Japanese equities struggle in grip of strong yen - London Stock Exchange

Fund managers have been tipping Japan as a recovery play for at least two decades and, apart from a few healthy rallies, there is still little sign of anything long-lasting.

The “miracle economy” of the 1970s and 80s is consigned to the history books and Japan now struggles with deflation, slow growth and higher levels of unemployment than politicians like.

Dow Jones Newswire - London Stock Exchange

CARDIFF, Wales -(Dow Jones)- Bank of England Chief Economist Spencer Dale said Wednesday that most people had been surprised by how little U.K. house prices had decreased, but there could be further falls to come.

Responding to questions following a speech at Cardiff Business School, Dale noted that while it was easy to point to asset bubbles in sparking the recent collapse in the U.S. housing market, in the U.K. it was less obvious.

Steven Tyler and J.Lo join revamped American Idol | Reuters

 

Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson pose with host Ryan Seacrest after being announced as the judges for the 10th season of the television show ''American Idol'' at the Forum in Inglewood, California September 22, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni
By Jill Serjeant, LOS ANGELES | Wed Sep 22, 2010 8:40pm BST

Money Never Sleeps faces hard time on Wall Street | Reuters

 

Cast members Shia LaBeouf, Frank Langella, Carey Mulligan and Michael Douglas arrive for the premiere of the film ''Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps in New York September 20, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Lucas Jackson
By Christine Kearney, NEW YORK | Wed Sep 22, 2010 1:32pm BST
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gordon Gekko, the archetypal villain of iconic 1980s movie "Wall Street" has a new mantra: greed is not just good, it's legal and it's everywhere.

Minister criticises capitalism, irks business | Reuters

Britain's Business Secretary Vince Cable listens to a speech by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, at his party's conference in Liverpool, northern England, September 20, 2010.

Credit: Reuters/Phil Noble

By Keith Weir and Tim Castle

LIVERPOOL, England | Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:27pm BST

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Britain's business secretary attacked unfettered capitalism on Wednesday and unveiled plans to review the way companies are governed and how takeovers work, angering business leaders.

Chinese Business Gains Foothold in Eastern Europe

BUDAPEST — The classroom walls at the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual primary school here are decorated with Chinese calendars and banners. Chinese lanterns hang from the ceilings of the main entrance hall. There are stacks of new Chinese language books in the staff room, provided by the Chinese authorities, who also send two teachers a year, depending on the school’s needs.

News Analysis - Tensions Linger Between Pope and Anglicans

LONDON — The pope and the archbishop prayed together last weekend, a rare event at Westminster Abbey meant to show the fundamental closeness of Catholics and Anglicans, their churches separated in doctrine by few degrees and each battered by secularism and division. The signal sent was that, someday, a more formal union would strengthen both.

Near Cuba, Wary Kin Wait for Proof of a New Path - NYTimes.com

Oscar Hidalgo for The New York Times
Serafin Blanco is the owner of Ñooo! ¡Que Barato!, a huge discount store in Hialeah, Fla., where recent arrivals stock up on $1.99 flip-flops and other items for relatives to resell in Cuba.
By DAMIEN CAVE

On Death Row, Questions Linger on Fairness of Teresa Lewis’s Sentence - NYTimes.com

“She is clearly the head of this serpent,” the judge said of Teresa Lewis in 2003 when he sentenced her to death by lethal injection, describing her as the mastermind of the cold-blooded murders of her husband and his son as they slept in rural Virginia.

Obama's top economic adviser leaving

President Obama with his original economic team, from left, CEA chairman Christina Romer, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner and economic adviser Lawrence H. Summers. (Bill O'leary)

China Takes a Sharper Tone in Its Dispute With Japan - NYTimes.com

BEIJING — Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao “strongly urged” Japan to immediately and unconditionally release from custody the captain of a Chinese trawler, threatening further action if Japan refuses.

11 People Who Should Be On 'Dancing with the Stars'

Last night, “Dancing with the Stars” began its 11th season. Let’s put that in perspective. “Seinfeld” ran for nine seasons. “Arrested Development” barley made it three. “Andy Barker, P.I.” only made it four mother-loving episodes, but a show about a bunch of washed-up has-beens and a few never-weres dancing around like morons is still going strong after 11. Granted, they can pump out two seasons a year, but still, the success of this show is nothing short of obscene.

Bomb Hits Parade in Kurdish-Majority City in Iran - NYTimes.com

TEHRAN — A bombing blamed by the Iranian authorities on “terrorists” on Wednesday killed nine people, mostly women and children, and wounded 20 during a military parade in the northwest of the country to mark the start of the Iran-Iraq war 30 years ago, state-controlled media reported on Wednesday.

African leaders urge action on poverty goals | Reuters

Turkey's President Abdullah Gul (L) shakes hands with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during the Millennium Development Goals Summit at the U.N. headquarters in New York September 21, 2010. {Reuters.utils.addLoadEvent

FSA says bank bonus spats obscure deeper issues | Reuters

The Chairman of Britain's Financial Services Authority, Adair Turner, poses for photographers before delivering his report into the global banking crisis, London March 18, 2009.

Credit: Reuters/Andrew Winning

By Huw Jones

LONDON | Wed Sep 22, 2010 12:59am BST

LONDON (Reuters) - Excessive bonuses must be curbed but flawed regulation has done more harm than greed, the top financial regulator said on Tuesday.