The first 10 months of 2009 saw a significant surge in construction activity in Lebanon, with a strong hike in the issuance of building permits.Figures released by the Order of Engineers of Beirut and Tripoli show that newly issued construction

Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar emphasized on Tuesday the importance of strict implementation of commercial laws in Lebanon "which are currently either not complete or not fully enforced.""Commercial laws in Lebanon open a broad path to freedom in business contracting but

The US economy grew more slowly than initially thought in the third quarter, held back by strong imports and weak investment in nonresidential structures, hinting at a lackluster recovery.Corporate profits surged, however, as businesses managed to ramp up output even

General Motors Co. will present to unions on Wednesday the restructuring plan for its Opel unit, with up to 9,500 jobs expected to be cut, the carmaker's top official in Europe said Tuesday.Nick Reilly said the company would first inform

In a depressed neighborhood in the City of Angels, hundreds of good jobs appeared to fall from the sky last week.Young and middle-aged Los Angeles residents, mostly blacks and Hispanics, lined up down the block at an employment office for

Hewlett-Packard Co.'s cost-cutting and push into new markets is helping soften the blow from weakness in the company's mainstay businesses.HP on Monday reported big revenue declines in four of its main divisions - PCs, servers, software and printers - in

Iraq is on the verge of a boom in project finance as power plants, shopping malls and general infrastructure investment starts to kick in and violence continues to subside, the country's trade bank said.Increasing numbers of foreign bankers have been