IBT Staff Reporter

Zale Corp is looking to sell the leases on as many as 12 of its New York City jewelry stores in an apparent move to shore up its finances.

The three major U.S. indices ended mixed on Wednesday. In the morning, the stock market rallied on U.S. economic data and encouraging developments from Greece.

Molson Coors Brewing Co , viewed by some as a potential suitor for the beer business of Foster's Group Ltd , is interested in acquisitions as long as they are smart, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

A top military official in Chile admitted Tuesday his team hesitated in providing information about a possible tsunami following the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the nation during pre-dawn hours Saturday.

U.S. stocks ended little changed on Wednesday as worries about bank regulation and a setback for drug company Pfizer offset signs of improvement in the labor market and services sector.

The Australian Dollar opens higher today at 0.9045. The unit was bolstered during yesterday's domestic session hitting an intraday high of 0.9060 after fourth-quarter national accounts revealed a 0.9 per cent increase in economic growth for an annualised pace of 2.7 per cent.

The U.S. agency that insures corporate pensions will assume plans covering 5,800 workers and retirees of a joint venture in California between Toyota Motor Corp and General Motors Co that closes at the end of the month.

Private jobs data and a Federal Reserve report showed glimmers of improvement in the U.S. labor market last month, considered key to propelling the economic recovery, while the U.S. services sector grew at its fastest pace since the recession began.

The number of spam messages being sent globally is reaching new heights, with nearly 90 percent of all emails sent last month being illegitimate.

U.S. banks would be banned from proprietary trading and other large financial firms would face quantitative limits on such activity, according to draft language on the so-called Volcker rule from the Obama administration.

Russia announced a halt to space tourism on Wednesday, saying it would struggle to ferry professional crews to the International Space Station after the U.S. mothballs its shuttle fleet this year.

Apple Inc sued Taiwan's HTC Corp, which makes touchscreen smartphones using Google software, accusing it of infringing 20 hardware and software patents related to the iPhone.

Ukraine's parliament dismissed the government of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko Wednesday, giving her rival, the newly elected President Viktor Yanukovich, the difficult task of stitching together a new ruling coalition.

The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday proposed another new rule to strengthen consumer protections against abusive practices by credit card issuers, including limiting penalty fees and requiring them to reconsider past interest rate hikes.

Suicide bombers struck Iraq Wednesday just days before a national election, killing 33 people and wounding 55 as the war-scarred nation seeks to cement its frail democracy before a U.S. troop pullout.

Italy has arrested seven people Wednesday on suspicion of trafficking arms to Iran -- two Iranians they believe are secret agents and five Italians, police said Wednesday.

President Barack Obama said on Wednesday it is time to pass his sweeping healthcare overhaul using only a slim Democratic majority in Congress if necessary, saying the issue is too important to be delayed by politics after a year of debate.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told representatives from consumer groups on Wednesday that he won't accept a financial regulatory bill that fails to provide strong market protection for consumers.

SWEIMEH, Jordan, March 3 - Islamic banking must speed standardization to grow while monetary authorities should enact laws that allow expansion into new Sharia-based products in domestic markets, industry experts said on Wednesday.

Health regulators have warned units of Nestle and more than a dozen other foodmakers over nutritional claims made for baby food, nuts and other products on food labels and product websites, according to letters made public on Wednesday.

Safeway Inc forecast 2010 profit that could fall short of Wall Street's view as the supermarket operator tries to jump-start its business after lowering prices to better compete with major rivals.

The U.S. Justice Department has launched an investigation into whether hedge funds might have acted together in betting against the euro, a source familiar with the situation said on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks lost gains and were trading little changed on Wednesday as the White House stepped up its efforts to overhaul healthcare and bank regulation, sparking concerns about the potential impact on profits in those sectors.

The following is a transcript of President Barack Obama's prepared statement for a speech on health insurance reform on Wednesday where he urges members of Congress to pass bill within the next few weeks after a year of debate.

The S&P 500 Index pared morning gains as health care stocks drag down the index after President Obama's remarks on efforts to pass the health care hill.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday called for Congress to decide upon health insurance reforms with an up-or-down vote in the next few weeks, the clearest indication yet that he favors passing a bill through the reconciliation process.

The U.S. economy will recover slowly and the unemployment rate will take some time to come down, Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank President Dennis Lockhart said on Wednesday.

General Growth Properties Inc said on Wednesday it was ready to give suitors information, as it squared against creditors at a hearing over how much time it should be allowed to be the only party that can file a reorganization plan.

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC defended itself against a brought on by Apple yesterday, saying it doesn't infringe, but develops its own technologies.