November trade deficit hits $47.8 billion

The U.S. trade deficit widened in November for the first time in five months, largely because of a spike in the price of imported oil.
Still, exports fell for a second straight month, a sign that Europe’s slowdown has begun to affect the U.S. economy.
The trade gap rose 10.4 percent to $47.8 billion, the Commerce Department […]

China’s trade weakens; December surplus $16.5B

China’s import growth showed an unexpectedly sharp drop in December in a new sign the world’s second-largest economy is slowing.
December growth in imports fell to 11.8 percent, barely above half the previous month’s 22.1 percent gain, customs data showed Tuesday. Exports rose 13.4 percent, down slightly from November’s growth rate. The country’s politically sensitive global […]

The year in tech law, from A to Z

The past 12 months in law and technology were exceptionally active, with legislative battles over privacy and copyright, near-continuous controversy at the CRTC, and an active Supreme Court of Canada docket. A look back at 2011 from A to Z:
A is for the Amazon one-click patent, which is at the centre of a long-running fight […]

What lies ahead for the U.S. economy? Offer your forecast!

A year ago, economists Ken Matheny and Gary Thayer were both optimistic about 2011. Going into 2012, they’re decidedly less so.
“You have a lot of things coming along in early 2012 that really slow the economy down,” says Matheny, of Macroeconomic Advisers in Clayton.
The biggest problems are the sovereign debt crisis in Europe and a […]

Apple, major e-book publishers in EU antitrust probe

BRUSSELS

Nicaragua pres Ortega with big early lead in vote

One-time Sandinista revolutionary Daniel Ortega took a big early lead in presidential elections Sunday, amid reports of protests and international observers being blocked from voting stations.
Ortega, the incumbent and heavy favorite, had 66 percent of the votes compared to 25 percent for his nearest challenger, Fabio Gadea. Conservative Arnoldo Aleman, a former president, was a […]

Wal-Mart says China CEO stepping down

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Monday the president of Walmart China is stepping down. A company spokesman said the move was unrelated to a Chinese government food safety case against several Wal-Mart stores.
Ed Chan, president of Walmart China since 2007 and also the unit’s chief executive, left for personal reasons, the company said.
The departure comes after […]

World stocks mixed ahead of US earnings

Asian stocks rose Wednesday as investors hoped for good news from corporate earnings reports due soon in the U.S, while European shares fell after Slovakia’s rejection of more financial firepower for the region’s bailout fund.
Oil prices fell to near $85 a barrel while the dollar was weaker against the euro and the yen.
European stocks slipped […]

Obama to tout jobs bill on Perry’s turf

President Barack Obama is turning to Republican rival Rick Perry’s home state to rally support for his $447 billion jobs bill and to raise money for his re-election.
Obama will appear Tuesday at a community college in Mesquite, Texas, to tout aspects of the jobs bill that he says will help keep teachers in classrooms and […]

UBS trading losses fuel push for split banking

Would you trust UBS with your money now?
As regulators join the Swiss bank in scrambling to figure out how a single suspect could have racked up as much as $2 billion worth of rotten bets over three years, analysts and politicians say the catastrophic losses reinforce the case for divorcing retail banks from their investment […]