POLITICS

China Merchants Bank shares began to trade in HKex today after yestoday's hot off-board transactions which dark-price once jumped 11 yuan yestoday and closed at 10.6 yuan - far higher than its offering price of 8.55 yuan, and the Price-Book value ratio soared 3.19 time.

Government funded energywatch today issued a statement on energy price speculation.

Prudential Plc today announced a change of its board. The Chief Executive of Prudential Corporation Asia, Mark Norbom will be leaving his position

Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited (EPNL), a subsidiary of TOTAL, says it has encountered hydrocarbon resources in Usan field discovery in its deep water Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 222.

Norwich Union will be offering a new tranche of its guaranteed fund it was announced today.

U.S. stocks slid on Thursday after a report said factory activity contracted in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region in September for the first time in over three years, prompting worries about a slowdown in the U.S. economy and corporate profits.

U.S. Mid-Atlantic factory activity retrenched for the first time in over three years in September, the latest sign of a rapidly-slowing economy.

Scottish and Southern Energy has confirmed today that it will keep its energy prices the same until the beginning of 2007.

Today Cable & Wireless announced that it is expecting a profit margin rise to between 35 and 37% by the financial year 2008–2009.

NXT Plc, provider of sound solutions, today announced it’s Preliminary Results for the year ended 30th June 2006.

Scholastic Corporation reported the results of for the 2007 first quarter, ended 31st August 2006.

Reuters Group Plc has appointed the Michael Peace, CEO of one of its subsidiaries to the position of global head of its Research and Asset Management division.

Today the Department of Transport announced changes to airport security restrictions.

The long, hot summer was not without cost this year as overheated Britons spent an estimated 5 billion pounds trying to keep cool

Russian oil firm Sibir Energy may hand half of a Siberian joint venture with Royal Dutch/Shell to Gazprom's oil arm in return for control of Moscow's oil refinery

British–Russian oil firm TNK BP, half owned by BP, said on Thursday that there was no sign of any threat to its licence for the Kovykta gas field

Takeover target Gondola Holdings said more restaurant openings were on the menu on Thursday after it posted a 4.1 percent rise in annual like for like sales.

Laura Ashley , the British retailer famed for its floral fabrics, said on Thursday it returned to profit and enjoyed strong sales in the first half of the year thanks to further cost cuts and strong demand.

Publisher Daily Mail & General Trust said on Thursday advertising markets were proving patchy for its national titles but was enjoying good growth for revenue from its business and digital operations.

Two U.S. software firms are asking the European Commission to take action against Microsoft's new Vista operating system

Almost a decade after being battered by the Asian financial crisis, emerging market investors are getting a worrying reminder about political risk from the streets of Budapest to the barracks of Bangkok.

Boston airport authorities cannot stop Continental Airlines from offering wireless Internet service in its frequent flier lounge under a proposed Federal Communications Commission ruling

The equity release market could treble in the next five years, according to the largest player in the sector.

FTSE 100 opened flat on Thursday as further weakness in crude prices hit oil heavyweights, but strong earnings boosted supermarket group Morrison .

Independent oil explorer Premier Oil reported a 64 percent rise in first half net profits on Thursday, as higher oil and gas prices more than made up for a fall in production.

German drugmaker Merck on Thursday unveiled a surprise 16.6 billion Swiss franc (7 billion pound) deal to buy Swiss biotech firm Serono

Wm Morrison Supermarkets posted a return to profit in its first half and said on Thursday the second half had started well, sending its shares up 4.3 percent to a 28 month high.

After the Russian government announced its withdrawal of environmental approval for the Sakhalin-2 liquefied natural gas (LNG) project on Sep. 18, Alexander Losyukov, Russia's ambassador to Tokyo, said on Wednesday that the construction continues as stated on their contract.

BP today announced that it had entered the final planning stage of a $3 billion investment in Canadian heavy crude oil processing at its Whiting Refinery in northwest Indiana.