AFP The European Union gave Belgium until a leaders’ summit on Friday to approve a troubled free trade pact with Canada which has been blocked by its small French-speaking region of Wallonia. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said a planned visit by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to sign the deal next week would not go ahead unless the …

  WASHINGTON / AP Higher energy costs fueled U.S. consumer prices in September, but overall inflation remained in check as it has for the past several years. The Labor Department said Tuesday that consumer prices increased 0.3 percent last month. Much of that rise stemmed from energy, housing and prescription drugs. Energy costs surged 2.9 percent in September as oil …

  Bloomberg American International Group Inc. agreed to sell commercial and consumer units in nations including Argentina and Turkey to Prem Watsa’s Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. for $240 million as Chief Executive Officer Peter Hancock narrows his company’s focus. Fairfax will also acquire renewal rights on the portfolio of business written by AIG’s Central and Eastern European operations in countries …