SABMiller reports higher profits on emerging markets
Brewing giant SABMiller has said that profits improved, driven by growth in emerging markets.
Pre-tax profit in the six months to September rose 12% to $2.28bn (£1.4bn), boosting the shares by 6%.
"We have recently seen moderation of economic growth in some countries," SABMiller said.
In terms of earnings before tax and other costs, Europe fell 10% to $516m. But the Asia-Pacific region surged to 265% to $506m.
Last year, SABMiller bought Fosters for $10.3bn, a deal which gives it almost half of the Australian beer market.
Against the backdrop of a declining UK beer market, where total beer volumes fell by 4.6% to the end of September, SABMiller said its UK volumes rose by 5% - led by strong sales of Peroni Nastro Azzurro.
Volumes of Kozel, a 4% Czech pilsner launched in the UK in 2010, also doubled.
The group's portfolio includes Pilsner Urquell, Miller Genuine Draft and Grolsch. It is one of the world's largest bottlers of Coca-Cola products.
Apple ordered to share HTC deal details with Samsung
A US judge has ordered Apple to disclose details of its patent-sharing deal with HTC to its rival, Samsung.
Apple and HTC signed a 10-year licence agreement earlier this month, but did not make the details public.
Samsung, which is also involved in various patent disputes with Apple, asked the courts to tell Apple to furnish the information.
It said it was "almost certain" the deal covered some of the patents at the centre of its dispute with Apple.
The court ordered Apple to produce a full copy of the settlement agreement "without delay", subject to an "attorneys' eyes only" designation, meaning it will not be made public.
The deal between Apple and HTC saw the two firms settle all their outstanding disputes over patents, ending a fight that began in March 2010.
According to some reports, the two companies were fighting almost 20 cases across the globe.
Legal advantage
While that fight has ended, Apple is still involved in legal tussles with Samsung.
The two rivals have filed cases against each other in more than 10 countries, each accusing the other of violating its patents.
Earlier this year, a Californian court awarded Apple $1.05bn (£652m) in damages against Samsung, after ruling that several of its software and design technologies had been infringed.
However, the South Korean firm has appealed against the ruling and has called for a retrial.
Some analysts said that the latest decision by the court, giving Samsung access to Apple's deal with HTC, may have a big impact on Samsung's legal battle with Apple.
"It is clearly a very smart move from Samsung - because the general feeling is that a lot of its patent disputes with Apple are very likely to be similar to those between HTC and Apple," Andrew Milroy of consultancy Frost & Sullivan told the BBC.
"And if there are similarities, it gives Samsung an advantage in any future legal issues and negotiations with Apple."
'Bad time'
The decision is the latest setback for Apple in its various legal clashes with rivals.
Last month, Apple lost its appeal against a UK ruling that Samsung had not infringed its design rights.
In a further blow, the US technology firm was asked by a UK High Court to publish a statement on its website admitting that Samsung had not infringed its designs.
Sales bans sought by Apple against Samsung's Galaxy Nexus phone and Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer in the US were also lifted in October.
Then, earlier this month, a judge in the US dismissed a case brought by Apple alleging that Google's Motorola unit was seeking excessive royalty payments for patents.
"Apple has been having a really bad time of late in its legal battles," said Mr Milroy. "They are going to have to re-examine the legal approach they take from here on."
Sony and Panasonic ratings cut by Fitch
Tech firms Sony and Panasonic have had their credit ratings cut to the level of junk status for the first time.
The Fitch ratings agency pointed to their weak balance sheets and declining position in the global electronics sector, where both are struggling to compete with the likes of Samsung.
Fitch cut Sony's rating by three notches to BB- and Panasonic's by two notches to BB.
The rating means that it believes that both firms will default on their debt.
It gave both firms a negative outlook, confirming their debt was no longer considered safe and investment-grade. The ratings mean that Sony and Panasonic will have to pay much more to borrow now.
Fitch said its downgrade of Panasonic was due to its "weakened competitiveness in its core businesses, particularly in TVs and panels, as well as weak cash generation from operations".
It also cast doubt on Sony's prospects, saying a "meaningful recovery will be slow, given the company's loss of technology leadership in key products, high competition, weak economic conditions in developed markets and the strong yen".
Earlier this month, Fitch followed Standard & Poor's by cutting rival electronics giant Sharp's rating to junk.
Panasonic has warned it is on track for an annual loss of almost $10bn (£6.3bn), while Sony expects a small profit after four years of losses.
Gaza and Israel Calm as Cease-fire Holds
A cease-fire that halted eight days of deadly fighting between Israel and Hamas held firm Thursday as thousands of flag-waving Gaza residents poured into the streets, while in Israel the mood was more subdued.
Following a night of quiet skies after an Egyptian-brokered truce deal came into effect, Gaza's Hamas prime minister hailed the territory's multiple militant groups for respecting the cease-fire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government was “giving the truce a chance” but was prepared for the eventuality it could collapse. As a precaution, schools stayed closed in southern Israel, where nerves were on edge after a constant rain of rockets during the most serious Israeli-Palestinian fighting in four years.
With Israel and the Hamas militants who run the Gaza Strip having successfully maintained peace for a 24-hour period, border areas from Gaza will be opened, allowing people and goods to move in and out of the territory.
The Egyptian-brokered truce took effect at 1900 GMT Wednesday.
In the occupied West Bank, Israel's army said Thursday it arrested 55 suspected senior-level Palestinian militants it said were members of various armed factions.
Egypt is monitoring both sides for violations of the cease-fire agreement. The truce follows several days of intense aerial assaults on both sides of the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 140 Palestinians and five Israelis dead.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave a qualified welcome Thursday to the deal.
The agreement was reached amid hours of intense diplomacy involving Clinton, as well as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Clinton called the truce “a critical moment for the region.”
“The people of this region deserve a chance to live free from fear and violence and today's agreement is a step in the right direction that we should build on.”
Clinton also praised Egypt's new government for assuming a key role in the effort and for pledging to work with Washington to ensure the cease-fire holds.
On Wednesday, a bomb blast on a bus in central Tel Aviv wounded at least 27 people, some seriously.
New rounds of missile and air attacks rained down on Gaza following the Tel Aviv attack. Palestinians medics Wednesday said at least 10 people were killed, including a young boy.
Israel and Hamas had traded rocket fire since an Israeli missile killed Hamas's military chief in Gaza City last week. Israel says the attack was a direct response to months of almost daily rocket fire into southern Israel from Gaza.
Russia Opposes NATO Patriots on Turkey’s Syria Border
Russia has warned against NATO's possible deployment of Patriot missiles near Turkey's border with Syria.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Thursday that Turkey's request for deployment to the Western military alliance “would not foster stability in the region.”
NATO ambassadors met Wednesday to consider Turkey's request, which followed weeks of talks between Ankara and NATO allies about how to shore up security on its 900 kilometer border to avoid a spillover from the Syrian civil war.
The alliance's secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said the deployment would augment alliance member Turkey's air defense capabilities and “would contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along NATO's southeastern border.”
Turkey said Tuesday it had found allies who agreed to supply it with an advanced Patriot missile system. Only the United States, the Netherlands and Germany have the appropriate system available. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he had told his country's ambassador to NATO to approve Turkey's request.
Turkey's border villages have been hit by artillery fire from Syria as forces loyal to Damascus battle rebels seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad's government.
Rasmussen has said that any missile deployment would be a defensive measure to counter mortar rounds, and not to enforce a no-fly zone over Syria. Syrian rebels have called for a no-fly zone as they are almost defenseless against Syria's air force.
Former Ivory Coast First Lady Indicted by ICC
The International Criminal Court has unsealed an indictment against Simone Gbagbo, wife of former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo, for crimes against humanity.
The court made the indictment and arrest warrant for Mrs. Gbagbo public on Thursday. The charges against the former first lady include “murder, rape, other forms of sexual violence, other inhumane acts, and persecution.”
Violence broke out in Ivory Coast in 2010 and carried over to 2011, following an election in which President Gbagbo refused to accept defeat.
Laurent Gbagbo is already in custody at the International Criminal Court, awaiting trial on similar charges.
Simone Gbagbo is currently in custody in Ivory Coast, where she is fighting charges that she helped to orchestrate the post-election violence.
Egypt’s Morsi Grants Himself Sweeping Powers
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has issued a decree granting himself far-reaching powers and ordering retrials of former officials who tried to violently suppress last year's popular revolution against longtime president Hosni Mubarak.
In a statement read on state television by his spokesman Thursday, Mr. Morsi declared that his decisions cannot be appealed by the courts or any other authority, putting himself beyond judicial oversight.
The spokesman also said Mubarak-era officials will face retrials for alleged involvement in the killings of protesters during the 2011 uprising, a move that could lead to a retrial of Mubarak himself. The ousted leader was sentenced to life in prison in June for failing to stop the killings. But, he avoided convictions on more serious offenses of corruption and ordering the deadly crackdown, angering many Egyptians.
Other Mubarak-era officials and security personnel also have been acquitted on charges of killing protesters, prompting critics to accuse the top government prosecutor of mishandling the cases. In his decree Thursday, Mr. Morsi fired that prosecutor, Abdel-Maguid Mahmoud, a Mubarak appointee who had been in the post for many years. The decree retroactively limited Mahmoud's term to four years, bringing it to an immediate end.
President Morsi had tried to fire Mahmoud last month but was blocked by the courts. He named Talat Abdullah as the government's new general prosecutor.
The presidential decree also bars Egypt's judiciary from dissolving the upper house of parliament and an assembly drafting a new constitution – two bodies dominated by Mr. Morsi's Islamist allies. Egyptian courts have been examining cases demanding the dissolution of both assemblies.
Americans Mark Thanksgiving Holiday
Americans are marking the annual Thanksgiving holiday Thursday.
The holiday is engrained in American life as a day for family gatherings with sumptuous turkey feasts, accompanied by a wide array of side dishes and pies. By one estimate, more than 43 million people are expected to travel 80 kilometers or more to attend holiday gatherings between now and Sunday.
But other Thanksgiving traditions are prominent in the U.S. as well, including religious services and key youth and professional football games. One major retailer, the Macy's department store chain, kicked off its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, putting a festive mood into the air of a city still coping with the aftermath of superstorm Sandy. Parade-goers enjoyed marching bands, performers and, of course, the giant balloons.
Five-thousand bleacher seats along the parade route were set aside for families affected by the storm.
Tradition says the first American Thanksgiving occurred in 1621, with early North American settlers commemorating a harvest after a harsh winter.
More than a century later, the nation's first president, George Washington, declared it a national holiday in 1789. The current U.S. president, newly re-elected Barack Obama, followed tradition Wednesday and “pardoned” two turkeys, nicknamed Cobbler and Gobbler. He said the birds would then get to live out their days at George Washington's nearby Mount Vernon estate.
Mr. Obama called on Americans, even as they celebrate the holiday, to do all they can to help less fortunate people, including those who lost homes along the country's Eastern seaboard because of the recent superstorm Sandy.
“I'd like to ask every American to do what they can to help families who are in need of a real Thanksgiving this year.”
In his weekly radio and Internet address, the president also urged the country to put aside partisan differences after a campaign he called “passionate, noisy and vital to our democracy.”
The American Thanksgiving, by law on the fourth Thursday of November, also serves as somewhat of a respite from the commerce of the approaching holiday shopping season, leading to Christmas on December 25.
But that no-shopping-on-Thanksgiving tradition is fading in the U.S., with some chain stores planning to open their doors for early holiday gift-buying on Thursday night. That is just hours ahead of what is called Black Friday in the U.S., traditionally one of the biggest shopping days of the entire year.
In part, the day has been called Black Friday because of the millions of shoppers and traffic congestion throughout the country, from its largest cities to small towns. But the term is also said to describe the day in which retailers have enough sales to be profitable, to put them in the black, in accounting terms.
Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of the U.S. economy and some retailers say end-of-year holiday spending accounts for about a quarter of their annual sales. But sales this year could increase just 2.5 percent compared to 2011, according to one estimate.
Holiday sales could be hurt by the sluggish pace of the U.S. economy, with more than 12 million workers still unemployed in the aftermath of the recession in 2008 and 2009.
One other complication is that the White House and Congress also are facing contentious government spending and tax issues that could further hurt the economy if left unresolved in the waning weeks of 2012. Almost all American workers face tax increases January 1 if the dispute is not resolved by the end of the year.
Nigerian Tops Africa’s Richest List
Forbes magazine has named Africa's richest man — a Nigerian tycoon who made his fortune in sugar, flour, and cement.
This is the second year in a row that Aliko Dangote has topped the list of Africa's 40 richest people, with a reported net worth of $12 billion.
Forbes says most of Dangote's wealth comes from his cement business, which operates in 14 countries.
Nicky Oppenheimer of South Africa and his family were second on the list with $6.4 billion, followed by another South African, Johann Rupert, who along with his family has $5.7 billion.
Only two women are on the list of Africa's 40 richest. One of them is entrepreneur and investor Isabel dos Santos, daughter of the Angolan president.
The list includes only Africans who live on the continent
David Beckham to quit LA Galaxy next month
Former England captain David Beckham is leaving Los Angeles Galaxy next month after six years at the American Major League Soccer (MLS) club.
He intends to quit after the season-ending MLS Cup final on 1 December.
In a statement Beckham, 37, said: "I wanted to experience one last challenge before the end of my playing career."
Melbourne Heart claim they are in talks with Beckham over a "10-game stint" in Australia, despite his camp saying he had "no plans" to play in the A League.
Heart chief executive Scott Munn told BBC Sport: "We are incredibly serious and working tirelessly with David's representatives to table a compelling offer which is commensurate with the international player that David is.
"We're talking to David about a 10-game stint. Football is the third code behind Australian Rules football and rugby league. We think David takes it to the next level."
Beckham joined Manchester United as a 14-year-old and went on to make 398 appearances for the club, winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League.
He moved to Real Madrid in a £25m deal in 2003, winning the La Liga title in 2007 just weeks before his switch to the United States.
The midfielder made his England debut against Moldova in 1996 and captained the side from 2000 to 2006, making his 115th and final England appearance in a 3-0 win over Belarus in 2009.
Beckham insisted his links with MLS would continue should he join another league.
"I don't see this as the end of my relationship with the league as my ambition is to be part of the ownership structure in the future," he said.
Beckham's initial contract with the league included a clause allowing him to be involved in owning an MLS expansion team down the line.
MLS commissioner Don Garber praised Beckham's impact on MLS.
"There is no doubt that MLS is far more popular and important here and abroad than it was when he arrived," Garber said in a statement.
"David has achieved great things on and off the field during his time with the Galaxy and he will always be an important part of our history."