Business news for Mon, 31 Dec 2007 & with word plans. 19 news.

Sepracor's chairman plans to retire no later than May 13 after working at the pharmaceutical company for 23 years.

Tracinda said it will take a 35% stake in Delta Petroleum, making a $684 million investment in the energy company. The deal shows how many smaller energy companies could face difficulties financing their capital plans in coming years.

Farrah Gray, author of "Get Real, Get Rch: Conquer the 7 Lies Blocking You From Success" says that consumers and investors making New Year's resolutions should start the process by exchanging hopes and dreams for a plan. In a radio interview, Gray said that most people let themselves get sidetracked from their goals because they don't have a plan to reach them, so they keep hoping to reach their targets without actually plotting the course to take to make good things happen.

It was delayed several months, but Vestar officials are moving ahead again with plans to build Greer Towne Center in shopping-starved south Gilbert.

Waitrose unveils plans to expand overseas with a deal to open its food stores in the United Arab Emirates.

The Halifax bar where 38 people were arrested after a brawl last week may become the first in Canada to allow police and liquor inspectors to monitor its security cameras over the internet, a plan that worries privacy experts.

MERRION Pharmaceuticals said on Friday it had called off plans for an initial public offering on the Nasdaq due to tough current market conditions.

Hitachi Ltd., Japan's biggest electronics conglomerate, plans to exit the business of making small hard disk drives as demand shifts to flash memory chips, the Nikkei business daily reported Sunday.

India's giant Tata Group plans to launch the world's cheapest car early in January while also looking set to drive off with two of the poshest marques -- Ford's iconic Jaguar and Land Rover brands.

Egypt will raise the cost of crossing the Suez Canal by an average of 7.1 percent starting in April 2008, said Admiral Ahmed Fadel, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority.

Saudi Basic Industries Corp., the world's biggest chemicals maker by market value, said it plans to increase the number of its shares outstanding by a fifth through issuing one andquot;freeandquot; share for every five held.

Air France-KLM plans to keep Alitalia as a separate company overseen by a board of trustees once it has taken over the Italian airline, according to a news report Sunday citing details of the French offer.

CHINA'S Internet search firm Baidu.com said yesterday that its chief financial officer, Shawn Wang, died in an accident while on vacation in China. Wang, who joined Baidu in 2004 and helped the company successfully list on the Nasdaq stock market in 2005, died on December 27 during a Christmas-New Year holiday. Company officials declined to give further details. The company said it plans to replace him but also gave no further details. "Under Wang's leadership, this year Baidu became one of the four biggest firms in the US by stock transaction volume and the first Chinese company to join the Nasdaq 100 index," Baidu chairman and CEO Robin Li said in an e-mail to employees. "Besides his contribution to financial affairs, he also led the company's legal and human resources departments to fruitful achievements," Li said. Baidu had a 60.5-percent share of China's search engine market in the third quarter, according to Beijing-based research firm Analysys

NOVI -- Long-awaited plans to turn the former Novi Expo Center into a trade center with bargain shopping deals have been called off due to obstacles that have arisen since March.

NEWARK -- "You're going to get killed!" That -- along with a "you're crazy" and "nice knowing you" or two -- was the kind of half-joking response that Chris and Ade Sedita heard from their Manhattan friends when the couple announced their plans to move from glittering New York to, of all places,...

Studies show today's consumer spends 10 minutes a day making dinner preparation plans and that usually comes during the drive to the grocery store at the end of the work day.

Bush starts his last year in office intent on pushing his trade agenda, including a pact with Colombia. But the most important item on the list may be blocking legislation to crack down on trade with China.

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Tokyo-listed supermarket and department store operator Seiyu Ltd. will undergo a restructuring that will see the firm refurbish stores and open new ones, while targeting a return to profitability within two years, according to the Nikkei business daily. As part of its transformation to a wholly-owned subsidiary Wal-Mart Stores Inc. this spring, the firm will consolidate five regional units, up the pace of its refurbishment plans to include more than 70 stores in 2008 and make other adjustments to its supply chain and payroll procedures, the Nikkei reported. Seiyu will open about 60 new stores by 2012 and target annual group sales of more than 1.2 trillion yen. The report said the strategy set out the goals as part of five-year plan.

Macy's said it plans to close nine stores in six states. The retailer has struggled in the Midwest since acquiring May Department Stores in 2005.