• US, UK top debt ratings safe for now, Moody's says 3/15/2010, 7:19 a.m. EDT
(AP) — LONDON - The United States and Britain are more likely than Germany and France to witness an embarrassing downgrade of their top debt rating, agency Moody's Investors Service said Monday.

• UK PM wades into BA industrial dispute 3/15/2010, 6:40 a.m. EDT
(AP) — LONDON - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says a planned strike by British Airways cabin crew is "deplorable" and should be called off.

• China urges car makers to improve quality, set up recall systems 3/15/2010, 6:38 a.m. EDT
(AP) — SHANGHAI - China is urging its automakers to upgrade the quality of their products and set up accountable recall systems to handle defects, following Toyota Motor Corp.'s recent recalls.

• Saudi Prince Alwaleed's Kingdom Holding offers to buy all shares of Kingdom Hotels 3/15/2010, 5:40 a.m. EDT
(AP) — CAIRO - The investment company headed by the Saudi billionaire prince with a major Citigroup stake says its wants to buy all shares of Kingdom Hotel Investments that it doesn't already own.

• US lawmakers attack China ahead of Nov. elections 3/15/2010, 4:15 a.m. EDT
(AP) — WASHINGTON - China is once again the country Congress loves to hate.

• Bye bye Bajaj: Sun sets on India's beloved scooter 3/15/2010, 4:00 a.m. EDT
(AP) — NEW DELHI - It was a purchase to be remembered.

• Social Security to start cashing Uncle Sam's IOUs 3/15/2010, 4:00 a.m. EDT
(AP) — PARKERSBURG, W.Va. - The retirement nest egg of an entire generation is stashed away in this small town along the Ohio River: $2.5 trillion in IOUs from the federal government, payable to the Social Security Administration.

• AP Top Business News At 5:19 a.m. EDT 3/15/2010, 3:04 a.m. EDT
(AP) —

• Surging global weapons transfers raise concerns 3/14/2010, 7:01 p.m. EDT
(AP) — STOCKHOLM - Surging global weapons transfers are raising concerns about arms races in tension-fraught areas of the globe, a leading peace research group warned Monday.

• Dodd seeking middle ground on new financial rules 3/14/2010, 2:18 p.m. EDT
(AP) — WASHINGTON - The senator trying to rewrite the nation's financial industry rules is dropping plans to create a stand-alone consumer financial protection agency and give a single regulator the power to oversee all banks, according to people familiar with the evolving proposal.

• Dodd seeking middle ground on new financial rules 3/14/2010, 2:18 p.m. EDT
(AP) — WASHINGTON - The senator trying to rewrite the nation's financial industry rules is dropping plans to create a stand-alone consumer financial protection agency and give a single regulator the power to oversee all banks, according to people familiar with the evolving proposal.

• Summary Box: How will the Fed signal higher rates? 3/14/2010, 1:48 p.m. EDT
(AP) — SMOKE SIGNALS: Federal Reserve policymakers may signal at their meeting this week how and when the mending economy will lead them to start raising record-low interest rates.

• Fed may hint at how long rates will stay at lows 3/14/2010, 1:46 p.m. EDT
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve policymakers may signal at their meeting this week how and when the improving economy will lead them to start raising record-low interest rates.

• Fed may hint at how long rates will stay at lows 3/14/2010, 1:46 p.m. EDT
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve policymakers may signal at their meeting this week how and when the improving economy will lead them to start raising record-low interest rates.

• Dem House vote-counter lacks health care votes now 3/14/2010, 12:33 p.m. EDT
(AP) — WASHINGTON - The House's chief Democratic headcounter said Sunday he hadn't rounded up enough votes to pass President Barack Obama's health care overhaul heading into a make-or-break week, even as the White House's top political adviser said he was "absolutely confident" in its prospects.

• 5 states rush plans for $1.5B in housing funds 3/14/2010, 12:25 p.m. EDT
(AP) — PHOENIX - The five states hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis have been given only weeks to plan how to spend $1.5 billion in federal funding announced by the Obama administration last month.

• Bye bye Bajaj: Sun sets on India's beloved scooter 3/14/2010, 12:03 p.m. EDT
(AP) — NEW DELHI - It was a purchase to be remembered.

• Conn. would waive student loans in 'green' jobs 3/14/2010, 10:42 a.m. EDT
(AP) — HARTFORD, Conn. - Paul Goulet hopes Connecticut will help him get from under nearly $8,000 he's borrowed for college after losing his job in a paper manufacturing plant.

• Suez Canal traffic slowed due to sandstorms 3/14/2010, 10:00 a.m. EDT
(AP) — CAIRO - Egyptian officials say sandstorms slowed traffic in the Suez Canal and closed five ports in the Gulf of Suez.

• Suez Canal traffic slowed due to sandstorms 3/14/2010, 10:00 a.m. EDT
(AP) — CAIRO - Egyptian officials say sandstorms slowed traffic in the Suez Canal and closed five ports in the Gulf of Suez.

• Chino plant recycles materials into moldings 3/14/2010, 9:20 a.m. EDT
(AP) — MCT REGIONAL NEWS/BUSINESS

• Boehner determined to kill Dem health care bill 3/14/2010, 9:01 a.m. EDT
(AP) — WASHINGTON - The top House Republican says the GOP can defeat the Democratic health care bill that may reach the House floor this coming week.

• AP Top Business News At 7:19 p.m. EDT 3/14/2010, 5:35 a.m. EDT
(AP) —

• China's premier says world might face 'double dip' recession, Chinese companies need stimulus 3/13/2010, 9:40 p.m. EST
(AP) —

• Premier: China's yuan to remain 'basically stable' 3/13/2010, 9:28 p.m. EST
(AP) — BEIJING - China's premier said Sunday it will reform controversial exchange rate controls but will keep its currency "basically stable" and he rejected foreign pressure over the issue.

• US looks to Shanghai Expo to help ease distrust 3/13/2010, 9:00 p.m. EST
(AP) — SHANGHAI - For millions of Chinese, the USA pavilion's show at the Shanghai World Expo will be the closest they'll ever come to an experience of America. What they'll get-apart from long waits-is a warm welcome and a dose of Hollywood-style entertainment.

• Emirates NBD Launches Fixed Income Fund 3/13/2010, 8:40 p.m. EST
(AP) — MCT REGIONAL NEWS/BUSINESS

• Report: Probe questions account of runaway Prius 3/13/2010, 7:25 p.m. EST
(AP) — SAN FRANCISCO - Investigators probing a dramatic high-speed incident on a California freeway involving a Toyota Prius didn't find as much wear as they expected on its brakes, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

• Report: Probe questions driver's account of Prius 3/13/2010, 7:25 p.m. EST
(AP) — SAN FRANCISCO - A newspaper is reporting that investigators probing a runaway Toyota Prius found its brakes didn't show the wear expected when a driver exerts sustained pressure like the driver said he did during a dramatic incident on a San Diego highway.

• US woman says Lexus accelerator fell to floor before car careered through lot and crashed 3/13/2010, 4:40 p.m. EST
(AP) — FORT WAYNE, Indiana - A woman says her Lexus careered through a parking lot and crashed into a light pole in Fort Wayne, Indiana, after its accelerator dropped to the floor.

• Ohio woman says Lexus sped up, caused Ind. crash 3/13/2010, 3:28 p.m. EST
(AP) — FORT WAYNE, Ind. - An Ohio woman said her Lexus sped through a parking lot, unimpeded when she hit the brakes, and crashed into a light pole in Fort Wayne, Ind., after its accelerator dropped to the floor.

• New pawn shop to open in former McDonald's building 3/13/2010, 2:20 p.m. EST
(AP) — MCT REGIONAL NEWS/BUSINESS

• WDDC updates ethics policy: Group wants outside grant funding 3/13/2010, 2:20 p.m. EST
(AP) — MCT REGIONAL NEWS/BUSINESS

• A presidential visit: New Bridgestone Americas leader comes to Wilson 3/13/2010, 2:20 p.m. EST
(AP) — MCT REGIONAL NEWS/BUSINESS

• Catholic hospitals support health care bill 3/13/2010, 12:13 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - A group representing Catholic hospitals Saturday rallied behind President Barack Obama's health care bill ahead of a House vote in which anti-abortion lawmakers could play a decisive role.

• Lake Ray's port bill picks up backing from Gov. Crist: Bill would direct up to $500 million to Florida's ports 3/13/2010, 10:20 a.m. EST
(AP) — MCT REGIONAL NEWS/BUSINESS

• Avimor, a development north of Boise, lays off five of its six-member staff: The controversial planned community has stopped selling homes while parent company SunCor works to sell off most of its development properties. 3/13/2010, 10:20 a.m. EST
(AP) — MCT REGIONAL NEWS/BUSINESS

• ALL BUSINESS: Los Angeles gets tough on banks 3/13/2010, 3:00 a.m. EST
(AP) — NEW YORK - The city of Los Angeles is putting banks it does business with on the spot.

• Examiner unveils Lehman accounting tricks 3/12/2010, 6:40 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - An accounting gimmick called Repo 105 provided financial relief for Lehman Brothers in the months before its spectacular collapse, an autopsy of the once-venerable Wall Street house has found. The question now is whether the trickery spells legal jeopardy for executives of Lehman or its auditors Ernst & Young.

• Examiner unveils Lehman accounting tricks 3/12/2010, 6:39 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - An accounting gimmick called Repo 105 provided financial relief for Lehman Brothers in the months before its spectacular collapse, an autopsy of the once-venerable Wall Street house has found. The question now is whether the trickery spells legal jeopardy for executives of Lehman or its auditors Ernst & Young.

• Examiner unveils Lehman accounting tricks 3/12/2010, 6:39 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - An accounting gimmick called Repo 105 provided financial relief for Lehman Brothers in the months before its spectacular collapse, an autopsy of the once-venerable Wall Street house has found. The question now is whether the trickery spells legal jeopardy for executives of Lehman or its auditors Ernst & Young.

• Disney to shut Zemeckis-run motion-capture studio 3/12/2010, 6:19 p.m. EST
(AP) — LOS ANGELES - To further cut costs at its movie studio, The Walt Disney Co. said Friday that it will shut a San Francisco-area facility used to capture the performance of Jim Carrey for his digitally animated character, Scrooge, in "A Christmas Carol."

• Disney to shut Zemeckis-run motion-capture studio 3/12/2010, 5:22 p.m. EST
(AP) — LOS ANGELES - To further cut costs at its movie studio, The Walt Disney Co. said Friday that it will shut a San Francisco-area facility used to capture the performance of Jim Carrey for his digitally animated character, Scrooge, in "A Christmas Carol."

• Recalls this week: machetes, nail guns, heat packs 3/12/2010, 5:07 p.m. EST
(AP) — The need for caution should be obvious to anyone using products like machetes and nail guns. But what about microwaveable heat packs?

• Summary Box: Court OKs cable TV access rules 3/12/2010, 4:43 p.m. EST
(AP) — THE DISPUTE: Cable TV providers challenged a five-year extension of federal regulations requiring them to make channels they own available to rivals such as satellite TV.

• Summary Box: Privacy issues nix Netflix contest 3/12/2010, 4:18 p.m. EST
(AP) — THE DECISION: Netflix has canceled a sequel to a $1 million contest to improve its movie recommendations.

• Co-defendant of Rajaratnam seeks separate NY trial 3/12/2010, 3:56 p.m. EST
(AP) — NEW YORK - A co-defendant has asked to be tried separately in the insider trading case against wealthy hedge fund operator Raj Rajaratnam (RAHJ rah-juh-RUHT'-nuhm).

• Rates trade in tight range on uneven economic data 3/12/2010, 3:52 p.m. EST
(AP) — NEW YORK - Interest rates were mixed in the bond market Friday after uneven economic reports gave investors conflicting signals.

• Privacy issues nix Netflix movie-picking contest 3/12/2010, 3:50 p.m. EST
(AP) — SAN FRANCISCO - DVD-by-mail service Netflix Inc. has canceled a sequel to a $1 million movie-recommendation contest, avoiding a potential courtroom drama over the privacy rights of its subscribers.

• Privacy issues nix Netflix movie-picking contest 3/12/2010, 3:50 p.m. EST
(AP) — LOS GATOS, Calif. - Netflix has canceled a sequel to a $1 million contest to improve its movie recommendations.