U.S.

Dodd Will Offer Financial-Overhaul Bill as Talks With Republicans Continue Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said he will release his financial overhaul legislation next week while talks on an agreement continue.

Stocks in U.S. Drop on Chinese Inflation, Fewer Exports; AK Steel Declines U.S. stocks fell, paring this week’s rally in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, as higher-than- estimated inflation in China spurred speculation the nation will be forced to raise interest rates and American exports slowed.

Jobless Claims in U.S. Decrease to 462,000 as Payroll Reductions Near End The number of Americans filing first-time claims for jobless benefits fell for a second week to a level that indicates companies are nearing the end of payroll reductions as the economy recovers.

Treasury Yield Curve Near Record Before Bond Sale; Stocks in U.S. Retreat The difference in yields between 2- and 30-year Treasuries was near the highest on record as the U.S. prepares to sell $13 billion of bonds amid signs the global recovery is gaining momentum.

GMAC's Executive Pay May Not Be `Appropriate,' TARP Oversight Panel Says GMAC Inc., the auto and home lender rescued by the U.S. government, may have overpaid its top executives after receiving taxpayer funds, according to a report by the panel overseeing the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

El-Erian Says World Economy May Face Disruptive Sovereign Debt Imbalances Mohamed A. El-Erian, whose company runs the world’s biggest mutual fund, said deteriorating public finances may affect the global economy more than is currently realized.

Latin America

Chavez Outdone by Billionaire Mendoza as Wealth Soars Amid Takeover Threat Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s “21st Century Socialism” is failing to rein in billionaire Lorenzo Mendoza.

Brazil Recovery and Record Retail Surge Boost Chance of Interest Rate Hike Brazil’s fastest economic expansion in two years and a record jump in retail sales may prompt policy makers to start raising interest rates as early as next week.

Hedge Fund-Backed Argentine Soy Producer Tejar Weighs U.S. IPO on Demand El Tejar SA, Argentina’s largest agricultural producer, is weighing an initial public offering in New York to tap rising investor demand for farming assets.

Earthquake Devastates New Chilean President Pinera's Plan to Spur Economy Fisherman Adolfo Opazo walks in a daze to where his house stood until Feb. 27, when an earthquake and tsunami turned his neighborhood in Constitucion, Chile, into a wasteland.

Devon Energy to Sell Assets in Brazil, Gulf of Mexico to BP for $7 Billion BP Plc will pay Devon Energy Corp. $7 billion for assets in Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico and Azerbaijan, adding fields that may extend its production lead over Exxon Mobil Corp.

Brazil Prosecutors Seek Tax Probe Against Central Bank President Meirelles Brazil’s Prosecutor General asked the Supreme Court to pursue an investigation into alleged tax crimes by central bank President Henrique Meirelles, which analysts say may pose an obstacle to a possible run for elected office this year.

Exclusive

Chavez Outdone by Billionaire Mendoza as Wealth Soars Amid Takeover Threat Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s “21st Century Socialism” is failing to rein in billionaire Lorenzo Mendoza.

Brown Tries to `Perversely' Benefit From U.K. Relapse Risk Before Election Gordon Brown is trying to turn the threat of a double-dip U.K. recession into an advantage.

Solar Prospectors Chase `Gold Mine' Deals in Chinese, Israeli Subsidies Olivier de Vergnies quit managing family fortunes at Dexia Private Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. in 2008 to run a New York start-up at 100 Wall St. that’s trying to tap riches in solar energy.

Chrysler in Hibernation Means Marchionne May Have to Wait on Fiat Spinoff Fiat SpA, the Italian carmaker that helped Chrysler Group LLC emerge from bankruptcy, may wait to turn around the U.S. business before deciding on a share sale or spinoff for its automotive division.

Geely May Need to Invest at Least $1.4 Billion in Volvo to Revive Carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. may have to spend at least 10 billion kronor ($1.4 billion) to revive Volvo Cars after buying the Swedish brand from Ford Motor Co., Volvo union officials and board members said.

Red-Coral Rescue Plans Endanger Italian Jewelry Makers of Torre del Greco The people of Torre del Greco, 10 miles south of Naples, have lived off the red corals found in the Mediterranean Sea for more than two millennia. A proposal to list the species as endangered may push the seaside town’s $217 million-a-year coral industry into extinction.