Dubai, Algiers, 11th Nov. 2008 : Global marine terminal operator DP World and the Algerian government signed on Monday agreements that see DP World taking over the operation of the ports of Algiers and Djen-Djen.

The U.S. District Court for Southern New York asked Mark Papermaster to stop working with IBM till further orders. Mark Papermaster is a former employee of IBM who recently served as a vice president of IBM's blade development unit. IBM filed a case against him in the US court following apprehension of disclosure of important trade secrets of IBM.

IBM said in the filing that Papermaster possess sensitive company information and secrets regarding business strategy and long-term opportunities. He would surely disclose secrets to Apple which would cause huge losses to IBM. Meanwhile, Apple said that it has hired Papermaster for his general skill as an engineer and his strong management skills.

Wiesbaden, Germany - German exports recorded a surprise increase in September despite the global economic slowdown, official figures showed Friday.

The Federal Statistics Office said exports rose 6.9 per cent to 87.1 billion euros (112 billion dollars) in September compared to the corresponding month of 2007.

Imports climbed 14.1 per cent in the same period to 72.2 billion euros, to give the world's biggest exporter a trade surplus of 15 billion euros, the figures showed.

The current account balance, which takes into account transfers and services as well as exports and imports, also recorded a surplus of 15 billion euros.

Sydney - Australia's failed ABC Learning Centres Ltd on Friday got a big cash injection from the government to keep its 1,100 child care outlets open until they can be sold to rival operators.

ABC, with a quarter of the market, provides 120,000 places and employs 16,000 people.

London - Pre-tax profits at British Airways (BA) fell by a staggering 91.6 per cent in first half of the company's financial year, figures showed Friday.

BA said pre-tax profit totalled 52 million pounds (83 million dollars), between April and September, down from 616 million pounds a year ago.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh said the period would "be remembered as one of the bleakest on record."

However, given the "difficult circumstances" under which BA had been operating, the result was acceptable.

Tokyo - Japan Airlines Corp saw its operating profit and revenues fall in the July-September quarter on high fuel prices and slowing demand for air travel amid the global economic downturn and lowered its earnings projections for the year.

Operating profit dropped 60 per cent from the same quarter a year ago to 26.31 billion yen (268.47 million dollars), and revenues were also down 6.7 per cent to 583.26 billion yen.

But net profit more than tripled in the second quarter of the fiscal year, thanks to gains from securities sales.