AP, DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. is releasing new, more fuel-efficient versions of its full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles later this fall.

AP, SINGAPORE -- Oil prices fell Tuesday in Asia to a 3-month low as a stronger dollar and weakening crude demand from China weighed on investor sentiment.

AP, CHICAGO -- Corporate America may have turned its back on traditional pensions but it appears to be embracing 401(k)s more than ever.

AP

WHAT'S NEW: In tough economic times, men are traditionally the first to cut back on buying clothes, but there's been a major shift. Over the past year, men -- enticed by a new slimmed-down silhouette -- have been on a buying spree, while women have pulled back even more. The lopsided fortunes is creating a rare sales disparity that hasn't been seen in years.

AP, WASHINGTON  -- Federal regulators have formed a task force to investigate and prosecute fraud in the retail market for trading foreign currencies outside of commodity exchanges, a field they say is riddled with unscrupulous operators.

AP, FORT WORTH, Texas  -- From his office overlooking the runways of one of the nation's busiest airports, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Chief Executive Jeffrey Fegan sees the slowdown coming this fall.

Mirza Azam gets bail

Desk Report

The High Court granted two months' interim bail to on Monday to Jubo League general secretary Mirza Azam.

Bdnews24.com

The Anticorruption Commission has discovered that Tk 15 crore was misappropriated in eight years at Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board, now Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd, an official said Monday.

AP, NEW YORK  -- Wall Street extended its advance Monday as the price of crude oil fell briefly below $113 a barrel, easing investors' concerns about the impact of inflation on the economy.

Zero-duty and quota-free access for local goods

Says adviser

Staff Correspondent

Bangladesh broke new ground in the WTO negotiations on zero-duty and quota-free access for local goods into US and exploring new markets, the commerce adviser said on Sunday.

Agency

The government alone cannot meet the growing demands of the infrastructure sector, finance and planning adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam said Sunday, adding that it was in the private sector's own interests to expand road and power networks.

Alabama: Aug. 1-3 -- clothing, computers, school supplies, books

Connecticut: Aug. 17-23 -- clothing and footwear

District of Columbia: Aug. 2-10 -- clothing, school supplies; Nov. 21-Dec. 7 -- clothing

Source: Federation of Tax Administrators

REUTERS, TEHRAN- Iran and Algeria are expected to discuss the formation of an OPEC-style gas group during a visit by Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to Tehran, Iran's ambassador to Algeria said in remarks published on Sunday.

REUTERS, NEW YORK- World sales of major commercial properties fell 49 percent to $306 billion in the first six months of 2008 from the same period last year, as sales in developed countries were hit hard by the credit crisis and slowing economies, a report released on Friday said.

Agency

Falling indices on the country's bourses marked the opening day of the week.

Heavy sell-offs by investors led around 85 percent of traded issues to close downbeat on Sunday.

National Board of Revenue (NBR) chairman Mohammad Abdul Mazid on Sunday said better mobilisation of internal resources could reduce the heavy weight of foreign loan, reports bdnews24.com.

"This country belongs to all of us. We liberated this country through a lot of struggles and a war. So we all will have to protect the country together.

REUTERS, NEW YORK - Wall Street may extend its push for recovery this week as investors bet that a further drop in oil prices will restrain inflation and boost prospects for profit growth.

AFP, WASHINGTON  - Struggling mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae unveiled Friday a steeper-than-expected quarterly loss and announced dramatic measures to weather the worst US housing slump in decades.

Fannie Mae reported a net loss of 2.3 billion dollars in the second quarter that followed a first-quarter loss of 2.2 billion dollars.

Fannie Mae plans to slash its dividend, raise fees and end home loans known as Alt-A, considered riskier than prime loans but less risky than the subprime loans at the epicenter of the housing market crisis.

AFP, WASHINGTON  - Swiss banking giant UBS joined Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and other major banks Friday as US regulators announced it had agreed to buy back 18.6 billion dollars' worth of stressed securities.

Decision to take effect after govt. nod

Staff Correspondent

Knitwear manufacturers have announced a special allowance for workers—20 percent of their basic salary—to help them cope with the rising cost of living in a gesture that will need clearance by the government.