“Shares of computer maker Gateway Inc. GTW.N surged nearly 20 percent on Wednesday after it received a $450 million bid for its retail operations from a former eMachines executive. Bidder Lap Shun Hui, owner of Joui International and the former owner of eMachines, said he was also willing to consider buying all of the outstanding shares of Gateway. Gateway said early on Wednesday it will review the offer.”

From Washington Post 

“McDonald’s Corp. on Wednesday announced the abrupt resignation of Mike Roberts, the fast-food chain’s No. 2 executive, as president and chief operating officer. No reason was cited in the late afternoon announcement by CEO Jim Skinner. A company spokesman did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.”

From ABC News 

“South Korea and ASEAN countries will start cutting tariffs on merchandise trade by Jan. 1, 2007, but talks with the group’s key member Thailand remains stalled amid a dispute over rice, ministers said Thursday. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations _ except Thailand _ signed an agreement in May to start freeing up trade in goods as part of plans to create a free trade area by 2012. Thailand, the world’s top rice exporter, refused to join to protest South Korea’s insistence on excluding rice.”

Source Houston Chronicle