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An activist group says it will organize protests against Beijing Olympics sponsors that it says have failed to press China to help end fighting in Darfur. In a report Thursday, Dream for Darfur said 16 companies including General Electric Co., Coca-Cola Co. and Microsoft Corp. have shown "moral cowardice." With actress Mia Farrow as its spokeswoman, Dream for Darfur is the most prominent activis.. more

Chinese stocks soared Thursday after the government cut a tax on stock transactions in a move widely seen as an effort to boost slumping markets. The rebound came as many global markets are recovering modestly after being battered since the start of the year amid worries about the U.S. credit crisis and slower global growth. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index surged as much as 9.6 percent in .. more

Credit Suisse Group on Thursday posted a $2.1 billion loss for the first quarter as the global effects of the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis continued to spread. Switzerland's second-largest bank said it also had net write-downs of 5.3 billion francs ($5.3 billion) for big buyout loans and mortgage securities. It was the first time the bank, Switzerland's second largest, had posted a loss in the s.. more

Britain's Serious Fraud Office can go to the highest court of appeal over a ruling that it acted unlawfully when it abandoned a corruption inquiry involving a lucrative arms deal with Saudi Arabia, a judge decided Thursday. It will now be up to the House of Lords -- the top appeal court -- to decide whether the judiciary has the right to intervene and force the government to reopen the sensitive i.. more

The European Commission raised doubts Thursday that a €300 million ($478 million) bailout for Alitalia, Italy's cash-strapped national airline, complies with EU rules on public aid for companies. EU spokesman Michele Cercone, said an initial review "raised doubts about the nature" of the measure Romano Prodi, Italy's outgoing premier, announced Wednesday. EU officials suggested privately that I.. more

Japan will not impose a blanket ban on U.S. beef imports, despite the discovery of a spinal column in a meat shipment from a U.S. processing plant, a government spokesman said Thursday. Japan this week temporarily halted beef shipments from a U.S. plant after finding the spinal column, which violated a trade accord prohibiting parts believed to pose a risk of mad cow disease. But Chief Cabinet S.. more

Retail chain Sam's Club will limit the sale of large quantities of rice amid a dramatic increase in the global price of rice. The store will limit customers to four 20-lb. bags of jasmine, basmati and long-grain white rice, the company said in a statement. Its restriction mainly will affect businesses that buy rice in bulk, but the company said "a typical Sam's Club Business Member does not buy mo.. more

Oil prices fell Thursday, as the U.S. dollar strengthened and after a U.S. government report showed a build in crude supplies. The greenback was higher in early Asian trading, after taking back some ground against the euro Wednesday. A stronger dollar makes commodities such as oil less attractive as a hedge against inflation and makes oil more expensive to investors overseas. The weakness of the d.. more

Australia's annual inflation rose above 4 percent for the first time in nearly seven years, the federal treasurer said Wednesday, increasing the risk of another interest rate hike. Treasurer Wayne Swan called the figures "unacceptably high" and said next month's federal budget would put down downward pressure on inflation by targeting government spending. "I think these inflation figures are a s.. more

Yahoo Inc.'s first-quarter performance was a little like Goldilocks' favorite soup -- not too hot and not too cold, and that has set the table for a bitter battle over Microsoft Corp.'s bid to take over the Internet pioneer. By delivering earnings and revenue Tuesday that surpassed analysts' estimates, Yahoo added credence to its board's contention that the Sunnyvale-based company is poised for a .. more