Syria signs oil exploration deal with Russian firm

BEIRUT — Syria's state news agency says the oil ministry has signed a deal with Russian oil and gas company Soyuzneftegaz to explore in the Mediterranean Sea. SANA's report Wednesday did not say where the deal was signed, though it said the exploration...

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Post Office stuffs stockings with 3-cent stamp hike

The U.S. Postal Service delivered a surprise on Christmas Eve that may land them on some naughty lists as it announced a temporary 3-cent price increase on first-class stamps. The hike, approved by an independent Postal Regulatory Commission, will raise...

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Judge rules against BP in spill-settlement dispute

NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge on Tuesday rejected BP's argument that a multibillion-dollar settlement over the company's massive 2010 Gulf oil spill shouldn't compensate businesses if they can't directly trace their losses to the spill. U.S. District...

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Health care site put to the test as deadline nears

CHICAGO — The government's retooled health care website was put to its biggest test yet as record numbers of Americans rushed to beat Tuesday's extended deadline for signing up for insurance. After a disastrous, glitch-filled rollout in October, HealthCare.gov,...

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Astronauts complete rare Christmas Eve spacewalk

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space station astronauts repaired a crippled cooling system during a rare Christmas Eve spacewalk Tuesday, braving a "mini blizzard" of noxious ammonia as they popped in a new pump. It was the second spacewalk in four days for...

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Phishing scammers go after Target data breach victims

Target Corp. is warning of "phishing" scam emails aimed at customers whose card information was compromised under the breach of its point-of-sales system. "We are aware of limited incidents of phishing or scam communications," spokeswoman Molly Snyder...

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Retailers tighten holiday policies to thwart fraud

If you didn't like your gift today, take note. Some retailers have tightened their return policies in a continuing attempt to curb fraud that will cost the industry an estimated $3.4 billion during this year's holiday period. Return deadlines at Best...

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Avoiding health insurance gaps takes persistence

CHICAGO — The deadline has passed, and so too the surprise grace period, for signing up for health insurance as part of the nation's health care law. Now what? For those who were able to navigate the glitch-prone and often overwhelmed HealthCare.gov...

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Health insurance guide: 3 next steps for enrollees

The Christmas Eve deadline to enroll via HeatlhCare.gov for health care insurance that starts Jan. 1 has passed. The federal website received 2 million visits on Monday, and heavy — but not as heavy — traffic on Tuesday. A White House spokeswoman said...

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Former IOC executive Gunnar Ericsson dies at 94

LAUSSANE, Switzerland — Gunnar Ericsson, a long-time International Olympic Committee executive and former member of the executive committee, has died. He was 94. The IOC says on its website that the former Swedish parliamentarian died Tuesday but did...

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Key details of decision over Ill. pension crisis

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — After years of inaction, Illinois lawmakers have approved a historic plan to finally close the gap on the state's $100 billion public pension shortfall, which is considered the nation's worst. The House voted 62-53 in favor, minutes...

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Herald execs talk up future of news

Rumors of the death of newspapers have been greatly exaggerated, if Herald Publisher Patrick J. Purcell and Editor in Chief Joe Sciacca have anything to say about it — and they certainly did yesterday at a panel discussion on how news organizations can...

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Odds on Revere casino improve

Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen P. Crosby signaled yesterday he's ready to greenlight a proposed Mohegan Sun casino at Suffolk Downs in Revere, where the Planning Board last night unanimously voted in favor of a zoning amendment to allow gambling...

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In Japan, General Motors has high hopes, low sales

TOKYO — General Motors says it's in Japan for the long haul despite sales of Cadillac and Chevrolet models barely surpassing 1,000 vehicles a year. There has never been much appetite in Japan for left-hand drive gas guzzling U.S. autos, and there are...

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Krispy Kreme and Tesla are big market movers

NEW YORK — Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market: NYSE Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., down $4.96 to $19.59 The doughnut chain's third-quarter net income rose 34 percent,...

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Cyber Monday draws $1.74B billion holiday dollars

NEW YORK — Cyber Monday is still on top. Retailers from Wal-Mart Stores to Amazon started rolling out "Cyber" deals at the beginning of November, and kept them going on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. That led some to wonder if earlier sales would put...

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Hub-Beijing travel ‘traffic’ spurs flights

Hainan Airlines' move to start nonstop flights between Boston and China was spurred by the already large number of travelers between the two destinations and the expectation for future growth, a company official said. "There's a tremendous amount of...

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German giant to venture into Hub

The venture arm of one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies is opening its first U.S. office in Kendall Square, pledging to make $130 million in investments to life sciences companies. "We chose Boston because it is unique," said Martin Heidecker,...

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The Ticker: Hilltop Steakhouse auction and more...

U.S. sales up 1% 
over weekend National retail sales climbed a mere 1 percent to an estimated 
$22.2 billion during the four-day Black Friday weekend that started on Thanksgiving for most of the nation, according to Chicago tracking firm ShopperTrak....

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Boston researchers find way to cut medical errors

BOSTON — Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital say they have devised a new system of shift-to-shift patient handoffs that significantly reduces medical errors. The researchers announced Tuesday that after introducing the system on two inpatient...

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Clashes during Tunisia protest over economy

TUNIS, Tunisia — Clashes erupted in one of three Tunisian cities where tens of thousands of people demonstrated Wednesday over their declining economic situation, calling for greater investment in their impoverished regions. Dozens of protesters attempted...

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Israel: EU funds will not reach occupied land

JERUSALEM — Israel will ensure that money it receives under a technology-sharing pact with the European Union will not be spent in the West Bank or east Jerusalem, an Israeli official said Wednesday, acceding to a European funding ban on projects in...

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Greek economy seen shrinking further next year

ATHENS, Greece — A leading international economic body predicted in a report Wednesday that Greece's economy will shrink further next year and that the government might need more financial help. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development...

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Russia outraged by giant Louis Vuitton suitcase

MOSCOW — Politicians didn't like it, the public didn't like it, so the gigantic Louis Vuitton suitcase is being booted out of Red Square. The GUM department store on Red Square, which is responsible for 30-feet (nine meters) high and 100-feet (30-meters)...

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CVS Caremark to buy Coram for $2.1 billion

NEW YORK — Drugstore chain CVS Caremark Corp. says it has agreed to buy the drug infusion business Coram LLC, a unit of Apria Healthcare Group Inc., for $2.1 billion. Coram, which is based in Denver, provides customers with medication and nutrition...

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UK-based Standard Chartered opens branch in Iraq

BAGHDAD — British bank Standard Chartered PLC says it has opened a branch in Iraq's capital, Baghdad and that it hopes to play a role in the country's economic growth. A statement said Wednesday that the main aim is to meet the increasing banking needs...

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Gauge of US economy's health edges up 0.2 percent

WASHINGTON — A measure of the U.S. economy's health increased in October, suggesting consumers and businesses mostly shrugged off the 16-day partial government shutdown. The Conference Board says its index of leading indicators rose 0.2 percent in October...

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Judge moves airline merger step closer to takeoff

A federal bankruptcy judge has cleared the way for American Airlines and US Airways to close their merger and create the world's largest airline. The judge ruled Wednesday that this month's settlement of an antitrust lawsuit filed by the federal government...

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4 cities vie to host 2020 world's fair

PARIS — Delegations from Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Russia and Turkey are gathering in Paris on Wednesday to find out who will host the 2020 World Expo. At stake are billions of dollars in investment, tourism and a moment in the global spotlight....

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Xbox, PlayStation tackle console launch glitches

Move over, zombies. Step aside, terrorists. Aliens, out of the way. There are a few new foes affecting gamers that are proving to be far more destructive than any on-screen villain. With nicknames like "the blue light of death" and "the disc drive...

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US consumer prices drop 0.1 pct. on cheaper gas

WASHINGTON — Cheaper gasoline lowered overall U.S. consumer prices slightly in October. But outside the steep drop at the pump, inflation stayed mild. The consumer price index fell 0.1 percent last month, down from a 0.2 percent increase in September,...

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Markets remain lackluster in run up to Fed minutes

AMSTERDAM — Markets got a modest lift Wednesday after tame U.S. inflation figures eased investor fears that the U.S. Federal Reserve will feel pressure to reduce its monetary stimulus soon. U.S. consumer prices fell slightly in October, due to lower...

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Lowe's 3Q results rise, lifts fiscal 2013 outlook

MOORESVILE, N.C. — Lowe's third-quarter net income increased 26 percent, as the home-improvement retailer was bolstered by the housing market's ongoing recovery. Its earnings were a penny per share short of Wall Street expectations, but revenue beat...

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Deere profit beats estimates

MOLINE, Ill. — Deere & Co.'s fourth-quarter net income rose 17 percent after it raised prices for farm and construction equipment as it aims to keep its profits intact even as the farm economy slows. Deere said declines in next year's revenue will...

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Poll: 'Just kidding' doesn't make online slurs OK

WASHINGTON — In a shift in attitude, most young people now say it's wrong to use racist or sexist slurs online, even if you're just kidding. But when they see them, they don't take much personal offense. A majority of teens and young adults who use...

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Stocks edge higher after retail spending increases

NEW YORK — Stocks are edging mostly higher on Wall Street after the government reported a surprisingly large increase in U.S. retail sales last month.The pickup of 0.4 percent suggests shoppers weren't put off by the government shutdown in October. It...

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US retail sales rise solid 0.4 percent in October

WASHINGTON — Consumers shrugged off the 16-day partial government shutdown and spent more on autos, clothing and furniture in October, boosting U.S. retail sales by the most in four months. Sales rose 0.4 percent, up from a flat reading in September,...

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Frederick Sanger, double Nobel winner, dies at 95

LONDON — British biochemist Frederick Sanger, who twice won the Nobel Prize in chemistry and was a pioneer of genome sequencing, has died at the age of 95. His death was confirmed Wednesday by the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology — which Sanger helped...

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German official cautions over more ECB stimulus

FRANKFURT, Germany — Germany's top central banker said it's too soon for the European Central Bank to talk about a further shot of stimulus for the struggling eurozone economy. Jens Weidmann said the ECB only this month loosened monetary policy with...

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US creates economic advisory team for Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The U.S. is sending a team of federal officials to help Puerto Rico manage an economic crisis as the island braces for its eighth year of recession. A U.S. administration official said Wednesday that the team will be composed...

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Motorola unveils budget smartphone, aimed at world

NEW YORK — Motorola says it wants to equip the world with the latest smartphone technology, at less than a third the price. The new Moto G phone starts at $179 in the U.S. without a contract requirement. That compares with $600 or more that people must...

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