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• Aon 4Q net income rises on more revenue, savings

  NEW YORK-- Insurance brokerage Aon PLC said Friday that its net income rose 10 percent in the fourth quarter as its revenue grew and savings from its restructuring increased. The company said the restructuring of its Aon Hewitt human resources consulting business saved it about $67 million during the fourth quarter, up from $43 million a year ago.

• Global bank returns likely to stay low into 2017 - McKinsey

  NEW YORK, Jan 23- The biggest global banks will have to take steps in the coming years, including cutting compensation and shedding services, to generate adequate returns for their shareholders, consulting firm McKinsey& Co. said on Wednesday.

• Davos bosses hunt $5 trln new revenue in low-growth world

  *Firms need $5 trln a year to meet market hopes: Accenture. That is the amount of extra revenue the 1,200 top global companies need to find each year simply to meet analysts' expectations, according to consulting firm Accenture.

• As US drought persists, many scramble to save every drop of water

  "Everyone is wondering whether this dry weather is the new norm... or an anomaly that will soon pass," said Barney Austin, director of hydraulic services for INTERA Inc, an Austin, Texas- based geoscience and engineering consulting firm. "

• More pressure to justify cost of cancer drugs versus benefits

  *Sanofi/ Regeneron give doctors 50- pct drug discount. Dec 13- Medical providers have begun to think more about cost, as well as safety and effectiveness, when they decide on cancer treatments. "It's a sign of the times," said Mark Mynhier, partner, healthcare industries advisory at PricewaterhouseCoopers PwC. "

• COLUMN-Saudi dominance of the oil market to fade by 2020: Kemp

  Iran, its main rival within OPEC, has been sidelined by sanctions. Saudi officials make a show of consulting with OPEC, but the kingdom is the undisputed swing producer, and all important production decisions are being made in Riyadh.

• US SEC charges consultant with fraud in Chinese reverse mergers

  *David Zhou helped reverse merger companies- SEC. *Zhou then defrauded investors- SEC. *Case is latest effort by SEC in China crackdown.

• How Wal-Mart Stores Got a Foothold in India's Market

  

  Wal-Mart entered India's supermarket sector in 2010 with a $100 million bet on a consultancy with no employees, no profits, and a scant $14,000 in revenue.

• EXCLUSIVE-How Wal-Mart got a foot in the door of India's retail market

  MUMBAI, Dec 5- Wal-Mart Stores Inc prepared its entry into India's supermarket sector in 2010 with a $100 million investment into a consultancy with no employees, no profits and a scant $14,000 in revenue.

• Par-ty! Par-ty! Office Holiday Parties Are Back

  

  It’s been a tough slog in Cubeville the past few years but don’t cry in that beer you had to buy with your own money just yet – the office holiday party is making a comeback!

• He Did WHAT? Outrageous Holiday Party Behavior

  

  Have you ever thrown a coworker in a lagoon at the office party? Here are some of the most outrageous things people have done at office parties.

• The Value of Independent Research  

  

  Vince Heaney author from the Centre for the study of Financial Innovation, talks to CNBC about the importance of independent research following the Hewlett Packard/ Autonomy debacle.

• EXCLUSIVE-Philippine payments give U.S. casino regulators new focus in Wynn-Okada feud

  TOKYO, Nov 16- U.S. gaming regulators are investigating millions of dollars paid by affiliates of Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada's Universal Entertainment Corp to a former consultant for the Philippine gaming authority around the time the company was lobbying to win concessions for a $2 billion Manila casino.

• Can Statins Reduce Cancer Deaths? 

  

  A new study out today in The New England Journal of Medicine finds statin use reduces the risk of death from cancer. Dr. Lori Mosca of New York Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center, offers insight on the drug and its side effects.

• Scary Indicator II: Who's Ahead Now—Obama or Romney?

  

  Time to check in with the Halloween mask indicator, which has been eerily accurate in past elections, to find out who it's gonna be -- Obama or Romney!

• Seasonal Odd Jobs: From Elves to Vampires

  

  From elves to vampires and reindeer wranglers, here's a look at some of the season's odder jobs. Wait, you want me to do what?!

• Hssssss! Where Wall Street Vampires Get Their Fangs

  

  The teeth are pretty sharp on Wall Street but Father Sebastiaan van Houten, professional fang maker, makes them even sharper. Hsssssss!

• The Most Outrageous Excuses for Calling In Sick

  

  Call it "playing hooky," "taking a mental health day" or "pulling a Ferris Bueller," but any way you slice it, there are fibbers among us who call in sick when they are not. Here are some of the most outrageous excuses.

• Napping at Your Desk — Now Made Easier!

  

  One of the most popular — and already among the most funded — projects on Kickstarter is the Ostrich pillow, a hilarious yet practical product that gives you an instant napping environment — anywhere!

• Hey Buddy, Wanna Buy Some Tap Water?

  Here's a low-overhead business: Selling New York City tap water! Yep, you wish you'd thought of it yourself, amiright?!