The Microsoft Corporation has prepared a blistering attack on rival Google, arguing that the Web search leader takes a cavalier approach to copyright protection.

Other travelers take service for granted. But as a professional concierge, I?m obsessive about service.

The Agriculture Department ordered seed dealers on Monday not to sell a long-grain rice seed that may contain a genetic modification not approved for planting.

McAfee, the large maker of security software, appointed David DeWalt of the EMC Corporation as its chief executive.

The Inter Pipeline Fund agreed to buy the Corridor pipeline system in Alberta from Kinder Morgan for 275 million Canadian dollars ($233 million) to become the largest shipper of bitumen from the province?s oil sands. The Corridor system transports diluted bitumen, a heavy oil, from the Athabasca oil sands project near Fort McMurray to a processing plant near Edmonton, the partnership said. Inter Pipeline will also assume 485 million Canadian dollars of Corridor debt. Inter Pipeline already operates and holds an 85 percent stake in the Cold Lake pipeline, which transports 330,000 barrels of blended bitumen a day in east-central Alberta. After the Corridor acquisition, the partnership said its lines would carry about half of the production of bitumen from Alberta?s tarlike oil sands.

HSBC Holdings reported that profit rose 5 percent in 2006 despite losses in its mortgage operation in the United States that had led to the removal of two senior executives. The chief executive, Michael F. Geoghegan, said problem loans would take up to three years to work out. HSBC, which is based in London and operates in Europe, Asia and the Americas, reported net income of $15.79 billion for 2006, up from $15.08 billion in 2005. Loan impairment charges and other risk provisions rose to $10.57 billion, from $7.08 billion, largely because of a 20 percent increase in bad debt charges in the subprime mortgage market in the United States.

Tesco offers to pay for repairs to cars damaged by contaminated petrol sold at some of its stores.

Reuters - U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Tuesday that a weakened housing market will not have a major impact on the U.S. financial sector, which he described as quite healthy.

Asian stock markets begin to claw back some ground following five days of losses.

Australia's government says it will not block a proposed takeover of the country's flagship airline Qantas.

British Gas ditches controversial plans to impose a £5 penalty on customers for late payment.

HSBC reports record annual profits of $22bn, even as bad debt from its mortgage business in the US rose.

European and Asian stock markets begin to claw back some ground following five days of losses.

Green credentials are hailed as the car industry gathers in Switzerland for this year's Geneva motor show.

US banking giant Citigroup offers 1.253 trillion yen to buy Nikko Cordial, Japan's third-largest brokerage.

Car giant Chrysler has opened its books to a buyout specialist for an in-depth look at its finances, reports say.

High Street sales saw their strongest growth last month since mid-2006 despite recent rate rises, a report says.

BP chief executive Lord Browne's pay packet shrinks for a second year, the oil giant's annual review shows.

Reuters - Citigroup launched a $10.75 billion takeover bid for scandal-hit Japanese brokerage Nikko Cordial Corp. (8603.T) on Tuesday in a deal designed to transform its business in the world's second-biggest economy.

Reuters - Representatives from Cerberus Capital Management met executives from Chrysler Group on Monday to consider a possible bid for the struggling automaker, the Detroit News reported on Tuesday.

Reuters - Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan was quoted as seeing a 'one-third probability' of recession in the United States this year, according to an interview with Bloomberg.

AP - Investment plan fees can sap thousands of dollars from a worker's retirement savings. Some lawmakers are considering making companies that manage 401(k) plans give clearer and more complete information on those costs.

Investors took advantage of low prices today and started buying again, bringing sighs of relief to Asian markets.

Microsoft is set to launch an attack on Google, saying that its rival's book-scanning service 'violates copyright'.

More Airbus workers go on strike in protest at the firm's restructuring plans, which include 10,000 job cuts.

Australia's government says it will not block a proposed takeover of the country's flagship airline Qantas.

Car giant Chrysler has opened its books to a buyout specialist for an in-depth look at its finances, reports say.

China says it will not allow any more cybercafes to open this year, in an attempt to cut down on 'internet addiction'.

The City watchdog asks insurers and brokers to inform on firms that they think are committing fraud.

Profits at mining group Xstrata more than double, boosted by acquisitions and rising metals prices.

Reuters - Citigroup bid $10.8 billion for Japan's scandal-hit Nikko Cordial Corp. (8603.T) on Tuesday, hoping to secure its biggest Asian deal and mark its resurgence in the world's second-biggest economy.

Reuters - Private equity firm The Blackstone Group may bid for the troubled U.S. division of German automaker DaimlerChrysler AG (DCXGn.DE), a person familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.

If successful, the $10.8 billion takeover would be the largest of a Japanese brokerage firm by a foreign company.

A computer systems technician secretly taped calls with a reporter for The Times, a spokeswoman said.

Investors took advantage of low prices today and started buying again, bringing sighs of relief to Asia.

Shares in bookmakers rise after Europe's top court rejects Italian gambling laws as being too restrictive.

Supermarkets offer to pay for repairs to cars damaged by contaminated petrol sold at stores.

Flybe says it will close down its Bristol operations following its purchase of British Airways' subsidiary BA Connect.

Reuters - U.S. stocks index futures jumped on Tuesday as a rebound in Asian and European equities lifted optimism that the market could be stabilizing after its recent sell-off.

Reuters - Private equity investors closed in on Chrysler on Tuesday as rival automakers at the Geneva car show displayed scant interest in DaimlerChrysler's (DCXGn.DE) loss-making U.S. division.

Reuters - Business productivity growth was revised down sharply as expected in the fourth quarter to an annualized 1.6 percent pace, government data on Tuesday showed, in a warning on inflation as labor costs soared.

Reuters - Bausch & Lomb , which has been struggling to recover from a sweeping recall of its ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution, said on Tuesday it had initiated a recall of certain lots of its ReNu MultiPlus contact lens solution.

Investors took advantage of low prices today and started buying again, bringing sighs of relief to Asia.

If successful, the $10.8 billion takeover would be the largest of a Japanese brokerage firm by a foreign company.

Global stock markets begin to claw back some ground following five days of losses.

US workers' productivity fell short of expectations in late 2006 while labour costs soared, new figures show.

The takeover watchdog sets a deadline for a private equity consortium to make a bid for Sainsbury's.

US banking giant Citigroup offers 1.253 trillion yen to buy Nikko Cordial, Japan's third-largest brokerage.

Reuters - Stocks rose sharply on Tuesday, driving the Nasdaq composite index more than 1 percent higher, as overseas equities rebounded and investors bet that markets may be stabilizing after recent heavy losses.

US factory orders dropped by their largest amount in six and a half years in January, official figures show.

TV phone-in quizzes have been 'sloppy' and viewers' trust is at 'rock bottom', says phone regulator Icstis.

Reuters - Stocks rallied on Tuesday as nearly a week of steep declines left investors with the notion that for now stocks are cheap.

Reuters - Factory orders suffered their steepest drop in six years last month and an index of pending homes sales fell, according to data on Tuesday highlighting weak spots in the economy and risks to output.

Dieter Zetsche, DaimlerChrysler?s chief executive, said it would be difficult to separate and sell single brands.

Revised numbers show a jump in wages and lower productivity, two potentially troubling signs as the Fed considers interest rates.

Reuters - U.S. stocks rose sharply on Tuesday, driving all three major stock indexes up more than 1 percent, as nearly a week of steep declines made shares' valuations look enticing to buyers.

AP - A key House lawmaker said Tuesday that Congress needs to consider making companies that manage 401(k) plans give clearer and more complete information on fees, which can drain thousands of dollars from a worker's retirement savings.

Investors are now searching for a holy grail that symbolizes wealth in both profits and what?s good for the environment.

Stock markets around the world climbed after five days of losses, but analysts warn that volatility is still a concern.

Reuters - U.S. stocks rallied on Tuesday, snapping a three-day losing streak as opportunities to buy cheap shares in beaten-down sectors like financial services enticed some investors back into the market after nearly a week of steep declines.

Investors are now searching for a holy grail that symbolizes wealth in both profits and what?s good for the environment.

Reuters - Cosmetics maker Estee Lauder Cos. Inc. forecast up to 12 percent annual earnings growth over the next three years as it cuts costs and expands overseas and announced a $750 million share buyback on Tuesday.

Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said on Tuesday that it is offering free shipping on thousands of items purchased on its Web site for pick-up in more than 750 of its U.S. stores.

Reuters - U.S. factory orders suffered the steepest drop in six years last month and an index of homes sales fell, according to data on Tuesday highlighting weak spots in the economy that could derail its recovery.

Wall Street rebounded Tuesday on a recovery in world markets. The Dow Jones industrial average rose more than 150 points.

If successful, the $10.8 billion takeover would be the largest of a Japanese brokerage firm by a foreign company.

Investor's Business Daily - Mutual funds have been a strong force in the investment world, with their assets mushrooming from $135 billion at the end of 1980 to $10 trillion at year-end 2006.

In coming months, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo will introduce carbonated drinks fortified with vitamins and minerals.

An international financial dispute between a group of Ohio investors and Venezuela?s solicitor general is playing out in federal court.

Trying to catch up with Google, Microsoft says it will change the way computer users search.

New labor statistics show that productivity is slowing faster than previously thought, raising the question of whether layoffs are soon to follow.

The top European court on Tuesday prohibited Italy from prosecuting bookmakers based in other European countries.

The first Class A commercial condominium building in Lower Manhattan has taken lobby art to a new level, transforming the space with rotating exhibits.

A campaign for sunglasses carries a theme ? ?Never hide? ? that seems counterintuitive when you consider the product.

Gaps in insurance aren?t the only problem with the medical system. Hospitals should be required to report more information.

The federal government will owe $7 billion in damages to nuclear plant operators who signed contracts for the planned waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

The chairman of the Federal Reserve urged Congress to bolster regulation of the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Thousands of Airbus employees took to the streets to protest planned job cuts that have drawn fire amid a heated presidential campaign.

The UnitedHealth Group completed an earnings restatement of up to $1.5 billion tied to its stock options accounting Tuesday.

Oil spills and safety lapses in the United States have overshadowed record profits.

The owner of fashion brands including Joe Boxer and Candie?s said it had agreed to buy the Rocawear brand for $204 million in cash.

Comerica Inc., a financial services company with assets of $58 billion, said on Tuesday that it would move its headquarters to Dallas from Detroit.

A drug to spur growth in extremely short children will be removed from the market to settle patent infringement charges.

The Tribune Company said on Tuesday that it was selling its daily newspapers in Stamford and Greenwich, Conn., to the Gannett Company for $73 million.

Tekturna, the first new type of blood pressure medicine in more than a decade, is a potential blockbuster for the Swiss pharmaceutical maker Novartis.

The Topps Company said that it would be acquired for $385 million by an investment firm run by Michael D. Eisner.

Ernest Gallo parlayed $5,900 and a wine recipe from a public library into the world?s largest winemaking empire.

Paul Secon opened the first Pottery Barn store in Manhattan in 1949, selling discontinued and slightly damaged ceramics from an upstate New York factory.

The Bank of Canada held its main overnight interest rate unchanged at 4.25 percent, as expected, and shrugged off market volatility. It made no suggestion of future rate moves, indicating that it will keep monetary policy unchanged for some time. ?The Bank of Canada is very happy where things are, given all the uncertainties,? said Michael Gregory, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.

Meggitt, a British engineering and manufacturing company, agreed to buy K&F Industries Holdings of White Plains, N.Y., for $1.1 billion. Meggitt, which specializes in aerospace, military and electronics products, will pay $27 a share of K&F, or 10 percent above the stock?s closing price on Monday. K&F makes aircraft wheels, brake systems and other parts.

The military-installed government completed the takeover of the country?s only independent television station, and said it would temporarily pull it off the air after it failed to pay billions of dollars in fees. The takeover was expected after the station said last week that it could not pay the fees. The government announced yesterday that it would terminate iTV?s license after the deadline had passed for paying nearly $3 billion in fines, broadcasting license fees and interest. The government?s move was the latest in a series of decisions that have raised concern among investors and the public about the direction of Thailand?s leaders. Others include the imposition of capital controls and new restrictions placed on foreign ownership of Thai companies. A minister in the prime minister?s office, told reporters the station would stop broadcasting today but could resume transmission as early as Friday if government officials could resolve legal issues for new ownership.

Volkswagen?s chairman, Ferdinand Piech, may join the board of the truck maker MAN, of which Volkswagen owns a 29.9 percent stake, MAN said. Mr. Piech, along with an executive with Volkswagen?s truck division, Stephan Schaller, will be among those directors whom shareholders will vote on during the May 10 annual meeting, MAN said. Mr. Piech, above, and Mr. Schaller would join Rupert Stadler, an executive with Volkswagen?s Audi subsidiary. Volkswagen has been pushing for an alliance formed of itself, MAN and Sania, another truck maker.

The man who helped to create an international market for Californian wine, Ernest Gallo, dies, aged 97.

Reuters - U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on Wednesday predicted stable growth for the U.S. economy but he made no remarks on the yen or financial markets which are jittery after more than a week of turmoil.

Reuters - A memo from Starbucks Corp.'s founder and chairman warning of threats to the brand has created misplaced growth fears, analysts said on Tuesday, arguing that the memo was a rallying cry for managers rather than a call to slow down.

AP - U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson expressed confidence Wednesday in the global economy, calling it strong and characterized by low inflation. 'We have a very strong global economy,' Paulson told reporters after meeting South Korean Finance Minister Kwon O-kyu. 'We have a global economy with low inflation, high levels of liquidity and I feel very comfortable with the global economy.'