Behind Your Business

Reuters - China need not accelerate the appreciation of its renminbi currency against the US dollar, the Financial Times quoted a senior Chinese economic policy-maker as saying.

Reuters - U.S. energy companies shut nearly all offshore oil production and were racing to bring down flood-prone Louisiana refineries on Sunday ahead of Hurricane Gustav's landfall, which could rival the wrath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina.

Reuters - Commerzbank agreed to buy Dresdner Bank from Allianz on Sunday in a $14.5 billion all-German deal that will break the country's banking mould and cost 9,000 jobs.

Reuters - Alitalia's unions will hold talks with the government on Monday on a rescue plan for the airline and on job losses -- which a minister said could be under 5,000 -- after it sought bankruptcy protection on Friday.

Reuters - Consumer electronic makers are bracing themselves for slower growth in the second half of this year and in 2009, but count on consumers turning to home entertainment amid tougher economic times and tighter budgets.