COMPANIES

An increasing number of U.S. companies in China say the enforcement of intellectual property rights has deteriorated in the last year and that the regulatory environment is the biggest hurdle to doing business there, a survey showed on Wednesday.

U.K. real estate investement trust Land Securities said it has maintained high levels of activity across its London and Retail portfolios with the continued success on lettings on a number of projects that will drive both valuation surpluses and income growth.

Nearly one-fifth of potential car buyers are either likely or very likely to consider purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) when the time comes to replace their current ride, according to a study conducted by IBM's Institute for Business Value division.

Software services firm HCL Technologies posted a better-than-expected 34.2 percent jump in consolidated net profit for October-December, aided by strong growth in non-core markets.

Tata Steel has raised 5.08 billion rupees ($111.8 million) from anchor investors at the upper end of an indicated price range ahead of a public share offering, reflecting investor optimism in the company's prospects in India's fast-expanding economy.

Forty years have passed by since the Swiss watch brand, Tag Heuer and its founder was obsessed with the idea of speed.

Apple Inc. on Tuesday reported record revenue of $26.74 billion, beating Wall Street's forecast of $24.4 billion after a bumper holiday shopping season.

Home sales in Southern California rose above their seasonal pattern in December from November with a 20.5 percent gain but were down 12.5 percent from a year earlier, reflecting a sluggish jobs market and tight credit, MDA DataQuick said on Tuesday.

The Obama administration on Tuesday stepped up efforts to make it easier for struggling homeowners to renegotiate the terms of their mortgage, although it could be more than a year before such efforts pay off.

Three students were shot today at Gardena High School in Los Angeles County, California, according to local media reports.

Apple Inc., the world's most valuable technology company, is set to report earnings for its Q1 of 2011 after the close. While focus on Steve Jobs' health and leave of absence will likely put pressure on Apple shares, analysts believe the Apple's quarterly performance is still intact.

Despite the unfortunate news of Steve Jobs' medical leave, many analysts think Apple will do just fine in his absence.

A male student at Oak Park-River Forest High School in suburban Chicago may face expulsion from school for ranking fifty female classmates by various criteria on a list and circulating it on Facebook.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced a medical leave yesterday. Robert W. Baird & Co takes a look at what happened to Apple stock in the two previous times Jobs took a medical leave.

South Africa petrochemicals group Sasol said on Tuesday it would not continue with a planned coal-to-liquids plant project in Indonesia as it seeks to focus more on gas-to-liquids opportunities.

China's Sichuan Hongda Co. Ltd. will invest $3 billion in a coal-fired power plant and two iron ore mines in Tanzania, the state-run National Development Corporation (NDC) said on Tuesday.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has pledged to make as much as 6 million barrels per day of surplus crude production capacity available in the event of a strong rise in demand or sudden disruption in supply, a Platts release said on Tuesday.

The delivery of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, no stranger to delays, was pushed back again to third quarter 2011.

Airbus has recorded highest sales in 2010, leaving behind its rival Boeing in airplane orders and deliveries for the third consecutive year, according to a company figure released on Monday.

Japan's JFE Steel Corp (5411.T) said on Tuesday it is boosting purchases of coking coal from the United States, China, Russia and Indonesia after heavy floods hit production sites in Australia, its biggest supplier.

UK-based mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse Plc said it expects full-year earnings per share to be at the top end of 13.5 pence to 14.0 pence range.

Infosys Technologies Ltd on Tuesday said it will appeal an income tax department order demanding India's No. 2 software firm pay 4.57 billion rupees ($100 million) in tax for work done onshore.

Adriana Resources reached a joint venture agreement with a unit of China's Wuhan Iron and Steel Co Ltd on Monday in the latest in a series of deals in Canada's iron mining sector.

Hedge fund manager David Einhorn -- an Apple investor -- said in December that one shouldn't worry too much about CEO Steve Jobs' health at these cheap valuations.

Steve Jobs' email to Apple employees about medical leave

Using a length of cable, a hacker can open your car and drive it off.

Tunisian state-owned Tunisie Telecom may not be able to go ahead with an investor roadshow for its planned listing in Paris and Tunis due to the political situation, investment and banking sources said on Monday.

Combative telecoms partners Telenor and Altimo squared up for yet another battle on Monday, over a proposed bid by their Russian mobile phone firm Vimpelcom for Egyptian tycoon Naguib Sawiris' telecoms assets.

Saudi Arabia has taken in Tunisia's fallen strong man, but the oil wealth of the kingdom and its neighbours should ensure the poverty-driven unrest which ousted Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali does not follow him to the Gulf.