In China, just about every form of commerce is thriving, including illegal ones like prostitution and counterfeiting. But not coffin making.

General Motors said that it overstated its 2001 results by as much as $400 million and said that it might have to restate results for the following years as well.

Any hope of advancing a global trade pact this year all but evaporated on Wednesday, as negotiators from around the world said that they were at an impasse over agriculture.

As the ranks of self-employed grow, so does the number of them who are abandoning attics, basements and extra bedrooms for offices, warehouses and even factories.

Congress is likely to address the alternative minimum tax, which will ensnare 21.6 million taxpayers in 2006, up from 4.1 million in 2005, absent changes.

Microsoft said Wednesday that it would develop a news video distribution network for The Associated Press and share in the advertising revenue that it generated.

A federal judge in Virginia said that it was 'highly unlikely' he would delay a patent case against the maker of the BlackBerry device.

In an abrupt change of course, Amtrak's board fired David Gunn, widening a divide between the Bush administration and Congress over the future of the railroad

By Reuters.

For the first time since Dan Rather stepped down as anchor of 'CBS Evening News,' a report he prepared is under consideration to appear on '60 Minutes.'

King Pharmaceuticals has obtained the rights to an abuse-resistant version of the widely used painkiller OxyContin from Pain Therapeutics.

The Open Invention Network, is expected to begin operations today with the unusual business plan of buying certain patents and licensing them without charge.

A House panel approved legislation on Wednesday that would give companies another year, until 2007, to start following stricter pension funding rules.

Tessa David, the wife of a leading promoter of a contention that most Americans are tricked into paying income taxes, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Philadelphia on five counts of willful failure to file tax returns, her lawyers said.

The hotel chain La Quinta Properties said yesterday that it had agreed to be acquired for $2.28 billion by the Blackstone Group.

WASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Inventories at wholesalers rose 0.6 percent in September, twice the amount forecast by Wall Street, but stockpiles relative to sales dropped to their lowest level in more than a year, a government report showed on Wednesday. Economists expected inventories to rise 0.3 percent. They rose 0.5 percent in August.

By Reuters.

The Guidant Corporation, under scrutiny for failing to alert doctors about critical failures of its heart devices, issued its first report yesterday that showed how many units had malfunctioned in ways that prevented them from working.

Lazard, the investment bank that went public in May, said yesterday that third-quarter earnings more than tripled as revenue from advising on mergers and acquisitions surged.

Roche, the Tamiflu maker, opened the doors to its factory to allay fears that it might be unable to meet demand for the drug in the event of a bird flu pandemic.

The Liberty Media Corporation said yesterday that Gregory B. Maffei, a former president of the Oracle Corporation, would become its chief executive.

Cisco Systems posted lower fiscal first-quarter earnings and higher sales in the first report since it was required to treat employee stock options as a business expense.

New competition is coming to Japan's mobile phone market, with the promise of cheaper services for its long-suffering callers.

By Reuters.

Beland H. Honderich transformed The Toronto Star from a paper focusing on sensationalism into an influential newspaper with Canada's largest circulation.

Senators from both parties demanded that the executives defend their record profits, amid soaring retail prices for oil and natural gas and suspicions of gasoline price manipulation.

The deal ended Judith Miller's 28-year career at The Times and capped more than two weeks of negotiations.

Sprint's phone-based online music store allows anytime, anywhere wireless downloading of songs for listening - no computer necessary.

Lost accounts and higher costs led to another quarterly loss at the troubled Interpublic Group of Companies.

Sales for portable devices that play video have been disappointing so far, but that isn't keeping several companies from trying to create a market for them.

It isn't easy to tell if the Nüvi from Garvin is a navigation device for cars or a digital assistant with satellite navigation abilities.

The Nokia N90 has camera optics that put a standard point-and-shoot to shame.

The Sony Vaio XL1 Digital Living System offers a solution for organizing hundreds of CD's, DVD's and mp3s.

DETROIT, Nov. 9 (AP) - Delphi, which filed last month for bankruptcy protection, said on Wednesday that its losses widened to $788 million in the third quarter as its top customer, General Motors, cut production.

ATLANTA, Nov. 9 (AP) - The pilots union at Delta Air Lines said Wednesday in a court filing that it was offering the carrier an average of nearly $91 million a year in concessions, which the union contended was sufficient to help the airline trim labor costs to a competitive level.

Businesspeople are putting a new spin on their meetings by inviting clients and employees to the gym.

NMT Medical Inc. is a little-known Boston-based medical device company with a rocky past, mounting losses and, in its most recent quarter, just $6 million in revenue. So why are NMT's thinly traded shares, which closed at $14.03 yesterday, up 185 percent so far this year?.

By The New York Times.

President Bush on Wednesday nominated a Republican regulator from Tennessee to fill a vacant seat on the Federal Communications Commission.

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL.

The American International Group, the insurance giant that is struggling to put its accounting irregularities behind it, said yesterday that it would restate its financial results over the last five years by another $500 million.

Aerospace giant Boeing is due to break the world record for the longest non-stop passenger airline flight.

Reuters - Oil prices slid to a new 15-week low near $58 on Thursday after a big increase in U.S. crude stocks added pressure to a market already reeling from lacklustre demand growth and mild weather.

AP - A leading critic of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. launched an Internet ad campaign Wednesday that uses publicity around recent Republican legal troubles to allege the world's largest retailer is morally corrupt in how it treats its 1.3 million U.S. employees.

Reinsurance giant Hannover Re sees its losses jump sharply due to the recent hurricanes in the US.

Struggling Japanese car maker Mitsubishi sees half-year sales recover in Japan and Europe, but decline further in the US.

UK interest rates are expected to stay on hold at 4.5% at the end of the MPC's two-day meeting.

Entertainment and sport promoters call for ticket touting to be outlawed to stop fans being ripped off on the internet.

General Motors says it is to republish its 2001 results because they were overstated by $300m to $400m.

Platinum prices rise sharply as demand increases for the precious metal used for jewellery and cleaning car exhausts.

Aerospace giant Boeing reveals its vision of the future of flying with an attempt to break a world record for the longest non-stop passenger flight.

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry is tight-lipped on investment after talks with billionaire Robert Kraft.

Those living in urban areas in the UK can take sign up for super-fast broadband, although speeds will vary.

Reuters - U.S. private equity fund Cerberus sealed a deal on Thursday to become the top shareholder in Japan's Seibu group for 94 billion yen, taking a 30 percent stake in the troubled rail and property group.

China's trade surplus jumps to a record $12bn in October, lifted by Western shops stocking up before Christmas.

Sony BMG could face legal action over its use of controversial copy protection software.

Hopes of a global trade deal recede after WTO officials fail to iron out key differences ahead of a crucial meeting in Hong Kong.

The Bank of England's rate setting committee decides to leaves interest rates unchanged at 4.5% at its latest meeting.

Heathrow's operator, BAA, is to knock down Terminal 2 under a plan to revamp the airport for the 2012 Olympics.

Reuters - U.S. stock futures pointed to a nearly flat market opening on Thursday, with news of Internet equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc.'s lower profit and a possible strike at General Motors Corp.'s main auto parts supplier expected to weigh on the market.

Reuters - Internet media company Yahoo Inc has backed out of the running to buy a stake in Time Warner Inc.'s America Online (AOL) Internet unit.

Reuters - General Motors Corp. on Wednesday said it will restate its financial statements for 2001 because they were overstated by about $300 million to $400 million.

Reuters - The economic outlook looks weaker for the United States and Canada but brighter for the other Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, an early warning indicator issued by the OECD think tank showed on Thursday.

AP - The French economy grew by a better-than-expected 0.7 percent in the third quarter, national statistics agency Insee said Thursday, in a sign that the recovery is gathering pace.

The US trade deficit with the rest of the world jumps to a record $66.1bn in September, as oil prices soared following Hurricane Katrina.

Boeing breaks the record for the longest non-stop passenger flight, an indication of its long-haul strategy.

Deutsche Post sees its third-quarter net profit rise 140%, helped by cost savings and overseas expansion.

Reuters - Record oil prices in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and a drop in overall exports helped push the U.S. trade deficit to a record $66.1 billion in September, shattering the previous high of $60.4 billion set in February, the government said on Thursday.

Reuters - Man Financial, the brokerage arm of British hedge fund firm Man Group Plc. , has won an auction of bankrupt Refco Inc.'s assets, a spokeswoman for Refco said on Thursday.

Reuters - Target Corp. said on Thursday that quarterly profit rose a better-than-expected 34 percent on strong sales and big gains in its credit card business, but it gave a disappointing forecast and its shares fell.

Reuters - Mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae , under investigation for massive accounting problems, on Thursday said it named as chief financial officer the executive who helped rebuild MCI Inc.'s accounting department after the WorldCom bankruptcy.

Reuters - U.S. stocks opened little changed on Thursday, with worse-than-expected government reports on import prices and the U.S. trade deficit offsetting further losses in crude oil prices.

Reuters - Movie Gallery Inc. on Thursday posted an unexpected quarterly loss on an industrywide drop in sales and rental rates that it blamed on consumer disdain for this year's crop of Hollywood films.

Exports of airplanes plummeted and imports of natural gas and petroleum products surged in the weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast.

Man Financial, the brokerage arm of British hedge fund firm Man Group, has emerged as the winning bidder for bankrupt Refco's assets.

US finance firm Refco says Man Group has won the auction for its futures trading arm and other assets.

Sony BMG could face legal action over its use of controversial copy protection software.

Reuters - Shares of General Motors Corp. fell more than 6 percent on Thursday, spiraling to a 23-year low, after Banc of America Securities warned of an increased risk of bankruptcy at the financially struggling auto giant.

Reuters - U.S. consumers' mood brightened even more than expected in early November as gasoline prices receded from record highs and the impact of late-summer hurricanes faded, a report showed on Thursday.

Reuters - Man Group , the world's largest listed hedge fund firm, said on Thursday it agreed to buy Refco's regulated futures brokerage for $282 million.

Reuters - The U.S. trade deficit swelled to a record $66.1 billion in September, after Hurricane Katrina pushed oil prices to record highs and exports fell to cause the largest monthly increase in the deficit in over a year.

Reuters - U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as General Motors Corp.'s shares hit a 23-year low and falling oil prices dragged Exxon Mobil Corp. down, delivering a one-two punch to the Dow average.

Reuters - Shares of organic and natural foods retailer Whole Foods Market Inc. fell 9 percent on Thursday, a day after the company posted a 68 percent drop in quarterly profit, though much of that decline was due to unusual items,

Reuters - Ben Bernanke, U.S. President George W. Bush's pick to head the Federal Reserve, will likely be handily confirmed by the Senate for the post, a key Senate Democratic said on Thursday after meeting with the nominee.

Reuters - U.S. blue-chip stocks turned positive on Thursday as financial shares gained on hopes that the yield on Treasury notes may not rise much further.

AP - Target Corp., the nation's No. 2 discount retailer, on Thursday reported an 18 percent drop in third-quarter earnings versus a year ago when a one-time gain inflated its profits, but it still beat Wall Street expectations.

Man Group, a large British hedge fund firm, has agreed to pay $282 million to acquire Refco, the bankrupt futures broker.

The main reason for the move was to save money, said Carlos Ghosn, Nissan's chief executive, who has earned near-legendary status for his cost-cutting plans.

Internet media firm Yahoo says it has pulled out of talks to buy a stake in Time Warner's internet unit AOL.

Endemol, the production firm behind the TV shows Big Brother and Ready Steady Cook, plans a share flotation.

Reuters - U.S. stocks jumped on Thursday after robust overseas demand in a U.S. Treasury auction suggested growing global confidence in the economy and a sharp drop in oil prices calmed worries of high energy costs.

Reuters - Shares of General Motors Corp. spiraled to a 23-year low on Thursday, as fears about its financial woes and a possible strike at the auto giant's main parts supplier rose to new heights.

Refco's former chief executive Phillip R. Bennett was indicted today on charges that he hid hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid debt.

The world's largest PC maker Dell reports a fall in third-quarter profits after taking a charge to repair faulty parts.

General Motors says it is to republish its 2001 results because they were overstated by $300m- $400m.

Reuters - Dell Inc., the world's biggest personal computer maker, on Thursday said quarterly profit fell 28 percent but the company posted stronger profit margins than some had expected.

Reuters - Ex-Refco Inc. Chief Executive Phillip Bennett was indicted on Thursday on eight counts of conspiracy, securities fraud and other charges.

Reuters - Media conglomerate News Corp. (NWSa.N) on Thursday posted a quarterly net loss on a large accounting charge but beat analyst expectations, and revenue rose 10 percent on sharp advertising gains from Fox News and its 20th Century Fox movie studio.

Reuters - Kohl's Corp. on Thursday said its quarterly earnings rose 15 percent as its focus on new clothing brands attracted customers to its stores.

Reuters - The U.S. trade deficit swelled to a record $66.1 billion in September after Hurricane Katrina pushed oil prices to record highs and exports fell, causing the largest monthly increase in the deficit in over a year.

Reuters - U.S. stocks shot up on Thursday after robust demand from overseas investors for U.S. government debt signaled confidence in the economy, while sliding crude prices soothed fears of high energy costs.

Strong sales from its 20th Century Fox film studio boosts News Corp's revenue, but profit is hit by a charge on its TV licences.

Reuters - Man Group Plc., the world's largest listed hedge fund firm, on Thursday won an auction for the futures business of Refco Inc., just hours before Refco's former chief executive was indicted for fraud over an accounting scandal that led to its bankruptcy.

AP - The trade deficit surged to a record in September as oil imports hit an all-time high, driven up by hurricane-related shutdowns of Gulf Coast production.

AP - Assets of the nation's retail money market mutual funds rose by $805.4 million in the latest week to $827.95 billion, the Investment Company Institute said Thursday.

Reuters - Department store operator Kohl's Corp. on Thursday said its quarterly earnings rose 15 percent as its focus on new clothing brands attracted customers to its stores.

Reuters - Dell Inc. > on Thursday said quarterly profit fell 28 percent and set a revenue forecast that left analysts asking whether the company had lost the growth momentum of past years.

AP - Japan's economy expanded at an annual pace of 1.7 percent in the July-September quarter, the government said Friday, marking the fourth straight quarter of growth on healthy consumer spending and booming trade.