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Geely May Take Control of Black-Cab Maker Manganese (Update1) Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., the Chinese carmaker seeking to buy Ford Motor Co.’s Volvo Cars, may take control of Manganese Bronze Holdings Plc, maker of the iconic London black cab, the U.K.-based company said.

Clinton to Push Nuclear Pact, Mideast Peace in Moscow (Update2) U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will seek to speed up the signing of a new nuclear arms- control treaty and discuss the Middle East peace process during a two-day visit to Moscow that begins today.

Corporate Borrowers Reap Benefit From Sovereign Debt Crisis Company borrowing costs have fallen to the lowest levels since the credit crisis started to roil markets in 2007, as investors seek alternatives to sovereign securities tainted by governments’ deteriorating finances.

Teva Said to Beat Pfizer, Actavis to Win Ratiopharm (Update1) Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is close to an agreement to buy Ratiopharm GmbH for about 3.5 billion euros ($4.78 billion), ending a nine-month battle for Germany’s second-biggest maker of generic medicines, two people familiar with knowledge of the sale said.

Euro Drops on Greece Concerns; Asia Stocks, Crude Oil Decline The euro weakened against the dollar and the yen for a second day on concern Greece won’t receive aid from the European Union next week and may need help from the International Monetary Fund. Asia stocks and oil fell.

China Conducts Yuan Stress Tests, Trade Chamber Says (Update2) China is conducting stress tests to gauge the effect of yuan appreciation on companies, a sign the government may be preparing for policy change even as it rebuffs foreign criticism of its 20-month dollar peg.

Ford’s Mulally Says Volvo, Geely Talks Continuing (Update1) Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally said talks to sell the automaker’s Volvo unit to China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. are proceeding, rebutting local media reports the deal could be delayed.

Germany Seeks IMF Role for Greece, CDU Lawmaker Says (Update1) Greece should turn to the International Monetary Fund if it needs aid, the chief finance spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party said, in a reversal that signals a rift with European leaders Jean-Claude Trichet, Jean-Claude Juncker and Nicolas Sarkozy.

Australia Supports Rio’s Hu Before Trial, Rudd Says (Update2) Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Australia is doing all it can to support Rio Tinto Group iron- ore chief Stern Hu before his trial in China and the world will watch how his case is conducted.

BOJ’s Loan Program Stymied as Credit Demand Wanes (Update2) The Bank of Japan’s decision to double the size of a liquidity program for banks may prove more effective in placating the government than stemming deflation.

Kenedix to Invest $332 Million in Real Estate Funds (Update2) Kenedix Inc., Japan’s biggest publicly traded real estate asset manager, said it will invest 30 billion yen ($332 million) in Japanese properties this year through two new funds, to take advantage of price declines.

Cold Tuna, Hot Baseball Face New CO2 Rules in Tokyo (Update1) Tokyo will start a city-wide cap- and-trade system next month, beating the central government to become the first jurisdiction in Japan to introduce mandatory pollution limits and trading in carbon credits.

BTIG Hires Goldman’s Lentchner as Asia-Pacific Chief (Update3) BTIG LLC, the U.S.-based broker- dealer, hired Jesse Lentchner as chief executive officer of its Asia-Pacific operations after the executive spent more than a decade at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in Asia.

Honda Plans Lithium-Ion Civic to Narrow Toyota’s Lead (Update1) Honda Motor Co., Japan’s second- largest carmaker, plans to introduce lithium-ion battery-powered hybrid cars as it struggles to narrow Toyota Motor Corp.’s lead in sales of gasoline-electric cars.

China Mobile Profit Rises 3.3% as Phone Use Increases (Update1) China Mobile Ltd., the world’s biggest wireless carrier by users, posted a 3.3 percent increase in fourth-quarter profit as an economic rebound boosted phone usage, offsetting a slowdown in customer growth.

North Korea Executes Official Over Currency Debacle (Update1) North Korea executed an official of the ruling party last week, holding him responsible for unrest sparked by a botched currency revaluation aimed at reasserting the regime’s grip on power, according to media reports.

Wal-Mart Considers Selling Yuan Bonds in Hong Kong (Update1) Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, is considering selling yuan bonds in Hong Kong as China opens its markets, according to Asia Chief Executive Officer Scott Price.

Morgan Stanley Said to Hire Standard Chartered Team (Update1) Morgan Stanley, ranked third in investment-banking fees for 2009, hired Janice Dunnett and two other executives from Standard Chartered Plc’s convertible bonds team in Hong Kong, people with knowledge of the matter said.

U.S. Sees ‘Blue Skies’ for China Ties Amid Yuan Spat (Update1) U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman said he is confident bilateral ties are improving following disputes ranging from currency valuations to weapons sales to Taiwan.

China Overseas 2009 Profit Rises 48% on Home Sales (Update2) China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd., a Hong Kong-based builder controlled by the Chinese construction ministry, said 2009 profit climbed 48 percent as China’s $586 billion stimulus package boosted home sales.

Mexico Tourism Suffers as Drug Gangs Rain on Spring Break Party Mexican tourism revenue may decline for a second year as violent clashes between drug gangs and a weak U.S. job market threaten to spoil its spring break party.

Hong Kong Pollution ‘Very High’ at Roadside Stations (Update2) Hong Kong air pollution reached “very high” levels at three roadside stations today, prompting a government warning for people with heart and lung illnesses to avoid prolonged stays in heavy traffic areas.

ONGC, Oil India Ordered to Buy ‘Big’ Assets Overseas (Update1) India, planning a sovereign wealth fund to help companies compete with China for overseas energy assets, has ordered state-run Oil & Natural Gas Corp. and Oil India Ltd. to speed up purchases in the year starting April.

China, U.S. Trade War Risk Rising, Credit Suisse Says (Update1) China is closer to a trade war with the U.S. than any time in the last five years as the two trade barbs over the proper value of the Chinese currency, according to Credit Suisse Group AG economist Dong Tao.

Cotton Imports by China May Jump on Planting Cut (Update1) China, the world’s biggest cotton importer, may increase purchases 30 percent this year and drive up global prices as growers plant a smaller crop, a state- affiliated researcher said.

Goldman Said to Hire Nomura’s Masuda for Convertible Bond Sales Goldman Sachs Group Inc. hired Nomura Holdings Inc. veteran Takashi Masuda to head its convertible bond underwriting business in Japan, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

China Mobile Full-Year Profit Rises 2.3% to 115.2 Billion Yuan China Mobile Ltd.’s full-year profit rose 2.3 percent to 115.2 billion yuan, according to a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. The company was expected to report profit of 114.3 billion yuan, the median of five analysts’ estimates in a Bloomberg survey.

Obama’s Health Plan Gets Kucinich Vote, Faces Another Delay President Barack Obama scored a victory in his bid to overhaul the health-care system when a Democratic lawmaker agreed to switch his vote and back the legislation, even as the bill faced delays in Congress.

Goldman Sachs Names China Equity Capital Markets Head (Update1) Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the world’s most profitable securities firm, appointed Thomas Deng as head of China equity capital markets to help arrange more equity fundraising by Chinese companies worldwide.

GCL-Poly to Expand Overseas to Tap Solar Power Demand (Update1) GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd., whose shareholders include China’s sovereign wealth fund, said it’s seeking solar-power projects overseas to benefit from global efforts to harness energy from the sun.

BRICs Rally Slows Amid Highest Valuations Since 1995 (Update1) The combination of record mutual fund inflows and the fastest economic growth are failing to lift shares in the largest developing nations with valuations at the highest level versus advanced countries since at least 1995.

SLM Sells Debt at Higher Rate Than Students Pay: Credit Markets SLM Corp., the biggest U.S. student-loan company, tapped the bond market for the first time in almost two years, paying more than it charges some borrowers as $11 billion of bonds mature through 2011.

Tiger Woods Masters Windfall Pulls In 43% Ad Gain for AT&T, IBM Tiger Woods’s return to golf at the Masters Tournament will give sponsors like AT&T Inc. an unexpected boost from their ad dollars, lifting the value of their TV spots by 43 percent, according to a media analyst’s estimate.

China Banks Can Withstand Rising Bad Loans, S&P Says (Update1) China’s banks are financially strong enough to withstand the pressure on profits as non- performing loans increase after record credit growth, according to Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services.

Bernanke Says Dodd Plan Would Harm Fed’s Ability to Spot Risks Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke criticized a proposal in the Senate to limit the central bank’s supervision to the largest financial firms, saying it would undercut its ability to spot financial risks.

U.S. Cost of Living Probably Cooled as Fuel Prices, Rents Eased The cost of living in the U.S. probably rose at a slower pace in February, restrained by lower gasoline prices and a stagnant home-rental market, economists said before a government report today.

Alcatel-Lucent Risks $2 Billion in Patent Royalties at Trial Alcatel-Lucent, the world’s largest provider of land-line phone networks, may lose rights to as much as $2 billion in patent royalties in a trial over whether it’s wrongly keeping TV and DVD technology to itself.

Obama Skirts Illinois Visits So Far as Democrats Battle Scandal President Barack Obama has campaigned for embattled Democrats this year in Massachusetts, Colorado and Nevada. There’s one trouble spot he’s so far stayed away from: his adopted home state of Illinois.

Pelosi Tactic for Health-Care Vote Would Raise Legal Questions House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may be creating new grounds for a court challenge to the proposed U.S. health-care overhaul as she considers using a mechanism that would avoid a vote on the full legislation.

Hamlet in Raincoat, Bloody Ophelia, Where’s Denmark? Review To flee or not to flee? That was the question when the Metropolitan Opera staged Ambroise Thomas’s “Hamlet” Tuesday night after dropping the piece for more than a century.