INVESTMENT

It took a two week-long cottage cheese rebellion to get Israelis to question the power of the country's tycoons.

Most financial advisers are holding a lot of hands this week. Many of their clients, with the horrors of the financial crisis so fresh, are getting scared by the possibility of a United States' debt default.

James Murdoch was unanimously confirmed as chairman by BSkyB's board, winning a reprieve from a phone-hacking scandal that threatens to draw him into multiple investigations, two sources briefed on the board meeting told Reuters.

Four IPOs were received with varying levels of interest on their market debut, signaling that investors were being very selective of where they want to put their money.

To be sure, long-term, the U.S. budget deficit must be eliminated. But if policy makers cut federal spending too much, too soon during a period of weak demand, the result will be another recession.

James Murdoch was unanimously confirmed as chairman by BSkyB's (BSY.L) board, winning a reprieve from a phone-hacking scandal that threatens to draw him into multiple investigations, two sources briefed on the board meeting told Reuters.

Jeffrey Gundlach tried to steal a business worth hundreds of millions of dollars after he failed to become the head of his former employer, Trust Company of the West, an attorney for TCW said in court on Thursday.

South Africa's rand slipped on Thursday after posting strong gains this week, while bond prices fell on concerns over the U.S. debt standoff and stocks fell for the fourth straight day.

Sprint Nextel posted second-quarter profit margins well below Wall Street estimates, sending its shares down 16 percent as the No. 3 U.S. mobile provider still lost more subscribers than expected despite spending heavily to fight off rivals.

Zambian President Rupiah Banda dissolved parliament on Thursday and set September 20 as the date for elections that are likely to hand him and his Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) another five years in power in Africa's biggest copper producer.

Scorpex has entered into a deal with IET to install and operate waste gasification equipment in Mexico.

Toronto's main stock index plunged more than 2 percent on Wednesday to its lowest point this month as weak U.S. data and a looming deadline for raising the U.S. debt ceiling sent investors searching for safety.

MERS, the electronic mortgage registry that faces multiple investigations for its role in thousands of problematic foreclosure cases, changed its rules to lower its profile in court-supervised foreclosures.

It is understandable that foreign investors have been losing confidence with the U.S.?s ability to deal with its debt issue

Carbon market participants said revisions to key rules may not be enough to ensure that trading in secondary offset markets in California is liquid and stable.

The Kenyan shilling reversed earlier gains and fell for a third straight day against the dollar on Wednesday after the central bank said it had kept its key lending rate at 6.25 percent.

Striking workers in South Africa's petroleum sector are discussing a revised wage offer to end a three-week-old walkout as stoppages spread to the vital mining sector, threatening supplies of coal and gold.

Wall Street skidded on Wednesday as troubling signs from U.S. corporations and falling demand for long-lasting manufactured goods discouraged investors already nervous about faltering debt talks in Washington.

Jeff Bezos and Amazon have unique competitive advantage, some analysts say. They suggest Amazon is succeeding bigger, and faster, than Wal-Mart did, becoming the world's largest retailer. That begs the question: Has Amazon built the most competitive business ever?

Japanese authorities know there is not much they can do to turn a broad weak-dollar tide so will judge any intervention a success if it keeps speculative action from driving up the yen too far and too fast.

Amazon's stock is trading near a 52-week high, up more than five percent Wednesday after the company posted strong second quarter earnings and profits. But Amazon will go higher, say some analysts, because the company has a decided competitive advantage.