The head of United Airlines has hinted at the possibility of renewing merger talks with Continental Airlines, according to a report in the UKÔÇÖs Financial Times.  According to the paper, Glenn Tilton, chairman and CEO of Chicago-based United, said that the market seemed to be in favor of rival DeltaÔÇÖs takeover of Northwest.  Delta merged with Northwest in 2008, creating a group with a market capitalization of $9.5 billion, compared with a combined market value of just below $5.5 billion for United and Continental.

UK transport operator First Group has clinched a £20 million contract to provide the buses and coaches that will transport spectators to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Yara International, one of the world's largest fertilizer producers, has agreed to buy Terra Industries for $4.1 billion to boost its presence in the US.  The transaction will be partially funded by a rights issue worth between $2 billion and 2.5 billion, Yara said, adding that its majority owner, the Norwegian government, would participate accordingly in the issue.  "The transaction has been unanimously approved by Yara's Board of Directors and unanimously approved by Terra's Board of Directors," Yara said in a statement.

South AsiaÔÇÖs biggest mobile phone company Bharti Airtel has offered $10.7 billion to buy most of ZainÔÇÖs African assetsÔÇöa deal that would create one of the largest emerging market phone operators.

FirstEnergy has acquired Allegheny Energy for $4.7 billion in a deal that would create one of the largest utility groups in the US.  The combined company would have 10 regulated power utilities across seven states, including New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia and West Virginia. It would have a total 24,000 megawatts of generating capacity from coal, nuclear, natural gas, oil and renewable power. The new company would retain the FirstEnergy name and be based in Akron, Ohio.

Finnish environmental officials have today given their permission for the construction of a Ôé¼7.4 billion Baltic natural gas pipeline to go ahead.

A consortium of companies led by Californian oil major Chevron has been awarded a Venezuelan oil block following the countryÔÇÖs long-awaited Carabobo oil auction.  The auction, which the Venezuelan government is hoping will help boost the countryÔÇÖs dwindling production levels, was the biggest bidding process in 11 years.  The Chevron-led consortium, which included Mitsubishi and Inpex of Japan, was awarded the Carabobo 3 block.

ItalyÔÇÖs Fiat and RussiaÔÇÖs Sollers have entered into a Ôé¼2.4 billion joint venture that will produce as many as 500,000 cars per year.

Economic optimists search constantly for so-called green shoots—subtle signs that the global economy is preparing to roar back to life. In the northern part of Quebec province, Consolidated Thompson Mines is at work on a project that suggests there may be reasons to be bullish about the prospects for solid growth in at least some parts of the world.

Coca Cola has reported a 55 percent jump in its fourth quarter profits thanks to strong growth in emerging markets. The Atlanta, Georgia-based company, whose brands include Diet Coke, Sprite and Dasani water, said that net income increased to $1.54 billion from $995 million a year earlier, while revenue increased 5.4 percent to $7.51 billion. The results were boosted by strong sales in emerging markets, which helped to offset weaker demand in the US, a market which reported a case volume decline of one percent. The domestic market has been affected by high unemployment a