Citigroup is the latest US bank to see an improvement in its performance as it has reported its first quarterly net profit in almost two years.   "We had our best overall quarter since the second quarter of 2007," chief executive Vikram Pandit said.  The bank made a profit of $1.6 billion compared to a loss of $5.1 billion a year earlier, and revenues rose 99 percent to $24.8 billion.   However, once dividend payments to preferred shareholders were taken into account, it suffered a near-$1bn loss.

Dubai-based broadcasting company MBC Group announced today it has signed a major new deal with giant Warner Bros to show all its US TV shows for the next two years.  ┬á┬á MBC will debut Warner Bros International Television Distribution (WBITD) series in the region on free TV, at the same time as the US broadcast of the programmes, officials said.  ┬á┬á MBC Group was established in 1991 as the first pan-Arab free-to-air satellite broadcasting company in the Arab World.

Dubai-based broadcasting company MBC Group announced today it has signed a major new deal with giant Warner Bros to show all its US TV shows for the next two years.  ┬á┬á MBC will debut Warner Bros International Television Distribution (WBITD) series in the region on free TV, at the same time as the US broadcast of the programmes, officials said.  ┬á┬á MBC Group was established in 1991 as the first pan-Arab free-to-air satellite broadcasting company in the Arab World.

A study into spam has blamed it for the production of more than 33 billion kilowatt-hours of energy every year, enough to power more than 2.4 million homes.

Car parts and bicycle retailer Halfords has said it is confident about its profits despite a slight fall in sales, as its business has been resilient in the current economic climate.

Federal Reserve officials are considering steps to provide the public with more information about emergency programs aimed at reviving credit and ending the U.S. recession.   People familiar with the matter say the central bank is likely to increase disclosure on the collateral it holds against loans to financial firms, while also weighing a full range of options, including possible press conferences.

Arabtec Construction, the UAEÔÇÖs largest contractor by market value, has started groundwork on its first building project in Saudi Arabia, according to chairman Riad Kamal.Excavating started last week on a development in Riyadh, while the company was already seeking further opportunities for contracts in the country, Kamal said in an interview. ┬á┬áArabtec Construction, a subsidiary of Arabtec Holding, is eager to tap growth opportunities in the GulfÔÇÖs largest economy as Dubai's property sector slows.

Conventional wisdomAs part of a resort project in British Columbia, Darwin Construction is building a conference facility to lure conventions to a small resort town, bringing jobs to the area, both construction and post-construction, Andrew Pelis learns. Located in CanadaÔÇÖs only official desert, a boom in property construction is unfolding. The town of Osoyoos is situated in British Columbia, with the picturesque setting of Lake Osoyoos only four minutes from the US border; indeed, the lake itself sits in both countries.

A minnow among whales┬áCanada Energy PartnersÔÇÖ CEO Ben Jones tells Gary Toushek how he left the exploited petroleum fields of Louisiana to explore coalbed methane in the wilds of British Columbia. Ben Jones seems like a down-to-earth character with a charming southern drawl and a drive to succeed. He considers himself a strange mixture, with a degree in engineering and another in theology. His career stomping ground for about 25 years was southern Louisiana, where he was a petroleum ÔÇ£explorationistÔÇØ in the Gulf coast region.

Ethical jewelry┬áWith increased awareness of the environmental damage caused by irresponsible gold mining, Birks & Mayors is among a growing number of retailers who are providing customers with an ethical alternative, as Alan T Swaby learns. In difficult trading times, the conventional wisdom is to cut costs. So why then would an organization choose a path that increases the cost and effort involved in producing its goods, for no appreciable economic benefit?