IBT Staff Reporter

Occupancy rates in hotels in Bangkok, the Thai capital that has been the scene of violent clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces, stand at below 30 percent, a spokesman for Federation of Thai Tourism Associations said on Thursday. We were expecting 80-90 pct room occupancy rate in BKK, but I don't think we can make it to 30 pct, Charoen Wangananont, a spokesman for the...

Asian stocks rose and neared 22-month highs on Thursday after U.S. tech and financial firms beat earnings forecasts and China's accelerating economic growth underpinned hopes of a broad, global economic recovery.

Asian stocks rose on Thursday as China's economic growth accelerated and bellwether U.S. tech and financial firms reported strong results, boosting appetite for riskier assets and putting the U.S. dollar on the defensive.

The recent unrest in Kyrgyzstan has largely been portrayed as an epic clash between U.S. and Russian interests. That said, interest in events in Bishkek extend far beyond Kyrgyzstan throughout the regional and one should expect the following voices to add their concerns as the situation evolves. While largely overlooked by media coverage, their influence could be a significant factor in both interim and long-term solutions that emerge to Kyrgyzstan's recent upheavals.

Dollar General Corp on Wednesday priced 26 million shares at $27 each in a secondary public offering that allowed certain shareholders to sell their stock, the company said in a statement.

In spring 2008, Lehman Brothers didn't have too many friends on Wall Street.

United Parcel Service Inc said its first quarter earnings per share would be much higher than it had expected and raised its outlook for the year, sending its shares up 4 percent in after-hours trading.

Microblogging sensation Twitter. which has now signed up more than 100 million users, outlined on Wednesday several revenue-generating initiatives, declaring that making money was now a primary goal.

Toshiba Corp's personal computer sales in the United States jumped 50 percent in the first quarter, and the company said it was preparing to roll out tablet-style computing devices later this year to compete with Apple Inc's iPad.

A U.S. business group on Wednesday said it welcomed China's plans to ease restrictions on foreign investment, in a sign that tensions over currency have not blocked progress on all other trade issues.

Global personal computer shipments rose sharply in the first quarter, according to industry estimates released on Wednesday, as businesses finally began to spend again on technology equipment.

Dr Yian Gu and colleagues at Columbia University Medical Centre in the US over the four years study shown that out of 2,148 retirement-age adults living in New york, 253 of these older adults developed Alzheimer's disease.

Sales at U.S. retailers rose more vigorously than expected in March and firming demand led businesses to rebuild inventories to a seven-month high in February, suggesting a broadening economic recovery.

Option investors on Wednesday appeared to be taking bullish positions in IBM , hoping the tech bellwether will deliver upbeat earnings next week after Intel's results impressed.

An obesity expert from the UK believes Australia has overtaken America as having one of the unhealthiest diets in the world.

The policies of the current U.S. administration have created political risk to investing in the United States, billionaire real estate investor Sam Zell said on Wednesday.

With the excitement around the launch of Apple's iPad and the growing popularity of other digital devices, it is a challenge to retain the romance of the printed book, according to the head of publisher Penguin.

U.S. stocks notched a fifth straight day of gains on Wednesday as stronger-than-expected corporate results and March retail sales pushed the S&P 500 past 1,200 for the first time in 18 months.

Financial news service Theflyonthewall.com Inc has urged a Manhattan federal judge to lift a ban on its quickly reporting hot news about analyst research from three Wall Street banks, saying the ban has cost it subscribers and could threaten its survival.

JPMorgan Chase & Co reported quarterly profit that beat forecasts and set a high bar for rivals, as investment banking earnings gained, loan losses slowed and Chief Executive Jamie Dimon sounded an atypically optimistic note about the prospects for a strong U.S. economic recovery.

Economic activity strengthened in most U.S. regions during March and early April with the exception of St. Louis, where plans to close several plants were announced, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday.

Economic activity strengthened in most U.S. regions during March and early April with the exception of St. Louis, where plans to close several plants were announced, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Wednesday an overhaul of financial regulations was at a critical moment and said he believed a legislative agreement was close.

Global authorities should dismantle banks that are so large their failure could destabilize the international financial system, Dallas Federal Reserve President Richard Fisher said on Wednesday.

Longstanding stereotypes of Appalachia conjure images of a backwater region blighted by poverty. Now the state of Ohio is working to change that perception by promoting the region as an emerging hotbed for startups in industries such as high tech and alternative energy.

U.S. corporations looking to slash costs during the recession found some savings in environmentally conscious business practices, but a higher price tag on green products is a barrier to many consumers.

Apple Inc's decision to delay the sale of its iPad overseas may frustrate customers in Germany, France or Japan -- but it brightened the day of at least a few crafty fans closer to home.

U.S. securities regulators proposed requiring high-frequency traders to reveal their identities and disclose their trades -- the latest attempt to get a grip on the lightening-fast trades that are shaking up equity markets.

Financial news service Theflyonthewall.com Inc has asked a U.S. federal judge to lift a ban on its reporting hot news about analyst research from three Wall Street banks, saying the ban has cost it subscribers and could threaten its survival.