TOP STORIES
BANKS' BUSINESS IN BLOCK TRADES FACES NEW RISK
Facing tighter regulations, Wall Street banks are turning to an
old-school way to make a profit: using their own money to help
investors sell big blocks of stock.
EASTERN UKRAINE'S PRO-RUSSIAN ACTIVISTS STAND FAST
Pro-Russian activists in eastern Ukraine said they had no plans
to vacate the government buildings they've occupied, despite the
compromise agreement calling for that.
SEARCH FOR MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT 370 CONTINUES
An underwater search of a remote stretch of southern Indian
Ocean seabed for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
continued, with a deep-sea vehicle setting out on its fifth mission
after previous sorties proved fruitless.
HOME-PRICE RISES SLOW IN CHINA
Growth in residential property prices across large- and
medium-size Chinese cities slowed further in March as lending
limits and discounts undercut demand, according to analysts and
property developers.
J.P. MORGAN NAMES ASIAN-PACIFIC VICE CHAIRMAN
The chairman and chief executive in China for J.P. Morgan Chase,
Shao Zili, is set to leave those roles and become its vice chairman
for the Asian-Pacific region.
HTC HIRES FORMER SAMSUNG MARKETING CHIEF
HTC is hoping to nab a bit of that Samsung shine, as it has
hired the South Korean company's former U.S. marketing chief as a
consultant.
MICROSOFT SELLS MORE THAN 5 MILLION XBOX ONES
Microsoft said it has sold more than five million Xbox One
consoles to retail shops since the product was launched in
November.
SOUTH KOREA ISSUES ARREST WARRANT FOR FERRY CAPTAIN
Arrest warrants were issued for the captain and two crew members
of the sunken South Korean ferry as a crew member confirmed
accounts that the captain was among the first to abandon the
sinking ship.
MCDONALD'S TO GIVE CHINA RESTAURANTS A MAKEOVER
McDonald's is looking to beef up its image in China to lure
diners amid an economic slowdown that could send them looking for
cheaper alternatives.
OBAMA SAYS HEALTH-PLAN SIGN-UPS AT 8 MILLION
Enrollment for private health insurance through federal and
state exchanges has swelled to about 8 million, President Barack
Obama announced.
BARNES & NOBLE CHAIRMAN REDUCES STAKE
Barnes & Noble Chairman Leonard Riggio disclosed that he had
sold nearly a quarter of his stake, his second stock sale in five
months, reducing his interest to 20% from 30% last year.
======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES =======
Analysis
FOREIGN INSURERS MAY FIND SMOOTHER ROAD IN CHINA
Foreign insurers have long faced challenges expanding in China,
but there are signs the country is opening up business further to
them.
The Wall Street Journal
SATELLITE FIRM TO OFFER FREE PLANE TRACKING
Satellite communications company Inmarsat plans to offer free
tracking services to airlines, its chairman said, in the strongest
sign yet of the aerospace industry's intentions to enhance
commercial-jet monitoring abilities after the disappearance of
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.