The European Commission has started an in-depth investigation of Bayer’s planned $66bn (€56bn) takeover of US seeds group Monsanto, saying it was worried about competition in various pesticide and seeds markets.

US stocks rose today as banks continued to climb along with interest rates, and energy companies rallied again with oil prices.

In the US, just 5% of patents ever result in a marketable product, and this rate holds true worldwide, because the funding isn’t there, says Edward Jung.

US stocks erased earlier gains on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve released the minutes from its March meeting - hinting it might start trimming its balance sheet later in the year.

Stocks around the world continued their march higher on Monday, and US indexes again hit new highs.

Bayer has made an unsolicited takeover offer for Monsanto in a bold attempt by the German company to snatch the last independent global seeds producer and become the world’s biggest supplier of farm chemicals.

Deirdre Reynolds talks to indie actress Antonia Campbell-Hughes, who play a leading role in The Canal and who has scooped a Shooting Star Award at the Berlin Film Festival.

The ultimate in erotica, still at the cutting edge of fashion and a staple of every woman’s underwear drawer, Jonathan de Burca Butler pays homage to the nylon stocking on its 75th anniversary.

Summertime settled into Wall Street yesterday as major stock indexes drifted slightly higher going into the weekend.

Lucite handbag with carved clear top to a trunk style, probably made in Miami. Clear Lucite pieces are generally less expensive than a searing colour.

Losses of managed honey bee colonies in the US totalled 23.2% last winter, according to a report by the US Department of agriculture.

There are a number of worktop styles that can be an impressive and practical addition, says Kya de Longchamps

Samco Agricultural Manufacturing in Limerick has signed a deal to bring its cutting-edge corn silage system to China.

One hundred top-ranking business chiefs from around the world are to offer to help run Irish state agencies free of charge.

CREDIT unions may need a financial injection of up to €1.5 billion and have been warned that they must adapt or many will face closure.

Blue chip banks roared higher today on news that Basel 3 regulatory reforms were set to be watered down.

Delaware: DuPont chief executive Ellen Kullman, who cut 4,500 jobs and 10,000 contractors during the recession, said she will keep her workforce lean and stockpiles low in case the recovery falters.

Wall Street tumbled again today as investors worried that the global economy was poised to weaken even as parts of the credit market slowly showed signs of recovery.

Japan’s Nikkei index tumbled nearly 7% today as Asian markets plunged over spreading pessimism about the world economy.

Wall Street pulled back today, with the Dow Jones industrials tumbling more than 100 points as a rush of quarterly results from bellwethers like AT&T, DuPont and McDonald’s failed to impress investors. Oil prices also reached fresh highs, raising concerns about inflation.

Wall Street pulled back sharply today as investors dealt with disappointing earnings reports and renewed concerns about the mortgage lending market.

EU agriculture ministers must vote within three months on whether to allow imports of Herculex RW, a genetically modified strain of maize.

Oil giant BP unveiled its second biofuel venture of the week today as it pledged to invest in the production of more sustainable biodiesel.

Ohio’s attorney general is suing 10 major US chemical companies and paint makers, accusing them of continuing to make and sell lead paint while knowing it presented health hazards.

Wall Street rebounded today, rising moderately as crude oil surged more than two dollars a barrel and triggered a rally among energy producers.

Wall Street wobbled through a listless session and closed mixed tonight as investors awaited the results of this week’s Federal Reserve meeting. Modest gains in the Dow Jones industrial average were enough for the index to set new trading and closing records.

A strong start on Wall Street helped drive the London market into the black today after an indecisive day for blue chip names.

The FTSE 100 Index closed above the 6000 mark tonight for the first time since March 2001 as the City digested Chancellor Gordon Brown’s 10th Budget.

Confirmation of bid interest in broadcaster ITV drove the London market higher today ahead of the Budget statement by Chancellor Gordon Brown.

Upbeat reports from the Federal Reserve and DuPont lifted US stocks for a second day in a row today, pushing the Standard & Poor’s 500 past 1,300 for the first time since May 2001.

US stocks were little changed today as a slowdown in retail sales and profit warnings from Lucent Technologies and Tyco International Ltd. kept Wall Street investors from building on earlier gains. The major indexes finished the week flat.

US stocks resumed their advance on Wall Street today after New York’s Federal Reserve president said in a speech that US inflation was “quite moderate”.

Stocks gained today, narrowing the week’s losses as the energy and basic materials sectors improved and Dow components Exxon Mobil Corp and Intel Corp climbed on upgrades.

Stocks in the United States ended an erratic session mixed today as investors weighed slightly higher oil prices against strong earnings from companies including Verizon Communications Inc and Texas Instruments Inc.

Stocks rose for a fourth session in a row on Wall Street today.

Stocks rose for a fourth session in a row on Wall Street today.

A raft of strong earnings reports buoyed investors’ lagging confidence and sent US stocks sharply higher today, with the Dow Jones industrial average turning in its best showing of the year.