Biz People: Belda hopes to leave on high

Alain Belda (above right), expected to retire next year after nearly a decade as chief executive of Alcoa Inc, is hoping to go out on top after offering $27 billion to buy Canadian rival Alcan Inc.

Biz People: New Siemens boss denies reshuffle

Scandal-battered Siemens' new chairman denied reports he was planning changes to the company's management structure and said names floated as candidates for chief executive had been plucked out of thin air.

Tycoon Packer to break up empire

Australia's richest man, James Packer, will split his Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd empire into two listed gaming and media companies and return A$2 billion ($1.7 billion) to shareholders, sending the firm's stock up 6 percent.

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Buffett prepares to pass on the baton

Warren Buffett has said he will pay low salaries to candidates to succeed him as chief investment officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, but offer incentives for outperforming the market.

Group mulls new bid for Qantas

The buyout group bidding for Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd said yesterday it was considering launching a new offer for the airline following the dramatic collapse of its A$11 billion ($9 billion) bid.

Indian firms expect slide in earnings

Indian firms expect earnings to dip in the next six months because of higher interest rates and are less confident about the economy as a result, a survey released yesterday showed.

Biz people: Ottaway against Murdoch's bid

Jim Ottaway Jr, whose family is one of Dow Jones & Co Inc's largest shareholders, opposes News Corp's $5 billion buyout bid, fearing it would cost The Wall Street Journal its editorial integrity.

Business International

Biz people: Minister stresses baht more stable

Thai Finance Minister Chalongphob Sussangkarn (above right) said the baht is more stable than before, when there were only one-way bets on the currency's rise.

Biz people: D-Day looms in Icahn's battle

Shareholder activist Carl Icahn (right) is gaining support for his campaign to win a seat on Motorola Inc's board as his three-month battle with Chief Executive Officer Ed Zander draws to a conclusion today.

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