International Business News http://hk.ibtimes.com All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 400 100 http://hk.ibtimes.com/ http://hk.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif The blue-chip Hang Seng Index lost 46.83 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 23,087.72 after weakening later in the session. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2822-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080725/hang-seng.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080725/hang-seng.htm Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:44:13 EDT Gold started down in Hong Kong and, despite a mini-rally early in the New York session, headed lower for most of the day, finishing just off its intraday low at $919.60, down $25.30. Overnight, gold is trending higher. http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080725/daily-resource.htm Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:44:13 EDT family court judge in New Zealand has had enough with parents giving their children bizarre names here, and did something about it. http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080725/girl-name-talula-hula-zealand-hawaii.htm Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:10:20 EDT Three ballistic missile crew members in North Dakota fell asleep while holding classified launch code devices this month, triggering an investigation by military and National Security Agency experts, the Air Force said Thursday. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2825-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080725/air-force-missile-launch-crew-asleep-north-dakota.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080725/air-force-missile-launch-crew-asleep-north-dakota.htm Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:00:20 EDT The streets here are alive with the sounds — rumbling backhoes, roaring jackhammers, clanging pickaxes — of a town being brought back from the dead. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2823-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080725/china-marshals-olympic-spirit-rebuild-sichun-earthquake.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080725/china-marshals-olympic-spirit-rebuild-sichun-earthquake.htm Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:30:20 EDT Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as climate and energy issues at Germany's chancellery Thursday, part of a tour aimed at lifting the first-term senator's international standing. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2810-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/obama-german-leader-discuss-war-economics.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/obama-german-leader-discuss-war-economics.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:14:20 EDT Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it lost $8.67 billion in the second quarter and will retool two more North American truck and sport utility vehicle plants to build small, fuel-efficient vehicles. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2811-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/ford-loss-asset-write-downs.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/ford-loss-asset-write-downs.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:14:20 EDT Facebook Inc. is introducing more tools to help the software applications fueling the online hangout's popularity and is promising to intensify its efforts to weed out programs that violate its rules for protecting users' privacy. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2812-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/facebook-programmers-privacy-mark-zuckerberg.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/facebook-programmers-privacy-mark-zuckerberg.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:14:20 EDT Some 90 billion barrels of oil and nearly a third of the world's undiscovered natural gas remain untapped under an area north of the Arctic Circle, government scientists estimate, in the largest-ever survey of the area's energy potential. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2813-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/vast-oil-natural-gas-reserves-estimated-arctic.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/vast-oil-natural-gas-reserves-estimated-arctic.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:14:20 EDT NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is monitoring the ongoing rift between the Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre. A person with direct knowledge of Goodell's interest said the commissioner has spoken with Packers management several times recently as tensions mounted between the three-time MVP and his team. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2818-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/nfl-commissioner-roger-goodell-monitoring-favre-situation.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/nfl-commissioner-roger-goodell-monitoring-favre-situation.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:14:20 EDT About 2 million Americans get a raise Thursday as the federal minimum wage rises 70 cents. The bad news: Higher gas and food prices are swallowing it up, and some small businesses will pass the cost of the wage hike to consumers. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2817-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/federal-minimum-wage-rises.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/federal-minimum-wage-rises.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:30:20 EDT Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama landed in Berlin Thursday, kicking off the European leg of his overseas trip amid high expectations. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2809-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/obama-european-relations-speech.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/obama-european-relations-speech.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:14:20 EDT Microsoft founder Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are pooling their piles of money to pour $375 million into a global effort to cut smoking. http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/gates-bloomberg-pool-riches-fight-smoking.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:14:20 EDT The Hong Kong-based operator of a container ship that struck a bridge support in the San Francisco Bay last year has been indicted for allegedly doctoring paperwork in an attempt to thwart the investigation. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2814-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/feds-charge-shipping-company-bay-oil-spill.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/feds-charge-shipping-company-bay-oil-spill.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:14:20 EDT Japanese and Mongolian scientists have successfully recovered the complete skeleton of a 70-million-year-old young dinosaur, a nature museum announced Thursday. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2815-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/scientists-complete-dinosaur-fossil.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/scientists-complete-dinosaur-fossil.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:14:20 EDT Stocks skidded lower Thursday after a steeper-than-expected decline in existing home sales wiped away some of the market's optimism about upbeat earnings reports. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2816-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/stocks-fall-sales-existing-homes-decline.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/stocks-fall-sales-existing-homes-decline.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:14:20 EDT China has clamped down further on issuing business visas, government officials said Thursday, in the latest expansion of already-tight entry restrictions for next month's Olympic Games. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2807-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/china-clamps-down-issuing-business-visas-china-clamps-down-issuing-business-visas.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/china-clamps-down-issuing-business-visas-china-clamps-down-issuing-business-visas.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:14:20 EDT Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign made a $5 million ad buy on NBC Universal during the Olympic coverage, which begins with opening ceremonies August 8, according to media reports. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2805-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/obama-olympic-buy-nbc-universal.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/obama-olympic-buy-nbc-universal.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:00:20 EDT Rumors were rife on Wednesday that a relationship might be going on between Nick from the Jonas Brothers band and the Disney star Selena Gomez. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2806-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/nick-jonas-selena-gomez-disney-love-air.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/nick-jonas-selena-gomez-disney-love-air.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:00:20 EDT 50 Cent has sued Taco Bell, claiming the fast-food restaurant chain is using his name without permission in advertising that asks him to call himself 99 Cent. http://hk.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/2808-.jpg http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/cent-sues-taco-bell-over-campaign.htm http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/cent-sues-taco-bell-over-campaign.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:55:20 EDT