BP shifts U.S. oil spill blame onto contractors (Reuters)

Reuters - BP shifted much of the blame for a rig blast that led to the United States' worst-ever oil spill onto its contractors Transocean and Halliburton.

AP - Shares in BP PLC tracked slightly higher after the release of an internal report on the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that deflects much of the blame onto rig owner Transocean Ltd. and contractor Halliburton Co.

Shoe factory shooting leaves 18 dead

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- A shooting in a shoe factory in northern Honduras left 18 people dead and several others injured, police said. Honduras - San Pedro Sula - Central America - Police - Travel and Tourism

Obama pitches road spending, tax incentives in Ohio (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama will push billions of dollars in new business tax incentives and spending on big construction projects on Wednesday, as he tries to convince a balky Congress to pass measures intended to spur the economy and create jobs.

Smithfield reports 1st-quarter profit (AP)

AP - Smithfield Foods Inc. says higher selling prices for pork and improvement in hog market prices helped it return to a profit in its fiscal first-quarter.

BP: Multiple companies, teams contributed to spill (AP)

AP - Oil giant BP PLC laid much of the blame for the rig explosion and the massive Gulf of Mexico spill on workers at sea, other companies and a complex series of failures in an internal report released Wednesday before a key piece of evidence has been analyzed.

Several sides to blame for Gulf of Mexico spill: BP (AFP)

AFP - Failures by several parties led to the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, British energy group BP concluded in the results of an internal inquiry published on Wednesday, accepting some of the blame.

Stock futures track Europe stocks up (Reuters)

Reuters - Stock index futures rose on Wednesday tracking a turnaround in European stocks and ahead of comments from the Federal Reserve on the state of the economy.

Government and Industry Technology Experts to Explore Actionable Solutions at 20th Annual Executive Leadership ...

FAIRFAX, Va.----The American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council today announced the discussion tracks for its 20th Annual Executive Leadership Conference , the premier event in the government IT community that brings together thought leaders and subject-matter experts to address key priorities in advancing government through effective IT application.

China Industrial Waste Management to Present at the Rodman & Renshaw Annual Global Investment Conference

China Industrial Waste Management, Inc. , a leading environmental services and solutions provider in China, today announced it will present at the Rodman & Renshaw Annual Global Investment Conference taking place at the New York Palace Hotel in New York City from September 12-15, 2010.

Kansas factory worker, 36, charged with murdering burned teen

GREAT BEND, Kan. — A 36-year-old factory worker who spent much of his adult life in prison was charged Tuesday with sexually assaulting and murdering a 14-year-old girl whose badly burned body was found behind gravel piles at the asphalt plant where he worked.

Talbots profit tops estimates, but sales miss (Reuters)

Reuters - Women's clothing retailer Talbots Inc posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as tighter inventory management boosted its margins, but its shares fell as sales missed Wall Street forecasts.

Judge refuses to lift ban on government stem cell funds (Reuters)

Reuters - A U.S. judge refused on Tuesday to lift a ban on federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research despite Obama administration warnings it would set back key research and cost more than a thousand jobs.

HSBC faces thorny issues in hunt for new chairman (Reuters)

Reuters - For a bank that prides itself on smooth successions, HSBC is suddenly scrambling to pick its next chairman.

BP shares gain after Gulf report (AP)

AP - Shares in BP PLC have extended gains after the release of an internal report on the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that deflects much of the blame onto contractor Transocean.

Big quake aftershocks plague New Zealand city (AP)

AP - A strong aftershock rocked terrified residents of New Zealand's earthquake-stricken city of Christchurch on Wednesday, as officials doubled their estimate for repairing the damage following nearly 300 temblors in five days.

Gunmen kill Iraqi TV journalist in Mosul (AP)

AP - Gunmen on Wednesday killed an Iraqi TV journalist, the second to be slain in Iraq in as many days, highlighting the dangers media workers continue to face in the country seven years after the U.S.-led invasion.

Destruction of Giant Algae Doughnut Threatens Lake Michigan (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - An invasive species of mussel called quagga has recently begun eating its way through the phytoplankton population of Lake Michigan, which could have dire effects on the lake's ecosystem, scientists now warn.

Jackson Hewitt loss narrower than expected (Reuters)

Reuters - No. 2 U.S. tax-preparer Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc posted a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss, as a drop in total expenses offset the decline in revenue.

BP says Transocean missed danger signs on rig (Reuters)

Reuters - BP deflected much of the blame for a rig blast that led to the United States' worst-ever oil spill, releasing an internal report on Wednesday which said that drilling contractor Transocean had missed danger signs.

Industry Ventures Announces Multiple Investment Team Promotions

Secondary Team Adds Industry Veteran Victor Hwang as Managing Director and Promotes Will Quist and Dan Stevens

German industrial output edges higher: ministry

German industrial output edged 0.1 percent higher in July from the June level, adjusted data showed on Wednesday after a sharp drop in orders suggested that the economy could be cooling down.

German Industrial Production Up 0.1% In July

Industrial ETFs Could Get Lift From Obama

President Obama is mulling a number of business-focused proposals that should boost popular industrial sector-related ETFs.

July industrial output growth seen up 7.7%

Industrial output growth probably picked up to 7.7 per cent in July from a year earlier, the median forecast of 21 economists showed. Annual growth had slowed in June to 7.1 per cent from 11.5 per cent in May.

Swisscom to delist troubled Italian unit Fastweb (AP)

AP - Swisscom AG announced Wednesday it will buy all outstanding shares in its Italian telecoms unit Fastweb SpA, which has been rocked by a money-laundering probe, for a total of euro256 million ($326 million).

German Industrial Production Rises Less Than Forecast

Industrial production in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, rose less than economists forecast in July, suggesting the recovery is losing momentum.

Colorado seeks help to douse wildfires (AFP)

AFP - Some 3,500 people were evacuated after a wildfire swept through part of the western US state of Colorado, destroying dozens of homes, officials said.

Meat industry must cut costs, says expert study

Northern Ireland's £1.5bn meat industry must work on cutting costs and boosting export opportunities over the next 10 years, according to a study. Related Stories Sports Direct scores £167m profit Food and drink show gets blooming better Banknote printer woes cost £35m Sales jump 10% at budget hotel chain Cultra Manor set for £3m revamp

The nation's weather (AP)

AP - Tropical Depression Hermine was expected to slowly weaken as it moved farther inland.

Foster's knocks back $2.5 billion offer for wine (Reuters)

Reuters - Foster's Group Ltd , Australia's largest brewer, rejected a private equity offer worth up to $2.5 billion for its wine business as too cheap, sending its shares up as much as 6 percent on hopes of higher bids.

Jordan Industrial Production Drops 6.3% in July as Manufacturing Declines

Jordanian industrial production fell 6.3 percent in July from a year earlier as manufacturing and electricity output declined.

Hungary' industrial output up 9% YoY, but drops 1.1% MoM in July

Hungary's industrial gross output increased 9% in July 2010, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year,according to preliminary data published by the Central Statistics Office (KSH) on Wednesday. Seasonally and by working-day adjusted indices show that output fell 1.1% from the previous month.

Spanish Industrial Output In Surprise Fall

Industrial production in Spain declined 1.6% year-on-year in July, in contrast to the 3.2% rise in the previous month, the Madrid-based National Statistics Institute said on Wednesday. Economists had forecast a 2.8% increase.

Light bulb factory closes; End of era for U.S. means more jobs overseas

The last major U.S. factory making ordinary incandescent light bulbs is slated to close this month. How the manufacturing jobs in the next lighting technology, compact fluoresecents, ended up overseas. Light - Business - Business and Economy - China - Incandescent light bulb

2 Asteroids to Zoom Between Earth and the Moon's Orbit (SPACE.com)

SPACE.com - Two asteroids will zip close by the Earth Wednesday and may be visible in telescopes as they zip between our planet and the orbit of the moon.

LEGO MoonBot From New Jersey Wins Competition (SPACE.com)

SPACE.com - A team of eighth-grade students from New Jersey has won first place for its miniature lunar rover made entirely out of LEGO pieces.

Film industry hires cyber hitmen to take down internet pirates

The film industry is using pirate tactics to beat the pirates – by employing “cyber hitmen” to launch attacks that take out websites hosting illegal movies.

Defense industry at risk from slow demand

Washington (UPI) Sep 7, 2010 The U.S. defense industry, currently top of global rankings with a record $700 billion turnover in 2009, risks losing its pre-eminence due to slowing demand and growing competition from rivals in Asia and South America. Warnings of an impending slump followed a spate of defense cutbacks in Europe, the end of U.S. combat role in Iraq and predictions of a drop in U.S ...

Factory workers massacred

MEN armed with assault rifles have burst into a shoe factory in Honduras and opened fire, killing at least 15 workers.

Industry funds moving on retirement products

More than 80 per cent of industry superannuation funds expect to have some sort retirement solution product in place within the next three years – and half of those expect the services to be delivered by the funds themselves.

US provides relief for floods in Guatemala (AFP)

AFP - The United States said Tuesday it has requested 50,000 dollars in emergency aid for flood-hit Guatemala and reprogrammed another 4.38 million dollars in economic aid for recovery efforts.

US judge denies request to lift stem cell funds ban (AFP)

AFP - A US federal judge denied Tuesday the White House's request to drop his decision to temporarily block federal funding for embryonic stem cell research pending an appeal of the decision.

Defense industry at risk from slowing demand

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- The United States defense industry, currently top of global rankings with a record $700 billion turnover in 2009, risks losing its pre-eminence due to slowing demand and growing competition from rivals in Asia and South America. United States - Asia - Defense industry - United Press International - South America

Microbes are eating BP oil without using up oxygen (AP)

AP - Government scientists studying the BP disaster are reporting the best possible outcome: Microbes are consuming the oil in the Gulf without depleting the oxygen in the water and creating "dead zones" where fish cannot survive.

Factory output seen at 10%

Annual growth in Chinese factory output will slow to 10% in the second half of this year, a government has said. Beijing's drive against property speculation will reduce demand for everything from steel and cement to furniture.

2 asteroids to whiz harmlessly past Earth (AP)

AP - NASA says two small asteroids discovered just days ago will zip harmlessly past Earth on Wednesday, a double flyby that should be visible through a telescope.

Gov't launches plan to help "underwater" borrowers (AP)

AP - The Obama administration is trying to jump-start its sputtering attempts to tackle the foreclosure crisis with an effort to assist homeowners who owe more on their properties than their homes are worth.

Post-holiday pump prices should slide (AP)

AP - Motorists should see pump prices slide again after spending a little more to fill their tanks over the Labor Day weekend.

Summary Box: Worried investors turn to gold (AP)

AP - SEEKING SAFETY: Gold settled at a record high Tuesday as more worries resurfaced about European banks and the global economy.