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Obama says CEOs should quit complaining: Economist

President Barack Obama said corporate America has done well under his economic policies, telling the Economist magazine that chief executive officers should stop complaining about regulations and show greater social responsibility. "If you look at what's happened over the last four or five years, the folks who don't have a right to complain are the folks at the top," Obama said in an interview conducted last week and posted on the magazine's website late on Saturday. Republicans have sought to portray Obama as anti-business, and businesses have complained that Obama's signature healthcare law and the Dodd-Frank financial reforms have raised costs. Business groups are lobbying against his new plan to curb climate-changing carbon emissions from power plants. "I would take the complaints of the corporate community with a grain of salt," Obama said, arguing that his policies have been friendly to business. "They always complain about regulatio

Toyota dreams of green car future, but tied to gas-guzzler present

Toyota Motor Corp ( id="symbol_7203.T_0"> 7203.T ) is hitching its future to green cars, investing billions of dollars in gasoline-electric hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles, but for now its record profit performance is being powered largely by a gas-guzzling U.S. market. In the United States, relatively cheap gasoline prices helped to spur brisk 9 percent growth in industry-wide light truck sales in the first half of the year, making that one of the fastest-growing major global market segments - accounting for about one-tenth of global vehicle sales. Toyota outperformed the overall U.S. market, moreover, with its fresh model line-up - the Highlander SUV was redesigned in February and the Tundra pick-up got a facelift last September - powering a 10 percent rise in its January-June U.S. light truck sales to nearly half a million vehicles. That success is feeding the nearly $40 billion cash pile that Toyota will tap for future green car investments. "The U.S. is one

Iliad may face tough battle cutting costs at T-Mobile

French telecoms firm Iliad will be hard-pressed to meet its goal of generating $2 billion in additional annual operating profit at T-Mobile US Inc by cutting costs and slashing prices if its takeover bid is accepted, analysts said. Iliad, which in recent years has shaken up the French mobile market with cheap subscriber plans, bid $15 billion last week for a 56.6 percent stake in T-Mobile, the No. 4 U.S. mobile operator. The Paris-based company, majority owned by billionaire founder Xavier Niel, said a merger would result in $10 billion in synergies and an additional $2 billion in annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). It would hit those targets by running T-Mobile, majority owned by Deutsche Telekom AG, in an "Iliad-like" way, sources familiar with the takeover bid told Reuters. Even if successful in its takeover bid, Iliad faces significant obstacles in reaching those cost savings and negotiating better deals with U.S. cellula

Megafon buys Euroset stake from key shareholder

Russia's second biggest mobile phone operator Megafon has finalised its 2012 deal to buy a stake in cellphone retailer Euroset, paying its key shareholder $657.3 million in shares, the company said on Wednesday. _0"> Megafon, controlled by Russia's richest man Alisher Usmanov, together with his acquisition vehicle Garsdale, bought 50 percent of Euroset for $1.07 billion nearly two years ago. The other 50 percent in Euroset belongs to Megafon's competitor, Vimpelcom. The initial deal envisaged Megafon gaining full control of the Euroset stake within a year, buying 25 percent from Garsdale within a year. The condition was later extended until 2015. The price paid in the deal corresponded to the $535 million initial investment plus $50 million in additional payments representing Garsdale's "earn out", as well as accumulated 8 percent interest, Megafon said. "Megafon has completed its commitment to Garsdale with respect to the Euroset transacti

Deal at Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper may avert strike

Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper reached a tentative contract deal on Wednesday with the union representing its editorial, advertising sales and circulation workers, likely averting a work stoppage at the country's largest national daily. _0"> The two sides met for two days with an independent mediator before reaching the deal. No details of the agreement will be released before a ratification vote is held, the union, Unifor, said. "Good news. We have reached a tentative deal which the bargaining team unanimously recommends," Unifor said in a memo sent to workers. "The strike deadline is suspended until further notice. Continue to work normally." The strike deadline had been Wednesday at 4 p.m. (2000 GMT). The workers had rejected an earlier offer from management that the union said weakened job security and cut pay significantly for some advertising sales staff. Employees will likely vote on the deal on Thursday afternoon, the memo said. Th

Slim's Mexico telecoms sale opens doors to competitors

Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim's plan to divest a chunk of his most valuable asset, phone company America Movil, could open Mexico's telecoms market as never before to rivals. After a generation of enjoying a near-monopoly that allowed Slim to become the world's richest man, he plans to sell parts of America Movil to a competitor to avoid new penalty measures to curb the company's dominance. Companies like AT&T, Telefonica, Virgin Mobile and Grupo Televisa which have varying degrees of interest in Mexico, could benefit from buying parts of America Movil, which has some 70 percent of Mexico's mobile market and is the strongest force in fixed line and Internet. To avoid penalties, the company must arrive at a share below 50 percent of the overall Mexican telecoms market, as calculated by regulator Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) using subscriber numbers and network capacity. "The trick will be in how they present the plan," Miguel Flores, a

Cogeco Cable sales rise on strong U.S. cable services growth

Cogeco Cable Inc reported an 7 percent rise in quarterly revenue as the Canadian cable TV, internet and phone services provider continued to reap benefits from its expansion into data services and U.S. cable TV sectors. _0"> The Montreal-based company's net profit fell to C$35.5 million ($33.33 million), or 72 Canadian cents per share, in the quarter ended May 31, from C$48.1 million, or 98 Canadian cents per share, a year earlier. Revenue increased $32 million to $496.4 million. ($1 = 1.10 Canadian dollars) (Reporting By Shubhankar Chakravorty and Ramkumar Iyer in Bangalore; Editing by Lisa Shumaker )