IBT Staff Reporter

Robert came to me with a very simple existing résumé that neither showcased his broad skill set nor his career achievements.

China has agreed to lower the tariff on imports of ethanol to 5 percent from the previous 30 percent, which traders said could open the door for imports of fuel ethanol from countries like Brazil.

Twitter users who tried to log into their accounts on Thursday were unable to access their pages, but were instead greeted with the words Iranian Cyber Army after the popular micro-blogging site suffered a hacking attack.

The energy, finance, technology and healthcare industries are expected to be the hottest areas in a dealmaking market that in 2010 is likely to expand gradually from this year's depressed levels.

A City of the Dead, indoor soccer pitches and a buy one, get two offer for new homes are just some of the ideas for reviving Ireland's construction sector at a Dublin exhibition.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Friday on upbeat results from technology bellwethers Research In Motion and Oracle.

Citigroup Inc's Vikram Pandit endured a brutal capital raising episode this week in an effort to win the bank's freedom from close government oversight, but the bank's CEO may have won less than he hoped.

Climate Showdown; Ryanair Ends Boeing Talks; Biggest Holiday Shopping Weekend

The euro stabilized on Friday after this week's steep losses against the dollar and yen and rose off nine-month lows versus the Swiss franc while higher oil prices helped European stocks higher in thin year-end trade.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Friday as oil prices rebounded and on upbeat results from technology bellwethers Research In Motion and Oracle.

President Barack Obama met other world leaders in a last push for a new global climate deal on Friday, after negotiators failed to reach a deal on carbon cuts in all-night talks.

Irish airline Ryanair said it had pulled out of talks to buy 200 aircraft from Boeing and would now trim investment from 2011 to cut costs and free up cash to pay to investors, lifting its shares.

The euro clawed back some of its recent steep losses against the dollar and yen on Friday and rose off nine-month lows versus the Swiss franc while higher oil prices pushed European stocks higher in thin year-end trade.

Stocks were expected to open higher on Friday, recovering from the previous session's sharp falls. Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite were up 0.2-0.4 percent by 0915 GMT (4:15 a.m. EST).

U.S. securities regulator FINRA has launched an inquiry into how Citigroup , J.P. Morgan Chase , Morgan Stanley and others offer stock ratings and research, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Bargain-hunting shoppers are expected to flood stores on Super Saturday weekend -- the last before Christmas -- and deliver retailers the highest holiday weekend sales so far this season.

In the lucrative business of underwriting and selling a company's stock, J.P. Morgan led the world's banks this year, earning an estimated $2.2 billion in fees, or nearly double what it hauled from the deals last year.

The euro recovered from early losses on Friday after Pakistan dismissed rumors of a coup while Asian stocks fell as investors fretted about the outlook for corporate earnings.

Asian stocks dipped on Friday as investors fretted about earnings, while the euro recovered from early losses after Pakistan dismissed rumors of a coup.

President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev could reach an agreement in principle on nuclear arms reduction in Copenhagen on Friday, leaving it to negotiators to finalize a deal in coming days, a senior U.S. official said.

China said on Thursday the US move to offer $100 billion in climate funds for poor countries was a good step”, seeking compromise with Washington on its demand for checks on Chinese emissions curbs.

The New York gym teacher who punched Jersey Shore star Nicole Polizzi Snookiin the face has publically apologized for his actions.

World leaders worked through the early hours to try and beat a Friday deadline for a deal on cutting emissions and helping poor countries cope with the costly impact of global warming.

Activist investor Carl Icahn reported an 11.3 percent stake in U.S. video game publisher Take Two Interactive Software Inc , sending its shares up 3.5 percent.

RIM Beats Views; Climate Talk Trouble; Continuing Recovery

Palm Inc reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss as consumers cooled to its new smartphones in the face of fresh competition including devices based on Google Inc software.

When Tassaporn Ratawongsa, a 42-year-old radiologist arrived for work at a private Bangkok hospital recently, she expected to see her patients.

A cliche recipe for success is to aim for the stars. France's luxury hotels say they need to reach for just one more.

Nike Inc forecast a return to sales growth this quarter as it expands market share and rides stronger consumer spending, and on Thursday pledged to stand by Tiger Woods, the face of Nike's golf brand.