IBT Staff Reporter

India, the largest sugar consumer in the world, is unlikely to reinstate customs duty on raw sugar import despite a fall in sugar prices and the projected higher output this year. The sugar industry urged the government for the restoration of import duty in order to discourage import in the wake of falling sugar prices in the country. While the government decided to continue duty free sugar.

Wheat production in Germany, Europe's second largest producer, is expected to fall this season due to wet weather conditions. According to DRV farm co-operatives association, German winter wheat harvest, essentially all the crop, will fall by 1.3% to 24.59 million tones. The DRV currently expects no record harvest, but good average yields, the co-operative said.

The World Gold Council (WGC) appointed India's Ajay Mitra as regional head and managing director to Middle East and Turkey.

According to the Association for Prevention and Harm Reduction Programs Australia (Anex), bans on prisoners possessing drugs and syringes have failed to stop their routine use behind the prison walls.

India-based electronic spot commodity trading bourse, National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL) is mulling to tap retail segment of gold investors by launching demat gold investment product on its platform on Wednesday, March 17, 2010. The segment, which on lines of cash segment in equities, offers commodities in the demat form in smaller denominations like one gm, two gms, three gms etc.

Stocks were little changed on Thursday, though the S&P and Nasdaq turned lower after data from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve showed new orders in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region decelerated in March.

The U.S. stock market is trading flat as Thursday's unemployment and inflation data offered little surprise.

Consumer prices were unexpectedly unchanged in February as a drop in energy costs was offset by higher food and medical care costs, a government report showed on Thursday, backing up the Federal Reserve's commitment to ultra low interest rates.

South Korea's No. 2 carmaker Kia Motors said on Thursday it will invest 100 million euros ($137 million) building a new engine plant at its assembly site in Slovakia.

Google has teamed up with up Intel and Sony to develop an Android-powered internet platform for televisions and set-top boxes.

Britain announced hundreds of millions of pounds in aid to Ford Motor and Nissan Motor for the development of environmentally friendly technologies as it seeks to become a world leader in ultra low-carbon vehicles.

The U.S. current account deficit widened less than expected to $115.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009, largely driven by the swelling U.S. trade deficit, a Commerce Department report showed on Thursday.

A California Highway Patrol report released on Wednesday in a sensational runaway Toyota Prius incident appears to support the version of events given by the driver, which the automaker has called into question.

According to a recent report, alcohol abuse is increasing in the Pacific and that Australian beer plays a big role in the problem.

Japan's Nissan Motor Co will begin building the Leaf electric compact car at its Sunderland plant from early 2013, making Britain its third global production site for the zero-emission vehicle.

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Futures on U.S. stock indices erased losses to trade mostly flat ahead of the opening of the stock market on Thursday after a report showed declining unemployment claims.

Lawmakers would seek to end current ad hoc international efforts, echoing industry calls for worldwide rules.

Greece raised the stakes on Thursday in its quest for EU help to tackle its debt crisis, warning it cannot achieve promised deficit cuts if its borrowing costs remain so high and may have to call in the IMF.

Israel's Teva has won the battle for German generic drugmaker Ratiopharm, paying an enterprise value of 3.625 billion euros to fix the industry leader's weakness in the world's second-largest generics market.

Barnes & Noble Inc promoted the head of its e-commerce business to chief executive, weeks after investor Ron Burkle accused its board of protecting the interests of its controlling family when it blocked his attempt to raise his stake.

Members of the World Trade Organization are likely to conclude next week that it will take a political miracle to agree a new trade deal this year, consigning yet another Doha round deadline to the dustbin.

The number of workers filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell less than expected last week, while consumer prices were unchanged in February on lower energy prices.

Wall Street was set for a flat open on Thursday, one day after the Dow pushed to a 17-month high, as data showed consumer prices were unchanged in February and the number of new applications for jobless benefits fell slightly less than expected last week.

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama picked up support for healthcare reform on Wednesday from a prominent liberal and a group of Catholic nuns, who broke with bishops on the issue of abortion and urged passage of the overhaul.

Stock index futures remained little changed on Thursday after data showed first-time applications for jobless insurance ticked lower in the latest week, and U.S. consumer prices were unexpectedly unchanged in February.

Europe will not make the most of its multi-billion euro clean energy investments until old monopolies are broken up.

Shortages of nurses in Australia risks patients

Deutsche Telekom's U.S. wireless unit, T-Mobile USA, is looking at possible joint ventures with cable companies and network providers to boost its spectrum capacity.