Business News

BEIJING - Driven by a building boom, China's economy grew a stunning 11.3 percent in the second quarter from a year ago, its fastest rate in a decade, according to data released Tuesday, spurring speculation that Beijing will raise interest rates to cool the expansion.

WASHINGTON - Industrial production rose significantly in June, reflecting advances in manufacturing, mining and auto production.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Output at U.S. factories, mines and utilities rose by a bigger-than-expected 0.8 percent in June and capacity use also topped expectations, a report showed on Monday in a sign that a hot economy could weigh on an inflation-wary Federal Reserve.

BERLIN - Germany's central bank said Monday that the country's economy likely gained momentum in the second quarter, helped by the building industry and an influx of visitors to the soccer World Cup.

ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - Global economic growth is strong and becoming more broadly based, the Group of Eight nations said on Monday at their summit in St Petersburg.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Blue-chip stocks rose slightly on Monday, while the S&P; 500 dipped as a drop in oil prices hurt energy shares and Citigroup Inc. reported earnings just short of Wall Street's forecasts.

NEW YORK - Wall Street limped to a mixed finish Monday as uncertainty over the situation in the Middle East and a disappointing earnings report from Citigroup gave traders little impetus to buy after last week's selloff.

TORONTO (CP) - Volatile resource stocks led the way to a triple-digit drop on the Toronto stock market Monday with buying sentiment muted as violence in Israel and Lebanon continued.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed near the close on Monday as worries about fighting in the Middle East offset optimism about corporate profits.

LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar rose one percent against European currencies and hit a three-month high versus the yen on Monday, as investors fled risky assets and sought safe havens as Middle East tensions escalated.

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - World number one home appliances maker Electrolux (ELUXb.ST) reported earnings below expectations on Tuesday, but stuck to its full-year outlook and said it would distribute excess funds to shareholders.

NEW YORK - Citigroup Inc., the nation's largest financial institution, reported that its earnings rose 4 percent in the second quarter on strong corporate and investment banking revenue, but the overall results fell short of Wall Street projections as the difficult interest rate environment held down consumer banking profit.

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. said on Monday it would report its financial performance starting in the 2007 business year based on five businesses, down from the current seven operating divisions.

LOS ANGELES - Mattel Inc., the world's largest toy maker, on Monday reported a second-quarter profit due to lower tax expenses. But global sales of its core Barbie and Hot Wheels brands slipped.

MILWAUKEE - Motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc. said Monday it is incorporating a new engine and rumble into some of its bikes as it announced its second-quarter profit grew 3 percent buoyed by double-digit growth in international sales.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If you hate making retirement investing decisions, you might love the latest mutual fund trend: Target-date retirement funds that require you to choose a fund once and then forget it for decades.

WASHINGTON - Rates on 30-year mortgages declined this week for the first time in five weeks amid expectations that the Federal Reserve won't push interest rates much higher.

TOKYO - Japanese stocks fell Thursday for a third straight session, in line with an overnight drop on Wall Street, as investors remained cautious ahead of Japan's central bank meeting.

NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. - Weekly Home Mortgage Rates

NEW YORK (Reuters) - M&T; Bank Corp. , which counts billionaire Warren Buffett as its second-largest shareholder, on Wednesday said quarterly profit rose 8 percent, helped by rising mortgage banking revenue.

STUTTGART, Germany (AFP) - German-US auto giant DaimlerChrysler has said that it planned to transfer production of its Mercedes-Benz C-Class sports coupe from Germany to Brazil.

DETROIT, United States (AFP) - Officials from both General Motors and Toyota dismissed reports that the Japanese automaker is interested in a stake in the ailing auto giant.

BASEL, Switzerland (AFP) - The Swiss pharmaceutical group Novartis has announced a net profit of 1.713 billion dollars (1.35 billion euros) for the second quarter of 2006, an increase of 4.0 percent from the equivalent period of last year.

LONDON (Reuters) - Global pharmaceutical sales grew 5 percent in the 12 months to May in leading markets, the same rate as recorded a month earlier, healthcare information company IMS Health said on Monday.

BSkyB on Wednesday launched a free broadband internet offering, in what is set to be a key move in the battle for customers between fixed-line telecoms companies, cable operators and broadcasters.

All around me, 3-year-olds run and chatter as they fumble with toy trains and cars and dress up in clothes scattered around the room. Walls are decorated with a mural of a tree, and in one corner stands a climb-on treehouse structure. In the center of the room, at a circular table surrounded by kid-sized chairs, Cindy Lynn-Garbe, a teacher by training, encourages a tyke to try out a new learning tool.

I own a rapidly growing online company that specializes in plus-size women's fashions, and have just signed a three-year lease for a retail location. My problem is that I have a very hard time finding manufacturers and wholesalers that offer true plus-sizes with stylish appeal. Where do I look for a North American manufacturing company that works with lower minimums (100 to 300 pieces to start) and offers full services from design to production? -- C.S., Toronto

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If you like roller coasters, you'll love the new exchange traded funds from Profunds, in Bethesda, Maryland.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An escalation of Middle East fighting and crude oil prices close to $80 a barrel will create more angst on Wall Street this week, just as the quarterly earnings reporting season hits full swing.

(PRWEB) July 18, 2006 -- Interchange Corporation (Nasdaq:

Foothill Ranch, CA (PRWEB) July 18, 2006 -- Applied Voice & Speech Technologies, Inc.

(PRWEB) July 18, 2006 -- A new rising star has stepped into the literary arena with his torrid new contemporary novel of fire and romance entitled One Last Tear One Last Kiss.

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) July 18, 2006 -- Team Full Tilt members Andy Bloch and Phil Ivey proved again why they are two of the best all-around players in poker, finishing second and third respectively in the World Series of Poker’s prestigious $50,000 HORSE tournament.

(PRWEB) July 18, 2006 -- According to the latest housing price forecasts from Fiserv Lending Solutions, some of the largest, and most expensive metro areas in the United States will experience significant stagnation in 2006.

CHENGDU, China (AFP) - Cheap labour and lower start-up costs are luring foreign companies to Chengdu, helping to revitalize an ancient city in western China determined to close the gap with the more prosperous east.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Forty investment firms across America's Sun Belt are under federal examination over so-called "free lunch" investment seminars that target elderly victims, authorities said on Monday.

FARNBOROUGH, England (AFP) - The European aircraft maker Airbus has unveiled a revamped version of its long-haul A350 passenger jet, promising a wider, more fuel-efficient plane to lure customers unhappy with its initial design.

RAYMOND, Ohio - Keeping Honda Motor Co.'s facility in this western Ohio village cool during a heat wave without breaking the bank is as simple as freezing water.

WASHINGTON - Even companies that make an effort to work with minority-owned businesses typically spend barely 5 percent of their contracting dollars with them, the NAACP president said Monday as his group released report cards on several industries.