Business and Finance news

What Would Jesus … Deduct?
President Obama offered a new line of reasoning for hiking taxes on the rich on Thursday, saying at the National Prayer Breakfast that his policy proposals are shaped by his religious beliefs.

Obama said that as a person who has been "extraordinarily blessed," he is willing to give up some of […]

Greece is confident a debt relief deal with private creditors that is crucial to avoid default can be reached “very soon,” a government spokesman said Friday.
Prime Minister Lucas Papademos met for a third day with negotiators from the Institute of International Finance, which represents the private creditors who are being asked to take a loss […]

Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo reiterated a pledge to make extra budget cuts amid slower economic growth while calling on the European Union to step up efforts to bolster the region

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner

Japan is poised to unveil a currency-swap line with India in its second international financial agreement with top Asian powers this week.
Finance Minister Jun Azumi told reporters today in Tokyo that Japan is negotiating an agreement with India, the third- largest economy in Asia behind China and Japan. The deal is likely to be […]

Yemen’s outgoing president said Saturday he would leave the country for the United States to help calm tensions in his country as forces commanded by his son and nephew opened fire on more than 100,000 protesters marching into the capital, killing at least nine.
The protesters had marched on foot for four days from the city […]

Marcellus Shale natural gas production is expected to keep rising in 2012, yet landowners may find that signing lease deals isn’t as easy as in years past.
Though still in its early stages, industry experts say that the business of Marcellus Shale gas drilling is starting to change, as new forces emerge.
Among them: lawmakers putting regulations […]

His legacy tarnished and his hopes of clinging to power dashed, Silvio Berlusconi faces daunting legal and financial challenges now that he has left office and the prospect of life outside the international spotlight.
He has vowed he won’t run again for office, though few expect he’ll abandon Italian politics for good. Berlusconi himself has already […]

Chrysler said Tuesday its U.S. sales jumped 27 percent in October, while General Motors reported a slimmer 2 percent increase on increased demand for both cars and trucks.
Chrysler Group LLC sold more than 114,000 cars and trucks last month compared with 90,000 a year earlier. The results marked the Auburn Hills, Mich.-based automaker’s best October […]

Higher fares helped Delta Air Lines post a bigger third-quarter profit even though fuel prices jumped and passenger traffic was flat.
But the company’s results missed Wall Street expectations and helped push down its stock price 2.3 percent in pre-market trading.
In the past, airlines struggled to make money in a weak economy or when fuel prices […]