Live Financial And Business News By SaneBull

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced regret on Sunday for the announcement of a Jewish settlement plan that has strained ties with Washington and threatens the revival of Middle East peace talks.

TEL HASHOMER, Israel (Reuters) - Israel is phasing out a U.S.-made tank shell that sprays thousands of deadly darts over a wide area, in favor of a more precise round produced locally, a senior army officer said on Sunday.

TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgia's opposition accused the government on Sunday of being behind a fake primetime news report that Russian tanks had entered the capital at the call of the opposition, causing widespread panic.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators will announce a major Internet policy this week to revolutionize how Americans communicate and play, proposing a dramatic increase in broadband speeds that could let people download a high-definition film in minutes instead of hours.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli forces arrested a senior Hamas figure on Sunday after a raid in the town of Ramallah, the seat of the West Bank-based Palestinian government, the Israeli military said.

(Repeats to fix typographical error in spelling of 'Argentina'in paragraph 1)

BOGOTA, March 14 (Reuters) - Colombians voted incongressional elections on Sunday in a harbinger of May'sballot to replace President Alvaro Uribe, who will step downafter two terms dominated by his war on leftist rebels.

BERLIN, March 14 (Reuters) - German Finance MinisterWolfgang Schaeuble said there was no reason for euro zonefinance ministers to make any decision on financial aid fordebt-ridden Greece when they meet on Monday.

TORONTO, March 14 (Reuters) - "Cash is king" has become themantra for Canadian consumer companies looking to get throughthe coming year as they hold their purse strings tightly untilthe economic recovery becomes more firmly entrenched.

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators willannounce a major Internet policy this week to revolutionize howAmericans communicate and play, proposing a dramatic increasein broadband speeds that could let people download ahigh-definition film in minutes instead of hours.

LONDON, March 14 (Reuters) - Private equity firm KKR[KKR.UL] and Warner Music Group are in talks to launch abreak-up bid for Warner's indebted British rival EMI[LNDONE.UL], the Sunday Times newspaper said.

* Neither drug cuts heart risk more than placebo in study

BRUSSELS, March 14 (Reuters) - Finance ministers fromcountries using the euro hope to agree on Monday on a way ofproviding heavily indebted Greece with financial aid, despiteFrench doubts that a deal will be reached.

* 2009 net profit 3.79 bln yuan vs forecast 3.23 bln yuan

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - A senior White Houseadviser said on Sunday that President Barack Obama would get thevotes necessary to pass a sweeping overhaul of the U.S.healthcare system.

KYEV, March 13 (Reuters) - Ukraine is not on the verge ofdefault despite severe budget holes, newly appointed FinanceMinister Fedir Yaroshenko said on Saturday.

Tuesday, March 23 ***PRAGUE, Czech Republic - Federal Reserve Bank ofPhiladelphia President Charles Plosser speaks on "Benefits ofPolicy Rules in an Uncertain Economic Environment before the"Central Banking: Cornerstone of Stability" panel of the 2010European Banking and Financial Forum, 0600 EDT/1000 GMT (1100Prague time). Audience and media Q&As expected. Czech NationalBank Congress Center. RSVP online/information:http://www.ebff.cz/registration.htm

* February figures take 12-month inflation to 9.1 pct (Adds analyst, details)

* Consumer sentiment eases in March (Updates with closing market action)

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* Central bank head sees GDP contracting 2.0 pct this year

WASHINGTON, March 12 (Reuters) - San Francisco FederalReserve Bank President Janet Yellen is a leading contender tobe nominated by President Barack Obama as vice chair of thecentral bank, a senior administration official said on Friday.

NEW YORK, March 12 (Reuters) - U.S. consumer sentimentdeclined slightly in early March, with Americans less positiveabout the job outlook, a survey released on Friday showed.

* Flaherty calls report positive, downplays soft spots (Adds comments by finance minister, analyst)

NEW YORK, March 12 (Reuters) - A gauge of future U.S.economic growth rose slightly in the latest week while itsyearly growth index continued to fall to a 31-week low,upholding expectations the economy will likely deceleratestarting mid-year, a research group said on Friday.

LONDON, March 14 (Reuters) - Private equity firm KKR[KKR.UL] and Warner Music Group are in talks to launch abreak-up bid for Warner's indebted British rival EMI[LNDONE.UL], the Sunday Times newspaper said.

Liberty , the London department store, is in talkswith private equity and real estate investors about a takeoverthat could value the retail business at more than 35 millionpounds. BlueGen Capital, the private equity firm headed byformer Merrill Lynch banker Marco Capello, is thought to be thefront-runner. Richard Balfour-Lynn, chief executive of Liberty'scontrolling shareholder MWB Group , said that he waspleased by the interest of investors, which he attribute

NEW YORK, March 12 (Reuters) - Accused Galleon fund founderRaj Rajaratnam and his main co-defendant want separate trialson charges they were involved in what prosecutors describe asthe biggest hedge fund insider-trading case ever in the UnitedStates.

(Updates column with U.S. stock indexes' gains for the week)

NEW YORK, March 12 (Reuters) - On Wall Street, massagingthe balance sheet is a time-honored practice.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 12 (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp will publish details of its political donations on thecompany's Web site, the New York City comptroller announced onFriday.

* Proceeds to pay down 2012 and 2013 debt (Updates total offering, adds details on interest rate,Liberty Media Corp buy and JP Morgan involvement)

*Evidence gathered using wiretaps (Adds quotes from court papers on cooperating witness)

(Adds Gordon Brothers Group, The Roth Law Firm, SidneyAustin, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, PricewaterhouseCoopers, TownCentre Securities)

NEW YORK, March 12 (Reuters) - The Stuyvesant Town/PeterCooper Village Tenants Association said on Friday it retainedMoelis & Company as its financial advisor in its pursuit to buythe massive Manhattan apartment complex.

BOGOTA, March 14 (Reuters) - Colombians voted incongressional elections on Sunday in a harbinger of May'sballot to replace President Alvaro Uribe, who will step downafter two terms dominated by his war on leftist rebels.

BERLIN, March 14 (Reuters) - German Finance MinisterWolfgang Schaeuble said there was no reason for euro zonefinance ministers to make any decision on financial aid fordebt-ridden Greece when they meet on Monday.

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators willannounce a major Internet policy this week to revolutionize howAmericans communicate and play, proposing a dramatic increasein broadband speeds that could let people download ahigh-definition film in minutes instead of hours.

LONDON, March 14 (Reuters) - Private equity firm KKR[KKR.UL] and Warner Music Group are in talks to launch abreak-up bid for Warner's indebted British rival EMI[LNDONE.UL], the Sunday Times newspaper said.

BRUSSELS, March 14 (Reuters) - Finance ministers fromcountries using the euro hope to agree on Monday on a way ofproviding heavily indebted Greece with financial aid, despiteFrench doubts that a deal will be reached.

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - A senior White Houseadviser said on Sunday that President Barack Obama would get thevotes necessary to pass a sweeping overhaul of the U.S.healthcare system.

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - A senior White Houseadviser said on Sunday that President Barack Obama would get thevotes necessary to pass a sweeping overhaul of the U.S.healthcare system.

BEIJING, March 14 (Reuters) - China's inflation in Februarywas higher than expected, but not by enough to force a changein strategy, central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan said onSunday.

* Lagarde says Greece "has delivered enormously" (Updates with comments, background)

* Poll shows voters think Conservatives would tax, cut more

BOGOTA, March 14 (Reuters) - Colombians voted incongressional elections on Sunday in a harbinger of May'sballot to replace President Alvaro Uribe, who will step downafter two terms dominated by his war on leftist rebels.

BERLIN, March 14 (Reuters) - German Finance MinisterWolfgang Schaeuble said there was no reason for euro zonefinance ministers to make any decision on financial aid fordebt-ridden Greece when they meet on Monday.

BRUSSELS, March 14 (Reuters) - Finance ministers fromcountries using the euro hope to agree on Monday on a way ofproviding heavily indebted Greece with financial aid, despiteFrench doubts that a deal will be reached.

LONDON, March 14 (Reuters) - British Transport SecretaryAndrew Adonis urged cabin crew at British Airways onSunday to call off their planned strikes this month, saying itthreatened the company's very existence.

* Wen sees possibility of global double dip recession (Adds Wen's comments on China-U.S. relations, dollar)

BEIJING, March 14 (Reuters) - The United States is to blamefor strains between Beijing and Washington and should takesteps to repair ties, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said onSunday, indicating the two powers have not overcome a recentrough patch.

BEIJING, March 14 (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabaospoke to reporters at a news conference to mark the end ofChina's annual parliament meeting.

* Lagarde says Greece "has delivered enormously" (Updates with comments, background)

* Poll shows voters think Conservatives would tax, cut more

NEW YORK, March 13 (Reuters) - French Economy MinisterChristine Lagarde said on Saturday that she does not expect anydecision to be made by Euro zone finance ministers next week onfinancial help for Greece.

LONDON, March 14 (Reuters) - Private equity firm KKR[KKR.UL] and Warner Music Group are in talks to launch abreak-up bid for Warner's indebted British rival EMI[LNDONE.UL], the Sunday Times newspaper said.

Liberty , the London department store, is in talkswith private equity and real estate investors about a takeoverthat could value the retail business at more than 35 millionpounds. BlueGen Capital, the private equity firm headed byformer Merrill Lynch banker Marco Capello, is thought to be thefront-runner. Richard Balfour-Lynn, chief executive of Liberty'scontrolling shareholder MWB Group , said that he waspleased by the interest of investors, which he attribute

NEW YORK, March 12 (Reuters) - Accused Galleon fund founderRaj Rajaratnam and his main co-defendant want separate trialson charges they were involved in what prosecutors describe asthe biggest hedge fund insider-trading case ever in the UnitedStates.

(Updates column with U.S. stock indexes' gains for the week)

NEW YORK, March 12 (Reuters) - On Wall Street, massagingthe balance sheet is a time-honored practice.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 12 (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp will publish details of its political donations on thecompany's Web site, the New York City comptroller announced onFriday.

* Proceeds to pay down 2012 and 2013 debt (Updates total offering, adds details on interest rate,Liberty Media Corp buy and JP Morgan involvement)

*Evidence gathered using wiretaps (Adds quotes from court papers on cooperating witness)

(Adds Gordon Brothers Group, The Roth Law Firm, SidneyAustin, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, PricewaterhouseCoopers, TownCentre Securities)

NEW YORK, March 12 (Reuters) - The Stuyvesant Town/PeterCooper Village Tenants Association said on Friday it retainedMoelis & Company as its financial advisor in its pursuit to buythe massive Manhattan apartment complex.

LONDON, March 14 (Reuters) - Swiss luxury goods groupRichemont has bid to acquire Net-a-Porter in a dealwhich values the UK online fashion retailer at about 350 millionpounds ($531 million), newspapers said on Sunday.

LONDON, March 14 (Reuters) - Film rental chain Blockbuster has put its European arm up for sale, the Sunday Timesnewspaper said.

CAIRO, March 14 (Reuters) - Egyptian appliance maker OlympicGroup has posted a 15 percent drop in net profit for2009 to 156 million Egyptian pounds ($28.5 million), the stockexchange said on Sunday, falling short of an analyst's forecast.

CAIRO, March 14 (Reuters) - Egyptian appliance maker OlympicGroup posted a 15 percent drop in 2009 net profit to156 million Egyptian pounds ($28.50 million), the stock exchangesaid on Sunday.

Chancellor Alistair Darling is expected to claim next weekthat his government's investment in jobs programmes has savedthe UK about 12 billion pounds during the recession. In lastyear's budget, the government predicted unemployment could reach2.09 million at the end of 2009 and 2.44 million in 2010, but inDecember last year the government revised its estimates down to1.72 million for 2009 and 1.91 million for 2010. Darling willsay the lower number of claimants alone will save 10 billion

MUMBAI, March 13 (Reuters) - India's Godrej ConsumerProducts (GCP) on Saturday said it has agreed to buypersonal care company Tura from Nigeria's Tura Group.

MUMBAI, March 13 (Reuters) - Mahindra & Mahindra ,India's largest utility vehicles and tractor maker, is investing50 billion rupees ($1.1 billion) on Phase 1 of its new plant inChakan near the western Indian city of Pune, a senior officialsaid on Saturday.

SHANGHAI, March 13 (Reuters) - Shanghai GM, a venturebetween General Motors Corp [GM.UL] and China's SAIC Motor Corp, is recalling 2,065 Chevrolet Captivas importedfrom South Korea, China's quality supervision agency said.

MUMBAI, March 13 (Reuters) - Auto parts maker Bosch Ltd has withdrawn its notice of a lockout at its mainplant in Bangalore, the Business Standard reported on Saturday,citing unnamed company sources.

MUMBAI, March 13 (Reuters) - Whitbread , Britain'sbiggest hotel and coffee shop operator, has bought out itsIndian joint venture partner Emaar MGF, the Economic Timesreported on Saturday, citing a Whitbread statement.