Thrifty spending habits seen dying hard even as economy lifts
LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Consumers are sticking to frugal shopping habits developed in the recession even as developed economies show signs of recovery, suggesting some behavior changes could be permanent, industry executives say.
Fashion designers look to patents to fight knockoffs
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Design companies tending to the details of fashion shows have more to think about than skirt lengths and handbag clasps – they must decide whether to seek U.S. patent protection for their looks.
EU watchdog should not have power to ban short-selling
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain has won backing to curb the power of the European Union market watchdog to ban short-selling in a boost to a campaign against the concentration of financial regulation in Brussels at the expense of the City of London.
UK retailers say talk of economic recovery premature
LONDON (Reuters) – Some of Britain’s biggest retailers on Thursday cast doubt on an imminent consumer recovery, saying they expected spending to remain subdued until wages started to grow ahead of inflation, which could be at least a year away.
Clock ticking for a 2013 Alibaba IPO
HONG KONG (Reuters) – The door is closing fast for Alibaba Group Holding Ltd to complete an initial public offering in 2013.
EU examining member states’ corporate tax arrangements
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union’s competition authority is looking into corporate tax arrangements in several member states and has requested information from at least the Netherlands, Ireland and Luxembourg, officials said on Thursday.
S. Korea’s ex-air force chiefs slam Boeing choice in fighter deal
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s 15 former air force chiefs have signed a petition opposing the selection of Boeing Co’s F-15 Silent Eagle for the country’s 8.3 trillion won ($7.64 billion) fighter jet program, one former chief said on Thursday, saying …
Insight: Trigger Finger – Apple fires biometrics into the mainstream
SINGAPORE/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – By adding a fingerprint scanner to its newest mobile phone, Apple Inc is offering a tantalizing glimpse of a future where your favorite gadget might become a biometric pass to the workplace, mobile commerce or real-w…
KPN, America Movil talk about bid, say result unclear
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Dutch telecoms company KPN has entered into talks with Mexico’s America Movil over the latter’s 7.2 billion-euro ($9.6 billion) takeover offer, the two sides said on Thursday, although both cautioned that the outcome was unclear.
India’s growth, deficit problems not structural: RBI chief Rajan
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – India’s slowing economy and its massive current account and fiscal deficits are not structural problems and can be fixed with modest reforms, newly appointed central bank Governor Raghuram Rajan said on Wednesday.
