International Business News - Consumer Services http://www.ibtimes.com/rss/feed/consumerservices.rss All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 120 30 http://www.ibtimes.com/rss/feed/consumerservices.rss http://www.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif The risk of strike action at Dutch mail company TNT NV grew on Monday after members of its two largest unions rejected proposals that included a pay cut of up to 3.5 percent to prevent massive job cuts. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091123/unions-reject-tnt-deal-prevent-massive-job-cuts.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/224590-unions-reject-tnt-deal-to-prevent-massive-job-cuts.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091123/unions-reject-tnt-deal-prevent-massive-job-cuts.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091123/unions-reject-tnt-deal-prevent-massive-job-cuts.htm Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:46:53 EST Hitachi Ltd is expected to sign a high-speed railway project deal in the UK worth more than 500 billion yen ($5.62 billion), as the electronics conglomerate stepped up its efforts to exploit overseas markets, the Nikkei business daily reported. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091123/hitachi-may-sign-uk-high-speed-rail-project-nikkei.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/224589-hitachi-may-sign-uk-high-speed-rail-project-nikkei.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091123/hitachi-may-sign-uk-high-speed-rail-project-nikkei.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091123/hitachi-may-sign-uk-high-speed-rail-project-nikkei.htm Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:41:22 EST Struggling carrier Japan Airlines Corp (JAL) plans to propose cutting pension payments to its employees and retirees by an average of roughly 40 percent, a Japanese newspaper said on Saturday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091121/jal-propose-40-pct-pension-payouts-media.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/224517-jal-to-propose-40-pct-cut-to-pension-payouts-media.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091121/jal-propose-40-pct-pension-payouts-media.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091121/jal-propose-40-pct-pension-payouts-media.htm Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:03:30 EST Bank of America Corp Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis has said he would consider postponing his retirement if directors need more time to find a successor or smooth the transition to the next CEO, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091121/bank-america-ceo-lewis-may-delay-retiring-wsj.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/224508-bank-of-america-ceo-lewis-may-delay-retiring-wsj.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091121/bank-america-ceo-lewis-may-delay-retiring-wsj.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091121/bank-america-ceo-lewis-may-delay-retiring-wsj.htm Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:40:48 EST The chief executive of Delta Air Lines Inc says the SkyTeam alliance of global carriers would be willing to invest more than its proposed $1.02 billion in Japan Airlines, the Wall Street Journal reported. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091121/delta-says-skyteam-could-invest-more-jal-wsj.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/224507-delta-says-skyteam-could-invest-more-in-jal-wsj.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091121/delta-says-skyteam-could-invest-more-jal-wsj.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091121/delta-says-skyteam-could-invest-more-jal-wsj.htm Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:39:42 EST Japan Airlines Corp will ask the government as early as Tuesday for 100 billion yen ($1.13 billion) in bridge loans from the Development Bank of Japan, the Nikkei business daily said. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091121/jal-seek-emergency-bridge-loans-from-govt-nikkei.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/224506-jal-to-seek-emergency-bridge-loans-from-govt-nikkei.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091121/jal-seek-emergency-bridge-loans-from-govt-nikkei.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091121/jal-seek-emergency-bridge-loans-from-govt-nikkei.htm Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:36:32 EST Sands China Ltd raised US$2.5 billion when it priced its Hong Kong initial public offering at the bottom of an indicated range, a source familiar with the deal said on Saturday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/sands-china-raises5-bln-low-end-range.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/sands-china-raises5-bln-low-end-range.htm Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:33:14 EST South African media group Naspers has signed an increased $1.6 billion forward start loan with a group of international banks, banking sources said on Friday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/rlpc-naspers-doubles6-bln-forward-start-loan-sources.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/rlpc-naspers-doubles6-bln-forward-start-loan-sources.htm Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:26:58 EST With the clock ticking toward a December 31 deadline, Boeing Co executives on Friday said the company is on schedule for the first test flight of its long-delayed and highly anticipated 787 Dreamliner. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/boeing-787-flight-on-track-end-executives.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/224479-boeing-787-flight-on-track-for-year-end-executives.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/boeing-787-flight-on-track-end-executives.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/boeing-787-flight-on-track-end-executives.htm Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:04:27 EST Nomura Asset Management said on Friday it will suspend new subscriptions of a popular U.S. REIT investment trust fund as heavy inflows from retail investors boosted its size beyond the appropriate level to manage the fund. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/nomura-asset-suspend-subscription-reit-fund.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/224470-nomura-asset-to-suspend-subscription-of-reit-fund.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/nomura-asset-suspend-subscription-reit-fund.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/nomura-asset-suspend-subscription-reit-fund.htm Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:55:15 EST Malaysia has awarded a commercial bank license to Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the country's biggest bank, Malaysia's central bank said on Friday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/chinas-biggest-bank-gets-malaysia-licensebank.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/224469-chinas-biggest-bank-gets-malaysia-licensebank.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/chinas-biggest-bank-gets-malaysia-licensebank.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/chinas-biggest-bank-gets-malaysia-licensebank.htm Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:53:16 EST Hungary's K&H Bank, the local unit of Belgium's KBC Group, said risk provisions rose and lending dropped sharply in the first three quarters, eroding net profit. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/kbc-hungary-units-q3-drops-may-hold-ipo-2011.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/224465-kbc-hungary-units-q3-drops-may-hold-ipo-in-2011.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/kbc-hungary-units-q3-drops-may-hold-ipo-2011.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/kbc-hungary-units-q3-drops-may-hold-ipo-2011.htm Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:37:14 EST Met-Pro Corp posted third-quarter results that missed market estimates, but said new orders were up sequentially. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/met-pro-q3-lags-street.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/met-pro-q3-lags-street.htm Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:32:35 EST Bain Capital, which earlier this week announced a $1 billion acquisition of Bellsystem24 from Citigroup Inc, said it would look to list the Japanese telemarketer when it is ready to exit its investment. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/bain-says-plans-list-bellsystem-future.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/bain-says-plans-list-bellsystem-future.htm Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:42:27 EST The IPO of Brazilian real estate developer Direcional Engenharia signals a recovery in smaller stock offerings in the country, after very large deals earlier this year, said Edemir Pinto, chief executive of exchange operator BM&FBovespa on Thursday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/bm-fbovespa-sees-recovery-small-cap-offerings.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/bm-fbovespa-sees-recovery-small-cap-offerings.htm Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:34:47 EST Off-price retailer Ross Stores Inc posted an in-line quarterly profit, helped by better margins, but the company maintained its fourth-quarter earnings forecast which was below market expectations, sending its shares down 4 percent. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/ross-stores-q3-profit-line-maintains-q4-view.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/ross-stores-q3-profit-line-maintains-q4-view.htm Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:22:49 EST A unit of General Electric Co raised $500 million in a 5-year Islamic bond sale, the first by a large U. S. conglomerate, as it looks to diversify its investor base. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/ge-capital-raises-500-million-debut-islamic-bond.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/ge-capital-raises-500-million-debut-islamic-bond.htm Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:12:00 EST Blackstone Group and other private equity firms have held informal talks with Citigroup Inc over its auto loan unit CitiFinancial Auto, the New York Post said, citing sources. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/blackstone-eyes-citis-auto-loan-unit-report.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/224375-blackstone-eyes-citis-auto-loan-unit-report.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/blackstone-eyes-citis-auto-loan-unit-report.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/blackstone-eyes-citis-auto-loan-unit-report.htm Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:07:46 EST The naming of a new CEO at DirecTV Group Inc could signal it's time for a takeover bid for the satellite TV company. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091118/liberty-sets-directv-loose-sale-merger.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/224344-liberty-sets-directv-loose-for-sale-merger.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091118/liberty-sets-directv-loose-sale-merger.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091118/liberty-sets-directv-loose-sale-merger.htm Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:36:03 EST U.S. bank JPMorgan Chase & Co is likely to seal its purchase of the half of Cazenove it does not own for just under 1 billion pounds ($1.7 billion) on Thursday, people familiar with the matter said. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091118/jpmorgan-set-seal-cazenove-deal-thurs-sources.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091118/jpmorgan-set-seal-cazenove-deal-thurs-sources.htm Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:22:57 EST