NEW YORK – An American Texas oil trader and his business associates pleaded not guilty Monday morning for their alleged roles in the U.N. Oil-for-Food (search) scandal. David B. Chalmers (search), head of Houston-based Bayoil (search), which participated in oil deals through the program, and Ludmil Dionissiev (search), a Bulgarian …

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Global Crossing Ltd. (GLBC) on Monday said it settled a three-year investigation launched by the Securities and Exchange Commission (search) into the telecommunication company’s business practices and those of its top three executives. The SEC issued a cease-and-desist order against Global Crossing and three executives: former …

RALEIGH, N.C. – Multiplatinum-selling singer Clay Aiken (search) will talk about his own experiences with bullying with Dr. Phil McGraw on the syndicated “Dr. Phil” (search) show Tuesday. “He talks about his own experiences being bullied,” says RCA Records publicist Roger Widynowski, who said Aiken isn’t doing any press interviews …

NEW YORK – A membership seat on the New York Stock Exchange (search) rose to $2.4 million on Monday, up $600,000 from a sale last week and its highest since July 10, 2002. Seat prices have increased since the exchange announced last week a plan to merge with electronic trading …

NEW YORK – Flying a huge American flag from its mast, the guided missile cruiser USS Anzio led nearly a dozen Navy ships and Coast Guard craft up New York Harbor on Wednesday to open the city’s 19th annual Fleet Week observance. Some 4,000 sailors and Marines were expected to …

MILFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The FBI said Tuesday it found no trace of Jimmy Hoffa after digging up a suburban Detroit horse farm in one of the most intensive searches in decades for the former Teamsters boss. The two-week search involved dozens of FBI agents, along with anthropologists, archaeologists, cadaver-sniffing …

NEWARK, N.J. – Former Gov. James E. McGreevey once resorted to anonymous homosexual trysts at highway rest stops, according to recently released excerpts from his memoir being released later this year. McGreevey — who proclaimed himself “a gay American” in 2004 while announcing his impending resignation as governor — describes …

FRESNO, Calif. – Lawyers for a woman who was spanked in front of her co-workers as part of what her employer said was a camaraderie-building exercise asked a jury Wednesday for at least $1.2 million for the humiliation she claimed to have suffered. Janet Orlando, 53, quit her job at …

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – The president of the Maldives was saved from assassination Tuesday when a boy scout grabbed the knife of an attacker who had jumped out of a crowd greeting the leader, an official said. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was not hurt, but his shirt was ripped when …

WOODSTOCK, N.Y. – Art Garfunkel made up for last summer’s arrest for marijuana possession in Woodstock by speaking to students at two local high schools about keeping a healthy lifestyle. Ulster County District Attorney Donald Williams said the singer, who was found with a marijuana cigarette in his ashtray after …