's two other major shareholders in hopes of persuading them to sell their stakes.
WASHINGTON Investors in mortgage securities who are challenging home loan modification programs aimed at avoiding foreclosures could provoke a "backlash" from Congress, the head of the FDIC said Thursday.
BRUSSELS, Belgium Europe's central banks slashed borrowing costs aggressively Thursday to try and ward off a long recession triggered by the financial crisis.
BEIJING The United States and China promised Friday to jointly tackle the global financial crisis and pledged $20 billion to finance trade as they wrapped up high-level talks marked by a pointed Chinese appeal to Washington to stabilize its economy.
PRAGUE, Czech Republic Czech carmaker Skoda Auto AS, a unit of Germany's Volkswagen AG, said Thursday it will not start production in the new year until January 11 because of falling demand, an official said.
WASHINGTON Rates on 30-year mortgages plunged this week to the lowest level since January after the government launched a sweeping new effort to aid the U.S. housing market.
WASHINGTON The head of the government's financial system rescue effort said Thursday the Treasury Department is considering a program to encourage banks to make mortgage loans at low rates to help revive the battered housing market.
WASHINGTON - Detroit's Big Three automakers presented themselves to skeptical senators Thursday as humble, contrite and badly in need of $34 billion in federal help quickly.
WASHINGTON Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke called on the government Thursday to ramp up efforts to stem soaring home foreclosures, which are feeding into the country's deep economic troubles.
SHANGHAI, China World markets were mostly lower Friday as caution ahead of a key reading on the U.S. jobs market overshadowed big rate cuts by central banks in Europe. Oil traded near four-year lows.
NEW YORK French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis SA is cutting an unspecified number of U.S. sales jobs as part of a realignment of its marketing.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina Argentina's government plans to use billions of dollars of newly nationalized pension fund assets to grant low-cost loans to farmers, industry and automakers, in a bid to boost production and ease credit amid the global economic downturn, President Cristina Fernandez said Thursday.
WASHINGTON Senate Banking Committee chairman Christopher Dodd has come out in favor of federal financial help for the troubled auto industry.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark Denmark's central bank on Thursday lowered its key interest rate by 0.75 percentage point to 4.25 percent, mirroring a cut by the European Central Bank.
WASHINGTON Orders to U.S. factories plunged in October by the sharpest amount in over eight years as a deepening recession caused big cutbacks in demand for steel, autos, computers and heavy machinery. Analysts expect the weakness will continue for some time.
