SPECULATION: Despite rumors that BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are poised to acquire Alcoa Inc, analysts said that the two rivals had no interest in the `downstream' sector
Potential takeover bids of Alcoa Inc by one of two Australian-based companies reportedly considering such a move were unlikely because of the US aluminum producer's company dynamics, cost factors and increasing Chinese competition, analysts said yesterday.

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A chocolate company part-owned by a Ghanaian cocoa farmers' cooperative is offering treats that it says are guilt-free -- calories notwithstanding.

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VIBRANT: The city state had the third-highest growth rate in Asia last year, with manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade and financial services leading the way
Singapore yesterday raised its economic growth forecast after the economy expanded at a better-than-expected 7.9 percent last year, one of the fastest rates in Asia.

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The Chrysler Group was set to announce a restructuring plan yesterday aimed at securing its place in the crowded US automotive market -- and within DaimlerChrysler.

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Citigroup Inc is shedding its red umbrella and the word "group" as it launches a new branding campaign.

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■ Trade
Japan posts record surplus
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