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Hoyer Predicts House Will Pass Senate Health Bill This Month House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer predicted his chamber will pass the Senate health-care overhaul this month along with a package of changes and said public support is gaining for the legislation.

Fat Surgery Urged for Obese Kids May Boost Allergan (Update1) David Ludwig, director of the obesity program at Children’s Hospital Boston, was against weight-loss surgery for kids, he says, because it ignored the real problem, a “toxic environment” jammed with junk food.

Primus Guaranty Hires Lusardi to Help Rebuild Credit-Swap Unit Primus Guaranty Ltd. hired Robert Lusardi, a board member and former XL Capital Ltd. executive, to help it rebuild a business that sold credit-default swaps to banks and other financial firms.

Nokia Seeks Dismissal of Apple’s Antitrust Claims (Update1) Nokia Oyj, the world’s largest maker of mobile phones, asked a U.S. judge to throw out Apple Inc.’s claims that it is trying to monopolize the wireless technology market and seize access to iPhone technology.

Iraqi Vote Results Signal Inconclusive Contest as Shiites Split Preliminary results in Iraq’s parliamentary election signal a tight race that is unlikely to give any political alliance a majority.

Retail Sales in U.S. Unexpectedly Rose in February (Update4) Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly climbed in February as shoppers braved blizzards to get to the malls, signaling consumers will contribute more to economic growth.

U.S. Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index Fell to 72.5 (Update2) Confidence among U.S. consumers unexpectedly declined for a second month in March, a sign Americans are discouraged about the labor market.

New York, Washington to Receive Soaking Rain Through Weekend Soaking rain from a slow-moving storm will spread across the northeastern U.S. today, leaving as much as 4 inches (10 centimeters) from Washington to New York City though the weekend, forecasters said.

Yellen Said to Be Obama’s Pick for Fed Vice Chairman (Update2) Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President Janet Yellen is President Barack Obama’s pick for vice chairman of the central bank in Washington, three people with knowledge of the selection process said.

CF Industries, Terra Industries Agree to Combine (Update2) CF Industries Holdings Inc. will acquire Terra Industries Inc. for about $4.7 billion after topping a bid from Yara International ASA.

Koito Executives Leave, President Takes Pay Cut After Fake Data Koito Industries Ltd., the Japanese plane-seat maker that falsified test results, said three executives will leave and its president will take a pay cut as work begins on checking seats in about 1,000 commercial aircraft.

U.S. Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index Fell to 72.5 in March The Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary March consumer sentiment index fell to 72.5 from a final reading of 73.6 a month earlier.

Marchionne Shifts Hiring Strategy in Fiat’s U.S. Move (Update1) Sergio Marchionne’s hiring of former Volkswagen AG executive Laura Soave to reintroduce the Fiat brand in the U.S. breaks with the Chrysler Group LLC chief executive officer’s strategy of promoting from within.

BGC May Hire Tullett Staff Next Month, Judge Says (Update2) BGC Partners Inc. may be able to hire employees from rival Tullett Prebon Plc as soon as next month, a London judge ruled today in a long-running dispute between the brokers.

Obama Delays Asia Trip as Health-Care Measure Faces New Hurdle President Barack Obama is delaying his trip to Asia to work on health-care legislation as Republicans claimed a parliamentary victory in their effort to derail the measure.

Canada Job Growth Beats Forecasts; Currency Surges (Update3) Canada created more jobs than expected in February and the jobless rate fell to a 10-month low, cementing Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s view that the country’s economic recovery is under way.

BHP, Anglo, Xstrata Ship Coal 10,000 Miles to China (Update1) BHP Billiton Plc, Anglo American Plc and Xstrata Plc are shipping coal 10,000 miles to China from their Cerrejon mine in Colombia for the first time this year because of surging demand and rising prices in Asia.

Stocks, Commodities Gain as Dollar, Treasuries Drop on Economy Stocks and commodities rose, while the dollar and Treasuries slid, as growth in U.S. retail sales and European industrial production boosted confidence in the global economy.

U.S. Stocks Advance as Retail Sales Bolster Economic Optimism U.S. stocks rose, keeping the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index at a 17-month high, as an unexpected increase in retail sales added to evidence the economic recovery is strengthening.

Obama Delays Asia Trip to Work on Health Care, Official Says President Barack Obama is delaying his trip to Asia by three days, until March 21, to work on getting health-care legislation passed, an administration official said.

Chile Peso Not ‘One-Sided Bet,’ Pimco’s Osses Says (Update1) Chile’s peso will begin weakening late this year as the country’s worst earthquake in 50 years slows economic growth and record-low interest rates sap demand for fixed-income assets, Pacific Investment Management Co.’s Guillermo Osses said.

Hungary’s Sale of ‘Recycled’ Credits Weighs on Carbon Markets The spread between European Union emission allowances and comparable UN credits widened to the most in almost a month on concern that Hungary’s sale of “recycled” goods may undermine markets.

Basquiat Sells, Hirst Pig Tempts at $2.7 Billion Fair (Update1) A work by Jean-Michel Basquiat sold today within the first two hours of the official opening of the world’s largest art and antiques fair in the Dutch city of Maastricht. Other pieces by Damien Hirst, Alberto Giacometti and Paul Gauguin attracted interest from billionaires who took time browsing Tefaf, the 23rd annual European Fine Art Fair.

EU Said to Discuss EU Bonds to Fund Any Greek Rescue (Update1) European Union finance ministers will discuss next week whether any Greek bailout should be funded by EU bonds guaranteed by euro region governments, said three people briefed on preparations for March 15-16 meetings.

U.S. Stock-Index Futures Gain on Unexpected Rise in Retail Sales U.S. stock-index futures extended gains after retail sales unexpectedly increased in February, adding to signs the economic recovery is gaining momentum.

British Airways Cabin-Crew Union Calls 7-Day Strike (Update2) British Airways Plc’s 12,000 flight attendants will strike for seven days starting on March 20 after talks about pay and lower staffing levels broke down.

KKR to Move Stock Listing to New York From Amsterdam (Update1) KKR & Co., the private-equity firm run by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, filed to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange, bringing it closer to completing a two-year attempt to go public in the U.S.

Nazi-Looted Corot Painting to Be Sold by Sotheby’s (Update1) Sotheby’s will offer a painting by the French artist Jean Baptiste Camille Corot in an auction of 19th-century art after a Dutch museum returned the work to the heirs of a Jewish banker persecuted by the Nazis.

Canada’s Dollar Approaches Parity After Job Growth Accelerates Canada’s dollar traded almost equal to the U.S. currency for the first time since July 2008 after a government report showed the nation’s employers added more jobs last month than economists forecast.

Volvo’s Renault Trucks May Ask for More Aid to Extend Layoffs Volvo AB, the world’s second- largest truckmaker, may need more government support in France, where its Renault Trucks unit is lagging behind a global recovery and aid conditions rule out job cuts until late 2012.

‘Undercover Boss’ Spurs Waste Management New-Customer Inquiries Waste Management Inc.’s president is learning that reality-television shows may be one man’s trash TV and another’s public-relations treasure.

World’s Biggest LPG Shipping Line Idles Four Vessels (Update1) BW Gas Ltd., the world’s biggest shipper of liquefied petroleum gas, idled four tankers because rates plunged so low that each vessel was losing the company about $25,000 a day.

Yara Won’t Raise Offer for Terra, Says ‘Race Is Over’ (Update3) Yara International ASA, the largest publicly traded nitrogen-fertilizer maker, said it wouldn’t raise a $4.1 billion offer for Terra Industries Inc., leaving the way clear for rival suitor CF Industries Holdings Inc.

Junk Bonds Pull Ahead as TXU, Freescale Soar: Credit Markets High-yield, high-risk bonds are beating investment-grade debt for the first time this year as confidence in the U.S. economic recovery gains strength.

Bombings Kill 53 in Pakistan’s Lahore as Lull in Attacks Ends Two suicide bombers attacked an army convoy in Pakistan’s Lahore, killing at least 53 people and injuring 95 in the second attack on the city this week, police and rescue services said.

China May Face ‘Massive’ Bank Bailouts After Stimulus (Update1) China may be forced to bail out banks that made loans for local-government projects under the unprecedented stimulus program unleashed in 2008, according to Citigroup Inc. and Northwestern University’s Victor Shih.

Bombings in Army Area of Pakistan’s Lahore Kill 53 (Update1) Two suicide bombings in Pakistan’s Lahore killed at least 53 people and wounded 95 others, the second attack in the city this week, police and rescue services said.

Cheyne Capital Fund Bets on Improvement in U.K. Property Market Cheyne Capital Management (U.K.) LLP, a hedge fund firm which oversees $5.5 billion, is betting on an improvement in Britain’s real estate market.

New York Draws Level With London as Finance Center, Report Says London and New York hold equal first place in a ranking of global financial centers after the British capital lost its primary ranking because of concern over higher taxes and tighter regulations, according to a report.

Baer Says Swiss, Europe Must Compromise to Settle Secrecy Spat Switzerland and the European Union should compromise to resolve a dispute over banking secrecy or risk losing the assets of wealthy people to Asia, said Julius Baer Group Ltd. Chairman Raymond Baer.